《Deus Necros》


 Chapter 1 Epilogue

    Ludwig Heart was a young man born into wealth beyond imagination, raised in the glittering heart of New York City. His lineage was impeccable¡ªhis father, Yuri Heart, had carved out a fortune on the brutal battlefield of Wall Street, where cunning and intellect were the only weapons.His mother, the sole heir of the global motor empire known as Stonechild Industries, controlled a vast industrial network that stretched across continents. Together, they formed a powerhouse family, where success was not just expected but inevitable.


    Ludwig''s life, from an outsider''s view, seemed perfect. He was surrounded by luxury¡ªan army of maids catered to his every whim, and the mansion he called home was more akin to a palace. His education was entrusted to the best minds in the world. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Renowned mathematicians, physicists, and artists¡ªall were summoned to mold Ludwig into the perfect heir, ensuring he mastered everything from the most complex equations to the subtlest nuances of classical music.


    Yet, with all these privileges came isolation. His friends, if he could call them that, were few and far between¡ªmostly sycophants eager to bask in his family''s influence. His life was scheduled to the minute, leaving him little time to experience the world beyond his studies. And while he excelled in every subject, his life felt scripted, leaving little room for personal desires or passions.


    The only spark of rebellion in his otherwise disciplined existence came when he discovered the world of online gaming and the escapism offered by light novels.


    His father, who had always dismissed such pastimes as trivial, eventually relented. Ludwig''s only request for all his hard work? Just one more hour of free time each day. It was a modest wish, considering he had everything else. But for Ludwig, that extra hour of freedom was more valuable than all the billions in his future inheritance.


    Now, at twenty, Ludwig had grown into a striking figure. His tall, lean frame, honed by stolen moments in the gym, towered at six feet three. His sharp features, slicked-back black hair, and a carefully groomed goatee gave him an air of refinement, though his pale skin hinted at a life spent mostly indoors.


    Despite his parents'' disapproval, his choice to grow facial hair was one of the few personal decisions he had made, symbolizing his quiet rebellion against the expectations set upon him.


    However, despite his physical transformation and academic prowess, Ludwig still felt like a boy lost in a world he didn''t fully belong to. The only thing missing from his charmed life was the one thing money couldn''t easily buy: genuine connection. A spark of romance, a story of his own, something that wasn''t dictated by his family''s legacy or corporate strategies.


    His twentieth birthday, however, was about to mark a turning point in his life.


    Unlike the previous years, where his father threw extravagant, exclusive parties attended by high-profile figures far older than Ludwig, this year was different. His father had arranged for the celebration to be held in Boston, hosted by one of his mother''s relatives, and this time, the guest list included people his age.


    For the first time, Ludwig was going to mingle with peers¡ªother children of wealth and influence¡ªpeople who might just see the world the way he did, or perhaps challenge it.


    The thought of it terrified him. He wasn''t sure if his online gaming buddies could prepare him for the real-life challenge of interacting with his social equals. His palms grew clammy as the private jet cut through the sky, carrying him to what felt like an entirely new world.


    His heart raced, not with the excitement of the celebration to come, but with anxiety over how he would manage to hold a conversation, to navigate the social battlefield of his peers.


    Would he be able to blend in? Or would they see through him, the boy who had been kept away from the world, shielded by his family''s vast fortune?


    As the jet hummed along, the world beneath him shrinking into nothingness, Ludwig couldn''t help


    but wish the flight would never end. The uncertainty gnawed at him, louder than the drone of the engines. For someone who had mastered every challenge thrown at him¡ªacademic or physical¡ªthe simple prospect of talking freely with others his age felt like scaling an impossible mountain.


    Yet what Ludwig didn''t know was that this very trip would be more than just another birthday party. His future, so carefully planned and polished by his parents, was about to take a drastic, unexpected turn. His small, innocent wish for more time to be himself was about to come true¡ªbut in ways he never could have imagined.


    Mainly because¡­ the Jet was now in free fall.

 Chapter 2 Dead Again

    "Argh, it hurts¡­ What happened?" Ludwig groaned, his voice barely a whisper as he stirred. His body felt heavy, like it had been dragged through the depths of hell. His head throbbed, every pulse of pain a reminder that something had gone terribly wrong.Blinking against the oppressive darkness, he tried to piece together the fragments of his memory, but everything was jumbled¡ªa chaotic blur of screaming, shuddering metal, and a violent, terrifying descent into nothingness.


    The last thing he remembered was the plane¡ªthe craft shuddering so violently it felt like it would tear apart. His father''s voice, panicked for the first time in Ludwig''s life, calling out to his mother. His mother''s scream, raw and piercing, cutting through the chaos. Then¡­ darkness.


    And now¡­ more darkness.


    But something was wrong. The pain, the broken bones, the agony of the crash¡ªnone of it was there. He wasn''t lying in twisted metal or engulfed in flames. There were no scattered seats, no twisted wreckage, no smell of burning fuel. Instead, he felt something cold¡ªsomething hard beneath him. A stone floor.


    He strained his eyes, trying to make sense of the shadows around him, but the only light came from small, flickering flames in the distance, like forgotten embers scattered across a desolate plain.


    "Dad? Mom?" Ludwig''s voice echoed back to him in the vast emptiness, swallowed by the oppressive silence. There was no response. Just his own ragged breathing. A chill crept up his spine. This wasn''t right.


    His heart raced as panic clawed at his chest. Where was the plane? Where was the fire? Where was his family?


    Suddenly, a series of garbled sounds pierced the silence. "+)/***$$$@@."


    Ludwig whipped his head around, his heart pounding in his chest. The words¡ªif they could even be called words¡ªwere unintelligible, more like static or a broken transmission. His blood ran cold.


    [Automated Translation Initiated.]


    A voice echoed in his mind, emotionless and robotic, snapping Ludwig from his confusion. The voice sounded disturbingly artificial, hollow and devoid of any human warmth.


    "What¡­?" Ludwig breathed, his chest tightening. "No, no, this can''t be happening." His mind raced, his thoughts spiraling into disbelief. He''d read about situations like this¡ªisekai stories, where characters were thrown into other worlds. But that was fiction, an escape from the suffocating reality of his high-society life. This¡ªthis was real. And it was impossible.


    A soft chime echoed in his head, and a glowing blue screen appeared before him, hovering in midair.


    [Initializing Transmigration¡­] [Ludwig Heart.]


    "No, no, no, no!" Ludwig''s voice rose in panic, shaking the emptiness around him. His breath came in short, frantic bursts as he took in the impossible sight before him. "This isn''t real! It''s a dream¡ªit has to be!" S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But the screen remained, indifferent to his denial.


    [Initialization Complete.] [Welcome to the World of Ikos, traveler Ludwig Heart.] [You have been transported to another world. Please read through your status screen before beginning.]


    Ludwig''s heart hammered in his chest. He didn''t want to believe it, but the words on the screen burned into his mind with an eerie clarity. Another world? It felt absurd, yet the cold stone beneath him and the disorienting void around him were all too real.


    Before he could process what was happening, two figures emerged from the shadows, their crimson robes flowing like liquid darkness. Their faces were hidden beneath hoods, and long staffs crowned with grotesque skulls were clutched in their hands. The faint, flickering light reflected off their robes, casting them in an otherworldly glow.


    "Seems like he woke up. Bring it," one of them said, his voice low and menacing.


    Ludwig''s pulse quickened. The men moved with a predatory grace, their steps silent on the cold stone. One of them approached Ludwig, holding a black orb that pulsed with a sinister energy. Panic surged through him as the other man loomed closer, his breath hot on Ludwig''s face.


    "Where am I?" Ludwig shouted, his voice cracking as fear overtook him.


    Without a word, the robed figure raised his staff and swung it. The thick wooden end crashed into Ludwig''s face with brutal force, the impact echoing in the empty chamber.


    [You have been Dazed!] [-22 HP.]


    A sharp pain exploded in Ludwig''s skull, and his vision blurred. His knees buckled beneath him as he fought to stay conscious. What¡­ is this? His thoughts were a jumbled mess, unable to focus on anything but the searing pain and the surreal events unfolding around him. Was this some sort of kidnapping? A sick game orchestrated by lunatics?


    "Open your hand," one of the robed men demanded.


    Ludwig''s mind reeled, trying to make sense of the situation. Cultists? Terrorists? None of it explained the floating screens, the strange voice in his head. He tried to resist, but his body, still dazed from the blow, betrayed him. His hand shook as he extended it.


    The second man placed the orb in Ludwig''s open palm, and suddenly, agony. Long, razor-sharp spikes shot out from the orb, piercing through his skin and muscle like molten knives. A guttural scream tore from Ludwig''s throat, the pain more intense than anything he had ever felt. His body convulsed as the fiery spikes burned into his flesh.


    [Please read through your status screen! You do not have much time!]


    The robotic voice pierced through the pain, and Ludwig, barely able to think, willed the screen to appear.


    [Status Screen: Ludwig Heart]


    Health: 72/100


    Stamina: 30/100


    Mana: 100/100


    Intelligence: 15


    Strength: 15


    Dexterity: 15


    Vigor: 15


    Luck: 15


    Class: Hero


    Title: Predestined Hero! One who can save the world!


    Possessed Abilities: [Hero''s Starter Pack]


    Passives: Resolve: {Negate One Negative Effect on the bearer.} Activates once a day.


    Overt Genius: Increased proficiency in all sorts of masteries.


    Heroic Spirit: Strong Resistance to Demonic Temptations and Mental Ailments.


    The numbers flashed before him, but his mind could barely process them. The pain, the confusion¡ªit was too much.


    "Oh, we hit the jackpot. It''s a hero," one of the men muttered.


    "Really?" the other responded, his voice dripping with disbelief.


    Ludwig''s mind spun. How can they see this? He thought of the stories he had read late at night, hidden under the covers. Heroes, status screens, other worlds. None of it made sense, yet here he was, trapped in the very nightmare he used to fantasize about.


    "The orb is glowing gold," the first man said with a twisted grin. "He''s the real deal."


    Ludwig''s breath came in short, sharp gasps. What do they want from me? He thought, his heart pounding in his chest.


    "Let him go," the second man said.


    For a moment, hope flickered in Ludwig''s chest. Maybe they''ll let me live. After all, I''m a hero now, right? Heroes are supposed to be protected, revered.


    But that hope was short-lived.


    "Now kill him," the first man said, his voice cold and final.


    Ludwig barely had time to register the command before a dagger, gleaming in the dim light, sliced through the air and buried itself deep in his skull. The pain was blinding, a sudden flash of white-hot agony, and then¡ª

 Chapter 3 [You Died]

    [You Died.]Simple as that. Those two words echoed in the cold, empty space, lingering in the void where Ludwig''s consciousness once resided. It was the last thing he saw, etched in blinding, ominous letters against the dark backdrop of his mind. Death, swift and cruel, had claimed him just moments after he arrived in the strange, fantastical world that was supposed to be his grand adventure.


    There was no epic quest, no heroic victory¡ªonly the cold, abrupt end of a life filled with dreams unfulfilled.


    Ludwig Heart, a teenager of fragile hopes and vast ambitions, had grown up cloistered in a grand, gilded cage. The son of a powerful family, he was surrounded by books that whispered of distant lands, mighty heroes, and impossible wonders.


    Yet his world was small, confined to the towering walls of his family''s palace, where his experiences of life were limited to the occasional, heavily guarded outings to the city beyond.


    He had never tasted freedom or felt the rush of wind against his face as he raced toward destiny. He had never seen the ocean or climbed a mountain, never loved or lost, and never fought for anything beyond the chessboard battles of his mind. The chance to visit another world had seemed like his escape, his opportunity to become the hero he always dreamed of being.


    But in that moment, all of that was snuffed out, reduced to a fleeting wish as his heart stopped and the warmth drained from his body.


    Ludwig''s dreams died with him, along with the countless stories that might have been told. Yet, this wouldn''t be a story worth telling if it ended so abruptly¡ªwould it?


    The world was still as two cloaked figures approached Ludwig''s lifeless body. The necromancers, their faces obscured by dark hoods, stood over the fallen hero. They waited patiently, unmoved by the stillness, until the last drop of blood had pooled beneath him, darkening the earth in a macabre stain.


    One of the men pulled out a black leather-bound tome, its cover embossed with runes that writhed like living things, and began scribbling arcane symbols in the air around Ludwig''s corpse. The faint glow of the markings cast a sickly pallor over the dead boy''s face, creating a haunting contrast to the vibrant life he had once embodied.


    The writing took an eternity, or so it seemed. Each stroke of the quill was deliberate, precise, and laced with an eerie purpose. When the sigils were complete, the necromancers knelt beside Ludwig, their robes brushing the blood-soaked ground. They drew out gleaming knives, their blades cold and merciless, and began the grim work of extraction.


    His heart, lungs, liver, intestines¡ªeach organ was carefully removed and placed into jars filled with preservative fluids that bubbled and smoked. Nothing that could rot or decay was left behind; even his brain and eyes were scooped out with practiced precision, leaving only a hollow shell of bone and sinew.


    The necromancers moved with a ritualistic grace, as though they were performing a sacred dance rather than a grotesque dissection. The air grew heavy with the stench of death, mingling with the faint, acrid scent of the alchemical fluids. The black tome, now resting at the center of the circle, began to glow faintly, the runes pulsing with an unholy light.


    The necromancers recited incantations in hushed, reverent tones, their voices blending into a haunting chorus that seemed to resonate from another realm.


    From the darkness of the tome, a purple glow erupted, snaking outwards to form an intricate magic circle around the remains of Ludwig''s body. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [The Sacrificial Ritual to the God of Death, Necro, has begun.]


    "We offer this heroic spirit to the God of Death! We, your eternal worshippers, beseech you to grant us a mighty Undead Spirit! Show us the might of your creation!" the lead necromancer chanted, his voice echoing with fervor and desperation. The air around them seemed to thicken, charged with the weight of the ritual.


    The ground beneath Ludwig began to tremble as the magic circle activated. Ethereal arms, ghostly and skeletal, materialized from the circle''s edges, reaching out like the hands of desperate souls yearning to escape the abyss. They grasped Ludwig''s flesh, ripping it apart with brutal efficiency. Nerves, tendons, and sinew snapped and unraveled, leaving only his bleached bones behind.


    It was as though unseen forces were stripping away every remnant of his humanity, piece by piece, until only a crude mockery of life remained.


    But then, something went terribly wrong.


    [Error! The Spirit of a Hero conflicts with the Undeath Ritual! Error.]


    The air shimmered violently as the ritual faltered. The two necromancers froze, their confident expressions replaced by confusion and fear. They had not anticipated this¡ªan error in the ritual of such magnitude was unheard of. Heroic undead had been raised before, so why was this different?


    "What the hell is happening?!" one of them, a gaunt man with sunken eyes, exclaimed, his voice cracking with panic.


    "It''s¡ªIt''s an error! But why? He was just a hero, wasn''t he?" the other necromancer stammered, desperately rifling through the pages of the tome for an answer. But the truth was staring them in the face, hidden in plain sight. The summoning circle''s arcane language, the complex runes¡ªthey had made a fatal, linguistic mistake that would cost them dearly.


    A Heroic Undead was not the same as a Summoned Hero. The former were those who had performed great deeds in life and were reanimated through dark rituals. But a Summoned Hero was a being blessed and chosen by the Virtue Gods of Ikos, marked by divine favor and destined for greatness.


    To attempt to bind such a soul to the will of death was not only an affront to the natural order but a direct insult to the gods themselves.


    The ground beneath them began to quake violently, as though the earth itself rejected the abomination they were attempting to create. Divine light, pure and radiant, burst forth from the altar, clashing with the sickly purple glow of the death magic. Holy and unholy forces collided, creating a cacophony of light and sound that rattled the very stones of the temple.


    "We''ve offended the God of Life," one of the necromancers whispered, horror dawning on his face. In a frantic bid to salvage the ritual, he attempted to smear away the runes with his sleeve, while his companion turned to flee.


    But their actions were in vain. Necro, the God of Death, was intrigued by the powerful soul that had been offered to him, and he was not so easily denied. Divine auras clashed, swirling around the altar like a storm of conflicting wills. The gods waged a silent battle, but in the end, the dead could not return to the realm of the living.


    Ludwig''s soul was no longer a thing of purity; it was in the domain of Necro now.


    A final, resounding pulse of magic settled the dispute. The holy light retreated, leaving behind only the unyielding presence of death. The ritual resumed, and Ludwig''s remains began to twitch and stir. Bones, once stripped of flesh, reassembled themselves into a skeletal figure. The reanimated corpse rose, its posture hunched and awkward, a macabre puppet held together by unseen strings.


    Its empty eye sockets flickered with an eerie blue glow, as though staring out at the world for the first time with a hollow, unseeing gaze.


    The nearest necromancer gasped in awe. "Oh, it worked, Sebas! It worked! Come back, you cowardly fool!" he shouted, stumbling to his feet. The violent clash between the divine and unholy had left him shaken, but with the ritual''s completion, hope stirred anew in his heart.


    Sebas, the other necromancer, who had been halfway to the exit, hesitated. "It''s¡­ it''s actually working. We need to tell the Black Tower Master," he mumbled, his voice trembling with a mix of fear and excitement.


    A sharp slap to the back of his head snapped him back to reality. "Are you stupid?!" the first necromancer hissed. "If he finds out we used a Summoned Hero for this, he''ll kill us. You think he''ll be pleased we wasted the chance he''s been searching for all these years?"


    But before they could argue further, a figure emerged from the shadows at the edge of the altar. Tall and imposing, the newcomer wore a long coat of black leather, tailored to perfection and adorned with arcane symbols that pulsed faintly under the flickering torchlight.


    His youthful face was framed by dark, wavy hair, and his eyes, hidden behind circular black glasses perched precariously on his nose, gleamed with a dangerous curiosity. His smile was wide and sharp, a predator''s grin that promised nothing good.


    "Tower Master!" the two necromancers exclaimed in unison, dropping to their knees as terror gripped them. This was not the time to be caught improvising.


    "I see you''ve been busy," the Tower Master said, his voice silky smooth as he slowly clapped his hands. The sound was light, almost mocking, but each clap reverberated in the hearts of the kneeling men, sending a shiver down their spines.

 Chapter 4 Rise of a Skeleton

    "Tower Master, we¡ª""SILENCE!" he roared, cutting them off mid-sentence. The Tower Master''s voice boomed through the altar chamber, vibrating with a dark authority that commanded immediate obedience. The necromancers flinched, their faces paling as they cowered under his withering gaze.


    "You think me a fool?" the Tower Master continued, his tone cold and dripping with disdain. "Did you truly believe that a few wards and crude enchantments would hide this pathetic spectacle from my sight? You''ve tampered with powers beyond your understanding, and you did so without my permission."


    The two necromancers quivered, knowing full well that any excuse would only worsen their situation. In the Tower Master''s presence, lies and deflections were as futile as running from a shadow attached to your feet.


    "And yet¡­" the Tower Master''s voice softened, almost contemplative. He walked around the skeletal remains of Ludwig, examining the failed ritual with a keen eye. "Impressive. You two managed to provoke the very gods themselves. A legendary figure? No, a Summoned Hero?


    Such rare beings, their souls marked by destiny, not merely bound to heroic deeds but blessed by divine virtue. It seems even in your incompetence, you''ve touched something extraordinary."


    He paused, his expression shifting from intrigue to disgust as he pointed at Ludwig''s skeletal form. "But what a waste." His voice carried a weight of bitter disappointment. "You think this is what I wanted? This¡­ shambling skeleton? My aim was not to raise a mere Heroic Undead¡ªI wanted a Hero''s soul twisted into something far greater, something capable of defying the heavens themselves.


    And you two have squandered that opportunity with your amateurish grasp of necromancy."


    The necromancers bowed their heads, trying to appear as small and insignificant as possible. The shame of their failure stung deeply, but it was the Tower Master''s biting words that truly cut them to the core.


    "You spent sixty years dabbling in the dark arts," the Tower Master sneered, "and you think that makes you worthy of playing with forces that bend the very fabric of existence? You''ve barely scratched the surface of necromancy, yet here you are, fumbling with spells that defy the laws of the world.


    You aimed to turn something divine into something profane, and look at what it got you¡ªa pile of animated bones. Pathetic."


    The Tower Master''s reprimand stung like lashes from a whip, each word a fresh cut to their already battered pride. Yet, there was a flicker of hope, a brief moment when his tone shifted¡ªonly for it to be snuffed out once more.


    "Still," the Tower Master said, pausing as if to savor the silence, "you''ve shown a spark of courage, if not recklessness. You dared to act without permission, to take what you learned and apply it in a way that defied my direct orders. That is the essence of true magic: the will to act beyond fear, beyond consequence."


    The necromancers dared to lift their eyes, hope flickering faintly in their chests. Could it be that they would be spared, even praised?


    "But," the Tower Master continued, his voice hardening like stone, "every act of defiance comes at a price. And that price is punishment."


    With a swift motion, the Tower Master raised his arm, conjuring a flame as black as night itself. The fire writhed and twisted, consuming the air around it with an insatiable hunger. This was his signature spell¡ªa flame that burned without end, devouring all until either the caster''s mana ran dry or the victim was reduced to nothing but ash.


    The necromancers recoiled, terror gripping their hearts as they knew the flame''s touch meant agony beyond death. Yet, before the Tower Master could release the spell, something peculiar caught his eye.


    The skeleton¡ªLudwig¡ªmoved. Just the slightest twitch of its bony fingers, a subtle, almost imperceptible spark of energy dancing between its thumb and index finger. It was a faint flicker of mana, insignificant by all conventional measures, but it was there¡ªa sign of something more than mere animation.


    The Tower Master''s hand paused, the black flame flickering dangerously before extinguishing in an instant. He adjusted his glasses, his eyes narrowing as he leaned in closer to the skeletal figure. "Interesting¡­ interesting indeed," he murmured, his curiosity piqued as he studied the faint sliver of mana.


    Sebas, nervously watching from a distance, blurted out, "We haven''t mind-controlled it yet! It''s still¡ª"


    In a flash, Ludwig''s skeletal arm shot forward, lunging toward the Tower Master''s throat with surprising speed. The undead''s hatred for the living was primal and instinctive, driving it to attack the nearest source of life with relentless fury.


    The Tower Master, unfazed, caught the skeletal arm effortlessly, holding it in place with a firm grip. He leaned in closer, his expression one of bemused disappointment. "You''re still just a mindless creature, aren''t you? A shame, really. For a moment, I thought you might be something more."


    He raised his other hand, pressing his palm against Ludwig''s skull. A cold, binding energy pulsed outward, flooding the skeleton''s body with an oppressive force.


    "Bind the Body. Bind the Mind. Bind the Spirit. Fold and follow, for I am your true master!" the Tower Master chanted, his voice laced with a powerful enchantment that seeped into every crevice of the skeleton''s being.


    The blue flames in Ludwig''s eye sockets flared to a vivid red, then dimmed back to blue¡ªa signal that the binding had taken hold. The skeletal form ceased its struggle, its defiance snuffed out by the Tower Master''s will. It stood motionless, awaiting its new master''s command.


    The Tower Master released the skeleton''s arm, dusting his hands off as though he had merely dealt with a bothersome pest. "I suppose I can find some use for you," he mused aloud, his tone indifferent. "Perhaps cleaning my study, fetching books¡ªnothing grand. But you''re better than nothing, I suppose."


    Turning to the necromancers, his smile vanished, replaced by a cold, calculating stare. "As for you two, your insolence has cost you dearly. Clean up this mess, then report to the Punishment Hall. I have no patience left to deal with your failures personally."


    The necromancers nodded, bowing deeply. "As the Tower Master commands," they mumbled in unison, their voices trembling with the weight of their impending fate.


    As the Tower Master turned to leave, he paused, glancing over his shoulder at the skeletal figure that now followed him obediently. "You," he said, pointing at the undead. "What was your name?" S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sebas hesitated, but then spoke up hesitantly. "It was Ludwig, Tower Master."


    "Ludwig," the Tower Master repeated, rolling the name on his tongue as though tasting it. "A decent enough name for a skeleton. Better than something common like Dave, I suppose. Come, Ludwig. You have much to learn."


    And with that, the Tower Master strode out of the temple, his newest thrall in tow. Ludwig''s skeletal form followed silently, a specter of a lost hero bound to serve a master who viewed him as little more than a curiosity, his dreams and destiny reduced to ash in the wake of dark magic.


    But deep within those hollow eye sockets, beyond the faint flicker of blue light, something stirred¡ªsomething that neither the necromancers nor the Tower Master could perceive.


    A spark of defiance, perhaps. A sliver of hope. Or maybe, just maybe, the first flickering ember of a soul that refused to be extinguished.

 Chapter 5 Plot Twist

    Now, in stories and epics, the hero is usually presented with a dilemma, a hard choice, or a trial so that his journey would begin, that is what makes a story, the challenges and trials that would guide our hero to the end, good or bad, happy or sad, or even incomplete in cases. However, that requires a plot, a hero, and a twist.Here, Ludwig would receive his Twist, and he would use it incredibly well.


    Let''s go back a few hours from now, and see what happened from the side of Ludwig.


    ***


    The Two necromancers had been scribbling and writing away at Ludwig''s massacered body, while he, in a strange occurrence of what could be called magical, or mystical was able to see what went on.


    Perhaps a ghost form? A spirit form, he didn''t know, but he was aware of his presence.


    A notification had appeared in front of him, several of them in fact.


    The first one, a clear declaration of his fate.


    [You Died]


    It was plain and simple, and gave him closure. He looked at this blue almost transparent screen and could only open and close his nonexistent mouth. After all, the trials of a hero, the hopes of the people, and the challenges against the vile and evil and the eventual revelation of the entire kingdom were nothing but fading dreams that died far too short.


    ''What a shit plot'', Ludwig thought.


    It was the first time he would ever mutter a curse word. And it felt¡­ liberating.


    Although too late, because the ultimate liberator was death itself. Now he could say whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, after all, who is there left to judge him.


    The thoughts immediately were suspended as he saw the next window.


    [You have failed the Eternal Quest, Quest of a Hero]


    [You have failed the Eternal Quest, The Liberator]


    [You have Failed the Eternal Quest, Defeating Evil]


    [You may rest for now; your duty has ended]


    It was that simple, a declaration of his detachment of his duties toward the people of Ikos.


    After all, in the many stories he had read, a few of them had heroes that died shortly after being summoned, but in those stories, the heroes themselves weren''t the main characters. And the real heroes were those in the shadows that would take on the mantle afterward.


    Yet, no such thing was going to happen to Ludwig, it was instinctive. His death was too plain, too boring and too pointless.


    As he watched the necromancers, they began chanting some weird and strange words, a ritual of sorts. And the moment he heart them chanting the final words did he realize what they were doing.


    They wanted to bring back his body as an undead.


    And just as they finished, his presence, or soul or whatever it was got sucked back into the corpse.


    Soon, he felt the aura of two powerful entities fighting on top of his corpse as he struggled to gain any semblance of control over his body.


    While the two auras were fighting among each other, in his mind he heard something."


    "Don''t Move a Bone."


    It felt like an eternal command, something far too deep and primal within Ludwig made him follow that command instinctively. He didn''t know who uttered it, but he knew one thing. Whoever did, was so mighty that the mere thought of going against them would probably cause his entire existence to vanish.


    And So did Ludwig, he didn''t move a Bone after he stood up.


    He was aware of his surrounding, aware of the people next to him, he was alive? No, far from it, he was neither dead nor alive.


    But in between, an Undead.


    A notification appeared in front of him.


    [You have Been Blessed by Necro, the God of Death.]


    It was a simple text, that harbored a great deal of mystery behind it.


    Without him uttering a word, his status screen appeared once again in front of him.


    [Status Screen: Ludwig Heart]


    Race: Undead


    Health: 100/100


    Stamina: Infinite


    Mana: 100/100


    Intelligence: 10


    Strength: 10


    Dexterity: 10


    Vigor: 10


    Luck: 15


    Class: Hero ??? Skeleton Grunt


    Title: [ Removed ]Predestined Hero! One who can save the world!


    Possessed Abilities: [ Removed ] [Hero''s Starter Pack]


    Passives: Resolve: {Negate One Negative Effect on the bearer.} Activates once a day.


    Overt Genius: Increased proficiency in all sorts of masteries.


    [ Removed ] Heroic Spirit: [ Removed ] Strong Resistance to Demonic Temptations and Mental Ailments.


    Several of his abilities were scratched off, along with his former class of a hero.


    And the majority of his stats were reduced by third.


    On the other hand, his stamina was infinite. That is the price of Undeath, They Never Tire after all.


    While he was occupied with his status screen, the man who would soon be revealed as the Tower Master of the Black Tower, would appear.


    This made Ludwig tense up. Because in his blue eyes, he was able to see something far more sinister than the two Necromancers that had killed him. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    An endless canopy of death was following him. Souls of creatures long since gone and long since they have perished were following him closely like ticks on a dog. They wouldn''t leave him be and wouldn''t move away, they would scream an echoless and voiceless screech of misery and pain. A pained lullaby only the dead can hear.


    The Sounds of thousands of murdered souls, souls pulled away from their eternal rest and forced into servitude under the same person who had corrupted them.


    The man spoke with a tongue more vicious than that of a serpent, lashing out with words that sounded far crueler than the mightiest of whips though he spoke not once out of decorum. The two Necromancers had felt that their end was neigh, and Ludwig thought that they would soon come and join the endless souls attached to that man.


    The man would then proceed by raising his arm, manifesting something that Ludwig had never seen before.


    Well, he did see a portion of it as he was being tested on, but now, with his new ethereal blue eyes, he was able to see it clearly.


    A powerful surge of a liquid like energy that stemmed from the man''s heart, and channeled through his body assisted by the world outside, a manifestation of power that couldn''t be described, slowly at times and rapidly at times coiling around his entire body, and almost in an instant manifested into a ball of black flames.


    It was¡­ an incredible thing to behold, and thanks to his new eyes he was able to see it clearly. It was like¡­ a mathematical formula? That was the closest thing Ludwig''s mind could think of, after all he never saw something like this before.


    It was a change in friction, a transfer of heat and cold, all subjugated to a precise force that acted and moved at a specific speed and velocity to create something like this.


    As if mesmerized by the spell, without him even realizing, he too had begun the same process, of channeling this same energy unbeknownst to even his awareness, through his body.


    Yet, the quality was on a completely different level, if the Tower Master''s energy was comparable to a Sun, then the energy that Ludwig had in him was no bigger than a firefly. The energy failed to achieve the minimum required, in terms of understanding, experience, and knowledge, not to mention mana.


    The application immediately died, sputtering a small puff of smoke. Only then Did Ludwig realize what happened and he was unintentionally mimicking the Tower Master.


    This fact caught him by surprise and almost made him want to hide under the ground, yet he remembered well the words of the voice which asked him to not move a muscle, or bone in this case.


    "Attack him," the Voice once again ordered, and he immediately followed and was suddenly grabbed.


    The Tower Master displayed interest and soon slammed his hand on Ludwig''s skull.


    [You Are Being Subjugated! The Caster is far stronger than you are! You cannot resist!]


    Just as that window appeared in front of Ludwig, another soon appeared in front of him.


    [Resolve has activated!] {Resolve! Negate one Negative effect on the User} Resolve had entered cooldown.


    "Let me assist you with that!" another time the voice spoke.


    [Necro''s Blessing has activated. Your enslavement will not take effect unless you are in the presence of the Tower Master Bastos Van Dijk]


    [Fakery of Death. As long as Bastos Van Dijk''s interest in you rises, you shall be warned and be aware of him, once he is away from sight, you''ll regain your full freedom. You cannot remove yourself from Bastos Van Dijk unless specified by the caster himself. You cannot try and escape from him or it will break the Fakery of Death and reveal that your will is intact and no longer bound to him.]


    [Necro''s Eternal Quest]


    {Deus Necros, the Lord of Death has found in you what could be called in the mortal tongue, ''Interest.'' As one who is considered a neutral force that belongs to neither good nor evil, Necros finds himself to never be in need of a champion. You are no exception. Yet the interest you have brought to Necro was enough to make the Ancient Silence watch you closely. You are now given an Eternal Quest.}


    {First Part} [Outgrow Bastos Van Dijk''s Control]


    Difficulty level: ?????1


    Ludwig''s Story which sounded like it had ended abruptly, has fortunately, or maybe, unfortunately, succumbed to the trials and tribulations of fate.


    Ludwig''s Story as a hero of light has taken a different twist and turn. After all; what is a story without a Plot Twist?

 Chapter 6 First Mistake

    "Follow."[A Command Has Been Given]


    Ludwig''s skeletal body moved with a mind of its own, each step deliberate yet devoid of the fluid grace that living beings possess. His bones clinked and jittered with every motion, the eerie symphony echoing through the silent corridors as he trailed behind the Dark Tower Master. The mage''s presence was palpable, an oppressive aura that weighed heavily on Ludwig''s very essence.


    It was a darkness that transcended mere description, a palpable force that could only be felt deep within the soul.


    The souls of the damned whispered incessantly around them, their voices a haunting blend of torment and despair. Some cursed at the dark mage, their ethereal forms writhing in silent agony, while others wept tears of sorrow that never fell. A thick canopy of death enveloped the man, intensifying Ludwig''s fear and unease.


    The air was thick with the scent of decay and unspoken dread, each step forward a reminder of the peril he was entangled in.


    The system, or rather the Quest giver, showed no concern for Ludwig''s desires or fears. It had bestowed upon him an Eternal Quest¡ªan unyielding mission to outgrow Bastos Van Dijk''s formidable control. Ludwig knew, with a sinking certainty, that this task was nearly impossible. Bastos Van Dijk was a master of necromancy, a sorcerer whose command over the dead was absolute and terrifying.


    The very notion of defying such power seemed to border on the miraculous.


    Deep within his spirit, Ludwig recognized the grim reality: he was ensnared by a force far too mighty and fearsome to challenge. His intellect, though sharp, felt inadequate against the overwhelming darkness that held him captive. Yet, bound by the unbreakable chains of his quest, he had no choice but to comply.


    So, Ludwig followed.


    They navigated the labyrinthine passages of the temple with methodical precision. The corridors twisted and turned, each corner revealing another stretch of ominous stone and shadow. The man walked with a slow, steady pace, his presence commanding silence and obedience.


    Ludwig''s skeletal footsteps were the only sounds that broke the oppressive stillness, the clinking of his bones resonating through the echoing chambers.


    After what felt like an eternity of endless lefts and rights, they arrived at a vast, empty room. In the center stood a rip in space, a jagged tear that seemed to defy the very laws of reality. Through the rift, Ludwig could glimpse the outlines of another realm, a swirling vortex of colors and light that beckoned with an otherworldly allure.


    The Dark Tower Master, fully clad in black, took a confident step into the rift. His form shimmered and distorted as he vanished into the unknown, leaving Ludwig to process the significance of this portal. Just as quickly as it had appeared, a notification materialized before Ludwig''s ethereal vision.


    [The Control of Bastos Van Dijk has waned, you are free to move as you see fit.] S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The message was cryptic yet enlightening. It indicated that traversing the rift had somehow diminished Bastos Van Dijk''s grip over him. Moreover, the mage''s effortless passage suggested a familiarity or even mastery over such spatial anomalies. Ludwig pondered the implications¡ªif Bastos could manipulate space so effortlessly, the task ahead was not just daunting but seemingly insurmountable.


    Despite the notification''s promise of newfound freedom, Ludwig understood the precariousness of his situation. He knew he had to follow the mage through the rift, lest his partial liberation be exposed. Any hint of his semi-autonomous existence could spell disaster, exposing vulnerabilities that Bastos Van Dijk could exploit.


    With a deep, unspoken resolve, Ludwig stepped into the rift. The transition was instantaneous, the world around him warping and shifting until he found himself in an entirely different location. He shook off the initial confusion¡ªmagic was beyond his understanding, yet the pressing need to follow took precedence over all else.


    [The Bind with Bastos Van Dijk has been reestablished.]


    Ludwig''s surroundings transformed into a grand study, its vastness accentuated by towering bookshelves filled with ancient tomes and arcane artifacts. The window beside him offered a panoramic view of the sprawling city below. Where few huts and houses were built sporadically everywhere, the whole area looked grim and mostly devasted.


    A quite thematic view that fit perfectly with the ''Dark Tower Master'' while the whole view conveyed one more thing. The place they were in was incredibly high. Compared to the modest abodes scattered around, the building itself stood as a testament to dark grandeur and architectural prowess.


    The Dark Mage resumed his stride, waving a hand dismissively and that caused the entire rift to close in a second disappearing as if it was never there in the first place. "Let those two walk back all the way here, this should at least teach them a lesson¡­ or death." His clap echoed through the room, a grim proclamation of his twisted sense of justice.


    Without missing a beat, he adjusted his glasses and fixed his penetrating gaze on Ludwig.


    "Now, what shall we do with you?" Bastos Van Dijk inquired, tilting his head thoughtfully as he rested his chin on one hand, the other arm crossed over the other. His demeanor was one of calculated authority, a master contemplating the next move in his dark game.


    Ludwig stood frozen, gratitude mingling with fear for the mysterious force that prevented him from acting without explicit commands in Bastos Van Dijk''s presence. Otherwise, his rational mind would have been in turmoil, grappling with the sheer terror of his predicament.


    "Let''s see now, Unravel Memories!" the Mage declared.


    As the words left Bastos Van Dijk''s lips, his hand swiftly moved to Ludwig''s skull, fingers brushing against the hollow sockets. A new notification flashed before Ludwig''s eyes:


    [Your Memory is being read. You cannot resist.]


    [Necro''s Blessing had interfered.]


    Bastos Van Dijk''s lips curled into a sinister smile, reminiscent of the one Ludwig had seen when the mage obliterated the two necromancers. A chill ran down Ludwig''s spine¡ªwould the same fate befall him?


    The interference of Necro''s Blessing provided a sliver of hope, yet Ludwig was uncertain of its true effect. Did it fully conceal his memories, or only obscure them partially? The possibility that the Tower Master might be aware of his transmigration weighed heavily on his mind. In every tale he had ever read, such secrets were sacrosanct, guarded fiercely and never to be revealed.


    "Damn those two fools," Bastos Van Dijk spat through gritted teeth, forcefully withdrawing his hand from Ludwig''s skull. "They did such a terrible job bringing you back that they ruined your mind. You''re nothing but an empty, mindless husk that cannot act without being told what to do¡­ What am I to do with you? Send you to the dungeon, perhaps? At least you''d serve a purpose.


    Maybe use you as a training dummy for novice black mages¡­ Argh, what a waste! To squander the soul of a summoned hero this way! It breaks my heart," he lamented, letting out a heavy sigh as he sank into his ornate chair.


    Bastos Van Dijk''s desk was a sprawling expanse cluttered with endless stacks of papers and research notes, many written in a cryptic language that the system failed to translate for Ludwig. The mage''s eyes remained fixed on Ludwig''s lifeless form, deep in contemplation about how to utilize this failed experiment.


    "Clean up this place," Van Dijk commanded abruptly.


    Ludwig, accustomed to a life of opulence and ease within the gilded confines of his former existence, found himself thrust into menial labor. Despite never having performed such tasks before, his spirit''s innate discipline took over. He moved gracefully, beginning to gather the scattered papers, his skeletal fingers deftly collecting them into neat piles before disposing of them in the bin.


    Grabbing a dirty rag from the cluttered desk, he dipped it into a jar containing a pair of rotted eyes¡ªlikely remnants of one of Bastos Van Dijk''s dark experiments. The decayed eyes stared blankly, a macabre reminder of the mage''s twisted pursuits.


    With meticulous care, Ludwig began wiping the stains and tidying the study, his actions precise and methodical despite his undead state. The Black Mage observed with a growing sense of intrigue, a light grin creeping onto his lips.


    "You''re a strange fellow¡­ Usually, skeletons would never understand a direct command such as ''Clean up the Place.'' How come you understood it? Is it possible, or within the realm of possibility, that you still retain sentience after death?"


    The mage''s questions were laden with suspicion, each word probing deeper into the mystery of Ludwig''s existence. Ludwig could feel the figurative sweat pooling beneath his ribcage, a sensation he couldn''t entirely comprehend. After all, the command "Clean Up The Place" was straightforward, something no mere skeleton would be capable of understanding beyond its literal interpretation.


    Skeletons were meant to be mindless servants, executing simple commands like follow, attack, or defend without question.


    Yet, here stood Ludwig, demonstrating a level of intelligence and autonomy that defied Bastos Van Dijk''s expectations. This deviation from the norm was precisely what made Ludwig a problematic asset. The Tower Master''s mind raced, calculating the implications of this anomaly. Had the necromancers truly failed so spectacularly, or was there something more at play?


    Ludwig had only just begun his journey, yet he had already committed his first significant error¡ªdisplaying intelligence beyond his supposed capabilities. This revelation could jeopardize his very existence, exposing the depths of his sentience and the hidden threads of Necro''s Blessing woven into his very being.


    As Ludwig continued his futile attempts to tidy the room, he couldn''t shake the realization that his presence here was far more complex and perilous than he had initially comprehended. The balance between his constrained obedience and the flickers of autonomy presented a delicate dance, one that could determine his fate in the hands of Bastos Van Dijk.

 Chapter 7 A Brush with Power

    "Stop what you''re doing," Van Dijk''s voice commanded.Ludwig''s skeletal frame immediately froze. His body, now a slave to the dark mage''s orders, was locked in place. He couldn''t move, couldn''t act, except as dictated by the sorcerer''s whims.


    "I''m sure I scanned your mind," Van Dijk muttered, his voice low and thoughtful as he circled Ludwig. "You''re impossibly empty of thought and sentience."


    The dark mage seemed to be talking more to himself than to Ludwig as he continued pacing around the skeleton. His gloved hand rested under his chin, his eyes narrowing as though trying to solve some unseen puzzle.


    "You see, for most undead, it''s hard to give them complex or meaningful orders before they reach a certain level of evolution," Van Dijk continued. "For you, though¡­ You''re at the very bottom of the chain. A skeleton grunt. Not a warrior, not an archer, not even one of the rare skeleton mages. You are the lowest of the low¡ªsomething that shouldn''t even be considered a true soldier.


    You''re nothing but a brittle test subject, barely fit for anything."


    He tapped Ludwig''s bleached bones, as if to emphasize how fragile the skeleton truly was.


    "And yet," Van Dijk mused, "with each evolution, an undead grows. Through battle, through endless killing, they evolve¡ªgaining intelligence, strength, and eventually, autonomy. A skeleton swordsman might become elite, and further beyond that, they could earn a name. Rarer still are those who ascend to become Death Knights.


    I''ve only witnessed such a transformation once or twice in my entire six-hundred-year existence."


    Van Dijk''s gaze turned sharper, more curious. "But you... you''re showing signs far beyond what should be possible. Traits akin to a Death Knight''s intelligence, and yet you''re barely at the first level. You''ve yet to make your first kill, haven''t even honed any of your abilities, and still¡ªstill¡ªyou follow my orders with a level of precision no grunt should possess."


    Ludwig''s nonexistent heart, or what might have been his spirit, pulsed with a sense of alarm. The more Van Dijk studied him, the more his curiosity turned dangerous. As the dark mage completed his fourth circle around Ludwig, his words carried an edge of frustration.


    "What bothers me most isn''t your ability to understand me¡ªit''s those two fools who botched your resurrection. They think themselves capable dark mages, but they ruined you before you could even develop into something of value. If they had waited, allowed you to grow as a hero, and then killed you... you might have become an elite. A Death Knight, even. But now?


    Look at you¡ªjust a walking pile of bones who can barely clean a room."


    The words were casual, dismissive, but they carried a threat that chilled Ludwig''s soul. Van Dijk saw him as nothing more than a failed experiment¡ªa wasted opportunity. And Ludwig knew too well how people like the Tower Master treated their failures. He wasn''t valuable; he wasn''t needed. The thought of being discarded¡ªor worse¡ªloomed over him like a dark cloud.


    But Van Dijk wasn''t finished. His eyes glittered with malice, but also intrigue.


    "It didn''t escape my notice," Van Dijk said, his voice dropping to a dangerous murmur. "You tried to mimic my spell earlier."


    Ludwig''s mind raced. He had thought he was subtle, that his attempt to replicate the dark mage''s magic had gone unnoticed, but clearly, nothing escaped the Tower Master''s gaze. His spirit trembled as though a phantom heartbeat had suddenly thudded in his chest.


    "And it intrigues me," Van Dijk continued, his gaze locking onto Ludwig''s empty sockets. "Don''t dodge."


    The Tower Master''s hand moved, and in an instant, the same black flame he had conjured before flickered to life. It swirled with deadly energy, hungry and wild. This time, the power behind it was palpable¡ªraw and violent.


    [You are in a hostile environment!]


    [The Power of the Incoming Spell will destroy you and send you to eternal rest!]


    [You cannot move!]


    Ludwig''s entire being froze in terror. He wanted to move, wanted to dodge, but the binding magic that held him in thrall wouldn''t allow it. He was a slave to Van Dijk''s command, forced to stand there and watch as the deadly magic arced toward his temple. The black flames whistled through the air, knocking over several books as they cut a blazing path toward Ludwig''s skull.


    And then¡­ it stopped.


    The deadly flames halted just millimeters away from Ludwig''s bone, close enough that he could feel their heat, but still. Van Dijk''s smirk widened as he observed his captive.


    "You truly are subservient," Van Dijk said, withdrawing his hand. "I had a thought, just for a moment, that you weren''t completely under my control. But I see now that I was mistaken."


    The tension in the room didn''t ease. If anything, it thickened as Van Dijk drew closer once again, holding the flickering black flame in front of Ludwig''s face.


    "Do you know what this is?" Van Dijk asked, his voice silky and taunting. "This is Dark Flame¡ªone of my most prized creations. It''s a flame that consumes not just the physical but the very essence of its target. But if that were all, I wouldn''t be called Tower Master, would I?" S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He reduced the flame to a mere wisp, barely visible but still pulsing with the same malevolent energy.


    "This spell uses both mana and demonic energy, something I had to sacrifice my soul for in order to wield. You, however, as an undead, already possess some degree of demonic energy. It taints your very existence. You could, in theory, learn to use this magic, to cast curses, hexes, and debilitating spells that weaken your enemies.


    Dark magicians like myself don''t rely on raw power¡ªwe rely on the ability to exhaust and weaken our enemies so that we can tear them apart piece by piece with the most basic of spells afterward. Why fight the Strong when you can kill the weak?"


    Van Dijk''s tone shifted, becoming more instructive. He seemed to enjoy explaining the nuances of dark magic, perhaps because he rarely had an audience intelligent enough to comprehend it.


    "And now, you," he continued. "I want to see what you''re capable of. Replicate this wisp."


    A command. Ludwig had no choice but to obey.


    Raising his finger, Ludwig felt the mana within him stir. It was strange¡ªalien, and yet somehow, familiar. It flowed through him as if it had always been there, waiting to be used. But Ludwig had never been a mage, never been taught how to wield magic. This was the first time he had ever attempted to harness mana, and yet, it felt natural.


    The mana gathered at the tip of his bony finger, coalescing into a faint, glowing wisp. For a split second, Ludwig felt a surge of exhilaration¡ªhe had done it. He had channeled magic. He had control. But just as quickly as the wisp had formed, it sputtered and died, evaporating into nothingness.


    To Ludwig, that brief moment of magic felt like triumph. To Van Dijk, it was a disappointment.


    "Pathetic," Van Dijk sighed, his eyes narrowing. "You managed a flicker, but you have no idea what you''re doing. Your body only followed the order, not your will. That confirms it¡ªyou''re nothing but a puppet, capable of only the most basic tasks. I had hoped there might be more to you, but it seems you''re no better than the rest. A waste of a summoned hero''s soul."


    He turned his back on Ludwig, walking toward the exit of the study. His movements were languid, confident¡ªhe had decided Ludwig was no longer worth his time. Stopping near a coat hanger, Van Dijk pulled a long, flowing coat over his shoulders before glancing back at Ludwig one last time.


    "Continue cleaning the room," he ordered. With that, he stepped out of the study, slamming the heavy door behind him.


    Ludwig remained motionless for a few moments, the weight of Van Dijk''s words sinking in. He was alone again. Truly alone.


    And free. At least, for the moment.


    A sigh of relief escaped him¡ªfigurative, of course. His bones creaked as he allowed the tension to drain away. The dark mage had left, and though Ludwig was still bound to him, those brief moments of freedom, no matter how finite, were everything. He was still here, still existing. Still thinking.


    And as long as he could think, there was hope.

 Chapter 8 Book Worm

    Ludwig surveyed the room, trying to find any possible means of escape. His mind raced, aware that the system had given him an impossible task: Outgrow Van Dijk''s control. Yet, the overwhelming presence of the Tower Master lingered in his thoughts, a constant reminder of the impossible odds stacked against him.There was no way he could break free without being noticed, not with the omnipresent power Bastos wielded.


    The conversation with Van Dijk had revealed a sliver of hope, however small. Ludwig could evolve. Though he was nothing now¡ªless than a skeleton grunt¡ªhe could grow. He could become a Death Knight, a force worthy of battle. But even then, would it be enough? A Death Knight might have the strength to defeat the two necromancers who had resurrected him, but Van Dijk?


    Even if Ludwig ascended to the highest form of undeath, he doubted it would be enough to bring down the Tower Master.


    Ludwig''s thoughts drifted to another possibility. In all the games he played and stories he read, killing enemies was the key to leveling up, to gaining power. If the same rules applied here, killing would help him evolve. That was his path¡ªgain strength through battle, hone his abilities, and eventually, escape.


    But as his mind churned through these thoughts, a more grim realization settled in.


    "So what?" Ludwig muttered aloud, his hollow voice echoing faintly in the room. The sound of his own voice startled him, and he instinctively slapped his bony hands over his nonexistent mouth, causing a dull ache in his jawbone.


    [-1 HP]


    He had spoken. As a skeleton. That should have been impossible, given his lack of vocal cords or any biological means to produce sound. And worse still¡ªVan Dijk might have heard him.


    Ludwig froze, every moment stretching into an eternity as he waited for some unseen punishment or retribution. But after a few agonizing seconds, nothing happened. The Tower Master was either far away or not monitoring him as closely as Ludwig feared.


    Breathing a sigh of relief, he allowed his thoughts to resume their bleak course. What was the point in all of this? Sure, evolving into some powerful undead being sounded appealing, but in the end, he was still an undead. Something neither living nor dead, despised by both the living and the monsters of the world. He was an abomination, condemned to wander without purpose.


    The thought made Ludwig shudder¡ªhe wasn''t just seeking strength; he was seeking life. He needed to become human again. That had to be possible. This was a world of magic, after all, and in every story, there was always an elixir of life, some magical cure that could bring the dead back to life. That had to be out there for him, right? The answer was in this world¡ªhe just had to find it.


    But where would he even begin?


    The answer hit him like a bolt of lightning. He was surrounded by books¡ªendless shelves filled with arcane knowledge. The Tower Master''s study was a treasure trove of magical information, perhaps even containing the secrets he needed. He could start here. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig approached one of the bookshelves, his bony fingers trailing over the spines of the ancient tomes. He grabbed the first book that caught his attention.


    A searing pain ripped through his skull the moment he touched it. He winced, his mind reeling from the sudden mental assault as a notification appeared in front of him.


    [Sigmund Tulk: Understanding of Chimera Art]


    [Your intelligence level is far below the required threshold to read this book.]


    [Your linguistic level is too low to comprehend this text.]


    Ludwig groaned in frustration. The book was far too advanced for him to even begin understanding. But he couldn''t give up. Desperation gnawed at him as he reached for another book.


    The same pain struck him again, nearly knocking him off balance.


    This was going to be more difficult than he thought. It seemed every book in this study was well beyond his current understanding. If he wanted to read and learn from them, he''d need to increase his intelligence or find something more basic. But this was the study of a Tower Master¡ªthe likelihood of finding beginner-level magic books here was slim to none.


    With a sigh, Ludwig turned away from the books. His gaze drifted toward the door, the only visible exit. He hesitated for a moment, then walked toward it. Maybe, just maybe, the door would be unlocked, and he could sneak out¡ª


    Before his hand could touch the handle, a blinding magical circle flared to life in front of him, its intricate runes glowing menacingly.


    [The Study is currently locked by Bastos Van Dijk.]


    [If you attempt to brute force the lock, you will perish.]


    Ludwig stepped back in defeat. Of course, the door was locked. He was trapped in this room, bound by Van Dijk''s magic.


    He sighed again, feeling the weight of his situation more acutely than ever. There was no escape, no easy way out. His only option now was to bide his time, to grow stronger, and hope that one day he could break free from this nightmare.


    Time passed slowly as Ludwig resumed his task of cleaning. His mind churned with unanswered questions and a growing sense of frustration. He had no clear path forward¡ªno mentor, no powerful weapon, no secret ability waiting to be unlocked. Just a broom and an endless list of menial tasks.


    As he pondered his situation, the door to the study creaked open.


    Ludwig stiffened, fearing the return of Bastos Van Dijk. He quickly dropped the book he had been holding and resumed sweeping the floor, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible.


    "M-Master Bastos?" a familiar voice called from behind him.


    Ludwig turned slowly to see none other than Sebas, the necromancer who had been responsible for his death. Fear gripped him for a moment¡ªwhat if they had come back to finish what they started? But Sebas wasn''t alone. The other necromancer, Evan, followed behind him, both wearing expressions of irritation.


    Ludwig''s instinct was to flee, but he knew better than to act on that impulse. He froze, gripping the broom tightly.


    "Oh, guess he''s not here," Sebas muttered, scanning the room. "Evan, come on in."


    The two necromancers entered the study without paying much attention to Ludwig. They moved about the room, oblivious to his presence as they searched for something.


    Ludwig''s confusion grew. Why are they here? He thought. Weren''t they supposed to be going to the punishment hall? Time had passed, and by Ludwig''s estimation, they had been gone for hours. Surely, they should have been farther away from the Tower by now.


    "Is he not here?" Evan asked, glancing nervously toward the door.


    "I guess not. He''s probably at the Academy, doing whatever it is dark mages do," Sebas replied dismissively. "Let''s just put the stuff back and leave before we get caught."


    Ludwig watched as they retrieved the black book¡ªthe one they had used to revive him. Alongside it, they placed several jars filled with his organs, or what remained of them, on the desk.


    The sight of his own mutilated body parts made Ludwig shudder, but he kept quiet.


    Sebas threw Ludwig a disdainful glance as he placed the book back on the desk. "MOVE!" he snarled, delivering a vicious kick to Ludwig''s back.


    [-6 HP]


    The blow sent Ludwig sprawling to the floor, his bones rattling as he hit the cold stone. A notification appeared.


    [You are in a hostile environment.]


    "Stupid thing," Sebas muttered. "It caused us so many problems, and it wasn''t even brought back properly."


    Evan pulled Sebas aside before he could kick Ludwig again. "Don''t break him, you idiot. If the Tower Master still needs him and you damage him, our punishment will be worse than death. We could end up as his next experiments."


    Sebas grumbled but relented, backing away from Ludwig with a sneer. "Fine, fine. But if it were up to me, I''d smash this useless pile of bones to dust."


    The two necromancers quickly left, shutting the door behind them and locking Ludwig back inside the study. Ludwig let out another sigh, frustration bubbling up inside him.


    This isn''t how it was supposed to be, he thought. In the stories, the protagonist always started with some overpowered ability, a mentor to guide them, or a legendary weapon that set them apart. But Ludwig had none of that. He was dead, a skeleton in enemy territory with no advantages, no hidden powers, and no way out.


    Despair gnawed at him, and for a moment, he considered throwing himself out the window. Perhaps the fall would shatter his bones and end his miserable existence once and for all. But as he looked out at the towering height, he knew it was futile. His body would likely survive the impact, and even if it didn''t, what would it change? He''d still be trapped in this nightmare.


    As Ludwig wrestled with his dark thoughts, something caught his eye. A small, old book wedged under a stool. It had been placed there to balance the uneven legs of a chair. The book was worn and dusty, its cover barely legible.


    Curiosity piqued, Ludwig bent down and picked up the book. The moment he touched it, his mind throbbed with the familiar pain of an advanced text. But he pushed through it, intrigued by the title.


    [Deus Necros: Death and Necromancy. The Forbidden Arts. By Unknown]

 Chapter 9 The Weight of Knowledge

    The book felt unnaturally heavy in Ludwig''s skeletal hands as he opened the first page. Each word seemed to pierce his mind, each sentence a thorny knot that tightened with every attempt to untangle it. The pain grew more intense the longer he read, as if the very text was rejecting his attempt to understand it, a defense mechanism meant to guard secrets beyond his comprehension.Deus Necros, a God perhaps? Or maybe something beyond. An entity that rules over death and the undead. A neutral entity that seeks no control or power, nor does it have a champion.


    Void of all emotions, it works in mystery as it oversees the laws of death and protects them jealously from the interference of other gods.


    Those of the light path wished to bring back those who were once hailed as heroes and lost their lives in battle, and those of the dark path wished to bring back those of most heinous of acts. Deeds and feats simple to invoke for entities that can define reality as we know it, yet Deus Necros never agreed to the return of any of them back to life.


    He guarded their souls jealously, and only those that ever ''came back'', they returned in the form of Undeath.


    The title, Deus Necros, suggested a deity or perhaps something even greater. An entity that governed over death and the undead. According to the text, this entity operated beyond the realm of mortal understanding, overseeing the laws of death and safeguarding them against interference from other gods.


    Ghouls, Vampires, Banshees, ghosts and more, not among the living, and never among the dead, to forever walk the realm never finding peace due to having disrespected Deus Necros''s eternal law of Death.


    To Die is to rest. To defy that is to forever roam without ever seeing rest. And it is a law carved in every living being.


    For how the Undead came to be, it is a secret that Deus Necros has kept for a long time, until we Dark Mages managed to figure out bits and pieces of such a secret.


    Necromancy, the Art of raising the Dead, a feat that cannot simply be called miraculous but rather divine. And at the same time, an extremely delicate and difficult art to master but quite easy to begin learning.


    We Necromancers should never consider that it is us who bring back the dead. We only open the path for them to return, but it is only by the grace of Deus Necros that they are allowed to return. And you as a catalyst must always bear it in mind, you are but a tool and he is the source.


    Ludwig''s mind reeled as he continued reading. The more he understood, the more painful the process became. Each line felt like a hot iron brand against his consciousness, a warning that this knowledge was not meant for him.


    As for our lesson, let''s start with raising a rat¡­ sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig''s mind was on the verge of splitting apart when he finally noticed something. The room was no longer empty. He turned, his movements slow and strained, to see Bastos Van Dijk standing behind him, a sinister gleam in his eyes.


    "Interesting. QUITE INTERESTING!" Van Dijk''s voice was like a dagger of ice stabbing through Ludwig''s bones. The Dark Mage''s face was lit with a perverse excitement, his eyes wide with a kind of manic glee.


    Ludwig was too stunned to respond. If he had been capable of sweating, he would have been drenched. The fact that he had been caught reading something so potentially forbidden made his nonexistent heart quiver in terror. Or simply the act of ''Reading'' was enough to entice Van Dijk to almost ecstasy.


    "The fact that your head is steaming means you''re struggling to comprehend what''s in front of you," Van Dijk said, his tone a mixture of amusement and fascination. "Not only was I wrong about you lacking sentience, but you actually show intelligence. Enough to read and even learn from the text at hand."


    He approached Ludwig, his gaze never leaving the skeleton. "You see," he began, almost as if lecturing, "only high-level undead possess the intellect necessary to understand magic. A lich, for example, must either be created by a mightier force¡ªan Arch-Lich or an extraordinarily powerful necromancer¡ªor must be a former human with enough magical knowledge to willingly turn to undeath.


    Vampires retain their memories and intellect upon turning, and Death Knights are already imbued with immense power and intelligence. But you, you''re just a skeleton. You shouldn''t have sentience, let alone the capacity to read and understand complex texts. So why? Why do you read? I scanned your mind, and it was empty.


    I searched your memories, and there was nothing. Yet here you are, learning. Quite the discovery."


    Ludwig slowly placed the book down, unsure of how to respond or even if he was allowed to. His mind was racing, trying to process what Van Dijk had said and what it meant for him.


    "CONTINUE!" Van Dijk''s sudden shout made Ludwig''s bones rattle.


    [You have been given a direct command!]


    Ludwig''s hands moved against his will, picking the book back up and resuming his reading. The pain intensified, but he couldn''t stop. It was as if Van Dijk''s command was forcing the words into his mind, burning them into his very soul. His head began to steam, literal wisps of vapor rising from his skull as the arcane knowledge took its toll.


    "Interesting," Van Dijk mused, observing Ludwig with an almost clinical interest. "Your health isn''t dropping, and your pain tolerance is only temporary. You won''t lose your sanity even if you read the most difficult of books, nor will you fall unconscious. A book of this level would kill a human who tried to read it. But you... you persist.


    The Curse of Undeath, the Endless Stamina given by Deus Necros to all of his ''Pure'' Undead. If only Vampires had that, they''d rule the world but they already possess so much strength that Deus Necros denied them the Endless Stamina of the Undead. "


    Ludwig''s mind reeled as he read on, the text blurring as he tried to make sense of its meaning. The book spoke of necromancy in intricate detail, of the various forms of undead and their capabilities, of the delicate balance between life, death, and undeath. It was knowledge far beyond his current level, but he absorbed it, piece by painful piece.


    "Now," Van Dijk muttered, almost to himself, "should I dissect you? Perhaps I''ll find out more¡­"


    The words sent a jolt of fear through Ludwig. He could almost feel the icy fingers of death gripping his spine, the cold metal of surgical tools hovering over him, ready to tear him apart. But then, the mage sighed, his excitement giving way to resignation.


    "No, it would be a waste. I''d be no different from those two fools who brought you back improperly. Speaking of which, they''ve returned."


    Van Dijk grabbed the black necromancy book that the necromancers had left behind, placing it on a shelf with a dismissive gesture. He then pulled up a chair, setting it in front of Ludwig as he continued to read.


    "Hold on."


    [You have been given a direct command!]


    Ludwig stopped reading, raising his head to look at Van Dijk.


    "If you can read," Van Dijk began, his eyes gleaming with a disturbing light, "then you can understand. And if you can understand, then speak."


    [You have been given a direct command!]


    [Under the Blessing of Deus Necros, some of your words will be altered.]


    "Yes¡­"


    The word slipped from Ludwig''s mouth, his voice low and hollow. It was his voice, but it wasn''t. It sounded foreign, detached from him.


    Van Dijk''s eyes widened in manic delight. "IT SPEAKS!" he exclaimed, nearly knocking his chair over as he stood. "Tell me! Who are you? What are you? Where do you come from?"


    [You have been given a direct command!]


    [Under the Blessing of Deus Necros, some of your words will be altered.]


    Ludwig tried to resist, but his mouth moved on its own, forming words against his will. "I am¡­ Ludwig. I am¡­ a skeleton¡­ I do not remember."


    Van Dijk scrutinized him closely, his eyes narrowing as he processed the words. "Hmm¡­ interesting. This still fits with your lack of memory. I guess you''re simply a mutated type. Something new. Oh, how I wish I could open that skull of yours, but you''re too precious to waste.


    Tell me, what have you learned so far from that book?"


    Ludwig hesitated, his mind racing for an answer that wouldn''t give away too much. But the compulsion to speak was too strong. "How to raise a rat," he said simply.


    Van Dijk raised an eyebrow. "You know how, but can you do it?"


    Ludwig shook his head. "Too low mana." He raised a finger, channeling what little mana he had. It gathered at the tip of his finger, flickering briefly before sputtering out like a dying candle flame.


    "Argh! What a waste!" Van Dijk roared in frustration. "Those blundering fools! If they needed to bring you back, they should have tried to make you a Draugr at least! WHY A SKELETON? A Draugr still has internal organs, a heart even!


    I could have grafted a mana circle into it! Damn those idiots! The more I think about it, the more I want to rip out their livers and eat them in front of them!"


    Van Dijk''s aura flared wildly, the air around him growing heavy with a palpable, malevolent force. Even the spirits that clung to him seemed to recoil, too terrified to approach him as his rage boiled over.


    But just as quickly as his fury had erupted, it subsided. The dark mage sighed, adjusting his glasses with a cold, calculating calm. "Fine. It''ll be a hassle, but I can still fix it. Regardless, magic without knowledge is useless. And everything here"¡ªhe gestured around the room¡ª"is completely beyond your scope.


    Hmm... let''s start with the basics. Yes, I''ll be your teacher. My first ever direct pupil."


    His smile stretched unnaturally, a grin that spoke of madness more than joy. And in that smile, Ludwig saw his own impending doom.


    Terror gripped Ludwig''s soul, his nonexistent heart filled with a dread that surpassed any fear he had felt before.

 Chapter 10 Cramming

    "First things first! You need knowledge, so far you''re dumber than a brick," Van Dijk said with a dismissive wave of his hand, his eyes boring into Ludwig''s empty sockets."Yes," Ludwig responded mechanically, the words slipping out before he had a chance to think.


    "It''s ''Yes, Master!''" Van Dijk snapped, flicking Ludwig''s forehead with a sharp crack.


    [-1 HP]


    "Yes, Master," Ludwig replied, forcing the words through a veil of resentment. He had been called "Young Master" countless times in his previous life, a title of respect from the maids and servants back home. Now, the tables had turned. He was the servant, the underling. Though humiliating, it wasn''t hard to adjust to this new role¡ªat least not outwardly.


    "Good, good," Van Dijk muttered as he scanned the room with a critical eye. "Sadly, I don''t have anything here that can be considered ''beginner-friendly,''" he said, his gaze sweeping over the numerous tomes lining the shelves. Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small blue crystal.


    "Sebas, Evan, you bastards, where are you?!" Van Dijk barked into the crystal.


    A flickering holographic image of Sebas appeared, the necromancer''s eyes wide with fear as he struggled to catch the crystal projection. "Y-Yes, Tower Master!" Sebas stammered, his voice trembling. Behind him, Evan''s face was visible, looking even more nervous.


    "Bring me all elementary books about magic," Van Dijk ordered curtly.


    "Uh, what for?" Sebas dared to ask, genuine confusion in his tone. The Tower Master had no use for elementary texts, so the request seemed baffling. Evan, realizing the folly of questioning their master, immediately elbowed Sebas in the ribs. "We''ll do so right now. What range? White Magic?


    Red, or Black?"


    "Elementary for now. Elemental magic can wait. Just bring all you can get your hands on. Hurry," Van Dijk demanded, dismissing them with a wave that shut down the crystal projection.


    "Let''s wait for those two fools now. But tell me, what are your current abilities?" Van Dijk asked, his gaze returning to Ludwig with a mixture of curiosity and impatience.


    "I have none," Ludwig replied.


    "Strange, everyone should have at least one or two right after their birth. ''Inspect,''" Van Dijk muttered, extending his palm toward Ludwig.


    Nothing happened on Van Dijk''s end, but on Ludwig''s side, an entirely different scene unfolded.


    [Congratulations, you have seen how Inspect works. You can now use it to inspect the world around you, including its people!]


    [Inspect: The ability to showcase another''s information, including objects and materials.]


    "Inspect," Ludwig muttered, almost involuntarily. Immediately, a window appeared before him.


    Bastos Van Dijk


    [Status Screen: Bastos Van Dijk]


    Level: ???


    Health: ???


    Stamina: ???


    Mana: ???


    Intelligence: ???


    Strength: ??? Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Dexterity: ???


    Vigor: ???


    Luck: ???


    Class: Dark Archmage


    Title: Black Tower Master


    Your level is too low to fully showcase this person''s status screen.


    "What did you just do?" Van Dijk''s voice was sharp, a slight chill in the air as he fixed his gaze on Ludwig.


    "I used Inspect," Ludwig replied, trying to sound as detached as possible.


    "That feels... awfully violating," Van Dijk said, rubbing his chin in thought. "And Inspect can only be used on inanimate objects to understand their purpose. you using it on people is...unheard of, Regardless, tell me what you saw when you used it."


    Ludwig relayed the information, watching as Van Dijk''s face twisted into a look of horror, disbelief mingled with fascination.


    "What monster are you¡­? Your exploits are a violation of the world itself¡­" Van Dijk muttered, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Still, it is yours¡ªan ability that only you can use. Don''t ever use it on people stronger than you¡­ you know what, don''t use it on people, period. It will cause you more strife than good."


    "Understood," Ludwig said obediently, though his mind was racing with the potential applications of Inspect. It was a powerful tool, one that could give him insight into his enemies¡ªor his captors.


    Not a moment later, there was a knock on the door. Van Dijk waved his hand, and the door creaked open, just enough to reveal Sebas and Evan standing nervously on the other side.


    "The books," Van Dijk commanded, extending his hand without allowing them a full view of the room behind him.


    Sebas handed over a ring, which Van Dijk examined briefly before nodding. "I still need more. Bring me books on history, theology, world maps, and anything considered novice level of education."


    "May I ask why?" Sebas asked, curiosity getting the better of him.


    Evan, realizing the danger in that question, delivered another elbow to Sebas''s ribs, prompting a pained grunt. "As the Tower Master commands," Evan said quickly, pulling Sebas away.


    "He''s lucky to have a friend like Evan," Van Dijk muttered as the door closed. "Otherwise, I''d have made him a walking corpse a long time ago."


    Turning back to Ludwig, Van Dijk tossed the ring toward him. "Begin by reading all of these, understand them, and I''ll quiz you on them. Can you do it?"


    Ludwig caught the ring, feeling a strange sense of freedom in the question. It wasn''t an order, but a request. For the first time, it seemed he had been given a choice.


    "I will try," Ludwig replied, but hesitated. "But..."


    "But what?" Van Dijk''s eyes flashed with irritation, mistaking Ludwig''s pause for defiance.


    "I do not know how to ''open'' this," Ludwig admitted.


    Van Dijk''s brow furrowed. "Open? How did you know that the ring can be opened?"


    The Dark Mage hadn''t mentioned anything about the ring''s true nature, yet Ludwig had deduced it was a storage ring. Could it be that Ludwig possessed some latent knowledge of magical artifacts? Or were his memories merely obscured from a mage as powerful as Van Dijk?


    "I used Inspect," Ludwig lied. In truth, he had recognized the ring''s function from countless stories he had read in his previous life.


    "Ah, figures¡­" Van Dijk sighed, momentarily assuaged. "Anyway, put your mana into it, the same way you tried when mimicking my flame. It will reveal its contents to you."


    Ludwig did as instructed, channeling his mana into the ring. A new window opened before him, showcasing hundreds of books. The sheer volume was staggering¡ªan immense repository of knowledge, now at his fingertips.


    "The only advice I''ll give you is to begin reading whatever book you choose. Don''t stop if you don''t understand something. Keep going until you finish the book, then move on to the next. Once you''ve read all of them, start again from scratch. All that seemed mysterious will unveil itself to you later on," Van Dijk instructed, shrugging his coat on once more.


    "I''ll go and gather some tools to aid you in your progress. After all, finding and guiding a new pupil isn''t easy. I''ll return tomorrow. I expect you to have read at least two books by then; after all, the dead don''t need to rest." He said this with a cruel smile, leaving the room and locking the door behind him.


    Ludwig was left alone, faced with an overwhelming task¡ªhundreds of books, each one a step toward understanding the world he was trapped in. This would take him months to read, maybe more. Yet, it was his only option.


    "I guess I better start," Ludwig muttered to himself. "They say knowledge is power, and right now, it''s all I have."


    He picked up the first book in the pile.


    [Magic Circles: The Correlation of Magic and Body, by Algad Hcil]


    Ludwig scanned the first page, and it felt as though his mind was a dry sponge finally being drenched in water. He absorbed the text, each word imprinting itself into his memory.


    {Magic exists all around us. It is what we feel, breathe, eat, and experience. It is the miracle of life and death, the force that animates our world.


    Every strand of grass, every drop of water, every piece of rock holds within it a tiny spark of magic. While living beings have long overlooked this fundamental truth, believing magic to be the domain of mythical beasts it was not until the emergence of the first casters that we began to harness and manifest this power in various ways.}


    Ludwig''s mind drank in the knowledge like a man dying of thirst. The book described the first uses of magic: to bring rain, to aid in farming, to warm hearths on cold nights. It was a tool of aid, of creation, until humanity discovered its potential for destruction and conquest. Magic evolved, and with it, so did the need to categorize and control it.


    {Thus, we devised a system to grade magic, to comprehend its various forms and potentials. This is where the correlation of magic and the body becomes essential.


    First things first, Magic Circles¡ªwhat are they, how do we create them, and what is their purpose?}

 Chapter 11 The Five Towers of Magic

    [Before you read! Please be patient with me on this chapter. It may look like info dumping but we''ll need this information later on. I''ll also slowly remind the reader of bits and parts of this down the road. For now, these are simply the general outlines of what is to come]Ludwig continued reading until something appeared in front of him.


    [You have gained +1 intelligence]


    "Wait what?" he muttered completely surprised.


    "I would guess that intelligence does indeed grow with reading but how does the system even compute that?" his question had no ears to fall onto so he just sighed and resumed his study.


    What Algad Hcil talked about was a profound and exhaustive explanation of the circles a ''magician'' can have in their hearts.


    But it also defined how it may only be possible for certain beings to have such a thing like magic circles.


    For example, creatures of magic, such as dragons and elves and druids and the sort don''t need them. They are part magic, and part¡­whatever they are. As for humans, they all start with a body that is pretty much detached from magic, and need to create the circles to host their magic.


    A heart can contain up to nine magic circles, which is already an almost impossible feat to reach since only three people have ever reached that realm.


    As for the first circle, it is where one is able to use the most basic of spells, such as fire ball, wind blade, water ball, earth spikes and so on and so forth.


    The second level will allow the user to cast a higher tier, costing more mana but with more destructive powers, such as Fire Bomb, Wind Saw, Water Torrent, Earth Grasp and so on so forth.


    The levels would increase and so would the magic and mana cost. As for how one can create a magic circle, it is pretty simple.


    Once one is able to feel the mana inside them, they''ll need to channel it around their hearts, creating a sturdy ring of mana that will constantly spiral around their hearts. Sounds simple at first, but this requires an incredible focus and dedication to the craft not to mention a diagram to follow.


    There are several schools of thought that devised several mana circles.


    First let''s talk about the most common magic circle, The White Circle, born from the research of the scholars of magic, the White Circle is the simplest of the bunch, and it requires one to focus up their mana into the shape of a ring around their hearts, while at the same time they''ll use their remaining mana to lock it in place, and make it a permanent existence in their hearts.


    To be frank that is pretty much almost all what other schools do, this is the basic start.


    As for how, the excess mana would act as a soldering tool to fit and lock the circle in place. It is like creating a new limb that you''ll be forever conscious of.


    Creating the circles is the easiest part, but having the excess mana leftover to bind it to remain a permanent part of you is the most difficult part, especially since the ''Bind'' will be requiring incredibly more cumulative mana each level.


    If we give the first level for example let''s say a specific number, of one mana unit, then the next level would need ten times the mana unit. While the third level will need a hundred and so on so forth.


    Now one would think, if you already have that much mana in you, why do you even need to make circles?


    The answer is simple, it is because a human body cannot contain that much mana in the first place.


    Unlike dragons who are inherently magic at its essence. They don''t need such a thing as a mana circle, they are born already capable of using sixth tier level of magic in the first place.


    And can grow to reach the eight level and in some rare cases even ninth level magic.


    While the human body is incapable of hosting so much mana at once, it will simply destroy them. Thus, the creation of Magic Circles which act as permanent organs for saving mana.


    [You have gained +1 intelligence] sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Another notification interrupted Ludwig''s reading. He was interested in what Algad Hcil was saying, the explanation was simple and clear, and seemed to broaden his perspective of this world''s power level.


    ''Now, for others that don''t need such a thing as Magic Circles, such as Sorcerers, who are beings, humans even that are born with an aptitude and a quality to receive mana that is far above that of their brethren and peers.


    A Sorcerer however has a great advantage in terms of the magic they can use, since they can be born with at least a level for magic ability and skills, and can further grow two, or three tiers if lucky and talented above, but at the same time, they can never breach the eight level, not to even think about dreaming of reaching the ninth.


    Then there are other beings, such as the undead for example, some vampires or even liches and banshees are born with a powerful ability to handle mana.


    The nobles of the vampire race can also build up and create circles but that will only weaken them as it will further endanger their hearts since it''s their weak points, but a mage vampire is at all and any level a step above any other wizard or mage of the same rank simply due to the incredible mana potential they have.


    Although the downside for normal vampires is they lose half of their ability when its morning time. as for the nobles of their race, they lose up to a quarter of it.


    As for Undead, Liches for example, a rare breed of Undead that is able to use Death Magic, they do not resort to using magic circles since they are well dead. And have no heart to host the magic circle, they save their mana circles inside what they call an Eternal Flask. Which is their weak point, since a lich can forever regenerate and come back unless their Eternal Flask is destroyed.


    Liches can use up to fifth tier magic just by existing, and can go up two more ranks once they reach an Arch lich level.


    There are more creatures with this exemption of Circles, like we mentioned before, the closer you are to the ''Source of Magic'' the less reliant you''ll need to use Circles to host your mana.


    For Elves they are attuned with nature to such an incredible degree that they can command it and that lives on it to do their bidding, some of the Nobler Elves can even use the Roots of the World Tree Yggdrasil to foil any of their enemies. And they don''t even need to have an ounce of magic in them as they use the magic around them which is a stage no one had ever reached before.


    [You have gained +1 intelligence]


    Another notification distracted Ludwig but he continued on.


    The book had a lengthy but clear explanation of magic, and it helped him understand the purpose of it, not only that he soon found himself at the last page of the book which brought some sadness to him.


    He wondered what did Van Dijk even mean by skip any parts he didn''t understand, the book was clear and consistent with the theories and teachings it was saying and he didn''t find any difficulty reading it.


    He then opened another book, something about White Magic and its uses, and finished it all in about half an hour.


    It talked in length about White Magic and how it can be used not only for one self but for others. It is in this book considered the highest form of selfless magic, as it creates protections and barriers, and even Delves into Healing Magic which is the property of the Holy Churches.


    As a matter of fact, the Divine Magic of the Church is considered white magic, while white magic encompasses a bit more than just the Divine Magic, since its users don''t even need to be followers of the church.


    More books in front of Ludwig explained about all the schools of magic, including the five towers of magic.


    The White Tower of Wisdom: specializes in restorative spells, cures, protective magic, wards, shields barriers and light magic, to dispel darkness and confusion.


    It focuses Selflessness, guidance, knowledge and benevolence.


    The Red Tower of Passion: Offensive spells that do incredible damage, and not only fire, even lightning and explosions and the sort is part of the Red Tower. It may delve into chaos and large scale devastation, even to the point of reaching the rims of Dark Magic as blood magic is although forbidden was once a part of the Red Tower''s specialty.


    It also touches a bit upon the emotional part which is inherently the realm of the Blue Tower, as in intensifying one''s emotion and manipulating it, since magic and emotion go hand in hand.


    It focuses Emotion, intensity, aggression, and Drive.


    The Blue Tower of Serenity, inherently this tower is built around exploring the mind, it specializes in the creation of illusions, perception alteration, deception of the senses, and mind magic, it is a tower that was once prominent in the past for its uncanny ability to manipulate the opponents and make enemies allies.


    But once some of the restrictions of the Black Towers were removed, it no longer had the lead among the five towers.


    Its main focus is calmness, reflection, clarity and subtility.


    The Gray Tower of Neutrality, which is the steadiest of the towers when it comes to internal politics. And also the most mysterious, since it delves into domains far from what can be considered "Normal". It also acts as an Arbiter in the matters of the Five Towers, maintaining the equilibrium of the five towers without leaning into any tower''s favors.


    Its main studies would contain Transmutation magic of all forms, Alchemy, Etheric formless magic, such as emotion and even Time Magic to a certain point.


    It focuses on Balance, transformation, Impartiality and adaptability.


    Last but not least, The Black Tower of Power.


    The Black Tower had begun by delving into all sort of Dark Magic at first, Including but not limited to Necromancy, Fear, ancient Powers, Soul Magic and Curse magic. However these studies brought more harm than good, creating vile and vicious individuals who sought to reach their goals no matter the cost. Even at the cost of selling their souls to Demons and Devils.


    The Great Magic War had started due to one of their Tower Masters having abused that dark power and costed the Magic World a great deal of its most powerful Mages.


    Due to that, the Gray Tower of Neutrality had imposed sanctions and prohibitions on the Black Tower of power, limiting their research range and forbidding several parts of their curriculum. Necromancy, Curse Magic, all forms of Dark Magic including Demonic Rituals and summoning were banned for use. And they were only allowed to study Hex Magic and the ability to fight against the Dark Arts.


    Which although it limited their power and range by a great deal, no one has the ability to say that the Black Tower is actually the weakest of the bunch yet. As it still harbors some of the most powerful mages of the continent.


    Each tower governs a distinct philosophical or emotional spectrum, with magic schools tied to these core traits. The White Tower serves the common good, the Red Tower indulges in intensity and destruction, the Blue Tower seeks harmony and subtlety, the Gray Tower pursues neutrality and change, while the Black Tower craves control and often delves into dangerous or morally questionable powers.


    However, something nagged at Ludwig. He was killed and resurrected by necromancers, yet the books were explicit in stating that necromancy was banned and heavily sanctioned. How then had these necromancers been allowed to bring him back? Shouldn''t this have warranted an investigation or retribution?


    "Something''s rotten in Denmark," Ludwig muttered.


    He pondered the inconsistencies he had uncovered. The necromancers had defied the rules set by the Gray Tower of Neutrality, the very institution that had imposed strict restrictions on the use of Necromancy. Yet, they had done so without fear of reprisal. This suggested either corruption or a deeper conspiracy at play within the towers.


    Ludwig''s mind continued to churn with possibilities. Could the Black Tower still be practicing forbidden magic in secret, undermining the laws set forth by the other towers? And what role did Van Dijk play in all of this? The Tower Master had clearly defied many conventions, but to what end?


    His grip on the book tightened. The path ahead was fraught with danger and uncertainty, but now he had knowledge¡ªa tool that could be as powerful as any weapon. He would continue to read, to learn, and to uncover the truths hidden in the shadows of this world.

 Chapter 12 How To...Necromancy?

    Ludwig continued reading, so engrossed in the flow of knowledge that he didn''t notice the hours slip away. The only thing breaking his concentration were the steady notifications indicating that his Intelligence was gradually increasing. At first, it was every few pages, then it became every half of a book, and then every full book.Eventually, it was only after every three books that a point would be added to his Intelligence. The frequency of the notifications began to slow down, but Ludwig used them as subconscious markers for how much time had passed. Before he knew it, he was staring at the last book of the pile he had been given. He had finished it all in less than a single day.


    The books ranged from basic geography to political intrigue, even touching on the fundamentals of magic. Every word felt like sustenance to Ludwig, who devoured the information like a parched sponge soaking up water. His thirst for knowledge, especially of this foreign world, was insatiable¡ªsomething he had never expected of himself.


    "More," Ludwig muttered, his hollow voice breaking the silence of the room. He looked up at the tall library shelves, rows upon rows of books brimming with untold secrets. But the memory of the searing pain from before resurfaced, making him hesitate. That agonizing experience, when he had first attempted to read advanced magic tomes, was still fresh in his mind.


    He stood there for a moment, wrestling with the decision. The logical part of him knew that pain would come again. But what other choice did he have? Sitting idle wasn''t an option, and he was desperate for more knowledge, desperate for an edge in this unfamiliar, hostile world.


    With a resigned sigh, Ludwig steeled himself and walked back to the shelf where he had previously found the book on Necromancy Basics.


    He hesitated for only a moment before picking it up again. As his skeletal fingers gripped the cover, he felt the familiar sensation of impending pain stir in the back of his mind.


    Well, here we go again, he thought bitterly as he resumed where he had left off. The text flowed before his eyes, but the pangs of pain immediately resurfaced. He pressed on, his will overriding the warnings from his system that constantly reminded him of his insufficient level.


    The book delved deeper into necromancy, introducing him to the arcane mechanics of raising the dead. To call forth a being from the realm of death, the book explained, one needs more than just bones or remains.


    The process required specific items: for skeletal creatures, one needed a good portion of their structure; for more ethereal beings, like ghosts or banshees, an object tied to their existence¡ªsomething they had once cherished in life¡ªwas necessary to anchor their spirit.


    Necromancy wasn''t simply about manipulating corpses. The author sneered at those who viewed necromancers as nothing more than puppeteers of flesh. "Any charlatan in a market can pull off a convincing enough trick," the text claimed. "But we, as mages, deal in the realm of souls."


    The crucial element in necromancy was the soul, not the body. Without a soul, the reanimated were nothing more than hollow husks. And the soul, the book continued, is not something you can simply take or control. It must be asked for, and this request is made to none other than Deus Necros, the Lord of Death.


    Deus Necros, an entity both feared and revered, holds the souls of the departed. No necromancer truly owns a soul¡ªthey merely "borrow" it from Necros after paying tribute. The tribute was straightforward: mana. The more mana the necromancer could offer, the more powerful the soul they could summon. The stronger the mana, the more advanced the creature that could be raised from the dead.


    Some gods would ask you to either be pious and benevolent and pay their ''Tribute'' with your devotion and mana, and technically that is a more expensive expenditure. Since you pay twice the amount, but the only difference is you obtain something more. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For Lux, the Lord of Light, you not only need to chant a prayer in his name then pay the equivalent value of mana to call upon his power to either heal or eradicate the enemy, you also have to ''Mean'' it. Only then can you use some of the Lux Church''s skills and spells. Though granted the power of the spell becomes incredibly stronger the more religious and pious one is.


    As for the entities of the darker side, such as Evil Gods, they would require worship in more¡­ gruesome and revolting payments, one shouldn''t be too shocked to see entire towns and cities sacrificed for an Evil God to allow them to use some of their skills.


    The price here is both the User''s Mana, and the sacrifice, though the sacrifice doesn''t necessarily have to be others, the Evil gods don''t care if you pay portions of your soul even to use their might.


    Necromancy, however, was an entirely different beast. Deus Necros, despite his simplicity, didn''t offer much help beyond lending a soul. Once summoned, controlling the undead was a challenge that each necromancer had to master on their own. Many an inexperienced necromancer had tried to summon powerful entities, only to be slain by the very creatures they had brought back.


    Without the proper understanding of control, a necromancer could easily lose their life at the hands of their own creation.


    The text became more technical, detailing the resurrection of simpler creatures, like rats. Ludwig''s mind buzzed as a magical sigil appeared in front of him, etched in glowing light.


    [You have learned Basic Undead Resurrection Sigil]

 Chapter 13 Pop Quiz

    The sigil was awkward, to say the least. It was composed of concentric circles, each containing strange symbols between the layers, twisting and turning into one another like some ancient code. Ludwig stared at it, his skeletal mind racing to understand its form and purpose. Yet, despite its intricate design, the sigil was surprisingly simple for him to remember.It etched itself into his consciousness the moment he laid eyes on it, as if it had been waiting for him all along.


    Once memorized, the sigil would serve as a contract between the caster and Deus Necros himself. Channeling mana into the sigil was the key to opening the path between the world of the living and the shadowed realm of the dead. The sigil allowed the caster to summon a soul back into its once-living body, but not to life¡ªonly to undeath.


    The resurrected wouldn''t be truly alive, only an animated shell filled with the soul''s lingering essence.


    Ludwig reread that part carefully, almost feeling the weight of responsibility settle over him like a heavy cloak. There was no going back once the process started. Healing the undead was impossible and would actually cause them great harm. The dead were not meant to be restored to life; any attempt to force that change would incur consequences both magical and divine.


    More importantly, the text emphasized, the soul was never truly yours. It was borrowed, a loan granted by Deus Necros. And the loan must be returned. Failure to do so¡ªwhether by keeping the soul too long or attempting to change its nature¡ªwould result in dire consequences, angering the god who jealously guarded the souls of the departed.


    Trust me, it''s not worth it, the book warned in an ominous tone. The words lingered in Ludwig''s mind, growing darker with every passing thought.


    Once the sigil was complete and mana funneled into it, the gate between realms would open. Though the gate was invisible to mortal eyes, its power was undeniable, and the summoned soul would regain its former body. Ludwig couldn''t help but wonder how it worked¡ªhow a skeleton without tendons or muscles could move. But that was where the magic came into play.


    The mana supplied by the caster animated the corpse, taking the place of the physical connections that were no longer present. The undead would remain active as long as the caster''s mana flowed into it. However, once the connection was established, the caster couldn''t simply cut off the mana flow. The undead would persist, so long as there was mana to fuel it.


    Ludwig''s thoughts were racing now. Was he really ready for this? Could he actually summon something from the dead?


    The book posed a final, almost taunting question: So, are you willing to risk bringing back a rat? Or are you too terrified to even try?


    "Not gonna lie," Ludwig muttered, "I really would like to try that, but there are no rats in sight." He sighed, massaging his temples out of habit. His skeletal fingers scratched against the surface of his skull, emitting an eerie screeching sound that only worsened his headache. The dull throbbing in his mind was a constant reminder of the burden he now carried. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A voice suddenly cut through the silence, cold and sharp. "Rats? But there are!"


    Ludwig froze. That voice¡­ He recognized it immediately. Van Dijk was standing behind him, his presence as unsettling as ever. The Tower Master had a way of appearing without warning, as if he moved through the very shadows themselves, always watching, always waiting.


    Ludwig turned slowly, his hollow eyes meeting Van Dijk''s gaze. There was something sinister in the man''s expression, a mix of curiosity and amusement as he watched the skeleton mage struggle with the weight of his newfound knowledge.


    Ludwig swallowed hard, though he had nothing to swallow. A nervous tick left over from his previous life, a useless gesture in his current state. Still, the terror was real.


    "Seems like you were busy yesterday," Van Dijk remarked casually, though his voice was lined with a predatory edge. "Or perhaps you got too bored with the books I gave you and decided to read something more... advanced?"


    Only then did Ludwig realize how much time had passed. The sun had already risen, its light filtering through the high windows of the study. He had spent the entire night reading, consumed by the words and the knowledge they contained. His hunger for understanding had blinded him to the passing hours.


    "I have already finished the books," Ludwig responded cautiously, unsure of how Van Dijk would react.


    Van Dijk''s brows furrowed, a mixture of skepticism and intrigue crossing his face. "Did you, now? Did you perhaps only pick one up? Because there are more than a hundred books here," Van Dijk said, gesturing to the stacks scattered across the table.


    "All the books, Master Van Dijk," Ludwig affirmed.


    Van Dijk''s frown deepened as he moved closer, his long fingers tracing the spines of the books. With one hand, he picked up a random volume and flipped through it, his eyes scanning the pages. "Northern Sea," he said, stopping abruptly midway through the book. "What is the name of the Fleshless Guardian protecting the Endless Peak?"


    Ludwig''s bony brow furrowed in concentration. "The Northern Sea has no mountains, Master. It''s a cold, icy expanse of water. The Endless Peak lies within the territory of the Azure Eternal Dragon, though its exact location is unknown. As for the Fleshless Guardian, he''s the strongest known Knight of Undeath, and his name is Mord''Xander."


    Van Dijk''s expression shifted into a pleased smirk. "Oh, quite the scholar, aren''t we? I suppose you really did read everything, then. I was hoping for a trick question to catch you off guard." His eyes gleamed with amusement, though there was something darker lurking beneath the surface. "How did you do it?" he asked.


    Ludwig remained calm, gesturing towards the book still in Van Dijk''s hand. "Master, the book is upside down, and it''s about proper etiquette at a Tower Academy. That''s how I knew."


    For a moment, there was silence, then a low chuckle escaped Van Dijk''s lips. His grin widened. "Well, well. You''re becoming more expressive, more capable of independent thought. I see I''ll need to adjust my plans for you," he said, as if to himself.


    Without another word, Van Dijk reached into his coat and pulled out a small jar, placing it directly in front of Ludwig. Inside the jar was a piece of rotting flesh, old and withered, inscribed with faint runes barely visible to the naked eye.


    "Let''s see if you''ve truly learned something," Van Dijk said, his voice low and filled with expectation. His eyes burned with dark excitement. "Let''s bring you back to life!"

 Chapter 14 Into the Black Tower Academy

    "Um, I thought that was quite the taboo, especially with Deus Necros and all¡­ Did I read wrong?" Ludwig asked, hesitantly glancing at Van Dijk. The thought of necromancy and manipulating death was still unsettling to him, and yet here he was, under the tutelage of one of the most fearsome necromancers in existence.Van Dijk''s expression shifted into a smile, but it wasn''t one of warmth. "Indeed it is taboo, but that''s not what I meant. To bring you back to life would be something only a fool would attempt, and I assure you, I am no fool," he said, his voice dripping with pride. He gestured dismissively toward Ludwig''s skeletal form. "However, I can fake your presence.


    It''s pointless for you to remain here in this state."


    Ludwig frowned, genuinely confused. "How come?" he questioned, daring to push for more information.


    Van Dijk''s smile faded into a hard line. "I hate those who ask too many questions," he growled.


    "I apologize, Master," Ludwig replied quickly, bowing his head slightly, his skeletal fingers clenching in anxiety. He had to remember his place; despite his increasing intelligence and freedom of thought, he was still under Van Dijk''s control.


    "Good," Van Dijk said, satisfied with Ludwig''s submission. "Now, the reason I don''t want you lingering in this tower is that you possess intelligence far greater than any other undead I''ve encountered. You reason and think, and your capacity for both seems to grow by leaps and bounds with each passing day. It''s as though you''re unlocking more of your potential with every second.


    You need to cultivate that potential, so I''ll be sending you to the Black Tower Academy."


    Ludwig''s hollow eyes widened at this revelation. The idea of going out into the world, interacting with others, wasn''t something he had even considered a possibility since his death. And yet, here was Van Dijk suggesting it. But the Black Tower Academy? He had read enough to know what it was: a place where the arcane was studied with unparalleled dedication, a center of magical learning.


    However, he couldn''t ignore his appearance.


    "I would guess that thing," Ludwig pointed at the jar still in Van Dijk''s hand, "has something to do with all that?"


    "Indeed," Van Dijk said, grinning. "Quite the smart lad, aren''t we? You see, this is no ordinary jar. Inspect it, and you''ll see for yourself."


    Ludwig complied, focusing his mind on the jar as he muttered, "{Inspect}."


    [Symbio-Slime]


    Category: Consumable


    Description: A slime created by an unknown mage. It is able to mimic the fleshly build of its carrier.


    "I don''t understand," Ludwig said, frowning again as he tried to process the information.


    Van Dijk sighed, rolling his eyes in exasperation. "I guess you''re not as smart as I thought. Do you think you can attend an academy looking like that?" He gestured toward Ludwig''s skeletal body, waving his hand up and down. "No one''s going to let a walking pile of bones attend lectures on elemental magic or alchemy."


    Ludwig looked down at himself, his stark-white bones reflecting the dim light in the room. "I suppose a bony skeleton would be quite the sight¡­"


    "Not just that," Van Dijk continued, his tone growing more serious. "Remember, necromancy is banned and forbidden in most circles, especially at the academy. This slime will allow you to appear human¡ªor at least, like you once did."


    Without further explanation, Van Dijk tossed the slime at Ludwig. The writhing, gelatinous creature immediately latched onto his bones, creeping into the crevices between his ribs, slithering up his spine, and binding itself to every inch of his skeletal frame. Ludwig tensed, his instinctual horror of the living mass crawling over his dead form making him freeze in place.


    The sensation was unsettling, but soon it subsided, and when Ludwig glanced down at his hands, he gasped. Skin had appeared¡ªhis skin. His bones were now covered in flesh, pale but real, with nails, hair, and the appearance of veins. His face, reflected in a nearby mirror, looked exactly as it had before his death. It was a strange, hollow sensation though, as he couldn''t truly feel any of it.


    It was a shell, external and false.


    "Good, quite the handsome fellow we were," Van Dijk said, pleased with the result. "This slime will fool anyone around the Sixth Circle of magic. For those above that, they''ll need to be incredibly scrutinous to realize something''s off. Don''t waste it¡ªit''s one of my precious tools."


    Van Dijk flung a heavy coat over Ludwig''s newly ''fleshed'' shoulders. "You can''t ''sense'' yet, but cover up for now. I''ll send those two fools¡ªSebas and Evan¡ªto fetch you some proper clothes later."


    "Thank you, Master," Ludwig replied. Despite his state of undeath, there was something oddly comforting about being clothed in flesh again, even if it was fake. Van Dijk had given him a tool he didn''t need to offer, and Ludwig couldn''t help but feel a small measure of gratitude.


    "Now," Van Dijk continued, his tone turning instructional once again, "since you''ve finished reading the basic materials I provided, you''ll need to further advance your studies. At the academy, you''ll be paired with students around your age. I''ll be sending you with a recommendation letter, and you''ll be admitted as a transfer student. Study well, live like a human for now.


    I''m sure you still remember how to, deep down."


    "I believe so," Ludwig replied, uncertain but willing to comply.


    "Also, whenever you''re done with classes for the day, come back to the tower to continue your advanced studies. Don''t mingle too much with the other students¡ªthere''s always the risk of exposing yourself. The Symbio-Slime isn''t impervious to damage, and if it takes too much, it will begin sapping your mana to sustain its form. Don''t make trouble for yourself," Van Dijk warned.


    "I''ll keep that in mind, Master Van Dijk," Ludwig said, bowing slightly. He felt odd, receiving so many warnings. The academy would likely be full of young mages, people his age¡ªor at least, the age he had once been. Could he truly pass as one of them?


    "Good. Now, look out that window," Van Dijk said, pointing through the narrow frame. Far in the distance, a small pyramid-shaped tower was barely visible beyond a sprawling hill. "That''s the Black Tower Academy. You''ll be spending the next few years there, amassing knowledge.


    What I have in this tower is far more advanced than what you''ll find there, but without a basic understanding of magic, everything in my study is meaningless to you. Keep a low profile, but excel in your studies. Destroy your peers in academics, if possible. I don''t want my only pupil to be a blundering fool."


    [A New Quest Has Been Added!]


    Difficulty : B+


    Quest: Study at the Black Tower Academy


    Description: You have been tasked with learning at the Black Tower Academy, where you''ll have access to vast resources and knowledge. Advance your understanding of magic over the course of a minimum of three years.


    Quest Rewards: Rewards scale based on your achievements at the academy.


    Final Reward: Class Change to Skeleton Mage.


    Do you wish to accept this quest?


    Yes / No?


    Ludwig considered declining for a brief moment. He could just leave once outside Van Dijk''s tower, complete the Eternal Quest of escaping Van Dijk''s control. He was desperate for freedom, after all.


    But before he could make a decision, the system overrode his thoughts.


    [Quest Automatically Accepted!]


    Failure to comply with the quest will result in Death. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Failure to follow Bastos Van Dijk''s instructions will result in Death.


    Attempting to escape the Academy premises without permission will result in Death.


    "Brother¡­" Ludwig muttered under his breath as he read the endless list of death-related consequences tied to the quest.


    Van Dijk''s sharp hearing didn''t miss the muttered word, but he chose not to comment. Instead, he simply smirked. "Once your clothes arrive, you''ll depart for the academy. Make sure to return here every night for additional study. I''ve placed some materials in this ring," he said, handing Ludwig a second storage ring.


    "Take a couple of books with you if you feel like torturing yourself with more reading, but no Necromancy, no Dark Magic, and absolutely no Curses at the academy. Even I can''t save you if you''re caught dabbling in those."


    "Thank you, Master," Ludwig replied, accepting the ring.


    "You''ve thanked me enough," Van Dijk said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Wait here until your clothes arrive, then leave for the academy as soon as possible."


    With that, Van Dijk turned and left, once again leaving Ludwig alone with his thoughts.


    The academy loomed in the distance, an entirely new chapter in Ludwig''s strange existence, where survival would depend not on strength or combat, but on his ability to outwit his fellow students and conceal the truth of what he really was.

 Chapter 15 A Step Toward the Academy

    Not long after Van Dijk had left, Ludwig heard a soft knock on the door. He hesitated, unsure whether to respond. If it was Van Dijk, the door would open without permission, as the necromancer always made his presence known whether desired or not. But if it was Sebas and Evan, those two loathsome necromancers, they would have no choice but to wait outside.After a moment of silence, the familiar voice of Sebas seeped through the wooden door like a creeping fog. "Master Van Dijk, we''ve brought the rest of the items you requested. We''ll be leaving now," he said, his voice oozing disdain even in servitude.


    Ludwig waited, listening as their footsteps slowly faded down the spiral staircase, their voices hushed and unintelligible. Cowards, Ludwig thought to himself, rage simmering beneath his calm surface. He wasn''t fond of those two. They''d killed him, after all, and despite his current state of undeath, that was not something easily forgiven.


    After a while, the door creaked open on its own. Ludwig turned, finding a small pile of neatly folded black clothes resting on the stone floor, accompanied by a letter, a silver chain necklace, a modest wand, and a set of shimmering potions.


    Without much thought, Ludwig approached the items. He was still naked, though it no longer bothered him in the way it would have before. Even though he felt no chill, the bare bones were a stark reminder of what he had become. Dead, but not resting.


    "[Inspect]," Ludwig whispered, casting the skill Van Dijk had once taught him.


    [Academy Simple Robes]


    Category: Light Clothes


    Description: Basic attire for students of the Black Tower Academy. Durable, but unadorned.


    The fabric felt strange against his bony hands. Although he couldn''t physically feel the warmth of the cloth, its presence gave a vague sense of normalcy. Clothes. Something to disguise the horror of his fake skin-covered skeletal frame.


    Next, he picked up the necklace.


    [Necklace of Access]


    Tier: Rare


    Description: A necklace hand-crafted by Bastos Van Dijk for his only pupil, Ludwig. Grants access to the majority of the Black Tower Academy facilities, including classrooms, laboratories, and common rooms. Does not permit entry to high-security areas such as the Library''s third level and the administrative offices.


    The necklace shimmered faintly under the dim light of the study. Ludwig felt a strange sentiment bloom within him, though it quickly died as he reminded himself that this was no genuine gift¡ªit was merely another tool Van Dijk had given to maintain control. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lastly, Ludwig inspected the potions.


    [Minor Health Potion]


    Tier: Minor Potion


    Description: A simple concoction brewed by an apprentice alchemist. Restores up to 300 health points.


    [Minor Mana Potion]


    Tier: Minor Potion


    Description: A basic magical elixir capable of restoring 300 mana points.


    Everything was in place for his departure to the academy. The letter, folded neatly atop the robes, was Van Dijk''s recommendation letter, ensuring Ludwig''s smooth entry into the Black Tower Academy. Everything had been prepared. It was time.


    Ludwig dressed himself in the black robes, the fabric hanging loosely over his newly covered flesh. Though he had no need for warmth, it felt oddly comforting to have a layer of normality wrapped around his body. But there was no mirror in the room to check his appearance, and Ludwig found himself shrugging at the thought. He had no vanity anymore; it didn''t matter how he looked. Not in this life.


    Steeling himself, Ludwig stepped toward the door. He cracked it open cautiously, peering down the spiraling staircase to ensure no one lingered nearby. The coast was clear. Taking a deep, unnecessary breath, he made his way down the stairs, his footfalls echoing eerily in the empty tower.


    As Ludwig approached the bottom floor, the grand door leading outside loomed before him. He hesitated, reaching for the handle, but before his fingers could wrap around the cold metal, someone grabbed him from behind and slammed him into the wall.


    "It''s you, filthy thing!" a familiar voice sneered, venom dripping from every word.


    Ludwig twisted his head to face his attacker, his hollow eyes meeting the cruel gaze of Sebas. Rage, hot and seething, surged through him, threatening to consume his every thought. His bony fingers twitched with the urge to retaliate, to destroy this man who had once taken his life.


    But the grip around his body tightened, and Sebas forced him harder against the wall, pressing until Ludwig''s bones creaked.


    "Evan, check this out! The fucker''s trying to fight back!" Sebas laughed as if it were some sick game. His twisted smile gleamed in the dim light as he wrenched Ludwig''s arm, dislocating it out of place with an audible crack.


    [-20 HP!]


    [You are in a hostile environment! Your enemy is far stronger than you!]


    [Your right arm has been temporarily crippled]


    Above Sebas''s head, Ludwig could now see his name glowing in bright red¡ª[Sebas Murong]. Ludwig considered inspecting him, but Van Dijk''s warning echoed in his mind. Don''t use that ability on people. Sebas would feel it, and that could trigger a fight Ludwig wasn''t prepared to win.


    His rational mind urged him to stay calm, but something deep within him¡ªsomething primal¡ªscreamed for revenge. He wanted to tear Sebas apart, to rip him limb from limb, to feast on his misery. But he knew better. He was weak. Still level one, and barely capable of defending himself.


    "Calm down, Sebas," came Evan''s voice from behind. He stepped forward, his name glowing in a yellow hue, with question marks hovering above his status. "That''s the Master''s pet. You can''t break him."


    Sebas sneered, his grip tightening once more before he shoved Ludwig back against the wall. "This creep should''ve stayed dead. I guess the Master keeps you around for some sick, twisted fantasy, huh? Begone." He released Ludwig, dismissing him as if he were nothing more than trash.


    Ludwig''s anger flared once more, but he bit back his rage. He knew better than to fight. Sebas was leagues above him, probably dozens if not hundreds of levels higher. Any attempt at retaliation would be suicide. Ludwig understood this world well enough to know that levels mattered, and right now, he was nothing.


    "Don''t you go blabbering to anyone at the academy about what we do here," Sebas growled, his face inches from Ludwig''s. "The headmaster might know about Van Dijk''s¡­ shady experiments, but if word spreads that we''re dabbling in necromancy, I''ll make sure you cease to exist. Understand me? I can fend off the charges, but you won''t survive one of my spells."


    Ludwig remained silent, as was expected of an undead servant. But inwardly, he was seething. His hatred for Sebas grew with every word the necromancer spoke. Someday, Ludwig thought. Someday, you''ll pay.


    Evan, who had been standing back and watching, finally stepped in. "Sebas, you blundering idiot," he muttered, dragging his companion away. "You just gave away our position. What if he does talk, even by accident? Necromancy''s still banned in the academy. You''ve only made things worse."


    Sebas rolled his eyes, scoffing at the idea. "We''ve got Bastos to back us up. Let them come with their torches and pitchforks. We''ll be fine."


    Evan sighed heavily, facepalming in frustration. "You''re an idiot, Sebas. Now, he''ll be thinking of ways to frame us. I''ll have to inform the Master. Maybe he''ll warn the skeleton to keep his mouth shut."


    The two bickered as they left the tower, their voices fading as they walked away. Ludwig stood there, still against the wall, he propped his dislocated arm back, and it felt sickening, not the fact that the pop was disturbing, but the fact he didn''t feel a thing during the entire incident. Slowly, he pushed himself up and adjusted his robe, his fury simmering beneath his calm exterior.


    They think I''m nothing. They treated him like garbage, like some mindless puppet.


    But that wouldn''t last forever. He made a mental note of their conversation, their threats, and their arrogance. One day, Ludwig thought darkly, one day, they''ll regret this.


    He turned toward the door once again, pushing it open with a renewed sense of determination. The world outside greeted him with cold air and the distant hum of life. Far in the distance, the Black Tower Academy stood like a beacon of knowledge and power, its dark spires reaching toward the sky.


    Ludwig took a deep breath¡ªunnecessary but symbolic¡ªand stepped forward. His path was set.

 Chapter 16 A Dangerous Introduction

    Ludwig''s steps were hesitant, plagued with doubt as he moved toward the academy. Several times, he considered turning back and abandoning this strange mission. The thought of simply escaping flickered in his mind like a candle, tempting him to run far away from Van Dijk and the dark, looming threat of the Black Tower Academy.But every time he entertained the idea, a system notification would appear before him, cold and unrelenting.


    [You will be punished by Death if you abandon the current quest!]


    "I know," Ludwig muttered, his frustration bubbling over as he swatted at the ethereal window. But, of course, there was no response¡ªthere never was. The system wasn''t something he could argue with or convince otherwise. It simply was.


    As he passed by the houses and smaller buildings scattered around the tower''s perimeter, he couldn''t help but marvel at the architecture. Blackened stone, ominous spires, and ancient runes seemed to breathe an eerie life into the surroundings. He stole a final glance at Van Dijk''s tower as he walked, still finding it strange how empty the interior felt, given the vastness of its exterior.


    The space he had explored felt far too small for a structure that large.


    "What a strange place," Ludwig muttered to himself as he continued toward the academy. Little did he know, the tower wasn''t as empty as it had seemed. Hidden chambers, secret experiments, and countless mages dwelled within, conducting rituals, studying forbidden arts, and pushing the boundaries of magical knowledge in ways that Ludwig had yet to understand. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The academy came into view in the distance, growing larger and grander with each step he took. The closer he got, the more the sheer magnitude of the place struck him. It was far beyond anything he had ever seen¡ªeven as someone who had lived in opulent palaces, this academy dwarfed them all.


    "God damn, this thing is huge," Ludwig said aloud, craning his neck to take in the towering spires and massive walls. The stone was as dark as night, absorbing the light rather than reflecting it. It stood in stark contrast to the sunlit sky, casting an almost sinister shadow over the surrounding landscape.


    The walls that surrounded the academy were colossal, towering at least twenty meters high, and the buildings behind them reached even further into the sky, their peaks barely visible from the ground. The gate was formidable, a massive steel barrier that seemed more suited to a fortress than a place of learning.


    Standing before it, draped in black robes with a cowl obscuring his face, was a man¡ªclearly a gatekeeper of sorts. His presence was both mysterious and foreboding, fitting perfectly into the dark aura of the academy. Ludwig felt the man''s eyes on him, though he couldn''t see them.


    Ludwig considered using [Inspect] on the robed figure but thought better of it. He remembered Van Dijk''s warning. "They''ll feel it."


    The gatekeeper''s voice was low, almost a growl. "You there." He gestured toward Ludwig. "What are you doing outside the academy?"


    Ludwig blinked, realizing for the first time that he was already wearing the academy''s robes. "I''m here by recommendation," Ludwig replied, fishing the letter out of his pocket and handing it over.


    The gatekeeper didn''t even bother to open the letter. He simply held it in his palm for a moment before it ignited, burning to ash in seconds.


    Ludwig''s eyes widened in shock. "What the hell are you doing?!" he exclaimed. That was his only recommendation letter! Was he going to have to go all the way back to Van Dijk for another one?


    The man let out a grunt, clearly unimpressed by Ludwig''s outburst. "The letter seems legit," he muttered. "Get in." Without another word, the steel gates creaked open, granting Ludwig entrance.


    Confused but relieved, Ludwig walked through the open gates, shaking his head. "What the hell was that about?" he muttered under his breath. This place was already strange, and he had barely set foot inside.


    Just as Ludwig crossed the threshold, the sound of a body being flung through the air caught his attention. He looked up just in time to see a young man, barely his age, come crashing to the ground in front of him. The student''s clothes were singed with fire, smoke rising from his burnt robes, and his eyes had rolled back into his skull. He was unconscious, utterly defeated.


    Two more students approached the unconscious boy, their faces twisted into smug, bullying grins. They looked down on the fallen student with disdain, as though his mere existence was an inconvenience to them.


    "What are you looking at?" one of the bullies sneered at Ludwig, his voice dripping with contempt.


    Ludwig chose not to respond, his mind racing. Bullies. The academy was filled with them, just like in all the stories he had read. He kept his gaze forward and walked past them, unwilling to get involved in a fight he had no hope of winning.


    "Thought as much," the leader of the two bullies snorted, watching Ludwig retreat. "This place is full of spineless commoners."


    Ludwig''s eyes narrowed, but he didn''t engage. What was the point? He was at level one, barely able to defend himself. Fighting now would only ensure his death¡ªor worse, his exposure.


    As Ludwig made his way deeper into the academy grounds, he realized that chaos was the norm here. All around him, explosions of fire, lightning, and wind tore through the air as students dueled each other without a care. Destruction reigned, with debris littering the cobbled pathways.


    It was as though the academy existed in a state of perpetual combat, where the strong preyed upon the weak at every turn.


    Focus, Ludwig. He reminded himself to keep a low profile. He had no interest in these students or their petty battles. His goal was simple¡ªget in, learn, and stay under the radar. Van Dijk had warned him: no dark magic, no necromancy, and no drawing attention.


    Ludwig finally reached the largest building at the center of the academy, its towering spires and dark architecture looming over him. As he approached the entrance, unsure of where to go, a raven landed on his shoulder with a caw.


    "The Headmaster wishes to speak with you," the raven croaked, its beady eyes glinting in the dim light. It gave Ludwig a sharp peck, urging him forward.


    The bird guided Ludwig through winding corridors and staircases until they arrived at the top floor of the building. In front of him stood a large, locked wooden door. The raven cawed once more and flew away, leaving Ludwig standing alone.


    With a hesitant hand, Ludwig reached for the door, only for it to creak open on its own, revealing a darkened office. Behind a massive desk stacked high with papers, an old man in black robes sat, his face obscured by the towering stacks of parchment. Despite the clutter, the man''s eyes, piercing and cold, stared at Ludwig for but a second, then back at the papers as he continued speaking.


    His voice was calm, yet the words he spoke were lethal.


    "So," he began, his tone laced with quiet authority, "as an academy that prides itself in working against the Dark Arts, and teaches defenses against Dark Magic, I must ask¡ªwhat is a skeleton doing in my domain?"


    Ludwig froze.


    Well...shit.

 Chapter 17 The Price of Undeath

    Ludwig''s mouth kept opening and closing, as though searching for the right words, while the headmaster continued working, quill scratching steadily across parchment. The air between them thickened, the weight of the unspoken demand pressing down on Ludwig''s chest. He could feel the headmaster''s expectation¡ªwaiting for his answer¡ªbut his mind raced, stumbling over itself.There was no right answer, and Ludwig knew it. Deep down, his body trembled with the certainty that no matter what he said, the headmaster would see through him. Ludwig couldn''t lie. Not to someone of this power.


    Van Dijk had warned him¡ªa mere glance from anyone above the sixth rank would shatter his disguise. And this headmaster¡­he was leagues beyond that. The very room hummed with his presence, an invisible power that seemed to coil around Ludwig, tightening with each passing second. It was a terrifying reminder that any attempt at deception would only get him killed.


    His body felt frozen, bound by fear. But against his will, Ludwig''s mouth moved.


    [Necros''s Blessing has been activated.]


    "I have not willingly sought to be what I am," Ludwig''s voice came out, the words foreign and hollow, as though Necros himself had guided his tongue. "But I wish to reverse it. And what other place than the Dark Academy is there to study the dark arts?"


    The quill stopped.


    The headmaster raised an eyebrow, his fingers still on the parchment as he slowly turned his gaze toward Ludwig, locking eyes with him. "Dark Academy?" he echoed, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "It''s been a long time since I''ve heard that term. This is the Black Tower Academy, young one."


    Ludwig''s gut twisted in embarrassment at the mistake, though not of his own But Necros''s words, but there was no time to dwell on it before the headmaster continued.


    "You say you wish to reverse the curse of undeath." His voice was soft, almost amused. "But do you truly understand what that means?"


    Ludwig remained silent, knowing better than to speak too quickly.


    "It means," the headmaster continued, "to defy the God of Death. Necros does not take kindly to those who would dare reclaim what he has rightfully taken. Returning to life is not a matter of will¡ªit is an affront to the natural order." His gaze sharpened, boring into Ludwig. "Do you understand the cost of angering a god?"


    Ludwig''s throat felt dry, but the words still slipped out, compelled by a mixture of fear and resignation. "It isn''t about will. It''s about necessity. I never wanted this. This curse was forced upon me."


    The headmaster leaned back, considering Ludwig''s words carefully. "So it was for many before you," he said, his tone turning grave. "Do you think the millions of undead wandering the earth chose this fate? Do you think they wished to return as hollow shells, lost to the world of the living?" He sighed, the weight of centuries in his voice. "No one wants this."


    Ludwig''s eyes hardened, resolve setting in. "No one wants this," he agreed, his voice low but steady. "But I refuse to accept it. I will struggle against it. If there''s even a chance to reverse this, I''ll take it."


    The headmaster''s expression softened, just slightly. There was something akin to respect in his eyes, though veiled by an air of caution. He stood, his dark robes flowing as he approached Ludwig. His hand came to rest on Ludwig''s shoulder, and the touch felt heavy, almost suffocating.


    "You''re weak," the headmaster said bluntly, "fragile, brittle. You don''t have the strength to undertake something as monumental as reversing undeath. If it''s even possible, you have a long way to go."


    "I know that," Ludwig replied. His voice was firmer now, a small flicker of determination in the face of the overwhelming odds. "But what else am I supposed to do? An undead has time, and I''d rather spend mine fighting than idling away the centuries."


    The headmaster''s lips twitched into a faint smile. "That''s the spirit." He gave Ludwig''s shoulder a final pat before stepping back. "I wanted to see where your end goal lies, and so far, you''ve spoken no lies. But make no mistake¡ªyou''re still very much a novice here."


    With a wave of his hand, the headmaster summoned a small black raven from the shadows. The bird materialized out of thin air, its eyes glowing faintly as it fluttered to perch on Ludwig''s shoulder.


    "This is Bulgasal," the headmaster said, "my assistant. He will take you to your classes. You have much to learn."


    The raven blinked, and in a voice that was unnervingly sharp, it cawed, "Follow me. I will lead the way."


    The headmaster raised his hand, and in it, he held a crystal¡ªa communicator, much like the one Van Dijk had used before. The swirling mist within the crystal began to form an image, slowly solidifying into the shape of a figure. Van Dijk stood atop a pile of corpses¡ªbloodied, fur-covered corpses. They looked like¡­humanoid wolves. Werewolves?


    "Van Dijk," the headmaster spoke, his voice laced with irritation. "Stop slaughtering lycanthropes. At this rate, you''ll exterminate the entire race."


    Van Dijk, whose face had been twisted into a grim mask of hatred, suddenly noticed the call and his expression shifted. The anger melted away in an instant, replaced by his usual playful, almost maddeningly smug smile. "Headmaster~" he purred. "Did you miss me?"


    "Enough of your games," the headmaster snapped. "You knew I would figure out that your ''pupil'' is undead. What are you planning, Van Dijk?"


    Van Dijk''s grin widened, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "An experiment, of course."


    The headmaster let out a long, frustrated sigh. "So, have you found him yet?"


    Van Dijk''s expression flickered, momentarily darkening. "No," he admitted, his voice low with barely contained rage. He kicked at one of the corpses and it caused the entire thing to shatter into an explosion of blood and sinew, "The lead was wrong. These were just third-rate lycanthropes. Nothing useful."


    The headmaster didn''t respond immediately, his eyes shifting briefly to Ludwig. "What do you intend to do with Ludwig?" he asked, his tone almost casual.


    Van Dijk''s gaze snapped back to Ludwig, and his smile returned, though this time it felt sharper, more dangerous. "Oh, don''t bully him too much, Headmaster. He''s mine, after all."


    The headmaster chuckled softly. "I have no interest in taking what belongs to you. But I won''t agree to our original deal. He will not be returning to your tower every night."


    Van Dijk''s smile faltered. "What? Why not? If he stays with his peers for too long¡ª"


    "He''ll be fine," the headmaster interrupted. "You can see it for yourself. He''s not like the others. He has a level of control, of intellect. If he''s discovered, we''ll deal with it then."


    Van Dijk''s expression darkened for a split second before he regained his composure. "Fine. But I still need to check on his progress. Once a month."


    "Agreed," the headmaster said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Once a month. Now, Ludwig," he added, turning his attention back to him, "Bulgasal will guide you to your first class. Follow its instructions. And remember¡ªthis academy is not kind to the weak."


    Ludwig nodded. After all, at the first step he took in this academy, he saw a student on the brink of death.


    Ludwig felt the raven''s sharp talons grip his shoulder more tightly. "This way," it croaked, giving Ludwig a sharp peck to get him moving.


    The door to the headmaster''s office closed behind him with a soft click, but Ludwig couldn''t shake the lingering sensation that he had barely survived an encounter far more dangerous than it seemed.


    "Hurry!" Bulgasal cawed, its voice as harsh as a whip. "Class has already started! Kaw!"


    Ludwig quickened his pace, the hallways of the Black Tower Academy looming dark and vast around him. His first class was Magic Theory, and judging by Bulgasal''s impatience, he was already two hours late.


    They passed a wall where Bulgasal suddenly stopped, pointing a sharp beak at a list posted there. "Your schedule! Memorize it!" the bird demanded.


    Ludwig took a quick glance. His weekly schedule was filled with intimidating subjects: Magic Theory, Dark Art History, Black Magic Reversal, Alchemy and Magic Craftsmanship, and Practical Training. Each class lasted four hours a day, once a day, and today, he had already missed half of Magic Theory.


    He memorized the schedule in a single glance, thanks to the blessing of undeath and the sharpness of his mind¡ªboth enhanced by the cold, still clarity that came with his new form. Bulgasal fluttered impatiently, pecking him again as it led him to a large wooden door.


    Peck. Peck.


    An old man opened the door, his hunched form almost bending under the weight of his years. He squinted at Ludwig, and then at Bulgasal. "New student? Headmaster recommendation?"


    Bulgasal cawed in response. "Late!" it added with a sharp tone.


    ''You didn''t need to remind him of that!'' Ludwig thought inwardly.


    The old man sighed, shaking his head. "You really are unlucky. Exams are next week. How will you manage?"


    Ludwig''s stomach sank. Exams? A week from now?


    The old man gestured for him to enter. "No time to dwell on it now. Get in and take a seat. And good luck."


    As Ludwig stepped into the massive lecture hall, the eyes of hundreds of students turned toward him. Some stared with disinterest, while others¡ªmostly the girls¡ªwhistled softly, their gazes lingering on his sharp. After all, Ludwig didn''t seem to realize that his former appearance as a human was what one would consider ''Dashing and Handsome''.


    and the current slime disguise he has on perfectly replicated his appearance before he died.


    Additionally, wearing the black dress of the Black Tower academy gave him a villainous and devilish handsomeness that seemed to be the trope with females nowadays.


    "Quite please," the teacher said.


    And immediately the entire class went to silence. This earned Ludwig''s respect, after all, he underestimated the old man from his appearance but the way he handled hundreds of students was nothing but perfect using two words.


    "Go pick a seat," the old man said and returned to the board.


    He kept his head down, moving quickly to find a seat. "Sorry¡­ sorry¡­" he mumbled as he squeezed into an empty spot between two students.


    To his right was a girl who seemed far from interested in anything regarding makeup or looking good at all, and had more notes on her book than the words on it.


    And to his other side was a young man who seemed more interested in dozing off than paying attention to the class.


    Ludwig pulled out a small booklet, flipping it open to take notes, but as he glanced at the board, a sharp pain shot through the back of his head. The symbols scrawled across the board were incomprehensible¡ªa mess of foreign glyphs and ancient runes that sent a splitting headache through his skull.


    What kind of place was this?


    He wasn''t even sure if he''d survive the week, let alone the exams.


    S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 18 Standing

    Ludwig''s head felt as if it were about to split¡ªnot from pain, but from the sheer overload of information sprawled across the board in incomprehensible symbols and formulas. The sheer volume of content was staggering, and his mind struggled to make sense of any of it.He pulled out his notebook, pen ready, hoping to at least jot something down, but the moment he prepared to write, the teacher nonchalantly began wiping the board clean.


    Ludwig''s mouth dropped open. "What the hell, man¡­" he groaned under his breath.


    "Shhh!" the student sitting next to him hissed, her voice sharp but whispery. Ludwig turned to glance at her¡ªshe was disheveled, her hair a chaotic mess, and the bags under her eyes suggested a severe lack of sleep. Despite her exhausted appearance, her eyes were bright, sharp, and focused, scanning the material as though her life depended on it.


    "Quiet," she muttered. "If I lose focus now, I''ll never catch up."


    Ludwig could only sigh in resignation. His hopes for the semester dwindled by the second, and after this rocky start, he couldn''t imagine how he would survive, let alone succeed. He was late, confused, and, frankly, way out of his depth. The class dragged on, and when it finally ended, he realized he had even more questions than when he first walked in.


    Just as he packed his notebook, a group of students approached his desk. Ludwig was caught off guard by the attention.


    "Say, Ludwig," one of the students said. She was a striking blonde, her posture regal, and a delicate insignia embroidered on her uniform hinted at noble status. ''Nobility,'' Ludwig mused internally.


    "What family are you from?" she asked, her voice dripping with polite curiosity.


    Ludwig hesitated. "I¡­ I come from a distant family," he replied, choosing his words carefully. He was painfully aware of how his background on Earth meant nothing here.


    Her brow furrowed slightly, her smile growing a touch more strained. "Nobility, I presume?"


    Though his parents had wealth and influence in the human world, Ludwig''s family had no ties to nobility. Feudal systems had long been abolished on Earth. He shook his head slightly, unsure of how to frame his answer.


    "No, not nobility. I wouldn''t say that," he admitted, thinking that merchants would be the closest equivalent to his family''s status.


    Instantly, he felt the shift in the air. A few students exchanged glances, the spark of interest in their eyes dimming. One girl muttered under her breath, "A commoner. What a waste of good looks," before turning on her heel and walking away.


    The rest followed suit, their enthusiasm fading as quickly as it had appeared. Most of the students dispersed, their curiosity gone. Only a few remained, their gazes a mix of mild interest and amusement.


    "I suppose you''ve received a recommendation from the Tower, then," a male student said, his tone more respectful. "You must possess some remarkable magical talent, no?"


    Ludwig shook his head again, this time more firmly. "Not really," he said honestly.


    Another wave of disinterest swept through the remaining students. They lost whatever intrigue they had left and walked away. Soon, Ludwig was left with only one companion¡ªthe girl who had been sitting next to him during class.


    "You''re an idiot," she said flatly.


    Ludwig blinked in confusion. "What? Why?"


    She sighed, clearly exasperated. "Why did you tell them the truth? If you had stayed mysterious, dodged their questions, or just given vague answers, you wouldn''t have made yourself a target."


    "A target? I don''t understand¡­" Ludwig began, only to stop as she waved him off.


    "You just told them you don''t come from a powerful background. You have no one to protect you. And you were recommended by the Tower without having any real magical abilities. You think they''re going to leave you alone? No, you''ve just marked yourself as the perfect candidate for ridicule."


    Ludwig frowned. "But¡­ how does this lead to bullying?"


    The girl gave him a withering look before tossing a notebook onto his desk. "These are my notes for the entire semester. It''s your only hope of passing the exams."


    Ludwig looked at her in surprise. "Why are you giving this to me?"


    "I''ve already memorized everything," she said, walking away. "You''ll need it more than I do."


    Ludwig flipped through the pages, noticing the meticulous notes, small sticky tabs, and countless scribbles that filled every available space. The amount of effort she had put into this was staggering. He glanced back at her as she moved toward the door, only to notice a group of students watching her¡ªwatching both of them¡ªwith cold, calculating eyes.


    "Keep your head down," she warned over her shoulder. "Otherwise, you''ll end up in serious trouble."


    One of the other girls standing near the exit stuck her leg out as if to trip her, but the girl simply stepped over it, clearly used to such petty tricks. A snort came from the group as the failed attempt drew their scorn.


    Ludwig let out a long breath. "So, this whole school runs on hierarchy," he muttered to himself. "Just like all those stories."


    Inwardly, he shook his head. How absurd. He hadn''t expected students in this magical world to act so¡­ superficial. But it was a lesson learned, and Ludwig knew that. He had made a mistake, but at least it had come early. If he was going to survive in this place, he needed to keep his head down and not make himself a target.


    Better to learn from these small blunders now, while the stakes were low.


    Ludwig tucked the notes into his ring, standing up from his seat as he prepared to leave. As he walked toward the exit, a notification suddenly appeared in front of his eyes.


    [You''re entering a hostile environment!]


    One of the students standing by the door opened his mouth as if to say something, but before any words could leave his lips, a loud sound pierced the room.


    "KAW!" sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The students froze, and Ludwig looked up to see Bulgasal perched on his shoulder, cawing loudly. The raven flapped its wings menacingly, and the tension in the air dissolved immediately. The group of students backed away, clicking their tongues in frustration, realizing that they couldn''t make a move while the headmaster''s pet was there.


    Without another word, they dispersed, leaving Ludwig alone with Bulgasal.


    "Bulgasal," Ludwig muttered, "thanks for showing up. Things might''ve gotten ugly."


    "You''re the ugly one! CAW!" Bulgasal screeched.


    "I didn''t mean you," Ludwig sighed, rubbing his temples.


    "Follow me! To your dorm room! CAW!" the bird ordered, pecking at Ludwig''s shoulder to prod him forward.


    The crow led Ludwig through the winding halls of the Academy, pecking incessantly whenever he slowed down. After what felt like an eternity of enduring the constant jabs, they arrived at a quieter part of the campus¡ªthe dormitory area.


    Bulgasal led him to an empty room with a single bed. "The Headmaster has granted you a private room! Keep a low profile, avoid mingling with others, and study well! CAW!" the raven commanded before flying off through the window.


    Ludwig glanced around the room. It was simple but comfortable, with a single bed, a desk large enough for study, and a small bookshelf that contained a few familiar titles. Some of the books were straight from Bastos Van Dijk''s personal collection¡ªhe recognized them immediately.


    He sat down on the bed, deep in thought. There was so much to consider, so much to plan. He needed a clear goal.


    Two major quests loomed before him.


    First, there was Necro''s Eternal Quest, with its primary objective: to outgrow Bastos Van Dijk''s control. It felt like the beginning of a long, impossible journey¡ªan overarching mission that could span years, if not decades. It was like one of those sprawling main quests in the MMORPGs Ludwig used to play, where each step led to more challenges, more mysteries, and more danger.


    But that quest wasn''t achievable in the near future. It was something far off, something to work toward.


    His second quest, however, was more immediate: to graduate from the Academy. Three years of study stood between him and the chance to advance from a grunt skeleton to a Skeleton Mage.


    Ludwig smiled faintly. It was a long road ahead, but at least now he had a clearer sense of direction. With Bulgasal''s words still echoing in his mind, he resolved to keep his head down and focus on his studies.


    For now, that was all he could do.

 Chapter 19 Baby Steps

    Ludwig sighed, leaning back against the simple chair in his dorm room. His mind swirled with thoughts about the quests he had been given, each of them feeling impossibly distant and difficult to achieve. None were straightforward, and certainly none were fast to complete. He needed to grow stronger, gather experience, and most importantly, he needed EXP to level up.Without leveling up, he''d remain stuck, too weak to achieve anything significant. Higher levels meant more stats, more stats meant stronger abilities¡ªand with that, survival. It was the same principle in every MMORPG he had ever played. But in this world, it wasn''t as simple as running into a forest and killing low-level monsters for experience. There were no monsters in sight.


    At least, not until Ludwig peered out his window.


    In the courtyard below, something unexpected caught his eye. Hundreds of students filled the open training area, but instead of performing magical incantations or working with arcane artifacts, they were wielding swords. They stood in rows, their blades glinting in the setting sun as they followed the commands of an instructor.


    Each swing of their swords was executed with precision, the sound of metal cutting through the air in unison.


    Ludwig furrowed his brow in confusion. Wasn''t this an academy for magic? Why were they training with swords?


    He couldn''t help but be intrigued. Something stirred deep inside him¡ªa primal urge, one he hadn''t felt in a long time. It wasn''t connected to Necros, or any divine influence. It was something personal, something that had always been there. Every boy grows up dreaming of wielding a sword, of fighting against impossible odds. Ludwig had once dreamed of the same thing.


    Without really thinking, he reached for a stick that had been left leaning against the corner of his room. He gripped it, watching the students below as they performed their drills. Slowly, he imitated their movements. Swinging the stick downward in slow, deliberate motions, he tried to follow the same pattern they used, feeling the weight of the action as though it were a real sword.


    He swung again. And again. Each time, he felt his focus narrowing, his body following the rhythm of the movement.


    Then, without warning, something appeared in his vision.


    [Necro''s Blessing has activated.]


    You have learned [Trace].


    Trace¡ªan ability that allows you to follow and mimic certain motions to increase your learning potential.


    [Trace] is currently at the [Novice] level. You can only trace basic movements.


    Ludwig blinked in surprise as the faint outline of a blue line appeared in the air before him, stretching from above his head and down toward the floor. It was like an afterimage of the perfect sword swing, a guiding path for his movements. He immediately understood what he needed to do.


    With renewed determination, Ludwig swung his makeshift sword, this time making sure to follow the ethereal line exactly.


    [Ding!]


    Congratulations! You have learned [Basic Swordsmanship]!


    An update appeared in his quest log, followed by another notification:


    [Update to Black Tower Academy''s Quest!]


    Additional reward for completing three years of study in the Academy: [Job Change: Skeleton Swordsman]!


    Ludwig paused, his hands gripping the stick tightly. He reread the notification, thinking it over. "So," he murmured to himself, "if I follow the mage path, I''ll become a Skeleton Mage. But if I focus on swordsmanship¡­I''ll get a melee class instead. Which one''s better?"


    He didn''t have an immediate answer. The world of magic was still new to him, and while he''d always been drawn to the idea of wielding spells, something about the physicality of swordsmanship resonated with him. But was it practical? He had no idea how the balance between magic and melee worked in this world.


    Unable to decide, Ludwig shrugged. Why not both? For now, he would train his body and mind in tandem. There was no need to choose just yet.


    He continued swinging his stick, following the guiding blue line of his new skill. Each swing brought another notification:


    [Good Swing]


    [Decent Swing]


    [Miss]


    Ludwig quickly realized that the notifications were tied to how well he followed the Trace ability.


    If his swing was too fast or too slow, it would result in a "miss." If he didn''t quite follow the line, it would be labeled "decent." But when he struck the balance¡ªfollowing the line perfectly at the right speed¡ªhe earned a "good swing." The system was precise, and Ludwig found it strangely satisfying to try and master the pattern.


    "There''s got to be a higher stage," Ludwig muttered to himself. He trusted in his judgment and kept practicing, determined to find that next level of mastery.


    Hours passed.


    As the sun dipped below the horizon, the training area outside grew quiet, the students gradually dispersing as their session ended. But Ludwig didn''t stop. Long after the last of the students had left, he remained in his room, swinging his stick in the darkness, determined to improve.


    Finally, after what felt like countless repetitions, a new notification appeared in front of him:


    [+1 Strength]


    [+1 Stamina]


    Since you''re an undead class, all stamina bonus points are converted into strength! sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig grinned, feeling a rush of satisfaction. Despite his initial status as a level one skeleton, he was making real progress. His body¡ªor rather, his bones¡ªwere becoming stronger through sheer persistence.


    By the time he finally stopped, Ludwig had gained a total of five strength points, with five more bonus points from the stamina conversions. He wiped the sweat from his brow out of habit, even though his body didn''t produce any. Old instincts were hard to shake.


    He pulled up his status screen to review his progress:


    ---


    [Status Screen: Ludwig Heart]


    Race: Skeleton


    Level: 1


    Health: 100/100


    Stamina: Infinite


    Mana: 100/100


    Intelligence: 23


    Strength: 22


    Dexterity: 10


    Vigor: 10


    Luck: 15


    Class: Skeleton Grunt


    Title: ¨C


    Skills: [Trace], [Basic Undead Summon Sigil]


    Passives: [Basic Swordsmanship], [Undead Resolve]


    Overt Genius: Increased proficiency in all sorts of masteries.


    ----


    Ludwig studied the screen, recognizing where he stood in the grand scheme of things. He was still weak by most standards, but he was growing, little by little. The fact that he could gain stats through training¡ªeven as a skeleton¡ªwas something he hadn''t expected. It was a strange realization, but one he welcomed.


    His gaze drifted to the book notes he had been given earlier in class. Since he didn''t need to sleep, he figured there was no harm in reading. "Might as well start studying," he muttered. How bad could it be?


    Ludwig flipped open the notes, his eyes scanning the intricate diagrams and explanations scribbled throughout the pages. At first glance, it seemed overwhelming, but he was determined to make sense of it. After all, if he wanted to keep up in this world, he''d need to excel both physically and mentally.


    And with that, he began his night-long study session, his mind sharp and alert. This was just the beginning.

 Chapter 20 Spells and Skills

    If skeletons could show fatigue, Ludwig would have had deep bags under his eyes. But, thanks to the slime skin he wore over his skeletal frame, nothing showed on his face, even though his mind felt like it was about to burst. He had read through all the notes his classmate had given him, leaving no page untouched. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.For anyone else, the task would have required immense focus and countless hours of concentration. But Ludwig wasn''t anyone else. His undead stamina, paired with his innate genius for absorbing knowledge, allowed him to read and comprehend everything in a single night without needing to rest.


    However, the experience wasn''t as smooth as he''d hoped. The notes were chaotically organized, jumping randomly from subject to subject. One page would discuss Magic Theory, only to leap suddenly into Alchemy, then back to Dark Art History, and finally, curses¡ªall with no logical flow. Still, Ludwig''s sharp mind was able to piece together a pattern, however erratic it was.


    "This girl has extreme ADHD," Ludwig muttered under his breath as he finally closed the notebook. Despite the disorganization, he had gained valuable insights, even if they had come at the cost of a nearly shattered mind.


    He glanced out the window. "It''s morning already¡­" The pale sunlight trickled into his room, signaling the start of a new day. He checked the nearby clock. Class was about to begin.


    Today''s lesson was in Black Magic Reversal, a course that taught students not how to use dark magic, but how to dispel or neutralize it. The Academy no longer taught the black arts, but it did provide its students with the tools to counteract and survive against them¡ªa necessity in this world where dark magic still lurked.


    Ludwig stood, tucking the notebook into his ring, and exited the room. He walked through the dim corridors of the Academy, half-expecting Bulgasal to swoop down and accompany him, but the raven was nowhere in sight.


    "I guess he''s back with the headmaster," Ludwig muttered, continuing on his way.


    He was aware of the mistake he had made the previous day. Exposing himself to his peers as a commoner had been a tactical error, one he wouldn''t repeat. The Academy was a shark tank, and nobles liked to toy with those they considered weak. Without a powerful family to back him, Ludwig was already a target.


    And right on cue, as soon as he stepped out of the dormitory, three young men appeared, blocking his path. Ludwig recognized two of them¡ªthey were the same students who had tormented another unfortunate commoner the moment Ludwig arrived at the Academy.


    "Well, well," sneered the leader of the group, his blonde hair shimmering in the sunlight. His voice dripped with arrogance. "Another commoner. You lot really are endless, aren''t you?"


    His oversized companion grunted in agreement, while the skinnier one to his right smirked with poorly veiled contempt. All three of them wore robes of finer quality than Ludwig''s, and the insignias on their uniforms marked them as nobility.


    "Nobles¡­" Ludwig thought to himself, bracing for the inevitable confrontation.


    "Do you have business with me?" Ludwig asked, his voice calm.


    "I don''t like the tone of your voice, commoner," the blonde noble spat, his eyes narrowing. He stepped forward, reaching out as if to grab Ludwig by the neck. "When I speak, you¡ª"


    {You''re about to enter combat!}


    Without thinking, Ludwig muttered the word, "Exhaust."


    A sickly, slithering aura spread from Ludwig''s form, washing over the three nobles like a wave of nausea. The leader collapsed to his knees, gasping as his stamina drained away in an instant. His companions weren''t spared either; both stumbled, their faces turning pale as they struggled to remain upright.


    The notification that appeared before Ludwig surprised him.


    {You have applied the skill [Exhaust] with decent proficiency!}


    {You have learned the Spell [Exhaust]}


    [You have used one of your spell slots. Remaining Spell Slots: 2]


    [Exhaust]: Immediately drain a portion of your opponent''s stamina. The percentage of exhaustion increases with proficiency and the element of surprise.


    Ludwig looked down at the three young men, who were now writhing on the ground, struggling to catch their breath. Their faces were twisted in pain, their energy completely sapped.


    Ludwig didn''t waste a moment. He turned on his heel and made a quick escape, heading toward the study hall, his mind buzzing with thoughts.


    "That spell from the notes... I didn''t expect it to work like this. Quite powerful."


    The incident confirmed a suspicion he had developed while studying the notes. Last night''s study session had been grueling, and he hadn''t been sure whether the information would be useful. But now, after applying what he''d learned, Ludwig realized just how valuable the notebook was. This Academy really was an incredible place for learning¡ªboth in magic and combat.


    And all it had taken was one night of study for Ludwig to cast his first spell.


    But as he pondered the notifications, a distinction dawned on him¡ªhe had learned a spell, not a skill.


    There was a key difference between the two.


    Skills were things one could learn by practice, through physical repetition or from a Skill Book. Once learned, a skill became ingrained in both the mind and soul, requiring no further thought. It was a passive ability that could be activated with ease.


    Spells, however, were True Magic. Spells had to be understood, learned, and deliberately applied. They required focus, knowledge, and an understanding of the inner workings of mana. It wasn''t enough to just go through the motions; you had to comprehend the process from start to finish.


    For example, the Skill [Fireball] learned from a grimoire was simple. You touched the book, absorbed the knowledge, and the skill was yours. It would cost you, say, twenty mana to cast a basic fireball. Simple, effective, but not very powerful.


    On the other hand, casting the Spell [Fireball] involved understanding the origin of mana, shaping it into flame, creating combustion, and releasing it. It required calculation and focus, but the result was far more powerful. The spell might only cost ten mana, and the fireball it produced would be twice as destructive as the one from a skill.


    That was why true mages were respected and feared in this world. And that was why Ludwig had never been able to replicate Van Dijk''s black flames. He had seen the black flames in action, but he hadn''t understood the process behind them.


    Skill books are created by mages who learned the Spell by heart to an incredible degree. And were able to summarize the extent of their knowledge and condense it into an instantaneous page that can be learned by touch. Basically, this means anyone with deep enough pockets can learn every spell in the world.


    But the reason no one is doing that is pretty simple¡ªlack of Wisdom, Mana, stamina or even health at points. Each skill would require a different cost.


    For the mages, without sufficient mana one cannot simply just spam cast skills, and some would require an incredible amount of mana that normal people cannot use them.


    And the purpose of skills is simple, to supplement instead of being the main ability.


    As Ludwig hurried down the hall toward his next class, his mind raced with new realizations. He had finally begun to grasp the difference between magic circles, spells, and skills. The notebook, scattered as it was, had given him just enough knowledge to start piecing together the foundation of magic.


    It was an exhilarating thought¡ªone night of study had brought him this far. What else could he learn if he dedicated more time to his studies? How much more powerful could he become?


    But for now, his focus needed to shift to his next class: Black Magic Reversal. He pushed open the doors to the classroom, his mind already buzzing with anticipation.


    He was just beginning to understand this world, and the more he learned, the more he realized there was no limit to what he could achieve.


    This was only the beginning.

 Chapter 21 Pop Quiz

    Once Ludwig walked into the study hall, he scanned it and, sure enough, found the girl who had given him the notebook the day before. His presence momentarily drew the attention of the people in the room, but they quickly dismissed him, their gazes sliding away as if he were invisible.After all, Ludwig was nothing more than a commoner, devoid of the privileges or titles that made someone stand out in this place. His above-average looks were the only feature that could be considered remotely redeeming, but in a world ruled by power and prestige, appearances meant little.


    Fixing his eyes on the girl, Ludwig walked toward her with purpose. "Thank you for the help," he said as he handed her the notebook.


    She looked up from her desk, her expression flat, but a frown soon followed. Her gaze flicked over him, up and down, as though she were reassessing him, unimpressed. "Why are you returning it so soon? Did you already give up on taking the exams?" she asked, her voice carrying an edge of sarcasm. "Might be for the better if so," she added dismissively.


    "No," Ludwig replied, shaking his head, refusing to be rattled by her tone. "I already memorized the content. It''s pretty detailed, but I managed."


    The girl''s expression shifted to one of sheer incredulity. Her lips twisted into a mocking grin, an almost predatory look crossing her face. "At least if you want to lie, do it properly," she said with a sneer. "It''s insanity to think you could even understand a fraction of this notebook in one night, not to mention fully memorize it. If you didn''t appreciate the help, just say so.


    You don''t need to lie to me."


    Ludwig hesitated for a moment, opening his mouth to protest, but then closed it, realizing there was no point. For anyone else, it would have been an impossible task. The notebook was chaotic, jumping from topic to topic every few pages, full of intricate details that would baffle even the brightest students. But Ludwig had managed. That was the truth, though it seemed a truth no one would believe.


    Sighing in resignation, he tried a different approach. "At least tell me your name," he said, hoping to shift the conversation. "I need to thank the person who helped me."


    "It''s Kassandra," she said curtly, waving her hand as though to shoo him away, already distracted by the entrance of a new figure into the room.


    Ludwig turned as well, his attention caught by the imposing man now standing at the front of the study hall. The teacher who had just entered was unlike anyone Ludwig had seen before. His skin was a deep, dark brown, his tall frame clothed in the formal patterns of the Dark Academy''s uniform. What caught Ludwig''s attention immediately, however, were the man''s long, pointed ears.


    A dark elf, Ludwig realized, his curiosity piqued.


    The man exuded authority, his presence commanding instant silence from the room. His braided hair was impeccable, and his beard was so finely groomed that Ludwig couldn''t help but admire it for a moment. The man''s suit was adorned with intricate designs, clearly marking him as someone of importance within the Academy.


    Though Ludwig''s instincts urged him to use [Inspect] on the man, he hesitated. He wasn''t entirely sure how the ability worked on teachers. After all, it hadn''t worked on Bastos Van Dijk earlier. But before he could second-guess himself, something unexpected happened.


    [Necros''s Blessing is activating!]


    Ludwig''s heart raced. Why? Why was the Blessing that robs his will activating now, of all times? Panic gripped him as his eyes briefly glowed, the familiar sensation of the spell seizing control of his senses. He hadn''t even spoken the words to trigger it¡ªyet the power surged through him, unstoppable.


    {Inspect}


    Information window: Oda''Ruh Vastion


    Level: 125


    Alignment: Dark Magic Academy, [Hidden] You do not qualify to see this yet.


    Health: 1,200,000


    Mana: 6,000


    Class: Advanced Mage, 5th tier


    Secondary Class: [Hidden] You do not qualify to see this yet.


    Title: Shadow Weaver¡ª[Hidden] You do not qualify to see this yet.


    Lore:


    A mage who seeks to advance the status of his Noble House Vastion. He came to the Dark Academy to recover lost knowledge that his tribe once held. Though he holds the title of Noble due to his rank as a Fifth Tier mage, many Nobles of the capital resist recognizing a Dark Elf among their ranks...


    Addendum: Those of extreme ambition often lose sight of their path as they seek their goals, taking shortcuts and disregarding the steps they tread upon.


    Before Ludwig could process any further, the man''s voice rang out, sharp and furious.


    "WHO WAS THAT?" Oda''Ruh Vastion''s shout reverberated through the study hall. "Who dared use that vile magic in this class?"


    Ludwig''s stomach dropped. He could feel the magic stirring within him still, the remnants of Necros''s Blessing buzzing in his veins. The teacher hadn''t spotted him, but he knew someone had used magic in his presence¡ªand he was livid.


    Vastion''s braids seemed to flare with an eerie energy, his eyes scanning the room for the culprit. No one dared to move, let alone confess. Silence hung heavy in the air, the tension almost unbearable.


    Then, in a swift movement, Vastion raised his arm. "Fine!" he barked, his voice as sharp as a blade. "If you want to play games, let''s play. Pop quiz time!"


    With a flick of his wrist, papers flew off his desk and scattered themselves in front of each student. The sudden change caught everyone off guard, their groans of protest stifled by the severity of the teacher''s glare.


    "Your answers will be timed," Vastion continued, his tone cold and uncompromising. "And if anyone is caught cheating, I will personally kick you out of this academy. Your performance on this quiz will count for fifty percent of your final grade."


    A collective sigh rippled through the room, students looking at one another in disbelief. This was completely unexpected. As Ludwig glanced at the paper that had landed before him, he felt Kassandra''s gaze boring into the side of his head. He looked up to meet her eyes, and her expression was clear: You''re screwed.


    But as Ludwig lowered his eyes to the questions, something odd happened. The answers began to form in his mind almost instantly. The knowledge from the notebook was already there, imprinted with perfect clarity, and he began writing without hesitation.


    His movements caught the attention of Oda''Ruh Vastion, whose eyes snapped toward him. The teacher strode across the room, his steps heavy with authority. He stopped in front of Ludwig''s desk, looming over him.


    Without a word, Vastion slammed his hand down onto Ludwig''s paper. "Who are you?" he demanded, his voice low and threatening.


    Ludwig met his gaze without flinching. "New student," he answered calmly. "I applied yesterday."


    Vastion''s eyes flicked over the paper, noticing the half-written answers. His expression darkened. "Why are you applying so late in the semester? Do you think you''ll receive special treatment?"


    "I never expected that," Ludwig replied evenly.


    Vastion''s gaze bore into him. "Then why bother?" he growled. "You think you can answer questions from a class you''ve never attended?"


    "I had time to prepare," Ludwig said simply.


    "Prepared?" Vastion''s voice dripped with contempt. "How? You barely started yesterday!"


    "I read through some notes," Ludwig replied, "and I think some of these questions are pretty straightforward."


    A faint, disbelieving laugh echoed from the room. Ludwig didn''t have to look to know it was Kassandra facepalming. Her exasperation was almost palpable.


    Vastion, on the other hand, looked ready to explode. His eyes bulged with anger. "Fine!" he roared. "Fine! If you think they''re simple, then answer! And I''ll do you a favor¡ªI''ll grade you right here, right now!


    If you pass this, you won''t have to take the finals for my class."


    The room went completely still as Vastion crossed his arms, waiting. "Now answer, student." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 22 Deception and Discipline

    Ludwig didn''t allow the professor''s looming presence to rattle him, nor did he feel the need to engage in any further exchange. His focus shifted back to the exam, and his eyes scanned the next question on the paper:"If a curse can only be broken by the one who cast it, what''s the most effective way to ensure the curse is lifted if the caster has perished?"


    The question seemed straightforward at first glance, but Ludwig knew better than to rush. His intuition told him that this was a trick question, one that required careful thought. He paused, considering the implications, before he began writing his answer:


    "While it might appear that a curse would become unbreakable once the caster has perished, the key lies in understanding the source of a curse''s power. Curses are often tied to intent and energy. If the curse was bound to an object or place, destroying or cleansing the conduit of power can sever the curse''s influence.


    Additionally, some ancient curses are linked to the caster''s bloodline or their magical legacy, meaning a descendant or magical heir could have the authority to lift it. Therefore, to break such a curse, you would need to locate either the source of its power or a living relative of the caster."


    Ludwig lifted his hand from the paper, noticing the professor eyeing him with a smug, skeptical expression. Oda''Ruh Vastion clearly anticipated an incomplete or inadequate answer, as though Ludwig''s response so far had fallen short of his high standards.


    But Ludwig wasn''t finished.


    He leaned back over the paper, his pen moving smoothly as he added: "Additionally, the most effective method is not always to break the curse, but to transfer it."


    That last line seemed to hit its mark. The professor''s expression darkened, his scowl deepening into something far more irate. Ludwig allowed himself a small smirk, knowing he had nailed the answer.


    Without lingering on the professor''s reaction, Ludwig moved to the next question. "How does necromancy affect a soul that died peacefully?"


    This, too, was a question designed to mislead most students, feeding into common misconceptions. Ludwig''s pen hovered for a moment before he wrote:


    "There is a widespread misunderstanding regarding necromancy and the undead. Many believe that only those who died violent or cursed deaths return as the undead, but this is not the case. Even those who died peacefully and led pious, religious lives can fall victim to necromantic forces. The truth is that once a soul is revived, it is ensnared by the malevolent essence of undeath.


    It is called ''malevolence,'' but what it truly represents is the soul''s resentment toward the living. Those who have died, no matter how they passed, do not wish to suffer alone in death''s abyss. The bitterness toward the living grows, and the undead seek to drag others into death, ensuring no one escapes the ultimate fate of all who have lived."


    He continued answering the rest of the questions with the same precision, each one crafted to mislead or test a student''s true understanding. Ludwig explained not just the answers but the underlying principles and nuances, ensuring his reasoning was solid and his comprehension irrefutable.


    Every question seemed to echo knowledge Ludwig had gleaned from his time in Bastos Van Dijk''s library, as well as Kassandra''s notes, which he had committed to memory. It was a perfect blend of theoretical knowledge and practical insight.


    As Ludwig finished writing his final answer, he felt the weight of Oda''Ruh Vastion''s gaze upon him. The professor was seething, his frustration barely concealed. Ludwig calmly stood, walking to the front of the room to hand in his paper.


    "Thank you," Ludwig said politely, holding the exam out to the professor.


    Oda''Ruh''s hand clenched the paper tightly, crumpling one edge of it in his grip. His face was a mask of barely contained fury as he stared down at Ludwig. "Who taught you all of this?!" he demanded, his voice a dangerous growl.


    "I''ve read a lot of books," Ludwig replied evenly.


    "LEAVE!" the professor barked, his voice echoing across the silent study hall.


    Without a word, Ludwig gathered his things and turned to leave. As he reached the door, Vastion''s voice called out again, stopping him in his tracks.


    "Halt."


    Ludwig turned back, meeting the professor''s narrowed eyes.


    "You''re not required to attend my exam next week," Vastion said, glaring at the paper in his hand. His teeth ground together as he added, "Perfect marks."


    Ludwig nodded, his expression betraying nothing, and walked out of the hall. But once he was outside, his non-existent heart felt as though it was thumping in his chest. Though he had no heart¡ªbeing nothing more than a skeleton covered by a slime that acted as his skin¡ªthe sensation of anxiety still gripped him. It wasn''t fear exactly, but a lingering worry, a sense of having barely escaped danger.


    Necros''s Blessing had almost exposed him, nearly giving away his identity. Fortunately, Oda''Ruh Vastion had not yet realized who had cast the spell. But Ludwig knew he had come perilously close to being caught.


    As Ludwig passed through the academy''s corridors, he could feel the eyes of other students on him. They stared, confused and shocked, unable to comprehend how a student who had only arrived the day before had not only completed the professor''s grueling test but had also earned a perfect score.


    The Dark Magic Academy was infamous for making exams nightmarish, and Oda''Ruh Vastion was one of its most challenging instructors. Yet Ludwig had defied all expectations.


    However, the stunned faces of his peers quickly returned to focus on their own problems. The remainder of the exam still awaited them, and they had little time to spare on speculation about Ludwig.


    With no obligations left for the day, Ludwig decided to head toward the academy''s training grounds, where the students practiced swordsmanship. He didn''t want to run into the same arrogant nobles from earlier that morning, so he carefully checked that the coast was clear before making his way to the open courtyard.


    When he arrived, the same group of students from yesterday was still there, practicing the same technique over and over again. Ludwig took a seat a little distance away from them, not wanting to disturb their session. He watched silently, observing their movements. Most of them were decent, though some were too fast or too slow in their swings.


    His attention was drawn to one student in particular¡ªa tall, lanky boy positioned at the back of the group. The boy had a firm grip on his wooden sword and struck with a fluidity that stood out from the others. His swing was nearly perfect, smooth, and controlled. Ludwig''s eyes lingered on the boy''s form for longer than he realized.


    "Are you interested in swordsmanship?"


    The voice startled Ludwig. He turned to find a tall, muscular woman standing behind him. She wore tight shorts and a cropped shirt, exposing her chiseled abdomen. A long scar ran down the right side of her face, giving her an intimidating yet feral look, especially with the broad grin she wore¡ªlike a lion sizing up its next meal.


    "A little bit," Ludwig replied cautiously.


    She looked him up and down, her gaze assessing. "With that scrawny body of yours, I''d be shocked if you could even swing a sword properly. You''re a mage, aren''t you?" she asked, her tone more curious than mocking.


    "I''m learning," Ludwig said simply.


    "Join them," she said, gesturing toward the training students. "Grab a wooden sword and show me what you''ve got."


    Ludwig hesitated. "I''m not part of the swordsmanship students."


    The woman shrugged. "Doesn''t matter. I''m more interested in your eyes." She stepped closer, tilting his chin up slightly with her fingers. "For a skeleton, you have pretty eyes."


    A shiver ran down Ludwig''s spine at her touch.


    "Don''t worry," she said with a playful slap on his back that sent a jolt through his body.


    [-1 HP]


    "The Headmaster told me about you. Bastos is weird like that, sending a skeleton to learn magic to fight against dark arts. But hey, that''s not even the strangest thing he''s done this year. Go on, grab a sword, and let''s see what you''ve got."


    Ludwig had a strong feeling that refusing her wasn''t an option. He nodded, reluctantly making his way to the weapon rack. His mind was racing, filled with thoughts¡ªnone of them good.


    He grabbed the first weapon he could find.


    [Wooden Sword]


    Type: Sword


    Durability: 100/100


    Damage: 4-7


    A brittle training sword. Quite useless for killing enemies, but sufficient for teaching one how to do so.


    He mentally waved away the notification screen and took his place at the back of the group. Taking an unnecessary deep breath, Ludwig followed the movements of the other students and swung the wooden sword down, following the pattern of [Trace]. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The moment he did, the teacher appeared next to him, seemingly out of nowhere. Her eyes were wide with surprise.


    "How?!" she exclaimed, her voice sharp. "How did you do that?!"

 Chapter 23 Imperial Style

    "Em," Ludwig didn''t know how to answer other than, "I just followed that guy''s move?" he said almost questioningly.The teacher looked at the person Ludwig was talking about, it was the same guy he was tracing earlier with his eyes, and frankly he was the best one at it among his peers for her class.


    "That''s quite impressive," she said. She thought for a second and said, "Do it again."


    Ludwig followed her orders and swung once more, this time more cleanly. Making the surprise in her eyes grow bigger.


    "A genius!" she said and grabbed Ludwig by the scruff of his clothes, "Come with me," she said dragging him even.


    Ludwig was helpless against the pushy attitude of this ogre like teacher and was pulled all the way to a room inside the building.


    The room had no one inside it but a few training dummies and a few wooden swords laying around.


    "Show me if you can replicate this," she said as she slowly demonstrated to Ludwig a slow upward swing that flowed immediately into three consecutive slashes after a forward step.


    The dummy was blasted apart by the move and made Ludwig surprised to see that slow move doing so much damage.


    Ludwig''s eyes immediately lit up, [Trace] activated and he saw the pattern the teacher took.


    He approached the dummy, grabbed the sword and began following the patterns that [Trace] was showing him.


    So far [Trace] could only replicate basic moves, and this one didn''t seem to difficult. So he did as told, an upward starting slash, followed by three consecutive swings after a forceful step forward.


    Once he finished his moves, it was as if the time had stopped for the puppet, and immediately the puppet blasted away as if all the blows came after a delay.


    The teacher was stunned as she saw him execute the move perfectly.


    "You''re a monster!" she said. "Ah, wait, that was supposed to be a compliment, I''m not talking about the fact that you''re a skeleton, but what the heck was that? How did you replicate the Imperial Style Swordsmanship after seeing it once?"


    Ludwig frowned, "It looked simple enough, shouldn''t anyone be able to replicate it after they see it once?" he asked.


    "No! that''s the whole damn point of the Imperial Swordsmanship, it may look simple, but any newbie would fall to the ground the moment he took a step forward to allow the consecutive hits to flow, that''s not something that can be replicated without years of practice!"


    "Then how about you try this?" she said and showed Ludwig the second move, a follow up, to the first stance of the Imperial Style Swordsmanship. It continued on with a forward body spin that slammed the sword down and then with a forceful heave, ripped it from the ground, causing the air to flow ahead like a cone.


    It didn''t look that impressive, but Ludwig felt that the teacher was slowing down the move purposefully for him to see it.


    [Trace] had already memorized the move for him, and so he just had to follow it to the letter.


    Ludwig tried to do the same, but instantly fell down, unable to spin his body forward.


    "I see, I guess it''s too hard for you," she said. "How about you try the first stance first and try and combo it with the second stance?" she asked.


    Ludwig nodded, and did the same, the moment he finished the first move and slashed thrice, the blue [Trace] light turned yellow, and immediately after he tried to spin forward, it turned red and shattered, causing him to fall to the ground.


    "Hmm," the teacher said as she rubbed her chin, "You''re following with your eyes before your body, this shows how weak your foundation is¡­ you need to learn how to walk before you try and run. Though that''s mainly my fault, you''re supposed to be a mage¡­" she said.


    "What does that have to do with anything?" Ludwig asked.


    "Basics, the basics are everything, look at your hands," she said.


    Ludwig did but didn''t understand anything, "You''re holding the sword too tightly almost afraid it would escape, you''re too rigid, you''re inflexible, your feet are almost a beat slower than the rest of your body. You need to have more muscle¡­ wait¡­" she facepalmed.


    "Yeah¡­ fake body," Ludwig pointed at himself, "Skeletons have no muscles," he added.


    The teacher''s eyes lit up, "I know just the guy who can help!" she said and pulled a communication crystal calling someone who Ludwig least expected, "Yo old foggy!" she said and Bastos Van Dijk appeared in the holographic image, he looked to be in the slums of some city.


    "Dearest Joana, what''s the reason for this rare call? Aren''t we on bad terms?" he said. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Enough with that, let bygones be bygones! I have something interesting to show you!" she said as she showed him Ludwig.


    Van Dijk''s usually smiling and carefree face turned sour immediately, "What is the meaning of this?" he asked anger boiling up clearly in his voice.


    "Aren''t you also surprised! It''s a skeleton that''s acting as a student! Regardless, I want your help with something!" she said.


    Ludwig immediately did the "I didn''t say anything," motion by raising both hands in surrender. This made Van Dijk understand that she has yet to correlate Van Dijk to the skeleton.


    "What is it that you need?" Van Dijk asked.


    "I want to know, if its possible to increase a Skeleton''s flexibility and strength, even if they don''t have muscles! I''m not that great when it comes to undead physiology, so you should know more," she said.


    "Well, they simply need to train, and kill," Van Dijk shrugged. As if it was the simplest and most obvious answer in the world.


    The moment Van Dijk mentioned Killing a notification appeared in front of Ludwig which he immediately willed to go away. The conversation in front of him was too important for him to be distracted for now.


    "Kill? And train? How can they gain strength when they''re merely bones?" she asked.


    "An undead is powered by the power of the Death God, them training allows the blessing of Undeath to permeate their bodies better, but it''s killing that gives them true power. As a reward for sending one more soul to the God of Death, they''ll gain a small almost negligible portion of the sent soul onto them.


    That''s how you can artificially create a Death Knight, in theory that is, if it kills enough living beings, they''ll grow stronger, and stronger," Van Dijk explained.


    "I don''t have anything for it to kill," Joana said.


    "Don''t even bother, killing, would take it a few centuries to gain any significant power. It''s a low-ranking skeleton after all and it would probably die the moment it encounters anything strong. But training him would do wonders. It''s the best option you have if you want to allow more of the Death God''s powers to permeate his body. Though it is extremely limited," he said.


    "How limited?" she asked.


    "Let''s see, a Skeleton, would probably gain about three times the power of an adult male. But they''ll grow no more afterward because they''ll need to start killing to gain more power," he explained.


    For a moment Van Dijk quieted and then asked, "Why are you asking all these questions, Joana? Also, why does he have a sword in his hand when he''s wearing a mage uniform?" Van Dijk asked.


    "Oh, you won''t believe this! He actually perfectly copied the Imperial Sword Style''s first stance and move! Do you know how impressive that is?"


    "Oh, believe me, I know," Van Dijk said almost remembering terrible days. He sighed once more and said, "Ludwig."


    "Yes, Master," Ludwig replied, and this made Joana''s eyes widen some more.


    "Do whatever you want, as long as you don''t expose yourself to your peers, and make sure to keep up with your studies. I''ll talk to you later about all this¡­swordsmanship thing¡­" he said and cut the call.


    The swordswoman turned to Ludwig, "So, you''re that despicable man''s property?" she asked.


    Ludwig gulped down hard, "Don''t worry," she said. "This is even better, now I''m a 110% more interested in making you take the path of the sword just to spite him! Go again! This time follow my moves!"

 Chapter 24 Forced Plot

    Four hours later"Impressive," Joana said as she looked at Ludwig''s performance.


    "What do you mean teacher?" Ludwig said as he turned to her. Behind him lay the destroyed forms of the training dummies.


    "To think that in merely four hours, you''d already master the full first set of the Imperial Style. Although any other ''Human'' would have been drowning in a pool of their own sweat and exhaustion, your stamina looks to be endless," she said.


    Ludwig didn''t try and explain how as an Undead, he had no sense of exhaustion. In fact it was true that his stamina was endless.


    "But the most impressive part, is that you learned in four hours what would take others four months," she said as she looked out the window, "Though it''s getting late. And I can''t keep you company for long, I''ll leave you with this," she said as she handed Ludwig a small booklet.


    [You have received Imperial Style Training Manual]


    The book looked to be in a rugged state, and worn out.


    "This book should teach you all the forms and moves you need to do in order to master the Imperial style until the Advanced Stage," she said.


    "Advanced? What stage am I at right now?" Ludwig asked.


    "Well, technically, without fighting experience you''re barely at the beginner stage, but since you are able to use the forms of the first style, you''re at the early stages of intermediate mastery," she said.


    "Then what''s above the Advanced stage?" Ludwig asked.


    "Well, it''s Expert, and Master, but those are pretty hard to obtain, usually that takes decades of hard work and not everyone can just get there even with hard work, take me for example, it took me a hundred and ten years just to reach the Master Stage," she said.


    "I see, I guess there aren''t many that are stronger than you in term of swordsmanship," Ludwig said.


    She smiled, "Flattery won''t get you anywhere, though I AM strong, I''m not the strongest, not by a longshot, there are many monsters in this world kiddo, and you, you''re just a little monster now, grow stronger and show me what you can do!" she said as she turned and left the room.


    Ludwig finally was able to have some time for himself and only then did he have the opportunity to see the huge number of notifications that he kept delegating to see for later.


    The first one was the one he received when Van Dijk was talking to Joana.


    [Eternal Quest!] was the title of this notification.


    Ludwig frowned, he hadn''t done anything that would warrant his Eternal Quest proccing a new stage. After all, he has yet to gain even a smidgen of true power to even be able to evade Van Dijk''s control.


    He read through.


    [Eternal Quest! (New)]


    Chain quest!


    First Part Difficulty: F


    You have figured out a part of the truth behind the power of Undeath, but your understanding is severely lacking still.


    As a servant of Deus Necros, you now know that you can earn power by taking another''s life. Your Quest is as follow, in the next six hours, Kill a Human Being. Failure to do so will result in your death!


    Completing this Quest will grant you audience with The Inevitable


    And you''ll gain the title {Apostle of Death} upon satisfying the conditions.


    Remaining time 116 minutes.


    "What?!" Ludwig panicked, he didn''t know that his life was on a timer! And now he barely had two hours left!


    But, the quest details, to kill a human being¡­ was that something he could do?


    Yet, surprisingly, Ludwig didn''t ''feel'' anything. It was as if he had no emotion of humans, so it wasn''t that difficult of a quest to accept. After all, he had no choice in the matter to agree upon it or no. his only regret is that he took too long to even notice the death timer.


    Yet, he thought once more, what could he have done anyway, he wouldn''t have been allowed to leave the room until Joana said so, so he was stuck here regardless.


    He took a quick glance at the rest of the notifications before he intended to leave the room, lest he''d find another impossible quest that he ignored.


    Ludwig had gained 3 more Stamina and Strength points, which converts to 6 more in strength.


    He also learned [Complete move set of the Imperial Style, first stage]


    This wasn''t a skill, or a spell, but it was a Style of fighting. Which he could use in battle, the moves were wide and destructive and had little to no flaws. A good basic swordsmanship that could help anyone in perilous situations to escape death.


    And finally, the book, though he wanted to read it right away, he literally didn''t have the time to do so.


    Ludwig immediately left the small room to find that it was well into the afternoon. Most students were not present. And the school seemed awfully empty.


    Ludwig began to panic, he needed to complete his quest, but there didn''t seem to be anything he could do right now to achieve completion. Time was ticking.


    "Oh! Look who is here! That backstabbing motherfucker!"


    Ludwig turned to see a fireball being hurled his way, he barely had the time to both recognize and jump away from the incoming projectile which blasted the door of the room he was training at.


    Looking at his opponent, Ludwig realized that somehow, in this weird and strange world, the scenario that happened to him felt awfully too clich¨¦.


    After all, he needed to kill someone, and the person that appeared in front of him was someone who Ludwig truly thought he was one of the people who deserved that fate.


    That''s right, it was the blondie noble from yesterday.


    Now, this is what Ludwig would consider a ''Forced'' plot material. After all, in all the stories he read, an author usually would throw someone like this guy for him to deal with, and be the first stepping stone. But stuff like that only happens in books of fiction, this was reality. So something more¡­ divine, or sinister was at play here.


    Someone was moving the chess pieces, and both Ludwig and the blondie were pawns being used right now. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 25 Heartless

    "Aren''t you being a bit too cruel?" Ludwig asked, keeping his tone steady. "This is a school, after all!"The blond noble sneered, eyes alight with malice. "Who cares if one or two commoners die?" he shot back, flexing his fingers until flames blossomed in each hand, flaring like twin orbs of raw anger.


    "Shit!" Ludwig muttered, as both fireballs hurtled toward him. He lunged sideways, barely escaping their searing heat as they exploded against the wall behind him, blasting outwards in a flaming cone that left scorch marks across the stone.


    [-8 HP]


    But instead of fear, Ludwig felt a strange calm settle over him. As an Undead, he realized, fear was a sensation he no longer fully possessed. What did the dead have to fear if they''d already passed from life once?


    Taking a split second to think, he dismissed the idea of retreating back to the academy halls where he''d find safety from this reckless pyromaniac. The ticking death timer on his quest flashed in his mind; he had no intention of wasting an opportunity to complete his mission.


    Far ahead, a low wall marked the boundary of the training grounds, and beyond that stretched a dense forest that hugged the academy''s outskirts. He had only seen the forest from afar, but he knew it was vast and unexplored, reaching toward the horizon. That would be the perfect place to make his move.


    A fiery burst whizzed past his head, the heat grazing him as he ducked. "Damn it!" he cursed. The noble had a longer range than Ludwig anticipated, and he would have to zigzag to avoid more attacks. As he glanced back, he decided to test his [Inspect] ability.


    Ludwig''s eyes lit up for a fraction of a second, revealing his assailant''s status information.


    [Status Screen: Vondel Thomas]


    Level: 12


    Health: 4320/4320


    Mana: 330/600


    Class: Mage Apprentice, Second Circle


    Title: Low Noble


    "Level twelve," Ludwig muttered under his breath. "No way I can face him head-on. He''s got way more stats than me." Reaching the low wall, he crouched and sprang forward, intending to jump just high enough to land on the other side. But with his improved strength, Ludwig soared three times higher than expected, sailing over the wall and crashing into the dense branches of a tree.


    [-14 HP]


    "Damn it!" he cursed, picking himself up. Behind him, Vondel Thomas clambered over the wall, his face contorted in fury as he pulled himself up.


    "You''re not getting away, boy!" he growled.


    Ludwig turned and darted deeper into the forest, his undead body moving effortlessly over the rough terrain. As he ran, he noticed something that might play to his advantage: the noble, huffing and puffing as he gave chase, was clearly not used to prolonged physical exertion. If Ludwig wanted, he could easily outrun him and disappear into the forest.


    But that wasn''t his plan; he needed this spoiled noble to keep pursuing him.


    Ludwig ducked behind a large tree, glancing back to observe his opponent''s movements. Thomas, exhausted and red-faced, stumbled to a stop, cursing under his breath. "You coward! Running away, are you?" he shouted, voice hoarse. "I swear, if I see you back in the academy, I''ll burn the skin off your bones!"


    Turning, the noble began to stomp away, muttering a string of expletives. Ludwig grinned. No way was he letting his target escape now. Picking up a stone, he hurled it as hard as he could. The rock hit Thomas squarely in the back, and the noble collapsed onto his knees, cursing as he clutched his back.


    [-81 HP]


    "You little¡ª" Thomas''s stream of curses was so extensive that it momentarily amused Ludwig, reminding him of the chaotic lobbies in the shooter games he used to play. For a noble, Thomas swore like a hardened sailor. Rage contorted his face as he scrambled to his feet, hurling fireballs erratically.


    Flames crackled and spread, singeing trees and bushes, filling the air with heat and the thick smell of smoke.


    Ludwig backed up as he noticed the smoke thickening. They weren''t far from the academy grounds, and if any professors saw the rising plumes, they would surely investigate. Ludwig couldn''t afford that kind of attention now.


    In his anger, Thomas seemed to forget the nature of fire and forest. Soon enough, the flames were catching faster than he could control. Ludwig watched from behind a nearby bush, noting that the noble''s tantrum had created a deadly ring of fire around himself.


    [As an Undead, smoke has no effect on your body.]


    The notification briefly flashed across Ludwig''s vision, sparking an idea. While Thomas was oblivious, Ludwig quickly took a detour around the ring of flames and crouched in the shadows, eyeing his target.


    The smoke grew thicker, filling Thomas''s lungs with each breath, and his fiery attacks became fewer and further between as he coughed and spluttered. At last, he realized the precarious situation he was in. His gaze darted around in panic, looking for an exit. He tried to turn back the way he''d come, where the flames hadn''t yet reached. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Perfect timing.


    Ludwig whispered a single word: [Exhaust].


    A faint, shadowy aura flickered around Thomas as the spell took hold.


    [Exhaust has been applied by element of surprise.]


    The noble''s face went ashen, his eyes wide with shock as the energy drained from his body. He collapsed onto his knees, each breath a ragged wheeze as he struggled to rise. He crawled desperately toward the thinning line of flames, hoping for a way out, but his pace was agonizingly slow, and the fire was spreading faster than he could move.


    From the darkness, Ludwig stepped forward, a smoldering branch in hand. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed it onto the patch of ground just beyond Thomas, igniting the last "safe" area and cutting off the noble''s escape.


    "Please!" Thomas cried, his voice a strained, fearful rasp. "Help me!"


    Ludwig gazed down at him, his face an unreadable mask. He felt no anger, no pity¡ªonly the same detached indifference that death itself might display to the living. He watched as the flames licked at Thomas''s robes, catching on the fabric and spreading across his skin. The noble''s screams filled the forest as the fire consumed him, his body thrashing as he tried and failed to escape the inferno.


    Soon, his voice faded, the crackling of flames overtaking the sound of his dying breaths. And then there was only silence.


    [You have succeeded in achieving the condition required to meet with The Inevitable.]


    [Do you wish to meet them now?]


    Ludwig didn''t respond immediately. The roaring flames were spreading further into the forest, certain to draw attention from teachers or students nearby. He turned from the grim scene, deciding it was best to put distance between himself and the fire. Heading deeper into the forest, he made his way along a roundabout path, careful to avoid doubling back the way he had come.


    The last thing he wanted was to encounter anyone who might ask too many questions.


    Before long, Ludwig heard the distant sounds of people shouting as they rushed toward the rising smoke. He nodded to himself. His decision to leave immediately had been a wise one.

 Chapter 26 Soul Letting Lantern

    [You are invited to have a personal meeting with The Inevitable.]Ludwig sat in his small room, staring at the notification hovering in his vision. His thoughts were a whirlpool of confusion and uncertainty. Was he truly ready to face this meeting? A part of him already knew what awaited¡ªwho awaited¡ªjudging from the title alone. He sighed, steeling himself.


    ''I should meet this entity,'' he thought, his mind racing. ''And from the name¡­ it''s obvious who it is.''


    After the chaos of earlier, Ludwig had slipped back into the academy and managed to blend in among the students who had gathered to watch the teachers extinguish the flames consuming part of the forest. He had purposefully made himself seen, bumping into a few classmates and joining the concerned crowd, a perfect alibi to avoid suspicion.


    Once the commotion had died down, he quietly retreated to his quarters.


    As he reached his room, he heard the panicked cries echoing down the hallways, signaling the discovery of Vondel Thomas''s charred corpse. Ludwig paid it no mind, locking his door and sinking onto his bed. The notification was still there, as clear as ever.


    With a deep breath, Ludwig selected the option to accept.


    For a moment, nothing happened, and he wondered if he had made a mistake. Then, his vision blurred, the world around him spinning before plunging into pitch-black darkness. It felt as if he were being pulled through a void, and when he came to, he found himself standing in an expansive, shadowy realm.


    Before him loomed a colossal entity, seated upon a throne carved from ancient stone and bone. This being was skeletal, its bones a pitch-black hue, as if darkness itself had fused with the marrow. Gold and jewels adorned its form, shimmering grotesquely, and a crown of bone sat atop its bald skull¡ªsimple yet undeniably majestic.


    The throne it occupied was studded with countless skulls, the eerie mementos of innumerable deaths. Behind the throne, an intricate network of shimmering, liquid-blue streams flowed endlessly, forming rivers of spectral energy. Souls¡ªshaped as skulls from every species imaginable¡ªdrifted within these rivulets, an eternal procession of the dead.


    Ludwig''s eyes widened as he recognized creatures both familiar and fantastical, the sheer variety suggesting a dominion over all living beings.


    Above the entity, a massive scythe rested on one shoulder. Though its blade appeared simple, like a farmer''s tool for cutting grass, its presence radiated pure menace. Ludwig instinctively understood that even getting close to that scythe would mean certain death. He gulped, feeling small, insignificant.


    The entity''s eye sockets blazed with twin blue flames, as bright as the stars on a clear night. They fixed on Ludwig, as if looking straight through his essence. If Ludwig could put into words the being''s presence, there would be only one.


    "Death¡­" Ludwig whispered, the name escaping his lips involuntarily.


    "It is indeed so, one who has died before," came the voice, a deep resonance that emanated from every direction at once. The entity''s skeletal mouth remained motionless, but Ludwig felt the words vibrating through his very soul.


    Wait¡­ body? Ludwig looked down, surprised. His hands, his torso¡ªthis wasn''t the slime-like shell he had become used to. This was his old human form. It felt familiar, real.


    "This is a place for the soul and the mind," Death explained, "and that is how you perceive yourself within your mind. Thus, it is how you appear here."


    "Deus Necros," Ludwig said, naming the god he knew was behind his resurrection.


    The skeletal figure inclined its head slightly. "I go by many names, and that is one of them. But I prefer the one you spoke first, for I am Death."


    Ludwig was stunned, though he tried to keep his composure. It wasn''t every day one spoke to a deity, let alone Death itself.


    "You have accepted our meeting," Death continued, "and I shall announce the reason for your summoning." The twin blue flames in Death''s eyes flickered. "You wish to return to your world?"


    Ludwig hesitated, considering the question. "Would returning change anything?" he asked. "My parents are already gone."


    Death seemed to regard him thoughtfully. "Curious¡­ Many have come before you, each one desperate to return to their world. It was their most cherished wish, even though none have ever succeeded. Yet you seem uninterested in your past life."


    "Returning wouldn''t bring my parents back," Ludwig said flatly, his voice tinged with grief.


    "I can bring them back," Death replied, an unsettling promise uttered with perfect clarity.


    Ludwig''s eyes widened as he looked up at Death. He knew that such a being had no need for lies. As he had read somewhere before, the strong find deceit beneath them.


    "Indeed," Death said, as if reading Ludwig''s thoughts. "Lies are tools for the weak. So speak, Ludwig Heart. Do you wish to return and have your parents back? To a time before your tragedy occurred?"


    Ludwig''s heart, or the memory of one, ached at the thought. "Of course, I''d want that," he admitted, his voice barely a whisper.


    Death''s skeletal form seemed to shift, a faint aura of power crackling around the throne. "Then so be it," Death intoned. "Under my name, you will return¡ªif you achieve a goal of mine."


    ***


    [Eternal Quest Update!]


    You have succeeded in completing the first stage of the Eternal Quest: {Meeting}.


    Your Reward for completing {A Meeting with The Inevitable}:


    Title: Apostle of Death S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Your next mission is: Hunt the Seven Usurpers who have escaped Death.


    Time Limit: Infinite


    Reward: Return to your original world, one day before your original death.


    Quest Difficulty: Impossible


    ***


    Ludwig''s jaw dropped as he read the notification. The quest details were sparse, and he couldn''t make sense of what "Seven Usurpers" even meant. Before he could ask, Death raised one massive skeletal hand and plucked a skull from the throne''s armrest. With a casual flick, the skull shrank and morphed into a thumb-sized lantern, which floated over and hooked itself onto Ludwig''s waist.


    ***


    [You have received a God-Level Item!]


    Congratulations! For obtaining a God-Tier item, you have earned the title:


    [He Who Bears the Power of the Gods]: +10 points in Luck status.


    You now have a small chance to obtain double rewards from monster drops or receive a higher-level item when crafting.


    [Soul Letting Lantern] {Bound}


    Type: Cosmetic


    The bearer can use souls in the lantern to empower themselves permanently.


    As long as at least one soul resides in the lantern, the bearer will return from death.


    Whenever a soul perishes by the direct or indirect involvement of the bearer, it will be absorbed into this lantern.


    Upon death, half of the souls in the lantern will be sent to Deus Necros, while the other half will be consumed to return the bearer to a point in time before their death, with the bearer retaining knowledge of the event.


    You shall always be perceived as alive by those who do not know of your death.


    [You currently have {1} Soul inside the Soul Letting Lantern.]


    Ludwig glanced at the lantern, its dim light casting shadows on the floor. Inside, a familiar face pressed against the tinted glass¡ªa tormented echo of Vondel Thomas, the blond noble Ludwig had killed.


    "Find the Seven Usurpers of Life and collect their souls," Death commanded. "Each time you claim one, I shall grant you what they held most dear. Now, go, Apostle of mine, and show me how well you struggle."


    Ludwig swallowed hard, the weight of his new quest sinking in. There would be no turning back from this path. The flames in Death''s eyes burned brighter, as if daring him to falter.


    And with that, Ludwig''s vision went black once more, the ominous presence of Death fading as he was pulled back to the mortal realm.

 Chapter 27 Purpose

    Opening his eyes, Ludwig instantly looked to his side, the small lantern was there. It looked more like a keychain trinket, with small orange tinted glass and metallic decorations all over it and a small skull here and there around it.And the person inside it was banging on the glass, soundlessly no matter how loud he screamed.


    Ludwig stared at him with dead eyes, "You get what you deserve," he said and simply ignored the lantern.


    ''Now, things have changed a bit¡­'' Ludwig said to himself as he stared at a notification that popped up in front of him.


    ***


    ? Due to your binding with the {Soul Letting Lantern} you can no longer gain experience from slaying monsters or humans.


    ? All your Quest Rewards from here onward will change from EXP to their equivalent in Souls.


    ? You can level up your stats using only the Souls inside your lantern.


    ? Each time you level up your stats [Using the Soul Letting Lantern] a total of ten times, you will gain one-character level.


    ? You can still gain stats doing quests or claiming achievements and they will not count toward your total level.


    ***


    Ludwig was surprised to see the changes, they weren''t little or few, and they were impactful to his future.


    "Nothing changed in a general sense, but a lot had change. I still need to fight and kill monsters to gain souls to level up, but only this time I have the ability to choose when to level up. This could come in handy¡­" Ludwig thought.


    He''d read many times about how main characters chose to save their points they earned to level up in bulk when they''re in a pinch and surprise their opponent. Which is frankly not the worst thing to do. After all, he needed to stay lowkey, the protruding nail tends to get hammered in first.


    The next notification showed him a hint for his next ordeal. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ***


    You have happened upon knowledge of one of the Seven Usurpers.


    Personal Bestiary has been unlocked and Updated.


    [Mord''Xander, Usurper of Life. The Wrathful Death]


    The World of Ikos had known the entity to be a Guardian. While in reality, he has never guarded anything but his immortal body. Mord''Xander is a being who usurped life, refusing to return to eternal silence.


    Further Information is Unavailable.


    Location, last seen two hundred years ago, at the Northern Peaks of Solania the land of Decay.


    Appearance¡­ unregistered.


    ***


    Quest Update!


    ? Visit the Northern Peaks of Solania and slay Morde''Xander.


    ? Quest difficulty: ?????


    [Addendum: Currently your level and experience in the world is severely lacking to fight against Morde''Xander. You should level up more and gain more experience before you try and face him.]


    ? Time limit: ?


    ? Reward: Mace of Wrathful Death


    ***


    Ludwig tried to inspect the reward, as it looked like something of value. After all, it had a similar name to the title of the Usurper Mord''Xander.


    But nothing came up after he tried.


    He sighed.


    Looking at the quest''s difficulty and the hint given, he knew he had no shot at fighting anything considered a ''Guardian'' and had lived for centuries.


    It finally dawned on Ludwig why his quests had an infinite time limit. Because they were quests he wasn''t going to clear anytime soon.


    The final window popped up in front of him and he read.


    ***


    [Currently, your Soul Letting Lantern is hosting a single Soul, do you wish to use it to improve your stats?]


    ***


    Ludwig immediately refused. It was only one soul, and it was all he had, if he were to use it to gain stats or any of the sorts, it would leave his lantern empty and that makes him mortal.


    He thought deeply about the challenges ahead, and realized that he had a lot of potential to do many insane and crazy things. But all is in vain without proper preparation, education, and knowledge. So for now, he pulled open his inventory-Ring- and pulled out a few of Van Dijk''s books.


    He needed to learn more about this world. He happened upon knowledge of one of the Seven Usurpers by simply reading.


    ''Who was the author? Ah yes, Hcilhcra Algad'' Ludwig muttered.


    And he had one more book from that author in his collection.


    ***


    Somewhere far away from the control of the five towers of magic and the Empire of Lufondal, far too deep in the ground and hidden away from the sight of all living things and even the gods themselves. A massive room was currently hosting a meeting where no one was present in person.


    The room had been branded in an immense number of sigils and magical writings glowing intensely against the dark atmosphere of this hidden chamber.


    The table had ten chairs, and some of the chairs had a person''s hologram seated on it. A couple were however empty.


    Each holographic image depicted a different build of a different person. Some were gigantic, some were short, and some were human built, and some were actually not human whatsoever and would be more akin to call them a monster with sentience. Yet their appearance were all shrouded.


    The only thing they all had in common was an item hanging on their waist.


    A Soul Letting Lantern.

 Chapter 28 The Plot Thickens

    The room was dimly lit, the only light coming from a few flickering candles around the table. Shadows stretched across the stone walls, contorting the figures of the people seated around it into strange, monstrous shapes. A heavy air of foreboding filled the space, as if the very walls whispered of long-forgotten secrets and forbidden plans."So, what are we thinking?" a gruff voice broke the silence. The speaker''s hulking form loomed in the shadows, his features obscured, but his unnatural size and distorted limbs gave away the fact that he was no human. He was something more, something monstrous.


    A hiss of annoyance came from another figure seated at the table. The voice was cold, clipped. "Isn''t it obvious? The boy has a new lantern, and unlike us, he hasn''t been punished. He can still return from death. We can''t let that happen. We need to capture him, confiscate all the souls he''s collected, and then... eliminate him." The voice dripped with finality, the weight of it hanging in the air.


    Another figure, whose face was obscured by a deep hood, leaned forward, his voice laced with sarcasm. "Isn''t that a bit... aggressive? I thought we were more about ''invite first, kill if they refuse'' than straight-up stealing their souls."


    A low chuckle rumbled in the room, a sound that seemed to come from the walls themselves. "We can''t afford to take that kind of risk," the first voice snapped. "Whenever a new apostle appears, they bring a host of problems. They always think they''re some kind of righteous hero, out to destroy the Seven Usurpers. We cannot allow another fool to disrupt the balance we''ve worked so hard to maintain. We need the Seven Usurpers alive so we too can remain Immortal. If any fool tries to disturb that, we''re done for."


    A second voice, this one more detached, added, "Indeed, though we cannot return from death like the New apostle we must not let him hunt the Usurpers, otherwise we''ll lose our immortality."


    There was a long pause, filled only with the sound of breathing. A faint echo of ancient, gnawing hunger seemed to hang over the room, as if the shadows themselves were waiting for something to break.


    "We''re not immortal," another voice muttered. "Not really. We can die... if we''re killed."


    A murmur of frustration rippled through the table. "Don''t be naive," the first speaker growled. "We''re no longer bound by time. We don''t age. We don''t get sick. And most of us... we''ve grown far stronger than we ever were before the lanterns. There''s no way I''m risking all of that for some self-righteous brat with a hero''s spirit and no idea what he''s up against."


    There was a brief moment of silence as everyone at the table processed the grim reality. Then, one voice, rough and jagged like the scraping of metal, spoke again. "Alright, then. What''s the plan? We can''t just march up to Black Tower Academy and hope for the best. They''ve got the Eight Circle Mage Dean protecting the place and that Psychopath Van Dijk ... and you¡ª" He turned to one of the figures, who winced. "¡ªyou really had to anger him by slaughtering both his wife and daughter, didn''t you?"


    The accused figure''s eyes glinted in the dim light, but he remained silent. The others exchanged knowing looks, but no one dared challenge him. "Shut it," he muttered after a moment. "I didn''t know who they were. It was... a feeding frenzy. But Van Dijk? he''s too preoccupied with killing my sired offspring so he is rarely in the academy nor do I think he''ll ever care for the Apostle. Soon enough, the Apostle will graduate and leave the academy''s walls. Then, he''s fair game."


    A faint chuckle came from another shadowed figure. "You really think we can just wait around for that? Another three or four years?" The tone was mocking, but there was a nervous edge to it. "We have no idea how powerful he''ll be by then."


    The first speaker leaned back in his seat, his massive form creaking. "Patience is the key. We''ll let the Seer keep an eye on the boy. We don''t need to rush. We''ve waited this long. A few more years won''t make a difference."


    Another voice spoke up, calmer this time. "Just make sure we don''t overstep. If Necros realizes we''re spying on his apostle, he''ll sever our connection. We''ve been cut off before."


    A ripple of unease passed through the group at the mention of Necros, but the first figure dismissed it with a flick of his hand. "We''re in no danger. As long as the Seer does his job and stays hidden, we''re fine."


    "Speaking of danger," a voice chimed in, "there''s a Seven Usurper near the academy. The Gluttonous Death. Any chance we can push him or egg him on to go to the academy? he can definitely deal with this apostle, after all, they hate us with enthusiasm."


    The room fell silent for a moment as the implications of that question settled over the group. After a long pause, a gruff laugh filled the air.


    "Are you mad?" the first voice responded, low and menacing. "None of us here could stand against one of The Seven Usurper¡ªnot even close. You wouldn''t find me anywhere near any of them. Though the Gluttonous Death could be useful. He absorbs souls, remember? If he comes across the apostle, he''ll take care of things for us. We won''t even need to move a muscle, so instead of us egging the Gluttonous Death, we''ll just have to hope that the Apostle mistakenly moves toward it. Other than that I wouldn''t even humor the idea of getting anywhere near it."


    A murmur of agreement passed between the figures, and the mood in the room lightened for a moment. But the first speaker''s voice soon cut through the growing sense of complacency. "Then we have nothing to fear. On a different note, I''ve heard news from the Imperial Capital. They''ve chosen a new hero. What should we do about that?"


    A tense silence followed, as each figure at the table considered the implications of a new hero entering the world.


    "Nothing," the first voice said, finally. "We are neutral. Heroes don''t owe us anything, they don''t hunt us, nor should they bother with us. Let''s see what this one can do. But keep your eyes open."


    A chorus of agreement filled the room. "For Eternity." S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "For Eternity!"

 Chapter 29 Accusation

    Ludwig sat in the dim light of his room, surrounded by the ancient tomes he had managed to obtain from Van Dijk''s library. The words on the pages were familiar now, but one name seemed to stand out among the rest: Hcilhcra Algad. The author''s name was scrawled on nearly every cover, and Ludwig couldn''t help but feel a strange pull toward it."I should look him up more," he muttered to himself, flipping through the pages. The dates were odd¡ªmany of them spanning centuries, and yet, they all seemed to align with a singular purpose, as if this writer had been crafting his legacy for lifetimes.


    "That''s... old," Ludwig thought, tracing his fingers over the worn edges of a particular book.


    When the last rays of daylight finally faded, Ludwig stood, stretching his limbs. His training in Imperial Swordsmanship had become second nature. He moved through the drills with a fluidity that spoke of both his undead nature and the discipline he had forced upon himself. He would not allow his status as an undead to define his limits. Hours went by as he trained.


    [Your Imperial Swordsmanship Proficiency has increased!]


    With a sigh, he dropped the wooden sword, satisfied with his progress.


    If he was a normal human being, usually that would be where he would rest, but since he is an undead, he continued reminiscing about the battle he had with Thomas. He knew that he did good, and also knew that although he had killed a person, he didn''t feel much. Nothing in fact, it felt almost natural to him, as if he was eating chicken. A predator feels no remorse feasting upon prey. And as an Undead, their enemy is all that breaths life. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A knock echoed from the door, dragging Ludwig from his musings. He straightened, his hand immediately reaching for the hilt of his wooden sword. He didn''t need to be told twice that this could be trouble. After all he had no friends in this academy. So who would come knocking?


    "Who is it?" Ludwig called.


    "It''s me¡­"


    Ludwig scowled. "What kind of answer is that? Do I know you?"


    There was a pause, then a hesitant voice. "No, but I know you. You''re the one who killed Thomas."


    Ludwig''s blood¡ªif he had any¡ªran cold. He yanked open the door, his hand grasping the intruder''s collar before he even saw who it was. The young man stood before him, looking terrified, his robes marking him as one of the academy''s mages.


    "W-wait! Please!" the young man stammered, eyes wide with fear. Ludwig''s gaze bore into him, searching for any hint of a threat.


    The recognition hit Ludwig like a bolt of lightning. This was the same mage who had been tossed aside like a ragdoll when Ludwig first entered the academy.


    "You..." Ludwig growled, his voice low, threatening. "What do you want?"


    Ludwig used [Inspect]


    Status Screen


    Name: Hoyo Drak


    Title: Fallen Noble


    Level: 15


    HP: 1500


    Currently under the status effect: [Grafted]


    "Grafted¡­" Ludwig muttered and that immediately caused Hoyo''s face to turn white from fear.


    "H-how did you know?" he uttered completely petrified.


    ''This was something that seemed to be a secret I think'' Ludwig''s mind began turning.


    "Seems like you also hold a secret¡­ and you still want to threaten me?" Ludwig said.


    "I... I''m not here to threaten you," the mage said, fear evident in every syllable. "I''m here to thank you."


    Ludwig''s grip tightened instinctively, his eyes narrowing. "Thank me? For what? Killing Thomas?"


    The mage swallowed hard, trembling under Ludwig''s intense gaze. "Yes, for that. Thomas was a monster¡ªa noble who used his position to bully and torment people. He thought he could do whatever the hell he wanted just because of his family''s name."


    Ludwig''s grip on the mage''s collar didn''t loosen. His voice was a low, dangerous growl. "And what makes you think I give a damn about your problems with him?"


    The mage''s face paled, but he held his ground, desperation in his eyes. "Listen," he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. "I''m not here to blackmail you, if that''s what you think. If I wanted you in trouble, I''d have gone straight to the dean the moment I found out. Hell, I wouldn''t be here risking my neck if I wanted you dead."


    Ludwig''s eyes narrowed further. "Then what are you doing here?"


    The mage exhaled shakily, trying to calm himself. "Look¡­ Thomas made my life, and the lives of a lot of other people here, a living nightmare. He''d target commoners, fallen nobles, anyone he thought was beneath him, and he always got away with it. Everyone knew, but no one did a damn thing about it because of his family''s influence. So yeah, when I saw what happened to him... that someone finally stopped him..."


    He paused, taking in Ludwig''s cold expression. "I''m here to thank you because that bastard finally got what he deserved."


    Ludwig''s gaze remained hard, unreadable, as he considered the mage''s words. Finally, he let go of the boy''s collar, shoving him back just enough to create a small space between them.


    "Did you tell anyone about this before coming here?" Ludwig asked.


    "No I haven''t told a soul, I swear upon the name of my house Drak!"


    "Then I might as well get rid of you now and there will be no more eyewitnesses!"


    Hoyo raised his hands defensively as Ludwig''s gaze hardened. "No, please! Hear me out," he said, his voice urgent. He took a careful step back, putting a bit more space between them. "Thomas had an older brother. He''s a third-year student and likely this year''s Valedictorian. Compared to him, Thomas was¡­ absolute trash. But his brother doted on him, and now that Thomas is dead, you can bet there''s going to be an investigation. They''ll stop at nothing to figure out who killed him. You should lay low."


    Ludwig''s expression turned dark, a sinister smirk creeping onto his face. "this only furthers my need to eliminate you. Otherwise who else would know that I was involved!"


    Hoyo''s face went pale, and he stumbled back, his eyes wide with fear. "N-no," he gulped, trying to keep his voice steady. "If you kill me, it''ll only make things worse. It''ll point all suspicion your way. You don''t understand¡ªeveryone knows about Thomas''s bullying. I was his last target before you, but I was in the infirmary until tonight, I only happened to witness him chasing after you from the clinc''s window since it oversees the training ground and the forest... So, I can account for my whereabouts, but you¡­ You were alone with him on the training grounds near his death location. And they found traces that the corpse was afflicted with [Exhaust] shortly before death. And word''s already spreading that you used [Exhaust] on him yesterday. the two who followed Thomas had spread it."


    Ludwig clenched his fists, his jaw tightening. "fuck¡­"


    Hoyo nodded grimly. "Exactly. If you don''t tread carefully, you''re the prime suspect. They''re not going to let this go. I''d seriously consider getting the hell out of here while you still can."


    Before Ludwig could reply, a loud, thunderous voice echoed through the night outside the dormitory, its volume sending a ripple through the walls.


    "LUDWIG HEART! GET THE FUCK DOWN HERE!"


    [Since you''re an Undead, you resisted the Fear Effect.]

 Chapter 30 Alibi

    Ludwig''s mind was immediately set aflame thinking of what he should do."First things first, you, fuck off, go up to the upper floor, if they see you here with me we''re both dead," Ludwig said. He had to remove all and any association he has with Hoyo, they''ll both become suspects.


    So far nothing is concrete and it all depends on how Ludwig acts from here onwards.


    Hoyo agreed wholeheartedly, especially since the loud shouts and threats to exterminate Ludwig''s entire family were getting closer to his floor.


    Hoyo dipped out to the upper floor leaving Ludwig by himself. He left the door open and walked out to the hallway, thinking up what to say or do.


    Suddenly a young man, took a step onto the floor where Ludwig''s room was at, the few students that came out to see what was going on immediately closed their doors after seeing who it was.


    A man of great height stood forward, green of eyes and blond of hair, and with a muscular yet not overly inflated build, he fitted perfectly in an almost military like set of clothes, but they all had the symbols and patterns of the Black Tower Academy.


    He had a sword drawn and he was out for blood, "You fucker!" the man said and simply flew right at Ludwig in a single step. Grabbing Ludwig by the scruff of his robes and pinning him to the wall, both feet several dozen centimeters higher than the wooden floor.


    [You entered Battle!]


    [You cannot survive this fight!]


    "Hold on man! What the fuck is going on?" Ludwig cursed feigning ignorance.


    Thanks to his calmer presence of mind for being an undead, he wasn''t flustered in faking his panic, and due to that, he earned a few seconds before the man in front of him outright killed him.


    "WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHAT''S GOING ON!" the young man roared as he threw Ludwig against the floor making him tumble several times until he smashed into a nearby wall.


    [-26Hp!]


    Ludwig groaned and fake coughs, but the pain was real. That blow broke some of his ribs.


    "What the hell are you doing! Who the hell are you? Why are you doing this!" Ludwig shouted, hoping that anyone could interfere, or at least if a teacher were to come here things would change.


    "I''ll end your life right here! THIS IS FOR MY YOUNGER BROTHER YOU MURDERUR!" he said as mana began gathering around his body and a strange force that isn''t mana seemed to gather around his drawn sword.


    Ludwig read about that, that''s Aura, something that only warriors and knights can learn. This guy was a Swordmaster¡­


    Ludwig knew well by the time any teacher were to intervene he''ll be a cold dead corpse¡­ well he''s an undead so that''s already something that''s actual, but he can''t be dying right here right now¡­


    Ludwig immediately rolled aside and bolted down the stairs.


    He wasn''t going to outrun a Swordmaster, not with his shitty stats, but thanks to the stairs, and the panic ridden actions of Ludwig, he managed to stumble and fall right as a sword swing flew where his head was a moment ago.


    Ludwig continued rushing down the stairs, being followed by a fumingly enraged man with a sword.


    He thought about what he could do, using Exhaust on that person is basically asking to die. Not only is he not in a situation where Ludwig can ambush him to use it and cause it to deplete a lot of his stamina. But even if Ludwig managed to do so, at 10% that young man can still kill Ludwig ten times over. And using Exhaust would simply just piss him off further confirming that it was Ludwig who killed his brother.


    As for other spells and abilities, none of them were of any use. The Imperial Swordsmanship was too crude and too novice to deal with that person, not to mention the difference in understanding, Ludwig would basically be a toddler swinging a toothpick for a sword compared to the man running after him.


    So, the only option he had was to simply run and buy as much time for himself as possible.


    He went down several flights of stairs before he bolted out of the dorm, only then did the youngman catch up to Ludwig kicking him in the back


    [-40hp!]


    [You are in critical condition!]


    ''I fucking know that!'' and Ludwig wasn''t talking about his low hp.


    Though the sky had no moon in sight, the dorm had several magic operated lanterns outside showing the two of them in the opening outside it. Several students peered out of their windows to see what was going on.


    ''Damn these bastards, they''d rather watch than help¡­ reminds me of the people from my world who used to film and record everything instead of calling help! Also, why the hell am I thinking of this when this sword maniac is about to kill me¡­ shit''


    Ludwig cursed more and more as he turned his body and backed away by pushing himself using his hands backward on the ground.


    "What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Ludwig shouted. "Why are you doing this? What did I ever do to you?!"


    Ludwig needed to keep his act together, and if worse come to worst, Ludwig still has one soul that will bring him back one day earlier.


    The young man didn''t speak as he swung down on Ludwig''s face.


    ''Shit¡­ here we go again¡­''


    [Fakery of Death is Strengthened!]


    Yet, the death notification didn''t rise up, instead a man drabbed in black robes and had a wide smile on his face appeared right in front of the two. His mana coated hand simply grabbed the sword by two fingers as he fixed his sunglasses "What is going on in here?"


    It was Van Dijk¡­ a ray of hope.


    Though Ludwig wanted to comment on why Van Dijk was wearing sunglasses when it was night time, he refrained from doing so.


    "WHY ARE YOU STOPPING ME! TEACHER!" the Swordmaster shouted.


    "Well, you''re trying to kill a pupil of mine, should I not stop you?"


    That response from Van Dijk made it clear that he had both identified Ludwig as a pupil, and as someone who was not going to die tonight. Or so Ludwig hoped.


    Regardless, Ludwig took on the hint and shouted, "Master, this psychopath is trying to kill me¡­"


    The moment Ludwig confirmed the Disciple-Master Relationship, the young man''s face turned red in rage. He knew his goal for the night would be foiled.


    "All things must have a reason, why is he trying to kill you?" Van Dijk asked.


    "I have no idea!" I said.


    "HE KILLED MY BROTHER!" the young man shouted.


    Without skipping a beat, Van Dijk tilted his head saying, "You''re Thomas Vondel''s brother¡­ he died earlier today, but that is strange¡­ how did you come to the assumption that it was my disciple?" Van Dijk asked.


    "Because the teacher who did the autopsy on my brother''s burning corpse said that he was afflicted with Exhaust before he died! And I have witnesses saying that this guy used exhausted yesterday on my brother!"


    "Are you really serious? You think that that is enough proof to try and commit broad day murder?" Van Dijk''s tone became more serious.


    ''It''s night time master¡­ not that I''ll say that out-loud.''


    "But¡­"


    Immediately several teachers appeared right next to us, among them was the Swordmaster teacher, professor Oda''Roh and even the old man from my first class who taught Magic Theory. They all came rushing in, some even still in their sleeping clothes.


    "What''s going on in here?" they asked.


    But Van Dijk paid them no mind as he continued his conversation with the young man, "Not to mention, that despite having no concrete evidence, Not to mention he was with me most of the afternoon." S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig cursed inwardly, though that would be a great cover¡­ but teacher Joana was here and she already spoke to Van Dijk this morning meaning that it''s impossible for what he said to be true¡­ since he was in a far away location.


    Joana had caught on immediately, and it was visible from her eyes.


    "Before you say anything," Van Dijk said to Joana, "I have mastery of teleportation remember? I believe I returned Ludwig around three in the afternoon, if I''m correct that was exactly the time there was a fire going on¡­ he even asked me if I could snuff it out, but seeing Oda''Roh going to the forest was enough for me to ignore it after placing Ludwig back in the academy''s garden and me heading back to my tower."


    His words were final, it was all bullshit, lie upon lie. But mixed in with a few truths. Since I was actually in the garden among the students when the fire was aflame, and professor Oda''Roh was there to shut down the flames¡­ But how did he see all that? I''m sure he was far away¡­ unless he had eyes here¡­


    "Suspicious," Oda''Roh said. "He did exit my class pretty early. So he should have had enough time¡­"


    Which caused my heart to skip a beat, -Although I''m undead without a heart-


    "You see! Even teacher Oda''Roh agrees! He''s a murderer!"


    "I didn''t say I agree," the teacher scowled, "It''s just that he doesn''t have an alibi between the time of death and him leaving my room.


    "No, he did," Teacher Joana said, "I was personally training him, not to mention several other students saw it." Joana said.


    Just like that everything seemed to be working out in Ludwig''s favor, and the best thing he could do was stay quiet.


    "A mage training in sword arts? C''mon teacher just say you are covering for him!" the Young Man said.


    "Child, I''ll only forgive it once because you lost your brother, and I understand your feelings," she said, "If you dare insinuate that I''m being unjust or trying to cover up someone else. Forget being a valedictorian, you''d be lucky to walk out of here with all your limbs."


    Her words were a threat imbued with an incredible amount of pressure, far greater than what the young man had on him.


    "But¡­"


    "No buts, the kid is innocent, as a matter of fact you''re the aggressor in this situation. Though it is for a great sadness that your brother had died, you must remember, this is the Black Tower Academy, Deaths happen all the time¡­" Van Dijk said, "I''ll be speaking with Vondel later, after all you dared harm one of mine¡­ I''ll see to it that he pays me back for you breaking my property!"


    And just like that, the young man''s rage was immediately deflated and more confusion seemed to cloud his head.


    If Ludwig didn''t kill his brother, then who had the balls to do it?


    "Ludwig¡­ follow me, you''ll spend the night in the Black Tower."


    For others this might sound like a move to protect Ludwig in case the young man were to have second thoughts¡­ but Ludwig knew well that these words were not for his protection¡­ he was about to get killed, or worse scolded by Van Dijk¡­

 Chapter 31 Experiment

    The walk from the Black Tower Academy to the Black Tower of magic was long, incredibly so for Ludwig. Because though he followed Van Dijk''s confident strides, he felt every step the man took was a weight that kept adding onto Ludwig''s mind, pressure so much of it that it was suffocating.And just as the tower was in full View did the Tower Master speak, "Ludwig," he said.


    "Yes, Master," Ludwig replied coyly.


    Van Dijk turned to face Ludwig and said, "Why did you Kill Thomas Vondel?" he asked.


    Ludwig couldn''t tell him because he happened to be the most optimal and fastest way for him to meet with Necros.


    "He asked for it, he came at me with eyes screaming bloody murder," Ludwig replied.


    "Patience is a good virtue to have in a mage, could you not have solved it normally? Escaping or calling a teacher would have defused the situation instantly," Van Dijk said.


    "Patience for humans isn''t something I''m equipped with, Master Van Dijk," Ludwig said.


    Van Dijk smiled, "You got me, I keep forgetting that you''re a monster¡­ regardless, I''m glad you killed him," Van Dijk said as he turned around.


    That was strange, Ludwig thought, he believed that Van Dijk would scold him for killing a noble.


    "That means that you have no fear for the royalty nor the nobles. I need someone like that in the future," he said as he moved ahead urging Ludwig to follow behind him. "You see, if you actually shied away from fighting back, or ran away, or even cried for help, I would have discarded you as my disciple there and then. I have no need for those who cannot defend themselves, or at least try doing so. Today I''ll teach you something, personally," he said as he climbed up the tower.


    Ludwig followed behind him, the tower seemed empty as always.


    "What are you thinking?" Van Dijk asked.


    "That this tower is pretty big, but there is nothing here but your room¡­" Ludwig said.


    "Oh, like all other Towers, they''re built using the magic of the Gray Tower. It has spatial temperance. The tower is far bigger than you think Ludwig, but only when you graduate will you be able to peer into its secrets," he said as he continued going upward.


    Once the two of them entered Van Dijk''s room the latter turned to Ludwig and asked him a question.


    "Ludwig Heart, how long had you spent in this world?" Van Dijk asked.


    "Today marks my fifth day," Ludwig replied.


    "And in these five days you encountered a good amount of magic I presume, and read a lot of books on theory and magic properties and even magic history. Tell me then, what is the most important thing a mage should have?" Van Dijk asked.


    Ludwig rubbed his chin as he thought for a second.


    ''The most important thing? Well, talent for magic is obvious, but that''s just too obvious¡­ this is a tricky question. Having loads of mana would help in using great spells, having talents make able to climb the ranks of mages and have more circles easily¡­ but all of that is conditional. Van Dijk''s question is far too specific for something too conditional to be an answer.''


    Ludwig looked at Van Dijk''s eyes and said, "Imagination," He said.


    Van Dijk''s lips contorted in a vicious smile that would crudle blood, "And how did you come to that conclusion?" he asked. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig pointed at Van Dijk, "You. Your black flames, they''re not something anyone can learn, they''re self-created. Making them a personal magic with far more danger than anything I''ve seen. Even Thomas Vondel used flames with what I could see to have a higher output of mana than yours, but your flames would easily burn rock and steel and even one''s soul. While he barely burnt a patch in a dense forest. He had the talent since he was a noble and it didn''t serve him much, he also had the mana of a mage and he still died. But he didn''t use his imagination, if I were him I wouldn''t shoot flames in a frost, I''d chase my opponent with other tools."


    "What other tools?" Van Dijk said as his smile grew even more vicious.


    "Though I don''t know of such, and I was late in joining the academy, I do know that they learned many other types of basic magic from some notes of a classmate. If I were him I''d use the wind to track my opponent and listen in on them. Or use Hexes to exhaust, fatigue, and over-encumber my enemy. I''d take my time hunting them down before I get too overworked with useless emotions like anger,"


    "Good¡­ that''s a passing answer," he said as he turned and pulled a small booklet from under the pile of books on his desk and gave it to Ludwig.


    [You have obtained detailed notes of an advanced magic study.]


    [Mana Control]


    Ludwig took the book note and began admiring the complexity of what was written within.


    "Imagination, or imagery, is the basis of all magic," he said. As he raised a finger up lighting up a small flame.


    "How would you increase the power of this flame if you have little mana to fuel it?" Van Dijk asked.


    Ludwig thought for a moment, "Oxygen," Ludwig said.


    Van Dijk frowned, "I heard that term, it came from a former hero, that''s a word for a particle you guys said that is part of air itself," Van Dijk said.


    Ludwig remembered then that he wasn''t the only one to ever be summoned to this world.


    "Yes, the air around us, or in my former world was composed of almost eighty percent nitrogen, and almost twenty percent air, with a small percentile of other gases in between, the oxygen is what allows fire to enflame and burn, so if you add more oxygen to it, it should grow in size without needing to fuel it with mana," Ludwig said.


    "I see, it is close enough to what we have here, we simply fuel it with wind magic," Van Dijk said and the flame grew stronger. "But, how do you make it like this?" Van Dijk said and the flames turned pitch black. The pressure they gave off became terribly suffocating that Ludwig knew that if he were to touch that flame, his entire body would be lit and smoldered in matters of seconds.


    "Hatred," Ludwig said.


    Van Dijk''s smile turned to a wide grin that showed all his teeth, "YES! Indeed! Hatred! Hatred against all, rage against all and! And most importantly cruelty against all! Fueling magic with mana is mighty, but fueling it with emotion is far more superior. This flame was something I created due to my hatred, my hatred against myself at the first place. It''s a flame that has one goal to consume anything it touches until nothing is left, and will never be snuffed, that is how much my hatred runs," he said and snapped his fingers causing the flame to extinguish.


    "Imagination fuels creation, and emotion fuels result. But a mage needs efficiency in all to achieve success, that is the reason why I gave you that book. Though your mana is far too little compared to all former heroes, maybe because you lost your chance to be one, but with that notebook you''ll be able to channel your mana far easier. Sadly, you can never create a mana circle," Van Dijk said.


    Ludwig frowned, "Why not?" he asked.


    "Because you have no heart," Van Dijk said, "I tried hard to come up with ways, even finding a replacement heart, and I even tried using your former one, but none of that worked. Oh by the way your remains have been cremated."


    Ludwig didn''t really express much after hearing that, but the fact that he couldn''t become a mage was still frustrating.


    "Can I not even use Skill Books?" Ludwig asked.


    "Hah?" a look of disgust appeared on Van Dijk''s face, "Skill books is magic of the weak and the pompous who use gold instead of their mind. I came up with something better than a magic circle," Van Dijk said.


    Ludwig frowned¡­ "What do you mean?" he asked.


    "Simple, I''ll make you a personal one, one that no other can ever have nor dream of obtaining, a mana circuit that''s grafted on your own bones, bit by painful bit. A Van Dijk Special!" he said as he spread his arms and laughed like a maniac.


    ''Guess it''s time for me to be a guinea pig''


    [New Side Quest!]


    [Survive Van Dijk''s Experiment]


    [You must not try and Run away, this experiment will test your mental fortitude.]


    ''great¡­''

 Chapter 32 Nephilium

    Inside a well-lit chamber of the Black Tower, Van Dijk stood laughing like a maniac. His voice echoed off the high, sterile walls, blending with the scrape of surgical tools and the faint hum of magical enchantments surrounding the room. This was no ordinary operation¡ªit was the first of its kind in this world.The space was a bizarre amalgamation of science and sorcery. Shelves were lined with jars containing odd, preserved specimens, glimmering potions, and grotesque organs that seemed to pulsate faintly, as though still alive. In the center of it all was a marble table, its surface scattered with bone dust, where the skeletal form of Ludwig lay motionless.


    Several of Ludwig''s bones bore freshly carved grooves, intricate channels that seemed to snake their way across his frame, connecting and branching in complex patterns. Each cut was deliberate, every groove a piece of some grand, meticulous design. Tools lay discarded nearby¡ªsaws dulled by the relentless work Van Dijk had performed. The marble beneath Ludwig was streaked with fine lines of dust, the byproduct of hours of carving.


    Van Dijk inspected his work, tilting his head as if appraising a masterpiece. "Good, good!" he muttered with manic glee, reaching for another saw, and dipping it into a nearby vial filled with holy water. His grin widened. "You''re faring nicely."


    [You''re suffering critical damage to the integrity of your skeleton body!]


    [You are being afflicted with Holy Damage!]


    [-1 Strength]


    [-1 Strength] S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Every stroke of the saw sent a wave of searing agony through Ludwig. The holy water soaked into the blades, ensuring that each cut burned not just his body but his very essence. The strength that once coursed through his skeletal frame dwindled rapidly, his stats plummeting toward zero.


    For an undead, pain should have been a foreign concept¡ªbut this was different. The holy-infused tools attacked the core of his being, bypassing the numbness that typically shielded him from such torment. Each motion of the saw was a battle against madness.


    Van Dijk worked with eerie calm, his focus was unwavering though sweat constantly poured down his forehead as he switched to a fresh saw. "It is fortunate we''re doing this before your bone density matures," he remarked. His voice was calm, clinical, as though he were lecturing a class. "Once it hardens further, carving these channels would''ve been far more troublesome."


    To Ludwig, the comment was surreal, almost insulting. Troublesome? If this was his version of easy, Ludwig didn''t want to imagine what "harder" would have been like.


    After four grueling hours, Ludwig lay still, his body barely holding itself together. His skeletal frame, once sturdy and resilient, now resembled cracked porcelain. Any movement risked shattering the brittle remains of his form. The channels carved into his bones connected seamlessly, an intricate network that converged at a small, thumb-sized hole in his forehead¡ªa focal point for the magic yet to come.


    "How are you feeling?" Van Dijk asked, wiping bone dust from his hands as if he''d just finished a routine task.


    Ludwig could see that this operation wasn''t taxing on only him, but the incredible focus that Van Dijk was on and stayed on for hours was something to be respected. Though he was suffering the pain, Van Dijk felt like the one feeling it.


    "Like a corpse¡­" Ludwig managed weakly, his voice dry and humorless.


    Van Dijk barked a laugh. "Hah! You still have your sanity. Good. That means the easier part is done."


    Ludwig''s nonexistent stomach dropped. If this was the easy part, he dreaded to think what lay ahead. He briefly entertained thoughts of escape¡ªanything to avoid the hell that surely awaited him.


    Van Dijk, noticing his expression, smirked. "Relax, I''m joking," he said, though his grin suggested otherwise. "Honestly, you did better than I expected. I figured the holy water alone might kill you. But you see why it was necessary, don''t you?"


    "Holy water stops the undead from healing," Ludwig muttered, still reeling from the experience.


    "Exactly," Van Dijk replied, his tone suddenly earnest. "These channels need to stay precisely as they are, at least for the next few hours. Without the holy water, your body''s natural restorative properties would seal them up before we''re done. And all of this¡ª" he gestured broadly to the carved grooves "¡ªwould be for nothing."


    From a nearby shelf, Van Dijk retrieved a vial of bubbling silver liquid. "Now comes the real artistry," he said with a tone of reverence.


    "Most peope believe mithril to be the ultimate mana conductor," Van Dijk continued, pacing as he spoke. "And it''s true¡ªmithril is versatile. It''s rare, durable, and can be forged into practically anything. Some make mighty shields and armor from it, some make treasured weapons that are incredible at conducting mana, and some can even forge it to be as thin as a fabric that one can wear. This very robe of mine is such an example," Van Dijk flexed his wealth.


    "But another conductor with much greater in performance. And it is simply silver. Silver is far superior at conducting raw mana. The only problem is its rigidity, which makes it unsuitable for most practical uses." He held the vial closer to Ludwig''s face.


    "This is something that is of a higher grade than mithril, and better than silver. the best of both worlds."


    Van Dijk held the vial up to the light, the liquid within shimmering unnaturally. Its surface seemed alive, writhing as if aware of its surroundings. "This, Ludwig, is Nephilium¡ªor as some call it, God''s Blood. It''s harvested from angels, and it is the rarest material you''ll ever encounter. A single drop could buy an entire city."


    Ludwig''s blue flames for eyes narrowed as he studied the vial. The liquid looked deceptively simple, yet its aura sent shivers down his spine.


    Ludwig''s voice came out hoarse. "If it''s divine¡­ won''t it kill me?"


    Van Dijk''s grin widened. "Normally, yes. But not everything that is related to gods and angels is divine, after all. Fallen angels for example are a different story. Their blood is no longer holy in the traditional sense. It''s... tainted. That makes it dangerous, yes, but not outright fatal, to you that is, if a human were to touch this thing they''d turn to mush, for an undead... well... it''s quite painful, ," he added, almost cheerfully, as he uncorked the vial.


    Without hesitation, Van Dijk poured the liquid onto Ludwig''s exposed bones.


    Ludwig''s body convulsed violently as the Nephilium seeped into the grooves carved into his skeleton. His bones vibrated unnaturally, softening and twisting as the liquid spread. The pain was beyond comprehension, unlike anything he''d endured during the carving. He wanted to scream, but the agony stole his voice, leaving only soundless gasps.


    "Ah, magnificent," Van Dijk said, watching the reaction with fascination. "Do you feel it, Ludwig? The power seeping into you? Of course, you can''t appreciate it now, not through all that pain. But you''re alive¡ªwell, as alive as you can be. That''s what makes you special."

 Chapter 33 Upgrades people, Upgrades!

    Van Dijk''s grin remained unwavering as Ludwig''s body twisted under the effects of the Nephilium. The liquid coursed through the carved channels in his bones, glowing faintly as it worked its way deeper into his skeletal frame. The vibrations were almost unbearable, the silver substance making Ludwig''s very essence feel malleable, as if he were about to crumble into dust."Though the blood of angels is fatal to undead, the blood of fallen angels carries a... different property," Van Dijk said, his voice steady, even as Ludwig''s body convulsed violently. "It''s still highly toxic to creatures like you. But toxic doesn''t mean fatal. It means transformative."


    Ludwig wanted to respond, to curse, to tell Van Dijk to go to hell¡ªbut the sheer pain rendered him silent. His skeletal body spasmed uncontrollably, his mind teetering on the brink of madness. The silver liquid seeped into every groove, every crevice, spreading an unnatural warmth that made his entire form feel as though it was both melting and solidifying at once.


    "Ah, I see that look," Van Dijk continued, his tone almost conversational as he observed Ludwig''s agony. "You''re wondering why this hasn''t been done before, aren''t you? The answer is simple, my dear apprentice¡ªno one survives it. Trolls, ogres, werewolves, even chimeras... all of them succumb to the process. Not even their famed regenerative properties can handle the transformation."


    He leaned in closer, his grin now almost predatory. "But you''re different. You''re already dead. No pain, no matter how intense, will kill you. And unlike most undead, you''re not some mindless husk. Your mind remains intact, able to withstand the effects of the Nephilium."


    Ludwig''s body bucked violently, his skull slamming against the marble table. His eye sockets dimmed momentarily, flickering like a candle in a strong wind. Van Dijk seemed unfazed, stepping back slightly to observe the silver liquid as it began to solidify within the carved channels.


    "You''re probably curious about the history of this material," Van Dijk said, pacing slightly. "Its first name, long before it became known as Nephilium, was Deli-rium. Fitting, isn''t it? They called it that because anyone who came into contact with it lost their minds. Even the strongest necromancers couldn''t control the undead they subjected to it¡ªthey''d go feral, maddened by the process."


    He gestured toward Ludwig''s trembling form. "But you? Look at you. Still conscious, still aware. A little worse for wear, perhaps, but certainly not feral. That''s why you''re perfect for this."


    As the liquid began to stabilize, Ludwig felt the pain recede slightly. His bones stopped convulsing, the vibrations slowing to a halt. The glowing channels dimmed, settling into a faint, steady light. Van Dijk reached for a small, gleaming object on his desk¡ªa jewel-shaped blue mana stone.


    "This," he said, holding it aloft, "is your key to the next step."


    He approached Ludwig''s head, carefully fitting the stone into the carved hole in his forehead. The fit was seamless, as though the stone had been made for him. The moment it clicked into place, Ludwig''s entire body pulsed with energy. A low hum filled the room as the silver circuits in his bones lit up once more, brighter this time, radiating power.


    The pain was gone, replaced by an overwhelming sensation of... potential. Ludwig could feel it¡ªmana coursing through his body like a river, flowing through the intricate pathways etched into his skeleton. It was unlike anything he''d felt before, raw and unrestrained.


    Van Dijk stepped back, admiring his work. "Congratulations, Ludwig. You''ve survived. Few can claim that honor."


    A series of notifications flashed in Ludwig''s mind, their words crisp and clear:


    ***


    [Congratulations!]


    You have successfully survived Van Dijk''s Experiment.


    The Substat [Intelligence] has been Upgraded to [Wisdom]


    The Substat [Charisma] has been added to your Substats.


    [Charisma] increases your personal appeal to others. And also increases your ability to lead. The angel''s blood in you has increased your charisma stat by a base of 20.


    Charisma can also enhance the speed in which the flow of mana goes through the pathways of the carved Nephilium Circuit.


    [Wisdom] Increases the capacity of your mana and the potency of all magic-related abilities. (it does not increase your mental wisdom, however.)


    You have Gained [Blessed Body]


    [Blessed Body]: Permanent Passive.


    Effects: you are now able to grow your magic power infinitely. The limitations of your mana pool have been lifted.


    If you wish to turn to a mage-type undead, you no longer need to create a [Life Vassal]


    If you wish to proceed following the mage path, you no longer need to create magic circles to use higher tiers of magic.


    Your [Blessed Body] is currently at the beginner level.


    [Blessed Body] can be leveled up by increasing your [Wisdom] stat. It can also be enhanced further up by consuming more [Nephilium]


    [You have obtained, Basic Mana Crystal]


    You can now use up to second-circle-level magic. All first-circle level magic''s potency and casting speed had slightly improved.


    ***


    Ludwig sat up slowly, his movements cautious as he adjusted to the newfound power flowing through him. He could see the mana coursing through the Nephilium circuits, weaving intricate paths through his body. The faint glow of the mana stone in his forehead gave him a sharp, otherworldly presence.


    "That stone," Van Dijk said sharply, breaking Ludwig''s thoughts, "is your limit for now. Don''t even think about upgrading it. Magic must be earned, not given. When you''ve proven yourself ready, I''ll provide a more advanced stone. Until then, this will suffice."


    Ludwig nodded, though his mind was racing. The power surging through him was intoxicating. He flexed his hands experimentally, feeling the circuits respond with an efficiency he had never known. The mana flowed effortlessly, ready to obey his command.


    Van Dijk''s grin widened, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes. "The higher your level, the more Nephilium you''ll need. With each addition, the circuits will grow denser, and your magical capabilities will expand. This is my gift to you, Ludwig. A creation no one else could ever dream of." S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He stepped closer, his expression darkening slightly. "So don''t disappoint me. With this power, you will shake the very foundations of this world. And perhaps..." His voice trailed off, a dangerous edge creeping into his tone. "Perhaps you''ll help me settle a score or two."


    Ludwig met Van Dijk''s gaze, the faint glow of the mana stone in his forehead reflecting the determination in his eyes. Whatever this new power was, he intended to make it his own.

 Chapter 34 A Strange Academy

    Ludwig''s body tingled. The sensation of mana coursing through him was new to him and felt rather refreshing. His former skeleton body though had mana, he didn''t feel it to this extent.Now he can see it all around him and within him far clearer than before.


    "Put the slime back on," Van Dijk said as he wiped the rest of the bone dust off his hands. "You should also head back to the academy once morning comes, take your remaining time to study up, I heard you have Alchemy class, the teacher is rather¡­ peculiar," Van Dijk said.


    ''Peculiar? More than you? I highly doubt that,'' Ludwig''s thoughts remained inward.


    Van Dijk soon left the lab, leaving a portal for Ludwig to leave from after him, the latter placed the slime back on and it soon morphed onto his body giving him the appearance of a human.


    Though the Soul Letting Lantern clearly stated that no one who does not already know of Ludwig''s current undead situation will be able to see him as anything other than a human, it was better to have that fake layer of protection for his own sense of self. He didn''t want to always look down and see nothing but bones.


    Once Ludwig wore his clothes, he left to Van Dijk''s office. He proceeded with reading the available books to him, but once again his mind was rattled due to the difficulty of the task.


    [Your Wisdom level is far below the required needed to read through this book]


    Ludwig ignored the notification as he began reading with the mother of all pain wracking his brain.


    Hours later, Ludwig ended his session when the sun began breaking. Dawn had past and he needed to head to the academy again.


    After packing, he hurriedly left the tower and made it before the time for class would start. But something was different today, everyone was giving him strange looks as he passed through the halls of the academy.


    "Did you hear, they said that he killed Thomas Vondel¡­"


    "Yeah, I heard, and if not for Tower Master Van Dijk, he''d be dead by now¡­"


    "I heard that Ravi Vondel is still looking for him¡­ he can''t do much inside the school but I wonder what would happen if he leaves¡­"


    The rumors and the gossip were something that Ludwig never experienced in the real world, and only heard about and read about in books and novels. It was a new experience for him and all he could do was snicker as he went past the students who continued talking about him.


    Ludwig arrived to the classroom, which was a junction of both a massive botanical garden and a classroom at the same time that was packed full of all sorts of conserved organs, and colorful liquids on shelves and walls. There were even skeletal frames for study, none of which were human.


    Some of the students were already seated, and while Ludwig entered late he wasn''t the last one.


    Kassandra noticed Ludwig entering, and he saw her too, but she soon turned her head.


    ''Did she also hear the rumors?'' he thought.


    But it wasn''t something he could control, he went up the rows and sat in an empty seat.


    "You really survived that," Ludwig Heard.


    Turning, it was Hoyo, the guy who warned him about what was going to happen. Ludwig wasn''t a big fan of this guy since he knew that Ludwig indeed was the cause of Thomas''s death.


    "Keep everything to yourself, you hear me?" Ludwig warned.


    "D-don''t worry, I won''t talk about this to anyone," Hoyo replied in a hushed tone. "Anyways, the two bastards who were with him are looking for you however," he said.


    "Did you not hear what I just said?" Ludwig warned in a sterner tone, and Hoyo simply backed off.


    Ludwig knew well that though Van Dijk covered for him, at the end of the day someone did actually die and Ludwig was the only suspect. Even with an alibi, people tend to focus their nonsensical accusation on the ''only'' available suspect disregarding facts. Unless another person comes up and is blamed for the death of Thomas, it will always leave a stain on Ludwig that he was the cause of that death regardless of the alibi.


    "Good Morning young ones," a calm feminine, and charming voice echoed through the classroom.


    The teacher that just entered seemed to be in her mid twenties and looked quite charming. A pretty looking woman with a gentle and bright smile. Wearing the academy''s teacher gowns and hugging a large leather book to her chest.


    But something wasn''t right, as Ludwig''s new body had allowed him to use even more of his discerning powers. The same powers that allowed him to see Van Dijk''s flame and the path of mana, he raised his brows up and was absolutely baffled by what he just saw.


    The illusion of that appearance, that gentle country girl appearance who came here to teach simply dissipated in front of his eyes as he saw what lay beneath.


    "A demon?" he muttered. Low enough that no one could hear it, it was so low that even the student next to him couldn''t pick it up. But the teacher in question had her eyes snap right onto Ludwig''s


    Golden eyes with a cat-like slit for irises. A beautifully carved face, enough that would make any man fall for her in an instant. A mix of vivid purple and black short-cut hair, and two long curving horns, along with a viscous, scandalous almost looking body. Two massive mounds of fat hung on barely able straps that held them with difficulty. With a thin waistline and a demonically curving ass. Thighs barely held together with tight-looking stockings held with a holdup that extended up her skirt and only god knows where they were attached to. And a thin tail seemed to sway from behind her left and right almost inviting even.


    She wore an incredibly tall stiletto that seemed to be holding itself with an almost needle-width heel.


    "You''re new here, it''s not gentlemanly to stare you know," Ludwig heard right into his mind.


    "You don''t need to reply, dear undead. Keep what you just saw a secret, however¡­ not many know what I am," she said.


    That was the most obvious, shut up and pay attention to class Ludwig had ever heard before.


    Ludwig nodded in acceptance, but before he could even act.


    [Necro''s Blessing is activating]


    ''Oh shit NO!'' Ludwig cursed inwardly as he knew what was going to happen.


    [Inspect] S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Fuck¡­


    Character Screen


    Name: Cymoria Azmiralis.


    Title: [Man Slayer] Consumed the vitality of a hundred men in one night.


    Level: ???


    HP: ???


    [Status Effect]: Intermediate Polymorph.


    Lore:


    A succubus who once led the largest information-gathering hub of the country. After her identity as a demon was exposed, she was chased by the holy order and found solace in the bosom of the Dark Tower Academy. Now she works as a teacher for the academy and is teaching students the art of alchemy.


    "Aghnnn¡­" the professor moaned. The sound was loud and prefoliation enough that everyone in the classroom was too stunned to speak.


    The kind looking teacher can make sounds like that?


    Ludwig gulped hard as he saw the angry look in the teacher''s eyes which were locked onto him.


    Fuck¡­

 Chapter 35 Alchemy session.

    "Ahem," the teacher didn''t press further as she began explaining today''s class."Today, we''ll be talking about the properties of the Drakebane grass, who can tell me what is Drakebane?" Cymoria asked.


    Kassandra was the only student who raised her hand.


    "Kassandra, go ahead," the teacher said as she nodded toward her.


    "Drakebane, or the Dragon-scourge, is a rare herb that grows in hot environments. It has a growth cycle of ten years, before it reaches maturity, and has a single-day timespan for harvesting. The plant releases all its spores to propagate during that day and will wither the following day. And the reason it''s potent against dragons is that it''s able to burn their mana rapidly and exhaust them." Kassandra said.


    "Good answer," the teacher nodded, "But there are a few misconceptions that most books don''t talk about," the teacher said. "Anyone?" the teacher asked as she looked around.


    Ludwig had no idea what they were talking about, he wasn''t interested in alchemy after all, and from what he read, nothing had come in close to that subject, so like everyone else in the class he just sat waiting for someone to answer.


    "Right, first things first, Drakebane is called that way because of a specific reason. Draks are not dragons, otherwise it would have been called Dragonsbane. The property of burning mana is true and very effective against Draks. They aren''t true dragons after all and their mana is a mix of both natural and true dragon mana. Draconic mana is incredibly pure and chaotic and can easily neutralize Drakebane. And finally, Drakebane can be grown at a faster rate than the natural ten-year cycle. And we have some of it available right here," she said as she pointed at everyone''s desk.


    "Under your desks, there is a small lab kit, please pull it out," she said.


    Ludwig did as told, and pulled a small black box up placing it on top of his table.


    The box opened up revealing a magic circle in the middle of the box as it spread apart to form a hardened rectangular table.


    There were several closed vials on the table and multiple strands of different grasses neatly assorted on the alchemy table.


    "This is a basic alchemy table that anyone can obtain. Now, what I want you to do is to follow me in creating a Sundering Potion. This potion uses the properties of Drakebane which burns mana and is further amplified by some of the herbs that are in front of you," she said.


    "But teacher," one of the students said.


    "All of these herbs look similar¡­"


    "That''s why we''re doing this experiment. After all, we studied about all of these herbs during the semester, I expect you to have done your homework and learned the properties and the differences between all of them¡­" she said.


    "But¡­" he said in a defeated tone but the teacher ignored him.


    "Now, students, first things first, light up your alchemy circle by simply injecting your mana into it." She pressed her palm on the table and immediately the circle on her own table lit up in a blood red hue.


    Ludwig was a bit confused at first, he didn''t study any of this, and compared to the rest of his class he was clearly behind them all. He didn''t understand anything in front of him, nor did he recognize the hers. The guy who spoke earlier described Ludwig''s situation pretty clearly.


    But, he wasn''t someone who''d easily give up, after all, Ludwig''s eyes were focused on the teacher as he muttered, [Trace]


    Immediately, a faint holographic appearance of his own body appeared in front of him, alongside with several pieces of side notes for information''s.


    [Inspect] has activated.


    ***


    ? [Flaming Lotus ????] A toxic herb that can cause blisters and high temperature rise once consumed unprocessed. It is also an alchemically used herb that can increase the temperature of materials once alchemy is applied.


    ? [River Side Grass ?] normal grass that can be found anywhere in the world alongside rivers. It holds no special properties.


    ? [Drakebane ? ] a flower type herb that has the properties of sundering mana. It is incredibly toxic to all sub dragon species if directly injected into their blood. The effect is incredibly minor if only the flower part of the plant is used like what most do today. The mix of both roots and the flower part increases the potency but at the same time creates instability in the potions made.


    ? [Ice Pearl ????] a small pearl found in the stomach of glacial clams. It holds great freezing properties and can neutralize heat once it comes in contact with it.


    ? [Unprocessed Troll''s Blood ????] An incredibly powerful agent that can easily absorb all matters of traits into it. It has a high regenerative property and by itself can help heal wounds, though untreated it can cause many issues to a human''s body. It is mainly used in creating Health and Mana potions, but is almost the number one go to when creating any type of potions.


    There were several others pieces of weeds and all sort of liquids, but just these caught Ludwig''s attention. Because they all seem to have a purpose.


    For example, the river side grass was useless, uncompetitively so and had no properties, but it held a striking resemblance to Drakebane. and this told Ludwig that this was meant to confound and confuse the students. Along with several other herbs that looked like the Flaming Lotus, and a few vials of liquids of varying shades of blue that looked similar to Troll''s blood.


    The ice pearl however seemed to be there in case shit went wrong and the whole thing began to burn.


    The first thing she did was hold the Ice Pearl, "In case things go wrong, throw this in your pot, it will instantly stop all the reactions." She said and placed the pearl to the side.


    "We start by grinding the flower of the Drakebane, and since it''s already dried up, you can simply crush it between your palms like this," she said as the material turned to powder and began falling on a small pot she had ready on top of the alchemy table.


    Everyone did the same when they began mimicking her. And so did Ludwig.


    He followed Trace, and grabbed the appropriate piece of grass, while many others seemed to grab the closest looking one.


    "Then add some troll''s blood, though this is unprocessed, it should still serve the same purpose," she said as she poured in an incredibly accurate amount and left a bit in the bottle. Ludwig noticed her carefully hiding away the bottle.


    It seems that there is a need to be specific, And thanks to Trace, he managed to get an almost exact recreation of her own action.


    He continued following her, and while she was adding more and more herbs, several pots began overboiling, or turning stale. Some students seeing things going ugly, immediately threw the ice pearl into their pots, making the whole thing turn to an ice sculpture in the blink of an eye.


    While some blew up outright stanching up the place, but thanks to the teacher being already aware of the ''dangers,'' whenever something bad was about to happen, she''d cover the pots of the students with her own mana, enclosing the explosions or the overflows. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was nothing she could do about the smell though.


    Ludwig wasn''t affected by the smells, after all he was an undead, but many others threw up outright or just left the room in a rush.


    The teacher paid them no mind as she continued adding more and more materials.


    "Good, now if you wait for about ten seconds, the concoction you have in front of you should turn a bright yellow if it''s done correctly, the closer the color it is to red the worst the quality, and the closer it is to gold the purer the quality," she said.


    Everyone''s who managed to follow her, or close enough seemed to have a varying shade of red, Kassandra was the only one who had an orange color concoction.


    Ludwig on the other hand had a clear golden solution in front of him.


    ***


    [You have created a potion]


    [Incomplete Weak Mana Sundering Potion ?] {Toxic for consumption}


    A potion made by a novice alchemist wanna be. It is incredibly weak and serves almost no purpose. Though it is a step in the right way, if this is used on a Drake type creature it will only enrage them.


    ***


    This notification was bothering Ludwig, not only did it say that whatever he made wasn''t really that good, it also didn''t pop something important in front of him.


    The notification of him receiving the [Alchemy] skill never appeared.


    The teacher noticed Ludwig''s concoction and smiled.


    But he then did something different, he grabbed the roots of the Drakebane and began grinding them.


    "What are you doing?" the teacher asked Ludwig.


    "Oh¡­ I want to try something¡­" he said.


    She frowned while everyone seemed annoyed at him, after all, for him who got the closest to the teacher''s concoction he didn''t need to brag some more saying he wanted to try something. He already succeeded, but most of them hoped he do so he can mess up what he created.


    The teacher however didn''t stop him and continued monitoring the rest of the students and taking notes of their progress.


    While Ludwig grinded the roots and added them to the mix, the whole pot began burning up some more.


    He then grabbed the pearl and broke it apart, and began adding smaller and smaller pieces of the pearl into the pot to lower its temperature.


    Soon, however, the liquid''s boiling began slowing down bit by bit and began simmering. Not only that, the color itself began changing from gold to a purer and cleaner version until it became milky white.


    The solution seemed to stay stagnant at that point and only then did Ludwig receive a notification.


    ***


    [You have created your first true alchemy potion]


    [Intermediate Mana Sundering Potion?]


    A reliable potion created by an ambitious young alchemist. It boasts great effects in sundering sub-draconic species of their mana.


    ***


    The teacher approached Ludwig and smiled, "Good job Ludwig." She said.


    "But teacher¡­" one of the students jumped up, "He didn''t follow the recipe!" he said.


    The teacher turned to him and said, "Many things in alchemy are still undiscovered, if we all followed the footsteps of someone who had done it before, we''ll never learn. Ludwig understood the principle behind this alchemy.


    The true use of the Drakebane flower is when one mixes both the roots and the flower. For it to have maximum efficiency, but that makes the solution unstable and will burn up faster. And using the Ice Pearl to stop that reaction will instantly freeze over the entire pot.


    Ludwig seemed to have realized that from watching the students who used the pearl to stop their pots from blowing up, and thus broke the pearl to pieces so he can use only bits and pieces to cool it down instead of freezing it. It takes a strong mind to do alchemy among chaos, but an even stronger mind to come up with innovative ways to succeed in creation¡­ good job Ludwig, I''ll make sure to add this to your final results. Keep it up," the teacher explained.

 Chapter 36 Learning

    "Hold on," Ludwig heard as he was leaving the room.Looking behind him, Ludwig saw Kassandra with a frustrated look on her face.


    "What is it?" Ludwig asked.


    "How did you do that?" She asked him. "How did you figure out the way to make that potion? The teacher herself didn''t say anything¡­ and the herbs they all look similar¡­"


    Ludwig looked at her own potion and noticed that it was incredibly close to what the teacher had made.


    "Analysis," Ludwig said.


    "That''s a really terrible way of explaining things¡­" she replied.


    Ludwig thought for a moment, he couldn''t just tell her that he could see the specific details of the herbs thanks to his ''system'' so he needed a way to convince her.


    "The teacher made sure to display the ice pearl to us and show us that it is important. But honestly, that felt like a trick, because there are dozens of ways to shut down an alchemical reaction that doesn''t need the pearl," he said.


    "I suppose that''s right, she did stop some explosions using her own magic¡­"


    "And that was all I needed to know that the pearl''s primary objective wasn''t to shut down the reaction, so it must have another purpose¡­ and seeing that using the whole pearl immediately freezes the pot, if I were to use smaller portions of it, it would cool down the incredibly volatile reaction," he added.


    "That¡­ logical," she replied reluctantly.


    "And if the pearl is needed, then that means that I need a way to increase the temperature of the concoction," Ludwig said as he pointed at a busted pot from one of the students. "That guy, he used the flower and the roots of the Drakebane, and the temperature of the whole thing rose up incredibly. So I assumed by doing that, I can increase the heat, and by adding pieces of the pearl I can cool it down without it freezing, so I tried it, and it worked¡­" Ludwig replied while shrugging.


    "That''s a lot of baseless assumptions," Kassandra said.


    "The first alchemist also began by making assumptions and attempts, I believe the goal of this class isn''t to teach you alchemy, but to teach us how to think outside the box and take our own path forward. If we just replicate what others have made we won''t learn we''ll only be a replica of someone else''s efforts, is what I believe," Ludwig finalized his words leaving Kassandra to her thoughts.


    Just as he left the room, he heard students talking about him in hushed tones.


    "I can''t believe that guy¡­ you saw how he was acting in class, being all haughty and stuff¡­" Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yeah, he was saying he didn''t know much on his first day, but now he''s good at alchemy, and you remember people saying he did use Exhaust¡­


    "Yeah, the rumors of him killing Thomas are probably true¡­ if he''s that good, he could have easily done that, he probably said that he didn''t know anything about magic the first day to make us drop our guards¡­"


    The words continued on, and Ludwig didn''t humor any of them as he went past the students and outside the halls of the academy.


    He sighed a bit, and thought of what he was going to do for the rest of the day.


    The shouts and cries of battle from afar piqued his interest and he once again found himself headed toward the training area for the swordsmen of the academy.


    The teacher there was diligently guiding everyone to follow her pace and practice. And once she saw Ludwig, "You got here on time, Everyone, halt," she said and everyone in the area stopped.


    "This is Ludwig Heart, some of you know him," she said.


    The students all took note of Ludwig and some even began talking about last night''s incident.


    "He will be joining your training from here onwards," she said. "Ludwig, I believe you somewhat managed the first level of the Imperial Art," she said.


    "To an extent," Ludwig replied.


    "Good, then grab a training sword and follow everyone''s moves," she said as she began swinging.


    Everyone followed her and so did Ludwig as he stood at the last row. Making sure that every swing of his was perfectly following the [Trace] projection in front of him.


    Time went by as Ludwig followed the teachings of Joana and the whole class seemed to get drenched in sweat and exhaustion after the first two hours. And four more hours, the area looked almost void of life.


    Some had outright fallen unconscious, while many others gave up as their arms felt numb.


    There were only two students left who were still following the teacher.


    Ludwig of course, since he had no concept of stamina. And a young man who Ludwig remembers from the first time he came to this place.


    "Alright kids, stop or your arms will fall off," the teacher said.


    Only then did the student that ''survived'' with Ludwig fall to his knee, gasping for desperate breath.


    The kid with blue eyes and blue hair looked at Ludwig saying, "You''re a monster¡­"


    "I can say the same to you," Ludwig replied.


    Though Ludwig was indeed an undead monster that didn''t need any stamina to work and move or act, the kid next to him was practically a genius type of monster. A human kid with a stamina that rivals a monster.


    "Good, good, we have promising younglings this year. Von Hubert, you have done well, you should go and rest for now. Ludwig, I need to speak to you for a second," she said.


    Ludwig followed her to the same room from the last time, and was worried that she might have caught on to what happened yesterday.


    Just as he entered the training room, she closed it.


    "Show me, show me how much you learned from the Imperial Swordsmanship Art."


    Ludwig began tracing the moves, succeeding in connecting the first and second stances in a single flow.


    This impressed the teacher enough that she held Ludwig hostage for the next four hours.


    Later that night Ludwig headed back to his room to rest, or more like to continue his mental training. Van Dijk had given Ludwig the book of [Mana Control] and within the book were the first-tier spells of all elemental magic. Not including the dark or the light type of magic.


    His task was simple. To understand the teachings of the book, and learn Mana Control, and have a good start in simple first tier magic. Ludwig was taking his first steps in becoming a mage.


    Ludwig flipped the pages as he read. Unbeknownst to him that this small book may very well change his entire life and how he views this world.

 Chapter 37 Grafted

    Ludwig closed the book while his head felt like it was throbbing from pain.The whole thing was weird for him, the book was clearly describing handling mana with magic circles, but at the same time, it didn''t seem that it was bound to those very laws. Mana after all existed everywhere. And only humans were the ones who used magic circles to further advance their prowess. For Ludwig who had no heart to build his circles, he had Nephilium, which served as a more advanced, denser, and far higher conductive mana circuit. It could do all that a magic circle can do, but the majority of the ''tips'' and help were focused on what magic and mana itself could do, not the circuits or circles themselves.


    Another part was imagination, and emotion.


    Emotion was something that Van Dijk had already explained, as it fuels the magic you want. For heat, it''s passion, and water is compassion, while the deeper and darker magic require more emotions to further fuel them such as rage and anger or even love.


    Emotional discipline is needed to advance the usage of all types of magic.


    The second part was something only the book spoke about and that was imagination.


    Magic in its essence could be simplified to basically becoming a series of calculations that adjust the flow of the world itself. To calculate how fast atoms need to move for them to create heat is something that a mage should be able to do for example.


    But it can be bypassed when one can ''imagine'' and see the way that operation happens. For a flame, one can either use mana and imbue it with a passionate will which will change its form from normal mana to a flaming red mana. But if they add imagination to the mix, and imagine their mana spinning faster, the flame can become something like a [Flame Arrow] instead of a fireball.


    The more one can afflict their mana with powerful imaginations and is able to sustain them the higher their tier of usable magic can become. That is of course if they''re still able to maintain calculations of all that is happening. After all it''s not hard to imagine a flaming tornado, but one needs three things to create it.


    First and foremost, Mana has the capacity to create something that big.


    Secondly, the passion and emotional stability to manifest it without it going haywire.


    And lastly, the ability to calculate infer, and deduce all that is needed to create the flames from the smallest atom at the base of the tornado to the peak of this flaming cyclone.


    It''s a lot of things that need to happen at once. Some are eased by doing chants that align one''s mind with the image they want to create. Some are able to use mediums such as wands or staffs that can ease the computable aspects of such a creation.


    [Mana Control] The book itself seemed extremely basic for Ludwig, yet from it he understood that talent alone is not enough for anyone to be great at magic.


    For him, however, magic capacity was something he didn''t need to care about. For a body of an undead that cares for no pain or agony of the circles, and has his own circuit of Nephilium he isn''t limited to what mana amounts he can produce, he is only limited by the quality and quantity of the Nephilium inside his body.


    As for the imaginative and computable part, he boasts an incredible mind that was separated from the necessity of sleep and exhaustion due to him being an undead. A mind that literally has no limit but what he himself can comprehend.


    As for emotion, that is something that Ludwig knows he lacks a lot and has yet to fully understand them. For someone who spent most of his days sheltered in a gilded cage. With barely a few interaction with friends he never met, Ludwig''s emotional growth was extremely stunted and that would serve as a great setback for the current him.


    "True¡­ I don''t know what love is, and I don''t know what could make one angry enough to reach the levels of rage and wrath. Even the death of my parents didn''t make my heart bleed as many say it does for them¡­ not even when I killed someone did I feel anything¡­ emotions are difficult¡­"


    He sighed as he leaned back against his chair.


    It was deep into the night, and he needed to do something to kill the time, he has another class the next morning.


    Just as he was about to switch to training his swordsmanship, he heard a knock on his door.


    Wary and slightly alerted, Ludwig asked, "Who is it?"


    "It''s me, Hoyo," the boy said.


    Ludwig sighed as he opened the door. "What is it that you want?" he said through an annoyed looking face.


    "Just wanted to talk to you about something," Hoyo said as he placed his foot on the door.


    "I''ll crush that foot if you don''t move it," Ludwig replied in a serious tone.


    The boy held both hands up, "Okay no feet on the door, but really, I need to talk to you about something serious¡­"


    Ludwig sighed, "What is it this time? Surely not someone who wants me dead again?"


    "Oh, no. well, the two minions of Thomas want to have their revenge but I doubt they''ll do anything overt. Regardless this is more about me¡­"


    "You? What is it? Are you the one who want me dead?" Ludwig smirked.


    "No, I just have a favor to ask you¡­"


    "Is it about you being [Grafted]?"


    "Y-yea¡­ you haven''t said or talked to anyone about that, right?"


    "And if I did what will you do?" Ludwig asked.


    "¡­" the look of despair showed on Hoyo''s face was a clear indication that something was awfully wrong with this guy being found out as a Grafted. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Get in," Ludwig said.


    Hoyo walked inside with a lowered head and sat on an empty chair.


    "So, about this Grafted thing, tell me, why do you have the liver of a Harpy grafted on your body?" Ludwig asked while his eyes were shining blue unbeknownst and invisible to Hoyo''s stunned looking face.

 Chapter 38 Fallen Nobility

    "How much do you know about that?" Hoyo asked."Enough to know that you don''t want me to expose you, so speak, why do you have the liver of a Harpy grafted onto you?" Ludwig asked back.


    Hoyo opened and closed his mouth then said, "My family¡­ is a fallen noble family," he said.


    Ludwig waited for Hoyo to finish speaking since he seemed to have had a lot on his mind.


    He sighed a bit and then said, "My father and Uncle are sons of a Duke of Letonia, a kingdom on the northern part of the Lufondal Empire. My grandfather died before assigning a proper heir, and that caused strife between the two of them. But thanks to my father''s superior military achievements and prowess, not to mention him reaching the level of Aura Swordmaster, he managed to take control over the duchy. He didn''t kill my uncle for failing the succession war, and allowed him to live as a Marquis with land and forces¡­"


    Ludwig nodded as he was listening in on the story.


    "But, greed is a nasty thing," Hoyo said. "My uncle who didn''t accept the fact that he was demoted to a mere marquis was enraged and began dabbling in darker arts. And this is one of them," Hoyo said as he pulled up his shirt.


    Several massive sewed scars were visible all over Hoyo''s body.


    "It wasn''t just the liver of a Harpy, there were much more parts that shouldn''t have been mine to begin with, though I managed to ''extract'' them, and replace them with human parts, I still can''t remove the harpy liver. Since it''s essential to my survival," Hoyo said. "It cleanses blood and removes all sorts of poison and lowers the risk of diseases and infections from the multiple grafting sessions that happened to me."


    "So you were captured and tortured?" Ludwig said plainly.


    There was hesitation in Hoyo''s words before he said, "Y-yea something like that¡­"


    "Then how come your family fell? If your uncle was the one who did all of this, shouldn''t it be the other way around? Or did the king simply axe both the Duchy and the March?"


    -March or Marquessate is what you call the territory of a marquis we''ll be going with March for now-


    "That''s the thing," Hoyo said, "The people who did the experiment on me were the people who belonged to our Duchy, they were bribed by my uncle and I was experimented on along with several hundred others inside my father''s territory. My uncle then sent word to the King that we, the Duchy, were dabbling in black magic and forbidden arts, and then initiated the attack on the Duchy."


    Ludwig frowned, "I can see how things would turn that way, but you said that you initiated the attack¡­ for a March to attack a duchy, you need significant power, I doubt that the Duke just simply let them in."


    "Yeah, under different scenarios, my father could have easily thwarted the attack of my uncle and found enough evidence to clear his name, but there was a problem that prevented that¡­"


    "And that is?" Ludwig asked.


    "The land we lived on was meant to be neutral ground¡ªa shared territory between Letonia and the Holy Order," Hoyo began, his voice trembling as if the very air around him grew colder with each word. "Letonia¡­ though it has a king, he''s nothing but a puppet. In reality it is a kingdom ruled by zealots, driven by their so-called Holy Order. Rich beyond imagination. Powerful. And merciless. Anything they deem Dark or Demonic, they don''t just hate¡ªthey eradicate. But none of that compares to him."


    Hoyo''s breath hitched, his eyes glassy with fear, his words faltering as though recalling the memory physically hurt. "It wasn''t a war. It wasn''t a battle. It wasn''t even a struggle. It was annihilation. Total, horrifying annihilation. And it took him¡ª" Hoyo''s voice cracked, "¡ªless than an hour."


    Ludwig''s frown deepened, his curiosity beginning to feel like a mistake.


    "An hour," Hoyo whispered. "That''s all it took for our territory to collapse into dust and screams. He wasn''t even trying. He walked in, yawning like he was bored, like it was a chore. He couldn''t have been more than ten¡ªa child, by any measure. And yet¡­" He choked, unable to meet Ludwig''s gaze. "He killed every last one of us. Soldiers, knights, warriors¡ªmy people died like insects crushed underfoot. No mercy. No hesitation."


    Hoyo''s hand trembled as he gestured vaguely toward the past. "And my father¡­ my father didn''t even have time to beg. That boy¡­ that thing¡­ looked him in the eye and simply pointed at him, my father burnt in hellish flames in an instant, for him it felt like swatting a fly¡­ my father who is an Aura Swordmaster wasn''t even worth the effort for that thing. No words. No reason. Just¡­ nothing."


    Ludwig''s blood ran cold¡­ if he had any that is.


    "They call him the Holy Saint," Hoyo spat, his voice tinged with hatred but trembling with unshakable dread. "But there''s nothing holy about him. He''s a demon in human skin. A sadistic, unfeeling monster. Mot the Deliverer¡­ the name still makes my skin crawl." He shuddered violently, clutching at his arms as though to hold himself together. "You don''t talk about him. You don''t even think about him if you value your sanity."


    Ludwig thought about this for a second and said, "Seems like you had it rough, but what I don''t understand is, how did you manage to escape?"


    "Yeah, about that¡­" Hoyo said, "It was because I fell unconscious¡­"


    "Huh?" Ludwig''s expression was anything but understanding.


    "Yeah¡­ apparently, the kid, or that thing considers all who are asleep, or unconscious as dead¡­"


    "Basically, a bear?" Ludwig tilted his head. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That''s a criminally severe understatement, but something along the lines of that. I was captured by the Holy Order forces, and when presented to him in my unconscious state, they decided to simply let me go¡­ apparently it was his order¡­"


    "What happened with your uncle then?" Ludwig asked.


    "What else? Since he was the one who ''revealed'' us as sinners, he was rewarded, and with his brother dead, the Duchy was vacant so he simply took over."


    "And your goal I can assume is to reclaim what was once yours?"


    "Hah, you say funny things Ludwig. I''m not insane, I know my limits. And I can''t go against my uncle, after all, though he isn''t a sword user, he''s a Seventh Circle Mage¡­ though most of it is Grafted stolen goods¡­"


    "Wait, he grafted a circle?" Ludwig asked.


    "Yes, he managed to steal the Heart of Seventh Circle Mage and Graft it onto his body. That''s why he''s impossible for me to ever beat¡­"


    He then looked at Ludwig and smiled, "You think I''m a coward don''t you?"


    "Not really," Ludwig shook his head, "There is a thin line between courage and stupidity, and not wanting to die is everything but stupidity."


    Hoyo smiled saying, "I guess you''re right¡­ I had a really hard time dealing with Thomas to be honest," he said.


    "I can guess why," Ludwig said.


    "You do?"


    "You don''t want to expose yourself, though I doubt your identity is fully hidden," Ludwig added.


    "Yes, a few teachers already know of me, but the Dark Academy is unrelated to the Holy Order. Though it is part of the Lufondal Empire, the Holy Order can''t just simply ask for my head¡­"


    "I suppose. There are powerful teachers here after all," Ludwig shrugged.


    "Speaking of Powerful Teachers, tomorrow is the last day before the exams. We''ll have our final practice session¡­ though it''s going to be the first and last one for your," he said.


    "What practice?" Ludwig asked.


    "Magic Combat¡­ you didn''t know?" Hoyo asked.


    "Ah¡­ I forgot about that¡­ I can''t use any offensive magic though?" Ludwig said.


    Hoyo frowned, "How come? You already used [Exhaust]"


    "Yeah, that''s basically all I know¡­" that and the Undeath Sigil, but he wasn''t going to talk about that to Hoyo. After all, Necromancy is forbidden.


    "That''s going to be tough for you then¡­ I''d recommend that you give up on tomorrow''s practice then¡­ a lot of people will be aiming for you," he said.


    Ludwig thought about it and saw that it was pretty late into the night. He doesn''t have time to learn anything that can serve him any good anytime soon. Nor can he go all the way back to Van Dijk¡­


    [The Captured Soul Thomas Vondel is requesting your attention]

 Chapter 39 Conversation

    [Would you like to have a conversation with Thomas Vondel? You may ignore this if you do not wish to be bothered by trapped souls]"Right," Ludwig said to Hoyo, "I''ll need to rest soon."


    "Yeah, I understand, sorry about the lore drop, but still¡­"


    "Fine, it''s not like I have any friends to talk to about this, regardless your secret is safe with me," Ludwig replied.


    "Thanks," Hoyo said as he proceeded into leaving the room.


    Once alone, Ludwig pressed the accept option, and his mind immediately seemed to be warped into the lantern. Inside it he looked massive, incredibly so that Vondel barely reached Ludwig''s knee.


    Vondel had an ethereal almost transparent look to his body, and fear seemed to grip at his heart.


    "L-Ludwig¡­" he muttered.


    "I have little patience to those who call me without much to say."


    "Wait, I have something to tell you," Thomas said.


    "What is it?" Ludwig asked.


    "About your exam, you said you don''t know how to use magic, right?" Thomas said.


    "What does that have to do with you calling me here?" Ludwig asked.


    "Being dead means that you get to know a few things¡­ like what Bastos Van Dijk told you¡­"


    "I guess you''ve been eavesdropping on me a bit," Ludwig asked.


    "Not like I had any other choice¡­" Thomas said.


    "Not to mention," Ludwig said as he got his face closer to Thomas, "You''re awfully calm for someone I killed, I thought you''d be a bit rowdier¡­"


    "To what end?" Thomas spoke rhetorically, "I''m already dead. Life has no meaning, but true death is a bit out of reach¡­"


    "You''re now turning to a philosopher," Ludwig snickered, "Still state the purpose of you calling me, I have little patience."


    "Right, right." Thomas thought for a second and said, "You''re pretty apathetic."


    Ludwig frowned, inwardly thinking, that Thomas though speaks true, and since his death he had little to almost no emotional interest in anything going around him, or to him even was slightly worrying.


    After all, he literally lost his humanity, he''s but an undead now. A smart undead, but undead nevertheless.


    "What does that have to do with anything?" Ludwig asked.


    "For someone smart enough to learn all sort of things, you''re a bit slow here."


    Ludwig slammed his fist down right next to Thomas, in anger¡­ or so it appeared.


    "Right there!" Thomas pointed, "That, what you just did, you weren''t angry, nor did you truly feel mad, you just ''mimicked'' it because you can''t truly feel anger¡­"


    "You''re calling me sociopathic¡­" Ludwig said.


    "Not the exact term I''d use, but pretty close, you really have no empathy and you basically mimic emotions to fit your situation and condition, but deep down you know you don''t feel a thing."


    Ludwig''s upper lip curled in disdain.


    "I guess you can show a bit of annoyance, but that isn''t helping your case, your emotional imbalance will hinder you from advancing your magic, or the learning of," Thomas explained shrugging.


    "And what do you suppose I should do?" Ludwig asked tilting his head. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I have a solution for you¡­ well basically it''s something that you were probably going to figure out sooner or later, but if I tell you now I need you to do me a favor." Thomas asked.


    Ludwig thought for a moment and said, "I can''t promise you anything, but I''ll hear you out." Ludwig had no intention of trusting someone he killed. Even if he was a soul. But he still was interested enough, just enough to try and comprehend what was going on.


    "Okay, it''s fine. This lantern, is very special, and I''ve seen what you got the moment you obtained it."


    "You can see the status screen?" Ludwig asked.


    "I can see all you see, all the souls can. But I saw a bit more. One of the hidden functions of the lantern," he added.


    "Speak," Ludwig said in a commanding tone.


    "Right, right," Thomas said fidgeting a bit, "Deus Necros is incredibly smart¡­he''s a deity after all, and he already realized you''d be stunted by your lack of emotion, especially after turning to Undeath, so he hid a function in the lantern¡­ though there are other functions I''m forbidden from speaking about them or my entire existence will be destroyed. I''d rather go back to Necros as a dead soul than simply vanish."


    "You talk a lot of shit, get to the fucking point," Ludwig said.


    "Yes, I will, anyway. The thing is, though you can''t use your own emotions, you can use the emotions of those in the lantern¡­ but it depends on the method they died with," Thomas said.


    Ludwig thought momentarily and said, "You mean I can inherit emotions from those I kill?" he asked.


    "Yes, basically the last emotion or slew of, you can inherit, and that can be used to supplement your lack of emotion to empower your spells. You can also learn from the souls you captured any sort of things but there is a price for that¡­"


    "That sounds interesting," Ludwig said.


    "Yes, for me¡­ well, as awkward it is to say it, I died feeling three emotions," Thomas said.


    Ludwig immediately interjected, "Rage, Despair, and Fear¡­"


    "Damn¡­" Thomas looked taken aback, "You really just said that¡­ anyway, yes, you''re right, it was exactly that."


    "And how is that any helpful?" Ludwig asked genuinely interested.


    "Well, rage is part passion, and it is one of the few elements that empower fire magic and destructive magic. Despair is like a quagmire, a swamp of no hope, it empowers magic that caused physical debilitations, like your [Exhaust] or any lethargy or weakness inducing magic. And lastly Fear. Fear is cold, and lonely and an extreme mental destroying disposition. It empowers hallucination magic and all sorts of mental damaging magic¡­"


    "I see your point, but how can I use that?" Ludwig asked.


    "Well, I can tell you, but would you hear my favor first?" Thomas asked.

 Chapter 40 A Deal With A Vondel

    Ludwig thought for a moment and said, "Tell me what do you want then?""Right¡­ see, I have multiple siblings. Though I''m the only true heir of the Vondel house¡­ well former heir¡­"


    "And what does that have to do with your request?" Ludwig asked.


    "Among all my brothers, Ravi though he''s step-sibling, has been the kindest to me. But my mother is adamant about going against him, he made a lot of progress in his studies and did clear a couple of dungeons before he even graduated. He''s smart and strong but his mother isn''t a noble," Thomas said.


    "Let me guess, your dad had a thing for the maid?" Ludwig asked.


    "More like the red-light district madam, but yeah,"


    "And how am I going to help you help him?" Ludwig asked.


    "For us Vondels, origin is important, that''s for all the nobles in fact. Brother is doing his best to become a knight of Lufondal. And that should give him a noble status though it is the lowest. Once he achieves that he can challenge my brothers to be the heir. If I were alive, none of this would have happened and as soon as I got my hand on the house I would invite my brother back. Sadly that''s no longer possible," Thomas said.


    "You want me to help your brother become a knight? You know that you''re asking something a bit too insane."


    "No, not that, he''s more than capable of doing that by himself. But the thing is, he''s missing a key part in getting the right of succession. When us Vondels are born, we''re given a Ring that helps identify us, and that ring is needed to proceed with the succession battle. My mother destroyed Ravi''s ring when he was young, so he cannot be part of the succession anymore. But now that I''m dead, he can use mine."


    "Don''t tell me it was on your body?" Ludwig asked. Because he clearly remembered Thomas turning up in flames.


    "No, no, I don''t keep it on me, that''s the best way for me to lose my right as a successor. So I hid it, and it''s now kept by a person of interest to say the least¡­" Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You''re being shady on purpose, aren''t you?" Ludwig groaned.


    "I''m just messing with you, but yeah, the person of interest is an organization, they''re called White Raven. They are a big organization that organizes sells and buys information. And if you tell them these exact words, they''ll give you the ring. The Phoenix lived, but the flames died out," he said.


    "I see," Ludwig thought. "Where can I find them?" Ludwig asked.


    "The closest branch is in Mira, a city that''s at the border between the Dark Academy''s territory and the Titania Kingdom. All you need to look for is the symbol of a white crow on one of the inns there. They''ll contact you later with the item once you give them the password," Thomas said.


    "I see," Ludwig said, "That''s doable, but I cannot do it right now, I cannot leave the academy for three years," Ludwig said.


    "No worries, the succession battle was supposed to happen after I graduate, so you still have three years to do this."


    "Right, now that I agreed to your request, tell me, how do I use emotions form souls?"


    "That''s simple, first things first, can you make a fire ball?" Thomas asked.


    "No, I have no idea how to do that, all I read were things that were related to class specific subject, the act of creating a fire ball or water ball or any sort of basic magic is something I have yet to learn."


    Thomas thought for a second and said, "I saw your status screen, it shows that you have a Blessed Body, that''s something extremely rare in this world." Thomas said "Not to mention you have Wisdom? Do I don''t understand it fully and how those ''stats'' work, but it seems that it further improves your power potency. So not only will it further enhance your magical aptitude, but using emotions will double if not triple the output. As for learning a spell, try and mimic me using [Trace]."


    "How do you know all that?" Ludwig asked.


    "I see what you see, also you don''t really have to worry about me spilling the beans. After all, I''m dead, and once my purpose is served I''ll just go to Deus Necros'' side."


    Thomas raised his hand up, and mana began coiling around his arm, clear to Ludwig''s eyes as it moved and roiled until it gathered at his palm.


    "This is [Fireball], can you replicate it?" Thomas said.


    "I don''t know, I don''t fully understand the process," Ludwig said as he put his hand forward. He closed his eyes, and soon mana began moving alongside his arm.


    He could feel his entire body heating up a bit, every carved vein of Nephilium was exuding mana and helping Ludwig use it to create a flaming ball that swirled on the palm of his hand.


    For Thomas, the ball was at least twice his size, but for Ludwig it felt incredibly lacking and smaller than the one that Thomas used.


    "I''m pretty surprised that you managed to do it on your first try," Thomas said.


    "Yeah I''m not that surprised about that part¡­" Ludwig said as he was looking at a notification that appeared in front of him.


    {You have cast the spell [Fireball]. Your current understanding of the skill is too lacking to use it as a Spell.}


    "Seems like I''m not proficient enough, also I don''t know if I should learn this. After all, I can only learn two spells for now." Ludwig said.


    "Two?" Thomas frowned.


    "Yeah, just two, I''m limited¡­"


    "Oh, that''s the first time I heard of someone being limited in learning spells. But from what I think, you''re probably limited due to your mana. It''s too low, I guess if you improve your Wisdom stat it would help you get more spells slots. Because usually, most mages have a lot more mana than you have. Even with Van Dijk''s operation and that mana stone on your forehead, I doubt you can use fireball more than three times."


    "I see, that''s going to be a problem. Though it''s strange, you were casting fireballs left and right."


    "Yeah, and a couple more fire spells in the mix too, but that''s because I come from a noble family and was practicing and learning magic since young. That''s why my mana channels are wider than a normal person, for you, well first you''re dead. And second, you don''t have the benefit of being born in a noble house. So just work on your mana for a bit now, if things don''t change, just ask Van Dijk he''s pretty smart."


    "Then what about the emotion using part?" Ludwig asked.


    "Right, it had to come to that..." Thomas said, "Now, imagine yourself obliterating me..."

 Chapter 41 Practice

    "For the emotion part," Ludwig asked, his voice hesitant, "how do I even do that?""Simple," Thomas replied, his tone unnervingly casual. "Imagine yourself obliterating me."


    Ludwig blinked. "That... sounds awful. And it also sounds like you''d die from it," he said, his expression tightening at the suggestion.


    "Not exactly," Thomas answered with a sardonic grin. "It''s going to hurt like hell, sure, and it''ll weaken my soul''s integrity, but it won''t kill me¡ªat least not outright. That''s the only way for you to tap into the emotions stored in a soul. You''ll get better at it once you have more souls in your lantern. For now, think of this as a test run for... extraction."


    Ludwig hesitated, his hand hovering over the lantern. The idea of deliberately inflicting pain¡ªeven on a soul he wasn''t particularly fond of¡ªdidn''t sit right with him. Yet, curiosity and necessity gnawed at him. His practical class tomorrow would demand more than his current abilities, and he couldn''t afford to fall short.


    "All right," Ludwig said finally, closing his eyes. His breath slowed as he focused, forcing himself to visualize the act.


    He imagined himself gripping Thomas''s soul with an iron will, squeezing it like a vice. At first, nothing happened, but then a spark ignited within his chest. It wasn''t physical, but it felt like a seething flame, spreading from his core and roiling outward to his limbs. The sensation pressed on his mind, growing in intensity like a volcano about to erupt.


    Across from him, Thomas''s ethereal form twisted in visible agony. His features contorted, and faint wisps of his essence seemed to dissipate, drawn toward Ludwig. Simultaneously, the fireball Ludwig had conjured began to swell. Its size and heat intensified, becoming an inferno that threatened to consume the entire room.


    Ludwig could feel something else creeping in alongside the power¡ªa strange, oppressive sensation. It was cold and isolating, like standing alone in a vast, barren wasteland. His limbs grew heavy as though weighed down by chains of despair.


    "The first sensation was rage... and the second...that''s..." Thomas rasped, struggling to speak through clenched teeth. "That''s desperation... Keep pushing, and you''ll find fear. But don''t overdo it... I don''t think I can take much more."


    Ludwig opened his eyes, his focus wavering as he didn''t feel right about this. It wasn''t that guilt gnawed at him; it was more like futility and needless harm that served no purpose. He released the pressure, and the roaring flames sputtered out, leaving only faint embers in the air.


    Thomas''s form slumped, his translucent appearance dimmed and flickering weakly. He looked more spectral than before, as if his very existence had thinned.


    "Not something I can abuse," Ludwig muttered, rubbing his temples. "You''re already fading."


    "Exactly," Thomas replied, his voice strained but steady. "Emotions aren''t some infinite well you can draw from endlessly. Every time you use a soul this way, it takes a toll on its integrity. Push too hard, and the soul could break entirely."


    "Then it''s not worth relying on for regular use. Better to save it for emergencies," Ludwig said, crossing his arms as he processed the revelation.


    Thomas nodded weakly, his form stabilizing as the pressure on him eased. "You''re catching on. Your Nephilium circuit is already doing most of the heavy lifting. Sure, your magic''s slightly weaker than someone at your level, but that''s just because your Nephilium blood density is low. As you collect more Nephilium, that''ll balance out. Combining that with the emotions from souls will amplify your power significantly."


    Ludwig tilted his head, studying Thomas with a mix of curiosity and skepticism. "You''ve been awfully helpful for someone who''s supposed to be angry about dying." Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thomas let out a humorless laugh. "What''s the point of being bitter? I''m dead. No amount of griping is going to change that. Besides, if I make things harder for you, you might just refuse my request. I''d rather stick around if it''s all the same to you. Just don''t forget the favor I asked for."


    Ludwig nodded, his expression softening slightly. He extinguished the remaining embers with a flick of his wrist and headed back to his room. There was much to think about and even more to prepare for.


    The rest of the night passed in quiet study. Ludwig pored over the booklet Van Dijk had given him, committing its lessons on mana control to memory. The theories clicked into place one by one, and he found himself experimenting with the techniques, making subtle adjustments to his flow of mana. By the time dawn broke, he felt more confident in his abilities, particularly in his newly acquired fireball spell.


    Though it isn''t officially a spell since it wasn''t added to his arsenal, he can use it, albite it will take a longer time to cast than anyone else doing the same thing.


    As sunlight streamed through his window, Ludwig donned his uniform and left his room. Today''s practical class promised to test his progress, and he was determined to prove himself.


    The students had gathered outside the arena where Ludwig had previously trained with Joana''s group. A golden-haired man stood at the forefront, his bright smile and animated demeanor instantly setting him apart from the academy''s usual cast of cold, calculating teachers.


    "Is everyone here?" the man called out, his voice brimming with energy. He clapped his hands together, beckoning the students closer.


    "Come, come!" he said, his gaze landing on Ludwig. "Ah, you''re the new guy! I''ve heard a lot about you from Joana. You aced Oda''Ruh''s test, didn''t you? Quite impressive for someone who''s only been here a few days."


    Ludwig approached, feeling slightly awkward under the teacher''s friendly scrutiny. "Thank you for the kind words," he said politely.


    The teacher chuckled, slapping Ludwig lightly on the back. "Don''t mention it. Though, if I were you, I wouldn''t get too comfortable. You''ve missed a lot of classes, and no one''s expecting you to perform miracles. Still, I''m curious to see what you can do."


    Ludwig frowned as the teacher turned. because something didn''t feel right, after all, why would the teacher slap a magic circle on Ludwig''s back?


    Ludwig was the only one to notice it, and it seemed to be on every one of the students.


    The teacher acted as if nothing was going on as he addressed the group, he raised his voice. "Today, we''ll be going on a small excursion into the academy''s forest. Consider this your orientation for the test path you''ll need to navigate next week."


    One of the students raised a hand, skepticism evident in their tone. "Why show us the path now? Wouldn''t it be better to keep everything secret?"


    The teacher grinned. "Good question! Today isn''t just about the path¡ªit''s a test to gauge your abilities for the future. You''ll understand once we get started. Now, follow me!"


    The group of thirty students began moving, trailing behind the teacher as he led them into the dense forest. Ludwig found himself flanked by Hoyo on one side and Kassandra on the other.


    "Sup," Hoyo greeted casually, earning a nod from Ludwig.


    Kassandra, as usual, remained silent, her sharp eyes scanning the surroundings.


    "What do you think we''ll be doing in the forest?" Hoyo asked.


    Ludwig shrugged. "Don''t ask me. I''m the new guy, remember?"


    "Probably minor traps and tests," Kassandra said flatly, her gaze still fixed ahead.


    As they entered the forest, a sudden notification flashed in Ludwig''s vision.


    [You have entered an Instanced Dungeon!]


    Ludwig''s eyes widened, the implications of the message sinking in. Before he could process it, a commotion erupted at the front of the group.


    "What''s going on?" Hoyo asked, craning his neck.


    "The teacher disappeared!" someone exclaimed.


    Ludwig turned sharply, glancing behind him. His expression hardened. "The academy... it''s gone."


    A voice echoed from the trees, light and teasing. "Good luck, students! Today isn''t an orientation¡ªit''s test day. I decided to move it up a week."


    Gasps rippled through the group as the teacher''s voice continued, his tone maddeningly cheerful. "Life''s trials don''t wait for you to be ready, after all. Your goal is simple: find the flag hidden somewhere in the forest. But beware¡ªthis forest isn''t without its dangers. Death isn''t exactly uncommon during the academy''s tests. Toodle-oo!"


    The forest fell silent, save for the nervous shuffling of the students. Ludwig tightened his grip,


    ''Truly, one shouldn''t expect anything less than this level of education from the Black Tower Academy...''

 Chapter 42 Segregation

    The howl of beasts echoed loudly in the forest. Their voices were loud and resonated through the whole forest, causing a gripping fear to latch onto every student as they understood that this situation and this test weren''t about grabbing a flag, but also about surviving the monsters and beasts in this forest."This is pretty bad," Hoyo said as he looked around. "We don''t know what''s going to happen right now, let''s stick together," he advised.


    "Fellow Students!" one of the guys shouted out, "Please gather around!" he called out.


    The group of students all followed in as they made a circle around him. The young man was the same age as Ludwig, and he had a noble crest on his robes making his affiliation known.


    He was of a tall enough height, handsome of appearance, and had a red head. Yet he seemed to be fully decked out for this dungeon. After all, he had a small wand strapped to the belt to his side. And the boots he wore were designed for long marches and hikes. Though Ludwig didn''t know if it was his normal attire, this seemed awfully too coincidental with the day of the exam.


    Not to mention a waterskin and a small bag on the other side of his waist.


    "Right, we all understand that this test was made to catch us off guard, and professor Olim Rambaldi got us good, but if you all listen to me well, I''m sure we''ll all manage our way out of this exam with good grads."


    Ludwig was a bit skeptical, after all, who is he to be able to harness the attention of every student?


    "As you all know, I''m Bron Steelheart, our family is of enough renown that even the Imperial family has assigned several of our family members to be Mage Commanders in the imperial army, not to mention the Kingdom of Lotostra. Where we''re pretty much the strongest noble force of the kingdom, with that, I would hope that my fellow students trust me to lead us out of this perilous situation," the young man said.


    "I agree, if we have a Steelheart with us, this exam is as good as cleared," someone said.


    Several other students were nodding in agreement.


    Ludwig wasn''t someone who''d personally go out of his way to contradict or ask why this man who was taking the lead was already decked out as if he expected this to happen, so for now he went with the flow and didn''t interrupt.


    "So now we''ll split into two groups, one group will handle scouting and reporting, and the other group will be responsible for battle."


    "Keep calm," Ludwig said as he noticed Hoyo about to ask something as he was raising his hand.


    Though Hoyo dropped his hand, it didn''t skip the young man''s notice, "Seems like you had a question, your name was Hoyo right?" the young man said. Though he had a smile on his face, his eyes didn''t smile.


    Seeing that it was too late to stop the interaction, Ludwig simply sighed in defeat.


    Hoyo gave an apologetic look to Ludwig and answered, "Right, I was going to simply ask how are we going to be split up, not to mention we don''t know how long this test is going to last¡­ and most of us didn''t bring any food or drinks," Hoyo said as his eyes pointed at the waterskin on Bron''s side.


    "Simple, we''ll handle it based on social norms," he said shrugging.


    Ludwig''s eyes looked as if they scowled, ''social norms? That basically means that nobles get to sit down and relax while those of non-noble origin do all the work.''


    Hoyo immediately spoke out, "That''s not fair though!"


    "Nothing in life is fair," the man shrugged, "Not to mention the nobles in our class have superior firepower, and we can''t risk them exhausting themselves doing scouting. While you three, and a few behind you are all known to be pretty weak or new." S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''this is blatant discrimination¡­''


    Ludwig sighed, but he also remembered this isn''t the same world he came from. And discrimination based on race, origin or color is pretty normal here. And they could do nothing about it, not to mention the nobles were of a superior number to those who are not.


    The Black Tower Academy was after all an academy of magic, and only a select few can learn it. Nobles have access to mana-amplifying options since they were born, while most commoners can only dream of being a mage or a powerful knight. Besides a few exceptions. Ludwig wasn''t a noble, but was admitted through special means to the academy. And Kassandra seemed to be someone who is smart though her robes and her current physical state meant that she was definitely of a poor background. Hoyo though comes from a noble family, his family has fallen, and several other students behind Ludwig who had their head pointing down in shame were all in the same boat. Commoners who only earned the right to attend the Black Tower academy because either they were of a special race, or had happened upon an opportunity that allowed them to enter the academy, either by birth or by luck.


    "Bron is right," one of the pompous kids spoke, "You''re lucky you''re even here with us, if you were by yourselves you''d never clear something like this, so just do your job of scouting."


    "Right, and since you mentioned it, while you''re scouting do some foraging and hunting, we need to stay in top shape if we want to help you clear this stage," another said.


    The nobles seemed adamant about applying their ''social'' pressure onto the commoners and the latter couldn''t refute or deny anything.


    Hoyo was about to argue, but Ludwig held him once more, "Sure, I agree to that," Ludwig said.


    "Ah, we have a sensible person, on our hands, who are you?" Bron asked.


    "Call me Ludwig, regardless, to do scouting I would need a few things, I suppose you have something we can use as weapons, right?" Ludwig asked.


    "Why would you need a weapon?" Bron asked.


    "Why else? If we''re scouting we need to be able to defend ourselves, what if we go to scout and die, then who will provide you any sort of information?" Ludwig shrugged.


    "You do have a point, but what do you mean by weapon? Most of us here are mages, we don''t carry weapons." He added.


    "Then it will be a bit difficult to do that task, I mean without a scouting party it''ll be pretty difficult for any of us to progress in this test."


    "Is a short sword good enough for you?" one of the nobles asked.


    Bron gave him a stern look, but Ludwig immediately interrupted, "Yes, it would be fine, I''ve been training the Imperial Art lately with professor Joana."


    Bron sighed, "How come you have a sword when you''re a mage," he shook his head at his fellow noble.


    "It''s a ceremonial sword of my family, not that I need it or anything, but if it makes him do a better job at scouting then lending him the sword is enough," he said as he approached Ludwig and pulled a sword from a ring he had on him.


    "I don''t suppose you guys have any other weapons for the rest of our scouting group?" Ludwig asked.


    Bron shook his hand, "Fine, as long as you do a good job of scouting and reporting. Our fellow nobles are generous enough to give you their weapons. Just don''t be too lax and relaxed, we need you guys the same as you need us," he said.


    A few of the nobles pulled out some weapons, daggers mainly and a couple short swords, none of them looked worth using in an actual battle, but Ludwig had a plan in mind after all.


    "I suppose you''ll be leading the scouting party?" Bron asked.


    Ludwig turned, "I see no one refusing or wanting to step up, so I guess I am," Ludwig said.


    "Good, then report to us once every two hours, and we''ll set up camp here," Bron said as he dismissed Ludwig.


    Ludwig turned and saw that only ten of the people from the whole class were actually commoners. He, Kassandra, and Hoyo included.


    He distributed the weapons he was given to the group and had a couple of spare daggers left that he kept for himself.


    "What are you planning?" Kassandra asked as she was looking at the dagger in her hand.


    Ludwig smiled at her and said, "We''ll clear this thing before they even realize it," Ludwig said to her smiling.


    After all, only he was able to see the content of this dungeon. The notification in front of his eyes was clear as day.

 Chapter 43 Plans Within Plans

    [This Instanced Dungeon is partially artificial. To clear the Dungeon you either have to defeat the boss of the area who is sealed at the northern part of the dungeon, or leave by touching the flag post at the eastern side of the dungeon. Beware, the creatures in this dungeon have been afflicted with a temporary weakness Debuff.]The notification was like a blessing for Ludwig because it conveyed a lot of information to him. First thing first, this whole dungeon is modified, as in it had already been in control, and it was probably Teacher Rembaldi''s doing.


    The weakness on the creatures in the dungeon could tell that they are at the level where students can handle them to a point. As for the leaving, he could do one of two things. Either go to the north of the map, and defeat the boss of the dungeon, or head to the east and touch the pole.


    The first option wasn''t something he was planning on doing, Ludwig had no idea what this ''Boss'' Monster was capable of, and he had no plan on fighting it. So, for now, they can simply group up together and head to the flag that is in the east.


    "Let''s move," Ludwig said as he began moving deeper into the forest, he made sure not to make his movement known for the rest of the group of nobles behind him.


    Bron noticed Ludwig and his group of ragtag moving deeper into the forest and smiled as he turned to the rest of the nobles.


    ***


    "Good, they left, we''ll give them an hour start before we head east," Bron said.


    "East? Why?" another member of the nobles asked.


    "Because that''s where the flag is, don''t ask me how I know," he said.


    "Then why not move right now?"


    "Because the commoners need to be a bit away from us. Although I wouldn''t have minded breaking a few of their legs and go to the flag myself, the teacher forbids harming one another directly. So we''ll wait a bit, at least an hour, and once they''re far enough we''ll move. Even if one of them comes back to report on their scouting they''ll find no one," Bron said.


    "I like your plan, but that really doesn''t do much no?" a female student asked, "they can still find their way out later, if any of them is good at tracking and they can just leave after ward. Granted they won''t get any good scores since they''ll be later than us¡­ but they''ll still emerge out of the dungeon eventually," she said.


    "That''s where you''re wrong," Bron waved a finger, "A small bird told me that the creatures in this dungeon are weakened, and by the time they figure out what is going on, the creatures will have returned to their peak form. The teachers are forbidden from interfering with the stage, and all we need to do is just leave and make sure no one else leaves after us," Bron said.


    "You don''t think you''re going too far with this?" one of the lower nobles of the group asked.


    Bron flashed him a vicious glare, "You, for someone who''s the son of a baron, you''re awfully chummy with those commoners!"


    The young man stammered but kept quiet, "I don''t like to have filth like them mingling with us. The commoners are to obey and serve. So don''t have pity on them, lest you become one of them," Bron said.


    "No need to get angry, let''s calm down for now," the same female student from earlier intervened, "I agree with Bron, the commoners really did lower the level of this academy. You won''t find a single commoner in any of the other towers. So we need to do our cleanup ourselves."


    "At least there is someone sensible here, regardless, I''ll need to keep track of them," Bron said as he pulled a small mechanical bird like creation.


    "Whoa, a Spy Bird, those are really expensive," one of the students said.


    Bron smugly smiled, "Nothing is expensive for a Steelheart, This will keep track of them and tell us of their current location, I don''t want them to luckily stammer their way to the flag," Bron said as he flung the mechanical bird high up.


    The small thing flew up and began flapping its wings and headed toward the general location of Ludwig and his company.


    ***


    Ludwig was making sure to be as far away as possible before changing direction to the east where the flag was. And after a good time moving, Kassandra spoke up, "You seem to be moving with purpose, do you know something we don''t?"


    ''Sharp'', Ludwig thought, "Not really, but I have a feeling that we should head east." He said.


    "Why?" Hoyo asked as he was looking around.


    "Because that''s where the sound of the beasts we heard came from. Or at least most of them," Ludwig said.


    A student then asked, "Doesn''t that mean we should be as far away from that?"


    "No, that means that that direction is where the ''test'' is. Regardless, it''s not like we can go anywhere else," Ludwig said as he pointed forward.


    Looking at where he pointed, a whole new scenery revealed itself to the group of students.


    They were at the edge of a massive cliff, heading anywhere but north or east meant falling down to their death. The cliff overlooked a massive sea of clouds that seemed to expand endlessly.


    "I guess we''ll just have to go east then," Hoyo said. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Not much of a choice we have," Ludwig said as he turned toward the direction of east.


    "Weren''t we supposed to be scouting?" one of the students said.


    Ludwig turned to him saying, "Do you honestly think that they sent us to scout because they needed it?"


    "W-well, Bron said so¡­" the student replied


    "And you believed him?" Ludwig tilted his head, "Why would they even need to scout? They already know where the exit is in the first place," Ludwig said and that instantly put the whole group on alert.


    "What do you mean they know?"


    "That Bron guy, he was awfully ready and geared up for this, so trust me when I tell you, in situations like this they already know well the road they need to, after all, for a noble getting a favor from a teacher isn''t that hard," Ludwig shrugged.


    "Your reasoning is somewhat flawed," Kassandra said.


    "How come?" Ludwig asked.


    "Why would they ask us to scout if they had the map then?" she asked.


    "Simple," Ludwig shrugged, "Because they don''t want us commoners to make it through the test, remember we''re like a sore thumb in an academy full of snobbish nobles."


    "Then couldn''t you have said something!" one of the students said shouting, "We could have stuck to them, or refused this scouting mission? I''m going back!"


    A few students seemed to agree with him, to the point of antagonizing Ludwig.


    This made him quite annoyed, after all, they couldn''t and wouldn''t say anything if a noble was speaking, but since he is just a commoner like them they could bitch about him all they want.


    "Don''t be an idiot," Ludwig said, "Saying anything there would have just made us a target."


    "Then what are you planning?" Hoyo asked, "If scouting is a ruse we got pulled into, we should go back to them no? They have a map that can guide them to where the exit is like you said, shouldn''t we follow them from behind?" Hoyo finalized.


    "I thought about that for a bit," Ludwig said as he glanced up, "But I don''t think that''s possible," he added.


    "What do you mean?" Kassandra asked.


    "I''ll tell you if none of you make it obvious," Ludwig said.


    Seeing the group frown confused he added, "Don''t look up basically, but there is a Spy Bird above us, they sent it to keep track of us. If we backtrack or follow them they''ll figure out that we''re going to track them."


    Ludwig''s eyes were glowing as his [Inspect] had been active.


    ***


    [Spy Bird]


    Type: Mechanical Creation


    HP: 1


    A small recon mechanical creation shaped into a bird. It has intricate magical circles and advanced engineering systems that allows it to fly and report via magic transmission on the target it is currently spying on.


    ***


    The students had a hard time not looking up, but thankfully everyone understood what was going on.


    "If it''s above us, we need to take it down to move in stealth," Kassandra said.


    "I thought about that, but we can''t male it obvious, I don''t think I can accurately shoot it down," Ludwig said.


    "But I can," Hoyo said as he moved back under the shade of a few trees.


    He had a small rock in his hand.


    "You know you can''t miss," Ludwig said.


    "I''m pretty accurate with my throws, check this out," he said as he flung the rock incredibly fast toward the moving bird.


    A loud clang echoed above them and the bird fell to bits right next to Ludwig''s feet.


    Ludwig collected the bird''s remains and said, "Good job, but this is still a problem for us," he said.


    "What is?" Hoyo said.


    "Though there is a chance that they can''t figure out what happened to the Spy Bird, they should already know it''s down, meaning that they''ll move faster."


    "Doesn''t that make our situation worse? Now they know we''re going after them," one of the students stated.


    "They might, or might now, and in the worst case if they know, they don''t know where we currently are and how far we are from them, so let''s head east and follow after them. Our job was scouting anyway, so might as well do it for real this time," Ludwig said as he moved ahead.

 Chapter 44 Lizardman?

    An ugly expression twisted across Bron''s face, the lines of his usually composed demeanor breaking under the strain of frustration. His strides became heavier, the soft crunch of leaves underfoot growing more aggressive with every step. The crystal core of his Spy Bird lay shattered in his palm, its magical essence dissipated and useless. This was how he received the visual information the Spy Bird could provide. But now it''s nothing but a broken piece of glass.The bird had been his ace, a tool that provided an unassailable advantage over the rest of the students. Its ability to scout ahead, silently relaying information about the dungeon''s layout and potential threats, had been integral to his plan. But now, that edge was gone.


    "How the hell did this happen?" Bron muttered, his voice sharp. He ran a hand through his neatly combed hair, disrupting its pristine state.


    He turned the crystal over in his hand, scrutinizing it as if the shattered pieces would offer some clue. It made no sense. The commoners Ludwig led had no means of bringing the bird down. Hell, half of them wouldn''t even understand what a Spy Bird was, let alone how to interfere with its enchantment. And yet, here he was¡ªblindsided and increasingly agitated.


    "Let''s pick up the pace," Bron barked, his tone leaving no room for argument.


    A sharp intake of breath came from a female student, the golden-haired noble who had been walking at his side. She was tall and poised, her every movement exuding an air of superiority. "Why?" she asked, her voice dripping with skepticism. "What''s going on, Bron?"


    Bron stopped abruptly, pivoting to face her. His expression hardened, the frustration in his eyes now mixed with irritation. "Minerva," he said, his voice slow and deliberate, "you don''t need to know everything. Just follow the damn orders."


    Her eyebrows arched, a faint, mocking smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "We''d follow ''orders,''" she said, stressing the word with dripping sarcasm, "if they were worth following. But you can''t expect us to march blindly through this forest without any explanation."


    The other nobles murmured in agreement, their voices soft but weighted. Bron clenched his jaw. Nobles were not easy to lead. Each carried their own pride, and bending them to his will required tact and the occasional concession.


    He inhaled sharply, forcing a more composed expression. "The Spy Bird is down," he admitted. "If we waste time, those peasants might stumble onto the exit by sheer dumb luck. They lucked out in many things in life before like getting into the academy. If we hurry, we can outpace them¡ªand ensure they don''t leave before us."


    Minerva tilted her head, her eyes narrowing. "And how exactly do you plan to stop them?"


    Bron''s lips curled into a thin smile. "I have a few precautions in mind," he said. "But we need to move now."


    The nobles exchanged uneasy glances but ultimately nodded. Bron turned on his heel, his stride more forceful as he led the group eastward.


    ***


    Further into the forest, Ludwig''s group was visibly struggling. Hoyo stumbled to a stop, his chest heaving as he gasped for air. His hands rested on his knees, and his face was slick with sweat.


    "We''re a bit exhausted, Ludwig," Hoyo said between breaths. "We need to slow down, man."


    Ludwig paused, turning to assess the group. Kassandra leaned heavily against a tree, her usually sharp eyes dulled by fatigue. The others were in similar states, their shoulders slumped and their breathing labored. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Brother," Hoyo added, his voice tinged with exasperation, "you''re not even sweating."


    Only then did it hit Ludwig. His undead nature made him immune to exhaustion¡ªa fact he often forgot. While he could march endlessly without pause, his companions were human, their stamina finite and quickly depleted.


    "My apologies," Ludwig said, his tone steady but genuinely contrite. "I didn''t mean to push you so hard. We''ll rest soon."


    Kassandra waved a hand dismissively, though her breathing was still heavy. "It''s not your fault," she said. "We just¡­ don''t have your stamina." She straightened slightly, her gaze sharpening. "But why rest ''soon''? Did you see something?"


    Ludwig stepped closer to a nearby tree, pointing at its bark. "Look at the marks," he said.


    The group gathered around, their exhaustion momentarily forgotten. Deep gouges marred the tree''s surface, the pale wood beneath stark against the darker bark.


    "What could''ve done that?" Hoyo asked, his brow furrowing.


    "Think it''s a wolf?" another student suggested hesitantly.


    Ludwig crouched, his eyes narrowing as he examined the marks more closely. His gaze flickered briefly as he activated [Inspect].


    ***


    [Old Forest Lizardman Claw Marks]


    Lizardmen are creatures that live in colonies. They have a matriarchal society and are the dominant species in this Half-Artificial Dungeon.


    ***


    A knot of tension formed in Ludwig''s chest. The notification confirmed his worst suspicion.


    "It''s worse than a wolf," he said, rising to his feet.


    "What do you mean?" Kassandra asked, her voice laced with unease.


    "Lizardmen," Ludwig replied flatly.


    The word sent a ripple of shock through the group. Kassandra''s face turned pale, and several others exchanged panicked glances.


    "Lizardmen?" Kassandra repeated, her voice rising. "We can''t fight those things! They''ll tear us apart!"


    Her words hit the group like a physical blow. Nervous whispers broke out, the fear in their voices unmistakable.


    Ludwig grimaced when she mentioned the last part, there were two reasons, the first, she caused full panic to ensue in the party, and the second reason was that she was right. Not because Ludwig knew or had any knowledge of Lizardmen after all he barely read about a few species of this world, and the Lizardmen weren''t a part of that category.


    But from what he knew from his former world, these were basically one of the strong early mobs that all the heroes of his favorite novels fought against.


    ''To think that my start wouldn''t be something like a rat, or a goblin, hell even a kobold would have been fine, but lizardmen are more dangerous¡­'' he cursed inwardly.


    "Calm down," Ludwig said firmly, raising his voice to cut through the noise. "We''re not royally fucked¡ªyet."


    "Yet?" someone echoed, their voice trembling.


    Ludwig sighed, gesturing back to the claw marks. "From the looks of things, this claw mark is very old, it''s probably to set up a territory of sorts. If we''re to consider animalistic and territorial nature, they would need to regularly carve these marks, but since this bark is almost healed up, either the lizardmen are not here anymore, or are in hibernation,"


    "That''s just a hypothesis," Kassandra countered, crossing her arms.


    "It''s the best I''ve got," Ludwig shot back. "And unless you have a better idea, we need to keep moving."


    He motioned for Kassandra "A word," he muttered. She followed him as they stepped away from the group.


    "What is it?" she asked, irritation flashing in her eyes.


    Ludwig rubbed the bridge of his nose.


    "Are you autistic?" he asked.


    "Autistic? What is that?" she asked.


    "I''m not trying to insult you, or anything, but my guess about the situation is as good as yours. You speaking your mind every time causes nothing but anxiety, sometimes it''s good to keep quiet even if you know stuff beforehand, I get that you''re smart, but you need to know when to hold back. Blurting out every thought isn''t helping¡ªit''s scaring them."


    Kassandra bristled. "I wasn''t trying to scare anyone. I just thought¡ª"


    "I know, I brought you here to keep this between us. Remember, we''re all in the same boat, and they," Ludwig hinted with his head, "Don''t know what to do. I didn''t take the role of a leader because I wanted to, but if I didn''t we''d all probably meet a grim end here. The least I could ask of you is to support me until we''re out of this situation. So please, if you figure something out, you can simply tell me in private Can we agree on that?"


    She hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. "Fine. But if things go south¡ª"


    "Then you''re free to speak up," Ludwig assured her. "Just¡­ don''t undermine me unless it''s absolutely necessary. Deal?"


    "Deal," she muttered, glancing back at the group. "You''re more charismatic than I thought. Maybe this leadership thing suits you."


    With that, she rejoined the others, leaving Ludwig to exhale slowly. He drew his ceremonial sword, its dull edge offering little comfort. Lizardmen were supposed to have tough, scaly hides, and some even wielded weapons.


    "We''ll rest here for now," Ludwig announced. "Then we''ll keep moving east. Stay sharp."


    "Uh¡­ I don''t think resting is an option anymore," Hoyo said, his voice trembling.


    Ludwig turned, his eyes widening at the sight before him.


    It loomed over them, an imposing figure at four meters tall, easily doubling the height of an average man. Its broad, muscular frame seemed carved from stone, each movement radiating a quiet, lethal power. Blue scales covered its body, catching what little light filtered through the canopy and glinting like polished armor. The rough texture of its hide hinted at years of survival and countless battles. A crude loincloth hung low around its waist, the only semblance of modesty, though its intimidating presence left no room for frivolous details.


    A necklace of jagged fangs hung around its thick neck, each tooth worn and weathered, likely taken from prey or rivals. Adornments of bone and claw wrapped around its forearms, marking it as more than just a beast¡ªa creature with purpose and ritual. Its grip tightened around a massive spear, almost as long as the creature itself. The dark wood of the shaft looked heavy and reinforced, while the sharp tip gleamed faintly, clearly designed for a single purpose: to kill. Behind it, a thick tail shifted slowly, its deliberate sway showing restraint like a coiled spring waiting for the right moment to unleash its power.


    Its eyes, two piercing orange slits, scanned the group with an unnerving calm. The black pupils contracted slightly as they moved over each person, cold and calculating. Occasionally, a translucent film slid sideways across its eyes, a strange, alien blink that added to the growing tension. It wasn''t just looking¡ªit was assessing as if deciding who among them might be worth the effort of hunting.


    Ludwig''s eyes darted across the creature''s form, taking in every detail with sharp focus. His mind raced, but his body froze for just a moment. He could tell, even from this brief encounter, that this wasn''t an ordinary lizardman¡ªit was something far more dangerous.


    "How the fuck is this a lizardman?" Ludwig muttered, gripping his sword tighter.

 Chapter 45 Champion

    [Forest Lizardman Champion]Level: 25


    Damage: 80¨C100


    HP: 2,500


    Tier: Rare


    Status Effects:


    ? {Curse of Weakness}: All offensive and defensive stats reduced by 60%.


    ? {Daylight}: Lower visibility in daylight, but a slight increase in reaction speed.


    Skills:


    ? Passive: [Thermal Vision]: Detects all heat sources and differentiates them from the environment.


    ? Passive: [Stomach Half Full]: Becomes stronger the hungrier it is; fullness leads to sluggishness.


    ? Passive: [Claws & Jaws]: All damage inflicted by claws or jaws applies stacking bleeding damage.


    Addendum:


    Lizardmen are a reptilian race sharing only distant similarities with their draconic cousins. Having devolved over millennia, they lack the mystical powers of true dragons. However, as supreme hunters under the cover of darkness, they remain a formidable threat. Rarely active during daylight, they rely on thermal vision and instinct to survive.


    ****


    The hulking lizardman towered over Ludwig and his group, an apex predator even under the blinding disadvantage of daylight. Its massive, muscular frame rippled under its scaly blue skin, each movement exuding raw power.


    Its orange eyes, narrow and slitted, scanned the group with an unnerving calmness, occasionally obscured by a translucent film that slid sideways¡ªa predator''s blink, alien and efficient. It tilted its head, the sharp, predatory movements further unsettling the already terrified students.


    Ludwig crouched low, his mind racing as the monster sniffed the air, searching. Slowly, his hand reached for a rock. His every movement was calculated and deliberate, a stark contrast to the visible panic spreading through the group. In one fluid motion, he hurled the stone toward a tree.


    The impact resounded through the silent forest.


    The lizardman''s head snapped toward the sound, its reaction lightning-quick. Without hesitation, its massive claws lashed out, tearing into the tree''s trunk with such force that the wood splintered and cracked. The ancient tree groaned under its weight before toppling with a thunderous crash. Birds scattered into the air, their frightened cries echoing through the dense canopy.


    "Don''t make a sound!" Ludwig hissed, his voice sharp and commanding.


    The group froze, snapping out of their paralysis. They moved with careful precision, following Ludwig''s lead as they backed away. The lizardman snarled, sniffing the air as its head twisted erratically, searching for heat signatures.


    It was blind in the daylight.


    The creature''s inability to pinpoint them emboldened Ludwig''s next decision. He gestured for the group to continue retreating as quietly as possible. But before they could move far, a distant explosion shattered the tense silence, drawing the lizardman''s attention.


    With a guttural hiss, it strapped its spear to its back and dropped to all fours. The sudden shift in posture made it even more menacing as it lunged forward, its powerful limbs propelling it through the forest. Small trees and thick bushes were crushed under its weight, while larger obstacles were skillfully avoided. Within seconds, it vanished from sight, leaving behind only a trail of broken foliage.


    The students collapsed to the ground, their faces pale and glistening with sweat. Fear clung to them like a second skin.


    "We''re not supposed to fight that, are we?" one student stammered, his voice quivering.


    "The teacher is insane!" another cried. "No one can fight that thing! We''ll all die here!"


    "I want to go home!"


    Ludwig''s sharp voice cut through their panic. "Crying won''t change anything. Man the fuck up."


    A few students flinched at his tone. He sighed, glancing at Kassandra, who raised an eyebrow. "Or woman up," he amended, though his irritation was still evident. "Look, it''s not unbeatable. Did you see how it acted? It wasn''t even aware we were right in front of it."


    "What do you mean?" Hoyo asked, his voice still trembling.


    "It''s blind in the daylight," Ludwig explained, straightening up. "It relies on thermal vision. That''s why it struggled to locate us."


    Kassandra nodded, catching on. "That''s why you threw the rock. You distracted it with sound."


    "Exactly. And I think we owe our noble ''friends'' for the explosion. It distracted it long enough for us to escape." S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Wait, so there are more of those things?" another student asked, panic creeping back into their voice.


    Ludwig shook his head, "I doubt it, but it''s not good to be careless." his head. He couldn''t tell them that what they just saw now was actually a Champion of Lizardmen because that was information that was only available to him via the Status Screen. Yet he couldn''t fully confirm or deny it.


    Ludwig wasn''t sure if the tribe of lizardmen should have Only one Champion and a Queen. Since they seem to have met the champion first, what was the other group fighting?


    Perhaps other lizardmen, or another champion? But definitely not the queen, right?


    Because the notification at the start of this dungeon mentioned that the Queen exists further north of here.


    "What''s the plan?" Kassandra asked, her voice steady despite the tension.


    Ludwig''s gaze shifted toward the rising smoke and dust from the explosion. "We head east. I want to see what the nobles are dealing with."


    ****


    "HURRY UP!" Bron shouted as he waved his wand, "Flame Arrow!"


    A long concentrated and condensed magic stream began spiraling in front of Bron''s wand, but before he could cast the spell, several fist-sized rocks flew toward him.


    "Torrent!" Minerva called, calling a powerful wind that stopped a few of the rocks but failed to fully block one that hit Bron right in the arm. With his focus disrupted the spell broke and his eyes bulged along with his moth spitting out a blob of blood from the backlash.


    Bron cursed as he drank yet again the vial as he threw the empty glass next to three already emptied-out vials.


    Several of the other students were panicking, whenever they tried to cast magic they''d be assaulted with hails of rocks and spears. But thankfully the spears were too slow and too weak for them to do any damage to the nobles. Most of them were either skillful enough to dodge or had good enough enchantment on their robes to protect them from any sort of fatal damage.


    "Why are we still here BRON?!" Minerva roared out. The nobles were all in a panic as they tried to run away, one of them had already been captured by these creatures.


    Bron cursed inwardly, realizing that one of his objectives wasn''t going to be met if he kept on fighting here, the nobles were strong but not mentally strong enough to fight against lizardmen who were fighting back.


    Though these things which were slightly taller than a human, with a sinewy frame and thin but shredded muscles were fast, they were still lizardmen, weak during the day and were already exhausted. If the group of commoners were to meet even one of these little things they''d die out, but apparently the unlucky ones were Bron''s group as they were being chased by three lizardmen.


    "Fall back, we''ll head toward the exit, this is just a waste of time," Bron shouted.


    "What about Maverick!" one of the Nobles said.


    "It''s not the time to argue! if you want to save him go after him yourself!" Bron roared back, after all Maverick was nothing but a Baron''s son, nobility was new to him and for the son of a Duke, a baron was no better than a commoner and wasn''t worth the hassle nor the reward for going out of his way to save him.


    The group followed after Minerva and Bron as they continued using their magic without spare against them.


    Minerva seemed to notice something, however, "Don''t use Fire Magic!" she shouted.


    "Why?" Bron asked as he was about to prepare another fireball.


    "Whenever anyone used fire magic he became the target, you can see that their aim is incredibly bad and only gets better when someone uses fire magic, I think they have thermal sight," she said.


    This was true, after all ,Bron had already been ''briefed'' before about this but he seemed to have forgotten about that, he never thought that it would be relevant.


    "Right, switch to other elemental and Hex magic, even if its weaker, but keep backing away, the exit is only a bit ahead!" he said as he continued moving back.


    The group of nobles finally found some semblance of order as they began to gather around and follow orders while defending themselves by any means.


    Though he couldn''t obtain the ''special'' item that the teacher he bribed had left him in the forest, just leaving the dungeon by touching the flag could be considered a pass. As for Maverick, the teacher had already said that death isn''t uncommon in the Black Tower academy.


    Bron thought for a second about the group of students that had gone to ''scout'' and seeing the current situation, they too had no luck. Though this might not have been a full success, at least those guys are dead by now.


    "Keep moving!" Bron roared as he headed further and further east while the three lizardmen struggled to chase after the group that was wantonly throwing magic at them.


    "THE FLAG! I SEE IT!" Minerva shouted as they were able to see the flag in the distance. And just as they got to the clearing where a red flag was embedded on a large boulder, something seemed to emerge from the side of the clearing, a hulking mass of murder, a lizardman that was at least twice the size of the ones that were chasing after them and it simply bulldozed its way toward the group, crushing the flag in its wake as it lunged at Bron with a mouth open so wide it could swallow him in one bite.

 Chapter 46 First Blood

    Ludwig glanced back at the group trudging behind him. Sweat poured down their faces, and their labored breathing echoed faintly through the forest. He had deliberately slowed his pace, yet the gap between him and the others continued to grow."I''m really trying my best to slow down, guys," Ludwig said, exhaling sharply. Despite his best efforts, his natural stride and stamina carried him ahead effortlessly.


    Hoyo, lagging at the rear, bent forward with his hands on his knees, gasping for breath. "How about¡­" he started, his words clipped by panting, "you go on ahead of us."


    "I don''t think that''s wise," Kassandra interjected, her voice calm but firm. Her sharp eyes scanned the dense forest as they moved. "We''re better off staying together. Besides¡­" She trailed off, pointing toward the forest floor ahead. "Look over there. I think we''re close to the others."


    The group''s collective attention turned to the area she indicated. The ground was a tapestry of destruction¡ªtrees scorched and splintered, patches of earth torn apart, and a broken spear lying abandoned amidst claw marks in the dirt. The air here felt heavier, laced with a faint metallic tang that suggested blood had recently soaked the ground.


    "They had a fight here," muttered one of the students, a hint of fear creeping into their tone. "Looks like they fought that big guy we saw earlier."


    Ludwig crouched near the broken spear, examining its design and size. He shook his head. "I doubt it. The spear''s too short for that behemoth we saw before. And look at this footprint." He gestured to a depression in the muddy ground. "It''s lizardman, but much smaller. Definitely not that guy."


    "That''s¡­ decent news," Kassandra said, her words carrying a cautious optimism.


    Hoyo groaned, throwing his hands in the air. "What''s decent about knowing we''ve got more enemies instead of just one?"


    "The fact that it means not all lizardmen are like that," Kassandra replied, emphasizing her point with a nod in the direction of the smaller footprint. "That ''THING'' was an outlier, not the norm. If we were up against a horde of creatures that size, we''d already be dead."


    "Fair point," Ludwig said, standing up and brushing dirt off his knees. "Not good news, but decent. Let''s keep moving east." He adjusted his sword''s hilt, its familiar weight a reassuring presence at his side.


    The group pressed onward, their footsteps quieter now as unease settled over them. The distant sounds of battle¡ªmetal clashing against scales, shouts cutting through the air¡ªhad ceased some time ago, leaving an unsettling silence in their wake. Ludwig''s unease grew with each passing moment. Silence could mean victory, but it could just as easily mean total annihilation.


    His mind churned with possibilities. The Academy couldn''t possibly have sent them into a situation designed for failure, could they? It seemed unlikely¡ªthere had to be a way through this, a lesson to be learned. Still, the sudden hush nagged at his thoughts like a splinter lodged deep under his skin.


    Suddenly, the underbrush to their right shuddered violently. Ludwig''s hand flew to his sword, the rest of the group freezing in place. Time seemed to stretch as a charred figure stumbled into view.


    It was a lizardman, its body a testament to the battle it had barely survived. Scales blackened and cracked from fire, blood oozing from countless gashes. Its right arm hung useless at its side, while its left clutched a splintered spear, the wood dark with dried blood. Its reptilian eyes, milky and unfocused, scanned the area as it limped forward. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig raised his hand in a sharp motion, signaling the group to stay silent. His eyes locked on the creature as he calculated its next move. It hadn''t noticed them yet, its gait slow and uneven as it pushed through the foliage.


    Then, predictably, someone in the group screamed.


    The sound shattered the stillness like glass, and the lizardman''s head snapped toward the group. A guttural hiss tore from its throat as it hurled its spear toward the source of the noise.


    "Shit!" Ludwig cursed under his breath, his body reacting faster than his mind. The short sword in his hand blurred as he swung it in an arc. The blade met the spear mid-flight with a metallic clang, splintering it into two harmless pieces that clattered to the ground.


    The lizardman roared, its injured frame lurching forward with surprising speed. It charged toward the screaming student, oblivious to Ludwig, who had already shifted into its path.


    Barely days of training flooded Ludwig''s mind. He tightened his grip on the short sword, assessing the situation with cold precision. The Imperial Style, with its heavy, sweeping strikes, was useless here¡ªhis current weapon lacked the weight and reach to execute its techniques effectively.


    But Ludwig had learned adaptability. He adjusted his stance, drawing from the style''s foundation and modifying it to fit his circumstances. The second half of the Forceful Stomp flashed through his memory: a forward thrust, precise and devastating.


    The lizardman closed the gap in a heartbeat, but Ludwig was faster. His blade plunged forward, piercing its chest with a sickening crunch.


    [Critical!]


    [You have slain a Lizardman!]


    [You gained one Wayward Soul.]


    Blood sprayed across Ludwig''s face, the warmth and metallic smell triggering a visceral reaction deep within him. He staggered slightly, his mind reeling even as his body moved on instinct. He wrenched the blade free, and the lizardman crumpled to the ground in a lifeless heap.


    Ludwig turned to face the group, his expression hard. "This was a lucky kill," he said, his voice sharp and biting. "Next time, keep quiet. If you can''t manage that, stay here. I won''t let your incompetence get us all killed."


    The student who had screamed looked away, shame painting their face crimson. No one else spoke; the tension in the air was suffocating.


    Without waiting for a reply, Ludwig sheathed his blade and started walking again. The blood clinging to his skin was an annoyance, but he didn''t bother wiping it away. There were more pressing matters at hand.


    Especially the notification that flashed before his eyes.


    {Wayward Soul: A soul without sentience that has claimed many lives. Valued as 10 souls, it is the second-lowest Soul Rank.}


    Ludwig''s gaze shifted to the Lantern. A small orb now orbited the ghostly figure, its faint glow a grim reminder of the life he had just taken. It had joined Thomas, making for a grim companion in a lonely place.


    "So, souls have ranks," Ludwig muttered, piecing the information together. "Figures. Not all lives are equal. The lizardman claimed more lives than Thomas ever did. Makes sense its soul would be worth more."


    A new notification appeared:


    {+1 Wisdom.}


    Ludwig raised an eyebrow, his pace slowing as he processed the message. The added stat confirmed his suspicions: this dungeon wasn''t just a trial of survival¡ªit was a crucible for growth.

 Chapter 47 Echoes of Leadership

    The group moved in tense silence, their footsteps crunching softly against the forest floor. The weight of Ludwig''s rebuke lingered, a heavy cloud of unspoken guilt. Even Kassandra, usually quick with a quip to lighten the mood, remained quiet.Despite the grim atmosphere, Ludwig''s mind raced. The lizardman''s death had given him more than just a Wayward Soul¡ªit had revealed the dungeon''s deeper mechanics. If souls could be ranked and used to enhance his abilities, then every battle wasn''t just survival; it was an opportunity. The realization felt both exhilarating and grim, like a secret whispered by the dungeon itself.


    As they pushed further east, the dense trees began to thin, giving way to a wide clearing. Ludwig''s sharp eyes quickly took in the scene before him, and his breath caught in his throat.


    The clearing was a war zone.


    Bodies lay scattered across the ground, none dead for some reason but most moaning in pain. Blood soaked the dirt in dark patches, didn''t look like it was human, at least mostly, and the air was thick with the iron tang of spilled life. Several lizardman corpses, their twisted forms sprawled in grotesque angles, were mingled among the injured students. Broken spears and shattered shields littered the area like discarded debris.


    In the center of the carnage stood the remains of a flagpole, the banner once mounted there now tattered and stained. It lay crumpled on the ground, a stark reminder of their predicament. The flag¡ªan emblem of safety and escape¡ªwas no longer flying.


    A noblewoman knelt near one of the injured students, her hands glowing with a soft green light as she channeled healing magic into his wounds. Her face was pale, her hair plastered to her forehead with sweat. It was clear she''d been working tirelessly, but her efforts weren''t enough to undo the damage, but enough to lessen it.


    "Look who finally decided to show up," a familiar voice sneered.


    Ludwig turned to see Bron, his face twisted in anger. He was leaning against a tree trunk for support, his torn clothing exposing bruises and gashes across his body. A makeshift bloodied bandana covered his forehead.


    "What happened?" Ludwig asked, his voice calm despite the rising tension.


    "What happened?" Bron repeated, his words dripping with sarcasm. "While you were off playing scout, this happened! We were out here fighting for our lives while you strolled around doing nothing!"


    Ludwig''s group bristled at the accusation, but Ludwig held up a hand to silence them. His eyes narrowed as he surveyed the scene, his mind working through the pieces.


    "I don''t know what you''re so mad about," Kassandra said, stepping forward with a defiant glare. "We were doing exactly what we were supposed to¡ªscouting. If you got yourselves into this mess, that''s on you."


    "This mess?" Bron snapped, pushing off the tree and staggering toward them. "You think this is just a mess? We were ambushed! While you were out wandering around, we were out here, bleeding and dying!"


    Ludwig''s patience thinned as he took a step forward, his expression unreadable. "We scouted ahead, like we agreed," he said evenly. "But it looks like you didn''t hold up your end of the deal. You left the position we agreed on. Why?"


    Bron faltered, his mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air. "We¡ª"


    "You rushed ahead," Ludwig continued, his voice hardening. "You made a scene. You attracted every lizardman in the area. And now, you''re blaming us for your stupidity."


    "You little¡ª!" Bron snarled, his hand flying to his wand. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig didn''t flinch. He took another step forward, his voice lowering into a cold, steely tone. "What are you going to do, Bron? Attack me? Then what? You''ll be down one more ally. But go ahead¡ªprove to everyone here how good of a leader you are. You couldn''t protect anyone even with your superior ''firepower''."


    Bron froze, his hand trembling as he gripped the wand.


    "Enough!" a noblewoman with golden hair shouted, her voice cutting through the tension. She stepped between the two of them, her expression exasperated. "We don''t have time for this. The flag is down, that thing is still out there, and it is not alone."


    Ludwig turned to her, his gaze steady. "And what''s your plan?" he said mockingly.


    She hesitated, glancing around at the injured students. "We wait," she said finally. "The teachers will come. They have to."


    "Do they?" Ludwig asked, tilting his head. "What if this is part of the test? What if they want us to figure it out on our own? You think they''ll swoop in and save us because we''re hurt? Think again. This is the Black Tower Academy. You''re not here to be coddled. You''re here to survive."


    Ludwig did a quick headcount, "Also, two of you guys are missing, and I don''t see their bodies... I can give a rough guess, either dead or kidnapped, both should require the attention of a teacher or the intervention of, none happened though," he said to female student. "But there should be another way out."


    "We don''t have a way out!" Bron shouted, his voice cracking under the weight of his frustration. "The flag is the only way, and it''s down! What would a commoner like you know about any of this?"


    Ludwig''s eyes narrowed, his voice dropping to a dangerous calm. "This is a dungeon," he said slowly. "And what do you do in a dungeon?"


    Bron stared at him, his anger giving way to confusion.


    "You kill the boss," Ludwig said simply.


    A ripple of uncertainty passed through the group.


    "That''s insane," Bron muttered, shaking his head. "You didn''t see it. That thing is unkillable. If it weren''t for an artifact I had, we''d all be dead. You don''t know what it''s capable of."


    "I know enough, after all, we met it before you, and look at my group, they''re all safe and sound" Ludwig countered. "It''s blind during the day. It tracks by sound. You brought it here with your noise. If you''d stayed quiet, it wouldn''t have found you."


    Bron opened his mouth, then closed it again, the truth of Ludwig''s words cutting deeper than any blade.


    "And what''s your plan now?" Ludwig continued, his voice unwavering. "Sit here and wait for rescue? Hope the lizardmen don''t find you before the sun sets? Because if you think it''s bad now, imagine what happens when they can see you. they''re cold blooded reptilians, they''re blind as a bat during the day, but at night, they''ll have better vision than any of us."


    The sun hung low in the sky, its light casting long shadows across the clearing. Ludwig''s words settled heavily over the group, the implications too grim to ignore.


    Kassandra placed a hand on Ludwig''s shoulder, her touch grounding him. "What are you going to do?" she asked softly.


    Ludwig glanced at her, then at the rest of the group. "What I always do," he said with a shrug. "I''ll find a way out."


    He turned and started walking toward the edge of the clearing.


    "Where are you going?" Hoyo called after him.


    "To clear this dungeon," Ludwig said without looking back. "With or without your help."

 Chapter 48 A Daring Plan

    The notification was clear in front of Ludwig.[Would you like to use 1 {Wayward Soul}?]


    ''Yes''


    [You have obtained 10 souls.]


    [Which stats would you like to increase?]


    ''Use nine souls to increase strength,''


    [Your strength has been increased by 8 points.]


    [You have reached 30 in strength]


    [You need to use two souls per each level up from now on.]


    [Would you like to use, X2 {Piece of a Wayward Soul}to increase your strength to 31?]


    Ludwig thought about it but refrained from doing so, if he were to do that, he''ll end up with only Vondel''s soul in his lantern, if he were to die, then vondel''s soul will be used up.


    Ludwig knew for sure that he had nothing crazy to worry about, after all, even if he were to die, the lantern will bring him back in time enough that he could even change the whole outcome of this dungeon venture. But he needed the assurance so he didn''t use them.


    [You have leveled up!]


    ''Status Screen'' Ludwig muttered.


    ***


    ''Status Screen'' Ludwig muttered.


    Race: Skeleton


    Soul Level: 2


    Health: 100/100


    Stamina: Infinite


    Mana: 100/100


    Wisdom: 11


    Charisma: 20


    Strength: 30


    Dexterity: 10


    Vigor: 10


    Luck: 15


    Class: Skeleton Grunt


    Title: Apostle of Death


    Skills: [Trace] [Basic Undead Summon Sigil]


    Passives: Basic Swordsmanship ¨C Undead Resolve ¨C [Blessed Body]


    Overt Genius: Increased proficiency in all sorts of masteries.


    ***


    Ludwig tightened the grip on his hand and felt that he had become somewhat stronger. He thought the growth was negligible but it was an improvement anyways.


    "Where are you heading man?" Hoyo asked, intrigued by Ludwig''s words from earlier.


    "I have an inkling on where their base is, I''ll go there and check things out, you guys should stick together," Ludwig said as he looked around, the nobles seemed adamant on not doing anything and waiting for the teachers to come in, while the commoners were worried that if they do or try anything they''ll be reprimanded by the nobles.


    "I''ll come with you," Hoyo said.


    "Don''t, it''s too risky," Ludwig said, not because he was confident in clearing this dungeon or killing the boss, but Hoyo''s stamina was too low for it to be of any use and Ludwig didn''t need anyone to interfere with his scouting mission.


    "But what about you? If it''s risky for me." Hoyo asked.


    "I can defend myself," Ludwig said as he showed the glint of the sword under his robes, "You clearly can''t, you''re too slow, and have shitty stamina."


    "Just leave him, though I think you''re all the same at least you were once a noble, don''t waste your time with that fool, or you''ll end up dead," Bron said.


    Hoyo''s expressions soured and he was about to retort, "Don''t give them a reason to put pressure on you, just go back and stay with Kassandra, also I''d recommend you guys don''t light up any fires for the night," he said.


    "Why?" Kassandra who was closely asked.


    "Remember, we don''t know the terrain and the Lizardmen lived here most if not all their lives, they also have better vision during the night, and I might even add that it''s not just superior sight, but more like heat detection. If you light up a fire it''ll attract them."


    Ludwig hunched down and began grabbing some soggy mud from the ground and smearing it all over his body.


    "What are you doing?" Hoyo asked.


    "What do you think? I''m using mud to lower my body''s temperature," he said though he didn''t need to, after all he was an undead. But this was the only thing he could do to help them. If they were to understand his intentions and do the same they''ll survive the night.


    The nobles however seemed too disgusted and even laughed at Ludwig''s antics.


    "Don''t let stupid notions like shame or foolish honor blind you, death is mean and unforgiving." Ludwig said as he continued applying the mud all over his body and clothes until not a single spot was clean.


    Kassandra immediately dropped down and began doing the same. Ludwig smiled, ''at least she is sensible,''


    Hoyo, encouraged by her also did the same, while a few of the commoners refused the majority also began doing the same and helping each other apply the mud.


    "Stay close to the ground and don''t get near any fires, it will be cold tonight but mere cold won''t kill you," Ludwig said as he stood up and headed down the area they were at.


    He soon left the clearing amidst the mockery of the nobles.


    ''Though it is a bit unfortunate, seems like these guys will serve as a great distraction for me,'' Ludwig thought as he began trekking his way to the north.


    Once the night drops, which seemed to be in less than a couple hours, the fire that the nobles were setting will look like a beacon to all the lizardmen. It will draw a good portion of them toward the camp, and Ludwig can use that time when the defenses are weak to investigate the boss if he were to find her.


    Time went by as Ludwig continued marching through the forest, and soon happened upon a small canyon ledge that peered over a lake surrounded by large trees and a wide and tall cave.


    The sky began darkening giving an eerie atmosphere to the whole place.


    Ludwig immediately ducked under once he noticed the presence of lizardmen around the lake.


    Ludwig had only inspected the Champion and didn''t have the time to inspect the normal lizardman he met earlier today.


    [Inspect]


    [Forest Lizardman]


    Level 11


    Damage 20-30


    HP: 500


    Tier: Common


    Status effect: {Curse of Weakness} All offensive stats and defensive stats have been reduced by 60%


    Status Effect: {Night Time} Increase visibility at night, but lowers reaction speed and attention.


    Skills:


    Passive: [Lesser Thermal Vision] can detect most sources of heat and recognize bodies that emit it.


    Passive: [Stomach Half Full] the hungrier the lizardmen race become the stronger they are, the fuller they are the lazier they get and more sluggish they become.


    Passive: [Claws & Jaws] all damage dealt by the Lizardman''s claws and jaws deal bleeding overtime damage that is stackable. Each cut increases the blood loss of the target twice.


    Flavor Text:


    Forest Lizardmen are the weakest of their kind, they struggle to survive in forest biomes, though they are superior to goblins, they are far lesser in numerical power. They share the bottom of the food chain when it comes to forest monsters alongside goblins and kobolds. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ***


    Ludwig noticed that the description was slightly different from that of the Champion. They do have lesser health and a lower level, but also their visibility is much weaker than that of their Champion.


    There were about ten or so of them, two were resting with their back against the cave''s entrance while the rest were either loitering around or swimming casually in the lake.


    On the far side of the lake there was a square shaped prison made entirely of felled trees and ropes. Two students lay unconscious there.


    ''Must be the guys that got kidnapped, they''re lucky they''re still alive.''


    The ground shuddered as the Champion Lizardmen exited the cave, it sniffed at the air and soon let out a loud hiss that gathered the attention of all of the lizardmen.


    Ludwig paid attention to see what''s going on, and soon a smaller softer skinned lizardman appeared, small in comparison to the hulking four meter tall champion, but she was quite bigger than the other lizardmen.


    Once she got out, she locked her tail with the champion as if trying to drag him back to the cave.


    Ludwig inspected her.


    [Lizardmen Queen]


    Level 20


    HP: 2,000


    Damage 1-2


    Tier: Rare {Boss}


    Status effect: {Curse of Weakness} All offensive stats and defensive stats have been reduced by 60%


    Status Effect: {Night Time} Increase visibility at night, but lowers reaction speed and attention.


    Status Effect: {In Heat} the Queen is ready for mating, but requires a greater source of food to create powerful offspring.


    Status Effect: {Pacifist} the Queen is completely vulnerable to attacks and usually hides behind her kin.


    Skill: [Cry for Help] once the skill is used all the Lizardmen in the vicinity will come to her aid regardless of what they are doing. Cooldown 1 Day


    Skill: [Instigate] Once applied on lizardmen their offensive stats will double and they''ll discard all negative effects. They will also enter [Frenzy] which increases their pain tolerance to the maximum. Cooldown 1 Day


    Skill: [Reproduction] once the Queen uses this skill, she enters hibernation, and triple her defensive values. After the skill duration ends several lizardmen will be born to join the army.


    Cooldown 6 months.


    Addendum:


    The Forest Lizardmen Queen is a passive creature that cannot fight and is always on the run, the most cowardly of all Forest lizardmen, though she is cowardly she is very sturdy, enough that she can always call for others to help her out when she is in trouble.


    ***


    Ludwig thought for a second after he read through the Queen''s status screen and info


    ''This won''t be easy,'' he muttered to himself


    ''With all those guards, and that Champion here, getting even close to her would be a miracle, not to mention killing her, the moment she is even harmed she''ll call everyone here I''d be lucky to have bones for remains after they''re done. Oh wait, I''m already bones¡­''


    Ludwig laughed at himself for such an absurd statement, after all what can one do but laugh against these odds?

 Chapter 49 Stealth Mission

    Ludwig began thinking up a plan on how to proceed, but regardless of what he does, he cannot move as long as the champion is still inside the lizardmen base. He kept his eyes peeled to see if he could find any more advantages.For now, he was standing on top of a small cliff overlooking the entirety of the lake, it wasn''t steep enough to be any risky and was just high enough that he couldn''t be spotted. It will take him about ten seconds to climb down, but what next?


    From his left side, he could go all the way down behind the brushes and get to the two captured students. But he couldn''t set them free immediately, since they had heat signatures of their own, they''ll be easy prey. Ludwig, being a cold dead skeleton didn''t have any, and it was the closest thing to stealth and invisibility he could get against these Lizardmen.


    As for the cave, the two, champion and the queen who seemed to want to have some more private time together. Well, at least the female Lizardman was, the Champion was unmoving in front of all her attempts to drag him back to produce more lizardmen, but his gaze was focused on the horizon that just turned fully dark.


    The champion hissed more times and shoved the Queen away, he pulled up his spear from right next to the cave and howled almost, a mix of a screech and hiss with a deeper tone.


    The lizardmen around him all stood up, their gait slow and steady, and their eyes focused on the champion who hissed one last time and then bolted forward.


    Of the ten or so lizardmen, eight of them rushed behind the champion, leaving only two lizardmen who stood guard around the desolate looking base.


    ''Good,'' Ludwig thought, but that was only for his personal situation. After all the direction the champion was heading to was the base of the nobles.


    Ludwig deep down didn''t want useless harm to happen upon the students, especially the group that was with him. But he couldn''t be too magnanimous and empathetic towards them. They refused to listen to him, and now they''ll reap what they sow.


    ''Sometimes having this non-emotion thing works.'' Ludwig thought.


    He knew, that he ''needed'' to feel something for his classmates being decimated by monsters. But no matter how he tried, he just couldn''t help it. There was nothing in his heart, though he had no heart.


    Ludwig began enacting his plan, which was pretty simple, he immediately ran down the cliff making sure to be as quiet and stealthy as possible.


    [You gained {Low Presence}]


    The notification scared Ludwig as it popped out of nowhere.


    He quickly glanced at its content.


    [{Low Presence} passively decrease your presence and lowers the attention of all entities in your immediat surrounding of yourself.


    ''Usable,'' Ludwig muttered, though it wasn''t a [Stealth] skill, it was still a good thing to have, and was useful in this situation.


    Ludwig had reached the ground level and was right behind a low bush, the two lizardmen had been doing small walks to survey the surrounding, but they didn''t venture too far off the cave. At least they didn''t approach the side with the prisoners.


    Ludwig glanced their way, they were awake now, seems like the cry of the Champion. They were trying to find a way out but the cage they were stuck in looked too sturdy to break. The two of them were also tightly bound with ropes.


    Ludwig approached the cave stealthily, making sure to keep his eyes peeled for all and any dumb clich¨¦ twigs and crusty tree leaves that create too much noise. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Once he reached the cage, "Hey."


    The two students were startled but they didn''t cry out or anything.


    "What are you doing here?" one of them asked, she was a short-haired girl, who looked to be about the same age as Ludwig, she had a gash on her thigh that was covered with some makeshift bandages.


    The other person was a frail-looking noble who seemed too terrified to speak.


    "You''re the scout guy, also what''s up with that mud all over you?" she said.


    "Yes, I''ll tell you in a bit, but keep your voice down, tell me why didn''t you get out?" Ludwig asked.


    "How?" she asked.


    "Well, did you forget that you''re a student of the Black Tower Academy? You could have set this cage on fire¡­"


    "Yeah, we tried that, and this is the reward," she pointed at her thigh, "They hate fire." She said.


    ''More like it makes them blind because it''s bright.''


    "Right, come closer, let me remove those ropes," Ludwig said as he brandished the ceremonial sword.


    "Then what, the cage is too tough to break, It''ll make too much noise," she said.


    "These logs are also bound by rope, all you need to do is cut it," Ludwig said as he separated the ropes by slicing through them with the sword.


    "Listen," Ludwig said as he pushed one of the logs making the cage to the side and leaving a small opening that they could crouch under and leave. "The lizardmen are basically blind unless you have a heat signature. So you see that bunch of mud there from the lake waters," Ludwig said as he pointed at a soggy-looking patch of dirt near the cage.


    "Cover yourselves in it, and don''t give me the ''I''m a noble'' I can''t do that, or talk about stupid dignity and shit, you''ll die if you don''t do it," Ludwig explained.


    "No point in crying about honor if all is left is bones, you heard him Tommy, we''ll use the mud, get dirty," the girl said, "What about you?" she asked.


    "Me? Oh I''ll go check on the boss and see what''s up, you guys need to lay low for the moment once you leave the cage the lizardmen will go on a frenzy trying to find you," Ludwig advised.


    "You''re using us as bait?" the frail-looking noble said.


    He wasn''t completely wrong, "You rather stay here then?"


    The boy stuttered but couldn''t find a reply.


    "Be a good lad and go after you camouflage yourself a bit," Ludwig peered over to the cave. The next part of this plan is going to be difficult.

 Chapter 50 On Edge

    The two lizardmen were thankfully not bothering with looking after the prisoners, this gave them enough time to finish smearing themselves in mud and soon extract themselves from the cage."I need you to do me a favor though," Ludwig said before the two left.


    "What is it?" the girl said.


    "I need you to make a small commotion after you escape, nothing too big that it will draw the other guys over, but just enough for these two to go and check it out," Ludwig said.


    "I told you, this commoner is trying to use us as bait!" Tommy''s face twisted into a sneer.


    Ludwig''s expression darkened. The ungrateful bastard was grating on his nerves. Just moments ago, Tommy had been a trembling wreck, desperately clinging to hope, and now he had the audacity to sneer and call Ludwig a "commoner" as if he weren''t the very reason Tommy was alive. For a fleeting moment, Ludwig considered grabbing Tommy by his collar and throwing him back into the cage. Let him see how long his noble blood could fend off a hungry lizardman. But Ludwig dismissed the thought. There wasn''t time for petty revenge¡ªnot yet, at least.


    "Shut up!" the girl said. Ludwig, was it?" she said. I don''t know about the commotion, but I have a slow-burning spell I can use it''ll blow up after half an hour. I''m currently injured, so I can''t run fast or far. You''re going to have to wait a bit for your opportunity," she said.


    "Good enough for me, also what''s your name? I never got to hear it," Ludwig said.


    "Talia, Talia Moor," she said.


    "Nice to meet you, Talia, now please, go on ahead I''ll be waiting," Ludwig said.


    The two crept into the shadows, their muddy forms blending with the surroundings. Ludwig watched them go, his fists clenching as Tommy skulked ahead without so much as offering Talia a hand to steady her injured leg.


    "Fucking waste of air," Ludwig muttered under his breath, shaking his head before turning back to the lizardmen.


    He couldn''t fully rely on the two to cause enough commotion, though it would be helpful he knew well that if they take too long, the Champion would probably come back earlier than expected.


    Of Ludwig''s personal abilities and skills, he didn''t have much to work with. He took another glance at all of his abilities and muttered, "I didn''t think it''ll come down to this."


    Glancing down at the dirt beneath his feet, Ludwig felt the reckless idea form in his mind. It was dangerous, untested, and could just as easily backfire as succeed. But it was his only option.


    "This is such a bad idea," he confirmed to himself. "But I don''t see another way."


    "Though I have no idea what might come out of this," he muttered, "But I hope it''s enough to cause issues. "Rise!" Ludwig said as he placed his palm on the ground.


    The mana in his body dipped down to almost nothing. And a massive sigil painted itself on the ground, spreading like black ink on paper, maleficent and horrid, the mana gathered and poured out into the ground.


    [Your mana level is critically low, you might fall {Unconscious}]


    [Since you are an undead, you cannot fall {Unconscious}]


    [You lack the understanding to summon a loyal undead]


    [Your Luck stat plays a role in easing the process of the summoning]


    [Your affiliation with Deus Necros further eases the process of the summoning]


    [You have called forth {Lizardman Zombie}]


    [Warning, your current Wisdom and Charisma are too low to control {Lizardman Zombie} he will consider you an enemy once he sees you]


    Ludwig was completely stupefied by what just happened, this was just a small attempt to see if he can create enough commotion, though he couldn''t use his mana for anything else, since he couldn''t use the [Fireball] spell as it will instantly reveal his position, his only thought was to try and use the undead summoning sigil, and apparently he succeeded in creating an undead.


    A clawed, rotting hand burst through the soil, followed by a grotesque body that clawed its way into existence. The creature was a sick parody of its former self, its flesh sloughing off in patches to reveal decaying muscle and broken bones. Red pinpricks of light burned in its empty eye sockets as it groaned and stumbled forward. which mixed frighteningly well with the atmosphere.


    He backed away from the creature that began groaning as it finalized its manifestation and pulled the attention of the two Lizardmen with it.


    Ludwig wanted to inspect it, but he feared that it would pull the Zombie''s aggro, as many people have already felt the use of [Inspect] on them. And honestly, it would serve him no use, this is nothing but a pile of rotten flesh and bones, all it would ever amount to was to act as a meat shield for the incoming lizardmen. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The two lizardmen rushed the zombie and Ludwig took the chance to go around the area, using the {Low Presence} passive he got earlier to pull through without being noticed.


    The sound of battle wasn''t too high, and the lizardmen only hissed at the Zombie and poked it around, the latter looked too slow and too confused to do anything, enough that Ludwig gave up on it.


    ''It''ll die soon I guess, but it bought me enough time,'' he said as he moved inside the cave.


    He didn''t know if there could still be more lizardmen inside, but seeing that no one came out of the cave besides the Lizardmen queen and the champion earlier, he braved the dangers and walked in.


    The cave was dark, but not enough to hamper an Undead''s sight, Ludwig''s vision was perfectly clear during both night and day and he could see the inside of the cave with ease. There was nothing worthy of note inside.


    The air inside was damp and heavy, carrying a faint metallic tang that set Ludwig on edge. Old bones and piles of hay littered the ground, the remnants of previous meals and crude bedding. Ornaments fashioned from teeth and claws hung from the walls, crude trophies that glinted faintly in the dim light.


    There was a slow and constant sound of breathing coming in from deeper in the cave. It seems that the Queen wasn''t the least bit worried or maybe didn''t even notice the skirmish happening outside, after all, she probably lived her entire life unworried about anything, as the entire tribe protected and sheltered her.


    Ludwig approached the deeper part of the cave slowly and just as he reached the end of the cave a notification popped up in front of him.


    [You gained 1 Wayward Soul]


    ''Huh?'' Ludwig frowned, how did that come to happen? He has yet to do anything.


    Then it hit him, ''Did the Zombie, that slow awkward thing, manage to kill a Lizardman?''


    Ludwig didn''t have the luxury of going out and inspecting things outside, he brandished his weapon and continued on with his approach, and once he saw the Queen lying on the ground he began enacting his plan.


    He already had an idea of what to do, and now with one lizardman gone, it should be easier.


    He removed his leather belt and slowly approached the sleeping Queen, once he was close enough to the latter, he jumped on the back of her neck.


    The sleeping queen immediately jerked her head up, and was about to scream but Ludwig had the belt ready and instantly hooked it around her mouth and tightened it.


    The queen panicked and tried to use her skills, but since her mouth was closed, she couldn''t [Cry for Help] and since there were no lizardmen nearby, she couldn''t use [Instigate].


    Ludwig rode on the back of the lizardmen Queen, pulling the belt with his left arm, and with a backhand grip on the ceremonial sword he jabbed it into her neck.


    [Critical!]


    [You caused Laceration onto {Forest Lizardmen Queen}]


    [ Laceration causes the target to lose 1% of maximum HP every second!]


    The Queen desperately tried to claw the leather belt away, but the moment her hand went toward it, Ludwig would yank the belt causing her arms to miss, and then send another stabbing hand onto her body.


    Sadly, the laceration effect only applied once


    But he still did damage.


    Ludwig used all of his strength to hold on to the back of the queen, stabbing as fast and as forcefully as he could, blood sprayed all over him and across the cave, as he continued to swing down his blade. More and more, and as much as he could, desperately clinging to the Queen with his boney thighs.


    The queen finding herself unable to get free, hurled her body toward the nearest wall. In his panic, Ludwig unlocked his legs and flung his body forward but didn''t let go of the belt.


    The queen slammed her back into the wall meeting nothing but rocks, and the falling Ludwig who still held the belt in his hand, yanked her back to the ground.


    The queen''s snout was then pinned as Ludwig stammered up and stomped it down with his foot, using all 30 points of his strength value, he stabbed once more. This time into one of her eyes. Ripping it in the process.


    Ludwig continued stabbing at the Queen, he knew he wasn''t doing any real damage, the sword itself seemed to chip and crack with every swing of his sword. if she could scream, she would be causing an uproar, all she could do was suffer in silence as her remaining eye was watering both blood and tears from the agony.


    A notification appeared in front of Ludwig.


    [You have obtained 1 wayward soul]


    Seeing that the queen was still ''breathing'' and mostly alive gave Ludwig a small shock, after all, that could only mean that the Zombie had killed the second lizardman. Only then did Ludwig regret not inspecting that Zombie, after all, it could have had some interesting perks, and if it killed two Lizardmen then its strong enough to be an issue once Ludwig leaves the cave.


    However, he was more worried about finishing this job. Once the Queen dies, who is the boss of this dungeon, they should be able to leave the area.


    Suddenly, a loud crash sound echoed outside the cave, enough that the cave itself vibrated a bit causing pebbles and some dust to fall.


    Ludwig had no idea what could cause such an impact, but a notification soon appeared in front of him to explain.


    [Your summoned {Lizardman Zombie} has perished]


    "I guess it died," Ludwig thought.


    Ludwig''s eyes shined blue as he inspected the Queen''s health bar.


    ***


    [Lizardmen Queen]


    Level 20


    HP:220/2000


    Damage: 1-2


    Tier: Rare: {Boss}


    Status Ailments: {Laceration} {Bleeding} {Blind} {Curse of Weakness} {Pacifist} {In Heat}


    ***


    Seeing the Queen on her last breath, and her health bar almost reaching zero, he went for the final few swings, only for the ground to shake once more.


    With his hand raised up, foot on the queen''s snout, and his body fully covered in blood, he turned to see the Champion standing tall at the entrance of the cave.


    The Champion''s whole body seemed to be riddled with wounds and injuries, there were also marks of burns on it and some wetness remained on his belt. But his eyes looked like that of a demon in rage as he saw Ludwig standing on top of his Queen with a bloodied sword in hand.


    "Well... shit."

 Chapter 51 Zombie Vs Predator

    "Shit, shit, shit," Ludwig cursed as he saw the raging hulking mass of muscles fully focused on him.The Forest Lizardman Champion was enraged, its hulking, muscular form heaving with labored breaths. Orange, slitted eyes burned with primal fury, locking onto Ludwig like a predator eyeing its prey. Its spear gleamed ominously, slick with blood and fresh ichor from the fallen zombie, and its claws flexed in a grotesque rhythm, ready to shred anything in their path.


    The roar it unleashed was earth-shaking. Loose stones and dirt trembled from the sheer force of its bellow, and the Champion''s tail lashed behind it like a whip, splintering the nearby rock. It stormed its way toward Ludwig and then lunged for him, Ludwig didn''t hesitate in stabbing the sword one last time into her other eye and hurled himself sideways.


    "Not good," Ludwig muttered under his breath, his hands tightening around the ceremonial sword lodged deep into the Queen''s eye. He tried to pull it free, but the blade was stuck firm, and his growing panic only made his movements more frantic.


    The sword snapped in two in the process, Unarmed and clearly outmatched, Ludwig knew he had no way out of this. The moment the Champion lays his hands on Ludwig, the [You Died] screen will show up.


    And that was about to happen as the Lizardman went for a full body lunge at Ludwig. its massive clawed hand swiping at Ludwig with terrifying speed. Acting on instinct, Ludwig hurled himself to the side, barely avoiding the strike as it slammed into the ground where he''d stood. The force of the impact sent chunks of stone flying and cracked the cave floor.


    Ludwig rolled to his feet, his mind racing. He couldn''t fight this thing¡ªnot head-on. His only advantage was the Queen''s prone form, which the Champion hesitated to attack directly. Ludwig quickly darted around her, using her massive body as a shield to keep the Champion at bay.


    The enraged creature hissed, frustration clear in its movements. It paced briefly, its tail lashing against the walls of the cave. Every time Ludwig moved to one side, the Champion adjusted, snarling in barely contained fury.


    If the Champion were to use his full power, he''ll probably end up harming the queen further, Ludwig relied on that fact to use her as a barricade between the two of them as he was thinking of what to do next.


    The champion hissed and roared at the same time, rage further fueled by Ludwig using the Queen as a barrier. The Queen''s health was depleting rapidly, especially since the blood wasn''t stopping anytime soon and pooled around her.


    "Just a little longer," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. The Queen''s death was inevitable now, and once it happened, the dungeon should be clear.


    The Champion suddenly roared, its patience snapping. It gripped its spear tightly and jabbed toward Ludwig with the speed of a striking snake. Once again, Ludwig dove out of the way, the blade narrowly missing his side. He hit the ground hard, the impact rattling his bones, but there was no time to recover. The Champion''s claws came down in a follow-up strike, aiming to pin him in place.


    Ludwig scrambled backward, his back slamming into the cave wall. His breath hitched as the spear''s tip buried itself inches from his face, chipping the stone behind him.


    "I really hate this!" he spat, rolling to the side and using the Queen''s body as cover once more.


    The Champion growled, its frustration mounting as it circled the dying Queen. It hissed low, snapping its jaws in warning, but it still didn''t dare attack Ludwig through her body.


    Then, with a sickening final groan, the Queen went still. Her health bar drained completely, and a notification flashed in Ludwig''s vision:


    ***


    [You have slain Forest Lizardmen Queen]


    [You have gained 1 {Feeble Soul}]


    [Congratulations! You have activated the hidden piece of this dungeon! ???? ]


    ? By killing the Queen before slaying the champions the {Boss} status is now transferred to {Forest Lizardman Champion!}


    ? The rewards for this dungeon have been deferred until you defeat the {Forest Lizardman Champion} the quality of the reward has doubled.


    ? The {Forest Lizardman Champion} is enraged! Losing his queen caused him to go into a frenzy, all status ailments have been removed. One additional danger modifier [?] has been added!


    ***


    Ludwig didn''t even have time to process the implications before the Champion erupted in fury. Its roar reverberated through the cave, shaking loose chunks of stone from the ceiling.


    "Oh, come on!" Ludwig cursed, backing away as the Champion lunged forward. The beast''s movements were wild and unpredictable now, driven entirely by rage. Ludwig didn''t hesitate in dipping out while the Lizardman was still raging out for the loss of his queen.


    Though this made Ludwig think of how come these creatures can feel sadness and rage, and if that could make them more ''human'' than him, he simply shook the idea away, he didn''t have the time or luxury to think about that.


    Ludwig darted out of the cave, his mind racing. He needed a plan¡ªanything to put distance between himself and the hulking monstrosity.


    Ludwig ran as fast as possible from the cave.


    "Use [Feeble Soul]" Ludwig said as loudly as he could.


    [You have obtained 30 souls]


    "Increase [Wisdom] stat by ten!" Ludwig shouted.


    [Your wisdom stat had increased by 10. You have gained one Soul Level. You are currently Level 3, you have used 30 souls!]


    [The next level up will require 4 souls per stat upgrade]


    [Your Wisdom stat affects your mana stat, your Mana has been increased by 100!]


    [Since you have leveled up, all ailment have been removed, all health and stamina has been restored!]


    "Good!" Ludwig said. There was a broken and severely mangled up corpse of a lizardman, this was the lizardman Zombie from earlier that Ludwig summoned, and right around him were the bodies of two other Lizardmen that his zombie had killed."


    "Rise Undead!" Ludwig chanted though he didn''t need to, but it sure as hell felt cool to say that. He slammed his palm on the ground.


    The necrotic sigils flared to life, spreading across the bodies in a web of dark magic.


    [Would you like to raise [2] Undead corpses?]


    "Yes"


    Ludwig said and almost instantly his mind felt as if it was sucked out with a straw, mental exhaustion drew upon him but he could stop, he shook his head and immediately dipped forward once the sigil of Undeath was drawn on the ground. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [You lack the understanding to summon a servant undead]


    [Your Understanding of {Necromancy} has improved]


    [Your affiliation with Deus Necros further eases the process of the summoning]


    [You have called forth {Lizardman Zombie}]


    [Warning, your current wisdom and charisma is too low to fully control {Lizardman Zombie} he will consider you an enemy once he sees you]


    "Ignore all the random notifications!" Ludwig cursed at the system and dipped forward while the two Zombies were waking up. His only worry was that if they start fighting each other.


    Ludwig didn''t stay to watch the process. He bolted toward the nearby cliff, his increased strength making the climb easier. As he scrambled upward, he glanced back just in time to see the Champion storm out of the cave. Its orange eyes burned with hatred, locking onto the two newly risen Zombies.


    This time Ludwig didn''t forget to inspect them.


    [Inspect]

 Chapter 52 Two Against One

    ***[Zombie Forest Lizardman]


    Level 11


    Damage 60-80


    HP: 700


    Tier: Common


    {Status effects} : {Curse of Undeath}[ The power of death moves this body, it knows no fear, no hunger and no exhaustion]


    [Skills]: {Aura of Death} All undeads have a unique aura around them. For a Zombie Undead, the aura [Contagion] is applied.


    [Contagion]: the Zombie passively emits poisonous and toxic fumes and smells from its body, once enough is stacked onto an enemy, they''ll start losing their HP.


    [Zombify]: Extremely rare chance to turn another entity that has been felled into a zombie after death.


    [Minor-Zerk]: The Zombies do not stop unless their heads are shattered. Grow stronger the more damage they take.


    Lore: a once proud Lizardman now turned to Undeath by an apprentice of the ways of Undeath. Too young to be called a necromancer.


    ***


    "No wonder it won against those two lizardmen. The lower its HP the stronger it becomes, and since those two lizardmen were simply poking it around without actually killing it, they died to its stronger self later on¡­"


    Ludwig spoke out loud, after all he was right.


    "That contagion passive though¡­ looks interesting," Ludwig muttered to himself but decided against staying here. He continued moving, ran around the lake and rushed up to the edge of the cliff he was observing everything from earlier. With the increased strength from his former level up, the almost ninety degree cliff looked like an easy climb. Just as he thought he reached relative safety, the bulldozing Champion Lizardman came out roaring like a dragon this time, rage clear in his voice and power thereof. The whole forest behind Ludwig shook and the birds flew up during the cold night from sheer terror.


    Yet, all the Lizardman Champion could see were his former clan members turned to undeath, it screeched once more, agony clear in its voice this time, it had been losing everything. Their rotting forms moved with jerky, unnatural precision, glowing red eyes fixed on their former leader.


    The humans today had come, threatened their survival, attacked their members and killed their queen, not only that, that despicable human also turned his members into Undead.


    Though the Lizardman''s brain is smaller than his eyeball, it still knows hatred, and knows revenge.


    The two Zombie lizardmen rushed up the new ''life'' that appeared in front of them. And the battle begun, though calling it a battle is nothing but a mockery. It was more like a slugfest.


    The first Zombie, its body riddled with decay and broken bones, lunged forward with surprising speed. Its claws raked at the Champion''s chest, but its strike glanced off the beast''s thick, scaly hide. The Champion responded with a brutal counter, its massive claw smashing into the Zombie''s torso and sending it skidding across the dirt.


    The hulking champion stabbed with his spear forward, piercing right through the downed Lizardman''s chest, causing a volatile fume cloud to burst out of its rotting innards. A faint, sickly-green aura permeated the area for now.


    ''That must be [Contagion] but the Champion seems unbothered by it,'' Ludwig thought as he was looking at the battle unfolding.


    The second Zombie capitalized on the first''s distraction, rushing the Champion from behind. It leapt onto the hulking creature''s back, its claws digging into the thick scales near its shoulders. The Champion roared, thrashing wildly to shake the undead off, but the Zombie held firm, its jaws snapping close on the beast''s neck. But as if the boss''s neck was made of steel, the bite didn''t do any relevant damage but drew some small blood drops.


    The three went on, fighting amongst each other, while the Champion Lizardman turned to boss was far superior in terms of reach and strength, something gnawed at Ludwig.


    Ludwig''s crouched form behind a rocky outcrop, was watching the battle unfold. His glowing blue eyes tracked every movement, his mind racing as he analyzed the fight.


    ''Why isn''t he overpowering them?''


    The answer came too easily to Ludwig as he saw what happened next.


    The Champion was far stronger, faster, and more experienced. It spun in a vicious arc, its spear sweeping low to knock the first Zombie who just got up back down. The creature collapsed in a heap, its legs shattered from the impact.


    The champion Lizardman swung a straight fist at the impaled and legless lizardman, but the latter simply grabbed the fist with both arms. Supporting its body with nothing but the strength of its rotting knees.


    ''What?'' Ludwig''s eyes almost bulged out, though he had no eyes.


    The look was comic enough to be called absurd, as the smaller zombie was easily overpowering the massive creature and pulled it to the ground, the Zombie then snapped the spear that was impaling him using his arm''s strength, and then stabbed the spear blade part right onto the Champion Lizardman''s arm and impaled it onto the ground as if crucifying him.


    The champion was unable to stand up since his hand was locked on the ground and could only fight with one arm pinned. He was standing? On his knees as he fought the two off.


    The champion roared, in both pain and humiliating rage. It used its other hand to grab at the broken shaft of the spear and swung it at the mutilated zombie.


    Before it could strike, the legless Zombie lunged forward again, despite its mangled legs. It grabbed the spear mid-swing, stopping the strike with sheer, unyielding determination. The Champion growled in frustration, its muscles straining as it tried to wrest the weapon free.


    The Champion yanked the spear with all its strength, but the Zombie refused to let go. Its grip was unrelenting, its rotten muscles fueled by the passive effects of [Minor-Zerk], which grew stronger the more damage it sustained. The beast''s golden eyes burned with fury as it slammed the Zombie into the ground repeatedly, trying to break its hold.


    The more it slammed it onto the ground the more of its bones and flesh would splatter all over the place, causing more {Contagion} to spread. And just as the shaft broke, the Champion finished it off with style. A forceful swing of his tree trunk thick tail, he caught the Zombie that was pinning his arm off guard, slamming his body right against the cave''s wall.


    A massive spray of [Contagion] spread around the area of the cave when the Zombie''s entire body splattered all over the cave wall and splashed onto the ground around the cave.


    [One of your Summoned Undead has perished]


    With one of the two undead gone, only one of them was left, seeing it refusing to remove itself from its back, the champion simply grabbed the spear and ripped it out of his arm, then used his free hand to pull on the legs of the zombie.


    He ripped hard enough that both legs of the Zombie tore. But the later was still bighting tightly onto his neck and grabbing hard with his claws.


    Ludwig noticed it then, that the bite marks that didn''t seem too relevant at first became bigger and fiercer now. More rage boiled inside the Champion as he grabbed what was left of the zombie latching on to him and ripped it with both arms, though one of his hands was recently penetrated by a spear, it still had enough power it to simply rip the rest of the zombie''s body out of him, and by body, the literal meaning, because the head refused to unlatch.


    Ludwig was both amazed and confused. After all, the Zombie that he summoned had nothing but a head remaining and it was stuck and refused to unlatch itself from the Champion''s neck. But no notification of it dying appeared.


    Then he remembered a zombie does not die unless its head is crushed.


    But with only a head, the Zombie proved to be of little hindrance to the Champion who began looking around for any signs of Ludwig.


    "Damn, he looks angry, but without any heat signature on my undead body, I doubt he''ll find me." Ludwig thought to himself. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But as fate would ordain, whenever someone speaks it¡­


    An explosion happened a few dozen meters behind Ludwig. His heart almost dropped though he had none. Only then did he remember, he had requested Talia to create a distraction earlier¡­ but why did it have to be right behind where Ludwig was.


    The Behemoth went on all fours and stormed its way toward Ludwig in a heat of roars and vengeance promises.

 Chapter 53 Cooped Up

    "Shit, shit, shit," Ludwig muttered under his breath, his skeletal fingers clenching into fists as he saw the towering Lizardman Champion lock onto him with murderous intent.The beast roared, a sound that tore through the forest like a thunderclap, shaking the leaves and sending small creatures scattering. Its hulking form surged forward with terrifying speed, each step causing the ground to quake.


    Ludwig didn''t wait. He spun on his heels and bolted, his undead body pushing its limits as he ducked and weaved through the dense foliage. Branches snapped against him, and leaves whipped his face, but he didn''t falter. Behind him, the Champion leaped from the cliff in a single bound, landing with an earth-shattering crash.


    The ground cracked under the creature''s weight, and its claws raked through the dirt as it propelled itself forward. Each stride was a display of raw power, sending splinters of wood and clouds of soil into the air. It bulldozed through trees, smashing some to splinters and ripping others out by their roots. Boulders shattered on impact, and nothing in its path was spared.


    Ludwig darted to the side just in time to avoid a massive claw that swiped dangerously close to his head. The wind from the strike nearly threw him off balance, but he recovered and dove under a dense thicket. The Lizardman''s momentum carried it forward, causing it to slam into a tree with a deafening crunch.


    The ancient trunk groaned and toppled, the crash shaking the forest floor. Dust and debris rose in a thick cloud, creating a momentary screen that obscured the Champion''s vision.


    Ludwig took advantage of the chaos, crouching low and grabbing a chunk of rock from the ground. He hurled it with all his might toward a distant cluster of trees. The stone struck with a loud crack, and the Champion''s head snapped toward the sound.


    The creature snarled, its golden eyes narrowing as it charged toward the false noise.


    Ludwig remained still, his undead nature allowing him to suppress even the tiniest sound of breath. He watched the monstrous figure barrel into the trees, its claws raking wildly at the source of the disturbance.


    Only when the Champion had moved far enough away did Ludwig exhale¡ªa purely instinctual habit¡ªand step cautiously back onto the forest path.


    "Good, that should buy me some time," he muttered, wiping the dirt off his hands. His mind raced as he plotted his next move.


    The Champion was too strong to face alone, especially now that it had gone into a frenzy. Its wounds, while significant, weren''t enough to stop it, and Ludwig had no illusions about his odds in a direct fight. He needed help¡ªspecifically, the other students. But the thought brought a twinge of doubt.


    Had they survived?


    The bloodied state of the Champion suggested they''d put up a fight, but he had no way of knowing the outcome. For all he knew, they could be dead, and he''d be running straight toward more corpses.


    "Only one way to find out," Ludwig muttered, breaking into a sprint toward the eastern clearing where the flag had been. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His undead body gave him an edge¡ªendless stamina and enhanced night vision allowed him to navigate the treacherous forest with ease. He ducked under low branches, sidestepped gnarled roots, and slipped through narrow gaps between the trees, his pace relentless.


    As he approached the clearing, the sight that greeted him filled him with a mix of relief and unease. The area was littered with Lizardman corpses, their bodies twisted and broken. Blood pooled in the grass, and the air was thick with the stench of death.


    But there were no human bodies among the carnage.


    Ludwig froze, scanning the scene for any signs of life. His ears twitched as he heard a faint rustling from the bushes nearby. He turned sharply, his glowing blue eyes locking onto a figure emerging from the foliage.


    "Hoyo," Ludwig called, recognizing the mud-covered student.


    The boy''s face was grim, his expression a mixture of relief and exhaustion. "Ludwig," he said, his voice shaky. "You''re alive. Thank the gods."


    "What''s the situation?" Ludwig asked, stepping closer.


    Hoyo hesitated, glancing back toward the forest as if expecting the Champion to burst through the trees at any moment. "Kassandra''s hurt," he said finally. "And... one of us didn''t make it."


    Ludwig''s jaw tightened. "What about the others?"


    "The nobles took the worst of it," Hoyo continued. "Three of them are dead, and Bron''s arm is shattered. If it wasn''t for you, we''d all be dead by now."


    Ludwig ignored the compliment, his mind already moving to the next problem. "Where''s our group now?"


    Hoyo gestured toward the east. "We''ve regrouped with the nobles. Kassandra told me to wait near the flag for you."


    Ludwig''s brow furrowed. "Why would they leave you here?"


    Hoyo shrugged, but his discomfort was clear. "Bron thought it was a good idea. Said the cave nearby would make a good base to defend from. Everyone''s holed up in there now."


    Ludwig''s eyes widened in disbelief. "A cave?"


    Hoyo nodded.


    "Damn it," Ludwig cursed, running a hand over his face. "That idiot doesn''t realize he''s setting them up to be cornered. If the Champion breaks through, they''ll have nowhere to run."


    "Wait, the Champion? the big guy?" Hoyo asked, his voice rising in alarm. "We drove it off! It ran away in pain, and we killed its minions. It''s over, right?"


    As if to mock his words, a bone-chilling howl echoed through the forest. It was a sound that froze the blood¡ªor, in Ludwig''s case, whatever ichor flowed in his undead veins.


    "He doesn''t think so," Ludwig said grimly, motioning toward the source of the howl.


    Hoyo''s face went pale. "We have to warn them."


    "Then start running," Ludwig snapped, already moving.


    The two bolted through the forest, Ludwig''s steps eerily silent despite his speed, while Hoyo''s frantic breathing and snapping branches marked his presence like a beacon. Ludwig didn''t blame him; fear had a way of loosening one''s control, and they didn''t have the luxury of slowing down.


    The howls grew louder every second, reverberating through the trees and making the ground tremble. Ludwig risked a glance behind him but saw nothing yet. That didn''t comfort him; it only meant the Champion was faster than it appeared.


    "Keep moving," Ludwig urged, his voice sharp. "Don''t stop, no matter what."


    Hoyo nodded, too winded to reply.


    The cave appeared like a beacon, nestled at the edge of a clearing with a narrow entrance that would have been easily defensible under normal circumstances. But Ludwig knew better. He could almost picture the inevitable disaster¡ªa horde of enraged lizardmen or, worse, the Champion barreling through the entrance like an unstoppable force.


    As they neared the cave, a voice called out. "You''re back!"


    Ludwig skidded to a halt, eyes locking onto a boy standing guard near the entrance. His body was caked in mud, the smell of damp earth clinging to him like a shield.


    "They put you on guard duty?" Hoyo asked, his tone tinged with disbelief.


    The boy shrugged. "They said since I was already covered in mud, I''d be less of a target. Plus, they''ve barricaded the entrance from the inside."


    Ludwig felt a vein¡ªor whatever an undead had¡ªthrob in frustration. "Barricades? Against that thing?"


    Before the boy could answer, Bron emerged from the cave, his arm bound in a crude splint and his face set in a scowl. His usual haughty demeanor had taken a hit, but his arrogance still clung to him like a bad smell.


    "What the fuck are you doing back here?" Bron barked, his voice cutting through the tense air.

 Chapter 54 Betrayal

    "What''s wrong with him?" Ludwig asked."Oh apparently¡­" Before Hoyo could explain, two more nobles came out. One of them was the golden-haired noble woman and Talia.


    "What''s going on here?" The golden-haired noble woman asked.


    "Minerva! Don''t butt in," Bron snapped, wanting to upkeep his persona as a leader. But from what Ludwig could see, his attempt was failing miserably.


    "You have no right or authority to tell me what to do, Bron," she stated and turned to Ludwig "You''re the boy who went out earlier, Ludwig? Right," she said.


    "Yes, but enough of the introductions, why are you cooped up in a cave, you''re raising your heat signature!" Ludwig said.


    "So? We already chased the lizardmen away, all we need to do is wait for the teachers," she said.


    The roars began once again, closer this time.


    "You! What have you done!" Bron shouted. "You brought that thing back here!"


    "Shut your trap," Ludwig snarled, "You didn''t think twice before huddling up in a cave like idiots. also I didn''t bring anything here, it was coming here anyways. I already warned you guys to lower all heat signatures, and from what I see, you idiots have a fire going inside the cave, not to mention how utterly fucking stupid that is because you''ll all choke from the smoke long before morning comes! IT FURTHER HEATS THE CAVE!"


    Ludwig''s rage seemed completely justified, and Talia intervened, though the gash in her leg had healed, it looked like it still hurt as she limped twice. "It''s good to see you okay Ludwig, But please calm down,"


    Ludwig sighed and said, "I''m calm. Don''t worry about me, regardless how is your leg?"


    "It''s fine," Talia said.


    "So it was true that you saved Talia," Minerva asked.


    "Why wouldn''t it be true?" Ludwig frowned.


    Talia immediately interjected, "They didn''t believe me when I told them how you saved us from captivity, especially since Tommy refused to acknowledge it."


    Ludwig once again remembered how that cowardly bastard acted before and after he was saved, and thought once again that he should have just let him rot in there.


    "But Ludwig. What did you do inside the cave?" she asked.


    "I killed the two guards and the Queen, thinking that she is the boss of this dungeon," Ludwig explained in a matter-of-factly manner.


    "You? A stupid weak commoner? stop the lies! you must have angered them, you''re the cause of all of this!" Bron finally thinking he had found an opportunity to jump in shouted.


    Ludwig was thinking of doing a few not-so-healthy things to this guy but refrained from any action.


    "What''s going on?" more people began exiting the cave after hearing the commotion.


    "This bastard brought that monster here," Bron began accusing Ludwig, after all his failure to lead them could only be forgiven if he put the blame on someone else. And the nobles would easily follow his words than some random commoner.


    "Then why is he here!" the students protested.


    "Yes! Go away, if you''re being hunted by that thing why did you come here!" another said.


    The group continued shifting and putting the blame on Ludwig who only got angrier and angrier. There is no helping if a mob of people were to take a single person and make him the designated scapegoat for sacrifice. Masses are dangerous and Ludwig knew it well.


    Even a king will fall if his nobles turn their back on him. And Ludwig was no king.


    The trees near the cave began folding and tearing down. Seeing the ugly smirk on Bron''s face, Ludwig realized that things were going to get ugly.


    "You brought this on yourself, don''t blame me for punishing you accordingly!" Bron turned his head to the cave, "Moses! Now!" he shouted.


    Suddenly, the cave turned cold and chilly as a wave of cold air and even frost came out of the cave.


    "What are you doing?" Ludwig asked as he noticed the cave being frozen over.


    "Like you said, they can only see heat," Bron said as he stepped back.


    "What are you doing Bron!" Minerva shouted.


    The students were all confused, it seemed like Bron and the Moses guy agreed upon something without informing the rest of the group.


    "What needs to be done! Though I was going to do this to one of the commoners, You''re a better target, after all, I heard you''re fast on your two feet, {Immolate Spirit}." Bron said as he pointed his hand at Ludwig. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [You have Received the [Buff] {Immolate Spirit}]


    [All your physical attacks will deal fire damage; your vitality has increased by 10% duration 3 minutes]


    Ludwig''s body felt as if it was on fire, though it wasn''t harmful.


    It was just in time for the last tree behind them to tear and break down, the eyes of the Lizardman Champion were fully focused on Ludwig who had a glowing orange aura around him.


    "You son of a bitch!" Ludwig cursed as the mass of muscles roared and rushed toward him.


    "You can''t get inside the cave! It''ll follow you and kill off the rest of your classmates! I''m sure you don''t want that!" Bron laughed out as he backed away pulling with him Minerva.


    Though she protested she wasn''t strong enough to resist someone from the Steel family even if he only used one arm.


    Ludwig''s eyes scanned around him in a split second. The nobles that were protesting against Ludwig dipped inside the cold cave, while Talia looked ready to help, her limp didn''t help her much, nor was Ludwig thinking of asking her for help.


    Without hesitation, Ludwig turned and snatched the dagger on Hoyo''s belt and simply kicked him square in the chest from the incoming behemoth that lunged with all of its body''s weight where the two were just standing.


    Ludwig stammered to his feet, "Come here you fat fuck!" He shouted and bolted away from the area.


    "LUDWIG!" Hoyo shouted, but his cries fell on deaf ears as the Lizardman simply ignored the group and rushed after the most visible one.


    Ludwig disappeared in the foliage of the forest while the whole scenery behind him was crumbling to bits and pieces.

 Chapter 55 An Undead Resolve

    Ludwig''s frame disappeared from and through the foliage, he was thinking of how he''d have to deal with this creature. To fight it head-on would mean Ludwig''s death, though he still has some souls to use in case he died to return back from death, he felt that all his progress today would be wasted. And he really didn''t need to meet Deus Necros so soon anyway.The hulking beast roared as it bore through two close trees, spreading them with ease using its arms to rupture the trees from their center. Ludwig saw that although the creature''s palm was bleeding from the gaping hole in it and the undead Lizardman''s head was still relentlessly clinging to his neck, the Champion seemed to be in so much rage that he wasn''t feeling any of that.


    Ludwig scanned the Champion''s Status Window in that moment.


    ***


    Level 25


    Damage 80-100


    HP: 1,100 /2,500


    Tier: Rare {Boss} ????


    Status Effects: {Bleeding} {Laceration} {Poisoned} {Enraged} ¡­


    ***


    The status aliments were stacking up on the Boss. The Lizardman zombie head was causing it constant Contagion Poison and bleeding, and the lacerated wound on its hand was also bleeding it out, but its enraged status was making it oblivious to all of that.


    Ludwig knew well that if he were to keep running away simply, the boss would soon fall to its knees dead.


    There was only one problem with that plan, a tree trunk came hurling at Ludwig''s head.


    Ludwig flung himself to the side, desperately dodging the trunk. And at the same time rolled forward and continued running. The Lizardman was bound to catch up to him. At this point, Ludwig slightly regretted not investing in Agility. Strength and endless Stamina are fine, but they serve no purpose when you need to be quick on your feet.


    Ludwig rolled to his feet and sprinted forward, finding nothing but a standing cliff in front of him, he felt like a sitting duck as the Champion was running up to him head first, both arms opened forward as if to hug him in a bear hug, or lizardman hug in this case.


    The absurdity of the situation made Ludwig respond in the same tone, instead of moving left or right and being caught by either of the open arms of the Lizardman, Ludwig decided to run up the creature and slide right under him while the latter grabbed at the empty air since Ludwig''s relatively shorter form allowed him to duck faster in a slide.


    The lizardman who was sprinting at full force couldn''t stop as it stared under its crotch where Ludwig just slid from, though it tried to act fast, raising its tail and swinging it down, its feet weren''t stopping as its face met the cliff side.


    A loud explosive sound echoed behind Ludwig, loud enough that even he winced, and strong enough that boulders and fractures of rock formations began crumbling and cascading down the cliff edge.


    Ludwig saw that the lizardman who went face first into the wall was clearly in a stunned state, disoriented and unable to stand up properly had two choices.


    The first was to run away while the champion was stunned. But that would only buy him some time before the Lizardman would catch up to him. After all, he won''t be as lucky to stun it again nor does he know if he could replicate that stupid stunt again.


    The second option was far riskier but had a greater chance of success.


    Ludwig did quick maths, between the two options, safe now, risky later, or risky now safe later, the latter sounded far more appealing.


    He rushed up the lizardman''s tail and onto his back, he used the zombie''s clasping head as a handhold while he raised the dagger he took from Hoyo earlier high and slammed it as powerfully as he could into the champion''s left eye.


    A roar that would wake the dead ruptured out of the Champion Lizardman''s mouth, and with it came a brutal retaliation. As if the dagger in its eye was enough to awaken it from its stunned state the lizardman went for a grab on Ludwig.


    By sheer dumb luck, Ludwig''s body was nothing but a skeleton, quite lighter than a normal human body, and since the Champion tried to grab him, the mere contact between the palm of the champion was enough to send Ludwig reeling into the forest before the arm could even close its fingers.


    [-65 hp]


    [Your chest is fractured}


    [You broke three rib bone, your skull is fractured, your right arm is fractured.]


    [You strength has been reduced by 20%}


    [You successfully negated [Concussion]


    Ludwig''s sprawled form was enough to tell tales of his pains. Though he didn''t feel any, the broken bits and pieces of his body were only held together by the slime that was making the outer layer of his skeletal frame.


    "That¡­ almost killed me," Ludwig said as he looked at the creature who was finally aware enough to lock eyes with Ludwig''s fallen form.


    Ludwig had no intention of staying on the ground, and simply stood up, turned and left dust behind him.


    "Son of a bitch, when is this buff ever going to stop!" Ludwig cursed as he was once again reminded of Bron''s fuckery of giving him a buff that made him a living human torch¡­ though he was dead, and a skeleton.


    And just as the thought finished in Ludwig''s mind, the aura around him began dying down, but not fast enough as the Lizardman had locked his eye on him. The champion fueled by enough rage that even a Berserker would tell him to calm down, ruptured through the forest and anything around him with only one though in mind, to bring as much pain onto the human that had caused him so much heart ach and bodily harm that its wounds would be called minor in comparison. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig tried his best to run away, but the creature was gaining up on him, and fast, enough that he could feel its breathing on his neck. In his panic Ludwig didn''t notice the large tree root extending in front of him. His leg got caught and he fell down on his face.


    The Champion didn''t miss the opportunity to jump up and catch Ludwig on the ground. He then rolled Ludwig forward and shoved his opened jaw onto his body.


    With nothing but sheer will and panic, Ludwig swung his entire body to the side, but didn''t manage to fully avoid the jaws that dug onto the ground, his left arm was caught in between them.


    With a forceful rip, as would an alligator do to an unfortunate limb, Ludwig''s arm simply snapped free from the elbow.


    There was no pain in Ludwig''s eyes as he recognized the eminent death, but though undead, no longer one with breath, something deep within him, something he didn''t think he had anymore. A feeling so simply so innocent and so strange that Ludwig couldn''t describe welled up inside him. Some might call it human nature to never give up and struggle till the end, and some might call it foolishness in front of death.


    But for Ludwig, it was simplified in two words.


    ''Fuck it.''


    "I''m sorry Thomas," he said as he used Thomas''s teachings drawing from Thomas''s emotion to fuel his own magic. Rage enough rage that it was hot and blistering.


    His right arm flared with as much mana as his body could muster in that desperate situation.


    The Lizardman''s eyes couldn''t recognize the manifesting fireball in Ludwig''s arm as his ''hot'' body aura was still camouflaging it, and just as it opened its mouth to bite off Ludwig''s head, the latter shot his arm forward into the gaping jaws of death.


    "EXPLOSION IS ART!" Ludwig roared out.

 Chapter 56 Cleared

    Ludwig''s hand sent out all the mana in his body, unlike what he had hoped for to create a fireball and shoot it inside the Lizardman''s mouth, he forgot to ask Thomas for an important thing. How do mages usually shoot out spells?Unwilling to spend time to think of the how''s, Ludwig simply acted on instinct.


    Van Dijk had mentioned to him that magic is about one''s will, imagination, and emotion. Right now, Ludwig''s imagination was that of a flaming fireball that was to blow up and turn his enemy to cinders, in that regard he had things worked out. As for his emotions, he borrowed Thomas''s rage. While the final and most important part, the will, was simply Ludwig''s own intention of not wanting to die a dog''s death, and fueled all his power and rage into his arm, disregarding any measures of safety and care.


    So instead of creating a fireball, Ludwig''s entire arm exuded roaring and raging flames, that not only was several times stronger than what Thomas showed, but it was mighty enough that it blasted the head off the Lizardman Champion, while scorching Ludwig''s entire arm making the slime covering it wince away revealing Ludwig''s skeletal frame.


    The flames were loud, mighty and powerful enough that they shone like a beacon of light in the darkened night. The explosion, both sound and visual was so powerful that the entire group of students heard it some would even say that they felt the vibration.


    This spell was far stronger than anything Ludwig''s imbedded mana crystal on his forehead could afford, and the latter simply shattered upon him using the first spell ever.


    [Congratulations!] the notification showed up in front of Ludwig like a declaration of victory.


    [You have successfully cleared Forest Lizardmen semi-artificial dungeon]


    [You have obtained [Weak Soul] from slaying {Forest Lizardman Champion}]


    [For having fought to the last second without ever thinking of cowering away from the face of death. You have obtained the achievement, Unyielding.]


    [Achievement: Unyielding]


    Rarity: Rare


    [increased mental resistance when lower on health. Increase in all physical and mental abilities proportional to the damage taken, up to 10%]


    [You have learned a new spell]


    Available Spell slots [1/2]


    [Self-Immolation ????]


    ? Self-Immolation: Discard a part or all of your body by using it to fuel flames and mana, the power of the spell depends on how large is the part one is sacrificing.


    ? A self-created spell that would cause one to sacrifice a part or all of their body by burning mana vigorously. A spell that is rarely ever learned or practiced and is known to be a favorite of Zealots and Fanatics.]


    Ludwig''s left arm was flung several meters away from him. Notification of him having been amputated and having lost more bones were ignored. And his health points were at an incredibly low level of 13/300 [Author Note]1


    ''I need more HP¡­, I almost died man¡­'' he said as he pulled his body desperately with one arm barely functioning as it was scorched black, the slime on his body slowly covered the burned skeletal arm that had several marks of teeth and sharp cuts on the bones.


    He picked himself up and looked around the body.


    ''Usually these bosses drop something, there''s not a single piece of gear dropped from them,'' He sighed as he found no worth or value from having risked his life so much.


    He then slowly limped his way toward his ripped arm and grabbed it with his other burnt arm.


    Ludwig looked at his waning health and the arm in his hand he sighed said, "Use Weak Soul"


    [You have obtained 100 souls]


    ''Not bad, I guess the Lizardman Boss gave a more valuable Soul, because it''s a boss and all that,''


    "Level Up my Agility [Author''s Note]1 by 10."


    [40 souls have been used to upgrade your agility by 10. Congratulations, your Soul Level has increased to level 4!]


    Ludwig was waiting for his wounds to magically heal up as all characters would once they level up, but there was nothing like that. ''I guess I hoped too much, man it''ll be awkward to explain this if someone were to see me like this,'' he said.


    As if he was a jinx to himself.


    "Ludwig?" the moment he heard the voice, he turned to see Talia limping forward and next to her was a wide eyed Minerva and Hoyo alongside Bron who was unable to close his mouth from shock.


    Minerva screamed out as she saw Ludwig''s arm, only then did he realize that he was holding his arm and it would be revealed to them all that he is an undead.


    Ludwig''s mind was stammering to find some way to explain things.


    "You''re Bleeding so much!" Minerva said as her hands turned green, "Come here!" she shouted, "I''ll stem the bleeding."


    [As an undead, receiving a heal with your current low health will undoubtedly kill you]


    "NO!" Ludwig shouted as he tried to stop Minerva from coming any closer, the only problem was that he tried to stop her with his hand which was holding his other arm.


    The limp skeletal arm flailed in front of her and she almost passed out, "I have to heal you, can you not see how much blood you''re losing?!" she shouted.


    "No healing," Ludwig said. He thought for a second, "If you heal my arm, it''ll mend the wound and I won''t be able to attach it, just give me a rope or anything to stem the bleeding." S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You rather die than lose an arm?" Minerva shouted back as she got closer with her glowing hands.


    ''Woman, you''re gonna be the death of me if you don''t get that heal away from me!'' but he couldn''t say that out loud.


    "The dungeon is already cleared! The teachers should be here any second," he added.


    "Who told you that?" Bron said, "Just because you killed this lizard which we already wounded enough for you, you think that the dungeon is clear, there is still a boss here you dumbass," Bron added with a sneer.


    Yet just as he finished his words, the whole sky turned bright white as day, and suddenly a golden haired man showed up right in front of the group, smiles and all.


    "What wonderful students I have, you actually survived," he added.


    For the Health, i forgot to mention that the Main character''s Health will increase by a base of 100 per level up and 10 per vigor point


    Agility was missing from the Main Character''s Status screen. Agility assists one in their speed and maneuverability.

 Chapter 57 Caught?

    It was the same person who had sent them into this hellhole. The man who had casually thrown them into their very first trial¡ªa survival challenge where life and death blurred like oil on water. The person they were supposed to trust, to look to for guidance and protection. The teacher.Professor Olim.


    Ludwig could barely suppress the venom in his tone as he rasped the name, his skeletal hand still clutching his detached arm.


    "Oh my, look what we have here," Olim said, his voice a smooth blend of amusement and mockery. His sharp eyes scanned Ludwig''s mangled form. "That arm of yours is in pretty bad shape. Tsk, tsk. What a shame. But, I must say, this is a delightful scene." Olim''s lips curled into a grin, sharp as a knife.


    The teacher''s gaze shifted, taking in the battered, mud-smeared students who had gathered around him. "You''ve all done splendidly. Watching you run around like headless chickens¡ªnow that was entertainment! But¡­" He turned to Bron, who was visibly fuming, "some of you did better than others."


    Bron''s face flushed red, his jaw clenched tight. Olim ignored him and clapped his hands together.


    A loud crack resounded, and suddenly the entire class was no longer in the forest. The oppressive darkness of the dungeon was gone, replaced by the bright daylight outside the forest''s edge. The transition was so jarring that many stumbled, blinking and disoriented.


    It took a moment for them to realize where they were.


    The clearing.


    The exact spot where they had begun this horrific trial.


    A flicker of hope danced across Ludwig''s mind. For a brief, naive moment, he wondered if this had all been some sort of elaborate illusion, a magical test with no real stakes. After all, what kind of insane person would design a trial where students¡ªteenagers¡ªcould actually die? sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But that hope was crushed the moment he noticed the bodies.


    Mangled. Crushed. Lifeless.


    The corpses of several students lay sprawled across the clearing, their limbs twisted in unnatural angles, their faces frozen in expressions of terror.


    Gasps and cries erupted among the survivors.


    "No¡­ no, this can''t be real," one girl whispered, clutching her head in disbelief.


    "YOU!" Bron''s voice roared above the chaos. His composure snapped like a brittle twig as he stormed toward Olim. "YOU SHOULD HAVE WARNED US! What kind of teacher throws their students into something like this without protection? Do you even understand how much we suffered? THREE NOBLES DIED! How are you going to explain¡ª"


    Bron''s tirade ended as abruptly as it began.


    Olim moved faster than anyone could react, his fist colliding with Bron''s stomach in a devastatingly precise blow. The boy crumpled to his knees, gagging as bile and half-digested food splattered onto the ground.


    The atmosphere shifted, heavy and suffocating. Olim no longer wore his amused smirk. His expression was now cold, clinical¡ªa predator sizing up prey.


    "I don''t take kindly to being lectured by children," Olim said, his voice devoid of emotion. "Whoever told you about the content of this exam should have also told you to watch your tongue. Your family name means nothing to me, boy. Even your Steelheart clan would tremble before my shadow."


    Bron writhed on the ground, clutching his stomach, unable to respond.


    The chilling silence that followed was shattered by a voice colder than death itself.


    If there was anyone who Ludwig thought of as scarier than the current teacher talking¡­


    [Fakery of Death has activated]


    ''Speak of the Devil.''


    "Now, now, Olim. Let''s not frighten the young ones too much."


    The temperature seemed to drop as the new figure stepped into view, his presence as commanding as it was terrifying. He wore flowing gothic robes adorned with intricate patterns that seemed to shift and writhe like living shadows. His pale face bore a calm, almost playful smile, but his hollow, piercing gaze sent shivers through everyone present.


    Olim turned, and for the first time, his posture shifted to one of deference. "Tower Master Van Dijk. A pleasure, as always."


    "The pleasure is all mine, Professor Olim," Van Dijk replied smoothly, his voice like silk draped over a steel blade. His eyes swept over the gathered students, lingering momentarily on Ludwig before he continued. "It seems this year''s batch has shown remarkable resilience. I must say, I''m impressed."


    Olim chuckled, his earlier menace melting away like mist. "Impressed, are you? Well, some of them have potential. Though I must admit, I had my doubts about a few." He glanced pointedly at Bron, who was still struggling to regain his breath.


    Van Dijk''s gaze locked onto Ludwig. "Speaking of potential... there''s my pupil. Though I must say, he''s looking a bit worse for wear."


    Olim''s eyebrows shot up. "Wait, your disciple is here? Ludwig, right?"


    Van Dijk tilted his head slightly. "How did you know?"


    Olim''s grin returned, wider than ever. "How could I not? Who else would be insane enough to blow their own arm off inside the mouth of an enraged Lizardman? Especially after losing the other one already! Hah!"


    Van Dijk''s smile didn''t falter, but his eyes narrowed.


    Ludwig froze, his mind racing. The lantern embedded in his body had always cloaked his undead nature, making him appear human to anyone who didn''t know otherwise. But Olim''s sharp observation felt like it had come dangerously close to piercing that veil.


    Olim continued, oblivious to the tension. "Not to mention," he added, "he refused healing from his classmates, insisting on reattaching his arm instead. The kid''s got guts¡ªor sheer madness. Either way, I like him!"


    Van Dijk chuckled softly. "Indeed. Ludwig has always been... resourceful."


    Olim clapped his hands again, making the remaining students vanish in a flash of light. Only Ludwig and Van Dijk remained.


    "Let''s get you to the infirmary," Van Dijk said, his tone unusually gentle.


    "Yes, that would be best," Olim agreed. "The nobles might not complain if their kids die during a test, but if they survive only to perish afterward... well, let''s just say I''d rather avoid the paperwork. Besides, there''s something I need to discuss with your student."


    Van Dijk raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"


    Olim turned to Ludwig, his gaze sharp as a dagger. "Tell me, Ludwig... how is it that you know how to use necromancy?"

 Chapter 58 Conversation

    Van Dijk''s calculating gaze lingered on Ludwig before flicking back to Olim. "Interesting things must have happened in the trial grounds," he remarked, his voice calm but laced with intrigue.Olim smirked. "Oh, you could say that. I have a complete recording of everything that transpired. It''s a monitored dungeon, after all." His expression turned slightly more serious as he looked at Ludwig. "But your actions beg a clear question, Ludwig. You used Necromancy¡ªa practice considered foul and forbidden by the Empire''s laws. Yet, you did so to save others, an act that commands respect. A morally just use of an immoral art."


    Olim crossed his arms, his tone shifting to a mix of authority and begrudging approval. "Seeing the state of your arm, however, I''ll refrain from chewing you out for now. Get yourself fixed up. Once you''re done, I want a detailed written report on my desk. Explain why you chose to use necromancy and justify its application in this scenario. Understood?"


    "Yes, Professor," Ludwig replied, his tone flat and resigned.


    "Come with me, Ludwig," Van Dijk said, his words more of a command than an invitation. He placed a hand on Ludwig''s shoulder, and before the latter could react, the world around them vanished.


    The two of them reappeared at the pinnacle of the Black Tower¡ªthe Tower Master''s sanctum.


    Ludwig instantly recognized the circular room, a space that seemed to defy logic and time. Walls were lined with towering shelves crammed with ancient tomes, forbidden manuscripts, and curiosities of the arcane. Jars containing preserved organs and creatures of grotesque anatomy lined the darker corners, while alchemical tools and strange artifacts were scattered across workbenches. The room felt like a blend of library, laboratory, and museum¡ªa place where knowledge and experimentation danced on the edge of madness.


    Van Dijk closed the portal with a wave of his hand and moved to his ornate chair, sitting with the poise of someone used to authority. He steepled his fingers beneath his nose, his gaze sharpening as it settled on Ludwig.


    "Now," he began, his voice carrying a weight that silenced even the ambient hum of the room, "do you have anything you''d like to say to me?" S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig stood silently for a moment, his skeletal arm hanging awkwardly at his side. "I do not," he replied flatly.


    Van Dijk''s lips curved into a slight smile, though it carried no warmth. "I have little patience for those who hide things from me¡ªespecially when they do it poorly. Tell me, Ludwig... how did you manage to convince a Sixth-Tier mage like Olim that you''re human?"


    The question was a dagger aimed at Ludwig''s carefully constructed fa?ade.


    Before he could form a response, a cold sensation swept through his body. A familiar notification appeared in his mind:


    [Necro''s Blessing has activated.]


    Ludwig''s limbs went limp, his entire frame slumping as if life itself had drained out of him. His grip on his severed arm faltered, and it fell to the ground with a dull clatter.


    Van Dijk immediately sensed the change. His instincts screamed of danger. He leapt from his chair, his hands moving in a blur as he chanted a rapid string of incantations.


    "{Ensnare}, {Bounds of Latvia}, {Anchor Dead}, {Vow of Silence}!"


    Four spells burst forth almost simultaneously, their energies intertwining as they enveloped Ludwig. Invisible chains of magic wrapped around his form, rooting him to the spot and immobilizing his limbs. A glowing sigil formed beneath him, anchoring him in place and suppressing any chance of teleportation. Finally, a veil of silence wrapped around him, sealing his ability to cast or speak incantations.


    Van Dijk''s aura shifted dramatically. The calm, collected mage was gone, replaced by a man radiating pure, controlled hostility. His crimson eyes narrowed as he studied Ludwig, whose body was now unnaturally still.


    But then Ludwig spoke.


    His voice was not his own.


    "The arrogance of mortals¡­ to wield magic so freely upon the very source that grants it. No wonder you lack true piety."


    The words were laced with an otherworldly resonance, echoing as if spoken from the depths of eternity.


    Van Dijk''s eyes widened in alarm. "How are you speaking? You shouldn''t be able to move, let alone talk. Breaking these spells would require the power of an Eighth-Tier mage. And yet¡­" His voice trailed off as realization dawned. "No¡­ this isn''t Ludwig. Who are you?"


    A chuckle emanated from Ludwig''s lips, though it was laced with something far more sinister. "A smart one, I see. You''re correct¡ªwho you''re speaking to is not the one who stood before you moments ago."


    Van Dijk''s mind raced, formulating contingencies and escape plans. Whatever force now occupied Ludwig''s body had obliterated his restraints in a fraction of a second¡ªa feat that no mortal should be capable of.


    "I''m certain I was speaking to my student earlier," Van Dijk said cautiously, testing the waters.


    "You were," the voice replied. "But now, you face another. I am the Inevitable. The One whom all shall meet, without exception. The same as your dearest Melania."


    The mention of that name froze Van Dijk in his tracks. His entire body stiffened, his eyes blazing crimson as raw fury surged through him. The temperature in the room plummeted, frost forming on the edges of the bookshelves as his aura darkened.


    "Calm yourself, Vampire," the voice commanded, its tone sharp and unyielding.


    The words were enough to douse Van Dijk''s raging anger, though his expression remained tense. "How¡­ how do you know that name?" he whispered, his voice trembling. He was more interested of the fact that this ''thing'' knew of Melania more than his hidden identity as a Vampire.


    "If we continue this pointless exchange of emotions, you''ll gain nothing of value. I suggest you focus." Ludwig''s possessed form shifted slightly, its eerie gaze locking onto Van Dijk. "I will grant you three questions. Use them wisely, for once they are asked, I shall depart."


    Van Dijk took a moment to collect himself, though his mind raced. He had countless questions, but he knew he had to prioritize.


    "Where is my wife?" he asked, his voice steady but heavy with grief.


    "She is dead," came the flat reply.


    Van Dijk closed his eyes, suppressing the wave of anguish that threatened to consume him. He had known this truth deep down, but hearing it spoken aloud shattered any lingering hope.


    "What is your purpose in using Ludwig?"


    "To achieve a goal of mine," the voice replied, devoid of elaboration.


    Van Dijk''s frustration mounted. The answers were painfully vague, and he only had one question left. He needed something concrete, something actionable.


    He took a deep breath. "Where can I find the Blood Hound?"

 Chapter 59 Forgotten Memories

    "That isn''t a question I can answer," the voice said coldly. "It would break the rules."Van Dijk stiffened. Rules? He didn''t know if this was a bluff or some cosmic law binding this entity, but the cryptic response left him no choice. He needed to ask wisely. "Ask again," the voice commanded.


    Van Dijk''s thoughts churned as he sought clarity, but the Black Tower groaned ominously, the very walls trembling as if some colossal weight bore down upon its foundations. His domain, his sanctuary, was under assault, not by any physical force, but by a power so profound it seeped into the fabric of reality itself.


    Van Dijk''s gaze flickered to Ludwig¡ªor rather, the being inhabiting his student''s body. The boy''s expression remained eerily calm despite the tremors, a stillness that sent a chill down the Tower Master''s spine.


    "What''s causing this disturbance?" Van Dijk demanded.


    The entity''s face betrayed no emotion, but its lips twisted into a faint, mocking smile. "You already know the answer to that. You fear it, as all mortals do."


    Van Dijk''s fists clenched at his sides, nails biting into his palms as his mind reeled. The pressure in the room grew heavier, making it difficult to breathe, yet Ludwig¡ªor the thing pretending to be him¡ªremained unaffected.


    The Tower Master inhaled deeply, forcing his thoughts to align. He shifted tactics, abandoning questions of the unknown. "You wouldn''t protect Ludwig if he weren''t significant to your purpose," he said. "But he''s inexperienced. A child in this dangerous game. If he''s so important, then let me take on his duty instead. I am far better equipped."


    For the first time, the entity''s expression shifted¡ªa faint smile, enigmatic and unsettling. "An interesting proposal. But I do not trust mortals. Your ambition is too fickle, your resolve too easily swayed."


    Van Dijk''s jaw tightened. "Then what purpose does he serve that I cannot fulfill?"


    Instead of answering directly, the entity leaned forward slightly, as if to deliver a secret meant only for Van Dijk. "I shall leave you with a gift¡ªa tip, if you will¡ªsince you have proven yourself a worthy mentor to this child. The revenge you so desperately crave will never be yours by your own hands. You lack the power, and your enemies know this. However¡­"


    The room seemed to darken further, the shadows deepening around the entity as its tone dropped to a whisper. "¡­this child will grow capable of achieving what you cannot. Aid his growth, and the vengeance you seek may one day be in your grasp. But mark my words, Van Dijk¡ªwhen the cost of your desire is laid bare, you may find it heavier than you can bear."


    Van Dijk froze, the weight of the words sinking in like lead. Then, to Ludwig''s surprise, the Tower Master threw his head back and began to laugh¡ªa cold, manic cackle that reverberated through the chamber like shattered glass.


    "THE COST?" Van Dijk roared, his crimson eyes gleaming with unholy fervor. "I WOULD PAY MY VERY LIFE! MY SOUL, IF NEED BE, TO HAVE HIS HEART IN MY HANDS! NO PRICE IS TOO GREAT!"


    The smile on Ludwig''s face¡ªif it could be called Ludwig''s¡ªwidened ever so slightly. "Then nurture this child, and your wish shall be fulfilled. That is all I will say."


    The entity''s voice faded, and with it, the oppressive atmosphere in the room began to lift. Ludwig''s body shuddered violently as the unearthly presence withdrew, leaving him to slump to the ground.


    Van Dijk''s reaction was immediate. "{Dispel Bindings}," he muttered, releasing the spells he had cast earlier.


    Ludwig groaned as his limbs regained motion, blinking rapidly as he took in his surroundings. He noticed the shattered remains of an ink vial on the desk, the scattered books, and the faint glow of dissipating magical seals. "What¡­ what happened?" he asked, his voice hoarse. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Van Dijk loomed over him, his piercing gaze betraying none of his inner turmoil. "You don''t remember?"


    Ludwig shook his head. "I just walked in¡­ and then everything went blank."


    Van Dijk leaned back, crossing his arms as he regarded the boy with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity. "Do you know why the Tower itself began to tremble? Why my spells failed against you?"


    Ludwig''s confusion deepened. "I don''t understand what you mean."


    Van Dijk sighed heavily, the weight of what had just occurred pressing down on him. "It''s fine," he said at last, though his tone was anything but. "For now, we''ll let this be. But tell me¡ªhow is it that you came to use necromancy? I''m certain I never taught you that."


    Ludwig hesitated. "I found it in one of the books here¡ªHcilhcra Algad''s Treatise on the Arcane. It had a sigil for necromancy in the margins. I memorized it when I saw it and used it during the trial grounds."


    Van Dijk pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperation evident. "Do you know how many laws you broke by using that sigil? Necromancy is a crime punishable by crucifixion. And as if that weren''t enough, you flaunted your undead nature by walking around holding your severed arm as if it were a party favor!"


    "There''s a reason for that," Ludwig replied defensively.


    Van Dijk arched an eyebrow. "Oh, this I must hear. Enlighten me."


    Ludwig recounted everything that had happened in the testing grounds¡ªhis desperate battles, the use of necromancy to create the undead lizardmen, and the explosive finale with the Champion. He spoke with conviction, justifying his decisions as survival tactics, though he faltered when describing his reckless charges into danger.


    Van Dijk listened intently, nodding occasionally but making no comment. When Ludwig finished, the Tower Master tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I can see your reasoning. Still, using necromancy is never justifiable, even in desperate circumstances. You could have stayed with the group instead of foolishly rushing into the boss room. A teacher would have intervened if the test dragged on or enough students died."


    "I didn''t know that," Ludwig admitted. "None of us did. I acted on a hunch."


    Van Dijk''s crimson eyes narrowed. "And how do you explain this?" He gestured to Ludwig''s skeletal arm. "Everyone, including a Sixth-Tier mage, swore you were bleeding like any other human. Yet I see nothing but bare bones."


    Ludwig hesitated. "That¡­"


    Before he could answer, the lantern at his side shimmered into view, glowing faintly. Van Dijk''s eyes locked onto it, and his expression shifted instantly. He staggered back, gripping his head as memories he was certain that they were never there before flooded his mind.


    Flashes of the past, fragmented and chaotic, overwhelmed him. The lantern, once seemingly unremarkable, now burned with an inexplicable familiarity. He saw visions of a distant battlefield, of fallen comrades and endless carnage. And then he saw her.


    "Melania¡­" Van Dijk whispered, his voice cracking.


    Ludwig watched, bewildered, as Van Dijk''s composure shattered. "What''s happening?" he asked, but the Tower Master was too lost in his own torment to answer.


    "How come... how come you have HIS lantern?!" Van Dijk''s eyes blared in red flaring lights.


    The lantern''s glow intensified, casting long, eerie shadows across the chamber. Whatever secrets it held, they were now clawing their way to the surface.

 Chapter 60 Forgotten Past

    More than hundreds of years ago...In the southwest of the Lufondal Empire lay the March of Bastos, a land ruled by one of the most prominent noble families of the Kingdom of Lamar. The Bastos family was old¡ªso ancient, in fact, that legends spoke of their existence long before the Lufondal Empire itself rose to power. Renowned not for their military might but for their staggering wealth, the Bastos family wielded influence that could rival the seven kingdoms of the empire combined.


    Yet, despite their strength, the Bastos family showed no interest in power struggles or the throne. They neither bowed to the emperor nor rebelled against him outright. Instead, they stood apart, a looming dragon too proud to kneel but too dormant to provoke. Even the emperor himself, after years of failed attempts to undermine them by empowering rival nobles, had resigned himself to their coexistence.


    Their territory flourished, unbothered by the turbulence of imperial politics. But beneath the surface of their pristine image was a problem, one that simmered within the walls of the family''s opulent mansion.


    "WHERE IS VAN DIJK?!"


    The furious roar of Dante Bastos, patriarch of the Bastos family, reverberated through the marble corridors of the grand estate. He stood in his study, a man as imposing as the castle itself. Towering at two meters tall with a frame like a bear, Dante''s presence alone could cow the boldest of warriors. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Before him stood a trembling maid, her head bowed low. Though she appeared to be a simple servant, she was anything but. A fourth-tier Swordmaster trained in assassination techniques, her mere presence was enough to unnerve even seasoned warriors. Yet here, in the presence of her enraged master, she dared not lift her gaze.


    "My lord," she said, her voice laced with fear, "Lord Van Dijk is not in the palace. We''ve searched every room."


    Dante''s fist slammed down onto the mahogany desk, splintering it into fragments. He held a crumpled piece of parchment in his other hand, his knuckles white with tension. "That idiot son of mine! Bring Celine to me, now!"


    "Yes, my lord." The maid melted into the shadows, disappearing as swiftly and silently as she had come.


    Moments later, a tall woman in full military regalia entered the room. Her gray hair was pulled into a severe bun, and her icy blue eyes bore a sharpness that rivaled steel. This was Celine, Dante''s daughter, a commander whose presence exuded authority.


    "You called, My Lord?" she said, her tone as calm as the sea before a storm.


    The old man sighed, "I told you many times, when we''re together, call me father," he said, he then waved the parchment at her, his face red with frustration. "That brother of yours! Do you have any idea what he''s done this time?"


    Celine''s lips quirked in a small, knowing smirk. "Which incident are you referring to, Father? Was it the time he sold your prized River and Sea painting for wine? Or the time he set the Duke of Montana''s wig on fire in front of his entire court? Or perhaps the night he drank more than an entire viscount''s yearly income?"


    Dante groaned, collapsing into his chair. "That boy is going to be the death of me. my old heart can''t take this." Exaggerating his antics to get some sympathy of his daughter.


    Celine moved behind him, her hands deftly massaging his tense shoulders. "Father, you can''t have heart problems, you''re a True Vampire, let alone a heart attack. Now, stop the whinging and tell me what he''s done this time."


    Dante sighed, his frustration bleeding into melancholy. "It''s not just his antics, Celine. He''s changed since your mother died. Unlike you, he doesn''t share my¡­ condition. He''ll age. He''ll grow old. And one day, he''ll be gone."


    "It is the fate of all mortals, I can see why you dote on him a lot, Francesca was a gentle and kind woman, what happened to her was out of any of our control¡­"


    "I should have been there if only she kept my keepsake with her¡­" the old man said.


    "She gave it to him, that''s what parental Love does, father," Celine replied as she rubbed on her father''s shoulders.


    Dante''s gaze fell to the parchment in his hand. "Still¡­ this time, he''s crossed a line." He handed it to her, and Celine''s eyes scanned the contents.


    Her lips twitched. "Even for him, this is bold."


    ***


    Meanwhile, in a lively inn on the outskirts of the Bastos territory, the air was thick with the scent of ale, roasted meat, and the faint tang of spilled beer. The dimly lit interior glowed with the warm orange hues of lanterns and a crackling hearth. Wooden beams lined the ceiling, their surfaces scarred from years of rowdy brawls and the occasional drunken axe throw.


    Laughter and shouts filled the room, mingling with the cheerful tunes of a bard strumming a lute in the corner. Adventurers, merchants, and laborers crowded around tables, their mugs sloshing with frothy ale as they toasted to victories both real and exaggerated.


    At the center of the chaos stood a young man, shirtless and wiry but brimming with reckless energy. In his hands, he held a massive keg of beer, his grin wide and challenging.


    "Old man, I''m taking that beard of yours tonight!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the din.


    Across from him stood a burly dwarf, his chest puffed out with the pride of his race. He cradled a keg of his own, his expression one of equal parts amusement and determination.


    "For a twig of a human, you''ve got guts!" the dwarf bellowed. "But tonight, lad, you''ll be the one running naked through the streets!"


    The crowd erupted into cheers and chants of "CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!" as the two competitors raised their kegs and began to drink.


    The young man tilted his head back, gulping the frothy liquid with abandon. The keg was almost half his size, but he didn''t falter, his determination fueled by both pride and the sheer joy of the moment. Around him, the tavern roared with excitement, the patrons slamming their mugs against the tables in rhythm with the chants.


    The dwarf matched him gulp for gulp, his beard dripping with beer as he grinned through the challenge. "You''re good, lad," he said between swigs. "But you''ve met your match tonight!"


    The young man wobbled slightly, the weight of the keg and the sheer volume of alcohol beginning to take their toll. But he didn''t stop, his grin never faltering even as his legs threatened to give out beneath him.


    Finally, with a dramatic flourish, he drained the last of his keg and slammed it onto the table. "HA! Take that, you stubby bastard!"


    But before he could revel in his victory, his knees buckled, and he collapsed onto the floor in a fit of drunken laughter.


    The dwarf roared with laughter, pounding his chest. "You''ve got spirit, boy! I''ll give you that. But you''re no match for a dwarf''s liver!"


    The tavern exploded into cheers and laughter, the patrons raising their mugs in salute to the two competitors. The bard struck up a lively tune, and the room seemed to come alive with renewed energy.

 Chapter 61 The Lout of the Bastos Family

    The sound of laughter echoed all through the streets of the city.The tavern had erupted into cheers as the young man and the dwarf concluded their drinking match in a spectacularly unsophisticated fashion. The once-proud competitors now clung to the table for dear life, their faces pale and stomachs revolting in unison.


    "HAH! You dare compete with a dwarf, you lanky tw¡ªBlurgghhhh!" The dwarf doubled over, unable to finish his sentence, a stream of partially digested ale escaping his lips.


    "Serves you right!" the young man sputtered before succumbing to the same fate, vomiting so violently that the surrounding patrons erupted into a chorus of laughter.


    The tavern''s patrons clapped and jeered as the two drinkers leaned against each other for support, their earlier bravado now reduced to groans and grumbles. The smell of stale ale, sweat, and roasted meat mingled with the earthy tang of spilled beer, creating an atmosphere as intoxicating as it was overwhelming.


    The dim glow of lanterns and the flicker of the hearth cast long shadows across the wooden beams and rough-hewn furniture. Adventurers, merchants, and locals alike raised their mugs in mock toasts to the two "champions" who had proven themselves equally adept at drinking and failing.


    After some time, the young man wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and staggered to his feet, leaning heavily on the table for support. His shirtless frame glistened with sweat, and his usually confident smirk was replaced by a sheepish grin.


    "What are you doing?" the dwarf asked, watching as young man began unbuttoning his pants.


    "A loss is a loss," he declared, his voice slurred but firm. "I''m not someone who''ll shy away from a bet or fail to honor it."


    "Oi, you noble bastard, you''ll get me in trouble!" The dwarf tried to intervene, but his arms were too short to reach the young man in time. "Your pops will rip my beard out if he hears about this. I only wanted to teach you a lesson, not have you streak naked through the streets!"


    The young man laughed, the sound hearty despite his intoxication. "Nah, I''m a man of my word. Besides¡­" He yanked his pants down, standing proudly in his full glory. "It''s not like I have anything to be ashamed of! HAH!"


    The tavern exploded into whistles, cheers, and laughter as he strutted toward the door. Women giggled behind raised hands, while men clapped him on the back as he passed. "See you all later!" he called out, throwing the tavern door open and stepping into the cool night air, butt-naked and utterly unapologetic.


    The streets of the Bastos March were quiet, the bustling crowds of the day replaced by a smattering of night owls and wandering drunks. Lanterns hanging from wrought iron poles cast golden circles of light on the cobblestone streets, while the shadows between them seemed to stretch endlessly into the darkness.


    His bare feet slapped against the cold stones as he jogged through the city, his breath visible in the crisp air. Pedestrians stopped in their tracks, their expressions a mixture of shock, amusement, and confusion as they watched the young nobleman streak past them.


    "Is that... Lord Van Dijk?" one man whispered to his companion.


    "By the gods, what is he doing?"


    "Making a fool of himself, as always," another muttered with a chuckle.


    Van Dijk paid them no mind, his laughter echoing through the empty streets. The alcohol in his veins kept the cold at bay, but as the minutes passed, a sense of clarity began to return to him. He slowed to a walk, his breath coming in puffs of steam, and made his way toward a small public garden.


    The garden was serene, bathed in the soft silver light of the moon. Neatly trimmed hedges bordered winding paths, and clusters of flowers swayed gently in the breeze. A single bench sat beneath a sprawling oak tree, its branches bare and skeletal in the winter chill.


    Van Dijk plopped down onto the bench, his naked form illuminated by the moonlight. He leaned back, staring up at the stars as he sighed. "Maybe that dwarf was right," he muttered to himself. "I do need to learn when to quit."


    His musings were interrupted by the sound of hurried footsteps. A young woman darted into view, her thin wool coat wrapped tightly around her to ward off the cold. Her hair was disheveled, her shoes worn and muddied, but her striking azure eyes shone with a light that seemed to pierce the darkness.


    Van Dijk froze, his breath catching in his throat. For all her apparent poverty, there was an unassuming grace about her that left him spellbound.


    "What are you doing naked here?" she asked, her tone equal parts concern and disbelief.


    Van Dijk smirked, the roguish grin returning to his face. "Waiting for you."


    The woman blinked, taken aback. "I''m sorry, but I really must be going," she said, turning to leave.


    As she walked away, Van Dijk''s heart ached with an intensity that surprised even him. He wanted to call out to her, to stop her, but his tongue felt heavy and useless.


    To his astonishment, the woman paused after a few steps. She turned back and approached him, her expression softening as she shrugged off her coat and draped it over his shoulders.


    "Keep yourself warm," she said simply. "You''ll fall ill."


    And with that, she disappeared into the night, her figure swallowed by the shadows.


    Van Dijk sat there, clutching the coat to his chest as if it were a priceless treasure. Despite its tattered state, it was the warmest, most precious gift he had ever received.


    "She didn''t even ask for anything in return," he murmured, his voice barely audible. "Who is she?"


    Driven by a sudden surge of determination, Van Dijk stood and wrapped the coat around his waist before setting off in the direction she had gone. But no matter how far he searched, she was nowhere to be found.


    Just as he was about to give up, a heavy hand clamped down on his shoulder.


    "Finally found you," a familiar voice growled.


    Van Dijk turned, only to be met with the stern, disapproving glare of his sister, Celine.


    "HAAAA!" he yelped in surprise, earning himself a swift knuckle to the head.


    "Is that how you greet your sister? One would think you saw a monster," she snapped.


    "More like a gorilla," Van Dijk muttered under his breath, earning himself another whack.


    "You''ll turn me into an idiot at this rate!" he protested.


    "You already are one, Van Dijk," she retorted, crossing her arms. Her eyes scanned him from head to toe, taking in his disheveled appearance. "And what, pray tell, is this rag you''re wearing? And why are you naked?" S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Van Dijk scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "It''s a long story."


    "Save it," she said, grabbing him by the ear and dragging him along. "Father is ready to rip you in two as it is."


    Van Dijk cast one last glance over his shoulder, his heart still yearning for the mysterious woman. But with Celine''s iron grip on his ear, he had little choice but to follow her lead.

 Chapter 62 Ten Points for ...Skeludwig

    "Where did you obtain that Lantern?" Van Dijk asked, his piercing gaze locking onto Ludwig like a predator assessing its prey."You can see it?" Ludwig replied, frowning in confusion. The lantern, with its faint otherworldly glow, hung innocuously at his side.


    "Of course," Van Dijk said, leaning back in his chair. "It''s something that has ill-fated memories with me, something that belonged to someone I swore I''d end with my own hands one day.."


    Ludwig hesitated. How could he explain something he barely understood himself? But ill-fated item? and someone else had it before? Was there another lantern wielder present before Ludwig?


    Before he could muster a reply, Van Dijk continued, his tone grave, "That Lantern... belonged to Necros." He steepled his fingers in a pyramid, his expression unreadable but heavy with contemplation.


    Ludwig felt a chill run through him. He knew Van Dijk wasn''t a simple man, but this confirmed his suspicions: Van Dijk was far scarier than anything Ludwig had encountered. The way he pieced together the connection between the lantern and Necros so effortlessly unnerved him.


    "Regardless," Van Dijk said, breaking the tense silence, "you''re mine. Be it a god, a deity, or a demon, you belong to me now. And I will achieve my goals¡ªno matter the cost, no matter the obstacles, no matter the years. Even seven hundred of them," he declared. The sheer conviction in his voice left no room for doubt.


    Van Dijk snapped his fingers, summoning a small flame atop his index finger. The fire morphed into the shape of a bat, its black flames flickering ominously. Without so much as a ripple, it flew through the closed window, leaving behind no trace of its passage.


    "Follow me," Van Dijk commanded, standing abruptly.


    Ludwig followed reluctantly as Van Dijk opened the door to the room. But instead of the familiar stairwell leading down, Ludwig was greeted by the sight of a laboratory¡ªa chillingly familiar one. It was the very lab where his "operation" had taken place. He clenched his fists as the memories of that day resurfaced.


    Van Dijk motioned to the table in the center of the room. "Remove that ruined dress and sit."


    Ludwig hesitated but complied. He stripped off his torn and bloodied robes and sat on the cold surface of the table.


    "This slime," Van Dijk said, gesturing to the translucent layer coating Ludwig''s skeletal frame, "is no longer useful for you, I presume."


    "No," Ludwig replied, glancing at his own hand. "The lantern allows me to be perceived as ''human'' by those who don''t know my true nature."


    Van Dijk raised an eyebrow at this revelation. It was new information, even for him. That Ludwig volunteered it so freely was a testament to Van Dijk''s subtle manipulation. Seven hundred years of experience made coaxing secrets from someone as easy as plucking fruit from a low-hanging branch.


    Though no fault of Ludwig, after all, Van Dijk was truly a monster.


    "Don''t speak of this to anyone else," Van Dijk said, his voice stern. "Some things are better kept hidden, and from what I have seen... that lantern only allowed a select few to see it.."


    Ludwig was once again amazed, ''The fact he could deduce something like that is already impressive. How did he do that?"


    He extended his hand. "Give me that arm of yours."


    Ludwig handed over his severed arm without protest. Van Dijk inspected it with a critical eye, running his fingers along the jagged edges of bone and the faint traces of slime. Satisfied, he propped the arm against Ludwig''s shoulder.


    "Funnel your mana into your detached arm as if you were casting a spell," Van Dijk instructed.


    Ludwig frowned. He couldn''t feel the arm¡ªit was as if it were no longer part of him. How was he supposed to cast a spell? Despite his doubts, he trusted Van Dijk and focused, attempting to summon a [Fireball] or even the more reckless [Self-Immolation]. To his astonishment, he felt the mana circuits in his arm reconnect with a faint spark.


    "You can stop now," Van Dijk said, removing his hand. Ludwig flexed his newly reattached arm, marveling at the seamless restoration.


    "Impressive healing," Van Dijk remarked. "Now, I need to see what truly happened."


    "I don''t think I skipped anything," Ludwig said cautiously.


    Van Dijk smirked, his crimson eyes gleaming. "The same story can have different interpretations depending on the person who tells it." He extended his finger, and the black flame bat returned, perching momentarily before transforming into a small, dark marble.


    Van Dijk held the marble aloft and infused it with mana. The air shimmered, and scenes from the dungeon trial played out in vivid detail. Ludwig watched alongside Van Dijk as the events unfolded from multiple perspectives. The chaos, the fear, the triumphs¡ªit was all laid bare.


    "There is so much to scorn and criticize here," Van Dijk said, shaking his head. "Your classmates were a mess, and your own actions, though brave, were reckless."


    Ludwig''s shoulders sagged. He had expected praise but instead felt the weight of his mistakes. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "But," Van Dijk added, "you did good. Take pride in that¡ªI rarely praise anyone."


    He pointed to specific moments in the projection, narrating his assessment. "Here, you recognized the flaw in the Lizardmen''s sight and used it to your advantage. Plus one point. Here, you led the group and helped them avoid detection. Plus another point. And here," Van Dijk''s tone softened, "you solved problems without relying on external powers. Plus ten points."


    "Here," he pointed, "You recognized that you were not leaving without beating the boss, plus one point.


    Ludwig perked up slightly, but Van Dijk wasn''t finished.


    "However," Van Dijk said, his voice growing icy, "here," he pointed to the scene of Ludwig fighting the Lizardman Champion alone, "you recklessly endangered yourself by fighting a superior enemy without a clear plan. Minus a hundred points."


    Ludwig winced. He had no defense for that decision¡ªit had been pure desperation.


    "For a necromancer wannabe, you''re a failure..."

 Chapter 63 A Teacher

    "I didn''t see any corpses," Ludwig said, his voice tinged with confusion and a lingering hint of exhaustion.Van Dijk sighed deeply, the kind of sigh that spoke of centuries of experience weighed down by the naivety of youth. "The Sigil of Summon Undead isn''t limited to the corpses lying on the ground," he began, pacing slowly around the room with his hands clasped behind his back. His crimson eyes glinted under the flickering light of the lanterns in his lab. "It is an ancient and dangerous craft. The sigil can harness the residual essence of anything that has died in the vicinity, even those long faded into dust."


    Ludwig stiffened at the explanation. He had understood necromancy to be a means of calling the dead back into service, but this was something altogether more profound¡ªand far more horrifying.


    Van Dijk continued, his voice sharp, each word laced with warning. "You''re not guaranteed to summon a simple Lizardman. You could inadvertently call forth something ancient, a being whose death left echoes so potent they''ve never truly faded. A banshee, perhaps. Or worse..." He paused, his gaze locking onto Ludwig''s, his tone dropping to a chilling whisper. "A demon."


    Ludwig''s heart skipped a beat, though he didn''t have any. A bead of figurative cold sweat traced its way down his temple.


    Van Dijk turned away, his tone now one of restrained frustration. "This is why that sigil is forbidden. It breaks not only the rules of mortal magic but the fabric of reality itself. Used recklessly, it can summon entities too mighty, too malevolent for you¡ªor anyone¡ªto control." He faced Ludwig once more, his expression now stern. "You tried to fight alone when you had access to this power. Such foolishness is unacceptable."


    The rebuke stung, but Ludwig held his ground. He didn''t defend himself because, deep down, he knew Van Dijk was right. The battle had been reckless; the cost would have been his life. Something he already lost twice before.


    Van Dijk''s expression softened, just slightly, as he gestured to one of the shimmering memories still playing in the air before them. "But here¡ªthis is where you gained my favor." He pointed to the scene where Ludwig refused treatment. "You realized that healing spell would kill you."


    Ludwig nodded, his voice steady but laced with uncertainty. "Yes. I thought heal spells would destroy me if I received them."


    Van Dijk laughed, a sound as dark and chilling as a cold wind through an ancient graveyard. "It wouldn''t have." He shook his head, amusement fading into explanation. "The spell your classmate was using wasn''t a holy spell¡ªit was a basic [Heal]. Healing magic is rooted in the natural regeneration of the body, applicable to both the living and the undead."


    Ludwig blinked in confusion. "I didn''t know that..."


    Van Dijk''s eyes gleamed with the light of a teacher about to impart a harsh truth. "Holy Heal is entirely different. It cleanses before it regenerates, removing all curses, ailments... and undead corruption. That ''cleansing'' would erase your very existence before the healing could begin. But basic [Heal]? That would have simply restored your arm, no divine purification involved." He smirked. "Still, your prudence spared you this time. For that, I''ll overlook your mistake."


    Ludwig exhaled, unsure whether to feel relieved or embarrassed. Van Dijk, however, wasn''t done.


    "What worries me most," Van Dijk said, his tone growing sharper, "is that throughout the entire ordeal, you used only one spell. One stupid spell that nearly cost you your arm."


    Ludwig shifted uncomfortably. "That''s the only spell I know," he admitted. "Well, more like the only spell I learned right then and there."


    Van Dijk arched an eyebrow, a smirk creeping across his face. "Let me get this straight. You improvised a spell on the spot? In the middle of a life-or-death battle?" He shook his head, muttering to himself. "If nothing else, you''re bold."


    Ludwig''s cheeks flushed¡ªnot that his skeletal features could show it. "I was trying to use [Fireball]."


    Van Dijk laughed heartily, the sound echoing ominously off the lab''s stone walls. "You''re trying to run before you''ve learned to crawl! [Fireball]? A Tier-One mage spell, and you''ve barely grasped the fundamentals of mana control."


    "I read your Mana Control notes," Ludwig said quickly. "I already finished them."


    Van Dijk''s laughter abruptly stopped. "Finished? As in, read them? Or understood them?" His piercing gaze bore into Ludwig.


    "To a decent extent," Ludwig replied, feeling less confident under Van Dijk''s scrutiny.


    Van Dijk let out another sigh, shaking his head. "So be it. Though I doubt you''ve fully grasped something that deep in such a short time, I''ll allow you to take a few basic spellbooks. They''ll give you tools better suited to your current level."


    "I can only learn only two spells, though," Ludwig admitted, his voice tinged with frustration.


    Van Dijk frowned. "Why?" He studied Ludwig for a moment, piecing together the puzzle. "Ah, your circle level, yes? Remember, Ludwig, you''re not human. You''re not bound by the same constraints they are."


    Ludwig hesitated, unwilling to explain his limitation of two spell slots.


    Van Dijk continued, his tone contemplative. "You''ve probably read that mages must expand their mana pool through circles to learn more spells. And that''s true¡ªto an extent. But you forget the deeper truth. Once your understanding of a spell reaches mastery, it ceases to be a mere spell. It becomes a part of you, something innate. That''s why mages read constantly, striving for deeper comprehension. You must do the same."


    A notification appeared before Ludwig, startling him.


    [You have received a clue on how to remove the limitation of spell slots.]


    [Sudden Quest!]


    Spell Mastery


    ? Objective: Learn three different spells within one week.


    ? Difficulty Level: E.


    ? Reward: Achievement: [Spell Mastery].


    Ludwig''s eyes widened at the implications. He''d been struggling with the decision of which spells to learn, but this was a chance to transcend that limitation.


    Van Dijk noticed Ludwig''s distracted expression. "What''s wrong?"


    "Nothing," Ludwig replied quickly, a spark of determination igniting within him. He had more flexibility now¡ªmore potential than he''d thought possible. He just needed to seize it.


    Van Dijk smirked knowingly. "Good. Now get to work. And remember¡ªrecklessness will not be tolerated." S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig nodded, resolve solidifying in his mind. He was ready to embrace this next challenge, whatever it might bring.

 Chapter 64 Breaking The Limits

    "Now that your body is working properly, let''s get you acclimated to more spells you can learn," Van Dijk said, his voice crisp as he led Ludwig back toward his study.The winding corridors of the Black Tower felt eerily quiet, the walls lined with bookshelves that seemed to stretch endlessly toward the vaulted ceiling. Occasional whispers of mana could be felt, residual traces of ancient spells that had once been cast in this arcane haven. Ludwig followed closely, his mind spinning with questions about his newfound abilities and the enigmatic man guiding him.


    Van Dijk''s study, as always, was a blend of chaos and methodical precision. The scent of old parchment and ink mixed with the faint tang of alchemical reagents. Various tomes were stacked in precarious towers around the room, while the centerpiece¡ªa grand ebony desk¡ªremained immaculately organized. Van Dijk moved with purpose, scanning the shelves and muttering to himself as he selected several books.


    "For now, start with these," he said, handing Ludwig five worn volumes. The covers were unadorned, save for faint markings that suggested age and importance. "They should align with your current level of understanding. Perhaps they''ll also assist with your... other hobby."


    Ludwig''s curiosity was piqued as he took the books, examining them closely. "Are these Skill Books?" he asked.


    Van Dijk gave him a look that was equal parts disdain and amusement. "No self-respecting mage would ever rely on Skill Books," he said, his tone sharp. "Skill Books are the fast food of magic¡ªdegraded spells stripped of their essence and compressed into a hollow form for the lazy and desperate. These," he tapped the stack of books with a finger, "are true spells, recorded by those who understand their craft."


    Ludwig nodded, understanding the gravity of the gift but still caught off guard by Van Dijk''s vehemence.


    Van Dijk continued, his voice softening slightly. "If you can grasp the concepts within these tomes, you''ll gain more than just spells. You''ll gain insight into the art itself. However," he added, his tone turning serious, "don''t overfill your cup. Learn what you need, what you deem necessary¡ªand, just as importantly, learn what you can discard when the time comes."


    The cryptic remark left Ludwig puzzled, but he didn''t question it further. The allure of five potential spells was too great, and he quickly stored the books in the enchanted ring Van Dijk had given him.


    "Go back to your dorm," Van Dijk said, returning to his desk and pulling a much older, more tattered book from a hidden drawer. "If Olim inquires about your arm, tell him I fixed it. There was no need for the infirmary."


    Ludwig lingered for a moment, his gaze drawn to the ancient book in Van Dijk''s hands. Unlike the polished volumes on the shelves, this one was frayed, its leather cover cracked and its edges weathered. Yet it seemed to emanate an almost magnetic pull.


    Van Dijk noticed his hesitation and shot him a sharp look. "What are you still doing here?"


    "Ah, my bad," Ludwig stammered, turning on his heel and scurrying out of the room.


    Some Time Later


    Ludwig returned to his dormitory, the five books spread out on the small, creaky desk before him. Their titles glinted faintly in the dim light:


    [Enfeeble][Galvanize][Taint][Flame Bringer][Frenzied Spirits]


    The lack of authorship intrigued him. Each book had a similar style of writing, as though penned by the same person. Could they be Van Dijk''s personal creations? The thought sent a thrill through him.


    He decided to start with [Enfeeble].


    [Enfeeble] {Sigil}


    The opening pages of the tome were dense with diagrams and symbols, each meticulously annotated. The sigil was intricate, its curves and lines speaking of a dark, ancient art. Ludwig''s brow furrowed as he read:


    "In matters of curses and hexes, the most loathed are sigil curses. [Enfeeble] dances on the line of immoral and forbidden, creating an area of influence that saps strength and dulls abilities. Any who step within the sigil''s bounds will find their power reduced¡ªspells weakened, bodies slowed, minds dulled. It is not a permanent curse but a fleeting one, fading with time or distance from the sigil''s locus."


    The book delved deeply into the mechanics of sigil creation, explaining the purpose behind every rune and line. It wasn''t just about copying the sigil¡ªit was about understanding its language. Ludwig found himself immersed, his mind piecing together the logic behind each stroke.


    Two hours later, the sigil was seared into his memory. His fingers twitched as though tracing its outline, and the runic language felt like second nature.


    {You have learned the Spell [Enfeeble]}


    {Your mastery over the Spell [Enfeeble] has grown to [Amateur]} Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    {You have learned 2/2 spells.}


    Ludwig frowned at the notification. His spell slots were full, yet the quest from earlier suggested he could overcome this limit. For now, he resisted the urge to test [Enfeeble], knowing it might draw unwanted attention.


    He turned to the second book: [Galvanize].


    [Galvanize]


    The text opened with a bold claim:


    "All bodies have limits. Yet, with the right application of mana, those limits can be shattered, if only briefly."


    [Galvanize] was a self-enhancement spell, pushing the body beyond its natural constraints. It detailed how mana could be channeled into muscles and nerves, forcing them to exceed their limits. The potential was enticing¡ªenhanced speed, strength, and even cognitive function. However, the cost was steep: rapid stamina depletion and potential strain on the user''s body.


    For someone alive, that cost might be fatal. Ludwig, however, was not alive.


    He read on, fascinated by the meticulous instructions. The spell demanded constant mana control, something Ludwig knew he lacked. Still, he couldn''t resist imagining the possibilities.


    {You have learned the Spell [Galvanize]}


    Surprise flickered across Ludwig''s face. He had no blood or muscles, yet the system registered the spell. Was his skeletal form adaptable in ways he didn''t yet understand? The thought excited him.


    [Quest Progress: 2/3 Spells Learned]


    Ludwig glanced at the remaining books. The prospect of learning even more spells spurred him on. He cracked his knuckles¡ªor what passed for them¡ªand prepared to delve deeper. The night was young, and the promise of power lay waiting within the pages.

 Chapter 65 UNLIMITED POWER!

    {You have learned the Spell [Galvanize]}{Your mastery over the spell [Galvanize] has increased to Amateur}


    {You have exceeded the limit of spells you can learn.}


    {Your understanding of spells is enough to bypass the spell limit.}


    [Congratulations! You have successfully cleared the Quest: Spell Mastery.]


    [You have obtained the Achievement: Spell Mastery.]


    [Spell Mastery]: You are no longer bound by your inherent ability to learn spells. You may learn as many spells as you can, provided you understand their basic functionality. However, the potency of each spell will depend on your Wisdom. The higher your Wisdom, the more powerful and faster your spell proficiency increases.


    Ludwig''s breath caught in his chest¡ªa chest devoid of life, yet one that still carried the weight of his ambition. His skeletal hand flexed reflexively as the notifications sank in.


    "This... changes everything," he murmured to himself. A newfound excitement bubbled in his hollow form. The system''s limitations on spell learning had been a looming shadow, one that now seemed banished by his growing understanding. But the victory came with an immediate realization: sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I''ll need more Wisdom to make the most of this. And for that... I need souls."


    His enthusiasm dimmed momentarily. Acquiring souls wasn''t easy. The dungeons like the Lizardman trial provided a rich harvest, but he couldn''t rely on those regularly. Killing students, while theoretically an option, was a moral boundary he wasn''t willing to cross¡ªnot to mention the paltry value of their unbloodied souls.


    "Monsters," Ludwig concluded. "Monsters are my only viable path forward."


    With his resolve set, he turned his attention to the third book on the desk.


    [Taint]


    The book''s opening pages were stark, the first line written boldly in crimson ink:


    "This is a Curse. It is forbidden by the laws of Lufondal. Use it, and you may find yourself at the gallows."


    Ludwig''s eyes scanned the page, his mind racing as he read on:


    [Taint] is a harmful curse that diminishes the resistances of its target. Physical, magical, and even infernal resistances are reduced, leaving the afflicted vulnerable to devastating attacks. [Taint] is particularly effective when paired with necromantic spells, such as [Corpse Explosion]. The curse spreads like a miasma upon the death of its host, potentially affecting nearby enemies in a chain reaction of devastation."


    The concept was enticing: a tool for whittling down defenses, ensuring maximum impact for future attacks. But the warning etched into the margins was equally daunting.


    "This curse is dangerous, not just for its effects but for its implications. Once cast, its miasmic energy leaves a trace¡ªa beacon that skilled mages can detect. Use it with extreme caution."


    Ludwig frowned, weighing the risk. The potential was undeniable, but the consequences of being discovered were severe. Necromantic spells were already forbidden, and this one screamed trouble.


    Still, he knew he couldn''t afford to overlook it. The versatility it offered could be the edge he needed in a desperate situation. He decided to proceed, knowing full well he might regret it.


    The spell required an infusion of [Necromantic Energy], something Ludwig wasn''t sure he possessed or could even generate. The instructions outlined a complex chant, paired with a deliberate release of miasmic mana into the air. Ludwig practiced the chant silently, committing it to memory.


    {You have learned the Spell [Taint].}


    A flicker of satisfaction crossed his mind, though it was tinged with uncertainty. He lacked the means to test it¡ªyet. But the knowledge itself was a victory, and he turned to the next book.


    [Flame Bringer]


    Opening the fourth book, Ludwig noticed something unusual:


    [Book Description Adjusted by {Necros'' Blessing}]


    This line immediately caught his attention. The system had reinterpreted the spell''s description, providing clarity in a way the denizens of Ikos wouldn''t have. The text began to shift, rearranging itself into a format Ludwig could easily digest.


    "This is not a spell but a training method. [Flame Bringer] allows the caster to temporarily switch their mana pool to a specialized Flame Pool. During this period, fire spells no longer consume mana but instead draw from the Flame Pool."


    Ludwig leaned forward, intrigued. The method seemed advantageous¡ªbut as he read further, the risks became apparent.


    "While active, [Flame Bringer] increases the potency of fire spells but inflicts the caster with [Burning Flesh]. This debuff amplifies fire damage dealt but simultaneously decreases the caster''s resistance to heat. Furthermore, the Flame Pool has a strict limit: once depleted, any remaining percentage of the pool is directly converted into damage to the caster''s health."


    The example provided chilled him:


    "If a caster depletes 80% of the Flame Pool, the remaining 20% is taken as damage to maximum health once the spell ends. This risk makes [Flame Bringer] a double-edged sword."


    Ludwig whistled softly. The spell¡ªor rather, the method¡ªwas as dangerous as it was powerful. It promised a surge of destructive potential but demanded caution and precision.


    "This could kill me faster than my enemies," he muttered. "But if used right... it could also save me."


    The fact that Necros'' Blessing had rewritten the description reassured him. The system''s game-like simplifications gave him a clearer understanding of its mechanics, something the original Ikos mages would never have.


    He decided to hold off practicing it for now. The risks were too great without a controlled environment.


    [Frenzied Spirits]


    The final book seemed even older than the others, its pages yellowed and its text faded. The air around it seemed to hum faintly, as if the knowledge within was alive.


    Ludwig opened it carefully, his skeletal fingers tracing the lines of text.


    "Call forth the echoes of the departed. [Frenzied Spirits] summons a swarm of spectral entities that attack indiscriminately, feeding on the mana and vitality of anything in their vicinity. Their power scales with the number of targets present, growing more frenzied with each additional entity. However, the caster must maintain control, lest the spirits turn on them as well."


    The spell required a deep understanding of spiritual energy and control¡ªa level of finesse Ludwig wasn''t sure he possessed yet. The warnings were clear:


    "Should your concentration waver, the spirits will break free, and the first target will always be the caster."


    The prospect of losing control sent a shiver through his bones. But the potential... a swarm of spirits feeding on an enemy''s mana and health? It could turn the tide of any battle.


    {You have learned the Spell [Frenzied Spirits].}


    Exhausted but exhilarated, Ludwig closed the final book. His mind buzzed with the new possibilities each spell offered. The night stretched on, and Ludwig knew one thing for certain: he had taken a monumental step forward in his journey.


    "I''ll need more souls," he whispered, his hands resting on the books. "And soon."

 Chapter 66 Ludwig The Undead

    Ludwig nodded to himself, having learned all five spells in less than one day was bound to make even Van Dijk proud. Or maybe even surprised.Having finished learning the skills, Ludwig was hesitant between trying them and not to, but held from doing so, he didn''t want to get pulled into more problems so soon


    He then remembered the assignment Olim had given him: a report on Necessity versus Morality in the Use of Necromancy. Pulling out a notebook, he began jotting down his thoughts, drawing on his understanding of his former world. His ideas focused on the balance between morality and legality, and the concept of fighting evil with evil¡ªsubjects his homeschool teachers had drilled into him relentlessly.


    After all, Ludwig came from a corporate family that had certainly dirtied its hands more than a few times. His father had been preparing him to take over the company one day, needing him to possess a heart strong enough to make tough decisions. Yet, he also didn''t want Ludwig to become so consumed by ruthlessness that he lost his humanity entirely. It was a delicate balance his father hoped he would master.


    "Morality is your shield, Ludwig," his father would say. "Even if it''s hollow, the world needs to believe in your righteousness while you do what needs to be done."


    The contrast wasn''t lost on him. His current situation demanded the same razor-thin balance.


    Satisfied with his effort and writing Ludwig raised his head up looking at the time.


    He realized that it was well in the morning. Today was the weekend, a day off from all the events of the Academy. Seeing that he had nothing else to do for the rest of the Day, Ludwig felt slightly bored.


    ''I should check on those two," he said to himself, not much out of camaraderie, but more of a need to prove his humanity and compassion though he cared less for that. Something inside him seemed to be pushing him toward needing to socialize.


    Ludwig placed the books inside his ring and walked out of his dorm room, only to find a new set of clothes on his door.


    Looking at his right and left arm, he finally realized that his clothes had been burnt on one side and were missing an entire sleeve on the other.


    He quickly grabbed and donned the clothes, then proceeded into leaving the room. His destination was the infirmary.


    Some short time later, Ludwig arrived to the doors of the infirmary which seemed to be open for all.


    The academy''s infirmary buzzed with subdued activity. Rows of beds stretched along the walls, each occupied by a student recovering from injuries sustained during the dungeon trial. A faint antiseptic scent hung in the air, mingling with the muffled groans of the injured.


    There were a few students in it, all of them bedridden, and all of them from the last dungeon run the group had went to. Ludwig took a quick glance at the group and saw Hoyo sitting next to the resting Kassandra.


    "Oh, Ludwig! Come, come!" Hoyo said. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just as the words left his mouth, everyone in the infirmary turned their heads to look at the newcomer.


    Ludwig eyes quickly scanned the area before he moved closer to the two. But the eyes of the students never left him, especially now that they all began talking to each other under their breath, probably about Ludwig.


    "That''s him... the one who fought the Champion."


    "Undead? More like insane..."


    "I heard he didn''t even flinch when they tore his arm off."


    Ludwig felt their stares prickling at his back as he approached Hoyo and Kassandra. He leaned in slightly, his voice low "What''s up with those guys?"


    Hoyo laughed as he looked at Kassandra, "He really is clueless."


    "It''s strange, isn''t it?" Kassandra replied with a smirk. "You''re either a brilliant student¡ªbrave and capable of fighting things that would wipe out half a classroom¡ªor completely oblivious to everything happening around you. Sometimes, you''re both at the same time"


    Ludwig had no idea what was going on truly, and his confusion lasted enough that Hoyo explained.


    Hoyo leaned back, folding his arms with a grin. "Well, let''s just say you''ve become the talk of the academy. Bron, on the other hand, got a massive earful from Olim." Hoyo said, "He had apparently managed to get the info about the next dungeon by external means, outside Olim Rembaldi''s knowledge. Which makes him a cheater, even then the Academy doesn''t care much about that and cares more about the fact that he took the mantle of leadership and failed miserably. The teacher shared with us some of the contents of the test, and guess what," Hoyo said.


    "What?" Ludwig asked innocently, he was slightly afraid that Olim might have exposed him.


    "Olim already graded your and your result only, you actually got full marks for the test, a lot of students didn''t like that though, especially the nobles. But, who among all of us actually thought of going and fighting the Boss and the Mini-Boss by themselves? Most of us actually hid and cowered in fear, some even died and some captured, but you rescued captured students, led others, and helped others save their lives, in comparison you did all that Bron should have, which further made Bron''s situation more dire," Hoyo said.


    "I guess¡­" Ludwig said as he processed the information.


    "I think he is still missing the point," Kassandra said, "Your actions were actions that the Nobles should have taken, if you didn''t move, the Nobles wouldn''t have been blamed, and they''ll push everything under the rug as the test being too difficult and the commoners have actually dragged them down, but since you acted and they didn''t, none of the nobles could even find an excuse to themselves. Which by the way isn''t that great for you," Kassandra said.


    "Kassandra, I don''t think he''ll need to hear that part," Hoyo tried to quiet her down, but she was as bold as one can get.


    "Explain," Ludwig said.


    "I hate to use this term, but, you made the Nobles lose Face," she said.


    "Face? Like the skin?" Ludwig looked even more confused.


    "I mean, by acting in a way befitting of a noble, and they didn''t, they were embarrassed, and embarrassed nobles are dangerous, be careful around them Ludwig."


    Ludwig sighed, more random problems seemed to come after him. "Enough about that, how''s your body?" Ludwig asked.


    "Just a couple of broken ribs," Kassandra said, "Getting struck in the chest by that Champion''s tail was not fun. But once the healer comes, I should be good to go," Kassandra said as she looked at Ludwig, "Speaking of which, what the hell happened to you?"


    Hoyo jumped in, "Yeah, instead of asking about others, what about you? if it was me who had lost an entire arm and had the other blown, I''d probably be dead by now, also that''s one of the reasons that everyone is talking about you, Mr. Undead."


    Ludwig''s heart skipped a beat, though he had no heart.


    Did the academy know of his nature?


    "Stop it," Kassandra interrupted, rolling her eyes. , It''s a stupid nickname don''t bother with it." She said.


    "What nickname?" Ludwig asked.


    Hoyo coughed, proudly claiming, "Seeing you had sustained injuries that would make the bravest men wince and cry in pain, while not uttering a single sound of complaint or agony, the whole freshmen class is calling you Ludwig the Undead, since you can''t feel pain that would make the living cry."


    Ludwig sighed inwardly, ''Too close for comfort¡­''

 Chapter 67 The Illusive dean

    Ludwig nodded politely to Hoyo, though his mind was racing. His interactions with the academy''s students were few and far between, and while he wasn''t particularly eager to change that, he recognized that he couldn''t exist in complete isolation. The conversation drifted into a lull, but Hoyo, ever the chatterbox, seemed determined to keep things lively."What are you planning on doing this weekend?" Hoyo asked, his grin wide and inviting, his enthusiasm radiating like sunlight.


    "I don''t really have anything planned," Ludwig admitted, leaning against the wall of the infirmary. "Exams are right around the corner, so I figure most people are busy studying."


    Hoyo laughed, shaking his head. "Nah, this is the last weekend before the exams. Trust me, if anyone needed to cram, they''d have started already. I''m heading to Rima. There''s a festival going on¡ªit''s not something you want to miss."


    "Rima?" Ludwig asked, frowning slightly. The name didn''t ring any bells.


    "It''s the closest city to the Black Tower," Hoyo explained, tilting his head. "You''ve been here for a bit and you don''t know Rima? How?"


    "I''m not from around here," Ludwig replied with a casual shrug. He wasn''t about to dive into the convoluted tale of his origins with someone who''d probably laugh it off as a bad joke.


    Hoyo''s eyes lit up with mischief. "In that case, you have to come. Rima''s Mage Masquerade is legendary. It''s an annual event¡ªlights, magic, performances, rare items for sale, and food that''ll ruin you for anything else. It''s everything you imagine a magical festival to be."


    Ludwig was about to dismiss the idea, the words forming on his lips, but he hesitated. He didn''t know much about this world''s culture, and there was a part of him, buried deep under layers of pragmatism, that was curious. He still hadn''t tested the limits of his eternal quest''s restrictions, but before he could spiral into worry, a familiar notification flickered into his vision.


    [You are allowed to leave the academy if you are planning on returning soon. Abandoning the academy entirely will result in failing the Eternal Quest.]


    "Well," Ludwig muttered to himself, the corners of his lips twitching upward. "I guess I don''t have much of an excuse not to go."


    "What''s the festival about?" he asked, pretending his curiosity wasn''t already piqued.


    "It''s the Mage Masquerade," Hoyo repeated, his expression softening as he leaned against the infirmary wall. A hint of nostalgia flickered in his eyes. "I went there once as a kid. Back home, my family and I would..." He trailed off, the wistful look on his face speaking volumes.


    "I see," Ludwig said, his tone neutral, though he made a mental note of Hoyo''s brief melancholy.


    Sensing Ludwig''s lack of enthusiasm, Hoyo straightened up, his grin returning. "They sell rare magical materials there. I mean, the kind you won''t find anywhere else unless you''re willing to spend a fortune. Trust me, you''ll thank me later."


    Ludwig reached into his pockets, he pulled their insides out showing how they were embarrassingly empty. "Yeah, about that..."


    Hoyo''s eyes widened. "Wait, don''t tell me¡ªyou''re broke?"


    "Broke doesn''t even begin to describe it," Ludwig said dryly, brushing the non-existent dust from his tunic.


    "Did you blow through your allowance already?"


    "What allowance?"


    Hoyo''s jaw dropped. "You mean to tell me you''ve been here all this time and you didn''t know about the academy stipend? They give us coins every month for food, supplies, and whatever else we need!"


    "I''ve been... managing," Ludwig said, though the truth was, he hadn''t even noticed his lack of funds. After all, he needs no food or drinks, nor does he need sleep and rest. What value does coin have for one who is dead?


    Kassandra, who had been quietly listening from her bed, chimed in. "Wait, you didn''t claim your allowance? Aren''t you Van Dijk''s apprentice? You''re probably entitled to a larger stipend than the rest of us!"


    "Well, I haven''t seen a single coin," Ludwig admitted, scratching the back of his head.


    Kassandra and Hoyo exchanged glances, their eyes gleaming with unspoken plans.


    "What if we helped you claim it?" Hoyo offered, his grin turning mischievous.


    Ludwig smirked. "I won''t say no, and I understand,"


    "Then let''s go!" Hoyo said, practically bouncing out of the infirmary.


    ***


    Hoyo led Ludwig through the labyrinthine halls of the Black Tower with practiced ease, chatting animatedly about the festival as they went. Ludwig followed, his thoughts drifting back to the first time he''d visited the dean''s office¡ªa dark, foreboding place that had left an indelible impression on him. because this pathing was the exact same he took that time.


    When they arrived, Hoyo knocked twice on the heavy oak door. It swung open, revealing an office that looked nothing like Ludwig remembered.


    The room was warm and inviting, illuminated by an elaborate chandelier that cast a soft golden glow over polished floors and ornate furniture. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with tomes and artifacts that radiated faint magical energy. At the far end of the room, a young woman sat behind a grand desk, her glasses perched low on her nose as she scribbled notes with a quill that moved of its own accord. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her sharp eyes flicked up, locking onto them like a hawk spotting prey. "What business do two freshmen have here?"


    "We''re here about missing allowance funds," Hoyo said, flashing a disarming smile.


    The woman arched an eyebrow, her gaze shifting to Ludwig. "And you look like you''ve seen a ghost. What''s on your mind?"


    "It''s nothing," Ludwig said, though his confusion must have been written all over his face.


    The woman narrowed her eyes. "Spill it. You''re either hiding something, or you''re terrible at pretending otherwise."


    "It''s just..." Ludwig hesitated, then gestured around the room. "This office¡ªit wasn''t like this before. Maybe I walked into the wrong one."


    The woman''s expression froze. "What do you mean, ''wasn''t like this''? How exactly did it look?"


    "It was smaller. Darker. The dean was here with his crow, Bulgasal."


    The moment he mentioned the dean, the woman stood abruptly, her chair screeching against the floor. "What exactly did you do? How did you meet him?" Her voice was sharp, almost frantic.


    "I... just walked in," Ludwig said, taking a step back.


    "Tell me everything!" she demanded, her voice cracking with urgency. "And if you do, I''ll personally double your allowance!"

 Chapter 68 Event

    Ludwig had no idea what was going on after all, and couldn''t help but wonder what the hell was she even talking about.Hoyo looked at Ludwig and pitied his confusion, "You really met the Dean?" he asked.


    "I mean, yeah, that''s what he called himself, unless I''m wrong¡­" Ludwig said. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "There is no one crazy enough to call themselves the Dean, and from the looks of it you''re not lying, but tell me what happened," The woman said.


    "I just got here, on my first day and was led by his crow here, to this very office, like I said before¡­" He stalled as he was waiting for their reactions.


    "Spatial Magic. I should have known! Ahh!" the woman was groaning. "Now this just makes thing even more annoying, he could literally be anywhere¡­" she said contemplating the information, the gears in her brain seemed to be spinning in overdrive.


    "What''s going on?" Ludwig asked in a hushed tone.


    "The Dean isn''t someone you can simply meet, he''s both the administrator and at the same time a teacher, but he doesn''t teach students only, even the academy staff and teachers. Among all the people of the Dark Tower academy, he''s probably the highest circle mage, and there is a rumor going around that if you find the Dean, he can take you in as a student and teach you his own magic. But, he hasn''t been seen or heard of inside the academy for like eighty years or something now¡­ but he does exist as he still, through his crow Bulgasal who attends major events¡­" Hoyo explained.


    The woman sighed, "Regardless, a promise is a promise, but tell me your name first," she said.


    "Ludwig Heart," he said.


    "Ludwig heart¡­" she began repeating the name as she scrolled down a list in front of her.


    "Here, it says that you received your allowance four days ago¡­ Well, technically it was Sebas Morgan who claimed it as your delegate. You''re telling me you never received it?" she asked, the frown on her face was apparent. Something didn''t seem right.


    Ludwig shook his head. After all, he knew only one person that had Sebas in their name, and it was one of the two asshole necromancers that made him this way.


    "Give me a second," she said, immediately pulling out a communication jewel.


    After several rings, the jewel didn''t respond. Frustration grew on her face, and then she switched to a different ID. There was hesitation before she called, but she steeled herself and dialed it.


    The reply was almost instant.


    "Ruby, quite a rare call, did something happen?" she heard through the communication jewel.


    The voice was obvious to Ludwig, it was Van Dijk''s


    "Tower Master, there seems to be some missing funds which were supposed to go to a student in this academy."


    "And how is that related to me?" Van Dijk replied.


    "The man who received the funds was supposed to hand them over to a boy called Ludwig Heart."


    "I see¡­ Ludwig is indeed my personal Student, are you saying he never received them?" Van Dijk seemed surprised.


    "He is right here with me, he told me so himself," she said as she was looking at Ludwig.


    "He wouldn''t lie about something that simple, get me on video call," Van Dijk said.


    Hoyo immediately took a couple of steps back. Seeing how terrified he looked, Ludwig understood that Master Van Dijk wasn''t a simple persona in this academy, besides all his weird antics, he was still someone who commanded fear and respect in equal doses.


    "Ludwig," Van Dijk said.


    From Ludwig''s point of view, Van Dijk''s hands were gloved up and bloodied, as he wore a formerly white apron that turned almost half red. Probably one of his experiments going wrong... or worse, went right.


    Ludwig gave a small pray for whatever unfortunate soul had to stain Van Dijk''s drabs with that much red.


    Van Dijk''s spoke as he continued working on whatever was in front of him "As you can see I''m quite busy right now, But shouldn''t Sebas have handed you your allowance the first day you left for the academy?"


    "I didn''t receive such," Ludwig said shaking his head.


    Van Dijk sighed, "Annoying¡­ regardless what are you planning on doing with said allowance? I doubt that it''s simple food that you''re lacking." Van Dijk said hitting the nail on the head.


    "I was leaving for Rima with a few academy mates."


    Van Dijk tapped his chin a couple of times with his finger bloodying it a bit but he didn''t seem to care. "I see, it''s the Mage Masquerade in Rima this time. Sure, go on, I also need you to bring me something from there. Ruby be a doll and give him next month''s allowance in advance, I''m not currently available I would have solved this myself. As for Sebas, I did send him on a mission yesterday. I''ll¡­ deal with his lack of attention to such delicate details later."


    "As you wish Tower Master¡­ but is this amount correct?" She asked.


    "What is it?" Van Dijk asked.


    "This is a thousand golden Krona, that''s a third of my salary," She frowned.


    Van Dijk could only smile as he cut off the call.


    "You really have a good master, not to mention this is just your expense as a freshman, next year starts you''d probably be paid the same as I do," she sighed as she signed some papers and pulled a small pouch from under the drawer, she did a quick count and handed the pouch to Ludwig.


    "This should take care of the expenses of this month, and I also added something there for the hint about the Dean. Regardless don''t waste it all on random things you won''t be getting anything from me next month," she said as she dismissed the two.


    Hoyo''s grin was wide enough that it reached his ears.


    "We''re rich!" He said.


    "I''m rich," Ludwig replied. Once he saw Hoyo''s expression sour, he added after a laugh, "But I''ll never let the homies suffer, let''s see what this Mage Masquerade event is all about.

 Chapter 69) Nice

    The two soon returned to the infirmary, finding Kassandra seated on the edge of her bed, her expression a mixture of annoyance and relief as a staff member handed her a discharge note. Her hair, still faintly matted with traces of mud, betrayed her recent trials."How are you feeling?" Ludwig asked.


    "Like the dead," Kassandra quipped, though a smirk tugged at her lips. "Everything hurts, but I''ve had worse. So, when are you two leaving for Rima?"


    "We were about to head there now," Hoyo said, nudging Ludwig playfully. "But this guy said we should wait for you."


    "Me? Why?" Kassandra raised an eyebrow, her tone skeptical.


    Ludwig shrugged. "You looked like you wanted to go earlier."


    Kassandra blinked, caught off guard. "I¡­" She hesitated, but before she could continue, Hoyo jumped in.


    "Have you ever been to a Mage Masquerade before?"


    "Not really," she admitted, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. "I''ve heard about them, though. Their caravan moves all over the country. People talk about how amazing they are¡ªmagic shows, enchanted goods, even fortune tellers. And then there''s the rule about masks. You can''t enter without one."


    "Exactly!" Hoyo said, grinning. "That''s the beauty of it. Nobles and commoners mingling together without all the usual societal garbage getting in the way. No status, no titles¡ªjust people enjoying themselves. And if someone tries to pull rank, they''re banned for life. It''s one of the few places where the rules are actually fair."


    "Sounds like a fun place," Ludwig mused. "But how far is Rima from here? We don''t exactly have carriages waiting for us."


    "Just follow me," Hoyo said with an air of confidence. "We''ll get there in less than five minutes."


    Ludwig frowned. Nothing near the academy was that close¡ªnot even the Black Tower, which was nearly an hour''s walk. But he decided to keep his concerns to himself for now and followed Hoyo.


    Kassandra, meanwhile, grimaced and glanced at her reflection in the infirmary window. "Can you guys do me a favor? Head out without me for now. I need to clean up first. I think I still have mud in my hair from the dungeon, and they didn''t let me return to the dorms after we got back."


    "Sure," Hoyo said with a resigned sigh. "We''ll wait for you at the Last Adventure Inn. Don''t take too long, though."


    "I''ll be there in an hour," Kassandra promised, already heading toward the infirmary''s small washroom.


    Hoyo groaned the moment she was out of earshot. "An hour? More like four. You realize this, right?"


    "It''s just an hour," Ludwig said, shrugging off Hoyo''s theatrics.


    "Oh, Ludwig," Hoyo said, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "You sweet, naive soul. When a girl says ''an hour,'' what she means is ''I''ll show up eventually.''" He laughed, leading Ludwig toward the central building of the academy.


    ***


    The central building''s first floor was abuzz with activity, a steady flow of students streaming through a massive arched doorway that pulsed faintly with magic. Ludwig noticed most of them moved in pairs or small groups, their chatter filling the air with excitement.


    As they stepped through the doorway, Ludwig''s breath hitched. The chamber beyond was enormous, easily the size of the academy''s entire dining hall. Twelve grand portals, each radiating distinct magical auras, stood arranged in a circle around a central orb of shimmering light. The orb pulsed rhythmically, sending waves of energy rippling through the air. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Runes and glyphs swirled around the orb, shifting and rotating in intricate patterns that seemed to defy logic. Ludwig found himself drawn to the spectacle, his eyes tracing the arcane symbols as they flowed seamlessly into one another.


    [You have witnessed the intricacies of spatial magic, a true testament to mastery.]


    +1 Wisdom


    Hoyo nudged him with an elbow, snapping him out of his trance. "You good there, buddy?"


    "It''s¡­ quite... incredible," Ludwig said, his voice barely above a whisper.


    "First time seeing a teleportation hub?" a staff member asked as the two approached. The man was middle-aged, his robes neatly pressed, though his expression betrayed a hint of boredom.


    "Yeah," Ludwig admitted.


    The staff member chuckled. "Names and destination?"


    "Hoyo Drak and Ludwig Heart," Hoyo said confidently. "We''re heading to Rima."


    "Ah, the Mage Masquerade," the man said, his demeanor brightening. "A fine choice. Not many students are heading there this year. Most of the nobles are returning to their estates for the weekend."


    "Good riddance," Hoyo muttered under his breath, earning a laugh from the staff member.


    "Gate number seven," the man said, pointing to a glowing portal on the far side of the chamber. "Enjoy the festival."


    The two walked through the gate, and in an instant, the world around Ludwig shifted.


    ***


    Ludwig stumbled slightly as they emerged into a sunlit city square. The contrast to the dark, somber halls of the academy was staggering. The square was alive with energy¡ªvendors shouting their wares, children darting between stalls, and a cacophony of smells wafting through the air. Spices, roasted meats, and sweet confections mingled into an intoxicating aroma that made Ludwig''s stomach rumble.


    The buildings surrounding the square were a mix of stone and timber, their brightly painted facades adorned with banners and lanterns. Magic was everywhere¡ªfloating candles lit the pathways, illusionary creatures danced above the crowds, and enchanted instruments played lively tunes without visible musicians.


    "Welcome to Rima!" Hoyo said, throwing his arms wide. "The heart of life outside the academy. Take it all in."


    Ludwig''s eyes darted from one spectacle to another. A fire-breather exhaled a plume of green flames, earning cheers from a gathered crowd. At another stall, a vendor sold shimmering crystals that changed color when held. A pair of short-statured, definitely not human men with long beards and burly muscles argued good-naturedly over the price of a potion, their voices rising above the din.


    "It''s¡­ overwhelming," Ludwig admitted.


    Hoyo laughed. "Give it a minute. You''ll get used to it."


    As they moved deeper into the square, Ludwig couldn''t shake the feeling that this city held more secrets than it let on. Rima was alive, vibrant, and utterly captivating.


    He allowed himself to be swept up in the moment, following Hoyo as they made their way toward the Last Adventure Inn.

 Chapter 70 The Last Adventure Inn

    "You look quite surprised," Hoyo said.Ludwig''s eyes were looking at a girl who was moving ahead of three other men who wore hoods that covered their entire bodies but their faces.


    The girl seemed to be about the age of Ludwig, and had an incredibly beautiful face. A sharp jawline to match and green as emerald eyes, her hair was a mix of gold and silver, and her hood seemed to have slightly fallen enough that her ear was visible to Ludwig to see. The ears was long and pointy and this brought memories of stories and novels that Ludwig had grown up reading.


    "Yeah¡­ also, is that an Elf?" Ludwig asked.


    As if the world went silent, the people around Ludwig and Hoyo''s horrified expression was enough of a tell to Ludwig that something bad just happened.


    "He''s just joking! Haha!" Hoyo said stifling an awkward expression and laugh, "He''s here for the first time, don''t mind him, he doesn''t know anything." He said as he patted Ludwig on the back.


    The group of people that paid attention to Ludwig''s soon began losing interest and the rowdiness of the square returned to how it was. However¡­


    [You''re in a hostile environment]


    Ludwig noticed that one of the three men placed his palm on the pummel of his sword, perhaps out of habit but another person soon lightly nudged him. Stopping any and all aggression.


    "You really are clueless," Hoyo said as he led Ludwig out of the square.


    "Why? What''s up with elves," Ludwig said.


    "First off, there is no way there is an elf in this Empire, Lufondal is extremely hostile to them," Hoyo said.


    Ludwig frowned as he turned his head to once again look at the elven group, the girl who Ludwig was talking about had locked gaze with Ludwig''s eyes.


    "Second, if there was an elf here, all hell would break loose, the country''s Imperial Knights would come rushing here and literally kill any and all that are associated with elves even if they simply look at them."


    "Last, if there was truly an elf there, we''d all be dead by now," Hoyo said as he dragged Ludwig all the way to a nearby Inn.


    Out of curiosity, before Ludwig''s eyes could no longer see the girl as the crowd was getting bigger¡­ ''[Inspect]'' he muttered. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Status Screen


    Name: Lorina Ulesse


    Race: High Elf


    Title: Tragic Princess


    Level: ???


    HP: ???


    Currently under the status effect: [Light Spirit''s Blessing.] (The spirits of light are bending light around the bearer of this blessing changing the perspective of those who look at them.)


    [Necros'' Blessing is Neutralizing this minor effect]


    Ludwig knew it, there were elves in this world, and his eyes didn''t lie to him, this was the same that happened with the Succubus teacher Cymoria Azmiralis.


    "What did the elves do for the relationship between Lufondal and them to be this¡­ bad?" Ludwig asked.


    "What didn''t they do," Hoyo said, "Besides the fact that they planned a full on rebellion against the former emperor, killed two of the royal princes of the last generations, basically the uncles of the current Emperor. Created havoc through the land, arson, murder, rape, kidnappings and more and more. They''re a hostile race that even the spirits don''t want to associate with them, they''re a race comparable to demons. Even halflings are considered utter and complete dregs of society because they share similarities with elves."


    Something caught Ludwig''s attention in Hoyo''s words. That the spirits wouldn''t want to associate with elves, but didn''t that girl have the blessing of a Light spirit?


    Ludwig moved alongside Hoyo until they an inn, it looked like a simple inn where adventurers gathered in and around, several people moved about, carrying their weapons in the forms of swords strapped to their belts and armor donned down, while others had bows and spears nearby, though even with all these weapons visible in broad day light, there was no sign of any form of hostility or aggressiveness from the people here, there was an amicable air of venture and passion visible on the faces of everyone near the inn.


    The plank on top of the door displayed the inn''s name in a fashionable and quite interesting way. The name Last Adventure was written in bold letters and next to it was a mug of ale with a skull sitting right next to it, where some cobwebs seemed to cover parts of it.


    "Truly fitting the name of Last Adventure," Ludwig muttered.


    "Yeah, this is a place famed for serving adventurers who have quite the job or on the fences, it''s actually the best place for newer adventurers to come in and learn the craft from old and veterans. And they''re very friendly toward the Five Towers."


    "All five?" Ludwig asked.


    "You''ll see," Hoyo said as the two of them entered the inn.


    The inside was massively different compared to the outside simple look. As there were dozens of tables all over the place where several adventurers were chatting with each other. Some displayed their muscles boldly and flexed them to flex on other adventurers and garner some appeal of laughing female adventurers. While other tables had an eerie calm to them, as the people who were sitting there seemed to want to drink their ale without uttering a word. The air around those people was slightly suffocating as they seemed to be worn and torn adventurers, either missing limbs from old battles or scarred and burned beyond what''s humanly tolerable. Yet they still couldn''t lower the ambiance of the inn itself.


    Ludwig''s eyes scanned the crowd until it landed on a group of people roughly their age sitting at a corner. The people were wearing similar clothes to Ludwig and Hoyo, the only difference was that their clothes were White in color.


    "Damn¡­ I didn''t want to meet those guys this early," Hoyo groaned.


    Just as Ludwig was about to ask Hoyo on why he was so annoyed with meeting other people.


    "Ah, The Crows are here! No wonder the beer tastes like shit," the voice of a rude and arrogant-looking brat sounded from their table.


    "It''s the White Tower Academy¡­" Hoyo muttered for Ludwig''s ears only.

 Chapter 71 Trouble

    ''Is this the inn event? Usually a rude person would talk shit and then get his ass handed to him by someone¡­'' Ludwig was interested in this interaction after all he only read about events like these, though he always considered them clich¨¦ that only served to undermine other people to enhance the appeal of a main character. But there was one thing missing here, he was no main character. Because those guys are usually heroes hailed from either famous families, or the opposite, an underdog that would climb his way to the top.Ludwig was neither, on the contrary, he was an Undead and he knew it, as an Undead, he had only one role in a story if this was something like that, to be the cannon fodder for the ''hero''. And he wasn''t about to fall in that trap.


    "Quiet down, Rudolph," one of the people in that group spoke up. Looking at her, unlike all the students next to her, she was the only one not drinking bear, and seemed to have had a cup of coffee next to her, though it looked untouched.


    She turned her head to look at Ludwig and Hoyo.


    Ludwig took a long look at her, almost to the point of staring. She was what you can call a rare beauty, almost comparable to the elf from earlier. Blond long hair braided in some parts and left cascading down on others. Under her white coat, there were some straps of leather and metal plates. And to her side was a rapier that was a strange looking sword, it was too thick to be called a rapier, but too thin to be called a long sword. A mix of both that she had sheeted and had leaning on their table. Her jawline was sharp and her eyes were of an azure blue color, though she had an emotionless stare, she still would strike anyone as a noblewoman of a pure and extremely prestigious linage.


    She too didn''t look away at first as she scanned Hoyo and Ludwig with her eyes for a few good seconds and then turned her head back to her group, "Leave them alone."


    And that was that.


    One of the people who worked for the inn arrived to Ludwig''s side, "What can I do for you?" he asked.


    "We''ll need a table for three, a companion of ours will arrive shortly," Ludwig said.


    "Right, and what would you like to order?" the busboy asked as he pulled a small note.


    "Beer," Ludwig asked, as he never had a taste of it before, he really wanted to try it out this time.


    Though he had regretted the moment he said so, after all, he''s a skeleton¡­ wouldn''t beer simply just fall down his throat?


    As he was about to cancel his order, Hoyo jumped up, "Same for me, give me a large mug for now, we''ll wait on our friend if we want something else."


    "Right, follow me to your table please," the busboy asked and led the two to a table that was unfortunately too close to the group of the White Tower students.


    The two sat down reluctantly near the White Tower students who seemed to also soften their voices. It seems that what they were talking about was something secretive.


    Ludwig paid them no mind as he talked to Hoyo.


    "By the way, Master never told me what he wanted me to bring him from Rima," he said.


    Hoyo shrugged, "I have no idea either, perhaps he''ll notify Kassandra. Regardless, what do you want to do today?" Hoyo asked.


    "Beats me, this is the first time I''ve ever attended something like this," Ludwig said.


    "Well, the Mage Masquerade starts in the evening, it''s a pretty big event and would last for two days, so we''ll probably go around the entire venue."


    "What sort of events are there?" Ludwig asked.


    Hoyo thought for a second, "Well, first thing''s first, you need a mask and you can''t enter the masquerade without it, hence the name. After we get your mask, how about we go around the games and shows. For example, a show of strength and another of puzzle and intellect, there are also stalls that sell weapons and magic artifacts. And the main event is the ball at the end of the event. There are other attractions too that we can check out. You never know, it''s different each time but these are the main stuff," Hoyo explained.


    "Must be fun," the sound of the same rude person echoed once again, "For these Crows to have such free time and have fun here, while other people are tending more critical matters."


    "Rudolph!" the girl with golden hair snapped.


    "My bad, my bad, it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth to see such¡­ childish tendencies. I''ll be leaving first," he said and left the group.


    Three more students who seemed to share the same vision as Rudolph followed after him.


    The girl sighed as she was left alone, turning to Ludwig and Hoyo, "I apologize, please don''t take what Rudolph said to heart, he tends to be¡­ rude some times," She said.


    Ludwig shrugged, "Doesn''t really matter, seems like you guys have a mission to do here, I understand the stress," Ludwig said.


    Her face flushed a bit, as if exposed. She turned her face around, perhaps embarrassed that the fact that they were doing a ''mission'' was exposed or simply because she had finally taken a good look at Ludwig''s face up close, no one truly knows the reason.


    "Here, your bear deer customer," the busboy said as he placed two large wooden mugs of beer next to Hoyo and Ludwig.


    Drinking the golden frothy content, Hoyo slammed the mug on the table, "THIS IS THE SHIT!" he said as he licked the froth from his lips.


    Ludwig hesitated for a second and then took a sip.


    Seeing nothing ''spilling'' he was finally able to relax. And almost instantly, his throat or what should have been felt a slight tinge and burn. A refreshing memory of a taste long since forgotten.


    Ludwig gulped another then another


    [You are poisoned!]


    [Minor: Alcoholic affliction]


    [As an Undead Poison isn''t affecting you!]


    Ludwig was surprised, perhaps the system considers alcohol as a poison and warned him about it. But seeing that he was able to neutralize it, Ludwig drank some more and soon finished his mug.


    It didn''t take much for Ludwig to finish his mug and he was already ordering another one. The girl who was left sitting by herself soon stood up and left after leaving the money needed to pay for the table. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Once again, Ludwig noticed that her coffee cup was left untouched.


    He didn''t pay it any mind then and just continued drinking with Hoyo.


    The two enjoyed each other''s company talking about matters of school and prior exams and all that would happen in tonight''s gala, enough that Kassandra had the time to appear at the in.


    "One large please!" Kassandra said as she moved skillfully through the tables and sat next to the two students slamming a book right in front of them.


    "We don''t have much time!" she said.


    "What''s wrong?" Ludwig asked.


    "We''re in trouble!"

 Chapter 72 Kings Gambit

    "What sort of trouble?" Hoyo asked."Tower Master gave us an assignment," she said. "But I honestly think he''s just messing with us," she said.


    "Can you explain some more? I really have no idea what you''re talking about," Ludwig asked.


    Kassandra gathered her thoughts and then said, "Remember that you said Master Van Dijk had asked you to bring an item from the Mage Masquerade?"


    "Yes, but that was it, he didn''t say what to bring," Ludwig replied.


    "Well, he said he wanted the Artificer''s Orb."


    "That¡­ I don''t think we have enough money for that," Hoyo said, "Even with all that gold, we can''t afford that," Hoyo added as he gestured to Ludwig''s side pouch.


    The busboy soon came with a frothy mug of beer that Kassandra grabbed and gulped half of it in one go, surprising both Ludwig and Hoyo.


    "Ahhh, that hits the spot, been a while too, never mind, the reason why we have to do this, is because Master Van Dijk promised us full passing marks on next week''s exams. Basically, this is a mission that if we succeed in we can skip the entire next week''s exams and pass. I want this so bad! But why does it have to be like this!" she said and ruffled her own hair.


    ''I can see why she always has unkempt hair¡­'' Ludwig thought inwardly.


    "You''ll grow bald at this rate," He said as he pointed at her hair, which she rapidly tried to straighten with her own hand, not that it did much.


    "And like Hoyo said, if that thing is expensive, then what''s the point of sweating about it."


    "That''s the thing, it''s obtainable, for free even," she said. "But I doubt I can earn it, ahhh, I should have studied more about the King''s Gambit¡­ I never thought I''d be needing to play a Noble''s Game to pass my exams."


    "Slow down, Kassandra, and get to the point, it''s frustrating to talk to you this way," Ludwig said, he inwardly thought that she might have a severe case of ADHD, but he didn''t want to point it out, they probably have no idea what that is in this world anyway.


    "Yes, Yes, the point, anyways, the Mage masquerade are planning several events, one of them is the King''s Gambit game. All is welcome to join, but only the nobles win that game every time."


    "Good, now that we know what''s going on, tell me, what''s this Artificer''s Orb?" Ludwig asked.


    Hoyo was the one to answer, "Basically, it''s a core that can be used to create a golem, the Artificer''s Orb is a valuable object that people wouldn''t mind spending hundreds of thousands of golden Krona to obtain."


    "Okay, then, what''s this King''s Gambit?" Ludwig asked. After all, the name was¡­ quite familiar. Almost too familiar.


    "Ah, since you don''t know, there is no point in explaining it. I''ll be participating, I have some experience playing it a few years ago, and I still remember some strategies. This book," she said as she pointed at the large book in front of her, "Is something I grabbed from the academy, it harbors the history of King''s Gambit and how it came to be, and even the plays and strategies that the creator had made. Which still hold strong to this day." sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig was more and more intrigued, "Humor me, and show me the book''s content," Ludwig said.


    She sighed and opened the book.


    "See this," she said as she showed an eight by eight black and white square shaped platform with symbols on it.


    Ludwig''s upper lip twitched, both in annoyance at the fact that Kassandra completely underestimated his understanding and the fact that she insinuated that he was ignorant, and at the fact that he fully knew this game.


    After all, he came from a wealthy family, incredibly wealthy in fact that this was a game that he hated with all his being.


    For a simple fact, that he showed incredible genius playing it when he was young.


    ''Freaking Chess is haunting me even in a different world¡­''


    "You look surprised, it''s fine, it happened to me the first time I saw this, it looks complex. It''s an easy game to learn, but incredibly hard to master." She said


    "I see¡­" Ludwig stalled as he looked with amusement at Kassandra trying to explain a game where he reached the status of Grandmaster in just so he can get his father off his back about playing online games.


    "These are pawns, they move on square forward and¡­" she began explaining the notions and all possible moves of each and every piece.


    "And this is the Queen, the most powerful piece on the board, she can move diagonally and in straight lines," Hoyo added, "I read about this game before" he said feeling proud that he finally knew something that Ludwig had no idea about.


    "Right¡­" Ludwig said.


    "The creator of this game was a genius," she said, "He apparently was awarded by the former emperor of Lufondal a seat in the council, though he was later called a madman since he kept saying that he came from another world and all. Regardless, this game remains the most strategically complex game of the current world, and I need to study up on some strategies that we can use later tonight."


    Her words explained something Ludwig was wondering about, how did chess even come to exist in this world, especially with the exact rules that were created on Earth. But the fact that someone got isekaied here like him, was enough to explain it. Van Dijk had already mentioned that several people had come to this world from another place, heroes they call them. This guy was probably one of them¡­ though taking credit for creating chess was a bit too disingenuous, he couldn''t blame the guy, since he got a seat on the Imperial table.


    Resources and Knowledge should be used to achieve maximum efficiency and profit.


    "When is the event happening?" Ludwig asked.


    "In one hour!" She said as she began skimming through the book.

 Chapter 73 Mask of The Blind Witness

    Ludwig looked at Hoyo and said, "Then wouldn''t it be better for you to sign up there and study there, you never know we might get delayed or something unexpected could happen that might delay us.""You''re right, I was too absorbed, let''s go," she said as she downed the mug.


    Ludwig left one gold coin to the busboy who thanked him a dozen times over. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That was a fat tip you gave him," Hoyo said as the three left.


    "Oh, I have no idea what''s the value of money here," Ludwig shrugged.


    "You really did come from under a rock, or form a faraway mountain, the fact that you don''t know many basic things," Hoyo shook his head.


    The three kept weaving and moving through the bustling city streets until they reached an incredibly massive square that had a dozen or so stalls lined up next to the entrance, the stalls were all selling one item and one item only. Masks.


    "We need to grab a mask before we enter the Mage Masquerade carnival area," Hoyo reminded.


    He then proceeded on scanning through the merchandise. There were many masks there, from wood to iron, to some that were adorned with gold and jewels.


    Ludwig groaned.


    "What''s wrong?" Kassandra asked as she grabbed a white mask with bunny ears.


    "The fact that his is supposed to be an anonymous masquerade, is simply dumb, I mean look at the prices, wouldn''t the nobles just grab the most shiny and most eye catching mask to show off their status?" Ludwig asked.


    "They do, but that doesn''t matter, even if they do that, they can''t remove the mask or reveal their identity, and if a commotion happens they can''t use their influence, it''s basically a bait for nobles who still want to showcase their wealth, because that mask doesn''t give power, it only takes it away." She explained


    Ludwig sighed and began looking at the masks. There were a lot actually, some that were quite familiar too. Some had long noses like a creature from Earth Eastern Folklore the Tengu, and some were like a pumpkin, reminding him of the Jack-o''-lantern. Some were simple wooden masks that hid the face, and some were extremely ornate to the point of extravagance.


    Hoyo grabbed a simple eye covering mask that revealed the rest of his face and covered his face. While Kassandra grabbed a black butterfly mask that also did the same.


    Ludwig didn''t find anything interesting from all the stalls and was about to grab a simply pure white mask that only had eye slits for sight.


    Yet something glowed in his vision. Turning, there was a stall at the far end of the line.


    It looked far too shabby compared to the rest of the stalls. And didn''t have many options to choose from. And all the masks that the stall had were¡­ well, weird. They were all placed on mannequin like heads that looked a bit too real. To show how they''ll look like once worn. But that only made it creepier.


    The stuff you''d see people wearing in Halloween, bloodied, gory and some outright unwearable as they had spikes and thorns inside the mask. But the shiny object among them was a face mask that covered one''s eyes with¡­ hands?


    The mask was strange to say the least, it was two hands that looked pretty worn and thin, they had several runic tattoos all over the fingers and back of the hand, and they cradled the mannequin''s head while the fingers acted like spikes on a crown.


    Ludwig looked at the old man who was smoking a pipe not even caring about his ''exotic'' merchandise being sold or ogled. "How much is this?" Ludwig asked. Simply out of curiosity, that mask looked awkward as hell but he was intrigued nonetheless.


    The old man said, and then said, "You can take it for free if you can wear it," he said and then took another puff of his pipe.


    Ludwig grabbed the mask and used [Inspect] on it.


    ---


    [Mask of the Blind Witness]


    Type: Headgear


    Rarity: Unique [Cursed]


    Growth Type: Growth Condition (???) Condition of Use: 1 stamina


    Attributes:


    +5 Charm


    +5 Wisdom


    +5 Strength


    +5 Dexterity


    +5 Luck


    +5 Agility


    -200 Stamina


    Abilities


    [Echoes of Truth]: Grants the wearer the ability to pierce all illusions, magical disguises, and invisibility. Deception in any form falters before the mask''s unyielding gaze.


    [Mark of the Witness]: The wearer can mark a target¡ªbe it an object, creature, or person. The mark persists until the target moves beyond a specific range. If the marked target reenters the mask''s range, it will immediately be revealed to the wearer.


    [Mask of the Blind]: For every second the mask is used, the wearer will experience blindness for an equal duration once the mask is removed.


    [Truths and Lies]: The mask occasionally reveals glimpses of a possible future, an unpredictable mix of truths and falsehoods. These fleeting visions are often vivid, but interpreting them correctly is a challenge, as they may lead the wearer astray as often as they guide them to success.


    Lore:


    The Mask of the Blind Witness is said to be forged from the hands of a cursed seer who, in their final moments, was forced to foresee their own death. Their last act of clairvoyance became an eternal imprint, embedding fragments of divine foresight and the seer''s own curse into the mask. It is an artifact steeped in contradiction: a tool of revelation that obscures, a window to the future that confounds the present.


    Legends tell of users who wielded its powers to uncover secrets and foresee peril but fell victim to its insidious influence. The unrelenting cycle of blindness, paranoia, and glimpses of uncertain futures left many of its wearers descending into madness, unable to discern reality from illusion.


    The mask offers power, but at a terrible cost. Each use brings clarity to others'' lies while planting seeds of doubt in the wearer''s mind. Few who have donned it have escaped its grasp intact, for the mask consumes not the body, but the spirit.

 Chapter 74 Visions

    Ludwig hesitated for a moment, staring at the mask in his hands. The carved wooden face, twisted into a haunting, sorrowful expression, bore an unsettling warmth. It was as if the hands that had shaped it were still alive, their essence lingering within. Finally, steeling himself, he placed it on his head.The moment the mask settled over his face, his vision warped. The colors around him swirled and bled together, creating a kaleidoscope of hues before everything snapped back into sharp focus. Except now, there was an added clarity, as if a layer of fog had been lifted from the world.


    "So, you can wear it," the old man at the stall said, a puff of smoke escaping his pipe as his face split into a knowing grin.


    Before Ludwig could respond, a familiar voice called out.


    "Ludwig!"


    Turning, he saw Hoyo and Kassandra weaving through the crowd toward him.


    "Wow," Hoyo said, taking in Ludwig''s appearance. "Interesting choice. Creepy, but¡­ kind of suits you."


    "Definitely eerie," Kassandra added, tilting her head to get a better look. "But there''s something oddly charming about it."


    Hoyo squinted at the mask, his curiosity piqued. "Wait a second. That doesn''t look like an ordinary mask. Is that¡­ an artifact?"


    "An artifact?" Ludwig echoed, confused.


    "Yeah," Hoyo replied. "Artifacts are old tools or gear that grant the wearer special abilities. They''re usually super rare and crazy expensive."


    "Well," Ludwig began, pointing at the stall, "the owner said if I could wear it, I could have it for free."


    "Wait¡­ what owner?" Hoyo asked, frowning.


    "That old man right over¡ª" Ludwig turned to point at the stall, only to find it gone.


    There was nothing left but an empty wall where the vendor had been moments ago. He froze, confusion knotting his thoughts.


    "I swear he was right here," Ludwig said, scanning the surroundings. "How could he pack up an entire stall and vanish so quickly?"


    Hoyo and Kassandra exchanged a glance, their skepticism evident.


    "It''s not unusual for artifact peddlers to be a bit¡­ eccentric," Kassandra offered.


    "Yeah, but disappearing into thin air?" Ludwig muttered, pulling the mask off.


    [Since you are an undead and have no eyes, the Mask of the Blind effect has been neutralized. You can use your sight freely.]


    The notification added another layer to his confusion, but he didn''t have time to dwell on it.


    "We don''t have time for this," Kassandra interrupted. "The event is starting soon, and I still need to sign up!" She pushed Ludwig and Hoyo forward, steering them toward the entrance to the Mage Masquerade.


    The trio arrived at the event''s entrance, where they were greeted by a towering figure who looked like he belonged more in a gladiator arena than at a festival. His muscles strained against his clothes, and his mask¡ªa laughing rabbit¡ªlooked comically small on his broad face.


    "Put on your mask!" Hoyo said as he nudged Ludwig, the latter hastily placed it back on his face.


    "Lovely masks," the giant rumbled in a surprisingly gentle tone. "Please enjoy yourselves. And remember, do not remove your masks."


    The warning carried an odd weight, enough to make Ludwig glance at his companions. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Got it," Hoyo said, leading the way past the hulking figure.


    Stepping through the entrance felt like entering another world. The vibrant chaos of the masquerade unfolded before them.


    Magical performers were everywhere. Some ate fire and exhaled frost, while others juggled orbs of flame that burst into fireworks. Tightrope walkers balanced impossibly on hair-thin ropes, their assistants tossing heavy morning stars back and forth.


    Stalls lined the pathways, selling everything from enchanted trinkets to strange, glowing foods. The air was thick with the mingling scents of exotic spices, roasted meats, and sweet confections.


    Ludwig noticed the stark difference between the attendees. Nobles, identifiable by their extravagant masks and meticulously pristine attire, navigated the muddy paths with haughty care. Commoners, in simpler but no less creative masks, threw themselves into the festivities with abandon.


    "This is insane," Hoyo said, wide-eyed. "Even better than I remember!"


    Kassandra nodded, her gaze darting from one performance to the next. "I don''t even know where to start."


    Ludwig, however, was distracted by something far stranger.


    Amid the revelry, a spectral figure wandered. It moved hesitantly, its translucent form almost blending with the crowd. But Ludwig saw it clearly¡ªa lost soul, its face obscured by a simple mask.


    The soul seemed desperate, its hands outstretched as it tried to touch the living. But no one noticed. People walked through it without a second glance.


    Suddenly, chains erupted from the air. Rusted and bloodied, they snaked through the crowd, wrapping around the soul''s limbs and neck. The specter struggled, its silent pleas growing frantic.


    Finally, it locked eyes with Ludwig.


    "HELP!" it screamed, its voice cutting through the din of the festival.


    Before Ludwig could react, the chains wrenched tight and dragged the soul away. It disappeared into the shadows, its screams echoing in Ludwig''s ears.


    He instinctively reached for his mask, thinking it might be the cause of the strange vision.


    But the rabbit-masked giant from the entrance was suddenly beside him, his massive hand covering Ludwig''s.


    "What are you doing, dear visitor?" the man asked, his tone polite but firm.


    Ludwig hesitated, his fingers freezing on the mask''s edge. "I¡­ thought I saw something."


    The giant''s gaze hardened. "A word of advice: the masks reveal as much as they conceal. And here, they are your bastion and your barrier, they serve to protect you and those around you. By removing it you''ll make yourself a target of the Mage Masquerade. Please keep your mask on at all times. lest you wish to be escorted out."


    Ludwig let out a slow breath, his mind racing. Whatever this mask was, it wasn''t just an artifact. It was something far older, far stranger¡ªand far more dangerous.


    "Ludwig?" Kassandra called, snapping him out of his thoughts.


    He turned to see her and Hoyo standing a few steps away, watching him with concern.


    "Let''s go," he said, his voice steady despite the unease churning inside him.


    The masquerade awaited. And Ludwig had the distinct feeling that this was only the beginning of what the night had in store.

 Chapter 75 Re-encounter

    Ludwig frowned slightly beneath his mask as Kassandra dragged him and Hoyo through the lively festival streets. The vibrant stalls and event venues seemed to blend into a chaotic swirl of colors, scents, and sounds. Merchants called out their wares, competing to out-shout one another, while performers drew crowds with their feats of magic and acrobatics. Yet, Ludwig''s mind was elsewhere, lingering on the earlier strangeness he had felt while donning the mask."Perhaps it''s just the mask messing with me¡­ but I should still be careful," Ludwig muttered under his breath, his words barely audible amidst the noise.


    "What was that?" Hoyo asked, glancing sideways.


    "Nothing," Ludwig replied, shaking his head and forcing himself to focus on the present.


    "Come, come!" Kassandra exclaimed, her voice cutting through the cacophony of the festival. She led them with purpose, her excitement contagious as she weaved through the crowd, dodging stray performers and bustling vendors. Finally, they arrived at a section where neatly arranged tables held over thirty chessboards. Players, both masked and unmasked, had gathered in groups, some already locked in intense matches while others observed with curiosity.


    "We''re in luck!" Kassandra said, practically bouncing on her heels. "There are a few spots open." She hurried to the event organizer, a young woman wearing a bear mask, and eagerly signed up.


    "Do you wish to join the King''s Gambit?" the woman asked, her voice calm yet inviting.


    "Yes!" Kassandra said with confidence.


    "Please write your nickname here," the organizer said, gesturing to a sign-in sheet hung beside the entrance.


    Kassandra hesitated for a moment, then scribbled Butterfly Mask.


    "You should join too," Hoyo said, nudging Ludwig.


    "That won''t do," Kassandra interjected, turning to Ludwig with a skeptical look. "No offense, but this game is far too advanced for someone who hasn''t played before. You''ll just embarrass yourself."


    Ludwig considered her words for a moment. "I mean, I''m wearing a mask. No one will know who I am anyway," he shrugged.


    "Fair enough," Kassandra conceded, though she raised an eyebrow.


    "Are you also joining?" the organizer asked, tilting her head slightly as she looked at Ludwig.


    "Why not?" Ludwig said, picking up the pen. He paused for a moment before writing, Blind Witness.


    "Quite the interesting name," the woman said with a small chuckle. "And an equally curious mask."


    Hoyo smirked. "That''s Ludwig for you. Always finding a way to stand out." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The event will start in half an hour," the organizer explained, gesturing to the tables. "Most participants have already taken their seats. Please return in time if you wish to also enjoy the Mage Masquerade Parade afterward."


    "I''m not going anywhere," Kassandra said, claiming an empty chess table. "I''ll study some strategies. Ludwig, at least learn how the pieces move before embarrassing yourself."


    Before Ludwig could respond, a familiar voice rang out.


    "The crows are here again. I''m telling you, they''re following us¡­"


    Ludwig turned to see a group he recognized from the tavern earlier. Though their attire was altered for the masquerade, their bearing and mannerisms were unmistakable. The female leader, whose sword rested conspicuously at her side, stood out with her ivory eye mask adorned with small gemstones. By her side, a man in a crow''s mask grumbled loudly, his voice laced with irritation.


    "Quiet down, Rudolph," the woman said sharply, silencing him with a glance. She turned to the organizer and asked, "Are there any spots left?"


    "Two more," the bear-masked woman replied.


    "Sign me up," Rudolph said eagerly, stepping forward.


    "Add my name as well," the woman said, her voice measured yet commanding.


    As the two signed up, Ludwig couldn''t help but feel a flicker of tension. The woman''s air of authority and Rudolph''s boisterousness left an impression, though Ludwig wasn''t entirely sure why.


    "I''m going in," Kassandra announced, her focus shifting back to the game as she settled into her seat and flipped open a strategy book.


    "What about you?" Hoyo asked, turning to Ludwig.


    "No point wandering off now," Ludwig replied. "Not enough time before the match starts."


    "True," Hoyo said with a resigned shrug. "Still, I don''t have high hopes for this. King''s Gambit is a game of strategy, not luck."


    "You never know," Ludwig said, smirking faintly. "Luck can play its part too."


    Hoyo snorted. "Beginner''s luck in King''s Gambit? Doubtful. But hey, if nothing else, we''ll get to say we tried. Although I really don''t want to lose to those pompous nobles."


    "We probably won''t even face them," Ludwig said, though inwardly, he wouldn''t mind teaching the rude woman and her companion a lesson.


    The tournament organizer''s voice rang out across the venue, drawing everyone''s attention.


    "We are pleased to announce the start of the King''s Gambit Tournament! Please check the board for your matchups and table numbers. This year, we''re introducing a special feature: enchanted play pieces. These pieces will move upon vocal command, bringing a new level of immersion to the game. We hope you enjoy!"


    The crowd murmured in excitement as participants rushed to check their pairings. Ludwig scanned the list until he found his name¡ªtable eleven.


    Taking his seat, he studied the chessboard in front of him. The pieces were masterfully crafted, each exuding a lifelike quality. Pawns donned intricate armor and brandished spears, their posture ready and vigilant. Rooks were miniature circular towers, strikingly similar to the Black Tower itself. Knights, mounted on regal steeds, carried themselves with an air of confidence, while bishops embodied wisdom, draped in flowing robes.


    The queen held a delicate fan that concealed her enigmatic smile, while the king sat imposingly on a grand throne, radiating authority.


    Each piece seemed almost alive, their craftsmanship breathing personality into the game.


    "Impressive, isn''t it?" Hoyo said, leaning over to glance at Ludwig''s board.


    "More than that," Ludwig replied, his fingers brushing over a pawn. "It''s... surreal."


    As Ludwig''s opponent approached, he straightened in his chair. The man wore a crow''s mask, his presence marked by an air of practiced arrogance.


    "Well, this should be interesting," Ludwig muttered, settling into his seat as the tournament officially began.

 Chapter 76 A Fool

    "Oh, guess I''m in luck, I''ll get rid of one of you crows early on," the boy smugly spoke. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.Ludwig didn''t deem him with a proper reply and simply ignored him waiting for the time for when they''ll both start.


    "On the side of the table you''ll see a clock, you all have fifteen minutes of time, use it wisely, each time your turn ends press the clock on your side so the timer start for your opponent. Please do note, if the timer hits zero, regardless of the state of the match, the victor is always the one with time remaining on their clock. As for who gets white or black, it will be luck based, please wait for the monitor to come to your side so you can get to pick which side you''re playing on, you can also have an agreement between yourselves to start early. You may start now!" she said.


    Soon, most players chose to wait for a referee to pick their sides, while the crow in front of Ludwig asked, "You should take black, since you''re from the Black Tower and all," he said smiling.


    "Sure." Ludwig replied and the whole board turned, allowing Ludwig to start on the black side, while the crow mask got his preferred white.


    "From what I saw earlier¡­" he stalled and said, "F2 to f3" he said and the pawn on the board moved forward by itself, as would a person do then took the same stance with his spear.


    Ludwig frowned, not from the surprise of the pawns moving by themselves, but because that''s one of the dumbest starts of a chess game ever¡­


    ''Are they playing some strange chess game or is it something I don''t know about? I should be careful,'' Ludwig thought to himself.


    The man continued, "You probably don''t come from a noble family, so I suppose you have no idea how this game is even played," he finalized and pressed on the clock.


    Ludwig didn''t reply, and grabbed his own king''s (E7) pawn.


    "Hah, like I said, you definitely come from a commoner background, after all you grabbed it with your hands, they can move by voice commands! Voice commands!" he said articulating it. "What a vulgar way to move," he added as he shook his head.


    Ludwig ignored him and placed his pawn gently two squares forward (E5), and pressed the clock, giving the turn back to the crow mask.


    "Classic move, I guess you must have saw someone moving from around you and decided to copy them," he shook his head once again.


    "You see, I''ve been trying to do this fancy play, but it would be difficult to set up against actual players, but you, I doubt you can see it, once I''m set up, I can assure you I''ll mate your king in five moves!" he said and called, "Pawn G2 to G4"


    Ludwig was completely flabbergasted as he saw what just transpired.


    ''What in god''s name is he doing?'' Ludwig asked himself as he saw the pawn moving to his inevitable doom.


    "What? You look surprised? This is called the Torijan offense! It start slow but once all the pieces are in play, you''ll be cooked!"


    "Offense my ass," Ludwig said as he couldn''t help but wonder how idiotic this level of gameplay was, "Queen to H4, checkmate¡­" Ludwig said as he stood up from his place.


    "Are you an idiot, you can''t mate me in two moves, there are¡­ why is the queen moving?" the boy said as he saw the queen moving all the way to the corner.


    The boy''s head began spinning and one could feel the gears in his brain turning and churning as he tried to find a way out of his mess.


    One of the referee who just finished fixing the sides for a nearby table saw Ludwig standing up and approached him.


    "Dear guest, do you need any assistance?"


    "Not really, I''m done," he said.


    "No! that''s impossible! This isn''t¡­ no, this can''t be!" the boy said completely unbelieving of what just happened.


    "No, this isn''t right, let''s replay, I made a mistake, no, this¡­" he kept trying to find excuses.


    "Let me see," the referee said and then frowned. He pressed on the side of the table, and then said, "A mate in two moves¡­ wait, this is actually unprecedented." The referee said then turned to Ludwig, "What is this move called?" he asked.


    "Euh¡­" Ludwig thought for a second looked at crow mask and said, "The Fool''s Mate," he said and then left the area leaving crow mask trying to understand what the hell was going on.


    "Make sure you''re back for your next round. It''ll start in half an hour." He said.


    Ludwig left the area where many players were too focused on their own games to even notice that he already ended the match.


    A lot of questions were going on his mind, the first of, was how idiotically easy the first opponent was. It was too easy in fact that he was still conflicted.


    ''How come he sucks that much?'' Ludwig could only ask himself.


    Though he removed himself from the tables, he found no reason to leave the venue. So he just watched the rest of the players play. And only then did he soon come to a few realizations¡­


    First thing was, most, if not everyone playing, were absolutely bad at this game. Most of them were moving using terrible openers, some were also leaving a lot of weaknesses on their defenses. And others had absolutely no idea what to do besides moving their pieces.


    It was as if he was watching a full amateur tournament, where everyone had just dipped their toes in the game.


    But the more annoying part was that when one of the competitors moved one of his pieces fully exposing his own king to a checkmate, the other completely missed the obvious win and decided to defend.


    ''They don''t know how to properly play the game¡­ it''s like they just learned how to move their pieces and that was it¡­why are they this bad? Most are nobles so they should have at the very least some semblance of experience¡­"

 Chapter 77 Djinn

    The response to that question came far too soon to Ludwig as he finally realized something important. The person who taught them the game, had been given a seat at the former emperor''s table. So that means, that at most that would be about what, like fifty maybe years ago?If that''s so, then this world, though they know this game, are extremely novice at it, and have yet to develop their own playstyles and methods.


    He grinned inwardly, then that just means that he can bully them all. Because no one here would ever know how to deal with a Sicilian defense, or an Evans Gambit. There is no Bobby Fischer, or Kasparov here, they''re all just newbies and from what he could see, the highest rating of any of these guys would be at the six hundred, while he already touched the three thousand once before earning him the title of Grandmaster. Though it was only a brief period.


    While Ludwig was thinking about how he''ll bully these unaware players, something once again caught his vision, turning to see the source. Another soul was strapped and wrapped in ethereal chains, then yanked across the street far deep into the venue of the Mage Masquerade.


    Then more chains began spreading from the deeper part of the masquerade, some bore through holes into buildings and pulled souls out from the walls themselves without damaging any of the structures, and some grabbed souls from the crowds and took them away.


    The event was terrifying, something was happening in this ''parade'' and it seemed like no one was aware of such a thing.


    And just as Ludwig was wondering what was going on, a bundle of chains flew right past him and landed onto the kid he just played against, the boy with the crow mast.


    The chains wrapped around his body and yanked his soul out, pulling it with them while the boy struggled and cried out in agonized misery.


    The boy shouted and cried out for no ears to listen, but Ludwig''s who watched with attention as the soul was removed from the arena and then taken away across the ground in a heap of struggle and desperate grabbing on things that his hands simply phased through.


    Ludwig moved back toward crow-mask, "Are you okay?" he asked.


    The later looked up at him, a feeling of hollowness left his mouth as he said, "I''m fine¡­ I feel a bit tiered I should go back¡­" he said and stood up, almost like a zombie.


    Ludwig inspected him.


    Character Screen: Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Name: Rudolph Astra


    Race: Human


    Title: N/A


    Level: 23


    Currently under the Status Effect: Cursed [Soul Effigy]


    [Soul Effigy] a hollowed body that had their soul taken away from it, it has no essence of its own, and cannot be called alive nor can it be called dead. The body is only functioning by sheer memory and the body''s will to survive. If the soul isn''t returned in three days to the body, the body will realize the missing soul and will perish.


    ''What the hell is going on here?'' Ludwig wondered as he himself had no idea what was going on.


    Just as he was about to speak, a man wearing a bunny mask showed up, he looked quite similar to the same person at the gate.


    "Is something wrong dear guest?" the man asked.


    Ludwig turned to see the man, noticing the uncanny resemblance of the build between this person and the same guy from earlier that was guarding the entry to the parade.


    Besides the difference of the skin tone, you''d think they were the same person.


    "Nothing really, my friend here is still shocked that he lost that badly," Ludwig said.


    "Ah, I see, that tend to happen a lot, I''ll guide this guest of ours to a place where he can have some refreshments. Please continue playing and may fortune be with you," the man said and gestured to crow mask who meekly followed after him.


    While the man was moving away, Ludwig used [Inspect] on him. This caused the man to startle up and turned to look around, failing to realize who used what on him, the man simply ignored it and continued guiding crow mask to a separate bar area where he could have a drink.


    Ludwig on the other hand was fully focused on what was in front of him.


    ''Huh, this explains a lot¡­''


    Name: Sham-Har-Roush Find more to read at My Virtual Library Empire


    Race: Lesser Djinn


    Title: Slave


    Level: 25


    HP: 2500


    Status Effect: [Enslaved]


    Abilities:


    [Fire Infusion] Whenever there is a flame a Djinn will manifest. As long as there is a source of fire nearby a Djinn cannot perish.


    [Faster Than a Blink] Djinns are unnaturally fast if they''re in their [Fire Infusion] form, and are almost unnoticeable to the normal human eye.


    [Twisted Manifestation] Once successfully applied, the user will have an almost exact reproduction of the entity''s stats and appearance but will have half their power and health. Once used [Fire Infusion] becomes disabled.


    Addendum:


    Djinns are creatures of fire. They have been thought to have existed far longer than the human civilization, though they''re rarely if ever meet humans, if they do, they usually do it under the guise of polymorph. Djinns by nature are curious, yet at the same time will hold great hostility towards those who offend them. Old scriptures speak of powerful sorcerers using them to do their bidding and enslaving them, but without knowing the True Name of a Djinn they cannot be compelled or enslaved.


    ''So¡­ that''s not human. No wonder his physical build is pretty massive. But what is the relationship with what''s going on right now in the event and these guys.''


    Ludwig began thinking about the implications of all that was going on, and none of the results were good. Something terrible was going on right now, and he had no idea how to solve it. If only he could contact Van Dijk, but the latter would probably not even care. Not that Ludwig needed to talk to him regarding this anyway.

 Chapter 78 A Scholar

    "What''s up," Ludwig heard as Hoyo showed up right next to him with a roasted squid on a stick that he was eating from."Oh, Hoyo¡­ emm nothing much," Ludwig didn''t want to share what he was thinking out loud, lest that it''s nothing and he''s just overthinking nor did he seem to want to reveal what he had in mind, because one of the guards seemed to pay too close of an attention to him than others. The same person that escorted Rudolph to rest.


    "You lost already," Hoyo laughed as he said, "But it''s okay, I mean it''s a pretty tough game."


    Ludwig who was in full thought only replied in "Yeah," completely absorbed in his own mind and what was going on.


    "Seems like a lot of players are out," Hoyo said as he saw several players standing up with dissatisfied looks on their faces while others looked around seeing if anyone had saw their ''brilliant'' moves.


    Soon, Vanessa came over, sighing, "You lost?" Hoyo ask. "No, I won but it wasn''t easy, those guys from the White Tower are really good. Especially their leader, she was next to me and took down her opponent in ten moves."


    "Wow, really, damn that must be some sort of record," Hoyo said.


    "Well, not really someone else apparently in this room won in two moves which I''m not going to lie sounds like a lie but I heard the monitors talking among each other about it, regardless, how did you do Ludwig? Was it difficult?" Kassandra asked.


    "Oh, I did well," Ludwig said. Though his expressions were still focused on what was going on in the matches. So it didn''t sound too sincere.


    "Don''t worry about the games Ludwig, I''ll do my best to get the Artificer''s Orb. I also don''t want to do these exams, some teachers are fickle."


    Ludwig nodded to her once again.


    Soon, the monitor of the games clapped their hand, "Dear Guests, the first round has ended, please get ready for the second round, you have ten minutes." He said.


    "Already!" Kassandra said sighing, "I need to prepare, let''s see the bracket," she said as she looked at her name and traced it up, "Damn, I''ll eventually play against her," she said as she noticed that after her match she''ll play the leader of the White Tower academy freshmen.


    "Wait, isn''t that your name?" Hoyo said frowning.


    Kassandra looked at Hoyo''s finger and notice that he was pointing at the name Ludwig used ''Blind Witness''


    "Did they advance you? Or did you get a by?" Hoyo asked.


    "Huh?" Ludwig said as he was finally woken from his own mind, "Ah, no, I won," Ludwig said.


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    Both his friends looked at each other and instantly understood, "Beginner''s Luck" they said at the same time. or they seem to have understood.


    Ludwig smiled saying, "Yeah, something like that," and he wasn''t wrong he was a beginner in this world, and his luck was that everyone else was shit at this game.


    "Good luck then," Kassandra said as she headed back to her seat.


    Ludwig proceeded into heading back to his own seat as he once again noticed the chains, this time however it grabbed three people instead, and they were all people that lost the earlier round. The souls screamed and roared out as they were yanked from their bodies, some slid right in front of Ludwig. The people who had lost all had the same air about them that Rudolph had, a depressed atmosphere and lack of emotion and looked like puppets as they left. But at the same time it was awfully similar to the feeling expressed by others who had lost but didn''t get their souls taken.


    ''Those who lost and those who got their souls taken all express similar air about them, even if ones still have their souls¡­ and seeing that the chains aren''t taking everyone and ''choosing'' just a few is to make it not seem to obvious, if the chains took everyone that lost, then that is just asking for trouble. Whoever is doing this is pretty smart and very careful,'' Ludwig''s mind was still thinking about all that until an older man sat in front of him, he had a white jeweled mask covering his eyes and seemed to have a regal and bright air about him.


    "Greetings young man," the man said to Ludwig waking him from his thoughts.


    "Oh, greetings," Ludwig replied.


    "Seems like you''re focusing on the game."


    "Something like that," Ludwig replied hiding his thoughts. The conversation seemed to stop as Ludwig wasn''t the best at socializing, nor did he have any intention to do so.


    The old man also began by organizing his chess pieces and asked Ludwig, "Which side do you want to play?"


    "Either is fine," Ludwig said.


    "Hmm, usually people like to pick the white since it has the advantage of offense, but it seems that you''re confident enough to take me on regardless of which side," the old man said.


    "It''s just a game, also the one who goes first doesn''t have to always be the victor, in a siege the one that defends always has an advantage," Ludwig said.


    "Ah, spoken like a true commander, then I will take you up on your kindness I''ll take the white side," he said.


    He then proceeded by a basic opening as the game started.


    Ludwig slowly played the man, this time a bit more carefully, he didn''t have any intentions of doing him like Rudolph after all not everyone is as terrible as Rudolph.


    But the match proceeded exactly as Ludwig didn''t want to. Since the old man''s opening was basic and allowed Ludwig to open the path of both his Queen and Bishop, he soon found himself compelled to play another quick mate game.


    The old man forgot, or perhaps didn''t even seem to realize that his knight had been badly positioned while Ludwig advanced his Queen forward. And then after the old man tried to chase her away with a pawn, Ludwig took a stronger position then advanced his bishop. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You''re playing your stronger pieces already?" the old man said. "I can feel that you want to switch my offensive into yours, then what if I do this!" the old man said as he advanced the already weakly positioned knight forward, threatening a fork in his next round.

 Chapter 79 Yeah just be lucky

    "That would have been a good play," Ludwig said halfheartedly, he then moved his queen to take over the pawn on the diagonal of the king."Huh? Are you giving up your queen for a pawn?" the old man laughed.


    "Not really, the game¡­is already over," Ludwig said as he stood up.


    The old man thought for a second, "Why? I can just take the Queen with my king," he said.


    Ludwig pointed at the bishop all the way in the corner, "You can''t, you lost," Ludwig said as he once again beat another opponent in a few moves.


    The monitor had paid more attention to Ludwig this time and approached him faster, "What''s the name of that move now? It''s quite different from the Fool''s Mate you played last time," the monitor said.


    The old man was still frowning but regardless he stood up and said, "You beat someone else doing this? I feel rather embarrassed to be called a fool," the old mans aid.


    "Not really, this is called the Scholar''s Mate, it requires a bit more advanced play." Ludwig said. Though he lied, after all that was one of the basic ways to take on a new player but he didn''t want to embarrass the old man who wasn''t rude like Rudolph.


    "Interesting, interesting," the monitor said as he noted down the moves. "Please take a seat and wait for the next round.


    Just as the three were talking the chains once again sprang out and were about to grab the old man, but almost instantly they slammed against something invisible and coiled back almost afraid then soon disappeared under the ground.


    The old man seemed to have noticed what happened and turned to the direction of the chains, but ignored it after not seeing anything.


    "I''ll have to excuse myself, young man, I hope we can play some more, you have quite the interesting playstyle."


    "Sure, if the opportunity ever presents itself," Ludwig said.


    After the formalities Ludwig once again peeled his eyes for the strange occurrences in the area. More chains came up and grabbed a couple more people but didn''t go too greedy. And once again the two it captured from the chess game were both people who lost their last game.


    ''So apparently there is a condition for these chains, and it only hit people who lost. What is this though? Who''s planning all this and why here?'' Ludwig continued thinking and formulating ideas. ''If they want the souls, maybe for a reason, a ritual of sorts?'' he thought, though he knew all the ideas he had were simply him hypothesizing for all he knew he could just be talking out of his ass without any good rhyme or reason and this could all be something completely different, but that doesn''t mean its not dangerous.


    The people who are managing this event seem to be aware, or at least parts of them, as Ludwig inspected one of the people overseeing the chess games. And it turned out that he is just a simple human without any afflictions or enslavement applied to him.


    "You''re done already? Don''t tell me, you won again?" Hoyo asked as he arrived next to him still munching on the last part of the roasted squid.


    "Yeah," Ludwig shrugged.


    "Damn, are you maybe¡­ a genius?" Hoyo asked.


    Ludwig smiled letting Hoyo have his own misunderstandings. It wasn''t that Ludwig was insanely good at chess, he was a great player, an had already reached Grandmaster status once before, but it was just that the people in this event were just bad.


    After some time the players began leaving, those who lost, and some remained to watch the rest of the games. Kassandra came to the two''s company looking completely worn out.


    "What''s wrong?" Hoyo asked, "My brain is fried¡­ the one I played against really used some sneaky moves, regardless I won. But I''m up against her next," Kassandra said, "She won her second game in twenty moves¡­"


    The direction she gestured was where the girl in white robes was, the leader of the White tower academy.


    Just as Kassandra was talking, the person she was talking about stood up, turned, noticed the three and moved toward them.


    "She''s coming over," Hoyo said.


    "What''s up with you two, you''re acting like you''re terrified of her," Ludwig said.


    "Oh, you don''t know about it, the competition between the five towers is pretty damn fierce, the only problem is that we''re ranked last¡­" Hoyo said.


    ''No wonder, the Black Tower academy is pretty much in a nerfed state. Where they can''t use any of their ''Powerful'' magic such as necromancy and curses¡­''


    "You," the girl said as she stood in front of Ludwig completely disregarding the other two next to him.


    "What is it?" Ludwig asked.


    "What did you do to Rudolph¡­ he''s acting strange," she said.


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about," Ludwig said as one of the Djinn guards moved past the event venue. Ludwig could almost feel the burning gaze of scrutiny of that entity from behind the mask watching him.


    "He''s been acting strange since he lost to you¡­"


    "Maybe he just hates losing to the Black Tower academy and is depressed," Hoyo said as he swallowed the last of his squid.


    "No, I''m being serious, not only him," she said "A few others are also acting strange¡­ I just thought you might know something," she said addressing Ludwig.


    "I honestly have no idea," Ludwig replied, "Maybe they ate something strange, or have something in comment," Ludwig threw her a hint. He wasn''t about to expose the fact that he knew ''something'' and wanted her to act by herself. After all, so far nothing of what was going on here bothered or even was by any relation something that affected him.


    The girl nodded, though Ludwig didn''t know if she understood his intentions or not, he did the bare minimum for someone who seemed worried about their companions.


    She left the group and instantly Hoyo said, "I''ve never seen her act like that," he said.


    "You know her?" Ludwig asked.


    "Well, she''s a pretty bigshot in the White Tower academy, well more like her older brother. He''s is the youngest commander grade Swordmaster to achieve Aura mastery at the age of twenty two. He was praised by the King of Tulmud, the Kingdom of the East. The rumors were thought to be exaggerated until the Emperor of Lufondal asked him to come and showcase his Aura. And after showing it, he received endless praise. The house of Urbaf, where she comes from is now a ducal house and is second to none but the king of Tulmud and they are highly regarded by the empire. Though she on the other hand has quite the unlucky circumstances," Hoyo said.


    "How is that unlucky, to have the favor of an emperor and a king, she would be praised and honored wherever she goes," Ludwig said.


    "Ah, you know so little of the world Ludwig," Hoyo said as he patted Ludwig on the back, "The fact that her brother is that bright and shining of a star makes it that she became nothing but a bargain chip in political affairs. Unless she overshoots and outshines her brother, she''ll never be her true person, that is the one disadvantage of Nobility." Hoyo said. Definitely speaking form experience.


    Hoyo looked at the woman who took a seat waiting for her next match, pity? Sympathy? Maybe empathy? None of them fitted what he currently felt, even he didn''t know. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Please proceed to the semi-final rounds," the administrator said.


    Ludwig headed to his seat and waited for his opponent, this time it was another person from the white tower academy.


    Hoyo on the other hand decided that this time he wanted to watch. He wanted to see Ludwig''s Luck in action, or maybe hidden genius.


    The game started and ended almost as fast as Ludwig used the many holes in his opponents'' opening to completely overwhelm him.


    The game this time took longer than before, at least fourteen moves from Ludwig before he pinned his opponent''s king. For others that might sound like a short time for a game to end, but for Ludwig it was too long and he did it on purpose. He already beat two others in the first few moves, so he wanted to take longer this time. he didn''t want to draw too much attention and at the same time he wanted to have a better look at what was going on in the venue form his seat.


    The chains however didn''t come to his opponent this time.


    Ludwig stood up after having beat his still unbelieving opponent and moved along Hoyo to the waiting area.


    Not long after, Kassandra came over with annoyance clear in her face.


    "What''s wrong?" Ludwig asked.


    "I lost," she said sighing.


    Ludwig frowned, not because she lost, but because she looked completely fine.


    ''Perhaps the chains aren''t grabbing those who advanced far enough that they''re noticeable by the people. It''s picking up those who are either less known or don''t have power, otherwise it would have taken that old man from earlier. And since Kassandra advanced all the way to the semi-finals she was probably not a good target for the chains¡­"


    "Let''s leave then, I guess I''ll have to study for the exams," she sighed.


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    "What do you mean?" Hoyo asked.


    "Well, I lost to that White Tower noble, and that means I can''t get the Artificer''s Orb, so we''ll have to study. Unless you have a hundred thousand extra gold krona that you don''t mind spending," Kassandra shrugged.


    "No, I mean, why buy it, we still have a chance," Hoyo said.


    Kassandra frowned, "There is no loser bracket in this event, if you lose you''re out."


    Hoyo pointed at her, "You lost," then he pointed at Ludwig, "He didn''t, he is a finalist."


    Kassandra''s eyes almost bulged out, after all, even beginner''s luck has a limit.

 Chapter 80 How did it feel?

    "Wait, how?" Kassandra asked, completely baffled by Ludwig''s placement in the finals.Ludwig couldn''t help but flash her a knowing smile, leaving her to figure it out on her own.


    "Regardless, this gives him a good shot at grabbing the orb. Please do¡ªI don''t want to study for the exams anymore," Hoyo groaned, half-serious.


    "Don''t worry about it," Ludwig replied nonchalantly. For him, the entire tournament was more of a casual distraction than a test of skill. His true concern lay elsewhere¡ªthe ominous chains he''d seen earlier, and the unsettling feeling of souls being tampered with. Something darker was happening behind the masquerade''s festivities.


    Kassandra, however, seemed far more invested, nervously tapping her foot as the minutes dragged on. Her tension seemed to grow with every passing moment.


    Finally, the announcer''s voice broke through the low murmur of the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, the King''s Gambit Tournament has reached its final match! Please direct your attention to the main chessboard, where our final contenders will compete for the grand prize!"


    Ludwig stood, brushing imaginary dust from his coat. "I''ll head to the final table," he said, walking toward the board set at the center of the venue.


    "So many people are watching," Hoyo muttered as he scanned the crowd. Though the number of spectators had thinned since the start of the tournament, a decent crowd of enthusiasts remained, discussing strategies, analyzing matches, or eagerly awaiting the final showdown.


    Kassandra leaned forward, eyes narrowing as she spotted Ludwig''s opponent. "That''s her...the daughter of the House Urbaf," she said softly, more to herself than to anyone else. Her voice carried a mix of awe and concern. As she had just lost to her earlier.


    As Ludwig took his seat at the board, his opponent arrived shortly after. She strode confidently to her side of the table, her ornate rapier clinking softly as she rested it against the edge of the table. Her mask, a delicate creation of ivory and gemstones, gave her an air of elegance and authority.


    "You made it," she said, her tone cool but with a hint of amusement.


    Ludwig didn''t bother with pleasantries. He focused on arranging his pieces, his movements calm and deliberate.


    "You know something, don''t you?" she pressed, lowering her voice.


    He glanced at her briefly before murmuring, "Too many ears."


    Understanding his meaning, she didn''t push further. "I see..." she said quietly, her expression unreadable behind her mask.


    The referee approached. "Are you both ready to begin?"


    "Yes," she said, her tone steady.


    "Go whenever," Ludwig added, his voice as calm as ever.


    "Have you agreed on sides?" the referee asked.


    "I''ll take black," Ludwig said without hesitation.


    "I''ll take white, then," she replied.


    The referee nodded. "Very well. Best of luck to both of you."


    As the game began, Ludwig quickly noticed her skill. She was a decent player¡ªher moves were calculated, and her strategies solid. Yet, cracks began to show as the match progressed. She made small but critical mistakes, likely a result of her divided focus.


    "You''re pretty scatterbrained," Ludwig remarked after exploiting a weak opening.


    "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice tinged with irritation.


    "You''re not focused," Ludwig said simply, moving his knight into a stronger position.


    Her hand hesitated over the board. "One of my teammates isn''t doing too well," she admitted, frustration evident in her tone.


    "And your being distracted isn''t helping him," Ludwig countered as he continued to reinforce his position.


    Her jaw tightened as she moved another piece by vocal command. "Then tell me what you know," she demanded.


    "Like I said, too many ears," Ludwig replied, his voice unwavering.


    "No one would dare go against my house," she said, her tone sharp.


    "They sure as hell can at this event," Ludwig shot back. "Remember, you''re not the daughter of Urbaf here. You''re just another person with a mask."


    Her lips pressed into a thin line as she made another move. "Check," she said.


    Ludwig frowned slightly but didn''t let it show.


    "Seems like this is the end," she said with a small smile.


    "Is it?" Ludwig replied, calmly repositioning his knight to block the check.


    She seized the offensive, pressing her advantage and claiming several of his pawns. "You seem distracted yourself," she said. "I''ve seen you beat others in two or three moves. Why not here?"


    "Doing the same trick over and over gets boring," Ludwig said as he moved another piece into position.


    "For me, what''s boring is the way you''re defending without any counterplay. That''s another pawn down," she said triumphantly.


    "Pawns are made to be sacrificed," Ludwig said, his tone cool and detached.


    "Even pawns can become queens," she retorted, moving her own queen forward. "Not everyone deserves to be sacrificed."


    Ludwig''s lips curved into a faint smile as he positioned his queen near hers, blocking her next check. "And even a queen," he said, "can be sacrificed." Your journey continues with My Virtual Library Empire


    Her confidence faltered for a moment. "That just loses you the game. I still have an advantage," she said, swiftly capturing his queen.


    "Check," she declared. "You die next move."


    Ludwig didn''t move his king. Instead, his hand hovered over his knight, repositioning it to block the check once again.


    "You''re prolonging the inevitable," she said as she took his knight, eliminating one of his last defenses. "Now your queen and knight are gone. Who will protect your king?"


    Ludwig didn''t respond immediately. His gaze flickered over the board, his expression unreadable. Then, with deliberate precision, he moved his bishop into play¡ªa piece she hadn''t accounted for.


    Her eyes widened as realization dawned.


    "How did it feel?" Ludwig asked, his voice calm but laced with a quiet intensity. "That short-lived hope of yours?" S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The bishop''s move, supported by his remaining knight, clamped her king into an inescapable checkmate.


    She stared at the board in disbelief. "H-how¡­ no, you sacrificed your queen and knight just to pull my own queen out of position?"


    Ludwig leaned back slightly, his voice even. "She was the only piece that could''ve protected your king. And you were too blinded by the sight of victory to notice that you had no allies left defending it. Everything is to be sacrificed for the king."


    Her hands trembled as she stared at the board, the reality of her loss sinking in. The crowd, which had been murmuring softly, erupted into applause and cheers.


    Ludwig stood, offering her a faint nod before turning to leave. For him, the game was over. But the questions he had about the strange occurrences at the masquerade remained unanswered¡ªand he intended to find those answers.

 Chapter 81 In Motion

    The victor was clear, and the applause rippled through the crowd. Congratulations were given freely, but not everyone was so quick to accept what they had witnessed."I can''t believe it," Kassandra muttered, her arms crossed tightly across her chest.


    "What do you mean?" Hoyo asked, tilting his head.


    "You''re telling me that someone who didn''t even know what the King''s Gambit was managed to play that well?" she demanded. "Not only did he execute moves perfectly, but he also led his opponent into traps several moves ahead. That doesn''t just happen! He must have known the game."


    "Does it matter?" Hoyo countered with a grin. "We get to skip the exams thanks to him. Trust me, if someone tricks me, but I get to pass an exam, they can fool me as often as they want!" He clapped loudly for Ludwig, a grin stretching from ear to ear.


    Ludwig had just finished shaking hands with his opponent, her expression still a mixture of disbelief and frustration. As she gathered her things, she turned to Ludwig and asked, "When are we meeting?"


    "I still need to go around the event," Ludwig replied, his tone measured.


    "The mage parade closes for the night in two hours," she said. "I''ll be at the inn by then."


    "Sure," Ludwig replied casually.


    She nodded curtly before leaving, her footsteps brisk and determined.


    The announcer approached Ludwig, her energy bubbling over as she peppered him with questions about his performance.


    "How do you feel about your victory?" she asked with a wide grin.


    "It was a tough match," Ludwig said, though it was an obvious lie.


    "And your opponents?"


    "They were all skilled players. Each game pushed me to my limits," Ludwig replied, his tone steady and unconvincing.


    The announcer, oblivious to his disinterest, nodded enthusiastically as if every word he spoke was profound. The referee, meanwhile, jotted down notes as though Ludwig''s strategies were groundbreaking revelations.


    Finally, Ludwig was presented with a small ornate box. Opening it, he found a metallic orb covered in intricate, swirling designs.


    [The Artificer''s Orb]


    One of many cores created by an unknown craftsman known as The Artificer. These artifacts were discovered within ancient ruins and machinery attributed to a long-extinct race. The Artificer''s Orb serves as a potent mana conduit, capable of optimizing and sustaining mana flow. It is a critical component for creating and maintaining magical constructs, particularly golems.


    ''So this is what he wants¡­'' Ludwig thought, tucking the orb into his storage ring without a second glance.


    As he walked back toward Kassandra and Hoyo, he noticed their expressions¡ªa mixture of admiration and amusement.


    "What?" Ludwig asked, already dreading their response.


    "What do you mean ''what''?" Hoyo replied, still grinning. "We get to skip the exams! If this is what victory feels like, then let me bask in it!"


    "Buddy, we''re practically royalty now," he added, laughing.


    Ludwig rolled his eyes, shaking his head.


    "How did you do it?" Kassandra asked, her tone sharp.


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    "How did you understand the game so well and pull off strategies like that when you said you''ve never played before?"


    "I don''t know," Ludwig shrugged. "The game seemed simple enough."


    Kassandra''s jaw tightened. "Simple?" she echoed, her voice tinged with disbelief.


    "I guess this is what they call genius," Hoyo interjected with a chuckle. "I had a cousin who was brilliant with numbers but terrible at everything else. Couldn''t even hold a proper conversation, but give him an abacus and he''d work miracles."


    "Are you implying Ludwig''s slow?" Kassandra asked, raising an eyebrow.


    Hoyo grinned. "Sometimes he''s a little clueless about the basics."


    "You know," Ludwig said, narrowing his eyes, "I could ask Van Dijk to leave you out of this Artificer Orb business."


    Immediately, Hoyo dropped to his knees, clutching Ludwig''s legs dramatically. "Please, anything but that!"


    "Stand up! You''re embarrassing us!" Ludwig snapped, trying to shake him off.


    "Please!"


    "Fine! Just get up," Ludwig said, exasperation clear in his voice.


    "Anyway, about chess¡ªor King''s Gambit, or whatever¡ªit''s not that hard if you just pay attention. It doesn''t take much to figure out."


    "Then play me at the academy," Kassandra said, a challenge glinting in her eyes.


    "Sure," Ludwig said, indifferent.


    Kassandra beamed, her smile as bright as if she''d won the tournament herself. "Perfect! I want to learn some more strategies."


    "Now what?" Ludwig asked, eager to change the subject.


    "Now," Hoyo said, rubbing his hands together, "we enjoy the rest of the masquerade! Let''s see what the stalls have to offer."


    "You just want to stuff your face," Kassandra said, rolling her eyes.


    "Maybe," Hoyo replied with a grin.


    The three wandered through the bustling crowd, weaving between colorful stalls and performers. Laughter and music filled the air, and the scent of roasted meats and sweet pastries wafted through the streets. The Mage Masquerade truly lived up to its reputation¡ªa vibrant celebration of magic and culture, with something to captivate every sense.


    ***


    Elsewhere, beneath the commotion...


    Far below the festival, in a dark and stifling chamber, a man sat atop a mound of cushions and pillows. He wore wide, floppy pants and a vest that left his chest exposed. Atop his head was a black turban adorned with an enormous emerald that gleamed in the dim candlelight.


    The air was thick with the scent of incense, mingling with the coppery tang of dried blood. Around him lay the corpses of four women, their desiccated forms twisted in eternal agony.


    "Gather the bodies," he ordered, waving his hand lazily.


    Two young boys in plain robes scurried forward, dragging the corpses away. In front of the man, a line of burly, kneeling figures remained motionless, their heads bowed.


    "So," the man said, his voice low and commanding, "what of the souls? I felt a disruption."


    One of the kneeling figures spoke, his voice trembling. "The King''s Gambit event, my lord. Someone of Lufondal royal lineage participated."


    "I see," the man said, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "But that''s not all, is it? One of my djinn sensed something strange: he was a student from the Black Tower Academy."


    "Yes, my lord. He wore the robes of a first-year. He seemed unaware of what was happening. Shall we dispose of him?"


    The man considered this, his emerald glinting ominously as he rubbed it between his fingers. "No. If he''s truly ignorant, there''s no need to risk provoking the academy. Not to mention, we can''t kill anyone directly. The Sultan would be furious if we''re exposed though he''ll be more than happy if we succeed."


    "What about the royal?"


    "Monitor them closely. Their every move must be accounted for," the man ordered. "And if the student becomes a problem... deal with him...quietly."


    The room fell silent save for the crackling of the candles, their light casting eerie shadows across the chamber.

 Chapter 82 Dream

    While the group strolled through the bustling event, Hoyo and Kassandra seemed to be having the time of their lives. Hoyo, as expected, was engrossed in sampling food from every stall, his enthusiasm boundless as he commented on the flavors and textures of each dish. Kassandra, on the other hand, was drawn to the equipment and relics on display, her eyes lighting up as she admired ornate weapons, enchanted trinkets, and other curiosities. Despite her interest, it was clear that most of the items were far too expensive for any of them to afford.Ludwig, however, was not as carefree. His eyes roved across the crowd, sharp and calculating.


    ''Though none of this is really my business, things are spiraling out of control here,'' he mused, watching yet another soul dragged away in glowing chains.


    The sight was becoming disturbingly common. For every moment of laughter and joy among the festivalgoers, there seemed to be an undercurrent of something darker.


    More troubling was the djinn tailing him. Using the [Mark of the Witness] ability from his mask, Ludwig had tagged the creature earlier, ensuring he could sense its position at all times. The djinn had disguised itself as part of the event staff, exuding an air of authority as it roamed the streets, but Ludwig''s instincts told him it was watching him specifically.


    It was not the first time Ludwig had felt eyes on him. His father, back in the old world, had been strict about teaching him the importance of vigilance. As the heir to a prominent corporate family, Ludwig had learned to spot a tail, detect threats, and prepare for the unexpected. These lessons, though seemingly irrelevant at the time, now served him well in this unfamiliar and dangerous world.


    What frustrated him most, however, was Kassandra''s unharmed state. Though she had lost in the King''s Gambit tournament, no chains had appeared to drag her soul away. This shattered Ludwig''s earlier theory that only the losers of these games were being targeted. With no clear pattern, he was left without answers, and the growing mystery gnawed at him.


    "Are you planning on staying here for the night?" Kassandra asked, interrupting his thoughts.


    "What do you mean?" Ludwig replied.


    "The city''s packed," she said, gesturing toward the throngs of people. "The inns are probably all full. We should head back to the academy and come back tomorrow."


    ''Not a bad idea,'' Ludwig thought, considering her suggestion. ''I could also talk to Van Dijk about this mess. Maybe he''ll know more about what''s going on.''


    "Sure, but I need to take care of something first," Ludwig said.


    "Your date with the Urbaf chick?" Hoyo teased, a sly grin spreading across his face.


    "Date? What date?" Kassandra asked, her tone sharp as her gaze narrowed.


    "He''s just talking nonsense," Ludwig said quickly, hoping to defuse the situation. "I''m only meeting her to discuss the tournament. Don''t worry about it."


    "Sure¡­" Kassandra said, clearly unconvinced.


    The trio continued walking, their pace leisurely as they wove through the colorful stalls and performers. Ludwig, however, was far from relaxed. He maintained a careful fa?ade, blending into the crowd while keeping tabs on the djinn shadowing him. The creature kept its distance but never strayed far enough to lose sight of him.


    When they reached the edge of the event, Ludwig decided it was time to part ways.


    "I''ll head out first," he said.


    "Right. See you back at the academy," Hoyo said, waving him off as he and Kassandra continued exploring.


    Ludwig moved swiftly through the streets of Rima, weaving between vendors and performers with purpose. He didn''t attempt to lose the djinn tailing him¡ªdoing so might tip it off that he was aware of its presence. Instead, he acted as though he was just another festivalgoer, though his heart pounded with tension.


    When he reached the Last Adventure Inn, the djinn stopped just outside, lingering like a shadow. Through his mask, Ludwig could still sense its position clearly, a faint pulse of awareness confirming it hadn''t moved.


    Inside the inn, the young woman from the tournament was already seated. Her rapier rested neatly against the table, and her mask sat beside an untouched cup of black coffee. Her posture was composed, but there was an air of impatience about her as she tapped her fingers lightly on the table. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig hesitated for a moment. Everyone else in the room had removed their masks, and his own felt conspicuously out of place. He reached up to remove it, but the moment his fingers brushed the edges of the mask, his mind was assaulted by a vivid and disorienting vision.


    *****


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    The vision came with the force of a tidal wave.


    A young boy stood at the head of an enormous army. His dark skin gleamed in the sun, and his smile was radiant, almost disarming. This boy''s jubilant and honest appearance accompanied his expression as if all the joys of life were etched onto his face. Yet what the boy was doing was anything but joyful.


    Nothing was comforting about this scene.


    The boy''s white robes billowed in the wind as thousands marched behind him, their gleaming maces and white armor glowing ominously. Clerics and paladins, their faces stern and unyielding, followed his lead with unwavering loyalty.


    In the boy''s hand was a staff, taller than he was and adorned with a design both celestial and eldritch. Its presence was a paradox¡ªsimultaneously divine and profane, like a relic born of light and madness.


    The boy''s voice rang out, soft yet commanding.


    "How peculiar... one who is asleep but dreams of nothing," he said, tilting his head as though studying Ludwig.


    Though his words seemed directed at no one in particular, Ludwig felt their weight, as though they were meant solely for him.


    "But all must sleep one day," the boy continued, "and all who sleep must dream. Let me fix that for you."


    With that, the boy raised his staff high before slamming it down toward Ludwig.


    ******

 Chapter 83 It begins

    [You have encountered the presence of Eldritch Might.][You are still lacking the understanding needed to obtain Eldritch Mastery]


    The notifications woke Ludwig from his stunned state and he coughed as he removed the mask.


    [As an Undead, you have neutralized the blind effect of the item [Mask of the Blind Witness]


    Ludwig leaned heavily against the inn''s outer wall, his breath coming in short gasps as he tried to make sense of the strange vision. The image of the boy, radiant yet unnervingly sinister, lingered in his mind like a persistent shadow.


    ''I suppose this is one of the abilities of the Mask¡­ and if I could take a wild guess¡­ that''s probably the guy that Hoyo spoke about, though I''m not sure, I''ll have to ask him¡­''


    The mask''s abilities were as unpredictable as they were powerful. It showed glimpses of truths and lies, weaving them together in a way that made it impossible to discern one from the other. For all Ludwig knew, the vision of the boy and his celestial-eldritch staff could be pure fiction. Still, he couldn''t shake the feeling that it was important.


    Ludwig focused on the task ahead, deciding to let the matter of this vision for a later time, So, he can''t be too trusting of what the mask showed him. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig headed toward the table and sat next to the young woman, "You sure took your time," she said.


    "It''s you who is in need of me, not the other way around," Ludwig said as he placed his mask on the table and sat across from her.


    "Dear costumer, what can I bring you?" the busboy appeared immediately.


    "Beer," Ludwig said as he wanted to get another taste of alcohol in him.


    The boy hurried up to bring Ludwig''s order, while the two remained staring at each other.


    "What?" Ludwig asked.


    "You said you know something," she said.


    "You''re quite rude for a noble person," Ludwig said.


    "What do you mean?" she said frowning.


    "Do you even know who I am?" he asked.


    "¡­"


    "Right, you forgot the most basic thing in a conversation, it''s greetings, you didn''t even ask nor tell me your name and you''re in need of something from me. Don''t you think that you''re being rude?" Ludwig asked.


    Flustered and embarrassed, "I apologize, you are right, my name is Alva Urbaf, I come from"


    Ludwig held his hand up, "I don''t need to know anything else, just your name. I''m Ludwig heart," he replied calmly.


    She nodded.


    "As for your friend, he''ll die in a couple of days at best," Ludwig said and that instantly made her slam both hands on the table and stand up.


    "What do you mean?!"


    The reaction caused the ambiance in the bar to die down a bit. But once the people looked at the two on the table, one of the people in the bar muttered, "Hah, lover''s quarrel," and returned to his beer.


    The atmosphere soon changed back to what it was.


    Ludwig stared emotionally at her as she sat down, "I¡­"


    "Quite the temper," Ludwig said.


    "Tell me, what do you mean by he''ll die?"


    "Like I said, he will die soon. There is something going on here in this event. And apparently, your boyfriend there got hit with it," Ludwig said.


    "How do you even know that? You could be just lying."


    "You can believe me, or not, regardless of the matter I did the minimum required to assist you," Ludwig said as the beer arrived at his table, "Here''s your Bear Deer!" the busboy once again said the same quirky phrase and left.


    Ludwig took a good chug and placed the beer down as he enjoyed the taste that wet his old bones. "Remember, I come from the Black Tower academy, we can see some stuff like that, or at least understand a bit of it," Ludwig said, although he was lying without even blinking, he rather had her confused about the fact that he knows about the souls and the chains to be related to his background as a Black Tower academy student than explain how he could see them because his mask is an artifact.


    Since his mask was something that even rulers and kings coveted back in the day, he''d rather keep its function hidden. And also it''s less of a pain to explain it that way.


    "You''re a mage?" she asked.


    "I guess it should be obvious¡­" Ludwig said.


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    "Not really, you''ve been staring at my sword every time we met¡­" she said.


    "Ah, consider it curiosity, regardless that''s what I saw. And apparently, it only affected those who lost in the event of chess¡­"


    "I saw several others that lost and weren''t affected though," she countered.


    Ludwig shrugged, "I noticed the same, but also none of those who won were affected either, I know it''s a farfetched reasoning but¡­" just as Ludwig finished his words, the door to the in blasted open, Hoyo''s face looked pale and right under his shoulder was Kassandra''s limp body.


    "Ludwig!" Hoyo shouted.


    Ludwig stood up from his chair as he saw Hoyo rapidly moving Kassandra over.


    "What''s going on, what''s wrong with her?" Ludwig asked.


    "I don''t know, he suddenly fell unconscious," Hoyo said.


    Ludwig immediately used [Inspect] on her.


    ***


    Character Screen:


    Name: Kassandra


    Race: Human


    Title: N/A


    Level: 12


    Currently under the Status Effect: Cursed [Soul Effigy]


    ***


    ¡­


    "She got it too¡­" Ludwig said, annoyed beyond belief. After all, he thought that he could just ignore all that was going on since none of his friends were harmed, but now, he was dragged right into this mess forcefully.


    "You may be right, this is the same symptoms that Rudolph has¡­ what the hell is going on in here¡­"


    "Don''t ask me, the whole town is in a state of chaos," Hoyo said.


    "What do you mean?" Ludwig asked.


    "The portal is out of service. And all communication devices are out of order¡­"


    Ludwig understood immediately where Hoyo''s words were going.


    "Let me guess¡­ the way outside the city is also blocked¡­"


    "How did you know?" Hoyo said his eyes wide.


    "Fuck¡­" Ludwig said, "We''re trapped here¡­"

 Chapter 84 Bound and Trapped

    "What do you mean trapped?" Hoyo asked, the panic evident in his voice."Think about it," Ludwig replied, his tone clipped as his gaze flicked toward Kassandra''s pale, lifeless form. "Locked in a city. All exits are sealed. People are either dying¡ªor worse, losing themselves completely. What does that sound like to you?"


    "You think it''s some kind of plague?" Hoyo frowned, his hands clenching into nervous fists.


    Ludwig exhaled sharply, a mix of frustration and exhaustion bubbling beneath the surface. "I wish it was something that simple. No, I think it''s more deliberate¡ªa coordinated attack."


    The words hung heavy in the air, the weight of their implication pressing down on those present.


    "What makes you so confident about this theory?" Alva Urbaf interjected, her voice sharp and cutting. "That''s a very serious accusation. Can you even take responsibility for saying something so reckless?"


    Ludwig turned his gaze toward her, the annoyance flashing in his eyes unmistakable. "Who died and made you the chief of police?" His tone was ice, a stark contrast to the rising heat of his frustration.


    "What?" Alva frowned, clearly taken aback by his hostility.


    "I don''t owe you anything," Ludwig continued, his voice rising. "You can take what I say with a grain of salt, or you can ignore it altogether. But don''t sit there trying to pin responsibility on me as if I''m some scapegoat waiting for the slaughter." His annoyance was growing clear. It wasn''t anger he was incapable of it after all he could only mimic it, but annoyance? was a Ludwig specialty.


    Ludwig stood abruptly, pushing his chair back with enough force to scrape the wooden floor. He crossed the room to check on Kassandra, his movements stiff with restrained anger.


    "Wow," Hoyo muttered under his breath, clearly caught between awkward amusement and unease. "I admire your selection of words, but¡­ she kind of is the police, though."


    Ludwig shot him a questioning look. "What the hell are you talking about?"


    "The Urbaf family," Hoyo clarified. "They''re a ducal family, remember? They''ve got members in the Imperial Guard¡ª"


    "Her brother is in the Imperial Guard," Ludwig interrupted, his tone sharp as he waved off the explanation. "Not her. And frankly, I don''t care. I just can''t stand people like her¡ªthinking their influence gives them the right to order others around. If I say it''s a terror attack, then accept it or don''t. But don''t stand there trying to put the weight of the world on my shoulders."


    His voice carried through the inn, loud enough for the other patrons to hear. The murmur of conversations quieted momentarily as people turned their attention to the brewing confrontation.


    "I-I didn''t mean it that way!" Alva stammered, flustered.


    "Doesn''t matter what you meant," Ludwig snapped, his gaze narrowing. "Words have power. Choose them wisely next time."


    Ignoring her further protests, Ludwig crouched down beside Kassandra, his fingers lightly pressing against her neck as he checked her pulse.


    "She''s probably out cold because she hasn''t fully healed from yesterday," Ludwig muttered. "Add to that today''s stress, mental exhaustion, and whatever''s going on with these stolen souls¡­ Honestly, I''m surprised she''s still breathing."


    "You''re grim," Hoyo remarked, his brow furrowing.


    Ludwig''s lips twisted into a humorless smile. "The faster you accept reality, the faster you can deal with it. I''m heading out."


    He grabbed his mask from the table, sliding it over his face as he made for the door.


    The djinn Ludwig had marked earlier was gone, its presence now far away, deep within the heart of the masquerade venue.


    "Wait!" Alva called out, stepping between Ludwig and the door.


    "What do you want now?" he asked, his irritation clear.


    "I''m coming with you."


    "Do you even know where I''m going?"


    "No, but I know you''re not as clueless as you seem," Alva replied, her eyes locking onto his.


    Ludwig sighed, exasperation etched across his face. "You''re going to be a pain."


    "I''m stronger than you, at least," she shot back, her tone firm.


    Ludwig frowned, his eyes narrowing as he activated [Inspect].


    Name: Alva Urbaf


    Race: Human


    Title: N/A


    Level: 35


    The sight of her status gave him pause. Stronger than me, huh?


    "What was that just now?" Alva asked, a shiver running down her spine. She hugged her coat tighter as if trying to protect herself from an unseen gaze.


    "It doesn''t matter," Ludwig replied curtly. "If you''re coming, don''t lag behind. But the moment you become dead weight, I''m leaving you behind."


    "What about me?" Hoyo asked, a tinge of panic creeping into his voice.


    "Stay here. Watch over Kassandra," Ludwig ordered.


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    Without another word, he pushed past Alva and stepped into the crowded streets.


    The noise outside was deafening. People milled about, some confused, others enraged, as they discovered the severed communication lines and barred exits.


    Alva hurried after Ludwig, pulling her mask into place as she tried to keep up. "Where exactly are we going?"


    "Just follow me," Ludwig replied tersely, his focus elsewhere.


    His mind raced as he maneuvered through the throng of festival-goers. Whoever orchestrated this chaos clearly had no intention of allowing help to arrive. That much was obvious from the meticulous shutdown of all communication and transportation.


    ''Whoever''s behind this doesn''t want help to arrive anytime soon... perhaps not even witnesses''


    The thought gnawed at him, feeding his urgency. Kassandra''s condition was deteriorating rapidly, and if he didn''t act soon, she wouldn''t survive.


    But Ludwig wasn''t naive. He knew the risks. If things went south, he had the lantern as a backup. The souls he''d collected would allow him to cheat death a few times if needed. It wasn''t ideal, but it was all he had.


    "What''s your plan?" Alva pressed, her voice barely audible above the din of the crowd.


    "Find the source," Ludwig replied. "Shut it down."


    "And if it''s too strong to handle?"


    Ludwig glanced over his shoulder, his expression grim. "Then I guess I''ll die trying." sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The weight of his words silenced her, but her determination didn''t waver. She tightened her grip on her rapier and kept pace with him, ready to face whatever lay ahead.

 Chapter 85 Infiltration

    Ludwig''s speed was unnerving. Despite the chaos and the bustling streets filled with panicked citizens, he moved with uncanny agility, weaving through the crowd with a precision that Alva could barely match. Her lungs burned as she struggled to keep pace, her breath coming in labored gasps, though she prided herself on her endurance as a swordswoman.Yet Ludwig didn''t even seem winded.


    When he finally came to a halt at the mouth of a shadowy alley, she nearly stumbled to a stop behind him, her hands braced on her knees as she fought to catch her breath. The alley opened into a dim, narrow street where silence reigned, a stark contrast to the distant cacophony of the masquerade''s turmoil.


    "Hold on a bit!" she wheezed. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig turned to her, his finger pressed against his lips. "We''re close," he whispered, his eyes fixed on an unassuming building at the end of the darkened lane.


    Alva followed his gaze. "That place?"


    Ludwig gave a slow nod. "Traces of souls. They''re pouring into that house."


    She blinked, bewildered. "What do you mean ''traces of souls''? How can you even¡ª"


    "Questions later," Ludwig cut her off. "Black Tower Academy student, remember?" He tapped his chest with mock confidence, hoping she wouldn''t push further.


    Alva crossed her arms, clearly unconvinced, but she held her tongue. She looked at the building more closely¡ªits weathered exterior and dimly glowing windows gave it the appearance of just another old, forgotten home. "It doesn''t look out of place," she muttered.


    "Look closer," Ludwig said, his voice sharp. "See that ''big guy'' near the door?"


    She squinted, finally noticing the two hulking figures stationed near the entrance. At first glance, they seemed like ordinary men draped in flowing cloaks. But as she stared, unease settled over her.


    "What about them?" Alva asked as she took in the view.


    "They''re not human," Ludwig said, his voice low.


    Her frown deepened. "I can understand your aversion to harming humans, even I don''t want to do that even if they''re criminals, but If they''re not human then what are they then?"


    "Djinn," Ludwig said bluntly.


    Her stomach turned, though she tried to hide it. She wasn''t well-versed in dealing with supernatural entities, but apparently, she seemed to know what that was. Though Ludwig had no idea if the common folks knew what a Djinn was since only he could see their information through his [inspect], her reaction told him that she knew of their existence.


    "Are you sure that they''re Djinn?" she asked tightening her grip on her sword.


    "Completely. And this building reeks of black magic," Ludwig added, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the ethereal chains spiraling into the house, visible only to him through his mask.


    Alva hesitated, gripping the hilt of her rapier tightly. "So what''s the plan?"


    "I''m going in," Ludwig said.


    She raised an eyebrow. "The door is locked, and those ''not-human'' guards will see you coming a mile away. How do you plan to¡ª"


    "I''m not sneaking," Ludwig interrupted. "I don''t have the skill for that."


    "What then?"


    "Step back," Ludwig said, extending his arm. "I have no idea what''s about to happen, so you might want to give me some space."


    She didn''t argue. Something about his focused expression made her comply, retreating several steps as he prepared a spell.


    "[Frenzied Spirits]," Ludwig muttered.


    The moment the words left his lips, his body was drained of energy as his mana pool was completely consumed, leaving him lightheaded and trembling. For an instant, he thought the spell had failed.


    Then all hell broke loose.


    The djinn at the entrance began convulsing, their humanoid forms writhing as fire erupted from their bodies. Screams that sounded both human and otherworldly echoed through the alley as their robes disintegrated into ash, revealing their true forms¡ªsearing masses of unbridled flame struggling to maintain coherence.


    The two djinn spiraled into a frenzy, their blazing forms smashing into nearby walls, reducing parts of the alley to rubble. Flames licked the air, casting terrifying shadows on the nearby buildings as their incandescent shapes flickered like candles in a storm.


    Alva''s jaw dropped in shock, her eyes darting between the fiery chaos and Ludwig. "What did you just do?"


    Even Ludwig seemed stunned. His hands trembled as he realized the spell''s unintended effects. ''The hell was that?'' he thought.


    The spell [Frenzied Spirits] was supposed to summon malevolent spirits to attack indiscriminately, yet it had instead driven the djinn into a frenzy, forcing them to revert to their elemental forms.


    He pieced it together quickly. "They''re spirits. The spell must have affected them directly," he muttered under his breath, filing the revelation away for later.


    "What was that? They just went berserk," Alva hissed, snapping him back to the present.


    "What are you waiting for? Let''s move!" Ludwig barked, rushing toward the now unguarded entrance.


    She hesitated only for a moment before following, her rapier already drawn.


    When they reached the door, Ludwig fumbled, trying to pry it open.


    "Step aside," Alva said curtly, shoving him aside.


    With precise, lightning-fast strikes, she slashed through the door in quick succession. The wood fell apart, cleanly sliced into perfect sections, leaving the entrance exposed.


    "I apologize for doubting you earlier, about them being human..." she said, her tone earnest but tinged with sarcasm. "Seems Black Tower students do know their stuff."


    "Save the compliments," Ludwig said, stepping into the darkened threshold. "We don''t have much time before they realize what''s happened."


    The two entered the ominous building, leaving behind the crackling flames of the frenzied djinn.


    Inside, the air was thick with an oppressive energy that seemed to press down on them from all sides. Faint whispers echoed through the dimly lit corridors, voices overlapping in an incomprehensible cacophony that sent chills down Alva''s spine. And the smell of incense proliferated the place.


    "What is this place?" she asked, gripping her rapier tighter.


    "Looks like a hideout,.." Ludwig said grimly.


    "A hideout for who?" Explore stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    "And we''re about to find out what."


    The pair moved deeper into the building, their footsteps muffled by the heavy silence that seemed to devour sound. Ahead, the flicker of faint, unnatural light beckoned, promising answers¡ªand most certainly...danger.

 Chapter 86 A Den of Djinn

    The air inside the house was suffocating, the darkness oppressive as Ludwig and Alva pressed forward. The eerie silence was occasionally broken by the soul-wrenching wails of the frenzied djinn crashing against walls and tearing through the structure like living infernos. Each impact reverberated through the building, shaking loose dust and bits of plaster.The sight of one such djinn suddenly bursting through a nearby wall startled Alva, drawing an involuntary yelp from her lips.


    Ludwig moved like a shadow, his hand darting up to cover her mouth. His eyes bore into hers, sharp and commanding. "Didn''t I say I''d drop you the moment you became a liability?" he hissed.


    "I... I apologize," Alva whispered, visibly shaken. "It caught me off guard."


    Ludwig sighed, glancing down the corridor to ensure her outburst hadn''t alerted anyone¡ªor anything. Thankfully, the cacophony of the djinn''s rampage drowned out her voice. He moved on, more cautious now.


    "Watch where you step," he warned.


    Alva, following close behind, noticed the debris scattered across the floor¡ªbroken shards of a decorative vase and a tapestry crumpled in a heap. It was clear she might have stumbled if not for his warning. She marveled at how he navigated the gloom with such ease.


    Little did she know, Ludwig''s undead nature made darkness meaningless to him. Where others struggled, his sight remained clear as day.


    The corridor stretched on, its dimensions twisting unnaturally. Ludwig realized the house was far larger inside than its exterior suggested. The chains of souls, visible only to him through the Mask of the Blind Witness, wound through the air like ghostly veins, their source pulsing further ahead.


    Another rattling echoed, and a chain burst out of the wall just in front of Ludwig. He ducked instinctively, the spectral chain phasing through Alva''s head.


    "What''s going on?" Alva asked, confused.


    "Nothing," Ludwig said curtly, unwilling to explain the unsettling sight of a ghostly chain running straight through her skull.


    They pressed on until they reached the corridor''s end. The chains led into what appeared to be a dead-end room. A large, ornate carpet covered the floor, but the air inside carried the acrid tang of burning cinders.


    "Looks empty," Alva said, frowning.


    ''Seems like the djinns guarding this place had gone into a frenzied state and burnt the carpet. Good for us,''


    Ludwig said as he followed with his eyes where the chains were coming from.


    He knelt, lifting the edge of the carpet. His instincts proved correct¡ªbeneath the charred fabric was a trapdoor.


    "The burns," Ludwig explained, "are from the djinn. They were guarding this spot, and their frenzy burnt the fabric and they probably went rampaging around outside the room, and likely left it unguarded." sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alva stared at him, her suspicion returning. "How do you know all this? You act like you''ve been here before."


    Ludwig met her gaze evenly. "Observation. I have training. Besides, if I were working with these things, I wouldn''t be showing you this, would I?"


    Her expression softened, though she remained wary.


    Ludwig was annoyed, not only was she little to no use she was doubting him already, Ludwig pressed his hand against the trapdoor.


    ***


    [Sudden Quest!]


    [You have discovered a Den of Djinn!]


    By Deus Necro''s Blessing, this Den will be considered a dungeon


    All souls obtained from the Den of Djinn will be doubled.


    Clear the Den of Djinn and defeat the mastermind behind the ritual currently happening in the city of Rima.


    Reward


    [Soul Shackles] (Unavailable for Inspection)


    Information about the Gluttonous Death will be revealed!


    ***


    ''Wait¡­ this is big¡­'' Ludwig thought inwardly. The whole place turning to a dungeon is good and all, and the reward is always something to look forward to. But the Gluttonous Death? That''s the name of one of the seven¡­


    ''Well, since the first is called the Wrathful, and this one is Gluttonous I can already guess the names of the other five¡­''


    [You have understood the meaning behind the names!]


    Six Names have been added to your Personal Bestiary!


    [Gluttonous Death]


    [Greedsome Death]


    [Lustful Death]


    [Envious Death]


    [Prideful Death]


    Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire


    [Slothful Death]


    No additional information has been added since only the titles have been discovered.


    ''I guess I was right¡­ well, that''s some progress in Necro''s Eternal Quest.''


    "Guess I was right," Ludwig muttered. His mind raced. This discovery tied directly into Necro''s Eternal Quest. The implications were immense¡ªand dangerous.


    "Are you going to open it, or just stare at it?" Alva''s voice broke his thoughts.


    Ludwig gripped the edge of the trapdoor and heaved it open. The smell of incense hit them immediately, pungent and cloying, carrying with it a sense of dread.


    [You are being affected by a mind-numbing poison.]


    [As an undead, you have negated the poison''s effects.]


    Ludwig glanced at Alva, who staggered slightly, her eyes fluttering as if trying to clear a haze. "Poison¡­" she muttered, taking a step back.


    "Careful," she said after a moment, gathering her focus and enveloping herself in a faint aura of mana. "It dulls the mind."


    "I know," Ludwig replied simply before descending into the darkened opening.


    Alva followed, landing lightly behind him. The basement stretched out before them, its walls made of damp cobblestone that seemed to absorb the flickering torchlight. It felt less like an underground room and more like an ancient dungeon.


    Three paths diverged from their position, each leading deeper into the structure. Ludwig glanced down the center path, where the ethereal chains converged.


    "This way," he said, gesturing toward the middle.


    Alva raised an eyebrow. "And you know that because¡­?"


    "Dust," Ludwig lied smoothly. "The other two paths haven''t been disturbed in some time. Plus, the smell of incense is strongest this way."


    Her eyes lingered on him, skepticism evident, but she nodded.


    As they moved forward, the chains grew thicker, their twisted forms glowing faintly with an ominous light. No guards or djinn appeared to bar their path, but Ludwig knew better than to trust the apparent stillness.


    "They''re still frenzied," he muttered under his breath, remembering the havoc he''d unleashed earlier. "But that won''t last forever."


    The air grew heavier with each step, the oppressive energy pressing down on them like a physical weight.

 Chapter 87 Blistering Blood

    There were no guards or djinns so far. Seemingly because the frenzy was still ongoing but that didn''t mean it would last long. Ludwig had to move fast to figure out what was going on."It''s awfully dark for an underground den¡­" Alva whispered.


    "They''re creatures of fire, they don''t care if it''s dark," Ludwig said as he kept looking around while moving making sure that there were no traps, he read way too many novels about traps in tight corridors like these and didn''t want to become a pincushion.


    "We have company," Alva said. Picking up a cue even Ludwig couldn''t. She immediately brandished her rapier and went ahead of Ludwig as would a proper sword wielder do.


    Ludwig then patted his ring, pulling a short dagger he had on him. The item was something Ludwig had obtained earlier today when he was venturing the market with Hoyo and Kassandra, he never thought he''d need it this soon. But after what happened with the Champion Lizardman where his unreliable ceremonial sword simply broke, he needed another weapon to protect himself albite not as powerful as a sword, even a dagger could kill.


    "A mage using a dagger, that''s a first¡­"


    "Spells release mana signature, this is safer," Ludwig said hiding the fact that most of his learned spells would send him straight to the gallows.


    "What was that?" they heard from the other end of the corridor. Two distinct sounds of footsteps echoed ahead, but they didn''t seem to be coming their way.


    "Something happened outside, I lost my reason for a bit, what about the rest?" the voice was deep and sounded terrifying in the darkness.


    "Same here, something happened to all of us, what about the Sheikh?"


    "He''s still by himself¡­ well he should be by now," the first speaker said.


    "Sickening hobby he has. Regardless, go out, and see what happened to our brothers, if the same thing that happened to us here affected them, they''d have burnt half the city by now," one of them said.


    "I''ll go as fast as possible," the second one said.


    "No, use your feet, you can''t use [Fire Infusion], the city is already in an uproar we can''t be caught using Djinn magic here in Lufondal," he said.


    "Alright, I''ll use these feet then, see you later brother."


    The reply never came, and the set of footsteps began moving toward Ludwig and Alva.


    Ludwig gestured with his hand for her to withdraw, and hurriedly backed away to the junction of pathways.


    "What now?" she asked.


    "We have to take him out," Ludwig said.


    "Do we? If we hide here," she pointed at one of the other paths, "He''ll just leave past us," she said.


    "Then he''ll notice the door you cut apart and come back to report, we can''t let him leave," Ludwig said.


    Hesitation was clear in her eyes. She wasn''t too sure about taking out another person especially if she didn''t know their full intention.


    "Your hesitation will get us in trouble," Ludwig said. "The moment we''re exposed all we did here will be for naught, and you heard t yourself, they''re the ones that are causing this ruckus."


    Her hesitation soon switched to resolution, the duty of her family to serve and protect had kicked in because of Ludwig''s words.


    The two of them hid under the shadows of one of the pathways near the exit and waited patiently for the man to arrive.


    He slowly walked up until he reached the ladder, thankfully he didn''t have his mask on as it was strapped behind his back. But his massive form was still something that didn''t feel too comfortable to deal with.


    Ludwig wasn''t short or weak by any means, compared to a normal human his age, he was far stronger just thanks to his undead strength and the points he invested in. However, what he was dealing with was a Djinn that was taking the form of what looked like a miniature giant.


    The moment the Djinn comfortably grabbed at the ladder to go up, Ludwig hopped right behind him grabbing the Djinn by the mouth and pulling it back. The two of them fell back, Ludwig first as he received the full weight of the creature.


    [-16hp]


    The mere fall was enough to make Ludwig''s bones creek, while the man struggled to shout where only muffled groans came out of his mouth.


    Ludwig''s eyes looked at Alva who was stunned and suddenly unable to move, "Hurry!" he hissed.


    But she didn''t move though her weapon was pointing at the struggling man who was slowly overpowering Ludwig''s grip.


    "For fuck sake!" Ludwig hissed again as he grabbed his dagger and swiftly rammed it into the man''s neck, cutting away his vocal cords. Experience more tales on My Virtual Library Empire


    The blood sprayed out like a fountain, and it steamed and boiled as if it was broiling water. The Djinn are weakest when they impersonate something, something that Ludwig clearly remembers from their passive [Twisted Manifestation] that they gain the exact body composition of whatever they possess or take the form of at the cost of half of its power. And since he picked a humanoid, he''d die like one.


    [Critical!]


    [You have ended someone''s life in one strike from full ambush. You have unlocked a new path]


    Additional Path unlocked for the quest Black Tower Academy [Skeletal Assassin]


    [You have obtained Weak Soul]


    Ludwig ignored the notifications and pushed the body aside.


    "I don''t even have to say anything do I¡­" Ludwig muttered, completely feeling hopeless about this swordsman''s wannabe.


    "I-I was just surprised¡­"


    Ludwig sighed, as he muttered to himself, "Use Weak Soul.


    [You have obtained 100 souls]


    The notification informed Ludwig of what he just got.


    ''Interesting, this is the same value as what I got from the Champion lizardman¡­ still, I''ll take all I can get.''


    ''Use ten points to upgrade wisdom.''


    [Your wisdom stat is now 31, you have used 40 souls.]


    Your soul level has gone up by one.


    ''Upgrade agility by ten.''


    [Your agility stat is now 30, you have used 50 souls]


    Your soul level has gone up by one.


    You are now Soul Level 6.


    Ludwig decided to save the last ten souls he obtained from [Weak Soul] and carry on.


    He needed to have a balanced set of stats for the moment. Since his wisdom was lacking behind the rest of his stats alongside his agility he decided on upgrading them. The two stats were crucial in both his casting and his ability to move.


    Ludwig wiped the blood on his dagger on his own robe and tried to check if the Djinn had anything valuable he could use. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A large beefy curved sword was hidden underneath his baggy clothes.


    Ludwig picked it up.


    ***


    Category: weapon.


    Durability 100/100


    Tier: Common


    Damage 40-60


    Requirement: 40 Strength: 30 dexterity ¨C(Requirement Not met!)


    [Slash Fest] : Active weapon ability, once used will cause the weapon to summon three similar images that will all strike at the same time doing triple the damage.


    Lore: A common weapon mainly used by Saharan Peddlers and warriors of the Kingdom of the Sand.


    Warning you lack the dexterity needed to use the weapon''s ability.


    ***


    Ludwig ignored the warning, it didn''t allow him to use the special skill, but this was still a fine weapon to use. And definitely better than his current dagger. Or at least something he can use to defend himself better with now.


    "I guess you better get your grip on reality as soon as possible, if not you can just leave right now. You don''t need to dirty your hands if you think it''s too unbefitting of your noble lineage," Ludwig said as he moved forward.


    "No, I''m coming with you!" she said and followed close behind.

 Chapter 88 Blood and Chains

    Ludwig moved ahead, back on track following the chains with his eyes.He needed to act fast, as he realized that the chain that had sprung out earlier must have caught its target and is now withdrawing as it began to pull back. If he were to lose the only trail he had, he would probably not find the source of what''s going on and be lost in this dungeon.


    Finally, the corridor opened into a large, dimly lit chamber. The room was a stark contrast to the narrow passages before it, with vaulted ceilings and walls lined with faded tapestries depicting abstract, nightmarish scenes. At the far end, a massive, iron-bound door loomed ominously, faintly glowing with arcane energy.


    Scattered around the room were eight figures. all Djinns, their glowing eyes betraying their otherworldly nature despite their humanoid forms. Some sat at a crude wooden table, gambling with worn dice and laughing raucously. Others leaned lazily against the walls or nursed drinks from grimy mugs.


    "Eight people¡­" Ludwig said, he knew they didn''t have much of a chance in fighting them if they were all to come at them at the same time, then he''ll probably get a fast meeting with Necros tonight.


    his mind racing as he assessed the situation. His eyes flicked to the door, where the chains disappeared through small gaps at the edges. He clenched his fists. That door was the key to this whole mess, but there was no way to approach it without drawing attention.


    "Should we go back and call for backup?" she asked.


    Ludwig thought for a second, he didn''t have the power to overtake eight of these Djinns and he knew it, especially with how enclosed this area was. The moment he steps in, he''ll be exposed and they''ll surround him and Alva. And from what he saw from her, she was completely useless. Though he wanted to know what''s behind the door where the chains were coming from, it wasn''t worth the risk. So far, they can still withdraw.


    He was about to reply when the chains were retreating had finally brought its victims with it, several dozen people were wrapped up in the chain and were dragged across it, their souls screaming in agonized hoarseness that only Ludwig could hear. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Let''s head back¡­" Ludwig said. Though he couldn''t help any of the souls here, he didn''t find it in him to risk his life for any of them as of now. Though unfortunate as it may be for Kassandra. He was no hero. This was as far as he could personally go.


    "INTRUDER!"


    The voice shook Ludwig''s heart though he had no heart.


    And almost instinctively, without missing a beat, his mind already spun into action alongside his body.


    Alva was left stupefied as she saw Ludwig sprint forward while everyone who was sitting was still trying to understand the situation.


    Ludwig''s scimitar had already lobbed the first Djinn''s head.


    [Critical!]


    [You have slain a Djinn in one hit!]


    Obtained 2x Weak Soul.


    His scimitar immediately flew with Undead Strength at the second Djinn who was still confused about the situation as he has yet to realize that the hot liquid that sprayed over him was his drinking companion''s blood. The scimitar sliced right into his eyes, followed by a powerful kick to the chest that threw him back.


    The closest Djinn tried his best to pull out his scimitar only for ludwig''s own weapon to find his heart first, dropping him in one hit.


    [Critical!]


    [You have Slain a Lesser Djinn in one hit!]


    Obtained 2x Weak Soul.


    Ludwig tried his best to eliminate another, but in those three seconds, the rest of the guards had already drawn their weapons. The element of surprise was over.


    Two were eliminated and one was incapacitated. But that still left Ludwig fighting against five others.


    Ludwig knew from the start that he was no trained powerful swordsman of some renowned family, nor did he truly learn the way of the sword. All his training with Joana was nothing but basic training. He knew he couldn''t take on several people at once, especially with how lacking he was in terms of skill and fighting experience. Everything in this situation was against him, but he knew one thing for sure. What if you can''t out-skill them, overpower them.


    ''Use four weak souls,'' Ludwig muttered under his breath.


    [You have obtained 400 souls]


    That was a pretty huge sum of souls.


    [Your Soul Level has increased to 11]


    "Increase dexterity by ten," Ludwig rapidly added the points he obtained. Ten in dexterity for a total of 30. Allowing him to use the Scimitar to its full potential, the rest he dumped between strength and wisdom equally. Costing him a total of 400 souls exactly.


    The closest of the Djinns rushed Ludwig, who easily dodged as the increase in dexterity allowed him a better scope of movement. A dexterous body has better reflexes and this showed with just an increase of ten points.


    "Who the fuck is this?" one of the djinns said.


    "Grab him!" another ordered and two of the Djinns jumped at Ludwig trying to pressure him in a two-against-one.


    Just as Ludwig took a step back to gain some distance, the farthest of the two djinns that tried to assault him stopped as he coughed out blood, spitting a massive amount of it as he noticed the sharp yet overly thick rapier piercing right through his chest.


    The sword ripped out with force and revealed Alva who flicked the blood on her weapon to the ground.


    "He has company", another said, and immediately the whole group of Djinn joined the battle.


    Ludwig felt a bit of relief as he didn''t have to fight by himself, thankfully Alva wasn''t completely useless and could fight.


    Unlike Ludwig however, she was far more agile in taking down her opponents. A stark difference between the forceful approach Ludwig took where he used all his might behind every single swing of his weapon against the Djinn that tried to ambush him right now. Alva easily parried the enemy''s scimitar and countered with a perfect repost.


    The scimitar that was aiming at splitting her in half form head to toe was easily parried as she smacked it with the side of her rapier, causing the Djinn''s entire form to falter as his body followed after the modified trajectory of the sword, while at the same time she parried she would simply use the sharp side of her rapier to slice right through the Djinn''s neck.


    Ludwig, on the other hand, used nothing but pure brute strength, with his strength increasing to sixty-one points, he had enough power behind every swing of his weapon to cause even the beefy-looking Djinn''s arms to wobble.


    Two Djinns tried to surround Ludwig as they noticed that although he had brutish strength, he had no technique and was simply just swinging his weapon everywhere.


    The closest Djinn rushed in, causing Ludwig to swing his weapon to push him away, he was baiting Ludwig as he stopped a mere step before the sword completely missed, the second Djinn immediately followed and went for a stab at Ludwig''s chest. Discover hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    Ludwig realized that he was about to be impaled and forcefully twisted his body, making sure that the scimitar avoided his ''internal organs'' and sliced right through the side of his ribs.


    [-60 hp]


    He didn''t wince or show any reaction as the scimitar cut right through him, but since the assailant was close enough and extended long enough, Ludwig used his other free hand to grab at the Djinn''s sword-wielding arm.


    With his current strength, he was easily able to pull the Djinn forward making it stumble, and with his other hand that was extended earlier he simply switched his grip on the sword to an overhand grip and stabbed down at the back of the Djinn that just stumbled.


    The power behind his stab was strong enough that it shattered his weapon as it pierced right through the Djinn and broke when it came in contact with the cobblestone.


    [You obtained x2 Weak Souls]


    Ludwig pulled the sword that was in the now-dead Djinn''s other hand and used it as his new weapon.


    Looking at Alva, she was doing far better than he expected. As two djinns had already fallen to her feet, and the last one she was fighting had one arm missing.


    "What the fuck is going on?" a loud voice echoed from the closed door.


    Almost instantly, Ludwig and Alva realized that even more reinforcement was going to arrive if they didn''t handle this situation faster.


    Ludwig muttered; [Galvanize].


    This caught everyone in the room by surprise. Especially the Djinns that were focused on Ludwig who seemed the less skilled of the two.


    "He''s a caster?!" One of the Djinns said in terror.


    immediately Ludwig''s body began radiating a powerful aura as all of his basic stats began increasing.


    [For 30 seconds, all your physical stats have increased by 20%]


    "Let''s get this over with!"

 Chapter 89 Blood and Flames

    Ludwig''s sword flashed forward, clashing against the panicking Djinn, the clash sparked and flashed through the dim lit chambers echoing against the walls. The force of his swing sent the flaming creature stumbling backward. With no time to hesitate, Ludwig drove his blade forward, piercing through the Djinn''s chest. . No emotion, no mercy, and not even a shred of regret or humanity in his undead eyes.Across the room, Alva realized that she was being outdone by mere brutish strength, while she moved with precision and grace, her rapier a blur as she danced around her opponent''s strikes. Her every movement was calculated, her counterattacks precise. Even as she struck the killing blow, her expression betrayed a mixture of determination and frustration. She couldn''t help but glance at Ludwig, marveling at the sheer brutality of his approach.


    All enemies were taken out. For now, that is.


    With an ominous creak, the metallic door at the far end of the room swung open. From the shadows emerged two figures, their forms wreathed in flames. Though they had two hands and two feet like any human, their bodies were made entirely out of flames.


    These Djinns were unlike the ones Ludwig and Alva had just defeated. Their bodies flickered with unrestrained energy, and their movements radiated a feral intensity.


    The two emerged out, looking at the whole scene in horror.


    "Who are you?" one of the flaming Djinns demanded, its voice a deep rumble that seemed to reverberate in the air.


    Ludwig was more interested in what was behind the door than these two. Although it was only for a few seconds, he was able to see the source of such horridness that was plaguing the city. His attention was drawn to the chamber beyond the door. His eyes widened as he took in the macabre sight:


    A monstrous willow tree dominated the room, its gnarled branches twisting upward like skeletal hands. The tree was bound by blood-soaked chains studded with cruel barbs, and its trunk was encircled by desiccated bodies. All of them women. Their faces were frozen in expressions of agony, their hollow eyes staring into nothingness. At the tree''s base, pools of congealed blood reflected the faint glow of dozens of runic symbols etched into the ground.


    The true horror, however, lay in the countless souls tethered to the tree. Their spectral forms writhed and twisted, their anguished screams silent yet deafening to Ludwig''s heightened senses.


    The ground around the tree was pooled with blood patches and had tens of symbols written in what looked like white chalk. The willow tree itself looked more demonic than unnatural.


    {You have witnessed a Profane Ritual}


    [Inspect the Ritual Up Close to learn more about it]


    Before Ludwig could make sense of what he was seeing, a figure stepped into view, emerging from behind the tree.


    He was a tall man clad in flowing black robes embroidered with crimson runes. A massive black turban adorned his head, the centerpiece an emerald that glinted malevolently in the dim light. His thick mustache curled upward, framing a sneer that oozed disdain.


    "What''s going on here?" a man said as he emerged out, he was on the more human side of the trio.


    He fixed the turbine on top of his head as he began flexing his thick mustache, "Intruders?" he muttered as he looked at the bodies.


    "Humph, you killed my slaves¡­ and you," the man drawled, his gaze sweeping over the carnage. His eyes lingered on Alva, and his sneer twisted into a lecherous grin. "And a noblewoman, no less. Your blood will taste exquisite. So much more refined than that of the common rabble I''ve been forced to consume. Lack of nutrition does make the blood taste bitter. Kill the boy and bring me the girl," the man said as he went back into the chambers.


    The two Djinns flew with incredible speed at Ludwig and Alva at the same time.


    In his surprise, Ludwig swung his sword up as fast as he could. To which the Djinn simply dodged and struck Ludwig straight in the head, sending him flying across the room.


    [-260! Critical]


    [As an undead, you cannot be Dazed!]


    [You are prone to being Ignited!]


    Ludwig fell on the ground in an audible cracking sound, feeling as if both his face and his back had its bones broken.


    ''I should get health potions¡­'' Ludwig cursed inwardly as he groggily stood up.


    "I really need to start carrying health potions," Ludwig muttered, forcing himself to his feet. Every movement should have felt like utter agony, but that was not the case for him. His undead physiology allowed him to push through the pain and outright ignore it completely. but he knew he couldn''t take another hit like that. Because even if he feels no pain, his undead body can still die...a second time.


    ''They''re fast, incredibly fast¡­'' he realized that he didn''t have the dexterity or the visual acuteness to react to the Djinns. The matchup was just that bad.


    Taking a quick glance at Alva, she was also struggling, but unlike Ludwig, she was faring much better, he didn''t know if it was because she was skilled, or the Djinn who she was facing was trying not to kill her so he could take her to his master.


    The most frustrating thing was that Ludwig was this weak even with [Galvanize] active.


    His mana had recovered decently since he last used [Frenzied Spirit]. He had very few spells, and most of them he couldn''t use, since they would get him accused of Black Magic and would send him to the hanging square. So he chose to enable [Frenzied Spirit] since it worked the last time on these Djinns. and just as he wanted to activate it.


    [Not enough Mana! The level of the Djinns you''re facing is too high!]


    The notification appeared like a herald of doom.


    "You dare be distracted when facing me!" the Djinn said as he flew again at Ludwig who desperately tried to swat the Djinn away. He already knew the latter would easily dodge it, but just as he swung his Scimitar, he jumped back, causing the Djinn to miss.


    "[Enfeeble!]" Ludwig shouted, channeling some of his remaining mana into the spell.


    Immediately, right where Ludwig''s eyes were focused, the ground manifested a round sigil of emerald color. Runic writings manifested rapidly the moment the Djinn took a step on the ground.


    Surprised by what happened the Djinn tried to run away, but the symbol had activated and almost dropped him to his feet from the sudden effect of [Enfeeble].


    Ludwig followed immediately, "[Exhaust!]


    [Your opponent is already aware of your casting, Exhaust will only have half effect.]


    The flames making the Djinn dimmed considerably and his speed was no longer as prevalent.


    But this wasn''t lasting for long, Ludwig''s [Galvanize] was seconds away from ending, he needed to finish this fast.


    The moment the Djinn realized that he was in a tough position, he tried to back away from Ludwig, after all Ludwig was¡­ "A caster!" he shouted as he backed away.


    "Too late!" Ludwig said as he jumped forward, able to easily reach the Djinn and grab him by¡­ the neck?


    [Your hand is on fire! You have been Ignited! You''re taking damage over time!]


    [-10 HP...]


    [-10 HP...]


    The notifications kept going up declaring to Ludwig that he was burning up, something he didn''t need to bother with right now even if his hand was blistering. He had finally caught the slippery bastard and a third degree burn on his hand wasn''t going to stop him.


    With a roar of effort, he slammed the Djinn onto the ground. The force of the impact sent cracks spidering across the stone floor.


    The effects of Galvanized coupled with his own already high strength level allowed him to completely overpower the Djinn. With his other hand, he twirled the sword until it was in an overhand grip, and in one fluid motion, sent it right down the Djinn''s head.


    [Critical!]


    [X4 Weak Soul]


    The Djinn in his hand had his flames die out instantly, turning to a semblance of a burnt skeletal figure, then soon turned to ash.


    "YOU BASTARD!" the other Djinn roared out.


    "Why so angry," Ludwig said as he stood up, "You''ll get your turn soon." he finalized with a mocking sneer. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 90 The Sheikhs Chains

    The other Djinn shouted, its voice a guttural, infernal roar that reverberated through the room. It struck Alva with a swift kick to her chest, sending her flying across the chamber. She slammed into the far wall with a sickening thud, crumpling to the ground unconscious.Ludwig''s Mask immediately activated the moment the man''s body flared out of his form from rage. He took his human form albite for a second and back to his infernal form. But that was enough for Ludwig''s mask to give him a piece of well-needed information.


    The Djinn flew at Ludwig with incredible speed, coupled with the fact that this notification showed up, which would in all cases mean that Ludwig was going to die.


    {[Galvanize] duration has ended!}


    Ludwig''s body felt a wave of weakness run through him, but that didn''t stop nor wipe the grin that showed up on his face.


    "Sham-Har-Roush! STOP!" Ludwig shouted. It was the same name of the Djinn that Ludwig identified back at the chess event. The same ''True'' name.


    As if the world for the Djinn had stopped he couldn''t even move as his burning hand stopped a few centimeters from Ludwig''s face. The look on the Djinn''s face was obvious. But he couldn''t even say it.


    "You must be wondering how I know your True Name," Ludwig said.


    Ludwig''s grin widened. "Keep wondering," he said coldly, his scimitar flashing as he swung it with all his might.


    The blade cleaved through the Djinn''s neck, extinguishing its fiery form in a single, decisive blow. The room fell eerily silent, save for the sound of the blade hissing as it cooled.


    [You have obtained X4 Weak Souls]


    Ludwig examined the scimitar, its once-sharp edge now melted and cracked. It had served its purpose, but it wouldn''t survive another battle. With a flick of his wrist, he discarded it, scanning the room for another weapon, and picked up a couple from the many littering the floor. One he placed in his ring for storage and the other carried with him since he''ll be needing it soon. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He then went to check on Alva who was unconscious all the way on the other side of the room.


    He moved her, but she didn''t wake up, she was lightly bleeding from her head.


    ''Concussion,'' he said as he checked her pupils.


    He sighed. Though she was a good help, she still never fails to be a liability at the end.


    He had no option but to get inside the room and see what''s going on, but before that, Ludwig waited at the entrance of the room for a bit.


    The sound of footsteps was getting closer and closer, and just when the person walked through the room saying, "What''s going on here? There was an intrud¡­" the realization of the Djinn was too slow as Ludwig pierced him with his sword ending his misery as fast as possible.


    ''That''s done,'' Ludwig said as he looked at the door.


    "Time for the boss,'' Ludwig said as he moved forward, all of his robes were charred, tattered and blood-covered. The blood of the djinns was hot but it was still red nonetheless.


    Ludwig placed his bloodied and burnt arm on the door and pulled it to the side.


    "You got the girl, surely she isn''t too harmed," Ludwig heard from the other side of the room. The man was too preoccupied with the tree than looking at who entered the door.


    "Yeah, she''s not too harmed, unconscious though," Ludwig replied.


    The man realized that the voice didn''t belong to any of the servants he had on him.


    He turned to Ludwig and said, "You got some skill I see¡­"


    "Let''s see what you can do against this then!" he said and rammed both his hands against the bloodied chains that were wrapped around the tree.


    The spike pierced right through his palms absorbing some of his blood in the process, making the man groan in pain. But it was a disgusting-sounding groan...almost as if he was enjoying it.


    Ludwig didn''t hesitate a second as he threw his scimitar as fast as possible at the man.


    There was no way Ludwig would ever, EVER, allow a villain or foe to power up. Screw the powerup agreement in all the novels and shows he saw before, this was his life.


    The man panicked as he saw the swirling sword coming his way and hastily pulled his chain-gripping arm up.


    The sound of a powerful clang echoed as the scimitar, unfortunately, missed its target and hit the chain.


    "Curse you, BOY! I''ve yet to fully use up the blood and souls!" the man cursed as he wrenched the chains free.


    The chains manifested a heavy cuff that slammed tight around his wrists. Two sets of chains dangled on the ground, heavy and spike-covered.


    He then began spinning them, "Now, Boy, show me this bravery of yours!"


    ***


    Name: Hasbul Hani


    Title: Sheikh


    Level: 40


    HP: 4,000


    Status Effect:


    [Soul Saturated] [Ritualistic Binding] [Half-Mortal]


    [Soul Saturated] The soul of the bearer has been inflated with foreign souls. Increase in Mana Capacity and strength on the expense of sanity.


    [Ritualistic Binding] the bearer cannot leave the area of the Ritual lest all the souls he ingested will leak out before he is able to digest them.


    [Half-Mortal] as long as the bearer is within the domain of the ritual, he cannot die. Whenever the bearer receives mortal damage, one of the bound corpses will receive the wound instead. Allowing the bearer to remain alive.


    Lore:


    Hasbul Hani was once a prominent figure in the kingdom of the sands. Yet after contacting one of the Apostles, he sought to obtain similar powers to them. To seek immortality and soul power. Yet he was never approved by Necros, thus he sought nefarious and darker means. If he couldn''t be blessed by Necros he believed that his foe would aid him. The Gluttonous Death had thus given him the means to reach pseudo-immortality but only if he pays tribute in the form of The Soul Ritual.


    ***


    [Quest Update!]


    You have figured out that the Gluttonous Death is responsible for the ritual.


    Kill Hasbul Hani and take away his Soul Shackles. Let them be your strength!


    ***


    Ludwig''s eyes shone, "I always thought I had no reason to get myself into this mess, but now¡­things seemed to have changed."

 Chapter 91 Blade snd Chain

    The Sheikh spun his chains faster, each rotation kicking up a whirlwind of dust and dirt that filled the dimly lit room with choking debris. The metallic clinking of the chains echoed ominously, a precursor to the impending assault. Without warning, the Sheikh flung both of the chains at Ludwig with devastating speed and force.Reacting on pure instinct, Ludwig dove to the side, narrowly evading the first chain as it whistled past his ear. In one seamless motion, he reached into his ring, pulling out one of the scimitars he had collected earlier. He brought the blade up just in time to intercept the second chain, the impact sending a jarring vibration through his arm.


    The Sheikh grinned maliciously, yanking on the chain and wrenching the scimitar from Ludwig''s grasp. The weapon clattered uselessly across the floor, but Ludwig barely flinched. He was already closing the distance between them. Continue your journey on My Virtual Library Empire


    "Fool!" the Sheikh barked. His voice was thick with disdain, but his movements were calculated and precise. He spun in place, the chain in his free hand whirling overhead like a deadly cyclone. As Ludwig approached, the Sheikh ducked low, then surged upward with tremendous force, swinging the chain toward Ludwig''s face.


    Ludwig twisted his neck unnaturally, his undead physiology allowing him to contort in ways no human could. The chain whipped past him, missing by a hair''s breadth, but he didn''t stop. With a second scimitar already drawn, he pressed the attack.


    Though it wasn''t as heavy as the sword he needed to use the Imperial Style.


    The weapon scraped against the ground as Ludwig brought it up in a rising slash aimed at the Sheikh''s midsection. The Sheikh responded with practiced ease, flicking his wrist to wrap the chain around his forearm. The spiked links coiled tightly, forming an impromptu shield that intercepted Ludwig''s blade. Sparks flew as the scimitar clashed against the reinforced arm.


    Ludwig didn''t relent. He unleashed a barrage of strikes, each one flowing into the next as he pushed the limits of his Imperial Style. Three consecutive slashes rang out, each strike driving the Sheikh back a step.


    The power behind a limit-breaking body like Ludwig''s Undead body was not something a mere mortal could block. However, the Sheikh was different. Powered by the chains, he was able to take on Ludwig''s mighty blows with nothing but a grimace on his face and a couple of steps back.


    Ludwig in his offense wasn''t about to let go of this opportunity, he knew well that he never managed to perfectly mimic the Imperial Style from his sword teacher Joana, but now in a matter of life and death, he went all out. He pushed his foot and stomped it forward, closing the gap between the two, and entered a delicate and very dangerous position where the Sheikh could if he had the time, easily counter and take the initiative.


    The undead had no intention of allowing that to happen. The second part of the Imperial style immediately followed up, the stomp followed by a pierce which the sheikh knew he couldn''t block with one arm, he flicked his other hand and crossed both chains covered arms in front of him to stop Ludwig''s piercing blow.


    A scimitar was far too weak and light and also was not designed to be a piercing or stabbing weapon to allow the full force of the Imperial Style to show. That''s why the Sheikh was able to easily block Ludwig''s stab, but that was all he could do. Ludwig followed immediately with the second style, a risky gamble that he failed many times before.


    But now, with enough strength and dexterity behind his body, he was able to spin his entire body forward, slamming the scimitar onto the crossed arms of the sheik who''s guard instantly broke from the weight of the blow.


    The scimitar cracked and chipped from the sheer impact, and continued down until it reached the ground, Ludwig flipped the weapon''s sharp edge and ripped it upward, creating a powerful cone of energy that even he didn''t know where it came from that slashed at the sheik''s exposed body.


    [Critical!]


    -1340 hp!


    You applied [Laceration] onto your target.


    The number was absurdly high for what the weapon was capable of, but then again that was only the base damage of the weapon, the application of strength and the imperial style are more than capable of doubling, tripling, and do even more damage to their target.


    The Sheikh was flung back as a gaping wound appeared on his body, he groaned in pain as he realized that this boy was overpowering him.


    "I WILL GRIND YOUR BONES AND DRINK YOUR BLOOD BOY!" the Sheikh shouted as he gripped his chest.


    However, the wound that should have been fatal to any mortal didn''t seem to even bother the Sheikh, he was furious and enraged and didn''t even register the damage.


    Ludwig''s weapon was completely unusable, it became dull and brittle with all the cracks all over it. But he didn''t have many weapons left, and he knew he''d need all of them, especially with what is occurring right now in front of him.


    The wound on the Sheikh''s body closed rapidly, while on the tree, one of the wrapped up and dried bodies began shuddering and a massive gaping wound appeared on its chest instead.


    ''Wound and damage transfer¡­ I can''t win this fight,'' Ludwig knew well that this was a losing battle.


    He had a couple of choices; the first was to keep throwing himself against the Sheikh to find a weakness. Maybe if he cut off his head, he couldn''t regenerate it.


    The second is to use all of his undead strength and bolt the hell out of this area, grab Alva on the way, and just run for it. Though it would fail his current Quest, it didn''t have any penalties for failing.


    The idea was forming in his head, and he turned his head to glance at the door.


    The Sheikh noticed that and slammed both hands on the ground, the chains immediately bore through the cobblestone floor and went right under Ludwig''s feet.


    Ludwig jumped up to dodge the chains, but they weren''t coming his way, instead, they ruptured right next to the metallic door and slammed it shut while breaking the handle.


    "You''re going nowhere!" he bellowed.


    ''Well, that''s that for option two,'' Ludwig said to himself as he lunged at the Sheikh.


    The latter fought back, this time with even more gusto. He slammed both palms together, calling the chains up to smack on Ludwig''s sides.


    [-152 hp!]


    Ludwig cursed under his breath as his sides felt like they were crushed.


    Ludwig''s body was ratteled as the force of the impact nearly toppled him. His health pool, increased by his recent level-up to 11 bumped his base health pool to 1100, provided a buffer, but he couldn''t afford to take hits like that for long.


    The Sheikh''s laughter boomed through the chamber. "What''s wrong, boy? Losing your nerve?"


    Ludwig gritted his teeth, ignoring the taunts.


    His mind raced as he analyzed the situation. If the Sheikh''s immortality relied on the corpses bound to the tree, then perhaps severing that connection would weaken him. But how could he reach the tree with the Sheikh standing in his way? S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But from the looks of things. This fight was not going to be an easy one. Ludwig needs to figure out a way to win against an immortal enemy before his health drops to 0.

 Chapter 92 An Undeads Smile

    Ludwig still had a couple of Weak Souls but those are going to be saved. After all the best he can do with what he has left is to level up to soul level 12 once, and since he doesn''t have a health potion, he''ll need to save those souls to emergency cases since it could heal him up.Ludwig gritted his teeth as he eyed the Sheikh, whose chains clattered menacingly with every swing. The towering figure exuded confidence, his current chain whirling form a testament to the immense power granted by the ritual. Meanwhile, Ludwig was bloodied, battered from the fight earlier and the fight he was having right now. One would think he''s on the death''s doorstep.


    He wasn''t.


    "Cat got your tongue! You''re awfully quiet, BOY!" the Sheikh laughed mockingly as he whipped the chains at Ludwig who desperately dodged away, The force sent air rippling through the room, causing Ludwig to scramble sideways. finding himself backed up by the willow tree.


    The souls surrounding the tree began wailing as they noticed Ludwig''s presence.


    "They love the taste of the living, you know!" the Sheikh sneered, his eyes gleaming with sadistic glee.


    But something strange happened. After all, he wasn''t one of the living. The souls began pulling back, retreating from Ludwig as if repelled by his presence. Their spectral forms twisted, their ethereal chains rattling, yet not one dared approach him.


    "What''s going on?" the Sheikh muttered, his voice thick with confusion. "CAPTURE HIM!" he roared, pointing an accusing finger. He shouted some more, but his words fell on deaf ears. The souls completely ignored Ludwig.


    "Guess you messed up your little ritual," Ludwig sneered, a sly grin spreading across his face. "Pretty amateurish work if you ask me." Ludwig taunted some more as he threw his weapon at the Sheikh who simply deflected it, causing the scimitar to blow up in pieces, shards of it stuck to his face making him cry out.


    Infuriated, the Sheikh snarled. "SILENCE!" He whipped his chain with the full force of his rage.


    Ludwig rolled to the side avoiding the blow that struck at the tree''s base. Shaking its branches the souls around it began roaring as if they themselves received the pain.


    Only then did Ludwig notice Kassandra''s soul, it had the same face as her and appearance, only she looked meek and pitiful and the powerful strike from the chain seemed to harm her immensely.


    The sight of her suffering ignited something deep within Ludwig. A cold fury welled up inside him, consuming his thoughts and sharpening his resolve.


    "Rage? Was it? Yes¡­" That feeling, was something Ludwig only experienced when he pressured Thomas''s soul. Which wasn''t his own emotions, it was borrowed, but this one? This one was his. And now he was feeling it welling deep inside his heart, though he had no heart.


    Ludwig pointed two of his fingers forward. Making the Sheikh frown. "[Fireball]" Ludwig said.


    The Sheikh laughed, dismissing the gesture with a wave of his hand. "Are you mocking me?"


    Yet his eyes widened immediately and his words were cut short as a glowing orb of fire materialized at Ludwig''s fingertips. The flames roared to life, swirling with barely contained energy.


    Ludwig let go, and the ball flew like a freight train at the surprised Sheikh, "A CASTER?!" he shouted as he tried to block the blow by once again crossing his arms.


    The fireball blew up in the Sheikh''s arms, singing his body and clothes and burning off half of his massive turban. His face, half of his clothes were charred black from the fire.


    -280HP


    You caused {Ignite} on your target.


    They will take damage over time as long as their body isn''t cooled down. Read exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire


    Ludwig grinned, this was the first time he successfully used [fireball]


    {You have learned the Spell [Fireball]}


    {Your mastery over the spell [Fireball] had increased to Amateur}


    Ludwig''s lips curled into a grin. It was the first time he had successfully cast the spell, and the satisfaction was palpable.


    ''Good.'' Ludwig said while his hand was still pointed at the Sheikh.


    "Filthy mongrel!" he roared as his body immediately began recovering while one of the corpses on the tree started burning and charring instead.


    "Futile! No matter what trick you do, no matter how hard you try, you will die here! FOR I AM IMMORTAL!" the Sheikh roared as he struck the chains at Ludwig''s side. He failed to dodge this one and was grabbed by the arm, the barbs biting onto his slime flesh.


    "Fuck!" Ludwig cursed as the Sheikh yanked him off his feet.


    "PUNY MORTAL!" the Sheikh bellowed once again.


    He raised Ludwig using the sheer force of his chains high up and then slammed the chain down with Ludwig on it. His body slammed into the ground with bone-crushing force. Enough of it to kill any mortal and make even the immortal wheeze in pain.


    -180!


    [Since you''re an Undead you cannot be Dazed!] S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Sheikh didn''t relent. He swung Ludwig again and again, from left to right. Each impact sends shockwaves through the floor. The final swing launched Ludwig across the room, his body colliding with the wall so hard that spiderweb cracks spread across the stone.


    His shoulder dislocated with a sickening pop, and his arm tore free, leaving a trail of blood as it flew in the opposite direction. Though this was only visible to the Sheikh.


    {Your arm has been removed: Acquire the debuff {Amputation}]


    The notification could barely be registered in Ludwig''s and could only recognize being treated like a ragdoll. Ludwig''s form remained stuck in the wall for half a second. Before he crumpled down on the ground.


    For the onlookers, what they would see was a bloodied young man, from head to toe, with an arm completely severed from him, blood pooling from his torn shoulder, while broken parts of his bones were extruding out of his flesh and bones.


    Since the Soul Letting Lantern allowed him to be seen as a mortal, the current scene was far different from reality.


    While for Ludwig, all that truly happened to him was¡­


    [You have broken 62 bones in your body.]


    It wasn''t as bad as it looked¡­ but it was still bad.


    Ludwig''s health had dipped to the decimal numbers.


    He gazed at the Sheikh who began shirking in laughter. "Is that all you amount to? With this utterly insignificant skill of yours, you thought you could fight me?! Mortal! I have witnessed gods and devils! And I have claimed their power as mine! AND YOU DARE?!..."


    Ludwig wasn''t about to stop a villain from monologuing. It was rule number one, if someone is talking shit, don''t stop them let them drop their guard. Because though Ludwig was in a terrible state, the upper part of his lip lightly curled up.


    ''I should have done this before.'' He said to himself.


    ''Use two Weak Souls, add ten points to wisdom,'' Ludwig muttered.


    These were the final two weak souls he had on him, which came from the unfortunate Djinn who arrived late to the party. Now was the time for him to use them.


    {Your Soul Level has increased by 1}


    {You have recovered}


    The notification informed him of his current situation. And with this, he knew he could shake things up a bit.


    ''Time to get serious.''


    Thankfully, the Soul Letting Lantern is making sure that Ludwig remains as what people perceive him as. Though he is completely recovered, minus the arm that isn''t attached to him right now, for the Sheikh nothing seems to change, the bloodied mess that Ludwig was in is still the same.


    The lantern proved an impeccable source of deception that Ludwig is benefiting of.


    Slowly he raised his hand forward, pointing it at the Sheikh. For a second, the Sheikh hesitated, thinking that Ludwig though with all the injuries he sustained and damage that he caused him was still able to use magic.


    He took a defensive stance, but seeing nothing happen, he was angered, he felt as if this pitiful mortal was mocking him even in his last breath. What would a mortal even do? Without an arm, with that much blood coming out of him? Why did the Sheikh even have to worry? This was already his victory. He had won, and no one was going to take that away from him.


    His courage recovered, and wariness dissipated "What? You still wish to struggle some more!" the Sheikh said and approached Ludwig slowly. The chains rattled on the ground, giving off a mortifying pressure. And just as the Sheikh had the tree behind him while facing Ludwig, the latter muttered in a sly-toothed smile.


    "You''re smiling," the Sheikh said, "In this situation? Are you smiling? I guess I hit your head a bit too much hah!"


    "How did it feel?" Ludwig asked.


    The Sheikh didn''t understand where he was going.


    "That short-lived hope of yours?"


    The Sheikh had an ominous and terrifying sensation the moment Ludwig''s words reached his ears. This boy¡­ he still had a card under his sleeve.


    "Rise Undead!"

 Chapter 93 Gruesome Feast

    "You wouldn''t dare!" were the only words that came out from the mouth of the Sheikh as Ludwig finalized his words.Sigils spread out from Ludwig''s falling form, hunting and seeking connection with the dead. Finding a whole pile of them wrapped around the willow tree, the sigils seemed to go on an overdrive. They spread and spiraled then overflew on the ground rushing toward the tree. Once they reached it, the sigil manifested grandly like a massive circle around the tree. Each corpse awas ffected and each corpse marked.


    Ludwig''s wide grin grew even more, "DIE!" the Sheikh roared as he flung his chain at Ludwig.


    The broken looking body seemed on the cusp of shattering if it were to take another hit, but that was only what the Sheikh could see from where he stood, Ludwig was hale and healthy but for the missing arm. He grabbed the chain that was coming his way although with one hand, he still managed to overpower the Sheikh albite for a short time.


    In that moment when they were both tugging on the chain, a notification appeared in front of Ludwig.


    [Your affiliation with Deus Necros further eases the process of the summoning]


    [You have called forth {Zombie} x 31]


    [Warning, your current wisdom and charisma is too low to control the {Zombies} they will consider you an enemy if you are spotted.]


    The tree itself was packed full of corpses, but they were now all affected by Ludwig''s sigils. The curse gave them a new lease on life, albite corrupted, tainted, and altered. They lived on in death. Crawling their way out of the tree. The tens of women that were defiled and murdered before came back with a vengeance.


    Their bones crackled and their necks twisted as they all corrected their sights onto the man who had killed them.


    "Enjoy the error of your ways," Ludwig said and yanked the chain one last time, making the Sheikh tumble forward.


    Just as he fell forward, he tried to stand up, but the first of the zombies rushed him immediately.


    Ludwig was surprised. These weren''t the normal Zombies he expected, and they weren''t the slow-moving ones that a child could outrun. No, these women were fast as hell. They immediately reached the Sheikh and began tearing at him.


    The Sheikh roared out in pain and agony, though not all the corpses had been affected by Ludwig''s spell since he just didn''t have enough mana, but the vast majority had already been cursed with the curse of Undeath. And they wanted nothing but revenge.


    The first few zombies latched onto the Sheikh''s feet, grabbing them with both hands and teeth as they began tearing at his flesh.


    Wails of pain and agony escaped the Sheikh''s mouth as he was being torn alive. And what was worse, is that he wasn''t dying.


    The ritual was still in full-blown service. His flesh which was torn and consumed soon recovered only for another Zombie to tear it once again.


    The cheeks of his face were ripped, his neck was slashed and gouged out, and his eyeballs were pulled out and crushed under the rotting teeth of the zombies only for more to emerge.


    He desperately tried to shake the zombies off of him, only for them to pin him down even more aggressively, feasting on his innards, his liver, and heart. They tore and ruptured, crushed and severed, ripped his arms apart and his legs off, only for it to grow again, putting him in an endless circle of pain and agony. An agony that was not going to end, as the corpses on the tree that weren''t affected slowly lost pieces and parts of them for the Sheikh.


    "Please! MAKE IT STOP!" he would scream only for his mouth to be ripped apart.


    He would try and crawl away with hands missing fingers, only to be dragged back. The power behind the zombies was inhumane. They had no limit on the amount of force that their muscles could exert. And thus, for a normal human, they were no different than cardboard.


    Ludwig watched with a still heart- though he had no heart- as the man was slowly falling to insanity. He didn''t even have the power to swat away the zombies that were slowly consuming him. He couldn''t fight back, and even when he tried to call the chain to his side, all he would receive is the rage of the Zombies that enjoyed a feisty and struggling prey.


    Blood continued pooling on the floor, while the Sheikh was losing his life, slowly but surely, even his pained voice began decaying and was replaced with a hoarse moan of contorted anguish.


    The corpses on the tree soon became no more as the zombies had consumed the Sheikh more than a dozen times over. Only then did the Sheikh''s body finally let out as he was completely torn apart and rendered to nothing but broken bones, an empty husk that had nothing in it but filaments of flesh and bloodied tendons.


    ***


    [You have completed the Sudden Quest!]


    Approach the Ritual Tree to receive the information needed for you to learn about the Gluttonous Death. Make


    Approach the remains to obtain the Soul Shackles.


    Approach the remains to obtain [Emerald Mana Stone]


    You have obtained [Corrupted Soul]


    ***


    The zombies soon realized that the ''food'' was gone, yet their hunger for human flesh was never satiated.


    They stared at each other with bloodied mouths and hands, asking for more. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig realized that he was going to be their next meal, after all his charisma was sadly still too low for him to control these Zombies.


    And just as he feared, one of the Zombies noticed him, a broken human, wounded and injured beyond what anyone should to be called alive.


    An easy meal.


    More Zombies noticed that, and they all began walking slowly toward him as if gauging the enemy. Discover more stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    [You are in a hostile environment!]


    ''Well...Shit,''

 Chapter 94 Echoes of The Past

    Ludwig cursed inwardly, he needed to leave this place as soon as possible. Because although the rewards were tempting what''s the point if he were to die right now from these Zombies.[Necros''s Blessing is interfering.]


    ''Again?'' Ludwig cursed inwardly as he lost control over his body.


    This time, however, he didn''t lose his consciousness. Ludwig''s hand moved toward his lantern and tapped it once.


    [You have disabled the Lantern''s Divine Camouflage option]


    Suddenly, Ludwig''s body turned to its real form, a skeleton wearing torn human clothes.


    [The hostility of the Zombies has been nullified.]


    Immediacy, as if the Zombies became blind to Ludwig, they all stopped in their tracks, noticing that there was no flesh on that skeleton they all gave up on trying to eat it. And thus they began wandering around.


    ''Quite a convenient trick,'' Ludwig thought.


    [Necros''s Blessing has disappeared]


    Ludwig regained control over his body and slowly stood up. He walked up toward the tree, while the zombies completely ignored him, they had no use for a moving skeleton.


    He soon arrived to the mangled remains of the sheikh where nothing but the chains remained, clamping tightly around shattered wrist bones.


    Ludwig grabbed the chains and inspected them.


    ***


    [Soul Shackles]


    Cannot identify!


    Your inspection skill is lacking.


    You cannot use this item, you''re missing several of the requirements needed.


    ¡­


    ***


    ''Well that was useless¡­'' Ludwig sighed and placed the chains inside his storage ring. He looked around and found the bloodied emerald that had been adorning the Sheikh''s turban.


    He inspected this one.


    [Necros''s Blessing is modifying the details of the uncovered item]


    Name [Emerald Mana Stone] sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Type: Accessory


    Discover hidden content at My Virtual Library Empire


    Abilities:


    Increases your mana pool by 20% as long as the user''s mana is above 1,000 and below 3,000 base mana. Allows the user to cast up to tier three magic spells.


    Condition of use:


    Soul Level 15 Wisdom: 100 Vigor 50


    ''This is Something I can''t use right now¡­'' Ludwig said.


    [Status Screen: Ludwig Heart]


    Race: Skeleton


    Soul Level: 12


    Health: 1200/ 900 [-300] Status Effect.


    Stamina: Infinite


    Mana: 10/ 610


    Wisdom: 61


    Charisma: 20


    Agility: 20


    Strength: 62


    Dexterity: 30


    Vigor: 10


    Luck: 15


    Class: Skeleton Grunt


    Status Effect: [Dismembered]


    Title: Apostle of Death


    ? [Achievement: Unyielding] : [increased mental resistance when lower on health. Increase in all physical and mental abilities proportional to the damage taken, up to 10%]


    ?Skills: [Trace] [Basic Undead Summon Sigil]


    ?Spells : [Flame Bringer ????] [Self-Immolation ????] [Frenzied Spirits ????] [Fireball ????] [Taint?] [Enfeeble?] [Exhaust?] [Galvanize ?]


    ?Passives:


    [Basic Swordsmanship] [Undead Resolve] [Blessed Body] [Overt Genius]


    ****


    He took a good look at his status screen noticing that it had noted all of his achievements so far and all of his progress. This wasn''t that great in the grand scheme of things, but it was far better than what he started with.


    The status window also reminded him that he had an arm missing. He picked up the arm and did as his mentor taught him before, fusing his arm with a bit of mana the whole thing popped right back in its socket.


    Ludwig flexed his newly attached arm a couple of times, finding it perfectly responsive, he nodded and approached the tree.


    Just as he stood there waiting for the ''notification'' to tell him about the Gluttonous Death, his mask activated.


    His mind went into a sudden burst of light as he began seeing visions from the mask.


    ***


    Within a vast closed domed room was a man kneeling on the ground with his head bowed to the floor. He had a brown turban over his head. And looked to be no older than twenty years of age.


    In front of him was a fiend shaped like a human, sitting atop a pile of corpses munching comfortably on a thick thigh that used to belong to what seemed to be a woman.


    The voracious man had a sharp jawline overly burly muscles, and hair almost all over his body. The man grinned as he saw the kneeling man.


    "Not enough," he said as he consumed the flesh. "But I can still tell you how you can also gain immortality," the man said as he tapped to his side. Revealing a Soul-Letting lantern that was surprisingly dim to the point Ludwig doubted that it was even functional.


    "Please tell me, and I''ll prepare for you a meal even bigger than this one!" the man said, and only then did Ludwig recognize him by his voice.


    It was the voice of the Sheikh, only this one was far younger¡­


    ''So, it''s not only visions of an unknown future but also echoes of the past.''


    "Hmm, you give a convincing offer. Right, but this is something even I can''t guarantee. Though you cannot obtain what I have, you can have the second best thing," the creature atop the corpses spoke with a vile-sounding tone.


    "I''ll accept anything, great immortal!"


    "Right, go to the west within Lufondal at the borders of the newly constructed tower. What was its name¡­ the Black Tower Academy, right? There is a bog there, an old and ancient one. In the depths of this mire, you''ll find what you''re looking for. But be careful, it''s very glutenous. Satisfy it, and it will give you what you want, it offered the same to me once. Though I refused since I have something better," the creature said shrugging as he pulled out the warm heart out of another corpse.


    The more he ate, the less humane he became, to the point where his eyes turned golden yellow, and his muscles began thickening some more.


    "Leave," the man said, "My hunger is growing some more. Leave lest you trigger my hunter''s instinct," he finalized as he dove into the pile of corpses. His body grew more and more hair while he ate and tore apart the corpses.


    The Sheikh soon stood up and then bolted out of the room, later on his entire body shivered up in terror as the sound of a long wolfen howl echoed through the night.

 Chapter 95 Caught in The Act

    Ludwig''s vision returned to the present, and he shook off the lingering unease from the mask''s strange abilities. The artifact on his face held many secrets, some useful, but it was not something he could fully trust. It was both a boon and an affliction.[Congratulations! You have stopped the ritual by killing the preparator! All the souls attached to the Ritualistic Tree have been freed. If their bodies are still alive, they will find their way back]


    "Well, at least that''s some good news," Ludwig muttered as he watched the souls unchain themselves from the cursed tree. They ascended into the air, a swarm of ethereal lights breaking free and disappearing into the void, their torment finally at an end.


    As the last of the souls vanished, another notification popped into his view.


    [You have received the information regarding one of the Usurpers of Death, The Glutenous Death.]


    ''I see what the quest meant by information regarding the Glutenous Death¡­'' Ludwig muttered to himself. "So the Glutenous Death is close to the Black Tower academy¡­ that''s not that good. As for that guy¡­" Ludwig thought to himself as he remembered the inhumane look that feral man had on him. That amount of unnatural hair all over his body, and those canine-like features and jawline.


    ''Werewolf¡­ and that lantern¡­ it''s similar to mine¡­ he''s an apostle of death." Ludwig confirmed the thought because what that creature had was definitely a Soul-Letting Lantern.


    "OVER THERE!" a loud booming voice sounded from afar.


    Ludwig''s head snapped toward the sound. Voices echoed, the heavy tread of boots growing louder with every second.


    ''People were coming in, perhaps Djinn?''


    "Great," Ludwig muttered, tightening his grip on his scimitar. He readied himself for another battle.


    [Sudden Quest!]


    "Huh? Another one?"


    [Sudden Quest! Survival]


    Another challenge approaches.


    {A group of humans have noticed the location of the dark magic. They are rushing down the Djinn Dungeon. If you are to be noticed for an Undead you will be forced to fight them and win. You have been given two choices!}


    You have two options:


    Fight the human intruders and defeat them all to hide your secret.


    Reward: 1 Pseudo-Eternal Soul.


    Difficulty: ?????. {Impossible}Find a way to survive without engaging in combat.


    Reward: N/A.


    Difficulty: Unknown.


    You have 30 seconds to decide.


    Ludwig scanned the choices and let out an exasperated sigh. The first option promised a tempting reward, but the word "Impossible" flashed ominously in his mind. He knew better than to overestimate himself, especially in his current state.


    The second option was far more tempting. Enjoying wealth and souls needs one to be alive after all.


    But how is he going to get himself out of this mess?


    He glanced around the room, weighing his options. The broken handle on the door, courtesy of the Sheikh''s final tantrum, would only delay the intruders briefly. If the quest stated thirty seconds, then he had even less time to act.


    He needed a way out. The gears inside Ludwig''s head spun rapidly as he was thinking of a solution.


    A cacophony of voices echoed from outside.


    "Here! The daughter of the Urbaf family! She''s heavily wounded, Healers! Any healers!" the voice of many more people were far too close outside the room for any semblance of comfort. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig grimaced. They''d found Alva, in a bad state. And between the desecrated corpses, the horrifying tree, and the zombies shambling aimlessly, Ludwig knew how it looked: he was the perpetrator.


    Ludwig hesitated for a second, should he act like a skeleton?


    No, with the zombies here¡­ they might just outright purge the entire place.


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    While he was looking for a spot to hid in, he remembered what Necros did to the lantern.


    He placed his hand on his lantern.


    [Would you like to put the Divine Camouflage back on?"]


    "Yes!" Ludwig mentally shouted.


    His appearance shifted in an instant. Gone was his skeletal, undead visage, replaced by the broken, bloodied, and all-too-human figure he had used to fool others before. Only this time he had his arm attached to his side.


    He had one last move to make.


    "HELP!" Ludwig shouted, his voice hoarse and desperate.


    A pause followed.


    "Did you hear that?" someone on the other side of the door asked.


    The guttural growls of the zombies slowly rose. The sudden shift in Ludwig''s appearance agitated the undead. Drawn by his "living" aura, they began lumbering toward him. "The door isn''t budging!" someone said.


    A zombie arrived to Ludwig''s side, Ludwig kicked it in the chest and backed off, with a broken scimitar in hand.


    More zombies were agitated by Ludwig''s current appearance as they felt more and more hunger welling up inside their pit like stomachs.


    One of the Zombies managed to grab Ludwig by the foot, but he cut one of its arms off, the other tore at Ludwig''s clothes, but he moved to the side, looking at the tree, Ludwig leapt forward and managed to grab onto one of the branches, desperately pulling his body up and away from the grouping Zombies.


    Soon all the Zombies in the room surrounded the tree. The undead gathered beneath him, clawing and moaning in frustration as they tried to reach him.


    "GET AWAY FROM THE DOOR!" a loud vigorous voice sounded from behind the door, Ludwig didn''t know if the warning was for him, or for the people behind the door.


    Seconds later, the door, wall and all that was attached to it was blown away. The force sent dust and debris flying through the air, some of it pelting Ludwig as he clung to the tree.


    Once the dust settled a bit, Ludwig was able to see the group of people behind the broken wall.


    About twenty of them, and one of them he recognized, it was the old man who he played chess against this morning. While one of the people at the front seemed to be as massive as the Djinns themselves though he was even more so thanks to a set of armor cladding his entire body.


    Behind these two people was a bunch of soldiers of mixed drabs, some wore knightly armors, and others were wearing leather armor, while a small group of five had a set of armor that was disturbingly familiar.


    It was the same armor set that Ludwig saw in the vision where he was killed by the small boy. All thousands of those armed paladins wore that very set of armor.


    Ludwig''s heart tensed, though he had no heart.


    "What in god''s name is this?!" someone asked in surprise. While another with a far less weaker stomach expressed his discomfort by spilling his last week''s dinner on the floor.


    The stench of death and decay finally hit them, as they saw the desecrated corpses, the mangled bodies, the Zombies and the corpses attached to the tree, it all painted a picture of unspeakable evil.


    [You are in a hostile Environment]


    ''Shit¡­'' Ludwig cursed inwardly, after all, if anyone were to look at the situation, they''d all think Ludwig was the preparator.


    One of the soldiers aimed a bow at Ludwig, "Dispel this darkness!" he shouted at Ludwig, "REMOVE THIS FILTH!" he howled once again.


    Ludwig raised both arms up, "As you can see," he said with a bloodied face and too broken of a body for any human to even be able to speak comfortably in his stead. "I''m a victim here¡­" Ludwig said.

 Chapter 96 Lies And Fake Truth

    "Hold on," The old man said as he slowly lowered the aimed bow from the man next to him."You''re the boy from this morning," the old man said.


    Ludwig nodded.


    "Banner, kill the zombies. We''ll discuss what happened with the boy later. Can''t you see how wounded he is?" the old man said.


    "As the lord commands," the giant man at the front nodded and simply flew forward, a massive tower shield in his left arm and a heavy sword that would be almost impossible for any normal human to wield in one hand in his other free arm.


    The giant crashed into the first group of undead with his shield splattering their organs and spraying their innards all over the place from sheer impact. He slammed down his sword at the others, slicing, no, more like crushing brutally in half anything that was unfortunate enough to meet the massive sword.


    Sliced, diced, crushed, and minced, everything was torn apart, the group of undead that would have probably mulched Ludwig. But for this massive-sized guy, they were nothing but a weed that he was culling without even breaking a sweat.


    In a matter of seconds, the more than thirty undead were all rendered to bits and crushed pieces. He literally beat the Undeath out of them.


    ''I''m glad I didn''t take option one¡­'' Ludwig thought to himself as he saw how easily the guy disposed of these things.


    "Now that the danger is gone, how about you come down the tree," the old man said.


    Ludwig had no intention of stalling as he slowly began his descent. Seeing that Ludwig was taking too long to come down, Banner groaned and kicked the tree, causing Ludwig to fall from the tree.


    "Shit!" Ludwig cursed but before he made contact with the ground, Banner grabbed him by the belt.


    [-2hp]


    "Ouch!" Ludwig groaned. "Careful man¡­ shit hurts," Ludwig complained.


    "Shut up," Banner replied as he dropped Ludwig down.


    The group of soldiers spread out around the room to investigate.


    "So, child, tell me what happened here?" the old man asked.


    Ludwig was about to reply, but something almost instinctual told him not to reply to that question right now. So Ludwig followed his instincts: "Before that¡­ what happened to the Urbaf girl? She hit her head hard. Is she okay?" Ludwig asked.


    The old man had a wide grin showing on his face, "With that many injuries on your body, you still ask for the wellbeing of others. Quite a good lad. Don''t worry about her she is fine." The old man said.


    "He''s trying to fool us, Lord, this boy must have been the one who did all this, he''s trying to shift our attention," one of the paladins said.


    "Are you stupid?" the old man said. "Look around you, this Tree has been here for a pretty long while. And these two kids, they''re wearing Tower Academy clothes¡­ I met this boy personally, he isn''t a preparator. Or at least from the first look of things. Regardless, you''ll have to come with us for further investigation, and treatment you look like you''re about to die any moment."


    "I''ll heal him," One of the paladins said.


    "I''m fine," Ludwig said shaking his head, "Most of this isn''t my blood anyway," Ludwig said.


    "You still need treatment," the old man said.


    "Well, at least not from those guys," Ludwig pointed at the holy order. "They killed one of my family members¡­" that was a lie.


    The old man frowned. But Ludwig was betting his lie on what he learned from Hoyo. Hoyo''s entire family was killed off by the Holy Order. And that basically means that this Holy Order are able to kill off entire families with little to no worries or even by simple hearsay and rumors. Then it was very probable that Ludwig''s lie could be considered true.


    "I see¡­ here then," the old man said as he threw a red thumb-sized vial toward Ludwig.


    Ludwig grabbed it and inspected it.


    [Medium Health Potion]


    [Instantly recovers 20% of the user''s health and increases their regeneration rate by 100% for the next 300 seconds.]


    He smiled inwardly his gamble worked. So things are good so far.


    Ludwig popped the vial open and chugged it down, "Many thanks," Ludwig said as his health recovered and some of the wounds on his body healed up, though that was all just an illusion and fakery applied by the lantern.


    The blood and grime on him and his robes were still there, but for the onlooker,r he seemed to have recovered. Stay updated through My Virtual Library Empire


    "Good then, you should be able to move by now," the old man said.


    "Yeah," Ludwig said and stood up. "But tell me, who are you?" Ludwig asked.


    "You''ll know in time, for now, I''m taking care of this whole mess¡­ we need to know who''s responsible for this," The old man said. "The whole city almost turned to ruin. And there are so many people who look like they''re puppets¡­ we need to get down to the bottom of this."


    "Oh, about the puppet-like people¡­ that should be solved, I think?" Ludwig said.


    "What do you mean?" the old man asked.


    "Ah, the preparator," Ludwig pointed at the remains of a heavily mangled carcass, blood viscera and bitten bones were all that remained from it. "That''s the guy¡­he got eaten by the zombies¡­ and once he died... well the souls got released, I guess." Ludwig tried to sound as unconvincing as possible. He needed to act as if he had no idea what truely was going down here.


    ****


    The old man frowned, "That''s a bit too convenient."


    "I don''t know how to explain it¡­ but, this tree," Ludwig said, "Made him pretty much unkillable as long as there were bodies around it. Whatever happened to him, he''d transfer it to the bodies¡­"


    "And how did he die?" the old man asked.


    "I kinda caused it," Ludwig shrugged, "After I stabbed him in the head, and tore his ligaments¡­ crushed his pelvis, broke his knees, and a few more gruesome methods¡­ he switched to Necromancy."


    "And how would you know he used necromancy?" the old man said, "That a forbidden art." The old man added.


    "Remember?" Ludwig pointed at his clothes, "Black Tower academy, we''re taught ways to fight the Dark arts. All I did was disturb his necromantic ritual, though I almost died because of it," Ludwig shrugged.


    "Is that so¡­" the old man said while suspicion was growing clear on his face. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "He is right my lord," another person spoke up as he approached with a crystal in hands. "All he said was the truth my lord."


    ''Huh? truth, when did that happen?''

 Chapter 97 Escorted Out

    ''I was right? The hell, all I said were lies. Who''s helping me.''A man among the group came up forward with a crystal in his hand.


    "I just used a Memory Recall of the Earth. It showcased exactly what the boy did. He fought against a man wearing Saharan clothes the black turban on his head means he is a Sheikh¡­ the boy also beat several Djinns, which is pretty impressive. And here as you can see, the Sheikh was actually using several forbidden arts. It''s here where he used necromancy¡­"


    The man said as he began showing scenes that definitely did not happen.


    Ludwig was completely baffled when he saw things that shouldn''t be there.


    On the crystal, scenes of the Sheikh personally calling necromantic sigils, and Ludwig in the crystal was throwing his scimitar at the sigils, breaking its harmony and making the corpses go against the Sheikh.


    The look of utter surprise and confusion on Ludwig was thankfully hidden by his mask.


    ''The fuck is this? Do they have a memory recall magic? And it didn''t work on me? Was it the lantern that affects all that is perceived about me?"


    [+1 wisdom]


    ''Well, I guess that confirms it.


    "Ah, ahem¡­" the old man coughed in embarrassment, "I truly apologize if I sounded or looked skeptical because the words you said do sound quite¡­ strange, he had no reason to use necromancy after all. But from the scene, you didn''t allow him to do anything I guess his desperation got the best of him. Regardless, we''ll still need a bit more from you regarding the investigation. So how about you follow these gentlemen here so we can figure out some more."


    "Sure," Ludwig said shrugging.


    "Escort Ludwig and Alva outside," the old man said.


    Ludwig nodded and followed the lead of one of the soldiers. Only then did he realize, ''When did I ever tell him my name?''


    Turning to the old man, the latter gave him a knowing smile and turned his head back to the group of soldiers to manage the rest of the scene.


    [You have successfully cleared the Sudden Quest: Survival]


    ''Thankfully, that''s done.'' Ludwig thought to himself as he was escorted out of the dungeon by three knights who seemed to belong to the old man. The rest of the paladins were giving Ludwig the eye, perhaps discontent with the fact he called them out for being warmongers and killed his family. But hey, anything works as long as he gets to survive this ordeal.


    The three Knights moved Ludwig up, and one of them couldn''t help but ask, "How did you do it? You look barely over the age of twenty, you killed several Djinns and a necromancer!"


    "Hey, Pavel, don''t ask questions you''re not supposed to," another knight rebutted.


    "C''mon Simons, you saw the boy, those are Lesser Djinns, they''re pretty tough. I''d take any of us a hard time clearing out this whole place by ourselves." He said. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "He did have the Urbaf girl''s assistance," another said.


    Ludwig jumped in, "Yeah, she helped a lot, I''m not claiming to be some sort of hero. I did have help from her," Ludwig said as he peeked over his shoulder, the paladins from before were healing Alva as they moved her behind them.


    "Quite the good move kid," the man named Pavel said, "This should put you in good regards with the Urbaf family. Keep it up and you might even get an invitation to their house," he said.


    "What would that serve me?" Ludwig asked.


    "Seeing that you don''t have a house emblem on your academy robe, you''re probably from either a commoner family, or maybe a special admission, having the backing of the Urbaf family will serve you greatly in your career. Trust me," he said as he pointed at his own symbol on his chest, a small Bear like badge was pinned to it.


    "I see," Ludwig said, he had no intention of joining any family but faking interest would easily get him on the knight''s side.


    "All right climb up," the soldier said as they reached the ladder.


    The whole group soon left the dungeon and were out on the street. Where the city was full of noise and commotion, it was far calmer now. Soldiers and Knights wearing the same designed armor as the people escorting Ludwig were all over the city.


    "Seems like news of what happened spread really fast," Ludwig said.


    "It''s because the Lord came to enjoy the festival, I guess we were fortunate for his presence," Simons said.


    "Who is the lord by the way?" Ludwig asked as he didn''t have the chance to inspect the man earlier.


    "Don''t," Pavel spoke immediately putting a stop to the conversation. "If the lord wanted you to know, he would have told you personally, regardless, please go up that carriage and wait a bit."


    Ludwig nodded and hopped on the carriage, watching the events unfold.


    He was expecting to remain here for a while, but soon the giant man and the person everyone called Lord came out of the dungeon. Alva was hastily carried away by the paladins and that left only the Lord and his escorts.


    The old man asked a few questions to the guards next to the carriage then took note of Ludwig sitting inside it.


    He then gestured with his head to Ludwig recognizing his current situation and then approached him.


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    "Ludwig," the old man said.


    "Yes," Ludwig calmly replied.


    "You''ll have to come with us for tonight, we have many things to ask you."


    "Fine by me," Ludwig said, although he was worried that if he were to be taken for investigation more issues could come up. "But, can you send someone to check up on my friends, one of them was a victim to this ritual, I want to know if she is alright," Ludwig said.


    The old man''s brow furrowed and then he smiled, "Sure, you do have a genuine heart for caring about your comrades."


    [Fakery of Death has activated]

 Chapter 98 The Wandering Merchant

    [Fakery of Death has activated]''Finally, he''s here.'' Ludwig breathed a sigh of relief.


    "That won''t be needed," the voice sounded like the words of the devil himself as a tall man wearing gothic robes and clothes from head to bottom showed up right next to the old man.


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    Completely out of thin air, wearing a top hat and a pair of black sunglasses during the dark pitch of the night.


    Everyone around the old man drew their weapons.


    "IDENTIFY YOURSELF!" the giant man said as he too was surprised by the presence of this person. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Seems that you''re taking good care of my disciple, little brat," the man said who looked at least a third of the old man''s age.


    "There is only one person who still has the guts to call me a brat in this empire," the old man smiled, "Withdraw your weapons, if he wanted us dead, none of use would have even realized it." The old man said as he turned to face the newcomer.


    "Bastos Van Dijk, the Great Plague¡­ the Fiend. The Unholy. And the Black Tower Master." The old man gave a proper introduction to Ludwig''s master.


    And visibly, everyone around Van Dijk seemed to have lost a few years of their lives when they heard his name.


    A toothy smile appeared on Van Dijk revealing a little too unnaturally long fangs with a small glint of redness as the moon reflected on his eyes.


    "I see my boy here had caused some trouble," Van Dijk said.


    "Not at all, as a matter of fact, if it wasn''t for him, things would have been much more troublesome.'' The old man said.


    Van Dijk took a sniff at the air, then crumpled his nose, "Emm, Profane Rituals¡­ disgusting," he said.


    "You can even recognize the magic," the old man said in surprise.


    "I wouldn''t be a tower master if I couldn''t even do that. But this one is a bit too¡­ ancient, quite dangerous, I need to take a look, but before that. What are you planning on doing with the boy?"


    "We need a few answers and we''ll send him back once our investigation is over." The old man said.


    Van Dijk looked at Ludwig for a bit and said, "If you don''t feel like going with them, just tell me, they won''t take you anywhere, but seeing you sitting there comfortably¡­"


    "I don''t mind going with them, I already told them everything I know," Ludwig shrugged.


    "You do enjoy finding trouble, also what happened to those clothes of yours? You look like you were thrown into a blender¡­" Van Dijk said, "And that''s a new set that I sent you just this morning¡­"


    "Ah¡­" Ludwig couldn''t find a way to reply.


    "I guess the nickname you got in the academy fit you well," Van Dijk grinned.


    "What nickname?" the old man seemed a bit too interested in that part.


    "Well, you know about our academy''s tests¡­ Olim took over," Van Dijk said proudly.


    "Oh¡­ that psychopath."


    "For him, that''s a compliment," Van Dijk said.


    "Yeah, I know¡­ what did he do this time?"


    "He threw freshmen into a Lizardmen dungeon¡­"


    "Oh¡­ how many died this time?" the old man asked.


    "Only three, and that guy over there, fought a Champion Lizardman, got his arm torn off and most of his bones broken¡­ and now he''s being nicknamed Ludwig the Undead. Quite a young age to get a title already, but he does make a master proud!"


    The old man looked at Ludwig for a second then asked, "Could you tell me the reason why you came to Rima?"


    ''that seemed out of the blue.''


    "I needed to bring Master Van Dijk an item," Ludwig said as he pulled the Artificer''s orb from his ring.


    "Oh, you got it? Impressive¡­" Van Dijk said as he took the orb.


    "Oh, I should have known¡­ since this was the reward for the event," the old man said.


    "What do you mean?" Van Dijk asked.


    "This boy is a monster when it comes to playing King''s Gambit. I got beaten without a chance to even fight back. "He turned to Ludwig, "Regardless, since you had a proper reason to be in Rima, and you actively assisted in fighting against the evil plaguing the city, you are not required to come with us for investigation. If I need anything I''ll ask Alva once she wakes up. Other than that, please remain within the Academy in case we need to ask more questions, Ludwig, please come down from the carriage, you''re free to go."


    "Sure then, I''ll go check on my friends," Ludwig said.


    "Good lad," the old man said.


    "Still," Ludwig said as he turned to the old man, "How did you know my name?" Ludwig asked it was something that was plaguing him.


    "You don''t need to know that now," The old man said.


    Annoyance was clear on Ludwig''s face, but he didn''t voice it.


    "Cool mask you have there," Van Dijk said.


    That was strange, ''cool'' is not a word that someone like Van Dijk would ever use.


    "Yeah, I got it from a strange vendor¡­ though he disappeared the moment he handed this to me, stall and all."


    Van Dijk was taken aback, and the old man''s eyes lit up, "Where did you say you met this man?"


    "At the entrance of the Mage Masquerade, a short grandpa had a stall there, he was selling masks¡­"


    "I guess things are about to get interesting," The Old man said.


    "That hasn''t been confirmed yet," Van Dijk replied in a stern tone.


    "What is going on?" Ludwig asked.


    "Hmm, what you just described sounds awfully like the Wandering Merchant. He sells items that are priceless and could even be cause to wage wars for, but he only does that when the time for great strife is nigh¡­ I''d recommend you don''t say anything about him to anyone else, otherwise it might just bring you more trouble," the old man finalized.

 Chapter 99 All Seeing Eyes

    "Ludwig," Van Dijk spoke, his voice carrying its usual authority, though his eyes betrayed the weight of the situation at hand."Yes, master," Ludwig replied without hesitation, his tone brisk.


    "Go and meet up with your friends. I''m still needed here," Van Dijk instructed, his gaze sweeping across the area, scrutinizing every detail of the outer carnage left behind.


    The djinns must have put up a fight against the forces of the old man. But nothing but bodies remained... if you can call them bodies.


    "Oh, is the Black Tower Master staying to help us uncover this ritual?" the old man nearby interjected, his voice a mix of awe and intrigue. His hunched form leaned forward, revealing a face lined with decades of experience, yet still keen with curiosity.


    "Yes," Van Dijk replied evenly. "This type of dark magic falls squarely under my expertise."


    With a nod of acknowledgment, Ludwig excused himself and began retracing his steps, heading toward the Last Adventure Inn.


    The streets were quieter now, with much of the city no longer engrossed in either the festival or the confusion of the earlier chaos. Ludwig''s boots tapped against the cobblestones as he navigated the alleyways, his mind running through everything he had just experienced. The ritual, the Sheikh, the freed souls¡ªall of it was a blur of danger and cryptic revelations.


    As he entered a particularly dimly lit pathway that served as a shortcut to the inns, Ludwig''s pace slowed. Something about the silence felt¡­off. It was the kind of silence that weighed heavy in the air, like the calm before a storm.


    His instincts were proven correct when six figures emerged from the shadows, their movements precise and deliberate. Three blocked the path ahead, while the remaining three cut off his escape route from behind.


    Ludwig immediately tensed, his thumb brushing against the storage ring on his finger. Though no hostile notification appeared, he wasn''t about to take any chances. He could sense their intent wasn''t friendly, even if it wasn''t outright malicious. Find adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    The figure in the center of the trio blocking his way stepped forward, her smaller frame and deliberate movements drawing Ludwig''s attention. Slowly, she raised her hands and pulled back her hood, revealing her face.


    Ludwig''s eyes narrowed slightly. It was the elf woman from that morning.


    "Seems like you recognize me," she said, her tone calm but laden with curiosity.


    "And what are you going to do about it?" Ludwig retorted sharply. "Since you''re waiting for me here, I''m guessing you knew I''d come this way. Did you have someone tail me?"


    She smiled faintly, the gesture not reaching her eyes. "Quite sharp for someone so young," she replied, tilting her head slightly as if appraising him.


    Ludwig''s gaze hardened. "Then you must know who my master is if you''ve been following me."


    "We do," she confirmed simply, as though the knowledge was of little consequence.


    Ludwig''s grip on his ring tightened. If they knew Van Dijk was his master and still chose to intercept him, it could only mean one of two things: either they were reckless beyond reason, or they were confident enough to handle whatever came their way.


    "You don''t need to be so tense," she said, her voice taking on a soothing tone. "I just want to ask you a question¡ªhow did you recognize me as an elf? And why didn''t you report it?"


    Ludwig frowned, his mind working quickly to gauge her intent.


    "First, I have a special set of eyes," he replied curtly. "Illusions don''t work on me."


    The elf''s composure faltered for a fraction of a second. She didn''t appear entirely convinced, but she couldn''t refute his claim either.


    "And second," Ludwig continued, "why would I report you? What does it gain me to do that?" He shrugged, feigning indifference.


    The group exchanged uncertain glances, their body language betraying a mixture of confusion and suspicion.


    "You mean¡­you don''t care that we''re elves?" she asked, her voice tinged with genuine surprise.


    Ludwig let out a short, humorless laugh. "What difference does it make? Whether you''re elves, demons, or angels, it''s none of my business. Besides," he gestured to the wolf mask hanging from her belt, "you look like someone who just wanted to enjoy the Mage Masquerade without drawing attention. Though¡­" his voice trailed off as his eyes sharpened, "you''re probably here for something more serious. The ritual, perhaps?"


    The elf''s expression stiffened, a subtle tension creeping into her posture. Before she could respond, a small figure leaped from her shoulder and zipped toward Ludwig''s face.


    It was a tiny creature, no larger than his hand, with a form that defied conventional description. Its humanoid body was adorned with eight translucent wings fluttering at dizzying speeds, and its large, beady eyes sparkled with mischief. Its oversized mouth revealed rows of sharp, shark-like teeth, adding an unsettling edge to its otherwise playful demeanor.


    "I like him!" the creature chirped, its high-pitched voice echoing in the narrow alleyway. It flitted around Ludwig''s head, examining him from every angle. "He''s very smart! And oh, what an interesting smell!" S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Smell?" Ludwig muttered, his gaze following the erratic movements of the strange being.


    "Yes! He smells like the Dead¡ªbut not the rotting kind. No, this is something¡­divine!"


    "And what exactly are you?" Ludwig asked, his tone more curious than alarmed, and also more interested in changing the subject.


    "I''m Lipsi! A Wind Spirit!" it declared, puffing out its chest proudly as it perched atop Ludwig''s head.


    "I see," Ludwig said, brushing his hair back into place. He reached up and gently pinched the spirit between his fingers, lifting it off his head. Lipsi struggled playfully, her tiny limbs flailing as she let out an indignant squeak.


    "She''s the one who camouflaged your appearance," Ludwig deduced, shifting his attention back to the elf.


    "You catch on quickly," Lipsi said with a satisfied nod.


    "So, what''s next?" Ludwig asked, his tone steady.


    The elf hesitated before replying. "Our business here is finished. We''ll be leaving Lufondal tonight. I only asked my companions to intercept you because I had one last question."


    "Sure thing, princess," Ludwig replied with a smirk.


    The atmosphere shifted in an instant.


    [You are in a Hostile Environment]


    "What the hell?" Ludwig uttered as the elf''s companions drew their silver swords, the tension palpable.


    "Your Highness," one of the guards growled, his voice low and menacing. "He knows. He must die."


    Ludwig raised an eyebrow. "You honestly think I just figured it out now?" he asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "If I wanted to report you, I had all day to expose you. Stop being stupid and put those swords away."


    Mana began pooling in Ludwig''s hand, his body tensing as he prepared to activate [Self-Immolation]. If things escalated, he wouldn''t go down without a fight.


    "Calm down!" the elf woman commanded, her voice sharp. "He clearly means no harm. He''s right¡ªwe''d already be exposed if he intended to report us." She turned to Ludwig. "What''s your name?"


    "Ludwig," he replied curtly.


    "My name is Floran Alsa," she said.


    "That''s a lie," Ludwig shot back without hesitation.


    The guards tightened their grips on their swords, the tension in the air thick enough to cut with a blade.


    "How would you know that?" the elf demanded, her voice unsteady.


    "I told you¡ªI have special eyes," Ludwig said, his gaze piercing. "And those eyes see the lies, Miss Lorina."


    The name struck like a thunderclap, sending ripples of unease through the group.

 CHAPTER 100 FIRST MILESTONE LETSGOOOO!!!)

    Her soft laugh cut through the tension, her voice carrying a surprising warmth despite the situation. "You''re an interesting one, Ludwig. Eyes that pierce through illusions and unravel lies... truly intriguing. Yes, I am Lorina Ulesse, the Princess of the Fallen Elven Race. Or as your kind prefers to call us, the traitors of humanity."The tone of her voice shifted, tinged with bitterness as though she were accustomed to such accusations. Ludwig''s brows furrowed slightly, his mind spinning with questions he chose not to voice. Instead, he observed her carefully, his instincts urging him to measure her words, her posture, and the subtle tension among her companions.


    "You seem perplexed," Lorina said, her sharp gaze catching his hesitation. "I suppose there''s much you don''t understand about our history. But that is a story for another time. For keeping quiet about us and allowing us to enjoy some of the shows here, please take this," she said.


    She reached into a small pouch hanging from her waist and withdrew an item that shimmered faintly even in the dim light¡ªa golden acorn. Its surface was adorned with intricate patterns that seemed to glow faintly with an inner light.


    Ludwig grabbed the item and asked, "What is this?"


    "That would come in handy if you ever need help while you''re in the Evergreen, the Land of the Elves," she said and gave Ludwig a courteous bow befitting a princess from a noble linage.


    Ludwig weighed the acorn in his hand for a moment, its unexpected warmth tingling against his palm. He gave a faint nod and pocketed it without further question. "I''ll keep that in mind."


    "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Truth-Seeker," she said once Ludwig accepted her gift.


    [An Elven Princess has given you a title.]


    [Truth-Seeker: No inherent bonuses.]


    The notification hovered briefly in Ludwig''s vision before fading, leaving behind an odd sense of finality. Around him, the tension among the elf''s guards began to dissipate as their weapons lowered.


    Ludwig nodded as he pocketed the acorn.


    "Please visit us someday," Lorina said, her voice softer now. "Though I hope it will be under better circumstances. For now, we must take our leave. You''ve already dealt with the greater threat we came here to resolve."


    "I suppose it had to do with the ritual," Ludwig asked.


    "Indeed, the Tree that you saw there, it was something that belonged to us, it was stolen and corrupted. Though sadly we couldn''t recover it, it is already too late for that tree to be saved, still you helped prevent a great calamity, Though I fear our kind will still bear the blame for its presence here."


    "You''ll only be blamed if someone sees you," Ludwig replied bluntly. "The city''s on edge¡ªif any trace of elves is found, they''ll jump to conclusions. You should leave before someone spots you."


    The princess''s expression hardened briefly before she nodded in agreement. "You''re right. Brothers, sisters, let us be swift."


    The other elves exchanged quick glances before vanishing into the rooftops above with fluid precision, their movements eerily silent. Only Lorina remained, pulling her cowl over her head.


    She met Ludwig''s gaze one last time, her voice carrying a note of quiet resolve. "Let''s meet again, Truth-Seeker, under clearer skies."


    With a graceful leap, she was gone, leaving Ludwig alone in the now-deserted alley.


    Ludwig then took a look at his hand that was grabbing the spirit, finding nothing there he realized that his small threat served no purpose. So, he just canceled his mana and smiled as he gazed up ahead.


    The city lights glimmered faintly ahead, their warmth beckoning Ludwig forward. The streets were unnervingly quiet compared to the earlier chaos, though signs of the disruption remained. Guards patrolled in greater numbers, their eyes darting suspiciously toward every shadow.


    Though everything that happened took about a couple of hours and some change, it was enough to cause a lot of issues within Rima. But thanks to the troops of the old man who everyone seemed to call a lord, the whole situation fell under control rather rapidly.


    Ludwig walked through the streets of the city and was asked by a guard what he was doing there. After all, it was very strange for someone to be this badly worn at this time of day.


    He just showed him his torn clothes, "Victim here, let me go and have a drink man," Ludwig said in the most boring solemn way possible.


    Another guard came rushing, "Let that boy through, the Lord himself asked us to be mindful of him, he''s actually the one who contributed the most into shutting down this whole fuck-fest." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The first guard was surprised, "This boy did?" he obviously couldn''t believe it, especially how rugged Ludwig looked.


    "Yeah, the whole squad is talking about it, they say even Banner the Giant gave him a word of praise for surviving a hoard of undead and killing the assailant¡­"


    "Do you mind removing your mask? I wanna see a look at Rima''s hero," the first guard asked.


    "That''s rude," the second one replied, "Sir, please go on ahead. Everyone here will be shortly informed of your current disposition and mask, you will get a pass free through all the city while the investigation and current martial law is in place."


    "Wait, there is a martial Law?" Ludwig asked.


    "Yes, the lord enacted it, all facilities are to be closed¡­ well two hours ago," the guard said in an awkward manner.


    "Shit, I need to get to an inn, my friends are there.." Ludwig cursed.


    "Then please go on, if they''re in an inn they should probably still be there, inns and hotels and short-stay places have also been informed to keep their tenants there for the night."


    Ludwig nodded and hurried toward the Last Adventure Inn. Only then did he realize that the guards were right, though the lights of the city were still on, not a single store or shop was open and everyone had their homes closed for the night.


    Ludwig arrived at the Last Adventure Inn and found its main door closed.


    He knocked a couple of times, and a burly voice sounded from behind the door, "Who is it at this time? it''s martial law, and we aren''t serving drinks anymore."


    "I need to see a couple friends of mine, they''re inside," Ludwig said.


    "Ah it''s the customer from earlier," he heard from above him, the busboy from this morning was peeking.


    "Gramps, let him in, his friend already paid handsomely for the room and the food they ordered."


    The door creaked open, revealing the inn''s inside.


    "Hurry up inside," the burly man''s voice sounded, "I don''t want no trouble with the knights."


    "Thank you, sir," Ludwig said as he walked through the now-opened door.


    "Damn boy," the burly voice owner said, looking to his left, Ludwig found the voice perfectly match the person, a quite large person almost as big as Banner himself standing behind the door. He had more gray than black hair on his head and seemed to have more muscle than any inn tenant should have. "You look like you crawled out of a battlefield,"


    "Yeah, something like that happened¡­"


    "You promise you''re no trouble, right?" Read exclusive chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    Ludwig held three fingers up, "Scout''s honor," he said.


    Confused at the gesture, the old man couldn''t help but sigh, "Just don''t cause any issues, or I''ll personally kick you out," the old man said as he closed the door. "Your friends are upstairs, I''ll send for someone to fill a barrel of water for you to clean up," he finalized.


    "Thank you, I appreciate it," Ludwig said as he made his way upstairs.


    Surprisingly, there were still many people downstairs sitting around the tables, drinking and talking, and all of them seemed to take note of Ludwig''s current appearance.


    ''I really need to change,'' he thought to himself.


    Ludwig hurried up to the upper floor and was met with the same busboy from earlier. "Hello again," he said in his same friendly tone, "Let me lead you to your friend''s room."


    "Lead the way then, I need to check up on them... and I really need a shower..." Ludwig said.


    Of course, I''ll handle that for you," he said then stopped and turned to face Ludwig when they were a few steps on the stairs and away from all praying eyes and ears, "although there is something I''d like to ask you first," the busboy asked In a hushed tone.


    "What is it?" Ludwig asked.


    "How does it feel to be an Undead?" The busboy asked, smiles and all.

 Chapter 101 A Dreaming Soul

    "What do you mean by that?" Ludwig asked, tensed up.After all, how would this boy find out that he was an Undead? Did someone tell him? Did the lantern not work? Perhaps he isn''t normal, if he was able to figure out Ludwig''s identity.


    Ludwig was about to break his promise to the Innkeeper of not causing any trouble.


    "Hoyo, your friend, he talked big about you, when you went out running," the busboy said smiling.


    "Huh?"


    Enjoy new stories from My Virtual Library Empire


    "Yes, a few of our patrons seemed to think you were acting up like a fool when you were talking big at the Urbaf young lady. So your friend jumped up to defend you, and he mentioned how you''re called Ludwig the Undead in your academy, a fact and title given to you by the whole academy for battling a Championed Lizardman Boss class with one arm missing and a body full of injuries and still come out on top, you see here, I like how undead are¡­"


    The boy continued rambling and yapping about, without a care in the world completely oblivious to how close to death he was. Ludwig took a deep breath. Thankfully he wasn''t exposed but he really needs to talk to Hoyo to keep his mouth shut. It feels good to have someone covering your back, but this time it was just too close for comfort.


    The boy led Ludwig on as he kept on rambling about while he led him to the upper floor of the inn. A few other tenants saw Ludwig, and they too were shocked and disturbed by his current sight. But none of them said a word as they thought that if someone looked like that without having a single ounce of pain showing on their face, then that clearly meant that the blood on him was not his. Everyone made sure to move away from their path as they moved up.


    "It''s here," The busboy said as he knocked on the door.


    Soon, Hoyo came out, and saw Ludwig''s appearance. "Holy shit, what happened to you?" Hoyo asked.


    "You should see the other guy," Ludwig joked, "Let me in, I need to wash up," Ludwig said sighing.


    "Come, come," he said then turned to the busboy, "You still serve food, right?"


    "Not really, but let me ask the Innkeeper, ha hates it when one of his customers go to sleep on a hungry stomach, I''ll also prepare your bath, Ludwig the Undead," the busboy smiled as he left the room entrance.


    Ludwig gave an annoyed look to Hoyo who simply smiled awkwardly, "Get in, Kassandra woke up earlier," Hoyo said.


    Ludwig walked in the room and found Kassandra sitting on the bed with a faraway look to her eyes.


    "Yo," Ludwig said.


    She turned to Ludwig, then said, "I had the strangest dream," she said.


    "Oh, really?" Ludwig asked.


    "Yes, you were in it," she said.


    "Oh, must be one of those," Hoyo said with a lewd look on his face.


    "No, shut up," Kassandra said slight embarrassment on her face. "Anyway, you were there, I was trapped and bound with chains¡­"


    "Like I said, it must be one of those dreams," Hoyo teased once again.


    Kassandra picked up an apple from a plate next to her and threw it at Hoyo who skillfully dodged it. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Okay, I won''t interrupt," he said.


    "Anyways," she said giving Hoyo the ''ill kill you look,'' then looked back at Ludwig, "There was this vile man who captured me and others. Right above us, was the mouth of a slimy grotesque and vile looking entity that would slowly consume the bound people. And then Ludwig came out and fought against the vile man who seemed to be worshipping this entity¡­" Kassandra shook her head, "It''s hard to remember the details, but in what I saw, you almost died¡­" she said, "But the strangest thing is, you looked exactly like this, blood and all, though you were missing an arm in my dream¡­"


    ''Her soul must have seen the fight. But there are more details to her dream than what actually happened¡­ and if she did see me fighting then she must have seen me use necromancy¡­''


    "I see, well, you''re partially right," Ludwig said as he sat down. He then began explaining all that happened, and how he found himself in a den of Djinns and had to fight his way to liberate the souls from the ritual. He downplayed his part significantly to make it show as if the Urbaf girl did all the work, he had no need to get another nickname or for them to further cement the ''Ludwig the Undead'' title.


    "I see, so when I was in that¡­ soul form, I was able to see figments of reality and what happened, though I could swear I saw you lose an arm there¡­"


    "Yeah, remember it might have been a mix of dream and reality," Ludwig said.


    "How come?" Hoyo asked, "What does dreaming have to do with any of this," Hoyo asked.


    "I read somewhere that dreams are a translation of reality made by the subconscious. So remember when I lost my arm to the lizardman, your subconscious must have added it to what you saw. Since I still have my arm right here," Ludwig flexed his arm.


    "That''s¡­ true, it really didn''t feel like a dream though," she said, but didn''t want to press the matter any further.


    Someone then knocked on the door.


    "Your bath is ready," the busboy said from behind the door, "Please follow me to wash up."


    Ludwig excused himself and followed after the busboy. He was led to the upper floor where he found a large wooden tank that was steaming hot. Towles and a set of black tower academy clothes were already there.


    "Where''d you get these?" Ludwig asked.


    "Oh, a man came after you and handed these over to the innkeeper, along with a pouch of gold. He had a scary face, and looked really annoyed doing so¡­"


    ''Must be either Sebas or Evan. Van Dijk must have made them do this, good, petty revenge for taking my money, but it''s still not nearly enough to avenge my own death at their hands¡­''


    Ludwig hadn''t forgotten how those two were the cause of his current appearance and predicament. How they killed him brutally so, and carved every organ of his and then turned him to an undead.


    He didn''t forget, nor would he ever do so.


    But true revenge needs a lot of planning, and he hasn''t even begun preparing for that.

 Chapter 102 A Vacation Like No Other

    "Wow, that''s a scary look you have, must be someone you know and don''t like then," the busboy said."Sometimes, it''s good not to ask too many questions," Ludwig said as he proceeded to remove his clothes.


    "I''ll excuse myself,'' the busboy said and closed the door.


    Once Ludwig had all his clothes off. Putting them on the table along with the lantern which shone dimly in the dark humid washing room. He then placed his foot into the hot water, feeling a sudden rush of warmth going up his bones.


    The slime covering his body soon wobbled as if enjoying the warm bath, the feeling of warmth seeped into his cold dead bones and gave him a sensation of relaxation that he desperately needed.


    Though it''s pretty funny he thought that he was a skeleton taking a bath, he still seemed to enjoy it.


    The slime detached itself from Ludwig and began swimming, bobbing up and down the warm water. While Ludwig was left truly naked in the tank.


    He glanced at his body and began studying the intricate carvings of Master Van Dijk, how his Nephilium circuit was carved was incredibly intricate and detailed to the point Ludwig thought of it as a work of art.


    He couldn''t figure out how it was made, however, he was thankful for it, since it allowed him to use magic beyond what his messed-up body could.


    If the two failed necromancers hadn''t botched his revival, he wouldn''t have needed this circuit. But thanks to Van Dijk saving the day, he now has a better body.


    Ludwig took a look at all his skills and abilities and checked his status screen. Though nothing was different from the last time he checked, he just felt more comfortable with seeing how far he progressed.


    [Fakery of Death has activated!]


    ''Huh?''


    Ludwig panicked as his passive ability activated, this meant that Van Dijk was close. But what is he doing here at the inn? Stay updated via My Virtual Library Empire


    "Ludwig my boy," he heard, Ludwig looked at the source of the voice. A large-sized bat was hanging upside down in the corner of the bathroom.


    Its black fur blended almost perfectly with the background, but the red eyes of the bat shone just bright enough to give it a more horrific appearance.


    "Is that you, Master Van Dijk?" Ludwig asked.


    "Yes, though I believe I need to give you a communication crystal because I dislike using one of these things to converse. Anyway,'' Van Dijk immediately went to the core of the matter.


    "My main body is still investigating the ritual but I need to know something."


    "Yes, Master," Ludwig replied courtly.


    "Did the man you killed, speak of anything¡­ how can I say this, strange?" S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Most of what he did was pretty strange to me, but there was something¡­ stranger than most," Ludwig said.


    "What is it?" the bat spoke.


    Ludwig tried to formulate the idea properly before he could speak it.


    "He talked about his patron¡­" Ludwig said.


    "The Sultan?" the question almost felt as if Van Dijk''s bat was frowning.


    "No, something else."


    "What is it?" Van Dijk asked.


    "I don''t think it was the sultan it was another person since the mask that I''m wearing showed me the preparator. It showed me a vision of a place full of corpses, and the Sheikh was there bowing his head to a man that was feasting on the corpses."


    "What else did you see, and what do you know about that corpse-eating man?"


    "Well, the corpse-eating man wasn''t human, or at least looked far from it. He had more hair on his body than normal, almost like a feral beast. He also had a lantern just like mine. The Sheikh seemed to have prepared a feast for him. About a few hundred bodies that he ate. The man also mentioned that he couldn''t share his immortality with the Sheikh but he could tell him how the Sheikh could also get his own unique way of immortality," Ludwig said.


    "Continue," Van Dijk muttered.


    "Yes, he mentioned something about a creature that lives in a bog near the Black Tower academy. It would grant the Sheikh a way to immortality, and I suppose he found it with the tree rituals and all." Ludwig explained.


    "Is that all?" Van Dijk asked, he sounded like he had doubts but didn''t seem to push the matter any further.


    "Yeah, there was something, although I don''t know if it''s important," Ludwig said.


    "Speak then, let me be the judge of that."


    "At the end of the vision, the Sheikh had to leave because the man was becoming more and more feral, and once he left the domed temple they were in, a loud wolfen howl echoed from inside the temple. I don''t think a human can ever replicate that, it was definitely a wolf''s howl."


    Van Dijk didn''t speak a word for a bit and then said, "Finally¡­ a trace. Good, my boy, good."


    "Do you know anything about the creature in the bog?" Ludwig asked as he wanted to know a bit more about the Glutenous Death.


    "Yes I do, it''s not something you nor I can deal with¡­ but if it''s sensible enough to give that man what he wants, then it should be sensible enough for a conversation¡­ I''ll head over to it, do you have anything to do this week?" Van Dijk asked.


    "No, not really¡­ I mean the exams and all¡­ but I heard from Hoyo¡­"


    "Don''t mind the exams, all three of you will get a passing grade. Remember, this academy serves as a way to improve upon a mage''s intellect and prowess. You all proved you had enough intellect to obtain the Artificer''s orb, as for you, you get extra points for taking down the preparator of this ritual. Sirou Von Dalton will be rewarding you personally¡­ he''s a Lufondal Empire Imperial consultant and head of security for the emperor¡­"


    "Oh¡­ a big shot," Ludwig said.


    "As big as they can get, you''re lucky he didn''t discover your¡­ condition." Van Dijk said.


    "I know¡­" Ludwig said as he remembered the terrifying forces he brought with him. Especially that hulking beast of a man, Banner.

 Chapter 103 Forgotten Memories

    Van Dijk was a powerful creature. Incredibly so that he had split his own mind into several pieces and bits, each taking care of something. His main body was handling the investigation of the ritual, while another part of his mind was conversing with Ludwig and the other part was back at the academy handling a few experiments."So, what do you think? Van Dijk," Sirou Von Dalton asked.


    "Hmm, I believe I can figure out who the preparator is. But, he''s mine to hunt down," Van Dijk said.


    "Is it related to The Beast?" Sirou asked.


    "Indeed, I can smell it. The ritual here isn''t something any mortal can do. It''s far beyond simply sorcery and witchcraft, this is at the level of Eldritch Profanity¡­" Van Dijk said.


    "I can understand that, but how come you think it''s related to the Beast, after all, he''s a fiend that never showed any magical abilities¡­"


    "He never visibly showed them, but I encountered him several times before, and I know well what he''s like. This stench, it belongs to him even if he isn''t a direct part of this ritual¡­" Van Dijk finalized.


    Sirou couldn''t interject, after all, for him Van Dijk was a smart and incredibly reliable person, but the moment the creature that killed off his entire family is brought up, all reason flies out the window.


    So he decided against mentioning that Van Dijk had no tangible evidence to chase after the Beast or infer any rhyme or reason that the Beast was actually the preparator.


    But in reality, Van Dijk couldn''t find a reasonable way to tell Sirou that his disciple was the one who told him about the beast. Sirou knows that Ludwig obtained a powerful item from the Wandering Merchant, but he doesn''t recognize it as the Mask of the Blind Witness. An item that brought an entire kingdom to ruin in less than a month after its ruler used it.


    It was an item that would bring war and destruction once it is revealed. Taking a mental note of this fact, Van Dijk used his bat to once again remind Ludwig to not show or tell anyone of the abilities of his mask and only use it when needed.


    Van Dijk finalized his investigation, taking several notes, and asked Sirou to burn down the tree.


    "Really? I thought you''d keep it, for experiments," Sirou said.


    "This tree belongs to the Elves of the Evergreen forest," Van Dijk said.


    Sirou''s face turned serious instantly.


    Van Dijk understood and immediately shook his head, "Don''t jump to conclusion, though they''re traitors of humanity, or as you guys call them. They cannot corrupt their own holy tree. It goes against their existence. They''ll be abandoned by nature and the spirits if they dare do it, not to mention the Holy Tree would immediately kill them if they do so," Van Dijk explained.


    "Then someone stole a piece of their holy tree and used it for this profane ritual¡­" Sirou said.


    "Indeed, it''s the same person that died. Seems that the Kingdom of the Sand is trying to cause trouble, but we don''t have any reasonable or tangible evidence on their implication, it could be a separate faction that''s interfering and causing terror in Lufondal."


    "I see, then I''ll finalize the cleanup," Sirou said as he realized that there was nothing more that Van Dijk could offer.


    Van Dijk excused himself and left the area via Teleportation, he had several samples of bodies and remains of the corpses from the ritual that he took with him along with a piece of the corrupted tree.


    Once he appeared in his tower, he muttered, "Sebas, come in here."


    Not a few seconds later, a knock on the door echoed then one of Van Dijk''s two main servants showed up. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes, Master," Sebas said.


    "Don''t call me that, I never took you as my disciple, know your place." Van Dijk replied sternly.


    "Yes, Tower Master,"


    "Did you give Ludwig his new set of clothes?" Van Dijk asked.


    "I have handed it over to the Inn he''s currently residing in." Enjoy exclusive chapters from My Virtual Library Empire


    "What about the gold, I heard that there was an issue with his allowance," Van Dijk said.


    "That was a mistake on my part, I was too busy with your request that I forgot to hand it over to Ludwig¡­"


    "So you''re saying that I''m to blame?" Van Dijk replied sternly.


    "No, Tower Master! It''s all my fault! I should have found a way to hand him over the gold first¡­"


    "Don''t make any mistakes like this anymore, it paints me in a bad picture when the financial instructor thinks I''m skimping on my own disciple''s funds¡­" Van Dijk wasn''t someone who would forget nor forgive, he''ll remind anyone with their flaws and would punish those who are deserving accordingly, fortunately for Sebas, his head didn''t fly because he still had some use.


    "Bring these to the lab, and go with Evan to find more Nephilium," Van Dijk said as he pointed at the materials he brought from the ritual site.


    Sebas grabbed everything and left the room bowing his head.


    Though his expression was that of boiling rage. After all, the newcomer actually made him look the fool in front of the Tower Master, further pushing away the possibility of him becoming a Disciple of Van Dijk. Most of the people working in the Black Tower wanted to be his disciple and learn the ways of the Black Flame. But this newcomer is actually taking the spotlight¡­


    For Sebas and Evan, they needed to get rid of this new variable. Or else all their hard work will go to waste.


    Back at Van Dijk''s office, he placed his hand on a drawer under his desk, activating a magic circle that was placed underneath it. A small drawer pulled up and revealed an old decrypt book in it.


    Feeling melancholic, Van Dijk wiped some of the dust on the book, and opened it.


    Memories of a life long since gone began resurfacing.

 Chapter 104 A Complex Family

    [This is not a filler chapter! We need to explore some of Van Dijk''s past to proceed with the story]In his room, the young Van Dijk had two black and blue eyes and a bandage over his arm as he grumbled under his breath. This time he was wearing proper clothes, though nothing proper came out of his mouth.


    A knock on the door echoed, then a servant of the house of Bastos came inside.


    "Master Van Dijk," she said.


    "What is it?" Van Dijk replied in a bored manner.


    "Lady Celine wanted me to tell you something," she said.


    "Speak¡­" Van Dijk said.


    "Right, she said that she took care of that person you got that rag from. And you shouldn''t worry about it anymore," the servant said.


    "WHAT?! What the hell did she do?!" Van Dijk shouted. The servant had no answer for him, so he grabbed the nearest coat and placed it on him.


    "Master Van Dijk, you''re still grounded, your father will be angered even more¡­" the servant said.


    "What is he going to do? Kill me, I''m better off that way," Van Dijk shouted back and left the room.


    Little that Van Dijk could know, all words he spoke inside their mansion were as loud as a rooster''s cry at dawn. Especially for True Vampires that have far more advanced senses.


    "Celine!" Van Dijk shouted at the top of his lungs, trying to look for his step-sister.


    Hearing no reply, Van Dijk shouted once again, even louder, "CELINE!"


    "Why are you screaming this loud at this hour?" the words sounded far too close for comfort to Ludwig, especially since the voice wasn''t that of his sister, but the sinister sounding voice of a very pissed off Marquise.


    Dante Bastos, a man of immense pressure, enough that Van Dijk himself, though his son felt it. A large statured man, with a well-trimmed beard and broad shoulders, wearing formal wears for some reason, probably because he''s leaving somewhere. But it gave off an even more ferocious and oppressive sensation to Van Dijk.


    Van Dijk could almost swear that his father''s eyes turned red for a second there, but he must have drank too much last night.


    "Where''s Celine?"


    "Boy," the lord of the house said in all seriousness, "Have I not ordered you to stay in your room?"


    "Yeah, what about it, I''m not doing it," Van Dijk replied as any twenty years old with too much rebelliousness still in him.


    "You''re going against me, boy¡­"


    Van Dijk didn''t say a word but his defiant gaze was enough to say that he was.


    Dante''s hand shuddered, as if he was about to beat the living hell out of van Dijk.


    "Unless you break my legs, I''m not staying here, you''re the only father in the world that would harm their child this way. FATHER!... do you even care about what happens to me? I''m not your legitimate son anyway, and have no claim over your seat if you die, that is if you''re someone that can die, for god''s sake you don''t even grow old¡­" Van Dijk said.


    "You wish death upon me, boy?"


    "I just don''t want to be tied down like this, father¡­ I feel too suffocated."


    "What will you do by yourself, without us? Without your family?"


    "Father, be honest, did you ever truly consider me your son?" Van Dijk smiled. "You only cared for my mother, I''m not an idiot, the look in your eyes whenever you see me, do you know what that look feels like?" Van Dijk asked.


    "I don''t understand what you mean¡­"


    "It''s pity," Van Dijk spat. "It''s the same look anyone has when they see an ill kitten on the street, or a dog with a broken leg. And all of you here have it, and you speak of family? I never had it, father¡­"


    "Boy, you say things you know nothing about," Dante said.


    But he understood Van Dijk more than anyone else¡­


    Deep Down, Dante Did Discern That Dijk Dwelled in Despair.1


    He was alone by himself, in a house that felt void of any warmth, since his mother''s passing, no, long before, everyone of his brothers and sisters looked at him like he was nothing but a cause of strife and issues. But they didn''t care much. His mother was good to all the other children, they adored her and loved her. So they didn''t bully him, but they didn''t like him either for one sole reason.


    Van Dijk has, and will always remain a human.


    Unlike them, who have some of the blood of their progenitor, the Vampire Lord himself, they were all True Vampires or as close as they can get to. But there wasn''t a single drop of blood in Van Dijk''s body that belonged to the progenitor. He wasn''t born with the curse of the night. A true human who never fitted with this strange family.


    Dante couldn''t find anything to say to him. He felt the pain in his child''s eyes but couldn''t subside it. That was the reason why he was so lax with him. Because unlike them, eventually, Van Dijk will die of old age, while they will all live a long life.


    Eventually Van Dijk will have to pass. So he wanted him to have the best life he could give him. Little that Dante knew that gold and money cannot buy out one''s feelings. Stay tuned for updates on My Virtual Library Empire


    The most sickening feeling in the world is to see your child in turmoil and that you cannot do anything in your power to fix it.


    Even for a vampire, he too felt the pain of his child.


    "What do you need Celine for?" Dante asked.


    "The maid said something disturbing, I need to check with her," Van Dijk said.


    "Is it about the woman you met earlier?" Dante said.


    "How do you know that?" Van Dijk asked.


    "If it''s just that, then worry not, she''s being taken care of, courtesy of her aiding in hiding your shame," Dante replied.


    Van Dijk coughed in embarrassment and said, "I need to go and meet her¡­"


    "She isn''t fit for¡­" Dante swallowed his words. After all, those were the very same words that were spoken to him when he chose to be with Van Dijk''s mother. "Go," his father said. "But don''t bring anymore shame to our house¡­"


    Van Dijk was truly surprised, he thought his father would be against it, since she clearly came from a lowly background. But seeing him agree gave him both a feeling of ease and at the same time worry.


    "Right, thanks," he said and headed toward the door.


    "Do you even know where they are?"


    Van Dijk stopped, and awkwardly scratched his head.


    "You don''t do you¡­" Dante sighed, "And you''re going out like this, Milli, be a dear and go with him to Yoshika''s Clinic."


    "No need," Van Dijk said. "I know the way,"


    "It is still dark," Dante said.


    "Yeah, and I can protect myself, I don''t think it would be better to have someone else to protect with me, I''m better off alone if there is anything, also who''s crazy enough to cause trouble in the Bastos March?"


    Dante sighed, "Go on then, but be back as soon as your business is done," he finalized. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Van Dijk nodded and bolted out of the door.


    "Milliandras," Dante muttered. And immediately the servant popped right in front of him kneeling on one knee.


    "Yes, my lord."


    "Follow Van Dijk, and keep him safe, away from praying eyes."


    "As the lord commands," she replied and disappeared from sight.


    try saying this fast LUL

 Chapter 105 Under The Hidden Moon

    Van Dijk moved lightly through the narrow streets of Bastos March, his footsteps almost silent against the cobblestone. His mind wandered as he rehearsed what he would say upon meeting the young woman from earlier. Though their interaction had been brief, her image lingered vividly in his thoughts. Her bright eyes, her soft smile¡ªhe couldn''t shake them. She had an air of grace he found captivating, and perhaps most importantly, he noticed she wore no ring.Marriage or not, Van Dijk considered himself a catch. Being the son of the Marquise meant no one would dare refuse him outright, though he preferred to win someone over on his own merits. He decided to leave his family name out of it, at least for now. Why ruin the challenge? The thought made him smirk to himself.


    Yet, a pang of reality cut through his thoughts. His reputation in the city wasn''t stellar. Known as the "Bastos Lout, or the Fool of the Bastos family," he was seen as a wealthy, carefree lout. A harmless fool, they called him, and though the title never caused him trouble, it certainly didn''t command respect. That realization dimmed his spirits, but only slightly. He wasn''t the type to dwell long on criticism.


    As he pondered, his feet carried him into the slums¡ªa decision he made absentmindedly. It was the fastest route to the clinic where he hoped to find her, and wasting time on the broader, well-lit streets didn''t seem necessary. He barely noticed the shift in his surroundings as the air thickened with the stench of refuse and damp decay.


    The slums were alive with shadows, moving figures passing in the dim corners of his vision. He hardly paid them any mind, but a small group of thugs lurking nearby noticed him immediately. Their low whispers carried through the narrow alley.


    "That one''s fat with coin," one hissed. "See the pouch on his belt? That''s a week''s food for all of us."


    Another started to step forward, but the sharp tug of a hand on his arm stopped him. "Don''t," a more cautious voice warned. "That''s the Bastos Fool."


    "The fool?" the first thug sneered. "Perfect. An easy mark."


    "No, you idiot," the other snapped. "You touch him and the least you''ll have to worry about is the gallows, He''s got a shadow. Always does. And the fool doesn''t even realize it. And trust me, you don''t want to meet her."


    The warning made the group freeze, eyes darting nervously around the fog-draped alley. Just as the tension peaked, a soft yet commanding voice sliced through the murk behind them.


    Find adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    "Good decision," it said.


    The thugs spun around to see a maid, clad in simple attire, standing perfectly still in the dim light. Her presence felt unnaturally calm, as if she had been there all along without their notice. Her eyes were cold, unwavering, and though she held no weapon, she exuded the aura of someone who didn''t need one.


    "We didn''t do anything," one of the men stammered, taking a step back. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I know," the maid said smoothly. "That''s why you still breathe. Now leave."


    The group didn''t hesitate. They scattered into the shadows, disappearing like smoke on the wind. The maid watched them go before turning her attention back to Van Dijk, who continued walking obliviously ahead. She sighed softly and resumed her silent pursuit, her steps light as air.


    The night grew colder, the crescent moon vanishing behind thick clouds. The faint glow of lanterns barely reached the edges of the alleys, and a damp fog began creeping up from the ground. The already narrow streets seemed to close in tighter, the paths twisting into a confusing maze.


    The maid frowned. "What is this?" she whispered. The fog wasn''t natural¡ªit rose too quickly, swallowing the slums in a heavy shroud. Even she, with her sharp senses, was beginning to lose sight of Van Dijk.


    "I need to keep up," she murmured, leaping gracefully onto the rooftops. From her higher vantage, she could just make out the faint outline of her charge below, his confident stride betraying no awareness of the danger around him.


    But something was wrong. The fog seemed alive, shifting and thickening to obscure her view. The streets twisted unnaturally, and even her keen memory of the city''s layout faltered.


    "Damn it," she hissed. Fear clawed at the edges of her mind. "This isn''t right."


    Abandoning her orders to remain unseen, she dropped down into the alley, determined to pull Van Dijk out of this growing nightmare. But as her feet hit the cobblestone, a cold, clawed hand gripped her shoulder. She spun around, her heart leaping into her throat, but there was nothing behind her. The alley was empty.


    "This fog sucks," Van Dijk muttered, his voice cutting through the eerie silence. He wasn''t a stranger to these slums, despite his father''s constant warnings to avoid them. He found freedom here, away from the stifling expectations of his family. But tonight, the freedom felt more like isolation.


    The labyrinth of twisting streets seemed endless. Every turn brought him back to where he started, and the oppressive fog dulled his sense of direction. He cursed under his breath, frustration mounting.


    Then, a new sound reached his ears. A wet, sloshing noise, punctuated by sharp crunches. It was coming from a narrow alley just ahead. The sound was primal, animalistic, and it sent a shiver down his spine.


    "What the hell is that?" he murmured, his curiosity warring with his better judgment. Against his instincts, he stepped closer. The sounds ceased abruptly, and for a moment, the alley was deathly silent.


    Then something burst out of the shadows.


    Van Dijk yelped, stumbling backward and falling hard onto the ground. A black shape shot past him, fast and low. He caught a glimpse of yellow eyes and matted fur before the creature disappeared into the fog. His heart pounded as he scrambled to his feet, wiping dirt from his hands.


    "Just a dog," he muttered, trying to convince himself. But the tension in his chest didn''t ease. Something was wrong, and he could feel it.


    "Blimey," a voice said from the alleyway. "Don''t scare me like that."


    Van Dijk froze. A figure stepped out of the darkness, his appearance more unsettling than the fog itself. A man, scrawny and half-naked, his skin marred by grime and wrapped in filthy bandages. His face was hidden beneath layers of cloth, leaving only the faintest hint of a mouth visible.


    Van Dijk swallowed hard. "Who are you?"


    The man tilted his head, his voice raspy but strangely calm. "Just someone trying to get by. Same as you."

 Chapter 106 Wrapped Up

    The man before Van Dijk stood awkwardly in the alley, his bandages grimy, his frame scrawny, and his presence unsettling in ways Van Dijk couldn''t quite place. The bare-chested figure shivered faintly in the cold night air, though his expression was calm, almost serene. Van Dijk''s nose twitched at the faint scent of blood and earth, buried beneath the stench of the slums.The man spoke, his voice carrying a gravelly tone. "On a night like this¡­ I mistook you for a monster," he said, a small, humorless chuckle escaping his lips. "But thank the stars, you''re fairly normal."


    Van Dijk sighed, shaking off the lingering unease. "What are you doing here dressed like that? It''s freezing, and you''re practically naked."


    The man shrugged, his movements languid yet precise, betraying none of the frailty his appearance suggested. "Oh, it isn''t easy to get by when you''re as ill as I am. And being blind doesn''t help much either."


    Van Dijk frowned, skeptical. The man''s behavior didn''t align with someone blind, but he supposed the man could have spent years navigating these streets and developed a heightened sense of awareness. It was common enough among those who lost their sight.


    He shouldn''t be too judgemental of people everyone is different.


    "Well, you should probably find somewhere to stay," Van Dijk said. "The fog is getting thicker, and it''s dangerous to wander in this weather."


    "Stay? Where would I go?" The man''s chuckle was deeper this time, almost bitter. "I have no home, no family. My nights are spent wandering, like tonight."


    Van Dijk''s chest tightened with an unexpected pang of pity. "I see¡­ well, I wish I could help, but I''m lost myself."


    "You''re lost?" The man tilted his head slightly, his bandages rustling. "The fog is a nuisance, isn''t it? But for me, it changes nothing. My world is always dark."


    Van Dijk gave a weak chuckle, unsure whether to laugh or apologize. "Yes, it''s frustrating. I''m trying to get to Yoshika''s Clinic, but I''ve been circling these streets for what feels like hours."


    "Ah, Yoshika''s," the man said. "Not far. Take this path," he gestured with a bandaged hand, "and turn left at the first intersection. The clinic will be at the end of that passage."


    Van Dijk blinked in surprise. "Thank you. That''s¡­ very helpful."


    He began to move, but the man''s voice stopped him. "Though¡­" There was a pause, and Van Dijk turned, noticing for the first time how the man''s head tilted slightly upward, as though listening to something beyond the veil of the fog. "Do you know of any safe havens?"


    The question gave Van Dijk pause. He considered taking the man to Yoshika''s Clinic, but that would only burden her further. While she was a kind soul who cared for the needy without hesitation, this man didn''t seem ill enough to warrant immediate aid. And besides, the clinic was already overcrowded.


    After a moment of thought, Van Dijk said, "Do you know the Bastos estate?" Enjoy new tales from My Virtual Library Empire


    "I do," the man replied simply.


    "Go to the guards there," Van Dijk said, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket. "Show them this¡ªit has my family''s crest. They''ll give you food and shelter for the night."


    The man reached out and took the handkerchief, his touch unnervingly steady. "You''re too kind," he said, his tone neutral yet somehow chilling. "May the stars guide you."


    Van Dijk offered a polite nod, brushing off the strange tension that seemed to hang in the air. He followed the man''s directions, and as promised, the clinic''s lights appeared faintly through the fog. Relief flooded his chest as he approached.


    The clinic door creaked open, revealing a young woman. Her features were unmistakable, and Van Dijk froze, words failing him. Her auburn hair framed her delicate face, her eyes alight with curiosity as she took in the sight of him. It was her¡ªthe woman he had been thinking of all night.


    She raised an eyebrow, confusion creasing her brow. "Can I help you?" she asked, her voice as soft and lilting as he remembered.


    Van Dijk opened his mouth, but nothing came out. His mind scrambled for words, for any coherent thought, but all he could manage was a wide, foolish smile.


    "Melania," an older woman''s voice called from deeper inside the clinic. "Who is it?"


    "I don''t know," Melania said, glancing over her shoulder. "He''s¡­ stunned, I guess?"


    A stout, sharp-eyed woman emerged, shuffling past Melania. Her gaze landed on Van Dijk, and a wry grin spread across her face. "Ah, the Bastos Fool," she said. "Your sister mentioned you might drop by to help out. Get in here."


    Van Dijk blinked, confusion snapping him out of his stupor. "Help? What does she mean by that? I didn''t agree to¡ª"


    Van Dijk was bewildered, ''Help? What does she mean by that? Did Celine say something to her? I didn''t even agree to do any help? Also help with what? I never took care of anyone sick or not, and I have no experience in that regard anyway¡­''


    "Come on, don''t just stand there gawking," the older woman barked, cutting him off. "Wash your hands and grab those towels. Noblesse oblige, and all that." Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Before Van Dijk could protest, Melania stepped aside, gesturing for him to enter. He hesitated but ultimately followed her lead, drawn by the pull of her presence. As he crossed the threshold, he muttered under his breath, "What''s the worst that could happen?"


    Inside, the clinic was bustling with activity. Patients lay on cots lining the walls, their groans and murmurs filling the air. The scent of antiseptic mingled with the metallic tang of blood, creating an oppressive atmosphere that made Van Dijk''s stomach churn.


    "Here," Melania said, thrusting a stack of towels into his arms. "Follow me. We''ve got plenty of work to do."


    Van Dijk nodded dumbly, trailing after her as she weaved through the crowded room. Though he wasn''t sure what he had gotten himself into, he couldn''t bring himself to leave¡ªnot while she was here.

 Chapter 107 Contemplation

    [Back to present Time]Ludwig finished cleaning himself up and slipped into his new set of clothes, the fresh fabric a stark contrast to the grimy events of the previous day. The tailored fit reminded him of Van Dijk''s meticulous care, but the gesture only deepened the disconnect he felt. As much as he appreciated the gesture, Ludwig couldn''t help but feel like a fraud¡ªdressed in the guise of humanity, hiding what he truly was.


    Returning to his shared room, Ludwig noticed Hoyo sprawled out on one of the beds, dead to the world, while Kassandra''s soft snoring filled the quiet space. The sound brought an unexpected smile to his lips, and he lingered at the door for a moment, observing them. There was a strange peace in watching them, a serenity that he knew he would never feel again. Hoyo''s face was smushed against his pillow, while Kassandra, ever the composed intellectual, had let her guard down entirely in sleep. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Though the lies and the camouflage hid his true self, so no one would think of him as anything but human, Ludwig knew that he has long since lost his humanity. A monster in the guise of a man. Standing right between two trusting comrades that don''t know the truth about him.


    Ludwig was unable to sleep, not for the lack of trying or even the attempt to do so. The inability to sleep wasn''t new to him; it was simply another fact of his existence as an undead. He could lie down and close his eyes, but rest would never come. His mind, sharp and relentless, had no off switch. Tonight, it was worse. The events of the day replayed in his head like a cursed record, looping endlessly.


    The bravery that the Lantern gives him was something he needed to address, he jumped into the fray without caring much for his own wellbeing, trusting the ability to return from death to solve his problems if things go bad. However, deep down there was a small fear that this might just not work. He couldn''t help but have this feeling that if he were to die again, he might actually be gone for real this time.


    Ludwig contemplated about what he truly needed to achieve in this world. The longer he spent here, the less appealing his former world became. He thought about many things, if what Necros said was true, if he achieved the Eternal Quest, would Necros truly send him back? And if he did send him back, after god knows how many years it would take him to beat the Seven Usurpers of Death, would he still feel the same about his family?


    By then, would he still remember his mother''s face, or his father''s stern but encouraging tone? Would he have the same interest in worldly things?


    Questions that had no immediate answers continued spinning and formulating in Ludwig''s mind. Especially when paired against the incredibly tall task of defeating things that even Van Dijk, a mage at the Eight Circle said that it was not something he could handle.


    Thinking of which, what is this Gluttonous Death? One of the cardinal sins? Gluttony. What is it? Who is it? And how did it come to be.


    More questions, but no answers, and looking at his bestiary didn''t help much. Because under the Gluttonous death input in the bestiary all Ludwig could see was.


    ***


    [Name??? Usurper of Life. The Gluttonous Death]


    An entity that currently dwells in the Bog of Tibari. A formerly rich land, that was able to host many beings, a river once flown through Tibari granting its people ease of life and riches unlike any place. But the nature of these people and their voracity soon cursed the lands, which brought existence to the Gluttonous Death. Once it became part of these lands it transformed them to its own image.


    Further Information is Unavailable.


    Location, Bog of Tibari, at the borders of the Black Tower academy territory.


    Appearance¡­ unregistered.


    ***


    Experience exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire


    Ludwig moved the notification away; the Bestiary wasn''t too helpful sadly. At least he knows the terrain to be a quagmire now.


    Time trickled down, slowly as ever, before the first break of dawn and the cries of an overly energetic rooster began waking and bringing life back into the city.


    Ludwig peered over the window to see several people coming out of their homes, either setting up stalls or preparing for the day. There was still one more day of the Mage Masquerade event, but from the mess that happened yesterday, Ludwig doubted that people would have the same fun and enjoyment that they did yesterday.


    But he was shown how wrong he could be, and how human nature could triumph anything if it meant that they could drink their sorrows away or at least ignore and forget the bad for small joys.


    The smell of toasty bread and meals being prepared wafted through the room, even for a skeleton, something inside his organ-less body stirred. He didn''t feel hunger, but he still felt like he should at least have a bite of whatever that was cooking.


    Ludwig was light on his feet as he removed himself from his bed and out of the room, he then climbed down the stairs and found out that he wasn''t the first one up from all the customers. Several others were either already up and awake drinking warm ale, or they probably never slept. While the smell of fresh morning food wafted through, Ludwig went to an empty table and sat down.


    Just as he took his seat, the busboy from yesterday came in with a loaf of freshly baked and cooked bread and a bowl of soup, "You''re up early," the busboy said. "Have some of this, it''s our Inn''s special hangover soup and bread, though that doesn''t mean you have to be drunk to have it," he said and moved away to bus another table.


    Ludwig grabbed the crunchy warm bread and began eating. A simple meal, far from anything he''d ever had back at earth, but it was warm, and good.


    Even for an undead, he was thankful that he could still taste food and some of the minor joys of life.


    Do he didn''t understand where the food went, he wasn''t about to start questioning a favor from Necros such as this.


    After all, he owes Necros too much to be ungrateful, another chance at life after a wrongful death, and the taste of food and alcohol, blissful little things that many take for granted.

 Chapter 108 Forced Meeting

    After having his fill, Ludwig was about to return to his room when a sleepy-looking Hoyo and Kassandra both came down from their rooms.Kassandra''s bed head looked no different than her the way she usually has her hair. Underneath all that unkempt hair and baggy eyes from reading too much and studying to the point of exhaustion, Ludwig wouldn''t doubt if she were to take better care of herself she''ll be a stunning beauty, but Kassandra would always remain true to her nature, an avid hunter of knowledge.


    While Hoyo only needed to wash his face with some water to look as he is currently.


    "Ah, I''m exhausted," Hoyo said as he sloped down on the table.


    "Get off the table man," Ludwig said, "I''m pretty sure I saw someone throwing up on it yesterday." sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That got Hoyo immediately up with a look of disgust on his face.


    "Did you guys notice," Kassandra said as her eyes were scanning the inn.


    "What is it?" Ludwig asked.


    "Something''s wrong, why is everyone looking our way?" she said.


    Ludwig shrugged, he had no idea.


    Not a bit longer, the busboy came with two more sets of food for Ludwig''s companions.


    "What''s with the stares?" Hoyo asked the busboy.


    "Oh, yeah, rumors spread, apparently," the busboy said as he looked at Ludwig, "Lord Sirou is here, and has said a few good words about someone wearing the Black Academy Uniform, though there are many of you guys in Rima right now spread all over the city, I could probably tell that he was talking about your friend there," the Busboy said as he was looking at Ludwig, smiles an all.


    "How come?" Ludwig asked.


    "Well, you''re the only one who came looking like a rattling corpse yesterday. Blood and all, so people took note of that, and they put one and one together and came up with that conclusion, the one that Lord Sirou spoke about was said to have found and singlehandedly thwarted a ploy of some evildoers."


    Ludwig coughed lightly. The embarrassment was getting to him, "Anyway it''s all hearsay," he added to try and change the topic.


    "There they are!" a loud rumbustious man came into the inn, hollering and pointing at Ludwig''s party.


    ''The hell is this now?''


    The man seemed to be some sort of beggar, his clothes and wear were too old and decrypted.


    Right behind him a couple of knights that Ludwig didn''t seem to recognize came after him, one of the knights handed a few coins to the man who happily left the area.


    "Ludwig heart," the knight said as he recognized Ludwig, "Please follow us," he said.


    "What did you do this time?" Hoyo asked.


    "I don''t know," Ludwig replied confusion still in his eyes.


    "Are you his friends?" the knight said as he saw both Hoyo and Kassandra''s worried looks.


    "Yes, is there a problem?"


    The knight interrupted, "You too will have to come with us." He said, with a finality to his words, an order that shouldn''t be refused.


    More knights came into the inn, and from afar, Ludwig saw the innkeeper grabbing a dough roller tightly, almost ready to fight the knights even. Or maybe he just didn''t want trouble.


    "Fine I''ll follow, although I think there seems to be a misunderstanding here, what''s going on?" Ludwig asked.


    "Please follow us, this isn''t a topic to be discussed in public" the knight finalized.


    Ludwig was confused, did they uncover something? He should have been cleared, since yesterday the guy who checked the memories of the earth didn''t see anything wrong.


    Did Ludwig mess things up?


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    He truly regretted not getting a device to contact Van Dijk because he doesn''t think that Van Dijk realizes what''s going on.


    "Let''s go and see what''s up," Ludwig said.


    The three moved up ahead, though regret was clear on Hoyo''s face since he hasn''t finished his food yet. But that was of little inconvenience compared to the serious atmosphere of the knights.


    Once outside the inn, there was a large carriage waiting for them, "Get on," the Knight said.


    Ludwig and his friends were urged to get on, rudely so, but not to the point that they thought there was a threat to their life, especially with everyone watching.


    "Move!" the knight shouted to the driver and the carriage moved away from the inn.


    Several other horse-riding knights followed closely around the carriage, perhaps for protection, or maybe just to stop anyone from Ludwig''s group to try and run away.


    "I''m a bit scared¡­" Kassandra said.


    "Yeah, it''s a bit awkward," Hoyo said, "Since these knights don''t have any of their house banners up, but they wouldn''t do something stupid in Rima, especially now. With Lord Sirou here, if anyone tries to mess things up, their whole family will end up in ruin. But I don''t know which house is inviting us over this aggressively¡­" he explained.


    ''I see, someone wants to see us but don''t want his identity to be known to the public, then.''


    The carriage kept moving until it reached a far away corner of the city where a single mansion was built atop a large piece of land. The whole area seemed to have gotten a lot of care. Trees and bushes, rose gardens and labyrinth like bush decor were at the front of the mansion.


    Maids and servants were busy cleaning up and managing the gardens.


    Right at the main door of the white mansion though there was a group of people standing as if waiting for the carriage to come closer.


    Only when Ludwig and his friends came out did they realize where they were.


    "Welcome to our humble estate, Master Ludwig Heart, and¡­ friends," a middle aged man said. He had a regal presence to him coupled with what one would call a noble pressure. Next to him were two refined looking ladies, and behind them were three young men who each seemed to take after a different one of what Ludwig presumed to be their mothers.


    "Where are we?" Kassandra asked in a hushed tone.


    "Can''t you see the crest," Hoyo''s eyes looked up at the door''s entrance, "We''re on the Urbaf family mansion¡­ more like one of their many mansions."


    ''Oh I guess Alva''s family knew of what happened yesterday¡­ well, let''s see what''s all this abut then shall we¡­''

 Chapter 109 Invitation

    Ludwig''s group stood awkwardly at the grand entrance of the Urbaf mansion. The sprawling estate loomed before them, its imposing facade casting long shadows in the morning light. The man who greeted them, clearly the patriarch of the Urbaf family, had a smile that didn''t quite reach his eyes."I heard that my knights rudely interrupted your breakfast this morning," the man began, his tone warm but layered with subtle authority. "To make amends, I had the servants prepare something for you. Please, come in and make yourselves comfortable."


    Ludwig inclined his head slightly, acknowledging the courtesy, though he remained wary. The invitation was wrapped in politeness, but the entire scenario felt off. Behind the patriarch stood the eldest of his three sons, his face adorned with a smile that was more smirk than sincerity.


    "So, you''re the one who saved our little sister," the eldest son said, his voice carrying a veneer of civility laced with barely concealed scorn. "It must''ve been quite the feat, taking on several Djinn while keeping her safe. I imagine it was no small challenge¡­ considering how useless she can be." He finalized.


    Ludwig''s eyes narrowed slightly at the remark, but he maintained a calm demeanor. "I''d disagree with that assessment," he said, his voice steady and polite. "Your sister fought valiantly. She took down three Djinn herself. Frankly, I''d call that anything but useless."


    The eldest son''s smirk faltered, his confidence momentarily shaken. Before he could respond, Ludwig added, "Speaking of which, where is Alva?"


    The patriarch interjected smoothly, gesturing for them to follow. "She''s inside. Come, we''ve prepared a meal."


    The group was led through the mansion''s grand halls, each step echoing against the marble floors. The walls were lined with large, imposing portraits of past family heads, their stern visages seeming to watch the newcomers with judgmental eyes. Suits of polished armor stood at intervals like silent sentinels, and the sheer opulence of the decor spoke of old wealth and even older traditions.


    The dining room was no less impressive. A long, elaborately carved table stretched the length of the room, capable of seating dozens. Servants stood at attention behind each chair, their gazes lowered, their hands clasped. The table itself was laden with an array of dishes¡ªroasted meats, baked fish, fresh bread, and even a whole roasted pig with an apple in its mouth. The spread was undeniably extravagant, but the weight of the unspoken tension in the room made it feel more like a test than a meal.


    "Please," the patriarch said, motioning to the table, "enjoy your meal. We''ll discuss matters afterward."


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    Ludwig surveyed the feast, noting the richness of the dishes. It was a meal fit for a banquet, not breakfast. The sight of it would''ve made most mouths water, but Ludwig noticed Hoyo''s frown and Kassandra''s hesitation. Something wasn''t right.


    Hoyo''s discomfort was subtle but telling. Though he said nothing, his expression conveyed unease. Kassandra, catching on, visibly pulled back from the food. Ludwig, however, took a moment to inspect the dishes discreetly. No poison. No visible tampering. Then what''s the problem?


    The patriarch noticed their hesitation and smiled thinly. "Is the food not to your liking, Master Ludwig?"


    Before Ludwig could respond, Hoyo shifted slightly, but something in his body language told Ludwig to take the lead. A ploy. A game of etiquette. Ludwig''s mind worked quickly.


    "Ah, my apologies," Ludwig said smoothly, his tone apologetic yet firm. "In my homeland, it is considered deeply disrespectful to eat before the head of the house has taken the first bite. Please, forgive us for our hesitation. We would be honored if you would begin the meal." S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The patriarch''s eyes flickered with surprise, but he recovered quickly, nodding. "A fine tradition. Let us feast, then."


    Only after the patriarch took the first bite did the rest of the Urbaf family follow suit. Hoyo gave Ludwig a subtle nod of approval, though his expression remained guarded.


    As the meal progressed, Ludwig noticed another unspoken rule at play. Hoyo and the other nobles were careful to avoid the greasier, heavier dishes, sticking instead to fruits, salads, and lighter fare. Meanwhile, the servants avoided any indication of guidance, leaving it to the guests to navigate the complex layers of etiquette themselves. A test of refinement.


    The eldest son, clearly displeased with Ludwig''s earlier retort, seized the opportunity to needle him again. "You seem confused by the utensils," he said, his voice dripping with mock concern. "Perhaps our customs are unfamiliar to you?"


    Ludwig didn''t miss the smirks exchanged between the other two brothers. He set down his fork deliberately, meeting the eldest son''s gaze with calm confidence.


    "Not at all," Ludwig replied. "In fact, I was just reflecting on a few differences. For instance, in my homeland, we don''t use a single plate for an entire course. Each dish is accompanied by its own plate, which is replaced by the servants between courses."


    After all, Ludwig comes from what could be called a Noble family form earth, where his father had mentors and tutors to teach him the way of the refined world since he was still in his diapers.


    The eldest son''s smirk wavered slightly, but Ludwig wasn''t finished. He picked up a spoon, examining it as if scrutinizing a museum artifact. "This spoon, for example, is larger than a teaspoon but smaller than a soup spoon. In my homeland, we use it exclusively for desserts. And forks¡ªah, the number of tines varies by purpose. A three-tined fork is used for certain pastries, while a four-tined fork is standard for main courses."


    By now, the youngest brother was shifting uncomfortably in his seat, clearly unsure if Ludwig''s explanations were genuine or a masterclass in mockery.


    Ludwig''s gaze turned to the eldest son, who was holding the very spoon Ludwig had identified as a dessert utensil. "Of course," Ludwig continued, his tone light, "it''s perfectly acceptable to adapt traditions when traveling. After all, not everyone adheres to such distinctions." Sharp, and bloody, the exchange of nobility and the stabs at weakness was their weapon of choice. They don''t fight with cold steel, but rather subtle jabs of words. And Ludwig was a master in that art.


    The eldest son flushed, clearly aware that Ludwig had just pointed out his improper use of the spoon without explicitly insulting him.


    The patriarch, seemingly amused by the exchange, gestured to one of the servants. "Cut the young man a piece of the pig," he ordered.


    The servant approached, reaching for the pig with bare hands, only for Ludwig to raise a hand sharply. "What are you doing?" Ludwig asked, his voice calm but firm.


    The servant froze, his face paling. "I¡­ I was going to tear off a piece, Master."


    Ludwig shook his head, his expression unreadable. "A proper carving should always honor the effort that went into the preparation."


    The room fell silent, the weight of Ludwig''s words hanging in the air. The servant scrambled to comply, and as the tension eased, the patriarch''s gaze lingered on Ludwig, a flicker of respect in his eyes, but wonder and curiosity lingered as he wanted to see what this boy was about to present them.

 Chapter 110 Table Manners

    "Then please enlighten us, Master Ludwig, on how one should eat," one of the noblewomen said with a carefully measured tone, her words laced with polite curiosity but thinly veiling a challenge.Ludwig didn''t miss the subtle condescension but maintained a calm smile. "Of course," he replied. "However, I''ll need a few items to demonstrate. Please bring me a large carving knife, a serving plate larger than that one," he gestured to a fruit platter nearby, "and a basin of water."


    Hoyo and Kassandra exchanged glances, both visibly puzzled by Ludwig''s request. Yet, they stayed silent, trusting him to handle the situation. They know Ludwig is pretty capable, and though he never told them of his origin or family, he showed nothing that would indicate that he comes from a poor background. So perhaps he might be able to navigate through this ordeal.


    "We believe that noble customs often evolve, and some of the current ones are¡­ outdated" Ludwig began as the servants scurried to fetch the requested items. "In our traditions, emphasis is placed on cleanliness, efficiency, and presentation. The way a meal is served reflects the host''s refinement and care for their guests."


    "And how do your traditions differ from ours?" the Urbaf patriarch asked, his tone curious yet faintly skeptical.


    "The difference lies in attention to detail," Ludwig replied, arranging the utensils before him. "For example, utensils are laid out in the order they are to be used, starting from the outermost and progressing inward with each course. Meals are served in stages, ensuring that the table remains organized and the food fresh."


    "An interesting notion," the eldest son remarked, his voice tinged with scorn. "But is such meticulousness really necessary?" he tried to jab at Ludwig for being overly complex.


    "Only if one values dignity and decorum at the dining table," Ludwig replied smoothly, his tone polite but firm. "It prevents unnecessary mess and ensures a more enjoyable experience for all."


    The servants returned with the requested items. Ludwig rolled up his sleeves, washed his hands in the basin, and dried them with a clean cloth. "Cleanliness is paramount," he explained. "One should always clean their hands before handling food, as unseen dirt can lead to illness."


    Ludwig then picked up the carving knife and stood, moving to the roasted pig at the center of the table. He inspected it briefly before expertly carving a piece, ensuring each cut was precise and presentable. The room fell silent as everyone watched his deft movements.


    After plating the meat, Ludwig returned to his seat and added a selection of vegetables and bread to his plate. Picking up a fork and knife, he began cutting the meat into small, manageable bites. His movements were deliberate and graceful, exuding a sense of effortless refinement.


    The Urbaf patriarch observed intently, his gaze flicking between Ludwig''s plate and his own grease-smeared hands. "I must admit," Find more to read at My Virtual Library Empire


    "I see, there is truth to what the boy says, using a knife and fork seems far better than using one''s hands or even bread¡­ seems like we''ll be adopting your folk''s method, it does appear more¡­ dignified. "he said.


    The eldest son''s smirk faltered as he noticed his father''s shift in demeanor. "It''s certainly different," he said weakly, attempting to save face.


    "It''s more than different," the patriarch corrected. "It''s practical and far more presentable. Bring me a fork, a knife, and a basin of water," he ordered the servants. "I''d like to try this method myself."


    Which directly translate to, ''everyone should do the same''


    The command set off a ripple effect across the table. Each of the Urbafs followed suit, requesting utensils and water. Even the skeptical noblewoman who had issued the initial challenge now appeared curious.


    Hoyo gave Ludwig a slight nod of approval, though his expression remained serious.


    To Ludwig however, this was far from the more stern and complicated way of eating that was ingrained in him since young.


    Ludwig returned to his meal, suppressing a smirk. The dynamic at the table had shifted¡ªwhat began as a subtle attempt to mock him had turned into a lesson in refinement, with Ludwig firmly in control of the narrative.


    This should be enough to drop the haughtiness of the nobles a bit. After all, for them appearance is everything, and the one they brought to their table though looked like a couple of ignorant students showed them a new way of life. They couldn''t help but respect them whether they liked it or not.


    As the table settled into an uneasy civility, the patriarch leaned back in his chair, his expression turning serious. "Now that we''ve attended to the meal, I''d like to discuss what happened with Alva yesterday."


    Ludwig carefully placed his utensils to the side, dabbing his mouth with a napkin. "Certainly," he said. "Though it is generally impolite to discuss grave matters during a meal, a father''s concern for his daughter takes precedence."


    This is what Ludwig calls a compliment sandwich, it is something his father taught him. You insult someone or point out their error but at the same time you point out something good. They can''t take it as an insult but can''t take it as a compliment either and will feel unable to react to it properly.


    The eldest son scoffed, he felt that his father was wronged, but the father having lived longer and experienced more snapped him a sharp glare that silenced him.


    "Please continue," the patriarch said. "You will not be interrupted again."


    Ludwig nodded. "Alva displayed remarkable courage and strength yesterday. She fought alongside me against the Djinn and played a crucial role in ensuring the safety of many lives."


    The eldest son couldn''t contain his disbelief. "Strength? Alva? Surely you jest¡ª"


    "Enough," the patriarch snapped, cutting him off. "Master Ludwig has earned the right to speak without interruption. Do it once again and you shall be moved from the table!"


    The eldest couldn''t help but lower his head in shame.


    Ludwig''s tone remained steady, but his words carried weight. "It''s easy to dismiss the actions of others when you weren''t there to witness them. But I assure you, Alva''s bravery was real. She took down three Djinn herself and proved invaluable in combating the threat."


    The patriarch''s expression softened, though his sons exchanged uneasy glances. "You speak highly of her," he said.


    "Because it''s the truth," Ludwig replied. "As for what happened yesterday was unfortunate. As a member of the Black Tower academy I realized that there was a profane ritual going on, so I had to act, especially after one of my friends was affected, Alva saw the need to assist everyone and came with me."


    "I see," the patriarch said thoughtfully. "Still, it is surprising to see someone so young as yourself involved in such matters. Aren''t those the robes of a freshman? One would think such tasks would be beyond your station."


    Ludwig didn''t miss the subtle insinuation. He met the patriarch''s gaze evenly. "Ordinarily, you''d be correct," Ludwig said, "But I''m not someone else. I''m Ludwig Heart, the Only Disciple of Bastos Van Dijk, the Tower Master of the Black Tower¡­ killing a few terrorist Djinns and saving a city is the least I can do. And I''m not being gallant or proud, if I didn''t have the ability, I wouldn''t be worthy of being his disciple after all¡­"


    At times, one needed to be arrogant especially when with nobles.


    The table fell into stunned silence. The name Bastos Van Dijk carried immense weight¡ª Bastos Van Dijk, the Fiend, and the immortal mage, an Eight Tier mage that everyone in the land of Lufondal know of, the most mysterious yet most prominent of mages on this land, a man that could be called a national deterrent adopted Ludwig as his disciple? Then the value of Ludwig immediately soared up.


    The patriarch recovered first, his tone shifting to one of reverence. "Well, that changes everything. Ludwig Heart¡­ I heard rumors about Van Dijk being present and speaking to you, but now that the rumors are confirmed, I have to say what I needed. So, Ludwig, what do you think of my daughter? I''m willing to wed her to you if you wish." S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The proposal landed like a thunderclap. Hoyo spat his drink across the table, while Kassandra choked on her water, her coughs echoing in the stunned silence.


    Ludwig raised a brow, his calm demeanor unshaken. "I believe," he said slowly, "it would be wise to finish discussing yesterday''s events before entertaining such¡­ ambitious propositions."

 Chapter 111 Compromise

    "I shouldn''t assume that you are uninterested in my daughter then," the house head said, his voice even, though the weight of his words carried unmistakable intent."As I mentioned earlier," Ludwig replied, his tone measured and deliberate, "it''s far too early for such discussions. We''ve only just met, and jumping straight into talks of marriage seems premature. While I appreciate the goodwill you''ve shown, such decisions require time, understanding, and mutual agreement."


    The house head''s expression flickered with faint surprise at Ludwig''s response. He had likely expected either excitement or hesitation, not the poised dismissal of a boy who appeared far more collected than his years.


    Before he could reply, one of the wives seized the moment, her tone honeyed but sharp enough to cut. "We simply wish to elevate your position within society, dear. While you certainly have a refined and rather¡­ intriguing presence, the Heart family remains a mystery to us. Please don''t take offense; we only wish to better understand you."


    Ludwig''s expression didn''t change, but inwardly he noted the bait for what it was. A veiled insult wrapped in curiosity. They weren''t just testing his patience¡ªthey were probing his background, trying to gauge the depth of his roots and connections. A less experienced guest might have leaped to defend their family or retaliate in anger, playing right into their hands. But in this world the only Heart is Ludwig, who ironically has no heart.


    He smiled politely. "If it''s social standing you''re concerned about, shouldn''t it be the other way around, my lady?" he countered smoothly. "After all, even if I hail from a humble background, did you perhaps forget whose disciple I am?"


    if they wanted a dick-measuring contest, Ludwig wasn''t too afraid of swinging his massive shlong called Van Dijk.


    The tension at the table shifted tangibly. Her lips parted slightly, her carefully rehearsed composure faltering. The reminder was potent, leaving no room for doubt about Ludwig''s place in the grander hierarchy. If these people thought they could question his worth, they had miscalculated.


    The patriarch quickly interjected with a hearty laugh, sensing the need to diffuse the awkwardness. "Indeed, who are we to question the disciple of Bastos Van Dijk? It would be our honor to have any association with you. Let us move away from this topic, shall we?"


    Ludwig inclined his head. "As you wish."


    The table settled momentarily, though the tension lingered in the air. The patriarch, likely eager to salvage the atmosphere, shifted to a different subject. "My daughter spoke highly of your swordsmanship. She mentioned you demonstrated remarkable skill in the battle yesterday. I must admit, this intrigues me. My eldest son Dross, unfortunately not present today, would relish the opportunity to spar with someone of your talent. Would you do us the honor of meeting him?"


    ''Ah, so the eldest isn''t the arrogant fool sitting here,'' Ludwig mused, glancing briefly at the smug-faced second son who had done little more than taunt and sneer throughout the meal.


    "I''ve heard impressive things about your eldest son," Ludwig replied diplomatically. "An aura user at such a young age is certainly a rare achievement."


    One of the wives straightened in her seat, her chest puffing with pride. Her reaction confirmed her status as the eldest son''s mother. By contrast, the other wife''s expression remained composed, though her tightly clasped hands betrayed simmering emotions beneath the surface.


    ''A house divided,'' Ludwig noted silently. The subtext in their interactions painted a clear picture. The eldest son, Dross, was their pride and joy, the epitome of noble expectations. Alva, meanwhile, was viewed as a secondary asset, valuable only insofar as she could be married off to strengthen alliances.


    "Yes, Dross has always been exceptional," the proud wife interjected. "He was even compared to Joana Munster in her youth."


    Ludwig''s brow arched subtly. ''Joana? My sword teacher? That''s an interesting connection.''


    "Although my sister here tried, she has yet to present us a male heir to compete. I''m afraid she''d be too old to even give birth anymore now, but her daughter is still pretty enough to topple a nation, it is a shame that this wedding wasn''t happening."


    Three stabs at her sister wife in the same sentence. ''Man, nobles sure have it rough talking normally¡­''


    The other wife remained silent, her face carefully neutral. But Ludwig could sense the tension radiating from her, an undercurrent of resentment likely born from years of unspoken rivalry.


    Ludwig understood from this exchange a few things, the first wife was the mother of these four snobs. While the other wife only gave birth to Alva. Alva being the only daughter makes her a strong and precious bargaining chip, and at the same time will always be inferior to the others since she was born as female.


    This isn''t modern age where one''s rights are better preserved and everyone has a better opportunity to express themselves. This is a medieval world. Women are only treated to the ability they present. Oppression and exclusion is paramount here, and for Alva to have a say in her life she needs to become something much more, the only issue is that her eldest brother had created a ceiling so high for her to breach through that it was no wonder Hoyo called her a tragic woman.


    Without endless effort and a great deal of luck, her life will always be bound, she will be nothing more than a bargaining chip to be used by nobles. A shitty way to live.


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    "You''re giving Alva far too little credit," Ludwig said suddenly, cutting through the unspoken animosity. His words drew the attention of everyone at the table. "Speaking of which, where is she?"


    "She''s still recovering," the first wife said dismissively, only for her response to be interrupted by a voice from the doorway.


    "I apologize for my late arrival."


    All heads turned as Alva entered the room. Dressed in an elegant gown that complemented her noble heritage, her appearance was a stark contrast to the disheveled warrior Ludwig had fought alongside the previous day. Her hair, no longer tied back in a utilitarian ponytail, flowed freely down her back, framing her delicate features. She moved with measured grace, though Ludwig noticed the exhaustion in her eyes, barely concealed by makeup.


    "Ah, you''re finally done prettying up," her father remarked, his tone dismissive, as though her appearance was an obligation rather than a choice.


    "Too bad your would-be husband refused," the second son sneered, his words dripping with mockery.


    Alva froze momentarily, her eyes narrowing in confusion. "Husband?"


    "It was just a passing suggestion," her father said quickly, gesturing for her to take a seat. "Come, join us."


    The only available seat was beside Ludwig. She hesitated briefly before taking it, her movements careful and reserved.


    "Ludwig commended your abilities in battle," the patriarch said, attempting to steer the conversation. "He seems to hold you in high regard."


    Alva''s head dipped slightly, her expression shadowed by embarrassment. She remembered the events of the previous day all too well¡ªthe moments of weakness, her eventual rally, and finally, her collapse. Ludwig had carried the burden of the battle alone, ensuring her survival while fending off overwhelming odds.


    Ludwig noticed her discomfort and decided to intervene. "Alva is still young," he said, his voice steady and reassuring. "As am I. Comparing us to those with decades of experience is neither fair nor productive. Growth takes time, and potential should never be underestimated."


    The patriarch nodded thoughtfully. "That is why Alva, like Dross, was given three years at the White Tower Academy to prove herself. If she fails to achieve notable success within that time, she will return home."


    Ludwig''s jaw tightened. The ultimatum was clear: succeed or be relegated to a life dictated by others. The weight of expectation hung heavily over Alva, her every step shadowed by the towering achievements of her eldest brother.


    "Three years is more than enough time," Ludwig said, his words carrying a quiet conviction. "From what I''ve seen, Alva has the potential to achieve greatness."


    Alva''s gaze flickered toward him, her expression a mixture of surprise and gratitude. She didn''t understand why Ludwig was defending her, but in that moment, his words felt like a lifeline.


    The table fell silent, the weight of Ludwig''s declaration settling over them. For the first time, Alva felt a glimmer of hope¡ªa reminder that her story was far from over. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 112 A Hairy Encounter

    The conversation around the table dragged on, a delicate dance of thinly veiled barbs and hollow niceties. It was a performance in hypocrisy, vanity dressed as courtesy, and Ludwig couldn''t help but marvel at how universal this behavior seemed, whether here in Lufondal or back on Earth. Nobles had a way of speaking volumes while saying absolutely nothing of substance.Ludwig had done his part, engaging enough to hold their interest while keeping his disdain for the game well hidden behind polite smiles and measured words. The experience left a bitter taste in his mouth, but it wasn''t new. It was just another day in the world of power and pretense.


    Finally, after an eternity, Ludwig and his companions excused themselves. "Unfortunately, we must return to the academy," Ludwig said, his tone as polite as ever.


    "Do you know? It is a shame to see you leave, I had hoped you would stay for the day," the host said.


    "We have exams soon, and we need to be well rested once they start, I appreciate the hospitality though it would be much better to be informed next time, I thought I was going to have to fight my way through your knights." Ludwig laughed.


    "Ah, once again I apologize for the discourtesy my knights had shown, we will escort you back to the teleportation gates then," he said.


    "No, we need to head back to the inn, we still have some of our belongings there," Ludwig said.


    "Then the inn it is," he said and gave a command to one of the servants. Find more chapters on My Virtual Library Empire


    Soon, Ludwig''s group left on the same carriage that brought them in, this time the banner of the Urbaf House fluttered above them and in the hands of a few of the riders.


    "So¡­" Hoyo said. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "So¡­" Kassandra also added.


    "What?" Ludwig questioned.


    "What was all that about?" Hoyo said in a hushed tone hoping that his words won''t be heard by the riders next to the carriage.


    "What do you mean?" Ludwig asked.


    "Well, everything, I mean, the way you ate, the way you spoke, and how you were adamantly defending Alva. Did you fall in love or something?" Hoyo said.


    Ludwig gave him the ''the hell you on about,'' look. And then explained. "I didn''t like it," he said.


    "What didn''t you like?" Kassandra asked. "You seemed pretty practiced for such things."


    "The way they were behaving, treating us as pawns, I don''t like that, I respect power but would never bow down to it," Ludwig said. He came from power and influence after all, and knows very well that the moment you let your guard down around people of his circle, he''ll be eaten up and spat faster than one could blink.


    "What abut all that food things¡­" Hoyo said. I''m sure as hell that you''re not a noble, you don''t act or speak like them¡­ well, you did so perfectly earlier somehow."


    Ludwig sighed, shaking his head. "I''ve been around people like them before mostly in the academy. Let''s just say I know how to deal with them."


    Hoyo tilted his head, unconvinced. "You didn''t just deal with them; you outplayed them. That etiquette lesson? The way you handled their jabs? You made them look like amateurs. Where''d you learn all that?"


    "I had a lot of practice," Ludwig replied vaguely. "The rest is just common sense."


    "Common sense?" Kassandra repeated with a laugh. "You call pulling a dining masterclass out of thin air ''common sense''? I''ve never seen anyone handle nobles like that, not even the professors at the academy."


    "Which is pretty impressive," Hoyo said, "First the King''s Gambit, and now dining etiquettes and speech control, one would honestly have a hard time believing you to be anything but a noble, but still, the way you talk with us is proof that you''re anything but."


    "You make it sound like I''m some sort of thug," Ludwig said.


    "Yep. Definitely a thug¡­ good looking one though," Kassandra chirped in.


    Ludwig could only sigh at his friends and watched as the scenery slowly changed.


    Once they were at the inn, the innkeeper was the first to meet them, "Are you all good?" he asked.


    "Oh, thank you for worrying," Ludwig said.


    "Who said I was worried," the innkeeper replied immediately. For a burly looking man like him he sure was gentle. A Tsundere what they call them.


    Ludwig smiled, "I saw that you were about to bash a few heads in with your dough-roller. Thanks for that, but there was nothing serious, they just wanted to talk."


    "I see, do you boys¡­ and girl, need some food?" he asked.


    "Sadly we were stuffed full, but I wouldn''t mind some good beer to down some of the grease."


    "Grease? This early in the day, poor lads you had it rough, Vinni, get me some warm beer for these boys."


    "Do you not have anything cold¡­" Hoyo complained.


    "Beer is best served warm, if you want cold beer you can go have it somewhere else!" the innkeeper replied sternly and protectively.


    "Did you not know, that cold beer numbs the taste buds and mask the flavors of a well-crafted brew? A fine beer should be served warm." Ludwig explained.


    "Ah, the boy knows his stuff, for you, your drink is free!" the innkeeper smiled at Ludwig.


    The group sat on their table and began having their drinks while Vinni presented his unique catch phrase "Here''s some Bear Deer," which was awkward but seemed to grow on the people of the inn.


    The patrons of the inn were eyeing their group a bit too much, and you could still hear from the whispers that they were talking about the events of yesterday.


    "We really just became the talk of town," Hoyo said.


    "What do you mean we, it''s all Ludwig," she said as she drank from her own mug.


    "I''m not a big fan of it, too much attention sucks," he said.


    The group continued on until later in the afternoon where Ludwig had to leave.


    "Where are you going?" Hoyo asked.


    "Back to the academy," Ludwig said.


    "Already? The day is not over, we still didn''t get to fully explore the Mage Masquerade, the event hasn''t ended yet." Kassandra said, "There is still a dance and a firework at the end¡­" she said her eyes looking like a puppy begging for a treat.


    ''did she want to see the fireworks or maybe dance that bad?''


    "As much as I want to, I was asked by Master Van Dijk to present myself as soon as possible. Please have fun in my stead. I need to go and meet him." Ludwig explained.


    Disappointment was clear in their eyes, but they couldn''t say anything, "Also here," Ludwig said as he placed one of the two pouches of gold he now has in their table, "Get me something from the event," Ludwig said.


    "What about you?" Hoyo said, "Isn''t that all the money Master Van Dijk gave you?"


    "Don''t worry about it," Ludwig said, he wasn''t about to tell them that he received the missing portion of the money yesterday. "Have fun on my behalf," He said and left.


    Ludwig wandered through the streets of Rima, heading toward the central square where the teleportation to the academy was.


    But as he was moving past the streets he noticed a small alleyway that had a single store deep inside it.


    The store itself looked old and poorly maintained, but there was a potion sign on top of it.


    Ludwig remembered how he was desperately in need of potions when he was fighting, and wouldn''t mind precuring a few potions in case of emergency they could save him in a time of need.


    Just as Ludwig was about to enter the store, the door opened, "Thank you for your visit," he heard from inside the store as a tall man emerged out.


    Ludwig instantly froze as he saw the man''s eyes. Yellow, almost piss like. They were the first thing that brought attention to this man, while the rest of his body was covered in a long coat. A top-hat was neatly positioned above his head. The hair on his visible body was incredibly thick. But what got Ludwig completely stunned was the thing hanging from the side of his belt.


    A Soul letting lantern.


    "What? You look like you saw a monster?" the man said.

 Chapter 113 Fetch Quest

    Ludwig''s entire body was in a state of petrification, fear was clawing at him, indescribable terror was washing over his body over and over like a tidal wave when he saw the terrifying grin of the creature in front of him.He couldn''t mistake him for anyone else than the very creature that he had seen in the mask''s vision.


    Seeing the hanging lantern on his side only further confirmed his suspicion.


    The lantern however was far dimmer, to the point Ludwig believed it was not even functional at all. But this thing was definitely the werewolf that showed the Sheikh how he could become immortal.


    "Cat got your tongue? Get out the way, boy," the man said.


    "Oh, my bad," Ludwig stammered as he replied.


    "It''s rude to stare you know¡­"


    "Yeah, I was just a bit surprised, you''re pretty tall you know," Ludwig said.


    The man grinned and patted Ludwig on the shoulder, "You too will grow to be taller, don''t rush it," he said and moved away from Ludwig''s side whistling an ominous tune.


    Ludwig''s heart thumped loudly in his neck, though he had no heart.


    He was tempted to take another look at the man and [Inspect] him.


    [Your Inspection ability has been sealed for the next 30 seconds!]


    But that notification was enough for him to understand that even Necros didn''t want him to do it. A dumb idea, incredibly so, if Ludwig were to inspect that man, he''d definitely realize it and take him out.


    Ludwig walked inside the store, and only then did the ominous tune dissipate in the distance.


    Inside the store, several hundred potions of all shapes, sizes and colors were placed neatly on shelves all over the store.


    And in the center was a desk that was packed full of documents and empty and half consumed potions. Behind it was a short young woman who didn''t seem to be older than the age of ten.


    The young girl was meticulously separating and organizing the potions and documents while writing notes at the same time. She had overly large and thick glasses, and freckles that covered almost all her face.


    Her red hair cascaded all over her body, almost covering her whole.


    While her arms were wrapped in bandages from the tips of her fingers to her shoulders.


    "Greetings," she said as she took note of Ludwig. "A student of the Black Tower academy. What can I do for you, lad?" she asked.


    Ludwig was a bit surprised by her speech manners, she talked too big for her age, but he knew he couldn''t trust his undead eyes, after all, for someone to handle the creature that just walked out, they couldn''t be normal.


    "Ah, I need potions," Ludwig said.


    "That''s a bit obvious, since this is an alchemy store and all, what do you need? Health potion? Mana potion? Aphrodisiacs? You name it, I have it." She declared proudly.


    "Well, for starts, I need good health and mana potions,"


    "I see that you''re a novice. But each potion is different, they all have quality to them, alchemy and all, so although you have your needs do you have what it requires to obtain them?" she said.


    "I have a thousand Krona," Ludwig immediately replied understanding her intention."


    She flashed him a wide beaming smile. "That changes things then, let me help you out, "she said and jumped down from a stool she was standing on.


    She scurried around the store, grabbing a few potions, then pointed up, "Be a lad and grab the third one from the left," she said.


    Ludwig noticed that she was pointing at a potion that was slightly out of reach for her. So he grabbed it for her and handed it over.


    She placed all the potions she obtained on the desk and jumped back on her stool, "Now, these two here are greater Health Potions, they should be able to cure all sort of physical damage, from broken bones to blood loss and open wounds. Do you know how to apply them?" she asked.


    "I guess drinking them?" Ludwig said.


    "Well, that is an option, but only if you have a stomach of steel. Regardless, drinking potions is usually most effective, but what you should do is you pour half the content on the wound, and drink the rest. Injuries are not always visible, thus the drinking part, they also help regenerate your blood. While mana potions on the other hand are always to be drunk."


    "I see, I don''t know which potions I need¡­ but just things that any mercenary or adventurer would want to have with them," Ludwig said.


    "Hmm, mercenaries usually spend a good deal of money on potions, since their trade requires it. I''d recommend you buy something less eye catching, a normal potion to help heal minor wounds, after all you''re a student there is no need for you to get something too expensive and eye-catching."


    "I''m going to be venturing solo for a bit, so I need all the help I can get," Ludwig explained.


    She thought for a moment and just as she was about to recommend something.


    "Do you have something like this?" Ludwig asked, as he showed her a small potion vial. The one that he obtained from Sirou.


    "Oh, a Diluted Dynamic Potion, those are pricey," she said in a grimace.


    "How pricey?" Ludwig asked, since it was diluted, it shouldn''t be that expensive.


    "About ten," she said.


    "Ten? Krona?" Ludwig tilted his head, that''s not that bad.


    "Oh, no ten thousand golden Krona, they''re Dynamic potions that have a mix of Mana, Health, Stamina, and mental recovery. They''re very rare, and hard to make."


    That gave Ludwig a little pause, for Sirou to give him something like that without batting an eye easily means that he was loaded.


    "It takes too much effort and too many materials to create something like that, I know since I''m the creator of that potion," she declared proudly.


    "I guess I can''t have it for a cheaper price. What a shame," Ludwig sighed.


    "Well, I can make it for you if you bring me the materials. The one you drank is diluted, I can make you a pure one. But I doubt you''ll ever need it, it''s just too powerful, but you can dilute it to have ten different potions like the one you had."


    Ludwig thought for a moment and said, "I can''t promise anything, but what are the ingredients needed?" he asked. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh, a frost Troll''s blood, a forest Troll''s blood, orc''s liver, a couple strands of Flaming Lilies, and ten grams of fairy dust. All the ingredients are not hard to obtain, but the flaming Lilies and the Fairy Dust are the hardest to get." She said.


    Ludwig was about to note down the ingredients when a notification appeared in front of him.


    [Fetch Quest]


    Difficulty E


    Obtain the following items to acquire the Dynamic Potion.


    [1 Liter of Frost Troll''s Blood]


    [1 Liter of Forest Troll''s Blood]


    [1 complete Orc Liver.]


    [2 strands of Flaming Lilies]


    [10 grams of Fairy Dust]


    Information regarding the habitat of all the ingredients has been added to your bestiary.


    failure to achieve the quest has no consequences.

 Chapter 114 Rage of a Master

    "Right," Ludwig said, "I''ll try and fetch those whenever I can. As for now I need potions to use immediately," Ludwig said."For a thousand Kronas, I''d recommend these," she said as she pointed Ludwig to three sets of potions.


    Three blue ones, three red, and three green.


    Ludwig could immediately tell which is which.


    "I even added flavor to them, since they''re usually bitter, they''re now Raspberry, Blueberry and lemon-Mint respectfully." She said in a beaming smile.


    "I don''t need the stamina ones," Ludwig said, "I''ll just get the others," Ludwig said.


    "Hmm, stamina potions are usually the most sought, since people tend to avoid being injured or mana sapped, but stamina is what they can''t help but waste. But hey, who am I to judge, the client is king," she said as she removed the stamina potions, "Your total is 450 Kronas," she said.


    "Thank you," Ludwig said, he didn''t know if he was being scammed or not, or if this was the right price, so he handed her the amount immediately and took the potions in his ring.


    "Stay safe!" she said as Ludwig was leaving the store.


    Ludwig walked out of the store and headed to the teleportation sector, but just as he arrived there, a hand touched his shoulder.


    Turning, he saw Van Dijk who seemed to have had no sleep, but at the same time didn''t look exhausted one bit.


    "I can smell the wafting aroma of potions on you," Van Dijk said.


    "Yes, since we were planning on going to the bog, I wanted to prepare," Ludwig said.


    "You think that I''d leave my disciple without potio-" Van Dijk''s words stalled for a second, and almost immediately Ludwig felt an aura of incredible danger emanating from him.


    [You Are In a Hostile Environment!]


    "Ludwig¡­ I''ll ask you a question, and you better answer me honestly," Van Dijk said.


    His face was contorting, shivering even, and his pupils were widening, waning between black and red, as if trying to hold a beast from coming outside.


    "Who did you meet today?" S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I guess I know what you mean, you''re talking about the werewolf?" Ludwig said.


    Van Dijk''s hand which was on Ludwig''s shoulder tightened.


    [Your Shoulder has dislocated]


    -180hp


    Ludwig''s left arm went limp. Though he didn''t experience any pain, the look on Van Dijk''s face was enough to tell that he was not playing games.


    "Speak¡­ in detail!" he iterated.


    Mana like nothing Ludwig had seen before began radiating from Van Dijk, who seemed desperate in trying to keep it contained.


    This was unbridled rage.


    "I met him some time ago, probably about half an hour at most, at a Potion Store back in an ally over there," Ludwig pointed with his still functional arm.


    "Stay here," Van Dijk said, and immediately burst out into tens of thousands of small bats that spread all over the city like a massive cloud.


    The people around the teleportation gate immediately ran away in fear, and a few guards came rushing toward Ludwig.


    "What''s going on here?" one of the guards asked.


    Almost immediately three knights rushed in, one of them was Banner, and two other knights with him that Ludwig recognized.


    "Oh, it''s the boy from yesterday," one of Banner''s companions said.


    "What''s going on here?" Banner asked, until he noticed Ludwig''s shoulder which was out of place.


    "What happened to you? Did a Djinn do this?" Banner asked as he pointed at Ludwig''s shoulder.


    Ludwig finally took a better look at his shoulder and simply popped it back in place. Causing everyone around him to cringe from the audible sound of bone snapping back in place.


    "Hah, little monster, that would make me at least wince," Banner said, "But tell me what''s with this malicious-looking aura and magic?" he asked.


    "My master, he got in a pretty bad mood, I don''t know the reason, but he''ll be back soon," Ludwig explained.


    Banner sighed, "Tell the squad to uphold order, nothing to see here, it''s just an angry mage. He won''t cause trouble when the Lord is here, I hope," Banner said.


    After what seemed to be a very long time, the cloud of bats soon gathered and amassed itself back in the square right next to Ludwig.


    "Ahem," Van Dijk said as he realized that everyone was looking at him.


    "It seems that there was a rabid dog here in the city. I followed his tracks, but he had already left¡­" Van Dijk said.


    "Do I need to call lord Sirou?" Banner asked.


    "No need, the thing I was looking for has already left," Van Dijk said in an annoyed manner, he seemed frustrated.


    "Ludwig," he said, "You need to have a way to contact me when things like this happen again, you could have died without even realizing it."


    "It sure felt like it, he was terrifying," Ludwig said.


    "What did you notice about him?" Van Dijk said as he pulled Ludwig to the side, "Tell me every boring little detail," he said in all seriousness.


    Ludwig began describing the encounter, and all that the man said and the exact location and what he wore.


    And after he was done though he didn''t have much to say, he asked, "Is there history between you?"


    "History? Nah, there is only blood. Bad, nefarious, filthy blood. Regardless, as frustrating as it is, chasing after him is pointless right now. I placed some eyes in Rima, if he ever comes back, I''ll handle it."


    "Would it be bad if we go back to the potion store and ask the store owner what he sold to him? Wouldn''t that help us at least know his objective or where he''s going?" Ludwig asked.


    "Hah, you can go and do that, but if you die don''t blame me. There are things you should know, and things you shouldn''t, and then there are things you should fear, and things you must never disturb, as for that shop owner, she is all of them. Act rudely to her or her customers¡­ well, all I can say is, she is someone even I don''t want to fight unless I have to."


    Ludwig gulped down hard, that young ten-year-old?


    "Huh, you must be confused about her. But polymorph is their best magic. So don''t treat her as a young girl, or else you''ll be devoured."


    "You make her sound like she is some sort of dragon," Ludwig said.


    "I knew you were smart," Van Dijk snickered, "Follow me, we''ll be going to the bog earlier than we expected."

 Chapter 115 A Bargain

    Ludwig followed closely behind Van Dijk who at first didn''t go through the teleportation gate, but headed down a street where several stalls were setup.From afar it would feel like Van Dijk and Ludwig were still interested in the event, but the Tower Master had other ideas.


    "You see, it''s far cheaper to get a communication device from here than the Gray Tower. Those guys do create superior and far more advanced versions of it, but they are absurdly overpriced," Van Dijk said as he stood in front of a stall that was selling all sorts of trinkets.


    The stall was just one of many, lined up all the way along the street. Each was selling something different, from potions that looked oddly discolored, armors that had more holes and cracks in them that would make one question if they were any useful. Weapons, of all types, swords daggers and bows and the like, most cracked, broken or barely in a functional condition.


    "Flea Market," Ludwig said.


    "Flea Market? Fitting name, most clothes here are riddled with fleas, but yes, this is a market of used stuff, though I''d get you a better communication device once I have the time, for now we need something we can use and for cheap. I don''t plan on spending 100,000 Kronas today." Van Dijk said.


    Just then, the two stopped in front of a stall that was selling mechanical creation, one of them was an item Ludwig recognized, a Spy Bird, the same one Bron used on him back at the academy when they were clearing the Lizardman Pseudo Dungeon.


    But this one was too fractured and damaged. Next to it, were several crystals that seemed to be barely functional, Van Dijk was inspecting them to see which of was usable.


    While Van Dijk was checking out the items, Ludwig took note of the stall right next to it. A bored looking young man was sitting behind the stall on a chair with both legs on top of the table. He was lazily cleaning the grim under his fingernail with an old looking pocket knife.


    Not caring much for what was being sold or if he had any clients. Not that anyone would stand in his stall since most of his items looked in horrible condition but for a few.


    The stall had several weapons on display, the pretty looking ones, shiny looking swords and armors.


    Ludwig inspected one of them.


    [Long Sword (Overly Sharpened)]


    Category: Weapon.


    Damage: 60-90


    Durability 20/100


    [This weapon had been sharpened and polished to the point that its integrity has been compromised. It wouldn''t be a wonder if it breaks upon the first hit. This is more usable as a decoration than a weapon of war]


    The description was almost the same for all the pieces of gear. Overly shiny and cleaned up pieces of gear that had no real value or efficiency. Useless pieces of gear.


    The stall table itself looked in a shabby state, enough that it was no wonder that this man had no clients. One man came in to check up on one of the shiny swords, he took a glance at the weapon and immediately put it back.


    "Oi, if you''re buying don''t go on touching merchandise!" the man behind the stall shouted. Which only further pushed the clients away.


    Ludwig was about to look away, seeing how rude the seller was. But something caught his eyes.


    A long piece of black metal seemed to be used to balance the stall since one of its feet looked to be shorter than the others.


    He was using this piece of crude black metal as a support.


    Ludwig inspected it out of curiosity since it was shaped into the shape of a sword.


    [Broken Fragment of the Cursed Sword Durandal]


    Tier: Undefined / Relic - Scaling Tier


    Condition of Use: Undefined


    Category: Weapon


    Type: Fragmented Blade


    Damage: 1-2 (Base)


    Skills: [Weight of the Universe]


    The fragment of the Cursed Sword Durandal remains partially unsealed. Though bound by the laws of the world, it retains a trace of its original power. Once the conditions of use are met, the fragment will increase its weight proportionally to the user''s strength. This ability hints at the limitless potential the sword once held.


    [Current Unsealed Weight]: 5kg


    Additional abilities and details will be revealed once the requirements are fulfilled. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lore:


    The Cursed Sword of Durandal was forged by Vulkan, the God-Smith, in his pursuit of crafting the ultimate weapon¡ªone sharp enough to cleave the heavens, durable enough to withstand eternity, and strong enough to bear the weight of the universe itself. To achieve this, Vulkan journeyed into the heart of a black hole, where time and matter twisted under unimaginable gravity. For eons, he hammered, folded, and shaped a material birthed in the singularity, imbuing it with the essence of infinite density.


    When completed, Durandal was unmatched, capable of feats beyond mortal comprehension. However, such power came with a price. The sword was used to slay the very entity that created it¡ªcausing the weapon itself to self-curse, making it unusable for any and all mortals. No living being can ever handle this weapon.


    In time, the sword was shattered by unknown means, its fragments scattered. With each piece retaining a sliver of its former glory and the full burnt of its curse. This particular fragment, although nothing but a shadow of its original, still possesses the overwhelming potential to alter one''s fate.


    "


    ***


    ''What¡­ the¡­ fuck?''


    If Ludwig had real eyes, they''d be bulging out by now.


    ''Isn''t this basically an op weapon? Like, am I crazy?'' he talked to himself. ''This is the type of shit that main characters should have no? Why the hell is this being used to support a fucking stall?''


    "Why are you staring? You buying or not?" the rude seller woke Ludwig up from his thoughts.


    This caught Van Dijk''s eyes by surprise.


    "Eh, yeah, this piece of iron," Ludwig said as he pointed down. "I wanna buy it." Ludwig said.

 Chapter 116 Know Thine Worth

    The man removed his feet from the stall and looked over to where Ludwig was pointing."Hah? Are you mad? That''s just something I use to¡­ A thousand Kronas." The man stopped himself from potentially losing a ''stupid'' costumer.


    Ludwig was about to pay it instantly, but he needed to make sure his expression was natural.


    "Isn''t that too much for something you''re using to support your stall? I''ll give you two hundred," Ludwig said.


    Your adventure continues at My Virtual Library Empire


    "What are you doing?" Van Dijk asked, he seemed to have found something usable.


    "I just found a piece of metal I can use to learn smiting," Ludwig said.


    This confused Van Dijk.


    The young man went around, -raised with extreme difficulty- the stall and pulled out the slab of metal, "I knew you had eyes, I don''t know what this was doing here, I mean this is a¡­ fine? Piece of euuuh¡­ black steel, yes, black steel, you have to give me more than two hundred Kronas dear¡­"


    "Let''s go Ludwig, we''re in a hurry, also black steel is usually deep blue, not black," Van Dijk corrected.


    "Fine, two hundred Kronas, hand it over," the seller said.


    Van Dijk sighed, but didn''t want to stop his disciple from making a mistake, it''s still only two hundred Kronas, but if it was all it took to teach his disciple a lesson for not being scammed then its far too cheap a price to pay. He needs to learn that he could get scammed and lied to. No one is honest in the world after all.


    Ludwig handed the two hundred Kronas and grabbed the weapon.


    The man had a wide smirk on his face, "Thank you for your patronage," he said.


    "Oi, what are you doing?" a short statured man soon approached the stall.


    Ludwig grabbed the piece of metal in his hands, and the moment the old man saw it, his eyes widened, "What is that doing here? This was not something that I was selling," the old man said.


    "It''s okay pops. It''s just a piece of metal, I got a hundred for it," the young man said. He cut the price by half, Ludwig further confirmed that this fool was nothing but a sleazy idiot.


    "I''m sorry patrons, you can get something else that you want, but I wasn''t selling that," the old man said.


    Ludwig wasn''t about to give up something this overpowered once he obtained it.


    And Van Dijk, seemed to have realized that something was wrong. He gestured for Ludwig to give him the item.


    Ludwig hesitated for a bit, but if Van Dijk wanted it, nothing could stop him.


    Van Dijk grabbed the fragment, frowned and infused it with his own mana. The power behind his mana was so mighty and powerful that the stall owner fell on his back from fear and terror.


    "Interesting¡­ it''s actively refusing to be imbued, what sort of metal is this¡­" Van Dijk wondered.


    "It''s a Relic," Ludwig said in a hushed tone.


    "Oh, a Relic," Van Dijk said loudly to which the son and father were both surprised, "Seems you got it for a cheap price, you can keep it." Van Dijk said.


    "As I said sir, I''m not selling that," the old man said as he stood up.


    "Yeah, I didn''t know it was a relic, I would have asked for at least twenty thousand!" the young man said.


    "That''s a relic you fool, even a million Krona isn''t enough!" the father said. Who also seemed to have finally realized the truth behind the treasure he had.


    "A deal is a deal, it had been agreed to and confirmed. You have sold it, my disciple had bought it. It is your own fault and mistake for treating gold as dirt. You wouldn''t have ever known what this was if not for my disciple," Van Dijk said. "And if you have a problem with that, then you can come at me."


    "Listen here mister!" the young ma said as he walked up to Van Dijk''s face pointing a finger.


    ''Oh, someone is going to die¡­'' that was the only thought that crossed Ludwig''s mind then.


    "What''s going on here!" one of the guards said as he seemed to have noticed the potent mana discharge from earlier.


    And the moment he saw Van Dijk.


    "Black Tower Master Bastos Van Dijk, I give my greetings to the savior of Lufondal!" he said as he bowed deeply.


    The moment the young man who was pointing his hands at Van Dijk understood what was going on, his finger seemed to deflate and curl back.


    He then began hastily wiping some of the dust off Van Dijk''s robes, "Mister, you wouldn''t need to even pay for this, if I had known I would have given it to you all for free, is that right, father!"


    The father immediately stood up, "Y-yes, for the savior, and the great Tower Master! I would gratefully offer it for free."


    "We''re not hoodlums to take things for free, you have been paid the proper price, Ludwig, let''s go," Van Dijk said as he walked away from the stall.


    "[Cleanse]" Van Dijk said as he was walking away, an aura of magic soon brushed past his clothes making them shinier. "I hate when others touch me." He said in disgust.


    Ludwig had a fear that he might go back and eradicate the two, but thankfully that didn''t happen.


    "Tell me, my boy, how did you recognize that thing? It looks dangerous," Van Dijk said.


    "I don''t know, it called to me I guess," Ludwig lied.


    "I see. Take good care of it, though I don''t know what it can be used for, that thing was able to easily shrug off my magic. Though I didn''t fully try, but it didn''t feel like it tried either. It looks like it was broken off of something. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "A sword," Ludwig said, "This is a fragment of a sword. Thankfully it''s shaped like the edge of a blade, though it looks jagged, it still is sharp."


    "You''d still need to make a hilt and a guard for it, seems like it was broken from the blade."


    Ludwig hesitated on telling him more about it, since no one could actually re-forge or melt this. If what the Lore of the weapon said was true. This thing was forged in the heart of a black hole¡­ yeah, that ain''t happening here.

 Chapter 117 To the Bog of Tibari

    Van Dijk walked purposefully ahead of Ludwig, his long strides making it clear he was deep in thought. His silence was broken as he spoke, his voice steady but with an undercurrent of resolve. "Though it frustrates me that you insist on using metal as your weapon instead of focusing solely on magic, I will not be the one to limit your potential," he began. His tone was thoughtful, almost as though he were deliberating aloud. "But at the same time, I cannot stand by and let you pick up habits carelessly. If you are set on pursuing the dual paths of sword and magic, then you must commit to both with unwavering dedication. I''ll be sure to inform Joana of your newfound enthusiasm for the blade."The gravity of Van Dijk''s words was not lost on Ludwig. He felt a weight settle in his chest, but it was not unpleasant¡ªrather, it was a reminder of the responsibility he bore, not just to himself but to his mentor. Van Dijk''s faith in him was clear, but so too was the warning. The path of both sword and magic was treacherous, and there would be no room for mediocrity.


    "I''ll keep your words in mind, Master," Ludwig replied earnestly, falling into step behind the vampire as they approached the teleportation gate.


    The swirling energies of the portal shimmered like liquid light, and as the two passed through, Ludwig felt the familiar pull of displacement before they reappeared in the Black Tower Academy''s teleportation hub. The hub was a cavernous space, its walls lined with runes that pulsed faintly, maintaining the intricate balance required for teleportation magic.


    "Master Van Dijk," greeted a man in an elaborate mage''s robe, standing near the central orb that controlled the formations. His graying hair and sharp eyes betrayed a lifetime of experience, though he bowed his head deferentially to Van Dijk. "It''s always a pleasure to see you."


    "Good to see you too, Silva," Van Dijk replied with a rare smile.


    Silva chuckled. "Trust me, the pleasure''s mine. The gates to Rima were down for most of the day yesterday, and no one bothered to tell me why. I''ve been half out of my mind thinking something catastrophic happened. What was going on?"


    "Nothing too serious," Van Dijk said, waving a hand dismissively. "Just a profane ritual and a few murders. All handled."


    Silva blinked, clearly startled by the nonchalance of the response. "Just a profane ritual and murders, you say? Well, thank the gods it wasn''t something serious like a broken gate." His sarcasm earned a smirk from Van Dijk. "I take it everything''s back in order, then?"


    "Yes, the situation has been resolved," Van Dijk confirmed.


    Silva nodded in relief but hesitated as if deciding whether to say more. Finally, he leaned in slightly. "By the way. Professor Vastion Oda''Roh has been... let''s say, a bit of a problem lately."


    Van Dijk''s expression darkened immediately. "What''s he done now?"


    Silva lowered his voice. "After hearing that the boy with you left for Rima yesterday, Oda''Roh announced an impromptu pop quiz for all freshmen in his class. He made it clear it would account for ninety percent of their final grade."


    Ludwig''s eyes widened. "Wait, what? That''s¡ªwhy would he¡ª?"


    "One question at a time Ludwig. You sound like a stammering fool." Van Dijk advised.


    "Oh, don''t play dumb," Silva interrupted, grinning slightly. "He was targeting you. You and the two students who were with you yesterday didn''t show up for his quiz."


    Ludwig groaned. "I didn''t even know about it! And why me? I don''t even have any real beef with the guy."


    Van Dijk rubbed his temples, his frustration was evident. "What exactly happened between you and Oda''Roh, Ludwig?"


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    "Nothing," Ludwig insisted, exasperated. "He asked me a few questions in class, I answered, and he said I''d get full marks for the finals that I don''t even need to attend. That''s it. I didn''t even realize it would cause a problem."


    Silva laughed softly. "Full marks for a few answers, eh? Yeah, that would do it. You bruised his pride, boy."


    Van Dijk sighed, shaking his head. "This is ridiculous. Still, don''t worry about it, Ludwig. As I told you before, you''re exempt from the exams due to our mission. I''ll personally file a report with the dean to ensure there''s no confusion."


    Silva raised an eyebrow. "You? Filing a report? Isn''t that a bit beneath someone of your stature, Master Van Dijk?"


    Van Dijk smiled faintly. "Which is exactly why it will have the desired effect. The dean will take it seriously if it comes from me. Regardless of this, inform the Teachers that I''ll be heading to the Bog of Tibari. If I''m not heard of in say seven days, you may come to collect my corpse," he said."


    Silva stepped back. "Fair enough about the report. But are you sure about this trip to the Bog of Tibari? That''s forbidden land for a reason. I could gather a few mercenaries to assist you if¡ª"


    "No need," Van Dijk interrupted firmly. "I''ve lived for more than seven centuries, Silva. If something out there can kill me, mercenaries would only serve as side dish for whatever it is. This is just a reconnaissance mission. Nothing more."


    The older mage sighed heavily, clearly unhappy with the decision but unwilling to argue further. "Very well. I''ll prepare the gate for you." He moved toward the central orb, his hands weaving intricate patterns as he chanted under his breath. The runes on the walls flared brighter, and the air hummed with energy as a new portal began to form.


    The swirling green gateway stabilized its light casting eerie shadows across the hub. Silva turned back to them, his expression grave. "This will take you to the edge of the bog. From there, you''re on your own. Good hunting, Master Van Dijk."


    Van Dijk stepped forward, pausing only to glance back at Ludwig. "Stick close to me, Ludwig. The bog is no place for complacency."


    As Van Dijk disappeared into the portal, Silva placed a hand on Ludwig''s shoulder. "Boy," he said, his tone uncharacteristically serious, "no matter what happens out there, stay by your master''s side. It''s the safest place you''ll find in that cursed land."


    Ludwig nodded, swallowing hard before stepping through the gate. The air shifted around him as the portal''s light engulfed him, and the hub behind him faded away.


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 Chapter 118 Raison Dêtre

    Once Ludwig''s vision returned to normal after the teleportation, he found himself in an eerie, unfamiliar landscape. Broken stone walls, cloaked in thick vines and green moss, sprawled around him, remnants of a civilization long lost to time. The air was heavy with the faint scent of damp earth and decay. Debris from shattered pillars, weathered by centuries of neglect, lay scattered across the basin-like structure where they had landed. Massive cliffs rose on all sides, their jagged edges casting long shadows as the last light of the sun struggled to pierce through.Under their feet, glowing runes¡ªpart of the portal''s intricate magic¡ªflickered faintly before fading away, leaving the air colder and heavier than before.


    "Where is this?" Ludwig asked, his voice echoing softly in the stillness. "I thought we''d be in a marsh or a quagmire."


    "How do you suppose one can build a teleportation gate in the middle of a swamp?" Van Dijk replied with a raised eyebrow.


    "Oh¡­ true," Ludwig admitted sheepishly.


    Van Dijk handed him the crystal he had purchased earlier. "Take this and stay close."


    Ludwig followed Van Dijk, who moved with purpose through the ruins, his every step deliberate as if retracing paths he had walked before. The crumbled remains of the old outpost surrounded them, whispering of a time when this place thrived. Ludwig couldn''t help but glance back as they approached a narrow ravine leading out of the basin.


    "This place¡­ It''s fascinating," Ludwig mused, walking backward to take in the overgrown structures. "It''s almost beautiful, in a way."


    Van Dijk nodded slightly, his tone becoming more contemplative. "This was once an outpost of the people of Tibari. What you see here was part of a dam that once held vast amounts of water, creating a reservoir that sustained their land. Tibari was a marvel¡ªa rich and prosperous nation, untouched by hunger or strife. Their abundance was their strength."


    "I see, their civilization seemed advanced for the age of these stones," Ludwig assumed which received a nod from Van Dijk.


    "They were, with a land full of resources, the people of Tibari were able to live an almost perfect life. if an enemy were to be greedy and try and takeover, they would be eradicated. A rich country feeds its people and cares for them well. Which helps advance their people, if one needs not to worry about his meals he would be more productive and more desperate in trying to upkeep their peace. The nation that was once here, before Lufondal learned that the hard way when they tried to take over Tibari." Van Dijk began explaining about nations long since gone.


    "They fought and lost miserably so, but the people of Tibari didn''t seek revenge, they continued on with their lives. When a nation is well-fed and its people content, its enemies crumble before its might. Why would a dragon care if a fly were to bite its tail?" he added


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    Ludwig raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Then how did they fall?"


    Van Dijk sighed, taking some time to think, "Internal collapse, perhaps. No one knows for sure. Their entire civilization was wiped out in a single night. No survivors, no records. Expeditions into the bog to uncover the truth have yielded little¡ªmost who venture deep either vanish or return empty-handed, or empty-headed¡­" Van Dijk tapped his temple with a finger. Suggesting that whoever managed to return returned in body only¡­


    Ludwig shuddered inwardly at the thought, though his face betrayed no fear. ''That doesn''t bode well, doesn''t that mean we too might just die?'' Ludwig thought, though he still had souls he could use to return, he wasn''t too keen on dying randomly.


    After some time navigating the rocky terrain of the ravine, they emerged to a sight that was both haunting and mesmerizing. The entrance to the bog stretched out before them, a shadowy expanse of twisted willow trees standing sentinel over the mire. Their gnarled roots dug deep into the murky, stagnant water, which emitted a pungent stench of rot and decay. Thick, cloying mist swirled low to the ground, giving the illusion that the bog itself was breathing.


    The sky had fully darkened by now, but neither Ludwig nor Van Dijk was hindered. One was a creature of the night, and the other needed no light to see.


    Ludwig wrinkled his nonexistent nose at the pungent odor. "This place reeks. Are we really going in there?" Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "For an undead you sure complain a lot," Van Dijk smirked and snapped his fingers.


    [You received the buff, Feline Grace.]


    [Your movement speed has increased by 20%. You are immune to slow effects for the duration of the buff or as long as the caster is funneling mana.]


    [Feline Grace is in effect; your feet will not sink into the mud nor be soiled with grime.]


    Ludwig glanced down, realizing that his boots were gliding effortlessly over the muck. "Let me guess¡ªyou just didn''t want to dirty your shoes."


    "You catch on quickly," Van Dijk replied with a grin as he strode ahead, his movements as graceful as ever.


    As they pressed deeper into the bog, Ludwig noticed something odd. One of the willow trees seemed to shudder and twist, its branches swaying unnaturally. He stopped, pointing. "Is it just me, or did that tree move?"


    "No, it definitely moved," Van Dijk replied casually, not even bothering to look. "Remember, this isn''t a natural bog. Think of it as one massive, living organism¡­"


    Ludwig frowned. "Remind me again why we''re here?"


    Van Dijk leaped gracefully onto a patch of firmer ground. "The werewolf knew something about the ritualist back in Rima and the ''immortality'' you claimed he gave to that random nobody was birthed from whatever rules these lands, and if it''s sentient it could answer some of my questions." His voice grew colder. "Especially about that rabid mutt¡­"


    Ludwig hesitated. "You''ve got¡­ history with it, don''t you?"


    "History?" Van Dijk''s laugh was humorless. "Call it a vendetta." He didn''t feel like spilling out his heart to his student. They weren''t that close yet. "Just trust your teacher. That thing needs not to take another breath. Call it my Raison d''¨ºtre. Also, be on your guard, we have company," Van Dijk said


    Ludwig didn''t need Van Dijk''s warning, he had an alert of his own.


    [You''re in a Hostile Environment.]


    The warning flashed in Ludwig''s vision as ripples spread across a stagnant pond ahead of them. The water churned and gurgled, sending small vibrations through the ground beneath their feet. A hulking form emerged, its outline barely visible through the mist.


    At first, it seemed to be a crocodile, but as it fully surfaced, Ludwig''s undead heart would have skipped a beat¡ªif he had one.


    The creature was a grotesque amalgamation of limbs and appendages. Its three heads snapped at the air, their maws filled with uneven rows of jagged teeth, while dozens of writhing tentacles sprouted from its back, dripping with putrid slime. The smell intensified, stinging Ludwig''s senses.


    Van Dijk cracked his neck, his eyes glowing faintly. "Looks like we''ve got company. Care to dance, Ludwig?"


    "Doesn''t look like I have another option does it¡­" Ludwig clenched tight on his ring.

 Chapter 119 A Test

    "I suppose I''d be taking this one by myself," Ludwig muttered, his voice tinged with regret the moment the words left his lips.Van Dijk, who had raised an arm to prepare a spell, paused mid-gesture. His crimson eyes gleamed with amusement as a faint smirk tugged at his lips. "Now that sounds interesting," he mused, stepping back with exaggerated nonchalance.


    "I should have kept quiet shouldn''t I," Ludwig sighed.


    "No, no, I need to do my job as a teacher, so far I''ve only given you a couple books and some minor advice, I need to see how you fight with my own eyes to have a better understanding of where we should be focusing. We need to know where you''re lacking first to know what to improve, go on now Ludwig beat the crocodile," he said as he took a more relaxed position on top of one of the tree branches.


    Ludwig pulled out one of his two remaining scimitars from his storage ring.


    Though he thought about using the fragment of the cursed sword, it was not something he could wield right now, the base of that shard was too wide. Though it''s cracked in a way that would still allow it to be used as a sharp blade since it looked like it broke from the sharp edge and the other size though was jagged it still looked sharp, he couldn''t hold the weapon with one hand as the base of the shard was too big. If he ever got someone to make a handle for this shard he could probably use it as a sword. But for now, all he had was the scimitar.


    The crocodile moved forward, hissing and growling at Ludwig.


    Its main head, the middle one looked the least damaged, while the other two, one was missing the brain section and only had the jaws, while the other side had more teeth on its jaw than a leech''s mouth.


    The crocodile moved out of the lake toward Ludwig, its tentacles flailing and its jaws snapping at Ludwig.


    [Inspect] Ludwig muttered.


    Name: Tibarian Crocodile


    Type: Undead Creature.


    Level: 35


    HP: 3500


    Status Effect:


    [Pseudo-Chimerism]- Currently suffering from a malicious curse that would cause growths to appear on its body.


    [Gluttonous Curse] Cursed with Eternal Hunger, sourced by the Gluttonous Death.


    [Curse of Undeath] Cursed by Undeath. This creature is terribly weak to all matters of holy and fire magic.


    Abilities:


    -Passive- [Dissolving Membrane]: The membranes on the Tibarian Crocodile act as a second set of hands and feet, it can use them to hunt and defend itself. They are composed of highly corrosive substances that could melt even steel.


    [Barrel Roll] Once the crocodile clamps one of its jaws on a prey, it will spin its body in a barrel roll rapidly tearing off anything that was locked inside its mouth.


    [Corrosive Slurry] The Tibarian Crocodile can shoot out a globe of corrosive matter that would melt off most organic and corrode most metallic matter in seconds.


    [Lesser Hardened Scales] The body of the Tibarian Crocodile can periodically harden to protect it from sharp objects.


    Addendum:


    The Tibarian crocodile used to live in the rivers of the land of Tibari, it was a dangerous creature to meet before it was corrupted and cursed, but now it has become much more. After suffering under the curse of gluttony it became an avid eater, who would try and consume any and all matters. A ceaseless hunger guides it to consume and devour all that it can.


    ***


    Ludwig took note of all the creature''s abilities and prepared to fight. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Enfeeble!] Ludwig said as he pointed his palm forward.


    Sigils of dark power manifested from the ground, lighting up right under the crocodile, cursing him with sigils of weakness.


    "[Galvanize]" Ludwig added.


    Van Dijk Perched above, raised an eyebrow. The casual air around him shifted slightly as he watched with more interest. "Already comfortable with your spells, are you?" he muttered, jotting down notes.


    Ludwig buffed himself and caused a Debuff on his opponent, allowing himself a better starting position when fighting.


    But there didn''t seem to be much change happening to the crocodile, maybe it was already slow. But that didn''t mean it was not dangerous.


    The crocodile hissed once more and two slime tendrils shot up at Ludwig''s face. He was caught by surprise but managed to bend his body backward. The two tendrils shooting past his face.


    Ludwig fell on his back, and the two tendrils slammed down on him. He rolled to the side, covered in grime and muck, but dodged the blow that blasted the terrain, splashing all sort of scum all over the place.


    The ground looked as if it was boiling when it came in contact with the tentacles. And once the crocodile removed its tendrils, Ludwig was able to see the damage they had done. A few pieces of stone had actually melted off.


    Ludwig rushed standing back up, still thinking of how to deal with this creature. It was able to fight at long range, and with its jaws and [Barrel Roll] ability, it could also fight in close range, not to mention it had an armored body which improved its defenses.


    This wasn''t a simple fight to take. Ludwig needed to think his moves through before he could go in again.


    ''I need a plan,'' he thought to himself.


    Usually, he would go for the eyes, but here, the creature had three set of eyes, that''s six, the moment he blinded two, he''d probably get bitten and torn apart by the other eyes.


    A swing of a tentacle rushed to his head. Ludwig hastily struck at it with his scimitar. Though it felt like he hit a metallic rope at first from the force of impact, he managed to deflect the tentacle.


    But the damage was already done, his scimitar was affected by the corrosive matter and began melting off.


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    [Your Sand Scimitar has been destroyed.]


    "That''s not good," He said.


    Ludwig''s eyes darted to the blade, now melting into a useless lump of metal in his hands. He tossed it aside, cursing under his breath.


    Above him, Van Dijk chuckled, still lazily jotting notes. "Good effort so far," he called out, his tone laced with amusement.


    Ludwig didn''t expect the corrosion to be this powerful, he lost his weapon the moment it came in contact with that corrosive membrane, and from the look on the crocodile, Ludwig could almost swear that it was grinning at his misfortune.


    More tentacles shot up his way to which Ludwig simply dodged back.


    He took a quick glance at Van Dijk and saw him writing on a note, in a rather bored manner completely oblivious to Ludwig''s strife.


    Ludwig sighed, he wasn''t going to get any help from his master, not that he needed it.


    "Aight, fuck it," Ludwig said as he pointed his palm forward. "[Fire Ball]!"


    The moment the flaming ball formed on Ludwig''s palm, the crocodile who seemed rather slow at first immediately turned tail and dove into the lake.


    "Seriously?"Ludwig said confusion filling his eyes as the crocodile peeked with all three of its heads at Ludwig who stood there like a fool with a flaming ball in his hand.

 Chapter 120 Undead Limitations

    Ludwig felt embarrassed. Of course, the undead in front of him was afraid of the fire, but in this terrain, where the humidity was almost palpable, flames weren''t nearly as effective as they should be. The waterlogged environment was more of an ally to the crocodile than any of its tentacles or jaws. Fire spluttered and hissed, doing little more than scaring the beast temporarily.The crocodile wasn''t going to leave its hiding place as long as Ludwig was using fire, and if Ludwig tried anything else it would be able to shrug it off.


    Quite the opponent,'' Ludwig muttered to himself, pacing cautiously at the edge of the murky lake. It was rare for him to encounter something that not only countered his abilities so effectively but also seemed to enjoy taunting him with its patience.


    Though Ludwig could have tried to intimidate it further with flames, his options were painfully limited. the other option was Holy magic, the only sure way to destroy such creatures, was completely out of the question. If Ludwig even tried to channel holy magic-that is if he knew how in the first place- it would burn through him faster than it would affect the crocodile. The irony of an undead creature being defeated by its own spell was not lost on him.


    Ludwig thought he was at a standstill, after all, he couldn''t attack the crocodile, nor could it attack him.


    But he was gravely mistaken, that small moment when he was distracted, the crocodile shot one of its tentacles at Ludwig who desperately tried to dodge away only for the tentacle to graze his arm.


    The sleeve of his academy robe was instantly melted off.


    [-80 hp!]


    [You''re suffering from minor corrosion]


    [You will lose 20 hp over the course of ten seconds!]


    -2


    -2


    ¡­


    Ludwig''s arm was affected by the corrosion, to which he rapidly grabbed a piece of wet mud from the ground and wiped his arm with.


    [You have removed the corrosive substance]


    ''Okay, that somewhat worked out,'' Ludwig thought.


    Ludwig glanced toward Van Dijk, hoping for guidance, but found his master perched lazily on a tree branch, his pen scratching away at a notebook. The casual dismissal of the situation only added to Ludwig''s frustration.


    "Well, that''s reassuring," Ludwig grumbled under his breath, more to himself than to anyone else.


    He then channeled a fireball again and threw it at the crocodile who simply dove down the shallow lake.


    The fire and water exploded harmlessly spraying steam and vapor all around it, but it didn''t affect the creature whatsoever.


    It soon perked up to gaze at Ludwig, ludicrously so. Which gave him even more frustration.


    The crocodile hissed, and two tentacles darted toward Ludwig in a blur. This time, Ludwig was ready. He sidestepped one and ducked under the other, narrowly avoiding being ensnared. However, the creature''s movements were so forceful that even a glancing blow could have been devastating.


    Ludwig found himself dodging and evading repeatedly, each attack coming closer to landing. He needed a strategy¡ªand fast. The crocodile was smart enough to stay out of range, forcing Ludwig to play its game on its terms.


    Ludwig thought about all his learned skills. And came to the conclusion that he had little to no usable skills against such opponents.


    [Taint] was useless, though it would lower the opponent''s defenses, it''s meaningless if Ludwig can''t hit them.


    [Fire Ball] is also not practical in this scenario.


    [Rise Undead] is utterly unusable, since well he didn''t know what type of undead would rise, nor if they would help Ludwig, they might even attack Ludwig in fact and make his day worse.


    [Self-Immolation] would be usable but that will require Ludwig to get up close and personal, but that also means that he could get turned to sludge the moment he''s close enough to the crocodile.


    The rest of his skills were [Exhaust] which also won''t have much of an effect since the crocodile is wary of Ludwig. [Frenzied Spirits] is also quite useless since he has no idea what the spirits would do.


    The most useful were [Summon Undead] and [Frenzied Spirits], but they were unreliable because they had problems of control.


    All problems with those spells could be solved if Ludwig had enough [Charisma] stats.


    Ludwig did a quick check of his current stored Souls.


    All he had were a couple dozen souls that were wandering around in his lantern, and the Vondel guy''s soul that seemed to have been dormant since the day Ludwig used its emotions.


    And finally, the [Corrupted Soul] Ludwig didn''t think of using it because of its name, but since he had no choice.


    [Inspect]


    [Corrupted Soul]


    The Soul of a corrupted worshiper of the [Gluttonous Death]. Gives 200 Souls. And One [Corrupted Soul Essence]


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    ''Well, I guess that solves one of my issues about that item.''


    It had skipped Ludwig''s mind to inspect the [Corrupted Soul] he obtained from killing the Sheikh. As he thought it was only a simple Soul. But apparently, it had another function. However, this didn''t help Ludwig much. After all, what if he was able to use the chains? He wasn''t a chain user, nor did he know the least about wielding them, and he definitely didn''t want to get his face caved in by his weapon in front of Van Dijk.


    Ludwig pushed the idea to the back of his mind, he would inspect the chains later and see what its capabilities were afterward.


    But for now, almost all of his skills were useless in the face of this crude water terror.


    But there was one skill he hadn''t used before. All because it was too dangerous for him to use.


    Ludwig took another glance at his skill, [Flame Bringer].


    A skill that would transform his mana pool temporarily and force him to take increased damage from all fire abilities but at the same time do far more damage using flame abilities at the same time.


    It was a skill that basically turned him into a living volcano that would burn all around it and itself at the same time.


    "Screw it," Ludwig said. If he dies, then so be it, he had spare souls to come back a day before and think up another way on how he could handle this situation. Maybe he''ll go back and get anti-corrosion gear or even spend time looking or searching for spells that could help him in this situation.


    "[Flame Bringer!]" Ludwig muttered. And only then did Van Dijk stop writing and begin watching the play for real.


    Ludwig''s entire body began smoldering as his mana began rippling through his body and around it. He had a faster pace of rotation that began echoing out of his body like shockwaves of fire.


    The ground around Ludwig hardened as it dried up super fast while his entire body began smoldering, turning bright red as flames and fumes began bursting out of his body.


    His current appearance reminded him of a certain human torch. But then the notification that appeared made him aware of his predicament.


    [You have used [Flame Bringer] at 580 mana. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Your mana pool has temporarily transformed to {Flame Pool}.


    You can remain in this state for 100 seconds.


    For each passing second, your resistance to fire damage will lower by 1% (It can go into negative)


    Your fire damage abilities will increase by 1%]


    "Let''s get cooking!"

 Chapter 121 Clench Your Jaws

    Ludwig''s body was exuding flames and heat like a torch in the darkness of the bog. The crocodile which was arrogantly toying with Ludwig earlier had a different air about him all of a sudden."Fire Ball!" Ludwig chanted, releasing a more imposing flaming orb of flame that shot up toward the pool of water.


    The crocodile had no intention on taking it head on so he dipped down. But Ludwig hadn''t finished yet, he sent another fire ball, and another and kept going.


    Each fire ball he threw was more significant than the later one. Growing in power and might.


    Van Dijk kept noting down what was going on, scribbling at his notebook, but a deep frown never left his brows.


    Ludwig on the other hand was adamant on what would look like boiling the crocodile.


    Steam began emerging out of the puddle and soon, it began boiling. Ludwig''s fireballs continued to grow more and more powerful, but something seemed to change whenever Ludwig would cast a spell.


    The volatility of his fireball became more and more uncontrollable, some overshot their target and some blew up far too close for Ludwig''s comfort.


    Ludwig grimaced as he finally realized that just because [Flame Bringer] made every fire spell of his more potent, that doesn''t make him a master of flames. Fire ball was a level one fire spell, the most basic of basics, but with [Flame Bringer] active, it became harder and harder to control the more powerful the buff grew and at the same time, he noticed that some of his fingers had been singed and burnt from his own fires.


    His flame pool was rapidly depleting, which was good since he would receive an incredible amount of damage if he still had any mana left in his flame pool before he exhausts it. But due to the volatility of his own spells, he was fearing that something wrong might happen.


    Fifty or so seconds had went by, and the pool had already been dried up leaving the crocodile desperately defending against the flames using his tentacles. Good progress Ludwig thought.


    Just as he believed that he had the crocodile cornered, something under his feet moved.


    Too late to even notice it, one of the tentacles burst out from the ground and grabbed at Ludwig''s foot, yanking him from his position.


    [You''re suffering from minor corrosion]


    You will lose 20 hp over ten seconds!


    [You''re suffering from minor corrosion]


    You will lose 20 hp over ten seconds!


    ¡­.


    The notification kept going up, but that wasn''t Ludwig''s worry, because the problem was that the crocodile had grabbed him mid cast.


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    The fire ball in his hand was about to blow up in his face, to which he rapidly hurled it forward, only for it to blow up right between him and the crocodile.


    [-360 hp]


    [You are currently suffering from [Burn] effect]


    You will lose 60 hp over 10 seconds!


    Ludwig cursed inwardly, the damage from the fire ball had blasted both him and the crocodile, and from the look of it, the crocodile took the worst of the damage as it began screeching and rolling on the mud.


    Thankfully the explosion separated the tentacle that was attached to Ludwig freeing him form the grab, but that wasn''t enough, he was suffering from fire damage and corrosion.


    Ludwig immediately did the same as the crocodile. He marred himself in the mud, rolling all over it and removed the corrosion by wiping his foot with more mud.


    The timer for the flame pool was still dropping hard and fast, he needed to clear it as fast as possible or he''ll be in deep shit.


    "Fire Ball!" he shouted once again as he stabilized himself on one knee from the ground.


    The crocodile also opened his mouth and spat a massive ball of acid toward Ludwig.


    The two balls collided and blew up creating a massive fume cloud that spread outward.


    [You''re inhaling toxic fumes!]


    [As an undead, Poison and Toxin is ineffective against you]


    Ludwig was thankful for the undead passive here, as it helped him stave off the debuff. But the fight was far from over.


    He stood up, and rushed at the crocodile who was panicking as it saw a creature that should be running away from it, rushing toward it.


    It shot two of its slime like tentacles at Ludwig who by what he would believe to be a miracle dodged and lunged his body forward at the crocodile.


    He landed on top of the creature and gripped at its back using his legs. He saw this in a crocodile documentary once, and wanted to try it out.


    This made Van Dijk stand up, something was wrong Ludwig thought, but he didn''t have the opportunity to think of what. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He pulled his last remaining scimitar and shoved it right at the head that was leaking brain matter and then began scrambling what was inside.


    The crocodile reacted in a wrathful manner as it was feeling its brain being turned to slush. Its tentacles began swatting erratically everywhere, one of them even struck Ludwig square on the back, but he just tided through.


    Just as he was about to pull the scimitar and stab at its other head, he noticed that most of the metal on the weapon had began melting and corroding.


    ''Even its brain has corrosive matter?'' Ludwig cursed. How was he going to deal with this thing then? If anything he used would just corrode and melt off.


    Just then he remembered the shard of the Cursed Sword.


    That thing was said to have been made by hammering down a black hole. Would it survive the corrosion?


    No time to think things, Ludwig immediately grabbed the shard in a reverse grip and slammed it down on the central head.


    Surprisingly for Ludwig, the weapon that should do between 1-2 damage pierced through the skull as if it was made of jelly. And dove all the way until it dug itself into the ground.


    [Critical!]


    -1200 hp!


    "Huh?" Ludwig had yet to understand what was going on when the crocodile began spasming and then rolling on the side.


    If Ludwig was thrown off, he''ll become prey for the crocodile, but if he kept on hugging the crocodile, he''ll probably be crushed.


    This is what they say about riding the back of a tiger. Only it''s an undead chimera like crocodile with tentacles.


    -60! Hp!


    -50 hp!


    Ludwig''s health pool was dipping rather fast. In that second Ludwig pulled a vial in his hand, a red one. And instead of wasting time drinking it, he threw it in his mouth and bit on the glass. Breaking the content in his mouth.


    [-12hp!]


    The health potion instantly began recovering the damage that Ludwig had received, while Ludwig spat out the shards of glass out. If it was anyone but Van Dijk who was watching this, they''d be horrified at the sight. Who the hell drinks a potion like that?


    But Van Dijk couldn''t help but smile at Ludwig''s audacity and risk taking factor. He had no time to open the vial and then drink its content, there was also a risk of its breaking since the crocodile was mid barrel roll.


    The best option was actually to bite down on the thing, and since Ludwig was an undead, who cares if a few pieces of glass were stuck inside his mouth.

 Chapter 122 A Recap

    The crocodile seemingly exhausted(?) stopped rolling, his tentacles looked far too loose and were barely taking proper form, limp and weak.


    "No shame! it happens to everyone!" Ludwig said he grabbed the final head''s upper jaw up, forcing the crocodile to open its jaw wide. This one was the jaw that had several circular rows of teeth.


    "You look hungry!" Ludwig shouted, "Have this, see if it fills you up," he said as he shoved his arm right into the rows of teeth, "Fire Ball!" he shouted releasing the rest of his mana into the mouth of the crocodile.


    The flames surged outward and released themselves into the belly of the beast.


    The crocodile''s stomach inflated as fumes and fire began rushing out of its mouth and opening on its body. It tried to screech out in pain, but couldn''t do more than whimper as its body began growing then suddenly an explosion burst out inside the creature.


    The opening where tentacles used to come out from its rotten body flare our torrents of flame, along with its three mouths that also released infernal fury out.


    Ludwig''s arm was burnt up form his own spell, receiving a lot of damage. But it was nothing compared to the current situation the crocodile was in.


    Ludwig jumped off. His mana was almost fully drained bare one or two uses left of Fire Ball. His health pool was slightly above half, while the crocodile was rolling on the ground trying to snuff out fires that went off inside its belly. The creature couldn''t help but weakly whimper and struggle as its cooked innards began melting off from the flames that soon took over its body.


    Not long after, the creature stood still. Looking pretty dead and burning. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Van Dijk didn''t say anything, and Ludwig only remained standing, seemingly waiting for something.


    After about ten or so seconds, "What are you waiting for?" Van Dijk asked.


    "This thing isn''t dead yet," Ludwig said.


    "How would you know that?" Van Dijk asked.


    Ludwig couldn''t tell him that he didn''t receive the kill notification, so he replied. "You ever heard the term crocodile tears?" Ludwig said.


    Van Dijk smiled.


    "You''re right," he said and snapped his fingers, "I''ve seen enough," he said summoning a small droplet of what looked like blood. He flicked his finger, and the blood drop shot forward shaping itself like a needle, "Let it rest, for good now," he finalized.


    The needle pierced through the crocodile''s body, then suddenly the crocodile''s body shuddered, and an instant later, tens of thousands of small blood needles burst out of its body.


    {You have slain the Corrupted Tibarian Crocodile}


    {The heavy corruption on the crocodile had destroyed all available loot}


    {You have obtained [Corrupted Soul]}


    ''Another one?'' Ludwig muttered to himself. He was a bit sad about not getting anything of value but the soul, but that was enough.


    Van Dijk jumped down from the tree branch and approached Ludwig.


    He took a glance at his current attire. Burnt robes that he just got him this morning, corroded, and most importantly, he was covered in grime and mud.


    He pointed at his disciple, "[Cleanse]" he said.


    Ludwig''s attire immediately cleaned up from the mud and grime, but cleanse could do nothing about the tear and wear on his academy robes. "Hmm, I''ll need to get you a set of clothes that doesn''t easily tear. Regardless, time for your evaluation!" he said.


    "Oh¡­" Ludwig understood then that all Van Dijk was doing was evaluating him.


    "First things first, you get minus points for getting all dirtied up like that, I''m not a big fan of people who can''t fight elegantly or roll on the mud, but since it worked out for you, I won''t fail you for just that." Van Dijk said.


    "Thank you, I guess," Ludwig said.


    Van Dijk snickered, "You get bonus points for actually taking on an enemy that many would have either been too terrified to fight against or ask me for help, neither Evan nor Sebas were able to do that, no wonder they never got the opportunity to be my disciple," Van Dijk added.


    ''Well, that''s good to hear, I guess they were too scared. Can''t blame them, they''re human after all, evil vile, despicable humans, but humans never the less, I''m an undead and have no fear of death, I also have assurance¡­''


    "You used your skills properly. They had even better skills and more advanced magic and still failed. All you used were Fire Ball and [Flame Bringer] things I have given you, which is also a bonus," Van Dijk added.


    "Though there were things you could have improved," Van Dijk finalized.


    "I''d like to know what," Ludwig asked.


    "Yes, you''re a mage, but have the brain of a warrior, why would you jump on the back of the crocodile? You had it under control once you dried up the lake," Van Dijk said.


    Ludwig couldn''t answer.


    "You also realized that your new weapon was pretty useful, but instead of relying on it, you almost sacrificed an arm to blast the crocodile''s innards. I don''t like that, why take the riskier route? You had a viable option but you disregarded it for something more¡­ flashy? Remember Ludwig, magic is all about efficiency, if you casting spells from afar was doing you good, you had no reason to jump physically into the fray, minus points."


    Ludwig lowered his head, Van Dijk was right, but he couldn''t tell him that he was in an adrenaline rush, not that he would understand¡­. Hold on, he has no heart, how did he get an adrenaline rush?


    That question was soon removed from Ludwig''s head when Van Dijk said, "You still showed prudence for not taking your win too eagerly. I like that, being careful is far better than being dead. Plus, points. I can see value in you Ludwig, I can see that you use your head properly, in most cases, so don''t go on dying on me one day because you just felt like jumping on the back of your enemy was a good idea. If that crocodile wasn''t panicking and used its tentacles to wrap around you when you were above its body, you''d be bone broth by now." Van Dijk advised.


    Ludwig nodded, feeling both proud for having received some praise, but also admonished for having done some unnecessary things.


    "Right, seeing your proficiency with magic, I can see that you''re lacking some control, you should be able to use a higher level of fire ball from what I could see but you''re lacking in control. I don''t currently have an Emerald Mana stone, once we''re back at the academy, I''ll carve it on your forehead instead of the sapphire one. I think you should be ready for it soon," Van Dijk said.


    Ludwig pulled a green emerald from his ring, "Something like this?" he said.


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    "Oh, color me surprised, where did you get this?" Van Dijk said as he picked up the emerald from Ludwig''s hand.


    "The Sheikh used it as a pin for his turban."


    "Hmm, keep it on you, once we''re back I''ll help you use it, that should upgrade the magic you can use form first circle to second and probably third circle¡­ good, good. Now follow me, we still have a long way to go," Van Dijk said as he led the way.

 Chapter 123 Bad boy!

    Ludwig picked up his sword shard and moved behind Van Dijk who walked with purpose. Though Ludwig had no idea where they were going, he just followed in his master''s trail since the latter knew where to go.


    Ludwig kept his eyes peeled for anything that would ambush them, though he honestly believed deep down that nothing would probably dare do that with his master around, though there was no need to be too lax and relaxed.


    His master on the other hand was walking nonchalantly whistling a cheerful tune, seemingly not caring much even though they were moving through this godforsaken land.


    Several low growls echoed all around them, signaling the presence of an enemy.


    "Go on, take care of that," Van Dijk said to Ludwig who nodded and walked up ahead. Gripping tightly at the base of his sword shard.


    It was uncomfortable, but it was all he could use here since it seemed to be the only thing on him that didn''t really care for all the acidic and corrosive substances in this bog.


    Three malnourished-looking, rib-showing, and gut-spilled wolves walked forward. They had pustules and rotting sludge dripping slowly off their body. Worms and maggots crawled out of their eyes and the festering flesh on their patchy fur bodies. Undead Wolves apparently. But what was more disturbing than all that? It was because their lower jaws were split right in the middle, so when one of the wolves growled, its mouth opened up three ways, revealing a more shocking gullet.


    Rows of teethe awfully similar to the third head of the alligator that Ludwig dealt with earlier, only these guys had some extra slime appendages that came out of their mouths.


    Ludwig inspected one of the wolves to see what he was dealing with.


    ***


    Name: White Wolf of Tibari


    Type: Undead Creature.


    Level: 20


    HP: 1200


    Status Effect:


    [Pseudo-Chimerism]- Currently suffering from a malicious curse that would cause growths to appear on its body.


    [Gluttonous Curse] Cursed with Eternal Hunger, sourced by the Gluttonous Death.


    [Curse of Undeath] Cursed by Undeath. This creature is terribly weak to all matters of holy and fire magic.


    Abilities:


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    [Tuned Hunter] The White Wolf of Tibari is


    -Passive- [Dissolving Membrane]: The membranes on the White Wolf of Tibari act as a second set of hands and feet, it can use them to hunt and defend itself. They are composed of highly corrosive substances that could melt even steel.


    [Rip-Apart] Causes dismemberment once they lock their jaws onto a prey.


    [Corrosive Slurry] The White Wolf of Tibari can shoot out a globe of corrosive matter that would melt off most organic and corrode most metallic matter in seconds.


    Addendum:


    The White Wolf of Tibari is extremely aggressive and is a pack hunter. They would usually hunt together and are extremely loyal to their packmates. This corrupted version though is consumed with hunger still retains some of its feral instincts.


    ***


    Ludwig realized something from this information screen. That both the crocodile and the wolf had the same status effects applied to them. And both shared a few abilities. The Dissolving Membrane, which was probably that slimy thing coming out of their mouths when they opened them, and the Corrosive Slurry, which seemed to be their only long-range projectile.


    The Glutenous Death seems to have had a rather terrifying influence on these poor creatures. The only one who''d be called a poor creature would be Ludwig if he were to underestimate them.


    One of the wolves locked onto Ludwig and rushed at him, growling guttural barks and roars at the same time as he jumped at him, mouth wide open and paws pointing at Ludwig''s shoulders. If the wolf managed to drop Ludwig to the ground, he''d get devoured in an instant.


    Fortunately for Ludwig, he was a fast learner. From what Van Dijk had taught him, the sword in his hands was a powerful tool, and he proved his understanding of Van Dijk''s words instantly.


    Ludwig thrust the tip of the broken sword with all the power behind him right into the open jaws of the wolf. There was no style, no swordsmanship,and no finesse in his move. It was raw unbridled power behind a straight stab.


    The weapon''s tip pierced with utter ease through the creature''s mouth and emerged from the other side. Ludwig didn''t hesitate to slam the weapon with the wolf still attached to it, though it turned limp onto the ground. Crushing its head in one blow.


    A stream of notifications showcasing the damage he did showed up in front of him but he ignored it, he still had two more creatures to deal with.


    Seeing how their companion was taken out in an instant made the two other wolves hesitate, but they didn''t retreat. Though their primal instinct told them that it is foolish to attack someone who could kill their friend in one blow, the hunger that they were cursed with said otherwise.


    It took over their rationality and mind and forced them to seek consumption and gluttony on the expense of their own lives. Guided like puppets to a slaughter, without a will of their own. The worst type of undead. A living mindless husk that was consumed and corroded by its instincts and curse.


    Deep down, Ludwig felt a repulsion like no other from these creatures, and it had nothing to do with their horrid sight. But more to the fact that he too could have become something like this.


    One of the wolves dashed to the side trying to move away from Ludwig''s sight. If the two were on different positions Ludwig wouldn''t be able to properly take them both on. Divide and conquer, a basic wolf technique to attack from different positions.


    But that only worked against animals with lesser intellect.


    Without even following the wolf with his eyes, Ludwig pointed his palm toward its general location, "Fire Ball!" he said. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The flames caused the wolf that was facing them to instantly stop and back away, and the moment Ludwig let loose the spell, he ran after the second wolf who was too preoccupied with what seemed to be its mortal enemy. The flames were surging toward its companion.


    The wolf noticed Ludwig a tad too late. Since our undead was already in striking motion and range, he swung the sword fragment down at the creature who desperately twisted its body to avoid the blow.


    The sword unfortunately missed its head, but it landed firmly on one of its paws, depriving it from proper movement. Ludwig didn''t hesitate to strike at the panicking wolf this time with his foot, sending the creature sprawling on the ground, one of its feet still stuck under the tip of his sword.


    "[Fire Ball!]" Ludwig cast, this time on the whimpering and dismembered wolf that tried to pounce away only for it to fall back down since it had not acclimated itself to having only three feet.


    The ball landed right on the wolf, setting its body on fire. The creature in its panic ran away, in flames, desperately trying to not to fall as it balanced itself on three legs, falling over and over whenever it tried to run only for the flames to consume it all in less than ten seconds.


    Ludwig turned to the other wolf who decided that it would be best for once to ignore its hunger and run away.


    Van Dijk gave Ludwig a couple of slow claps, "Good, very good." He said, "Let''s keep moving then," Van Dijk advised.

 Chapter 124 The Village In The Muck

    The two continued navigating the bog, encountering more and more creatures, which Ludwig happily fought. He earned himself more and more souls by doing so but had yet to use any of them. He decided to stock them for now and improve his senses and abilities while next to Van Dijk. Learning the most he can from his guidance first.


    The seemingly endless night stretched onward as they slogged through the oppressive quagmire. Most of the creatures they encountered were significantly weaker than the crocodile or even the wolves from earlier. Corrupted snakes, hares with empty sockets for eyes, and skeletal owls with patches of featherless skin dotted along their fragile wings all skulked through the murky terrain. They were barely worth the effort it took to kill them. Nevertheless, Ludwig took every opportunity to fight, dispatching the creatures and honing his abilities.


    "Master," Ludwig said as he flicked his broken sword shard to get rid of the grime and slime from it.


    "What is it?" Van Dijk replied, his crimson eyes scanning the surroundings with dispassionate ease.


    "Did you notice that whenever these things die¡­ they leave a nasty trail on the ground, and when it hardens¡­ it looks like this?" he said pointing at the black dirt all around them. Ludwig thought it was mud at first, but he soon realized it was something else.


    "That is the corruption of this land. This isn''t all dirt and dust, but corroded organic matter. The trees here are using it as nutrition and the whole bog is composed of it. You can''t burn it, and you can''t get rid of it, and it will only continue to grow as long as the entity behind it still draws breath.


    "So, if we kill whatever is the reason behind this, can this land be cleansed?" Ludwig asked.


    "That is not certain, but at least it would stop the spread of this corruption. We''ve been having a difficult time keeping it away, actually the corruption was not even a tenth of this size the last time I was here, granted that was about two hundred years from today." Van Dijk said.


    Ludwig nodded. The Glutenous Death seems willing to not stop until it consumed everything in this world. No wonder Deus Necros wants it gone. If it keeps up, there would be nothing left¡­ sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just as they were talking, Ludwig noticed something in the distance.


    "Oh, there''s a person there," Ludwig said.


    Van Dijk frowned. His eyes focused, and the red sheen from them seemed to brighten up for a second.


    "That''s rather peculiar," He said. "Let''s go and check it out shall we¡­"


    The moment the words left Van Dijk''s mouth, the person dropped what he had in his hands and bolted away.


    When the two arrived to his former location they saw a bunch of wet firewood.


    "His trail is still fresh, let''s keep following it," Van Dijk said as he followed the trail of the man''s footprints.


    A bit more than half an hour, they found themselves at the entrance of a village.


    "Well, this is rather interesting," Van Dijk said.


    The village lied in the shadow of the bog, barely distinguishable from the cursed land itself. Its atmosphere is suffocating and unnaturally still, with only the faint, nauseating hum of insects breaking the silence. The air is heavy with an acrid, metallic scent, mingling with the ever-present stench of decay and rotting vegetation. A faint greenish mist clings to the ground, swirling unnaturally as if alive.


    The village itself is a ramshackle collection of decrepit wooden houses and huts, their walls slathered with layers of mud and moss to keep out the damp and the cold. Most of the structures lean at odd angles, supported by crude beams and twisted vines, as if defying gravity itself. Roofs, fashioned from sagging thatch and patches of bogweed, barely keep out the perpetual drizzle that seeps through the cursed skies above.


    The paths between the houses are narrow and winding, little more than tracks of hardened mud that have been trampled into submission by bare, calloused feet. Pools of stagnant water collect in the deeper grooves, reflecting the sickly greenish hue of the sky like mirrors of despair.


    There is no sign of livestock¡ªno pens, no troughs, and no fields of grain. The soil surrounding the village is barren, cracked, and discolored, incapable of supporting life. A few skeletal trees remain, their trunks twisted and their branches bare, resembling malformed sentinels that watch over the doomed settlement.


    In the center of the village lies a crude communal square, its edges marked by piles of discarded bones and broken pottery. There was a well there that seemed to have dried up a long time ago.


    But unnervingly, there was no one to greet them. The two of them walked inside, each step spreading the fumes and green hue of what looked to be fog from around their feet. The houses would creak from the low blows of the wind giving Ludwig the feeling of it being some sort of ghost village.


    But, at the edge of his vision he spotted someone rapidly closing a window.


    "Seems like they don''t want to meet us," Ludwig said.


    "Seems so," Van Dijk replied.


    "It is not out of our own will, travelers," they heard.


    From the side, a group of people walked forward. They looked as broken as their homes, emaciated with skin stretched tightly over bone. They didn''t walk, but more like shuffled forward, with lethargic movements like puppets. Their clothes little more than rags patched together with plant fibers and scraps of cloth. Stained with mud and the telltale gray-green hue of the slime that was marring the whole place.


    The man who spoke seemed to be the sanest of the bunch, an old man that seemed to have lived for eons. Old and decrypt like the clothes and wooden stick he used with both hands to move forward.


    A younger looking man, but no better fed was behind him, Ludwig recognized the man it was the same person who was carrying the firewood earlier, if you can even light that thing on fire anyway.


    "What brings you guys to live in such a¡­ dilapidated village."


    "It is not by choice, traveler," the old man said, "We cannot leave this place. No one can, not even you," he said.


    Ludwig frowned.


    And so did Van Dijk, were they threatening them?


    Just then a gurgling sound echoed nearby, the source was the well from earlier.


    For a second, all the eyes of the villagers seemed to light up, "Feeding time!" the oldest man said and began pushing his old body forward.


    The villagers rushed to the well, grabbing the broken bowls and pots from the ground, and surrounded the village. Waiting in anticipation as a green sludge began bursting out of the well. The villager hastily scooped the slime and began gurgling it down.


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    Consuming it with abandon and a frenzy like no other. The very slime that would melt steel and bone, these people¡­no, these things would consume as if it was the nectar of life itself.


    "What the fuck is going on in here?"

 Chapter 125 Hollowed

    The villagers devoured the slime with manic desperation, their gaunt fingers clawing over each other, shoving and trampling as they fought for every last drop. Those who had been hiding before surged forward like a starving horde, their eyes wild with the same frenzied hunger that dictated their entire existence.


    "GET OFF! IT''S MY TURN!" one of them shrieked, lashing out and knocking another to the ground.


    More fought and ripped at each other, grabbing them by their clothes or hair to get more food.


    The well was too small to sustain all of them at once. Though there were only thirty or so villagers, their sheer desperation turned the feeding into a brutal struggle.


    A scrawny man clutching a bowlful of slime was suddenly tackled to the side. His bowl slipped from his trembling hands, crashing into the filth-ridden mud below. The slime spilled out, mixing with the grime, yet before it could even settle, three others dove onto it, scraping at the dirt with cracked nails, lapping it up like animals.


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    The air filled with snarls and guttural sounds as another fight broke out¡ªthis time escalating far beyond mere shoving. One villager produced a crude dagger from the folds of his ragged tunic and drove it into the back of another, his blade sinking into the sickly flesh.


    But no blood emerged. Instead, a sickly green sludge oozed from the wound, trickling down the victim''s tattered clothes like thick sap.


    And then, as if drawn by instinct, the other villagers turned on him.


    The wounded man didn''t even get the chance to scream before they were upon him, tearing at his flesh, their teeth sinking into his arms, shoulders, and neck. They didn''t just eat him¡ªthey consumed him, ripping chunks of his body free, devouring him as if he were nothing more than an extension of the filth they had already been feeding on.


    Ludwig watched in mute horror as the frenzied feeding reached its peak, hands clawing at any piece of flesh they could grab. The only sounds were the grotesque squelching of tearing meat and the wet, gluttonous gulps of those feasting.


    "They''re eating each other..." Ludwig murmured, disbelief coloring his voice.


    Not a single one of them seemed to recognize the atrocity they were committing. It was as if it were second nature¡ªsomething they had done countless times before.


    And then, just as suddenly as it began, it ended.


    The well gurgled again, the grotesque, green sludge retracting back into the depths of the pit as if being drawn away by an unseen force.


    The instant it was gone, the villagers'' frenzy dissipated. Their frantic movements slowed, their ravenous energy extinguished as though a switch had been flipped.


    They now stood in eerie silence.


    Some of them, still covered in remnants of their feast, raised trembling fingers to their lips, sucking at the leftover slime that clung to their skin. Others looked down at their empty bowls, their hollow expressions slowly twisting into pitiful sorrow.


    And not a single one of them even glanced at what remained of the man they had just devoured.


    His remains were scattered¡ªa shredded pile of corrupted bones and broken limbs barely held together by torn sinew.


    Ludwig swallowed the disgust rising in his throat.


    And then, the village head turned to them.


    "This is why we can''t leave," he said, his voice calm, matter-of-fact.


    Van Dijk, for all his centuries of experience, looked visibly repulsed. His lips curled in disgust, his fingers tightening slightly at his sides as if resisting the urge to burn the entire place to the ground.


    Ludwig had seen Van Dijk endure horrors with a placid expression before, but now, even the vampire''s infamous composure faltered.


    "They''re too far gone," Van Dijk said, his voice cold, final.


    Ludwig had no rebuttal. These people¡ªthey weren''t living. But neither were they dead. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They were something caught in between.


    Ludwig activated [Inspect] on the village head, hoping to understand what exactly they had become.


    [Inspect]


    Name: Bilal Saldor


    Type: Hollowed Wretch


    Level: 11


    HP: 300


    Status Effects:


    [Pseudo-Chimerism] - Currently suffering from a malicious curse that causes abnormal growths to manifest on its body.[Gluttonous Curse] - Cursed with Eternal Hunger, sourced by the Gluttonous Death.[Hollowed] - A curse that has stripped the mind and body of its former self. Devoid of will, existing only to consume¡ªnot truly alive, but not quite dead either. A boundary between life and death.


    Abilities: None.


    Addendum:


    The Hollowed Wretches were once settlers¡ªmercenaries, scholars, or mere fools who wandered too far into the corrupted lands of Tibari. Those who dared to use the slime as sustenance found temporary strength, only for it to erode them over time, robbing them of their will and identity. Addicted, enslaved, and bound to this land by the creeping grip of the Gluttonous Death, they exist now only as vessels of endless hunger.


    Ludwig stared at the information in silence.


    "That''s the look," Bilal Saldor muttered, staring at Van Dijk. "That''s the same look everyone has when they first see us. But soon¡­" His bony hand gestured toward the younger man¡ªthe one who had collected firewood earlier.


    "They become like us. The hunger always prevails. You cannot resist it. No matter what you do¡­ you will always hunger."


    Ludwig remained still, unimpressed by the warning. Hunger? He was undead. He didn''t need food and didn''t crave sustenance like mortals did. Whatever curse they suffered, it had no hold over him.


    But they¡ªthey were beyond saving.


    Van Dijk finally spoke, his voice sharp and dismissive.


    "You''re weak. Utterly lost."


    The words struck like a blade.


    "It was not by choice!" the old man spat, his skeletal fingers tightening around his walking stick. For the first time, his voice cracked with anger¡ªa human emotion struggling to emerge from something that was no longer human.


    "We had no choice in this!"


    Ludwig''s voice was calm, steady. "Why didn''t you leave?"


    "Do you think we didn''t try?" The old man''s laugh was dry, bitter, insane. "You don''t understand. We can''t leave. The moment we first tasted it¡ªthe moment we ate, we were claimed. We''ve been trapped here ever since. No matter how far we walk, how hard we try¡­ we always end up back here."


    His sunken eyes bore into Ludwig''s. "And every time we try¡­ we lose more of ourselves. Bit by bit, we forget who we are. Until nothing remains but hunger."


    Silence stretched between them.


    Van Dijk''s expression darkened. "...This is worse than I thought."


    "What is it, master?" Ludwig asked.


    "The last time I was here, that thing¡ªthe Gluttonous Death¡ªdidn''t have control over sentient beings. This level of corruption, this degree of madness¡­ it wasn''t like this before. The expeditions we sent¡ªsome of them came back broken, but not like this. Something has changed."


    Ludwig exhaled, looking back at the villagers.


    "And what do we do about them?"


    Van Dijk turned his crimson gaze on him.


    "Do you think they can be saved?"


    Ludwig met his master''s stare, his skeletal fingers tightening slightly.


    Did he care? He wasn''t human. He didn''t share their pain, their suffering.


    But that didn''t mean he couldn''t care.


    "If they can be saved," Ludwig finally said, his voice even, "what would it cost?"

 Chapter 126 Mercy

    "That''s where you''re mistaken, they cannot be saved. Their bodies, you saw it before, they''re basically slime, the same substance that makes up the creature at the center of the bog. To set them free is the same as killing them. It only kept their minds, or some of it, while it ate away at everything else. They''re husks, hollowed moving husks nothing more nothing less¡­" Van Dijk raised his hand up and snapped his fingers, summoning a candle-like flame that was pitch black.


    The moment the elder saw it, "What are you doing?" he said worry clear in his eyes, "Setting you free, from this cage¡­"


    With a snap of his fingers, the flame in his hand began splitting into dozens of smaller spark-sized flames that flew all over the village, landing upon the Hollowed Wretches, and their homes.


    "Be free, it is what you wanted," Van Dijk said. Almost instantly, every one of the villagers'' bodies got lit up with black flames.


    Their screams filled the place. And only then did Ludwig see their true self. Each of the villager''s bodies began morphing, revealing the extent of their transformation. Their skins which burnt rapidly revealed oozing slime, and unnatural growths and appendages hidden beneath it. Their bones were corroded and rotten, hollowed but for some slime inside it. Their brains were not there as the outer slime melted it revealing more slime inside it


    Though burning and turning to burnt sludge their screams still filled the place. Until all turned to ash until the houses were burnt to a crisp, and until the ground itself hardened from the intense heat. Only then did their screams finally end.


    "This is the cruelty of the world, disciple," Van Dijk said, "Letting them live is the same as releasing this plague upon others. If we had left them here with what one would call mercy, they''d still be stuck in this perpetual cycle of hunger and pain, and may even taint others. That mercy will one day be turned against you."


    Ludwig had a feeling that Van Dijk''s words were more aimed at himself than Ludwig''s.


    "I understand the logic¡­ but I still believe that there was no harm in letting them live if they''re confined here¡­ is it cruelty to destroy them, or cowardice to avoid finding another solution?"


    "Sentiment is a weakness you cannot afford, you''re far too young to understand it, one day you''ll thank me for showing you what it takes to survive Ludwig."


    "I hope it''s worth it," Ludwig said.


    "It always is, always," Van Dijk said as he witnessed the last embers die out then he turned and walked away.


    Ludwig followed behind his master thinking about what just happened.


    He knew that his master was right. They weren''t human anymore, not that he had any right to dictate what ''humanity'' is. But those guys were just far too gone. They had no will of their own and only lived to suffer. He, though excluded from humanity still is able to think for himself and have his own choices.


    But they fell victim to their instincts and couldn''t be saved anymore. Mercy? Cruelty? Perhaps both. The words Greater Good came to his mind, but that''s just hypocrisy. This wasn''t for the greater good. This was lawful evil.


    Ludwig remained quiet as he followed behind Van Dijk, the latter seemed busy thinking about many things.


    Feeling bored, Ludwig decided to do something while they were walking.


    He remembered his master''s spell, the one he just used earlier. From what his master told him, that flame was something that he created. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A flame that is sourced and fueled by the emotions of the caster. Ludwig channeled some of his mana onto the tip of his fingers. He then transformed it the same way he would to fireball, a rapid acceleration of mana that would ignite it.


    At first, a few sparks lit up on top of Ludwig''s fingers, sputtering and popping everywhere. And when he gave it more mana it turned to an uncontrolled flame that he soon dialed the mana down so it wouldn''t be too distracting to his master or too obvious for any of the monsters of the bog.


    Little that Ludwig know, his master had already taken interest in what he was doing and watched him on the side.


    Ludwig took some time before he got the flame to calm down and steadily flow like a candlelight.


    Now the first part was done, but the hardest part was still there for him to understand.


    He hadn''t asked his master for the details of such a spell, so he was navigating blind, trying to figure things out by himself.


    Thomas Vondel had told Ludwig that emotion is what could fuel a spell, and for Ludwig who had dulled emotions and could only mimic them, it was a far too steep a cliff to climb.


    Checking upon the souls he had in his lantern, Ludwig realized that Thomas Vondel''s soul was finally recovering, but he wasn''t awake yet. The last time Ludwig used it, he consumed a lot of its ''vitality?''.


    So, he checked the rest of the souls. Most of them were just white globes, undefined souls of things and entities that had died.


    Finding something like Thomas Vondel''s soul, which was physical and had characteristics of its own like clothes and a body was not possible.


    Ludwig frowned, he couldn''t exert the emotions of something he didn''t know. But still, there was one emotion that every soul would have before dying. And that emotion is unanimous.


    Fear.


    Death is the great unknown, and everything that is dying would usually fear it.


    If he couldn''t use rage, like his master, he''ll use he second? Best thing. Fear.


    Ludwig grabbed at one of the many souls he had and squeezed it, forcing out its emotion onto the flame he had in his fingertip.


    There was an instant reaction. Ludwig''s flame surged up, to the point that it became bigger than a fireball, but there was something different this time.


    A purple hue appeared around it, though it lasted for a fraction of a second, Ludwig definitely saw it.


    The moment Ludwig lost focus however, the whole spell sputtered out and he felt his mind almost blanking out.


    [You''re Out of Mana!]


    ''What happened?'' Ludwig thought to himself.


    "What was that?" Van Dijk asked.


    "Oh, I was just trying something¡­" Ludwig replied sheepishly.


    "Do it again, because that wasn''t just something¡­" A wide grin appeared on Van Dijk''s face. Stay connected via My Virtual Library Empire

 Chapter 127 Trust

    Ludwig exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "I''d like to," he admitted, "but I''m tapped out¡­" S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Van Dijk arched a brow. "No mana, I would guess?"


    "Yes," Ludwig replied.


    Van Dijk took a moment to consider before speaking. "Do you even realize what you just did?"


    "I tried to mimic your spell, I suppose I failed," Ludwig replied.


    Van Dijk scoffed. "That much is obvious," he said bluntly. "In mimicking my spell, yes, you failed. But what you did wasn''t a failure¡ªit was something different"


    With a casual flick of his wrist, Van Dijk snapped his fingers, summoning a swirl of deep, abyssal black flames that coiled around his palm. They burned without flickering, steady and unnatural, as if feeding off something more than just magic.


    "My Black Flame," Van Dijk began, "is drawn from my darkest emotions¡ªwrath, fury, madness, despair. The very essence of suffering, refined into a weapon. It is as dark as the abyss because my experiences fuel it. But you¡­ you don''t have those memories, those wounds. You haven''t lived long enough, nor have you endured the kind of suffering necessary to produce something like this." Van Dijk began explaining.


    Ludwig was silent, this felt strange to him. Van Dijk spoke of trauma and despair like they were ingredients in a recipe, essential for the creation of power. And yet, despite the weight of his words, his face betrayed nothing. There was no sadness, no anguish¡ªonly cold detachment.


    "As for you," Van Dijk continued, eyeing Ludwig with scrutiny, "you''ve been ''alive'' for what? Seven, eight days?" He smirked. "Well, ''alive'' isn''t quite the right term, is it?"


    "I suppose not," Ludwig muttered.


    "If you want to wield something as powerful as the Black Flame, you''ll need to suffer accordingly," Van Dijk said matter-of-factly. "But you don''t have a past life to draw from. You have no long years of regret, no history of pain to fuel it. And yet¡­" He trailed off, studying Ludwig intently. "Yet, you managed to create something entirely different. Something even I cannot use."


    Ludwig had a feeling he knew exactly what Van Dijk was talking about.


    "You mean fear?" Ludwig asked.


    "Fear," Van Dijk echoed, tilting his head slightly. "Yes¡­ but not just any fear. What you displayed in your spell wasn''t instinctual hesitation or a fleeting terror¡ªit was raw, undiluted fear. Absolute fear." His crimson eyes narrowed. "Was it the fear of death?"


    Ludwig hesitated, then gave a slow nod.


    "Incredible," Van Dijk mused, rubbing his chin. "To be able to channel an emotion that potent into magic¡­ that is praiseworthy. But something doesn''t add up."


    "What is it, master?" Ludwig asked.


    "For someone like you," Van Dijk said, crossing his arms, "who has already died once, your fear of death should have been nullified. You''ve experienced it. You know what''s beyond that threshold. If anything, dying and coming back should have made you immune to it. And more importantly¡­" His voice dipped slightly. "You''re undead. Fear should be nonexistent to you. Even the strongest intimidation magic or skill should mean nothing to you. So I''ll ask again¡­" His eyes locked onto Ludwig''s. "Where did that emotion come from?" It was too raw for an undead to produce¡­" Van Dijk said.


    Ludwig decided to tell his master, "It wasn''t mine," Ludwig said.


    Van Dijk''s expression darkened. "Explain."


    "It wasn''t my emotion," Ludwig said as he pulled his lantern from the side of his belt and showed it to Van Dijk, "It belonged to one of the trapped souls here." He said.


    Van Dijk reached out, his fingers attempting to grasp the lantern¡ªonly for them to pass straight through. He clicked his tongue in mild annoyance but made no further attempt to touch it.


    "So, you can contain souls in that thing," Van Dijk muttered.


    "They also empower me," Ludwig said.


    "To what extent?" Van Dijk asked.


    Experience new tales on My Virtual Library Empire


    "As much as my ability allows it, the more souls the lantern has inside it, the stronger I become, and I can use the emotions of the souls trapped in it to increase my own power. Be it strength, or agility, or even my mind."


    "Condition?" Van Dijk asked.


    "I have to be the one to kill them," Ludwig said. "I can''t just take souls from those I didn''t personally defeat."


    "Limitations?" Van Dijk asked.


    "None," Ludwig answered flatly.


    He didn''t tell Van Dijk about the return by death function. Deep down, he felt that it would be a mistake if he were to tell him that very ability. But other than that, since Deus Necros didn''t intervene it meant he didn''t care.


    "That''s far too deep in the dark magic territory. though it''s given by something divine," that part was said hushedly, "But the people would definitely identify it as Dark Magic... the gallows would welcome you if you were to reveal this to anyone else..."


    Ludwig realized the seriousness of his situation and nodded to his master.


    Van Dijk thought for a moment and said, "Back to our topic, You can use the emotions of the souls in your lantern, and can use those souls themselves to empower yourself¡­ no wonder he said that you''re someone who can solve my issue," he said the last part rather quietly.


    Ludwig caught that muttered remark, but he chose not to comment.


    After a beat, Van Dijk straightened. "Regardless," he said, waving a hand, "though I''d love to conduct further tests on that lantern, something tells me I wouldn''t be allowed¡ªor I simply wouldn''t find anything useful. Let''s move on."


    Ludwig nodded, and the two resumed their journey through the ruins. As they walked, Van Dijk spoke again.


    "The effect you had on your spell¡ªit was weak and incredibly unrefined. But that''s to be expected. It''s a start." He glanced at Ludwig. "Fear is, technically, the strongest human emotion. Nay, it is the ultimate emotion."


    Ludwig listened carefully.


    "Even I tried my best to harness it and add it to my flame, but it was not possible. I have yet to truly die to experience that terror, and without feeling it first, it''s impossible to use it. So I''m using the second best thing. Rage and despair. Close enough though, and it''s powerful enough, but their ability should be different from yours. My emotions applied to my spell make my flame undying, one simply can''t snuff the raging flames of one who was wronged. But you, your flame should have a different effect if it uses Fear, you''ll need to experience this once we get back to the academy. I''ll help supply you with mana potions so you can steadily use that flame. For now, let''s get our focus up a bit, because we''re getting closer to our goal."


    Ludwig nodded to his master, they were here to find the Gluttonous Death after all, though Ludwig had no idea if that was even a good idea or not.


    The Gluttonous Death was connected to the werewolf. It was also one of the Usurpers of Death that Ludwig had to eliminate to fulfill his quest for Necros. And there were seven of them.


    That alone was enough to make Ludwig uneasy.


    "Right there," Van Dijk suddenly said, gesturing ahead with a tilt of his head.


    Ludwig followed his gaze and saw the remnants of structures, half-submerged in the bog. Crumbling stone walls, fallen pillars¡ªthe same kind of architecture they had encountered before.


    "Tibarian buildings," Ludwig muttered.


    "Close enough," Van Dijk replied. "But more importantly, that''s our next teleportation hub. We''ll need to use it."


    it."

 Chapter 128 Undead Memory

    Ludwig frowned as he stared at the magic circle. "I thought these teleportation hubs were compromised?"


    "They are," Van Dijk admitted, stepping over a collapsed stone beam. "This one is far too deep in the swamp to be of much use. It''s likely been damaged over the centuries. That''s why no one uses it to enter the bog. But if you''re already inside?" He smirked. "That''s another story."


    Ludwig glanced around at their surroundings. The ruins of the Tibarian outpost stretched around them, swallowed by time and decay. The once-proud stone structures were now nothing more than crumbling husks, choked by creeping vines and dense green moss. Statues of forgotten figures lay shattered, their faces long eroded by the elements, while broken pillars jutted from the ground like the bones of some ancient behemoth.


    Walking through the ruins felt like treading on the graves of an old civilization, a land long since lost to history. Each step sent small fragments of stone skittering across the ground, their echoes swallowed by the eerie stillness of the bog.


    Then¡ª


    "Enemies," Van Dijk said flatly.


    Ludwig''s fingers tightened around his weapon before his eyes even found the threat. A small, wiry figure darted between the ruins, moving low and fast, clutching a crude stone-tipped spear.


    Ludwig recognized it immediately. A Goblin. He had seen it many times in the manhwas he read before he came to this world.


    It was an ugly little thing¡ªsallow green skin stretched over a bony frame, limbs thin and wiry but fast clasping a spear made of crude wood and a sharpened stone for the head. Its yellow, goat-like eyes gleamed with malice, its hooked nose wrinkling as it caught their scent. The ragged loincloth it wore barely counted as clothing, and its oversized ears twitched as it crept forward, stalking them through the dark.


    But it had made a crucial mistake.


    It thought the darkness hid it. It thought it had the advantage.


    It didn''t realize who it was trying to ambush.


    It was trying to ambush the group using the darkness of the night, but didn''t realize that the two in front of him were creatures that could easily see under the darkness.


    Once the goblin thought he got close enough, he jumped at Ludwig who simply stabbed it with his broken sword fragment.


    The creature let out a strangled, wet gasp. For a moment, it seemed almost normal¡ªdying like any other living thing. But then, something changed.


    Its body twitched violently, as if something inside it was convulsing. Then, from the gaping wound, a thick, oozing substance began to pour¡ªnot blood, but slime.


    Ludwig took a sharp step back, watching as the goblin''s body writhed, the slime wriggling like it had a mind of its own. Stay updated with My Virtual Library Empire


    It wasn''t just inside the creature¡ªit had become the creature.


    Unlike the humans in the village, this creature was far too ''normal'' looking. But inside, it was all the same, slime from the Gluttonous Death had taken over its body and replaced all its organs.


    {You have slain a [Corrupted Goblin]}


    {You have received a Wayward Soul}


    Ludwig''s brow furrowed. Wayward Soul. One of the weakest types. Hardly worth the effort.


    Before he could ponder it further, an ear-splitting screech tore through the ruins.


    More goblins.


    Dozens of glowing eyes flickered in the darkness¡ªlurking within broken buildings, crouching behind shattered statues. Their ragged, hungry breaths filled the air, echoing between the ruins like whispers of the damned.


    Ludwig rolled his shoulders, gripping his weapon tighter. "This might take a while¡ª"


    "Ugh," Van Dijk groaned, cutting him off. "I hate this."


    "What is it?" Ludwig asked.


    Van Dijk sighed, rubbing his temples. "You see, intelligent creatures¡ªtrue intelligent creatures¡ªcan recognize when they''re outmatched. Even wild animals know when they''re facing something they can''t win against. But creatures like this¡­" He gestured to the goblins creeping toward them. "They''re just too stupid to realize they''re about to die."


    Ludwig barely had time to process those words before Van Dijk raised a single hand.


    A dense, crimson mist unfurled from his palm, thick and suffocating, swirling into the air like ink in water. Within seconds, the mist rippled and twisted, taking shape¡ª


    A swarm of bats.


    Each one a creature of pure shadow, eyes glowing red like blood. Their wings left streaks of blackened smoke in their wake, and as they took flight, their collective screech sent tremors through the ruins.


    Hundreds of them.


    "Kill them all," Van Dijk muttered.


    The bats exploded outward.


    They moved like living shadows, slithering through cracks in stone, slipping through broken windows and shattered doorways. The goblins barely had time to react before the swarm was upon them.


    Their screams tore through the night.


    Ludwig watched in stunned silence as the swarm descended, their razor-like fangs slicing through flesh and bone like parchment. The goblins flailed, slashing wildly at the air, but it was useless. The bats were everywhere, weaving between their attacks like phantoms, their bodies leaving behind streaks of crimson mist.


    One by one, the creatures fell.


    And then¡ªsilence.


    The ruins grew deathly still, the only sound the faint rustling of the wind through the vines.


    Ludwig turned to Van Dijk, dumbfounded.


    Van Dijk grinned. "What?" He spread his arms dramatically. "Did you think I was an Eight-Tier Mage just for show?"


    Ludwig followed behind Van Dijk until they reached a run down building, it looked like it was the biggest one in this hub? City? Ludwig didn''t know, it was bigger than a town but smaller than a city, and felt rather lonely here.


    The building itself was massive in size but seemed too rundown to be of any use. Most of the second floor had already fallen down, but there was an area in the center of the room that was thankfully clear. Since it had a massive magic circle in the middle.


    "Be a useful lad and clear the rubble on top of the teleportation circle."


    Ludwig nodded to his master and began picking up the rocks and small pieces of the wall and ceiling that had fallen on the teleportation gate.


    It was slow, grueling work. The broken debris was everywhere, some chunks larger than Ludwig himself. His skeletal frame strained as he pushed stone after stone aside, clearing a path toward the ancient runes beneath. Meanwhile, Van Dijk stood nearby, his piercing gaze locked onto the magic circle, scrutinizing every inch of its damaged form.


    The moment Ludwig finished clearing, he stood next to his master who was looked rather annoyed.


    "Hmm, I think I''ll need Silva''s help here," Van Dijk said.


    Ludwig studied the runes. "What exactly do we need him for?"


    Van Dijk pulled out his communication crystal, shaking it with mild annoyance. "The circle is incomplete¡ªdamaged more than I expected." He sighed. "And there''s interference. My crystal is only picking up short-range signals. I can''t reach Silva from here. only he can help me fix it."


    Ludwig tilted his head. "It looks similar to the one at the entrance of the swamp."


    "Yes, sadly I''m not good at teleportation magic, maybe we''ll head back to the first circle and get a duplicate copy then walk back here and try and fix it."


    "I remember the circle," Ludwig said.


    Van Dijk frowned, but then said, "You do strike me as someone who can easily memorize matters, since you mastered five spells probably in less than two days," Van Dijk said, "But isn''t this a bit too much even for you?" he asked.


    "It was half a night, and yes, I can still perfectly remember the circle''s details." Ludwig said. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Van Dijk thought for a second and said, "Apply it then, use this," he said as he pulled a massive piece of chalk almost a fist size from his own ring, "Complete the damaged parts and repair them, if the circle functions then we won''t have to waste time getting back."


    Ludwig nodded and grabbed the chalk, all he had to do was use [Trace] since he already saw the circle, he just needed to complete the missing parts. And Trace highlighted some the errors and mistakes that happened when the ceiling fell onto parts of the circle.


    Minutes passed. Then an hour.


    And then¡ª


    A surge of light.


    The magic circle hummed with energy, glowing faintly as the runes reconnected.


    Van Dijk let out a satisfied chuckle. "Impressive," he admitted. "Once we''re back, I''ll give you a few more books¡ªyou''ve earned them."


    Ludwig grinned.


    "For now," Van Dijk continued, stepping onto the circle, "let''s see if this thing actually let''s see if the connection is secure with our next destination, the heart of the bog."

 Chapter 129 The Citadel of Hunger

    The two of them took a step through the teleportation gate and, in an instant, found themselves standing before a colossal, open steel gate.


    Van Dijk came to an abrupt halt, his eyes narrowing as he took in the immense, eerily pristine sight in front of him.


    "Euh¡­" He stalled, clearly at a loss for words.


    It was a city gate, towering fifty meters high, constructed of thick iron-plated steel, its sheer size exuding an almost divine impermeability. Even to someone as powerful as Van Dijk, it looked imposing¡ªa structure built not just to defend but to ensure that whatever lay within would never be breached.


    The walls stretched outward beyond their vision, ivory and white, unmarred by time, spotless in a way that shouldn''t be possible. Perfect, too perfect, as if untouched by the passage of time.


    Behind them, lush, rolling fields of green stretched out as far as the eye could see. Fields of golden wheat and vibrant grass waved ever so slightly, giving off an illusion of life and abundance. It was pristine, untouched, fertile¡ªthe absolute antithesis of the cursed, desolate swamp they had left behind.


    And beyond the gate?


    An entire city, laid out before them in a circular, layered fashion, rising steadily upward toward a central hilltop, where, at the pinnacle of everything, sat an immaculate grand cathedral¡ªits marble columns and polished white walls gleaming in the dim light. It wasn''t just untouched by time¡ªit defied it.


    The streets were paved with black-polished obsidian tiles, so immaculate that Ludwig could almost see his own reflection. The roads stretched in perfect symmetry, leading to districts that seemed eerily well-maintained¡ªhousing complexes, markets, even noble estates, all arranged in a way that suggested a society still functioning, still thriving.


    But that wasn''t possible.


    Because there was no one here.


    No people, no animals, no wind to rustle the fields.


    Nothing.


    Just an unsettling, unnatural silence.


    No voices, no laughter, no merchants haggling, no carriages rolling down the streets. Not even the distant caw of a crow.


    It was like standing inside a preserved corpse of a kingdom, untouched by decay, yet undeniably dead.


    Ludwig took a slow step forward, his foot tapping against the ground, the sound echoing too loudly for a place that was supposed to be a functioning city.


    "What¡­ the hell¡­ is this?" Ludwig muttered.


    "Beats me." Van Dijk folded his arms, scanning the eerily pristine surroundings. "You''re the one that fixed the gate."


    Ludwig frowned. "Are we sure this is even the same place?"


    Van Dijk exhaled slowly, rubbing his temple.


    "The teleportation gate should have taken us closer to the heart of the bog¡­ but this?" He gestured at the pristine city before them. "This wasn''t here before. Not in any records. No expedition has ever spoken of a citadel at the center of the bog¡ªonly monsters, corruption, and the thing that rules over them all.


    This¡ª" he gestured at the untouched structures, the ghostly, immaculate emptiness¡ª"was never mentioned."


    A cold feeling crept up Ludwig''s spine.


    "So, what do we do?" Ludwig asked, already not liking where this was going.


    Van Dijk smirked slightly. "Normally? I''d leave immediately and return with a full-fledged war party."


    Ludwig sighed in relief. "Then¡ª"


    "But this is too damn interesting to pass up," Van Dijk said, already stepping forward.


    Ludwig groaned internally but followed.


    As they crossed the threshold of the towering gate, the sensation was immediate.


    [You have entered the Dwelling of Hunger dungeon.]


    [You are the first to enter this dungeon in 100 years¡ªAll rewards will be enhanced.]


    [Soul gain doubled inside this dungeon!]


    [This dungeon is ruled by a Usurper of Death: Gluttonous Death.]


    [Your Death Point has been set to Dungeon Entrance.]


    [Quest Activated: Clear the Dwelling of Hunger]


    Rewards: Audience with the Inevitable.


    Failing to complete the Dungeon has no punishments.


    Quest Difficulty: ??????????


    Ludwig felt his soul leave his body for a second.


    Ten. Skulls.


    This was not a dungeon they were supposed to be inside.


    His eyes flicked up to Van Dijk, but his master was completely oblivious to the messages flashing before Ludwig''s eyes. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What''s wrong? You look like you''ve seen a ghost," Van Dijk asked.


    Ludwig hesitated. How the hell was he supposed to explain any of this?


    "¡­Ah, I was just admiring the sights," Ludwig lied.


    Van Dijk raised an eyebrow but didn''t comment further. He strode forward, stepping into the silent city, and Ludwig had no choice but to follow.


    The City of Silence


    The deafening stillness followed them as they walked deeper into the streets.


    Everything was spotless, perfectly aligned, meticulously placed.


    "¡­Who the hell cleans all this?" Ludwig muttered.


    "Good question." Van Dijk''s gaze flicked around, searching for anything out of place. "No matter how well-kept a city is, this is too clean for there to be no one tending to it."


    And just as the words left his mouth¡ª


    Something moved.


    A scraping, grating noise echoed from a nearby alleyway.


    Van Dijk immediately signaled Ludwig to be silent, motioning for him to stay behind as he stepped ahead. He peered around the corner¡ª


    And froze.


    Ludwig moved to stand beside him, glancing at what had stopped Van Dijk in his tracks. Experience more on My Virtual Library Empire


    There, standing in the alley, was a man.


    Or¡­ what was left of one.


    Emaciated, lifeless, his skin stretched too tightly over brittle bones. His eyes were hollow, staring ahead with a dead, vacant gaze.


    But his clothes¡­


    They were immaculate.


    He wore a pressed uniform, a clean hat, and spotless white gloves.


    And in his skeletal hands, he clutched a broom, methodically sweeping the already pristine ground¡ªover and over, as if compelled by an unseen force.


    The man moved toward them, dragging the broom across the obsidian pavement. Van Dijk''s hand twitched, ready to incinerate whatever this thing was at the first sign of hostility¡ª


    But then¡­


    He stopped.


    Right in front of them.


    And just stood there. Motionless.


    Ludwig felt a shiver¡ªnot of fear, but of sheer, unnatural wrongness.


    "¡­Master." His voice was low. "Maybe we should¡­ step back."


    Van Dijk didn''t argue. They both took a few slow steps away¡ª


    And the moment they did, the creature simply resumed sweeping.


    As if nothing had happened.


    Ludwig''s mind raced. Not hostile. Not a monster. Just¡­ mindless.


    Another door creaked open from a house nearby.


    A second figure emerged, carrying a wooden table, which it methodically carried across the street, setting it down in front of another empty house before disappearing inside.


    More and more of them appeared as they walked through the city.


    Creatures in spotless uniforms, setting plates onto empty tables, waiting at empty stalls, polishing untouched windows.


    They never spoke.


    They never acknowledged each other.


    They simply worked, their bodies moving through the motions of a society that no longer existed.


    Van Dijk''s jaw tightened. "This is¡­ unsettling."


    Ludwig exhaled slowly, gripping his sword.


    "This feels like a city of the dead."


    "No, been there¡ªeven a city of the dead is livelier than this. Quite ironic," Van Dijk muttered, though there was no amusement in his voice.


    The two of them continued walking through the eerily pristine streets, undisturbed, unhindered, and most notably, untouched by any form of hostility. Not a single attack.


    Ludwig found that unsettling. Extremely so...

 Chapter 130 The Corrupted Knight

    The two continued walking through the streets, without being hindered or stalled or even attacked, which was quite strange to Ludwig. After all this was a dungeon, and all monsters should have attacked them. But these guys looked rather ''busy.''


    Ludwig did a quick inspection to see what''s different.


    ***


    Name: Nameless


    Type: Hollowed Attendant.


    Level: 30


    HP: 3000


    Status Effect:


    [Pseudo-Chimerism]- Currently suffering from a malicious curse that would cause growths to appear on its body.


    [Gluttonous Curse] Cursed with Eternal Hunger, sourced by the Gluttonous Death.


    [Hollowed] A curse that would consume their mind and body. Devoid of will, existing only to consume, not truly alive, but not quite dead either. A boundary between life and death.


    [Appearance Fanaticism]: Completely neutral and harmless unless one comes to the Dwelling of Hunger with corruption on them.


    Abilities:


    [Frenzied Rage]: Can only be activated if a specific condition has been met. Once activated the Hollowed Attendant will go into a range that will consume its own vitality rapidly for an increase in reaction time, damage dealt, bodily strength and speed.


    Addendum:


    Hollowed Attendants of the Dwelling of Hunger Citadel. They live to work and work to clean, the least semblance of their so-called humanity is all that is left to them. They know only to do their delegated tasks unless provokes. Former citizen of Tibari, the capital city of the Tibarian Empire.


    They did not think.


    They did not feel.


    They only existed to serve.


    ***


    Ludwig''s unease only deepened as he absorbed this information.


    He realized that this creature had been afflicted with the same curse as the Hollowed Wretches. Only those guys were more¡­ sane? If that was even the proper way of saying it. But these guys, they''re nothing but puppets, far too gone even more than the wretches in the village. These guys don''t even have the ability to think for themselves.


    And somehow, Ludwig found that even more horrifying.


    "Let''s keep moving," his teacher said as they continued on heading forward.


    Their destination was the next layer of the citadel.


    The first district had been an area for commoners, filled with smaller houses, marketplaces, and public squares that should have once bustled with life. The deeper they went, the larger and more elaborate the buildings became.


    It followed a pattern Ludwig recognized¡ªlayered city planning meant that power, wealth, and influence increased the higher one lived.


    That also meant one thing.


    The deeper they ventured, the more dangerous this place would become.


    They soon reached an area that separated the first circle city to the second. Another massive open gate with walls surrounds the second city. And just as they were about to reach the entrance¡­


    [You are in a hostile environment!]


    "Incoming!" Ludwig barked, stepping back.


    But Van Dijk was already in motion. Both his hands were burning black. "Burn!" he shouted as he flung two black fireballs at a shadowy figure that seemed to be falling down from the sky.


    The black flames roared out as they came in contact with the shadowy figure and the thing simply burst outward, flinging grime and slime everywhere that had caught on fire, finally revealing what remained beneath the grime as a humanoid figure.


    This entity was at least two and a half meters tall, quite taller than Ludwig, it was armored up to the teeth with heavy runic carved silver armor and had what looked to be an ultra great sword carried with one hand. At the same time, his other hand held a tower shield that was too fractured and corroded to even call a proper shield.


    The sword was chained to his right arm, its surface dripping with remnants of a taint, corruption and rust, but it still looked incredibly lethal. Thick and long enough to be as tall as a person. With a wide guard, thick base and a beefy tip. This weapon was more for crushing foes than cutting them.


    Tendrils of slime moved and squirmed in between the cracks and the openings of the armor this knight-like entity wore. Seemingly it was what kept it together instead of flesh and bones.


    A twisted and dark organic plating reinforced his armor, while the veins on it pulsated with a green light that ran through the cracks of his armor like corruption made manifest.


    His face was obscured by a black iron help, but in its depths hits of what looked like a skeletal visage and hollowed eyes gleamed with fragmented recognition.


    The armored thing simply stood watching as both Ludwig and Van Dijk were standing before it. Stay connected through My Virtual Library Empire


    Then, slowly¡ªdeliberately¡ªit lifted its greatsword, raised its shield, and slammed the two together.


    BOOM.


    The impact sent a shockwave through the streets, echoing against the pristine white walls.


    A challenge.


    ***


    Ludwig''s eyes lit up as he inspected it.


    Name: The Fallen Knight of Tibari


    Danger Level: ?


    Level: N/A


    HP: 10,000


    Status Effect:


    [Pseudo-Chimerism]- Currently suffering from a malicious curse that would cause growths to appear on its body.


    [Gluttonous Curse] Cursed with Eternal Hunger, sourced by the Gluttonous Death.


    [Mind Bound] Currently Under a puppeteering curse.


    Abilities:


    [Call of Duty] The Corrupted Knight does not abandon his duty in guarding his lord. He will materialize periodically through the Dwelling of Hunger to hunt, peruse, and kill the trespassers.


    [Glory in Death] Whenever the Corrupted Knight of Tibari is defeated, the next encounter will reveal less of its grotesque form, and more of its truer form, gaining him enhanced abilities stronger prowess, and easier access to his mind.


    [The Breaker] Enchants the sword to gain a penetrative force that will ignore a portion of the enemy''s defenses. Be is physical or magical.


    [Shadow Walk] moves through the shadows and periodically teleports.


    Sword-[First form: Hunger Brand] The sword of the Corrupted Knight will apply Hunger upon its target. Sapping away at stamina, strength, and mana over time.


    Shield- [First Form: Abolish] Completely negates all the damage below a certain threshold that the shield blocks.


    Addendum:


    An unknown knight, cursed with eternal servitude to the Gluttonous Death.


    ***


    "Get behind me Ludwig, this thing is giving me the creeps¡­" said the vampire.


    Ludwig was not about to go against his master, especially after seeing the wide grin on his face.


    Van Dijk was enjoying this.


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 Chapter 131 Disappointment

    The air shifted as the knight charged forward, its towering form moving with terrifying speed despite its massive armor.


    Its tower shield was raised high, an impenetrable wall of steel, while its corrupted greatsword rested atop the shield''s edge, poised like a guillotine ready to strike. The sheer weight behind its charge sent tremors through the obsidian-paved streets, the impact of each step splintering stone and cracking earth beneath its feet.


    Van Dijk, despite his immense power, wasn''t one to engage in brute force combat. He knew his strengths¡ªand fighting this abomination of metal and slime in the melee was an idiotic notion for a mage.


    So he just laughed


    "Let''s dance!"


    The vampire leaped back, and for a split second, Ludwig could swear he saw two mouths grinning on his teacher''s face.


    Then¡ª


    "{Ensnare}, {Bounds of Latvia!}, {Anchor Dead}, {Vow of Silence}!"


    Four spells erupted simultaneously in a brilliant cascade of arcane energy, weaving together in a sequence so fluid it looked as if they were crafted for this very moment.


    A storm of fluorescent chains shot from the ground, wrapping around the knight''s legs, each link glowing with power as they slithered over its armor, tightening with an audible snap.


    The air rumbled as spectral anchors materialized from thin air, crashing into the knight''s shoulders and chest, pinning it in place with a weight that even its corrupted strength couldn''t shake off.


    The final spell took shape¡ªa massive sigil of purple light appeared beneath the knight, spreading intricate runes across its helmet until they merged together into a band of glowing glyphs that wrapped around its mouth like a cursed muzzle.


    The Fallen Knight of Tibari struggled, its armor groaning under the force of the restraints. It tried to lift its sword, but the bindings of Latvia held firm. The chains tightened, the anchors dug deeper, and the magical seal over its mouth pulsed, silencing the knight''s roars before they could escape.


    Ludwig watched, a strange d¨¦j¨¤ vu creeping up his spine.


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    He had never seen Van Dijk use these spells before¡ªyet somehow, they felt familiar.


    His thoughts were cut short.


    "Burn!" Van Dijk roared out as he slapped his hands together. A torrent of black flames erupted beneath the knight, engulfing its entire body in a living inferno. The cursed armor glowed red-hot, the twisted veins of corruption bursting like overheated pipes. Slime sizzled and popped, releasing a sickly-sweet stench as the abomination convulsed, its very existence searing away under the sheer intensity of Van Dijk''s magic.


    While the two were fighting, Ludwig noticed something. Around them, the usually tame and mindless attendants were walking up toward them


    No longer in their slow, mechanical walk, but a faster, almost urgent trot. They grabbed their tools tightly in their hands, be it a broom or a kitchen knife, but something was different. Their empty eyes seemed brighter, their steps more purposeful.


    The docile creatures were not looking too docile right now.


    Ludwig was confused, why were they appearing here? Usually a boss or mini boss can command others to come and fight for him, but this guy didn''t have anything in his tooltip that said he can command them.


    "Be a good lad and take care of them," Van Dijk said.


    "On it!" Ludwig replied as he called upon a fireball and sent it toward the first two attendants that were coming his way.


    The fireball blasted squarely onto one of the attendant''s faces and blew out behind him. Singed and burning, the creature still shrugged off the damage and continued moving. Seeing them not caring much for the impact of the spell made Ludwig worried. But he didn''t have a choice, if they came to hinder his master from fighting, he''d have a harder time dealing with the knight.


    Ludwig tightened his grip on the sword shard in his hand and rushed the closest Hollowed Attendant, he swung down with his sword, breaking the frenzied creature''s broom, and slashed right through its collar bone, ribs, and all the way to his hip in one single swing.


    Slime burst out from the creature''s body, but it wasn''t going to die. However, what happened next made things a bit more different.


    The group of attendants that were coming behind it stopped rushing Van Dijk and instead turned on their friend, jumping at it, tearing it apart,t and consuming it. A sight that he had seen before in the village of the Hollowed Wretches.


    Ludwig had thought that their hunger would subside, but it never did, they just never had the opportunity to consume anything.


    Could it be, that the reason this place is so clean is that they consumed all the filth and grime? Or perhaps there is a different reason?


    Ludwig watched as the wounded attendant was completely absorbed out, not a single drop of slime left from his body in a matter of seconds. A few more attendants had already got near Ludwig and one of them jumped on him, but Ludwig hesitated in striking it because something was wrong.


    The way this attendant jumped, he wasn''t going to reach Ludwig, and that was so. The creature fell short but didn''t rise up to Ludwig instead it was gobbling up something on the ground.


    Ludwig looked down and saw that the attendant was consuming the slime that had burst out of the knight earlier.


    In fact, all the attendants were doing that.


    They were ''cleaning'' the floor from the corruption the knight was releasing passively whenever it moved. Though right now, the knight was burning red and bright as Van Dijk''s flames were making it smolder.


    Suddenly a loud howl echoed from the knight''s mouth that suddenly had the spell broken from it and it simply turned to black sludge melting on the floor and seeped through the cobblestone.


    A final sentence echoed through the city, "It beckons!"


    Then¡ªsilence.


    Van Dijk blinked.


    "Huh." He frowned, dusting off his coat. "That was rather disappointing."


    He didn''t look any worse for wear and seemed more like he had taken a stroll through a garden instead of fighting against an amalgamation of corruption and malice.


    The attendants on the other hand were still frenzied but they weren''t attacking Ludwig, they were consuming the slime and grime left on the ground rapidly. And as soon as the slime was consumed, they ''woke up'' and began their mindless tasks. Those that had brooms swept the floor, removing the slime that turned to ash from Van Dijk''s flames, while others who had knives and cooking utensils simply withdrew back to town.


    Van Dijk frowned as he noticed the creatures folding back.


    "No wonder the city is this clean," Ludwig said, "They never intended on attacking us, well, at least if you''re here," he said.


    "What do you mean," Van Dijk asked. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh, you didn''t notice?" Ludwig smiled at his master who looked a bit annoyed.


    Although Ludwig was cheating since he knew this thanks to his [Inspect] he wasn''t going to miss the chance to sound ''smarter'' than his master.


    "Well then, allow me to explain what just happened," Ludwig said proudly almost puffing his chest up. he wasn''t about to let go of an opportunity like this one.

 Chapter 132 The Archives

    He then began explaining. "They''re here to clean up, and we," Ludwig pointed at himself and Van Dijk, "Are clean because you used [Cleanse] on us. We''re not being attacked simply because we''re deemed clean. I guess no wonder not many people return from this city, they enter from the bog, having fought in the grime, slime, and filth, they walk the city with all kinds of disgusting things on their bodies, and the attendants would immediately go into a frenzy and kill them off."


    Van Dijk scoffed, "I see. Good observation skills, let''s go then," Van Dijk said as the two walked forward and through the second gate.


    Just as Ludwig walked through it a notification appeared in front of him.


    [ Your Death Point has been set to, Dungeon First Floor]


    [Upon Death you will return to this spot.]


    "Well, that''s not very comforting," Ludwig thought.


    ...


    Ludwig stepped forward, his boots clicking softly against the obsidian-paved streets as they passed through the second gate. A heavy, foreboding silence settled over them.


    The architecture changed noticeably. Unlike the sprawling outer district, where the buildings were spread out with patches of greenery, this inner sector was far more compact and tightly knit.


    Narrow streets wound through rows of interconnected houses, their walls pressed together so tightly it felt as though the city itself was watching them, squeezing in closer with every step.


    Though the Hollowed Attendants still moved with mechanical purpose, something new stood out¡ªsomething far more menacing.


    At every junction, at every major road, stood two massive armored figures. They loomed at attention, unmoving but undeniably imposing, as if they were ancient sentinels, keeping eternal watch over the city.


    Van Dijk noticed them and said, "Stay close, this might get trickier."


    Ludwig nodded and inspected the knight.


    ***


    Name: City Guard


    Danger Level: ?


    Level: 55 S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    HP: 5,500


    Status Effect:


    [Pseudo-Chimerism]- Currently suffering from a malicious curse that would cause growths to appear on its body.


    [Gluttonous Curse] Cursed with Eternal Hunger, sourced by the Gluttonous Death.


    Abilities:


    [To Arms] call upon their allies to fight with them, and increase the health of each ally present by 20%. If any attendants or citizen are in the vicinity increases the damage and resistances of the City Guard by an additional 20%.


    [Spear Throw] Will accurately hit their target with a spear as long as they are in range, causes massive bleeding upon critical hit.


    [Exile] if their target surrenders or falls unconscious, they will exile them to the catacombs of the city.


    Addendum:


    Once a proud Guard of Tibari: now turned to a mindless husk that does its duty. It maintains order and protects the citizens of the city. Guarding them with their lives and excommunicating anyone who dares cause chaos and anarchy.


    ***


    "Master," Ludwig said.


    "Yes?" his master replied. "How about we don''t aggro them," Ludwig said.


    Van Dijk raised an eyebrow. "Aggro?"


    "Ah, sorry, as in aggravate, look, they already noticed us, but they''re not acting. Whatever happened to this city, it feels like there is some sort of twisted order that compels everyone to act in a specific way. The citizens didn''t attack us because we were too clean, and these guys looked like guards, they had a different attire than the knight from earlier. I think they''re just here to ''guard'' the place from intruders," Ludwig said.


    "Aren''t we intruders then?" Van Dijk replied.


    "We technically are, but at the same time not, I have a feeling that those guys would only attack us if we cause trouble, and in this case trouble is killing the attendants¡­" Ludwig explained.


    "Stay here," Van Dijk said to Ludwig and moved forward. Seemingly to check his theory, he had some magic that Ludwig couldn''t understand swirling around his body and he moved forward toward the guards.


    Ludwig held his breath as Van Dijk approached the nearest pair of guards.


    Their massive spears gleamed in the dim light, their towering forms still as statues.


    Step by step, Van Dijk moved closer¡ªuntil he was within reach.


    For a long, tense moment, nothing happened.


    "Seems like you were right," Van Dijk said, albite loudly


    Then¡ªone of the guards slowly turned its head, its helmet groaning as metal scraped against metal.


    Van Dijk tensed, ready to react.


    The knight raised a gauntleted hand, placing a single finger against its visor as if to shush him.


    Then it turned back forward, ignoring him completely.


    "I guess being loud breaks the order¡­" Ludwig theorized. Van Dijk having already realized that, gestured for Ludwig to come closer.


    The two soon joined and walked past the guards through the city, the sound of their footsteps hitting the cobblestone was all that could be heard.


    The second part of the city was tightly knit together. Houses that were attached to other houses created a spiraling pathway that led all the way to the second section of the city. Albite with a small setback in the way.


    There was a building in the way, a massive bronze-colored building. The street that would lead them beyond the building had stopped right here.


    The building itself was built in the shape of an arched stone gate. A gatehouse, The gate itself was closed shut. There were towers and colored windows all over the building. It had long spires and a bridge crossing from one tower to the other. Just from this side Ludwig could tell that this thing was massive in size on the inside.


    Van Dijk tilted his head, his expression unreadable.


    "Give me a second."


    He raised a hand, summoning a flock of mist bats that scattered upward, spiraling into the air.


    Some of the bats immediately collided with an invisible barrier, dissipating instantly.


    Van Dijk scowled.


    Soon a few of them returned to their master.


    "There is a flight and teleportation prohibition on the city, and this is the only way forward. We can''t go around.


    "So, we have to go through it?" Ludwig asked.


    "Seems like it," Van Dijk exasperatedly responded.


    The only path forward Ludwig saw was the gate itself, but his master had a different idea. He moved with purpose toward one of the guards at the base of the gate and asked,


    "How can I get inside?" he asked, in a low voice.


    The guard then simply turned and walked ahead.


    Ludwig followed his master after he gestured for him to do so, and the two followed the guard to a sideway street. Though they walked for a bit Ludwig realized that the bronze building was stretched out sideways and the entrance to the building for people was from that part.


    This building seemed to be a gate that only allowed more regal and royal people to cross through the main gate while others had to go the roundabout way.


    Just as the two of them walked from the side door, another notification appeared in front of Ludwig.


    [ Your Death Point has been set to, Tibarian Archives]


    ''Seems like this is a new area of the city¡­ so far we haven''t had any fights and it''s been like taking a stroll,'' Ludwig thought. He wasn''t being arrogant, but actually glad. But he knew deep down that if it wasn''t for his master, he''d probably have died multiple times already. The Corrupted Knight alone would have made Ludwig suffer by himself. Experience new tales on My Virtual Library Empire


    "Ludwig, where are you?" Ludwig heard the voice coming from his pocket.


    Ludwig froze.


    His master''s tone wasn''t its usual playful arrogance¡ªthere was an edge to it.


    Frowning Ludwig looked around him, only to find his master absent.


    He grabbed the communication crystal that his master had given him, "Hello?"


    "Ludwig," his master said, "Stay where you are. I guess we got tricked, this whole thing isn''t how it looks," he said.


    "What do you mean master," Ludwig asked.


    But Ludwig received no response.


    A library, Ludwig thought. He spun around, searching for any sign of his master¡ªbut the entrance behind him was gone.


    Replaced by a solid wall.


    He was alone.


    Ludwig clenched his jaw and raised his eyes forward, scanning his surroundings.


    Massive bookshelves loomed over him, stretching into the gloom, their ancient tomes covered in dust and age.


    This was a library.


    A twisted, endless labyrinth of knowledge and decay.


    Then¡ª


    A metallic clang rang out behind him.


    A shadow loomed.


    A familiar greatsword.


    A towering, armored figure.


    The Fallen Knight had returned.


    And this time¡ªLudwig was alone.

 Chapter 133 Silence

    "Naah! You got to be shitting me!" those were the only words Ludwig could utter as the Corrupted Fallen Knight charged at him. He hulked his way through the shelves, shattering and breaking anything that interrupted him as he was sprinting forward, with his shield raised up and his sword drawn to his side.


    Ludwig couldn''t help but sprint the other way as he saw the incoming creature. This wasn''t something he could beat, Ludwig knew that, the Knight behind him was way stronger than him and all his spells would probably do nothing but piss the knight off.


    Ludwig ran through the small pathways that made shelves while the knight tore through them and broke them apart.


    Suddenly, a tall, blindfolded and candle carrying attendant emerged out from one side of the shelves. He turned to the incoming Ludwig and said, "Shuuu"


    This attendant was different from the others outside, he was skinny too and looked very emaciated, but something about him gave Ludwig the feeling that he would become a big problem if Ludwig didn''t quiet down.


    Having no choice in the matter, Ludwig dipped to the side away from the attendant and watched it get slammed when the Corrupted Knight crashed onto him.


    Ludwig hurriedly ran away through the maze like library and at one point only he was there, the sound of crashing was a bit far from him but that didn''t mean it was going to remain that way for long.


    Ludwig took another step and realized that his boots were making noise, he hastily removed them and walked away with bear feet.


    The knight made noise as he was moving through the library. His armor would create a lot of noise while he walked. His boots echoed through the library and thankfully allowed Ludwig to locate him based on distance.


    A shadow moved behind the bookshelves.


    [Inspect]


    Ludwig said and was able to get an update on the knight''s status screen.


    Name: The Fallen Knight of Tibari


    First Resurrection: The awakened Knight.


    Danger Level: ? sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Level: N/A


    HP: 15,000


    ---


    Additional Skills :


    [Royal Guard Stance] Adopts a defensive counter-stance punishes reckless attacks with additional damage.


    [Cursed Resonance] -Passive- The Knight''s Presence weakens nearby enemies ''stamina and slows their reaction time.


    [Hunger Brand- Enhanced] His sword now steals a portion of life force -HP- upon each strike that connects.


    Addendum:


    Ludwig realized that not only did his appearance change, also his overall power level and strength. It also became¡­ cleaner?


    Though corruption was still permeating his body, he had less of it now, parts of his original armor were shining through, and his movements were sharper, with a more controlled stance and weight on each of his steps.


    The knight continued moving through the library, moving its head around. Two more attendants approached it, and said, "SHUUU!" this time more aggressively.


    The knight ignored them and continued waltzing through the library searching for Ludwig. And he wasn''t going to wait for that to happen.


    Ludwig looked around trying to find a way out of the library, but this thing looked absurdly large. Without a way out apparently. The shelves acted like an intricate maze that would allow no one to leave once they step a foot inside. Enjoy exclusive chapters from My Virtual Library Empire


    He grabbed at his pocket, and felt the crystal again, he pulled it out and inspected it.


    [Currently Disabled]


    [No communication devices are allowed in a place of study and learning!]


    The notification gave him a warning that he immediately understood.


    "Shuuu!" he heard once again as another attendant shouted, this time it felt like a true warning.


    But the knight seemingly uncaring continued clinking his way through the library.


    Soon, light steps echoed through the library as more and more blindfolded attendants emerged out from the library, they all walked past Ludwig and toward the location of the noise. Ludwig was at first worried that they might attack him, but they didn''t spare him a single glance.


    They all moved with purpose, their candles lit in their hands as they approached the ''target'' that was making noise in the library.


    Ludwig took a small detour to check up on what''s going on, he needed information, though running away right now is a good option. He wanted to see what the librarian attendants were up to.


    Once Ludwig crouched below a certain level of the shelves, he peered through the small opening the books left to watch what was going on.


    The knight was moving ahead, loud as ever while more and more librarians tried to shush it, but it didn''t care.


    Only then did three of them tightened their grips on their candles then swung the candle from afar onto the knight. a large blob of hot wax splashed at the knight who roared out, not in pain but probably from annoyance.


    The loud roar made more of the librarians try and shush him out some more, seemingly unbothered by their weak attacks the Knight simply ignored them. But they didn''t, and they all began flicking large masses of was at him, the knight continued roaring at them, but they simply kept splashing him with more and more was.


    It then swung his sword at them, cutting one of the librarians in half.


    Ludwig thought that they would simply ignore the knight and start eating each other. But this time, the slime didn''t come out of their bodies, but wax. A lot of it surged out of their bodies, which immediate fused them back to their prior form.


    The attendants continued splashing the knight with wax, and Ludwig could see the knight visibly slowing as the was began hardening. The more the knight struggled, the louder he became, and the more wax he was struck with.


    After some time, the knight was fully coated in wax, an fully frozen in place.


    Ludwig inspected it once again and noticed that the knight had lost about a third of its health points.


    Only then did a crazy idea form in Ludwig''s mind. And he was willing to risk it all to make it work.

 Chapter 134 Brain Over Brawn

    The attendants soon began withdrawing after the knight had been ''neutralized''.


    So, it was now the time for him to enact his plan. Ludwig knew full well that fighting the knight head-on was utterly stupid. He wasn''t strong enough, nor would any of his spells even harm the knight. but the immortal attendants were more than capable of doing that themselves. So he was going to use a borrowed knife.


    In the stories and novels he had read, the hero would fight a difficult and struggle-fueled fight to defeat his powerful enemy. The plot would revolve around them obtaining a powerful item or an ability at the last second that will empower them and give them the edges they need to win their battle.


    This wasn''t the case, for Ludwig this was real life, and there was nothing like a sudden power-up that was going to save him. All he had is the head over his shoulders to use.


    Some might call it cowardice some might call it genius, but Ludwig knew that it was his only way to both survive and have a better chance at leaving this place.


    The knight was a hurdle in his way and he needed to get rid of him even if he didn''t personally kill it.


    Ludwig approached the knight, moving past the attendants who still ignored him and were too busy cleaning up the place. From what Ludwig saw, they were caring about the books and the shelves, and some even used wax to repair the damage. Others took the books that were too damaged away while leaving those that had only fallen to be picked up by other librarians back in their spots.


    Ludwig tried his best not to disrupt them and walked all the way to the knight. He noticed that the knight wasn''t fully frozen, he could see the red of his eyes moving through the visor of his helmet.


    Ludwig smiled as he pulled his sword. The Broken Shard of Durandal had yet to fail him in breaking through an object.


    He aimed it at the eye of the knight and simply used all the power behind his undead strength to stab it right through the knight''s eye.


    [Critical!]


    [-1,200 hp!]


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    [You caused Half Blind Effect onto your target!]


    The response was immediate, the Knight shivered and shuddered, the wax breaking off of his body from rage, and instantly the wax began cracking.


    Ludwig ripped the sword and stabbed it right into the second eye. This time the pain was even more visible on the knight as it shattered a great majority of the wax and roared out in rage.


    "SHUUUUU!" this one was louder and sounded through the whole library.


    Ludwig immediately ripped the sword out and was about to stab the knight in the chest this time, but he felt that he shouldn''t be greedy and moved himself away.


    His intuition was incredibly right, as the moment he had removed himself from in front of the knight, the wax on his arm had shattered, and the sword it had on him was free as it struck the spot Ludwig was standing on with so much might, that several of the books around them were flung out of their position, while the shockwave of the impact hit Ludwig squarely sending him sprawling on the ground.


    Ludwig fell right next to one of the blind me, who had a finger on its mouth, and said, "Shuu," this one far less loudly than the ones the knight was receiving, but it was still a bit louder than the first ''warning'' Ludwig received.


    Ludwig immediately understood that each person who enters this library will have a certain amount of warnings from the librarians before he is waxed. So Ludwig nodded at the librarian who simply ignored him again and moved toward the knight.


    The Librarians grouped up again like a small army coming out of different sections of the archives and began throwing wax once again at the knight.


    The knight was blinded fully and was unable to locate the source of the attacks, which made the job of the librarians far easier in containing him. However this time, the Knight was far more aggressive as it swung its sword everywhere breaking books and shelves with each swing. But soon he was forced to his knees, frozen in place due to the wax.


    Once again, Ludwig waited for the librarians to remove themselves from the area and slowly headed toward the knight.


    He inspected his health this time and it was far lower than he expected. He thought he''d have to do this again, but it seems the librarians were adamant on making the knight completely frozen in place so they added more wax layers and dropped his health to about twenty percent.


    Ludwig waited until all the librarians had left the area and then simply stabbed the knight from the top of his helm. The sword went through the iron helmet like a hot knife through a helmet made of wax.


    [Critical!]


    [You have defeated your opponent! No soul shall be granted for this victory your opponent has yet to truly die]


    A loud howl echoed from the knight''s mouth as it was turning into a black tar-like substance.


    "The Hunger¡­ it calls!" it said before the tar-like substance began melting the wax and mixing with it. Soon the ground was nothing but a pool of wax.


    Surprisingly the librarians didn''t react this time, perhaps they realized that the one that was making all the noise is now dead.


    No item dropped, and no souls dropped, but that wasn''t all bad. At least now Ludwig could navigate the library without having to worry about the knight.


    He began walking through the library and only then did he realize that he never opened any of the books nor see what they were about. The knight that was perusing him was jealous for Ludwig''s attention.


    Ludwig grabbed the nearest book and opened it, only to find no content inside it. It was nothing but empty books and pages.


    Frustration and disappointment were clear on Ludwig''s face.


    "I should have known," he sighed as he placed the book down. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Not far from him was one of the librarians who picked up a book from the shelves and began riffling through the pages.


    Ludwig approached him and used a page from Van Dijk''s books.


    Ludwig realized he still had more ''chances'' before being kicked out, or waxed out from the library so he tried his luck.


    "Excuse me," Ludwig said in a low voice.


    The librarian turned to Ludwig, scanned him from head to toe, and just stared at him. As if waiting.


    "I need a book that I can read¡­"


    The librarian held two fingers and made the gesture of gouging one eye to Ludwig. Then shook his head.


    He couldn''t speak, but Ludwig immediately understood what he meant.


    These books¡­ you can''t read them if you have eyes¡­


    ''But I don''t have eyes¡­ also how does that even work?'' Ludwig was confused. But then he remembered something. He pulled an item from his inventory. It was the Mask of the Blind Witness.


    Just as he placed it on his face. Something horrifying met his eyes¡­ enough that although he had no stomach, Ludwig wanted to hurl.

 Chapter 135 Living Archives

    The library was technically still a library, but what was made of wood, as in the shelves and what was hanging from the ceiling as in lamps and chandeliers were not. The wood looked like lumps of tumorous flesh, rotten and raw, pulsating every second. Vines and corroded blood streams coursed through them. The chandeliers themselves looked like hanging masses of bulging flesh.


    Eyeballs moved and squirmed everywhere, from the shelves to the ceiling, everything was mortifying. Long gone were the organized archives, turned to a monstrous sight, worse than the stomach of an eldritch beast.


    The Librarian that was next to Ludwig had its true form revealed. Tentacles of slime-covered in wax were surging out of its skull, swaying like hair.


    Though blind in his eyes still, it had eyes all over its body, red irises and goat-like pupils. Looking all over the place as the librarian scrolled through the books.


    Ludwig was feeling like his stomach was about to go on strike and let out all its content, though he had no stomach nor content in it.


    It was revolting and repulsive, but he couldn''t let it show. He moved his head from the sight and looked at the only thing that made ''sense'', the book in his hands.


    [Tibarian Artisanship- The Art of Pottery]


    The book had a simple index, and its content was all focused on crafting and creating pottery. Something Ludwig had no intention of learning. So he placed the book back where it was.


    He raised his head up, and the mask revealed the name of the shelve for him. [Menial Work Section]


    He looked around and found the other shelves all had their own category, from forging, foraging, herbalism, and many more.


    The archives held an immense amount of information and knowledge. This was a vast sea of knowledge that any country would be willing to go to war for. It talked about almost everything and all things. A treasure trove that is more expensive and precious than any den of gold and riches. Knowledge is power, and Ludwig needed this power.


    Ludwig moved away from the librarian and made sure that he was alone in a different section, he picked up one of the books, and the moment he tried to put it inside his ring, every single eye in the vicinity snapped to him. Focusing on him.


    [You''re in a hostile environment]


    A few librarians approached Ludwig from the side and just stood there watching him.


    ''I guess I''ll need a membership card¡­'' Ludwig placed the book back and immediately the eyes eased off of him, scrying and surveying the library.


    Displeased Ludwig sighed and moved away from that section, he couldn''t ''borrow'' any of the books, but he was allowed to read them.


    "Damn¡­" he cursed, "I gotta find Van Dijk then, he''ll probably have a better idea," Ludwig muttered as he walked through the library, fascinated with what he could see.


    Although Ludwig had an incredible memory, it would take him centuries to fully read through this library. By that time, he''ll probably become something like the librarian. Consumed with hunger, but not hunger for sustenance as the last encounter with the corrupted knight showed him. He''ll have an insatiable hunger for knowledge.


    ''Seems like I understand the Gluttonous Death a bit more'' he thought.


    He theorized that the ''Idea'' of Gluttony wasn''t simply for food. But to be gluttonous to all matters of life. Including knowledge and learning. And these librarians, who seemed to have ''lived'' if that was even the proper term, for centuries here had yet to be sated, not like they''ll ever be. The more you know, the more you understand that you know nothing.


    A deep pit that''s endless, knowledge is far too great of an incentive than mere food.


    Ludwig continued walking through the library, scanning the books and shelves, and after a while, he found something interesting.


    "Magic Section!" he said as his eyes widened.


    Books of all sizes and shapes talked about magic, old ancient magic that belonged to the Tibarian culture. But¡­ there were simply too few books here. The magic section had about twenty or so books, unlike the thousands of books that the other sections had.


    "Ludwig!" he heard.


    Turning, there was a bat made of pure smoke behind him that fluttered in the air. "You''re safe! Good, I''ll come for you soon," the bat said. And dove into the ground creating a small red magic circle.


    Suddenly, Van Dijk''s body materialized from the circle, he shook his head, "I hate moving like this, regardless, nothing happened I presume?" Van Dijk asked.


    "Euh¡­ well, a lot of things actually, the Corrupted Knight came," Ludwig said.


    Van Dijk''s hands brightened up in black flames, making all the eyes snap to him.


    "I wouldn''t recommend you use fire in a library," Ludwig said.


    Van Dijk frowned, "I doubt you should be worrying about books now, our lives might be at stake,"


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    "Oh no, the knight is dead," Ludwig said.


    "Dead?" Van Dijk asked. "How?"


    "I killed it," Ludwig said.


    "I don''t like jokes," Van Dijk said.


    "I really did, was pretty easy too," Ludwig grinned.


    "Hmm, tell me, how?" S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I used the librarians," Ludwig explained how the librarians were using wax on the loud knight and Ludwig went to get the final kill. He then explained how the librarians expected everything to be silent here.


    "Ah, no wonder they kept shushing me," Van Dijk said as he looked at Ludwig''s feet. "Where are your boots?"


    "They made too much noise, had to get rid of them."


    "¡­"


    Van Dijk muttered "Feline Grace"


    It was the same spell from before, he applied it once again at Ludwig and himself. "This should keep our feet from making any noise."


    Ludwig knew that Van Dijk just didn''t want to walk bare feet. But he didn''t say anything.


    "Regardless, you might wanna turn off your flames master, the eyes are getting a bit uneasy," Ludwig said.


    "The eyes?" he asked.


    Ludwig removed his mask and gave it to his master, "It''ll make you blind for a second, also don''t be too surprised about what you see," Ludwig said.


    Van Dijk grabbed the mask and placed it on his face. Only for him to take a step back as he realized what they were facing. He then was about to remove the mask but his hands seemed to ''refuse'' for a second. And a moment later he ripped it out of his face.


    He heaved and took several deep breaths, "What a nasty sight¡­" He said.

 Chapter 136 The Beast In Shadows

    "Ah, yeah. I had the same, this thing is pretty disgusting," Ludwig said.


    "Not talking about this place," Van Dijk shook his head roughly, his eyes were pure white, he was blinded.


    Soon his vision returned, "That mask, is a nasty thing¡­"


    "Visions?" Ludwig asked.


    "A vision," Van Dijk said.


    "It shows random stuff, I wouldn''t trust what it showed you. Most of it is just gibberish," Ludwig said. After all, the Mask of The Blind witness does say that it will reveal truths of a possible future or remnants of a possible past.


    "Not this time, it showed me something that did actually happen. Something I didn''t want to see again, quite the wicked tool, Ludwig, I''d recommend you don''t rely on it. Also, it''s quite the mess in here, we should leave as soon as possible."


    "I was trying that, but I got lost, and was also a bit interested in the contents of this section," Ludwig pointed.


    The books looked the same for Van Dijk, "These are all empty and illegible," he said.


    "Not when you have the mask," This section is the magic section, there is probably magic that doesn''t exist anywhere else in the world here¡­"


    Van Dijk thought for a second, "As tempting as it is, I don''t want to even use that mask to read them¡­"


    Ludwig had a sorrowful expression on his face.


    Van Dijk sighed, "Then let''s just take them if you want to read them that much,"


    "I''ll transcribe them for you later if you don''t want to use the mask," Ludwig said.


    "Good idea," Van Dijk seemingly more interested now fell right in Ludwig''s trap.


    "But there is a problem," Ludwig said.


    "What is it?" Van Dijk asked.


    "When I tried to take a book, the eyes snapped at me and the librarians approached me, I feel like I''ll not leave this place if I borrow one of the books."


    Van Dijk thought for a moment and said, "I have an idea," he said as he pulled an item from his inventory.


    It was a ring, similar to the one that Ludwig has. He placed it on the shelves and imbued it with magic, something Ludwig didn''t understand.


    "Is this the only shelf you want?" Van Dijk said.


    "Hmm, do you mind if we take a look around?" Ludwig asked. He had an idea of what Van Dijk wanted to do, but didn''t want to rob him of the ''reveal'' so he went with his master.


    The master understood and smiled. "I''ll show you something great," he laughed and walked with his disciple.


    His mask was on and the two began moving, Ludwig following his master who seemed to be navigating the library with purpose.


    "Alchemy," Ludwig pointed at a shelve.


    "Good subject," he said and placed a ring inside the shelve.


    Soon they reached another section after going through random shelves that spoke about theater, or cooking or other useless subjects for the two of them.


    Ludwig pointed, "Swordsmanship," he said.


    Van Dijk sighed, "Just for you, my disciple, just for you," he said and placed another ring on the shelve.


    He clearly wasn''t a fan of his disciple focusing on something other than magic but he couldn''t push his disciple from a path he had chosen.


    "I have one more ring, choose wisely," Van Dijk said.


    Ludwig seemed joyful at first, but after several hours of search, they were both disappointed to find nothing of use. So they were about to give up.


    "I think we should backtrack and just grab the history section, or even the Magic Craft," Ludwig was about to give up as he said.


    "There is a section I haven''t been to yet," Van Dijk said.


    "You mean you memorized the layout?" Ludwig asked.


    "Well, I had to, I spread my bats through the library to find you¡­ so I still remember all the pathways, this library is big but not as confusing as one might think, follow me."


    Van Dijk headed forward until they reached the area that Van Dijk hadn''t explored yet.


    "What does it say?" Van Dijk asked.


    Ludwig on the other hand was completely stupefied at what he was looking at.


    "What do you mean master? You want us to go there?" Ludwig said. Explore more stories with My Virtual Library Empire


    Van Dijk tilted his head, "It''s the shelf, what does it say?"


    "What shelf¡­" Ludwig said as he took a step back, "There''s a freaking monster there master!"


    Van Dijk understood immediately that what he was seeing wasn''t what his disciple was looking at. It ''looked'' to him like a simple shelf that had books in it, but for Ludwig with his mask, this must be something completely different.


    "It''s not attacking us though," Ludwig rationalized.


    "What do you see?" Van Dijk asked.


    "Darkness," Ludwig said, "The only place in this library that has no eyes or that scourged rotten flesh thing. A black chamber with a single raised dais in the middle, and above it¡­ there is what looks to be a book."


    "Where is the monster?" Van Dijk asked.


    "It''s¡­ closer to a ghost-like entity than a monster," Ludwig explained.


    Ludwig''s masked vision peeled away the illusion, revealing something lurking in the dark. What Van Dijk saw as a simple shelf was, in truth, a presence, something lingering at the edge of existence. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was feral, crouched low, coiled as if ready to spring, yet it did not move. Its form was indistinct, shifting between something canine, feline, and something else entirely¡ªa beast caught between shapes as if its body had long forgotten what it once was.


    Its claws scratched absently at the floor, yet no marks were left. A heavy, ragged breath rasped through unseen lungs, a slow, deliberate sound that filled the air with unease.


    Ludwig could see its hollow eyes, not empty, but faded¡ªdistant, unfocused as if staring past him rather than at him. There was no hunger in them, no malice. Only a residual awareness, like a guard dog that had long since forgotten what it was meant to protect, yet remained out of habit.


    It did not attack.


    It did not move.


    It only watched...

 Chapter 137 The Guardian and the Book

    "If it''s not attacking," Van Dijk said, his voice low and measured, each word carrying the weight of caution, "then we probably should just leave it be. There''s no sense in provoking something we don''t understand."


    Ludwig was about to nod in agreement, his mind already aligning with his master''s reasoning. The creature they had stumbled upon was unlike anything he had ever seen. It was a shadow-given form, a writhing mass of darkness that seemed to pulse and breathe, its edges flickering like smoke caught in a breeze. It didn''t move, didn''t attack, but its presence was oppressive as if the very air around it was heavier, denser. Ludwig couldn''t shake the feeling that it was watching them, even though it had no visible eyes.


    They didn''t know what the ''monster'' was capable of, nor what kind of threat it posed. For all they knew, it could be a guardian, a trap, or something far worse. Ludwig''s instincts screamed at him to retreat, to leave this place and never return. But before he could voice his agreement, a sharp, intrusive chime echoed in his mind, followed by a flash of blue text that burned itself into his vision.


    [Sudden Quest!]


    The notification made Ludwig grit his teeth, his jaw tightening as a familiar sense of dread settled in his chest. He didn''t even need to read the details to know what it would entail. The System had a way of thrusting him into situations he had no business being in, and this was no exception.


    [Obtain the mysterious book guarded by the Shadow Beast of the Grand Archives.]


    [Difficulty level: F]


    [Reward: Revealed once the item is obtained.]


    [Failure to obtain the item will permanently decrease your Wisdom gain by 100%.]


    ¡­


    Ludwig''s frown deepened as he read the quest details. A Difficulty level of F? That was laughable. The System was either mocking him or severely underestimating the situation. The creature before them didn''t look like an F-level threat. Its very presence was enough to make Ludwig''s skin crawl although he had no real skin, and the fact that it was guarding something only made it more suspicious. He tried to use his Inspect skill on the creature, hoping to glean some information, but the System responded with a cold, dismissive message.


    [Failed to Inspect.]


    He cursed under his breath, his frustration mounting. If he couldn''t inspect the creature then he''d know what they were facing at least.


    His gaze shifted to the object of the quest: the book. It lay on a stone dais in the center of the room, its cover obscured by the shifting shadows of the creature. Ludwig tried to inspect it as well, but the System delivered the same infuriating response.


    [Failed to Inspect.]


    "What''s wrong?" Van Dijk asked, his voice cutting through the tension like a knife. His sharp eyes were fixed on Ludwig, studying him with a mix of curiosity and concern.


    Ludwig hesitated, unsure of how to explain the sudden quest or the gnawing sense of urgency that had taken hold of him. "I don''t know how to explain it," he began, his voice tight, "but there''s something about that book¡­ It''s like if we leave this place without it, something terrible will happen. I can''t shake the feeling."


    Van Dijk''s expression darkened as he considered Ludwig''s words. He was a man who valued logic and reason above all else, and Ludwig''s vague intuition was far from convincing.


    "The risks are too great," he said after a long pause. "We don''t know what that creature is, nor do we know the true value of the book. It could be a trap or worse."


    Ludwig opened his mouth to argue, but Van Dijk raised a hand to silence him. "However," the teacher continued, his tone softening slightly, "if my disciple feels so strongly about this, then I cannot simply ignore their plea. Give me the mask."


    Ludwig''s eyes widened in surprise. "Are you sure, Master?" he asked, his voice tinged with both hope and guilt. The mask was a powerful artifact, one that allowed its wearer to see through illusions and perceive the true nature of things. But it came at a cost¡ªa cost that Van Dijk had borne before and it was not pretty.


    Van Dijk nodded, though the pain in his eyes was unmistakable. "My disciple wants me to obtain a book for them," he said with a faint, almost rueful smile. "Who am I to refuse?"


    Ludwig handed over the mask, his hands trembling slightly as he did so. Van Dijk took it without hesitation and placed it over his face. The moment the mask settled into place, his demeanor changed. His posture straightened, his movements became more deliberate, and his eyes¡ªnow visible through the mask''s slits¡ªglowed with an otherworldly light. He turned his gaze toward the creature, and for the first time, Ludwig saw a flicker of recognition in his master''s expression. Read exclusive chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    "Ah," Van Dijk said, his voice tinged with relief. "You had me worried for a moment. It''s an Umbral Hound."


    Ludwig blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in tone. "An Umbral Hound?" he repeated, his curiosity piqued.


    Van Dijk nodded, his gaze still fixed on the creature. "They''re guardians or protectors. When a beloved pet dies, their spirit can sometimes linger, bound to the world by their loyalty to their owner. This one¡­ looks like it''s trapped here, guarding that book. Perhaps it belonged to its former owner."


    Ludwig''s eyes widened as he processed the information. "So¡­ it''s not hostile?" S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Not inherently," Van Dijk replied. "But it will defend the book if it feels threatened. Let me see if I can retrieve it."


    With that, Van Dijk stepped forward, moving through the shelves as if they were nothing more than an illusion. To Ludwig, it looked as though his master had simply vanished, passing through solid wood and stone as though they were made of mist. "Master, are you okay?" he called out, his voice tinged with unease.


    "Yes, yes," Van Dijk''s voice echoed back, faint but reassuring. "You can''t see me because of the illusion. Step through."

 Chapter 138 Obscura Malvolume Codex Necros

    Ludwig hesitated for a moment before pressing his hand against the shelves. The moment his fingers made contact, the illusion shattered, the shelves dissolving into nothingness. The room beyond was revealed in its entirety, and Ludwig''s breath caught in his throat.


    The Umbral Hound was even more imposing up close. Its form was sleek and lupine, its body composed of shifting shadows that seemed to writhe and twist as though alive.


    Van Dijk approached the book cautiously, his movements slow and deliberate. The Umbral Hound''s growls grew louder, a deep, rumbling sound that seemed to reverberate through the very air. But it didn''t attack. Instead, it watched Van Dijk with a mixture of wariness and¡­ something else. Something that Ludwig couldn''t quite place.


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    Van Dijk reached out and picked up the book, his fingers brushing against its weathered cover. He flipped through the pages, his brow furrowing in confusion. "This book¡­ it''s empty," he said, his voice tinged with disbelief. He removed the mask, his vision momentarily blinded as the artifact''s curse took hold. When his sight returned, he inspected the book again, only to find the same result. "Do you really want this?" he asked, turning to Ludwig with a frown.


    Ludwig''s eyes widened in shock. "But¡­ that''s not the book, Master," he said, his voice trembling. "You''re holding a piece of wood."


    Van Dijk''s confusion deepened. "What are you talking about? This is the book."


    "No," Ludwig insisted, pointing to what appeared to be an empty space to Van Dijk. "The real book is right there."


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed as he realized what was happening. "There''s a spell here," he said, his voice low and thoughtful.


    "It''s altering perception based on the person. The mask reveals illusions, but this¡­ this is different. The spell isn''t affecting the eyes¡ªit''s affecting the mind. Even with the mask, my mind is unable to accept the truth. But you¡­" He turned to Ludwig, his expression one of dawning realization. "If you can see the ''real'' book, that means your mind is spared from this spell. Perhaps the spell only works on the living."


    Ludwig''s brow furrowed in confusion. "But Master, aren''t Vampires also undead?"


    Van Dijk shook his head. "Not all of us. I''m a true Vampire, remember? I can walk during the day. This spell¡­ it must be designed to target the living."


    Ludwig nodded, though his mind was still reeling from the implications. "Then I''ll just grab the book," he said, stepping forward. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Umbral Hound''s growls intensified, its crimson eyes locking onto Ludwig with an intensity that made his blood run cold. "It seems it''s not a fan of you touching the book," Van Dijk observed, his voice tinged with amusement.


    Ludwig hesitated, his hand hovering inches from the book. He withdrew it slightly, and the creature''s growls lessened. He thought for a moment, then turned to the Umbral Hound, his voice soft and pleading. "Buddy, I''m not trying to harm you or your master''s possession. But I kinda need it. Don''t you want to leave this place? It looks like you''ve been trapped here for a while¡­"


    The Umbral Hound snorted, its expression one of unmistakable disdain. Ludwig sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "I think it''s making fun of me," he muttered. "I really don''t want to use violence against something that''s clearly only trying to protect its master''s last possession¡­"


    Van Dijk''s lips curled into a faint smile. "There''s a saying," he began, his voice calm and measured, "that sometimes, violence doesn''t solve everything."


    Ludwig nodded, though his expression was one of frustration. "I know, but it looks like we have no other choice. I really don''t want to hurt this doggo¡­"


    Van Dijk raised an eyebrow at the term "doggo," but he didn''t comment on it. Instead, he stepped forward, his demeanor shifting in an instant. The air around him seemed to grow heavier, darker, as though the very light was being sucked out of the room. His eyes glowed a deep, blood-red, and an aura of malice erupted from him like a living flame. The ground beneath their feet trembled, and the Umbral Hound took several steps back, its growls turning into whimpers of fear.


    "When violence isn''t solving everything," Van Dijk said, his voice low and menacing, "that just means you''re not using enough."


    The pressure in the room became unbearable, and Ludwig felt as though he was being crushed under the weight of his master''s aura. The Umbral Hound cowered, its form flickering as though it might dissipate entirely. Van Dijk''s voice cut through the tension like a blade. "Grab the book."


    Ludwig didn''t need to be told twice. He hurried to the dais and reached for the book, his fingers brushing against its leather cover. The moment he touched it, the room seemed to shift, the air growing colder, denser. The Umbral Hound let out a final, desperate growl and lunged at him, its form a blur of shadow and crimson light.


    Ludwig''s hand instinctively went to his sword, but he hesitated. The notification of hostility had yet to appear, and something about the creature''s actions felt¡­ off. Instead of striking, he held his ground, his eyes locking with the Umbral Hound''s. The creature seemed to recognize his hesitation, and instead of attacking, it leaped into the book, its form dissolving into shadow as it disappeared from sight.


    The pressure in the room eased, leaving only Ludwig and Van Dijk standing amidst the now-silent chamber. In Ludwig''s hands was the book¡ªa black, leather-bound tome with two leather bands that snapped shut with an audible click.


    [You have successfully completed the Sudden Quest.]


    [You can now Inspect the Book.]


    Ludwig''s heart raced as he used his inspection skill, his eyes scanning the text that appeared before him. The first thing that caught his attention was the book''s name, written in elegant, gilded script:


    [Obscura Malvolume Codex Necros.]


    "That''s an ominous name for a book..." Ludwig muttered as his hands were feeling up the leather. What sort of mysteries could this thing hold? and why was it hidden so deep here?

 Chapter 139 A Codex of Death

    ---


    [By Deus Necros''s Blessing, the powers and content of Obscura Malvolume Codex Necros have been modified to better suit the user.] Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The notification shimmered in Ludwig''s vision, its letters etched in a ghostly, pale light that seemed to pulse with an otherworldly rhythm. The words lingered, as if the system itself was hesitant to reveal the full weight of what Ludwig now held in his hands. The air around him grew colder, the faint hum of magic thickening as the book''s presence asserted itself. It was as though the very fabric of the world recoiled from the artifact, a relic so steeped in death and forbidden power that even the shadows seemed to shrink away.


    [Obscura Malvolume Codex Necros]


    The book itself was a paradox¡ªa thing of beauty and horror. Its cover was crafted from leather so dark it seemed to drink in the light, the surface etched with intricate runes that glowed faintly with a deep purple hue. The two leather bands that held it shut clicked softly, as if whispering secrets to those who dared to listen. When Ludwig ran his fingers over the surface, he felt a faint vibration, a heartbeat of sorts, as though the book was alive. Or perhaps it was simply the echo of the countless souls it had consumed over the centuries.


    Category: Magical Catalyst [Scaling Item]


    Tier: Mythical


    Requirements of Use:


    ? Undead ????


    ? Wisdom Stat


    ? Charisma Stat


    Durability: Indestructible


    The Codex Will Be Bound Upon Use.


    Abilities:


    ? [Necrotic Apparition] -Passive-


    Appears and disappears by the user''s will and gesture.


    ? [Sealed] -Requires Soul Level 30


    ? [Sealed] -Requires Soul Level 100


    ? [Death Stow]


    You can store the bodies of entities that you successfully resurrected into undeath into the book. Currently can only store 3 units. The user can summon the stored units whenever they wish. Upon the destruction of the stored entity, they will return to the book. Each stored unit needs 24h to be summoned again. The level and power of the stored entity will always be relative to the power of the summoner.


    ? Passive- [Necrotic Empowerment]


    All Necromantic spells that are saved within [Sealed] will have their abilities empowered by The Codex.


    Addendum:


    The Book of The Dead, the Codex of Finality, The Shadow of The Unknow. Many names have been given to this codex, for it held within it a power that no mortal should hold. A book that was created by the greatest lich to ever walk the earth. A book of death and control. Many have tried to unfold its secrets, and many have tried to use it, but all fell victim to its never-ending hunger of souls. This book may hold great merit, but it also bears a greater curse. One who uses it would always find themselves losing their humanity. Until they too will be one day consumed by it. For none should dare covet the power of Death.


    ---


    Ludwig''s eyes widened as he read through the notification, his mind racing to process the implications. The weight of the book in his hands felt heavier now, as though it carried the burden of every soul it had ever consumed.


    He understood many things from the book, it wasn''t something simple whatsoever. No wonder it was hidden.


    The word Mythical burned brighter than the rest, its letters flickering like embers. Ludwig''s undead heart¡ªor what passed for it¡ªskipped a beat. To hold one in his hands was both a privilege and a curse.


    It was an indestructible book that had the ability to appear upon one''s will. A bound item, meaning that the moment he uses it, it will be forever his. Until his final undeath breath. Not only that, it could also save bodies? What are the limitations? Could he even save the body of a dragon in this small book? Ludwig began envisioning the possibilities, Fallen Enemies resurrected as allies, a squad? No, an army, nay¡­ even more, an entire legion of undead could be at his beck and call. The thought itself sent shivers running down his skeletal bones. To hold something this dangerous, this powerful is bound to come with a great deal of danger. But at the same time an even greater sense of control and lordship. Explore hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    The mere thought was enough to wake Ludwig up, this was big. This was incredibly big, this is the stuff that makes one become the enemy of the world, or it''s master if used properly. Forget about being under Van Dijk''s control, with this book, everything that Ludwig could ever hope to claim he''d have in the palm of his hands.


    Then again, Ludwig shook his head, realizing many things, this book¡­ these ideas, they were appealing, but at the same time Ludwig realized, that they weren''t his own unfiltered ideas. The book itself even before he used it was making him see all the power he could obtain¡­


    This book was evil¡­ But Ludwig wasn''t a hero, so what''s wrong with using it?


    He rapidly checked the rest of the information, basically the book had more abilities that were sealed up and required him to level up some more. It seems that Deus Necros modified it to better suit Ludwig, and if his guardian deity, or basically his System provider wanted him to use the book, then surely it wasn''t that bad?


    Ludwig glanced up at Van Dijk, who was watching him with a mixture of curiosity and concern.


    "What''s the problem, Ludwig?" Van Dijk asked, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade.


    "This book," Ludwig said, his voice barely above a whisper. He held it up, the runes on its cover glowing faintly in the dim light of the library.


    "What about it?" Van Dijk asked, his crimson eyes narrowing as he studied the artifact.


    "It''s pretty much a Necronomicon," Ludwig said, his tone tinged with both awe and dread.


    Van Dijk raised an eyebrow. "How would you know that?"


    "Because it wants to store me inside it¡­ I''m an undead," Ludwig said, his voice trembling slightly. He didn''t want to explain how his ''system'' worked, how the notifications and prompts guided his every move. Though Van Dijk probably had an idea that Ludwig''s abilities were far from ordinary.


    Van Dijk''s expression darkened, his lips curling into a frown. "Hmm, it''s something that we''ll have to study later. Keep it with you for now. We have company."


    The words were barely out of his mouth when a new notification flashed in Ludwig''s vision.


    [You are in a greatly hostile environment!]

 Chapter 140 Unexpected...

    This was the first time the system message had used the word greatly. Usually, it was a simple warning¡ªYou are in a hostile environment¡ªbut this time, the addition of greatly sent a chill down Ludwig''s spine. Something was different, something far more dangerous than anything they had faced before.


    "Here," Van Dijk said, handing Ludwig his mask back. "Tell me what you see."


    Ludwig donned the mask, and the world shifted. The library, already a grotesque tapestry of slime and gore, began to writhe and twist as though alive. The eyes that dotted the walls and ceiling bulged unnaturally, their gazes filled with a rage that seemed almost sentient. The blotches of slime and corrupted flesh pulsed and squirmed, as if reacting to some unseen stimulus. The candle-holding librarians, once docile and mindless, now moved with purpose, their blindfolded faces turning toward Ludwig and Van Dijk with unmistakable hostility.


    "Oh, I guess we weren''t supposed to grab that," Ludwig said, his voice tinged with unease.


    "Time to make a run for it," Van Dijk said, his tone calm but urgent. He moved ahead, his movements fluid and precise, like a predator stalking its prey.


    Ludwig immediately followed, his undead body moving with a speed that surprised even himself. The two sprinted through the labyrinthine library, their footsteps echoing in the oppressive silence. Behind them, the librarians gave chase, their movements slow but relentless. Their candles flickered ominously, casting long shadows that seemed to stretch and twist like living things.


    A couple of librarians appeared in front of them, blocking their path. Van Dijk didn''t hesitate. He pointed his hand forward and muttered a single word: "Move."


    A shockwave of energy erupted from his fingertips, slamming into the librarians and sending them flying to the side. The two creatures crumpled against the shelves, their bodies twitching as they tried to rise.


    "Thief! Thief! Thief!" The words echoed through the library, a chorus of accusation that seemed to come from every direction. The voices were distorted, as though spoken by a hundred mouths at once, and they grew louder with each passing moment.


    "We know where we''re going, right, master?" Ludwig asked, his voice strained as he struggled to keep up with Van Dijk''s superhuman speed. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Not far from here. Just keep up," Van Dijk replied, his voice steady despite the chaos around them.


    More librarians appeared, their numbers growing with each passing second. Some were too slow to dodge Van Dijk''s attacks and were blasted aside with ease. Others managed to hurl globs of candle wax at the duo, but Van Dijk deflected them with bursts of magic, his movements almost casual in their precision.


    "Up there!" Van Dijk shouted, pointing toward a door that loomed over the library. A staircase led up to it, but at the base of the stairs, a dozen or more librarians stood guard, their candles raised like weapons.


    "Thieves!" the librarians shouted in unison, their voices a cacophony of rage. They whipped their candles forward, sending waves of molten wax hurtling toward Ludwig and Van Dijk.


    Van Dijk didn''t flinch. He raised his hand, his fingers forming a precise gesture. "Blood Vine," he said, his voice cold and commanding. He then flicked his index finger.


    A single drop of blood surged forward, expanding rapidly as it made contact with the wax. It grew into a massive tangle of barbed vines, stopping the wax wave in its track, as for the veins each one dripping with crimson ichor exploded outward. The vines tore through the librarians, piercing their bodies with brutal efficiency. The creatures writhed and screamed as the vines erupted from their chests, their noses, their eyes. With a twist of Van Dijk''s arm, the librarians burst apart in a spray of wax, blood, and slime, their remains painting the area in a grotesque mosaic of colors.


    Van Dijk smiled, a faint, almost predatory expression. "Let''s go," he said, leaping up the staircase with ease and pushing the door open.


    "Wait for me!" Ludwig shouted, sprinting past the carnage and up the stairs. He reached the door just as Van Dijk stepped through, the two of them standing on the threshold of the library''s exit.


    "Well, time for us to get your books," Van Dijk said, clapping his hands twice. A small blood magic circle appeared in the air, and from it, four rings materialized. Van Dijk grabbed one and smiled. "They''re all here. It worked. Let''s go!"


    But before they could move, a loud screech echoed from inside the library. The entire structure began to vibrate, the walls and ceiling twisting and contorting as though in agony. Ludwig, still wearing the mask, saw the truth¡ªthe library was alive, and it was furious. The slime and gore that made up its walls surged forward like a tidal wave, a mass of writhing flesh and bulging eyes that seemed intent on drowning them.


    Van Dijk hurried through the door, and Ludwig followed, slamming it shut just as the wave crashed against it. He braced himself, expecting the door to burst open, but nothing happened. The silence was deafening.


    [Your Death Point has been updated, Third Level of the Dwelling of Hunger]


    Ludwig let out a breath he didn''t realize he was holding. "I guess that means we made it," he said, turning to Van Dijk with a tentative smile.


    "Sure we did," Van Dijk replied, his voice calm. But before Ludwig could respond, his master coughed, a wet, gurgling sound that made Ludwig''s blood run cold.


    He turned to see Van Dijk staggering, blood dripping from his mouth. And then he saw it¡ªa massive sword protruding from Van Dijk''s chest, its blade slick with blood. The Fallen Knight stood behind him, its hollow eyes gleaming with malice as it yanked the sword free, leaving a gaping hole where Van Dijk''s heart should have been.


    The knight turned to Ludwig, its sword raised, and Ludwig barely had time to draw his own weapon before the notification flashed in his vision.


    Experience more on My Virtual Library Empire


    [You Died.]

 Chapter 141 Take 2 Action!

    Ludwig couldn''t feel a thing. Everything turned black for a second, a void so complete it felt as though he had been swallowed by the abyss itself. His thoughts echoed in the emptiness, loud and disjointed.


    ''Did I just die? Just like that? I didn''t even see the sword swing.''


    The darkness was suffocating, a vast, endless expanse that stretched in every direction. There was no sound, no light, no sensation¡ªjust the oppressive weight of nothingness. Ludwig''s mind raced, trying to make sense of what had happened. He had been standing there one moment, and the next, he was here, in this void. Was this death? Was this what it felt like to be truly gone? Where is Necros?


    But then, a voice cut through the silence, cold and commanding, yet tinged with an otherworldly resonance.


    [Rise if you would, for that is thine duty!] S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The words reverberated in Ludwig''s mind, shaking him to his core. Before he could process them, another notification followed, its letters glowing faintly in the darkness.


    [You have lost half the souls in your lantern, remaining souls: 12.]


    The realization hit him like a punch to the gut. He had died. Again. And the cost was steep¡ªhalf of his precious souls, the very essence that fueled his existence, were gone. The weight of that loss settled heavily on his shoulders, even in this formless void.


    Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, and he was back. Back at the entrance of the third sector, standing beside Van Dijk, who was speaking as if nothing had happened.


    "Sure we did, we made it out!" Van Dijk said, his voice calm and confident.


    Ludwig blinked, disoriented. His mind was still catching up, but his body acted on instinct. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to move, to act, to survive. Before he could even fully process what had just occurred, he saw it¡ªthe glint of steel, the massive sword arcing through the air, aimed straight for Van Dijk''s chest.


    "MASTER!" Ludwig shouted, his voice raw with urgency. He lunged forward, shoving Van Dijk to the side with all the strength he could muster.


    The sword struck true, but not its intended target. Instead, it cleaved through Ludwig''s arms with horrifying ease, severing them cleanly at the shoulders. After all that sword wasn''t meant for cutting, but for crushing, it was so heavy it dislocated his arms instead of cutting them. His undead limbs clattered to the ground, the sound echoing in the sudden silence.


    Van Dijk''s eyes widened in shock as he watched his disciple take the blow meant for him. For a moment, time seemed to stand still. Then, the Corrupted Knight raised its sword again, its hollow eyes gleaming with malice as it prepared to finish the job.


    "BEGONE!" Van Dijk roared, his voice filled with a fury that seemed to shake the very air. A torrent of black flames erupted from the ground beneath the knight, surging upward with a ferocity that was almost alive. The abyssal fire engulfed the knight, its heat so intense that Ludwig could feel it even from a distance. The force of the blast sent the knight hurtling backward, crashing through the wall of a nearby house like a cannonball.


    Van Dijk turned to Ludwig, his expression a mix of relief and concern. "Ludwig, are you okay?" he asked, his voice uncharacteristically soft.


    Ludwig grinned, though his face was pale and drawn not from the loss of blood but probably from having just ''revived''. "Yeah, tis but a scratch!" he said, his tone light despite the severity of his injuries. He glanced down at his fallen arms, which lay on the ground like discarded tools. "Can I have a hand? No pun intended¡ªI can''t pick up my arms without¡­ well, arms."


    Van Dijk let out a sigh, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. He bent down and picked up Ludwig''s arms, carefully reattaching them to his shoulders. Ludwig focused, channeling his mana into the joints, and with a faint click, his arms locked back into place.


    "You sound awfully calm for someone who almost died," Van Dijk remarked, his tone dry but tinged with admiration.


    "I''m already dead," Ludwig replied with a shrug.


    Van Dijk frowned. "How did you notice it? That knight, because clearly I haven''t."


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    "Just had a hunch," Ludwig said, his expression turning serious. "Also, I think it''s not over yet."


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed. "Oh, believe me, it''s over," he said, turning toward the broken-down house.


    Ludwig followed his gaze, finally taking in their surroundings. They were standing in the third sector of the city, a place far grander and more imposing than the areas they had passed through before. Behind them loomed the massive gatehouse that separated the first and third sectors, its towering structure a testament to the city''s former glory. Ahead, the pathway widened, leading to a sprawling layout of elegant buildings, each one more regal than the last. The houses were adorned with intricate carvings and surrounded by lush gardens, a stark contrast to the decay and corruption that permeated the rest of the city.


    But the beauty of the place was overshadowed by the danger that surrounded them. Guards were streaming toward them from every direction, their swords drawn and their eyes filled with hostility. The notification in Ludwig''s vision was still clear:


    [You are in a greatly hostile environment!]


    They were out of the frying pan and into the fire.


    The Corrupted Knight emerged from the ruins of the house, its armor now cleaner and more defined. The corruption that had once marred its form was receding, revealing runic carvings and golden symbols etched into the metal. Its cape, though still stained with dirt and grime, bore a royal blue hue that hinted at its noble lineage. The knight''s shield was now almost perfectly intact, and its sword¡ªa massive ultra-great sword¡ªgleamed with a deadly sharpness. Each step the knight took resonated like a thunderclap, its presence more imposing than ever.

 Chapter 142 The Knight King

    Ludwig''s instincts screamed at him to act. He focused on the knight, muttering under his breath. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "[Inspect]"


    The status screen appeared before him, its letters glowing faintly.


    Name: The Fallen King Knight of Tibari


    Third Resurrection: The Restored Tyrant.


    Danger Level: ??


    Level: N/A


    HP: 25,000


    Additional Skills:


    [Tibarian King''s Will] Fear Aura will reduce the enemies'' abilities to cast spells or dodge.


    [Devourer''s Edge] The Knight King''s Sword can shred through magic.


    [Shield of Domination] Can periodically reflect spells upon the caster.


    Addendum:


    The form of the corrupted knight finally revealed, the king''s insignia and armor are now visible as the corruption wanes. The King of Tibari, the one who fought against the Gluttonous Death to free his kingdom from corruption and failed to do so, is now nothing but a puppet to the very thing it abhorred. A fate worse than death for a king that only sought to protect his people.


    Ludwig''s breath caught in his throat. This wasn''t just a knight¡ªit was the king. The ruler of Tibari, reduced to a hollow shell of his former self, enslaved by the very corruption he had tried to destroy. The weight of that realization settled heavily on Ludwig''s shoulders.


    For a king to fail so, for him to be nothing but a walking puppet, what a depressing and sad existence. Something Ludwig never wanted to be. A mere puppet. Even though technically he was bound to Van Dijk, the latter never treated him as a tool though his words said so at the beginning. Just the concern Van Dijk showed when Ludwig''s arms were cut was enough of a tell that Van Dijk, the Vampire did have a heart.


    "I see," Van Dijk said, his voice low and grim. He raised his hands, black flames flickering to life around his fingers. "Ludwig, let me introduce you," he said, his tone dripping with irony. "To the former king of Tibari¡­"


    Ludwig nodded, his expression grim. He had already pieced it together from the status screen, but hearing it from Van Dijk made it all the more real. They weren''t just fighting a knight¡ªthey were facing a fallen monarch, a being of immense power and tragic history. And they were deeply, utterly screwed.


    The Corrupted Knight King charged forward, his shield raised and his sword gleaming with deadly intent. Van Dijk reacted instantly, his hands moving in a blur as he chanted, "Bounds of Latvia!" Chains of pure magic surged from his palms, wrapping around the knight. But the king was ready. He ducked behind his shield, the chains bouncing off and ricocheting back toward Van Dijk.


    Van Dijk''s eyes widened in surprise, but he reacted quickly, his body dissolving into a mist of blood just as the chains slammed into the gatehouse behind him. The impact sent debris flying, but Van Dijk was unharmed, his form reforming a moment later.


    Ludwig seized the opportunity, pointing his palm at the knight. "Enfeeble!" he shouted, the sigils of dark power manifesting on the ground beneath the knight.


    "Careful, he''ll reflect it!" Van Dijk warned, but Ludwig shook his head.


    But that didn''t happen, the sigils immediately materialized on the ground and latched onto the knight causing the curse to latch onto him. Ludwig shouted immediately at the materializing Van Dijk, "Master, he only reflects projectiles!"


    Van Dijk''s eyes lit up with understanding. "Good catch!" he said, slamming his hand on the ground. "Blood Grasp!"


    A surge of blood erupted from the ground, latching onto the knight and manifesting into hands that dragged him down. The blood hands ravaged through the knight''s armor, tearing at the metal with a ferocity that made the knight roar in pain.


    "Burn!" Van Dijk chanted, his voice low and commanding. The blood surging from his palm ignited into black flames, surging toward the knight like a serpent. The flames engulfed the knight, twisting and writhing as they consumed him. The knight howled in agony, its armor melting under the intense heat, but it couldn''t shake off the flames. It couldn''t reflect or deflect them.


    The fire burned hot and long, reducing the knight to a pool of black sludge once again. The third time this knight had died.


    "The Hunger calls! The hunger will prevail! I must¡­" the knight''s voice trailed off into silence as its form dissolved completely into black sludge on the ground that slowly seeped through the ground.


    But the victory was short-lived. The city around them seemed to shift, the air growing heavier, more oppressive. The guards that had been advancing toward them now moved with even greater speed, their swords drawn, their eyes filled with a feral hunger.


    "Master¡­" Ludwig said, his voice tense. "I think we might be cooked here." His grasp on his sword tightening.


    Van Dijk chuckled, a faint smile playing on his lips. "You have the strangest expressions," he said. "Also, it''s been a while, but how about I teach you a thing or two about Necromancy?" Enjoy new stories from My Virtual Library Empire


    Ludwig blinked, surprised. "You know necromancy?"


    "Of course," Van Dijk replied, his grin widening. "I''m the Black Tower Master, after all. Necromancy is a given."


    Van Dijk raised both arms to his side in an extravagant and exaggerated manner, "You know, necromancy is all about style," he said. "Rise Undead!" he said.


    Suddenly, the cobblestone began shuddering and shaking, boney arms erupted out from underneath the hard stone, ripping through it with ease. Like a scene from a movie, the dead rose up, pulling themselves out from the dirt. Men and women alike easily moved out of their everlasting rest back to the world of the living.


    Undead in incredible numbers all came to Van Dijk''s service, "Go forth," Van Dijk ordered.


    In a heap of growls and guttural voices the dead moved forward, numbering at least three to one against the guards. Each one of these undead seemed to be wearing clothes that awfully looked similar to the attendants, and some others that were summoned carried the broken armors of the city guards.


    Ludwig could only watch, one day, will he too be capable of such feats?

 Chapter 143 A master, a Teacher, And a Mentor

    "Take notes, Ludwig," Van Dijk commanded, his voice a blade honed by centuries of authority. Shadows pooled around his feet like liquid night, and the air itself seemed to thicken with the weight of his power. His crimson eyes glowed faintly, not with malice, but with the cold, calculated focus of a predator.


    "If you wish to peruse the path of necromancy, many will disdain you. Many more will hate you, fear you, and would wish nothing but your demise and destruction. Not because necromancy defies the natural order, but because it is power. Raw, unbridled, and indifferent to the bleating of sheep. Go forth Undead, and bring them down!"


    The dead which have just risen, their jaws hung slack upon hearing the order revealing yellowed teeth and tongues shriveled to leather. Empty eye sockets glowed with faint blue embers, and their limbs twitched with unnatural vitality, as though puppeteered by invisible strings. They surged forward, a tidal wave of rot and bone, their collective moan echoing like a funeral dirge.


    Unlike the organized soldiers in front of them, the undead ranks were the complete opposite. They screamed and hollered and rampaged forward, climbing atop each other and crawled under their brethren''s feet. All seeking to obey their summoner''s order.


    This was chaos incarnate


    A guard''s sword cleaved through an undead''s ribcage, only for the creature to lunge forward, snapping its teeth at the man''s throat. Another guard severed an arm, but the limb scrabbled across the ground, fingers digging into his ankle like iron hooks. The undead fought with a feral desperation, as though their very existence depended on violence. And perhaps it did.


    They didn''t care if they lost an arm, they''ll fight even with their feet, and if you''d cut their feet too, they''d crawl using their chins and bite at you until you die. The Undead are Restless.


    "They''re¡­ relentless," Ludwig breathed, his voice barely audible over the cacophony.


    "Relentless?" Van Dijk smirked, watching as a headless corpse staggered forward, its hands blindly groping for a guard''s face. "They''re hungry But their hunger isn''t for food or sustenance unlike these disturbing things. Their hunger is for something else, these slime-borne fiends only hunger for death, but the undead, they hunger for life. Ludwig, there is a great difference between something that would stuff its face until seeking death, and the dead that wish to taste Life again."


    The guards, disciplined by instinct, perhaps the years they spent in training had carved order in their bodies. They regrouped and stood together, in an orderly fashion, their Shields locked into a wall, swords thrusting in unison. For a moment, the tide turned. An undead''s skull shattered under a mace; another was pinned to the ground by a spear. The guards'' formation tightened, their strikes methodical, efficient. But efficiency meant nothing to the dead.


    A guard screamed, which was a first, these things though not living nor were they dead, never voiced a word, they only acted like ''humans'' but were far from it. Slime in the form of people that had some sort of conscious though far too gone from the hunger. However, it still screamed, perhaps because even though it was no longer conscious, it felt the fear of death, perhaps deep down in his subconscious it still felt fear.


    A skeletal hand clamped onto the screaming guard''s wrist, yanking him into the horde. The undead descended, not to kill, but to consume. Fingers pried open his visor; teeth sank into his cheek. His cries were drowned by the wet, tearing sounds of flesh being stripped from bone.


    The other guards faltered, their discipline cracking like glass.


    "They''re breaking," Ludwig said, "But something feels wrong¡­"


    Van Dijk''s expression darkened. "Indeed Ludwig, they''re adapting,"


    The guards shifted tactics. Fire bloomed in their ranks¡ªtorches snatched from sconces, oil flasks hurled into the fray. Flames licked at the undead, their parchment-dry bones catching like kindling. The stench of burning rot filled the air, thick enough to choke on. An undead collapsed, its ember-eyes sputtering out as flames consumed its ribcage. Another stumbled, clawing at its burning face until its fingers crumbled to ash.


    "Pathetic," Van Dijk muttered. "Fire? They think fire will help them?" He raised a hand, and the temperature plummeted. Frost spiderwebbed across the cobblestones, and the flames guttered out, smothered by an unnatural chill. The undead, unharmed, lurched forward anew.


    But the guards were ready. They pulled Crossbows from their sides and clicked, bolts streaked through the air. One struck an undead''s skull, and the creature collapsed, its green eyes dimming. Many had struck the advancing undead turning them to pincushions. The guards pressed their advantage, they were breaking the horde apart, disassembling them with utter ease this time. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Though three hundred almost undead against barely thirty or so guards, the guards were rapidly gaining ground as they gathered together, hacking and slashing with orderly fashion at the dead.


    "Hmm¡­ quite the sight, but master, your undead are losing," Ludwig said.


    "Ludwig, Necromancy isn''t about how much power one has, but how delicate one''s control is over his power. To raise the dead is simple, to guide them is far harder¡­Sadly," Van Dijk added "I''m no lich, I cannot micromanage them, a lich would have a far better understanding of the prowess of each and every individual undead, a far more advanced understanding and a better control at managing the undead," Van Dijk said as his undead were being rapidly dispatched.


    "A lich would also be able to support his undead with revitalizing auras and offerings, even spells that would further empower them. I didn''t delve too deep into the path of necromancy, it''s too appealing but at the same time it''s like an endless spiral that would further push you deeper and deeper into the art of necromancy."


    "I don''t mean to sound disdainful, but why did you use necromancy if you''re not fully proficient?" Van Dijk said.


    "That''s the beauty of it," Van Dijk said, "Though it appears that we''re losing," he stalled as the last few undead were dispatched and taken out from the battle. Corpses and bodies were littering the place while the guards were making sure that they finished the job.


    Three hundred bodies completely eliminated in less than three minutes. Explore new worlds at My Virtual Library Empire


    Van Dijk pointed his hand forward, "raising the dead is a child''s play, everyone can do it, but this is a spell that I''ll be teaching you personally," he said


    "Corpse Explosion!"

 Chapter 144 True Form

    The words hung in the air, a death sentence etched in flame. The first corpse¡ªa guard torn apart minutes prior¡ªbloated like a rotting fruit, its skin stretching taut. Turning yellow at first, then an ominous red, Then it detonated. Shrapnel of bone and gore shredded through the ranks, followed by a shockwave that made the ground itself tremble The sound was deafening, a thunderclap that left his ears ringing. Heat washed over him, carrying the stench of burnt hair and charred meat.


    Then another corpse blew up right next to the guard, this one belonged to a fallen undead. Then another, and another¡­


    Ludwig watched, transfixed, as the chain reaction unfolded. Corpse after corpse ignited, their innards boiling into volatile gas. A guard raised his shield, but the force of the blast ripped it from his arms, along with his hands. Another tried to flee, only to be torn apart by the shrapnel armor of an exploding dead guard next to him. The air filled with explosions and thunderous booms.


    When the smoke cleared, the battlefield was a charnel house. Craters pockmarked the ground, filled with bubbling pools of slime and rotting flesh. Severed limbs hung from nearby rooftops; a helmet rolled past Ludwig''s feet, its interior still smoking. The guards were gone¡ªnot dead, but unmade. Only their armor remained, twisted and blackened, like the shells of burnt beetles.


    Van Dijk knelt, plucking a sliver of bone from the ground. It squirmed in his palm, alive with residual magic. "Necromancy isn''t about raising the dead, Ludwig. It''s about recycling." He crushed the bone to dust. "Every corpse is a weapon waiting to be used. Every enemy you kill becomes your ally. That is why they fear this art."


    Ludwig''s stomach churned, though he had no need to vomit. "It''s¡­ monstrous."


    "Monstrous?" Van Dijk laughed, "No, my dear disciple, what is monstrous is what that thing did to these people, their lives taken and turned to an abhorrent sight. I don''t mind a person''s view over power and control to be twisted, but I hate when it''s this¡­ dirty. Necromancy on the other hand is¡ªefficient, controlled and clean."


    Van Dijk smiled, "This," Van Dijk said as he turned to face Ludwig, "Is necromancy. It is by far the deadliest art, and without a doubt the most powerful. Thus, why the whole world is putting sanctions and punishments upon those who try it. Be careful Ludwig, if you were to use it, you will be hated by the world, but if you''re capable enough, you may even bend the world itself to your will," Van Dijk explained.


    "So what do you think, Ludwig? Are you still willing to walk this path? Remember I am not a master of this art, so you''ll have to walk the majority of this path by yourself."


    Ludwig tightened his grip on the book at his side, without hesitation, "I''m willing to walk it," he said.


    "Good, then let''s move forward, we still have much to explore," he said.


    "Yes, Master," Ludwig nodded.


    He realized how dangerous this path was, and at the same time he saw the might it provided, this was a simple showcase of two spells, Rise Undead and Corpse Explosion. What would the rest of the necromancy abilities and skills entail? Ludwig could do nothing but anticipate the power he''d obtain once he clears his quests and be able to upgrade his class.


    The two of them continued through the city, Van Dijk taking care of the guards that tried to stop them. This time, however, he relied on his blood magic and black flames, his movements precise and efficient. His bats scouted ahead, providing him with detailed information about their surroundings and the enemies approaching. Ludwig followed closely, his mind still reeling from what he had just witnessed.


    After what felt like an eternity, they reached the final gate of the third sector. Behind them lay a sea of corpses, the remnants of the guards who had tried to stop them. The citizens, if they could even be called that, were too busy cleaning up the bodies to join the fight. The gate stood open, leading to the grand cathedral that loomed in the distance¡ªthe final dwelling of the one who commanded this cursed city.


    The boss area.


    The area around the cathedral was abnormally large, Ludwig realized something the moment they stepped inside and when he received his notification.


    [ Your Death Point has been set to, Royal Garden]


    The area was vast, far larger than any garden he had ever seen. Yet it was eerily empty, devoid of the flowers and trimmed trees one would expect. Instead, it felt more like an arena, a place designed for battle rather than beauty.


    "Master," Ludwig said, his voice low. "Don''t you think this place is a bit too¡­ big?"


    Van Dijk glanced around, his expression thoughtful. "Yes, usually that''s what a royal garden should be. Why?"


    "Well, usually, if a garden is this big, it should have more¡­ well, garden stuff. Flowers, trimmed trees and bushes and all that," Ludwig said, gesturing to the barren expanse around them. "But this place¡­ it looks more like a death trap¡­."


    Van Dijk''s lips curled into a faint smile. "You want to know why?"


    "Yeah, I''d like to," Ludwig said, expecting some explanation about noble aesthetics or royal extravagance.


    "It''s because of that," Van Dijk looked up.


    Ludwig followed Van Dijk''s gaze and saw the shadow muffled figure of the King of Tibari standing above the arched entrance of the cathedral.


    There, standing atop the arched entrance of the cathedral, was the shadowy figure of the King of Tibari. His presence was overwhelming, his armor gleaming despite the darkness that surrounded him. He jumped down, landing squarely in the center of the arena with a thunderous crash.


    This time, the Knight King''s appearance was far different. His armor was fully restored, its surface covered in intricate runic carvings and golden symbols. His shield was pristine, massive and unblemished, while his sword gleamed with a deadly sharpness. His eyes, visible through the visor of his helmet, burned with a cold, unyielding light. Chains still bound his arms, locking his sword and shield to him permanently, but they seemed almost ceremonial now, a reminder of his eternal duty.


    "Intruders of this kingdom shall be destroyed," the Knight King declared, his voice echoing across the arena. He slammed his sword against his shield, the sound reverberating like a death knell. "Prepare to lose your lives!"


    "Stay behind me, Ludwig," Van Dijk said, his voice low and urgent. "This guy seems a bit more¡­ dangerous than before."


    Ludwig''s eyes narrowed as he activated his inspection skill, the status screen appearing before him.


    Name: The Fallen King Knight of Tibari


    Third Resurrection: The Crownless King.


    Danger Level: ???


    Level: ??? Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    HP: ???


    Additional Skills:


    [Culling Strike] Any attack below a certain threshold will execute the target.


    [Final Duty] When nearing death, enters a berserk state, removing all debilitating debuffs.


    [Tibarian Judgement] Calls forth the might of his weapon, bringing down judgment upon those who oppose him.


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    The mad king of Tibari finally revealed his true form. Though he may appear freed from the corruption, it is only in this state that he is fully consumed by it. Having regained his full power, the king of Tibari has also remembered who he is and what he is protecting. A king without a kingdom, a king without people. A king that is not a king.

 Chapter 145 A Teachers Rage

    The Knight King strode forward, his every step resonating with the weight of centuries, each footfall cracking the ancient stone floor beneath him. The sound echoed like thunder, a testament to the sheer power contained within his armored form. A dark, smoke-like aura emanated from his figure, swirling and latching onto Van Dijk and Ludwig like a predator claiming its prey. The air grew heavy, suffused with an oppressive energy that seemed to sap the very life from the surroundings. It was as if the Knight King''s presence alone was enough to drain the vitality of the world around him.


    Immediately, a stream of notifications materialized before Ludwig''s eyes, glowing ominously in the dim light. The translucent screens hovered in his vision, each line of text a stark reminder of the danger they faced.


    {You have been affected by [Cursed Resonance]}


    Your Stamina, Health, and Mana regeneration has been reduced by 20%.


    [Never Tire!] As an Undead, you have unlimited Stamina. [Cursed Resonance] Stamina reduction effect has been nullified!


    {You have been affected by [Tibarian King''s Will]}


    A fear effect will be applied upon you!


    [Never Fear!] As an Undead, you have no sense of fear or terror. The dead fear nothing.


    Ludwig''s hollow eyes flickered as he processed the information. The latching aura recoiled from him as if repelled by his very nature, retreating like a wounded beast. But his master, Van Dijk, was not so fortunate. The aura clung to him, its malevolent energy seeping into his being, a cold, invasive force that sought to weaken him from within.


    Van Dijk scowled, his sharp features twisting in disdain. "Wretched thing," he spat, snapping his fingers with a sharp, decisive motion. A cleansing wave of blue light washed over him, glowing brilliantly for a moment before dispelling the debuffs¡ªnot just from himself, but from Ludwig as well. The aura shattered like glass, its remnants dissipating into the air. The arena seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, the oppressive weight lifting ever so slightly.


    "Undead thing!" the Knight King bellowed, his voice echoing with a regal fury that seemed to shake the very foundations of the chamber. "Die! For your presence is an abomination upon this world!" With a thunderous roar, he charged forward, his massive blade gleaming with an otherworldly light. The ground trembled beneath his advance, each step a declaration of his unstoppable might.


    "Oi, Oi!" Van Dijk interjected, his tone dripping with mockery. "You dare go after my student when I''m here?" With a flick of his wrist, he unleashed his magic. "Blood Vines!"


    A single droplet of blood surged from his fingertips, exploding into a writhing mass of crimson tendrils that lunged at the Knight King. The vines wrapped around his legs, slowing his advance, but the king''s strength was immense. With a single, powerful slash, he severed the vines, their remnants falling lifelessly to the ground. The severed tendrils writhed for a moment before dissolving into pools of blood.


    "Your parlor tricks will prove nothing but their futility!" the king declared, his voice dripping with contempt.


    "Parlor tricks?" Van Dijk snorted, his lips curling into a sly grin. "That''s rich, coming from a puppet." He raised his hand, his fingers dancing through the air as he uttered a series of commands. "Burst!"


    The severed vines exploded in a shower of crimson, the force of the blast sending shards of blood flying in all directions.


    "Burn!" The blood ignited, engulfing the king in flames that roared with a ferocious intensity. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ensnare!" Chains erupted from the ground, coiling around the knight''s limbs with a metallic clatter.


    "Anchor Dead!" Ethereal anchors materialized from the heavens, slamming into the king and pinning him to the ground with a resounding crash.


    "Bounds of Latvia!" More chains burst forth, their jagged links tearing through the king''s thick armor as if it were paper.


    "Crucify Dead!" A massive stone pillar erupted behind the knight, the chains snapping to its corners and pulling the king''s arms wide, binding him to the cross.


    The Knight King was now bound, burning, rooted, and crucified¡ªa spectacle of Van Dijk''s mastery. The flames licked at his armor, the chains groaned under the strain of his immense strength, and the stone cross stood as a grim monument to his temporary defeat.


    "Parlor tricks, he said," Van Dijk taunted, his voice laced with venom. "Show me how you can get rid of these parlor tricks."


    Ludwig, standing to the side, couldn''t help but feel a twinge of unease. "Is it a good idea to taunt him?" he asked cautiously. Unlike Van Dijk, Ludwig had seen the Knight King''s skill set firsthand. One ability, in particular, stood out: [Devourer''s Edge], a power capable of cutting through magic itself.


    "RGHAAAAA!" The Knight King''s roar shook the arena. With a surge of strength, he released his grip on his sword, and the weapon flew into the air, slashing at the base of the cross. The stone shattered, the chains snapping as the king broke free. He rose to his feet, the flames around him dying down as if extinguished by his sheer will. His armor, though scorched and battered, still gleamed with an ominous light.


    "I have been arrogant," the king admitted, his voice calm but laced with menace. "Excuse my ill-mannered behavior¡­ I''ll be more serious now, grand mage."


    Van Dijk''s expression darkened. "That''s not good¡­"


    "What is it, master?" Ludwig asked, his voice tinged with concern.


    "When did you ever see a king apologizing?" Van Dijk replied, his tone grim.


    "Well¡­ never," Ludwig admitted.


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    "Exactly," Van Dijk said. "That just means this guy has integrity. And if he has integrity, it means he wasn''t being serious before."


    The tension in the room grew palpable. Van Dijk''s demeanor shifted, his playful taunts replaced by a focused intensity. He began tapping the air with his fingers, each tap leaving behind a shimmering droplet of blood suspended in midair. After ten droplets had formed, he exhaled sharply.


    "Let''s dance! [Blood Dirge!]" Van Dijk called.

 Chapter 146 The Blood Conductor

    The droplets transformed into blood daggers, shooting toward the Knight King with deadly precision. The king raised his shield, the daggers clashing against it with a deafening clang. Instead of deflecting, the daggers splattered against the shield, only to reform and strike again.


    Van Dijk moved like a conductor in an opera, his arms swaying with an almost hypnotic rhythm. The daggers multiplied, their numbers swelling into the hundreds, then thousands. The sound of their impacts became a cacophony, a symphony of destruction that forced the Knight King to retreat step by step.


    The blood weapons evolved, shifting from daggers to swords, arrows, spears, and hammers. Each weapon struck with a unique sound, creating a chaotic yet strangely harmonious melody. The king''s shield buckled under the relentless assault, his once-imposing figure now struggling to hold his ground.


    With a roar, the Knight King surged forward, his determination unyielding. Van Dijk responded by intensifying his performance, the blood weapons striking with even greater ferocity. The ground beneath them was now a pool of blood, deep enough to drown a man.


    As the king closed the distance, Van Dijk''s eyes snapped open. He raised his arms and brought them down in a sweeping motion. From the blood-soaked ground, two massive arms of crimson surged upward, slamming into the Knight King with crushing force. The king''s armor crumpled, his body driven into the ground with such power that it cratered the stone beneath him.


    Ludwig stared in awe. The creature that had seemed so indomitable, so terrifying, had been defeated in an instant. His master''s power was beyond comprehension¡ªan Eight-Tier mage, the Tower Master of the Black Tower, one of the pillars of Lufondal. And he was Ludwig''s teacher.


    But then, the Knight King''s shattered body twitched. His broken form shuddered, the pieces of his armor and flesh reforming with an unnatural speed. It was entering his next phase.


    "Kill it, master!" Ludwig shouted, his voice urgent. Scenes like this usually happened in battle, but Ludwig was not someone to waste such a good opportunity, why allow the enemy to power up after all?


    Van Dijk, however, remained calm. "It''s disrespectful to attack someone who''s transforming," he said, his tone almost casual.


    Ludwig facepalmed, his frustration evident. The Knight King was entering his second phase, activating his [Final Duty] ability. This not only restored him to full strength but also granted him a berserker state, amplifying his power to terrifying levels.


    What Ludwig didn''t know was that this phase came with an additional ability.


    The Knight King''s eyes glowed a deep, menacing red. "You''re strong," he admitted, his voice a low growl. "But it is unfortunate¡­" He opened his mouth wide, and the blood that had pooled on the ground surged upward, streaming into his gaping maw. The air grew colder, the arena seemed darker, as the Knight King prepared to unleash his full power.


    The battle was far from over.


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    "Curses!" Van Dijk shouted, his voice a mix of frustration and urgency. He aimed his arm at the ground, his fingers splayed as he exerted his will, forcing the blood away from the Knight King and back toward his own body. The crimson liquid writhed and churned, caught in a tug-of-war between the two powerful figures. The Knight King''s absorption rate was nearly equal to Van Dijk''s, and the blood split almost evenly between them, neither gaining the upper hand. The air crackled with tension as the two forces clashed, the ground beneath them slick with the remnants of their struggle. The room seemed to hold its breath, the very walls trembling under the weight of their opposing wills.


    Ludwig, seeing an opportunity, rushed forward. His movements were swift and decisive, his undead body unhindered by fatigue or hesitation. The shard in his hand gleamed with a faint, eerie light, its cursed edge hungry for the Knight King. "Ludwig! What are you doing!" Van Dijk''s voice was sharp, his attention momentarily diverted. The lapse was enough for the Knight King to seize the initiative, pulling more blood into his maw. But Ludwig was already in motion, his shard gleaming in the dim light as he closed the distance.


    "That''s not yours to eat!" Ludwig howled, his voice a guttural snarl. With a powerful thrust, he drove the shard into the Knight King''s neck. The blade pierced through the thick armor and flesh with surprising ease, its cursed edge disrupting the flow of blood into the king''s body. The effect was instantaneous¡ªthe torrent of blood slowed to a trickle, the Knight King''s absorption halted by the sudden intrusion. The king''s eyes widened in shock, his regal composure cracking for the first time.


    But the Knight King was far from defeated. In a rage, he swung his shield with brutal force, slamming it into Ludwig''s side. The impact was devastating, lifting Ludwig off his feet and sending him flying through the air. He tumbled and spiraled, his body crashing through the gate and skidding across the ground until he came to a stop against a nearby wall. Pain shot through him, his vision blurring as he struggled to regain his bearings. The world spun around him, his undead body struggling to recover from the sheer force of the blow. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [You''re in critical condition!]


    [You have broken 110 bones in your body!]


    The notification flashed before his eyes, a stark reminder of how close he was to death. His health was in the decimals, his body barely holding together. Gritting his teeth, Ludwig reached for one of his health potions, the liquid cool and soothing as it flowed down his throat.


    His health began to stabilize, his bones snapping back to their proper position and melding together. But the situation was far from resolved. He could hear the clash of steel and the roar of magic in the distance, a reminder that Van Dijk was still fighting alone.


    As he caught his breath, his eyes landed on the corpses of two guards lying nearby¡ªremnants of Van Dijk''s earlier skirmish. The sight sparked an idea, and Ludwig''s mind raced. He placed his hand on the ground, his fingers trembling slightly as he focused his energy. "Rise Undead!" he commanded, his voice firm despite his weakened state.

 Chapter 147 Sentient Codex

    Ludwig needed to help his master. So far, he had felt it, he has been nothing but nuisance. Barely of any use to his master. While Van Dijk was carrying the weight of this whole ordeal. This whole excursion was just to find out information about the creature that had plagued Van Dijk''s nightmares. But little that Ludwig knew, Van Dijk was more than proud of the progress of his disciple.


    Maleficent sigils spread from Ludwig''s hand, crawling across the ground like dark veins. They enveloped the corpses, the air growing heavy with the stench of decay and the faint hum of necromantic energy. But the process was not without its challenges.


    [You''re about to raise a relatively powerful entity!]


    [Fail! Your wisdom level is too low to raise {Guard of Tibari}]


    Ludwig cursed under his breath. His wisdom was insufficient, and he only had twelve souls left in his lantern. But then he remembered the corrupted souls he had obtained from the crocodile and the Sheikh¡ªeach worth 200 souls¡ªand the two weaker souls of 100 each. It was a gamble, but he had no other choice.


    "Use two corrupted Souls! Use two weak souls!" he commanded, his voice tinged with desperation.


    [You have obtained 600 souls!]


    "Increase wisdom by 20!" Ludwig barked


    [-250 Souls! You have 362 souls left!]


    [Your Soul level increased by 2!]


    With his wisdom bolstered, Ludwig tried again. "Rise Undead!" he shouted, slamming his hand onto the ground. The sigils flared to life once more, their dark energy surging into the corpses.


    [Danger! The possibility to raise the Guard of Tibari has increased, but due to your lacking charisma, you will be attacked on sight!]


    Ludwig groaned. "God damn it, fine! Increase Charisma by 20!"


    [-290 Souls, you have 72 Souls left]


    [Your soul level increased by 2.]


    "Rise Undead!" Ludwig commanded again, his voice firm. The sigils spread once more, and this time, the process succeeded.


    [You are about to raise a powerful undead!]


    [Your wisdom level is lacking]


    [Rise Undead has succeeded!]


    [Your charisma level is too low to fully control the summoned undead! But minor orders can be accepted]


    "Good enough for me!" Ludwig said, watching as the two corpses stirred. The slime that had animated them was gone, replaced by bones and rotting flesh. The guards rose unsteadily, their armor creaking as they moved. Ludwig pointed toward the gate, his voice sharp. "You, Knight! Kill!"


    But the two soldiers ignored his orders, their hollow eyes staring blankly ahead. "For fuck''s sake! If only I could use them to help master!" Ludwig cursed, frustration boiling over. He had wasted precious time and souls, and now he was no closer to aiding Van Dijk.


    Just as he was about to give up, the book at his side¡ªthe Umbra Malvolume Codex Necros¡ªflew open of its own accord. The straps snapped loudly, and the pages fluttered as a powerful vortex erupted from within. The two guards were sucked into the book, their forms dissolving into shadowy energy.


    Ludwig stared in shock. He hadn''t commanded the book to act, yet it had acted on its own.


    [The Umbra Malvolume Codex Necros has been bound to you!]


    "Shit, I didn''t want to do this yet!" Ludwig cursed, he had yet to understand the book''s abilities and details but it just simply did whatever it wanted.


    [You have obtained a Mythical Item!]


    [You have obtained the title: Myth Holder]


    [Due to the presence of a stronger title, {He who holds the Power of the Gods}, the bonus from Myth Holder has been converted to better suit the holder.]


    [+20 Charisma!]


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    "Okay, that''s pretty useful," Ludwig muttered, though he was still annoyed by the book''s forceful binding. But there was no time to dwell on it.


    He needed to help Van Dijk.


    Rushing back through the gate, Ludwig found his master locked in a fierce battle with the Knight King. The tide had turned¡ªwhere Van Dijk had once dominated, he was now on the defensive. The Knight King shrugged off his attacks with ease, and Van Dijk''s blood magic was rendered useless.


    Van Dijk noticed Ludwig was back, a sigh of relief escaped his mouth, and he looked less tensed.


    "You''re fine! Good, but be careful¡ªhe''s able to absorb spells now. I can''t even use my blood anymore!" Van Dijk shouted, his frustration evident. For a blood mage, being unable to use his blood was like a swordsman losing his arms.


    "Burn!" Van Dijk commanded, summoning a torrent of black flames that surged toward the Knight King. But the king simply sliced through the flames with his sword, dissipating them effortlessly.


    "And as you can see, he''s very strong against mage types!" Van Dijk cursed, his voice strained. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "How about against physical attacks? Get out and fight!" Ludwig waved his hand, summoning the book once more. "[Necrotic Apparition]!" he shouted.


    From the book emerged the two guards he had raised earlier, but they were transformed. Their armor was now veiled in a shadowy aura, their eyes glowing a bright, unnatural blue. Their weapons and shields were no longer broken and cracked but polished and fully repaired. They moved with a speed and precision that defied their undead nature, sprinting toward the Knight King with deadly intent.


    The Knight King''s eyes narrowed as he recognized the soldiers. "You dare take my people into undeath!" he roared, his voice filled with fury. He swung his sword with devastating force, slamming it into the first guard. The undead soldier tried to block, but the sheer power of the blow sent him flying to the side.


    The second guard, undeterred, stabbed his sword into the back of the Knight King. There was no allegiance to royalty for these undead¡ªtheir loyalty belonged solely to the owner of the book. Their glowing eyes were focused, their movements precise. Their task was simple: kill the enemy and leave nothing behind.


    And thanks to the additional charisma, and whatever the book had done to the undead, they seemed to be more willing to accept orders. The flow of battle was about to change.

 Chapter 148 Conclusion

    "Back him up!" Ludwig ordered the soldier that was trashed to the side, it immediately rose up and charged at the Knight King. The latter grabbed the guard that was stabbing him by the side with one hand, raised him up and slammed him on the ground. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He then swung down his sword aiming to chop off its head. Enjoy more content from My Virtual Library Empire


    The second guard had already reached the fight scene and desperately struck his own sword against the Knight King''s incoming sword. The size difference between the two swords was comical, as the Knight King sword snapped the guard''s weapon in half, but that small interference was enough to fully diverge the falling blow to smash into the ground, breaking the cobblestone and sending shards of it flying all over the place.


    The Kinght King kicked the second knight away and was struck in the back by a blood dagger.


    "Good job Ludwig, keep him occupied," Van Dijk said as he began manipulating smaller amounts of blood weapons, in a far more advanced mastery and control.


    Whenever the knight was about to strike down with his weapon, the blood weapons would smash against his arm, elbow and wrist, fully displacing his swing.


    Ludwig rushed forward joining the battle, he wasn''t proficient in swordsmanship to be able to handle the Knight King, but he knew he could be a nuisance to the king. "Fire Ball!" Ludwig said as he was at the side of the king, his palm right against the king''s side where he couldn''t reflect it.


    The flame ball blasted in close quarters, singing the armor of the king and doing little damage.


    -120hp.


    Annoyed the King flung his shield at Ludwig, "You''re not gonna get me with the same thing twice!" Ludwig said as he jumped back. Making the knight open up his chest for another "Fire Ball"


    Just as the spell made contact with the knight''s chest, three blood daggers stabbed the knight in the opening between his helmet and chest armor.


    Ludwig backed away, this time he made sure to grab his weapon that he had found laying on the ground.


    The battle was not easy for these two, the knight was incredibly powerful against mages, able to break their spells and deflect them, and even able to absorb Van Dijk''s powerful blood magic. While Ludwig who had a mix of physical and magical spells and attacks couldn''t deal much damage due to his low level.


    So they had to wither the king down, bit by agonizing bit. "Get behind him," Ludwig ordered one of the guards that rose up from the ground and went behind the king while the other stood in front of Ludwig guarding him.


    A four way offensive that pinned the knight, it was like hyenas surrounding a lion, though alone the king would easily destroy them, but courage can''t beat numbers.


    "You cowards!" the knight king roared out as he swung his sword at the nearest guard.


    The latter though broken of weapon still desperately parried the sword swing, but never anticipated that the knight king would follow up with a grab of his shield tied hand.


    He grabbed the soldier and raised him high then opened his mouth so wide his helmet cracked apart revealing a massive row of teeth.


    The knight king threw the guard inside his mouth and began swallowing him.


    Ludwig panicked, this way he''ll have destroyed one of his guards and they''ll have an even harder time fighting.


    "Taint!" Ludwig barked, his palm aimed forward, not aiming at the Knight King, but his own undead puppet.


    [You successfully applied the curse [Taint] onto, [Undead Tibarian Guard] your guard will have increased attack and defenses, and will constantly release a withering miasma]


    Ludwig jumped back, "Master, Corpse Explosion," he hollered.


    "Good lad! Cursed Blood! Corpse Explosion!" Van Dijk shouted as he pointed his finger at the guard that was being consumed.


    At first a red aura covered the corpse then Ludwig''s own Taint Curse enveloped it. And suddenly, the undead guard''s corpse began inflating, turning yellow then red. The knight''s wide mouth shuddered to spit out the corpse, but the guard, though was about to perish, seemed to grip at the innards of the knight king.


    The guard blew up in a thunderous boom of blood and flames. Splinters of shadow armor spread everywhere to dissipate shortly after. While the knight king''s mouth received the full burnt of the explosion.


    A loud thud soon echoed as the Knight King''s knees struck the ground, his body no longer had a head, and his torso was ruptured apart. The Knight''s body shuddered for a bit, then soon, it became motionless. The sword and shield that were wrapped around its arms soon fell down as the chains of corruption seemed to unwrap themselves from the body. And finally the body fell forward.


    "Is it o-" Ludwig immediately slapped his mouth.


    "What''s wrong?" Van Dijk asked.


    "Nothing, I was about to curse it¡­" he said.


    Immediately after that, a notification message appeared in front of Ludwig.


    [Congratulations! You have defeated the Fallen King of Tibari!]


    [You have obtained Brave Soul!]


    "Loot!" Ludwig said hyped up as he approached the dropped items from the Knight King.


    "Careful Ludwig, don''t let greed blind you," Van Dijk said. He didn''t have a notification system that would tell him that their foe has been defeated. So Ludwig Only nodded. "I think it''s really dead.


    But the moment he touched the sword it dissipated into smoke.


    "No!" Ludwig began cursing. The weapon that the Knight King had on him was pretty awesome, but now he couldn''t use it. Just as he turned his head to the shield, the latter also dissipated into smoke and ash.


    Ludwig cursed again.


    "What''s the matter, looks like you''re unhappy," Van Dijk said.


    "Well¡­ I thought I could obtain his weapon," Ludwig sighed.


    "That weapon was conserved by the power of the corruption that was keeping the knight alive, without a power similar to it, it would simply turn to rust and dust¡­"


    "Euh¡­similar power? "Ludwig thought for a moment, "Wait, give me a second master¡­"


    He then approached the body touched it and called. "Rise Undead!"

 Chapter 149 A Harsh Lesson

    {Your understanding of necromancy is far too low to use Raise Undead on [Tibarian Knight King]}


    {Your Wisdom Level is far too low to use Raise Undead on [Tibarian Knight King]}


    {Your Mana pool is far too low to revive [Tibarian Knight King]}


    {Your Charisma Stat is far too low to control [Tibarian Knight King]} Your journey continues with My Virtual Library Empire


    The notifications flashed before Ludwig''s eyes, each one a stark reminder of his inadequacy. He stared at the lifeless body of the Knight King, his mind racing with frustration and disappointment. The corpse lay before him, its once-imposing form now still and silent, a testament to the power it had wielded in life. Ludwig had hoped to turn it into an ally, a weapon to aid them in the battles to come. But the system''s warnings were clear¡ªhe was not ready.


    "Tsk," Ludwig clicked his tongue, his frustration bubbling to the surface. He clenched his fists, the shard in his hand trembling slightly as he fought to contain his emotions.


    "What were you hoping to achieve?" Van Dijk''s voice cut through the silence, cold and sharp. Ludwig turned to see his master in the process of recovering his lost blood, his expression unreadable. Van Dijk''s eyes, usually filled with a mix of amusement and mild irritation, were now as cold as the first day they had met. The easygoing demeanor Ludwig had grown accustomed to was gone, replaced by a stern, almost icy presence that seemed inches away from lashing out.


    Ludwig hesitated, sensing the weight of his master''s disapproval. "I tried to revive this corpse," he admitted, his voice steady but tinged with defensiveness. "It would have been helpful to use, especially since we''ll probably fight against the owner of this place soon."


    Van Dijk took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling slowly as if he were holding back a storm of words. When he finally spoke, his tone was measured but laced with a quiet intensity. "I''ll forgive it, only once. This time and this time alone." He paused, his gaze piercing. "Ludwig, do you know what I hate most in people?"


    Ludwig felt a chill run down his spine. He had seen Van Dijk annoyed, frustrated, even amused, but this was different. This was anger, simmering and dangerous. "No, master," Ludwig replied, tilting his head slightly, his voice cautious.


    "It''s complacency, and arrogance," Van Dijk said, his words cutting through the air like a blade. "One is only allowed to be arrogant if they have the power to back it up. But you, Ludwig, you neither have the strength to be complacent nor the skill to be arrogant. Yet you dared to revive something far stronger than you, far more powerful, and far more dangerous."


    Ludwig opened his mouth to respond, but Van Dijk raised a hand, silencing him. "I understand," Ludwig said quickly, hoping to placate his master.


    "No, you don''t!" Van Dijk snapped, his voice rising. "If you did, you wouldn''t have done the same thing those two fools did to you!" He pointed an accusatory finger at Ludwig, his eyes blazing. "By what right do you think you can call upon the dead with such meager understanding? By what confidence do you think it will bow its head to you? And most importantly, by what foolish idea did you think you''d succeed?"


    Ludwig flinched, his mind racing for a response, but he found none. Van Dijk''s words struck a nerve, each one a painful reminder of his own limitations. He lowered his gaze, unable to meet his master''s piercing stare.


    Van Dijk sighed, the anger in his voice giving way to a weary frustration. "It''s about time for our second lesson anyway," he said, his tone softening slightly. "Ludwig, what is needed for one to summon the dead?"


    Ludwig straightened, grateful for the shift in tone. "A body and a contract with Deus Necros," he recited, his voice steady. "The sigils are the contract, and the body is the medium. Necros would then give the soul that belonged to the body for the necromancer to control and command."


    Van Dijk nodded, but his expression remained stern. "A textbook answer. It is correct but incomplete. What you''re missing is respect for the corpse. Necros gives you the soul for the body, but if you have no respect for it, why would it ever follow you? Weak or strong, they have already died and perished. You''re commanding them back to life from their eternal rest. The least you can do is respect their bodies."


    He paused, his gaze shifting to the Knight King''s corpse. "What you did is the opposite. You have too little understanding of necromancy to summon something this powerful. Even I would take days of preparation for a corpse this strong to even attempt to revive it."


    Ludwig nodded, absorbing his master''s words. He glanced at the guard he had summoned earlier, the one now standing silently beside him. Van Dijk followed his gaze and gestured toward the undead soldier. "As for guard," he said, his voice tinged with disapproval, "look at what''s happening to its body."


    Ludwig turned to see the guard''s form slowly withering and crumbling. At first glance, it had seemed stable, but now, in the stillness, the decay was unmistakable. The flesh was rotting away, the bones growing brittle, and the armor rusting at an unnatural rate.


    "I don''t know what you did to even be able to summon it in that form in the first place," Van Dijk continued, "but even that guard is too much for you. It''ll soon perish."


    Van Dijk was neither entirely correct nor wrong. Normally, the guard''s body would have crumbled much faster due to Ludwig''s lack of understanding. But the Codex, with its mysterious power, was offsetting the strain, delaying the inevitable.


    "But this thing?" Van Dijk gestured to the Knight King''s corpse. "It would require far more effort to summon. If not, all you''ll obtain is a weak corpse¡ªa mindless skeleton or zombie at best, serving as nothing but fodder."


    "Mass necromancy is easy to achieve. I have shown you such earlier because those were the bodies of citizens and weaklings, it wouldn''t matter if you case rise undead on them in mass. They''re nothing but fodder. But for something this strong, this powerful, you need to give it the proper respect it needs. Rituals are done for a reason. Even if your body had undergone such a ritual, you were handled by the wrong people. Instead of resurrecting what I would suspect to be a powerful heroic-level undead, you were brought back as nothing but a skeleton. It would be a shame to waste the precious corpse of a king who led a nation and even managed to have me use more than a fourth of my strength to fight it, to be brought back as a mindless walking corpse. A true shame."


    Ludwig nodded again, his frustration giving way to a grudging acceptance. He had overreached, and his master''s words were a harsh but necessary reminder of his limits.


    "Enough of me being harsh on you," Van Dijk said, his tone softening. "Now, I see that you''re interested in this corpse, which is fine. Collect it. You should have enough space in your ring for that."


    "Right, master," Ludwig said, moving to comply. But as he reached for the Knight King''s body, the book at his side stirred.


    [1 Tibarian Guard''s corpse has been discarded from the Codex.]


    The book flew open, its pages fluttering as a dark vortex emerged. The Knight King''s corpse was pulled into the book, its shattered form reassembling before Ludwig''s eyes. Flesh, bone, and armor were reconstructed, the sword and shield restored to their former glory.


    [Tibarian Knight King''s Corpse has been stored.]


    [It is currently unusable as an Undead. Sealed.]


    [Umbra Malvolume Codex Necros is full. Please increase your proficiency in Necromancy to expand its size.]


    "What was that?" Van Dijk asked, his curiosity piqued.


    "Oh, the book," Ludwig explained. "It''s able to store corpses. That''s where that guard was¡­ I think the hound is also inside it, but it''s refusing to come out."


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed as he studied the book. "I see¡­a Necronomicon indeed. I didn''t expect it to have a storage option¡­ perhaps it has something else to it, you said the guard came out of the book?"


    Ludwig nodded.


    "Hmm, seeing the shadowy aura around them, I can assume the book is able to protect the corpses to an extent and preserve them¡­ Keep that book safe. It looks to be something very special."


    "Stow," Ludwig commanded, pointing at the crumbling guard. The undead soldier was absorbed into the book, and its form is preserved for now.


    "Let''s go inside," Van Dijk said, his tone returning to its usual briskness. "We''ve kept our host alone for a bit too long."


    Ludwig nodded, falling into step behind his master as they headed toward the cathedral. The weight of Van Dijk''s lesson lingered in his mind, a reminder of the respect and understanding required to wield the power of necromancy.


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 Chapter 150 Gluttony

    The two soon arrived at the entrance of the cathedral, the arena-like garden behind them left in ruins, a testament to the ferocity of the last battle. The arena-shaped garden was now a wasteland of shattered stone, scorched earth, and the lingering stench of blood and smoke. Ludwig couldn''t help but glance back, his hollow eyes scanning the devastation. He could only hope that this next encounter wouldn''t be too¡­ deadly. At least, that''s what he told himself. So far, they had come with a purpose other than fighting, but every step of the way had forced them into conflict.


    Just as they approached the massive cathedral gates, the doors creaked open slowly, the sound echoing eerily through the silence. The hinges groaned as if protesting the movement, the noise grating and unnatural.


    "That needs some oil," Ludwig said, trying to lighten the tension and dispel the oppressive mood. His voice sounded hollow, even to his own ears, and the attempt at humor fell flat. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Van Dijk smirked faintly, a flicker of amusement in his otherwise cold eyes. He stepped forward, one arm casually behind his back while the other snapped his fingers. A small red flame sparked to life in his palm, its crimson glow casting long, flickering shadows across the cathedral''s interior.


    But as the light from Van Dijk''s flame illuminated the room, several torches along the walls ignited in succession, their flames flaring to life one after another. The cathedral''s interior was revealed in stages, each torchlight unveiling more of the grand, yet dreary, space. The walls were lined with portraits of nobles and kings, their faces frozen in time, their eyes seeming to follow Ludwig and Van Dijk as they moved. Statues of knights stood in solemn rows, their stone hands gripping massive swords held vertically, the tips raised in front of their faces. The statues formed a path toward a grand staircase that led to the upper levels of the cathedral. A red carpet, worn and faded, stretched from the entrance to the base of the stairs and beyond, guiding their way forward.


    "Quite hospitable," Van Dijk remarked dryly as he extinguished his flame and placed his second hand behind his back. He strode forward with an air of confidence, his footsteps echoing in the vast, empty hall.


    Ludwig followed cautiously, his eyes darting to the statues. "I have a feeling that the moment we cross halfway, these statues will come to life and attack us," he muttered, his voice low.


    Just as the words left his mouth, the statues shuddered. Ludwig tensed, his hand instinctively reaching for his shard. But instead of attacking, the stone knights shifted their grip on their weapons, pointing the blades downward, and took several steps back, clearing a wider path toward the staircase.


    "I guess you were mistaken," Van Dijk said. "Regardless, this thing here, if it wanted us dead, I''m sure it wouldn''t have sent weaklings toward us. This whole city in reality is under control. the owner has no intention on killing us¡­ yet," Van Dijk said as he took confident steps forward.


    Ludwig wasn''t convinced. He kept a wary eye on the statues as they ascended the staircase, his unease growing with each step. The air grew heavier, the silence more oppressive, as if the cathedral itself was alive and watching them.


    At the top of the stairs, they were met with a solid wall. There was no visible way forward, no door or passage to the upper levels. Ludwig frowned, glancing at Van Dijk, but before he could speak, the wall began to dematerialize. Stone dissolved into mist, revealing an arched doorway that led into a massive hall.


    The hall was even grander than the entrance, its ceiling soaring high above them. Towering statues lined the walls, each one easily as tall as the ceiling itself. They held weapons that could have been mistaken for pillars¡ªswords and warhammers so massive they looked capable of cleaving elephants in half or crushing them with a single swing. The statues were intricately detailed, their stone faces stern and lifelike, their eyes seeming to glint in the torchlight.


    While the stone guards appeared to be just that¡ªstone¡ªLudwig wasn''t naive enough to trust the illusion. "Master¡­" he said, his voice tense.


    "I know, Ludwig, I know," Van Dijk replied, his tone calm but edged with caution. "They are, in fact, not simple statues. But it seems our host isn''t too hostile right now."


    "Master¡­" Ludwig said.


    "I know, Ludwig, I know, they are in fact not simple statues," Van Dijk said, "But it seems that our host isn''t too hostile right now," Van Dijk said as he looked ahead.


    At the far end of the hall stood a throne carved from dark stone, its surface etched with intricate runes and symbols. Seated on the throne was a figure that looked eerily familiar.


    ***


    [You are in the presence of one of the Usurpers of Death!


    The Gluttonous Death Stares at You!]


    [Sudden Quest!]


    The moment Ludwig saw the notification his heart dropped. Though he had no heart.


    However, the content of the quest were something different than what he expected.


    [You are too weak to contend against the Usurpers of Death.]


    Your patron has tasked you with a simple quest.


    Survive the first encounter with the Gluttonous Death.


    Fighting the Gluttonous Death at your current level will obliterate you.


    You are not allowed to use [Inspect] on the Gluttonous Death.


    Deus Necros''s Interference has been greatly reduced in the presence of an Usurper of Death.


    Survive!


    ***


    Ludwig gulped, he wasn''t planning on attacking it, but for the quest to tell him to specifically not engage in combat meant that his death was guaranteed if they were to aggravate this entity.


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    The figure on the throne smiled, its expression unnervingly calm. When it spoke, its voice echoed with the resonance of a thousand voices, each one layered over the other in a haunting chorus. "Welcome to my humble abode, dear guests. What can this humble one do for you?"


    "I''d appreciate it if you didn''t take my appearance when speaking to me," Van Dijk said.


    The person on the throne smiled, after all it looked exactly like Van Dijk "Fair enough, though even I don''t remember my true appearance, is this good enough?"


    The Gluttonous Death chuckled, its form shifting seamlessly. The figure that had resembled Van Dijk melted away, replaced by the image of a young woman with silver hair and piercing blue eyes. She looked elegant, almost ethereal, but there was a gentleness to her that felt out of place in this grim setting.


    Ludwig was confused at first, who was that woman?


    Suddenly however, the air grew incredibly cold. Van Dijk, if he had released his wrathful aura the last time the werewolf had appeared in the city and almost made Ludwig buckle on his knees. This time, the aura itself wasn''t only visible, but was tangible to the point that Ludwig fell to his knees.


    [You''re suffering from a True Vampire''s Noble Pressure.]


    Ludwig was being pushed down against the floor from his master''s influence. And almost instantly, the statues around them flung their swords toward Van Dijk.


    "Shit!" Ludwig cursed as he believed his master was a goner.


    However, the swords stopped a few centimeters away from his face, neck, and back.


    "It seems that you don''t like this appearance either, what was her name? Melania? Right¡­" The more the Gluttonous Death spoke, the more enraged Van Dijk became, yet he didn''t utter a single word yet.


    "Hmmm, you''re no fun," the Gluttonous Death said. "Others would have lashed out," he said as he stood up, then changed his appearance, this time to an older-looking figure, this one looked¡­ almost like Van Dijk. Relative perhaps Ludwig thought.


    "Do you find joy in making a true vampire enraged?" Van Dijk spoke.


    "Hardly, this is something even I cannot control," the Gluttonous Death said, "It is part of what I am."


    Van Dijk closed his eyes and took a slow calculated breath then exhaled. Only then did the aura around him was reduced.


    While moving the man changed, this time to a scrawny, hairy and dirty looking person, he had a blindfold over his face and had longer than normal nails and slightly pointy fangs.


    "Bastos Van Dijk, the lout of the Bastos family, what can this one do for you?" the person said as he stood in front of Van Dijk.

 Chapter 151 A Not So Simple Conversation

    Van Dijk stood in silence for a moment, his crimson eyes narrowing as he processed the Gluttonous Death''s words. The air in the cathedral was thick with tension, the weight of the Usurper''s presence pressing down on them like a physical force. Finally, Van Dijk spoke, his voice low and measured. "Who is the one with the blindfold?" he asked, his tone sharp and demanding.


    The Gluttonous Death tilted its head, its form shifting slightly as if amused by the question. "Ah, Alcide the Ruthless. He is but a client of ours. Why do you wish to know that?"


    "Tell me where he is," Van Dijk said, his voice cutting through the air like a blade.


    The Gluttonous Death chuckled, a sound that echoed unnaturally through the vast hall. "A, a, ah, my question needs to be answered first," it said, its tone mocking. "It is the proper way for a conversation."


    Van Dijk''s jaw tightened, but he took a slow, deliberate breath before responding. "I need to kill him," he said, his voice cold and final.


    The Gluttonous Death''s smile widened, its teeth glinting in the dim light. "Fair enough. And now, let me answer your question. Right now, I have no idea where he is. Honestly, though, here''s a small tip: you, vampire, cannot beat a lycanthrope. Well, not the weaklings he sired, but him? No, you won''t even come close. You''ve seen what he can become. Not even your father was able to take him down. What makes you think that you could?"


    It paused, its gaze shifting to Ludwig. The Usurper''s form blurred as it stepped closer, placing a hand on Ludwig''s shoulder and leaning in until its face was uncomfortably close. "Unless," it said, its voice dripping with mockery, "you believe this thing can do it."


    [Do not instigate the Gluttonous Death!]


    The notification flashed before Ludwig''s eyes, its warning stark and urgent. Ludwig remained still, his hollow eyes meeting the Usurper''s gaze without flinching.


    The Gluttonous Death straightened, its form shifting again as it regarded Ludwig with a mix of curiosity and disdain. "An Apostle of Death. Quite funny. What, this makes you the seventh? Eighth one I''ve seen?"


    Ludwig frowned, his mind racing. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice steady despite the unease creeping into his thoughts.


    The Gluttonous Death chuckled, a sound that sent shivers down Ludwig''s spine. "Hmm, you don''t know, do you? But you must have met the mutt. I can smell his scent off of you¡ªquite recently, too. Perhaps that''s why you came here."


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by Apostle of Death?" he demanded, his voice sharp.


    The Gluttonous Death placed a hand over its mouth, feigning surprise. "Oh, you don''t know? Even if it''s your own disciple? Should I have kept it a secret?"


    "It doesn''t matter," Ludwig interjected, his voice firm. "Regardless, what do you mean by eight apostles? You have yet to answer the question I asked."


    The Gluttonous Death''s smile widened, its form shifting fluidly as it spoke. "You know how to play the game. Right, you''re not the only one with¡­ that." It pointed at Ludwig''s lantern, its eyes gleaming with malice.


    Before Ludwig could react, the Gluttonous Death flicked its finger. Suddenly, all the remaining souls inside the lantern were pulled out, their glowing forms hovering in the air like captured fireflies.


    [Your Soul Letting Lantern is currently empty! Death will be permanent!]


    The notification blared in Ludwig''s mind, but he didn''t have time to process it. The Gluttonous Death dragged the souls toward its gaping mouth, its form distorting as it prepared to consume them.


    Ludwig acted on instinct. He lunged forward, his hand closing around one of the souls¡ªa warm, glowing orb that pulsed faintly in his grasp. It was the soul of Thomas Vondel.


    "That''s not yours to eat," Ludwig said, his voice low but firm.


    The Gluttonous Death''s eyes narrowed, its form twisting as its face morphed into a nightmarish visage of endless rows of teeth. "I EAT WHAT I WANT!" it roared, its voice shaking the very foundations of the cathedral.


    But Ludwig didn''t flinch. He held the soul tightly, his gaze unwavering. "You can have the rest. Not this one. I still have business with this soul," he said, his voice steady despite the overwhelming pressure.


    The Gluttonous Death stared at him for a moment, its form shifting back to its previous state. It sighed, a sound that was both amused and exasperated. "Fine, fine. I''ll consider it a token of friendship," it said, before gobbling up the remaining souls in one swift motion.


    The cathedral fell silent, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. The Gluttonous Death leaned back, its form shifting once more as it regarded Ludwig with a mix of curiosity and amusement.


    "Regardless," it said, its tone casual, "do you know the reason why your mission is yet to be completed, even though many who are stronger, smarter, older, and more experienced than you came here before you?"


    Ludwig didn''t hesitate. "I can already tell," he said. "Because they didn''t dare risk losing their immortality."


    The Gluttonous Death''s smile widened, its form shifting fluidly as it clapped its hands in mock applause. "Oh, a smart one, indeed. They rely on that trinket too much. And if they end up without souls, they''re no different than any mortal. But I see that you have some backbone. The others were on their knees begging during our first meeting. Quite the sight, I thought I''d get to see it once more. But sadly, you undead have no such thing as fear. Quite pointless¡­"


    Its form began to shift again, but this time, it immediately reverted to the image of the werewolf. The Gluttonous Death tilted its head, its eyes gleaming with a predatory light.


    "Hmm, you¡­ have no memories, no recollection of your past life. Quite the interesting fellow. Is it the protection of Necros? Or perhaps you really don''t know who you truly are?"


    Ludwig met its gaze, his expression unreadable. "Perhaps it''s both," he said.


    The Gluttonous Death chuckled, a sound that echoed unnaturally through the hall. "You do know how to play the game. Good. There is no reason to answer directly."


    It turned to Van Dijk, its form shifting once more. "So, your wish is to kill the one that caused you to be what you are. But let me tell you again, you''re not strong enough. You struggled against a mere puppet so much. What makes you think you can defeat one that served the god of death?"


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed, his voice cold and sharp. "I haven''t revealed all my tricks yet. Not to mention, I''m pretty sure I''m currently stronger than my father."


    The Gluttonous Death''s smile widened, its form shifting fluidly as it leaned closer. "That is indeed true. But you''re not the only one who grew stronger, vampire. Your nemesis also had time to grow. Especially after he earned my blessing."


    Van Dijk''s rage boiled over, his aura flaring with a palpable intensity. The air around him crackled with energy, the pressure forcing Ludwig to take a step back.


    "Master," Ludwig said, his voice calm but firm, trying to diffuse the tension.


    The Gluttonous Death chuckled, its form shifting again as it regarded Ludwig with a mix of amusement and curiosity. "By blessing," Ludwig asked, "is that what you gave him so he''d be more¡­ gluttonous?" S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Usurper''s smile widened, its form shifting fluidly as it clapped its hands. "Will you look at that, we have a smart one here. Yes, lad, he asked for it, and I obliged. After all, it was the only way for him to survive me. Those who come here thinking they can take me on are always in for a rude awakening. And that''s the only reason the two of you still draw breath¡ªwell, one of you¡­"


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    Ludwig''s gaze remained steady, his voice calm. "It''s because none of us had any intentions of fighting you in the first place."


    The Gluttonous Death''s smile widened, its form shifting fluidly as it leaned closer. "Indeed, you didn''t ask yourselves why someone like me would be living in a place with so little¡­ protection, now did you? The things you fought all the way here were merely a small hindrance, something that would earn you the right to speak to this one. As for those who came with malicious intent before you, they have all perished long before they took a step into the city. And even if they made it to the city, they had to fight far more grueling and deadly battles to get here¡­"


    The Gluttonous Death''s voice trailed off, its form shifting fluidly as it regarded them with a mix of amusement and menace. The cathedral fell silent, the weight of its words hanging heavy in the air.

 Chapter 152 Danger At The Academy

    Of course, Ludwig thought, after all, relatively the whole city was far too easy to clear. Though his master had done most of the work, it just felt too easy. Too simple.


    The dungeon''s difficulty was after all ten skulls, that''s enough to make anyone completely give up. But it didn''t feel that hard anyway. Simply because the Gluttonous Death didn''t want to kill them off.


    "So tell me, what are your plans?" the Gluttonous Death asked. "Are you going to keep looking for the werewolf?" he then turned to Ludwig, "And you, are you still planning on hunting us Seven Deaths?"


    "Of course," Van Dijk said.


    "Same here, I''ll keep hunting," Ludwig replied though the notifications kept urging him not to agitate the Gluttonous Death he did the opposite.


    "For the vampire, I care little less than nothing, but for you, undead, you''re basically threatening me, what would stop me from snuffing your very life right now, and spare myself the headache?" the Gluttonous Death said in a wide toothy smile, which was like a shark smile that spread all the way to his ears.


    "Because you need to fatten a pig first before eating it, I''m nothing more than bones now, killing me will give you little to no satisfaction," Ludwig said, "Aren''t you the Gluttonous Death?" Ludwig said.


    This was the first time Ludwig mentioned the Gluttonous Death''s name, and Van Dijk immediately picked up on it.


    "Indeed I am, and you are right, it would be a waste to consume something like you right now, you''re too scrawny," it smiled once again. "Then fine, let us fight to our heart''s content the next time we meet. For now, I''ll grant you safe passage out of the bog. Though I can''t promise that I''ll spare you the next time you''re here," he said.


    Ludwig inwardly sighed a sigh of relief, after all this just meant that they won''t be killed off right now.


    "As for you, though I don''t know where Alcide is, I''m sure he mentioned something about a Sultan. The Kingdom of the Sand¡­ he was planning something there, but I can''t interfere, my sister is ruling that place. So go and have fun, but remember, she''s not as merciful as I am¡­" he snorted.


    Van Dijk nodded, he now had a new lead. Your journey continues with My Virtual Library Empire


    "Remember vampire, you''re not strong enough, not yet at least, and if you fall in my sister''s hands, not even the gods can save you¡­ as for you," he said as he turned to Ludwig, "You owe me for the souls you stole back then," he said.


    "I didn''t steal from you anything," Ludwig said.


    "You killed a sheikh that had come and implored me for a way to seek immortality, have you not?" he asked.


    "I did kill the sheikh, but what souls have I stolen from you?"


    "You see, I had been enjoying the rituals he was sharing, it''s quite sad that one of my sources of steady souls was cutoff," The gluttonous Death said.


    Ludwig''s hesitated for a second, then said, "I wouldn''t call it theft, the sheikh was unworthy of such power so I took him down. I also never took any of the souls from the ritual, it was the sheikh''s failure to meet your standards that wasted them."


    "You do strike a decent argument, indeed, if he was more adequate, he wouldn''t have died. I am fair after all, though gluttonous, I shouldn''t blame you for someone else inadequacy. Fine," he said as he turned and stepped back to his throne.


    "This, is my kingdom he said, you have overstayed your welcome, please leave as soon as possible," he said.


    Immediately after that, the wall behind them transformed once again, this time it opened up onto the same portal that they came through to the bog the first time.


    "Go on now, and do tell the world if they ask of the terrors that await those who are gluttonous for wealth. For I am not merciful, but extremely reasonable, those who wish to seek me for power shall pay an equivalent price, and those that come to seek me for vengeance shall find nothing but hunger that would drive them to madness."


    "Master,"


    "I know Ludwig, let''s leave," Van Dijk said as he stepped out of the palace. Ludwig followed him and heard something for his ears only.


    "Servant of the Death God, sometimes, it''s good to question¡­ for not all things are what they seem to be, and not all that glitter is gold¡­" the moment his words echoed in Ludwig''s ears he turned to find the pathway to the palace completely gone.


    They were no longer in the cathedral but back at the first outpost of Tibari.


    [Congratulation on completing the Sudden Quest Survive The Gluttonous Death!]


    [Your abilities are unsealed. You may use them as you wish]


    [You have obtained 100 souls]


    Ludwig frowned, quite the measly reward for surviving one of the deaths, but it''s fine. This at least makes it so he isn''t on the verge of death again, Also Thomas'' soul is still safe inside the lantern.


    "Hmm¡­" Van Dijk frowned, "Something isn''t right," he said, waking Ludwig from his musings.


    "What is it?" Ludwig asked as he looked around.


    "This moss¡­ it wasn''t this big the last time we were here," Van Dijk said.


    Ludwig couldn''t even tell the difference as he remembers the scene almost exactly the same.


    "It seems to have grown by a couple centimeters¡­" he then grabbed his crystal and connected it.


    "Silva?" he asked.


    "Master Van Dijk! You''re alive! Finally!" he said.


    "What''s going on?" Van Dijk asked.


    "You''ve been gone for a couple weeks now, we were preparing to send a full force of mages after you¡­"


    "A couple weeks?" Van Dijk asked, "It hasn''t been even a full day since I left¡­"


    "Temporal interference¡­ I see, you must return at haste, there is a problem back at the academy¡­"


    "What sort of problem?" Van Dijk asked.


    "The Holy Order is here¡­"


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 Chapter 153 The Visit of The Holy Order

    "Ludwig," Van Dijk said, his voice sharp and laced with irritation. The news he had just received clearly didn''t sit well with him. His crimson eyes narrowed as he turned to his disciple, his expression a mix of frustration and urgency.


    "How good is your lantern''s camouflage?" he asked, his tone clipped and demanding.


    Ludwig hesitated for a moment, his eyes meeting Van Dijk''s piercing gaze. "Good enough to trick anyone that doesn''t already know I''m an undead," he replied, his voice steady but cautious. He had no idea what they were capable off, but for the god tier item he held, they shouldn''t be able to see the real him.


    Van Dijk''s jaw tightened, his frustration evident. "That''s sadly not enough for those guys," he said, his voice low and tense. "Listen, I want you to immediately go to your room the moment we get back to the academy. Do not wander, do not engage with anyone. Just stay out of sight."


    "Okay," Ludwig replied, his tone flat and devoid of emotion.


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed further, his frustration bubbling to the surface. "Right, you can''t mess this up. You''re my disciple, and I''ll protect you from anything, but those guys¡­ they''re the type that will kill first and never ask questions later. So, be careful."


    Ludwig nodded, his expression unreadable. He understood the gravity of the situation, but his undead nature made it difficult to convey the appropriate level of concern.


    Van Dijk exhaled sharply, his frustration giving way to a grim determination. He opened a portal back to the academy, the swirling vortex of magic casting an eerie glow in the dim light of the outpost.


    The moment the two of them stepped through the portal, the atmosphere shifted. The familiar surroundings of the academy felt different¡ªtense, almost suffocating. Silva was already there, his expression a mix of relief and anxiety.


    "Van Dijk," Silva said, his voice uncharacteristically informal. It was the first time Ludwig had heard him address Van Dijk without his title. "You''re here. Hurry up, they''re planning on going to your tower. I don''t know what''s in there, but they seem to be adamant that you''re running some form of Dark Magic¡­ or at least think you do."


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed, his frustration boiling over. "What the hell is going on?" he demanded, his voice sharp and dangerous.


    Silva shook his head, his expression grim. "Beats me. They just showed up unannounced. Something about Rima. Also¡­" He hesitated, his gaze flicking to Ludwig. "They need to speak to your disciple."


    Van Dijk cursed under his breath, his frustration palpable. "Shit."


    Before he could say more, a voice interrupted them. "Oh, they are here."


    Ludwig turned to see an older man dressed in pristine white robes, holding a scepter that looked awfully familiar. The staff was adorned with intricate designs, similar to the one Ludwig had seen in the vision from the Mask of the Blind Witness. But this one was shorter, less radiant, and carried an air of authority rather than divine light.


    Several paladins followed the man, their armor gleaming in the dim light. One of them stepped forward, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "Bishop, are these the ones?" he asked, his voice sharp and accusatory.


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed, his patience wearing thin. "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, his voice low and dangerous.


    "Silence, vampire!" the paladin shouted, his voice filled with contempt.


    Van Dijk''s vein on his forehead twitched, his frustration boiling over. Ludwig could almost feel the tension in the air, thick and suffocating. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''Oh shit, someone''s going to die¡­'' Ludwig thought, his grip tightening on his shard.


    However, the older man¡ªthe bishop¡ªraised his hand, silencing the paladin with a single gesture. "There is no need to agitate our friend here, Juaquin," he said, his voice calm but firm. "Remember, you''re in the Black Tower''s territory."


    The paladin named Juaquin scowled but stepped back, his hand still resting on his sword. "This dark creature dares speak against our Order out of turn, Lord Bishop," he said, his voice filled with disdain.


    "That is his right as the master of the tower," the bishop replied, his tone calm but authoritative. "Calm down now. Let the grown-ups handle this."


    Van Dijk''s patience was wearing thin. "What is going on here?" he demanded, his voice sharp and dangerous. "My patience is running dry."


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    The bishop turned to Van Dijk, his expression calm but unyielding. "We do not seek to cause strife or problems. We only wish for order. And seeing that there are too many eyes here, how about we visit your office for a proper conversation?"


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed, but he nodded curtly. "Fine by me," he said, his voice clipped. He turned to Silva. "Open a gate to my office, please."


    Silva hesitated for a moment, his expression uneasy, but he complied. A portal opened, its swirling vortex casting an eerie glow in the dim light.


    [You are in a hostile environment.]


    The notification flashed before Ludwig''s eyes, and he tensed immediately. His hand instinctively went to his shard, his hollow eyes scanning the room for any signs of danger.


    One of the paladins grabbed him from the shoulder, his grip firm and unyielding. "What are you doing?!" the paladin demanded, his voice sharp and accusatory.


    Ludwig''s hollow eyes met the paladin''s gaze, his voice calm but firm. "You''re the one showing hostility."


    The bishop chuckled, his tone almost amused. "Oh, quite the talented boy. And looks to be a freshman, too, to realize hostile intent this early. But worry not, young lamb," he said, his voice calm but patronizing. "This is only normal procedure. The boy comes with us."


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed, his frustration boiling over. "Why? What does he have to do with anything? He''s just a freshman," he said, his voice sharp and defensive.


    The bishop''s smile widened, his tone calm but unyielding. "That would have been the case, if not for the fact that he was the protagonist of Rima''s events. We have eyes everywhere and ears all around, Van Dijk. The boy comes with us."


    Van Dijk''s jaw tightened, but he nodded curtly. "Fine," he said, his voice clipped. He stepped through the portal, his expression dark and unreadable.


    The paladin shoved Ludwig forward, his grip firm and unyielding. Ludwig cursed under his breath as the entire group entered Van Dijk''s office.


    The bishop wasted no time. "Scan for dark magic," he ordered, his voice calm but authoritative.


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed, his frustration evident. "Quite the rude guest, but sure, scan away," he said, his voice sharp and dangerous. He walked to his chair and sat down, his expression dark and unreadable.


    Several paladins began planting flag-like structures around the office, imbuing them with golden aura magic that spread throughout the room. The air grew heavy with tension as the aura washed over everything, including Ludwig.


    After a few tense moments, the paladin named Juaquin shook his head. "Nothing out of order," he said, his voice sharp and accusatory. "But there is something on the boy and the master. Light, but it looks¡­ unnatural."


    The bishop''s smile widened, his tone calm but patronizing. "Is that so?" he asked, his gaze shifting to Ludwig. "What might be the reason for that? I''d like to hear the answer from the boy."


    Ludwig met the bishop''s gaze, his expression unreadable. "We were doing an expedition," he said, his voice calm and measured. "I''m sure you asked Silva about our disappearance. We met some nasty fellows, took care of them, and we''re back." He shrugged, his tone casual but defiant.


    The paladin named Juaquin stepped forward, his expression filled with contempt. "Arrogant little prick," he spat. "Speak formally to the bishop!"


    Ludwig''s hollow eyes met the paladin''s gaze, his voice calm but firm. "Why?"


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed.


    "Who is he to me?" Ludwig continued, his voice sharp and defiant. "I don''t worship his god. I don''t give a rat''s stinking ass about what he does for a job. Who the hell are you to tell me to respect whomever comes and goes? In case you forgot, this is the Black Tower Academy, not your backyard."


    The room fell silent, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. The bishop''s smile widened, his expression calm but unyielding. Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed, but unlike his lips which spread out in a thin smile. He seems to have liked that his disciple has some backbone

 Chapter 154 Investigation

    "You bastard!" Juaquin snarled, his hand instinctively flying to the hilt of his sword. His eyes burned with indignation, his face flushed with anger as he took a step toward Ludwig. But Ludwig didn''t flinch. His eyes met Juaquin''s furious gaze, his expression calm but defiant. The tension in the room was palpable, the air thick with hostility.


    Van Dijk''s lips curled into a smirk, his amusement barely concealed.


    The bishop raised a hand his expression calm but firm. "The boy is right We are not here to admonish or to undermine the authority of the Black Tower," he said, his voice smooth and measured. "Regardless, Master Van Dijk, we need to know a bit more about your last¡­ adventure in the city."


    Van Dijk sighed, leaning back in his chair. His crimson eyes flicked to the bishop, his expression a mix of annoyance and resignation. "I had my disciple go and check out Rima," he began, his tone clipped. "I had a feeling something was wrong there. After receiving reports from the dean¡­" He trailed off, pulling open a small drawer beneath his desk. He retrieved a piece of paper and placed it on the table with a deliberate motion.


    The bishop picked up the document, his eyes scanning the contents with a practiced ease. His expression remained unreadable as he read through the details. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Once my disciple went there," Van Dijk continued, "he began investigating the traces of Dark Magic. He ended up finding a small cult of terrorists who had apparently defected from under the Sultan''s rule. Sirou should have all that information since he led the investigation¡­"


    The bishop''s eyes narrowed slightly as he set the document down. "Are you telling me this boy managed to beat an entire faction by himself?" he asked, his tone skeptical. "Come now, Van Dijk. We know you''re not the most honest, but this is a blatant lie."


    Van Dijk''s smirk widened, his amusement evident. "There are very few people who can study at the Black Tower," he said, his voice calm but laced with a subtle edge. "And even fewer who have the right to follow me. But there is only one who has ever become my disciple. It is your own lack of understanding that limits your mind from thinking beyond its capabilities. Ludwig has always been an exceptional student."


    The bishop''s expression remained calm, but his eyes flicked to Ludwig, a hint of curiosity in his gaze. "We have heard rumors of this boy," he said, his tone measured. "Apparently, he scored exceptionally well in one of your cruel dungeon tests. And even was implicated in a murder¡­ quite the dark fellow."


    Van Dijk''s smirk faded, replaced by a cold, steely expression. "One must do what it takes to survive the Black Tower Academy," he said, his voice sharp. "As for the murder, it''s nothing but lies¡ªfabricated by his peers out of jealousy. We''re still investigating the perpetrator. Regardless, I''m sure you''re not here just to investigate my disciple''s past. Tell me, what do you want?"


    The bishop leaned back, his expression calm but unyielding. "Right, right. Regardless, after conducting our own investigation¡ªsince Sirou''s wasn''t too conclusive¡ªwe came to the conclusion that something very sinister was going on. Do you mind telling us what?"


    Van Dijk''s eyes flicked to Ludwig, a subtle signal passing between them. "I think Ludwig will have a better account of what happened," he said, deftly shifting the focus to his disciple.


    Ludwig stepped forward, his expression calm but his tone laced with a subtle edge. "Nothing really," he said, his voice steady. "Just some crazy whacko wanting to gain immortality by absorbing the souls of the people they caught. Turns out, he received help from someone at the Tibari Bog. You should go check that place out if you want to find out more."


    The bishop''s eyes narrowed, his expression darkening slightly. "What do you mean?" he asked, his tone sharp.


    Ludwig met his gaze, his expression unreadable. "You know about the guy in the Bog, right? Surely, with all this ''holier than thou'' attitude, if you''re actually seeking to purge darkness, you should start there." His tone was mocking, his words cutting through the air like a blade.


    The bishop''s smile tightened, but he remained calm. "Ah, that filthy thing. We''ll handle it when the time comes," he said, his tone dismissive.


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    Ludwig''s lips curled into a smirk. "Ah, it''s fine. Just say you can''t. After all, he isn''t something you can take on. I mean, if I were you, I wouldn''t even want to get close to it. I''d also go around bullying other factions instead of dealing with the real threat."


    The paladin''s face flushed with anger, his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword. "Watch your tongue, boy!" he snapped, his voice sharp and dangerous.


    Ludwig''s smirk widened. "Or what? If you have better things to do, go and kill the owner of the Bog. Stop wasting time here, cowards."


    The paladin''s rage boiled over, but the bishop raised a hand, silencing him with a single gesture. "Indeed, the boy is right," he said, his tone calm but laced with a subtle edge. "Though our purpose is to rid the world of all that is vile, we have yet to receive the clear order to venture into the Bog. Also, it isn''t the only one. Still, tell me, how did you two survive the creature in the Bog?"


    Ludwig shrugged, his tone casual. "Survive? We never fought it. We simply had a conversation."


    The bishop''s eyes narrowed, his curiosity piqued. "I''m interested in the content of the conversation," he said, his tone calm but probing.


    Ludwig glanced at Van Dijk, who gave a subtle nod. "Nothing really," Ludwig said, his tone casual but laced with a subtle edge. "He was pretty arrogant¡ªmore than you guys¡ªbut at the same time, respectful. His arrogance came from his own strength."


    The paladin''s lips twisted into a scowl. "Sounds like you''re praising something that is dark," he said, his voice sharp and accusatory. "You can get hanged for it."


    Ludwig''s smirk widened. "Praise? Nah, that was respect for power. I have no praise for something that would eat people''s innards and minds, turning them into undead husks that know neither the taste of life nor the rest of death. What I don''t praise is your lack of action against a foe that is so confidently living in this world, bringing nothing but death and hunger, while you''re sitting on your ass, preaching righteousness without action."


    The paladin''s face flushed with anger, but the bishop raised a hand, silencing him once more. "I can see why you chose him as your disciple," the bishop said, his tone calm but laced with a subtle edge. "He has the same temperament as you, Van Dijk."


    Van Dijk''s smirk returned, but he said nothing. Instead, he gestured for Ludwig to stand next to him. "Enough, Ludwig. Come here," he said, his tone firm but calm.


    The bishop leaned back, his expression calm but unyielding. "Well, I''ll be sending a small expedition to see what''s up with the Bog. We have yet to fully understand the scope of corruption there. We also have more matters to attend to, with the new saint and all."


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed, his curiosity piqued. "You have a new saint? What happened to the other one?"


    The bishop''s smile tightened, his tone calm but laced with a subtle edge. "Ah, she died. Simple as that."

 Chapter 155 The Dream

    "She?" Ludwig muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing as he processed the bishop''s words. The room fell silent for a moment, the weight of his question hanging in the air.


    The bishop and the paladin both turned to Ludwig, their expressions a mix of surprise and curiosity. The paladin, Juaquin, looked particularly irritated.


    "I thought the saint was a young boy¡­" Ludwig continued, his voice steady but laced with confusion. "The one that appeared in Letonia and eradicated the Drak Family¡­"


    The bishop''s expression softened, though his eyes remained sharp. "Ah, yes¡­ we''ll get to that. It''s very important too. But no, he wasn''t the saint. He was called that because¡­ well, he was just that powerful both in divinity and in influence. The real saint was back at the holy temple."


    The bishop snapped his fingers, and a faint shimmering barrier of sound encapsulated the room, cutting off any possibility of eavesdropping. The air grew heavier, the atmosphere more tense.


    Van Dijk leaned back in his chair, his crimson eyes narrowing as he regarded the bishop. "I presume it''s something special, for you to put all this up," he said, his tone calm but laced with skepticism.


    The bishop sighed, his expression weary. "Oh, it''s special alright," he said, his voice low and heavy.


    The paladin, Juaquin, stepped forward, his voice sharp and accusatory. "Your Holiness, is it alright for that boy to listen to this?" he asked, his tone dripping with disdain.


    Ludwig couldn''t help but smirk inwardly. ''Man, sounds like he has a beef with me. Can''t blame him though, he''s easy to rile up.''


    The bishop raised a hand, silencing the paladin with a single gesture. "You heard the Tower Master. He''s his one and only disciple. Judging from his current and future status, he''ll probably come to know this before the mundane man anyway. Regardless, yes, this is a very big problem for our faith, to be honest¡­ and he also knows about Mot."


    ''So it was that boy in the vision and from Hoyo''s story¡­''


    Van Dijk''s smirk widened, his amusement evident. "I''m all ears, though I doubt I can be of any help for the servants of Dishana," he said, his tone laced with sarcasm.


    The bishop''s expression darkened slightly. "It''s not about Dishana. It''s about something else," he said, his voice heavy with frustration. "The one she gave us a prophecy about is the same boy your disciple spoke about¡ªthe one that serves another deity. Which is quite depressing, to be honest¡­"


    Van Dijk''s eyebrows shot up, his curiosity piqued. "So you''re saying that your own deity is making a saint of another deity''s chosen?" he asked, his tone incredulous.


    Ludwig couldn''t help but snort inwardly. ''Talk about being a cuck¡­''


    The bishop sighed, his expression weary. "Yes, we don''t question her infinite wisdom. That is part of it, and all we can do is oblige."


    Van Dijk relaxed further into his chair, his expression calm but skeptical. "So," he said, his tone casual, "what do you want me for? I have no relation to such matters."


    The bishop leaned forward, his expression serious. "That''s what I was getting to. Because the one the boy worships¡­ is an Outer God."


    Van Dijk''s eyes widened slightly, his interest clearly piqued. "Oh¡­" he said, his voice low and thoughtful. "Now, that''s very interesting¡­"


    Ludwig frowned, his confusion evident. "What''s an Outer God, Master?" he asked, his tone curious.


    Van Dijk turned to Ludwig, his expression calm but serious. "Consider them old gods¡­ from an era long since gone, with very few worshippers."


    Ludwig''s frown deepened. "Then they must be a weak one," he said, his tone skeptical.


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    Van Dijk shook his head. "Not necessarily. Some of them are even stronger than all known gods. But let me guess," he said, turning back to the bishop, "another hero is appearing?"


    The bishop''s eyes widened slightly, his surprise evident. "How did you know?" he asked, his tone sharp.


    Van Dijk smirked, his amusement evident. "It fits. After all, we all received notice of the last summoned hero dying immediately after being summoned here to Ikos. You''re not the only faction with information."


    Ludwig''s mind raced, pieces of the puzzle falling into place. ''Yep, definitely me¡­''


    The bishop sighed, his expression weary. "Yes, it was quite strange. The ritual was somehow intercepted. It made Dishana furious, but she couldn''t do much since Necros intervened¡­"


    Van Dijk''s smirk widened. "That''s not my business," he said, his tone casual. "But I understand how she''d be angry. Still, she wouldn''t dare go against Necros."


    The bishop nodded, his expression grim. "No one does. He is¡­ different. Though he has no worshippers¡ªfor who worships death?"


    Van Dijk turned to Ludwig, his expression calm but serious. "Necros is also considered an Outer God, but that''s because he just doesn''t really care to make a faction. And whoever builds him a temple or tries to create a fellowship immediately suffers incredible misfortune."


    Ludwig nodded, his expression thoughtful.


    Van Dijk turned back to the bishop, his tone calm but probing. "So, when are you expecting this hero to arrive?"


    The bishop sighed, his expression weary. "Oh, this one isn''t summoned. Apparently, the door to summoning heroes from another world is closed and will remain closed indefinitely. This was a person chosen by Dishana herself¡ªfrom Ikos."


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed slightly. "I suppose not much is known about them for their protection," he said, his tone calm but skeptical. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The bishop nodded. "They''re under the protection of the Holy Order, currently receiving their indoctrination."


    Ludwig couldn''t help but smirk. ''Brainwashing, noted.''


    Van Dijk leaned forward, both hands locked together, his expression calm but skeptical. "So, what do you want from me?" he asked, his tone casual.


    The bishop''s expression grew serious. "Well, since the new saint will be one of the fellowships of the hero, we need to know as much about him as possible. We''ve allowed him to take control over a few regiments and detachments of our Holy Order before, and he did well in cleaning up any mess¡­"


    Ludwig''s smirk widened. ''Massacring everyone¡­'' he corrected inwardly.


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed slightly. "But now, he''s a fully-fledged saint, protected by Dishana. But you don''t know much about his god, except the name¡­"


    The bishop nodded, his expression grim. "And what is that Outer God''s name?"


    The bishop''s voice grew heavy, his tone almost reverent. "Azathoth¡­ The Dream."

 Chapter 156 A Test of Necromancy

    "Ah, that''s a problem," Van Dijk said, his voice low and thoughtful. He leaned back in his chair, his crimson eyes narrowing as he processed the implications of the bishop''s revelation.


    The bishop perked up, his expression sharpening with interest. "You know something?" he asked, his tone eager.


    Van Dijk nodded, his expression grim. "Yes, and it''s not good. Azathoth is one of the older ones. He''s mainly harmless and only affects those who dream. He had many followers back then¡ªI''m sure you can find a couple of books in our private library at the academy to understand more about him. But there''s a small problem when associating with him."


    The bishop''s eyes narrowed, his curiosity piqued. "What is it?" he asked, his tone sharp.


    Van Dijk leaned forward, his expression serious. "He''s rather¡­ inflexible. His Saint can easily be your strongest ally or your worst nightmare. It all depends on the whims of Azathoth. He used to have many followers back in the Dark Ages, but he disappeared from this world after the Great War. He fuels his followers with great divinity, but unlike other divinities, the fewer followers he has, the stronger each one becomes. So, if this boy¡ªyour saint¡ªis the only one currently following him, that''s basically a demi-god walking on land."


    Ludwig frowned, his confusion evident. "Isn''t that a good thing for them?" he asked. "To have someone that strong walking their ranks?"


    Van Dijk shook his head, his expression grim. "That''s the thing, Ludwig. Azathoth''s followers are not controllable. If the Holy Order tries to force them to do anything that goes against Azathoth''s teachings, he can simply make his follower go rogue. Basically," Van Dijk said, his tone heavy, "don''t ever piss the boy off. None of you can handle the aftermath."


    Ludwig smirked, his tone dry. "A ticking time bomb you guys chose."


    The paladin, Juaquin, stepped forward, his expression filled with disdain. "We can handle a little boy," he said, his voice sharp and dismissive.


    Van Dijk snorted, his amusement evident. "Sure you can. But not one that has the Authority of an Eldritch god." He leaned back in his chair, his expression calm but laced with skepticism. "Regardless, this is probably the main reason for your visit, I''d assume?"


    The bishop nodded, his expression serious. "Indeed," he said, standing up from his seat. "It was a quick meeting, but we got what we needed. We''ll be borrowing books related to Azathoth from the library. As for the matters of Rima," he said, turning to Ludwig, "we can consider them handled. But there is one thing that''s been bugging me."


    The bishop''s gaze sharpened as he turned to Ludwig. "Did you happen to meet an elf back at Rima?"


    Ludwig was surprised but didn''t let it show. "An elf? No," he said, shaking his head.


    The bishop''s smile tightened, but he nodded. "I see," he said, his tone calm but laced with a subtle edge. He turned to leave, the paladin following closely behind.


    Soon, they used their portal to leave, and the room fell silent.


    "That was intense," Ludwig said, breaking the silence.


    Van Dijk turned to him, his expression calm but probing. "Why did you lie?" he asked, his tone sharp.


    "About what? I''m pretty sure all I told was the truth," Ludwig said, his tone casual but defensive. Enjoy more content from My Virtual Library Empire


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed. "I''m talking about the elf. All of us realized you lied there, Ludwig."


    Ludwig shrugged, his expression unreadable. "Is that a problem?"


    "Not if you want it to be," Van Dijk said, his tone calm but laced with a subtle edge. "Regardless, elves are a very touchy subject. Did you happen to meet one?"


    Ludwig hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yes. She was the current high elven princess. They had business there."


    Van Dijk''s eyebrows shot up, his curiosity piqued. "Interesting. Not just a normal elf, but a princess at that. What was the purpose of their visit to Rima?"


    Ludwig shrugged, his tone casual. "They wanted to recover the tree. It was apparently part of their World Tree that was stolen and corrupted. I guess the Gluttonous Death told the Sheikh how to corrupt it and use it as a medium to attain that fake immortality of his. Or that was what she said"


    "You should have told me that," Van Dijk said, a bit disappointed.


    "Sorry master, honestly, it completely skipped my mind with all the stuff we''ve been through¡­" Ludwig replied apologetically.


    Van Dijk nodded, his expression thoughtful. "Regardless, we still have important matters to tend to now," he said, his tone more amused.


    "The books? I can''t wait to open them," Ludwig said, eagerly.


    "Indeed," Van Dijk said, standing up. "Follow me. We have a lot of studying to do."


    He opened the door to his office, and it immediately led to the hidden laboratory inside the tower. Van Dijk walked in first, his expression calm but focused.


    Inside the laboratory, two people were working on a corpse, their movements precise but hurried.


    "Sebas, Evan, get me my coat and my tools," Van Dijk said, his voice sharp and commanding.


    The two turned to see the Tower Master, their expressions a mix of surprise and anxiety. "Yes, Master," they said in unison.


    Van Dijk''s expression darkened. "Don''t call me that. I am no master to failures," he said, his said dismissively.


    "Yes, Tower Master," Evan replied, his voice trembling slightly as he hurried away. Sebas shot a disgusted look at Ludwig before following Evan.


    Ludwig sighed, his tone dry. "Man, who shat in their breakfast?"


    Van Dijk''s expression remained cold. "The mundane are always jealous of the talented. This is my way of showing them the way. They either grit through the shame of having someone younger than them take the spotlight to improve themselves out of spite, or they can leave. For that''s all they''ll ever amount to. Necromancers, they call themselves, when they can''t even perform a simple act of necromancy. Disgusting."


    He spat the last word as he moved to the table they were working on. His eyes narrowed as he examined the corpse, his expression thoughtful.


    "What do you think they were doing?" Van Dijk asked, turning to Ludwig.


    Ludwig frowned, his mind racing. A test? sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 157 Van Dijks Necromancy

    Ludwig took a closer look at the body on the table, his hollow eyes scanning the intricate runic carvings etched into the flesh. The sigils were eerily similar to the ones he used for Rise Undead, but they were more elaborate, with additional symbols that Ludwig didn''t recognize. They looked advanced, but something about them felt¡­ off.


    "From first glance," Ludwig began, his voice calm but thoughtful, "they''re trying to resurrect this corpse. Carving the sigils directly into the flesh instead of using mana sigils is probably their way of testing things. The symbols are also a bit off. Not that I know which ones are proper."


    Van Dijk raised an eyebrow, his expression a mix of curiosity and mild disappointment. "Is that all you can see?" he asked, his tone sharp but not overly critical.


    Ludwig''s eyes glowed faintly as he activated [Inspect].


    Name: Lumia Siel


    Race: Human


    Title: Black Tower Academy Student


    Level: 11


    Status Effects:


    [Dead]


    [Faulty Necrotic Sigils]


    [Blessed]


    [Conflict of Interest]


    Ludwig frowned as he read through the details of the status effects.


    [Faulty Necrotic Sigils] ¨C The attempter of reviving into undeath made imperative mistakes in carving the necrotic sigils upon the body of the corpse. The revival process might require more mana than needed.


    [Blessed] ¨C A body that was once blessed by a priest or a servant of Dishana. The soul remains protected inside the River of Souls, never to be disturbed after death.


    [Conflict of Interest] ¨C It will require far greater resources to use necromancy on a blessed corpse than usual. Failure to resurrect is more prone to occur. Revival will only happen if a different soul is introduced to the body, as the owner''s soul is protected.


    "Hmm, something isn''t right," Ludwig muttered, his voice low.


    Van Dijk''s lips curled into a faint smile. "You can inspect the corpse closer if you want," he said, gesturing toward the body.


    Ludwig nodded and stepped forward, placing his hand on the corpse. The moment his skeletal fingers made contact, a faint -1 HP notification flashed in his vision.


    "I see," Ludwig said, pulling his hand back. "I don''t think they''d notice that."


    "What is it?" Van Dijk asked, his smile widening.


    Ludwig hesitated, not wanting to reveal the full extent of what he saw in his inspection screen. "Holy magic," he said, his tone cautious. "Perhaps a blessing of sorts. Maybe a religious parent or religious origin. It''ll create a conflict between necromancy and revival. I don''t know about the sigils, though. They look different than the ones I use. Maybe they have more proficiency than me and know better sigils, so I''m not one to judge. But for some reason, they just feel¡­ wrong."


    Van Dijk''s smile widened, his expression one of approval. "Good eyes you have. Indeed, you hit the nail on the head. That body still has a holy presence to it, which is quite honestly surprising that these two self-proclaimed necromancers couldn''t even notice."


    Ludwig glanced over at Sebas and Evan, who had returned with Van Dijk''s coat and tools. Both of them were glaring at him, their expressions filled with resentment.


    "You tried to revive something that has a holy touch," Van Dijk said, his tone sharp and accusatory. "Have you not been snubbed before?"


    Evan hesitated, his voice trembling slightly. "We thought we could bypass the holy aspect, right, Sebas?" he said, nudging his friend.


    Van Dijk sighed, his frustration evident. "Waste of resources, I swear. Hand over the coat and tools, useless!" he snapped, his voice sharp and commanding.


    As Van Dijk turned to walk away, he paused and glanced back at Ludwig. "Ludwig, how would you handle this? If you had to revive this corpse."


    Ludwig opened his mouth to respond, but Sebas interrupted, his voice filled with disdain. "Master, he''s just a skeleton. He wouldn''t know right from wrong even if you hit him in the face. We''ll try better, I promise."


    Van Dijk''s expression darkened, his voice low and dangerous. "If you try and tell me how to do things one more time, the next corpse Ludwig will be practicing on will be yours." Explore stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    Sebas immediately gulped, his face pale as he lowered his head in submission.


    Ludwig ignored the exchange, his mind focused on the task at hand. "Well, seeing the blessing¡­" he said, pointing his hand at the corpse. "I might be wrong, but what if¡­ [Taint]."


    A black stain began spreading over the corpse, but the blessing fought back, causing the stain to recede almost immediately. Ludwig frowned, his expression determined. "[Taint]," he cast again, followed by "[Enfeeble]" and "[Exhaust]."


    The sigils spread across the corpse, the taint emulsifying within the flesh as it shuddered and shook under the strain of the blessing. But the holy magic was too strong, and soon the blessing overtook the body, destroying all the curses.


    "I can''t do it, Master," Ludwig said, shaking his head.


    Evan snorted audibly, his disdain evident.


    Van Dijk, however, smiled faintly. "No, Ludwig, you had the right idea. You just didn''t have the experience. It is correct, in fact. The blessing that this corpse received is neutralizing all that is unholy and necrotic. But if you pile up curses upon it, you''ll be able to wither the blessing. Although there are better spells for it, let me show you using your own spell. [Taint]."


    Van Dijk''s casting was far more potent than Ludwig''s. The taint immediately penetrated the body, carving through the blessing and rotting the bones and flesh. Within moments, the corpse was almost unrecognizable, its form twisted and decayed.


    "[Rise Undead]," Van Dijk said, his voice calm but commanding. The symbols from his hand spread across the corpse, and it shuddered violently before sitting up straight on the table, its hollow eyes glowing faintly.


    "However," Van Dijk said, his tone dismissive, "this corpse is useless." He turned to Sebas and Evan, his expression cold. "I still wonder why the headmaster had the two of you come to me specifically. Necromancers who can''t resurrect a corpse properly¡ªwhat a waste. [Turn Undead]."


    The corpse shuddered once more before disintegrating into ash, leaving nothing but a faint pile of dust on the table.


    Ludwig''s eyes widened in awe. The ease with which Van Dijk had both resurrected and destroyed the corpse was staggering.


    "Clean up and leave us," Van Dijk said, his tone sharp. "Go play somewhere else."


    Sebas and Evan hurried to comply, their expressions a mix of fear and resentment as they left the room.


    Van Dijk turned to Ludwig, his expression calm but serious. "Follow me. We have much to discuss."


    S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 158 Jealousy

    "Alright, Ludwig, pull out the rings," Van Dijk said, his voice calm but commanding.


    Ludwig nodded, reaching into his holding ring and retrieving their collection of rings. He placed them carefully on the table, their metallic surfaces gleaming faintly in the dim light of the laboratory. Next, he pulled out the Mask of the Blind Witness, its eerie, hollow eyes staring back at him as he placed it on his face.


    "Let''s start with magic," Van Dijk said, opening the first book from the archives and sliding it toward Ludwig. He handed him a pen and a stack of paper, his expression serious. "Inscribe everything to the letter. No mistakes."


    Ludwig nodded, his hollow eyes scanning the pages as he began to write. The room fell silent, save for the scratch of the pen against paper and the occasional rustle of pages being turned.


    Hours turned into days, and Ludwig worked tirelessly, his focus unwavering.


    Van Dijk checked in periodically, but his expression was unreadable as he reviewed Ludwig''s work. To Sebas and Evan, who occasionally peered into the room, it seemed like Ludwig was reading from an empty book and writing gibberish.


    Continue your adventure with My Virtual Library Empire


    Their confusion quickly turned to resentment as they watched the skeleton work, their jealousy simmering beneath the surface. Since Van Dijk would occasionally pop in and only check on Ludwig, ignoring them completely.


    By the fifth day, their patience had worn thin. Sebas stormed into the room, his face twisted with anger. "The fuck do you think you are?" he snarled, slamming his hand on Ludwig''s desk. The force of the impact sent ink spilling across the papers, ruining hours of work.


    Ludwig didn''t even look up. He calmly moved the ruined papers to the side and wiped away the spilled ink. "What do you want?" he asked, his voice cold and detached.


    Sebas''s face turned red with rage. "It''s you! You''re the fucking anomaly! You just come in here thinking you''re some big shot, but you''re nothing! Nothing! Just a fucking skeleton. Act the part, you piece of shit!"


    Ludwig''s hollow eyes finally met Sebas''s, his expression unreadable. "Does that make you feel better?" he asked, his tone icy. "Are you done? If you are, I have work to do."


    Sebas''s rage boiled over. He kicked the desk with all his strength, sending it flipping over and crashing into Ludwig. The skeleton was thrown to the ground, the contents of the table scattering across the room.


    -22 HP!


    [You are in a hostile environment.]


    "This fucker thinks he''s the shit! You''re a disposable tool nothing more!" Sebas roared, his voice echoing through the room. "Just a waste of air! Van Dijk is only keeping you because you''re his little pet. The moment you fuck up, you''re gone, and I''ll be damned if I don''t see to it happening!"


    Evan only stared from a distance, he too was of the same opinion. Though their recommendation came from the deen, they had worked tirelessly for decades under Van Dijk but they never gotten an ounce of recognition. To them, they had toiled and worked hard for days on end, without rest to achieve success only for this newcomer to swoop in and take Van Dijk''s discipleship from under their noses.


    With that, Sebas stormed out of the room Evan following him after he spat on the floor, leaving Ludwig sprawled on the floor amidst the chaos.


    For a moment, Ludwig lay still, his hollow eyes staring at the ceiling. Then, something strange happened. A wave of emotion washed over him¡ªanger, raw and unfiltered. It was a sensation he hadn''t felt in a long time, not since he had become undead.


    "Oh, this is¡­ new," he muttered to himself, his voice tinged with surprise. "Rage? I guess this is more pure than the one I use from Thomas."


    He slowly got to his feet, his movements deliberate as he began cleaning up the mess. He righted the desk, gathered the scattered papers, and wiped away the spilled ink. Just as he was finishing, Van Dijk entered the room.


    "Any progress¡ª" Van Dijk''s words trailed off as he took in the scene. His eyes narrowed, his expression darkening. "What happened here?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous.


    Ludwig shrugged, his tone calm. "Nothing I can''t handle."


    Van Dijk''s eyes flicked to the ruined papers, his frustration evident. "Oh, but I don''t think I can. I guess it''s time to have a couple of new corpses for dissection," he said, his voice laced with anger.


    "Master," Ludwig said, his voice steady. He tapped a stack of papers on the desk, arranging them neatly. "If you fixed and helped me with every problem and issue, there would be no fun left for me to have."


    Van Dijk''s expression softened slightly, but his frustration remained. "In the Black Tower Academy," he said, his tone sharp, "it is encouraged to go up against your peers and climb on top of one another for better opportunities. But not this. You''re not their peer. You''re my disciple."


    "The more reason I should be the one to take care of this problem," Ludwig replied, his voice calm but firm. "If I let you clean up my mess and babysit me through the academy, I''ll never improve. I''ll handle them myself, for now. He didn''t really do much damage. I already memorized most of the materials here anyway."


    Van Dijk sighed, his frustration giving way to a grudging respect. "Right. What did you inscribe today?"


    "Teleology of Magic," Ludwig said, his tone casual. "Quite the complicated topic, but it was fun to read."


    Van Dijk''s eyebrows shot up. "Let me see the scripts," he said, taking the papers from Ludwig and beginning to read.


    As he scanned the lines of text, his frown deepened. "Wait," he said, his voice sharp. "You''re telling me you''re able to understand this?"


    Ludwig nodded. "Why not? It''s rather simple, though convoluted. The basis is that it takes a philosophical approach to the purpose of magic. It talks about it being an instrument of fate and the relationship between magic and the user. Quite the beefy topic, but not too hard to follow."


    Van Dijk''s expression was a mix of surprise and admiration. "Hmm, adding this one to yesterday''s topic of Elemental Conversion¡­ do you think¡­ you can spread this information?"


    "You mean to teach it?" Ludwig asked, his tone cautious. "I''m not that arrogant, but I do understand it."


    Over the past days, Ludwig''s notification window had been lighting up with gains.


    [+22 Wisdom]


    [+16 Stamina]


    [All Stamina gain has been converted to Strength due to your undead nature.] S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [You have gained {Mental Fortitude}.] Reading books far beyond your level will no longer cause migraines and headaches. Your resistance to illusions has been increased. As an undead, you already negate all terror- and fear-related debuffs.]


    Ludwig smirked as the notifications were a testament of his hard work during these past few days.


    Van Dijk shook his head, his expression one of grudging respect. "Quite the feat, Ludwig. Quite the feat. Merely reading these would make one''s head split open from pain. But you tided through it. Another disciple or student of your class would probably have fallen unconscious trying to inscribe these books."


    Ludwig shrugged, his tone casual. "What can I say? As an undead, pain is something that makes you feel alive. After all, my sense of touch is nonexistent, and smell too. So having a headache every once in a while helps alleviate this¡­ estrangement from life."

 Chapter 159 Soul Shackles

    "It seems that you have also been slightly influenced by what you''re reading," Van Dijk said, his tone a mix of amusement and approval. "Good, good. But, I may be called a madman, or a mad scientist and mage, but I''m not heartless. You, deep down, still look like a teenager. You should go and rest. As for those¡­" He gestured toward the stack of books on the table. "Any progress?" he asked.


    Ludwig followed his master''s gaze to the books related to swordsmanship. "They''re actually really good books," he said, his tone thoughtful.


    Over the past few days, Ludwig had absorbed a wealth of knowledge from the Tibarian swordsmanship manuals. He had even learned two new training methods that he was eager to try out.


    "They also helped me understand this a bit more," Ludwig said, placing the chains he had obtained from Rima on the table.


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed with interest. "The chains you obtained from Rima¡­ what did you find out?"


    Ludwig glanced at the notification window hovering in his vision.


    [Soul Shackles]


    Category: Weapon


    Durability: 9000/9000


    Tier: Unique [Growth Type]


    Damage: 1


    Bound to: Ludwig Heart''s Soul Letting Lantern


    Abilities:


    [Corruption of Gluttony]: All abilities that the chain uses will require the usage of Souls. ''Corrupted Souls'' enhances the effects.


    [Soul Rend]: Strikes at the target''s soul. All damage applied by this chain ignores all forms of armor and resistance as it strikes at the target''s soul directly. {Damage increased based on Souls used}


    [Chain Buckler]: Wraps around itself to create a buckler that can deflect physical attacks and mitigate some magical attacks. {Consumes Souls relative to the damage mitigated}


    [Sentient Snake]: Follows the will of the wielder to move around. {1 Soul Cost per minute}


    Lore:


    A chain broken once before, turned into a weapon to fight against oppression. A symbol of hope turned against its purpose. Once it served to free the weak, now it whips at whomever opposes it.


    "They''re semi-sentient chains," Ludwig explained, his voice calm but tinged with excitement. "They require the wielder to channel souls into them to function. They basically become an extra limb¡ªvery flexible and nigh indestructible. They were used by a Tibarian king before they were corrupted."


    Van Dijk grabbed a chair and sat down, his expression one of keen interest. "Tell me more," he said, leaning forward.


    Ludwig nodded, his hollow eyes gleaming faintly as he recounted what he had learned. "Apparently, the guy we killed¡ªthe Knight King¡ªhad an even stronger predecessor. His great-grandfather was the one who basically built Tibari, using these very chains. He used some form of ancient ritual to imbue them with the souls of those who were wronged among his townsmen. A chain forged by the lives of the innocent to fight against oppression." S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Van Dijk raised an eyebrow, his expression thoughtful. "Quite ironic. Punishing the oppressors with the symbol of oppression."


    "I thought so too," Ludwig agreed. "Regardless, after taking command of a small army of peasants, he managed to overthrow the old government and became the king of Tibari. The chains then became a symbol of freedom instead of slavery. But after some time, his great-grandson¡ªthe current King of Tibari¡ªused these chains to snuff out a revolt. That act corrupted them, as it was against the purpose of their creation. Instead of freedom, they became shackles, and apparently, that''s what started this whole corruption."


    Ludwig gestured to a historical book about legendary weapons that was among the stack of swordsmanship manuals. "It''s all theories from whoever wrote that book, but it makes sense." Find your next adventure on My Virtual Library Empire


    Van Dijk nodded, his expression serious. "I can see that. Something like that creature isn''t simple."


    "I mean, it''s less a creature and more of an idea," Ludwig said, his tone thoughtful.


    "An idea?" Van Dijk asked, his curiosity piqued.


    "Yes," Ludwig replied. "Apparently, the Gluttonous Death is the idea of dying in gluttony¡ªof overconsumption I would suppose. The kingdom itself was prosperous, yet instead of finding a way to solve a small feud, the king was too cruel. His actions became gluttony for the crown and the riches of his land, which brought upon the Gluttonous Death."


    Van Dijk frowned, his expression thoughtful. "Wouldn''t it be more proper to call it Greed?" he asked, picking up the inscribed book Ludwig had pointed to and flipping through its pages.


    "You got me beat there, Master," Ludwig admitted. "I don''t really know why it was gluttony and not greed. But we both saw how the people of Tibari acted. They were starved, even though they had everything¡­"


    Van Dijk nodded, his expression grim. "True. A man''s throat can never be filled and can only be clogged with dirt."


    Ludwig''s hollow eyes gleamed faintly. "That''s a powerful line."


    Van Dijk smiled faintly. "Unlike you, even dirt wasn''t enough to shut you up. An undead seeking knowledge¡­ good job, Ludwig. But you need some rest. So, what are you planning on doing with these chains?"


    Ludwig picked up one end of the chains and strapped the shackle around his wrist. Immediately, the chains wrapped around his arm like a bracelet, their metallic links gleaming faintly.


    "I''m gonna use them," Ludwig said, his tone determined.


    Van Dijk raised an eyebrow, his expression one of mild concern. "That looks like a topic to be studied. But no, get some rest."


    "I can''t rest, Master," Ludwig said, his voice firm.


    "What I mean is, go out. Go meet your peers. You need to cool your head off from all¡­" Van Dijk gestured to the books and the desk. "This."


    Ludwig hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Right, then. I do feel a bit too exhausted. Might as well go meet up with Joana. She might have a better idea on how I can use this chain."


    Van Dijk''s smile widened slightly. "Oh, by the way, the results for your exams are out."


    Ludwig blinked, his hollow eyes narrowing slightly. "Oh, I completely forgot about that. I guess we passed? Unless Professor Vastion had something to say about it."


    Van Dijk chuckled. "With flying colors. Not even the dean allowed him to interfere. After all, you three did me a good service, and you especially helped me with an expedition. Regardless, you need to prepare for your next semester. It will begin soon."


    Ludwig nodded, his expression calm but determined. "Thank you, Master."


    With that, Ludwig left the room, his mind still buzzing with the knowledge he had absorbed over the past few days. He hadn''t fully finished inscribing the books, but he had learned a lot.


    Once outside the tower, Ludwig headed straight for the academy, hoping to find Joana as quickly as possible. As he walked, he flexed his right hand, the one adorned with the chain bracelet. It was an unfamiliar weight, but one he was eager to master.


    He glanced at the notification window again, reviewing the details of the [Soul Shackles]. The chains were a powerful tool, but they came with a cost¡ªsouls. Ludwig''s mind raced with possibilities as he considered how to use them effectively.


    For now, though, he needed to clear his head. The past few days had been intense, and Van Dijk was right¡ªhe needed a break.

 Chapter 160 A Murder At The Academy

    Ludwig left the tower that evening, the cool night air brushing against his skeletal frame as he made his way back to the academy. The road was quiet, the usual hustle and bustle of the day replaced by an eerie stillness. The solitude gave him time to reflect, and he decided to check on something he had been saving for later.


    He waved his hand, and the Umbra Codex materialized in front of him. The ancient book floated in the air, its dark pages fluttering as if alive. Ludwig''s hollow eyes scanned the pages, his curiosity piqued.


    The first page displayed a drawing of a shadowy creature¡ªa mix between a cat and a dog, its form fluid and indistinct. It was the same Umbral Hound that had guarded the book when Ludwig first encountered it. The symbols surrounding the drawing were illegible, their meaning lost to him. For a moment, Ludwig felt as though the hound''s glowing eyes were watching him from within the pages, its presence palpable.


    He turned to the second page, which depicted one of the Guards of Tibari, their form shadowy and imbued with dark energy. The symbols here were fewer than those on the Umbral Hound''s page, but they were no less mysterious.


    The third page turned on its own, revealing a drawing of the Knight King of Tibari. Unlike the previous pages, this one had no symbols, just the imposing figure of the knight in his corrupted glory.


    Ludwig frowned, his frustration evident. "I''ll need to figure out a way to revive that Knight King," he muttered to himself. "But I''m not proficient enough... being a necromancer is great and all but you can''t be that just because of luck or some divine finding you get from some ancient tomb..."


    He sighed. Unlike the heroes of tales who end up discovering an overpowered item from the get-go, he got dropped in a world where he needed to learn everything by himself. It wasn''t easy and it was hard work. You can''t expect to get something overpowered easily here. Then again, he had the codex, the chains, and the lantern... he wasn''t going to complain that he didn''t have a broken skill or spell to summon the dead at will. That part, he''ll have to slowly learn by himself. Enjoy new chapters from My Virtual Library Empire


    With a wave of his hand, the Umbra Codex vanished, and Ludwig continued his journey to the academy.


    When he arrived at the academy gates, the same old man who always stood guard greeted him with a knowing smile. "Ludwig, you sure took your time in the Black Tower," he said, his voice warm but tinged with curiosity.


    Ludwig nodded. "I had some things to tend to with Master Van Dijk," he replied, his tone calm.


    The old man''s expression grew serious. "Go on now, enter. The academy is in a bit of disarray right now, so be careful."


    Ludwig frowned. "What''s going on?"


    The old man chuckled, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "It wouldn''t be fun if I were to tell you right now, would it?"


    Ludwig didn''t press further. He stepped through the gates and into the academy grounds, his senses on high alert. The atmosphere was different¡ªquieter, more tense. Unlike the chaotic energy he had grown accustomed to, the academy felt subdued, almost unnaturally so.


    As he made his way toward the sword training grounds, he noticed something unusual. The area was cordoned off, with several students wearing blue armbands patrolling the perimeter. One of them approached him, his expression stern.


    "This is off-limits. Why are you here?" the student demanded.


    Ludwig''s hollow eyes met the student''s gaze. "What''s going on?" he asked, his tone calm but firm.


    Another student, older and more authoritative, joined the first. "You''ve been living under a rock or something?" he said, his tone laced with sarcasm.


    "Kinda," Ludwig replied. "I was in the Black Tower for the past week. What happened here? Why is the arena barred off? And where is Professor Joana?"


    The two students exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of surprise and suspicion. "You really don''t know?" one of them asked.


    "No," Ludwig said, his tone steady.


    A third student, a girl with a no-nonsense demeanor, approached. She wore the same blue armband as the others.


    "Are you Ludwig Heart?" she asked, her voice sharp.


    "Yes," Ludwig replied. "How do you know that?"


    "The student council knows enough," she said, her tone dismissive. "You''ll have to come with us. We need to verify your alibi."


    Ludwig''s frown deepened. "Alibi? What''s going on here?"


    The girl''s expression grew serious. "There''s been a murder in the academy¡ªanother one. Since you''ve been accused before of the murder of Thomas Vondel, we''ll need to verify things some more."


    Ludwig''s hollow eyes narrowed. "I''ve been in the Black Tower for the past week," he said, pulling out a communication crystal. "If you want, I can get Master Van Dijk to vouch for me."


    The girl hesitated, her expression conflicted. "What were you doing in the Black Tower?" she asked, her tone skeptical.


    "None of your business," Ludwig replied, his voice calm but firm. "It''s something Van Dijk asked me to do." Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Before the girl could respond, a familiar figure approached¡ªVondel Ravi, the towering, gorilla-like man. Thomas Vondel''s Older brother. His expression was grim as he looked at Ludwig.


    "It''s not him," Vondel said, his voice low and gruff. "The kill was too brutal. This boy doesn''t have the guts, nor do I think he''d have the power to do something like that. I also got notified of his presence in the Black Tower for the whole past week by one of the workers there."


    The girl nodded, her expression softening slightly. "We apologize for any inconvenience we caused you," she said, giving a light bow. "But this remains an excluded zone. Please leave the area."


    Ludwig nodded, his expression calm. "Sure. Where can I find Professor Joana?"


    The girl hesitated, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I don''t think you''d want to meet her right now."


    "How come?" Ludwig asked, his tone sharp.


    The girl''s expression grew somber. "The person who died was one of her new students¡ªthe best one, apparently."


    Ludwig''s hollow eyes widened slightly. "What the hell is going on in this academy?" he muttered under his breath.


    As he turned to leave, he noticed Joana leaning against a nearby wall, her expression solemn. Her eyes met his, and she gestured for him to follow.


    "Little Monster," she said, her voice low and heavy. "Come with me."


    [Sudden Quest!]


    The notification flashed before Ludwig''s eyes, and he knew one thing for certain: trouble was brewing.

 Chapter 161 Autopsy

    [Sudden Quest]


    ***


    Follow Joana Munster and find out what she needs of you, you''re not allowed to flee or run away.


    Complete her requests if she requires assistance and survives her wrath if she deems you the preparator for the murder.


    There are no rewards for completing this quest.


    Failing to follow will put you at great harm and may antagonize the swordmaster against you.


    ***


    Experience tales with My Virtual Library Empire


    ''That''s so not good¡­'' Ludwig cursed inwardly as he followed after his teacher.


    Joana didn''t speak or utter a word as she navigated through the academy''s main building with Ludwig behind her. Her usually friendly and jubilant and somewhat hazardous nature was transformed into a more serious tone.


    This wasn''t Joana the Teacher, this was Joana the Hunter.


    Soon, the two of them arrived in front of a closed door of a clinic that was apparently hidden from view for normal students.


    Joana pressed the door and it opened up revealing what looked like a morgue.


    Several white tables with some blood on them were positioned all over the place, while the corpse storage facilities were constantly releasing cold air.


    There was however only one body in the middle of the room atop a table.


    Ludwig immediately recognized who it belonged to.


    "Von Hubert¡­" he said.


    It was the guy that he first traced from, the one who basically taught him the sword.


    "You remember him at least," Joana said.


    "Not like that," Ludwig said.


    The body was completely disfigured, his arms were twisted beyond recognition and pulled so far out of his body that they were only attached with sinew. His legs were broken in multiple places, and his chest was carved out, his ribcage bursting outward while his face was scarred in many places.


    Ludwig only recognized him because of the blue hair on his head.


    "I know you''re unrelated to this," Joana said, "You don''t strike me as something twisted enough to cause this," she said, "But he was my student," she added. "And you are a monster," she turned to Ludwig.


    "The safety of my students comes first and foremost, so forgive this teacher of yours," she said as she thrust her palm onto Ludwig''s face.


    The latter didn''t move.


    He didn''t have to.


    If she wanted him dead, he wouldn''t be able to dodge it.


    Also, the notification of hostility never showed up.


    Joana''s hand stopped a mere centimeter away from Ludwig''s face, the force of the blow was strong enough to rattle his clothes and hair, but didn''t do any harm to him.


    "For some reason though, I get the feeling that killing you is not right¡­" she said.


    She sighed once again and dragged a chair then sat down. "He was a very promising young kid," she said, "Really good stamina, almost comparable to yours," she said, "And had a good head over his shoulders. He never instigated fights nor acted out in front of his peers, a true good person, that didn''t fit in this academy. If he was at the White Tower, or even the Gray Tower, he might have thrived there. But here," she spat, "Bunch of ungrateful brats, too stupid to recognize their own worthlessness, too dumb to realize that their parents sent them here because they''re just too much trouble. Most of the nobles here are too proud and too arrogant, and the rest of the commoners have no backbone," she cursed again.


    "BUT THIS FUCKER!" she howled, Ludwig could have sworn he saw the aura of a lion surging out of her for a fraction of a second, "Dared and kill one of my precious students¡­if I find him, I wring out his limbs and twist his nerves, I''ll make him wish for death a thousand times before I drink his blood from his skull," she snarled.


    Ludwig didn''t say much and only watched.


    She then turned to face him, "Tell me, little monster," she said. "Can you guess who did this?" she asked.


    "I don''t know how I can do that," he said.


    She sighed, "The boy''s death is official, his parents have been notified, since his body was discovered in the open. So Even Van Dijk can''t use his little tricks to figure out what happened postmortem since it will leave a trail of Dark Magic. But you''re an undead, you''re my last hope to find out what happened, perhaps as one who crossed the border you might be able to see more than what others can?"


    Her request seemed genuine, but Ludwig couldn''t help much.


    After all, he already inspected the corpse the moment he laid eyes on it.


    Name: Von Hubert


    Race: Human sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Title: Black Tower Academy Student


    Level: 22


    Status Effect: [Dead]


    There was nothing else he could see, but still just to appease his teacher, Ludwig approached the corpse.


    The body was completely disfigured and desecrated. His innards were gone. Lungs, heart, liver, spleen, intestines, stomach, everything was gone, almost as if a monster had eaten him from the inside.


    His eyes were ripped out and his tongue was torn, his muscles were all detached or ruptured.


    Nothing short of a monster could do this.


    "I''m sorry teacher," Ludwig said shaking his head, "I don''t know what could have done this. But it looks like the damage came from inside," Ludwig said.


    "What do you mean?" she said.


    "Besides the scars on his body, they look like they''re made from a sharp weapon, but all the scars were non-penetrating and just looked like slashes. None of the sword scars would have been fatal, painful true, but not lethal. However, the way his chest burst out¡­ It''s like something was inside his body and then busted out¡­ I don''t know," Ludwig said, he remembered watching a movie before back in his world about creatures that would enter through one''s mouth, grow inside the host''s body, and then burst out of their chest after they mature.


    "Parasitic nature¡­ but why the slashing?" Joana frowned.


    "Maybe¡­ he realized it? Maybe they''re self-inflicted," Ludwig said.


    Joana frowned for a second, "¡­ you may be on to something, maybe Hubert realized that he had a parasitic entity in his body and tried to end his life¡­ and the parasite could have also realized the danger and did that to his limbs¡­ it sounds far fetched but that''s the best we got¡­ give me a second," she said as she pulled out a small crystal.


    "Vastion," she said.


    "What is it, Joana? You''re still in the morgue?" he said.


    "Yes, she said I need to know something, is there a parasitic creature that could cause this?" she said.


    "Joana, I was already questioned about this by Van Dijk, he already asked me to look into parasitic-natured creatures¡­ also how did you figure out that it was a parasitic creature?" he asked.


    "Ah, I have his disciple here with me, he figured it out."


    Vastion snorted and cut off the call.


    "That''s rude," she said, "I guess you''re on to something," she smiled, "No wonder Van Dijk was interested in you. Regardless, I heard you say you wanted to meet me for something, what is it?" she asked.


    "Eh¡­ right, do you know anything about¡­ chains?" Ludwig said.

 Chapter 162 Training Session

    "I¡­ didn''t expect you''d have that type of hobby, no shame," Joana said, a frown clear on her face.


    "No, no, not that," Ludwig sighed as he showed her his wrist. He twisted his hand and the chain released itself from his shackles and fell on the ground hanging by one end.


    "Oh¡­ that''s a unique item," she said, "Relic?" she asked.


    "Yes, something like that," he replied.


    She went up to Ludwig and took a glance at his chain, "Looks sturdy, but why do you want to learn this? Is the sword not enough for you? You shouldn''t be too greedy," she said.


    "I suppose that''s fair," Ludwig replied disappointedly.


    "Also," she said, "Chain wielding isn''t that simple, especially when your chain is lacking¡­ weight, or a sharp edge to it, it''ll just be usable for pinning down enemies, which is fine and all, but if you''re facing something with more strength and power than you, then you''ll be the one trapped with them, not the other way around¡­ follow me," she said.


    She headed out of the room and deeper into the academy, to sections Ludwig never visited before. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Soon she arrived in an empty hall-like room. Massive in size it was made of gray thick stones that covered the ceiling ground and walls.


    "This is where you''ll be spending most of your training time when you''re junior, right now we''ll be using it for a small test," she said as Ludwig walked past her to spectate the room.


    "Now," she said, "Pull your chain out, and try and land a hit on me using it," she said.


    Ludwig nodded and unruffled his chain, a small part of it hung down where he began twirling it with one hand.


    Suddenly he threw the chain forward, to which the teacher simply sidestepped, grabbed with one hand, and yanked at Ludwig pulling him all the way to her where she had her sword edge right up his neck.


    "Convinced yet?" she asked.


    "Can I try again?" Ludwig said.


    "Sure¡­" she said, sounding a bit disappointed but allowed him to try again never the less.


    ''Going head-on against her is probably not the smartest plan, so what if I try and use some of the chain''s abilities themselves," Ludwig noted that he still had a soul he obtained from the Knight King, he never used them to upgrade any of his stats, but he needed them to use the chain''s abilities.


    ''Use {Brave Soul}''


    [You obtained 10,000 souls.]


    ''Wow, that much?'' he was surprised at the amount, that''s enough to empower him greatly.


    For now, he''ll think about the usage and assignment of the souls later. So after he put distance between them, Ludwig began twirling his chain and then sent it flying at the teacher.


    "The same trick won''t work twice," she said as she dodged and went for the grab, only this time the chain curled away from her making her miss the grab. But for a veteran, that wasn''t much, as she simply dashed at Ludwig.


    Ludwig knew she was far faster than he could probably react to, but her current dash was slow, slow enough for him to understand she was trying to mimic his current power level.


    Ludwig twisted his wrist, making the chain that was flying away to dive at the back of the teacher.


    Like a predator, the teacher''s eyes widened and she dashed to the side, the chain dove onto the ground in a blast of sparks where she was supposed to be.


    The chain then slowly hung from Ludwig''s arm like a coiled snake and began following the teacher with its tip.


    "That''s a neat trick, but not enough," she said as she dashed at Ludwig again. The chain dove down at her, but she simply raised her arm up parrying the chain away and went for a grab with her other hand to Ludwig''s face.


    What she didn''t account for, was Ludwig immediately summoning his broken sword shard in his other hand and thrusting it forward.


    Regardless, anyone else would have had their chest penetrated by the shard, but the Swordmaster only smiled as she saw Ludwig''s action, her grasping motion fluidly transitioned to a hand chop that struck Ludwig''s arm which held the sword.


    Ludwig got disarmed immediately, as the shard began rolling on the ground, Joana then ducked under the chain that was coming once again at her back, dodging it and then with a sweep of her leg, toppled Ludwig completely off his feet to the ground.


    She smiled as she rose up and then gave Ludwig a hand.


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    "That was humiliating," Ludwig replied as he grabbed her hand and stood up.


    "No, that was actually interesting," she said, "You lack experience in fight, but you''re making up for it using your head. It''s smart to use multiple attacks at the same time, and if you used your magic with the combination you would have had a better chance at landing a hit," she said then walked up to the fallen shard.


    She picked it up, "Where did you get something like this?" she asked.


    "You know what that is?" Ludwig replied


    "No, but this looks interesting, it''s quite the piece of metal, sharp too¡­ extremely so, and heavy, makes one wonder how something like this was even broken," she said as she looked at Ludwig''s chains and then back at the shard.


    "Ludwig," she said.


    "Yes?" he asked.


    "Do you know what a Kusarigama is?" she asked.


    "Not really, no," He shook his head.


    "It''s a type of weapon, that originated from a kingdom far in the east. I should have a manual on how they use that weapon. It''s basically a sickle linked to a chain. How about this, instead of using the chain''s head which is a normal chain link as the offensive tool, try and wrap the chain around this shard and then use it," she said.


    Ludwig thought for a moment then commanded the chain to wrap tightly around the bottom of the shard.


    "Now, try again, I''ll be attacking you," she said.

 Chapter 163 Invitation

    Ludwig nodded, this time, he began twirling the heavier chain, but instead of using his own strength to spin it, he used the souls in his lantern to fuel it instead. Allowing the chain to follow his will instead of his own strength.


    The spinning motion was ten times faster, enough that the chain was whirring through the air creating frightening howling sounds in the process.


    Joana smiled as she readied up, "Go again!" she said and Ludwig flung his makeshift weapon at her which she dodged, but with a slight pull, the chain''s head turned like a scorpion''s tail and aimed back at her back. Joana dodged it like the last time and rushed Ludwig.


    Ludwig hurriedly called back his chain which returned to his side right as Joana''s claw like hand reached for him.


    He raised his arm up toward her, and the chain immediately wrapped rapidly in front of him in a makeshift shield while the sword shard planted itself in the center. The buckler form of the chain had a spear-like extension at the center due to the shard that made it hard for Joana to grab at him with her bear hand, so she went for the chain and tried to pull Ludwig forward.


    But the chain simply keeled over, making her lose her stance due to using so much force to pull something that easily peeled over.


    In that second, Ludwig made the chain that was in her grasp wrap around her arm, and he pulled hard, Joana allowed him to pull her forward as she used the force to get closer, this time she had the chain in her hand, so Ludwig didn''t have much leeway in maneuvering the shard. And with her other hand that stopped mere inches from Ludwig''s neck, she said, "You lose again."


    "We both lose," Ludwig said.


    Only then did she notice that his other hand which he never used was holding the sword shard was pointing it at her side.


    Her eyes widened up. "You little monster, you unwrapped the chain in that moment to arm your other hand¡­ quite smart, good, good, I think you''ll like the manual, I''ll find it for you," she said as she removed herself from Ludwig.


    "I see why you''d like this chain, but it''s not something I can teach you much about. This is a new path, something you''ll have to thread yourself, but just because it''s hard and unknown doesn''t mean it''s bad," She said.


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    ''I feel like I heard this somewhere else.'' Ludwig smiled.


    "Still, this doesn''t mean you''ll be slacking off on your sword training," she said.


    "I know," he replied.


    "You''ll need a handle and a guard for that shard of yours, it''s strong don''t get me wrong, but without a proper handle it''s very difficult to use it for swordsmanship, I know a blacksmith that can make something for you. How about you give your master these items?" she asked.


    Ludwig hesitated for a second.


    "I know what you''re thinking, but trust me on this, this person isn''t the kind who''ll take your property for his own, in fact seeing something like this he might actually be even more willing to work on it for free." She said.


    "What do you mean?" Ludwig asked.


    "Well, he''s the best blacksmith on the continent, so imagine how many orders he has, but seeing something of that caliber, he''ll definitely want to work on it. For a blacksmith, challenging themselves gets harder and harder the more proficient they get, and this my student, is a good challenge for that man," she said.


    Ludwig nodded and removed the bracelet and the sword.


    "Why are you removing the bracelet?" she asked.


    "I think it''ll be more of a challenge if you tell him that I need to use the shard as a separate sword and an extension of the chain at will," Ludwig said. "Two for the price of one I guess," Ludwig said.


    She thought for a second and nodded, "You''re probably right, alright," she took his items and placed them on her own ring. "I''ll notify you when they''re ready." She said, "And sadly our time is up, I still need to go over to Vastion to figure out more about this case, Hubert''s parents will be arriving soon here," she said. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig nodded, as he had completely forgot about the incident earlier.


    Joana soon left, leaving Ludwig all by himself. He soon left the area and began wandering around the academy, finding nothing much to do, he simply went back to his room.


    He needed to figure out more about some of the magic he learned from Tibari''s books. Almost then and there did he remember that he forgot to ask his teacher about the training methods he learned about. While he was trying to find his teacher, "Ludwig!" he heard.


    Turning, it was both Kassandra and Hoyo who were coming over, "Man it''s been a while," Hoyo said.


    Looking at him, he had a bandage over his head, "What happened to you?" Ludwig asked.


    Hoyo looked embarrassed.


    "One of the nobles," Kassandra said.


    "Hey, I said I fell," Hoyo rebutted.


    "Yeah right, they probably were too jealous of the three of us passing without even needing to do any exams, by the way thank you Ludwig, I''m glad we got to clear the whole thing without writing a single word, I heard so many had failed professor Vastion''s exam that half of the class are doing recoup classes."


    "Good to hear. I''m also glad I didn''t need to do any tests. Still you guys heard about all that stuff that happened?" Ludwig asked.


    Hoyo jumped in, "Yeah man, whoever did that is fucking twisted, I didn''t know Hubert personally, but¡­ man this makes one terrified to even walk out at night," he said.


    "You''re not supposed to wander the academy at night anyway," they heard, looking behind them, a new person joined, someone Ludwig already knows.


    It was the same girl from earlier, one of the Student Council members.


    "What''s a council member doing here?" Kassandra asked.


    "We''re here on business, Ludwig Heart," she said.


    "Yeah? I''m pretty sure I got cleared up this morning,"


    "Oi," Hoyo jumped forward, "Did they accuse you of something, I''m pretty sure you were with the Tower Master for the past week and change," he said.


    "We''re not here to accuse anyone, the case has been moved forward to more specialized personnel, regardless, Ludwig are you interested in joining the Student Council?" she asked.

 Chapter 164 Five Tower Tournament

    "What do you mean by that?" Ludwig asked.


    "The Student Council would like to have a word with you, alone," she said, "You''ll learn more about it once you''re there."


    "I don''t think I''m interested," Ludwig shook his head.


    "Just so you know," she said, "Being a part of the Student Council allows you to have access to more facilities of the academy, the second and third Level of the Library, advanced magic and spells, and you also will have some authority over some of the students, usually all the council members are nobles, but this year we''re making an exception due to your remarkable performance at Rima." She said.


    "They basically want your fame for themselves," Hoyo said.


    "I still refuse, I''m doing better by myself," Ludwig said.


    But immediately a notification appeared in front of him.


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    [The Student Council of The Black Tower]


    Join the student council and find out more about it.


    This is a Multi Layer Quest, more subsequent quests will appear once you''re a part of the council.


    Rewards will increase incrementally the more quests you clear.


    "But¡­" Ludwig sighed, "I''ll think about it some more," he said.


    "Good," the girl replied as she handed Ludwig a small card. "If you make up your mind, please follow the map behind this card, it will lead you right into the council hall." She then turned and left.


    "Damn, you''re really accepting that?" Hoyo said sighing.


    "Why shouldn''t he, it''s a good opportunity to have stronger ties with nobility, Ludwig needs it to grow."


    Hoyo shook his head, "Nobility is very overrated, regardless you do you man. I''m not a hater, but just be careful, they tend to be very control-y," he said.


    "I''ll just check things out, if it''s not to my liking I''ll just dip out," Ludwig shrugged," Still, what are you guys doing here? I mean, it''s vacation time, there is no school right now," Ludwig said.


    "And go where mr genius?" Hoyo said, "We don''t have houses to go back to, remember, we''re commoners,"


    Ludwig felt like he struck a nerve, for Hoyo who was a former nobleman he is now reduced to a commoner it must sting to be stuck here for the whole year.


    "What about you Kassandra?" Ludwig asked.


    "I don''t want to talk about it," she said.


    Ludwig realized that everyone had their own problems, so he didn''t push further.


    "But what have you been doing? During your time at the tower," Hoyo asked.


    "Been working on some new type of magic we discovered, me and Master Van Dijk," Ludwig said.


    "Wait, that sounds interesting, new magic? Tell me, or if you tell me you''ll have to kill me?" Hoyo said backing away dramatically.


    "Nothing like that, actually Master never said anything about keeping this knowledge to myself, regardless wanna learn about it?" Ludwig asked.


    "I want!" Kassandra said hurriedly.


    "Sure, it wouldn''t hurt," Hoyo said.


    "Let''s go to my room," Ludwig said.


    The three of them headed out for Ludwig''s room afterward, navigating through the almost endless corridors of the academy until they arrived to his own room. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You have a personal room? I''m envious," Kassandra said, "I have to share it with three other girls," she sighed as she sat on Ludwig''s bed.


    "Tell me about it, mine has sweaty snoring idiots that don''t even shower or clean up after themselves, it''s more a pigsty than a room," he sighed.


    "Sit down," Ludwig said and pulled out a few pieces of paper, "And check this out," he added.


    ***


    "My head is killing me," Hoyo said as he pushed the papers away, "How the hell are you even able to read this, most of this stuff sound like over glorified gibberish, can you even cast a spell using these formulae?"


    Kassandra who had sweat dripping down her forehead seemed on the verge of falling unconscious, "I really can''t fully figure this out, but isn''t this too advanced for you?" she asked.


    Ludwig smiled, he''s been there before, only he wasn''t allowed to fall unconscious and had to tide through all that, "I never said it was easy, but this basically allows you to use the same magic but in a more proficient and optimal way, Tibari was fond of research and although they''re long since gone, their advance in theory and magic research is pretty astounding and might be even more advanced than some of today''s magic," Ludwig said as he raised his hand.


    "This is fireball," he said as he manifested [FireBall] this is using the normal Mana Transformation that almost anyone knows. But using the Tibari Mana Alteration method of channeling, you can remove much of the cost and still retain the same effect, or even a stronger one "Ludwig said as he summoned another fireball in his other hand, this one was burning brighter and stronger. "In an overdrawn battle, Using Tibarian mana alteration results in a less mana cost and better reserves, so don''t you want to learn it?" Ludwig asked.


    "I do," Kassandra said, "But although it''s optimal, the mental effort needed to use it is far more staggering. You need to have a strong mental fortitude to apply this to every spell, like, this is a tier one spell fireball, what would happen if you use it on something like a fire tornado or something even stronger? I know what''ll happen, my head will blow up," she sighed and laid on her back on Ludwig''s bed. "I don''t know, it sounds good on paper, but the cost is too much," she said.


    Ludwig didn''t have their issues, he was an undead, mental fortitude and power was the least of his worries.


    "Oh, by the way, Ludwig are you watching the Five Tower tournament?" Hoyo asked.


    "The what now?" Ludwig asked.


    "He doesn''t know," Kassandra said.


    "What''s going on?" Ludwig asked.


    "Well, every end of school year, the five towers host a tournament. It''s a friendly spar that allows the students from every academy to battle each other. Lots of reward and prestige and all, it also allows students to get Crests," Hoyo said.


    "I have no idea what you''re talking about, what Crests?" Ludwig said.


    "You really joined without knowing anything. But since we''re freshmen we don''t have access to crests right now, but a few lucky ones can obtain them if they join the tournament. Crests are a reward for doing research, dungeons, academy missions and contribution to their respective towers. Gathering enough crests allows one to join their respective tower after graduation," Hoyo said.


    "But I''m already the Tower Master'' disciple, why would I need them?" Ludwig asked.


    "You do have a point there," Hoyo said.


    "It''s not just for the tower," Kassandra said, "It''ll also allow you to do exchange studies, and visit other towers. And will let you have higher standing in society if you have the crests. Joining the tower via your master is completely different if you do it by crests. No one would have a bone to pick with you if you ''earned'' your spot by getting the crests." She said.


    "So basically, a proof of ability, I see, it does sound nice. So, when is this tournament happening?" Ludwig asked.


    "In a month or so. Why you plan on joining?" Hoyo grinned.


    "Not really interested but it does sound nice, we could go and watch. I want to see the power level of the other towers." Ludwig said.

 Chapter 165 Status Upgrade

    [Read Author Notes at the end!]


    Kassandra and Hoyo soon left the room, leaving Ludwig by himself. He didn''t have much to do right now. Most of the magic he had learned from Tibari was too advanced for his current level, and he couldn''t train using his shard or chain anymore since they had been sent off for upgrades. The absence of his usual tools left him feeling somewhat adrift, unsure of how to spend his time productively.


    Ludwig briefly considered practicing his swordsmanship but quickly dismissed the idea. The arena was closed off, and he couldn''t return to the training area he had visited earlier with the professor without her presence. It seemed like every avenue for training or improvement was temporarily blocked, leaving him with little to do but wait.


    Finding himself with no immediate tasks, Ludwig decided to check his status screen. He had been so preoccupied with recent events that he hadn''t taken the time to review his progress in a while. Perhaps there was something he could improve or adjust to better prepare for the challenges ahead.


    [Status Screen: Ludwig Heart]


    Race: Skeleton


    Soul Level: 19


    Health: 1900


    Stamina: Infinite


    Mana: 1030/1030


    Wisdom: 103


    Charisma: 60


    Agility: 20


    Strength: 78


    Dexterity: 30


    Vigor: 10


    Luck: 15


    Class: Skeleton Grunt


    Title: Apostle of Death


    [Achievement: Unyielding]: [Increased mental resistance when lower on health. Increase in all physical and mental abilities proportional to the damage taken, up to 10%]


    Skills: [Trace], [Basic Undead Summon Sigil]


    Spells: [Enfeeble], [Galvanize], [Taint], [Flame Bringer], [Frenzied Spirits], [Fire Ball], [Self Immolation]


    Passives: Basic Swordsmanship ¨C Undead Resolve ¨C [Blessed Body]


    Overt Genius: Increased proficiency of all sorts of masteries.


    Items Held: Basic Ring of Holding, Soul Letting Lantern, Umbra Malvolume Codex Necros, Mask of the Blind Witness.


    Miscellaneous items: Black Tower Academy Clothes.


    Souls in Lantern: 9,996


    "Not bad, my progress looks steady," Ludwig said to himself, a hint of satisfaction in his voice. He had come a long way since his early days as a skeleton grunt, and the numbers on his status screen reflected that growth. Still, he knew there was always room for improvement.


    He then opened up his ring and pulled out the Green Emerald he had obtained from the Sheikh. The gemstone glimmered faintly in the dim light of the room, its surface smooth and cool to the touch. Ludwig inspected it once again, recalling its properties.


    Name: [Emerald Mana Stone]


    Type: Accessory


    Abilities:


    Increases your mana pool by 20% as long as the user''s mana is above 1,000 and below 3,000 base mana. Allows the user to cast up to tier three magic spells.


    Condition of use:


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    Soul Level 15 Wisdom: 100 Vigor: 50


    "I''m only lacking in vigor, and with the ten thousand almost souls, I should have enough," he muttered to himself, his mind already calculating the necessary adjustments. The emerald''s potential was undeniable, and Ludwig was eager to unlock its full power.


    "Add forty points to vigor," Ludwig said, his voice firm and decisive.


    [-1,050 souls have been deduced from your soul pool. You obtained 40 Vigor.]


    [Your Soul Level has increased by 4. You are now Soul Level 23. (+400 HP)]


    [You have gained 4,000 Health Points from the increase in vigor!]


    "Huh?" Ludwig was surprised by the sudden surge in his health. He quickly checked his status screen again, confirming that his health had indeed skyrocketed to 5,900. "I didn''t expect the increase to be that much¡­ that''s a lot of health," he murmured, a sense of awe creeping into his tone. It was only then that he fully grasped the importance of each stat and how they contributed to his overall capabilities.


    Seeing that some of his stats were still lagging behind, Ludwig decided to invest more souls to balance his overall stat lines. "I should probably get all my points to a level that I''m satisfied with, but seeing I only have about 8,000 and some points left, oof, this might be expensive," he sighed, already dreading the soul expenditure. Nevertheless, he began the process, determined to make the most of his resources.


    "Add 40 points to Charisma," he commanded, knowing that this would enhance his control over his undead summons.


    [You have used 1,250 souls. Charisma increased by 40. You gained 400 health.]


    [Your visual allure is slightly enhanced. You have more control over the summoned undead and anything that is below you in strength.]


    "My strength is close enough to 100; might as well increase it too," he muttered, his focus unwavering.


    "Add 30 points to Strength," he said.


    [You have used 960 souls. You gained 300 health. Your strength increased!]


    "Since my agility and dexterity are at their lowest, might as well pump them up. Add eighty points to agility," he declared, his voice steady.


    [You have used 2,920 souls! Your agility increased by 80. You are much more agile than before and have a 1% chance to evade all attacks coming your way.]


    [+800 Health]


    "Okay, this leaves me with 3,816 souls¡­ but my dexterity is still too low. Might as well pump the rest into dexterity and focus on upgrading vigor later, since I gain health passively whenever I level up," he reasoned, his mind working through the calculations.


    "Add seventy points into dexterity," he commanded.


    [You have used 3,080 souls. Your dexterity has increased by 70. You are now far nimbler with your hands and feet and able to react faster.]


    [+700 Health]


    "All I have left is 736 souls. I guess I''ll keep them for now," Ludwig realized, a sense of accomplishment washing over him. His stats were now more balanced, with most of them reaching or exceeding 100. Only vigor remained slightly behind, but he could address that later.


    Standing up, Ludwig immediately felt the effects of his upgrades. The increase in strength, dexterity, and agility was palpable. His hands felt stronger as he clenched them into fists, and his steps felt more stable and deliberate. The changes were not just numerical; they were physical, tangible, and empowering.


    "Good," he nodded to himself, a small smile tugging at the corners of his skeletal mouth. "Now, let''s see about this emerald," he said as he plucked out the blue mana stone from his forehead.


    [You have removed a mana stone. All your magic skills have their efficiency reduced by 90%!]


    "I see¡­ I guess without the mana stone, all the Nephilium in my body becomes useless. It needs it to connect," he mused, understanding the intricate relationship between his body and the mana stone. He then placed the emerald mana stone into the slot on his forehead, feeling an immediate surge of energy. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig''s mind felt as if it had been washed with clean spring water, refreshed and rejuvenated in an instant. The emerald''s power flowed through him, enhancing his magical capabilities.


    [Your magic efficiency has returned to normal. Your mana pool has increased by 20%.]


    [You can now learn and use Tier Three magic. All magic that is below level 3 will have its power increased slightly.]


    "Nice," Ludwig said, a sense of satisfaction filling him as he placed the blue mana stone back into his holding ring. The emerald mana stone was now firmly in place, its power fully integrated into his being.


    Now all he needed was finding stronger magic, he should probably ask his master for stronger and more advanced spells.

 Chapter 166 The Plot Thickens

    Just as Ludwig was taking another look at his current status screen, admiring the steady progress he had made, a sharp knock echoed through the door of his room. The sound was insistent, almost urgent, pulling him away from his thoughts. He sighed, closing the status screen with a flick of his wrist, and strode over to the door. When he opened it, he found the same student council member from earlier that morning standing there, her expression a mix of determination and unease.


    "I already told you I need more time to think about it," Ludwig said, his voice calm but firm. He wasn''t in the mood for another round of persuasion.


    The council member, however, didn''t budge. "We have an update to the case," she said, her tone serious.


    "Case? Are we detectives now?" Ludwig raised an eyebrow, his voice laced with sarcasm. He crossed his arms, leaning against the doorframe.


    "That''s part of our job as council members¡ªto uphold the peace of the academy," she replied, her gaze unwavering. "But this update changes things."


    "What does it matter to me?" Ludwig asked, his tone indifferent. He wasn''t sure why he was being dragged into this mess.


    "Because we found another body," she said bluntly, her words hanging heavily in the air.


    Ludwig''s expression shifted slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing his skeletal features. "Oh¡­" he murmured, his voice trailing off. He hadn''t expected that. "And this is relevant to me how?"


    The council member stepped closer, her voice dropping to a lower, more urgent tone. "Some of our members still had doubts about your innocence. But the new body we found was discovered in the forest. It was heavily decayed, with the same marks and method of death as Von Hubert. We estimate the corpse had been there for at least thirty days¡ªmaybe more. That puts you in the clear, since you only joined the academy recently. Now, the president of the student council wants you to help us investigate further."


    Ludwig tilted his head, considering her words. "Although I feel sorry for whoever lost their life to this¡­ thing, I don''t find it in my interest to do any favors for the council," he said, his tone dismissive.


    The council member didn''t back down. "There will be compensation from the academy if we reach any conclusive evidence about the killer. A crest, actually. Are you still not interested?" she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied him.


    Ludwig paused, his interest piqued. A crest? That changed things. He had already been considering joining the council out of sheer boredom and to fulfill the quest from Necros. But now, with the promise of a crest, the offer was far more tempting. "Sure thing, then," he said, shrugging. "Though I doubt I''ll be of much help."


    The council member nodded, a hint of relief in her expression. "Professor Joana recommended you. She''s convinced you have strong deductive abilities, especially since you recognized that Hubert''s death was caused by a parasite. That was the same conclusion Professor Vastion reached. We''d like your help. The teachers are keeping the normal students in the dark, but as the student council, we have more leeway to figure out the truth."


    Ludwig thought for a moment, then nodded. "I don''t promise anything, but sure, take me with you," he said.


    The council member thanked him and led the way. They left the dorms and made their way to the main academy building, descending a set of long, winding stairs until they reached a large, ornate door. The council member pushed it open, revealing a spacious room filled with several figures seated around a large table. Most of them wore the same uniform as the girl who had brought Ludwig, complete with the distinctive arm ribbon that marked them as council members. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There were four guys and two girls in the room, all of whom turned their attention to Ludwig as he entered. He recognized two of them immediately: Bron, the same guy who had caused trouble back in the Pseudo Dungeon, and Ravi Vondel, Thomas Vondel''s older brother. Both of them snorted in unison as Ludwig walked in, their expressions a mix of disdain and annoyance.


    Another woman waved at Ludwig from across the table. It was Minerva, a fellow freshman who had been part of Bron''s team during the dungeon incident. She had been the one who had kept them alive with her healing and support skills. Without her, there likely would have been more casualties. Ludwig gave her a slight nod in acknowledgment.


    The others in the room were unfamiliar to him. They wore robes with different patterns, indicating they were likely seniors. Ludwig''s presence seemed to stir the room, and he could feel the weight of their scrutiny.


    "What''s he doing here?!" Bron demanded, his voice loud and accusatory.


    Before Ludwig could respond, another figure entered the room from a side door. He was tall and slender, with a pair of glasses perched on his nose. His demeanor was calm and composed, and he exuded an air of authority. "I invited him personally," the newcomer said, his voice smooth and confident. "Ludwig Heart, my name is Danny Thompson. I''m the student council president. Welcome."


    Ludwig nodded, his expression neutral. "What am I supposed to do here?" he asked, cutting straight to the point.


    Danny smiled, unfazed by Ludwig''s bluntness. "We''re at a bit of an impasse in the case, and we heard you might be able to provide some assistance. Would you mind taking a look at some of our findings?" He gestured to a stack of pictures and documents on the table.


    Ludwig stepped forward and picked up one of the photos. The image was gruesome: a body twisted and mangled, its chest torn open and its limbs contorted in unnatural angles. The decay was severe, making it difficult to discern many details, but the similarities to Hubert''s death were unmistakable.


    "I don''t suppose we have access to the body?" Ludwig asked, his eyes still fixed on the photo.


    Danny shook his head. "No, the morgue took it. The professors are concerned it might be infectious, especially if it''s parasitic in nature. They don''t want us risking exposure."


    Ludwig nodded, understanding the caution. But as he flipped through the documents, something caught his eye. He frowned, his brow furrowing as he studied the report more closely. Experience new tales on My Virtual Library Empire


    "That''s not right," he muttered, more to himself than to anyone else.


    Danny leaned forward, intrigued. "What is it?"


    Ludwig looked up, his expression serious. "This thing¡­ I''m not so sure it''s parasitic anymore."


    "Why not?" Danny asked, his interest clearly piqued.


    "There are no signs of struggle on this body," Ludwig explained. "Unlike Hubert''s body, which was riddled with scars and wounds, this one has none. It''s too clean."


    Bron scoffed loudly, interrupting. "It''s decayed, you dumbass. Why would it have scars if the flesh has rotted away?"


    Ludwig ignored the jab, his focus unwavering. "Hubert''s body had its bones slashed through with a sword. His fingers were broken, and his nails were torn out. The autopsy deduced that his wounds were all self-inflicted from the types of the wounds, This body doesn''t have any of that. Even the nails are intact. If a parasite was forcing the victim to harm themselves, you''d expect to see evidence of that¡ªscratching, clawing, anything. But this kill is too clean. It doesn''t add up."


    Danny''s eyes widened as he processed Ludwig''s words. "You think he was ambushed?"


    Ludwig nodded. "I believe so."


    The room fell silent as the implications sank in. Danny leaned back in his chair, his expression grave. "Then this changes everything. We''re not looking for a creature¡­ we''re looking for a serial killer."

 Chapter 167 Battle At The Council

    "This is troublesome," Ludwig muttered under his breath, his voice low and tinged with unease. The weight of the situation pressed down on him, and he couldn''t help but feel a sense of foreboding.


    "Indeed," Danny agreed, his tone heavy with concern. "Handling a creature or a beast is easier¡ªthey''re predictable. But something like this¡­ a human killer? That''s a different kind of danger entirely."


    Bron, ever the optimist, leaned back in his chair and shrugged. "Isn''t that better? People tend to make mistakes. We''ll eventually catch them."


    Minerva shot him a sharp look, her voice cutting through the room like a blade. "But how many will die before that happens? Our job is to capture the killer before they go too far. And let''s not forget how terrifying it is to know there''s a homicidal person walking around the school."


    Danny turned to Ludwig, his expression serious. "Ludwig, how about you join us? The council could use someone with your deductive abilities."


    Ludwig''s gaze flickered to the annoying quest window that kept flashing before his eyes. He sighed, realizing he didn''t have much of a choice. "Sure, fine, why not," he said, his tone resigned.


    [Student Council Quest Update!]


    [Find out more about the killer by assisting the members of the student council!]


    Part 1


    "So, what are we thinking about the killer?" Danny asked, breaking the silence that had settled over the room.


    Ludwig grabbed the picture of the deceased and studied it closely. "They''re strong," he said finally. "Unimaginably so. I wouldn''t dare make assumptions, but perhaps someone of power and influence in the academy¡­"


    Ravi snorted, his voice dripping with skepticism. "You mean a teacher could have done it?" Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig didn''t flinch. "I didn''t confirm it, nor am I denying it. I''m only stating what''s in front of me. For a student to do this much damage, especially to Hubert, there should have been at least a sign of struggle. But why was his body discovered in the open without anyone having witnessed it? Perhaps someone with knowledge of arts or methods that make their killing¡­ stealthy."


    He turned to Danny, his expression thoughtful. "Regardless, when I was in Rima, the investigator there did something to figure out the truth of what truly happened."


    Danny leaned forward, intrigued. "What do you mean?"


    "I''m sure you already know what happened in Rima," Ludwig said, his voice calm but firm.


    Bron couldn''t resist interjecting. "I call bullshit on that. There''s no way your scrawny ass could have handled several Djinns and the perpetrator. It''s all inflated lies."


    Minerva, however, came to Ludwig''s defense. "I don''t know about that," she said, planting both elbows on the table and cradling her head in her hands. "After all, he did defeat a boss-level Champion Lizard by himself, even though you tried to screw him over."


    Bron''s face flushed with anger. "Hah! I gave him the buff he needed to beat it. If it wasn''t for me, he''d be dead."


    Ludwig''s lip twitched as he fought back a retort. If you had listened to me and didn''t lit a fire, none of that would have happened. And a buff? Bitch, please. You set me aflame so the lizardman could only see me. But it''s fine. Your time has yet to come¡­


    "That''s interesting," one of the seniors in the room said. It was one of the girls who had been sitting quietly at the table. She stood up and walked over to Ludwig, her eyes narrowing as she studied him. "You defeated a Lizardman Champion while it was a boss type? I find that hard to believe."


    Ludwig stared down at her, his brow furrowing. Is this what they call a loli? he thought, noting her small stature. She barely reached above his waist, but her presence was anything but diminutive.


    She placed her hands on her hips, her gaze piercing. "In terms of appearance, you get a pass. But I find it hard to believe that a freshman was able to beat a Lizardman. How about you show me?"


    Ludwig raised an eyebrow. "Do I get anything for doing that?"


    "You''ll obtain my approval," she said as if that were something of great value.


    Ludwig shook his head. "I don''t have time to waste with you."


    She smiled, her expression turning mischievous. "Not that I was asking!"


    [You are in a hostile environment!]


    The warning flashed before Ludwig''s eyes just as the girl lunged at him. He immediately jumped back, his enhanced agility and reaction speed allowing him to narrowly avoid her attack.


    He retreated all the way to the entrance of the room, his eyes wide with surprise.


    Because the girl didn''t even move from her place, he felt as if it was an illusion that she charged him, she had remained standing still in the same spot.


    "Oh, will you look at that," she said, her voice dripping with amusement. "You''re able to recognize intent and act accordingly. This is getting more interesting." With a wave of her hand, she manifested a massive war axe. The weapon was at least twice her length and several times her weight, yet she wielded it with ease, holding it in one hand as if it were nothing.


    "What''s the meaning of this?" Ludwig snapped, his voice sharp with irritation. Read new adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    "It''s your welcoming ceremony," she said, her tone light and playful. "Everyone here went through it, though they were all subpar. Show me, Ludwig. Show me how you managed to defeat a Champion Lizardman."


    Before Ludwig could respond, she flashed forward, her eyes wide and her mouth opening in hysterical laughter. The axe came down with terrifying speed, but Ludwig managed to dodge it, thanks to his improved reflexes. He leaped to the side, narrowly avoiding the blow.


    "I''m not interested in fighting you!" Ludwig shouted, his voice tinged with frustration. "Also, you have no shame!"


    "Shame? Why?" she laughed, swinging the axe horizontally. Ludwig dodged again, his movements swift and precise. The axe tore through furniture and walls, leaving destruction in its wake.


    At the edge of his vision, Ludwig saw Danny facepalming, while Ravi and Bron leaned back in their chairs, snickering at the spectacle. Minerva wore an ugly scowl, but the last person at the table remained expressionless, watching the scene unfold with detached interest.


    "You''re fighting an unarmed person!" Ludwig protested as he dodged another swing.


    "True," she said, stopping the axe mere centimeters from his face. "I heard you use magic and swordsmanship."


    "Yeah, and?" Ludwig replied, his voice tense.


    "Why aren''t you using your magic, then?" she asked, tilting her head.


    "Too destructive," Ludwig explained, his eyes darting around the room for an escape route.


    "The academy will fix everything, so don''t worry about it," she said with a smile, raising the axe for another swing.


    Before she could strike, a deep voice interrupted. "Here."


    Ludwig turned to see the silent figure at the table tossing a heavy, thick long sword in his direction. Ludwig caught it mid-air, his fingers wrapping around the hilt. He inspected the weapon, his eyes widening as he read its properties.


    ***


    Name: Black Steel Heavy Long Sword - Named Weapon- [Baltak - The Last Stand]


    Category: Weapon


    Durability: 2500/2500


    Tier: Unique


    Damage: 400-600


    Weight: 15Kg


    [Abilities]


    [Concussive Blow!]: Causes increased damage against armored opponents.


    [Piercing Blow]: Eases the penetration of armor using this weapon.


    [One Against Many!]: Passive - In the presence of multiple opponents, the damage of the weapon increases considerably (50% increase in damage of all basic attacks and abilities).


    [Heft]: This weapon uses up twice the amount of stamina required to wield it, causing more damage but filling up exhaustion faster.


    Lore:


    This sword was once owned by a knight of great renown who used this weapon to fend off the charging forces of a hundred men. The owner managed to kill all hundred armored opponents, losing his life only due to exhaustion. Thus, it was named after its master, Baltak, the Last Man Standing.


    ***


    Ludwig twirled the weapon in his hands, testing its weight and balance. "This is¡­ pretty nice," he said, glancing at the silent figure who had lent it to him. "You interested in selling this weapon?"


    "No," the figure replied, his voice calm but firm. "It''s a loan. So you don''t call this unfair. Show me what you''ve got."


    Before Ludwig could respond, the axe-wielding girl lunged at him again, her laughter echoing through the room. "Though you''re cute, I HATE BEING IGNORED!" she screamed, her axe swinging with deadly precision.


    Ludwig gritted his teeth, gripping the sword tightly. ''Aight, fine... let''s have it your way,''

 Chapter 168 Council Member Ludwig

    Ludwig swung the sword in his hand with a single arm, the sheer force behind the motion sending a shockwave through the room as the blade collided with the girl''s massive war axe. The clash was deafening, a resounding clang that reverberated off the walls and made the air itself tremble. The impact was so powerful that the room seemed to wince, the furniture rattling and the windows vibrating in their frames. Yet, neither Ludwig nor the small girl budged an inch, their feet firmly planted as their weapons locked in a test of raw strength.


    "Whoaaa!" the girl exclaimed, her eyes widening with a mix of surprise and delight. "So much strength in that scrawny arm of yours!" Her voice was filled with genuine admiration, though her grin suggested she was far from done. "But I''m not satisfied yet!" she declared, swinging her axe down again with even greater force.


    Ludwig met her strike head-on, his movements precise and calculated. He wasn''t aiming to attack her¡ªnot yet. Instead, he focused on deflecting her blows, using the weight and momentum of his borrowed sword to redirect her attacks. Each clash sent another deafening echo through the room, the sound growing louder and more intense with every strike. It was as if the room itself was tolling like a giant bell, the vibrations shaking the very foundations of the academy.


    "USE BOTH HANDS!" the girl roared, her voice cutting through the chaos as she brought her axe down with a devastating overhead swing.


    "Fine!" Ludwig growled, gripping the sword with both hands this time. His undead strength surged through his arms as he swung the blade with all his might. The collision was earth-shattering, the force of the blow sending the girl''s axe flying from her hands. The massive weapon embedded itself halfway into the nearest wall, the blade sinking deep into the stone with a thunderous crack.


    Ludwig didn''t hesitate. In one fluid motion, he stepped forward and placed the tip of his sword against the girl''s neck, his expression calm but determined. For a moment, the room fell silent, the tension palpable.


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    The girl, however, simply smiled. With a casual flick of her fingers, she disarmed Ludwig, plucking the sword from his grip as if it were a toy. "Passable strength! Passable appearance, and above-average courage. You pass," she said, her tone almost teasing. She snapped her fingers, and the axe embedded in the wall dissipated into thin air, leaving no trace of its destruction.


    Bron, who had been watching from the sidelines, clicked his tongue in annoyance and turned his head away, clearly unimpressed. The girl, meanwhile, turned her attention back to Ludwig, her expression thoughtful.


    "You''re not bad," she admitted, tilting her head as she studied him. "But you have no technique¡ªjust brutal strength and violence. That won''t win you fights."


    Ludwig met her gaze, unflinching. "I beg to differ," he said, his voice steady.


    She raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? And why is that?"


    Ludwig''s lips curled into a faint smirk. "I strongly believe in the idiom: if violence and strength aren''t solving a problem, you''re merely not using enough."


    For a moment, the girl stared at him, her expression unreadable. Then, she burst into hysterical laughter, the sound echoing through the room. "What kind of idiot said that?" she gasped between laughs. "But thinking about it, it''s not wrong in the least. Indeed, if you''re stronger than everyone, then all problems can be solved. Hah! This one is interesting." She turned to the silent figure on the other side of the room, her grin widening. "What do you think, Haku?"


    So, that''s his name, Ludwig thought, making a mental note. The man with the sword¡ªHaku¡ªnodded slowly, his expression thoughtful.


    "Not bad," Haku said, his voice low and measured. "To be able to swing this weapon several times and not even feel the exhaustion¡­ That''s impressive."


    Bron, however, wasn''t convinced. "He only swung it a few times," he scoffed, crossing his arms. "What''s the big deal? He had no technique or style. Any hoodlum could do that."


    Ravi, who had been quietly observing, shot Bron a warning look. "I''d remain quiet if I were you," he said, his tone sharp. Though he had joined Bron in mocking Ludwig earlier, it seemed he had realized something Bron hadn''t.


    Bron, however, wasn''t one to back down. "What do you mean? Like, give me that! Let me show you how we do this at the Steelheart household!" he declared, striding forward and snatching the sword from Haku''s hands.


    Haku gave Bron a disdainful look but said nothing, his expression unreadable. Bron gripped the sword, his face twisting slightly as he adjusted to its weight. "This thing is poorly balanced," he muttered, though his tone lacked conviction. He began to demonstrate his family''s swordsmanship, his movements fluid and practiced. But after just a few swings, his face began to flush, and his arms started to tremble visibly.


    Refusing to admit defeat, Bron tried to swing the sword again, but his arms shook even more violently. He quickly planted the weapon on the ground, leaning on it for support as he tried to hide his exhaustion. "That''s all I can show from my family style," he said, his voice strained. "One shouldn''t reveal too much. But like I said, it''s not that difficult¡­" His words were a blatant attempt to save face, but everyone in the room could see through the lie.


    The difference between Bron and Ludwig was painfully obvious. While Bron struggled to wield the sword after just a few swings, Ludwig had fought with it effortlessly, not even breaking a sweat. The room fell silent, the unspoken truth hanging heavy in the air.


    Danny clapped his hands, breaking the tension. "Anyway," he said, his voice calm and authoritative, "we''ll be doing a few things here. I''m requesting you all to help make the academy safer. We''ll be creating a new rule and a new force. Starting tonight, we''ll be doing night patrols to monitor any suspicious activities."


    Minerva frowned, her arms crossed. "Policing the students? We''ll be hated by everyone."


    "That''s the only way to keep them safe," Danny replied, his tone firm. "Regardless, you''re more than welcome to ignore any small skirmishes or duels between students if they''re in broad daylight and have witnesses. But at night, we''ll need people to identify themselves and explain what they''re doing. We can''t have random people wandering around the academy. We don''t know the serial killer''s pattern yet, so for now, we''ll keep a broader perspective."


    He turned to Ludwig, a faint smile on his lips. "I hope you don''t mind wasting some of your sleep time."


    Ludwig shrugged. "No worries," he said. It wasn''t like he could sleep anyway, and the idea of patrolling the academy at night sounded like a good way to pass the time.


    "Also, Ludwig," Danny added, "I already saw a report on what happened in Rima. I believe you wanted to say something about the investigation before you were rudely cut off by Lidia."


    Ludwig nodded. "Oh, it was about Earth Memory crystals."


    Danny''s expression grew serious. "Ah, we do have similar magic, but the reveal didn''t show anything different from what we already know. The teachers used similar spells, and all they saw was the body suddenly appearing on the ground. No sign of the perpetrator or anything. This was the same in both cases¡ªeven in the case of Thomas Vondel''s death."


    Ludwig frowned, his gaze flickering to Ravi. He noticed the subtle shift in Ravi''s demeanor, a flicker of emotion that was quickly suppressed.


    "For Vondel," Danny continued, "all we saw was him going completely manic and, sadly, failing to escape the flaming prison he created in time. Regardless, you''ll be doing patrols with Minerva tonight. How about it?"


    "Sure thing," Ludwig said, his tone casual.


    "Alright," Danny said, clapping his hands again. "This concludes our short meeting. We can all go our separate ways now. Good luck with tonight''s patrol, and please report any suspicious activities."


    As the group began to disperse, Danny turned to Lidia, reprimanding her for the destruction she had caused. The girl, however, completely ignored him, waving goodbye to Ludwig with a devilish smile that sent a shiver down his spine.


    As Ludwig walked away, he couldn''t help but wonder: Who''s scarier¡ªan undead skeleton hiding among the living, or a small girl with a devil-like smile?

 Chapter 169 Skeletal Apathy

    Later that night, Ludwig and Minerva walked through the dimly lit pathways of the academy, their footsteps echoing softly against the cobblestones. The air was crisp and cold, carrying with it the faint scent of dew and the distant rustle of leaves. The academy grounds were eerily quiet, the usual hustle and bustle of students replaced by an almost oppressive stillness. Their uniforms were the same as any other student''s, save for a few key additions: a new cape adorned with the academy''s emblem, outlined in blue, and an armband that clearly marked them as members of the student council.


    "Good idea on taking the cape," Minerva said, pulling the fabric tighter around her shoulders as a shiver ran through her. "It''s freezing out here." She rubbed her arms and shivered some more as she looked at Ludwig''s unfazed reaction to the chill.


    Ludwig nodded, his expression neutral. He didn''t feel the bite of the cold, his undead body immune to such discomforts, but he understood the need for warmth. "It''s practical," he said simply, his eyes scanning the shadows around them. His night vision gave him an edge, allowing him to see clearly in the darkness where Minerva might struggle.


    "So," Minerva began, her voice breaking the silence, "what do you think about all this? Any guesses on who the real killer might be?" Her eyes sparkled with curiosity, a stark contrast to the grim topic at hand.


    Ludwig glanced at her, his brow furrowing slightly. "What is it with you girls and murder mysteries?" he asked, his tone dry but not unkind.


    Minerva laughed softly, her breath visible in the cold air. "Ah, it''s a fantasy, I suppose. I mean, look at me¡ªa weak damsel in distress. What would I do if a big, bad guy tried to come at me at night with weapons in hand?" she said, her tone playful.


    Ludwig raised an eyebrow. "Your eyes are betraying your tone," he said. "And you''re hardly a damsel in distress. I''ve seen what you can do. I''d pity the fool who''d try to ambush you."


    She grinned, clearly pleased by his response. "Good answer. But seriously, when it comes to murders and¡­ other terrible things, women tend to want to know how they happen so they can figure out ways to avoid them or deal with them. Not that anyone would ever want to suffer through something like that," she added, her tone growing more serious.


    "I see," Ludwig replied, his voice calm as he continued to scan their surroundings.


    Minerva glanced at him, noticing his lack of engagement. "Aren''t you cold?" she asked, trying to keep the conversation going.


    "Not really," Ludwig said. "It''s rather¡­ chill right now."


    Minerva chuckled at his choice of words, but her expression soon turned thoughtful. "Regardless, I feel like this is all so strange. Two students dead, and their deaths have nothing in common. One was a noble with incredible sword mastery and talent, and the other was just a commoner with no notable background or skills. What''s the connection?"


    Ludwig shrugged. "Trying to find a pattern from just two bodies is difficult. For all we know, they might have just looked at the killer the wrong way, or said something that offended them. We can''t rule out the possibility that the killer is a student or a teacher, but we can narrow it down."


    "How so?" Minerva asked, her curiosity piqued.


    "It''s currently break," Ludwig explained. "Most students are back at their homes, except for a few who either don''t have a home to return to or live too far away. And then there are those who stayed because the school required it."


    "Most nobles left," Minerva added, nodding in agreement. "Even the student council is working at half capacity. There are more members back at their homes than here."


    "Exactly," Ludwig said. "So the killer must be one of the people who didn''t leave."


    As they approached the arena area, Minerva gestured toward the dark outline of the forest in the distance. "The forest is up there. Should we check it out?"


    Ludwig shook his head. "We won''t be able to clear that whole area even if we search from dusk till dawn. It''s better to stick to the route Danny gave us." S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Minerva sighed but didn''t argue. "Right. I wouldn''t want to be there at night anyway¡­ unless I had a strong, manly, and brave Ludwig next to me," she said with a grin, playfully slapping him on the back.


    -1 HP


    Ludwig coughed, more out of habit than necessity, and shook his head. "Let''s keep moving," he said, his tone dry.


    They continued their patrol, the silence between them stretching as they walked. The academy grounds were quiet, almost unnaturally so. After the recent murders, it seemed no one was foolish enough to wander around at night.


    "So, Ludwig," Minerva said after a while, breaking the silence once more. "Do you have anyone you''re currently interested in?"


    Ludwig blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in topic. "Interested in? As in what?" he asked, his tone cautious.


    Minerva rolled her eyes. "Oh, don''t play dumb. You know what I mean."


    "Ah," Ludwig said, understanding dawning on him. "No, nothing right now. Why are you asking?"


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    "Oh, nothing much," Minerva said, her tone casual as she skipped a few steps ahead of him and turned to face him, walking backward. "I was just wondering. You seem pretty close to Kassandra, though. She''s smart, but she really needs to take better care of her hair. It''s always such a mess," she added with a smirk.


    Ludwig raised an eyebrow. "I''ve told her about that, but I guess personal appearance isn''t high on her list of priorities. Regardless, I don''t have any interest in women."


    Minerva''s eyes widened in mock surprise. "Ah, one of those," she said, her tone teasing.


    Ludwig sighed. "No, get your head out of the gutter. I''m straight."


    "That''s even more confusing," Minerva said, tilting her head. "I mean, you''re a handsome young lad¡ªI can vouch for that. You''re not arrogant, you don''t have a terrible personality, and you''re pretty confident and brave. So I can''t see any reason why you''re not seeing anyone right now¡­"


    Well, I can, Ludwig thought, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. I''m an undead, after all. You hear stories about couples who find love despite the challenges of race and body, but for God''s sake, I''m a damn skeleton.


    "It''s not on my plate right now," Ludwig said aloud. "There''s so much more I need to take care of before thinking about romance."


    "What a shame," Minerva said, her tone exaggerated. "You''d be dropping skirts and wetting panties if you wanted to. But I guess magic and swordsmanship come first."


    Ludwig blinked twice at her wording, momentarily speechless.


    Minerva laughed, clearly enjoying his reaction. "Just because I''m a noble doesn''t mean I don''t understand the mundane man. Speaking of class, I heard a few things from a friend of mine. We all thought you came from a commoner family, but the way you acted at the Urbaf household was anything but commoner-like."


    "Damn, word spreads fast," Ludwig said, shaking his head.


    "Indeed it does," Minerva agreed. "Gossip spreads even faster. So tell me, if you don''t mind, are you truly a commoner?"


    Ludwig thought for a moment before answering. "Currently, yes. Before, not so much. But I was never a noble. Something¡­ different."


    "A merchant house?" Minerva guessed.


    "Something like that," Ludwig said. "But my family perished, so don''t worry about it."


    Minerva''s expression softened. "Ah, sad things do happen in life. I''m sorry for your loss."


    "Don''t worry about it," Ludwig said, his tone calm. "It happened a long time ago."


    That was a lie. For Ludwig, the loss of his world, his family, and everything he had known was no older than a month. But his emotional detachment as an undead made it feel like a distant, almost mundane memory. He knew he should feel sadder, but he couldn''t summon the emotion. It was another con of being undead¡ªemotional imbalance and apathy at its finest.


    As they continued their patrol, Ludwig couldn''t help but wonder if he''d ever feel truly human again. But for now, he pushed those thoughts aside, focusing on the task at hand. The night was long, and the killer was still out there.

 Chapter 170 A Death Knights Heart

    The two continued their patrol through the academy until the first light of dawn began to creep over the horizon. The night had been uneventful, with no signs of suspicious activity. As the sun rose, Danny arrived to relieve them, his expression calm but attentive.


    "How was the patrol?" he asked, his voice carrying a note of professionalism.


    Minerva, half-asleep and yawning, gave a tired nod. "Good, good. Nothing out of the ordinary, though," she said, her words slightly slurred from exhaustion.


    "I thought as much," Danny replied. "Since an incident just happened, not a lot of students will be outside their rooms. Regardless, go get some rest. We''ll take over from here."


    Ludwig nodded and bid the two of them goodbye. He didn''t have much to do, so he considered returning to the Black Tower. But after his master''s advice to rest, there seemed little point. Bored and with nothing pressing to occupy his time, Ludwig found himself wandering aimlessly through the academy grounds until he stumbled upon the arena once more.


    As he approached, he heard the sound of heavy breathing and the rhythmic whoosh of a sword cutting through the air. Stepping inside, he saw Professor Joana, her body glistening with sweat as she practiced her sword swings in the early morning light. Her movements were precise and powerful, each swing carrying the weight of years of discipline and training.


    "Ludwig," she said, noticing him almost immediately. "Come and grab a sword."


    Ludwig glanced at the weapon rack beside her, which held several training swords. He selected a heavy one, its weight familiar and comforting in his hands.


    "Professor Joana," he greeted with a nod, stepping into position beside her.


    "I sent your chain and shard to the blacksmith," she said, her voice steady as she continued her swings. "Good news¡ªhe actually dropped a meeting with the imperial councilor to work on them. I''d expect good results."


    Ludwig''s eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, really? He can do that?"


    "Of course," Joana replied, a hint of pride in her tone. "He''s the best smith in the country. Even the emperor respects his time. He makes all the imperial weapons, after all."


    "I see," Ludwig said, his voice thoughtful. He began to mimic Joana''s movements, his swings matching hers in pace and precision. The synchronization between them was uncanny, and Joana couldn''t help but notice.


    "Something''s different about you," she said, her eyes narrowing slightly as she continued to swing her sword.


    "What is it, professor?" Ludwig asked, his tone neutral.


    "Your swings," she said, her voice tinged with approval. "They''re heavier. I like that. Seems like even for a little monster like you, gaining strength is possible."


    Ludwig smirked faintly. "I guess. Since I''ve been with Master Van Dijk, becoming stronger hasn''t been much of an issue."


    Joana nodded, her expression thoughtful. "I heard about your meeting with that¡­ thing. Two mages fighting against a Swordmaster undead¡ªthat must have been a fight to see."


    "He wasn''t undead," Ludwig corrected, his tone firm.


    Joana raised an eyebrow. "The way Van Dijk described him, he sure sounded like one."


    Ludwig continued his swings, his movements fluid and controlled. "If he was undead, we would have won more easily. No, he was kept between life and death by the Gluttonous Death¡ªa puppet that cannot live and cannot die. Far from undeath, yet ever so close to it."


    Joana''s expression grew serious. "I see. Regardless, you were lucky."


    "How so?" Ludwig asked, his curiosity piqued.


    "From what Van Dijk said, that knight didn''t have his ''heart,''" Joana explained.


    Ludwig frowned, clearly confused. "What does that mean? What is a ''heart'' in this context?"


    Joana paused her swings and turned to face him, her expression thoughtful. "Aura, Ludwig. Aura. He couldn''t use it."


    "What is aura?" Ludwig asked, his interest fully captured. "And what does having a heart have to do with it? Is it like a mage''s circles?"


    "No, completely different," Joana said, her voice firm. She relaxed her posture, and in an instant, her sword was enveloped in a bright green energy that seemed to radiate from her very being. The aura was powerful, almost overwhelming in its intensity.


    "This," she said, her voice steady, "is aura."


    Ludwig''s eyes widened, and he immediately activated his [Trace] ability, hoping to replicate the technique. But a notification flashed before his eyes, dashing his hopes.


    [You do not have the necessary accomplishments to understand or [Trace] ''{Aura}'']


    [Your swordsmanship is too low to understand {Aura}]


    The message gave Ludwig a rough idea of what he was lacking, but it didn''t dampen his curiosity.


    "You can''t replicate this one, can you?" Joana said, a knowing smile playing on her lips.


    Ludwig frowned, surprised that she had guessed his intentions. "How did you know I was trying to replicate it?"


    Joana chuckled. "I heard from Van Dijk that the first time you met him, you tried to replicate his Black Flames. Honestly, I believe you''ll have an easier time generating your own aura before you''re at the level of creating something like that."


    "Is that so?" Ludwig said, his tone thoughtful. "What is aura, then?"


    Joana rested her hands on the pommel of her sword, its tip digging into the ground as she considered her answer. "How can I explain this¡­" she mused, her gaze drifting to the sky before settling back on Ludwig. "You see, mages believe that everything is created with mana¡ªfrom rocks to rivers, grass to creatures. Everything contains and is sustained by mana. But aura is different. It''s considered a part of life itself, and only those who have life can use it."


    "Ah, then it''s a shame," Ludwig said, his tone resigned.


    Joana shook her head. "I know what you''re thinking, but no. There''s an exception."


    Ludwig''s eyes narrowed in curiosity. "What do you mean?"


    "Even undead can use aura," Joana said, her voice firm. "Because they, too, can have a ''heart.''"


    Ludwig looked down at his chest, his expression unreadable. Though his slime-covered body gave the appearance of flesh and clothing, beneath it all, he was hollow¡ªa skeleton masquerading as a human.


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    Joana tapped Ludwig''s chest with one finger. "A heart doesn''t need to be physical. It''s an idea, a thought, a belief," she said. "I''ve personally fought a Death Knight before. Believe me when I tell you, his sword aura was so beautiful, so powerful, that even to this day, I have yet to meet anyone with something as pure as that. Aura is neither good nor evil. It simply is. And everyone can use it, if they have the heart for it."


    Ludwig''s curiosity deepened. "Did you win?" he asked.


    "Win? In what?" Joana replied, her tone light.


    "When you fought the Death Knight, did you win?" Ludwig clarified.


    Joana smiled faintly. "That''s quite the strange statement. I''m alive right now, am I not?"


    Ludwig''s mind raced. So she won against a Death Knight. I guess I''ll need to be something more than just a Death Knight if I want to defeat someone as strong as her¡­


    "But," Joana continued, her tone growing somber, "I didn''t lose, but I didn''t win either."


    Ludwig frowned. "What is that supposed to mean?"


    Joana sighed, her gaze distant. "You see, a Death Knight isn''t a simple undead, nor is it a simple knight. It''s far above that. They are driven by their endless courage and will¡ªwhether for vengeance or service to their lord, be it a summoner, necromancer, lich, or something else. We don''t know much about them. They rarely ever speak about themselves, if you understand what I''m trying to say."


    "I guess so," Ludwig said, though his confusion was evident. "But that doesn''t answer my question."


    "Right," Joana said, her voice softening. "What happened was, while I was fighting the Death Knight to a standstill, the person controlling it¡ªa young child, merely ten years old¡ªwas killed by a companion of mine. And that was the daughter of The Death Knight. She was her heart. Her reason for turning back from Death to Undeath. Once her heart was destroyed, the Death Knight had no reason to exist. It simply vanished into ash."


    Ludwig''s expression shifted, a flicker of understanding crossing his features. "So the Death Knight''s will was tied to the child?"


    Joana nodded. "Exactly. For a mother, even after death, she remained to protect her child. There was no greater driving force than that. I still remember the battle," she said, her voice tinged with a strange mix of admiration and sorrow. "But sadly, I have yet to see something as beautiful as that."


    Ludwig remained silent, absorbing her words. The concept of aura, of a heart that transcended life and death, was both fascinating and daunting. As he stood there, the weight of Joana''s story settled over him, leaving him with more questions than answers. But one thing was clear: if he wanted to grow stronger, he would need to find his own heart¡ªwhatever that meant for an undead like him.


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 Chapter 171 The Tyrant Blade

    Ludwig had no words for his master but a nod of agreement as he continued to swing his sword, the heavy blade cutting through the air with a satisfying whoosh. The rhythmic motion was almost meditative, allowing him to focus his thoughts while his body moved on autopilot.


    "By the way," he said, breaking the silence as he struck again at the empty air, "I''ve found a couple of interesting manuals for training swordsmanship. I wanted to ask you about them."


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    Joana paused mid-swing, her brow furrowing slightly. "I doubt anything would be more suitable for you right now than the Imperial Swordsmanship. Why? Is it not to your liking?"


    "Not that it''s not to my liking," Ludwig replied, his tone thoughtful. "It just feels¡­ straightforward."


    Joana chuckled, resting her sword on her shoulder. "In a sense, it is. But it''s mandatory to learn. This is an army-style swordsmanship designed to help armies win wars. So, what do you think you can use that''s better than the Imperial Swordsmanship?"


    Ludwig shrugged, reaching into his holding ring and pulling out two freshly inscribed books. "I don''t know about better," he said, handing them to Joana. "But these look pretty interesting, nevertheless."


    Joana took the books, her eyes narrowing as she inspected the fresh ink. "The ink is pretty fresh, you inscribed these yourself?" she asked her tone a mix of surprise and curiosity.


    "Yes," Ludwig replied. "From some of the books we found in Tibari''s library."


    Joana''s frown deepened as she flipped through the pages of the first book. She moved away from Ludwig and sat down, her eyes scanning the text with increasing intensity. After a few moments, she looked up at him, her expression unreadable.


    "This is¡­ a Gentle Style type of swordsmanship," she said, her voice tinged with skepticism. "It''s completely unsuitable for you. It looks pretty good on paper, probably more suitable to a refined and prudent type of fighter, unlike you."


    Ludwig raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"


    Joana sighed, closing the book and placing it gently on her side. "It''s fast-paced and relies heavily on counterattacking and deflection. It requires acute strength and speed management¡ªsomething you''re not exactly known for. Are you sure you want to learn this?"


    Ludwig shook his head. "I already realized that was the case for that one. But the one I''m interested in is the other book."


    Joana picked up the second book, her curiosity piqued. She barely made it through half a page before her eyes widened in shock. "My god!" she exclaimed, looking up at Ludwig. "Is this real?"


    "I copied it word by word," Ludwig said, his tone matter-of-fact.


    Joana''s expression shifted from shock to something akin to awe. She began reading more intently, her eyes darting across the pages as if devouring every word. After a moment, she slammed her fist onto the ground, her frustration palpable. "Damn it! Damn it!" she cursed under her breath.


    Ludwig blinked, taken aback by her reaction. "Ah, Ludwig, where the hell have you been all my life?" she said, sighing heavily. She placed the book on top of the other one and sighed some more. Remorse or regret was clear in her eyes as she looked up at the sky.


    "What is it, professor?" Ludwig asked, his curiosity now fully ignited.


    Joana smiled, though there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. "You need to keep this safe¡ªincredibly so. This is basically the holy grail of swordsmanship."


    Ludwig tilted his head, confused. "You sounded more annoyed than happy stating that fact."


    "Because I sadly can''t use it," Joana admitted, her tone tinged with regret. "You on the other hand, you can," she said.


    Ludwig frowned.


    Joana then said, "Do you know how swordsmanship is categorized?"


    "I can''t say I know, I''m pretty amateurish in that regard," he shrugged.


    Joana''s expression turned serious. "basically, There are several styles of swordsmanship, each with its own training methods. The main styles are simple: The Gentle Blade, which this book is part of," she said, pointing to the first book, "The Heavy Style, which is the Imperial Sword style you''ve been training in, the Shadow Style, reserved for assassins and rogues, and finally, the least known and most mysterious of them all¡ªthe Tyrant Style."


    "Sounds pretty cool," Ludwig said, a faint smile tugging at his lips.


    "It is," Joana agreed. "The Tyrant Style is a style for berserkers and barbarians. It''s a style that uses one''s strength to its full potential."


    "Isn''t that the same as the Heavy Style?" Ludwig asked.


    "No," Joana replied, shaking her head. "The Heavy Style still takes regard for one''s safety and position. The Tyrant Style is the complete opposite. It''s a ''give flesh, break bone'' type of battling method. And that''s the same style as the one I''m using."


    "So you already know this book?" Ludwig asked, his confusion growing. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No, you''re missing the point," Joana said, her tone patient. "The style itself is the Tyrant Style, and it has subdivisions. My own style is called the Blood Beast Style. It''s very barbaric and violent, but it gets the job done. This one," she said, holding up the second book, "is called the Tyrant Blade."


    "Same name as the style itself?" Ludwig asked.


    "More like the origin of the style itself," Joana explained. "This is the foundation¡ªthe purest form of the Tyrant Style."


    Ludwig''s eyes lit up with interest. "Then can I learn it?"


    "You can," Joana said, though her voice carried a note of sadness. "I actually advise you to learn it."


    Ludwig frowned, sensing there was more to her words. "I feel like I''m missing something. Your wording sounds like you can''t."


    Joana sighed, her expression softening. "Yes, I personally can''t. I''ve invested too much time and effort into the Blood Beast Style, and it''s a two-handed style. While this one," she said, tapping the book, "is a one-handed style. It allows you to freely use your other hand to either wield a shield or another weapon. You said you fought the Knight King, who wielded a shield and a sword, right?"


    "Yeah," Ludwig said, nodding. "He wasn''t that impressive, though. He didn''t use much ''barbarism.''"


    Joana chuckled. "I can understand why he couldn''t. He didn''t have his ''heart'' with him. But you," she said, pointing at Ludwig''s chest, "your heart has yet to blossom. If you learn this and practice it diligently, you might create your own unique aura and develop your own unique style of combat. And what''s pretty impressive about this style," she added, her tone growing more animated, "is that it heavily consumes one''s stamina¡ªso much so that it''s almost impossible for any mortal to wield it."


    Ludwig''s eyes gleamed with understanding. "As an undead, I don''t tire easily."


    "Exactly," Joana said, a proud smile spreading across her face. She tapped Ludwig on the shoulder. "Keep training your Imperial Sword Style on the side, but I''d recommend you train the Tyrant Blade mainly whenever you have the time."


    Ludwig nodded, a sense of determination settling over him. He picked up the book, his fingers tracing the title on the cover. As he did, a notification flashed before his eyes:


    [Due to your increased understanding of the Tyrant Style, you may learn Tyrant Blade swordsmanship.]


    [Would you like to learn The Tyrant Blade?]

 Chapter 172 The Tyrant Blade 2

    Ludwig didn''t hesitate. "Accept!" he said firmly.


    The moment the words left his lips, he felt a sudden, profound change in his body. The knowledge from the book he had read seemed to solidify as if the techniques and principles were now etched into his very being. A flood of information surged through his mind, and he could feel the raw, unrelenting power of the Tyrant Blade Technique taking root within him.


    [You have learned, Tyrant Blade Technique!]


    [Your current class {Skeleton Grunt} is incompatible with [Tyrant Blade Technique].]


    [You have a pending [Eternal Quest] related to your future class. Class change to Swordmaster has been canceled.]


    [Tyrant Blade Technique efficiency will be reduced due to lack of an appropriate Class.]


    WARNING! Several Skills of the Tyrant Blade cannot be learned due to the emotional imbalance of the user! Only 3 skills are available right now!]


    [You have learned, {Rampaging Tempo}-Passive-]


    ? Each time you land a strike with a weapon in your right hand, the speed and power of the blow will increase by 1%.


    ? Upon failing to connect a strike to your target, the damage counter will be reset to 0.


    [You have unlocked, Summersault Slam.]


    ? Spin forward in a summersault, causing 300% of your weapon''s damage upon impact and in one-meter diameter around your landing zone. This can be used three consecutive times. The damage will be multiplied with each successful slam, up to 900% of your weapon''s damage.


    ? Upon failing or missing, no consecutive slams will be available.


    [You have unlocked, Steadfast Leap.]


    ? Leap forward a great distance, causing an explosive amount of damage equivalent to 120% of your weapon''s damage in a one-meter radius around your landing spot.


    [Due to a lack of understanding, several moves of the Tyrant Blade Technique are currently unavailable.]


    Ludwig felt the weight of the new techniques settling into his body, but without a proper weapon, the skills felt just out of reach.


    "Ludwig?" Joana''s voice broke through his thoughts.


    He turned to see her looking at him with a mix of curiosity and confusion. "Yes?" he asked.


    "Did you just have an Enlightenment?" she asked, her tone tinged with awe.


    "Enlightenment? What''s that?" Ludwig replied, genuinely puzzled.


    "Your eyes," Joana said, her gaze sharp. "Just now, they looked like you were grasping knowledge from the world itself. We call that Enlightenment. Did you uncover something?"


    Ludwig paused, realizing that the system''s way of imparting knowledge must have resembled what they called Enlightenment. "Something like that," he said, choosing his words carefully. "But I don''t have a proper weapon to test it."


    Joana didn''t hesitate. She handed him her own sword, her expression eager. "Here. Try it. Show me what you''ve learned."


    [You have obtained, The Gelder Blade.]1


    Ludwig''s eyes twitched at the name. What the hell kind of name is that? he thought, though he kept his reaction to himself. He gripped the sword, feeling its weight and balance. It was a fine weapon, but the name still made him cringe internally.


    "It''s nothing much," Ludwig said, trying to downplay his excitement. "I think¡­ two moves." He turned to the arena, focusing on the first technique he had unlocked.


    [Steadfast Leap.]


    Ludwig''s body surged forward, covering a distance of about ten meters in an instant. He landed with a powerful slam, the force of the impact cratering the arena floor. Dust and debris scattered in all directions as the ground trembled beneath him.


    Joana clapped her hands, clearly impressed. "Wow," she said, her voice filled with admiration. "That looks like an amazing gap closer. I noticed that your feet didn''t even flex that hard to make that sort of leap."


    "Yeah," Ludwig said, equally surprised by the distance he had covered. He hadn''t expected the technique to be so effective.


    "Show me the other move," Joana urged, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.


    Ludwig nodded, focusing on the second technique.


    [Summersault Slam.]


    He leapt into the air, his body spinning forward in a summersault before slamming the sword down with devastating force. The impact was far greater than the Steadfast Leap, shattering the ground in front of him and sending shards of rock and debris flying in all directions.


    Joana whistled, clearly impressed. "Not bad, not bad. these skills do fit the name Tyrant Blade. "


    Ludwig frowned slightly, feeling the weight of the technique''s limitations. "I feel like this style is a bit too dangerous," he admitted.


    "It has to be," Joana said with a grin. "After all, whoever gets hit by that, I doubt they''ll be able to block it. But if they do¡­ or dodge it¡­" Her grin widened.


    "Then I''m in a world of hurt," Ludwig finished, understanding the risk.


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    "Exactly," Joana said, her tone serious now. "That''s why the Tyrant Style is avoided by most people. You can''t mess up. It''s very good against mobs and creatures¡ªdumb things, basically. But if you''re facing a strong and powerful Swordmaster, you''ll get your head chopped off if you make a mistake." S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig nodded, absorbing her words. "I see."


    "Still," Joana continued, her tone softening, "these are your style''s abilities. You need to learn the move set, the attack patterns, and the way to handle your sword from the manual. Using these abilities should come as a last resort. Your leap can be used to close a gap or escape, and the slam should be reserved to finish off an opponent. Keep learning, and you''ll probably uncover more of this manual''s secrets."


    She handed the manual back to Ludwig, her expression thoughtful. "Don''t you want to learn or at least use some of this knowledge?" Ludwig asked, surprised by her willingness to part with such a valuable resource.


    Joana shook her head. "You can''t overfill a full cup. It will only hamper my own progress. I''m satisfied with my own style, and I wouldn''t want to share this with someone else. Keep stuff like this unique to you. I''d even recommend that you burn this after you''re done with it and have learned it. Only pass it down if you ever get a disciple later on."


    Ludwig''s eyes widened. "It''s that special?"


    "Yes," Joana said, her tone firm. "That special. Regardless, I''ll need to keep this one on me," she added, holding up the first manual. "I know a person who can use this Gentle Style. I hope you don''t mind."


    "I don''t mind," Ludwig said, shaking his head. it was a style like she said incompatible with him. It required Too much thinking, Ludwig was all about the Bonk.


    "Compared to the one you have, this one is far below it in terms of quality, but it''s still decent and unique enough for people to spend a serious fortune to obtain it," Joana explained. "Regardless, I''m not selling it. I''m only imparting some of its knowledge to a promising young swordsman I know."


    "That''s fine," Ludwig said, already engrossed in reading the manual again. The move sets and techniques fascinated him, and he could feel his understanding deepening with each page.


    Joana smiled as she watched him, her expression a mix of pride and wistfulness. She didn''t want to interrupt his focus or risk ruining another potential Enlightenment. Quietly, she turned and left, leaving Ludwig to his training.


    As Ludwig practiced, the weight of the Tyrant Blade Technique settled into his bones. He could feel the raw power of the style, but he also understood its risks. This was a path of no return¡ªa style that demanded everything from its wielder, be it flesh or bone. And Ludwig was ready to give it.


    (If u know what gilding is then its fine, if you don''t I''d recommend you google it¡­ or maybe not)

 Chapter 173 Tournament

    A few days passed, and Ludwig found himself settling into the rhythm of academic life. While it lacked the excitement of his previous adventures, he used the time to focus on mastering the Tyrant Style and completing the inscription of books from Tibari''s library. The days were monotonous, but Ludwig remained diligent, knowing that every moment of training brought him closer to his goals.


    The student council, meanwhile, had made little progress in solving the murders. Hubert''s family had come to collect his body, and Ludwig had witnessed their grief firsthand. Though he couldn''t feel the same sorrow, he understood the weight of their loss. It was a stark reminder of the fragility of life, even in a world filled with magic and monsters.


    "You look rather bored," a familiar voice said, pulling Ludwig from his thoughts.


    He turned to see Thomas, his spectral companion, floating beside him. "Oh, you woke up," Ludwig said, his tone casual.


    "Yeah, didn''t think I''d ever wake up, though. You squeezed me to death that time¡­ I think that''s the wrong term to use here," Thomas said, his voice tinged with amusement.


    "I met your brother," Ludwig said, changing the subject.


    "I can see that," Thomas replied, gesturing to the student council ribbon on Ludwig''s arm. "Though I really don''t understand what he''s still doing here. By now, he should be at the Imperial Hall to receive his knightly training."


    "I could give him your item right now," Ludwig offered.


    "No, that won''t serve you any good, and it will cause more suspicion. Just do as I asked and give it to the information network. You still have time, and so does he," Thomas said. "Anyway, I wasn''t fully unconscious when I was, well, unconscious," he added.


    "I guess you saw some of the interactions that happened," Ludwig said.


    "Yeah, compared to the first time I saw you, you''re basically a monster. But you''re still not strong enough to contend with Ravi. He''s more of a monster than you are right now," Thomas said.


    "I''ve seen a couple of those in the student council, so I understand," Ludwig replied.


    "Still, are you not interested in the tournament?" Thomas asked. "They give good stuff."


    "Not my cup of tea," Ludwig said, shaking his head. "Also, it''ll just reveal my secrets. I''m not a fan of that."


    "Suit yourself. At least go and watch the preliminaries. They do them every year. I was supposed to represent the freshmen if I¡­ well, didn''t die," Thomas said, snickering.


    "Don''t blame me for that," Ludwig retorted. "It was your own doing."


    "Fine, fine, I admit it," Thomas said. "Still, you probably should watch the fights. They''ll be fun, and you''ll get to see more magic."


    Ludwig thought for a moment, then nodded. "You may be right. But I have no idea where that''s going to happen."


    "The main event will be held in a little less than a month," Thomas explained. "But each school needs to choose its best students to participate. Usually, they hold events within their own schools to look for the best student of each grade¡ªfreshmen, juniors, and seniors. Each academy can only present three students, so one has to be the best among all of their peers to even attend."


    "And you''re saying that you''re the best among everyone here?" Ludwig asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Technically, I am not," Thomas admitted. "I can''t beat Bron, but I had my own ways to go beyond that small hurdle," he added, his tone slightly arrogant.


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    "I see," Ludwig said, suspecting that Thomas had used underhanded methods like bribery.


    "You should visit the main hall. The event details should be there for all to see," Thomas suggested.


    Feeling that he had nothing better to do, Ludwig decided to humor Thomas. Besides, he was slightly curious about the tournament.


    As Ludwig entered the main academy building, he noticed that the number of students had increased significantly compared to the day before.


    "Students are returning from their vacation," Ludwig muttered.


    "Yes, the event is basically the best part of the start of the new academy year. So most students will be here to either watch or participate. Also," Thomas said, "you don''t need to vocalize your thoughts. I can hear you even when your mouth isn''t moving. Just think of speaking to me, and I''ll be able to answer. Because, you know, people are staring," Thomas explained.


    Ludwig looked around and coughed, realizing that several students were indeed staring at him strangely, likely because he appeared to be talking to himself. He quickly moved past the group and entered the main hall, where a large crowd had gathered around a bulletin board.


    The board was filled with names, divided into three rows. Ludwig recognized a few of them: Bron and Minerva from the freshmen group, Haku from the second-year students, and Danny Thompson from the third-year students. One name, however, stood out to him.


    "Oh, even she''s joining," Thomas said, his voice tinged with surprise.


    "Who?" Ludwig asked.


    "Morrigan Kaela, the girl you fought before," Thomas replied.


    "The girl with the crazies?" Ludwig asked, recalling the small but terrifying axe-wielder.


    "Yes, the one wielding the battle axe," Thomas confirmed.


    "I see she''s in the same row as Haku, the guy who lent me his sword," Ludwig said.


    "Yeah, he''s a second-year," Thomas said. "Since Danny is in the third row, I can guess that these are classified by class¡­ but where is Ravi?" Ludwig asked.


    "He''s not allowed to join," Thomas said.


    "Why not?" S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "He accidentally killed someone during the preliminaries, so he was banned," Thomas explained.


    "Ah," Ludwig said, his tone neutral.


    "This year looks decent. There will be a lot of dark horses," Thomas said. "We might actually not place last this time. It''s been a running joke so far how many times the Black Tower ended up in last place. If only Ravi didn''t mess up last year, we would have probably beaten the Gray Tower¡­" Thomas''s words were tinged with frustration.


    "Ludwig!" a voice called from behind him.


    Turning, he saw the same girl from the student council who had invited him to join. "Are you planning on joining?" she asked, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.


    Ludwig hesitated, glancing back at the bulletin board. The tournament was tempting, but he was not interested, it held no purpose or meaning to him. "I don''t think so," he said finally. "But I''ll definitely be watching."

 Chapter 174 Tournament 2

    "Good, I''ll see you at the arena tomorrow," the girl from the student council said, nodding before she walked away.


    Ludwig nodded in return and was about to leave when he spotted Hoyo and Kassandra approaching. They seemed to have just arrived, their eyes scanning the crowd with curiosity.


    "Yo," Hoyo greeted, raising a hand.


    "Yo," Ludwig replied, dabbing up Hoyo''s hand in a casual gesture.


    "You''re watching?" Hoyo asked, his tone casual but with a hint of excitement. Stay connected via My Virtual Library Empire


    "Yeah, got nothing else to do anyway," Ludwig shrugged.


    "I thought you''d be more like security and all," Kassandra chimed in, her brow furrowed slightly.


    "Why is that?" Ludwig asked, tilting his head.


    "Since all the creepy stuff and murders have been happening, and usually some of the student council members are responsible for security, I thought you''d also be one of them. Haven''t you been doing rounds around the academy at night?" Kassandra asked.


    "Nah, the professors are taking care of that," Hoyo interjected before Ludwig could respond. "They''ll be the ones doing the security checks and keeping order."


    "Oh, that''s the first I''ve heard of that," Kassandra said, her tone surprised.


    "Yeah, apparently," Hoyo continued, his voice lowering slightly, "the killer is probably one of the students. That''s the word going around. The teachers will be carefully observing everyone to make sure everything is in order. All student council members for this year are not obligated to do the rounds this time."


    "That should make things safer," Ludwig said, his tone thoughtful.


    "I agree," Hoyo replied. "It''ll suck if something like that happens again. With the teachers paying closer attention, no one would be stupid enough to commit murders like that."


    "When is the event starting?" Ludwig asked, changing the subject.


    "Supposed to be tomorrow morning at ten," Hoyo said.


    "Oi, Ludwig!" a voice called out from behind them. The group turned immediately, but there was no one there. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Down here," the owner of the voice said, sounding annoyed.


    Hoyo, Kassandra, and everyone nearby immediately backed away when they saw who it was.


    "What''s wrong with you people? Looks like you''ve seen a monster," the small girl said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.


    "Ah, Kaela," Ludwig said, recognizing her immediately.


    "Oh, I never mentioned my name," she said, her lips curling into a creepy smile. She was probably trying to look seductive but failing miserably. "Were you interested enough to look me up?"


    "No," Ludwig said flatly. "I was given your name by¡­" He hesitated for a moment.


    "Mina, Mina Vesper," Thomas''s voice echoed in Ludwig''s mind.


    "Mina," Ludwig said. "She was here earlier."


    "Oh, that busybody," Kaela said, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, I can''t see your name on the list," she added, her tone almost accusatory.


    "Not interested," Ludwig said, shaking his head.


    "Bummer," Kaela said, her grin widening. "I wanted to at least face off against you again¡ªthis time for real."


    Immediately, the students around Ludwig began murmuring.


    "Again? What does that mean? Did he actually fight the Bloodthirsty Maniac?"


    "And he''s still alive?"


    More strange and frankly disturbing comments began echoing around Ludwig, but he paid them no mind, despite their absurdity.


    Ludwig shrugged. "I''m just going to watch. Not planning on fighting. I also don''t have a sword," he added.


    "Bummer," Kaela said, her tone mockingly disappointed. "I could have asked Haku to lend you his sword, but he''s also joining this year. He''ll be disappointed if you''re not there," she said, shrugging. "Regardless, cheer for me. I''ll show you a bloody sight!"


    "Sure, I''ll do that," Ludwig said, his tone dry.


    "Okay, let me see," Kaela said, glancing back at the board. "Damn," she sighed. "This one''s going to be tough."


    "What is it?" Ludwig asked.


    "Oh, my team," Kaela said. "Looks like I''ll have Esteban as my teammate. He''s also a student council member, a freshman like you. But that''s not the problem¡­ the third person is someone I''m not very fond of," she said, her tone sour.


    "So this is a team tournament?" Ludwig asked.


    "Always has been," Kaela said. "But that doesn''t mean individual effort is wasted. I wanted to actually face off against her, but she''ll be on my team," she sighed. "Anyway, from what I see, only Haku''s team is going to be a pain. We''ll probably be in the finals, so come and cheer for me, Ludwig!" she said before turning and walking away.


    Ludwig looked back at the board, noticing that the teams were organized to include one member from each year¡ªfirst, second, and third. He still didn''t recognize many of the names, but Hoyo immediately jumped in.


    "Sounds like you want to know more about the people who are joining the tournament," Hoyo said, his tone eager.


    "Yeah," Ludwig replied.


    "I know almost everything about almost everyone," Hoyo said, puffing out his chest slightly. "So buy me lunch, and I''ll spill. I''m still hungry."


    "He just ate like twenty minutes ago," Kassandra said, rolling her eyes.


    "Hey, I''m still growing," Hoyo protested. "A young man like me has to eat well to stay healthy. Also, I heard they''re serving ale at the cafeteria today," he added, his mouth almost slobbering at the thought.


    Ludwig wasn''t convinced.


    "It tastes better than the one back at Rima," Hoyo added.


    That seals the deal, Ludwig thought.


    "Fine, I''ll pay up," Ludwig said, turning to Kassandra. "You''re also invited."


    She flashed Ludwig a bright, beaming smile as she followed after the two, her steps light and cheerful. The trio made their way to the cafeteria, the promise of food and ale lightening the mood. As they walked, Ludwig couldn''t help but feel a sense of anticipation for the tournament. Even if he wasn''t participating, it was bound to be an event to remember.


    Because after all the issues, dungeons, murders and problems he''s been in, at least this should be something that he can sit back relax, and watch with his friends. Finally, he thought he''d have some good time of rest...


    Or so he thought...

 Chapter 175 Missing Person

    The cafeteria buzzed with excitement as students chattered about the upcoming tournament. The air was thick with speculation, bets, and predictions about who would come out on top. Amid the noise, Ludwig, Hoyo, and Kassandra sat at a relatively quiet table, more focused on the high-quality food Ludwig was paying for than the surrounding hype.


    They ate and drank, enjoying the meal and each other''s company. Ludwig, ever the pragmatist, decided to steer the conversation toward the tournament. "So, tell me," he said, wiping his mouth with a napkin, "who do you think has the best chance to win?"


    Hoyo''s eyes lit up at the question. "Why? You planning on joining the bets?" he asked, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.


    "There''s betting?" Ludwig asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Of course," Hoyo said, leaning forward. "You can get your hands on some decent stuff. Anyways, I believe Haku''s team is the one that''ll win."


    "You know him?" Ludwig asked, his curiosity piqued.


    "Who doesn''t know him?" Hoyo replied. "He''s the one who almost beat Ravi Vondel last year¡ªas a freshman. From rumors, it''s said that he''s already strong enough to go head-to-head against the current Ravi Vondel, but we have yet to see that rumor proven," he added with a shrug.


    "What about Kaela?" Ludwig asked, recalling the small but terrifying axe-wielder.


    "Oh, she''s strong. Incredibly so. Maybe even stronger than Haku," Hoyo admitted.


    "Then why didn''t you say she''d be the one to win?" Ludwig asked, puzzled.


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    "Her teammates will be dragging her down," Hoyo explained. "The guy, Esteban, seems decent, but he hasn''t shown anything to be a person to remember."


    "I don''t know about that," Kassandra interjected, finally joining the conversation.


    "What, you got some intel?" Hoyo asked, his interest immediately reignited.


    "Yes," Kassandra said, lowering her voice slightly. "Apparently, Esteban comes from a Sylphborn family. He''s pretty good with elemental magic. Though he should have been going to the Gray Tower, he ended up causing some trouble, so he got sent here."


    Ludwig sighed, shaking his head. "Man, this makes the academy sound more like a punishment camp than an actual magic study academy." After all, everyone here seemed to have either a screw loose or a history of causing problems.


    Hoyo leaned back in his chair, a thoughtful expression on his face. "I don''t know, man. It''s pretty good living here. Still, I don''t think that''s enough for her team to win."


    "Why not?" Ludwig asked.


    "The third-year with Kaela is someone she isn''t fond of," Hoyo explained. "They had a falling out last year that had the teachers intervene to resolve. Sabrina Valtan, a powerful sorceress from what the teachers presume. She was born with incredible magical prowess and doesn''t actually need to study magic to learn it."


    "People like that exist?" Ludwig asked, his tone a mix of awe and disbelief.


    "Yes," Hoyo said, nodding. "We call them sorceresses. Unlike us, who have to learn magic, sorceresses are born with it. All they need to do to become stronger is live longer. The longer they live, the more magic they''ll be able to unlock. It''s like breathing for them. Unlike the overly extroverted Kaela, Sabrina is the complete opposite. She''s lazy, a shut-in, and rarely ever goes out in public. I think her teacher forced her to join this year''s tournament."


    "I see," Ludwig said, absorbing the information. "What about Haku''s team?"


    "Well, that''s a monstrous lineup," Hoyo said, his tone tinged with admiration. "Apparently, he''ll have Bron with him and Thalia Breacher. You already know Bron¡ªhe''s not the brightest tool in the shed, but the Steelheart swordsmanship is pretty good. Haku is basically a monster in human form. He''s really good with heavy swords and is thought to be the next guy who''ll achieve sword aura at a young age. He''s already shown signs of understanding the sword and might break the Urbaf record. As for Thalia, she''s a support-oriented magician, specializing in debilitating debuffs and status ailments. Some say she caused a few students to go crazy," Hoyo added, shuddering slightly. "But I''d rather not talk about her. She scares me."


    The trio continued eating and discussing the rest of the competitors, the conversation flowing easily between them. Time ticked by until they finally decided to part ways. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I''ll head out soon. See you at ten, Ludwig," Hoyo said, standing up first.


    "Already?" Ludwig asked, surprised.


    "Yep," Hoyo replied. "Need to get some money for the betting pool. I have a few things I can sell."


    "I can give you money if you need," Ludwig offered.


    "Nah, there''s no need. I wouldn''t want to owe you if I got shafted. I''m also not exactly super broke," Hoyo said with a grin.


    "Then why are you always latching onto Ludwig''s food expenses?" Kassandra teased.


    "You''re not one to speak. Wipe your mouth; you still have some grease on it," Hoyo shot back, snickering. "Also, it''s always tastier when someone else is paying. See you later," he said, leaving the table with a hum and a satisfied pat on his belly.


    "Right, I''ll also head out," Kassandra said, standing up. "The dorms have been stricter with curfews, so I need to be there faster."


    "Right, I''ll head back too," Ludwig said. He wanted to practice more of the Tyrant Blade. So far, his proficiency in the Imperial Style had grown a bit, but the Tyrant Blade hadn''t budged since he started learning it. Ludwig had yet to understand why, so he wanted to do more practice and see if he could ask his professor for guidance.


    When he headed toward the arena to train, a couple of students wearing Student Council armbands stopped him.


    "What is it?" Ludwig asked.


    "We''re not allowing anyone to enter the arena," one of them explained. "There were cases some years ago of people planting traps in the arena before the tournament."


    "I see," Ludwig said, nodding.


    "He''s one of us," a familiar voice called out.


    Turning, Ludwig saw Mina approaching. "Mina," he greeted with a nod.


    "Ludwig," she replied, returning the nod. "What brings you here? Today isn''t your turn to do the rounds."


    "I was planning on doing some training," Ludwig explained. "But I guess the arena is reserved for tomorrow."


    "You can go to the training hall inside the academy," Mina said. "Student Council members have the exclusive right to train there."


    "Oh, that''s a bonus I didn''t know about," Ludwig said, his tone appreciative.


    "We''ll be keeping our eyes out for the perpetrator. Take some rest; you''ve been working hard lately," Mina said, offering him a warm smile.


    Ludwig nodded and left the area, heading back inside the academy. Hours passed as he trained in the hall, his movements precise but his progress frustratingly slow. Just as he was about to give up and return to his dorm to practice more magic, the door to the training hall opened.


    "He''s still here," Mina''s voice echoed through the room.


    Turning, Ludwig saw Mina and Kaela walking in. Kaela''s usual chaotic energy was replaced by a rare seriousness, her expression tense.


    "What''s with that look in your eyes?" Ludwig asked, his tone cautious.


    "Esteban is missing," Kaela said, her voice low and urgent.

 Chapter 176 Who? Me? NAAAH

    "What? When did that happen? Wasn''t he supposed to be with you?" Ludwig asked,


    Kaela shot him a glare, her fiery eyes narrowing. "Hey, statements like that can cause trouble if heard by strangers," she snapped, her voice low but laced with irritation. "You need to watch what you say, especially now."


    Ludwig raised his hands in a placating gesture, realizing his mistake. "Right, right," he said, backtracking slightly. "What I meant is that he was supposed to be on your team. What happened?"


    Kaela''s expression darkened, her usual chaotic energy replaced by a rare seriousness. "Yes, that was the plan," she said, her voice tense. "The problem is that he went missing this morning, shortly after the names were revealed. I don''t know if he got scared or if something worse happened." She clenched her fists, her frustration palpable.


    [Quest Update!]


    The Student Council is worried about the disappearance of one of its members. Help them find out the truth behind the disappearance.


    Reward: 1 Corrupted Soul.


    ¨C Progression to the next part of the Student Council questline.


    Ludwig dismissed the quest notification, his mind already racing through the possibilities and theories of what could have happened. He turned back to Kaela and Mina, his tone steady but urgent. "What are you planning on doing?"


    "We need to do a thorough search," Kaela said, her voice firm. "We informed the teachers, but some of them aren''t interested. They''re saying it hasn''t been long enough for him to be considered missing."


    Mina stepped forward, her calm demeanor a stark contrast to Kaela''s intensity. "We''re gathering all the Student Council members," she explained. "We''ll be doing a full search of the academy. Every building, every corner¡ªwe''re leaving no stone unturned."


    Ludwig nodded, his resolve hardening. "I''ll help, then," he said, more out of need since the quest requires him to. "What do you need me to do?"


    Mina gave him a grateful smile. "Good. You''ll be teamed up with Minerva. She''s with the group that''ll be searching the forest perimeter. We''ll be looking into the female dormitory, Danny and Ravi will search the male one. The rest of the Student Council will be searching through the academy buildings and checking the logs of anyone entering or leaving the academy today."


    Kaela sighed, running a hand through her hair. "It had to be today when shit happens," she muttered, her frustration evident. Despite her usual bravado, Ludwig could sense the underlying worry in her voice. She might act tough, but the disappearance of a teammate¡ªno matter how temporary¡ªclearly weighed on her. Especially a member of the council.


    Ludwig tried to offer some comfort, his tone softening. "We''ll do our best. He''s probably left the academy to tend to some personal matters. Maybe he just needed some time alone."


    Kaela shook her head, her expression grim. "I wish it were that simple. Professor Silva said he didn''t see anyone leaving the academy via the teleportation gate, and the academy''s gate guard also said no one had left. So he should still be here."


    "Right, then," Ludwig said, excusing himself to join the search. As he turned to leave, he couldn''t shake the feeling that something was deeply wrong. Esteban''s disappearance felt too sudden, too suspicious. And with the recent murders still unsolved, the timing was anything but coincidental.


    ***


    As Ludwig left the room, Mina turned to Kaela, her brow furrowed with concern. "What do you think?" she asked, her voice low.


    Kaela shook her head, her expression thoughtful. "Not him. Definitely not. He doesn''t have any bloodlust or signs of struggle. I saw him this morning; he looks almost exactly the same. If he had tried to ambush or kill Esteban, he''d at least have signs of combat on his body. Esteban isn''t easy to ambush."


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    Mina nodded, her shoulders relaxing slightly. "Then there''s hope he''s still somewhere and is probably just lost or busy taking care of some matters."


    "I wish that was the case," Kaela replied, her tone heavy. "But his contact device is offline, and he wasn''t seen entering his room since this morning. Something''s not right."


    "Let''s just keep looking," Mina said, her voice resolute. "We''ll find him."


    "Yes," Kaela agreed, though her expression remained troubled. "Hopefully, he''s safe."


    ***


    Ludwig arrived at the academy''s forest entrance, where Minerva and Danny were waiting. The forest loomed ahead, its dark canopy stretching endlessly into the night. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and pine, and the faint rustling of leaves added an eerie soundtrack to their mission.


    "I thought you''d be at the boys'' dorm," Ludwig said when he saw Danny.


    Danny turned to him, his expression serious but calm. "I suppose you met Mina and Kaela," he said. "Yes, I''ll head there soon. Regardless, three groups of two will be combing the forest. Keep tabs on each other and keep your communication devices on. Ludwig, I suppose you have your own?"


    "I do," Ludwig said, pulling out the device his master had given him. The small crystal glowed faintly in his hand, its surface cool to the touch.


    "Good," Danny said, nodding. "Share your contact information with Minerva. Two other groups have already entered the forest. I''ll be heading to the dorms now. Keep an open eye and be careful."


    "Will do," Ludwig said, nodding as Danny turned and walked away, his figure quickly disappearing into the shadows.


    As Danny left, Ludwig moved closer to Minerva, who seemed slightly nervous. Her hands fidgeted with the hem of her robe, and her eyes darted toward the dark forest ahead. "Yo," Ludwig greeted, trying to lighten the mood.


    "H-hey, Ludwig," she replied, her voice trembling slightly. She forced a smile, but it didn''t reach her eyes.


    "Not having much fun, are you?" Ludwig teased, hoping to ease her tension.


    Minerva let out a shaky laugh. "Fun? Really, Ludwig? Someone is missing, and they might even be¡­ dead. And look at us here, going into the big, dark forest! At night! Looking for them!" Her voice rose slightly, her anxiety spilling over.


    Ludwig chuckled, though he understood her fear. "Didn''t you say you''d be fine going through the dark forest if it was with a brave and strong young man like me?" he said, his tone playful.


    Minerva gave him a look, her cheeks flushing slightly, but she couldn''t help but chuckle. Ludwig found it cute and laughed it off, hoping it would ease her tension. "Let''s head in. Stay close," he said, his tone softening.


    "Give me a second," Minerva replied, pulling out a small lantern from her bag. She held it up and whispered, "Blue Flame Light." The lantern flickered to life, casting a soft, blue glow around them.


    "What''s that?" Ludwig asked, intrigued by the device.


    "Something Danny gave me," Minerva explained. "It brightens our surroundings for about five meters, but anything beyond that range can''t see our light or hear our footsteps. It''s supposed to keep us hidden while we search."


    "That sounds awesome," Ludwig said, impressed. The lantern''s glow was soothing, and the idea of moving undetected through the forest was reassuring.


    "Yeah, what''s not awesome is us looking for a freaking serial killer inside a dark forest," Minerva said, her tone a mix of sarcasm and genuine worry. "But hey, I hope nothing happens tonight."


    Ludwig shrugged, his expression calm. "We''ll be fine. Let''s just focus on finding Esteban."


    Minerva nodded, though her grip on the lantern tightened. "Don''t leave me!" she called out as Ludwig began to move ahead, her voice tinged with nervousness.


    Hours passed as the groups combed the forest, calling out Esteban''s name without any response. The night grew colder, and the forest seemed to close in around them, its shadows deepening with every step. Minerva periodically checked in with the other groups, but there were no updates. The search yielded nothing, and frustration began to set in.


    "Ludwig," Minerva said, breaking the silence as they paused near a cluster of trees.


    "What is it?" Ludwig asked, his eyes scanning the area with his undead vision. The forest was eerily quiet, save for the occasional rustle of leaves.


    "We''ve spent four hours looking," Minerva said, her voice tired. "Danny asked us to head back. No matter where Esteban is, he shouldn''t be this deep in the forest without us finding any traces of human footprints."


    Ludwig nodded, though he couldn''t shake the feeling that something was off. "I suppose you''re right," he said, his tone reluctant.


    "Also, someone wants to talk to you," Minerva said, handing Ludwig the communication crystal.


    "Yes?" Ludwig asked, holding the crystal up.


    "Hey, Ludwig," Kaela''s voice came through, her tone unusually serious. "You have anything to do tomorrow?"


    "Watching the matches, that''s about it. Why?" Ludwig asked though a sense of unease crept over him.


    "Good. You''ll get a better spot watching the matches¡ªwith me, in the arena. You''re joining my team," Kaela said, her tone leaving no room for argument.


    "Now, hold on a minute!" Ludwig protested, his mind racing. He hadn''t planned on participating in the tournament, and the idea of being thrust into the spotlight made him uneasy.


    [Quest Update!]


    You have obtained 1 Corrupted Soul.


    You are asked by your classmates to join them in the upcoming tournament.


    Enter the tournament and show your strength! S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Reward: 10 Corrupted Souls!


    You cannot refuse this quest!


    The moment the screen flashed in front of his eyes, Ludwig felt a strange force take over. His body moved on its own, his mouth forming words he hadn''t intended to say.


    [Necros'' Blessing has activated!]


    "Sure, I''ll be there," the words came out of Ludwig''s mouth despite his will refusing.


    Minerva looked at him, confused. "What was that about?"


    Ludwig sighed, his expression a mix of frustration and resignation. "Looks like I''m joining the tournament after all."

 Chapter 177 MORE MAGIC!

    "Wait, what? Why? I thought you weren''t interested," Minerva asked, her voice tinged with confusion as she stared at Ludwig. Her eyes narrowed slightly, trying to gauge his reaction.


    Ludwig barely held back a groan, his skeletal jaw tightening as he forced a neutral expression. "Let''s just say things have changed," he said, his tone clipped. He didn''t want to explain the sudden quest update or the fact that Necros'' Blessing had essentially forced his hand. It was better to keep things vague.


    Minerva frowned, clearly not satisfied with his answer, but she didn''t press further. "I see," she said slowly. "You''ll need to go and prepare, then. The tournament starts early in the morning, and you''ll need your rest."


    Ludwig gave her a strained smile, nodding. "You''re right. Let''s head out of this creepy forest," he said, turning on his heel and beginning to walk away. Minerva followed close behind, her steps quick and light as she tried to keep up with his long strides.


    The two of them soon left the forest, rejoining the rest of the search groups who were gathered near the academy''s perimeter. The mood was tense, with everyone exchanging hushed whispers and uneasy glances. Danny was among them, his expression serious as he approached Ludwig and Minerva.


    "Nothing, I presume?" Danny asked, his voice calm but laced with concern.


    "Nothing," Ludwig confirmed. "No damage to the surroundings, no signs of battle, and definitely no human presence. What about you guys?"


    Danny sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We found something, but it''s¡­ awkward," he admitted.


    "What is it?" Minerva asked, her curiosity piqued.


    "A note," Danny said, pulling a folded piece of paper from his pocket. "From Esteban. It was under his pillow. It says he''ll be leaving for his hometown."


    Ludwig''s brow furrowed as he processed the information. "That doesn''t make any sense," he said, his tone skeptical. "Why would he leave a note like that? Shouldn''t he at least inform his friends verbally or the Student Council?"


    Danny nodded, his expression grim. "We thought the same. But that''s all we''ve got. No other clues, we searched the whole academy and found nothing."


    Ludwig crossed his arms, his mind racing. Something about this felt off. Esteban''s sudden disappearance, the cryptic note¡ªit all seemed too convenient. But without more evidence, there was little they could do.


    "Is that the reason why I was called in?" Ludwig asked, changing the subject.


    "Called in?" Danny replied, his brow furrowing in confusion. Continue reading on My Virtual Library Empire


    "Kaela asked me to join her in the tournament," Ludwig explained, his tone resigned.


    Danny''s eyes widened slightly, but he quickly masked his surprise. "I see," he said, nodding. "I guess she must have realized that without Esteban, she''ll be disqualified. Don''t worry about joining her team, Ludwig. She''s pretty strong. All you need to do is stay behind her. She''ll probably take care of all the issues for you guys, especially with Sabrina on your team. The only problem you''ll have is Haku."


    Minerva tilted her head, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Who will you be cheering for, Danny?" she asked.


    Danny chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ah, that''s a tough one. Both Haku and Kaela are members of the Student Council. I can''t be seen showing favoritism. But honestly, I''m not a huge fan of how Bron acts. And now that Ludwig is with Kaela, I''m more than interested in seeing your swordsmanship," he said, turning to Ludwig with a grin.


    Ludwig smiled faintly, though his mind was already elsewhere. "I would be more than happy to show you, if I had a proper weapon," he said, sighing.


    Danny''s grin faltered. "What do you mean?" he asked.


    "My weapon is currently being repaired," Ludwig explained. "And I don''t have a spare." he shrugged.


    "Ah, that''s going to be a problem," Danny said, his tone sympathetic. "Especially since you''ll be facing a sword maniac like Haku. I also can''t help you much¡ªI''m a mage, and Kaela has been collecting nothing but war axes. Sabrina is also a mage¡­"


    "It''s fine," Ludwig said, waving off Danny''s concern. "I''ll figure something out. Master Van Dijk should have one or two weapons in his possession. I''ll ask him to lend me one."


    Danny nodded, though he still looked uneasy. "Good luck with that. Let me know if you need anything else."


    Ludwig nodded, his mind already turning to the next problem: finding a weapon. He bid Danny and Minerva farewell and made his way to the Black Tower, hoping Van Dijk would have something he could use.


    ***


    Some time later, Ludwig stood in Van Dijk''s study, his arms crossed as he stared at his master. "No," Van Dijk said flatly, not even looking up from the papers he was reading.


    "Really, Master? Not a single one?" Ludwig asked, his tone incredulous.


    "Nope," Van Dijk replied, his voice calm but firm. "Do you regard me as some sort of ape to be holding on to swords and blades?"


    "You use blood daggers, though¡­" Ludwig pointed out, his tone slightly defensive.


    Van Dijk finally looked up, his expression unimpressed. "Those are different. That''s magic," he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.


    Ludwig couldn''t help but sigh, his shoulders slumping. He had hoped Van Dijk would have at least one weapon he could borrow, but it seemed he was out of luck.


    "Also," Van Dijk continued, his tone softening slightly, "you have another teacher you could ask favors of. I''m not the best when it comes to swords and recognizing their full potential. But your undead nature heavily suggests you should use something bulky and heavy. Ask Joana¡ªshe''ll have something for you."


    Ludwig nodded, though he couldn''t help but feel a pang of annoyance. Van Dijk''s dismissive attitude was grating, but he knew better than to argue. "Understood," he said, turning to leave.


    Before he could take a step he finally realized why his master seemed a bit annoyed at him, Ludwig spoke again. "You know, Master," he said, his tone casual but with an edge to it.


    Van Dijk paused, raising his face back to ludwig "What is it?" he asked.


    "The only reason I''m asking for a sword is because my magic is too lacking," he said sheepishly.


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed slightly.


    "I don''t want to shame you by using subpar magic in a tournament. People would think lowly of you if I were to use weak magic to fight." Ludwig gave a convincing argument.


    "So you''re blaming me for your lack of understanding of magic?" Van Dijk said.


    Ludwig''s jaw tightened, but he forced himself to remain calm. "No, Master, god forbid. It''s the other way around. I managed to do this," he said, pointing at his forehead where the emerald mana stone was embedded.


    Van Dijk raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Come here," he said, gesturing for Ludwig to approach.


    Ludwig stepped closer, and Van Dijk leaned in, examining the mana stone with a critical eye. "Seamless fusion," he murmured, his tone approving. "Not bad. How did you operate on yourself?"


    "I simply removed and replaced the old mana stone with this one," Ludwig explained. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Van Dijk leaned back, his expression a mix of surprise and mild annoyance. "I did ask you to wait for me to do this for you, and you did it yourself," he said, his tone dry.


    "One should be venturous and have a sense of discovery," Ludwig replied, his tone light but with a hint of defiance.


    Van Dijk sighed, shaking his head. "You have an answer for everything," he said, though there was a faint smile on his lips. "Fine. Wait here."


    Ludwig remained in the room, his patience wearing thin as Van Dijk left. He returned after about fifteen minutes, carrying four books of varying sizes and weights. He placed them in front of Ludwig with a flourish.


    "These are all tier-three magic spells," Van Dijk said, his tone serious. "With one of them having more potential than the others. You have about ten or so hours before the tournament starts. You better start studying."


    Ludwig inspected the books, his eyes scanning the titles:


    [Bounds of Latvia]


    [Explosive Mines]


    [Vow of Silence]


    [Vengeance]


    He looked up at Van Dijk, a mix of gratitude and determination in his eyes. "Thank you, Master," he said, his voice steady.


    Van Dijk nodded, his expression softening slightly. "Don''t disappoint me," he said, before turning back to his papers.

 Chapter 178 A Spell Like No Other

    Ludwig took the books and was about to leave the room, his mind already racing with the possibilities of the spells he was about to learn. But before he could take a step, Van Dijk''s voice stopped him in his tracks.


    "Where are you going?" Van Dijk asked, his tone casual but with an underlying sharpness that made Ludwig pause.


    "I don''t want to bother you when I''m practicing these," Ludwig said, gesturing to the books in his hands. "You look busy."


    Van Dijk didn''t even glance up from the inscribed books he was reading. "No, grab a chair. Sit over there and work on your studies. If you need help, just ask me," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.


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    Ludwig hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Right," he said, heading to a nearby empty table. He pulled out a chair and sat down, placing the books in front of him. The first one he picked up was [Bounds of Latvia]. He opened it and began reading, his eyes scanning the pages with intense focus.


    The book began by describing the original creator of the spell, a mage of incredible renown named Latvia. She was said to have sealed a dragon with her mastery of the art of sealing. The [Bounds of Latvia] spell was one of her most famous creations, a powerful binding spell that could root even the strongest of foes in place.


    The book went on to explain how the mana needed to be formulated and calculated to form the chains that would eventually bind and root the target. Ludwig''s eyes widened as he read through the details. This is the same spell that Master used back at the fight against the Knight King¡­ even he was unable to set himself free in a short time due to this¡­


    Ludwig raised his eyes to glance at Van Dijk, who was still reading casually, his expression unbothered. The man was a monster, able to fight on par with someone at the pinnacle of a kingdom and come out on top, even when he was at a disadvantage. Ludwig''s respect for Van Dijk only grew¡ªnot because of his immense power, but because this was merely a tier-three spell. The fact that Van Dijk could wield it with such precision and mastery spoke volumes about his skill.


    Ludwig continued reading the book, his focus unwavering. It took him less than an hour to finish it, his mind absorbing the information like a sponge. Little did he realize, Van Dijk was constantly glancing at him, surprised by his incredible focus and attention.


    [You have learned {Bounds of Latvia}]


    [Bounds of Latvia - Binds a physical enemy in place for 10 seconds. The more they struggle, the tighter the chains of Latvia become.]


    [100 Mana cost]


    "Good, that''s one," Ludwig muttered, setting the book aside.


    Van Dijk frowned, his curiosity piqued. "Did you learn it?" he asked, standing up and walking over to Ludwig.


    "Somewhat," Ludwig said, his tone cautious.


    "That is not an answer," Van Dijk said, his voice firm. "Do not take this lightly, Ludwig. Use it on me. Let me see your mistakes."


    Ludwig hesitated, but seeing his master''s firm expression, he nodded. "Sure, Master," he said, standing up and facing Van Dijk.


    "Bounds of Latvia!" Ludwig called, pointing his hand at Van Dijk.


    Immediately, ten coiling chains of metal spread out from around Van Dijk''s feet, wrapping around him tightly. Van Dijk looked down at the chains, a small smile playing on his lips. Then, with a casual step forward, he simply walked out of the chains, leaving them to fall to the ground with a rattling clatter.


    His body in the process almost seemed to wiggle and wriggle as if it had turned to liquid.


    Ludwig''s shoulders slumped. "I guess I must have been too arrogant," he said, his tone disappointed.


    "No, the opposite," Van Dijk said, his voice calm. "It''s proper use, though it''s still at the novice level. This is good for now. The reason I was able to escape is because I can change my form to blood, which is not physical." Van Dijk explained patiently to Ludwig.


    Ludwig nodded, recalling what he had read. "I remember reading about that. It can only contain something that''s physical."


    "Yes," Van Dijk said, nodding. "That''s why I always couple it with [Ensnare] and [Anchor Dead]. These three together will bind the soul, the body, and the mind. But you can''t use the others¡ªthey''re still above your level. This is a good start. Keep studying." Van Dijk encouraged.


    Ludwig nodded, his determination renewed. "I do remember you using [Anchor Dead]. You also used [Crucify Dead] back then."


    Van Dijk''s expression darkened slightly. "That''s a lesson for another day. Also, [Crucify Dead] and [Anchor Dead] are dark magic. Since they''re technically necromancy, they''re forbidden. You can''t learn them now or use them in the tournament. That goes for [Taint], [Enfeeble], and definitely not [Rise Undead]. That''ll get you straight to the gallows, and even I can''t help you there." Van Dijk warned.


    Ludwig nodded, understanding the gravity of his master''s words. "I still have other spells I can use, Master. Thank you," he said, resuming his readings.


    Van Dijk seemed more interested in his student, able to understand a spell book mind you, not a degraded Skill Book. A spell book is a book where one needs to learn and understand the spell''s essence to be able to use it.


    The next book Ludwig picked up was [Explosive Mines]. As he opened it, a notification flashed before his eyes.


    [Necros'' Blessing has interfered.]


    [Some of the description has been changed for the reader of this spell book to better understand.]


    Ludwig frowned but continued reading. The spell was described as a relative of [Fire Orb], a spell that would hover and explode after some time. [Explosive Mines] added the option of timed explosions and forced detonations. However, the spell was lowly regarded because its damage and output were based on the caster''s mana and [Wisdom].


    The book went on to explain that the number of explosive mines could be freely changed to suit the user''s wishes, but the more mines there were on the field, the greater the mental toll on the caster.


    Ludwig''s frown deepened as he read through the spell''s complexity. It had too many extra components, making it inefficient. He couldn''t help but voice his concerns.


    "Master," Ludwig said, looking up from the book.


    "Yes?" Van Dijk replied, not looking up from his own reading.


    "Isn''t this a faulty spell?" Ludwig asked, holding up the [Explosive Mines] book.


    Van Dijk finally looked up, a knowing smile flashing across his face. "Why would you think so?"


    "See here," Ludwig said, pointing to a section of the book. "Wouldn''t the spell still function the same if this part wasn''t here?"


    Van Dijk nodded. "Indeed, it would."


    "Then it''s faulty, no?" Ludwig asked, his tone confused.


    "Think bigger," Van Dijk said, his smile widening.


    Ludwig frowned, but he heeded his master''s advice. Van Dijk wasn''t the type of teacher to spoon-feed his students. He would show them the path but expected them to walk it themselves. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After a moment of thought, Ludwig''s eyes widened in realization. "Wait, this isn''t just added here for nothing¡­ this is here so you can fuse this spell with something else?" he said, turning to Van Dijk.


    Van Dijk''s smile grew even wider. "Exactly, Quite surprising that you realized it, even those two fools had yet to understand," he said, standing up and walking over to Ludwig.


    He held out his hand, "Explosive Mine," Van Dijk said, and a small ball of fire appeared in his palm. It was compact and condensed, looking like a small sun without the extra flames.


    The ball of fire hovered in his hand, its energy contained but palpable. Then, Van Dijk spoke again.


    "Black Flames."


    Immediately, the explosive mine shifted, its fiery orange hue turning into a deep, ominous black. The air around it seemed to warp, as if the flames were consuming the very light.


    "Graviol," Van Dijk said next.


    The ball changed again, this time becoming a deep purple orb. Small pieces of paper and debris from the room began to float toward it, drawn by an invisible force.


    "Frost-Fire."


    The orb transformed once more, this time into a ball of pure, cool ice. The temperature in the room dropped slightly, and Ludwig could see his breath in the air.


    "Howling Gale."


    Finally, the ball shifted into a spiraling whirlwind, compressed and contained within the confines of the spell.


    "Do you understand?" Van Dijk asked, his voice calm but filled with pride.


    [You have seen great mastery over the art of magic!]


    [+5 Wisdom]


    Ludwig''s entire body shuddered as he realized the incredible complexity of what had seemed like a simple tier-three spell. His mind raced with the possibilities, and he felt a newfound respect for the spell¡ªand for his master.


    "Sadly," Van Dijk said, his tone tinged with regret, "I couldn''t reach the limits of such a simple-looking spell. It was ironically created by someone who was unrelated to magic. It was so great and had so much potential that even the elusive Algad Hcil wrote a book about it. But still, my mind cannot keep up with the computational effort needed to magnify the effects of such a spell. For someone like me, that type of headache, though I can tolerate it, would still put me in shock and drop me unconscious."


    Van Dijk turned to Ludwig, his expression serious. "But you, Ludwig¡­ if your will is strong enough to survive the backlash of such magic, even I cannot tell what limits you would be able to break. So, are you interested in learning this simple spell?"

 Chapter 179 Ludwig Participates

    "Simple? This is anything but simple, Master. I''d love to learn it," Ludwig said, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he considered the endless possibilities of the [Explosive Mines] spell. The complexity of the spell fascinated him, and he was eager to master it.


    He began by re-reading the book, absorbing every detail, memorizing the formulas for the spell''s creation, and understanding how to warp and control the magic. Unlike the first spell he had learned, [Bounds of Latvia], this one took him twice as long to grasp. But the reward was worth it.


    [You have learned, {Explosive Mines}]


    Creates an explosive fireball that can be detonated at will or after a set amount of time.


    The spell''s damage is relative to the caster''s Wisdom.


    The number of {Explosive Mines} the caster can create is relative to their Mana, Stamina, and Wisdom.


    "Good, I think I got it," Ludwig said, looking up at his teacher with a mixture of pride and anticipation.


    "Show me," Van Dijk said, his tone calm but expectant.


    Ludwig hesitated. "Wouldn''t it cause problems? I mean, it''s explosive, and I don''t know how much damage it would cause."


    "Don''t worry about that," Van Dijk replied, waving off Ludwig''s concern.


    "Okay, Master," Ludwig said, nodding. He pointed his finger forward and called out, "{Explosive Mines!}"


    A small ball of condensed fire materialized in front of Ludwig''s finger, hovering ominously. The air around it shimmered with heat, and Ludwig could feel the energy radiating from it.


    "What now?" Ludwig asked, his tone uncertain.


    "What do you think?" Van Dijk said, raising an eyebrow. "If you try to blow it up that close to your hand, you''ll lose an arm. Push it away like a guided fireball. You can also control its speed and direction by spending more mana."


    Ludwig nodded, recalling the extensive instructions in the book. The spell''s control mechanisms had taken up more than two-thirds of the book''s length, while the creation process was relatively straightforward. It was a true scientist''s approach to spellcraft, and Ludwig appreciated the precision.


    He focused, channeling his mana to guide the [Explosive Mine]. The fireball moved as he willed it, flying forward, spinning, and changing direction. But as he continued to manipulate it, he began to feel the strain.


    "Seems that the longer I move it and control it, the harder it gets and the more mana it absorbs," Ludwig said, his brow furrowing.


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    "It should be natural," Van Dijk replied. "Now, push it toward me and blow it up."


    Ludwig hesitated but complied. He guided the fireball toward Van Dijk, who calmly raised his hand. As the [Explosive Mine] approached, Van Dijk encased it in a translucent mana orb, containing its energy.


    Ludwig snapped his fingers, triggering the explosion. The fireball erupted, but the mana orb absorbed the blast effortlessly. To Ludwig, it seemed like the explosion had done nothing, but Van Dijk''s knowing smile told a different story.


    The side of the orb facing Van Dijk was cracked, a testament to the spell''s power. With a casual motion, Van Dijk dissipated the orb, leaving no trace of the explosion.


    "Good, good," Van Dijk said, his tone approving.


    "What should I do to add more magic to it?" Ludwig asked, his curiosity piqued.


    "You mean the same way I did?" Van Dijk replied, his tone teasing.


    "Yes," Ludwig said, his eyes shining with excitement. "Not gonna lie, that looked awesome, especially the gravitational explosive mine."


    Van Dijk chuckled. "Ah, gravity is a rather tough subject, and it''s a tier-four spell at the minimum. You still don''t have the circuits to handle it, and definitely not enough Nephilium for it. So don''t bother. As for the other spells¡­ let''s just say that your cup is already full. You need to adjust and learn the limits of your current self before you try to outgrow them. Slow and steady, Ludwig. You''re an undead¡ªyou have infinity itself to learn whatever you want."


    Ludwig nodded, taking his master''s words to heart. Van Dijk was right; there was no point in hurrying. He still had two more spells to learn, and he needed to master them before the tournament.


    Ludwig returned to his desk and began studying the remaining spells. The hours passed quickly, and by the time morning arrived, he had learned all four spells. However, the process had humbled him. He realized that his initial confidence had been somewhat arrogant, and he needed to temper his expectations. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As the first light of dawn broke, Ludwig rushed out of the Black Tower, cursing his foolishness for thinking he could learn the spells in such a short time. He had managed to master them all, but the experience had taught him a valuable lesson in humility.


    Little did Ludwig know, his master was incredibly impressed. Van Dijk had watched Ludwig''s progress throughout the night, amazed by the speed at which he had learned the spells. For most students, it would have taken weeks, if not months, to master even one of those books. Yet Ludwig had done it in half a night.


    Van Dijk wasn''t one to cajole or hype up his students. To him, everyone was subpar, and he pushed them to better themselves to earn his recognition. But deep down, he felt that Ludwig wasn''t just a monster in body¡ªhe was a monster in mind. The boy''s genius had surpassed even Van Dijk''s, and that was saying something.


    Ludwig reached the academy in record time, his undead stamina allowing him to sprint without tiring. As he approached the entrance, a guard recognized him and immediately led him inside.


    Just as Ludwig walked into the academy, Hoyo was the first to greet him. "Oi, Ludwig!" he shouted, waving enthusiastically.


    "Yo, man. What''s up?" Ludwig said, his eyes darting toward the arena.


    "Today''s a big day, right?" Hoyo said, his tone excited.


    "Yep, I guess," Ludwig replied, his mind still focused on the tournament.


    "I heard you spent the night at the Black Tower. Tell me they''re not doing some weird experiments on you there?" Hoyo asked, his tone half-joking, half-concerned.


    "Huh? No, why are you asking?" Ludwig said, raising an eyebrow.


    "I don''t know," Hoyo said, shrugging. "The Black Tower is the dream of every student, to go there and study there. But everyone who goes there comes back with a couple of screws loose."


    Ludwig couldn''t blame him. So far, he only knew of three people in the Black Tower, and none of them were exactly sane. "I need to go," Ludwig said, his tone urgent.


    "Where to?" Hoyo asked, frowning.


    "The arena. I''m late," Ludwig said, already moving.


    "The tournament is starting after an hour or so, and I already secured our spots," Hoyo said, trying to stop him.


    "Ah, I''m not watching," Ludwig said, pausing to look back at Hoyo. "I''m participating."


    Hoyo''s jaw dropped, his eyes widening in shock. "Wait, what? You''re participating? Since when?"


    Ludwig grinned, though his expression was a mix of excitement and nervousness. "Since last night. I''ll explain later. For now, I need to get to the arena."


    With that, Ludwig turned and sprinted toward the arena, leaving Hoyo staring after him in stunned silence. The tournament was about to begin. He wasn''t interested in joining yesterday, but now with more spells and abilities under his belt, he couldn''t help but feel slightly exited.

 Chapter 180 And It begins!

    Ludwig arrived at the arena, his eyes widening in surprise at the massive transformation that had taken place overnight. What had once been a simple, open-air platform with cement staircases for spectators had been replaced by a grand Colosseum-like structure. The sheer scale of it was breathtaking, with towering walls, intricate carvings, and a massive central arena that seemed ready to host battles of epic proportions.


    The Colosseum had one main entrance where a steady stream of students was pouring in. Ludwig was about to follow the crowd when a hand grabbed his arm, pulling him back.


    "You''re late!" a familiar voice scolded.


    Turning, Ludwig saw Kaela standing there, her fiery eyes glaring at him. Her grip on his arm was firm, and her expression was a mix of annoyance and relief.


    "You thought I was going to bail on you?" Ludwig said, grinning despite the situation.


    "The thought crossed my mind," Kaela admitted, releasing his arm. "Still, are you ready?"


    Ludwig hesitated, then shook his head. "Sadly, I couldn''t secure a weapon." Explore stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    Kaela''s eyes narrowed. "What do you mean? How come you''re a swordsman who doesn''t have a sword?"


    "Ah, mine went in for repairs," Ludwig explained, shrugging.


    Kaela sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "More on my plate, I guess¡­ It''s fine. Though you''re okay, I''m not reliant on you. Just sit back and make the numbers. I don''t want to be disqualified for having a missing member. You can use magic, right?"


    "Yes, somewhat," Ludwig said, his tone cautious.


    "Good enough for me," Kaela said, nodding. "Sabrina and you should support me."


    "Where is Sabrina, though?" Ludwig asked, looking around.


    "There," Kaela said, pointing to the top of the Colosseum wall. Ludwig followed her gaze and saw a black cat basking in the sun, its tail flicking lazily.


    "You mean the cat?" Ludwig asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Exactly," Kaela said, her tone exasperated. "She''s a lazy slob. She''ll join us once our turn is up. Let''s go to the arena now."


    Ludwig nodded, and the two of them headed toward the main entrance. But before they could step inside, Kaela grabbed his arm again.


    "Not there," she said, pulling him toward a smaller, less crowded entrance on the side of the Colosseum. "Participants have their own entrance." Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They walked through the side entrance and found themselves in a quiet, dimly lit room. The atmosphere was tense, with other participants milling about, donning armor and preparing their weapons. The room reminded Ludwig of the inner chambers of a gladiator''s arena, complete with benches and storage for equipment.


    Kaela immediately began putting on pieces of armor, her movements quick and practiced. She strapped on greaves, a chest plate, and gauntlets, her expression focused. Once she was done, she turned to Ludwig, her eyes scanning him critically.


    "No armor, no sword, and no wand or staff¡­" she said, her tone tinged with disappointment. "One would really think that you''re with us just for the numbers."


    Ludwig shrugged, unfazed. "I don''t need a wand to use magic, or a staff."


    Kaela frowned, then shrugged. "Fine, if you say so. Let''s go."


    They left the preparation room and entered the arena, taking their seats in the front rows. The other participants were already there, some chatting nervously, others sitting in silence, their eyes fixed on the arena below. Ludwig noticed Haku sitting nearby, his heavy sword resting across his lap. Next to him was Bron, looking as arrogant as ever, and a woman Ludwig had never seen before.


    She was, by any definition, stunning. Her figure was hourglass-perfect, and her outfit, while revealing, was elegant and tasteful. Her black hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, and her lips were painted a deep, blood-red. Her allure was undeniable, and Ludwig couldn''t help but notice the way she carried herself¡ªconfident, almost predatory.


    She caught Ludwig''s gaze and smiled, her eyes glinting with mischief.


    [As an Undead, you resist Charm.]


    Ludwig shook his head, breaking eye contact and ignoring her. The woman''s smile faltered for a moment, replaced by a faint frown.


    "Oi, slut, wipe the drool off your mouth. He''s my teammate!" Kaela shouted, her voice cutting through the tension.


    The woman turned to Kaela, her smile returning, though it was now laced with venom. "One would think you''re his owner," she said, her voice smooth and mocking. "He''s handsome. I like handsome men. Especially when they break." Her last words seemed to echo in Ludwig''s mind, sending a shiver down his spine.


    "Ignore her," Kaela said, sitting down next to Ludwig. "She''s crazy. Don''t let all that makeup fool you."


    Ludwig nodded, though he couldn''t help but feel uneasy. He sat down beside Kaela, his eyes scanning the arena. The Colosseum was nearly full now, the air buzzing with anticipation. Just as the timer hit ten, a massive fanfare of light and magic erupted in the center of the arena.


    Ludwig tensed, thinking it was an attack, but when no danger notifications appeared, he relaxed. The smoke cleared, revealing Professor Olim standing in the center of the arena, dressed in a bright yellow suit that reflected light like a mirror. He was almost blindingly shiny.


    "WELCOME, WELCOME ALL!" Olim''s voice boomed, amplified by magic. "To our forty-fourth Black Tower Academy tournament! As most of you know, this is a stage built for our dear students to showcase their strength and the knowledge they''ve gained this year. Some of them will soon be leaving us, as the third years have finally reached the end of their journey with us at the Black Tower Academy. Meanwhile, others, such as the freshmen who just joined, will get to see the level they, too, will one day reach!"


    Olim launched into a lengthy speech about the glory of the academy, its history, and its values. The students, however, quickly lost interest, their attention wandering. Sensing the lack of enthusiasm, Olim coughed and moved on.


    "Regardless! We will now reveal the content of the tournament! First off, this is the list of all the participants!" Olim said, gesturing to a massive holographic screen that appeared above him. The screen displayed the names of all the students participating, nearly a hundred in total.


    "This year, we''ve seen a surge in last-minute participants, and we''ve allowed many to join. But that also means the competition will be as difficult as it is exciting!" Olim said, his voice filled with enthusiasm. He then pointed to the far end of the stadium, where a group of professors sat in a special viewing area.


    "As you can all see, accompanying us today are a few professors of great renown in the academy: Professor Vastion Oda''Roh, Professor Cymoria Azmiralis, and the Black Tower Master himself¡ªthe one and only Bastos Van Dijk!"


    The moment Van Dijk''s name was mentioned, the entire Colosseum erupted into cheers and applause. The energy in the arena was electric, and Ludwig couldn''t help but feel a surge of pride.


    "Wow, I guess he''s pretty famous," Ludwig said, his voice barely audible over the noise.


    "Famous?" Kaela said, raising an eyebrow. "He''s the reason this whole academy still exists and accepts all sorts of people. Without him, many of these students would have been nothing but rug-rats, thieves, and criminals. He gave them a chance by allowing them to attend. You really don''t fully grasp the opportunity and weight of being his one and only disciple, do you?"


    Ludwig smiled, his chest swelling with pride. After all the gifts and opportunities he had received as Van Dijk''s disciple, he fully understood what Kaela meant.


    "Now then, for the contents that the participants will be dealing with!" Olim said, his voice cutting through the noise. "Let''s start with our first challenge: THE GAUNTLET!"

 Chapter 181 RUN LUDWIG RUN!

    "Since we have a lot of teams, we''ll need to thin the numbers. Your first task as a group will be to survive. Do not worry¡ªdespite the infamy we have as the Black Tower Academy for being far more¡­ realistic in our approach to danger, there will be no deaths. In the case of mortal danger, a teacher will intervene to save the student," Olim announced, his voice echoing through the Colosseum. His sharp eyes scanned the crowd, lingering for a moment on Ludwig and Kaela before moving on.


    He clapped his hands, and the ground beneath them began to shift. The arena trembled as the terrain transformed, the stone floor giving way to patches of grass, sand, and rocky outcrops. A massive, translucent bubble-like structure manifested around the arena, enclosing it in a swirling fog that obscured the outside world. The air grew thick with anticipation, and the faint hum of magic buzzed in Ludwig''s ears.


    "Explaining the details of the event would be quite boring," Olim continued, a sly grin spreading across his face. "As a great man once said, ''Show, don''t tell.'' You''ll all have to see for yourselves what the teachers have in store for you. To all participants, please walk up to the dome and enter."


    The crowd murmured, a mix of excitement and unease rippling through the students. Ludwig exchanged a glance with Kaela, who nodded firmly. "Let''s go, Ludwig," she said, her voice steady but with a hint of urgency.


    Ludwig followed her, his boots crunching against the shifting terrain. Just as they approached the dome, a black streak shot down from the top of the colosseum. Before Ludwig could react, the black cat¡ªSabrina¡ªlanded gracefully on his head, her weight surprisingly light.


    "So, you''re Ludwig," the cat said, her voice dripping with amusement.


    Ludwig sighed. "I suppose you''re Sabrina."


    "Use your feet, you lazy slob," Kaela snapped, glaring at the cat.


    Sabrina''s tail flicked lazily. "Would you like me to use your head as a resting spot instead?" she replied, her tone smug.


    Kaela''s hand twitched toward the hilt of her sword. "Try it, and I''ll cut you in half!"


    Sabrina only snickered, clearly enjoying the exchange. "Ludwig, be a dear and carry me through this event. I''m really not a fan of fighting," she purred, settling comfortably on his head.


    Ludwig couldn''t help but sigh. "Fine, it''s fine. Let''s keep going," he muttered, resigning himself to his role as a glorified carriage. He stepped forward, Kaela at his side, and approached the dome. The fog swirled around them, cold and damp against his skin.


    "We don''t know what''s going to happen inside, so stay on your guard and stay close," Kaela said, her voice low and serious.


    Ludwig nodded, his grip tightening on the communication crystal in his pocket. "Got it."


    "Easy there, I almost fell," Sabrina complained as Ludwig adjusted his stance.


    "My bad," Ludwig replied, though he was starting to feel slightly irritated.


    "Less shaking, more moving," the cat quipped.


    Ludwig took a deep breath and stepped through the dome. The world around him shifted instantly. The weight on his head disappeared, and he found himself standing in the middle of a lush, green forest. The air was thick with humidity, and the scent of damp earth and vegetation filled his nostrils. Towering trees with massive, fan-like leaves stretched toward the sky, their canopies blocking out most of the sunlight. The underbrush was dense, with vines and ferns crowding the forest floor.


    "Kaela?" Ludwig called, his voice echoing through the trees. There was no reply.


    Suddenly, his pocket vibrated. He pulled out the communication crystal, its surface glowing faintly. "Ludwig, it seems like we got separated. Where are you right now?" Kaela''s voice came through, tinged with frustration.


    "I don''t know. Big forest area, no visible landmarks, large trees everywhere," Ludwig explained, scanning his surroundings. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Damn. Different biomes. I''m in a desert," Kaela said. "Let me add Sabrina to the call."


    A moment later, Sabrina''s voice crackled through the crystal. "Luuuuudwiiig, where are you? It''s freezing here!" she whined, her teeth audibly chattering.


    "This is awkward. Each of us is in a different biome," Kaela said. "Just stay safe for now. We don''t know the content of this trial."


    "It''s a survival trial," Ludwig said. "Olim mentioned it. We should be careful and vigilant."


    As soon as the words left his mouth, a loud explosion echoed through the forest, shaking the ground beneath his feet. Ludwig''s heart skipped a beat.


    "What was that?" Kaela asked, her voice tense. Continue your adventure at My Virtual Library Empire


    "Someone''s fighting," Ludwig said, his eyes narrowing. "I''ll check it out."


    "Don''t. You should stay in cover and hide," Kaela urged.


    "Then we''ll have no understanding of what''s going on. Survival isn''t about who can hide better¡ªit''s about who has a better understanding of their surroundings. I''ll call you if anything''s up," Ludwig said, cutting the connection before Kaela could argue further.


    He moved cautiously through the dense vegetation, his senses on high alert. The forest was alive with sounds¡ªchirping insects, rustling leaves, and the distant calls of unseen creatures. After about fifteen minutes, he reached the source of the commotion.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me," Ludwig muttered under his breath.


    Lying on the ground was the half-burnt corpse of a reptilian creature. Its long, sharp mouth was frozen in a snarl, and its short arms and powerful legs suggested it was built for speed. Ludwig''s stomach churned as he recognized the creature. It wasn''t a lizardman¡ªit was far worse. This was a predator known for its pack-hunting tactics and relentless pursuit of prey.


    "A raptor¡­" Ludwig swallowed hard, his mind racing. "Why the hell is a raptor here?"


    "Raptor? What''s that?" Thomas''s voice echoed in his head, startling him.


    "Jesus Christ!" Ludwig blurted, clutching his chest. "Don''t do that!"


    "That''s a first¡ªseeing an undead panic," Thomas said, his tone amused.


    "Not panic. Surprise," Ludwig corrected, his voice tight. "Regardless, we call this a raptor¡­"


    "I don''t know about that. That''s a Velkryn. They''re pretty weak alone," Thomas said dismissively.


    "Yeah, but they never hunt by themselves," Ludwig replied, his eyes darting around the forest. He crouched low, scanning the underbrush for movement. "Now that I''m taking another look at this forest¡­ these leaves are absurdly large. And these are Cyatheales¡­"


    "Cyawhat?" Thomas asked, clearly confused.


    "Tree ferns. Just very old plants," Ludwig explained, his mind racing. Two hundred and thirty-million-year-old plants¡­


    "Also, shouldn''t you be hiding? I''d probably hide," Thomas said.


    "Yeah, that would be the best way to serve myself as bone soup to these things. Their sense of smell is better than a dog''s. Hiding is useless. This was never about who can hide better," Ludwig said, his voice low. He froze as he heard the rustling of leaves behind him. "This was always about who can run longer."


    In an instant, three raptors burst from the foliage, their hisses sharp and menacing. Their eyes locked onto Ludwig, and their powerful legs coiled, ready to pounce.


    "Are you going to fight them?" Thomas asked, his tone almost teasing.


    "Fight?" Ludwig smiled grimly as he backed away. "That''s the best way to sign your own death certificate." With that, he turned and bolted, the raptors hot on his heels.


    For most contestants, three Velkryn wouldn''t be much of an issue. They could easily be taken down with a few well-placed spells¡ªjust like the one that had left the first corpse Ludwig had seen. But this was a survival event. Wasting mana or risking injury without reason was a surefire way to lose.


    Ludwig, however, wasn''t like most contestants. He was an undead, and the best part about being one was that he didn''t need to use his mana. He didn''t need to use his strength, he didn''t need to risk the fight, as an Undead he had infinite stamina. After all, the undead don''t tire.

 Chapter 182 Seriously?

    Ludwig''s feet carried him further and further away from the raptors, but the more he ran, the worse his situation became. What had started as a manageable chase with three raptors half an hour ago had now escalated into a full-blown stampede. The three had become six, and soon another joined the pack. Yet, despite their numbers, none of them had managed to close the gap between themselves and Ludwig.


    "Surprisingly, you''re keeping up the same pace," Thomas remarked, his voice calm despite the chaos unfolding around them.


    "Yep, gotta keep a rhythm when running," Ludwig replied, his breathing steady as he leaped over a large tree root blocking his path. Behind him, one of the raptors, too focused on its prey, failed to notice the obstacle. Its legs tangled in the root, sending it tumbling to the ground with a sharp yelp.


    "One down!" Thomas cheered, his tone almost playful.


    "Don''t curse it," Ludwig said, his eyes scanning the terrain ahead. "They have very sturdy legs." As if to prove his point, the fallen raptor scrambled back to its feet, shaking off the impact, and rejoined the chase, though now it lagged at the back of the pack. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    Soon, a seventh raptor emerged from the dense foliage, its sharp eyes locking onto Ludwig. The pack was growing, and the forest seemed to echo with their hisses and snarls.


    "At this rate, you''ll probably have the entire forest running after you," Thomas said, his voice tinged with amusement.


    "As long as I''m faster and keep my distance, I''m fine," Ludwig replied, his tone confident. He ducked under a low-hanging branch and sidestepped a cluster of thick vines. One of the raptors, too focused on its prey, didn''t see the looping vine in its path. Its neck snapped back as it collided with the obstacle, the force of the impact nearly breaking its spine. The creature let out a pained screech but quickly recovered, its determination to catch Ludwig undiminished.


    Ludwig pressed on, his legs burning but his resolve unshaken. The forest seemed endless, a labyrinth of towering trees and dense underbrush. The sound of the raptors'' claws scraping against the forest floor was a constant reminder of the danger at his heels. But Ludwig''s mind was sharp, his focus unwavering. He knew that one misstep could mean the end of him.


    Suddenly, another loud explosion echoed through the forest, this time from up ahead. Ludwig''s lips curled into a wide grin as he sprinted toward the source of the noise. Bursting through the foliage, he found himself in a small clearing. A student stood in the center, his face pale and streaked with sweat. The corpses of three Velkryn lay sprawled around him, their bodies charred and broken. The student''s wand trembled in his hand as he pointed it at Ludwig.


    "I''m warning you! Don''t get any closer!" the student shouted, his voice cracking with exhaustion.


    Ludwig didn''t need to say a word. The seven Velkryn burst into the clearing behind him, their hisses filling the air. The student''s eyes widened in horror as he realized what was happening.


    "Son of a bitch!" the student cursed, his hands shaking as he began to chant a spell.


    But Ludwig was faster. "Vow of Silence!" he cast, his voice sharp and commanding. Runic writings spread rapidly from beneath the student''s feet, snaking up his body and sealing his mouth shut. The student clawed at his face, his muffled screams barely audible as the spell took hold.


    Ludwig sprinted past him, not sparing a second glance. The student could only watch in terror as the seven raptors lunged at him. But just as their claws were about to strike, a large, translucent bubble materialized around the student. The raptors collided with the barrier, their snarls turning to frustrated hisses. The bubble then shot upward, carrying the student out of harm''s way and disappearing into the canopy above.


    The Velkryn, now robbed of their prey, turned their attention back to Ludwig, their eyes blazing with fury.


    "Well, that wasn''t nice," Thomas said, his tone disapproving.


    "Yeah, he should have at least bought me some time acting as food," Ludwig replied with a shrug, his voice dripping with sarcasm.


    "I think you missed my point," Thomas said, frowning.


    Ludwig grinned. "I didn''t." And with that, he took off again, the raptors hot on his heels.


    The sound of the stampede behind him grew louder, the forest floor trembling under the weight of the pursuing pack. The Velkryn were relentless, their determination to catch Ludwig only growing stronger with every passing moment. They had lost one meal, and they weren''t about to let another slip away.


    Ludwig''s eyes darted across the terrain, scanning for any advantage he could exploit. He couldn''t afford to stumble or back himself into a corner. Every step had to be calculated, every move deliberate. And then he saw it¡ªa narrow path leading to the edge of a cliff. A plan began to form in his mind.


    Ludwig sprinted toward the cliff, the raptors closing in behind him. The edge came into view, a sheer drop into another level of the forest. Ludwig''s heart pounded as he grabbed a hanging vine, using it to swing himself forward.


    "CLIFF! CLIFF! CLIFF!" Thomas shouted, his voice filled with panic.


    "I know," Ludwig replied, his grin widening. He leaped off the edge, the vine snapping taut as it caught his weight. The first three raptors, too focused on their prey, didn''t notice the drop until it was too late. Their claws scrabbled against the edge of the cliff as they tumbled into the void, their hisses turning to panicked screeches.


    The remaining raptors skidded to a halt at the edge, their eyes wide with fear. But their relief was short-lived. One of the raptors, unable to stop in time, crashed into the others, sending the entire group over the edge. Ludwig swung back onto the cliff, his laughter echoing through the forest.


    "Wow, that''s crazy," Thomas said, his voice filled with awe.


    "Yeah, but it worked," Ludwig replied, peering over the edge. The raptors lay motionless at the bottom of the cliff, their bodies broken and lifeless. One of them twitched weakly, but it was clear they were no longer a threat.


    Ludwig let go of the vine and took a moment to catch his breath. -Though he didn''t have any lungs- The cliff''s edge offered a breathtaking view of the forest below, a sprawling expanse of greenery that seemed to stretch on forever. But Ludwig''s relief was short-lived. His eyes caught movement in the distance¡ªsomething massive, something that was crushing trees as it moved.


    Ludwig''s mouth twitched, his expression twisting into an awful, disgusted scowl. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What? You look like you stepped on shit," Thomas said, his tone lighthearted.


    "I wish," Ludwig muttered, his eyes fixed on the creature emerging from the treeline. Its massive form came into view, its powerful legs shaking the ground with every step. Its jaws were lined with rows of razor-sharp teeth, and its eyes locked onto Ludwig with a predatory gleam.


    Ludwig could swear, that the creature grinned at him.


    "Fuck¡­" Ludwig cursed, his voice barely above a whisper. "That''s a fucking T-rex¡­"

 Chapter 183 A Skeletons Madness

    "What do you think of the students this year, Professor Vastion?" Professor Olim''s voice boomed through the colosseum, amplified by the microphone. His tone was light, almost playful, as he addressed the stern-faced professor beside him.


    Vastion took a moment to consider the question, his sharp eyes scanning the massive projection of the trial grounds. "It seems we have some interesting fellows this year," he said finally, his voice measured and deliberate. "Not to mention, many of last year''s students are showing decent progress in their respective paths." Read the latest on My Virtual Library Empire


    "I see," Olim replied, nodding thoughtfully. When it became clear that Vastion had no further commentary, Olim turned to the other professor seated beside him. "Professor Cymoria, are you particularly interested in anyone''s progress this year?"


    Cymoria, her expression calm but her eyes gleaming with pride, leaned forward slightly. "I am, actually. One of my personal students is participating¡ªVivian Storm. She''s showing remarkable progress in her charm-oriented magic."


    "Ah, Vivian," Olim said, his tone warm. "As a third-year, that''s to be expected. She''s always been a standout." He paused, then turned his attention to the imposing figure seated at the center of the panel. "But speaking of disciples, we have the Tower Master himself gracing us with his presence. Master Van Dijk, you rarely show your face at these competitions, yet this year, one of your own disciples is participating. What do you have to say about that?"


    Van Dijk, his expression unreadable but his eyes sharp, leaned back in his chair. "You do realize he''s been my disciple for a little more than a month now," he said, his voice calm but carrying an edge of amusement.


    "Ah, surely you jest, Master Van Dijk," Vastion interjected, his tone skeptical. "For one to be your disciple is anything but simple. Even a short month should show significant progress compared to his peers."


    Cymoria nodded in agreement. "I would have to concur. Ludwig, after all, is carrying not only his own weight but also the weight of being the Tower Master''s disciple. Although I shouldn''t expect much from someone who joined late, he should at least be good enough to pass this hurdle."


    Olim chuckled, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "One would think you''re all ganging up on the Tower Master," he said, his tone light. "But I''m with Master Van Dijk on this one. Ludwig has indeed only been here for a short time." With a wave of his hand, Olim directed the audience''s attention to the projection, where Ludwig was shown sprinting through the forest, seven raptors hot on his heels.


    "What incredible endurance," Olim remarked, his voice filled with genuine admiration. "He''s doing anything but fighting back."


    The audience, however, was less impressed. A wave of boos and laughter erupted from the stands as students mocked Ludwig''s "cowardly" act of avoiding combat. Only Van Dijk remained unfazed, a faint smile playing on his lips as if he alone understood the method to Ludwig''s actions and what could be perceived as madness.


    "It seems Ludwig is adamant about not using magic," Vastion observed, his tone tinged with disapproval. "He''s been running for quite some time now. Is this the disciple of the Tower Master?"


    "At times, one should know when to fight and when to run," Van Dijk replied, his voice calm but firm.


    "Yes, but these are simple Velkryn," Vastion countered. "Any mage worth their salt should be more than capable of taking them down."


    The projection shifted, showing Ludwig arriving at a small clearing where another student stood, visibly exhausted, surrounded by the corpses of three raptors. The student raised his wand, his face pale but determined.


    "It seems he can team up with his peer to defeat the group of raptors," Cymoria said, her tone hopeful. "I suppose he could use the help."


    "I doubt that," Van Dijk said, his smile widening.


    As if on cue, Ludwig cast a spell¡ªVow of Silence¡ªsealing the other student''s mouth shut before the raptors pounced. The audience gasped, a mix of shock and amusement rippling through the stands as Ludwig used the distraction to make his escape.


    "What a wicked kid," Olim said, his tone a mix of amusement and admiration.


    "Is it wickedness to use those around you to survive?" Van Dijk asked, his voice calm but challenging. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It''s morally questionable," Vastion replied, his tone stern.


    "Morals mean nothing on a battlefield," Van Dijk said, his words cutting through the air like a blade. "Honor has no value for the one who is dead."


    The projection shifted again, showing Ludwig''s ingenious method of dealing with the raptors¡ªluring them to a cliff and using the terrain to his advantage. The audience watched in stunned silence as the creatures tumbled into the abyss, leaving Ludwig unscathed.


    "I have to admit," Olim said, his tone filled with newfound respect, "to defeat all seven of those creatures without wasting mana is far more impressive than spamming spells and leaving oneself exhausted."


    "Function over form," Van Dijk said, his voice carrying a note of pride. "As long as it''s working, it doesn''t matter how one defeats their enemies or survives. Ludwig has always been a struggler. He struggles to find answers that many would deem dishonorable."


    "Many nobles would disagree with that," Vastion said, his tone icy.


    "They may," Van Dijk replied, his gaze sweeping across the audience, "but they know deep down it''s true. For one who dies, honor brings no comfort, no sustenance, no salvation. Survive and struggle to survive¡ªthat''s what a Black Tower magician should be. We''ve been stuck at the bottom of the five towers because we''ve been too concerned with upholding face and honor. This mindset only serves to suppress the talents of the special cases who join this tower."


    The audience fell silent, the weight of Van Dijk''s words sinking in. The Black Tower Academy was known for its outcasts¡ªproblem children, rebels, and those deemed unfit for society. These students were often labeled as subpar, their potential stifled by the expectations and judgments of others. Ludwig, with his unorthodox methods and disregard for societal norms, was a living testament to the Tower Master''s philosophy.


    "This is interesting," Olim said, breaking the silence. The projection shifted once more, showing Ludwig standing at the edge of the cliff, his eyes locked on a massive creature emerging from the forest below. "It seems Ludwig has caught the attention of the first trial''s boss. This should be fun to watch."


    "Ah, that creature," Cymoria said, her tone tinged with concern. "It was the reason more than half of the first-year students were eliminated last year. Do you think we''ll have a repeat of that, Master Van Dijk?"


    "What happened last year," Van Dijk replied, his voice calm but carrying an edge of anticipation, "was that everyone tried to run away from it. Only after more than half of them were eliminated did they realize they could only pass the trial by teaming up and defeating it. But look at that."


    The projection zoomed in on Ludwig, who, instead of retreating, sliced through one of the thick vines hanging from the trees. He tied one end to a sturdy branch and threw the other down the cliff. Without hesitation, he grabbed the vine and leaped off the edge, his trajectory aimed directly at the massive creature below.


    The audience erupted into murmurs of disbelief and awe. The creature¡ªa towering, reptilian monstrosity¡ªroared as it noticed Ludwig''s approach. But what truly sent a chill through the crowd was the sight of Ludwig''s expression. His face was set in a determined grin, one that mirrored the faint smile on Van Dijk''s lips.


    The Tower Master leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with pride. "Let''s see how far he can go."

 Chapter 184 Dreadjaw

    A few moments ago.


    "I should probably not mess with that thing," Ludwig muttered, his eyes fixed on the massive creature stomping through the forest below. Its sheer size was enough to make even the bravest of souls reconsider their life choices.


    "Yeah, I agree," Thomas chimed in, his voice echoing in Ludwig''s mind. "I heard that thing took down half of the freshmen last year. You''re not exactly known for your subtlety, but even this seems like a stretch."


    [Sudden Quest!]


    [Your Master Van Dijk is being questioned by his peers on your value as a disciple of his.]


    Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    Prove your worth to the world.


    You will be rewarded depending on how incredible your achievements are.


    Base Reward: Unlock one additional page of the Codex Necros.


    Extra reward for achieving a great feat: [Improved Proficiency in All Necromantic Spells and Skills]


    Ludwig''s brow rose as he read the prompt. "That''s¡­ tempting," he muttered under his breath. Though he was clearly annoyed at how Necros was ''guiding'' and pushing him toward certain scenarios, he couldn''t help but follow along. Since in this case, the rewards were too tempting to pass up.


    The base reward alone was enough to pique his interest. The Codex Necros, his most prized possession, currently only allowed him access to one page which he can actively use.


    One page housed the Umbral Hound and that thing didn''t want to come out, another hosted the corpse of the Knight King, and the last held the decaying corpse of Tibari''s guard.


    So Each new page was a treasure trove of potential. And since Ludwig''s ability to utilize the current ones was limited, unlocking another page would significantly expand his arsenal.


    But the extra reward¡ªimproved proficiency in all necromantic spells and skills¡ªwas what truly caught his attention. It was the key to one of his goals: reviving the Knight King as a summonable undead. With that kind of power, he would have no limits to his growth. Not even Sebas and Evan could do a proper Necromantic summoning, he''s wondered how Van Dijk''s face would look if he were to snub them with that.


    "Fine," Ludwig said, a grin spreading across his face. "I wanted to try out the new spells anyway."


    He turned and grabbed one of the thick vines hanging from a nearby tree. With a sharp tug, he snapped it free and tied one end to a sturdy branch. The other end he tossed over the cliff, letting it unravel as it descended into the cliff drop below.


    "What are you doing?" Thomas asked his tone a mix of curiosity and concern.


    "What does it look like?" Ludwig replied, his grin widening as he gripped the vine tightly.


    "THIS IS MADNESS!" Thomas shouted as Ludwig leaped off the cliff, the vine whipping through the air as he descended at breakneck speed.


    "Madness? Nah, this is¡­ ME!" Ludwig shouted, his hand burning from the friction of the vine as it slowed his descent. The wind roared in his ears, and the ground rushed up to meet him.


    He reached the end of the vine and let go, landing squarely on the pile of Velkryn corpses that had cushioned his fall. The impact sent a jolt through his legs, but he quickly steadied himself, his eyes scanning the dense foliage ahead.


    A loud, terrorizing howl echoed through the forest, shaking the ground beneath his feet.


    [As an Undead, you resisted the Fear effect of {Beast Roar}.]


    Ludwig smirked. "Guess being dead has its perks," he muttered as he moved forward, pushing through the thick underbrush.


    The T-rex loomed ahead, its massive form casting a shadow over the forest. Its yellow eyes locked onto Ludwig, and a low, rumbling growl escaped its throat.


    [Inspect]


    ***


    Name: Dreadjaw


    Title: Apex Predator


    Tier: ??? (Epic)


    Level: 65


    HP: 65,000


    Status Effects: -Illusionary Beast- -80% of its original power.


    Abilities:


    [Tyrant''s Roar] ¨C (Active)


    Unleashes a deafening, primal roar that instills sheer terror in all creatures within a 200-meter radius. Weak-willed foes faint or flee, while stronger opponents experience a temporary debuff to reaction speed and defense. Causes minor tremors in the environment. (Cooldown: 5 minutes)


    [Apex Charge] ¨C (Active)


    Dreadjaw surges forward in a devastating charge, crushing anything in its path. Gains +50% movement speed for 5 seconds, and the first enemy hit suffers massive fracturing damage along with being thrown back. If the enemy collides with a solid object, the impact doubles the damage dealt. (Cooldown: 3 minutes)


    [Ironhide Resilience] ¨C (Passive)


    Dreadjaw''s hide is reinforced with natural armor, reducing all physical damage by 40% and completely negating attacks below a certain threshold. Slashing and piercing attacks suffer 80% reduced effectiveness unless they hit a weak spot.


    [Titanic Bite] ¨C (Active)


    Dreadjaw clamps down with unstoppable force, dealing massive damage and locking enemies in place. If the enemy is below 50% HP, they receive the [Maimed] debuff, reducing mobility and preventing proper healing. If the target is below 20% HP, Dreadjaw can instantly execute them. (Cooldown: 1 minute)


    Lore:


    Dreadjaw, an extinct creature that ruled over the prehistoric era of Ikos. If not for the intervention of the gods, it would have ended all human life before it could ever prosper. Though this is but an illusiory replica of the original, it is still a mighty foe for one person to handle alone.


    ***


    "Whoa, that''s a lot of abilities," Ludwig said, his eyes widening as he read the screen.


    Almost immediately, the creature surged forward, its massive head tilting down as it charged. Despite its size, its speed was terrifying, and it closed the distance between them in seconds.


    By sheer instinct, Ludwig threw himself to the side, narrowly avoiding the creature''s path of destruction. The ground shook as the Dreadjaw plowed through the trees, reducing them to splinters in its wake.


    ''That was its charge,'' Ludwig thought, his heart pounding. If he had reacted even a fraction of a second slower, he would have been reduced to bone dust.


    The creature spun around, its massive tail sweeping through the air and tearing apart anything in its path. It roared again, the sound reverberating through the forest as it locked its yellow eyes on Ludwig.


    "Shit, I thought they had bad eyesight," Ludwig cursed, realizing that the myths he''d heard about such creatures were just that¡ªmyths. The real thing was more than capable of tracking its prey with pinpoint accuracy.


    "Bounds of Latvia!" Ludwig shouted, pointing his arm forward and grasping it with his other hand.


    A massive circle appeared beneath the Dreadjaw, glowing with an eerie light as it wrapped around the creature''s legs. The binds tightened, causing the predator to spasm and shake as it struggled against the magical restraints.


    But Ludwig quickly realized the flaw in his plan. While the binds were effective, the mana cost was skyrocketing. He couldn''t maintain the spell for long.


    "This isn''t going to work," he muttered, releasing the spell and letting the creature free. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Dreadjaw roared in fury, its massive form barreling toward Ludwig once again. Its jaws opened wide, ready to crush him in a single bite.


    Ludwig jumped back, his mind racing. "[Explosive Mines]!" he shouted, summoning two glowing orbs and hurling them into the creature''s open mouth.


    He snapped his fingers just as he landed, and the orbs detonated with a deafening explosion.


    [-2330 Critical!]


    The Dreadjaw staggered, smoke rising from its mouth as it glared at Ludwig with renewed fury.


    "I feel like you just pissed it off¡­" Thomas quipped.


    "No shit, Sherlock," Ludwig replied, already turning on his heel and sprinting away as fast as his undead legs could carry him.

 Chapter 185 Mounting a Dreadjaw

    "We''ve been running an awful lot lately," Thomas said.


    "Yeah," Ludwig said as the loud sound of two massive car sized jaws clamped shut just inches behind him. "In case you didn''t notice," Ludwig said slightly strained but not exhausted, "There''s a fucking T-rex chasing us!" Ludwig cursed.


    "It''s a Dreadjaw¡­"


    "Call it whatever the fuck you want if it''s chasing you!" Ludwig shot back, his legs pumping as he sprinted through the dense forest. He grabbed a hanging vine and hurled himself forward, his body swinging through the air as the Dreadjaw thundered like a freight train beneath him, though he snapped his mouth a couple of times while Ludwig was above him in the air, it missed and stumbled a bit but desperately managed to regain its position.


    Ludwig''s forceful acrobatic stunt made him feel like he was stuck in mid-air for a few seconds before he started his descent, right on top of the Dreadjaw''s open mouth.


    With desperate measure, Ludwig''s feet fell on the upper lip of the Dreadjaw''s open mouth. The creature''s eyes stared at Ludwig and snarled, making hot vapor burst out of its large nostrils.


    "Disgusting," Ludwig said.


    The Dreadjaw shook its head to make Ludwig stumble, but The latter already reacted first, jumping on the Dreadjaw''s back instantly and holding on to some protruding scales on its back.


    The creature howled again, a powerful tree-shaking, ground-trembling, and leaf-bursting roar.


    [As an Undead, you resisted the Fear effect of {Beast Roar}.]


    "That''s not gonna work buddy!" Ludwig said as he flexed his wrist, summoning a scimitar he still had in his inventory.


    "Go for the eyes!" Thomas said.


    "I know!" Ludwig said.


    The Dreadjaw felt the foreign weight added to his back and tried to turn and get Ludwig off of him, he couldn''t even catch a glimpse of the pesky undead, and its tail wasn''t flexible enough to swat Ludwig off.


    It screeched some more and began sprinting again trying to shake Ludwig off.


    Ludwig grabbed the scimitar with his teeth and tightened his grip on the creature''s back.


    "Tree!" Thomas said.


    Ludwig''s eyes widened as he noticed the approaching tree, the Dreadjaw wanted to squash him against it.


    Thanks to his improved dexterity, Ludwig flung himself to the side while the Dreadjaw smashed its shoulders at the nearest tree. The impact was fully absorbed by the Dreadjaw but it still rattled Ludwig as he was attached to it.


    He then heaved and flung his body up above the dreadjaw''s back, slowly making way toward the head.


    The Dreadjaw screeched some more, and began sprinting again to get Ludwig off, and maybe find another tree to smash him against.


    While it was springing the Dreadjaw end up running into a bunch of hanging tree vines that slowed it down significantly.


    A crazy idea popped up in Ludwig''s mind.


    Ludwig took the opportunity to slice off one of the vines before the Dreadjaw could release itself from them. After a lot of struggle, the Dreadjaw realized it couldn''t tear through them so it had to back away.


    Ludwig''s pocket seemed to vibrate, he was being called probably.


    He didn''t have much chance or opportunity to reply so he ignored it for now, whatever it was it shouldn''t be that important.


    The creature was getting more and more impatient as it roared out and unlatched itself from the vines. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It opened its mouth and began screeching again.


    "Gotcha!" Ludwig shouted as he grabbed both ends of the vine and flung them right inside the mouth of the Dreadjaw, he then forcefully pulled back, with enough strength that would make a normal man''s muscle tear.


    The vine lodged itself on the back of the dreadjaw''s mouth where there was nothing but mouth gum, while most of his fangs were positioned up ahead.


    "What are you doing?" Thomas asked.


    "What does it look like," Ludwig said, "I''m taming a T-rex!"


    ***


    Back in the Colosseum arena, where everyone was watching intently at the screen showing Ludwig, many of the people who booed him earlier seemed to have been shut up from what they were currently watching.


    Only a handful of students seemed to be cheering for Ludwig, and that was saying something, since the whole arena was quiet, Hoyo and Kassandra''s cheers seemed far too loud compared to the silence of the audience.


    "That''s my boy! I knew I had to bet on him!" Hoyo shouted.


    Kassandra couldn''t help but cheer, "GO LUDWIG GO!"


    Despite her usual aloof and quiet nature seeing Ludwig''s actions was enough to shake away her introverted nature albite for a little while.


    "What the hell is he doing?" Vastion asked as he saw the madness that Ludwig was attempting.


    "Did you teach him that?" Cymoria asked.


    Van Dijk could only laugh, "How do you even teach someone that? Ludwig is just that insane," he said sounding more proud than worried.


    "Wow, I didn''t even think that a freshman would have such ideas," Olim said. "But, Master Van Dijk," Olim said addressing the Tower Master. "Wouldn''t this just make the Dreadjaw even more frantic?"


    "It should. Though one should know, that riding a tiger''s back is easy, dismounting is even harder. I could see Ludwig doing something other than dismounting the Dreadjaw, and I have a feeling that he''ll deliver on this¡­ insanity of his," Van Dijk said.


    "What is he doing now?" Cymoria said as they just saw Ludwig using the vine to try and control the dreadjaw''s movements.


    "Is he¡­ trying to control it?" Vastion asked. Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire


    Van Dijk could only watch, he was slightly annoyed with Ludwig at this part. After all, Ludwig should have had a better position to wear down the Dreadjaw before others joined the fight, but trying to control it? Tame it probably? That''s more than madness, that''s idiocy in itself.


    Since Van Dijk had his own mental pointing system for Ludwig, he was about to strike some points off for foolishness. But decided otherwise, his disciple wasn''t someone that foolish, so he probably had another goal in mind.


    However, what proceeded to happen afterward made even Van Dijk''s eyes widen.


    "This lad¡­ is actually insane¡­"

 Chapter 186 Beast Tamer?

    "I SAID! CALM THE FUCK DOWN!" Ludwig pulled with more strength on the vines in his hand, he could hear the vines stretching and slightly tearing, but he had to show the Dreadjaw who was the boss.


    Fighting this creature would have been incredibly deadly for Ludwig. This wasn''t meant to be defeated solo, but that didn''t mean he couldn''t do something even crazier than defeating it.


    The dreadjaw''s neck seemed to strain, it was confused, how could that monkey-shaped creature, who should be nothing more than a snack have this much power in its tiny arms?


    The Dreadjaw knew it had always been the apex predator, the terrorizing horror of these lands, it always ruled with blood and fang and had nothing foolish enough to try and contend with it never mind try and ride it.


    The dreadjaw jerked his head forward to try and get the clothes-wearing ape off his back, but the power behind its tiny arms was even greater than the strength that the Dreadjaw had in its thick neck muscles.


    It desperately tried to shake him off to no avail.


    "I said, MOVE!" Ludwig shouted, but the Dreadjaw couldn''t understand.


    Ludwig pulled hard on the vines enough that it forced the dreadjaw''s neck to twist to the side, the Dreadjaw followed along with the pulling force, because it was straining its neck hard, and only when it did follow, did its suffering lessen.


    But it still didn''t understand. No, it felt even more wronged, it roared again, only for the creature to throw yet again another one of those pesky vines that are incredibly hard to tear apart inside its mouth, further reinforcing its hold.


    The Dreadjaw roared from the humiliation and began rushing toward the nearest tree, this time it was intending on slamming the both of them into that tree, that should get the mosquito off its back.


    Sadly while it was sprinting toward the tree, the creature simply wrenched the fines forcing the Dreadjaw away from the tree due to the immense neck breaking pain.


    It failed this time, so it was going to try again.


    Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire


    What it didn''t realize was that the creature had summoned that same glowing orb that singed its tongue earlier, this time it was right next to its ears.


    A loud explosion blew up right next to the dreadjaw''s sensitive ears, causing it to howl in pain and almost go berserk.


    The pain was insufferable, and its mind was feeling like it was reeling, so it simply sprinted forward, perhaps the creature would fall off its back.


    But whenever it tried to go toward a tree or a large rock, it would be forced off that path, and would receive another explosion to its other ear that would rattle its tiny brain.


    Pain and suffering, every time it tried to shake off the small human, nothing but pain and suffering.


    The creature was stubborn, even more stubborn than the Dreadjaw, and it kept tormenting it.


    Pain and suffering¡ªthat was all the Dreadjaw knew now. Every attempt to rebel was met with punishment, and the tiny creature on its back was relentless.


    ***


    "Good!" Ludwig said as he finally managed to have some form of control over the Dreadjaw.


    "You''re insane," Thomas said.


    "It''s the only way I can control it," Ludwig said. "I don''t have treats," he said.


    "Treats?" Thomas asked.


    "Yes, to reinforce good behavior, punishment to stop bad behavior. The carrot and the stick," Ludwig said.


    "Well, there is a bunch of raptors back there," Thomas said.


    "True," Ludwig said and began moving the Dreadjaw toward the position of the seven raptors that died earlier.


    Sadly, the Dreadjaw was stupid, incredibly so that he would need a reminder every now and then that he should be and remain under Ludwig''s control.


    Ludwig spent more than a couple of hours patiently, and sometimes not so patiently guiding the Dreadjaw until they reached the clearing.


    Once they arrived at the corpses Ludwig slowly and lightly eased on the vines.


    The Dreadjaw seemed confused at first.


    "Go, eat," Ludwig said.


    The creature didn''t understand at first, but seeing the corpses and Ludwig pointing at them, it slowly approached, hesitant at first and cautious that it might be ambushed by another one of those brain rattling explosions, it tilted its head down and began sniffing at the food.


    It was fresh and didn''t have any signs of sickness or disease. And was still warm.


    The Dreadjaw lightly bit at one of the corpses but he couldn''t swallow since there were a couple thick vines down its throat. it dropped the food on the ground, sad it couldn''t eat it because of the person on its back.


    Ludwig slowly walked up to the front of the dreadjaw''s head. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "If you try and bite me," Ludwig said, "I''ll blast your ears off."


    Beasts couldn''t understand words, but their instinct was enough to warn it that bad things were going to happen to it if it tried anything¡­


    Ludwig then slowly slid away the vines from the Dreadjaw''s mouth.


    "What are you doing?" Thomas asked, "It''s going to bite your head off¡­"


    "This is a test, it needs to know that I''m allowing it to eat," Ludwig said.


    The creature seeing itself free from the veins tightened on its leg muscles perhaps attempting to flee, but Ludwig immediately showed him Explosive mines which made it tense up even more.


    Still on top of its head, Ludwig said, "Eat," while pointing at the raptors.


    The Dreadjaw was still cautious as it bit down on one of the raptors and began crunching on it, blood spraying and bones crunching.


    Ludwig gulped down as he realized how easily it could break bones, but he wasn''t about to show the Dreadjaw any ''fear'' though it would be literally impossible, Undead have no fear.


    Soon, the Dreadjaw seemed to have finished eating. While Ludwig had been staying on top of its thick neck all the time.


    Satisfied with the meal, the Dreadjaw burped up.


    Ludwig then placed the vines in front of its snout. For a second the Dreadjaw felt a bit uneasy.


    "Open up," Ludwig said as he tapped it lightly on the side of its jaw.


    The Dreadjaw seemingly defeated slowly opened its mouth for Ludwig to place the vines back again, this time Ludwig only lightly pulled on the vines, not enough to cause it any strain.


    The Dreadjaw turned its head in the desired direction and began slowly moving forward.


    Seeing no pain and no twisting and with a hearty meal, the Dreadjaw couldn''t help but feel that it wasn''t that bad listening to the monkey who would give it food.


    [Congratulations! You have successfully tamed a Dreadjaw -Illusory Beast-]


    [You have learned [Beast Taming]]


    ''Huh¡­" Ludwig muttered as he looked at the Dreadjaw that was following along with his command.


    ''Well, that''s a pleasant surprise,'' Ludwig couldn''t help but smile.


    He waved the notification away, it wasn''t that important to him anyway. After all, what he needed to tame wasn''t the beast, but the dead themselves once he became a true necromancer.


    ***


    Back in the Colosseum, the audience watched in stunned silence. The screen showed Ludwig riding the Dreadjaw, his figure small but commanding against the creature''s massive form.


    "This lad¡­ is actually insane¡­" Olim Rembaldi said, his voice filled with a mix of confusion and disbelief.

 Chapter 187 Second Trial

    "Ugh, I''m bored," Ludwig said, leaning back on the Dreadjaw''s broad neck. The creature''s rhythmic steps were almost soothing, but Ludwig''s restless nature couldn''t stand the monotony.


    "What do you mean, bored? You''re literally relaxing on the back of a Dreadjaw," Thomas replied, his tone incredulous.


    "That''s one of the reasons too," Ludwig said, waving a hand dismissively. "This guy is scary enough that no Velkryn dare come close. So there''s not much to do here but wait for this thing to end."


    "One should count their blessings. While you''re lounging around, the rest of the freshmen are practically fighting for their lives," Thomas pointed out.


    "Oh," Ludwig said, a mischievous smile spreading across his face.


    "I don''t like that smile," Thomas said, his voice tinged with suspicion.


    "You won''t be the only one," Ludwig replied, his grin widening. "Dready, how about we go hunt some students?" he said, patting the Dreadjaw on the head.


    "Dready? Really, Dready? You name an apex predator that ruled over all, Dready?" Thomas asked, his tone dripping with disbelief.


    "He seems to like it," Ludwig said, shrugging.


    [Thanks to your passive [Beast Taming], some of your intentions have been portrayed to your tamed beast.]


    The Dreadjaw immediately began moving forward, its massive legs pounding the ground as it picked up speed.


    "Looks like it understood," Ludwig said, his grin turning predatory.


    "This is absurd. You''ll be hated by everyone," Thomas warned.


    "Not many like me anyway," Ludwig replied, his tone casual. "Also, this is slightly more fun. Let''s go, Dready! Let''s get hunting!"


    The Dreadjaw roared in response, its massive body surging forward as it charged through the forest.


    ***


    "Should that be allowed?" Cymoria asked, her brow furrowed as she watched the screen.


    "I don''t think so. That''s utterly ridiculous," Vastion replied, his tone filled with disapproval.


    "Why?" Van Dijk asked, his eyes fixed on the screen where Ludwig was riding the Dreadjaw, hunting down screaming freshmen.


    Ludwig''s grin was almost ear-to-ear, matching the toothy snarl of the Dreadjaw.


    "This was supposed to be a survival trial¡ªto survive the Dreadjaw or defeat it as a group. With one of the students controlling it¡­ isn''t it too unfair for the rest?" Vastion argued.


    "Life has never been fair, Vastion. You should know that best," Van Dijk replied, his voice calm but firm. "And I''m not saying this because he''s my disciple. We have students who are masters of charm and hallucination magic. They wouldn''t have been reprimanded if they had controlled the Dreadjaw using their magic. Ludwig used whatever tools he had to coerce and control the Dreadjaw. It''s all within the rules of the Black Tower Academy."


    "Master Van Dijk is right," Olim chimed in. "Ludwig didn''t break any rules, and his control over the Dreadjaw is his own effort. Though it''s a bit cruel that he''s chasing his fellow students using the Dreadjaw, it''s still not against regulations."


    "At this rate," Vastion said, watching as two more students were enveloped in protective bubbles and teleported away, "Ludwig will be the sole survivor in this challenge. That will make the following events much more complicated."


    "Then so be it," Van Dijk said, his tone final. "It is only by the students'' efforts that they can survive this ordeal. If this were real life, they wouldn''t be complaining."


    The screen continued to show Ludwig''s vicious handling of his fellow students as he hunted them down one after another.


    ***


    "How many is that?" Ludwig asked, his voice filled with glee. Find more to read on My Virtual Library Empire


    "That''s the tenth¡­" Thomas replied, his tone resigned.


    "Then there''s still a lot more¡­ but I can''t find any. We''ve been running around for hours," Ludwig said, his grin fading slightly.


    "Yeah, of course, there wouldn''t be many. Some of them are already eliminated while the rest have realized that you''re using the Dreadjaw to hunt them. They can communicate with each other, after all," Thomas pointed out.


    "Oh, speaking of communication," Ludwig said, finally remembering the call he had ignored earlier. He pulled out his communication crystal and called back.


    "Ludwig? I thought you got eliminated," Kaela''s voice came through, weak and strained.


    "Are you good?" Ludwig asked, his tone shifting to concern.


    "Yeah, barely. I hate the deserts," she said, her voice tinged with exhaustion. "How''s your trial?"


    Ludwig''s mount was chasing after another unfortunate student, who screamed as the Dreadjaw''s jaws snapped shut around them. A protective bubble appeared, and the student was teleported away, their curses echoing in the air.


    "Oh, my trial? Doing pretty good. You, on the other hand, sound like you''re in hell," Ludwig said, his grin returning.


    "As close to it as possible. It''s hot, and unbearable, and sand is going everywhere¡­EVERY-WHERE! Still, I found an oasis, so I should be good for now," Kaela replied.


    "What about Sabrina?" Ludwig asked.


    "She''s snoring. She apparently transformed into a bear and is snuggled up nicely there. I hate that woman¡ªshe always has it easy," Kaela said, her tone filled with envy.


    "Then that''s fine. Looks like our team is doing much better than the rest," Ludwig said.


    "What is that noise?" Kaela asked as the Dreadjaw let out another earth-shaking roar.


    "Oh, just a small friend I made. Regardless, do you need anything? You called earlier," Ludwig said.


    "No, I just wanted to check up on you. Still, if you''re doing fine, then it''s good. Make sure you survive the longest and clear. I don''t know what your next challenge will be, but the fewer the survivors, the easier it usually is," Kaela advised.


    "Right, I''ll keep that in mind. See you later," Ludwig said, ending the call.


    "Quite interesting," Ludwig said, his mind racing.


    "What is it?" Thomas asked.


    "Why did they ask us to make groups when we''re doing solo trials?" Ludwig wondered aloud.


    "The goal is to prove one''s solo abilities before joining group battles. Once the solo trials are over, all of the remaining groups will be teleported to an arena where they''ll battle against each other. Groups that have more numbers will have better chances at winning, while groups that had their third-year or even second-year taken out early will suffer more," Thomas explained.


    "I see," Ludwig said, understanding the reasoning behind the system. It was designed to weed out the weak and reveal those who could survive on their own without relying on others.


    "That''s twelve," Ludwig said as another student was "eaten" by the Dreadjaw.


    Just as he was about to look for another target, the entire area began to morph. The trees and vegetation distorted, and even the Dreadjaw started to fade away. Ludwig fell to his feet as the forest disappeared, replaced by a large, circular stone room with a single light source illuminating the space.


    In front of him stood about twenty students, all looking just as confused as he was. But something was terribly odd in this scene. It was incredibly unnatural.


    Ludwig frowned as realization dawned on him.


    "How come there are twenty and some students here?"


    "How come there are twenty and some students here?" S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Turning to his right, Ludwig froze. Standing next to him was an exact replica of himself, staring him right in the eyes.

 Chapter 188 Doppelg?nger

    [You cannot use Inspect here.]


    [Complete this trial using your own observation and analysis.]


    Ludwig''s nose curled in frustration. Necros was intervening, and he wasn''t a fan of this. The system''s restrictions felt like a slap in the face, stripping him of one of his most reliable tools.


    "Fine," he muttered under his breath.


    "Fine," his doppelg?nger echoed, its voice and tone perfectly matching his own.


    Ludwig''s jaw tightened. "Ah, this is pissing me off," he growled, his irritation boiling over.


    "Ah, this is pissing me off," the doppelg?nger mimicked, its expression mirroring his frustration.


    Ludwig clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. He moved forward, weaving through the crowd of students, each of them accompanied by their own duplicates. The room was a cacophony of overlapping voices, all shouting the same words, all mimicking the same actions.


    "STOP COPYING ME!"


    "STOP COPYING ME!"


    The chaos was escalating. Students were shouting at their clones, their voices rising in pitch and desperation. Some were already raising their weapons, their tempers flaring as the tension in the room reached a breaking point.


    Ludwig coughed loudly, the sound cutting through the noise like a blade. "I don''t suppose there''s a need to even think about what we''re supposed to do?" he said, his voice calm but laced with authority.


    The room fell silent for a moment as the students turned to look at him. Some of the fights defused, the realization dawning on them that they needed to use their heads, not their fists.


    "Greetings, students!" Olim''s voice boomed through the room, his projection materializing in the center. The holographic figure of the professor looked down at them with a sly smile.


    "It seems that you are all here. Good. Anyway, as you can see, there are doppelg?ngers mixed in with you," Olim said, gesturing to the duplicates. "To make it easier, look above you."


    A wide screen appeared, displaying two numbers: 12 in green and 12 in red.


    "You can probably figure out what this means," Olim continued, his smile widening. "Your goal is simple: you must eliminate all the fakes to proceed. But there are a few rules."


    He held up a finger. "A student should only eliminate their own doppelg?nger. You''re not allowed to touch another surviving student''s doppelg?nger."


    Another finger. "If a student eliminates another student, they will not be disqualified from the trial. But if they eliminate another student''s doppelg?nger, it''s immediate disqualification."


    A third finger. "To pass, each student has to eliminate their own doppelg?nger."


    Olim''s smile turned sinister. "Also, doppelg?ngers can eliminate students, so be careful of who is behind you."


    He leaned forward, his holographic face filling the screen. "And finally, don''t trust whatever anyone is telling you and whatever you''re seeing. I hope it''s clear enough. Happy hunting."


    The projection disappeared, leaving the students in stunned silence.


    "What the fuck?" Bron shouted, his voice breaking the tension. "What sort of stupid trial is this?" He turned to his doppelg?nger, who mimicked his every word and gesture.


    "I''m real, this fucker is fake!" Bron roared, pointing at his duplicate.


    "I''m real, this fucker is fake!" the doppelg?nger echoed, its voice dripping with mockery.


    "STOP COPYING ME!" they both screamed in unison.


    Ludwig sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Please," he said, his voice calm but firm. "Just calm down for a second."


    But no one listened. The room erupted into chaos as students turned on their duplicates, their frustration boiling over.


    Taking a deep breath, Ludwig pulled out his scimitar. He moved swiftly through the crowd, his eyes scanning the room. Without hesitation, he plunged the blade into the chest of another student.


    His clone mimicked his actions perfectly, stabbing the other student''s clone in sync.


    The stabbed student gasped, their eyes wide with shock as they crumpled to the ground, blood pooling beneath them. Their doppelg?nger mirrored the action, collapsing in perfect sync.


    The room fell silent, the students staring at Ludwig in stunned disbelief.


    "Why did you do that?" Minerva''s voice broke the silence. She pushed through the crowd, her face pale as she knelt beside the fallen student.


    Ludwig was surprised to see her here. He hadn''t realized she had made it this far.


    Before he could respond, Bron''s voice cut through the air. "What the hell did you do?" he shouted, his face red with anger. "Are you fucking insane?"


    Ludwig turned to face him, his expression calm but his eyes sharp. "Do I have your attention now?" he asked, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade.


    The numbers above them changed: 12 green and 10 red.


    "What the fuck?" Bron cursed, his eyes darting to the screen. "What does that mean?" He turned and did a quick head count. "The numbers don''t match. Also, how did you eliminate them and not get disqualified?"


    Everyone''s eyes were on Ludwig now, their expressions a mix of curiosity and fear.


    "That guy," Ludwig said, pointing at the bodies, "I already eliminated him myself back in the earlier trial. So he was bound to be fake." He paused, letting his words sink in. "As for our numbers, they''re clearly made to screw us over."


    Minerva stood up, her face pale but her voice steady. "He''s right. This isn''t human." She gestured to the body, which had begun to dissolve into sludge, disappearing before their eyes.


    Ludwig flicked the fake blood off his weapon.


    "Remember, the teacher clearly said that you shouldn''t trust anyone. And he never mentioned what those numbers are, we all just ''inferred'' that they''re for the Doppelgangers and students, hell they could be whatever, paying attention to them will only confuse us. Secondly, he specifically mentioned that you ''Should'' only eliminate our own Doppelgangers, not that we have to. Also he worded students differently in each instance, in one he mentioned Surviving Student, and since this guy was not a surviving student, that means that you can kill it even if it isn''t your own clone."


    "If you do a quick count, you''ll see that there are exactly twenty of us here, even with that guy dead," Ludwig added.


    Bron''s eyes narrowed as he did the math. "So where are the other two?"


    Ludwig shrugged. "I don''t know. As I said these numbers can also be fake. But what I do know is that guy was fake, and I took him down. " He turned to his clone, his expression hardening.


    "That''s not gonna help us solve this," Bron snapped, his frustration boiling over.


    "Well, probably not," Ludwig admitted. "But at least I know how to kill my own clone." Discover more content at My Virtual Library Empire


    Minerva stepped forward, her eyes locking onto Ludwig''s. "Do you have a way to tell which is the real clone?"


    Ludwig smirked. "Yes, and it''s pretty simple." he turned to his clone. "You see, regardless of who you are, what you are, there are things you can feign and things you can hide. But some stuff are pure instinct that one cannot overcome."


    Without warning, he plunged his scimitar into his own thigh.


    Ludwig''s gaze remained unphased, but the clone that was perfectly mimicking his words and actions made a mistake.


    "UGH!"


    "Are you mad?" Bron said.


    However, Minerva''s eyes widened, "Oh my god, that''s the fake one!" she pointed at the Ludwig that grunted in pain.


    "What how would you know that?" Bron asked.


    "I just know..." Minerva said as she was trying to deduce some more.


    "No! no!" the clone spoke, "It''s just a reaction!" the clone tried to explain himself, "I did this to prove that he''s fake, an unnatural being will have no sense of pain!" he tried to explain as he staggered back.


    Ludwig slowly approached him. Though in any other time, his words would have been convincing, since a few other students seemed to be on the cautious side. After all, what kind of human wouldn''t feel the stab of a weapon?


    "Yeah, he is right, a human would actually feel pain," they said as they pointed some of their weapons at Ludwig.


    "Stop everyone, you can''t attack him..." Minerva said.


    "Why not?" Bron asked.


    "Because you''ll be disqualified if you do... even if he is a clone you''ll be attacking a surviving student''s clone..."


    They all stopped.


    "See, it''s a fake I told you!" the grunting Ludwig said.


    "But he is not," Minerva said as she turned to ludwig, "Bron, remember, in the Lizardman forest..." she said, "Ludwig had an entire arm missing, most of his bones broken and didn''t even utter a single word of complaint or show any pain. He already is unnatural and we know it," she said as she turned to the clone who was visibly panicking after thinking that he might have survived.


    "That thing felt pain, Ludwig had never felt pain before."


    A wide knowing smile appeared on Ludwig''s face. Minerva seemed to have realized his intention he slowly walked up to the clone "How did it feel?" Ludwig asked. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What are you talking about?" the clone said as he backed away some more until he reached the wall.


    "That short-lived hope of yours?" he mocked.


    "Are you insane?! PEOPLE HE IS THE FAKE ONE!"


    Ludwig pulled the blade from his thigh, his expression calm despite the blood dripping down his leg. "They call me Ludwig the Undead for a reason," he said, his voice cold and steady.


    With a lightning-fast swing, he decapitated his doppelg?nger, its head rolling to the ground as its body dissolved into sludge.


    The room fell silent, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. Ludwig stood tall, his scimitar gleaming in the dim light, his eyes scanning the room for the next threat.


    The trial had only just begun.

 Chapter 189 Pride

    "Well, that''s done," Ludwig said, leaning back against the cold stone wall. His eyes flicked upward to the screen, where the red number had decreased by one.


    The rest of the students noticed the change as well, their eyes darting between Ludwig and the screen. Ludwig, however, seemed entirely unfazed. He simply sat in the corner, his posture relaxed, as if the chaos around him was nothing more than background noise. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ludwig," both Minerva and her clone approached him, their voices overlapping perfectly. "You look rather relaxed," they said in unison.


    "Of course," Ludwig replied, his tone casual. "Because I''m already in the clear."


    "But the trial won''t end until all the clones are eliminated," Minerva pointed out, her brow furrowed in confusion.


    "I know," Ludwig said, shrugging. "I can just wait until everyone figures their own way out. In the end, I''ll pass."


    "That''s rather convenient," Bron interjected, his voice laced with suspicion.


    "What do you mean?" Ludwig asked, his gaze sharpening as he turned to face Bron.


    "Can you prove to us that you''re real?" Bron demanded, his eyes narrowing.


    "Are you dumb or something?" Minerva snapped, her frustration boiling over. "He just showed you."


    "Yeah, but who can tell if he''s also a clone?" Bron shot back, his voice rising. "I mean, the guy he killed was a doppelg?nger¡ªthat''s something we know. But what if the real Ludwig had already been eliminated before, and all of this is just a ruse to drop our guard?"


    "Are you insane?" Minerva retorted, her hands balling into fists.


    "No, he''s right," Ludwig said, his voice calm but firm. "I would also think the same. Not going to lie, his reasoning is still sound. Even I wouldn''t believe me if this whole thing happened. Remember, the professor said not to believe everything."


    "See, that means you''re also a clone," Bron said, his tone triumphant.


    "Sadly, your intelligence is rather lacking," Ludwig replied, shaking his head. "There''s no way for me to prove that I''m real¡ªsame for all of you. At least I have a higher chance of being real than the rest of you," he added, his lips curling into a smirk. "After all, one of my clones is dead."


    "He can''t be the clone," another student chimed in, his voice timid but firm.


    "How come? Do you have proof? Or are you simply just backing him up?" Bron demanded, turning to the new speaker.


    The student was a young, unassuming boy with a bowl cut and thick glasses¡ªthe classic "nerdy" look. He adjusted his glasses nervously before speaking.


    "Because I''ve seen him clear. I was not far from him when he was chasing after other students on the back of a Dreadjaw," the boy said, his voice steady despite the tension in the room. Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire


    Ludwig''s smile widened. "I guess I missed one," he said, his tone almost playful.


    "Wait, what''s that supposed to mean? The Dreadjaw? Something doesn''t add up," Bron said, his brow furrowing. "We''ve been focused too much on this doppelg?nger thing that I forgot something. We were supposed to kill the Dreadjaw to clear the first trial¡­"


    "That wouldn''t have been possible," the nerdy student said, his voice gaining confidence. "Like I said, Ludwig tamed it and used it to hunt other students. So the trial was moved because there was no point in killing the Dreadjaw, and that also means if he tamed it, nothing in the forest could have been a reason for him to have been disqualified, so this one is the real Ludwig."


    "I see. That''s plausible," Minerva said, nodding slowly.


    "By the way," Ludwig said, his tone shifting to one of intrigue, "there''s a way to find out who is real and who is not¡­ in fact, two ways."


    "Tell us, then," Bron said, his voice tinged with impatience.


    "Question and answer," Ludwig explained. "People will ask questions to the clones that only the real one would know."


    "But they reply at the same time as us," Bron pointed out, his frustration evident.


    "Well, then it''s even easier," Ludwig said, his smirk returning.


    "How is that easier, Ludwig? They''ll just reply the same way we reply," Minerva asked, her confusion mirrored by the others.


    "Because I won''t be asking the same question to the same person," Ludwig said, his tone confident. "Minerva, come here."


    He pulled one of the Minervas to his side and the other to the opposite side.


    "I''ll point at one of you, and if the other one tries to answer at the same time, then we''ll know it''s the clone," Ludwig explained.


    "Then the clone will simply not answer," Minerva said, her brow furrowing.


    "That''s even better, then," Ludwig replied, his grin widening.


    He turned to the Minerva on his left. "So, you," he said, pointing at her. "When I asked you if you were afraid to come with me to the forest when we were looking for Esteban, what did you say to me?"


    The Minerva in front of Ludwig froze for a moment, her cheeks flushing slightly.


    Ludwig smiled but didn''t say anything. Before she could answer, he cut her off and turned to the other Minerva.


    "Same question to you," he said.


    "I said that I''d be happy to if it was with a brave and handsome young man like you," the other Minerva replied, her tone proud and her smile smug.


    "Good. Now," Ludwig said, pointing at the second Minerva, "that''s the fake one."


    "What?" the room erupted in confusion.


    "What do you mean, fake?" the second Minerva protested, her face flushing with anger. "I answered you. She didn''t, because she didn''t know the answer. Ludwig, are you insane?"


    "Nah," Ludwig said, his tone calm. "I''m perfectly sane."


    Without warning, he grabbed the first Minerva by the wrist, twisted it, and threw the ''real one'' his weapon. The first Minerva didn''t hesitate. She drove the blade deep into the other Minerva''s chest.


    There was no protective bubble. The clone dissolved into sludge, its form collapsing into a puddle on the floor.


    The room fell silent, the students staring in stunned disbelief.


    "What the hell is this?" Bron demanded, his voice rising. "Explain yourself!"


    "I can''t, not right now," Ludwig said, his tone firm. "Otherwise, the clones will catch on to the trick. Now, Bron, here''s a question for you."


    "But¡ª" both Brons began.


    "So far, I''ve been one hundred percent correct with my analysis," Ludwig interrupted. "If you''re refusing to answer the questions, then I''ll consider you a clone."


    "Fine!" both Brons snapped.


    "Okay, Bron," Ludwig said, his tone calm but commanding. "When we were at the student council, you tried to use Haku''s weapon. How many swings did it take you to feel exhausted?"


    "Three swings," the Bron that Ludwig pointed to replied.


    Ludwig turned to the second Bron. "Same question."


    "I wasn''t exhausted! I just didn''t want to show my family''s swordsmanship!" the second Bron shouted, his face red with indignation.


    Ludwig smiled, and Minerva burst out laughing. "I figured it out! The first one is the clone!" she said, her voice filled with triumph.


    "What? No! I told the truth!" the first Bron protested.


    "Truth?" Ludwig said, his smirk widening. "Nobles have pride. They''d never speak the truth if it meant they''d be humiliated. Bron would have never admitted he''d be exhausted, nor would Minerva ever admit she thinks a commoner is handsome and good-looking in the presence of others."


    Minerva felt slightly wronged but couldn''t say anything to Ludwig''s reasoning.


    The real Bron immediately pulled his sword and sliced the fake one in half. He looked at Ludwig with a mix of disgust and grudging respect but said nothing.


    The numbers on the screen decreased by another two.


    Ludwig raised his hands in preacher mode with a wide smile on his face, addressing the rest of the students. "They can fake speech, words, and memories, but they can never fake character. I don''t know any of you guys," he said, his tone calm but firm. "None of you were friends or acquaintances of mine, so for you, this type of questioning won''t work. But there is another method, as I said before. There are two ways to find out the real from the fake." he said as he held a finger up.


    "What''s the second method?" the nerdy student and his clone asked in unison.


    "Simple," Ludwig said, his tone cold. "The clones are weak. Fight among each other¡ªone against their clone. If the student wins, the clone will turn to sludge. If the clone wins, the student will have a bubble surrounding them to protect them from death and will be eliminated. The rest of us will eliminate the remaining clone."


    "You''re cruel," Minerva said, though the smile on her face betrayed her words.


    "I know," Ludwig replied, his expression unreadable. "But I''m not here to save everyone. I''m here because I''m a part of this tournament. I also need to win."


    After all, the promised reward from Necros wasn''t something he was willing to waste.

 Chapter 190 Weeding Out

    Ludwig sat back down, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp as they scanned the room. The tension was palpable, the air thick with uncertainty and fear. The remaining students were a mix of confusion and desperation, their eyes darting between each other and the screen above, where the numbers taunted them.


    Bron seemed to understand Ludwig''s reasoning for distancing himself from the rest of the group. Without a word, he walked away and leaned against a nearby wall, his arms crossed and his expression unreadable.


    Minerva, however, moved closer to Ludwig, sitting down beside him on the cold stone floor. Her eyes followed the chaos unfolding in the room, her expression a mix of curiosity and concern.


    "L-ludwig," one of the students stammered, stepping forward. "Are you not going to help us?"


    Ludwig paused, his gaze shifting to the student. "Why should I?" he replied, his tone calm but firm.


    The student hesitated, his face flushing with frustration. "You look smart enough and already figured out three of the fake ones¡­"


    "Five," Ludwig corrected, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade. "But go on."


    "So¡­ I can assume that you know¡­" the student began, his voice trailing off. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Let me stop you there," Ludwig interrupted, his tone sharp. "When you assume, you make an ass out of U and Me. I only figured out the way to solve my and the people I know''s clone problems. I don''t know any of you guys, so how can I help? Don''t put your faith into others. You''ll be led to death''s door without knowing it."


    The student''s face twisted in anger. "You just don''t want to help! Fine!"


    "Don''t be a dumbass," Bron snapped, his voice dripping with disdain. "Even if he knows, it serves him nothing to help you. He gains nothing and only makes one more competitor for himself. Do your own investigation, lazy slobs."


    "You''re not one to talk!" the student shot back, his voice rising. "You also were helped by him!"


    Bron''s nose curled in disgust. "I didn''t need it. In case you didn''t notice, I''m strong enough to kill my own clone without assistance."


    "That''s just because it was caught off-guard!" the student yelled, his frustration boiling over. He placed his hand on his sword pommel and was about to show the student the reality of things.


    "Bron," Minerva said, her voice calm but firm. "Don''t fall to his provocations. If you mess up and attack the real student, you''ll be eliminated even though you passed. Remember the rules."


    Bron sighed, leaning back against the wall. "Fine. But if he gets close to me, I''ll rip his head off."


    Just as Bron finished speaking, two other students began fighting. It was a clone and a real person, but after a flurry of spells, one of the attacks landed directly on the chest of what could only be the real student.


    A protective bubble immediately manifested around the student, lifting them into the air and disappearing through the ceiling. The remaining clone stepped back, a sly smile spreading across its face. Without warning, it slammed a spell into the ground, creating a thick smoke screen that filled the room.


    The students coughed and stumbled, their vision obscured. When the smoke cleared, they realized that one of the students now had two clones instead of one.


    "Oh, they''re smart. They''re adapting," Ludwig said, his tone almost admiring.


    The green number on the screen dropped by one, while the red numbers remained the same.


    "Looks like this is going to get more and more interesting," Ludwig said, his lips curling into a smirk.


    The students quickly realized the danger they were in. The clones were already wary of the fact that killing the real student would make them targets, so they used the smoke to hide among the group.


    "Who is the real one?" one of the students demanded, pointing a staff at the nerdy-looking guy who now had two clones.


    "Wait, wait!" all three of them said in unison.


    "I''m the real one!" they replied simultaneously.


    "Quite a cruel test," Ludwig said, his smile widening. "Professor Olim must be having a lot of fun watching this."


    "I wouldn''t be worrying about the guy that has two clones," Minerva said, her voice cutting through the tension.


    "What do you mean?" another student asked, his tone frantic. "This guy has two clones! He could further hide if he gets another. We need to kill the clones first!"


    "That''s what the doppelg?ngers want," Minerva replied, her voice calm but firm. "They want you to mess up. You''re already thinking of eliminating someone who is a survivor and has two doppelg?ngers. No matter what you do, you''ll be eliminated if you touch him."


    "Then what should we do?" another student asked, his voice tinged with desperation.


    Minerva shrugged. "I don''t really know, but it''s not my problem."


    Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire


    "It will be your problem once we''re all eliminated and only the doppelg?ngers are left. How would you deal with them?" the student shot back.


    "That''s easy to handle," Ludwig said, standing up. "Well, I guess it won''t serve us much to just watch you guys get eliminated one after the other. I have a way for you all to have a chance at surviving this without," he pointed at the chaos, "this shit happening."


    "And what''s that?" the nerdy-looking guy asked, his voice trembling.


    "Simple," Ludwig said, his tone calm but commanding. "Battle."


    "That just happened, and look at what occurred," another student said, his voice filled with frustration.


    "That''s because it happened unsupervised," Ludwig replied. "The fight broke out with us not paying attention. But if order is presented when there is chaos, all problems will be solved."


    "So what''s your suggestion?" Bron asked, his tone skeptical but curious.


    "Simple," Ludwig said, his voice steady. "Each student will go to one side. I don''t care if you''re a clone or a real student. One of you will go to the left, the other to the right. Splitting the students will lessen the interactions between you guys."


    "You do know that a doppelg?nger can try and assassinate a student," Bron pointed out. "If one of the clones ends up in the group with students, they can take them out."


    "I know," Ludwig said, his tone calm. "That''s why we''ll have everyone''s hands bound."


    "I don''t consent to that!" another student shouted, his voice filled with panic.


    "Then that means you''re a doppelg?nger," Ludwig said, his tone cold.


    "No! If I were to be bound, that means you guys can eliminate me, and I''ll have no way to fend for myself!" the student protested.


    "Well, you''re gonna have to trust us," Ludwig said, his smile widening. "Otherwise, I''ll consider you as a doppelg?nger and help your other copy kill you. If you end up being real, then," he shrugged, "I lose nothing, since I already cleared. Then I''ll kill the clone afterward since it won''t have a surviving student condition."


    The student opened and closed his mouth, but he couldn''t argue further.


    Soon, all the students were bound using the strings of their shoes. They were then placed separately on two sections of the room, with Bron and Minerva sitting in front of them, their eyes sharp and watchful.


    "Like this?" Minerva asked, her tone calm.


    "Yes," Ludwig replied. "If anyone attempts to attack another student, point them out immediately."


    "What''s that going to serve?" Bron asked, his tone skeptical.


    "If we locate the aggressor, we''ll stop him and put him in the arena," Ludwig explained. "Then, we''ll make the other person kill him. A student will not try to attack another in risk of failing, but a doppelg?nger doesn''t have that issue. Just make sure no one dies."


    Ludwig stood in the center of the room, his presence commanding. "Now, I''ll pick two students. You guys should remove their cuffs, and send them here. The moment a real student wins, they''ll go there," he pointed behind him, "and if a fake student wins, I''ll personally eliminate them."


    He paused, his eyes scanning the room. "Since they won''t have the time to take the appearance of another person. So, I hope we''re all ready?"


    Ludwig pointed at one student, his tone calm but firm. "Yes," he smiled, "One by one, we''ll weed you out. And when the last of you fall, I want you to remember this¡ª" Ludwig''s gaze darkened. "You were never going to win. You were just here to die."

 Chapter 1 - 1: Epilogue

    Ludwig Heart was a young man born into wealth beyond imagination, raised in the glittering heart of New York City. His lineage was impeccable¡ªhis father, Yuri Heart, had carved out a fortune on the brutal battlefield of Wall Street, where cunning and intellect were the only weapons.


    His mother, the sole heir of the global motor empire known as Stonechild Industries, controlled a vast industrial network that stretched across continents. Together, they formed a powerhouse family, where success was not just expected but inevitable.


    Ludwig''s life, from an outsider''s view, seemed perfect. He was surrounded by luxury¡ªan army of maids catered to his every whim, and the mansion he called home was more akin to a palace. His education was entrusted to the best minds in the world.


    Renowned mathematicians, physicists, and artists¡ªall were summoned to mold Ludwig into the perfect heir, ensuring he mastered everything from the most complex equations to the subtlest nuances of classical music.


    Yet, with all these privileges came isolation. His friends, if he could call them that, were few and far between¡ªmostly sycophants eager to bask in his family''s influence. His life was scheduled to the minute, leaving him little time to experience the world beyond his studies. And while he excelled in every subject, his life felt scripted, leaving little room for personal desires or passions.


    The only spark of rebellion in his otherwise disciplined existence came when he discovered the world of online gaming and the escapism offered by light novels.


    His father, who had always dismissed such pastimes as trivial, eventually relented. Ludwig''s only request for all his hard work? Just one more hour of free time each day. It was a modest wish, considering he had everything else. But for Ludwig, that extra hour of freedom was more valuable than all the billions in his future inheritance.


    Now, at twenty, Ludwig had grown into a striking figure. His tall, lean frame, honed by stolen moments in the gym, towered at six feet three. His sharp features, slicked-back black hair, and a carefully groomed goatee gave him an air of refinement, though his pale skin hinted at a life spent mostly indoors.


    Despite his parents'' disapproval, his choice to grow facial hair was one of the few personal decisions he had made, symbolizing his quiet rebellion against the expectations set upon him.


    However, despite his physical transformation and academic prowess, Ludwig still felt like a boy lost in a world he didn''t fully belong to. The only thing missing from his charmed life was the one thing money couldn''t easily buy: genuine connection. A spark of romance, a story of his own, something that wasn''t dictated by his family''s legacy or corporate strategies.


    His twentieth birthday, however, was about to mark a turning point in his life.


    Unlike the previous years, where his father threw extravagant, exclusive parties attended by high-profile figures far older than Ludwig, this year was different. His father had arranged for the celebration to be held in Boston, hosted by one of his mother''s relatives, and this time, the guest list included people his age. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For the first time, Ludwig was going to mingle with peers¡ªother children of wealth and influence¡ªpeople who might just see the world the way he did, or perhaps challenge it.


    The thought of it terrified him. He wasn''t sure if his online gaming buddies could prepare him for the real-life challenge of interacting with his social equals. His palms grew clammy as the private jet cut through the sky, carrying him to what felt like an entirely new world.


    His heart raced, not with the excitement of the celebration to come, but with anxiety over how he would manage to hold a conversation, to navigate the social battlefield of his peers.


    Would he be able to blend in? Or would they see through him, the boy who had been kept away from the world, shielded by his family''s vast fortune?


    As the jet hummed along, the world beneath him shrinking into nothingness, Ludwig couldn''t help


    but wish the flight would never end. The uncertainty gnawed at him, louder than the drone of the engines. For someone who had mastered every challenge thrown at him¡ªacademic or physical¡ªthe simple prospect of talking freely with others his age felt like scaling an impossible mountain.


    Yet what Ludwig didn''t know was that this very trip would be more than just another birthday party. His future, so carefully planned and polished by his parents, was about to take a drastic, unexpected turn. His small, innocent wish for more time to be himself was about to come true¡ªbut in ways he never could have imagined.


    Mainly because¡­ the Jet was now in free fall.

 Chapter 2 - 2: Dead Again

    "Argh, it hurts¡­ What happened?" Ludwig groaned, his voice barely a whisper as he stirred. His body felt heavy, like it had been dragged through the depths of hell. His head throbbed, every pulse of pain a reminder that something had gone terribly wrong.


    Blinking against the oppressive darkness, he tried to piece together the fragments of his memory, but everything was jumbled¡ªa chaotic blur of screaming, shuddering metal, and a violent, terrifying descent into nothingness.


    The last thing he remembered was the plane¡ªthe craft shuddering so violently it felt like it would tear apart. His father''s voice, panicked for the first time in Ludwig''s life, calling out to his mother. His mother''s scream, raw and piercing, cutting through the chaos. Then¡­ darkness.


    And now¡­ more darkness.


    But something was wrong. The pain, the broken bones, the agony of the crash¡ªnone of it was there. He wasn''t lying in twisted metal or engulfed in flames. There were no scattered seats, no twisted wreckage, no smell of burning fuel. Instead, he felt something cold¡ªsomething hard beneath him. A stone floor.


    He strained his eyes, trying to make sense of the shadows around him, but the only light came from small, flickering flames in the distance, like forgotten embers scattered across a desolate plain.


    "Dad? Mom?" Ludwig''s voice echoed back to him in the vast emptiness, swallowed by the oppressive silence. There was no response. Just his own ragged breathing. A chill crept up his spine. This wasn''t right.


    His heart raced as panic clawed at his chest. Where was the plane? Where was the fire? Where was his family?


    Suddenly, a series of garbled sounds pierced the silence. "+)/***$$$@@."


    Ludwig whipped his head around, his heart pounding in his chest. The words¡ªif they could even be called words¡ªwere unintelligible, more like static or a broken transmission. His blood ran cold.


    [Automated Translation Initiated.]


    A voice echoed in his mind, emotionless and robotic, snapping Ludwig from his confusion. The voice sounded disturbingly artificial, hollow and devoid of any human warmth.


    "What¡­?" Ludwig breathed, his chest tightening. "No, no, this can''t be happening." His mind raced, his thoughts spiraling into disbelief. He''d read about situations like this¡ªisekai stories, where characters were thrown into other worlds. But that was fiction, an escape from the suffocating reality of his high-society life. This¡ªthis was real. And it was impossible.


    A soft chime echoed in his head, and a glowing blue screen appeared before him, hovering in midair.


    [Initializing Transmigration¡­] [Ludwig Heart.]


    "No, no, no, no!" Ludwig''s voice rose in panic, shaking the emptiness around him. His breath came in short, frantic bursts as he took in the impossible sight before him. "This isn''t real! It''s a dream¡ªit has to be!"


    But the screen remained, indifferent to his denial.


    [Initialization Complete.] [Welcome to the World of Ikos, traveler Ludwig Heart.] [You have been transported to another world. Please read through your status screen before beginning.]


    Ludwig''s heart hammered in his chest. He didn''t want to believe it, but the words on the screen burned into his mind with an eerie clarity. Another world? It felt absurd, yet the cold stone beneath him and the disorienting void around him were all too real.


    Before he could process what was happening, two figures emerged from the shadows, their crimson robes flowing like liquid darkness. Their faces were hidden beneath hoods, and long staffs crowned with grotesque skulls were clutched in their hands. The faint, flickering light reflected off their robes, casting them in an otherworldly glow.


    "Seems like he woke up. Bring it," one of them said, his voice low and menacing.


    Ludwig''s pulse quickened. The men moved with a predatory grace, their steps silent on the cold stone. One of them approached Ludwig, holding a black orb that pulsed with a sinister energy. Panic surged through him as the other man loomed closer, his breath hot on Ludwig''s face.


    "Where am I?" Ludwig shouted, his voice cracking as fear overtook him.


    Without a word, the robed figure raised his staff and swung it. The thick wooden end crashed into Ludwig''s face with brutal force, the impact echoing in the empty chamber.


    [You have been Dazed!] [-22 HP.]


    A sharp pain exploded in Ludwig''s skull, and his vision blurred. His knees buckled beneath him as he fought to stay conscious. What¡­ is this? His thoughts were a jumbled mess, unable to focus on anything but the searing pain and the surreal events unfolding around him. Was this some sort of kidnapping? A sick game orchestrated by lunatics?


    "Open your hand," one of the robed men demanded.


    Ludwig''s mind reeled, trying to make sense of the situation. Cultists? Terrorists? None of it explained the floating screens, the strange voice in his head. He tried to resist, but his body, still dazed from the blow, betrayed him. His hand shook as he extended it.


    The second man placed the orb in Ludwig''s open palm, and suddenly, agony. Long, razor-sharp spikes shot out from the orb, piercing through his skin and muscle like molten knives. A guttural scream tore from Ludwig''s throat, the pain more intense than anything he had ever felt. His body convulsed as the fiery spikes burned into his flesh.


    [Please read through your status screen! You do not have much time!]


    The robotic voice pierced through the pain, and Ludwig, barely able to think, willed the screen to appear. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Status Screen: Ludwig Heart]


    Health: 72/100


    Stamina: 30/100


    Mana: 100/100


    Intelligence: 15


    Strength: 15


    Dexterity: 15


    Vigor: 15


    Luck: 15


    Class: Hero


    Title: Predestined Hero! One who can save the world!


    Possessed Abilities: [Hero''s Starter Pack]


    Passives: Resolve: {Negate One Negative Effect on the bearer.} Activates once a day.


    Overt Genius: Increased proficiency in all sorts of masteries.


    Heroic Spirit: Strong Resistance to Demonic Temptations and Mental Ailments.


    The numbers flashed before him, but his mind could barely process them. The pain, the confusion¡ªit was too much.


    "Oh, we hit the jackpot. It''s a hero," one of the men muttered.


    "Really?" the other responded, his voice dripping with disbelief.


    Ludwig''s mind spun. How can they see this? He thought of the stories he had read late at night, hidden under the covers. Heroes, status screens, other worlds. None of it made sense, yet here he was, trapped in the very nightmare he used to fantasize about.


    "The orb is glowing gold," the first man said with a twisted grin. "He''s the real deal."


    Ludwig''s breath came in short, sharp gasps. What do they want from me? He thought, his heart pounding in his chest.


    "Let him go," the second man said.


    For a moment, hope flickered in Ludwig''s chest. Maybe they''ll let me live. After all, I''m a hero now, right? Heroes are supposed to be protected, revered.


    But that hope was short-lived.


    "Now kill him," the first man said, his voice cold and final.


    Ludwig barely had time to register the command before a dagger, gleaming in the dim light, sliced through the air and buried itself deep in his skull. The pain was blinding, a sudden flash of white-hot agony, and then¡ª

 Chapter 3 - 3: [You Died]

    [You Died.]


    Simple as that. Those two words echoed in the cold, empty space, lingering in the void where Ludwig''s consciousness once resided. It was the last thing he saw, etched in blinding, ominous letters against the dark backdrop of his mind. Death, swift and cruel, had claimed him just moments after he arrived in the strange, fantastical world that was supposed to be his grand adventure.


    There was no epic quest, no heroic victory¡ªonly the cold, abrupt end of a life filled with dreams unfulfilled.


    Ludwig Heart, a teenager of fragile hopes and vast ambitions, had grown up cloistered in a grand, gilded cage. The son of a powerful family, he was surrounded by books that whispered of distant lands, mighty heroes, and impossible wonders.


    Yet his world was small, confined to the towering walls of his family''s palace, where his experiences of life were limited to the occasional, heavily guarded outings to the city beyond.


    He had never tasted freedom or felt the rush of wind against his face as he raced toward destiny. He had never seen the ocean or climbed a mountain, never loved or lost, and never fought for anything beyond the chessboard battles of his mind. The chance to visit another world had seemed like his escape, his opportunity to become the hero he always dreamed of being. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But in that moment, all of that was snuffed out, reduced to a fleeting wish as his heart stopped and the warmth drained from his body.


    Ludwig''s dreams died with him, along with the countless stories that might have been told. Yet, this wouldn''t be a story worth telling if it ended so abruptly¡ªwould it?


    The world was still as two cloaked figures approached Ludwig''s lifeless body. The necromancers, their faces obscured by dark hoods, stood over the fallen hero. They waited patiently, unmoved by the stillness, until the last drop of blood had pooled beneath him, darkening the earth in a macabre stain.


    One of the men pulled out a black leather-bound tome, its cover embossed with runes that writhed like living things, and began scribbling arcane symbols in the air around Ludwig''s corpse. The faint glow of the markings cast a sickly pallor over the dead boy''s face, creating a haunting contrast to the vibrant life he had once embodied.


    The writing took an eternity, or so it seemed. Each stroke of the quill was deliberate, precise, and laced with an eerie purpose. When the sigils were complete, the necromancers knelt beside Ludwig, their robes brushing the blood-soaked ground. They drew out gleaming knives, their blades cold and merciless, and began the grim work of extraction.


    His heart, lungs, liver, intestines¡ªeach organ was carefully removed and placed into jars filled with preservative fluids that bubbled and smoked. Nothing that could rot or decay was left behind; even his brain and eyes were scooped out with practiced precision, leaving only a hollow shell of bone and sinew.


    The necromancers moved with a ritualistic grace, as though they were performing a sacred dance rather than a grotesque dissection. The air grew heavy with the stench of death, mingling with the faint, acrid scent of the alchemical fluids. The black tome, now resting at the center of the circle, began to glow faintly, the runes pulsing with an unholy light.


    The necromancers recited incantations in hushed, reverent tones, their voices blending into a haunting chorus that seemed to resonate from another realm.


    From the darkness of the tome, a purple glow erupted, snaking outwards to form an intricate magic circle around the remains of Ludwig''s body.


    [The Sacrificial Ritual to the God of Death, Necro, has begun.]


    "We offer this heroic spirit to the God of Death! We, your eternal worshippers, beseech you to grant us a mighty Undead Spirit! Show us the might of your creation!" the lead necromancer chanted, his voice echoing with fervor and desperation. The air around them seemed to thicken, charged with the weight of the ritual.


    The ground beneath Ludwig began to tremble as the magic circle activated. Ethereal arms, ghostly and skeletal, materialized from the circle''s edges, reaching out like the hands of desperate souls yearning to escape the abyss. They grasped Ludwig''s flesh, ripping it apart with brutal efficiency. Nerves, tendons, and sinew snapped and unraveled, leaving only his bleached bones behind.


    It was as though unseen forces were stripping away every remnant of his humanity, piece by piece, until only a crude mockery of life remained.


    But then, something went terribly wrong.


    [Error! The Spirit of a Hero conflicts with the Undeath Ritual! Error.]


    The air shimmered violently as the ritual faltered. The two necromancers froze, their confident expressions replaced by confusion and fear. They had not anticipated this¡ªan error in the ritual of such magnitude was unheard of. Heroic undead had been raised before, so why was this different?


    "What the hell is happening?!" one of them, a gaunt man with sunken eyes, exclaimed, his voice cracking with panic.


    "It''s¡ªIt''s an error! But why? He was just a hero, wasn''t he?" the other necromancer stammered, desperately rifling through the pages of the tome for an answer. But the truth was staring them in the face, hidden in plain sight. The summoning circle''s arcane language, the complex runes¡ªthey had made a fatal, linguistic mistake that would cost them dearly.


    A Heroic Undead was not the same as a Summoned Hero. The former were those who had performed great deeds in life and were reanimated through dark rituals. But a Summoned Hero was a being blessed and chosen by the Virtue Gods of Ikos, marked by divine favor and destined for greatness.


    To attempt to bind such a soul to the will of death was not only an affront to the natural order but a direct insult to the gods themselves.


    The ground beneath them began to quake violently, as though the earth itself rejected the abomination they were attempting to create. Divine light, pure and radiant, burst forth from the altar, clashing with the sickly purple glow of the death magic. Holy and unholy forces collided, creating a cacophony of light and sound that rattled the very stones of the temple.


    "We''ve offended the God of Life," one of the necromancers whispered, horror dawning on his face. In a frantic bid to salvage the ritual, he attempted to smear away the runes with his sleeve, while his companion turned to flee.


    But their actions were in vain. Necro, the God of Death, was intrigued by the powerful soul that had been offered to him, and he was not so easily denied. Divine auras clashed, swirling around the altar like a storm of conflicting wills. The gods waged a silent battle, but in the end, the dead could not return to the realm of the living.


    Ludwig''s soul was no longer a thing of purity; it was in the domain of Necro now.


    A final, resounding pulse of magic settled the dispute. The holy light retreated, leaving behind only the unyielding presence of death. The ritual resumed, and Ludwig''s remains began to twitch and stir. Bones, once stripped of flesh, reassembled themselves into a skeletal figure. The reanimated corpse rose, its posture hunched and awkward, a macabre puppet held together by unseen strings.


    Its empty eye sockets flickered with an eerie blue glow, as though staring out at the world for the first time with a hollow, unseeing gaze.


    The nearest necromancer gasped in awe. "Oh, it worked, Sebas! It worked! Come back, you cowardly fool!" he shouted, stumbling to his feet. The violent clash between the divine and unholy had left him shaken, but with the ritual''s completion, hope stirred anew in his heart.


    Sebas, the other necromancer, who had been halfway to the exit, hesitated. "It''s¡­ it''s actually working. We need to tell the Black Tower Master," he mumbled, his voice trembling with a mix of fear and excitement.


    A sharp slap to the back of his head snapped him back to reality. "Are you stupid?!" the first necromancer hissed. "If he finds out we used a Summoned Hero for this, he''ll kill us. You think he''ll be pleased we wasted the chance he''s been searching for all these years?"


    But before they could argue further, a figure emerged from the shadows at the edge of the altar. Tall and imposing, the newcomer wore a long coat of black leather, tailored to perfection and adorned with arcane symbols that pulsed faintly under the flickering torchlight.


    His youthful face was framed by dark, wavy hair, and his eyes, hidden behind circular black glasses perched precariously on his nose, gleamed with a dangerous curiosity. His smile was wide and sharp, a predator''s grin that promised nothing good.


    "Tower Master!" the two necromancers exclaimed in unison, dropping to their knees as terror gripped them. This was not the time to be caught improvising.


    "I see you''ve been busy," the Tower Master said, his voice silky smooth as he slowly clapped his hands. The sound was light, almost mocking, but each clap reverberated in the hearts of the kneeling men, sending a shiver down their spines.

 Chapter 4 - 4: Rise of a Skeleton

    "Tower Master, we¡ª"


    "SILENCE!" he roared, cutting them off mid-sentence. The Tower Master''s voice boomed through the altar chamber, vibrating with a dark authority that commanded immediate obedience. The necromancers flinched, their faces paling as they cowered under his withering gaze.


    "You think me a fool?" the Tower Master continued, his tone cold and dripping with disdain. "Did you truly believe that a few wards and crude enchantments would hide this pathetic spectacle from my sight? You''ve tampered with powers beyond your understanding, and you did so without my permission."


    The two necromancers quivered, knowing full well that any excuse would only worsen their situation. In the Tower Master''s presence, lies and deflections were as futile as running from a shadow attached to your feet.


    "And yet¡­" the Tower Master''s voice softened, almost contemplative. He walked around the skeletal remains of Ludwig, examining the failed ritual with a keen eye. "Impressive. You two managed to provoke the very gods themselves. A legendary figure? No, a Summoned Hero?


    Such rare beings, their souls marked by destiny, not merely bound to heroic deeds but blessed by divine virtue. It seems even in your incompetence, you''ve touched something extraordinary."


    He paused, his expression shifting from intrigue to disgust as he pointed at Ludwig''s skeletal form. "But what a waste." His voice carried a weight of bitter disappointment. "You think this is what I wanted? This¡­ shambling skeleton? My aim was not to raise a mere Heroic Undead¡ªI wanted a Hero''s soul twisted into something far greater, something capable of defying the heavens themselves.


    And you two have squandered that opportunity with your amateurish grasp of necromancy."


    The necromancers bowed their heads, trying to appear as small and insignificant as possible. The shame of their failure stung deeply, but it was the Tower Master''s biting words that truly cut them to the core.


    "You spent sixty years dabbling in the dark arts," the Tower Master sneered, "and you think that makes you worthy of playing with forces that bend the very fabric of existence? You''ve barely scratched the surface of necromancy, yet here you are, fumbling with spells that defy the laws of the world.


    You aimed to turn something divine into something profane, and look at what it got you¡ªa pile of animated bones. Pathetic."


    The Tower Master''s reprimand stung like lashes from a whip, each word a fresh cut to their already battered pride. Yet, there was a flicker of hope, a brief moment when his tone shifted¡ªonly for it to be snuffed out once more.


    "Still," the Tower Master said, pausing as if to savor the silence, "you''ve shown a spark of courage, if not recklessness. You dared to act without permission, to take what you learned and apply it in a way that defied my direct orders. That is the essence of true magic: the will to act beyond fear, beyond consequence."


    The necromancers dared to lift their eyes, hope flickering faintly in their chests. Could it be that they would be spared, even praised?


    "But," the Tower Master continued, his voice hardening like stone, "every act of defiance comes at a price. And that price is punishment."


    With a swift motion, the Tower Master raised his arm, conjuring a flame as black as night itself. The fire writhed and twisted, consuming the air around it with an insatiable hunger. This was his signature spell¡ªa flame that burned without end, devouring all until either the caster''s mana ran dry or the victim was reduced to nothing but ash.


    The necromancers recoiled, terror gripping their hearts as they knew the flame''s touch meant agony beyond death. Yet, before the Tower Master could release the spell, something peculiar caught his eye.


    The skeleton¡ªLudwig¡ªmoved. Just the slightest twitch of its bony fingers, a subtle, almost imperceptible spark of energy dancing between its thumb and index finger. It was a faint flicker of mana, insignificant by all conventional measures, but it was there¡ªa sign of something more than mere animation.


    The Tower Master''s hand paused, the black flame flickering dangerously before extinguishing in an instant. He adjusted his glasses, his eyes narrowing as he leaned in closer to the skeletal figure. "Interesting¡­ interesting indeed," he murmured, his curiosity piqued as he studied the faint sliver of mana.


    Sebas, nervously watching from a distance, blurted out, "We haven''t mind-controlled it yet! It''s still¡ª"


    In a flash, Ludwig''s skeletal arm shot forward, lunging toward the Tower Master''s throat with surprising speed. The undead''s hatred for the living was primal and instinctive, driving it to attack the nearest source of life with relentless fury.


    The Tower Master, unfazed, caught the skeletal arm effortlessly, holding it in place with a firm grip. He leaned in closer, his expression one of bemused disappointment. "You''re still just a mindless creature, aren''t you? A shame, really. For a moment, I thought you might be something more."


    He raised his other hand, pressing his palm against Ludwig''s skull. A cold, binding energy pulsed outward, flooding the skeleton''s body with an oppressive force.


    "Bind the Body. Bind the Mind. Bind the Spirit. Fold and follow, for I am your true master!" the Tower Master chanted, his voice laced with a powerful enchantment that seeped into every crevice of the skeleton''s being.


    The blue flames in Ludwig''s eye sockets flared to a vivid red, then dimmed back to blue¡ªa signal that the binding had taken hold. The skeletal form ceased its struggle, its defiance snuffed out by the Tower Master''s will. It stood motionless, awaiting its new master''s command.


    The Tower Master released the skeleton''s arm, dusting his hands off as though he had merely dealt with a bothersome pest. "I suppose I can find some use for you," he mused aloud, his tone indifferent. "Perhaps cleaning my study, fetching books¡ªnothing grand. But you''re better than nothing, I suppose."


    Turning to the necromancers, his smile vanished, replaced by a cold, calculating stare. "As for you two, your insolence has cost you dearly. Clean up this mess, then report to the Punishment Hall. I have no patience left to deal with your failures personally." sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The necromancers nodded, bowing deeply. "As the Tower Master commands," they mumbled in unison, their voices trembling with the weight of their impending fate.


    As the Tower Master turned to leave, he paused, glancing over his shoulder at the skeletal figure that now followed him obediently. "You," he said, pointing at the undead. "What was your name?"


    Sebas hesitated, but then spoke up hesitantly. "It was Ludwig, Tower Master."


    "Ludwig," the Tower Master repeated, rolling the name on his tongue as though tasting it. "A decent enough name for a skeleton. Better than something common like Dave, I suppose. Come, Ludwig. You have much to learn."


    And with that, the Tower Master strode out of the temple, his newest thrall in tow. Ludwig''s skeletal form followed silently, a specter of a lost hero bound to serve a master who viewed him as little more than a curiosity, his dreams and destiny reduced to ash in the wake of dark magic.


    But deep within those hollow eye sockets, beyond the faint flicker of blue light, something stirred¡ªsomething that neither the necromancers nor the Tower Master could perceive.


    A spark of defiance, perhaps. A sliver of hope. Or maybe, just maybe, the first flickering ember of a soul that refused to be extinguished.

 Chapter 5 - 5: Plot Twist

    Now, in stories and epics, the hero is usually presented with a dilemma, a hard choice, or a trial so that his journey would begin, that is what makes a story, the challenges and trials that would guide our hero to the end, good or bad, happy or sad, or even incomplete in cases. However, that requires a plot, a hero, and a twist.


    Here, Ludwig would receive his Twist, and he would use it incredibly well.


    Let''s go back a few hours from now, and see what happened from the side of Ludwig.


    ***


    The Two necromancers had been scribbling and writing away at Ludwig''s massacered body, while he, in a strange occurrence of what could be called magical, or mystical was able to see what went on.


    Perhaps a ghost form? A spirit form, he didn''t know, but he was aware of his presence.


    A notification had appeared in front of him, several of them in fact. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The first one, a clear declaration of his fate.


    [You Died]


    It was plain and simple, and gave him closure. He looked at this blue almost transparent screen and could only open and close his nonexistent mouth. After all, the trials of a hero, the hopes of the people, and the challenges against the vile and evil and the eventual revelation of the entire kingdom were nothing but fading dreams that died far too short.


    ''What a shit plot'', Ludwig thought.


    It was the first time he would ever mutter a curse word. And it felt¡­ liberating.


    Although too late, because the ultimate liberator was death itself. Now he could say whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, after all, who is there left to judge him.


    The thoughts immediately were suspended as he saw the next window.


    [You have failed the Eternal Quest, Quest of a Hero]


    [You have failed the Eternal Quest, The Liberator]


    [You have Failed the Eternal Quest, Defeating Evil]


    [You may rest for now; your duty has ended]


    It was that simple, a declaration of his detachment of his duties toward the people of Ikos.


    After all, in the many stories he had read, a few of them had heroes that died shortly after being summoned, but in those stories, the heroes themselves weren''t the main characters. And the real heroes were those in the shadows that would take on the mantle afterward.


    Yet, no such thing was going to happen to Ludwig, it was instinctive. His death was too plain, too boring and too pointless.


    As he watched the necromancers, they began chanting some weird and strange words, a ritual of sorts. And the moment he heart them chanting the final words did he realize what they were doing.


    They wanted to bring back his body as an undead.


    And just as they finished, his presence, or soul or whatever it was got sucked back into the corpse.


    Soon, he felt the aura of two powerful entities fighting on top of his corpse as he struggled to gain any semblance of control over his body.


    While the two auras were fighting among each other, in his mind he heard something."


    "Don''t Move a Bone."


    It felt like an eternal command, something far too deep and primal within Ludwig made him follow that command instinctively. He didn''t know who uttered it, but he knew one thing. Whoever did, was so mighty that the mere thought of going against them would probably cause his entire existence to vanish.


    And So did Ludwig, he didn''t move a Bone after he stood up.


    He was aware of his surrounding, aware of the people next to him, he was alive? No, far from it, he was neither dead nor alive.


    But in between, an Undead.


    A notification appeared in front of him.


    [You have Been Blessed by Necro, the God of Death.]


    It was a simple text, that harbored a great deal of mystery behind it.


    Without him uttering a word, his status screen appeared once again in front of him.


    [Status Screen: Ludwig Heart]


    Race: Undead


    Health: 100/100


    Stamina: Infinite


    Mana: 100/100


    Intelligence: 10


    Strength: 10


    Dexterity: 10


    Vigor: 10


    Luck: 15


    Class: Hero ??? Skeleton Grunt


    Title: [ Removed ]Predestined Hero! One who can save the world!


    Possessed Abilities: [ Removed ] [Hero''s Starter Pack]


    Passives: Resolve: {Negate One Negative Effect on the bearer.} Activates once a day.


    Overt Genius: Increased proficiency in all sorts of masteries.


    [ Removed ] Heroic Spirit: [ Removed ] Strong Resistance to Demonic Temptations and Mental Ailments.


    Several of his abilities were scratched off, along with his former class of a hero.


    And the majority of his stats were reduced by third.


    On the other hand, his stamina was infinite. That is the price of Undeath, They Never Tire after all.


    While he was occupied with his status screen, the man who would soon be revealed as the Tower Master of the Black Tower, would appear.


    This made Ludwig tense up. Because in his blue eyes, he was able to see something far more sinister than the two Necromancers that had killed him.


    An endless canopy of death was following him. Souls of creatures long since gone and long since they have perished were following him closely like ticks on a dog. They wouldn''t leave him be and wouldn''t move away, they would scream an echoless and voiceless screech of misery and pain. A pained lullaby only the dead can hear.


    The Sounds of thousands of murdered souls, souls pulled away from their eternal rest and forced into servitude under the same person who had corrupted them.


    The man spoke with a tongue more vicious than that of a serpent, lashing out with words that sounded far crueler than the mightiest of whips though he spoke not once out of decorum. The two Necromancers had felt that their end was neigh, and Ludwig thought that they would soon come and join the endless souls attached to that man.


    The man would then proceed by raising his arm, manifesting something that Ludwig had never seen before.


    Well, he did see a portion of it as he was being tested on, but now, with his new ethereal blue eyes, he was able to see it clearly.


    A powerful surge of a liquid like energy that stemmed from the man''s heart, and channeled through his body assisted by the world outside, a manifestation of power that couldn''t be described, slowly at times and rapidly at times coiling around his entire body, and almost in an instant manifested into a ball of black flames.


    It was¡­ an incredible thing to behold, and thanks to his new eyes he was able to see it clearly. It was like¡­ a mathematical formula? That was the closest thing Ludwig''s mind could think of, after all he never saw something like this before.


    It was a change in friction, a transfer of heat and cold, all subjugated to a precise force that acted and moved at a specific speed and velocity to create something like this.


    As if mesmerized by the spell, without him even realizing, he too had begun the same process, of channeling this same energy unbeknownst to even his awareness, through his body.


    Yet, the quality was on a completely different level, if the Tower Master''s energy was comparable to a Sun, then the energy that Ludwig had in him was no bigger than a firefly. The energy failed to achieve the minimum required, in terms of understanding, experience, and knowledge, not to mention mana.


    The application immediately died, sputtering a small puff of smoke. Only then Did Ludwig realize what happened and he was unintentionally mimicking the Tower Master.


    This fact caught him by surprise and almost made him want to hide under the ground, yet he remembered well the words of the voice which asked him to not move a muscle, or bone in this case.


    "Attack him," the Voice once again ordered, and he immediately followed and was suddenly grabbed.


    The Tower Master displayed interest and soon slammed his hand on Ludwig''s skull.


    [You Are Being Subjugated! The Caster is far stronger than you are! You cannot resist!]


    Just as that window appeared in front of Ludwig, another soon appeared in front of him.


    [Resolve has activated!] {Resolve! Negate one Negative effect on the User} Resolve had entered cooldown.


    "Let me assist you with that!" another time the voice spoke.


    [Necro''s Blessing has activated. Your enslavement will not take effect unless you are in the presence of the Tower Master Bastos Van Dijk]


    [Fakery of Death. As long as Bastos Van Dijk''s interest in you rises, you shall be warned and be aware of him, once he is away from sight, you''ll regain your full freedom. You cannot remove yourself from Bastos Van Dijk unless specified by the caster himself. You cannot try and escape from him or it will break the Fakery of Death and reveal that your will is intact and no longer bound to him.]


    [Necro''s Eternal Quest]


    {Deus Necros, the Lord of Death has found in you what could be called in the mortal tongue, ''Interest.'' As one who is considered a neutral force that belongs to neither good nor evil, Necros finds himself to never be in need of a champion. You are no exception. Yet the interest you have brought to Necro was enough to make the Ancient Silence watch you closely. You are now given an Eternal Quest.}


    {First Part} [Outgrow Bastos Van Dijk''s Control]


    Difficulty level: ?????1


    Ludwig''s Story which sounded like it had ended abruptly, has fortunately, or maybe, unfortunately, succumbed to the trials and tribulations of fate.


    Ludwig''s Story as a hero of light has taken a different twist and turn. After all; what is a story without a Plot Twist?

 Chapter 6 - 6: First Mistake

    "Follow."


    [A Command Has Been Given]


    Ludwig''s skeletal body moved with a mind of its own, each step deliberate yet devoid of the fluid grace that living beings possess. His bones clinked and jittered with every motion, the eerie symphony echoing through the silent corridors as he trailed behind the Dark Tower Master. The mage''s presence was palpable, an oppressive aura that weighed heavily on Ludwig''s very essence.


    It was a darkness that transcended mere description, a palpable force that could only be felt deep within the soul.


    The souls of the damned whispered incessantly around them, their voices a haunting blend of torment and despair. Some cursed at the dark mage, their ethereal forms writhing in silent agony, while others wept tears of sorrow that never fell. A thick canopy of death enveloped the man, intensifying Ludwig''s fear and unease.


    The air was thick with the scent of decay and unspoken dread, each step forward a reminder of the peril he was entangled in.


    The system, or rather the Quest giver, showed no concern for Ludwig''s desires or fears. It had bestowed upon him an Eternal Quest¡ªan unyielding mission to outgrow Bastos Van Dijk''s formidable control. Ludwig knew, with a sinking certainty, that this task was nearly impossible. Bastos Van Dijk was a master of necromancy, a sorcerer whose command over the dead was absolute and terrifying.


    The very notion of defying such power seemed to border on the miraculous.


    Deep within his spirit, Ludwig recognized the grim reality: he was ensnared by a force far too mighty and fearsome to challenge. His intellect, though sharp, felt inadequate against the overwhelming darkness that held him captive. Yet, bound by the unbreakable chains of his quest, he had no choice but to comply. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So, Ludwig followed.


    They navigated the labyrinthine passages of the temple with methodical precision. The corridors twisted and turned, each corner revealing another stretch of ominous stone and shadow. The man walked with a slow, steady pace, his presence commanding silence and obedience.


    Ludwig''s skeletal footsteps were the only sounds that broke the oppressive stillness, the clinking of his bones resonating through the echoing chambers.


    After what felt like an eternity of endless lefts and rights, they arrived at a vast, empty room. In the center stood a rip in space, a jagged tear that seemed to defy the very laws of reality. Through the rift, Ludwig could glimpse the outlines of another realm, a swirling vortex of colors and light that beckoned with an otherworldly allure.


    The Dark Tower Master, fully clad in black, took a confident step into the rift. His form shimmered and distorted as he vanished into the unknown, leaving Ludwig to process the significance of this portal. Just as quickly as it had appeared, a notification materialized before Ludwig''s ethereal vision.


    [The Control of Bastos Van Dijk has waned, you are free to move as you see fit.]


    The message was cryptic yet enlightening. It indicated that traversing the rift had somehow diminished Bastos Van Dijk''s grip over him. Moreover, the mage''s effortless passage suggested a familiarity or even mastery over such spatial anomalies. Ludwig pondered the implications¡ªif Bastos could manipulate space so effortlessly, the task ahead was not just daunting but seemingly insurmountable.


    Despite the notification''s promise of newfound freedom, Ludwig understood the precariousness of his situation. He knew he had to follow the mage through the rift, lest his partial liberation be exposed. Any hint of his semi-autonomous existence could spell disaster, exposing vulnerabilities that Bastos Van Dijk could exploit.


    With a deep, unspoken resolve, Ludwig stepped into the rift. The transition was instantaneous, the world around him warping and shifting until he found himself in an entirely different location. He shook off the initial confusion¡ªmagic was beyond his understanding, yet the pressing need to follow took precedence over all else.


    [The Bind with Bastos Van Dijk has been reestablished.]


    Ludwig''s surroundings transformed into a grand study, its vastness accentuated by towering bookshelves filled with ancient tomes and arcane artifacts. The window beside him offered a panoramic view of the sprawling city below. Where few huts and houses were built sporadically everywhere, the whole area looked grim and mostly devasted.


    A quite thematic view that fit perfectly with the ''Dark Tower Master'' while the whole view conveyed one more thing. The place they were in was incredibly high. Compared to the modest abodes scattered around, the building itself stood as a testament to dark grandeur and architectural prowess.


    The Dark Mage resumed his stride, waving a hand dismissively and that caused the entire rift to close in a second disappearing as if it was never there in the first place. "Let those two walk back all the way here, this should at least teach them a lesson¡­ or death." His clap echoed through the room, a grim proclamation of his twisted sense of justice.


    Without missing a beat, he adjusted his glasses and fixed his penetrating gaze on Ludwig.


    "Now, what shall we do with you?" Bastos Van Dijk inquired, tilting his head thoughtfully as he rested his chin on one hand, the other arm crossed over the other. His demeanor was one of calculated authority, a master contemplating the next move in his dark game.


    Ludwig stood frozen, gratitude mingling with fear for the mysterious force that prevented him from acting without explicit commands in Bastos Van Dijk''s presence. Otherwise, his rational mind would have been in turmoil, grappling with the sheer terror of his predicament.


    "Let''s see now, Unravel Memories!" the Mage declared.


    As the words left Bastos Van Dijk''s lips, his hand swiftly moved to Ludwig''s skull, fingers brushing against the hollow sockets. A new notification flashed before Ludwig''s eyes:


    [Your Memory is being read. You cannot resist.]


    [Necro''s Blessing had interfered.]


    Bastos Van Dijk''s lips curled into a sinister smile, reminiscent of the one Ludwig had seen when the mage obliterated the two necromancers. A chill ran down Ludwig''s spine¡ªwould the same fate befall him?


    The interference of Necro''s Blessing provided a sliver of hope, yet Ludwig was uncertain of its true effect. Did it fully conceal his memories, or only obscure them partially? The possibility that the Tower Master might be aware of his transmigration weighed heavily on his mind. In every tale he had ever read, such secrets were sacrosanct, guarded fiercely and never to be revealed.


    "Damn those two fools," Bastos Van Dijk spat through gritted teeth, forcefully withdrawing his hand from Ludwig''s skull. "They did such a terrible job bringing you back that they ruined your mind. You''re nothing but an empty, mindless husk that cannot act without being told what to do¡­ What am I to do with you? Send you to the dungeon, perhaps? At least you''d serve a purpose.


    Maybe use you as a training dummy for novice black mages¡­ Argh, what a waste! To squander the soul of a summoned hero this way! It breaks my heart," he lamented, letting out a heavy sigh as he sank into his ornate chair.


    Bastos Van Dijk''s desk was a sprawling expanse cluttered with endless stacks of papers and research notes, many written in a cryptic language that the system failed to translate for Ludwig. The mage''s eyes remained fixed on Ludwig''s lifeless form, deep in contemplation about how to utilize this failed experiment.


    "Clean up this place," Van Dijk commanded abruptly.


    Ludwig, accustomed to a life of opulence and ease within the gilded confines of his former existence, found himself thrust into menial labor. Despite never having performed such tasks before, his spirit''s innate discipline took over. He moved gracefully, beginning to gather the scattered papers, his skeletal fingers deftly collecting them into neat piles before disposing of them in the bin.


    Grabbing a dirty rag from the cluttered desk, he dipped it into a jar containing a pair of rotted eyes¡ªlikely remnants of one of Bastos Van Dijk''s dark experiments. The decayed eyes stared blankly, a macabre reminder of the mage''s twisted pursuits.


    With meticulous care, Ludwig began wiping the stains and tidying the study, his actions precise and methodical despite his undead state. The Black Mage observed with a growing sense of intrigue, a light grin creeping onto his lips.


    "You''re a strange fellow¡­ Usually, skeletons would never understand a direct command such as ''Clean up the Place.'' How come you understood it? Is it possible, or within the realm of possibility, that you still retain sentience after death?"


    The mage''s questions were laden with suspicion, each word probing deeper into the mystery of Ludwig''s existence. Ludwig could feel the figurative sweat pooling beneath his ribcage, a sensation he couldn''t entirely comprehend. After all, the command "Clean Up The Place" was straightforward, something no mere skeleton would be capable of understanding beyond its literal interpretation.


    Skeletons were meant to be mindless servants, executing simple commands like follow, attack, or defend without question.


    Yet, here stood Ludwig, demonstrating a level of intelligence and autonomy that defied Bastos Van Dijk''s expectations. This deviation from the norm was precisely what made Ludwig a problematic asset. The Tower Master''s mind raced, calculating the implications of this anomaly. Had the necromancers truly failed so spectacularly, or was there something more at play?


    Ludwig had only just begun his journey, yet he had already committed his first significant error¡ªdisplaying intelligence beyond his supposed capabilities. This revelation could jeopardize his very existence, exposing the depths of his sentience and the hidden threads of Necro''s Blessing woven into his very being.


    As Ludwig continued his futile attempts to tidy the room, he couldn''t shake the realization that his presence here was far more complex and perilous than he had initially comprehended. The balance between his constrained obedience and the flickers of autonomy presented a delicate dance, one that could determine his fate in the hands of Bastos Van Dijk.

 Chapter 7 - 7: A Brush with Power

    "Stop what you''re doing," Van Dijk''s voice commanded. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig''s skeletal frame immediately froze. His body, now a slave to the dark mage''s orders, was locked in place. He couldn''t move, couldn''t act, except as dictated by the sorcerer''s whims.


    "I''m sure I scanned your mind," Van Dijk muttered, his voice low and thoughtful as he circled Ludwig. "You''re impossibly empty of thought and sentience."


    The dark mage seemed to be talking more to himself than to Ludwig as he continued pacing around the skeleton. His gloved hand rested under his chin, his eyes narrowing as though trying to solve some unseen puzzle.


    "You see, for most undead, it''s hard to give them complex or meaningful orders before they reach a certain level of evolution," Van Dijk continued. "For you, though¡­ You''re at the very bottom of the chain. A skeleton grunt. Not a warrior, not an archer, not even one of the rare skeleton mages. You are the lowest of the low¡ªsomething that shouldn''t even be considered a true soldier.


    You''re nothing but a brittle test subject, barely fit for anything."


    He tapped Ludwig''s bleached bones, as if to emphasize how fragile the skeleton truly was.


    "And yet," Van Dijk mused, "with each evolution, an undead grows. Through battle, through endless killing, they evolve¡ªgaining intelligence, strength, and eventually, autonomy. A skeleton swordsman might become elite, and further beyond that, they could earn a name. Rarer still are those who ascend to become Death Knights.


    I''ve only witnessed such a transformation once or twice in my entire six-hundred-year existence."


    Van Dijk''s gaze turned sharper, more curious. "But you... you''re showing signs far beyond what should be possible. Traits akin to a Death Knight''s intelligence, and yet you''re barely at the first level. You''ve yet to make your first kill, haven''t even honed any of your abilities, and still¡ªstill¡ªyou follow my orders with a level of precision no grunt should possess."


    Ludwig''s nonexistent heart, or what might have been his spirit, pulsed with a sense of alarm. The more Van Dijk studied him, the more his curiosity turned dangerous. As the dark mage completed his fourth circle around Ludwig, his words carried an edge of frustration.


    "What bothers me most isn''t your ability to understand me¡ªit''s those two fools who botched your resurrection. They think themselves capable dark mages, but they ruined you before you could even develop into something of value. If they had waited, allowed you to grow as a hero, and then killed you... you might have become an elite. A Death Knight, even. But now?


    Look at you¡ªjust a walking pile of bones who can barely clean a room."


    The words were casual, dismissive, but they carried a threat that chilled Ludwig''s soul. Van Dijk saw him as nothing more than a failed experiment¡ªa wasted opportunity. And Ludwig knew too well how people like the Tower Master treated their failures. He wasn''t valuable; he wasn''t needed. The thought of being discarded¡ªor worse¡ªloomed over him like a dark cloud.


    But Van Dijk wasn''t finished. His eyes glittered with malice, but also intrigue.


    "It didn''t escape my notice," Van Dijk said, his voice dropping to a dangerous murmur. "You tried to mimic my spell earlier."


    Ludwig''s mind raced. He had thought he was subtle, that his attempt to replicate the dark mage''s magic had gone unnoticed, but clearly, nothing escaped the Tower Master''s gaze. His spirit trembled as though a phantom heartbeat had suddenly thudded in his chest.


    "And it intrigues me," Van Dijk continued, his gaze locking onto Ludwig''s empty sockets. "Don''t dodge."


    The Tower Master''s hand moved, and in an instant, the same black flame he had conjured before flickered to life. It swirled with deadly energy, hungry and wild. This time, the power behind it was palpable¡ªraw and violent.


    [You are in a hostile environment!]


    [The Power of the Incoming Spell will destroy you and send you to eternal rest!]


    [You cannot move!]


    Ludwig''s entire being froze in terror. He wanted to move, wanted to dodge, but the binding magic that held him in thrall wouldn''t allow it. He was a slave to Van Dijk''s command, forced to stand there and watch as the deadly magic arced toward his temple. The black flames whistled through the air, knocking over several books as they cut a blazing path toward Ludwig''s skull.


    And then¡­ it stopped.


    The deadly flames halted just millimeters away from Ludwig''s bone, close enough that he could feel their heat, but still. Van Dijk''s smirk widened as he observed his captive.


    "You truly are subservient," Van Dijk said, withdrawing his hand. "I had a thought, just for a moment, that you weren''t completely under my control. But I see now that I was mistaken."


    The tension in the room didn''t ease. If anything, it thickened as Van Dijk drew closer once again, holding the flickering black flame in front of Ludwig''s face.


    "Do you know what this is?" Van Dijk asked, his voice silky and taunting. "This is Dark Flame¡ªone of my most prized creations. It''s a flame that consumes not just the physical but the very essence of its target. But if that were all, I wouldn''t be called Tower Master, would I?"


    He reduced the flame to a mere wisp, barely visible but still pulsing with the same malevolent energy.


    "This spell uses both mana and demonic energy, something I had to sacrifice my soul for in order to wield. You, however, as an undead, already possess some degree of demonic energy. It taints your very existence. You could, in theory, learn to use this magic, to cast curses, hexes, and debilitating spells that weaken your enemies.


    Dark magicians like myself don''t rely on raw power¡ªwe rely on the ability to exhaust and weaken our enemies so that we can tear them apart piece by piece with the most basic of spells afterward. Why fight the Strong when you can kill the weak?"


    Van Dijk''s tone shifted, becoming more instructive. He seemed to enjoy explaining the nuances of dark magic, perhaps because he rarely had an audience intelligent enough to comprehend it.


    "And now, you," he continued. "I want to see what you''re capable of. Replicate this wisp."


    A command. Ludwig had no choice but to obey.


    Raising his finger, Ludwig felt the mana within him stir. It was strange¡ªalien, and yet somehow, familiar. It flowed through him as if it had always been there, waiting to be used. But Ludwig had never been a mage, never been taught how to wield magic. This was the first time he had ever attempted to harness mana, and yet, it felt natural.


    The mana gathered at the tip of his bony finger, coalescing into a faint, glowing wisp. For a split second, Ludwig felt a surge of exhilaration¡ªhe had done it. He had channeled magic. He had control. But just as quickly as the wisp had formed, it sputtered and died, evaporating into nothingness.


    To Ludwig, that brief moment of magic felt like triumph. To Van Dijk, it was a disappointment.


    "Pathetic," Van Dijk sighed, his eyes narrowing. "You managed a flicker, but you have no idea what you''re doing. Your body only followed the order, not your will. That confirms it¡ªyou''re nothing but a puppet, capable of only the most basic tasks. I had hoped there might be more to you, but it seems you''re no better than the rest. A waste of a summoned hero''s soul."


    He turned his back on Ludwig, walking toward the exit of the study. His movements were languid, confident¡ªhe had decided Ludwig was no longer worth his time. Stopping near a coat hanger, Van Dijk pulled a long, flowing coat over his shoulders before glancing back at Ludwig one last time.


    "Continue cleaning the room," he ordered. With that, he stepped out of the study, slamming the heavy door behind him.


    Ludwig remained motionless for a few moments, the weight of Van Dijk''s words sinking in. He was alone again. Truly alone.


    And free. At least, for the moment.


    A sigh of relief escaped him¡ªfigurative, of course. His bones creaked as he allowed the tension to drain away. The dark mage had left, and though Ludwig was still bound to him, those brief moments of freedom, no matter how finite, were everything. He was still here, still existing. Still thinking.


    And as long as he could think, there was hope.

 Chapter 8 - 8: Book Worm

    Ludwig surveyed the room, trying to find any possible means of escape. His mind raced, aware that the system had given him an impossible task: Outgrow Van Dijk''s control. Yet, the overwhelming presence of the Tower Master lingered in his thoughts, a constant reminder of the impossible odds stacked against him.


    There was no way he could break free without being noticed, not with the omnipresent power Bastos wielded.


    The conversation with Van Dijk had revealed a sliver of hope, however small. Ludwig could evolve. Though he was nothing now¡ªless than a skeleton grunt¡ªhe could grow. He could become a Death Knight, a force worthy of battle. But even then, would it be enough? A Death Knight might have the strength to defeat the two necromancers who had resurrected him, but Van Dijk?


    Even if Ludwig ascended to the highest form of undeath, he doubted it would be enough to bring down the Tower Master.


    Ludwig''s thoughts drifted to another possibility. In all the games he played and stories he read, killing enemies was the key to leveling up, to gaining power. If the same rules applied here, killing would help him evolve. That was his path¡ªgain strength through battle, hone his abilities, and eventually, escape.


    But as his mind churned through these thoughts, a more grim realization settled in.


    "So what?" Ludwig muttered aloud, his hollow voice echoing faintly in the room. The sound of his own voice startled him, and he instinctively slapped his bony hands over his nonexistent mouth, causing a dull ache in his jawbone.


    [-1 HP]


    He had spoken. As a skeleton. That should have been impossible, given his lack of vocal cords or any biological means to produce sound. And worse still¡ªVan Dijk might have heard him.


    Ludwig froze, every moment stretching into an eternity as he waited for some unseen punishment or retribution. But after a few agonizing seconds, nothing happened. The Tower Master was either far away or not monitoring him as closely as Ludwig feared.


    Breathing a sigh of relief, he allowed his thoughts to resume their bleak course. What was the point in all of this? Sure, evolving into some powerful undead being sounded appealing, but in the end, he was still an undead. Something neither living nor dead, despised by both the living and the monsters of the world. He was an abomination, condemned to wander without purpose.


    The thought made Ludwig shudder¡ªhe wasn''t just seeking strength; he was seeking life. He needed to become human again. That had to be possible. This was a world of magic, after all, and in every story, there was always an elixir of life, some magical cure that could bring the dead back to life. That had to be out there for him, right? The answer was in this world¡ªhe just had to find it.


    But where would he even begin?


    The answer hit him like a bolt of lightning. He was surrounded by books¡ªendless shelves filled with arcane knowledge. The Tower Master''s study was a treasure trove of magical information, perhaps even containing the secrets he needed. He could start here.


    Ludwig approached one of the bookshelves, his bony fingers trailing over the spines of the ancient tomes. He grabbed the first book that caught his attention.


    A searing pain ripped through his skull the moment he touched it. He winced, his mind reeling from the sudden mental assault as a notification appeared in front of him.


    [Sigmund Tulk: Understanding of Chimera Art]


    [Your intelligence level is far below the required threshold to read this book.]


    [Your linguistic level is too low to comprehend this text.]


    Ludwig groaned in frustration. The book was far too advanced for him to even begin understanding. But he couldn''t give up. Desperation gnawed at him as he reached for another book.


    The same pain struck him again, nearly knocking him off balance.


    This was going to be more difficult than he thought. It seemed every book in this study was well beyond his current understanding. If he wanted to read and learn from them, he''d need to increase his intelligence or find something more basic. But this was the study of a Tower Master¡ªthe likelihood of finding beginner-level magic books here was slim to none. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With a sigh, Ludwig turned away from the books. His gaze drifted toward the door, the only visible exit. He hesitated for a moment, then walked toward it. Maybe, just maybe, the door would be unlocked, and he could sneak out¡ª


    Before his hand could touch the handle, a blinding magical circle flared to life in front of him, its intricate runes glowing menacingly.


    [The Study is currently locked by Bastos Van Dijk.]


    [If you attempt to brute force the lock, you will perish.]


    Ludwig stepped back in defeat. Of course, the door was locked. He was trapped in this room, bound by Van Dijk''s magic.


    He sighed again, feeling the weight of his situation more acutely than ever. There was no escape, no easy way out. His only option now was to bide his time, to grow stronger, and hope that one day he could break free from this nightmare.


    Time passed slowly as Ludwig resumed his task of cleaning. His mind churned with unanswered questions and a growing sense of frustration. He had no clear path forward¡ªno mentor, no powerful weapon, no secret ability waiting to be unlocked. Just a broom and an endless list of menial tasks.


    As he pondered his situation, the door to the study creaked open.


    Ludwig stiffened, fearing the return of Bastos Van Dijk. He quickly dropped the book he had been holding and resumed sweeping the floor, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible.


    "M-Master Bastos?" a familiar voice called from behind him.


    Ludwig turned slowly to see none other than Sebas, the necromancer who had been responsible for his death. Fear gripped him for a moment¡ªwhat if they had come back to finish what they started? But Sebas wasn''t alone. The other necromancer, Evan, followed behind him, both wearing expressions of irritation.


    Ludwig''s instinct was to flee, but he knew better than to act on that impulse. He froze, gripping the broom tightly.


    "Oh, guess he''s not here," Sebas muttered, scanning the room. "Evan, come on in."


    The two necromancers entered the study without paying much attention to Ludwig. They moved about the room, oblivious to his presence as they searched for something.


    Ludwig''s confusion grew. Why are they here? He thought. Weren''t they supposed to be going to the punishment hall? Time had passed, and by Ludwig''s estimation, they had been gone for hours. Surely, they should have been farther away from the Tower by now.


    "Is he not here?" Evan asked, glancing nervously toward the door.


    "I guess not. He''s probably at the Academy, doing whatever it is dark mages do," Sebas replied dismissively. "Let''s just put the stuff back and leave before we get caught."


    Ludwig watched as they retrieved the black book¡ªthe one they had used to revive him. Alongside it, they placed several jars filled with his organs, or what remained of them, on the desk.


    The sight of his own mutilated body parts made Ludwig shudder, but he kept quiet.


    Sebas threw Ludwig a disdainful glance as he placed the book back on the desk. "MOVE!" he snarled, delivering a vicious kick to Ludwig''s back.


    [-6 HP]


    The blow sent Ludwig sprawling to the floor, his bones rattling as he hit the cold stone. A notification appeared.


    [You are in a hostile environment.]


    "Stupid thing," Sebas muttered. "It caused us so many problems, and it wasn''t even brought back properly."


    Evan pulled Sebas aside before he could kick Ludwig again. "Don''t break him, you idiot. If the Tower Master still needs him and you damage him, our punishment will be worse than death. We could end up as his next experiments."


    Sebas grumbled but relented, backing away from Ludwig with a sneer. "Fine, fine. But if it were up to me, I''d smash this useless pile of bones to dust."


    The two necromancers quickly left, shutting the door behind them and locking Ludwig back inside the study. Ludwig let out another sigh, frustration bubbling up inside him.


    This isn''t how it was supposed to be, he thought. In the stories, the protagonist always started with some overpowered ability, a mentor to guide them, or a legendary weapon that set them apart. But Ludwig had none of that. He was dead, a skeleton in enemy territory with no advantages, no hidden powers, and no way out.


    Despair gnawed at him, and for a moment, he considered throwing himself out the window. Perhaps the fall would shatter his bones and end his miserable existence once and for all. But as he looked out at the towering height, he knew it was futile. His body would likely survive the impact, and even if it didn''t, what would it change? He''d still be trapped in this nightmare.


    As Ludwig wrestled with his dark thoughts, something caught his eye. A small, old book wedged under a stool. It had been placed there to balance the uneven legs of a chair. The book was worn and dusty, its cover barely legible.


    Curiosity piqued, Ludwig bent down and picked up the book. The moment he touched it, his mind throbbed with the familiar pain of an advanced text. But he pushed through it, intrigued by the title.


    [Deus Necros: Death and Necromancy. The Forbidden Arts. By Unknown]

 Chapter 9 - 9: The Weight of Knowledge

    The book felt unnaturally heavy in Ludwig''s skeletal hands as he opened the first page. Each word seemed to pierce his mind, each sentence a thorny knot that tightened with every attempt to untangle it. The pain grew more intense the longer he read, as if the very text was rejecting his attempt to understand it, a defense mechanism meant to guard secrets beyond his comprehension.


    Deus Necros, a God perhaps? Or maybe something beyond. An entity that rules over death and the undead. A neutral entity that seeks no control or power, nor does it have a champion.


    Void of all emotions, it works in mystery as it oversees the laws of death and protects them jealously from the interference of other gods.


    Those of the light path wished to bring back those who were once hailed as heroes and lost their lives in battle, and those of the dark path wished to bring back those of most heinous of acts. Deeds and feats simple to invoke for entities that can define reality as we know it, yet Deus Necros never agreed to the return of any of them back to life.


    He guarded their souls jealously, and only those that ever ''came back'', they returned in the form of Undeath.


    The title, Deus Necros, suggested a deity or perhaps something even greater. An entity that governed over death and the undead. According to the text, this entity operated beyond the realm of mortal understanding, overseeing the laws of death and safeguarding them against interference from other gods.


    Ghouls, Vampires, Banshees, ghosts and more, not among the living, and never among the dead, to forever walk the realm never finding peace due to having disrespected Deus Necros''s eternal law of Death.


    To Die is to rest. To defy that is to forever roam without ever seeing rest. And it is a law carved in every living being.


    For how the Undead came to be, it is a secret that Deus Necros has kept for a long time, until we Dark Mages managed to figure out bits and pieces of such a secret.


    Necromancy, the Art of raising the Dead, a feat that cannot simply be called miraculous but rather divine. And at the same time, an extremely delicate and difficult art to master but quite easy to begin learning.


    We Necromancers should never consider that it is us who bring back the dead. We only open the path for them to return, but it is only by the grace of Deus Necros that they are allowed to return. And you as a catalyst must always bear it in mind, you are but a tool and he is the source.


    Ludwig''s mind reeled as he continued reading. The more he understood, the more painful the process became. Each line felt like a hot iron brand against his consciousness, a warning that this knowledge was not meant for him.


    As for our lesson, let''s start with raising a rat¡­


    Ludwig''s mind was on the verge of splitting apart when he finally noticed something. The room was no longer empty. He turned, his movements slow and strained, to see Bastos Van Dijk standing behind him, a sinister gleam in his eyes.


    "Interesting. QUITE INTERESTING!" Van Dijk''s voice was like a dagger of ice stabbing through Ludwig''s bones. The Dark Mage''s face was lit with a perverse excitement, his eyes wide with a kind of manic glee.


    Ludwig was too stunned to respond. If he had been capable of sweating, he would have been drenched. The fact that he had been caught reading something so potentially forbidden made his nonexistent heart quiver in terror. Or simply the act of ''Reading'' was enough to entice Van Dijk to almost ecstasy.


    "The fact that your head is steaming means you''re struggling to comprehend what''s in front of you," Van Dijk said, his tone a mixture of amusement and fascination. "Not only was I wrong about you lacking sentience, but you actually show intelligence. Enough to read and even learn from the text at hand."


    He approached Ludwig, his gaze never leaving the skeleton. "You see," he began, almost as if lecturing, "only high-level undead possess the intellect necessary to understand magic. A lich, for example, must either be created by a mightier force¡ªan Arch-Lich or an extraordinarily powerful necromancer¡ªor must be a former human with enough magical knowledge to willingly turn to undeath.


    Vampires retain their memories and intellect upon turning, and Death Knights are already imbued with immense power and intelligence. But you, you''re just a skeleton. You shouldn''t have sentience, let alone the capacity to read and understand complex texts. So why? Why do you read? I scanned your mind, and it was empty.


    I searched your memories, and there was nothing. Yet here you are, learning. Quite the discovery."


    Ludwig slowly placed the book down, unsure of how to respond or even if he was allowed to. His mind was racing, trying to process what Van Dijk had said and what it meant for him.


    "CONTINUE!" Van Dijk''s sudden shout made Ludwig''s bones rattle.


    [You have been given a direct command!]


    Ludwig''s hands moved against his will, picking the book back up and resuming his reading. The pain intensified, but he couldn''t stop. It was as if Van Dijk''s command was forcing the words into his mind, burning them into his very soul. His head began to steam, literal wisps of vapor rising from his skull as the arcane knowledge took its toll.


    "Interesting," Van Dijk mused, observing Ludwig with an almost clinical interest. "Your health isn''t dropping, and your pain tolerance is only temporary. You won''t lose your sanity even if you read the most difficult of books, nor will you fall unconscious. A book of this level would kill a human who tried to read it. But you... you persist.


    The Curse of Undeath, the Endless Stamina given by Deus Necros to all of his ''Pure'' Undead. If only Vampires had that, they''d rule the world but they already possess so much strength that Deus Necros denied them the Endless Stamina of the Undead. "


    Ludwig''s mind reeled as he read on, the text blurring as he tried to make sense of its meaning. The book spoke of necromancy in intricate detail, of the various forms of undead and their capabilities, of the delicate balance between life, death, and undeath. It was knowledge far beyond his current level, but he absorbed it, piece by painful piece.


    "Now," Van Dijk muttered, almost to himself, "should I dissect you? Perhaps I''ll find out more¡­"


    The words sent a jolt of fear through Ludwig. He could almost feel the icy fingers of death gripping his spine, the cold metal of surgical tools hovering over him, ready to tear him apart. But then, the mage sighed, his excitement giving way to resignation.


    "No, it would be a waste. I''d be no different from those two fools who brought you back improperly. Speaking of which, they''ve returned."


    Van Dijk grabbed the black necromancy book that the necromancers had left behind, placing it on a shelf with a dismissive gesture. He then pulled up a chair, setting it in front of Ludwig as he continued to read.


    "Hold on."


    [You have been given a direct command!]


    Ludwig stopped reading, raising his head to look at Van Dijk.


    "If you can read," Van Dijk began, his eyes gleaming with a disturbing light, "then you can understand. And if you can understand, then speak."


    [You have been given a direct command!]


    [Under the Blessing of Deus Necros, some of your words will be altered.]


    "Yes¡­"


    The word slipped from Ludwig''s mouth, his voice low and hollow. It was his voice, but it wasn''t. It sounded foreign, detached from him.


    Van Dijk''s eyes widened in manic delight. "IT SPEAKS!" he exclaimed, nearly knocking his chair over as he stood. "Tell me! Who are you? What are you? Where do you come from?"


    [You have been given a direct command!]


    [Under the Blessing of Deus Necros, some of your words will be altered.]


    Ludwig tried to resist, but his mouth moved on its own, forming words against his will. "I am¡­ Ludwig. I am¡­ a skeleton¡­ I do not remember."


    Van Dijk scrutinized him closely, his eyes narrowing as he processed the words. "Hmm¡­ interesting. This still fits with your lack of memory. I guess you''re simply a mutated type. Something new. Oh, how I wish I could open that skull of yours, but you''re too precious to waste.


    Tell me, what have you learned so far from that book?"


    Ludwig hesitated, his mind racing for an answer that wouldn''t give away too much. But the compulsion to speak was too strong. "How to raise a rat," he said simply. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Van Dijk raised an eyebrow. "You know how, but can you do it?"


    Ludwig shook his head. "Too low mana." He raised a finger, channeling what little mana he had. It gathered at the tip of his finger, flickering briefly before sputtering out like a dying candle flame.


    "Argh! What a waste!" Van Dijk roared in frustration. "Those blundering fools! If they needed to bring you back, they should have tried to make you a Draugr at least! WHY A SKELETON? A Draugr still has internal organs, a heart even!


    I could have grafted a mana circle into it! Damn those idiots! The more I think about it, the more I want to rip out their livers and eat them in front of them!"


    Van Dijk''s aura flared wildly, the air around him growing heavy with a palpable, malevolent force. Even the spirits that clung to him seemed to recoil, too terrified to approach him as his rage boiled over.


    But just as quickly as his fury had erupted, it subsided. The dark mage sighed, adjusting his glasses with a cold, calculating calm. "Fine. It''ll be a hassle, but I can still fix it. Regardless, magic without knowledge is useless. And everything here"¡ªhe gestured around the room¡ª"is completely beyond your scope.


    Hmm... let''s start with the basics. Yes, I''ll be your teacher. My first ever direct pupil."


    His smile stretched unnaturally, a grin that spoke of madness more than joy. And in that smile, Ludwig saw his own impending doom.


    Terror gripped Ludwig''s soul, his nonexistent heart filled with a dread that surpassed any fear he had felt before.

 Chapter 10 - 10: Cramming

    "First things first! You need knowledge, so far you''re dumber than a brick," Van Dijk said with a dismissive wave of his hand, his eyes boring into Ludwig''s empty sockets.


    "Yes," Ludwig responded mechanically, the words slipping out before he had a chance to think.


    "It''s ''Yes, Master!''" Van Dijk snapped, flicking Ludwig''s forehead with a sharp crack.


    [-1 HP]


    "Yes, Master," Ludwig replied, forcing the words through a veil of resentment. He had been called "Young Master" countless times in his previous life, a title of respect from the maids and servants back home. Now, the tables had turned. He was the servant, the underling. Though humiliating, it wasn''t hard to adjust to this new role¡ªat least not outwardly.


    "Good, good," Van Dijk muttered as he scanned the room with a critical eye. "Sadly, I don''t have anything here that can be considered ''beginner-friendly,''" he said, his gaze sweeping over the numerous tomes lining the shelves. Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small blue crystal.


    "Sebas, Evan, you bastards, where are you?!" Van Dijk barked into the crystal.


    A flickering holographic image of Sebas appeared, the necromancer''s eyes wide with fear as he struggled to catch the crystal projection. "Y-Yes, Tower Master!" Sebas stammered, his voice trembling. Behind him, Evan''s face was visible, looking even more nervous.


    "Bring me all elementary books about magic," Van Dijk ordered curtly.


    "Uh, what for?" Sebas dared to ask, genuine confusion in his tone. The Tower Master had no use for elementary texts, so the request seemed baffling. Evan, realizing the folly of questioning their master, immediately elbowed Sebas in the ribs. "We''ll do so right now. What range? White Magic?


    Red, or Black?"


    "Elementary for now. Elemental magic can wait. Just bring all you can get your hands on. Hurry," Van Dijk demanded, dismissing them with a wave that shut down the crystal projection.


    "Let''s wait for those two fools now. But tell me, what are your current abilities?" Van Dijk asked, his gaze returning to Ludwig with a mixture of curiosity and impatience.


    "I have none," Ludwig replied.


    "Strange, everyone should have at least one or two right after their birth. ''Inspect,''" Van Dijk muttered, extending his palm toward Ludwig.


    Nothing happened on Van Dijk''s end, but on Ludwig''s side, an entirely different scene unfolded.


    [Congratulations, you have seen how Inspect works. You can now use it to inspect the world around you, including its people!]


    [Inspect: The ability to showcase another''s information, including objects and materials.]


    "Inspect," Ludwig muttered, almost involuntarily. Immediately, a window appeared before him.


    Bastos Van Dijk


    [Status Screen: Bastos Van Dijk]


    Level: ???


    Health: ???


    Stamina: ???


    Mana: ???


    Intelligence: ???


    Strength: ???


    Dexterity: ???


    Vigor: ???


    Luck: ???


    Class: Dark Archmage sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Title: Black Tower Master


    Your level is too low to fully showcase this person''s status screen.


    "What did you just do?" Van Dijk''s voice was sharp, a slight chill in the air as he fixed his gaze on Ludwig.


    "I used Inspect," Ludwig replied, trying to sound as detached as possible.


    "That feels... awfully violating," Van Dijk said, rubbing his chin in thought. "And Inspect can only be used on inanimate objects to understand their purpose. you using it on people is...unheard of, Regardless, tell me what you saw when you used it."


    Ludwig relayed the information, watching as Van Dijk''s face twisted into a look of horror, disbelief mingled with fascination.


    "What monster are you¡­? Your exploits are a violation of the world itself¡­" Van Dijk muttered, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Still, it is yours¡ªan ability that only you can use. Don''t ever use it on people stronger than you¡­ you know what, don''t use it on people, period. It will cause you more strife than good."


    "Understood," Ludwig said obediently, though his mind was racing with the potential applications of Inspect. It was a powerful tool, one that could give him insight into his enemies¡ªor his captors.


    Not a moment later, there was a knock on the door. Van Dijk waved his hand, and the door creaked open, just enough to reveal Sebas and Evan standing nervously on the other side.


    "The books," Van Dijk commanded, extending his hand without allowing them a full view of the room behind him.


    Sebas handed over a ring, which Van Dijk examined briefly before nodding. "I still need more. Bring me books on history, theology, world maps, and anything considered novice level of education."


    "May I ask why?" Sebas asked, curiosity getting the better of him.


    Evan, realizing the danger in that question, delivered another elbow to Sebas''s ribs, prompting a pained grunt. "As the Tower Master commands," Evan said quickly, pulling Sebas away.


    "He''s lucky to have a friend like Evan," Van Dijk muttered as the door closed. "Otherwise, I''d have made him a walking corpse a long time ago."


    Turning back to Ludwig, Van Dijk tossed the ring toward him. "Begin by reading all of these, understand them, and I''ll quiz you on them. Can you do it?"


    Ludwig caught the ring, feeling a strange sense of freedom in the question. It wasn''t an order, but a request. For the first time, it seemed he had been given a choice.


    "I will try," Ludwig replied, but hesitated. "But..."


    "But what?" Van Dijk''s eyes flashed with irritation, mistaking Ludwig''s pause for defiance.


    "I do not know how to ''open'' this," Ludwig admitted.


    Van Dijk''s brow furrowed. "Open? How did you know that the ring can be opened?"


    The Dark Mage hadn''t mentioned anything about the ring''s true nature, yet Ludwig had deduced it was a storage ring. Could it be that Ludwig possessed some latent knowledge of magical artifacts? Or were his memories merely obscured from a mage as powerful as Van Dijk?


    "I used Inspect," Ludwig lied. In truth, he had recognized the ring''s function from countless stories he had read in his previous life.


    "Ah, figures¡­" Van Dijk sighed, momentarily assuaged. "Anyway, put your mana into it, the same way you tried when mimicking my flame. It will reveal its contents to you."


    Ludwig did as instructed, channeling his mana into the ring. A new window opened before him, showcasing hundreds of books. The sheer volume was staggering¡ªan immense repository of knowledge, now at his fingertips.


    "The only advice I''ll give you is to begin reading whatever book you choose. Don''t stop if you don''t understand something. Keep going until you finish the book, then move on to the next. Once you''ve read all of them, start again from scratch. All that seemed mysterious will unveil itself to you later on," Van Dijk instructed, shrugging his coat on once more.


    "I''ll go and gather some tools to aid you in your progress. After all, finding and guiding a new pupil isn''t easy. I''ll return tomorrow. I expect you to have read at least two books by then; after all, the dead don''t need to rest." He said this with a cruel smile, leaving the room and locking the door behind him.


    Ludwig was left alone, faced with an overwhelming task¡ªhundreds of books, each one a step toward understanding the world he was trapped in. This would take him months to read, maybe more. Yet, it was his only option.


    "I guess I better start," Ludwig muttered to himself. "They say knowledge is power, and right now, it''s all I have."


    He picked up the first book in the pile.


    [Magic Circles: The Correlation of Magic and Body, by Algad Hcil]


    Ludwig scanned the first page, and it felt as though his mind was a dry sponge finally being drenched in water. He absorbed the text, each word imprinting itself into his memory.


    {Magic exists all around us. It is what we feel, breathe, eat, and experience. It is the miracle of life and death, the force that animates our world.


    Every strand of grass, every drop of water, every piece of rock holds within it a tiny spark of magic. While living beings have long overlooked this fundamental truth, believing magic to be the domain of mythical beasts it was not until the emergence of the first casters that we began to harness and manifest this power in various ways.}


    Ludwig''s mind drank in the knowledge like a man dying of thirst. The book described the first uses of magic: to bring rain, to aid in farming, to warm hearths on cold nights. It was a tool of aid, of creation, until humanity discovered its potential for destruction and conquest. Magic evolved, and with it, so did the need to categorize and control it.


    {Thus, we devised a system to grade magic, to comprehend its various forms and potentials. This is where the correlation of magic and the body becomes essential.


    First things first, Magic Circles¡ªwhat are they, how do we create them, and what is their purpose?}

 Chapter 11 - 11: The Five Towers of Magic

    [Before you read! Please be patient with me on this chapter. It may look like info dumping but we''ll need this information later on. I''ll also slowly remind the reader of bits and parts of this down the road. For now, these are simply the general outlines of what is to come]


    Ludwig continued reading until something appeared in front of him.


    [You have gained +1 intelligence]


    "Wait what?" he muttered completely surprised.


    "I would guess that intelligence does indeed grow with reading but how does the system even compute that?" his question had no ears to fall onto so he just sighed and resumed his study.


    What Algad Hcil talked about was a profound and exhaustive explanation of the circles a ''magician'' can have in their hearts.


    But it also defined how it may only be possible for certain beings to have such a thing like magic circles.


    For example, creatures of magic, such as dragons and elves and druids and the sort don''t need them. They are part magic, and part¡­whatever they are. As for humans, they all start with a body that is pretty much detached from magic, and need to create the circles to host their magic. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A heart can contain up to nine magic circles, which is already an almost impossible feat to reach since only three people have ever reached that realm.


    As for the first circle, it is where one is able to use the most basic of spells, such as fire ball, wind blade, water ball, earth spikes and so on and so forth.


    The second level will allow the user to cast a higher tier, costing more mana but with more destructive powers, such as Fire Bomb, Wind Saw, Water Torrent, Earth Grasp and so on so forth.


    The levels would increase and so would the magic and mana cost. As for how one can create a magic circle, it is pretty simple.


    Once one is able to feel the mana inside them, they''ll need to channel it around their hearts, creating a sturdy ring of mana that will constantly spiral around their hearts. Sounds simple at first, but this requires an incredible focus and dedication to the craft not to mention a diagram to follow.


    There are several schools of thought that devised several mana circles.


    First let''s talk about the most common magic circle, The White Circle, born from the research of the scholars of magic, the White Circle is the simplest of the bunch, and it requires one to focus up their mana into the shape of a ring around their hearts, while at the same time they''ll use their remaining mana to lock it in place, and make it a permanent existence in their hearts.


    To be frank that is pretty much almost all what other schools do, this is the basic start.


    As for how, the excess mana would act as a soldering tool to fit and lock the circle in place. It is like creating a new limb that you''ll be forever conscious of.


    Creating the circles is the easiest part, but having the excess mana leftover to bind it to remain a permanent part of you is the most difficult part, especially since the ''Bind'' will be requiring incredibly more cumulative mana each level.


    If we give the first level for example let''s say a specific number, of one mana unit, then the next level would need ten times the mana unit. While the third level will need a hundred and so on so forth.


    Now one would think, if you already have that much mana in you, why do you even need to make circles?


    The answer is simple, it is because a human body cannot contain that much mana in the first place.


    Unlike dragons who are inherently magic at its essence. They don''t need such a thing as a mana circle, they are born already capable of using sixth tier level of magic in the first place.


    And can grow to reach the eight level and in some rare cases even ninth level magic.


    While the human body is incapable of hosting so much mana at once, it will simply destroy them. Thus, the creation of Magic Circles which act as permanent organs for saving mana.


    [You have gained +1 intelligence]


    Another notification interrupted Ludwig''s reading. He was interested in what Algad Hcil was saying, the explanation was simple and clear, and seemed to broaden his perspective of this world''s power level.


    ''Now, for others that don''t need such a thing as Magic Circles, such as Sorcerers, who are beings, humans even that are born with an aptitude and a quality to receive mana that is far above that of their brethren and peers.


    A Sorcerer however has a great advantage in terms of the magic they can use, since they can be born with at least a level for magic ability and skills, and can further grow two, or three tiers if lucky and talented above, but at the same time, they can never breach the eight level, not to even think about dreaming of reaching the ninth.


    Then there are other beings, such as the undead for example, some vampires or even liches and banshees are born with a powerful ability to handle mana.


    The nobles of the vampire race can also build up and create circles but that will only weaken them as it will further endanger their hearts since it''s their weak points, but a mage vampire is at all and any level a step above any other wizard or mage of the same rank simply due to the incredible mana potential they have.


    Although the downside for normal vampires is they lose half of their ability when its morning time. as for the nobles of their race, they lose up to a quarter of it.


    As for Undead, Liches for example, a rare breed of Undead that is able to use Death Magic, they do not resort to using magic circles since they are well dead. And have no heart to host the magic circle, they save their mana circles inside what they call an Eternal Flask. Which is their weak point, since a lich can forever regenerate and come back unless their Eternal Flask is destroyed.


    Liches can use up to fifth tier magic just by existing, and can go up two more ranks once they reach an Arch lich level.


    There are more creatures with this exemption of Circles, like we mentioned before, the closer you are to the ''Source of Magic'' the less reliant you''ll need to use Circles to host your mana.


    For Elves they are attuned with nature to such an incredible degree that they can command it and that lives on it to do their bidding, some of the Nobler Elves can even use the Roots of the World Tree Yggdrasil to foil any of their enemies. And they don''t even need to have an ounce of magic in them as they use the magic around them which is a stage no one had ever reached before.


    [You have gained +1 intelligence]


    Another notification distracted Ludwig but he continued on.


    The book had a lengthy but clear explanation of magic, and it helped him understand the purpose of it, not only that he soon found himself at the last page of the book which brought some sadness to him.


    He wondered what did Van Dijk even mean by skip any parts he didn''t understand, the book was clear and consistent with the theories and teachings it was saying and he didn''t find any difficulty reading it.


    He then opened another book, something about White Magic and its uses, and finished it all in about half an hour.


    It talked in length about White Magic and how it can be used not only for one self but for others. It is in this book considered the highest form of selfless magic, as it creates protections and barriers, and even Delves into Healing Magic which is the property of the Holy Churches.


    As a matter of fact, the Divine Magic of the Church is considered white magic, while white magic encompasses a bit more than just the Divine Magic, since its users don''t even need to be followers of the church.


    More books in front of Ludwig explained about all the schools of magic, including the five towers of magic.


    The White Tower of Wisdom: specializes in restorative spells, cures, protective magic, wards, shields barriers and light magic, to dispel darkness and confusion.


    It focuses Selflessness, guidance, knowledge and benevolence.


    The Red Tower of Passion: Offensive spells that do incredible damage, and not only fire, even lightning and explosions and the sort is part of the Red Tower. It may delve into chaos and large scale devastation, even to the point of reaching the rims of Dark Magic as blood magic is although forbidden was once a part of the Red Tower''s specialty.


    It also touches a bit upon the emotional part which is inherently the realm of the Blue Tower, as in intensifying one''s emotion and manipulating it, since magic and emotion go hand in hand.


    It focuses Emotion, intensity, aggression, and Drive.


    The Blue Tower of Serenity, inherently this tower is built around exploring the mind, it specializes in the creation of illusions, perception alteration, deception of the senses, and mind magic, it is a tower that was once prominent in the past for its uncanny ability to manipulate the opponents and make enemies allies.


    But once some of the restrictions of the Black Towers were removed, it no longer had the lead among the five towers.


    Its main focus is calmness, reflection, clarity and subtility.


    The Gray Tower of Neutrality, which is the steadiest of the towers when it comes to internal politics. And also the most mysterious, since it delves into domains far from what can be considered "Normal". It also acts as an Arbiter in the matters of the Five Towers, maintaining the equilibrium of the five towers without leaning into any tower''s favors.


    Its main studies would contain Transmutation magic of all forms, Alchemy, Etheric formless magic, such as emotion and even Time Magic to a certain point.


    It focuses on Balance, transformation, Impartiality and adaptability.


    Last but not least, The Black Tower of Power.


    The Black Tower had begun by delving into all sort of Dark Magic at first, Including but not limited to Necromancy, Fear, ancient Powers, Soul Magic and Curse magic. However these studies brought more harm than good, creating vile and vicious individuals who sought to reach their goals no matter the cost. Even at the cost of selling their souls to Demons and Devils.


    The Great Magic War had started due to one of their Tower Masters having abused that dark power and costed the Magic World a great deal of its most powerful Mages.


    Due to that, the Gray Tower of Neutrality had imposed sanctions and prohibitions on the Black Tower of power, limiting their research range and forbidding several parts of their curriculum. Necromancy, Curse Magic, all forms of Dark Magic including Demonic Rituals and summoning were banned for use. And they were only allowed to study Hex Magic and the ability to fight against the Dark Arts.


    Which although it limited their power and range by a great deal, no one has the ability to say that the Black Tower is actually the weakest of the bunch yet. As it still harbors some of the most powerful mages of the continent.


    Each tower governs a distinct philosophical or emotional spectrum, with magic schools tied to these core traits. The White Tower serves the common good, the Red Tower indulges in intensity and destruction, the Blue Tower seeks harmony and subtlety, the Gray Tower pursues neutrality and change, while the Black Tower craves control and often delves into dangerous or morally questionable powers.


    However, something nagged at Ludwig. He was killed and resurrected by necromancers, yet the books were explicit in stating that necromancy was banned and heavily sanctioned. How then had these necromancers been allowed to bring him back? Shouldn''t this have warranted an investigation or retribution?


    "Something''s rotten in Denmark," Ludwig muttered.


    He pondered the inconsistencies he had uncovered. The necromancers had defied the rules set by the Gray Tower of Neutrality, the very institution that had imposed strict restrictions on the use of Necromancy. Yet, they had done so without fear of reprisal. This suggested either corruption or a deeper conspiracy at play within the towers.


    Ludwig''s mind continued to churn with possibilities. Could the Black Tower still be practicing forbidden magic in secret, undermining the laws set forth by the other towers? And what role did Van Dijk play in all of this? The Tower Master had clearly defied many conventions, but to what end?


    His grip on the book tightened. The path ahead was fraught with danger and uncertainty, but now he had knowledge¡ªa tool that could be as powerful as any weapon. He would continue to read, to learn, and to uncover the truths hidden in the shadows of this world.

 Chapter 12 - 12: How To...Necromancy?

    Ludwig continued reading, so engrossed in the flow of knowledge that he didn''t notice the hours slip away. The only thing breaking his concentration were the steady notifications indicating that his Intelligence was gradually increasing. At first, it was every few pages, then it became every half of a book, and then every full book.


    Eventually, it was only after every three books that a point would be added to his Intelligence. The frequency of the notifications began to slow down, but Ludwig used them as subconscious markers for how much time had passed. Before he knew it, he was staring at the last book of the pile he had been given. He had finished it all in less than a single day.


    The books ranged from basic geography to political intrigue, even touching on the fundamentals of magic. Every word felt like sustenance to Ludwig, who devoured the information like a parched sponge soaking up water. His thirst for knowledge, especially of this foreign world, was insatiable¡ªsomething he had never expected of himself.


    "More," Ludwig muttered, his hollow voice breaking the silence of the room. He looked up at the tall library shelves, rows upon rows of books brimming with untold secrets. But the memory of the searing pain from before resurfaced, making him hesitate. That agonizing experience, when he had first attempted to read advanced magic tomes, was still fresh in his mind.


    He stood there for a moment, wrestling with the decision. The logical part of him knew that pain would come again. But what other choice did he have? Sitting idle wasn''t an option, and he was desperate for more knowledge, desperate for an edge in this unfamiliar, hostile world.


    With a resigned sigh, Ludwig steeled himself and walked back to the shelf where he had previously found the book on Necromancy Basics.


    He hesitated for only a moment before picking it up again. As his skeletal fingers gripped the cover, he felt the familiar sensation of impending pain stir in the back of his mind.


    Well, here we go again, he thought bitterly as he resumed where he had left off. The text flowed before his eyes, but the pangs of pain immediately resurfaced. He pressed on, his will overriding the warnings from his system that constantly reminded him of his insufficient level.


    The book delved deeper into necromancy, introducing him to the arcane mechanics of raising the dead. To call forth a being from the realm of death, the book explained, one needs more than just bones or remains. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The process required specific items: for skeletal creatures, one needed a good portion of their structure; for more ethereal beings, like ghosts or banshees, an object tied to their existence¡ªsomething they had once cherished in life¡ªwas necessary to anchor their spirit.


    Necromancy wasn''t simply about manipulating corpses. The author sneered at those who viewed necromancers as nothing more than puppeteers of flesh. "Any charlatan in a market can pull off a convincing enough trick," the text claimed. "But we, as mages, deal in the realm of souls."


    The crucial element in necromancy was the soul, not the body. Without a soul, the reanimated were nothing more than hollow husks. And the soul, the book continued, is not something you can simply take or control. It must be asked for, and this request is made to none other than Deus Necros, the Lord of Death.


    Deus Necros, an entity both feared and revered, holds the souls of the departed. No necromancer truly owns a soul¡ªthey merely "borrow" it from Necros after paying tribute. The tribute was straightforward: mana. The more mana the necromancer could offer, the more powerful the soul they could summon. The stronger the mana, the more advanced the creature that could be raised from the dead.


    Some gods would ask you to either be pious and benevolent and pay their ''Tribute'' with your devotion and mana, and technically that is a more expensive expenditure. Since you pay twice the amount, but the only difference is you obtain something more.


    For Lux, the Lord of Light, you not only need to chant a prayer in his name then pay the equivalent value of mana to call upon his power to either heal or eradicate the enemy, you also have to ''Mean'' it. Only then can you use some of the Lux Church''s skills and spells. Though granted the power of the spell becomes incredibly stronger the more religious and pious one is.


    As for the entities of the darker side, such as Evil Gods, they would require worship in more¡­ gruesome and revolting payments, one shouldn''t be too shocked to see entire towns and cities sacrificed for an Evil God to allow them to use some of their skills.


    The price here is both the User''s Mana, and the sacrifice, though the sacrifice doesn''t necessarily have to be others, the Evil gods don''t care if you pay portions of your soul even to use their might.


    Necromancy, however, was an entirely different beast. Deus Necros, despite his simplicity, didn''t offer much help beyond lending a soul. Once summoned, controlling the undead was a challenge that each necromancer had to master on their own. Many an inexperienced necromancer had tried to summon powerful entities, only to be slain by the very creatures they had brought back.


    Without the proper understanding of control, a necromancer could easily lose their life at the hands of their own creation.


    The text became more technical, detailing the resurrection of simpler creatures, like rats. Ludwig''s mind buzzed as a magical sigil appeared in front of him, etched in glowing light.


    [You have learned Basic Undead Resurrection Sigil]

 Chapter 13 - 13: Pop Quiz

    The sigil was awkward, to say the least. It was composed of concentric circles, each containing strange symbols between the layers, twisting and turning into one another like some ancient code. Ludwig stared at it, his skeletal mind racing to understand its form and purpose. Yet, despite its intricate design, the sigil was surprisingly simple for him to remember.


    It etched itself into his consciousness the moment he laid eyes on it, as if it had been waiting for him all along.


    Once memorized, the sigil would serve as a contract between the caster and Deus Necros himself. Channeling mana into the sigil was the key to opening the path between the world of the living and the shadowed realm of the dead. The sigil allowed the caster to summon a soul back into its once-living body, but not to life¡ªonly to undeath.


    The resurrected wouldn''t be truly alive, only an animated shell filled with the soul''s lingering essence.


    Ludwig reread that part carefully, almost feeling the weight of responsibility settle over him like a heavy cloak. There was no going back once the process started. Healing the undead was impossible and would actually cause them great harm. The dead were not meant to be restored to life; any attempt to force that change would incur consequences both magical and divine.


    More importantly, the text emphasized, the soul was never truly yours. It was borrowed, a loan granted by Deus Necros. And the loan must be returned. Failure to do so¡ªwhether by keeping the soul too long or attempting to change its nature¡ªwould result in dire consequences, angering the god who jealously guarded the souls of the departed.


    Trust me, it''s not worth it, the book warned in an ominous tone. The words lingered in Ludwig''s mind, growing darker with every passing thought.


    Once the sigil was complete and mana funneled into it, the gate between realms would open. Though the gate was invisible to mortal eyes, its power was undeniable, and the summoned soul would regain its former body. Ludwig couldn''t help but wonder how it worked¡ªhow a skeleton without tendons or muscles could move. But that was where the magic came into play.


    The mana supplied by the caster animated the corpse, taking the place of the physical connections that were no longer present. The undead would remain active as long as the caster''s mana flowed into it. However, once the connection was established, the caster couldn''t simply cut off the mana flow. The undead would persist, so long as there was mana to fuel it.


    Ludwig''s thoughts were racing now. Was he really ready for this? Could he actually summon something from the dead?


    The book posed a final, almost taunting question: So, are you willing to risk bringing back a rat? Or are you too terrified to even try?


    "Not gonna lie," Ludwig muttered, "I really would like to try that, but there are no rats in sight." He sighed, massaging his temples out of habit. His skeletal fingers scratched against the surface of his skull, emitting an eerie screeching sound that only worsened his headache. The dull throbbing in his mind was a constant reminder of the burden he now carried.


    A voice suddenly cut through the silence, cold and sharp. "Rats? But there are!"


    Ludwig froze. That voice¡­ He recognized it immediately. Van Dijk was standing behind him, his presence as unsettling as ever. The Tower Master had a way of appearing without warning, as if he moved through the very shadows themselves, always watching, always waiting.


    Ludwig turned slowly, his hollow eyes meeting Van Dijk''s gaze. There was something sinister in the man''s expression, a mix of curiosity and amusement as he watched the skeleton mage struggle with the weight of his newfound knowledge.


    Ludwig swallowed hard, though he had nothing to swallow. A nervous tick left over from his previous life, a useless gesture in his current state. Still, the terror was real.


    "Seems like you were busy yesterday," Van Dijk remarked casually, though his voice was lined with a predatory edge. "Or perhaps you got too bored with the books I gave you and decided to read something more... advanced?"


    Only then did Ludwig realize how much time had passed. The sun had already risen, its light filtering through the high windows of the study. He had spent the entire night reading, consumed by the words and the knowledge they contained. His hunger for understanding had blinded him to the passing hours.


    "I have already finished the books," Ludwig responded cautiously, unsure of how Van Dijk would react.


    Van Dijk''s brows furrowed, a mixture of skepticism and intrigue crossing his face. "Did you, now? Did you perhaps only pick one up? Because there are more than a hundred books here," Van Dijk said, gesturing to the stacks scattered across the table.


    "All the books, Master Van Dijk," Ludwig affirmed.


    Van Dijk''s frown deepened as he moved closer, his long fingers tracing the spines of the books. With one hand, he picked up a random volume and flipped through it, his eyes scanning the pages. "Northern Sea," he said, stopping abruptly midway through the book. "What is the name of the Fleshless Guardian protecting the Endless Peak?"


    Ludwig''s bony brow furrowed in concentration. "The Northern Sea has no mountains, Master. It''s a cold, icy expanse of water. The Endless Peak lies within the territory of the Azure Eternal Dragon, though its exact location is unknown. As for the Fleshless Guardian, he''s the strongest known Knight of Undeath, and his name is Mord''Xander."


    Van Dijk''s expression shifted into a pleased smirk. "Oh, quite the scholar, aren''t we? I suppose you really did read everything, then. I was hoping for a trick question to catch you off guard." His eyes gleamed with amusement, though there was something darker lurking beneath the surface. "How did you do it?" he asked.


    Ludwig remained calm, gesturing towards the book still in Van Dijk''s hand. "Master, the book is upside down, and it''s about proper etiquette at a Tower Academy. That''s how I knew." sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For a moment, there was silence, then a low chuckle escaped Van Dijk''s lips. His grin widened. "Well, well. You''re becoming more expressive, more capable of independent thought. I see I''ll need to adjust my plans for you," he said, as if to himself.


    Without another word, Van Dijk reached into his coat and pulled out a small jar, placing it directly in front of Ludwig. Inside the jar was a piece of rotting flesh, old and withered, inscribed with faint runes barely visible to the naked eye.


    "Let''s see if you''ve truly learned something," Van Dijk said, his voice low and filled with expectation. His eyes burned with dark excitement. "Let''s bring you back to life!"

 Chapter 14 - 14: Into the Black Tower Academy

    "Um, I thought that was quite the taboo, especially with Deus Necros and all¡­ Did I read wrong?" Ludwig asked, hesitantly glancing at Van Dijk. The thought of necromancy and manipulating death was still unsettling to him, and yet here he was, under the tutelage of one of the most fearsome necromancers in existence.


    Van Dijk''s expression shifted into a smile, but it wasn''t one of warmth. "Indeed it is taboo, but that''s not what I meant. To bring you back to life would be something only a fool would attempt, and I assure you, I am no fool," he said, his voice dripping with pride. He gestured dismissively toward Ludwig''s skeletal form. "However, I can fake your presence.


    It''s pointless for you to remain here in this state."


    Ludwig frowned, genuinely confused. "How come?" he questioned, daring to push for more information.


    Van Dijk''s smile faded into a hard line. "I hate those who ask too many questions," he growled.


    "I apologize, Master," Ludwig replied quickly, bowing his head slightly, his skeletal fingers clenching in anxiety. He had to remember his place; despite his increasing intelligence and freedom of thought, he was still under Van Dijk''s control.


    "Good," Van Dijk said, satisfied with Ludwig''s submission. "Now, the reason I don''t want you lingering in this tower is that you possess intelligence far greater than any other undead I''ve encountered. You reason and think, and your capacity for both seems to grow by leaps and bounds with each passing day. It''s as though you''re unlocking more of your potential with every second.


    You need to cultivate that potential, so I''ll be sending you to the Black Tower Academy."


    Ludwig''s hollow eyes widened at this revelation. The idea of going out into the world, interacting with others, wasn''t something he had even considered a possibility since his death. And yet, here was Van Dijk suggesting it. But the Black Tower Academy? He had read enough to know what it was: a place where the arcane was studied with unparalleled dedication, a center of magical learning.


    However, he couldn''t ignore his appearance.


    "I would guess that thing," Ludwig pointed at the jar still in Van Dijk''s hand, "has something to do with all that?"


    "Indeed," Van Dijk said, grinning. "Quite the smart lad, aren''t we? You see, this is no ordinary jar. Inspect it, and you''ll see for yourself."


    Ludwig complied, focusing his mind on the jar as he muttered, "{Inspect}."


    [Symbio-Slime]


    Category: Consumable


    Description: A slime created by an unknown mage. It is able to mimic the fleshly build of its carrier.


    "I don''t understand," Ludwig said, frowning again as he tried to process the information.


    Van Dijk sighed, rolling his eyes in exasperation. "I guess you''re not as smart as I thought. Do you think you can attend an academy looking like that?" He gestured toward Ludwig''s skeletal body, waving his hand up and down. "No one''s going to let a walking pile of bones attend lectures on elemental magic or alchemy."


    Ludwig looked down at himself, his stark-white bones reflecting the dim light in the room. "I suppose a bony skeleton would be quite the sight¡­"


    "Not just that," Van Dijk continued, his tone growing more serious. "Remember, necromancy is banned and forbidden in most circles, especially at the academy. This slime will allow you to appear human¡ªor at least, like you once did."


    Without further explanation, Van Dijk tossed the slime at Ludwig. The writhing, gelatinous creature immediately latched onto his bones, creeping into the crevices between his ribs, slithering up his spine, and binding itself to every inch of his skeletal frame. Ludwig tensed, his instinctual horror of the living mass crawling over his dead form making him freeze in place.


    The sensation was unsettling, but soon it subsided, and when Ludwig glanced down at his hands, he gasped. Skin had appeared¡ªhis skin. His bones were now covered in flesh, pale but real, with nails, hair, and the appearance of veins. His face, reflected in a nearby mirror, looked exactly as it had before his death. It was a strange, hollow sensation though, as he couldn''t truly feel any of it.


    It was a shell, external and false.


    "Good, quite the handsome fellow we were," Van Dijk said, pleased with the result. "This slime will fool anyone around the Sixth Circle of magic. For those above that, they''ll need to be incredibly scrutinous to realize something''s off. Don''t waste it¡ªit''s one of my precious tools." sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Van Dijk flung a heavy coat over Ludwig''s newly ''fleshed'' shoulders. "You can''t ''sense'' yet, but cover up for now. I''ll send those two fools¡ªSebas and Evan¡ªto fetch you some proper clothes later."


    "Thank you, Master," Ludwig replied. Despite his state of undeath, there was something oddly comforting about being clothed in flesh again, even if it was fake. Van Dijk had given him a tool he didn''t need to offer, and Ludwig couldn''t help but feel a small measure of gratitude.


    "Now," Van Dijk continued, his tone turning instructional once again, "since you''ve finished reading the basic materials I provided, you''ll need to further advance your studies. At the academy, you''ll be paired with students around your age. I''ll be sending you with a recommendation letter, and you''ll be admitted as a transfer student. Study well, live like a human for now.


    I''m sure you still remember how to, deep down."


    "I believe so," Ludwig replied, uncertain but willing to comply.


    "Also, whenever you''re done with classes for the day, come back to the tower to continue your advanced studies. Don''t mingle too much with the other students¡ªthere''s always the risk of exposing yourself. The Symbio-Slime isn''t impervious to damage, and if it takes too much, it will begin sapping your mana to sustain its form. Don''t make trouble for yourself," Van Dijk warned.


    "I''ll keep that in mind, Master Van Dijk," Ludwig said, bowing slightly. He felt odd, receiving so many warnings. The academy would likely be full of young mages, people his age¡ªor at least, the age he had once been. Could he truly pass as one of them?


    "Good. Now, look out that window," Van Dijk said, pointing through the narrow frame. Far in the distance, a small pyramid-shaped tower was barely visible beyond a sprawling hill. "That''s the Black Tower Academy. You''ll be spending the next few years there, amassing knowledge.


    What I have in this tower is far more advanced than what you''ll find there, but without a basic understanding of magic, everything in my study is meaningless to you. Keep a low profile, but excel in your studies. Destroy your peers in academics, if possible. I don''t want my only pupil to be a blundering fool."


    [A New Quest Has Been Added!]


    Difficulty : B+


    Quest: Study at the Black Tower Academy


    Description: You have been tasked with learning at the Black Tower Academy, where you''ll have access to vast resources and knowledge. Advance your understanding of magic over the course of a minimum of three years.


    Quest Rewards: Rewards scale based on your achievements at the academy.


    Final Reward: Class Change to Skeleton Mage.


    Do you wish to accept this quest?


    Yes / No?


    Ludwig considered declining for a brief moment. He could just leave once outside Van Dijk''s tower, complete the Eternal Quest of escaping Van Dijk''s control. He was desperate for freedom, after all.


    But before he could make a decision, the system overrode his thoughts.


    [Quest Automatically Accepted!]


    Failure to comply with the quest will result in Death.


    Failure to follow Bastos Van Dijk''s instructions will result in Death.


    Attempting to escape the Academy premises without permission will result in Death.


    "Brother¡­" Ludwig muttered under his breath as he read the endless list of death-related consequences tied to the quest.


    Van Dijk''s sharp hearing didn''t miss the muttered word, but he chose not to comment. Instead, he simply smirked. "Once your clothes arrive, you''ll depart for the academy. Make sure to return here every night for additional study. I''ve placed some materials in this ring," he said, handing Ludwig a second storage ring.


    "Take a couple of books with you if you feel like torturing yourself with more reading, but no Necromancy, no Dark Magic, and absolutely no Curses at the academy. Even I can''t save you if you''re caught dabbling in those."


    "Thank you, Master," Ludwig replied, accepting the ring.


    "You''ve thanked me enough," Van Dijk said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Wait here until your clothes arrive, then leave for the academy as soon as possible."


    With that, Van Dijk turned and left, once again leaving Ludwig alone with his thoughts.


    The academy loomed in the distance, an entirely new chapter in Ludwig''s strange existence, where survival would depend not on strength or combat, but on his ability to outwit his fellow students and conceal the truth of what he really was.

 Chapter 15 - 15: A Step Toward the Academy

    Not long after Van Dijk had left, Ludwig heard a soft knock on the door. He hesitated, unsure whether to respond. If it was Van Dijk, the door would open without permission, as the necromancer always made his presence known whether desired or not. But if it was Sebas and Evan, those two loathsome necromancers, they would have no choice but to wait outside.


    After a moment of silence, the familiar voice of Sebas seeped through the wooden door like a creeping fog. "Master Van Dijk, we''ve brought the rest of the items you requested. We''ll be leaving now," he said, his voice oozing disdain even in servitude.


    Ludwig waited, listening as their footsteps slowly faded down the spiral staircase, their voices hushed and unintelligible. Cowards, Ludwig thought to himself, rage simmering beneath his calm surface. He wasn''t fond of those two. They''d killed him, after all, and despite his current state of undeath, that was not something easily forgiven.


    After a while, the door creaked open on its own. Ludwig turned, finding a small pile of neatly folded black clothes resting on the stone floor, accompanied by a letter, a silver chain necklace, a modest wand, and a set of shimmering potions.


    Without much thought, Ludwig approached the items. He was still naked, though it no longer bothered him in the way it would have before. Even though he felt no chill, the bare bones were a stark reminder of what he had become. Dead, but not resting.


    "[Inspect]," Ludwig whispered, casting the skill Van Dijk had once taught him.


    [Academy Simple Robes]


    Category: Light Clothes


    Description: Basic attire for students of the Black Tower Academy. Durable, but unadorned.


    The fabric felt strange against his bony hands. Although he couldn''t physically feel the warmth of the cloth, its presence gave a vague sense of normalcy. Clothes. Something to disguise the horror of his fake skin-covered skeletal frame.


    Next, he picked up the necklace.


    [Necklace of Access]


    Tier: Rare


    Description: A necklace hand-crafted by Bastos Van Dijk for his only pupil, Ludwig. Grants access to the majority of the Black Tower Academy facilities, including classrooms, laboratories, and common rooms. Does not permit entry to high-security areas such as the Library''s third level and the administrative offices. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The necklace shimmered faintly under the dim light of the study. Ludwig felt a strange sentiment bloom within him, though it quickly died as he reminded himself that this was no genuine gift¡ªit was merely another tool Van Dijk had given to maintain control.


    Lastly, Ludwig inspected the potions.


    [Minor Health Potion]


    Tier: Minor Potion


    Description: A simple concoction brewed by an apprentice alchemist. Restores up to 300 health points.


    [Minor Mana Potion]


    Tier: Minor Potion


    Description: A basic magical elixir capable of restoring 300 mana points.


    Everything was in place for his departure to the academy. The letter, folded neatly atop the robes, was Van Dijk''s recommendation letter, ensuring Ludwig''s smooth entry into the Black Tower Academy. Everything had been prepared. It was time.


    Ludwig dressed himself in the black robes, the fabric hanging loosely over his newly covered flesh. Though he had no need for warmth, it felt oddly comforting to have a layer of normality wrapped around his body. But there was no mirror in the room to check his appearance, and Ludwig found himself shrugging at the thought. He had no vanity anymore; it didn''t matter how he looked. Not in this life.


    Steeling himself, Ludwig stepped toward the door. He cracked it open cautiously, peering down the spiraling staircase to ensure no one lingered nearby. The coast was clear. Taking a deep, unnecessary breath, he made his way down the stairs, his footfalls echoing eerily in the empty tower.


    As Ludwig approached the bottom floor, the grand door leading outside loomed before him. He hesitated, reaching for the handle, but before his fingers could wrap around the cold metal, someone grabbed him from behind and slammed him into the wall.


    "It''s you, filthy thing!" a familiar voice sneered, venom dripping from every word.


    Ludwig twisted his head to face his attacker, his hollow eyes meeting the cruel gaze of Sebas. Rage, hot and seething, surged through him, threatening to consume his every thought. His bony fingers twitched with the urge to retaliate, to destroy this man who had once taken his life.


    But the grip around his body tightened, and Sebas forced him harder against the wall, pressing until Ludwig''s bones creaked.


    "Evan, check this out! The fucker''s trying to fight back!" Sebas laughed as if it were some sick game. His twisted smile gleamed in the dim light as he wrenched Ludwig''s arm, dislocating it out of place with an audible crack.


    [-20 HP!]


    [You are in a hostile environment! Your enemy is far stronger than you!]


    [Your right arm has been temporarily crippled]


    Above Sebas''s head, Ludwig could now see his name glowing in bright red¡ª[Sebas Murong]. Ludwig considered inspecting him, but Van Dijk''s warning echoed in his mind. Don''t use that ability on people. Sebas would feel it, and that could trigger a fight Ludwig wasn''t prepared to win.


    His rational mind urged him to stay calm, but something deep within him¡ªsomething primal¡ªscreamed for revenge. He wanted to tear Sebas apart, to rip him limb from limb, to feast on his misery. But he knew better. He was weak. Still level one, and barely capable of defending himself.


    "Calm down, Sebas," came Evan''s voice from behind. He stepped forward, his name glowing in a yellow hue, with question marks hovering above his status. "That''s the Master''s pet. You can''t break him."


    Sebas sneered, his grip tightening once more before he shoved Ludwig back against the wall. "This creep should''ve stayed dead. I guess the Master keeps you around for some sick, twisted fantasy, huh? Begone." He released Ludwig, dismissing him as if he were nothing more than trash.


    Ludwig''s anger flared once more, but he bit back his rage. He knew better than to fight. Sebas was leagues above him, probably dozens if not hundreds of levels higher. Any attempt at retaliation would be suicide. Ludwig understood this world well enough to know that levels mattered, and right now, he was nothing.


    "Don''t you go blabbering to anyone at the academy about what we do here," Sebas growled, his face inches from Ludwig''s. "The headmaster might know about Van Dijk''s¡­ shady experiments, but if word spreads that we''re dabbling in necromancy, I''ll make sure you cease to exist. Understand me? I can fend off the charges, but you won''t survive one of my spells."


    Ludwig remained silent, as was expected of an undead servant. But inwardly, he was seething. His hatred for Sebas grew with every word the necromancer spoke. Someday, Ludwig thought. Someday, you''ll pay.


    Evan, who had been standing back and watching, finally stepped in. "Sebas, you blundering idiot," he muttered, dragging his companion away. "You just gave away our position. What if he does talk, even by accident? Necromancy''s still banned in the academy. You''ve only made things worse."


    Sebas rolled his eyes, scoffing at the idea. "We''ve got Bastos to back us up. Let them come with their torches and pitchforks. We''ll be fine."


    Evan sighed heavily, facepalming in frustration. "You''re an idiot, Sebas. Now, he''ll be thinking of ways to frame us. I''ll have to inform the Master. Maybe he''ll warn the skeleton to keep his mouth shut."


    The two bickered as they left the tower, their voices fading as they walked away. Ludwig stood there, still against the wall, he propped his dislocated arm back, and it felt sickening, not the fact that the pop was disturbing, but the fact he didn''t feel a thing during the entire incident. Slowly, he pushed himself up and adjusted his robe, his fury simmering beneath his calm exterior.


    They think I''m nothing. They treated him like garbage, like some mindless puppet.


    But that wouldn''t last forever. He made a mental note of their conversation, their threats, and their arrogance. One day, Ludwig thought darkly, one day, they''ll regret this.


    He turned toward the door once again, pushing it open with a renewed sense of determination. The world outside greeted him with cold air and the distant hum of life. Far in the distance, the Black Tower Academy stood like a beacon of knowledge and power, its dark spires reaching toward the sky.


    Ludwig took a deep breath¡ªunnecessary but symbolic¡ªand stepped forward. His path was set.

 Chapter 16 - 16: A Dangerous Introduction

    Ludwig''s steps were hesitant, plagued with doubt as he moved toward the academy. Several times, he considered turning back and abandoning this strange mission. The thought of simply escaping flickered in his mind like a candle, tempting him to run far away from Van Dijk and the dark, looming threat of the Black Tower Academy.


    But every time he entertained the idea, a system notification would appear before him, cold and unrelenting.


    [You will be punished by Death if you abandon the current quest!]


    "I know," Ludwig muttered, his frustration bubbling over as he swatted at the ethereal window. But, of course, there was no response¡ªthere never was. The system wasn''t something he could argue with or convince otherwise. It simply was. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As he passed by the houses and smaller buildings scattered around the tower''s perimeter, he couldn''t help but marvel at the architecture. Blackened stone, ominous spires, and ancient runes seemed to breathe an eerie life into the surroundings. He stole a final glance at Van Dijk''s tower as he walked, still finding it strange how empty the interior felt, given the vastness of its exterior.


    The space he had explored felt far too small for a structure that large.


    "What a strange place," Ludwig muttered to himself as he continued toward the academy. Little did he know, the tower wasn''t as empty as it had seemed. Hidden chambers, secret experiments, and countless mages dwelled within, conducting rituals, studying forbidden arts, and pushing the boundaries of magical knowledge in ways that Ludwig had yet to understand.


    The academy came into view in the distance, growing larger and grander with each step he took. The closer he got, the more the sheer magnitude of the place struck him. It was far beyond anything he had ever seen¡ªeven as someone who had lived in opulent palaces, this academy dwarfed them all.


    "God damn, this thing is huge," Ludwig said aloud, craning his neck to take in the towering spires and massive walls. The stone was as dark as night, absorbing the light rather than reflecting it. It stood in stark contrast to the sunlit sky, casting an almost sinister shadow over the surrounding landscape.


    The walls that surrounded the academy were colossal, towering at least twenty meters high, and the buildings behind them reached even further into the sky, their peaks barely visible from the ground. The gate was formidable, a massive steel barrier that seemed more suited to a fortress than a place of learning.


    Standing before it, draped in black robes with a cowl obscuring his face, was a man¡ªclearly a gatekeeper of sorts. His presence was both mysterious and foreboding, fitting perfectly into the dark aura of the academy. Ludwig felt the man''s eyes on him, though he couldn''t see them.


    Ludwig considered using [Inspect] on the robed figure but thought better of it. He remembered Van Dijk''s warning. "They''ll feel it."


    The gatekeeper''s voice was low, almost a growl. "You there." He gestured toward Ludwig. "What are you doing outside the academy?"


    Ludwig blinked, realizing for the first time that he was already wearing the academy''s robes. "I''m here by recommendation," Ludwig replied, fishing the letter out of his pocket and handing it over.


    The gatekeeper didn''t even bother to open the letter. He simply held it in his palm for a moment before it ignited, burning to ash in seconds.


    Ludwig''s eyes widened in shock. "What the hell are you doing?!" he exclaimed. That was his only recommendation letter! Was he going to have to go all the way back to Van Dijk for another one?


    The man let out a grunt, clearly unimpressed by Ludwig''s outburst. "The letter seems legit," he muttered. "Get in." Without another word, the steel gates creaked open, granting Ludwig entrance.


    Confused but relieved, Ludwig walked through the open gates, shaking his head. "What the hell was that about?" he muttered under his breath. This place was already strange, and he had barely set foot inside.


    Just as Ludwig crossed the threshold, the sound of a body being flung through the air caught his attention. He looked up just in time to see a young man, barely his age, come crashing to the ground in front of him. The student''s clothes were singed with fire, smoke rising from his burnt robes, and his eyes had rolled back into his skull. He was unconscious, utterly defeated.


    Two more students approached the unconscious boy, their faces twisted into smug, bullying grins. They looked down on the fallen student with disdain, as though his mere existence was an inconvenience to them.


    "What are you looking at?" one of the bullies sneered at Ludwig, his voice dripping with contempt.


    Ludwig chose not to respond, his mind racing. Bullies. The academy was filled with them, just like in all the stories he had read. He kept his gaze forward and walked past them, unwilling to get involved in a fight he had no hope of winning.


    "Thought as much," the leader of the two bullies snorted, watching Ludwig retreat. "This place is full of spineless commoners."


    Ludwig''s eyes narrowed, but he didn''t engage. What was the point? He was at level one, barely able to defend himself. Fighting now would only ensure his death¡ªor worse, his exposure.


    As Ludwig made his way deeper into the academy grounds, he realized that chaos was the norm here. All around him, explosions of fire, lightning, and wind tore through the air as students dueled each other without a care. Destruction reigned, with debris littering the cobbled pathways.


    It was as though the academy existed in a state of perpetual combat, where the strong preyed upon the weak at every turn.


    Focus, Ludwig. He reminded himself to keep a low profile. He had no interest in these students or their petty battles. His goal was simple¡ªget in, learn, and stay under the radar. Van Dijk had warned him: no dark magic, no necromancy, and no drawing attention.


    Ludwig finally reached the largest building at the center of the academy, its towering spires and dark architecture looming over him. As he approached the entrance, unsure of where to go, a raven landed on his shoulder with a caw.


    "The Headmaster wishes to speak with you," the raven croaked, its beady eyes glinting in the dim light. It gave Ludwig a sharp peck, urging him forward.


    The bird guided Ludwig through winding corridors and staircases until they arrived at the top floor of the building. In front of him stood a large, locked wooden door. The raven cawed once more and flew away, leaving Ludwig standing alone.


    With a hesitant hand, Ludwig reached for the door, only for it to creak open on its own, revealing a darkened office. Behind a massive desk stacked high with papers, an old man in black robes sat, his face obscured by the towering stacks of parchment. Despite the clutter, the man''s eyes, piercing and cold, stared at Ludwig for but a second, then back at the papers as he continued speaking.


    His voice was calm, yet the words he spoke were lethal.


    "So," he began, his tone laced with quiet authority, "as an academy that prides itself in working against the Dark Arts, and teaches defenses against Dark Magic, I must ask¡ªwhat is a skeleton doing in my domain?"


    Ludwig froze.


    Well...shit.

 Chapter 17 - 17: The Price of Undeath

    Ludwig''s mouth kept opening and closing, as though searching for the right words, while the headmaster continued working, quill scratching steadily across parchment. The air between them thickened, the weight of the unspoken demand pressing down on Ludwig''s chest. He could feel the headmaster''s expectation¡ªwaiting for his answer¡ªbut his mind raced, stumbling over itself.


    There was no right answer, and Ludwig knew it. Deep down, his body trembled with the certainty that no matter what he said, the headmaster would see through him. Ludwig couldn''t lie. Not to someone of this power.


    Van Dijk had warned him¡ªa mere glance from anyone above the sixth rank would shatter his disguise. And this headmaster¡­he was leagues beyond that. The very room hummed with his presence, an invisible power that seemed to coil around Ludwig, tightening with each passing second. It was a terrifying reminder that any attempt at deception would only get him killed.


    His body felt frozen, bound by fear. But against his will, Ludwig''s mouth moved. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Necros''s Blessing has been activated.]


    "I have not willingly sought to be what I am," Ludwig''s voice came out, the words foreign and hollow, as though Necros himself had guided his tongue. "But I wish to reverse it. And what other place than the Dark Academy is there to study the dark arts?"


    The quill stopped.


    The headmaster raised an eyebrow, his fingers still on the parchment as he slowly turned his gaze toward Ludwig, locking eyes with him. "Dark Academy?" he echoed, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "It''s been a long time since I''ve heard that term. This is the Black Tower Academy, young one."


    Ludwig''s gut twisted in embarrassment at the mistake, though not of his own But Necros''s words, but there was no time to dwell on it before the headmaster continued.


    "You say you wish to reverse the curse of undeath." His voice was soft, almost amused. "But do you truly understand what that means?"


    Ludwig remained silent, knowing better than to speak too quickly.


    "It means," the headmaster continued, "to defy the God of Death. Necros does not take kindly to those who would dare reclaim what he has rightfully taken. Returning to life is not a matter of will¡ªit is an affront to the natural order." His gaze sharpened, boring into Ludwig. "Do you understand the cost of angering a god?"


    Ludwig''s throat felt dry, but the words still slipped out, compelled by a mixture of fear and resignation. "It isn''t about will. It''s about necessity. I never wanted this. This curse was forced upon me."


    The headmaster leaned back, considering Ludwig''s words carefully. "So it was for many before you," he said, his tone turning grave. "Do you think the millions of undead wandering the earth chose this fate? Do you think they wished to return as hollow shells, lost to the world of the living?" He sighed, the weight of centuries in his voice. "No one wants this."


    Ludwig''s eyes hardened, resolve setting in. "No one wants this," he agreed, his voice low but steady. "But I refuse to accept it. I will struggle against it. If there''s even a chance to reverse this, I''ll take it."


    The headmaster''s expression softened, just slightly. There was something akin to respect in his eyes, though veiled by an air of caution. He stood, his dark robes flowing as he approached Ludwig. His hand came to rest on Ludwig''s shoulder, and the touch felt heavy, almost suffocating.


    "You''re weak," the headmaster said bluntly, "fragile, brittle. You don''t have the strength to undertake something as monumental as reversing undeath. If it''s even possible, you have a long way to go."


    "I know that," Ludwig replied. His voice was firmer now, a small flicker of determination in the face of the overwhelming odds. "But what else am I supposed to do? An undead has time, and I''d rather spend mine fighting than idling away the centuries."


    The headmaster''s lips twitched into a faint smile. "That''s the spirit." He gave Ludwig''s shoulder a final pat before stepping back. "I wanted to see where your end goal lies, and so far, you''ve spoken no lies. But make no mistake¡ªyou''re still very much a novice here."


    With a wave of his hand, the headmaster summoned a small black raven from the shadows. The bird materialized out of thin air, its eyes glowing faintly as it fluttered to perch on Ludwig''s shoulder.


    "This is Bulgasal," the headmaster said, "my assistant. He will take you to your classes. You have much to learn."


    The raven blinked, and in a voice that was unnervingly sharp, it cawed, "Follow me. I will lead the way."


    The headmaster raised his hand, and in it, he held a crystal¡ªa communicator, much like the one Van Dijk had used before. The swirling mist within the crystal began to form an image, slowly solidifying into the shape of a figure. Van Dijk stood atop a pile of corpses¡ªbloodied, fur-covered corpses. They looked like¡­humanoid wolves. Werewolves?


    "Van Dijk," the headmaster spoke, his voice laced with irritation. "Stop slaughtering lycanthropes. At this rate, you''ll exterminate the entire race."


    Van Dijk, whose face had been twisted into a grim mask of hatred, suddenly noticed the call and his expression shifted. The anger melted away in an instant, replaced by his usual playful, almost maddeningly smug smile. "Headmaster~" he purred. "Did you miss me?"


    "Enough of your games," the headmaster snapped. "You knew I would figure out that your ''pupil'' is undead. What are you planning, Van Dijk?"


    Van Dijk''s grin widened, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "An experiment, of course."


    The headmaster let out a long, frustrated sigh. "So, have you found him yet?"


    Van Dijk''s expression flickered, momentarily darkening. "No," he admitted, his voice low with barely contained rage. He kicked at one of the corpses and it caused the entire thing to shatter into an explosion of blood and sinew, "The lead was wrong. These were just third-rate lycanthropes. Nothing useful."


    The headmaster didn''t respond immediately, his eyes shifting briefly to Ludwig. "What do you intend to do with Ludwig?" he asked, his tone almost casual.


    Van Dijk''s gaze snapped back to Ludwig, and his smile returned, though this time it felt sharper, more dangerous. "Oh, don''t bully him too much, Headmaster. He''s mine, after all."


    The headmaster chuckled softly. "I have no interest in taking what belongs to you. But I won''t agree to our original deal. He will not be returning to your tower every night."


    Van Dijk''s smile faltered. "What? Why not? If he stays with his peers for too long¡ª"


    "He''ll be fine," the headmaster interrupted. "You can see it for yourself. He''s not like the others. He has a level of control, of intellect. If he''s discovered, we''ll deal with it then."


    Van Dijk''s expression darkened for a split second before he regained his composure. "Fine. But I still need to check on his progress. Once a month."


    "Agreed," the headmaster said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Once a month. Now, Ludwig," he added, turning his attention back to him, "Bulgasal will guide you to your first class. Follow its instructions. And remember¡ªthis academy is not kind to the weak."


    Ludwig nodded. After all, at the first step he took in this academy, he saw a student on the brink of death.


    Ludwig felt the raven''s sharp talons grip his shoulder more tightly. "This way," it croaked, giving Ludwig a sharp peck to get him moving.


    The door to the headmaster''s office closed behind him with a soft click, but Ludwig couldn''t shake the lingering sensation that he had barely survived an encounter far more dangerous than it seemed.


    "Hurry!" Bulgasal cawed, its voice as harsh as a whip. "Class has already started! Kaw!"


    Ludwig quickened his pace, the hallways of the Black Tower Academy looming dark and vast around him. His first class was Magic Theory, and judging by Bulgasal''s impatience, he was already two hours late.


    They passed a wall where Bulgasal suddenly stopped, pointing a sharp beak at a list posted there. "Your schedule! Memorize it!" the bird demanded.


    Ludwig took a quick glance. His weekly schedule was filled with intimidating subjects: Magic Theory, Dark Art History, Black Magic Reversal, Alchemy and Magic Craftsmanship, and Practical Training. Each class lasted four hours a day, once a day, and today, he had already missed half of Magic Theory.


    He memorized the schedule in a single glance, thanks to the blessing of undeath and the sharpness of his mind¡ªboth enhanced by the cold, still clarity that came with his new form. Bulgasal fluttered impatiently, pecking him again as it led him to a large wooden door.


    Peck. Peck.


    An old man opened the door, his hunched form almost bending under the weight of his years. He squinted at Ludwig, and then at Bulgasal. "New student? Headmaster recommendation?"


    Bulgasal cawed in response. "Late!" it added with a sharp tone.


    ''You didn''t need to remind him of that!'' Ludwig thought inwardly.


    The old man sighed, shaking his head. "You really are unlucky. Exams are next week. How will you manage?"


    Ludwig''s stomach sank. Exams? A week from now?


    The old man gestured for him to enter. "No time to dwell on it now. Get in and take a seat. And good luck."


    As Ludwig stepped into the massive lecture hall, the eyes of hundreds of students turned toward him. Some stared with disinterest, while others¡ªmostly the girls¡ªwhistled softly, their gazes lingering on his sharp. After all, Ludwig didn''t seem to realize that his former appearance as a human was what one would consider ''Dashing and Handsome''.


    and the current slime disguise he has on perfectly replicated his appearance before he died.


    Additionally, wearing the black dress of the Black Tower academy gave him a villainous and devilish handsomeness that seemed to be the trope with females nowadays.


    "Quite please," the teacher said.


    And immediately the entire class went to silence. This earned Ludwig''s respect, after all, he underestimated the old man from his appearance but the way he handled hundreds of students was nothing but perfect using two words.


    "Go pick a seat," the old man said and returned to the board.


    He kept his head down, moving quickly to find a seat. "Sorry¡­ sorry¡­" he mumbled as he squeezed into an empty spot between two students.


    To his right was a girl who seemed far from interested in anything regarding makeup or looking good at all, and had more notes on her book than the words on it.


    And to his other side was a young man who seemed more interested in dozing off than paying attention to the class.


    Ludwig pulled out a small booklet, flipping it open to take notes, but as he glanced at the board, a sharp pain shot through the back of his head. The symbols scrawled across the board were incomprehensible¡ªa mess of foreign glyphs and ancient runes that sent a splitting headache through his skull.


    What kind of place was this?


    He wasn''t even sure if he''d survive the week, let alone the exams.

 Chapter 18 - 18: Standing

    Ludwig''s head felt as if it were about to split¡ªnot from pain, but from the sheer overload of information sprawled across the board in incomprehensible symbols and formulas. The sheer volume of content was staggering, and his mind struggled to make sense of any of it.


    He pulled out his notebook, pen ready, hoping to at least jot something down, but the moment he prepared to write, the teacher nonchalantly began wiping the board clean.


    Ludwig''s mouth dropped open. "What the hell, man¡­" he groaned under his breath.


    "Shhh!" the student sitting next to him hissed, her voice sharp but whispery. Ludwig turned to glance at her¡ªshe was disheveled, her hair a chaotic mess, and the bags under her eyes suggested a severe lack of sleep. Despite her exhausted appearance, her eyes were bright, sharp, and focused, scanning the material as though her life depended on it.


    "Quiet," she muttered. "If I lose focus now, I''ll never catch up."


    Ludwig could only sigh in resignation. His hopes for the semester dwindled by the second, and after this rocky start, he couldn''t imagine how he would survive, let alone succeed. He was late, confused, and, frankly, way out of his depth. The class dragged on, and when it finally ended, he realized he had even more questions than when he first walked in.


    Just as he packed his notebook, a group of students approached his desk. Ludwig was caught off guard by the attention.


    "Say, Ludwig," one of the students said. She was a striking blonde, her posture regal, and a delicate insignia embroidered on her uniform hinted at noble status. ''Nobility,'' Ludwig mused internally.


    "What family are you from?" she asked, her voice dripping with polite curiosity.


    Ludwig hesitated. "I¡­ I come from a distant family," he replied, choosing his words carefully. He was painfully aware of how his background on Earth meant nothing here.


    Her brow furrowed slightly, her smile growing a touch more strained. "Nobility, I presume?"


    Though his parents had wealth and influence in the human world, Ludwig''s family had no ties to nobility. Feudal systems had long been abolished on Earth. He shook his head slightly, unsure of how to frame his answer.


    "No, not nobility. I wouldn''t say that," he admitted, thinking that merchants would be the closest equivalent to his family''s status.


    Instantly, he felt the shift in the air. A few students exchanged glances, the spark of interest in their eyes dimming. One girl muttered under her breath, "A commoner. What a waste of good looks," before turning on her heel and walking away.


    The rest followed suit, their enthusiasm fading as quickly as it had appeared. Most of the students dispersed, their curiosity gone. Only a few remained, their gazes a mix of mild interest and amusement.


    "I suppose you''ve received a recommendation from the Tower, then," a male student said, his tone more respectful. "You must possess some remarkable magical talent, no?"


    Ludwig shook his head again, this time more firmly. "Not really," he said honestly. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Another wave of disinterest swept through the remaining students. They lost whatever intrigue they had left and walked away. Soon, Ludwig was left with only one companion¡ªthe girl who had been sitting next to him during class.


    "You''re an idiot," she said flatly.


    Ludwig blinked in confusion. "What? Why?"


    She sighed, clearly exasperated. "Why did you tell them the truth? If you had stayed mysterious, dodged their questions, or just given vague answers, you wouldn''t have made yourself a target."


    "A target? I don''t understand¡­" Ludwig began, only to stop as she waved him off.


    "You just told them you don''t come from a powerful background. You have no one to protect you. And you were recommended by the Tower without having any real magical abilities. You think they''re going to leave you alone? No, you''ve just marked yourself as the perfect candidate for ridicule."


    Ludwig frowned. "But¡­ how does this lead to bullying?"


    The girl gave him a withering look before tossing a notebook onto his desk. "These are my notes for the entire semester. It''s your only hope of passing the exams."


    Ludwig looked at her in surprise. "Why are you giving this to me?"


    "I''ve already memorized everything," she said, walking away. "You''ll need it more than I do."


    Ludwig flipped through the pages, noticing the meticulous notes, small sticky tabs, and countless scribbles that filled every available space. The amount of effort she had put into this was staggering. He glanced back at her as she moved toward the door, only to notice a group of students watching her¡ªwatching both of them¡ªwith cold, calculating eyes.


    "Keep your head down," she warned over her shoulder. "Otherwise, you''ll end up in serious trouble."


    One of the other girls standing near the exit stuck her leg out as if to trip her, but the girl simply stepped over it, clearly used to such petty tricks. A snort came from the group as the failed attempt drew their scorn.


    Ludwig let out a long breath. "So, this whole school runs on hierarchy," he muttered to himself. "Just like all those stories."


    Inwardly, he shook his head. How absurd. He hadn''t expected students in this magical world to act so¡­ superficial. But it was a lesson learned, and Ludwig knew that. He had made a mistake, but at least it had come early. If he was going to survive in this place, he needed to keep his head down and not make himself a target.


    Better to learn from these small blunders now, while the stakes were low.


    Ludwig tucked the notes into his ring, standing up from his seat as he prepared to leave. As he walked toward the exit, a notification suddenly appeared in front of his eyes.


    [You''re entering a hostile environment!]


    One of the students standing by the door opened his mouth as if to say something, but before any words could leave his lips, a loud sound pierced the room.


    "KAW!"


    The students froze, and Ludwig looked up to see Bulgasal perched on his shoulder, cawing loudly. The raven flapped its wings menacingly, and the tension in the air dissolved immediately. The group of students backed away, clicking their tongues in frustration, realizing that they couldn''t make a move while the headmaster''s pet was there.


    Without another word, they dispersed, leaving Ludwig alone with Bulgasal.


    "Bulgasal," Ludwig muttered, "thanks for showing up. Things might''ve gotten ugly."


    "You''re the ugly one! CAW!" Bulgasal screeched.


    "I didn''t mean you," Ludwig sighed, rubbing his temples.


    "Follow me! To your dorm room! CAW!" the bird ordered, pecking at Ludwig''s shoulder to prod him forward.


    The crow led Ludwig through the winding halls of the Academy, pecking incessantly whenever he slowed down. After what felt like an eternity of enduring the constant jabs, they arrived at a quieter part of the campus¡ªthe dormitory area.


    Bulgasal led him to an empty room with a single bed. "The Headmaster has granted you a private room! Keep a low profile, avoid mingling with others, and study well! CAW!" the raven commanded before flying off through the window.


    Ludwig glanced around the room. It was simple but comfortable, with a single bed, a desk large enough for study, and a small bookshelf that contained a few familiar titles. Some of the books were straight from Bastos Van Dijk''s personal collection¡ªhe recognized them immediately.


    He sat down on the bed, deep in thought. There was so much to consider, so much to plan. He needed a clear goal.


    Two major quests loomed before him.


    First, there was Necro''s Eternal Quest, with its primary objective: to outgrow Bastos Van Dijk''s control. It felt like the beginning of a long, impossible journey¡ªan overarching mission that could span years, if not decades. It was like one of those sprawling main quests in the MMORPGs Ludwig used to play, where each step led to more challenges, more mysteries, and more danger.


    But that quest wasn''t achievable in the near future. It was something far off, something to work toward.


    His second quest, however, was more immediate: to graduate from the Academy. Three years of study stood between him and the chance to advance from a grunt skeleton to a Skeleton Mage.


    Ludwig smiled faintly. It was a long road ahead, but at least now he had a clearer sense of direction. With Bulgasal''s words still echoing in his mind, he resolved to keep his head down and focus on his studies.


    For now, that was all he could do.

 Chapter 19 - 19: Baby Steps

    Ludwig sighed, leaning back against the simple chair in his dorm room. His mind swirled with thoughts about the quests he had been given, each of them feeling impossibly distant and difficult to achieve. None were straightforward, and certainly none were fast to complete. He needed to grow stronger, gather experience, and most importantly, he needed EXP to level up.


    Without leveling up, he''d remain stuck, too weak to achieve anything significant. Higher levels meant more stats, more stats meant stronger abilities¡ªand with that, survival. It was the same principle in every MMORPG he had ever played. But in this world, it wasn''t as simple as running into a forest and killing low-level monsters for experience. There were no monsters in sight.


    At least, not until Ludwig peered out his window.


    In the courtyard below, something unexpected caught his eye. Hundreds of students filled the open training area, but instead of performing magical incantations or working with arcane artifacts, they were wielding swords. They stood in rows, their blades glinting in the setting sun as they followed the commands of an instructor.


    Each swing of their swords was executed with precision, the sound of metal cutting through the air in unison.


    Ludwig furrowed his brow in confusion. Wasn''t this an academy for magic? Why were they training with swords?


    He couldn''t help but be intrigued. Something stirred deep inside him¡ªa primal urge, one he hadn''t felt in a long time. It wasn''t connected to Necros, or any divine influence. It was something personal, something that had always been there. Every boy grows up dreaming of wielding a sword, of fighting against impossible odds. Ludwig had once dreamed of the same thing.


    Without really thinking, he reached for a stick that had been left leaning against the corner of his room. He gripped it, watching the students below as they performed their drills. Slowly, he imitated their movements. Swinging the stick downward in slow, deliberate motions, he tried to follow the same pattern they used, feeling the weight of the action as though it were a real sword.


    He swung again. And again. Each time, he felt his focus narrowing, his body following the rhythm of the movement.


    Then, without warning, something appeared in his vision.


    [Necro''s Blessing has activated.]


    You have learned [Trace].


    Trace¡ªan ability that allows you to follow and mimic certain motions to increase your learning potential.


    [Trace] is currently at the [Novice] level. You can only trace basic movements.


    Ludwig blinked in surprise as the faint outline of a blue line appeared in the air before him, stretching from above his head and down toward the floor. It was like an afterimage of the perfect sword swing, a guiding path for his movements. He immediately understood what he needed to do.


    With renewed determination, Ludwig swung his makeshift sword, this time making sure to follow the ethereal line exactly.


    [Ding!]


    Congratulations! You have learned [Basic Swordsmanship]!


    An update appeared in his quest log, followed by another notification:


    [Update to Black Tower Academy''s Quest!]


    Additional reward for completing three years of study in the Academy: [Job Change: Skeleton Swordsman]!


    Ludwig paused, his hands gripping the stick tightly. He reread the notification, thinking it over. "So," he murmured to himself, "if I follow the mage path, I''ll become a Skeleton Mage. But if I focus on swordsmanship¡­I''ll get a melee class instead. Which one''s better?"


    He didn''t have an immediate answer. The world of magic was still new to him, and while he''d always been drawn to the idea of wielding spells, something about the physicality of swordsmanship resonated with him. But was it practical? He had no idea how the balance between magic and melee worked in this world.


    Unable to decide, Ludwig shrugged. Why not both? For now, he would train his body and mind in tandem. There was no need to choose just yet.


    He continued swinging his stick, following the guiding blue line of his new skill. Each swing brought another notification:


    [Good Swing]


    [Decent Swing]


    [Miss]


    Ludwig quickly realized that the notifications were tied to how well he followed the Trace ability.


    If his swing was too fast or too slow, it would result in a "miss." If he didn''t quite follow the line, it would be labeled "decent." But when he struck the balance¡ªfollowing the line perfectly at the right speed¡ªhe earned a "good swing." The system was precise, and Ludwig found it strangely satisfying to try and master the pattern.


    "There''s got to be a higher stage," Ludwig muttered to himself. He trusted in his judgment and kept practicing, determined to find that next level of mastery.


    Hours passed.


    As the sun dipped below the horizon, the training area outside grew quiet, the students gradually dispersing as their session ended. But Ludwig didn''t stop. Long after the last of the students had left, he remained in his room, swinging his stick in the darkness, determined to improve.


    Finally, after what felt like countless repetitions, a new notification appeared in front of him:


    [+1 Strength]


    [+1 Stamina]


    Since you''re an undead class, all stamina bonus points are converted into strength!


    Ludwig grinned, feeling a rush of satisfaction. Despite his initial status as a level one skeleton, he was making real progress. His body¡ªor rather, his bones¡ªwere becoming stronger through sheer persistence.


    By the time he finally stopped, Ludwig had gained a total of five strength points, with five more bonus points from the stamina conversions. He wiped the sweat from his brow out of habit, even though his body didn''t produce any. Old instincts were hard to shake.


    He pulled up his status screen to review his progress:


    ---


    [Status Screen: Ludwig Heart]


    Race: Skeleton


    Level: 1


    Health: 100/100


    Stamina: Infinite


    Mana: 100/100


    Intelligence: 23


    Strength: 22


    Dexterity: 10


    Vigor: 10


    Luck: 15


    Class: Skeleton Grunt


    Title: ¨C


    Skills: [Trace], [Basic Undead Summon Sigil]


    Passives: [Basic Swordsmanship], [Undead Resolve] S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Overt Genius: Increased proficiency in all sorts of masteries.


    ----


    Ludwig studied the screen, recognizing where he stood in the grand scheme of things. He was still weak by most standards, but he was growing, little by little. The fact that he could gain stats through training¡ªeven as a skeleton¡ªwas something he hadn''t expected. It was a strange realization, but one he welcomed.


    His gaze drifted to the book notes he had been given earlier in class. Since he didn''t need to sleep, he figured there was no harm in reading. "Might as well start studying," he muttered. How bad could it be?


    Ludwig flipped open the notes, his eyes scanning the intricate diagrams and explanations scribbled throughout the pages. At first glance, it seemed overwhelming, but he was determined to make sense of it. After all, if he wanted to keep up in this world, he''d need to excel both physically and mentally.


    And with that, he began his night-long study session, his mind sharp and alert. This was just the beginning.

 Chapter 20 - 20: Spells and Skills

    If skeletons could show fatigue, Ludwig would have had deep bags under his eyes. But, thanks to the slime skin he wore over his skeletal frame, nothing showed on his face, even though his mind felt like it was about to burst. He had read through all the notes his classmate had given him, leaving no page untouched.


    For anyone else, the task would have required immense focus and countless hours of concentration. But Ludwig wasn''t anyone else. His undead stamina, paired with his innate genius for absorbing knowledge, allowed him to read and comprehend everything in a single night without needing to rest.


    However, the experience wasn''t as smooth as he''d hoped. The notes were chaotically organized, jumping randomly from subject to subject. One page would discuss Magic Theory, only to leap suddenly into Alchemy, then back to Dark Art History, and finally, curses¡ªall with no logical flow. Still, Ludwig''s sharp mind was able to piece together a pattern, however erratic it was. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This girl has extreme ADHD," Ludwig muttered under his breath as he finally closed the notebook. Despite the disorganization, he had gained valuable insights, even if they had come at the cost of a nearly shattered mind.


    He glanced out the window. "It''s morning already¡­" The pale sunlight trickled into his room, signaling the start of a new day. He checked the nearby clock. Class was about to begin.


    Today''s lesson was in Black Magic Reversal, a course that taught students not how to use dark magic, but how to dispel or neutralize it. The Academy no longer taught the black arts, but it did provide its students with the tools to counteract and survive against them¡ªa necessity in this world where dark magic still lurked.


    Ludwig stood, tucking the notebook into his ring, and exited the room. He walked through the dim corridors of the Academy, half-expecting Bulgasal to swoop down and accompany him, but the raven was nowhere in sight.


    "I guess he''s back with the headmaster," Ludwig muttered, continuing on his way.


    He was aware of the mistake he had made the previous day. Exposing himself to his peers as a commoner had been a tactical error, one he wouldn''t repeat. The Academy was a shark tank, and nobles liked to toy with those they considered weak. Without a powerful family to back him, Ludwig was already a target.


    And right on cue, as soon as he stepped out of the dormitory, three young men appeared, blocking his path. Ludwig recognized two of them¡ªthey were the same students who had tormented another unfortunate commoner the moment Ludwig arrived at the Academy.


    "Well, well," sneered the leader of the group, his blonde hair shimmering in the sunlight. His voice dripped with arrogance. "Another commoner. You lot really are endless, aren''t you?"


    His oversized companion grunted in agreement, while the skinnier one to his right smirked with poorly veiled contempt. All three of them wore robes of finer quality than Ludwig''s, and the insignias on their uniforms marked them as nobility.


    "Nobles¡­" Ludwig thought to himself, bracing for the inevitable confrontation.


    "Do you have business with me?" Ludwig asked, his voice calm.


    "I don''t like the tone of your voice, commoner," the blonde noble spat, his eyes narrowing. He stepped forward, reaching out as if to grab Ludwig by the neck. "When I speak, you¡ª"


    {You''re about to enter combat!}


    Without thinking, Ludwig muttered the word, "Exhaust."


    A sickly, slithering aura spread from Ludwig''s form, washing over the three nobles like a wave of nausea. The leader collapsed to his knees, gasping as his stamina drained away in an instant. His companions weren''t spared either; both stumbled, their faces turning pale as they struggled to remain upright.


    The notification that appeared before Ludwig surprised him.


    {You have applied the skill [Exhaust] with decent proficiency!}


    {You have learned the Spell [Exhaust]}


    [You have used one of your spell slots. Remaining Spell Slots: 2]


    [Exhaust]: Immediately drain a portion of your opponent''s stamina. The percentage of exhaustion increases with proficiency and the element of surprise.


    Ludwig looked down at the three young men, who were now writhing on the ground, struggling to catch their breath. Their faces were twisted in pain, their energy completely sapped.


    Ludwig didn''t waste a moment. He turned on his heel and made a quick escape, heading toward the study hall, his mind buzzing with thoughts.


    "That spell from the notes... I didn''t expect it to work like this. Quite powerful."


    The incident confirmed a suspicion he had developed while studying the notes. Last night''s study session had been grueling, and he hadn''t been sure whether the information would be useful. But now, after applying what he''d learned, Ludwig realized just how valuable the notebook was. This Academy really was an incredible place for learning¡ªboth in magic and combat.


    And all it had taken was one night of study for Ludwig to cast his first spell.


    But as he pondered the notifications, a distinction dawned on him¡ªhe had learned a spell, not a skill.


    There was a key difference between the two.


    Skills were things one could learn by practice, through physical repetition or from a Skill Book. Once learned, a skill became ingrained in both the mind and soul, requiring no further thought. It was a passive ability that could be activated with ease.


    Spells, however, were True Magic. Spells had to be understood, learned, and deliberately applied. They required focus, knowledge, and an understanding of the inner workings of mana. It wasn''t enough to just go through the motions; you had to comprehend the process from start to finish.


    For example, the Skill [Fireball] learned from a grimoire was simple. You touched the book, absorbed the knowledge, and the skill was yours. It would cost you, say, twenty mana to cast a basic fireball. Simple, effective, but not very powerful.


    On the other hand, casting the Spell [Fireball] involved understanding the origin of mana, shaping it into flame, creating combustion, and releasing it. It required calculation and focus, but the result was far more powerful. The spell might only cost ten mana, and the fireball it produced would be twice as destructive as the one from a skill.


    That was why true mages were respected and feared in this world. And that was why Ludwig had never been able to replicate Van Dijk''s black flames. He had seen the black flames in action, but he hadn''t understood the process behind them.


    Skill books are created by mages who learned the Spell by heart to an incredible degree. And were able to summarize the extent of their knowledge and condense it into an instantaneous page that can be learned by touch. Basically, this means anyone with deep enough pockets can learn every spell in the world.


    But the reason no one is doing that is pretty simple¡ªlack of Wisdom, Mana, stamina or even health at points. Each skill would require a different cost.


    For the mages, without sufficient mana one cannot simply just spam cast skills, and some would require an incredible amount of mana that normal people cannot use them.


    And the purpose of skills is simple, to supplement instead of being the main ability.


    As Ludwig hurried down the hall toward his next class, his mind raced with new realizations. He had finally begun to grasp the difference between magic circles, spells, and skills. The notebook, scattered as it was, had given him just enough knowledge to start piecing together the foundation of magic.


    It was an exhilarating thought¡ªone night of study had brought him this far. What else could he learn if he dedicated more time to his studies? How much more powerful could he become?


    But for now, his focus needed to shift to his next class: Black Magic Reversal. He pushed open the doors to the classroom, his mind already buzzing with anticipation.


    He was just beginning to understand this world, and the more he learned, the more he realized there was no limit to what he could achieve.


    This was only the beginning.

 Chapter 21 - 21: Pop Quiz

    Once Ludwig walked into the study hall, he scanned it and, sure enough, found the girl who had given him the notebook the day before. His presence momentarily drew the attention of the people in the room, but they quickly dismissed him, their gazes sliding away as if he were invisible.


    After all, Ludwig was nothing more than a commoner, devoid of the privileges or titles that made someone stand out in this place. His above-average looks were the only feature that could be considered remotely redeeming, but in a world ruled by power and prestige, appearances meant little.


    Fixing his eyes on the girl, Ludwig walked toward her with purpose. "Thank you for the help," he said as he handed her the notebook.


    She looked up from her desk, her expression flat, but a frown soon followed. Her gaze flicked over him, up and down, as though she were reassessing him, unimpressed. "Why are you returning it so soon? Did you already give up on taking the exams?" she asked, her voice carrying an edge of sarcasm. "Might be for the better if so," she added dismissively.


    "No," Ludwig replied, shaking his head, refusing to be rattled by her tone. "I already memorized the content. It''s pretty detailed, but I managed."


    The girl''s expression shifted to one of sheer incredulity. Her lips twisted into a mocking grin, an almost predatory look crossing her face. "At least if you want to lie, do it properly," she said with a sneer. "It''s insanity to think you could even understand a fraction of this notebook in one night, not to mention fully memorize it. If you didn''t appreciate the help, just say so. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    You don''t need to lie to me."


    Ludwig hesitated for a moment, opening his mouth to protest, but then closed it, realizing there was no point. For anyone else, it would have been an impossible task. The notebook was chaotic, jumping from topic to topic every few pages, full of intricate details that would baffle even the brightest students. But Ludwig had managed. That was the truth, though it seemed a truth no one would believe.


    Sighing in resignation, he tried a different approach. "At least tell me your name," he said, hoping to shift the conversation. "I need to thank the person who helped me."


    "It''s Kassandra," she said curtly, waving her hand as though to shoo him away, already distracted by the entrance of a new figure into the room.


    Ludwig turned as well, his attention caught by the imposing man now standing at the front of the study hall. The teacher who had just entered was unlike anyone Ludwig had seen before. His skin was a deep, dark brown, his tall frame clothed in the formal patterns of the Dark Academy''s uniform. What caught Ludwig''s attention immediately, however, were the man''s long, pointed ears.


    A dark elf, Ludwig realized, his curiosity piqued.


    The man exuded authority, his presence commanding instant silence from the room. His braided hair was impeccable, and his beard was so finely groomed that Ludwig couldn''t help but admire it for a moment. The man''s suit was adorned with intricate designs, clearly marking him as someone of importance within the Academy.


    Though Ludwig''s instincts urged him to use [Inspect] on the man, he hesitated. He wasn''t entirely sure how the ability worked on teachers. After all, it hadn''t worked on Bastos Van Dijk earlier. But before he could second-guess himself, something unexpected happened.


    [Necros''s Blessing is activating!]


    Ludwig''s heart raced. Why? Why was the Blessing that robs his will activating now, of all times? Panic gripped him as his eyes briefly glowed, the familiar sensation of the spell seizing control of his senses. He hadn''t even spoken the words to trigger it¡ªyet the power surged through him, unstoppable.


    {Inspect}


    Information window: Oda''Ruh Vastion


    Level: 125


    Alignment: Dark Magic Academy, [Hidden] You do not qualify to see this yet.


    Health: 1,200,000


    Mana: 6,000


    Class: Advanced Mage, 5th tier


    Secondary Class: [Hidden] You do not qualify to see this yet.


    Title: Shadow Weaver¡ª[Hidden] You do not qualify to see this yet.


    Lore:


    A mage who seeks to advance the status of his Noble House Vastion. He came to the Dark Academy to recover lost knowledge that his tribe once held. Though he holds the title of Noble due to his rank as a Fifth Tier mage, many Nobles of the capital resist recognizing a Dark Elf among their ranks...


    Addendum: Those of extreme ambition often lose sight of their path as they seek their goals, taking shortcuts and disregarding the steps they tread upon.


    Before Ludwig could process any further, the man''s voice rang out, sharp and furious.


    "WHO WAS THAT?" Oda''Ruh Vastion''s shout reverberated through the study hall. "Who dared use that vile magic in this class?"


    Ludwig''s stomach dropped. He could feel the magic stirring within him still, the remnants of Necros''s Blessing buzzing in his veins. The teacher hadn''t spotted him, but he knew someone had used magic in his presence¡ªand he was livid.


    Vastion''s braids seemed to flare with an eerie energy, his eyes scanning the room for the culprit. No one dared to move, let alone confess. Silence hung heavy in the air, the tension almost unbearable.


    Then, in a swift movement, Vastion raised his arm. "Fine!" he barked, his voice as sharp as a blade. "If you want to play games, let''s play. Pop quiz time!"


    With a flick of his wrist, papers flew off his desk and scattered themselves in front of each student. The sudden change caught everyone off guard, their groans of protest stifled by the severity of the teacher''s glare.


    "Your answers will be timed," Vastion continued, his tone cold and uncompromising. "And if anyone is caught cheating, I will personally kick you out of this academy. Your performance on this quiz will count for fifty percent of your final grade."


    A collective sigh rippled through the room, students looking at one another in disbelief. This was completely unexpected. As Ludwig glanced at the paper that had landed before him, he felt Kassandra''s gaze boring into the side of his head. He looked up to meet her eyes, and her expression was clear: You''re screwed.


    But as Ludwig lowered his eyes to the questions, something odd happened. The answers began to form in his mind almost instantly. The knowledge from the notebook was already there, imprinted with perfect clarity, and he began writing without hesitation.


    His movements caught the attention of Oda''Ruh Vastion, whose eyes snapped toward him. The teacher strode across the room, his steps heavy with authority. He stopped in front of Ludwig''s desk, looming over him.


    Without a word, Vastion slammed his hand down onto Ludwig''s paper. "Who are you?" he demanded, his voice low and threatening.


    Ludwig met his gaze without flinching. "New student," he answered calmly. "I applied yesterday."


    Vastion''s eyes flicked over the paper, noticing the half-written answers. His expression darkened. "Why are you applying so late in the semester? Do you think you''ll receive special treatment?"


    "I never expected that," Ludwig replied evenly.


    Vastion''s gaze bore into him. "Then why bother?" he growled. "You think you can answer questions from a class you''ve never attended?"


    "I had time to prepare," Ludwig said simply.


    "Prepared?" Vastion''s voice dripped with contempt. "How? You barely started yesterday!"


    "I read through some notes," Ludwig replied, "and I think some of these questions are pretty straightforward."


    A faint, disbelieving laugh echoed from the room. Ludwig didn''t have to look to know it was Kassandra facepalming. Her exasperation was almost palpable.


    Vastion, on the other hand, looked ready to explode. His eyes bulged with anger. "Fine!" he roared. "Fine! If you think they''re simple, then answer! And I''ll do you a favor¡ªI''ll grade you right here, right now!


    If you pass this, you won''t have to take the finals for my class."


    The room went completely still as Vastion crossed his arms, waiting. "Now answer, student."

 Chapter 22 - 22: Deception and Discipline

    Ludwig didn''t allow the professor''s looming presence to rattle him, nor did he feel the need to engage in any further exchange. His focus shifted back to the exam, and his eyes scanned the next question on the paper:


    "If a curse can only be broken by the one who cast it, what''s the most effective way to ensure the curse is lifted if the caster has perished?"


    The question seemed straightforward at first glance, but Ludwig knew better than to rush. His intuition told him that this was a trick question, one that required careful thought. He paused, considering the implications, before he began writing his answer:


    "While it might appear that a curse would become unbreakable once the caster has perished, the key lies in understanding the source of a curse''s power. Curses are often tied to intent and energy. If the curse was bound to an object or place, destroying or cleansing the conduit of power can sever the curse''s influence.


    Additionally, some ancient curses are linked to the caster''s bloodline or their magical legacy, meaning a descendant or magical heir could have the authority to lift it. Therefore, to break such a curse, you would need to locate either the source of its power or a living relative of the caster."


    Ludwig lifted his hand from the paper, noticing the professor eyeing him with a smug, skeptical expression. Oda''Ruh Vastion clearly anticipated an incomplete or inadequate answer, as though Ludwig''s response so far had fallen short of his high standards.


    But Ludwig wasn''t finished.


    He leaned back over the paper, his pen moving smoothly as he added: "Additionally, the most effective method is not always to break the curse, but to transfer it."


    That last line seemed to hit its mark. The professor''s expression darkened, his scowl deepening into something far more irate. Ludwig allowed himself a small smirk, knowing he had nailed the answer.


    Without lingering on the professor''s reaction, Ludwig moved to the next question. "How does necromancy affect a soul that died peacefully?"


    This, too, was a question designed to mislead most students, feeding into common misconceptions. Ludwig''s pen hovered for a moment before he wrote:


    "There is a widespread misunderstanding regarding necromancy and the undead. Many believe that only those who died violent or cursed deaths return as the undead, but this is not the case. Even those who died peacefully and led pious, religious lives can fall victim to necromantic forces. The truth is that once a soul is revived, it is ensnared by the malevolent essence of undeath.


    It is called ''malevolence,'' but what it truly represents is the soul''s resentment toward the living. Those who have died, no matter how they passed, do not wish to suffer alone in death''s abyss. The bitterness toward the living grows, and the undead seek to drag others into death, ensuring no one escapes the ultimate fate of all who have lived."


    He continued answering the rest of the questions with the same precision, each one crafted to mislead or test a student''s true understanding. Ludwig explained not just the answers but the underlying principles and nuances, ensuring his reasoning was solid and his comprehension irrefutable.


    Every question seemed to echo knowledge Ludwig had gleaned from his time in Bastos Van Dijk''s library, as well as Kassandra''s notes, which he had committed to memory. It was a perfect blend of theoretical knowledge and practical insight.


    As Ludwig finished writing his final answer, he felt the weight of Oda''Ruh Vastion''s gaze upon him. The professor was seething, his frustration barely concealed. Ludwig calmly stood, walking to the front of the room to hand in his paper.


    "Thank you," Ludwig said politely, holding the exam out to the professor.


    Oda''Ruh''s hand clenched the paper tightly, crumpling one edge of it in his grip. His face was a mask of barely contained fury as he stared down at Ludwig. "Who taught you all of this?!" he demanded, his voice a dangerous growl.


    "I''ve read a lot of books," Ludwig replied evenly.


    "LEAVE!" the professor barked, his voice echoing across the silent study hall.


    Without a word, Ludwig gathered his things and turned to leave. As he reached the door, Vastion''s voice called out again, stopping him in his tracks.


    "Halt."


    Ludwig turned back, meeting the professor''s narrowed eyes.


    "You''re not required to attend my exam next week," Vastion said, glaring at the paper in his hand. His teeth ground together as he added, "Perfect marks."


    Ludwig nodded, his expression betraying nothing, and walked out of the hall. But once he was outside, his non-existent heart felt as though it was thumping in his chest. Though he had no heart¡ªbeing nothing more than a skeleton covered by a slime that acted as his skin¡ªthe sensation of anxiety still gripped him. It wasn''t fear exactly, but a lingering worry, a sense of having barely escaped danger.


    Necros''s Blessing had almost exposed him, nearly giving away his identity. Fortunately, Oda''Ruh Vastion had not yet realized who had cast the spell. But Ludwig knew he had come perilously close to being caught.


    As Ludwig passed through the academy''s corridors, he could feel the eyes of other students on him. They stared, confused and shocked, unable to comprehend how a student who had only arrived the day before had not only completed the professor''s grueling test but had also earned a perfect score.


    The Dark Magic Academy was infamous for making exams nightmarish, and Oda''Ruh Vastion was one of its most challenging instructors. Yet Ludwig had defied all expectations.


    However, the stunned faces of his peers quickly returned to focus on their own problems. The remainder of the exam still awaited them, and they had little time to spare on speculation about Ludwig.


    With no obligations left for the day, Ludwig decided to head toward the academy''s training grounds, where the students practiced swordsmanship. He didn''t want to run into the same arrogant nobles from earlier that morning, so he carefully checked that the coast was clear before making his way to the open courtyard.


    When he arrived, the same group of students from yesterday was still there, practicing the same technique over and over again. Ludwig took a seat a little distance away from them, not wanting to disturb their session. He watched silently, observing their movements. Most of them were decent, though some were too fast or too slow in their swings.


    His attention was drawn to one student in particular¡ªa tall, lanky boy positioned at the back of the group. The boy had a firm grip on his wooden sword and struck with a fluidity that stood out from the others. His swing was nearly perfect, smooth, and controlled. Ludwig''s eyes lingered on the boy''s form for longer than he realized.


    "Are you interested in swordsmanship?"


    The voice startled Ludwig. He turned to find a tall, muscular woman standing behind him. She wore tight shorts and a cropped shirt, exposing her chiseled abdomen. A long scar ran down the right side of her face, giving her an intimidating yet feral look, especially with the broad grin she wore¡ªlike a lion sizing up its next meal.


    "A little bit," Ludwig replied cautiously.


    She looked him up and down, her gaze assessing. "With that scrawny body of yours, I''d be shocked if you could even swing a sword properly. You''re a mage, aren''t you?" she asked, her tone more curious than mocking.


    "I''m learning," Ludwig said simply.


    "Join them," she said, gesturing toward the training students. "Grab a wooden sword and show me what you''ve got."


    Ludwig hesitated. "I''m not part of the swordsmanship students."


    The woman shrugged. "Doesn''t matter. I''m more interested in your eyes." She stepped closer, tilting his chin up slightly with her fingers. "For a skeleton, you have pretty eyes."


    A shiver ran down Ludwig''s spine at her touch.


    "Don''t worry," she said with a playful slap on his back that sent a jolt through his body.


    [-1 HP]


    "The Headmaster told me about you. Bastos is weird like that, sending a skeleton to learn magic to fight against dark arts. But hey, that''s not even the strangest thing he''s done this year. Go on, grab a sword, and let''s see what you''ve got."


    Ludwig had a strong feeling that refusing her wasn''t an option. He nodded, reluctantly making his way to the weapon rack. His mind was racing, filled with thoughts¡ªnone of them good.


    He grabbed the first weapon he could find.


    [Wooden Sword]


    Type: Sword


    Durability: 100/100


    Damage: 4-7


    A brittle training sword. Quite useless for killing enemies, but sufficient for teaching one how to do so. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He mentally waved away the notification screen and took his place at the back of the group. Taking an unnecessary deep breath, Ludwig followed the movements of the other students and swung the wooden sword down, following the pattern of [Trace].


    The moment he did, the teacher appeared next to him, seemingly out of nowhere. Her eyes were wide with surprise.


    "How?!" she exclaimed, her voice sharp. "How did you do that?!"

 Chapter 23 - 23: Imperial Style

    "Em," Ludwig didn''t know how to answer other than, "I just followed that guy''s move?" he said almost questioningly.


    The teacher looked at the person Ludwig was talking about, it was the same guy he was tracing earlier with his eyes, and frankly he was the best one at it among his peers for her class.


    "That''s quite impressive," she said. She thought for a second and said, "Do it again."


    Ludwig followed her orders and swung once more, this time more cleanly. Making the surprise in her eyes grow bigger.


    "A genius!" she said and grabbed Ludwig by the scruff of his clothes, "Come with me," she said dragging him even.


    Ludwig was helpless against the pushy attitude of this ogre like teacher and was pulled all the way to a room inside the building.


    The room had no one inside it but a few training dummies and a few wooden swords laying around.


    "Show me if you can replicate this," she said as she slowly demonstrated to Ludwig a slow upward swing that flowed immediately into three consecutive slashes after a forward step.


    The dummy was blasted apart by the move and made Ludwig surprised to see that slow move doing so much damage.


    Ludwig''s eyes immediately lit up, [Trace] activated and he saw the pattern the teacher took. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He approached the dummy, grabbed the sword and began following the patterns that [Trace] was showing him.


    So far [Trace] could only replicate basic moves, and this one didn''t seem to difficult. So he did as told, an upward starting slash, followed by three consecutive swings after a forceful step forward.


    Once he finished his moves, it was as if the time had stopped for the puppet, and immediately the puppet blasted away as if all the blows came after a delay.


    The teacher was stunned as she saw him execute the move perfectly.


    "You''re a monster!" she said. "Ah, wait, that was supposed to be a compliment, I''m not talking about the fact that you''re a skeleton, but what the heck was that? How did you replicate the Imperial Style Swordsmanship after seeing it once?"


    Ludwig frowned, "It looked simple enough, shouldn''t anyone be able to replicate it after they see it once?" he asked.


    "No! that''s the whole damn point of the Imperial Swordsmanship, it may look simple, but any newbie would fall to the ground the moment he took a step forward to allow the consecutive hits to flow, that''s not something that can be replicated without years of practice!"


    "Then how about you try this?" she said and showed Ludwig the second move, a follow up, to the first stance of the Imperial Style Swordsmanship. It continued on with a forward body spin that slammed the sword down and then with a forceful heave, ripped it from the ground, causing the air to flow ahead like a cone.


    It didn''t look that impressive, but Ludwig felt that the teacher was slowing down the move purposefully for him to see it.


    [Trace] had already memorized the move for him, and so he just had to follow it to the letter.


    Ludwig tried to do the same, but instantly fell down, unable to spin his body forward.


    "I see, I guess it''s too hard for you," she said. "How about you try the first stance first and try and combo it with the second stance?" she asked.


    Ludwig nodded, and did the same, the moment he finished the first move and slashed thrice, the blue [Trace] light turned yellow, and immediately after he tried to spin forward, it turned red and shattered, causing him to fall to the ground.


    "Hmm," the teacher said as she rubbed her chin, "You''re following with your eyes before your body, this shows how weak your foundation is¡­ you need to learn how to walk before you try and run. Though that''s mainly my fault, you''re supposed to be a mage¡­" she said.


    "What does that have to do with anything?" Ludwig asked.


    "Basics, the basics are everything, look at your hands," she said.


    Ludwig did but didn''t understand anything, "You''re holding the sword too tightly almost afraid it would escape, you''re too rigid, you''re inflexible, your feet are almost a beat slower than the rest of your body. You need to have more muscle¡­ wait¡­" she facepalmed.


    "Yeah¡­ fake body," Ludwig pointed at himself, "Skeletons have no muscles," he added.


    The teacher''s eyes lit up, "I know just the guy who can help!" she said and pulled a communication crystal calling someone who Ludwig least expected, "Yo old foggy!" she said and Bastos Van Dijk appeared in the holographic image, he looked to be in the slums of some city.


    "Dearest Joana, what''s the reason for this rare call? Aren''t we on bad terms?" he said.


    "Enough with that, let bygones be bygones! I have something interesting to show you!" she said as she showed him Ludwig.


    Van Dijk''s usually smiling and carefree face turned sour immediately, "What is the meaning of this?" he asked anger boiling up clearly in his voice.


    "Aren''t you also surprised! It''s a skeleton that''s acting as a student! Regardless, I want your help with something!" she said.


    Ludwig immediately did the "I didn''t say anything," motion by raising both hands in surrender. This made Van Dijk understand that she has yet to correlate Van Dijk to the skeleton.


    "What is it that you need?" Van Dijk asked.


    "I want to know, if its possible to increase a Skeleton''s flexibility and strength, even if they don''t have muscles! I''m not that great when it comes to undead physiology, so you should know more," she said.


    "Well, they simply need to train, and kill," Van Dijk shrugged. As if it was the simplest and most obvious answer in the world.


    The moment Van Dijk mentioned Killing a notification appeared in front of Ludwig which he immediately willed to go away. The conversation in front of him was too important for him to be distracted for now.


    "Kill? And train? How can they gain strength when they''re merely bones?" she asked.


    "An undead is powered by the power of the Death God, them training allows the blessing of Undeath to permeate their bodies better, but it''s killing that gives them true power. As a reward for sending one more soul to the God of Death, they''ll gain a small almost negligible portion of the sent soul onto them.


    That''s how you can artificially create a Death Knight, in theory that is, if it kills enough living beings, they''ll grow stronger, and stronger," Van Dijk explained.


    "I don''t have anything for it to kill," Joana said.


    "Don''t even bother, killing, would take it a few centuries to gain any significant power. It''s a low-ranking skeleton after all and it would probably die the moment it encounters anything strong. But training him would do wonders. It''s the best option you have if you want to allow more of the Death God''s powers to permeate his body. Though it is extremely limited," he said.


    "How limited?" she asked.


    "Let''s see, a Skeleton, would probably gain about three times the power of an adult male. But they''ll grow no more afterward because they''ll need to start killing to gain more power," he explained.


    For a moment Van Dijk quieted and then asked, "Why are you asking all these questions, Joana? Also, why does he have a sword in his hand when he''s wearing a mage uniform?" Van Dijk asked.


    "Oh, you won''t believe this! He actually perfectly copied the Imperial Sword Style''s first stance and move! Do you know how impressive that is?"


    "Oh, believe me, I know," Van Dijk said almost remembering terrible days. He sighed once more and said, "Ludwig."


    "Yes, Master," Ludwig replied, and this made Joana''s eyes widen some more.


    "Do whatever you want, as long as you don''t expose yourself to your peers, and make sure to keep up with your studies. I''ll talk to you later about all this¡­swordsmanship thing¡­" he said and cut the call.


    The swordswoman turned to Ludwig, "So, you''re that despicable man''s property?" she asked.


    Ludwig gulped down hard, "Don''t worry," she said. "This is even better, now I''m a 110% more interested in making you take the path of the sword just to spite him! Go again! This time follow my moves!"

 Chapter 24 - 24: Forced Plot

    Four hours later


    "Impressive," Joana said as she looked at Ludwig''s performance.


    "What do you mean teacher?" Ludwig said as he turned to her. Behind him lay the destroyed forms of the training dummies.


    "To think that in merely four hours, you''d already master the full first set of the Imperial Style. Although any other ''Human'' would have been drowning in a pool of their own sweat and exhaustion, your stamina looks to be endless," she said.


    Ludwig didn''t try and explain how as an Undead, he had no sense of exhaustion. In fact it was true that his stamina was endless.


    "But the most impressive part, is that you learned in four hours what would take others four months," she said as she looked out the window, "Though it''s getting late. And I can''t keep you company for long, I''ll leave you with this," she said as she handed Ludwig a small booklet.


    [You have received Imperial Style Training Manual]


    The book looked to be in a rugged state, and worn out.


    "This book should teach you all the forms and moves you need to do in order to master the Imperial style until the Advanced Stage," she said.


    "Advanced? What stage am I at right now?" Ludwig asked.


    "Well, technically, without fighting experience you''re barely at the beginner stage, but since you are able to use the forms of the first style, you''re at the early stages of intermediate mastery," she said.


    "Then what''s above the Advanced stage?" Ludwig asked.


    "Well, it''s Expert, and Master, but those are pretty hard to obtain, usually that takes decades of hard work and not everyone can just get there even with hard work, take me for example, it took me a hundred and ten years just to reach the Master Stage," she said.


    "I see, I guess there aren''t many that are stronger than you in term of swordsmanship," Ludwig said.


    She smiled, "Flattery won''t get you anywhere, though I AM strong, I''m not the strongest, not by a longshot, there are many monsters in this world kiddo, and you, you''re just a little monster now, grow stronger and show me what you can do!" she said as she turned and left the room.


    Ludwig finally was able to have some time for himself and only then did he have the opportunity to see the huge number of notifications that he kept delegating to see for later.


    The first one was the one he received when Van Dijk was talking to Joana.


    [Eternal Quest!] was the title of this notification.


    Ludwig frowned, he hadn''t done anything that would warrant his Eternal Quest proccing a new stage. After all, he has yet to gain even a smidgen of true power to even be able to evade Van Dijk''s control.


    He read through.


    [Eternal Quest! (New)]


    Chain quest!


    First Part Difficulty: F


    You have figured out a part of the truth behind the power of Undeath, but your understanding is severely lacking still.


    As a servant of Deus Necros, you now know that you can earn power by taking another''s life. Your Quest is as follow, in the next six hours, Kill a Human Being. Failure to do so will result in your death!


    Completing this Quest will grant you audience with The Inevitable


    And you''ll gain the title {Apostle of Death} upon satisfying the conditions. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Remaining time 116 minutes.


    "What?!" Ludwig panicked, he didn''t know that his life was on a timer! And now he barely had two hours left!


    But, the quest details, to kill a human being¡­ was that something he could do?


    Yet, surprisingly, Ludwig didn''t ''feel'' anything. It was as if he had no emotion of humans, so it wasn''t that difficult of a quest to accept. After all, he had no choice in the matter to agree upon it or no. his only regret is that he took too long to even notice the death timer.


    Yet, he thought once more, what could he have done anyway, he wouldn''t have been allowed to leave the room until Joana said so, so he was stuck here regardless.


    He took a quick glance at the rest of the notifications before he intended to leave the room, lest he''d find another impossible quest that he ignored.


    Ludwig had gained 3 more Stamina and Strength points, which converts to 6 more in strength.


    He also learned [Complete move set of the Imperial Style, first stage]


    This wasn''t a skill, or a spell, but it was a Style of fighting. Which he could use in battle, the moves were wide and destructive and had little to no flaws. A good basic swordsmanship that could help anyone in perilous situations to escape death.


    And finally, the book, though he wanted to read it right away, he literally didn''t have the time to do so.


    Ludwig immediately left the small room to find that it was well into the afternoon. Most students were not present. And the school seemed awfully empty.


    Ludwig began to panic, he needed to complete his quest, but there didn''t seem to be anything he could do right now to achieve completion. Time was ticking.


    "Oh! Look who is here! That backstabbing motherfucker!"


    Ludwig turned to see a fireball being hurled his way, he barely had the time to both recognize and jump away from the incoming projectile which blasted the door of the room he was training at.


    Looking at his opponent, Ludwig realized that somehow, in this weird and strange world, the scenario that happened to him felt awfully too clich¨¦.


    After all, he needed to kill someone, and the person that appeared in front of him was someone who Ludwig truly thought he was one of the people who deserved that fate.


    That''s right, it was the blondie noble from yesterday.


    Now, this is what Ludwig would consider a ''Forced'' plot material. After all, in all the stories he read, an author usually would throw someone like this guy for him to deal with, and be the first stepping stone. But stuff like that only happens in books of fiction, this was reality. So something more¡­ divine, or sinister was at play here.


    Someone was moving the chess pieces, and both Ludwig and the blondie were pawns being used right now.

 Chapter 25 - 25: Heartless

    "Aren''t you being a bit too cruel?" Ludwig asked, keeping his tone steady. "This is a school, after all!"


    The blond noble sneered, eyes alight with malice. "Who cares if one or two commoners die?" he shot back, flexing his fingers until flames blossomed in each hand, flaring like twin orbs of raw anger.


    "Shit!" Ludwig muttered, as both fireballs hurtled toward him. He lunged sideways, barely escaping their searing heat as they exploded against the wall behind him, blasting outwards in a flaming cone that left scorch marks across the stone.


    [-8 HP]


    But instead of fear, Ludwig felt a strange calm settle over him. As an Undead, he realized, fear was a sensation he no longer fully possessed. What did the dead have to fear if they''d already passed from life once?


    Taking a split second to think, he dismissed the idea of retreating back to the academy halls where he''d find safety from this reckless pyromaniac. The ticking death timer on his quest flashed in his mind; he had no intention of wasting an opportunity to complete his mission.


    Far ahead, a low wall marked the boundary of the training grounds, and beyond that stretched a dense forest that hugged the academy''s outskirts. He had only seen the forest from afar, but he knew it was vast and unexplored, reaching toward the horizon. That would be the perfect place to make his move.


    A fiery burst whizzed past his head, the heat grazing him as he ducked. "Damn it!" he cursed. The noble had a longer range than Ludwig anticipated, and he would have to zigzag to avoid more attacks. As he glanced back, he decided to test his [Inspect] ability.


    Ludwig''s eyes lit up for a fraction of a second, revealing his assailant''s status information.


    [Status Screen: Vondel Thomas]


    Level: 12


    Health: 4320/4320


    Mana: 330/600


    Class: Mage Apprentice, Second Circle


    Title: Low Noble


    "Level twelve," Ludwig muttered under his breath. "No way I can face him head-on. He''s got way more stats than me." Reaching the low wall, he crouched and sprang forward, intending to jump just high enough to land on the other side. But with his improved strength, Ludwig soared three times higher than expected, sailing over the wall and crashing into the dense branches of a tree.


    [-14 HP]


    "Damn it!" he cursed, picking himself up. Behind him, Vondel Thomas clambered over the wall, his face contorted in fury as he pulled himself up.


    "You''re not getting away, boy!" he growled.


    Ludwig turned and darted deeper into the forest, his undead body moving effortlessly over the rough terrain. As he ran, he noticed something that might play to his advantage: the noble, huffing and puffing as he gave chase, was clearly not used to prolonged physical exertion. If Ludwig wanted, he could easily outrun him and disappear into the forest.


    But that wasn''t his plan; he needed this spoiled noble to keep pursuing him.


    Ludwig ducked behind a large tree, glancing back to observe his opponent''s movements. Thomas, exhausted and red-faced, stumbled to a stop, cursing under his breath. "You coward! Running away, are you?" he shouted, voice hoarse. "I swear, if I see you back in the academy, I''ll burn the skin off your bones!"


    Turning, the noble began to stomp away, muttering a string of expletives. Ludwig grinned. No way was he letting his target escape now. Picking up a stone, he hurled it as hard as he could. The rock hit Thomas squarely in the back, and the noble collapsed onto his knees, cursing as he clutched his back.


    [-81 HP]


    "You little¡ª" Thomas''s stream of curses was so extensive that it momentarily amused Ludwig, reminding him of the chaotic lobbies in the shooter games he used to play. For a noble, Thomas swore like a hardened sailor. Rage contorted his face as he scrambled to his feet, hurling fireballs erratically.


    Flames crackled and spread, singeing trees and bushes, filling the air with heat and the thick smell of smoke.


    Ludwig backed up as he noticed the smoke thickening. They weren''t far from the academy grounds, and if any professors saw the rising plumes, they would surely investigate. Ludwig couldn''t afford that kind of attention now.


    In his anger, Thomas seemed to forget the nature of fire and forest. Soon enough, the flames were catching faster than he could control. Ludwig watched from behind a nearby bush, noting that the noble''s tantrum had created a deadly ring of fire around himself.


    [As an Undead, smoke has no effect on your body.]


    The notification briefly flashed across Ludwig''s vision, sparking an idea. While Thomas was oblivious, Ludwig quickly took a detour around the ring of flames and crouched in the shadows, eyeing his target.


    The smoke grew thicker, filling Thomas''s lungs with each breath, and his fiery attacks became fewer and further between as he coughed and spluttered. At last, he realized the precarious situation he was in. His gaze darted around in panic, looking for an exit. He tried to turn back the way he''d come, where the flames hadn''t yet reached.


    Perfect timing.


    Ludwig whispered a single word: [Exhaust].


    A faint, shadowy aura flickered around Thomas as the spell took hold.


    [Exhaust has been applied by element of surprise.]


    The noble''s face went ashen, his eyes wide with shock as the energy drained from his body. He collapsed onto his knees, each breath a ragged wheeze as he struggled to rise. He crawled desperately toward the thinning line of flames, hoping for a way out, but his pace was agonizingly slow, and the fire was spreading faster than he could move.


    From the darkness, Ludwig stepped forward, a smoldering branch in hand. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed it onto the patch of ground just beyond Thomas, igniting the last "safe" area and cutting off the noble''s escape.


    "Please!" Thomas cried, his voice a strained, fearful rasp. "Help me!"


    Ludwig gazed down at him, his face an unreadable mask. He felt no anger, no pity¡ªonly the same detached indifference that death itself might display to the living. He watched as the flames licked at Thomas''s robes, catching on the fabric and spreading across his skin. The noble''s screams filled the forest as the fire consumed him, his body thrashing as he tried and failed to escape the inferno.


    Soon, his voice faded, the crackling of flames overtaking the sound of his dying breaths. And then there was only silence.


    [You have succeeded in achieving the condition required to meet with The Inevitable.]


    [Do you wish to meet them now?]


    Ludwig didn''t respond immediately. The roaring flames were spreading further into the forest, certain to draw attention from teachers or students nearby. He turned from the grim scene, deciding it was best to put distance between himself and the fire. Heading deeper into the forest, he made his way along a roundabout path, careful to avoid doubling back the way he had come.


    The last thing he wanted was to encounter anyone who might ask too many questions.


    Before long, Ludwig heard the distant sounds of people shouting as they rushed toward the rising smoke. He nodded to himself. His decision to leave immediately had been a wise one. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 26 - 26: Soul Letting Lantern

    [You are invited to have a personal meeting with The Inevitable.]


    Ludwig sat in his small room, staring at the notification hovering in his vision. His thoughts were a whirlpool of confusion and uncertainty. Was he truly ready to face this meeting? A part of him already knew what awaited¡ªwho awaited¡ªjudging from the title alone. He sighed, steeling himself.


    ''I should meet this entity,'' he thought, his mind racing. ''And from the name¡­ it''s obvious who it is.''


    After the chaos of earlier, Ludwig had slipped back into the academy and managed to blend in among the students who had gathered to watch the teachers extinguish the flames consuming part of the forest. He had purposefully made himself seen, bumping into a few classmates and joining the concerned crowd, a perfect alibi to avoid suspicion.


    Once the commotion had died down, he quietly retreated to his quarters.


    As he reached his room, he heard the panicked cries echoing down the hallways, signaling the discovery of Vondel Thomas''s charred corpse. Ludwig paid it no mind, locking his door and sinking onto his bed. The notification was still there, as clear as ever.


    With a deep breath, Ludwig selected the option to accept.


    For a moment, nothing happened, and he wondered if he had made a mistake. Then, his vision blurred, the world around him spinning before plunging into pitch-black darkness. It felt as if he were being pulled through a void, and when he came to, he found himself standing in an expansive, shadowy realm.


    Before him loomed a colossal entity, seated upon a throne carved from ancient stone and bone. This being was skeletal, its bones a pitch-black hue, as if darkness itself had fused with the marrow. Gold and jewels adorned its form, shimmering grotesquely, and a crown of bone sat atop its bald skull¡ªsimple yet undeniably majestic.


    The throne it occupied was studded with countless skulls, the eerie mementos of innumerable deaths. Behind the throne, an intricate network of shimmering, liquid-blue streams flowed endlessly, forming rivers of spectral energy. Souls¡ªshaped as skulls from every species imaginable¡ªdrifted within these rivulets, an eternal procession of the dead.


    Ludwig''s eyes widened as he recognized creatures both familiar and fantastical, the sheer variety suggesting a dominion over all living beings.


    Above the entity, a massive scythe rested on one shoulder. Though its blade appeared simple, like a farmer''s tool for cutting grass, its presence radiated pure menace. Ludwig instinctively understood that even getting close to that scythe would mean certain death. He gulped, feeling small, insignificant.


    The entity''s eye sockets blazed with twin blue flames, as bright as the stars on a clear night. They fixed on Ludwig, as if looking straight through his essence. If Ludwig could put into words the being''s presence, there would be only one.


    "Death¡­" Ludwig whispered, the name escaping his lips involuntarily.


    "It is indeed so, one who has died before," came the voice, a deep resonance that emanated from every direction at once. The entity''s skeletal mouth remained motionless, but Ludwig felt the words vibrating through his very soul.


    Wait¡­ body? Ludwig looked down, surprised. His hands, his torso¡ªthis wasn''t the slime-like shell he had become used to. This was his old human form. It felt familiar, real.


    "This is a place for the soul and the mind," Death explained, "and that is how you perceive yourself within your mind. Thus, it is how you appear here."


    "Deus Necros," Ludwig said, naming the god he knew was behind his resurrection.


    The skeletal figure inclined its head slightly. "I go by many names, and that is one of them. But I prefer the one you spoke first, for I am Death."


    Ludwig was stunned, though he tried to keep his composure. It wasn''t every day one spoke to a deity, let alone Death itself.


    "You have accepted our meeting," Death continued, "and I shall announce the reason for your summoning." The twin blue flames in Death''s eyes flickered. "You wish to return to your world?"


    Ludwig hesitated, considering the question. "Would returning change anything?" he asked. "My parents are already gone."


    Death seemed to regard him thoughtfully. "Curious¡­ Many have come before you, each one desperate to return to their world. It was their most cherished wish, even though none have ever succeeded. Yet you seem uninterested in your past life."


    "Returning wouldn''t bring my parents back," Ludwig said flatly, his voice tinged with grief.


    "I can bring them back," Death replied, an unsettling promise uttered with perfect clarity.


    Ludwig''s eyes widened as he looked up at Death. He knew that such a being had no need for lies. As he had read somewhere before, the strong find deceit beneath them.


    "Indeed," Death said, as if reading Ludwig''s thoughts. "Lies are tools for the weak. So speak, Ludwig Heart. Do you wish to return and have your parents back? To a time before your tragedy occurred?"


    Ludwig''s heart, or the memory of one, ached at the thought. "Of course, I''d want that," he admitted, his voice barely a whisper.


    Death''s skeletal form seemed to shift, a faint aura of power crackling around the throne. "Then so be it," Death intoned. "Under my name, you will return¡ªif you achieve a goal of mine."


    ***


    [Eternal Quest Update!]


    You have succeeded in completing the first stage of the Eternal Quest: {Meeting}.


    Your Reward for completing {A Meeting with The Inevitable}:


    Title: Apostle of Death


    Your next mission is: Hunt the Seven Usurpers who have escaped Death.


    Time Limit: Infinite


    Reward: Return to your original world, one day before your original death.


    Quest Difficulty: Impossible


    ***


    Ludwig''s jaw dropped as he read the notification. The quest details were sparse, and he couldn''t make sense of what "Seven Usurpers" even meant. Before he could ask, Death raised one massive skeletal hand and plucked a skull from the throne''s armrest. With a casual flick, the skull shrank and morphed into a thumb-sized lantern, which floated over and hooked itself onto Ludwig''s waist.


    ***


    [You have received a God-Level Item!]


    Congratulations! For obtaining a God-Tier item, you have earned the title:


    [He Who Bears the Power of the Gods]: +10 points in Luck status.


    You now have a small chance to obtain double rewards from monster drops or receive a higher-level item when crafting.


    [Soul Letting Lantern] {Bound}


    Type: Cosmetic


    The bearer can use souls in the lantern to empower themselves permanently.


    As long as at least one soul resides in the lantern, the bearer will return from death.


    Whenever a soul perishes by the direct or indirect involvement of the bearer, it will be absorbed into this lantern.


    Upon death, half of the souls in the lantern will be sent to Deus Necros, while the other half will be consumed to return the bearer to a point in time before their death, with the bearer retaining knowledge of the event.


    You shall always be perceived as alive by those who do not know of your death. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [You currently have {1} Soul inside the Soul Letting Lantern.]


    Ludwig glanced at the lantern, its dim light casting shadows on the floor. Inside, a familiar face pressed against the tinted glass¡ªa tormented echo of Vondel Thomas, the blond noble Ludwig had killed.


    "Find the Seven Usurpers of Life and collect their souls," Death commanded. "Each time you claim one, I shall grant you what they held most dear. Now, go, Apostle of mine, and show me how well you struggle."


    Ludwig swallowed hard, the weight of his new quest sinking in. There would be no turning back from this path. The flames in Death''s eyes burned brighter, as if daring him to falter.


    And with that, Ludwig''s vision went black once more, the ominous presence of Death fading as he was pulled back to the mortal realm.

 Chapter 27 - 27: Purpose

    Opening his eyes, Ludwig instantly looked to his side, the small lantern was there. It looked more like a keychain trinket, with small orange tinted glass and metallic decorations all over it and a small skull here and there around it.


    And the person inside it was banging on the glass, soundlessly no matter how loud he screamed.


    Ludwig stared at him with dead eyes, "You get what you deserve," he said and simply ignored the lantern.


    ''Now, things have changed a bit¡­'' Ludwig said to himself as he stared at a notification that popped up in front of him.


    ***


    ? Due to your binding with the {Soul Letting Lantern} you can no longer gain experience from slaying monsters or humans.


    ? All your Quest Rewards from here onward will change from EXP to their equivalent in Souls.


    ? You can level up your stats using only the Souls inside your lantern.


    ? Each time you level up your stats [Using the Soul Letting Lantern] a total of ten times, you will gain one-character level.


    ? You can still gain stats doing quests or claiming achievements and they will not count toward your total level.


    ***


    Ludwig was surprised to see the changes, they weren''t little or few, and they were impactful to his future.


    "Nothing changed in a general sense, but a lot had change. I still need to fight and kill monsters to gain souls to level up, but only this time I have the ability to choose when to level up. This could come in handy¡­" Ludwig thought.


    He''d read many times about how main characters chose to save their points they earned to level up in bulk when they''re in a pinch and surprise their opponent. Which is frankly not the worst thing to do. After all, he needed to stay lowkey, the protruding nail tends to get hammered in first.


    The next notification showed him a hint for his next ordeal.


    ***


    You have happened upon knowledge of one of the Seven Usurpers.


    Personal Bestiary has been unlocked and Updated.


    [Mord''Xander, Usurper of Life. The Wrathful Death]


    The World of Ikos had known the entity to be a Guardian. While in reality, he has never guarded anything but his immortal body. Mord''Xander is a being who usurped life, refusing to return to eternal silence.


    Further Information is Unavailable.


    Location, last seen two hundred years ago, at the Northern Peaks of Solania the land of Decay.


    Appearance¡­ unregistered.


    ***


    Quest Update!


    ? Visit the Northern Peaks of Solania and slay Morde''Xander.


    ? Quest difficulty: ?????


    [Addendum: Currently your level and experience in the world is severely lacking to fight against Morde''Xander. You should level up more and gain more experience before you try and face him.]


    ? Time limit: ?


    ? Reward: Mace of Wrathful Death


    ***


    Ludwig tried to inspect the reward, as it looked like something of value. After all, it had a similar name to the title of the Usurper Mord''Xander.


    But nothing came up after he tried.


    He sighed.


    Looking at the quest''s difficulty and the hint given, he knew he had no shot at fighting anything considered a ''Guardian'' and had lived for centuries.


    It finally dawned on Ludwig why his quests had an infinite time limit. Because they were quests he wasn''t going to clear anytime soon.


    The final window popped up in front of him and he read.


    ***


    [Currently, your Soul Letting Lantern is hosting a single Soul, do you wish to use it to improve your stats?]


    *** S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig immediately refused. It was only one soul, and it was all he had, if he were to use it to gain stats or any of the sorts, it would leave his lantern empty and that makes him mortal.


    He thought deeply about the challenges ahead, and realized that he had a lot of potential to do many insane and crazy things. But all is in vain without proper preparation, education, and knowledge. So for now, he pulled open his inventory-Ring- and pulled out a few of Van Dijk''s books.


    He needed to learn more about this world. He happened upon knowledge of one of the Seven Usurpers by simply reading.


    ''Who was the author? Ah yes, Hcilhcra Algad'' Ludwig muttered.


    And he had one more book from that author in his collection.


    ***


    Somewhere far away from the control of the five towers of magic and the Empire of Lufondal, far too deep in the ground and hidden away from the sight of all living things and even the gods themselves. A massive room was currently hosting a meeting where no one was present in person.


    The room had been branded in an immense number of sigils and magical writings glowing intensely against the dark atmosphere of this hidden chamber.


    The table had ten chairs, and some of the chairs had a person''s hologram seated on it. A couple were however empty.


    Each holographic image depicted a different build of a different person. Some were gigantic, some were short, and some were human built, and some were actually not human whatsoever and would be more akin to call them a monster with sentience. Yet their appearance were all shrouded.


    The only thing they all had in common was an item hanging on their waist.


    A Soul Letting Lantern.

 Chapter 28 - 28: The Plot Thickens

    The room was dimly lit, the only light coming from a few flickering candles around the table. Shadows stretched across the stone walls, contorting the figures of the people seated around it into strange, monstrous shapes. A heavy air of foreboding filled the space, as if the very walls whispered of long-forgotten secrets and forbidden plans.


    "So, what are we thinking?" a gruff voice broke the silence. The speaker''s hulking form loomed in the shadows, his features obscured, but his unnatural size and distorted limbs gave away the fact that he was no human. He was something more, something monstrous.


    A hiss of annoyance came from another figure seated at the table. The voice was cold, clipped. "Isn''t it obvious? The boy has a new lantern, and unlike us, he hasn''t been punished. He can still return from death. We can''t let that happen. We need to capture him, confiscate all the souls he''s collected, and then... eliminate him." The voice dripped with finality, the weight of it hanging in the air.


    Another figure, whose face was obscured by a deep hood, leaned forward, his voice laced with sarcasm. "Isn''t that a bit... aggressive? I thought we were more about ''invite first, kill if they refuse'' than straight-up stealing their souls."


    A low chuckle rumbled in the room, a sound that seemed to come from the walls themselves. "We can''t afford to take that kind of risk," the first voice snapped. "Whenever a new apostle appears, they bring a host of problems. They always think they''re some kind of righteous hero, out to destroy the Seven Usurpers. We cannot allow another fool to disrupt the balance we''ve worked so hard to maintain. We need the Seven Usurpers alive so we too can remain Immortal. If any fool tries to disturb that, we''re done for."


    A second voice, this one more detached, added, "Indeed, though we cannot return from death like the New apostle we must not let him hunt the Usurpers, otherwise we''ll lose our immortality."


    There was a long pause, filled only with the sound of breathing. A faint echo of ancient, gnawing hunger seemed to hang over the room, as if the shadows themselves were waiting for something to break.


    "We''re not immortal," another voice muttered. "Not really. We can die... if we''re killed."


    A murmur of frustration rippled through the table. "Don''t be naive," the first speaker growled. "We''re no longer bound by time. We don''t age. We don''t get sick. And most of us... we''ve grown far stronger than we ever were before the lanterns. There''s no way I''m risking all of that for some self-righteous brat with a hero''s spirit and no idea what he''s up against."


    There was a brief moment of silence as everyone at the table processed the grim reality. Then, one voice, rough and jagged like the scraping of metal, spoke again. "Alright, then. What''s the plan? We can''t just march up to Black Tower Academy and hope for the best. They''ve got the Eight Circle Mage Dean protecting the place and that Psychopath Van Dijk ... and you¡ª" He turned to one of the figures, who winced. "¡ªyou really had to anger him by slaughtering both his wife and daughter, didn''t you?"


    The accused figure''s eyes glinted in the dim light, but he remained silent. The others exchanged knowing looks, but no one dared challenge him. "Shut it," he muttered after a moment. "I didn''t know who they were. It was... a feeding frenzy. But Van Dijk? he''s too preoccupied with killing my sired offspring so he is rarely in the academy nor do I think he''ll ever care for the Apostle. Soon enough, the Apostle will graduate and leave the academy''s walls. Then, he''s fair game."


    A faint chuckle came from another shadowed figure. "You really think we can just wait around for that? Another three or four years?" The tone was mocking, but there was a nervous edge to it. "We have no idea how powerful he''ll be by then."


    The first speaker leaned back in his seat, his massive form creaking. "Patience is the key. We''ll let the Seer keep an eye on the boy. We don''t need to rush. We''ve waited this long. A few more years won''t make a difference."


    Another voice spoke up, calmer this time. "Just make sure we don''t overstep. If Necros realizes we''re spying on his apostle, he''ll sever our connection. We''ve been cut off before."


    A ripple of unease passed through the group at the mention of Necros, but the first figure dismissed it with a flick of his hand. "We''re in no danger. As long as the Seer does his job and stays hidden, we''re fine."


    "Speaking of danger," a voice chimed in, "there''s a Seven Usurper near the academy. The Gluttonous Death. Any chance we can push him or egg him on to go to the academy? he can definitely deal with this apostle, after all, they hate us with enthusiasm."


    The room fell silent for a moment as the implications of that question settled over the group. After a long pause, a gruff laugh filled the air. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Are you mad?" the first voice responded, low and menacing. "None of us here could stand against one of The Seven Usurper¡ªnot even close. You wouldn''t find me anywhere near any of them. Though the Gluttonous Death could be useful. He absorbs souls, remember? If he comes across the apostle, he''ll take care of things for us. We won''t even need to move a muscle, so instead of us egging the Gluttonous Death, we''ll just have to hope that the Apostle mistakenly moves toward it. Other than that I wouldn''t even humor the idea of getting anywhere near it."


    A murmur of agreement passed between the figures, and the mood in the room lightened for a moment. But the first speaker''s voice soon cut through the growing sense of complacency. "Then we have nothing to fear. On a different note, I''ve heard news from the Imperial Capital. They''ve chosen a new hero. What should we do about that?"


    A tense silence followed, as each figure at the table considered the implications of a new hero entering the world.


    "Nothing," the first voice said, finally. "We are neutral. Heroes don''t owe us anything, they don''t hunt us, nor should they bother with us. Let''s see what this one can do. But keep your eyes open."


    A chorus of agreement filled the room. "For Eternity."


    "For Eternity!"

 Chapter 29 - 29: Accusation

    Ludwig sat in the dim light of his room, surrounded by the ancient tomes he had managed to obtain from Van Dijk''s library. The words on the pages were familiar now, but one name seemed to stand out among the rest: Hcilhcra Algad. The author''s name was scrawled on nearly every cover, and Ludwig couldn''t help but feel a strange pull toward it.


    "I should look him up more," he muttered to himself, flipping through the pages. The dates were odd¡ªmany of them spanning centuries, and yet, they all seemed to align with a singular purpose, as if this writer had been crafting his legacy for lifetimes.


    "That''s... old," Ludwig thought, tracing his fingers over the worn edges of a particular book.


    When the last rays of daylight finally faded, Ludwig stood, stretching his limbs. His training in Imperial Swordsmanship had become second nature. He moved through the drills with a fluidity that spoke of both his undead nature and the discipline he had forced upon himself. He would not allow his status as an undead to define his limits. Hours went by as he trained.


    [Your Imperial Swordsmanship Proficiency has increased!]


    With a sigh, he dropped the wooden sword, satisfied with his progress.


    If he was a normal human being, usually that would be where he would rest, but since he is an undead, he continued reminiscing about the battle he had with Thomas. He knew that he did good, and also knew that although he had killed a person, he didn''t feel much. Nothing in fact, it felt almost natural to him, as if he was eating chicken. A predator feels no remorse feasting upon prey. And as an Undead, their enemy is all that breaths life.


    A knock echoed from the door, dragging Ludwig from his musings. He straightened, his hand immediately reaching for the hilt of his wooden sword. He didn''t need to be told twice that this could be trouble. After all he had no friends in this academy. So who would come knocking?


    "Who is it?" Ludwig called.


    "It''s me¡­"


    Ludwig scowled. "What kind of answer is that? Do I know you?"


    There was a pause, then a hesitant voice. "No, but I know you. You''re the one who killed Thomas."


    Ludwig''s blood¡ªif he had any¡ªran cold. He yanked open the door, his hand grasping the intruder''s collar before he even saw who it was. The young man stood before him, looking terrified, his robes marking him as one of the academy''s mages.


    "W-wait! Please!" the young man stammered, eyes wide with fear. Ludwig''s gaze bore into him, searching for any hint of a threat.


    The recognition hit Ludwig like a bolt of lightning. This was the same mage who had been tossed aside like a ragdoll when Ludwig first entered the academy.


    "You..." Ludwig growled, his voice low, threatening. "What do you want?"


    Ludwig used [Inspect]


    Status Screen


    Name: Hoyo Drak


    Title: Fallen Noble


    Level: 15


    HP: 1500


    Currently under the status effect: [Grafted]


    "Grafted¡­" Ludwig muttered and that immediately caused Hoyo''s face to turn white from fear.


    "H-how did you know?" he uttered completely petrified.


    ''This was something that seemed to be a secret I think'' Ludwig''s mind began turning.


    "Seems like you also hold a secret¡­ and you still want to threaten me?" Ludwig said.


    "I... I''m not here to threaten you," the mage said, fear evident in every syllable. "I''m here to thank you."


    Ludwig''s grip tightened instinctively, his eyes narrowing. "Thank me? For what? Killing Thomas?"


    The mage swallowed hard, trembling under Ludwig''s intense gaze. "Yes, for that. Thomas was a monster¡ªa noble who used his position to bully and torment people. He thought he could do whatever the hell he wanted just because of his family''s name."


    Ludwig''s grip on the mage''s collar didn''t loosen. His voice was a low, dangerous growl. "And what makes you think I give a damn about your problems with him?"


    The mage''s face paled, but he held his ground, desperation in his eyes. "Listen," he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. "I''m not here to blackmail you, if that''s what you think. If I wanted you in trouble, I''d have gone straight to the dean the moment I found out. Hell, I wouldn''t be here risking my neck if I wanted you dead."


    Ludwig''s eyes narrowed further. "Then what are you doing here?"


    The mage exhaled shakily, trying to calm himself. "Look¡­ Thomas made my life, and the lives of a lot of other people here, a living nightmare. He''d target commoners, fallen nobles, anyone he thought was beneath him, and he always got away with it. Everyone knew, but no one did a damn thing about it because of his family''s influence. So yeah, when I saw what happened to him... that someone finally stopped him..."


    He paused, taking in Ludwig''s cold expression. "I''m here to thank you because that bastard finally got what he deserved."


    Ludwig''s gaze remained hard, unreadable, as he considered the mage''s words. Finally, he let go of the boy''s collar, shoving him back just enough to create a small space between them.


    "Did you tell anyone about this before coming here?" Ludwig asked.


    "No I haven''t told a soul, I swear upon the name of my house Drak!"


    "Then I might as well get rid of you now and there will be no more eyewitnesses!"


    Hoyo raised his hands defensively as Ludwig''s gaze hardened. "No, please! Hear me out," he said, his voice urgent. He took a careful step back, putting a bit more space between them. "Thomas had an older brother. He''s a third-year student and likely this year''s Valedictorian. Compared to him, Thomas was¡­ absolute trash. But his brother doted on him, and now that Thomas is dead, you can bet there''s going to be an investigation. They''ll stop at nothing to figure out who killed him. You should lay low."


    Ludwig''s expression turned dark, a sinister smirk creeping onto his face. "this only furthers my need to eliminate you. Otherwise who else would know that I was involved!"


    Hoyo''s face went pale, and he stumbled back, his eyes wide with fear. "N-no," he gulped, trying to keep his voice steady. "If you kill me, it''ll only make things worse. It''ll point all suspicion your way. You don''t understand¡ªeveryone knows about Thomas''s bullying. I was his last target before you, but I was in the infirmary until tonight, I only happened to witness him chasing after you from the clinc''s window since it oversees the training ground and the forest... So, I can account for my whereabouts, but you¡­ You were alone with him on the training grounds near his death location. And they found traces that the corpse was afflicted with [Exhaust] shortly before death. And word''s already spreading that you used [Exhaust] on him yesterday. the two who followed Thomas had spread it."


    Ludwig clenched his fists, his jaw tightening. "fuck¡­"


    Hoyo nodded grimly. "Exactly. If you don''t tread carefully, you''re the prime suspect. They''re not going to let this go. I''d seriously consider getting the hell out of here while you still can." sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Before Ludwig could reply, a loud, thunderous voice echoed through the night outside the dormitory, its volume sending a ripple through the walls.


    "LUDWIG HEART! GET THE FUCK DOWN HERE!"


    [Since you''re an Undead, you resisted the Fear Effect.]

 Chapter 30 - 30: Alibi

    Ludwig''s mind was immediately set aflame thinking of what he should do.


    "First things first, you, fuck off, go up to the upper floor, if they see you here with me we''re both dead," Ludwig said. He had to remove all and any association he has with Hoyo, they''ll both become suspects.


    So far nothing is concrete and it all depends on how Ludwig acts from here onwards.


    Hoyo agreed wholeheartedly, especially since the loud shouts and threats to exterminate Ludwig''s entire family were getting closer to his floor.


    Hoyo dipped out to the upper floor leaving Ludwig by himself. He left the door open and walked out to the hallway, thinking up what to say or do.


    Suddenly a young man, took a step onto the floor where Ludwig''s room was at, the few students that came out to see what was going on immediately closed their doors after seeing who it was.


    A man of great height stood forward, green of eyes and blond of hair, and with a muscular yet not overly inflated build, he fitted perfectly in an almost military like set of clothes, but they all had the symbols and patterns of the Black Tower Academy.


    He had a sword drawn and he was out for blood, "You fucker!" the man said and simply flew right at Ludwig in a single step. Grabbing Ludwig by the scruff of his robes and pinning him to the wall, both feet several dozen centimeters higher than the wooden floor.


    [You entered Battle!]


    [You cannot survive this fight!]


    "Hold on man! What the fuck is going on?" Ludwig cursed feigning ignorance.


    Thanks to his calmer presence of mind for being an undead, he wasn''t flustered in faking his panic, and due to that, he earned a few seconds before the man in front of him outright killed him.


    "WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHAT''S GOING ON!" the young man roared as he threw Ludwig against the floor making him tumble several times until he smashed into a nearby wall.


    [-26Hp!]


    Ludwig groaned and fake coughs, but the pain was real. That blow broke some of his ribs.


    "What the hell are you doing! Who the hell are you? Why are you doing this!" Ludwig shouted, hoping that anyone could interfere, or at least if a teacher were to come here things would change. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I''ll end your life right here! THIS IS FOR MY YOUNGER BROTHER YOU MURDERUR!" he said as mana began gathering around his body and a strange force that isn''t mana seemed to gather around his drawn sword.


    Ludwig read about that, that''s Aura, something that only warriors and knights can learn. This guy was a Swordmaster¡­


    Ludwig knew well by the time any teacher were to intervene he''ll be a cold dead corpse¡­ well he''s an undead so that''s already something that''s actual, but he can''t be dying right here right now¡­


    Ludwig immediately rolled aside and bolted down the stairs.


    He wasn''t going to outrun a Swordmaster, not with his shitty stats, but thanks to the stairs, and the panic ridden actions of Ludwig, he managed to stumble and fall right as a sword swing flew where his head was a moment ago.


    Ludwig continued rushing down the stairs, being followed by a fumingly enraged man with a sword.


    He thought about what he could do, using Exhaust on that person is basically asking to die. Not only is he not in a situation where Ludwig can ambush him to use it and cause it to deplete a lot of his stamina. But even if Ludwig managed to do so, at 10% that young man can still kill Ludwig ten times over. And using Exhaust would simply just piss him off further confirming that it was Ludwig who killed his brother.


    As for other spells and abilities, none of them were of any use. The Imperial Swordsmanship was too crude and too novice to deal with that person, not to mention the difference in understanding, Ludwig would basically be a toddler swinging a toothpick for a sword compared to the man running after him.


    So, the only option he had was to simply run and buy as much time for himself as possible.


    He went down several flights of stairs before he bolted out of the dorm, only then did the youngman catch up to Ludwig kicking him in the back


    [-40hp!]


    [You are in critical condition!]


    ''I fucking know that!'' and Ludwig wasn''t talking about his low hp.


    Though the sky had no moon in sight, the dorm had several magic operated lanterns outside showing the two of them in the opening outside it. Several students peered out of their windows to see what was going on.


    ''Damn these bastards, they''d rather watch than help¡­ reminds me of the people from my world who used to film and record everything instead of calling help! Also, why the hell am I thinking of this when this sword maniac is about to kill me¡­ shit''


    Ludwig cursed more and more as he turned his body and backed away by pushing himself using his hands backward on the ground.


    "What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Ludwig shouted. "Why are you doing this? What did I ever do to you?!"


    Ludwig needed to keep his act together, and if worse come to worst, Ludwig still has one soul that will bring him back one day earlier.


    The young man didn''t speak as he swung down on Ludwig''s face.


    ''Shit¡­ here we go again¡­''


    [Fakery of Death is Strengthened!]


    Yet, the death notification didn''t rise up, instead a man drabbed in black robes and had a wide smile on his face appeared right in front of the two. His mana coated hand simply grabbed the sword by two fingers as he fixed his sunglasses "What is going on in here?"


    It was Van Dijk¡­ a ray of hope.


    Though Ludwig wanted to comment on why Van Dijk was wearing sunglasses when it was night time, he refrained from doing so.


    "WHY ARE YOU STOPPING ME! TEACHER!" the Swordmaster shouted.


    "Well, you''re trying to kill a pupil of mine, should I not stop you?"


    That response from Van Dijk made it clear that he had both identified Ludwig as a pupil, and as someone who was not going to die tonight. Or so Ludwig hoped.


    Regardless, Ludwig took on the hint and shouted, "Master, this psychopath is trying to kill me¡­"


    The moment Ludwig confirmed the Disciple-Master Relationship, the young man''s face turned red in rage. He knew his goal for the night would be foiled.


    "All things must have a reason, why is he trying to kill you?" Van Dijk asked.


    "I have no idea!" I said.


    "HE KILLED MY BROTHER!" the young man shouted.


    Without skipping a beat, Van Dijk tilted his head saying, "You''re Thomas Vondel''s brother¡­ he died earlier today, but that is strange¡­ how did you come to the assumption that it was my disciple?" Van Dijk asked.


    "Because the teacher who did the autopsy on my brother''s burning corpse said that he was afflicted with Exhaust before he died! And I have witnesses saying that this guy used exhausted yesterday on my brother!"


    "Are you really serious? You think that that is enough proof to try and commit broad day murder?" Van Dijk''s tone became more serious.


    ''It''s night time master¡­ not that I''ll say that out-loud.''


    "But¡­"


    Immediately several teachers appeared right next to us, among them was the Swordmaster teacher, professor Oda''Roh and even the old man from my first class who taught Magic Theory. They all came rushing in, some even still in their sleeping clothes.


    "What''s going on in here?" they asked.


    But Van Dijk paid them no mind as he continued his conversation with the young man, "Not to mention, that despite having no concrete evidence, Not to mention he was with me most of the afternoon."


    Ludwig cursed inwardly, though that would be a great cover¡­ but teacher Joana was here and she already spoke to Van Dijk this morning meaning that it''s impossible for what he said to be true¡­ since he was in a far away location.


    Joana had caught on immediately, and it was visible from her eyes.


    "Before you say anything," Van Dijk said to Joana, "I have mastery of teleportation remember? I believe I returned Ludwig around three in the afternoon, if I''m correct that was exactly the time there was a fire going on¡­ he even asked me if I could snuff it out, but seeing Oda''Roh going to the forest was enough for me to ignore it after placing Ludwig back in the academy''s garden and me heading back to my tower."


    His words were final, it was all bullshit, lie upon lie. But mixed in with a few truths. Since I was actually in the garden among the students when the fire was aflame, and professor Oda''Roh was there to shut down the flames¡­ But how did he see all that? I''m sure he was far away¡­ unless he had eyes here¡­


    "Suspicious," Oda''Roh said. "He did exit my class pretty early. So he should have had enough time¡­"


    Which caused my heart to skip a beat, -Although I''m undead without a heart-


    "You see! Even teacher Oda''Roh agrees! He''s a murderer!"


    "I didn''t say I agree," the teacher scowled, "It''s just that he doesn''t have an alibi between the time of death and him leaving my room.


    "No, he did," Teacher Joana said, "I was personally training him, not to mention several other students saw it." Joana said.


    Just like that everything seemed to be working out in Ludwig''s favor, and the best thing he could do was stay quiet.


    "A mage training in sword arts? C''mon teacher just say you are covering for him!" the Young Man said.


    "Child, I''ll only forgive it once because you lost your brother, and I understand your feelings," she said, "If you dare insinuate that I''m being unjust or trying to cover up someone else. Forget being a valedictorian, you''d be lucky to walk out of here with all your limbs."


    Her words were a threat imbued with an incredible amount of pressure, far greater than what the young man had on him.


    "But¡­"


    "No buts, the kid is innocent, as a matter of fact you''re the aggressor in this situation. Though it is for a great sadness that your brother had died, you must remember, this is the Black Tower Academy, Deaths happen all the time¡­" Van Dijk said, "I''ll be speaking with Vondel later, after all you dared harm one of mine¡­ I''ll see to it that he pays me back for you breaking my property!"


    And just like that, the young man''s rage was immediately deflated and more confusion seemed to cloud his head.


    If Ludwig didn''t kill his brother, then who had the balls to do it?


    "Ludwig¡­ follow me, you''ll spend the night in the Black Tower."


    For others this might sound like a move to protect Ludwig in case the young man were to have second thoughts¡­ but Ludwig knew well that these words were not for his protection¡­ he was about to get killed, or worse scolded by Van Dijk¡­

 Chapter 31 - 31: Experiment

    The walk from the Black Tower Academy to the Black Tower of magic was long, incredibly so for Ludwig. Because though he followed Van Dijk''s confident strides, he felt every step the man took was a weight that kept adding onto Ludwig''s mind, pressure so much of it that it was suffocating.


    And just as the tower was in full View did the Tower Master speak, "Ludwig," he said.


    "Yes, Master," Ludwig replied coyly.


    Van Dijk turned to face Ludwig and said, "Why did you Kill Thomas Vondel?" he asked.


    Ludwig couldn''t tell him because he happened to be the most optimal and fastest way for him to meet with Necros.


    "He asked for it, he came at me with eyes screaming bloody murder," Ludwig replied.


    "Patience is a good virtue to have in a mage, could you not have solved it normally? Escaping or calling a teacher would have defused the situation instantly," Van Dijk said.


    "Patience for humans isn''t something I''m equipped with, Master Van Dijk," Ludwig said.


    Van Dijk smiled, "You got me, I keep forgetting that you''re a monster¡­ regardless, I''m glad you killed him," Van Dijk said as he turned around.


    That was strange, Ludwig thought, he believed that Van Dijk would scold him for killing a noble.


    "That means that you have no fear for the royalty nor the nobles. I need someone like that in the future," he said as he moved ahead urging Ludwig to follow behind him. "You see, if you actually shied away from fighting back, or ran away, or even cried for help, I would have discarded you as my disciple there and then. I have no need for those who cannot defend themselves, or at least try doing so. Today I''ll teach you something, personally," he said as he climbed up the tower.


    Ludwig followed behind him, the tower seemed empty as always.


    "What are you thinking?" Van Dijk asked.


    "That this tower is pretty big, but there is nothing here but your room¡­" Ludwig said.


    "Oh, like all other Towers, they''re built using the magic of the Gray Tower. It has spatial temperance. The tower is far bigger than you think Ludwig, but only when you graduate will you be able to peer into its secrets," he said as he continued going upward.


    Once the two of them entered Van Dijk''s room the latter turned to Ludwig and asked him a question.


    "Ludwig Heart, how long had you spent in this world?" Van Dijk asked.


    "Today marks my fifth day," Ludwig replied.


    "And in these five days you encountered a good amount of magic I presume, and read a lot of books on theory and magic properties and even magic history. Tell me then, what is the most important thing a mage should have?" Van Dijk asked.


    Ludwig rubbed his chin as he thought for a second.


    ''The most important thing? Well, talent for magic is obvious, but that''s just too obvious¡­ this is a tricky question. Having loads of mana would help in using great spells, having talents make able to climb the ranks of mages and have more circles easily¡­ but all of that is conditional. Van Dijk''s question is far too specific for something too conditional to be an answer.''


    Ludwig looked at Van Dijk''s eyes and said, "Imagination," He said.


    Van Dijk''s lips contorted in a vicious smile that would crudle blood, "And how did you come to that conclusion?" he asked.


    Ludwig pointed at Van Dijk, "You. Your black flames, they''re not something anyone can learn, they''re self-created. Making them a personal magic with far more danger than anything I''ve seen. Even Thomas Vondel used flames with what I could see to have a higher output of mana than yours, but your flames would easily burn rock and steel and even one''s soul. While he barely burnt a patch in a dense forest. He had the talent since he was a noble and it didn''t serve him much, he also had the mana of a mage and he still died. But he didn''t use his imagination, if I were him I wouldn''t shoot flames in a frost, I''d chase my opponent with other tools."


    "What other tools?" Van Dijk said as his smile grew even more vicious.


    "Though I don''t know of such, and I was late in joining the academy, I do know that they learned many other types of basic magic from some notes of a classmate. If I were him I''d use the wind to track my opponent and listen in on them. Or use Hexes to exhaust, fatigue, and over-encumber my enemy. I''d take my time hunting them down before I get too overworked with useless emotions like anger,"


    "Good¡­ that''s a passing answer," he said as he turned and pulled a small booklet from under the pile of books on his desk and gave it to Ludwig.


    [You have obtained detailed notes of an advanced magic study.]


    [Mana Control]


    Ludwig took the book note and began admiring the complexity of what was written within.


    "Imagination, or imagery, is the basis of all magic," he said. As he raised a finger up lighting up a small flame.


    "How would you increase the power of this flame if you have little mana to fuel it?" Van Dijk asked.


    Ludwig thought for a moment, "Oxygen," Ludwig said.


    Van Dijk frowned, "I heard that term, it came from a former hero, that''s a word for a particle you guys said that is part of air itself," Van Dijk said.


    Ludwig remembered then that he wasn''t the only one to ever be summoned to this world.


    "Yes, the air around us, or in my former world was composed of almost eighty percent nitrogen, and almost twenty percent air, with a small percentile of other gases in between, the oxygen is what allows fire to enflame and burn, so if you add more oxygen to it, it should grow in size without needing to fuel it with mana," Ludwig said.


    "I see, it is close enough to what we have here, we simply fuel it with wind magic," Van Dijk said and the flame grew stronger. "But, how do you make it like this?" Van Dijk said and the flames turned pitch black. The pressure they gave off became terribly suffocating that Ludwig knew that if he were to touch that flame, his entire body would be lit and smoldered in matters of seconds.


    "Hatred," Ludwig said.


    Van Dijk''s smile turned to a wide grin that showed all his teeth, "YES! Indeed! Hatred! Hatred against all, rage against all and! And most importantly cruelty against all! Fueling magic with mana is mighty, but fueling it with emotion is far more superior. This flame was something I created due to my hatred, my hatred against myself at the first place. It''s a flame that has one goal to consume anything it touches until nothing is left, and will never be snuffed, that is how much my hatred runs," he said and snapped his fingers causing the flame to extinguish.


    "Imagination fuels creation, and emotion fuels result. But a mage needs efficiency in all to achieve success, that is the reason why I gave you that book. Though your mana is far too little compared to all former heroes, maybe because you lost your chance to be one, but with that notebook you''ll be able to channel your mana far easier. Sadly, you can never create a mana circle," Van Dijk said.


    Ludwig frowned, "Why not?" he asked.


    "Because you have no heart," Van Dijk said, "I tried hard to come up with ways, even finding a replacement heart, and I even tried using your former one, but none of that worked. Oh by the way your remains have been cremated."


    Ludwig didn''t really express much after hearing that, but the fact that he couldn''t become a mage was still frustrating. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Can I not even use Skill Books?" Ludwig asked.


    "Hah?" a look of disgust appeared on Van Dijk''s face, "Skill books is magic of the weak and the pompous who use gold instead of their mind. I came up with something better than a magic circle," Van Dijk said.


    Ludwig frowned¡­ "What do you mean?" he asked.


    "Simple, I''ll make you a personal one, one that no other can ever have nor dream of obtaining, a mana circuit that''s grafted on your own bones, bit by painful bit. A Van Dijk Special!" he said as he spread his arms and laughed like a maniac.


    ''Guess it''s time for me to be a guinea pig''


    [New Side Quest!]


    [Survive Van Dijk''s Experiment]


    [You must not try and Run away, this experiment will test your mental fortitude.]


    ''great¡­''

 Chapter 32 - 32: Nephilium

    Inside a well-lit chamber of the Black Tower, Van Dijk stood laughing like a maniac. His voice echoed off the high, sterile walls, blending with the scrape of surgical tools and the faint hum of magical enchantments surrounding the room. This was no ordinary operation¡ªit was the first of its kind in this world. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The space was a bizarre amalgamation of science and sorcery. Shelves were lined with jars containing odd, preserved specimens, glimmering potions, and grotesque organs that seemed to pulsate faintly, as though still alive. In the center of it all was a marble table, its surface scattered with bone dust, where the skeletal form of Ludwig lay motionless.


    Several of Ludwig''s bones bore freshly carved grooves, intricate channels that seemed to snake their way across his frame, connecting and branching in complex patterns. Each cut was deliberate, every groove a piece of some grand, meticulous design. Tools lay discarded nearby¡ªsaws dulled by the relentless work Van Dijk had performed. The marble beneath Ludwig was streaked with fine lines of dust, the byproduct of hours of carving.


    Van Dijk inspected his work, tilting his head as if appraising a masterpiece. "Good, good!" he muttered with manic glee, reaching for another saw, and dipping it into a nearby vial filled with holy water. His grin widened. "You''re faring nicely."


    [You''re suffering critical damage to the integrity of your skeleton body!]


    [You are being afflicted with Holy Damage!]


    [-1 Strength]


    [-1 Strength]


    Every stroke of the saw sent a wave of searing agony through Ludwig. The holy water soaked into the blades, ensuring that each cut burned not just his body but his very essence. The strength that once coursed through his skeletal frame dwindled rapidly, his stats plummeting toward zero.


    For an undead, pain should have been a foreign concept¡ªbut this was different. The holy-infused tools attacked the core of his being, bypassing the numbness that typically shielded him from such torment. Each motion of the saw was a battle against madness.


    Van Dijk worked with eerie calm, his focus was unwavering though sweat constantly poured down his forehead as he switched to a fresh saw. "It is fortunate we''re doing this before your bone density matures," he remarked. His voice was calm, clinical, as though he were lecturing a class. "Once it hardens further, carving these channels would''ve been far more troublesome."


    To Ludwig, the comment was surreal, almost insulting. Troublesome? If this was his version of easy, Ludwig didn''t want to imagine what "harder" would have been like.


    After four grueling hours, Ludwig lay still, his body barely holding itself together. His skeletal frame, once sturdy and resilient, now resembled cracked porcelain. Any movement risked shattering the brittle remains of his form. The channels carved into his bones connected seamlessly, an intricate network that converged at a small, thumb-sized hole in his forehead¡ªa focal point for the magic yet to come.


    "How are you feeling?" Van Dijk asked, wiping bone dust from his hands as if he''d just finished a routine task.


    Ludwig could see that this operation wasn''t taxing on only him, but the incredible focus that Van Dijk was on and stayed on for hours was something to be respected. Though he was suffering the pain, Van Dijk felt like the one feeling it.


    "Like a corpse¡­" Ludwig managed weakly, his voice dry and humorless.


    Van Dijk barked a laugh. "Hah! You still have your sanity. Good. That means the easier part is done."


    Ludwig''s nonexistent stomach dropped. If this was the easy part, he dreaded to think what lay ahead. He briefly entertained thoughts of escape¡ªanything to avoid the hell that surely awaited him.


    Van Dijk, noticing his expression, smirked. "Relax, I''m joking," he said, though his grin suggested otherwise. "Honestly, you did better than I expected. I figured the holy water alone might kill you. But you see why it was necessary, don''t you?"


    "Holy water stops the undead from healing," Ludwig muttered, still reeling from the experience.


    "Exactly," Van Dijk replied, his tone suddenly earnest. "These channels need to stay precisely as they are, at least for the next few hours. Without the holy water, your body''s natural restorative properties would seal them up before we''re done. And all of this¡ª" he gestured broadly to the carved grooves "¡ªwould be for nothing."


    From a nearby shelf, Van Dijk retrieved a vial of bubbling silver liquid. "Now comes the real artistry," he said with a tone of reverence.


    "Most peope believe mithril to be the ultimate mana conductor," Van Dijk continued, pacing as he spoke. "And it''s true¡ªmithril is versatile. It''s rare, durable, and can be forged into practically anything. Some make mighty shields and armor from it, some make treasured weapons that are incredible at conducting mana, and some can even forge it to be as thin as a fabric that one can wear. This very robe of mine is such an example," Van Dijk flexed his wealth.


    "But another conductor with much greater in performance. And it is simply silver. Silver is far superior at conducting raw mana. The only problem is its rigidity, which makes it unsuitable for most practical uses." He held the vial closer to Ludwig''s face.


    "This is something that is of a higher grade than mithril, and better than silver. the best of both worlds."


    Van Dijk held the vial up to the light, the liquid within shimmering unnaturally. Its surface seemed alive, writhing as if aware of its surroundings. "This, Ludwig, is Nephilium¡ªor as some call it, God''s Blood. It''s harvested from angels, and it is the rarest material you''ll ever encounter. A single drop could buy an entire city."


    Ludwig''s blue flames for eyes narrowed as he studied the vial. The liquid looked deceptively simple, yet its aura sent shivers down his spine.


    Ludwig''s voice came out hoarse. "If it''s divine¡­ won''t it kill me?"


    Van Dijk''s grin widened. "Normally, yes. But not everything that is related to gods and angels is divine, after all. Fallen angels for example are a different story. Their blood is no longer holy in the traditional sense. It''s... tainted. That makes it dangerous, yes, but not outright fatal, to you that is, if a human were to touch this thing they''d turn to mush, for an undead... well... it''s quite painful, ," he added, almost cheerfully, as he uncorked the vial.


    Without hesitation, Van Dijk poured the liquid onto Ludwig''s exposed bones.


    Ludwig''s body convulsed violently as the Nephilium seeped into the grooves carved into his skeleton. His bones vibrated unnaturally, softening and twisting as the liquid spread. The pain was beyond comprehension, unlike anything he''d endured during the carving. He wanted to scream, but the agony stole his voice, leaving only soundless gasps.


    "Ah, magnificent," Van Dijk said, watching the reaction with fascination. "Do you feel it, Ludwig? The power seeping into you? Of course, you can''t appreciate it now, not through all that pain. But you''re alive¡ªwell, as alive as you can be. That''s what makes you special."

 Chapter 33 - 33: Upgrades people, Upgrades!

    Van Dijk''s grin remained unwavering as Ludwig''s body twisted under the effects of the Nephilium. The liquid coursed through the carved channels in his bones, glowing faintly as it worked its way deeper into his skeletal frame. The vibrations were almost unbearable, the silver substance making Ludwig''s very essence feel malleable, as if he were about to crumble into dust.


    "Though the blood of angels is fatal to undead, the blood of fallen angels carries a... different property," Van Dijk said, his voice steady, even as Ludwig''s body convulsed violently. "It''s still highly toxic to creatures like you. But toxic doesn''t mean fatal. It means transformative."


    Ludwig wanted to respond, to curse, to tell Van Dijk to go to hell¡ªbut the sheer pain rendered him silent. His skeletal body spasmed uncontrollably, his mind teetering on the brink of madness. The silver liquid seeped into every groove, every crevice, spreading an unnatural warmth that made his entire form feel as though it was both melting and solidifying at once.


    "Ah, I see that look," Van Dijk continued, his tone almost conversational as he observed Ludwig''s agony. "You''re wondering why this hasn''t been done before, aren''t you? The answer is simple, my dear apprentice¡ªno one survives it. Trolls, ogres, werewolves, even chimeras... all of them succumb to the process. Not even their famed regenerative properties can handle the transformation."


    He leaned in closer, his grin now almost predatory. "But you''re different. You''re already dead. No pain, no matter how intense, will kill you. And unlike most undead, you''re not some mindless husk. Your mind remains intact, able to withstand the effects of the Nephilium."


    Ludwig''s body bucked violently, his skull slamming against the marble table. His eye sockets dimmed momentarily, flickering like a candle in a strong wind. Van Dijk seemed unfazed, stepping back slightly to observe the silver liquid as it began to solidify within the carved channels.


    "You''re probably curious about the history of this material," Van Dijk said, pacing slightly. "Its first name, long before it became known as Nephilium, was Deli-rium. Fitting, isn''t it? They called it that because anyone who came into contact with it lost their minds. Even the strongest necromancers couldn''t control the undead they subjected to it¡ªthey''d go feral, maddened by the process."


    He gestured toward Ludwig''s trembling form. "But you? Look at you. Still conscious, still aware. A little worse for wear, perhaps, but certainly not feral. That''s why you''re perfect for this."


    As the liquid began to stabilize, Ludwig felt the pain recede slightly. His bones stopped convulsing, the vibrations slowing to a halt. The glowing channels dimmed, settling into a faint, steady light. Van Dijk reached for a small, gleaming object on his desk¡ªa jewel-shaped blue mana stone.


    "This," he said, holding it aloft, "is your key to the next step."


    He approached Ludwig''s head, carefully fitting the stone into the carved hole in his forehead. The fit was seamless, as though the stone had been made for him. The moment it clicked into place, Ludwig''s entire body pulsed with energy. A low hum filled the room as the silver circuits in his bones lit up once more, brighter this time, radiating power.


    The pain was gone, replaced by an overwhelming sensation of... potential. Ludwig could feel it¡ªmana coursing through his body like a river, flowing through the intricate pathways etched into his skeleton. It was unlike anything he''d felt before, raw and unrestrained.


    Van Dijk stepped back, admiring his work. "Congratulations, Ludwig. You''ve survived. Few can claim that honor." Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A series of notifications flashed in Ludwig''s mind, their words crisp and clear:


    ***


    [Congratulations!]


    You have successfully survived Van Dijk''s Experiment.


    The Substat [Intelligence] has been Upgraded to [Wisdom]


    The Substat [Charisma] has been added to your Substats.


    [Charisma] increases your personal appeal to others. And also increases your ability to lead. The angel''s blood in you has increased your charisma stat by a base of 20.


    Charisma can also enhance the speed in which the flow of mana goes through the pathways of the carved Nephilium Circuit.


    [Wisdom] Increases the capacity of your mana and the potency of all magic-related abilities. (it does not increase your mental wisdom, however.)


    You have Gained [Blessed Body]


    [Blessed Body]: Permanent Passive.


    Effects: you are now able to grow your magic power infinitely. The limitations of your mana pool have been lifted.


    If you wish to turn to a mage-type undead, you no longer need to create a [Life Vassal]


    If you wish to proceed following the mage path, you no longer need to create magic circles to use higher tiers of magic.


    Your [Blessed Body] is currently at the beginner level.


    [Blessed Body] can be leveled up by increasing your [Wisdom] stat. It can also be enhanced further up by consuming more [Nephilium]


    [You have obtained, Basic Mana Crystal]


    You can now use up to second-circle-level magic. All first-circle level magic''s potency and casting speed had slightly improved.


    ***


    Ludwig sat up slowly, his movements cautious as he adjusted to the newfound power flowing through him. He could see the mana coursing through the Nephilium circuits, weaving intricate paths through his body. The faint glow of the mana stone in his forehead gave him a sharp, otherworldly presence.


    "That stone," Van Dijk said sharply, breaking Ludwig''s thoughts, "is your limit for now. Don''t even think about upgrading it. Magic must be earned, not given. When you''ve proven yourself ready, I''ll provide a more advanced stone. Until then, this will suffice."


    Ludwig nodded, though his mind was racing. The power surging through him was intoxicating. He flexed his hands experimentally, feeling the circuits respond with an efficiency he had never known. The mana flowed effortlessly, ready to obey his command.


    Van Dijk''s grin widened, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes. "The higher your level, the more Nephilium you''ll need. With each addition, the circuits will grow denser, and your magical capabilities will expand. This is my gift to you, Ludwig. A creation no one else could ever dream of."


    He stepped closer, his expression darkening slightly. "So don''t disappoint me. With this power, you will shake the very foundations of this world. And perhaps..." His voice trailed off, a dangerous edge creeping into his tone. "Perhaps you''ll help me settle a score or two."


    Ludwig met Van Dijk''s gaze, the faint glow of the mana stone in his forehead reflecting the determination in his eyes. Whatever this new power was, he intended to make it his own.

 Chapter 34 - 34: A Strange Academy

    Ludwig''s body tingled. The sensation of mana coursing through him was new to him and felt rather refreshing. His former skeleton body though had mana, he didn''t feel it to this extent. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Now he can see it all around him and within him far clearer than before.


    "Put the slime back on," Van Dijk said as he wiped the rest of the bone dust off his hands. "You should also head back to the academy once morning comes, take your remaining time to study up, I heard you have Alchemy class, the teacher is rather¡­ peculiar," Van Dijk said.


    ''Peculiar? More than you? I highly doubt that,'' Ludwig''s thoughts remained inward.


    Van Dijk soon left the lab, leaving a portal for Ludwig to leave from after him, the latter placed the slime back on and it soon morphed onto his body giving him the appearance of a human.


    Though the Soul Letting Lantern clearly stated that no one who does not already know of Ludwig''s current undead situation will be able to see him as anything other than a human, it was better to have that fake layer of protection for his own sense of self. He didn''t want to always look down and see nothing but bones.


    Once Ludwig wore his clothes, he left to Van Dijk''s office. He proceeded with reading the available books to him, but once again his mind was rattled due to the difficulty of the task.


    [Your Wisdom level is far below the required needed to read through this book]


    Ludwig ignored the notification as he began reading with the mother of all pain wracking his brain.


    Hours later, Ludwig ended his session when the sun began breaking. Dawn had past and he needed to head to the academy again.


    After packing, he hurriedly left the tower and made it before the time for class would start. But something was different today, everyone was giving him strange looks as he passed through the halls of the academy.


    "Did you hear, they said that he killed Thomas Vondel¡­"


    "Yeah, I heard, and if not for Tower Master Van Dijk, he''d be dead by now¡­"


    "I heard that Ravi Vondel is still looking for him¡­ he can''t do much inside the school but I wonder what would happen if he leaves¡­"


    The rumors and the gossip were something that Ludwig never experienced in the real world, and only heard about and read about in books and novels. It was a new experience for him and all he could do was snicker as he went past the students who continued talking about him.


    Ludwig arrived to the classroom, which was a junction of both a massive botanical garden and a classroom at the same time that was packed full of all sorts of conserved organs, and colorful liquids on shelves and walls. There were even skeletal frames for study, none of which were human.


    Some of the students were already seated, and while Ludwig entered late he wasn''t the last one.


    Kassandra noticed Ludwig entering, and he saw her too, but she soon turned her head.


    ''Did she also hear the rumors?'' he thought.


    But it wasn''t something he could control, he went up the rows and sat in an empty seat.


    "You really survived that," Ludwig Heard.


    Turning, it was Hoyo, the guy who warned him about what was going to happen. Ludwig wasn''t a big fan of this guy since he knew that Ludwig indeed was the cause of Thomas''s death.


    "Keep everything to yourself, you hear me?" Ludwig warned.


    "D-don''t worry, I won''t talk about this to anyone," Hoyo replied in a hushed tone. "Anyways, the two bastards who were with him are looking for you however," he said.


    "Did you not hear what I just said?" Ludwig warned in a sterner tone, and Hoyo simply backed off.


    Ludwig knew well that though Van Dijk covered for him, at the end of the day someone did actually die and Ludwig was the only suspect. Even with an alibi, people tend to focus their nonsensical accusation on the ''only'' available suspect disregarding facts. Unless another person comes up and is blamed for the death of Thomas, it will always leave a stain on Ludwig that he was the cause of that death regardless of the alibi.


    "Good Morning young ones," a calm feminine, and charming voice echoed through the classroom.


    The teacher that just entered seemed to be in her mid twenties and looked quite charming. A pretty looking woman with a gentle and bright smile. Wearing the academy''s teacher gowns and hugging a large leather book to her chest.


    But something wasn''t right, as Ludwig''s new body had allowed him to use even more of his discerning powers. The same powers that allowed him to see Van Dijk''s flame and the path of mana, he raised his brows up and was absolutely baffled by what he just saw.


    The illusion of that appearance, that gentle country girl appearance who came here to teach simply dissipated in front of his eyes as he saw what lay beneath.


    "A demon?" he muttered. Low enough that no one could hear it, it was so low that even the student next to him couldn''t pick it up. But the teacher in question had her eyes snap right onto Ludwig''s


    Golden eyes with a cat-like slit for irises. A beautifully carved face, enough that would make any man fall for her in an instant. A mix of vivid purple and black short-cut hair, and two long curving horns, along with a viscous, scandalous almost looking body. Two massive mounds of fat hung on barely able straps that held them with difficulty. With a thin waistline and a demonically curving ass. Thighs barely held together with tight-looking stockings held with a holdup that extended up her skirt and only god knows where they were attached to. And a thin tail seemed to sway from behind her left and right almost inviting even.


    She wore an incredibly tall stiletto that seemed to be holding itself with an almost needle-width heel.


    "You''re new here, it''s not gentlemanly to stare you know," Ludwig heard right into his mind.


    "You don''t need to reply, dear undead. Keep what you just saw a secret, however¡­ not many know what I am," she said.


    That was the most obvious, shut up and pay attention to class Ludwig had ever heard before.


    Ludwig nodded in acceptance, but before he could even act.


    [Necro''s Blessing is activating]


    ''Oh shit NO!'' Ludwig cursed inwardly as he knew what was going to happen.


    [Inspect]


    Fuck¡­


    Character Screen


    Name: Cymoria Azmiralis.


    Title: [Man Slayer] Consumed the vitality of a hundred men in one night.


    Level: ???


    HP: ???


    [Status Effect]: Intermediate Polymorph.


    Lore:


    A succubus who once led the largest information-gathering hub of the country. After her identity as a demon was exposed, she was chased by the holy order and found solace in the bosom of the Dark Tower Academy. Now she works as a teacher for the academy and is teaching students the art of alchemy.


    "Aghnnn¡­" the professor moaned. The sound was loud and prefoliation enough that everyone in the classroom was too stunned to speak.


    The kind looking teacher can make sounds like that?


    Ludwig gulped hard as he saw the angry look in the teacher''s eyes which were locked onto him.


    Fuck¡­

 Chapter 35 - 35: Alchemy session.

    "Ahem," the teacher didn''t press further as she began explaining today''s class.


    "Today, we''ll be talking about the properties of the Drakebane grass, who can tell me what is Drakebane?" Cymoria asked.


    Kassandra was the only student who raised her hand.


    "Kassandra, go ahead," the teacher said as she nodded toward her.


    "Drakebane, or the Dragon-scourge, is a rare herb that grows in hot environments. It has a growth cycle of ten years, before it reaches maturity, and has a single-day timespan for harvesting. The plant releases all its spores to propagate during that day and will wither the following day. And the reason it''s potent against dragons is that it''s able to burn their mana rapidly and exhaust them." Kassandra said.


    "Good answer," the teacher nodded, "But there are a few misconceptions that most books don''t talk about," the teacher said. "Anyone?" the teacher asked as she looked around.


    Ludwig had no idea what they were talking about, he wasn''t interested in alchemy after all, and from what he read, nothing had come in close to that subject, so like everyone else in the class he just sat waiting for someone to answer.


    "Right, first things first, Drakebane is called that way because of a specific reason. Draks are not dragons, otherwise it would have been called Dragonsbane. The property of burning mana is true and very effective against Draks. They aren''t true dragons after all and their mana is a mix of both natural and true dragon mana. Draconic mana is incredibly pure and chaotic and can easily neutralize Drakebane. And finally, Drakebane can be grown at a faster rate than the natural ten-year cycle. And we have some of it available right here," she said as she pointed at everyone''s desk.


    "Under your desks, there is a small lab kit, please pull it out," she said.


    Ludwig did as told, and pulled a small black box up placing it on top of his table.


    The box opened up revealing a magic circle in the middle of the box as it spread apart to form a hardened rectangular table.


    There were several closed vials on the table and multiple strands of different grasses neatly assorted on the alchemy table.


    "This is a basic alchemy table that anyone can obtain. Now, what I want you to do is to follow me in creating a Sundering Potion. This potion uses the properties of Drakebane which burns mana and is further amplified by some of the herbs that are in front of you," she said.


    "But teacher," one of the students said.


    "All of these herbs look similar¡­"


    "That''s why we''re doing this experiment. After all, we studied about all of these herbs during the semester, I expect you to have done your homework and learned the properties and the differences between all of them¡­" she said.


    "But¡­" he said in a defeated tone but the teacher ignored him.


    "Now, students, first things first, light up your alchemy circle by simply injecting your mana into it." She pressed her palm on the table and immediately the circle on her own table lit up in a blood red hue.


    Ludwig was a bit confused at first, he didn''t study any of this, and compared to the rest of his class he was clearly behind them all. He didn''t understand anything in front of him, nor did he recognize the hers. The guy who spoke earlier described Ludwig''s situation pretty clearly.


    But, he wasn''t someone who''d easily give up, after all, Ludwig''s eyes were focused on the teacher as he muttered, [Trace]


    Immediately, a faint holographic appearance of his own body appeared in front of him, alongside with several pieces of side notes for information''s.


    [Inspect] has activated.


    ***


    ? [Flaming Lotus ????] A toxic herb that can cause blisters and high temperature rise once consumed unprocessed. It is also an alchemically used herb that can increase the temperature of materials once alchemy is applied.


    ? [River Side Grass ?] normal grass that can be found anywhere in the world alongside rivers. It holds no special properties.


    ? [Drakebane ? ] a flower type herb that has the properties of sundering mana. It is incredibly toxic to all sub dragon species if directly injected into their blood. The effect is incredibly minor if only the flower part of the plant is used like what most do today. The mix of both roots and the flower part increases the potency but at the same time creates instability in the potions made.


    ? [Ice Pearl ????] a small pearl found in the stomach of glacial clams. It holds great freezing properties and can neutralize heat once it comes in contact with it.


    ? [Unprocessed Troll''s Blood ????] An incredibly powerful agent that can easily absorb all matters of traits into it. It has a high regenerative property and by itself can help heal wounds, though untreated it can cause many issues to a human''s body. It is mainly used in creating Health and Mana potions, but is almost the number one go to when creating any type of potions.


    There were several others pieces of weeds and all sort of liquids, but just these caught Ludwig''s attention. Because they all seem to have a purpose.


    For example, the river side grass was useless, uncompetitively so and had no properties, but it held a striking resemblance to Drakebane. and this told Ludwig that this was meant to confound and confuse the students. Along with several other herbs that looked like the Flaming Lotus, and a few vials of liquids of varying shades of blue that looked similar to Troll''s blood.


    The ice pearl however seemed to be there in case shit went wrong and the whole thing began to burn.


    The first thing she did was hold the Ice Pearl, "In case things go wrong, throw this in your pot, it will instantly stop all the reactions." She said and placed the pearl to the side.


    "We start by grinding the flower of the Drakebane, and since it''s already dried up, you can simply crush it between your palms like this," she said as the material turned to powder and began falling on a small pot she had ready on top of the alchemy table.


    Everyone did the same when they began mimicking her. And so did Ludwig.


    He followed Trace, and grabbed the appropriate piece of grass, while many others seemed to grab the closest looking one.


    "Then add some troll''s blood, though this is unprocessed, it should still serve the same purpose," she said as she poured in an incredibly accurate amount and left a bit in the bottle. Ludwig noticed her carefully hiding away the bottle.


    It seems that there is a need to be specific, And thanks to Trace, he managed to get an almost exact recreation of her own action.


    He continued following her, and while she was adding more and more herbs, several pots began overboiling, or turning stale. Some students seeing things going ugly, immediately threw the ice pearl into their pots, making the whole thing turn to an ice sculpture in the blink of an eye.


    While some blew up outright stanching up the place, but thanks to the teacher being already aware of the ''dangers,'' whenever something bad was about to happen, she''d cover the pots of the students with her own mana, enclosing the explosions or the overflows.


    There was nothing she could do about the smell though.


    Ludwig wasn''t affected by the smells, after all he was an undead, but many others threw up outright or just left the room in a rush.


    The teacher paid them no mind as she continued adding more and more materials.


    "Good, now if you wait for about ten seconds, the concoction you have in front of you should turn a bright yellow if it''s done correctly, the closer the color it is to red the worst the quality, and the closer it is to gold the purer the quality," she said.


    Everyone''s who managed to follow her, or close enough seemed to have a varying shade of red, Kassandra was the only one who had an orange color concoction.


    Ludwig on the other hand had a clear golden solution in front of him.


    ***


    [You have created a potion]


    [Incomplete Weak Mana Sundering Potion ?] {Toxic for consumption}


    A potion made by a novice alchemist wanna be. It is incredibly weak and serves almost no purpose. Though it is a step in the right way, if this is used on a Drake type creature it will only enrage them.


    *** S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This notification was bothering Ludwig, not only did it say that whatever he made wasn''t really that good, it also didn''t pop something important in front of him.


    The notification of him receiving the [Alchemy] skill never appeared.


    The teacher noticed Ludwig''s concoction and smiled.


    But he then did something different, he grabbed the roots of the Drakebane and began grinding them.


    "What are you doing?" the teacher asked Ludwig.


    "Oh¡­ I want to try something¡­" he said.


    She frowned while everyone seemed annoyed at him, after all, for him who got the closest to the teacher''s concoction he didn''t need to brag some more saying he wanted to try something. He already succeeded, but most of them hoped he do so he can mess up what he created.


    The teacher however didn''t stop him and continued monitoring the rest of the students and taking notes of their progress.


    While Ludwig grinded the roots and added them to the mix, the whole pot began burning up some more.


    He then grabbed the pearl and broke it apart, and began adding smaller and smaller pieces of the pearl into the pot to lower its temperature.


    Soon, however, the liquid''s boiling began slowing down bit by bit and began simmering. Not only that, the color itself began changing from gold to a purer and cleaner version until it became milky white.


    The solution seemed to stay stagnant at that point and only then did Ludwig receive a notification.


    ***


    [You have created your first true alchemy potion]


    [Intermediate Mana Sundering Potion?]


    A reliable potion created by an ambitious young alchemist. It boasts great effects in sundering sub-draconic species of their mana.


    ***


    The teacher approached Ludwig and smiled, "Good job Ludwig." She said.


    "But teacher¡­" one of the students jumped up, "He didn''t follow the recipe!" he said.


    The teacher turned to him and said, "Many things in alchemy are still undiscovered, if we all followed the footsteps of someone who had done it before, we''ll never learn. Ludwig understood the principle behind this alchemy.


    The true use of the Drakebane flower is when one mixes both the roots and the flower. For it to have maximum efficiency, but that makes the solution unstable and will burn up faster. And using the Ice Pearl to stop that reaction will instantly freeze over the entire pot.


    Ludwig seemed to have realized that from watching the students who used the pearl to stop their pots from blowing up, and thus broke the pearl to pieces so he can use only bits and pieces to cool it down instead of freezing it. It takes a strong mind to do alchemy among chaos, but an even stronger mind to come up with innovative ways to succeed in creation¡­ good job Ludwig, I''ll make sure to add this to your final results. Keep it up," the teacher explained.

 Chapter 36 - 36: Learning

    "Hold on," Ludwig heard as he was leaving the room.


    Looking behind him, Ludwig saw Kassandra with a frustrated look on her face.


    "What is it?" Ludwig asked.


    "How did you do that?" She asked him. "How did you figure out the way to make that potion? The teacher herself didn''t say anything¡­ and the herbs they all look similar¡­"


    Ludwig looked at her own potion and noticed that it was incredibly close to what the teacher had made.


    "Analysis," Ludwig said.


    "That''s a really terrible way of explaining things¡­" she replied.


    Ludwig thought for a moment, he couldn''t just tell her that he could see the specific details of the herbs thanks to his ''system'' so he needed a way to convince her.


    "The teacher made sure to display the ice pearl to us and show us that it is important. But honestly, that felt like a trick, because there are dozens of ways to shut down an alchemical reaction that doesn''t need the pearl," he said.


    "I suppose that''s right, she did stop some explosions using her own magic¡­"


    "And that was all I needed to know that the pearl''s primary objective wasn''t to shut down the reaction, so it must have another purpose¡­ and seeing that using the whole pearl immediately freezes the pot, if I were to use smaller portions of it, it would cool down the incredibly volatile reaction," he added.


    "That¡­ logical," she replied reluctantly.


    "And if the pearl is needed, then that means that I need a way to increase the temperature of the concoction," Ludwig said as he pointed at a busted pot from one of the students. "That guy, he used the flower and the roots of the Drakebane, and the temperature of the whole thing rose up incredibly. So I assumed by doing that, I can increase the heat, and by adding pieces of the pearl I can cool it down without it freezing, so I tried it, and it worked¡­" Ludwig replied while shrugging.


    "That''s a lot of baseless assumptions," Kassandra said.


    "The first alchemist also began by making assumptions and attempts, I believe the goal of this class isn''t to teach you alchemy, but to teach us how to think outside the box and take our own path forward. If we just replicate what others have made we won''t learn we''ll only be a replica of someone else''s efforts, is what I believe," Ludwig finalized his words leaving Kassandra to her thoughts.


    Just as he left the room, he heard students talking about him in hushed tones.


    "I can''t believe that guy¡­ you saw how he was acting in class, being all haughty and stuff¡­"


    "Yeah, he was saying he didn''t know much on his first day, but now he''s good at alchemy, and you remember people saying he did use Exhaust¡­ Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yeah, the rumors of him killing Thomas are probably true¡­ if he''s that good, he could have easily done that, he probably said that he didn''t know anything about magic the first day to make us drop our guards¡­"


    The words continued on, and Ludwig didn''t humor any of them as he went past the students and outside the halls of the academy.


    He sighed a bit, and thought of what he was going to do for the rest of the day.


    The shouts and cries of battle from afar piqued his interest and he once again found himself headed toward the training area for the swordsmen of the academy.


    The teacher there was diligently guiding everyone to follow her pace and practice. And once she saw Ludwig, "You got here on time, Everyone, halt," she said and everyone in the area stopped.


    "This is Ludwig Heart, some of you know him," she said.


    The students all took note of Ludwig and some even began talking about last night''s incident.


    "He will be joining your training from here onwards," she said. "Ludwig, I believe you somewhat managed the first level of the Imperial Art," she said.


    "To an extent," Ludwig replied.


    "Good, then grab a training sword and follow everyone''s moves," she said as she began swinging.


    Everyone followed her and so did Ludwig as he stood at the last row. Making sure that every swing of his was perfectly following the [Trace] projection in front of him.


    Time went by as Ludwig followed the teachings of Joana and the whole class seemed to get drenched in sweat and exhaustion after the first two hours. And four more hours, the area looked almost void of life.


    Some had outright fallen unconscious, while many others gave up as their arms felt numb.


    There were only two students left who were still following the teacher.


    Ludwig of course, since he had no concept of stamina. And a young man who Ludwig remembers from the first time he came to this place.


    "Alright kids, stop or your arms will fall off," the teacher said.


    Only then did the student that ''survived'' with Ludwig fall to his knee, gasping for desperate breath.


    The kid with blue eyes and blue hair looked at Ludwig saying, "You''re a monster¡­"


    "I can say the same to you," Ludwig replied.


    Though Ludwig was indeed an undead monster that didn''t need any stamina to work and move or act, the kid next to him was practically a genius type of monster. A human kid with a stamina that rivals a monster.


    "Good, good, we have promising younglings this year. Von Hubert, you have done well, you should go and rest for now. Ludwig, I need to speak to you for a second," she said.


    Ludwig followed her to the same room from the last time, and was worried that she might have caught on to what happened yesterday.


    Just as he entered the training room, she closed it.


    "Show me, show me how much you learned from the Imperial Swordsmanship Art."


    Ludwig began tracing the moves, succeeding in connecting the first and second stances in a single flow.


    This impressed the teacher enough that she held Ludwig hostage for the next four hours.


    Later that night Ludwig headed back to his room to rest, or more like to continue his mental training. Van Dijk had given Ludwig the book of [Mana Control] and within the book were the first-tier spells of all elemental magic. Not including the dark or the light type of magic.


    His task was simple. To understand the teachings of the book, and learn Mana Control, and have a good start in simple first tier magic. Ludwig was taking his first steps in becoming a mage.


    Ludwig flipped the pages as he read. Unbeknownst to him that this small book may very well change his entire life and how he views this world.

 Chapter 37 - 37: Grafted

    Ludwig closed the book while his head felt like it was throbbing from pain.


    The whole thing was weird for him, the book was clearly describing handling mana with magic circles, but at the same time, it didn''t seem that it was bound to those very laws. Mana after all existed everywhere. And only humans were the ones who used magic circles to further advance their prowess. For Ludwig who had no heart to build his circles, he had Nephilium, which served as a more advanced, denser, and far higher conductive mana circuit. It could do all that a magic circle can do, but the majority of the ''tips'' and help were focused on what magic and mana itself could do, not the circuits or circles themselves.


    Another part was imagination, and emotion.


    Emotion was something that Van Dijk had already explained, as it fuels the magic you want. For heat, it''s passion, and water is compassion, while the deeper and darker magic require more emotions to further fuel them such as rage and anger or even love.


    Emotional discipline is needed to advance the usage of all types of magic.


    The second part was something only the book spoke about and that was imagination.


    Magic in its essence could be simplified to basically becoming a series of calculations that adjust the flow of the world itself. To calculate how fast atoms need to move for them to create heat is something that a mage should be able to do for example.


    But it can be bypassed when one can ''imagine'' and see the way that operation happens. For a flame, one can either use mana and imbue it with a passionate will which will change its form from normal mana to a flaming red mana. But if they add imagination to the mix, and imagine their mana spinning faster, the flame can become something like a [Flame Arrow] instead of a fireball.


    The more one can afflict their mana with powerful imaginations and is able to sustain them the higher their tier of usable magic can become. That is of course if they''re still able to maintain calculations of all that is happening. After all it''s not hard to imagine a flaming tornado, but one needs three things to create it.


    First and foremost, Mana has the capacity to create something that big.


    Secondly, the passion and emotional stability to manifest it without it going haywire.


    And lastly, the ability to calculate infer, and deduce all that is needed to create the flames from the smallest atom at the base of the tornado to the peak of this flaming cyclone.


    It''s a lot of things that need to happen at once. Some are eased by doing chants that align one''s mind with the image they want to create. Some are able to use mediums such as wands or staffs that can ease the computable aspects of such a creation.


    [Mana Control] The book itself seemed extremely basic for Ludwig, yet from it he understood that talent alone is not enough for anyone to be great at magic.


    For him, however, magic capacity was something he didn''t need to care about. For a body of an undead that cares for no pain or agony of the circles, and has his own circuit of Nephilium he isn''t limited to what mana amounts he can produce, he is only limited by the quality and quantity of the Nephilium inside his body.


    As for the imaginative and computable part, he boasts an incredible mind that was separated from the necessity of sleep and exhaustion due to him being an undead. A mind that literally has no limit but what he himself can comprehend.


    As for emotion, that is something that Ludwig knows he lacks a lot and has yet to fully understand them. For someone who spent most of his days sheltered in a gilded cage. With barely a few interaction with friends he never met, Ludwig''s emotional growth was extremely stunted and that would serve as a great setback for the current him.


    "True¡­ I don''t know what love is, and I don''t know what could make one angry enough to reach the levels of rage and wrath. Even the death of my parents didn''t make my heart bleed as many say it does for them¡­ not even when I killed someone did I feel anything¡­ emotions are difficult¡­"


    He sighed as he leaned back against his chair.


    It was deep into the night, and he needed to do something to kill the time, he has another class the next morning.


    Just as he was about to switch to training his swordsmanship, he heard a knock on his door.


    Wary and slightly alerted, Ludwig asked, "Who is it?" Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It''s me, Hoyo," the boy said.


    Ludwig sighed as he opened the door. "What is it that you want?" he said through an annoyed looking face.


    "Just wanted to talk to you about something," Hoyo said as he placed his foot on the door.


    "I''ll crush that foot if you don''t move it," Ludwig replied in a serious tone.


    The boy held both hands up, "Okay no feet on the door, but really, I need to talk to you about something serious¡­"


    Ludwig sighed, "What is it this time? Surely not someone who wants me dead again?"


    "Oh, no. well, the two minions of Thomas want to have their revenge but I doubt they''ll do anything overt. Regardless this is more about me¡­"


    "You? What is it? Are you the one who want me dead?" Ludwig smirked.


    "No, I just have a favor to ask you¡­"


    "Is it about you being [Grafted]?"


    "Y-yea¡­ you haven''t said or talked to anyone about that, right?"


    "And if I did what will you do?" Ludwig asked.


    "¡­" the look of despair showed on Hoyo''s face was a clear indication that something was awfully wrong with this guy being found out as a Grafted.


    "Get in," Ludwig said.


    Hoyo walked inside with a lowered head and sat on an empty chair.


    "So, about this Grafted thing, tell me, why do you have the liver of a Harpy grafted on your body?" Ludwig asked while his eyes were shining blue unbeknownst and invisible to Hoyo''s stunned looking face.

 Chapter 38 - 38: Fallen Nobility

    "How much do you know about that?" Hoyo asked.


    "Enough to know that you don''t want me to expose you, so speak, why do you have the liver of a Harpy grafted onto you?" Ludwig asked back.


    Hoyo opened and closed his mouth then said, "My family¡­ is a fallen noble family," he said.


    Ludwig waited for Hoyo to finish speaking since he seemed to have had a lot on his mind.


    He sighed a bit and then said, "My father and Uncle are sons of a Duke of Letonia, a kingdom on the northern part of the Lufondal Empire. My grandfather died before assigning a proper heir, and that caused strife between the two of them. But thanks to my father''s superior military achievements and prowess, not to mention him reaching the level of Aura Swordmaster, he managed to take control over the duchy. He didn''t kill my uncle for failing the succession war, and allowed him to live as a Marquis with land and forces¡­"


    Ludwig nodded as he was listening in on the story.


    "But, greed is a nasty thing," Hoyo said. "My uncle who didn''t accept the fact that he was demoted to a mere marquis was enraged and began dabbling in darker arts. And this is one of them," Hoyo said as he pulled up his shirt.


    Several massive sewed scars were visible all over Hoyo''s body.


    "It wasn''t just the liver of a Harpy, there were much more parts that shouldn''t have been mine to begin with, though I managed to ''extract'' them, and replace them with human parts, I still can''t remove the harpy liver. Since it''s essential to my survival," Hoyo said. "It cleanses blood and removes all sorts of poison and lowers the risk of diseases and infections from the multiple grafting sessions that happened to me."


    "So you were captured and tortured?" Ludwig said plainly.


    There was hesitation in Hoyo''s words before he said, "Y-yea something like that¡­"


    "Then how come your family fell? If your uncle was the one who did all of this, shouldn''t it be the other way around? Or did the king simply axe both the Duchy and the March?"


    -March or Marquessate is what you call the territory of a marquis we''ll be going with March for now-


    "That''s the thing," Hoyo said, "The people who did the experiment on me were the people who belonged to our Duchy, they were bribed by my uncle and I was experimented on along with several hundred others inside my father''s territory. My uncle then sent word to the King that we, the Duchy, were dabbling in black magic and forbidden arts, and then initiated the attack on the Duchy."


    Ludwig frowned, "I can see how things would turn that way, but you said that you initiated the attack¡­ for a March to attack a duchy, you need significant power, I doubt that the Duke just simply let them in."


    "Yeah, under different scenarios, my father could have easily thwarted the attack of my uncle and found enough evidence to clear his name, but there was a problem that prevented that¡­"


    "And that is?" Ludwig asked.


    "The land we lived on was meant to be neutral ground¡ªa shared territory between Letonia and the Holy Order," Hoyo began, his voice trembling as if the very air around him grew colder with each word. "Letonia¡­ though it has a king, he''s nothing but a puppet. In reality it is a kingdom ruled by zealots, driven by their so-called Holy Order. Rich beyond imagination. Powerful. And merciless. Anything they deem Dark or Demonic, they don''t just hate¡ªthey eradicate. But none of that compares to him."


    Hoyo''s breath hitched, his eyes glassy with fear, his words faltering as though recalling the memory physically hurt. "It wasn''t a war. It wasn''t a battle. It wasn''t even a struggle. It was annihilation. Total, horrifying annihilation. And it took him¡ª" Hoyo''s voice cracked, "¡ªless than an hour."


    Ludwig''s frown deepened, his curiosity beginning to feel like a mistake.


    "An hour," Hoyo whispered. "That''s all it took for our territory to collapse into dust and screams. He wasn''t even trying. He walked in, yawning like he was bored, like it was a chore. He couldn''t have been more than ten¡ªa child, by any measure. And yet¡­" He choked, unable to meet Ludwig''s gaze. "He killed every last one of us. Soldiers, knights, warriors¡ªmy people died like insects crushed underfoot. No mercy. No hesitation."


    Hoyo''s hand trembled as he gestured vaguely toward the past. "And my father¡­ my father didn''t even have time to beg. That boy¡­ that thing¡­ looked him in the eye and simply pointed at him, my father burnt in hellish flames in an instant, for him it felt like swatting a fly¡­ my father who is an Aura Swordmaster wasn''t even worth the effort for that thing. No words. No reason. Just¡­ nothing."


    Ludwig''s blood ran cold¡­ if he had any that is.


    "They call him the Holy Saint," Hoyo spat, his voice tinged with hatred but trembling with unshakable dread. "But there''s nothing holy about him. He''s a demon in human skin. A sadistic, unfeeling monster. Mot the Deliverer¡­ the name still makes my skin crawl." He shuddered violently, clutching at his arms as though to hold himself together. "You don''t talk about him. You don''t even think about him if you value your sanity."


    Ludwig thought about this for a second and said, "Seems like you had it rough, but what I don''t understand is, how did you manage to escape?"


    "Yeah, about that¡­" Hoyo said, "It was because I fell unconscious¡­"


    "Huh?" Ludwig''s expression was anything but understanding.


    "Yeah¡­ apparently, the kid, or that thing considers all who are asleep, or unconscious as dead¡­"


    "Basically, a bear?" Ludwig tilted his head.


    "That''s a criminally severe understatement, but something along the lines of that. I was captured by the Holy Order forces, and when presented to him in my unconscious state, they decided to simply let me go¡­ apparently it was his order¡­"


    "What happened with your uncle then?" Ludwig asked.


    "What else? Since he was the one who ''revealed'' us as sinners, he was rewarded, and with his brother dead, the Duchy was vacant so he simply took over."


    "And your goal I can assume is to reclaim what was once yours?"


    "Hah, you say funny things Ludwig. I''m not insane, I know my limits. And I can''t go against my uncle, after all, though he isn''t a sword user, he''s a Seventh Circle Mage¡­ though most of it is Grafted stolen goods¡­"


    "Wait, he grafted a circle?" Ludwig asked.


    "Yes, he managed to steal the Heart of Seventh Circle Mage and Graft it onto his body. That''s why he''s impossible for me to ever beat¡­"


    He then looked at Ludwig and smiled, "You think I''m a coward don''t you?"


    "Not really," Ludwig shook his head, "There is a thin line between courage and stupidity, and not wanting to die is everything but stupidity."


    Hoyo smiled saying, "I guess you''re right¡­ I had a really hard time dealing with Thomas to be honest," he said.


    "I can guess why," Ludwig said.


    "You do?"


    "You don''t want to expose yourself, though I doubt your identity is fully hidden," Ludwig added.


    "Yes, a few teachers already know of me, but the Dark Academy is unrelated to the Holy Order. Though it is part of the Lufondal Empire, the Holy Order can''t just simply ask for my head¡­"


    "I suppose. There are powerful teachers here after all," Ludwig shrugged.


    "Speaking of Powerful Teachers, tomorrow is the last day before the exams. We''ll have our final practice session¡­ though it''s going to be the first and last one for your," he said.


    "What practice?" Ludwig asked.


    "Magic Combat¡­ you didn''t know?" Hoyo asked. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ah¡­ I forgot about that¡­ I can''t use any offensive magic though?" Ludwig said.


    Hoyo frowned, "How come? You already used [Exhaust]"


    "Yeah, that''s basically all I know¡­" that and the Undeath Sigil, but he wasn''t going to talk about that to Hoyo. After all, Necromancy is forbidden.


    "That''s going to be tough for you then¡­ I''d recommend that you give up on tomorrow''s practice then¡­ a lot of people will be aiming for you," he said.


    Ludwig thought about it and saw that it was pretty late into the night. He doesn''t have time to learn anything that can serve him any good anytime soon. Nor can he go all the way back to Van Dijk¡­


    [The Captured Soul Thomas Vondel is requesting your attention]

 Chapter 39 - 39: Conversation

    [Would you like to have a conversation with Thomas Vondel? You may ignore this if you do not wish to be bothered by trapped souls]


    "Right," Ludwig said to Hoyo, "I''ll need to rest soon."


    "Yeah, I understand, sorry about the lore drop, but still¡­"


    "Fine, it''s not like I have any friends to talk to about this, regardless your secret is safe with me," Ludwig replied.


    "Thanks," Hoyo said as he proceeded into leaving the room.


    Once alone, Ludwig pressed the accept option, and his mind immediately seemed to be warped into the lantern. Inside it he looked massive, incredibly so that Vondel barely reached Ludwig''s knee.


    Vondel had an ethereal almost transparent look to his body, and fear seemed to grip at his heart.


    "L-Ludwig¡­" he muttered. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I have little patience to those who call me without much to say."


    "Wait, I have something to tell you," Thomas said.


    "What is it?" Ludwig asked.


    "About your exam, you said you don''t know how to use magic, right?" Thomas said.


    "What does that have to do with you calling me here?" Ludwig asked.


    "Being dead means that you get to know a few things¡­ like what Bastos Van Dijk told you¡­"


    "I guess you''ve been eavesdropping on me a bit," Ludwig asked.


    "Not like I had any other choice¡­" Thomas said.


    "Not to mention," Ludwig said as he got his face closer to Thomas, "You''re awfully calm for someone I killed, I thought you''d be a bit rowdier¡­"


    "To what end?" Thomas spoke rhetorically, "I''m already dead. Life has no meaning, but true death is a bit out of reach¡­"


    "You''re now turning to a philosopher," Ludwig snickered, "Still state the purpose of you calling me, I have little patience."


    "Right, right." Thomas thought for a second and said, "You''re pretty apathetic."


    Ludwig frowned, inwardly thinking, that Thomas though speaks true, and since his death he had little to almost no emotional interest in anything going around him, or to him even was slightly worrying.


    After all, he literally lost his humanity, he''s but an undead now. A smart undead, but undead nevertheless.


    "What does that have to do with anything?" Ludwig asked.


    "For someone smart enough to learn all sort of things, you''re a bit slow here."


    Ludwig slammed his fist down right next to Thomas, in anger¡­ or so it appeared.


    "Right there!" Thomas pointed, "That, what you just did, you weren''t angry, nor did you truly feel mad, you just ''mimicked'' it because you can''t truly feel anger¡­"


    "You''re calling me sociopathic¡­" Ludwig said.


    "Not the exact term I''d use, but pretty close, you really have no empathy and you basically mimic emotions to fit your situation and condition, but deep down you know you don''t feel a thing."


    Ludwig''s upper lip curled in disdain.


    "I guess you can show a bit of annoyance, but that isn''t helping your case, your emotional imbalance will hinder you from advancing your magic, or the learning of," Thomas explained shrugging.


    "And what do you suppose I should do?" Ludwig asked tilting his head.


    "I have a solution for you¡­ well basically it''s something that you were probably going to figure out sooner or later, but if I tell you now I need you to do me a favor." Thomas asked.


    Ludwig thought for a moment and said, "I can''t promise you anything, but I''ll hear you out." Ludwig had no intention of trusting someone he killed. Even if he was a soul. But he still was interested enough, just enough to try and comprehend what was going on.


    "Okay, it''s fine. This lantern, is very special, and I''ve seen what you got the moment you obtained it."


    "You can see the status screen?" Ludwig asked.


    "I can see all you see, all the souls can. But I saw a bit more. One of the hidden functions of the lantern," he added.


    "Speak," Ludwig said in a commanding tone.


    "Right, right," Thomas said fidgeting a bit, "Deus Necros is incredibly smart¡­he''s a deity after all, and he already realized you''d be stunted by your lack of emotion, especially after turning to Undeath, so he hid a function in the lantern¡­ though there are other functions I''m forbidden from speaking about them or my entire existence will be destroyed. I''d rather go back to Necros as a dead soul than simply vanish."


    "You talk a lot of shit, get to the fucking point," Ludwig said.


    "Yes, I will, anyway. The thing is, though you can''t use your own emotions, you can use the emotions of those in the lantern¡­ but it depends on the method they died with," Thomas said.


    Ludwig thought momentarily and said, "You mean I can inherit emotions from those I kill?" he asked.


    "Yes, basically the last emotion or slew of, you can inherit, and that can be used to supplement your lack of emotion to empower your spells. You can also learn from the souls you captured any sort of things but there is a price for that¡­"


    "That sounds interesting," Ludwig said.


    "Yes, for me¡­ well, as awkward it is to say it, I died feeling three emotions," Thomas said.


    Ludwig immediately interjected, "Rage, Despair, and Fear¡­"


    "Damn¡­" Thomas looked taken aback, "You really just said that¡­ anyway, yes, you''re right, it was exactly that."


    "And how is that any helpful?" Ludwig asked genuinely interested.


    "Well, rage is part passion, and it is one of the few elements that empower fire magic and destructive magic. Despair is like a quagmire, a swamp of no hope, it empowers magic that caused physical debilitations, like your [Exhaust] or any lethargy or weakness inducing magic. And lastly Fear. Fear is cold, and lonely and an extreme mental destroying disposition. It empowers hallucination magic and all sorts of mental damaging magic¡­"


    "I see your point, but how can I use that?" Ludwig asked.


    "Well, I can tell you, but would you hear my favor first?" Thomas asked.

 Chapter 40 - 40: A Deal With A Vondel

    Ludwig thought for a moment and said, "Tell me what do you want then?"


    "Right¡­ see, I have multiple siblings. Though I''m the only true heir of the Vondel house¡­ well former heir¡­"


    "And what does that have to do with your request?" Ludwig asked.


    "Among all my brothers, Ravi though he''s step-sibling, has been the kindest to me. But my mother is adamant about going against him, he made a lot of progress in his studies and did clear a couple of dungeons before he even graduated. He''s smart and strong but his mother isn''t a noble," Thomas said.


    "Let me guess, your dad had a thing for the maid?" Ludwig asked.


    "More like the red-light district madam, but yeah,"


    "And how am I going to help you help him?" Ludwig asked.


    "For us Vondels, origin is important, that''s for all the nobles in fact. Brother is doing his best to become a knight of Lufondal. And that should give him a noble status though it is the lowest. Once he achieves that he can challenge my brothers to be the heir. If I were alive, none of this would have happened and as soon as I got my hand on the house I would invite my brother back. Sadly that''s no longer possible," Thomas said.


    "You want me to help your brother become a knight? You know that you''re asking something a bit too insane."


    "No, not that, he''s more than capable of doing that by himself. But the thing is, he''s missing a key part in getting the right of succession. When us Vondels are born, we''re given a Ring that helps identify us, and that ring is needed to proceed with the succession battle. My mother destroyed Ravi''s ring when he was young, so he cannot be part of the succession anymore. But now that I''m dead, he can use mine."


    "Don''t tell me it was on your body?" Ludwig asked. Because he clearly remembered Thomas turning up in flames.


    "No, no, I don''t keep it on me, that''s the best way for me to lose my right as a successor. So I hid it, and it''s now kept by a person of interest to say the least¡­"


    "You''re being shady on purpose, aren''t you?" Ludwig groaned.


    "I''m just messing with you, but yeah, the person of interest is an organization, they''re called White Raven. They are a big organization that organizes sells and buys information. And if you tell them these exact words, they''ll give you the ring. The Phoenix lived, but the flames died out," he said.


    "I see," Ludwig thought. "Where can I find them?" Ludwig asked.


    "The closest branch is in Mira, a city that''s at the border between the Dark Academy''s territory and the Titania Kingdom. All you need to look for is the symbol of a white crow on one of the inns there. They''ll contact you later with the item once you give them the password," Thomas said.


    "I see," Ludwig said, "That''s doable, but I cannot do it right now, I cannot leave the academy for three years," Ludwig said.


    "No worries, the succession battle was supposed to happen after I graduate, so you still have three years to do this."


    "Right, now that I agreed to your request, tell me, how do I use emotions form souls?"


    "That''s simple, first things first, can you make a fire ball?" Thomas asked.


    "No, I have no idea how to do that, all I read were things that were related to class specific subject, the act of creating a fire ball or water ball or any sort of basic magic is something I have yet to learn."


    Thomas thought for a second and said, "I saw your status screen, it shows that you have a Blessed Body, that''s something extremely rare in this world." Thomas said "Not to mention you have Wisdom? Do I don''t understand it fully and how those ''stats'' work, but it seems that it further improves your power potency. So not only will it further enhance your magical aptitude, but using emotions will double if not triple the output. As for learning a spell, try and mimic me using [Trace]."


    "How do you know all that?" Ludwig asked.


    "I see what you see, also you don''t really have to worry about me spilling the beans. After all, I''m dead, and once my purpose is served I''ll just go to Deus Necros'' side."


    Thomas raised his hand up, and mana began coiling around his arm, clear to Ludwig''s eyes as it moved and roiled until it gathered at his palm.


    "This is [Fireball], can you replicate it?" Thomas said.


    "I don''t know, I don''t fully understand the process," Ludwig said as he put his hand forward. He closed his eyes, and soon mana began moving alongside his arm.


    He could feel his entire body heating up a bit, every carved vein of Nephilium was exuding mana and helping Ludwig use it to create a flaming ball that swirled on the palm of his hand.


    For Thomas, the ball was at least twice his size, but for Ludwig it felt incredibly lacking and smaller than the one that Thomas used.


    "I''m pretty surprised that you managed to do it on your first try," Thomas said. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yeah I''m not that surprised about that part¡­" Ludwig said as he was looking at a notification that appeared in front of him.


    {You have cast the spell [Fireball]. Your current understanding of the skill is too lacking to use it as a Spell.}


    "Seems like I''m not proficient enough, also I don''t know if I should learn this. After all, I can only learn two spells for now." Ludwig said.


    "Two?" Thomas frowned.


    "Yeah, just two, I''m limited¡­"


    "Oh, that''s the first time I heard of someone being limited in learning spells. But from what I think, you''re probably limited due to your mana. It''s too low, I guess if you improve your Wisdom stat it would help you get more spells slots. Because usually, most mages have a lot more mana than you have. Even with Van Dijk''s operation and that mana stone on your forehead, I doubt you can use fireball more than three times."


    "I see, that''s going to be a problem. Though it''s strange, you were casting fireballs left and right."


    "Yeah, and a couple more fire spells in the mix too, but that''s because I come from a noble family and was practicing and learning magic since young. That''s why my mana channels are wider than a normal person, for you, well first you''re dead. And second, you don''t have the benefit of being born in a noble house. So just work on your mana for a bit now, if things don''t change, just ask Van Dijk he''s pretty smart."


    "Then what about the emotion using part?" Ludwig asked.


    "Right, it had to come to that..." Thomas said, "Now, imagine yourself obliterating me..."

 Chapter 41 - 41: Practice

    "For the emotion part," Ludwig asked, his voice hesitant, "how do I even do that?"


    "Simple," Thomas replied, his tone unnervingly casual. "Imagine yourself obliterating me."


    Ludwig blinked. "That... sounds awful. And it also sounds like you''d die from it," he said, his expression tightening at the suggestion.


    "Not exactly," Thomas answered with a sardonic grin. "It''s going to hurt like hell, sure, and it''ll weaken my soul''s integrity, but it won''t kill me¡ªat least not outright. That''s the only way for you to tap into the emotions stored in a soul. You''ll get better at it once you have more souls in your lantern. For now, think of this as a test run for... extraction."


    Ludwig hesitated, his hand hovering over the lantern. The idea of deliberately inflicting pain¡ªeven on a soul he wasn''t particularly fond of¡ªdidn''t sit right with him. Yet, curiosity and necessity gnawed at him. His practical class tomorrow would demand more than his current abilities, and he couldn''t afford to fall short.


    "All right," Ludwig said finally, closing his eyes. His breath slowed as he focused, forcing himself to visualize the act.


    He imagined himself gripping Thomas''s soul with an iron will, squeezing it like a vice. At first, nothing happened, but then a spark ignited within his chest. It wasn''t physical, but it felt like a seething flame, spreading from his core and roiling outward to his limbs. The sensation pressed on his mind, growing in intensity like a volcano about to erupt.


    Across from him, Thomas''s ethereal form twisted in visible agony. His features contorted, and faint wisps of his essence seemed to dissipate, drawn toward Ludwig. Simultaneously, the fireball Ludwig had conjured began to swell. Its size and heat intensified, becoming an inferno that threatened to consume the entire room.


    Ludwig could feel something else creeping in alongside the power¡ªa strange, oppressive sensation. It was cold and isolating, like standing alone in a vast, barren wasteland. His limbs grew heavy as though weighed down by chains of despair.


    "The first sensation was rage... and the second...that''s..." Thomas rasped, struggling to speak through clenched teeth. "That''s desperation... Keep pushing, and you''ll find fear. But don''t overdo it... I don''t think I can take much more."


    Ludwig opened his eyes, his focus wavering as he didn''t feel right about this. It wasn''t that guilt gnawed at him; it was more like futility and needless harm that served no purpose. He released the pressure, and the roaring flames sputtered out, leaving only faint embers in the air.


    Thomas''s form slumped, his translucent appearance dimmed and flickering weakly. He looked more spectral than before, as if his very existence had thinned.


    "Not something I can abuse," Ludwig muttered, rubbing his temples. "You''re already fading."


    "Exactly," Thomas replied, his voice strained but steady. "Emotions aren''t some infinite well you can draw from endlessly. Every time you use a soul this way, it takes a toll on its integrity. Push too hard, and the soul could break entirely."


    "Then it''s not worth relying on for regular use. Better to save it for emergencies," Ludwig said, crossing his arms as he processed the revelation.


    Thomas nodded weakly, his form stabilizing as the pressure on him eased. "You''re catching on. Your Nephilium circuit is already doing most of the heavy lifting. Sure, your magic''s slightly weaker than someone at your level, but that''s just because your Nephilium blood density is low. As you collect more Nephilium, that''ll balance out. Combining that with the emotions from souls will amplify your power significantly."


    Ludwig tilted his head, studying Thomas with a mix of curiosity and skepticism. "You''ve been awfully helpful for someone who''s supposed to be angry about dying."


    Thomas let out a humorless laugh. "What''s the point of being bitter? I''m dead. No amount of griping is going to change that. Besides, if I make things harder for you, you might just refuse my request. I''d rather stick around if it''s all the same to you. Just don''t forget the favor I asked for."


    Ludwig nodded, his expression softening slightly. He extinguished the remaining embers with a flick of his wrist and headed back to his room. There was much to think about and even more to prepare for.


    The rest of the night passed in quiet study. Ludwig pored over the booklet Van Dijk had given him, committing its lessons on mana control to memory. The theories clicked into place one by one, and he found himself experimenting with the techniques, making subtle adjustments to his flow of mana. By the time dawn broke, he felt more confident in his abilities, particularly in his newly acquired fireball spell.


    Though it isn''t officially a spell since it wasn''t added to his arsenal, he can use it, albite it will take a longer time to cast than anyone else doing the same thing.


    As sunlight streamed through his window, Ludwig donned his uniform and left his room. Today''s practical class promised to test his progress, and he was determined to prove himself.


    The students had gathered outside the arena where Ludwig had previously trained with Joana''s group. A golden-haired man stood at the forefront, his bright smile and animated demeanor instantly setting him apart from the academy''s usual cast of cold, calculating teachers.


    "Is everyone here?" the man called out, his voice brimming with energy. He clapped his hands together, beckoning the students closer.


    "Come, come!" he said, his gaze landing on Ludwig. "Ah, you''re the new guy! I''ve heard a lot about you from Joana. You aced Oda''Ruh''s test, didn''t you? Quite impressive for someone who''s only been here a few days."


    Ludwig approached, feeling slightly awkward under the teacher''s friendly scrutiny. "Thank you for the kind words," he said politely.


    The teacher chuckled, slapping Ludwig lightly on the back. "Don''t mention it. Though, if I were you, I wouldn''t get too comfortable. You''ve missed a lot of classes, and no one''s expecting you to perform miracles. Still, I''m curious to see what you can do."


    Ludwig frowned as the teacher turned. because something didn''t feel right, after all, why would the teacher slap a magic circle on Ludwig''s back?


    Ludwig was the only one to notice it, and it seemed to be on every one of the students.


    The teacher acted as if nothing was going on as he addressed the group, he raised his voice. "Today, we''ll be going on a small excursion into the academy''s forest. Consider this your orientation for the test path you''ll need to navigate next week."


    One of the students raised a hand, skepticism evident in their tone. "Why show us the path now? Wouldn''t it be better to keep everything secret?"


    The teacher grinned. "Good question! Today isn''t just about the path¡ªit''s a test to gauge your abilities for the future. You''ll understand once we get started. Now, follow me!"


    The group of thirty students began moving, trailing behind the teacher as he led them into the dense forest. Ludwig found himself flanked by Hoyo on one side and Kassandra on the other. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Sup," Hoyo greeted casually, earning a nod from Ludwig.


    Kassandra, as usual, remained silent, her sharp eyes scanning the surroundings.


    "What do you think we''ll be doing in the forest?" Hoyo asked.


    Ludwig shrugged. "Don''t ask me. I''m the new guy, remember?"


    "Probably minor traps and tests," Kassandra said flatly, her gaze still fixed ahead.


    As they entered the forest, a sudden notification flashed in Ludwig''s vision.


    [You have entered an Instanced Dungeon!]


    Ludwig''s eyes widened, the implications of the message sinking in. Before he could process it, a commotion erupted at the front of the group.


    "What''s going on?" Hoyo asked, craning his neck.


    "The teacher disappeared!" someone exclaimed.


    Ludwig turned sharply, glancing behind him. His expression hardened. "The academy... it''s gone."


    A voice echoed from the trees, light and teasing. "Good luck, students! Today isn''t an orientation¡ªit''s test day. I decided to move it up a week."


    Gasps rippled through the group as the teacher''s voice continued, his tone maddeningly cheerful. "Life''s trials don''t wait for you to be ready, after all. Your goal is simple: find the flag hidden somewhere in the forest. But beware¡ªthis forest isn''t without its dangers. Death isn''t exactly uncommon during the academy''s tests. Toodle-oo!"


    The forest fell silent, save for the nervous shuffling of the students. Ludwig tightened his grip,


    ''Truly, one shouldn''t expect anything less than this level of education from the Black Tower Academy...''

 Chapter 42 - 42: Segregation

    The howl of beasts echoed loudly in the forest. Their voices were loud and resonated through the whole forest, causing a gripping fear to latch onto every student as they understood that this situation and this test weren''t about grabbing a flag, but also about surviving the monsters and beasts in this forest.


    "This is pretty bad," Hoyo said as he looked around. "We don''t know what''s going to happen right now, let''s stick together," he advised.


    "Fellow Students!" one of the guys shouted out, "Please gather around!" he called out.


    The group of students all followed in as they made a circle around him. The young man was the same age as Ludwig, and he had a noble crest on his robes making his affiliation known.


    He was of a tall enough height, handsome of appearance, and had a red head. Yet he seemed to be fully decked out for this dungeon. After all, he had a small wand strapped to the belt to his side. And the boots he wore were designed for long marches and hikes. Though Ludwig didn''t know if it was his normal attire, this seemed awfully too coincidental with the day of the exam.


    Not to mention a waterskin and a small bag on the other side of his waist.


    "Right, we all understand that this test was made to catch us off guard, and professor Olim Rambaldi got us good, but if you all listen to me well, I''m sure we''ll all manage our way out of this exam with good grads."


    Ludwig was a bit skeptical, after all, who is he to be able to harness the attention of every student?


    "As you all know, I''m Bron Steelheart, our family is of enough renown that even the Imperial family has assigned several of our family members to be Mage Commanders in the imperial army, not to mention the Kingdom of Lotostra. Where we''re pretty much the strongest noble force of the kingdom, with that, I would hope that my fellow students trust me to lead us out of this perilous situation," the young man said.


    "I agree, if we have a Steelheart with us, this exam is as good as cleared," someone said.


    Several other students were nodding in agreement.


    Ludwig wasn''t someone who''d personally go out of his way to contradict or ask why this man who was taking the lead was already decked out as if he expected this to happen, so for now he went with the flow and didn''t interrupt.


    "So now we''ll split into two groups, one group will handle scouting and reporting, and the other group will be responsible for battle."


    "Keep calm," Ludwig said as he noticed Hoyo about to ask something as he was raising his hand.


    Though Hoyo dropped his hand, it didn''t skip the young man''s notice, "Seems like you had a question, your name was Hoyo right?" the young man said. Though he had a smile on his face, his eyes didn''t smile.


    Seeing that it was too late to stop the interaction, Ludwig simply sighed in defeat.


    Hoyo gave an apologetic look to Ludwig and answered, "Right, I was going to simply ask how are we going to be split up, not to mention we don''t know how long this test is going to last¡­ and most of us didn''t bring any food or drinks," Hoyo said as his eyes pointed at the waterskin on Bron''s side.


    "Simple, we''ll handle it based on social norms," he said shrugging.


    Ludwig''s eyes looked as if they scowled, ''social norms? That basically means that nobles get to sit down and relax while those of non-noble origin do all the work.''


    Hoyo immediately spoke out, "That''s not fair though!"


    "Nothing in life is fair," the man shrugged, "Not to mention the nobles in our class have superior firepower, and we can''t risk them exhausting themselves doing scouting. While you three, and a few behind you are all known to be pretty weak or new."


    ''this is blatant discrimination¡­''


    Ludwig sighed, but he also remembered this isn''t the same world he came from. And discrimination based on race, origin or color is pretty normal here. And they could do nothing about it, not to mention the nobles were of a superior number to those who are not.


    The Black Tower Academy was after all an academy of magic, and only a select few can learn it. Nobles have access to mana-amplifying options since they were born, while most commoners can only dream of being a mage or a powerful knight. Besides a few exceptions. Ludwig wasn''t a noble, but was admitted through special means to the academy. And Kassandra seemed to be someone who is smart though her robes and her current physical state meant that she was definitely of a poor background. Hoyo though comes from a noble family, his family has fallen, and several other students behind Ludwig who had their head pointing down in shame were all in the same boat. Commoners who only earned the right to attend the Black Tower academy because either they were of a special race, or had happened upon an opportunity that allowed them to enter the academy, either by birth or by luck.


    "Bron is right," one of the pompous kids spoke, "You''re lucky you''re even here with us, if you were by yourselves you''d never clear something like this, so just do your job of scouting."


    "Right, and since you mentioned it, while you''re scouting do some foraging and hunting, we need to stay in top shape if we want to help you clear this stage," another said.


    The nobles seemed adamant about applying their ''social'' pressure onto the commoners and the latter couldn''t refute or deny anything.


    Hoyo was about to argue, but Ludwig held him once more, "Sure, I agree to that," Ludwig said.


    "Ah, we have a sensible person, on our hands, who are you?" Bron asked.


    "Call me Ludwig, regardless, to do scouting I would need a few things, I suppose you have something we can use as weapons, right?" Ludwig asked.


    "Why would you need a weapon?" Bron asked.


    "Why else? If we''re scouting we need to be able to defend ourselves, what if we go to scout and die, then who will provide you any sort of information?" Ludwig shrugged.


    "You do have a point, but what do you mean by weapon? Most of us here are mages, we don''t carry weapons." He added.


    "Then it will be a bit difficult to do that task, I mean without a scouting party it''ll be pretty difficult for any of us to progress in this test."


    "Is a short sword good enough for you?" one of the nobles asked.


    Bron gave him a stern look, but Ludwig immediately interrupted, "Yes, it would be fine, I''ve been training the Imperial Art lately with professor Joana."


    Bron sighed, "How come you have a sword when you''re a mage," he shook his head at his fellow noble.


    "It''s a ceremonial sword of my family, not that I need it or anything, but if it makes him do a better job at scouting then lending him the sword is enough," he said as he approached Ludwig and pulled a sword from a ring he had on him.


    "I don''t suppose you guys have any other weapons for the rest of our scouting group?" Ludwig asked.


    Bron shook his hand, "Fine, as long as you do a good job of scouting and reporting. Our fellow nobles are generous enough to give you their weapons. Just don''t be too lax and relaxed, we need you guys the same as you need us," he said.


    A few of the nobles pulled out some weapons, daggers mainly and a couple short swords, none of them looked worth using in an actual battle, but Ludwig had a plan in mind after all.


    "I suppose you''ll be leading the scouting party?" Bron asked. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig turned, "I see no one refusing or wanting to step up, so I guess I am," Ludwig said.


    "Good, then report to us once every two hours, and we''ll set up camp here," Bron said as he dismissed Ludwig.


    Ludwig turned and saw that only ten of the people from the whole class were actually commoners. He, Kassandra, and Hoyo included.


    He distributed the weapons he was given to the group and had a couple of spare daggers left that he kept for himself.


    "What are you planning?" Kassandra asked as she was looking at the dagger in her hand.


    Ludwig smiled at her and said, "We''ll clear this thing before they even realize it," Ludwig said to her smiling.


    After all, only he was able to see the content of this dungeon. The notification in front of his eyes was clear as day.

 Chapter 43 - 43: Plans Within Plans

    [This Instanced Dungeon is partially artificial. To clear the Dungeon you either have to defeat the boss of the area who is sealed at the northern part of the dungeon, or leave by touching the flag post at the eastern side of the dungeon. Beware, the creatures in this dungeon have been afflicted with a temporary weakness Debuff.]


    The notification was like a blessing for Ludwig because it conveyed a lot of information to him. First thing first, this whole dungeon is modified, as in it had already been in control, and it was probably Teacher Rembaldi''s doing.


    The weakness on the creatures in the dungeon could tell that they are at the level where students can handle them to a point. As for the leaving, he could do one of two things. Either go to the north of the map, and defeat the boss of the dungeon, or head to the east and touch the pole.


    The first option wasn''t something he was planning on doing, Ludwig had no idea what this ''Boss'' Monster was capable of, and he had no plan on fighting it. So, for now, they can simply group up together and head to the flag that is in the east.


    "Let''s move," Ludwig said as he began moving deeper into the forest, he made sure not to make his movement known for the rest of the group of nobles behind him.


    Bron noticed Ludwig and his group of ragtag moving deeper into the forest and smiled as he turned to the rest of the nobles.


    ***


    "Good, they left, we''ll give them an hour start before we head east," Bron said.


    "East? Why?" another member of the nobles asked.


    "Because that''s where the flag is, don''t ask me how I know," he said.


    "Then why not move right now?"


    "Because the commoners need to be a bit away from us. Although I wouldn''t have minded breaking a few of their legs and go to the flag myself, the teacher forbids harming one another directly. So we''ll wait a bit, at least an hour, and once they''re far enough we''ll move. Even if one of them comes back to report on their scouting they''ll find no one," Bron said.


    "I like your plan, but that really doesn''t do much no?" a female student asked, "they can still find their way out later, if any of them is good at tracking and they can just leave after ward. Granted they won''t get any good scores since they''ll be later than us¡­ but they''ll still emerge out of the dungeon eventually," she said.


    "That''s where you''re wrong," Bron waved a finger, "A small bird told me that the creatures in this dungeon are weakened, and by the time they figure out what is going on, the creatures will have returned to their peak form. The teachers are forbidden from interfering with the stage, and all we need to do is just leave and make sure no one else leaves after us," Bron said.


    "You don''t think you''re going too far with this?" one of the lower nobles of the group asked.


    Bron flashed him a vicious glare, "You, for someone who''s the son of a baron, you''re awfully chummy with those commoners!"


    The young man stammered but kept quiet, "I don''t like to have filth like them mingling with us. The commoners are to obey and serve. So don''t have pity on them, lest you become one of them," Bron said.


    "No need to get angry, let''s calm down for now," the same female student from earlier intervened, "I agree with Bron, the commoners really did lower the level of this academy. You won''t find a single commoner in any of the other towers. So we need to do our cleanup ourselves."


    "At least there is someone sensible here, regardless, I''ll need to keep track of them," Bron said as he pulled a small mechanical bird like creation.


    "Whoa, a Spy Bird, those are really expensive," one of the students said.


    Bron smugly smiled, "Nothing is expensive for a Steelheart, This will keep track of them and tell us of their current location, I don''t want them to luckily stammer their way to the flag," Bron said as he flung the mechanical bird high up.


    The small thing flew up and began flapping its wings and headed toward the general location of Ludwig and his company.


    ***


    Ludwig was making sure to be as far away as possible before changing direction to the east where the flag was. And after a good time moving, Kassandra spoke up, "You seem to be moving with purpose, do you know something we don''t?"


    ''Sharp'', Ludwig thought, "Not really, but I have a feeling that we should head east." He said.


    "Why?" Hoyo asked as he was looking around.


    "Because that''s where the sound of the beasts we heard came from. Or at least most of them," Ludwig said.


    A student then asked, "Doesn''t that mean we should be as far away from that?"


    "No, that means that that direction is where the ''test'' is. Regardless, it''s not like we can go anywhere else," Ludwig said as he pointed forward.


    Looking at where he pointed, a whole new scenery revealed itself to the group of students.


    They were at the edge of a massive cliff, heading anywhere but north or east meant falling down to their death. The cliff overlooked a massive sea of clouds that seemed to expand endlessly.


    "I guess we''ll just have to go east then," Hoyo said.


    "Not much of a choice we have," Ludwig said as he turned toward the direction of east.


    "Weren''t we supposed to be scouting?" one of the students said.


    Ludwig turned to him saying, "Do you honestly think that they sent us to scout because they needed it?"


    "W-well, Bron said so¡­" the student replied


    "And you believed him?" Ludwig tilted his head, "Why would they even need to scout? They already know where the exit is in the first place," Ludwig said and that instantly put the whole group on alert.


    "What do you mean they know?"


    "That Bron guy, he was awfully ready and geared up for this, so trust me when I tell you, in situations like this they already know well the road they need to, after all, for a noble getting a favor from a teacher isn''t that hard," Ludwig shrugged.


    "Your reasoning is somewhat flawed," Kassandra said.


    "How come?" Ludwig asked.


    "Why would they ask us to scout if they had the map then?" she asked.


    "Simple," Ludwig shrugged, "Because they don''t want us commoners to make it through the test, remember we''re like a sore thumb in an academy full of snobbish nobles."


    "Then couldn''t you have said something!" one of the students said shouting, "We could have stuck to them, or refused this scouting mission? I''m going back!"


    A few students seemed to agree with him, to the point of antagonizing Ludwig.


    This made him quite annoyed, after all, they couldn''t and wouldn''t say anything if a noble was speaking, but since he is just a commoner like them they could bitch about him all they want.


    "Don''t be an idiot," Ludwig said, "Saying anything there would have just made us a target."


    "Then what are you planning?" Hoyo asked, "If scouting is a ruse we got pulled into, we should go back to them no? They have a map that can guide them to where the exit is like you said, shouldn''t we follow them from behind?" Hoyo finalized.


    "I thought about that for a bit," Ludwig said as he glanced up, "But I don''t think that''s possible," he added.


    "What do you mean?" Kassandra asked.


    "I''ll tell you if none of you make it obvious," Ludwig said.


    Seeing the group frown confused he added, "Don''t look up basically, but there is a Spy Bird above us, they sent it to keep track of us. If we backtrack or follow them they''ll figure out that we''re going to track them."


    Ludwig''s eyes were glowing as his [Inspect] had been active.


    ***


    [Spy Bird]


    Type: Mechanical Creation


    HP: 1


    A small recon mechanical creation shaped into a bird. It has intricate magical circles and advanced engineering systems that allows it to fly and report via magic transmission on the target it is currently spying on.


    ***


    The students had a hard time not looking up, but thankfully everyone understood what was going on.


    "If it''s above us, we need to take it down to move in stealth," Kassandra said.


    "I thought about that, but we can''t male it obvious, I don''t think I can accurately shoot it down," Ludwig said.


    "But I can," Hoyo said as he moved back under the shade of a few trees.


    He had a small rock in his hand.


    "You know you can''t miss," Ludwig said.


    "I''m pretty accurate with my throws, check this out," he said as he flung the rock incredibly fast toward the moving bird.


    A loud clang echoed above them and the bird fell to bits right next to Ludwig''s feet. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig collected the bird''s remains and said, "Good job, but this is still a problem for us," he said.


    "What is?" Hoyo said.


    "Though there is a chance that they can''t figure out what happened to the Spy Bird, they should already know it''s down, meaning that they''ll move faster."


    "Doesn''t that make our situation worse? Now they know we''re going after them," one of the students stated.


    "They might, or might now, and in the worst case if they know, they don''t know where we currently are and how far we are from them, so let''s head east and follow after them. Our job was scouting anyway, so might as well do it for real this time," Ludwig said as he moved ahead.

 Chapter 44 - 44: Lizardman?

    An ugly expression twisted across Bron''s face, the lines of his usually composed demeanor breaking under the strain of frustration. His strides became heavier, the soft crunch of leaves underfoot growing more aggressive with every step. The crystal core of his Spy Bird lay shattered in his palm, its magical essence dissipated and useless. This was how he received the visual information the Spy Bird could provide. But now it''s nothing but a broken piece of glass.


    The bird had been his ace, a tool that provided an unassailable advantage over the rest of the students. Its ability to scout ahead, silently relaying information about the dungeon''s layout and potential threats, had been integral to his plan. But now, that edge was gone.


    "How the hell did this happen?" Bron muttered, his voice sharp. He ran a hand through his neatly combed hair, disrupting its pristine state.


    He turned the crystal over in his hand, scrutinizing it as if the shattered pieces would offer some clue. It made no sense. The commoners Ludwig led had no means of bringing the bird down. Hell, half of them wouldn''t even understand what a Spy Bird was, let alone how to interfere with its enchantment. And yet, here he was¡ªblindsided and increasingly agitated.


    "Let''s pick up the pace," Bron barked, his tone leaving no room for argument.


    A sharp intake of breath came from a female student, the golden-haired noble who had been walking at his side. She was tall and poised, her every movement exuding an air of superiority. "Why?" she asked, her voice dripping with skepticism. "What''s going on, Bron?"


    Bron stopped abruptly, pivoting to face her. His expression hardened, the frustration in his eyes now mixed with irritation. "Minerva," he said, his voice slow and deliberate, "you don''t need to know everything. Just follow the damn orders."


    Her eyebrows arched, a faint, mocking smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "We''d follow ''orders,''" she said, stressing the word with dripping sarcasm, "if they were worth following. But you can''t expect us to march blindly through this forest without any explanation."


    The other nobles murmured in agreement, their voices soft but weighted. Bron clenched his jaw. Nobles were not easy to lead. Each carried their own pride, and bending them to his will required tact and the occasional concession.


    He inhaled sharply, forcing a more composed expression. "The Spy Bird is down," he admitted. "If we waste time, those peasants might stumble onto the exit by sheer dumb luck. They lucked out in many things in life before like getting into the academy. If we hurry, we can outpace them¡ªand ensure they don''t leave before us."


    Minerva tilted her head, her eyes narrowing. "And how exactly do you plan to stop them?"


    Bron''s lips curled into a thin smile. "I have a few precautions in mind," he said. "But we need to move now."


    The nobles exchanged uneasy glances but ultimately nodded. Bron turned on his heel, his stride more forceful as he led the group eastward.


    ***


    Further into the forest, Ludwig''s group was visibly struggling. Hoyo stumbled to a stop, his chest heaving as he gasped for air. His hands rested on his knees, and his face was slick with sweat. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "We''re a bit exhausted, Ludwig," Hoyo said between breaths. "We need to slow down, man."


    Ludwig paused, turning to assess the group. Kassandra leaned heavily against a tree, her usually sharp eyes dulled by fatigue. The others were in similar states, their shoulders slumped and their breathing labored.


    "Brother," Hoyo added, his voice tinged with exasperation, "you''re not even sweating."


    Only then did it hit Ludwig. His undead nature made him immune to exhaustion¡ªa fact he often forgot. While he could march endlessly without pause, his companions were human, their stamina finite and quickly depleted.


    "My apologies," Ludwig said, his tone steady but genuinely contrite. "I didn''t mean to push you so hard. We''ll rest soon."


    Kassandra waved a hand dismissively, though her breathing was still heavy. "It''s not your fault," she said. "We just¡­ don''t have your stamina." She straightened slightly, her gaze sharpening. "But why rest ''soon''? Did you see something?"


    Ludwig stepped closer to a nearby tree, pointing at its bark. "Look at the marks," he said.


    The group gathered around, their exhaustion momentarily forgotten. Deep gouges marred the tree''s surface, the pale wood beneath stark against the darker bark.


    "What could''ve done that?" Hoyo asked, his brow furrowing.


    "Think it''s a wolf?" another student suggested hesitantly.


    Ludwig crouched, his eyes narrowing as he examined the marks more closely. His gaze flickered briefly as he activated [Inspect].


    ***


    [Old Forest Lizardman Claw Marks]


    Lizardmen are creatures that live in colonies. They have a matriarchal society and are the dominant species in this Half-Artificial Dungeon.


    ***


    A knot of tension formed in Ludwig''s chest. The notification confirmed his worst suspicion.


    "It''s worse than a wolf," he said, rising to his feet.


    "What do you mean?" Kassandra asked, her voice laced with unease.


    "Lizardmen," Ludwig replied flatly.


    The word sent a ripple of shock through the group. Kassandra''s face turned pale, and several others exchanged panicked glances.


    "Lizardmen?" Kassandra repeated, her voice rising. "We can''t fight those things! They''ll tear us apart!"


    Her words hit the group like a physical blow. Nervous whispers broke out, the fear in their voices unmistakable.


    Ludwig grimaced when she mentioned the last part, there were two reasons, the first, she caused full panic to ensue in the party, and the second reason was that she was right. Not because Ludwig knew or had any knowledge of Lizardmen after all he barely read about a few species of this world, and the Lizardmen weren''t a part of that category.


    But from what he knew from his former world, these were basically one of the strong early mobs that all the heroes of his favorite novels fought against.


    ''To think that my start wouldn''t be something like a rat, or a goblin, hell even a kobold would have been fine, but lizardmen are more dangerous¡­'' he cursed inwardly.


    "Calm down," Ludwig said firmly, raising his voice to cut through the noise. "We''re not royally fucked¡ªyet."


    "Yet?" someone echoed, their voice trembling.


    Ludwig sighed, gesturing back to the claw marks. "From the looks of things, this claw mark is very old, it''s probably to set up a territory of sorts. If we''re to consider animalistic and territorial nature, they would need to regularly carve these marks, but since this bark is almost healed up, either the lizardmen are not here anymore, or are in hibernation,"


    "That''s just a hypothesis," Kassandra countered, crossing her arms.


    "It''s the best I''ve got," Ludwig shot back. "And unless you have a better idea, we need to keep moving."


    He motioned for Kassandra "A word," he muttered. She followed him as they stepped away from the group.


    "What is it?" she asked, irritation flashing in her eyes.


    Ludwig rubbed the bridge of his nose.


    "Are you autistic?" he asked.


    "Autistic? What is that?" she asked.


    "I''m not trying to insult you, or anything, but my guess about the situation is as good as yours. You speaking your mind every time causes nothing but anxiety, sometimes it''s good to keep quiet even if you know stuff beforehand, I get that you''re smart, but you need to know when to hold back. Blurting out every thought isn''t helping¡ªit''s scaring them."


    Kassandra bristled. "I wasn''t trying to scare anyone. I just thought¡ª"


    "I know, I brought you here to keep this between us. Remember, we''re all in the same boat, and they," Ludwig hinted with his head, "Don''t know what to do. I didn''t take the role of a leader because I wanted to, but if I didn''t we''d all probably meet a grim end here. The least I could ask of you is to support me until we''re out of this situation. So please, if you figure something out, you can simply tell me in private Can we agree on that?"


    She hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. "Fine. But if things go south¡ª"


    "Then you''re free to speak up," Ludwig assured her. "Just¡­ don''t undermine me unless it''s absolutely necessary. Deal?"


    "Deal," she muttered, glancing back at the group. "You''re more charismatic than I thought. Maybe this leadership thing suits you."


    With that, she rejoined the others, leaving Ludwig to exhale slowly. He drew his ceremonial sword, its dull edge offering little comfort. Lizardmen were supposed to have tough, scaly hides, and some even wielded weapons.


    "We''ll rest here for now," Ludwig announced. "Then we''ll keep moving east. Stay sharp."


    "Uh¡­ I don''t think resting is an option anymore," Hoyo said, his voice trembling.


    Ludwig turned, his eyes widening at the sight before him.


    It loomed over them, an imposing figure at four meters tall, easily doubling the height of an average man. Its broad, muscular frame seemed carved from stone, each movement radiating a quiet, lethal power. Blue scales covered its body, catching what little light filtered through the canopy and glinting like polished armor. The rough texture of its hide hinted at years of survival and countless battles. A crude loincloth hung low around its waist, the only semblance of modesty, though its intimidating presence left no room for frivolous details.


    A necklace of jagged fangs hung around its thick neck, each tooth worn and weathered, likely taken from prey or rivals. Adornments of bone and claw wrapped around its forearms, marking it as more than just a beast¡ªa creature with purpose and ritual. Its grip tightened around a massive spear, almost as long as the creature itself. The dark wood of the shaft looked heavy and reinforced, while the sharp tip gleamed faintly, clearly designed for a single purpose: to kill. Behind it, a thick tail shifted slowly, its deliberate sway showing restraint like a coiled spring waiting for the right moment to unleash its power.


    Its eyes, two piercing orange slits, scanned the group with an unnerving calm. The black pupils contracted slightly as they moved over each person, cold and calculating. Occasionally, a translucent film slid sideways across its eyes, a strange, alien blink that added to the growing tension. It wasn''t just looking¡ªit was assessing as if deciding who among them might be worth the effort of hunting.


    Ludwig''s eyes darted across the creature''s form, taking in every detail with sharp focus. His mind raced, but his body froze for just a moment. He could tell, even from this brief encounter, that this wasn''t an ordinary lizardman¡ªit was something far more dangerous.


    "How the fuck is this a lizardman?" Ludwig muttered, gripping his sword tighter.

 Chapter 45 - 45: Champion

    [Forest Lizardman Champion]


    Level: 25


    Damage: 80¨C100


    HP: 2,500


    Tier: Rare


    Status Effects:


    ? {Curse of Weakness}: All offensive and defensive stats reduced by 60%.


    ? {Daylight}: Lower visibility in daylight, but a slight increase in reaction speed.


    Skills:


    ? Passive: [Thermal Vision]: Detects all heat sources and differentiates them from the environment.


    ? Passive: [Stomach Half Full]: Becomes stronger the hungrier it is; fullness leads to sluggishness.


    ? Passive: [Claws & Jaws]: All damage inflicted by claws or jaws applies stacking bleeding damage.


    Addendum:


    Lizardmen are a reptilian race sharing only distant similarities with their draconic cousins. Having devolved over millennia, they lack the mystical powers of true dragons. However, as supreme hunters under the cover of darkness, they remain a formidable threat. Rarely active during daylight, they rely on thermal vision and instinct to survive.


    ****


    The hulking lizardman towered over Ludwig and his group, an apex predator even under the blinding disadvantage of daylight. Its massive, muscular frame rippled under its scaly blue skin, each movement exuding raw power.


    Its orange eyes, narrow and slitted, scanned the group with an unnerving calmness, occasionally obscured by a translucent film that slid sideways¡ªa predator''s blink, alien and efficient. It tilted its head, the sharp, predatory movements further unsettling the already terrified students.


    Ludwig crouched low, his mind racing as the monster sniffed the air, searching. Slowly, his hand reached for a rock. His every movement was calculated and deliberate, a stark contrast to the visible panic spreading through the group. In one fluid motion, he hurled the stone toward a tree.


    The impact resounded through the silent forest.


    The lizardman''s head snapped toward the sound, its reaction lightning-quick. Without hesitation, its massive claws lashed out, tearing into the tree''s trunk with such force that the wood splintered and cracked. The ancient tree groaned under its weight before toppling with a thunderous crash. Birds scattered into the air, their frightened cries echoing through the dense canopy.


    "Don''t make a sound!" Ludwig hissed, his voice sharp and commanding.


    The group froze, snapping out of their paralysis. They moved with careful precision, following Ludwig''s lead as they backed away. The lizardman snarled, sniffing the air as its head twisted erratically, searching for heat signatures.


    It was blind in the daylight.


    The creature''s inability to pinpoint them emboldened Ludwig''s next decision. He gestured for the group to continue retreating as quietly as possible. But before they could move far, a distant explosion shattered the tense silence, drawing the lizardman''s attention.


    With a guttural hiss, it strapped its spear to its back and dropped to all fours. The sudden shift in posture made it even more menacing as it lunged forward, its powerful limbs propelling it through the forest. Small trees and thick bushes were crushed under its weight, while larger obstacles were skillfully avoided. Within seconds, it vanished from sight, leaving behind only a trail of broken foliage.


    The students collapsed to the ground, their faces pale and glistening with sweat. Fear clung to them like a second skin.


    "We''re not supposed to fight that, are we?" one student stammered, his voice quivering.


    "The teacher is insane!" another cried. "No one can fight that thing! We''ll all die here!"


    "I want to go home!"


    Ludwig''s sharp voice cut through their panic. "Crying won''t change anything. Man the fuck up."


    A few students flinched at his tone. He sighed, glancing at Kassandra, who raised an eyebrow. "Or woman up," he amended, though his irritation was still evident. "Look, it''s not unbeatable. Did you see how it acted? It wasn''t even aware we were right in front of it."


    "What do you mean?" Hoyo asked, his voice still trembling. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It''s blind in the daylight," Ludwig explained, straightening up. "It relies on thermal vision. That''s why it struggled to locate us."


    Kassandra nodded, catching on. "That''s why you threw the rock. You distracted it with sound."


    "Exactly. And I think we owe our noble ''friends'' for the explosion. It distracted it long enough for us to escape."


    "Wait, so there are more of those things?" another student asked, panic creeping back into their voice.


    Ludwig shook his head, "I doubt it, but it''s not good to be careless." his head. He couldn''t tell them that what they just saw now was actually a Champion of Lizardmen because that was information that was only available to him via the Status Screen. Yet he couldn''t fully confirm or deny it.


    Ludwig wasn''t sure if the tribe of lizardmen should have Only one Champion and a Queen. Since they seem to have met the champion first, what was the other group fighting?


    Perhaps other lizardmen, or another champion? But definitely not the queen, right?


    Because the notification at the start of this dungeon mentioned that the Queen exists further north of here.


    "What''s the plan?" Kassandra asked, her voice steady despite the tension.


    Ludwig''s gaze shifted toward the rising smoke and dust from the explosion. "We head east. I want to see what the nobles are dealing with."


    ****


    "HURRY UP!" Bron shouted as he waved his wand, "Flame Arrow!"


    A long concentrated and condensed magic stream began spiraling in front of Bron''s wand, but before he could cast the spell, several fist-sized rocks flew toward him.


    "Torrent!" Minerva called, calling a powerful wind that stopped a few of the rocks but failed to fully block one that hit Bron right in the arm. With his focus disrupted the spell broke and his eyes bulged along with his moth spitting out a blob of blood from the backlash.


    Bron cursed as he drank yet again the vial as he threw the empty glass next to three already emptied-out vials.


    Several of the other students were panicking, whenever they tried to cast magic they''d be assaulted with hails of rocks and spears. But thankfully the spears were too slow and too weak for them to do any damage to the nobles. Most of them were either skillful enough to dodge or had good enough enchantment on their robes to protect them from any sort of fatal damage.


    "Why are we still here BRON?!" Minerva roared out. The nobles were all in a panic as they tried to run away, one of them had already been captured by these creatures.


    Bron cursed inwardly, realizing that one of his objectives wasn''t going to be met if he kept on fighting here, the nobles were strong but not mentally strong enough to fight against lizardmen who were fighting back.


    Though these things which were slightly taller than a human, with a sinewy frame and thin but shredded muscles were fast, they were still lizardmen, weak during the day and were already exhausted. If the group of commoners were to meet even one of these little things they''d die out, but apparently the unlucky ones were Bron''s group as they were being chased by three lizardmen.


    "Fall back, we''ll head toward the exit, this is just a waste of time," Bron shouted.


    "What about Maverick!" one of the Nobles said.


    "It''s not the time to argue! if you want to save him go after him yourself!" Bron roared back, after all Maverick was nothing but a Baron''s son, nobility was new to him and for the son of a Duke, a baron was no better than a commoner and wasn''t worth the hassle nor the reward for going out of his way to save him.


    The group followed after Minerva and Bron as they continued using their magic without spare against them.


    Minerva seemed to notice something, however, "Don''t use Fire Magic!" she shouted.


    "Why?" Bron asked as he was about to prepare another fireball.


    "Whenever anyone used fire magic he became the target, you can see that their aim is incredibly bad and only gets better when someone uses fire magic, I think they have thermal sight," she said.


    This was true, after all ,Bron had already been ''briefed'' before about this but he seemed to have forgotten about that, he never thought that it would be relevant.


    "Right, switch to other elemental and Hex magic, even if its weaker, but keep backing away, the exit is only a bit ahead!" he said as he continued moving back.


    The group of nobles finally found some semblance of order as they began to gather around and follow orders while defending themselves by any means.


    Though he couldn''t obtain the ''special'' item that the teacher he bribed had left him in the forest, just leaving the dungeon by touching the flag could be considered a pass. As for Maverick, the teacher had already said that death isn''t uncommon in the Black Tower academy.


    Bron thought for a second about the group of students that had gone to ''scout'' and seeing the current situation, they too had no luck. Though this might not have been a full success, at least those guys are dead by now.


    "Keep moving!" Bron roared as he headed further and further east while the three lizardmen struggled to chase after the group that was wantonly throwing magic at them.


    "THE FLAG! I SEE IT!" Minerva shouted as they were able to see the flag in the distance. And just as they got to the clearing where a red flag was embedded on a large boulder, something seemed to emerge from the side of the clearing, a hulking mass of murder, a lizardman that was at least twice the size of the ones that were chasing after them and it simply bulldozed its way toward the group, crushing the flag in its wake as it lunged at Bron with a mouth open so wide it could swallow him in one bite.

 Chapter 46 - 46: First Blood

    Ludwig glanced back at the group trudging behind him. Sweat poured down their faces, and their labored breathing echoed faintly through the forest. He had deliberately slowed his pace, yet the gap between him and the others continued to grow.


    "I''m really trying my best to slow down, guys," Ludwig said, exhaling sharply. Despite his best efforts, his natural stride and stamina carried him ahead effortlessly.


    Hoyo, lagging at the rear, bent forward with his hands on his knees, gasping for breath. "How about¡­" he started, his words clipped by panting, "you go on ahead of us."


    "I don''t think that''s wise," Kassandra interjected, her voice calm but firm. Her sharp eyes scanned the dense forest as they moved. "We''re better off staying together. Besides¡­" She trailed off, pointing toward the forest floor ahead. "Look over there. I think we''re close to the others."


    The group''s collective attention turned to the area she indicated. The ground was a tapestry of destruction¡ªtrees scorched and splintered, patches of earth torn apart, and a broken spear lying abandoned amidst claw marks in the dirt. The air here felt heavier, laced with a faint metallic tang that suggested blood had recently soaked the ground.


    "They had a fight here," muttered one of the students, a hint of fear creeping into their tone. "Looks like they fought that big guy we saw earlier."


    Ludwig crouched near the broken spear, examining its design and size. He shook his head. "I doubt it. The spear''s too short for that behemoth we saw before. And look at this footprint." He gestured to a depression in the muddy ground. "It''s lizardman, but much smaller. Definitely not that guy."


    "That''s¡­ decent news," Kassandra said, her words carrying a cautious optimism.


    Hoyo groaned, throwing his hands in the air. "What''s decent about knowing we''ve got more enemies instead of just one?"


    "The fact that it means not all lizardmen are like that," Kassandra replied, emphasizing her point with a nod in the direction of the smaller footprint. "That ''THING'' was an outlier, not the norm. If we were up against a horde of creatures that size, we''d already be dead."


    "Fair point," Ludwig said, standing up and brushing dirt off his knees. "Not good news, but decent. Let''s keep moving east." He adjusted his sword''s hilt, its familiar weight a reassuring presence at his side.


    The group pressed onward, their footsteps quieter now as unease settled over them. The distant sounds of battle¡ªmetal clashing against scales, shouts cutting through the air¡ªhad ceased some time ago, leaving an unsettling silence in their wake. Ludwig''s unease grew with each passing moment. Silence could mean victory, but it could just as easily mean total annihilation.


    His mind churned with possibilities. The Academy couldn''t possibly have sent them into a situation designed for failure, could they? It seemed unlikely¡ªthere had to be a way through this, a lesson to be learned. Still, the sudden hush nagged at his thoughts like a splinter lodged deep under his skin.


    Suddenly, the underbrush to their right shuddered violently. Ludwig''s hand flew to his sword, the rest of the group freezing in place. Time seemed to stretch as a charred figure stumbled into view.


    It was a lizardman, its body a testament to the battle it had barely survived. Scales blackened and cracked from fire, blood oozing from countless gashes. Its right arm hung useless at its side, while its left clutched a splintered spear, the wood dark with dried blood. Its reptilian eyes, milky and unfocused, scanned the area as it limped forward.


    Ludwig raised his hand in a sharp motion, signaling the group to stay silent. His eyes locked on the creature as he calculated its next move. It hadn''t noticed them yet, its gait slow and uneven as it pushed through the foliage.


    Then, predictably, someone in the group screamed.


    The sound shattered the stillness like glass, and the lizardman''s head snapped toward the group. A guttural hiss tore from its throat as it hurled its spear toward the source of the noise.


    "Shit!" Ludwig cursed under his breath, his body reacting faster than his mind. The short sword in his hand blurred as he swung it in an arc. The blade met the spear mid-flight with a metallic clang, splintering it into two harmless pieces that clattered to the ground.


    The lizardman roared, its injured frame lurching forward with surprising speed. It charged toward the screaming student, oblivious to Ludwig, who had already shifted into its path.


    Barely days of training flooded Ludwig''s mind. He tightened his grip on the short sword, assessing the situation with cold precision. The Imperial Style, with its heavy, sweeping strikes, was useless here¡ªhis current weapon lacked the weight and reach to execute its techniques effectively.


    But Ludwig had learned adaptability. He adjusted his stance, drawing from the style''s foundation and modifying it to fit his circumstances. The second half of the Forceful Stomp flashed through his memory: a forward thrust, precise and devastating.


    The lizardman closed the gap in a heartbeat, but Ludwig was faster. His blade plunged forward, piercing its chest with a sickening crunch.


    [Critical!]


    [You have slain a Lizardman!]


    [You gained one Wayward Soul.]


    Blood sprayed across Ludwig''s face, the warmth and metallic smell triggering a visceral reaction deep within him. He staggered slightly, his mind reeling even as his body moved on instinct. He wrenched the blade free, and the lizardman crumpled to the ground in a lifeless heap. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig turned to face the group, his expression hard. "This was a lucky kill," he said, his voice sharp and biting. "Next time, keep quiet. If you can''t manage that, stay here. I won''t let your incompetence get us all killed."


    The student who had screamed looked away, shame painting their face crimson. No one else spoke; the tension in the air was suffocating.


    Without waiting for a reply, Ludwig sheathed his blade and started walking again. The blood clinging to his skin was an annoyance, but he didn''t bother wiping it away. There were more pressing matters at hand.


    Especially the notification that flashed before his eyes.


    {Wayward Soul: A soul without sentience that has claimed many lives. Valued as 10 souls, it is the second-lowest Soul Rank.}


    Ludwig''s gaze shifted to the Lantern. A small orb now orbited the ghostly figure, its faint glow a grim reminder of the life he had just taken. It had joined Thomas, making for a grim companion in a lonely place.


    "So, souls have ranks," Ludwig muttered, piecing the information together. "Figures. Not all lives are equal. The lizardman claimed more lives than Thomas ever did. Makes sense its soul would be worth more."


    A new notification appeared:


    {+1 Wisdom.}


    Ludwig raised an eyebrow, his pace slowing as he processed the message. The added stat confirmed his suspicions: this dungeon wasn''t just a trial of survival¡ªit was a crucible for growth.

 Chapter 47 - 47: Echoes of Leadership

    The group moved in tense silence, their footsteps crunching softly against the forest floor. The weight of Ludwig''s rebuke lingered, a heavy cloud of unspoken guilt. Even Kassandra, usually quick with a quip to lighten the mood, remained quiet. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Despite the grim atmosphere, Ludwig''s mind raced. The lizardman''s death had given him more than just a Wayward Soul¡ªit had revealed the dungeon''s deeper mechanics. If souls could be ranked and used to enhance his abilities, then every battle wasn''t just survival; it was an opportunity. The realization felt both exhilarating and grim, like a secret whispered by the dungeon itself.


    As they pushed further east, the dense trees began to thin, giving way to a wide clearing. Ludwig''s sharp eyes quickly took in the scene before him, and his breath caught in his throat.


    The clearing was a war zone.


    Bodies lay scattered across the ground, none dead for some reason but most moaning in pain. Blood soaked the dirt in dark patches, didn''t look like it was human, at least mostly, and the air was thick with the iron tang of spilled life. Several lizardman corpses, their twisted forms sprawled in grotesque angles, were mingled among the injured students. Broken spears and shattered shields littered the area like discarded debris.


    In the center of the carnage stood the remains of a flagpole, the banner once mounted there now tattered and stained. It lay crumpled on the ground, a stark reminder of their predicament. The flag¡ªan emblem of safety and escape¡ªwas no longer flying.


    A noblewoman knelt near one of the injured students, her hands glowing with a soft green light as she channeled healing magic into his wounds. Her face was pale, her hair plastered to her forehead with sweat. It was clear she''d been working tirelessly, but her efforts weren''t enough to undo the damage, but enough to lessen it.


    "Look who finally decided to show up," a familiar voice sneered.


    Ludwig turned to see Bron, his face twisted in anger. He was leaning against a tree trunk for support, his torn clothing exposing bruises and gashes across his body. A makeshift bloodied bandana covered his forehead.


    "What happened?" Ludwig asked, his voice calm despite the rising tension.


    "What happened?" Bron repeated, his words dripping with sarcasm. "While you were off playing scout, this happened! We were out here fighting for our lives while you strolled around doing nothing!"


    Ludwig''s group bristled at the accusation, but Ludwig held up a hand to silence them. His eyes narrowed as he surveyed the scene, his mind working through the pieces.


    "I don''t know what you''re so mad about," Kassandra said, stepping forward with a defiant glare. "We were doing exactly what we were supposed to¡ªscouting. If you got yourselves into this mess, that''s on you."


    "This mess?" Bron snapped, pushing off the tree and staggering toward them. "You think this is just a mess? We were ambushed! While you were out wandering around, we were out here, bleeding and dying!"


    Ludwig''s patience thinned as he took a step forward, his expression unreadable. "We scouted ahead, like we agreed," he said evenly. "But it looks like you didn''t hold up your end of the deal. You left the position we agreed on. Why?"


    Bron faltered, his mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air. "We¡ª"


    "You rushed ahead," Ludwig continued, his voice hardening. "You made a scene. You attracted every lizardman in the area. And now, you''re blaming us for your stupidity."


    "You little¡ª!" Bron snarled, his hand flying to his wand.


    Ludwig didn''t flinch. He took another step forward, his voice lowering into a cold, steely tone. "What are you going to do, Bron? Attack me? Then what? You''ll be down one more ally. But go ahead¡ªprove to everyone here how good of a leader you are. You couldn''t protect anyone even with your superior ''firepower''."


    Bron froze, his hand trembling as he gripped the wand.


    "Enough!" a noblewoman with golden hair shouted, her voice cutting through the tension. She stepped between the two of them, her expression exasperated. "We don''t have time for this. The flag is down, that thing is still out there, and it is not alone."


    Ludwig turned to her, his gaze steady. "And what''s your plan?" he said mockingly.


    She hesitated, glancing around at the injured students. "We wait," she said finally. "The teachers will come. They have to."


    "Do they?" Ludwig asked, tilting his head. "What if this is part of the test? What if they want us to figure it out on our own? You think they''ll swoop in and save us because we''re hurt? Think again. This is the Black Tower Academy. You''re not here to be coddled. You''re here to survive."


    Ludwig did a quick headcount, "Also, two of you guys are missing, and I don''t see their bodies... I can give a rough guess, either dead or kidnapped, both should require the attention of a teacher or the intervention of, none happened though," he said to female student. "But there should be another way out."


    "We don''t have a way out!" Bron shouted, his voice cracking under the weight of his frustration. "The flag is the only way, and it''s down! What would a commoner like you know about any of this?"


    Ludwig''s eyes narrowed, his voice dropping to a dangerous calm. "This is a dungeon," he said slowly. "And what do you do in a dungeon?"


    Bron stared at him, his anger giving way to confusion.


    "You kill the boss," Ludwig said simply.


    A ripple of uncertainty passed through the group.


    "That''s insane," Bron muttered, shaking his head. "You didn''t see it. That thing is unkillable. If it weren''t for an artifact I had, we''d all be dead. You don''t know what it''s capable of."


    "I know enough, after all, we met it before you, and look at my group, they''re all safe and sound" Ludwig countered. "It''s blind during the day. It tracks by sound. You brought it here with your noise. If you''d stayed quiet, it wouldn''t have found you."


    Bron opened his mouth, then closed it again, the truth of Ludwig''s words cutting deeper than any blade.


    "And what''s your plan now?" Ludwig continued, his voice unwavering. "Sit here and wait for rescue? Hope the lizardmen don''t find you before the sun sets? Because if you think it''s bad now, imagine what happens when they can see you. they''re cold blooded reptilians, they''re blind as a bat during the day, but at night, they''ll have better vision than any of us."


    The sun hung low in the sky, its light casting long shadows across the clearing. Ludwig''s words settled heavily over the group, the implications too grim to ignore.


    Kassandra placed a hand on Ludwig''s shoulder, her touch grounding him. "What are you going to do?" she asked softly.


    Ludwig glanced at her, then at the rest of the group. "What I always do," he said with a shrug. "I''ll find a way out."


    He turned and started walking toward the edge of the clearing.


    "Where are you going?" Hoyo called after him.


    "To clear this dungeon," Ludwig said without looking back. "With or without your help."

 Chapter 48 - 48: A Daring Plan

    The notification was clear in front of Ludwig.


    [Would you like to use 1 {Wayward Soul}?]


    ''Yes''


    [You have obtained 10 souls.]


    [Which stats would you like to increase?]


    ''Use nine souls to increase strength,''


    [Your strength has been increased by 8 points.]


    [You have reached 30 in strength]


    [You need to use two souls per each level up from now on.]


    [Would you like to use, X2 {Piece of a Wayward Soul}to increase your strength to 31?]


    Ludwig thought about it but refrained from doing so, if he were to do that, he''ll end up with only Vondel''s soul in his lantern, if he were to die, then vondel''s soul will be used up.


    Ludwig knew for sure that he had nothing crazy to worry about, after all, even if he were to die, the lantern will bring him back in time enough that he could even change the whole outcome of this dungeon venture. But he needed the assurance so he didn''t use them.


    [You have leveled up!]


    ''Status Screen'' Ludwig muttered.


    ***


    ''Status Screen'' Ludwig muttered.


    Race: Skeleton S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Soul Level: 2


    Health: 100/100


    Stamina: Infinite


    Mana: 100/100


    Wisdom: 11


    Charisma: 20


    Strength: 30


    Dexterity: 10


    Vigor: 10


    Luck: 15


    Class: Skeleton Grunt


    Title: Apostle of Death


    Skills: [Trace] [Basic Undead Summon Sigil]


    Passives: Basic Swordsmanship ¨C Undead Resolve ¨C [Blessed Body]


    Overt Genius: Increased proficiency in all sorts of masteries.


    ***


    Ludwig tightened the grip on his hand and felt that he had become somewhat stronger. He thought the growth was negligible but it was an improvement anyways.


    "Where are you heading man?" Hoyo asked, intrigued by Ludwig''s words from earlier.


    "I have an inkling on where their base is, I''ll go there and check things out, you guys should stick together," Ludwig said as he looked around, the nobles seemed adamant on not doing anything and waiting for the teachers to come in, while the commoners were worried that if they do or try anything they''ll be reprimanded by the nobles.


    "I''ll come with you," Hoyo said.


    "Don''t, it''s too risky," Ludwig said, not because he was confident in clearing this dungeon or killing the boss, but Hoyo''s stamina was too low for it to be of any use and Ludwig didn''t need anyone to interfere with his scouting mission.


    "But what about you? If it''s risky for me." Hoyo asked.


    "I can defend myself," Ludwig said as he showed the glint of the sword under his robes, "You clearly can''t, you''re too slow, and have shitty stamina."


    "Just leave him, though I think you''re all the same at least you were once a noble, don''t waste your time with that fool, or you''ll end up dead," Bron said.


    Hoyo''s expressions soured and he was about to retort, "Don''t give them a reason to put pressure on you, just go back and stay with Kassandra, also I''d recommend you guys don''t light up any fires for the night," he said.


    "Why?" Kassandra who was closely asked.


    "Remember, we don''t know the terrain and the Lizardmen lived here most if not all their lives, they also have better vision during the night, and I might even add that it''s not just superior sight, but more like heat detection. If you light up a fire it''ll attract them."


    Ludwig hunched down and began grabbing some soggy mud from the ground and smearing it all over his body.


    "What are you doing?" Hoyo asked.


    "What do you think? I''m using mud to lower my body''s temperature," he said though he didn''t need to, after all he was an undead. But this was the only thing he could do to help them. If they were to understand his intentions and do the same they''ll survive the night.


    The nobles however seemed too disgusted and even laughed at Ludwig''s antics.


    "Don''t let stupid notions like shame or foolish honor blind you, death is mean and unforgiving." Ludwig said as he continued applying the mud all over his body and clothes until not a single spot was clean.


    Kassandra immediately dropped down and began doing the same. Ludwig smiled, ''at least she is sensible,''


    Hoyo, encouraged by her also did the same, while a few of the commoners refused the majority also began doing the same and helping each other apply the mud.


    "Stay close to the ground and don''t get near any fires, it will be cold tonight but mere cold won''t kill you," Ludwig said as he stood up and headed down the area they were at.


    He soon left the clearing amidst the mockery of the nobles.


    ''Though it is a bit unfortunate, seems like these guys will serve as a great distraction for me,'' Ludwig thought as he began trekking his way to the north.


    Once the night drops, which seemed to be in less than a couple hours, the fire that the nobles were setting will look like a beacon to all the lizardmen. It will draw a good portion of them toward the camp, and Ludwig can use that time when the defenses are weak to investigate the boss if he were to find her.


    Time went by as Ludwig continued marching through the forest, and soon happened upon a small canyon ledge that peered over a lake surrounded by large trees and a wide and tall cave.


    The sky began darkening giving an eerie atmosphere to the whole place.


    Ludwig immediately ducked under once he noticed the presence of lizardmen around the lake.


    Ludwig had only inspected the Champion and didn''t have the time to inspect the normal lizardman he met earlier today.


    [Inspect]


    [Forest Lizardman]


    Level 11


    Damage 20-30


    HP: 500


    Tier: Common


    Status effect: {Curse of Weakness} All offensive stats and defensive stats have been reduced by 60%


    Status Effect: {Night Time} Increase visibility at night, but lowers reaction speed and attention.


    Skills:


    Passive: [Lesser Thermal Vision] can detect most sources of heat and recognize bodies that emit it.


    Passive: [Stomach Half Full] the hungrier the lizardmen race become the stronger they are, the fuller they are the lazier they get and more sluggish they become.


    Passive: [Claws & Jaws] all damage dealt by the Lizardman''s claws and jaws deal bleeding overtime damage that is stackable. Each cut increases the blood loss of the target twice.


    Flavor Text:


    Forest Lizardmen are the weakest of their kind, they struggle to survive in forest biomes, though they are superior to goblins, they are far lesser in numerical power. They share the bottom of the food chain when it comes to forest monsters alongside goblins and kobolds.


    ***


    Ludwig noticed that the description was slightly different from that of the Champion. They do have lesser health and a lower level, but also their visibility is much weaker than that of their Champion.


    There were about ten or so of them, two were resting with their back against the cave''s entrance while the rest were either loitering around or swimming casually in the lake.


    On the far side of the lake there was a square shaped prison made entirely of felled trees and ropes. Two students lay unconscious there.


    ''Must be the guys that got kidnapped, they''re lucky they''re still alive.''


    The ground shuddered as the Champion Lizardmen exited the cave, it sniffed at the air and soon let out a loud hiss that gathered the attention of all of the lizardmen.


    Ludwig paid attention to see what''s going on, and soon a smaller softer skinned lizardman appeared, small in comparison to the hulking four meter tall champion, but she was quite bigger than the other lizardmen.


    Once she got out, she locked her tail with the champion as if trying to drag him back to the cave.


    Ludwig inspected her.


    [Lizardmen Queen]


    Level 20


    HP: 2,000


    Damage 1-2


    Tier: Rare {Boss}


    Status effect: {Curse of Weakness} All offensive stats and defensive stats have been reduced by 60%


    Status Effect: {Night Time} Increase visibility at night, but lowers reaction speed and attention.


    Status Effect: {In Heat} the Queen is ready for mating, but requires a greater source of food to create powerful offspring.


    Status Effect: {Pacifist} the Queen is completely vulnerable to attacks and usually hides behind her kin.


    Skill: [Cry for Help] once the skill is used all the Lizardmen in the vicinity will come to her aid regardless of what they are doing. Cooldown 1 Day


    Skill: [Instigate] Once applied on lizardmen their offensive stats will double and they''ll discard all negative effects. They will also enter [Frenzy] which increases their pain tolerance to the maximum. Cooldown 1 Day


    Skill: [Reproduction] once the Queen uses this skill, she enters hibernation, and triple her defensive values. After the skill duration ends several lizardmen will be born to join the army.


    Cooldown 6 months.


    Addendum:


    The Forest Lizardmen Queen is a passive creature that cannot fight and is always on the run, the most cowardly of all Forest lizardmen, though she is cowardly she is very sturdy, enough that she can always call for others to help her out when she is in trouble.


    ***


    Ludwig thought for a second after he read through the Queen''s status screen and info


    ''This won''t be easy,'' he muttered to himself


    ''With all those guards, and that Champion here, getting even close to her would be a miracle, not to mention killing her, the moment she is even harmed she''ll call everyone here I''d be lucky to have bones for remains after they''re done. Oh wait, I''m already bones¡­''


    Ludwig laughed at himself for such an absurd statement, after all what can one do but laugh against these odds?

 Chapter 49 - 49: Stealth Mission

    Ludwig began thinking up a plan on how to proceed, but regardless of what he does, he cannot move as long as the champion is still inside the lizardmen base. He kept his eyes peeled to see if he could find any more advantages.


    For now, he was standing on top of a small cliff overlooking the entirety of the lake, it wasn''t steep enough to be any risky and was just high enough that he couldn''t be spotted. It will take him about ten seconds to climb down, but what next?


    From his left side, he could go all the way down behind the brushes and get to the two captured students. But he couldn''t set them free immediately, since they had heat signatures of their own, they''ll be easy prey. Ludwig, being a cold dead skeleton didn''t have any, and it was the closest thing to stealth and invisibility he could get against these Lizardmen.


    As for the cave, the two, champion and the queen who seemed to want to have some more private time together. Well, at least the female Lizardman was, the Champion was unmoving in front of all her attempts to drag him back to produce more lizardmen, but his gaze was focused on the horizon that just turned fully dark.


    The champion hissed more times and shoved the Queen away, he pulled up his spear from right next to the cave and howled almost, a mix of a screech and hiss with a deeper tone.


    The lizardmen around him all stood up, their gait slow and steady, and their eyes focused on the champion who hissed one last time and then bolted forward.


    Of the ten or so lizardmen, eight of them rushed behind the champion, leaving only two lizardmen who stood guard around the desolate looking base.


    ''Good,'' Ludwig thought, but that was only for his personal situation. After all the direction the champion was heading to was the base of the nobles.


    Ludwig deep down didn''t want useless harm to happen upon the students, especially the group that was with him. But he couldn''t be too magnanimous and empathetic towards them. They refused to listen to him, and now they''ll reap what they sow.


    ''Sometimes having this non-emotion thing works.'' Ludwig thought.


    He knew, that he ''needed'' to feel something for his classmates being decimated by monsters. But no matter how he tried, he just couldn''t help it. There was nothing in his heart, though he had no heart.


    Ludwig began enacting his plan, which was pretty simple, he immediately ran down the cliff making sure to be as quiet and stealthy as possible.


    [You gained {Low Presence}]


    The notification scared Ludwig as it popped out of nowhere.


    He quickly glanced at its content.


    [{Low Presence} passively decrease your presence and lowers the attention of all entities in your immediat surrounding of yourself.


    ''Usable,'' Ludwig muttered, though it wasn''t a [Stealth] skill, it was still a good thing to have, and was useful in this situation.


    Ludwig had reached the ground level and was right behind a low bush, the two lizardmen had been doing small walks to survey the surrounding, but they didn''t venture too far off the cave. At least they didn''t approach the side with the prisoners.


    Ludwig glanced their way, they were awake now, seems like the cry of the Champion. They were trying to find a way out but the cage they were stuck in looked too sturdy to break. The two of them were also tightly bound with ropes.


    Ludwig approached the cave stealthily, making sure to keep his eyes peeled for all and any dumb clich¨¦ twigs and crusty tree leaves that create too much noise.


    Once he reached the cage, "Hey." S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The two students were startled but they didn''t cry out or anything.


    "What are you doing here?" one of them asked, she was a short-haired girl, who looked to be about the same age as Ludwig, she had a gash on her thigh that was covered with some makeshift bandages.


    The other person was a frail-looking noble who seemed too terrified to speak.


    "You''re the scout guy, also what''s up with that mud all over you?" she said.


    "Yes, I''ll tell you in a bit, but keep your voice down, tell me why didn''t you get out?" Ludwig asked.


    "How?" she asked.


    "Well, did you forget that you''re a student of the Black Tower Academy? You could have set this cage on fire¡­"


    "Yeah, we tried that, and this is the reward," she pointed at her thigh, "They hate fire." She said.


    ''More like it makes them blind because it''s bright.''


    "Right, come closer, let me remove those ropes," Ludwig said as he brandished the ceremonial sword.


    "Then what, the cage is too tough to break, It''ll make too much noise," she said.


    "These logs are also bound by rope, all you need to do is cut it," Ludwig said as he separated the ropes by slicing through them with the sword.


    "Listen," Ludwig said as he pushed one of the logs making the cage to the side and leaving a small opening that they could crouch under and leave. "The lizardmen are basically blind unless you have a heat signature. So you see that bunch of mud there from the lake waters," Ludwig said as he pointed at a soggy-looking patch of dirt near the cage.


    "Cover yourselves in it, and don''t give me the ''I''m a noble'' I can''t do that, or talk about stupid dignity and shit, you''ll die if you don''t do it," Ludwig explained.


    "No point in crying about honor if all is left is bones, you heard him Tommy, we''ll use the mud, get dirty," the girl said, "What about you?" she asked.


    "Me? Oh I''ll go check on the boss and see what''s up, you guys need to lay low for the moment once you leave the cage the lizardmen will go on a frenzy trying to find you," Ludwig advised.


    "You''re using us as bait?" the frail-looking noble said.


    He wasn''t completely wrong, "You rather stay here then?"


    The boy stuttered but couldn''t find a reply.


    "Be a good lad and go after you camouflage yourself a bit," Ludwig peered over to the cave. The next part of this plan is going to be difficult.

 Chapter 50 - 50: On Edge

    The two lizardmen were thankfully not bothering with looking after the prisoners, this gave them enough time to finish smearing themselves in mud and soon extract themselves from the cage.


    "I need you to do me a favor though," Ludwig said before the two left.


    "What is it?" the girl said.


    "I need you to make a small commotion after you escape, nothing too big that it will draw the other guys over, but just enough for these two to go and check it out," Ludwig said.


    "I told you, this commoner is trying to use us as bait!" Tommy''s face twisted into a sneer.


    Ludwig''s expression darkened. The ungrateful bastard was grating on his nerves. Just moments ago, Tommy had been a trembling wreck, desperately clinging to hope, and now he had the audacity to sneer and call Ludwig a "commoner" as if he weren''t the very reason Tommy was alive. For a fleeting moment, Ludwig considered grabbing Tommy by his collar and throwing him back into the cage. Let him see how long his noble blood could fend off a hungry lizardman. But Ludwig dismissed the thought. There wasn''t time for petty revenge¡ªnot yet, at least.


    "Shut up!" the girl said. Ludwig, was it?" she said. I don''t know about the commotion, but I have a slow-burning spell I can use it''ll blow up after half an hour. I''m currently injured, so I can''t run fast or far. You''re going to have to wait a bit for your opportunity," she said.


    "Good enough for me, also what''s your name? I never got to hear it," Ludwig said.


    "Talia, Talia Moor," she said.


    "Nice to meet you, Talia, now please, go on ahead I''ll be waiting," Ludwig said.


    The two crept into the shadows, their muddy forms blending with the surroundings. Ludwig watched them go, his fists clenching as Tommy skulked ahead without so much as offering Talia a hand to steady her injured leg.


    "Fucking waste of air," Ludwig muttered under his breath, shaking his head before turning back to the lizardmen.


    He couldn''t fully rely on the two to cause enough commotion, though it would be helpful he knew well that if they take too long, the Champion would probably come back earlier than expected.


    Of Ludwig''s personal abilities and skills, he didn''t have much to work with. He took another glance at all of his abilities and muttered, "I didn''t think it''ll come down to this."


    Glancing down at the dirt beneath his feet, Ludwig felt the reckless idea form in his mind. It was dangerous, untested, and could just as easily backfire as succeed. But it was his only option.


    "This is such a bad idea," he confirmed to himself. "But I don''t see another way."


    "Though I have no idea what might come out of this," he muttered, "But I hope it''s enough to cause issues. "Rise!" Ludwig said as he placed his palm on the ground.


    The mana in his body dipped down to almost nothing. And a massive sigil painted itself on the ground, spreading like black ink on paper, maleficent and horrid, the mana gathered and poured out into the ground.


    [Your mana level is critically low, you might fall {Unconscious}]


    [Since you are an undead, you cannot fall {Unconscious}]


    [You lack the understanding to summon a loyal undead]


    [Your Luck stat plays a role in easing the process of the summoning]


    [Your affiliation with Deus Necros further eases the process of the summoning]


    [You have called forth {Lizardman Zombie}]


    [Warning, your current Wisdom and Charisma are too low to control {Lizardman Zombie} he will consider you an enemy once he sees you]


    Ludwig was completely stupefied by what just happened, this was just a small attempt to see if he can create enough commotion, though he couldn''t use his mana for anything else, since he couldn''t use the [Fireball] spell as it will instantly reveal his position, his only thought was to try and use the undead summoning sigil, and apparently he succeeded in creating an undead.


    A clawed, rotting hand burst through the soil, followed by a grotesque body that clawed its way into existence. The creature was a sick parody of its former self, its flesh sloughing off in patches to reveal decaying muscle and broken bones. Red pinpricks of light burned in its empty eye sockets as it groaned and stumbled forward. which mixed frighteningly well with the atmosphere.


    He backed away from the creature that began groaning as it finalized its manifestation and pulled the attention of the two Lizardmen with it.


    Ludwig wanted to inspect it, but he feared that it would pull the Zombie''s aggro, as many people have already felt the use of [Inspect] on them. And honestly, it would serve him no use, this is nothing but a pile of rotten flesh and bones, all it would ever amount to was to act as a meat shield for the incoming lizardmen.


    The two lizardmen rushed the zombie and Ludwig took the chance to go around the area, using the {Low Presence} passive he got earlier to pull through without being noticed.


    The sound of battle wasn''t too high, and the lizardmen only hissed at the Zombie and poked it around, the latter looked too slow and too confused to do anything, enough that Ludwig gave up on it.


    ''It''ll die soon I guess, but it bought me enough time,'' he said as he moved inside the cave.


    He didn''t know if there could still be more lizardmen inside, but seeing that no one came out of the cave besides the Lizardmen queen and the champion earlier, he braved the dangers and walked in.


    The cave was dark, but not enough to hamper an Undead''s sight, Ludwig''s vision was perfectly clear during both night and day and he could see the inside of the cave with ease. There was nothing worthy of note inside.


    The air inside was damp and heavy, carrying a faint metallic tang that set Ludwig on edge. Old bones and piles of hay littered the ground, the remnants of previous meals and crude bedding. Ornaments fashioned from teeth and claws hung from the walls, crude trophies that glinted faintly in the dim light.


    There was a slow and constant sound of breathing coming in from deeper in the cave. It seems that the Queen wasn''t the least bit worried or maybe didn''t even notice the skirmish happening outside, after all, she probably lived her entire life unworried about anything, as the entire tribe protected and sheltered her.


    Ludwig approached the deeper part of the cave slowly and just as he reached the end of the cave a notification popped up in front of him.


    [You gained 1 Wayward Soul]


    ''Huh?'' Ludwig frowned, how did that come to happen? He has yet to do anything.


    Then it hit him, ''Did the Zombie, that slow awkward thing, manage to kill a Lizardman?''


    Ludwig didn''t have the luxury of going out and inspecting things outside, he brandished his weapon and continued on with his approach, and once he saw the Queen lying on the ground he began enacting his plan.


    He already had an idea of what to do, and now with one lizardman gone, it should be easier. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He removed his leather belt and slowly approached the sleeping Queen, once he was close enough to the latter, he jumped on the back of her neck.


    The sleeping queen immediately jerked her head up, and was about to scream but Ludwig had the belt ready and instantly hooked it around her mouth and tightened it.


    The queen panicked and tried to use her skills, but since her mouth was closed, she couldn''t [Cry for Help] and since there were no lizardmen nearby, she couldn''t use [Instigate].


    Ludwig rode on the back of the lizardmen Queen, pulling the belt with his left arm, and with a backhand grip on the ceremonial sword he jabbed it into her neck.


    [Critical!]


    [You caused Laceration onto {Forest Lizardmen Queen}]


    [ Laceration causes the target to lose 1% of maximum HP every second!]


    The Queen desperately tried to claw the leather belt away, but the moment her hand went toward it, Ludwig would yank the belt causing her arms to miss, and then send another stabbing hand onto her body.


    Sadly, the laceration effect only applied once


    But he still did damage.


    Ludwig used all of his strength to hold on to the back of the queen, stabbing as fast and as forcefully as he could, blood sprayed all over him and across the cave, as he continued to swing down his blade. More and more, and as much as he could, desperately clinging to the Queen with his boney thighs.


    The queen finding herself unable to get free, hurled her body toward the nearest wall. In his panic, Ludwig unlocked his legs and flung his body forward but didn''t let go of the belt.


    The queen slammed her back into the wall meeting nothing but rocks, and the falling Ludwig who still held the belt in his hand, yanked her back to the ground.


    The queen''s snout was then pinned as Ludwig stammered up and stomped it down with his foot, using all 30 points of his strength value, he stabbed once more. This time into one of her eyes. Ripping it in the process.


    Ludwig continued stabbing at the Queen, he knew he wasn''t doing any real damage, the sword itself seemed to chip and crack with every swing of his sword. if she could scream, she would be causing an uproar, all she could do was suffer in silence as her remaining eye was watering both blood and tears from the agony.


    A notification appeared in front of Ludwig.


    [You have obtained 1 wayward soul]


    Seeing that the queen was still ''breathing'' and mostly alive gave Ludwig a small shock, after all, that could only mean that the Zombie had killed the second lizardman. Only then did Ludwig regret not inspecting that Zombie, after all, it could have had some interesting perks, and if it killed two Lizardmen then its strong enough to be an issue once Ludwig leaves the cave.


    However, he was more worried about finishing this job. Once the Queen dies, who is the boss of this dungeon, they should be able to leave the area.


    Suddenly, a loud crash sound echoed outside the cave, enough that the cave itself vibrated a bit causing pebbles and some dust to fall.


    Ludwig had no idea what could cause such an impact, but a notification soon appeared in front of him to explain.


    [Your summoned {Lizardman Zombie} has perished]


    "I guess it died," Ludwig thought.


    Ludwig''s eyes shined blue as he inspected the Queen''s health bar.


    ***


    [Lizardmen Queen]


    Level 20


    HP:220/2000


    Damage: 1-2


    Tier: Rare: {Boss}


    Status Ailments: {Laceration} {Bleeding} {Blind} {Curse of Weakness} {Pacifist} {In Heat}


    ***


    Seeing the Queen on her last breath, and her health bar almost reaching zero, he went for the final few swings, only for the ground to shake once more.


    With his hand raised up, foot on the queen''s snout, and his body fully covered in blood, he turned to see the Champion standing tall at the entrance of the cave.


    The Champion''s whole body seemed to be riddled with wounds and injuries, there were also marks of burns on it and some wetness remained on his belt. But his eyes looked like that of a demon in rage as he saw Ludwig standing on top of his Queen with a bloodied sword in hand.


    "Well... shit."

 Chapter 51 - 51: Zombie Vs Predator

    "Shit, shit, shit," Ludwig cursed as he saw the raging hulking mass of muscles fully focused on him.


    The Forest Lizardman Champion was enraged, its hulking, muscular form heaving with labored breaths. Orange, slitted eyes burned with primal fury, locking onto Ludwig like a predator eyeing its prey. Its spear gleamed ominously, slick with blood and fresh ichor from the fallen zombie, and its claws flexed in a grotesque rhythm, ready to shred anything in their path.


    The roar it unleashed was earth-shaking. Loose stones and dirt trembled from the sheer force of its bellow, and the Champion''s tail lashed behind it like a whip, splintering the nearby rock. It stormed its way toward Ludwig and then lunged for him, Ludwig didn''t hesitate in stabbing the sword one last time into her other eye and hurled himself sideways.


    "Not good," Ludwig muttered under his breath, his hands tightening around the ceremonial sword lodged deep into the Queen''s eye. He tried to pull it free, but the blade was stuck firm, and his growing panic only made his movements more frantic.


    The sword snapped in two in the process, Unarmed and clearly outmatched, Ludwig knew he had no way out of this. The moment the Champion lays his hands on Ludwig, the [You Died] screen will show up.


    And that was about to happen as the Lizardman went for a full body lunge at Ludwig. its massive clawed hand swiping at Ludwig with terrifying speed. Acting on instinct, Ludwig hurled himself to the side, barely avoiding the strike as it slammed into the ground where he''d stood. The force of the impact sent chunks of stone flying and cracked the cave floor.


    Ludwig rolled to his feet, his mind racing. He couldn''t fight this thing¡ªnot head-on. His only advantage was the Queen''s prone form, which the Champion hesitated to attack directly. Ludwig quickly darted around her, using her massive body as a shield to keep the Champion at bay.


    The enraged creature hissed, frustration clear in its movements. It paced briefly, its tail lashing against the walls of the cave. Every time Ludwig moved to one side, the Champion adjusted, snarling in barely contained fury.


    If the Champion were to use his full power, he''ll probably end up harming the queen further, Ludwig relied on that fact to use her as a barricade between the two of them as he was thinking of what to do next.


    The champion hissed and roared at the same time, rage further fueled by Ludwig using the Queen as a barrier. The Queen''s health was depleting rapidly, especially since the blood wasn''t stopping anytime soon and pooled around her.


    "Just a little longer," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. The Queen''s death was inevitable now, and once it happened, the dungeon should be clear.


    The Champion suddenly roared, its patience snapping. It gripped its spear tightly and jabbed toward Ludwig with the speed of a striking snake. Once again, Ludwig dove out of the way, the blade narrowly missing his side. He hit the ground hard, the impact rattling his bones, but there was no time to recover. The Champion''s claws came down in a follow-up strike, aiming to pin him in place.


    Ludwig scrambled backward, his back slamming into the cave wall. His breath hitched as the spear''s tip buried itself inches from his face, chipping the stone behind him.


    "I really hate this!" he spat, rolling to the side and using the Queen''s body as cover once more.


    The Champion growled, its frustration mounting as it circled the dying Queen. It hissed low, snapping its jaws in warning, but it still didn''t dare attack Ludwig through her body.


    Then, with a sickening final groan, the Queen went still. Her health bar drained completely, and a notification flashed in Ludwig''s vision:


    ***


    [You have slain Forest Lizardmen Queen]


    [You have gained 1 {Feeble Soul}]


    [Congratulations! You have activated the hidden piece of this dungeon! ???? ]


    ? By killing the Queen before slaying the champions the {Boss} status is now transferred to {Forest Lizardman Champion!}


    ? The rewards for this dungeon have been deferred until you defeat the {Forest Lizardman Champion} the quality of the reward has doubled.


    ? The {Forest Lizardman Champion} is enraged! Losing his queen caused him to go into a frenzy, all status ailments have been removed. One additional danger modifier [?] has been added!


    ***


    Ludwig didn''t even have time to process the implications before the Champion erupted in fury. Its roar reverberated through the cave, shaking loose chunks of stone from the ceiling.


    "Oh, come on!" Ludwig cursed, backing away as the Champion lunged forward. The beast''s movements were wild and unpredictable now, driven entirely by rage. Ludwig didn''t hesitate in dipping out while the Lizardman was still raging out for the loss of his queen.


    Though this made Ludwig think of how come these creatures can feel sadness and rage, and if that could make them more ''human'' than him, he simply shook the idea away, he didn''t have the time or luxury to think about that.


    Ludwig darted out of the cave, his mind racing. He needed a plan¡ªanything to put distance between himself and the hulking monstrosity.


    Ludwig ran as fast as possible from the cave.


    "Use [Feeble Soul]" Ludwig said as loudly as he could.


    [You have obtained 30 souls]


    "Increase [Wisdom] stat by ten!" Ludwig shouted.


    [Your wisdom stat had increased by 10. You have gained one Soul Level. You are currently Level 3, you have used 30 souls!] S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [The next level up will require 4 souls per stat upgrade]


    [Your Wisdom stat affects your mana stat, your Mana has been increased by 100!]


    [Since you have leveled up, all ailment have been removed, all health and stamina has been restored!]


    "Good!" Ludwig said. There was a broken and severely mangled up corpse of a lizardman, this was the lizardman Zombie from earlier that Ludwig summoned, and right around him were the bodies of two other Lizardmen that his zombie had killed."


    "Rise Undead!" Ludwig chanted though he didn''t need to, but it sure as hell felt cool to say that. He slammed his palm on the ground.


    The necrotic sigils flared to life, spreading across the bodies in a web of dark magic.


    [Would you like to raise [2] Undead corpses?]


    "Yes"


    Ludwig said and almost instantly his mind felt as if it was sucked out with a straw, mental exhaustion drew upon him but he could stop, he shook his head and immediately dipped forward once the sigil of Undeath was drawn on the ground.


    [You lack the understanding to summon a servant undead]


    [Your Understanding of {Necromancy} has improved]


    [Your affiliation with Deus Necros further eases the process of the summoning]


    [You have called forth {Lizardman Zombie}]


    [Warning, your current wisdom and charisma is too low to fully control {Lizardman Zombie} he will consider you an enemy once he sees you]


    "Ignore all the random notifications!" Ludwig cursed at the system and dipped forward while the two Zombies were waking up. His only worry was that if they start fighting each other.


    Ludwig didn''t stay to watch the process. He bolted toward the nearby cliff, his increased strength making the climb easier. As he scrambled upward, he glanced back just in time to see the Champion storm out of the cave. Its orange eyes burned with hatred, locking onto the two newly risen Zombies.


    This time Ludwig didn''t forget to inspect them.


    [Inspect]

 Chapter 52 - 52: Two Against One

    ***


    [Zombie Forest Lizardman]


    Level 11


    Damage 60-80


    HP: 700


    Tier: Common


    {Status effects} : {Curse of Undeath}[ The power of death moves this body, it knows no fear, no hunger and no exhaustion]


    [Skills]: {Aura of Death} All undeads have a unique aura around them. For a Zombie Undead, the aura [Contagion] is applied.


    [Contagion]: the Zombie passively emits poisonous and toxic fumes and smells from its body, once enough is stacked onto an enemy, they''ll start losing their HP.


    [Zombify]: Extremely rare chance to turn another entity that has been felled into a zombie after death.


    [Minor-Zerk]: The Zombies do not stop unless their heads are shattered. Grow stronger the more damage they take.


    Lore: a once proud Lizardman now turned to Undeath by an apprentice of the ways of Undeath. Too young to be called a necromancer.


    ***


    "No wonder it won against those two lizardmen. The lower its HP the stronger it becomes, and since those two lizardmen were simply poking it around without actually killing it, they died to its stronger self later on¡­"


    Ludwig spoke out loud, after all he was right.


    "That contagion passive though¡­ looks interesting," Ludwig muttered to himself but decided against staying here. He continued moving, ran around the lake and rushed up to the edge of the cliff he was observing everything from earlier. With the increased strength from his former level up, the almost ninety degree cliff looked like an easy climb. Just as he thought he reached relative safety, the bulldozing Champion Lizardman came out roaring like a dragon this time, rage clear in his voice and power thereof. The whole forest behind Ludwig shook and the birds flew up during the cold night from sheer terror.


    Yet, all the Lizardman Champion could see were his former clan members turned to undeath, it screeched once more, agony clear in its voice this time, it had been losing everything. Their rotting forms moved with jerky, unnatural precision, glowing red eyes fixed on their former leader.


    The humans today had come, threatened their survival, attacked their members and killed their queen, not only that, that despicable human also turned his members into Undead.


    Though the Lizardman''s brain is smaller than his eyeball, it still knows hatred, and knows revenge.


    The two Zombie lizardmen rushed up the new ''life'' that appeared in front of them. And the battle begun, though calling it a battle is nothing but a mockery. It was more like a slugfest.


    The first Zombie, its body riddled with decay and broken bones, lunged forward with surprising speed. Its claws raked at the Champion''s chest, but its strike glanced off the beast''s thick, scaly hide. The Champion responded with a brutal counter, its massive claw smashing into the Zombie''s torso and sending it skidding across the dirt.


    The hulking champion stabbed with his spear forward, piercing right through the downed Lizardman''s chest, causing a volatile fume cloud to burst out of its rotting innards. A faint, sickly-green aura permeated the area for now.


    ''That must be [Contagion] but the Champion seems unbothered by it,'' Ludwig thought as he was looking at the battle unfolding.


    The second Zombie capitalized on the first''s distraction, rushing the Champion from behind. It leapt onto the hulking creature''s back, its claws digging into the thick scales near its shoulders. The Champion roared, thrashing wildly to shake the undead off, but the Zombie held firm, its jaws snapping close on the beast''s neck. But as if the boss''s neck was made of steel, the bite didn''t do any relevant damage but drew some small blood drops.


    The three went on, fighting amongst each other, while the Champion Lizardman turned to boss was far superior in terms of reach and strength, something gnawed at Ludwig.


    Ludwig''s crouched form behind a rocky outcrop, was watching the battle unfold. His glowing blue eyes tracked every movement, his mind racing as he analyzed the fight.


    ''Why isn''t he overpowering them?''


    The answer came too easily to Ludwig as he saw what happened next.


    The Champion was far stronger, faster, and more experienced. It spun in a vicious arc, its spear sweeping low to knock the first Zombie who just got up back down. The creature collapsed in a heap, its legs shattered from the impact.


    The champion Lizardman swung a straight fist at the impaled and legless lizardman, but the latter simply grabbed the fist with both arms. Supporting its body with nothing but the strength of its rotting knees.


    ''What?'' Ludwig''s eyes almost bulged out, though he had no eyes.


    The look was comic enough to be called absurd, as the smaller zombie was easily overpowering the massive creature and pulled it to the ground, the Zombie then snapped the spear that was impaling him using his arm''s strength, and then stabbed the spear blade part right onto the Champion Lizardman''s arm and impaled it onto the ground as if crucifying him.


    The champion was unable to stand up since his hand was locked on the ground and could only fight with one arm pinned. He was standing? On his knees as he fought the two off.


    The champion roared, in both pain and humiliating rage. It used its other hand to grab at the broken shaft of the spear and swung it at the mutilated zombie.


    Before it could strike, the legless Zombie lunged forward again, despite its mangled legs. It grabbed the spear mid-swing, stopping the strike with sheer, unyielding determination. The Champion growled in frustration, its muscles straining as it tried to wrest the weapon free.


    The Champion yanked the spear with all its strength, but the Zombie refused to let go. Its grip was unrelenting, its rotten muscles fueled by the passive effects of [Minor-Zerk], which grew stronger the more damage it sustained. The beast''s golden eyes burned with fury as it slammed the Zombie into the ground repeatedly, trying to break its hold.


    The more it slammed it onto the ground the more of its bones and flesh would splatter all over the place, causing more {Contagion} to spread. And just as the shaft broke, the Champion finished it off with style. A forceful swing of his tree trunk thick tail, he caught the Zombie that was pinning his arm off guard, slamming his body right against the cave''s wall.


    A massive spray of [Contagion] spread around the area of the cave when the Zombie''s entire body splattered all over the cave wall and splashed onto the ground around the cave.


    [One of your Summoned Undead has perished]


    With one of the two undead gone, only one of them was left, seeing it refusing to remove itself from its back, the champion simply grabbed the spear and ripped it out of his arm, then used his free hand to pull on the legs of the zombie.


    He ripped hard enough that both legs of the Zombie tore. But the later was still bighting tightly onto his neck and grabbing hard with his claws. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig noticed it then, that the bite marks that didn''t seem too relevant at first became bigger and fiercer now. More rage boiled inside the Champion as he grabbed what was left of the zombie latching on to him and ripped it with both arms, though one of his hands was recently penetrated by a spear, it still had enough power it to simply rip the rest of the zombie''s body out of him, and by body, the literal meaning, because the head refused to unlatch.


    Ludwig was both amazed and confused. After all, the Zombie that he summoned had nothing but a head remaining and it was stuck and refused to unlatch itself from the Champion''s neck. But no notification of it dying appeared.


    Then he remembered a zombie does not die unless its head is crushed.


    But with only a head, the Zombie proved to be of little hindrance to the Champion who began looking around for any signs of Ludwig.


    "Damn, he looks angry, but without any heat signature on my undead body, I doubt he''ll find me." Ludwig thought to himself.


    But as fate would ordain, whenever someone speaks it¡­


    An explosion happened a few dozen meters behind Ludwig. His heart almost dropped though he had none. Only then did he remember, he had requested Talia to create a distraction earlier¡­ but why did it have to be right behind where Ludwig was.


    The Behemoth went on all fours and stormed its way toward Ludwig in a heat of roars and vengeance promises.

 Chapter 53 - 53: Cooped Up

    "Shit, shit, shit," Ludwig muttered under his breath, his skeletal fingers clenching into fists as he saw the towering Lizardman Champion lock onto him with murderous intent.


    The beast roared, a sound that tore through the forest like a thunderclap, shaking the leaves and sending small creatures scattering. Its hulking form surged forward with terrifying speed, each step causing the ground to quake.


    Ludwig didn''t wait. He spun on his heels and bolted, his undead body pushing its limits as he ducked and weaved through the dense foliage. Branches snapped against him, and leaves whipped his face, but he didn''t falter. Behind him, the Champion leaped from the cliff in a single bound, landing with an earth-shattering crash.


    The ground cracked under the creature''s weight, and its claws raked through the dirt as it propelled itself forward. Each stride was a display of raw power, sending splinters of wood and clouds of soil into the air. It bulldozed through trees, smashing some to splinters and ripping others out by their roots. Boulders shattered on impact, and nothing in its path was spared.


    Ludwig darted to the side just in time to avoid a massive claw that swiped dangerously close to his head. The wind from the strike nearly threw him off balance, but he recovered and dove under a dense thicket. The Lizardman''s momentum carried it forward, causing it to slam into a tree with a deafening crunch.


    The ancient trunk groaned and toppled, the crash shaking the forest floor. Dust and debris rose in a thick cloud, creating a momentary screen that obscured the Champion''s vision.


    Ludwig took advantage of the chaos, crouching low and grabbing a chunk of rock from the ground. He hurled it with all his might toward a distant cluster of trees. The stone struck with a loud crack, and the Champion''s head snapped toward the sound.


    The creature snarled, its golden eyes narrowing as it charged toward the false noise.


    Ludwig remained still, his undead nature allowing him to suppress even the tiniest sound of breath. He watched the monstrous figure barrel into the trees, its claws raking wildly at the source of the disturbance.


    Only when the Champion had moved far enough away did Ludwig exhale¡ªa purely instinctual habit¡ªand step cautiously back onto the forest path.


    "Good, that should buy me some time," he muttered, wiping the dirt off his hands. His mind raced as he plotted his next move.


    The Champion was too strong to face alone, especially now that it had gone into a frenzy. Its wounds, while significant, weren''t enough to stop it, and Ludwig had no illusions about his odds in a direct fight. He needed help¡ªspecifically, the other students. But the thought brought a twinge of doubt.


    Had they survived?


    The bloodied state of the Champion suggested they''d put up a fight, but he had no way of knowing the outcome. For all he knew, they could be dead, and he''d be running straight toward more corpses.


    "Only one way to find out," Ludwig muttered, breaking into a sprint toward the eastern clearing where the flag had been.


    His undead body gave him an edge¡ªendless stamina and enhanced night vision allowed him to navigate the treacherous forest with ease. He ducked under low branches, sidestepped gnarled roots, and slipped through narrow gaps between the trees, his pace relentless.


    As he approached the clearing, the sight that greeted him filled him with a mix of relief and unease. The area was littered with Lizardman corpses, their bodies twisted and broken. Blood pooled in the grass, and the air was thick with the stench of death.


    But there were no human bodies among the carnage.


    Ludwig froze, scanning the scene for any signs of life. His ears twitched as he heard a faint rustling from the bushes nearby. He turned sharply, his glowing blue eyes locking onto a figure emerging from the foliage.


    "Hoyo," Ludwig called, recognizing the mud-covered student.


    The boy''s face was grim, his expression a mixture of relief and exhaustion. "Ludwig," he said, his voice shaky. "You''re alive. Thank the gods."


    "What''s the situation?" Ludwig asked, stepping closer.


    Hoyo hesitated, glancing back toward the forest as if expecting the Champion to burst through the trees at any moment. "Kassandra''s hurt," he said finally. "And... one of us didn''t make it."


    Ludwig''s jaw tightened. "What about the others?"


    "The nobles took the worst of it," Hoyo continued. "Three of them are dead, and Bron''s arm is shattered. If it wasn''t for you, we''d all be dead by now."


    Ludwig ignored the compliment, his mind already moving to the next problem. "Where''s our group now?"


    Hoyo gestured toward the east. "We''ve regrouped with the nobles. Kassandra told me to wait near the flag for you."


    Ludwig''s brow furrowed. "Why would they leave you here?"


    Hoyo shrugged, but his discomfort was clear. "Bron thought it was a good idea. Said the cave nearby would make a good base to defend from. Everyone''s holed up in there now."


    Ludwig''s eyes widened in disbelief. "A cave?"


    Hoyo nodded.


    "Damn it," Ludwig cursed, running a hand over his face. "That idiot doesn''t realize he''s setting them up to be cornered. If the Champion breaks through, they''ll have nowhere to run."


    "Wait, the Champion? the big guy?" Hoyo asked, his voice rising in alarm. "We drove it off! It ran away in pain, and we killed its minions. It''s over, right?"


    As if to mock his words, a bone-chilling howl echoed through the forest. It was a sound that froze the blood¡ªor, in Ludwig''s case, whatever ichor flowed in his undead veins.


    "He doesn''t think so," Ludwig said grimly, motioning toward the source of the howl.


    Hoyo''s face went pale. "We have to warn them."


    "Then start running," Ludwig snapped, already moving. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The two bolted through the forest, Ludwig''s steps eerily silent despite his speed, while Hoyo''s frantic breathing and snapping branches marked his presence like a beacon. Ludwig didn''t blame him; fear had a way of loosening one''s control, and they didn''t have the luxury of slowing down.


    The howls grew louder every second, reverberating through the trees and making the ground tremble. Ludwig risked a glance behind him but saw nothing yet. That didn''t comfort him; it only meant the Champion was faster than it appeared.


    "Keep moving," Ludwig urged, his voice sharp. "Don''t stop, no matter what."


    Hoyo nodded, too winded to reply.


    The cave appeared like a beacon, nestled at the edge of a clearing with a narrow entrance that would have been easily defensible under normal circumstances. But Ludwig knew better. He could almost picture the inevitable disaster¡ªa horde of enraged lizardmen or, worse, the Champion barreling through the entrance like an unstoppable force.


    As they neared the cave, a voice called out. "You''re back!"


    Ludwig skidded to a halt, eyes locking onto a boy standing guard near the entrance. His body was caked in mud, the smell of damp earth clinging to him like a shield.


    "They put you on guard duty?" Hoyo asked, his tone tinged with disbelief.


    The boy shrugged. "They said since I was already covered in mud, I''d be less of a target. Plus, they''ve barricaded the entrance from the inside."


    Ludwig felt a vein¡ªor whatever an undead had¡ªthrob in frustration. "Barricades? Against that thing?"


    Before the boy could answer, Bron emerged from the cave, his arm bound in a crude splint and his face set in a scowl. His usual haughty demeanor had taken a hit, but his arrogance still clung to him like a bad smell.


    "What the fuck are you doing back here?" Bron barked, his voice cutting through the tense air.

 Chapter 54 - 54: Betrayal

    "What''s wrong with him?" Ludwig asked.


    "Oh apparently¡­" Before Hoyo could explain, two more nobles came out. One of them was the golden-haired noble woman and Talia.


    "What''s going on here?" The golden-haired noble woman asked.


    "Minerva! Don''t butt in," Bron snapped, wanting to upkeep his persona as a leader. But from what Ludwig could see, his attempt was failing miserably.


    "You have no right or authority to tell me what to do, Bron," she stated and turned to Ludwig "You''re the boy who went out earlier, Ludwig? Right," she said.


    "Yes, but enough of the introductions, why are you cooped up in a cave, you''re raising your heat signature!" Ludwig said.


    "So? We already chased the lizardmen away, all we need to do is wait for the teachers," she said.


    The roars began once again, closer this time.


    "You! What have you done!" Bron shouted. "You brought that thing back here!"


    "Shut your trap," Ludwig snarled, "You didn''t think twice before huddling up in a cave like idiots. also I didn''t bring anything here, it was coming here anyways. I already warned you guys to lower all heat signatures, and from what I see, you idiots have a fire going inside the cave, not to mention how utterly fucking stupid that is because you''ll all choke from the smoke long before morning comes! IT FURTHER HEATS THE CAVE!"


    Ludwig''s rage seemed completely justified, and Talia intervened, though the gash in her leg had healed, it looked like it still hurt as she limped twice. "It''s good to see you okay Ludwig, But please calm down,"


    Ludwig sighed and said, "I''m calm. Don''t worry about me, regardless how is your leg?"


    "It''s fine," Talia said.


    "So it was true that you saved Talia," Minerva asked.


    "Why wouldn''t it be true?" Ludwig frowned.


    Talia immediately interjected, "They didn''t believe me when I told them how you saved us from captivity, especially since Tommy refused to acknowledge it."


    Ludwig once again remembered how that cowardly bastard acted before and after he was saved, and thought once again that he should have just let him rot in there.


    "But Ludwig. What did you do inside the cave?" she asked.


    "I killed the two guards and the Queen, thinking that she is the boss of this dungeon," Ludwig explained in a matter-of-factly manner.


    "You? A stupid weak commoner? stop the lies! you must have angered them, you''re the cause of all of this!" Bron finally thinking he had found an opportunity to jump in shouted.


    Ludwig was thinking of doing a few not-so-healthy things to this guy but refrained from any action.


    "What''s going on?" more people began exiting the cave after hearing the commotion.


    "This bastard brought that monster here," Bron began accusing Ludwig, after all his failure to lead them could only be forgiven if he put the blame on someone else. And the nobles would easily follow his words than some random commoner.


    "Then why is he here!" the students protested.


    "Yes! Go away, if you''re being hunted by that thing why did you come here!" another said.


    The group continued shifting and putting the blame on Ludwig who only got angrier and angrier. There is no helping if a mob of people were to take a single person and make him the designated scapegoat for sacrifice. Masses are dangerous and Ludwig knew it well.


    Even a king will fall if his nobles turn their back on him. And Ludwig was no king.


    The trees near the cave began folding and tearing down. Seeing the ugly smirk on Bron''s face, Ludwig realized that things were going to get ugly.


    "You brought this on yourself, don''t blame me for punishing you accordingly!" Bron turned his head to the cave, "Moses! Now!" he shouted.


    Suddenly, the cave turned cold and chilly as a wave of cold air and even frost came out of the cave.


    "What are you doing?" Ludwig asked as he noticed the cave being frozen over.


    "Like you said, they can only see heat," Bron said as he stepped back.


    "What are you doing Bron!" Minerva shouted. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The students were all confused, it seemed like Bron and the Moses guy agreed upon something without informing the rest of the group.


    "What needs to be done! Though I was going to do this to one of the commoners, You''re a better target, after all, I heard you''re fast on your two feet, {Immolate Spirit}." Bron said as he pointed his hand at Ludwig.


    [You have Received the [Buff] {Immolate Spirit}]


    [All your physical attacks will deal fire damage; your vitality has increased by 10% duration 3 minutes]


    Ludwig''s body felt as if it was on fire, though it wasn''t harmful.


    It was just in time for the last tree behind them to tear and break down, the eyes of the Lizardman Champion were fully focused on Ludwig who had a glowing orange aura around him.


    "You son of a bitch!" Ludwig cursed as the mass of muscles roared and rushed toward him.


    "You can''t get inside the cave! It''ll follow you and kill off the rest of your classmates! I''m sure you don''t want that!" Bron laughed out as he backed away pulling with him Minerva.


    Though she protested she wasn''t strong enough to resist someone from the Steel family even if he only used one arm.


    Ludwig''s eyes scanned around him in a split second. The nobles that were protesting against Ludwig dipped inside the cold cave, while Talia looked ready to help, her limp didn''t help her much, nor was Ludwig thinking of asking her for help.


    Without hesitation, Ludwig turned and snatched the dagger on Hoyo''s belt and simply kicked him square in the chest from the incoming behemoth that lunged with all of its body''s weight where the two were just standing.


    Ludwig stammered to his feet, "Come here you fat fuck!" He shouted and bolted away from the area.


    "LUDWIG!" Hoyo shouted, but his cries fell on deaf ears as the Lizardman simply ignored the group and rushed after the most visible one.


    Ludwig disappeared in the foliage of the forest while the whole scenery behind him was crumbling to bits and pieces.

 Chapter 55 - 55: An Undead Resolve

    Ludwig''s frame disappeared from and through the foliage, he was thinking of how he''d have to deal with this creature. To fight it head-on would mean Ludwig''s death, though he still has some souls to use in case he died to return back from death, he felt that all his progress today would be wasted. And he really didn''t need to meet Deus Necros so soon anyway.


    The hulking beast roared as it bore through two close trees, spreading them with ease using its arms to rupture the trees from their center. Ludwig saw that although the creature''s palm was bleeding from the gaping hole in it and the undead Lizardman''s head was still relentlessly clinging to his neck, the Champion seemed to be in so much rage that he wasn''t feeling any of that.


    Ludwig scanned the Champion''s Status Window in that moment.


    ***


    Level 25


    Damage 80-100


    HP: 1,100 /2,500


    Tier: Rare {Boss} ????


    Status Effects: {Bleeding} {Laceration} {Poisoned} {Enraged} ¡­


    ***


    The status aliments were stacking up on the Boss. The Lizardman zombie head was causing it constant Contagion Poison and bleeding, and the lacerated wound on its hand was also bleeding it out, but its enraged status was making it oblivious to all of that.


    Ludwig knew well that if he were to keep running away simply, the boss would soon fall to its knees dead.


    There was only one problem with that plan, a tree trunk came hurling at Ludwig''s head.


    Ludwig flung himself to the side, desperately dodging the trunk. And at the same time rolled forward and continued running. The Lizardman was bound to catch up to him. At this point, Ludwig slightly regretted not investing in Agility. Strength and endless Stamina are fine, but they serve no purpose when you need to be quick on your feet.


    Ludwig rolled to his feet and sprinted forward, finding nothing but a standing cliff in front of him, he felt like a sitting duck as the Champion was running up to him head first, both arms opened forward as if to hug him in a bear hug, or lizardman hug in this case.


    The absurdity of the situation made Ludwig respond in the same tone, instead of moving left or right and being caught by either of the open arms of the Lizardman, Ludwig decided to run up the creature and slide right under him while the latter grabbed at the empty air since Ludwig''s relatively shorter form allowed him to duck faster in a slide.


    The lizardman who was sprinting at full force couldn''t stop as it stared under its crotch where Ludwig just slid from, though it tried to act fast, raising its tail and swinging it down, its feet weren''t stopping as its face met the cliff side.


    A loud explosive sound echoed behind Ludwig, loud enough that even he winced, and strong enough that boulders and fractures of rock formations began crumbling and cascading down the cliff edge.


    Ludwig saw that the lizardman who went face first into the wall was clearly in a stunned state, disoriented and unable to stand up properly had two choices.


    The first was to run away while the champion was stunned. But that would only buy him some time before the Lizardman would catch up to him. After all, he won''t be as lucky to stun it again nor does he know if he could replicate that stupid stunt again.


    The second option was far riskier but had a greater chance of success.


    Ludwig did quick maths, between the two options, safe now, risky later, or risky now safe later, the latter sounded far more appealing.


    He rushed up the lizardman''s tail and onto his back, he used the zombie''s clasping head as a handhold while he raised the dagger he took from Hoyo earlier high and slammed it as powerfully as he could into the champion''s left eye.


    A roar that would wake the dead ruptured out of the Champion Lizardman''s mouth, and with it came a brutal retaliation. As if the dagger in its eye was enough to awaken it from its stunned state the lizardman went for a grab on Ludwig.


    By sheer dumb luck, Ludwig''s body was nothing but a skeleton, quite lighter than a normal human body, and since the Champion tried to grab him, the mere contact between the palm of the champion was enough to send Ludwig reeling into the forest before the arm could even close its fingers.


    [-65 hp]


    [Your chest is fractured}


    [You broke three rib bone, your skull is fractured, your right arm is fractured.]


    [You strength has been reduced by 20%}


    [You successfully negated [Concussion]


    Ludwig''s sprawled form was enough to tell tales of his pains. Though he didn''t feel any, the broken bits and pieces of his body were only held together by the slime that was making the outer layer of his skeletal frame.


    "That¡­ almost killed me," Ludwig said as he looked at the creature who was finally aware enough to lock eyes with Ludwig''s fallen form.


    Ludwig had no intention of staying on the ground, and simply stood up, turned and left dust behind him.


    "Son of a bitch, when is this buff ever going to stop!" Ludwig cursed as he was once again reminded of Bron''s fuckery of giving him a buff that made him a living human torch¡­ though he was dead, and a skeleton.


    And just as the thought finished in Ludwig''s mind, the aura around him began dying down, but not fast enough as the Lizardman had locked his eye on him. The champion fueled by enough rage that even a Berserker would tell him to calm down, ruptured through the forest and anything around him with only one though in mind, to bring as much pain onto the human that had caused him so much heart ach and bodily harm that its wounds would be called minor in comparison.


    Ludwig tried his best to run away, but the creature was gaining up on him, and fast, enough that he could feel its breathing on his neck. In his panic Ludwig didn''t notice the large tree root extending in front of him. His leg got caught and he fell down on his face.


    The Champion didn''t miss the opportunity to jump up and catch Ludwig on the ground. He then rolled Ludwig forward and shoved his opened jaw onto his body.


    With nothing but sheer will and panic, Ludwig swung his entire body to the side, but didn''t manage to fully avoid the jaws that dug onto the ground, his left arm was caught in between them.


    With a forceful rip, as would an alligator do to an unfortunate limb, Ludwig''s arm simply snapped free from the elbow.


    There was no pain in Ludwig''s eyes as he recognized the eminent death, but though undead, no longer one with breath, something deep within him, something he didn''t think he had anymore. A feeling so simply so innocent and so strange that Ludwig couldn''t describe welled up inside him. Some might call it human nature to never give up and struggle till the end, and some might call it foolishness in front of death.


    But for Ludwig, it was simplified in two words.


    ''Fuck it.''


    "I''m sorry Thomas," he said as he used Thomas''s teachings drawing from Thomas''s emotion to fuel his own magic. Rage enough rage that it was hot and blistering. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His right arm flared with as much mana as his body could muster in that desperate situation.


    The Lizardman''s eyes couldn''t recognize the manifesting fireball in Ludwig''s arm as his ''hot'' body aura was still camouflaging it, and just as it opened its mouth to bite off Ludwig''s head, the latter shot his arm forward into the gaping jaws of death.


    "EXPLOSION IS ART!" Ludwig roared out.

 Chapter 56 - 56: Cleared

    Ludwig''s hand sent out all the mana in his body, unlike what he had hoped for to create a fireball and shoot it inside the Lizardman''s mouth, he forgot to ask Thomas for an important thing. How do mages usually shoot out spells?


    Unwilling to spend time to think of the how''s, Ludwig simply acted on instinct.


    Van Dijk had mentioned to him that magic is about one''s will, imagination, and emotion. Right now, Ludwig''s imagination was that of a flaming fireball that was to blow up and turn his enemy to cinders, in that regard he had things worked out. As for his emotions, he borrowed Thomas''s rage. While the final and most important part, the will, was simply Ludwig''s own intention of not wanting to die a dog''s death, and fueled all his power and rage into his arm, disregarding any measures of safety and care.


    So instead of creating a fireball, Ludwig''s entire arm exuded roaring and raging flames, that not only was several times stronger than what Thomas showed, but it was mighty enough that it blasted the head off the Lizardman Champion, while scorching Ludwig''s entire arm making the slime covering it wince away revealing Ludwig''s skeletal frame.


    The flames were loud, mighty and powerful enough that they shone like a beacon of light in the darkened night. The explosion, both sound and visual was so powerful that the entire group of students heard it some would even say that they felt the vibration.


    This spell was far stronger than anything Ludwig''s imbedded mana crystal on his forehead could afford, and the latter simply shattered upon him using the first spell ever.


    [Congratulations!] the notification showed up in front of Ludwig like a declaration of victory.


    [You have successfully cleared Forest Lizardmen semi-artificial dungeon]


    [You have obtained [Weak Soul] from slaying {Forest Lizardman Champion}]


    [For having fought to the last second without ever thinking of cowering away from the face of death. You have obtained the achievement, Unyielding.]


    [Achievement: Unyielding]


    Rarity: Rare


    [increased mental resistance when lower on health. Increase in all physical and mental abilities proportional to the damage taken, up to 10%]


    [You have learned a new spell]


    Available Spell slots [1/2]


    [Self-Immolation ????]


    ? Self-Immolation: Discard a part or all of your body by using it to fuel flames and mana, the power of the spell depends on how large is the part one is sacrificing.


    ? A self-created spell that would cause one to sacrifice a part or all of their body by burning mana vigorously. A spell that is rarely ever learned or practiced and is known to be a favorite of Zealots and Fanatics.]


    Ludwig''s left arm was flung several meters away from him. Notification of him having been amputated and having lost more bones were ignored. And his health points were at an incredibly low level of 13/300 [Author Note]1


    ''I need more HP¡­, I almost died man¡­'' he said as he pulled his body desperately with one arm barely functioning as it was scorched black, the slime on his body slowly covered the burned skeletal arm that had several marks of teeth and sharp cuts on the bones.


    He picked himself up and looked around the body.


    ''Usually these bosses drop something, there''s not a single piece of gear dropped from them,'' He sighed as he found no worth or value from having risked his life so much.


    He then slowly limped his way toward his ripped arm and grabbed it with his other burnt arm.


    Ludwig looked at his waning health and the arm in his hand he sighed said, "Use Weak Soul"


    [You have obtained 100 souls]


    ''Not bad, I guess the Lizardman Boss gave a more valuable Soul, because it''s a boss and all that,''


    "Level Up my Agility [Author''s Note]1 by 10." S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [40 souls have been used to upgrade your agility by 10. Congratulations, your Soul Level has increased to level 4!]


    Ludwig was waiting for his wounds to magically heal up as all characters would once they level up, but there was nothing like that. ''I guess I hoped too much, man it''ll be awkward to explain this if someone were to see me like this,'' he said.


    As if he was a jinx to himself.


    "Ludwig?" the moment he heard the voice, he turned to see Talia limping forward and next to her was a wide eyed Minerva and Hoyo alongside Bron who was unable to close his mouth from shock.


    Minerva screamed out as she saw Ludwig''s arm, only then did he realize that he was holding his arm and it would be revealed to them all that he is an undead.


    Ludwig''s mind was stammering to find some way to explain things.


    "You''re Bleeding so much!" Minerva said as her hands turned green, "Come here!" she shouted, "I''ll stem the bleeding."


    [As an undead, receiving a heal with your current low health will undoubtedly kill you]


    "NO!" Ludwig shouted as he tried to stop Minerva from coming any closer, the only problem was that he tried to stop her with his hand which was holding his other arm.


    The limp skeletal arm flailed in front of her and she almost passed out, "I have to heal you, can you not see how much blood you''re losing?!" she shouted.


    "No healing," Ludwig said. He thought for a second, "If you heal my arm, it''ll mend the wound and I won''t be able to attach it, just give me a rope or anything to stem the bleeding."


    "You rather die than lose an arm?" Minerva shouted back as she got closer with her glowing hands.


    ''Woman, you''re gonna be the death of me if you don''t get that heal away from me!'' but he couldn''t say that out loud.


    "The dungeon is already cleared! The teachers should be here any second," he added.


    "Who told you that?" Bron said, "Just because you killed this lizard which we already wounded enough for you, you think that the dungeon is clear, there is still a boss here you dumbass," Bron added with a sneer.


    Yet just as he finished his words, the whole sky turned bright white as day, and suddenly a golden haired man showed up right in front of the group, smiles and all.


    "What wonderful students I have, you actually survived," he added.


    For the Health, i forgot to mention that the Main character''s Health will increase by a base of 100 per level up and 10 per vigor point


    Agility was missing from the Main Character''s Status screen. Agility assists one in their speed and maneuverability.

 Chapter 57 - 57: Caught?

    It was the same person who had sent them into this hellhole. The man who had casually thrown them into their very first trial¡ªa survival challenge where life and death blurred like oil on water. The person they were supposed to trust, to look to for guidance and protection. The teacher.


    Professor Olim.


    Ludwig could barely suppress the venom in his tone as he rasped the name, his skeletal hand still clutching his detached arm.


    "Oh my, look what we have here," Olim said, his voice a smooth blend of amusement and mockery. His sharp eyes scanned Ludwig''s mangled form. "That arm of yours is in pretty bad shape. Tsk, tsk. What a shame. But, I must say, this is a delightful scene." Olim''s lips curled into a grin, sharp as a knife.


    The teacher''s gaze shifted, taking in the battered, mud-smeared students who had gathered around him. "You''ve all done splendidly. Watching you run around like headless chickens¡ªnow that was entertainment! But¡­" He turned to Bron, who was visibly fuming, "some of you did better than others."


    Bron''s face flushed red, his jaw clenched tight. Olim ignored him and clapped his hands together.


    A loud crack resounded, and suddenly the entire class was no longer in the forest. The oppressive darkness of the dungeon was gone, replaced by the bright daylight outside the forest''s edge. The transition was so jarring that many stumbled, blinking and disoriented.


    It took a moment for them to realize where they were.


    The clearing.


    The exact spot where they had begun this horrific trial.


    A flicker of hope danced across Ludwig''s mind. For a brief, naive moment, he wondered if this had all been some sort of elaborate illusion, a magical test with no real stakes. After all, what kind of insane person would design a trial where students¡ªteenagers¡ªcould actually die?


    But that hope was crushed the moment he noticed the bodies.


    Mangled. Crushed. Lifeless.


    The corpses of several students lay sprawled across the clearing, their limbs twisted in unnatural angles, their faces frozen in expressions of terror.


    Gasps and cries erupted among the survivors. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No¡­ no, this can''t be real," one girl whispered, clutching her head in disbelief.


    "YOU!" Bron''s voice roared above the chaos. His composure snapped like a brittle twig as he stormed toward Olim. "YOU SHOULD HAVE WARNED US! What kind of teacher throws their students into something like this without protection? Do you even understand how much we suffered? THREE NOBLES DIED! How are you going to explain¡ª"


    Bron''s tirade ended as abruptly as it began.


    Olim moved faster than anyone could react, his fist colliding with Bron''s stomach in a devastatingly precise blow. The boy crumpled to his knees, gagging as bile and half-digested food splattered onto the ground.


    The atmosphere shifted, heavy and suffocating. Olim no longer wore his amused smirk. His expression was now cold, clinical¡ªa predator sizing up prey.


    "I don''t take kindly to being lectured by children," Olim said, his voice devoid of emotion. "Whoever told you about the content of this exam should have also told you to watch your tongue. Your family name means nothing to me, boy. Even your Steelheart clan would tremble before my shadow."


    Bron writhed on the ground, clutching his stomach, unable to respond.


    The chilling silence that followed was shattered by a voice colder than death itself.


    If there was anyone who Ludwig thought of as scarier than the current teacher talking¡­


    [Fakery of Death has activated]


    ''Speak of the Devil.''


    "Now, now, Olim. Let''s not frighten the young ones too much."


    The temperature seemed to drop as the new figure stepped into view, his presence as commanding as it was terrifying. He wore flowing gothic robes adorned with intricate patterns that seemed to shift and writhe like living shadows. His pale face bore a calm, almost playful smile, but his hollow, piercing gaze sent shivers through everyone present.


    Olim turned, and for the first time, his posture shifted to one of deference. "Tower Master Van Dijk. A pleasure, as always."


    "The pleasure is all mine, Professor Olim," Van Dijk replied smoothly, his voice like silk draped over a steel blade. His eyes swept over the gathered students, lingering momentarily on Ludwig before he continued. "It seems this year''s batch has shown remarkable resilience. I must say, I''m impressed."


    Olim chuckled, his earlier menace melting away like mist. "Impressed, are you? Well, some of them have potential. Though I must admit, I had my doubts about a few." He glanced pointedly at Bron, who was still struggling to regain his breath.


    Van Dijk''s gaze locked onto Ludwig. "Speaking of potential... there''s my pupil. Though I must say, he''s looking a bit worse for wear."


    Olim''s eyebrows shot up. "Wait, your disciple is here? Ludwig, right?"


    Van Dijk tilted his head slightly. "How did you know?"


    Olim''s grin returned, wider than ever. "How could I not? Who else would be insane enough to blow their own arm off inside the mouth of an enraged Lizardman? Especially after losing the other one already! Hah!"


    Van Dijk''s smile didn''t falter, but his eyes narrowed.


    Ludwig froze, his mind racing. The lantern embedded in his body had always cloaked his undead nature, making him appear human to anyone who didn''t know otherwise. But Olim''s sharp observation felt like it had come dangerously close to piercing that veil.


    Olim continued, oblivious to the tension. "Not to mention," he added, "he refused healing from his classmates, insisting on reattaching his arm instead. The kid''s got guts¡ªor sheer madness. Either way, I like him!"


    Van Dijk chuckled softly. "Indeed. Ludwig has always been... resourceful."


    Olim clapped his hands again, making the remaining students vanish in a flash of light. Only Ludwig and Van Dijk remained.


    "Let''s get you to the infirmary," Van Dijk said, his tone unusually gentle.


    "Yes, that would be best," Olim agreed. "The nobles might not complain if their kids die during a test, but if they survive only to perish afterward... well, let''s just say I''d rather avoid the paperwork. Besides, there''s something I need to discuss with your student."


    Van Dijk raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"


    Olim turned to Ludwig, his gaze sharp as a dagger. "Tell me, Ludwig... how is it that you know how to use necromancy?"

 Chapter 58 - 58: Conversation

    Van Dijk''s calculating gaze lingered on Ludwig before flicking back to Olim. "Interesting things must have happened in the trial grounds," he remarked, his voice calm but laced with intrigue.


    Olim smirked. "Oh, you could say that. I have a complete recording of everything that transpired. It''s a monitored dungeon, after all." His expression turned slightly more serious as he looked at Ludwig. "But your actions beg a clear question, Ludwig. You used Necromancy¡ªa practice considered foul and forbidden by the Empire''s laws. Yet, you did so to save others, an act that commands respect. A morally just use of an immoral art."


    Olim crossed his arms, his tone shifting to a mix of authority and begrudging approval. "Seeing the state of your arm, however, I''ll refrain from chewing you out for now. Get yourself fixed up. Once you''re done, I want a detailed written report on my desk. Explain why you chose to use necromancy and justify its application in this scenario. Understood?"


    "Yes, Professor," Ludwig replied, his tone flat and resigned.


    "Come with me, Ludwig," Van Dijk said, his words more of a command than an invitation. He placed a hand on Ludwig''s shoulder, and before the latter could react, the world around them vanished.


    The two of them reappeared at the pinnacle of the Black Tower¡ªthe Tower Master''s sanctum.


    Ludwig instantly recognized the circular room, a space that seemed to defy logic and time. Walls were lined with towering shelves crammed with ancient tomes, forbidden manuscripts, and curiosities of the arcane. Jars containing preserved organs and creatures of grotesque anatomy lined the darker corners, while alchemical tools and strange artifacts were scattered across workbenches. The room felt like a blend of library, laboratory, and museum¡ªa place where knowledge and experimentation danced on the edge of madness.


    Van Dijk closed the portal with a wave of his hand and moved to his ornate chair, sitting with the poise of someone used to authority. He steepled his fingers beneath his nose, his gaze sharpening as it settled on Ludwig.


    "Now," he began, his voice carrying a weight that silenced even the ambient hum of the room, "do you have anything you''d like to say to me?"


    Ludwig stood silently for a moment, his skeletal arm hanging awkwardly at his side. "I do not," he replied flatly.


    Van Dijk''s lips curved into a slight smile, though it carried no warmth. "I have little patience for those who hide things from me¡ªespecially when they do it poorly. Tell me, Ludwig... how did you manage to convince a Sixth-Tier mage like Olim that you''re human?"


    The question was a dagger aimed at Ludwig''s carefully constructed fa?ade.


    Before he could form a response, a cold sensation swept through his body. A familiar notification appeared in his mind:


    [Necro''s Blessing has activated.]


    Ludwig''s limbs went limp, his entire frame slumping as if life itself had drained out of him. His grip on his severed arm faltered, and it fell to the ground with a dull clatter.


    Van Dijk immediately sensed the change. His instincts screamed of danger. He leapt from his chair, his hands moving in a blur as he chanted a rapid string of incantations.


    "{Ensnare}, {Bounds of Latvia}, {Anchor Dead}, {Vow of Silence}!"


    Four spells burst forth almost simultaneously, their energies intertwining as they enveloped Ludwig. Invisible chains of magic wrapped around his form, rooting him to the spot and immobilizing his limbs. A glowing sigil formed beneath him, anchoring him in place and suppressing any chance of teleportation. Finally, a veil of silence wrapped around him, sealing his ability to cast or speak incantations.


    Van Dijk''s aura shifted dramatically. The calm, collected mage was gone, replaced by a man radiating pure, controlled hostility. His crimson eyes narrowed as he studied Ludwig, whose body was now unnaturally still.


    But then Ludwig spoke.


    His voice was not his own.


    "The arrogance of mortals¡­ to wield magic so freely upon the very source that grants it. No wonder you lack true piety."


    The words were laced with an otherworldly resonance, echoing as if spoken from the depths of eternity.


    Van Dijk''s eyes widened in alarm. "How are you speaking? You shouldn''t be able to move, let alone talk. Breaking these spells would require the power of an Eighth-Tier mage. And yet¡­" His voice trailed off as realization dawned. "No¡­ this isn''t Ludwig. Who are you?"


    A chuckle emanated from Ludwig''s lips, though it was laced with something far more sinister. "A smart one, I see. You''re correct¡ªwho you''re speaking to is not the one who stood before you moments ago."


    Van Dijk''s mind raced, formulating contingencies and escape plans. Whatever force now occupied Ludwig''s body had obliterated his restraints in a fraction of a second¡ªa feat that no mortal should be capable of.


    "I''m certain I was speaking to my student earlier," Van Dijk said cautiously, testing the waters.


    "You were," the voice replied. "But now, you face another. I am the Inevitable. The One whom all shall meet, without exception. The same as your dearest Melania."


    The mention of that name froze Van Dijk in his tracks. His entire body stiffened, his eyes blazing crimson as raw fury surged through him. The temperature in the room plummeted, frost forming on the edges of the bookshelves as his aura darkened.


    "Calm yourself, Vampire," the voice commanded, its tone sharp and unyielding.


    The words were enough to douse Van Dijk''s raging anger, though his expression remained tense. "How¡­ how do you know that name?" he whispered, his voice trembling. He was more interested of the fact that this ''thing'' knew of Melania more than his hidden identity as a Vampire. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "If we continue this pointless exchange of emotions, you''ll gain nothing of value. I suggest you focus." Ludwig''s possessed form shifted slightly, its eerie gaze locking onto Van Dijk. "I will grant you three questions. Use them wisely, for once they are asked, I shall depart."


    Van Dijk took a moment to collect himself, though his mind raced. He had countless questions, but he knew he had to prioritize.


    "Where is my wife?" he asked, his voice steady but heavy with grief.


    "She is dead," came the flat reply.


    Van Dijk closed his eyes, suppressing the wave of anguish that threatened to consume him. He had known this truth deep down, but hearing it spoken aloud shattered any lingering hope.


    "What is your purpose in using Ludwig?"


    "To achieve a goal of mine," the voice replied, devoid of elaboration.


    Van Dijk''s frustration mounted. The answers were painfully vague, and he only had one question left. He needed something concrete, something actionable.


    He took a deep breath. "Where can I find the Blood Hound?"

 Chapter 59 - 59: Forgotten Memories

    "That isn''t a question I can answer," the voice said coldly. "It would break the rules."


    Van Dijk stiffened. Rules? He didn''t know if this was a bluff or some cosmic law binding this entity, but the cryptic response left him no choice. He needed to ask wisely. "Ask again," the voice commanded.


    Van Dijk''s thoughts churned as he sought clarity, but the Black Tower groaned ominously, the very walls trembling as if some colossal weight bore down upon its foundations. His domain, his sanctuary, was under assault, not by any physical force, but by a power so profound it seeped into the fabric of reality itself.


    Van Dijk''s gaze flickered to Ludwig¡ªor rather, the being inhabiting his student''s body. The boy''s expression remained eerily calm despite the tremors, a stillness that sent a chill down the Tower Master''s spine.


    "What''s causing this disturbance?" Van Dijk demanded.


    The entity''s face betrayed no emotion, but its lips twisted into a faint, mocking smile. "You already know the answer to that. You fear it, as all mortals do."


    Van Dijk''s fists clenched at his sides, nails biting into his palms as his mind reeled. The pressure in the room grew heavier, making it difficult to breathe, yet Ludwig¡ªor the thing pretending to be him¡ªremained unaffected.


    The Tower Master inhaled deeply, forcing his thoughts to align. He shifted tactics, abandoning questions of the unknown. "You wouldn''t protect Ludwig if he weren''t significant to your purpose," he said. "But he''s inexperienced. A child in this dangerous game. If he''s so important, then let me take on his duty instead. I am far better equipped."


    For the first time, the entity''s expression shifted¡ªa faint smile, enigmatic and unsettling. "An interesting proposal. But I do not trust mortals. Your ambition is too fickle, your resolve too easily swayed."


    Van Dijk''s jaw tightened. "Then what purpose does he serve that I cannot fulfill?"


    Instead of answering directly, the entity leaned forward slightly, as if to deliver a secret meant only for Van Dijk. "I shall leave you with a gift¡ªa tip, if you will¡ªsince you have proven yourself a worthy mentor to this child. The revenge you so desperately crave will never be yours by your own hands. You lack the power, and your enemies know this. However¡­"


    The room seemed to darken further, the shadows deepening around the entity as its tone dropped to a whisper. "¡­this child will grow capable of achieving what you cannot. Aid his growth, and the vengeance you seek may one day be in your grasp. But mark my words, Van Dijk¡ªwhen the cost of your desire is laid bare, you may find it heavier than you can bear."


    Van Dijk froze, the weight of the words sinking in like lead. Then, to Ludwig''s surprise, the Tower Master threw his head back and began to laugh¡ªa cold, manic cackle that reverberated through the chamber like shattered glass.


    "THE COST?" Van Dijk roared, his crimson eyes gleaming with unholy fervor. "I WOULD PAY MY VERY LIFE! MY SOUL, IF NEED BE, TO HAVE HIS HEART IN MY HANDS! NO PRICE IS TOO GREAT!"


    The smile on Ludwig''s face¡ªif it could be called Ludwig''s¡ªwidened ever so slightly. "Then nurture this child, and your wish shall be fulfilled. That is all I will say."


    The entity''s voice faded, and with it, the oppressive atmosphere in the room began to lift. Ludwig''s body shuddered violently as the unearthly presence withdrew, leaving him to slump to the ground.


    Van Dijk''s reaction was immediate. "{Dispel Bindings}," he muttered, releasing the spells he had cast earlier.


    Ludwig groaned as his limbs regained motion, blinking rapidly as he took in his surroundings. He noticed the shattered remains of an ink vial on the desk, the scattered books, and the faint glow of dissipating magical seals. "What¡­ what happened?" he asked, his voice hoarse.


    Van Dijk loomed over him, his piercing gaze betraying none of his inner turmoil. "You don''t remember?"


    Ludwig shook his head. "I just walked in¡­ and then everything went blank."


    Van Dijk leaned back, crossing his arms as he regarded the boy with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity. "Do you know why the Tower itself began to tremble? Why my spells failed against you?"


    Ludwig''s confusion deepened. "I don''t understand what you mean."


    Van Dijk sighed heavily, the weight of what had just occurred pressing down on him. "It''s fine," he said at last, though his tone was anything but. "For now, we''ll let this be. But tell me¡ªhow is it that you came to use necromancy? I''m certain I never taught you that."


    Ludwig hesitated. "I found it in one of the books here¡ªHcilhcra Algad''s Treatise on the Arcane. It had a sigil for necromancy in the margins. I memorized it when I saw it and used it during the trial grounds."


    Van Dijk pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperation evident. "Do you know how many laws you broke by using that sigil? Necromancy is a crime punishable by crucifixion. And as if that weren''t enough, you flaunted your undead nature by walking around holding your severed arm as if it were a party favor!"


    "There''s a reason for that," Ludwig replied defensively.


    Van Dijk arched an eyebrow. "Oh, this I must hear. Enlighten me."


    Ludwig recounted everything that had happened in the testing grounds¡ªhis desperate battles, the use of necromancy to create the undead lizardmen, and the explosive finale with the Champion. He spoke with conviction, justifying his decisions as survival tactics, though he faltered when describing his reckless charges into danger.


    Van Dijk listened intently, nodding occasionally but making no comment. When Ludwig finished, the Tower Master tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I can see your reasoning. Still, using necromancy is never justifiable, even in desperate circumstances. You could have stayed with the group instead of foolishly rushing into the boss room. A teacher would have intervened if the test dragged on or enough students died."


    "I didn''t know that," Ludwig admitted. "None of us did. I acted on a hunch."


    Van Dijk''s crimson eyes narrowed. "And how do you explain this?" He gestured to Ludwig''s skeletal arm. "Everyone, including a Sixth-Tier mage, swore you were bleeding like any other human. Yet I see nothing but bare bones."


    Ludwig hesitated. "That¡­"


    Before he could answer, the lantern at his side shimmered into view, glowing faintly. Van Dijk''s eyes locked onto it, and his expression shifted instantly. He staggered back, gripping his head as memories he was certain that they were never there before flooded his mind.


    Flashes of the past, fragmented and chaotic, overwhelmed him. The lantern, once seemingly unremarkable, now burned with an inexplicable familiarity. He saw visions of a distant battlefield, of fallen comrades and endless carnage. And then he saw her. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Melania¡­" Van Dijk whispered, his voice cracking.


    Ludwig watched, bewildered, as Van Dijk''s composure shattered. "What''s happening?" he asked, but the Tower Master was too lost in his own torment to answer.


    "How come... how come you have HIS lantern?!" Van Dijk''s eyes blared in red flaring lights.


    The lantern''s glow intensified, casting long, eerie shadows across the chamber. Whatever secrets it held, they were now clawing their way to the surface.

 Chapter 60 - 60: Forgotten Past

    More than hundreds of years ago...


    In the southwest of the Lufondal Empire lay the March of Bastos, a land ruled by one of the most prominent noble families of the Kingdom of Lamar. The Bastos family was old¡ªso ancient, in fact, that legends spoke of their existence long before the Lufondal Empire itself rose to power. Renowned not for their military might but for their staggering wealth, the Bastos family wielded influence that could rival the seven kingdoms of the empire combined.


    Yet, despite their strength, the Bastos family showed no interest in power struggles or the throne. They neither bowed to the emperor nor rebelled against him outright. Instead, they stood apart, a looming dragon too proud to kneel but too dormant to provoke. Even the emperor himself, after years of failed attempts to undermine them by empowering rival nobles, had resigned himself to their coexistence.


    Their territory flourished, unbothered by the turbulence of imperial politics. But beneath the surface of their pristine image was a problem, one that simmered within the walls of the family''s opulent mansion.


    "WHERE IS VAN DIJK?!"


    The furious roar of Dante Bastos, patriarch of the Bastos family, reverberated through the marble corridors of the grand estate. He stood in his study, a man as imposing as the castle itself. Towering at two meters tall with a frame like a bear, Dante''s presence alone could cow the boldest of warriors.


    Before him stood a trembling maid, her head bowed low. Though she appeared to be a simple servant, she was anything but. A fourth-tier Swordmaster trained in assassination techniques, her mere presence was enough to unnerve even seasoned warriors. Yet here, in the presence of her enraged master, she dared not lift her gaze.


    "My lord," she said, her voice laced with fear, "Lord Van Dijk is not in the palace. We''ve searched every room."


    Dante''s fist slammed down onto the mahogany desk, splintering it into fragments. He held a crumpled piece of parchment in his other hand, his knuckles white with tension. "That idiot son of mine! Bring Celine to me, now!"


    "Yes, my lord." The maid melted into the shadows, disappearing as swiftly and silently as she had come.


    Moments later, a tall woman in full military regalia entered the room. Her gray hair was pulled into a severe bun, and her icy blue eyes bore a sharpness that rivaled steel. This was Celine, Dante''s daughter, a commander whose presence exuded authority.


    "You called, My Lord?" she said, her tone as calm as the sea before a storm.


    The old man sighed, "I told you many times, when we''re together, call me father," he said, he then waved the parchment at her, his face red with frustration. "That brother of yours! Do you have any idea what he''s done this time?"


    Celine''s lips quirked in a small, knowing smirk. "Which incident are you referring to, Father? Was it the time he sold your prized River and Sea painting for wine? Or the time he set the Duke of Montana''s wig on fire in front of his entire court? Or perhaps the night he drank more than an entire viscount''s yearly income?"


    Dante groaned, collapsing into his chair. "That boy is going to be the death of me. my old heart can''t take this." Exaggerating his antics to get some sympathy of his daughter.


    Celine moved behind him, her hands deftly massaging his tense shoulders. "Father, you can''t have heart problems, you''re a True Vampire, let alone a heart attack. Now, stop the whinging and tell me what he''s done this time."


    Dante sighed, his frustration bleeding into melancholy. "It''s not just his antics, Celine. He''s changed since your mother died. Unlike you, he doesn''t share my¡­ condition. He''ll age. He''ll grow old. And one day, he''ll be gone."


    "It is the fate of all mortals, I can see why you dote on him a lot, Francesca was a gentle and kind woman, what happened to her was out of any of our control¡­"


    "I should have been there if only she kept my keepsake with her¡­" the old man said.


    "She gave it to him, that''s what parental Love does, father," Celine replied as she rubbed on her father''s shoulders.


    Dante''s gaze fell to the parchment in his hand. "Still¡­ this time, he''s crossed a line." He handed it to her, and Celine''s eyes scanned the contents.


    Her lips twitched. "Even for him, this is bold."


    ***


    Meanwhile, in a lively inn on the outskirts of the Bastos territory, the air was thick with the scent of ale, roasted meat, and the faint tang of spilled beer. The dimly lit interior glowed with the warm orange hues of lanterns and a crackling hearth. Wooden beams lined the ceiling, their surfaces scarred from years of rowdy brawls and the occasional drunken axe throw. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Laughter and shouts filled the room, mingling with the cheerful tunes of a bard strumming a lute in the corner. Adventurers, merchants, and laborers crowded around tables, their mugs sloshing with frothy ale as they toasted to victories both real and exaggerated.


    At the center of the chaos stood a young man, shirtless and wiry but brimming with reckless energy. In his hands, he held a massive keg of beer, his grin wide and challenging.


    "Old man, I''m taking that beard of yours tonight!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the din.


    Across from him stood a burly dwarf, his chest puffed out with the pride of his race. He cradled a keg of his own, his expression one of equal parts amusement and determination.


    "For a twig of a human, you''ve got guts!" the dwarf bellowed. "But tonight, lad, you''ll be the one running naked through the streets!"


    The crowd erupted into cheers and chants of "CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!" as the two competitors raised their kegs and began to drink.


    The young man tilted his head back, gulping the frothy liquid with abandon. The keg was almost half his size, but he didn''t falter, his determination fueled by both pride and the sheer joy of the moment. Around him, the tavern roared with excitement, the patrons slamming their mugs against the tables in rhythm with the chants.


    The dwarf matched him gulp for gulp, his beard dripping with beer as he grinned through the challenge. "You''re good, lad," he said between swigs. "But you''ve met your match tonight!"


    The young man wobbled slightly, the weight of the keg and the sheer volume of alcohol beginning to take their toll. But he didn''t stop, his grin never faltering even as his legs threatened to give out beneath him.


    Finally, with a dramatic flourish, he drained the last of his keg and slammed it onto the table. "HA! Take that, you stubby bastard!"


    But before he could revel in his victory, his knees buckled, and he collapsed onto the floor in a fit of drunken laughter.


    The dwarf roared with laughter, pounding his chest. "You''ve got spirit, boy! I''ll give you that. But you''re no match for a dwarf''s liver!"


    The tavern exploded into cheers and laughter, the patrons raising their mugs in salute to the two competitors. The bard struck up a lively tune, and the room seemed to come alive with renewed energy.

 Chapter 61 - 61: The Lout of the Bastos Family

    The sound of laughter echoed all through the streets of the city. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The tavern had erupted into cheers as the young man and the dwarf concluded their drinking match in a spectacularly unsophisticated fashion. The once-proud competitors now clung to the table for dear life, their faces pale and stomachs revolting in unison.


    "HAH! You dare compete with a dwarf, you lanky tw¡ªBlurgghhhh!" The dwarf doubled over, unable to finish his sentence, a stream of partially digested ale escaping his lips.


    "Serves you right!" the young man sputtered before succumbing to the same fate, vomiting so violently that the surrounding patrons erupted into a chorus of laughter.


    The tavern''s patrons clapped and jeered as the two drinkers leaned against each other for support, their earlier bravado now reduced to groans and grumbles. The smell of stale ale, sweat, and roasted meat mingled with the earthy tang of spilled beer, creating an atmosphere as intoxicating as it was overwhelming.


    The dim glow of lanterns and the flicker of the hearth cast long shadows across the wooden beams and rough-hewn furniture. Adventurers, merchants, and locals alike raised their mugs in mock toasts to the two "champions" who had proven themselves equally adept at drinking and failing.


    After some time, the young man wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and staggered to his feet, leaning heavily on the table for support. His shirtless frame glistened with sweat, and his usually confident smirk was replaced by a sheepish grin.


    "What are you doing?" the dwarf asked, watching as young man began unbuttoning his pants.


    "A loss is a loss," he declared, his voice slurred but firm. "I''m not someone who''ll shy away from a bet or fail to honor it."


    "Oi, you noble bastard, you''ll get me in trouble!" The dwarf tried to intervene, but his arms were too short to reach the young man in time. "Your pops will rip my beard out if he hears about this. I only wanted to teach you a lesson, not have you streak naked through the streets!"


    The young man laughed, the sound hearty despite his intoxication. "Nah, I''m a man of my word. Besides¡­" He yanked his pants down, standing proudly in his full glory. "It''s not like I have anything to be ashamed of! HAH!"


    The tavern exploded into whistles, cheers, and laughter as he strutted toward the door. Women giggled behind raised hands, while men clapped him on the back as he passed. "See you all later!" he called out, throwing the tavern door open and stepping into the cool night air, butt-naked and utterly unapologetic.


    The streets of the Bastos March were quiet, the bustling crowds of the day replaced by a smattering of night owls and wandering drunks. Lanterns hanging from wrought iron poles cast golden circles of light on the cobblestone streets, while the shadows between them seemed to stretch endlessly into the darkness.


    His bare feet slapped against the cold stones as he jogged through the city, his breath visible in the crisp air. Pedestrians stopped in their tracks, their expressions a mixture of shock, amusement, and confusion as they watched the young nobleman streak past them.


    "Is that... Lord Van Dijk?" one man whispered to his companion.


    "By the gods, what is he doing?"


    "Making a fool of himself, as always," another muttered with a chuckle.


    Van Dijk paid them no mind, his laughter echoing through the empty streets. The alcohol in his veins kept the cold at bay, but as the minutes passed, a sense of clarity began to return to him. He slowed to a walk, his breath coming in puffs of steam, and made his way toward a small public garden.


    The garden was serene, bathed in the soft silver light of the moon. Neatly trimmed hedges bordered winding paths, and clusters of flowers swayed gently in the breeze. A single bench sat beneath a sprawling oak tree, its branches bare and skeletal in the winter chill.


    Van Dijk plopped down onto the bench, his naked form illuminated by the moonlight. He leaned back, staring up at the stars as he sighed. "Maybe that dwarf was right," he muttered to himself. "I do need to learn when to quit."


    His musings were interrupted by the sound of hurried footsteps. A young woman darted into view, her thin wool coat wrapped tightly around her to ward off the cold. Her hair was disheveled, her shoes worn and muddied, but her striking azure eyes shone with a light that seemed to pierce the darkness.


    Van Dijk froze, his breath catching in his throat. For all her apparent poverty, there was an unassuming grace about her that left him spellbound.


    "What are you doing naked here?" she asked, her tone equal parts concern and disbelief.


    Van Dijk smirked, the roguish grin returning to his face. "Waiting for you."


    The woman blinked, taken aback. "I''m sorry, but I really must be going," she said, turning to leave.


    As she walked away, Van Dijk''s heart ached with an intensity that surprised even him. He wanted to call out to her, to stop her, but his tongue felt heavy and useless.


    To his astonishment, the woman paused after a few steps. She turned back and approached him, her expression softening as she shrugged off her coat and draped it over his shoulders.


    "Keep yourself warm," she said simply. "You''ll fall ill."


    And with that, she disappeared into the night, her figure swallowed by the shadows.


    Van Dijk sat there, clutching the coat to his chest as if it were a priceless treasure. Despite its tattered state, it was the warmest, most precious gift he had ever received.


    "She didn''t even ask for anything in return," he murmured, his voice barely audible. "Who is she?"


    Driven by a sudden surge of determination, Van Dijk stood and wrapped the coat around his waist before setting off in the direction she had gone. But no matter how far he searched, she was nowhere to be found.


    Just as he was about to give up, a heavy hand clamped down on his shoulder.


    "Finally found you," a familiar voice growled.


    Van Dijk turned, only to be met with the stern, disapproving glare of his sister, Celine.


    "HAAAA!" he yelped in surprise, earning himself a swift knuckle to the head.


    "Is that how you greet your sister? One would think you saw a monster," she snapped.


    "More like a gorilla," Van Dijk muttered under his breath, earning himself another whack.


    "You''ll turn me into an idiot at this rate!" he protested.


    "You already are one, Van Dijk," she retorted, crossing her arms. Her eyes scanned him from head to toe, taking in his disheveled appearance. "And what, pray tell, is this rag you''re wearing? And why are you naked?"


    Van Dijk scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "It''s a long story."


    "Save it," she said, grabbing him by the ear and dragging him along. "Father is ready to rip you in two as it is."


    Van Dijk cast one last glance over his shoulder, his heart still yearning for the mysterious woman. But with Celine''s iron grip on his ear, he had little choice but to follow her lead.

 Chapter 62 - 62: Ten Points for ...Skeludwig

    "Where did you obtain that Lantern?" Van Dijk asked, his piercing gaze locking onto Ludwig like a predator assessing its prey.


    "You can see it?" Ludwig replied, frowning in confusion. The lantern, with its faint otherworldly glow, hung innocuously at his side.


    "Of course," Van Dijk said, leaning back in his chair. "It''s something that has ill-fated memories with me, something that belonged to someone I swore I''d end with my own hands one day.."


    Ludwig hesitated. How could he explain something he barely understood himself? But ill-fated item? and someone else had it before? Was there another lantern wielder present before Ludwig?


    Before he could muster a reply, Van Dijk continued, his tone grave, "That Lantern... belonged to Necros." He steepled his fingers in a pyramid, his expression unreadable but heavy with contemplation.


    Ludwig felt a chill run through him. He knew Van Dijk wasn''t a simple man, but this confirmed his suspicions: Van Dijk was far scarier than anything Ludwig had encountered. The way he pieced together the connection between the lantern and Necros so effortlessly unnerved him.


    "Regardless," Van Dijk said, breaking the tense silence, "you''re mine. Be it a god, a deity, or a demon, you belong to me now. And I will achieve my goals¡ªno matter the cost, no matter the obstacles, no matter the years. Even seven hundred of them," he declared. The sheer conviction in his voice left no room for doubt.


    Van Dijk snapped his fingers, summoning a small flame atop his index finger. The fire morphed into the shape of a bat, its black flames flickering ominously. Without so much as a ripple, it flew through the closed window, leaving behind no trace of its passage.


    "Follow me," Van Dijk commanded, standing abruptly.


    Ludwig followed reluctantly as Van Dijk opened the door to the room. But instead of the familiar stairwell leading down, Ludwig was greeted by the sight of a laboratory¡ªa chillingly familiar one. It was the very lab where his "operation" had taken place. He clenched his fists as the memories of that day resurfaced.


    Van Dijk motioned to the table in the center of the room. "Remove that ruined dress and sit."


    Ludwig hesitated but complied. He stripped off his torn and bloodied robes and sat on the cold surface of the table.


    "This slime," Van Dijk said, gesturing to the translucent layer coating Ludwig''s skeletal frame, "is no longer useful for you, I presume."


    "No," Ludwig replied, glancing at his own hand. "The lantern allows me to be perceived as ''human'' by those who don''t know my true nature."


    Van Dijk raised an eyebrow at this revelation. It was new information, even for him. That Ludwig volunteered it so freely was a testament to Van Dijk''s subtle manipulation. Seven hundred years of experience made coaxing secrets from someone as easy as plucking fruit from a low-hanging branch.


    Though no fault of Ludwig, after all, Van Dijk was truly a monster.


    "Don''t speak of this to anyone else," Van Dijk said, his voice stern. "Some things are better kept hidden, and from what I have seen... that lantern only allowed a select few to see it.."


    Ludwig was once again amazed, ''The fact he could deduce something like that is already impressive. How did he do that?"


    He extended his hand. "Give me that arm of yours." S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig handed over his severed arm without protest. Van Dijk inspected it with a critical eye, running his fingers along the jagged edges of bone and the faint traces of slime. Satisfied, he propped the arm against Ludwig''s shoulder.


    "Funnel your mana into your detached arm as if you were casting a spell," Van Dijk instructed.


    Ludwig frowned. He couldn''t feel the arm¡ªit was as if it were no longer part of him. How was he supposed to cast a spell? Despite his doubts, he trusted Van Dijk and focused, attempting to summon a [Fireball] or even the more reckless [Self-Immolation]. To his astonishment, he felt the mana circuits in his arm reconnect with a faint spark.


    "You can stop now," Van Dijk said, removing his hand. Ludwig flexed his newly reattached arm, marveling at the seamless restoration.


    "Impressive healing," Van Dijk remarked. "Now, I need to see what truly happened."


    "I don''t think I skipped anything," Ludwig said cautiously.


    Van Dijk smirked, his crimson eyes gleaming. "The same story can have different interpretations depending on the person who tells it." He extended his finger, and the black flame bat returned, perching momentarily before transforming into a small, dark marble.


    Van Dijk held the marble aloft and infused it with mana. The air shimmered, and scenes from the dungeon trial played out in vivid detail. Ludwig watched alongside Van Dijk as the events unfolded from multiple perspectives. The chaos, the fear, the triumphs¡ªit was all laid bare.


    "There is so much to scorn and criticize here," Van Dijk said, shaking his head. "Your classmates were a mess, and your own actions, though brave, were reckless."


    Ludwig''s shoulders sagged. He had expected praise but instead felt the weight of his mistakes.


    "But," Van Dijk added, "you did good. Take pride in that¡ªI rarely praise anyone."


    He pointed to specific moments in the projection, narrating his assessment. "Here, you recognized the flaw in the Lizardmen''s sight and used it to your advantage. Plus one point. Here, you led the group and helped them avoid detection. Plus another point. And here," Van Dijk''s tone softened, "you solved problems without relying on external powers. Plus ten points."


    "Here," he pointed, "You recognized that you were not leaving without beating the boss, plus one point.


    Ludwig perked up slightly, but Van Dijk wasn''t finished.


    "However," Van Dijk said, his voice growing icy, "here," he pointed to the scene of Ludwig fighting the Lizardman Champion alone, "you recklessly endangered yourself by fighting a superior enemy without a clear plan. Minus a hundred points."


    Ludwig winced. He had no defense for that decision¡ªit had been pure desperation.


    "For a necromancer wannabe, you''re a failure..."

 Chapter 63 - 63: A Teacher

    "I didn''t see any corpses," Ludwig said, his voice tinged with confusion and a lingering hint of exhaustion.


    Van Dijk sighed deeply, the kind of sigh that spoke of centuries of experience weighed down by the naivety of youth. "The Sigil of Summon Undead isn''t limited to the corpses lying on the ground," he began, pacing slowly around the room with his hands clasped behind his back. His crimson eyes glinted under the flickering light of the lanterns in his lab. "It is an ancient and dangerous craft. The sigil can harness the residual essence of anything that has died in the vicinity, even those long faded into dust."


    Ludwig stiffened at the explanation. He had understood necromancy to be a means of calling the dead back into service, but this was something altogether more profound¡ªand far more horrifying.


    Van Dijk continued, his voice sharp, each word laced with warning. "You''re not guaranteed to summon a simple Lizardman. You could inadvertently call forth something ancient, a being whose death left echoes so potent they''ve never truly faded. A banshee, perhaps. Or worse..." He paused, his gaze locking onto Ludwig''s, his tone dropping to a chilling whisper. "A demon."


    Ludwig''s heart skipped a beat, though he didn''t have any. A bead of figurative cold sweat traced its way down his temple.


    Van Dijk turned away, his tone now one of restrained frustration. "This is why that sigil is forbidden. It breaks not only the rules of mortal magic but the fabric of reality itself. Used recklessly, it can summon entities too mighty, too malevolent for you¡ªor anyone¡ªto control." He faced Ludwig once more, his expression now stern. "You tried to fight alone when you had access to this power. Such foolishness is unacceptable."


    The rebuke stung, but Ludwig held his ground. He didn''t defend himself because, deep down, he knew Van Dijk was right. The battle had been reckless; the cost would have been his life. Something he already lost twice before.


    Van Dijk''s expression softened, just slightly, as he gestured to one of the shimmering memories still playing in the air before them. "But here¡ªthis is where you gained my favor." He pointed to the scene where Ludwig refused treatment. "You realized that healing spell would kill you."


    Ludwig nodded, his voice steady but laced with uncertainty. "Yes. I thought heal spells would destroy me if I received them."


    Van Dijk laughed, a sound as dark and chilling as a cold wind through an ancient graveyard. "It wouldn''t have." He shook his head, amusement fading into explanation. "The spell your classmate was using wasn''t a holy spell¡ªit was a basic [Heal]. Healing magic is rooted in the natural regeneration of the body, applicable to both the living and the undead."


    Ludwig blinked in confusion. "I didn''t know that..."


    Van Dijk''s eyes gleamed with the light of a teacher about to impart a harsh truth. "Holy Heal is entirely different. It cleanses before it regenerates, removing all curses, ailments... and undead corruption. That ''cleansing'' would erase your very existence before the healing could begin. But basic [Heal]? That would have simply restored your arm, no divine purification involved." He smirked. "Still, your prudence spared you this time. For that, I''ll overlook your mistake."


    Ludwig exhaled, unsure whether to feel relieved or embarrassed. Van Dijk, however, wasn''t done.


    "What worries me most," Van Dijk said, his tone growing sharper, "is that throughout the entire ordeal, you used only one spell. One stupid spell that nearly cost you your arm."


    Ludwig shifted uncomfortably. "That''s the only spell I know," he admitted. "Well, more like the only spell I learned right then and there."


    Van Dijk arched an eyebrow, a smirk creeping across his face. "Let me get this straight. You improvised a spell on the spot? In the middle of a life-or-death battle?" He shook his head, muttering to himself. "If nothing else, you''re bold."


    Ludwig''s cheeks flushed¡ªnot that his skeletal features could show it. "I was trying to use [Fireball]."


    Van Dijk laughed heartily, the sound echoing ominously off the lab''s stone walls. "You''re trying to run before you''ve learned to crawl! [Fireball]? A Tier-One mage spell, and you''ve barely grasped the fundamentals of mana control."


    "I read your Mana Control notes," Ludwig said quickly. "I already finished them."


    Van Dijk''s laughter abruptly stopped. "Finished? As in, read them? Or understood them?" His piercing gaze bore into Ludwig.


    "To a decent extent," Ludwig replied, feeling less confident under Van Dijk''s scrutiny.


    Van Dijk let out another sigh, shaking his head. "So be it. Though I doubt you''ve fully grasped something that deep in such a short time, I''ll allow you to take a few basic spellbooks. They''ll give you tools better suited to your current level."


    "I can only learn only two spells, though," Ludwig admitted, his voice tinged with frustration. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Van Dijk frowned. "Why?" He studied Ludwig for a moment, piecing together the puzzle. "Ah, your circle level, yes? Remember, Ludwig, you''re not human. You''re not bound by the same constraints they are."


    Ludwig hesitated, unwilling to explain his limitation of two spell slots.


    Van Dijk continued, his tone contemplative. "You''ve probably read that mages must expand their mana pool through circles to learn more spells. And that''s true¡ªto an extent. But you forget the deeper truth. Once your understanding of a spell reaches mastery, it ceases to be a mere spell. It becomes a part of you, something innate. That''s why mages read constantly, striving for deeper comprehension. You must do the same."


    A notification appeared before Ludwig, startling him.


    [You have received a clue on how to remove the limitation of spell slots.]


    [Sudden Quest!]


    Spell Mastery


    ? Objective: Learn three different spells within one week.


    ? Difficulty Level: E.


    ? Reward: Achievement: [Spell Mastery].


    Ludwig''s eyes widened at the implications. He''d been struggling with the decision of which spells to learn, but this was a chance to transcend that limitation.


    Van Dijk noticed Ludwig''s distracted expression. "What''s wrong?"


    "Nothing," Ludwig replied quickly, a spark of determination igniting within him. He had more flexibility now¡ªmore potential than he''d thought possible. He just needed to seize it.


    Van Dijk smirked knowingly. "Good. Now get to work. And remember¡ªrecklessness will not be tolerated."


    Ludwig nodded, resolve solidifying in his mind. He was ready to embrace this next challenge, whatever it might bring.

 Chapter 64 - 64: Breaking The Limits

    "Now that your body is working properly, let''s get you acclimated to more spells you can learn," Van Dijk said, his voice crisp as he led Ludwig back toward his study.


    The winding corridors of the Black Tower felt eerily quiet, the walls lined with bookshelves that seemed to stretch endlessly toward the vaulted ceiling. Occasional whispers of mana could be felt, residual traces of ancient spells that had once been cast in this arcane haven. Ludwig followed closely, his mind spinning with questions about his newfound abilities and the enigmatic man guiding him.


    Van Dijk''s study, as always, was a blend of chaos and methodical precision. The scent of old parchment and ink mixed with the faint tang of alchemical reagents. Various tomes were stacked in precarious towers around the room, while the centerpiece¡ªa grand ebony desk¡ªremained immaculately organized. Van Dijk moved with purpose, scanning the shelves and muttering to himself as he selected several books.


    "For now, start with these," he said, handing Ludwig five worn volumes. The covers were unadorned, save for faint markings that suggested age and importance. "They should align with your current level of understanding. Perhaps they''ll also assist with your... other hobby."


    Ludwig''s curiosity was piqued as he took the books, examining them closely. "Are these Skill Books?" he asked.


    Van Dijk gave him a look that was equal parts disdain and amusement. "No self-respecting mage would ever rely on Skill Books," he said, his tone sharp. "Skill Books are the fast food of magic¡ªdegraded spells stripped of their essence and compressed into a hollow form for the lazy and desperate. These," he tapped the stack of books with a finger, "are true spells, recorded by those who understand their craft."


    Ludwig nodded, understanding the gravity of the gift but still caught off guard by Van Dijk''s vehemence.


    Van Dijk continued, his voice softening slightly. "If you can grasp the concepts within these tomes, you''ll gain more than just spells. You''ll gain insight into the art itself. However," he added, his tone turning serious, "don''t overfill your cup. Learn what you need, what you deem necessary¡ªand, just as importantly, learn what you can discard when the time comes."


    The cryptic remark left Ludwig puzzled, but he didn''t question it further. The allure of five potential spells was too great, and he quickly stored the books in the enchanted ring Van Dijk had given him.


    "Go back to your dorm," Van Dijk said, returning to his desk and pulling a much older, more tattered book from a hidden drawer. "If Olim inquires about your arm, tell him I fixed it. There was no need for the infirmary."


    Ludwig lingered for a moment, his gaze drawn to the ancient book in Van Dijk''s hands. Unlike the polished volumes on the shelves, this one was frayed, its leather cover cracked and its edges weathered. Yet it seemed to emanate an almost magnetic pull.


    Van Dijk noticed his hesitation and shot him a sharp look. "What are you still doing here?"


    "Ah, my bad," Ludwig stammered, turning on his heel and scurrying out of the room.


    Some Time Later


    Ludwig returned to his dormitory, the five books spread out on the small, creaky desk before him. Their titles glinted faintly in the dim light:


    [Enfeeble][Galvanize][Taint][Flame Bringer][Frenzied Spirits]


    The lack of authorship intrigued him. Each book had a similar style of writing, as though penned by the same person. Could they be Van Dijk''s personal creations? The thought sent a thrill through him.


    He decided to start with [Enfeeble]. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Enfeeble] {Sigil}


    The opening pages of the tome were dense with diagrams and symbols, each meticulously annotated. The sigil was intricate, its curves and lines speaking of a dark, ancient art. Ludwig''s brow furrowed as he read:


    "In matters of curses and hexes, the most loathed are sigil curses. [Enfeeble] dances on the line of immoral and forbidden, creating an area of influence that saps strength and dulls abilities. Any who step within the sigil''s bounds will find their power reduced¡ªspells weakened, bodies slowed, minds dulled. It is not a permanent curse but a fleeting one, fading with time or distance from the sigil''s locus."


    The book delved deeply into the mechanics of sigil creation, explaining the purpose behind every rune and line. It wasn''t just about copying the sigil¡ªit was about understanding its language. Ludwig found himself immersed, his mind piecing together the logic behind each stroke.


    Two hours later, the sigil was seared into his memory. His fingers twitched as though tracing its outline, and the runic language felt like second nature.


    {You have learned the Spell [Enfeeble]}


    {Your mastery over the Spell [Enfeeble] has grown to [Amateur]}


    {You have learned 2/2 spells.}


    Ludwig frowned at the notification. His spell slots were full, yet the quest from earlier suggested he could overcome this limit. For now, he resisted the urge to test [Enfeeble], knowing it might draw unwanted attention.


    He turned to the second book: [Galvanize].


    [Galvanize]


    The text opened with a bold claim:


    "All bodies have limits. Yet, with the right application of mana, those limits can be shattered, if only briefly."


    [Galvanize] was a self-enhancement spell, pushing the body beyond its natural constraints. It detailed how mana could be channeled into muscles and nerves, forcing them to exceed their limits. The potential was enticing¡ªenhanced speed, strength, and even cognitive function. However, the cost was steep: rapid stamina depletion and potential strain on the user''s body.


    For someone alive, that cost might be fatal. Ludwig, however, was not alive.


    He read on, fascinated by the meticulous instructions. The spell demanded constant mana control, something Ludwig knew he lacked. Still, he couldn''t resist imagining the possibilities.


    {You have learned the Spell [Galvanize]}


    Surprise flickered across Ludwig''s face. He had no blood or muscles, yet the system registered the spell. Was his skeletal form adaptable in ways he didn''t yet understand? The thought excited him.


    [Quest Progress: 2/3 Spells Learned]


    Ludwig glanced at the remaining books. The prospect of learning even more spells spurred him on. He cracked his knuckles¡ªor what passed for them¡ªand prepared to delve deeper. The night was young, and the promise of power lay waiting within the pages.

 Chapter 65 - 65: UNLIMITED POWER!

    {You have learned the Spell [Galvanize]}


    {Your mastery over the spell [Galvanize] has increased to Amateur}


    {You have exceeded the limit of spells you can learn.}


    {Your understanding of spells is enough to bypass the spell limit.}


    [Congratulations! You have successfully cleared the Quest: Spell Mastery.]


    [You have obtained the Achievement: Spell Mastery.]


    [Spell Mastery]: You are no longer bound by your inherent ability to learn spells. You may learn as many spells as you can, provided you understand their basic functionality. However, the potency of each spell will depend on your Wisdom. The higher your Wisdom, the more powerful and faster your spell proficiency increases.


    Ludwig''s breath caught in his chest¡ªa chest devoid of life, yet one that still carried the weight of his ambition. His skeletal hand flexed reflexively as the notifications sank in.


    "This... changes everything," he murmured to himself. A newfound excitement bubbled in his hollow form. The system''s limitations on spell learning had been a looming shadow, one that now seemed banished by his growing understanding. But the victory came with an immediate realization:


    "I''ll need more Wisdom to make the most of this. And for that... I need souls."


    His enthusiasm dimmed momentarily. Acquiring souls wasn''t easy. The dungeons like the Lizardman trial provided a rich harvest, but he couldn''t rely on those regularly. Killing students, while theoretically an option, was a moral boundary he wasn''t willing to cross¡ªnot to mention the paltry value of their unbloodied souls.


    "Monsters," Ludwig concluded. "Monsters are my only viable path forward."


    With his resolve set, he turned his attention to the third book on the desk.


    [Taint]


    The book''s opening pages were stark, the first line written boldly in crimson ink:


    "This is a Curse. It is forbidden by the laws of Lufondal. Use it, and you may find yourself at the gallows."


    Ludwig''s eyes scanned the page, his mind racing as he read on:


    [Taint] is a harmful curse that diminishes the resistances of its target. Physical, magical, and even infernal resistances are reduced, leaving the afflicted vulnerable to devastating attacks. [Taint] is particularly effective when paired with necromantic spells, such as [Corpse Explosion]. The curse spreads like a miasma upon the death of its host, potentially affecting nearby enemies in a chain reaction of devastation."


    The concept was enticing: a tool for whittling down defenses, ensuring maximum impact for future attacks. But the warning etched into the margins was equally daunting.


    "This curse is dangerous, not just for its effects but for its implications. Once cast, its miasmic energy leaves a trace¡ªa beacon that skilled mages can detect. Use it with extreme caution."


    Ludwig frowned, weighing the risk. The potential was undeniable, but the consequences of being discovered were severe. Necromantic spells were already forbidden, and this one screamed trouble.


    Still, he knew he couldn''t afford to overlook it. The versatility it offered could be the edge he needed in a desperate situation. He decided to proceed, knowing full well he might regret it.


    The spell required an infusion of [Necromantic Energy], something Ludwig wasn''t sure he possessed or could even generate. The instructions outlined a complex chant, paired with a deliberate release of miasmic mana into the air. Ludwig practiced the chant silently, committing it to memory.


    {You have learned the Spell [Taint].}


    A flicker of satisfaction crossed his mind, though it was tinged with uncertainty. He lacked the means to test it¡ªyet. But the knowledge itself was a victory, and he turned to the next book.


    [Flame Bringer]


    Opening the fourth book, Ludwig noticed something unusual:


    [Book Description Adjusted by {Necros'' Blessing}]


    This line immediately caught his attention. The system had reinterpreted the spell''s description, providing clarity in a way the denizens of Ikos wouldn''t have. The text began to shift, rearranging itself into a format Ludwig could easily digest.


    "This is not a spell but a training method. [Flame Bringer] allows the caster to temporarily switch their mana pool to a specialized Flame Pool. During this period, fire spells no longer consume mana but instead draw from the Flame Pool."


    Ludwig leaned forward, intrigued. The method seemed advantageous¡ªbut as he read further, the risks became apparent.


    "While active, [Flame Bringer] increases the potency of fire spells but inflicts the caster with [Burning Flesh]. This debuff amplifies fire damage dealt but simultaneously decreases the caster''s resistance to heat. Furthermore, the Flame Pool has a strict limit: once depleted, any remaining percentage of the pool is directly converted into damage to the caster''s health."


    The example provided chilled him:


    "If a caster depletes 80% of the Flame Pool, the remaining 20% is taken as damage to maximum health once the spell ends. This risk makes [Flame Bringer] a double-edged sword."


    Ludwig whistled softly. The spell¡ªor rather, the method¡ªwas as dangerous as it was powerful. It promised a surge of destructive potential but demanded caution and precision.


    "This could kill me faster than my enemies," he muttered. "But if used right... it could also save me."


    The fact that Necros'' Blessing had rewritten the description reassured him. The system''s game-like simplifications gave him a clearer understanding of its mechanics, something the original Ikos mages would never have.


    He decided to hold off practicing it for now. The risks were too great without a controlled environment.


    [Frenzied Spirits]


    The final book seemed even older than the others, its pages yellowed and its text faded. The air around it seemed to hum faintly, as if the knowledge within was alive.


    Ludwig opened it carefully, his skeletal fingers tracing the lines of text.


    "Call forth the echoes of the departed. [Frenzied Spirits] summons a swarm of spectral entities that attack indiscriminately, feeding on the mana and vitality of anything in their vicinity. Their power scales with the number of targets present, growing more frenzied with each additional entity. However, the caster must maintain control, lest the spirits turn on them as well."


    The spell required a deep understanding of spiritual energy and control¡ªa level of finesse Ludwig wasn''t sure he possessed yet. The warnings were clear: sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Should your concentration waver, the spirits will break free, and the first target will always be the caster."


    The prospect of losing control sent a shiver through his bones. But the potential... a swarm of spirits feeding on an enemy''s mana and health? It could turn the tide of any battle.


    {You have learned the Spell [Frenzied Spirits].}


    Exhausted but exhilarated, Ludwig closed the final book. His mind buzzed with the new possibilities each spell offered. The night stretched on, and Ludwig knew one thing for certain: he had taken a monumental step forward in his journey.


    "I''ll need more souls," he whispered, his hands resting on the books. "And soon."

 Chapter 66 - 66: Ludwig The Undead

    Ludwig nodded to himself, having learned all five spells in less than one day was bound to make even Van Dijk proud. Or maybe even surprised.


    Having finished learning the skills, Ludwig was hesitant between trying them and not to, but held from doing so, he didn''t want to get pulled into more problems so soon


    He then remembered the assignment Olim had given him: a report on Necessity versus Morality in the Use of Necromancy. Pulling out a notebook, he began jotting down his thoughts, drawing on his understanding of his former world. His ideas focused on the balance between morality and legality, and the concept of fighting evil with evil¡ªsubjects his homeschool teachers had drilled into him relentlessly.


    After all, Ludwig came from a corporate family that had certainly dirtied its hands more than a few times. His father had been preparing him to take over the company one day, needing him to possess a heart strong enough to make tough decisions. Yet, he also didn''t want Ludwig to become so consumed by ruthlessness that he lost his humanity entirely. It was a delicate balance his father hoped he would master. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Morality is your shield, Ludwig," his father would say. "Even if it''s hollow, the world needs to believe in your righteousness while you do what needs to be done."


    The contrast wasn''t lost on him. His current situation demanded the same razor-thin balance.


    Satisfied with his effort and writing Ludwig raised his head up looking at the time.


    He realized that it was well in the morning. Today was the weekend, a day off from all the events of the Academy. Seeing that he had nothing else to do for the rest of the Day, Ludwig felt slightly bored.


    ''I should check on those two," he said to himself, not much out of camaraderie, but more of a need to prove his humanity and compassion though he cared less for that. Something inside him seemed to be pushing him toward needing to socialize.


    Ludwig placed the books inside his ring and walked out of his dorm room, only to find a new set of clothes on his door.


    Looking at his right and left arm, he finally realized that his clothes had been burnt on one side and were missing an entire sleeve on the other.


    He quickly grabbed and donned the clothes, then proceeded into leaving the room. His destination was the infirmary.


    Some short time later, Ludwig arrived to the doors of the infirmary which seemed to be open for all.


    The academy''s infirmary buzzed with subdued activity. Rows of beds stretched along the walls, each occupied by a student recovering from injuries sustained during the dungeon trial. A faint antiseptic scent hung in the air, mingling with the muffled groans of the injured.


    There were a few students in it, all of them bedridden, and all of them from the last dungeon run the group had went to. Ludwig took a quick glance at the group and saw Hoyo sitting next to the resting Kassandra.


    "Oh, Ludwig! Come, come!" Hoyo said.


    Just as the words left his mouth, everyone in the infirmary turned their heads to look at the newcomer.


    Ludwig eyes quickly scanned the area before he moved closer to the two. But the eyes of the students never left him, especially now that they all began talking to each other under their breath, probably about Ludwig.


    "That''s him... the one who fought the Champion."


    "Undead? More like insane..."


    "I heard he didn''t even flinch when they tore his arm off."


    Ludwig felt their stares prickling at his back as he approached Hoyo and Kassandra. He leaned in slightly, his voice low "What''s up with those guys?"


    Hoyo laughed as he looked at Kassandra, "He really is clueless."


    "It''s strange, isn''t it?" Kassandra replied with a smirk. "You''re either a brilliant student¡ªbrave and capable of fighting things that would wipe out half a classroom¡ªor completely oblivious to everything happening around you. Sometimes, you''re both at the same time"


    Ludwig had no idea what was going on truly, and his confusion lasted enough that Hoyo explained.


    Hoyo leaned back, folding his arms with a grin. "Well, let''s just say you''ve become the talk of the academy. Bron, on the other hand, got a massive earful from Olim." Hoyo said, "He had apparently managed to get the info about the next dungeon by external means, outside Olim Rembaldi''s knowledge. Which makes him a cheater, even then the Academy doesn''t care much about that and cares more about the fact that he took the mantle of leadership and failed miserably. The teacher shared with us some of the contents of the test, and guess what," Hoyo said.


    "What?" Ludwig asked innocently, he was slightly afraid that Olim might have exposed him.


    "Olim already graded your and your result only, you actually got full marks for the test, a lot of students didn''t like that though, especially the nobles. But, who among all of us actually thought of going and fighting the Boss and the Mini-Boss by themselves? Most of us actually hid and cowered in fear, some even died and some captured, but you rescued captured students, led others, and helped others save their lives, in comparison you did all that Bron should have, which further made Bron''s situation more dire," Hoyo said.


    "I guess¡­" Ludwig said as he processed the information.


    "I think he is still missing the point," Kassandra said, "Your actions were actions that the Nobles should have taken, if you didn''t move, the Nobles wouldn''t have been blamed, and they''ll push everything under the rug as the test being too difficult and the commoners have actually dragged them down, but since you acted and they didn''t, none of the nobles could even find an excuse to themselves. Which by the way isn''t that great for you," Kassandra said.


    "Kassandra, I don''t think he''ll need to hear that part," Hoyo tried to quiet her down, but she was as bold as one can get.


    "Explain," Ludwig said.


    "I hate to use this term, but, you made the Nobles lose Face," she said.


    "Face? Like the skin?" Ludwig looked even more confused.


    "I mean, by acting in a way befitting of a noble, and they didn''t, they were embarrassed, and embarrassed nobles are dangerous, be careful around them Ludwig."


    Ludwig sighed, more random problems seemed to come after him. "Enough about that, how''s your body?" Ludwig asked.


    "Just a couple of broken ribs," Kassandra said, "Getting struck in the chest by that Champion''s tail was not fun. But once the healer comes, I should be good to go," Kassandra said as she looked at Ludwig, "Speaking of which, what the hell happened to you?"


    Hoyo jumped in, "Yeah, instead of asking about others, what about you? if it was me who had lost an entire arm and had the other blown, I''d probably be dead by now, also that''s one of the reasons that everyone is talking about you, Mr. Undead."


    Ludwig''s heart skipped a beat, though he had no heart.


    Did the academy know of his nature?


    "Stop it," Kassandra interrupted, rolling her eyes. , It''s a stupid nickname don''t bother with it." She said.


    "What nickname?" Ludwig asked.


    Hoyo coughed, proudly claiming, "Seeing you had sustained injuries that would make the bravest men wince and cry in pain, while not uttering a single sound of complaint or agony, the whole freshmen class is calling you Ludwig the Undead, since you can''t feel pain that would make the living cry."


    Ludwig sighed inwardly, ''Too close for comfort¡­''

 Chapter 67 - 67: The Illusive dean

    Ludwig nodded politely to Hoyo, though his mind was racing. His interactions with the academy''s students were few and far between, and while he wasn''t particularly eager to change that, he recognized that he couldn''t exist in complete isolation. The conversation drifted into a lull, but Hoyo, ever the chatterbox, seemed determined to keep things lively.


    "What are you planning on doing this weekend?" Hoyo asked, his grin wide and inviting, his enthusiasm radiating like sunlight.


    "I don''t really have anything planned," Ludwig admitted, leaning against the wall of the infirmary. "Exams are right around the corner, so I figure most people are busy studying."


    Hoyo laughed, shaking his head. "Nah, this is the last weekend before the exams. Trust me, if anyone needed to cram, they''d have started already. I''m heading to Rima. There''s a festival going on¡ªit''s not something you want to miss."


    "Rima?" Ludwig asked, frowning slightly. The name didn''t ring any bells.


    "It''s the closest city to the Black Tower," Hoyo explained, tilting his head. "You''ve been here for a bit and you don''t know Rima? How?"


    "I''m not from around here," Ludwig replied with a casual shrug. He wasn''t about to dive into the convoluted tale of his origins with someone who''d probably laugh it off as a bad joke.


    Hoyo''s eyes lit up with mischief. "In that case, you have to come. Rima''s Mage Masquerade is legendary. It''s an annual event¡ªlights, magic, performances, rare items for sale, and food that''ll ruin you for anything else. It''s everything you imagine a magical festival to be."


    Ludwig was about to dismiss the idea, the words forming on his lips, but he hesitated. He didn''t know much about this world''s culture, and there was a part of him, buried deep under layers of pragmatism, that was curious. He still hadn''t tested the limits of his eternal quest''s restrictions, but before he could spiral into worry, a familiar notification flickered into his vision.


    [You are allowed to leave the academy if you are planning on returning soon. Abandoning the academy entirely will result in failing the Eternal Quest.]


    "Well," Ludwig muttered to himself, the corners of his lips twitching upward. "I guess I don''t have much of an excuse not to go."


    "What''s the festival about?" he asked, pretending his curiosity wasn''t already piqued. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It''s the Mage Masquerade," Hoyo repeated, his expression softening as he leaned against the infirmary wall. A hint of nostalgia flickered in his eyes. "I went there once as a kid. Back home, my family and I would..." He trailed off, the wistful look on his face speaking volumes.


    "I see," Ludwig said, his tone neutral, though he made a mental note of Hoyo''s brief melancholy.


    Sensing Ludwig''s lack of enthusiasm, Hoyo straightened up, his grin returning. "They sell rare magical materials there. I mean, the kind you won''t find anywhere else unless you''re willing to spend a fortune. Trust me, you''ll thank me later."


    Ludwig reached into his pockets, he pulled their insides out showing how they were embarrassingly empty. "Yeah, about that..."


    Hoyo''s eyes widened. "Wait, don''t tell me¡ªyou''re broke?"


    "Broke doesn''t even begin to describe it," Ludwig said dryly, brushing the non-existent dust from his tunic.


    "Did you blow through your allowance already?"


    "What allowance?"


    Hoyo''s jaw dropped. "You mean to tell me you''ve been here all this time and you didn''t know about the academy stipend? They give us coins every month for food, supplies, and whatever else we need!"


    "I''ve been... managing," Ludwig said, though the truth was, he hadn''t even noticed his lack of funds. After all, he needs no food or drinks, nor does he need sleep and rest. What value does coin have for one who is dead?


    Kassandra, who had been quietly listening from her bed, chimed in. "Wait, you didn''t claim your allowance? Aren''t you Van Dijk''s apprentice? You''re probably entitled to a larger stipend than the rest of us!"


    "Well, I haven''t seen a single coin," Ludwig admitted, scratching the back of his head.


    Kassandra and Hoyo exchanged glances, their eyes gleaming with unspoken plans.


    "What if we helped you claim it?" Hoyo offered, his grin turning mischievous.


    Ludwig smirked. "I won''t say no, and I understand,"


    "Then let''s go!" Hoyo said, practically bouncing out of the infirmary.


    ***


    Hoyo led Ludwig through the labyrinthine halls of the Black Tower with practiced ease, chatting animatedly about the festival as they went. Ludwig followed, his thoughts drifting back to the first time he''d visited the dean''s office¡ªa dark, foreboding place that had left an indelible impression on him. because this pathing was the exact same he took that time.


    When they arrived, Hoyo knocked twice on the heavy oak door. It swung open, revealing an office that looked nothing like Ludwig remembered.


    The room was warm and inviting, illuminated by an elaborate chandelier that cast a soft golden glow over polished floors and ornate furniture. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with tomes and artifacts that radiated faint magical energy. At the far end of the room, a young woman sat behind a grand desk, her glasses perched low on her nose as she scribbled notes with a quill that moved of its own accord.


    Her sharp eyes flicked up, locking onto them like a hawk spotting prey. "What business do two freshmen have here?"


    "We''re here about missing allowance funds," Hoyo said, flashing a disarming smile.


    The woman arched an eyebrow, her gaze shifting to Ludwig. "And you look like you''ve seen a ghost. What''s on your mind?"


    "It''s nothing," Ludwig said, though his confusion must have been written all over his face.


    The woman narrowed her eyes. "Spill it. You''re either hiding something, or you''re terrible at pretending otherwise."


    "It''s just..." Ludwig hesitated, then gestured around the room. "This office¡ªit wasn''t like this before. Maybe I walked into the wrong one."


    The woman''s expression froze. "What do you mean, ''wasn''t like this''? How exactly did it look?"


    "It was smaller. Darker. The dean was here with his crow, Bulgasal."


    The moment he mentioned the dean, the woman stood abruptly, her chair screeching against the floor. "What exactly did you do? How did you meet him?" Her voice was sharp, almost frantic.


    "I... just walked in," Ludwig said, taking a step back.


    "Tell me everything!" she demanded, her voice cracking with urgency. "And if you do, I''ll personally double your allowance!"

 Chapter 68 - 68: Event

    Ludwig had no idea what was going on after all, and couldn''t help but wonder what the hell was she even talking about.


    Hoyo looked at Ludwig and pitied his confusion, "You really met the Dean?" he asked.


    "I mean, yeah, that''s what he called himself, unless I''m wrong¡­" Ludwig said.


    "There is no one crazy enough to call themselves the Dean, and from the looks of it you''re not lying, but tell me what happened," The woman said.


    "I just got here, on my first day and was led by his crow here, to this very office, like I said before¡­" He stalled as he was waiting for their reactions.


    "Spatial Magic. I should have known! Ahh!" the woman was groaning. "Now this just makes thing even more annoying, he could literally be anywhere¡­" she said contemplating the information, the gears in her brain seemed to be spinning in overdrive.


    "What''s going on?" Ludwig asked in a hushed tone.


    "The Dean isn''t someone you can simply meet, he''s both the administrator and at the same time a teacher, but he doesn''t teach students only, even the academy staff and teachers. Among all the people of the Dark Tower academy, he''s probably the highest circle mage, and there is a rumor going around that if you find the Dean, he can take you in as a student and teach you his own magic. But, he hasn''t been seen or heard of inside the academy for like eighty years or something now¡­ but he does exist as he still, through his crow Bulgasal who attends major events¡­" Hoyo explained.


    The woman sighed, "Regardless, a promise is a promise, but tell me your name first," she said.


    "Ludwig Heart," he said.


    "Ludwig heart¡­" she began repeating the name as she scrolled down a list in front of her.


    "Here, it says that you received your allowance four days ago¡­ Well, technically it was Sebas Morgan who claimed it as your delegate. You''re telling me you never received it?" she asked, the frown on her face was apparent. Something didn''t seem right.


    Ludwig shook his head. After all, he knew only one person that had Sebas in their name, and it was one of the two asshole necromancers that made him this way.


    "Give me a second," she said, immediately pulling out a communication jewel.


    After several rings, the jewel didn''t respond. Frustration grew on her face, and then she switched to a different ID. There was hesitation before she called, but she steeled herself and dialed it.


    The reply was almost instant.


    "Ruby, quite a rare call, did something happen?" she heard through the communication jewel.


    The voice was obvious to Ludwig, it was Van Dijk''s


    "Tower Master, there seems to be some missing funds which were supposed to go to a student in this academy."


    "And how is that related to me?" Van Dijk replied.


    "The man who received the funds was supposed to hand them over to a boy called Ludwig Heart."


    "I see¡­ Ludwig is indeed my personal Student, are you saying he never received them?" Van Dijk seemed surprised.


    "He is right here with me, he told me so himself," she said as she was looking at Ludwig.


    "He wouldn''t lie about something that simple, get me on video call," Van Dijk said.


    Hoyo immediately took a couple of steps back. Seeing how terrified he looked, Ludwig understood that Master Van Dijk wasn''t a simple persona in this academy, besides all his weird antics, he was still someone who commanded fear and respect in equal doses.


    "Ludwig," Van Dijk said.


    From Ludwig''s point of view, Van Dijk''s hands were gloved up and bloodied, as he wore a formerly white apron that turned almost half red. Probably one of his experiments going wrong... or worse, went right.


    Ludwig gave a small pray for whatever unfortunate soul had to stain Van Dijk''s drabs with that much red.


    Van Dijk''s spoke as he continued working on whatever was in front of him "As you can see I''m quite busy right now, But shouldn''t Sebas have handed you your allowance the first day you left for the academy?"


    "I didn''t receive such," Ludwig said shaking his head.


    Van Dijk sighed, "Annoying¡­ regardless what are you planning on doing with said allowance? I doubt that it''s simple food that you''re lacking." Van Dijk said hitting the nail on the head.


    "I was leaving for Rima with a few academy mates."


    Van Dijk tapped his chin a couple of times with his finger bloodying it a bit but he didn''t seem to care. "I see, it''s the Mage Masquerade in Rima this time. Sure, go on, I also need you to bring me something from there. Ruby be a doll and give him next month''s allowance in advance, I''m not currently available I would have solved this myself. As for Sebas, I did send him on a mission yesterday. I''ll¡­ deal with his lack of attention to such delicate details later."


    "As you wish Tower Master¡­ but is this amount correct?" She asked. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What is it?" Van Dijk asked.


    "This is a thousand golden Krona, that''s a third of my salary," She frowned.


    Van Dijk could only smile as he cut off the call.


    "You really have a good master, not to mention this is just your expense as a freshman, next year starts you''d probably be paid the same as I do," she sighed as she signed some papers and pulled a small pouch from under the drawer, she did a quick count and handed the pouch to Ludwig.


    "This should take care of the expenses of this month, and I also added something there for the hint about the Dean. Regardless don''t waste it all on random things you won''t be getting anything from me next month," she said as she dismissed the two.


    Hoyo''s grin was wide enough that it reached his ears.


    "We''re rich!" He said.


    "I''m rich," Ludwig replied. Once he saw Hoyo''s expression sour, he added after a laugh, "But I''ll never let the homies suffer, let''s see what this Mage Masquerade event is all about.

 Chapter 69 - 69) Nice

    The two soon returned to the infirmary, finding Kassandra seated on the edge of her bed, her expression a mixture of annoyance and relief as a staff member handed her a discharge note. Her hair, still faintly matted with traces of mud, betrayed her recent trials. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "How are you feeling?" Ludwig asked.


    "Like the dead," Kassandra quipped, though a smirk tugged at her lips. "Everything hurts, but I''ve had worse. So, when are you two leaving for Rima?"


    "We were about to head there now," Hoyo said, nudging Ludwig playfully. "But this guy said we should wait for you."


    "Me? Why?" Kassandra raised an eyebrow, her tone skeptical.


    Ludwig shrugged. "You looked like you wanted to go earlier."


    Kassandra blinked, caught off guard. "I¡­" She hesitated, but before she could continue, Hoyo jumped in.


    "Have you ever been to a Mage Masquerade before?"


    "Not really," she admitted, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. "I''ve heard about them, though. Their caravan moves all over the country. People talk about how amazing they are¡ªmagic shows, enchanted goods, even fortune tellers. And then there''s the rule about masks. You can''t enter without one."


    "Exactly!" Hoyo said, grinning. "That''s the beauty of it. Nobles and commoners mingling together without all the usual societal garbage getting in the way. No status, no titles¡ªjust people enjoying themselves. And if someone tries to pull rank, they''re banned for life. It''s one of the few places where the rules are actually fair."


    "Sounds like a fun place," Ludwig mused. "But how far is Rima from here? We don''t exactly have carriages waiting for us."


    "Just follow me," Hoyo said with an air of confidence. "We''ll get there in less than five minutes."


    Ludwig frowned. Nothing near the academy was that close¡ªnot even the Black Tower, which was nearly an hour''s walk. But he decided to keep his concerns to himself for now and followed Hoyo.


    Kassandra, meanwhile, grimaced and glanced at her reflection in the infirmary window. "Can you guys do me a favor? Head out without me for now. I need to clean up first. I think I still have mud in my hair from the dungeon, and they didn''t let me return to the dorms after we got back."


    "Sure," Hoyo said with a resigned sigh. "We''ll wait for you at the Last Adventure Inn. Don''t take too long, though."


    "I''ll be there in an hour," Kassandra promised, already heading toward the infirmary''s small washroom.


    Hoyo groaned the moment she was out of earshot. "An hour? More like four. You realize this, right?"


    "It''s just an hour," Ludwig said, shrugging off Hoyo''s theatrics.


    "Oh, Ludwig," Hoyo said, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "You sweet, naive soul. When a girl says ''an hour,'' what she means is ''I''ll show up eventually.''" He laughed, leading Ludwig toward the central building of the academy.


    ***


    The central building''s first floor was abuzz with activity, a steady flow of students streaming through a massive arched doorway that pulsed faintly with magic. Ludwig noticed most of them moved in pairs or small groups, their chatter filling the air with excitement.


    As they stepped through the doorway, Ludwig''s breath hitched. The chamber beyond was enormous, easily the size of the academy''s entire dining hall. Twelve grand portals, each radiating distinct magical auras, stood arranged in a circle around a central orb of shimmering light. The orb pulsed rhythmically, sending waves of energy rippling through the air.


    Runes and glyphs swirled around the orb, shifting and rotating in intricate patterns that seemed to defy logic. Ludwig found himself drawn to the spectacle, his eyes tracing the arcane symbols as they flowed seamlessly into one another.


    [You have witnessed the intricacies of spatial magic, a true testament to mastery.]


    +1 Wisdom


    Hoyo nudged him with an elbow, snapping him out of his trance. "You good there, buddy?"


    "It''s¡­ quite... incredible," Ludwig said, his voice barely above a whisper.


    "First time seeing a teleportation hub?" a staff member asked as the two approached. The man was middle-aged, his robes neatly pressed, though his expression betrayed a hint of boredom.


    "Yeah," Ludwig admitted.


    The staff member chuckled. "Names and destination?"


    "Hoyo Drak and Ludwig Heart," Hoyo said confidently. "We''re heading to Rima."


    "Ah, the Mage Masquerade," the man said, his demeanor brightening. "A fine choice. Not many students are heading there this year. Most of the nobles are returning to their estates for the weekend."


    "Good riddance," Hoyo muttered under his breath, earning a laugh from the staff member.


    "Gate number seven," the man said, pointing to a glowing portal on the far side of the chamber. "Enjoy the festival."


    The two walked through the gate, and in an instant, the world around Ludwig shifted.


    ***


    Ludwig stumbled slightly as they emerged into a sunlit city square. The contrast to the dark, somber halls of the academy was staggering. The square was alive with energy¡ªvendors shouting their wares, children darting between stalls, and a cacophony of smells wafting through the air. Spices, roasted meats, and sweet confections mingled into an intoxicating aroma that made Ludwig''s stomach rumble.


    The buildings surrounding the square were a mix of stone and timber, their brightly painted facades adorned with banners and lanterns. Magic was everywhere¡ªfloating candles lit the pathways, illusionary creatures danced above the crowds, and enchanted instruments played lively tunes without visible musicians.


    "Welcome to Rima!" Hoyo said, throwing his arms wide. "The heart of life outside the academy. Take it all in."


    Ludwig''s eyes darted from one spectacle to another. A fire-breather exhaled a plume of green flames, earning cheers from a gathered crowd. At another stall, a vendor sold shimmering crystals that changed color when held. A pair of short-statured, definitely not human men with long beards and burly muscles argued good-naturedly over the price of a potion, their voices rising above the din.


    "It''s¡­ overwhelming," Ludwig admitted.


    Hoyo laughed. "Give it a minute. You''ll get used to it."


    As they moved deeper into the square, Ludwig couldn''t shake the feeling that this city held more secrets than it let on. Rima was alive, vibrant, and utterly captivating.


    He allowed himself to be swept up in the moment, following Hoyo as they made their way toward the Last Adventure Inn.

 Chapter 70 - 70: The Last Adventure Inn

    "You look quite surprised," Hoyo said.


    Ludwig''s eyes were looking at a girl who was moving ahead of three other men who wore hoods that covered their entire bodies but their faces.


    The girl seemed to be about the age of Ludwig, and had an incredibly beautiful face. A sharp jawline to match and green as emerald eyes, her hair was a mix of gold and silver, and her hood seemed to have slightly fallen enough that her ear was visible to Ludwig to see. The ears was long and pointy and this brought memories of stories and novels that Ludwig had grown up reading.


    "Yeah¡­ also, is that an Elf?" Ludwig asked.


    As if the world went silent, the people around Ludwig and Hoyo''s horrified expression was enough of a tell to Ludwig that something bad just happened.


    "He''s just joking! Haha!" Hoyo said stifling an awkward expression and laugh, "He''s here for the first time, don''t mind him, he doesn''t know anything." He said as he patted Ludwig on the back.


    The group of people that paid attention to Ludwig''s soon began losing interest and the rowdiness of the square returned to how it was. However¡­ S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [You''re in a hostile environment]


    Ludwig noticed that one of the three men placed his palm on the pummel of his sword, perhaps out of habit but another person soon lightly nudged him. Stopping any and all aggression.


    "You really are clueless," Hoyo said as he led Ludwig out of the square.


    "Why? What''s up with elves," Ludwig said.


    "First off, there is no way there is an elf in this Empire, Lufondal is extremely hostile to them," Hoyo said.


    Ludwig frowned as he turned his head to once again look at the elven group, the girl who Ludwig was talking about had locked gaze with Ludwig''s eyes.


    "Second, if there was an elf here, all hell would break loose, the country''s Imperial Knights would come rushing here and literally kill any and all that are associated with elves even if they simply look at them."


    "Last, if there was truly an elf there, we''d all be dead by now," Hoyo said as he dragged Ludwig all the way to a nearby Inn.


    Out of curiosity, before Ludwig''s eyes could no longer see the girl as the crowd was getting bigger¡­ ''[Inspect]'' he muttered.


    Status Screen


    Name: Lorina Ulesse


    Race: High Elf


    Title: Tragic Princess


    Level: ???


    HP: ???


    Currently under the status effect: [Light Spirit''s Blessing.] (The spirits of light are bending light around the bearer of this blessing changing the perspective of those who look at them.)


    [Necros'' Blessing is Neutralizing this minor effect]


    Ludwig knew it, there were elves in this world, and his eyes didn''t lie to him, this was the same that happened with the Succubus teacher Cymoria Azmiralis.


    "What did the elves do for the relationship between Lufondal and them to be this¡­ bad?" Ludwig asked.


    "What didn''t they do," Hoyo said, "Besides the fact that they planned a full on rebellion against the former emperor, killed two of the royal princes of the last generations, basically the uncles of the current Emperor. Created havoc through the land, arson, murder, rape, kidnappings and more and more. They''re a hostile race that even the spirits don''t want to associate with them, they''re a race comparable to demons. Even halflings are considered utter and complete dregs of society because they share similarities with elves."


    Something caught Ludwig''s attention in Hoyo''s words. That the spirits wouldn''t want to associate with elves, but didn''t that girl have the blessing of a Light spirit?


    Ludwig moved alongside Hoyo until they an inn, it looked like a simple inn where adventurers gathered in and around, several people moved about, carrying their weapons in the forms of swords strapped to their belts and armor donned down, while others had bows and spears nearby, though even with all these weapons visible in broad day light, there was no sign of any form of hostility or aggressiveness from the people here, there was an amicable air of venture and passion visible on the faces of everyone near the inn.


    The plank on top of the door displayed the inn''s name in a fashionable and quite interesting way. The name Last Adventure was written in bold letters and next to it was a mug of ale with a skull sitting right next to it, where some cobwebs seemed to cover parts of it.


    "Truly fitting the name of Last Adventure," Ludwig muttered.


    "Yeah, this is a place famed for serving adventurers who have quite the job or on the fences, it''s actually the best place for newer adventurers to come in and learn the craft from old and veterans. And they''re very friendly toward the Five Towers."


    "All five?" Ludwig asked.


    "You''ll see," Hoyo said as the two of them entered the inn.


    The inside was massively different compared to the outside simple look. As there were dozens of tables all over the place where several adventurers were chatting with each other. Some displayed their muscles boldly and flexed them to flex on other adventurers and garner some appeal of laughing female adventurers. While other tables had an eerie calm to them, as the people who were sitting there seemed to want to drink their ale without uttering a word. The air around those people was slightly suffocating as they seemed to be worn and torn adventurers, either missing limbs from old battles or scarred and burned beyond what''s humanly tolerable. Yet they still couldn''t lower the ambiance of the inn itself.


    Ludwig''s eyes scanned the crowd until it landed on a group of people roughly their age sitting at a corner. The people were wearing similar clothes to Ludwig and Hoyo, the only difference was that their clothes were White in color.


    "Damn¡­ I didn''t want to meet those guys this early," Hoyo groaned.


    Just as Ludwig was about to ask Hoyo on why he was so annoyed with meeting other people.


    "Ah, The Crows are here! No wonder the beer tastes like shit," the voice of a rude and arrogant-looking brat sounded from their table.


    "It''s the White Tower Academy¡­" Hoyo muttered for Ludwig''s ears only.

 Chapter 71 - 71: Trouble

    ''Is this the inn event? Usually a rude person would talk shit and then get his ass handed to him by someone¡­'' Ludwig was interested in this interaction after all he only read about events like these, though he always considered them clich¨¦ that only served to undermine other people to enhance the appeal of a main character. But there was one thing missing here, he was no main character. Because those guys are usually heroes hailed from either famous families, or the opposite, an underdog that would climb his way to the top.


    Ludwig was neither, on the contrary, he was an Undead and he knew it, as an Undead, he had only one role in a story if this was something like that, to be the cannon fodder for the ''hero''. And he wasn''t about to fall in that trap.


    "Quiet down, Rudolph," one of the people in that group spoke up. Looking at her, unlike all the students next to her, she was the only one not drinking bear, and seemed to have had a cup of coffee next to her, though it looked untouched.


    She turned her head to look at Ludwig and Hoyo.


    Ludwig took a long look at her, almost to the point of staring. She was what you can call a rare beauty, almost comparable to the elf from earlier. Blond long hair braided in some parts and left cascading down on others. Under her white coat, there were some straps of leather and metal plates. And to her side was a rapier that was a strange looking sword, it was too thick to be called a rapier, but too thin to be called a long sword. A mix of both that she had sheeted and had leaning on their table. Her jawline was sharp and her eyes were of an azure blue color, though she had an emotionless stare, she still would strike anyone as a noblewoman of a pure and extremely prestigious linage.


    She too didn''t look away at first as she scanned Hoyo and Ludwig with her eyes for a few good seconds and then turned her head back to her group, "Leave them alone."


    And that was that.


    One of the people who worked for the inn arrived to Ludwig''s side, "What can I do for you?" he asked.


    "We''ll need a table for three, a companion of ours will arrive shortly," Ludwig said.


    "Right, and what would you like to order?" the busboy asked as he pulled a small note.


    "Beer," Ludwig asked, as he never had a taste of it before, he really wanted to try it out this time.


    Though he had regretted the moment he said so, after all, he''s a skeleton¡­ wouldn''t beer simply just fall down his throat?


    As he was about to cancel his order, Hoyo jumped up, "Same for me, give me a large mug for now, we''ll wait on our friend if we want something else."


    "Right, follow me to your table please," the busboy asked and led the two to a table that was unfortunately too close to the group of the White Tower students.


    The two sat down reluctantly near the White Tower students who seemed to also soften their voices. It seems that what they were talking about was something secretive.


    Ludwig paid them no mind as he talked to Hoyo.


    "By the way, Master never told me what he wanted me to bring him from Rima," he said.


    Hoyo shrugged, "I have no idea either, perhaps he''ll notify Kassandra. Regardless, what do you want to do today?" Hoyo asked.


    "Beats me, this is the first time I''ve ever attended something like this," Ludwig said.


    "Well, the Mage Masquerade starts in the evening, it''s a pretty big event and would last for two days, so we''ll probably go around the entire venue."


    "What sort of events are there?" Ludwig asked.


    Hoyo thought for a second, "Well, first thing''s first, you need a mask and you can''t enter the masquerade without it, hence the name. After we get your mask, how about we go around the games and shows. For example, a show of strength and another of puzzle and intellect, there are also stalls that sell weapons and magic artifacts. And the main event is the ball at the end of the event. There are other attractions too that we can check out. You never know, it''s different each time but these are the main stuff," Hoyo explained.


    "Must be fun," the sound of the same rude person echoed once again, "For these Crows to have such free time and have fun here, while other people are tending more critical matters."


    "Rudolph!" the girl with golden hair snapped.


    "My bad, my bad, it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth to see such¡­ childish tendencies. I''ll be leaving first," he said and left the group. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Three more students who seemed to share the same vision as Rudolph followed after him.


    The girl sighed as she was left alone, turning to Ludwig and Hoyo, "I apologize, please don''t take what Rudolph said to heart, he tends to be¡­ rude some times," She said.


    Ludwig shrugged, "Doesn''t really matter, seems like you guys have a mission to do here, I understand the stress," Ludwig said.


    Her face flushed a bit, as if exposed. She turned her face around, perhaps embarrassed that the fact that they were doing a ''mission'' was exposed or simply because she had finally taken a good look at Ludwig''s face up close, no one truly knows the reason.


    "Here, your bear deer customer," the busboy said as he placed two large wooden mugs of beer next to Hoyo and Ludwig.


    Drinking the golden frothy content, Hoyo slammed the mug on the table, "THIS IS THE SHIT!" he said as he licked the froth from his lips.


    Ludwig hesitated for a second and then took a sip.


    Seeing nothing ''spilling'' he was finally able to relax. And almost instantly, his throat or what should have been felt a slight tinge and burn. A refreshing memory of a taste long since forgotten.


    Ludwig gulped another then another


    [You are poisoned!]


    [Minor: Alcoholic affliction]


    [As an Undead Poison isn''t affecting you!]


    Ludwig was surprised, perhaps the system considers alcohol as a poison and warned him about it. But seeing that he was able to neutralize it, Ludwig drank some more and soon finished his mug.


    It didn''t take much for Ludwig to finish his mug and he was already ordering another one. The girl who was left sitting by herself soon stood up and left after leaving the money needed to pay for the table.


    Once again, Ludwig noticed that her coffee cup was left untouched.


    He didn''t pay it any mind then and just continued drinking with Hoyo.


    The two enjoyed each other''s company talking about matters of school and prior exams and all that would happen in tonight''s gala, enough that Kassandra had the time to appear at the in.


    "One large please!" Kassandra said as she moved skillfully through the tables and sat next to the two students slamming a book right in front of them.


    "We don''t have much time!" she said.


    "What''s wrong?" Ludwig asked.


    "We''re in trouble!"

 Chapter 72 - 72: Kings Gambit

    "What sort of trouble?" Hoyo asked.


    "Tower Master gave us an assignment," she said. "But I honestly think he''s just messing with us," she said.


    "Can you explain some more? I really have no idea what you''re talking about," Ludwig asked.


    Kassandra gathered her thoughts and then said, "Remember that you said Master Van Dijk had asked you to bring an item from the Mage Masquerade?"


    "Yes, but that was it, he didn''t say what to bring," Ludwig replied.


    "Well, he said he wanted the Artificer''s Orb."


    "That¡­ I don''t think we have enough money for that," Hoyo said, "Even with all that gold, we can''t afford that," Hoyo added as he gestured to Ludwig''s side pouch.


    The busboy soon came with a frothy mug of beer that Kassandra grabbed and gulped half of it in one go, surprising both Ludwig and Hoyo.


    "Ahhh, that hits the spot, been a while too, never mind, the reason why we have to do this, is because Master Van Dijk promised us full passing marks on next week''s exams. Basically, this is a mission that if we succeed in we can skip the entire next week''s exams and pass. I want this so bad! But why does it have to be like this!" she said and ruffled her own hair.


    ''I can see why she always has unkempt hair¡­'' Ludwig thought inwardly.


    "You''ll grow bald at this rate," He said as he pointed at her hair, which she rapidly tried to straighten with her own hand, not that it did much.


    "And like Hoyo said, if that thing is expensive, then what''s the point of sweating about it."


    "That''s the thing, it''s obtainable, for free even," she said. "But I doubt I can earn it, ahhh, I should have studied more about the King''s Gambit¡­ I never thought I''d be needing to play a Noble''s Game to pass my exams."


    "Slow down, Kassandra, and get to the point, it''s frustrating to talk to you this way," Ludwig said, he inwardly thought that she might have a severe case of ADHD, but he didn''t want to point it out, they probably have no idea what that is in this world anyway.


    "Yes, Yes, the point, anyways, the Mage masquerade are planning several events, one of them is the King''s Gambit game. All is welcome to join, but only the nobles win that game every time."


    "Good, now that we know what''s going on, tell me, what''s this Artificer''s Orb?" Ludwig asked.


    Hoyo was the one to answer, "Basically, it''s a core that can be used to create a golem, the Artificer''s Orb is a valuable object that people wouldn''t mind spending hundreds of thousands of golden Krona to obtain."


    "Okay, then, what''s this King''s Gambit?" Ludwig asked. After all, the name was¡­ quite familiar. Almost too familiar.


    "Ah, since you don''t know, there is no point in explaining it. I''ll be participating, I have some experience playing it a few years ago, and I still remember some strategies. This book," she said as she pointed at the large book in front of her, "Is something I grabbed from the academy, it harbors the history of King''s Gambit and how it came to be, and even the plays and strategies that the creator had made. Which still hold strong to this day."


    Ludwig was more and more intrigued, "Humor me, and show me the book''s content," Ludwig said.


    She sighed and opened the book. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "See this," she said as she showed an eight by eight black and white square shaped platform with symbols on it.


    Ludwig''s upper lip twitched, both in annoyance at the fact that Kassandra completely underestimated his understanding and the fact that she insinuated that he was ignorant, and at the fact that he fully knew this game.


    After all, he came from a wealthy family, incredibly wealthy in fact that this was a game that he hated with all his being.


    For a simple fact, that he showed incredible genius playing it when he was young.


    ''Freaking Chess is haunting me even in a different world¡­''


    "You look surprised, it''s fine, it happened to me the first time I saw this, it looks complex. It''s an easy game to learn, but incredibly hard to master." She said


    "I see¡­" Ludwig stalled as he looked with amusement at Kassandra trying to explain a game where he reached the status of Grandmaster in just so he can get his father off his back about playing online games.


    "These are pawns, they move on square forward and¡­" she began explaining the notions and all possible moves of each and every piece.


    "And this is the Queen, the most powerful piece on the board, she can move diagonally and in straight lines," Hoyo added, "I read about this game before" he said feeling proud that he finally knew something that Ludwig had no idea about.


    "Right¡­" Ludwig said.


    "The creator of this game was a genius," she said, "He apparently was awarded by the former emperor of Lufondal a seat in the council, though he was later called a madman since he kept saying that he came from another world and all. Regardless, this game remains the most strategically complex game of the current world, and I need to study up on some strategies that we can use later tonight."


    Her words explained something Ludwig was wondering about, how did chess even come to exist in this world, especially with the exact rules that were created on Earth. But the fact that someone got isekaied here like him, was enough to explain it. Van Dijk had already mentioned that several people had come to this world from another place, heroes they call them. This guy was probably one of them¡­ though taking credit for creating chess was a bit too disingenuous, he couldn''t blame the guy, since he got a seat on the Imperial table.


    Resources and Knowledge should be used to achieve maximum efficiency and profit.


    "When is the event happening?" Ludwig asked.


    "In one hour!" She said as she began skimming through the book.

 Chapter 73 - 73: Mask of The Blind Witness

    Ludwig looked at Hoyo and said, "Then wouldn''t it be better for you to sign up there and study there, you never know we might get delayed or something unexpected could happen that might delay us."


    "You''re right, I was too absorbed, let''s go," she said as she downed the mug.


    Ludwig left one gold coin to the busboy who thanked him a dozen times over.


    "That was a fat tip you gave him," Hoyo said as the three left.


    "Oh, I have no idea what''s the value of money here," Ludwig shrugged.


    "You really did come from under a rock, or form a faraway mountain, the fact that you don''t know many basic things," Hoyo shook his head.


    The three kept weaving and moving through the bustling city streets until they reached an incredibly massive square that had a dozen or so stalls lined up next to the entrance, the stalls were all selling one item and one item only. Masks.


    "We need to grab a mask before we enter the Mage Masquerade carnival area," Hoyo reminded.


    He then proceeded on scanning through the merchandise. There were many masks there, from wood to iron, to some that were adorned with gold and jewels.


    Ludwig groaned.


    "What''s wrong?" Kassandra asked as she grabbed a white mask with bunny ears.


    "The fact that his is supposed to be an anonymous masquerade, is simply dumb, I mean look at the prices, wouldn''t the nobles just grab the most shiny and most eye catching mask to show off their status?" Ludwig asked.


    "They do, but that doesn''t matter, even if they do that, they can''t remove the mask or reveal their identity, and if a commotion happens they can''t use their influence, it''s basically a bait for nobles who still want to showcase their wealth, because that mask doesn''t give power, it only takes it away." She explained


    Ludwig sighed and began looking at the masks. There were a lot actually, some that were quite familiar too. Some had long noses like a creature from Earth Eastern Folklore the Tengu, and some were like a pumpkin, reminding him of the Jack-o''-lantern. Some were simple wooden masks that hid the face, and some were extremely ornate to the point of extravagance.


    Hoyo grabbed a simple eye covering mask that revealed the rest of his face and covered his face. While Kassandra grabbed a black butterfly mask that also did the same.


    Ludwig didn''t find anything interesting from all the stalls and was about to grab a simply pure white mask that only had eye slits for sight.


    Yet something glowed in his vision. Turning, there was a stall at the far end of the line.


    It looked far too shabby compared to the rest of the stalls. And didn''t have many options to choose from. And all the masks that the stall had were¡­ well, weird. They were all placed on mannequin like heads that looked a bit too real. To show how they''ll look like once worn. But that only made it creepier.


    The stuff you''d see people wearing in Halloween, bloodied, gory and some outright unwearable as they had spikes and thorns inside the mask. But the shiny object among them was a face mask that covered one''s eyes with¡­ hands?


    The mask was strange to say the least, it was two hands that looked pretty worn and thin, they had several runic tattoos all over the fingers and back of the hand, and they cradled the mannequin''s head while the fingers acted like spikes on a crown.


    Ludwig looked at the old man who was smoking a pipe not even caring about his ''exotic'' merchandise being sold or ogled. "How much is this?" Ludwig asked. Simply out of curiosity, that mask looked awkward as hell but he was intrigued nonetheless.


    The old man said, and then said, "You can take it for free if you can wear it," he said and then took another puff of his pipe.


    Ludwig grabbed the mask and used [Inspect] on it.


    ---


    [Mask of the Blind Witness]


    Type: Headgear


    Rarity: Unique [Cursed] Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Growth Type: Growth Condition (???) Condition of Use: 1 stamina


    Attributes:


    +5 Charm


    +5 Wisdom


    +5 Strength


    +5 Dexterity


    +5 Luck


    +5 Agility


    -200 Stamina


    Abilities


    [Echoes of Truth]: Grants the wearer the ability to pierce all illusions, magical disguises, and invisibility. Deception in any form falters before the mask''s unyielding gaze.


    [Mark of the Witness]: The wearer can mark a target¡ªbe it an object, creature, or person. The mark persists until the target moves beyond a specific range. If the marked target reenters the mask''s range, it will immediately be revealed to the wearer.


    [Mask of the Blind]: For every second the mask is used, the wearer will experience blindness for an equal duration once the mask is removed.


    [Truths and Lies]: The mask occasionally reveals glimpses of a possible future, an unpredictable mix of truths and falsehoods. These fleeting visions are often vivid, but interpreting them correctly is a challenge, as they may lead the wearer astray as often as they guide them to success.


    Lore:


    The Mask of the Blind Witness is said to be forged from the hands of a cursed seer who, in their final moments, was forced to foresee their own death. Their last act of clairvoyance became an eternal imprint, embedding fragments of divine foresight and the seer''s own curse into the mask. It is an artifact steeped in contradiction: a tool of revelation that obscures, a window to the future that confounds the present.


    Legends tell of users who wielded its powers to uncover secrets and foresee peril but fell victim to its insidious influence. The unrelenting cycle of blindness, paranoia, and glimpses of uncertain futures left many of its wearers descending into madness, unable to discern reality from illusion.


    The mask offers power, but at a terrible cost. Each use brings clarity to others'' lies while planting seeds of doubt in the wearer''s mind. Few who have donned it have escaped its grasp intact, for the mask consumes not the body, but the spirit.

 Chapter 74 - 74: Visions

    Ludwig hesitated for a moment, staring at the mask in his hands. The carved wooden face, twisted into a haunting, sorrowful expression, bore an unsettling warmth. It was as if the hands that had shaped it were still alive, their essence lingering within. Finally, steeling himself, he placed it on his head.


    The moment the mask settled over his face, his vision warped. The colors around him swirled and bled together, creating a kaleidoscope of hues before everything snapped back into sharp focus. Except now, there was an added clarity, as if a layer of fog had been lifted from the world.


    "So, you can wear it," the old man at the stall said, a puff of smoke escaping his pipe as his face split into a knowing grin.


    Before Ludwig could respond, a familiar voice called out.


    "Ludwig!"


    Turning, he saw Hoyo and Kassandra weaving through the crowd toward him.


    "Wow," Hoyo said, taking in Ludwig''s appearance. "Interesting choice. Creepy, but¡­ kind of suits you."


    "Definitely eerie," Kassandra added, tilting her head to get a better look. "But there''s something oddly charming about it."


    Hoyo squinted at the mask, his curiosity piqued. "Wait a second. That doesn''t look like an ordinary mask. Is that¡­ an artifact?"


    "An artifact?" Ludwig echoed, confused.


    "Yeah," Hoyo replied. "Artifacts are old tools or gear that grant the wearer special abilities. They''re usually super rare and crazy expensive."


    "Well," Ludwig began, pointing at the stall, "the owner said if I could wear it, I could have it for free."


    "Wait¡­ what owner?" Hoyo asked, frowning.


    "That old man right over¡ª" Ludwig turned to point at the stall, only to find it gone.


    There was nothing left but an empty wall where the vendor had been moments ago. He froze, confusion knotting his thoughts.


    "I swear he was right here," Ludwig said, scanning the surroundings. "How could he pack up an entire stall and vanish so quickly?"


    Hoyo and Kassandra exchanged a glance, their skepticism evident.


    "It''s not unusual for artifact peddlers to be a bit¡­ eccentric," Kassandra offered.


    "Yeah, but disappearing into thin air?" Ludwig muttered, pulling the mask off.


    [Since you are an undead and have no eyes, the Mask of the Blind effect has been neutralized. You can use your sight freely.]


    The notification added another layer to his confusion, but he didn''t have time to dwell on it.


    "We don''t have time for this," Kassandra interrupted. "The event is starting soon, and I still need to sign up!" She pushed Ludwig and Hoyo forward, steering them toward the entrance to the Mage Masquerade. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The trio arrived at the event''s entrance, where they were greeted by a towering figure who looked like he belonged more in a gladiator arena than at a festival. His muscles strained against his clothes, and his mask¡ªa laughing rabbit¡ªlooked comically small on his broad face.


    "Put on your mask!" Hoyo said as he nudged Ludwig, the latter hastily placed it back on his face.


    "Lovely masks," the giant rumbled in a surprisingly gentle tone. "Please enjoy yourselves. And remember, do not remove your masks."


    The warning carried an odd weight, enough to make Ludwig glance at his companions.


    "Got it," Hoyo said, leading the way past the hulking figure.


    Stepping through the entrance felt like entering another world. The vibrant chaos of the masquerade unfolded before them.


    Magical performers were everywhere. Some ate fire and exhaled frost, while others juggled orbs of flame that burst into fireworks. Tightrope walkers balanced impossibly on hair-thin ropes, their assistants tossing heavy morning stars back and forth.


    Stalls lined the pathways, selling everything from enchanted trinkets to strange, glowing foods. The air was thick with the mingling scents of exotic spices, roasted meats, and sweet confections.


    Ludwig noticed the stark difference between the attendees. Nobles, identifiable by their extravagant masks and meticulously pristine attire, navigated the muddy paths with haughty care. Commoners, in simpler but no less creative masks, threw themselves into the festivities with abandon.


    "This is insane," Hoyo said, wide-eyed. "Even better than I remember!"


    Kassandra nodded, her gaze darting from one performance to the next. "I don''t even know where to start."


    Ludwig, however, was distracted by something far stranger.


    Amid the revelry, a spectral figure wandered. It moved hesitantly, its translucent form almost blending with the crowd. But Ludwig saw it clearly¡ªa lost soul, its face obscured by a simple mask.


    The soul seemed desperate, its hands outstretched as it tried to touch the living. But no one noticed. People walked through it without a second glance.


    Suddenly, chains erupted from the air. Rusted and bloodied, they snaked through the crowd, wrapping around the soul''s limbs and neck. The specter struggled, its silent pleas growing frantic.


    Finally, it locked eyes with Ludwig.


    "HELP!" it screamed, its voice cutting through the din of the festival.


    Before Ludwig could react, the chains wrenched tight and dragged the soul away. It disappeared into the shadows, its screams echoing in Ludwig''s ears.


    He instinctively reached for his mask, thinking it might be the cause of the strange vision.


    But the rabbit-masked giant from the entrance was suddenly beside him, his massive hand covering Ludwig''s.


    "What are you doing, dear visitor?" the man asked, his tone polite but firm.


    Ludwig hesitated, his fingers freezing on the mask''s edge. "I¡­ thought I saw something."


    The giant''s gaze hardened. "A word of advice: the masks reveal as much as they conceal. And here, they are your bastion and your barrier, they serve to protect you and those around you. By removing it you''ll make yourself a target of the Mage Masquerade. Please keep your mask on at all times. lest you wish to be escorted out."


    Ludwig let out a slow breath, his mind racing. Whatever this mask was, it wasn''t just an artifact. It was something far older, far stranger¡ªand far more dangerous.


    "Ludwig?" Kassandra called, snapping him out of his thoughts.


    He turned to see her and Hoyo standing a few steps away, watching him with concern.


    "Let''s go," he said, his voice steady despite the unease churning inside him.


    The masquerade awaited. And Ludwig had the distinct feeling that this was only the beginning of what the night had in store.

 Chapter 75 - 75: Re-encounter

    Ludwig frowned slightly beneath his mask as Kassandra dragged him and Hoyo through the lively festival streets. The vibrant stalls and event venues seemed to blend into a chaotic swirl of colors, scents, and sounds. Merchants called out their wares, competing to out-shout one another, while performers drew crowds with their feats of magic and acrobatics. Yet, Ludwig''s mind was elsewhere, lingering on the earlier strangeness he had felt while donning the mask.


    "Perhaps it''s just the mask messing with me¡­ but I should still be careful," Ludwig muttered under his breath, his words barely audible amidst the noise.


    "What was that?" Hoyo asked, glancing sideways.


    "Nothing," Ludwig replied, shaking his head and forcing himself to focus on the present.


    "Come, come!" Kassandra exclaimed, her voice cutting through the cacophony of the festival. She led them with purpose, her excitement contagious as she weaved through the crowd, dodging stray performers and bustling vendors. Finally, they arrived at a section where neatly arranged tables held over thirty chessboards. Players, both masked and unmasked, had gathered in groups, some already locked in intense matches while others observed with curiosity.


    "We''re in luck!" Kassandra said, practically bouncing on her heels. "There are a few spots open." She hurried to the event organizer, a young woman wearing a bear mask, and eagerly signed up.


    "Do you wish to join the King''s Gambit?" the woman asked, her voice calm yet inviting.


    "Yes!" Kassandra said with confidence.


    "Please write your nickname here," the organizer said, gesturing to a sign-in sheet hung beside the entrance.


    Kassandra hesitated for a moment, then scribbled Butterfly Mask.


    "You should join too," Hoyo said, nudging Ludwig.


    "That won''t do," Kassandra interjected, turning to Ludwig with a skeptical look. "No offense, but this game is far too advanced for someone who hasn''t played before. You''ll just embarrass yourself."


    Ludwig considered her words for a moment. "I mean, I''m wearing a mask. No one will know who I am anyway," he shrugged.


    "Fair enough," Kassandra conceded, though she raised an eyebrow.


    "Are you also joining?" the organizer asked, tilting her head slightly as she looked at Ludwig.


    "Why not?" Ludwig said, picking up the pen. He paused for a moment before writing, Blind Witness.


    "Quite the interesting name," the woman said with a small chuckle. "And an equally curious mask."


    Hoyo smirked. "That''s Ludwig for you. Always finding a way to stand out."


    "The event will start in half an hour," the organizer explained, gesturing to the tables. "Most participants have already taken their seats. Please return in time if you wish to also enjoy the Mage Masquerade Parade afterward."


    "I''m not going anywhere," Kassandra said, claiming an empty chess table. "I''ll study some strategies. Ludwig, at least learn how the pieces move before embarrassing yourself." S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Before Ludwig could respond, a familiar voice rang out.


    "The crows are here again. I''m telling you, they''re following us¡­"


    Ludwig turned to see a group he recognized from the tavern earlier. Though their attire was altered for the masquerade, their bearing and mannerisms were unmistakable. The female leader, whose sword rested conspicuously at her side, stood out with her ivory eye mask adorned with small gemstones. By her side, a man in a crow''s mask grumbled loudly, his voice laced with irritation.


    "Quiet down, Rudolph," the woman said sharply, silencing him with a glance. She turned to the organizer and asked, "Are there any spots left?"


    "Two more," the bear-masked woman replied.


    "Sign me up," Rudolph said eagerly, stepping forward.


    "Add my name as well," the woman said, her voice measured yet commanding.


    As the two signed up, Ludwig couldn''t help but feel a flicker of tension. The woman''s air of authority and Rudolph''s boisterousness left an impression, though Ludwig wasn''t entirely sure why.


    "I''m going in," Kassandra announced, her focus shifting back to the game as she settled into her seat and flipped open a strategy book.


    "What about you?" Hoyo asked, turning to Ludwig.


    "No point wandering off now," Ludwig replied. "Not enough time before the match starts."


    "True," Hoyo said with a resigned shrug. "Still, I don''t have high hopes for this. King''s Gambit is a game of strategy, not luck."


    "You never know," Ludwig said, smirking faintly. "Luck can play its part too."


    Hoyo snorted. "Beginner''s luck in King''s Gambit? Doubtful. But hey, if nothing else, we''ll get to say we tried. Although I really don''t want to lose to those pompous nobles."


    "We probably won''t even face them," Ludwig said, though inwardly, he wouldn''t mind teaching the rude woman and her companion a lesson.


    The tournament organizer''s voice rang out across the venue, drawing everyone''s attention.


    "We are pleased to announce the start of the King''s Gambit Tournament! Please check the board for your matchups and table numbers. This year, we''re introducing a special feature: enchanted play pieces. These pieces will move upon vocal command, bringing a new level of immersion to the game. We hope you enjoy!"


    The crowd murmured in excitement as participants rushed to check their pairings. Ludwig scanned the list until he found his name¡ªtable eleven.


    Taking his seat, he studied the chessboard in front of him. The pieces were masterfully crafted, each exuding a lifelike quality. Pawns donned intricate armor and brandished spears, their posture ready and vigilant. Rooks were miniature circular towers, strikingly similar to the Black Tower itself. Knights, mounted on regal steeds, carried themselves with an air of confidence, while bishops embodied wisdom, draped in flowing robes.


    The queen held a delicate fan that concealed her enigmatic smile, while the king sat imposingly on a grand throne, radiating authority.


    Each piece seemed almost alive, their craftsmanship breathing personality into the game.


    "Impressive, isn''t it?" Hoyo said, leaning over to glance at Ludwig''s board.


    "More than that," Ludwig replied, his fingers brushing over a pawn. "It''s... surreal."


    As Ludwig''s opponent approached, he straightened in his chair. The man wore a crow''s mask, his presence marked by an air of practiced arrogance.


    "Well, this should be interesting," Ludwig muttered, settling into his seat as the tournament officially began.

 Chapter 76 - 76: A Fool

    "Oh, guess I''m in luck, I''ll get rid of one of you crows early on," the boy smugly spoke.


    Ludwig didn''t deem him with a proper reply and simply ignored him waiting for the time for when they''ll both start.


    "On the side of the table you''ll see a clock, you all have fifteen minutes of time, use it wisely, each time your turn ends press the clock on your side so the timer start for your opponent. Please do note, if the timer hits zero, regardless of the state of the match, the victor is always the one with time remaining on their clock. As for who gets white or black, it will be luck based, please wait for the monitor to come to your side so you can get to pick which side you''re playing on, you can also have an agreement between yourselves to start early. You may start now!" she said.


    Soon, most players chose to wait for a referee to pick their sides, while the crow in front of Ludwig asked, "You should take black, since you''re from the Black Tower and all," he said smiling.


    "Sure." Ludwig replied and the whole board turned, allowing Ludwig to start on the black side, while the crow mask got his preferred white.


    "From what I saw earlier¡­" he stalled and said, "F2 to f3" he said and the pawn on the board moved forward by itself, as would a person do then took the same stance with his spear.


    Ludwig frowned, not from the surprise of the pawns moving by themselves, but because that''s one of the dumbest starts of a chess game ever¡­


    ''Are they playing some strange chess game or is it something I don''t know about? I should be careful,'' Ludwig thought to himself.


    The man continued, "You probably don''t come from a noble family, so I suppose you have no idea how this game is even played," he finalized and pressed on the clock.


    Ludwig didn''t reply, and grabbed his own king''s (E7) pawn.


    "Hah, like I said, you definitely come from a commoner background, after all you grabbed it with your hands, they can move by voice commands! Voice commands!" he said articulating it. "What a vulgar way to move," he added as he shook his head.


    Ludwig ignored him and placed his pawn gently two squares forward (E5), and pressed the clock, giving the turn back to the crow mask.


    "Classic move, I guess you must have saw someone moving from around you and decided to copy them," he shook his head once again.


    "You see, I''ve been trying to do this fancy play, but it would be difficult to set up against actual players, but you, I doubt you can see it, once I''m set up, I can assure you I''ll mate your king in five moves!" he said and called, "Pawn G2 to G4"


    Ludwig was completely flabbergasted as he saw what just transpired. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''What in god''s name is he doing?'' Ludwig asked himself as he saw the pawn moving to his inevitable doom.


    "What? You look surprised? This is called the Torijan offense! It start slow but once all the pieces are in play, you''ll be cooked!"


    "Offense my ass," Ludwig said as he couldn''t help but wonder how idiotic this level of gameplay was, "Queen to H4, checkmate¡­" Ludwig said as he stood up from his place.


    "Are you an idiot, you can''t mate me in two moves, there are¡­ why is the queen moving?" the boy said as he saw the queen moving all the way to the corner.


    The boy''s head began spinning and one could feel the gears in his brain turning and churning as he tried to find a way out of his mess.


    One of the referee who just finished fixing the sides for a nearby table saw Ludwig standing up and approached him.


    "Dear guest, do you need any assistance?"


    "Not really, I''m done," he said.


    "No! that''s impossible! This isn''t¡­ no, this can''t be!" the boy said completely unbelieving of what just happened.


    "No, this isn''t right, let''s replay, I made a mistake, no, this¡­" he kept trying to find excuses.


    "Let me see," the referee said and then frowned. He pressed on the side of the table, and then said, "A mate in two moves¡­ wait, this is actually unprecedented." The referee said then turned to Ludwig, "What is this move called?" he asked.


    "Euh¡­" Ludwig thought for a second looked at crow mask and said, "The Fool''s Mate," he said and then left the area leaving crow mask trying to understand what the hell was going on.


    "Make sure you''re back for your next round. It''ll start in half an hour." He said.


    Ludwig left the area where many players were too focused on their own games to even notice that he already ended the match.


    A lot of questions were going on his mind, the first of, was how idiotically easy the first opponent was. It was too easy in fact that he was still conflicted.


    ''How come he sucks that much?'' Ludwig could only ask himself.


    Though he removed himself from the tables, he found no reason to leave the venue. So he just watched the rest of the players play. And only then did he soon come to a few realizations¡­


    First thing was, most, if not everyone playing, were absolutely bad at this game. Most of them were moving using terrible openers, some were also leaving a lot of weaknesses on their defenses. And others had absolutely no idea what to do besides moving their pieces.


    It was as if he was watching a full amateur tournament, where everyone had just dipped their toes in the game.


    But the more annoying part was that when one of the competitors moved one of his pieces fully exposing his own king to a checkmate, the other completely missed the obvious win and decided to defend.


    ''They don''t know how to properly play the game¡­ it''s like they just learned how to move their pieces and that was it¡­why are they this bad? Most are nobles so they should have at the very least some semblance of experience¡­"

 Chapter 77 - 77: Djinn

    The response to that question came far too soon to Ludwig as he finally realized something important. The person who taught them the game, had been given a seat at the former emperor''s table. So that means, that at most that would be about what, like fifty maybe years ago?


    If that''s so, then this world, though they know this game, are extremely novice at it, and have yet to develop their own playstyles and methods.


    He grinned inwardly, then that just means that he can bully them all. Because no one here would ever know how to deal with a Sicilian defense, or an Evans Gambit. There is no Bobby Fischer, or Kasparov here, they''re all just newbies and from what he could see, the highest rating of any of these guys would be at the six hundred, while he already touched the three thousand once before earning him the title of Grandmaster. Though it was only a brief period.


    While Ludwig was thinking about how he''ll bully these unaware players, something once again caught his vision, turning to see the source. Another soul was strapped and wrapped in ethereal chains, then yanked across the street far deep into the venue of the Mage Masquerade.


    Then more chains began spreading from the deeper part of the masquerade, some bore through holes into buildings and pulled souls out from the walls themselves without damaging any of the structures, and some grabbed souls from the crowds and took them away. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The event was terrifying, something was happening in this ''parade'' and it seemed like no one was aware of such a thing.


    And just as Ludwig was wondering what was going on, a bundle of chains flew right past him and landed onto the kid he just played against, the boy with the crow mast.


    The chains wrapped around his body and yanked his soul out, pulling it with them while the boy struggled and cried out in agonized misery.


    The boy shouted and cried out for no ears to listen, but Ludwig''s who watched with attention as the soul was removed from the arena and then taken away across the ground in a heap of struggle and desperate grabbing on things that his hands simply phased through.


    Ludwig moved back toward crow-mask, "Are you okay?" he asked.


    The later looked up at him, a feeling of hollowness left his mouth as he said, "I''m fine¡­ I feel a bit tiered I should go back¡­" he said and stood up, almost like a zombie.


    Ludwig inspected him.


    Character Screen:


    Name: Rudolph Astra


    Race: Human


    Title: N/A


    Level: 23


    Currently under the Status Effect: Cursed [Soul Effigy]


    [Soul Effigy] a hollowed body that had their soul taken away from it, it has no essence of its own, and cannot be called alive nor can it be called dead. The body is only functioning by sheer memory and the body''s will to survive. If the soul isn''t returned in three days to the body, the body will realize the missing soul and will perish.


    ''What the hell is going on here?'' Ludwig wondered as he himself had no idea what was going on.


    Just as he was about to speak, a man wearing a bunny mask showed up, he looked quite similar to the same person at the gate.


    "Is something wrong dear guest?" the man asked.


    Ludwig turned to see the man, noticing the uncanny resemblance of the build between this person and the same guy from earlier that was guarding the entry to the parade.


    Besides the difference of the skin tone, you''d think they were the same person.


    "Nothing really, my friend here is still shocked that he lost that badly," Ludwig said.


    "Ah, I see, that tend to happen a lot, I''ll guide this guest of ours to a place where he can have some refreshments. Please continue playing and may fortune be with you," the man said and gestured to crow mask who meekly followed after him.


    While the man was moving away, Ludwig used [Inspect] on him. This caused the man to startle up and turned to look around, failing to realize who used what on him, the man simply ignored it and continued guiding crow mask to a separate bar area where he could have a drink.


    Ludwig on the other hand was fully focused on what was in front of him.


    ''Huh, this explains a lot¡­''


    Name: Sham-Har-Roush


    Race: Lesser Djinn


    Title: Slave


    Level: 25


    HP: 2500


    Status Effect: [Enslaved]


    Abilities:


    [Fire Infusion] Whenever there is a flame a Djinn will manifest. As long as there is a source of fire nearby a Djinn cannot perish.


    [Faster Than a Blink] Djinns are unnaturally fast if they''re in their [Fire Infusion] form, and are almost unnoticeable to the normal human eye.


    [Twisted Manifestation] Once successfully applied, the user will have an almost exact reproduction of the entity''s stats and appearance but will have half their power and health. Once used [Fire Infusion] becomes disabled.


    Addendum:


    Djinns are creatures of fire. They have been thought to have existed far longer than the human civilization, though they''re rarely if ever meet humans, if they do, they usually do it under the guise of polymorph. Djinns by nature are curious, yet at the same time will hold great hostility towards those who offend them. Old scriptures speak of powerful sorcerers using them to do their bidding and enslaving them, but without knowing the True Name of a Djinn they cannot be compelled or enslaved.


    ''So¡­ that''s not human. No wonder his physical build is pretty massive. But what is the relationship with what''s going on right now in the event and these guys.''


    Ludwig began thinking about the implications of all that was going on, and none of the results were good. Something terrible was going on right now, and he had no idea how to solve it. If only he could contact Van Dijk, but the latter would probably not even care. Not that Ludwig needed to talk to him regarding this anyway.

 Chapter 78 - 78: A Scholar

    "What''s up," Ludwig heard as Hoyo showed up right next to him with a roasted squid on a stick that he was eating from.


    "Oh, Hoyo¡­ emm nothing much," Ludwig didn''t want to share what he was thinking out loud, lest that it''s nothing and he''s just overthinking nor did he seem to want to reveal what he had in mind, because one of the guards seemed to pay too close of an attention to him than others. The same person that escorted Rudolph to rest.


    "You lost already," Hoyo laughed as he said, "But it''s okay, I mean it''s a pretty tough game."


    Ludwig who was in full thought only replied in "Yeah," completely absorbed in his own mind and what was going on.


    "Seems like a lot of players are out," Hoyo said as he saw several players standing up with dissatisfied looks on their faces while others looked around seeing if anyone had saw their ''brilliant'' moves.


    Soon, Vanessa came over, sighing, "You lost?" Hoyo ask. "No, I won but it wasn''t easy, those guys from the White Tower are really good. Especially their leader, she was next to me and took down her opponent in ten moves."


    "Wow, really, damn that must be some sort of record," Hoyo said.


    "Well, not really someone else apparently in this room won in two moves which I''m not going to lie sounds like a lie but I heard the monitors talking among each other about it, regardless, how did you do Ludwig? Was it difficult?" Kassandra asked.


    "Oh, I did well," Ludwig said. Though his expressions were still focused on what was going on in the matches. So it didn''t sound too sincere.


    "Don''t worry about the games Ludwig, I''ll do my best to get the Artificer''s Orb. I also don''t want to do these exams, some teachers are fickle."


    Ludwig nodded to her once again.


    Soon, the monitor of the games clapped their hand, "Dear Guests, the first round has ended, please get ready for the second round, you have ten minutes." He said.


    "Already!" Kassandra said sighing, "I need to prepare, let''s see the bracket," she said as she looked at her name and traced it up, "Damn, I''ll eventually play against her," she said as she noticed that after her match she''ll play the leader of the White Tower academy freshmen.


    "Wait, isn''t that your name?" Hoyo said frowning.


    Kassandra looked at Hoyo''s finger and notice that he was pointing at the name Ludwig used ''Blind Witness''


    "Did they advance you? Or did you get a by?" Hoyo asked.


    "Huh?" Ludwig said as he was finally woken from his own mind, "Ah, no, I won," Ludwig said.


    Both his friends looked at each other and instantly understood, "Beginner''s Luck" they said at the same time. or they seem to have understood.


    Ludwig smiled saying, "Yeah, something like that," and he wasn''t wrong he was a beginner in this world, and his luck was that everyone else was shit at this game.


    "Good luck then," Kassandra said as she headed back to her seat.


    Ludwig proceeded into heading back to his own seat as he once again noticed the chains, this time however it grabbed three people instead, and they were all people that lost the earlier round. The souls screamed and roared out as they were yanked from their bodies, some slid right in front of Ludwig. The people who had lost all had the same air about them that Rudolph had, a depressed atmosphere and lack of emotion and looked like puppets as they left. But at the same time it was awfully similar to the feeling expressed by others who had lost but didn''t get their souls taken.


    ''Those who lost and those who got their souls taken all express similar air about them, even if ones still have their souls¡­ and seeing that the chains aren''t taking everyone and ''choosing'' just a few is to make it not seem to obvious, if the chains took everyone that lost, then that is just asking for trouble. Whoever is doing this is pretty smart and very careful,'' Ludwig''s mind was still thinking about all that until an older man sat in front of him, he had a white jeweled mask covering his eyes and seemed to have a regal and bright air about him. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Greetings young man," the man said to Ludwig waking him from his thoughts.


    "Oh, greetings," Ludwig replied.


    "Seems like you''re focusing on the game."


    "Something like that," Ludwig replied hiding his thoughts. The conversation seemed to stop as Ludwig wasn''t the best at socializing, nor did he have any intention to do so.


    The old man also began by organizing his chess pieces and asked Ludwig, "Which side do you want to play?"


    "Either is fine," Ludwig said.


    "Hmm, usually people like to pick the white since it has the advantage of offense, but it seems that you''re confident enough to take me on regardless of which side," the old man said.


    "It''s just a game, also the one who goes first doesn''t have to always be the victor, in a siege the one that defends always has an advantage," Ludwig said.


    "Ah, spoken like a true commander, then I will take you up on your kindness I''ll take the white side," he said.


    He then proceeded by a basic opening as the game started.


    Ludwig slowly played the man, this time a bit more carefully, he didn''t have any intentions of doing him like Rudolph after all not everyone is as terrible as Rudolph.


    But the match proceeded exactly as Ludwig didn''t want to. Since the old man''s opening was basic and allowed Ludwig to open the path of both his Queen and Bishop, he soon found himself compelled to play another quick mate game.


    The old man forgot, or perhaps didn''t even seem to realize that his knight had been badly positioned while Ludwig advanced his Queen forward. And then after the old man tried to chase her away with a pawn, Ludwig took a stronger position then advanced his bishop.


    "You''re playing your stronger pieces already?" the old man said. "I can feel that you want to switch my offensive into yours, then what if I do this!" the old man said as he advanced the already weakly positioned knight forward, threatening a fork in his next round.

 Chapter 79 - 79: Yeah just be lucky

    "That would have been a good play," Ludwig said halfheartedly, he then moved his queen to take over the pawn on the diagonal of the king.


    "Huh? Are you giving up your queen for a pawn?" the old man laughed.


    "Not really, the game¡­is already over," Ludwig said as he stood up.


    The old man thought for a second, "Why? I can just take the Queen with my king," he said.


    Ludwig pointed at the bishop all the way in the corner, "You can''t, you lost," Ludwig said as he once again beat another opponent in a few moves.


    The monitor had paid more attention to Ludwig this time and approached him faster, "What''s the name of that move now? It''s quite different from the Fool''s Mate you played last time," the monitor said.


    The old man was still frowning but regardless he stood up and said, "You beat someone else doing this? I feel rather embarrassed to be called a fool," the old mans aid.


    "Not really, this is called the Scholar''s Mate, it requires a bit more advanced play." Ludwig said. Though he lied, after all that was one of the basic ways to take on a new player but he didn''t want to embarrass the old man who wasn''t rude like Rudolph.


    "Interesting, interesting," the monitor said as he noted down the moves. "Please take a seat and wait for the next round.


    Just as the three were talking the chains once again sprang out and were about to grab the old man, but almost instantly they slammed against something invisible and coiled back almost afraid then soon disappeared under the ground.


    The old man seemed to have noticed what happened and turned to the direction of the chains, but ignored it after not seeing anything.


    "I''ll have to excuse myself, young man, I hope we can play some more, you have quite the interesting playstyle."


    "Sure, if the opportunity ever presents itself," Ludwig said.


    After the formalities Ludwig once again peeled his eyes for the strange occurrences in the area. More chains came up and grabbed a couple more people but didn''t go too greedy. And once again the two it captured from the chess game were both people who lost their last game.


    ''So apparently there is a condition for these chains, and it only hit people who lost. What is this though? Who''s planning all this and why here?'' Ludwig continued thinking and formulating ideas. ''If they want the souls, maybe for a reason, a ritual of sorts?'' he thought, though he knew all the ideas he had were simply him hypothesizing for all he knew he could just be talking out of his ass without any good rhyme or reason and this could all be something completely different, but that doesn''t mean its not dangerous.


    The people who are managing this event seem to be aware, or at least parts of them, as Ludwig inspected one of the people overseeing the chess games. And it turned out that he is just a simple human without any afflictions or enslavement applied to him.


    "You''re done already? Don''t tell me, you won again?" Hoyo asked as he arrived next to him still munching on the last part of the roasted squid.


    "Yeah," Ludwig shrugged.


    "Damn, are you maybe¡­ a genius?" Hoyo asked.


    Ludwig smiled letting Hoyo have his own misunderstandings. It wasn''t that Ludwig was insanely good at chess, he was a great player, an had already reached Grandmaster status once before, but it was just that the people in this event were just bad.


    After some time the players began leaving, those who lost, and some remained to watch the rest of the games. Kassandra came to the two''s company looking completely worn out.


    "What''s wrong?" Hoyo asked, "My brain is fried¡­ the one I played against really used some sneaky moves, regardless I won. But I''m up against her next," Kassandra said, "She won her second game in twenty moves¡­"


    The direction she gestured was where the girl in white robes was, the leader of the White tower academy.


    Just as Kassandra was talking, the person she was talking about stood up, turned, noticed the three and moved toward them.


    "She''s coming over," Hoyo said.


    "What''s up with you two, you''re acting like you''re terrified of her," Ludwig said.


    "Oh, you don''t know about it, the competition between the five towers is pretty damn fierce, the only problem is that we''re ranked last¡­" Hoyo said.


    ''No wonder, the Black Tower academy is pretty much in a nerfed state. Where they can''t use any of their ''Powerful'' magic such as necromancy and curses¡­''


    "You," the girl said as she stood in front of Ludwig completely disregarding the other two next to him.


    "What is it?" Ludwig asked.


    "What did you do to Rudolph¡­ he''s acting strange," she said.


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about," Ludwig said as one of the Djinn guards moved past the event venue. Ludwig could almost feel the burning gaze of scrutiny of that entity from behind the mask watching him.


    "He''s been acting strange since he lost to you¡­" Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Maybe he just hates losing to the Black Tower academy and is depressed," Hoyo said as he swallowed the last of his squid.


    "No, I''m being serious, not only him," she said "A few others are also acting strange¡­ I just thought you might know something," she said addressing Ludwig.


    "I honestly have no idea," Ludwig replied, "Maybe they ate something strange, or have something in comment," Ludwig threw her a hint. He wasn''t about to expose the fact that he knew ''something'' and wanted her to act by herself. After all, so far nothing of what was going on here bothered or even was by any relation something that affected him.


    The girl nodded, though Ludwig didn''t know if she understood his intentions or not, he did the bare minimum for someone who seemed worried about their companions.


    She left the group and instantly Hoyo said, "I''ve never seen her act like that," he said.


    "You know her?" Ludwig asked.


    "Well, she''s a pretty bigshot in the White Tower academy, well more like her older brother. He''s is the youngest commander grade Swordmaster to achieve Aura mastery at the age of twenty two. He was praised by the King of Tulmud, the Kingdom of the East. The rumors were thought to be exaggerated until the Emperor of Lufondal asked him to come and showcase his Aura. And after showing it, he received endless praise. The house of Urbaf, where she comes from is now a ducal house and is second to none but the king of Tulmud and they are highly regarded by the empire. Though she on the other hand has quite the unlucky circumstances," Hoyo said.


    "How is that unlucky, to have the favor of an emperor and a king, she would be praised and honored wherever she goes," Ludwig said.


    "Ah, you know so little of the world Ludwig," Hoyo said as he patted Ludwig on the back, "The fact that her brother is that bright and shining of a star makes it that she became nothing but a bargain chip in political affairs. Unless she overshoots and outshines her brother, she''ll never be her true person, that is the one disadvantage of Nobility." Hoyo said. Definitely speaking form experience.


    Hoyo looked at the woman who took a seat waiting for her next match, pity? Sympathy? Maybe empathy? None of them fitted what he currently felt, even he didn''t know.


    "Please proceed to the semi-final rounds," the administrator said.


    Ludwig headed to his seat and waited for his opponent, this time it was another person from the white tower academy.


    Hoyo on the other hand decided that this time he wanted to watch. He wanted to see Ludwig''s Luck in action, or maybe hidden genius.


    The game started and ended almost as fast as Ludwig used the many holes in his opponents'' opening to completely overwhelm him.


    The game this time took longer than before, at least fourteen moves from Ludwig before he pinned his opponent''s king. For others that might sound like a short time for a game to end, but for Ludwig it was too long and he did it on purpose. He already beat two others in the first few moves, so he wanted to take longer this time. he didn''t want to draw too much attention and at the same time he wanted to have a better look at what was going on in the venue form his seat.


    The chains however didn''t come to his opponent this time.


    Ludwig stood up after having beat his still unbelieving opponent and moved along Hoyo to the waiting area.


    Not long after, Kassandra came over with annoyance clear in her face.


    "What''s wrong?" Ludwig asked.


    "I lost," she said sighing.


    Ludwig frowned, not because she lost, but because she looked completely fine.


    ''Perhaps the chains aren''t grabbing those who advanced far enough that they''re noticeable by the people. It''s picking up those who are either less known or don''t have power, otherwise it would have taken that old man from earlier. And since Kassandra advanced all the way to the semi-finals she was probably not a good target for the chains¡­"


    "Let''s leave then, I guess I''ll have to study for the exams," she sighed.


    "What do you mean?" Hoyo asked.


    "Well, I lost to that White Tower noble, and that means I can''t get the Artificer''s Orb, so we''ll have to study. Unless you have a hundred thousand extra gold krona that you don''t mind spending," Kassandra shrugged.


    "No, I mean, why buy it, we still have a chance," Hoyo said.


    Kassandra frowned, "There is no loser bracket in this event, if you lose you''re out."


    Hoyo pointed at her, "You lost," then he pointed at Ludwig, "He didn''t, he is a finalist."


    Kassandra''s eyes almost bulged out, after all, even beginner''s luck has a limit.

 Chapter 80 - 80: How did it feel?

    "Wait, how?" Kassandra asked, completely baffled by Ludwig''s placement in the finals.


    Ludwig couldn''t help but flash her a knowing smile, leaving her to figure it out on her own.


    "Regardless, this gives him a good shot at grabbing the orb. Please do¡ªI don''t want to study for the exams anymore," Hoyo groaned, half-serious.


    "Don''t worry about it," Ludwig replied nonchalantly. For him, the entire tournament was more of a casual distraction than a test of skill. His true concern lay elsewhere¡ªthe ominous chains he''d seen earlier, and the unsettling feeling of souls being tampered with. Something darker was happening behind the masquerade''s festivities.


    Kassandra, however, seemed far more invested, nervously tapping her foot as the minutes dragged on. Her tension seemed to grow with every passing moment.


    Finally, the announcer''s voice broke through the low murmur of the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, the King''s Gambit Tournament has reached its final match! Please direct your attention to the main chessboard, where our final contenders will compete for the grand prize!"


    Ludwig stood, brushing imaginary dust from his coat. "I''ll head to the final table," he said, walking toward the board set at the center of the venue.


    "So many people are watching," Hoyo muttered as he scanned the crowd. Though the number of spectators had thinned since the start of the tournament, a decent crowd of enthusiasts remained, discussing strategies, analyzing matches, or eagerly awaiting the final showdown.


    Kassandra leaned forward, eyes narrowing as she spotted Ludwig''s opponent. "That''s her...the daughter of the House Urbaf," she said softly, more to herself than to anyone else. Her voice carried a mix of awe and concern. As she had just lost to her earlier.


    As Ludwig took his seat at the board, his opponent arrived shortly after. She strode confidently to her side of the table, her ornate rapier clinking softly as she rested it against the edge of the table. Her mask, a delicate creation of ivory and gemstones, gave her an air of elegance and authority.


    "You made it," she said, her tone cool but with a hint of amusement.


    Ludwig didn''t bother with pleasantries. He focused on arranging his pieces, his movements calm and deliberate.


    "You know something, don''t you?" she pressed, lowering her voice.


    He glanced at her briefly before murmuring, "Too many ears."


    Understanding his meaning, she didn''t push further. "I see..." she said quietly, her expression unreadable behind her mask.


    The referee approached. "Are you both ready to begin?"


    "Yes," she said, her tone steady.


    "Go whenever," Ludwig added, his voice as calm as ever.


    "Have you agreed on sides?" the referee asked.


    "I''ll take black," Ludwig said without hesitation.


    "I''ll take white, then," she replied.


    The referee nodded. "Very well. Best of luck to both of you."


    As the game began, Ludwig quickly noticed her skill. She was a decent player¡ªher moves were calculated, and her strategies solid. Yet, cracks began to show as the match progressed. She made small but critical mistakes, likely a result of her divided focus.


    "You''re pretty scatterbrained," Ludwig remarked after exploiting a weak opening.


    "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice tinged with irritation. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You''re not focused," Ludwig said simply, moving his knight into a stronger position.


    Her hand hesitated over the board. "One of my teammates isn''t doing too well," she admitted, frustration evident in her tone.


    "And your being distracted isn''t helping him," Ludwig countered as he continued to reinforce his position.


    Her jaw tightened as she moved another piece by vocal command. "Then tell me what you know," she demanded.


    "Like I said, too many ears," Ludwig replied, his voice unwavering.


    "No one would dare go against my house," she said, her tone sharp.


    "They sure as hell can at this event," Ludwig shot back. "Remember, you''re not the daughter of Urbaf here. You''re just another person with a mask."


    Her lips pressed into a thin line as she made another move. "Check," she said.


    Ludwig frowned slightly but didn''t let it show.


    "Seems like this is the end," she said with a small smile.


    "Is it?" Ludwig replied, calmly repositioning his knight to block the check.


    She seized the offensive, pressing her advantage and claiming several of his pawns. "You seem distracted yourself," she said. "I''ve seen you beat others in two or three moves. Why not here?"


    "Doing the same trick over and over gets boring," Ludwig said as he moved another piece into position.


    "For me, what''s boring is the way you''re defending without any counterplay. That''s another pawn down," she said triumphantly.


    "Pawns are made to be sacrificed," Ludwig said, his tone cool and detached.


    "Even pawns can become queens," she retorted, moving her own queen forward. "Not everyone deserves to be sacrificed."


    Ludwig''s lips curved into a faint smile as he positioned his queen near hers, blocking her next check. "And even a queen," he said, "can be sacrificed."


    Her confidence faltered for a moment. "That just loses you the game. I still have an advantage," she said, swiftly capturing his queen.


    "Check," she declared. "You die next move."


    Ludwig didn''t move his king. Instead, his hand hovered over his knight, repositioning it to block the check once again.


    "You''re prolonging the inevitable," she said as she took his knight, eliminating one of his last defenses. "Now your queen and knight are gone. Who will protect your king?"


    Ludwig didn''t respond immediately. His gaze flickered over the board, his expression unreadable. Then, with deliberate precision, he moved his bishop into play¡ªa piece she hadn''t accounted for.


    Her eyes widened as realization dawned.


    "How did it feel?" Ludwig asked, his voice calm but laced with a quiet intensity. "That short-lived hope of yours?"


    The bishop''s move, supported by his remaining knight, clamped her king into an inescapable checkmate.


    She stared at the board in disbelief. "H-how¡­ no, you sacrificed your queen and knight just to pull my own queen out of position?"


    Ludwig leaned back slightly, his voice even. "She was the only piece that could''ve protected your king. And you were too blinded by the sight of victory to notice that you had no allies left defending it. Everything is to be sacrificed for the king."


    Her hands trembled as she stared at the board, the reality of her loss sinking in. The crowd, which had been murmuring softly, erupted into applause and cheers.


    Ludwig stood, offering her a faint nod before turning to leave. For him, the game was over. But the questions he had about the strange occurrences at the masquerade remained unanswered¡ªand he intended to find those answers.

 Chapter 81 - 81: In Motion

    The victor was clear, and the applause rippled through the crowd. Congratulations were given freely, but not everyone was so quick to accept what they had witnessed.


    "I can''t believe it," Kassandra muttered, her arms crossed tightly across her chest.


    "What do you mean?" Hoyo asked, tilting his head.


    "You''re telling me that someone who didn''t even know what the King''s Gambit was managed to play that well?" she demanded. "Not only did he execute moves perfectly, but he also led his opponent into traps several moves ahead. That doesn''t just happen! He must have known the game."


    "Does it matter?" Hoyo countered with a grin. "We get to skip the exams thanks to him. Trust me, if someone tricks me, but I get to pass an exam, they can fool me as often as they want!" He clapped loudly for Ludwig, a grin stretching from ear to ear.


    Ludwig had just finished shaking hands with his opponent, her expression still a mixture of disbelief and frustration. As she gathered her things, she turned to Ludwig and asked, "When are we meeting?"


    "I still need to go around the event," Ludwig replied, his tone measured.


    "The mage parade closes for the night in two hours," she said. "I''ll be at the inn by then."


    "Sure," Ludwig replied casually.


    She nodded curtly before leaving, her footsteps brisk and determined.


    The announcer approached Ludwig, her energy bubbling over as she peppered him with questions about his performance.


    "How do you feel about your victory?" she asked with a wide grin.


    "It was a tough match," Ludwig said, though it was an obvious lie.


    "And your opponents?"


    "They were all skilled players. Each game pushed me to my limits," Ludwig replied, his tone steady and unconvincing.


    The announcer, oblivious to his disinterest, nodded enthusiastically as if every word he spoke was profound. The referee, meanwhile, jotted down notes as though Ludwig''s strategies were groundbreaking revelations.


    Finally, Ludwig was presented with a small ornate box. Opening it, he found a metallic orb covered in intricate, swirling designs.


    [The Artificer''s Orb]


    One of many cores created by an unknown craftsman known as The Artificer. These artifacts were discovered within ancient ruins and machinery attributed to a long-extinct race. The Artificer''s Orb serves as a potent mana conduit, capable of optimizing and sustaining mana flow. It is a critical component for creating and maintaining magical constructs, particularly golems.


    ''So this is what he wants¡­'' Ludwig thought, tucking the orb into his storage ring without a second glance.


    As he walked back toward Kassandra and Hoyo, he noticed their expressions¡ªa mixture of admiration and amusement.


    "What?" Ludwig asked, already dreading their response.


    "What do you mean ''what''?" Hoyo replied, still grinning. "We get to skip the exams! If this is what victory feels like, then let me bask in it!"


    "Buddy, we''re practically royalty now," he added, laughing.


    Ludwig rolled his eyes, shaking his head.


    "How did you do it?" Kassandra asked, her tone sharp.


    "Do what?"


    "How did you understand the game so well and pull off strategies like that when you said you''ve never played before?"


    "I don''t know," Ludwig shrugged. "The game seemed simple enough."


    Kassandra''s jaw tightened. "Simple?" she echoed, her voice tinged with disbelief. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I guess this is what they call genius," Hoyo interjected with a chuckle. "I had a cousin who was brilliant with numbers but terrible at everything else. Couldn''t even hold a proper conversation, but give him an abacus and he''d work miracles."


    "Are you implying Ludwig''s slow?" Kassandra asked, raising an eyebrow.


    Hoyo grinned. "Sometimes he''s a little clueless about the basics."


    "You know," Ludwig said, narrowing his eyes, "I could ask Van Dijk to leave you out of this Artificer Orb business."


    Immediately, Hoyo dropped to his knees, clutching Ludwig''s legs dramatically. "Please, anything but that!"


    "Stand up! You''re embarrassing us!" Ludwig snapped, trying to shake him off.


    "Please!"


    "Fine! Just get up," Ludwig said, exasperation clear in his voice.


    "Anyway, about chess¡ªor King''s Gambit, or whatever¡ªit''s not that hard if you just pay attention. It doesn''t take much to figure out."


    "Then play me at the academy," Kassandra said, a challenge glinting in her eyes.


    "Sure," Ludwig said, indifferent.


    Kassandra beamed, her smile as bright as if she''d won the tournament herself. "Perfect! I want to learn some more strategies."


    "Now what?" Ludwig asked, eager to change the subject.


    "Now," Hoyo said, rubbing his hands together, "we enjoy the rest of the masquerade! Let''s see what the stalls have to offer."


    "You just want to stuff your face," Kassandra said, rolling her eyes.


    "Maybe," Hoyo replied with a grin.


    The three wandered through the bustling crowd, weaving between colorful stalls and performers. Laughter and music filled the air, and the scent of roasted meats and sweet pastries wafted through the streets. The Mage Masquerade truly lived up to its reputation¡ªa vibrant celebration of magic and culture, with something to captivate every sense.


    ***


    Elsewhere, beneath the commotion...


    Far below the festival, in a dark and stifling chamber, a man sat atop a mound of cushions and pillows. He wore wide, floppy pants and a vest that left his chest exposed. Atop his head was a black turban adorned with an enormous emerald that gleamed in the dim candlelight.


    The air was thick with the scent of incense, mingling with the coppery tang of dried blood. Around him lay the corpses of four women, their desiccated forms twisted in eternal agony.


    "Gather the bodies," he ordered, waving his hand lazily.


    Two young boys in plain robes scurried forward, dragging the corpses away. In front of the man, a line of burly, kneeling figures remained motionless, their heads bowed.


    "So," the man said, his voice low and commanding, "what of the souls? I felt a disruption."


    One of the kneeling figures spoke, his voice trembling. "The King''s Gambit event, my lord. Someone of Lufondal royal lineage participated."


    "I see," the man said, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "But that''s not all, is it? One of my djinn sensed something strange: he was a student from the Black Tower Academy."


    "Yes, my lord. He wore the robes of a first-year. He seemed unaware of what was happening. Shall we dispose of him?"


    The man considered this, his emerald glinting ominously as he rubbed it between his fingers. "No. If he''s truly ignorant, there''s no need to risk provoking the academy. Not to mention, we can''t kill anyone directly. The Sultan would be furious if we''re exposed though he''ll be more than happy if we succeed."


    "What about the royal?"


    "Monitor them closely. Their every move must be accounted for," the man ordered. "And if the student becomes a problem... deal with him...quietly."


    The room fell silent save for the crackling of the candles, their light casting eerie shadows across the chamber.

 Chapter 82 - 82: Dream

    While the group strolled through the bustling event, Hoyo and Kassandra seemed to be having the time of their lives. Hoyo, as expected, was engrossed in sampling food from every stall, his enthusiasm boundless as he commented on the flavors and textures of each dish. Kassandra, on the other hand, was drawn to the equipment and relics on display, her eyes lighting up as she admired ornate weapons, enchanted trinkets, and other curiosities. Despite her interest, it was clear that most of the items were far too expensive for any of them to afford.


    Ludwig, however, was not as carefree. His eyes roved across the crowd, sharp and calculating.


    ''Though none of this is really my business, things are spiraling out of control here,'' he mused, watching yet another soul dragged away in glowing chains.


    The sight was becoming disturbingly common. For every moment of laughter and joy among the festivalgoers, there seemed to be an undercurrent of something darker.


    More troubling was the djinn tailing him. Using the [Mark of the Witness] ability from his mask, Ludwig had tagged the creature earlier, ensuring he could sense its position at all times. The djinn had disguised itself as part of the event staff, exuding an air of authority as it roamed the streets, but Ludwig''s instincts told him it was watching him specifically.


    It was not the first time Ludwig had felt eyes on him. His father, back in the old world, had been strict about teaching him the importance of vigilance. As the heir to a prominent corporate family, Ludwig had learned to spot a tail, detect threats, and prepare for the unexpected. These lessons, though seemingly irrelevant at the time, now served him well in this unfamiliar and dangerous world.


    What frustrated him most, however, was Kassandra''s unharmed state. Though she had lost in the King''s Gambit tournament, no chains had appeared to drag her soul away. This shattered Ludwig''s earlier theory that only the losers of these games were being targeted. With no clear pattern, he was left without answers, and the growing mystery gnawed at him.


    "Are you planning on staying here for the night?" Kassandra asked, interrupting his thoughts.


    "What do you mean?" Ludwig replied.


    "The city''s packed," she said, gesturing toward the throngs of people. "The inns are probably all full. We should head back to the academy and come back tomorrow."


    ''Not a bad idea,'' Ludwig thought, considering her suggestion. ''I could also talk to Van Dijk about this mess. Maybe he''ll know more about what''s going on.''


    "Sure, but I need to take care of something first," Ludwig said.


    "Your date with the Urbaf chick?" Hoyo teased, a sly grin spreading across his face.


    "Date? What date?" Kassandra asked, her tone sharp as her gaze narrowed.


    "He''s just talking nonsense," Ludwig said quickly, hoping to defuse the situation. "I''m only meeting her to discuss the tournament. Don''t worry about it."


    "Sure¡­" Kassandra said, clearly unconvinced.


    The trio continued walking, their pace leisurely as they wove through the colorful stalls and performers. Ludwig, however, was far from relaxed. He maintained a careful fa?ade, blending into the crowd while keeping tabs on the djinn shadowing him. The creature kept its distance but never strayed far enough to lose sight of him.


    When they reached the edge of the event, Ludwig decided it was time to part ways.


    "I''ll head out first," he said.


    "Right. See you back at the academy," Hoyo said, waving him off as he and Kassandra continued exploring.


    Ludwig moved swiftly through the streets of Rima, weaving between vendors and performers with purpose. He didn''t attempt to lose the djinn tailing him¡ªdoing so might tip it off that he was aware of its presence. Instead, he acted as though he was just another festivalgoer, though his heart pounded with tension.


    When he reached the Last Adventure Inn, the djinn stopped just outside, lingering like a shadow. Through his mask, Ludwig could still sense its position clearly, a faint pulse of awareness confirming it hadn''t moved.


    Inside the inn, the young woman from the tournament was already seated. Her rapier rested neatly against the table, and her mask sat beside an untouched cup of black coffee. Her posture was composed, but there was an air of impatience about her as she tapped her fingers lightly on the table.


    Ludwig hesitated for a moment. Everyone else in the room had removed their masks, and his own felt conspicuously out of place. He reached up to remove it, but the moment his fingers brushed the edges of the mask, his mind was assaulted by a vivid and disorienting vision.


    *****


    The vision came with the force of a tidal wave.


    A young boy stood at the head of an enormous army. His dark skin gleamed in the sun, and his smile was radiant, almost disarming. This boy''s jubilant and honest appearance accompanied his expression as if all the joys of life were etched onto his face. Yet what the boy was doing was anything but joyful.


    Nothing was comforting about this scene.


    The boy''s white robes billowed in the wind as thousands marched behind him, their gleaming maces and white armor glowing ominously. Clerics and paladins, their faces stern and unyielding, followed his lead with unwavering loyalty.


    In the boy''s hand was a staff, taller than he was and adorned with a design both celestial and eldritch. Its presence was a paradox¡ªsimultaneously divine and profane, like a relic born of light and madness.


    The boy''s voice rang out, soft yet commanding.


    "How peculiar... one who is asleep but dreams of nothing," he said, tilting his head as though studying Ludwig.


    Though his words seemed directed at no one in particular, Ludwig felt their weight, as though they were meant solely for him. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "But all must sleep one day," the boy continued, "and all who sleep must dream. Let me fix that for you."


    With that, the boy raised his staff high before slamming it down toward Ludwig.


    ******

 Chapter 83 - 83: It begins

    [You have encountered the presence of Eldritch Might.]


    [You are still lacking the understanding needed to obtain Eldritch Mastery]


    The notifications woke Ludwig from his stunned state and he coughed as he removed the mask.


    [As an Undead, you have neutralized the blind effect of the item [Mask of the Blind Witness]


    Ludwig leaned heavily against the inn''s outer wall, his breath coming in short gasps as he tried to make sense of the strange vision. The image of the boy, radiant yet unnervingly sinister, lingered in his mind like a persistent shadow.


    ''I suppose this is one of the abilities of the Mask¡­ and if I could take a wild guess¡­ that''s probably the guy that Hoyo spoke about, though I''m not sure, I''ll have to ask him¡­''


    The mask''s abilities were as unpredictable as they were powerful. It showed glimpses of truths and lies, weaving them together in a way that made it impossible to discern one from the other. For all Ludwig knew, the vision of the boy and his celestial-eldritch staff could be pure fiction. Still, he couldn''t shake the feeling that it was important.


    Ludwig focused on the task ahead, deciding to let the matter of this vision for a later time, So, he can''t be too trusting of what the mask showed him.


    Ludwig headed toward the table and sat next to the young woman, "You sure took your time," she said.


    "It''s you who is in need of me, not the other way around," Ludwig said as he placed his mask on the table and sat across from her.


    "Dear costumer, what can I bring you?" the busboy appeared immediately.


    "Beer," Ludwig said as he wanted to get another taste of alcohol in him.


    The boy hurried up to bring Ludwig''s order, while the two remained staring at each other.


    "What?" Ludwig asked.


    "You said you know something," she said.


    "You''re quite rude for a noble person," Ludwig said.


    "What do you mean?" she said frowning.


    "Do you even know who I am?" he asked.


    "¡­"


    "Right, you forgot the most basic thing in a conversation, it''s greetings, you didn''t even ask nor tell me your name and you''re in need of something from me. Don''t you think that you''re being rude?" Ludwig asked.


    Flustered and embarrassed, "I apologize, you are right, my name is Alva Urbaf, I come from"


    Ludwig held his hand up, "I don''t need to know anything else, just your name. I''m Ludwig heart," he replied calmly.


    She nodded.


    "As for your friend, he''ll die in a couple of days at best," Ludwig said and that instantly made her slam both hands on the table and stand up.


    "What do you mean?!"


    The reaction caused the ambiance in the bar to die down a bit. But once the people looked at the two on the table, one of the people in the bar muttered, "Hah, lover''s quarrel," and returned to his beer.


    The atmosphere soon changed back to what it was.


    Ludwig stared emotionally at her as she sat down, "I¡­"


    "Quite the temper," Ludwig said.


    "Tell me, what do you mean by he''ll die?"


    "Like I said, he will die soon. There is something going on here in this event. And apparently, your boyfriend there got hit with it," Ludwig said.


    "How do you even know that? You could be just lying."


    "You can believe me, or not, regardless of the matter I did the minimum required to assist you," Ludwig said as the beer arrived at his table, "Here''s your Bear Deer!" the busboy once again said the same quirky phrase and left.


    Ludwig took a good chug and placed the beer down as he enjoyed the taste that wet his old bones. "Remember, I come from the Black Tower academy, we can see some stuff like that, or at least understand a bit of it," Ludwig said, although he was lying without even blinking, he rather had her confused about the fact that he knows about the souls and the chains to be related to his background as a Black Tower academy student than explain how he could see them because his mask is an artifact.


    Since his mask was something that even rulers and kings coveted back in the day, he''d rather keep its function hidden. And also it''s less of a pain to explain it that way.


    "You''re a mage?" she asked.


    "I guess it should be obvious¡­" Ludwig said.


    "Not really, you''ve been staring at my sword every time we met¡­" she said.


    "Ah, consider it curiosity, regardless that''s what I saw. And apparently, it only affected those who lost in the event of chess¡­"


    "I saw several others that lost and weren''t affected though," she countered.


    Ludwig shrugged, "I noticed the same, but also none of those who won were affected either, I know it''s a farfetched reasoning but¡­" just as Ludwig finished his words, the door to the in blasted open, Hoyo''s face looked pale and right under his shoulder was Kassandra''s limp body.


    "Ludwig!" Hoyo shouted.


    Ludwig stood up from his chair as he saw Hoyo rapidly moving Kassandra over.


    "What''s going on, what''s wrong with her?" Ludwig asked.


    "I don''t know, he suddenly fell unconscious," Hoyo said.


    Ludwig immediately used [Inspect] on her.


    ***


    Character Screen:


    Name: Kassandra


    Race: Human


    Title: N/A


    Level: 12


    Currently under the Status Effect: Cursed [Soul Effigy]


    ***


    ¡­ S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "She got it too¡­" Ludwig said, annoyed beyond belief. After all, he thought that he could just ignore all that was going on since none of his friends were harmed, but now, he was dragged right into this mess forcefully.


    "You may be right, this is the same symptoms that Rudolph has¡­ what the hell is going on in here¡­"


    "Don''t ask me, the whole town is in a state of chaos," Hoyo said.


    "What do you mean?" Ludwig asked.


    "The portal is out of service. And all communication devices are out of order¡­"


    Ludwig understood immediately where Hoyo''s words were going.


    "Let me guess¡­ the way outside the city is also blocked¡­"


    "How did you know?" Hoyo said his eyes wide.


    "Fuck¡­" Ludwig said, "We''re trapped here¡­"

 Chapter 84 - 84: Bound and Trapped

    "What do you mean trapped?" Hoyo asked, the panic evident in his voice.


    "Think about it," Ludwig replied, his tone clipped as his gaze flicked toward Kassandra''s pale, lifeless form. "Locked in a city. All exits are sealed. People are either dying¡ªor worse, losing themselves completely. What does that sound like to you?"


    "You think it''s some kind of plague?" Hoyo frowned, his hands clenching into nervous fists.


    Ludwig exhaled sharply, a mix of frustration and exhaustion bubbling beneath the surface. "I wish it was something that simple. No, I think it''s more deliberate¡ªa coordinated attack."


    The words hung heavy in the air, the weight of their implication pressing down on those present.


    "What makes you so confident about this theory?" Alva Urbaf interjected, her voice sharp and cutting. "That''s a very serious accusation. Can you even take responsibility for saying something so reckless?"


    Ludwig turned his gaze toward her, the annoyance flashing in his eyes unmistakable. "Who died and made you the chief of police?" His tone was ice, a stark contrast to the rising heat of his frustration.


    "What?" Alva frowned, clearly taken aback by his hostility.


    "I don''t owe you anything," Ludwig continued, his voice rising. "You can take what I say with a grain of salt, or you can ignore it altogether. But don''t sit there trying to pin responsibility on me as if I''m some scapegoat waiting for the slaughter." His annoyance was growing clear. It wasn''t anger he was incapable of it after all he could only mimic it, but annoyance? was a Ludwig specialty.


    Ludwig stood abruptly, pushing his chair back with enough force to scrape the wooden floor. He crossed the room to check on Kassandra, his movements stiff with restrained anger.


    "Wow," Hoyo muttered under his breath, clearly caught between awkward amusement and unease. "I admire your selection of words, but¡­ she kind of is the police, though."


    Ludwig shot him a questioning look. "What the hell are you talking about?"


    "The Urbaf family," Hoyo clarified. "They''re a ducal family, remember? They''ve got members in the Imperial Guard¡ª"


    "Her brother is in the Imperial Guard," Ludwig interrupted, his tone sharp as he waved off the explanation. "Not her. And frankly, I don''t care. I just can''t stand people like her¡ªthinking their influence gives them the right to order others around. If I say it''s a terror attack, then accept it or don''t. But don''t stand there trying to put the weight of the world on my shoulders."


    His voice carried through the inn, loud enough for the other patrons to hear. The murmur of conversations quieted momentarily as people turned their attention to the brewing confrontation.


    "I-I didn''t mean it that way!" Alva stammered, flustered.


    "Doesn''t matter what you meant," Ludwig snapped, his gaze narrowing. "Words have power. Choose them wisely next time."


    Ignoring her further protests, Ludwig crouched down beside Kassandra, his fingers lightly pressing against her neck as he checked her pulse.


    "She''s probably out cold because she hasn''t fully healed from yesterday," Ludwig muttered. "Add to that today''s stress, mental exhaustion, and whatever''s going on with these stolen souls¡­ Honestly, I''m surprised she''s still breathing."


    "You''re grim," Hoyo remarked, his brow furrowing.


    Ludwig''s lips twisted into a humorless smile. "The faster you accept reality, the faster you can deal with it. I''m heading out."


    He grabbed his mask from the table, sliding it over his face as he made for the door.


    The djinn Ludwig had marked earlier was gone, its presence now far away, deep within the heart of the masquerade venue. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Wait!" Alva called out, stepping between Ludwig and the door.


    "What do you want now?" he asked, his irritation clear.


    "I''m coming with you."


    "Do you even know where I''m going?"


    "No, but I know you''re not as clueless as you seem," Alva replied, her eyes locking onto his.


    Ludwig sighed, exasperation etched across his face. "You''re going to be a pain."


    "I''m stronger than you, at least," she shot back, her tone firm.


    Ludwig frowned, his eyes narrowing as he activated [Inspect].


    Name: Alva Urbaf


    Race: Human


    Title: N/A


    Level: 35


    The sight of her status gave him pause. Stronger than me, huh?


    "What was that just now?" Alva asked, a shiver running down her spine. She hugged her coat tighter as if trying to protect herself from an unseen gaze.


    "It doesn''t matter," Ludwig replied curtly. "If you''re coming, don''t lag behind. But the moment you become dead weight, I''m leaving you behind."


    "What about me?" Hoyo asked, a tinge of panic creeping into his voice.


    "Stay here. Watch over Kassandra," Ludwig ordered.


    Without another word, he pushed past Alva and stepped into the crowded streets.


    The noise outside was deafening. People milled about, some confused, others enraged, as they discovered the severed communication lines and barred exits.


    Alva hurried after Ludwig, pulling her mask into place as she tried to keep up. "Where exactly are we going?"


    "Just follow me," Ludwig replied tersely, his focus elsewhere.


    His mind raced as he maneuvered through the throng of festival-goers. Whoever orchestrated this chaos clearly had no intention of allowing help to arrive. That much was obvious from the meticulous shutdown of all communication and transportation.


    ''Whoever''s behind this doesn''t want help to arrive anytime soon... perhaps not even witnesses''


    The thought gnawed at him, feeding his urgency. Kassandra''s condition was deteriorating rapidly, and if he didn''t act soon, she wouldn''t survive.


    But Ludwig wasn''t naive. He knew the risks. If things went south, he had the lantern as a backup. The souls he''d collected would allow him to cheat death a few times if needed. It wasn''t ideal, but it was all he had.


    "What''s your plan?" Alva pressed, her voice barely audible above the din of the crowd.


    "Find the source," Ludwig replied. "Shut it down."


    "And if it''s too strong to handle?"


    Ludwig glanced over his shoulder, his expression grim. "Then I guess I''ll die trying."


    The weight of his words silenced her, but her determination didn''t waver. She tightened her grip on her rapier and kept pace with him, ready to face whatever lay ahead.

 Chapter 85 - 85: Infiltration

    Ludwig''s speed was unnerving. Despite the chaos and the bustling streets filled with panicked citizens, he moved with uncanny agility, weaving through the crowd with a precision that Alva could barely match. Her lungs burned as she struggled to keep pace, her breath coming in labored gasps, though she prided herself on her endurance as a swordswoman.


    Yet Ludwig didn''t even seem winded.


    When he finally came to a halt at the mouth of a shadowy alley, she nearly stumbled to a stop behind him, her hands braced on her knees as she fought to catch her breath. The alley opened into a dim, narrow street where silence reigned, a stark contrast to the distant cacophony of the masquerade''s turmoil.


    "Hold on a bit!" she wheezed.


    Ludwig turned to her, his finger pressed against his lips. "We''re close," he whispered, his eyes fixed on an unassuming building at the end of the darkened lane.


    Alva followed his gaze. "That place?"


    Ludwig gave a slow nod. "Traces of souls. They''re pouring into that house."


    She blinked, bewildered. "What do you mean ''traces of souls''? How can you even¡ª"


    "Questions later," Ludwig cut her off. "Black Tower Academy student, remember?" He tapped his chest with mock confidence, hoping she wouldn''t push further.


    Alva crossed her arms, clearly unconvinced, but she held her tongue. She looked at the building more closely¡ªits weathered exterior and dimly glowing windows gave it the appearance of just another old, forgotten home. "It doesn''t look out of place," she muttered.


    "Look closer," Ludwig said, his voice sharp. "See that ''big guy'' near the door?"


    She squinted, finally noticing the two hulking figures stationed near the entrance. At first glance, they seemed like ordinary men draped in flowing cloaks. But as she stared, unease settled over her.


    "What about them?" Alva asked as she took in the view.


    "They''re not human," Ludwig said, his voice low.


    Her frown deepened. "I can understand your aversion to harming humans, even I don''t want to do that even if they''re criminals, but If they''re not human then what are they then?"


    "Djinn," Ludwig said bluntly.


    Her stomach turned, though she tried to hide it. She wasn''t well-versed in dealing with supernatural entities, but apparently, she seemed to know what that was. Though Ludwig had no idea if the common folks knew what a Djinn was since only he could see their information through his [inspect], her reaction told him that she knew of their existence.


    "Are you sure that they''re Djinn?" she asked tightening her grip on her sword.


    "Completely. And this building reeks of black magic," Ludwig added, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the ethereal chains spiraling into the house, visible only to him through his mask.


    Alva hesitated, gripping the hilt of her rapier tightly. "So what''s the plan?"


    "I''m going in," Ludwig said.


    She raised an eyebrow. "The door is locked, and those ''not-human'' guards will see you coming a mile away. How do you plan to¡ª"


    "I''m not sneaking," Ludwig interrupted. "I don''t have the skill for that."


    "What then?"


    "Step back," Ludwig said, extending his arm. "I have no idea what''s about to happen, so you might want to give me some space."


    She didn''t argue. Something about his focused expression made her comply, retreating several steps as he prepared a spell.


    "[Frenzied Spirits]," Ludwig muttered.


    The moment the words left his lips, his body was drained of energy as his mana pool was completely consumed, leaving him lightheaded and trembling. For an instant, he thought the spell had failed.


    Then all hell broke loose.


    The djinn at the entrance began convulsing, their humanoid forms writhing as fire erupted from their bodies. Screams that sounded both human and otherworldly echoed through the alley as their robes disintegrated into ash, revealing their true forms¡ªsearing masses of unbridled flame struggling to maintain coherence.


    The two djinn spiraled into a frenzy, their blazing forms smashing into nearby walls, reducing parts of the alley to rubble. Flames licked the air, casting terrifying shadows on the nearby buildings as their incandescent shapes flickered like candles in a storm.


    Alva''s jaw dropped in shock, her eyes darting between the fiery chaos and Ludwig. "What did you just do?"


    Even Ludwig seemed stunned. His hands trembled as he realized the spell''s unintended effects. ''The hell was that?'' he thought.


    The spell [Frenzied Spirits] was supposed to summon malevolent spirits to attack indiscriminately, yet it had instead driven the djinn into a frenzy, forcing them to revert to their elemental forms.


    He pieced it together quickly. "They''re spirits. The spell must have affected them directly," he muttered under his breath, filing the revelation away for later.


    "What was that? They just went berserk," Alva hissed, snapping him back to the present.


    "What are you waiting for? Let''s move!" Ludwig barked, rushing toward the now unguarded entrance.


    She hesitated only for a moment before following, her rapier already drawn.


    When they reached the door, Ludwig fumbled, trying to pry it open.


    "Step aside," Alva said curtly, shoving him aside.


    With precise, lightning-fast strikes, she slashed through the door in quick succession. The wood fell apart, cleanly sliced into perfect sections, leaving the entrance exposed.


    "I apologize for doubting you earlier, about them being human..." she said, her tone earnest but tinged with sarcasm. "Seems Black Tower students do know their stuff."


    "Save the compliments," Ludwig said, stepping into the darkened threshold. "We don''t have much time before they realize what''s happened."


    The two entered the ominous building, leaving behind the crackling flames of the frenzied djinn.


    Inside, the air was thick with an oppressive energy that seemed to press down on them from all sides. Faint whispers echoed through the dimly lit corridors, voices overlapping in an incomprehensible cacophony that sent chills down Alva''s spine. And the smell of incense proliferated the place.


    "What is this place?" she asked, gripping her rapier tighter. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Looks like a hideout,.." Ludwig said grimly.


    "A hideout for who?"


    "And we''re about to find out what."


    The pair moved deeper into the building, their footsteps muffled by the heavy silence that seemed to devour sound. Ahead, the flicker of faint, unnatural light beckoned, promising answers¡ªand most certainly...danger.

 Chapter 86 - 86: A Den of Djinn

    The air inside the house was suffocating, the darkness oppressive as Ludwig and Alva pressed forward. The eerie silence was occasionally broken by the soul-wrenching wails of the frenzied djinn crashing against walls and tearing through the structure like living infernos. Each impact reverberated through the building, shaking loose dust and bits of plaster.


    The sight of one such djinn suddenly bursting through a nearby wall startled Alva, drawing an involuntary yelp from her lips.


    Ludwig moved like a shadow, his hand darting up to cover her mouth. His eyes bore into hers, sharp and commanding. "Didn''t I say I''d drop you the moment you became a liability?" he hissed.


    "I... I apologize," Alva whispered, visibly shaken. "It caught me off guard."


    Ludwig sighed, glancing down the corridor to ensure her outburst hadn''t alerted anyone¡ªor anything. Thankfully, the cacophony of the djinn''s rampage drowned out her voice. He moved on, more cautious now.


    "Watch where you step," he warned.


    Alva, following close behind, noticed the debris scattered across the floor¡ªbroken shards of a decorative vase and a tapestry crumpled in a heap. It was clear she might have stumbled if not for his warning. She marveled at how he navigated the gloom with such ease.


    Little did she know, Ludwig''s undead nature made darkness meaningless to him. Where others struggled, his sight remained clear as day.


    The corridor stretched on, its dimensions twisting unnaturally. Ludwig realized the house was far larger inside than its exterior suggested. The chains of souls, visible only to him through the Mask of the Blind Witness, wound through the air like ghostly veins, their source pulsing further ahead.


    Another rattling echoed, and a chain burst out of the wall just in front of Ludwig. He ducked instinctively, the spectral chain phasing through Alva''s head.


    "What''s going on?" Alva asked, confused.


    "Nothing," Ludwig said curtly, unwilling to explain the unsettling sight of a ghostly chain running straight through her skull.


    They pressed on until they reached the corridor''s end. The chains led into what appeared to be a dead-end room. A large, ornate carpet covered the floor, but the air inside carried the acrid tang of burning cinders.


    "Looks empty," Alva said, frowning.


    ''Seems like the djinns guarding this place had gone into a frenzied state and burnt the carpet. Good for us,''


    Ludwig said as he followed with his eyes where the chains were coming from.


    He knelt, lifting the edge of the carpet. His instincts proved correct¡ªbeneath the charred fabric was a trapdoor.


    "The burns," Ludwig explained, "are from the djinn. They were guarding this spot, and their frenzy burnt the fabric and they probably went rampaging around outside the room, and likely left it unguarded."


    Alva stared at him, her suspicion returning. "How do you know all this? You act like you''ve been here before."


    Ludwig met her gaze evenly. "Observation. I have training. Besides, if I were working with these things, I wouldn''t be showing you this, would I?"


    Her expression softened, though she remained wary.


    Ludwig was annoyed, not only was she little to no use she was doubting him already, Ludwig pressed his hand against the trapdoor.


    ***


    [Sudden Quest!]


    [You have discovered a Den of Djinn!]


    By Deus Necro''s Blessing, this Den will be considered a dungeon


    All souls obtained from the Den of Djinn will be doubled.


    Clear the Den of Djinn and defeat the mastermind behind the ritual currently happening in the city of Rima.


    Reward


    [Soul Shackles] (Unavailable for Inspection)


    Information about the Gluttonous Death will be revealed!


    ***


    ''Wait¡­ this is big¡­'' Ludwig thought inwardly. The whole place turning to a dungeon is good and all, and the reward is always something to look forward to. But the Gluttonous Death? That''s the name of one of the seven¡­


    ''Well, since the first is called the Wrathful, and this one is Gluttonous I can already guess the names of the other five¡­''


    [You have understood the meaning behind the names!]


    Six Names have been added to your Personal Bestiary!


    [Gluttonous Death]


    [Greedsome Death]


    [Lustful Death]


    [Envious Death]


    [Prideful Death]


    [Slothful Death]


    No additional information has been added since only the titles have been discovered.


    ''I guess I was right¡­ well, that''s some progress in Necro''s Eternal Quest.''


    "Guess I was right," Ludwig muttered. His mind raced. This discovery tied directly into Necro''s Eternal Quest. The implications were immense¡ªand dangerous.


    "Are you going to open it, or just stare at it?" Alva''s voice broke his thoughts.


    Ludwig gripped the edge of the trapdoor and heaved it open. The smell of incense hit them immediately, pungent and cloying, carrying with it a sense of dread.


    [You are being affected by a mind-numbing poison.]


    [As an undead, you have negated the poison''s effects.] S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig glanced at Alva, who staggered slightly, her eyes fluttering as if trying to clear a haze. "Poison¡­" she muttered, taking a step back.


    "Careful," she said after a moment, gathering her focus and enveloping herself in a faint aura of mana. "It dulls the mind."


    "I know," Ludwig replied simply before descending into the darkened opening.


    Alva followed, landing lightly behind him. The basement stretched out before them, its walls made of damp cobblestone that seemed to absorb the flickering torchlight. It felt less like an underground room and more like an ancient dungeon.


    Three paths diverged from their position, each leading deeper into the structure. Ludwig glanced down the center path, where the ethereal chains converged.


    "This way," he said, gesturing toward the middle.


    Alva raised an eyebrow. "And you know that because¡­?"


    "Dust," Ludwig lied smoothly. "The other two paths haven''t been disturbed in some time. Plus, the smell of incense is strongest this way."


    Her eyes lingered on him, skepticism evident, but she nodded.


    As they moved forward, the chains grew thicker, their twisted forms glowing faintly with an ominous light. No guards or djinn appeared to bar their path, but Ludwig knew better than to trust the apparent stillness.


    "They''re still frenzied," he muttered under his breath, remembering the havoc he''d unleashed earlier. "But that won''t last forever."


    The air grew heavier with each step, the oppressive energy pressing down on them like a physical weight.

 Chapter 87 - 87: Blistering Blood

    There were no guards or djinns so far. Seemingly because the frenzy was still ongoing but that didn''t mean it would last long. Ludwig had to move fast to figure out what was going on.


    "It''s awfully dark for an underground den¡­" Alva whispered.


    "They''re creatures of fire, they don''t care if it''s dark," Ludwig said as he kept looking around while moving making sure that there were no traps, he read way too many novels about traps in tight corridors like these and didn''t want to become a pincushion.


    "We have company," Alva said. Picking up a cue even Ludwig couldn''t. She immediately brandished her rapier and went ahead of Ludwig as would a proper sword wielder do.


    Ludwig then patted his ring, pulling a short dagger he had on him. The item was something Ludwig had obtained earlier today when he was venturing the market with Hoyo and Kassandra, he never thought he''d need it this soon. But after what happened with the Champion Lizardman where his unreliable ceremonial sword simply broke, he needed another weapon to protect himself albite not as powerful as a sword, even a dagger could kill.


    "A mage using a dagger, that''s a first¡­"


    "Spells release mana signature, this is safer," Ludwig said hiding the fact that most of his learned spells would send him straight to the gallows.


    "What was that?" they heard from the other end of the corridor. Two distinct sounds of footsteps echoed ahead, but they didn''t seem to be coming their way.


    "Something happened outside, I lost my reason for a bit, what about the rest?" the voice was deep and sounded terrifying in the darkness.


    "Same here, something happened to all of us, what about the Sheikh?"


    "He''s still by himself¡­ well he should be by now," the first speaker said.


    "Sickening hobby he has. Regardless, go out, and see what happened to our brothers, if the same thing that happened to us here affected them, they''d have burnt half the city by now," one of them said.


    "I''ll go as fast as possible," the second one said.


    "No, use your feet, you can''t use [Fire Infusion], the city is already in an uproar we can''t be caught using Djinn magic here in Lufondal," he said.


    "Alright, I''ll use these feet then, see you later brother."


    The reply never came, and the set of footsteps began moving toward Ludwig and Alva.


    Ludwig gestured with his hand for her to withdraw, and hurriedly backed away to the junction of pathways.


    "What now?" she asked.


    "We have to take him out," Ludwig said.


    "Do we? If we hide here," she pointed at one of the other paths, "He''ll just leave past us," she said.


    "Then he''ll notice the door you cut apart and come back to report, we can''t let him leave," Ludwig said.


    Hesitation was clear in her eyes. She wasn''t too sure about taking out another person especially if she didn''t know their full intention.


    "Your hesitation will get us in trouble," Ludwig said. "The moment we''re exposed all we did here will be for naught, and you heard t yourself, they''re the ones that are causing this ruckus."


    Her hesitation soon switched to resolution, the duty of her family to serve and protect had kicked in because of Ludwig''s words.


    The two of them hid under the shadows of one of the pathways near the exit and waited patiently for the man to arrive.


    He slowly walked up until he reached the ladder, thankfully he didn''t have his mask on as it was strapped behind his back. But his massive form was still something that didn''t feel too comfortable to deal with.


    Ludwig wasn''t short or weak by any means, compared to a normal human his age, he was far stronger just thanks to his undead strength and the points he invested in. However, what he was dealing with was a Djinn that was taking the form of what looked like a miniature giant.


    The moment the Djinn comfortably grabbed at the ladder to go up, Ludwig hopped right behind him grabbing the Djinn by the mouth and pulling it back. The two of them fell back, Ludwig first as he received the full weight of the creature.


    [-16hp]


    The mere fall was enough to make Ludwig''s bones creek, while the man struggled to shout where only muffled groans came out of his mouth.


    Ludwig''s eyes looked at Alva who was stunned and suddenly unable to move, "Hurry!" he hissed.


    But she didn''t move though her weapon was pointing at the struggling man who was slowly overpowering Ludwig''s grip.


    "For fuck sake!" Ludwig hissed again as he grabbed his dagger and swiftly rammed it into the man''s neck, cutting away his vocal cords.


    The blood sprayed out like a fountain, and it steamed and boiled as if it was broiling water. The Djinn are weakest when they impersonate something, something that Ludwig clearly remembers from their passive [Twisted Manifestation] that they gain the exact body composition of whatever they possess or take the form of at the cost of half of its power. And since he picked a humanoid, he''d die like one.


    [Critical!]


    [You have ended someone''s life in one strike from full ambush. You have unlocked a new path]


    Additional Path unlocked for the quest Black Tower Academy [Skeletal Assassin]


    [You have obtained Weak Soul]


    Ludwig ignored the notifications and pushed the body aside.


    "I don''t even have to say anything do I¡­" Ludwig muttered, completely feeling hopeless about this swordsman''s wannabe. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I-I was just surprised¡­"


    Ludwig sighed, as he muttered to himself, "Use Weak Soul.


    [You have obtained 100 souls]


    The notification informed Ludwig of what he just got.


    ''Interesting, this is the same value as what I got from the Champion lizardman¡­ still, I''ll take all I can get.''


    ''Use ten points to upgrade wisdom.''


    [Your wisdom stat is now 31, you have used 40 souls.]


    Your soul level has gone up by one.


    ''Upgrade agility by ten.''


    [Your agility stat is now 30, you have used 50 souls]


    Your soul level has gone up by one.


    You are now Soul Level 6.


    Ludwig decided to save the last ten souls he obtained from [Weak Soul] and carry on.


    He needed to have a balanced set of stats for the moment. Since his wisdom was lacking behind the rest of his stats alongside his agility he decided on upgrading them. The two stats were crucial in both his casting and his ability to move.


    Ludwig wiped the blood on his dagger on his own robe and tried to check if the Djinn had anything valuable he could use.


    A large beefy curved sword was hidden underneath his baggy clothes.


    Ludwig picked it up.


    ***


    Category: weapon.


    Durability 100/100


    Tier: Common


    Damage 40-60


    Requirement: 40 Strength: 30 dexterity ¨C(Requirement Not met!)


    [Slash Fest] : Active weapon ability, once used will cause the weapon to summon three similar images that will all strike at the same time doing triple the damage.


    Lore: A common weapon mainly used by Saharan Peddlers and warriors of the Kingdom of the Sand.


    Warning you lack the dexterity needed to use the weapon''s ability.


    ***


    Ludwig ignored the warning, it didn''t allow him to use the special skill, but this was still a fine weapon to use. And definitely better than his current dagger. Or at least something he can use to defend himself better with now.


    "I guess you better get your grip on reality as soon as possible, if not you can just leave right now. You don''t need to dirty your hands if you think it''s too unbefitting of your noble lineage," Ludwig said as he moved forward.


    "No, I''m coming with you!" she said and followed close behind.

 Chapter 88 - 88: Blood and Chains

    Ludwig moved ahead, back on track following the chains with his eyes.


    He needed to act fast, as he realized that the chain that had sprung out earlier must have caught its target and is now withdrawing as it began to pull back. If he were to lose the only trail he had, he would probably not find the source of what''s going on and be lost in this dungeon.


    Finally, the corridor opened into a large, dimly lit chamber. The room was a stark contrast to the narrow passages before it, with vaulted ceilings and walls lined with faded tapestries depicting abstract, nightmarish scenes. At the far end, a massive, iron-bound door loomed ominously, faintly glowing with arcane energy.


    Scattered around the room were eight figures. all Djinns, their glowing eyes betraying their otherworldly nature despite their humanoid forms. Some sat at a crude wooden table, gambling with worn dice and laughing raucously. Others leaned lazily against the walls or nursed drinks from grimy mugs.


    "Eight people¡­" Ludwig said, he knew they didn''t have much of a chance in fighting them if they were all to come at them at the same time, then he''ll probably get a fast meeting with Necros tonight.


    his mind racing as he assessed the situation. His eyes flicked to the door, where the chains disappeared through small gaps at the edges. He clenched his fists. That door was the key to this whole mess, but there was no way to approach it without drawing attention.


    "Should we go back and call for backup?" she asked.


    Ludwig thought for a second, he didn''t have the power to overtake eight of these Djinns and he knew it, especially with how enclosed this area was. The moment he steps in, he''ll be exposed and they''ll surround him and Alva. And from what he saw from her, she was completely useless. Though he wanted to know what''s behind the door where the chains were coming from, it wasn''t worth the risk. So far, they can still withdraw.


    He was about to reply when the chains were retreating had finally brought its victims with it, several dozen people were wrapped up in the chain and were dragged across it, their souls screaming in agonized hoarseness that only Ludwig could hear.


    "Let''s head back¡­" Ludwig said. Though he couldn''t help any of the souls here, he didn''t find it in him to risk his life for any of them as of now. Though unfortunate as it may be for Kassandra. He was no hero. This was as far as he could personally go.


    "INTRUDER!"


    The voice shook Ludwig''s heart though he had no heart.


    And almost instinctively, without missing a beat, his mind already spun into action alongside his body.


    Alva was left stupefied as she saw Ludwig sprint forward while everyone who was sitting was still trying to understand the situation.


    Ludwig''s scimitar had already lobbed the first Djinn''s head.


    [Critical!]


    [You have slain a Djinn in one hit!]


    Obtained 2x Weak Soul.


    His scimitar immediately flew with Undead Strength at the second Djinn who was still confused about the situation as he has yet to realize that the hot liquid that sprayed over him was his drinking companion''s blood. The scimitar sliced right into his eyes, followed by a powerful kick to the chest that threw him back.


    The closest Djinn tried his best to pull out his scimitar only for ludwig''s own weapon to find his heart first, dropping him in one hit.


    [Critical!]


    [You have Slain a Lesser Djinn in one hit!]


    Obtained 2x Weak Soul.


    Ludwig tried his best to eliminate another, but in those three seconds, the rest of the guards had already drawn their weapons. The element of surprise was over.


    Two were eliminated and one was incapacitated. But that still left Ludwig fighting against five others.


    Ludwig knew from the start that he was no trained powerful swordsman of some renowned family, nor did he truly learn the way of the sword. All his training with Joana was nothing but basic training. He knew he couldn''t take on several people at once, especially with how lacking he was in terms of skill and fighting experience. Everything in this situation was against him, but he knew one thing for sure. What if you can''t out-skill them, overpower them.


    ''Use four weak souls,'' Ludwig muttered under his breath.


    [You have obtained 400 souls]


    That was a pretty huge sum of souls.


    [Your Soul Level has increased to 11]


    "Increase dexterity by ten," Ludwig rapidly added the points he obtained. Ten in dexterity for a total of 30. Allowing him to use the Scimitar to its full potential, the rest he dumped between strength and wisdom equally. Costing him a total of 400 souls exactly.


    The closest of the Djinns rushed Ludwig, who easily dodged as the increase in dexterity allowed him a better scope of movement. A dexterous body has better reflexes and this showed with just an increase of ten points. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Who the fuck is this?" one of the djinns said.


    "Grab him!" another ordered and two of the Djinns jumped at Ludwig trying to pressure him in a two-against-one.


    Just as Ludwig took a step back to gain some distance, the farthest of the two djinns that tried to assault him stopped as he coughed out blood, spitting a massive amount of it as he noticed the sharp yet overly thick rapier piercing right through his chest.


    The sword ripped out with force and revealed Alva who flicked the blood on her weapon to the ground.


    "He has company", another said, and immediately the whole group of Djinn joined the battle.


    Ludwig felt a bit of relief as he didn''t have to fight by himself, thankfully Alva wasn''t completely useless and could fight.


    Unlike Ludwig however, she was far more agile in taking down her opponents. A stark difference between the forceful approach Ludwig took where he used all his might behind every single swing of his weapon against the Djinn that tried to ambush him right now. Alva easily parried the enemy''s scimitar and countered with a perfect repost.


    The scimitar that was aiming at splitting her in half form head to toe was easily parried as she smacked it with the side of her rapier, causing the Djinn''s entire form to falter as his body followed after the modified trajectory of the sword, while at the same time she parried she would simply use the sharp side of her rapier to slice right through the Djinn''s neck.


    Ludwig, on the other hand, used nothing but pure brute strength, with his strength increasing to sixty-one points, he had enough power behind every swing of his weapon to cause even the beefy-looking Djinn''s arms to wobble.


    Two Djinns tried to surround Ludwig as they noticed that although he had brutish strength, he had no technique and was simply just swinging his weapon everywhere.


    The closest Djinn rushed in, causing Ludwig to swing his weapon to push him away, he was baiting Ludwig as he stopped a mere step before the sword completely missed, the second Djinn immediately followed and went for a stab at Ludwig''s chest.


    Ludwig realized that he was about to be impaled and forcefully twisted his body, making sure that the scimitar avoided his ''internal organs'' and sliced right through the side of his ribs.


    [-60 hp]


    He didn''t wince or show any reaction as the scimitar cut right through him, but since the assailant was close enough and extended long enough, Ludwig used his other free hand to grab at the Djinn''s sword-wielding arm.


    With his current strength, he was easily able to pull the Djinn forward making it stumble, and with his other hand that was extended earlier he simply switched his grip on the sword to an overhand grip and stabbed down at the back of the Djinn that just stumbled.


    The power behind his stab was strong enough that it shattered his weapon as it pierced right through the Djinn and broke when it came in contact with the cobblestone.


    [You obtained x2 Weak Souls]


    Ludwig pulled the sword that was in the now-dead Djinn''s other hand and used it as his new weapon.


    Looking at Alva, she was doing far better than he expected. As two djinns had already fallen to her feet, and the last one she was fighting had one arm missing.


    "What the fuck is going on?" a loud voice echoed from the closed door.


    Almost instantly, Ludwig and Alva realized that even more reinforcement was going to arrive if they didn''t handle this situation faster.


    Ludwig muttered; [Galvanize].


    This caught everyone in the room by surprise. Especially the Djinns that were focused on Ludwig who seemed the less skilled of the two.


    "He''s a caster?!" One of the Djinns said in terror.


    immediately Ludwig''s body began radiating a powerful aura as all of his basic stats began increasing.


    [For 30 seconds, all your physical stats have increased by 20%]


    "Let''s get this over with!"

 Chapter 89 - 89: Blood and Flames

    Ludwig''s sword flashed forward, clashing against the panicking Djinn, the clash sparked and flashed through the dim lit chambers echoing against the walls. The force of his swing sent the flaming creature stumbling backward. With no time to hesitate, Ludwig drove his blade forward, piercing through the Djinn''s chest. . No emotion, no mercy, and not even a shred of regret or humanity in his undead eyes.


    Across the room, Alva realized that she was being outdone by mere brutish strength, while she moved with precision and grace, her rapier a blur as she danced around her opponent''s strikes. Her every movement was calculated, her counterattacks precise. Even as she struck the killing blow, her expression betrayed a mixture of determination and frustration. She couldn''t help but glance at Ludwig, marveling at the sheer brutality of his approach.


    All enemies were taken out. For now, that is.


    With an ominous creak, the metallic door at the far end of the room swung open. From the shadows emerged two figures, their forms wreathed in flames. Though they had two hands and two feet like any human, their bodies were made entirely out of flames.


    These Djinns were unlike the ones Ludwig and Alva had just defeated. Their bodies flickered with unrestrained energy, and their movements radiated a feral intensity.


    The two emerged out, looking at the whole scene in horror.


    "Who are you?" one of the flaming Djinns demanded, its voice a deep rumble that seemed to reverberate in the air.


    Ludwig was more interested in what was behind the door than these two. Although it was only for a few seconds, he was able to see the source of such horridness that was plaguing the city. His attention was drawn to the chamber beyond the door. His eyes widened as he took in the macabre sight:


    A monstrous willow tree dominated the room, its gnarled branches twisting upward like skeletal hands. The tree was bound by blood-soaked chains studded with cruel barbs, and its trunk was encircled by desiccated bodies. All of them women. Their faces were frozen in expressions of agony, their hollow eyes staring into nothingness. At the tree''s base, pools of congealed blood reflected the faint glow of dozens of runic symbols etched into the ground.


    The true horror, however, lay in the countless souls tethered to the tree. Their spectral forms writhed and twisted, their anguished screams silent yet deafening to Ludwig''s heightened senses.


    The ground around the tree was pooled with blood patches and had tens of symbols written in what looked like white chalk. The willow tree itself looked more demonic than unnatural.


    {You have witnessed a Profane Ritual}


    [Inspect the Ritual Up Close to learn more about it]


    Before Ludwig could make sense of what he was seeing, a figure stepped into view, emerging from behind the tree.


    He was a tall man clad in flowing black robes embroidered with crimson runes. A massive black turban adorned his head, the centerpiece an emerald that glinted malevolently in the dim light. His thick mustache curled upward, framing a sneer that oozed disdain.


    "What''s going on here?" a man said as he emerged out, he was on the more human side of the trio.


    He fixed the turbine on top of his head as he began flexing his thick mustache, "Intruders?" he muttered as he looked at the bodies.


    "Humph, you killed my slaves¡­ and you," the man drawled, his gaze sweeping over the carnage. His eyes lingered on Alva, and his sneer twisted into a lecherous grin. "And a noblewoman, no less. Your blood will taste exquisite. So much more refined than that of the common rabble I''ve been forced to consume. Lack of nutrition does make the blood taste bitter. Kill the boy and bring me the girl," the man said as he went back into the chambers.


    The two Djinns flew with incredible speed at Ludwig and Alva at the same time.


    In his surprise, Ludwig swung his sword up as fast as he could. To which the Djinn simply dodged and struck Ludwig straight in the head, sending him flying across the room.


    [-260! Critical]


    [As an undead, you cannot be Dazed!]


    [You are prone to being Ignited!]


    Ludwig fell on the ground in an audible cracking sound, feeling as if both his face and his back had its bones broken.


    ''I should get health potions¡­'' Ludwig cursed inwardly as he groggily stood up.


    "I really need to start carrying health potions," Ludwig muttered, forcing himself to his feet. Every movement should have felt like utter agony, but that was not the case for him. His undead physiology allowed him to push through the pain and outright ignore it completely. but he knew he couldn''t take another hit like that. Because even if he feels no pain, his undead body can still die...a second time.


    ''They''re fast, incredibly fast¡­'' he realized that he didn''t have the dexterity or the visual acuteness to react to the Djinns. The matchup was just that bad.


    Taking a quick glance at Alva, she was also struggling, but unlike Ludwig, she was faring much better, he didn''t know if it was because she was skilled, or the Djinn who she was facing was trying not to kill her so he could take her to his master.


    The most frustrating thing was that Ludwig was this weak even with [Galvanize] active.


    His mana had recovered decently since he last used [Frenzied Spirit]. He had very few spells, and most of them he couldn''t use, since they would get him accused of Black Magic and would send him to the hanging square. So he chose to enable [Frenzied Spirit] since it worked the last time on these Djinns. and just as he wanted to activate it.


    [Not enough Mana! The level of the Djinns you''re facing is too high!]


    The notification appeared like a herald of doom.


    "You dare be distracted when facing me!" the Djinn said as he flew again at Ludwig who desperately tried to swat the Djinn away. He already knew the latter would easily dodge it, but just as he swung his Scimitar, he jumped back, causing the Djinn to miss.


    "[Enfeeble!]" Ludwig shouted, channeling some of his remaining mana into the spell.


    Immediately, right where Ludwig''s eyes were focused, the ground manifested a round sigil of emerald color. Runic writings manifested rapidly the moment the Djinn took a step on the ground.


    Surprised by what happened the Djinn tried to run away, but the symbol had activated and almost dropped him to his feet from the sudden effect of [Enfeeble].


    Ludwig followed immediately, "[Exhaust!]


    [Your opponent is already aware of your casting, Exhaust will only have half effect.]


    The flames making the Djinn dimmed considerably and his speed was no longer as prevalent.


    But this wasn''t lasting for long, Ludwig''s [Galvanize] was seconds away from ending, he needed to finish this fast.


    The moment the Djinn realized that he was in a tough position, he tried to back away from Ludwig, after all Ludwig was¡­ "A caster!" he shouted as he backed away.


    "Too late!" Ludwig said as he jumped forward, able to easily reach the Djinn and grab him by¡­ the neck?


    [Your hand is on fire! You have been Ignited! You''re taking damage over time!]


    [-10 HP...]


    [-10 HP...]


    The notifications kept going up declaring to Ludwig that he was burning up, something he didn''t need to bother with right now even if his hand was blistering. He had finally caught the slippery bastard and a third degree burn on his hand wasn''t going to stop him.


    With a roar of effort, he slammed the Djinn onto the ground. The force of the impact sent cracks spidering across the stone floor.


    The effects of Galvanized coupled with his own already high strength level allowed him to completely overpower the Djinn. With his other hand, he twirled the sword until it was in an overhand grip, and in one fluid motion, sent it right down the Djinn''s head.


    [Critical!]


    [X4 Weak Soul]


    The Djinn in his hand had his flames die out instantly, turning to a semblance of a burnt skeletal figure, then soon turned to ash.


    "YOU BASTARD!" the other Djinn roared out.


    "Why so angry," Ludwig said as he stood up, "You''ll get your turn soon." he finalized with a mocking sneer. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 90 - 90: The Sheikhs Chains

    The other Djinn shouted, its voice a guttural, infernal roar that reverberated through the room. It struck Alva with a swift kick to her chest, sending her flying across the chamber. She slammed into the far wall with a sickening thud, crumpling to the ground unconscious.


    Ludwig''s Mask immediately activated the moment the man''s body flared out of his form from rage. He took his human form albite for a second and back to his infernal form. But that was enough for Ludwig''s mask to give him a piece of well-needed information.


    The Djinn flew at Ludwig with incredible speed, coupled with the fact that this notification showed up, which would in all cases mean that Ludwig was going to die.


    {[Galvanize] duration has ended!}


    Ludwig''s body felt a wave of weakness run through him, but that didn''t stop nor wipe the grin that showed up on his face.


    "Sham-Har-Roush! STOP!" Ludwig shouted. It was the same name of the Djinn that Ludwig identified back at the chess event. The same ''True'' name.


    As if the world for the Djinn had stopped he couldn''t even move as his burning hand stopped a few centimeters from Ludwig''s face. The look on the Djinn''s face was obvious. But he couldn''t even say it.


    "You must be wondering how I know your True Name," Ludwig said.


    Ludwig''s grin widened. "Keep wondering," he said coldly, his scimitar flashing as he swung it with all his might.


    The blade cleaved through the Djinn''s neck, extinguishing its fiery form in a single, decisive blow. The room fell eerily silent, save for the sound of the blade hissing as it cooled.


    [You have obtained X4 Weak Souls]


    Ludwig examined the scimitar, its once-sharp edge now melted and cracked. It had served its purpose, but it wouldn''t survive another battle. With a flick of his wrist, he discarded it, scanning the room for another weapon, and picked up a couple from the many littering the floor. One he placed in his ring for storage and the other carried with him since he''ll be needing it soon.


    He then went to check on Alva who was unconscious all the way on the other side of the room.


    He moved her, but she didn''t wake up, she was lightly bleeding from her head.


    ''Concussion,'' he said as he checked her pupils.


    He sighed. Though she was a good help, she still never fails to be a liability at the end.


    He had no option but to get inside the room and see what''s going on, but before that, Ludwig waited at the entrance of the room for a bit.


    The sound of footsteps was getting closer and closer, and just when the person walked through the room saying, "What''s going on here? There was an intrud¡­" the realization of the Djinn was too slow as Ludwig pierced him with his sword ending his misery as fast as possible.


    ''That''s done,'' Ludwig said as he looked at the door.


    "Time for the boss,'' Ludwig said as he moved forward, all of his robes were charred, tattered and blood-covered. The blood of the djinns was hot but it was still red nonetheless.


    Ludwig placed his bloodied and burnt arm on the door and pulled it to the side.


    "You got the girl, surely she isn''t too harmed," Ludwig heard from the other side of the room. The man was too preoccupied with the tree than looking at who entered the door.


    "Yeah, she''s not too harmed, unconscious though," Ludwig replied. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The man realized that the voice didn''t belong to any of the servants he had on him.


    He turned to Ludwig and said, "You got some skill I see¡­"


    "Let''s see what you can do against this then!" he said and rammed both his hands against the bloodied chains that were wrapped around the tree.


    The spike pierced right through his palms absorbing some of his blood in the process, making the man groan in pain. But it was a disgusting-sounding groan...almost as if he was enjoying it.


    Ludwig didn''t hesitate a second as he threw his scimitar as fast as possible at the man.


    There was no way Ludwig would ever, EVER, allow a villain or foe to power up. Screw the powerup agreement in all the novels and shows he saw before, this was his life.


    The man panicked as he saw the swirling sword coming his way and hastily pulled his chain-gripping arm up.


    The sound of a powerful clang echoed as the scimitar, unfortunately, missed its target and hit the chain.


    "Curse you, BOY! I''ve yet to fully use up the blood and souls!" the man cursed as he wrenched the chains free.


    The chains manifested a heavy cuff that slammed tight around his wrists. Two sets of chains dangled on the ground, heavy and spike-covered.


    He then began spinning them, "Now, Boy, show me this bravery of yours!"


    ***


    Name: Hasbul Hani


    Title: Sheikh


    Level: 40


    HP: 4,000


    Status Effect:


    [Soul Saturated] [Ritualistic Binding] [Half-Mortal]


    [Soul Saturated] The soul of the bearer has been inflated with foreign souls. Increase in Mana Capacity and strength on the expense of sanity.


    [Ritualistic Binding] the bearer cannot leave the area of the Ritual lest all the souls he ingested will leak out before he is able to digest them.


    [Half-Mortal] as long as the bearer is within the domain of the ritual, he cannot die. Whenever the bearer receives mortal damage, one of the bound corpses will receive the wound instead. Allowing the bearer to remain alive.


    Lore:


    Hasbul Hani was once a prominent figure in the kingdom of the sands. Yet after contacting one of the Apostles, he sought to obtain similar powers to them. To seek immortality and soul power. Yet he was never approved by Necros, thus he sought nefarious and darker means. If he couldn''t be blessed by Necros he believed that his foe would aid him. The Gluttonous Death had thus given him the means to reach pseudo-immortality but only if he pays tribute in the form of The Soul Ritual.


    ***


    [Quest Update!]


    You have figured out that the Gluttonous Death is responsible for the ritual.


    Kill Hasbul Hani and take away his Soul Shackles. Let them be your strength!


    ***


    Ludwig''s eyes shone, "I always thought I had no reason to get myself into this mess, but now¡­things seemed to have changed."

 Chapter 91 - 91: Blade snd Chain

    The Sheikh spun his chains faster, each rotation kicking up a whirlwind of dust and dirt that filled the dimly lit room with choking debris. The metallic clinking of the chains echoed ominously, a precursor to the impending assault. Without warning, the Sheikh flung both of the chains at Ludwig with devastating speed and force.


    Reacting on pure instinct, Ludwig dove to the side, narrowly evading the first chain as it whistled past his ear. In one seamless motion, he reached into his ring, pulling out one of the scimitars he had collected earlier. He brought the blade up just in time to intercept the second chain, the impact sending a jarring vibration through his arm.


    The Sheikh grinned maliciously, yanking on the chain and wrenching the scimitar from Ludwig''s grasp. The weapon clattered uselessly across the floor, but Ludwig barely flinched. He was already closing the distance between them.


    "Fool!" the Sheikh barked. His voice was thick with disdain, but his movements were calculated and precise. He spun in place, the chain in his free hand whirling overhead like a deadly cyclone. As Ludwig approached, the Sheikh ducked low, then surged upward with tremendous force, swinging the chain toward Ludwig''s face.


    Ludwig twisted his neck unnaturally, his undead physiology allowing him to contort in ways no human could. The chain whipped past him, missing by a hair''s breadth, but he didn''t stop. With a second scimitar already drawn, he pressed the attack.


    Though it wasn''t as heavy as the sword he needed to use the Imperial Style.


    The weapon scraped against the ground as Ludwig brought it up in a rising slash aimed at the Sheikh''s midsection. The Sheikh responded with practiced ease, flicking his wrist to wrap the chain around his forearm. The spiked links coiled tightly, forming an impromptu shield that intercepted Ludwig''s blade. Sparks flew as the scimitar clashed against the reinforced arm.


    Ludwig didn''t relent. He unleashed a barrage of strikes, each one flowing into the next as he pushed the limits of his Imperial Style. Three consecutive slashes rang out, each strike driving the Sheikh back a step.


    The power behind a limit-breaking body like Ludwig''s Undead body was not something a mere mortal could block. However, the Sheikh was different. Powered by the chains, he was able to take on Ludwig''s mighty blows with nothing but a grimace on his face and a couple of steps back.


    Ludwig in his offense wasn''t about to let go of this opportunity, he knew well that he never managed to perfectly mimic the Imperial Style from his sword teacher Joana, but now in a matter of life and death, he went all out. He pushed his foot and stomped it forward, closing the gap between the two, and entered a delicate and very dangerous position where the Sheikh could if he had the time, easily counter and take the initiative.


    The undead had no intention of allowing that to happen. The second part of the Imperial style immediately followed up, the stomp followed by a pierce which the sheikh knew he couldn''t block with one arm, he flicked his other hand and crossed both chains covered arms in front of him to stop Ludwig''s piercing blow.


    A scimitar was far too weak and light and also was not designed to be a piercing or stabbing weapon to allow the full force of the Imperial Style to show. That''s why the Sheikh was able to easily block Ludwig''s stab, but that was all he could do. Ludwig followed immediately with the second style, a risky gamble that he failed many times before.


    But now, with enough strength and dexterity behind his body, he was able to spin his entire body forward, slamming the scimitar onto the crossed arms of the sheik who''s guard instantly broke from the weight of the blow.


    The scimitar cracked and chipped from the sheer impact, and continued down until it reached the ground, Ludwig flipped the weapon''s sharp edge and ripped it upward, creating a powerful cone of energy that even he didn''t know where it came from that slashed at the sheik''s exposed body.


    [Critical!]


    -1340 hp!


    You applied [Laceration] onto your target.


    The number was absurdly high for what the weapon was capable of, but then again that was only the base damage of the weapon, the application of strength and the imperial style are more than capable of doubling, tripling, and do even more damage to their target.


    The Sheikh was flung back as a gaping wound appeared on his body, he groaned in pain as he realized that this boy was overpowering him.


    "I WILL GRIND YOUR BONES AND DRINK YOUR BLOOD BOY!" the Sheikh shouted as he gripped his chest.


    However, the wound that should have been fatal to any mortal didn''t seem to even bother the Sheikh, he was furious and enraged and didn''t even register the damage.


    Ludwig''s weapon was completely unusable, it became dull and brittle with all the cracks all over it. But he didn''t have many weapons left, and he knew he''d need all of them, especially with what is occurring right now in front of him.


    The wound on the Sheikh''s body closed rapidly, while on the tree, one of the wrapped up and dried bodies began shuddering and a massive gaping wound appeared on its chest instead.


    ''Wound and damage transfer¡­ I can''t win this fight,'' Ludwig knew well that this was a losing battle.


    He had a couple of choices; the first was to keep throwing himself against the Sheikh to find a weakness. Maybe if he cut off his head, he couldn''t regenerate it.


    The second is to use all of his undead strength and bolt the hell out of this area, grab Alva on the way, and just run for it. Though it would fail his current Quest, it didn''t have any penalties for failing.


    The idea was forming in his head, and he turned his head to glance at the door.


    The Sheikh noticed that and slammed both hands on the ground, the chains immediately bore through the cobblestone floor and went right under Ludwig''s feet.


    Ludwig jumped up to dodge the chains, but they weren''t coming his way, instead, they ruptured right next to the metallic door and slammed it shut while breaking the handle.


    "You''re going nowhere!" he bellowed.


    ''Well, that''s that for option two,'' Ludwig said to himself as he lunged at the Sheikh.


    The latter fought back, this time with even more gusto. He slammed both palms together, calling the chains up to smack on Ludwig''s sides.


    [-152 hp!]


    Ludwig cursed under his breath as his sides felt like they were crushed. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig''s body was ratteled as the force of the impact nearly toppled him. His health pool, increased by his recent level-up to 11 bumped his base health pool to 1100, provided a buffer, but he couldn''t afford to take hits like that for long.


    The Sheikh''s laughter boomed through the chamber. "What''s wrong, boy? Losing your nerve?"


    Ludwig gritted his teeth, ignoring the taunts.


    His mind raced as he analyzed the situation. If the Sheikh''s immortality relied on the corpses bound to the tree, then perhaps severing that connection would weaken him. But how could he reach the tree with the Sheikh standing in his way?


    But from the looks of things. This fight was not going to be an easy one. Ludwig needs to figure out a way to win against an immortal enemy before his health drops to 0.

 Chapter 92 - 92: An Undeads Smile

    Ludwig still had a couple of Weak Souls but those are going to be saved. After all the best he can do with what he has left is to level up to soul level 12 once, and since he doesn''t have a health potion, he''ll need to save those souls to emergency cases since it could heal him up.


    Ludwig gritted his teeth as he eyed the Sheikh, whose chains clattered menacingly with every swing. The towering figure exuded confidence, his current chain whirling form a testament to the immense power granted by the ritual. Meanwhile, Ludwig was bloodied, battered from the fight earlier and the fight he was having right now. One would think he''s on the death''s doorstep.


    He wasn''t.


    "Cat got your tongue! You''re awfully quiet, BOY!" the Sheikh laughed mockingly as he whipped the chains at Ludwig who desperately dodged away, The force sent air rippling through the room, causing Ludwig to scramble sideways. finding himself backed up by the willow tree.


    The souls surrounding the tree began wailing as they noticed Ludwig''s presence.


    "They love the taste of the living, you know!" the Sheikh sneered, his eyes gleaming with sadistic glee.


    But something strange happened. After all, he wasn''t one of the living. The souls began pulling back, retreating from Ludwig as if repelled by his presence. Their spectral forms twisted, their ethereal chains rattling, yet not one dared approach him.


    "What''s going on?" the Sheikh muttered, his voice thick with confusion. "CAPTURE HIM!" he roared, pointing an accusing finger. He shouted some more, but his words fell on deaf ears. The souls completely ignored Ludwig.


    "Guess you messed up your little ritual," Ludwig sneered, a sly grin spreading across his face. "Pretty amateurish work if you ask me." Ludwig taunted some more as he threw his weapon at the Sheikh who simply deflected it, causing the scimitar to blow up in pieces, shards of it stuck to his face making him cry out.


    Infuriated, the Sheikh snarled. "SILENCE!" He whipped his chain with the full force of his rage.


    Ludwig rolled to the side avoiding the blow that struck at the tree''s base. Shaking its branches the souls around it began roaring as if they themselves received the pain.


    Only then did Ludwig notice Kassandra''s soul, it had the same face as her and appearance, only she looked meek and pitiful and the powerful strike from the chain seemed to harm her immensely.


    The sight of her suffering ignited something deep within Ludwig. A cold fury welled up inside him, consuming his thoughts and sharpening his resolve.


    "Rage? Was it? Yes¡­" That feeling, was something Ludwig only experienced when he pressured Thomas''s soul. Which wasn''t his own emotions, it was borrowed, but this one? This one was his. And now he was feeling it welling deep inside his heart, though he had no heart.


    Ludwig pointed two of his fingers forward. Making the Sheikh frown. "[Fireball]" Ludwig said.


    The Sheikh laughed, dismissing the gesture with a wave of his hand. "Are you mocking me?"


    Yet his eyes widened immediately and his words were cut short as a glowing orb of fire materialized at Ludwig''s fingertips. The flames roared to life, swirling with barely contained energy.


    Ludwig let go, and the ball flew like a freight train at the surprised Sheikh, "A CASTER?!" he shouted as he tried to block the blow by once again crossing his arms.


    The fireball blew up in the Sheikh''s arms, singing his body and clothes and burning off half of his massive turban. His face, half of his clothes were charred black from the fire.


    -280HP


    You caused {Ignite} on your target.


    They will take damage over time as long as their body isn''t cooled down.


    Ludwig grinned, this was the first time he successfully used [fireball]


    {You have learned the Spell [Fireball]}


    {Your mastery over the spell [Fireball] had increased to Amateur}


    Ludwig''s lips curled into a grin. It was the first time he had successfully cast the spell, and the satisfaction was palpable.


    ''Good.'' Ludwig said while his hand was still pointed at the Sheikh.


    "Filthy mongrel!" he roared as his body immediately began recovering while one of the corpses on the tree started burning and charring instead.


    "Futile! No matter what trick you do, no matter how hard you try, you will die here! FOR I AM IMMORTAL!" the Sheikh roared as he struck the chains at Ludwig''s side. He failed to dodge this one and was grabbed by the arm, the barbs biting onto his slime flesh.


    "Fuck!" Ludwig cursed as the Sheikh yanked him off his feet. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "PUNY MORTAL!" the Sheikh bellowed once again.


    He raised Ludwig using the sheer force of his chains high up and then slammed the chain down with Ludwig on it. His body slammed into the ground with bone-crushing force. Enough of it to kill any mortal and make even the immortal wheeze in pain.


    -180!


    [Since you''re an Undead you cannot be Dazed!]


    The Sheikh didn''t relent. He swung Ludwig again and again, from left to right. Each impact sends shockwaves through the floor. The final swing launched Ludwig across the room, his body colliding with the wall so hard that spiderweb cracks spread across the stone.


    His shoulder dislocated with a sickening pop, and his arm tore free, leaving a trail of blood as it flew in the opposite direction. Though this was only visible to the Sheikh.


    {Your arm has been removed: Acquire the debuff {Amputation}]


    The notification could barely be registered in Ludwig''s and could only recognize being treated like a ragdoll. Ludwig''s form remained stuck in the wall for half a second. Before he crumpled down on the ground.


    For the onlookers, what they would see was a bloodied young man, from head to toe, with an arm completely severed from him, blood pooling from his torn shoulder, while broken parts of his bones were extruding out of his flesh and bones.


    Since the Soul Letting Lantern allowed him to be seen as a mortal, the current scene was far different from reality.


    While for Ludwig, all that truly happened to him was¡­


    [You have broken 62 bones in your body.]


    It wasn''t as bad as it looked¡­ but it was still bad.


    Ludwig''s health had dipped to the decimal numbers.


    He gazed at the Sheikh who began shirking in laughter. "Is that all you amount to? With this utterly insignificant skill of yours, you thought you could fight me?! Mortal! I have witnessed gods and devils! And I have claimed their power as mine! AND YOU DARE?!..."


    Ludwig wasn''t about to stop a villain from monologuing. It was rule number one, if someone is talking shit, don''t stop them let them drop their guard. Because though Ludwig was in a terrible state, the upper part of his lip lightly curled up.


    ''I should have done this before.'' He said to himself.


    ''Use two Weak Souls, add ten points to wisdom,'' Ludwig muttered.


    These were the final two weak souls he had on him, which came from the unfortunate Djinn who arrived late to the party. Now was the time for him to use them.


    {Your Soul Level has increased by 1}


    {You have recovered}


    The notification informed him of his current situation. And with this, he knew he could shake things up a bit.


    ''Time to get serious.''


    Thankfully, the Soul Letting Lantern is making sure that Ludwig remains as what people perceive him as. Though he is completely recovered, minus the arm that isn''t attached to him right now, for the Sheikh nothing seems to change, the bloodied mess that Ludwig was in is still the same.


    The lantern proved an impeccable source of deception that Ludwig is benefiting of.


    Slowly he raised his hand forward, pointing it at the Sheikh. For a second, the Sheikh hesitated, thinking that Ludwig though with all the injuries he sustained and damage that he caused him was still able to use magic.


    He took a defensive stance, but seeing nothing happen, he was angered, he felt as if this pitiful mortal was mocking him even in his last breath. What would a mortal even do? Without an arm, with that much blood coming out of him? Why did the Sheikh even have to worry? This was already his victory. He had won, and no one was going to take that away from him.


    His courage recovered, and wariness dissipated "What? You still wish to struggle some more!" the Sheikh said and approached Ludwig slowly. The chains rattled on the ground, giving off a mortifying pressure. And just as the Sheikh had the tree behind him while facing Ludwig, the latter muttered in a sly-toothed smile.


    "You''re smiling," the Sheikh said, "In this situation? Are you smiling? I guess I hit your head a bit too much hah!"


    "How did it feel?" Ludwig asked.


    The Sheikh didn''t understand where he was going.


    "That short-lived hope of yours?"


    The Sheikh had an ominous and terrifying sensation the moment Ludwig''s words reached his ears. This boy¡­ he still had a card under his sleeve.


    "Rise Undead!"

 Chapter 93 - 93: Gruesome Feast

    "You wouldn''t dare!" were the only words that came out from the mouth of the Sheikh as Ludwig finalized his words.


    Sigils spread out from Ludwig''s falling form, hunting and seeking connection with the dead. Finding a whole pile of them wrapped around the willow tree, the sigils seemed to go on an overdrive. They spread and spiraled then overflew on the ground rushing toward the tree. Once they reached it, the sigil manifested grandly like a massive circle around the tree. Each corpse awas ffected and each corpse marked.


    Ludwig''s wide grin grew even more, "DIE!" the Sheikh roared as he flung his chain at Ludwig.


    The broken looking body seemed on the cusp of shattering if it were to take another hit, but that was only what the Sheikh could see from where he stood, Ludwig was hale and healthy but for the missing arm. He grabbed the chain that was coming his way although with one hand, he still managed to overpower the Sheikh albite for a short time.


    In that moment when they were both tugging on the chain, a notification appeared in front of Ludwig.


    [Your affiliation with Deus Necros further eases the process of the summoning]


    [You have called forth {Zombie} x 31]


    [Warning, your current wisdom and charisma is too low to control the {Zombies} they will consider you an enemy if you are spotted.]


    The tree itself was packed full of corpses, but they were now all affected by Ludwig''s sigils. The curse gave them a new lease on life, albite corrupted, tainted, and altered. They lived on in death. Crawling their way out of the tree. The tens of women that were defiled and murdered before came back with a vengeance.


    Their bones crackled and their necks twisted as they all corrected their sights onto the man who had killed them.


    "Enjoy the error of your ways," Ludwig said and yanked the chain one last time, making the Sheikh tumble forward.


    Just as he fell forward, he tried to stand up, but the first of the zombies rushed him immediately.


    Ludwig was surprised. These weren''t the normal Zombies he expected, and they weren''t the slow-moving ones that a child could outrun. No, these women were fast as hell. They immediately reached the Sheikh and began tearing at him.


    The Sheikh roared out in pain and agony, though not all the corpses had been affected by Ludwig''s spell since he just didn''t have enough mana, but the vast majority had already been cursed with the curse of Undeath. And they wanted nothing but revenge.


    The first few zombies latched onto the Sheikh''s feet, grabbing them with both hands and teeth as they began tearing at his flesh.


    Wails of pain and agony escaped the Sheikh''s mouth as he was being torn alive. And what was worse, is that he wasn''t dying.


    The ritual was still in full-blown service. His flesh which was torn and consumed soon recovered only for another Zombie to tear it once again.


    The cheeks of his face were ripped, his neck was slashed and gouged out, and his eyeballs were pulled out and crushed under the rotting teeth of the zombies only for more to emerge.


    He desperately tried to shake the zombies off of him, only for them to pin him down even more aggressively, feasting on his innards, his liver, and heart. They tore and ruptured, crushed and severed, ripped his arms apart and his legs off, only for it to grow again, putting him in an endless circle of pain and agony. An agony that was not going to end, as the corpses on the tree that weren''t affected slowly lost pieces and parts of them for the Sheikh. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Please! MAKE IT STOP!" he would scream only for his mouth to be ripped apart.


    He would try and crawl away with hands missing fingers, only to be dragged back. The power behind the zombies was inhumane. They had no limit on the amount of force that their muscles could exert. And thus, for a normal human, they were no different than cardboard.


    Ludwig watched with a still heart- though he had no heart- as the man was slowly falling to insanity. He didn''t even have the power to swat away the zombies that were slowly consuming him. He couldn''t fight back, and even when he tried to call the chain to his side, all he would receive is the rage of the Zombies that enjoyed a feisty and struggling prey.


    Blood continued pooling on the floor, while the Sheikh was losing his life, slowly but surely, even his pained voice began decaying and was replaced with a hoarse moan of contorted anguish.


    The corpses on the tree soon became no more as the zombies had consumed the Sheikh more than a dozen times over. Only then did the Sheikh''s body finally let out as he was completely torn apart and rendered to nothing but broken bones, an empty husk that had nothing in it but filaments of flesh and bloodied tendons.


    ***


    [You have completed the Sudden Quest!]


    Approach the Ritual Tree to receive the information needed for you to learn about the Gluttonous Death. Make


    Approach the remains to obtain the Soul Shackles.


    Approach the remains to obtain [Emerald Mana Stone]


    You have obtained [Corrupted Soul]


    ***


    The zombies soon realized that the ''food'' was gone, yet their hunger for human flesh was never satiated.


    They stared at each other with bloodied mouths and hands, asking for more.


    Ludwig realized that he was going to be their next meal, after all his charisma was sadly still too low for him to control these Zombies.


    And just as he feared, one of the Zombies noticed him, a broken human, wounded and injured beyond what anyone should to be called alive.


    An easy meal.


    More Zombies noticed that, and they all began walking slowly toward him as if gauging the enemy.


    [You are in a hostile environment!]


    ''Well...Shit,''

 Chapter 94 - 94: Echoes of The Past

    Ludwig cursed inwardly, he needed to leave this place as soon as possible. Because although the rewards were tempting what''s the point if he were to die right now from these Zombies.


    [Necros''s Blessing is interfering.]


    ''Again?'' Ludwig cursed inwardly as he lost control over his body.


    This time, however, he didn''t lose his consciousness. Ludwig''s hand moved toward his lantern and tapped it once.


    [You have disabled the Lantern''s Divine Camouflage option]


    Suddenly, Ludwig''s body turned to its real form, a skeleton wearing torn human clothes.


    [The hostility of the Zombies has been nullified.]


    Immediacy, as if the Zombies became blind to Ludwig, they all stopped in their tracks, noticing that there was no flesh on that skeleton they all gave up on trying to eat it. And thus they began wandering around.


    ''Quite a convenient trick,'' Ludwig thought.


    [Necros''s Blessing has disappeared]


    Ludwig regained control over his body and slowly stood up. He walked up toward the tree, while the zombies completely ignored him, they had no use for a moving skeleton.


    He soon arrived to the mangled remains of the sheikh where nothing but the chains remained, clamping tightly around shattered wrist bones.


    Ludwig grabbed the chains and inspected them.


    ***


    [Soul Shackles]


    Cannot identify!


    Your inspection skill is lacking.


    You cannot use this item, you''re missing several of the requirements needed.


    ¡­


    ***


    ''Well that was useless¡­'' Ludwig sighed and placed the chains inside his storage ring. He looked around and found the bloodied emerald that had been adorning the Sheikh''s turban.


    He inspected this one.


    [Necros''s Blessing is modifying the details of the uncovered item]


    Name [Emerald Mana Stone]


    Type: Accessory


    Abilities:


    Increases your mana pool by 20% as long as the user''s mana is above 1,000 and below 3,000 base mana. Allows the user to cast up to tier three magic spells.


    Condition of use:


    Soul Level 15 Wisdom: 100 Vigor 50


    ''This is Something I can''t use right now¡­'' Ludwig said.


    [Status Screen: Ludwig Heart]


    Race: Skeleton


    Soul Level: 12


    Health: 1200/ 900 [-300] Status Effect. Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire


    Stamina: Infinite


    Mana: 10/ 610


    Wisdom: 61


    Charisma: 20


    Agility: 20


    Strength: 62


    Dexterity: 30


    Vigor: 10


    Luck: 15


    Class: Skeleton Grunt


    Status Effect: [Dismembered]


    Title: Apostle of Death


    ? [Achievement: Unyielding] : [increased mental resistance when lower on health. Increase in all physical and mental abilities proportional to the damage taken, up to 10%]


    ?Skills: [Trace] [Basic Undead Summon Sigil]


    ?Spells : [Flame Bringer ????] [Self-Immolation ????] [Frenzied Spirits ????] [Fireball ????] [Taint?] [Enfeeble?] [Exhaust?] [Galvanize ?]


    ?Passives:


    [Basic Swordsmanship] [Undead Resolve] [Blessed Body] [Overt Genius]


    **** S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He took a good look at his status screen noticing that it had noted all of his achievements so far and all of his progress. This wasn''t that great in the grand scheme of things, but it was far better than what he started with.


    The status window also reminded him that he had an arm missing. He picked up the arm and did as his mentor taught him before, fusing his arm with a bit of mana the whole thing popped right back in its socket.


    Ludwig flexed his newly attached arm a couple of times, finding it perfectly responsive, he nodded and approached the tree.


    Just as he stood there waiting for the ''notification'' to tell him about the Gluttonous Death, his mask activated.


    His mind went into a sudden burst of light as he began seeing visions from the mask.


    ***


    Within a vast closed domed room was a man kneeling on the ground with his head bowed to the floor. He had a brown turban over his head. And looked to be no older than twenty years of age.


    In front of him was a fiend shaped like a human, sitting atop a pile of corpses munching comfortably on a thick thigh that used to belong to what seemed to be a woman.


    The voracious man had a sharp jawline overly burly muscles, and hair almost all over his body. The man grinned as he saw the kneeling man.


    "Not enough," he said as he consumed the flesh. "But I can still tell you how you can also gain immortality," the man said as he tapped to his side. Revealing a Soul-Letting lantern that was surprisingly dim to the point Ludwig doubted that it was even functional.


    "Please tell me, and I''ll prepare for you a meal even bigger than this one!" the man said, and only then did Ludwig recognize him by his voice.


    It was the voice of the Sheikh, only this one was far younger¡­


    ''So, it''s not only visions of an unknown future but also echoes of the past.''


    "Hmm, you give a convincing offer. Right, but this is something even I can''t guarantee. Though you cannot obtain what I have, you can have the second best thing," the creature atop the corpses spoke with a vile-sounding tone.


    "I''ll accept anything, great immortal!"


    "Right, go to the west within Lufondal at the borders of the newly constructed tower. What was its name¡­ the Black Tower Academy, right? There is a bog there, an old and ancient one. In the depths of this mire, you''ll find what you''re looking for. But be careful, it''s very glutenous. Satisfy it, and it will give you what you want, it offered the same to me once. Though I refused since I have something better," the creature said shrugging as he pulled out the warm heart out of another corpse.


    The more he ate, the less humane he became, to the point where his eyes turned golden yellow, and his muscles began thickening some more.


    "Leave," the man said, "My hunger is growing some more. Leave lest you trigger my hunter''s instinct," he finalized as he dove into the pile of corpses. His body grew more and more hair while he ate and tore apart the corpses.


    The Sheikh soon stood up and then bolted out of the room, later on his entire body shivered up in terror as the sound of a long wolfen howl echoed through the night.

 Chapter 95 - 95: Caught in The Act

    Ludwig''s vision returned to the present, and he shook off the lingering unease from the mask''s strange abilities. The artifact on his face held many secrets, some useful, but it was not something he could fully trust. It was both a boon and an affliction.


    [Congratulations! You have stopped the ritual by killing the preparator! All the souls attached to the Ritualistic Tree have been freed. If their bodies are still alive, they will find their way back]


    "Well, at least that''s some good news," Ludwig muttered as he watched the souls unchain themselves from the cursed tree. They ascended into the air, a swarm of ethereal lights breaking free and disappearing into the void, their torment finally at an end.


    As the last of the souls vanished, another notification popped into his view.


    [You have received the information regarding one of the Usurpers of Death, The Glutenous Death.]


    ''I see what the quest meant by information regarding the Glutenous Death¡­'' Ludwig muttered to himself. "So the Glutenous Death is close to the Black Tower academy¡­ that''s not that good. As for that guy¡­" Ludwig thought to himself as he remembered the inhumane look that feral man had on him. That amount of unnatural hair all over his body, and those canine-like features and jawline.


    ''Werewolf¡­ and that lantern¡­ it''s similar to mine¡­ he''s an apostle of death." Ludwig confirmed the thought because what that creature had was definitely a Soul-Letting Lantern.


    "OVER THERE!" a loud booming voice sounded from afar. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig''s head snapped toward the sound. Voices echoed, the heavy tread of boots growing louder with every second.


    ''People were coming in, perhaps Djinn?''


    "Great," Ludwig muttered, tightening his grip on his scimitar. He readied himself for another battle.


    [Sudden Quest!]


    "Huh? Another one?"


    [Sudden Quest! Survival]


    Another challenge approaches.


    {A group of humans have noticed the location of the dark magic. They are rushing down the Djinn Dungeon. If you are to be noticed for an Undead you will be forced to fight them and win. You have been given two choices!}


    You have two options:


    Fight the human intruders and defeat them all to hide your secret.


    Reward: 1 Pseudo-Eternal Soul.


    Difficulty: ?????. {Impossible}Find a way to survive without engaging in combat.


    Reward: N/A.


    Difficulty: Unknown.


    You have 30 seconds to decide.


    Ludwig scanned the choices and let out an exasperated sigh. The first option promised a tempting reward, but the word "Impossible" flashed ominously in his mind. He knew better than to overestimate himself, especially in his current state.


    The second option was far more tempting. Enjoying wealth and souls needs one to be alive after all.


    But how is he going to get himself out of this mess?


    He glanced around the room, weighing his options. The broken handle on the door, courtesy of the Sheikh''s final tantrum, would only delay the intruders briefly. If the quest stated thirty seconds, then he had even less time to act.


    He needed a way out. The gears inside Ludwig''s head spun rapidly as he was thinking of a solution.


    A cacophony of voices echoed from outside.


    "Here! The daughter of the Urbaf family! She''s heavily wounded, Healers! Any healers!" the voice of many more people were far too close outside the room for any semblance of comfort.


    Ludwig grimaced. They''d found Alva, in a bad state. And between the desecrated corpses, the horrifying tree, and the zombies shambling aimlessly, Ludwig knew how it looked: he was the perpetrator.


    Ludwig hesitated for a second, should he act like a skeleton?


    No, with the zombies here¡­ they might just outright purge the entire place.


    Experience exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire


    While he was looking for a spot to hid in, he remembered what Necros did to the lantern.


    He placed his hand on his lantern.


    [Would you like to put the Divine Camouflage back on?"]


    "Yes!" Ludwig mentally shouted.


    His appearance shifted in an instant. Gone was his skeletal, undead visage, replaced by the broken, bloodied, and all-too-human figure he had used to fool others before. Only this time he had his arm attached to his side.


    He had one last move to make.


    "HELP!" Ludwig shouted, his voice hoarse and desperate.


    A pause followed.


    "Did you hear that?" someone on the other side of the door asked.


    The guttural growls of the zombies slowly rose. The sudden shift in Ludwig''s appearance agitated the undead. Drawn by his "living" aura, they began lumbering toward him. "The door isn''t budging!" someone said.


    A zombie arrived to Ludwig''s side, Ludwig kicked it in the chest and backed off, with a broken scimitar in hand.


    More zombies were agitated by Ludwig''s current appearance as they felt more and more hunger welling up inside their pit like stomachs.


    One of the Zombies managed to grab Ludwig by the foot, but he cut one of its arms off, the other tore at Ludwig''s clothes, but he moved to the side, looking at the tree, Ludwig leapt forward and managed to grab onto one of the branches, desperately pulling his body up and away from the grouping Zombies.


    Soon all the Zombies in the room surrounded the tree. The undead gathered beneath him, clawing and moaning in frustration as they tried to reach him.


    "GET AWAY FROM THE DOOR!" a loud vigorous voice sounded from behind the door, Ludwig didn''t know if the warning was for him, or for the people behind the door.


    Seconds later, the door, wall and all that was attached to it was blown away. The force sent dust and debris flying through the air, some of it pelting Ludwig as he clung to the tree.


    Once the dust settled a bit, Ludwig was able to see the group of people behind the broken wall.


    About twenty of them, and one of them he recognized, it was the old man who he played chess against this morning. While one of the people at the front seemed to be as massive as the Djinns themselves though he was even more so thanks to a set of armor cladding his entire body.


    Behind these two people was a bunch of soldiers of mixed drabs, some wore knightly armors, and others were wearing leather armor, while a small group of five had a set of armor that was disturbingly familiar.


    It was the same armor set that Ludwig saw in the vision where he was killed by the small boy. All thousands of those armed paladins wore that very set of armor.


    Ludwig''s heart tensed, though he had no heart.


    "What in god''s name is this?!" someone asked in surprise. While another with a far less weaker stomach expressed his discomfort by spilling his last week''s dinner on the floor.


    The stench of death and decay finally hit them, as they saw the desecrated corpses, the mangled bodies, the Zombies and the corpses attached to the tree, it all painted a picture of unspeakable evil.


    [You are in a hostile Environment]


    ''Shit¡­'' Ludwig cursed inwardly, after all, if anyone were to look at the situation, they''d all think Ludwig was the preparator.


    One of the soldiers aimed a bow at Ludwig, "Dispel this darkness!" he shouted at Ludwig, "REMOVE THIS FILTH!" he howled once again.


    Ludwig raised both arms up, "As you can see," he said with a bloodied face and too broken of a body for any human to even be able to speak comfortably in his stead. "I''m a victim here¡­" Ludwig said.

 Chapter 96 - 96: Lies And Fake Truth

    "Hold on," The old man said as he slowly lowered the aimed bow from the man next to him.


    "You''re the boy from this morning," the old man said.


    Ludwig nodded.


    "Banner, kill the zombies. We''ll discuss what happened with the boy later. Can''t you see how wounded he is?" the old man said.


    "As the lord commands," the giant man at the front nodded and simply flew forward, a massive tower shield in his left arm and a heavy sword that would be almost impossible for any normal human to wield in one hand in his other free arm.


    The giant crashed into the first group of undead with his shield splattering their organs and spraying their innards all over the place from sheer impact. He slammed down his sword at the others, slicing, no, more like crushing brutally in half anything that was unfortunate enough to meet the massive sword.


    Sliced, diced, crushed, and minced, everything was torn apart, the group of undead that would have probably mulched Ludwig. But for this massive-sized guy, they were nothing but a weed that he was culling without even breaking a sweat.


    In a matter of seconds, the more than thirty undead were all rendered to bits and crushed pieces. He literally beat the Undeath out of them.


    ''I''m glad I didn''t take option one¡­'' Ludwig thought to himself as he saw how easily the guy disposed of these things.


    "Now that the danger is gone, how about you come down the tree," the old man said.


    Ludwig had no intention of stalling as he slowly began his descent. Seeing that Ludwig was taking too long to come down, Banner groaned and kicked the tree, causing Ludwig to fall from the tree.


    "Shit!" Ludwig cursed but before he made contact with the ground, Banner grabbed him by the belt.


    [-2hp]


    "Ouch!" Ludwig groaned. "Careful man¡­ shit hurts," Ludwig complained.


    "Shut up," Banner replied as he dropped Ludwig down. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The group of soldiers spread out around the room to investigate.


    "So, child, tell me what happened here?" the old man asked.


    Ludwig was about to reply, but something almost instinctual told him not to reply to that question right now. So Ludwig followed his instincts: "Before that¡­ what happened to the Urbaf girl? She hit her head hard. Is she okay?" Ludwig asked.


    The old man had a wide grin showing on his face, "With that many injuries on your body, you still ask for the wellbeing of others. Quite a good lad. Don''t worry about her she is fine." The old man said.


    "He''s trying to fool us, Lord, this boy must have been the one who did all this, he''s trying to shift our attention," one of the paladins said.


    "Are you stupid?" the old man said. "Look around you, this Tree has been here for a pretty long while. And these two kids, they''re wearing Tower Academy clothes¡­ I met this boy personally, he isn''t a preparator. Or at least from the first look of things. Regardless, you''ll have to come with us for further investigation, and treatment you look like you''re about to die any moment."


    "I''ll heal him," One of the paladins said.


    "I''m fine," Ludwig said shaking his head, "Most of this isn''t my blood anyway," Ludwig said.


    "You still need treatment," the old man said.


    "Well, at least not from those guys," Ludwig pointed at the holy order. "They killed one of my family members¡­" that was a lie.


    The old man frowned. But Ludwig was betting his lie on what he learned from Hoyo. Hoyo''s entire family was killed off by the Holy Order. And that basically means that this Holy Order are able to kill off entire families with little to no worries or even by simple hearsay and rumors. Then it was very probable that Ludwig''s lie could be considered true.


    "I see¡­ here then," the old man said as he threw a red thumb-sized vial toward Ludwig.


    Ludwig grabbed it and inspected it.


    [Medium Health Potion]


    [Instantly recovers 20% of the user''s health and increases their regeneration rate by 100% for the next 300 seconds.]


    He smiled inwardly his gamble worked. So things are good so far.


    Ludwig popped the vial open and chugged it down, "Many thanks," Ludwig said as his health recovered and some of the wounds on his body healed up, though that was all just an illusion and fakery applied by the lantern.


    The blood and grime on him and his robes were still there, but for the onlooker,r he seemed to have recovered.


    "Good then, you should be able to move by now," the old man said.


    "Yeah," Ludwig said and stood up. "But tell me, who are you?" Ludwig asked.


    "You''ll know in time, for now, I''m taking care of this whole mess¡­ we need to know who''s responsible for this," The old man said. "The whole city almost turned to ruin. And there are so many people who look like they''re puppets¡­ we need to get down to the bottom of this."


    "Oh, about the puppet-like people¡­ that should be solved, I think?" Ludwig said.


    "What do you mean?" the old man asked.


    "Ah, the preparator," Ludwig pointed at the remains of a heavily mangled carcass, blood viscera and bitten bones were all that remained from it. "That''s the guy¡­he got eaten by the zombies¡­ and once he died... well the souls got released, I guess." Ludwig tried to sound as unconvincing as possible. He needed to act as if he had no idea what truely was going down here.


    ****


    The old man frowned, "That''s a bit too convenient."


    "I don''t know how to explain it¡­ but, this tree," Ludwig said, "Made him pretty much unkillable as long as there were bodies around it. Whatever happened to him, he''d transfer it to the bodies¡­"


    "And how did he die?" the old man asked.


    "I kinda caused it," Ludwig shrugged, "After I stabbed him in the head, and tore his ligaments¡­ crushed his pelvis, broke his knees, and a few more gruesome methods¡­ he switched to Necromancy."


    "And how would you know he used necromancy?" the old man said, "That a forbidden art." The old man added.


    "Remember?" Ludwig pointed at his clothes, "Black Tower academy, we''re taught ways to fight the Dark arts. All I did was disturb his necromantic ritual, though I almost died because of it," Ludwig shrugged.


    "Is that so¡­" the old man said while suspicion was growing clear on his face.


    "He is right my lord," another person spoke up as he approached with a crystal in hands. "All he said was the truth my lord."


    ''Huh? truth, when did that happen?''

 Chapter 97 - 97: Escorted Out

    ''I was right? The hell, all I said were lies. Who''s helping me.''


    A man among the group came up forward with a crystal in his hand.


    "I just used a Memory Recall of the Earth. It showcased exactly what the boy did. He fought against a man wearing Saharan clothes the black turban on his head means he is a Sheikh¡­ the boy also beat several Djinns, which is pretty impressive. And here as you can see, the Sheikh was actually using several forbidden arts. It''s here where he used necromancy¡­"


    The man said as he began showing scenes that definitely did not happen.


    Ludwig was completely baffled when he saw things that shouldn''t be there.


    On the crystal, scenes of the Sheikh personally calling necromantic sigils, and Ludwig in the crystal was throwing his scimitar at the sigils, breaking its harmony and making the corpses go against the Sheikh.


    The look of utter surprise and confusion on Ludwig was thankfully hidden by his mask.


    ''The fuck is this? Do they have a memory recall magic? And it didn''t work on me? Was it the lantern that affects all that is perceived about me?"


    [+1 wisdom]


    ''Well, I guess that confirms it.


    "Ah, ahem¡­" the old man coughed in embarrassment, "I truly apologize if I sounded or looked skeptical because the words you said do sound quite¡­ strange, he had no reason to use necromancy after all. But from the scene, you didn''t allow him to do anything I guess his desperation got the best of him. Regardless, we''ll still need a bit more from you regarding the investigation. So how about you follow these gentlemen here so we can figure out some more."


    "Sure," Ludwig said shrugging.


    "Escort Ludwig and Alva outside," the old man said.


    Ludwig nodded and followed the lead of one of the soldiers. Only then did he realize, ''When did I ever tell him my name?''


    Turning to the old man, the latter gave him a knowing smile and turned his head back to the group of soldiers to manage the rest of the scene.


    [You have successfully cleared the Sudden Quest: Survival]


    ''Thankfully, that''s done.'' Ludwig thought to himself as he was escorted out of the dungeon by three knights who seemed to belong to the old man. The rest of the paladins were giving Ludwig the eye, perhaps discontent with the fact he called them out for being warmongers and killed his family. But hey, anything works as long as he gets to survive this ordeal.


    The three Knights moved Ludwig up, and one of them couldn''t help but ask, "How did you do it? You look barely over the age of twenty, you killed several Djinns and a necromancer!"


    "Hey, Pavel, don''t ask questions you''re not supposed to," another knight rebutted.


    "C''mon Simons, you saw the boy, those are Lesser Djinns, they''re pretty tough. I''d take any of us a hard time clearing out this whole place by ourselves." He said.


    "He did have the Urbaf girl''s assistance," another said.


    Ludwig jumped in, "Yeah, she helped a lot, I''m not claiming to be some sort of hero. I did have help from her," Ludwig said as he peeked over his shoulder, the paladins from before were healing Alva as they moved her behind them.


    "Quite the good move kid," the man named Pavel said, "This should put you in good regards with the Urbaf family. Keep it up and you might even get an invitation to their house," he said.


    "What would that serve me?" Ludwig asked.


    "Seeing that you don''t have a house emblem on your academy robe, you''re probably from either a commoner family, or maybe a special admission, having the backing of the Urbaf family will serve you greatly in your career. Trust me," he said as he pointed at his own symbol on his chest, a small Bear like badge was pinned to it.


    "I see," Ludwig said, he had no intention of joining any family but faking interest would easily get him on the knight''s side.


    "All right climb up," the soldier said as they reached the ladder.


    The whole group soon left the dungeon and were out on the street. Where the city was full of noise and commotion, it was far calmer now. Soldiers and Knights wearing the same designed armor as the people escorting Ludwig were all over the city.


    "Seems like news of what happened spread really fast," Ludwig said.


    "It''s because the Lord came to enjoy the festival, I guess we were fortunate for his presence," Simons said.


    "Who is the lord by the way?" Ludwig asked as he didn''t have the chance to inspect the man earlier.


    "Don''t," Pavel spoke immediately putting a stop to the conversation. "If the lord wanted you to know, he would have told you personally, regardless, please go up that carriage and wait a bit."


    Ludwig nodded and hopped on the carriage, watching the events unfold.


    He was expecting to remain here for a while, but soon the giant man and the person everyone called Lord came out of the dungeon. Alva was hastily carried away by the paladins and that left only the Lord and his escorts.


    The old man asked a few questions to the guards next to the carriage then took note of Ludwig sitting inside it.


    He then gestured with his head to Ludwig recognizing his current situation and then approached him.


    "Ludwig," the old man said.


    "Yes," Ludwig calmly replied.


    "You''ll have to come with us for tonight, we have many things to ask you."


    "Fine by me," Ludwig said, although he was worried that if he were to be taken for investigation more issues could come up. "But, can you send someone to check up on my friends, one of them was a victim to this ritual, I want to know if she is alright," Ludwig said. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The old man''s brow furrowed and then he smiled, "Sure, you do have a genuine heart for caring about your comrades."


    [Fakery of Death has activated]

 Chapter 98 - 98: The Wandering Merchant

    [Fakery of Death has activated]


    ''Finally, he''s here.'' Ludwig breathed a sigh of relief.


    "That won''t be needed," the voice sounded like the words of the devil himself as a tall man wearing gothic robes and clothes from head to bottom showed up right next to the old man.


    Completely out of thin air, wearing a top hat and a pair of black sunglasses during the dark pitch of the night.


    Everyone around the old man drew their weapons.


    "IDENTIFY YOURSELF!" the giant man said as he too was surprised by the presence of this person.


    "Seems that you''re taking good care of my disciple, little brat," the man said who looked at least a third of the old man''s age.


    "There is only one person who still has the guts to call me a brat in this empire," the old man smiled, "Withdraw your weapons, if he wanted us dead, none of use would have even realized it." The old man said as he turned to face the newcomer.


    "Bastos Van Dijk, the Great Plague¡­ the Fiend. The Unholy. And the Black Tower Master." The old man gave a proper introduction to Ludwig''s master.


    And visibly, everyone around Van Dijk seemed to have lost a few years of their lives when they heard his name.


    A toothy smile appeared on Van Dijk revealing a little too unnaturally long fangs with a small glint of redness as the moon reflected on his eyes.


    "I see my boy here had caused some trouble," Van Dijk said.


    "Not at all, as a matter of fact, if it wasn''t for him, things would have been much more troublesome.'' The old man said.


    Van Dijk took a sniff at the air, then crumpled his nose, "Emm, Profane Rituals¡­ disgusting," he said.


    "You can even recognize the magic," the old man said in surprise.


    "I wouldn''t be a tower master if I couldn''t even do that. But this one is a bit too¡­ ancient, quite dangerous, I need to take a look, but before that. What are you planning on doing with the boy?"


    "We need a few answers and we''ll send him back once our investigation is over." The old man said.


    Van Dijk looked at Ludwig for a bit and said, "If you don''t feel like going with them, just tell me, they won''t take you anywhere, but seeing you sitting there comfortably¡­"


    "I don''t mind going with them, I already told them everything I know," Ludwig shrugged.


    "You do enjoy finding trouble, also what happened to those clothes of yours? You look like you were thrown into a blender¡­" Van Dijk said, "And that''s a new set that I sent you just this morning¡­"


    "Ah¡­" Ludwig couldn''t find a way to reply.


    "I guess the nickname you got in the academy fit you well," Van Dijk grinned.


    "What nickname?" the old man seemed a bit too interested in that part.


    "Well, you know about our academy''s tests¡­ Olim took over," Van Dijk said proudly.


    "Oh¡­ that psychopath."


    "For him, that''s a compliment," Van Dijk said.


    "Yeah, I know¡­ what did he do this time?"


    "He threw freshmen into a Lizardmen dungeon¡­"


    "Oh¡­ how many died this time?" the old man asked.


    "Only three, and that guy over there, fought a Champion Lizardman, got his arm torn off and most of his bones broken¡­ and now he''s being nicknamed Ludwig the Undead. Quite a young age to get a title already, but he does make a master proud!"


    The old man looked at Ludwig for a second then asked, "Could you tell me the reason why you came to Rima?"


    ''that seemed out of the blue.''


    "I needed to bring Master Van Dijk an item," Ludwig said as he pulled the Artificer''s orb from his ring.


    "Oh, you got it? Impressive¡­" Van Dijk said as he took the orb.


    "Oh, I should have known¡­ since this was the reward for the event," the old man said.


    "What do you mean?" Van Dijk asked.


    "This boy is a monster when it comes to playing King''s Gambit. I got beaten without a chance to even fight back. "He turned to Ludwig, "Regardless, since you had a proper reason to be in Rima, and you actively assisted in fighting against the evil plaguing the city, you are not required to come with us for investigation. If I need anything I''ll ask Alva once she wakes up. Other than that, please remain within the Academy in case we need to ask more questions, Ludwig, please come down from the carriage, you''re free to go."


    "Sure then, I''ll go check on my friends," Ludwig said. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Good lad," the old man said.


    "Still," Ludwig said as he turned to the old man, "How did you know my name?" Ludwig asked it was something that was plaguing him.


    "You don''t need to know that now," The old man said.


    Annoyance was clear on Ludwig''s face, but he didn''t voice it.


    "Cool mask you have there," Van Dijk said.


    That was strange, ''cool'' is not a word that someone like Van Dijk would ever use.


    "Yeah, I got it from a strange vendor¡­ though he disappeared the moment he handed this to me, stall and all."


    Van Dijk was taken aback, and the old man''s eyes lit up, "Where did you say you met this man?"


    "At the entrance of the Mage Masquerade, a short grandpa had a stall there, he was selling masks¡­"


    "I guess things are about to get interesting," The Old man said.


    "That hasn''t been confirmed yet," Van Dijk replied in a stern tone.


    "What is going on?" Ludwig asked.


    "Hmm, what you just described sounds awfully like the Wandering Merchant. He sells items that are priceless and could even be cause to wage wars for, but he only does that when the time for great strife is nigh¡­ I''d recommend you don''t say anything about him to anyone else, otherwise it might just bring you more trouble," the old man finalized.

 Chapter 99 - 99: All Seeing Eyes

    "Ludwig," Van Dijk spoke, his voice carrying its usual authority, though his eyes betrayed the weight of the situation at hand.


    "Yes, master," Ludwig replied without hesitation, his tone brisk.


    "Go and meet up with your friends. I''m still needed here," Van Dijk instructed, his gaze sweeping across the area, scrutinizing every detail of the outer carnage left behind.


    The djinns must have put up a fight against the forces of the old man. But nothing but bodies remained... if you can call them bodies.


    "Oh, is the Black Tower Master staying to help us uncover this ritual?" the old man nearby interjected, his voice a mix of awe and intrigue. His hunched form leaned forward, revealing a face lined with decades of experience, yet still keen with curiosity.


    "Yes," Van Dijk replied evenly. "This type of dark magic falls squarely under my expertise."


    With a nod of acknowledgment, Ludwig excused himself and began retracing his steps, heading toward the Last Adventure Inn.


    The streets were quieter now, with much of the city no longer engrossed in either the festival or the confusion of the earlier chaos. Ludwig''s boots tapped against the cobblestones as he navigated the alleyways, his mind running through everything he had just experienced. The ritual, the Sheikh, the freed souls¡ªall of it was a blur of danger and cryptic revelations.


    As he entered a particularly dimly lit pathway that served as a shortcut to the inns, Ludwig''s pace slowed. Something about the silence felt¡­off. It was the kind of silence that weighed heavy in the air, like the calm before a storm.


    His instincts were proven correct when six figures emerged from the shadows, their movements precise and deliberate. Three blocked the path ahead, while the remaining three cut off his escape route from behind.


    Ludwig immediately tensed, his thumb brushing against the storage ring on his finger. Though no hostile notification appeared, he wasn''t about to take any chances. He could sense their intent wasn''t friendly, even if it wasn''t outright malicious.


    The figure in the center of the trio blocking his way stepped forward, her smaller frame and deliberate movements drawing Ludwig''s attention. Slowly, she raised her hands and pulled back her hood, revealing her face.


    Ludwig''s eyes narrowed slightly. It was the elf woman from that morning.


    "Seems like you recognize me," she said, her tone calm but laden with curiosity.


    "And what are you going to do about it?" Ludwig retorted sharply. "Since you''re waiting for me here, I''m guessing you knew I''d come this way. Did you have someone tail me?"


    She smiled faintly, the gesture not reaching her eyes. "Quite sharp for someone so young," she replied, tilting her head slightly as if appraising him.


    Ludwig''s gaze hardened. "Then you must know who my master is if you''ve been following me."


    "We do," she confirmed simply, as though the knowledge was of little consequence.


    Ludwig''s grip on his ring tightened. If they knew Van Dijk was his master and still chose to intercept him, it could only mean one of two things: either they were reckless beyond reason, or they were confident enough to handle whatever came their way.


    "You don''t need to be so tense," she said, her voice taking on a soothing tone. "I just want to ask you a question¡ªhow did you recognize me as an elf? And why didn''t you report it?"


    Ludwig frowned, his mind working quickly to gauge her intent.


    "First, I have a special set of eyes," he replied curtly. "Illusions don''t work on me."


    The elf''s composure faltered for a fraction of a second. She didn''t appear entirely convinced, but she couldn''t refute his claim either.


    "And second," Ludwig continued, "why would I report you? What does it gain me to do that?" He shrugged, feigning indifference. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The group exchanged uncertain glances, their body language betraying a mixture of confusion and suspicion.


    "You mean¡­you don''t care that we''re elves?" she asked, her voice tinged with genuine surprise.


    Ludwig let out a short, humorless laugh. "What difference does it make? Whether you''re elves, demons, or angels, it''s none of my business. Besides," he gestured to the wolf mask hanging from her belt, "you look like someone who just wanted to enjoy the Mage Masquerade without drawing attention. Though¡­" his voice trailed off as his eyes sharpened, "you''re probably here for something more serious. The ritual, perhaps?"


    The elf''s expression stiffened, a subtle tension creeping into her posture. Before she could respond, a small figure leaped from her shoulder and zipped toward Ludwig''s face.


    It was a tiny creature, no larger than his hand, with a form that defied conventional description. Its humanoid body was adorned with eight translucent wings fluttering at dizzying speeds, and its large, beady eyes sparkled with mischief. Its oversized mouth revealed rows of sharp, shark-like teeth, adding an unsettling edge to its otherwise playful demeanor.


    "I like him!" the creature chirped, its high-pitched voice echoing in the narrow alleyway. It flitted around Ludwig''s head, examining him from every angle. "He''s very smart! And oh, what an interesting smell!"


    "Smell?" Ludwig muttered, his gaze following the erratic movements of the strange being.


    "Yes! He smells like the Dead¡ªbut not the rotting kind. No, this is something¡­divine!"


    "And what exactly are you?" Ludwig asked, his tone more curious than alarmed, and also more interested in changing the subject.


    "I''m Lipsi! A Wind Spirit!" it declared, puffing out its chest proudly as it perched atop Ludwig''s head.


    "I see," Ludwig said, brushing his hair back into place. He reached up and gently pinched the spirit between his fingers, lifting it off his head. Lipsi struggled playfully, her tiny limbs flailing as she let out an indignant squeak.


    "She''s the one who camouflaged your appearance," Ludwig deduced, shifting his attention back to the elf.


    "You catch on quickly," Lipsi said with a satisfied nod.


    "So, what''s next?" Ludwig asked, his tone steady.


    The elf hesitated before replying. "Our business here is finished. We''ll be leaving Lufondal tonight. I only asked my companions to intercept you because I had one last question."


    "Sure thing, princess," Ludwig replied with a smirk.


    The atmosphere shifted in an instant.


    [You are in a Hostile Environment]


    "What the hell?" Ludwig uttered as the elf''s companions drew their silver swords, the tension palpable.


    "Your Highness," one of the guards growled, his voice low and menacing. "He knows. He must die."


    Ludwig raised an eyebrow. "You honestly think I just figured it out now?" he asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "If I wanted to report you, I had all day to expose you. Stop being stupid and put those swords away."


    Mana began pooling in Ludwig''s hand, his body tensing as he prepared to activate [Self-Immolation]. If things escalated, he wouldn''t go down without a fight.


    "Calm down!" the elf woman commanded, her voice sharp. "He clearly means no harm. He''s right¡ªwe''d already be exposed if he intended to report us." She turned to Ludwig. "What''s your name?"


    "Ludwig," he replied curtly.


    "My name is Floran Alsa," she said.


    "That''s a lie," Ludwig shot back without hesitation.


    The guards tightened their grips on their swords, the tension in the air thick enough to cut with a blade.


    "How would you know that?" the elf demanded, her voice unsteady.


    "I told you¡ªI have special eyes," Ludwig said, his gaze piercing. "And those eyes see the lies, Miss Lorina."


    The name struck like a thunderclap, sending ripples of unease through the group.

 Chapter 100 - CHAPTER 100 FIRST MILESTONE LETSGOOOO!!!)

    Her soft laugh cut through the tension, her voice carrying a surprising warmth despite the situation. "You''re an interesting one, Ludwig. Eyes that pierce through illusions and unravel lies... truly intriguing. Yes, I am Lorina Ulesse, the Princess of the Fallen Elven Race. Or as your kind prefers to call us, the traitors of humanity."


    The tone of her voice shifted, tinged with bitterness as though she were accustomed to such accusations. Ludwig''s brows furrowed slightly, his mind spinning with questions he chose not to voice. Instead, he observed her carefully, his instincts urging him to measure her words, her posture, and the subtle tension among her companions.


    "You seem perplexed," Lorina said, her sharp gaze catching his hesitation. "I suppose there''s much you don''t understand about our history. But that is a story for another time. For keeping quiet about us and allowing us to enjoy some of the shows here, please take this," she said.


    She reached into a small pouch hanging from her waist and withdrew an item that shimmered faintly even in the dim light¡ªa golden acorn. Its surface was adorned with intricate patterns that seemed to glow faintly with an inner light.


    Ludwig grabbed the item and asked, "What is this?"


    "That would come in handy if you ever need help while you''re in the Evergreen, the Land of the Elves," she said and gave Ludwig a courteous bow befitting a princess from a noble linage.


    Ludwig weighed the acorn in his hand for a moment, its unexpected warmth tingling against his palm. He gave a faint nod and pocketed it without further question. "I''ll keep that in mind."


    "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Truth-Seeker," she said once Ludwig accepted her gift.


    [An Elven Princess has given you a title.]


    [Truth-Seeker: No inherent bonuses.]


    The notification hovered briefly in Ludwig''s vision before fading, leaving behind an odd sense of finality. Around him, the tension among the elf''s guards began to dissipate as their weapons lowered.


    Ludwig nodded as he pocketed the acorn.


    "Please visit us someday," Lorina said, her voice softer now. "Though I hope it will be under better circumstances. For now, we must take our leave. You''ve already dealt with the greater threat we came here to resolve."


    "I suppose it had to do with the ritual," Ludwig asked.


    "Indeed, the Tree that you saw there, it was something that belonged to us, it was stolen and corrupted. Though sadly we couldn''t recover it, it is already too late for that tree to be saved, still you helped prevent a great calamity, Though I fear our kind will still bear the blame for its presence here."


    "You''ll only be blamed if someone sees you," Ludwig replied bluntly. "The city''s on edge¡ªif any trace of elves is found, they''ll jump to conclusions. You should leave before someone spots you."


    The princess''s expression hardened briefly before she nodded in agreement. "You''re right. Brothers, sisters, let us be swift."


    The other elves exchanged quick glances before vanishing into the rooftops above with fluid precision, their movements eerily silent. Only Lorina remained, pulling her cowl over her head.


    She met Ludwig''s gaze one last time, her voice carrying a note of quiet resolve. "Let''s meet again, Truth-Seeker, under clearer skies."


    With a graceful leap, she was gone, leaving Ludwig alone in the now-deserted alley.


    Ludwig then took a look at his hand that was grabbing the spirit, finding nothing there he realized that his small threat served no purpose. So, he just canceled his mana and smiled as he gazed up ahead.


    The city lights glimmered faintly ahead, their warmth beckoning Ludwig forward. The streets were unnervingly quiet compared to the earlier chaos, though signs of the disruption remained. Guards patrolled in greater numbers, their eyes darting suspiciously toward every shadow.


    Though everything that happened took about a couple of hours and some change, it was enough to cause a lot of issues within Rima. But thanks to the troops of the old man who everyone seemed to call a lord, the whole situation fell under control rather rapidly.


    Ludwig walked through the streets of the city and was asked by a guard what he was doing there. After all, it was very strange for someone to be this badly worn at this time of day. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He just showed him his torn clothes, "Victim here, let me go and have a drink man," Ludwig said in the most boring solemn way possible.


    Another guard came rushing, "Let that boy through, the Lord himself asked us to be mindful of him, he''s actually the one who contributed the most into shutting down this whole fuck-fest."


    The first guard was surprised, "This boy did?" he obviously couldn''t believe it, especially how rugged Ludwig looked.


    "Yeah, the whole squad is talking about it, they say even Banner the Giant gave him a word of praise for surviving a hoard of undead and killing the assailant¡­"


    "Do you mind removing your mask? I wanna see a look at Rima''s hero," the first guard asked.


    "That''s rude," the second one replied, "Sir, please go on ahead. Everyone here will be shortly informed of your current disposition and mask, you will get a pass free through all the city while the investigation and current martial law is in place."


    "Wait, there is a martial Law?" Ludwig asked.


    "Yes, the lord enacted it, all facilities are to be closed¡­ well two hours ago," the guard said in an awkward manner.


    "Shit, I need to get to an inn, my friends are there.." Ludwig cursed.


    "Then please go on, if they''re in an inn they should probably still be there, inns and hotels and short-stay places have also been informed to keep their tenants there for the night."


    Ludwig nodded and hurried toward the Last Adventure Inn. Only then did he realize that the guards were right, though the lights of the city were still on, not a single store or shop was open and everyone had their homes closed for the night.


    Ludwig arrived at the Last Adventure Inn and found its main door closed.


    He knocked a couple of times, and a burly voice sounded from behind the door, "Who is it at this time? it''s martial law, and we aren''t serving drinks anymore."


    "I need to see a couple friends of mine, they''re inside," Ludwig said.


    "Ah it''s the customer from earlier," he heard from above him, the busboy from this morning was peeking.


    "Gramps, let him in, his friend already paid handsomely for the room and the food they ordered."


    The door creaked open, revealing the inn''s inside.


    "Hurry up inside," the burly man''s voice sounded, "I don''t want no trouble with the knights."


    "Thank you, sir," Ludwig said as he walked through the now-opened door.


    "Damn boy," the burly voice owner said, looking to his left, Ludwig found the voice perfectly match the person, a quite large person almost as big as Banner himself standing behind the door. He had more gray than black hair on his head and seemed to have more muscle than any inn tenant should have. "You look like you crawled out of a battlefield,"


    "Yeah, something like that happened¡­"


    "You promise you''re no trouble, right?"


    Ludwig held three fingers up, "Scout''s honor," he said.


    Confused at the gesture, the old man couldn''t help but sigh, "Just don''t cause any issues, or I''ll personally kick you out," the old man said as he closed the door. "Your friends are upstairs, I''ll send for someone to fill a barrel of water for you to clean up," he finalized.


    "Thank you, I appreciate it," Ludwig said as he made his way upstairs.


    Surprisingly, there were still many people downstairs sitting around the tables, drinking and talking, and all of them seemed to take note of Ludwig''s current appearance.


    ''I really need to change,'' he thought to himself.


    Ludwig hurried up to the upper floor and was met with the same busboy from earlier. "Hello again," he said in his same friendly tone, "Let me lead you to your friend''s room."


    "Lead the way then, I need to check up on them... and I really need a shower..." Ludwig said.


    Of course, I''ll handle that for you," he said then stopped and turned to face Ludwig when they were a few steps on the stairs and away from all praying eyes and ears, "although there is something I''d like to ask you first," the busboy asked In a hushed tone.


    "What is it?" Ludwig asked.


    "How does it feel to be an Undead?" The busboy asked, smiles and all.

 Chapter 101 - 101: A Dreaming Soul

    "What do you mean by that?" Ludwig asked, tensed up.


    After all, how would this boy find out that he was an Undead? Did someone tell him? Did the lantern not work? Perhaps he isn''t normal, if he was able to figure out Ludwig''s identity.


    Ludwig was about to break his promise to the Innkeeper of not causing any trouble.


    "Hoyo, your friend, he talked big about you, when you went out running," the busboy said smiling.


    "Huh?"


    "Yes, a few of our patrons seemed to think you were acting up like a fool when you were talking big at the Urbaf young lady. So your friend jumped up to defend you, and he mentioned how you''re called Ludwig the Undead in your academy, a fact and title given to you by the whole academy for battling a Championed Lizardman Boss class with one arm missing and a body full of injuries and still come out on top, you see here, I like how undead are¡­"


    The boy continued rambling and yapping about, without a care in the world completely oblivious to how close to death he was. Ludwig took a deep breath. Thankfully he wasn''t exposed but he really needs to talk to Hoyo to keep his mouth shut. It feels good to have someone covering your back, but this time it was just too close for comfort.


    The boy led Ludwig on as he kept on rambling about while he led him to the upper floor of the inn. A few other tenants saw Ludwig, and they too were shocked and disturbed by his current sight. But none of them said a word as they thought that if someone looked like that without having a single ounce of pain showing on their face, then that clearly meant that the blood on him was not his. Everyone made sure to move away from their path as they moved up.


    "It''s here," The busboy said as he knocked on the door.


    Soon, Hoyo came out, and saw Ludwig''s appearance. "Holy shit, what happened to you?" Hoyo asked.


    "You should see the other guy," Ludwig joked, "Let me in, I need to wash up," Ludwig said sighing.


    "Come, come," he said then turned to the busboy, "You still serve food, right?"


    "Not really, but let me ask the Innkeeper, ha hates it when one of his customers go to sleep on a hungry stomach, I''ll also prepare your bath, Ludwig the Undead," the busboy smiled as he left the room entrance.


    Ludwig gave an annoyed look to Hoyo who simply smiled awkwardly, "Get in, Kassandra woke up earlier," Hoyo said.


    Ludwig walked in the room and found Kassandra sitting on the bed with a faraway look to her eyes.


    "Yo," Ludwig said.


    She turned to Ludwig, then said, "I had the strangest dream," she said.


    "Oh, really?" Ludwig asked.


    "Yes, you were in it," she said.


    "Oh, must be one of those," Hoyo said with a lewd look on his face.


    "No, shut up," Kassandra said slight embarrassment on her face. "Anyway, you were there, I was trapped and bound with chains¡­"


    "Like I said, it must be one of those dreams," Hoyo teased once again.


    Kassandra picked up an apple from a plate next to her and threw it at Hoyo who skillfully dodged it.


    "Okay, I won''t interrupt," he said.


    "Anyways," she said giving Hoyo the ''ill kill you look,'' then looked back at Ludwig, "There was this vile man who captured me and others. Right above us, was the mouth of a slimy grotesque and vile looking entity that would slowly consume the bound people. And then Ludwig came out and fought against the vile man who seemed to be worshipping this entity¡­" Kassandra shook her head, "It''s hard to remember the details, but in what I saw, you almost died¡­" she said, "But the strangest thing is, you looked exactly like this, blood and all, though you were missing an arm in my dream¡­"


    ''Her soul must have seen the fight. But there are more details to her dream than what actually happened¡­ and if she did see me fighting then she must have seen me use necromancy¡­''


    "I see, well, you''re partially right," Ludwig said as he sat down. He then began explaining all that happened, and how he found himself in a den of Djinns and had to fight his way to liberate the souls from the ritual. He downplayed his part significantly to make it show as if the Urbaf girl did all the work, he had no need to get another nickname or for them to further cement the ''Ludwig the Undead'' title. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I see, so when I was in that¡­ soul form, I was able to see figments of reality and what happened, though I could swear I saw you lose an arm there¡­"


    "Yeah, remember it might have been a mix of dream and reality," Ludwig said.


    "How come?" Hoyo asked, "What does dreaming have to do with any of this," Hoyo asked.


    "I read somewhere that dreams are a translation of reality made by the subconscious. So remember when I lost my arm to the lizardman, your subconscious must have added it to what you saw. Since I still have my arm right here," Ludwig flexed his arm.


    "That''s¡­ true, it really didn''t feel like a dream though," she said, but didn''t want to press the matter any further.


    Someone then knocked on the door.


    "Your bath is ready," the busboy said from behind the door, "Please follow me to wash up."


    Ludwig excused himself and followed after the busboy. He was led to the upper floor where he found a large wooden tank that was steaming hot. Towles and a set of black tower academy clothes were already there.


    "Where''d you get these?" Ludwig asked.


    "Oh, a man came after you and handed these over to the innkeeper, along with a pouch of gold. He had a scary face, and looked really annoyed doing so¡­"


    ''Must be either Sebas or Evan. Van Dijk must have made them do this, good, petty revenge for taking my money, but it''s still not nearly enough to avenge my own death at their hands¡­''


    Ludwig hadn''t forgotten how those two were the cause of his current appearance and predicament. How they killed him brutally so, and carved every organ of his and then turned him to an undead.


    He didn''t forget, nor would he ever do so.


    But true revenge needs a lot of planning, and he hasn''t even begun preparing for that.

 Chapter 102 - 102: A Vacation Like No Other

    "Wow, that''s a scary look you have, must be someone you know and don''t like then," the busboy said.


    "Sometimes, it''s good not to ask too many questions," Ludwig said as he proceeded to remove his clothes.


    "I''ll excuse myself,'' the busboy said and closed the door.


    Once Ludwig had all his clothes off. Putting them on the table along with the lantern which shone dimly in the dark humid washing room. He then placed his foot into the hot water, feeling a sudden rush of warmth going up his bones.


    The slime covering his body soon wobbled as if enjoying the warm bath, the feeling of warmth seeped into his cold dead bones and gave him a sensation of relaxation that he desperately needed.


    Though it''s pretty funny he thought that he was a skeleton taking a bath, he still seemed to enjoy it.


    The slime detached itself from Ludwig and began swimming, bobbing up and down the warm water. While Ludwig was left truly naked in the tank.


    He glanced at his body and began studying the intricate carvings of Master Van Dijk, how his Nephilium circuit was carved was incredibly intricate and detailed to the point Ludwig thought of it as a work of art.


    He couldn''t figure out how it was made, however, he was thankful for it, since it allowed him to use magic beyond what his messed-up body could.


    If the two failed necromancers hadn''t botched his revival, he wouldn''t have needed this circuit. But thanks to Van Dijk saving the day, he now has a better body.


    Ludwig took a look at all his skills and abilities and checked his status screen. Though nothing was different from the last time he checked, he just felt more comfortable with seeing how far he progressed.


    [Fakery of Death has activated!]


    ''Huh?''


    Ludwig panicked as his passive ability activated, this meant that Van Dijk was close. But what is he doing here at the inn?


    "Ludwig my boy," he heard, Ludwig looked at the source of the voice. A large-sized bat was hanging upside down in the corner of the bathroom.


    Its black fur blended almost perfectly with the background, but the red eyes of the bat shone just bright enough to give it a more horrific appearance.


    "Is that you, Master Van Dijk?" Ludwig asked.


    "Yes, though I believe I need to give you a communication crystal because I dislike using one of these things to converse. Anyway,'' Van Dijk immediately went to the core of the matter.


    "My main body is still investigating the ritual but I need to know something." sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes, Master," Ludwig replied courtly.


    "Did the man you killed, speak of anything¡­ how can I say this, strange?"


    "Most of what he did was pretty strange to me, but there was something¡­ stranger than most," Ludwig said.


    "What is it?" the bat spoke.


    Ludwig tried to formulate the idea properly before he could speak it.


    "He talked about his patron¡­" Ludwig said.


    "The Sultan?" the question almost felt as if Van Dijk''s bat was frowning.


    "No, something else."


    "What is it?" Van Dijk asked.


    "I don''t think it was the sultan it was another person since the mask that I''m wearing showed me the preparator. It showed me a vision of a place full of corpses, and the Sheikh was there bowing his head to a man that was feasting on the corpses."


    "What else did you see, and what do you know about that corpse-eating man?"


    "Well, the corpse-eating man wasn''t human, or at least looked far from it. He had more hair on his body than normal, almost like a feral beast. He also had a lantern just like mine. The Sheikh seemed to have prepared a feast for him. About a few hundred bodies that he ate. The man also mentioned that he couldn''t share his immortality with the Sheikh but he could tell him how the Sheikh could also get his own unique way of immortality," Ludwig said.


    "Continue," Van Dijk muttered.


    "Yes, he mentioned something about a creature that lives in a bog near the Black Tower academy. It would grant the Sheikh a way to immortality, and I suppose he found it with the tree rituals and all." Ludwig explained.


    "Is that all?" Van Dijk asked, he sounded like he had doubts but didn''t seem to push the matter any further.


    "Yeah, there was something, although I don''t know if it''s important," Ludwig said.


    "Speak then, let me be the judge of that."


    "At the end of the vision, the Sheikh had to leave because the man was becoming more and more feral, and once he left the domed temple they were in, a loud wolfen howl echoed from inside the temple. I don''t think a human can ever replicate that, it was definitely a wolf''s howl."


    Van Dijk didn''t speak a word for a bit and then said, "Finally¡­ a trace. Good, my boy, good."


    "Do you know anything about the creature in the bog?" Ludwig asked as he wanted to know a bit more about the Glutenous Death.


    "Yes I do, it''s not something you nor I can deal with¡­ but if it''s sensible enough to give that man what he wants, then it should be sensible enough for a conversation¡­ I''ll head over to it, do you have anything to do this week?" Van Dijk asked.


    "No, not really¡­ I mean the exams and all¡­ but I heard from Hoyo¡­"


    "Don''t mind the exams, all three of you will get a passing grade. Remember, this academy serves as a way to improve upon a mage''s intellect and prowess. You all proved you had enough intellect to obtain the Artificer''s orb, as for you, you get extra points for taking down the preparator of this ritual. Sirou Von Dalton will be rewarding you personally¡­ he''s a Lufondal Empire Imperial consultant and head of security for the emperor¡­"


    "Oh¡­ a big shot," Ludwig said.


    "As big as they can get, you''re lucky he didn''t discover your¡­ condition." Van Dijk said.


    "I know¡­" Ludwig said as he remembered the terrifying forces he brought with him. Especially that hulking beast of a man, Banner.

 Chapter 103 - 103: Forgotten Memories

    Van Dijk was a powerful creature. Incredibly so that he had split his own mind into several pieces and bits, each taking care of something. His main body was handling the investigation of the ritual, while another part of his mind was conversing with Ludwig and the other part was back at the academy handling a few experiments. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "So, what do you think? Van Dijk," Sirou Von Dalton asked.


    "Hmm, I believe I can figure out who the preparator is. But, he''s mine to hunt down," Van Dijk said.


    "Is it related to The Beast?" Sirou asked.


    "Indeed, I can smell it. The ritual here isn''t something any mortal can do. It''s far beyond simply sorcery and witchcraft, this is at the level of Eldritch Profanity¡­" Van Dijk said.


    "I can understand that, but how come you think it''s related to the Beast, after all, he''s a fiend that never showed any magical abilities¡­"


    "He never visibly showed them, but I encountered him several times before, and I know well what he''s like. This stench, it belongs to him even if he isn''t a direct part of this ritual¡­" Van Dijk finalized.


    Sirou couldn''t interject, after all, for him Van Dijk was a smart and incredibly reliable person, but the moment the creature that killed off his entire family is brought up, all reason flies out the window.


    So he decided against mentioning that Van Dijk had no tangible evidence to chase after the Beast or infer any rhyme or reason that the Beast was actually the preparator.


    But in reality, Van Dijk couldn''t find a reasonable way to tell Sirou that his disciple was the one who told him about the beast. Sirou knows that Ludwig obtained a powerful item from the Wandering Merchant, but he doesn''t recognize it as the Mask of the Blind Witness. An item that brought an entire kingdom to ruin in less than a month after its ruler used it.


    It was an item that would bring war and destruction once it is revealed. Taking a mental note of this fact, Van Dijk used his bat to once again remind Ludwig to not show or tell anyone of the abilities of his mask and only use it when needed.


    Van Dijk finalized his investigation, taking several notes, and asked Sirou to burn down the tree.


    "Really? I thought you''d keep it, for experiments," Sirou said.


    "This tree belongs to the Elves of the Evergreen forest," Van Dijk said.


    Sirou''s face turned serious instantly.


    Van Dijk understood and immediately shook his head, "Don''t jump to conclusion, though they''re traitors of humanity, or as you guys call them. They cannot corrupt their own holy tree. It goes against their existence. They''ll be abandoned by nature and the spirits if they dare do it, not to mention the Holy Tree would immediately kill them if they do so," Van Dijk explained.


    "Then someone stole a piece of their holy tree and used it for this profane ritual¡­" Sirou said.


    "Indeed, it''s the same person that died. Seems that the Kingdom of the Sand is trying to cause trouble, but we don''t have any reasonable or tangible evidence on their implication, it could be a separate faction that''s interfering and causing terror in Lufondal."


    "I see, then I''ll finalize the cleanup," Sirou said as he realized that there was nothing more that Van Dijk could offer.


    Van Dijk excused himself and left the area via Teleportation, he had several samples of bodies and remains of the corpses from the ritual that he took with him along with a piece of the corrupted tree.


    Once he appeared in his tower, he muttered, "Sebas, come in here."


    Not a few seconds later, a knock on the door echoed then one of Van Dijk''s two main servants showed up.


    "Yes, Master," Sebas said.


    "Don''t call me that, I never took you as my disciple, know your place." Van Dijk replied sternly.


    "Yes, Tower Master,"


    "Did you give Ludwig his new set of clothes?" Van Dijk asked.


    "I have handed it over to the Inn he''s currently residing in."


    "What about the gold, I heard that there was an issue with his allowance," Van Dijk said.


    "That was a mistake on my part, I was too busy with your request that I forgot to hand it over to Ludwig¡­"


    "So you''re saying that I''m to blame?" Van Dijk replied sternly.


    "No, Tower Master! It''s all my fault! I should have found a way to hand him over the gold first¡­"


    "Don''t make any mistakes like this anymore, it paints me in a bad picture when the financial instructor thinks I''m skimping on my own disciple''s funds¡­" Van Dijk wasn''t someone who would forget nor forgive, he''ll remind anyone with their flaws and would punish those who are deserving accordingly, fortunately for Sebas, his head didn''t fly because he still had some use.


    "Bring these to the lab, and go with Evan to find more Nephilium," Van Dijk said as he pointed at the materials he brought from the ritual site.


    Sebas grabbed everything and left the room bowing his head.


    Though his expression was that of boiling rage. After all, the newcomer actually made him look the fool in front of the Tower Master, further pushing away the possibility of him becoming a Disciple of Van Dijk. Most of the people working in the Black Tower wanted to be his disciple and learn the ways of the Black Flame. But this newcomer is actually taking the spotlight¡­


    For Sebas and Evan, they needed to get rid of this new variable. Or else all their hard work will go to waste.


    Back at Van Dijk''s office, he placed his hand on a drawer under his desk, activating a magic circle that was placed underneath it. A small drawer pulled up and revealed an old decrypt book in it.


    Feeling melancholic, Van Dijk wiped some of the dust on the book, and opened it.


    Memories of a life long since gone began resurfacing.

 Chapter 104 - 104: A Complex Family

    [This is not a filler chapter! We need to explore some of Van Dijk''s past to proceed with the story]


    In his room, the young Van Dijk had two black and blue eyes and a bandage over his arm as he grumbled under his breath. This time he was wearing proper clothes, though nothing proper came out of his mouth.


    A knock on the door echoed, then a servant of the house of Bastos came inside.


    "Master Van Dijk," she said.


    "What is it?" Van Dijk replied in a bored manner.


    "Lady Celine wanted me to tell you something," she said.


    "Speak¡­" Van Dijk said.


    "Right, she said that she took care of that person you got that rag from. And you shouldn''t worry about it anymore," the servant said.


    "WHAT?! What the hell did she do?!" Van Dijk shouted. The servant had no answer for him, so he grabbed the nearest coat and placed it on him.


    "Master Van Dijk, you''re still grounded, your father will be angered even more¡­" the servant said.


    "What is he going to do? Kill me, I''m better off that way," Van Dijk shouted back and left the room.


    Little that Van Dijk could know, all words he spoke inside their mansion were as loud as a rooster''s cry at dawn. Especially for True Vampires that have far more advanced senses.


    "Celine!" Van Dijk shouted at the top of his lungs, trying to look for his step-sister.


    Hearing no reply, Van Dijk shouted once again, even louder, "CELINE!"


    "Why are you screaming this loud at this hour?" the words sounded far too close for comfort to Ludwig, especially since the voice wasn''t that of his sister, but the sinister sounding voice of a very pissed off Marquise.


    Dante Bastos, a man of immense pressure, enough that Van Dijk himself, though his son felt it. A large statured man, with a well-trimmed beard and broad shoulders, wearing formal wears for some reason, probably because he''s leaving somewhere. But it gave off an even more ferocious and oppressive sensation to Van Dijk.


    Van Dijk could almost swear that his father''s eyes turned red for a second there, but he must have drank too much last night.


    "Where''s Celine?"


    "Boy," the lord of the house said in all seriousness, "Have I not ordered you to stay in your room?"


    "Yeah, what about it, I''m not doing it," Van Dijk replied as any twenty years old with too much rebelliousness still in him.


    "You''re going against me, boy¡­"


    Van Dijk didn''t say a word but his defiant gaze was enough to say that he was.


    Dante''s hand shuddered, as if he was about to beat the living hell out of van Dijk.


    "Unless you break my legs, I''m not staying here, you''re the only father in the world that would harm their child this way. FATHER!... do you even care about what happens to me? I''m not your legitimate son anyway, and have no claim over your seat if you die, that is if you''re someone that can die, for god''s sake you don''t even grow old¡­" Van Dijk said.


    "You wish death upon me, boy?"


    "I just don''t want to be tied down like this, father¡­ I feel too suffocated."


    "What will you do by yourself, without us? Without your family?"


    "Father, be honest, did you ever truly consider me your son?" Van Dijk smiled. "You only cared for my mother, I''m not an idiot, the look in your eyes whenever you see me, do you know what that look feels like?" Van Dijk asked.


    "I don''t understand what you mean¡­"


    "It''s pity," Van Dijk spat. "It''s the same look anyone has when they see an ill kitten on the street, or a dog with a broken leg. And all of you here have it, and you speak of family? I never had it, father¡­"


    "Boy, you say things you know nothing about," Dante said.


    But he understood Van Dijk more than anyone else¡­


    Deep Down, Dante Did Discern That Dijk Dwelled in Despair.1


    He was alone by himself, in a house that felt void of any warmth, since his mother''s passing, no, long before, everyone of his brothers and sisters looked at him like he was nothing but a cause of strife and issues. But they didn''t care much. His mother was good to all the other children, they adored her and loved her. So they didn''t bully him, but they didn''t like him either for one sole reason.


    Van Dijk has, and will always remain a human.


    Unlike them, who have some of the blood of their progenitor, the Vampire Lord himself, they were all True Vampires or as close as they can get to. But there wasn''t a single drop of blood in Van Dijk''s body that belonged to the progenitor. He wasn''t born with the curse of the night. A true human who never fitted with this strange family.


    Dante couldn''t find anything to say to him. He felt the pain in his child''s eyes but couldn''t subside it. That was the reason why he was so lax with him. Because unlike them, eventually, Van Dijk will die of old age, while they will all live a long life.


    Eventually Van Dijk will have to pass. So he wanted him to have the best life he could give him. Little that Dante knew that gold and money cannot buy out one''s feelings.


    The most sickening feeling in the world is to see your child in turmoil and that you cannot do anything in your power to fix it.


    Even for a vampire, he too felt the pain of his child.


    "What do you need Celine for?" Dante asked.


    "The maid said something disturbing, I need to check with her," Van Dijk said.


    "Is it about the woman you met earlier?" Dante said.


    "How do you know that?" Van Dijk asked.


    "If it''s just that, then worry not, she''s being taken care of, courtesy of her aiding in hiding your shame," Dante replied.


    Van Dijk coughed in embarrassment and said, "I need to go and meet her¡­"


    "She isn''t fit for¡­" Dante swallowed his words. After all, those were the very same words that were spoken to him when he chose to be with Van Dijk''s mother. "Go," his father said. "But don''t bring anymore shame to our house¡­"


    Van Dijk was truly surprised, he thought his father would be against it, since she clearly came from a lowly background. But seeing him agree gave him both a feeling of ease and at the same time worry.


    "Right, thanks," he said and headed toward the door.


    "Do you even know where they are?"


    Van Dijk stopped, and awkwardly scratched his head.


    "You don''t do you¡­" Dante sighed, "And you''re going out like this, Milli, be a dear and go with him to Yoshika''s Clinic."


    "No need," Van Dijk said. "I know the way,"


    "It is still dark," Dante said.


    "Yeah, and I can protect myself, I don''t think it would be better to have someone else to protect with me, I''m better off alone if there is anything, also who''s crazy enough to cause trouble in the Bastos March?"


    Dante sighed, "Go on then, but be back as soon as your business is done," he finalized.


    Van Dijk nodded and bolted out of the door.


    "Milliandras," Dante muttered. And immediately the servant popped right in front of him kneeling on one knee.


    "Yes, my lord."


    "Follow Van Dijk, and keep him safe, away from praying eyes." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "As the lord commands," she replied and disappeared from sight.


    try saying this fast LUL

 Chapter 105 - 105: Under The Hidden Moon

    Van Dijk moved lightly through the narrow streets of Bastos March, his footsteps almost silent against the cobblestone. His mind wandered as he rehearsed what he would say upon meeting the young woman from earlier. Though their interaction had been brief, her image lingered vividly in his thoughts. Her bright eyes, her soft smile¡ªhe couldn''t shake them. She had an air of grace he found captivating, and perhaps most importantly, he noticed she wore no ring.


    Marriage or not, Van Dijk considered himself a catch. Being the son of the Marquise meant no one would dare refuse him outright, though he preferred to win someone over on his own merits. He decided to leave his family name out of it, at least for now. Why ruin the challenge? The thought made him smirk to himself.


    Yet, a pang of reality cut through his thoughts. His reputation in the city wasn''t stellar. Known as the "Bastos Lout, or the Fool of the Bastos family," he was seen as a wealthy, carefree lout. A harmless fool, they called him, and though the title never caused him trouble, it certainly didn''t command respect. That realization dimmed his spirits, but only slightly. He wasn''t the type to dwell long on criticism.


    As he pondered, his feet carried him into the slums¡ªa decision he made absentmindedly. It was the fastest route to the clinic where he hoped to find her, and wasting time on the broader, well-lit streets didn''t seem necessary. He barely noticed the shift in his surroundings as the air thickened with the stench of refuse and damp decay.


    The slums were alive with shadows, moving figures passing in the dim corners of his vision. He hardly paid them any mind, but a small group of thugs lurking nearby noticed him immediately. Their low whispers carried through the narrow alley.


    "That one''s fat with coin," one hissed. "See the pouch on his belt? That''s a week''s food for all of us."


    Another started to step forward, but the sharp tug of a hand on his arm stopped him. "Don''t," a more cautious voice warned. "That''s the Bastos Fool."


    "The fool?" the first thug sneered. "Perfect. An easy mark."


    "No, you idiot," the other snapped. "You touch him and the least you''ll have to worry about is the gallows, He''s got a shadow. Always does. And the fool doesn''t even realize it. And trust me, you don''t want to meet her."


    The warning made the group freeze, eyes darting nervously around the fog-draped alley. Just as the tension peaked, a soft yet commanding voice sliced through the murk behind them.


    "Good decision," it said.


    The thugs spun around to see a maid, clad in simple attire, standing perfectly still in the dim light. Her presence felt unnaturally calm, as if she had been there all along without their notice. Her eyes were cold, unwavering, and though she held no weapon, she exuded the aura of someone who didn''t need one.


    "We didn''t do anything," one of the men stammered, taking a step back.


    "I know," the maid said smoothly. "That''s why you still breathe. Now leave."


    The group didn''t hesitate. They scattered into the shadows, disappearing like smoke on the wind. The maid watched them go before turning her attention back to Van Dijk, who continued walking obliviously ahead. She sighed softly and resumed her silent pursuit, her steps light as air.


    The night grew colder, the crescent moon vanishing behind thick clouds. The faint glow of lanterns barely reached the edges of the alleys, and a damp fog began creeping up from the ground. The already narrow streets seemed to close in tighter, the paths twisting into a confusing maze.


    The maid frowned. "What is this?" she whispered. The fog wasn''t natural¡ªit rose too quickly, swallowing the slums in a heavy shroud. Even she, with her sharp senses, was beginning to lose sight of Van Dijk.


    "I need to keep up," she murmured, leaping gracefully onto the rooftops. From her higher vantage, she could just make out the faint outline of her charge below, his confident stride betraying no awareness of the danger around him.


    But something was wrong. The fog seemed alive, shifting and thickening to obscure her view. The streets twisted unnaturally, and even her keen memory of the city''s layout faltered.


    "Damn it," she hissed. Fear clawed at the edges of her mind. "This isn''t right."


    Abandoning her orders to remain unseen, she dropped down into the alley, determined to pull Van Dijk out of this growing nightmare. But as her feet hit the cobblestone, a cold, clawed hand gripped her shoulder. She spun around, her heart leaping into her throat, but there was nothing behind her. The alley was empty. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This fog sucks," Van Dijk muttered, his voice cutting through the eerie silence. He wasn''t a stranger to these slums, despite his father''s constant warnings to avoid them. He found freedom here, away from the stifling expectations of his family. But tonight, the freedom felt more like isolation.


    The labyrinth of twisting streets seemed endless. Every turn brought him back to where he started, and the oppressive fog dulled his sense of direction. He cursed under his breath, frustration mounting.


    Then, a new sound reached his ears. A wet, sloshing noise, punctuated by sharp crunches. It was coming from a narrow alley just ahead. The sound was primal, animalistic, and it sent a shiver down his spine.


    "What the hell is that?" he murmured, his curiosity warring with his better judgment. Against his instincts, he stepped closer. The sounds ceased abruptly, and for a moment, the alley was deathly silent.


    Then something burst out of the shadows.


    Van Dijk yelped, stumbling backward and falling hard onto the ground. A black shape shot past him, fast and low. He caught a glimpse of yellow eyes and matted fur before the creature disappeared into the fog. His heart pounded as he scrambled to his feet, wiping dirt from his hands.


    "Just a dog," he muttered, trying to convince himself. But the tension in his chest didn''t ease. Something was wrong, and he could feel it.


    "Blimey," a voice said from the alleyway. "Don''t scare me like that."


    Van Dijk froze. A figure stepped out of the darkness, his appearance more unsettling than the fog itself. A man, scrawny and half-naked, his skin marred by grime and wrapped in filthy bandages. His face was hidden beneath layers of cloth, leaving only the faintest hint of a mouth visible.


    Van Dijk swallowed hard. "Who are you?"


    The man tilted his head, his voice raspy but strangely calm. "Just someone trying to get by. Same as you."

 Chapter 106 - 106: Wrapped Up

    The man before Van Dijk stood awkwardly in the alley, his bandages grimy, his frame scrawny, and his presence unsettling in ways Van Dijk couldn''t quite place. The bare-chested figure shivered faintly in the cold night air, though his expression was calm, almost serene. Van Dijk''s nose twitched at the faint scent of blood and earth, buried beneath the stench of the slums.


    The man spoke, his voice carrying a gravelly tone. "On a night like this¡­ I mistook you for a monster," he said, a small, humorless chuckle escaping his lips. "But thank the stars, you''re fairly normal."


    Van Dijk sighed, shaking off the lingering unease. "What are you doing here dressed like that? It''s freezing, and you''re practically naked."


    The man shrugged, his movements languid yet precise, betraying none of the frailty his appearance suggested. "Oh, it isn''t easy to get by when you''re as ill as I am. And being blind doesn''t help much either."


    Van Dijk frowned, skeptical. The man''s behavior didn''t align with someone blind, but he supposed the man could have spent years navigating these streets and developed a heightened sense of awareness. It was common enough among those who lost their sight.


    He shouldn''t be too judgemental of people everyone is different.


    "Well, you should probably find somewhere to stay," Van Dijk said. "The fog is getting thicker, and it''s dangerous to wander in this weather."


    "Stay? Where would I go?" The man''s chuckle was deeper this time, almost bitter. "I have no home, no family. My nights are spent wandering, like tonight."


    Van Dijk''s chest tightened with an unexpected pang of pity. "I see¡­ well, I wish I could help, but I''m lost myself."


    "You''re lost?" The man tilted his head slightly, his bandages rustling. "The fog is a nuisance, isn''t it? But for me, it changes nothing. My world is always dark."


    Van Dijk gave a weak chuckle, unsure whether to laugh or apologize. "Yes, it''s frustrating. I''m trying to get to Yoshika''s Clinic, but I''ve been circling these streets for what feels like hours."


    "Ah, Yoshika''s," the man said. "Not far. Take this path," he gestured with a bandaged hand, "and turn left at the first intersection. The clinic will be at the end of that passage."


    Van Dijk blinked in surprise. "Thank you. That''s¡­ very helpful."


    He began to move, but the man''s voice stopped him. "Though¡­" There was a pause, and Van Dijk turned, noticing for the first time how the man''s head tilted slightly upward, as though listening to something beyond the veil of the fog. "Do you know of any safe havens?"


    The question gave Van Dijk pause. He considered taking the man to Yoshika''s Clinic, but that would only burden her further. While she was a kind soul who cared for the needy without hesitation, this man didn''t seem ill enough to warrant immediate aid. And besides, the clinic was already overcrowded.


    After a moment of thought, Van Dijk said, "Do you know the Bastos estate?"


    "I do," the man replied simply.


    "Go to the guards there," Van Dijk said, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket. "Show them this¡ªit has my family''s crest. They''ll give you food and shelter for the night."


    The man reached out and took the handkerchief, his touch unnervingly steady. "You''re too kind," he said, his tone neutral yet somehow chilling. "May the stars guide you."


    Van Dijk offered a polite nod, brushing off the strange tension that seemed to hang in the air. He followed the man''s directions, and as promised, the clinic''s lights appeared faintly through the fog. Relief flooded his chest as he approached.


    The clinic door creaked open, revealing a young woman. Her features were unmistakable, and Van Dijk froze, words failing him. Her auburn hair framed her delicate face, her eyes alight with curiosity as she took in the sight of him. It was her¡ªthe woman he had been thinking of all night.


    She raised an eyebrow, confusion creasing her brow. "Can I help you?" she asked, her voice as soft and lilting as he remembered.


    Van Dijk opened his mouth, but nothing came out. His mind scrambled for words, for any coherent thought, but all he could manage was a wide, foolish smile.


    "Melania," an older woman''s voice called from deeper inside the clinic. "Who is it?"


    "I don''t know," Melania said, glancing over her shoulder. "He''s¡­ stunned, I guess?" S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A stout, sharp-eyed woman emerged, shuffling past Melania. Her gaze landed on Van Dijk, and a wry grin spread across her face. "Ah, the Bastos Fool," she said. "Your sister mentioned you might drop by to help out. Get in here."


    Van Dijk blinked, confusion snapping him out of his stupor. "Help? What does she mean by that? I didn''t agree to¡ª"


    Van Dijk was bewildered, ''Help? What does she mean by that? Did Celine say something to her? I didn''t even agree to do any help? Also help with what? I never took care of anyone sick or not, and I have no experience in that regard anyway¡­''


    "Come on, don''t just stand there gawking," the older woman barked, cutting him off. "Wash your hands and grab those towels. Noblesse oblige, and all that."


    Before Van Dijk could protest, Melania stepped aside, gesturing for him to enter. He hesitated but ultimately followed her lead, drawn by the pull of her presence. As he crossed the threshold, he muttered under his breath, "What''s the worst that could happen?"


    Inside, the clinic was bustling with activity. Patients lay on cots lining the walls, their groans and murmurs filling the air. The scent of antiseptic mingled with the metallic tang of blood, creating an oppressive atmosphere that made Van Dijk''s stomach churn.


    "Here," Melania said, thrusting a stack of towels into his arms. "Follow me. We''ve got plenty of work to do."


    Van Dijk nodded dumbly, trailing after her as she weaved through the crowded room. Though he wasn''t sure what he had gotten himself into, he couldn''t bring himself to leave¡ªnot while she was here.

 Chapter 107 - 107: Contemplation

    [Back to present Time]


    Ludwig finished cleaning himself up and slipped into his new set of clothes, the fresh fabric a stark contrast to the grimy events of the previous day. The tailored fit reminded him of Van Dijk''s meticulous care, but the gesture only deepened the disconnect he felt. As much as he appreciated the gesture, Ludwig couldn''t help but feel like a fraud¡ªdressed in the guise of humanity, hiding what he truly was.


    Returning to his shared room, Ludwig noticed Hoyo sprawled out on one of the beds, dead to the world, while Kassandra''s soft snoring filled the quiet space. The sound brought an unexpected smile to his lips, and he lingered at the door for a moment, observing them. There was a strange peace in watching them, a serenity that he knew he would never feel again. Hoyo''s face was smushed against his pillow, while Kassandra, ever the composed intellectual, had let her guard down entirely in sleep.


    Though the lies and the camouflage hid his true self, so no one would think of him as anything but human, Ludwig knew that he has long since lost his humanity. A monster in the guise of a man. Standing right between two trusting comrades that don''t know the truth about him.


    Ludwig was unable to sleep, not for the lack of trying or even the attempt to do so. The inability to sleep wasn''t new to him; it was simply another fact of his existence as an undead. He could lie down and close his eyes, but rest would never come. His mind, sharp and relentless, had no off switch. Tonight, it was worse. The events of the day replayed in his head like a cursed record, looping endlessly.


    The bravery that the Lantern gives him was something he needed to address, he jumped into the fray without caring much for his own wellbeing, trusting the ability to return from death to solve his problems if things go bad. However, deep down there was a small fear that this might just not work. He couldn''t help but have this feeling that if he were to die again, he might actually be gone for real this time.


    Ludwig contemplated about what he truly needed to achieve in this world. The longer he spent here, the less appealing his former world became. He thought about many things, if what Necros said was true, if he achieved the Eternal Quest, would Necros truly send him back? And if he did send him back, after god knows how many years it would take him to beat the Seven Usurpers of Death, would he still feel the same about his family?


    By then, would he still remember his mother''s face, or his father''s stern but encouraging tone? Would he have the same interest in worldly things? S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Questions that had no immediate answers continued spinning and formulating in Ludwig''s mind. Especially when paired against the incredibly tall task of defeating things that even Van Dijk, a mage at the Eight Circle said that it was not something he could handle.


    Thinking of which, what is this Gluttonous Death? One of the cardinal sins? Gluttony. What is it? Who is it? And how did it come to be.


    More questions, but no answers, and looking at his bestiary didn''t help much. Because under the Gluttonous death input in the bestiary all Ludwig could see was.


    ***


    [Name??? Usurper of Life. The Gluttonous Death]


    An entity that currently dwells in the Bog of Tibari. A formerly rich land, that was able to host many beings, a river once flown through Tibari granting its people ease of life and riches unlike any place. But the nature of these people and their voracity soon cursed the lands, which brought existence to the Gluttonous Death. Once it became part of these lands it transformed them to its own image.


    Further Information is Unavailable.


    Location, Bog of Tibari, at the borders of the Black Tower academy territory.


    Appearance¡­ unregistered.


    ***


    Ludwig moved the notification away; the Bestiary wasn''t too helpful sadly. At least he knows the terrain to be a quagmire now.


    Time trickled down, slowly as ever, before the first break of dawn and the cries of an overly energetic rooster began waking and bringing life back into the city.


    Ludwig peered over the window to see several people coming out of their homes, either setting up stalls or preparing for the day. There was still one more day of the Mage Masquerade event, but from the mess that happened yesterday, Ludwig doubted that people would have the same fun and enjoyment that they did yesterday.


    But he was shown how wrong he could be, and how human nature could triumph anything if it meant that they could drink their sorrows away or at least ignore and forget the bad for small joys.


    The smell of toasty bread and meals being prepared wafted through the room, even for a skeleton, something inside his organ-less body stirred. He didn''t feel hunger, but he still felt like he should at least have a bite of whatever that was cooking.


    Ludwig was light on his feet as he removed himself from his bed and out of the room, he then climbed down the stairs and found out that he wasn''t the first one up from all the customers. Several others were either already up and awake drinking warm ale, or they probably never slept. While the smell of fresh morning food wafted through, Ludwig went to an empty table and sat down.


    Just as he took his seat, the busboy from yesterday came in with a loaf of freshly baked and cooked bread and a bowl of soup, "You''re up early," the busboy said. "Have some of this, it''s our Inn''s special hangover soup and bread, though that doesn''t mean you have to be drunk to have it," he said and moved away to bus another table.


    Ludwig grabbed the crunchy warm bread and began eating. A simple meal, far from anything he''d ever had back at earth, but it was warm, and good.


    Even for an undead, he was thankful that he could still taste food and some of the minor joys of life.


    Do he didn''t understand where the food went, he wasn''t about to start questioning a favor from Necros such as this.


    After all, he owes Necros too much to be ungrateful, another chance at life after a wrongful death, and the taste of food and alcohol, blissful little things that many take for granted.

 Chapter 108 - 108: Forced Meeting

    After having his fill, Ludwig was about to return to his room when a sleepy-looking Hoyo and Kassandra both came down from their rooms.


    Kassandra''s bed head looked no different than her the way she usually has her hair. Underneath all that unkempt hair and baggy eyes from reading too much and studying to the point of exhaustion, Ludwig wouldn''t doubt if she were to take better care of herself she''ll be a stunning beauty, but Kassandra would always remain true to her nature, an avid hunter of knowledge.


    While Hoyo only needed to wash his face with some water to look as he is currently.


    "Ah, I''m exhausted," Hoyo said as he sloped down on the table.


    "Get off the table man," Ludwig said, "I''m pretty sure I saw someone throwing up on it yesterday."


    That got Hoyo immediately up with a look of disgust on his face.


    "Did you guys notice," Kassandra said as her eyes were scanning the inn.


    "What is it?" Ludwig asked.


    "Something''s wrong, why is everyone looking our way?" she said.


    Ludwig shrugged, he had no idea.


    Not a bit longer, the busboy came with two more sets of food for Ludwig''s companions.


    "What''s with the stares?" Hoyo asked the busboy.


    "Oh, yeah, rumors spread, apparently," the busboy said as he looked at Ludwig, "Lord Sirou is here, and has said a few good words about someone wearing the Black Academy Uniform, though there are many of you guys in Rima right now spread all over the city, I could probably tell that he was talking about your friend there," the Busboy said as he was looking at Ludwig, smiles an all.


    "How come?" Ludwig asked.


    "Well, you''re the only one who came looking like a rattling corpse yesterday. Blood and all, so people took note of that, and they put one and one together and came up with that conclusion, the one that Lord Sirou spoke about was said to have found and singlehandedly thwarted a ploy of some evildoers."


    Ludwig coughed lightly. The embarrassment was getting to him, "Anyway it''s all hearsay," he added to try and change the topic.


    "There they are!" a loud rumbustious man came into the inn, hollering and pointing at Ludwig''s party.


    ''The hell is this now?''


    The man seemed to be some sort of beggar, his clothes and wear were too old and decrypted.


    Right behind him a couple of knights that Ludwig didn''t seem to recognize came after him, one of the knights handed a few coins to the man who happily left the area.


    "Ludwig heart," the knight said as he recognized Ludwig, "Please follow us," he said.


    "What did you do this time?" Hoyo asked. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I don''t know," Ludwig replied confusion still in his eyes.


    "Are you his friends?" the knight said as he saw both Hoyo and Kassandra''s worried looks.


    "Yes, is there a problem?"


    The knight interrupted, "You too will have to come with us." He said, with a finality to his words, an order that shouldn''t be refused.


    More knights came into the inn, and from afar, Ludwig saw the innkeeper grabbing a dough roller tightly, almost ready to fight the knights even. Or maybe he just didn''t want trouble.


    "Fine I''ll follow, although I think there seems to be a misunderstanding here, what''s going on?" Ludwig asked.


    "Please follow us, this isn''t a topic to be discussed in public" the knight finalized.


    Ludwig was confused, did they uncover something? He should have been cleared, since yesterday the guy who checked the memories of the earth didn''t see anything wrong.


    Did Ludwig mess things up?


    He truly regretted not getting a device to contact Van Dijk because he doesn''t think that Van Dijk realizes what''s going on.


    "Let''s go and see what''s up," Ludwig said.


    The three moved up ahead, though regret was clear on Hoyo''s face since he hasn''t finished his food yet. But that was of little inconvenience compared to the serious atmosphere of the knights.


    Once outside the inn, there was a large carriage waiting for them, "Get on," the Knight said.


    Ludwig and his friends were urged to get on, rudely so, but not to the point that they thought there was a threat to their life, especially with everyone watching.


    "Move!" the knight shouted to the driver and the carriage moved away from the inn.


    Several other horse-riding knights followed closely around the carriage, perhaps for protection, or maybe just to stop anyone from Ludwig''s group to try and run away.


    "I''m a bit scared¡­" Kassandra said.


    "Yeah, it''s a bit awkward," Hoyo said, "Since these knights don''t have any of their house banners up, but they wouldn''t do something stupid in Rima, especially now. With Lord Sirou here, if anyone tries to mess things up, their whole family will end up in ruin. But I don''t know which house is inviting us over this aggressively¡­" he explained.


    ''I see, someone wants to see us but don''t want his identity to be known to the public, then.''


    The carriage kept moving until it reached a far away corner of the city where a single mansion was built atop a large piece of land. The whole area seemed to have gotten a lot of care. Trees and bushes, rose gardens and labyrinth like bush decor were at the front of the mansion.


    Maids and servants were busy cleaning up and managing the gardens.


    Right at the main door of the white mansion though there was a group of people standing as if waiting for the carriage to come closer.


    Only when Ludwig and his friends came out did they realize where they were.


    "Welcome to our humble estate, Master Ludwig Heart, and¡­ friends," a middle aged man said. He had a regal presence to him coupled with what one would call a noble pressure. Next to him were two refined looking ladies, and behind them were three young men who each seemed to take after a different one of what Ludwig presumed to be their mothers.


    "Where are we?" Kassandra asked in a hushed tone.


    "Can''t you see the crest," Hoyo''s eyes looked up at the door''s entrance, "We''re on the Urbaf family mansion¡­ more like one of their many mansions."


    ''Oh I guess Alva''s family knew of what happened yesterday¡­ well, let''s see what''s all this abut then shall we¡­''

 Chapter 109 - 109: Invitation

    Ludwig''s group stood awkwardly at the grand entrance of the Urbaf mansion. The sprawling estate loomed before them, its imposing facade casting long shadows in the morning light. The man who greeted them, clearly the patriarch of the Urbaf family, had a smile that didn''t quite reach his eyes.


    "I heard that my knights rudely interrupted your breakfast this morning," the man began, his tone warm but layered with subtle authority. "To make amends, I had the servants prepare something for you. Please, come in and make yourselves comfortable."


    Ludwig inclined his head slightly, acknowledging the courtesy, though he remained wary. The invitation was wrapped in politeness, but the entire scenario felt off. Behind the patriarch stood the eldest of his three sons, his face adorned with a smile that was more smirk than sincerity.


    "So, you''re the one who saved our little sister," the eldest son said, his voice carrying a veneer of civility laced with barely concealed scorn. "It must''ve been quite the feat, taking on several Djinn while keeping her safe. I imagine it was no small challenge¡­ considering how useless she can be." He finalized.


    Ludwig''s eyes narrowed slightly at the remark, but he maintained a calm demeanor. "I''d disagree with that assessment," he said, his voice steady and polite. "Your sister fought valiantly. She took down three Djinn herself. Frankly, I''d call that anything but useless."


    The eldest son''s smirk faltered, his confidence momentarily shaken. Before he could respond, Ludwig added, "Speaking of which, where is Alva?"


    The patriarch interjected smoothly, gesturing for them to follow. "She''s inside. Come, we''ve prepared a meal."


    The group was led through the mansion''s grand halls, each step echoing against the marble floors. The walls were lined with large, imposing portraits of past family heads, their stern visages seeming to watch the newcomers with judgmental eyes. Suits of polished armor stood at intervals like silent sentinels, and the sheer opulence of the decor spoke of old wealth and even older traditions.


    The dining room was no less impressive. A long, elaborately carved table stretched the length of the room, capable of seating dozens. Servants stood at attention behind each chair, their gazes lowered, their hands clasped. The table itself was laden with an array of dishes¡ªroasted meats, baked fish, fresh bread, and even a whole roasted pig with an apple in its mouth. The spread was undeniably extravagant, but the weight of the unspoken tension in the room made it feel more like a test than a meal.


    "Please," the patriarch said, motioning to the table, "enjoy your meal. We''ll discuss matters afterward."


    Ludwig surveyed the feast, noting the richness of the dishes. It was a meal fit for a banquet, not breakfast. The sight of it would''ve made most mouths water, but Ludwig noticed Hoyo''s frown and Kassandra''s hesitation. Something wasn''t right.


    Hoyo''s discomfort was subtle but telling. Though he said nothing, his expression conveyed unease. Kassandra, catching on, visibly pulled back from the food. Ludwig, however, took a moment to inspect the dishes discreetly. No poison. No visible tampering. Then what''s the problem?


    The patriarch noticed their hesitation and smiled thinly. "Is the food not to your liking, Master Ludwig?"


    Before Ludwig could respond, Hoyo shifted slightly, but something in his body language told Ludwig to take the lead. A ploy. A game of etiquette. Ludwig''s mind worked quickly.


    "Ah, my apologies," Ludwig said smoothly, his tone apologetic yet firm. "In my homeland, it is considered deeply disrespectful to eat before the head of the house has taken the first bite. Please, forgive us for our hesitation. We would be honored if you would begin the meal."


    The patriarch''s eyes flickered with surprise, but he recovered quickly, nodding. "A fine tradition. Let us feast, then."


    Only after the patriarch took the first bite did the rest of the Urbaf family follow suit. Hoyo gave Ludwig a subtle nod of approval, though his expression remained guarded.


    As the meal progressed, Ludwig noticed another unspoken rule at play. Hoyo and the other nobles were careful to avoid the greasier, heavier dishes, sticking instead to fruits, salads, and lighter fare. Meanwhile, the servants avoided any indication of guidance, leaving it to the guests to navigate the complex layers of etiquette themselves. A test of refinement.


    The eldest son, clearly displeased with Ludwig''s earlier retort, seized the opportunity to needle him again. "You seem confused by the utensils," he said, his voice dripping with mock concern. "Perhaps our customs are unfamiliar to you?"


    Ludwig didn''t miss the smirks exchanged between the other two brothers. He set down his fork deliberately, meeting the eldest son''s gaze with calm confidence.


    "Not at all," Ludwig replied. "In fact, I was just reflecting on a few differences. For instance, in my homeland, we don''t use a single plate for an entire course. Each dish is accompanied by its own plate, which is replaced by the servants between courses."


    After all, Ludwig comes from what could be called a Noble family form earth, where his father had mentors and tutors to teach him the way of the refined world since he was still in his diapers.


    The eldest son''s smirk wavered slightly, but Ludwig wasn''t finished. He picked up a spoon, examining it as if scrutinizing a museum artifact. "This spoon, for example, is larger than a teaspoon but smaller than a soup spoon. In my homeland, we use it exclusively for desserts. And forks¡ªah, the number of tines varies by purpose. A three-tined fork is used for certain pastries, while a four-tined fork is standard for main courses."


    By now, the youngest brother was shifting uncomfortably in his seat, clearly unsure if Ludwig''s explanations were genuine or a masterclass in mockery.


    Ludwig''s gaze turned to the eldest son, who was holding the very spoon Ludwig had identified as a dessert utensil. "Of course," Ludwig continued, his tone light, "it''s perfectly acceptable to adapt traditions when traveling. After all, not everyone adheres to such distinctions." Sharp, and bloody, the exchange of nobility and the stabs at weakness was their weapon of choice. They don''t fight with cold steel, but rather subtle jabs of words. And Ludwig was a master in that art.


    The eldest son flushed, clearly aware that Ludwig had just pointed out his improper use of the spoon without explicitly insulting him.


    The patriarch, seemingly amused by the exchange, gestured to one of the servants. "Cut the young man a piece of the pig," he ordered.


    The servant approached, reaching for the pig with bare hands, only for Ludwig to raise a hand sharply. "What are you doing?" Ludwig asked, his voice calm but firm.


    The servant froze, his face paling. "I¡­ I was going to tear off a piece, Master."


    Ludwig shook his head, his expression unreadable. "A proper carving should always honor the effort that went into the preparation."


    The room fell silent, the weight of Ludwig''s words hanging in the air. The servant scrambled to comply, and as the tension eased, the patriarch''s gaze lingered on Ludwig, a flicker of respect in his eyes, but wonder and curiosity lingered as he wanted to see what this boy was about to present them. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 110 - 110: Table Manners

    "Then please enlighten us, Master Ludwig, on how one should eat," one of the noblewomen said with a carefully measured tone, her words laced with polite curiosity but thinly veiling a challenge.


    Ludwig didn''t miss the subtle condescension but maintained a calm smile. "Of course," he replied. "However, I''ll need a few items to demonstrate. Please bring me a large carving knife, a serving plate larger than that one," he gestured to a fruit platter nearby, "and a basin of water."


    Hoyo and Kassandra exchanged glances, both visibly puzzled by Ludwig''s request. Yet, they stayed silent, trusting him to handle the situation. They know Ludwig is pretty capable, and though he never told them of his origin or family, he showed nothing that would indicate that he comes from a poor background. So perhaps he might be able to navigate through this ordeal.


    "We believe that noble customs often evolve, and some of the current ones are¡­ outdated" Ludwig began as the servants scurried to fetch the requested items. "In our traditions, emphasis is placed on cleanliness, efficiency, and presentation. The way a meal is served reflects the host''s refinement and care for their guests."


    "And how do your traditions differ from ours?" the Urbaf patriarch asked, his tone curious yet faintly skeptical.


    "The difference lies in attention to detail," Ludwig replied, arranging the utensils before him. "For example, utensils are laid out in the order they are to be used, starting from the outermost and progressing inward with each course. Meals are served in stages, ensuring that the table remains organized and the food fresh."


    "An interesting notion," the eldest son remarked, his voice tinged with scorn. "But is such meticulousness really necessary?" he tried to jab at Ludwig for being overly complex.


    "Only if one values dignity and decorum at the dining table," Ludwig replied smoothly, his tone polite but firm. "It prevents unnecessary mess and ensures a more enjoyable experience for all."


    The servants returned with the requested items. Ludwig rolled up his sleeves, washed his hands in the basin, and dried them with a clean cloth. "Cleanliness is paramount," he explained. "One should always clean their hands before handling food, as unseen dirt can lead to illness." S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig then picked up the carving knife and stood, moving to the roasted pig at the center of the table. He inspected it briefly before expertly carving a piece, ensuring each cut was precise and presentable. The room fell silent as everyone watched his deft movements.


    After plating the meat, Ludwig returned to his seat and added a selection of vegetables and bread to his plate. Picking up a fork and knife, he began cutting the meat into small, manageable bites. His movements were deliberate and graceful, exuding a sense of effortless refinement.


    The Urbaf patriarch observed intently, his gaze flicking between Ludwig''s plate and his own grease-smeared hands. "I must admit,"


    "I see, there is truth to what the boy says, using a knife and fork seems far better than using one''s hands or even bread¡­ seems like we''ll be adopting your folk''s method, it does appear more¡­ dignified. "he said.


    The eldest son''s smirk faltered as he noticed his father''s shift in demeanor. "It''s certainly different," he said weakly, attempting to save face.


    "It''s more than different," the patriarch corrected. "It''s practical and far more presentable. Bring me a fork, a knife, and a basin of water," he ordered the servants. "I''d like to try this method myself."


    Which directly translate to, ''everyone should do the same''


    The command set off a ripple effect across the table. Each of the Urbafs followed suit, requesting utensils and water. Even the skeptical noblewoman who had issued the initial challenge now appeared curious.


    Hoyo gave Ludwig a slight nod of approval, though his expression remained serious.


    To Ludwig however, this was far from the more stern and complicated way of eating that was ingrained in him since young.


    Ludwig returned to his meal, suppressing a smirk. The dynamic at the table had shifted¡ªwhat began as a subtle attempt to mock him had turned into a lesson in refinement, with Ludwig firmly in control of the narrative.


    This should be enough to drop the haughtiness of the nobles a bit. After all, for them appearance is everything, and the one they brought to their table though looked like a couple of ignorant students showed them a new way of life. They couldn''t help but respect them whether they liked it or not.


    As the table settled into an uneasy civility, the patriarch leaned back in his chair, his expression turning serious. "Now that we''ve attended to the meal, I''d like to discuss what happened with Alva yesterday."


    Ludwig carefully placed his utensils to the side, dabbing his mouth with a napkin. "Certainly," he said. "Though it is generally impolite to discuss grave matters during a meal, a father''s concern for his daughter takes precedence."


    This is what Ludwig calls a compliment sandwich, it is something his father taught him. You insult someone or point out their error but at the same time you point out something good. They can''t take it as an insult but can''t take it as a compliment either and will feel unable to react to it properly.


    The eldest son scoffed, he felt that his father was wronged, but the father having lived longer and experienced more snapped him a sharp glare that silenced him.


    "Please continue," the patriarch said. "You will not be interrupted again."


    Ludwig nodded. "Alva displayed remarkable courage and strength yesterday. She fought alongside me against the Djinn and played a crucial role in ensuring the safety of many lives."


    The eldest son couldn''t contain his disbelief. "Strength? Alva? Surely you jest¡ª"


    "Enough," the patriarch snapped, cutting him off. "Master Ludwig has earned the right to speak without interruption. Do it once again and you shall be moved from the table!"


    The eldest couldn''t help but lower his head in shame.


    Ludwig''s tone remained steady, but his words carried weight. "It''s easy to dismiss the actions of others when you weren''t there to witness them. But I assure you, Alva''s bravery was real. She took down three Djinn herself and proved invaluable in combating the threat."


    The patriarch''s expression softened, though his sons exchanged uneasy glances. "You speak highly of her," he said.


    "Because it''s the truth," Ludwig replied. "As for what happened yesterday was unfortunate. As a member of the Black Tower academy I realized that there was a profane ritual going on, so I had to act, especially after one of my friends was affected, Alva saw the need to assist everyone and came with me."


    "I see," the patriarch said thoughtfully. "Still, it is surprising to see someone so young as yourself involved in such matters. Aren''t those the robes of a freshman? One would think such tasks would be beyond your station."


    Ludwig didn''t miss the subtle insinuation. He met the patriarch''s gaze evenly. "Ordinarily, you''d be correct," Ludwig said, "But I''m not someone else. I''m Ludwig Heart, the Only Disciple of Bastos Van Dijk, the Tower Master of the Black Tower¡­ killing a few terrorist Djinns and saving a city is the least I can do. And I''m not being gallant or proud, if I didn''t have the ability, I wouldn''t be worthy of being his disciple after all¡­"


    At times, one needed to be arrogant especially when with nobles.


    The table fell into stunned silence. The name Bastos Van Dijk carried immense weight¡ª Bastos Van Dijk, the Fiend, and the immortal mage, an Eight Tier mage that everyone in the land of Lufondal know of, the most mysterious yet most prominent of mages on this land, a man that could be called a national deterrent adopted Ludwig as his disciple? Then the value of Ludwig immediately soared up.


    The patriarch recovered first, his tone shifting to one of reverence. "Well, that changes everything. Ludwig Heart¡­ I heard rumors about Van Dijk being present and speaking to you, but now that the rumors are confirmed, I have to say what I needed. So, Ludwig, what do you think of my daughter? I''m willing to wed her to you if you wish."


    The proposal landed like a thunderclap. Hoyo spat his drink across the table, while Kassandra choked on her water, her coughs echoing in the stunned silence.


    Ludwig raised a brow, his calm demeanor unshaken. "I believe," he said slowly, "it would be wise to finish discussing yesterday''s events before entertaining such¡­ ambitious propositions."

 Chapter 111 - 111: Compromise

    "I shouldn''t assume that you are uninterested in my daughter then," the house head said, his voice even, though the weight of his words carried unmistakable intent.


    "As I mentioned earlier," Ludwig replied, his tone measured and deliberate, "it''s far too early for such discussions. We''ve only just met, and jumping straight into talks of marriage seems premature. While I appreciate the goodwill you''ve shown, such decisions require time, understanding, and mutual agreement."


    The house head''s expression flickered with faint surprise at Ludwig''s response. He had likely expected either excitement or hesitation, not the poised dismissal of a boy who appeared far more collected than his years.


    Before he could reply, one of the wives seized the moment, her tone honeyed but sharp enough to cut. "We simply wish to elevate your position within society, dear. While you certainly have a refined and rather¡­ intriguing presence, the Heart family remains a mystery to us. Please don''t take offense; we only wish to better understand you."


    Ludwig''s expression didn''t change, but inwardly he noted the bait for what it was. A veiled insult wrapped in curiosity. They weren''t just testing his patience¡ªthey were probing his background, trying to gauge the depth of his roots and connections. A less experienced guest might have leaped to defend their family or retaliate in anger, playing right into their hands. But in this world the only Heart is Ludwig, who ironically has no heart.


    He smiled politely. "If it''s social standing you''re concerned about, shouldn''t it be the other way around, my lady?" he countered smoothly. "After all, even if I hail from a humble background, did you perhaps forget whose disciple I am?"


    if they wanted a dick-measuring contest, Ludwig wasn''t too afraid of swinging his massive shlong called Van Dijk.


    The tension at the table shifted tangibly. Her lips parted slightly, her carefully rehearsed composure faltering. The reminder was potent, leaving no room for doubt about Ludwig''s place in the grander hierarchy. If these people thought they could question his worth, they had miscalculated.


    The patriarch quickly interjected with a hearty laugh, sensing the need to diffuse the awkwardness. "Indeed, who are we to question the disciple of Bastos Van Dijk? It would be our honor to have any association with you. Let us move away from this topic, shall we?"


    Ludwig inclined his head. "As you wish."


    The table settled momentarily, though the tension lingered in the air. The patriarch, likely eager to salvage the atmosphere, shifted to a different subject. "My daughter spoke highly of your swordsmanship. She mentioned you demonstrated remarkable skill in the battle yesterday. I must admit, this intrigues me. My eldest son Dross, unfortunately not present today, would relish the opportunity to spar with someone of your talent. Would you do us the honor of meeting him?"


    ''Ah, so the eldest isn''t the arrogant fool sitting here,'' Ludwig mused, glancing briefly at the smug-faced second son who had done little more than taunt and sneer throughout the meal.


    "I''ve heard impressive things about your eldest son," Ludwig replied diplomatically. "An aura user at such a young age is certainly a rare achievement."


    One of the wives straightened in her seat, her chest puffing with pride. Her reaction confirmed her status as the eldest son''s mother. By contrast, the other wife''s expression remained composed, though her tightly clasped hands betrayed simmering emotions beneath the surface.


    ''A house divided,'' Ludwig noted silently. The subtext in their interactions painted a clear picture. The eldest son, Dross, was their pride and joy, the epitome of noble expectations. Alva, meanwhile, was viewed as a secondary asset, valuable only insofar as she could be married off to strengthen alliances.


    "Yes, Dross has always been exceptional," the proud wife interjected. "He was even compared to Joana Munster in her youth."


    Ludwig''s brow arched subtly. ''Joana? My sword teacher? That''s an interesting connection.''


    "Although my sister here tried, she has yet to present us a male heir to compete. I''m afraid she''d be too old to even give birth anymore now, but her daughter is still pretty enough to topple a nation, it is a shame that this wedding wasn''t happening."


    Three stabs at her sister wife in the same sentence. ''Man, nobles sure have it rough talking normally¡­''


    The other wife remained silent, her face carefully neutral. But Ludwig could sense the tension radiating from her, an undercurrent of resentment likely born from years of unspoken rivalry.


    Ludwig understood from this exchange a few things, the first wife was the mother of these four snobs. While the other wife only gave birth to Alva. Alva being the only daughter makes her a strong and precious bargaining chip, and at the same time will always be inferior to the others since she was born as female.


    This isn''t modern age where one''s rights are better preserved and everyone has a better opportunity to express themselves. This is a medieval world. Women are only treated to the ability they present. Oppression and exclusion is paramount here, and for Alva to have a say in her life she needs to become something much more, the only issue is that her eldest brother had created a ceiling so high for her to breach through that it was no wonder Hoyo called her a tragic woman.


    Without endless effort and a great deal of luck, her life will always be bound, she will be nothing more than a bargaining chip to be used by nobles. A shitty way to live.


    "You''re giving Alva far too little credit," Ludwig said suddenly, cutting through the unspoken animosity. His words drew the attention of everyone at the table. "Speaking of which, where is she?"


    "She''s still recovering," the first wife said dismissively, only for her response to be interrupted by a voice from the doorway.


    "I apologize for my late arrival."


    All heads turned as Alva entered the room. Dressed in an elegant gown that complemented her noble heritage, her appearance was a stark contrast to the disheveled warrior Ludwig had fought alongside the previous day. Her hair, no longer tied back in a utilitarian ponytail, flowed freely down her back, framing her delicate features. She moved with measured grace, though Ludwig noticed the exhaustion in her eyes, barely concealed by makeup.


    "Ah, you''re finally done prettying up," her father remarked, his tone dismissive, as though her appearance was an obligation rather than a choice.


    "Too bad your would-be husband refused," the second son sneered, his words dripping with mockery.


    Alva froze momentarily, her eyes narrowing in confusion. "Husband?"


    "It was just a passing suggestion," her father said quickly, gesturing for her to take a seat. "Come, join us."


    The only available seat was beside Ludwig. She hesitated briefly before taking it, her movements careful and reserved.


    "Ludwig commended your abilities in battle," the patriarch said, attempting to steer the conversation. "He seems to hold you in high regard."


    Alva''s head dipped slightly, her expression shadowed by embarrassment. She remembered the events of the previous day all too well¡ªthe moments of weakness, her eventual rally, and finally, her collapse. Ludwig had carried the burden of the battle alone, ensuring her survival while fending off overwhelming odds.


    Ludwig noticed her discomfort and decided to intervene. "Alva is still young," he said, his voice steady and reassuring. "As am I. Comparing us to those with decades of experience is neither fair nor productive. Growth takes time, and potential should never be underestimated." sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The patriarch nodded thoughtfully. "That is why Alva, like Dross, was given three years at the White Tower Academy to prove herself. If she fails to achieve notable success within that time, she will return home."


    Ludwig''s jaw tightened. The ultimatum was clear: succeed or be relegated to a life dictated by others. The weight of expectation hung heavily over Alva, her every step shadowed by the towering achievements of her eldest brother.


    "Three years is more than enough time," Ludwig said, his words carrying a quiet conviction. "From what I''ve seen, Alva has the potential to achieve greatness."


    Alva''s gaze flickered toward him, her expression a mixture of surprise and gratitude. She didn''t understand why Ludwig was defending her, but in that moment, his words felt like a lifeline.


    The table fell silent, the weight of Ludwig''s declaration settling over them. For the first time, Alva felt a glimmer of hope¡ªa reminder that her story was far from over.

 Chapter 112 - 112: A Hairy Encounter

    The conversation around the table dragged on, a delicate dance of thinly veiled barbs and hollow niceties. It was a performance in hypocrisy, vanity dressed as courtesy, and Ludwig couldn''t help but marvel at how universal this behavior seemed, whether here in Lufondal or back on Earth. Nobles had a way of speaking volumes while saying absolutely nothing of substance.


    Ludwig had done his part, engaging enough to hold their interest while keeping his disdain for the game well hidden behind polite smiles and measured words. The experience left a bitter taste in his mouth, but it wasn''t new. It was just another day in the world of power and pretense.


    Finally, after an eternity, Ludwig and his companions excused themselves. "Unfortunately, we must return to the academy," Ludwig said, his tone as polite as ever.


    "Do you know? It is a shame to see you leave, I had hoped you would stay for the day," the host said.


    "We have exams soon, and we need to be well rested once they start, I appreciate the hospitality though it would be much better to be informed next time, I thought I was going to have to fight my way through your knights." Ludwig laughed.


    "Ah, once again I apologize for the discourtesy my knights had shown, we will escort you back to the teleportation gates then," he said.


    "No, we need to head back to the inn, we still have some of our belongings there," Ludwig said.


    "Then the inn it is," he said and gave a command to one of the servants.


    Soon, Ludwig''s group left on the same carriage that brought them in, this time the banner of the Urbaf House fluttered above them and in the hands of a few of the riders.


    "So¡­" Hoyo said.


    "So¡­" Kassandra also added.


    "What?" Ludwig questioned.


    "What was all that about?" Hoyo said in a hushed tone hoping that his words won''t be heard by the riders next to the carriage.


    "What do you mean?" Ludwig asked.


    "Well, everything, I mean, the way you ate, the way you spoke, and how you were adamantly defending Alva. Did you fall in love or something?" Hoyo said.


    Ludwig gave him the ''the hell you on about,'' look. And then explained. "I didn''t like it," he said.


    "What didn''t you like?" Kassandra asked. "You seemed pretty practiced for such things."


    "The way they were behaving, treating us as pawns, I don''t like that, I respect power but would never bow down to it," Ludwig said. He came from power and influence after all, and knows very well that the moment you let your guard down around people of his circle, he''ll be eaten up and spat faster than one could blink.


    "What abut all that food things¡­" Hoyo said. I''m sure as hell that you''re not a noble, you don''t act or speak like them¡­ well, you did so perfectly earlier somehow."


    Ludwig sighed, shaking his head. "I''ve been around people like them before mostly in the academy. Let''s just say I know how to deal with them."


    Hoyo tilted his head, unconvinced. "You didn''t just deal with them; you outplayed them. That etiquette lesson? The way you handled their jabs? You made them look like amateurs. Where''d you learn all that?"


    "I had a lot of practice," Ludwig replied vaguely. "The rest is just common sense."


    "Common sense?" Kassandra repeated with a laugh. "You call pulling a dining masterclass out of thin air ''common sense''? I''ve never seen anyone handle nobles like that, not even the professors at the academy."


    "Which is pretty impressive," Hoyo said, "First the King''s Gambit, and now dining etiquettes and speech control, one would honestly have a hard time believing you to be anything but a noble, but still, the way you talk with us is proof that you''re anything but."


    "You make it sound like I''m some sort of thug," Ludwig said.


    "Yep. Definitely a thug¡­ good looking one though," Kassandra chirped in.


    Ludwig could only sigh at his friends and watched as the scenery slowly changed.


    Once they were at the inn, the innkeeper was the first to meet them, "Are you all good?" he asked.


    "Oh, thank you for worrying," Ludwig said.


    "Who said I was worried," the innkeeper replied immediately. For a burly looking man like him he sure was gentle. A Tsundere what they call them.


    Ludwig smiled, "I saw that you were about to bash a few heads in with your dough-roller. Thanks for that, but there was nothing serious, they just wanted to talk."


    "I see, do you boys¡­ and girl, need some food?" he asked.


    "Sadly we were stuffed full, but I wouldn''t mind some good beer to down some of the grease."


    "Grease? This early in the day, poor lads you had it rough, Vinni, get me some warm beer for these boys."


    "Do you not have anything cold¡­" Hoyo complained.


    "Beer is best served warm, if you want cold beer you can go have it somewhere else!" the innkeeper replied sternly and protectively.


    "Did you not know, that cold beer numbs the taste buds and mask the flavors of a well-crafted brew? A fine beer should be served warm." Ludwig explained.


    "Ah, the boy knows his stuff, for you, your drink is free!" the innkeeper smiled at Ludwig.


    The group sat on their table and began having their drinks while Vinni presented his unique catch phrase "Here''s some Bear Deer," which was awkward but seemed to grow on the people of the inn.


    The patrons of the inn were eyeing their group a bit too much, and you could still hear from the whispers that they were talking about the events of yesterday.


    "We really just became the talk of town," Hoyo said.


    "What do you mean we, it''s all Ludwig," she said as she drank from her own mug.


    "I''m not a big fan of it, too much attention sucks," he said. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The group continued on until later in the afternoon where Ludwig had to leave.


    "Where are you going?" Hoyo asked.


    "Back to the academy," Ludwig said.


    "Already? The day is not over, we still didn''t get to fully explore the Mage Masquerade, the event hasn''t ended yet." Kassandra said, "There is still a dance and a firework at the end¡­" she said her eyes looking like a puppy begging for a treat.


    ''did she want to see the fireworks or maybe dance that bad?''


    "As much as I want to, I was asked by Master Van Dijk to present myself as soon as possible. Please have fun in my stead. I need to go and meet him." Ludwig explained.


    Disappointment was clear in their eyes, but they couldn''t say anything, "Also here," Ludwig said as he placed one of the two pouches of gold he now has in their table, "Get me something from the event," Ludwig said.


    "What about you?" Hoyo said, "Isn''t that all the money Master Van Dijk gave you?"


    "Don''t worry about it," Ludwig said, he wasn''t about to tell them that he received the missing portion of the money yesterday. "Have fun on my behalf," He said and left.


    Ludwig wandered through the streets of Rima, heading toward the central square where the teleportation to the academy was.


    But as he was moving past the streets he noticed a small alleyway that had a single store deep inside it.


    The store itself looked old and poorly maintained, but there was a potion sign on top of it.


    Ludwig remembered how he was desperately in need of potions when he was fighting, and wouldn''t mind precuring a few potions in case of emergency they could save him in a time of need.


    Just as Ludwig was about to enter the store, the door opened, "Thank you for your visit," he heard from inside the store as a tall man emerged out.


    Ludwig instantly froze as he saw the man''s eyes. Yellow, almost piss like. They were the first thing that brought attention to this man, while the rest of his body was covered in a long coat. A top-hat was neatly positioned above his head. The hair on his visible body was incredibly thick. But what got Ludwig completely stunned was the thing hanging from the side of his belt.


    A Soul letting lantern.


    "What? You look like you saw a monster?" the man said.

 Chapter 113 - 113: Fetch Quest

    Ludwig''s entire body was in a state of petrification, fear was clawing at him, indescribable terror was washing over his body over and over like a tidal wave when he saw the terrifying grin of the creature in front of him.


    He couldn''t mistake him for anyone else than the very creature that he had seen in the mask''s vision.


    Seeing the hanging lantern on his side only further confirmed his suspicion.


    The lantern however was far dimmer, to the point Ludwig believed it was not even functional at all. But this thing was definitely the werewolf that showed the Sheikh how he could become immortal.


    "Cat got your tongue? Get out the way, boy," the man said.


    "Oh, my bad," Ludwig stammered as he replied.


    "It''s rude to stare you know¡­"


    "Yeah, I was just a bit surprised, you''re pretty tall you know," Ludwig said.


    The man grinned and patted Ludwig on the shoulder, "You too will grow to be taller, don''t rush it," he said and moved away from Ludwig''s side whistling an ominous tune.


    Ludwig''s heart thumped loudly in his neck, though he had no heart.


    He was tempted to take another look at the man and [Inspect] him.


    [Your Inspection ability has been sealed for the next 30 seconds!]


    But that notification was enough for him to understand that even Necros didn''t want him to do it. A dumb idea, incredibly so, if Ludwig were to inspect that man, he''d definitely realize it and take him out.


    Ludwig walked inside the store, and only then did the ominous tune dissipate in the distance.


    Inside the store, several hundred potions of all shapes, sizes and colors were placed neatly on shelves all over the store.


    And in the center was a desk that was packed full of documents and empty and half consumed potions. Behind it was a short young woman who didn''t seem to be older than the age of ten.


    The young girl was meticulously separating and organizing the potions and documents while writing notes at the same time. She had overly large and thick glasses, and freckles that covered almost all her face.


    Her red hair cascaded all over her body, almost covering her whole.


    While her arms were wrapped in bandages from the tips of her fingers to her shoulders.


    "Greetings," she said as she took note of Ludwig. "A student of the Black Tower academy. What can I do for you, lad?" she asked.


    Ludwig was a bit surprised by her speech manners, she talked too big for her age, but he knew he couldn''t trust his undead eyes, after all, for someone to handle the creature that just walked out, they couldn''t be normal.


    "Ah, I need potions," Ludwig said.


    "That''s a bit obvious, since this is an alchemy store and all, what do you need? Health potion? Mana potion? Aphrodisiacs? You name it, I have it." She declared proudly.


    "Well, for starts, I need good health and mana potions,"


    "I see that you''re a novice. But each potion is different, they all have quality to them, alchemy and all, so although you have your needs do you have what it requires to obtain them?" she said.


    "I have a thousand Krona," Ludwig immediately replied understanding her intention."


    She flashed him a wide beaming smile. "That changes things then, let me help you out, "she said and jumped down from a stool she was standing on.


    She scurried around the store, grabbing a few potions, then pointed up, "Be a lad and grab the third one from the left," she said.


    Ludwig noticed that she was pointing at a potion that was slightly out of reach for her. So he grabbed it for her and handed it over.


    She placed all the potions she obtained on the desk and jumped back on her stool, "Now, these two here are greater Health Potions, they should be able to cure all sort of physical damage, from broken bones to blood loss and open wounds. Do you know how to apply them?" she asked.


    "I guess drinking them?" Ludwig said.


    "Well, that is an option, but only if you have a stomach of steel. Regardless, drinking potions is usually most effective, but what you should do is you pour half the content on the wound, and drink the rest. Injuries are not always visible, thus the drinking part, they also help regenerate your blood. While mana potions on the other hand are always to be drunk."


    "I see, I don''t know which potions I need¡­ but just things that any mercenary or adventurer would want to have with them," Ludwig said.


    "Hmm, mercenaries usually spend a good deal of money on potions, since their trade requires it. I''d recommend you buy something less eye catching, a normal potion to help heal minor wounds, after all you''re a student there is no need for you to get something too expensive and eye-catching."


    "I''m going to be venturing solo for a bit, so I need all the help I can get," Ludwig explained.


    She thought for a moment and just as she was about to recommend something.


    "Do you have something like this?" Ludwig asked, as he showed her a small potion vial. The one that he obtained from Sirou.


    "Oh, a Diluted Dynamic Potion, those are pricey," she said in a grimace.


    "How pricey?" Ludwig asked, since it was diluted, it shouldn''t be that expensive.


    "About ten," she said.


    "Ten? Krona?" Ludwig tilted his head, that''s not that bad. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh, no ten thousand golden Krona, they''re Dynamic potions that have a mix of Mana, Health, Stamina, and mental recovery. They''re very rare, and hard to make."


    That gave Ludwig a little pause, for Sirou to give him something like that without batting an eye easily means that he was loaded.


    "It takes too much effort and too many materials to create something like that, I know since I''m the creator of that potion," she declared proudly.


    "I guess I can''t have it for a cheaper price. What a shame," Ludwig sighed.


    "Well, I can make it for you if you bring me the materials. The one you drank is diluted, I can make you a pure one. But I doubt you''ll ever need it, it''s just too powerful, but you can dilute it to have ten different potions like the one you had."


    Ludwig thought for a moment and said, "I can''t promise anything, but what are the ingredients needed?" he asked.


    "Oh, a frost Troll''s blood, a forest Troll''s blood, orc''s liver, a couple strands of Flaming Lilies, and ten grams of fairy dust. All the ingredients are not hard to obtain, but the flaming Lilies and the Fairy Dust are the hardest to get." She said.


    Ludwig was about to note down the ingredients when a notification appeared in front of him.


    [Fetch Quest]


    Difficulty E


    Obtain the following items to acquire the Dynamic Potion.


    [1 Liter of Frost Troll''s Blood]


    [1 Liter of Forest Troll''s Blood]


    [1 complete Orc Liver.]


    [2 strands of Flaming Lilies]


    [10 grams of Fairy Dust]


    Information regarding the habitat of all the ingredients has been added to your bestiary.


    failure to achieve the quest has no consequences.

 Chapter 114 - 114: Rage of a Master

    "Right," Ludwig said, "I''ll try and fetch those whenever I can. As for now I need potions to use immediately," Ludwig said.


    "For a thousand Kronas, I''d recommend these," she said as she pointed Ludwig to three sets of potions.


    Three blue ones, three red, and three green.


    Ludwig could immediately tell which is which.


    "I even added flavor to them, since they''re usually bitter, they''re now Raspberry, Blueberry and lemon-Mint respectfully." She said in a beaming smile.


    "I don''t need the stamina ones," Ludwig said, "I''ll just get the others," Ludwig said.


    "Hmm, stamina potions are usually the most sought, since people tend to avoid being injured or mana sapped, but stamina is what they can''t help but waste. But hey, who am I to judge, the client is king," she said as she removed the stamina potions, "Your total is 450 Kronas," she said.


    "Thank you," Ludwig said, he didn''t know if he was being scammed or not, or if this was the right price, so he handed her the amount immediately and took the potions in his ring.


    "Stay safe!" she said as Ludwig was leaving the store.


    Ludwig walked out of the store and headed to the teleportation sector, but just as he arrived there, a hand touched his shoulder.


    Turning, he saw Van Dijk who seemed to have had no sleep, but at the same time didn''t look exhausted one bit.


    "I can smell the wafting aroma of potions on you," Van Dijk said.


    "Yes, since we were planning on going to the bog, I wanted to prepare," Ludwig said.


    "You think that I''d leave my disciple without potio-" Van Dijk''s words stalled for a second, and almost immediately Ludwig felt an aura of incredible danger emanating from him.


    [You Are In a Hostile Environment!]


    "Ludwig¡­ I''ll ask you a question, and you better answer me honestly," Van Dijk said.


    His face was contorting, shivering even, and his pupils were widening, waning between black and red, as if trying to hold a beast from coming outside.


    "Who did you meet today?" Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I guess I know what you mean, you''re talking about the werewolf?" Ludwig said.


    Van Dijk''s hand which was on Ludwig''s shoulder tightened.


    [Your Shoulder has dislocated]


    -180hp


    Ludwig''s left arm went limp. Though he didn''t experience any pain, the look on Van Dijk''s face was enough to tell that he was not playing games.


    "Speak¡­ in detail!" he iterated.


    Mana like nothing Ludwig had seen before began radiating from Van Dijk, who seemed desperate in trying to keep it contained.


    This was unbridled rage.


    "I met him some time ago, probably about half an hour at most, at a Potion Store back in an ally over there," Ludwig pointed with his still functional arm.


    "Stay here," Van Dijk said, and immediately burst out into tens of thousands of small bats that spread all over the city like a massive cloud.


    The people around the teleportation gate immediately ran away in fear, and a few guards came rushing toward Ludwig.


    "What''s going on here?" one of the guards asked.


    Almost immediately three knights rushed in, one of them was Banner, and two other knights with him that Ludwig recognized.


    "Oh, it''s the boy from yesterday," one of Banner''s companions said.


    "What''s going on here?" Banner asked, until he noticed Ludwig''s shoulder which was out of place.


    "What happened to you? Did a Djinn do this?" Banner asked as he pointed at Ludwig''s shoulder.


    Ludwig finally took a better look at his shoulder and simply popped it back in place. Causing everyone around him to cringe from the audible sound of bone snapping back in place.


    "Hah, little monster, that would make me at least wince," Banner said, "But tell me what''s with this malicious-looking aura and magic?" he asked.


    "My master, he got in a pretty bad mood, I don''t know the reason, but he''ll be back soon," Ludwig explained.


    Banner sighed, "Tell the squad to uphold order, nothing to see here, it''s just an angry mage. He won''t cause trouble when the Lord is here, I hope," Banner said.


    After what seemed to be a very long time, the cloud of bats soon gathered and amassed itself back in the square right next to Ludwig.


    "Ahem," Van Dijk said as he realized that everyone was looking at him.


    "It seems that there was a rabid dog here in the city. I followed his tracks, but he had already left¡­" Van Dijk said.


    "Do I need to call lord Sirou?" Banner asked.


    "No need, the thing I was looking for has already left," Van Dijk said in an annoyed manner, he seemed frustrated.


    "Ludwig," he said, "You need to have a way to contact me when things like this happen again, you could have died without even realizing it."


    "It sure felt like it, he was terrifying," Ludwig said.


    "What did you notice about him?" Van Dijk said as he pulled Ludwig to the side, "Tell me every boring little detail," he said in all seriousness.


    Ludwig began describing the encounter, and all that the man said and the exact location and what he wore.


    And after he was done though he didn''t have much to say, he asked, "Is there history between you?"


    "History? Nah, there is only blood. Bad, nefarious, filthy blood. Regardless, as frustrating as it is, chasing after him is pointless right now. I placed some eyes in Rima, if he ever comes back, I''ll handle it."


    "Would it be bad if we go back to the potion store and ask the store owner what he sold to him? Wouldn''t that help us at least know his objective or where he''s going?" Ludwig asked.


    "Hah, you can go and do that, but if you die don''t blame me. There are things you should know, and things you shouldn''t, and then there are things you should fear, and things you must never disturb, as for that shop owner, she is all of them. Act rudely to her or her customers¡­ well, all I can say is, she is someone even I don''t want to fight unless I have to."


    Ludwig gulped down hard, that young ten-year-old?


    "Huh, you must be confused about her. But polymorph is their best magic. So don''t treat her as a young girl, or else you''ll be devoured."


    "You make her sound like she is some sort of dragon," Ludwig said.


    "I knew you were smart," Van Dijk snickered, "Follow me, we''ll be going to the bog earlier than we expected."

 Chapter 115 - 115: A Bargain

    Ludwig followed closely behind Van Dijk who at first didn''t go through the teleportation gate, but headed down a street where several stalls were setup.


    From afar it would feel like Van Dijk and Ludwig were still interested in the event, but the Tower Master had other ideas.


    "You see, it''s far cheaper to get a communication device from here than the Gray Tower. Those guys do create superior and far more advanced versions of it, but they are absurdly overpriced," Van Dijk said as he stood in front of a stall that was selling all sorts of trinkets.


    The stall was just one of many, lined up all the way along the street. Each was selling something different, from potions that looked oddly discolored, armors that had more holes and cracks in them that would make one question if they were any useful. Weapons, of all types, swords daggers and bows and the like, most cracked, broken or barely in a functional condition.


    "Flea Market," Ludwig said.


    "Flea Market? Fitting name, most clothes here are riddled with fleas, but yes, this is a market of used stuff, though I''d get you a better communication device once I have the time, for now we need something we can use and for cheap. I don''t plan on spending 100,000 Kronas today." Van Dijk said.


    Just then, the two stopped in front of a stall that was selling mechanical creation, one of them was an item Ludwig recognized, a Spy Bird, the same one Bron used on him back at the academy when they were clearing the Lizardman Pseudo Dungeon. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But this one was too fractured and damaged. Next to it, were several crystals that seemed to be barely functional, Van Dijk was inspecting them to see which of was usable.


    While Van Dijk was checking out the items, Ludwig took note of the stall right next to it. A bored looking young man was sitting behind the stall on a chair with both legs on top of the table. He was lazily cleaning the grim under his fingernail with an old looking pocket knife.


    Not caring much for what was being sold or if he had any clients. Not that anyone would stand in his stall since most of his items looked in horrible condition but for a few.


    The stall had several weapons on display, the pretty looking ones, shiny looking swords and armors.


    Ludwig inspected one of them.


    [Long Sword (Overly Sharpened)]


    Category: Weapon.


    Damage: 60-90


    Durability 20/100


    [This weapon had been sharpened and polished to the point that its integrity has been compromised. It wouldn''t be a wonder if it breaks upon the first hit. This is more usable as a decoration than a weapon of war]


    The description was almost the same for all the pieces of gear. Overly shiny and cleaned up pieces of gear that had no real value or efficiency. Useless pieces of gear.


    The stall table itself looked in a shabby state, enough that it was no wonder that this man had no clients. One man came in to check up on one of the shiny swords, he took a glance at the weapon and immediately put it back.


    "Oi, if you''re buying don''t go on touching merchandise!" the man behind the stall shouted. Which only further pushed the clients away.


    Ludwig was about to look away, seeing how rude the seller was. But something caught his eyes.


    A long piece of black metal seemed to be used to balance the stall since one of its feet looked to be shorter than the others.


    He was using this piece of crude black metal as a support.


    Ludwig inspected it out of curiosity since it was shaped into the shape of a sword.


    [Broken Fragment of the Cursed Sword Durandal]


    Tier: Undefined / Relic - Scaling Tier


    Condition of Use: Undefined


    Category: Weapon


    Type: Fragmented Blade


    Damage: 1-2 (Base)


    Skills: [Weight of the Universe]


    The fragment of the Cursed Sword Durandal remains partially unsealed. Though bound by the laws of the world, it retains a trace of its original power. Once the conditions of use are met, the fragment will increase its weight proportionally to the user''s strength. This ability hints at the limitless potential the sword once held.


    [Current Unsealed Weight]: 5kg


    Additional abilities and details will be revealed once the requirements are fulfilled.


    Lore:


    The Cursed Sword of Durandal was forged by Vulkan, the God-Smith, in his pursuit of crafting the ultimate weapon¡ªone sharp enough to cleave the heavens, durable enough to withstand eternity, and strong enough to bear the weight of the universe itself. To achieve this, Vulkan journeyed into the heart of a black hole, where time and matter twisted under unimaginable gravity. For eons, he hammered, folded, and shaped a material birthed in the singularity, imbuing it with the essence of infinite density.


    When completed, Durandal was unmatched, capable of feats beyond mortal comprehension. However, such power came with a price. The sword was used to slay the very entity that created it¡ªcausing the weapon itself to self-curse, making it unusable for any and all mortals. No living being can ever handle this weapon.


    In time, the sword was shattered by unknown means, its fragments scattered. With each piece retaining a sliver of its former glory and the full burnt of its curse. This particular fragment, although nothing but a shadow of its original, still possesses the overwhelming potential to alter one''s fate.


    "


    ***


    ''What¡­ the¡­ fuck?''


    If Ludwig had real eyes, they''d be bulging out by now.


    ''Isn''t this basically an op weapon? Like, am I crazy?'' he talked to himself. ''This is the type of shit that main characters should have no? Why the hell is this being used to support a fucking stall?''


    "Why are you staring? You buying or not?" the rude seller woke Ludwig up from his thoughts.


    This caught Van Dijk''s eyes by surprise.


    "Eh, yeah, this piece of iron," Ludwig said as he pointed down. "I wanna buy it." Ludwig said.

 Chapter 116 - 116: Know Thine Worth

    The man removed his feet from the stall and looked over to where Ludwig was pointing.


    "Hah? Are you mad? That''s just something I use to¡­ A thousand Kronas." The man stopped himself from potentially losing a ''stupid'' costumer.


    Ludwig was about to pay it instantly, but he needed to make sure his expression was natural.


    "Isn''t that too much for something you''re using to support your stall? I''ll give you two hundred," Ludwig said.


    "What are you doing?" Van Dijk asked, he seemed to have found something usable.


    "I just found a piece of metal I can use to learn smiting," Ludwig said.


    This confused Van Dijk.


    The young man went around, -raised with extreme difficulty- the stall and pulled out the slab of metal, "I knew you had eyes, I don''t know what this was doing here, I mean this is a¡­ fine? Piece of euuuh¡­ black steel, yes, black steel, you have to give me more than two hundred Kronas dear¡­"


    "Let''s go Ludwig, we''re in a hurry, also black steel is usually deep blue, not black," Van Dijk corrected.


    "Fine, two hundred Kronas, hand it over," the seller said.


    Van Dijk sighed, but didn''t want to stop his disciple from making a mistake, it''s still only two hundred Kronas, but if it was all it took to teach his disciple a lesson for not being scammed then its far too cheap a price to pay. He needs to learn that he could get scammed and lied to. No one is honest in the world after all.


    Ludwig handed the two hundred Kronas and grabbed the weapon.


    The man had a wide smirk on his face, "Thank you for your patronage," he said. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oi, what are you doing?" a short statured man soon approached the stall.


    Ludwig grabbed the piece of metal in his hands, and the moment the old man saw it, his eyes widened, "What is that doing here? This was not something that I was selling," the old man said.


    "It''s okay pops. It''s just a piece of metal, I got a hundred for it," the young man said. He cut the price by half, Ludwig further confirmed that this fool was nothing but a sleazy idiot.


    "I''m sorry patrons, you can get something else that you want, but I wasn''t selling that," the old man said.


    Ludwig wasn''t about to give up something this overpowered once he obtained it.


    And Van Dijk, seemed to have realized that something was wrong. He gestured for Ludwig to give him the item.


    Ludwig hesitated for a bit, but if Van Dijk wanted it, nothing could stop him.


    Van Dijk grabbed the fragment, frowned and infused it with his own mana. The power behind his mana was so mighty and powerful that the stall owner fell on his back from fear and terror.


    "Interesting¡­ it''s actively refusing to be imbued, what sort of metal is this¡­" Van Dijk wondered.


    "It''s a Relic," Ludwig said in a hushed tone.


    "Oh, a Relic," Van Dijk said loudly to which the son and father were both surprised, "Seems you got it for a cheap price, you can keep it." Van Dijk said.


    "As I said sir, I''m not selling that," the old man said as he stood up.


    "Yeah, I didn''t know it was a relic, I would have asked for at least twenty thousand!" the young man said.


    "That''s a relic you fool, even a million Krona isn''t enough!" the father said. Who also seemed to have finally realized the truth behind the treasure he had.


    "A deal is a deal, it had been agreed to and confirmed. You have sold it, my disciple had bought it. It is your own fault and mistake for treating gold as dirt. You wouldn''t have ever known what this was if not for my disciple," Van Dijk said. "And if you have a problem with that, then you can come at me."


    "Listen here mister!" the young ma said as he walked up to Van Dijk''s face pointing a finger.


    ''Oh, someone is going to die¡­'' that was the only thought that crossed Ludwig''s mind then.


    "What''s going on here!" one of the guards said as he seemed to have noticed the potent mana discharge from earlier.


    And the moment he saw Van Dijk.


    "Black Tower Master Bastos Van Dijk, I give my greetings to the savior of Lufondal!" he said as he bowed deeply.


    The moment the young man who was pointing his hands at Van Dijk understood what was going on, his finger seemed to deflate and curl back.


    He then began hastily wiping some of the dust off Van Dijk''s robes, "Mister, you wouldn''t need to even pay for this, if I had known I would have given it to you all for free, is that right, father!"


    The father immediately stood up, "Y-yes, for the savior, and the great Tower Master! I would gratefully offer it for free."


    "We''re not hoodlums to take things for free, you have been paid the proper price, Ludwig, let''s go," Van Dijk said as he walked away from the stall.


    "[Cleanse]" Van Dijk said as he was walking away, an aura of magic soon brushed past his clothes making them shinier. "I hate when others touch me." He said in disgust.


    Ludwig had a fear that he might go back and eradicate the two, but thankfully that didn''t happen.


    "Tell me, my boy, how did you recognize that thing? It looks dangerous," Van Dijk said.


    "I don''t know, it called to me I guess," Ludwig lied.


    "I see. Take good care of it, though I don''t know what it can be used for, that thing was able to easily shrug off my magic. Though I didn''t fully try, but it didn''t feel like it tried either. It looks like it was broken off of something.


    "A sword," Ludwig said, "This is a fragment of a sword. Thankfully it''s shaped like the edge of a blade, though it looks jagged, it still is sharp."


    "You''d still need to make a hilt and a guard for it, seems like it was broken from the blade."


    Ludwig hesitated on telling him more about it, since no one could actually re-forge or melt this. If what the Lore of the weapon said was true. This thing was forged in the heart of a black hole¡­ yeah, that ain''t happening here.

 Chapter 117 - 117: To the Bog of Tibari

    Van Dijk walked purposefully ahead of Ludwig, his long strides making it clear he was deep in thought. His silence was broken as he spoke, his voice steady but with an undercurrent of resolve. "Though it frustrates me that you insist on using metal as your weapon instead of focusing solely on magic, I will not be the one to limit your potential," he began. His tone was thoughtful, almost as though he were deliberating aloud. "But at the same time, I cannot stand by and let you pick up habits carelessly. If you are set on pursuing the dual paths of sword and magic, then you must commit to both with unwavering dedication. I''ll be sure to inform Joana of your newfound enthusiasm for the blade."


    The gravity of Van Dijk''s words was not lost on Ludwig. He felt a weight settle in his chest, but it was not unpleasant¡ªrather, it was a reminder of the responsibility he bore, not just to himself but to his mentor. Van Dijk''s faith in him was clear, but so too was the warning. The path of both sword and magic was treacherous, and there would be no room for mediocrity.


    "I''ll keep your words in mind, Master," Ludwig replied earnestly, falling into step behind the vampire as they approached the teleportation gate.


    The swirling energies of the portal shimmered like liquid light, and as the two passed through, Ludwig felt the familiar pull of displacement before they reappeared in the Black Tower Academy''s teleportation hub. The hub was a cavernous space, its walls lined with runes that pulsed faintly, maintaining the intricate balance required for teleportation magic.


    "Master Van Dijk," greeted a man in an elaborate mage''s robe, standing near the central orb that controlled the formations. His graying hair and sharp eyes betrayed a lifetime of experience, though he bowed his head deferentially to Van Dijk. "It''s always a pleasure to see you."


    "Good to see you too, Silva," Van Dijk replied with a rare smile.


    Silva chuckled. "Trust me, the pleasure''s mine. The gates to Rima were down for most of the day yesterday, and no one bothered to tell me why. I''ve been half out of my mind thinking something catastrophic happened. What was going on?"


    "Nothing too serious," Van Dijk said, waving a hand dismissively. "Just a profane ritual and a few murders. All handled."


    Silva blinked, clearly startled by the nonchalance of the response. "Just a profane ritual and murders, you say? Well, thank the gods it wasn''t something serious like a broken gate." His sarcasm earned a smirk from Van Dijk. "I take it everything''s back in order, then?"


    "Yes, the situation has been resolved," Van Dijk confirmed.


    Silva nodded in relief but hesitated as if deciding whether to say more. Finally, he leaned in slightly. "By the way. Professor Vastion Oda''Roh has been... let''s say, a bit of a problem lately."


    Van Dijk''s expression darkened immediately. "What''s he done now?"


    Silva lowered his voice. "After hearing that the boy with you left for Rima yesterday, Oda''Roh announced an impromptu pop quiz for all freshmen in his class. He made it clear it would account for ninety percent of their final grade."


    Ludwig''s eyes widened. "Wait, what? That''s¡ªwhy would he¡ª?"


    "One question at a time Ludwig. You sound like a stammering fool." Van Dijk advised.


    "Oh, don''t play dumb," Silva interrupted, grinning slightly. "He was targeting you. You and the two students who were with you yesterday didn''t show up for his quiz."


    Ludwig groaned. "I didn''t even know about it! And why me? I don''t even have any real beef with the guy."


    Van Dijk rubbed his temples, his frustration was evident. "What exactly happened between you and Oda''Roh, Ludwig?"


    "Nothing," Ludwig insisted, exasperated. "He asked me a few questions in class, I answered, and he said I''d get full marks for the finals that I don''t even need to attend. That''s it. I didn''t even realize it would cause a problem."


    Silva laughed softly. "Full marks for a few answers, eh? Yeah, that would do it. You bruised his pride, boy."


    Van Dijk sighed, shaking his head. "This is ridiculous. Still, don''t worry about it, Ludwig. As I told you before, you''re exempt from the exams due to our mission. I''ll personally file a report with the dean to ensure there''s no confusion."


    Silva raised an eyebrow. "You? Filing a report? Isn''t that a bit beneath someone of your stature, Master Van Dijk?"


    Van Dijk smiled faintly. "Which is exactly why it will have the desired effect. The dean will take it seriously if it comes from me. Regardless of this, inform the Teachers that I''ll be heading to the Bog of Tibari. If I''m not heard of in say seven days, you may come to collect my corpse," he said." Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Silva stepped back. "Fair enough about the report. But are you sure about this trip to the Bog of Tibari? That''s forbidden land for a reason. I could gather a few mercenaries to assist you if¡ª"


    "No need," Van Dijk interrupted firmly. "I''ve lived for more than seven centuries, Silva. If something out there can kill me, mercenaries would only serve as side dish for whatever it is. This is just a reconnaissance mission. Nothing more."


    The older mage sighed heavily, clearly unhappy with the decision but unwilling to argue further. "Very well. I''ll prepare the gate for you." He moved toward the central orb, his hands weaving intricate patterns as he chanted under his breath. The runes on the walls flared brighter, and the air hummed with energy as a new portal began to form.


    The swirling green gateway stabilized its light casting eerie shadows across the hub. Silva turned back to them, his expression grave. "This will take you to the edge of the bog. From there, you''re on your own. Good hunting, Master Van Dijk."


    Van Dijk stepped forward, pausing only to glance back at Ludwig. "Stick close to me, Ludwig. The bog is no place for complacency."


    As Van Dijk disappeared into the portal, Silva placed a hand on Ludwig''s shoulder. "Boy," he said, his tone uncharacteristically serious, "no matter what happens out there, stay by your master''s side. It''s the safest place you''ll find in that cursed land."


    Ludwig nodded, swallowing hard before stepping through the gate. The air shifted around him as the portal''s light engulfed him, and the hub behind him faded away.

 Chapter 118 - 118: Raison Dêtre

    Once Ludwig''s vision returned to normal after the teleportation, he found himself in an eerie, unfamiliar landscape. Broken stone walls, cloaked in thick vines and green moss, sprawled around him, remnants of a civilization long lost to time. The air was heavy with the faint scent of damp earth and decay. Debris from shattered pillars, weathered by centuries of neglect, lay scattered across the basin-like structure where they had landed. Massive cliffs rose on all sides, their jagged edges casting long shadows as the last light of the sun struggled to pierce through.


    Under their feet, glowing runes¡ªpart of the portal''s intricate magic¡ªflickered faintly before fading away, leaving the air colder and heavier than before.


    "Where is this?" Ludwig asked, his voice echoing softly in the stillness. "I thought we''d be in a marsh or a quagmire."


    "How do you suppose one can build a teleportation gate in the middle of a swamp?" Van Dijk replied with a raised eyebrow.


    "Oh¡­ true," Ludwig admitted sheepishly.


    Van Dijk handed him the crystal he had purchased earlier. "Take this and stay close."


    Ludwig followed Van Dijk, who moved with purpose through the ruins, his every step deliberate as if retracing paths he had walked before. The crumbled remains of the old outpost surrounded them, whispering of a time when this place thrived. Ludwig couldn''t help but glance back as they approached a narrow ravine leading out of the basin.


    "This place¡­ It''s fascinating," Ludwig mused, walking backward to take in the overgrown structures. "It''s almost beautiful, in a way."


    Van Dijk nodded slightly, his tone becoming more contemplative. "This was once an outpost of the people of Tibari. What you see here was part of a dam that once held vast amounts of water, creating a reservoir that sustained their land. Tibari was a marvel¡ªa rich and prosperous nation, untouched by hunger or strife. Their abundance was their strength."


    "I see, their civilization seemed advanced for the age of these stones," Ludwig assumed which received a nod from Van Dijk.


    "They were, with a land full of resources, the people of Tibari were able to live an almost perfect life. if an enemy were to be greedy and try and takeover, they would be eradicated. A rich country feeds its people and cares for them well. Which helps advance their people, if one needs not to worry about his meals he would be more productive and more desperate in trying to upkeep their peace. The nation that was once here, before Lufondal learned that the hard way when they tried to take over Tibari." Van Dijk began explaining about nations long since gone.


    "They fought and lost miserably so, but the people of Tibari didn''t seek revenge, they continued on with their lives. When a nation is well-fed and its people content, its enemies crumble before its might. Why would a dragon care if a fly were to bite its tail?" he added


    Ludwig raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Then how did they fall?" sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Van Dijk sighed, taking some time to think, "Internal collapse, perhaps. No one knows for sure. Their entire civilization was wiped out in a single night. No survivors, no records. Expeditions into the bog to uncover the truth have yielded little¡ªmost who venture deep either vanish or return empty-handed, or empty-headed¡­" Van Dijk tapped his temple with a finger. Suggesting that whoever managed to return returned in body only¡­


    Ludwig shuddered inwardly at the thought, though his face betrayed no fear. ''That doesn''t bode well, doesn''t that mean we too might just die?'' Ludwig thought, though he still had souls he could use to return, he wasn''t too keen on dying randomly.


    After some time navigating the rocky terrain of the ravine, they emerged to a sight that was both haunting and mesmerizing. The entrance to the bog stretched out before them, a shadowy expanse of twisted willow trees standing sentinel over the mire. Their gnarled roots dug deep into the murky, stagnant water, which emitted a pungent stench of rot and decay. Thick, cloying mist swirled low to the ground, giving the illusion that the bog itself was breathing.


    The sky had fully darkened by now, but neither Ludwig nor Van Dijk was hindered. One was a creature of the night, and the other needed no light to see.


    Ludwig wrinkled his nonexistent nose at the pungent odor. "This place reeks. Are we really going in there?"


    "For an undead you sure complain a lot," Van Dijk smirked and snapped his fingers.


    [You received the buff, Feline Grace.]


    [Your movement speed has increased by 20%. You are immune to slow effects for the duration of the buff or as long as the caster is funneling mana.]


    [Feline Grace is in effect; your feet will not sink into the mud nor be soiled with grime.]


    Ludwig glanced down, realizing that his boots were gliding effortlessly over the muck. "Let me guess¡ªyou just didn''t want to dirty your shoes."


    "You catch on quickly," Van Dijk replied with a grin as he strode ahead, his movements as graceful as ever.


    As they pressed deeper into the bog, Ludwig noticed something odd. One of the willow trees seemed to shudder and twist, its branches swaying unnaturally. He stopped, pointing. "Is it just me, or did that tree move?"


    "No, it definitely moved," Van Dijk replied casually, not even bothering to look. "Remember, this isn''t a natural bog. Think of it as one massive, living organism¡­"


    Ludwig frowned. "Remind me again why we''re here?"


    Van Dijk leaped gracefully onto a patch of firmer ground. "The werewolf knew something about the ritualist back in Rima and the ''immortality'' you claimed he gave to that random nobody was birthed from whatever rules these lands, and if it''s sentient it could answer some of my questions." His voice grew colder. "Especially about that rabid mutt¡­"


    Ludwig hesitated. "You''ve got¡­ history with it, don''t you?"


    "History?" Van Dijk''s laugh was humorless. "Call it a vendetta." He didn''t feel like spilling out his heart to his student. They weren''t that close yet. "Just trust your teacher. That thing needs not to take another breath. Call it my Raison d''¨ºtre. Also, be on your guard, we have company," Van Dijk said


    Ludwig didn''t need Van Dijk''s warning, he had an alert of his own.


    [You''re in a Hostile Environment.]


    The warning flashed in Ludwig''s vision as ripples spread across a stagnant pond ahead of them. The water churned and gurgled, sending small vibrations through the ground beneath their feet. A hulking form emerged, its outline barely visible through the mist.


    At first, it seemed to be a crocodile, but as it fully surfaced, Ludwig''s undead heart would have skipped a beat¡ªif he had one.


    The creature was a grotesque amalgamation of limbs and appendages. Its three heads snapped at the air, their maws filled with uneven rows of jagged teeth, while dozens of writhing tentacles sprouted from its back, dripping with putrid slime. The smell intensified, stinging Ludwig''s senses.


    Van Dijk cracked his neck, his eyes glowing faintly. "Looks like we''ve got company. Care to dance, Ludwig?"


    "Doesn''t look like I have another option does it¡­" Ludwig clenched tight on his ring.

 Chapter 119 - 119: A Test

    "I suppose I''d be taking this one by myself," Ludwig muttered, his voice tinged with regret the moment the words left his lips.


    Van Dijk, who had raised an arm to prepare a spell, paused mid-gesture. His crimson eyes gleamed with amusement as a faint smirk tugged at his lips. "Now that sounds interesting," he mused, stepping back with exaggerated nonchalance.


    "I should have kept quiet shouldn''t I," Ludwig sighed.


    "No, no, I need to do my job as a teacher, so far I''ve only given you a couple books and some minor advice, I need to see how you fight with my own eyes to have a better understanding of where we should be focusing. We need to know where you''re lacking first to know what to improve, go on now Ludwig beat the crocodile," he said as he took a more relaxed position on top of one of the tree branches.


    Ludwig pulled out one of his two remaining scimitars from his storage ring.


    Though he thought about using the fragment of the cursed sword, it was not something he could wield right now, the base of that shard was too wide. Though it''s cracked in a way that would still allow it to be used as a sharp blade since it looked like it broke from the sharp edge and the other size though was jagged it still looked sharp, he couldn''t hold the weapon with one hand as the base of the shard was too big. If he ever got someone to make a handle for this shard he could probably use it as a sword. But for now, all he had was the scimitar.


    The crocodile moved forward, hissing and growling at Ludwig.


    Its main head, the middle one looked the least damaged, while the other two, one was missing the brain section and only had the jaws, while the other side had more teeth on its jaw than a leech''s mouth.


    The crocodile moved out of the lake toward Ludwig, its tentacles flailing and its jaws snapping at Ludwig.


    [Inspect] Ludwig muttered.


    Name: Tibarian Crocodile


    Type: Undead Creature.


    Level: 35


    HP: 3500


    Status Effect:


    [Pseudo-Chimerism]- Currently suffering from a malicious curse that would cause growths to appear on its body.


    [Gluttonous Curse] Cursed with Eternal Hunger, sourced by the Gluttonous Death.


    [Curse of Undeath] Cursed by Undeath. This creature is terribly weak to all matters of holy and fire magic.


    Abilities:


    -Passive- [Dissolving Membrane]: The membranes on the Tibarian Crocodile act as a second set of hands and feet, it can use them to hunt and defend itself. They are composed of highly corrosive substances that could melt even steel.


    [Barrel Roll] Once the crocodile clamps one of its jaws on a prey, it will spin its body in a barrel roll rapidly tearing off anything that was locked inside its mouth.


    [Corrosive Slurry] The Tibarian Crocodile can shoot out a globe of corrosive matter that would melt off most organic and corrode most metallic matter in seconds.


    [Lesser Hardened Scales] The body of the Tibarian Crocodile can periodically harden to protect it from sharp objects. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Addendum:


    The Tibarian crocodile used to live in the rivers of the land of Tibari, it was a dangerous creature to meet before it was corrupted and cursed, but now it has become much more. After suffering under the curse of gluttony it became an avid eater, who would try and consume any and all matters. A ceaseless hunger guides it to consume and devour all that it can.


    ***


    Ludwig took note of all the creature''s abilities and prepared to fight.


    [Enfeeble!] Ludwig said as he pointed his palm forward.


    Sigils of dark power manifested from the ground, lighting up right under the crocodile, cursing him with sigils of weakness.


    "[Galvanize]" Ludwig added.


    Van Dijk Perched above, raised an eyebrow. The casual air around him shifted slightly as he watched with more interest. "Already comfortable with your spells, are you?" he muttered, jotting down notes.


    Ludwig buffed himself and caused a Debuff on his opponent, allowing himself a better starting position when fighting.


    But there didn''t seem to be much change happening to the crocodile, maybe it was already slow. But that didn''t mean it was not dangerous.


    The crocodile hissed once more and two slime tendrils shot up at Ludwig''s face. He was caught by surprise but managed to bend his body backward. The two tendrils shooting past his face.


    Ludwig fell on his back, and the two tendrils slammed down on him. He rolled to the side, covered in grime and muck, but dodged the blow that blasted the terrain, splashing all sort of scum all over the place.


    The ground looked as if it was boiling when it came in contact with the tentacles. And once the crocodile removed its tendrils, Ludwig was able to see the damage they had done. A few pieces of stone had actually melted off.


    Ludwig rushed standing back up, still thinking of how to deal with this creature. It was able to fight at long range, and with its jaws and [Barrel Roll] ability, it could also fight in close range, not to mention it had an armored body which improved its defenses.


    This wasn''t a simple fight to take. Ludwig needed to think his moves through before he could go in again.


    ''I need a plan,'' he thought to himself.


    Usually, he would go for the eyes, but here, the creature had three set of eyes, that''s six, the moment he blinded two, he''d probably get bitten and torn apart by the other eyes.


    A swing of a tentacle rushed to his head. Ludwig hastily struck at it with his scimitar. Though it felt like he hit a metallic rope at first from the force of impact, he managed to deflect the tentacle.


    But the damage was already done, his scimitar was affected by the corrosive matter and began melting off.


    [Your Sand Scimitar has been destroyed.]


    "That''s not good," He said.


    Ludwig''s eyes darted to the blade, now melting into a useless lump of metal in his hands. He tossed it aside, cursing under his breath.


    Above him, Van Dijk chuckled, still lazily jotting notes. "Good effort so far," he called out, his tone laced with amusement.


    Ludwig didn''t expect the corrosion to be this powerful, he lost his weapon the moment it came in contact with that corrosive membrane, and from the look on the crocodile, Ludwig could almost swear that it was grinning at his misfortune.


    More tentacles shot up his way to which Ludwig simply dodged back.


    He took a quick glance at Van Dijk and saw him writing on a note, in a rather bored manner completely oblivious to Ludwig''s strife.


    Ludwig sighed, he wasn''t going to get any help from his master, not that he needed it.


    "Aight, fuck it," Ludwig said as he pointed his palm forward. "[Fire Ball]!"


    The moment the flaming ball formed on Ludwig''s palm, the crocodile who seemed rather slow at first immediately turned tail and dove into the lake.


    "Seriously?"Ludwig said confusion filling his eyes as the crocodile peeked with all three of its heads at Ludwig who stood there like a fool with a flaming ball in his hand.

 Chapter 120 - 120: Undead Limitations

    Ludwig felt embarrassed. Of course, the undead in front of him was afraid of the fire, but in this terrain, where the humidity was almost palpable, flames weren''t nearly as effective as they should be. The waterlogged environment was more of an ally to the crocodile than any of its tentacles or jaws. Fire spluttered and hissed, doing little more than scaring the beast temporarily.


    The crocodile wasn''t going to leave its hiding place as long as Ludwig was using fire, and if Ludwig tried anything else it would be able to shrug it off.


    Quite the opponent,'' Ludwig muttered to himself, pacing cautiously at the edge of the murky lake. It was rare for him to encounter something that not only countered his abilities so effectively but also seemed to enjoy taunting him with its patience.


    Though Ludwig could have tried to intimidate it further with flames, his options were painfully limited. the other option was Holy magic, the only sure way to destroy such creatures, was completely out of the question. If Ludwig even tried to channel holy magic-that is if he knew how in the first place- it would burn through him faster than it would affect the crocodile. The irony of an undead creature being defeated by its own spell was not lost on him.


    Ludwig thought he was at a standstill, after all, he couldn''t attack the crocodile, nor could it attack him.


    But he was gravely mistaken, that small moment when he was distracted, the crocodile shot one of its tentacles at Ludwig who desperately tried to dodge away only for the tentacle to graze his arm.


    The sleeve of his academy robe was instantly melted off.


    [-80 hp!]


    [You''re suffering from minor corrosion]


    [You will lose 20 hp over the course of ten seconds!]


    -2


    -2


    ¡­


    Ludwig''s arm was affected by the corrosion, to which he rapidly grabbed a piece of wet mud from the ground and wiped his arm with.


    [You have removed the corrosive substance]


    ''Okay, that somewhat worked out,'' Ludwig thought.


    Ludwig glanced toward Van Dijk, hoping for guidance, but found his master perched lazily on a tree branch, his pen scratching away at a notebook. The casual dismissal of the situation only added to Ludwig''s frustration.


    "Well, that''s reassuring," Ludwig grumbled under his breath, more to himself than to anyone else.


    He then channeled a fireball again and threw it at the crocodile who simply dove down the shallow lake.


    The fire and water exploded harmlessly spraying steam and vapor all around it, but it didn''t affect the creature whatsoever.


    It soon perked up to gaze at Ludwig, ludicrously so. Which gave him even more frustration.


    The crocodile hissed, and two tentacles darted toward Ludwig in a blur. This time, Ludwig was ready. He sidestepped one and ducked under the other, narrowly avoiding being ensnared. However, the creature''s movements were so forceful that even a glancing blow could have been devastating.


    Ludwig found himself dodging and evading repeatedly, each attack coming closer to landing. He needed a strategy¡ªand fast. The crocodile was smart enough to stay out of range, forcing Ludwig to play its game on its terms.


    Ludwig thought about all his learned skills. And came to the conclusion that he had little to no usable skills against such opponents.


    [Taint] was useless, though it would lower the opponent''s defenses, it''s meaningless if Ludwig can''t hit them.


    [Fire Ball] is also not practical in this scenario.


    [Rise Undead] is utterly unusable, since well he didn''t know what type of undead would rise, nor if they would help Ludwig, they might even attack Ludwig in fact and make his day worse.


    [Self-Immolation] would be usable but that will require Ludwig to get up close and personal, but that also means that he could get turned to sludge the moment he''s close enough to the crocodile.


    The rest of his skills were [Exhaust] which also won''t have much of an effect since the crocodile is wary of Ludwig. [Frenzied Spirits] is also quite useless since he has no idea what the spirits would do.


    The most useful were [Summon Undead] and [Frenzied Spirits], but they were unreliable because they had problems of control.


    All problems with those spells could be solved if Ludwig had enough [Charisma] stats.


    Ludwig did a quick check of his current stored Souls.


    All he had were a couple dozen souls that were wandering around in his lantern, and the Vondel guy''s soul that seemed to have been dormant since the day Ludwig used its emotions.


    And finally, the [Corrupted Soul] Ludwig didn''t think of using it because of its name, but since he had no choice.


    [Inspect]


    [Corrupted Soul]


    The Soul of a corrupted worshiper of the [Gluttonous Death]. Gives 200 Souls. And One [Corrupted Soul Essence]


    [Corrupted Soul Essence]: one of the ingredients needed to unseal [Soul Shackles]


    ''Well, I guess that solves one of my issues about that item.''


    It had skipped Ludwig''s mind to inspect the [Corrupted Soul] he obtained from killing the Sheikh. As he thought it was only a simple Soul. But apparently, it had another function. However, this didn''t help Ludwig much. After all, what if he was able to use the chains? He wasn''t a chain user, nor did he know the least about wielding them, and he definitely didn''t want to get his face caved in by his weapon in front of Van Dijk.


    Ludwig pushed the idea to the back of his mind, he would inspect the chains later and see what its capabilities were afterward.


    But for now, almost all of his skills were useless in the face of this crude water terror.


    But there was one skill he hadn''t used before. All because it was too dangerous for him to use.


    Ludwig took another glance at his skill, [Flame Bringer].


    A skill that would transform his mana pool temporarily and force him to take increased damage from all fire abilities but at the same time do far more damage using flame abilities at the same time.


    It was a skill that basically turned him into a living volcano that would burn all around it and itself at the same time.


    "Screw it," Ludwig said. If he dies, then so be it, he had spare souls to come back a day before and think up another way on how he could handle this situation. Maybe he''ll go back and get anti-corrosion gear or even spend time looking or searching for spells that could help him in this situation.


    "[Flame Bringer!]" Ludwig muttered. And only then did Van Dijk stop writing and begin watching the play for real.


    Ludwig''s entire body began smoldering as his mana began rippling through his body and around it. He had a faster pace of rotation that began echoing out of his body like shockwaves of fire.


    The ground around Ludwig hardened as it dried up super fast while his entire body began smoldering, turning bright red as flames and fumes began bursting out of his body.


    His current appearance reminded him of a certain human torch. But then the notification that appeared made him aware of his predicament. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [You have used [Flame Bringer] at 580 mana.


    Your mana pool has temporarily transformed to {Flame Pool}.


    You can remain in this state for 100 seconds.


    For each passing second, your resistance to fire damage will lower by 1% (It can go into negative)


    Your fire damage abilities will increase by 1%]


    "Let''s get cooking!"

 Chapter 121 - 121: Clench Your Jaws

    Ludwig''s body was exuding flames and heat like a torch in the darkness of the bog. The crocodile which was arrogantly toying with Ludwig earlier had a different air about him all of a sudden.


    "Fire Ball!" Ludwig chanted, releasing a more imposing flaming orb of flame that shot up toward the pool of water.


    The crocodile had no intention on taking it head on so he dipped down. But Ludwig hadn''t finished yet, he sent another fire ball, and another and kept going.


    Each fire ball he threw was more significant than the later one. Growing in power and might.


    Van Dijk kept noting down what was going on, scribbling at his notebook, but a deep frown never left his brows.


    Ludwig on the other hand was adamant on what would look like boiling the crocodile.


    Steam began emerging out of the puddle and soon, it began boiling. Ludwig''s fireballs continued to grow more and more powerful, but something seemed to change whenever Ludwig would cast a spell.


    The volatility of his fireball became more and more uncontrollable, some overshot their target and some blew up far too close for Ludwig''s comfort.


    Ludwig grimaced as he finally realized that just because [Flame Bringer] made every fire spell of his more potent, that doesn''t make him a master of flames. Fire ball was a level one fire spell, the most basic of basics, but with [Flame Bringer] active, it became harder and harder to control the more powerful the buff grew and at the same time, he noticed that some of his fingers had been singed and burnt from his own fires.


    His flame pool was rapidly depleting, which was good since he would receive an incredible amount of damage if he still had any mana left in his flame pool before he exhausts it. But due to the volatility of his own spells, he was fearing that something wrong might happen.


    Fifty or so seconds had went by, and the pool had already been dried up leaving the crocodile desperately defending against the flames using his tentacles. Good progress Ludwig thought.


    Just as he believed that he had the crocodile cornered, something under his feet moved.


    Too late to even notice it, one of the tentacles burst out from the ground and grabbed at Ludwig''s foot, yanking him from his position.


    [You''re suffering from minor corrosion]


    You will lose 20 hp over ten seconds!


    [You''re suffering from minor corrosion]


    You will lose 20 hp over ten seconds!


    ¡­.


    The notification kept going up, but that wasn''t Ludwig''s worry, because the problem was that the crocodile had grabbed him mid cast.


    The fire ball in his hand was about to blow up in his face, to which he rapidly hurled it forward, only for it to blow up right between him and the crocodile.


    [-360 hp] S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [You are currently suffering from [Burn] effect]


    You will lose 60 hp over 10 seconds!


    Ludwig cursed inwardly, the damage from the fire ball had blasted both him and the crocodile, and from the look of it, the crocodile took the worst of the damage as it began screeching and rolling on the mud.


    Thankfully the explosion separated the tentacle that was attached to Ludwig freeing him form the grab, but that wasn''t enough, he was suffering from fire damage and corrosion.


    Ludwig immediately did the same as the crocodile. He marred himself in the mud, rolling all over it and removed the corrosion by wiping his foot with more mud.


    The timer for the flame pool was still dropping hard and fast, he needed to clear it as fast as possible or he''ll be in deep shit.


    "Fire Ball!" he shouted once again as he stabilized himself on one knee from the ground.


    The crocodile also opened his mouth and spat a massive ball of acid toward Ludwig.


    The two balls collided and blew up creating a massive fume cloud that spread outward.


    [You''re inhaling toxic fumes!]


    [As an undead, Poison and Toxin is ineffective against you]


    Ludwig was thankful for the undead passive here, as it helped him stave off the debuff. But the fight was far from over.


    He stood up, and rushed at the crocodile who was panicking as it saw a creature that should be running away from it, rushing toward it.


    It shot two of its slime like tentacles at Ludwig who by what he would believe to be a miracle dodged and lunged his body forward at the crocodile.


    He landed on top of the creature and gripped at its back using his legs. He saw this in a crocodile documentary once, and wanted to try it out.


    This made Van Dijk stand up, something was wrong Ludwig thought, but he didn''t have the opportunity to think of what.


    He pulled his last remaining scimitar and shoved it right at the head that was leaking brain matter and then began scrambling what was inside.


    The crocodile reacted in a wrathful manner as it was feeling its brain being turned to slush. Its tentacles began swatting erratically everywhere, one of them even struck Ludwig square on the back, but he just tided through.


    Just as he was about to pull the scimitar and stab at its other head, he noticed that most of the metal on the weapon had began melting and corroding.


    ''Even its brain has corrosive matter?'' Ludwig cursed. How was he going to deal with this thing then? If anything he used would just corrode and melt off.


    Just then he remembered the shard of the Cursed Sword.


    That thing was said to have been made by hammering down a black hole. Would it survive the corrosion?


    No time to think things, Ludwig immediately grabbed the shard in a reverse grip and slammed it down on the central head.


    Surprisingly for Ludwig, the weapon that should do between 1-2 damage pierced through the skull as if it was made of jelly. And dove all the way until it dug itself into the ground.


    [Critical!]


    -1200 hp!


    "Huh?" Ludwig had yet to understand what was going on when the crocodile began spasming and then rolling on the side.


    If Ludwig was thrown off, he''ll become prey for the crocodile, but if he kept on hugging the crocodile, he''ll probably be crushed.


    This is what they say about riding the back of a tiger. Only it''s an undead chimera like crocodile with tentacles.


    -60! Hp!


    -50 hp!


    Ludwig''s health pool was dipping rather fast. In that second Ludwig pulled a vial in his hand, a red one. And instead of wasting time drinking it, he threw it in his mouth and bit on the glass. Breaking the content in his mouth.


    [-12hp!]


    The health potion instantly began recovering the damage that Ludwig had received, while Ludwig spat out the shards of glass out. If it was anyone but Van Dijk who was watching this, they''d be horrified at the sight. Who the hell drinks a potion like that?


    But Van Dijk couldn''t help but smile at Ludwig''s audacity and risk taking factor. He had no time to open the vial and then drink its content, there was also a risk of its breaking since the crocodile was mid barrel roll.


    The best option was actually to bite down on the thing, and since Ludwig was an undead, who cares if a few pieces of glass were stuck inside his mouth.

 Chapter 122 - 122: A Recap

    The crocodile seemingly exhausted(?) stopped rolling, his tentacles looked far too loose and were barely taking proper form, limp and weak.


    "No shame! it happens to everyone!" Ludwig said he grabbed the final head''s upper jaw up, forcing the crocodile to open its jaw wide. This one was the jaw that had several circular rows of teeth.


    "You look hungry!" Ludwig shouted, "Have this, see if it fills you up," he said as he shoved his arm right into the rows of teeth, "Fire Ball!" he shouted releasing the rest of his mana into the mouth of the crocodile.


    The flames surged outward and released themselves into the belly of the beast.


    The crocodile''s stomach inflated as fumes and fire began rushing out of its mouth and opening on its body. It tried to screech out in pain, but couldn''t do more than whimper as its body began growing then suddenly an explosion burst out inside the creature.


    The opening where tentacles used to come out from its rotten body flare our torrents of flame, along with its three mouths that also released infernal fury out.


    Ludwig''s arm was burnt up form his own spell, receiving a lot of damage. But it was nothing compared to the current situation the crocodile was in.


    Ludwig jumped off. His mana was almost fully drained bare one or two uses left of Fire Ball. His health pool was slightly above half, while the crocodile was rolling on the ground trying to snuff out fires that went off inside its belly. The creature couldn''t help but weakly whimper and struggle as its cooked innards began melting off from the flames that soon took over its body.


    Not long after, the creature stood still. Looking pretty dead and burning.


    Van Dijk didn''t say anything, and Ludwig only remained standing, seemingly waiting for something.


    After about ten or so seconds, "What are you waiting for?" Van Dijk asked.


    "This thing isn''t dead yet," Ludwig said.


    "How would you know that?" Van Dijk asked.


    Ludwig couldn''t tell him that he didn''t receive the kill notification, so he replied. "You ever heard the term crocodile tears?" Ludwig said.


    Van Dijk smiled. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You''re right," he said and snapped his fingers, "I''ve seen enough," he said summoning a small droplet of what looked like blood. He flicked his finger, and the blood drop shot forward shaping itself like a needle, "Let it rest, for good now," he finalized.


    The needle pierced through the crocodile''s body, then suddenly the crocodile''s body shuddered, and an instant later, tens of thousands of small blood needles burst out of its body.


    {You have slain the Corrupted Tibarian Crocodile}


    {The heavy corruption on the crocodile had destroyed all available loot}


    {You have obtained [Corrupted Soul]}


    ''Another one?'' Ludwig muttered to himself. He was a bit sad about not getting anything of value but the soul, but that was enough.


    Van Dijk jumped down from the tree branch and approached Ludwig.


    He took a glance at his current attire. Burnt robes that he just got him this morning, corroded, and most importantly, he was covered in grime and mud.


    He pointed at his disciple, "[Cleanse]" he said.


    Ludwig''s attire immediately cleaned up from the mud and grime, but cleanse could do nothing about the tear and wear on his academy robes. "Hmm, I''ll need to get you a set of clothes that doesn''t easily tear. Regardless, time for your evaluation!" he said.


    "Oh¡­" Ludwig understood then that all Van Dijk was doing was evaluating him.


    "First things first, you get minus points for getting all dirtied up like that, I''m not a big fan of people who can''t fight elegantly or roll on the mud, but since it worked out for you, I won''t fail you for just that." Van Dijk said.


    "Thank you, I guess," Ludwig said.


    Van Dijk snickered, "You get bonus points for actually taking on an enemy that many would have either been too terrified to fight against or ask me for help, neither Evan nor Sebas were able to do that, no wonder they never got the opportunity to be my disciple," Van Dijk added.


    ''Well, that''s good to hear, I guess they were too scared. Can''t blame them, they''re human after all, evil vile, despicable humans, but humans never the less, I''m an undead and have no fear of death, I also have assurance¡­''


    "You used your skills properly. They had even better skills and more advanced magic and still failed. All you used were Fire Ball and [Flame Bringer] things I have given you, which is also a bonus," Van Dijk added.


    "Though there were things you could have improved," Van Dijk finalized.


    "I''d like to know what," Ludwig asked.


    "Yes, you''re a mage, but have the brain of a warrior, why would you jump on the back of the crocodile? You had it under control once you dried up the lake," Van Dijk said.


    Ludwig couldn''t answer.


    "You also realized that your new weapon was pretty useful, but instead of relying on it, you almost sacrificed an arm to blast the crocodile''s innards. I don''t like that, why take the riskier route? You had a viable option but you disregarded it for something more¡­ flashy? Remember Ludwig, magic is all about efficiency, if you casting spells from afar was doing you good, you had no reason to jump physically into the fray, minus points."


    Ludwig lowered his head, Van Dijk was right, but he couldn''t tell him that he was in an adrenaline rush, not that he would understand¡­. Hold on, he has no heart, how did he get an adrenaline rush?


    That question was soon removed from Ludwig''s head when Van Dijk said, "You still showed prudence for not taking your win too eagerly. I like that, being careful is far better than being dead. Plus, points. I can see value in you Ludwig, I can see that you use your head properly, in most cases, so don''t go on dying on me one day because you just felt like jumping on the back of your enemy was a good idea. If that crocodile wasn''t panicking and used its tentacles to wrap around you when you were above its body, you''d be bone broth by now." Van Dijk advised.


    Ludwig nodded, feeling both proud for having received some praise, but also admonished for having done some unnecessary things.


    "Right, seeing your proficiency with magic, I can see that you''re lacking some control, you should be able to use a higher level of fire ball from what I could see but you''re lacking in control. I don''t currently have an Emerald Mana stone, once we''re back at the academy, I''ll carve it on your forehead instead of the sapphire one. I think you should be ready for it soon," Van Dijk said.


    Ludwig pulled a green emerald from his ring, "Something like this?" he said.


    "Oh, color me surprised, where did you get this?" Van Dijk said as he picked up the emerald from Ludwig''s hand.


    "The Sheikh used it as a pin for his turban."


    "Hmm, keep it on you, once we''re back I''ll help you use it, that should upgrade the magic you can use form first circle to second and probably third circle¡­ good, good. Now follow me, we still have a long way to go," Van Dijk said as he led the way.

 Chapter 123 - 123: Bad boy!

    Ludwig picked up his sword shard and moved behind Van Dijk who walked with purpose. Though Ludwig had no idea where they were going, he just followed in his master''s trail since the latter knew where to go.


    Ludwig kept his eyes peeled for anything that would ambush them, though he honestly believed deep down that nothing would probably dare do that with his master around, though there was no need to be too lax and relaxed.


    His master on the other hand was walking nonchalantly whistling a cheerful tune, seemingly not caring much even though they were moving through this godforsaken land.


    Several low growls echoed all around them, signaling the presence of an enemy.


    "Go on, take care of that," Van Dijk said to Ludwig who nodded and walked up ahead. Gripping tightly at the base of his sword shard.


    It was uncomfortable, but it was all he could use here since it seemed to be the only thing on him that didn''t really care for all the acidic and corrosive substances in this bog.


    Three malnourished-looking, rib-showing, and gut-spilled wolves walked forward. They had pustules and rotting sludge dripping slowly off their body. Worms and maggots crawled out of their eyes and the festering flesh on their patchy fur bodies. Undead Wolves apparently. But what was more disturbing than all that? It was because their lower jaws were split right in the middle, so when one of the wolves growled, its mouth opened up three ways, revealing a more shocking gullet.


    Rows of teethe awfully similar to the third head of the alligator that Ludwig dealt with earlier, only these guys had some extra slime appendages that came out of their mouths.


    Ludwig inspected one of the wolves to see what he was dealing with.


    ***


    Name: White Wolf of Tibari


    Type: Undead Creature.


    Level: 20


    HP: 1200


    Status Effect:


    [Pseudo-Chimerism]- Currently suffering from a malicious curse that would cause growths to appear on its body. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Gluttonous Curse] Cursed with Eternal Hunger, sourced by the Gluttonous Death.


    [Curse of Undeath] Cursed by Undeath. This creature is terribly weak to all matters of holy and fire magic.


    Abilities:


    -passive-


    [Tuned Hunter] The White Wolf of Tibari is


    -Passive- [Dissolving Membrane]: The membranes on the White Wolf of Tibari act as a second set of hands and feet, it can use them to hunt and defend itself. They are composed of highly corrosive substances that could melt even steel.


    [Rip-Apart] Causes dismemberment once they lock their jaws onto a prey.


    [Corrosive Slurry] The White Wolf of Tibari can shoot out a globe of corrosive matter that would melt off most organic and corrode most metallic matter in seconds.


    Addendum:


    The White Wolf of Tibari is extremely aggressive and is a pack hunter. They would usually hunt together and are extremely loyal to their packmates. This corrupted version though is consumed with hunger still retains some of its feral instincts.


    ***


    Ludwig realized something from this information screen. That both the crocodile and the wolf had the same status effects applied to them. And both shared a few abilities. The Dissolving Membrane, which was probably that slimy thing coming out of their mouths when they opened them, and the Corrosive Slurry, which seemed to be their only long-range projectile.


    The Glutenous Death seems to have had a rather terrifying influence on these poor creatures. The only one who''d be called a poor creature would be Ludwig if he were to underestimate them.


    One of the wolves locked onto Ludwig and rushed at him, growling guttural barks and roars at the same time as he jumped at him, mouth wide open and paws pointing at Ludwig''s shoulders. If the wolf managed to drop Ludwig to the ground, he''d get devoured in an instant.


    Fortunately for Ludwig, he was a fast learner. From what Van Dijk had taught him, the sword in his hands was a powerful tool, and he proved his understanding of Van Dijk''s words instantly.


    Ludwig thrust the tip of the broken sword with all the power behind him right into the open jaws of the wolf. There was no style, no swordsmanship,and no finesse in his move. It was raw unbridled power behind a straight stab.


    The weapon''s tip pierced with utter ease through the creature''s mouth and emerged from the other side. Ludwig didn''t hesitate to slam the weapon with the wolf still attached to it, though it turned limp onto the ground. Crushing its head in one blow.


    A stream of notifications showcasing the damage he did showed up in front of him but he ignored it, he still had two more creatures to deal with.


    Seeing how their companion was taken out in an instant made the two other wolves hesitate, but they didn''t retreat. Though their primal instinct told them that it is foolish to attack someone who could kill their friend in one blow, the hunger that they were cursed with said otherwise.


    It took over their rationality and mind and forced them to seek consumption and gluttony on the expense of their own lives. Guided like puppets to a slaughter, without a will of their own. The worst type of undead. A living mindless husk that was consumed and corroded by its instincts and curse.


    Deep down, Ludwig felt a repulsion like no other from these creatures, and it had nothing to do with their horrid sight. But more to the fact that he too could have become something like this.


    One of the wolves dashed to the side trying to move away from Ludwig''s sight. If the two were on different positions Ludwig wouldn''t be able to properly take them both on. Divide and conquer, a basic wolf technique to attack from different positions.


    But that only worked against animals with lesser intellect.


    Without even following the wolf with his eyes, Ludwig pointed his palm toward its general location, "Fire Ball!" he said.


    The flames caused the wolf that was facing them to instantly stop and back away, and the moment Ludwig let loose the spell, he ran after the second wolf who was too preoccupied with what seemed to be its mortal enemy. The flames were surging toward its companion.


    The wolf noticed Ludwig a tad too late. Since our undead was already in striking motion and range, he swung the sword fragment down at the creature who desperately twisted its body to avoid the blow.


    The sword unfortunately missed its head, but it landed firmly on one of its paws, depriving it from proper movement. Ludwig didn''t hesitate to strike at the panicking wolf this time with his foot, sending the creature sprawling on the ground, one of its feet still stuck under the tip of his sword.


    "[Fire Ball!]" Ludwig cast, this time on the whimpering and dismembered wolf that tried to pounce away only for it to fall back down since it had not acclimated itself to having only three feet.


    The ball landed right on the wolf, setting its body on fire. The creature in its panic ran away, in flames, desperately trying to not to fall as it balanced itself on three legs, falling over and over whenever it tried to run only for the flames to consume it all in less than ten seconds.


    Ludwig turned to the other wolf who decided that it would be best for once to ignore its hunger and run away.


    Van Dijk gave Ludwig a couple of slow claps, "Good, very good." He said, "Let''s keep moving then," Van Dijk advised.

 Chapter 124 - 124: The Village In The Muck

    The two continued navigating the bog, encountering more and more creatures, which Ludwig happily fought. He earned himself more and more souls by doing so but had yet to use any of them. He decided to stock them for now and improve his senses and abilities while next to Van Dijk. Learning the most he can from his guidance first.


    The seemingly endless night stretched onward as they slogged through the oppressive quagmire. Most of the creatures they encountered were significantly weaker than the crocodile or even the wolves from earlier. Corrupted snakes, hares with empty sockets for eyes, and skeletal owls with patches of featherless skin dotted along their fragile wings all skulked through the murky terrain. They were barely worth the effort it took to kill them. Nevertheless, Ludwig took every opportunity to fight, dispatching the creatures and honing his abilities.


    "Master," Ludwig said as he flicked his broken sword shard to get rid of the grime and slime from it.


    "What is it?" Van Dijk replied, his crimson eyes scanning the surroundings with dispassionate ease.


    "Did you notice that whenever these things die¡­ they leave a nasty trail on the ground, and when it hardens¡­ it looks like this?" he said pointing at the black dirt all around them. Ludwig thought it was mud at first, but he soon realized it was something else.


    "That is the corruption of this land. This isn''t all dirt and dust, but corroded organic matter. The trees here are using it as nutrition and the whole bog is composed of it. You can''t burn it, and you can''t get rid of it, and it will only continue to grow as long as the entity behind it still draws breath.


    "So, if we kill whatever is the reason behind this, can this land be cleansed?" Ludwig asked.


    "That is not certain, but at least it would stop the spread of this corruption. We''ve been having a difficult time keeping it away, actually the corruption was not even a tenth of this size the last time I was here, granted that was about two hundred years from today." Van Dijk said.


    Ludwig nodded. The Glutenous Death seems willing to not stop until it consumed everything in this world. No wonder Deus Necros wants it gone. If it keeps up, there would be nothing left¡­


    Just as they were talking, Ludwig noticed something in the distance.


    "Oh, there''s a person there," Ludwig said.


    Van Dijk frowned. His eyes focused, and the red sheen from them seemed to brighten up for a second.


    "That''s rather peculiar," He said. "Let''s go and check it out shall we¡­"


    The moment the words left Van Dijk''s mouth, the person dropped what he had in his hands and bolted away.


    When the two arrived to his former location they saw a bunch of wet firewood.


    "His trail is still fresh, let''s keep following it," Van Dijk said as he followed the trail of the man''s footprints.


    A bit more than half an hour, they found themselves at the entrance of a village.


    "Well, this is rather interesting," Van Dijk said.


    The village lied in the shadow of the bog, barely distinguishable from the cursed land itself. Its atmosphere is suffocating and unnaturally still, with only the faint, nauseating hum of insects breaking the silence. The air is heavy with an acrid, metallic scent, mingling with the ever-present stench of decay and rotting vegetation. A faint greenish mist clings to the ground, swirling unnaturally as if alive.


    The village itself is a ramshackle collection of decrepit wooden houses and huts, their walls slathered with layers of mud and moss to keep out the damp and the cold. Most of the structures lean at odd angles, supported by crude beams and twisted vines, as if defying gravity itself. Roofs, fashioned from sagging thatch and patches of bogweed, barely keep out the perpetual drizzle that seeps through the cursed skies above.


    The paths between the houses are narrow and winding, little more than tracks of hardened mud that have been trampled into submission by bare, calloused feet. Pools of stagnant water collect in the deeper grooves, reflecting the sickly greenish hue of the sky like mirrors of despair.


    There is no sign of livestock¡ªno pens, no troughs, and no fields of grain. The soil surrounding the village is barren, cracked, and discolored, incapable of supporting life. A few skeletal trees remain, their trunks twisted and their branches bare, resembling malformed sentinels that watch over the doomed settlement.


    In the center of the village lies a crude communal square, its edges marked by piles of discarded bones and broken pottery. There was a well there that seemed to have dried up a long time ago.


    But unnervingly, there was no one to greet them. The two of them walked inside, each step spreading the fumes and green hue of what looked to be fog from around their feet. The houses would creak from the low blows of the wind giving Ludwig the feeling of it being some sort of ghost village.


    But, at the edge of his vision he spotted someone rapidly closing a window.


    "Seems like they don''t want to meet us," Ludwig said.


    "Seems so," Van Dijk replied.


    "It is not out of our own will, travelers," they heard.


    From the side, a group of people walked forward. They looked as broken as their homes, emaciated with skin stretched tightly over bone. They didn''t walk, but more like shuffled forward, with lethargic movements like puppets. Their clothes little more than rags patched together with plant fibers and scraps of cloth. Stained with mud and the telltale gray-green hue of the slime that was marring the whole place.


    The man who spoke seemed to be the sanest of the bunch, an old man that seemed to have lived for eons. Old and decrypt like the clothes and wooden stick he used with both hands to move forward.


    A younger looking man, but no better fed was behind him, Ludwig recognized the man it was the same person who was carrying the firewood earlier, if you can even light that thing on fire anyway.


    "What brings you guys to live in such a¡­ dilapidated village." sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It is not by choice, traveler," the old man said, "We cannot leave this place. No one can, not even you," he said.


    Ludwig frowned.


    And so did Van Dijk, were they threatening them?


    Just then a gurgling sound echoed nearby, the source was the well from earlier.


    For a second, all the eyes of the villagers seemed to light up, "Feeding time!" the oldest man said and began pushing his old body forward.


    The villagers rushed to the well, grabbing the broken bowls and pots from the ground, and surrounded the village. Waiting in anticipation as a green sludge began bursting out of the well. The villager hastily scooped the slime and began gurgling it down.


    Consuming it with abandon and a frenzy like no other. The very slime that would melt steel and bone, these people¡­no, these things would consume as if it was the nectar of life itself.


    "What the fuck is going on in here?"

 Chapter 125 - 125: Hollowed

    The villagers devoured the slime with manic desperation, their gaunt fingers clawing over each other, shoving and trampling as they fought for every last drop. Those who had been hiding before surged forward like a starving horde, their eyes wild with the same frenzied hunger that dictated their entire existence.


    "GET OFF! IT''S MY TURN!" one of them shrieked, lashing out and knocking another to the ground.


    More fought and ripped at each other, grabbing them by their clothes or hair to get more food.


    The well was too small to sustain all of them at once. Though there were only thirty or so villagers, their sheer desperation turned the feeding into a brutal struggle.


    A scrawny man clutching a bowlful of slime was suddenly tackled to the side. His bowl slipped from his trembling hands, crashing into the filth-ridden mud below. The slime spilled out, mixing with the grime, yet before it could even settle, three others dove onto it, scraping at the dirt with cracked nails, lapping it up like animals.


    The air filled with snarls and guttural sounds as another fight broke out¡ªthis time escalating far beyond mere shoving. One villager produced a crude dagger from the folds of his ragged tunic and drove it into the back of another, his blade sinking into the sickly flesh.


    But no blood emerged. Instead, a sickly green sludge oozed from the wound, trickling down the victim''s tattered clothes like thick sap.


    And then, as if drawn by instinct, the other villagers turned on him.


    The wounded man didn''t even get the chance to scream before they were upon him, tearing at his flesh, their teeth sinking into his arms, shoulders, and neck. They didn''t just eat him¡ªthey consumed him, ripping chunks of his body free, devouring him as if he were nothing more than an extension of the filth they had already been feeding on.


    Ludwig watched in mute horror as the frenzied feeding reached its peak, hands clawing at any piece of flesh they could grab. The only sounds were the grotesque squelching of tearing meat and the wet, gluttonous gulps of those feasting.


    "They''re eating each other..." Ludwig murmured, disbelief coloring his voice.


    Not a single one of them seemed to recognize the atrocity they were committing. It was as if it were second nature¡ªsomething they had done countless times before.


    And then, just as suddenly as it began, it ended. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The well gurgled again, the grotesque, green sludge retracting back into the depths of the pit as if being drawn away by an unseen force.


    The instant it was gone, the villagers'' frenzy dissipated. Their frantic movements slowed, their ravenous energy extinguished as though a switch had been flipped.


    They now stood in eerie silence.


    Some of them, still covered in remnants of their feast, raised trembling fingers to their lips, sucking at the leftover slime that clung to their skin. Others looked down at their empty bowls, their hollow expressions slowly twisting into pitiful sorrow.


    And not a single one of them even glanced at what remained of the man they had just devoured.


    His remains were scattered¡ªa shredded pile of corrupted bones and broken limbs barely held together by torn sinew.


    Ludwig swallowed the disgust rising in his throat.


    And then, the village head turned to them.


    "This is why we can''t leave," he said, his voice calm, matter-of-fact.


    Van Dijk, for all his centuries of experience, looked visibly repulsed. His lips curled in disgust, his fingers tightening slightly at his sides as if resisting the urge to burn the entire place to the ground.


    Ludwig had seen Van Dijk endure horrors with a placid expression before, but now, even the vampire''s infamous composure faltered.


    "They''re too far gone," Van Dijk said, his voice cold, final.


    Ludwig had no rebuttal. These people¡ªthey weren''t living. But neither were they dead.


    They were something caught in between.


    Ludwig activated [Inspect] on the village head, hoping to understand what exactly they had become.


    [Inspect]


    Name: Bilal Saldor


    Type: Hollowed Wretch


    Level: 11


    HP: 300


    Status Effects:


    [Pseudo-Chimerism] - Currently suffering from a malicious curse that causes abnormal growths to manifest on its body.[Gluttonous Curse] - Cursed with Eternal Hunger, sourced by the Gluttonous Death.[Hollowed] - A curse that has stripped the mind and body of its former self. Devoid of will, existing only to consume¡ªnot truly alive, but not quite dead either. A boundary between life and death.


    Abilities: None.


    Addendum:


    The Hollowed Wretches were once settlers¡ªmercenaries, scholars, or mere fools who wandered too far into the corrupted lands of Tibari. Those who dared to use the slime as sustenance found temporary strength, only for it to erode them over time, robbing them of their will and identity. Addicted, enslaved, and bound to this land by the creeping grip of the Gluttonous Death, they exist now only as vessels of endless hunger.


    Ludwig stared at the information in silence.


    "That''s the look," Bilal Saldor muttered, staring at Van Dijk. "That''s the same look everyone has when they first see us. But soon¡­" His bony hand gestured toward the younger man¡ªthe one who had collected firewood earlier.


    "They become like us. The hunger always prevails. You cannot resist it. No matter what you do¡­ you will always hunger."


    Ludwig remained still, unimpressed by the warning. Hunger? He was undead. He didn''t need food and didn''t crave sustenance like mortals did. Whatever curse they suffered, it had no hold over him.


    But they¡ªthey were beyond saving.


    Van Dijk finally spoke, his voice sharp and dismissive.


    "You''re weak. Utterly lost."


    The words struck like a blade.


    "It was not by choice!" the old man spat, his skeletal fingers tightening around his walking stick. For the first time, his voice cracked with anger¡ªa human emotion struggling to emerge from something that was no longer human.


    "We had no choice in this!"


    Ludwig''s voice was calm, steady. "Why didn''t you leave?"


    "Do you think we didn''t try?" The old man''s laugh was dry, bitter, insane. "You don''t understand. We can''t leave. The moment we first tasted it¡ªthe moment we ate, we were claimed. We''ve been trapped here ever since. No matter how far we walk, how hard we try¡­ we always end up back here."


    His sunken eyes bore into Ludwig''s. "And every time we try¡­ we lose more of ourselves. Bit by bit, we forget who we are. Until nothing remains but hunger."


    Silence stretched between them.


    Van Dijk''s expression darkened. "...This is worse than I thought."


    "What is it, master?" Ludwig asked.


    "The last time I was here, that thing¡ªthe Gluttonous Death¡ªdidn''t have control over sentient beings. This level of corruption, this degree of madness¡­ it wasn''t like this before. The expeditions we sent¡ªsome of them came back broken, but not like this. Something has changed."


    Ludwig exhaled, looking back at the villagers.


    "And what do we do about them?"


    Van Dijk turned his crimson gaze on him.


    "Do you think they can be saved?"


    Ludwig met his master''s stare, his skeletal fingers tightening slightly.


    Did he care? He wasn''t human. He didn''t share their pain, their suffering.


    But that didn''t mean he couldn''t care.


    "If they can be saved," Ludwig finally said, his voice even, "what would it cost?"

 Chapter 126 - 126: Mercy

    "That''s where you''re mistaken, they cannot be saved. Their bodies, you saw it before, they''re basically slime, the same substance that makes up the creature at the center of the bog. To set them free is the same as killing them. It only kept their minds, or some of it, while it ate away at everything else. They''re husks, hollowed moving husks nothing more nothing less¡­" Van Dijk raised his hand up and snapped his fingers, summoning a candle-like flame that was pitch black.


    The moment the elder saw it, "What are you doing?" he said worry clear in his eyes, "Setting you free, from this cage¡­"


    With a snap of his fingers, the flame in his hand began splitting into dozens of smaller spark-sized flames that flew all over the village, landing upon the Hollowed Wretches, and their homes.


    "Be free, it is what you wanted," Van Dijk said. Almost instantly, every one of the villagers'' bodies got lit up with black flames.


    Their screams filled the place. And only then did Ludwig see their true self. Each of the villager''s bodies began morphing, revealing the extent of their transformation. Their skins which burnt rapidly revealed oozing slime, and unnatural growths and appendages hidden beneath it. Their bones were corroded and rotten, hollowed but for some slime inside it. Their brains were not there as the outer slime melted it revealing more slime inside it


    Though burning and turning to burnt sludge their screams still filled the place. Until all turned to ash until the houses were burnt to a crisp, and until the ground itself hardened from the intense heat. Only then did their screams finally end.


    "This is the cruelty of the world, disciple," Van Dijk said, "Letting them live is the same as releasing this plague upon others. If we had left them here with what one would call mercy, they''d still be stuck in this perpetual cycle of hunger and pain, and may even taint others. That mercy will one day be turned against you."


    Ludwig had a feeling that Van Dijk''s words were more aimed at himself than Ludwig''s.


    "I understand the logic¡­ but I still believe that there was no harm in letting them live if they''re confined here¡­ is it cruelty to destroy them, or cowardice to avoid finding another solution?"


    "Sentiment is a weakness you cannot afford, you''re far too young to understand it, one day you''ll thank me for showing you what it takes to survive Ludwig."


    "I hope it''s worth it," Ludwig said.


    "It always is, always," Van Dijk said as he witnessed the last embers die out then he turned and walked away.


    Ludwig followed behind his master thinking about what just happened.


    He knew that his master was right. They weren''t human anymore, not that he had any right to dictate what ''humanity'' is. But those guys were just far too gone. They had no will of their own and only lived to suffer. He, though excluded from humanity still is able to think for himself and have his own choices.


    But they fell victim to their instincts and couldn''t be saved anymore. Mercy? Cruelty? Perhaps both. The words Greater Good came to his mind, but that''s just hypocrisy. This wasn''t for the greater good. This was lawful evil.


    Ludwig remained quiet as he followed behind Van Dijk, the latter seemed busy thinking about many things.


    Feeling bored, Ludwig decided to do something while they were walking.


    He remembered his master''s spell, the one he just used earlier. From what his master told him, that flame was something that he created.


    A flame that is sourced and fueled by the emotions of the caster. Ludwig channeled some of his mana onto the tip of his fingers. He then transformed it the same way he would to fireball, a rapid acceleration of mana that would ignite it.


    At first, a few sparks lit up on top of Ludwig''s fingers, sputtering and popping everywhere. And when he gave it more mana it turned to an uncontrolled flame that he soon dialed the mana down so it wouldn''t be too distracting to his master or too obvious for any of the monsters of the bog.


    Little that Ludwig know, his master had already taken interest in what he was doing and watched him on the side.


    Ludwig took some time before he got the flame to calm down and steadily flow like a candlelight.


    Now the first part was done, but the hardest part was still there for him to understand.


    He hadn''t asked his master for the details of such a spell, so he was navigating blind, trying to figure things out by himself.


    Thomas Vondel had told Ludwig that emotion is what could fuel a spell, and for Ludwig who had dulled emotions and could only mimic them, it was a far too steep a cliff to climb.


    Checking upon the souls he had in his lantern, Ludwig realized that Thomas Vondel''s soul was finally recovering, but he wasn''t awake yet. The last time Ludwig used it, he consumed a lot of its ''vitality?''.


    So, he checked the rest of the souls. Most of them were just white globes, undefined souls of things and entities that had died.


    Finding something like Thomas Vondel''s soul, which was physical and had characteristics of its own like clothes and a body was not possible.


    Ludwig frowned, he couldn''t exert the emotions of something he didn''t know. But still, there was one emotion that every soul would have before dying. And that emotion is unanimous.


    Fear.


    Death is the great unknown, and everything that is dying would usually fear it.


    If he couldn''t use rage, like his master, he''ll use he second? Best thing. Fear.


    Ludwig grabbed at one of the many souls he had and squeezed it, forcing out its emotion onto the flame he had in his fingertip.


    There was an instant reaction. Ludwig''s flame surged up, to the point that it became bigger than a fireball, but there was something different this time.


    A purple hue appeared around it, though it lasted for a fraction of a second, Ludwig definitely saw it.


    The moment Ludwig lost focus however, the whole spell sputtered out and he felt his mind almost blanking out.


    [You''re Out of Mana!]


    ''What happened?'' Ludwig thought to himself. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What was that?" Van Dijk asked.


    "Oh, I was just trying something¡­" Ludwig replied sheepishly.


    "Do it again, because that wasn''t just something¡­" A wide grin appeared on Van Dijk''s face.

 Chapter 127 - 127: Trust

    Ludwig exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "I''d like to," he admitted, "but I''m tapped out¡­"


    Van Dijk arched a brow. "No mana, I would guess?"


    "Yes," Ludwig replied.


    Van Dijk took a moment to consider before speaking. "Do you even realize what you just did?"


    "I tried to mimic your spell, I suppose I failed," Ludwig replied.


    Van Dijk scoffed. "That much is obvious," he said bluntly. "In mimicking my spell, yes, you failed. But what you did wasn''t a failure¡ªit was something different"


    With a casual flick of his wrist, Van Dijk snapped his fingers, summoning a swirl of deep, abyssal black flames that coiled around his palm. They burned without flickering, steady and unnatural, as if feeding off something more than just magic.


    "My Black Flame," Van Dijk began, "is drawn from my darkest emotions¡ªwrath, fury, madness, despair. The very essence of suffering, refined into a weapon. It is as dark as the abyss because my experiences fuel it. But you¡­ you don''t have those memories, those wounds. You haven''t lived long enough, nor have you endured the kind of suffering necessary to produce something like this." Van Dijk began explaining.


    Ludwig was silent, this felt strange to him. Van Dijk spoke of trauma and despair like they were ingredients in a recipe, essential for the creation of power. And yet, despite the weight of his words, his face betrayed nothing. There was no sadness, no anguish¡ªonly cold detachment.


    "As for you," Van Dijk continued, eyeing Ludwig with scrutiny, "you''ve been ''alive'' for what? Seven, eight days?" He smirked. "Well, ''alive'' isn''t quite the right term, is it?"


    "I suppose not," Ludwig muttered.


    "If you want to wield something as powerful as the Black Flame, you''ll need to suffer accordingly," Van Dijk said matter-of-factly. "But you don''t have a past life to draw from. You have no long years of regret, no history of pain to fuel it. And yet¡­" He trailed off, studying Ludwig intently. "Yet, you managed to create something entirely different. Something even I cannot use."


    Ludwig had a feeling he knew exactly what Van Dijk was talking about. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You mean fear?" Ludwig asked.


    "Fear," Van Dijk echoed, tilting his head slightly. "Yes¡­ but not just any fear. What you displayed in your spell wasn''t instinctual hesitation or a fleeting terror¡ªit was raw, undiluted fear. Absolute fear." His crimson eyes narrowed. "Was it the fear of death?"


    Ludwig hesitated, then gave a slow nod.


    "Incredible," Van Dijk mused, rubbing his chin. "To be able to channel an emotion that potent into magic¡­ that is praiseworthy. But something doesn''t add up."


    "What is it, master?" Ludwig asked.


    "For someone like you," Van Dijk said, crossing his arms, "who has already died once, your fear of death should have been nullified. You''ve experienced it. You know what''s beyond that threshold. If anything, dying and coming back should have made you immune to it. And more importantly¡­" His voice dipped slightly. "You''re undead. Fear should be nonexistent to you. Even the strongest intimidation magic or skill should mean nothing to you. So I''ll ask again¡­" His eyes locked onto Ludwig''s. "Where did that emotion come from?" It was too raw for an undead to produce¡­" Van Dijk said.


    Ludwig decided to tell his master, "It wasn''t mine," Ludwig said.


    Van Dijk''s expression darkened. "Explain."


    "It wasn''t my emotion," Ludwig said as he pulled his lantern from the side of his belt and showed it to Van Dijk, "It belonged to one of the trapped souls here." He said.


    Van Dijk reached out, his fingers attempting to grasp the lantern¡ªonly for them to pass straight through. He clicked his tongue in mild annoyance but made no further attempt to touch it.


    "So, you can contain souls in that thing," Van Dijk muttered.


    "They also empower me," Ludwig said.


    "To what extent?" Van Dijk asked.


    "As much as my ability allows it, the more souls the lantern has inside it, the stronger I become, and I can use the emotions of the souls trapped in it to increase my own power. Be it strength, or agility, or even my mind."


    "Condition?" Van Dijk asked.


    "I have to be the one to kill them," Ludwig said. "I can''t just take souls from those I didn''t personally defeat."


    "Limitations?" Van Dijk asked.


    "None," Ludwig answered flatly.


    He didn''t tell Van Dijk about the return by death function. Deep down, he felt that it would be a mistake if he were to tell him that very ability. But other than that, since Deus Necros didn''t intervene it meant he didn''t care.


    "That''s far too deep in the dark magic territory. though it''s given by something divine," that part was said hushedly, "But the people would definitely identify it as Dark Magic... the gallows would welcome you if you were to reveal this to anyone else..."


    Ludwig realized the seriousness of his situation and nodded to his master.


    Van Dijk thought for a moment and said, "Back to our topic, You can use the emotions of the souls in your lantern, and can use those souls themselves to empower yourself¡­ no wonder he said that you''re someone who can solve my issue," he said the last part rather quietly.


    Ludwig caught that muttered remark, but he chose not to comment.


    After a beat, Van Dijk straightened. "Regardless," he said, waving a hand, "though I''d love to conduct further tests on that lantern, something tells me I wouldn''t be allowed¡ªor I simply wouldn''t find anything useful. Let''s move on."


    Ludwig nodded, and the two resumed their journey through the ruins. As they walked, Van Dijk spoke again.


    "The effect you had on your spell¡ªit was weak and incredibly unrefined. But that''s to be expected. It''s a start." He glanced at Ludwig. "Fear is, technically, the strongest human emotion. Nay, it is the ultimate emotion."


    Ludwig listened carefully.


    "Even I tried my best to harness it and add it to my flame, but it was not possible. I have yet to truly die to experience that terror, and without feeling it first, it''s impossible to use it. So I''m using the second best thing. Rage and despair. Close enough though, and it''s powerful enough, but their ability should be different from yours. My emotions applied to my spell make my flame undying, one simply can''t snuff the raging flames of one who was wronged. But you, your flame should have a different effect if it uses Fear, you''ll need to experience this once we get back to the academy. I''ll help supply you with mana potions so you can steadily use that flame. For now, let''s get our focus up a bit, because we''re getting closer to our goal."


    Ludwig nodded to his master, they were here to find the Gluttonous Death after all, though Ludwig had no idea if that was even a good idea or not.


    The Gluttonous Death was connected to the werewolf. It was also one of the Usurpers of Death that Ludwig had to eliminate to fulfill his quest for Necros. And there were seven of them.


    That alone was enough to make Ludwig uneasy.


    "Right there," Van Dijk suddenly said, gesturing ahead with a tilt of his head.


    Ludwig followed his gaze and saw the remnants of structures, half-submerged in the bog. Crumbling stone walls, fallen pillars¡ªthe same kind of architecture they had encountered before.


    "Tibarian buildings," Ludwig muttered.


    "Close enough," Van Dijk replied. "But more importantly, that''s our next teleportation hub. We''ll need to use it."


    it."

 Chapter 128 - 128: Undead Memory

    Ludwig frowned as he stared at the magic circle. "I thought these teleportation hubs were compromised?"


    "They are," Van Dijk admitted, stepping over a collapsed stone beam. "This one is far too deep in the swamp to be of much use. It''s likely been damaged over the centuries. That''s why no one uses it to enter the bog. But if you''re already inside?" He smirked. "That''s another story."


    Ludwig glanced around at their surroundings. The ruins of the Tibarian outpost stretched around them, swallowed by time and decay. The once-proud stone structures were now nothing more than crumbling husks, choked by creeping vines and dense green moss. Statues of forgotten figures lay shattered, their faces long eroded by the elements, while broken pillars jutted from the ground like the bones of some ancient behemoth.


    Walking through the ruins felt like treading on the graves of an old civilization, a land long since lost to history. Each step sent small fragments of stone skittering across the ground, their echoes swallowed by the eerie stillness of the bog.


    Then¡ª


    "Enemies," Van Dijk said flatly.


    Ludwig''s fingers tightened around his weapon before his eyes even found the threat. A small, wiry figure darted between the ruins, moving low and fast, clutching a crude stone-tipped spear.


    Ludwig recognized it immediately. A Goblin. He had seen it many times in the manhwas he read before he came to this world.


    It was an ugly little thing¡ªsallow green skin stretched over a bony frame, limbs thin and wiry but fast clasping a spear made of crude wood and a sharpened stone for the head. Its yellow, goat-like eyes gleamed with malice, its hooked nose wrinkling as it caught their scent. The ragged loincloth it wore barely counted as clothing, and its oversized ears twitched as it crept forward, stalking them through the dark.


    But it had made a crucial mistake.


    It thought the darkness hid it. It thought it had the advantage.


    It didn''t realize who it was trying to ambush.


    It was trying to ambush the group using the darkness of the night, but didn''t realize that the two in front of him were creatures that could easily see under the darkness.


    Once the goblin thought he got close enough, he jumped at Ludwig who simply stabbed it with his broken sword fragment.


    The creature let out a strangled, wet gasp. For a moment, it seemed almost normal¡ªdying like any other living thing. But then, something changed.


    Its body twitched violently, as if something inside it was convulsing. Then, from the gaping wound, a thick, oozing substance began to pour¡ªnot blood, but slime.


    Ludwig took a sharp step back, watching as the goblin''s body writhed, the slime wriggling like it had a mind of its own.


    It wasn''t just inside the creature¡ªit had become the creature.


    Unlike the humans in the village, this creature was far too ''normal'' looking. But inside, it was all the same, slime from the Gluttonous Death had taken over its body and replaced all its organs.


    {You have slain a [Corrupted Goblin]}


    {You have received a Wayward Soul}


    Ludwig''s brow furrowed. Wayward Soul. One of the weakest types. Hardly worth the effort.


    Before he could ponder it further, an ear-splitting screech tore through the ruins.


    More goblins.


    Dozens of glowing eyes flickered in the darkness¡ªlurking within broken buildings, crouching behind shattered statues. Their ragged, hungry breaths filled the air, echoing between the ruins like whispers of the damned.


    Ludwig rolled his shoulders, gripping his weapon tighter. "This might take a while¡ª"


    "Ugh," Van Dijk groaned, cutting him off. "I hate this."


    "What is it?" Ludwig asked.


    Van Dijk sighed, rubbing his temples. "You see, intelligent creatures¡ªtrue intelligent creatures¡ªcan recognize when they''re outmatched. Even wild animals know when they''re facing something they can''t win against. But creatures like this¡­" He gestured to the goblins creeping toward them. "They''re just too stupid to realize they''re about to die."


    Ludwig barely had time to process those words before Van Dijk raised a single hand.


    A dense, crimson mist unfurled from his palm, thick and suffocating, swirling into the air like ink in water. Within seconds, the mist rippled and twisted, taking shape¡ª


    A swarm of bats.


    Each one a creature of pure shadow, eyes glowing red like blood. Their wings left streaks of blackened smoke in their wake, and as they took flight, their collective screech sent tremors through the ruins.


    Hundreds of them.


    "Kill them all," Van Dijk muttered.


    The bats exploded outward.


    They moved like living shadows, slithering through cracks in stone, slipping through broken windows and shattered doorways. The goblins barely had time to react before the swarm was upon them.


    Their screams tore through the night.


    Ludwig watched in stunned silence as the swarm descended, their razor-like fangs slicing through flesh and bone like parchment. The goblins flailed, slashing wildly at the air, but it was useless. The bats were everywhere, weaving between their attacks like phantoms, their bodies leaving behind streaks of crimson mist.


    One by one, the creatures fell.


    And then¡ªsilence.


    The ruins grew deathly still, the only sound the faint rustling of the wind through the vines.


    Ludwig turned to Van Dijk, dumbfounded.


    Van Dijk grinned. "What?" He spread his arms dramatically. "Did you think I was an Eight-Tier Mage just for show?"


    Ludwig followed behind Van Dijk until they reached a run down building, it looked like it was the biggest one in this hub? City? Ludwig didn''t know, it was bigger than a town but smaller than a city, and felt rather lonely here.


    The building itself was massive in size but seemed too rundown to be of any use. Most of the second floor had already fallen down, but there was an area in the center of the room that was thankfully clear. Since it had a massive magic circle in the middle.


    "Be a useful lad and clear the rubble on top of the teleportation circle."


    Ludwig nodded to his master and began picking up the rocks and small pieces of the wall and ceiling that had fallen on the teleportation gate.


    It was slow, grueling work. The broken debris was everywhere, some chunks larger than Ludwig himself. His skeletal frame strained as he pushed stone after stone aside, clearing a path toward the ancient runes beneath. Meanwhile, Van Dijk stood nearby, his piercing gaze locked onto the magic circle, scrutinizing every inch of its damaged form.


    The moment Ludwig finished clearing, he stood next to his master who was looked rather annoyed.


    "Hmm, I think I''ll need Silva''s help here," Van Dijk said.


    Ludwig studied the runes. "What exactly do we need him for?"


    Van Dijk pulled out his communication crystal, shaking it with mild annoyance. "The circle is incomplete¡ªdamaged more than I expected." He sighed. "And there''s interference. My crystal is only picking up short-range signals. I can''t reach Silva from here. only he can help me fix it."


    Ludwig tilted his head. "It looks similar to the one at the entrance of the swamp."


    "Yes, sadly I''m not good at teleportation magic, maybe we''ll head back to the first circle and get a duplicate copy then walk back here and try and fix it."


    "I remember the circle," Ludwig said.


    Van Dijk frowned, but then said, "You do strike me as someone who can easily memorize matters, since you mastered five spells probably in less than two days," Van Dijk said, "But isn''t this a bit too much even for you?" he asked.


    "It was half a night, and yes, I can still perfectly remember the circle''s details." Ludwig said.


    Van Dijk thought for a second and said, "Apply it then, use this," he said as he pulled a massive piece of chalk almost a fist size from his own ring, "Complete the damaged parts and repair them, if the circle functions then we won''t have to waste time getting back."


    Ludwig nodded and grabbed the chalk, all he had to do was use [Trace] since he already saw the circle, he just needed to complete the missing parts. And Trace highlighted some the errors and mistakes that happened when the ceiling fell onto parts of the circle.


    Minutes passed. Then an hour.


    And then¡ª


    A surge of light.


    The magic circle hummed with energy, glowing faintly as the runes reconnected.


    Van Dijk let out a satisfied chuckle. "Impressive," he admitted. "Once we''re back, I''ll give you a few more books¡ªyou''ve earned them."


    Ludwig grinned.


    "For now," Van Dijk continued, stepping onto the circle, "let''s see if this thing actually let''s see if the connection is secure with our next destination, the heart of the bog." S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 129 - 129: The Citadel of Hunger

    The two of them took a step through the teleportation gate and, in an instant, found themselves standing before a colossal, open steel gate.


    Van Dijk came to an abrupt halt, his eyes narrowing as he took in the immense, eerily pristine sight in front of him.


    "Euh¡­" He stalled, clearly at a loss for words.


    It was a city gate, towering fifty meters high, constructed of thick iron-plated steel, its sheer size exuding an almost divine impermeability. Even to someone as powerful as Van Dijk, it looked imposing¡ªa structure built not just to defend but to ensure that whatever lay within would never be breached.


    The walls stretched outward beyond their vision, ivory and white, unmarred by time, spotless in a way that shouldn''t be possible. Perfect, too perfect, as if untouched by the passage of time.


    Behind them, lush, rolling fields of green stretched out as far as the eye could see. Fields of golden wheat and vibrant grass waved ever so slightly, giving off an illusion of life and abundance. It was pristine, untouched, fertile¡ªthe absolute antithesis of the cursed, desolate swamp they had left behind.


    And beyond the gate?


    An entire city, laid out before them in a circular, layered fashion, rising steadily upward toward a central hilltop, where, at the pinnacle of everything, sat an immaculate grand cathedral¡ªits marble columns and polished white walls gleaming in the dim light. It wasn''t just untouched by time¡ªit defied it.


    The streets were paved with black-polished obsidian tiles, so immaculate that Ludwig could almost see his own reflection. The roads stretched in perfect symmetry, leading to districts that seemed eerily well-maintained¡ªhousing complexes, markets, even noble estates, all arranged in a way that suggested a society still functioning, still thriving.


    But that wasn''t possible.


    Because there was no one here.


    No people, no animals, no wind to rustle the fields.


    Nothing.


    Just an unsettling, unnatural silence.


    No voices, no laughter, no merchants haggling, no carriages rolling down the streets. Not even the distant caw of a crow.


    It was like standing inside a preserved corpse of a kingdom, untouched by decay, yet undeniably dead.


    Ludwig took a slow step forward, his foot tapping against the ground, the sound echoing too loudly for a place that was supposed to be a functioning city.


    "What¡­ the hell¡­ is this?" Ludwig muttered.


    "Beats me." Van Dijk folded his arms, scanning the eerily pristine surroundings. "You''re the one that fixed the gate."


    Ludwig frowned. "Are we sure this is even the same place?"


    Van Dijk exhaled slowly, rubbing his temple.


    "The teleportation gate should have taken us closer to the heart of the bog¡­ but this?" He gestured at the pristine city before them. "This wasn''t here before. Not in any records. No expedition has ever spoken of a citadel at the center of the bog¡ªonly monsters, corruption, and the thing that rules over them all.


    This¡ª" he gestured at the untouched structures, the ghostly, immaculate emptiness¡ª"was never mentioned."


    A cold feeling crept up Ludwig''s spine.


    "So, what do we do?" Ludwig asked, already not liking where this was going.


    Van Dijk smirked slightly. "Normally? I''d leave immediately and return with a full-fledged war party."


    Ludwig sighed in relief. "Then¡ª"


    "But this is too damn interesting to pass up," Van Dijk said, already stepping forward.


    Ludwig groaned internally but followed.


    As they crossed the threshold of the towering gate, the sensation was immediate.


    [You have entered the Dwelling of Hunger dungeon.]


    [You are the first to enter this dungeon in 100 years¡ªAll rewards will be enhanced.]


    [Soul gain doubled inside this dungeon!]


    [This dungeon is ruled by a Usurper of Death: Gluttonous Death.]


    [Your Death Point has been set to Dungeon Entrance.]


    [Quest Activated: Clear the Dwelling of Hunger]


    Rewards: Audience with the Inevitable.


    Failing to complete the Dungeon has no punishments.


    Quest Difficulty: ??????????


    Ludwig felt his soul leave his body for a second.


    Ten. Skulls.


    This was not a dungeon they were supposed to be inside.


    His eyes flicked up to Van Dijk, but his master was completely oblivious to the messages flashing before Ludwig''s eyes.


    "What''s wrong? You look like you''ve seen a ghost," Van Dijk asked.


    Ludwig hesitated. How the hell was he supposed to explain any of this?


    "¡­Ah, I was just admiring the sights," Ludwig lied.


    Van Dijk raised an eyebrow but didn''t comment further. He strode forward, stepping into the silent city, and Ludwig had no choice but to follow.


    The City of Silence


    The deafening stillness followed them as they walked deeper into the streets.


    Everything was spotless, perfectly aligned, meticulously placed.


    "¡­Who the hell cleans all this?" Ludwig muttered.


    "Good question." Van Dijk''s gaze flicked around, searching for anything out of place. "No matter how well-kept a city is, this is too clean for there to be no one tending to it."


    And just as the words left his mouth¡ª


    Something moved.


    A scraping, grating noise echoed from a nearby alleyway.


    Van Dijk immediately signaled Ludwig to be silent, motioning for him to stay behind as he stepped ahead. He peered around the corner¡ª S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And froze.


    Ludwig moved to stand beside him, glancing at what had stopped Van Dijk in his tracks.


    There, standing in the alley, was a man.


    Or¡­ what was left of one.


    Emaciated, lifeless, his skin stretched too tightly over brittle bones. His eyes were hollow, staring ahead with a dead, vacant gaze.


    But his clothes¡­


    They were immaculate.


    He wore a pressed uniform, a clean hat, and spotless white gloves.


    And in his skeletal hands, he clutched a broom, methodically sweeping the already pristine ground¡ªover and over, as if compelled by an unseen force.


    The man moved toward them, dragging the broom across the obsidian pavement. Van Dijk''s hand twitched, ready to incinerate whatever this thing was at the first sign of hostility¡ª


    But then¡­


    He stopped.


    Right in front of them.


    And just stood there. Motionless.


    Ludwig felt a shiver¡ªnot of fear, but of sheer, unnatural wrongness.


    "¡­Master." His voice was low. "Maybe we should¡­ step back."


    Van Dijk didn''t argue. They both took a few slow steps away¡ª


    And the moment they did, the creature simply resumed sweeping.


    As if nothing had happened.


    Ludwig''s mind raced. Not hostile. Not a monster. Just¡­ mindless.


    Another door creaked open from a house nearby.


    A second figure emerged, carrying a wooden table, which it methodically carried across the street, setting it down in front of another empty house before disappearing inside.


    More and more of them appeared as they walked through the city.


    Creatures in spotless uniforms, setting plates onto empty tables, waiting at empty stalls, polishing untouched windows.


    They never spoke.


    They never acknowledged each other.


    They simply worked, their bodies moving through the motions of a society that no longer existed.


    Van Dijk''s jaw tightened. "This is¡­ unsettling."


    Ludwig exhaled slowly, gripping his sword.


    "This feels like a city of the dead."


    "No, been there¡ªeven a city of the dead is livelier than this. Quite ironic," Van Dijk muttered, though there was no amusement in his voice.


    The two of them continued walking through the eerily pristine streets, undisturbed, unhindered, and most notably, untouched by any form of hostility. Not a single attack.


    Ludwig found that unsettling. Extremely so...

 Chapter 130 - 130: The Corrupted Knight

    The two continued walking through the streets, without being hindered or stalled or even attacked, which was quite strange to Ludwig. After all this was a dungeon, and all monsters should have attacked them. But these guys looked rather ''busy.''


    Ludwig did a quick inspection to see what''s different.


    ***


    Name: Nameless


    Type: Hollowed Attendant. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Level: 30


    HP: 3000


    Status Effect:


    [Pseudo-Chimerism]- Currently suffering from a malicious curse that would cause growths to appear on its body.


    [Gluttonous Curse] Cursed with Eternal Hunger, sourced by the Gluttonous Death.


    [Hollowed] A curse that would consume their mind and body. Devoid of will, existing only to consume, not truly alive, but not quite dead either. A boundary between life and death.


    [Appearance Fanaticism]: Completely neutral and harmless unless one comes to the Dwelling of Hunger with corruption on them.


    Abilities:


    [Frenzied Rage]: Can only be activated if a specific condition has been met. Once activated the Hollowed Attendant will go into a range that will consume its own vitality rapidly for an increase in reaction time, damage dealt, bodily strength and speed.


    Addendum:


    Hollowed Attendants of the Dwelling of Hunger Citadel. They live to work and work to clean, the least semblance of their so-called humanity is all that is left to them. They know only to do their delegated tasks unless provokes. Former citizen of Tibari, the capital city of the Tibarian Empire.


    They did not think.


    They did not feel.


    They only existed to serve.


    ***


    Ludwig''s unease only deepened as he absorbed this information.


    He realized that this creature had been afflicted with the same curse as the Hollowed Wretches. Only those guys were more¡­ sane? If that was even the proper way of saying it. But these guys, they''re nothing but puppets, far too gone even more than the wretches in the village. These guys don''t even have the ability to think for themselves.


    And somehow, Ludwig found that even more horrifying.


    "Let''s keep moving," his teacher said as they continued on heading forward.


    Their destination was the next layer of the citadel.


    The first district had been an area for commoners, filled with smaller houses, marketplaces, and public squares that should have once bustled with life. The deeper they went, the larger and more elaborate the buildings became.


    It followed a pattern Ludwig recognized¡ªlayered city planning meant that power, wealth, and influence increased the higher one lived.


    That also meant one thing.


    The deeper they ventured, the more dangerous this place would become.


    They soon reached an area that separated the first circle city to the second. Another massive open gate with walls surrounds the second city. And just as they were about to reach the entrance¡­


    [You are in a hostile environment!]


    "Incoming!" Ludwig barked, stepping back.


    But Van Dijk was already in motion. Both his hands were burning black. "Burn!" he shouted as he flung two black fireballs at a shadowy figure that seemed to be falling down from the sky.


    The black flames roared out as they came in contact with the shadowy figure and the thing simply burst outward, flinging grime and slime everywhere that had caught on fire, finally revealing what remained beneath the grime as a humanoid figure.


    This entity was at least two and a half meters tall, quite taller than Ludwig, it was armored up to the teeth with heavy runic carved silver armor and had what looked to be an ultra great sword carried with one hand. At the same time, his other hand held a tower shield that was too fractured and corroded to even call a proper shield.


    The sword was chained to his right arm, its surface dripping with remnants of a taint, corruption and rust, but it still looked incredibly lethal. Thick and long enough to be as tall as a person. With a wide guard, thick base and a beefy tip. This weapon was more for crushing foes than cutting them.


    Tendrils of slime moved and squirmed in between the cracks and the openings of the armor this knight-like entity wore. Seemingly it was what kept it together instead of flesh and bones.


    A twisted and dark organic plating reinforced his armor, while the veins on it pulsated with a green light that ran through the cracks of his armor like corruption made manifest.


    His face was obscured by a black iron help, but in its depths hits of what looked like a skeletal visage and hollowed eyes gleamed with fragmented recognition.


    The armored thing simply stood watching as both Ludwig and Van Dijk were standing before it.


    Then, slowly¡ªdeliberately¡ªit lifted its greatsword, raised its shield, and slammed the two together.


    BOOM.


    The impact sent a shockwave through the streets, echoing against the pristine white walls.


    A challenge.


    ***


    Ludwig''s eyes lit up as he inspected it.


    Name: The Fallen Knight of Tibari


    Danger Level: ?


    Level: N/A


    HP: 10,000


    Status Effect:


    [Pseudo-Chimerism]- Currently suffering from a malicious curse that would cause growths to appear on its body.


    [Gluttonous Curse] Cursed with Eternal Hunger, sourced by the Gluttonous Death.


    [Mind Bound] Currently Under a puppeteering curse.


    Abilities:


    [Call of Duty] The Corrupted Knight does not abandon his duty in guarding his lord. He will materialize periodically through the Dwelling of Hunger to hunt, peruse, and kill the trespassers.


    [Glory in Death] Whenever the Corrupted Knight of Tibari is defeated, the next encounter will reveal less of its grotesque form, and more of its truer form, gaining him enhanced abilities stronger prowess, and easier access to his mind.


    [The Breaker] Enchants the sword to gain a penetrative force that will ignore a portion of the enemy''s defenses. Be is physical or magical.


    [Shadow Walk] moves through the shadows and periodically teleports.


    Sword-[First form: Hunger Brand] The sword of the Corrupted Knight will apply Hunger upon its target. Sapping away at stamina, strength, and mana over time.


    Shield- [First Form: Abolish] Completely negates all the damage below a certain threshold that the shield blocks.


    Addendum:


    An unknown knight, cursed with eternal servitude to the Gluttonous Death.


    ***


    "Get behind me Ludwig, this thing is giving me the creeps¡­" said the vampire.


    Ludwig was not about to go against his master, especially after seeing the wide grin on his face.


    Van Dijk was enjoying this.

 Chapter 131 - 131: Disappointment

    The air shifted as the knight charged forward, its towering form moving with terrifying speed despite its massive armor.


    Its tower shield was raised high, an impenetrable wall of steel, while its corrupted greatsword rested atop the shield''s edge, poised like a guillotine ready to strike. The sheer weight behind its charge sent tremors through the obsidian-paved streets, the impact of each step splintering stone and cracking earth beneath its feet.


    Van Dijk, despite his immense power, wasn''t one to engage in brute force combat. He knew his strengths¡ªand fighting this abomination of metal and slime in the melee was an idiotic notion for a mage.


    So he just laughed


    "Let''s dance!"


    The vampire leaped back, and for a split second, Ludwig could swear he saw two mouths grinning on his teacher''s face. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then¡ª


    "{Ensnare}, {Bounds of Latvia!}, {Anchor Dead}, {Vow of Silence}!"


    Four spells erupted simultaneously in a brilliant cascade of arcane energy, weaving together in a sequence so fluid it looked as if they were crafted for this very moment.


    A storm of fluorescent chains shot from the ground, wrapping around the knight''s legs, each link glowing with power as they slithered over its armor, tightening with an audible snap.


    The air rumbled as spectral anchors materialized from thin air, crashing into the knight''s shoulders and chest, pinning it in place with a weight that even its corrupted strength couldn''t shake off.


    The final spell took shape¡ªa massive sigil of purple light appeared beneath the knight, spreading intricate runes across its helmet until they merged together into a band of glowing glyphs that wrapped around its mouth like a cursed muzzle.


    The Fallen Knight of Tibari struggled, its armor groaning under the force of the restraints. It tried to lift its sword, but the bindings of Latvia held firm. The chains tightened, the anchors dug deeper, and the magical seal over its mouth pulsed, silencing the knight''s roars before they could escape.


    Ludwig watched, a strange d¨¦j¨¤ vu creeping up his spine.


    He had never seen Van Dijk use these spells before¡ªyet somehow, they felt familiar.


    His thoughts were cut short.


    "Burn!" Van Dijk roared out as he slapped his hands together. A torrent of black flames erupted beneath the knight, engulfing its entire body in a living inferno. The cursed armor glowed red-hot, the twisted veins of corruption bursting like overheated pipes. Slime sizzled and popped, releasing a sickly-sweet stench as the abomination convulsed, its very existence searing away under the sheer intensity of Van Dijk''s magic.


    While the two were fighting, Ludwig noticed something. Around them, the usually tame and mindless attendants were walking up toward them


    No longer in their slow, mechanical walk, but a faster, almost urgent trot. They grabbed their tools tightly in their hands, be it a broom or a kitchen knife, but something was different. Their empty eyes seemed brighter, their steps more purposeful.


    The docile creatures were not looking too docile right now.


    Ludwig was confused, why were they appearing here? Usually a boss or mini boss can command others to come and fight for him, but this guy didn''t have anything in his tooltip that said he can command them.


    "Be a good lad and take care of them," Van Dijk said.


    "On it!" Ludwig replied as he called upon a fireball and sent it toward the first two attendants that were coming his way.


    The fireball blasted squarely onto one of the attendant''s faces and blew out behind him. Singed and burning, the creature still shrugged off the damage and continued moving. Seeing them not caring much for the impact of the spell made Ludwig worried. But he didn''t have a choice, if they came to hinder his master from fighting, he''d have a harder time dealing with the knight.


    Ludwig tightened his grip on the sword shard in his hand and rushed the closest Hollowed Attendant, he swung down with his sword, breaking the frenzied creature''s broom, and slashed right through its collar bone, ribs, and all the way to his hip in one single swing.


    Slime burst out from the creature''s body, but it wasn''t going to die. However, what happened next made things a bit more different.


    The group of attendants that were coming behind it stopped rushing Van Dijk and instead turned on their friend, jumping at it, tearing it apart,t and consuming it. A sight that he had seen before in the village of the Hollowed Wretches.


    Ludwig had thought that their hunger would subside, but it never did, they just never had the opportunity to consume anything.


    Could it be, that the reason this place is so clean is that they consumed all the filth and grime? Or perhaps there is a different reason?


    Ludwig watched as the wounded attendant was completely absorbed out, not a single drop of slime left from his body in a matter of seconds. A few more attendants had already got near Ludwig and one of them jumped on him, but Ludwig hesitated in striking it because something was wrong.


    The way this attendant jumped, he wasn''t going to reach Ludwig, and that was so. The creature fell short but didn''t rise up to Ludwig instead it was gobbling up something on the ground.


    Ludwig looked down and saw that the attendant was consuming the slime that had burst out of the knight earlier.


    In fact, all the attendants were doing that.


    They were ''cleaning'' the floor from the corruption the knight was releasing passively whenever it moved. Though right now, the knight was burning red and bright as Van Dijk''s flames were making it smolder.


    Suddenly a loud howl echoed from the knight''s mouth that suddenly had the spell broken from it and it simply turned to black sludge melting on the floor and seeped through the cobblestone.


    A final sentence echoed through the city, "It beckons!"


    Then¡ªsilence.


    Van Dijk blinked.


    "Huh." He frowned, dusting off his coat. "That was rather disappointing."


    He didn''t look any worse for wear and seemed more like he had taken a stroll through a garden instead of fighting against an amalgamation of corruption and malice.


    The attendants on the other hand were still frenzied but they weren''t attacking Ludwig, they were consuming the slime and grime left on the ground rapidly. And as soon as the slime was consumed, they ''woke up'' and began their mindless tasks. Those that had brooms swept the floor, removing the slime that turned to ash from Van Dijk''s flames, while others who had knives and cooking utensils simply withdrew back to town.


    Van Dijk frowned as he noticed the creatures folding back.


    "No wonder the city is this clean," Ludwig said, "They never intended on attacking us, well, at least if you''re here," he said.


    "What do you mean," Van Dijk asked.


    "Oh, you didn''t notice?" Ludwig smiled at his master who looked a bit annoyed.


    Although Ludwig was cheating since he knew this thanks to his [Inspect] he wasn''t going to miss the chance to sound ''smarter'' than his master.


    "Well then, allow me to explain what just happened," Ludwig said proudly almost puffing his chest up. he wasn''t about to let go of an opportunity like this one.

 Chapter 132 - 132: The Archives

    He then began explaining. "They''re here to clean up, and we," Ludwig pointed at himself and Van Dijk, "Are clean because you used [Cleanse] on us. We''re not being attacked simply because we''re deemed clean. I guess no wonder not many people return from this city, they enter from the bog, having fought in the grime, slime, and filth, they walk the city with all kinds of disgusting things on their bodies, and the attendants would immediately go into a frenzy and kill them off."


    Van Dijk scoffed, "I see. Good observation skills, let''s go then," Van Dijk said as the two walked forward and through the second gate.


    Just as Ludwig walked through it a notification appeared in front of him.


    [ Your Death Point has been set to, Dungeon First Floor]


    [Upon Death you will return to this spot.]


    "Well, that''s not very comforting," Ludwig thought.


    ...


    Ludwig stepped forward, his boots clicking softly against the obsidian-paved streets as they passed through the second gate. A heavy, foreboding silence settled over them.


    The architecture changed noticeably. Unlike the sprawling outer district, where the buildings were spread out with patches of greenery, this inner sector was far more compact and tightly knit.


    Narrow streets wound through rows of interconnected houses, their walls pressed together so tightly it felt as though the city itself was watching them, squeezing in closer with every step.


    Though the Hollowed Attendants still moved with mechanical purpose, something new stood out¡ªsomething far more menacing.


    At every junction, at every major road, stood two massive armored figures. They loomed at attention, unmoving but undeniably imposing, as if they were ancient sentinels, keeping eternal watch over the city.


    Van Dijk noticed them and said, "Stay close, this might get trickier."


    Ludwig nodded and inspected the knight.


    ***


    Name: City Guard


    Danger Level: ?


    Level: 55


    HP: 5,500


    Status Effect:


    [Pseudo-Chimerism]- Currently suffering from a malicious curse that would cause growths to appear on its body.


    [Gluttonous Curse] Cursed with Eternal Hunger, sourced by the Gluttonous Death.


    Abilities:


    [To Arms] call upon their allies to fight with them, and increase the health of each ally present by 20%. If any attendants or citizen are in the vicinity increases the damage and resistances of the City Guard by an additional 20%.


    [Spear Throw] Will accurately hit their target with a spear as long as they are in range, causes massive bleeding upon critical hit.


    [Exile] if their target surrenders or falls unconscious, they will exile them to the catacombs of the city.


    Addendum:


    Once a proud Guard of Tibari: now turned to a mindless husk that does its duty. It maintains order and protects the citizens of the city. Guarding them with their lives and excommunicating anyone who dares cause chaos and anarchy.


    ***


    "Master," Ludwig said.


    "Yes?" his master replied. "How about we don''t aggro them," Ludwig said.


    Van Dijk raised an eyebrow. "Aggro?"


    "Ah, sorry, as in aggravate, look, they already noticed us, but they''re not acting. Whatever happened to this city, it feels like there is some sort of twisted order that compels everyone to act in a specific way. The citizens didn''t attack us because we were too clean, and these guys looked like guards, they had a different attire than the knight from earlier. I think they''re just here to ''guard'' the place from intruders," Ludwig said.


    "Aren''t we intruders then?" Van Dijk replied.


    "We technically are, but at the same time not, I have a feeling that those guys would only attack us if we cause trouble, and in this case trouble is killing the attendants¡­" Ludwig explained.


    "Stay here," Van Dijk said to Ludwig and moved forward. Seemingly to check his theory, he had some magic that Ludwig couldn''t understand swirling around his body and he moved forward toward the guards.


    Ludwig held his breath as Van Dijk approached the nearest pair of guards.


    Their massive spears gleamed in the dim light, their towering forms still as statues.


    Step by step, Van Dijk moved closer¡ªuntil he was within reach.


    For a long, tense moment, nothing happened.


    "Seems like you were right," Van Dijk said, albite loudly


    Then¡ªone of the guards slowly turned its head, its helmet groaning as metal scraped against metal.


    Van Dijk tensed, ready to react.


    The knight raised a gauntleted hand, placing a single finger against its visor as if to shush him.


    Then it turned back forward, ignoring him completely.


    "I guess being loud breaks the order¡­" Ludwig theorized. Van Dijk having already realized that, gestured for Ludwig to come closer.


    The two soon joined and walked past the guards through the city, the sound of their footsteps hitting the cobblestone was all that could be heard.


    The second part of the city was tightly knit together. Houses that were attached to other houses created a spiraling pathway that led all the way to the second section of the city. Albite with a small setback in the way.


    There was a building in the way, a massive bronze-colored building. The street that would lead them beyond the building had stopped right here.


    The building itself was built in the shape of an arched stone gate. A gatehouse, The gate itself was closed shut. There were towers and colored windows all over the building. It had long spires and a bridge crossing from one tower to the other. Just from this side Ludwig could tell that this thing was massive in size on the inside.


    Van Dijk tilted his head, his expression unreadable.


    "Give me a second."


    He raised a hand, summoning a flock of mist bats that scattered upward, spiraling into the air.


    Some of the bats immediately collided with an invisible barrier, dissipating instantly.


    Van Dijk scowled.


    Soon a few of them returned to their master.


    "There is a flight and teleportation prohibition on the city, and this is the only way forward. We can''t go around.


    "So, we have to go through it?" Ludwig asked.


    "Seems like it," Van Dijk exasperatedly responded.


    The only path forward Ludwig saw was the gate itself, but his master had a different idea. He moved with purpose toward one of the guards at the base of the gate and asked,


    "How can I get inside?" he asked, in a low voice.


    The guard then simply turned and walked ahead.


    Ludwig followed his master after he gestured for him to do so, and the two followed the guard to a sideway street. Though they walked for a bit Ludwig realized that the bronze building was stretched out sideways and the entrance to the building for people was from that part.


    This building seemed to be a gate that only allowed more regal and royal people to cross through the main gate while others had to go the roundabout way.


    Just as the two of them walked from the side door, another notification appeared in front of Ludwig.


    [ Your Death Point has been set to, Tibarian Archives]


    ''Seems like this is a new area of the city¡­ so far we haven''t had any fights and it''s been like taking a stroll,'' Ludwig thought. He wasn''t being arrogant, but actually glad. But he knew deep down that if it wasn''t for his master, he''d probably have died multiple times already. The Corrupted Knight alone would have made Ludwig suffer by himself.


    "Ludwig, where are you?" Ludwig heard the voice coming from his pocket.


    Ludwig froze.


    His master''s tone wasn''t its usual playful arrogance¡ªthere was an edge to it.


    Frowning Ludwig looked around him, only to find his master absent.


    He grabbed the communication crystal that his master had given him, "Hello?"


    "Ludwig," his master said, "Stay where you are. I guess we got tricked, this whole thing isn''t how it looks," he said.


    "What do you mean master," Ludwig asked.


    But Ludwig received no response.


    A library, Ludwig thought. He spun around, searching for any sign of his master¡ªbut the entrance behind him was gone.


    Replaced by a solid wall.


    He was alone.


    Ludwig clenched his jaw and raised his eyes forward, scanning his surroundings.


    Massive bookshelves loomed over him, stretching into the gloom, their ancient tomes covered in dust and age.


    This was a library.


    A twisted, endless labyrinth of knowledge and decay. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then¡ª


    A metallic clang rang out behind him.


    A shadow loomed.


    A familiar greatsword.


    A towering, armored figure.


    The Fallen Knight had returned.


    And this time¡ªLudwig was alone.

 Chapter 133 - 133: Silence

    "Naah! You got to be shitting me!" those were the only words Ludwig could utter as the Corrupted Fallen Knight charged at him. He hulked his way through the shelves, shattering and breaking anything that interrupted him as he was sprinting forward, with his shield raised up and his sword drawn to his side.


    Ludwig couldn''t help but sprint the other way as he saw the incoming creature. This wasn''t something he could beat, Ludwig knew that, the Knight behind him was way stronger than him and all his spells would probably do nothing but piss the knight off.


    Ludwig ran through the small pathways that made shelves while the knight tore through them and broke them apart.


    Suddenly, a tall, blindfolded and candle carrying attendant emerged out from one side of the shelves. He turned to the incoming Ludwig and said, "Shuuu"


    This attendant was different from the others outside, he was skinny too and looked very emaciated, but something about him gave Ludwig the feeling that he would become a big problem if Ludwig didn''t quiet down.


    Having no choice in the matter, Ludwig dipped to the side away from the attendant and watched it get slammed when the Corrupted Knight crashed onto him.


    Ludwig hurriedly ran away through the maze like library and at one point only he was there, the sound of crashing was a bit far from him but that didn''t mean it was going to remain that way for long.


    Ludwig took another step and realized that his boots were making noise, he hastily removed them and walked away with bear feet.


    The knight made noise as he was moving through the library. His armor would create a lot of noise while he walked. His boots echoed through the library and thankfully allowed Ludwig to locate him based on distance.


    A shadow moved behind the bookshelves.


    [Inspect]


    Ludwig said and was able to get an update on the knight''s status screen.


    Name: The Fallen Knight of Tibari S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    First Resurrection: The awakened Knight.


    Danger Level: ?


    Level: N/A


    HP: 15,000


    ---


    Additional Skills :


    [Royal Guard Stance] Adopts a defensive counter-stance punishes reckless attacks with additional damage.


    [Cursed Resonance] -Passive- The Knight''s Presence weakens nearby enemies ''stamina and slows their reaction time.


    [Hunger Brand- Enhanced] His sword now steals a portion of life force -HP- upon each strike that connects.


    Addendum:


    Ludwig realized that not only did his appearance change, also his overall power level and strength. It also became¡­ cleaner?


    Though corruption was still permeating his body, he had less of it now, parts of his original armor were shining through, and his movements were sharper, with a more controlled stance and weight on each of his steps.


    The knight continued moving through the library, moving its head around. Two more attendants approached it, and said, "SHUUU!" this time more aggressively.


    The knight ignored them and continued waltzing through the library searching for Ludwig. And he wasn''t going to wait for that to happen.


    Ludwig looked around trying to find a way out of the library, but this thing looked absurdly large. Without a way out apparently. The shelves acted like an intricate maze that would allow no one to leave once they step a foot inside.


    He grabbed at his pocket, and felt the crystal again, he pulled it out and inspected it.


    [Currently Disabled]


    [No communication devices are allowed in a place of study and learning!]


    The notification gave him a warning that he immediately understood.


    "Shuuu!" he heard once again as another attendant shouted, this time it felt like a true warning.


    But the knight seemingly uncaring continued clinking his way through the library.


    Soon, light steps echoed through the library as more and more blindfolded attendants emerged out from the library, they all walked past Ludwig and toward the location of the noise. Ludwig was at first worried that they might attack him, but they didn''t spare him a single glance.


    They all moved with purpose, their candles lit in their hands as they approached the ''target'' that was making noise in the library.


    Ludwig took a small detour to check up on what''s going on, he needed information, though running away right now is a good option. He wanted to see what the librarian attendants were up to.


    Once Ludwig crouched below a certain level of the shelves, he peered through the small opening the books left to watch what was going on.


    The knight was moving ahead, loud as ever while more and more librarians tried to shush it, but it didn''t care.


    Only then did three of them tightened their grips on their candles then swung the candle from afar onto the knight. a large blob of hot wax splashed at the knight who roared out, not in pain but probably from annoyance.


    The loud roar made more of the librarians try and shush him out some more, seemingly unbothered by their weak attacks the Knight simply ignored them. But they didn''t, and they all began flicking large masses of was at him, the knight continued roaring at them, but they simply kept splashing him with more and more was.


    It then swung his sword at them, cutting one of the librarians in half.


    Ludwig thought that they would simply ignore the knight and start eating each other. But this time, the slime didn''t come out of their bodies, but wax. A lot of it surged out of their bodies, which immediate fused them back to their prior form.


    The attendants continued splashing the knight with wax, and Ludwig could see the knight visibly slowing as the was began hardening. The more the knight struggled, the louder he became, and the more wax he was struck with.


    After some time, the knight was fully coated in wax, an fully frozen in place.


    Ludwig inspected it once again and noticed that the knight had lost about a third of its health points.


    Only then did a crazy idea form in Ludwig''s mind. And he was willing to risk it all to make it work.

 Chapter 134 - 134: Brain Over Brawn

    The attendants soon began withdrawing after the knight had been ''neutralized''.


    So, it was now the time for him to enact his plan. Ludwig knew full well that fighting the knight head-on was utterly stupid. He wasn''t strong enough, nor would any of his spells even harm the knight. but the immortal attendants were more than capable of doing that themselves. So he was going to use a borrowed knife.


    In the stories and novels he had read, the hero would fight a difficult and struggle-fueled fight to defeat his powerful enemy. The plot would revolve around them obtaining a powerful item or an ability at the last second that will empower them and give them the edges they need to win their battle.


    This wasn''t the case, for Ludwig this was real life, and there was nothing like a sudden power-up that was going to save him. All he had is the head over his shoulders to use.


    Some might call it cowardice some might call it genius, but Ludwig knew that it was his only way to both survive and have a better chance at leaving this place.


    The knight was a hurdle in his way and he needed to get rid of him even if he didn''t personally kill it.


    Ludwig approached the knight, moving past the attendants who still ignored him and were too busy cleaning up the place. From what Ludwig saw, they were caring about the books and the shelves, and some even used wax to repair the damage. Others took the books that were too damaged away while leaving those that had only fallen to be picked up by other librarians back in their spots.


    Ludwig tried his best not to disrupt them and walked all the way to the knight. He noticed that the knight wasn''t fully frozen, he could see the red of his eyes moving through the visor of his helmet.


    Ludwig smiled as he pulled his sword. The Broken Shard of Durandal had yet to fail him in breaking through an object.


    He aimed it at the eye of the knight and simply used all the power behind his undead strength to stab it right through the knight''s eye.


    [Critical!]


    [-1,200 hp!]


    [You caused Half Blind Effect onto your target!]


    The response was immediate, the Knight shivered and shuddered, the wax breaking off of his body from rage, and instantly the wax began cracking.


    Ludwig ripped the sword and stabbed it right into the second eye. This time the pain was even more visible on the knight as it shattered a great majority of the wax and roared out in rage.


    "SHUUUUU!" this one was louder and sounded through the whole library.


    Ludwig immediately ripped the sword out and was about to stab the knight in the chest this time, but he felt that he shouldn''t be greedy and moved himself away.


    His intuition was incredibly right, as the moment he had removed himself from in front of the knight, the wax on his arm had shattered, and the sword it had on him was free as it struck the spot Ludwig was standing on with so much might, that several of the books around them were flung out of their position, while the shockwave of the impact hit Ludwig squarely sending him sprawling on the ground.


    Ludwig fell right next to one of the blind me, who had a finger on its mouth, and said, "Shuu," this one far less loudly than the ones the knight was receiving, but it was still a bit louder than the first ''warning'' Ludwig received.


    Ludwig immediately understood that each person who enters this library will have a certain amount of warnings from the librarians before he is waxed. So Ludwig nodded at the librarian who simply ignored him again and moved toward the knight.


    The Librarians grouped up again like a small army coming out of different sections of the archives and began throwing wax once again at the knight.


    The knight was blinded fully and was unable to locate the source of the attacks, which made the job of the librarians far easier in containing him. However this time, the Knight was far more aggressive as it swung its sword everywhere breaking books and shelves with each swing. But soon he was forced to his knees, frozen in place due to the wax.


    Once again, Ludwig waited for the librarians to remove themselves from the area and slowly headed toward the knight.


    He inspected his health this time and it was far lower than he expected. He thought he''d have to do this again, but it seems the librarians were adamant on making the knight completely frozen in place so they added more wax layers and dropped his health to about twenty percent.


    Ludwig waited until all the librarians had left the area and then simply stabbed the knight from the top of his helm. The sword went through the iron helmet like a hot knife through a helmet made of wax.


    [Critical!]


    [You have defeated your opponent! No soul shall be granted for this victory your opponent has yet to truly die]


    A loud howl echoed from the knight''s mouth as it was turning into a black tar-like substance.


    "The Hunger¡­ it calls!" it said before the tar-like substance began melting the wax and mixing with it. Soon the ground was nothing but a pool of wax.


    Surprisingly the librarians didn''t react this time, perhaps they realized that the one that was making all the noise is now dead.


    No item dropped, and no souls dropped, but that wasn''t all bad. At least now Ludwig could navigate the library without having to worry about the knight.


    He began walking through the library and only then did he realize that he never opened any of the books nor see what they were about. The knight that was perusing him was jealous for Ludwig''s attention.


    Ludwig grabbed the nearest book and opened it, only to find no content inside it. It was nothing but empty books and pages.


    Frustration and disappointment were clear on Ludwig''s face.


    "I should have known," he sighed as he placed the book down.


    Not far from him was one of the librarians who picked up a book from the shelves and began riffling through the pages. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig approached him and used a page from Van Dijk''s books.


    Ludwig realized he still had more ''chances'' before being kicked out, or waxed out from the library so he tried his luck.


    "Excuse me," Ludwig said in a low voice.


    The librarian turned to Ludwig, scanned him from head to toe, and just stared at him. As if waiting.


    "I need a book that I can read¡­"


    The librarian held two fingers and made the gesture of gouging one eye to Ludwig. Then shook his head.


    He couldn''t speak, but Ludwig immediately understood what he meant.


    These books¡­ you can''t read them if you have eyes¡­


    ''But I don''t have eyes¡­ also how does that even work?'' Ludwig was confused. But then he remembered something. He pulled an item from his inventory. It was the Mask of the Blind Witness.


    Just as he placed it on his face. Something horrifying met his eyes¡­ enough that although he had no stomach, Ludwig wanted to hurl.

 Chapter 135 - 135: Living Archives

    The library was technically still a library, but what was made of wood, as in the shelves and what was hanging from the ceiling as in lamps and chandeliers were not. The wood looked like lumps of tumorous flesh, rotten and raw, pulsating every second. Vines and corroded blood streams coursed through them. The chandeliers themselves looked like hanging masses of bulging flesh.


    Eyeballs moved and squirmed everywhere, from the shelves to the ceiling, everything was mortifying. Long gone were the organized archives, turned to a monstrous sight, worse than the stomach of an eldritch beast.


    The Librarian that was next to Ludwig had its true form revealed. Tentacles of slime-covered in wax were surging out of its skull, swaying like hair.


    Though blind in his eyes still, it had eyes all over its body, red irises and goat-like pupils. Looking all over the place as the librarian scrolled through the books.


    Ludwig was feeling like his stomach was about to go on strike and let out all its content, though he had no stomach nor content in it.


    It was revolting and repulsive, but he couldn''t let it show. He moved his head from the sight and looked at the only thing that made ''sense'', the book in his hands.


    [Tibarian Artisanship- The Art of Pottery]


    The book had a simple index, and its content was all focused on crafting and creating pottery. Something Ludwig had no intention of learning. So he placed the book back where it was.


    He raised his head up, and the mask revealed the name of the shelve for him. [Menial Work Section]


    He looked around and found the other shelves all had their own category, from forging, foraging, herbalism, and many more.


    The archives held an immense amount of information and knowledge. This was a vast sea of knowledge that any country would be willing to go to war for. It talked about almost everything and all things. A treasure trove that is more expensive and precious than any den of gold and riches. Knowledge is power, and Ludwig needed this power.


    Ludwig moved away from the librarian and made sure that he was alone in a different section, he picked up one of the books, and the moment he tried to put it inside his ring, every single eye in the vicinity snapped to him. Focusing on him.


    [You''re in a hostile environment]


    A few librarians approached Ludwig from the side and just stood there watching him.


    ''I guess I''ll need a membership card¡­'' Ludwig placed the book back and immediately the eyes eased off of him, scrying and surveying the library. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Displeased Ludwig sighed and moved away from that section, he couldn''t ''borrow'' any of the books, but he was allowed to read them.


    "Damn¡­" he cursed, "I gotta find Van Dijk then, he''ll probably have a better idea," Ludwig muttered as he walked through the library, fascinated with what he could see.


    Although Ludwig had an incredible memory, it would take him centuries to fully read through this library. By that time, he''ll probably become something like the librarian. Consumed with hunger, but not hunger for sustenance as the last encounter with the corrupted knight showed him. He''ll have an insatiable hunger for knowledge.


    ''Seems like I understand the Gluttonous Death a bit more'' he thought.


    He theorized that the ''Idea'' of Gluttony wasn''t simply for food. But to be gluttonous to all matters of life. Including knowledge and learning. And these librarians, who seemed to have ''lived'' if that was even the proper term, for centuries here had yet to be sated, not like they''ll ever be. The more you know, the more you understand that you know nothing.


    A deep pit that''s endless, knowledge is far too great of an incentive than mere food.


    Ludwig continued walking through the library, scanning the books and shelves, and after a while, he found something interesting.


    "Magic Section!" he said as his eyes widened.


    Books of all sizes and shapes talked about magic, old ancient magic that belonged to the Tibarian culture. But¡­ there were simply too few books here. The magic section had about twenty or so books, unlike the thousands of books that the other sections had.


    "Ludwig!" he heard.


    Turning, there was a bat made of pure smoke behind him that fluttered in the air. "You''re safe! Good, I''ll come for you soon," the bat said. And dove into the ground creating a small red magic circle.


    Suddenly, Van Dijk''s body materialized from the circle, he shook his head, "I hate moving like this, regardless, nothing happened I presume?" Van Dijk asked.


    "Euh¡­ well, a lot of things actually, the Corrupted Knight came," Ludwig said.


    Van Dijk''s hands brightened up in black flames, making all the eyes snap to him.


    "I wouldn''t recommend you use fire in a library," Ludwig said.


    Van Dijk frowned, "I doubt you should be worrying about books now, our lives might be at stake,"


    "Oh no, the knight is dead," Ludwig said.


    "Dead?" Van Dijk asked. "How?"


    "I killed it," Ludwig said.


    "I don''t like jokes," Van Dijk said.


    "I really did, was pretty easy too," Ludwig grinned.


    "Hmm, tell me, how?"


    "I used the librarians," Ludwig explained how the librarians were using wax on the loud knight and Ludwig went to get the final kill. He then explained how the librarians expected everything to be silent here.


    "Ah, no wonder they kept shushing me," Van Dijk said as he looked at Ludwig''s feet. "Where are your boots?"


    "They made too much noise, had to get rid of them."


    "¡­"


    Van Dijk muttered "Feline Grace"


    It was the same spell from before, he applied it once again at Ludwig and himself. "This should keep our feet from making any noise."


    Ludwig knew that Van Dijk just didn''t want to walk bare feet. But he didn''t say anything.


    "Regardless, you might wanna turn off your flames master, the eyes are getting a bit uneasy," Ludwig said.


    "The eyes?" he asked.


    Ludwig removed his mask and gave it to his master, "It''ll make you blind for a second, also don''t be too surprised about what you see," Ludwig said.


    Van Dijk grabbed the mask and placed it on his face. Only for him to take a step back as he realized what they were facing. He then was about to remove the mask but his hands seemed to ''refuse'' for a second. And a moment later he ripped it out of his face.


    He heaved and took several deep breaths, "What a nasty sight¡­" He said.

 Chapter 136 - 136: The Beast In Shadows

    "Ah, yeah. I had the same, this thing is pretty disgusting," Ludwig said.


    "Not talking about this place," Van Dijk shook his head roughly, his eyes were pure white, he was blinded.


    Soon his vision returned, "That mask, is a nasty thing¡­"


    "Visions?" Ludwig asked.


    "A vision," Van Dijk said.


    "It shows random stuff, I wouldn''t trust what it showed you. Most of it is just gibberish," Ludwig said. After all, the Mask of The Blind witness does say that it will reveal truths of a possible future or remnants of a possible past.


    "Not this time, it showed me something that did actually happen. Something I didn''t want to see again, quite the wicked tool, Ludwig, I''d recommend you don''t rely on it. Also, it''s quite the mess in here, we should leave as soon as possible."


    "I was trying that, but I got lost, and was also a bit interested in the contents of this section," Ludwig pointed.


    The books looked the same for Van Dijk, "These are all empty and illegible," he said.


    "Not when you have the mask," This section is the magic section, there is probably magic that doesn''t exist anywhere else in the world here¡­"


    Van Dijk thought for a second, "As tempting as it is, I don''t want to even use that mask to read them¡­"


    Ludwig had a sorrowful expression on his face.


    Van Dijk sighed, "Then let''s just take them if you want to read them that much,"


    "I''ll transcribe them for you later if you don''t want to use the mask," Ludwig said.


    "Good idea," Van Dijk seemingly more interested now fell right in Ludwig''s trap.


    "But there is a problem," Ludwig said.


    "What is it?" Van Dijk asked.


    "When I tried to take a book, the eyes snapped at me and the librarians approached me, I feel like I''ll not leave this place if I borrow one of the books."


    Van Dijk thought for a moment and said, "I have an idea," he said as he pulled an item from his inventory.


    It was a ring, similar to the one that Ludwig has. He placed it on the shelves and imbued it with magic, something Ludwig didn''t understand.


    "Is this the only shelf you want?" Van Dijk said.


    "Hmm, do you mind if we take a look around?" Ludwig asked. He had an idea of what Van Dijk wanted to do, but didn''t want to rob him of the ''reveal'' so he went with his master.


    The master understood and smiled. "I''ll show you something great," he laughed and walked with his disciple. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His mask was on and the two began moving, Ludwig following his master who seemed to be navigating the library with purpose.


    "Alchemy," Ludwig pointed at a shelve.


    "Good subject," he said and placed a ring inside the shelve.


    Soon they reached another section after going through random shelves that spoke about theater, or cooking or other useless subjects for the two of them.


    Ludwig pointed, "Swordsmanship," he said.


    Van Dijk sighed, "Just for you, my disciple, just for you," he said and placed another ring on the shelve.


    He clearly wasn''t a fan of his disciple focusing on something other than magic but he couldn''t push his disciple from a path he had chosen.


    "I have one more ring, choose wisely," Van Dijk said.


    Ludwig seemed joyful at first, but after several hours of search, they were both disappointed to find nothing of use. So they were about to give up.


    "I think we should backtrack and just grab the history section, or even the Magic Craft," Ludwig was about to give up as he said.


    "There is a section I haven''t been to yet," Van Dijk said.


    "You mean you memorized the layout?" Ludwig asked.


    "Well, I had to, I spread my bats through the library to find you¡­ so I still remember all the pathways, this library is big but not as confusing as one might think, follow me."


    Van Dijk headed forward until they reached the area that Van Dijk hadn''t explored yet.


    "What does it say?" Van Dijk asked.


    Ludwig on the other hand was completely stupefied at what he was looking at.


    "What do you mean master? You want us to go there?" Ludwig said.


    Van Dijk tilted his head, "It''s the shelf, what does it say?"


    "What shelf¡­" Ludwig said as he took a step back, "There''s a freaking monster there master!"


    Van Dijk understood immediately that what he was seeing wasn''t what his disciple was looking at. It ''looked'' to him like a simple shelf that had books in it, but for Ludwig with his mask, this must be something completely different.


    "It''s not attacking us though," Ludwig rationalized.


    "What do you see?" Van Dijk asked.


    "Darkness," Ludwig said, "The only place in this library that has no eyes or that scourged rotten flesh thing. A black chamber with a single raised dais in the middle, and above it¡­ there is what looks to be a book."


    "Where is the monster?" Van Dijk asked.


    "It''s¡­ closer to a ghost-like entity than a monster," Ludwig explained.


    Ludwig''s masked vision peeled away the illusion, revealing something lurking in the dark. What Van Dijk saw as a simple shelf was, in truth, a presence, something lingering at the edge of existence.


    It was feral, crouched low, coiled as if ready to spring, yet it did not move. Its form was indistinct, shifting between something canine, feline, and something else entirely¡ªa beast caught between shapes as if its body had long forgotten what it once was.


    Its claws scratched absently at the floor, yet no marks were left. A heavy, ragged breath rasped through unseen lungs, a slow, deliberate sound that filled the air with unease.


    Ludwig could see its hollow eyes, not empty, but faded¡ªdistant, unfocused as if staring past him rather than at him. There was no hunger in them, no malice. Only a residual awareness, like a guard dog that had long since forgotten what it was meant to protect, yet remained out of habit.


    It did not attack.


    It did not move.


    It only watched...

 Chapter 137 - 137: The Guardian and the Book

    "If it''s not attacking," Van Dijk said, his voice low and measured, each word carrying the weight of caution, "then we probably should just leave it be. There''s no sense in provoking something we don''t understand."


    Ludwig was about to nod in agreement, his mind already aligning with his master''s reasoning. The creature they had stumbled upon was unlike anything he had ever seen. It was a shadow-given form, a writhing mass of darkness that seemed to pulse and breathe, its edges flickering like smoke caught in a breeze. It didn''t move, didn''t attack, but its presence was oppressive as if the very air around it was heavier, denser. Ludwig couldn''t shake the feeling that it was watching them, even though it had no visible eyes.


    They didn''t know what the ''monster'' was capable of, nor what kind of threat it posed. For all they knew, it could be a guardian, a trap, or something far worse. Ludwig''s instincts screamed at him to retreat, to leave this place and never return. But before he could voice his agreement, a sharp, intrusive chime echoed in his mind, followed by a flash of blue text that burned itself into his vision.


    [Sudden Quest!]


    The notification made Ludwig grit his teeth, his jaw tightening as a familiar sense of dread settled in his chest. He didn''t even need to read the details to know what it would entail. The System had a way of thrusting him into situations he had no business being in, and this was no exception.


    [Obtain the mysterious book guarded by the Shadow Beast of the Grand Archives.]


    [Difficulty level: F]


    [Reward: Revealed once the item is obtained.]


    [Failure to obtain the item will permanently decrease your Wisdom gain by 100%.]


    ¡­


    Ludwig''s frown deepened as he read the quest details. A Difficulty level of F? That was laughable. The System was either mocking him or severely underestimating the situation. The creature before them didn''t look like an F-level threat. Its very presence was enough to make Ludwig''s skin crawl although he had no real skin, and the fact that it was guarding something only made it more suspicious. He tried to use his Inspect skill on the creature, hoping to glean some information, but the System responded with a cold, dismissive message.


    [Failed to Inspect.]


    He cursed under his breath, his frustration mounting. If he couldn''t inspect the creature then he''d know what they were facing at least.


    His gaze shifted to the object of the quest: the book. It lay on a stone dais in the center of the room, its cover obscured by the shifting shadows of the creature. Ludwig tried to inspect it as well, but the System delivered the same infuriating response.


    [Failed to Inspect.]


    "What''s wrong?" Van Dijk asked, his voice cutting through the tension like a knife. His sharp eyes were fixed on Ludwig, studying him with a mix of curiosity and concern.


    Ludwig hesitated, unsure of how to explain the sudden quest or the gnawing sense of urgency that had taken hold of him. "I don''t know how to explain it," he began, his voice tight, "but there''s something about that book¡­ It''s like if we leave this place without it, something terrible will happen. I can''t shake the feeling."


    Van Dijk''s expression darkened as he considered Ludwig''s words. He was a man who valued logic and reason above all else, and Ludwig''s vague intuition was far from convincing.


    "The risks are too great," he said after a long pause. "We don''t know what that creature is, nor do we know the true value of the book. It could be a trap or worse."


    Ludwig opened his mouth to argue, but Van Dijk raised a hand to silence him. "However," the teacher continued, his tone softening slightly, "if my disciple feels so strongly about this, then I cannot simply ignore their plea. Give me the mask."


    Ludwig''s eyes widened in surprise. "Are you sure, Master?" he asked, his voice tinged with both hope and guilt. The mask was a powerful artifact, one that allowed its wearer to see through illusions and perceive the true nature of things. But it came at a cost¡ªa cost that Van Dijk had borne before and it was not pretty.


    Van Dijk nodded, though the pain in his eyes was unmistakable. "My disciple wants me to obtain a book for them," he said with a faint, almost rueful smile. "Who am I to refuse?"


    Ludwig handed over the mask, his hands trembling slightly as he did so. Van Dijk took it without hesitation and placed it over his face. The moment the mask settled into place, his demeanor changed. His posture straightened, his movements became more deliberate, and his eyes¡ªnow visible through the mask''s slits¡ªglowed with an otherworldly light. He turned his gaze toward the creature, and for the first time, Ludwig saw a flicker of recognition in his master''s expression.


    "Ah," Van Dijk said, his voice tinged with relief. "You had me worried for a moment. It''s an Umbral Hound."


    Ludwig blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in tone. "An Umbral Hound?" he repeated, his curiosity piqued. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Van Dijk nodded, his gaze still fixed on the creature. "They''re guardians or protectors. When a beloved pet dies, their spirit can sometimes linger, bound to the world by their loyalty to their owner. This one¡­ looks like it''s trapped here, guarding that book. Perhaps it belonged to its former owner."


    Ludwig''s eyes widened as he processed the information. "So¡­ it''s not hostile?"


    "Not inherently," Van Dijk replied. "But it will defend the book if it feels threatened. Let me see if I can retrieve it."


    With that, Van Dijk stepped forward, moving through the shelves as if they were nothing more than an illusion. To Ludwig, it looked as though his master had simply vanished, passing through solid wood and stone as though they were made of mist. "Master, are you okay?" he called out, his voice tinged with unease.


    "Yes, yes," Van Dijk''s voice echoed back, faint but reassuring. "You can''t see me because of the illusion. Step through."

 Chapter 138 - 138: Obscura Malvolume Codex Necros

    Ludwig hesitated for a moment before pressing his hand against the shelves. The moment his fingers made contact, the illusion shattered, the shelves dissolving into nothingness. The room beyond was revealed in its entirety, and Ludwig''s breath caught in his throat.


    The Umbral Hound was even more imposing up close. Its form was sleek and lupine, its body composed of shifting shadows that seemed to writhe and twist as though alive.


    Van Dijk approached the book cautiously, his movements slow and deliberate. The Umbral Hound''s growls grew louder, a deep, rumbling sound that seemed to reverberate through the very air. But it didn''t attack. Instead, it watched Van Dijk with a mixture of wariness and¡­ something else. Something that Ludwig couldn''t quite place.


    Van Dijk reached out and picked up the book, his fingers brushing against its weathered cover. He flipped through the pages, his brow furrowing in confusion. "This book¡­ it''s empty," he said, his voice tinged with disbelief. He removed the mask, his vision momentarily blinded as the artifact''s curse took hold. When his sight returned, he inspected the book again, only to find the same result. "Do you really want this?" he asked, turning to Ludwig with a frown.


    Ludwig''s eyes widened in shock. "But¡­ that''s not the book, Master," he said, his voice trembling. "You''re holding a piece of wood."


    Van Dijk''s confusion deepened. "What are you talking about? This is the book."


    "No," Ludwig insisted, pointing to what appeared to be an empty space to Van Dijk. "The real book is right there."


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed as he realized what was happening. "There''s a spell here," he said, his voice low and thoughtful.


    "It''s altering perception based on the person. The mask reveals illusions, but this¡­ this is different. The spell isn''t affecting the eyes¡ªit''s affecting the mind. Even with the mask, my mind is unable to accept the truth. But you¡­" He turned to Ludwig, his expression one of dawning realization. "If you can see the ''real'' book, that means your mind is spared from this spell. Perhaps the spell only works on the living."


    Ludwig''s brow furrowed in confusion. "But Master, aren''t Vampires also undead?"


    Van Dijk shook his head. "Not all of us. I''m a true Vampire, remember? I can walk during the day. This spell¡­ it must be designed to target the living."


    Ludwig nodded, though his mind was still reeling from the implications. "Then I''ll just grab the book," he said, stepping forward.


    The Umbral Hound''s growls intensified, its crimson eyes locking onto Ludwig with an intensity that made his blood run cold. "It seems it''s not a fan of you touching the book," Van Dijk observed, his voice tinged with amusement.


    Ludwig hesitated, his hand hovering inches from the book. He withdrew it slightly, and the creature''s growls lessened. He thought for a moment, then turned to the Umbral Hound, his voice soft and pleading. "Buddy, I''m not trying to harm you or your master''s possession. But I kinda need it. Don''t you want to leave this place? It looks like you''ve been trapped here for a while¡­"


    The Umbral Hound snorted, its expression one of unmistakable disdain. Ludwig sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "I think it''s making fun of me," he muttered. "I really don''t want to use violence against something that''s clearly only trying to protect its master''s last possession¡­"


    Van Dijk''s lips curled into a faint smile. "There''s a saying," he began, his voice calm and measured, "that sometimes, violence doesn''t solve everything."


    Ludwig nodded, though his expression was one of frustration. "I know, but it looks like we have no other choice. I really don''t want to hurt this doggo¡­" Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Van Dijk raised an eyebrow at the term "doggo," but he didn''t comment on it. Instead, he stepped forward, his demeanor shifting in an instant. The air around him seemed to grow heavier, darker, as though the very light was being sucked out of the room. His eyes glowed a deep, blood-red, and an aura of malice erupted from him like a living flame. The ground beneath their feet trembled, and the Umbral Hound took several steps back, its growls turning into whimpers of fear.


    "When violence isn''t solving everything," Van Dijk said, his voice low and menacing, "that just means you''re not using enough."


    The pressure in the room became unbearable, and Ludwig felt as though he was being crushed under the weight of his master''s aura. The Umbral Hound cowered, its form flickering as though it might dissipate entirely. Van Dijk''s voice cut through the tension like a blade. "Grab the book."


    Ludwig didn''t need to be told twice. He hurried to the dais and reached for the book, his fingers brushing against its leather cover. The moment he touched it, the room seemed to shift, the air growing colder, denser. The Umbral Hound let out a final, desperate growl and lunged at him, its form a blur of shadow and crimson light.


    Ludwig''s hand instinctively went to his sword, but he hesitated. The notification of hostility had yet to appear, and something about the creature''s actions felt¡­ off. Instead of striking, he held his ground, his eyes locking with the Umbral Hound''s. The creature seemed to recognize his hesitation, and instead of attacking, it leaped into the book, its form dissolving into shadow as it disappeared from sight.


    The pressure in the room eased, leaving only Ludwig and Van Dijk standing amidst the now-silent chamber. In Ludwig''s hands was the book¡ªa black, leather-bound tome with two leather bands that snapped shut with an audible click.


    [You have successfully completed the Sudden Quest.]


    [You can now Inspect the Book.]


    Ludwig''s heart raced as he used his inspection skill, his eyes scanning the text that appeared before him. The first thing that caught his attention was the book''s name, written in elegant, gilded script:


    [Obscura Malvolume Codex Necros.]


    "That''s an ominous name for a book..." Ludwig muttered as his hands were feeling up the leather. What sort of mysteries could this thing hold? and why was it hidden so deep here?

 Chapter 139 - 139: A Codex of Death

    ---


    [By Deus Necros''s Blessing, the powers and content of Obscura Malvolume Codex Necros have been modified to better suit the user.]


    The notification shimmered in Ludwig''s vision, its letters etched in a ghostly, pale light that seemed to pulse with an otherworldly rhythm. The words lingered, as if the system itself was hesitant to reveal the full weight of what Ludwig now held in his hands. The air around him grew colder, the faint hum of magic thickening as the book''s presence asserted itself. It was as though the very fabric of the world recoiled from the artifact, a relic so steeped in death and forbidden power that even the shadows seemed to shrink away.


    [Obscura Malvolume Codex Necros]


    The book itself was a paradox¡ªa thing of beauty and horror. Its cover was crafted from leather so dark it seemed to drink in the light, the surface etched with intricate runes that glowed faintly with a deep purple hue. The two leather bands that held it shut clicked softly, as if whispering secrets to those who dared to listen. When Ludwig ran his fingers over the surface, he felt a faint vibration, a heartbeat of sorts, as though the book was alive. Or perhaps it was simply the echo of the countless souls it had consumed over the centuries.


    Category: Magical Catalyst [Scaling Item]


    Tier: Mythical


    Requirements of Use:


    ? Undead ????


    ? Wisdom Stat


    ? Charisma Stat


    Durability: Indestructible sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Codex Will Be Bound Upon Use.


    Abilities:


    ? [Necrotic Apparition] -Passive-


    Appears and disappears by the user''s will and gesture.


    ? [Sealed] -Requires Soul Level 30


    ? [Sealed] -Requires Soul Level 100


    ? [Death Stow]


    You can store the bodies of entities that you successfully resurrected into undeath into the book. Currently can only store 3 units. The user can summon the stored units whenever they wish. Upon the destruction of the stored entity, they will return to the book. Each stored unit needs 24h to be summoned again. The level and power of the stored entity will always be relative to the power of the summoner.


    ? Passive- [Necrotic Empowerment]


    All Necromantic spells that are saved within [Sealed] will have their abilities empowered by The Codex.


    Addendum:


    The Book of The Dead, the Codex of Finality, The Shadow of The Unknow. Many names have been given to this codex, for it held within it a power that no mortal should hold. A book that was created by the greatest lich to ever walk the earth. A book of death and control. Many have tried to unfold its secrets, and many have tried to use it, but all fell victim to its never-ending hunger of souls. This book may hold great merit, but it also bears a greater curse. One who uses it would always find themselves losing their humanity. Until they too will be one day consumed by it. For none should dare covet the power of Death.


    ---


    Ludwig''s eyes widened as he read through the notification, his mind racing to process the implications. The weight of the book in his hands felt heavier now, as though it carried the burden of every soul it had ever consumed.


    He understood many things from the book, it wasn''t something simple whatsoever. No wonder it was hidden.


    The word Mythical burned brighter than the rest, its letters flickering like embers. Ludwig''s undead heart¡ªor what passed for it¡ªskipped a beat. To hold one in his hands was both a privilege and a curse.


    It was an indestructible book that had the ability to appear upon one''s will. A bound item, meaning that the moment he uses it, it will be forever his. Until his final undeath breath. Not only that, it could also save bodies? What are the limitations? Could he even save the body of a dragon in this small book? Ludwig began envisioning the possibilities, Fallen Enemies resurrected as allies, a squad? No, an army, nay¡­ even more, an entire legion of undead could be at his beck and call. The thought itself sent shivers running down his skeletal bones. To hold something this dangerous, this powerful is bound to come with a great deal of danger. But at the same time an even greater sense of control and lordship.


    The mere thought was enough to wake Ludwig up, this was big. This was incredibly big, this is the stuff that makes one become the enemy of the world, or it''s master if used properly. Forget about being under Van Dijk''s control, with this book, everything that Ludwig could ever hope to claim he''d have in the palm of his hands.


    Then again, Ludwig shook his head, realizing many things, this book¡­ these ideas, they were appealing, but at the same time Ludwig realized, that they weren''t his own unfiltered ideas. The book itself even before he used it was making him see all the power he could obtain¡­


    This book was evil¡­ But Ludwig wasn''t a hero, so what''s wrong with using it?


    He rapidly checked the rest of the information, basically the book had more abilities that were sealed up and required him to level up some more. It seems that Deus Necros modified it to better suit Ludwig, and if his guardian deity, or basically his System provider wanted him to use the book, then surely it wasn''t that bad?


    Ludwig glanced up at Van Dijk, who was watching him with a mixture of curiosity and concern.


    "What''s the problem, Ludwig?" Van Dijk asked, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade.


    "This book," Ludwig said, his voice barely above a whisper. He held it up, the runes on its cover glowing faintly in the dim light of the library.


    "What about it?" Van Dijk asked, his crimson eyes narrowing as he studied the artifact.


    "It''s pretty much a Necronomicon," Ludwig said, his tone tinged with both awe and dread.


    Van Dijk raised an eyebrow. "How would you know that?"


    "Because it wants to store me inside it¡­ I''m an undead," Ludwig said, his voice trembling slightly. He didn''t want to explain how his ''system'' worked, how the notifications and prompts guided his every move. Though Van Dijk probably had an idea that Ludwig''s abilities were far from ordinary.


    Van Dijk''s expression darkened, his lips curling into a frown. "Hmm, it''s something that we''ll have to study later. Keep it with you for now. We have company."


    The words were barely out of his mouth when a new notification flashed in Ludwig''s vision.


    [You are in a greatly hostile environment!]

 Chapter 140 - 140: Unexpected...

    This was the first time the system message had used the word greatly. Usually, it was a simple warning¡ªYou are in a hostile environment¡ªbut this time, the addition of greatly sent a chill down Ludwig''s spine. Something was different, something far more dangerous than anything they had faced before.


    "Here," Van Dijk said, handing Ludwig his mask back. "Tell me what you see."


    Ludwig donned the mask, and the world shifted. The library, already a grotesque tapestry of slime and gore, began to writhe and twist as though alive. The eyes that dotted the walls and ceiling bulged unnaturally, their gazes filled with a rage that seemed almost sentient. The blotches of slime and corrupted flesh pulsed and squirmed, as if reacting to some unseen stimulus. The candle-holding librarians, once docile and mindless, now moved with purpose, their blindfolded faces turning toward Ludwig and Van Dijk with unmistakable hostility.


    "Oh, I guess we weren''t supposed to grab that," Ludwig said, his voice tinged with unease.


    "Time to make a run for it," Van Dijk said, his tone calm but urgent. He moved ahead, his movements fluid and precise, like a predator stalking its prey.


    Ludwig immediately followed, his undead body moving with a speed that surprised even himself. The two sprinted through the labyrinthine library, their footsteps echoing in the oppressive silence. Behind them, the librarians gave chase, their movements slow but relentless. Their candles flickered ominously, casting long shadows that seemed to stretch and twist like living things.


    A couple of librarians appeared in front of them, blocking their path. Van Dijk didn''t hesitate. He pointed his hand forward and muttered a single word: "Move."


    A shockwave of energy erupted from his fingertips, slamming into the librarians and sending them flying to the side. The two creatures crumpled against the shelves, their bodies twitching as they tried to rise.


    "Thief! Thief! Thief!" The words echoed through the library, a chorus of accusation that seemed to come from every direction. The voices were distorted, as though spoken by a hundred mouths at once, and they grew louder with each passing moment.


    "We know where we''re going, right, master?" Ludwig asked, his voice strained as he struggled to keep up with Van Dijk''s superhuman speed.


    "Not far from here. Just keep up," Van Dijk replied, his voice steady despite the chaos around them.


    More librarians appeared, their numbers growing with each passing second. Some were too slow to dodge Van Dijk''s attacks and were blasted aside with ease. Others managed to hurl globs of candle wax at the duo, but Van Dijk deflected them with bursts of magic, his movements almost casual in their precision.


    "Up there!" Van Dijk shouted, pointing toward a door that loomed over the library. A staircase led up to it, but at the base of the stairs, a dozen or more librarians stood guard, their candles raised like weapons.


    "Thieves!" the librarians shouted in unison, their voices a cacophony of rage. They whipped their candles forward, sending waves of molten wax hurtling toward Ludwig and Van Dijk.


    Van Dijk didn''t flinch. He raised his hand, his fingers forming a precise gesture. "Blood Vine," he said, his voice cold and commanding. He then flicked his index finger.


    A single drop of blood surged forward, expanding rapidly as it made contact with the wax. It grew into a massive tangle of barbed vines, stopping the wax wave in its track, as for the veins each one dripping with crimson ichor exploded outward. The vines tore through the librarians, piercing their bodies with brutal efficiency. The creatures writhed and screamed as the vines erupted from their chests, their noses, their eyes. With a twist of Van Dijk''s arm, the librarians burst apart in a spray of wax, blood, and slime, their remains painting the area in a grotesque mosaic of colors.


    Van Dijk smiled, a faint, almost predatory expression. "Let''s go," he said, leaping up the staircase with ease and pushing the door open.


    "Wait for me!" Ludwig shouted, sprinting past the carnage and up the stairs. He reached the door just as Van Dijk stepped through, the two of them standing on the threshold of the library''s exit.


    "Well, time for us to get your books," Van Dijk said, clapping his hands twice. A small blood magic circle appeared in the air, and from it, four rings materialized. Van Dijk grabbed one and smiled. "They''re all here. It worked. Let''s go!"


    But before they could move, a loud screech echoed from inside the library. The entire structure began to vibrate, the walls and ceiling twisting and contorting as though in agony. Ludwig, still wearing the mask, saw the truth¡ªthe library was alive, and it was furious. The slime and gore that made up its walls surged forward like a tidal wave, a mass of writhing flesh and bulging eyes that seemed intent on drowning them.


    Van Dijk hurried through the door, and Ludwig followed, slamming it shut just as the wave crashed against it. He braced himself, expecting the door to burst open, but nothing happened. The silence was deafening. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Your Death Point has been updated, Third Level of the Dwelling of Hunger]


    Ludwig let out a breath he didn''t realize he was holding. "I guess that means we made it," he said, turning to Van Dijk with a tentative smile.


    "Sure we did," Van Dijk replied, his voice calm. But before Ludwig could respond, his master coughed, a wet, gurgling sound that made Ludwig''s blood run cold.


    He turned to see Van Dijk staggering, blood dripping from his mouth. And then he saw it¡ªa massive sword protruding from Van Dijk''s chest, its blade slick with blood. The Fallen Knight stood behind him, its hollow eyes gleaming with malice as it yanked the sword free, leaving a gaping hole where Van Dijk''s heart should have been.


    The knight turned to Ludwig, its sword raised, and Ludwig barely had time to draw his own weapon before the notification flashed in his vision.


    [You Died.]

 Chapter 141 - 141: Take 2 Action!

    Ludwig couldn''t feel a thing. Everything turned black for a second, a void so complete it felt as though he had been swallowed by the abyss itself. His thoughts echoed in the emptiness, loud and disjointed.


    ''Did I just die? Just like that? I didn''t even see the sword swing.''


    The darkness was suffocating, a vast, endless expanse that stretched in every direction. There was no sound, no light, no sensation¡ªjust the oppressive weight of nothingness. Ludwig''s mind raced, trying to make sense of what had happened. He had been standing there one moment, and the next, he was here, in this void. Was this death? Was this what it felt like to be truly gone? Where is Necros?


    But then, a voice cut through the silence, cold and commanding, yet tinged with an otherworldly resonance.


    [Rise if you would, for that is thine duty!]


    The words reverberated in Ludwig''s mind, shaking him to his core. Before he could process them, another notification followed, its letters glowing faintly in the darkness.


    [You have lost half the souls in your lantern, remaining souls: 12.]


    The realization hit him like a punch to the gut. He had died. Again. And the cost was steep¡ªhalf of his precious souls, the very essence that fueled his existence, were gone. The weight of that loss settled heavily on his shoulders, even in this formless void.


    Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, and he was back. Back at the entrance of the third sector, standing beside Van Dijk, who was speaking as if nothing had happened.


    "Sure we did, we made it out!" Van Dijk said, his voice calm and confident.


    Ludwig blinked, disoriented. His mind was still catching up, but his body acted on instinct. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to move, to act, to survive. Before he could even fully process what had just occurred, he saw it¡ªthe glint of steel, the massive sword arcing through the air, aimed straight for Van Dijk''s chest.


    "MASTER!" Ludwig shouted, his voice raw with urgency. He lunged forward, shoving Van Dijk to the side with all the strength he could muster.


    The sword struck true, but not its intended target. Instead, it cleaved through Ludwig''s arms with horrifying ease, severing them cleanly at the shoulders. After all that sword wasn''t meant for cutting, but for crushing, it was so heavy it dislocated his arms instead of cutting them. His undead limbs clattered to the ground, the sound echoing in the sudden silence. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Van Dijk''s eyes widened in shock as he watched his disciple take the blow meant for him. For a moment, time seemed to stand still. Then, the Corrupted Knight raised its sword again, its hollow eyes gleaming with malice as it prepared to finish the job.


    "BEGONE!" Van Dijk roared, his voice filled with a fury that seemed to shake the very air. A torrent of black flames erupted from the ground beneath the knight, surging upward with a ferocity that was almost alive. The abyssal fire engulfed the knight, its heat so intense that Ludwig could feel it even from a distance. The force of the blast sent the knight hurtling backward, crashing through the wall of a nearby house like a cannonball.


    Van Dijk turned to Ludwig, his expression a mix of relief and concern. "Ludwig, are you okay?" he asked, his voice uncharacteristically soft.


    Ludwig grinned, though his face was pale and drawn not from the loss of blood but probably from having just ''revived''. "Yeah, tis but a scratch!" he said, his tone light despite the severity of his injuries. He glanced down at his fallen arms, which lay on the ground like discarded tools. "Can I have a hand? No pun intended¡ªI can''t pick up my arms without¡­ well, arms."


    Van Dijk let out a sigh, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. He bent down and picked up Ludwig''s arms, carefully reattaching them to his shoulders. Ludwig focused, channeling his mana into the joints, and with a faint click, his arms locked back into place.


    "You sound awfully calm for someone who almost died," Van Dijk remarked, his tone dry but tinged with admiration.


    "I''m already dead," Ludwig replied with a shrug.


    Van Dijk frowned. "How did you notice it? That knight, because clearly I haven''t."


    "Just had a hunch," Ludwig said, his expression turning serious. "Also, I think it''s not over yet."


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed. "Oh, believe me, it''s over," he said, turning toward the broken-down house.


    Ludwig followed his gaze, finally taking in their surroundings. They were standing in the third sector of the city, a place far grander and more imposing than the areas they had passed through before. Behind them loomed the massive gatehouse that separated the first and third sectors, its towering structure a testament to the city''s former glory. Ahead, the pathway widened, leading to a sprawling layout of elegant buildings, each one more regal than the last. The houses were adorned with intricate carvings and surrounded by lush gardens, a stark contrast to the decay and corruption that permeated the rest of the city.


    But the beauty of the place was overshadowed by the danger that surrounded them. Guards were streaming toward them from every direction, their swords drawn and their eyes filled with hostility. The notification in Ludwig''s vision was still clear:


    [You are in a greatly hostile environment!]


    They were out of the frying pan and into the fire.


    The Corrupted Knight emerged from the ruins of the house, its armor now cleaner and more defined. The corruption that had once marred its form was receding, revealing runic carvings and golden symbols etched into the metal. Its cape, though still stained with dirt and grime, bore a royal blue hue that hinted at its noble lineage. The knight''s shield was now almost perfectly intact, and its sword¡ªa massive ultra-great sword¡ªgleamed with a deadly sharpness. Each step the knight took resonated like a thunderclap, its presence more imposing than ever.

 Chapter 142 - 142: The Knight King

    Ludwig''s instincts screamed at him to act. He focused on the knight, muttering under his breath.


    "[Inspect]"


    The status screen appeared before him, its letters glowing faintly.


    Name: The Fallen King Knight of Tibari


    Third Resurrection: The Restored Tyrant.


    Danger Level: ??


    Level: N/A


    HP: 25,000


    Additional Skills:


    [Tibarian King''s Will] Fear Aura will reduce the enemies'' abilities to cast spells or dodge.


    [Devourer''s Edge] The Knight King''s Sword can shred through magic.


    [Shield of Domination] Can periodically reflect spells upon the caster.


    Addendum:


    The form of the corrupted knight finally revealed, the king''s insignia and armor are now visible as the corruption wanes. The King of Tibari, the one who fought against the Gluttonous Death to free his kingdom from corruption and failed to do so, is now nothing but a puppet to the very thing it abhorred. A fate worse than death for a king that only sought to protect his people.


    Ludwig''s breath caught in his throat. This wasn''t just a knight¡ªit was the king. The ruler of Tibari, reduced to a hollow shell of his former self, enslaved by the very corruption he had tried to destroy. The weight of that realization settled heavily on Ludwig''s shoulders.


    For a king to fail so, for him to be nothing but a walking puppet, what a depressing and sad existence. Something Ludwig never wanted to be. A mere puppet. Even though technically he was bound to Van Dijk, the latter never treated him as a tool though his words said so at the beginning. Just the concern Van Dijk showed when Ludwig''s arms were cut was enough of a tell that Van Dijk, the Vampire did have a heart.


    "I see," Van Dijk said, his voice low and grim. He raised his hands, black flames flickering to life around his fingers. "Ludwig, let me introduce you," he said, his tone dripping with irony. "To the former king of Tibari¡­" S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig nodded, his expression grim. He had already pieced it together from the status screen, but hearing it from Van Dijk made it all the more real. They weren''t just fighting a knight¡ªthey were facing a fallen monarch, a being of immense power and tragic history. And they were deeply, utterly screwed.


    The Corrupted Knight King charged forward, his shield raised and his sword gleaming with deadly intent. Van Dijk reacted instantly, his hands moving in a blur as he chanted, "Bounds of Latvia!" Chains of pure magic surged from his palms, wrapping around the knight. But the king was ready. He ducked behind his shield, the chains bouncing off and ricocheting back toward Van Dijk.


    Van Dijk''s eyes widened in surprise, but he reacted quickly, his body dissolving into a mist of blood just as the chains slammed into the gatehouse behind him. The impact sent debris flying, but Van Dijk was unharmed, his form reforming a moment later.


    Ludwig seized the opportunity, pointing his palm at the knight. "Enfeeble!" he shouted, the sigils of dark power manifesting on the ground beneath the knight.


    "Careful, he''ll reflect it!" Van Dijk warned, but Ludwig shook his head.


    But that didn''t happen, the sigils immediately materialized on the ground and latched onto the knight causing the curse to latch onto him. Ludwig shouted immediately at the materializing Van Dijk, "Master, he only reflects projectiles!"


    Van Dijk''s eyes lit up with understanding. "Good catch!" he said, slamming his hand on the ground. "Blood Grasp!"


    A surge of blood erupted from the ground, latching onto the knight and manifesting into hands that dragged him down. The blood hands ravaged through the knight''s armor, tearing at the metal with a ferocity that made the knight roar in pain.


    "Burn!" Van Dijk chanted, his voice low and commanding. The blood surging from his palm ignited into black flames, surging toward the knight like a serpent. The flames engulfed the knight, twisting and writhing as they consumed him. The knight howled in agony, its armor melting under the intense heat, but it couldn''t shake off the flames. It couldn''t reflect or deflect them.


    The fire burned hot and long, reducing the knight to a pool of black sludge once again. The third time this knight had died.


    "The Hunger calls! The hunger will prevail! I must¡­" the knight''s voice trailed off into silence as its form dissolved completely into black sludge on the ground that slowly seeped through the ground.


    But the victory was short-lived. The city around them seemed to shift, the air growing heavier, more oppressive. The guards that had been advancing toward them now moved with even greater speed, their swords drawn, their eyes filled with a feral hunger.


    "Master¡­" Ludwig said, his voice tense. "I think we might be cooked here." His grasp on his sword tightening.


    Van Dijk chuckled, a faint smile playing on his lips. "You have the strangest expressions," he said. "Also, it''s been a while, but how about I teach you a thing or two about Necromancy?"


    Ludwig blinked, surprised. "You know necromancy?"


    "Of course," Van Dijk replied, his grin widening. "I''m the Black Tower Master, after all. Necromancy is a given."


    Van Dijk raised both arms to his side in an extravagant and exaggerated manner, "You know, necromancy is all about style," he said. "Rise Undead!" he said.


    Suddenly, the cobblestone began shuddering and shaking, boney arms erupted out from underneath the hard stone, ripping through it with ease. Like a scene from a movie, the dead rose up, pulling themselves out from the dirt. Men and women alike easily moved out of their everlasting rest back to the world of the living.


    Undead in incredible numbers all came to Van Dijk''s service, "Go forth," Van Dijk ordered.


    In a heap of growls and guttural voices the dead moved forward, numbering at least three to one against the guards. Each one of these undead seemed to be wearing clothes that awfully looked similar to the attendants, and some others that were summoned carried the broken armors of the city guards.


    Ludwig could only watch, one day, will he too be capable of such feats?

 Chapter 143 - 143: A master, a Teacher, And a Mentor

    "Take notes, Ludwig," Van Dijk commanded, his voice a blade honed by centuries of authority. Shadows pooled around his feet like liquid night, and the air itself seemed to thicken with the weight of his power. His crimson eyes glowed faintly, not with malice, but with the cold, calculated focus of a predator.


    "If you wish to peruse the path of necromancy, many will disdain you. Many more will hate you, fear you, and would wish nothing but your demise and destruction. Not because necromancy defies the natural order, but because it is power. Raw, unbridled, and indifferent to the bleating of sheep. Go forth Undead, and bring them down!"


    The dead which have just risen, their jaws hung slack upon hearing the order revealing yellowed teeth and tongues shriveled to leather. Empty eye sockets glowed with faint blue embers, and their limbs twitched with unnatural vitality, as though puppeteered by invisible strings. They surged forward, a tidal wave of rot and bone, their collective moan echoing like a funeral dirge.


    Unlike the organized soldiers in front of them, the undead ranks were the complete opposite. They screamed and hollered and rampaged forward, climbing atop each other and crawled under their brethren''s feet. All seeking to obey their summoner''s order.


    This was chaos incarnate


    A guard''s sword cleaved through an undead''s ribcage, only for the creature to lunge forward, snapping its teeth at the man''s throat. Another guard severed an arm, but the limb scrabbled across the ground, fingers digging into his ankle like iron hooks. The undead fought with a feral desperation, as though their very existence depended on violence. And perhaps it did.


    They didn''t care if they lost an arm, they''ll fight even with their feet, and if you''d cut their feet too, they''d crawl using their chins and bite at you until you die. The Undead are Restless.


    "They''re¡­ relentless," Ludwig breathed, his voice barely audible over the cacophony.


    "Relentless?" Van Dijk smirked, watching as a headless corpse staggered forward, its hands blindly groping for a guard''s face. "They''re hungry But their hunger isn''t for food or sustenance unlike these disturbing things. Their hunger is for something else, these slime-borne fiends only hunger for death, but the undead, they hunger for life. Ludwig, there is a great difference between something that would stuff its face until seeking death, and the dead that wish to taste Life again."


    The guards, disciplined by instinct, perhaps the years they spent in training had carved order in their bodies. They regrouped and stood together, in an orderly fashion, their Shields locked into a wall, swords thrusting in unison. For a moment, the tide turned. An undead''s skull shattered under a mace; another was pinned to the ground by a spear. The guards'' formation tightened, their strikes methodical, efficient. But efficiency meant nothing to the dead.


    A guard screamed, which was a first, these things though not living nor were they dead, never voiced a word, they only acted like ''humans'' but were far from it. Slime in the form of people that had some sort of conscious though far too gone from the hunger. However, it still screamed, perhaps because even though it was no longer conscious, it felt the fear of death, perhaps deep down in his subconscious it still felt fear.


    A skeletal hand clamped onto the screaming guard''s wrist, yanking him into the horde. The undead descended, not to kill, but to consume. Fingers pried open his visor; teeth sank into his cheek. His cries were drowned by the wet, tearing sounds of flesh being stripped from bone.


    The other guards faltered, their discipline cracking like glass.


    "They''re breaking," Ludwig said, "But something feels wrong¡­"


    Van Dijk''s expression darkened. "Indeed Ludwig, they''re adapting,"


    The guards shifted tactics. Fire bloomed in their ranks¡ªtorches snatched from sconces, oil flasks hurled into the fray. Flames licked at the undead, their parchment-dry bones catching like kindling. The stench of burning rot filled the air, thick enough to choke on. An undead collapsed, its ember-eyes sputtering out as flames consumed its ribcage. Another stumbled, clawing at its burning face until its fingers crumbled to ash.


    "Pathetic," Van Dijk muttered. "Fire? They think fire will help them?" He raised a hand, and the temperature plummeted. Frost spiderwebbed across the cobblestones, and the flames guttered out, smothered by an unnatural chill. The undead, unharmed, lurched forward anew.


    But the guards were ready. They pulled Crossbows from their sides and clicked, bolts streaked through the air. One struck an undead''s skull, and the creature collapsed, its green eyes dimming. Many had struck the advancing undead turning them to pincushions. The guards pressed their advantage, they were breaking the horde apart, disassembling them with utter ease this time. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Though three hundred almost undead against barely thirty or so guards, the guards were rapidly gaining ground as they gathered together, hacking and slashing with orderly fashion at the dead.


    "Hmm¡­ quite the sight, but master, your undead are losing," Ludwig said.


    "Ludwig, Necromancy isn''t about how much power one has, but how delicate one''s control is over his power. To raise the dead is simple, to guide them is far harder¡­Sadly," Van Dijk added "I''m no lich, I cannot micromanage them, a lich would have a far better understanding of the prowess of each and every individual undead, a far more advanced understanding and a better control at managing the undead," Van Dijk said as his undead were being rapidly dispatched.


    "A lich would also be able to support his undead with revitalizing auras and offerings, even spells that would further empower them. I didn''t delve too deep into the path of necromancy, it''s too appealing but at the same time it''s like an endless spiral that would further push you deeper and deeper into the art of necromancy."


    "I don''t mean to sound disdainful, but why did you use necromancy if you''re not fully proficient?" Van Dijk said.


    "That''s the beauty of it," Van Dijk said, "Though it appears that we''re losing," he stalled as the last few undead were dispatched and taken out from the battle. Corpses and bodies were littering the place while the guards were making sure that they finished the job.


    Three hundred bodies completely eliminated in less than three minutes.


    Van Dijk pointed his hand forward, "raising the dead is a child''s play, everyone can do it, but this is a spell that I''ll be teaching you personally," he said


    "Corpse Explosion!"

 Chapter 144 - 144: True Form

    The words hung in the air, a death sentence etched in flame. The first corpse¡ªa guard torn apart minutes prior¡ªbloated like a rotting fruit, its skin stretching taut. Turning yellow at first, then an ominous red, Then it detonated. Shrapnel of bone and gore shredded through the ranks, followed by a shockwave that made the ground itself tremble The sound was deafening, a thunderclap that left his ears ringing. Heat washed over him, carrying the stench of burnt hair and charred meat.


    Then another corpse blew up right next to the guard, this one belonged to a fallen undead. Then another, and another¡­


    Ludwig watched, transfixed, as the chain reaction unfolded. Corpse after corpse ignited, their innards boiling into volatile gas. A guard raised his shield, but the force of the blast ripped it from his arms, along with his hands. Another tried to flee, only to be torn apart by the shrapnel armor of an exploding dead guard next to him. The air filled with explosions and thunderous booms.


    When the smoke cleared, the battlefield was a charnel house. Craters pockmarked the ground, filled with bubbling pools of slime and rotting flesh. Severed limbs hung from nearby rooftops; a helmet rolled past Ludwig''s feet, its interior still smoking. The guards were gone¡ªnot dead, but unmade. Only their armor remained, twisted and blackened, like the shells of burnt beetles.


    Van Dijk knelt, plucking a sliver of bone from the ground. It squirmed in his palm, alive with residual magic. "Necromancy isn''t about raising the dead, Ludwig. It''s about recycling." He crushed the bone to dust. "Every corpse is a weapon waiting to be used. Every enemy you kill becomes your ally. That is why they fear this art."


    Ludwig''s stomach churned, though he had no need to vomit. "It''s¡­ monstrous." sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Monstrous?" Van Dijk laughed, "No, my dear disciple, what is monstrous is what that thing did to these people, their lives taken and turned to an abhorrent sight. I don''t mind a person''s view over power and control to be twisted, but I hate when it''s this¡­ dirty. Necromancy on the other hand is¡ªefficient, controlled and clean."


    Van Dijk smiled, "This," Van Dijk said as he turned to face Ludwig, "Is necromancy. It is by far the deadliest art, and without a doubt the most powerful. Thus, why the whole world is putting sanctions and punishments upon those who try it. Be careful Ludwig, if you were to use it, you will be hated by the world, but if you''re capable enough, you may even bend the world itself to your will," Van Dijk explained.


    "So what do you think, Ludwig? Are you still willing to walk this path? Remember I am not a master of this art, so you''ll have to walk the majority of this path by yourself."


    Ludwig tightened his grip on the book at his side, without hesitation, "I''m willing to walk it," he said.


    "Good, then let''s move forward, we still have much to explore," he said.


    "Yes, Master," Ludwig nodded.


    He realized how dangerous this path was, and at the same time he saw the might it provided, this was a simple showcase of two spells, Rise Undead and Corpse Explosion. What would the rest of the necromancy abilities and skills entail? Ludwig could do nothing but anticipate the power he''d obtain once he clears his quests and be able to upgrade his class.


    The two of them continued through the city, Van Dijk taking care of the guards that tried to stop them. This time, however, he relied on his blood magic and black flames, his movements precise and efficient. His bats scouted ahead, providing him with detailed information about their surroundings and the enemies approaching. Ludwig followed closely, his mind still reeling from what he had just witnessed.


    After what felt like an eternity, they reached the final gate of the third sector. Behind them lay a sea of corpses, the remnants of the guards who had tried to stop them. The citizens, if they could even be called that, were too busy cleaning up the bodies to join the fight. The gate stood open, leading to the grand cathedral that loomed in the distance¡ªthe final dwelling of the one who commanded this cursed city.


    The boss area.


    The area around the cathedral was abnormally large, Ludwig realized something the moment they stepped inside and when he received his notification.


    [ Your Death Point has been set to, Royal Garden]


    The area was vast, far larger than any garden he had ever seen. Yet it was eerily empty, devoid of the flowers and trimmed trees one would expect. Instead, it felt more like an arena, a place designed for battle rather than beauty.


    "Master," Ludwig said, his voice low. "Don''t you think this place is a bit too¡­ big?"


    Van Dijk glanced around, his expression thoughtful. "Yes, usually that''s what a royal garden should be. Why?"


    "Well, usually, if a garden is this big, it should have more¡­ well, garden stuff. Flowers, trimmed trees and bushes and all that," Ludwig said, gesturing to the barren expanse around them. "But this place¡­ it looks more like a death trap¡­."


    Van Dijk''s lips curled into a faint smile. "You want to know why?"


    "Yeah, I''d like to," Ludwig said, expecting some explanation about noble aesthetics or royal extravagance.


    "It''s because of that," Van Dijk looked up.


    Ludwig followed Van Dijk''s gaze and saw the shadow muffled figure of the King of Tibari standing above the arched entrance of the cathedral.


    There, standing atop the arched entrance of the cathedral, was the shadowy figure of the King of Tibari. His presence was overwhelming, his armor gleaming despite the darkness that surrounded him. He jumped down, landing squarely in the center of the arena with a thunderous crash.


    This time, the Knight King''s appearance was far different. His armor was fully restored, its surface covered in intricate runic carvings and golden symbols. His shield was pristine, massive and unblemished, while his sword gleamed with a deadly sharpness. His eyes, visible through the visor of his helmet, burned with a cold, unyielding light. Chains still bound his arms, locking his sword and shield to him permanently, but they seemed almost ceremonial now, a reminder of his eternal duty.


    "Intruders of this kingdom shall be destroyed," the Knight King declared, his voice echoing across the arena. He slammed his sword against his shield, the sound reverberating like a death knell. "Prepare to lose your lives!"


    "Stay behind me, Ludwig," Van Dijk said, his voice low and urgent. "This guy seems a bit more¡­ dangerous than before."


    Ludwig''s eyes narrowed as he activated his inspection skill, the status screen appearing before him.


    Name: The Fallen King Knight of Tibari


    Third Resurrection: The Crownless King.


    Danger Level: ???


    Level: ???


    HP: ???


    Additional Skills:


    [Culling Strike] Any attack below a certain threshold will execute the target.


    [Final Duty] When nearing death, enters a berserk state, removing all debilitating debuffs.


    [Tibarian Judgement] Calls forth the might of his weapon, bringing down judgment upon those who oppose him.


    Addendum:


    The mad king of Tibari finally revealed his true form. Though he may appear freed from the corruption, it is only in this state that he is fully consumed by it. Having regained his full power, the king of Tibari has also remembered who he is and what he is protecting. A king without a kingdom, a king without people. A king that is not a king.

 Chapter 145 - 145: A Teachers Rage

    The Knight King strode forward, his every step resonating with the weight of centuries, each footfall cracking the ancient stone floor beneath him. The sound echoed like thunder, a testament to the sheer power contained within his armored form. A dark, smoke-like aura emanated from his figure, swirling and latching onto Van Dijk and Ludwig like a predator claiming its prey. The air grew heavy, suffused with an oppressive energy that seemed to sap the very life from the surroundings. It was as if the Knight King''s presence alone was enough to drain the vitality of the world around him.


    Immediately, a stream of notifications materialized before Ludwig''s eyes, glowing ominously in the dim light. The translucent screens hovered in his vision, each line of text a stark reminder of the danger they faced.


    {You have been affected by [Cursed Resonance]}


    Your Stamina, Health, and Mana regeneration has been reduced by 20%. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Never Tire!] As an Undead, you have unlimited Stamina. [Cursed Resonance] Stamina reduction effect has been nullified!


    {You have been affected by [Tibarian King''s Will]}


    A fear effect will be applied upon you!


    [Never Fear!] As an Undead, you have no sense of fear or terror. The dead fear nothing.


    Ludwig''s hollow eyes flickered as he processed the information. The latching aura recoiled from him as if repelled by his very nature, retreating like a wounded beast. But his master, Van Dijk, was not so fortunate. The aura clung to him, its malevolent energy seeping into his being, a cold, invasive force that sought to weaken him from within.


    Van Dijk scowled, his sharp features twisting in disdain. "Wretched thing," he spat, snapping his fingers with a sharp, decisive motion. A cleansing wave of blue light washed over him, glowing brilliantly for a moment before dispelling the debuffs¡ªnot just from himself, but from Ludwig as well. The aura shattered like glass, its remnants dissipating into the air. The arena seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, the oppressive weight lifting ever so slightly.


    "Undead thing!" the Knight King bellowed, his voice echoing with a regal fury that seemed to shake the very foundations of the chamber. "Die! For your presence is an abomination upon this world!" With a thunderous roar, he charged forward, his massive blade gleaming with an otherworldly light. The ground trembled beneath his advance, each step a declaration of his unstoppable might.


    "Oi, Oi!" Van Dijk interjected, his tone dripping with mockery. "You dare go after my student when I''m here?" With a flick of his wrist, he unleashed his magic. "Blood Vines!"


    A single droplet of blood surged from his fingertips, exploding into a writhing mass of crimson tendrils that lunged at the Knight King. The vines wrapped around his legs, slowing his advance, but the king''s strength was immense. With a single, powerful slash, he severed the vines, their remnants falling lifelessly to the ground. The severed tendrils writhed for a moment before dissolving into pools of blood.


    "Your parlor tricks will prove nothing but their futility!" the king declared, his voice dripping with contempt.


    "Parlor tricks?" Van Dijk snorted, his lips curling into a sly grin. "That''s rich, coming from a puppet." He raised his hand, his fingers dancing through the air as he uttered a series of commands. "Burst!"


    The severed vines exploded in a shower of crimson, the force of the blast sending shards of blood flying in all directions.


    "Burn!" The blood ignited, engulfing the king in flames that roared with a ferocious intensity.


    "Ensnare!" Chains erupted from the ground, coiling around the knight''s limbs with a metallic clatter.


    "Anchor Dead!" Ethereal anchors materialized from the heavens, slamming into the king and pinning him to the ground with a resounding crash.


    "Bounds of Latvia!" More chains burst forth, their jagged links tearing through the king''s thick armor as if it were paper.


    "Crucify Dead!" A massive stone pillar erupted behind the knight, the chains snapping to its corners and pulling the king''s arms wide, binding him to the cross.


    The Knight King was now bound, burning, rooted, and crucified¡ªa spectacle of Van Dijk''s mastery. The flames licked at his armor, the chains groaned under the strain of his immense strength, and the stone cross stood as a grim monument to his temporary defeat.


    "Parlor tricks, he said," Van Dijk taunted, his voice laced with venom. "Show me how you can get rid of these parlor tricks."


    Ludwig, standing to the side, couldn''t help but feel a twinge of unease. "Is it a good idea to taunt him?" he asked cautiously. Unlike Van Dijk, Ludwig had seen the Knight King''s skill set firsthand. One ability, in particular, stood out: [Devourer''s Edge], a power capable of cutting through magic itself.


    "RGHAAAAA!" The Knight King''s roar shook the arena. With a surge of strength, he released his grip on his sword, and the weapon flew into the air, slashing at the base of the cross. The stone shattered, the chains snapping as the king broke free. He rose to his feet, the flames around him dying down as if extinguished by his sheer will. His armor, though scorched and battered, still gleamed with an ominous light.


    "I have been arrogant," the king admitted, his voice calm but laced with menace. "Excuse my ill-mannered behavior¡­ I''ll be more serious now, grand mage."


    Van Dijk''s expression darkened. "That''s not good¡­"


    "What is it, master?" Ludwig asked, his voice tinged with concern.


    "When did you ever see a king apologizing?" Van Dijk replied, his tone grim.


    "Well¡­ never," Ludwig admitted.


    "Exactly," Van Dijk said. "That just means this guy has integrity. And if he has integrity, it means he wasn''t being serious before."


    The tension in the room grew palpable. Van Dijk''s demeanor shifted, his playful taunts replaced by a focused intensity. He began tapping the air with his fingers, each tap leaving behind a shimmering droplet of blood suspended in midair. After ten droplets had formed, he exhaled sharply.


    "Let''s dance! [Blood Dirge!]" Van Dijk called.

 Chapter 146 - 146: The Blood Conductor

    The droplets transformed into blood daggers, shooting toward the Knight King with deadly precision. The king raised his shield, the daggers clashing against it with a deafening clang. Instead of deflecting, the daggers splattered against the shield, only to reform and strike again.


    Van Dijk moved like a conductor in an opera, his arms swaying with an almost hypnotic rhythm. The daggers multiplied, their numbers swelling into the hundreds, then thousands. The sound of their impacts became a cacophony, a symphony of destruction that forced the Knight King to retreat step by step.


    The blood weapons evolved, shifting from daggers to swords, arrows, spears, and hammers. Each weapon struck with a unique sound, creating a chaotic yet strangely harmonious melody. The king''s shield buckled under the relentless assault, his once-imposing figure now struggling to hold his ground.


    With a roar, the Knight King surged forward, his determination unyielding. Van Dijk responded by intensifying his performance, the blood weapons striking with even greater ferocity. The ground beneath them was now a pool of blood, deep enough to drown a man.


    As the king closed the distance, Van Dijk''s eyes snapped open. He raised his arms and brought them down in a sweeping motion. From the blood-soaked ground, two massive arms of crimson surged upward, slamming into the Knight King with crushing force. The king''s armor crumpled, his body driven into the ground with such power that it cratered the stone beneath him.


    Ludwig stared in awe. The creature that had seemed so indomitable, so terrifying, had been defeated in an instant. His master''s power was beyond comprehension¡ªan Eight-Tier mage, the Tower Master of the Black Tower, one of the pillars of Lufondal. And he was Ludwig''s teacher.


    But then, the Knight King''s shattered body twitched. His broken form shuddered, the pieces of his armor and flesh reforming with an unnatural speed. It was entering his next phase.


    "Kill it, master!" Ludwig shouted, his voice urgent. Scenes like this usually happened in battle, but Ludwig was not someone to waste such a good opportunity, why allow the enemy to power up after all?


    Van Dijk, however, remained calm. "It''s disrespectful to attack someone who''s transforming," he said, his tone almost casual.


    Ludwig facepalmed, his frustration evident. The Knight King was entering his second phase, activating his [Final Duty] ability. This not only restored him to full strength but also granted him a berserker state, amplifying his power to terrifying levels.


    What Ludwig didn''t know was that this phase came with an additional ability.


    The Knight King''s eyes glowed a deep, menacing red. "You''re strong," he admitted, his voice a low growl. "But it is unfortunate¡­" He opened his mouth wide, and the blood that had pooled on the ground surged upward, streaming into his gaping maw. The air grew colder, the arena seemed darker, as the Knight King prepared to unleash his full power. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The battle was far from over.


    "Curses!" Van Dijk shouted, his voice a mix of frustration and urgency. He aimed his arm at the ground, his fingers splayed as he exerted his will, forcing the blood away from the Knight King and back toward his own body. The crimson liquid writhed and churned, caught in a tug-of-war between the two powerful figures. The Knight King''s absorption rate was nearly equal to Van Dijk''s, and the blood split almost evenly between them, neither gaining the upper hand. The air crackled with tension as the two forces clashed, the ground beneath them slick with the remnants of their struggle. The room seemed to hold its breath, the very walls trembling under the weight of their opposing wills.


    Ludwig, seeing an opportunity, rushed forward. His movements were swift and decisive, his undead body unhindered by fatigue or hesitation. The shard in his hand gleamed with a faint, eerie light, its cursed edge hungry for the Knight King. "Ludwig! What are you doing!" Van Dijk''s voice was sharp, his attention momentarily diverted. The lapse was enough for the Knight King to seize the initiative, pulling more blood into his maw. But Ludwig was already in motion, his shard gleaming in the dim light as he closed the distance.


    "That''s not yours to eat!" Ludwig howled, his voice a guttural snarl. With a powerful thrust, he drove the shard into the Knight King''s neck. The blade pierced through the thick armor and flesh with surprising ease, its cursed edge disrupting the flow of blood into the king''s body. The effect was instantaneous¡ªthe torrent of blood slowed to a trickle, the Knight King''s absorption halted by the sudden intrusion. The king''s eyes widened in shock, his regal composure cracking for the first time.


    But the Knight King was far from defeated. In a rage, he swung his shield with brutal force, slamming it into Ludwig''s side. The impact was devastating, lifting Ludwig off his feet and sending him flying through the air. He tumbled and spiraled, his body crashing through the gate and skidding across the ground until he came to a stop against a nearby wall. Pain shot through him, his vision blurring as he struggled to regain his bearings. The world spun around him, his undead body struggling to recover from the sheer force of the blow.


    [You''re in critical condition!]


    [You have broken 110 bones in your body!]


    The notification flashed before his eyes, a stark reminder of how close he was to death. His health was in the decimals, his body barely holding together. Gritting his teeth, Ludwig reached for one of his health potions, the liquid cool and soothing as it flowed down his throat.


    His health began to stabilize, his bones snapping back to their proper position and melding together. But the situation was far from resolved. He could hear the clash of steel and the roar of magic in the distance, a reminder that Van Dijk was still fighting alone.


    As he caught his breath, his eyes landed on the corpses of two guards lying nearby¡ªremnants of Van Dijk''s earlier skirmish. The sight sparked an idea, and Ludwig''s mind raced. He placed his hand on the ground, his fingers trembling slightly as he focused his energy. "Rise Undead!" he commanded, his voice firm despite his weakened state.

 Chapter 147 - 147: Sentient Codex

    Ludwig needed to help his master. So far, he had felt it, he has been nothing but nuisance. Barely of any use to his master. While Van Dijk was carrying the weight of this whole ordeal. This whole excursion was just to find out information about the creature that had plagued Van Dijk''s nightmares. But little that Ludwig knew, Van Dijk was more than proud of the progress of his disciple.


    Maleficent sigils spread from Ludwig''s hand, crawling across the ground like dark veins. They enveloped the corpses, the air growing heavy with the stench of decay and the faint hum of necromantic energy. But the process was not without its challenges.


    [You''re about to raise a relatively powerful entity!]


    [Fail! Your wisdom level is too low to raise {Guard of Tibari}]


    Ludwig cursed under his breath. His wisdom was insufficient, and he only had twelve souls left in his lantern. But then he remembered the corrupted souls he had obtained from the crocodile and the Sheikh¡ªeach worth 200 souls¡ªand the two weaker souls of 100 each. It was a gamble, but he had no other choice.


    "Use two corrupted Souls! Use two weak souls!" he commanded, his voice tinged with desperation.


    [You have obtained 600 souls!]


    "Increase wisdom by 20!" Ludwig barked


    [-250 Souls! You have 362 souls left!]


    [Your Soul level increased by 2!]


    With his wisdom bolstered, Ludwig tried again. "Rise Undead!" he shouted, slamming his hand onto the ground. The sigils flared to life once more, their dark energy surging into the corpses.


    [Danger! The possibility to raise the Guard of Tibari has increased, but due to your lacking charisma, you will be attacked on sight!]


    Ludwig groaned. "God damn it, fine! Increase Charisma by 20!" sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [-290 Souls, you have 72 Souls left]


    [Your soul level increased by 2.]


    "Rise Undead!" Ludwig commanded again, his voice firm. The sigils spread once more, and this time, the process succeeded.


    [You are about to raise a powerful undead!]


    [Your wisdom level is lacking]


    [Rise Undead has succeeded!]


    [Your charisma level is too low to fully control the summoned undead! But minor orders can be accepted]


    "Good enough for me!" Ludwig said, watching as the two corpses stirred. The slime that had animated them was gone, replaced by bones and rotting flesh. The guards rose unsteadily, their armor creaking as they moved. Ludwig pointed toward the gate, his voice sharp. "You, Knight! Kill!"


    But the two soldiers ignored his orders, their hollow eyes staring blankly ahead. "For fuck''s sake! If only I could use them to help master!" Ludwig cursed, frustration boiling over. He had wasted precious time and souls, and now he was no closer to aiding Van Dijk.


    Just as he was about to give up, the book at his side¡ªthe Umbra Malvolume Codex Necros¡ªflew open of its own accord. The straps snapped loudly, and the pages fluttered as a powerful vortex erupted from within. The two guards were sucked into the book, their forms dissolving into shadowy energy.


    Ludwig stared in shock. He hadn''t commanded the book to act, yet it had acted on its own.


    [The Umbra Malvolume Codex Necros has been bound to you!]


    "Shit, I didn''t want to do this yet!" Ludwig cursed, he had yet to understand the book''s abilities and details but it just simply did whatever it wanted.


    [You have obtained a Mythical Item!]


    [You have obtained the title: Myth Holder]


    [Due to the presence of a stronger title, {He who holds the Power of the Gods}, the bonus from Myth Holder has been converted to better suit the holder.]


    [+20 Charisma!]


    "Okay, that''s pretty useful," Ludwig muttered, though he was still annoyed by the book''s forceful binding. But there was no time to dwell on it.


    He needed to help Van Dijk.


    Rushing back through the gate, Ludwig found his master locked in a fierce battle with the Knight King. The tide had turned¡ªwhere Van Dijk had once dominated, he was now on the defensive. The Knight King shrugged off his attacks with ease, and Van Dijk''s blood magic was rendered useless.


    Van Dijk noticed Ludwig was back, a sigh of relief escaped his mouth, and he looked less tensed.


    "You''re fine! Good, but be careful¡ªhe''s able to absorb spells now. I can''t even use my blood anymore!" Van Dijk shouted, his frustration evident. For a blood mage, being unable to use his blood was like a swordsman losing his arms.


    "Burn!" Van Dijk commanded, summoning a torrent of black flames that surged toward the Knight King. But the king simply sliced through the flames with his sword, dissipating them effortlessly.


    "And as you can see, he''s very strong against mage types!" Van Dijk cursed, his voice strained.


    "How about against physical attacks? Get out and fight!" Ludwig waved his hand, summoning the book once more. "[Necrotic Apparition]!" he shouted.


    From the book emerged the two guards he had raised earlier, but they were transformed. Their armor was now veiled in a shadowy aura, their eyes glowing a bright, unnatural blue. Their weapons and shields were no longer broken and cracked but polished and fully repaired. They moved with a speed and precision that defied their undead nature, sprinting toward the Knight King with deadly intent.


    The Knight King''s eyes narrowed as he recognized the soldiers. "You dare take my people into undeath!" he roared, his voice filled with fury. He swung his sword with devastating force, slamming it into the first guard. The undead soldier tried to block, but the sheer power of the blow sent him flying to the side.


    The second guard, undeterred, stabbed his sword into the back of the Knight King. There was no allegiance to royalty for these undead¡ªtheir loyalty belonged solely to the owner of the book. Their glowing eyes were focused, their movements precise. Their task was simple: kill the enemy and leave nothing behind.


    And thanks to the additional charisma, and whatever the book had done to the undead, they seemed to be more willing to accept orders. The flow of battle was about to change.

 Chapter 148 - 148: Conclusion

    "Back him up!" Ludwig ordered the soldier that was trashed to the side, it immediately rose up and charged at the Knight King. The latter grabbed the guard that was stabbing him by the side with one hand, raised him up and slammed him on the ground.


    He then swung down his sword aiming to chop off its head.


    The second guard had already reached the fight scene and desperately struck his own sword against the Knight King''s incoming sword. The size difference between the two swords was comical, as the Knight King sword snapped the guard''s weapon in half, but that small interference was enough to fully diverge the falling blow to smash into the ground, breaking the cobblestone and sending shards of it flying all over the place.


    The Kinght King kicked the second knight away and was struck in the back by a blood dagger.


    "Good job Ludwig, keep him occupied," Van Dijk said as he began manipulating smaller amounts of blood weapons, in a far more advanced mastery and control.


    Whenever the knight was about to strike down with his weapon, the blood weapons would smash against his arm, elbow and wrist, fully displacing his swing.


    Ludwig rushed forward joining the battle, he wasn''t proficient in swordsmanship to be able to handle the Knight King, but he knew he could be a nuisance to the king. "Fire Ball!" Ludwig said as he was at the side of the king, his palm right against the king''s side where he couldn''t reflect it.


    The flame ball blasted in close quarters, singing the armor of the king and doing little damage.


    -120hp.


    Annoyed the King flung his shield at Ludwig, "You''re not gonna get me with the same thing twice!" Ludwig said as he jumped back. Making the knight open up his chest for another "Fire Ball"


    Just as the spell made contact with the knight''s chest, three blood daggers stabbed the knight in the opening between his helmet and chest armor.


    Ludwig backed away, this time he made sure to grab his weapon that he had found laying on the ground.


    The battle was not easy for these two, the knight was incredibly powerful against mages, able to break their spells and deflect them, and even able to absorb Van Dijk''s powerful blood magic. While Ludwig who had a mix of physical and magical spells and attacks couldn''t deal much damage due to his low level.


    So they had to wither the king down, bit by agonizing bit. "Get behind him," Ludwig ordered one of the guards that rose up from the ground and went behind the king while the other stood in front of Ludwig guarding him.


    A four way offensive that pinned the knight, it was like hyenas surrounding a lion, though alone the king would easily destroy them, but courage can''t beat numbers.


    "You cowards!" the knight king roared out as he swung his sword at the nearest guard.


    The latter though broken of weapon still desperately parried the sword swing, but never anticipated that the knight king would follow up with a grab of his shield tied hand.


    He grabbed the soldier and raised him high then opened his mouth so wide his helmet cracked apart revealing a massive row of teeth.


    The knight king threw the guard inside his mouth and began swallowing him.


    Ludwig panicked, this way he''ll have destroyed one of his guards and they''ll have an even harder time fighting.


    "Taint!" Ludwig barked, his palm aimed forward, not aiming at the Knight King, but his own undead puppet.


    [You successfully applied the curse [Taint] onto, [Undead Tibarian Guard] your guard will have increased attack and defenses, and will constantly release a withering miasma]


    Ludwig jumped back, "Master, Corpse Explosion," he hollered.


    "Good lad! Cursed Blood! Corpse Explosion!" Van Dijk shouted as he pointed his finger at the guard that was being consumed.


    At first a red aura covered the corpse then Ludwig''s own Taint Curse enveloped it. And suddenly, the undead guard''s corpse began inflating, turning yellow then red. The knight''s wide mouth shuddered to spit out the corpse, but the guard, though was about to perish, seemed to grip at the innards of the knight king.


    The guard blew up in a thunderous boom of blood and flames. Splinters of shadow armor spread everywhere to dissipate shortly after. While the knight king''s mouth received the full burnt of the explosion.


    A loud thud soon echoed as the Knight King''s knees struck the ground, his body no longer had a head, and his torso was ruptured apart. The Knight''s body shuddered for a bit, then soon, it became motionless. The sword and shield that were wrapped around its arms soon fell down as the chains of corruption seemed to unwrap themselves from the body. And finally the body fell forward.


    "Is it o-" Ludwig immediately slapped his mouth.


    "What''s wrong?" Van Dijk asked.


    "Nothing, I was about to curse it¡­" he said.


    Immediately after that, a notification message appeared in front of Ludwig. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Congratulations! You have defeated the Fallen King of Tibari!]


    [You have obtained Brave Soul!]


    "Loot!" Ludwig said hyped up as he approached the dropped items from the Knight King.


    "Careful Ludwig, don''t let greed blind you," Van Dijk said. He didn''t have a notification system that would tell him that their foe has been defeated. So Ludwig Only nodded. "I think it''s really dead.


    But the moment he touched the sword it dissipated into smoke.


    "No!" Ludwig began cursing. The weapon that the Knight King had on him was pretty awesome, but now he couldn''t use it. Just as he turned his head to the shield, the latter also dissipated into smoke and ash.


    Ludwig cursed again.


    "What''s the matter, looks like you''re unhappy," Van Dijk said.


    "Well¡­ I thought I could obtain his weapon," Ludwig sighed.


    "That weapon was conserved by the power of the corruption that was keeping the knight alive, without a power similar to it, it would simply turn to rust and dust¡­"


    "Euh¡­similar power? "Ludwig thought for a moment, "Wait, give me a second master¡­"


    He then approached the body touched it and called. "Rise Undead!"

 Chapter 149 - 149: A Harsh Lesson

    {Your understanding of necromancy is far too low to use Raise Undead on [Tibarian Knight King]}


    {Your Wisdom Level is far too low to use Raise Undead on [Tibarian Knight King]}


    {Your Mana pool is far too low to revive [Tibarian Knight King]}


    {Your Charisma Stat is far too low to control [Tibarian Knight King]}


    The notifications flashed before Ludwig''s eyes, each one a stark reminder of his inadequacy. He stared at the lifeless body of the Knight King, his mind racing with frustration and disappointment. The corpse lay before him, its once-imposing form now still and silent, a testament to the power it had wielded in life. Ludwig had hoped to turn it into an ally, a weapon to aid them in the battles to come. But the system''s warnings were clear¡ªhe was not ready.


    "Tsk," Ludwig clicked his tongue, his frustration bubbling to the surface. He clenched his fists, the shard in his hand trembling slightly as he fought to contain his emotions.


    "What were you hoping to achieve?" Van Dijk''s voice cut through the silence, cold and sharp. Ludwig turned to see his master in the process of recovering his lost blood, his expression unreadable. Van Dijk''s eyes, usually filled with a mix of amusement and mild irritation, were now as cold as the first day they had met. The easygoing demeanor Ludwig had grown accustomed to was gone, replaced by a stern, almost icy presence that seemed inches away from lashing out.


    Ludwig hesitated, sensing the weight of his master''s disapproval. "I tried to revive this corpse," he admitted, his voice steady but tinged with defensiveness. "It would have been helpful to use, especially since we''ll probably fight against the owner of this place soon."


    Van Dijk took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling slowly as if he were holding back a storm of words. When he finally spoke, his tone was measured but laced with a quiet intensity. "I''ll forgive it, only once. This time and this time alone." He paused, his gaze piercing. "Ludwig, do you know what I hate most in people?"


    Ludwig felt a chill run down his spine. He had seen Van Dijk annoyed, frustrated, even amused, but this was different. This was anger, simmering and dangerous. "No, master," Ludwig replied, tilting his head slightly, his voice cautious.


    "It''s complacency, and arrogance," Van Dijk said, his words cutting through the air like a blade. "One is only allowed to be arrogant if they have the power to back it up. But you, Ludwig, you neither have the strength to be complacent nor the skill to be arrogant. Yet you dared to revive something far stronger than you, far more powerful, and far more dangerous."


    Ludwig opened his mouth to respond, but Van Dijk raised a hand, silencing him. "I understand," Ludwig said quickly, hoping to placate his master.


    "No, you don''t!" Van Dijk snapped, his voice rising. "If you did, you wouldn''t have done the same thing those two fools did to you!" He pointed an accusatory finger at Ludwig, his eyes blazing. "By what right do you think you can call upon the dead with such meager understanding? By what confidence do you think it will bow its head to you? And most importantly, by what foolish idea did you think you''d succeed?"


    Ludwig flinched, his mind racing for a response, but he found none. Van Dijk''s words struck a nerve, each one a painful reminder of his own limitations. He lowered his gaze, unable to meet his master''s piercing stare.


    Van Dijk sighed, the anger in his voice giving way to a weary frustration. "It''s about time for our second lesson anyway," he said, his tone softening slightly. "Ludwig, what is needed for one to summon the dead?"


    Ludwig straightened, grateful for the shift in tone. "A body and a contract with Deus Necros," he recited, his voice steady. "The sigils are the contract, and the body is the medium. Necros would then give the soul that belonged to the body for the necromancer to control and command."


    Van Dijk nodded, but his expression remained stern. "A textbook answer. It is correct but incomplete. What you''re missing is respect for the corpse. Necros gives you the soul for the body, but if you have no respect for it, why would it ever follow you? Weak or strong, they have already died and perished. You''re commanding them back to life from their eternal rest. The least you can do is respect their bodies."


    He paused, his gaze shifting to the Knight King''s corpse. "What you did is the opposite. You have too little understanding of necromancy to summon something this powerful. Even I would take days of preparation for a corpse this strong to even attempt to revive it."


    Ludwig nodded, absorbing his master''s words. He glanced at the guard he had summoned earlier, the one now standing silently beside him. Van Dijk followed his gaze and gestured toward the undead soldier. "As for guard," he said, his voice tinged with disapproval, "look at what''s happening to its body."


    Ludwig turned to see the guard''s form slowly withering and crumbling. At first glance, it had seemed stable, but now, in the stillness, the decay was unmistakable. The flesh was rotting away, the bones growing brittle, and the armor rusting at an unnatural rate.


    "I don''t know what you did to even be able to summon it in that form in the first place," Van Dijk continued, "but even that guard is too much for you. It''ll soon perish."


    Van Dijk was neither entirely correct nor wrong. Normally, the guard''s body would have crumbled much faster due to Ludwig''s lack of understanding. But the Codex, with its mysterious power, was offsetting the strain, delaying the inevitable.


    "But this thing?" Van Dijk gestured to the Knight King''s corpse. "It would require far more effort to summon. If not, all you''ll obtain is a weak corpse¡ªa mindless skeleton or zombie at best, serving as nothing but fodder." sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Mass necromancy is easy to achieve. I have shown you such earlier because those were the bodies of citizens and weaklings, it wouldn''t matter if you case rise undead on them in mass. They''re nothing but fodder. But for something this strong, this powerful, you need to give it the proper respect it needs. Rituals are done for a reason. Even if your body had undergone such a ritual, you were handled by the wrong people. Instead of resurrecting what I would suspect to be a powerful heroic-level undead, you were brought back as nothing but a skeleton. It would be a shame to waste the precious corpse of a king who led a nation and even managed to have me use more than a fourth of my strength to fight it, to be brought back as a mindless walking corpse. A true shame."


    Ludwig nodded again, his frustration giving way to a grudging acceptance. He had overreached, and his master''s words were a harsh but necessary reminder of his limits.


    "Enough of me being harsh on you," Van Dijk said, his tone softening. "Now, I see that you''re interested in this corpse, which is fine. Collect it. You should have enough space in your ring for that."


    "Right, master," Ludwig said, moving to comply. But as he reached for the Knight King''s body, the book at his side stirred.


    [1 Tibarian Guard''s corpse has been discarded from the Codex.]


    The book flew open, its pages fluttering as a dark vortex emerged. The Knight King''s corpse was pulled into the book, its shattered form reassembling before Ludwig''s eyes. Flesh, bone, and armor were reconstructed, the sword and shield restored to their former glory.


    [Tibarian Knight King''s Corpse has been stored.]


    [It is currently unusable as an Undead. Sealed.]


    [Umbra Malvolume Codex Necros is full. Please increase your proficiency in Necromancy to expand its size.]


    "What was that?" Van Dijk asked, his curiosity piqued.


    "Oh, the book," Ludwig explained. "It''s able to store corpses. That''s where that guard was¡­ I think the hound is also inside it, but it''s refusing to come out."


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed as he studied the book. "I see¡­a Necronomicon indeed. I didn''t expect it to have a storage option¡­ perhaps it has something else to it, you said the guard came out of the book?"


    Ludwig nodded.


    "Hmm, seeing the shadowy aura around them, I can assume the book is able to protect the corpses to an extent and preserve them¡­ Keep that book safe. It looks to be something very special."


    "Stow," Ludwig commanded, pointing at the crumbling guard. The undead soldier was absorbed into the book, and its form is preserved for now.


    "Let''s go inside," Van Dijk said, his tone returning to its usual briskness. "We''ve kept our host alone for a bit too long."


    Ludwig nodded, falling into step behind his master as they headed toward the cathedral. The weight of Van Dijk''s lesson lingered in his mind, a reminder of the respect and understanding required to wield the power of necromancy.

 Chapter 150 - 150: Gluttony

    The two soon arrived at the entrance of the cathedral, the arena-like garden behind them left in ruins, a testament to the ferocity of the last battle. The arena-shaped garden was now a wasteland of shattered stone, scorched earth, and the lingering stench of blood and smoke. Ludwig couldn''t help but glance back, his hollow eyes scanning the devastation. He could only hope that this next encounter wouldn''t be too¡­ deadly. At least, that''s what he told himself. So far, they had come with a purpose other than fighting, but every step of the way had forced them into conflict.


    Just as they approached the massive cathedral gates, the doors creaked open slowly, the sound echoing eerily through the silence. The hinges groaned as if protesting the movement, the noise grating and unnatural.


    "That needs some oil," Ludwig said, trying to lighten the tension and dispel the oppressive mood. His voice sounded hollow, even to his own ears, and the attempt at humor fell flat.


    Van Dijk smirked faintly, a flicker of amusement in his otherwise cold eyes. He stepped forward, one arm casually behind his back while the other snapped his fingers. A small red flame sparked to life in his palm, its crimson glow casting long, flickering shadows across the cathedral''s interior.


    But as the light from Van Dijk''s flame illuminated the room, several torches along the walls ignited in succession, their flames flaring to life one after another. The cathedral''s interior was revealed in stages, each torchlight unveiling more of the grand, yet dreary, space. The walls were lined with portraits of nobles and kings, their faces frozen in time, their eyes seeming to follow Ludwig and Van Dijk as they moved. Statues of knights stood in solemn rows, their stone hands gripping massive swords held vertically, the tips raised in front of their faces. The statues formed a path toward a grand staircase that led to the upper levels of the cathedral. A red carpet, worn and faded, stretched from the entrance to the base of the stairs and beyond, guiding their way forward.


    "Quite hospitable," Van Dijk remarked dryly as he extinguished his flame and placed his second hand behind his back. He strode forward with an air of confidence, his footsteps echoing in the vast, empty hall.


    Ludwig followed cautiously, his eyes darting to the statues. "I have a feeling that the moment we cross halfway, these statues will come to life and attack us," he muttered, his voice low.


    Just as the words left his mouth, the statues shuddered. Ludwig tensed, his hand instinctively reaching for his shard. But instead of attacking, the stone knights shifted their grip on their weapons, pointing the blades downward, and took several steps back, clearing a wider path toward the staircase.


    "I guess you were mistaken," Van Dijk said. "Regardless, this thing here, if it wanted us dead, I''m sure it wouldn''t have sent weaklings toward us. This whole city in reality is under control. the owner has no intention on killing us¡­ yet," Van Dijk said as he took confident steps forward.


    Ludwig wasn''t convinced. He kept a wary eye on the statues as they ascended the staircase, his unease growing with each step. The air grew heavier, the silence more oppressive, as if the cathedral itself was alive and watching them.


    At the top of the stairs, they were met with a solid wall. There was no visible way forward, no door or passage to the upper levels. Ludwig frowned, glancing at Van Dijk, but before he could speak, the wall began to dematerialize. Stone dissolved into mist, revealing an arched doorway that led into a massive hall.


    The hall was even grander than the entrance, its ceiling soaring high above them. Towering statues lined the walls, each one easily as tall as the ceiling itself. They held weapons that could have been mistaken for pillars¡ªswords and warhammers so massive they looked capable of cleaving elephants in half or crushing them with a single swing. The statues were intricately detailed, their stone faces stern and lifelike, their eyes seeming to glint in the torchlight.


    While the stone guards appeared to be just that¡ªstone¡ªLudwig wasn''t naive enough to trust the illusion. "Master¡­" he said, his voice tense. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I know, Ludwig, I know," Van Dijk replied, his tone calm but edged with caution. "They are, in fact, not simple statues. But it seems our host isn''t too hostile right now."


    "Master¡­" Ludwig said.


    "I know, Ludwig, I know, they are in fact not simple statues," Van Dijk said, "But it seems that our host isn''t too hostile right now," Van Dijk said as he looked ahead.


    At the far end of the hall stood a throne carved from dark stone, its surface etched with intricate runes and symbols. Seated on the throne was a figure that looked eerily familiar.


    ***


    [You are in the presence of one of the Usurpers of Death!


    The Gluttonous Death Stares at You!]


    [Sudden Quest!]


    The moment Ludwig saw the notification his heart dropped. Though he had no heart.


    However, the content of the quest were something different than what he expected.


    [You are too weak to contend against the Usurpers of Death.]


    Your patron has tasked you with a simple quest.


    Survive the first encounter with the Gluttonous Death.


    Fighting the Gluttonous Death at your current level will obliterate you.


    You are not allowed to use [Inspect] on the Gluttonous Death.


    Deus Necros''s Interference has been greatly reduced in the presence of an Usurper of Death.


    Survive!


    ***


    Ludwig gulped, he wasn''t planning on attacking it, but for the quest to tell him to specifically not engage in combat meant that his death was guaranteed if they were to aggravate this entity.


    The figure on the throne smiled, its expression unnervingly calm. When it spoke, its voice echoed with the resonance of a thousand voices, each one layered over the other in a haunting chorus. "Welcome to my humble abode, dear guests. What can this humble one do for you?"


    "I''d appreciate it if you didn''t take my appearance when speaking to me," Van Dijk said.


    The person on the throne smiled, after all it looked exactly like Van Dijk "Fair enough, though even I don''t remember my true appearance, is this good enough?"


    The Gluttonous Death chuckled, its form shifting seamlessly. The figure that had resembled Van Dijk melted away, replaced by the image of a young woman with silver hair and piercing blue eyes. She looked elegant, almost ethereal, but there was a gentleness to her that felt out of place in this grim setting.


    Ludwig was confused at first, who was that woman?


    Suddenly however, the air grew incredibly cold. Van Dijk, if he had released his wrathful aura the last time the werewolf had appeared in the city and almost made Ludwig buckle on his knees. This time, the aura itself wasn''t only visible, but was tangible to the point that Ludwig fell to his knees.


    [You''re suffering from a True Vampire''s Noble Pressure.]


    Ludwig was being pushed down against the floor from his master''s influence. And almost instantly, the statues around them flung their swords toward Van Dijk.


    "Shit!" Ludwig cursed as he believed his master was a goner.


    However, the swords stopped a few centimeters away from his face, neck, and back.


    "It seems that you don''t like this appearance either, what was her name? Melania? Right¡­" The more the Gluttonous Death spoke, the more enraged Van Dijk became, yet he didn''t utter a single word yet.


    "Hmmm, you''re no fun," the Gluttonous Death said. "Others would have lashed out," he said as he stood up, then changed his appearance, this time to an older-looking figure, this one looked¡­ almost like Van Dijk. Relative perhaps Ludwig thought.


    "Do you find joy in making a true vampire enraged?" Van Dijk spoke.


    "Hardly, this is something even I cannot control," the Gluttonous Death said, "It is part of what I am."


    Van Dijk closed his eyes and took a slow calculated breath then exhaled. Only then did the aura around him was reduced.


    While moving the man changed, this time to a scrawny, hairy and dirty looking person, he had a blindfold over his face and had longer than normal nails and slightly pointy fangs.


    "Bastos Van Dijk, the lout of the Bastos family, what can this one do for you?" the person said as he stood in front of Van Dijk.

 Chapter 151 - 151: A Not So Simple Conversation

    Van Dijk stood in silence for a moment, his crimson eyes narrowing as he processed the Gluttonous Death''s words. The air in the cathedral was thick with tension, the weight of the Usurper''s presence pressing down on them like a physical force. Finally, Van Dijk spoke, his voice low and measured. "Who is the one with the blindfold?" he asked, his tone sharp and demanding.


    The Gluttonous Death tilted its head, its form shifting slightly as if amused by the question. "Ah, Alcide the Ruthless. He is but a client of ours. Why do you wish to know that?"


    "Tell me where he is," Van Dijk said, his voice cutting through the air like a blade.


    The Gluttonous Death chuckled, a sound that echoed unnaturally through the vast hall. "A, a, ah, my question needs to be answered first," it said, its tone mocking. "It is the proper way for a conversation."


    Van Dijk''s jaw tightened, but he took a slow, deliberate breath before responding. "I need to kill him," he said, his voice cold and final.


    The Gluttonous Death''s smile widened, its teeth glinting in the dim light. "Fair enough. And now, let me answer your question. Right now, I have no idea where he is. Honestly, though, here''s a small tip: you, vampire, cannot beat a lycanthrope. Well, not the weaklings he sired, but him? No, you won''t even come close. You''ve seen what he can become. Not even your father was able to take him down. What makes you think that you could?"


    It paused, its gaze shifting to Ludwig. The Usurper''s form blurred as it stepped closer, placing a hand on Ludwig''s shoulder and leaning in until its face was uncomfortably close. "Unless," it said, its voice dripping with mockery, "you believe this thing can do it."


    [Do not instigate the Gluttonous Death!]


    The notification flashed before Ludwig''s eyes, its warning stark and urgent. Ludwig remained still, his hollow eyes meeting the Usurper''s gaze without flinching.


    The Gluttonous Death straightened, its form shifting again as it regarded Ludwig with a mix of curiosity and disdain. "An Apostle of Death. Quite funny. What, this makes you the seventh? Eighth one I''ve seen?"


    Ludwig frowned, his mind racing. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice steady despite the unease creeping into his thoughts.


    The Gluttonous Death chuckled, a sound that sent shivers down Ludwig''s spine. "Hmm, you don''t know, do you? But you must have met the mutt. I can smell his scent off of you¡ªquite recently, too. Perhaps that''s why you came here."


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by Apostle of Death?" he demanded, his voice sharp. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Gluttonous Death placed a hand over its mouth, feigning surprise. "Oh, you don''t know? Even if it''s your own disciple? Should I have kept it a secret?"


    "It doesn''t matter," Ludwig interjected, his voice firm. "Regardless, what do you mean by eight apostles? You have yet to answer the question I asked."


    The Gluttonous Death''s smile widened, its form shifting fluidly as it spoke. "You know how to play the game. Right, you''re not the only one with¡­ that." It pointed at Ludwig''s lantern, its eyes gleaming with malice.


    Before Ludwig could react, the Gluttonous Death flicked its finger. Suddenly, all the remaining souls inside the lantern were pulled out, their glowing forms hovering in the air like captured fireflies.


    [Your Soul Letting Lantern is currently empty! Death will be permanent!]


    The notification blared in Ludwig''s mind, but he didn''t have time to process it. The Gluttonous Death dragged the souls toward its gaping mouth, its form distorting as it prepared to consume them.


    Ludwig acted on instinct. He lunged forward, his hand closing around one of the souls¡ªa warm, glowing orb that pulsed faintly in his grasp. It was the soul of Thomas Vondel.


    "That''s not yours to eat," Ludwig said, his voice low but firm.


    The Gluttonous Death''s eyes narrowed, its form twisting as its face morphed into a nightmarish visage of endless rows of teeth. "I EAT WHAT I WANT!" it roared, its voice shaking the very foundations of the cathedral.


    But Ludwig didn''t flinch. He held the soul tightly, his gaze unwavering. "You can have the rest. Not this one. I still have business with this soul," he said, his voice steady despite the overwhelming pressure.


    The Gluttonous Death stared at him for a moment, its form shifting back to its previous state. It sighed, a sound that was both amused and exasperated. "Fine, fine. I''ll consider it a token of friendship," it said, before gobbling up the remaining souls in one swift motion.


    The cathedral fell silent, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. The Gluttonous Death leaned back, its form shifting once more as it regarded Ludwig with a mix of curiosity and amusement.


    "Regardless," it said, its tone casual, "do you know the reason why your mission is yet to be completed, even though many who are stronger, smarter, older, and more experienced than you came here before you?"


    Ludwig didn''t hesitate. "I can already tell," he said. "Because they didn''t dare risk losing their immortality."


    The Gluttonous Death''s smile widened, its form shifting fluidly as it clapped its hands in mock applause. "Oh, a smart one, indeed. They rely on that trinket too much. And if they end up without souls, they''re no different than any mortal. But I see that you have some backbone. The others were on their knees begging during our first meeting. Quite the sight, I thought I''d get to see it once more. But sadly, you undead have no such thing as fear. Quite pointless¡­"


    Its form began to shift again, but this time, it immediately reverted to the image of the werewolf. The Gluttonous Death tilted its head, its eyes gleaming with a predatory light.


    "Hmm, you¡­ have no memories, no recollection of your past life. Quite the interesting fellow. Is it the protection of Necros? Or perhaps you really don''t know who you truly are?"


    Ludwig met its gaze, his expression unreadable. "Perhaps it''s both," he said.


    The Gluttonous Death chuckled, a sound that echoed unnaturally through the hall. "You do know how to play the game. Good. There is no reason to answer directly."


    It turned to Van Dijk, its form shifting once more. "So, your wish is to kill the one that caused you to be what you are. But let me tell you again, you''re not strong enough. You struggled against a mere puppet so much. What makes you think you can defeat one that served the god of death?"


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed, his voice cold and sharp. "I haven''t revealed all my tricks yet. Not to mention, I''m pretty sure I''m currently stronger than my father."


    The Gluttonous Death''s smile widened, its form shifting fluidly as it leaned closer. "That is indeed true. But you''re not the only one who grew stronger, vampire. Your nemesis also had time to grow. Especially after he earned my blessing."


    Van Dijk''s rage boiled over, his aura flaring with a palpable intensity. The air around him crackled with energy, the pressure forcing Ludwig to take a step back.


    "Master," Ludwig said, his voice calm but firm, trying to diffuse the tension.


    The Gluttonous Death chuckled, its form shifting again as it regarded Ludwig with a mix of amusement and curiosity. "By blessing," Ludwig asked, "is that what you gave him so he''d be more¡­ gluttonous?"


    The Usurper''s smile widened, its form shifting fluidly as it clapped its hands. "Will you look at that, we have a smart one here. Yes, lad, he asked for it, and I obliged. After all, it was the only way for him to survive me. Those who come here thinking they can take me on are always in for a rude awakening. And that''s the only reason the two of you still draw breath¡ªwell, one of you¡­"


    Ludwig''s gaze remained steady, his voice calm. "It''s because none of us had any intentions of fighting you in the first place."


    The Gluttonous Death''s smile widened, its form shifting fluidly as it leaned closer. "Indeed, you didn''t ask yourselves why someone like me would be living in a place with so little¡­ protection, now did you? The things you fought all the way here were merely a small hindrance, something that would earn you the right to speak to this one. As for those who came with malicious intent before you, they have all perished long before they took a step into the city. And even if they made it to the city, they had to fight far more grueling and deadly battles to get here¡­"


    The Gluttonous Death''s voice trailed off, its form shifting fluidly as it regarded them with a mix of amusement and menace. The cathedral fell silent, the weight of its words hanging heavy in the air.

 Chapter 152 - 152: Danger At The Academy

    Of course, Ludwig thought, after all, relatively the whole city was far too easy to clear. Though his master had done most of the work, it just felt too easy. Too simple.


    The dungeon''s difficulty was after all ten skulls, that''s enough to make anyone completely give up. But it didn''t feel that hard anyway. Simply because the Gluttonous Death didn''t want to kill them off.


    "So tell me, what are your plans?" the Gluttonous Death asked. "Are you going to keep looking for the werewolf?" he then turned to Ludwig, "And you, are you still planning on hunting us Seven Deaths?"


    "Of course," Van Dijk said.


    "Same here, I''ll keep hunting," Ludwig replied though the notifications kept urging him not to agitate the Gluttonous Death he did the opposite.


    "For the vampire, I care little less than nothing, but for you, undead, you''re basically threatening me, what would stop me from snuffing your very life right now, and spare myself the headache?" the Gluttonous Death said in a wide toothy smile, which was like a shark smile that spread all the way to his ears.


    "Because you need to fatten a pig first before eating it, I''m nothing more than bones now, killing me will give you little to no satisfaction," Ludwig said, "Aren''t you the Gluttonous Death?" Ludwig said.


    This was the first time Ludwig mentioned the Gluttonous Death''s name, and Van Dijk immediately picked up on it.


    "Indeed I am, and you are right, it would be a waste to consume something like you right now, you''re too scrawny," it smiled once again. "Then fine, let us fight to our heart''s content the next time we meet. For now, I''ll grant you safe passage out of the bog. Though I can''t promise that I''ll spare you the next time you''re here," he said.


    Ludwig inwardly sighed a sigh of relief, after all this just meant that they won''t be killed off right now.


    "As for you, though I don''t know where Alcide is, I''m sure he mentioned something about a Sultan. The Kingdom of the Sand¡­ he was planning something there, but I can''t interfere, my sister is ruling that place. So go and have fun, but remember, she''s not as merciful as I am¡­" he snorted.


    Van Dijk nodded, he now had a new lead.


    "Remember vampire, you''re not strong enough, not yet at least, and if you fall in my sister''s hands, not even the gods can save you¡­ as for you," he said as he turned to Ludwig, "You owe me for the souls you stole back then," he said.


    "I didn''t steal from you anything," Ludwig said.


    "You killed a sheikh that had come and implored me for a way to seek immortality, have you not?" he asked.


    "I did kill the sheikh, but what souls have I stolen from you?"


    "You see, I had been enjoying the rituals he was sharing, it''s quite sad that one of my sources of steady souls was cutoff," The gluttonous Death said.


    Ludwig''s hesitated for a second, then said, "I wouldn''t call it theft, the sheikh was unworthy of such power so I took him down. I also never took any of the souls from the ritual, it was the sheikh''s failure to meet your standards that wasted them."


    "You do strike a decent argument, indeed, if he was more adequate, he wouldn''t have died. I am fair after all, though gluttonous, I shouldn''t blame you for someone else inadequacy. Fine," he said as he turned and stepped back to his throne.


    "This, is my kingdom he said, you have overstayed your welcome, please leave as soon as possible," he said.


    Immediately after that, the wall behind them transformed once again, this time it opened up onto the same portal that they came through to the bog the first time.


    "Go on now, and do tell the world if they ask of the terrors that await those who are gluttonous for wealth. For I am not merciful, but extremely reasonable, those who wish to seek me for power shall pay an equivalent price, and those that come to seek me for vengeance shall find nothing but hunger that would drive them to madness."


    "Master,"


    "I know Ludwig, let''s leave," Van Dijk said as he stepped out of the palace. Ludwig followed him and heard something for his ears only.


    "Servant of the Death God, sometimes, it''s good to question¡­ for not all things are what they seem to be, and not all that glitter is gold¡­" the moment his words echoed in Ludwig''s ears he turned to find the pathway to the palace completely gone.


    They were no longer in the cathedral but back at the first outpost of Tibari.


    [Congratulation on completing the Sudden Quest Survive The Gluttonous Death!] sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Your abilities are unsealed. You may use them as you wish]


    [You have obtained 100 souls]


    Ludwig frowned, quite the measly reward for surviving one of the deaths, but it''s fine. This at least makes it so he isn''t on the verge of death again, Also Thomas'' soul is still safe inside the lantern.


    "Hmm¡­" Van Dijk frowned, "Something isn''t right," he said, waking Ludwig from his musings.


    "What is it?" Ludwig asked as he looked around.


    "This moss¡­ it wasn''t this big the last time we were here," Van Dijk said.


    Ludwig couldn''t even tell the difference as he remembers the scene almost exactly the same.


    "It seems to have grown by a couple centimeters¡­" he then grabbed his crystal and connected it.


    "Silva?" he asked.


    "Master Van Dijk! You''re alive! Finally!" he said.


    "What''s going on?" Van Dijk asked.


    "You''ve been gone for a couple weeks now, we were preparing to send a full force of mages after you¡­"


    "A couple weeks?" Van Dijk asked, "It hasn''t been even a full day since I left¡­"


    "Temporal interference¡­ I see, you must return at haste, there is a problem back at the academy¡­"


    "What sort of problem?" Van Dijk asked.


    "The Holy Order is here¡­"

 Chapter 153 - 153: The Visit of The Holy Order

    "Ludwig," Van Dijk said, his voice sharp and laced with irritation. The news he had just received clearly didn''t sit well with him. His crimson eyes narrowed as he turned to his disciple, his expression a mix of frustration and urgency.


    "How good is your lantern''s camouflage?" he asked, his tone clipped and demanding.


    Ludwig hesitated for a moment, his eyes meeting Van Dijk''s piercing gaze. "Good enough to trick anyone that doesn''t already know I''m an undead," he replied, his voice steady but cautious. He had no idea what they were capable off, but for the god tier item he held, they shouldn''t be able to see the real him.


    Van Dijk''s jaw tightened, his frustration evident. "That''s sadly not enough for those guys," he said, his voice low and tense. "Listen, I want you to immediately go to your room the moment we get back to the academy. Do not wander, do not engage with anyone. Just stay out of sight."


    "Okay," Ludwig replied, his tone flat and devoid of emotion.


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed further, his frustration bubbling to the surface. "Right, you can''t mess this up. You''re my disciple, and I''ll protect you from anything, but those guys¡­ they''re the type that will kill first and never ask questions later. So, be careful."


    Ludwig nodded, his expression unreadable. He understood the gravity of the situation, but his undead nature made it difficult to convey the appropriate level of concern.


    Van Dijk exhaled sharply, his frustration giving way to a grim determination. He opened a portal back to the academy, the swirling vortex of magic casting an eerie glow in the dim light of the outpost.


    The moment the two of them stepped through the portal, the atmosphere shifted. The familiar surroundings of the academy felt different¡ªtense, almost suffocating. Silva was already there, his expression a mix of relief and anxiety.


    "Van Dijk," Silva said, his voice uncharacteristically informal. It was the first time Ludwig had heard him address Van Dijk without his title. "You''re here. Hurry up, they''re planning on going to your tower. I don''t know what''s in there, but they seem to be adamant that you''re running some form of Dark Magic¡­ or at least think you do."


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed, his frustration boiling over. "What the hell is going on?" he demanded, his voice sharp and dangerous.


    Silva shook his head, his expression grim. "Beats me. They just showed up unannounced. Something about Rima. Also¡­" He hesitated, his gaze flicking to Ludwig. "They need to speak to your disciple."


    Van Dijk cursed under his breath, his frustration palpable. "Shit."


    Before he could say more, a voice interrupted them. "Oh, they are here."


    Ludwig turned to see an older man dressed in pristine white robes, holding a scepter that looked awfully familiar. The staff was adorned with intricate designs, similar to the one Ludwig had seen in the vision from the Mask of the Blind Witness. But this one was shorter, less radiant, and carried an air of authority rather than divine light.


    Several paladins followed the man, their armor gleaming in the dim light. One of them stepped forward, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "Bishop, are these the ones?" he asked, his voice sharp and accusatory.


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed, his patience wearing thin. "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, his voice low and dangerous.


    "Silence, vampire!" the paladin shouted, his voice filled with contempt.


    Van Dijk''s vein on his forehead twitched, his frustration boiling over. Ludwig could almost feel the tension in the air, thick and suffocating.


    ''Oh shit, someone''s going to die¡­'' Ludwig thought, his grip tightening on his shard.


    However, the older man¡ªthe bishop¡ªraised his hand, silencing the paladin with a single gesture. "There is no need to agitate our friend here, Juaquin," he said, his voice calm but firm. "Remember, you''re in the Black Tower''s territory."


    The paladin named Juaquin scowled but stepped back, his hand still resting on his sword. "This dark creature dares speak against our Order out of turn, Lord Bishop," he said, his voice filled with disdain.


    "That is his right as the master of the tower," the bishop replied, his tone calm but authoritative. "Calm down now. Let the grown-ups handle this."


    Van Dijk''s patience was wearing thin. "What is going on here?" he demanded, his voice sharp and dangerous. "My patience is running dry."


    The bishop turned to Van Dijk, his expression calm but unyielding. "We do not seek to cause strife or problems. We only wish for order. And seeing that there are too many eyes here, how about we visit your office for a proper conversation?"


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed, but he nodded curtly. "Fine by me," he said, his voice clipped. He turned to Silva. "Open a gate to my office, please."


    Silva hesitated for a moment, his expression uneasy, but he complied. A portal opened, its swirling vortex casting an eerie glow in the dim light.


    [You are in a hostile environment.]


    The notification flashed before Ludwig''s eyes, and he tensed immediately. His hand instinctively went to his shard, his hollow eyes scanning the room for any signs of danger.


    One of the paladins grabbed him from the shoulder, his grip firm and unyielding. "What are you doing?!" the paladin demanded, his voice sharp and accusatory.


    Ludwig''s hollow eyes met the paladin''s gaze, his voice calm but firm. "You''re the one showing hostility."


    The bishop chuckled, his tone almost amused. "Oh, quite the talented boy. And looks to be a freshman, too, to realize hostile intent this early. But worry not, young lamb," he said, his voice calm but patronizing. "This is only normal procedure. The boy comes with us."


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed, his frustration boiling over. "Why? What does he have to do with anything? He''s just a freshman," he said, his voice sharp and defensive.


    The bishop''s smile widened, his tone calm but unyielding. "That would have been the case, if not for the fact that he was the protagonist of Rima''s events. We have eyes everywhere and ears all around, Van Dijk. The boy comes with us."


    Van Dijk''s jaw tightened, but he nodded curtly. "Fine," he said, his voice clipped. He stepped through the portal, his expression dark and unreadable.


    The paladin shoved Ludwig forward, his grip firm and unyielding. Ludwig cursed under his breath as the entire group entered Van Dijk''s office.


    The bishop wasted no time. "Scan for dark magic," he ordered, his voice calm but authoritative.


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed, his frustration evident. "Quite the rude guest, but sure, scan away," he said, his voice sharp and dangerous. He walked to his chair and sat down, his expression dark and unreadable.


    Several paladins began planting flag-like structures around the office, imbuing them with golden aura magic that spread throughout the room. The air grew heavy with tension as the aura washed over everything, including Ludwig. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After a few tense moments, the paladin named Juaquin shook his head. "Nothing out of order," he said, his voice sharp and accusatory. "But there is something on the boy and the master. Light, but it looks¡­ unnatural."


    The bishop''s smile widened, his tone calm but patronizing. "Is that so?" he asked, his gaze shifting to Ludwig. "What might be the reason for that? I''d like to hear the answer from the boy."


    Ludwig met the bishop''s gaze, his expression unreadable. "We were doing an expedition," he said, his voice calm and measured. "I''m sure you asked Silva about our disappearance. We met some nasty fellows, took care of them, and we''re back." He shrugged, his tone casual but defiant.


    The paladin named Juaquin stepped forward, his expression filled with contempt. "Arrogant little prick," he spat. "Speak formally to the bishop!"


    Ludwig''s hollow eyes met the paladin''s gaze, his voice calm but firm. "Why?"


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed.


    "Who is he to me?" Ludwig continued, his voice sharp and defiant. "I don''t worship his god. I don''t give a rat''s stinking ass about what he does for a job. Who the hell are you to tell me to respect whomever comes and goes? In case you forgot, this is the Black Tower Academy, not your backyard."


    The room fell silent, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. The bishop''s smile widened, his expression calm but unyielding. Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed, but unlike his lips which spread out in a thin smile. He seems to have liked that his disciple has some backbone

 Chapter 154 - 154: Investigation

    "You bastard!" Juaquin snarled, his hand instinctively flying to the hilt of his sword. His eyes burned with indignation, his face flushed with anger as he took a step toward Ludwig. But Ludwig didn''t flinch. His eyes met Juaquin''s furious gaze, his expression calm but defiant. The tension in the room was palpable, the air thick with hostility.


    Van Dijk''s lips curled into a smirk, his amusement barely concealed.


    The bishop raised a hand his expression calm but firm. "The boy is right We are not here to admonish or to undermine the authority of the Black Tower," he said, his voice smooth and measured. "Regardless, Master Van Dijk, we need to know a bit more about your last¡­ adventure in the city."


    Van Dijk sighed, leaning back in his chair. His crimson eyes flicked to the bishop, his expression a mix of annoyance and resignation. "I had my disciple go and check out Rima," he began, his tone clipped. "I had a feeling something was wrong there. After receiving reports from the dean¡­" He trailed off, pulling open a small drawer beneath his desk. He retrieved a piece of paper and placed it on the table with a deliberate motion.


    The bishop picked up the document, his eyes scanning the contents with a practiced ease. His expression remained unreadable as he read through the details.


    "Once my disciple went there," Van Dijk continued, "he began investigating the traces of Dark Magic. He ended up finding a small cult of terrorists who had apparently defected from under the Sultan''s rule. Sirou should have all that information since he led the investigation¡­"


    The bishop''s eyes narrowed slightly as he set the document down. "Are you telling me this boy managed to beat an entire faction by himself?" he asked, his tone skeptical. "Come now, Van Dijk. We know you''re not the most honest, but this is a blatant lie." S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Van Dijk''s smirk widened, his amusement evident. "There are very few people who can study at the Black Tower," he said, his voice calm but laced with a subtle edge. "And even fewer who have the right to follow me. But there is only one who has ever become my disciple. It is your own lack of understanding that limits your mind from thinking beyond its capabilities. Ludwig has always been an exceptional student."


    The bishop''s expression remained calm, but his eyes flicked to Ludwig, a hint of curiosity in his gaze. "We have heard rumors of this boy," he said, his tone measured. "Apparently, he scored exceptionally well in one of your cruel dungeon tests. And even was implicated in a murder¡­ quite the dark fellow."


    Van Dijk''s smirk faded, replaced by a cold, steely expression. "One must do what it takes to survive the Black Tower Academy," he said, his voice sharp. "As for the murder, it''s nothing but lies¡ªfabricated by his peers out of jealousy. We''re still investigating the perpetrator. Regardless, I''m sure you''re not here just to investigate my disciple''s past. Tell me, what do you want?"


    The bishop leaned back, his expression calm but unyielding. "Right, right. Regardless, after conducting our own investigation¡ªsince Sirou''s wasn''t too conclusive¡ªwe came to the conclusion that something very sinister was going on. Do you mind telling us what?"


    Van Dijk''s eyes flicked to Ludwig, a subtle signal passing between them. "I think Ludwig will have a better account of what happened," he said, deftly shifting the focus to his disciple.


    Ludwig stepped forward, his expression calm but his tone laced with a subtle edge. "Nothing really," he said, his voice steady. "Just some crazy whacko wanting to gain immortality by absorbing the souls of the people they caught. Turns out, he received help from someone at the Tibari Bog. You should go check that place out if you want to find out more."


    The bishop''s eyes narrowed, his expression darkening slightly. "What do you mean?" he asked, his tone sharp.


    Ludwig met his gaze, his expression unreadable. "You know about the guy in the Bog, right? Surely, with all this ''holier than thou'' attitude, if you''re actually seeking to purge darkness, you should start there." His tone was mocking, his words cutting through the air like a blade.


    The bishop''s smile tightened, but he remained calm. "Ah, that filthy thing. We''ll handle it when the time comes," he said, his tone dismissive.


    Ludwig''s lips curled into a smirk. "Ah, it''s fine. Just say you can''t. After all, he isn''t something you can take on. I mean, if I were you, I wouldn''t even want to get close to it. I''d also go around bullying other factions instead of dealing with the real threat."


    The paladin''s face flushed with anger, his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword. "Watch your tongue, boy!" he snapped, his voice sharp and dangerous.


    Ludwig''s smirk widened. "Or what? If you have better things to do, go and kill the owner of the Bog. Stop wasting time here, cowards."


    The paladin''s rage boiled over, but the bishop raised a hand, silencing him with a single gesture. "Indeed, the boy is right," he said, his tone calm but laced with a subtle edge. "Though our purpose is to rid the world of all that is vile, we have yet to receive the clear order to venture into the Bog. Also, it isn''t the only one. Still, tell me, how did you two survive the creature in the Bog?"


    Ludwig shrugged, his tone casual. "Survive? We never fought it. We simply had a conversation."


    The bishop''s eyes narrowed, his curiosity piqued. "I''m interested in the content of the conversation," he said, his tone calm but probing.


    Ludwig glanced at Van Dijk, who gave a subtle nod. "Nothing really," Ludwig said, his tone casual but laced with a subtle edge. "He was pretty arrogant¡ªmore than you guys¡ªbut at the same time, respectful. His arrogance came from his own strength."


    The paladin''s lips twisted into a scowl. "Sounds like you''re praising something that is dark," he said, his voice sharp and accusatory. "You can get hanged for it."


    Ludwig''s smirk widened. "Praise? Nah, that was respect for power. I have no praise for something that would eat people''s innards and minds, turning them into undead husks that know neither the taste of life nor the rest of death. What I don''t praise is your lack of action against a foe that is so confidently living in this world, bringing nothing but death and hunger, while you''re sitting on your ass, preaching righteousness without action."


    The paladin''s face flushed with anger, but the bishop raised a hand, silencing him once more. "I can see why you chose him as your disciple," the bishop said, his tone calm but laced with a subtle edge. "He has the same temperament as you, Van Dijk."


    Van Dijk''s smirk returned, but he said nothing. Instead, he gestured for Ludwig to stand next to him. "Enough, Ludwig. Come here," he said, his tone firm but calm.


    The bishop leaned back, his expression calm but unyielding. "Well, I''ll be sending a small expedition to see what''s up with the Bog. We have yet to fully understand the scope of corruption there. We also have more matters to attend to, with the new saint and all."


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed, his curiosity piqued. "You have a new saint? What happened to the other one?"


    The bishop''s smile tightened, his tone calm but laced with a subtle edge. "Ah, she died. Simple as that."

 Chapter 155 - 155: The Dream

    "She?" Ludwig muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing as he processed the bishop''s words. The room fell silent for a moment, the weight of his question hanging in the air.


    The bishop and the paladin both turned to Ludwig, their expressions a mix of surprise and curiosity. The paladin, Juaquin, looked particularly irritated.


    "I thought the saint was a young boy¡­" Ludwig continued, his voice steady but laced with confusion. "The one that appeared in Letonia and eradicated the Drak Family¡­"


    The bishop''s expression softened, though his eyes remained sharp. "Ah, yes¡­ we''ll get to that. It''s very important too. But no, he wasn''t the saint. He was called that because¡­ well, he was just that powerful both in divinity and in influence. The real saint was back at the holy temple." S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The bishop snapped his fingers, and a faint shimmering barrier of sound encapsulated the room, cutting off any possibility of eavesdropping. The air grew heavier, the atmosphere more tense.


    Van Dijk leaned back in his chair, his crimson eyes narrowing as he regarded the bishop. "I presume it''s something special, for you to put all this up," he said, his tone calm but laced with skepticism.


    The bishop sighed, his expression weary. "Oh, it''s special alright," he said, his voice low and heavy.


    The paladin, Juaquin, stepped forward, his voice sharp and accusatory. "Your Holiness, is it alright for that boy to listen to this?" he asked, his tone dripping with disdain.


    Ludwig couldn''t help but smirk inwardly. ''Man, sounds like he has a beef with me. Can''t blame him though, he''s easy to rile up.''


    The bishop raised a hand, silencing the paladin with a single gesture. "You heard the Tower Master. He''s his one and only disciple. Judging from his current and future status, he''ll probably come to know this before the mundane man anyway. Regardless, yes, this is a very big problem for our faith, to be honest¡­ and he also knows about Mot."


    ''So it was that boy in the vision and from Hoyo''s story¡­''


    Van Dijk''s smirk widened, his amusement evident. "I''m all ears, though I doubt I can be of any help for the servants of Dishana," he said, his tone laced with sarcasm.


    The bishop''s expression darkened slightly. "It''s not about Dishana. It''s about something else," he said, his voice heavy with frustration. "The one she gave us a prophecy about is the same boy your disciple spoke about¡ªthe one that serves another deity. Which is quite depressing, to be honest¡­"


    Van Dijk''s eyebrows shot up, his curiosity piqued. "So you''re saying that your own deity is making a saint of another deity''s chosen?" he asked, his tone incredulous.


    Ludwig couldn''t help but snort inwardly. ''Talk about being a cuck¡­''


    The bishop sighed, his expression weary. "Yes, we don''t question her infinite wisdom. That is part of it, and all we can do is oblige."


    Van Dijk relaxed further into his chair, his expression calm but skeptical. "So," he said, his tone casual, "what do you want me for? I have no relation to such matters."


    The bishop leaned forward, his expression serious. "That''s what I was getting to. Because the one the boy worships¡­ is an Outer God."


    Van Dijk''s eyes widened slightly, his interest clearly piqued. "Oh¡­" he said, his voice low and thoughtful. "Now, that''s very interesting¡­"


    Ludwig frowned, his confusion evident. "What''s an Outer God, Master?" he asked, his tone curious.


    Van Dijk turned to Ludwig, his expression calm but serious. "Consider them old gods¡­ from an era long since gone, with very few worshippers."


    Ludwig''s frown deepened. "Then they must be a weak one," he said, his tone skeptical.


    Van Dijk shook his head. "Not necessarily. Some of them are even stronger than all known gods. But let me guess," he said, turning back to the bishop, "another hero is appearing?"


    The bishop''s eyes widened slightly, his surprise evident. "How did you know?" he asked, his tone sharp.


    Van Dijk smirked, his amusement evident. "It fits. After all, we all received notice of the last summoned hero dying immediately after being summoned here to Ikos. You''re not the only faction with information."


    Ludwig''s mind raced, pieces of the puzzle falling into place. ''Yep, definitely me¡­''


    The bishop sighed, his expression weary. "Yes, it was quite strange. The ritual was somehow intercepted. It made Dishana furious, but she couldn''t do much since Necros intervened¡­"


    Van Dijk''s smirk widened. "That''s not my business," he said, his tone casual. "But I understand how she''d be angry. Still, she wouldn''t dare go against Necros."


    The bishop nodded, his expression grim. "No one does. He is¡­ different. Though he has no worshippers¡ªfor who worships death?"


    Van Dijk turned to Ludwig, his expression calm but serious. "Necros is also considered an Outer God, but that''s because he just doesn''t really care to make a faction. And whoever builds him a temple or tries to create a fellowship immediately suffers incredible misfortune."


    Ludwig nodded, his expression thoughtful.


    Van Dijk turned back to the bishop, his tone calm but probing. "So, when are you expecting this hero to arrive?"


    The bishop sighed, his expression weary. "Oh, this one isn''t summoned. Apparently, the door to summoning heroes from another world is closed and will remain closed indefinitely. This was a person chosen by Dishana herself¡ªfrom Ikos."


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed slightly. "I suppose not much is known about them for their protection," he said, his tone calm but skeptical.


    The bishop nodded. "They''re under the protection of the Holy Order, currently receiving their indoctrination."


    Ludwig couldn''t help but smirk. ''Brainwashing, noted.''


    Van Dijk leaned forward, both hands locked together, his expression calm but skeptical. "So, what do you want from me?" he asked, his tone casual.


    The bishop''s expression grew serious. "Well, since the new saint will be one of the fellowships of the hero, we need to know as much about him as possible. We''ve allowed him to take control over a few regiments and detachments of our Holy Order before, and he did well in cleaning up any mess¡­"


    Ludwig''s smirk widened. ''Massacring everyone¡­'' he corrected inwardly.


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed slightly. "But now, he''s a fully-fledged saint, protected by Dishana. But you don''t know much about his god, except the name¡­"


    The bishop nodded, his expression grim. "And what is that Outer God''s name?"


    The bishop''s voice grew heavy, his tone almost reverent. "Azathoth¡­ The Dream."

 Chapter 156 - 156: A Test of Necromancy

    "Ah, that''s a problem," Van Dijk said, his voice low and thoughtful. He leaned back in his chair, his crimson eyes narrowing as he processed the implications of the bishop''s revelation.


    The bishop perked up, his expression sharpening with interest. "You know something?" he asked, his tone eager.


    Van Dijk nodded, his expression grim. "Yes, and it''s not good. Azathoth is one of the older ones. He''s mainly harmless and only affects those who dream. He had many followers back then¡ªI''m sure you can find a couple of books in our private library at the academy to understand more about him. But there''s a small problem when associating with him."


    The bishop''s eyes narrowed, his curiosity piqued. "What is it?" he asked, his tone sharp.


    Van Dijk leaned forward, his expression serious. "He''s rather¡­ inflexible. His Saint can easily be your strongest ally or your worst nightmare. It all depends on the whims of Azathoth. He used to have many followers back in the Dark Ages, but he disappeared from this world after the Great War. He fuels his followers with great divinity, but unlike other divinities, the fewer followers he has, the stronger each one becomes. So, if this boy¡ªyour saint¡ªis the only one currently following him, that''s basically a demi-god walking on land."


    Ludwig frowned, his confusion evident. "Isn''t that a good thing for them?" he asked. "To have someone that strong walking their ranks?"


    Van Dijk shook his head, his expression grim. "That''s the thing, Ludwig. Azathoth''s followers are not controllable. If the Holy Order tries to force them to do anything that goes against Azathoth''s teachings, he can simply make his follower go rogue. Basically," Van Dijk said, his tone heavy, "don''t ever piss the boy off. None of you can handle the aftermath."


    Ludwig smirked, his tone dry. "A ticking time bomb you guys chose."


    The paladin, Juaquin, stepped forward, his expression filled with disdain. "We can handle a little boy," he said, his voice sharp and dismissive.


    Van Dijk snorted, his amusement evident. "Sure you can. But not one that has the Authority of an Eldritch god." He leaned back in his chair, his expression calm but laced with skepticism. "Regardless, this is probably the main reason for your visit, I''d assume?"


    The bishop nodded, his expression serious. "Indeed," he said, standing up from his seat. "It was a quick meeting, but we got what we needed. We''ll be borrowing books related to Azathoth from the library. As for the matters of Rima," he said, turning to Ludwig, "we can consider them handled. But there is one thing that''s been bugging me." S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The bishop''s gaze sharpened as he turned to Ludwig. "Did you happen to meet an elf back at Rima?"


    Ludwig was surprised but didn''t let it show. "An elf? No," he said, shaking his head.


    The bishop''s smile tightened, but he nodded. "I see," he said, his tone calm but laced with a subtle edge. He turned to leave, the paladin following closely behind.


    Soon, they used their portal to leave, and the room fell silent.


    "That was intense," Ludwig said, breaking the silence.


    Van Dijk turned to him, his expression calm but probing. "Why did you lie?" he asked, his tone sharp.


    "About what? I''m pretty sure all I told was the truth," Ludwig said, his tone casual but defensive.


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed. "I''m talking about the elf. All of us realized you lied there, Ludwig."


    Ludwig shrugged, his expression unreadable. "Is that a problem?"


    "Not if you want it to be," Van Dijk said, his tone calm but laced with a subtle edge. "Regardless, elves are a very touchy subject. Did you happen to meet one?"


    Ludwig hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yes. She was the current high elven princess. They had business there."


    Van Dijk''s eyebrows shot up, his curiosity piqued. "Interesting. Not just a normal elf, but a princess at that. What was the purpose of their visit to Rima?"


    Ludwig shrugged, his tone casual. "They wanted to recover the tree. It was apparently part of their World Tree that was stolen and corrupted. I guess the Gluttonous Death told the Sheikh how to corrupt it and use it as a medium to attain that fake immortality of his. Or that was what she said"


    "You should have told me that," Van Dijk said, a bit disappointed.


    "Sorry master, honestly, it completely skipped my mind with all the stuff we''ve been through¡­" Ludwig replied apologetically.


    Van Dijk nodded, his expression thoughtful. "Regardless, we still have important matters to tend to now," he said, his tone more amused.


    "The books? I can''t wait to open them," Ludwig said, eagerly.


    "Indeed," Van Dijk said, standing up. "Follow me. We have a lot of studying to do."


    He opened the door to his office, and it immediately led to the hidden laboratory inside the tower. Van Dijk walked in first, his expression calm but focused.


    Inside the laboratory, two people were working on a corpse, their movements precise but hurried.


    "Sebas, Evan, get me my coat and my tools," Van Dijk said, his voice sharp and commanding.


    The two turned to see the Tower Master, their expressions a mix of surprise and anxiety. "Yes, Master," they said in unison.


    Van Dijk''s expression darkened. "Don''t call me that. I am no master to failures," he said, his said dismissively.


    "Yes, Tower Master," Evan replied, his voice trembling slightly as he hurried away. Sebas shot a disgusted look at Ludwig before following Evan.


    Ludwig sighed, his tone dry. "Man, who shat in their breakfast?"


    Van Dijk''s expression remained cold. "The mundane are always jealous of the talented. This is my way of showing them the way. They either grit through the shame of having someone younger than them take the spotlight to improve themselves out of spite, or they can leave. For that''s all they''ll ever amount to. Necromancers, they call themselves, when they can''t even perform a simple act of necromancy. Disgusting."


    He spat the last word as he moved to the table they were working on. His eyes narrowed as he examined the corpse, his expression thoughtful.


    "What do you think they were doing?" Van Dijk asked, turning to Ludwig.


    Ludwig frowned, his mind racing. A test?

 Chapter 157 - 157: Van Dijks Necromancy

    Ludwig took a closer look at the body on the table, his hollow eyes scanning the intricate runic carvings etched into the flesh. The sigils were eerily similar to the ones he used for Rise Undead, but they were more elaborate, with additional symbols that Ludwig didn''t recognize. They looked advanced, but something about them felt¡­ off.


    "From first glance," Ludwig began, his voice calm but thoughtful, "they''re trying to resurrect this corpse. Carving the sigils directly into the flesh instead of using mana sigils is probably their way of testing things. The symbols are also a bit off. Not that I know which ones are proper."


    Van Dijk raised an eyebrow, his expression a mix of curiosity and mild disappointment. "Is that all you can see?" he asked, his tone sharp but not overly critical.


    Ludwig''s eyes glowed faintly as he activated [Inspect].


    Name: Lumia Siel


    Race: Human


    Title: Black Tower Academy Student


    Level: 11


    Status Effects:


    [Dead]


    [Faulty Necrotic Sigils]


    [Blessed]


    [Conflict of Interest]


    Ludwig frowned as he read through the details of the status effects. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Faulty Necrotic Sigils] ¨C The attempter of reviving into undeath made imperative mistakes in carving the necrotic sigils upon the body of the corpse. The revival process might require more mana than needed.


    [Blessed] ¨C A body that was once blessed by a priest or a servant of Dishana. The soul remains protected inside the River of Souls, never to be disturbed after death.


    [Conflict of Interest] ¨C It will require far greater resources to use necromancy on a blessed corpse than usual. Failure to resurrect is more prone to occur. Revival will only happen if a different soul is introduced to the body, as the owner''s soul is protected.


    "Hmm, something isn''t right," Ludwig muttered, his voice low.


    Van Dijk''s lips curled into a faint smile. "You can inspect the corpse closer if you want," he said, gesturing toward the body.


    Ludwig nodded and stepped forward, placing his hand on the corpse. The moment his skeletal fingers made contact, a faint -1 HP notification flashed in his vision.


    "I see," Ludwig said, pulling his hand back. "I don''t think they''d notice that."


    "What is it?" Van Dijk asked, his smile widening.


    Ludwig hesitated, not wanting to reveal the full extent of what he saw in his inspection screen. "Holy magic," he said, his tone cautious. "Perhaps a blessing of sorts. Maybe a religious parent or religious origin. It''ll create a conflict between necromancy and revival. I don''t know about the sigils, though. They look different than the ones I use. Maybe they have more proficiency than me and know better sigils, so I''m not one to judge. But for some reason, they just feel¡­ wrong."


    Van Dijk''s smile widened, his expression one of approval. "Good eyes you have. Indeed, you hit the nail on the head. That body still has a holy presence to it, which is quite honestly surprising that these two self-proclaimed necromancers couldn''t even notice."


    Ludwig glanced over at Sebas and Evan, who had returned with Van Dijk''s coat and tools. Both of them were glaring at him, their expressions filled with resentment.


    "You tried to revive something that has a holy touch," Van Dijk said, his tone sharp and accusatory. "Have you not been snubbed before?"


    Evan hesitated, his voice trembling slightly. "We thought we could bypass the holy aspect, right, Sebas?" he said, nudging his friend.


    Van Dijk sighed, his frustration evident. "Waste of resources, I swear. Hand over the coat and tools, useless!" he snapped, his voice sharp and commanding.


    As Van Dijk turned to walk away, he paused and glanced back at Ludwig. "Ludwig, how would you handle this? If you had to revive this corpse."


    Ludwig opened his mouth to respond, but Sebas interrupted, his voice filled with disdain. "Master, he''s just a skeleton. He wouldn''t know right from wrong even if you hit him in the face. We''ll try better, I promise."


    Van Dijk''s expression darkened, his voice low and dangerous. "If you try and tell me how to do things one more time, the next corpse Ludwig will be practicing on will be yours."


    Sebas immediately gulped, his face pale as he lowered his head in submission.


    Ludwig ignored the exchange, his mind focused on the task at hand. "Well, seeing the blessing¡­" he said, pointing his hand at the corpse. "I might be wrong, but what if¡­ [Taint]."


    A black stain began spreading over the corpse, but the blessing fought back, causing the stain to recede almost immediately. Ludwig frowned, his expression determined. "[Taint]," he cast again, followed by "[Enfeeble]" and "[Exhaust]."


    The sigils spread across the corpse, the taint emulsifying within the flesh as it shuddered and shook under the strain of the blessing. But the holy magic was too strong, and soon the blessing overtook the body, destroying all the curses.


    "I can''t do it, Master," Ludwig said, shaking his head.


    Evan snorted audibly, his disdain evident.


    Van Dijk, however, smiled faintly. "No, Ludwig, you had the right idea. You just didn''t have the experience. It is correct, in fact. The blessing that this corpse received is neutralizing all that is unholy and necrotic. But if you pile up curses upon it, you''ll be able to wither the blessing. Although there are better spells for it, let me show you using your own spell. [Taint]."


    Van Dijk''s casting was far more potent than Ludwig''s. The taint immediately penetrated the body, carving through the blessing and rotting the bones and flesh. Within moments, the corpse was almost unrecognizable, its form twisted and decayed.


    "[Rise Undead]," Van Dijk said, his voice calm but commanding. The symbols from his hand spread across the corpse, and it shuddered violently before sitting up straight on the table, its hollow eyes glowing faintly.


    "However," Van Dijk said, his tone dismissive, "this corpse is useless." He turned to Sebas and Evan, his expression cold. "I still wonder why the headmaster had the two of you come to me specifically. Necromancers who can''t resurrect a corpse properly¡ªwhat a waste. [Turn Undead]."


    The corpse shuddered once more before disintegrating into ash, leaving nothing but a faint pile of dust on the table.


    Ludwig''s eyes widened in awe. The ease with which Van Dijk had both resurrected and destroyed the corpse was staggering.


    "Clean up and leave us," Van Dijk said, his tone sharp. "Go play somewhere else."


    Sebas and Evan hurried to comply, their expressions a mix of fear and resentment as they left the room.


    Van Dijk turned to Ludwig, his expression calm but serious. "Follow me. We have much to discuss."

 Chapter 158 - 158: Jealousy

    "Alright, Ludwig, pull out the rings," Van Dijk said, his voice calm but commanding.


    Ludwig nodded, reaching into his holding ring and retrieving their collection of rings. He placed them carefully on the table, their metallic surfaces gleaming faintly in the dim light of the laboratory. Next, he pulled out the Mask of the Blind Witness, its eerie, hollow eyes staring back at him as he placed it on his face.


    "Let''s start with magic," Van Dijk said, opening the first book from the archives and sliding it toward Ludwig. He handed him a pen and a stack of paper, his expression serious. "Inscribe everything to the letter. No mistakes."


    Ludwig nodded, his hollow eyes scanning the pages as he began to write. The room fell silent, save for the scratch of the pen against paper and the occasional rustle of pages being turned.


    Hours turned into days, and Ludwig worked tirelessly, his focus unwavering.


    Van Dijk checked in periodically, but his expression was unreadable as he reviewed Ludwig''s work. To Sebas and Evan, who occasionally peered into the room, it seemed like Ludwig was reading from an empty book and writing gibberish.


    Their confusion quickly turned to resentment as they watched the skeleton work, their jealousy simmering beneath the surface. Since Van Dijk would occasionally pop in and only check on Ludwig, ignoring them completely.


    By the fifth day, their patience had worn thin. Sebas stormed into the room, his face twisted with anger. "The fuck do you think you are?" he snarled, slamming his hand on Ludwig''s desk. The force of the impact sent ink spilling across the papers, ruining hours of work.


    Ludwig didn''t even look up. He calmly moved the ruined papers to the side and wiped away the spilled ink. "What do you want?" he asked, his voice cold and detached.


    Sebas''s face turned red with rage. "It''s you! You''re the fucking anomaly! You just come in here thinking you''re some big shot, but you''re nothing! Nothing! Just a fucking skeleton. Act the part, you piece of shit!"


    Ludwig''s hollow eyes finally met Sebas''s, his expression unreadable. "Does that make you feel better?" he asked, his tone icy. "Are you done? If you are, I have work to do."


    Sebas''s rage boiled over. He kicked the desk with all his strength, sending it flipping over and crashing into Ludwig. The skeleton was thrown to the ground, the contents of the table scattering across the room.


    -22 HP!


    [You are in a hostile environment.]


    "This fucker thinks he''s the shit! You''re a disposable tool nothing more!" Sebas roared, his voice echoing through the room. "Just a waste of air! Van Dijk is only keeping you because you''re his little pet. The moment you fuck up, you''re gone, and I''ll be damned if I don''t see to it happening!"


    Evan only stared from a distance, he too was of the same opinion. Though their recommendation came from the deen, they had worked tirelessly for decades under Van Dijk but they never gotten an ounce of recognition. To them, they had toiled and worked hard for days on end, without rest to achieve success only for this newcomer to swoop in and take Van Dijk''s discipleship from under their noses.


    With that, Sebas stormed out of the room Evan following him after he spat on the floor, leaving Ludwig sprawled on the floor amidst the chaos.


    For a moment, Ludwig lay still, his hollow eyes staring at the ceiling. Then, something strange happened. A wave of emotion washed over him¡ªanger, raw and unfiltered. It was a sensation he hadn''t felt in a long time, not since he had become undead.


    "Oh, this is¡­ new," he muttered to himself, his voice tinged with surprise. "Rage? I guess this is more pure than the one I use from Thomas."


    He slowly got to his feet, his movements deliberate as he began cleaning up the mess. He righted the desk, gathered the scattered papers, and wiped away the spilled ink. Just as he was finishing, Van Dijk entered the room.


    "Any progress¡ª" Van Dijk''s words trailed off as he took in the scene. His eyes narrowed, his expression darkening. "What happened here?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous.


    Ludwig shrugged, his tone calm. "Nothing I can''t handle."


    Van Dijk''s eyes flicked to the ruined papers, his frustration evident. "Oh, but I don''t think I can. I guess it''s time to have a couple of new corpses for dissection," he said, his voice laced with anger.


    "Master," Ludwig said, his voice steady. He tapped a stack of papers on the desk, arranging them neatly. "If you fixed and helped me with every problem and issue, there would be no fun left for me to have."


    Van Dijk''s expression softened slightly, but his frustration remained. "In the Black Tower Academy," he said, his tone sharp, "it is encouraged to go up against your peers and climb on top of one another for better opportunities. But not this. You''re not their peer. You''re my disciple."


    "The more reason I should be the one to take care of this problem," Ludwig replied, his voice calm but firm. "If I let you clean up my mess and babysit me through the academy, I''ll never improve. I''ll handle them myself, for now. He didn''t really do much damage. I already memorized most of the materials here anyway."


    Van Dijk sighed, his frustration giving way to a grudging respect. "Right. What did you inscribe today?" S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Teleology of Magic," Ludwig said, his tone casual. "Quite the complicated topic, but it was fun to read."


    Van Dijk''s eyebrows shot up. "Let me see the scripts," he said, taking the papers from Ludwig and beginning to read.


    As he scanned the lines of text, his frown deepened. "Wait," he said, his voice sharp. "You''re telling me you''re able to understand this?"


    Ludwig nodded. "Why not? It''s rather simple, though convoluted. The basis is that it takes a philosophical approach to the purpose of magic. It talks about it being an instrument of fate and the relationship between magic and the user. Quite the beefy topic, but not too hard to follow."


    Van Dijk''s expression was a mix of surprise and admiration. "Hmm, adding this one to yesterday''s topic of Elemental Conversion¡­ do you think¡­ you can spread this information?"


    "You mean to teach it?" Ludwig asked, his tone cautious. "I''m not that arrogant, but I do understand it."


    Over the past days, Ludwig''s notification window had been lighting up with gains.


    [+22 Wisdom]


    [+16 Stamina]


    [All Stamina gain has been converted to Strength due to your undead nature.]


    [You have gained {Mental Fortitude}.] Reading books far beyond your level will no longer cause migraines and headaches. Your resistance to illusions has been increased. As an undead, you already negate all terror- and fear-related debuffs.]


    Ludwig smirked as the notifications were a testament of his hard work during these past few days.


    Van Dijk shook his head, his expression one of grudging respect. "Quite the feat, Ludwig. Quite the feat. Merely reading these would make one''s head split open from pain. But you tided through it. Another disciple or student of your class would probably have fallen unconscious trying to inscribe these books."


    Ludwig shrugged, his tone casual. "What can I say? As an undead, pain is something that makes you feel alive. After all, my sense of touch is nonexistent, and smell too. So having a headache every once in a while helps alleviate this¡­ estrangement from life."

 Chapter 159 - 159: Soul Shackles

    "It seems that you have also been slightly influenced by what you''re reading," Van Dijk said, his tone a mix of amusement and approval. "Good, good. But, I may be called a madman, or a mad scientist and mage, but I''m not heartless. You, deep down, still look like a teenager. You should go and rest. As for those¡­" He gestured toward the stack of books on the table. "Any progress?" he asked.


    Ludwig followed his master''s gaze to the books related to swordsmanship. "They''re actually really good books," he said, his tone thoughtful.


    Over the past few days, Ludwig had absorbed a wealth of knowledge from the Tibarian swordsmanship manuals. He had even learned two new training methods that he was eager to try out.


    "They also helped me understand this a bit more," Ludwig said, placing the chains he had obtained from Rima on the table.


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed with interest. "The chains you obtained from Rima¡­ what did you find out?"


    Ludwig glanced at the notification window hovering in his vision.


    [Soul Shackles]


    Category: Weapon


    Durability: 9000/9000


    Tier: Unique [Growth Type]


    Damage: 1


    Bound to: Ludwig Heart''s Soul Letting Lantern


    Abilities:


    [Corruption of Gluttony]: All abilities that the chain uses will require the usage of Souls. ''Corrupted Souls'' enhances the effects.


    [Soul Rend]: Strikes at the target''s soul. All damage applied by this chain ignores all forms of armor and resistance as it strikes at the target''s soul directly. {Damage increased based on Souls used}


    [Chain Buckler]: Wraps around itself to create a buckler that can deflect physical attacks and mitigate some magical attacks. {Consumes Souls relative to the damage mitigated}


    [Sentient Snake]: Follows the will of the wielder to move around. {1 Soul Cost per minute}


    Lore:


    A chain broken once before, turned into a weapon to fight against oppression. A symbol of hope turned against its purpose. Once it served to free the weak, now it whips at whomever opposes it.


    "They''re semi-sentient chains," Ludwig explained, his voice calm but tinged with excitement. "They require the wielder to channel souls into them to function. They basically become an extra limb¡ªvery flexible and nigh indestructible. They were used by a Tibarian king before they were corrupted."


    Van Dijk grabbed a chair and sat down, his expression one of keen interest. "Tell me more," he said, leaning forward.


    Ludwig nodded, his hollow eyes gleaming faintly as he recounted what he had learned. "Apparently, the guy we killed¡ªthe Knight King¡ªhad an even stronger predecessor. His great-grandfather was the one who basically built Tibari, using these very chains. He used some form of ancient ritual to imbue them with the souls of those who were wronged among his townsmen. A chain forged by the lives of the innocent to fight against oppression."


    Van Dijk raised an eyebrow, his expression thoughtful. "Quite ironic. Punishing the oppressors with the symbol of oppression."


    "I thought so too," Ludwig agreed. "Regardless, after taking command of a small army of peasants, he managed to overthrow the old government and became the king of Tibari. The chains then became a symbol of freedom instead of slavery. But after some time, his great-grandson¡ªthe current King of Tibari¡ªused these chains to snuff out a revolt. That act corrupted them, as it was against the purpose of their creation. Instead of freedom, they became shackles, and apparently, that''s what started this whole corruption."


    Ludwig gestured to a historical book about legendary weapons that was among the stack of swordsmanship manuals. "It''s all theories from whoever wrote that book, but it makes sense."


    Van Dijk nodded, his expression serious. "I can see that. Something like that creature isn''t simple."


    "I mean, it''s less a creature and more of an idea," Ludwig said, his tone thoughtful.


    "An idea?" Van Dijk asked, his curiosity piqued.


    "Yes," Ludwig replied. "Apparently, the Gluttonous Death is the idea of dying in gluttony¡ªof overconsumption I would suppose. The kingdom itself was prosperous, yet instead of finding a way to solve a small feud, the king was too cruel. His actions became gluttony for the crown and the riches of his land, which brought upon the Gluttonous Death."


    Van Dijk frowned, his expression thoughtful. "Wouldn''t it be more proper to call it Greed?" he asked, picking up the inscribed book Ludwig had pointed to and flipping through its pages.


    "You got me beat there, Master," Ludwig admitted. "I don''t really know why it was gluttony and not greed. But we both saw how the people of Tibari acted. They were starved, even though they had everything¡­"


    Van Dijk nodded, his expression grim. "True. A man''s throat can never be filled and can only be clogged with dirt."


    Ludwig''s hollow eyes gleamed faintly. "That''s a powerful line."


    Van Dijk smiled faintly. "Unlike you, even dirt wasn''t enough to shut you up. An undead seeking knowledge¡­ good job, Ludwig. But you need some rest. So, what are you planning on doing with these chains?"


    Ludwig picked up one end of the chains and strapped the shackle around his wrist. Immediately, the chains wrapped around his arm like a bracelet, their metallic links gleaming faintly.


    "I''m gonna use them," Ludwig said, his tone determined. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Van Dijk raised an eyebrow, his expression one of mild concern. "That looks like a topic to be studied. But no, get some rest."


    "I can''t rest, Master," Ludwig said, his voice firm.


    "What I mean is, go out. Go meet your peers. You need to cool your head off from all¡­" Van Dijk gestured to the books and the desk. "This."


    Ludwig hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Right, then. I do feel a bit too exhausted. Might as well go meet up with Joana. She might have a better idea on how I can use this chain."


    Van Dijk''s smile widened slightly. "Oh, by the way, the results for your exams are out."


    Ludwig blinked, his hollow eyes narrowing slightly. "Oh, I completely forgot about that. I guess we passed? Unless Professor Vastion had something to say about it."


    Van Dijk chuckled. "With flying colors. Not even the dean allowed him to interfere. After all, you three did me a good service, and you especially helped me with an expedition. Regardless, you need to prepare for your next semester. It will begin soon."


    Ludwig nodded, his expression calm but determined. "Thank you, Master."


    With that, Ludwig left the room, his mind still buzzing with the knowledge he had absorbed over the past few days. He hadn''t fully finished inscribing the books, but he had learned a lot.


    Once outside the tower, Ludwig headed straight for the academy, hoping to find Joana as quickly as possible. As he walked, he flexed his right hand, the one adorned with the chain bracelet. It was an unfamiliar weight, but one he was eager to master.


    He glanced at the notification window again, reviewing the details of the [Soul Shackles]. The chains were a powerful tool, but they came with a cost¡ªsouls. Ludwig''s mind raced with possibilities as he considered how to use them effectively.


    For now, though, he needed to clear his head. The past few days had been intense, and Van Dijk was right¡ªhe needed a break.

 Chapter 160 - 160: A Murder At The Academy

    Ludwig left the tower that evening, the cool night air brushing against his skeletal frame as he made his way back to the academy. The road was quiet, the usual hustle and bustle of the day replaced by an eerie stillness. The solitude gave him time to reflect, and he decided to check on something he had been saving for later.


    He waved his hand, and the Umbra Codex materialized in front of him. The ancient book floated in the air, its dark pages fluttering as if alive. Ludwig''s hollow eyes scanned the pages, his curiosity piqued.


    The first page displayed a drawing of a shadowy creature¡ªa mix between a cat and a dog, its form fluid and indistinct. It was the same Umbral Hound that had guarded the book when Ludwig first encountered it. The symbols surrounding the drawing were illegible, their meaning lost to him. For a moment, Ludwig felt as though the hound''s glowing eyes were watching him from within the pages, its presence palpable.


    He turned to the second page, which depicted one of the Guards of Tibari, their form shadowy and imbued with dark energy. The symbols here were fewer than those on the Umbral Hound''s page, but they were no less mysterious.


    The third page turned on its own, revealing a drawing of the Knight King of Tibari. Unlike the previous pages, this one had no symbols, just the imposing figure of the knight in his corrupted glory. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig frowned, his frustration evident. "I''ll need to figure out a way to revive that Knight King," he muttered to himself. "But I''m not proficient enough... being a necromancer is great and all but you can''t be that just because of luck or some divine finding you get from some ancient tomb..."


    He sighed. Unlike the heroes of tales who end up discovering an overpowered item from the get-go, he got dropped in a world where he needed to learn everything by himself. It wasn''t easy and it was hard work. You can''t expect to get something overpowered easily here. Then again, he had the codex, the chains, and the lantern... he wasn''t going to complain that he didn''t have a broken skill or spell to summon the dead at will. That part, he''ll have to slowly learn by himself.


    With a wave of his hand, the Umbra Codex vanished, and Ludwig continued his journey to the academy.


    When he arrived at the academy gates, the same old man who always stood guard greeted him with a knowing smile. "Ludwig, you sure took your time in the Black Tower," he said, his voice warm but tinged with curiosity.


    Ludwig nodded. "I had some things to tend to with Master Van Dijk," he replied, his tone calm.


    The old man''s expression grew serious. "Go on now, enter. The academy is in a bit of disarray right now, so be careful."


    Ludwig frowned. "What''s going on?"


    The old man chuckled, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "It wouldn''t be fun if I were to tell you right now, would it?"


    Ludwig didn''t press further. He stepped through the gates and into the academy grounds, his senses on high alert. The atmosphere was different¡ªquieter, more tense. Unlike the chaotic energy he had grown accustomed to, the academy felt subdued, almost unnaturally so.


    As he made his way toward the sword training grounds, he noticed something unusual. The area was cordoned off, with several students wearing blue armbands patrolling the perimeter. One of them approached him, his expression stern.


    "This is off-limits. Why are you here?" the student demanded.


    Ludwig''s hollow eyes met the student''s gaze. "What''s going on?" he asked, his tone calm but firm.


    Another student, older and more authoritative, joined the first. "You''ve been living under a rock or something?" he said, his tone laced with sarcasm.


    "Kinda," Ludwig replied. "I was in the Black Tower for the past week. What happened here? Why is the arena barred off? And where is Professor Joana?"


    The two students exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of surprise and suspicion. "You really don''t know?" one of them asked.


    "No," Ludwig said, his tone steady.


    A third student, a girl with a no-nonsense demeanor, approached. She wore the same blue armband as the others.


    "Are you Ludwig Heart?" she asked, her voice sharp.


    "Yes," Ludwig replied. "How do you know that?"


    "The student council knows enough," she said, her tone dismissive. "You''ll have to come with us. We need to verify your alibi."


    Ludwig''s frown deepened. "Alibi? What''s going on here?"


    The girl''s expression grew serious. "There''s been a murder in the academy¡ªanother one. Since you''ve been accused before of the murder of Thomas Vondel, we''ll need to verify things some more."


    Ludwig''s hollow eyes narrowed. "I''ve been in the Black Tower for the past week," he said, pulling out a communication crystal. "If you want, I can get Master Van Dijk to vouch for me."


    The girl hesitated, her expression conflicted. "What were you doing in the Black Tower?" she asked, her tone skeptical.


    "None of your business," Ludwig replied, his voice calm but firm. "It''s something Van Dijk asked me to do."


    Before the girl could respond, a familiar figure approached¡ªVondel Ravi, the towering, gorilla-like man. Thomas Vondel''s Older brother. His expression was grim as he looked at Ludwig.


    "It''s not him," Vondel said, his voice low and gruff. "The kill was too brutal. This boy doesn''t have the guts, nor do I think he''d have the power to do something like that. I also got notified of his presence in the Black Tower for the whole past week by one of the workers there."


    The girl nodded, her expression softening slightly. "We apologize for any inconvenience we caused you," she said, giving a light bow. "But this remains an excluded zone. Please leave the area."


    Ludwig nodded, his expression calm. "Sure. Where can I find Professor Joana?"


    The girl hesitated, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I don''t think you''d want to meet her right now."


    "How come?" Ludwig asked, his tone sharp.


    The girl''s expression grew somber. "The person who died was one of her new students¡ªthe best one, apparently."


    Ludwig''s hollow eyes widened slightly. "What the hell is going on in this academy?" he muttered under his breath.


    As he turned to leave, he noticed Joana leaning against a nearby wall, her expression solemn. Her eyes met his, and she gestured for him to follow.


    "Little Monster," she said, her voice low and heavy. "Come with me."


    [Sudden Quest!]


    The notification flashed before Ludwig''s eyes, and he knew one thing for certain: trouble was brewing.

 Chapter 161 - 161: Autopsy

    [Sudden Quest]


    ***


    Follow Joana Munster and find out what she needs of you, you''re not allowed to flee or run away.


    Complete her requests if she requires assistance and survives her wrath if she deems you the preparator for the murder.


    There are no rewards for completing this quest.


    Failing to follow will put you at great harm and may antagonize the swordmaster against you.


    ***


    ''That''s so not good¡­'' Ludwig cursed inwardly as he followed after his teacher.


    Joana didn''t speak or utter a word as she navigated through the academy''s main building with Ludwig behind her. Her usually friendly and jubilant and somewhat hazardous nature was transformed into a more serious tone.


    This wasn''t Joana the Teacher, this was Joana the Hunter.


    Soon, the two of them arrived in front of a closed door of a clinic that was apparently hidden from view for normal students.


    Joana pressed the door and it opened up revealing what looked like a morgue.


    Several white tables with some blood on them were positioned all over the place, while the corpse storage facilities were constantly releasing cold air.


    There was however only one body in the middle of the room atop a table.


    Ludwig immediately recognized who it belonged to.


    "Von Hubert¡­" he said.


    It was the guy that he first traced from, the one who basically taught him the sword.


    "You remember him at least," Joana said.


    "Not like that," Ludwig said.


    The body was completely disfigured, his arms were twisted beyond recognition and pulled so far out of his body that they were only attached with sinew. His legs were broken in multiple places, and his chest was carved out, his ribcage bursting outward while his face was scarred in many places.


    Ludwig only recognized him because of the blue hair on his head.


    "I know you''re unrelated to this," Joana said, "You don''t strike me as something twisted enough to cause this," she said, "But he was my student," she added. "And you are a monster," she turned to Ludwig.


    "The safety of my students comes first and foremost, so forgive this teacher of yours," she said as she thrust her palm onto Ludwig''s face.


    The latter didn''t move.


    He didn''t have to.


    If she wanted him dead, he wouldn''t be able to dodge it.


    Also, the notification of hostility never showed up.


    Joana''s hand stopped a mere centimeter away from Ludwig''s face, the force of the blow was strong enough to rattle his clothes and hair, but didn''t do any harm to him.


    "For some reason though, I get the feeling that killing you is not right¡­" she said.


    She sighed once again and dragged a chair then sat down. "He was a very promising young kid," she said, "Really good stamina, almost comparable to yours," she said, "And had a good head over his shoulders. He never instigated fights nor acted out in front of his peers, a true good person, that didn''t fit in this academy. If he was at the White Tower, or even the Gray Tower, he might have thrived there. But here," she spat, "Bunch of ungrateful brats, too stupid to recognize their own worthlessness, too dumb to realize that their parents sent them here because they''re just too much trouble. Most of the nobles here are too proud and too arrogant, and the rest of the commoners have no backbone," she cursed again.


    "BUT THIS FUCKER!" she howled, Ludwig could have sworn he saw the aura of a lion surging out of her for a fraction of a second, "Dared and kill one of my precious students¡­if I find him, I wring out his limbs and twist his nerves, I''ll make him wish for death a thousand times before I drink his blood from his skull," she snarled.


    Ludwig didn''t say much and only watched.


    She then turned to face him, "Tell me, little monster," she said. "Can you guess who did this?" she asked.


    "I don''t know how I can do that," he said.


    She sighed, "The boy''s death is official, his parents have been notified, since his body was discovered in the open. So Even Van Dijk can''t use his little tricks to figure out what happened postmortem since it will leave a trail of Dark Magic. But you''re an undead, you''re my last hope to find out what happened, perhaps as one who crossed the border you might be able to see more than what others can?"


    Her request seemed genuine, but Ludwig couldn''t help much.


    After all, he already inspected the corpse the moment he laid eyes on it. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Name: Von Hubert


    Race: Human


    Title: Black Tower Academy Student


    Level: 22


    Status Effect: [Dead]


    There was nothing else he could see, but still just to appease his teacher, Ludwig approached the corpse.


    The body was completely disfigured and desecrated. His innards were gone. Lungs, heart, liver, spleen, intestines, stomach, everything was gone, almost as if a monster had eaten him from the inside.


    His eyes were ripped out and his tongue was torn, his muscles were all detached or ruptured.


    Nothing short of a monster could do this.


    "I''m sorry teacher," Ludwig said shaking his head, "I don''t know what could have done this. But it looks like the damage came from inside," Ludwig said.


    "What do you mean?" she said.


    "Besides the scars on his body, they look like they''re made from a sharp weapon, but all the scars were non-penetrating and just looked like slashes. None of the sword scars would have been fatal, painful true, but not lethal. However, the way his chest burst out¡­ It''s like something was inside his body and then busted out¡­ I don''t know," Ludwig said, he remembered watching a movie before back in his world about creatures that would enter through one''s mouth, grow inside the host''s body, and then burst out of their chest after they mature.


    "Parasitic nature¡­ but why the slashing?" Joana frowned.


    "Maybe¡­ he realized it? Maybe they''re self-inflicted," Ludwig said.


    Joana frowned for a second, "¡­ you may be on to something, maybe Hubert realized that he had a parasitic entity in his body and tried to end his life¡­ and the parasite could have also realized the danger and did that to his limbs¡­ it sounds far fetched but that''s the best we got¡­ give me a second," she said as she pulled out a small crystal.


    "Vastion," she said.


    "What is it, Joana? You''re still in the morgue?" he said.


    "Yes, she said I need to know something, is there a parasitic creature that could cause this?" she said.


    "Joana, I was already questioned about this by Van Dijk, he already asked me to look into parasitic-natured creatures¡­ also how did you figure out that it was a parasitic creature?" he asked.


    "Ah, I have his disciple here with me, he figured it out."


    Vastion snorted and cut off the call.


    "That''s rude," she said, "I guess you''re on to something," she smiled, "No wonder Van Dijk was interested in you. Regardless, I heard you say you wanted to meet me for something, what is it?" she asked.


    "Eh¡­ right, do you know anything about¡­ chains?" Ludwig said.

 Chapter 162 - 162: Training Session

    "I¡­ didn''t expect you''d have that type of hobby, no shame," Joana said, a frown clear on her face.


    "No, no, not that," Ludwig sighed as he showed her his wrist. He twisted his hand and the chain released itself from his shackles and fell on the ground hanging by one end.


    "Oh¡­ that''s a unique item," she said, "Relic?" she asked.


    "Yes, something like that," he replied.


    She went up to Ludwig and took a glance at his chain, "Looks sturdy, but why do you want to learn this? Is the sword not enough for you? You shouldn''t be too greedy," she said.


    "I suppose that''s fair," Ludwig replied disappointedly.


    "Also," she said, "Chain wielding isn''t that simple, especially when your chain is lacking¡­ weight, or a sharp edge to it, it''ll just be usable for pinning down enemies, which is fine and all, but if you''re facing something with more strength and power than you, then you''ll be the one trapped with them, not the other way around¡­ follow me," she said.


    She headed out of the room and deeper into the academy, to sections Ludwig never visited before.


    Soon she arrived in an empty hall-like room. Massive in size it was made of gray thick stones that covered the ceiling ground and walls. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This is where you''ll be spending most of your training time when you''re junior, right now we''ll be using it for a small test," she said as Ludwig walked past her to spectate the room.


    "Now," she said, "Pull your chain out, and try and land a hit on me using it," she said.


    Ludwig nodded and unruffled his chain, a small part of it hung down where he began twirling it with one hand.


    Suddenly he threw the chain forward, to which the teacher simply sidestepped, grabbed with one hand, and yanked at Ludwig pulling him all the way to her where she had her sword edge right up his neck.


    "Convinced yet?" she asked.


    "Can I try again?" Ludwig said.


    "Sure¡­" she said, sounding a bit disappointed but allowed him to try again never the less.


    ''Going head-on against her is probably not the smartest plan, so what if I try and use some of the chain''s abilities themselves," Ludwig noted that he still had a soul he obtained from the Knight King, he never used them to upgrade any of his stats, but he needed them to use the chain''s abilities.


    ''Use {Brave Soul}''


    [You obtained 10,000 souls.]


    ''Wow, that much?'' he was surprised at the amount, that''s enough to empower him greatly.


    For now, he''ll think about the usage and assignment of the souls later. So after he put distance between them, Ludwig began twirling his chain and then sent it flying at the teacher.


    "The same trick won''t work twice," she said as she dodged and went for the grab, only this time the chain curled away from her making her miss the grab. But for a veteran, that wasn''t much, as she simply dashed at Ludwig.


    Ludwig knew she was far faster than he could probably react to, but her current dash was slow, slow enough for him to understand she was trying to mimic his current power level.


    Ludwig twisted his wrist, making the chain that was flying away to dive at the back of the teacher.


    Like a predator, the teacher''s eyes widened and she dashed to the side, the chain dove onto the ground in a blast of sparks where she was supposed to be.


    The chain then slowly hung from Ludwig''s arm like a coiled snake and began following the teacher with its tip.


    "That''s a neat trick, but not enough," she said as she dashed at Ludwig again. The chain dove down at her, but she simply raised her arm up parrying the chain away and went for a grab with her other hand to Ludwig''s face.


    What she didn''t account for, was Ludwig immediately summoning his broken sword shard in his other hand and thrusting it forward.


    Regardless, anyone else would have had their chest penetrated by the shard, but the Swordmaster only smiled as she saw Ludwig''s action, her grasping motion fluidly transitioned to a hand chop that struck Ludwig''s arm which held the sword.


    Ludwig got disarmed immediately, as the shard began rolling on the ground, Joana then ducked under the chain that was coming once again at her back, dodging it and then with a sweep of her leg, toppled Ludwig completely off his feet to the ground.


    She smiled as she rose up and then gave Ludwig a hand.


    "That was humiliating," Ludwig replied as he grabbed her hand and stood up.


    "No, that was actually interesting," she said, "You lack experience in fight, but you''re making up for it using your head. It''s smart to use multiple attacks at the same time, and if you used your magic with the combination you would have had a better chance at landing a hit," she said then walked up to the fallen shard.


    She picked it up, "Where did you get something like this?" she asked.


    "You know what that is?" Ludwig replied


    "No, but this looks interesting, it''s quite the piece of metal, sharp too¡­ extremely so, and heavy, makes one wonder how something like this was even broken," she said as she looked at Ludwig''s chains and then back at the shard.


    "Ludwig," she said.


    "Yes?" he asked.


    "Do you know what a Kusarigama is?" she asked.


    "Not really, no," He shook his head.


    "It''s a type of weapon, that originated from a kingdom far in the east. I should have a manual on how they use that weapon. It''s basically a sickle linked to a chain. How about this, instead of using the chain''s head which is a normal chain link as the offensive tool, try and wrap the chain around this shard and then use it," she said.


    Ludwig thought for a moment then commanded the chain to wrap tightly around the bottom of the shard.


    "Now, try again, I''ll be attacking you," she said.

 Chapter 163 - 163: Invitation

    Ludwig nodded, this time, he began twirling the heavier chain, but instead of using his own strength to spin it, he used the souls in his lantern to fuel it instead. Allowing the chain to follow his will instead of his own strength.


    The spinning motion was ten times faster, enough that the chain was whirring through the air creating frightening howling sounds in the process.


    Joana smiled as she readied up, "Go again!" she said and Ludwig flung his makeshift weapon at her which she dodged, but with a slight pull, the chain''s head turned like a scorpion''s tail and aimed back at her back. Joana dodged it like the last time and rushed Ludwig.


    Ludwig hurriedly called back his chain which returned to his side right as Joana''s claw like hand reached for him.


    He raised his arm up toward her, and the chain immediately wrapped rapidly in front of him in a makeshift shield while the sword shard planted itself in the center. The buckler form of the chain had a spear-like extension at the center due to the shard that made it hard for Joana to grab at him with her bear hand, so she went for the chain and tried to pull Ludwig forward.


    But the chain simply keeled over, making her lose her stance due to using so much force to pull something that easily peeled over.


    In that second, Ludwig made the chain that was in her grasp wrap around her arm, and he pulled hard, Joana allowed him to pull her forward as she used the force to get closer, this time she had the chain in her hand, so Ludwig didn''t have much leeway in maneuvering the shard. And with her other hand that stopped mere inches from Ludwig''s neck, she said, "You lose again."


    "We both lose," Ludwig said.


    Only then did she notice that his other hand which he never used was holding the sword shard was pointing it at her side. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her eyes widened up. "You little monster, you unwrapped the chain in that moment to arm your other hand¡­ quite smart, good, good, I think you''ll like the manual, I''ll find it for you," she said as she removed herself from Ludwig.


    "I see why you''d like this chain, but it''s not something I can teach you much about. This is a new path, something you''ll have to thread yourself, but just because it''s hard and unknown doesn''t mean it''s bad," She said.


    ''I feel like I heard this somewhere else.'' Ludwig smiled.


    "Still, this doesn''t mean you''ll be slacking off on your sword training," she said.


    "I know," he replied.


    "You''ll need a handle and a guard for that shard of yours, it''s strong don''t get me wrong, but without a proper handle it''s very difficult to use it for swordsmanship, I know a blacksmith that can make something for you. How about you give your master these items?" she asked.


    Ludwig hesitated for a second.


    "I know what you''re thinking, but trust me on this, this person isn''t the kind who''ll take your property for his own, in fact seeing something like this he might actually be even more willing to work on it for free." She said.


    "What do you mean?" Ludwig asked.


    "Well, he''s the best blacksmith on the continent, so imagine how many orders he has, but seeing something of that caliber, he''ll definitely want to work on it. For a blacksmith, challenging themselves gets harder and harder the more proficient they get, and this my student, is a good challenge for that man," she said.


    Ludwig nodded and removed the bracelet and the sword.


    "Why are you removing the bracelet?" she asked.


    "I think it''ll be more of a challenge if you tell him that I need to use the shard as a separate sword and an extension of the chain at will," Ludwig said. "Two for the price of one I guess," Ludwig said.


    She thought for a second and nodded, "You''re probably right, alright," she took his items and placed them on her own ring. "I''ll notify you when they''re ready." She said, "And sadly our time is up, I still need to go over to Vastion to figure out more about this case, Hubert''s parents will be arriving soon here," she said.


    Ludwig nodded, as he had completely forgot about the incident earlier.


    Joana soon left, leaving Ludwig all by himself. He soon left the area and began wandering around the academy, finding nothing much to do, he simply went back to his room.


    He needed to figure out more about some of the magic he learned from Tibari''s books. Almost then and there did he remember that he forgot to ask his teacher about the training methods he learned about. While he was trying to find his teacher, "Ludwig!" he heard.


    Turning, it was both Kassandra and Hoyo who were coming over, "Man it''s been a while," Hoyo said.


    Looking at him, he had a bandage over his head, "What happened to you?" Ludwig asked.


    Hoyo looked embarrassed.


    "One of the nobles," Kassandra said.


    "Hey, I said I fell," Hoyo rebutted.


    "Yeah right, they probably were too jealous of the three of us passing without even needing to do any exams, by the way thank you Ludwig, I''m glad we got to clear the whole thing without writing a single word, I heard so many had failed professor Vastion''s exam that half of the class are doing recoup classes."


    "Good to hear. I''m also glad I didn''t need to do any tests. Still you guys heard about all that stuff that happened?" Ludwig asked.


    Hoyo jumped in, "Yeah man, whoever did that is fucking twisted, I didn''t know Hubert personally, but¡­ man this makes one terrified to even walk out at night," he said.


    "You''re not supposed to wander the academy at night anyway," they heard, looking behind them, a new person joined, someone Ludwig already knows.


    It was the same girl from earlier, one of the Student Council members.


    "What''s a council member doing here?" Kassandra asked.


    "We''re here on business, Ludwig Heart," she said.


    "Yeah? I''m pretty sure I got cleared up this morning,"


    "Oi," Hoyo jumped forward, "Did they accuse you of something, I''m pretty sure you were with the Tower Master for the past week and change," he said.


    "We''re not here to accuse anyone, the case has been moved forward to more specialized personnel, regardless, Ludwig are you interested in joining the Student Council?" she asked.

 Chapter 164 - 164: Five Tower Tournament

    "What do you mean by that?" Ludwig asked.


    "The Student Council would like to have a word with you, alone," she said, "You''ll learn more about it once you''re there."


    "I don''t think I''m interested," Ludwig shook his head.


    "Just so you know," she said, "Being a part of the Student Council allows you to have access to more facilities of the academy, the second and third Level of the Library, advanced magic and spells, and you also will have some authority over some of the students, usually all the council members are nobles, but this year we''re making an exception due to your remarkable performance at Rima." She said.


    "They basically want your fame for themselves," Hoyo said.


    "I still refuse, I''m doing better by myself," Ludwig said.


    But immediately a notification appeared in front of him.


    [The Student Council of The Black Tower]


    Join the student council and find out more about it.


    This is a Multi Layer Quest, more subsequent quests will appear once you''re a part of the council.


    Rewards will increase incrementally the more quests you clear.


    "But¡­" Ludwig sighed, "I''ll think about it some more," he said.


    "Good," the girl replied as she handed Ludwig a small card. "If you make up your mind, please follow the map behind this card, it will lead you right into the council hall." She then turned and left.


    "Damn, you''re really accepting that?" Hoyo said sighing.


    "Why shouldn''t he, it''s a good opportunity to have stronger ties with nobility, Ludwig needs it to grow."


    Hoyo shook his head, "Nobility is very overrated, regardless you do you man. I''m not a hater, but just be careful, they tend to be very control-y," he said.


    "I''ll just check things out, if it''s not to my liking I''ll just dip out," Ludwig shrugged," Still, what are you guys doing here? I mean, it''s vacation time, there is no school right now," Ludwig said.


    "And go where mr genius?" Hoyo said, "We don''t have houses to go back to, remember, we''re commoners,"


    Ludwig felt like he struck a nerve, for Hoyo who was a former nobleman he is now reduced to a commoner it must sting to be stuck here for the whole year.


    "What about you Kassandra?" Ludwig asked.


    "I don''t want to talk about it," she said.


    Ludwig realized that everyone had their own problems, so he didn''t push further.


    "But what have you been doing? During your time at the tower," Hoyo asked.


    "Been working on some new type of magic we discovered, me and Master Van Dijk," Ludwig said.


    "Wait, that sounds interesting, new magic? Tell me, or if you tell me you''ll have to kill me?" Hoyo said backing away dramatically.


    "Nothing like that, actually Master never said anything about keeping this knowledge to myself, regardless wanna learn about it?" Ludwig asked.


    "I want!" Kassandra said hurriedly.


    "Sure, it wouldn''t hurt," Hoyo said.


    "Let''s go to my room," Ludwig said.


    The three of them headed out for Ludwig''s room afterward, navigating through the almost endless corridors of the academy until they arrived to his own room.


    "You have a personal room? I''m envious," Kassandra said, "I have to share it with three other girls," she sighed as she sat on Ludwig''s bed.


    "Tell me about it, mine has sweaty snoring idiots that don''t even shower or clean up after themselves, it''s more a pigsty than a room," he sighed.


    "Sit down," Ludwig said and pulled out a few pieces of paper, "And check this out," he added.


    ***


    "My head is killing me," Hoyo said as he pushed the papers away, "How the hell are you even able to read this, most of this stuff sound like over glorified gibberish, can you even cast a spell using these formulae?"


    Kassandra who had sweat dripping down her forehead seemed on the verge of falling unconscious, "I really can''t fully figure this out, but isn''t this too advanced for you?" she asked.


    Ludwig smiled, he''s been there before, only he wasn''t allowed to fall unconscious and had to tide through all that, "I never said it was easy, but this basically allows you to use the same magic but in a more proficient and optimal way, Tibari was fond of research and although they''re long since gone, their advance in theory and magic research is pretty astounding and might be even more advanced than some of today''s magic," Ludwig said as he raised his hand.


    "This is fireball," he said as he manifested [FireBall] this is using the normal Mana Transformation that almost anyone knows. But using the Tibari Mana Alteration method of channeling, you can remove much of the cost and still retain the same effect, or even a stronger one "Ludwig said as he summoned another fireball in his other hand, this one was burning brighter and stronger. "In an overdrawn battle, Using Tibarian mana alteration results in a less mana cost and better reserves, so don''t you want to learn it?" Ludwig asked.


    "I do," Kassandra said, "But although it''s optimal, the mental effort needed to use it is far more staggering. You need to have a strong mental fortitude to apply this to every spell, like, this is a tier one spell fireball, what would happen if you use it on something like a fire tornado or something even stronger? I know what''ll happen, my head will blow up," she sighed and laid on her back on Ludwig''s bed. "I don''t know, it sounds good on paper, but the cost is too much," she said.


    Ludwig didn''t have their issues, he was an undead, mental fortitude and power was the least of his worries.


    "Oh, by the way, Ludwig are you watching the Five Tower tournament?" Hoyo asked.


    "The what now?" Ludwig asked.


    "He doesn''t know," Kassandra said.


    "What''s going on?" Ludwig asked. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Well, every end of school year, the five towers host a tournament. It''s a friendly spar that allows the students from every academy to battle each other. Lots of reward and prestige and all, it also allows students to get Crests," Hoyo said.


    "I have no idea what you''re talking about, what Crests?" Ludwig said.


    "You really joined without knowing anything. But since we''re freshmen we don''t have access to crests right now, but a few lucky ones can obtain them if they join the tournament. Crests are a reward for doing research, dungeons, academy missions and contribution to their respective towers. Gathering enough crests allows one to join their respective tower after graduation," Hoyo said.


    "But I''m already the Tower Master'' disciple, why would I need them?" Ludwig asked.


    "You do have a point there," Hoyo said.


    "It''s not just for the tower," Kassandra said, "It''ll also allow you to do exchange studies, and visit other towers. And will let you have higher standing in society if you have the crests. Joining the tower via your master is completely different if you do it by crests. No one would have a bone to pick with you if you ''earned'' your spot by getting the crests." She said.


    "So basically, a proof of ability, I see, it does sound nice. So, when is this tournament happening?" Ludwig asked.


    "In a month or so. Why you plan on joining?" Hoyo grinned.


    "Not really interested but it does sound nice, we could go and watch. I want to see the power level of the other towers." Ludwig said.

 Chapter 165 - 165: Status Upgrade

    [Read Author Notes at the end!]


    Kassandra and Hoyo soon left the room, leaving Ludwig by himself. He didn''t have much to do right now. Most of the magic he had learned from Tibari was too advanced for his current level, and he couldn''t train using his shard or chain anymore since they had been sent off for upgrades. The absence of his usual tools left him feeling somewhat adrift, unsure of how to spend his time productively.


    Ludwig briefly considered practicing his swordsmanship but quickly dismissed the idea. The arena was closed off, and he couldn''t return to the training area he had visited earlier with the professor without her presence. It seemed like every avenue for training or improvement was temporarily blocked, leaving him with little to do but wait.


    Finding himself with no immediate tasks, Ludwig decided to check his status screen. He had been so preoccupied with recent events that he hadn''t taken the time to review his progress in a while. Perhaps there was something he could improve or adjust to better prepare for the challenges ahead.


    [Status Screen: Ludwig Heart]


    Race: Skeleton


    Soul Level: 19


    Health: 1900


    Stamina: Infinite


    Mana: 1030/1030


    Wisdom: 103


    Charisma: 60


    Agility: 20


    Strength: 78


    Dexterity: 30


    Vigor: 10


    Luck: 15


    Class: Skeleton Grunt


    Title: Apostle of Death


    [Achievement: Unyielding]: [Increased mental resistance when lower on health. Increase in all physical and mental abilities proportional to the damage taken, up to 10%]


    Skills: [Trace], [Basic Undead Summon Sigil]


    Spells: [Enfeeble], [Galvanize], [Taint], [Flame Bringer], [Frenzied Spirits], [Fire Ball], [Self Immolation]


    Passives: Basic Swordsmanship ¨C Undead Resolve ¨C [Blessed Body]


    Overt Genius: Increased proficiency of all sorts of masteries.


    Items Held: Basic Ring of Holding, Soul Letting Lantern, Umbra Malvolume Codex Necros, Mask of the Blind Witness.


    Miscellaneous items: Black Tower Academy Clothes.


    Souls in Lantern: 9,996


    "Not bad, my progress looks steady," Ludwig said to himself, a hint of satisfaction in his voice. He had come a long way since his early days as a skeleton grunt, and the numbers on his status screen reflected that growth. Still, he knew there was always room for improvement.


    He then opened up his ring and pulled out the Green Emerald he had obtained from the Sheikh. The gemstone glimmered faintly in the dim light of the room, its surface smooth and cool to the touch. Ludwig inspected it once again, recalling its properties.


    Name: [Emerald Mana Stone]


    Type: Accessory


    Abilities:


    Increases your mana pool by 20% as long as the user''s mana is above 1,000 and below 3,000 base mana. Allows the user to cast up to tier three magic spells.


    Condition of use:


    Soul Level 15 Wisdom: 100 Vigor: 50


    "I''m only lacking in vigor, and with the ten thousand almost souls, I should have enough," he muttered to himself, his mind already calculating the necessary adjustments. The emerald''s potential was undeniable, and Ludwig was eager to unlock its full power.


    "Add forty points to vigor," Ludwig said, his voice firm and decisive.


    [-1,050 souls have been deduced from your soul pool. You obtained 40 Vigor.]


    [Your Soul Level has increased by 4. You are now Soul Level 23. (+400 HP)]


    [You have gained 4,000 Health Points from the increase in vigor!]


    "Huh?" Ludwig was surprised by the sudden surge in his health. He quickly checked his status screen again, confirming that his health had indeed skyrocketed to 5,900. "I didn''t expect the increase to be that much¡­ that''s a lot of health," he murmured, a sense of awe creeping into his tone. It was only then that he fully grasped the importance of each stat and how they contributed to his overall capabilities.


    Seeing that some of his stats were still lagging behind, Ludwig decided to invest more souls to balance his overall stat lines. "I should probably get all my points to a level that I''m satisfied with, but seeing I only have about 8,000 and some points left, oof, this might be expensive," he sighed, already dreading the soul expenditure. Nevertheless, he began the process, determined to make the most of his resources.


    "Add 40 points to Charisma," he commanded, knowing that this would enhance his control over his undead summons.


    [You have used 1,250 souls. Charisma increased by 40. You gained 400 health.]


    [Your visual allure is slightly enhanced. You have more control over the summoned undead and anything that is below you in strength.]


    "My strength is close enough to 100; might as well increase it too," he muttered, his focus unwavering.


    "Add 30 points to Strength," he said.


    [You have used 960 souls. You gained 300 health. Your strength increased!]


    "Since my agility and dexterity are at their lowest, might as well pump them up. Add eighty points to agility," he declared, his voice steady.


    [You have used 2,920 souls! Your agility increased by 80. You are much more agile than before and have a 1% chance to evade all attacks coming your way.]


    [+800 Health]


    "Okay, this leaves me with 3,816 souls¡­ but my dexterity is still too low. Might as well pump the rest into dexterity and focus on upgrading vigor later, since I gain health passively whenever I level up," he reasoned, his mind working through the calculations.


    "Add seventy points into dexterity," he commanded.


    [You have used 3,080 souls. Your dexterity has increased by 70. You are now far nimbler with your hands and feet and able to react faster.]


    [+700 Health]


    "All I have left is 736 souls. I guess I''ll keep them for now," Ludwig realized, a sense of accomplishment washing over him. His stats were now more balanced, with most of them reaching or exceeding 100. Only vigor remained slightly behind, but he could address that later.


    Standing up, Ludwig immediately felt the effects of his upgrades. The increase in strength, dexterity, and agility was palpable. His hands felt stronger as he clenched them into fists, and his steps felt more stable and deliberate. The changes were not just numerical; they were physical, tangible, and empowering.


    "Good," he nodded to himself, a small smile tugging at the corners of his skeletal mouth. "Now, let''s see about this emerald," he said as he plucked out the blue mana stone from his forehead.


    [You have removed a mana stone. All your magic skills have their efficiency reduced by 90%!]


    "I see¡­ I guess without the mana stone, all the Nephilium in my body becomes useless. It needs it to connect," he mused, understanding the intricate relationship between his body and the mana stone. He then placed the emerald mana stone into the slot on his forehead, feeling an immediate surge of energy.


    Ludwig''s mind felt as if it had been washed with clean spring water, refreshed and rejuvenated in an instant. The emerald''s power flowed through him, enhancing his magical capabilities.


    [Your magic efficiency has returned to normal. Your mana pool has increased by 20%.] S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [You can now learn and use Tier Three magic. All magic that is below level 3 will have its power increased slightly.]


    "Nice," Ludwig said, a sense of satisfaction filling him as he placed the blue mana stone back into his holding ring. The emerald mana stone was now firmly in place, its power fully integrated into his being.


    Now all he needed was finding stronger magic, he should probably ask his master for stronger and more advanced spells.

 Chapter 166 - 166: The Plot Thickens

    Just as Ludwig was taking another look at his current status screen, admiring the steady progress he had made, a sharp knock echoed through the door of his room. The sound was insistent, almost urgent, pulling him away from his thoughts. He sighed, closing the status screen with a flick of his wrist, and strode over to the door. When he opened it, he found the same student council member from earlier that morning standing there, her expression a mix of determination and unease.


    "I already told you I need more time to think about it," Ludwig said, his voice calm but firm. He wasn''t in the mood for another round of persuasion.


    The council member, however, didn''t budge. "We have an update to the case," she said, her tone serious.


    "Case? Are we detectives now?" Ludwig raised an eyebrow, his voice laced with sarcasm. He crossed his arms, leaning against the doorframe.


    "That''s part of our job as council members¡ªto uphold the peace of the academy," she replied, her gaze unwavering. "But this update changes things."


    "What does it matter to me?" Ludwig asked, his tone indifferent. He wasn''t sure why he was being dragged into this mess.


    "Because we found another body," she said bluntly, her words hanging heavily in the air.


    Ludwig''s expression shifted slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing his skeletal features. "Oh¡­" he murmured, his voice trailing off. He hadn''t expected that. "And this is relevant to me how?"


    The council member stepped closer, her voice dropping to a lower, more urgent tone. "Some of our members still had doubts about your innocence. But the new body we found was discovered in the forest. It was heavily decayed, with the same marks and method of death as Von Hubert. We estimate the corpse had been there for at least thirty days¡ªmaybe more. That puts you in the clear, since you only joined the academy recently. Now, the president of the student council wants you to help us investigate further."


    Ludwig tilted his head, considering her words. "Although I feel sorry for whoever lost their life to this¡­ thing, I don''t find it in my interest to do any favors for the council," he said, his tone dismissive.


    The council member didn''t back down. "There will be compensation from the academy if we reach any conclusive evidence about the killer. A crest, actually. Are you still not interested?" she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied him.


    Ludwig paused, his interest piqued. A crest? That changed things. He had already been considering joining the council out of sheer boredom and to fulfill the quest from Necros. But now, with the promise of a crest, the offer was far more tempting. "Sure thing, then," he said, shrugging. "Though I doubt I''ll be of much help." S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The council member nodded, a hint of relief in her expression. "Professor Joana recommended you. She''s convinced you have strong deductive abilities, especially since you recognized that Hubert''s death was caused by a parasite. That was the same conclusion Professor Vastion reached. We''d like your help. The teachers are keeping the normal students in the dark, but as the student council, we have more leeway to figure out the truth."


    Ludwig thought for a moment, then nodded. "I don''t promise anything, but sure, take me with you," he said.


    The council member thanked him and led the way. They left the dorms and made their way to the main academy building, descending a set of long, winding stairs until they reached a large, ornate door. The council member pushed it open, revealing a spacious room filled with several figures seated around a large table. Most of them wore the same uniform as the girl who had brought Ludwig, complete with the distinctive arm ribbon that marked them as council members.


    There were four guys and two girls in the room, all of whom turned their attention to Ludwig as he entered. He recognized two of them immediately: Bron, the same guy who had caused trouble back in the Pseudo Dungeon, and Ravi Vondel, Thomas Vondel''s older brother. Both of them snorted in unison as Ludwig walked in, their expressions a mix of disdain and annoyance.


    Another woman waved at Ludwig from across the table. It was Minerva, a fellow freshman who had been part of Bron''s team during the dungeon incident. She had been the one who had kept them alive with her healing and support skills. Without her, there likely would have been more casualties. Ludwig gave her a slight nod in acknowledgment.


    The others in the room were unfamiliar to him. They wore robes with different patterns, indicating they were likely seniors. Ludwig''s presence seemed to stir the room, and he could feel the weight of their scrutiny.


    "What''s he doing here?!" Bron demanded, his voice loud and accusatory.


    Before Ludwig could respond, another figure entered the room from a side door. He was tall and slender, with a pair of glasses perched on his nose. His demeanor was calm and composed, and he exuded an air of authority. "I invited him personally," the newcomer said, his voice smooth and confident. "Ludwig Heart, my name is Danny Thompson. I''m the student council president. Welcome."


    Ludwig nodded, his expression neutral. "What am I supposed to do here?" he asked, cutting straight to the point.


    Danny smiled, unfazed by Ludwig''s bluntness. "We''re at a bit of an impasse in the case, and we heard you might be able to provide some assistance. Would you mind taking a look at some of our findings?" He gestured to a stack of pictures and documents on the table.


    Ludwig stepped forward and picked up one of the photos. The image was gruesome: a body twisted and mangled, its chest torn open and its limbs contorted in unnatural angles. The decay was severe, making it difficult to discern many details, but the similarities to Hubert''s death were unmistakable.


    "I don''t suppose we have access to the body?" Ludwig asked, his eyes still fixed on the photo.


    Danny shook his head. "No, the morgue took it. The professors are concerned it might be infectious, especially if it''s parasitic in nature. They don''t want us risking exposure."


    Ludwig nodded, understanding the caution. But as he flipped through the documents, something caught his eye. He frowned, his brow furrowing as he studied the report more closely.


    "That''s not right," he muttered, more to himself than to anyone else.


    Danny leaned forward, intrigued. "What is it?"


    Ludwig looked up, his expression serious. "This thing¡­ I''m not so sure it''s parasitic anymore."


    "Why not?" Danny asked, his interest clearly piqued.


    "There are no signs of struggle on this body," Ludwig explained. "Unlike Hubert''s body, which was riddled with scars and wounds, this one has none. It''s too clean."


    Bron scoffed loudly, interrupting. "It''s decayed, you dumbass. Why would it have scars if the flesh has rotted away?"


    Ludwig ignored the jab, his focus unwavering. "Hubert''s body had its bones slashed through with a sword. His fingers were broken, and his nails were torn out. The autopsy deduced that his wounds were all self-inflicted from the types of the wounds, This body doesn''t have any of that. Even the nails are intact. If a parasite was forcing the victim to harm themselves, you''d expect to see evidence of that¡ªscratching, clawing, anything. But this kill is too clean. It doesn''t add up."


    Danny''s eyes widened as he processed Ludwig''s words. "You think he was ambushed?"


    Ludwig nodded. "I believe so."


    The room fell silent as the implications sank in. Danny leaned back in his chair, his expression grave. "Then this changes everything. We''re not looking for a creature¡­ we''re looking for a serial killer."

 Chapter 167 - 167: Battle At The Council

    "This is troublesome," Ludwig muttered under his breath, his voice low and tinged with unease. The weight of the situation pressed down on him, and he couldn''t help but feel a sense of foreboding.


    "Indeed," Danny agreed, his tone heavy with concern. "Handling a creature or a beast is easier¡ªthey''re predictable. But something like this¡­ a human killer? That''s a different kind of danger entirely."


    Bron, ever the optimist, leaned back in his chair and shrugged. "Isn''t that better? People tend to make mistakes. We''ll eventually catch them."


    Minerva shot him a sharp look, her voice cutting through the room like a blade. "But how many will die before that happens? Our job is to capture the killer before they go too far. And let''s not forget how terrifying it is to know there''s a homicidal person walking around the school."


    Danny turned to Ludwig, his expression serious. "Ludwig, how about you join us? The council could use someone with your deductive abilities."


    Ludwig''s gaze flickered to the annoying quest window that kept flashing before his eyes. He sighed, realizing he didn''t have much of a choice. "Sure, fine, why not," he said, his tone resigned.


    [Student Council Quest Update!]


    [Find out more about the killer by assisting the members of the student council!]


    Part 1


    "So, what are we thinking about the killer?" Danny asked, breaking the silence that had settled over the room.


    Ludwig grabbed the picture of the deceased and studied it closely. "They''re strong," he said finally. "Unimaginably so. I wouldn''t dare make assumptions, but perhaps someone of power and influence in the academy¡­"


    Ravi snorted, his voice dripping with skepticism. "You mean a teacher could have done it?"


    Ludwig didn''t flinch. "I didn''t confirm it, nor am I denying it. I''m only stating what''s in front of me. For a student to do this much damage, especially to Hubert, there should have been at least a sign of struggle. But why was his body discovered in the open without anyone having witnessed it? Perhaps someone with knowledge of arts or methods that make their killing¡­ stealthy."


    He turned to Danny, his expression thoughtful. "Regardless, when I was in Rima, the investigator there did something to figure out the truth of what truly happened."


    Danny leaned forward, intrigued. "What do you mean?"


    "I''m sure you already know what happened in Rima," Ludwig said, his voice calm but firm.


    Bron couldn''t resist interjecting. "I call bullshit on that. There''s no way your scrawny ass could have handled several Djinns and the perpetrator. It''s all inflated lies."


    Minerva, however, came to Ludwig''s defense. "I don''t know about that," she said, planting both elbows on the table and cradling her head in her hands. "After all, he did defeat a boss-level Champion Lizard by himself, even though you tried to screw him over."


    Bron''s face flushed with anger. "Hah! I gave him the buff he needed to beat it. If it wasn''t for me, he''d be dead."


    Ludwig''s lip twitched as he fought back a retort. If you had listened to me and didn''t lit a fire, none of that would have happened. And a buff? Bitch, please. You set me aflame so the lizardman could only see me. But it''s fine. Your time has yet to come¡­


    "That''s interesting," one of the seniors in the room said. It was one of the girls who had been sitting quietly at the table. She stood up and walked over to Ludwig, her eyes narrowing as she studied him. "You defeated a Lizardman Champion while it was a boss type? I find that hard to believe."


    Ludwig stared down at her, his brow furrowing. Is this what they call a loli? he thought, noting her small stature. She barely reached above his waist, but her presence was anything but diminutive.


    She placed her hands on her hips, her gaze piercing. "In terms of appearance, you get a pass. But I find it hard to believe that a freshman was able to beat a Lizardman. How about you show me?"


    Ludwig raised an eyebrow. "Do I get anything for doing that?"


    "You''ll obtain my approval," she said as if that were something of great value.


    Ludwig shook his head. "I don''t have time to waste with you."


    She smiled, her expression turning mischievous. "Not that I was asking!"


    [You are in a hostile environment!]


    The warning flashed before Ludwig''s eyes just as the girl lunged at him. He immediately jumped back, his enhanced agility and reaction speed allowing him to narrowly avoid her attack. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He retreated all the way to the entrance of the room, his eyes wide with surprise.


    Because the girl didn''t even move from her place, he felt as if it was an illusion that she charged him, she had remained standing still in the same spot.


    "Oh, will you look at that," she said, her voice dripping with amusement. "You''re able to recognize intent and act accordingly. This is getting more interesting." With a wave of her hand, she manifested a massive war axe. The weapon was at least twice her length and several times her weight, yet she wielded it with ease, holding it in one hand as if it were nothing.


    "What''s the meaning of this?" Ludwig snapped, his voice sharp with irritation.


    "It''s your welcoming ceremony," she said, her tone light and playful. "Everyone here went through it, though they were all subpar. Show me, Ludwig. Show me how you managed to defeat a Champion Lizardman."


    Before Ludwig could respond, she flashed forward, her eyes wide and her mouth opening in hysterical laughter. The axe came down with terrifying speed, but Ludwig managed to dodge it, thanks to his improved reflexes. He leaped to the side, narrowly avoiding the blow.


    "I''m not interested in fighting you!" Ludwig shouted, his voice tinged with frustration. "Also, you have no shame!"


    "Shame? Why?" she laughed, swinging the axe horizontally. Ludwig dodged again, his movements swift and precise. The axe tore through furniture and walls, leaving destruction in its wake.


    At the edge of his vision, Ludwig saw Danny facepalming, while Ravi and Bron leaned back in their chairs, snickering at the spectacle. Minerva wore an ugly scowl, but the last person at the table remained expressionless, watching the scene unfold with detached interest.


    "You''re fighting an unarmed person!" Ludwig protested as he dodged another swing.


    "True," she said, stopping the axe mere centimeters from his face. "I heard you use magic and swordsmanship."


    "Yeah, and?" Ludwig replied, his voice tense.


    "Why aren''t you using your magic, then?" she asked, tilting her head.


    "Too destructive," Ludwig explained, his eyes darting around the room for an escape route.


    "The academy will fix everything, so don''t worry about it," she said with a smile, raising the axe for another swing.


    Before she could strike, a deep voice interrupted. "Here."


    Ludwig turned to see the silent figure at the table tossing a heavy, thick long sword in his direction. Ludwig caught it mid-air, his fingers wrapping around the hilt. He inspected the weapon, his eyes widening as he read its properties.


    ***


    Name: Black Steel Heavy Long Sword - Named Weapon- [Baltak - The Last Stand]


    Category: Weapon


    Durability: 2500/2500


    Tier: Unique


    Damage: 400-600


    Weight: 15Kg


    [Abilities]


    [Concussive Blow!]: Causes increased damage against armored opponents.


    [Piercing Blow]: Eases the penetration of armor using this weapon.


    [One Against Many!]: Passive - In the presence of multiple opponents, the damage of the weapon increases considerably (50% increase in damage of all basic attacks and abilities).


    [Heft]: This weapon uses up twice the amount of stamina required to wield it, causing more damage but filling up exhaustion faster.


    Lore:


    This sword was once owned by a knight of great renown who used this weapon to fend off the charging forces of a hundred men. The owner managed to kill all hundred armored opponents, losing his life only due to exhaustion. Thus, it was named after its master, Baltak, the Last Man Standing.


    ***


    Ludwig twirled the weapon in his hands, testing its weight and balance. "This is¡­ pretty nice," he said, glancing at the silent figure who had lent it to him. "You interested in selling this weapon?"


    "No," the figure replied, his voice calm but firm. "It''s a loan. So you don''t call this unfair. Show me what you''ve got."


    Before Ludwig could respond, the axe-wielding girl lunged at him again, her laughter echoing through the room. "Though you''re cute, I HATE BEING IGNORED!" she screamed, her axe swinging with deadly precision.


    Ludwig gritted his teeth, gripping the sword tightly. ''Aight, fine... let''s have it your way,''

 Chapter 168 - 168: Council Member Ludwig

    Ludwig swung the sword in his hand with a single arm, the sheer force behind the motion sending a shockwave through the room as the blade collided with the girl''s massive war axe. The clash was deafening, a resounding clang that reverberated off the walls and made the air itself tremble. The impact was so powerful that the room seemed to wince, the furniture rattling and the windows vibrating in their frames. Yet, neither Ludwig nor the small girl budged an inch, their feet firmly planted as their weapons locked in a test of raw strength.


    "Whoaaa!" the girl exclaimed, her eyes widening with a mix of surprise and delight. "So much strength in that scrawny arm of yours!" Her voice was filled with genuine admiration, though her grin suggested she was far from done. "But I''m not satisfied yet!" she declared, swinging her axe down again with even greater force.


    Ludwig met her strike head-on, his movements precise and calculated. He wasn''t aiming to attack her¡ªnot yet. Instead, he focused on deflecting her blows, using the weight and momentum of his borrowed sword to redirect her attacks. Each clash sent another deafening echo through the room, the sound growing louder and more intense with every strike. It was as if the room itself was tolling like a giant bell, the vibrations shaking the very foundations of the academy.


    "USE BOTH HANDS!" the girl roared, her voice cutting through the chaos as she brought her axe down with a devastating overhead swing.


    "Fine!" Ludwig growled, gripping the sword with both hands this time. His undead strength surged through his arms as he swung the blade with all his might. The collision was earth-shattering, the force of the blow sending the girl''s axe flying from her hands. The massive weapon embedded itself halfway into the nearest wall, the blade sinking deep into the stone with a thunderous crack.


    Ludwig didn''t hesitate. In one fluid motion, he stepped forward and placed the tip of his sword against the girl''s neck, his expression calm but determined. For a moment, the room fell silent, the tension palpable.


    The girl, however, simply smiled. With a casual flick of her fingers, she disarmed Ludwig, plucking the sword from his grip as if it were a toy. "Passable strength! Passable appearance, and above-average courage. You pass," she said, her tone almost teasing. She snapped her fingers, and the axe embedded in the wall dissipated into thin air, leaving no trace of its destruction.


    Bron, who had been watching from the sidelines, clicked his tongue in annoyance and turned his head away, clearly unimpressed. The girl, meanwhile, turned her attention back to Ludwig, her expression thoughtful.


    "You''re not bad," she admitted, tilting her head as she studied him. "But you have no technique¡ªjust brutal strength and violence. That won''t win you fights."


    Ludwig met her gaze, unflinching. "I beg to differ," he said, his voice steady.


    She raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? And why is that?"


    Ludwig''s lips curled into a faint smirk. "I strongly believe in the idiom: if violence and strength aren''t solving a problem, you''re merely not using enough."


    For a moment, the girl stared at him, her expression unreadable. Then, she burst into hysterical laughter, the sound echoing through the room. "What kind of idiot said that?" she gasped between laughs. "But thinking about it, it''s not wrong in the least. Indeed, if you''re stronger than everyone, then all problems can be solved. Hah! This one is interesting." She turned to the silent figure on the other side of the room, her grin widening. "What do you think, Haku?"


    So, that''s his name, Ludwig thought, making a mental note. The man with the sword¡ªHaku¡ªnodded slowly, his expression thoughtful.


    "Not bad," Haku said, his voice low and measured. "To be able to swing this weapon several times and not even feel the exhaustion¡­ That''s impressive."


    Bron, however, wasn''t convinced. "He only swung it a few times," he scoffed, crossing his arms. "What''s the big deal? He had no technique or style. Any hoodlum could do that."


    Ravi, who had been quietly observing, shot Bron a warning look. "I''d remain quiet if I were you," he said, his tone sharp. Though he had joined Bron in mocking Ludwig earlier, it seemed he had realized something Bron hadn''t.


    Bron, however, wasn''t one to back down. "What do you mean? Like, give me that! Let me show you how we do this at the Steelheart household!" he declared, striding forward and snatching the sword from Haku''s hands.


    Haku gave Bron a disdainful look but said nothing, his expression unreadable. Bron gripped the sword, his face twisting slightly as he adjusted to its weight. "This thing is poorly balanced," he muttered, though his tone lacked conviction. He began to demonstrate his family''s swordsmanship, his movements fluid and practiced. But after just a few swings, his face began to flush, and his arms started to tremble visibly.


    Refusing to admit defeat, Bron tried to swing the sword again, but his arms shook even more violently. He quickly planted the weapon on the ground, leaning on it for support as he tried to hide his exhaustion. "That''s all I can show from my family style," he said, his voice strained. "One shouldn''t reveal too much. But like I said, it''s not that difficult¡­" His words were a blatant attempt to save face, but everyone in the room could see through the lie.


    The difference between Bron and Ludwig was painfully obvious. While Bron struggled to wield the sword after just a few swings, Ludwig had fought with it effortlessly, not even breaking a sweat. The room fell silent, the unspoken truth hanging heavy in the air.


    Danny clapped his hands, breaking the tension. "Anyway," he said, his voice calm and authoritative, "we''ll be doing a few things here. I''m requesting you all to help make the academy safer. We''ll be creating a new rule and a new force. Starting tonight, we''ll be doing night patrols to monitor any suspicious activities." S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Minerva frowned, her arms crossed. "Policing the students? We''ll be hated by everyone."


    "That''s the only way to keep them safe," Danny replied, his tone firm. "Regardless, you''re more than welcome to ignore any small skirmishes or duels between students if they''re in broad daylight and have witnesses. But at night, we''ll need people to identify themselves and explain what they''re doing. We can''t have random people wandering around the academy. We don''t know the serial killer''s pattern yet, so for now, we''ll keep a broader perspective."


    He turned to Ludwig, a faint smile on his lips. "I hope you don''t mind wasting some of your sleep time."


    Ludwig shrugged. "No worries," he said. It wasn''t like he could sleep anyway, and the idea of patrolling the academy at night sounded like a good way to pass the time.


    "Also, Ludwig," Danny added, "I already saw a report on what happened in Rima. I believe you wanted to say something about the investigation before you were rudely cut off by Lidia."


    Ludwig nodded. "Oh, it was about Earth Memory crystals."


    Danny''s expression grew serious. "Ah, we do have similar magic, but the reveal didn''t show anything different from what we already know. The teachers used similar spells, and all they saw was the body suddenly appearing on the ground. No sign of the perpetrator or anything. This was the same in both cases¡ªeven in the case of Thomas Vondel''s death."


    Ludwig frowned, his gaze flickering to Ravi. He noticed the subtle shift in Ravi''s demeanor, a flicker of emotion that was quickly suppressed.


    "For Vondel," Danny continued, "all we saw was him going completely manic and, sadly, failing to escape the flaming prison he created in time. Regardless, you''ll be doing patrols with Minerva tonight. How about it?"


    "Sure thing," Ludwig said, his tone casual.


    "Alright," Danny said, clapping his hands again. "This concludes our short meeting. We can all go our separate ways now. Good luck with tonight''s patrol, and please report any suspicious activities."


    As the group began to disperse, Danny turned to Lidia, reprimanding her for the destruction she had caused. The girl, however, completely ignored him, waving goodbye to Ludwig with a devilish smile that sent a shiver down his spine.


    As Ludwig walked away, he couldn''t help but wonder: Who''s scarier¡ªan undead skeleton hiding among the living, or a small girl with a devil-like smile?

 Chapter 169 - 169: Skeletal Apathy

    Later that night, Ludwig and Minerva walked through the dimly lit pathways of the academy, their footsteps echoing softly against the cobblestones. The air was crisp and cold, carrying with it the faint scent of dew and the distant rustle of leaves. The academy grounds were eerily quiet, the usual hustle and bustle of students replaced by an almost oppressive stillness. Their uniforms were the same as any other student''s, save for a few key additions: a new cape adorned with the academy''s emblem, outlined in blue, and an armband that clearly marked them as members of the student council.


    "Good idea on taking the cape," Minerva said, pulling the fabric tighter around her shoulders as a shiver ran through her. "It''s freezing out here." She rubbed her arms and shivered some more as she looked at Ludwig''s unfazed reaction to the chill.


    Ludwig nodded, his expression neutral. He didn''t feel the bite of the cold, his undead body immune to such discomforts, but he understood the need for warmth. "It''s practical," he said simply, his eyes scanning the shadows around them. His night vision gave him an edge, allowing him to see clearly in the darkness where Minerva might struggle.


    "So," Minerva began, her voice breaking the silence, "what do you think about all this? Any guesses on who the real killer might be?" Her eyes sparkled with curiosity, a stark contrast to the grim topic at hand.


    Ludwig glanced at her, his brow furrowing slightly. "What is it with you girls and murder mysteries?" he asked, his tone dry but not unkind. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Minerva laughed softly, her breath visible in the cold air. "Ah, it''s a fantasy, I suppose. I mean, look at me¡ªa weak damsel in distress. What would I do if a big, bad guy tried to come at me at night with weapons in hand?" she said, her tone playful.


    Ludwig raised an eyebrow. "Your eyes are betraying your tone," he said. "And you''re hardly a damsel in distress. I''ve seen what you can do. I''d pity the fool who''d try to ambush you."


    She grinned, clearly pleased by his response. "Good answer. But seriously, when it comes to murders and¡­ other terrible things, women tend to want to know how they happen so they can figure out ways to avoid them or deal with them. Not that anyone would ever want to suffer through something like that," she added, her tone growing more serious.


    "I see," Ludwig replied, his voice calm as he continued to scan their surroundings.


    Minerva glanced at him, noticing his lack of engagement. "Aren''t you cold?" she asked, trying to keep the conversation going.


    "Not really," Ludwig said. "It''s rather¡­ chill right now."


    Minerva chuckled at his choice of words, but her expression soon turned thoughtful. "Regardless, I feel like this is all so strange. Two students dead, and their deaths have nothing in common. One was a noble with incredible sword mastery and talent, and the other was just a commoner with no notable background or skills. What''s the connection?"


    Ludwig shrugged. "Trying to find a pattern from just two bodies is difficult. For all we know, they might have just looked at the killer the wrong way, or said something that offended them. We can''t rule out the possibility that the killer is a student or a teacher, but we can narrow it down."


    "How so?" Minerva asked, her curiosity piqued.


    "It''s currently break," Ludwig explained. "Most students are back at their homes, except for a few who either don''t have a home to return to or live too far away. And then there are those who stayed because the school required it."


    "Most nobles left," Minerva added, nodding in agreement. "Even the student council is working at half capacity. There are more members back at their homes than here."


    "Exactly," Ludwig said. "So the killer must be one of the people who didn''t leave."


    As they approached the arena area, Minerva gestured toward the dark outline of the forest in the distance. "The forest is up there. Should we check it out?"


    Ludwig shook his head. "We won''t be able to clear that whole area even if we search from dusk till dawn. It''s better to stick to the route Danny gave us."


    Minerva sighed but didn''t argue. "Right. I wouldn''t want to be there at night anyway¡­ unless I had a strong, manly, and brave Ludwig next to me," she said with a grin, playfully slapping him on the back.


    -1 HP


    Ludwig coughed, more out of habit than necessity, and shook his head. "Let''s keep moving," he said, his tone dry.


    They continued their patrol, the silence between them stretching as they walked. The academy grounds were quiet, almost unnaturally so. After the recent murders, it seemed no one was foolish enough to wander around at night.


    "So, Ludwig," Minerva said after a while, breaking the silence once more. "Do you have anyone you''re currently interested in?"


    Ludwig blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in topic. "Interested in? As in what?" he asked, his tone cautious.


    Minerva rolled her eyes. "Oh, don''t play dumb. You know what I mean."


    "Ah," Ludwig said, understanding dawning on him. "No, nothing right now. Why are you asking?"


    "Oh, nothing much," Minerva said, her tone casual as she skipped a few steps ahead of him and turned to face him, walking backward. "I was just wondering. You seem pretty close to Kassandra, though. She''s smart, but she really needs to take better care of her hair. It''s always such a mess," she added with a smirk.


    Ludwig raised an eyebrow. "I''ve told her about that, but I guess personal appearance isn''t high on her list of priorities. Regardless, I don''t have any interest in women."


    Minerva''s eyes widened in mock surprise. "Ah, one of those," she said, her tone teasing.


    Ludwig sighed. "No, get your head out of the gutter. I''m straight."


    "That''s even more confusing," Minerva said, tilting her head. "I mean, you''re a handsome young lad¡ªI can vouch for that. You''re not arrogant, you don''t have a terrible personality, and you''re pretty confident and brave. So I can''t see any reason why you''re not seeing anyone right now¡­"


    Well, I can, Ludwig thought, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. I''m an undead, after all. You hear stories about couples who find love despite the challenges of race and body, but for God''s sake, I''m a damn skeleton.


    "It''s not on my plate right now," Ludwig said aloud. "There''s so much more I need to take care of before thinking about romance."


    "What a shame," Minerva said, her tone exaggerated. "You''d be dropping skirts and wetting panties if you wanted to. But I guess magic and swordsmanship come first."


    Ludwig blinked twice at her wording, momentarily speechless.


    Minerva laughed, clearly enjoying his reaction. "Just because I''m a noble doesn''t mean I don''t understand the mundane man. Speaking of class, I heard a few things from a friend of mine. We all thought you came from a commoner family, but the way you acted at the Urbaf household was anything but commoner-like."


    "Damn, word spreads fast," Ludwig said, shaking his head.


    "Indeed it does," Minerva agreed. "Gossip spreads even faster. So tell me, if you don''t mind, are you truly a commoner?"


    Ludwig thought for a moment before answering. "Currently, yes. Before, not so much. But I was never a noble. Something¡­ different."


    "A merchant house?" Minerva guessed.


    "Something like that," Ludwig said. "But my family perished, so don''t worry about it."


    Minerva''s expression softened. "Ah, sad things do happen in life. I''m sorry for your loss."


    "Don''t worry about it," Ludwig said, his tone calm. "It happened a long time ago."


    That was a lie. For Ludwig, the loss of his world, his family, and everything he had known was no older than a month. But his emotional detachment as an undead made it feel like a distant, almost mundane memory. He knew he should feel sadder, but he couldn''t summon the emotion. It was another con of being undead¡ªemotional imbalance and apathy at its finest.


    As they continued their patrol, Ludwig couldn''t help but wonder if he''d ever feel truly human again. But for now, he pushed those thoughts aside, focusing on the task at hand. The night was long, and the killer was still out there.

 Chapter 170 - 170: A Death Knights Heart

    The two continued their patrol through the academy until the first light of dawn began to creep over the horizon. The night had been uneventful, with no signs of suspicious activity. As the sun rose, Danny arrived to relieve them, his expression calm but attentive.


    "How was the patrol?" he asked, his voice carrying a note of professionalism.


    Minerva, half-asleep and yawning, gave a tired nod. "Good, good. Nothing out of the ordinary, though," she said, her words slightly slurred from exhaustion. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I thought as much," Danny replied. "Since an incident just happened, not a lot of students will be outside their rooms. Regardless, go get some rest. We''ll take over from here."


    Ludwig nodded and bid the two of them goodbye. He didn''t have much to do, so he considered returning to the Black Tower. But after his master''s advice to rest, there seemed little point. Bored and with nothing pressing to occupy his time, Ludwig found himself wandering aimlessly through the academy grounds until he stumbled upon the arena once more.


    As he approached, he heard the sound of heavy breathing and the rhythmic whoosh of a sword cutting through the air. Stepping inside, he saw Professor Joana, her body glistening with sweat as she practiced her sword swings in the early morning light. Her movements were precise and powerful, each swing carrying the weight of years of discipline and training.


    "Ludwig," she said, noticing him almost immediately. "Come and grab a sword."


    Ludwig glanced at the weapon rack beside her, which held several training swords. He selected a heavy one, its weight familiar and comforting in his hands.


    "Professor Joana," he greeted with a nod, stepping into position beside her.


    "I sent your chain and shard to the blacksmith," she said, her voice steady as she continued her swings. "Good news¡ªhe actually dropped a meeting with the imperial councilor to work on them. I''d expect good results."


    Ludwig''s eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, really? He can do that?"


    "Of course," Joana replied, a hint of pride in her tone. "He''s the best smith in the country. Even the emperor respects his time. He makes all the imperial weapons, after all."


    "I see," Ludwig said, his voice thoughtful. He began to mimic Joana''s movements, his swings matching hers in pace and precision. The synchronization between them was uncanny, and Joana couldn''t help but notice.


    "Something''s different about you," she said, her eyes narrowing slightly as she continued to swing her sword.


    "What is it, professor?" Ludwig asked, his tone neutral.


    "Your swings," she said, her voice tinged with approval. "They''re heavier. I like that. Seems like even for a little monster like you, gaining strength is possible."


    Ludwig smirked faintly. "I guess. Since I''ve been with Master Van Dijk, becoming stronger hasn''t been much of an issue."


    Joana nodded, her expression thoughtful. "I heard about your meeting with that¡­ thing. Two mages fighting against a Swordmaster undead¡ªthat must have been a fight to see."


    "He wasn''t undead," Ludwig corrected, his tone firm.


    Joana raised an eyebrow. "The way Van Dijk described him, he sure sounded like one."


    Ludwig continued his swings, his movements fluid and controlled. "If he was undead, we would have won more easily. No, he was kept between life and death by the Gluttonous Death¡ªa puppet that cannot live and cannot die. Far from undeath, yet ever so close to it."


    Joana''s expression grew serious. "I see. Regardless, you were lucky."


    "How so?" Ludwig asked, his curiosity piqued.


    "From what Van Dijk said, that knight didn''t have his ''heart,''" Joana explained.


    Ludwig frowned, clearly confused. "What does that mean? What is a ''heart'' in this context?"


    Joana paused her swings and turned to face him, her expression thoughtful. "Aura, Ludwig. Aura. He couldn''t use it."


    "What is aura?" Ludwig asked, his interest fully captured. "And what does having a heart have to do with it? Is it like a mage''s circles?"


    "No, completely different," Joana said, her voice firm. She relaxed her posture, and in an instant, her sword was enveloped in a bright green energy that seemed to radiate from her very being. The aura was powerful, almost overwhelming in its intensity.


    "This," she said, her voice steady, "is aura."


    Ludwig''s eyes widened, and he immediately activated his [Trace] ability, hoping to replicate the technique. But a notification flashed before his eyes, dashing his hopes.


    [You do not have the necessary accomplishments to understand or [Trace] ''{Aura}'']


    [Your swordsmanship is too low to understand {Aura}]


    The message gave Ludwig a rough idea of what he was lacking, but it didn''t dampen his curiosity.


    "You can''t replicate this one, can you?" Joana said, a knowing smile playing on her lips.


    Ludwig frowned, surprised that she had guessed his intentions. "How did you know I was trying to replicate it?"


    Joana chuckled. "I heard from Van Dijk that the first time you met him, you tried to replicate his Black Flames. Honestly, I believe you''ll have an easier time generating your own aura before you''re at the level of creating something like that."


    "Is that so?" Ludwig said, his tone thoughtful. "What is aura, then?"


    Joana rested her hands on the pommel of her sword, its tip digging into the ground as she considered her answer. "How can I explain this¡­" she mused, her gaze drifting to the sky before settling back on Ludwig. "You see, mages believe that everything is created with mana¡ªfrom rocks to rivers, grass to creatures. Everything contains and is sustained by mana. But aura is different. It''s considered a part of life itself, and only those who have life can use it."


    "Ah, then it''s a shame," Ludwig said, his tone resigned.


    Joana shook her head. "I know what you''re thinking, but no. There''s an exception."


    Ludwig''s eyes narrowed in curiosity. "What do you mean?"


    "Even undead can use aura," Joana said, her voice firm. "Because they, too, can have a ''heart.''"


    Ludwig looked down at his chest, his expression unreadable. Though his slime-covered body gave the appearance of flesh and clothing, beneath it all, he was hollow¡ªa skeleton masquerading as a human.


    Joana tapped Ludwig''s chest with one finger. "A heart doesn''t need to be physical. It''s an idea, a thought, a belief," she said. "I''ve personally fought a Death Knight before. Believe me when I tell you, his sword aura was so beautiful, so powerful, that even to this day, I have yet to meet anyone with something as pure as that. Aura is neither good nor evil. It simply is. And everyone can use it, if they have the heart for it."


    Ludwig''s curiosity deepened. "Did you win?" he asked.


    "Win? In what?" Joana replied, her tone light.


    "When you fought the Death Knight, did you win?" Ludwig clarified.


    Joana smiled faintly. "That''s quite the strange statement. I''m alive right now, am I not?"


    Ludwig''s mind raced. So she won against a Death Knight. I guess I''ll need to be something more than just a Death Knight if I want to defeat someone as strong as her¡­


    "But," Joana continued, her tone growing somber, "I didn''t lose, but I didn''t win either."


    Ludwig frowned. "What is that supposed to mean?"


    Joana sighed, her gaze distant. "You see, a Death Knight isn''t a simple undead, nor is it a simple knight. It''s far above that. They are driven by their endless courage and will¡ªwhether for vengeance or service to their lord, be it a summoner, necromancer, lich, or something else. We don''t know much about them. They rarely ever speak about themselves, if you understand what I''m trying to say."


    "I guess so," Ludwig said, though his confusion was evident. "But that doesn''t answer my question."


    "Right," Joana said, her voice softening. "What happened was, while I was fighting the Death Knight to a standstill, the person controlling it¡ªa young child, merely ten years old¡ªwas killed by a companion of mine. And that was the daughter of The Death Knight. She was her heart. Her reason for turning back from Death to Undeath. Once her heart was destroyed, the Death Knight had no reason to exist. It simply vanished into ash."


    Ludwig''s expression shifted, a flicker of understanding crossing his features. "So the Death Knight''s will was tied to the child?"


    Joana nodded. "Exactly. For a mother, even after death, she remained to protect her child. There was no greater driving force than that. I still remember the battle," she said, her voice tinged with a strange mix of admiration and sorrow. "But sadly, I have yet to see something as beautiful as that."


    Ludwig remained silent, absorbing her words. The concept of aura, of a heart that transcended life and death, was both fascinating and daunting. As he stood there, the weight of Joana''s story settled over him, leaving him with more questions than answers. But one thing was clear: if he wanted to grow stronger, he would need to find his own heart¡ªwhatever that meant for an undead like him.

 Chapter 171 - 171: The Tyrant Blade

    Ludwig had no words for his master but a nod of agreement as he continued to swing his sword, the heavy blade cutting through the air with a satisfying whoosh. The rhythmic motion was almost meditative, allowing him to focus his thoughts while his body moved on autopilot.


    "By the way," he said, breaking the silence as he struck again at the empty air, "I''ve found a couple of interesting manuals for training swordsmanship. I wanted to ask you about them."


    Joana paused mid-swing, her brow furrowing slightly. "I doubt anything would be more suitable for you right now than the Imperial Swordsmanship. Why? Is it not to your liking?"


    "Not that it''s not to my liking," Ludwig replied, his tone thoughtful. "It just feels¡­ straightforward."


    Joana chuckled, resting her sword on her shoulder. "In a sense, it is. But it''s mandatory to learn. This is an army-style swordsmanship designed to help armies win wars. So, what do you think you can use that''s better than the Imperial Swordsmanship?"


    Ludwig shrugged, reaching into his holding ring and pulling out two freshly inscribed books. "I don''t know about better," he said, handing them to Joana. "But these look pretty interesting, nevertheless."


    Joana took the books, her eyes narrowing as she inspected the fresh ink. "The ink is pretty fresh, you inscribed these yourself?" she asked her tone a mix of surprise and curiosity.


    "Yes," Ludwig replied. "From some of the books we found in Tibari''s library."


    Joana''s frown deepened as she flipped through the pages of the first book. She moved away from Ludwig and sat down, her eyes scanning the text with increasing intensity. After a few moments, she looked up at him, her expression unreadable.


    "This is¡­ a Gentle Style type of swordsmanship," she said, her voice tinged with skepticism. "It''s completely unsuitable for you. It looks pretty good on paper, probably more suitable to a refined and prudent type of fighter, unlike you."


    Ludwig raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"


    Joana sighed, closing the book and placing it gently on her side. "It''s fast-paced and relies heavily on counterattacking and deflection. It requires acute strength and speed management¡ªsomething you''re not exactly known for. Are you sure you want to learn this?"


    Ludwig shook his head. "I already realized that was the case for that one. But the one I''m interested in is the other book."


    Joana picked up the second book, her curiosity piqued. She barely made it through half a page before her eyes widened in shock. "My god!" she exclaimed, looking up at Ludwig. "Is this real?"


    "I copied it word by word," Ludwig said, his tone matter-of-fact. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Joana''s expression shifted from shock to something akin to awe. She began reading more intently, her eyes darting across the pages as if devouring every word. After a moment, she slammed her fist onto the ground, her frustration palpable. "Damn it! Damn it!" she cursed under her breath.


    Ludwig blinked, taken aback by her reaction. "Ah, Ludwig, where the hell have you been all my life?" she said, sighing heavily. She placed the book on top of the other one and sighed some more. Remorse or regret was clear in her eyes as she looked up at the sky.


    "What is it, professor?" Ludwig asked, his curiosity now fully ignited.


    Joana smiled, though there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. "You need to keep this safe¡ªincredibly so. This is basically the holy grail of swordsmanship."


    Ludwig tilted his head, confused. "You sounded more annoyed than happy stating that fact."


    "Because I sadly can''t use it," Joana admitted, her tone tinged with regret. "You on the other hand, you can," she said.


    Ludwig frowned.


    Joana then said, "Do you know how swordsmanship is categorized?"


    "I can''t say I know, I''m pretty amateurish in that regard," he shrugged.


    Joana''s expression turned serious. "basically, There are several styles of swordsmanship, each with its own training methods. The main styles are simple: The Gentle Blade, which this book is part of," she said, pointing to the first book, "The Heavy Style, which is the Imperial Sword style you''ve been training in, the Shadow Style, reserved for assassins and rogues, and finally, the least known and most mysterious of them all¡ªthe Tyrant Style."


    "Sounds pretty cool," Ludwig said, a faint smile tugging at his lips.


    "It is," Joana agreed. "The Tyrant Style is a style for berserkers and barbarians. It''s a style that uses one''s strength to its full potential."


    "Isn''t that the same as the Heavy Style?" Ludwig asked.


    "No," Joana replied, shaking her head. "The Heavy Style still takes regard for one''s safety and position. The Tyrant Style is the complete opposite. It''s a ''give flesh, break bone'' type of battling method. And that''s the same style as the one I''m using."


    "So you already know this book?" Ludwig asked, his confusion growing.


    "No, you''re missing the point," Joana said, her tone patient. "The style itself is the Tyrant Style, and it has subdivisions. My own style is called the Blood Beast Style. It''s very barbaric and violent, but it gets the job done. This one," she said, holding up the second book, "is called the Tyrant Blade."


    "Same name as the style itself?" Ludwig asked.


    "More like the origin of the style itself," Joana explained. "This is the foundation¡ªthe purest form of the Tyrant Style."


    Ludwig''s eyes lit up with interest. "Then can I learn it?"


    "You can," Joana said, though her voice carried a note of sadness. "I actually advise you to learn it."


    Ludwig frowned, sensing there was more to her words. "I feel like I''m missing something. Your wording sounds like you can''t."


    Joana sighed, her expression softening. "Yes, I personally can''t. I''ve invested too much time and effort into the Blood Beast Style, and it''s a two-handed style. While this one," she said, tapping the book, "is a one-handed style. It allows you to freely use your other hand to either wield a shield or another weapon. You said you fought the Knight King, who wielded a shield and a sword, right?"


    "Yeah," Ludwig said, nodding. "He wasn''t that impressive, though. He didn''t use much ''barbarism.''"


    Joana chuckled. "I can understand why he couldn''t. He didn''t have his ''heart'' with him. But you," she said, pointing at Ludwig''s chest, "your heart has yet to blossom. If you learn this and practice it diligently, you might create your own unique aura and develop your own unique style of combat. And what''s pretty impressive about this style," she added, her tone growing more animated, "is that it heavily consumes one''s stamina¡ªso much so that it''s almost impossible for any mortal to wield it."


    Ludwig''s eyes gleamed with understanding. "As an undead, I don''t tire easily."


    "Exactly," Joana said, a proud smile spreading across her face. She tapped Ludwig on the shoulder. "Keep training your Imperial Sword Style on the side, but I''d recommend you train the Tyrant Blade mainly whenever you have the time."


    Ludwig nodded, a sense of determination settling over him. He picked up the book, his fingers tracing the title on the cover. As he did, a notification flashed before his eyes:


    [Due to your increased understanding of the Tyrant Style, you may learn Tyrant Blade swordsmanship.]


    [Would you like to learn The Tyrant Blade?]

 Chapter 172 - 172: The Tyrant Blade 2

    Ludwig didn''t hesitate. "Accept!" he said firmly.


    The moment the words left his lips, he felt a sudden, profound change in his body. The knowledge from the book he had read seemed to solidify as if the techniques and principles were now etched into his very being. A flood of information surged through his mind, and he could feel the raw, unrelenting power of the Tyrant Blade Technique taking root within him.


    [You have learned, Tyrant Blade Technique!]


    [Your current class {Skeleton Grunt} is incompatible with [Tyrant Blade Technique].]


    [You have a pending [Eternal Quest] related to your future class. Class change to Swordmaster has been canceled.]


    [Tyrant Blade Technique efficiency will be reduced due to lack of an appropriate Class.]


    WARNING! Several Skills of the Tyrant Blade cannot be learned due to the emotional imbalance of the user! Only 3 skills are available right now!]


    [You have learned, {Rampaging Tempo}-Passive-]


    ? Each time you land a strike with a weapon in your right hand, the speed and power of the blow will increase by 1%.


    ? Upon failing to connect a strike to your target, the damage counter will be reset to 0.


    [You have unlocked, Summersault Slam.]


    ? Spin forward in a summersault, causing 300% of your weapon''s damage upon impact and in one-meter diameter around your landing zone. This can be used three consecutive times. The damage will be multiplied with each successful slam, up to 900% of your weapon''s damage.


    ? Upon failing or missing, no consecutive slams will be available.


    [You have unlocked, Steadfast Leap.]


    ? Leap forward a great distance, causing an explosive amount of damage equivalent to 120% of your weapon''s damage in a one-meter radius around your landing spot.


    [Due to a lack of understanding, several moves of the Tyrant Blade Technique are currently unavailable.]


    Ludwig felt the weight of the new techniques settling into his body, but without a proper weapon, the skills felt just out of reach.


    "Ludwig?" Joana''s voice broke through his thoughts.


    He turned to see her looking at him with a mix of curiosity and confusion. "Yes?" he asked.


    "Did you just have an Enlightenment?" she asked, her tone tinged with awe.


    "Enlightenment? What''s that?" Ludwig replied, genuinely puzzled.


    "Your eyes," Joana said, her gaze sharp. "Just now, they looked like you were grasping knowledge from the world itself. We call that Enlightenment. Did you uncover something?"


    Ludwig paused, realizing that the system''s way of imparting knowledge must have resembled what they called Enlightenment. "Something like that," he said, choosing his words carefully. "But I don''t have a proper weapon to test it."


    Joana didn''t hesitate. She handed him her own sword, her expression eager. "Here. Try it. Show me what you''ve learned."


    [You have obtained, The Gelder Blade.]1


    Ludwig''s eyes twitched at the name. What the hell kind of name is that? he thought, though he kept his reaction to himself. He gripped the sword, feeling its weight and balance. It was a fine weapon, but the name still made him cringe internally.


    "It''s nothing much," Ludwig said, trying to downplay his excitement. "I think¡­ two moves." He turned to the arena, focusing on the first technique he had unlocked.


    [Steadfast Leap.]


    Ludwig''s body surged forward, covering a distance of about ten meters in an instant. He landed with a powerful slam, the force of the impact cratering the arena floor. Dust and debris scattered in all directions as the ground trembled beneath him.


    Joana clapped her hands, clearly impressed. "Wow," she said, her voice filled with admiration. "That looks like an amazing gap closer. I noticed that your feet didn''t even flex that hard to make that sort of leap."


    "Yeah," Ludwig said, equally surprised by the distance he had covered. He hadn''t expected the technique to be so effective.


    "Show me the other move," Joana urged, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.


    Ludwig nodded, focusing on the second technique.


    [Summersault Slam.]


    He leapt into the air, his body spinning forward in a summersault before slamming the sword down with devastating force. The impact was far greater than the Steadfast Leap, shattering the ground in front of him and sending shards of rock and debris flying in all directions.


    Joana whistled, clearly impressed. "Not bad, not bad. these skills do fit the name Tyrant Blade. "


    Ludwig frowned slightly, feeling the weight of the technique''s limitations. "I feel like this style is a bit too dangerous," he admitted. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It has to be," Joana said with a grin. "After all, whoever gets hit by that, I doubt they''ll be able to block it. But if they do¡­ or dodge it¡­" Her grin widened.


    "Then I''m in a world of hurt," Ludwig finished, understanding the risk.


    "Exactly," Joana said, her tone serious now. "That''s why the Tyrant Style is avoided by most people. You can''t mess up. It''s very good against mobs and creatures¡ªdumb things, basically. But if you''re facing a strong and powerful Swordmaster, you''ll get your head chopped off if you make a mistake."


    Ludwig nodded, absorbing her words. "I see."


    "Still," Joana continued, her tone softening, "these are your style''s abilities. You need to learn the move set, the attack patterns, and the way to handle your sword from the manual. Using these abilities should come as a last resort. Your leap can be used to close a gap or escape, and the slam should be reserved to finish off an opponent. Keep learning, and you''ll probably uncover more of this manual''s secrets."


    She handed the manual back to Ludwig, her expression thoughtful. "Don''t you want to learn or at least use some of this knowledge?" Ludwig asked, surprised by her willingness to part with such a valuable resource.


    Joana shook her head. "You can''t overfill a full cup. It will only hamper my own progress. I''m satisfied with my own style, and I wouldn''t want to share this with someone else. Keep stuff like this unique to you. I''d even recommend that you burn this after you''re done with it and have learned it. Only pass it down if you ever get a disciple later on."


    Ludwig''s eyes widened. "It''s that special?"


    "Yes," Joana said, her tone firm. "That special. Regardless, I''ll need to keep this one on me," she added, holding up the first manual. "I know a person who can use this Gentle Style. I hope you don''t mind."


    "I don''t mind," Ludwig said, shaking his head. it was a style like she said incompatible with him. It required Too much thinking, Ludwig was all about the Bonk.


    "Compared to the one you have, this one is far below it in terms of quality, but it''s still decent and unique enough for people to spend a serious fortune to obtain it," Joana explained. "Regardless, I''m not selling it. I''m only imparting some of its knowledge to a promising young swordsman I know."


    "That''s fine," Ludwig said, already engrossed in reading the manual again. The move sets and techniques fascinated him, and he could feel his understanding deepening with each page.


    Joana smiled as she watched him, her expression a mix of pride and wistfulness. She didn''t want to interrupt his focus or risk ruining another potential Enlightenment. Quietly, she turned and left, leaving Ludwig to his training.


    As Ludwig practiced, the weight of the Tyrant Blade Technique settled into his bones. He could feel the raw power of the style, but he also understood its risks. This was a path of no return¡ªa style that demanded everything from its wielder, be it flesh or bone. And Ludwig was ready to give it.


    (If u know what gilding is then its fine, if you don''t I''d recommend you google it¡­ or maybe not)

 Chapter 173 - 173: Tournament

    A few days passed, and Ludwig found himself settling into the rhythm of academic life. While it lacked the excitement of his previous adventures, he used the time to focus on mastering the Tyrant Style and completing the inscription of books from Tibari''s library. The days were monotonous, but Ludwig remained diligent, knowing that every moment of training brought him closer to his goals.


    The student council, meanwhile, had made little progress in solving the murders. Hubert''s family had come to collect his body, and Ludwig had witnessed their grief firsthand. Though he couldn''t feel the same sorrow, he understood the weight of their loss. It was a stark reminder of the fragility of life, even in a world filled with magic and monsters.


    "You look rather bored," a familiar voice said, pulling Ludwig from his thoughts.


    He turned to see Thomas, his spectral companion, floating beside him. "Oh, you woke up," Ludwig said, his tone casual.


    "Yeah, didn''t think I''d ever wake up, though. You squeezed me to death that time¡­ I think that''s the wrong term to use here," Thomas said, his voice tinged with amusement.


    "I met your brother," Ludwig said, changing the subject.


    "I can see that," Thomas replied, gesturing to the student council ribbon on Ludwig''s arm. "Though I really don''t understand what he''s still doing here. By now, he should be at the Imperial Hall to receive his knightly training."


    "I could give him your item right now," Ludwig offered.


    "No, that won''t serve you any good, and it will cause more suspicion. Just do as I asked and give it to the information network. You still have time, and so does he," Thomas said. "Anyway, I wasn''t fully unconscious when I was, well, unconscious," he added.


    "I guess you saw some of the interactions that happened," Ludwig said.


    "Yeah, compared to the first time I saw you, you''re basically a monster. But you''re still not strong enough to contend with Ravi. He''s more of a monster than you are right now," Thomas said.


    "I''ve seen a couple of those in the student council, so I understand," Ludwig replied.


    "Still, are you not interested in the tournament?" Thomas asked. "They give good stuff." S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Not my cup of tea," Ludwig said, shaking his head. "Also, it''ll just reveal my secrets. I''m not a fan of that."


    "Suit yourself. At least go and watch the preliminaries. They do them every year. I was supposed to represent the freshmen if I¡­ well, didn''t die," Thomas said, snickering.


    "Don''t blame me for that," Ludwig retorted. "It was your own doing."


    "Fine, fine, I admit it," Thomas said. "Still, you probably should watch the fights. They''ll be fun, and you''ll get to see more magic."


    Ludwig thought for a moment, then nodded. "You may be right. But I have no idea where that''s going to happen."


    "The main event will be held in a little less than a month," Thomas explained. "But each school needs to choose its best students to participate. Usually, they hold events within their own schools to look for the best student of each grade¡ªfreshmen, juniors, and seniors. Each academy can only present three students, so one has to be the best among all of their peers to even attend."


    "And you''re saying that you''re the best among everyone here?" Ludwig asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Technically, I am not," Thomas admitted. "I can''t beat Bron, but I had my own ways to go beyond that small hurdle," he added, his tone slightly arrogant.


    "I see," Ludwig said, suspecting that Thomas had used underhanded methods like bribery.


    "You should visit the main hall. The event details should be there for all to see," Thomas suggested.


    Feeling that he had nothing better to do, Ludwig decided to humor Thomas. Besides, he was slightly curious about the tournament.


    As Ludwig entered the main academy building, he noticed that the number of students had increased significantly compared to the day before.


    "Students are returning from their vacation," Ludwig muttered.


    "Yes, the event is basically the best part of the start of the new academy year. So most students will be here to either watch or participate. Also," Thomas said, "you don''t need to vocalize your thoughts. I can hear you even when your mouth isn''t moving. Just think of speaking to me, and I''ll be able to answer. Because, you know, people are staring," Thomas explained.


    Ludwig looked around and coughed, realizing that several students were indeed staring at him strangely, likely because he appeared to be talking to himself. He quickly moved past the group and entered the main hall, where a large crowd had gathered around a bulletin board.


    The board was filled with names, divided into three rows. Ludwig recognized a few of them: Bron and Minerva from the freshmen group, Haku from the second-year students, and Danny Thompson from the third-year students. One name, however, stood out to him.


    "Oh, even she''s joining," Thomas said, his voice tinged with surprise.


    "Who?" Ludwig asked.


    "Morrigan Kaela, the girl you fought before," Thomas replied.


    "The girl with the crazies?" Ludwig asked, recalling the small but terrifying axe-wielder.


    "Yes, the one wielding the battle axe," Thomas confirmed.


    "I see she''s in the same row as Haku, the guy who lent me his sword," Ludwig said.


    "Yeah, he''s a second-year," Thomas said. "Since Danny is in the third row, I can guess that these are classified by class¡­ but where is Ravi?" Ludwig asked.


    "He''s not allowed to join," Thomas said.


    "Why not?"


    "He accidentally killed someone during the preliminaries, so he was banned," Thomas explained.


    "Ah," Ludwig said, his tone neutral.


    "This year looks decent. There will be a lot of dark horses," Thomas said. "We might actually not place last this time. It''s been a running joke so far how many times the Black Tower ended up in last place. If only Ravi didn''t mess up last year, we would have probably beaten the Gray Tower¡­" Thomas''s words were tinged with frustration.


    "Ludwig!" a voice called from behind him.


    Turning, he saw the same girl from the student council who had invited him to join. "Are you planning on joining?" she asked, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.


    Ludwig hesitated, glancing back at the bulletin board. The tournament was tempting, but he was not interested, it held no purpose or meaning to him. "I don''t think so," he said finally. "But I''ll definitely be watching."

 Chapter 174 - 174: Tournament 2

    "Good, I''ll see you at the arena tomorrow," the girl from the student council said, nodding before she walked away.


    Ludwig nodded in return and was about to leave when he spotted Hoyo and Kassandra approaching. They seemed to have just arrived, their eyes scanning the crowd with curiosity.


    "Yo," Hoyo greeted, raising a hand.


    "Yo," Ludwig replied, dabbing up Hoyo''s hand in a casual gesture.


    "You''re watching?" Hoyo asked, his tone casual but with a hint of excitement.


    "Yeah, got nothing else to do anyway," Ludwig shrugged.


    "I thought you''d be more like security and all," Kassandra chimed in, her brow furrowed slightly.


    "Why is that?" Ludwig asked, tilting his head.


    "Since all the creepy stuff and murders have been happening, and usually some of the student council members are responsible for security, I thought you''d also be one of them. Haven''t you been doing rounds around the academy at night?" Kassandra asked.


    "Nah, the professors are taking care of that," Hoyo interjected before Ludwig could respond. "They''ll be the ones doing the security checks and keeping order."


    "Oh, that''s the first I''ve heard of that," Kassandra said, her tone surprised.


    "Yeah, apparently," Hoyo continued, his voice lowering slightly, "the killer is probably one of the students. That''s the word going around. The teachers will be carefully observing everyone to make sure everything is in order. All student council members for this year are not obligated to do the rounds this time."


    "That should make things safer," Ludwig said, his tone thoughtful.


    "I agree," Hoyo replied. "It''ll suck if something like that happens again. With the teachers paying closer attention, no one would be stupid enough to commit murders like that."


    "When is the event starting?" Ludwig asked, changing the subject.


    "Supposed to be tomorrow morning at ten," Hoyo said.


    "Oi, Ludwig!" a voice called out from behind them. The group turned immediately, but there was no one there.


    "Down here," the owner of the voice said, sounding annoyed.


    Hoyo, Kassandra, and everyone nearby immediately backed away when they saw who it was.


    "What''s wrong with you people? Looks like you''ve seen a monster," the small girl said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.


    "Ah, Kaela," Ludwig said, recognizing her immediately.


    "Oh, I never mentioned my name," she said, her lips curling into a creepy smile. She was probably trying to look seductive but failing miserably. "Were you interested enough to look me up?"


    "No," Ludwig said flatly. "I was given your name by¡­" He hesitated for a moment.


    "Mina, Mina Vesper," Thomas''s voice echoed in Ludwig''s mind.


    "Mina," Ludwig said. "She was here earlier."


    "Oh, that busybody," Kaela said, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, I can''t see your name on the list," she added, her tone almost accusatory.


    "Not interested," Ludwig said, shaking his head.


    "Bummer," Kaela said, her grin widening. "I wanted to at least face off against you again¡ªthis time for real."


    Immediately, the students around Ludwig began murmuring.


    "Again? What does that mean? Did he actually fight the Bloodthirsty Maniac?"


    "And he''s still alive?"


    More strange and frankly disturbing comments began echoing around Ludwig, but he paid them no mind, despite their absurdity.


    Ludwig shrugged. "I''m just going to watch. Not planning on fighting. I also don''t have a sword," he added.


    "Bummer," Kaela said, her tone mockingly disappointed. "I could have asked Haku to lend you his sword, but he''s also joining this year. He''ll be disappointed if you''re not there," she said, shrugging. "Regardless, cheer for me. I''ll show you a bloody sight!"


    "Sure, I''ll do that," Ludwig said, his tone dry.


    "Okay, let me see," Kaela said, glancing back at the board. "Damn," she sighed. "This one''s going to be tough."


    "What is it?" Ludwig asked. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh, my team," Kaela said. "Looks like I''ll have Esteban as my teammate. He''s also a student council member, a freshman like you. But that''s not the problem¡­ the third person is someone I''m not very fond of," she said, her tone sour.


    "So this is a team tournament?" Ludwig asked.


    "Always has been," Kaela said. "But that doesn''t mean individual effort is wasted. I wanted to actually face off against her, but she''ll be on my team," she sighed. "Anyway, from what I see, only Haku''s team is going to be a pain. We''ll probably be in the finals, so come and cheer for me, Ludwig!" she said before turning and walking away.


    Ludwig looked back at the board, noticing that the teams were organized to include one member from each year¡ªfirst, second, and third. He still didn''t recognize many of the names, but Hoyo immediately jumped in.


    "Sounds like you want to know more about the people who are joining the tournament," Hoyo said, his tone eager.


    "Yeah," Ludwig replied.


    "I know almost everything about almost everyone," Hoyo said, puffing out his chest slightly. "So buy me lunch, and I''ll spill. I''m still hungry."


    "He just ate like twenty minutes ago," Kassandra said, rolling her eyes.


    "Hey, I''m still growing," Hoyo protested. "A young man like me has to eat well to stay healthy. Also, I heard they''re serving ale at the cafeteria today," he added, his mouth almost slobbering at the thought.


    Ludwig wasn''t convinced.


    "It tastes better than the one back at Rima," Hoyo added.


    That seals the deal, Ludwig thought.


    "Fine, I''ll pay up," Ludwig said, turning to Kassandra. "You''re also invited."


    She flashed Ludwig a bright, beaming smile as she followed after the two, her steps light and cheerful. The trio made their way to the cafeteria, the promise of food and ale lightening the mood. As they walked, Ludwig couldn''t help but feel a sense of anticipation for the tournament. Even if he wasn''t participating, it was bound to be an event to remember.


    Because after all the issues, dungeons, murders and problems he''s been in, at least this should be something that he can sit back relax, and watch with his friends. Finally, he thought he''d have some good time of rest...


    Or so he thought...

 Chapter 175 - 175: Missing Person

    The cafeteria buzzed with excitement as students chattered about the upcoming tournament. The air was thick with speculation, bets, and predictions about who would come out on top. Amid the noise, Ludwig, Hoyo, and Kassandra sat at a relatively quiet table, more focused on the high-quality food Ludwig was paying for than the surrounding hype.


    They ate and drank, enjoying the meal and each other''s company. Ludwig, ever the pragmatist, decided to steer the conversation toward the tournament. "So, tell me," he said, wiping his mouth with a napkin, "who do you think has the best chance to win?"


    Hoyo''s eyes lit up at the question. "Why? You planning on joining the bets?" he asked, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.


    "There''s betting?" Ludwig asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Of course," Hoyo said, leaning forward. "You can get your hands on some decent stuff. Anyways, I believe Haku''s team is the one that''ll win."


    "You know him?" Ludwig asked, his curiosity piqued.


    "Who doesn''t know him?" Hoyo replied. "He''s the one who almost beat Ravi Vondel last year¡ªas a freshman. From rumors, it''s said that he''s already strong enough to go head-to-head against the current Ravi Vondel, but we have yet to see that rumor proven," he added with a shrug.


    "What about Kaela?" Ludwig asked, recalling the small but terrifying axe-wielder.


    "Oh, she''s strong. Incredibly so. Maybe even stronger than Haku," Hoyo admitted. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Then why didn''t you say she''d be the one to win?" Ludwig asked, puzzled.


    "Her teammates will be dragging her down," Hoyo explained. "The guy, Esteban, seems decent, but he hasn''t shown anything to be a person to remember."


    "I don''t know about that," Kassandra interjected, finally joining the conversation.


    "What, you got some intel?" Hoyo asked, his interest immediately reignited.


    "Yes," Kassandra said, lowering her voice slightly. "Apparently, Esteban comes from a Sylphborn family. He''s pretty good with elemental magic. Though he should have been going to the Gray Tower, he ended up causing some trouble, so he got sent here."


    Ludwig sighed, shaking his head. "Man, this makes the academy sound more like a punishment camp than an actual magic study academy." After all, everyone here seemed to have either a screw loose or a history of causing problems.


    Hoyo leaned back in his chair, a thoughtful expression on his face. "I don''t know, man. It''s pretty good living here. Still, I don''t think that''s enough for her team to win."


    "Why not?" Ludwig asked.


    "The third-year with Kaela is someone she isn''t fond of," Hoyo explained. "They had a falling out last year that had the teachers intervene to resolve. Sabrina Valtan, a powerful sorceress from what the teachers presume. She was born with incredible magical prowess and doesn''t actually need to study magic to learn it."


    "People like that exist?" Ludwig asked, his tone a mix of awe and disbelief.


    "Yes," Hoyo said, nodding. "We call them sorceresses. Unlike us, who have to learn magic, sorceresses are born with it. All they need to do to become stronger is live longer. The longer they live, the more magic they''ll be able to unlock. It''s like breathing for them. Unlike the overly extroverted Kaela, Sabrina is the complete opposite. She''s lazy, a shut-in, and rarely ever goes out in public. I think her teacher forced her to join this year''s tournament."


    "I see," Ludwig said, absorbing the information. "What about Haku''s team?"


    "Well, that''s a monstrous lineup," Hoyo said, his tone tinged with admiration. "Apparently, he''ll have Bron with him and Thalia Breacher. You already know Bron¡ªhe''s not the brightest tool in the shed, but the Steelheart swordsmanship is pretty good. Haku is basically a monster in human form. He''s really good with heavy swords and is thought to be the next guy who''ll achieve sword aura at a young age. He''s already shown signs of understanding the sword and might break the Urbaf record. As for Thalia, she''s a support-oriented magician, specializing in debilitating debuffs and status ailments. Some say she caused a few students to go crazy," Hoyo added, shuddering slightly. "But I''d rather not talk about her. She scares me."


    The trio continued eating and discussing the rest of the competitors, the conversation flowing easily between them. Time ticked by until they finally decided to part ways.


    "I''ll head out soon. See you at ten, Ludwig," Hoyo said, standing up first.


    "Already?" Ludwig asked, surprised.


    "Yep," Hoyo replied. "Need to get some money for the betting pool. I have a few things I can sell."


    "I can give you money if you need," Ludwig offered.


    "Nah, there''s no need. I wouldn''t want to owe you if I got shafted. I''m also not exactly super broke," Hoyo said with a grin.


    "Then why are you always latching onto Ludwig''s food expenses?" Kassandra teased.


    "You''re not one to speak. Wipe your mouth; you still have some grease on it," Hoyo shot back, snickering. "Also, it''s always tastier when someone else is paying. See you later," he said, leaving the table with a hum and a satisfied pat on his belly.


    "Right, I''ll also head out," Kassandra said, standing up. "The dorms have been stricter with curfews, so I need to be there faster."


    "Right, I''ll head back too," Ludwig said. He wanted to practice more of the Tyrant Blade. So far, his proficiency in the Imperial Style had grown a bit, but the Tyrant Blade hadn''t budged since he started learning it. Ludwig had yet to understand why, so he wanted to do more practice and see if he could ask his professor for guidance.


    When he headed toward the arena to train, a couple of students wearing Student Council armbands stopped him.


    "What is it?" Ludwig asked.


    "We''re not allowing anyone to enter the arena," one of them explained. "There were cases some years ago of people planting traps in the arena before the tournament."


    "I see," Ludwig said, nodding.


    "He''s one of us," a familiar voice called out.


    Turning, Ludwig saw Mina approaching. "Mina," he greeted with a nod.


    "Ludwig," she replied, returning the nod. "What brings you here? Today isn''t your turn to do the rounds."


    "I was planning on doing some training," Ludwig explained. "But I guess the arena is reserved for tomorrow."


    "You can go to the training hall inside the academy," Mina said. "Student Council members have the exclusive right to train there."


    "Oh, that''s a bonus I didn''t know about," Ludwig said, his tone appreciative.


    "We''ll be keeping our eyes out for the perpetrator. Take some rest; you''ve been working hard lately," Mina said, offering him a warm smile.


    Ludwig nodded and left the area, heading back inside the academy. Hours passed as he trained in the hall, his movements precise but his progress frustratingly slow. Just as he was about to give up and return to his dorm to practice more magic, the door to the training hall opened.


    "He''s still here," Mina''s voice echoed through the room.


    Turning, Ludwig saw Mina and Kaela walking in. Kaela''s usual chaotic energy was replaced by a rare seriousness, her expression tense.


    "What''s with that look in your eyes?" Ludwig asked, his tone cautious.


    "Esteban is missing," Kaela said, her voice low and urgent.

 Chapter 176 - 176: Who? Me? NAAAH

    "What? When did that happen? Wasn''t he supposed to be with you?" Ludwig asked,


    Kaela shot him a glare, her fiery eyes narrowing. "Hey, statements like that can cause trouble if heard by strangers," she snapped, her voice low but laced with irritation. "You need to watch what you say, especially now."


    Ludwig raised his hands in a placating gesture, realizing his mistake. "Right, right," he said, backtracking slightly. "What I meant is that he was supposed to be on your team. What happened?"


    Kaela''s expression darkened, her usual chaotic energy replaced by a rare seriousness. "Yes, that was the plan," she said, her voice tense. "The problem is that he went missing this morning, shortly after the names were revealed. I don''t know if he got scared or if something worse happened." She clenched her fists, her frustration palpable.


    [Quest Update!]


    The Student Council is worried about the disappearance of one of its members. Help them find out the truth behind the disappearance.


    Reward: 1 Corrupted Soul.


    ¨C Progression to the next part of the Student Council questline.


    Ludwig dismissed the quest notification, his mind already racing through the possibilities and theories of what could have happened. He turned back to Kaela and Mina, his tone steady but urgent. "What are you planning on doing?"


    "We need to do a thorough search," Kaela said, her voice firm. "We informed the teachers, but some of them aren''t interested. They''re saying it hasn''t been long enough for him to be considered missing."


    Mina stepped forward, her calm demeanor a stark contrast to Kaela''s intensity. "We''re gathering all the Student Council members," she explained. "We''ll be doing a full search of the academy. Every building, every corner¡ªwe''re leaving no stone unturned."


    Ludwig nodded, his resolve hardening. "I''ll help, then," he said, more out of need since the quest requires him to. "What do you need me to do?"


    Mina gave him a grateful smile. "Good. You''ll be teamed up with Minerva. She''s with the group that''ll be searching the forest perimeter. We''ll be looking into the female dormitory, Danny and Ravi will search the male one. The rest of the Student Council will be searching through the academy buildings and checking the logs of anyone entering or leaving the academy today."


    Kaela sighed, running a hand through her hair. "It had to be today when shit happens," she muttered, her frustration evident. Despite her usual bravado, Ludwig could sense the underlying worry in her voice. She might act tough, but the disappearance of a teammate¡ªno matter how temporary¡ªclearly weighed on her. Especially a member of the council.


    Ludwig tried to offer some comfort, his tone softening. "We''ll do our best. He''s probably left the academy to tend to some personal matters. Maybe he just needed some time alone."


    Kaela shook her head, her expression grim. "I wish it were that simple. Professor Silva said he didn''t see anyone leaving the academy via the teleportation gate, and the academy''s gate guard also said no one had left. So he should still be here."


    "Right, then," Ludwig said, excusing himself to join the search. As he turned to leave, he couldn''t shake the feeling that something was deeply wrong. Esteban''s disappearance felt too sudden, too suspicious. And with the recent murders still unsolved, the timing was anything but coincidental.


    ***


    As Ludwig left the room, Mina turned to Kaela, her brow furrowed with concern. "What do you think?" she asked, her voice low.


    Kaela shook her head, her expression thoughtful. "Not him. Definitely not. He doesn''t have any bloodlust or signs of struggle. I saw him this morning; he looks almost exactly the same. If he had tried to ambush or kill Esteban, he''d at least have signs of combat on his body. Esteban isn''t easy to ambush."


    Mina nodded, her shoulders relaxing slightly. "Then there''s hope he''s still somewhere and is probably just lost or busy taking care of some matters."


    "I wish that was the case," Kaela replied, her tone heavy. "But his contact device is offline, and he wasn''t seen entering his room since this morning. Something''s not right."


    "Let''s just keep looking," Mina said, her voice resolute. "We''ll find him."


    "Yes," Kaela agreed, though her expression remained troubled. "Hopefully, he''s safe."


    *** sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig arrived at the academy''s forest entrance, where Minerva and Danny were waiting. The forest loomed ahead, its dark canopy stretching endlessly into the night. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and pine, and the faint rustling of leaves added an eerie soundtrack to their mission.


    "I thought you''d be at the boys'' dorm," Ludwig said when he saw Danny.


    Danny turned to him, his expression serious but calm. "I suppose you met Mina and Kaela," he said. "Yes, I''ll head there soon. Regardless, three groups of two will be combing the forest. Keep tabs on each other and keep your communication devices on. Ludwig, I suppose you have your own?"


    "I do," Ludwig said, pulling out the device his master had given him. The small crystal glowed faintly in his hand, its surface cool to the touch.


    "Good," Danny said, nodding. "Share your contact information with Minerva. Two other groups have already entered the forest. I''ll be heading to the dorms now. Keep an open eye and be careful."


    "Will do," Ludwig said, nodding as Danny turned and walked away, his figure quickly disappearing into the shadows.


    As Danny left, Ludwig moved closer to Minerva, who seemed slightly nervous. Her hands fidgeted with the hem of her robe, and her eyes darted toward the dark forest ahead. "Yo," Ludwig greeted, trying to lighten the mood.


    "H-hey, Ludwig," she replied, her voice trembling slightly. She forced a smile, but it didn''t reach her eyes.


    "Not having much fun, are you?" Ludwig teased, hoping to ease her tension.


    Minerva let out a shaky laugh. "Fun? Really, Ludwig? Someone is missing, and they might even be¡­ dead. And look at us here, going into the big, dark forest! At night! Looking for them!" Her voice rose slightly, her anxiety spilling over.


    Ludwig chuckled, though he understood her fear. "Didn''t you say you''d be fine going through the dark forest if it was with a brave and strong young man like me?" he said, his tone playful.


    Minerva gave him a look, her cheeks flushing slightly, but she couldn''t help but chuckle. Ludwig found it cute and laughed it off, hoping it would ease her tension. "Let''s head in. Stay close," he said, his tone softening.


    "Give me a second," Minerva replied, pulling out a small lantern from her bag. She held it up and whispered, "Blue Flame Light." The lantern flickered to life, casting a soft, blue glow around them.


    "What''s that?" Ludwig asked, intrigued by the device.


    "Something Danny gave me," Minerva explained. "It brightens our surroundings for about five meters, but anything beyond that range can''t see our light or hear our footsteps. It''s supposed to keep us hidden while we search."


    "That sounds awesome," Ludwig said, impressed. The lantern''s glow was soothing, and the idea of moving undetected through the forest was reassuring.


    "Yeah, what''s not awesome is us looking for a freaking serial killer inside a dark forest," Minerva said, her tone a mix of sarcasm and genuine worry. "But hey, I hope nothing happens tonight."


    Ludwig shrugged, his expression calm. "We''ll be fine. Let''s just focus on finding Esteban."


    Minerva nodded, though her grip on the lantern tightened. "Don''t leave me!" she called out as Ludwig began to move ahead, her voice tinged with nervousness.


    Hours passed as the groups combed the forest, calling out Esteban''s name without any response. The night grew colder, and the forest seemed to close in around them, its shadows deepening with every step. Minerva periodically checked in with the other groups, but there were no updates. The search yielded nothing, and frustration began to set in.


    "Ludwig," Minerva said, breaking the silence as they paused near a cluster of trees.


    "What is it?" Ludwig asked, his eyes scanning the area with his undead vision. The forest was eerily quiet, save for the occasional rustle of leaves.


    "We''ve spent four hours looking," Minerva said, her voice tired. "Danny asked us to head back. No matter where Esteban is, he shouldn''t be this deep in the forest without us finding any traces of human footprints."


    Ludwig nodded, though he couldn''t shake the feeling that something was off. "I suppose you''re right," he said, his tone reluctant.


    "Also, someone wants to talk to you," Minerva said, handing Ludwig the communication crystal.


    "Yes?" Ludwig asked, holding the crystal up.


    "Hey, Ludwig," Kaela''s voice came through, her tone unusually serious. "You have anything to do tomorrow?"


    "Watching the matches, that''s about it. Why?" Ludwig asked though a sense of unease crept over him.


    "Good. You''ll get a better spot watching the matches¡ªwith me, in the arena. You''re joining my team," Kaela said, her tone leaving no room for argument.


    "Now, hold on a minute!" Ludwig protested, his mind racing. He hadn''t planned on participating in the tournament, and the idea of being thrust into the spotlight made him uneasy.


    [Quest Update!]


    You have obtained 1 Corrupted Soul.


    You are asked by your classmates to join them in the upcoming tournament.


    Enter the tournament and show your strength!


    Reward: 10 Corrupted Souls!


    You cannot refuse this quest!


    The moment the screen flashed in front of his eyes, Ludwig felt a strange force take over. His body moved on its own, his mouth forming words he hadn''t intended to say.


    [Necros'' Blessing has activated!]


    "Sure, I''ll be there," the words came out of Ludwig''s mouth despite his will refusing.


    Minerva looked at him, confused. "What was that about?"


    Ludwig sighed, his expression a mix of frustration and resignation. "Looks like I''m joining the tournament after all."

 Chapter 177 - 177: MORE MAGIC!

    "Wait, what? Why? I thought you weren''t interested," Minerva asked, her voice tinged with confusion as she stared at Ludwig. Her eyes narrowed slightly, trying to gauge his reaction.


    Ludwig barely held back a groan, his skeletal jaw tightening as he forced a neutral expression. "Let''s just say things have changed," he said, his tone clipped. He didn''t want to explain the sudden quest update or the fact that Necros'' Blessing had essentially forced his hand. It was better to keep things vague.


    Minerva frowned, clearly not satisfied with his answer, but she didn''t press further. "I see," she said slowly. "You''ll need to go and prepare, then. The tournament starts early in the morning, and you''ll need your rest."


    Ludwig gave her a strained smile, nodding. "You''re right. Let''s head out of this creepy forest," he said, turning on his heel and beginning to walk away. Minerva followed close behind, her steps quick and light as she tried to keep up with his long strides.


    The two of them soon left the forest, rejoining the rest of the search groups who were gathered near the academy''s perimeter. The mood was tense, with everyone exchanging hushed whispers and uneasy glances. Danny was among them, his expression serious as he approached Ludwig and Minerva.


    "Nothing, I presume?" Danny asked, his voice calm but laced with concern.


    "Nothing," Ludwig confirmed. "No damage to the surroundings, no signs of battle, and definitely no human presence. What about you guys?"


    Danny sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We found something, but it''s¡­ awkward," he admitted.


    "What is it?" Minerva asked, her curiosity piqued.


    "A note," Danny said, pulling a folded piece of paper from his pocket. "From Esteban. It was under his pillow. It says he''ll be leaving for his hometown."


    Ludwig''s brow furrowed as he processed the information. "That doesn''t make any sense," he said, his tone skeptical. "Why would he leave a note like that? Shouldn''t he at least inform his friends verbally or the Student Council?"


    Danny nodded, his expression grim. "We thought the same. But that''s all we''ve got. No other clues, we searched the whole academy and found nothing."


    Ludwig crossed his arms, his mind racing. Something about this felt off. Esteban''s sudden disappearance, the cryptic note¡ªit all seemed too convenient. But without more evidence, there was little they could do.


    "Is that the reason why I was called in?" Ludwig asked, changing the subject.


    "Called in?" Danny replied, his brow furrowing in confusion.


    "Kaela asked me to join her in the tournament," Ludwig explained, his tone resigned.


    Danny''s eyes widened slightly, but he quickly masked his surprise. "I see," he said, nodding. "I guess she must have realized that without Esteban, she''ll be disqualified. Don''t worry about joining her team, Ludwig. She''s pretty strong. All you need to do is stay behind her. She''ll probably take care of all the issues for you guys, especially with Sabrina on your team. The only problem you''ll have is Haku."


    Minerva tilted her head, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Who will you be cheering for, Danny?" she asked.


    Danny chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ah, that''s a tough one. Both Haku and Kaela are members of the Student Council. I can''t be seen showing favoritism. But honestly, I''m not a huge fan of how Bron acts. And now that Ludwig is with Kaela, I''m more than interested in seeing your swordsmanship," he said, turning to Ludwig with a grin.


    Ludwig smiled faintly, though his mind was already elsewhere. "I would be more than happy to show you, if I had a proper weapon," he said, sighing.


    Danny''s grin faltered. "What do you mean?" he asked.


    "My weapon is currently being repaired," Ludwig explained. "And I don''t have a spare." he shrugged.


    "Ah, that''s going to be a problem," Danny said, his tone sympathetic. "Especially since you''ll be facing a sword maniac like Haku. I also can''t help you much¡ªI''m a mage, and Kaela has been collecting nothing but war axes. Sabrina is also a mage¡­"


    "It''s fine," Ludwig said, waving off Danny''s concern. "I''ll figure something out. Master Van Dijk should have one or two weapons in his possession. I''ll ask him to lend me one."


    Danny nodded, though he still looked uneasy. "Good luck with that. Let me know if you need anything else."


    Ludwig nodded, his mind already turning to the next problem: finding a weapon. He bid Danny and Minerva farewell and made his way to the Black Tower, hoping Van Dijk would have something he could use.


    ***


    Some time later, Ludwig stood in Van Dijk''s study, his arms crossed as he stared at his master. "No," Van Dijk said flatly, not even looking up from the papers he was reading.


    "Really, Master? Not a single one?" Ludwig asked, his tone incredulous.


    "Nope," Van Dijk replied, his voice calm but firm. "Do you regard me as some sort of ape to be holding on to swords and blades?"


    "You use blood daggers, though¡­" Ludwig pointed out, his tone slightly defensive.


    Van Dijk finally looked up, his expression unimpressed. "Those are different. That''s magic," he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.


    Ludwig couldn''t help but sigh, his shoulders slumping. He had hoped Van Dijk would have at least one weapon he could borrow, but it seemed he was out of luck.


    "Also," Van Dijk continued, his tone softening slightly, "you have another teacher you could ask favors of. I''m not the best when it comes to swords and recognizing their full potential. But your undead nature heavily suggests you should use something bulky and heavy. Ask Joana¡ªshe''ll have something for you."


    Ludwig nodded, though he couldn''t help but feel a pang of annoyance. Van Dijk''s dismissive attitude was grating, but he knew better than to argue. "Understood," he said, turning to leave.


    Before he could take a step he finally realized why his master seemed a bit annoyed at him, Ludwig spoke again. "You know, Master," he said, his tone casual but with an edge to it.


    Van Dijk paused, raising his face back to ludwig "What is it?" he asked.


    "The only reason I''m asking for a sword is because my magic is too lacking," he said sheepishly.


    Van Dijk''s eyes narrowed slightly.


    "I don''t want to shame you by using subpar magic in a tournament. People would think lowly of you if I were to use weak magic to fight." Ludwig gave a convincing argument.


    "So you''re blaming me for your lack of understanding of magic?" Van Dijk said.


    Ludwig''s jaw tightened, but he forced himself to remain calm. "No, Master, god forbid. It''s the other way around. I managed to do this," he said, pointing at his forehead where the emerald mana stone was embedded.


    Van Dijk raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Come here," he said, gesturing for Ludwig to approach. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig stepped closer, and Van Dijk leaned in, examining the mana stone with a critical eye. "Seamless fusion," he murmured, his tone approving. "Not bad. How did you operate on yourself?"


    "I simply removed and replaced the old mana stone with this one," Ludwig explained.


    Van Dijk leaned back, his expression a mix of surprise and mild annoyance. "I did ask you to wait for me to do this for you, and you did it yourself," he said, his tone dry.


    "One should be venturous and have a sense of discovery," Ludwig replied, his tone light but with a hint of defiance.


    Van Dijk sighed, shaking his head. "You have an answer for everything," he said, though there was a faint smile on his lips. "Fine. Wait here."


    Ludwig remained in the room, his patience wearing thin as Van Dijk left. He returned after about fifteen minutes, carrying four books of varying sizes and weights. He placed them in front of Ludwig with a flourish.


    "These are all tier-three magic spells," Van Dijk said, his tone serious. "With one of them having more potential than the others. You have about ten or so hours before the tournament starts. You better start studying."


    Ludwig inspected the books, his eyes scanning the titles:


    [Bounds of Latvia]


    [Explosive Mines]


    [Vow of Silence]


    [Vengeance]


    He looked up at Van Dijk, a mix of gratitude and determination in his eyes. "Thank you, Master," he said, his voice steady.


    Van Dijk nodded, his expression softening slightly. "Don''t disappoint me," he said, before turning back to his papers.

 Chapter 178 - 178: A Spell Like No Other

    Ludwig took the books and was about to leave the room, his mind already racing with the possibilities of the spells he was about to learn. But before he could take a step, Van Dijk''s voice stopped him in his tracks.


    "Where are you going?" Van Dijk asked, his tone casual but with an underlying sharpness that made Ludwig pause.


    "I don''t want to bother you when I''m practicing these," Ludwig said, gesturing to the books in his hands. "You look busy."


    Van Dijk didn''t even glance up from the inscribed books he was reading. "No, grab a chair. Sit over there and work on your studies. If you need help, just ask me," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.


    Ludwig hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Right," he said, heading to a nearby empty table. He pulled out a chair and sat down, placing the books in front of him. The first one he picked up was [Bounds of Latvia]. He opened it and began reading, his eyes scanning the pages with intense focus.


    The book began by describing the original creator of the spell, a mage of incredible renown named Latvia. She was said to have sealed a dragon with her mastery of the art of sealing. The [Bounds of Latvia] spell was one of her most famous creations, a powerful binding spell that could root even the strongest of foes in place.


    The book went on to explain how the mana needed to be formulated and calculated to form the chains that would eventually bind and root the target. Ludwig''s eyes widened as he read through the details. This is the same spell that Master used back at the fight against the Knight King¡­ even he was unable to set himself free in a short time due to this¡­


    Ludwig raised his eyes to glance at Van Dijk, who was still reading casually, his expression unbothered. The man was a monster, able to fight on par with someone at the pinnacle of a kingdom and come out on top, even when he was at a disadvantage. Ludwig''s respect for Van Dijk only grew¡ªnot because of his immense power, but because this was merely a tier-three spell. The fact that Van Dijk could wield it with such precision and mastery spoke volumes about his skill.


    Ludwig continued reading the book, his focus unwavering. It took him less than an hour to finish it, his mind absorbing the information like a sponge. Little did he realize, Van Dijk was constantly glancing at him, surprised by his incredible focus and attention.


    [You have learned {Bounds of Latvia}]


    [Bounds of Latvia - Binds a physical enemy in place for 10 seconds. The more they struggle, the tighter the chains of Latvia become.]


    [100 Mana cost]


    "Good, that''s one," Ludwig muttered, setting the book aside.


    Van Dijk frowned, his curiosity piqued. "Did you learn it?" he asked, standing up and walking over to Ludwig.


    "Somewhat," Ludwig said, his tone cautious.


    "That is not an answer," Van Dijk said, his voice firm. "Do not take this lightly, Ludwig. Use it on me. Let me see your mistakes."


    Ludwig hesitated, but seeing his master''s firm expression, he nodded. "Sure, Master," he said, standing up and facing Van Dijk.


    "Bounds of Latvia!" Ludwig called, pointing his hand at Van Dijk.


    Immediately, ten coiling chains of metal spread out from around Van Dijk''s feet, wrapping around him tightly. Van Dijk looked down at the chains, a small smile playing on his lips. Then, with a casual step forward, he simply walked out of the chains, leaving them to fall to the ground with a rattling clatter.


    His body in the process almost seemed to wiggle and wriggle as if it had turned to liquid.


    Ludwig''s shoulders slumped. "I guess I must have been too arrogant," he said, his tone disappointed.


    "No, the opposite," Van Dijk said, his voice calm. "It''s proper use, though it''s still at the novice level. This is good for now. The reason I was able to escape is because I can change my form to blood, which is not physical." Van Dijk explained patiently to Ludwig.


    Ludwig nodded, recalling what he had read. "I remember reading about that. It can only contain something that''s physical."


    "Yes," Van Dijk said, nodding. "That''s why I always couple it with [Ensnare] and [Anchor Dead]. These three together will bind the soul, the body, and the mind. But you can''t use the others¡ªthey''re still above your level. This is a good start. Keep studying." Van Dijk encouraged.


    Ludwig nodded, his determination renewed. "I do remember you using [Anchor Dead]. You also used [Crucify Dead] back then."


    Van Dijk''s expression darkened slightly. "That''s a lesson for another day. Also, [Crucify Dead] and [Anchor Dead] are dark magic. Since they''re technically necromancy, they''re forbidden. You can''t learn them now or use them in the tournament. That goes for [Taint], [Enfeeble], and definitely not [Rise Undead]. That''ll get you straight to the gallows, and even I can''t help you there." Van Dijk warned.


    Ludwig nodded, understanding the gravity of his master''s words. "I still have other spells I can use, Master. Thank you," he said, resuming his readings.


    Van Dijk seemed more interested in his student, able to understand a spell book mind you, not a degraded Skill Book. A spell book is a book where one needs to learn and understand the spell''s essence to be able to use it.


    The next book Ludwig picked up was [Explosive Mines]. As he opened it, a notification flashed before his eyes.


    [Necros'' Blessing has interfered.]


    [Some of the description has been changed for the reader of this spell book to better understand.]


    Ludwig frowned but continued reading. The spell was described as a relative of [Fire Orb], a spell that would hover and explode after some time. [Explosive Mines] added the option of timed explosions and forced detonations. However, the spell was lowly regarded because its damage and output were based on the caster''s mana and [Wisdom].


    The book went on to explain that the number of explosive mines could be freely changed to suit the user''s wishes, but the more mines there were on the field, the greater the mental toll on the caster.


    Ludwig''s frown deepened as he read through the spell''s complexity. It had too many extra components, making it inefficient. He couldn''t help but voice his concerns.


    "Master," Ludwig said, looking up from the book.


    "Yes?" Van Dijk replied, not looking up from his own reading.


    "Isn''t this a faulty spell?" Ludwig asked, holding up the [Explosive Mines] book.


    Van Dijk finally looked up, a knowing smile flashing across his face. "Why would you think so?" S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "See here," Ludwig said, pointing to a section of the book. "Wouldn''t the spell still function the same if this part wasn''t here?"


    Van Dijk nodded. "Indeed, it would."


    "Then it''s faulty, no?" Ludwig asked, his tone confused.


    "Think bigger," Van Dijk said, his smile widening.


    Ludwig frowned, but he heeded his master''s advice. Van Dijk wasn''t the type of teacher to spoon-feed his students. He would show them the path but expected them to walk it themselves.


    After a moment of thought, Ludwig''s eyes widened in realization. "Wait, this isn''t just added here for nothing¡­ this is here so you can fuse this spell with something else?" he said, turning to Van Dijk.


    Van Dijk''s smile grew even wider. "Exactly, Quite surprising that you realized it, even those two fools had yet to understand," he said, standing up and walking over to Ludwig.


    He held out his hand, "Explosive Mine," Van Dijk said, and a small ball of fire appeared in his palm. It was compact and condensed, looking like a small sun without the extra flames.


    The ball of fire hovered in his hand, its energy contained but palpable. Then, Van Dijk spoke again.


    "Black Flames."


    Immediately, the explosive mine shifted, its fiery orange hue turning into a deep, ominous black. The air around it seemed to warp, as if the flames were consuming the very light.


    "Graviol," Van Dijk said next.


    The ball changed again, this time becoming a deep purple orb. Small pieces of paper and debris from the room began to float toward it, drawn by an invisible force.


    "Frost-Fire."


    The orb transformed once more, this time into a ball of pure, cool ice. The temperature in the room dropped slightly, and Ludwig could see his breath in the air.


    "Howling Gale."


    Finally, the ball shifted into a spiraling whirlwind, compressed and contained within the confines of the spell.


    "Do you understand?" Van Dijk asked, his voice calm but filled with pride.


    [You have seen great mastery over the art of magic!]


    [+5 Wisdom]


    Ludwig''s entire body shuddered as he realized the incredible complexity of what had seemed like a simple tier-three spell. His mind raced with the possibilities, and he felt a newfound respect for the spell¡ªand for his master.


    "Sadly," Van Dijk said, his tone tinged with regret, "I couldn''t reach the limits of such a simple-looking spell. It was ironically created by someone who was unrelated to magic. It was so great and had so much potential that even the elusive Algad Hcil wrote a book about it. But still, my mind cannot keep up with the computational effort needed to magnify the effects of such a spell. For someone like me, that type of headache, though I can tolerate it, would still put me in shock and drop me unconscious."


    Van Dijk turned to Ludwig, his expression serious. "But you, Ludwig¡­ if your will is strong enough to survive the backlash of such magic, even I cannot tell what limits you would be able to break. So, are you interested in learning this simple spell?"

 Chapter 179 - 179: Ludwig Participates

    "Simple? This is anything but simple, Master. I''d love to learn it," Ludwig said, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he considered the endless possibilities of the [Explosive Mines] spell. The complexity of the spell fascinated him, and he was eager to master it.


    He began by re-reading the book, absorbing every detail, memorizing the formulas for the spell''s creation, and understanding how to warp and control the magic. Unlike the first spell he had learned, [Bounds of Latvia], this one took him twice as long to grasp. But the reward was worth it.


    [You have learned, {Explosive Mines}]


    Creates an explosive fireball that can be detonated at will or after a set amount of time.


    The spell''s damage is relative to the caster''s Wisdom.


    The number of {Explosive Mines} the caster can create is relative to their Mana, Stamina, and Wisdom.


    "Good, I think I got it," Ludwig said, looking up at his teacher with a mixture of pride and anticipation.


    "Show me," Van Dijk said, his tone calm but expectant.


    Ludwig hesitated. "Wouldn''t it cause problems? I mean, it''s explosive, and I don''t know how much damage it would cause."


    "Don''t worry about that," Van Dijk replied, waving off Ludwig''s concern.


    "Okay, Master," Ludwig said, nodding. He pointed his finger forward and called out, "{Explosive Mines!}"


    A small ball of condensed fire materialized in front of Ludwig''s finger, hovering ominously. The air around it shimmered with heat, and Ludwig could feel the energy radiating from it.


    "What now?" Ludwig asked, his tone uncertain.


    "What do you think?" Van Dijk said, raising an eyebrow. "If you try to blow it up that close to your hand, you''ll lose an arm. Push it away like a guided fireball. You can also control its speed and direction by spending more mana."


    Ludwig nodded, recalling the extensive instructions in the book. The spell''s control mechanisms had taken up more than two-thirds of the book''s length, while the creation process was relatively straightforward. It was a true scientist''s approach to spellcraft, and Ludwig appreciated the precision.


    He focused, channeling his mana to guide the [Explosive Mine]. The fireball moved as he willed it, flying forward, spinning, and changing direction. But as he continued to manipulate it, he began to feel the strain.


    "Seems that the longer I move it and control it, the harder it gets and the more mana it absorbs," Ludwig said, his brow furrowing.


    "It should be natural," Van Dijk replied. "Now, push it toward me and blow it up."


    Ludwig hesitated but complied. He guided the fireball toward Van Dijk, who calmly raised his hand. As the [Explosive Mine] approached, Van Dijk encased it in a translucent mana orb, containing its energy.


    Ludwig snapped his fingers, triggering the explosion. The fireball erupted, but the mana orb absorbed the blast effortlessly. To Ludwig, it seemed like the explosion had done nothing, but Van Dijk''s knowing smile told a different story.


    The side of the orb facing Van Dijk was cracked, a testament to the spell''s power. With a casual motion, Van Dijk dissipated the orb, leaving no trace of the explosion.


    "Good, good," Van Dijk said, his tone approving.


    "What should I do to add more magic to it?" Ludwig asked, his curiosity piqued.


    "You mean the same way I did?" Van Dijk replied, his tone teasing.


    "Yes," Ludwig said, his eyes shining with excitement. "Not gonna lie, that looked awesome, especially the gravitational explosive mine."


    Van Dijk chuckled. "Ah, gravity is a rather tough subject, and it''s a tier-four spell at the minimum. You still don''t have the circuits to handle it, and definitely not enough Nephilium for it. So don''t bother. As for the other spells¡­ let''s just say that your cup is already full. You need to adjust and learn the limits of your current self before you try to outgrow them. Slow and steady, Ludwig. You''re an undead¡ªyou have infinity itself to learn whatever you want."


    Ludwig nodded, taking his master''s words to heart. Van Dijk was right; there was no point in hurrying. He still had two more spells to learn, and he needed to master them before the tournament.


    Ludwig returned to his desk and began studying the remaining spells. The hours passed quickly, and by the time morning arrived, he had learned all four spells. However, the process had humbled him. He realized that his initial confidence had been somewhat arrogant, and he needed to temper his expectations.


    As the first light of dawn broke, Ludwig rushed out of the Black Tower, cursing his foolishness for thinking he could learn the spells in such a short time. He had managed to master them all, but the experience had taught him a valuable lesson in humility.


    Little did Ludwig know, his master was incredibly impressed. Van Dijk had watched Ludwig''s progress throughout the night, amazed by the speed at which he had learned the spells. For most students, it would have taken weeks, if not months, to master even one of those books. Yet Ludwig had done it in half a night.


    Van Dijk wasn''t one to cajole or hype up his students. To him, everyone was subpar, and he pushed them to better themselves to earn his recognition. But deep down, he felt that Ludwig wasn''t just a monster in body¡ªhe was a monster in mind. The boy''s genius had surpassed even Van Dijk''s, and that was saying something.


    Ludwig reached the academy in record time, his undead stamina allowing him to sprint without tiring. As he approached the entrance, a guard recognized him and immediately led him inside.


    Just as Ludwig walked into the academy, Hoyo was the first to greet him. "Oi, Ludwig!" he shouted, waving enthusiastically.


    "Yo, man. What''s up?" Ludwig said, his eyes darting toward the arena.


    "Today''s a big day, right?" Hoyo said, his tone excited.


    "Yep, I guess," Ludwig replied, his mind still focused on the tournament.


    "I heard you spent the night at the Black Tower. Tell me they''re not doing some weird experiments on you there?" Hoyo asked, his tone half-joking, half-concerned.


    "Huh? No, why are you asking?" Ludwig said, raising an eyebrow.


    "I don''t know," Hoyo said, shrugging. "The Black Tower is the dream of every student, to go there and study there. But everyone who goes there comes back with a couple of screws loose."


    Ludwig couldn''t blame him. So far, he only knew of three people in the Black Tower, and none of them were exactly sane. "I need to go," Ludwig said, his tone urgent.


    "Where to?" Hoyo asked, frowning.


    "The arena. I''m late," Ludwig said, already moving.


    "The tournament is starting after an hour or so, and I already secured our spots," Hoyo said, trying to stop him.


    "Ah, I''m not watching," Ludwig said, pausing to look back at Hoyo. "I''m participating." S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hoyo''s jaw dropped, his eyes widening in shock. "Wait, what? You''re participating? Since when?"


    Ludwig grinned, though his expression was a mix of excitement and nervousness. "Since last night. I''ll explain later. For now, I need to get to the arena."


    With that, Ludwig turned and sprinted toward the arena, leaving Hoyo staring after him in stunned silence. The tournament was about to begin. He wasn''t interested in joining yesterday, but now with more spells and abilities under his belt, he couldn''t help but feel slightly exited.

 Chapter 180 - 180: And It begins!

    Ludwig arrived at the arena, his eyes widening in surprise at the massive transformation that had taken place overnight. What had once been a simple, open-air platform with cement staircases for spectators had been replaced by a grand Colosseum-like structure. The sheer scale of it was breathtaking, with towering walls, intricate carvings, and a massive central arena that seemed ready to host battles of epic proportions.


    The Colosseum had one main entrance where a steady stream of students was pouring in. Ludwig was about to follow the crowd when a hand grabbed his arm, pulling him back.


    "You''re late!" a familiar voice scolded.


    Turning, Ludwig saw Kaela standing there, her fiery eyes glaring at him. Her grip on his arm was firm, and her expression was a mix of annoyance and relief.


    "You thought I was going to bail on you?" Ludwig said, grinning despite the situation.


    "The thought crossed my mind," Kaela admitted, releasing his arm. "Still, are you ready?"


    Ludwig hesitated, then shook his head. "Sadly, I couldn''t secure a weapon."


    Kaela''s eyes narrowed. "What do you mean? How come you''re a swordsman who doesn''t have a sword?"


    "Ah, mine went in for repairs," Ludwig explained, shrugging.


    Kaela sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "More on my plate, I guess¡­ It''s fine. Though you''re okay, I''m not reliant on you. Just sit back and make the numbers. I don''t want to be disqualified for having a missing member. You can use magic, right?"


    "Yes, somewhat," Ludwig said, his tone cautious.


    "Good enough for me," Kaela said, nodding. "Sabrina and you should support me."


    "Where is Sabrina, though?" Ludwig asked, looking around.


    "There," Kaela said, pointing to the top of the Colosseum wall. Ludwig followed her gaze and saw a black cat basking in the sun, its tail flicking lazily.


    "You mean the cat?" Ludwig asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Exactly," Kaela said, her tone exasperated. "She''s a lazy slob. She''ll join us once our turn is up. Let''s go to the arena now."


    Ludwig nodded, and the two of them headed toward the main entrance. But before they could step inside, Kaela grabbed his arm again.


    "Not there," she said, pulling him toward a smaller, less crowded entrance on the side of the Colosseum. "Participants have their own entrance."


    They walked through the side entrance and found themselves in a quiet, dimly lit room. The atmosphere was tense, with other participants milling about, donning armor and preparing their weapons. The room reminded Ludwig of the inner chambers of a gladiator''s arena, complete with benches and storage for equipment.


    Kaela immediately began putting on pieces of armor, her movements quick and practiced. She strapped on greaves, a chest plate, and gauntlets, her expression focused. Once she was done, she turned to Ludwig, her eyes scanning him critically.


    "No armor, no sword, and no wand or staff¡­" she said, her tone tinged with disappointment. "One would really think that you''re with us just for the numbers."


    Ludwig shrugged, unfazed. "I don''t need a wand to use magic, or a staff."


    Kaela frowned, then shrugged. "Fine, if you say so. Let''s go."


    They left the preparation room and entered the arena, taking their seats in the front rows. The other participants were already there, some chatting nervously, others sitting in silence, their eyes fixed on the arena below. Ludwig noticed Haku sitting nearby, his heavy sword resting across his lap. Next to him was Bron, looking as arrogant as ever, and a woman Ludwig had never seen before.


    She was, by any definition, stunning. Her figure was hourglass-perfect, and her outfit, while revealing, was elegant and tasteful. Her black hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, and her lips were painted a deep, blood-red. Her allure was undeniable, and Ludwig couldn''t help but notice the way she carried herself¡ªconfident, almost predatory.


    She caught Ludwig''s gaze and smiled, her eyes glinting with mischief.


    [As an Undead, you resist Charm.]


    Ludwig shook his head, breaking eye contact and ignoring her. The woman''s smile faltered for a moment, replaced by a faint frown.


    "Oi, slut, wipe the drool off your mouth. He''s my teammate!" Kaela shouted, her voice cutting through the tension.


    The woman turned to Kaela, her smile returning, though it was now laced with venom. "One would think you''re his owner," she said, her voice smooth and mocking. "He''s handsome. I like handsome men. Especially when they break." Her last words seemed to echo in Ludwig''s mind, sending a shiver down his spine.


    "Ignore her," Kaela said, sitting down next to Ludwig. "She''s crazy. Don''t let all that makeup fool you."


    Ludwig nodded, though he couldn''t help but feel uneasy. He sat down beside Kaela, his eyes scanning the arena. The Colosseum was nearly full now, the air buzzing with anticipation. Just as the timer hit ten, a massive fanfare of light and magic erupted in the center of the arena.


    Ludwig tensed, thinking it was an attack, but when no danger notifications appeared, he relaxed. The smoke cleared, revealing Professor Olim standing in the center of the arena, dressed in a bright yellow suit that reflected light like a mirror. He was almost blindingly shiny.


    "WELCOME, WELCOME ALL!" Olim''s voice boomed, amplified by magic. "To our forty-fourth Black Tower Academy tournament! As most of you know, this is a stage built for our dear students to showcase their strength and the knowledge they''ve gained this year. Some of them will soon be leaving us, as the third years have finally reached the end of their journey with us at the Black Tower Academy. Meanwhile, others, such as the freshmen who just joined, will get to see the level they, too, will one day reach!"


    Olim launched into a lengthy speech about the glory of the academy, its history, and its values. The students, however, quickly lost interest, their attention wandering. Sensing the lack of enthusiasm, Olim coughed and moved on.


    "Regardless! We will now reveal the content of the tournament! First off, this is the list of all the participants!" Olim said, gesturing to a massive holographic screen that appeared above him. The screen displayed the names of all the students participating, nearly a hundred in total. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This year, we''ve seen a surge in last-minute participants, and we''ve allowed many to join. But that also means the competition will be as difficult as it is exciting!" Olim said, his voice filled with enthusiasm. He then pointed to the far end of the stadium, where a group of professors sat in a special viewing area.


    "As you can all see, accompanying us today are a few professors of great renown in the academy: Professor Vastion Oda''Roh, Professor Cymoria Azmiralis, and the Black Tower Master himself¡ªthe one and only Bastos Van Dijk!"


    The moment Van Dijk''s name was mentioned, the entire Colosseum erupted into cheers and applause. The energy in the arena was electric, and Ludwig couldn''t help but feel a surge of pride.


    "Wow, I guess he''s pretty famous," Ludwig said, his voice barely audible over the noise.


    "Famous?" Kaela said, raising an eyebrow. "He''s the reason this whole academy still exists and accepts all sorts of people. Without him, many of these students would have been nothing but rug-rats, thieves, and criminals. He gave them a chance by allowing them to attend. You really don''t fully grasp the opportunity and weight of being his one and only disciple, do you?"


    Ludwig smiled, his chest swelling with pride. After all the gifts and opportunities he had received as Van Dijk''s disciple, he fully understood what Kaela meant.


    "Now then, for the contents that the participants will be dealing with!" Olim said, his voice cutting through the noise. "Let''s start with our first challenge: THE GAUNTLET!"

 Chapter 181 - 181: RUN LUDWIG RUN!

    "Since we have a lot of teams, we''ll need to thin the numbers. Your first task as a group will be to survive. Do not worry¡ªdespite the infamy we have as the Black Tower Academy for being far more¡­ realistic in our approach to danger, there will be no deaths. In the case of mortal danger, a teacher will intervene to save the student," Olim announced, his voice echoing through the Colosseum. His sharp eyes scanned the crowd, lingering for a moment on Ludwig and Kaela before moving on.


    He clapped his hands, and the ground beneath them began to shift. The arena trembled as the terrain transformed, the stone floor giving way to patches of grass, sand, and rocky outcrops. A massive, translucent bubble-like structure manifested around the arena, enclosing it in a swirling fog that obscured the outside world. The air grew thick with anticipation, and the faint hum of magic buzzed in Ludwig''s ears.


    "Explaining the details of the event would be quite boring," Olim continued, a sly grin spreading across his face. "As a great man once said, ''Show, don''t tell.'' You''ll all have to see for yourselves what the teachers have in store for you. To all participants, please walk up to the dome and enter."


    The crowd murmured, a mix of excitement and unease rippling through the students. Ludwig exchanged a glance with Kaela, who nodded firmly. "Let''s go, Ludwig," she said, her voice steady but with a hint of urgency.


    Ludwig followed her, his boots crunching against the shifting terrain. Just as they approached the dome, a black streak shot down from the top of the colosseum. Before Ludwig could react, the black cat¡ªSabrina¡ªlanded gracefully on his head, her weight surprisingly light.


    "So, you''re Ludwig," the cat said, her voice dripping with amusement.


    Ludwig sighed. "I suppose you''re Sabrina."


    "Use your feet, you lazy slob," Kaela snapped, glaring at the cat.


    Sabrina''s tail flicked lazily. "Would you like me to use your head as a resting spot instead?" she replied, her tone smug.


    Kaela''s hand twitched toward the hilt of her sword. "Try it, and I''ll cut you in half!"


    Sabrina only snickered, clearly enjoying the exchange. "Ludwig, be a dear and carry me through this event. I''m really not a fan of fighting," she purred, settling comfortably on his head.


    Ludwig couldn''t help but sigh. "Fine, it''s fine. Let''s keep going," he muttered, resigning himself to his role as a glorified carriage. He stepped forward, Kaela at his side, and approached the dome. The fog swirled around them, cold and damp against his skin.


    "We don''t know what''s going to happen inside, so stay on your guard and stay close," Kaela said, her voice low and serious.


    Ludwig nodded, his grip tightening on the communication crystal in his pocket. "Got it."


    "Easy there, I almost fell," Sabrina complained as Ludwig adjusted his stance.


    "My bad," Ludwig replied, though he was starting to feel slightly irritated.


    "Less shaking, more moving," the cat quipped.


    Ludwig took a deep breath and stepped through the dome. The world around him shifted instantly. The weight on his head disappeared, and he found himself standing in the middle of a lush, green forest. The air was thick with humidity, and the scent of damp earth and vegetation filled his nostrils. Towering trees with massive, fan-like leaves stretched toward the sky, their canopies blocking out most of the sunlight. The underbrush was dense, with vines and ferns crowding the forest floor.


    "Kaela?" Ludwig called, his voice echoing through the trees. There was no reply.


    Suddenly, his pocket vibrated. He pulled out the communication crystal, its surface glowing faintly. "Ludwig, it seems like we got separated. Where are you right now?" Kaela''s voice came through, tinged with frustration.


    "I don''t know. Big forest area, no visible landmarks, large trees everywhere," Ludwig explained, scanning his surroundings.


    "Damn. Different biomes. I''m in a desert," Kaela said. "Let me add Sabrina to the call."


    A moment later, Sabrina''s voice crackled through the crystal. "Luuuuudwiiig, where are you? It''s freezing here!" she whined, her teeth audibly chattering.


    "This is awkward. Each of us is in a different biome," Kaela said. "Just stay safe for now. We don''t know the content of this trial."


    "It''s a survival trial," Ludwig said. "Olim mentioned it. We should be careful and vigilant."


    As soon as the words left his mouth, a loud explosion echoed through the forest, shaking the ground beneath his feet. Ludwig''s heart skipped a beat.


    "What was that?" Kaela asked, her voice tense.


    "Someone''s fighting," Ludwig said, his eyes narrowing. "I''ll check it out."


    "Don''t. You should stay in cover and hide," Kaela urged.


    "Then we''ll have no understanding of what''s going on. Survival isn''t about who can hide better¡ªit''s about who has a better understanding of their surroundings. I''ll call you if anything''s up," Ludwig said, cutting the connection before Kaela could argue further. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He moved cautiously through the dense vegetation, his senses on high alert. The forest was alive with sounds¡ªchirping insects, rustling leaves, and the distant calls of unseen creatures. After about fifteen minutes, he reached the source of the commotion.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me," Ludwig muttered under his breath.


    Lying on the ground was the half-burnt corpse of a reptilian creature. Its long, sharp mouth was frozen in a snarl, and its short arms and powerful legs suggested it was built for speed. Ludwig''s stomach churned as he recognized the creature. It wasn''t a lizardman¡ªit was far worse. This was a predator known for its pack-hunting tactics and relentless pursuit of prey.


    "A raptor¡­" Ludwig swallowed hard, his mind racing. "Why the hell is a raptor here?"


    "Raptor? What''s that?" Thomas''s voice echoed in his head, startling him.


    "Jesus Christ!" Ludwig blurted, clutching his chest. "Don''t do that!"


    "That''s a first¡ªseeing an undead panic," Thomas said, his tone amused.


    "Not panic. Surprise," Ludwig corrected, his voice tight. "Regardless, we call this a raptor¡­"


    "I don''t know about that. That''s a Velkryn. They''re pretty weak alone," Thomas said dismissively.


    "Yeah, but they never hunt by themselves," Ludwig replied, his eyes darting around the forest. He crouched low, scanning the underbrush for movement. "Now that I''m taking another look at this forest¡­ these leaves are absurdly large. And these are Cyatheales¡­"


    "Cyawhat?" Thomas asked, clearly confused.


    "Tree ferns. Just very old plants," Ludwig explained, his mind racing. Two hundred and thirty-million-year-old plants¡­


    "Also, shouldn''t you be hiding? I''d probably hide," Thomas said.


    "Yeah, that would be the best way to serve myself as bone soup to these things. Their sense of smell is better than a dog''s. Hiding is useless. This was never about who can hide better," Ludwig said, his voice low. He froze as he heard the rustling of leaves behind him. "This was always about who can run longer."


    In an instant, three raptors burst from the foliage, their hisses sharp and menacing. Their eyes locked onto Ludwig, and their powerful legs coiled, ready to pounce.


    "Are you going to fight them?" Thomas asked, his tone almost teasing.


    "Fight?" Ludwig smiled grimly as he backed away. "That''s the best way to sign your own death certificate." With that, he turned and bolted, the raptors hot on his heels.


    For most contestants, three Velkryn wouldn''t be much of an issue. They could easily be taken down with a few well-placed spells¡ªjust like the one that had left the first corpse Ludwig had seen. But this was a survival event. Wasting mana or risking injury without reason was a surefire way to lose.


    Ludwig, however, wasn''t like most contestants. He was an undead, and the best part about being one was that he didn''t need to use his mana. He didn''t need to use his strength, he didn''t need to risk the fight, as an Undead he had infinite stamina. After all, the undead don''t tire.

 Chapter 182 - 182: Seriously?

    Ludwig''s feet carried him further and further away from the raptors, but the more he ran, the worse his situation became. What had started as a manageable chase with three raptors half an hour ago had now escalated into a full-blown stampede. The three had become six, and soon another joined the pack. Yet, despite their numbers, none of them had managed to close the gap between themselves and Ludwig.


    "Surprisingly, you''re keeping up the same pace," Thomas remarked, his voice calm despite the chaos unfolding around them.


    "Yep, gotta keep a rhythm when running," Ludwig replied, his breathing steady as he leaped over a large tree root blocking his path. Behind him, one of the raptors, too focused on its prey, failed to notice the obstacle. Its legs tangled in the root, sending it tumbling to the ground with a sharp yelp.


    "One down!" Thomas cheered, his tone almost playful.


    "Don''t curse it," Ludwig said, his eyes scanning the terrain ahead. "They have very sturdy legs." As if to prove his point, the fallen raptor scrambled back to its feet, shaking off the impact, and rejoined the chase, though now it lagged at the back of the pack.


    Soon, a seventh raptor emerged from the dense foliage, its sharp eyes locking onto Ludwig. The pack was growing, and the forest seemed to echo with their hisses and snarls.


    "At this rate, you''ll probably have the entire forest running after you," Thomas said, his voice tinged with amusement.


    "As long as I''m faster and keep my distance, I''m fine," Ludwig replied, his tone confident. He ducked under a low-hanging branch and sidestepped a cluster of thick vines. One of the raptors, too focused on its prey, didn''t see the looping vine in its path. Its neck snapped back as it collided with the obstacle, the force of the impact nearly breaking its spine. The creature let out a pained screech but quickly recovered, its determination to catch Ludwig undiminished.


    Ludwig pressed on, his legs burning but his resolve unshaken. The forest seemed endless, a labyrinth of towering trees and dense underbrush. The sound of the raptors'' claws scraping against the forest floor was a constant reminder of the danger at his heels. But Ludwig''s mind was sharp, his focus unwavering. He knew that one misstep could mean the end of him. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Suddenly, another loud explosion echoed through the forest, this time from up ahead. Ludwig''s lips curled into a wide grin as he sprinted toward the source of the noise. Bursting through the foliage, he found himself in a small clearing. A student stood in the center, his face pale and streaked with sweat. The corpses of three Velkryn lay sprawled around him, their bodies charred and broken. The student''s wand trembled in his hand as he pointed it at Ludwig.


    "I''m warning you! Don''t get any closer!" the student shouted, his voice cracking with exhaustion.


    Ludwig didn''t need to say a word. The seven Velkryn burst into the clearing behind him, their hisses filling the air. The student''s eyes widened in horror as he realized what was happening.


    "Son of a bitch!" the student cursed, his hands shaking as he began to chant a spell.


    But Ludwig was faster. "Vow of Silence!" he cast, his voice sharp and commanding. Runic writings spread rapidly from beneath the student''s feet, snaking up his body and sealing his mouth shut. The student clawed at his face, his muffled screams barely audible as the spell took hold.


    Ludwig sprinted past him, not sparing a second glance. The student could only watch in terror as the seven raptors lunged at him. But just as their claws were about to strike, a large, translucent bubble materialized around the student. The raptors collided with the barrier, their snarls turning to frustrated hisses. The bubble then shot upward, carrying the student out of harm''s way and disappearing into the canopy above.


    The Velkryn, now robbed of their prey, turned their attention back to Ludwig, their eyes blazing with fury.


    "Well, that wasn''t nice," Thomas said, his tone disapproving.


    "Yeah, he should have at least bought me some time acting as food," Ludwig replied with a shrug, his voice dripping with sarcasm.


    "I think you missed my point," Thomas said, frowning.


    Ludwig grinned. "I didn''t." And with that, he took off again, the raptors hot on his heels.


    The sound of the stampede behind him grew louder, the forest floor trembling under the weight of the pursuing pack. The Velkryn were relentless, their determination to catch Ludwig only growing stronger with every passing moment. They had lost one meal, and they weren''t about to let another slip away.


    Ludwig''s eyes darted across the terrain, scanning for any advantage he could exploit. He couldn''t afford to stumble or back himself into a corner. Every step had to be calculated, every move deliberate. And then he saw it¡ªa narrow path leading to the edge of a cliff. A plan began to form in his mind.


    Ludwig sprinted toward the cliff, the raptors closing in behind him. The edge came into view, a sheer drop into another level of the forest. Ludwig''s heart pounded as he grabbed a hanging vine, using it to swing himself forward.


    "CLIFF! CLIFF! CLIFF!" Thomas shouted, his voice filled with panic.


    "I know," Ludwig replied, his grin widening. He leaped off the edge, the vine snapping taut as it caught his weight. The first three raptors, too focused on their prey, didn''t notice the drop until it was too late. Their claws scrabbled against the edge of the cliff as they tumbled into the void, their hisses turning to panicked screeches.


    The remaining raptors skidded to a halt at the edge, their eyes wide with fear. But their relief was short-lived. One of the raptors, unable to stop in time, crashed into the others, sending the entire group over the edge. Ludwig swung back onto the cliff, his laughter echoing through the forest.


    "Wow, that''s crazy," Thomas said, his voice filled with awe.


    "Yeah, but it worked," Ludwig replied, peering over the edge. The raptors lay motionless at the bottom of the cliff, their bodies broken and lifeless. One of them twitched weakly, but it was clear they were no longer a threat.


    Ludwig let go of the vine and took a moment to catch his breath. -Though he didn''t have any lungs- The cliff''s edge offered a breathtaking view of the forest below, a sprawling expanse of greenery that seemed to stretch on forever. But Ludwig''s relief was short-lived. His eyes caught movement in the distance¡ªsomething massive, something that was crushing trees as it moved.


    Ludwig''s mouth twitched, his expression twisting into an awful, disgusted scowl.


    "What? You look like you stepped on shit," Thomas said, his tone lighthearted.


    "I wish," Ludwig muttered, his eyes fixed on the creature emerging from the treeline. Its massive form came into view, its powerful legs shaking the ground with every step. Its jaws were lined with rows of razor-sharp teeth, and its eyes locked onto Ludwig with a predatory gleam.


    Ludwig could swear, that the creature grinned at him.


    "Fuck¡­" Ludwig cursed, his voice barely above a whisper. "That''s a fucking T-rex¡­"

 Chapter 183 - 183: A Skeletons Madness

    "What do you think of the students this year, Professor Vastion?" Professor Olim''s voice boomed through the colosseum, amplified by the microphone. His tone was light, almost playful, as he addressed the stern-faced professor beside him.


    Vastion took a moment to consider the question, his sharp eyes scanning the massive projection of the trial grounds. "It seems we have some interesting fellows this year," he said finally, his voice measured and deliberate. "Not to mention, many of last year''s students are showing decent progress in their respective paths."


    "I see," Olim replied, nodding thoughtfully. When it became clear that Vastion had no further commentary, Olim turned to the other professor seated beside him. "Professor Cymoria, are you particularly interested in anyone''s progress this year?"


    Cymoria, her expression calm but her eyes gleaming with pride, leaned forward slightly. "I am, actually. One of my personal students is participating¡ªVivian Storm. She''s showing remarkable progress in her charm-oriented magic."


    "Ah, Vivian," Olim said, his tone warm. "As a third-year, that''s to be expected. She''s always been a standout." He paused, then turned his attention to the imposing figure seated at the center of the panel. "But speaking of disciples, we have the Tower Master himself gracing us with his presence. Master Van Dijk, you rarely show your face at these competitions, yet this year, one of your own disciples is participating. What do you have to say about that?"


    Van Dijk, his expression unreadable but his eyes sharp, leaned back in his chair. "You do realize he''s been my disciple for a little more than a month now," he said, his voice calm but carrying an edge of amusement.


    "Ah, surely you jest, Master Van Dijk," Vastion interjected, his tone skeptical. "For one to be your disciple is anything but simple. Even a short month should show significant progress compared to his peers."


    Cymoria nodded in agreement. "I would have to concur. Ludwig, after all, is carrying not only his own weight but also the weight of being the Tower Master''s disciple. Although I shouldn''t expect much from someone who joined late, he should at least be good enough to pass this hurdle."


    Olim chuckled, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "One would think you''re all ganging up on the Tower Master," he said, his tone light. "But I''m with Master Van Dijk on this one. Ludwig has indeed only been here for a short time." With a wave of his hand, Olim directed the audience''s attention to the projection, where Ludwig was shown sprinting through the forest, seven raptors hot on his heels.


    "What incredible endurance," Olim remarked, his voice filled with genuine admiration. "He''s doing anything but fighting back."


    The audience, however, was less impressed. A wave of boos and laughter erupted from the stands as students mocked Ludwig''s "cowardly" act of avoiding combat. Only Van Dijk remained unfazed, a faint smile playing on his lips as if he alone understood the method to Ludwig''s actions and what could be perceived as madness.


    "It seems Ludwig is adamant about not using magic," Vastion observed, his tone tinged with disapproval. "He''s been running for quite some time now. Is this the disciple of the Tower Master?"


    "At times, one should know when to fight and when to run," Van Dijk replied, his voice calm but firm. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes, but these are simple Velkryn," Vastion countered. "Any mage worth their salt should be more than capable of taking them down."


    The projection shifted, showing Ludwig arriving at a small clearing where another student stood, visibly exhausted, surrounded by the corpses of three raptors. The student raised his wand, his face pale but determined.


    "It seems he can team up with his peer to defeat the group of raptors," Cymoria said, her tone hopeful. "I suppose he could use the help."


    "I doubt that," Van Dijk said, his smile widening.


    As if on cue, Ludwig cast a spell¡ªVow of Silence¡ªsealing the other student''s mouth shut before the raptors pounced. The audience gasped, a mix of shock and amusement rippling through the stands as Ludwig used the distraction to make his escape.


    "What a wicked kid," Olim said, his tone a mix of amusement and admiration.


    "Is it wickedness to use those around you to survive?" Van Dijk asked, his voice calm but challenging.


    "It''s morally questionable," Vastion replied, his tone stern.


    "Morals mean nothing on a battlefield," Van Dijk said, his words cutting through the air like a blade. "Honor has no value for the one who is dead."


    The projection shifted again, showing Ludwig''s ingenious method of dealing with the raptors¡ªluring them to a cliff and using the terrain to his advantage. The audience watched in stunned silence as the creatures tumbled into the abyss, leaving Ludwig unscathed.


    "I have to admit," Olim said, his tone filled with newfound respect, "to defeat all seven of those creatures without wasting mana is far more impressive than spamming spells and leaving oneself exhausted."


    "Function over form," Van Dijk said, his voice carrying a note of pride. "As long as it''s working, it doesn''t matter how one defeats their enemies or survives. Ludwig has always been a struggler. He struggles to find answers that many would deem dishonorable."


    "Many nobles would disagree with that," Vastion said, his tone icy.


    "They may," Van Dijk replied, his gaze sweeping across the audience, "but they know deep down it''s true. For one who dies, honor brings no comfort, no sustenance, no salvation. Survive and struggle to survive¡ªthat''s what a Black Tower magician should be. We''ve been stuck at the bottom of the five towers because we''ve been too concerned with upholding face and honor. This mindset only serves to suppress the talents of the special cases who join this tower."


    The audience fell silent, the weight of Van Dijk''s words sinking in. The Black Tower Academy was known for its outcasts¡ªproblem children, rebels, and those deemed unfit for society. These students were often labeled as subpar, their potential stifled by the expectations and judgments of others. Ludwig, with his unorthodox methods and disregard for societal norms, was a living testament to the Tower Master''s philosophy.


    "This is interesting," Olim said, breaking the silence. The projection shifted once more, showing Ludwig standing at the edge of the cliff, his eyes locked on a massive creature emerging from the forest below. "It seems Ludwig has caught the attention of the first trial''s boss. This should be fun to watch."


    "Ah, that creature," Cymoria said, her tone tinged with concern. "It was the reason more than half of the first-year students were eliminated last year. Do you think we''ll have a repeat of that, Master Van Dijk?"


    "What happened last year," Van Dijk replied, his voice calm but carrying an edge of anticipation, "was that everyone tried to run away from it. Only after more than half of them were eliminated did they realize they could only pass the trial by teaming up and defeating it. But look at that."


    The projection zoomed in on Ludwig, who, instead of retreating, sliced through one of the thick vines hanging from the trees. He tied one end to a sturdy branch and threw the other down the cliff. Without hesitation, he grabbed the vine and leaped off the edge, his trajectory aimed directly at the massive creature below.


    The audience erupted into murmurs of disbelief and awe. The creature¡ªa towering, reptilian monstrosity¡ªroared as it noticed Ludwig''s approach. But what truly sent a chill through the crowd was the sight of Ludwig''s expression. His face was set in a determined grin, one that mirrored the faint smile on Van Dijk''s lips.


    The Tower Master leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with pride. "Let''s see how far he can go."

 Chapter 184 - 184: Dreadjaw

    A few moments ago.


    "I should probably not mess with that thing," Ludwig muttered, his eyes fixed on the massive creature stomping through the forest below. Its sheer size was enough to make even the bravest of souls reconsider their life choices.


    "Yeah, I agree," Thomas chimed in, his voice echoing in Ludwig''s mind. "I heard that thing took down half of the freshmen last year. You''re not exactly known for your subtlety, but even this seems like a stretch."


    [Sudden Quest!]


    [Your Master Van Dijk is being questioned by his peers on your value as a disciple of his.]


    Prove your worth to the world.


    You will be rewarded depending on how incredible your achievements are.


    Base Reward: Unlock one additional page of the Codex Necros.


    Extra reward for achieving a great feat: [Improved Proficiency in All Necromantic Spells and Skills]


    Ludwig''s brow rose as he read the prompt. "That''s¡­ tempting," he muttered under his breath. Though he was clearly annoyed at how Necros was ''guiding'' and pushing him toward certain scenarios, he couldn''t help but follow along. Since in this case, the rewards were too tempting to pass up.


    The base reward alone was enough to pique his interest. The Codex Necros, his most prized possession, currently only allowed him access to one page which he can actively use.


    One page housed the Umbral Hound and that thing didn''t want to come out, another hosted the corpse of the Knight King, and the last held the decaying corpse of Tibari''s guard.


    So Each new page was a treasure trove of potential. And since Ludwig''s ability to utilize the current ones was limited, unlocking another page would significantly expand his arsenal.


    But the extra reward¡ªimproved proficiency in all necromantic spells and skills¡ªwas what truly caught his attention. It was the key to one of his goals: reviving the Knight King as a summonable undead. With that kind of power, he would have no limits to his growth. Not even Sebas and Evan could do a proper Necromantic summoning, he''s wondered how Van Dijk''s face would look if he were to snub them with that.


    "Fine," Ludwig said, a grin spreading across his face. "I wanted to try out the new spells anyway."


    He turned and grabbed one of the thick vines hanging from a nearby tree. With a sharp tug, he snapped it free and tied one end to a sturdy branch. The other end he tossed over the cliff, letting it unravel as it descended into the cliff drop below.


    "What are you doing?" Thomas asked his tone a mix of curiosity and concern.


    "What does it look like?" Ludwig replied, his grin widening as he gripped the vine tightly.


    "THIS IS MADNESS!" Thomas shouted as Ludwig leaped off the cliff, the vine whipping through the air as he descended at breakneck speed.


    "Madness? Nah, this is¡­ ME!" Ludwig shouted, his hand burning from the friction of the vine as it slowed his descent. The wind roared in his ears, and the ground rushed up to meet him.


    He reached the end of the vine and let go, landing squarely on the pile of Velkryn corpses that had cushioned his fall. The impact sent a jolt through his legs, but he quickly steadied himself, his eyes scanning the dense foliage ahead.


    A loud, terrorizing howl echoed through the forest, shaking the ground beneath his feet.


    [As an Undead, you resisted the Fear effect of {Beast Roar}.]


    Ludwig smirked. "Guess being dead has its perks," he muttered as he moved forward, pushing through the thick underbrush.


    The T-rex loomed ahead, its massive form casting a shadow over the forest. Its yellow eyes locked onto Ludwig, and a low, rumbling growl escaped its throat.


    [Inspect]


    ***


    Name: Dreadjaw


    Title: Apex Predator Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Tier: ??? (Epic)


    Level: 65


    HP: 65,000


    Status Effects: -Illusionary Beast- -80% of its original power.


    Abilities:


    [Tyrant''s Roar] ¨C (Active)


    Unleashes a deafening, primal roar that instills sheer terror in all creatures within a 200-meter radius. Weak-willed foes faint or flee, while stronger opponents experience a temporary debuff to reaction speed and defense. Causes minor tremors in the environment. (Cooldown: 5 minutes)


    [Apex Charge] ¨C (Active)


    Dreadjaw surges forward in a devastating charge, crushing anything in its path. Gains +50% movement speed for 5 seconds, and the first enemy hit suffers massive fracturing damage along with being thrown back. If the enemy collides with a solid object, the impact doubles the damage dealt. (Cooldown: 3 minutes)


    [Ironhide Resilience] ¨C (Passive)


    Dreadjaw''s hide is reinforced with natural armor, reducing all physical damage by 40% and completely negating attacks below a certain threshold. Slashing and piercing attacks suffer 80% reduced effectiveness unless they hit a weak spot.


    [Titanic Bite] ¨C (Active)


    Dreadjaw clamps down with unstoppable force, dealing massive damage and locking enemies in place. If the enemy is below 50% HP, they receive the [Maimed] debuff, reducing mobility and preventing proper healing. If the target is below 20% HP, Dreadjaw can instantly execute them. (Cooldown: 1 minute)


    Lore:


    Dreadjaw, an extinct creature that ruled over the prehistoric era of Ikos. If not for the intervention of the gods, it would have ended all human life before it could ever prosper. Though this is but an illusiory replica of the original, it is still a mighty foe for one person to handle alone.


    ***


    "Whoa, that''s a lot of abilities," Ludwig said, his eyes widening as he read the screen.


    Almost immediately, the creature surged forward, its massive head tilting down as it charged. Despite its size, its speed was terrifying, and it closed the distance between them in seconds.


    By sheer instinct, Ludwig threw himself to the side, narrowly avoiding the creature''s path of destruction. The ground shook as the Dreadjaw plowed through the trees, reducing them to splinters in its wake.


    ''That was its charge,'' Ludwig thought, his heart pounding. If he had reacted even a fraction of a second slower, he would have been reduced to bone dust.


    The creature spun around, its massive tail sweeping through the air and tearing apart anything in its path. It roared again, the sound reverberating through the forest as it locked its yellow eyes on Ludwig.


    "Shit, I thought they had bad eyesight," Ludwig cursed, realizing that the myths he''d heard about such creatures were just that¡ªmyths. The real thing was more than capable of tracking its prey with pinpoint accuracy.


    "Bounds of Latvia!" Ludwig shouted, pointing his arm forward and grasping it with his other hand.


    A massive circle appeared beneath the Dreadjaw, glowing with an eerie light as it wrapped around the creature''s legs. The binds tightened, causing the predator to spasm and shake as it struggled against the magical restraints.


    But Ludwig quickly realized the flaw in his plan. While the binds were effective, the mana cost was skyrocketing. He couldn''t maintain the spell for long.


    "This isn''t going to work," he muttered, releasing the spell and letting the creature free.


    The Dreadjaw roared in fury, its massive form barreling toward Ludwig once again. Its jaws opened wide, ready to crush him in a single bite.


    Ludwig jumped back, his mind racing. "[Explosive Mines]!" he shouted, summoning two glowing orbs and hurling them into the creature''s open mouth.


    He snapped his fingers just as he landed, and the orbs detonated with a deafening explosion.


    [-2330 Critical!]


    The Dreadjaw staggered, smoke rising from its mouth as it glared at Ludwig with renewed fury.


    "I feel like you just pissed it off¡­" Thomas quipped.


    "No shit, Sherlock," Ludwig replied, already turning on his heel and sprinting away as fast as his undead legs could carry him.

 Chapter 185 - 185: Mounting a Dreadjaw

    "We''ve been running an awful lot lately," Thomas said.


    "Yeah," Ludwig said as the loud sound of two massive car sized jaws clamped shut just inches behind him. "In case you didn''t notice," Ludwig said slightly strained but not exhausted, "There''s a fucking T-rex chasing us!" Ludwig cursed.


    "It''s a Dreadjaw¡­"


    "Call it whatever the fuck you want if it''s chasing you!" Ludwig shot back, his legs pumping as he sprinted through the dense forest. He grabbed a hanging vine and hurled himself forward, his body swinging through the air as the Dreadjaw thundered like a freight train beneath him, though he snapped his mouth a couple of times while Ludwig was above him in the air, it missed and stumbled a bit but desperately managed to regain its position.


    Ludwig''s forceful acrobatic stunt made him feel like he was stuck in mid-air for a few seconds before he started his descent, right on top of the Dreadjaw''s open mouth.


    With desperate measure, Ludwig''s feet fell on the upper lip of the Dreadjaw''s open mouth. The creature''s eyes stared at Ludwig and snarled, making hot vapor burst out of its large nostrils.


    "Disgusting," Ludwig said.


    The Dreadjaw shook its head to make Ludwig stumble, but The latter already reacted first, jumping on the Dreadjaw''s back instantly and holding on to some protruding scales on its back.


    The creature howled again, a powerful tree-shaking, ground-trembling, and leaf-bursting roar.


    [As an Undead, you resisted the Fear effect of {Beast Roar}.]


    "That''s not gonna work buddy!" Ludwig said as he flexed his wrist, summoning a scimitar he still had in his inventory.


    "Go for the eyes!" Thomas said.


    "I know!" Ludwig said.


    The Dreadjaw felt the foreign weight added to his back and tried to turn and get Ludwig off of him, he couldn''t even catch a glimpse of the pesky undead, and its tail wasn''t flexible enough to swat Ludwig off.


    It screeched some more and began sprinting again trying to shake Ludwig off.


    Ludwig grabbed the scimitar with his teeth and tightened his grip on the creature''s back.


    "Tree!" Thomas said.


    Ludwig''s eyes widened as he noticed the approaching tree, the Dreadjaw wanted to squash him against it.


    Thanks to his improved dexterity, Ludwig flung himself to the side while the Dreadjaw smashed its shoulders at the nearest tree. The impact was fully absorbed by the Dreadjaw but it still rattled Ludwig as he was attached to it.


    He then heaved and flung his body up above the dreadjaw''s back, slowly making way toward the head.


    The Dreadjaw screeched some more, and began sprinting again to get Ludwig off, and maybe find another tree to smash him against.


    While it was springing the Dreadjaw end up running into a bunch of hanging tree vines that slowed it down significantly.


    A crazy idea popped up in Ludwig''s mind. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig took the opportunity to slice off one of the vines before the Dreadjaw could release itself from them. After a lot of struggle, the Dreadjaw realized it couldn''t tear through them so it had to back away.


    Ludwig''s pocket seemed to vibrate, he was being called probably.


    He didn''t have much chance or opportunity to reply so he ignored it for now, whatever it was it shouldn''t be that important.


    The creature was getting more and more impatient as it roared out and unlatched itself from the vines.


    It opened its mouth and began screeching again.


    "Gotcha!" Ludwig shouted as he grabbed both ends of the vine and flung them right inside the mouth of the Dreadjaw, he then forcefully pulled back, with enough strength that would make a normal man''s muscle tear.


    The vine lodged itself on the back of the dreadjaw''s mouth where there was nothing but mouth gum, while most of his fangs were positioned up ahead.


    "What are you doing?" Thomas asked.


    "What does it look like," Ludwig said, "I''m taming a T-rex!"


    ***


    Back in the Colosseum arena, where everyone was watching intently at the screen showing Ludwig, many of the people who booed him earlier seemed to have been shut up from what they were currently watching.


    Only a handful of students seemed to be cheering for Ludwig, and that was saying something, since the whole arena was quiet, Hoyo and Kassandra''s cheers seemed far too loud compared to the silence of the audience.


    "That''s my boy! I knew I had to bet on him!" Hoyo shouted.


    Kassandra couldn''t help but cheer, "GO LUDWIG GO!"


    Despite her usual aloof and quiet nature seeing Ludwig''s actions was enough to shake away her introverted nature albite for a little while.


    "What the hell is he doing?" Vastion asked as he saw the madness that Ludwig was attempting.


    "Did you teach him that?" Cymoria asked.


    Van Dijk could only laugh, "How do you even teach someone that? Ludwig is just that insane," he said sounding more proud than worried.


    "Wow, I didn''t even think that a freshman would have such ideas," Olim said. "But, Master Van Dijk," Olim said addressing the Tower Master. "Wouldn''t this just make the Dreadjaw even more frantic?"


    "It should. Though one should know, that riding a tiger''s back is easy, dismounting is even harder. I could see Ludwig doing something other than dismounting the Dreadjaw, and I have a feeling that he''ll deliver on this¡­ insanity of his," Van Dijk said.


    "What is he doing now?" Cymoria said as they just saw Ludwig using the vine to try and control the dreadjaw''s movements.


    "Is he¡­ trying to control it?" Vastion asked.


    Van Dijk could only watch, he was slightly annoyed with Ludwig at this part. After all, Ludwig should have had a better position to wear down the Dreadjaw before others joined the fight, but trying to control it? Tame it probably? That''s more than madness, that''s idiocy in itself.


    Since Van Dijk had his own mental pointing system for Ludwig, he was about to strike some points off for foolishness. But decided otherwise, his disciple wasn''t someone that foolish, so he probably had another goal in mind.


    However, what proceeded to happen afterward made even Van Dijk''s eyes widen.


    "This lad¡­ is actually insane¡­"

 Chapter 186 - 186: Beast Tamer?

    "I SAID! CALM THE FUCK DOWN!" Ludwig pulled with more strength on the vines in his hand, he could hear the vines stretching and slightly tearing, but he had to show the Dreadjaw who was the boss.


    Fighting this creature would have been incredibly deadly for Ludwig. This wasn''t meant to be defeated solo, but that didn''t mean he couldn''t do something even crazier than defeating it.


    The dreadjaw''s neck seemed to strain, it was confused, how could that monkey-shaped creature, who should be nothing more than a snack have this much power in its tiny arms?


    The Dreadjaw knew it had always been the apex predator, the terrorizing horror of these lands, it always ruled with blood and fang and had nothing foolish enough to try and contend with it never mind try and ride it.


    The dreadjaw jerked his head forward to try and get the clothes-wearing ape off his back, but the power behind its tiny arms was even greater than the strength that the Dreadjaw had in its thick neck muscles.


    It desperately tried to shake him off to no avail.


    "I said, MOVE!" Ludwig shouted, but the Dreadjaw couldn''t understand. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig pulled hard on the vines enough that it forced the dreadjaw''s neck to twist to the side, the Dreadjaw followed along with the pulling force, because it was straining its neck hard, and only when it did follow, did its suffering lessen.


    But it still didn''t understand. No, it felt even more wronged, it roared again, only for the creature to throw yet again another one of those pesky vines that are incredibly hard to tear apart inside its mouth, further reinforcing its hold.


    The Dreadjaw roared from the humiliation and began rushing toward the nearest tree, this time it was intending on slamming the both of them into that tree, that should get the mosquito off its back.


    Sadly while it was sprinting toward the tree, the creature simply wrenched the fines forcing the Dreadjaw away from the tree due to the immense neck breaking pain.


    It failed this time, so it was going to try again.


    What it didn''t realize was that the creature had summoned that same glowing orb that singed its tongue earlier, this time it was right next to its ears.


    A loud explosion blew up right next to the dreadjaw''s sensitive ears, causing it to howl in pain and almost go berserk.


    The pain was insufferable, and its mind was feeling like it was reeling, so it simply sprinted forward, perhaps the creature would fall off its back.


    But whenever it tried to go toward a tree or a large rock, it would be forced off that path, and would receive another explosion to its other ear that would rattle its tiny brain.


    Pain and suffering, every time it tried to shake off the small human, nothing but pain and suffering.


    The creature was stubborn, even more stubborn than the Dreadjaw, and it kept tormenting it.


    Pain and suffering¡ªthat was all the Dreadjaw knew now. Every attempt to rebel was met with punishment, and the tiny creature on its back was relentless.


    ***


    "Good!" Ludwig said as he finally managed to have some form of control over the Dreadjaw.


    "You''re insane," Thomas said.


    "It''s the only way I can control it," Ludwig said. "I don''t have treats," he said.


    "Treats?" Thomas asked.


    "Yes, to reinforce good behavior, punishment to stop bad behavior. The carrot and the stick," Ludwig said.


    "Well, there is a bunch of raptors back there," Thomas said.


    "True," Ludwig said and began moving the Dreadjaw toward the position of the seven raptors that died earlier.


    Sadly, the Dreadjaw was stupid, incredibly so that he would need a reminder every now and then that he should be and remain under Ludwig''s control.


    Ludwig spent more than a couple of hours patiently, and sometimes not so patiently guiding the Dreadjaw until they reached the clearing.


    Once they arrived at the corpses Ludwig slowly and lightly eased on the vines.


    The Dreadjaw seemed confused at first.


    "Go, eat," Ludwig said.


    The creature didn''t understand at first, but seeing the corpses and Ludwig pointing at them, it slowly approached, hesitant at first and cautious that it might be ambushed by another one of those brain rattling explosions, it tilted its head down and began sniffing at the food.


    It was fresh and didn''t have any signs of sickness or disease. And was still warm.


    The Dreadjaw lightly bit at one of the corpses but he couldn''t swallow since there were a couple thick vines down its throat. it dropped the food on the ground, sad it couldn''t eat it because of the person on its back.


    Ludwig slowly walked up to the front of the dreadjaw''s head.


    "If you try and bite me," Ludwig said, "I''ll blast your ears off."


    Beasts couldn''t understand words, but their instinct was enough to warn it that bad things were going to happen to it if it tried anything¡­


    Ludwig then slowly slid away the vines from the Dreadjaw''s mouth.


    "What are you doing?" Thomas asked, "It''s going to bite your head off¡­"


    "This is a test, it needs to know that I''m allowing it to eat," Ludwig said.


    The creature seeing itself free from the veins tightened on its leg muscles perhaps attempting to flee, but Ludwig immediately showed him Explosive mines which made it tense up even more.


    Still on top of its head, Ludwig said, "Eat," while pointing at the raptors.


    The Dreadjaw was still cautious as it bit down on one of the raptors and began crunching on it, blood spraying and bones crunching.


    Ludwig gulped down as he realized how easily it could break bones, but he wasn''t about to show the Dreadjaw any ''fear'' though it would be literally impossible, Undead have no fear.


    Soon, the Dreadjaw seemed to have finished eating. While Ludwig had been staying on top of its thick neck all the time.


    Satisfied with the meal, the Dreadjaw burped up.


    Ludwig then placed the vines in front of its snout. For a second the Dreadjaw felt a bit uneasy.


    "Open up," Ludwig said as he tapped it lightly on the side of its jaw.


    The Dreadjaw seemingly defeated slowly opened its mouth for Ludwig to place the vines back again, this time Ludwig only lightly pulled on the vines, not enough to cause it any strain.


    The Dreadjaw turned its head in the desired direction and began slowly moving forward.


    Seeing no pain and no twisting and with a hearty meal, the Dreadjaw couldn''t help but feel that it wasn''t that bad listening to the monkey who would give it food.


    [Congratulations! You have successfully tamed a Dreadjaw -Illusory Beast-]


    [You have learned [Beast Taming]]


    ''Huh¡­" Ludwig muttered as he looked at the Dreadjaw that was following along with his command.


    ''Well, that''s a pleasant surprise,'' Ludwig couldn''t help but smile.


    He waved the notification away, it wasn''t that important to him anyway. After all, what he needed to tame wasn''t the beast, but the dead themselves once he became a true necromancer.


    ***


    Back in the Colosseum, the audience watched in stunned silence. The screen showed Ludwig riding the Dreadjaw, his figure small but commanding against the creature''s massive form.


    "This lad¡­ is actually insane¡­" Olim Rembaldi said, his voice filled with a mix of confusion and disbelief.

 Chapter 187 - 187: Second Trial

    "Ugh, I''m bored," Ludwig said, leaning back on the Dreadjaw''s broad neck. The creature''s rhythmic steps were almost soothing, but Ludwig''s restless nature couldn''t stand the monotony.


    "What do you mean, bored? You''re literally relaxing on the back of a Dreadjaw," Thomas replied, his tone incredulous.


    "That''s one of the reasons too," Ludwig said, waving a hand dismissively. "This guy is scary enough that no Velkryn dare come close. So there''s not much to do here but wait for this thing to end."


    "One should count their blessings. While you''re lounging around, the rest of the freshmen are practically fighting for their lives," Thomas pointed out.


    "Oh," Ludwig said, a mischievous smile spreading across his face.


    "I don''t like that smile," Thomas said, his voice tinged with suspicion.


    "You won''t be the only one," Ludwig replied, his grin widening. "Dready, how about we go hunt some students?" he said, patting the Dreadjaw on the head.


    "Dready? Really, Dready? You name an apex predator that ruled over all, Dready?" Thomas asked, his tone dripping with disbelief.


    "He seems to like it," Ludwig said, shrugging.


    [Thanks to your passive [Beast Taming], some of your intentions have been portrayed to your tamed beast.]


    The Dreadjaw immediately began moving forward, its massive legs pounding the ground as it picked up speed.


    "Looks like it understood," Ludwig said, his grin turning predatory.


    "This is absurd. You''ll be hated by everyone," Thomas warned.


    "Not many like me anyway," Ludwig replied, his tone casual. "Also, this is slightly more fun. Let''s go, Dready! Let''s get hunting!"


    The Dreadjaw roared in response, its massive body surging forward as it charged through the forest.


    ***


    "Should that be allowed?" Cymoria asked, her brow furrowed as she watched the screen.


    "I don''t think so. That''s utterly ridiculous," Vastion replied, his tone filled with disapproval.


    "Why?" Van Dijk asked, his eyes fixed on the screen where Ludwig was riding the Dreadjaw, hunting down screaming freshmen.


    Ludwig''s grin was almost ear-to-ear, matching the toothy snarl of the Dreadjaw.


    "This was supposed to be a survival trial¡ªto survive the Dreadjaw or defeat it as a group. With one of the students controlling it¡­ isn''t it too unfair for the rest?" Vastion argued.


    "Life has never been fair, Vastion. You should know that best," Van Dijk replied, his voice calm but firm. "And I''m not saying this because he''s my disciple. We have students who are masters of charm and hallucination magic. They wouldn''t have been reprimanded if they had controlled the Dreadjaw using their magic. Ludwig used whatever tools he had to coerce and control the Dreadjaw. It''s all within the rules of the Black Tower Academy."


    "Master Van Dijk is right," Olim chimed in. "Ludwig didn''t break any rules, and his control over the Dreadjaw is his own effort. Though it''s a bit cruel that he''s chasing his fellow students using the Dreadjaw, it''s still not against regulations."


    "At this rate," Vastion said, watching as two more students were enveloped in protective bubbles and teleported away, "Ludwig will be the sole survivor in this challenge. That will make the following events much more complicated."


    "Then so be it," Van Dijk said, his tone final. "It is only by the students'' efforts that they can survive this ordeal. If this were real life, they wouldn''t be complaining."


    The screen continued to show Ludwig''s vicious handling of his fellow students as he hunted them down one after another.


    ***


    "How many is that?" Ludwig asked, his voice filled with glee.


    "That''s the tenth¡­" Thomas replied, his tone resigned.


    "Then there''s still a lot more¡­ but I can''t find any. We''ve been running around for hours," Ludwig said, his grin fading slightly.


    "Yeah, of course, there wouldn''t be many. Some of them are already eliminated while the rest have realized that you''re using the Dreadjaw to hunt them. They can communicate with each other, after all," Thomas pointed out.


    "Oh, speaking of communication," Ludwig said, finally remembering the call he had ignored earlier. He pulled out his communication crystal and called back.


    "Ludwig? I thought you got eliminated," Kaela''s voice came through, weak and strained.


    "Are you good?" Ludwig asked, his tone shifting to concern.


    "Yeah, barely. I hate the deserts," she said, her voice tinged with exhaustion. "How''s your trial?"


    Ludwig''s mount was chasing after another unfortunate student, who screamed as the Dreadjaw''s jaws snapped shut around them. A protective bubble appeared, and the student was teleported away, their curses echoing in the air.


    "Oh, my trial? Doing pretty good. You, on the other hand, sound like you''re in hell," Ludwig said, his grin returning.


    "As close to it as possible. It''s hot, and unbearable, and sand is going everywhere¡­EVERY-WHERE! Still, I found an oasis, so I should be good for now," Kaela replied.


    "What about Sabrina?" Ludwig asked.


    "She''s snoring. She apparently transformed into a bear and is snuggled up nicely there. I hate that woman¡ªshe always has it easy," Kaela said, her tone filled with envy.


    "Then that''s fine. Looks like our team is doing much better than the rest," Ludwig said.


    "What is that noise?" Kaela asked as the Dreadjaw let out another earth-shaking roar.


    "Oh, just a small friend I made. Regardless, do you need anything? You called earlier," Ludwig said.


    "No, I just wanted to check up on you. Still, if you''re doing fine, then it''s good. Make sure you survive the longest and clear. I don''t know what your next challenge will be, but the fewer the survivors, the easier it usually is," Kaela advised.


    "Right, I''ll keep that in mind. See you later," Ludwig said, ending the call.


    "Quite interesting," Ludwig said, his mind racing.


    "What is it?" Thomas asked.


    "Why did they ask us to make groups when we''re doing solo trials?" Ludwig wondered aloud.


    "The goal is to prove one''s solo abilities before joining group battles. Once the solo trials are over, all of the remaining groups will be teleported to an arena where they''ll battle against each other. Groups that have more numbers will have better chances at winning, while groups that had their third-year or even second-year taken out early will suffer more," Thomas explained.


    "I see," Ludwig said, understanding the reasoning behind the system. It was designed to weed out the weak and reveal those who could survive on their own without relying on others.


    "That''s twelve," Ludwig said as another student was "eaten" by the Dreadjaw.


    Just as he was about to look for another target, the entire area began to morph. The trees and vegetation distorted, and even the Dreadjaw started to fade away. Ludwig fell to his feet as the forest disappeared, replaced by a large, circular stone room with a single light source illuminating the space.


    In front of him stood about twenty students, all looking just as confused as he was. But something was terribly odd in this scene. It was incredibly unnatural.


    Ludwig frowned as realization dawned on him.


    "How come there are twenty and some students here?" sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "How come there are twenty and some students here?"


    Turning to his right, Ludwig froze. Standing next to him was an exact replica of himself, staring him right in the eyes.

 Chapter 188 - 188: Doppelg?nger

    [You cannot use Inspect here.]


    [Complete this trial using your own observation and analysis.]


    Ludwig''s nose curled in frustration. Necros was intervening, and he wasn''t a fan of this. The system''s restrictions felt like a slap in the face, stripping him of one of his most reliable tools.


    "Fine," he muttered under his breath.


    "Fine," his doppelg?nger echoed, its voice and tone perfectly matching his own.


    Ludwig''s jaw tightened. "Ah, this is pissing me off," he growled, his irritation boiling over.


    "Ah, this is pissing me off," the doppelg?nger mimicked, its expression mirroring his frustration.


    Ludwig clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. He moved forward, weaving through the crowd of students, each of them accompanied by their own duplicates. The room was a cacophony of overlapping voices, all shouting the same words, all mimicking the same actions.


    "STOP COPYING ME!"


    "STOP COPYING ME!"


    The chaos was escalating. Students were shouting at their clones, their voices rising in pitch and desperation. Some were already raising their weapons, their tempers flaring as the tension in the room reached a breaking point.


    Ludwig coughed loudly, the sound cutting through the noise like a blade. "I don''t suppose there''s a need to even think about what we''re supposed to do?" he said, his voice calm but laced with authority.


    The room fell silent for a moment as the students turned to look at him. Some of the fights defused, the realization dawning on them that they needed to use their heads, not their fists.


    "Greetings, students!" Olim''s voice boomed through the room, his projection materializing in the center. The holographic figure of the professor looked down at them with a sly smile.


    "It seems that you are all here. Good. Anyway, as you can see, there are doppelg?ngers mixed in with you," Olim said, gesturing to the duplicates. "To make it easier, look above you."


    A wide screen appeared, displaying two numbers: 12 in green and 12 in red.


    "You can probably figure out what this means," Olim continued, his smile widening. "Your goal is simple: you must eliminate all the fakes to proceed. But there are a few rules."


    He held up a finger. "A student should only eliminate their own doppelg?nger. You''re not allowed to touch another surviving student''s doppelg?nger."


    Another finger. "If a student eliminates another student, they will not be disqualified from the trial. But if they eliminate another student''s doppelg?nger, it''s immediate disqualification."


    A third finger. "To pass, each student has to eliminate their own doppelg?nger."


    Olim''s smile turned sinister. "Also, doppelg?ngers can eliminate students, so be careful of who is behind you."


    He leaned forward, his holographic face filling the screen. "And finally, don''t trust whatever anyone is telling you and whatever you''re seeing. I hope it''s clear enough. Happy hunting."


    The projection disappeared, leaving the students in stunned silence.


    "What the fuck?" Bron shouted, his voice breaking the tension. "What sort of stupid trial is this?" He turned to his doppelg?nger, who mimicked his every word and gesture.


    "I''m real, this fucker is fake!" Bron roared, pointing at his duplicate.


    "I''m real, this fucker is fake!" the doppelg?nger echoed, its voice dripping with mockery.


    "STOP COPYING ME!" they both screamed in unison.


    Ludwig sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Please," he said, his voice calm but firm. "Just calm down for a second."


    But no one listened. The room erupted into chaos as students turned on their duplicates, their frustration boiling over.


    Taking a deep breath, Ludwig pulled out his scimitar. He moved swiftly through the crowd, his eyes scanning the room. Without hesitation, he plunged the blade into the chest of another student. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His clone mimicked his actions perfectly, stabbing the other student''s clone in sync.


    The stabbed student gasped, their eyes wide with shock as they crumpled to the ground, blood pooling beneath them. Their doppelg?nger mirrored the action, collapsing in perfect sync.


    The room fell silent, the students staring at Ludwig in stunned disbelief.


    "Why did you do that?" Minerva''s voice broke the silence. She pushed through the crowd, her face pale as she knelt beside the fallen student.


    Ludwig was surprised to see her here. He hadn''t realized she had made it this far.


    Before he could respond, Bron''s voice cut through the air. "What the hell did you do?" he shouted, his face red with anger. "Are you fucking insane?"


    Ludwig turned to face him, his expression calm but his eyes sharp. "Do I have your attention now?" he asked, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade.


    The numbers above them changed: 12 green and 10 red.


    "What the fuck?" Bron cursed, his eyes darting to the screen. "What does that mean?" He turned and did a quick head count. "The numbers don''t match. Also, how did you eliminate them and not get disqualified?"


    Everyone''s eyes were on Ludwig now, their expressions a mix of curiosity and fear.


    "That guy," Ludwig said, pointing at the bodies, "I already eliminated him myself back in the earlier trial. So he was bound to be fake." He paused, letting his words sink in. "As for our numbers, they''re clearly made to screw us over."


    Minerva stood up, her face pale but her voice steady. "He''s right. This isn''t human." She gestured to the body, which had begun to dissolve into sludge, disappearing before their eyes.


    Ludwig flicked the fake blood off his weapon.


    "Remember, the teacher clearly said that you shouldn''t trust anyone. And he never mentioned what those numbers are, we all just ''inferred'' that they''re for the Doppelgangers and students, hell they could be whatever, paying attention to them will only confuse us. Secondly, he specifically mentioned that you ''Should'' only eliminate our own Doppelgangers, not that we have to. Also he worded students differently in each instance, in one he mentioned Surviving Student, and since this guy was not a surviving student, that means that you can kill it even if it isn''t your own clone."


    "If you do a quick count, you''ll see that there are exactly twenty of us here, even with that guy dead," Ludwig added.


    Bron''s eyes narrowed as he did the math. "So where are the other two?"


    Ludwig shrugged. "I don''t know. As I said these numbers can also be fake. But what I do know is that guy was fake, and I took him down. " He turned to his clone, his expression hardening.


    "That''s not gonna help us solve this," Bron snapped, his frustration boiling over.


    "Well, probably not," Ludwig admitted. "But at least I know how to kill my own clone."


    Minerva stepped forward, her eyes locking onto Ludwig''s. "Do you have a way to tell which is the real clone?"


    Ludwig smirked. "Yes, and it''s pretty simple." he turned to his clone. "You see, regardless of who you are, what you are, there are things you can feign and things you can hide. But some stuff are pure instinct that one cannot overcome."


    Without warning, he plunged his scimitar into his own thigh.


    Ludwig''s gaze remained unphased, but the clone that was perfectly mimicking his words and actions made a mistake.


    "UGH!"


    "Are you mad?" Bron said.


    However, Minerva''s eyes widened, "Oh my god, that''s the fake one!" she pointed at the Ludwig that grunted in pain.


    "What how would you know that?" Bron asked.


    "I just know..." Minerva said as she was trying to deduce some more.


    "No! no!" the clone spoke, "It''s just a reaction!" the clone tried to explain himself, "I did this to prove that he''s fake, an unnatural being will have no sense of pain!" he tried to explain as he staggered back.


    Ludwig slowly approached him. Though in any other time, his words would have been convincing, since a few other students seemed to be on the cautious side. After all, what kind of human wouldn''t feel the stab of a weapon?


    "Yeah, he is right, a human would actually feel pain," they said as they pointed some of their weapons at Ludwig.


    "Stop everyone, you can''t attack him..." Minerva said.


    "Why not?" Bron asked.


    "Because you''ll be disqualified if you do... even if he is a clone you''ll be attacking a surviving student''s clone..."


    They all stopped.


    "See, it''s a fake I told you!" the grunting Ludwig said.


    "But he is not," Minerva said as she turned to ludwig, "Bron, remember, in the Lizardman forest..." she said, "Ludwig had an entire arm missing, most of his bones broken and didn''t even utter a single word of complaint or show any pain. He already is unnatural and we know it," she said as she turned to the clone who was visibly panicking after thinking that he might have survived.


    "That thing felt pain, Ludwig had never felt pain before."


    A wide knowing smile appeared on Ludwig''s face. Minerva seemed to have realized his intention he slowly walked up to the clone "How did it feel?" Ludwig asked.


    "What are you talking about?" the clone said as he backed away some more until he reached the wall.


    "That short-lived hope of yours?" he mocked.


    "Are you insane?! PEOPLE HE IS THE FAKE ONE!"


    Ludwig pulled the blade from his thigh, his expression calm despite the blood dripping down his leg. "They call me Ludwig the Undead for a reason," he said, his voice cold and steady.


    With a lightning-fast swing, he decapitated his doppelg?nger, its head rolling to the ground as its body dissolved into sludge.


    The room fell silent, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. Ludwig stood tall, his scimitar gleaming in the dim light, his eyes scanning the room for the next threat.


    The trial had only just begun.

 Chapter 189 - 189: Pride

    "Well, that''s done," Ludwig said, leaning back against the cold stone wall. His eyes flicked upward to the screen, where the red number had decreased by one.


    The rest of the students noticed the change as well, their eyes darting between Ludwig and the screen. Ludwig, however, seemed entirely unfazed. He simply sat in the corner, his posture relaxed, as if the chaos around him was nothing more than background noise.


    "Ludwig," both Minerva and her clone approached him, their voices overlapping perfectly. "You look rather relaxed," they said in unison.


    "Of course," Ludwig replied, his tone casual. "Because I''m already in the clear."


    "But the trial won''t end until all the clones are eliminated," Minerva pointed out, her brow furrowed in confusion.


    "I know," Ludwig said, shrugging. "I can just wait until everyone figures their own way out. In the end, I''ll pass."


    "That''s rather convenient," Bron interjected, his voice laced with suspicion.


    "What do you mean?" Ludwig asked, his gaze sharpening as he turned to face Bron.


    "Can you prove to us that you''re real?" Bron demanded, his eyes narrowing.


    "Are you dumb or something?" Minerva snapped, her frustration boiling over. "He just showed you."


    "Yeah, but who can tell if he''s also a clone?" Bron shot back, his voice rising. "I mean, the guy he killed was a doppelg?nger¡ªthat''s something we know. But what if the real Ludwig had already been eliminated before, and all of this is just a ruse to drop our guard?"


    "Are you insane?" Minerva retorted, her hands balling into fists.


    "No, he''s right," Ludwig said, his voice calm but firm. "I would also think the same. Not going to lie, his reasoning is still sound. Even I wouldn''t believe me if this whole thing happened. Remember, the professor said not to believe everything."


    "See, that means you''re also a clone," Bron said, his tone triumphant.


    "Sadly, your intelligence is rather lacking," Ludwig replied, shaking his head. "There''s no way for me to prove that I''m real¡ªsame for all of you. At least I have a higher chance of being real than the rest of you," he added, his lips curling into a smirk. "After all, one of my clones is dead."


    "He can''t be the clone," another student chimed in, his voice timid but firm.


    "How come? Do you have proof? Or are you simply just backing him up?" Bron demanded, turning to the new speaker.


    The student was a young, unassuming boy with a bowl cut and thick glasses¡ªthe classic "nerdy" look. He adjusted his glasses nervously before speaking.


    "Because I''ve seen him clear. I was not far from him when he was chasing after other students on the back of a Dreadjaw," the boy said, his voice steady despite the tension in the room.


    Ludwig''s smile widened. "I guess I missed one," he said, his tone almost playful.


    "Wait, what''s that supposed to mean? The Dreadjaw? Something doesn''t add up," Bron said, his brow furrowing. "We''ve been focused too much on this doppelg?nger thing that I forgot something. We were supposed to kill the Dreadjaw to clear the first trial¡­"


    "That wouldn''t have been possible," the nerdy student said, his voice gaining confidence. "Like I said, Ludwig tamed it and used it to hunt other students. So the trial was moved because there was no point in killing the Dreadjaw, and that also means if he tamed it, nothing in the forest could have been a reason for him to have been disqualified, so this one is the real Ludwig."


    "I see. That''s plausible," Minerva said, nodding slowly.


    "By the way," Ludwig said, his tone shifting to one of intrigue, "there''s a way to find out who is real and who is not¡­ in fact, two ways."


    "Tell us, then," Bron said, his voice tinged with impatience.


    "Question and answer," Ludwig explained. "People will ask questions to the clones that only the real one would know."


    "But they reply at the same time as us," Bron pointed out, his frustration evident.


    "Well, then it''s even easier," Ludwig said, his smirk returning.


    "How is that easier, Ludwig? They''ll just reply the same way we reply," Minerva asked, her confusion mirrored by the others.


    "Because I won''t be asking the same question to the same person," Ludwig said, his tone confident. "Minerva, come here."


    He pulled one of the Minervas to his side and the other to the opposite side.


    "I''ll point at one of you, and if the other one tries to answer at the same time, then we''ll know it''s the clone," Ludwig explained.


    "Then the clone will simply not answer," Minerva said, her brow furrowing.


    "That''s even better, then," Ludwig replied, his grin widening.


    He turned to the Minerva on his left. "So, you," he said, pointing at her. "When I asked you if you were afraid to come with me to the forest when we were looking for Esteban, what did you say to me?"


    The Minerva in front of Ludwig froze for a moment, her cheeks flushing slightly.


    Ludwig smiled but didn''t say anything. Before she could answer, he cut her off and turned to the other Minerva.


    "Same question to you," he said.


    "I said that I''d be happy to if it was with a brave and handsome young man like you," the other Minerva replied, her tone proud and her smile smug.


    "Good. Now," Ludwig said, pointing at the second Minerva, "that''s the fake one."


    "What?" the room erupted in confusion.


    "What do you mean, fake?" the second Minerva protested, her face flushing with anger. "I answered you. She didn''t, because she didn''t know the answer. Ludwig, are you insane?"


    "Nah," Ludwig said, his tone calm. "I''m perfectly sane."


    Without warning, he grabbed the first Minerva by the wrist, twisted it, and threw the ''real one'' his weapon. The first Minerva didn''t hesitate. She drove the blade deep into the other Minerva''s chest.


    There was no protective bubble. The clone dissolved into sludge, its form collapsing into a puddle on the floor.


    The room fell silent, the students staring in stunned disbelief.


    "What the hell is this?" Bron demanded, his voice rising. "Explain yourself!"


    "I can''t, not right now," Ludwig said, his tone firm. "Otherwise, the clones will catch on to the trick. Now, Bron, here''s a question for you."


    "But¡ª" both Brons began.


    "So far, I''ve been one hundred percent correct with my analysis," Ludwig interrupted. "If you''re refusing to answer the questions, then I''ll consider you a clone." Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Fine!" both Brons snapped.


    "Okay, Bron," Ludwig said, his tone calm but commanding. "When we were at the student council, you tried to use Haku''s weapon. How many swings did it take you to feel exhausted?"


    "Three swings," the Bron that Ludwig pointed to replied.


    Ludwig turned to the second Bron. "Same question."


    "I wasn''t exhausted! I just didn''t want to show my family''s swordsmanship!" the second Bron shouted, his face red with indignation.


    Ludwig smiled, and Minerva burst out laughing. "I figured it out! The first one is the clone!" she said, her voice filled with triumph.


    "What? No! I told the truth!" the first Bron protested.


    "Truth?" Ludwig said, his smirk widening. "Nobles have pride. They''d never speak the truth if it meant they''d be humiliated. Bron would have never admitted he''d be exhausted, nor would Minerva ever admit she thinks a commoner is handsome and good-looking in the presence of others."


    Minerva felt slightly wronged but couldn''t say anything to Ludwig''s reasoning.


    The real Bron immediately pulled his sword and sliced the fake one in half. He looked at Ludwig with a mix of disgust and grudging respect but said nothing.


    The numbers on the screen decreased by another two.


    Ludwig raised his hands in preacher mode with a wide smile on his face, addressing the rest of the students. "They can fake speech, words, and memories, but they can never fake character. I don''t know any of you guys," he said, his tone calm but firm. "None of you were friends or acquaintances of mine, so for you, this type of questioning won''t work. But there is another method, as I said before. There are two ways to find out the real from the fake." he said as he held a finger up.


    "What''s the second method?" the nerdy student and his clone asked in unison.


    "Simple," Ludwig said, his tone cold. "The clones are weak. Fight among each other¡ªone against their clone. If the student wins, the clone will turn to sludge. If the clone wins, the student will have a bubble surrounding them to protect them from death and will be eliminated. The rest of us will eliminate the remaining clone."


    "You''re cruel," Minerva said, though the smile on her face betrayed her words.


    "I know," Ludwig replied, his expression unreadable. "But I''m not here to save everyone. I''m here because I''m a part of this tournament. I also need to win."


    After all, the promised reward from Necros wasn''t something he was willing to waste.

 Chapter 190 - 190: Weeding Out

    Ludwig sat back down, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp as they scanned the room. The tension was palpable, the air thick with uncertainty and fear. The remaining students were a mix of confusion and desperation, their eyes darting between each other and the screen above, where the numbers taunted them.


    Bron seemed to understand Ludwig''s reasoning for distancing himself from the rest of the group. Without a word, he walked away and leaned against a nearby wall, his arms crossed and his expression unreadable.


    Minerva, however, moved closer to Ludwig, sitting down beside him on the cold stone floor. Her eyes followed the chaos unfolding in the room, her expression a mix of curiosity and concern.


    "L-ludwig," one of the students stammered, stepping forward. "Are you not going to help us?"


    Ludwig paused, his gaze shifting to the student. "Why should I?" he replied, his tone calm but firm.


    The student hesitated, his face flushing with frustration. "You look smart enough and already figured out three of the fake ones¡­" S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Five," Ludwig corrected, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade. "But go on."


    "So¡­ I can assume that you know¡­" the student began, his voice trailing off.


    "Let me stop you there," Ludwig interrupted, his tone sharp. "When you assume, you make an ass out of U and Me. I only figured out the way to solve my and the people I know''s clone problems. I don''t know any of you guys, so how can I help? Don''t put your faith into others. You''ll be led to death''s door without knowing it."


    The student''s face twisted in anger. "You just don''t want to help! Fine!"


    "Don''t be a dumbass," Bron snapped, his voice dripping with disdain. "Even if he knows, it serves him nothing to help you. He gains nothing and only makes one more competitor for himself. Do your own investigation, lazy slobs."


    "You''re not one to talk!" the student shot back, his voice rising. "You also were helped by him!"


    Bron''s nose curled in disgust. "I didn''t need it. In case you didn''t notice, I''m strong enough to kill my own clone without assistance."


    "That''s just because it was caught off-guard!" the student yelled, his frustration boiling over. He placed his hand on his sword pommel and was about to show the student the reality of things.


    "Bron," Minerva said, her voice calm but firm. "Don''t fall to his provocations. If you mess up and attack the real student, you''ll be eliminated even though you passed. Remember the rules."


    Bron sighed, leaning back against the wall. "Fine. But if he gets close to me, I''ll rip his head off."


    Just as Bron finished speaking, two other students began fighting. It was a clone and a real person, but after a flurry of spells, one of the attacks landed directly on the chest of what could only be the real student.


    A protective bubble immediately manifested around the student, lifting them into the air and disappearing through the ceiling. The remaining clone stepped back, a sly smile spreading across its face. Without warning, it slammed a spell into the ground, creating a thick smoke screen that filled the room.


    The students coughed and stumbled, their vision obscured. When the smoke cleared, they realized that one of the students now had two clones instead of one.


    "Oh, they''re smart. They''re adapting," Ludwig said, his tone almost admiring.


    The green number on the screen dropped by one, while the red numbers remained the same.


    "Looks like this is going to get more and more interesting," Ludwig said, his lips curling into a smirk.


    The students quickly realized the danger they were in. The clones were already wary of the fact that killing the real student would make them targets, so they used the smoke to hide among the group.


    "Who is the real one?" one of the students demanded, pointing a staff at the nerdy-looking guy who now had two clones.


    "Wait, wait!" all three of them said in unison.


    "I''m the real one!" they replied simultaneously.


    "Quite a cruel test," Ludwig said, his smile widening. "Professor Olim must be having a lot of fun watching this."


    "I wouldn''t be worrying about the guy that has two clones," Minerva said, her voice cutting through the tension.


    "What do you mean?" another student asked, his tone frantic. "This guy has two clones! He could further hide if he gets another. We need to kill the clones first!"


    "That''s what the doppelg?ngers want," Minerva replied, her voice calm but firm. "They want you to mess up. You''re already thinking of eliminating someone who is a survivor and has two doppelg?ngers. No matter what you do, you''ll be eliminated if you touch him."


    "Then what should we do?" another student asked, his voice tinged with desperation.


    Minerva shrugged. "I don''t really know, but it''s not my problem."


    "It will be your problem once we''re all eliminated and only the doppelg?ngers are left. How would you deal with them?" the student shot back.


    "That''s easy to handle," Ludwig said, standing up. "Well, I guess it won''t serve us much to just watch you guys get eliminated one after the other. I have a way for you all to have a chance at surviving this without," he pointed at the chaos, "this shit happening."


    "And what''s that?" the nerdy-looking guy asked, his voice trembling.


    "Simple," Ludwig said, his tone calm but commanding. "Battle."


    "That just happened, and look at what occurred," another student said, his voice filled with frustration.


    "That''s because it happened unsupervised," Ludwig replied. "The fight broke out with us not paying attention. But if order is presented when there is chaos, all problems will be solved."


    "So what''s your suggestion?" Bron asked, his tone skeptical but curious.


    "Simple," Ludwig said, his voice steady. "Each student will go to one side. I don''t care if you''re a clone or a real student. One of you will go to the left, the other to the right. Splitting the students will lessen the interactions between you guys."


    "You do know that a doppelg?nger can try and assassinate a student," Bron pointed out. "If one of the clones ends up in the group with students, they can take them out."


    "I know," Ludwig said, his tone calm. "That''s why we''ll have everyone''s hands bound."


    "I don''t consent to that!" another student shouted, his voice filled with panic.


    "Then that means you''re a doppelg?nger," Ludwig said, his tone cold.


    "No! If I were to be bound, that means you guys can eliminate me, and I''ll have no way to fend for myself!" the student protested.


    "Well, you''re gonna have to trust us," Ludwig said, his smile widening. "Otherwise, I''ll consider you as a doppelg?nger and help your other copy kill you. If you end up being real, then," he shrugged, "I lose nothing, since I already cleared. Then I''ll kill the clone afterward since it won''t have a surviving student condition."


    The student opened and closed his mouth, but he couldn''t argue further.


    Soon, all the students were bound using the strings of their shoes. They were then placed separately on two sections of the room, with Bron and Minerva sitting in front of them, their eyes sharp and watchful.


    "Like this?" Minerva asked, her tone calm.


    "Yes," Ludwig replied. "If anyone attempts to attack another student, point them out immediately."


    "What''s that going to serve?" Bron asked, his tone skeptical.


    "If we locate the aggressor, we''ll stop him and put him in the arena," Ludwig explained. "Then, we''ll make the other person kill him. A student will not try to attack another in risk of failing, but a doppelg?nger doesn''t have that issue. Just make sure no one dies."


    Ludwig stood in the center of the room, his presence commanding. "Now, I''ll pick two students. You guys should remove their cuffs, and send them here. The moment a real student wins, they''ll go there," he pointed behind him, "and if a fake student wins, I''ll personally eliminate them."


    He paused, his eyes scanning the room. "Since they won''t have the time to take the appearance of another person. So, I hope we''re all ready?"


    Ludwig pointed at one student, his tone calm but firm. "Yes," he smiled, "One by one, we''ll weed you out. And when the last of you fall, I want you to remember this¡ª" Ludwig''s gaze darkened. "You were never going to win. You were just here to die."

 Chapter 191 - 191: The Numbers

    "Quite impressive, don''t you think, Master Van Dijk?" Olim said, his voice filled with amusement as he watched the screen.


    "That''s the bare minimum," Van Dijk replied, though the pride in his eyes was unmistakable. He couldn''t hide the smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he watched Ludwig take control of the situation.


    "Not only did he figure out the whole trial, but he''s also controlling the students well enough to follow his lead. Leadership and charisma like that are very rare in such young students," Cymoria said, her tone filled with admiration. "I must congratulate you, Master Van Dijk. It seems your choice in terms of a disciple is more than perfect."


    "You''re too kind, Professor," Van Dijk said, though his tone was anything but humble. "Regardless, this isn''t over yet. They will still have to deal with more problems than just figuring out the clones. Professor Olim''s tests have always been a fun watch."


    "I can only agree to that," Vastion said, his eyes narrowing as he watched the screen. "Figuring out the fakes by battle is fine, but how will he deal with the last one?"


    The entire arena was captivated by the freshmen''s trial, more so than the other tests. The tension, the strategy, and Ludwig''s unorthodox methods had drawn everyone''s attention.


    Right now, it was the fifth fight. Three students had won, and two clones had also emerged victorious. Ludwig had made sure to eliminate any clone the moment they won, his actions swift and decisive.


    But soon, they were facing the hardest ordeal.


    The screen showed Ludwig looking up at the numbers. There was only one student left, but the numbers didn''t add up.


    Olim smiled. "That''s where things should get interesting," he said, his voice filled with anticipation.


    "This is to be expected," Ludwig said, his eyes fixed on the numbers.


    "I think you meant to say unexpected," Minerva corrected, her tone laced with concern.


    The surviving students had all been placed on one side, and the remaining student was the nerdy-looking guyHe had two clones left, and the numbers above them were off. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Why is it saying three clones?" Bron asked, his gaze shifting between the nerdy guy and the screen.


    "Isn''t that obvious? He''s always been a clone. All three of him," another student said, his voice filled with frustration.


    "No! I''m not!" the nerdy guy protested, his voice trembling.


    "What''s your name?" Ludwig asked, his tone calm but probing.


    All three of them replied in unison, "Vini."


    Ludwig sighed. "Seems that a trick is being played on us."


    He glanced around the room, his instincts screaming that something was wrong. "This one is rather tough," he muttered, his brow furrowing.


    "What do you mean?" Bron asked, his tone impatient. "There are three clones left, and he''s the only one left. It''s obvious that all of them are clones of a student that lost the last round."


    Ludwig took a step back, his eyes scanning the room. "I don''t know. My instincts are telling me that something is wrong." He paused, his gaze lingering on the shadows at the far end of the room. "Still, you''ll have to fight," he said, pointing at one of the Vinis and then another.


    "That''s unfair!" they protested. "I''m the real one. Even if I win, I''ll have to fight again!"


    "That is your fate," Ludwig said, his tone cold. "So you better find a way to win, Vini. Because if you refuse to fight, I can simply bind you and let one of the others take you out. If both don''t want to fight, I''ll make the third one kill you since it should be the real one."


    Vini cursed under his breath but reluctantly stood up and walked to the arena with one of his clones. The two of them were identical, their movements and expressions perfectly mirrored.


    "Fine," Vini said, pulling out a wand.


    The two began fighting, their spells clashing in bursts of light and energy. They were cautious at first, conserving their strength, but the tension in the room was palpable.


    Ludwig''s eyes were focused not only on the fight but also on the third Vini, who seemed increasingly agitated.


    In a moment of distraction, one of the Vinis failed to cast his spell on time. A flaming fireball tore through him, and he collapsed to the ground, his body dissolving into sludge.


    The red number on the screen dropped by one, leaving two clones remaining.


    The surviving Vini panted heavily, his face flushed with exhaustion. "Are you happy now?" he asked, his voice trembling.


    "Not yet," Ludwig said, his tone calm but firm. "We have yet to prove that you''re real."


    "I''m exhausted," Vini said, his shoulders slumping.


    "I''m fine with it," the other Vini said, standing up. "Let me fight him. It''s a good chance to take out the fake one."


    "You fucker!" the Vini in the center cursed, his voice filled with anger.


    "No," Ludwig said, pulling two vials from his ring. "Drink these," he said, handing them to the exhausted Vini.


    "What are these?" Vini asked, his voice wary.


    "Health and mana potions. They''ll help you recover," Ludwig explained.


    "Why are you doing that?" the other Vini asked, his tone suspicious.


    "A fair fight," Ludwig said, his tone calm. "Once he drinks them and rests, you''ll go at it again."


    "This is annoying!" one of the students that cleared shouted, "Why do we even have to do this? we already know that the two of them are fakes, the numbers don''t lie! it''s two clones left and those two are definitely the fake ones!" he shouted.


    "Stand down!" Bron said.


    "Screw this!" he shouted as his hand lit up in flames and hurled a fireball at the Vini who was about to drink the potions.


    Vini''s eyes widened as he noticed the incoming fireball, so he desperately ducked down, barely evading the flaming projectile that shot all the way across the room and into a wall.


    "ARE YOU INSANE!" Vini shouted as he regained his composure.


    Before the student who shot the fireball could even answer, his body was immediately encased in a white ball and was shot up the ceiling of the room. Disqualified.


    ''The hell is going on here,'' Ludwig''s brows furrowed.

 Chapter 192 - 192: The Extra

    "Did he¡­ just get eliminated?" Bron asked, his tone filled with disbelief.


    Everyone in the room was completely flabbergasted, they didn''t understand what happened at all, nor the reason for this reckless behavior of their classmate.


    "Doesn''t that mean that the real Vini is the one sitting out?" Minerva asked, her brow furrowed.


    "No," Ludwig said, shaking his head. "That just means that guy who got disqualified is an idiot. This proved nothing," he thought but mentally Ludwig was frowning, ''something is wrong here¡­''He paused, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the room.


    "He was disqualified because he attacked a clone. The rules state that," Minerva said. "So the Vini over there who hadn''t fought is the real one. If he had attacked the real person, it wouldn''t have disqualified him. I''m telling you, the Vini that sat out is the real one"


    "I would be more than willing to agree with you, But he didn''t attack anything," Ludwig said, his tone sharp. "The spell clearly missed." He stood up, his gaze sweeping the room. "I don''t have the brain cells to solve this. I need to think about this for a while, the two of you will fight as soon as Vini rests."


    Each of them shouting, "But I''m real! Like she said he is the one that made the other guy disqualified!"


    "But it didn''t even hit me! How would he be disqualified if the spell didn''t evne hit me!"


    Ludwig was getting more and more annoyed, at the two Vini''s protest but Ludwig''s stern gaze silenced them.


    The Vini who had fought drank the potions and rested for a some time while the rest of the students were talking among each other on the reason why their classmate was disqualified


    Ludwig on the other hand was looking all around the room, feeling that something was missing, but he couldn''t grasp anything yet.


    "I''m ready," The wounded Vini said, standing up.


    "I''m telling you, I''m the real one. You''re making a mistake," the other Vini said, but he reluctantly walked into the arena.


    Ludwig backed away, his mind racing as the two Vinis began their fight. He kept glancing at the numbers on the screen, his instincts screaming that something was off.


    ''Two people are unaccounted for,'' Ludwig thought.


    After all, there was one extra green number. Ludwig, Bron, Minerva, and four others¡ªthat''s seven people. Besides the guy who was eliminated, Ludwig turned to look at Vini. ''There''s also Vini¡­''


    ''But the number above says eight green and two reds¡­'' sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig''s eyes narrowed as he scanned the room. Something was wrong. The numbers never added up.


    Perhaps the screen was fake, meant to deceive them. Olim did say to not trust anything they hear or see¡­


    Ludwig kept reminding himself of the rules Olim had stated.


    The two Vinis kept battling, this time a far more vigorous fight. The Vini that drank the potion seemed to be more exhausted, resting for one or two minutes was not enough to recover the energy from a prior battle, but the world is unfair and Ludwig couldn''t coddle any of them.


    The spells kept increasing in intensity, several of them flying everywhere, while Ludwig made sure to keep an eye on anything strange or anything that didn''t fit.


    Suddenly, the Vini who had won his first fight was on the ground, the other Vini pouncing on him with a flaming hand. The downed Vini twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the attack, and retaliated with a fireball that blasted the other Vini''s head off.


    The headless Vini''s body soon turned to black sludge that splurged down on the other Vini, coating almost all his body in a thick layer of sludge.


    The red number dropped by one, leaving only one fake person.


    But something was still wrong.


    The surviving Vini wiped the sludge off his body, his expression a mix of relief and frustration. He moved to the winner''s side, but Bron stepped forward, his weapon pointed at Vini.


    "Stop right there," Bron said, his tone cold.


    "What is it now? I won!" Vini protested.


    "Yes, but the number still says one. And regardless of whether you''re fake or real, if you die, it''ll have no consequences on me," Bron said, his grip tightening on his weapon.


    Vini looked up at the screen, his face pale. "What sort of dumb shit is this?"


    "He''s right, you know," Ludwig said, stepping forward.


    "But I''m real," Vini said, his voice trembling.


    "I know," Ludwig replied, his tone calm.


    "Wait, what? You know?" Minerva asked, her brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"


    "I know he is real," Ludwig said "As for Bron, He is also right. Bron can eliminate you, and it won''t affect him," Ludwig said, his gaze shifting to the far end of the room.


    "What is your reasoning?" Vini asked, his voice filled with desperation.


    "If you are real, then you can be eliminated by a player. If you''re a clone, that means you don''t have a survivor student, and that still means he can kill you," Ludwig explained.


    Bron placed the sword close to Vini''s neck, but Ludwig stepped in, moving the blade away.


    "But," Ludwig said, his voice sharp, "that''s not what''s going on here. I finally figured it out."


    He turned, his gaze piercing as he pointed to the far wall. "You''ve all been so focused on the numbers, the fights, the clones¡­ But tell me, did anyone actually count the number of real students?"


    Silence. The realization dawned on the room.


    Looking at the numbers of survivors, it was one less than what the screen was showing.


    Ludwig''s smirk widened. "Come out. I know you''re there."


    For a few seconds nothing happened, which made Ludwig frown.


    "If you don''t come out, I''ll drag you out," He said.


    From the shadows, at the far corner of the room two students stepped forward, their forms shifting unnaturally as if they had been fused with the surroundings. Their bodies peeled away from the wall, revealing their true forms. Their hands raised up as they walked forward.


    Two students who looked exactly the same.


    "This is what was missing from the numbers," Ludwig said, his tone calm but firm. "There was an extra student hiding from the start, along with his own doppelg?nger."

 Chapter 193 - 193: Shadowmancer

    "You bastard! You were hiding while all of us were fighting here!" Vini shouted, his voice filled with anger and frustration.


    The newcomer smirked, his expression calm but smug. "No need to be all prissy and mad. I just did what I had to." He shrugged at Vini''s demeanor as if he was completely unbothered with the type of mess he had created.


    "He''s right," Ludwig said, his tone calm but firm. "He too is taking part in this challenge. He did what he had to to win. Though I still don''t like it."


    The newcomer tilted his head, his smirk widening. "How did you find out? I''m sure we didn''t even meet back in the forest. And you clearly don''t know me or what I do."


    "That''s irrelevant," Ludwig replied, his gaze sharp. "As for how I spotted you, I always thought something was off when that guy attacked Vini."


    "Yeah," the newcomer said, his tone dripping with mockery. "If he didn''t, I''d be the last one standing here while you all would have been fighting among yourselves, trying to figure out who''s real and who''s fake."


    Ludwig sighed, his expression unreadable. "Still, it all turned out right. Kill your clone, and let''s get this over with. I don''t want to stay here any other second."


    "What if I don''t want to?" the young man said, his smile turning sinister.


    The air in the room felt as if it had dropped several degrees, everyone was getting more and more pissed.


    "Then I''ll fuck you up personally!" Bron cursed, his hand tightening around the hilt of his sword.


    "And how would you figure out who''s real and who''s fake?" the newcomer shot back, his tone mocking. "After all, if you attack me and I''m the clone, you''ll be disqualified¡ªsame as the guy before. Surely you don''t want to get disqualified, after all you passed, or almost."


    "Even if one of us is sacrificed we could that would mean we''ll be able to figure out the real one immediately afterward, and trust me I''ll still eliminate you. Personally, that is." Ludwig said, his tone calm but laced with menace. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I see, but did you forget what I can do?" the newcomer said, his smile widening. In an instant, he and his clone disappeared, reappearing right behind Ludwig. "I can easily escape."


    "Why are you doing this?" Minerva demanded, her voice filled with frustration.


    "I don''t know," the newcomer said, his tone light and carefree. "Because it''s fun."


    Just as he finished speaking, Ludwig''s hand shot out, gripping the newcomer''s neck with an ironclad hold.


    "Hey!" the newcomer shouted, panic flashing across his face. "Stop that! You''re risking failing!"


    "But I don''t, though," Ludwig said, his voice cold. He pressed the blade of his weapon against the newcomer''s neck. "I already know you''re the real one."


    "How can you even tell? We''re exactly the same!" the newcomer protested, his voice strained.


    "The hem of your robe," Ludwig said, his tone calm but firm. "It''s not burnt." He gestured with his head toward the clone. "The other guy''s clothes are burnt. That''s the reason for the disqualification earlier. He was unlucky enough to throw the spell, miss Vini, and land on the clone. That''s how I figured you were here with us in the room. You may share the same appearance, but your clone''s clothes are burnt. And since you''re real, and your clone is fake, killing you has no repercussions on me."


    The newcomer''s smirk faltered, his bravado crumbling under Ludwig''s unrelenting grip. "Fine! Fine!" he said, raising his hands in surrender. The clone mirrored his actions, its expression blank.


    "Don''t try anything stupid," Ludwig warned, his tone sharp. "You''ll be disqualified. Take out the clone, and let''s be done with this dumb part of the trial."


    The newcomer rubbed his neck, wincing at the pain. "Gosh, you''re such a bore," he muttered, his tone filled with annoyance.


    He walked toward the arena, his clone following closely behind. The clone seemed confused, its movements hesitant. It didn''t speak or say much, but its eyes darted around as if searching for an opportunity to strike.


    Just as the fight was about to start, the newcomer raised his hand. "Might as well finish this fast, then," he said, his tone casual.


    "What is he on about?" Bron muttered, his brow furrowed.


    The newcomer''s raised hand twisted, and so did the clone''s. They both reacted in perfect sync, their movements eerily identical. Ludwig''s grip tightened on his weapon, his eyes narrowing as he watched the scene unfold.


    Two shadows surged up from beneath both the newcomer and his clone. However, the shadow beneath the clone was thicker and darker, while the one beneath the newcomer was faint and barely visible.


    Ludwig''s eyes flicked to the ceiling, where the light source was placed. He realized that the newcomer had positioned himself in a way that exposed him to more light, while the clone stood in a dimmer area.


    The shadows around both of them tightened, and the clone''s body burst apart, its form dissolving into sludge. The newcomer''s body rattled violently, blood trickling from his nose and mouth, but he remained standing.


    The red number above them dropped to zero, and the wall at the far end of the room tore open, revealing a new path.


    "Are you happy?" the newcomer said, wiping the blood from his face. He pulled a small potion from his pocket and drank it, his expression calm despite the pain.


    ''This one''s insane,'' Ludwig thought, his eyes narrowing.


    The attack could have eliminated them both. The clone could copy the same spells, but since the newcomer had positioned himself better, his spell was stronger. The clone''s spell was weaker due to the lack of light. Yet, the newcomer had been willing to take that much damage just to secure victory. He could have cleared the trial whenever he wanted, but he chose to mess with the rest of the students instead.


    Minerva approached Ludwig, her voice low. "That guy''s got a couple of screws loose."


    "Yeah, I can tell," Ludwig replied, his tone grim. He turned and walked toward the light. For now, he needed to focus on what sort of trial is coming up next.

 Chapter 194 - 194: Maze Runners

    Ludwig and the remaining survivors found themselves enclosed within a square room constructed of rough-hewn bricks and stone. The walls seemed to press in on them, amplifying the tension in the air. Suddenly, the room darkened, and a screen materialized before them, displaying Professor Olim and the bustling arena beyond.


    "Impressive display of skill and analysis!" Olim''s voice boomed, his enthusiasm palpable as he addressed the audience. The Doppelg?nger event had concluded, and the crowd was still buzzing with excitement.


    "I honestly thought the survivors would be far fewer¡ªperhaps even none¡ªso the next trial would be even more fun," Olim added, his tone dripping with playful mischief. His words sent a ripple of unease through Ludwig''s group, though each of them tried their best to maintain a facade of calm.


    "Now, for our next and final challenge for the freshmen," Olim continued, his voice commanding attention. "You will notice that there is a mark on your wrists." The screen zoomed in, displaying a small, circular inscribed magic line that wrapped around each of the students'' wrists.


    "That is a beacon, and you are the prey," Olim explained, his tone shifting to one of grim seriousness. "This challenge will last for three hours. During that time, the beacon on your wrist will periodically reveal your position to the group of students who were eliminated earlier in the rounds. Your goal is simple: don''t let them touch you. It doesn''t matter what method you use¡ªjust don''t allow them to land their hands on you. Once you are touched by an eliminated student, they will take your beacon and be randomly transported somewhere else. The goal is straightforward: after three hours, only those with a beacon can pass to the final challenge of this event." sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in before adding, "Do note, if a student takes enough damage to eliminate them, they will be teleported to a secluded waiting area where they''ll need to stay for thirty minutes."


    "Another survival challenge, I see," Cymoria remarked, her voice carrying a hint of amusement.


    "Slightly different this time," Olim replied, his tone light but with an undercurrent of cunning. "This challenge doesn''t require one to be strong or fast but has intricate and quite convoluted mechanics within it. Students need to understand well when they should grab a beacon or even give it up. The plan isn''t about who will retain their beacon the longest but who will eventually have theirs before the time hits zero."


    "Interesting games you have, Olim," Van Dijk said, his voice calm but with a trace of skepticism. "But that room is awfully small for such a game. There are only seven students left. If you drop the rest of the eliminated students in there, it''ll be chaos."


    Olim''s smile widened, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Indeed, it would be," he said, clapping his hands.


    At his signal, the walls around Ludwig and the others suddenly fell away, revealing an endless expanse of towering stone walls that stretched as far as the eye could see. The labyrinth was vast and intricate, its pathways twisting and turning in a dizzying array of possibilities.


    "A labyrinth," Vastion said, his voice tinged with amusement. "This should be fun."


    "Now," Olim continued, his tone shifting to one of mock solemnity, "since the students who have already succeeded in making it this far have had a rough time getting here¡ªand have spent a lot of effort and power to stand above their peers¡ªit would be unfair for someone else to come in and take their hard-earned place by luck. So, the hunters will have a slight disadvantage."


    He snapped his fingers, and a new screen appeared, displaying a group of students packed tightly together. These were the students who had been eliminated earlier in the rounds. They seemed to have been waiting for some time, as some were lounging on the ground while others leaned against the walls, their expressions a mix of boredom and anticipation.


    But something was slightly different about these students. Each of them had several bells attached to their bodies¡ªaround their necks, wrists, and ankles.


    "The disadvantage is sound," Olim explained, his voice carrying a note of satisfaction. "Each of the hunters will have five bells on them that will constantly reveal their position to the prey. Those who have beacons will be able to hear the jingling of the bells and better strategize their movements."


    He paused, his grin widening. "Also, every thirty minutes that passes, all hunters will lose one bell."


    The arena erupted into murmurs as the implications of Olim''s words sank in. During the last half-hour of the three-hour period, the hunters would be able to move without the telltale sound of their bells, making them far more dangerous.


    "Then, one more thing," Olim added, his tone almost gleeful. "There are a few small events hidden inside the labyrinth that can shake things up. These events are for both hunters and prey, and you will receive some small¡­ bonuses when clearing them."


    As if on cue, the walls around the hunters began to fall away, and the eliminated students surged into the maze, their bells jingling loudly as they spread out. The sound of their movement echoed through the labyrinth, a constant reminder of the danger that now lurked within.


    "Now, let the game begin!" Olim declared, his voice booming. "Hunt or be hunted!"


    [You can now use Inspect]


    "Damn, this one is a doozy," Minerva muttered, her eyes fixed on the glowing beacon on her wrist.


    "Hmm," Ludwig said, his tone thoughtful. "It''s designed to keep us on the run. While it might seem advantageous for us early on, the more time passes, the worse it''ll be for us."


    "The trial never said anything about us not being able to defend ourselves," Vini pointed out, his voice tinged with frustration.


    "You can do that," Ludwig replied, his tone pragmatic. "But we''re only seven, and they''re twenty-three. I doubt we can defend ourselves against an entire group with just the few of us."


    Another student chimed in. "Who said I''ll be helping?"


    The group turned to look at him¡ªthe shadow manipulator who had caused so much chaos earlier. He smirked, his eyes glinting with mischief. "This is a good challenge for solo play," he said, taking a few steps back.


    Before anyone could protest, his form melted into the shadows of the dimly lit maze, disappearing completely.


    "You''re on your own," his voice echoed faintly before fading entirely.

 Chapter 195 - 195: Twist

    "Son of a bitch!" Bron cursed, his fists clenched in frustration, his voice echoing through the labyrinth. His face was a mask of anger, but beneath it, there was a flicker of unease. The shadow manipulator''s abrupt departure had left the group feeling exposed, and Bron wasn''t one to hide his irritation.


    "I don''t blame him," Ludwig said, his tone calm and measured, though his eyes were sharp, scanning the group. "I''d have done the same if I were him." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the remaining students. "Although this sounds like a trial we should do as a group, in reality, if we do that, we''ll be instantly eliminated. The moment our beacons light up, we''ll be revealed to all the hunters. And if we''re grouped up¡­ I don''t even want to think about it."


    Minerva nodded, her expression grim but resolute. She adjusted her grip on her wand, her knuckles whitening slightly. "So you think we should split?"


    "It sounds like the best course of action," Ludwig said, his voice steady. "Use your ears and senses. Stay calm, and keep track of your beacons when they light up. I''ll be moving forward."


    "Where to?" Minerva asked, stepping closer to Ludwig. Her voice was low, but there was a note of determination in it. She wasn''t about to let him go off alone. He was her best chance of survival, after all he showcased his wits in the last challenge and this one seemed like a trial that needed a lot of that.


    "Professor Olim said there are a few events hidden in the labyrinth that could help us secure some advantages," Ludwig explained, his tone thoughtful. "I''m trying to figure out where."


    "Let me join you, then," Minerva said, her tone firm. She met his gaze, her eyes unwavering. "I promise I won''t be a hindrance."


    Ludwig shrugged, his expression unreadable. "Suit yourself."


    The two of them moved ahead, leaving the rest of the group behind. The remaining students exchanged uneasy glances, the reality of their situation sinking in. They had never been a team in the first place. From now on, it was every man for himself.


    Bron, after a moment of hesitation, seemed to come to the same conclusion. Without a word, he turned and strode off in a different direction, his broad shoulders tense with determination. The rest of the students¡ªVini and a few others¡ªdecided to stick together, forming a small, uneasy unit as they ventured deeper into the maze.


    While Ludwig and Minerva walked further and further away from the group, the labyrinth seemed to close in around them. The walls were tall and imposing, the dim light casting long shadows that danced eerily as they moved.


    "We find ourselves more and more together, don''t you think?" Minerva said, her voice light but with a hint of something deeper. She glanced at Ludwig, a small smile playing on her lips.


    "Reminds me of our days scouting the forest," Ludwig replied.


    "Oh, speaking of which," Minerva said, her eyes lighting up as she reached into her ring. She pulled out a small, familiar torch they had used this item during their search for Esteban.


    "That''s your Blue Flame Light," Ludwig said, raising an eyebrow. "Can you even use it here?"


    "I don''t see why not," Minerva replied, her tone confident. "Professor Olim never said anything about using personal items." She lit the torch, and its soft, blue glow immediately enveloped them. The torch''s effects were the same as before: it muffled the sound of their footsteps and made them nearly invisible to anyone beyond the reach of its light.


    "We should be slightly conservative when using this, though," Minerva said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I only have about an hour or so worth of light on it."


    "Then there''s no reason to turn it on right now," Ludwig said, his tone pragmatic.


    But just as he finished his words, the sound of bells echoed through the labyrinth¡ªseveral bells ringing at once, their jingling notes distorted and disorienting. The sound seemed to come from multiple directions, the echoes bouncing off the stone walls in a chaotic symphony.


    Minerva''s eyes widened, her grip tightening on the torch.


    "I take that back," Ludwig said, his voice low but urgent. "Keep it on for now."


    The bell sounds were deceptive, their echoes making it impossible to pinpoint the hunters'' locations. One moment, the sound seemed to come from the left; the next, it shifted to the right.


    "That dirty bastard," Ludwig muttered, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.


    "What is it?" Minerva asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.


    "The professor," Ludwig said, his tone a mix of admiration and frustration. "He said the bells were a disadvantage for the hunters. It''s actually the opposite. The echoes distort the location of the sound. One might run away from the sound only to find themselves running straight into a hunter. This whole trial seems awfully targeted at the prey¡ªwhich is us."


    Just as he finished speaking, a hunter emerged from a nearby pathway. He was a student Ludwig didn''t recognize, someone who must have been eliminated early in the trials. The hunter looked around, his eyes scanning the area, but he didn''t notice Ludwig and Minerva standing just a few feet away, the Blue Flame Light masking their presence.


    The hunter hesitated for a moment, then chose a different path and disappeared into the maze.


    Minerva let out a breath she hadn''t realized she was holding. "I thought we were done for," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.


    "It''s only one guy," Ludwig replied, his tone calm but with an edge of caution. "Worst case, we''ll just take him out. But I wouldn''t want to cause any ruckus. You never know if other hunters are nearby. Let''s keep moving forward."


    Minerva nodded, and the two of them headed in the opposite direction from the hunter. But just as they took their first few steps, the markings on their wrists lit up. A loud, ear-piercing blare echoed from the beacons, accompanied by a blinding flash of light. The Blue Flame Light in Minerva''s hand flickered and went out, leaving them fully exposed.


    Instantly, the labyrinth seemed to come alive. The sound of bells grew louder, more frantic, as nearby hunters from all directions began converging on their location. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "We need to run!" Ludwig shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.


    The two of them sprinted down the corridor, their footsteps echoing loudly against the stone walls. The hunter they had seen earlier was now hot on their heels, his bells jingling wildly as he gave chase.


    Ludwig waved his fingers, creating two small orbs of light that floated menacingly behind him as he ran.


    "What are those?" Minerva asked, her voice strained as she struggled to keep up.


    "Insurance," Ludwig said, his tone grim.


    The sound of the bells grew closer, the hunter''s voice shouting after them. "Wait up!"


    "Like hell I would," Ludwig snapped, his fingers flicking sharply. The two orbs exploded in a burst of light and sound, catching the hunter off guard. He stumbled, falling to the ground, but the blast wasn''t strong enough to eliminate him.


    The two kept running, their breaths coming in short gasps as they reached a turning point in the labyrinth. They rounded the corner, only to freeze in their tracks.


    In front of them stood a massive stone lion, its two-meter-tall form blocking their path. Its eyes glowed faintly, and its stone mane seemed to ripple as if alive. The creature let out a low, rumbling growl, its gaze locking onto Ludwig and Minerva.


    "You''ve got to be shitting me."

 Chapter 196 - 196: On The Run

    "MOVE!" Ludwig shouted as he yanked Minerva to the side.


    The massive paw of the lion struck down with enough force that the whole lab seemed like it was rattling, the stone made floors caved in and broke apart. Both Ludwig and Minerva were almost blue faced from the sheer power behind that paw.


    "Leg it!" Ludwig shouted and pulled Minerva form her hand as they rushed through the Stone Lion''s side.


    The creature roared with enough power that Ludwig felt his undead bones rattle.


    [As an undead you ignored the fear effect of [Beast Roar]]


    Ludwig didn''t like the sound of that. If he was an undead and resisted it¡­ he turned his face to see minerva''s eyes were about to roll back.


    "God damn it," he cursed as he grabbed her and placed her on his shoulder as he began sprinting forward.


    The lion turned and began running after them, easily covering the distance that Ludwig painstakingly made.


    At one point, the corridor he was in had a sideway entrance, the labyrinth hosted several passages, that Ludwig didn''t hesitate to take.


    The sudden change of direction was too much for the lion to react to, and as it tried to stop, it slid across the ground, clawing at the floor that tore apart with utter ease, making the lion simply tumble over, and missing the turn.


    Ludwig hurried through the corridors, without stopping, albeit with more roars and the loud ground shaking sprint of the lion, which was hot on his heels. That wasn''t his worst worry.


    The sound of bells seemed to get closer and closer to him the more he ran.


    Just as Ludwig arrived to an open path forward, two students wearing bells noticed him.


    "A prey!" One of the students said as he rushed toward Ludwig with a hand extended forward.


    "[Bounds of Latvia!]" Ludwig cast.


    Instantly, several chains sprang up and wrapped around the closest student.


    The other student shouted "It''s you!"


    Ludwig realized who he was instantly, it was the same student he made victim of in the forest as he drove several raptors into him.


    "Oh, you''re not gonna like this one!" Ludwig said as he flicked his hand instantly toward that student. "Vow of Silence!" Ludwig cast, which instantly broke the other student''s spell, which he had just begun readying. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The student felt helpless as he desperately clawed at the spell binding his mouth, but seeing Ludwig still rushing toward him, all he needed to do was touch Ludwig, so he ran forward to intercept.


    Just as he felt close enough to take Ludwig''s beacon, something behind Ludwig burst out of the corridor behind him.


    The student''s eyes turned wide as the lion jumped at the closest person to it, the unfortunate student bound by the Chains of Latvia.


    The boy had the funniest, ''Not again'' expression on his face.


    Ludwig dodged to the side, easily sidestepping the mute''s hand, and ran forward with as much power as his undead feet could allow.


    The bound student was immediately struck down with a vicious paw that instantly created a bubble around him and transported him to the waiting zone.


    The mute student had no intention of staying there any longer as he turned tail and began running after Ludwig.


    He realized that he couldn''t outrun this lion, but if he touched Ludwig, he would take his beacon and will be transported somewhere else.


    So he ran, and ran, and ran?


    But why wasn''t he able to catch up, the student thought? His mind reeling as the lion was closing up on them incredibly fast.


    Why is the student in front of him, albeit carrying another person, creating more and more distance?


    Sadly, he never got the answer to that question as the lion caught up to him, swatting him with a single paw to the nearest wall. The student was immediately transported to safety and elimination.


    The lion, however, remained adamant on going after Ludwig.


    "How long have I been out," Minerva said, and then she realized that she was being carried by Ludwig.


    Her face flushed, "Put me down, this is embaras---" it immediately went white when she saw the sprinting Lion behind them. "DON''T PUT ME DOWN!"


    Ludwig couldn''t help but laugh at the absurd situation. He turned to the right, making the lion miss again.


    "Is this the event you talked about?"


    "I didn''t think it would be this serious," Ludwig said. "But I guess professor Olim really wanted us to try hard. The risk far outweighs any potential reward, unless it''s instant clearing of this event, no one is stupid enough to fight something like that," Ludwig said as he took several more turns.


    Just then, they met one of the students who were with Vini earlier.


    "Oh, it''s you guys," he said but Ludwig didn''t even wait to reply as he flew forward.


    "Why are you running?" the student asked, only to notice the ground under him shake.


    Unlike the foolish Hunters, who were more focused on chasing prey, this guy was a Prey, so he immediately recognized danger and began sprinting after Ludwig.


    "Something is chasing you?" he shouted as he desperately tried to keep up with Ludwig.


    "Yep," Ludwig replied, his breathing steady despite having run for several minutes now.


    "I doubt it''s a hunter!" the student said as he huffed and puffed pushing his physique to the limit.


    Explore new worlds at My Virtual Library Empire


    "Nope," Ludwig replied as he took a left turn, the guy moved immediately following him.


    "Shouldn''t you not follow us!" Minerva said, "Because it just makes us a bigger target!"


    "Not a chance!" the boy said, "This guy seems to know what he''s doing, I''m sticking to him!" the boy replied with a wide grin.


    "Just keep up," Ludwig said.


    "Why are you helping him?" Minerva said.


    Ludwig smiled, "You know, when you''re chased by a pack of wolves, the first rule of survival isn''t being the fastest of your group, it''s to be slightly faster than the slowest one of your group."


    "I heard that!" the boy said.


    "Then you better keep running," Ludwig grinned as the lion kept running after them.


    This event, despite all the absurdities, seemed to grow a small smile on Ludwig''s face. Even he didn''t know it, but he was having fun.

 Chapter 197 - 197: If ones not enough... how about two?

    Just as they stepped into the new pathway, the ground beneath them trembled violently. A low, ominous grinding echoed through the maze, as if unseen gears hidden within the very walls of the labyrinth had begun turning. Then, all at once, the walls lurched and shifted, dragging themselves into new configurations like the living innards of some massive, ancient beast.


    Ludwig barely had time to process what was happening before a massive stone barrier erupted from the ground between them, cutting off their new companion. Stay tuned for updates on My Virtual Library Empire


    "What the hell?!" the guy shouted from the other side, his voice muffled by the thick wall that had suddenly divided them.


    "SHIT!" they heard and soon the sound of the lion crashing against the wall made the guy suddenly quiet.


    Minerva, still perched on his shoulder, shuddered. "I think we lost him."


    Ludwig clenched his jaw but didn''t have time to dwell on their sudden separation. Before them, the ground split apart, and a vast open chamber began forming. Walls rose from the ground, shifting and shaping themselves into a large square battlefield. There were four entrances, one on each wall.


    Ludwig and Minerva stood at the southern entrance. Across from them, in the northern entryway, another hunter appeared. The other two entrances remained ominously empty¡ªfor now.


    The moment Ludwig laid eyes on the structure of the room, his gut twisted.


    "Shit," he muttered. "This is a forced duel."


    The hunter across from them frowned, quickly glancing around as if only now realizing the situation. "Oi, isn''t this a bit unfair?" he called out.


    Minerva slithered off Ludwig''s shoulder, dropping to the ground with an amused huff. "Unlike us," she said, "you only need to touch one of us to win. So, if anything, I''d say the numbers are fair."


    "I guess," the hunter muttered. But he wasted no time. In an instant, he lunged, targeting Minerva first.


    The air cracked with the force of his movement. He was fast¡ªtoo fast for Ludwig to intercept immediately.


    "Oh, you''re coming after me because you think I''m weaker?" Minerva taunted.


    she twisted her body in a split-second dodge, effortlessly slipping away from the hunter''s grasp.


    Her eyes flashed. "Panic!"


    The hunter''s charge came to a screeching halt. He staggered, then collapsed to his knees, his hands clawing at his temples as a guttural scream tore from his throat.


    "ARRRHHHHGHHH!"


    Ludwig didn''t hesitate. He extended his palm toward the incapacitated opponent and conjured a blazing fireball. The orb of fire shot forward like a comet, smashing directly into the hunter''s chest. The hunter was encased in a bubble and was transported out of the area.


    Ludwig exhaled. "Well, that was easier than I thought."


    Minerva, however, remained tense. "Something isn''t right."


    Ludwig followed her gaze toward the two remaining entrances. A deep, rumbling noise echoed from within the passageways, followed by the unmistakable sound of heavy footsteps. The temperature of the room seemed to drop, and Ludwig''s instincts screamed at him to be ready.


    Then, they emerged two Stone Lions this time.


    Ludwig cursed. "Oh, come on! That''s not fucking fair!"


    The lions lunged without hesitation.


    "Go left!" Ludwig barked.


    Minerva didn''t argue. The moment Ludwig sprinted right, she veered left, following his command. The lions due to being focused on their respective pray already mid-charge, slammed into each other in their attempt to chase both targets at once.


    Ludwig ran to the right most entrance that one of the lions had came from, seeing a long branching path ahead.


    "Minerva! We''ll split here! Take that path and run!" he said as he hurled a fireball at the lion chasing after her.


    Minerva was touched by the gesture and immediately nodded and sprinted the other way. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The two lions were both focused on Ludwig as they began running after him.


    He didn''t help her out of the goodness of his heart, but because although there will be two lions chasing after him, it will actually be easier for him to run away from just one.


    And just like Ludwig thought, the moment the first lion pounced on the entrance, the other Lion who was enraged by the fireball crashed into it.


    They roared at each other for a second, but noticing Ludwig''s fading footsteps they immediately began hurrying after him.


    Ludwig sprinted toward one of the maze''s corridors, weaving between the obstacles. The walls blurred past him as he pushed his speed to the limit. But even at full tilt, the thundering footfalls of his pursuers grew closer.


    A loud ringing suddenly screeched in Ludwig''s ear.


    His wrist beacon¡ªthe device marking his presence for the hunters¡ªwas going haywire, blaring and flashing a powerful light.


    He noticed that one of the lions, which was closer to him suddenly have its ears scrunch down, perhaps the sound was too loud for it?


    Ludwig made a mental note of that and continued running.


    The maze began changing again, a wall suddenly began rising in front of Ludwig.


    Ludwig wasn''t going to make it in time if he just sprinted. "Steadfast Leap!"


    Ludwig''s body immediately flew forward with far more speed and power than any jump would allow him. The tyrant blade''s first move, though completely and utterly useless with a simple scimitar, it still allowed Ludwig to leap forward fast.


    The moment his feet touched the ground, a smirk crossed his face.


    He made it past the wall, and just as his smile began growing at the wall that rose up, he noticed something strange about this wall.


    It didn''t have the same texture as the other walls. Just as he began processing the reason behind this, the whole damn wall burst apart as one of the lions plowed through it like if it was made of cardboard.


    "SON OF A BITCH!" Ludwig roared.


    Only half of the lion''s body made it out as it began clawing its way forward


    He turned and began sprinting again.


    The first lion was suddenly pushed forward as the second one crashed into him, cracks appeared on his face. The two now free began bounding after Ludwig.


    Ludwig was fully focused on running, though currently his only path was straight forward. But since he made good distance, he should be able to reach the end of the path and take a turn before he is caught.


    That was the case, but the chiming of a couple bells suddenly changed his entire situation.

 Chapter 198 - 198: Hints

    Ludwig''s body reacted before his mind could fully process the danger. In a split second, he lurched backward, his knees scraping against the rough stone floor as he slid forward, narrowly avoiding the massive pillar that swung down with terrifying force. The air above him whistled as the pillar passed mere centimeters from his face, close enough that he could feel the rush of displaced air against his skin. His heart¡ªor whatever passed for it in his undead body¡ªpounded with a mix of adrenaline and relief. He wasn''t exactly an athlete in his past life, nor had he ever trained in acrobatics, but his undead physiology, combined with his inhuman reflexes and boosted dexterity and agility stats, had saved him yet again.


    The pillar, now swinging past him, collided with the stone lion that had been hot on his heels. The impact was deafening, a thunderous crash that echoed through the labyrinth. The lion''s stone head shattered into fragments, its body crumbling under the force of the blow. The pillar itself splintered into pieces, scattering debris across the corridor. Ludwig barely had time to register the destruction before his attention snapped back to the hunter who had been chasing him.


    The hunter, a fellow student whose name Ludwig didn''t bother to remember, didn''t even pause. His eyes were locked on Ludwig, his hand outstretched, ready to claim Ludwig''s beacon with a single touch. But then, something unexpected happened. Instead of lunging at Ludwig, the hunter leaped over him, his body twisting mid-air as he stretched his hand toward the shattered remains of the stone lion. Ludwig, still sprawled on the ground, blinked in confusion. What the hell is he doing? he thought. Does he have a death wish?


    But as Ludwig turned his head to follow the hunter''s trajectory, he realized the hunter''s desperation wasn''t for nothing. Embedded within the broken fragments of the stone lion was another beacon bracelet, glowing faintly amidst the rubble. The hunter''s fingers brushed against it just as the second lion, still intact and furious, slammed its massive paw down on the remains of its fallen companion. The ground shook violently, and Ludwig felt the vibrations through his bones. The hunter''s body was enveloped in a shimmering light, and in an instant, he was teleported away, his status shifting from hunter to prey.


    Ludwig didn''t have time to dwell on the hunter''s sudden departure. The second lion, now free from the distraction of its fallen comrade, turned its glowing eyes toward him. Its stone jaws opened in a bone rattling roar, and Ludwig knew he had to move. He pushed himself up from the ground, his bones coiling as he prepared to sprint. His mind raced, piecing together the events that had just unfolded.


    Professor Olim had mentioned that the labyrinth''s "events" were designed to benefit both hunters and prey. Ludwig had initially dismissed the idea, but now he saw the truth in it. The hunter had made the smartest choice possible: instead of risking a direct confrontation with Ludwig and the lion, he had gone for the easier target¡ªthe beacon hidden within the broken lion. It was a calculated move, one that Ludwig couldn''t help but respect, even if it had left him in a precarious position.


    The stone lions, Ludwig realized, weren''t just obstacles; they were opportunities. Their strength made them nearly impossible to defeat alone, but their beacons offered a way for students to turn the tide in their favor. If the students had been willing to work together, they could have taken down the lions as a group, hunter and prey. Sharing the spoils and avoiding unnecessary conflict. But cooperation was a rare commodity in the Black Tower Academy. The students were too competitive, too distrustful of one another, to band together against a common enemy. It was easier¡ªand more satisfying¡ªto fight among themselves.


    Ludwig''s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps behind him. The second lion was closing in, its massive form barreling down the corridor with terrifying speed. Ludwig didn''t hesitate. He turned and ran, his mind already working on a new plan. The labyrinth was a maze of shifting walls and hidden traps, and if he could just stay one step ahead of the lion, he might be able to turn the situation to his advantage.


    ***


    In the arena, the audience watched the events unfold with bated breath. The massive screen displayed Ludwig''s desperate escape, the stone lion hot on his heels. Professor Olim, standing beside Van Dijk and the other professors, couldn''t hide his satisfaction. Stay tuned with My Virtual Library Empire


    "It appears that your student has already grasped the underlying mechanics of the traps I set up," Olim said, addressing Van Dijk while also informing the audience. His voice carried a hint of pride, as if he were a game master watching a player finally understand the rules of his game.


    The audience was captivated. Most of them had stopped paying attention to the trials of the second and third years, which, while impressive, lacked the raw intensity and unpredictability of Ludwig''s ordeal. The second and third years were strong, yes, but their challenges were almost routine compared to the chaos unfolding in the labyrinth.


    Van Dijk, ever the stoic mentor, nodded slightly at Olim''s comment. "It is the bare minimum," he said, his tone measured. "Understanding the traps is one thing; using them to his advantage is another. So far, Ludwig has managed to maintain his status as prey, but I''m more interested in seeing how he would fare as a hunter."


    Vastion, one of the other professors, raised an eyebrow. "You think he''d perform better as a hunter?"


    Cymoria, another professor, interjected before Van Dijk could respond. "I believe he would," she said, her voice tinged with admiration. "Ludwig''s skill set is almost tailor-made for hunting. He has excellent gap-closing abilities, strong binding and rooting spells, and he''s already mastered Vow of Silence¡ªa third-circle spell that most students struggle with for months. It''s remarkable to see someone so young wield such power with such precision." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Van Dijk allowed himself a small, knowing smile. "You''d be even more impressed if you knew he mastered Vow of Silence in a single night."

 Chapter 199 - 199: Fallen Comrade

    The other professors stared at him in disbelief. Vastion''s brow furrowed. "A single night? That''s impossible."


    "It''s the truth," Van Dijk said, his tone leaving no room for doubt. "Ludwig has an exceptional talent for deduction and rapid learning. What takes others weeks, he can accomplish in hours."


    Cymoria shook her head, clearly impressed. "It took me three weeks to learn Vow of Silence, and I considered that an achievement. To do it in a single night¡­ that''s unheard of."


    Vastion''s gaze returned to the screen, where Ludwig was still running from the stone lion. "There''s something else that bothers me," he said slowly. "How is it that he''s still not exhausted? He''s been running, fighting, and strategizing nonstop for hours. Even the most physically fit students would be on the verge of collapse by now."


    Van Dijk''s expression remained neutral, though internally he was weighing his words carefully. He couldn''t reveal the truth¡ªthat Ludwig was an undead, incapable of feeling fatigue. Instead, he offered a plausible explanation. "I''ve often wondered the same thing," he said. "Ludwig''s stamina is¡­ unusual. I suspect he may have barbarian ancestry. Their bloodlines are known for producing individuals with extraordinary endurance."


    Vastion nodded, though his expression suggested he wasn''t entirely convinced. "Perhaps. Though his skeletal frame doesn''t exactly scream ''barbarian.'' Still, it''s the most logical explanation."


    Van Dijk''s eyes flicked back to the screen, where Ludwig was now navigating a narrow passageway, the stone lion momentarily out of sight. "There''s something else you should keep an eye on," Van Dijk said, his voice low. "Notice the shadow trailing behind him."


    Vastion and Cymoria leaned closer to the screen, their eyes narrowing as they spotted the faint, almost imperceptible shadow that seemed to move independently of Ludwig''s movements. "Is that¡­?" Cymoria began, but Van Dijk cut her off.


    "Yes," he said. "And the fact that Ludwig hasn''t noticed it yet is both concerning and instructive. This trial will teach him a valuable lesson: always be on guard, even when you think you''re safe." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ***


    Ludwig finally managed to break away from the relentless pursuit of the stone lion, his undead legs carrying him swiftly through the labyrinth''s twisting corridors. The maze''s ever-shifting walls, hidden traps, and sudden pitfalls had worked in his favor this time, allowing him to lose the lion in the chaos. He paused for a moment, leaning against a cold stone wall, his breath steady despite the exertion. For an undead, physical fatigue was a foreign concept, but the mental strain of constantly being on edge was another matter entirely.


    "What''s wrong?" Thomas''s voice echoed in Ludwig''s mind, breaking the silence. The lantern spirit had been unusually quiet, likely giving Ludwig space to focus during the chase. "I completely forgot you''re here," Ludwig replied mentally, his tone a mix of amusement and exhaustion.


    "Yeah, with all the tension, I''d assume you''d forget about poor ol'' me," Thomas said, his voice tinged with mock offense. "But you look a bit distracted. Something on your mind?"


    Ludwig frowned, his sharp eyes scanning the dimly lit corridor. He turned his head, glancing over his shoulder, but there was nothing there¡ªjust the eerie stillness of the labyrinth. "Yeah, I just have this¡­ feeling," Ludwig said, his voice low. "Feels like I''m being watched."


    Thomas chuckled, the sound echoing faintly in Ludwig''s mind. "Well, that''s obvious. I mean, the whole damn arena is watching you."


    Ludwig blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "What do you mean?" he asked, his brow furrowing.


    "Oh, you probably didn''t know," Thomas said, his tone casual. "The trials are being displayed. Everyone in the arena is watching your every move."


    "Ah, right," Ludwig muttered, his lips curling into a faint smirk. "But no, it feels different. Something closer¡­ more personal."


    Thomas''s tone shifted, becoming more serious. "I''ll keep a lookout behind you then. You focus on what''s ahead."


    "Appreciate it," Ludwig replied, his voice steady as he pushed off the wall and continued moving forward. The labyrinth was eerily quiet now, the only sounds being the occasional distant ringing of bells¡ªhunters on the move. Ludwig moved with purpose, his steps light and deliberate, his senses heightened. He made sure to peer around every corner before crossing, not wanting to be caught off guard like he had been with the lion earlier.


    His bracelet, the cursed beacon that marked his location, flared to life every five minutes, its glow piercing the dim light of the labyrinth and it sounded like the horns of hell. Each time it activated, Ludwig had to move, knowing that hunters would be drawn to the light and noise like moths to a flame. The event had settled into a strange lull, with most of the action happening elsewhere. A few students had lost their bracelets, their status shifting from prey to hunter, while others had managed to claim new beacons. Ludwig, however, remained untouched, his skills and instincts keeping him one step ahead.


    At one point, a hunter emerged from the shadows, his eyes locking onto Ludwig. Ludwig tensed, his hand instinctively reaching for the hilt of his scimitar, ready to defend himself. But to his surprise, the hunter simply raised his hands in a gesture of surrender and backed away. "Sorry, not interested in hunting you," the hunter said, his voice tinged with resignation before he disappeared down a side passage.


    Ludwig stood there for a moment, slightly annoyed. He wasn''t that strong, was he? Why was everyone avoiding him? The answer, though unbeknownst to him, was simple. Ludwig was a formidable opponent¡ªa swordsman and a mage with a sharp mind and quick reflexes. He wasn''t an easy target, and the hunters knew it. Why risk chasing him when there were weaker, more vulnerable prey to pursue? The thrill of the hunt was reserved for real predators, and Ludwig was anything but easy prey.


    Soon, the sound of bells grew louder, and Ludwig turned to see a familiar face approaching. It was Minerva, her expression a mix of frustration and relief. "Oh, you got caught," Ludwig said, his tone light but sympathetic.


    "Yeah, ambushed even¡­" Minerva replied, sighing heavily. She had two bells left on her, signaling that half the time had passed in the event. "Don''t worry, I''m not gonna hunt you," she added, though her tone suggested she wasn''t entirely happy about it. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire

 Chapter 200 - 200: LETSGOOOO CHAP 200!!!

    "It''s not like I''ll let you," Ludwig said with a smirk, his confidence unwavering.


    Minerva groaned, gesturing to the bells around her neck and wrists. "These things are annoying. Like, really annoying. They let everyone in the area know where you are, especially those lions," she said, her frustration evident.


    Ludwig tilted his head, studying her for a moment. "You realize that you''re not in such a bad position as you might think you are," he said, his voice calm and measured.


    Minerva raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What do you mean?"


    "Want a hint?" Ludwig asked, a playful glint in his eye.


    "Yes, please," Minerva said eagerly. "Everyone is simply too fast for me, and it seems like Bron told them about my [Panic] spell and how to stop it."


    Ludwig chuckled. "Oh yeah, I was wondering how come you''re still a hunter with that broken spell of yours."


    Minerva shot him a glare. "There is nothing broken about that. It''s working fine," she said, her tone defensive. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ah, I guess the term is lost on you," Ludwig said, shaking his head. "Regardless, you still have your torch, right?"


    "Yeah," Minerva replied, pulling the familiar Blue Flame Light from her ring. "But it''s not as good as I thought. It doesn''t stop the bells from ringing," she said, her shoulders slumping in disappointment.


    "I presumed as much," Ludwig said, nodding. "But remember, in the last half an hour, if you save it, you can use it to grab whoever turned you into a hunter."


    Minerva''s eyes widened as the realization hit her. "Oh, because the bells would be gone by then," she said, a spark of hope igniting in her voice.


    "Exactly," Ludwig said, his tone encouraging. "So, who turned you?"


    Minerva''s expression darkened. "It was Bron," she said, her voice laced with venom.


    Ludwig shook his head. "He already fell once. I guess he got too arrogant going by himself."


    Minerva nodded, her frustration evident. "Speaking of arrogance, how did you lose the two lions that were chasing you?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.


    "First, that''s not arrogance that''s skill, I''m hella fast," Ludwig''s expression turned serious. "Well, there''s an extra condition for this trial that Olim didn''t tell us," he said, his voice lowering.


    "What is it?" Minerva asked, leaning in slightly.


    "The lions," Ludwig explained. "Each of them has a beacon inside it. If you take one down, you can grab it. It''s an opportunity for hunters to get a beacon and clear this stage."


    Minerva''s eyes widened in surprise. "Fighting that thing is suicide¡­ and since you know that, I can assume you beat one?" she asked, her tone skeptical.


    Ludwig shook his head. "Nah, I''m not that arrogant. But the traps in this maze can take it down. Still, I''d rather not risk going against that thing. It''s pretty strong and vicious as hell."


    Minerva nodded, her expression thoughtful. "So, what now?" she asked.


    Ludwig shrugged. "You should just wait. Once the last half an hour hits, then you should start hunting. You''ll only waste your stamina and mana trying so hard right now."


    "I agree," Minerva said, her resolve firm. She began moving away from Ludwig, her steps purposeful.


    "Where are you going?" Ludwig asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "To find Bron," Minerva said, a determined smile spreading across her face. "I need to get my revenge."


    Ludwig couldn''t help but laugh. "Sure thing. Good luck with the event," he said, watching as she disappeared down a corridor. He turned and began moving in the opposite direction, his mind already shifting back to the task at hand.


    Time continued to pass, the labyrinth''s shifting walls and hidden traps keeping everyone on their toes. Several students were rotated from hunter to prey and back again, the dynamics of the event constantly changing. Another lion chased after Ludwig, but thanks to his experience, he was able to lose it with ease, using the maze''s unpredictable structure to his advantage. Two more hunters crossed his path, but with a combination of quick thinking and well-timed jumps, Ludwig managed to escape unscathed.


    Finally, the last half hour of the event arrived. Ludwig had yet to be captured or even touched, his skills and instincts keeping him ahead of the competition. He had faced countless challenges, but so far, he had emerged victorious every time.


    "Seems like you''re doing pretty fine," Thomas said, his voice breaking the silence. "You think Minerva got her beacon back?"


    Ludwig shrugged. "Beats me," he said, his tone nonchalant. "But I sure hope so."


    "Emm, Ludwig," Thomas spoke again, his tone more urgent this time.


    "What is it?" Ludwig asked, his senses immediately on high alert.


    "You said you felt something was watching you," Thomas said, his voice low.


    "Yeah," Ludwig replied, his frown deepening as he felt Thomas''s agitation.


    "Could it be that?" Thomas said, his tone ominous.


    Ludwig turned, his eyes scanning the area. At first, he saw nothing¡ªjust the dimly lit walls of the labyrinth. But then, his gaze fell on a shadow that didn''t belong. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but it was there¡ªa patch of darkness that seemed to move independently of the light.


    Before Ludwig could react, the shadow sprang forward like a snake, wrapping around his feet and yanking him off balance. He stumbled, his hand instinctively reaching for his scimitar, but the shadow was faster. The figure of the shadow manipulator emerged from the darkness, his face peeling away from Ludwig''s own shadow like a wraith materializing from the void.


    "I wanted to eliminate you at the very last second," the shadow manipulator said, his voice dripping with smug satisfaction. "But seems like you caught on to me."


    Ludwig''s eyes narrowed, his mind racing. "FIREBALL!" he howled, summoning a blazing orb of flame and hurling it toward the shadowy figure. But the enemy was faster. With a swift motion, he grabbed Ludwig by the foot, his hand brushing against the beacon on Ludwig''s wrist. In an instant, the beacon disappeared, and the shadow manipulator vanished into the darkness, leaving Ludwig standing there, his expression a mix of frustration and disbelief.


    "Fuck," Ludwig muttered, his voice low and filled with irritation. The game had just gotten a lot more complicated.

 Chapter 201 - 201: Changing Plans

    "Ah, such bad luck! He was caught!" Olim exclaimed, his voice echoing through the arena. The audience erupted into a mix of gasps and murmurs, their attention fully captured by the sudden turn of events. The screen displayed Ludwig standing frozen, his beacon now in the hands of the shadowy figure who had outmaneuvered him. The crowd was flabbergasted, their earlier admiration for Ludwig''s resilience now tinged with disbelief.


    "That is quite impressive," Vastion remarked, his tone thoughtful as he leaned back in his seat.


    "What is?" Cymoria asked, her brow furrowed. "The fact that Ludwig survived so long, or the fact that he was captured so easily?"


    "Neither," Vastion replied, his gaze fixed on the screen. "It''s the fact that Kuro was able to control his shadows so masterfully that he never revealed his own presence. In case you all missed it, he had purposefully become a hunter."


    "Indeed!" Olim chimed in, his voice brimming with excitement. He gestured to the screen, which now split to show a replay of an earlier scene. The footage revealed Kuro, the shadow manipulator, standing calmly as another hunter took his bracelet. "Most people were too focused on Ludwig and forgot about the other participants. But this happened earlier," Olim explained, pointing to the screen. "Kuro allowed himself to be captured, becoming a hunter. From there, he began tracking Ludwig, tagging a shadow behind him to constantly follow his movements."


    The audience watched in awe as the replay showed Kuro''s shadow slithering behind Ludwig, unnoticed by the undead mage. "No wonder," Olim continued. "Since he was tracking Ludwig with a shadow, he personally never needed to move from where he stood. The bells were irrelevant to him because he could simply swap his position with his own shadow and touch whoever he wanted."


    "Quite the tricky opponent," Van Dijk said, his voice calm but with a hint of admiration. He crossed his arms, his sharp eyes never leaving the screen.


    "Ah, you shouldn''t feel too bad about it, Master Van Dijk," Vastion said, a sly smile playing on his lips. "After all, no one can predict everything. Ludwig had done well, but with only half an hour left and everyone extremely wary and ready for hunters, I doubt he''ll be able to secure another bracelet for himself."


    "It''s not over until the timer is up," Van Dijk replied, his tone firm. He refused to count Ludwig out, even in the face of overwhelming odds.


    "The Tower Master is right," Olim said, nodding in agreement. Despite the odds stacked against Ludwig, he believed the undead mage could still pull off a miracle. The arena fell silent as the audience turned their attention back to the screen, where Ludwig stood alone in the labyrinth, seemingly speechless at his predicament.


    ***


    "What now?" Thomas''s voice echoed in Ludwig''s mind, breaking the silence.


    "I''m thinking," Ludwig replied, his tone calm and measured. Despite the setback, his mind was already racing, analyzing the situation and plotting his next move. Anyone else might have panicked, but Ludwig''s undead nature kept his emotions in check. Meeting a prey in this labyrinth was already difficult, and hunting them was even more challenging. Ludwig knew he had to act fast.


    "I never expected that," Thomas admitted, his voice tinged with regret. "I should''ve noticed the shadow earlier."


    "Me neither," Ludwig said, his eyes narrowing as he replayed the events in his mind. "I thought all hunters with bells would be exposed. The fact that Kuro could track me without making a sound¡­ it''s a terrifying ability."


    "My bad, man," Thomas replied, his tone apologetic.


    "Nah, don''t worry about it," Ludwig said, shaking his head. He began stretching his limbs, his body preparing for the next phase of the trial. "What''s done is done. Now, we move forward."


    "Are you going on a hunt?" Thomas asked, his voice curious.


    "Yep," Ludwig replied, his tone resolute.


    "Well, you better hurry then. I think the beacons will light up soon," Thomas said, his voice urgent.


    "Nah, I''m not hunting students," Ludwig said, his lips curling into a faint smirk.


    "Wait, why?" Thomas asked, his confusion evident. "You''re not planning on hunting another lion, are you? The first one was a fluke, you know."


    "I know," Ludwig said, his tone calm but determined. "But consider this: it''s the last few minutes. No one is going to be easy prey, and everyone will be running away. I might be able to catch someone, sure, but it''s risky running around. I''m not used to being a hunter, so I basically have no experience in this event. Learning from scratch would be redundant. And the difference between the lions and the students is that the students will be running away from me, while the lion will be coming at me. I''ll have an easier time taking down something that fights back than someone who''s adamantly running away."


    Just as he finished his words, the sound of a beacon echoed in the far distance, its faint ringing barely audible through the labyrinth''s twisting corridors.


    "Damn, that''s very far away," Thomas said, his voice tinged with frustration.


    "Yes, that means in this area, we''re probably the only ones here," Ludwig said, his tone calm. "Even better," he added, a determined glint in his eye as he began moving.


    Ludwig was scorned, but he wasn''t about to get stuck thinking about it. For now, he needed to figure a way out of his current predicament before he could even think about getting his "revenge." He began sprinting through the labyrinth, his sword in hand, tapping at the walls as he moved. The metallic clang of his blade against the stone echoed through the corridors, creating a cacophony of noise.


    "What''s the reason for this?" Thomas asked, his voice puzzled. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I need to make some noise. The lions should hear it," Ludwig replied, his tone focused.


    Not long after, a deep, guttural roar vibrated through the labyrinth, signaling that a lion had caught on to Ludwig''s presence and was now coming after him. The ground trembled slightly as the massive stone creature bounded through the corridors, its glowing eyes locked onto its prey.

 Chapter 202 - 202: Against The Odds

    Soon, the lion''s massive form emerged from behind one of the labyrinth''s walls, its glowing eyes locking onto Ludwig with predatory focus. Just as it noticed Ludwig, it charged forward, its speed astonishing for something so large. The ground trembled beneath its weight as it barreled toward him, its jaws open in a silent roar.


    But Ludwig, instead of running away like he had done countless times before, stood his ground. His eyes narrowed, his mind calculating every possible move. He raised his hand, his voice firm and unwavering as he chanted, "Bounds of Latvia!"


    "It''ll break it," Thomas warned, his tone urgent.


    "Not if it''s focused," Ludwig replied, his voice calm but determined. He didn''t aim for the lion''s entire body¡ªthat would be too much for his mana to handle. Instead, he targeted just one of its legs. The chains sprang up from the ground, coiling around the lion''s right front leg mid-leap. The sudden restraint caused the lion to stagger, its momentum carrying it forward as it tumbled to the ground with a thunderous crash.


    The lion roared in indignation, its massive body writhing as it tried to free itself from the magical chains. Whether it was rage or simply frustration at being humiliated, the lion''s fury was palpable. But by the time it reared up and roared again, Ludwig was already gone, his figure disappearing into the labyrinth''s twisting corridors.


    The lion, now enraged, barreled through the maze after Ludwig, tearing through the softer walls with its sheer strength. Its goal was clear: to crush and rip apart the undead who had dared to humiliate it.


    Ludwig''s plan was simple: to lure the lion into one of the labyrinth''s traps. Whether it was the massive pits lined with steel spears or the pillars that swung down at random intervals, Ludwig knew that using the environment to his advantage was his best chance at taking down the beast.


    But as he ran, a frown began to form on Ludwig''s face. Something felt off.


    "Something is off," Thomas said, his voice echoing Ludwig''s thoughts.


    "Yeah, I think I noticed the same¡­" Ludwig replied, his tone grim. "The traps¡­ they''re all gone."


    The realization hit him like a punch to the gut. The labyrinth, which had been filled with deadly traps just moments ago, now seemed eerily empty. The pits were covered, the pillars no longer swung, and the walls no longer shifted. It was as if the labyrinth itself had decided to give the lion a clear path to its prey.


    Ludwig''s mind raced as he tried to make sense of the situation. Had the labyrinth''s mechanics changed? Or was this part of the trial, designed to make the final moments even more challenging? Whatever the reason, Ludwig knew he had to adapt¡ªand fast.


    The lion''s roar echoed through the corridors, growing louder with each passing second. Ludwig tightened his grip on his sword, his eyes scanning the area for any sign of a trap or an advantage. He wasn''t about to let the labyrinth¡ªor the lion¡ªget the better of him.


    "Time to improvise," Ludwig muttered, his voice low but determined. The game wasn''t over yet, and he wasn''t about to go down without a fight.


    "Are you seriously thinking of fighting that head-on?" Thomas asked, his concern showing in his voice.


    "Yeah, it''s not like we have another choice," Ludwig replied as the lion bounded toward him, its massive form closing the distance with terrifying speed.


    "It''s gonna get tricky," Ludwig said as he waved his hand forward. "Exhaust!"


    [Your Exhaust is half effective due to your target being wary of you!]


    The spell washed over the lion, but its effects were diminished. Ludwig decided against using Enfeeble to further weaken the lion, it was a half curse, and everyone was watching, better be safe than sorry. Instead, he focused on enhancing his own abilities.


    "Galvanize!" Ludwig shouted, his voice echoing through the corridor.


    [For 30 seconds, all your physical stats have increased by 20%!]


    Ludwig could immediately feel the power of Galvanize coursing through his Nephilium vines.


    "Vengeance!" he cast again, his voice filled with determination. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [For 300 seconds, all your physical stats have been increased by 50%! All damage received will be doubled. All damage dealt will be increased by 20%! Your stamina usage will be three times the norm.]


    Ludwig''s body immediately began to burn red, a visible aura of power surrounding him. He exhaled through gritted teeth, releasing a powerful stream of vapor. The sheer intensity of the buffs made his undead form feel alive with energy.


    "That''s more like it!" Ludwig said, his voice filled with a mix of excitement and resolve. He charged forward at the lion, his scimitar gleaming in the dim light of the labyrinth.


    The two collided mid-air, Ludwig''s scimitar landing right into the forehead of the lion. The impact was brutal, the sound of metal striking stone echoing through the corridor. The lion, caught off guard by Ludwig''s sudden aggression, missed its paw swing, the massive limb striking the wall instead. The force of the blow made the entire labyrinth vibrate, dust and pebbles raining down from the ceiling.


    However, Ludwig didn''t expect one thing to happen in that clash.


    A sudden notification popped up in front of him.


    [Your weapon has been destroyed!]


    The shards of the scimitar flew everywhere as it exploded upon impact. The damage numbers didn''t show up¡ªafter all, the stone lion was a construct, technically without health. But the destruction of his weapon left Ludwig momentarily stunned.


    He pushed himself back from the reeling lion, which roared again, its stone face cracking slightly from the force of Ludwig''s strike. It snarled at him, its glowing eyes filled with rage, and began prudently approaching him, its massive form looming over Ludwig like a living mountain.


    "What now, chief?" Thomas asked, his voice tinged with concern.


    "This is a bit disturbing," Ludwig admitted, his eyes darting to the shattered remains of his scimitar. "That was my only weapon, and it''s gone¡­"

 Chapter 203 - 203: Recovery

    "Feels like your buffs are wasted," Thomas said, his tone skeptical.


    "Nah," Ludwig denied, shaking his head. "Though they''re mostly physical-enhancing buffs, they''re still useful for maneuverability." He raised his hands, his fingers crackling with magical energy. "[Fire Ball!]"


    Ludwig knew he couldn''t use any of his sword skills without a sword, so he switched back to magic. Time was ticking, and he didn''t have much more time left in the clock.


    A powerful explosive ball of fire shot forward from Ludwig''s hands, hurtling toward the lion with blazing intensity. The lion, now wary of Ludwig''s tricks, swatted the fireball away with a massive paw, bursting it apart into a surge of flames that harmlessly brushed past its stone body. But Ludwig wasn''t done.


    "Explosive Mines!" he shouted, his voice filled with determination. Two small, glowing orbs materialized in front of Ludwig''s palms, crackling with unstable energy. He hurled them toward the lion with precision, the orbs streaking through the air like comets. The lion, still recovering from the fireball, wasn''t prepared for the two explosive mines that followed. The orbs detonated right in front of its face, the force of the explosion rattling its stone form. Cracks began to appear on its face, the first signs of damage Ludwig had managed to inflict.


    "Looks like there is some hope," Ludwig said, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He flexed both hands to the side, two more [Explosive Mines] manifesting in front of his palms. The glowing orbs hovered menacingly, ready to be unleashed. "Let''s see how well a lion can be cooked!" Ludwig said, his voice filled with a mix of determination and dark humor. He hurled the explosive mines at the lion, the orbs streaking through the air like comets.


    The lion roared, clearly remembering the damage it had suffered from the last couple of explosions. It tried to bob and weave, its massive form surprisingly agile for something made of stone. But Ludwig simply snapped his fingers, triggering the orbs to blow up against its side. The lion was rattled, its stone body cracking further under the force of the explosions, but it refused to go down. It kept pursuing Ludwig, its glowing eyes locked onto him with relentless focus.


    Ludwig, once again, found himself running. The timer kept ticking, and every time he heard the sound of the beacons echoing in the labyrinth, he felt the pressure mounting. "That''s the fifth one," Thomas reminded him, his voice tense. Meaning he only had less than five minutes left, and the lion behind him wasn''t fully downed yet. No matter how many orbs he threw at it, the lion would simply bulldoze through them. Though cracks and fissures appeared on its face and body, it was still not to the point that it would break completely.


    Ludwig remained calm and collected, his mind sharp despite the grit of his clenched jaw. He didn''t even realize he was doing it, his focus entirely on the task at hand. But just as he thought he might finally gain the upper hand, a wall not too far ahead burst open, revealing another lion that had just emerged, breaking through the stone as if it were made of paper.


    Ludwig was caught in a long corridor without any chance of escape, two lions now closing in on him from opposite directions. He stood still for a moment, his eyes darting between the two massive predators. The lions reared up and roared, their howls bone-rattling, their massive feet cracking and breaking the floor as they bounded forward. The two of them jumped at Ludwig simultaneously, their jaws open wide, their claws extended, ready to crush him between them.


    "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Thomas shouted, his voice filled with panic.


    Ludwig waited for the last possible moment, his body coiled like a spring. "[Summersault Slam]" Just as the lions were mid-jump, he crouched down, the hilt of his broken sword clutched tightly in his hand.


    Ludwig''s body flung upward, his movements a blur as he barely dodged both lions. Their claws struck empty air, and they collided with each other, their massive forms crashing together with a thunderous impact. Ludwig''s body spun in the air, his movements precise and calculated. As he came down, he realized he no longer had a sword¡ªthe blade had been shattered to pieces. But that didn''t stop him.


    "Self Immolation!" Ludwig chanted, his voice filled with resolve. His right arm roared to life with incendiary flames, the heat intense enough to make the air around him shimmer. He struck down at the lion with the cracked head, his flaming fist slamming into its stone skull with devastating force.


    Now, here, Ludwig with all these buffs¡ªhis strength amplified by [Galvanize] and [Vengeance]¡ªbelieved that he would at least deal decent enough damage to the lion. But frankly, he was grossly underestimating himself. For an undead, his base physical strength was already far beyond that of a normal human. Coupled with the hundred-plus points he had invested in strength, he was at the level of a monster in terms of raw power. Not only that, Ludwig had also increased his physical prowess by seventy percent from [Galvanize] and [Vengeance].


    The closed fist of Self Immolation that he thought would merely wound the lion ended up exceeding his expectations¡ªto the point that even he didn''t fully understand the extent of his own power. As his fist landed on the lion''s head, a fraction of a second passed before a fissure-like crack spread like a spiderweb across the lion''s stone skull. In that moment, incredible amounts of fire mana surged within those cracks, causing a bone-rattling, ground-trembling explosion of raw power.


    A notification appeared in front of Ludwig but he dismissed it immediately, he didn''t have time to waste with reading that right now.


    The lion''s head blew apart, shattering into countless shards of stone and rough-cut boulders. The force of the explosion was so immense that the recoil struck Ludwig with several sharp pieces of stone, the damage notifications flashing in his mind.


    [-112 HP!]


    [-15 HP!]


    [-88 HP!]


    As for the unfortunate second lion, it was struck hard enough by the shards of its brethren that it winced away, giving Ludwig a moment to react. His face lit up as he saw the beacon lying amidst the rubble of the destroyed lion. He didn''t hesitate. He jumped at the beacon, his hand outstretched, just as the second lion recovered and lunged at him.


    The moment Ludwig''s fingers brushed against the beacon, he felt the familiar sensation of teleportation. The lion''s massive arm passed through his afterimage as he was whisked away, leaving the enraged predator roaring in frustration.


    Ludwig reappeared in a new section of the labyrinth, the beacon now securely in his possession. He took a moment to catch his breath, his mind racing with the implications of what had just happened. He had taken down a stone lion with nothing but his fists and sheer determination. The realization of his own strength was both exhilarating and terrifying. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Well," Thomas said, his voice filled with awe, "that was something."


    Ludwig smirked, his confidence renewed. "Yeah," he said, his voice steady. "something indeed," he replied as he looked around. The new section of the labyrinth was also similar to where he was, everything gave a sense of familiarity yet confusion.


    Now that he became a prey, he still needed to be careful, there was still about a minute or so left, so he could still be taken down.


    And just as his eyes were scanning the place, the sound of calm and confident footsteps echoed in front of him.


    "Oh, you got your beacon back," he heard. And that was Minerva''s voice. Only then did Ludwig remember, the last time he met here¡­ she was a Hunter.

 Chapter 204 - 204: Finals

    "So, you''re here," Ludwig said, his voice calm but with a hint of amusement as he looked at Minerva. She stood a few feet away, her posture relaxed but her eyes sharp, scanning him with a mix of curiosity and relief.


    "Yeah, I can see that you got your beacon back," she replied, her tone light but with a touch of admiration. She gestured to his wrist, where the beacon now glowed faintly, signaling his status as prey once more. Ludwig couldn''t help but smile. His mana was still surging from the buffs he had cast earlier, and he felt more than ready for whatever came next¡ªeven if it meant facing Minerva herself.


    "I did get my revenge, though," Minerva said, a satisfied smirk playing on her lips. She held up her right arm, revealing the beacon on her wrist. "Managed to recover my status as prey. Now I can pass."


    "Good, good," Ludwig said, his smile widening. "Bron must be pissed."


    "Serves him right," Minerva said with a shrug. "He betrayed me first by revealing my trick. Still, I''m surprised you even got taken down. I thought you were unstoppable."


    "How did you know I got taken down?" Ludwig asked, his brow furrowing slightly. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The shadow guy," Minerva said, her tone turning serious. "He bragged about it to us, saying he successfully hunted you."


    Ludwig''s expression darkened, his jaw tightening. "Yeah, I have a score to settle with him," he said, his voice low and filled with determination.


    Before Minerva could respond, both of their bodies began to dematerialize, the familiar sensation of teleportation washing over them. It wasn''t painful, just a strange, weightless feeling as they were whisked away from the labyrinth. A bright light enveloped them, and when it faded, they found themselves standing in the center of the arena.


    The crowd erupted into cheers, the sound deafening as the audience celebrated the survivors of the trials. Ludwig looked around, taking in the sight of the massive coliseum filled with students, professors, and spectators. The energy was electric, and for a moment, he allowed himself to bask in it.


    "Congratulations!" Olim''s voice boomed over the crowd, amplified by magic. "You have managed to successfully clear your respective events and qualify for the final trial of this tournament¡ªan elimination team-based battle!"


    Ludwig frowned, his mind racing. All of those trials, all of that effort, just for a team elimination? Why not start with that first? It seemed like a waste of time and energy.


    "I know what most of you are thinking," Olim continued, as if reading Ludwig''s mind. "But this tournament was open to all. The reason we gave the students those trials was to weed out the weak. Many have been eliminated, from all levels too. What is surprising is the fact that the first years have actually managed to reach this far with so many numbers. I can honestly say that we have a lot of good talent this year." His gaze lingered on Ludwig for a moment, and Ludwig felt a flicker of pride despite himself.


    "You made it," a familiar voice said, pulling Ludwig from his thoughts. He turned to see Kaela approaching, her armor battered and scarred, but her smile wide and genuine. For someone so petite, she carried herself with an air of unshakable confidence. Ludwig couldn''t help but be impressed by her resilience.


    "That looks like it would hurt," Ludwig said, gesturing to the cuts and bruises that marred her armor.


    "Because it does," Kaela replied with a laugh, though there was a wince in her voice. She looked around, her expression shifting to one of concern. "Where''s Sabrina?"


    "Good luck!" a voice called from the stadium. Ludwig and Kaela turned to see Sabrina waving at them from the stands, her expression sheepish.


    Kaela grabbed her communication device, her tone sharp. "Did you get disqualified? Who beat you?"


    Sabrina hesitated for a moment before replying, her voice barely audible over the noise of the crowd. "Actually, I fell asleep during the first round, so I never reached the end zone¡­"


    Kaela''s face went through a series of emotions¡ªshock, disbelief, and finally, rage. "IT''S A TEAM BATTLE, FOR GOD''S SAKE, AND YOU GOT ELIMINATED BECAUSE YOU FELL ASLEEP?!" Her voice was so loud that even Professor Olim had to cough to regain control of the crowd.


    "Students," Olim said, his tone firm but amused, "those of you who had their teammates eliminated will clearly be at a disadvantage. But nothing is fair in life. This last event might be the simplest, or the most complicated. For now, everyone should take a ten-minute break to ready up for the next part of this event. Rest up, tend to your wounds, and let''s convene back here in ten minutes."


    As the students began to disperse, Kaela immediately stormed off toward Sabrina, her frustration evident. Ludwig simply shook his head, a wry smile on his face. Losing a third-year teammate was a rough blow, especially since most third-years were the strongest of the students. The second-years, on the other hand, were few and far between to find powerful people among, nothing Kaela would have to worry about, but among them, Haku stood out. He was the only one who didn''t have a single scratch or wound on him, his long-sleeved arms wrapped around his sword as he moved to the seats.


    Ludwig headed to the stadium and noticed Bron sitting nearby. "You cleared?" Bron asked, his tone neutral but with a hint of surprise. "I should''ve guessed as much. That guy must have lied," he added, glancing toward Kuro, who had a stunned expression on his face.


    "Yeah, I still need to pay him back for what he did," Ludwig said, his voice calm but with an edge of determination. "Also, congrats on clearing."


    Bron didn''t reply, his pride clearly wounded after being taken down by Minerva. But for someone who had managed to recover and clear the trials despite that, Ludwig couldn''t help but feel a semblance of respect for him, even if his arrogant attitude was grating.

 Chapter 205 - 205: Masterwork

    Once Ludwig reached his former empty seat in the stadium and sat down, a familiar voice caught his attention. "Oh, you managed to survive so long. From what I heard, you did pretty great."


    Ludwig turned to see the same girl from before, the one who had tried to charm him. She was leaning casually against the railing, her smile sly and her eyes gleaming with mischief.


    "Melissa, I told you, get your dirty claws off him. He''s my teammate!" Kaela shouted, her voice carrying across the stands.


    Melissa held up both hands in mock surrender, her grin widening. "You don''t have to worry about me hunting him. Most would actually come to me willingly." She brushed a hand over her chest, her tone dripping with playful arrogance. "After all, I do have a bigger personality¡ªquite hospitable too."


    Ludwig turned his head away, not out of embarrassment, but simply because he wasn''t interested. Even if he were, he couldn''t¡ªhe was an undead, a skeleton. He lacked the¡­ necessary components to satisfy such interests.


    "I''d ask that you let me fight him first," Haku said, his voice calm but firm as he sat next to Melissa. His eyes were locked on Ludwig, a spark of anticipation in his gaze. "I want to see his swordsmanship."


    Ludwig met Haku''s gaze, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "We''ll see," he said, his tone neutral but with a hint of challenge. The final trial was about to begin, and Ludwig was ready. Whatever came next, he would face it head-on.


    "He''s just a brute," Bron added, his tone dripping with disdain as he leaned back in his seat, arms crossed over his chest. His sharp eyes flicked toward Ludwig, a smirk playing on his lips. "I doubt you''ll see any swordsmanship from him. He''s all brawn, no finesse."


    Ludwig felt a flicker of annoyance at Bron''s words, but he kept his expression neutral. He wasn''t one to rise to petty taunts, especially not from someone like Bron, whose arrogance seemed to know no bounds. Instead, Ludwig simply shrugged and held up the hilt of his broken scimitar, the blade shattered beyond repair. "I don''t think I''ll be able to show you anything," Ludwig said, his voice calm but with a hint of resignation. "I lost my only sword."


    Haku, seated nearby, frowned at Ludwig''s words. His sharp, calculating eyes narrowed as he studied the broken weapon in Ludwig''s hand. "A swordsman who isn''t taking care of his weapon is hardly someone worth paying attention to," Haku said, his tone cold and dismissive. "I''m disappointed."


    Ludwig sighed, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "Sure, sure," he replied, his tone flat. It wasn''t his fault that the Djinn''s weapons were trash. He had done his best with what he had, but even the most well-maintained blade couldn''t withstand the kind of punishment he had put it through. Still, he didn''t feel the need to explain himself to Haku or Bron. They could think what they wanted.


    Just as the tension between them began to simmer, a familiar voice cut through the air. "Ludwig!"


    Ludwig turned to see Professor Joana approaching, a wrapped-up item cradled carefully in her hands. Her face was lit up with a wide smile, her eyes sparkling with pride as she spotted her student. "Ah, you made it!" she said, her voice warm and enthusiastic.


    "Of course, professor," Ludwig replied, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "What brings you here?"


    Joana descended the stairs with a graceful ease, coming to stand beside Ludwig. She held out the wrapped item to him, her expression turning serious. "Your weapon is ready," she said. "Erdna said it was a fine weapon to work on, it could reach the levels of a Masterpiece, but he was missing some key materials to further improve it. For now, use it as is, and once he obtains what he requires, he''ll further enhance it."


    Ludwig''s eyes widened slightly as he took the wrapped item from her hands. He could feel the weight of it, solid and reassuring, and he quickly began to unravel the cloth. As the wrapping fell away, he revealed the long chain and the shard, but there was something different about it now. The shard itself was attached to a sturdy-looking handle, transforming it into what appeared to be a one-handed scythe. A small spring-like mechanism connected the handle to the shard, and Ludwig''s curiosity was immediately piqued.


    "Imbue it with mana and flick it," Joana instructed, her voice filled with anticipation. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig did as she asked, and the moment he flicked the mechanism, the shard snapped up, transforming into a sword with the handle fixed tightly in place. The bottom of the handle had another lock-like feature that seemed to correspond to one of the Soul Shackle''s ends. Ludwig immediately understood what it was for and pushed the two ends together. The sword and the chain locked together seamlessly, forming a single, cohesive weapon.


    "Hoo," Haku said, his voice low and impressed as he observed the transformation. "Erdna, the Workshop master? He''s famous for his unusual weapons¡­" Haku''s eyes gleamed with interest as he leaned forward slightly. "Are you willing to sell that sword to me, Ludwig?"


    Ludwig chuckled, shaking his head. "Brother, I haven''t even got to use it yet," he said, his tone light but firm. He wasn''t about to part with a weapon that had just been handed to him, especially one crafted by someone as renowned as Erdna, The Imperial Craftsman.


    Bron, however, wasn''t nearly as impressed. He frowned, his nose wrinkling in distaste as he eyed the weapon. "I don''t even see that as a weapon," he said, his tone dismissive. "That''s just a chain attached to a sickle¡­ are you weeding grass or something?"


    Ludwig smirked, unfazed by Bron''s jab. "Maybe," he said, his tone playful. He attached the brace on one end of the chain to his left arm, and the entire chain seemed to disappear inside it, leaving only the sword in his other hand. With a quick flick, the weapon transformed back into a one-handed scythe, the blade gleaming in the light.

 Chapter 206 - 206: Challenger

    Joana watched with a mixture of pride and mild skepticism. "Though I''m not the biggest fan of scythes since they''re hardly an appropriate weapon for combat," she said, her tone thoughtful, "but you do you." With that, she began climbing back up the stairs, leaving Ludwig to his new weapon.


    Kaela, who had been observing the exchange, stepped closer, her eyes fixed on the weapon. "That looks like an interesting weapon," she said, her tone appreciative.


    "It should get the job done," Ludwig replied, his confidence growing as he tested the weight and balance of the scythe. "I''ve been playing with half my strength up until now. This should level the playing field."


    "Well, good," Kaela said, though her expression was still tinged with concern. "We''ll need that. If it''s a team battle, we''re already on the losing side of things. Without Sabrina, we''ll have a harder time clearing the next stage." She sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly.


    "Let''s just do our best," Ludwig said, his tone firm and reassuring. He wasn''t one to dwell on what-ifs or lament the absence of a teammate. They would make do with what they had, and he was determined to give it his all.


    Though inwardly, Ludwig couldn''t help but feel a pang of disappointment. He had hoped to complete Necros''s quest, but with Sabrina eliminated, their chances of winning the tournament had taken a significant hit. Still, he reminded himself that the quest didn''t specify he needed to take first place¡ªonly that he had to achieve something remarkable. And given everything he had already accomplished, he was confident he had done that much. The quest hadn''t ended yet, though, so Ludwig presumed it would only conclude once the tournament was over.


    After the rest time was done, Olim''s voice boomed across the arena, drawing everyone''s attention. "Students, please proceed to the arena once again. This time, there won''t be any transportation. We will be doing a team battle. If you look up, you''ll see the teams left and those who''ll be competing. From the looks of things, more than half of the first years have been eliminated. A third of the second years are out, and, in a strange turn of events, almost the entire third year has been eliminated, save for a few students¡­" Olim said, his tone carrying a note of surprise.


    Ludwig glanced up at the screen, taking in the information. About half of the roster was already gone, and the remaining teams were sparse, with only one or two members left. Haku, Bron, and Melissa were all on the same team, having managed to preserve their forces. Minerva, sadly, was the only one left of her team, while Ludwig was paired with Kaela. Many other students were left solo, their teams decimated by the earlier trials.


    "For this team battle, the goal is simple," Olim continued. "The last team standing wins. One member of your team will stand on the arena and take on challengers, regardless of study year. The goal is to stay standing the longest. No potions are allowed. So, do your best to win."


    Ludwig frowned, his mind racing as he processed the rules. This didn''t sound like a great trial. After all, who in their right mind would be dumb enough to go up to the arena first? It was a surefire way to get worn down by successive opponents.


    Just as the thought formed in Ludwig''s mind, Olim coughed, as if reading his thoughts. "Oh, I forgot to mention. Since no one would probably walk up to the arena first, we''ll be drawing lots. One random person will go up on the stage." Olim clapped his hands, and the screen above him changed. It began shuffling through the students'' pictures one after another in rapid succession until he clapped again. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The student''s face that appeared on the screen was none other than Ludwig''s.


    Ludwig could hear the snickering from his side. He turned to see Bron smirking at him. "Tough luck, man," Bron said, his tone dripping with mock sympathy. "I guess you''ll be taken out long before you can fight me."


    Ludwig didn''t pay him any mind. He simply stood, his expression calm and resolute, and walked up to the arena. He pulled out the one-handed scythe, unlatched the chain on his left arm, and stood ready, his stance steady and confident.


    "Seems like your student has awful luck," Vastion said, his tone laced with amusement as he observed Ludwig''s predicament.


    Master Van Dijk, however, didn''t speak. His eyes were focused on the screen, and only he could see the faint trace of magic that had subtly influenced the screen''s display. He didn''t say much, choosing instead to keep his thoughts to himself as he continued to watch.


    "I think Ludwig can take down a good portion of first years before he passes the baton to his senior," Cymoria said, her tone thoughtful.


    "It''s unfortunate that their third year had been eliminated," Olim added, his voice carrying a note of regret. "Otherwise, I would be thinking that Ludwig''s team would actually be a contender for the team that can head to the Five Tower Tournament." He turned to address the audience and the students around the arena. "Ludwig Heart is the first contender! To make things simpler and less chaotic, in front of each of the competing students is a small device."


    Around the arena, there were indeed several metallic boxes on pedestals. "If you wish to fight Ludwig, press the button on the box. Your names will be added to a random selection pool, and one name will be randomly picked to go up against the contender."


    However, no one seemed to be in a hurry to press the buttons. The students exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of hesitation and calculation. Everyone was waiting for someone else to make the first move.


    Time kept going by as Ludwig waited, his scythe resting at his side, his eyes scanning the crowd. The tension in the arena was palpable, the silence stretching on as the students weighed their options. Ludwig remained calm, his focus unwavering. He was ready for whatever came next.

 Chapter 207 - 207: First Victory

    "What''s wrong with them?" Thomas asked, his voice echoing in Ludwig''s mind as the silence in the arena stretched on. The students around the perimeter of the arena seemed frozen, their hands hovering near the metallic boxes but not pressing the buttons. "I mean, they sure know you''re strong, but at least one would try and challenge you, right?"


    Ludwig smirked, his eyes scanning the crowd as he stood in the center of the arena, his one-handed scythe resting casually at his side. "Think about it," he replied mentally, his tone calm and analytical. "If they fight me, regardless of who wins or loses, they''ll be tired. The first person to go up to the arena isn''t the one at a disadvantage¡ªit''s the one who wins their first fight. And they all know that even if they win, they''ll have to fight more and more students afterward. So, no one wants to risk it."


    Thomas let out a low whistle, impressed by Ludwig''s reasoning. "I see. But aren''t the third years also here? They should at least think they''re strong enough to take you down."


    Ludwig shook his head slightly, his expression thoughtful. "They''ll be under the same problem. Even if they take me out, they''ll spend resources doing so, which will leave them vulnerable to other third years. It''s a game of attrition, and no one wants to be the first to make a move."


    "Ah, I see," Thomas said, his tone shifting to one of understanding. "I guess you have some good fortune then. No one''s challenging you, so you might just get a free pass."


    Ludwig''s smirk faded slightly, replaced by a more serious expression. "Nah, I''m not so sure about that," he said, his voice low. He knew this stalemate was only temporary. Someone was bound to press the button eventually, and once that happened, the chain reaction would begin. The tension in the arena was grave, the silence almost deafening as the students weighed their options.


    "This is getting a bit annoying," Olim''s voice boomed across the arena, breaking the silence. His tone carried a hint of frustration as he addressed the crowd. "Remember, if no one challenges Ludwig, he''ll automatically be given the right to pass this trial and enter the Five Tower Tournament."


    The announcement seemed to stir the students into action. A murmur rippled through the crowd, and Ludwig could see the hesitation on their faces slowly giving way to determination. The stakes were too high to let Ludwig walk away without a fight.


    "God damn it," one of the students muttered, breaking the tension. It was Vini. He stepped forward, his expression a mix of resignation and determination, and pressed the button on one of the metallic boxes. His name appeared on the screen above the arena, and the crowd erupted into cheers.


    Without anyone else challenging Ludwig, Vini was asked to move to the arena. He nodded at Ludwig as he stepped forward, his posture tense but his eyes filled with resolve. "Let''s do our best, Ludwig," he said, his voice steady despite the nerves Ludwig could sense radiating from him.


    Ludwig nodded back, his expression calm but serious. "Good luck," he said, his tone respectful. He wasn''t one to underestimate an opponent, no matter how inexperienced they might seem.


    "The rules are simple!" Olim announced, his voice carrying over the noise of the crowd. "Make your opponent surrender, do enough damage that one of the teachers has to intervene to stop the match, or ring out. If you manage to push your opponent off the rims, it''s an automatic victory." He paused, his gaze sweeping over Ludwig and Vini. "Are the rules clear for all?"


    Ludwig nodded, his grip tightening on his scythe. Vini did the same, though his hands trembled slightly as he raised his wand. The crowd fell silent, the tension in the air almost suffocating as the two combatants prepared for the match.


    "Alright! MATCH START!" Olim shouted, his voice echoing through the arena.


    The moment the words left his mouth, Ludwig moved. His body was a blur, his scythe flashing in the light as he closed the distance between himself and Vini in an instant. Vini barely had time to funnel any mana in his wand. Ludwig''s scythe came with great force at Vinni''s wand, immediately disarming him.


    But Ludwig wasn''t done. He flicked his wrist, and the chain attached to his scythe lashed out like a whip, wrapping around Vini''s other arm and yanking him forward. Vinni staggered as he realized the strength behind Ludwig''s skinny frame was preposterous. Vini''s eyes widened in shock. He tried to counterattack, a spell, any spell, but Ludwig was already moving, his scythe spinning in a deadly arc.


    The blade of the scythe grazed Vini''s arm, and he stumbled, his balance faltering. Ludwig didn''t give him a chance to recover. He stepped forward, his movements fluid and precise, and delivered a swift, calculated power kick to Vini''s side. The force of the blow sent Vini sprawling to the ground. Ludwig could feel a couple of ribs breaking from the sheer force.


    The crowd gasped, the match over almost as quickly as it had begun. Vini lay on his back, frothing at the mouth with his eyes rolled back, completely unconscious. Ludwig stood over him, his expression. Not a single sign of exhaustion on his face. His undead nature made him immune to trivial things like exhaustion.


    "M-MATCH OVER!" Olim shouted, his voice filled with a mix of surprise and excitement. The crowd erupted into cheers, the tension in the arena breaking as the first match came to an abrupt end.


    Ludwig stepped back, his scythe resting at his side as he looked down at Vini. He felt a flicker of sympathy for the boy¡ªhe had put up a good fight. The few broken bones should be a reminder to not get close to a melee fighter as a mage. The teachers quickly moved in to tend to Vini, their hands glowing with healing magic as they worked to revive him. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As the crowd continued to cheer, Ludwig turned his attention back to the metallic boxes on the pedestals. The first challenge had been dealt with, but he knew this was only the beginning. The next opponent would be stronger, more prepared, and Ludwig would need to be ready.


    "Well, that was quick," Thomas said, his voice filled with amusement. "Guess they''ll think twice before challenging you now."


    Ludwig smirked, his confidence growing. "Nah, if you want to make things more interesting," Ludwig said as he pointed his scythe at a specific person around the arena, "Why don''t you get up here, we have a score to settle."


    Kuro, who was on the other end of the scythe smiled, "Sure, let''s do this then."

 Chapter 208 - 208: Duel In Shadows

    No other student but Kuro decided to challenge Ludwig, so they all remained standing, watching with bated breath as Kuro confidently strode up the stage. The arena, bathed in the fading light of the evening, seemed to hold its breath as the two opponents faced each other. The shadows cast by the setting sun stretched long and dark across the arena floor, creating an eerie, almost otherworldly atmosphere.


    Kuro''s lips curled into a sly grin as he stopped a few paces away from Ludwig, his dark eyes glinting with a mix of amusement and challenge. "I guess you made it," he said, his voice smooth and dripping with mockery. "I thought you were done for after I took your beacon. You''re full of surprises, aren''t you?"


    Ludwig''s expression remained calm, though his grip on his scythe tightened ever so slightly. He tilted his head, eyes locking onto Kuro''s gaze. "Unlike you," Ludwig replied, his voice steady and cold, "I would have made sure my target was down before going around declaring victory. But here we are. Now, show me what you''ve got."


    Kuro chuckled, a low, almost menacing sound that echoed faintly across the arena. He spread his arms wide, as if inviting Ludwig to make the first move. "Oh, I''ll show you more than you can handle."


    From the sidelines, Olim''s booming voice cut through the tension like a knife. "Alright!" he shouted, his hands raised high to signal the start of the match. "Let the second match commence!"


    The crowd erupted into cheers, but Ludwig barely registered the noise. His focus was entirely on Kuro, who stood before him like a shadow given form. The young man''s ability to control shadows was annoying, and Ludwig couldn''t help but notice how the dimming sky and the long shadows cast by the stadium''s towering walls played to Kuro''s advantage.


    Without hesitation, Ludwig waved his hand, summoning more than a dozen explosive mines that materialized in the air around him. The glowing orbs hovered for a moment before he sent them scattering across the arena floor, each one landing with a soft thud and emitting a faint, pulsating light. The mines were placed strategically, close to the ground.


    Kuro raised an eyebrow, his smirk widening as he watched Ludwig''s actions. "What are you doing?" he asked, his tone dripping with mock curiosity. He took a step forward, his body beginning to shimmer and distort, as if he were melting into the very shadows beneath his feet. "You should know," he added, his voice echoing from multiple directions, "physical objects are pretty useless against me."


    With that, Kuro''s form dissolved into the shadows, merging seamlessly with the darkness that stretched across the arena. Ludwig''s eyes scanned the ground, searching for any sign of movement. He didn''t move from his spot, instead continuing to release more explosive mines.


    "Those are useless!" Kuro''s voice taunted, seeming to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. Suddenly, a spear made of pure shadow erupted from the ground beneath Ludwig, its tip glinting with an unnatural darkness. Ludwig reacted instantly, spinning his body to the side with a fluid grace that belied his skeletal frame. The spear missed him by inches, dissipating into wisps of shadow as it passed.


    Ludwig didn''t pause. He kept moving, his chain whirling in his left hand while his right gripped the scythe tightly. More shadowy spears rose from the ground, cascading after him like a wave of darkness. Each one was met with a swift dodge or a well-timed sidestep, Ludwig''s movements precise and calculated. All the while, he continued to place explosive mines.


    After a while, Kuro''s composed demeanor seemed to crack ever so slightly. His voice, still echoing from the shadows, carried a hint of impatience. "Are you going to keep running away?" he asked, his tone sharper now. "This is getting boring."


    Ludwig didn''t reply, he continued his strategy, placing more explosive mines and keeping his distance from the shadowy spears that pursued him.


    In the observation booth, the professors watched the match with keen interest. Olim leaned forward, his hands resting on the railing as he squinted at the arena below. "What do you think Ludwig is trying to do?" he asked, his voice tinged with curiosity. "Explosive Mine is a powerful spell, but he has yet to fully unravel its secrets. And as long as Kuro is hidden in the shadows, all damage will be nullified."


    Master Van Dijk, seated comfortably in his chair, let out a low chuckle instead of answering immediately. His sharp eyes followed Ludwig''s every move, a faint smile playing on his lips. "I think Professor Vastion is more of an expert on the subject of shadowmancy," he said, gesturing toward the other professor. "He''ll have better insights." Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Vastion leaned back in his seat. "I''d be embarrassed to say that I know more about shadowmancy than the Tower Master," he said, his voice measured. "But from my meager knowledge, it seems Ludwig is currently doing nothing but exhausting himself. Yet, at the same time, we''ve seen him do many incredible things. So, I''ll just watch for now."


    Cymoria tilted her head slightly, her sharp eyes narrowing as she observed the battlefield. "Emm, don''t you notice something strange?" she asked, her voice cutting through the tension in the booth. The other teachers turned to her, their attention piqued.


    She pointed toward the arena, her finger tracing the pattern of Ludwig''s movements. "The way Ludwig is moving¡­ and the way he is positioning the explosive mines. Does it not look awkward to you? An explosive mine would have more range of impact if it''s a bit higher than on the ground¡­ but he''s purposefully putting them close enough to the floor."


    Vastion''s brow furrowed as he considered her words. "I see," he said, his tone tinged with realization. "He''s not using them as a tool to damage his opponent. If Kuro isn''t able to notice it fast enough, he''ll fall into Ludwig''s trap."


    Olim scratched his head, his expression one of mild confusion. "There must be something I''m missing," he admitted, his eyes darting between the professors for clarification.


    Van Dijk leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he steepled his fingers. "Light and shadows," he said, his voice calm but authoritative. "Darkness is the absence of light, and it is inherently stronger. Though one can fend off the darkness with light, it is only temporary, since darkness is everywhere. That''s what''s giving Kuro his confidence. With the shadows cascading over the arena, he''ll have an advantage over Ludwig. But Ludwig isn''t allowing it. Explosive Mines is a fire-attributed spell, and it has light within it. By placing many of them close to the arena floor, he is stopping Kuro from controlling the battlefield. If you notice, Kuro''s shadows can''t reach under the explosive mines'' light. So, he has to move around them. And he can''t go out of his way to detonate them, since he''ll need to turn physical for a bit¡ªwhich will cause him to blow himself up."


    Olim''s eyes widened as the pieces fell into place. "Ah, now I see it," he said, a grin spreading across his face. "Ludwig is using the terrain to his own advantage."


    Van Dijk nodded, his gaze returning to the arena. "It''s the first rule of battle. Now, let''s see how this will turn out," he said, his voice filled with quiet pride as his eyes focused on his disciple.

 Chapter 209 - 209: The Contender

    Ludwig kept his pace, his movements fluid and deliberate as he avoided Kuro''s relentless shadow projectiles. The latter refused to surface, his voice echoing tauntingly from the darkness. "Come on, Ludwig! Is this all you''ve got? Running away like a coward?" Kuro''s voice dripped with mockery, but Ludwig remained unfazed. He had no intention of playing into Kuro''s hands. Fighting someone who could literally turn into shadows was a fool''s errand, and Ludwig wasn''t about to fall for it.


    The fight had reached a stalemate, and the crowd''s initial excitement began to wane. Some spectators even started to boo, their impatience growing as the match dragged on. But Ludwig wasn''t about to let the pressure get to him. He continued moving, his skeletal frame weaving through the arena with an almost unnatural grace. Each step was calculated, each dodge precise, as he carefully avoided Kuro''s attacks while maintaining his own strategy.


    "FOR HOW LONG CAN YOU RUN?" Kuro''s voice roared, tinged with anger and frustration. A massive wave of shadowy spears erupted from the ground, surging toward Ludwig like a tidal wave of darkness. Ludwig didn''t falter. He kept moving, his path carefully planned to lead Kuro into a trap. He maneuvered around his own explosive mines.


    Finally, Ludwig reached the corner of the arena. He stopped, his back to the outer ring, and turned to face the incoming wave of shadows. With a flick of his wrist, he placed one final explosive mine directly behind the wave. Then, with a swift leap, he jumped to the side, landing safely between several of his glowing orbs.


    Kuro''s shadows halted abruptly at the corner, unable to advance further. The explosive mines'' light created an impenetrable barrier, cutting off all escape routes. Kuro materialized back into his physical form, his expression a mix of annoyance and grudging respect. "I guess you think you''ve cornered me with that?" he said, his voice calm but laced with defiance. "I can still use other magic, you know."


    Ludwig''s hollow eye sockets seemed to glint with amusement. "I know," he replied, his tone steady. "But now I can beat you senseless, and you can''t run away." With that, he finally unleashed the chain he had been whirling since the start of the match. The chain lashed out like a whip, its metallic links gleaming in the dim light.


    Kuro ducked under the first strike, his movements quick and agile. But Ludwig was faster. With a flick of his wrist, the chain curved back and slammed squarely into Kuro''s back. The blow wasn''t enough to knock him out, but it sent him staggering forward, dangerously close to one of the explosive mines.


    Ludwig snapped his fingers, and the mine detonated with a deafening boom. Kuro raised his hands instinctively, summoning a curtain of black shadows to shield himself from the explosion. The force of the blast pushed him back, but he managed to stay on his feet.


    Ludwig didn''t give him a moment to recover. He retracted the chain and threw it again, this time with an explosive mine attached to its tip. Kuro dodged the initial strike, anticipating the chain''s return, but he wasn''t prepared for the mine that exploded on his side. The blast rattled him, sending him stumbling backward.


    Kuro cursed under his breath and retaliated, hurling several shadowy orbs toward Ludwig. But the moment the orbs entered the range of the explosive mines'' light, they dissipated into nothingness. Ludwig smirked. "Bounds of Latvia!" he chanted, summoning chains that erupted from the ground and wrapped around Kuro, pinning him in place.


    "That won''t work!" Kuro shouted, his body beginning to dissolve into shadows once more. But Ludwig was ready. With a wave of his hand, several explosive mines closed in on Kuro, their light forcing him to remain in his physical form.


    "Goodbye," Ludwig said calmly as the mines detonated, the force of the explosion sending Kuro flying out of the arena and onto the ground below.


    "We have a winner!" Olim''s voice boomed across the stadium, the crowd erupting into cheers and applause.


    Ludwig stood tall, his scythe resting at his side. "So much for all that shit talk," he muttered, his voice carrying just enough for Kuro to hear.


    Kuro''s face twisted into an angry scowl, but he didn''t say a word. He simply turned and walked away, his pride clearly wounded.


    The crowd''s energy shifted as more students seemed interested in challenging Ludwig. Several pressed the metallic boxes, their names flashing on the screen above the arena. Others, however, backed away, unwilling to face the cruel Ludwig.


    "Next challenger! Bron Steelheart!" Olim announced, his voice filled with excitement.


    Bron stepped forward, his long sword gleaming in the fading light. He didn''t say a word as he walked onto the arena, his expression grim and determined. He pointed his sword at Ludwig, the tip steady and unwavering. "Time to take you down," Bron said, his voice low and menacing.


    "Sure, sure," Ludwig replied, his tone casual as he waited for Olim to start the match.


    Bron glanced around at the explosive mines scattered across the arena. "Shouldn''t you remove these?" he asked, his voice tinged with irritation. "This isn''t a fair fight since these mines have been preset."


    Ludwig raised an eyebrow, his skeletal face betraying no emotion. "Why?" he replied. "It''s mana I used and wasted. Are you going to compensate me for my used mana?"


    "Ludwig is right," Olim interjected, his voice firm. "Since he is the defender, he set these up earlier. It''s a king-of-the-hill fight. If you want them removed, you must beat Ludwig first."


    Bron cursed under his breath, his frustration evident. He was forced to fight Ludwig on uneven ground, but he had no choice. He tightened his grip on his sword and stepped forward, his eyes locked on Ludwig.


    "Don''t worry," Ludwig said, his voice almost teasing. "I''ll use nothing but swordsmanship."


    Bron felt a flicker of relief at Ludwig''s words, but it was short-lived. The moment Olim called for the match to start, Ludwig charged forward with terrifying speed. He injected mana into his scythe, transforming it into a massive greatsword that he wielded with ease.


    "[Steadfast Leap]!" Ludwig''s body surged forward, the weight of his hundred points of strength behind his blade. The sword came down with crushing force, and Bron barely managed to raise his own weapon in time to block the blow. The impact was overwhelming, forcing Bron to his knees as his arms trembled under the strain.


    Ludwig didn''t let up. His free arm coiled like a spring and shot forward in a devastating hook that struck Bron''s side, right against his liver. Bron''s body shuddered from the pain, his breath catching in his throat. Before he could recover, Ludwig followed up with a powerful kick to the stomach, sending him stumbling backward.


    As Bron struggled to regain his footing, Ludwig snapped his fingers. Only then did Bron notice the explosive mine planted right under his feet. His eyes widened in horror as the mine detonated, the force of the explosion sending him flying off the arena floor and onto the ground below.


    "MATCH OVER!" Olim shouted, his voice filled with excitement.


    Bron groaned as he pushed himself up, his face twisted in anger. "You cheating bastard!" he shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Ludwig. "You said you wouldn''t use magic!"


    Ludwig smiled, his hollow eye sockets glinting with mischief. "I lied." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 210 - 210: Ludwig the undead

    "Man, this ain''t right, this shit feels rigged" Hoyo muttered, leaning back in his seat with a frown. His arms were crossed, and his eyes were fixed on Ludwig, who stood alone in the arena, surrounded by the remnants of his explosive mines. The once-bustling stadium was now quiet, the daytime energy replaced by the calm of night. Torches flickered around the arena, casting long, dancing shadows across the stone floor. The air was cool, carrying the faint scent of burnt mana and the distant hum of crickets from the surrounding forest.


    "What''s the matter?" Kassandra asked, sitting beside him. Her voice was soft, but her eyes were sharp, scanning the arena with a mix of admiration and concern. She tucked a strand of her brown hair behind her ear, her expression thoughtful.


    "Ludwig''s been fighting for like two hours now," Hoyo said, his tone laced with frustration. "And it''s nothing but fodder. None of the second or third years are even willing to fight him. They''re just sitting back, watching him tire himself out."


    Kassandra sighed, her gaze lingering on Ludwig as he stood tall, his scythe resting at his side. "Well, can you blame them? The guy''s a monster. He took down several first years without breaking a sweat, and every time another contender goes up, Ludwig''s minefield only grows bigger and more threatening. Who would want to face that?"


    "I know," Hoyo said, shaking his head. "But the fact that he has to fight one after another, while the rest of the contenders get to sit back, relax, and conserve their energy, is unfair. What if Ludwig makes it all the way to the end, only to lose to someone with full power who hasn''t fought yet? That''s just wrong."


    "That''s the luck of the draw," Kassandra replied, though her voice lacked conviction. She, too, felt the unfairness of the situation, but there was little she could do. "It could have been anyone in his position. Ludwig just happened to draw the short straw."


    Before Hoyo could respond, Professor Olim''s booming voice echoed across the arena. "MATCH OVER! This clears it! Ludwig, the uncontested and uncontended victor over all the first years! With this match, we will be asking the rest of the competitors to go back to their dorms and rest for the night. Tomorrow''s matches will commence at the same time. Please be here for the finals!"


    The announcement was met with a mix of relief and applause. The crowd, though exhausted from hours of watching, couldn''t help but marvel at Ludwig''s endurance. He had been in the thick of it since morning, fighting nonstop while they had merely sat and watched. The contrast was stark, and it only added to the growing legend of Ludwig the Undead.


    "Does he even get tired," One of the students next to Hoyo asked.


    "It''s like watching a monster fight," another laughed out loud.


    More students began to chime in on how Ludwig''s insurance was incredible, almost unnatural.


    Ludwig, for his part, finally allowed himself to sit down in the arena, his skeletal frame slumping slightly as if to mimic exhaustion. The crowd, sensing his fatigue, began to clap. It started with a single, hesitant clap, but soon it cascaded into a wave of cheers and applause.


    "UNDEAD LUDWIG!" someone shouted, their voice cutting through the noise.


    "UNDEAD LUDWIG!" another joined in, and soon the chant spread like wildfire.


    Ludwig''s hollow eye sockets widened slightly, a flicker of embarrassment crossing his skeletal face. The title had started as a joke among his peers, a jab at his seemingly endless stamina and resistance to pain. But now, it had taken on a life of its own, a badge of honor that no one realized was far more literal than they could have imagined. Only his master, Van Dijk, and Joana knew the truth¡ªthat Ludwig was, in fact, an undead.


    Despite his discomfort, Ludwig knew he had to humor the crowd. He raised his scythe high, the weapon gleaming in the torchlight, and the arena erupted into cheers once more.


    ***


    "Yo, dude," Hoyo said, slinging an arm around Ludwig''s shoulders as they walked onto the arena. "That was freaking awesome, man!" His grin was wide, but there was a hint of concern in his eyes as he looked at Ludwig. "You okay? You look¡­ well, rugged."


    "Thanks, appreciate it," Ludwig replied, his voice dry but warm. "I need to take a shower. I stink."


    Hoyo laughed, wrinkling his nose. "For all that hard work you did today, I''d be surprised if you didn''t stink. You must have been sweating buckets out there."


    Kassandra, who had been walking quietly beside them, suddenly piped up. "Funny enough, I don''t think you smell that bad," she said, her tone casual but her cheeks tinged with pink.


    Ludwig''s mind immediately went to the obvious explanation. Of course, I wouldn''t. I don''t have sweat glands. I''m a skeleton. But he kept that thought to himself, instead offering a small shrug.


    Hoyo, ever the joker, grinned and nudged Kassandra. "Ah, you know they say that male sweat is composed of pheromones that attract females. It shouldn''t smell that bad for girls."


    Kassandra''s face turned bright red, and she punched Hoyo on the side. "Idiot," she muttered, turning her attention back to Ludwig. "Tomorrow is going to be even harder," she said, her voice softening. "You should rest up."


    "When has tomorrow never been harder?" Ludwig replied with a faint smile. "Still, thank you guys for cheering. I saw everything."


    Hoyo jumped in, his enthusiasm undiminished. "That''s what friends are for! But sadly, this friend has to go. I need to get some shut-eye, man. And food. I''m starving."


    "You and your stomach," Kassandra said, shaking her head with a fond smile.


    Before they could continue, a voice interrupted them. "Excuse me."


    The three turned to see Professor Cymoria approaching, her expression a mix of concern and curiosity. "Kid, you''re overworking yourself," she said, her gaze fixed on Ludwig. "Shouldn''t you swap with your teammate?"


    Ludwig frowned. "I can do that?"


    "Well, it''s a team tournament," Cymoria explained. "Each team can send one of their members to fight. Only when the entire team is eliminated is it considered a loss. But since you''ve been taking out everyone single-handedly, you probably haven''t even gotten a chance to rest yet."


    "She''s right," Olim chimed in, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. No one had even noticed when he arrived. "I''ll need to make the rules clearer tomorrow. You don''t have to do all the fighting yourself. It''s been fun watching you, but you''re only human. You need to rest up and recover your mana. Kaela is a strong student, and you''ve been scorning her by not asking for help."


    Ludwig glanced over at Kaela, who was still sitting in the stadium, her arms crossed and a deep frown on her face. She looked annoyed, and Ludwig couldn''t blame her. "I guess I was hogging all the spotlight," he admitted.


    "It''s good to be young," Olim said, clapping Ludwig on the shoulder. "But make sure you stay healthy. There aren''t many high-quality mages in our academy, and you''re nothing but high-quality material. Share your burdens."


    As Olim walked away, Professor Vastion approached. He gave Ludwig a scornful look, his lips pressed into a thin line, before turning and leaving without a word.


    "What''s his deal?" Hoyo asked, his brow furrowed.


    "He''s too rigid in his thinking, He believes that noble blood is more sacred than commoner blood."


    "That''s bullshit," Hoyo said, his voice rising. "Nobles aren''t much¡ª"Hoyo said as he turned to see the speaker, only for his eyes to widen.


    "Well, if a former noble says that, I don''t have much to say, Mr. Drak."


    The group turned to see Master Van Dijk standing behind them, his arms crossed and a faint smile on his lips.


    Hoyo stiffened, and he took a step back. "Ah, Tower Master," he said, his voice suddenly nervous. "I''ll have to excuse myself." With that, he hurried off, leaving Ludwig and Kassandra alone with Van Dijk.


    Kassandra, sensing the tension, also made her exit. "I''ll be leaving too. Ludwig, good luck tomorrow. If you need anything, just call me."


    Once they were alone, Van Dijk placed a hand on Ludwig''s head, his expression softening. "You did well," he said, his voice quiet but filled with pride. "I''m proud of you."


    For the first time in his life, Ludwig heard those words. Not even his birth parents had spoken them. His father had never complimented him; if Ludwig did well, it was expected because he was a Heart. If he failed, he was punished. Ludwig had grown up in a gilded cage of wealth and strictness, where praise was rare and criticism was constant.


    Ludwig had been praised before¡ªby teachers, by allies. But that was different. Those were just words, acknowledgments of a job well done.


    This? This was something else. Something warm, despite his body''s coldness. Something that shouldn''t have affected him, yet it did.


    His fingers curled slightly. A strange ache bloomed in his chest, something phantom-like, as if the heart he had lost long ago still tried to beat just for this moment.


    His undead heart¡ªor rather, the lack of one¡ªseemed to ache in a way he couldn''t explain. "Thank you¡­ master," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.


    With that, Master Van Dijk moved forward, "Come with me. I''ll need to show you a few things."


    He still had full day of battle to go through tomorrow, and if he was offered advice from his Master, he wasn''t about to say no. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes, Master," Ludwig replied as he followed behind his Master.

 Chapter 211 - 211: Killer On The Loose

    Once the two of them were back at the Black Tower, Van Dijk wasted no time in addressing Ludwig''s issues. The dim light of the tower''s interior cast long shadows across the room, the air thick with the scent of old parchment and the faint tang of magic. Van Dijk sat at his desk, his sharp eyes fixed on Ludwig, who stood before him like a student awaiting judgment.


    "You''re greedy," Van Dijk said, his voice calm but firm. The words hung in the air, heavy and unyielding.


    Ludwig tilted his head down, his skeletal frame slumping slightly like a child being reprimanded. He didn''t argue or defend himself; he simply waited for his master to continue.


    "I''m not saying that''s a bad thing," Van Dijk added, his tone softening ever so slightly. "But you''re trying to do too much. You''re trying to actively use both magic and swordsmanship, which is something I''m still against¡ªbut not willing to stop you from pursuing. It''s your own path, after all."


    "Yes, Master," Ludwig nodded, his voice quiet but respectful.


    "So, if you''re adamant about doing it that way, why aren''t you making the best of it?" Van Dijk asked, leaning back in his chair. His piercing gaze seemed to bore into Ludwig, searching for answers the young undead didn''t yet have.


    "How so, Master?" Ludwig asked, his hollow eye sockets flickering with curiosity.


    Van Dijk sighed, steepling his fingers as he leaned forward. "You did it once, and never again. You used the chain as a catalyst to cast magic. That''s a tool not many could wield effectively, and I was impressed¡ªsurprised, even¡ªby how you managed to perfectly cast Explosive Mines from the tip of the chain. That''s something I wanted you to do more often, but sadly, you didn''t."


    Ludwig''s mind flashed back to the moment he had tricked Kuro, using the chain to deliver an explosive mine that had ultimately sealed the shadowmancer''s fate. It had been a clever move, one born of desperation and quick thinking, but he hadn''t replicated it since.


    "Your chains give you reach," Van Dijk continued, his voice steady. "Use them. As for the scythe, you''re only using the sword form. The other form¡ªthe scythe itself¡ªis also good for different types of battles. You''re limiting yourself by not exploring its full potential."


    With a wave of his hand, Van Dijk conjured two small red holograms. One depicted a skeleton wielding Ludwig''s signature weapons¡ªthe scythe and chain¡ªwhile the other was a simple swordsman. The holograms sprang to life, their movements fluid and precise.


    "Look," Van Dijk said, his eyes fixed on the display.


    The swordsman charged at the skeleton, his blade gleaming in the dim light. The skeleton blocked the incoming strike with the blade of the scythe, the clash sending sparks flying. Then, with a flick of its wrist, the skeleton hurled the scythe, the chain trailing behind it like a serpent. The swordsman ducked under the weapon, a move Ludwig had seen countless times in his own battles.


    But then, the skeleton yanked the chain, pulling the scythe back with deadly precision. The sharp end of the scythe sliced through the swordsman, splitting him in half.


    "This is one of the ways you can use your weapon, purely, physical" Van Dijk said, his voice calm but firm. "Now, if you add magic to this¡­"


    The holograms reset, and the battle began anew. This time, as the scythe flew toward the swordsman, an explosive mine manifested at its tip. The mine detonated just as the swordsman ducked, the force of the explosion driving the scythe''s blade into his body.


    "The result is the same¡ªthe swordsman dies. But the second instance kills him faster and more efficiently. If you''re fighting someone more skilled in swordsmanship than you, nine times out of ten, you''ll be countered and taken down. You''re not the best at swordsmanship in this academy, nor are you the best at magic. But you have something many don''t," Van Dijk said, his gaze locking onto Ludwig''s. "A good head over your shoulders. Use it well."


    Ludwig nodded, his mind racing as he absorbed his master''s words. The holograms dissipated, leaving the room in silence once more.


    "As for magic," Van Dijk continued, "I sadly can''t teach you much today. You need to use the knowledge you already have to win. And if you''re able to show good results, I''ll teach you a bit more about Black Flame."


    [Quest Update!]


    Van Dijk wants to see you achieve something spectacular at the Tournament. Once successful, you''ll be able to learn a bit more about his own personal spell, [Black Flames].


    Ludwig''s eyes widened, the blue glow within his sockets flickering with excitement. "Thank you, Master!" he said, his voice filled with gratitude.


    Van Dijk nodded, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Good. Be on your way, then. You should use the rest of the night to understand more about your abilities, potential, and limits."


    Ludwig bowed slightly before turning to leave, his mind already racing with ideas and strategies. As he stepped out of the room, Van Dijk leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. He opened the drawer of his desk, revealing an old, weathered diary. The sight of it was a grim reminder of his own failures, a mistake that had cost him everything he had ever held dear.


    He was about to open it, to revisit the memories that haunted him, but he stopped himself. With a shake of his head, he closed the drawer firmly. "Not today," he muttered to himself. "Today is a good day."


    ***


    While Ludwig was halfway to the academy, his communication crystal buzzed, breaking the silence of the night. He frowned as he pulled it out, seeing Danny''s name flash on the surface. What could he want at this hour?


    "Yo, what''s up?" Ludwig asked, his voice calm but curious.


    "Where are you right now?" Danny''s voice was urgent, his tone sharp and serious.


    "I just left the Black Tower. Why?" Ludwig replied, his unease growing.


    "There''s been another murder," Danny said, his words sending a chill down Ludwig''s spine.


    "What?" Ludwig''s voice rose in shock. "When did this happen?"


    "The body is still warm," Danny said, his tone grim. "It couldn''t have been more than twenty or so minutes ago."


    "Where did it happen?"


    "The boys'' dorm," Danny replied. "You know the victim."


    Ludwig''s mind raced, his thoughts immediately turning to Hoyo and Kassandra. They had left earlier¡ªcould the killer have targeted them? His grip on the crystal tightened as he asked, S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig''s heart¡ªor rather, the absence of it¡ªfelt as if it had dropped into his stomach. "Who is it?" he demanded, his voice tense.


    "It''s Kuro," Danny said.


    For a moment, Ludwig felt a strange mix of relief and guilt. Relief that his friends were safe, and guilt for feeling grateful that it wasn''t them. The conflicting emotions swirled within him, leaving him momentarily speechless.


    "I''m coming over," Ludwig said finally, his voice firm. Without waiting for a response, he tucked the crystal away and broke into a sprint, his skeletal frame moving with unnatural speed as he raced toward the academy.

 Chapter 212 - 212: Dark Erasure

    Ludwig immediately made his way to the boys'' dorm, his body moving swiftly through the dimly lit pathways of the academy. As he approached the dorm, he saw a crowd of students gathered outside, their faces pale and their voices hushed. The atmosphere was tense, a mix of fear and confusion hanging heavy in the air.


    "Ludwig!" a familiar voice called out. Hoyo stood near the entrance, his usual cheerful demeanor replaced by a look of shock and unease. His face was pale, and his hands trembled slightly as he clutched his arms.


    "Hey, man," Ludwig said, his voice calm but laced with concern. "You guys are good?"


    "Y-yeah, I''m fine," Hoyo stammered, his eyes darting toward the dorm. "But man, that shit was awful. I''ve never seen anything like it."


    "Did you hear anything?" Ludwig asked, his hollow eye sockets narrowing as he scanned the area.


    "No, not really," Hoyo replied, shaking his head. "I was having dinner by myself after I split up with Kassandra. When I came back to sleep for the night, I saw this whole mess. Do you think it''s the same¡­" He leaned closer to Ludwig, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Killer?"


    "I don''t know," Ludwig said, his tone grim. "I''ll have to check. Is Danny upstairs?"


    "No, he''s on the bottom floor," Hoyo said, gesturing toward the dorm. "That''s where the murder happened. Be careful, man."


    Ludwig nodded and headed inside the building, flashing his student council badge to the two students guarding the entrance. The interior of the dorm was eerily quiet, the usual sounds of laughter and chatter replaced by an oppressive silence. The faint smell of burnt wood and blood grew stronger as Ludwig made his way to the room where the commotion was centered.


    Just as he reached the hallway leading to the room, a hand grabbed him by the shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. "What are you doing here?" a stern voice demanded.


    Ludwig turned to see Professor Vastion standing behind him, his expression a mix of annoyance and concern. The professor''s sharp eyes bore into Ludwig, his grip firm but not hostile.


    "I''m a student council member," Ludwig replied, his voice steady. "A person from my dorm was killed. I have to be here to see what''s going on."


    Vastion frowned, his lips pressing into a thin line. "You won''t be of any help anyway. Might as well just leave."


    "Sorry, but I have to see this with my own eyes," Ludwig said, his tone firm. He pushed past Vastion and entered the room where Danny was standing outside.


    The scene inside was gruesome. Blood was splattered across the walls and floor, the metallic scent overwhelming. The room was torn apart, furniture shattered and debris scattered everywhere. Soot and grime covered the walls, as if the room had been blasted with a blowtorch. The air was thick with the acrid smell of burnt wood and flesh.


    "Ludwig, you''re here," Danny said, his face pale and his voice shaky. He looked visibly shaken, his usual composure replaced by a look of horror. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yeah," Ludwig replied, his gaze fixed on the body in the center of the room. It was Kuro, his lifeless form lying in a pool of blood. His organs were missing, and his limbs were twisted and apart, the wounds jagged and brutal. It was the same pattern as the previous murder¡ªVon Hubert''s death.


    "Who reported the body?" Ludwig asked, his voice low.


    "A student living here," Danny said, his tone grim. "He''s a beast-kin. He said he smelled smoke¡­"


    "Smoke?" Ludwig frowned, his mind racing. "With this much fire damage and burnt materials, it should have been more obvious. A fire this big should have caught more attention. How did the killer get away with doing so much without anyone noticing, but one single guy?"


    "That''s the thing," Danny said, his voice tense. "There was something stopping the smoke, sound, and vibrations from leaving the room. If it wasn''t for the student''s enhanced sense of smell, no one would have figured it out."


    "It''s a spell," a voice interrupted. Vastion stepped into the room, his expression grave. He crouched down and placed his hand on the ground, his fingers brushing against the charred floor. his face contorted into an ugly grimace, "No wonder we haven''t been able to detect it. It''s Dark Magic. [Dark Erasure]."


    Ludwig''s eyes widened. "Dark Erasure?"


    Vastion nodded, his voice solemn. "It suppresses senses and alters perception. The killer can use this spell to commit his murders undisturbed. Once the spell ends, it deteriorates and eliminates all traces of dark magic in the area. It makes the whole place feel as if nothing happened¡ªexcept for the physical damage. Any magic used becomes obsolete, and even Memory of the Earth won''t be able to reveal what happened."


    "I never knew such a spell existed," Danny said, his voice filled with disbelief.


    "Because this spell belonged to my house, " Vastion said, his tone heavy with regret. "It''s one of our secret spells."


    Ludwig frowned, his mind racing. If the spell belonged to Vastion''s house, did that mean the killer was connected to him? Was Vastion indirectly admitting that one of his family members or house members was responsible?


    "I know what''s going on in that head of yours," Vastion said, his sharp eyes locking onto Ludwig''s. "And it''s not that. My house fell more than a hundred years ago. I''m the only member left. Due to that spell itself, it''s Dark Magic after all..."


    He took a deep breath, his expression pained. "Whoever did this had access to the archives that were confiscated by the Holy Order. This is getting more and more serious. I''d require you two to stop looking into this. The teacher board will be taking over the investigation from now on. This is getting dangerous¡ªway over your level."


    With a wave of his hand, Vastion conjured a magic circle that sealed the room, locking it down completely. "I''ve sealed the room. Make sure the whole dorm is no longer accessible. We''ll relocate the students to another dorm."


    He turned to Ludwig, his expression softening slightly. "I''ll need you to ask your master to come over. We''ll need his expertise now."


    Ludwig nodded, his mind racing. From the looks of things, these murders weren''t simple. But at the same time, they seemed completely random. Ludwig had no idea who the first victim was, but neither Kuro nor Von Hubert had anything in common, as far as he knew. One was a swordmaster from a noble family, the other a commoner with a simple background but powerful spells.


    As Ludwig stepped outside to contact his master, he couldn''t shake the feeling that things were getting more and more complicated in the Black Tower Academy. The killer was out there, and they were playing a dangerous game¡ªone that Ludwig was determined to unravel.

 Chapter 213 - 213: Finals

    Ludwig left the chaotic scene at the dorm and made his way to the academy building. The halls were unusually quiet, the usual hum of student activity replaced by a tense silence. Teachers bustled about, helping students relocate to temporary dorms, their faces grim and focused. Ludwig couldn''t bring himself to rest, not with the investigation ongoing and the tournament looming. Instead, he headed to the training room, determined to make the most of the night.


    Inside the training room, the air was cool and still, the only sound the rhythmic clinking of Ludwig''s chain as he practiced with his new weapon. The scythe''s blade gleamed in the dim light, its transformation between forms smooth and precise. Ludwig spent hours honing his skills, experimenting with different techniques and combinations. He focused on integrating magic into his attacks, recalling Van Dijk''s advice about using the chain as a catalyst. The explosive mine trick had worked once¡ªhe needed to make it a consistent part of his arsenal.


    By the time morning arrived, Ludwig''s movements were fluid and confident, though his undead body showed no signs of fatigue. He left the training room and made his way to the arena, the early light of dawn casting long shadows across the academy grounds.


    As he approached the arena, he was caught off guard by the heightened security measures. A line of students waited to be screened, their expressions a mix of curiosity and unease. Teachers stood at the entrance, placing small magical markings on each student''s hand. When it was Ludwig''s turn, Professor Olim himself approached him.


    "Hello, Ludwig," Olim said, his usual cheerful demeanor tempered by a serious edge.


    "What''s all this?" Ludwig asked, glancing at the line of students behind him.


    "We''re implementing some security measures," Olim explained, his voice low. "Whoever is behind these murders is causing too many problems and making student life difficult. Give me your hand."


    Ludwig extended his hand, and Olim pressed a small stamp onto his palm. A faint magic circle appeared, glowing briefly before fading into his skin.


    "This is a tracking device," Olim said. "It won''t hinder you in any way. Its purpose is to identify other students or teachers with the same mark. It''ll keep a record of who was with whom, so in case something happens again, we can identify who was last seen with the victim. It''s not a prevention method, but it''ll make the killer think twice before committing another murder."


    Ludwig nodded, impressed by the practicality of the solution. It wasn''t foolproof, but it was a step in the right direction.


    "The students are feeling a bit down," Olim added, his tone softening. "Show them a good fight today. Maybe it''ll lift their spirits."


    "I can''t promise much," Ludwig replied, "but I''ll do my best."


    "Good luck out there," Olim said, clapping Ludwig on the shoulder before turning to the next student in line.


    Ludwig made his way to his seat in the stadium, the weight of the tournament and the recent events pressing on his mind. He found Kaela already there, her arms crossed and her expression unreadable.


    "Yo," Ludwig said, sliding into the seat beside her.


    She glanced at him, her eyes narrowing slightly. "You''re here."


    She''s still angry, Ludwig thought, suppressing a smile. "Sorry about yesterday," he said. "I really didn''t know I could swap out."


    "Nah, it''s fine," Kaela replied, though her tone betrayed her words. "You were doing good."


    "If you want, you can start the first matches," Ludwig offered.


    Kaela thought for a moment, her gaze drifting toward the arena. "I want to," she said finally, "but I''ll swap out when it''s Haku''s turn."


    "Why so?" Ludwig asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "He''s been bugging me since yesterday," Kaela said, her voice tinged with annoyance. "He asked me not to go up to the arena because he wants to fight you."


    "I see," Ludwig said, leaning back in his seat. "Then it''s fine. I''m down."


    The two sat in silence for a while, the stadium gradually filling with students. After about an hour, the arena was nearly packed. Hoyo and Kassandra found seats next to Ludwig, their arrival breaking the tension.


    "Hey, man," Hoyo said, his usual grin slightly subdued. "Good luck on today''s fights." S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Thanks," Ludwig replied. "I''ll need it. Also, what''s up with your face? It looks puffy."


    Hoyo rubbed his cheeks, wincing slightly. "Ah, must have been the beds. You didn''t sleep in the new dorm, I suppose?"


    "No," Ludwig said, shaking his head.


    "He probably went to the tower," Kassandra chimed in, her tone teasing but her eyes concerned. "But your face really does look puffy."


    "Yeah, the new beds were tough," Hoyo said, sighing. "I think the pillow was made of rocks or something. That thing was hard. Could barely get a wink of sleep, especially with everyone talking about yesterday''s murder. Ah, it''s so scary, man."


    Ludwig couldn''t help but feel a pang of sympathy for his friend. Seeing something like that, especially so close to home, would make anyone paranoid. The thought that the killer could strike again was enough to keep anyone on edge.


    Before Ludwig could respond, Olim''s voice boomed across the arena, cutting through the chatter. "GREETINGS, EVERYONE!"


    All eyes turned to the booth where Olim stood, his usual exuberance tempered by a somber tone. "We would like to start the finals of this tournament, but before that, we wanted to address what happened yesterday. Sadly, a member of our academy lost their life. While it isn''t uncommon here in the Black Tower Academy for students to face danger, this was not the result of a test, trial, or even a duel between peers. This was done by someone insidious and vicious. We, as the teacher board of the academy, have decided to personally take matters into our own hands to ensure nothing like this happens again. Regardless, let''s not dwell on things we can''t change. Instead, let''s focus on today''s main event!"


    The crowd erupted into cheers, the tension momentarily lifted by Olim''s words. Ludwig leaned back in his seat, his mind racing. The tournament was about to begin, but the shadow of the killer loomed large. He would have to stay sharp¡ªboth in the arena and outside of it.

 Chapter 214 - 214: The Showdown

    "Ludwig, are you going up?" Olim called out, his voice carrying across the arena as he stood from his seat among the other teachers. The crowd turned their attention to Ludwig, their murmurs growing louder as they waited for his response. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I''ll be swapping out for now," Ludwig said, shaking his head. He leaned back in his seat, his skeletal frame relaxed but his eyes sharp as he watched the arena.


    Kaela, who had been sitting quietly behind him, jumped up from her seat with a determined look on her face. Her battle ax gleamed in the sunlight as she walked confidently into the arena, her boots clicking against the stone floor. The crowd erupted into cheers, their excitement palpable as they anticipated her performance.


    Students around Ludwig began murmuring among themselves, their voices a mix of curiosity and confusion. "Why the sudden change?" one student asked, his tone laced with skepticism.


    "Looks like you listened to what the teachers told you about yesterday," Hoyo said, leaning closer to Ludwig. His face still looked puffy from the uncomfortable night, but his grin was as wide as ever.


    "Yeah," Ludwig replied, his voice calm. "Also, I didn''t want to let Kaela sit here the whole time. She gets grumpier the longer she''s ignored."


    Kassandra chuckled softly, her eyes fixed on Kaela as she stepped into the arena. "You think she can hold her own like you did?" she asked, her tone curious.


    "I don''t know," Ludwig admitted, his gaze shifting to the second-year students seated across the arena. "The guys I fought yesterday were all first years¡ªnothing too difficult to handle. They''re arrogant, that''s for sure, and their skills don''t match the length of their tongues. As for the second years¡­ I''m not sure. Most of them are crazies. Have you seen that guy over there with the big sword?" Ludwig pointed at Haku, who sat with his arms crossed, his expression calm but intense. "He''s a monster."


    "Then this should be a good few matches to watch," Hoyo said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.


    "Yeah," Ludwig agreed, leaning back in his seat. "Let''s sit back, relax, and watch. I want to see the level I''m up against."


    Kaela stood in the center of the arena, her battle ax resting on her shoulder as she waited for the selection to choose her opponent. The crowd buzzed with excitement as a few students stepped up to the boxes to challenge her. Soon, one of them was chosen at random, and the match began.


    The battles that followed were a clear display of the difference in power between most second years and Kaela. While Ludwig had struggled against one or two students, taking at least a minute or two to secure a victory, Kaela ended her opponents in less than ten seconds. Her movements were brutal and efficient, her ax cutting through defenses with ease. Those who relied on magic found themselves at a severe disadvantage, unable to cast their spells before Kaela closed the distance and overwhelmed them.


    There were a few moments where Kaela was put on the back foot. Some students managed to apply debilitating effects on her at the start of the match, using spells or techniques to slow her down or disrupt her rhythm. But none of them could follow up on their initial advantage. Kaela''s relentless aggression and sheer physical power quickly turned the tide, leaving her opponents either defeated, kicked out of the arena, or forced to surrender.


    As the matches continued, Kaela''s breathing became more ragged, her movements slightly slower but no less precise. The toll of consecutive battles was beginning to show, but she refused to back down. Just as she finished another match, Haku stepped up to the voting box, his presence immediately drawing the crowd''s attention.


    Two more students fought Kaela before Haku got his chance, and the moment his name was called, Kaela raised her hand. "I''m swapping out," she announced, her voice firm despite her exhaustion.


    "I guess it''s my turn now," Ludwig said, standing up from his seat. He stretched his skeletal frame, the chain attached to his arm clinking softly as he made his way to the arena.


    "Good luck," Kaela said as she walked past him, her ax resting on her shoulder. Her face was flushed, and her breathing was heavy, but there was a satisfied glint in her eyes. She was a great fighter, Ludwig had to admit, if not for his own incredible stamina, he wouldn''t have managed to fight as long as she did.


    "We have a swap!" Olim called, his voice booming across the arena. "Ludwig, you should know that you can only swap out after three rounds. Now, let the match begin! A first year against a second year!" Olim''s enthusiasm was infectious, and the crowd erupted into cheers as Ludwig and Haku stepped into the arena.


    Haku drew his heavy sword, the blade gleaming in the sunlight as he held it effortlessly with one hand. His calm demeanor contrasted sharply with the intensity in his eyes. "You''re finally here," he said, his voice steady but filled with anticipation.


    "Yeah," Ludwig replied, his scythe in one hand and the chain in the other. He unlatched the chain, letting it drop to the ground with a soft clink, the other end still attached to his left arm. "I heard you wanted to fight me. I wasn''t about to say no to a challenge."


    "Though you just received that weapon, I won''t be going easy on you," Haku said, his tone serious but not unkind.


    "Please don''t," Ludwig replied, a faint smile tugging at his skeletal lips. "I haven''t had the chance to actually use this weapon properly."


    "THEN LET THE MATCH BEGIN!" Olim shouted, his voice echoing through the arena.


    The moment the call was given, the two combatants charged at each other, their movements a blur of speed and precision. Haku''s heavy sword swung in a wide arc, the sheer force of the blow creating a gust of wind that Ludwig felt even before the blade reached him. Ludwig ducked under the swing, his chain whipping out like a serpent as he countered with a strike of his own.


    The two fighters grinned at each other, their expressions a mix of excitement and determination. This was more than just a match¡ªit was a test of skill, strength, and strategy. And neither of them was willing to back down.

 Chapter 215 - 215: Pinnacle

    [Your Tyrant Blade Swordsmanship Proficiency has increased!]


    Ludwig waved off the notification with a flick of his wrist, his focus razor-sharp as he parried another devastating strike from Haku. The clash of steel against steel reverberated through the arena, each blow sending shockwaves up Ludwig''s arms. His muscles burned, his breath came in ragged gasps, and yet his undead body refused to falter.


    This was the first time he had seen true progress in his swordsmanship since he first wielded the one-handed scythe and chain. Every student he had faced before had been a stepping stone, but Haku was a mountain¡ªa relentless, unyielding force that pushed Ludwig to his limits.


    The notification flashed again, and Ludwig couldn''t help but smirk despite the dire situation. In just ten minutes of combat, his proficiency had increased three times. It was a testament to Haku''s skill, but also to Ludwig''s ability to adapt under pressure. Each strike, each dodge, each counterattack was a lesson, and Ludwig was learning fast.


    But it wasn''t without cost.


    Ludwig''s academy uniform was in tatters, the fabric torn and bloodied from countless near-misses. A deep gash ran along his left arm, and a fresh cut marred his right cheek, the warm slime that disguised his undead form oozing out like blood. His chest heaved, not from exhaustion¡ªhis undead body didn''t tire¡ªbut from the sheer intensity of the fight. Haku, on the other hand, looked almost pristine. His breathing was slightly irregular, but not a single scratch marred his clothes or skin. The difference in their appearances was stark, a visual representation of the gap in their skill. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Fighting you with swordsmanship alone feels like a losing battle," Ludwig muttered, his voice low but laced with determination. He stomped his foot down, the ground beneath him cracking as he channeled his mana. "Bounds of Latvia!"


    Chains erupted from the ground, coiling like serpents as they shot toward Haku. But the second-year student was already moving, his reflexes honed to perfection. He leaped backward, the chains snapping at empty air. Ludwig didn''t hesitate. He flicked his wrist, sending the chain lashing forward like a whip. Haku raised his sword, deflecting the chain with a casual swipe, the force of the parry sending a jolt through Ludwig''s arm.


    Haku didn''t give him a moment to recover. He charged forward, his sword gleaming in the arena''s light. The blade came down in a brutal arc, aimed straight for Ludwig''s head. Ludwig twisted his body, the sword whistling past his ear as he narrowly avoided the strike. He saw an opening¡ªHaku''s wide swing left him momentarily exposed¡ªand Ludwig moved to counter. But before he could strike, Haku did something unexpected.


    He let go of his sword.


    Ludwig''s eyes widened as Haku''s fist shot forward, connecting with a sickening crunch against his underjaw. The force of the blow lifted Ludwig off his feet, sending him sprawling several meters across the arena floor. His vision blurred, the world spinning as he hit the ground hard. For a moment, all he could see was the sky above, the clouds drifting lazily as if mocking his predicament.


    [-258!]


    [As an Undead, you cannot suffer unconsciousness!]


    "That should be match," Haku said, his voice calm but tinged with satisfaction. He stood tall, his sword now back in his hand, as if the entire exchange had been nothing more than a warm-up.


    But Ludwig wasn''t done.


    He blinked a few times, his vision clearing as he pushed himself up from the ground. His jaw ached, and he could feel the warm slime oozing from the damage. To anyone watching, it looked like blood, the Soul Letting Lantern masking his true nature. He spat out a glob of the substance, his grin widening despite the pain.


    "Not so fast," Ludwig said, his voice steady. "I''m not down yet."


    Haku raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. "That''s¡­ impressive," he admitted. "Anyone else would have been knocked out cold. You''re a monster."


    "I''ve been hearing that a lot," Ludwig replied, his tone light but his eyes sharp. He charged forward, his chain whipping through the air as he aimed for Haku''s sword. The chain wrapped around the blade, but Haku was ready. With a twist of his wrist, he slammed the sword into the ground, pinning the chain beneath it.


    "Now you can''t use that chain anymore," Haku said, his voice confident. He shifted his stance, his posture changing as he dropped into a martial arts stance. His fingers curled like the claws of a pouncing tiger, his movements fluid and predatory.


    Ludwig''s mind raced. He still had his scythe, but he knew that getting close to someone as skilled in hand-to-hand combat as Haku was a death sentence. Yet, instead of retreating, Ludwig did the opposite. He charged forward, his scythe swinging in a wide, vertical arc.


    Haku frowned. The move was reckless, almost foolish. It was easy to read, easy to avoid, and left Ludwig wide open for a counterattack. Trusting his instincts, Haku took half a step back, letting the scythe''s blade pass harmlessly in front of him. As the weapon descended toward the ground, Haku prepared to strike. Once the scythe hit the ground, Ludwig would be defenseless, and Haku would close the distance, ending the match with a decisive blow.


    But something felt off.


    As the scythe neared the ground, Haku''s eyes met Ludwig''s. The first-year student was grinning, a look of pure confidence on his face. Haku''s instincts screamed at him, but it was too late.


    The moment the scythe''s blade touched the ground, three glowing orbs materialized at its tip. Explosive mines.


    Haku''s eyes widened as realization dawned. He tried to move, but the mines detonated before he could react. The explosion was deafening, the force of the blast throwing Haku several meters backward. He hit the ground hard, his body skidding across the arena floor before coming to a stop.


    Ludwig didn''t waste a second. He yanked his chain free from Haku''s sword, the weapon spinning through the air before landing neatly in his hand. He glanced at Haku, who was already pushing himself up, blood dripping from his nose. The second-year student pressed a thumb to one nostril, snorting out a chunk of blood before grinning.


    "That was tight," Haku said, his voice filled with admiration despite the pain.


    Ludwig tossed Haku''s sword back to him, the blade spinning through the air before Haku caught it mid-flight. "Let''s keep going!" Haku shouted, his grin widening as he charged forward.


    Ludwig met him head-on, his scythe and chain whirling as the two clashed once more, the arena echoing with the sound of their battle.

 Chapter 216 - 216: Heart

    Haku''s swings became heavier, each strike landing with the force of a hammer against Ludwig''s scythe-turned-sword. The sheer weight behind the blows sent tremors through Ludwig''s arms, his parries growing slower and more labored with each passing moment. A realization dawned on Ludwig, cutting through the haze of battle: though he was growing stronger, so was Haku. The second-year student wasn''t just holding his ground¡ªhe was evolving, adapting, and pushing Ludwig to his absolute limits.


    [Your Tyrant Blade Swordsmanship proficiency has increased!]


    Another notification flashed in Ludwig''s mind, but he dismissed it without a second thought. There was no time to dwell on progress when every second felt like a fight for survival. Haku''s attacks were relentless, each blow faster, stronger, and more devastating than the last. Ludwig''s guard was breaking, his feet skidding backward with every clash. What had started as half-step retreats had turned into full strides, and now Ludwig was being forced back two steps at a time. The arena floor bore the marks of their battle, deep grooves carved by Ludwig''s boots as he struggled to hold his ground.


    It wasn''t just the force of Haku''s strikes that Ludwig had to contend with¡ªit was the intent behind them. Haku wasn''t using the refined techniques of a master swordsman. There were no elegant flourishes, no calculated feints, no intricate footwork. Instead, Haku had abandoned his hard-earned skills, his years of training, and his impeccable form. He was fighting Ludwig on Ludwig''s terms: raw, brutal, and unrelenting. It was a test of pure strength, a battle of endurance rather than finesse.


    Ludwig understood immediately what this meant. Haku could have ended the fight at any moment if he had used his full arsenal of techniques. He could have dismantled Ludwig''s defenses with precision and skill, exploiting every weakness in his novice swordsmanship. But he didn''t. Instead, Haku had chosen to meet Ludwig where he was, to fight him in a way that Ludwig could understand. It was a gesture of respect, a challenge that Ludwig couldn''t ignore.


    A smile crept across Ludwig''s face, his eyes blazing with determination. "Fine! SO BE IT!" he roared, his voice echoing across the arena. He planted his feet firmly on the ground, his muscles coiling like springs as he channeled every ounce of his strength. With a hundred points of stamina fueling his body, Ludwig struck back with everything he had.


    The clash of steel was deafening, a symphony of sparks and fury as Ludwig''s sword met Haku''s in a flurry of blows. Once, twice, thrice¡ªand then a dozen times more in the span of a single breath. The arena was alive with the sound of their battle, the air crackling with energy as their weapons collided again and again. Each strike was a testament to their strength, their will, and their unyielding resolve.


    No one dared speak as they could only watch with held breaths as the symphony of swords was the only music that accompanied this epic battle.


    Haku''s body began to glow, an aura of power radiating from him as he finally let loose. Against most students, he had always held back, careful not to cause harm. Against his teachers, he had been forced to defend, to learn, to grow. But here, in this moment, he had found someone who could match him blow for blow. Ludwig was different. He could take Haku''s full strength without faltering, without breaking. It was exhilarating.


    Unlike Haku''s peers, where their arms would shake from the first blow, or their fingers break from the second strike, Ludwig matched him in power. Treuly, Ludwig the Undead! where others would have already dropped their weapons from the sheer power and weight behind Haku''s greatsword. Ludwig fought back.


    With a thunderous roar, Haku''s foot slammed into the ground, the impact sending shockwaves through the arena. His hair crackled with electric energy, his clothes fluttering wildly as the sheer force of his power began to tear them apart. His muscles bulged, veins popping as he unleashed his full strength. The sword in his hand seemed to hum with anticipation, as if it, too, had been waiting for this moment.


    Ludwig saw the incoming blow and knew he couldn''t take it head-on. If he tried, he would be obliterated. There was no time to think, no time to strategize. Instinct took over.


    "Galvanize!" Ludwig shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. The spell surged through his body, enhancing his strength and speed. But he wasn''t done. "Vengeance!" he roared, activating his second buff. His undead body burned with power, his senses sharpening as he prepared to meet Haku''s strike.


    For a moment, time seemed to stop.


    Haku''s sword, Baltak, gleamed in the light, its blade humming with a newfound energy. The weapon had been with Haku for years, a faithful companion for many, many years. But now, it seemed to come alive, responding to its wielder''s emotions. A blue sheen enveloped the blade, a manifestation of Haku''s will, his Heart , his very soul. This wasn''t just a sword¡ªit was an extension of Haku himself.


    The teachers in the observation booth froze, their eyes widening in shock. Joana, who had been sitting calmly among the spectators a moment ago, was already on her feet, her body a blur as she sprinted toward the arena. She knew what was coming. Haku had tapped into his Aura, a power far beyond what most students could achieve anytime soon, Haku, who was thought to become the second youngest person to achieve Aura after the Urbaf was apparently achieving it even earlier!. The blade descending toward Ludwig wasn''t just a weapon¡ªit was a force of nature, a strike that could cleave through steel and stone alike, And Ludwig was neither.


    Ludwig saw it all: Haku''s determination, his joy, his unbridled passion for the fight he saw Haku''s Heart in his hands. He felt the weight of the moment, the significance of what was about to happen. If he dodged, he would avoid it. But it would be a betrayal¡ªAn undermine of Haku''s effort and will. This was a battle of Hearts, and Ludwig wasn''t about to back down.


    So he tightened his grip on his sword, his eyes locking onto Haku''s as he prepared to meet the strike head-on.


    [You have achieved one of the conditions needed to partially unseal some of Durandal''s weight!]


    [Cursed Sword-shard of Durandal has been partially unsealed!]


    [Weight of the Universe has been partially unsealed!]


    [Weight of the World!] S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The two swords collided before Joana could reach them.


    The impact was cataclysmic, a shockwave of energy erupting from the point of contact. The arena trembled, the ground cracking as the force of the clash rippled outward


    Haku felt the weight in his hand immediately drop by more than half as the two swords seemed to cross against each other.


    That moment that felt like an eternity seemed to end right there.


    Joana, Olim and Master Van Dijk were already in the arena, all three of them completely stupefied at what they just saw.


    Haku''s sword, Baltak was cleanly cut in half, while Ludwig''s sword shard didn''t seem to have any damage to it.


    Haku stared at the broken remains of his sword, his body still crackling with electricity. For a moment, there was silence. And then, he laughed¡ªa deep, genuine laugh that echoed through the arena.


    "It''s my loss!" he said, his voice filled with admiration and respect.

 Chapter 217 - 217: Realizations

    "WHOOOOOOOOAAAA!!!"


    The arena erupted into a deafening roar of cheers as the clash between Ludwig and Haku finally concluded. The battle had been nothing short of epic, a spectacle of raw power, skill, and determination that left the audience breathless. The finale, with its explosive collision of swords and the shattering of Haku''s blade, was a moment that would be etched into the memories of everyone present. It was a battle for the academy to speak of for many years to come, and the crowd couldn''t contain their excitement.


    Ludwig turned to Haku, his sword still in hand, his expression a mix of admiration and respect. "Are you sure you''re done?" he asked, his voice steady despite the chaos around them.


    For Ludwig this battle felt too short, he too wanted to have more, fight more, and express his own strength some more.


    Haku, his aura now fading, gave a small, satisfied smile. "Yeah," he said, his tone calm but tinged with a hint of awe. "I feel like I need to go and meditate before some of this¡­ enlightenment escapes me." He bent down and picked up the broken fragment of his sword, holding it gently as if it were a precious relic. With a final glance at Ludwig, he turned and began to walk away.


    As he passed the group of second-year students, he paused for a moment. "I''d guarantee you," he said, his voice carrying across the arena, "that none of you can beat him. You might as well just give up." The words hung in the air, heavy with truth, as Haku continued his descent from the arena.


    The second-year students exchanged uneasy glances. One of them, a tall, broad-shouldered boy, scoffed. "What is he saying?" he muttered, his voice laced with disbelief. "Ludwig should clearly be exhausted after that." He turned to look at Ludwig, who stood tall and unwavering in the center of the arena. There wasn''t a single bead of sweat on his body, no sign of fatigue despite the scars and wounds that marred his form. He looked as though he could fight for hours more.


    "God damn monster..." one of the second years cursed out.


    The teachers, who had intervened briefly during the clash, now smiled at Ludwig and left the arena, their expressions a mix of pride and relief. Olim stepped forward, addressing the audience. "We apologize for the sudden interruption," he said, his voice booming through the arena. "The display of aura that Haku showed will be recorded in history. Achieving aura at the young age of twenty-one is a remarkable feat. Congratulations, Haku. Despite losing this match, you have gained something even more precious. You brought great honor to your family and to the Black Tower academy that helped nurture you. Please continue on your path, as for the rest of us; the fights are still ongoing! So let the matches continue!"


    Joana, who had followed Haku off the arena, seemed to be imparting some wisdom to him. She glanced back at Ludwig occasionally, her smile warm and approving. Haku, now holding the broken pieces of his sword, listened intently, his expression one of deep contemplation. He had found his "Heart," and the journey ahead would be one of growth and discovery.


    Ludwig, meanwhile, stood solemnly in the arena, his sword resting at his side. The weight of the battle still lingered, but there was no time to rest. The next challenger was already stepping forward, emboldened by the belief that Ludwig must be exhausted.


    ''God, this feels awkward,'' Ludwig thought as the crowd''s eyes remained fixed on him. He took a moment to glance at the notifications that had popped up earlier.


    [Cursed Sword-Scythe of Durandal has been partially unsealed!]


    [You have achieved one of the hidden conditions to Unlock some of Durandal''s weight.]


    [Condition is as follows¡­ As an Undead, exert the maximum power that your body can release and some more in a sword clash. Weight unsealed. 50Kg.]


    [Weight of the World-] Unlocked a portion of Durandal''s power. You''re able to convert your Strength Stat points into additional weight whenever you swing your weapon. Currently, you''re able to convert 10% of your strength into a multiplier to the maximum weight of the Sword shard.] Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Maximum weight per blow: 540Kg]


    Ludwig''s mind raced as he processed the information.


    ''Since my strength stat is at 108, the math seems to fit. But if I were to swing a half-tonne of weight around, I''d be flung around with my own sword. But since it was only momentarily that my weapon gained that weight, it was the reason Haku''s sword broke.''


    He looked down at his weapon, a sense of awe washing over him. ''The fact that this is broken would make one shudder¡­ what kind of monster was able to use the full weight of this thing?''


    He didn''t have time to dwell on it further. The next challenger had already stepped into the arena, his confidence radiating as he introduced himself. "I''m known as the best tank of the second year," the boy declared, his voice brimming with pride. "They call me Tavi the Wall!" He held up a metallic kite shield and a light longsword, his stance solid and unyielding.


    "Sure," Ludwig replied, his tone calm but laced with a hint of amusement. He waited for Olim to start the match.


    "Let the round begin!" Olim called, his voice cutting through the tension.


    Tavi wasted no time. "Bulwark! Platinum Defense!" he shouted, his shield glowing with magical infusions and intricate circles. The air around him seemed to solidify, making him appear as immovable as a boulder. With his shield raised, he charged at Ludwig, his movements deliberate and powerful.


    Ludwig didn''t dodge. He didn''t use his chains to outmaneuver the shield, nor did he resort to magic to blast Tavi away. Instead, he decided to meet the "Wall" head-on, his sword raised high.


    "If an immovable object meets an unstoppable force, who do you think would win?" Ludwig asked, his voice calm as Tavi closed the distance.


    "I guess you''ll never know, since you''re not immovable."

 Chapter 218 - 218: Nice Try

    With a deep breath, Ludwig activated the Weight of the World. His weapon, a cursed blade that was forged by compressing the heart of a black hole, came down like the reckoning. He swung it down in a simple, straightforward motion¡ªa basic downward cut, something he had practiced countless times in training. But this time, the sword carried the weight of 540 kilograms, fueled by Ludwig''s immense strength and the unsealed power of the shard.


    The moment the sword''s tip touched the shield, it simply tore through it, forcing it apart with utter ease.


    The kite shield blew apart, along with the arm of the student that was holding it. And only when the sword hit the floor, did the wide-eyed student realize that his arm was gone. He couldn''t even yell or scream pain as the kinetic energy of the incoming sword bore down with full force against the pavement, blasting the whole thing along with Tavi away.


    Tavi fell several dozen meters away from Ludwig, completely unconscious. A couple of teachers rushed the unconscious man, grabbed his arm and took him away.


    The rest of the students around the arena realized the power that Ludwig still held was far beyond what they could handle.


    They knew that to win against him, they''ll have to exhaust him, but who in their right minds would dare go up first?


    Tavi lost an arm, though it would be reattached in the clinic, it would still be painful. What if that blow didn''t land on their arms and legs? What if it hit their heads? There was no coming back from that.


    The teachers would do their best to stop any accidents from happening, but even they weren''t fast enough to stop the final clash of Haku and Ludwig.


    None of the second year students dared move up.


    "If no one takes the arena, Ludwig will be nominated the winner, along with his whole team," Olim reminded the crowd, his voice breaking the silence.


    One of the third-year students began to move toward the voting booth, but a hand stopped him.


    Ludwig frowned, Melissa, the overly¡­ outward and ''large'' personality student seemed to stand up.


    ***


    "What is she doing?" Cymoria muttered, her brow furrowing as she watched from the observation booth.


    "That would be your specialty, dear Cymoria," Van Dijk said, a knowing smile on his face. "That''s Mass Charm."


    "Shouldn''t we stop that?" Vastion asked, his tone uneasy.


    "Nah," Olim interjected, his eyes fixed on the arena. "If they''re not strong enough to fend it off, then they have no reason to be on the arena. Let''s just watch."


    ***


    Melissa turned to her classmates, her smile radiant. "Dear fellow students," she began, her voice smooth and hypnotic, "does anyone here think they can beat me?" None of the third years replied. She continued, her eyes glowing a deep shade of pink. "Then do you think that all of you combined can beat me?" Again, silence. "Then don''t go up the arena. Even if I lose," she said, her tone final.


    She walked up to the arena, her movements graceful and deliberate. "You need to cast a vote," Olim reminded her.


    "I can assure you," she said, her voice carrying across the arena, "no one will be joining the arena after this fight."


    "What do you mean?" Olim asked, though he already knew the answer. This was for the audience''s benefit.


    "I asked my fellow students, and they all agree that Ludwig has shown enough potential to be part of the upcoming five tower tournament. It would be a shame for someone who''s been fighting for two days to be disqualified due to exhaustion. They all generously agreed that this will be the last fight Ludwig will have, victor or loser."


    The crowd murmured, the tension palpable. Olim frowned, surprised by Melissa''s ability to control so many students with such ease. She was Cymoria''s personal disciple, but even Cymoria at her age hadn''t been this powerful. If Melissa had joined the Blue Tower or the Gray Tower, she would have been a force to be reckoned with simply for the fact that her mastery over illusion and fakery was borderline absurd. But her powers leaned toward the darker side, and thus she had been enrolled in the Black Tower Academy.


    "Then so be it," Olim said, his voice firm. "This will be the final fight. Ludwig, good luck. This is a third-year. Don''t get too complacent, and if you think you can''t handle things, then give up."


    Ludwig nodded, his expression unreadable as Melissa stepped into the arena. The moment she set foot there, she already cast her magic.


    A couple notifications appeared in front of Ludwig, but he didn''t even bother checking them. For everyone else, it looked like Ludwig was completely frozen in place.


    She approached him slowly, her every movement calculated to draw attention. Her charm was palpable, her magic weaving through the air like a subtle, intoxicating perfume.


    "Oh, dear," she said, her voice dripping with faux disappointment. "I wanted our first encounter to be somewhere¡­ warmer, cozier, and more intimate. Sadly, we''re being watched by so many people¡­ not that I mind spectators." Her words were laced with magic, each syllable weaving a spell of allure and control.


    Ludwig stood frozen, his body rigid as Melissa closed the distance between them. She placed a hand on his shoulder, her magic seeping into him like a slow, insidious poison. "You see," she said, her voice soft and hypnotic, "I''m quite the jealous person." She leaned in closer, her face inches from Ludwig''s. "And you seem to have oh so many girls flocking to you. Would you be willing to be mine, and mine alone?" She cupped Ludwig''s face with both hands, her touch gentle but possessive.


    "LUDWIG, WAKE UP!" Kassandra''s voice echoed from the stands, Minerva was shouting too, but the most boisterous and loudest was Kaela as her voice filled with rage seemed to almost deafen the whole arena "YOU DAMN SLUT, GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF HIM!" Danny held her back, preventing her from jumping into the arena.


    Melissa ignored the commotion, her focus entirely on Ludwig. "Ah, look at those vixens," she said, her voice a purr. "But you know what would be interesting?" She leaned in, her lips brushing against Ludwig''s in a kiss that sent a wave of magic through him.


    The arena held its breath, the tension unbearable. But then, something unexpected happened.


    "Emm¡­ you feel awfully cold, too cold actually..." Melissa said, A flicker of confusion passed through her mind. Then¡ªpain.


    Her voice faltering. Her body jerked, and blood began to seep from her mouth. Her eyes widened in shock as she looked down.


    The whole arena seemed to turn deadly quiet, as Melissa realized that something thick and long had penetrated her. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig''s sword, the cursed shard of Durandal, was buried deep in her abdomen, the blade protruding from her back. The arena fell into stunned silence as Melissa staggered back, her hands clutching the wound.


    "That''s¡­ not fair!" she gasped, her voice trembling as she collapsed to the ground.


    Ludwig stared at her wide-eyed expression that was slowly fading into unconciousness, and without batting an eye turned to look at Olim, waiting for him to announce the results. The match was already over.

 Chapter 219 - 219: Whistleblower

    "WE HAVE A WINNER!" Olim''s voice thundered across the arena, echoing off the stone walls and reverberating through the stands. The crowd erupted into a mix of cheers and gasps, their eyes fixed on Ludwig, who stood victorious in the center of the blood-stained arena. Two teachers rushed in, their movements swift and precise, as they carefully lifted Melissa''s limp body from the ground. Her once-proud stance was now reduced to a crumpled form, blood pooling beneath her. The teachers worked quickly, their hands glowing with healing magic as they stemmed the flow of blood and stabilized her injuries. Once her pale face began to flush again, they realized that she was out of the woods, and immediately rushed her out of the arena and to what could only be the academy''s infirmary.


    Ludwig, still catching his breath not due to exhaustion, but to showcase ''humanity'' to the many students who think he was a monster. He glanced down at the notifications that flashed before his eyes. The words shimmered in the air¡ªthe summary of his battle and the promised rewards for a well-done job.


    ?[You have completed: Tournament Finalist]


    ?[You have received: Codex Necros Fourth Page]


    ?[You have received: Necromania]


    [Necromania - Passive - All necrotic abilities will henceforth be improved.


    ?Curses will have their potency increased by 20%


    ?Bone Spells will have their power increased by 20%


    ?All forms of Ritual Sacrifices will have their effectiveness increased by 20%


    ?Charisma required to control the Undead will be reduced by 20%


    ?Wisdom needed to summon the Undead will be reduced by 20%


    ?All dark-oriented spells will have a 20% increase in proficiency for learning and applying.]


    [Eternal Quest update!]


    ?[Path of the Lich Class has been unlocked! - Can only be achieved after having Skeletal Mage class.]


    ?[Path of the Death Knight Class has been unlocked! - Can only be achieved after having Skeletal Swordsman class.]


    ?[Currently available Classes after finishing [Black Tower Academy Eternal Quest]:


    ?[Skeletal Swordsman]


    ?[Skeletal Mage]


    ?[Death Knight]


    ?[Lich]


    Ludwig dismissed the notifications with a flick of his eyes, his gaze returning to the arena. The students in the stands were in a state of disbelief, their murmurs growing louder as they processed what had just happened. Many had expected Ludwig to falter, to collapse under the weight of exhaustion after battling so many opponents. Yet here he stood, bloodied but unbroken, his sword still gripped tightly in his hand. The crowd''s initial shock soon gave way to admiration, and the chant began once more.


    "UNDEAD LUDWIG!! UNDEAD LUDWIG!" The voices rose in unison, a wave of sound that washed over the arena. Ludwig, though weary, raised his bloodied sword high, the blade catching the light as the crowd''s cheers reached a crescendo.


    "Congratulations, Ludwig!" Olim''s voice cut through the noise as he approached, his expression a mix of pride and amusement. "How does it feel?" he asked, his tone light but his eyes sharp, studying Ludwig''s reaction.


    "Surreal," Ludwig replied, his voice steady despite the fatigue that threatened to overtake him. He paused, his gaze drifting back to the arena, where the remnants of the battle still lingered. "But it feels¡­ lacking," he admitted, his tone tinged with a hint of dissatisfaction.


    Olim chuckled, a knowing smile spreading across his face. "That''s understandable," he said, clapping Ludwig on the shoulder. "To be honest, you got lucky. If Melissa hadn''t charmed the third years, I doubt you''d have been able to win against all of them back to back. Don''t get me wrong, you''re probably one of the strongest students here, even compared to the second years. But the third years? They have a lot more experience. Take Ravi Vondel, for example. He would have been a challenging opponent for you. Even Haku would struggle to defeat him using all his skills."


    Ludwig nodded, acknowledging Olim''s words. He knew that luck had played a part in his victory. Melissa''s charm had incapacitated the third years, giving him the upper hand. But a win was a win, and Ludwig wasn''t about to question the circumstances that had led to his triumph.


    As the crowd''s cheers began to die down, Ludwig noticed Van Dijk standing at the edge of the arena, his arms crossed and a faint smile on his lips. "Ludwig, come to me after you''re done here," Van Dijk called out, his voice carrying a note of authority. Ludwig''s heart¡ªor what remained of it¡ªskipped a beat. He remembered his master''s promise of a reward, and the prospect of learning more magic filled him with anticipation.


    A small ceremony followed, during which Ludwig was presented with his prizes. Olim handed him a pouch of Kronas, while Professor Cymoria stepped forward to gift him a ring. The ring was simple in design, but Ludwig could sense the faint hum of magic emanating from it. He slipped it onto his finger, feeling the cool metal against his skin.


    [Minor Mana recovery ring]


    Mana recovery +10%


    The ring was simple enough, but its bonus was pretty relevant. Ludwig didn''t have any items that could help replenish his mana. So this was a good bonus. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Vastion, however, stood apart from the others, his expression unreadable. He offered no words of congratulations, no gifts. Instead, he simply watched as Ludwig was commended for his efforts, his gaze sharp and calculating.


    Olim concluded the event with a few final words, urging the students to take Ludwig as an example and work harder to improve their own skills. "Let this be a lesson to all of you," he said, his voice carrying across the arena. "Strength and determination can overcome even the greatest challenges. But remember, luck can only take you so far. It''s your skill and perseverance that will see you through in the end."


    As the students began to disperse, Ludwig made his way out of the arena, his friends quickly falling into step beside him.


    "Ludwig," Kaela said, her voice cutting through the chatter. She had been quiet during the ceremony, her arms crossed and her expression thoughtful. "You''ll have to spar with me later," she said, her tone leaving no room for argument.


    Ludwig glanced at her, noting the determination in her eyes. She had been moved by his fight with Haku, and it seemed she was eager to test her skills against him. "Sure," he replied with a faint smile. "Whenever I have time, I''ll be at the training center."


    "I''ll see you there, then," Kaela said, her tone softening slightly before she turned and walked away.


    "Yo! Ludwig the champ!" Hoyo''s voice rang out as he bounded up to Ludwig, his grin wide and infectious. His face, which had been puffy earlier in the day, now looked much better, the swelling having subsided. "I just got lucky," Ludwig replied, returning Hoyo''s smile.


    "What do you mean, luck?" Kassandra interjected, her tone teasing but her eyes filled with genuine admiration. "At this rate, you''ll be leaving us in the dust. Going toe to toe with someone who unlocked aura, and then beating the strongest mental enchantress in the academy? Those are no small feats, Ludwig."


    Ludwig could only smile, grateful for the support of his friends. "Where to now?" Hoyo asked, his energy undiminished.


    "I''ll need to head to Master Van Dijk''s place," Ludwig replied. "I was promised a reward."


    "Oh man, you''re really lucky, aren''t you?" Hoyo sighed, his tone tinged with envy. "I wish I had a master like Van Dijk."


    Ludwig patted Hoyo on the shoulder, offering what little comfort he could. "Don''t worry," he said. "Your time will come. Let''s get moving now."


    ***


    ***


    Meanwhile, far to the south, within the heart of the Sacrosanctum of the Holy Order, the bishop who had previously investigated the Black Tower was seated in his study, a letter clutched tightly in his hands. The room was dimly lit, the flickering light of a single candle casting long shadows across the walls. The bishop''s expression was grave as he read through the letter, his brow furrowed in concentration.


    "Is this for real?" he muttered, his voice low and filled with disbelief. "This isn''t some sort of foolish prank, is it?" He looked up at the two paladins standing before him, their faces equally serious.


    "We don''t know the origin of the letter," one of the paladins replied, his tone cautious. "But it did come with a fragmented piece of cloth that had signs of Dark Magic on it. We''re leaning toward believing it to be true."


    Before the bishop could respond, the door to the study burst open, and a young boy stepped inside. He couldn''t have been more than thirteen, his face still round with the softness of youth, but his eyes held a sharpness that belied his age. "What''s going on?" the boy asked, his voice filled with curiosity.


    "Ah, Saint Mot," the bishop said, his tone immediately shifting to one of deference. "This isn''t something you should bother with." He moved to hide the letter, but before he could, a tendril-like appendage shot out from the boy''s sleeve, snatching the letter from the bishop''s hand. The tendril was grotesque, its flesh-like appearance sending a shiver down the spines of those who saw it.


    The boy¡ªSaint Mot¡ªread through the letter, his expression shifting from curiosity to excitement. "Oh, I''ve always wanted to visit the Black Tower," he said, his voice filled with a childlike glee. He looked up at the bishop, his smile widening. "I guess I should pay them a visit now."


    The smile on his face was anything but innocent. It was the smile of someone who knew far more than they let on, and it sent a chill through the room. The bishop and the paladins exchanged uneasy glances, but none dared to argue with the young saint.

 Chapter 220 - 220: The Holy Order Attacks!

    Ludwig reached the top floor of the tower, his footsteps echoing softly against the stone walls. The air was thick with the scent of old parchment and the faint metallic tang of magic. Van Dijk was already there, waiting for him, his expression unreadable as he stood by the large window overlooking the lands around the Black Tower academy.


    "Come in," Van Dijk said, his voice calm but carrying an undercurrent of urgency.


    Ludwig stepped inside, closing the heavy wooden door behind him. The room was as he remembered it¡ªcluttered with books, scrolls, and strange vials full of the most random organs of strange creatures. Van Dijk turned to face him, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly as he studied Ludwig.


    "Did you happen to see either Sebas or Evan on your way up?" Van Dijk asked, his tone casual but his gaze piercing.


    "No, Master," Ludwig shook his head. He didn''t have access to the ''inner'' tower, so he never ventured unsupervised inside to check on Van Dijk''s other apprentices. "I haven''t seen them since the tournament."


    Van Dijk leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled in front of him as he thought for a moment. Then, with a sudden motion, he stood up. "Follow me," he said, his voice firm. "It''s strange that they both went missing right now."


    Ludwig frowned, a sense of unease creeping into his mind. "Are they not on a mission for you?" he asked as he followed Van Dijk out of the room and down a narrow staircase.


    "Nothing that I asked them to do," Van Dijk replied, his tone tinged with frustration. "We''re in a delicate period of research, and I can''t have them disappearing on me. Especially not now."


    They descended several flights of stairs, the air growing colder and heavier with each step. Van Dijk stopped at a seemingly ordinary section of the wall and pressed his hand against it. The stone shifted with a low rumble, revealing a hidden passageway that led into the inner sanctum of the tower. Ludwig had only been here once before, and the memory of that visit was still fresh in his mind.


    The inner tower was a stark contrast to the rest of the academy. The walls were lined with shelves filled with ancient tomes and jars containing strange, glowing substances. The air was thick with the scent of alchemical reagents and the faint hum of dark magic. In the center of the room stood a large table, its surface covered in intricate diagrams and tools that Ludwig recognized all too well. It was the same table where Van Dijk had performed the operation to implant the Nephilium into his body.


    "Doesn''t matter though," Van Dijk muttered as he walked over to the table. "I thought they''d be pestering me to teach them something, especially after seeing how well you did in the tournament. But I guess I gave them too much credit. They don''t even have the face to show up in front of me anymore." He shook his head, his expression a mix of disappointment and irritation.


    Ludwig remained silent, his eyes scanning the room. The atmosphere was tense, and he could feel the weight of Van Dijk''s expectations pressing down on him.


    "Sit up," Van Dijk said, gesturing to the table. He removed his black coat, revealing a simple black shirt underneath, and pulled on a pair of pristine white gloves. Ludwig hesitated for a moment before climbing onto the table, his mind racing with apprehension.


    Van Dijk reached for a small vial on the table, its contents glowing faintly with a golden light. It was far smaller than the vial Ludwig had seen before, but the sight of it still sent a shiver down his spine.


    "I received another dose of Nephilium," Van Dijk said, holding the vial up to the light. "Though this one isn''t as large as the last, it was incredibly difficult to obtain." He set the vial down and picked up a small book, flipping it open to reveal detailed diagrams of skeletal structures and intricate mana circuits.


    "I want you to do the carving yourself this time," Van Dijk said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I only carved about a third of the circuits on your body. What I want you to do is complete the carve on your arm. I''ve already passed the main pathways, and this amount of Nephilium can only cover the auxiliary pathways of either your left or right arm."


    He handed the book to Ludwig, who took it with both hands. The pages were filled with complex diagrams and notes, each one detailing the precise placement of the mana circuits. Ludwig''s eyes widened as he realized the sheer density of the information.


    "This is¡­ pretty dense," Ludwig said, his voice barely above a whisper.


    "Yes," Van Dijk replied, his tone matter-of-fact. "It took a lot of time and effort to develop a fully functional mana circuit that can be applied to bones instead of flesh. But this should have the power to push you to the peak of magical ability. My gift to you isn''t the Nephilium itself, but the knowledge to implant it on your own. So, use the knowledge from the book and show me how you can carve the circuits."


    Van Dijk pulled up a chair and sat down in front of Ludwig, his expression calm but his eyes sharp and observant. Ludwig nodded, his resolve hardening. He knew this wouldn''t be easy, but he also knew that this was a crucial step in his growth.


    The moment Ludwig dipped the pen-sized carving tool into the vial of holy water and began tracing the pathways across the bone of his arm, his whole body shuddered from the untold amounts of pain. It was as if his very soul was being scorched, the holy energy searing through his undead bones. He instinctively pulled away, the tool slipping from his grasp as he gasped for breath.


    He turned to look at Van Dijk, who remained expressionless, his gaze unwavering. There was no sympathy in his eyes, only expectation. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''There is no escaping this¡­'' Ludwig thought, steeling himself for the task ahead.


    [You''re Suffering critical damage to the integrity of your skeletal body!]


    [You are being afflicted with Holy Damage!]


    [-1 Strength]


    [-1 Strength]


    [You have resisted integral structure damage!]


    [You have resisted integral structure damage!]


    The notifications flashed before Ludwig''s eyes, each one a reminder of the toll this process was taking on his body. But he couldn''t stop now. He picked up the tool again, his hands trembling as he resumed the carving. The pain was excruciating, but he forced himself to push through, his determination overriding the agony.


    Minutes felt like hours as Ludwig worked, his focus entirely on the task at hand. The pain was relentless, but he refused to give up. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he was almost done.


    "You seem to be almost finished," Van Dijk said, his voice breaking the silence. "Why stop here?"


    Ludwig looked up, his breathing ragged. "I wanted to ask you something¡­" he said, his voice strained.


    "What is it?" Van Dijk asked, his tone calm but curious.


    "Wouldn''t this be easier if I removed my arm¡­?" Ludwig asked, his voice trembling. "I mean, this hurts¡­ like a lot¡­"


    Van Dijk''s expression remained impassive. "That would have been a good idea if not for the fact that carving on an attached limb stops you from dying. What''s keeping your body functioning and moving is your soul. Severing your arm is the same as severing the soul. If you were to carve on your severed arm and then reattach it, your soul would receive an instant shock from all the holy matter in it. It would either kill you or destroy your entire body."


    Ludwig nodded, understanding the gravity of Van Dijk''s words. He took a deep breath and resumed the carving, his hands steadier this time. The pain was still unbearable, but he pushed through, determined to complete the task.


    This time, he didn''t lose as much strength as he had the first time, only losing about eight points in total. When he finally finished, Van Dijk stood up and handed him the vial of Nephilium.


    "Good job," Van Dijk said, his tone approving. "Use this yourself."


    Ludwig took the vial and poured the glowing liquid slowly over the newly carved pathways. The Nephilium immediately seeped into the grooves, fusing with his bones and completing the circuit. A new notification appeared before him.


    [Your {Blessed Body} has leveled up!]


    [You have obtained {Minor Holy Resistance}]


    Ludwig''s eyes widened as he read the description.


    -{Passive Minor Holy Resistance} Small resistance against the Holy element. Resistance against holy damage increased by 10%.


    He flexed his arm, feeling the new power coursing through it. "Thank you, Master," Ludwig said, his voice filled with gratitude.


    "No problem," Van Dijk replied, his expression softening slightly. "Now, I want to give you a couple of¡ª"


    Before Van Dijk could finish, his eyes widened in alarm. Ludwig felt it too¡ªa sudden, overwhelming sense of danger. A notification flashed before his eyes.


    [You are in a hostile environment!]


    [Death Point has been saved! Bastos Van Dijk''s Secret Laboratory.]


    [Sudden Quest! Survive the Holy Order''s Assault!]


    [Urgent Quest Update!]


    Your Quest, Eternal Quest, Academic Life as a Skeleton has been Modified and Updated!


    [Escape the Black Tower Academy!]


    Before Ludwig could even utter a word, the entire tower shook violently, as if struck by a massive force. The sound of crumbling stone and shattering glass filled the air, and Ludwig''s instincts screamed at him to move. The Holy Order had arrived, and they were not here for a friendly visit.

 Chapter 221 - 221: Surprise Attack

    "Ludwig! Are you alright?" Van Dijk''s voice cut through the chaos, his words rattling through the debris and dust that filled the air. The tower groaned under the strain of the attack, its ancient stones trembling as if they might collapse at any moment.


    Ludwig waved away the thick clouds of dust and smoke, coughing slightly as he tried to regain his bearings. "Yes, Master, I''m fine¡­ What the hell was that?" he asked, his voice tinged with both confusion and alarm. His eyes darted around the room, taking in the destruction. The once-pristine laboratory was now a mess of shattered glass, scattered papers, and broken equipment.


    "We''re under attack," Van Dijk said grimly, his voice low but filled with a dangerous edge. He raised his hand, and a surge of magic erupted from his palm, spreading out like a wave and merging seamlessly with the walls of the tower. The structure itself seemed to hum in response, as if awakening to its master''s call. The air grew heavier, charged with the raw power of Van Dijk''s magic.


    Ludwig turned his attention to the source of the explosion. The entire north wall of the tower had been obliterated, reduced to rubble and dust. moonlight streamed in through the gaping hole, illuminating the room with an eerie glow. Ludwig cautiously approached the edge, peering out to assess the situation.


    "Careful, Ludwig," Van Dijk warned, his voice tense. "We don''t know who''s attacking us." He tried to activate his communication device, but it sparked and fizzled, clearly malfunctioning. Van Dijk cursed under his breath, tossing the device aside.


    Ludwig''s eyes widened as he took in the scene outside. Hundreds of white-clad paladins surrounded the tower, their armor gleaming in the sunlight. They moved with military precision, their ranks forming a tight circle around the Black Tower. At the forefront stood a figure in red and gold robes, his presence commanding and ominous.


    "Ah, it''s the Holy Order," Ludwig said, his voice barely above a whisper. He quickly withdrew from the edge, hiding himself from view as he noticed several paladins preparing what looked like a powerful spell. The air around them crackled with holy energy, and Ludwig could feel the oppressive weight of their magic even from this distance.


    "Holy Order?" Van Dijk''s voice was laced with venom as he stepped up to the gaping hole in the wall. His eyes narrowed as they landed on the figure in red and gold robes. "Bishop Vitelli!" Van Dijk roared, his voice carrying across the battlefield like a thunderclap. "What is the meaning of this?"


    The bishop, unlike last time where he was on the defensive inside Van Dijk''s office, this time he was more commanding, confident Even.


    The Bishop stepped forward. His voice was calm but carried an undercurrent of authority. "Master Van Dijk, our apologies for this¡­ rude gesture. But we have received information that you are hosting Dark Magic rituals within your Black Tower. We cannot ignore such allegations."


    Van Dijk''s face twisted in anger, his hands clenching into fists. "FOR MERE ALLEGATIONS YOU DARE ATTACK ME! You already came here not even a week ago and scanned the whole place! You found nothing!"


    "That was before we learned of a few things," the bishop replied, his tone unyielding. "First, please hand over your disciple. We believe he is also entangled with the darkness." S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig''s inexistent heart skipped a beat. ''They''re here for me? What the hell did I do?!''


    Van Dijk''s rage boiled over, his voice rising to a deafening roar. "You come into my territory! MY LAND! MY TOWER! AND DARE!" Each word seemed to shake the very foundations of the tower, the air growing darker and heavier with every syllable. Black electrical surges began to crackle around Van Dijk, his magic manifesting as a storm of raw power. The ground beneath the tower trembled, stones and pebbles lifting into the air as if gravity itself had been disrupted.


    "YOU DARE QUESTION ME? ARE YOU ALL TIRED OF LIVING?!" Van Dijk''s voice was a thunderous declaration of war, his mana surging to unimaginable levels. The paladins hesitated, their confidence wavering in the face of the eight-circle mage''s overwhelming power.


    ''Ludwig!'' Van Dijk''s voice echoed in Ludwig''s mind, cutting through the chaos. It was the same telepathic communication Ludwig had experienced with Thomas.


    ''Master?'' Ludwig replied, his mental voice tinged with urgency.


    ''Good, you can reply through telepathy. Listen carefully¡ªyou need to run. Go upstairs, take the portal in my office. It will send you to Silva. Tell him that I''m sending you to my hideout. I don''t know what''s going on right now, but it seems we''ve been exposed. You''ll need to lay low for now.''


    [Sudden Quest Update!]


    Follow Van Dijk''s orders and escape the encirclement.


    ''Wait,'' Van Dijk added as Ludwig began to move. ''There''s a book under my desk. Grab it and keep it safe. And right underneath the bookcase, there''s a compartment that can be pressed. Press it and take the item that appears. Go now! Hurry!''


    Ludwig nodded, his mind racing as he turned and bolted up the stairs. The tower shook with every step, the sounds of an upcoming battle growing louder behind him. He reached Van Dijk''s office, which was in complete disarray. Books had been thrown from their shelves, papers were scattered across the floor, and the furniture was overturned. Ludwig navigated the chaos, making his way to the desk.


    "Van Dijk, you are hereby ordered to abandon all resistance! Please do not make this any harder than it should be!" Bishop Vitelli''s voice echoed from outside, but Van Dijk''s response was even more thunderous.


    "YOU COME TO MY PLACE AND ASK ME TO SURRENDER? I WAS NEVER ONE TO SUCCUMB TO THREATS! LET IT WEEP BLOOD TONIGHT!"


    The tower seemed to come alive, its walls humming with energy as Van Dijk''s magic surged through every stone and beam. Ludwig could feel the power building, a storm of darkness that threatened to consume everything in its path.

 Chapter 222 - 222: Fugitive

    Ludwig hurried up through the stairs, and burst through the door as fast as possible reached the desk and opened the drawer, finding an old diary. He quickly pocketed it into his storage ring and turned his attention to the bookcase. After a moment of searching, he found the hidden compartment and pressed it. The room immediately began to vibrate, magic circles springing to life across the walls and floor. Lines of magic crisscrossed the room like spiderwebs, attaching themselves to specific books and items. One by one, the objects turned into white light and disappeared.


    This happened not only in Van Dijk''s office, but all over the tower.


    A ring appeared in the compartment, and Ludwig picked it up, inspecting it.


    [Mass Storage Ring]


    Ludwig checked inside it and found a vast collection of Van Dijk''s books and materials. He realized this was a failsafe¡ªa way to protect incriminating evidence in case of an attack. The ring had absorbed everything that could link Van Dijk to Dark Magic.


    A portal suddenly opened in the middle of the room, its swirling energy promising escape. But before Ludwig could step through, a notification flashed before his eyes.


    [You are in a hostile environment!]


    Ludwig was about to ignore the notification, since he was already in a hostile environment. But this never happened before, he never received the same notification twice from the same thing.


    Ludwig hesitated for a fraction of a second, his instincts screaming at him to move. He ducked to the side just as a fireball exploded where he had been standing.


    "Fuck, I missed," a familiar voice said.


    Ludwig turned to see Sebas standing in the doorway, his staff glowing with residual magic. The man''s expression was twisted with malice, his eyes locked on Ludwig.


    "Didn''t expect this one, you rotten pile of bones," Sebas sneered, tapping his staff twice on the floor. Coiling vines shot up from the ground, lashing out at Ludwig, who barely managed to jump back in time to avoid them.


    "You''re the reason this is happening!" Ludwig shouted, his voice filled with anger and realization.


    "Too bad you won''t be alive to say it! Blame your own arrogance¡ªyou brought this on yourself, you fucker!" Sebas retorted, pointing his staff at Ludwig. Two more fireballs shot out, forcing Ludwig to dive and roll to avoid them. The fireballs blasted the nearby walls and into an unfortunate shelf. Many old books were turned to ash instantly, regretfully so.


    "Explosive Mines!" Ludwig shouted, thrusting his hand forward.


    "Contain!" Sebas chanted, and a blue spherical orb manifested around the explosive mine, suppressing the blast before it could do any damage.


    "Don''t compare me with the students you fought, dumbass!" Sebas growled, raising his arm. "Latreanuvei!" A massive magical arm formed in the air, reaching out to grab Ludwig.


    Ludwig reacted instantly, jerking his right arm to manifest his sword. He activated [Steadfast Leap], propelling himself across the room and landing near the office window. The magical arm slammed into the tower''s interior, shaking the structure violently.


    "You can dodge well for a rat! But how long can you survive! Today you''ll die and get these grievances off the way."


    "You''re the one who''s incompetent for Van Dijk to take as a student," Ludwig retorted, "Why blame me for your own lack of talent!"


    "SHUT UP!" Sebas roared as he sent more magic Ludwig''s way who kicked the desk up to block it. Though sadly Van Dijk''s desk immediately turned to dust and ash from the magic.


    ''Ludwig, is everything alright?!'' Van Dijk''s voice echoed in his mind.


    ''No! Sebas is trying to kill me!'' Ludwig replied, his mental voice frantic.


    ''Sebas? I see¡­ Ludwig, I noticed you activated the failsafe. Did you collect the ring?''


    ''Yes, I did.'' Ludwig replied in a strained voice, seemingly dodging through something.


    ''Can you use the portal?'' Van Dijk asked urgently.


    Ludwig took a second to reply, causing some anxiety in Van Dijk, ''No, he''s blocking me. I don''t think I can use it. I''m stuck¡ªhe''s blocking the door and the portal¡­''


    ''Door and portal¡­ then Jump from the window, now!'' Van Dijk commanded.


    Ludwig didn''t hesitate. Even if the fall killed him, he had souls to spare, he could come back and warn his master. With the knowledge he had now, he could at least avoid being caught by Sebas. He hurled himself out of the window, bracing for impact.


    But instead of the ground, he found himself falling into a massive cloud of blackness. Bats¡ªthousands of them¡ªswarmed around the tower''s midsection, their purpose to instill terror in the paladins. The bats caught Ludwig mid-fall, their small bodies working together to carry him away from the tower and toward the academy grounds.


    As Ludwig was carried to safety, he glanced back at the tower. Van Dijk stood at the center of the chaos, his aura radiating pure darkness. The paladins hesitated, their confidence shattered by the sheer power of the eight-circle mage.


    But something else caught Ludwig''s eye. Amid the chaos, a small boy¡ªno older than twelve or thirteen¡ªstood among the paladins. Unlike the others, he wasn''t focused on Van Dijk. His eyes were locked on Ludwig, a faint smile playing on his lips.


    [The Old One is watching!]


    The child waved at Ludwig, his expression eerily calm, before turning his attention back to Van Dijk. Ludwig felt a chill run down his spine, but there was nothing he could do. The bats carried him away, leaving the tower and its defenders behind. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As Ludwig disappeared into the distance, Van Dijk''s voice roared across the battlefield, a final declaration of defiance. "Holy Order! If you wish for death, then come!"


    The battle was far from over, but Ludwig knew his role had changed. He had to survive, to lay low, and to uncover the truth behind the Holy Order''s attack. The Black Tower was under siege, and Ludwig was now a fugitive in a world that had turned against him.


    And all he could ask himself was, "What the fuck just happened?"

 Chapter 223 - 223: Hunted Down

    The bats carrying Ludwig began to falter, their forms flickering and dissolving into wisps of dark smoke. Ludwig''s heart sank as he realized what was happening. ''Damn, is Master''s mana being suppressed?'' he thought, his mind racing. The bats were losing their strength, their flight becoming erratic as they struggled to maintain their form.


    Soon, Ludwig was descending rapidly, the ground rushing up to meet him. He braced himself, preparing for the impact. Just before the bats completely dissipated, he leapt from their grasp, landing roughly on the ground and rolling to absorb the shock. He scrambled to his feet, his eyes darting around to assess his surroundings.


    Turning back, Ludwig could see the Black Tower in the distance, its silhouette looming ominously against the night sky. From this far away, the chaos seemed almost surreal¡ªflashes of light, bursts of magic, and the faint hum of Van Dijk''s overwhelming power. But what caught Ludwig''s attention was the figure standing at the top of the tower''s shattered window. Sebas. The man''s eyes were locked on Ludwig, his expression filled with malice and a twisted sense of satisfaction.


    Ludwig''s grudge against Sebas only deepened, but he knew he couldn''t confront him now. He didn''t have the strength or the means to fight back, and Evan''s whereabouts were still unknown. All he could do was keep running.


    ''But run where?'' Ludwig thought, his mind racing. He looked around, taking in the open plains and sparse trees that stretched out in every direction. The academy was visible in the distance, its lights dimmed and its halls eerily quiet. The Holy Order''s surprise attack had clearly caught everyone off guard, and the academy''s professors were only now realizing the severity of the situation.


    Ludwig could see the faint glow of mana discharges in the distance, a sign that the academy''s teachers were mobilizing. He rushed to a nearby bush and hid there. He didn''t know if they already realized what the Holy Order was after... basically dark magic, and he was that exact same thing.


    Olim, Joana, Cymoria, and others were rushing toward the tower, their forms moving with urgency. Olim''s voice echoed across the plains, his tone filled with determination. "HURRY UP! We can''t let the Holy Order do whatever they want!"


    Joana''s eyes briefly met Ludwig''s as she passed by, and for a moment, Ludwig felt a pang of panic. But she didn''t stop. Her focus was on the tower, on the battle that was unfolding there. She didn''t know what was happening, and Ludwig realized that he was on his own.


    ''That settles it,'' Ludwig thought, his resolve hardening. ''They don''t know what''s going on. I have to hurry.''


    He turned and sprinted toward the academy, his legs carrying him as fast as they could. Running aimlessly through the country randomly would only get him caught by the Holy Order. He needed to reach Silva, one of the few people who could help him and who was also a trusted ally of Van Dijk. If Silva helps him out, he can lay low until everything unfolds.


    As Ludwig approached the academy, he saw the old guard standing at the entrance, his expression calm but his eyes sharp. Ludwig panicked, he thought that everyone had already left to the tower.


    "Looks like you''re causing a lot of trouble, young man," the guard said, his tone neutral.


    "I''m sorry, but I have to go in," Ludwig replied, his voice urgent. Hoping that the guard wouldn''t stop him.


    The guard nodded, stepping aside. "I''m not here to stop you. As long as you''re a member of the Black Tower Academy, you''re allowed in and out. Go on now."


    Ludwig didn''t waste any time. He rushed inside the academy, the heavy doors of the maingate slamming shut behind him.


    In front of Ludwig was an open garden and right at the end was the main entrance to the academy''s central building where the teleportation hub was at.


    The atmosphere though was oppressive, the garden felt eerie. and too calm, and from the looks of the dorms from where Ludwig stood, they had all of their lights off. Nothing was moving outside the academy. Ludwig hurried through the garden as fast as he could and walked into the main building, closing the door behind him.


    The halls are dark and eerily silent. The explosions and chaos from the tower were muted here, the academy''s wards dampening the noise and vibrations.


    ''Where is everyone?'' Ludwig thought, his eyes scanning the empty halls.


    Ludwig''s thoughts were interrupted by a sudden warning from Thomas. ''WATCH OUT!''


    A massive fireball hurtled toward him, its flames roaring with deadly intent. Ludwig dove forward, the heat of the explosion grazing his back as the fireball slammed into the wall behind him. He rolled to his feet, his heart pounding as he turned to face his attacker.


    Evan stood at the right side of ludwig as if waiting for him in ambush, his staff glowing with residual magic. His expression was cold, his eyes filled with a dangerous intensity. "Oh, you dodged that one," he said, his voice dripping with mockery. He tapped his staff twice on the ground, something that Ludwig had seen before, and this time, he was fully ready. Vines erupted from the floor, lashing out at him, and he jumped from there and landed deeper into the main hall.


    Ludwig didn''t hesitate. He turned and ran, his feet pounding against the stone floor as he sprinted through the academy''s halls. Evan wasn''t stupid enough to cause trouble inside the academy, right?


    He was wrong. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Evan followed him, his footsteps echoing through the empty halls. "Stop right there, you fiend!" he roared, his voice filled with venom. Another spell shot at Ludwig''s back, the force of the explosion sending him sprawling forward.


    [-1200 HP!]


    [You are suffering from {Burn} effect!]


    -10 HP!


    -10 HP!


    Ludwig''s cape was on fire, the flames licking at his back. He rolled on the ground, extinguishing the flames before scrambling to his feet and continuing to run. His destination was the teleportation hub, where Silva operated. But where was everyone? The academy felt like a ghost town, its halls devoid of life.


    As Ludwig turned a corner, he froze in his tracks. The sight before him was horrifying. Professor Vastion Oda''Ruh, the teacher of Dark Magic, was pinned to the wall, his body crucified in a grotesque display. His organs were missing, his arms twisted out of position, so were his legs, and his eyes plucked out and jaw torn apart. The scene was a nightmare come to life.


    "What the fuck?" Ludwig whispered.


    Suddenly, the symbol on Ludwig''s hand¡ªthe one Olim had painted on him this morning¡ªbegan to glow. It resonated with a similar mark on Vastion''s lifeless torn hand. A red mark began to spread along Ludwig''s arm, and a notification flashed before his eyes.


    [You are being tracked!]


    Before Ludwig could process what was happening, another explosion rocked the hallway. Evan was gaining ground, his spells growing more intense and deadly. Ludwig didn''t have time to think. He sprinted past Vastion''s corpse, his mind racing with questions. The killer was now targeting teachers? How bold¡ªand how terrifying.


    "STOP RIGHT THERE!" Evan''s voice echoed through the halls, followed by a lightning spell that narrowly missed Ludwig. The bolt struck the wall, sending sparks flying in every direction.


    Ludwig cast several explosive mines behind him, and began detonating them, doing whatever he could to try and slow down his pursuer. Evan too was a far stronger magician and necromancer than Ludwig, they''ve been with Van Dijk far longer and know more spells. Fighting them and hoping to win was the strategy of dumb heroes who hope everything will turn out right. Ludwig was no hero. So he ran like his life depended on it, which ironically was true.


    Ludwig''s heart pounded¡ªthough he had no heart¡ªas he ran, his eyes darting left and right. He needed to reach the teleportation hub, but Evan was relentless. If Silva saw Ludwig being chased by Evan, he would undoubtedly have questions¡ªquestions Ludwig didn''t have time to answer.


    Just as Ludwig was about to turn another corner, a hand grabbed him and yanked him into a side room. "SHAMRACK!" a voice shouted, and the hallway behind Ludwig was plunged into darkness.


    Ludwig looked up and saw Hoyo standing there, his expression a mix of surprise and urgency.


    "Hoyo? What the fuck are you doing here?" Ludwig asked, his voice filled with disbelief.

 Chapter 224 - 224: Face Off

    "That''s the same damn question I have for you," Hoyo said, his voice low as he peered out into the corridor. "Who''s that guy?" he asked, his eyes narrowing as he glanced back at Ludwig.


    "A bastard who works for the Black Tower," Ludwig replied, his tone sharp. "What the fuck is going on here?"


    Hoyo didn''t answer immediately. Instead, he gestured for Ludwig to follow him. "Come on, we can''t stay here. That guy''s crazy, and Professor Vastion just got offed. We need to move."


    Ludwig hesitated for a moment, his instincts screaming at him to be cautious. But with Evan hot on his heels and the academy in chaos, he didn''t have much of a choice. He followed Hoyo up the stairs, his mind racing with questions.


    ''Something isn''t right¡­'' Ludwig thought, his unease growing with every step.


    "Ludwig, what the fuck is going on?" Hoyo asked as they reached the top of the stairs, his voice filled with a mix of confusion and urgency.


    "The Holy Order is here," Ludwig replied, his tone grim. "They''ve attacked the Black Tower. Van Dijk''s holding them off, but it''s bad."


    Hoyo''s reaction was immediate. He froze for a second, his eyes widening in shock, before quickly pushing open the door to one of the classrooms and dragging Ludwig inside. He pressed his hand against the floor, summoning a spell that created the illusion of footsteps echoing down the hallway. Then he closed the door, sealing them inside the room.


    The sound of two sets of footsteps echoed through the corridor, growing fainter as they moved away. Ludwig could hear Evan''s heavy footsteps as he sprinted past the door, chasing the illusion Hoyo had created.


    "Okay, good, we''re safe," Hoyo said, letting out a breath of relief as he leaned against the wall.


    "Tell me," Ludwig said, his voice low and demanding. "What the hell is happening inside the academy?"


    "The hell would I know?" Hoyo replied, his tone defensive. "They gave strict orders for everyone to move to the dorms, and then the teachers sprinted out of the academy."


    "Not all of them¡­" Ludwig muttered, his mind flashing back to the gruesome sight of Professor Vastion''s corpse.


    "Ah, yeah¡­" Hoyo said, his expression darkening.


    "Why didn''t you go to the dorms?" Ludwig asked, his eyes narrowing as he studied Hoyo''s face.


    Hoyo frowned, his body tensing. "You don''t think I''m the guy who did that, do you?" he asked, his voice tinged with a mix of anger and disbelief.


    "Just answer my question," Ludwig said, his tone firm and unyielding. He wasn''t in the mood for games or lies. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hoyo sighed, running a hand through his hair. "The bedding, man. The fucking beds are hard as rock. You can''t expect me to¡ª"


    "Stop the bullshit," Ludwig snapped, cutting him off. "I know you''re the one who killed the professor."


    Hoyo''s expression hardened, his eyes narrowing as he stared at Ludwig. "You seem rather sure about that¡­ Care to tell me why you suspect me as the murderer?"


    Ludwig couldn''t simply tell him the truth¡ªthat he could see something new on Hoyo''s screen, something that revealed far more than Hoyo wanted anyone to know. But he didn''t need to. The evidence was piling up, and Ludwig''s instincts were screaming at him that Hoyo was involved.


    ---


    Name: Hoyo Drak


    Title: Fallen Noble


    Level: 15 (+100)


    HP: 1500 + 100,000


    Currently under the status effect: [Grafted]


    [Grafted]: Upon grafting an appropriate organ onto one''s body, one would gain the power of said organ.


    - {Harpy Liver}: Increased mana regeneration and disease control.


    - {Heart of Fakery}: Increased control of minor illusion and body-altering magic.


    - {Shadow Heart}: Unique Magic [Shadowmancy].


    - Sword Heart}: Mastery of Swordsmanship.


    - {Black Mage''s Heart}: Mastery over Sealing Magic.


    ---


    "Well, I wouldn''t have figured it out if it wasn''t for a few things," Ludwig said, his hand hovering near his ring, ready to summon his sword at a moment''s notice.


    "Such as?" Hoyo asked, his tone casual, but his body language betrayed his tension. He was relaxed, almost too relaxed, as if he didn''t see Ludwig as a threat.


    "The time that Von Hubert died, you had an injury on your body," Ludwig began, his voice steady. "Kassandra said it must have been a noble who bullied you, but I doubt anyone would have even come close to you when they know you hang out with me. It was her mistake for thinking you''re too weak, though I didn''t give it much thought at the time."


    "Circumstantial," Hoyo said with a shrug. "That''s no evidence at all."


    "When the names for the participants of the academy tournament were revealed, you left to ''eat,''" Ludwig continued, his eyes locked on Hoyo. "Soon after that, Esteban was missing."


    Hoyo''s expression didn''t change. "He went home. There was even a letter that was found that says so, so what does that have to do with me?"


    "No one mentioned anything about him going home or a letter, that was only shared among the student council members," Ludwig countered.


    Hoyo hesitated for a second, his mask slipping slightly. "Maybe I heard it from someone else. You know, students talk, and a lot."


    "When Kuro disappeared, you also went missing immediately after," Ludwig pressed, his voice growing sharper. "And you came back the next morning with a fat-looking face."


    "Like I said, it''s the bedding," Hoyo replied, his tone dismissive. "C''mon, Ludwig."


    "You''re not the only one who sleeps on those beds, but you''re the only one who had a face like that," Ludwig said, his eyes narrowing. "It looked like it was swollen from something, like a fight, then covered up with magic."


    Hoyo frowned but didn''t respond.


    "Not to mention, you knew exactly where the corpse was when I arrived at the crime scene yesterday," Ludwig said, his voice rising. "The building has three floors, but you told me something happened on the bottom floor. Meaning you already knew where the corpse was found without even being at the crime scene."


    "C''mon, man, you''re reaching," Hoyo said, though his voice lacked conviction.


    "And finally," Ludwig said, flicking his finger, "the shadow spell you used earlier¡­ That was something only Kuro could use. Unique magic."


    Hoyo''s expression shifted, his casual demeanor slipping away. "You sound pretty confident¡­"


    "Yeah, I was on the fence about you," Ludwig admitted. "After all, you''re my friend. Who would have expected the cowardly Hoyo to be a serial killer... even I thought it could have been Professor Vastion who committed the acts. The magic [Dark Erasure] was a unique magic of the Vastion family."


    "You said it yourself," Hoyo replied, his voice calm but his eyes sharp. "It''s a unique magic of their house. How could I ever dream of getting it?"


    "Under normal circumstances, you wouldn''t," Ludwig said, his tone cold. "But remember, you were caught by the Holy Order before. They were the ones who destroyed the Vastion noble house for dabbling in dark magic. So, would it be too far-fetched to think that you, who was once a prisoner of the Holy Order, had access to their archives? Access to magic that wasn''t yours? I mean, you did escape the Holy Order¡­ So, I''m pretty confident in saying that all the evidence points to you. Not to mention, I can see all the additional ''hearts'' you''ve planted on yourself."


    Hoyo''s entire aura seemed to change, his casual demeanor replaced by a cold, calculating expression. "Ah, now that''s a good deduction," he said, a slow smile spreading across his face. "All of what you said before could be argued against, but the fact that you''re able to see the four hearts¡­" He chuckled, a dark, humorless sound. "Not even the Dean could see through me. I was worried at first when you saw the Harpy Liver I had on me, and I missed out on consuming a few hearts that I had obtained before."


    ''Must be the corpse of the first guy who was murdered¡­'' Ludwig thought, his mind racing.


    "But seeing your lack of action gave me more confidence in completing my small¡­ endeavor," Hoyo continued, his smile widening. "Not bad."


    "I could have gotten Vastion''s heart and slipped right away without being found out. While for you, I wanted to save your heart for a later time," Hoyo said, his tone almost conversational. "But sadly, now you know too much. What a shame¡­ What a shame¡­"


    [You''re facing someone you cannot defeat. Run!]


    The notification flashed before Ludwig''s eyes, but it was too late. Hoyo''s smile turned predatory, and Ludwig knew he was in grave danger.

 Chapter 225 - 225: Face Off II

    Ludwig summoned his weapon to his side, the scythe gleaming in the dim light of the classroom. He pointed it at Hoyo, his grip tight and his stance ready for combat. "You''re insane, a monster," Ludwig said, his voice cold and filled with disgust.


    Hoyo shrugged, his expression unbothered. "Eh, maybe," he said, his tone almost casual. "But trust me, Ludwig, there are too many monsters in the world that I look downright docile compared to them. That guy, Mot¡ªyou must have met him earlier, right?"


    Ludwig''s mind flashed back to the small child he had seen both in the vision from the Mask of the Blind Witness and just moments ago outside the tower. The boy had been unnerving, his presence radiating an aura of danger that Ludwig couldn''t quite place. The fact that Mot had been the only one to notice Ludwig''s escape, even among the chaos of the Holy Order''s assault, was enough to make Ludwig wary of him.


    "Do you know what they did to me when I was captured at the Sacrosanctum?" Hoyo asked, his voice taking on a darker edge. He didn''t wait for Ludwig to respond. "You wouldn''t know, but even though Mot said I was of no consequence, the Holy Order decided I needed to be purged of all that is dark. My family had already planted organs in my body for the sake of grafting mastery, they were... efficient, but painful, but the Holy Order¡­ they were far more brutal. They ripped apart my limbs and infused my body with healing magic, forcing me to endure days of torture until my body was, by their standards, ''clean.'' Then they dumped me into a prison, where I rotted for a long, long time¡­"


    "Boo fucking hoo," Ludwig snapped, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "That doesn''t mean you get to go on a mass-murdering spree. Not to mention, you did worse to your victims than what was done onto you,¡ªtwisting their limbs, stealing their organs, Killing them... you''re still alive why don''t you just die?"


    "I can''t do that..." Hoyo smiled, an unnerving smile.


    "For fuck sake man, they were mostly kids. If you wanted revenge, you should have taken it out on those who harmed you, not on the people who trusted you as a friend and colleague." Ludwig''s words were laced with rage.


    "It was needed!" Hoyo shouted, his voice rising with anger. "They needed to give up their power for my revenge! The Holy Order is corrupt, and if a few lives were lost in the conquest of destroying it, then it''s a well-placed sacrifice! They died for the greater good!"


    "That''s the line every third-rate villain uses to justify their own twisted sense of grandeur," Ludwig shot back, his grip tightening on his scythe. "You''re nothing but a back stabbing murderer, one who kills people who trusted you. Though I''m surprised the Holy Order even let you leave."


    "They didn''t," Hoyo said, his voice low and dangerous. "I escaped by my own means. I told you that before. And thanks to that, I got my hands on a lot of powerful magic. Like this one!"


    Hoyo raised his hand, pointing it at Ludwig. Ludwig didn''t hesitate¡ªhe dodged to the side, not knowing what kind of magic Hoyo was about to unleash. But the spell had already been cast.


    [You are afflicted with Blood Rupture!]


    [As an Undead, you are immune to internal-affecting blood magic.]


    Ludwig stopped for a moment, his body unaffected by the spell. He looked at Hoyo, whose expression shifted from confidence to confusion.


    "Why aren''t you bleeding from every orifice?" Hoyo asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.


    "Too bad you won''t know that!" Ludwig replied, his voice sharp as he threw his chain at Hoyo''s face. The chain whipped through the air, an explosive mine attached to its end.


    Hoyo dodged with desperation, but the mine detonated just as it passed him, the explosion sending him sprawling to the ground.


    -1400 HP!


    "Son of a bitch! Frail Flesh!" Hoyo cursed, his voice filled with pain and frustration.


    [As an Undead, you are immune to flesh-harming spells.]


    Ludwig didn''t waste any time. He charged at Hoyo, his scythe raised high, ready to deliver a finishing blow. But just as he brought the weapon down, Hoyo''s body dissolved into shadows, dispersing into the air and reforming behind Ludwig.


    "I don''t know what you''re doing to cancel my spells," Hoyo said, his voice calm but laced with menace. "But even I have mastery of weapons."


    A long sword made of pitch-black shadows materialized in Hoyo''s hand, its blade shimmering with dark energy. Ludwig turned to face him, his scythe at the ready, but before the two could engage in combat, the classroom wall exploded inward.


    "Oh, you were here after all!" Evan''s voice rang out, dripping with venom as he stepped through the rubble. His staff glowed with residual magic, his eyes locked on Ludwig.


    ''Fuck¡­ I can''t even beat one, now it''s two,'' Ludwig thought, his mind racing. He turned and struck the door with his scythe, the wood splintering under the force of his blow. He charged through the doorway, sprinting down the hallway as fast as he could.


    "Freshman! CATCH HIM!" Evan roared, his voice echoing through the halls. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hoyo frowned at the order, his expression darkening. "You''re not one to order me around," he said, his voice low but filled with authority.


    Evan felt a chill run down his spine. The words held power, and for a moment, he hesitated. This boy wasn''t normal¡ªthere was something deeply dangerous about him. Despite being a graduate and now working for the Black Tower, Evan couldn''t shake the feeling that Hoyo was far more than he appeared.


    Hoyo, however, didn''t retaliate against Evan. Instead, he simply walked forward, his shadowy sword still in hand, and began to chase after Ludwig.


    Ludwig sprinted through the academy''s halls, his mind racing. He couldn''t fight both Hoyo and Evan at the same time¡ªhe needed to find a way to escape. And the teleportation hub was a bit away from where he was, but he still legged it. For now he needed to follow his master''s order. After that, he''ll find a way to deal with this mass murdering maniac.

 Chapter 226 - 226: Departure -1st Arc End-

    Ludwig sprinted through the labyrinthine corridors of the academy, his boots pounding against the stone floor with a rhythm that matched the frantic beating of his undead heart¡ªor what passed for one. The air was thick with tension, and every shadow seemed to twist and writhe as if alive, a testament to the lingering effects of Hoyo''s Shamrack spell. The hallway to his right was a void of darkness, an abyss that seemed to swallow light itself. Ludwig didn''t dare glance that way for long; the spell''s eerie pull was almost hypnotic, and he couldn''t afford to lose focus now.


    The other path was clear, and Ludwig vaulted through it without hesitation.He pushed himself harder, faster, desperate to put distance between himself and his pursuers. Behind him, the sound of footsteps echoed like a death knell, growing louder with every passing second. Hoyo and Evan were relentless, their determination to catch him as unyielding as the stone walls of the academy.


    The ceiling above him groaned, a low, ominous rumble that sent a chill down Ludwig''s spine. He barely had time to react before it shattered, chunks of stone and dust raining down as Evan''s magic tore through it. Ludwig cursed under his breath, his voice a harsh whisper in the chaos. "For fuck''s sake!" He didn''t stop to look back. Instead, he activated [Steadfast Leap], his body surging forward with unnatural speed. The ability propelled him down the hallway, his feet barely touching the ground as he soared toward the end of the corridor.


    "THERE IS NOWHERE TO RUN, BOY!" Evan''s voice boomed behind him, a thunderous roar that reverberated through the halls. Ludwig didn''t respond. He couldn''t afford to waste breath on words. His focus was singular: escape.


    At the end of the hallway, the gate to the academy''s teleportation hub loomed like a beacon of hope. Ludwig''s expression lightened for the first time since the chase began. He was so close. Just a few more steps, and he''d be free. He sprinted the final stretch, his hand reaching out to push the heavy door open. The momentum carried him forward, and he stumbled into the room, falling face-first onto the cold stone floor.


    But the room wasn''t what he expected.


    Instead of the grand, glowing circle of the teleportation hub, or the gentle, reassuring presence of Silva, Ludwig found himself in a dark, familiar space. The air was heavy with the scent of old parchment and ink. He raised his head slowly, his eyes adjusting instantly to the dim light. There, in front of him, was a large desk cluttered with stacks of documents and paperwork. To the right of the desk, perched on a bird stand, was a familiar crow¡ªBulgasal, at least three times bigger than a normal crow for size, its beady eyes glinting with human intelligence.


    And behind the desk sat the Dean.


    The door behind Ludwig closed with an eerie finality, the sound echoing in the silence. Ludwig pushed himself to his feet, his movements slow and deliberate. He gulped, his throat dry despite his undead nature, and faced the Dean with as much respect as he could muster. "Dean," he said, his voice steady but laced with unease.


    The Dean''s expression was unreadable, but the annoyance in his eyes was unmistakable. "I warned you on your first day," he began, his voice low and measured, "to not cause any trouble."


    Ludwig''s jaw tightened. "I didn''t cause trouble. Trouble keeps finding me."


    "Silence," the Dean snapped, his voice cutting through the room like a whip. "Your mere presence is causing all sorts of issues. We''re already at war with the Holy Order, Ludwig. All the Black Academy ever wanted was to live in peace. And you¡ªyou came here and ruined it all."


    Ludwig opened his mouth to protest, but the words died on his lips. The Dean''s gaze was piercing, and Ludwig felt the weight of his accusations like a physical blow. He couldn''t defend himself, not when the Dean seemed to know everything already. Why aren''t you doing something about it? Ludwig thought bitterly, but he kept the words to himself.


    "What are you planning to do now?" the Dean asked, his tone softer but no less stern.


    "I''m leaving the academy," Ludwig replied without hesitation. "There''s no place for me here, not while the Holy Order is breathing down our necks."


    The Dean nodded, a flicker of approval in his eyes. "Good. I don''t want more problems. I gave you a chance to attend this place at the request of your master, who, by the way, is not getting out of this unscathed."


    Ludwig''s heart¡ªor whatever passed for it¡ªskipped a beat. "I should head back," he said, panic creeping into his voice.


    "And do what, exactly?" the Dean countered, his tone sharp. "The moment you take two steps in front of the Holy Order''s army, you''ll be turned to ash. Your master is a grown man. He knows how to handle himself. If you go back, you''ll only make things worse."


    Ludwig clenched his fists, frustration boiling within him. "This wouldn''t have happened if those two bastards hadn''t ratted us out."


    "Don''t blame them," the Dean said, his voice cold. "If they did, then by law, they did the right thing. You are an undead, Ludwig. You''re not human. Them reporting you is, in their eyes, doing the world a favor."


    "They''re the ones who killed me and turned me into this!" Ludwig shot back, his voice rising.


    The Dean hesitated, his expression softening for the briefest of moments. "That¡­ I didn''t know."


    "Then you should do something about it," Ludwig said, with a tone of accusative defiance. "You''re the Dean. You have the power."


    "Do you have proof?" the Dean asked, his voice calm but firm. "Even if you do, who would believe the words of an undead?"


    Ludwig opened his mouth to argue, but no words came. The Dean was right. No one would believe him. He was an outcast, a monster in their eyes. His shoulders slumped, and he looked away, defeated.


    The Dean sighed, the sound heavy with regret. "You''re in an awful lot of trouble, Ludwig. But I cannot help you, nor your master. The Black Tower Academy must remain neutral. If I were to side with you, with our current power, we''d be consumed by the other towers and the Holy Order. We cannot afford that. Many students rely on this academy. Many of them come from commoner backgrounds. For some, this is their last chance to be reintegrated into society. This academy is their only hope. If I side with you, I''d be throwing away everyone else''s opportunity. It''s unfortunate what happened to you, but I cannot save one person and sacrifice many."


    Ludwig''s jaw tightened, but he nodded. "I never asked for help," he said, his voice steady. "My master told me to leave the academy, and that''s what I''ll do."


    "Even if rumors spread that you''re a practitioner of dark magic?" the Dean asked, his gaze piercing.


    "Even if I''m banished and excommunicated," Ludwig replied without hesitation. "I don''t care. Just don''t let Master be tied to me. I don''t mind being hunted down." After all, he thought, with the Soul Letting Lantern, I could have as many ''other chances'' as I want.


    The Dean studied him for a moment, a flicker of something¡ªrespect? pity?¡ªcrossing his face. "You''re rather loyal for someone who''s been a student of Van Dijk for merely a few months. You''re not even his direct summon. Still, it''s good to see that." S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig didn''t respond. Instead, he shifted the conversation. "By the way," he said, his tone cautious, "if you''re so concerned about the well-being of your students¡­ how come you''re letting Hoyo do whatever he''s doing? I''m pretty sure you''re aware of everything that''s happening in the academy."


    The Dean''s expression darkened, and for a moment, Ludwig thought he saw a flicker of guilt in the old man''s eyes. "I am aware," the Dean admitted. "But everything has its own reason. Although today, things went slightly out of control¡­ I''ll handle it."


    Ludwig didn''t believe him, but he knew better than to press the issue. The Dean had made his position clear, and Ludwig wasn''t in a position to argue.


    "For now," the Dean said, his tone final, "you should leave. The academy is no longer a safe place for you. Do you know where you''ll go? I assume you want to use the teleportation hub."


    "That''s what Master told me to do," Ludwig replied.


    The Dean nodded. "Fine. I''ll let you leave. But remember, the moment you step out of this academy, you''ll no longer be part of it."


    "I understand," Ludwig said, though the words felt hollow.


    The Dean gave him a long, searching look. "I don''t think you do. But you''ll figure it out later." With that, he waved his hand, and the door behind Ludwig opened.


    "I wish you well on your journey," the Dean said, his voice softer now.


    Ludwig nodded, turned, and walked through the door. To his surprise, he found himself not in the hallway but inside the teleportation hub. Silva was there, his usual calm demeanor replaced by a deep frown. He turned as Ludwig entered, his expression shifting to one of mild surprise.


    "Oh," Silva said, his voice tinged with relief. "Seems like you got here at a good time. I don''t know how you avoided them¡­ oh, must''ve been the Dean."


    "Did they come after me?" Ludwig asked, his voice tense.


    "Yes," Silva replied, his tone grim. "It took some effort to convince them you hadn''t set foot here. Though they said some¡­ interesting things about you."


    "Like what?" Ludwig asked, though he already had a sinking feeling.


    "Like you''re a dark magic user," Silva said, his gaze steady. "And that you killed Professor Vastion."


    Ludwig''s eyes widened. "I didn''t do that," he said quickly. "That was Hoyo."


    Silva''s gaze dropped to Ludwig''s arm. "That''s not what your arm is telling me," he said, pointing to the glowing symbol etched into Ludwig''s skin.


    Ludwig frowned, looking down at the mark. "Yeah I''ve been wondering why it became like this..."


    "That''s the magic Olim designed to track students," Silva explained. "It detected you near the corpse of another academy member¡ªVastion, I assume¡ªand marked you."


    "But I didn''t kill him," Ludwig insisted, his voice rising.


    "I can guess as much," Silva said, his tone softening. "You''re not strong enough." He sighed, then gestured for Ludwig to come closer. "Come here."


    Ludwig hesitated but stepped forward. Silva pressed his finger to Ludwig''s arm, and the symbol shattered, the glow fading away. "This is a favor for your master," Silva said. "I don''t fully understand what''s going on, but I received word that you''d be coming here for asylum. I can''t personally hide you, so I need to send you somewhere safe."


    "Master told me to go to his hideout," Ludwig said.


    Silva''s brow furrowed. "His hideout? I doubt you can survive there¡­"


    "That''s what he said," Ludwig replied, his tone firm.


    Silva studied him for a moment, then nodded. "Seems like the teachers are coming back," he said, his voice tense. "And Van Dijk isn''t among them¡­ they''re rushing here." He waved his hand, and the magic circle in the center of the room flared to life, its light shifting to a deep, ominous red.


    "Go," Silva said, his voice urgent. "This portal will no longer be accessible once you step through. Godspeed, Ludwig. Though I don''t fully understand what''s going on, I trust Van Dijk as a friend. Go, and good luck."


    Ludwig nodded, his grip tightening on the hilt of his weapon. "Thank you," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. He stepped into the portal, the red light enveloping him.


    As the world around him dissolved into a swirl of colors and energy, Ludwig felt a strange sense of calm. The academy had been fun, but it was short-lived. Now, he was stepping into the unknown, a world of danger and adventure.


    Fine, he thought, a small smile tugging at his lips. After all, what''s an isekai without free adventure?

 Chapter 227 - 227: The Old March

    [Your Death Point has been updated!]


    [Fallen Bastos March, Main Bastos Residence, Palace]


    Ludwig opened his eyes to a brand-new place, the air thick with the scent of decay and the weight of centuries pressing down on him. Behind him, the teleportation circle flickered erratically, its once-stable glow now waning and crumbling. The intricate runes that formed the circle dissipated into nothingness, leaving behind only a faint trace of magical residue.


    Several notifications appeared in front of Ludwig, their glowing text cutting through the oppressive darkness.


    ***


    [Eternal Quest, {Growth} has been updated]


    Bastos Van Dijk has been captured by the Holy Order. You are no longer bound to him. Since the quest has been completed unnaturally, a minor adjustment will be implemented.


    A new class has been added to your possible classes.


    You are now able to choose one of the following classes:


    [Skeleton Mage]: May grow to become a Lich.


    [Skeleton Swordsman]: May grow to become a Death Knight.


    [Battle Mage]: May grow to become ???


    Additional Quest:


    [You have failed to reach the potential expected of you.]


    {Failed One''s Repentance}


    Your master has been captured, and your name has been dragged through the mud. The world now knows you to be a user of Dark Magic.


    You are far too weak to achieve anything on your own.


    Deus Necros wishes for you to grow stronger. The current place you''re in is a great place to grow.


    Become the ruler of these lands before you may leave them.


    ***


    ''Well¡­ that''s interesting,'' Ludwig thought,


    his skeletal fingers twitching as he processed the information.


    ''This Battle Mage is the new class I can assume...''


    Ludwig pressed on the new class.


    [Battle Mage] A class that allows the user to tap into both their physical and magical prowess, though the growth of this class is by far the slowest and hardest, it can potentially yield the greatest results.


    Can further be upgraded to [???]


    Once you accept a class, you will not be able to change unless you obtain a special item. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''This needs a bit of thinking,'' Ludwig muttered. ''I can''t be picking a class willy nilly.''


    He took a moment to survey his surroundings.


    The place was a crumbling palace, its grandeur long since eroded by time. The floor beneath his feet was cracked and uneven, covered in a thick layer of dust and moss. Mold clung to the walls, and the air was heavy with the stench of rot. Outside, the skeletal remains of trees reached through the broken walls, their gnarled branches clawing at the sky like desperate hands.


    The palace was dark, the only light coming from the faint glow of Ludwig''s notifications and the occasional beam of moonlight filtering through the shattered roof. The sound of distant howls echoed through the air, sending a chill down Ludwig''s spine¡ªthough, as an undead, he wasn''t sure if he could still feel such things.


    Ludwig realized he was on the top floor of the palace. The stairs leading downward were precarious, their stone steps wobbling under his weight as he began his descent. The walls around him seemed ready to collapse at any moment, their surfaces marred by cracks and patches of moss.


    As he descended, Ludwig peered through the broken walls of the palace, taking in the landscape beyond. Hundreds of dilapidated houses stretched out as far as the eye could see, their structures barely standing against the relentless march of time. Trees sprouted from within the ruins, their roots tearing through the foundations of what were once homes. Vegetation had claimed the land, with grass and weeds growing unchecked, while the stench of death hung heavy in the air.


    It was a place forgotten by time, a graveyard of a once-thriving community. Ludwig frowned, pulling a book from his inventory. It was the item Van Dijk had instructed him to take before leaving the academy.


    ''This is¡­ a diary,'' Ludwig thought, flipping through the pages. It was a record of his master''s life, his history, and perhaps even his secrets.


    "This should make for a good read," Ludwig muttered to himself. After all, he knew next to nothing about the Bastos March. According to the system, this was a small march that had been lost to time for seven hundred years. Ludwig doubted any human had set foot here in centuries¡ªthough the system''s warning about ruling these lands suggested that something still lived here.


    ''I need a good place to set up camp first,'' Ludwig realized. He was here for the long haul, and he needed a safe spot to rest and plan his next move.


    He continued his descent, his footsteps echoing through the empty halls. The palace, though crumbling, still had a sturdy foundation. Ludwig moved cautiously, his weapon drawn and his senses on high alert. If the quest wanted him to become the ruler of these lands, it meant there were subjects to rule¡ªand likely enemies to defeat.


    The main floor of the palace was a vast, open space, its walls lined with rotted wooden frames. The paintings that once hung there were gone, their remnants torn and burned. Rusted pieces of armor stood as silent sentinels, their once-gleaming surfaces now dull and corroded.


    Ludwig inspected one of the helmets.


    ***


    [Rusted Knight Helmet]


    Durability: 1/100


    1% reduction to physical attacks.


    1% reduction to magical attacks.


    An old helmet of the Knights of the Bastos March, once a decoration in the halls of this great house. Now, it is as old and rusted as the house itself.


    ***


    Ludwig ignored the armor and continued his search for a suitable room to set up camp. As he moved deeper into the palace, he reached the central hall¡ªand froze.


    Before him was a horrific sight: a massive pile of bones, human remains stacked high and covered in dust and cobwebs. The sight was both grotesque and eerily familiar. Ludwig couldn''t shake the feeling that he''d seen something like this before, though he couldn''t place where.


    He didn''t dwell on the remains for long. Instead, he turned his attention to the rest of the hall. The main door was enormous, sealed shut with thick wooden planks. The windows, too, were boarded up, both inside and out.


    Ludwig approached one of the windows and pulled at the rotting wood. It crumbled easily in his hands, revealing that the window had been sealed from both sides.


    ''Almost feels like they wanted no one to get inside¡­'' Ludwig thought, his unease growing. ''Or maybe¡­ they wanted something inside to not go outside.''


    As if on cue, something moved in the shadows. Ludwig''s undead sight allowed him to see through the darkness, and his gaze locked onto two glowing red eyes, each the size of an apple, staring at him menacingly from the depths of the hall.


    ''Well, that''s fucking fantastic¡­'' Ludwig thought, tightening his grip on his weapon.


    The eyes blinked once, then disappeared into the darkness. Ludwig stood still, his senses on high alert. The palace was no longer silent¡ªthe sound of shuffling feet and low growls echoed through the halls.


    He wasn''t alone.


    Ludwig took a deep breath¡ªor at least, he mimicked the action¡ªand prepared himself.


    ''Fine,'' Ludwig thought, a grim determination settling over him. "Let''s get this over with then, shall we."

 Chapter 228 - 228: Haunted Mansion

    Ludwig moved closer toward the source of the growls, his skeletal frame moving with a quiet precision. The two glowing red eyes stared at him with a menacing hunger, as if the creature behind them was already imagining Ludwig as its next meal.


    "[Inspect]" Ludwig spoke softly.


    ***


    Pestilent Gray-Rat


    Level: 35


    HP: 35,000


    Damage: 600-800


    Tier: Common


    Status Effects: [Plague], [Cholera], [Rabies]


    Skills:


    [Burrow]: Can burrow in almost any terrain to hide and escape danger.


    [Play Dead]: Upon receiving lethal damage, can act dead. Recovers 20% of its health for 5 seconds if undisturbed.


    [Festering Wounds]: Each attack has a 10% chance to inflict one of three random status effects: [Plague], [Cholera], or [Rabies].


    Lore:


    A mutated rat species that inhabits the Bastos March. Severe mutations have allowed them to carry incurable or deadly diseases. They typically move in packs.


    ***


    ''Oh, perfect,'' Ludwig muttered under his breath, his grip tightening on his weapon.


    "That''s a big rat," came a voice from his lantern.


    Ludwig glanced down at the glowing orb. "Oh, you''re up. I was wondering why you went radio silent for a while now."


    "What''s a radio?" Thomas asked, his tone genuinely curious.


    "Don''t worry about it," Ludwig replied, shaking his head. "But this thing," he gestured toward the rat, "don''t you think it''s a bit too big to be called a rat?"


    "Yeah, this isn''t normal," Thomas said. "A Gray-Rat is usually the size of a house cat. This thing is more like the size of a pony. I don''t know what happened to it to grow this big."


    "It says ''mutation'' up there," Ludwig said, pointing to the inspect window. "Still," he drew his weapon, "I need to be quick and quiet about this. If this thing moves in packs, then it''s not alone."


    The rat hissed, its jagged teeth glinting in the dim light, and charged at Ludwig with surprising speed. Its jaws opened wide, aiming for Ludwig''s arm. But Ludwig was ready. He met the rat''s charge with a chain-wrapped fist, shoving it directly into the creature''s gaping maw.


    The rat clamped down hard, but its teeth couldn''t pierce Ludwig''s undead flesh. No matter how much it thrashed or tightened its jaw, Ludwig''s arm remained intact. The undead''s smile grew wider as he heaved the rat upward, slamming it down onto the ground with a sickening crunch.


    -1,400 HP


    "I thought you said you wanted to be quick and quiet about this," Thomas quipped, his voice dripping with sarcasm.


    "Oh, couldn''t help it," Ludwig replied, his grin widening. He immediately jabbed his scythe into the rat''s eye, the blade sinking deep into its skull. With a twist of his wrist, Ludwig forced the weapon through the creature''s eyesocket, bursting out the other side.


    -11,500! [Critical]


    Blinded and stunned, the rat couldn''t even scream, its mouth still clogged with Ludwig''s chain-wrapped fist. Ludwig pulled hard on his weapon, tearing away the bone bridge between the rat''s eye sockets. With a flick of his wrist, the scythe snapped back into its sword form, and Ludwig drove it deep into the opening he had created.


    -18,110 HP [Critical]


    The rat spasmed once, then went still.


    Hesitant to let the creature go, Ludwig twisted the weapon once more, another damage value flashing above the rat''s head. Only then did a notification appear, confirming the kill.


    [You have obtained 1 Feeble Soul]


    ''Damn, this is too cheap,'' Ludwig thought, feeling cheated. For something of this level, the soul reward was pitifully lacking.


    Ludwig wrenched his arm out of the creature, pulling a few of its teeth along the way. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    -1 HP


    "Ouch," Ludwig yelped as one of the teeth nicked his arm.


    [You have been afflicted with [Plague]]


    [As an Undead, you are immune to all diseases]


    "Right¡­ they can''t survive inside an undead body," Ludwig muttered, turning to scan the area.


    "Are you looking for more rats?" Thomas asked.


    "More like where it came from," Ludwig replied. "Oh, I found it."


    He moved closer to one of the corners of the wall, where a massive hole¡ªjust big enough for the rat to crawl through¡ªwas visible.


    "Can''t have rats wandering around the place I''ll be staying in," Ludwig said, kneeling down to inspect the rat hole.


    [You have discovered a dungeon!]


    [Gray-Rat Dungeon!]


    [For the next week, all creatures inside the dungeon will drop their best possible loot.]


    [All Soul Drops will be enhanced one stage higher.]


    "Oh, there''s a dungeon here," Ludwig said, his tone a mix of surprise and curiosity.


    "Are you going in?" Thomas asked.


    "Hmm, not right now," Ludwig replied. "I still haven''t fully inspected the place. For now¡­"


    He looked around, spotting a pile of old rubble nearby. Ludwig began gathering planks, wooden tables, and large stones, carrying them over to block the hole.


    "You know they''re rats, right?" Thomas said, his tone dry.


    "And?" Ludwig asked, hefting a particularly heavy stone into place.


    "They can just remove it," Thomas pointed out.


    "Yeah, I know," Ludwig said. "But at least if they move it, I''ll know that one of them got out. For now, this is just to slow them down."


    Ludwig continued filling the hole until he was satisfied, then turned his attention to the rest of the palace. He headed down one of the corridors, finding a large door that was also tightly sealed.


    Ludwig lightly tapped on the door and waited for a moment.


    "What are you doing?" Thomas asked.


    "Checking if anything is behind this room," Ludwig replied. "Usually, if something''s alive, it would react. But I''m not hearing any movement."


    He began tearing apart the planks, the old wood crumbling under his strength. Once the door was clear, Ludwig pushed it open, revealing a surprisingly clean and untouched room.


    "Looks like a decent spot to use as a base," Thomas said.


    "Yeah, looks like it," Ludwig agreed.


    The room was large, with high walls and a ceiling that had somehow survived the passage of time. It was deep within the mansion, untouched by wind or rain. The windows were tightly shut, and a large, caved-in bed sat in one corner, its frame buckling under its own weight. Most of the items in the room were covered in what used to be white bedsheets, now almost black from centuries of dust.


    Ludwig reached out to remove one of the sheets, only for it to tear down the middle, spraying dust everywhere.


    He winced but didn''t complain. "I guess this is it now¡­"


    "Yeah, so what''s the plan?" Thomas asked.


    Ludwig glanced at his ring. "First things first, I need to figure out why Master sent me here. Maybe I''ll find something in his journal."


    "Then?" Thomas pressed.


    "Well, growth," Ludwig said, his tone firm. "I''ve been framed by Hoyo, and Master''s been captured by the Holy Order. I doubt they''ll be able to kill him¡ªif they even can. I''m planning on finding a way to get him out of that mess, clearing both our names. And, of course, there are a couple of assholes I want to get my revenge on."


    "Sounds like a plan," Thomas said.


    "Yeah," Ludwig replied, his voice steady. "Let''s get to it then¡­"

 Chapter 229 - 229: Undead Transformation

    Ludwig moved the system screen closer, his glowing eyes scanning the class choices before him. The options were clear, but the decision wasn''t.


    "Which are you picking?" Thomas asked, his voice echoing from the lantern.


    "I''m not too sure," Ludwig admitted, his skeletal fingers tapping against the hilt of his weapon. "Feels like grabbing either the Swordsman or the Mage class is a waste of my effort."


    "Then grab the Battle Mage," Thomas suggested.


    "I want to," Ludwig said, his tone hesitant. "But I don''t know what it can grow into." He inspected the class description again.


    ***


    [Battle Mage]


    Increases proficiency in all physical and magical prowess of the user at the expense of more arduous effort needed to grow to the next stage.


    To achieve mastery as a Battle Mage, one must pour equal effort into both the study of magic and the art of battle.


    ***


    "Sounds simple," Ludwig said, his voice tinged with curiosity.


    "Yeah, I mean, it''s not uncommon," Thomas replied. "There are a few Magic Swordsmen I know of¡ªor heard of, back when I was alive. None of them made it to the peak of either class, but they were powerful. Yet there''s one thing about them that made them stand out."


    "What is it?" Ludwig asked, his interest piqued.


    "Basically, they were able to fight above their weight class," Thomas explained. "A Magic Swordsman who''s level four in both magic and swordsmanship can easily defeat a level five swordsman or a fifth-circle mage."


    "I can see why that''s a thing," Ludwig said, nodding. "They have access to the benefits of magic and the might of steel. Alright then, let''s go for it."


    With a decisive motion, Ludwig accepted the class change.


    ***


    [You have accepted the class change to [Battle Mage]]


    [Your current physical build is incompatible with [Battle Mage]!]


    [Necros''s Blessing is interfering!]


    [Your body is undergoing morphosis!]


    ***


    Ludwig''s entire body shuddered violently. The slime that coated his skeletal frame leaped off, landing in front of him as he began to spasm uncontrollably.


    "Are you okay, man?!" Thomas asked, his voice filled with concern.


    "No!" Ludwig howled, his voice strained. "Something''s happening to me!"


    His skeletal frame wobbled as tendrils of rotten flesh began to grow from his joints, wrapping around his bones and covering them. Old, decayed muscles sprouted across his body, filling out his once-bare frame. His organs, long since removed, began to regrow¡ªdried up and rotten, but functional. Hair sprouted from his scalp, and milky white eyes without pupils formed in his sockets.


    When the transformation finally ended, Ludwig stood as a decaying corpse rather than a skeleton. He flexed his fingers, the dried flesh creaking with the movement.


    "This is¡­ a bit better than before," Ludwig said, his voice raspy but steady.


    "I was more of a fan of your older appearance," Thomas quipped. "You''re pretty scary to look at right now."


    Ludwig smirked, his new face twisting into a grotesque grin. The slime suddenly leaped back onto his arm, coating his body once more and restoring his human-like appearance.


    More notifications appeared in front of Ludwig, and he began to read through them.


    ***


    [Your Wisdom Stat has been updated!]


    Wisdom is now 20% more effective! You can cast stronger spells, and your mana regeneration has increased by 20%.


    [Your Strength Stat has been updated!]


    You can now exert more power thanks to your undead muscles.


    [Your Dexterity Stat has been updated!]


    You''re more dexterous thanks to your undead muscles.


    [Your Agility Stat has been updated!]


    You''re more agile thanks to your undead muscles.


    ***


    [Your Class [Battle Mage] is more appropriate to your training method [Tyrant Blade Technique]!]


    You have unlocked more of the Tyrant Blade Technique''s basic abilities!


    [Limit Breaker] has been unlocked.


    Temporarily increases one''s strength by 20% for 60 seconds.


    Can be used 5 times a day, stacking.


    After the timer of [Limit Breaker] concludes, the user will suffer a reduction of 50% in their overall physical stats for up to 1 hour.


    ***


    "That looks interesting too," Ludwig said, his voice filled with curiosity. He activated [Limit Breaker] to test it out.


    Almost instantly, Ludwig''s thin body swelled up. His muscles were charged with a profane reddish energy, increasing their size to match that of a healthy human. The surge of power was intoxicating, and Ludwig flexed his arms, feeling the raw strength coursing through him.


    [The Codex Necros is reacting!]


    "Wait, that''s new," Ludwig said, his eyes narrowing. He waved his hand, and the Codex Necros materialized in front of him. The ancient book flipped through its pages rapidly before settling on the page of the Knight King. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig frowned. He didn''t have the knowledge or experience to revive something like the Knight King, so why was the Codex reacting?


    Just as he was about to close the book, a deep, ominous voice echoed through the room.


    "To think¡­ after centuries, a wretched, fragile and malevolent thing like you would wield my technique.."


    Ludwig turned sharply, his eyes widening as he saw a towering shadow standing before him. The figure was twice his height, its silhouette dark and imposing. It was unmistakably the Knight King.


    Ludwig glanced back at the Codex Necros, only to find the image of the Knight King gone from the page.


    "Ah¡­ well, this is a bit awkward¡­" Ludwig said.


    Ludwig immediately drew his weapon, prepared for the battle to come.


    "Lay that foolish ambition of yours to rest," The Knight King spoke, "You know well that you are not strong enough to beat me..."


    "So you expect me to roll over and die? I''m sorry to disappoint, not happening." Ludwig said as he was preparing to fight back.


    "I am not here to fight you," The Knight King said, "I''m but an apparition, nothing tangible, my body is still inside that book, not that it''s usable to battle anyway."


    "Then why did you come out?" Ludwig asked.


    "How did you use that style, the [Limit Breaker]? you''re no disciple of mine. Nor were you alive during my kingdom''s period. How did you learn the Tyrant Blade?" the Knight king asked, and his tone didn''t suggest it was a request.

 Chapter 230 - 230: Secret of The March

    "I don''t know much about being your disciple," Ludwig said, his voice calm but firm. "I personally never agreed to it. But the Tyrant Blade art¡­ I got a book about it from the library back in Tibari."


    The Knight King''s shadowy form loomed over Ludwig, his glowing eyes narrowing as he considered the undead''s words. "I see¡­ though I see no reason to call you a liar, I find it hard to believe that you could understand the words written in that book."


    Ludwig shrugged, his expression unbothered. "Well, I know how to do this," he said, and without warning, he activated [Summersault Slam]. His body flipped upward with a fluid motion, his weapon stopping a mere centimeter from the floor.


    "I didn''t finish it," Ludwig added, "in case I break the palace¡­"


    The Knight King''s glowing eyes flickered with something akin to surprise. "I can see that you know the basics," he admitted. "Tell me, why did you pick this art?"


    "I heard it was pretty strong," Ludwig replied, his tone casual.


    "It is," the Knight King said, his voice deepening. "But you¡­ I don''t think you should use it. That''s an art not for the likes of you."


    Ludwig frowned, his skeletal brow furrowing. "What do you mean?"


    "It is an art made to kill those who are like you," the Knight King said, his tone grave.


    "I''m getting confused," Thomas interjected, his voice echoing from the lantern.


    "Silence, spirit!" the Knight King roared, his voice reverberating through the room.


    Ludwig raised an eyebrow. "How did you even hear him?"


    The Knight King paused, his glowing eyes flickering as if he were processing the question. Then, to Ludwig''s surprise, the shadowy figure let out a deep, rumbling laugh. "I¡­ I see," the Knight King said, his laughter fading into a darker tone. "HAHAHAHAAH! I''m also a spirit¡­ what wretched luck is this? That book should have been destroyed¡­"


    Ludwig glanced down at the Codex Necros, noticing that the image of the Knight King was slowly reforming on the page.


    "I don''t have much time left in this form¡­ quite unfortunate," the Knight King said, his voice growing quieter. "But don''t use that art anymore."


    "You''re not my boss," Ludwig shot back, his tone defiant. "And I definitely will keep using it."


    The Knight King''s form seemed to ripple with anger. "You fool! That is not an art for battle!"


    Ludwig crossed his arms, his expression unimpressed. "Then what is it for? This looks like a battle art alright. It hits hard! Is it not enough for battle?"


    The Knight King''s glowing eyes narrowed. "It seems that you''re mentally unwell."


    "Did he just call me stupid? I think he just called me stupid¡­" Ludwig muttered, glancing at Thomas.


    "No, I think I kinda understand what he means¡­" Thomas said, his voice thoughtful. This time, the Knight King didn''t interrupt him. "The art you''re using, although I''m not the smartest person when it comes to swordsmanship¡­ it''s not meant to fight humans. I think that''s what he''s trying to say."


    Ludwig tilted his head, his confusion evident. "That''s making me even more confused. I thought all sword arts are made to fight humans¡­"


    "That''s a misconception," the Knight King said, his voice heavy with frustration. "I developed that art to protect my kingdom. Not against humans, but the monsters of this world. That art is designed to tear apart beasts and fiends, and break their will under immense power and strength. The more one uses it, the more it would break them down. Though I have cleaned up my kingdom from all fiends before I was worn down by it."


    Ludwig thought for a moment, his skeletal fingers tapping against his weapon. "No wonder you didn''t use it against me and Master Van Dijk," he said finally.


    The Knight King''s form flickered, his glowing eyes dimming slightly. "I have little memory of what occurred back in Tibari, but I remember fighting you, although I was completely constricted and limited."


    Ludwig didn''t comment, waiting for the Knight King to continue.


    "Regardless of this, don''t use it," the Knight King said, his tone firm. "It''s unbefitting to have a monster such as you use an art to kill other monsters¡­"


    "No," Ludwig said simply.


    "You infuriating brat!" the Knight King howled, his shadowy form rippling with anger.


    "Think about it," Ludwig said, his voice calm but insistent. "Where are we right now?"


    The Knight King frowned, his glowing eyes scanning the room. Though there was nothing but the crumbling walls of the palace, the Knight King seemed to hesitate. "This¡­ this place¡­ how could it fall so? This used to host lives and people¡­ what sort of atrocities happened to this land?"


    "I don''t think you''re one to speak," Ludwig said, his tone dry. "I''ve seen Tibari with my own eyes. It wasn''t any better."


    "That''s different," the Knight King said, his voice tinged with bitterness. "For Tibari to have fallen to the Gluttonous Death, it was nothing but its fate. Though we fought, we never were able to beat the corruption. Here, on the other hand¡­ this isn''t done by something as mighty as the Gluttonous Death, but it is by far more sinister¡­ it was done by humans themselves¡­"


    [You have received a new Quest!]


    [Fallen Lands]


    Part 1


    The Bastos March was once a prosperous land of wealth and peace. However, a great danger befell the land that turned it to what it is today.


    Investigate the source of the current fall of the Bastos March. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Reward: 10 Weak Souls.


    The Knight King''s form began to fade, his glowing eyes dimming as he spoke. "I grow tired of this. Do whatever you want, brat. But these lands, with how feeble you are, I doubt you''ll ever escape them¡­ there is more danger outside these walls than inside them. As an undead, I doubt you''ll find any comfort in remaining here for eternity."


    With those final words, the Knight King''s form disappeared, returning to the Codex Necros.


    "Man, he has a nasty temper¡­" Thomas said, his voice breaking the silence.


    "Can you blame him?" Ludwig replied, his tone thoughtful. "His whole kingdom was taken over by a psychopath, and then his people were corrupted. He had to live eons watching them like that. And then a random undead monster comes in and takes his masterwork technique, which probably took him a lifetime to create, and makes it his own¡­"


    "Now that you say it like that, you do sound like the evil guy in the story," Thomas said, his tone teasing.


    "Yeah, right," Ludwig said, rolling his eyes. "Regardless, this is pretty nice for now. Looks like I''ll need to investigate more of this place before we can go outside it."


    "Sounds like a plan then," Thomas replied, his voice fading as he returned to the lantern.


    Ludwig stood alone in the crumbling palace, the weight of the Knight King''s words lingering in the air. The Bastos March was a land of secrets and dangers, and Ludwig knew that his journey was far from over.


    With a deep breath¡ªor the undead equivalent¡ªhe tightened his grip on his weapon and stepped forward, ready to uncover the truth behind the fall of the Bastos March.

 Chapter 231 - 231: Before The Fall

    [READ AUTHOR''S NOTE FIRST!!!! PLEASE!]


    "I thought you''d be investigating the place. Why are you sitting on the broken bed?" Thomas asked, his voice tinged with both curiosity and a hint of impatience. The lantern''s glow flickered slightly as if reflecting his mood.


    Ludwig leaned back against the crumbling headboard, his skeletal fingers resting on the cracked wood. "Before I do that, I need to first understand what happened here," he replied, his tone calm but firm. The dim light of the room cast long shadows across his face, emphasizing the hollow sockets of his eyes.


    "Isn''t it better to do that while you''re looking around? I don''t think staying here will help you much," Thomas countered, his voice echoing softly in Ludwig''s head.


    "No," Ludwig said, shaking his head. "I already have all I need to learn about what happened here." He reached into his inventory and pulled out Van Dijk''s journal, its leather cover worn and cracked with age. "After all, the whole story is probably written here," he added, his voice carrying a note of certainty.


    700 years ago¡­


    A young man stood in front of a tall mirror, adjusting the collar of his black formal attire. His sharp features were framed by neatly combed hair, and his eyes sparkled with a mix of excitement and nervousness. "Not bad, not bad!" he muttered to himself, a satisfied grin spreading across his face. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Master Van Dijk," a soft voice called out, breaking his reverie.


    Van Dijk turned to see Milli, his shadow maid, standing silently behind him. She was always there, like a ghost, following him, protecting him, and ensuring his every need was met. Her presence was as constant as the air he breathed.


    "What is it, Milli?" he asked, his tone light but curious.


    "Lord Dante is asking when you''ll be ready. The wedding ceremony is almost upon us," she replied, her voice calm and measured.


    "Oh, I''m already done," Van Dijk said, brushing a stray strand of hair from his forehead. He took one last look at himself in the mirror before stepping out of the room.


    As he walked down the hallway, he saw his sister, Celine, standing not too far away. She was dressed in a crisp military uniform, her posture straight and her expression serious. Despite the formal attire, her eyes softened as she saw him approach.


    "You look dashing," she said, a warm smile spreading across her face.


    "And¡­ you don''t," Van Dijk replied, raising an eyebrow. "What''s up with that military uniform?"


    Celine sighed, her smile fading slightly. "Father is asking me to handle some family matters. There have been¡­ disappearances," she said, her voice dropping to a whisper. Her face grew grim, and for a moment, the weight of her responsibilities seemed to press down on her.


    Van Dijk''s expression mirrored hers. "Yeah, I''ve been hearing about that¡­ I wonder what''s going on. First, it was random people from the march, and now even a couple of our guards are missing¡­"


    "That''s why you need your shadow with you at all times," Celine said, her tone firm. "I''ll be handling the inspection and investigation regarding those matters, so don''t worry about it."


    "Yeah, yeah, no one''s asking me to handle anything," Van Dijk replied with a shrug, though his voice carried a hint of bitterness.


    "You''re not required to," Celine said, shaking her head. "More like you''re unfit. Family matters need to be handled by family, and I''m technically not family after all. It''s not like I can be a successor. I''m just a bastard¡­" Van Dijk''s voice trailed off, his words heavy with resignation.


    Celine''s expression softened, and she reached out to place a hand on his shoulder. "Don''t say that¡­ you''re my brother still," she said, her voice filled with warmth. "Though you cannot be part of the Bastos Family''s inheritance, I doubt Father would ever let you live a life of poverty. I still have time to attend your wedding, by the way. Where is the bride?" she asked, changing the subject.


    "They say it''s a jinx to see the bride before the wedding," Van Dijk replied, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.


    "I doubt you even care about that," Celine said, rolling her eyes.


    "Yeah, I took a sneak peek earlier. She looks lovely," he admitted, his grin widening.


    Celine chuckled, but her expression quickly turned serious again. "What about your daughter? I couldn''t find her anywhere."


    "I think she''s with the servants. She''s making friends, but Milli will bring her when the wedding is up," Van Dijk replied, his tone softening as he spoke of his daughter.


    Celine nodded, though her eyes still held a hint of concern. "I still can''t believe that the way to convince Father to let you get married was to knock her up. Still, do what you want. I think that both of you love each other enough for family to stand in your way," she said, her voice carrying a note of approval.


    "Thank you, sister," Van Dijk said, his tone sincere. "Though that wasn''t really the reason, it still helped. Anyway, Father''s asking for me, so I''ll be heading out."


    "Good. I''ll be at the wedding hall then. I''ll see you there," Celine said, giving his shoulder a final tap before turning to leave.


    Van Dijk watched her go for a moment before heading to his father''s office. When he arrived, he knocked lightly on the door, and it opened by itself, revealing Dante Bastos sitting behind a large, ornate desk. The room was filled with the scent of old parchment and ink, and the walls were lined with shelves holding countless books and scrolls.


    "Father," Van Dijk said, stepping inside.


    "Come in," Dante replied, his voice deep and commanding.


    Van Dijk entered and saw his father dressed in formal wear, his expression as stern as ever. Despite his usual demeanor, there was a softness in his eyes as he looked at his son.


    "You look good," Dante said, a rare compliment that caught Van Dijk off guard. His father was not one to offer praise lightly.


    "So¡­ you''re going to be a married man now," Dante continued, his tone shifting to something more conversational.


    "Yeah¡­" Van Dijk replied, his voice tinged with both excitement and nervousness.


    Dante nodded, then pushed a stack of documents across the desk. "Since you''ll be having your own family, I''ve set up a few things for you," he said.


    Van Dijk stepped forward and picked up the documents, his eyes scanning the contents. His expression shifted from curiosity to surprise as he read through them. "The business in the capital? You want me to handle it?" he asked, his voice filled with disbelief.


    "Yes," Dante replied, his tone firm. "You''ll need to support yourself. Although you were adamant about leaving the house, I can''t let my child leave with nothing. This business should help you stand on your own two feet and build your own future. I know Meliania''s been having issues with your other siblings¡­ and it''s better for your daughter, Cynthia, to grow up somewhere where she isn''t seen as an outsider."


    Van Dijk''s hands tightened around the documents, his mind racing. "I¡­ don''t know what to say. I was thinking of starting something here in the March¡­ but this is¡­ Thank you, Father. I won''t disappoint you," he said, his voice filled with gratitude.


    Dante leaned back in his chair, his expression softening. "You''ll always have a place here, Van Dijk. Even if your business fails and you go broke, you can always come back. Though I hope you can achieve success on your own. Your father won''t be here for you forever," he said, his voice carrying a note of melancholy.


    Van Dijk nodded, though his mind was still reeling from the weight of his father''s words. "Thank you. Though I''m not a real heir¡­ I appreciate the help," he said, his voice quiet.


    Dante''s expression hardened slightly, and he shook his head. "Don''t say that," he said, his tone firm. "Your mother¡­ was simply unlucky. It''s my fault for everything. Unlike you, I couldn''t take up the courage to fight for the one I loved."


    Van Dijk had no words to reply. The room fell silent, the weight of their shared history hanging heavily in the air.


    After a moment, Dante cleared his throat, breaking the tension. "Let''s move off the sentimental stuff. Regarding the business, you''ll have to go immediately after the wedding. I''ve already set up transport for you. Your wife and daughter will have to stay here for some time before they follow you. I still haven''t finished setting up your dowry and what you''ll be taking with you. Make sure that the business is under your control before they arrive. I know for a fact that you''ll find a lot of competition once you''re in the capital, but I''ve put enough in your bank to help you out of any financial difficulty."


    Van Dijk nodded, his mind still processing everything. "Thank you, Father. I appreciate the help," he said, his voice steady.


    Dante stood up, his imposing figure towering over the desk. "Now, it''s about time. Let''s go," he said, gesturing toward the door.


    The two of them left the office and made their way to the grand hall where the wedding was being held. The air was filled with the sound of music and laughter, the room was decorated with flowers and ribbons. Despite the joyous atmosphere, Van Dijk couldn''t shake the feeling of unease that had settled in his chest. The disappearances, the weight of his father''s expectations, and the uncertainty of his future all weighed heavily on his mind.


    But as he stepped into the hall and saw his bride waiting for him, a sense of determination filled him. Whatever challenges lay ahead, he would face them head-on. For his family, for his future, and for the legacy he was determined to build.

 Chapter 232 - 232: Success

    Once the ceremony was over, Van Dijk noticed his father and sister Celine speaking in hushed tones near the edge of the grand hall. The two of them had a serious air about them, their expressions tight and focused. Curiosity piqued, Van Dijk made his way over to them, his polished boots clicking softly against the marble floor.


    "It''ll take a week," Celine was saying, her voice low but firm. Her military uniform, though pristine, seemed to carry the weight of her responsibilities.


    "You can handle them, then. You''re the most reliable out of all your brothers," Dante replied, his deep voice carrying a note of confidence. His eyes, however, betrayed a flicker of concern.


    Just as Van Dijk approached, the two of them seemed to shift, their expressions softening as they turned to face him. "Van Dijk, I''m glad nothing went wrong with the wedding," Celine said, her tone light but her eyes still sharp.


    "It''s almost as if you mean you hoped something would," Van Dijk replied with a teasing grin, though his gaze lingered on his sister''s face, searching for any hint of what they had been discussing.


    "The other way around," Dante interjected, his voice carrying a rare warmth. "She was actually about to start swinging her sword if any of your brothers objected. But they were sensible enough not to."


    Van Dijk chuckled, the sound rich and genuine. "Still, Father, I''ll need to head to the capital tomorrow. Though it''s sad I can''t stay a while longer with my wife," he said, his gaze drifting across the room to where his new bride stood. The silver-haired, blue-eyed woman in white was surrounded by well-wishers, her laughter carrying through the hall. Van Dijk''s eyes softened, filled with longing and genuine care. "I''ll leave her in your hands," he added, turning back to his father.


    "Don''t worry about a thing," Dante said, his voice steady. "Go do your thing in the capital. Once you''re secured, I''ll send for you."


    Van Dijk nodded, though a shadow of concern crossed his face. "Just be careful. The disappearances are weighing on me."


    "No need to worry," Dante assured him. "Since last week, I''ve already tripled the guards and improved security. I''m also planning on mentioning this to the Duke."


    "He didn''t come today, did he?" Van Dijk asked, his tone casual but his eyes sharp.


    "He sent one of his sons, but I didn''t see him since he first showed up. I guess he already left," Dante replied with a shrug.


    "He did the bare minimum of showing up, so it''s fine," Van Dijk said, his tone dismissive but his mind already moving on to other matters.


    The three of them continued their pleasantries, the conversation light and filled with the warmth of family. But as the majority of the guests began to leave, Van Dijk felt the weight of the night settling over him. He soon took his wife''s hand and left for the night, the echoes of the celebration fading behind them.


    Come morning, Van Dijk stood outside the Bastos Palace, the crisp air carrying the faint scent of blooming flowers. A carriage, so luxurious it could easily be mistaken for a royal one, was stationed at the entrance. For the Bastos family, wealth and luxury were an everyday thing, and this carriage was no exception. Its polished wood gleamed in the sunlight, and the horses stood tall and proud, their coats brushed to a shine.


    Among the servants tending to the carriage, Van Dijk noticed a familiar face. The old man from that time¡ªhis face covered, his posture slightly hunched¡ªstood near the back, his hands busy with the straps of the luggage. Unlike before, where he wore nothing but a rag for pants and was full of grim and filth, he was now in a presentable shape.


    "Oh, it''s you," Van Dijk said as he approached, a smile tugging at his lips. "The old man from that time."


    The blind man turned at the sound of Van Dijk''s voice, his expression calm and composed. "Master Van Dijk, congratulations on your wedding," he said, his voice steady and respectful. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Seems like you found a job at the residence," Van Dijk remarked, his tone warm.


    "It''s all thanks to you," the old man replied, reaching into his breast pocket and pulling out a clean handkerchief. He handed it back to Van Dijk with a slight bow. "You inviting me to your home had allowed me a new opportunity."


    Van Dijk took the handkerchief, his smile widening. "I''m glad things are working out for you. Though I wonder, how do you do servant work with damaged eyes?" he asked, his curiosity genuine.


    The old man''s lips curved into a faint smile. "I don''t need the eyes to see. As I mentioned back then, one can have better use of his other senses once one of them is gone."


    Van Dijk nodded, impressed. "Good then, keep up the good work. I''ll come back in a month from now. If you''d like, I can take you with me to the capital then. They can take a look at your eyes there. I''ve heard they have incredible healers. If it''s not too late, they might even fix them for you."


    The old man hesitated, his expression unreadable. "You''re too kind. I wouldn''t dare impose."


    "No, that''s the least I can do," Van Dijk said, his tone firm. "You''re one of the reasons why I got to meet my wife from that day. At least let me help you this once."


    The old man bowed his head slightly. "Then I''ll take you up on your offer, Master Van Dijk."


    Van Dijk clapped him on the shoulder before turning to the carriage. He climbed inside, waving to his family and the household staff as the carriage began to move. Little did he know, that would be the last time he would ever see them.


    A couple of months in the capital had gone by absurdly fast for Van Dijk. In that time, he had managed to obtain full control of the business sector he was stationed in. Perfumes, makeup, and luxurious silk wear were in high demand, and thanks to the Bastos family''s backing, he had been able to secure the most expensive and sought-after items. His store quickly became the talk of the capital, with noble ladies sending their servants¡ªand sometimes even coming themselves¡ªto see this young man who brought materials from well beyond the empire.


    Satin and silk, powders that could be worn on a woman''s face without causing irritation, and a blood-red rouge that drove women wild¡ªVan Dijk had it all, and in bulk. While his competitors tried to undercut his prices, Van Dijk simply introduced new, exotic items that didn''t even exist in the empire. Within a month, he had recovered two-thirds of his investment, and by the second month, he was already turning a profit.


    "Should be about time," Van Dijk said to himself as he prepared to return to the Bastos March. He had mentioned in a letter that he would return for his family today, and the anticipation was both thrilling and nerve-wracking. He was eager to see his wife and daughter, but he couldn''t shake the worry about how his newfound success might change things.


    He knew that once his wife and daughter joined him in the capital, his sales might drop slightly. After all, Van Dijk had become something of a sensation among the noble ladies, and his bachelor status had only added to his allure. But he was confident that his business would remain strong, even if the gossip died down.


    Van Dijk''s carriage was already waiting for him outside, though it was a rental¡ªnothing compared to the one his family owned. The journey to the portal gates would take longer than a day, but Van Dijk didn''t mind. He was too focused on the thought of reuniting with his family.


    The day passed slowly, the monotony of the journey wearing on him. But the thought of seeing his wife and daughter kept him going. Letters had been a poor substitute for their presence, and Van Dijk longed to spend a real day with his new family.


    When the carriage finally arrived at the Bastos March, it was the dead of night. The city was eerily quiet, the streets empty and the windows dark. A strange feeling permeated the air, heavy and unsettling.


    It was dark¡­ too dark.

 Chapter 233 - 233: The Fall of House Bastos

    "What''s going on here?" Van Dijk asked, his voice tight with unease as he peered out of the carriage window at the coachman. The city around them was unnervingly silent, the streets empty and the windows of the buildings dark. Not a single light flickered in the distance, and the air felt heavy, almost oppressive.


    The coachman, a grizzled man with a weathered face, shook his head. "I don''t know, Master Van Dijk. I haven''t been to the Bastos March in a while, but the last time I was here¡­ it was much livelier than this." S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yeah, tell me about it," Van Dijk muttered, his eyes scanning the darkened streets. "I''m the guy who spent more nights out of the house than in it, so why is the city completely shut down? Not a single light is in sight."


    The coachman had no answer, his hands tightening on the reins as he guided the horses through the cobblestone streets. The only sounds were the rhythmic clop of the horses'' hooves and the occasional crackle of the torches mounted on the sides of the carriage. The silence was deafening, and Van Dijk''s unease grew with every passing moment.


    "Is everything alright?" Van Dijk asked as the carriage jolted slightly, the ride rougher now that they were inside the city.


    "Yeah, the horses are a bit skittish," the coachman replied, his voice tense. "I guess with everything so dark, they''re on edge. Oh, old man, wait a second!" he suddenly shouted, his voice cutting through the stillness.


    A figure darted out from the shadows, yelping in surprise before vanishing into the alleyways of the city. The coachman cursed under his breath, his knuckles white as he gripped the reins.


    "The hell is going on here¡­" the coachman muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.


    Van Dijk didn''t respond, his mind racing as the carriage continued its slow progress through the city. The streets remained eerily empty, the silence broken only by the occasional creak of the carriage wheels and the nervous snorts of the horses.


    Finally, they reached the gates of the Bastos mansion, and Van Dijk''s unease turned to outright dread. The massive iron gates, usually guarded by at least two men, stood wide open. The mansion itself was dark, not a single light visible through its windows.


    "Where the hell are the guards¡­ and why is the house unlit?" Van Dijk said, his voice low but filled with tension. He jumped down from the carriage, grabbing one of the torches to better see his surroundings. The metallic gate of the mansion loomed before him, its intricate designs casting long, twisted shadows in the flickering torchlight.


    "Master Van Dijk¡­ I don''t know what''s going on here, but since I got you here¡­" the coachman began, his voice trailing off.


    "Yeah, you can leave," Van Dijk said, his tone dismissive as he moved toward the gate. His mind was already elsewhere, focused on the unsettling silence and the absence of the guards.


    "Gilbert! Fredrick!" Van Dijk shouted, calling out the names of the two guards who always stood watch at the gate. His voice echoed through the empty courtyard, but there was no response.


    "Stan! Dior!" he tried again, his voice growing more urgent. Still, nothing.


    "Milli¡­ what''s going on here?" Van Dijk asked, his voice barely above a whisper as he turned to his shadow maid. The woman in question was a mystery for Van Dijk, she was never next to him but whenever he asked for her she''d immediately appear. He was always wondering why his father assigned him such a person of this caliber, but thanks to their incredible wealth, the Bastos could easily afford someone like her.


    "I don''t know," Milli replied, her voice calm but tinged with concern. She had been tasked with staying by Van Dijk''s side for the past two months, protecting him from any threats. Though her presence had only been needed a few times¡ªwhen a couple of foolish nobles had tried to eliminate him as competition¡ªlittle was known of the fate of those who dared cross a Bastos.


    "Let me check first," Milli said, her tone firm. Before Van Dijk could respond, she darted forward, her movements swift and silent as she disappeared into the mansion.


    Almost instantly, a loud crash echoed from within the mansion, followed by a sharp cry of pain¡ªa woman''s scream. Van Dijk''s heart skipped a beat as he recognized the voice.


    That was Milli.


    Van Dijk''s mind went blank, his thoughts consumed by the image of his wife and daughter. Without hesitation, he sprinted toward the mansion, his torch held high. The doors were wide open, and as he stepped inside, the metallic smell of blood hit him like a wall, strong enough to make him gag.


    Blackish streaks of liquid were splattered across the entrance, and the floor was slick with something viscous and slimy. Van Dijk''s torch flickered and then went out, plunging him into near darkness. The only light came from the waxing moon, its pale glow filtering through the open windows.


    Crouching down, Van Dijk touched the slimy substance on the floor, his fingers coming away dark and wet. He raised his hand to the moonlight, his stomach churning as he realized what it was.


    Blood.


    A lot of blood.


    Van Dijk''s heart pounded in his chest, his breath coming in short, panicked gasps. His mind raced, torn between the need to find his family and the growing terror of what he might discover.


    A low, guttural growl echoed through the mansion, sending a chill down Van Dijk''s spine. He froze, his eyes scanning the darkness for the source of the sound. Then, he saw it.


    A massive, hunched figure loomed forward, its weight pressing into the blood-soaked floorboards with a sickening creak. The dim glow of the waxing moon caught on its matted, tangled fur, a shifting, writhing mess that seemed almost alive¡ªlike a twisted fusion of muscle, sinew, and something darker, something wrong.


    Its red eyes burned like embers in a sea of black, fixed on Van Dijk with an unnatural intensity. Each breath it took was a ragged snarl, air wheezing through its twisted, jagged maw lined with gnashing teeth, their edges slick with something too thick to be only saliva.


    Its arms were grotesquely elongated, ending in claws that twitched with a predatory impatience, each talon the size of a dagger, glistening wet. One of its arms held half of Milli''s unmoving body, her form limp and lifeless.


    The beast''s body twitched and convulsed as if struggling to hold its form, its flesh bubbling and tearing in places, revealing glimpses of raw, pulsating muscle underneath. Heavy, fresh scars were carved into its body, scars that seemed unwilling to heal. Though its wounds bled not, the wounds themselves felt as if they were cursed to remain like that forever.


    Then, as if acknowledging the moment, it grinned¡ªa horrible, stretched expression that split its face wider than any human jaw should allow.


    "I see you''ve returned later than promissssed¡­" the voice slithered forth, carrying that inhuman hiss, a sound that sent a deep, primal terror through Van Dijk''s bones.


    The mansion itself seemed to shrink under the weight of the creature''s presence, the walls pressing inward, suffocating, trapping him with the monstrosity standing between him and his family.


    And then, it took a step closer.

 Chapter 234 - 234: The Vampire Hunters

    "Huh, where''s the rest?" Ludwig muttered under his breath, his brow furrowing in frustration as he flipped through the worn pages of the journal. The entries were sparse, with only a handful of cryptic notes scattered across the years, some dating back more than a century after the incident. The more he read, the more his confusion grew, though he managed to piece together a few fragments of information.


    "He wasn''t a mage until later¡­ and how come he''s a vampire? I mean, his whole family looked normal from what you could read¡­ was he bitten by a vampire later?" Ludwig asked, his voice tinged with curiosity and a hint of disbelief.


    "Bitten?" Thomas''s spirit form manifested in front of ludwig. His size was no bigger than a palm. His tone laced with skepticism as he tilted his head slightly, his glowing eyes narrowing in thought.


    "Yeah, bitten so he became a vampire, I mean," Ludwig clarified, gesturing vaguely with his hands as if trying to physically shape the idea. "Isn''t that how it usually works? also how did you do this?"


    "Ah, I think it''s because your class changed. I''m more able to present myself outside the lantern, I can''t do much though." Thomas said as he pushed both palms forward as if trying to cast magic but nothing came out. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thomas flew up to land on Ludwig''s shoulder "As for your second question... I''m not sure of what you''re talking about," Thomas replied, his voice carrying a note of mild exasperation. "Master Van Dijk is a True Vampire¡­ not some common bloodsucker."


    "What''s the difference?" Ludwig pressed, leaning forward slightly on the notes, his curiosity now fully piqued.


    "True vampires aren''t created via blood transfusion," Thomas explained, his tone taking on a lecturing quality. "That''s lesser vampires, and they''re usually short-lived creatures. They can''t handle the light of the sun, and they''re not human-like. They''re monstrosities that walk on four legs, more beast than man."


    "That''s a different picture from what I had in mind," Ludwig admitted, his voice trailing off as he processed the information. "But that doesn''t explain why he''s a True Vampire. Shouldn''t he have¡­ magic? Power? I mean, he acted like a normal human being in his journal."


    Ludwig flipped more pages as if to verify if he didn''t miss anything.


    "Probably he didn''t know he was a True Vampire?" Thomas suggested, though his tone made it clear he wasn''t entirely convinced of his own theory.


    "Now that''s a bit absurd¡­" Ludwig muttered, shaking his head as he leaned back against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest.


    "I don''t know, man. Maybe he only awakened later," Thomas offered with a shrug, his glowing form flickering slightly as if to emphasize his uncertainty.


    Ludwig sighed, running a hand through his hair as he tried to make sense of the fragmented information. The truth behind his master''s origin remained elusive, and all he had were vague glimpses into a past that seemed to raise more questions than answers.


    "I should probably ask him personally when I meet him again," Ludwig said finally, pushing himself off the wall and standing up straight. His voice carried a note of determination, though it was tempered by the lingering frustration of not having all the pieces of the puzzle.


    "Where to now?" Thomas asked, his tone casual but with an undercurrent of curiosity.


    "I need to check the mansion," Ludwig replied, his gaze sweeping across the dilapidated room. "Maybe there are more clues left here, though I doubt anything would be intact after so many years¡­"


    "Do you think that creature mentioned in the book is still here?" Thomas asked, his voice dropping slightly as if wary of being overheard. "I wouldn''t be walking around the mansion carelessly if something like that is still alive." He added as he flew up to face Ludwig.


    "No, I don''t think it''s here," Ludwig said firmly, though his eyes betrayed a flicker of unease.


    "And your reason?" Thomas pressed, his glowing form shifting slightly as if to mirror Ludwig''s unease.


    "Because we''ve already met it before," Ludwig replied, his voice steady but tinged with a grim certainty. "Back at Rima, that man who came out from the alchemist''s shop. It was the same person who made the Sheikh seek the fake immortality. It''s definitely the same person."


    "The werewolf?" Thomas asked, his tone sharpening as the pieces began to fall into place.


    "Yeah," Ludwig confirmed, nodding slowly. "I can now understand master''s feelings, and the way he reacted that day. Do you remember the corpses and bones at the entrance of the mansion?"


    "Yes," Thomas replied, his voice low and somber.


    "Those were probably the bodies of Van Dijk''s family," Ludwig said, his tone heavy with the weight of the revelation. "They were all killed by the blind man. The blind man was personally invited by master Van Dijk to his home, and the blind man ended up devouring and killing off his entire family. A gesture of goodwill ended up ruining master''s life and personality. From the cordial, fun, and family man, to the Black Tower master who would scorn and despise feebleness. Almost emotionless and outright barbarically cruel at times. Van Dijk is a changed man, and I can''t blame him."


    ''I mean who else wouldn''t be traumatized if that happened to them... to invite a monster into your own home... the mere thought of that is terrifying.''


    Ludwig shrugged, his shoulders heavy with the burden of understanding. He then began moving through the mansion, his footsteps echoing softly in the empty halls as he checked room after room. Thomas followed close and kept an eye behind Ludwig in case anything dared sneak up on them.


    After breaking about a dozen or so doors and planks, all he could find were broken-down rooms without any usable furniture. The once-grand mansion was now a hollow shell of its former self, filled with the remnants of a life long gone.


    Old paintings hung on the walls, their surfaces nothing but dust on top of crusty and cracked oil that once depicted portraits of what looked like Van Dijk''s brothers and sisters. The images were barely recognizable, their features blurred and distorted by the passage of time.


    In the largest room of them all, Ludwig found a broken wooden desk that had more dust on it than wood, along with rundown shelves of books that seemed too old to be usable or readable. This room was situated at the central position of the mansion, and it had a massive window behind the desk that overlooked the village beyond. The view was even more haunting than the house itself. The occasional howl and bestial growls were all that accompanied the cloudless moon in the sky.


    There was a portrait of a middle-aged man that almost felt too real. The appearance of that man had a striking resemblance to Van Dijk, save for the long hair that reached his back and the gruffer, more wrinkled face adorned with a full silver beard. The painting, unlike anything else in the room, seemed to be the only thing that was untouched and unharmed by time.


    Ludwig approached the painting cautiously, his eyes narrowing as a spark of magical energy streaked past it.


    "Seems like this one was preserved using magic," Ludwig said, his voice tinged with awe as he reached out and placed his hand on the painting.


    The moment he did so, however, he was assaulted by a powerful surge of mana.


    -10hp!


    "Ouch!" Ludwig yelped, jerking his hand away as if burned. He shook his hand, wincing at the lingering sting.


    Suddenly, a mana circle manifested on top of the painting, its intricate patterns glowing dangerously, a sudden feeling of terror washed over Ludwig before the whole thing began to sputter and glow less and less as it crumbled away, unable to fully manifest itself.


    "What was that?" Ludwig asked his voice tight with confusion.


    "That was¡­ killing magic," Thomas replied, his tone grim. "I think it was meant to kill anyone who touched the painting without¡­ well, having the proper means."


    "Password protected¡­" Ludwig muttered, his lips curling into a faint smirk despite the pain.


    "Something like that, but I guess that magic too was affected by time otherwise you''d have become fried bones by now," Thomas agreed.


    "Why would someone do that?" Ludwig asked, his voice tinged with frustration as he stepped closer to the painting again. This time, the moment he touched it, it clicked softly before opening up, revealing an opening behind it.


    "That''s pretty interesting, don''t you think?" Ludwig said, his voice filled with a mix of curiosity and triumph as he peered behind the painting.


    There were several old ledgers, books, and envelopes that seemed to have barely survived the passage of time. Ludwig reached for one of them, only for its cover to crumble at his touch. Several of the books were in an irrecoverable condition, but a few were rather pristine. One of them was a leather scroll that Ludwig carefully unrolled.


    Many of the words were eroded by time, but the text was still legible enough to be read.


    "This¡­ I see," Ludwig said, his voice low as he read through the content of the scroll.


    "What''s that?" Thomas asked, his glowing form hovering closer as if trying to read over Ludwig''s shoulder.


    "It''s an order," Ludwig replied, his eyes scanning the faded text. "The person meant to receive it was Celine Bastos, Van Dijk''s older sister. Seems like she was doing¡­ well, purges, I guess."


    He continued to read only for his expression to grow darker and more confused.


    "Vampire hunters? And a cult?" Ludwig frowned, his brow furrowing as he continued reading the letter.


    Just as he finished, a notification window popped up in front of him.


    ***


    [Quest Update! The Bastos March!]


    You have obtained a clue on a possible suspect in the fall of the House Bastos. A cult of vampire hunters had been harboring ill intentions toward the Bastos Family. The last known location of their base is in the southern islands of Lamar, the Dawn Islands.


    Obtain more clues from the base of the Dawn Islands.


    ***


    "I guess these vampire hunters must have had something to do with the Bastos Family," Thomas said, his voice thoughtful. "This would also confirm that the Bastos Family was indeed a vampire family."


    "You think that Van Dijk was living his life without him ever knowing that he was a vampire?" Ludwig asked, his tone skeptical.


    "I think so too," Thomas replied. "From the journal, he was the son of a normal human woman, and they probably thought that he didn''t inherit True Blood."


    "That explains stuff a bit then," Ludwig sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly as he began looking for more clues inside the small safe. However, nothing there seemed to have remained intact, as all was turned to dust and torn paper.


    Ludwig placed the painting back, closing it carefully before continuing his investigation of the place. Finding nothing important through the castle, he was about to give up.


    "Seems like this place has nothing else to offer," Ludwig said, his voice tinged with disappointment.


    "Not quite right," Thomas said, his tone suddenly sharp.


    "What do you mean?" Ludwig asked, turning to face the glowing figure.


    "Where''s the basement?" Thomas asked again, his voice carrying a note of urgency.


    Thinking for a bit, Ludwig realized that Thomas was right. For a mansion this big, they''d usually have a basement, and from the dealings that the family had, the orders of investigation and ''purge'' were more on the military side. A basement or dungeon to keep either prisoners or even¡­ food, the human kind, was more probable than not. But through the rooms he searched, he had yet to find a single way to access the lower floors.


    "With so much time passing by, even if you find the building plans of the mansion, they''ll probably be rotten out¡­ but there is a way," Thomas said, his voice dropping to a near whisper.


    "The Gray Rat dungeon¡­" Ludwig replied ominously, his eyes narrowing as the pieces fell into place.


    "Exactly," Thomas confirmed. "It looks like it leads down. Perhaps it may lead to the mansion''s basement."


    "I guess we''ll go dungeon hunting then..."

 Chapter 235 - 235: Gray Rat Dungeon.

    The two of them headed back toward the main hall, the scenery this time looked completely different. Unlike before they knew the story of Van Dijk, now this place looked far more haunting. Now that it has a story and a past, the bones on the ground and the damage to the walls are enough to grant vivid images to the written words of Van Dijk''s diary.


    Once Ludwig arrived to the dungeon entrance, "Looks like they tried to come out," Ludwig muttered, his voice low as he noticed that the rubble he had placed at the front of the dungeon had been moved slightly. The stones were shifted as if something had pushed against them from the other side. He crouched down, examining the disturbed debris with a critical eye. The faint claw marks on the rocks confirmed his suspicion¡ªthe rats had tried to escape.


    He approached the blockade cautiously, his movements deliberate as he began to move the stones aside. The sound of grinding rock echoed softly in the dimly lit entrance of the dungeon.


    "That''s enough to squeeze in," Thomas said, his voice echoing faintly in Ludwig''s mind.


    "I''ll need to fully clear it," Ludwig replied, his tone firm. "In case I have to back out, I don''t want to be stuck here with rats after me." He continued to work methodically, widening the gap until it was large enough for him to pass through comfortably. Once satisfied, he stepped back, brushing the dust off his hands.


    Ludwig placed his foot inside the dungeon''s entrance, the cool, damp air brushing against his skin. A faint, musty smell filled his nostrils, and the dim light from the outside world barely illuminated the first few feet of the tunnel.


    [You have entered the Gray-Rat dungeon.]


    The mouth of the cave was dug through what looked like dirt and grime, with pieces of rock and stone protruding from the walls here and there. Ludwig moved with slow, confident steps, his eyes scanning the surroundings. The inside of the dungeon was thankfully large enough for him to walk and even swing his weapon freely, though the structure was slightly awkward. The floor slanted steeply downward, forcing him to slow his pace to avoid slipping or tumbling.


    Once he reached the bottom of the slant, the dungeon revealed itself to be part of the mansion. Thomas had been right¡ªthis was indeed the basement. The walls here were man-made, constructed of sturdy stone that had weathered the passage of time far better than the eroded walls of the mansion above. Despite the claw marks and old, petrified feces of rats that littered the floor, the basement felt less eerie than the mansion itself, especially after what Ludwig had read in the journal.


    What looked like old wine cellars, broken barrels, and old wooden boxes full of dust and grime revealed broken bottles of what looked like wine. pieces of old wood remained there suffering slowly and unfortunately under the passage of time. What could have been good wine was turned to waste because of these rats. Ludwig could only sigh at the waste.


    "I can''t use the chain''s long-range moves freely," Ludwig muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. The tightness of the walls limited his ability to swing his weapon widely, forcing him to adapt. While he could use mana to make the chains move by will, it would exhaust him faster in terms of mana usage. Instead, he flicked the chains on his left arm, watching as they wrapped around his forearm in tight, protective coils, forming a makeshift shield.


    "Hmm, pretty handy," he said, testing the weight and flexibility of the chain shield. Satisfied, he moved forward, his footsteps echoing softly in the damp, narrow corridor.


    The only sounds that filled the dungeon were the constant, monotonous dripping of water and the occasional echo of Ludwig''s footsteps. However, after a short while, the sound of skittering feet and claws striking against the cold, hard floor began to reverberate through the walls. Enemies were approaching.


    Ludwig flicked his scythe open, transforming it into its sword form. He gripped the weapon tightly, his body ready for the upcoming fight. The first rat charged ahead, its eyes glowing a menacing red and its mouth wide open, revealing rows of sharp, yellowed teeth. Ludwig''s experience in killing them allowed him to replay the exact same sequence from his last fight.


    The charging rat leaped at him, claws extended and mouth gaping, ready to tear into his flesh. Ludwig''s left arm, protected by the chain shield, shot forward, the chains collapsing around his arm as he shoved it into the rat''s mouth. The sudden movement caught the creature off guard, but unlike the last time, Ludwig''s arm was only partially coated in chains.


    [-144hp!]


    [You have been afflicted with Rabies!]


    [As an Undead, you are immune to all mortal diseases.]


    Ludwin grimaced but didn''t falter. He slammed his arm down onto the ground, crushing the mud-covered floor beneath him. At the same time, he drove his sword through the rat''s eye, twisting the blade to ensure a quick and decisive end to the creature''s life.


    [You have obtained 1 feeble soul.]


    [You have obtained 1 feeble soul.]


    [You have obtained, perfect Gray Rat leather.]


    [You have obtained, Gray Rat''s poisoned fang.]


    Ludwig picked up the items and tossed them into his ring, his movements quick and efficient.


    "The drops are doubled for anything you get in this dungeon," Thomas remarked, his tone casual. "By the end, you''ll probably have more trash than anything useful inside that ring of yours. Also, how come you still have space left in there?"


    "I barely have any space left," Ludwig admitted, his voice tinged with frustration. "With all of Master Van Dijk''s items, it already feels packed as hell. I''ll need to sort things through later¡­" He sighed, pausing for a moment before moving forward.


    [Deus Necros''s Blessing is activating!]


    ''Huh?''


    Ludwig''s body froze for a second as he immediately lost all control, a sensation that always accompanied Deus Necros''s interference. His hand moved on its own, pointing to the small, fist-sized lantern on his side and tapping it twice.


    Immediately after, Ludwig regained control over his body as the blessing dissipated.


    [You have unlocked, [Inventory].]


    Ludwig touched the lantern, and his mind felt as if it had been transported inside it. A massive space, the size of several football fields, appeared before him.


    "Damn, must be nice to have a backer as powerful as Necros," Thomas said, his voice filled with awe. "Something this size would easily be worth ten times the annual income of one of the seven countries under the Lufondal Empire. Might even be more than what the empire itself incurs in taxes every year."


    "Interesting," Ludwig murmured, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Well, I guess I won''t have to worry about space anymore." He willed the contents of his ring to pour into the new subspace, watching as the items transferred seamlessly.


    The contents of Van Dijk''s tower were immense, to say the least. Books he had never gotten the chance to read due to their complexity, forbidden spell books, banned curses, and dark magic tomes filled the space. Alongside them were alchemy materials, a few corpses, and what looked like necromancy study materials.


    "You think Master would be angry if I use some of his stuff?" Ludwig asked, his voice hesitant.


    "I mean¡­ he never specifically said not to use them," Thomas replied, his tone nonchalant.


    "You''re right," Ludwig said, a small smile forming on his face. "But not right now. Let me finish this dungeon first."


    "And since we''re no longer under the scrutiny of the academy, Rise Undead!" Ludwig declared, pressing his palm against the ground next to the Gray Rat''s corpse.


    Black and purple sigils of power surged from under Ludwig''s palm, spreading until they touched the corpse. The creature began to shudder and rattle, its lifeless form twitching as the necromantic energy took hold.


    [Your Necromantic Spell [Rise Undead] is being affected by [Codex Necros].]


    Instead of a skeletal corpse emerging, the entire creature stood up, its fur falling away in patches as its skin tore and its flesh rotted. The transformation was grotesque, yet fascinating.


    [You have revived [Zombie Gray Rat].]


    [Your proficiency in Necromancy has marginally increased.]


    The rat turned to look at Ludwig, its glowing red eyes now dull and lifeless. It simply stood there, waiting for his command.


    Ludwig inspected it, curious to see what had changed.


    [Inspect.]


    Zombie Pestilent Gray-Rat


    Level 40


    HP: 40,000


    Damage: 700-900


    Tier: Uncommon


    Status effect: [Plague], [Cholera], [Rabies], [Undead]


    Skills:


    [Aura of Death]: All undead have a unique aura around them. For a Zombie Undead, the aura [Contagion] is applied.


    [Play Dead] - Removed Due to Undeath.


    [Burrow]: Can burrow in almost any terrain to hide and escape danger.


    [Festering Wounds]: Each time the Pestilent Gray-Rat attacks, it has a 10% chance to land one of three random status effects on the target: [Plague], [Cholera], or [Rabies].


    Lore: A mutated rat species that lives in the Bastos March, they''ve encountered a severe mutation that allows them to carry diseases that are incurable or deadly for humans. They usually move in packs. It fell under the curse of Undeath and now serves a new master as a low-tier zombie that only follows orders.


    "Lead the way," Ludwig commanded, his voice firm. "Find your species, and kill them."


    The zombie rat obeyed without hesitation, its rotting form shuffling forward as it began to scout the dungeon ahead. Ludwig followed closely behind, his weapon at the ready, without the fetters of the Empire, he could finally let loose now. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 236 - 236: Rat Army

    Surprisingly, the Zombie Gray Rat was far superior when it came to combat against its own kin than its appearance would suggest. Unlike the slow, lumbering, and growling zombies often depicted in tales, this undead rat was anything but sluggish. It moved with a speed that far outstripped its living counterparts, darting across the dungeon floor with an almost unnatural agility. Its attacks were brutal and efficient, tearing through its prey with a viciousness that was both shocking and methodical. The zombie rat didn''t just kill¡ªit ensured its target was truly dead, never falling for the [Play Dead] tactic that its living kin often used to escape danger.


    The Zombie Gray Rat was relentless. Even when bitten, clawed, or slashed by its opponent, it didn''t falter. It continued its assault, undeterred by injuries that would have crippled a living creature. Its single-minded focus on destruction made it a terrifying opponent, and Ludwig couldn''t help but feel a sense of pride as he watched his creation in action.


    [You have killed a Gray Rat.]


    [You have obtained¡­]


    The same drops from the previous kill appeared once again, and Ludwig quickly collected them, storing the items in his inventory.


    "Your zombie didn''t even lose half its health," Thomas remarked his tone a mix of surprise and admiration.


    "Yeah," Ludwig replied, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "In a one-on-one fight, when one side has no fear of death, they''re bound to be far more aggressive than someone who''s trying to self-preserve."


    "At this rate, you''ll be able to use this rat at least a couple more times before you have to change tactics," Thomas added.


    "Now that''s where you''re wrong," Ludwig said, his voice tinged with confidence as he approached the freshly killed rat. He crouched down, his hand hovering over the corpse as he called upon the gift of necromancy once more.


    "Rise Undead!"


    The scene was both terrifying and mesmerizing. Dark, swirling energy emanated from Ludwig''s hand, enveloping the rat''s corpse in a shroud of necromantic power. The creature twitched and shuddered as the magic took hold, its lifeless form rising once more, now bound to Ludwig''s will.


    Now, Ludwig had two undead servants.


    "Go, and hunt your kin," Ludwig commanded, his voice firm and authoritative. The two zombie rats obeyed without hesitation, their rotting forms shuffling forward as they began to scout the dungeon ahead. Ludwig followed closely behind, his weapon at the ready, prepared for whatever lay ahead.


    "Are you planning on creating an army?" Thomas asked, his tone a mix of curiosity and skepticism.


    "Isn''t that the dream of everyone who dabbles in necromancy?" Ludwig replied with a sly smile.


    "And do you know the reason it has always been a dream?" Thomas countered, his voice taking on a more serious tone.


    "No," Ludwig admitted, shaking his head. As a transmigrator, much of the common knowledge about this world was lost on him.


    "It''s control," Thomas explained. "The undead have wills of their own. The smarter they are, the more magic one would require to bind them to their will. Not even the strongest necromancer can lead an army of more than a hundred or so undead. The mana cost itself is steep, not to mention the mental burden of having to keep everyone in check."


    "What about liches?" Ludwig asked, his curiosity piqued.


    "They''re different," Thomas replied. "Because they''re already undead, they need fewer resources to control their own kind. But even they have limits. For example, a normal lich cannot control a Death Knight¡ªthey''re both at the same level of power. And without something like a Death Knight to lead the other undead, they become disorganized and utterly useless."


    "I guess necromancy isn''t that powerful¡­" Ludwig mused, his tone thoughtful and quite sad.


    "It has its strong points," Thomas said, "But not many use necromancy to simply control a lot of undead. Necromancy is basically a supporting magic class. Most necromancers are, after all, strong and powerful magicians. They use necromancy to hamper their enemies while they themselves prepare powerful magic."


    "I see," Ludwig said, his mind racing as he processed the information. He flung his left arm forward, sending the chain in his hand spiraling toward a fleeing rat. The chain wrapped around one of the rat''s hind legs, giving Ludwig''s two zombie rats the opportunity to pounce on it.


    Soon, Ludwig had three zombies under his control.


    "How are you feeling?" Thomas asked, his tone humorous. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What do you mean?" Ludwig replied, his brow furrowing in confusion.


    "The mental strain. It''s heavy, right?" he asked confusion on his face even more than Ludwigs.


    "I don''t have a clue what you''re talking about. I don''t feel a thing¡­" Ludwig shrugged as he moved ahead.


    "Maybe it''ll kick in once you have more undead under you," Thomas said, his voice tinged with uncertainty.


    The two of them continued moving through the cellars until Ludwig suddenly stopped.


    "What''s up?" Thomas asked, his glowing form flickering slightly as he hovered closer.


    "There''s a box there. It looks untouched," Ludwig said, his eyes narrowing as he approached a corner of the dungeon. Among a dozen or so broken crates and boxes, one stood out. It was remarkably intact, save for a small piece of wood that had been torn off by what looked like the claws of one of the rats.


    Ludwig crouched down and carefully tore open the crate, revealing its contents. Inside were a dozen bottles of preserved wine, stacked neatly and seemingly untouched by time. The bottles were in good condition, their labels faded but still legible. Ludwig grabbed one of them and inspected it closely.


    [Cheap Bastos Wine]


    Category: Consumable.


    Status effects: [Aged: 742], [Dungeon Mana Infusion]


    Causes nausea, dizziness, and extreme abdominal pain to any living being who drinks it. May lead to death.


    Grants 200% mana, stamina, and health regeneration for the next 8 hours after use.


    Description: Among the many businesses of the Bastos Family, wine-making was their weakest. It was merely a hobby of Dante Van Dijk, tending to one of his deceased wives'' favorite grape vineyards. Though the wine this vineyard produced every year was of abhorrent quality and taste, he still preserved it among finer wines.

 Chapter 237 - 237: Dungeons

    "Quite surprising," Thomas said, his tone a mix of amusement and disbelief.


    "What is it?" Ludwig asked, his curiosity piqued as he grabbed a bottle and examined it more closely.


    "For this wine to survive for so long¡­ Looking at the rest of the crates and cellars, they had different brands and storage methods. This one, however, was stored here. And it looks like the only type of wine that was untouched, unlike the rest. Do you think it was so bad that even the rats didn''t want to touch it?" Thomas asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.


    "There''s one way to find out," Ludwig said, a mischievous grin spreading across his face as he snapped the bottle''s neck with a single twist of his hand.


    "You''re gonna taste that?" Thomas''s small figure popped right in front of Ludwig, his expression one of utter disgust.


    "What''s the worst that could happen?" Ludwig replied, his tone nonchalant as he brought the bottle to his lips and took a swig. After all, he hadn''t had any real food or drink since he was back in Rima. Now, with him so far away from anything remotely human, alcohol was too precious to pass up.


    [Your Undead nature is immune to dizziness, drunkenness, alcohol poisoning, and abdominal pain.]


    [You have gained 200% regen for all your regenerable stats.]


    Ludwig smiled, a satisfied look on his face. "This is even better than a health potion," he said, grabbing the wine bottle and pouring its contents into several potion vials he had stored in the soul lantern.


    "You''re insane," Thomas said, his tone a mix of disbelief and exasperation. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hey, man, it''s not easy to come by potions. I''m already down to my last two. This is actually a godsend," Ludwig replied, his voice cheerful as he carefully stored the remaining bottles in the lantern''s inventory for safekeeping.


    "You won''t use the rest?" Thomas asked, his tone skeptical.


    "These are enough for me, the rest should be saved for another occasion," Ludwig said, his attention already shifting back to the task at hand. He ordered his three zombie rats to continue hunting, their rotting forms shuffling ahead as they scouted the dungeon.


    Without having to lift a finger, Ludwig followed behind, his steps slow and deliberate as the rats did the heavy lifting. The dungeon seemed to stretch on endlessly, and after some time, Ludwig couldn''t help but voice his growing suspicion.


    "Is it just me, or isn''t this dungeon a little bit too big¡­" Ludwig said, his voice tinged with unease.


    "What do you mean?" Thomas asked, his glowing form flickering slightly as he hovered closer.


    "We''ve been walking for hours, and I''m sure as hell that the Bastos Mansion isn''t this big. Why would the basement be this size?"


    "This isn''t the basement, though. This is the dungeon made from it. Once a dungeon encroaches on a territory, it reforms it. Physically so. How do you not know that? Oh, maybe because you never studied the dungeon content we all had at the start of the school year¡­" Thomas said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.


    "You''re the one with the knowledge. Tell me, then," Ludwig replied, his voice firm.


    "Right¡­ How can I explain this¡­ A dungeon is basically a living being," Thomas began, his words causing Ludwig to raise an eyebrow in disbelief.


    "Just hear me out," Thomas continued, undeterred. "It''s like a non-physical creature that holes up in a specific place¡ªa place with dense mana. It comes in, encroaches on the land, and begins reforming it. After a while, the dungeon will open up and invite mindless monsters inside it, promising them mana, which they need to gain power. On the other hand, the monsters inside the dungeon will act as guards for its core. The core is usually hidden from sight, deep inside the dungeon. Most dungeons don''t ever reveal it."


    ''So basically the monsters level up inside a dungeon...''


    "To what end? I mean, what''s the dungeon benefiting from doing all that?" Ludwig asked, his curiosity piqued.


    "Food," Thomas replied simply. "The dungeon also feeds on the remains of what the monsters inside it kill. Their blood, their mana, and so on. It gifts a portion of it back to the monsters. It''s a coexistent relationship between the dungeon and the monsters inside it."


    "That''s a weird enslavement contract¡­" Ludwig muttered, his tone thoughtful.


    "It''s not enslavement per se. The dungeon itself doesn''t affect the creature''s social structure or hierarchy. As a matter of fact, it only stops them from leaving. Well, it stops the majority of them from leaving. They can still go out in batches to hunt and bring prey, even if they''re the social type, like Giant Fire Ants or even the rats. We saw one of them outside the dungeon entrance before."


    "Wait, by that reasoning¡­" Ludwig said, his eyes narrowing as he looked around. "This dungeon should have been packed full of rats. They reproduce incredibly fast¡­"


    "That''s the other thing," Thomas explained. "Most dungeons have a capacity that they cannot go over. When they reach that stage, they''ll expel most of the creatures inside it. We call that a Dungeon Break. The creatures will be freed from the dungeon''s control and let loose outside to find their own way of life, while the dungeon will keep a minimum of creatures inside it. Dungeons are actually a protected species in Lufondal, even¡­"


    "What? Really?" Ludwig asked, his voice filled with disbelief.


    "Yeah," Thomas replied. "I mean, they''re an almost infinite source of material and monsters, and are used to help soldiers and adventurers grow. So the empire has strict rules about destroying dungeons. Only ones that could threaten the lives of people or even the country are permitted destruction. The rest are all being tended and carefully raided to keep the monster numbers at a manageable state¡­"


    "That''s a lot of stuff to digest," Ludwig said, his mind racing as he processed the information. He looked ahead, his eyes narrowing as more rats began to appear. This time, however, there were more than ten of them, their glowing red eyes fixed on Ludwig and his undead servants.


    "Looks like I''ll have to personally involve myself. My rats won''t make it fighting against that group," Ludwig said, his voice firm as he gripped his weapon tightly and prepared for battle. He jumped ahead, his movements swift and precise as he engaged the swarm of rats, his undead servants following close behind.

 Chapter 238 - 238: Gray Rat Lord

    Ludwig rushed ahead, his six zombie rats locked in a fierce battle against double their numbers. The dungeon had widened up ahead, but the sheer volume of enemies threatened to overwhelm his small squad. His minions were struggling to hold their ground, their rotting forms taking hit after hit as they fought valiantly against the swarm of living rats.


    The fearlessness of the Zombies was a clear advantage in their fight. They didn''t care for wounds and injuries, and could still bite through flesh and bone, even if their fangs were to break, they''d still hold on, even if their claws would shatter they''d still claw on their enemies. They didn''t know defeat nor retreat, and all they ever knew was to move forward.


    Ludwig gripped his weapon tightly, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation. He couldn''t afford to let his useful undead servants fall here. With a quick motion, he activated [Steadfast Leap], the skill propelling him several dozen meters forward. He landed with a resounding crash, his sword slamming into the shoulder of one of the enemy rats. The blow caved in the creature''s collarbone, pinning it to the ground as it screeched in pain. Seizing the opportunity, one of Ludwig''s zombie rats pounced on the downed creature, tearing into it with vicious efficiency.


    [You have killed a Gray Rat.]


    [You have obtained¡­]


    The same drops appeared once again, but Ludwig didn''t have time to collect them. He threw his chain toward another rat, the metal links wrapping around its front leg. With a sharp tug, he pulled the creature off balance, slashing at its face with his sword. Though he missed the initial strike, he recovered quickly, delivering a second blow that sent the rat reeling.


    "Worthless," a voice echoed through the dungeon, cold and disdainful.


    "Huh? Did you say something?" Ludwig asked, his head snapping around as he tried to locate the source of the voice.


    "I heard that too. It wasn''t me," Thomas said, his glowing form flickering uneasily.


    Ludwig frowned but didn''t dwell on it. He had more pressing matters to deal with. One of the rats charged him, its claws slashing through the air. Ludwig countered with a series of quick strikes, but he was forced to retreat when three more rats lunged at him simultaneously.


    "Cowardly¡­" the voice taunted again, dripping with contempt.


    "C''mon now! Who''s fucking talking?" Ludwig shouted, his frustration boiling over as he turned around, searching for the unseen speaker.


    No response came, and Ludwig gritted his teeth. Since no hostility message had appeared, he decided to ignore the voice for now. It was likely coming from deeper within the dungeon, trying to mess with his head or distract him. He couldn''t afford to let it get to him.


    Ludwig refocused on the battle, throwing a few spells into the mix to turn the tide. "Enfeeble!" he cast, a large sigil spreading across the ground. The spell sapped the strength of the enemy rats, leaving them sluggish and vulnerable. His zombie rats seized the advantage, pushing the weakened enemies back with renewed ferocity.


    "That''s what a necromancer should be like," Thomas said, his tone approving. "But don''t you have stronger spells?"


    "I thought about that," Ludwig replied, his voice strained as he sliced the face off an aggressive rat and kicked another away. "But I can''t guarantee the stability of the dungeon. One explosive mine at a bad spot might collapse this whole place on us."


    Ludwig''s small squad was positioned three on each side, with him working to clean up any rats that tried to break through the center. At one point, one of the enemy rats backed off, its health critically low. It fell to the ground, feigning death with its [Play Dead] skill.


    If it returned and recovered its health, it''d just be like pouring water on sand, so Ludwig wasn''t about to let that happen.


    "No, you don''t!" Ludwig growled, flicking his wrist to summon back his chain to his left arm. He snapped the butt of his sword onto the end of the chain, and with a flick of his hand, he transformed the sword into its scythe form. With a quick mental command, he activated [Sentient Snake], using his soul energy to control the weapon.


    [-1 soul.]


    The chain shot forward sneaking past the dozen of rats as the scythe lodged its tip into the belly of the rat faking death. The creature screeched in pain as its skill was disrupted, the scythe found purchase and locked in tightly in its innards.


    [-1600!]


    "Get over here!" Ludwig shouted, pulling the chain with all his might. The rat was wrenched from its place and flung through the air toward him. Ludwig grabbed the creature by the neck mid-air and slammed the back of its head onto the paved floor with one smooth motion.


    [-400]


    The creature couldn''t do much but screech as the pain was flooding its brain, though it tried to bite at Ludwig''s arm, the latter''s undead grip was stronger than a wrench on a vise.


    Without missing a beat, Ludwig pushed on the scythe like a lever, forcing the blade to dig deeper into the rat''s chest. With a final, brutal pull, he tore the weapon free, ripping apart the rat''s internal organs and sending blood and viscera spraying across the ground.


    [-12000!]


    The rat was dead, its health bar obliterated by the devastating attack. In one fluid motion, Ludwig cast "[Rise Undead!]" once again, adding another zombie rat to his growing army.


    "Barely passable¡­" the voice sneered again.


    "For crying out loud¡ªah, it''s you!" Ludwig said, finally noticing the book on his side moving. The Knight King''s voice was coming from the Codex Necros.


    "It was the knight all along?" Thomas asked, his tone incredulous.


    "Yeah, why is he being so prissy about it?" Ludwig muttered, glaring at the book.


    "The way you use the Tyrant Blade is utterly pitiful. Just stop it, undead," the Knight King''s voice echoed, dripping with disdain.


    "You''re not the boss of me," Ludwig shot back, his patience wearing thin. "And if you have a problem with me using your Tyrant Blade, then I''d appreciate you either keeping quiet or being helpful, not being an ass about it and doing nothing."


    "Humph," the Knight King scoffed, falling silent.


    Ludwig shook his head and refocused on the battle. With an additional ally and one less enemy, the fight became easier. Soon, all the enemy rats were taken out, though Ludwig lost three of his own in the process. However, he gained twelve new zombie rats, bringing his total squad size to eighteen.


    "I still can''t believe it," Thomas said, his voice filled with disbelief.


    "What?" Ludwig asked, wiping blood from his face.


    "The burden. Why aren''t you feeling the burden? your brain should be exploding right now..."


    "I''m feeling it alright," Ludwig replied, his eyes fixed on a notification window that had popped up.


    "Okay then that''s normal..."


    "Oh I wasn''t talking about the mental strain," he said as he was checking his notifications.


    [Gray Rat control condition: 5 charisma.]


    [Your charisma stat allows you to control up to 21 Gray Rats.]


    "I have 108 charisma¡­ with 5 charisma per undead gray rat, that''s exactly 21. I''m not limited by my mental exhaustion but by my stats. Also, it''s a bit inefficient since my mana is being depleted at a fast rate the more summons I have under me," Ludwig explained.


    "How much?" Thomas asked.


    "1 mana per second per rat¡­" Ludwig said, his tone grim.


    "That''s a lot. How are you even keeping up with that? You should have had your mana completely exhausted by now¡­"


    "The ring I got from the Black Tower competition is helping, but it''s mainly the wine from earlier. It''s keeping me in top shape. But this is good to know. Later on, if I don''t have the mana regen to keep the summons, then it''s pointless to summon masses of undead. As for the mental strain," Ludwig shrugged, "I don''t think I''m even bothered with this many undead."


    "This is all too new to me," Thomas admitted, his glowing form flickering slightly.


    "Same here, but you don''t see me complaining. Alright, let''s keep going," Ludwig said, motioning for his zombie rats to scout the pathways ahead.


    After what felt like an hour of navigating the dungeon''s twisting corridors, Ludwig finally reached a small opening beneath a crumbling wall. It was the only path forward, and Ludwig crouched down to peer through it.


    "So this is it?" Thomas asked.


    "I don''t know, feels like this is the only place we left unchecked," Ludwig said as he mentally commanded the rats he was controlling to move and step to the side. He wanted to check for himself what was under that small opening under the barely standing wall. As it looked like a rat-made passage that led deeper into the dungeon.


    [You have discovered the Gray Rat dungeon''s Dungeon Boss. Gray Rat Lord.]


    Ludwig''s eyes widened, and he quickly pulled himself away from the opening. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What''s up?" Thomas asked, his tone wary.


    "I think we''re a bit under-leveled for this¡­" Ludwig said, his voice tense.


    "What do you mean?" Thomas pressed.


    Before Ludwig could reply, a loud roar echoed from beyond the wall¡ªa sound that definitely didn''t belong to anything remotely resembling a rat.


    [You''re in a Hostile Environment.]


    "Shit!" Ludwig cursed, backing away just as the entire wall exploded. Dust and debris filled the air as a massive creature emerged, its glowing red eyes fixed on Ludwig and his undead army.


    The Gray Rat Lord had arrived.

 Chapter 239 - 239: Rat Lords Might

    The creature stood on its hind legs, its massive, humanoid form towering over Ludwig and his undead army. Unlike its smaller kin, the Gray Rat Lord was a grotesque blend of rodent and warrior. Its arms bulged with muscle, each hand gripping a cleaver as long as a human was tall. The weapons shimmered ominously, their edges glinting in the dim light of the dungeon. The Rat Lord''s ears were long and pointed, one of them marred by a deep bite mark. A jagged scar ran across its face, leaving one eye a milky, sightless orb. Despite its monstrous appearance, the Rat Lord wore armor¡ªa crude imitation of the Bastos Knight armor Ludwig had seen upstairs. The sight sent a chill down Ludwig''s spine.


    The Rat Lord roared, a guttural sound that echoed through the dungeon. It slammed its cleavers together, the metallic clang reverberating through the air as a clear display of intimidation.


    [Inspect]


    Gray-Rat Lord


    Level 85


    Danger Level: ???? ???? Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    HP: 85,000


    Damage 1600-1800


    Tier: Uncommon {Boss Class} ????


    Status effect: [Plague] [Cholera] [Rabies]


    Skills:


    [Call of Kin] Calls upon all allied forces nearby to assist it in its fight. Usable once after the Rat Lord''s Health is reduced to 30%


    [Festering Wounds] Each time the Pestilent Gray-Rat Lord attacks, has a 10% chance to land one of the following random Status Effects on the target. ¨C [Plague]- [Cholera] ¨C [Rabies]- [Bleed]- [Dismemberment]


    [The Mortal Nullification Tempest] Spins around himself rapidly like a top, with the cleavers pointing outward, increasing the attack rate of the Gray Rat Lord by 200% and all subsequent damage applied will cause [Eviscerate] and [Bleed]. Enters an exhausted state for 5 seconds afterward.


    [Rampage] For each 1% of missing health, the Gray Rat Lord gains 1% increased attack speed, increased damage and decreased defense.


    [Close Killing Combat] Within 3 meters of the Gray Rat Lord, all melee damage is halved, and beyond 3 meters of the Gray Rat Lord, all Magical damage is halved.


    Lore:


    Once a mere sewer rat, the Gray-Rat Lord has risen beyond its station, shaped by bloodshed and survival. The mutations in the Bastos March granted it unnatural intelligence, allowing it to observe, mimic, and master the combat arts of both beasts and men. Unlike its mindless kin, the Rat Lord does not simply rely on brute force¡ªit calculates, it adapts, it thrives.


    Moving with unnatural precision, it wields its weapons with the grace of a seasoned warrior, blending rodent agility with a learned martial prowess. It has studied the way of the blade from the shadows, refining its strikes into something terrifyingly deliberate. The humans who once sought to exterminate its kind now fear its name.


    "Wow wow, this guy is pretty strong," Ludwig said as he backed away from the incoming creature.


    The Rat Lord rushed forward with both cleavers raised up high then slammed them both on the ground where Ludwig was a second ago. Ludwig immediately retaliated by swinging at the Rat Lord''s face, to which the Rat Lord simply let go of his weapons dodging the horizontal swing, and in the same fluid motion landed on his hands in a back flip, then twisted his entire body. His feet opened up like chopper blades, sending one strike of its feet after another onto ludwig''s chest while it supported itself on its two arms.


    -1200!


    -622!


    Ludwig was sent flying after the two hits struck him once in the chest and the second in the head.


    The moment Ludwig landed on his back, the rat jumped from his standing arm position, grabbed both weapons and charged Ludwig with both cleavers carving through the ground making sparks fly everywhere.


    Ludwig noticed the incoming creature and pushed himself up, the rat hurled one of the cleavers at Ludwig to which he dodged desperately, while the creature followed after jumping mid air with his weapon raised over his shoulder aiming to slice Ludwig in half.


    [Steadfast Leap!] Ludwig took the challenge head on as he jumped forward, right above the rat''s incoming body. with this Ludwig realized he''ll miss the rat and end up landing far away, and as if on instinct, Ludwig activated [Summersault Slam] which immediately canceled his jump and forced him to go into Summersault Slam, his whole body spun in place, giving incredible rotation force to his sword which landed squarely on the rat''s back.


    The Rat Lord was forcefully shoved into the ground from the power of the impact cratering the ground and shuddering the cave.


    [Counter Blow!]


    [9,100!]


    [You have discovered [Counter Blow]- When disrupting a physical attack with another physical attack, you''re able to deal double the damage to your opponent, Counter Blow will always result in a critical hit!]


    [You have unlocked, [Surging Slam]- Your Tyrant Blade Technique proficiency has increased!]


    Ludwig waved the notifications away as the rat stood up, it roared at Ludwig and swung at him, the blow was dangerously close to Ludwig as he barely had the time to block it with his chain wrapped arm.


    [-122!]


    The blow was enough to push Ludwig back away. Where he immediately popped a small potion vial and drank it.


    "Get him boys!" Ludwig ordered and immediately the dozen and a half rats charged the Rat Lord.


    But what Ludwig expected didn''t occur, The Rat Lord jumped at the first Rat, and struck its weapon right inside its head, though it didn''t kill the zombie rat, it destabilized him enough to completely miss its mark, it then jumped on the back of the second one slamming both feet right on its spine, breaking it in the process, two rats jumped at the Rat Lord to which he cleaved one of them, grabbed the second and threw it at another incoming rat.


    Ludwig could only watch in shock as the Rat Lord was masterfully taking down his enemies like a veteran of war.


    "What in the master splinter is this shit?!" Ludwig could only watch in horror as his small army was being rendered utterly useless.

 Chapter 240 - 240: On The Back Foot

    "Screw this!" Ludwig cursed, "We''re switching things up! Exhaust!"


    [Your opponent is wary of you; Exhaust failed]


    "Frenzied Spirits!" Frustrated at the notification.


    [No Spirits in the vicinity, Spell Failed]


    "God damn it," he cursed.


    For a moment, Ludwig was thinking of using [Flame Bringer] but decided otherwise, he wasn''t too sure of using fire spells in this enclosed space, and most spell damage was going to be reduced by half from distance.


    "Alright," Ludwig said as he charged at the Rat Lord. He threw his chain forward, which the Rat Lord noticed and blocked with his own cleaver, the chain spun right around the weapon.


    Ludwig heaved and pulled, but the Rat Lord didn''t budge, instead, the Rat Lord wrenched the cleaver pulling Ludwig toward him. Ludwig was about to be grabbed by the Rat Lord but instead used [Summersault Slam] his entire body spinning right above the extended arm of the Rat Lord and came down with his weapon in his right hand at the armored glove of the Rat Lord.


    The clash exploded in sparks of flame and resulted in the bursting of the Rat Lord''s gauntlet. But it didn''t do any visible damage.


    The creature didn''t hesitate as he tried to swing his other hand with the cleaver in it at Ludwig, but thankfully a Zombie Rat jumped in front of Ludwig taking the blow.


    The two of them, the Zombie Rat and Ludwig were flung aside, only for Ludwig to be jerked back since the chain was still wrapped around the rat''s weapon.


    Ludwig heaved, "Limit Breaker!"


    His muscles inflated, his undead skin felt as if it would tear and become visible against the slime acting like human skin to cover Ludwig''s undead nature. His whole body seemed to surge with new energy as Ludwig contended against the Rat''s strength.


    With more than thirty levels of difference, Ludwig was in a clear disadvantaged situation, but for some reason, a smile couldn''t leave his face.


    After all, he, insanely and inexplicably so, was actually having fun in this fight.


    Ludwig pulled and the Rat Pulled, and suddenly, Ludwig called, "Galvanize!"


    A blue aura of mana covered his body further enhancing his physical might.


    "Vengeance!" since he was already wounded Vengeance activated immediately, coating his body with a red aura. The mix of blue and red turned a deep purple as Ludwig''s body became like that of a raging beast.


    Only then did Ludwig find the strength to overcome and overpower the Rat Lord.


    Ludwig''s inflated muscles strenuously tightened as they wrenched the Rat Lord from his position, the creature this time, he decided not to give up his weapon as it flew toward Ludwig, his other hand aiming to gouge Ludwig''s heart out as it extended its claws forward.


    While the rat lord was Mid-flight, Ludwig changed his stance, striking hard on the ground with his leg, grounding himself steady, twisted his body from the hip, across the spine and into the shoulders, his arm extended forward with explosive fury as three balls of light manifested right in front of his fist. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "EAT DIRT!" Ludwig howled as he struck the fist right into the rat lord''s face.


    The three balls of light were three [Explosive Mines] that Ludwig summoned, and the moment the two traded blows, Ludwig''s fist which landed squarely against the Rat Lord''s face, while the Rat Lord''s claws dove deep into Ludwig''s undead body. The two of them were forcefully separated as the Explosive Mines suddenly detonated.


    [-16,881]


    [-2,233]


    You have received 3,600 damage!


    [As an Undead, you are immune to [Bleed] ]


    Ludwig fell on his back, his mana levels and health levels almost fully drained.


    While the gray Rat Lord was in an even worse condition, its face which was already ugly, turned worse as the flames from explosive mines singed its hair and broke its nose, blood dripped profusely from its nostrils, and some of its chest armor was in tatters.


    The two groggily stood up, Ludwig tapped on his side, touching the lantern, and immediately pulled out a Potion vial, it was the Bastos wine potion, though it wouldn''t heal him immediately, it would increase his regeneration so he could keep fighting.


    The chain on Ludwig''s arm unlocked itself from the weapon as he called it back to him.


    The Rat Lord stood up, pressed its hand against its nose, and with a snap, fixed it back in place. Ludwig''s zombies were about to rush it, but suddenly, the rat disappeared from sight.


    More like he moved so fast Ludwig could only see the afterimage of the creature as the rat lord''s leg shot right against Ludwig''s side, sending him flying and landing right against a nearby wall, the wall itself cratered from impact as Ludwig felt his health drop to the red.


    {You''re in Critical Condition!}


    Ludwig cursed, he wanted to save his health potions as much as he could and use the regeneration from the Bastos Wine to fight, but the Rat Lord wasn''t allowing him that.


    He immediately pulled one of his last couple of health potions and chugged it down, recovering half of his health pool.


    "It''s getting faster¡­" Thomas said.


    "And stronger," Ludwig added, it was the effect of [Rampage] it gave the Rat Lord increased deadliness on the expense of its defenses. But who cares for defense if you can overpower your opponent, a strong offense is the best defense.


    Ludwig realized he was in a pinch, the fight was still young, and the Rat Lord barely lost a third of its health, but it was already fast enough that Ludwig was having trouble keeping up, and this would only get worse the lower the Rat Lord''s health becomes.


    "Charge him!" Ludwig ordered as the rats jumped into the fray. His only hope was the rats themselves, if they kept the Rat Lord occupied enough and hampered his movement he could probably beat it, if not then Ludwig''s first Death in the Bastos Manor was nothing but guaranteed.

 Chapter 241 - 241: Despair

    The zombie rats swarmed the Rat Lord in a frenzied assault, their rotting claws tearing at matted fur while yellowed fangs sought purchase in tough hide. But their numbers were dwindling alarmingly fast - from eighteen to sixteen, then twelve- each fallen comrade making the remaining undead seem more like gnats buzzing around a bear than legitimate threats. The massive creature barely flinched as their attacks landed, its [Rampage] ability transforming each drop of spilled blood into terrifying momentum. With every wound taken, its movements became more fluid, more precise, the cleaver in its paw blurred through the dank dungeon air with increasing lethality. And that was with only one of them in hand as the other was far away from the rat. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ludwig..." Thomas''s voice crackled with static-like distortion. "You''ll need to conserve your forces before-"


    "I KNOW!" Ludwig roared, the words tearing from his throat raw and desperate. His undead flesh quivered beneath its slimy coating, muscles burning from constant exertion. He ordered the remaining rats into tactical withdrawal with a sharp mental command. It was a dangerous gamble - the boss''s health bar still hovered around two-thirds, and every wound they dealt only allowed its [Rampage] to stack higher. But the alternative - watching his entire undead battalion get carved apart - was unthinkable.


    ''Worst of all, that damn [Call of Kin] ability is still looming like an executioner''s axe I have to play this right.''


    One wrong move and they''d be drowning in a tide of gnashing teeth and claws.


    Ludwig''s mana-starved fingers twitched through arcane sigils, the motions sluggish from stress. "Fire Ball!" The spell erupted from his palm with less force than usual, the projectile striking the Rat Lord''s broad back with a disappointing fizzle. Flames licked impotently at greasy fur before sputtering out, leaving little more than superficial scorch marks.


    "Fucking magic reduction!" Ludwig spat, tasting copper and rot in the back of his throat. He watched with mounting dread as the Rat Lord deliberately maneuvered toward its discarded cleaver, each step calculated like a chess grandmaster positioning their queen. The bastard felt like it was playing him, intentionally stalling and moving to make the best use of his Rampage effect and would decimate them the moment his health dropped to the final third.


    A glance at Ludwig''s status bars showed health regeneration slowly ticking upward- two-thirds restored, but mana hovering dangerously at 200. The Bastos Wine''s effects were the only thing keeping him in this fight, its unnatural regeneration fighting against the constant drain of maintaining his undead minions.


    Timing his move with a precision born of desperation, Ludwig waited until two zombie rats executed a perfectly synchronized hit-and-run - one latching onto the Rat Lord''s arm while the other went for the hamstrings. As the creature momentarily diverted its attention to swatting them away, Ludwig exploded into motion.


    His [Steadfast Leap] carried him through the dank air, sword raised high for a devastating overhead strike. The blade sang as it cut downward, aimed perfectly at the junction between neck and shoulder where armor was thinnest-


    CRACK1!


    Pain exploded through Ludwig''s ribs as the Rat Lord''s prehensile tail struck like a bullwhip, the impact sending him careening into the dungeon wall. Stone cracked beneath the force, dust and debris raining down as his body cratered the ancient masonry.


    [-866!]


    [Wall Combo!]


    [-225!]


    "Guh-ACK!" Ludwig''s scream came out as a wet gurgle, something inside his undead body rupturing from the impact. Through vision blurred with pain, he saw the Rat Lord already airborne, both massive cleavers raised in a killing arc that would bisect him vertically.


    Time seemed to slow. Some distant part of Ludwig''s mind noted how the the light of his lantern glinted off the notched blades, how the creature''s remaining eye burned with primal fury, how its muscles bunched with terrible finality. This was it - the moment where heroes either found their resolve or became stains on the dungeon floor.


    "LIMIT BREAKER!" The words tore from Ludwig''s throat raw and bloody, activating the skill for the second consecutive time His body rebelled violently; muscles swelling beyond natural limits, the slime covering his undead form stretching thin enough to reveal glimpses of rotting tissue beneath. Agony became his entire world, but with it came power - raw, unfiltered, terrifying power.


    The two weapons collided, Ludwig''s Durandal Shard, and the giant man sized cleaver, with his enhanced strength the impact altered the cleaver''s trajectory at the last possible microsecond. Instead of splitting him crown to groin, the blade only grazed his arm, shearing through his robe fabric, slime and desiccated muscle with equal ease.


    [-366]


    The Rat Lord''s momentum carried it forward awkwardly, thrown off-balance by Ludwig''s desperate parry. Seizing the opportunity, Ludwig reversed his grip in mid-stumble, bringing the sword''s pommel crashing down on the back of the creature''s neck with every ounce of his enhanced strength.


    THUD!


    The impact resonated through the dungeon like a funeral bell.


    [You have stunned the Rat Lord for 2 seconds]


    Two seconds. One thousand one. One thousand two. That''s all he had.


    Ludwig''s chain lashed out like a living thing, coiling around the Rat Lord''s thick neck with serpentine precision. The metal links bit deep, drawing rivulets of black blood as they constricted. Each end of the chain was held tightly in each of Ludwig''s hands.


    "SUMMERSLAM!" The words came out half-scream, half-prayer as Ludwig executed a perfect forward flip, landing right behind the Rat Lord''s back, with them standing back to back. Using his entire body as leverage to pull the chains taut. The Rat Lord''s beady eye bulged grotesquely, clawed hands flying to its throat in panic, tearing bloody furrows in its own flesh as it fought for air.


    Ludwig could feel the creature''s panicked thrashing through the chains, each jerk and spasm threatening to break his grip. His muscles screamed in protest, the double [Limit Breaker] pushing his undead physiology to absolute breaking point. Just a few more seconds and the beast would lose consciousness...


    Then the impossible happened.


    With a move that defied its massive frame, the Rat Lord dug its hind claws into the stone wall and executed a perfect gymnast''s backflip OVER Ludwig''s head. The sudden motion wrenched Ludwig''s arms nearly from their sockets and tore chunks of neck flesh away, but broke the chokehold.


    Before Ludwig could react, a massive paw filled his vision.


    CRUNCH!


    [-1200!]


    The world became pain and swirling darkness. Ludwig''s body rag-dolled across the dungeon floor, tasting rotten blood and dirt and something suspiciously like teeth.


    [As an Undead you are immune to being concussed]


    He saw the Rat Lord staggering nearby - wounded, bleeding from a dozen wounds, but very much alive. And worst of all, now standing directly over its discarded cleaver.


    "Mother...fucking...son of a..." Ludwig spat out a glob of blackened blood and teeth, dragging himself upright through sheer force of will. Across from him, the Rat Lord hefted its second cleaver with obvious relief, the twin blades crossing before it in a practiced guard position. Its beady eye burned with a newfound respect - and more murderous intent.


    As the creature charged, Ludwig''s battle-honed instincts took over. The Rat Lord had already shown it could dodge direct [Chains of Latvia] casts. This time, he''d need to be smarter.


    "Chains of Latvia!" The incantation left his lips in a hoarse whisper, but instead of manifesting beneath the Rat Lord, Ludwig timed the spell to coincide with its next footfall. Iron links erupted from the stone precisely where the massive paw would land, coiling upward with viperish speed to ensnare legs and torso.


    The Rat Lord''s shriek of outrage shook dust from the ceiling as the chains constricted, but Ludwig could feel his mana reserves hemorrhaging at an alarming rate to maintain the binding. His remaining zombie rats seized the opportunity to swarm the restrained boss, their rotting teeth finding purchase in vulnerable spots between armor plates.


    But it wasn''t enough.


    With a soul-chilling screech that made Ludwig''s ears bleed, the Rat Lord threw back its head and unleashed its [Call of Kin] ability. The very stones of the dungeon trembled in response, a seismic wave of malice radiating outward. From every tunnel, every crevice, every shadowed corner came the skittering of countless clawed feet - hundreds, maybe thousands, all answering their lord''s summons.


    "FUCK!" Ludwig''s curse was swallowed by the approaching tsunami of sound. He could feel the vibrations through the floor, see the torchlight glinting off approaching eyes in the darkness. He couldn''t hold the Rat Lord much longer - his mana reserves were plummeting toward critical levels.


    With his free hand, Ludwig activated [Soul Shackles], sending his secondary chain whipping around the Rat Lord in ever-tightening coils. The enchanted links glowed with eerie blue light as they began draining his precious soul reserves to supplement his dwindling mana.


    "Use two Feeble Souls!" The command left his lips in a gasp, fueling his dwindling energy reserves. The chains flared brighter, their grip tightening, but Ludwig could feel the Rat Lord''s immense strength testing their limits. His arms trembled violently with the effort of maintaining both bindings, muscles threatening to fail completely.


    [Your mana is at critical levels!]


    [You have 20% mana left!]


    The notification burned in Ludwig''s vision like a death sentence. he barely had about 220 mana left, and Below 100 mana, he''d lose control of his undead rats entirely. The dungeon shook with the approaching horde, their chittering cries growing louder by the second. Somewhere beyond the chamber''s entrance, the dim light form his lantern reflected off a sea of gnashing teeth and gleaming eyes.


    Ludwig''s thinking was about to come to a stop as he realized the terrible truth - he was out of time, out of options, and very nearly out of luck. The Rat Lord''s health still sat at a daunting a third of its health, its reinforcements were seconds away, and his body was failing him.


    Things weren''t just getting dicey.


    They were about to get apocalyptic.


    idk guys if i should keep SFX sounds tell me what you guys think, if they''re too jarring I''ll remove them.

 Chapter 242 - 242: Undead Fury

    Ludwig had no choice but to sever the mana flow to [Bounds of Latvia], the chains dissolving into spectral mist. But he was still holding the Rat Lord firm with his Soul Shackles which wrapped rightly around the Rat Lord''s chest.


    But that wasn''t enough, because the moment the Bounds of Latvia were removed, The Rat Lord''s nostrils flared in triumph - it had been waiting for this exact moment. With a thunderous stomp that cracked the dungeon floor, the massive creature jerked backward violently, using its sheer bulk to disrupt Ludwig.


    For one terrifying second, the rat lord was freed from the chains, it then stomped its clawed foot on the trailing end of his [Soul Chain], pinning it to the ground. Before Ludwig could react, the beast wedged a cleaver beneath the links and - with a movement terrifying in its precision - jerked the weapon upward.


    The chain snapped taut, yanking Ludwig off his feet and sending him hurtling through the air directly toward the Rat Lord''s waiting second cleaver. The massive blade gleamed wickedly, raised high in a killing arc that would split Ludwig into two unmatching halves.


    Time seemed to slow. Ludwig could see every nick in the cleaver''s edge, every fleck of rust and dried blood. His mind raced through options, discarding one after another until only a single desperate gambit remained.


    "Explosive Mine!" The words tore from his throat raw and bleeding. A single glowing orb materialized at his left palm - any more would risk losing control of his undead minions. With perfect timing, he detonated it just as the cleaver descended, the concussive blast intercepting the killing blow.


    KA-BOOM!


    The explosion lit up the chamber like lightning, the shockwave sending Ludwig careening sideways while the cleaver was deflected upward with a metallic shriek. But victory came at a cost - Ludwig''s left arm took the brunt of the blast, the rotting flesh sloughing off in ragged strips to reveal blackened and bleached bones beneath.


    [-1,800!]


    He hit the ground hard, rolling several times before coming to rest against a pile of rubble. His robes hung in tattered shreds, barely clinging to his battered frame. The system notifications burned in his vision like brands:


    [Your ribcage is fractured]


    [Your left arm is broken]


    [Mana at 12% - Critical Levels]


    From somewhere beyond the jolts of pain from trying to move his broken bones, Ludwig could hear the skittering horde drawing nearer. His remaining zombie rats were being overwhelmed, their undead screeches drowned out by the tidal wave of living rodents. The Rat Lord itself was recovering from the blast, its beady eye locking onto Ludwig with murderous intent.


    "We''re not dying here," Ludwig thought, the words echoing in his skull. " Not to some overgrown sewer rat."


    Ludwig didn''t have to worry about death, he''ll respawn back at the top of the mansion, but he''ll have to do all of this again. He was not familiar with physical exhaustion, but mental exhaustion was different, he''ll have to grind for months to even be at equal footing with the Rat that''s already two thirds dead.


    ''No, not after having come this far. It bleeds, then it dies!''


    His hand waved calling forth the [Codex Necros]. The grimoire hummed with dark energy as he summoned it forth, its pages fluttering open to reveal the entry he needed.


    "Tibarian Guard!" The incantation left his lips in a hoarse whisper.


    For a heart-stopping moment, nothing happened. Then the air before him shimmered like a heat haze, coalescing into the familiar armored form of the Tibarian Guard. But something was wrong - the spectral warrior flickered like a dying hologram, chunks of its form dissolving into black mist even as it materialized.


    [The Tibarian Guard was absorbed into the Umbra Malvolume Codex Necros via crude means. Its existence is unstable - it will be destroyed after this use.]


    "Fucking perfect!" Ludwig''s scream was equal parts rage and desperation. But even a dying guardian was better than none at all.


    The fractured Guard moved with surprising speed, intercepting the Rat Lord''s cleaver mid-swing. Steel met steel in a shower of sparks, the impact sending tremors through the Guard''s already failing form. Yet it held firm, buying Ludwig precious seconds.


    His mana was trickling back thanks to the Bastos Wine''s effects, but recovery was agonizingly slow. Thirty seconds. He needed just thirty more seconds.


    "Stall them!" Ludwig bellowed to his remaining zombie rats. The undead creatures threw themselves at the approaching horde with mindless abandon, buying time through sheer sacrificial numbers.


    The Rat Lord, sensing the tide turning, suddenly disengaged from the Tibarian Guard. It began backing toward the safety of its approaching minions, its movements calculated - this was a creature that knew the value of tactical retreat.


    And the fucker laughed, it laughed at Ludwig''s despair and doom. The sound of it was anything but human, it was more nerve-racking than the laughter of a hyena.


    "Oh no you don''t!" Ludwig surged forward, his broken arm dangling uselessly as he lashed out with his chain. The Rat Lord batted it aside effortlessly, then did something unexpected - it spread its arms wide and began to spin.


    What followed wasn''t just an attack - it was a whirlwind of death. The Rat Lord became a living blender, its twin cleavers extending its reach into a ten-foot radius of certain doom. [The Mortal Nullification Tempest] wasn''t just spinning - it was a perfectly controlled martial technique, each rotation building momentum with terrifying efficiency.


    Ludwig backpedaled desperately, only to feel cold stone against his back. He was trapped, cornered against the dungeon wall with no room to dodge. The spinning death machine advanced relentlessly, close enough now that he could feel the wind from the whirling blades against his face.


    Then - impossibly - the Tibarian Guard stepped between them.


    What happened next defied belief. The spectral warrior''s blade became a blur, intercepting each cleaver strike with pinpoint precision. Sparks flew like fireworks as steel met steel a dozen times per second, the Guard''s form flickering violently with each parry. It was a masterclass in defensive swordsmanship, but Ludwig could see the toll it was taking - chunks of the Guard''s armor were flaking away like dried paint.


    The Rat Lord was about to win, the moment it would break through the Tibarian Guard, Ludwig was about to become bone paste. And it laughed some more, sure of its victory, guaranteed of its win.


    Ludwig''s eyes darted frantically, searching for any advantage. Then he saw it - a protruding stone ledge about fifteen feet up the wall. A plan formed in his mind, as if a devil had incarnated into Ludwig''s mouth, its undead flesh contorted into a wide skin breaking grin.


    In one fluid motion, he:


    Flicked his sword into scythe form


    Slammed the chain''s end against the weapon''s pommel


    Hurled it upward with all his remaining strength


    The scythe embedded itself in the ledge with a satisfying "thunk". A sharp yank later, Ludwig was airborne, hurtling over the spinning Rat Lord like some macabre pendulum. As he reached the apex of his swing, the scythe dislodged itself, returning to his grip even as he twisted mid-air to face downward.


    "WEIGHT OF THE WORLD! SUMMERSAULT SLAM!" The war cry echoed through the chamber as Ludwig activated both skills simultaneously. His weapon shined in an unholy light as the combined weight of half a ton concentrated behind his downward strike came down like the reckoning.


    The impact was catastrophic.


    [Disruption! + Stun]


    [-16,500 HP!]


    The Rat Lord''s rusted helmet exploded into shrapnel as Ludwig''s blow connected with its skull. The creature''s massive form cratered the stone floor, its body actually bouncing from the sheer force before settling back down. Both cleavers flew from nerveless fingers, clattering across the chamber.


    Ludwig collapsed atop the stunned beast, every bone in his body screaming in protest. The Tibarian Guard - now little more than a translucent outline - nonetheless drove its fading sword through the Rat Lord''s back, pinning it to the ground like a specimen.


    Through blurred vision, Ludwig saw the approaching horde had overrun his last zombie rats. They were seconds away - a living tsunami of gnashing teeth and claws.


    With the last of his strength, Ludwig raised his weapon in both hands, the blade trembling from exhaustion and pain. The Rat Lord was stirring beneath him, its beady eyes regaining focus.


    The rat lord''s face was no longer laughing, it was in pain, fear and despair as the Undead above it seemed to want nothing more than its life, it tried to scrape away and escape but the Tibarian Guard''s sword was pinning it down.


    Doom, death and despair were now placed perfectly on the face of the Rat Lord, for it knew, after today it''ll be no more.


    "YOU LAUGHED?! NOW TELL ME! HOW DOES IT FEEL?!" He hollered.


    "THAT FLEETING HOPE OF YOURS?!"


    The words tore from Ludwig''s throat in a primal scream as he brought the weapon down with every ounce of his remaining strength.


    The blade found its mark - slipping between armor plates, through matted fur and tough hide, past shattered ribs, and directly into the Rat Lord''s black heart.


    A shockwave of dark energy erupted from the killing blow, momentarily freezing the approaching horde in their tracks. The Rat Lord''s body convulsed violently, then went still. Its remaining eye glazed over as a final, rattling breath escaped its lungs.


    The Creature moved no more, it fought no more and it was nothing but a corpse now.


    Several notifications popped up in front of Ludwig, but instead of looking through them, he ripped his weapon out of the Rat Lord''s body, warm disgusting blood spraying like a fountain from its chest, enough blood that it coated Ludwig''s body and face. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His terrifying grin seemed to convoy meaning to the incoming enemies.


    With their master dead, and though this undead was completely exhausted, drained and barely able to stand, it gave off an aura of death and despair that they instinctively knew that they should never, ever challenge.


    The smartest one of them, or maybe the most cowardly immediately turned tail and ran away, starting a chain reaction where the many, oh so many rats turned to follow it, escaping in a sea of screeches and screams that would be described by nothing but utter, complete and mortifying terror.

 Chapter 243 - 243: Loot

    Ludwig''s body collapsed like a marionette with its strings cut, his broken bones audibly snapping back into place with sickening cracks as the Bastos Wine''s regenerative properties worked their magic. Though he didn''t need to breathe, his chest heaved in ragged, instinctive gasps as adrenaline and dark energy coursed through his undead form. After a moment of stunned silence, laughter bubbled up from his chest - deep, guttural chuckles that grew into full-bodied guffaws echoing through the ruined dungeon.


    "I really thought I was a goner there," Ludwig finally managed between wheezing laughs, wiping blackened slime and blood from his face with the tattered remains of his sleeve.


    Next to him, Thomas''s spectral form flickered violently between transparency and visibility. "I need a change of pants..." the spirit muttered, his normally composed voice shaking slightly.


    Ludwig barked another laugh, the sound bordering on hysterical. "That makes two of us, my guy." He gestured weakly at the scattered remains of his robes. "Though I think I need an entire new wardrobe at this point."


    The laughter tapered off as Ludwig took stock of their surroundings. The dungeon had fallen eerily silent after the rat horde''s retreat, the only sounds being the occasional drip of water and the creaking of ancient stone. He leaned heavily against the blood-slicked wall, his body still thrumming with residual battle fury.


    "I didn''t think they''d actually back away," Ludwig admitted, flexing his newly healed fingers. "I was fully prepared to dive into the lantern''s storage dimension if things got worse."


    Thomas floated closer, his glowing form casting eerie shadows across Ludwig''s ravaged body. "I mean, why wouldn''t they retreat? Just look at you."


    Ludwig glanced down at himself and snorted. "That''s a bit difficult without a mirror." His remaining clothing hung in tattered shreds, barely covering the horrific damage beneath. The slime that normally concealed his undead nature had been torn away in patches, revealing glimpses of rotting muscle and bone. His entire form was drenched in a mixture of his own black ichor and the Rat Lord''s crimson blood, creating a macabre abstract painting of the battle.


    "But I get your point," he continued, poking at a particularly gruesome wound that was slowly knitting itself back together. "No sane creature would want to tangle with something that looks like it crawled out of a slaughterhouse and kept fighting."


    With a weary gesture, Ludwig summoned his notification screens, the glowing text hovering in the dank air before him. The first set made him grimace:


    [The Tibarian Guard''s existence is no longer stable. The Codex Necros has rejected its soul back to the River of Souls]


    [You now have two empty Codex pages]


    ''Well, that''s unfortunate,'' Ludwig thought, running a hand through his matted hair. The Tibarian Guard had been a powerful ally, even in its diminished state. ''But two empty pages mean room for new entries... so all is well, I hope.''


    The next set of notifications brought a tired smile to his face:


    [You have slain the Boss of the Gray Rat dungeon]


    [You have obtained {Brave Soul} x2]


    [You have obtained Rat Lord''s Belt]


    [You have obtained Rat Lord''s Amulet]


    [You have obtained Defiled Core Fragment]


    "That''s some good loot," Thomas remarked, peering at the glowing text.


    Ludwig nodded, summoning the items to his hands with a thought. The belt and amulet were serviceable - the belt reinforced with hard leather and metal , the amulet carved from what looked like a fang and a small rat skull - but it was the final item that caught his attention. A jagged crimson shard, no larger than his thumb, pulsed faintly in his palm as if containing a heartbeat.


    [Defiled Core Fragment]


    Type: Magic Item


    A fragment of a magic core that was used to propagate mana and spread it evenly in a large territory. The Magic Core itself would act as a booster for all those under its effect, allowing them to grow stronger as long as they''re near the core.


    Currently, the core is fragmented and shattered, and a foreign magic has been introduced that altered its primary function. A touch of Dark Magic can be felt from the Fragmented Core.


    Before Ludwig could ponder this further, another notification flashed urgently: S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Quest Update!]


    The Bastos March was affected by what looked like Dark Magic.


    The Fragmented Core seems to have been introduced to the already fallen territory later than the day it had succumbed at the hands of the Treacherous Fanged Apostle.


    Investigate the surrounding area of the Bastos Manor for more clues.


    "Wait, could the Treacherous Fanged Apostle be..." Thomas began, his voice trailing off ominously.


    Ludwig''s eyes narrowed. "Yes, it''s probably the werewolf. No wonder I was feeling that things were off about this place..."


    Thomas floated closer. "What do you mean?"


    "Think about it," Ludwig said, shifting to a more comfortable position against the wall. "Even if Dante Bastos had fallen, even if the whole family was wiped out, wouldn''t it be strange for the entire territory to remain like this? Normally another feudal lord would have inherited the land - a distant relative, an uncle, hell, even Van Dijk himself, since he survived. But nothing like that happened."


    "The description mentioned Dark Magic use..." Thomas pointed out.


    Ludwig nodded slowly. "I understand what you''re suggesting, but even if the Holy Order intervened, they should have cleansed this place. Instead, it''s been left empty, void of all life. It''s like everyone is actively avoiding this territory."


    A thoughtful silence fell between them before Thomas asked, "Do you think you''ll get answers if you bring back one of the Bastos family members through necromancy?"


    Ludwig''s face darkened. "Good question, but I wouldn''t dare." He gestured toward the dungeon''s entrance. "Those are probably Master Van Dijk''s family remains out there. And honestly? The pile of bones at the manor''s entrance is far smaller than what was described in his journal. Maybe his real family members were moved or buried somewhere else," He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Van Dijk set up a teleportation circle here - he must have visited multiple times. If he wanted to resurrect them, he would have done so himself. Besides, I don''t have the power or skill to perfectly resurrect something that could speak coherently."


    "What about that Knight King?" Thomas pressed. "He can speak."


    Before Ludwig could respond, a familiar deep voice echoed through the chamber. "That''s not my power."


    Both Ludwig and Thomas turned to see the spectral form of the Knight King manifest beside Thomas''s glowing spirit. The armored figure had shrunk to match Thomas''s size, standing no taller than a handspan.


    Ludwig blinked in surprise. "You can turn into chibi form?"


    "Chibi? What is that?" the Knight King asked, his voice still carrying its usual gravitas despite the diminutive size.


    "Never mind," Ludwig waved a hand dismissively. "You said it wasn''t your power that lets you speak?"


    The tiny armored figure crossed its arms. "It''s the Codex. That book strengthens the connection between the souls within it and Necros''s domain. My physical remains being present further stabilizes the link."


    Ludwig hummed thoughtfully, filing away this information. He still didn''t fully trust the Knight King, but knowledge was valuable regardless of its source. As he opened his mouth to respond, a new sound echoed through the dungeon - the distant skittering of claws on stone.

 Chapter 244 - 244: A New Teacher?

    Ludwig''s fingers twitched over the fallen Rat Lord''s remains, the adrenaline still coursing through his undead veins making his movements slightly jerky. "Still," he said slowly, turning the core fragment over in his palm, "it doesn''t sit right with me to revive them. At my current level, I''d probably only manage skeletal forms - mindless husks without memories or speech." He gestured vaguely toward the dungeon''s upper levels, where the family''s remains lay. "Otherwise, I would have started with this guy''s corpse first." His finger pointed accusingly at the miniature Knight King.


    The spectral warrior''s armor clanked as he drew himself up to his full (if diminutive) height. "Don''t you dare!" The words rang with such regal outrage that they seemed too large for his tiny form.


    Ludwig rolled his eyes, the motion making dried blood crackle on his forehead. "It''s not like you have a choice in the matter." He paused, then added with deliberate provocation, "Not to mention, you didn''t even give me many souls for your trouble."


    Thomas floated closer, his glow pulsing with curiosity. "What do you mean?"


    With a theatrical flourish, Ludwig summoned two glowing orbs from his inventory. They pulsed with a deep blue light, far brighter than the feeble souls they''d collected from normal rats. "Look at this - the Rat Lord gave me two Brave Souls." He glanced pointedly at the Knight King. "You only gave one. And the Rat Lord was only level 85... I guess that makes him stronger than the so-called Knight King."


    "PREPOSTEROUS!" The bellow shook dust from the ceiling, the Knight King''s tiny form swelling with outrage until his spectral armor threatened to burst. "You compare me to a filthy rodent?!"


    Ludwig examined his broken nails with feigned nonchalance. "I''m not comparing. I''m stating facts. He gave more, which makes you objectively weaker." He couldn''t resist adding, "At least as far as soul value goes."


    The shadows obscuring the Knight King''s face darkened to an almost comical degree, his form vibrating with barely contained fury. "That''s rich coming from someone who wields the Tyrant Blade like a peasant swinging a rake!"


    Ludwig shrugged, the motion sending flakes of dried blood drifting to the floor. "I''m using what I know from the Tyrant Blade''s Technique book. You''re the original practitioner, aren''t you?" He paused for effect. "Though for a style supposedly designed to slay beasts, it''s... underwhelming."


    "BLASPHEMY!" The Knight King''s tiny gauntlets clenched so hard that spectral sparks flew. "The fault lies with the wielder, not the art!"


    Another shrug, deliberately casual. "Say what you want. At this point, I might as well go back to the Imperial Style. At least that¡ª"


    "FINE! FINE!" The Knight King''s outburst sent Thomas floating backward in surprise. The tiny warrior drew himself up, his chest plate puffing out. "I shall deign to instruct you in the proper use of the Tyrant Blade! Then you''ll witness its true glory!"


    Ludwig couldn''t help but hide his smile. After all, the Royals'' pride is their biggest weakness.


    A golden notification shimmered into existence before Ludwig:


    [The Knight King of Tibari, First Tyrant, has agreed to instruct you in the True Path of the Tyrant Blade]


    [When using Trace, you will now perceive the perfected flow of Tyrant Blade techniques]


    [Under the Knight King''s tutelage, Tyrant Blade proficiency increases 200% faster with 50% reduced effort]


    The Knight King blinked at his own translucent hands. "Huh? I can... do that?" A small status screen in front of him materialized, making his helmet tilt in confusion.


    Ludwig leaned forward. "What''s it say?"


    "None of your concern, upstart!" the Knight King snapped, though his voice lacked its usual venom.


    Thomas, who had floated behind the armored spirit, read over his shoulder. "It says Deus Necros will repair his soul corruption if he teaches you properly."


    "YOU INSOLENT SPECTER!" The Knight King whirled on Thomas, his tiny sword drawn. "Those were private divine communications!"


    "My apologies," Thomas weakly held his hands up, though his smile betrayed his words.


    Ludwig couldn''t suppress a grin. "Well then, looks like we have a deal!" He turned his attention back to the loot, running a finger along the Rat Lord''s belt. The leather was strangely supple despite its age, with an almost metallic texture. "But first, let''s see what our furry friend left us..."


    The belt was wider than normal, its surface etched with crude but effective runes. Several small pouches lined its length, capable of holding vials and potions of all kinds. As Ludwig lifted it, the leather seemed to ripple unnaturally, as if remembering its original owner''s movements.


    ***


    [Rat Lord''s Black-Belt] ¨C [Set Item]


    Type: Heavy Belt


    Condition: Soul Level 60


    +150 Strength


    +100 Agility


    0 or less Intelligence [Ineffective Stat] -(The User does not have Intelligence stat- this Condition can be ignored)


    Bonus Attributes:


    +20 Strength


    +20 Vitality


    +20 Agility


    -10 Intelligence [Ineffective Stat](The User does not have Intelligence stat- this Condition can be ignored)


    [Passive Skill:] [Rampage] [Conditions Unmet] Requires 2/3 Rat Lord set pieces


    Lore: Forged from the hide of the first werewolf the Rat Lord slew, this belt channels the beast''s primal fury. Each wearer grows stronger as their wounds accumulate - but beware, for the line between hunter and hunted grows thin indeed.


    ***


    "Damn," Ludwig whistled, running his thumb over a particularly nasty-looking clasp fashioned from what appeared to be a knucklebone. "This is serious gear. The stat boost alone..."


    Thomas drifted closer, his glow reflecting off the belt''s surface. "Check the other one. If they''re a set..."


    Ludwig was already holding up the amulet. The central piece was a small rodent skull, flanked by two massive fangs that curved like scimitars. The entire piece thrummed with latent energy, making Ludwig''s fingers tingle uncomfortably.


    [Rat Lord''s Amulet] [Set Item]


    Type: Magic Amulet


    Condition: Soul Level 60


    Bonus Attributes:


    +300 Mana


    +50 Vigor


    +20% Mana Regeneration


    [Warding Distortion]:


    -10% melee damage taken within 3 meters


    -10% magic damage taken beyond 3 meters


    Lore: Crafted from the skull of the White Macabre Mouse and fangs of a Great Dire Wolf, this amulet warps space around its wearer. Attacks seem to slip aside, as if the very air conspires to protect its master.


    ***


    Thomas''s glow flickered in what Ludwig had learned was the equivalent of raised eyebrows. "These aren''t just powerful... they''re bespoke. The Rat Lord must have made them himself." Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ludwig turned the amulet over, noting the intricate carvings on the reverse side - crude but unmistakably deliberate enchantment work. "A self-taught enchanter were-rat. Now I''ve seen everything." His shoulders slumped slightly. "Too bad I can''t use them yet."


    His gaze drifted to the two Brave Souls pulsing in his inventory. They glowed with an almost hungry light, as if sensing his attention. The solution was obvious, but...


    "You''re gonna use those things to level up, I presume," Thomas asked, following his line of thought.


    Ludwig chewed his lip. "They''d probably push me over level 60. But Brave Souls are rare..." He glanced at the Knight King, who was pointedly examining the dungeon wall. "Though apparently not as rare as Royal ones."


    The Knight King''s armor rattled with indignant fury, but for once, he held his tongue. The promise of soul restoration apparently outweighed his pride - for now.

 Chapter 245 - 245: Upgrades!

    [Read Author''s notes at the end pls]


    The dim torchlight flickered across Ludwig''s ravaged form as he sat cross-legged on the cold dungeon floor. His fingers hovered over his status screen, the blue holographic display casting eerie shadows across his partially-repaired undead features. Every muscle in his body ached from the recent battle, the Bastos Wine''s regenerative properties still knitting together the worst of his wounds.


    ***


    [Status Screen: Ludwig Heart]


    Race: Undead


    Soul Level: 48


    Health: 8500/8500


    Stamina: Infinite


    Mana: 1030/1030


    Attributes:


    Wisdom: 108


    Charisma: 100


    Agility: 100


    Strength: 100


    Dexterity: 100


    Vigor: 50


    Luck: 15


    Class: Battle Mage


    Title: Apostle of Death


    [Achievement: Unyielding]: Increased mental resistance when at low health. Gains proportional physical/mental boosts up to 10% based on damage taken.


    Abilities : [Trace] [Counter Blow]


    Spells:


    Physical:


    [Tyrant Blade Technique]


    ?[Summersault Slam]


    ?[Steadfast Leap]


    ?[Rampaging Tempo]


    ?[Limit Breaker]


    [Imperial Style]


    Magic:


    [Explosive Mines] [Frenzied Spirits] [Exhaust] [Enfeeble] [Taint] [Rise Undead 2] [Vengeance] [Galvanize] [Self Immolation] [Vow of Silence]


    Passives:


    ?[Basic Swordsmanship]


    ?[Undead Resolve]


    ?[Blessed Body]


    Ludwig exhaled a breath he didn''t need, watching as the faint glow of the two Brave Souls pulsed in his palm like twin crimson hearts. "Alright then," he murmured, "let''s see what twenty thousand souls can do."


    He crushed the orbs in his fist, feeling their essence flood through his undead veins like liquid fire. The sensation was both exhilarating and painful - like drinking molten metal that somehow nourished rather than destroyed.


    [+20,000 Souls]


    "First things first," Ludwig said through gritted teeth as the energy coursed through him. "Let''s shore up my durability. Fifty points into Vigor."


    The souls burned away in a brilliant cascade as his body underwent its metamorphosis. His ribcage expanded slightly, the lingering fractures from the Rat Lord''s blows knitting together with audible cracks. The slime covering his form thickened, becoming more viscous and resilient.


    [-2,500 Souls]


    [Vigor increased to 100]


    [Health Regeneration increased to 1.5% per second]


    [+500 HP (Level Bonus)]


    [+5,000 HP (Vigor Bonus)]


    Thomas whistled appreciatively as he floated around Ludwig''s changing form. "That''s a significant boost. You''re practically a walking fortress now."


    Ludwig flexed his newly reinforced arms, watching as the necrotic flesh rippled with latent power. "Not enough. Not yet." His fingers danced through the status screen. "Fifty points each into Strength, Dexterity, and Agility."


    The transformation this time was more violent. Tendons and muscles visibly writhed beneath his undead skin, the necrotic fibers dissolving and reforming stronger than before. His joints popped as they became more fluid, his reflexes sharpening to near-precognitive levels.


    [-2,750 Souls (+50 Strength)]


    [-3,000 Souls (+50 Dexterity)]


    [-3,300 Souls (+50 Agility)]


    [Strength 150: Muscular power enhanced. Weapon damage increased by 1.5%]


    [Dexterity 150: Reaction time improved. +0.5% evasion chance]


    [Agility 150: Movement speed and flexibility enhanced. Attack/casting speed +7.5%]


    [+1,500 HP (Level Up health Bonus)]


    Thomas floated closer, his glow pulsing with curiosity. "Your body... it''s changing beyond just the numbers. Look at your exposed arm."


    Ludwig turned his left arm, where the slime coating had been torn away during the battle. Where once there had been only rotting flesh and exposed bone, now rotten but slightly healthy-looking muscle and skin had begun to regrow. The transformation wasn''t complete - patches of decay still marred the surface - but the improvement was undeniable.


    "You''re... healing?" Thomas sounded genuinely astonished.


    The Knight King scoffed from his corner. "Don''t be absurd. His corpse is merely adapting to contain the power flowing through it. A wineskin expanding to hold more wine, nothing more."


    "I mean, even his cheek flesh is recovering..." Thomas said.


    Ludwig experimentally prodded his cheek, where Thomas had mentioned a gaping wound had closed. "The Knight''s right, in his usual charming way. This isn''t true healing - just my undead form optimizing itself." He tilted his head. "Though I''ll admit, having lips again will make drinking those potions easier."


    Thomas''s glow flickered in amusement. "Your eyes have changed too. They were milky before, but now they''re... well, they''re actually quite striking. An intense blue."


    Ludwig blinked, momentarily thrown. "Blue? My eyes were brown when I was alive." He shook his head. "Probably just another undead mutation. Now, about these remaining souls..."


    He had nearly 8,500 left - a considerable sum. As he pondered his options, the Knight King unexpectedly spoke up. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Invest in Wisdom and Charisma."


    Both Ludwig and Thomas turned to the tiny armored figure in surprise.


    The Knight King crossed his arms. "Don''t look at me like that. Even a master swordsman needs to understand his tools. Your necromancy is crude, but potentially useful. Strengthening it would be... pragmatic."


    Ludwig raised an eyebrow. "That''s unexpectedly reasonable coming from you. What''s the catch?"


    "No catch," the Knight King grumbled. "But understand this - the Tyrant Blade is a weapon of precision, not brute force. Piling more strength onto your current clumsy form would be like giving a child a zweihander. Pointless and dangerous. You already have all the power you need to use the base forms of The Tyrant Blade; getting stronger will yield no immediate results."


    Thomas nodded in agreement. "He''s right, you know. Your undead minions saved your life back there. Strengthening that aspect makes tactical sense."


    Ludwig considered their words, then made his decision. "Fifty points each into Wisdom and Charisma then."


    The changes this time were more subtle but no less profound. His mind expanded, spells and formulas clicking into place with newfound clarity. The oppressive weight of controlling multiple undead lessened noticeably, as if some invisible threshold had been crossed.


    [-3,500 Souls (Wisdom)]


    [-3,750 Souls (Charisma)]


    [Wisdom 150: Mana regeneration increased to 1.5%. Spell potency slightly increased, and your understanding of magic also increased somewhat.]


    [Charisma 150: Undead control capacity increased to 30 low-tier minions]


    [+1,000 HP (Attribute Bonus)]


    [Social perception altered: +15% favorable reactions when undead nature concealed]


    Thomas floated back, his glow pulsing with approval. "You look... different. More substantial somehow. But..."


    Ludwig examined his hands - the skin, while still pale, now had a healthier pallor. The worst of the rot had receded, but there were still some gaping openings along his chest and neck, and some patches of gray here and there, though his skin was still paler than a ghost. "Without the slime covering me and the lantern, I''ll still fail to be perceived as a human, so this isn''t much," Ludwig shrugged.


    With about 4,000 souls remaining, Ludwig hesitated. "Should I invest these too?"


    Thomas shook his head. "Keep them in reserve. You never know when you''ll need a quick boost in the field."


    ''He''s not wrong,'' Ludwig thought. One can never know when they''ll need a small boost. Though he would risk losing half of his souls on death, they could still come in handy in emergencies.


    Standing up, Ludwig felt the difference immediately. His body moved with fluid grace he hadn''t possessed even in life, each motion precise and effortless. The Rat Lord''s gear awaited him.


    Though the belt itself was three times the waist size of Ludwig, it instantly shrank in size to accommodate Ludwig''s size. Not only that, it also changed shape, probably the effect of the lantern, as it became a leather belt with a metallic rat skull at the center. The rat skull was a bit creepy in shape, but at the same time looked quite intricate and unique.


    Ludwig then wore the pendant, and same there, the barbaric shaped pendant changed form to fit Ludwig, and became a metallic circle with a small rat skull with wide fangs on it.


    [Equipped: Rat Lord''s Black-Belt (Set Item)]


    [Equipped: Rat Lord''s Amulet (Set Item)]


    [Missing Set Item, Black Rat Lord''s Skull Crushing Cleavers]


    [Partial Set Bonus: Partial Rampage Activated 0.5% increased attack speed and physical damage per 1% missing HP Rationality loss (Nullified by Undead nature)]


    Ludwig chuckled darkly as he read the description. "Well, now, this is interesting. The Rat Lord lost defense as his health dropped because of Rampage, but this version just makes me stronger. Although it''s half the effect," He turned to Thomas. "And since undead don''t lose rationality.."


    Thomas finished the thought. "There''s no downside for you. That''s... actually terrifying."


    The Knight King studied the amulet with grudging respect. "The rodent had some skill in enchantment, I''ll give it that. There are no common magical trinkets."


    Ludwig turned his attention to the Rat Lord''s massive corpse. "Speaking of which..." He summoned the Codex Necros, which floated eagerly toward the remains. The second page - still bearing faint traces of the Tibarian Guard''s essence - fluttered open hungrily.


    As the Codex absorbed the Rat Lord''s body and weapons, the pages shimmered with new inscriptions. The massive cleavers shrank to fit the dimensions of the book, their crude power now bound to Ludwig''s will alongside the owner, the Rat Lord itself as it was depicted inside the page instead of the lost Tibarian Guard.


    [Codex Necros Updated]


    [New Entry: Gray Rat Lord]


    [Remaining Pages: 2]


    Thomas watched the process with fascination. "Why not revive it now? A boss-level undead would be incredibly useful."


    Ludwig shook his head, closing the Codex with a snap. "Not yet. With my current skill, I''d only get a mindless zombie. That thing was dangerous because of its intelligence and combat skills." He patted the Codex. "Better to wait until I can do it properly."


    With his upgrades complete and new gear equipped, Ludwig surveyed the dungeon one last time. The distant skittering of remaining rats echoed through the tunnels, but none dared approach after their lord''s demise.


    "Time to go," Ludwig said, rolling his newly strengthened shoulders. "That quest update mentioned investigating the manor''s surroundings."


    Thomas floated alongside as Ludwig began ascending toward the surface. "Any idea what we''re looking for?"


    Ludwig''s enhanced eyes gleamed in the torchlight as he smiled. "Trouble, probably. But this time, we should be ready for it."


    The Knight King''s spectral form shimmered with something almost like approval as he followed behind.


    [Read Author''s notes at the end pls]

 Chapter 246 - 246: Beasts Around the Manor

    The crescent moon hung heavy over Bastos Manor, Ludwig stood before the boarded-up exit, the ancient wood groaning in the night wind. His enhanced undead vision cut through the darkness easily, revealing every splintered plank and rusted nail holding the manor''s door together.


    Thomas''s spectral form flickered into existence beside him. "I don''t think this would be a wise idea," he warned, his voice echoing strangely in the still night air.


    Ludwig flexed his fingers, the newly reinforced bones creaking slightly. "Why so?" His breath formed no fog in the cold air - one of the few reminders that his body no longer functioned as a living man''s.


    "Don''t you need this place as a safe spot?" Thomas drifted closer to the decaying wood. "If you tear open the door and monsters come in..." His glow pulsed with unease as distant screeches echoed from somewhere in the March.


    Ludwig hesitated, his glowing blue eyes scanning upward along the manor''s ivy-choked stone facade. The red moonlight reflected off patches of slime still clinging to his exposed forearms where the Rat Lord''s claws had torn through his robes. "You''re right," he conceded after a moment. "But there''s another way."


    With practiced ease, he detached his scythe and clamped its base to the chain coiled around his forearm. The metal links gleamed dully in the crimson light as he activated [Sentient Snake]. The blade shot upward with a metallic hiss, its curved edge biting deep into the wooden windowsill fifteen feet above with a solid thunk that sent a shower of rotted wood fragments drifting down like morbid snow.


    Ludwig tugged twice on the chain - once to test its hold, then again to begin his ascent. The links whirred as they reeled him upward, his boots scraping against the manor''s weathered stone.


    When he reached the window, he braced one foot against the wall and tore at the planks with his free hand. The ancient wood gave way easily, splintering in his enhanced grip. He made just enough space to squeeze through, careful not to leave an opening large enough for anything substantial to follow.


    The drop to the ground outside was short, but Ludwig landed with catlike grace, his enhanced muscles absorbing the impact effortlessly. The familiar scent of dust, dirt and decay filled his nostrils - oddly comforting after the fetid air of the dungeon.


    [Death Point Updated]


    [Bastos Manor''s Front Yard]


    The notification hung in the air for a moment before another appeared, the red text pulsing ominously:


    [You''re in a hostile environment]


    Ludwig''s undead senses prickled before as he looked around. Something was wrong. The usual quiet of the abandoned manor had been replaced by a subtle, skittering rustle in the yard, low hanging trees, and bushes as tall as a man; they all seemed almost alive. His grip tightened on his weapon as he stared at the garden. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then he saw them.


    At first, just two pinpricks of crimson light between the leaves. Then two more. And two more. Until the entire garden seemed alive with them - dozens of pairs of glowing red eyes, all fixed hungrily on his position. The moonlight caught glimpses of leathery wings and twitching claws as the creatures moved closer.


    Ludwig didn''t need to get closer to know what awaited him. He inspected the nearest creature.


    [Inspect]


    ***


    [Mutated Werebat]


    Level 60


    HP: 60,000


    Damage: 1200-1300


    Tier: Uncommon


    Status effects: [Mutation] [Rageful] [Red Moon Curse]


    Skills:


    [Blood Leech]: If they lock their jaws onto their prey, they''ll absorb 2% of the prey''s HP into their own.


    [Eviscerating Claws]: The Werebat''s claws cause evisceration and laceration. Blood from these wounds cannot be stopped by normal means.


    [Soundless Destruction]: The Werebat can release a powerful yet silent soundwave that inflicts [Nausea], [Shock], and [Stun].


    Lore:


    A mutated bat cursed by a mysterious dark power, twisted into a grotesque fusion of man and beast. These creatures emerged when the Red Moon first appeared in the Bastos March. They crave the blood of the living, and though not the strongest predators in the region, they are the most numerous.


    ***


    The nearest Werebat pressed forward its grotesque features now fully visible in the moonlight. Its face was a nightmare fusion of rodent and swine - a rat-like snout ending in a pig''s upturned nostrils, all centered around a circular, lamprey-like mouth lined with concentric rings of needle teeth. The eyes were worst of all: perfectly spherical red orbs that reflected the moonlight with unnatural intensity, seeming to stare directly into Ludwig''s soul.


    Its body was awkward on land, the leathery wings stretching from elongated fingers down to its ankles making it look like a flightless abomination. It moved on all fours, the size of a large dog, its claws clicking against the stone path as it shuffled closer.


    And there were many of them. Too many. The entire garden writhed with their movements, their numbers impossible to count in the shifting shadows.


    "Shit," Ludwig muttered, backing away from the creatures for a bit "I unsummoned the rats in the dungeon since they were useless against the boss..."


    "And you don''t have any usable summons in the Codex," Thomas added, his glow flickering nervously.


    "The Umbral Hound is still silent," Ludwig said, testing the weight of his scythe. The chain coiled around his forearm felt alive with potential energy. "But I think it''s fine."


    Thomas''s glow dimmed in disbelief. "Fine? How is this fine? That''s an army of bloodsucking monsters out there!"


    Ludwig smirked, rolling his newly enhanced shoulders. The muscles there still ached from his recent [Limit Break], but it was a good pain. "Because the Knight King hasn''t said anything yet."


    As if summoned by the challenge, the tiny armored specter materialized, his usual imposing presence somewhat diminished by his current palm-sized form. He surveyed the gathering horde with a bored disdainful gaze "They''re just bats," he scoffed. "Stop dithering and fight."


    With that vote of confidence, Ludwig moved.


    His chain lashed out like a living thing, the links twisting mid-air with a will of their own to wrap around the nearest Werebat''s scrawny neck. A sharp tug sent the creature flapping uselessly as it hurtled toward him. Ludwig''s scythe met it mid-air, the curved blade burying itself deep in the monster''s distended belly with a wet schlick.


    -16,000! Critical!


    Black ichor sprayed across Ludwig''s face as the Werebat shrieked, its clawed hands scrabbling at the embedded weapon. With a brutal twist, Ludwig transformed the scythe back into a sword mid-wound, then yanked upward with both arms. The chain around the creature''s neck pulled taut as the blade carved through ribs and organs, culminating in a shower of gore as the Werebat split nearly in two.


    [Mortal Wound! (Execution)]


    [You have slain Werebat (Level 60)]


    [Received: Corrupted Soul x1]


    [Obtained: Werebat''s Fang]


    The remaining creatures reacted instantly. Dozens of grotesque mouths opened in unison, unleashing their [Soundless Destruction]. The air itself seemed to vibrate with the force of their collective scream, a pressure wave that would have liquefied a normal man''s organs and shattered his mind.


    [As an Undead, you are immune to: Stun, Daze, Nausea]


    Ludwig didn''t even flinch. The psychic assault washed over him like a mild breeze, barely ruffling his tattered robes. He wiped Werebat blood from his face with the back of his hand, the dark fluid streaking across his now-less-decayed features. His grin widened, revealing teeth that were still slightly too sharp to be human.


    "My turn."

 Chapter 247 - 247: Learning The Ropes

    The crimson moon bathed the battlefield in its eerie glow as Ludwig stood amidst the carnage, his Durandal Shard dripping with black ichor. The metallic scent of blood mixed with the acrid stench of werebat insides filled the night air, clinging to his tattered robes. His chest rose and fell in steady, unnecessary breaths - a lingering habit from life that his undead body maintained out of muscle memory rather than need.


    With a practiced motion, Ludwig raised his sword high above his head, the blade catching the moonlight in a deadly shimmer. The first Werebat lunged at him with a guttural screech, its grotesque maw gaping wide to reveal rows of needle-like teeth. The sword came down in a devastating arc, cleaving through matted fur and brittle bone with sickening ease.


    [-12,000]


    Before he could finish the creature off, a second Werebat launched itself from his blind spot, its leathery wings spread wide. Ludwig''s left hand shot out with unnatural speed, his undead fingers clamping around the beast''s throat with vice-like strength. At the same moment, his chain lashed out with a mind of its own, the [Sentient Serpent] skill sending it whipping through the air to intercept a third attacker mid-leap.


    [-900]


    With a grunt of effort, Ludwig slammed the squirming Werebat in his grip down onto its wounded companion, their bodies colliding on top of each other with a wet crunch against the blood-soaked earth. In one fluid motion, he twisted the Durandal Shard into a backhanded grip, his knuckles whitening around the hilt as he drove the blade downward with all his enhanced strength. The weapon punched through both creatures with terrifying force, burying itself deep into the packed dirt beneath them.


    [-19,510]


    [-18,994]


    Black blood bubbled from their wounds as they writhed, pinned like grotesque specimens. Ludwig didn''t give them a chance to recover. His free hand snapped open, palm facing downward as mana surged through his undead veins, or more truthfully the mana circuits of Nephilium underneath all the rotting flesh, coalescing into a swirling ball of fire at his fingertips.


    "[Fireball!]"


    The explosion lit up the night, flames roaring to life with a deafening whoosh. The heat washed over Ludwig''s face, singeing what remained of his eyebrows as the two Werebats cooked alive, their high-pitched shrieks cut short by the inferno. Their fur blackened and curled, their flesh bubbling as the magical flames consumed them. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [You have slain Werebat (Level 60)]


    [You have slain Werebat (Level 60)]


    The loot notifications flashed briefly in his vision - more fangs to add to his growing collection. But now wasn''t the time to scavenge. The red glow of countless eyes still surrounded him in the darkness, their numbers seemingly endless. The staccato rhythm of clawed feet against the paved stone of the garden grew louder as more of the creatures closed in.


    Ludwig dropped to one knee, pressing his palm flat against the scorched earth. The ground trembled beneath his touch as dark energy gathered in his fingertips, the familiar chill of necromantic power crawling up his arm.


    "[Rise Undead!]"


    Blue-black sigils erupted from his hand, spreading across the ground like spilled ink before latching onto the charred remains of the two Werebats. The corpses convulsed violently, bones cracking and reforming as unholy energy forced them back into a mockery of life. Their burnt wings stretched with a sickening tear of reforming flesh, their claws flexing as they rose to serve their new master.


    With two undead now flanking him, Ludwig''s situation had improved slightly - but not enough. The remaining Werebats showed no fear, their beady red eyes gleaming with mindless hunger as they circled closer. Their numbers were overwhelming, and Ludwig could feel the press of bodies closing in from all sides.


    Then the movement at his back. A Werebat pounced from behind, its claws outstretched to rend his flesh. Ludwig''s chain was already occupied, fending off another group to his left. To turn and block would leave him exposed to the front.


    His eyes flashed with golden light as [Trace] activated.


    Time seemed to slow as the skill revealed its path - a glowing blue trail of possibilities stretching before him. Ludwig followed it without hesitation, bending his knees and launching himself upward with [Summersault Slam]. The Werebat''s claws raked through empty air where his head had been just moments before.


    Mid-air, [Trace] continued to guide him, revealing not just where the creature would land, but how to strike.


    Ludwig adjusted his trajectory following [Trace]''s directives to the letter. He tucked his knees tighter to his chest as shown, gripped with both hands one atop another at the sword''s hilt, and immediately he felt his own weight concentrating this time fully on the weapon''s base. Not only that it perfectly match and align both the weight of his body and weapon together. The Durandal Shard hummed as it cut through the night, its edge guided by something deeper than mere skill effects.


    The impact was catastrophic.


    The blade connected with the Werebat''s skull at the exact angle and velocity [Trace] had shown him. Bone shattered like glass, the force driving straight through its head and into the ground beneath. The earth itself fractured from the blow, spiderweb cracks radiating outward from the crater left by the devastating strike.


    ***


    [Execution!]


    [You have slain Werebat (Level 60)]


    [Achievement Unlocked: Cull the Meek]


    [Cull the Meek]: All enemies below your level take 10% increased damage from all sources.


    ***


    Ludwig exhaled sharply, his grip tightening on the hilt. That strike had felt different - cleaner, more precise. It wasn''t just the system executing a pre-programmed skill. He had felt something deeper in that moment, a connection between his body, his weapon, and the movement itself.


    "That''s more like it."


    The Knight King''s voice echoed in his mind, carrying a rare note of approval.


    "Seems like I should be using your style some more," Ludwig said with a smile.


    "No, more like, that is the first time you ever used that properly, all you do is use [Skills] but not the art itself. This time, your whole weight, and the sword''s weight, combined, was what allowed you to see the truth behind the Tyrant Blade. It''s not something that can be learned via a skill system that bypasses the need to learn. To properly use a sword, one must first understand it."


    Ludwig didn''t understand much of his words, but he got the gist of things. Relying on the ''system'' itself was fine, but it doesn''t cover the battle experience itself.


    "The Tyrant Blade technique is an art designed to kill beasts, and to do so, one shouldn''t be wasting time with these vermin; one hit each is all it should take you to slay these things. If you use more, then that just means that you''re a failure," the Knight King said.


    Then, a new notification burned into his vision, the text glowing with an intensity that demanded attention...


    ***


    [Mentor''s Quest!]


    The Knight King wants to see your grit. For that, you must prove your worth for using the Tyrant Blade Technique.


    Part 1:


    Slay 10 Werebats in one hit each.


    Time Limit: 24 hours.


    Reward: Accelerated mastery of the Tyrant Blade Technique.


    Failure: The Knight King''s eternal disappointment.


    ***


    Ludwig''s grin widened as he read the challenge. "Well, I did it once," he murmured to himself. "Shouldn''t be too hard to do it again."


    He reached for [Trace], already planning his next move, eager to replicate that perfect strike


    [You are unable to use Trace for the next 24 hours.]


    The notification hit him like a physical blow. His eyes widened in shock, the blue light fading from his vision just as a shadow lunged from his periphery.


    Claws flashed in the moonlight.

 Chapter 248 - 248: Endless Night

    Ludwig''s undead body stood trembling with strain amidst a sea of twitching corpses, his Durandal Shard slick with layers of coagulated black ichor that dripped steadily onto the blood-soaked earth. Every inch of his decaying flesh bore the marks of the endless battle - deep gashes that oozed dark sludge, patches of missing skin revealing glimpses of bleached bone beneath, and the persistent, gnawing ache of overused muscles that refused to heal properly. His tattered robes clung to his frame like a second skin, soaked through with a mixture of his own blackened lifeblood and the foul fluids of his enemies.


    Before him, the final Werebat crouched low, its grotesque form silhouetted against the ever-present crimson moon that hung motionless in the starless sky.


    [Werebats kills needed to finish the Quest: 9/10]


    "One last," Ludwig rasped through cracked lips, his voice raw from hours of shouted battle cries and labored breathing. His fingers, stripped of flesh in places from the constant friction of combat, tightened around the Durandal Shard''s worn leather grip. The familiar weight of the weapon felt different now - not just a tool of destruction, but an extension of his very being, its balance and heft as natural to him as his own limbs.


    The revelations of the past night burned in Ludwig''s mind like brands:


    The Bastos March existed in an eternal, unchanging night. Though the moon''s slow transformation from slender crescent to bloated gibbous proved time''s passage, the sun never came to banish the crimson gloom. The land seemed frozen in this perpetual midnight, trapped beneath some ancient curse or powerful enchantment that defied natural laws.


    More importantly, the Knight King''s brutal trial had beaten a fundamental truth into Ludwig''s decaying flesh: the Tyrant Blade technique wasn''t about flashy skills or complicated maneuvers. After exhausting himself with [Vengeance]''s red aura, [Galvanize]''s blue electricity, and [Limit Break]''s explosive power - only to watch his enhanced [Summersault Slam] fail to kill a single Werebat - it had been a simple, frustrated downward chop that finally revealed the path. That perfect moment when his entire being - muscles, bones, weapon and will - had aligned into a single devastating motion, cleaving a Werebat cleanly from collarbone to hip with nothing but pure, refined technique.


    The style''s deceptive simplicity was its greatest challenge. No wasted movement. No unnecessary flourishes. Every motion had to be economical. Every strike had to be fatal. Anything less was failure.


    The last Werebat tensed before him, its clawed fingers digging trenches in the soft earth as it prepared to lunge. Ludwig waited, his undead body thrumming with anticipation despite its exhaustion. When the creature finally sprang, time seemed to distort - the world narrowing to just the arc of those filthy claws and the space they needed to traverse.


    Ludwig''s body moved without conscious thought, sidestepping with practiced precision. He felt the rush of displaced air as deadly claws whistled past his face, close enough to stir the matted strands of hair clinging to his sweat-slick forehead. In the same fluid motion, he twisted his grip on the Durandal Shard, feeling every tendon and ligament in his undead frame coil like steel springs. His boot slammed down into the churned earth, finding perfect purchase as he channeled his entire being into the upward swing.


    The blade moved with terrible perfection - a flawless marriage of leverage, momentum, and murderous intent. Not a skill. Not magic. Simply the purest expression of the Tyrant Blade''s brutal philosophy. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Execution!]


    [You have successfully completed the Quest: Mentor]


    [Your Tyrant Blade Technique proficiency has increased]


    [Your Tyrant Blade Technique evolved from Beginner to Amateur]


    [The ban on [Trace] has been removed]


    [The Knight King of Tibari is slightly satisfied with your progress]


    "You''re no longer trash," the Knight King''s voice echoed in Ludwig''s skull, the words dripping with reluctant approval. The spectral warrior''s tone carried the grudging respect of a master watching his worst student finally grasp the basics. "Now, you''re useful trash."


    Ludwig wiped a sleeve across his face, smearing black blood and ichor over his already filthy features. The gesture did little to clean him, merely redistributing the grime. He lacked the energy to determine whether the Knight King''s words constituted genuine praise or simply a lesser form of insult. "Still," he panted, "I didn''t realize the technique applied to every movement."


    The Knight King''s tiny armored form materialized fully, hovering at eye level despite his diminutive size. His spectral armor gleamed with an otherworldly light as he crossed his arms. "That is the Tyrant Blade''s essence," he intoned, his voice carrying the weight of centuries. "No feints. No wasted motion. Only perfect, lethal efficiency." The ghostly warrior''s helmet tilted slightly. "Against beasts, it is invincible. Against a true swordmaster?" He snorted, the sound like steel scraping stone. "At your current level, you''d be disarmed and disemboweled before your blade cleared its scabbard."


    Thomas''s glowing form flickered into existence between them, his usual blue light tinged with anxious yellow streaks. "Wait - hunted? Suspected?" The spirit''s voice rose in pitch. "What''s this about murder?"


    Ludwig sighed, the sound rattling through his damaged ribcage as he sheathed his weapon with a tired scrape of metal. "The Holy Order came for Master Van Dijk," he explained, his voice flat with exhaustion. "Probably Sebas and Evan''s doing." A humorless chuckle escaped his cracked lips. "Then Evan chased me right to Professor Vastion''s corpse." He spread his arms wide, indicating his battered, blood-soaked form. "You think they won''t pin it on me? I''m an undead - all they need to do is reveal that, and my head will decorate the imperial gate once I''m caught."


    Thomas pulsed erratically, his glow shifting through worried hues. "But you''ve been away during most of the killings! And Master Van Dijk vouched for you before¡ª"


    "Which means nothing now that he''s gone," Ludwig interrupted, waving a mangled hand. His glowing blue eyes, the only clean things left on his ruined face, locked onto the Knight King. "But you said I don''t need another style. Why?"


    The spectral warrior straightened, his diminutive form suddenly radiating authority. "The Tyrant Blade''s true power lies in complete mastery," he declared, his voice taking on an almost reverent tone. "At your current level, you''re barely scratching its surface." The ghostly helmet tilted meaningfully. "Reach intermediate, then advanced..." He paused, and when he continued, his words carried the weight of prophecy. "At Master level, no living swordsman could stand against you." Then, with rare humility: "Though even I could only maintain that state for minutes at my peak."


    Ludwig''s exhaustion momentarily forgotten, he leaned forward, his ruined face alight with fascination.


    "You look interested," the Knight King said.


    "Of course, the way you make this sound, feels like some overpowered broken technique.


    "The only broken thing is you," the Knight King said as he pointed at Ludwig''s ribs.


    "Ah, wrong analogy, what I mean, it sounds really powerful."


    "And it is, not sound, but it is. The Tyrant Blade would slay all beasts and man itself once one is strong enough... though speaking of it is pointless, would you like to see it with your eyes? Though it is for but a few moments..."


    "I would love to," Ludwig said.


    The Knight King studied him for a long, silent moment before giving a single nod. His tiny form floated closer, one gauntleted hand rising with deliberate slowness. "Close your eyes," he commanded, his voice suddenly ancient and heavy with memory.

 Chapter 249 - 249: Master Level

    Ludwig''s consciousness slammed into the memory like a battering ram hitting castle gates. One moment he was standing in the ruined Bastos Manor, the next he found himself imprisoned in a body not his own¡ªtrapped within the Knight King''s armored shell, seated upon a throne carved from a single block of black volcanic stone. The seat was cold as death itself, its jagged edges biting into the King''s armored thighs.


    Gigantic statues made of stone adorned the walls of the throne. Each stood thrice the height of a man, their weapons¡ªmassive halberds and broadswords¡ªcrossed over the throne in a silent vigil. The air smelled of ozone and old blood, thick enough to choke on.


    Then¡ªBOOM!


    The double doors exploded inward, torn from their hinges by some unimaginable force. A Tibarian knight stumbled through, his once-gleaming armor now dented and slick with black ichor. He collapsed to one knee, his breath coming in ragged, wet gasps.


    "Your Majesty," the knight croaked, his voice raw with desperation, "it''s time."


    The Knight King rose.


    Ludwig felt the power in those movements¡ªthe way the King''s muscles coiled like steel springs beneath his armor. Behind the throne rested his weapons: a tower shield forged from meteoric iron, its surface etched with ancient runes that pulsed faintly blue, and a sword¡ªno, a monster of a blade¡ªthat stood taller than most men. The Knight King grabbed both without hesitation, his grip so tight the leather wrappings on the hilt groaned in protest.


    Then, Ludwig saw it.


    Tibari was burning.


    The city sprawled beyond the palace gates, or what was left of it. Towers that had once scraped the heavens now lay in shattered ruins, their broken spires jutting from the ground like the ribs of a long-dead beast. The streets writhed with movement¡ªthousands, tens of thousands of twisted figures shambling through the wreckage. They were the Knight King''s people, or what remained of them. Their flesh sagged off their bones, mouths stretched into grotesque, tooth-lined maws that dripped black saliva. Some still wore the tattered remnants of their old lives¡ªmerchant''s robes, scholar''s tunics, the armor of the city guard¡ªnow all reduced to the same mindless hunger.


    And at the heart of the horde, standing atop a mountain of broken siege engines and corpses, was him.


    The Gluttonous Death.


    The creature was a mockery of a king¡ªemaciated to the point of starvation, his sickly green skin stretched taut over a skeletal frame. A jagged crown of jade spikes sat crooked atop his skull, digging into his scalp. His eyes were pits of endless black, his grin a rictus of needle-sharp teeth.


    But it was the sword that made Ludwig''s borrowed breath catch. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The weapon pulsed in the Gluttonous Death''s grip like a living thing, its three jagged blades gnashing together like the jaws of a rabid beast. Each movement sent arcs of dark energy crackling through the air, the very space around it warping from its presence.


    The Knight King didn''t hesitate.


    With a roar that shook the crumbling palace, he leapt from the balcony, his sword raised high. The impact of his landing sent a shockwave through the first wave of corrupted, their bodies bursting apart like overripe fruit.


    There was no need to speak, as the entity had already breached the city, the people were dying in droves, turning to those wretched beings, consumed out of their vitality and health and left with nothing but a forever hungry food seeking husk.


    The Knight King charged forward, jumping from the highest point of the palace into the first city section, his sword coming down with incredible might.


    Tens of thousands of enemies swarmed the Knight King, many of them were his own people, yet right now they were consumed and defiled with the power of the Gluttonous Death.


    With a screaming, dejected, and wrathful roar, the Knight King raised his weapon against his people. The people who turned into nothing but beasts.


    He swung down, each strike a perfect example of mastery. A single sword swing would cleave, cull, and decimate two, three, and even a dozen foes at times. Each blow, a perfect replication of the other. Each swing carried the exact same weight, force, and power.


    And he swung, and swung, his whole body covered by blood and slime and the cries of his people and screams as he continuously slashed and crushed.


    Each swing as strong as the other, the first blow, perfectly replicating the hundredth blow.


    Like an inexhaustible machine, the Knight King culled and struck down while the Gluttonous Death remained in the back, sending more and more of the Knight King''s people to their deaths.


    Through it all, the Gluttonous Death watched, his grin widening with every life extinguished.


    Finally, the square was cleared.


    Only after the area was cleared did the rage of the Knight King refocus itself on the Gluttonous Death, and with a single leap, he flung himself forward, a classic use of [Summersault Slam] against the Gluttonous Death.


    The Gluttonous Death raised his weapon up, easily blocking the incoming Knight King and stopping him in his tracks right in front of him.


    "You devil-spawned fiend!" the Knight King roared, raising his sword. "What compelled you to come to this sacred land?"


    The Gluttonous Death''s laugh. "Compelled? Oh, King," he crooned, "it was quite the opposite. I was invited."


    With a speed that belied his emaciated frame, he struck.


    His sword met the Knight King''s in a shower of sparks, the impact sending tremors through the ground. The King countered, his blade moving with practiced precision¡ªonly for the Gluttonous Death to laugh and casually parry with one hand.


    "Your people hungered, little king," the monster taunted, his black eyes gleaming. "Not for food, not for gold¡ªbut for chaos. For the thrill of the hunt, the ecstasy of destruction. You gave them safety. You gave them boredom."


    A kick¡ªdeceptively slow, almost lazy¡ªconnected with the Knight King''s shield. The force of the blow dislocated the King''s shoulder, sending the massive shield hurtling through the air like a discus. It smashed through the palace gates, embedding itself deep in the throne Ludwig had occupied moments before.


    The Knight King didn''t scream. He didn''t falter. With a sickening crunch, he wrenched his shoulder back into place, his teeth bared in a snarl.


    "You lie," he growled. "Tibari wanted for nothing!"


    The Gluttonous Death''s grin turned feral. "They wanted everything."


    Their blades clashed again, each strike sending shockwaves through the ruined city. The Knight King fought with the desperation of a man who had nothing left to lose, his sword a blur of silver light. But the Gluttonous Death moved like smoke¡ªdodging, weaving, always one step ahead.


    "Your people, ones who you brought so much to, ones you gave everything to, ones you came from and became a ruler of, did you not think that they had nothing else they hunger for?" the Gluttonous Death said as he swung his weapon at the Knight King, though it looked slow, each blow was enough to force the Knight King a step sometimes two back.


    "I provided them all they would ever need! Food! Glory! Wealth and prosperity!"


    "But you forgot something important, which is what called me!" the Gluttonous Death said.


    The knight King desperately blocked. "You forgot their insatiable desire for more! Though my brother was supposed to come here, as your people who had everything wanted more. They didn''t hold Greed higher than they held Gluttony; they weren''t greedy for more of what they have, no, they were gluttonous for power! Power you didn''t relinquish, power you ruled with for a thousand years! Am I right? Elf?"


    "It was a thousand years of peace!"


    "A thousand years of oppression!"


    "A thousand years of good harvests and prosperity!"


    "A thousand years of the same boring food, and the stagnation of power!"


    "A thousand years of wealth!"


    "A thousand years of monotony!"


    "You''re insane!"


    "And you''re too drunk on your power and life to realize that you''re oppressing the natural instinct of man. They seek wealth, but eternal wealth wouldn''t be enough; they seek a long life, yet even immortality isn''t satisfying for them. They seek peace, but rejoice in war and destruction. You made life easy for them, and for that, they resent you; they called upon me without any of them even knowing. They grew stronger than any nation, yet were forbidden from spreading their wings; they grew wealthier than any, yet no joy could be found in what they purchased; they grew complacent but were forbidden from acting out."


    The Knight King tried to fight but was easily blocked and forced to a standstill against the jaws of the Gluttonous Death''s sword, which easily grabbed the sword with its teeth.


    The Gluttonous Death peered closer with his face on top of the crossed swords and added,


    "Oppression of perfection is oppression still, and for that THEY HUNGER! THEY HUNGER FOR FREEDOM! Though they foolishly would seek the flames like moths to the fire, their hunger beckoned! Their hunger called and I answered! For they didn''t want the stagnation of peaceful water! BUT THE ENDLESS TURMOILS OF THE SEA!" The Gluttonous Death twisted his weapon The moment the Knight King tried to pull it back, his weapon snapped in half.


    The Knight King''s sword shattered, with one half in his hand and the other away, allowing The Gluttonous Death''s weapon to continue its arc, carving a deep gash across the King''s chest. Blood sprayed, hot and crimson, staining the cobblestones.


    For a heartbeat, silence.


    Then¡ª


    "YOU WILL NOT CORRUPT THEM!"


    You will not corrupt them!" he roared out, and immediately a massive aura began materializing around the Knight King, then suddenly it began solidifying, hardening, and taking physical form.


    The gash on his chest was mended by the aura, which stopped the bleeding and cauterized the wound. The sword, which only had the hilt and half the blade, was reinforced into a physical aura blade that had substance and density.


    The Knight King''s armor began shining through for a moment as it began to gain pieces and bits of aura, yet sadly, there wasn''t enough left to fully coat his armor.


    "I''ll free my people, even if I have to drag you back to the hell you came from, myself!" The two collided their weapons one final time, yet Ludwig couldn''t see the rest.


    Their final clash lit up the sky¡ªa cataclysmic explosion of light and darkness that tore at the fabric of reality itself.


    Then¡ª


    Darkness.


    Ludwig gasped, his consciousness slamming back into his own undead body. right in front of him was the Knight King, who seemed to have a different air about him this time.


    [Your Understanding of [Aura] Grew Slightly]


    [Your Understanding of the Tyrant Blade Technique Grew Slightly]

 Chapter 250 - 250: Reaching Wrath

    Ludwig''s skeletal fingers twitched at his sides as the Knight King''s spectral form shimmered before him. The memory of the Gluttonous Death''s overwhelming power still burned behind his eyelids¡ªthe way the Knight King''s sword had shattered like glass against that monstrous entity, only to be reforged from pure will.


    His voice came out rougher than intended, the echo of battle-lust still thrumming through his undead veins.


    "What was that?" Ludwig demanded, his hollow eye sockets wide with something akin to awe. The remnants of the vision clung to him¡ªthe stench of blood and rot, the screams of a dying kingdom, the Knight King''s final, desperate stand. "Your sword broke, and you¡­ Re-forged it?" He flexed his own weapon hand, imagining the weight of such power.


    The Knight King''s shadowy form pulsed, the edges of his silhouette fraying like smoke. "That wasn''t re-forging," he corrected, his voice a blade scraping stone. "It was creation. Aura is not mere reinforcement. It is the shape of your will given form."


    Ludwig''s jaw creaked as he clenched it. "Creation?"


    "Aura is the manifestation of the conviction of your heart." The Knight King said as he pointed at Ludwig''s chest, "Your aura is yet to manifest, so right now it isn''t important to know of. But, Aura is not simply there to make your weapon stronger, sharper and sturdier; it is an extension of your will and heart. Mine is to protect my country." S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That''s something I heard before, how do you get the ''heart'' to make aura?" Ludwig asked with expectant eyes.


    "The heart isn''t something physical," The Knight King said, "It is your belief, your emotion, and your will brought to existence. Don''t sweat the details, as an Undea, you will probably not have the possibility to create your own Aura easily." He said.


    Ludwig''s fingers instinctively pressed against his sternum, where rotten muscle knit over bone. He''d long since stopped pretending to breathe. "I''ve heard Death Knights wield Aura," he countered.


    "Fools mistake the echo for the voice. A Death Knight cannot exist without a ''Heart''. A Death Knight is not undead ¡ªit is undeath given purpose. It is the culmination of an idea brought to life. Be it sacrifice, revenge, compassion, or even protection, each one of these could be considered their ''Heart'', and that''s how they use aura. You, on the other hand, have yet to find your own Heart, so learning Aura is impossible for you right now."


    "That''s a shame, I don''t know what my ''heart'' is." Ludwig sighed.


    "Do not be hasty, I lived a thousand years, and it took me almost all of it before I found my heart truly, a thousand years of slaying beasts before I morphed Aura to protect my people instead of simply fighting to slay fiends. I carved my Heart from battle. For you, Undead, you shall live a thousand more times than I if lucky, you are destined for eternity, do not seek haste in what you wish to obtain, for that an Undead is not wanting of time."


    Ludwig simply nodded, after all the Knight King was right, he did in fact had all the time in the world. Seeking to grow stronger immediately if of minor benefit.


    "Now, you have shown progress, albeit minuscule, that you can handle the Tyrant Blade Style, but there is something missing for you to obtain Aura," he added.


    "What is it?" Ludwig asked.


    "Emotion, your emotional balance is too stale. It''s like that of a rancid puddle of water, unmovable. You know no fear, nor do you know hatred. I can see it, though you do your best to mimic it, you''re not truly able to sense it." The Knight King explained.


    "Yeah, I get that a lot, but I can use other souls to fuel my emotions," Ludwig said.


    "That isn''t yours to use, the spirit here has lost some of its essence," the Knight King said pointing at Thomas, "If you were to draw more emotion from it, it''ll will consume its memories and eventually become a useless husk, not worth anything but to return to Necros." The Knight King said.


    The lantern''s flame dimmed as if in agreement. Ludwig exhaled sharply, though his lungs needed no air. Another lesson learned too late: nothing in this world comes without sacrifice.


    He then turned to Thomas to confirm his doubts. "Is that true?"


    "I don''t know, but to be honest¡­ I found it harder to be angry at anything anymore," Thomas said. "For example, I don''t really care enough right now that I died to you, or about any thought or need to even think of revenge, though I questioned myself why many times¡­" Thomas replied in a carefree shrug.


    "I guess I took away your emotion of rage¡­ though I didn''t know you wanted to get your revenge on me." Ludwig frowned.


    "It''d be more strange if I didn''t, though I already knew the moment I was inside the lantern that it was impossible, one could hope, but now I don''t really even care enough." Thomas smiled.


    Ludwig realized that Thomas''s feelings weren''t what he showed, and that was enough to teach Ludwig that he shouldn''t always trust a person''s words.


    "So, what''s that thing you said, that could help me find my Heart?" Ludwig asked.


    The Knight King''s form solidified momentarily, his presence pressing down like a tomb''s weight. "You steal a heart already burning," he said, each word deliberate. "Not the sputtering embers of a mortal, but an inferno given form."


    "Isn''t that the same I did with Thomas?" Ludwig said.


    "No, it''s different, the heart you want¡­ is far sturdier and stronger than that of a mere human spirit. It''s a heart that is forever burning, forever craving and forever wanting destruction," the Knight King said.


    "I''m not really understanding what''s going on, let''s stop with the riddles and be straight with me." Ludwig''s frustration showed.


    "Do you still have that magical core shard?" the knight king asked.


    Ludwig pulled out the small orb shard he obtained from killing the Rat Lord.


    "This?" Ludwig asked.


    "That is what is corrupting these lands¡­" the specter hissed. the Knight King''s words were solemn and heavy as they hung in the air. "This shard, it holds dark magic, familiar magic. It''s something I''ve seen before, and it appeared in many battles I''ve fought before, although small here, almost insignificant, it is still present, and I can still remember it. The power of Death, a Death so violent, so angry and ferocious, bestial and cruel. The power of Wrath, Wrathful Death." The Knight King said.


    The moment the name left the Knight King''s lips, the system notifications erupted before Ludwig in jagged, blood-blue text:


    [You have discovered a hint about the Wrathful Death, Morde''Xander]


    Quest Update: Ruler of the March.


    The Bastos March bows to five lords. One lies dead by your hand. Four remain.


    You have slain the first lord: Rat Lord


    Missing lords of the March:


    Werebat Lord ¨C The shrieking shadow atop the Spire of Teeth


    Pronged Lord ¨C Whose antlers pierce the sky


    Drowned Lord ¨C Who sleeps in the black lake


    Werewolf Lord ¨C Firstborn of the Treacherous Apostle


    Upon slaying all five lords and retrieving all pieces of the core, you will be able to leave the Bastos March.


    Reward: Ruler of the Land title


    ***


    Eternal Quest Update: Usurpers of Life


    The Usurper of Life Morde''Xander, the sole existence at the peaks of the Mountains of Solania had his power spread all over the continent, it fuels battle and wars, and creates conflicts and surcharges battle.


    ? Visit the Northern Peaks of Solania and slay Morde''Xander.


    ? Quest difficulty: ????


    ? Time limit: ?


    ? Reward: Mace of Wrathful Death


    ? Heart of Wrathful Death.


    [You are far too weak to fight against Morde''Xander. Gain more power navigating the world before you attempt to slay one of the Seven Usurpers.]


    ***


    Ludwig''s quest log was updated; this time, the Quest not only offered Morde''Xander''s weapon, but also its heart.


    The skulls, which indicated the difficulty of the Quest, however, were reduced by one. That means Ludwig''s current power is slightly more than before, a testament to growth. But at the same time, from what he saw, against the Gluttonous Death, he would die a thousand times before he would even be able to land a single hit on it.


    "Between the Gluttonous Death and the Wrathful Death, who do you think is stronger?" Ludwig asked.


    The Knight King''s laughter was a blade dragged across bone. "That is a foolish question to ask. Who do you think is stronger? A sword forged in perpetual battle and hatred, or a dagger that only strikes when one is at their weakest? The Gluttonous Death feasts on the weak. The wrathful Death hunts the strong. One is a parasite. The other is a force of nature. You are not even a speck to either."


    "Yeah, I suppose I am, but now I have a clear goal. Since we can''t leave March anytime soon, we might as well go around hunting these Lord classes. Once I kill them all and leave this area, we''ll see how we can deal with the Wrathful Death¡­"


    "You''ll probably not be strong enough to fight it still," Thomas said, "How about venturing into the world first?"


    "Good idea, I still have that Vampire Hunters quest that I haven''t finished yet¡­ I should also take a look at that once I have the time," Ludwig nodded to himself and began walking forward, "For now, let''s find the Werebat Lord, it shouldn''t be too hard to find, seeing how many of its bats are roaming about in the open here."

 Chapter 251 - 251: The Spire of Teeth.

    Ludwig stepped forward, his boots sinking slightly into the damp, moss-choked earth as he advanced alongside the floating Knight King and Thomas. The garden of Bastos Manor was a graveyard of nature''s wrath¡ªtwisted, skeletal trees clawed at the ashen sky, their gnarled branches like the fingers of long-dead giants. The air was thick with the stench of decay, a miasma of rot that clung to every breath. The once-proud hedges had devolved into thorn-choked thickets, their leaves blackened as if scorched by some unseen blight.


    Their path was riddled in bodies and blood, the bodies of many Werebats that lay to eternal rest unable to act up against the Undead anymore.


    Each time the group moved, a few enemies would come to challenge them. Mostly were the Werebats, who seemed to be taking control of the area closest to the Bastos manor, including the garden and the city itself.


    The city beyond was no better. Time had gnawed at its bones, leaving behind a corpse of crumbling stone and splintered wood. Buildings sagged under the weight of centuries, their roofs caved in, their walls strangled by vines and creeping moss. The streets were fractured, split apart by roots as thick as a man''s torso, their cobblestones swallowed whole by the earth. Seven hundred years of neglect had turned this place into a necropolis¡ªa kingdom of ruin, now ruled by beasts.


    And the beasts were watching.


    A rustle in the undergrowth. A flicker of movement in the shadows, and more creatures emerged to find prey. The city though looked like a ghost town suddenly was teeming with beasts and monsters of all sorts and kinds.


    Ludwig hurried to move out of the main road and chose to go through a side path, he had no need to slaughter his way through the city, calling up unwanted attention onto himself.


    Just as he found a path between the broken rundown buildings, a couple Werebats approached him from the shadows of the broken buildings. Though their attempt at being stealthy only made them a target for Ludwig''s sword.


    A few swings of his newly learned and slightly mastered Tyrant Blade Style, coupled with some minor though important growth and understanding of the style itself from having watched the Ruler of Tibari break through thousands of enemies, his weapon slew his foes with utter cruelty and finesse in that memory was still a vivid scene in Ludwig''s mind.


    Ludwig''s sword swung true, slicing through the closest Werebat''s shoulder. Though he had failed to land a single killing blow, he still managed to apply some of the teachings of the Knight King, his sword sliced down at the Werebat, and the moment the blade cut through the flesh and body of the Werebats, Ludwig twisted his grip then sliced upward, cutting the creature''s neck in the process.


    [Execution!]


    No time to celebrate. Another beast was already upon him, claws raking the air where his neck had been a heartbeat before.


    Ludwig was too used to the loot notification that he ignored it. He still had another opponent he needed to take care of. The Werebats jumped at Ludwig, who instead of dodging, or countering with a slash, he stomped he right foot forward, putting all of his weight and pressure on his front foot, the with the force of his entire Undead Body, Ludwig twisted his calf, transferring the power from the foot through his entire spine and out of his thrusted sword.


    The weapon found easy purchase inside the jaws of the Werebat, the blade cut through its throat, stomach and intestines with vicious brutality. The creature could only squirm and the more it struggled the more the blade dug inside it. With Ludwig''s sword gripping fist also deep inside the fiend, he twisted it, and the Cursed Shard of Durandal snapped up, transforming into its scythe form. The blade sliced through the insides of the Werebats and emerged out of its body. Ludwig planted his boot on the dying beast''s face and ripped the weapon free, painting the already blood-soaked ground in another layer of crimson.


    blood and viscera spread everywhere further painting the already crude blood covered Ludwig with warmer and more disgusting blood.


    "You really need a change of clothes," Thomas remarked, wrinkling his nose as Ludwig shook thick clots of viscera from his blade.


    Ludwig exhaled, flicking a strand of blackened blood from his sleeve. "Yeah, and I also need to learn this." He pulled a weathered tome from his inventory¡ªCleanse, Master Van Dijk''s favored spell. "Might save me from smelling like a slaughterhouse." S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yeah, that would come in handy, but let''s focus up, two more Werebats on your twelve." Thomas said.


    Ludwig didn''t hesitate. The next wave fell just as quickly, their bodies joining the growing trail of carnage behind him.


    Finally, the road to the city proper lay before them¡ªa desolate stretch of broken stone and creeping shadows. The night was oppressive, the crescent moon a mere sliver of light struggling against the suffocating dark. And then, looming in the distance like a monument to savagery, was the Spire of Teeth.


    At first, Ludwig had mistaken it for some grotesque natural formation¡ªa jagged tower of bleached bones and yellowed fangs, fused together in a mockery of architecture. But now, up close, the truth was undeniable. This was no accident of nature.


    The Spire pulsed with malevolence. Rivers of dried blood crusted its surface, flaking off in patches like diseased skin. Countless holes riddled its structure, gaping maws from which winged shapes flitted in and out. And massive dried up trees that looked like the heads of devils were painted on them grew from the spire. Their color was the same as the very blood that their roots probably feasted on to grow to their current atrocious forms.


    That wasn''t all, Werebats. Hundreds of them. Their screeches filled the air, a cacophony of hunger and malice, they hovered and flew around the spire while many of their kin walked and marched the ground, as if surveying, protecting, and even guarding the place.


    Ludwig pressed himself against the crumbling wall of a nearby ruin, his breath stilled. For a few seconds he thought he was spotted, but thankfully, that wasn''t the case. The werebat''s agitated nature was a new thing Ludwig experienced here, they were different from the other Werebats that moved around the Bastos March, these ones had intelligence in their beady red eyes.


    "We''re going stealth now?" Thomas whispered.


    "We have to, these guys don''t look normal," Ludwig muttered. "Also, that thing¡ªit''s their nest. And we''re outnumbered a thousand to one."


    "This is supposed to be a dungeon? Like the Rat Lord" Thomas asked.


    "I don''t know, it could simply be a construct made from the prey of Werebats and it could also be a dungeon, we''ll find out once we''re there, but first," Ludwig said as he heard the sound of rustling leaves coming from inside one of the wall-less buildings near him.


    Another quick skirmish and another dead foe. Thankfully the kill was instant, quick and silent.


    Ludwig obtained more souls and loot, and realized that he had procured a great deal of corrupted souls so far.


    He hesitated on whether he''d use them, or save them for now.


    "Are you going to level up?" Thomas asked, intrigued by Ludwig''s sudden halt and inspection of his procured souls.


    Ludwig placed them back inside his inventory, "No, not now. The Knight King said I don''t need them, better have them saved up as unused souls for now. Let''s keep going," he said and headed toward the spire.


    The closer he got to it, the stronger the smell of blood hit his undead nostrils, though he didn''t feel the disgust from the smell, it was still an assaulting metallic and rancid smell that bothered him.


    Just as Ludwig was about to walk up to the spire, he noticed a bunch of Werebats carrying the corpse of what looked like a humanoid toad. A man shape monster with the face of a toad, wearing nothing but a loincloth, its blue skin was ravaged in many places and blood seeped out of them slowly. The creature was still alive as it weakly tried to protest and fight back to no avail. The Werebats dragged its body across the crude ground and inside the spire.


    "Are you going in now?" Thomas asked.


    "No, we''ll wait for a bit, look up," Ludwig said as he gazed up at the werebats flocking the ski es. They seemed to be on the lookout for something. "I feel like if we go in hastily, we''ll be discovered, and for some reason, I feel like we should keep a low profile."


    And then, as if to prove his point, a group of frog-men emerged from the ruins, their weapons raised in defiance. The response was instantaneous.


    A tidal wave of fur and fangs descended. The frog-men didn''t stand a chance. Some were torn apart mid-scream, their limbs ripped from their bodies. Others were seized, their struggles futile as they were dragged, screaming, into the Spire.


    Ludwig''s hunch was actually on point, as immediately, the few Werebats that were flying above the spire began screeching, and a great deal more Werebats came out of the spire.


    Not far from Ludwig''s hiding, a group of frog men were approaching the spire, and the moment they were spotted, the entire Werebat army came at them from all direction.


    It only took a few seconds before the majority of the frogmen were turned to bits and bloody pieces, while the more unfortunate ones were captured and dragged toward the spire.


    "Damn, even I don''t think I can survive that¡­" Ludwig said. "We''ll need a new approach," he said as he looked back at the corpse of one of the Werebats he slew before. "And I think I have a good idea."

 Chapter 252 - 252: The Werebat Lord

    Ludwig stepped back from the perimeter of the nest, his boots sinking slightly into the damp, moss-choked earth. The ground was littered with the corpses of fallen Werebats¡ªtwisted, fur-covered mounds of flesh and bone, their wings torn, their fangs still bared in death. To most, this would have been a grotesque sight, but to Ludwig, it was an opportunity. A tool, he mused, his skeletal fingers flexing. Chaos is the best distraction.


    His mana reserves, bolstered by his recent upgrades, hummed beneath his undead flesh. He could summon up to thirty of these creatures now, binding them to his will with the dark arts of necromancy. And the battlefield before him offered no shortage of raw material. Over the past day, he had carved through swathes of these beasts, leaving behind a graveyard ripe for reanimation.


    After what felt like an hour of methodical work¡ªdragging corpses into hidden alcoves, muttering incantations, and watching as lifeless eyes flickered back to a sickly violet glow¡ªLudwig stood at the head of a small undead army. He then commanded them to move ahead.


    His plan was simple: divide and conquer.


    With a mental command, he sent the bulk of his undead forces surging toward the eastern flank of the Spire of Teeth. Their shambling, discordant advance was impossible to miss¡ªdeliberately so.


    The Undead Werebats were loud, clamorous, and pretty obvious for the flying werebats. The great noise and the threat of incoming enemies, though they looked similar but oozed a dark and terrifying death energy. Energy foreboding enough to wake them into a full alert mode. The flyer monsters dove down, and the ones on the ground surged with incredible speed forward.


    The sky darkened as winged shapes peeled away from the spire''s jagged peaks, diving toward the intruders with shrieks of fury. The undead met them head-on, their decayed limbs locking around throats, their jagged teeth sinking into fur and flesh. The living Werebats were faster, more agile, but Ludwig''s creations had the advantage of relentless, unfeeling endurance.


    Thanks to the Werebats being revived as undead, they had higher stats compared to their normal living counterparts, so they were able to sustain themselves for a bit.


    The live werebats would occasionally swoop in to fight off the invaders, but would fortunately be grabbed and pinned down by the Zombie Undead.


    One of his zombies latched onto a diving attacker, its jaws clamping around the creature''s neck while its claws pinned two others to the ground. The ensuing struggle was a mess of flailing limbs and sprays of blackened blood. The cacophony of battle¡ªscreeches, the wet thud of impacts, the snap of bone¡ªechoed through the ruins, growing louder as more defenders poured from the spire''s hollowed interior.


    The screeches and wails of battle echoed and were loud enough to rouse even more werebats that were hiding deep inside the holes of the Spire of Teeth. The Spire leaked enemies as they poured from every nook and cranny, every opening of the spire to join their brethren in fending off the offenders.


    Ludwig didn''t wait for the chaos to peak. With the enemy''s attention firmly fixed on the eastern assault, he slipped forward, three of his undead flanking him like grotesque bodyguards. The entrance to the Spire yawned before him, its threshold littered with gnawed bones and the remnants of past victims.


    A notification flickered at the edge of his vision:


    [You have discovered a dungeon!]


    [Spire of Teeth!]


    [For the next week, all creatures inside the dungeon will drop their best possible loot] S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [All Soul Drops will be enhanced one stage higher.]


    "Good," he stepped inside.


    Ludwig immediately walked inside and rushed through the dungeon.


    The spire itself was smaller than the Rat Lord Dungeon, but that didn''t mean it was easier. The interior of the Spire was a nightmare of shadows and jagged protrusions. The walls were honeycombed with alcoves and rising tunnels, each one teeming with clinging, chittering shapes. Ludwig''s undead vision pierced the gloom, revealing clusters of Werebats hanging like grotesque fruit from the ceiling, their beady eyes glinting in the dim light.


    But something was off.


    Looking at the hollowed Spire from the inside gave Ludwig a strange realization, there was no Boss here, or at least that was what it looked like.


    "The Boss is missing?" Thomas''s voice was a whisper in his mind, the lantern''s glow pulsing faintly.


    Ludgrim''s gaze swept the cavernous space. "No," he murmured. "If it''s not up here, it''s below us."


    Thomas''s spectral form flickered with unease. "So, what''s the plan? If you go deeper, the ones hanging above will notice you."


    "Not really," Ludwig replied, "Their eyesight is terrible, unless they use Echolocation, I''ll be almost invisible to them. But nevertheless, safety comes first," Ludwig said as he gave a mental command for his three summoned creatures to protect the entrance and remain there no matter the reason.


    Ludwig slowly walked down the circular wall of the hollowed spire, looking for a new entrance or exit, or a path leading down.


    His eyes were peeled for any movement above him as he walked with care, making sure to pay extreme close attention to where he walked and moved.


    This dungeon was actually pretty simple, though its design was definitely strange; it was supposed to be an attrition-type of dungeon, where people would come in, fight the existing werebats until either exhaustion or extermination. And only when the whole spire is empty of enemies are you allowed to fight the boss.


    Ludwig''s method of sneaking in by creating a commotion was by sheer luck, but at the same time was the best method he could do to get to the boss.


    "Look over there," Thomas muttered to Ludwig, his glowing form was thankfully invisible to all other creatures.


    He pointed toward a gaping fissure in the floor, its edges slick with something dark and glistening.


    Ludwig crouched beside it, peering into the abyss. "That''s the boss chamber."


    "Yeah, but I don''t think it would be wise to fight here," Ludwig finally seemed to have had enough understanding of the layout of the dungeon to realize that it was not a good idea to fight it here.


    "What do you mean? The boss should be there, so why not go and kill it while its minions are occupied outside?" Thomas said.


    "Then what?" Ludwig replied as he seemed hesitant on fighting right now, "If I go down and fight it, and then I win, once I try and leave the whole spire will be full of Werebats. Or worse, if I go in and it calls for help, then I''ll be in between a rock and a hard place." Ludwig''s thinking was correct.


    "But we''re already here¡­"


    "I needed to see the dungeon layout. I''ll probably have to leave," Ludwig turned, "Perhaps a battle of attrition is the only way out of this mess now," he said.


    The Knight King''s spectral form materialized beside them, his armored silhouette radiating disdain. "You don''t have that luxury."


    "Why not?" Ludwig asked, frowning.


    The Knight King''s voice was a blade''s edge. "Because you''ve ignored your notifications. Your undead are already dead. Again."


    Only then did Ludwig take a look at the notification string and realize that the Knight King was right.


    At the entrance of the Dungeon, the three Werebats that were left there entered battle a moment ago, stopping enemies from entering, but at the same time, their loud screeches notified the hanging Werebats.


    He didn''t move for a second since most of the Werebats'' focus was on the entrance. But soon all three of his undead would perish, and the rest of the Werebats were bound to discover him. S,o before any of them pointed their jaws at Ludwig with their echolocation, Ludwig simply dove inside the nearby hole.


    The hole itself was leading a bit too far down, and Ludwig''s sudden jump was quite¡­ amateurish as he tumbled and scrambled a few times before he reached the bottom of the steeply curving hole.


    Just then, Ludwig''s sprawl form stopped rolling He pick scamper to his feet and looked around, his weapon drawn and his eyes scanning the place.


    There didn''t seem to be any enemies nearby; the cave was quite large, almost as large as the entire base of the spire above him, but at the same time, it looked quite empty.


    "There really is no boss here," Ludwig frowned, "Could it be outside?"


    Only then did something thick and cold fall on Ludwig''s dirty blood soaked straps for clothes he had left on him.


    Ludwig touched the substance, it was viscous and transparent.


    "God damn it," Ludwig sighed, "It''s above me isn''t it..."


    Before he received a reply, a loud soul rending scream echoed through the cave.


    all the werebats outside were definitely alerted now.


    Looking up, Ludwig confirmed his suspicions, two massive beady and red eyes were looking at him, and the upside down form of a werebat that was at least as big as the Rat Lord was looking at him.


    "Well," ludwig said, "if you ignore the wings... this looks almost like the Rat Lord..."


    And the Werebat swooped down.

 Chapter 253 - 253: The Batcave

    The cavern trembled as the Batlord uncoiled itself from its stalactite perch, its talons¡ªeach the length of a cavalry saber¡ªscraping against the limestone with a sound like nails on a slate. The creature''s descent was not a fall, but a calculated demolition. Its hind legs struck the ground first, the impact sending a shockwave through the chamber that cracked the bedrock beneath Ludwig''s boots. Dust rained from the ceiling, glittering in the faint bioluminescent glow of the fungus clinging to the walls.


    The Batlord''s wings, veined with pulsating arteries thicker than Ludwig''s fingers, stretched to their full span. The creature itself was massive in size and with his wings opened it just gave it a more terrifying feel.


    The membranes were scarred from centuries of combat, patched with knotted tissue where older wounds had healed unevenly. As it exhaled, its breath rolled outward in a visible fog, reeking of rotten stench of flesh and the acrid tang of blood¡ªa scent so potent it made even Ludwig''s undead nostrils flare in protest.


    Ludwig didn''t wait for the beast to strike.


    "Explosive Mine! Quadruple!"


    The spell erupted from his fingertips in a sequence of four crimson orbs, each humming with unstable energy. They streaked toward the tunnel entrance like comets, illuminating the jagged stone walls in hellish light. Beyond that threshold, the skittering of the horde crescendoed¡ªa symphony of chitinous legs and rasping wings, growing louder, closer¡ªuntil the mines made contact.


    The detonation was apocalyptic.


    Stone vaporized in the blast radius, the concussion wave hurling debris outward in a lethal hail. Ludwig''s torn clothes whipped around him as the shockwave passed, the sound so immense it flattened the Batlord''s ears against its skull. The ceiling collapsed in a roaring cascade, sealing the entrance under a tomb of rubble. Dust choked the air, reducing visibility to a murky twilight, but Ludwig was already moving, his body a coiled spring.


    "Duck!" Thomas''s warning was a razor''s edge against his consciousness.


    Ludwig dropped into a crouch as a gale-force torrent of compressed air ripped through the space where his head had been.


    The Batlord''s wings wasn''t done, as it had condensed the air into a shimmering, visible shockwave. It struck the far wall with the force of a trebuchet payload, pulverizing stone into powder.


    Ludwig''s left arm snapped up, the Soul Chain unraveling from his wrist and weaving itself into a circular buckler in midair. The kinetic bomb slammed into it with the force of a runaway train.


    BOOM.


    The shield held for a fraction of a second¡ªjust long enough for Ludwig to register the individual links screaming under the strain¡ªbefore it unchained itself. The remnants of the blast hurled him backward, his boots skidding across stone as he fought for balance. His heels dug trenches into the rock, mud, blood and what looked like guano flew everywhere from the impact and push, until he finally arrested his momentum in a crouch.


    A grin split his face, the expression more skull-like than human.


    "Oh, I see hope in your eyes," Ludwig purred, his voice a graveled whisper. Durandal''s Shard shifted from sword to scythe with a snick of transforming metal, the blade catching the dim light like a sliver of frozen venom. "Don''t disappoint me now." sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Batlord''s roar shook the cavern, dislodging stalactites that shattered like crystalline rain around Ludwig. The creature''s massive chest expanded, ribs straining against leathery skin as it drew in a breath that smelled of rotting meat and copper. Its eyes - twin pools of liquid hatred - locked onto Ludwig with terrifying focus.


    Ludwig''s fingers tightened around the Shard of Durandal''s hilt. The weapon hummed in response, its chain slithering across the stone floor like a living thing. He could feel the ancient steel''s hunger mirroring his own. This will be a dance of blood and thunder, he thought, rolling his shoulders as he settled into a combat stance.


    The Batlord struck first.


    Its right claw swept horizontally, moving faster than something so massive should be capable of. Ludwig barely had time to react. He dropped into a slide, feeling the displaced air ruffle his hair as the claws passed inches above him. The moment he cleared the attack, he planted his left hand and pivoted, his boot scraping against the rough stone as he came up facing the beast''s flank.


    [Summersault Slam!]


    Ludwig''s body became a whirling dervish of steel and fury. He launched himself upward, twisting in midair to bring the scythe down in a devastating arc. The blade bit deep between the Batlord''s shoulder blades, eliciting a shriek that made the very air vibrate. Black blood fountained from the wound, splattering across Ludwig''s face in warm, sticky ropes.


    -21,115 HP!


    The creature''s health bar shimmered into view above its head, the red portion noticeably diminished. But this was far from over.


    The Batlord reared back, its wings beating furiously as it tried to dislodge the scythe embedded in its flesh. Ludwig held fast, his undead muscles straining as he kept pressure on the weapon. The chain attached to it thrummed with tension, vibrating like a plucked guitar string.


    The bat looked like it was hesitant on moving on the left side, and checking his wings, he noticed a massive gash that seemed to have healed only recently.


    Ludwig''s grin turned feral. A weakness. He yanked hard on the chain, using it to swing himself onto the Batlord''s back. The creature bucked like an enraged bull, its claws scrabbling at empty air as it tried to reach him.


    The cavern became a whirlwind of motion. The Batlord spun, slammed itself against walls, even attempted to roll - all to dislodge its unwanted rider. Ludwig held on like a burr, his legs clamped tight around the creature''s ribcage. With each impact, his bones rattled, but the pain was nothing more than a distant annoyance.


    With the scythe''s edge in between the Batlord''s shoulder blades, Ludwig flung the chain on his left arm right inside the creature''s mouth. The other end of the chain sprung toward Ludwig and he grabbed it with his other hand. He slammed the opened end onto the scythe and grabbed the chain on both sides with his hands like reining a horse.


    He then stood up on the back of the Bat, like a rider.

 Chapter 254 - 254: Uninvited Guests

    "Remember the Dreadjaw? This is like a deja vu" Thomas called out, his voice barely audible over the chaos.


    "Yeah, but the Dreadjaw was cuter than this!" Ludwig said as he wrenched with a far stronger pull. The difference between the current Ludwig and the Ludwig that tamed the Dreadjaw was massive.


    With Ludwig''s current strength and power, he wouldn''t have any issues with commanding the Batlord with brutality, and he proved that immediately by how Ludwig could move the creature in whatever way he wanted.


    And if the Batlord didn''t agree, or tried to squirm and throw Ludwig off, all Ludwig needed was to lightly kick the scythe that was piercing the flesh between the Batlord''s shoulder blades. The kick sent electric-like shocks of pain through the bat lord''s body as it shuddered and shook from pain.


    Yet, unlike the Dreadjaw, this creature seemed adamant on remaining free, even if it would cost it its life.


    Then the creature changed tactics.


    It stopped struggling abruptly, going completely still. For a heartbeat, Ludwig thought he''d won. Then he felt the muscles beneath him coil like springs.


    "Uh oh," Thomas managed before the Batlord launched itself straight upward.


    The impact on the ceiling was catastrophic. Ludwig had just enough presence of mind to push himself off as tons of rock came crashing down. He hit the ground in a roll, coming up with his chain in his arm at the ready while the scythe remained inside the creature for good measure.


    The Batlord wasn''t done. It landed with earth-shaking force, its wounded wing dragging slightly. Blood poured from multiple wounds now, pooling around its talons. But its eyes burned with undiminished fury.


    Ludwig spat out a mouthful of dust. "Alright then," he growled. "Let''s finish this."


    Ludwig then yanked on the chain with his left hand as he flung himself closer to the Batlord, "Unfortunately, you''re too weak!" Ludwig said as he slammed both his open palms into the Batlord''s ears, "Explosive Mines, double."


    The spells manifested from Ludwig''s palms right into the ears of the Batlord.


    The creature couldn''t express its surprise at the audacious pesky creature that presented itself to its jaws so willingly, but it made a grave mistake in thinking that Ludwig was trying to end his own life.


    The explosion of fire, sound, and shockwave immediately shook the brain of the Batlord. Its sensitive ears were assaulted with a wave of overbearing pain that rattled every bone in its body and frayed every nerve alongside it. The creature sputtered blood from every one of its orifices and immediately flopped down to the ground, spasming for a bit before remaining completely still.


    -16,026


    -17,255


    [Batlord is Stunned!]


    [Batlord is Blinded]


    [Batlord is currently unconscious] S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The health of the Batlord dipped to the red, and with it having fallen unconscious, Ludwig simply jumped up on its back again and wrenched the scythe from between its shoulder blades.


    Bones, flesh, sinew ,and nerves all tore with utter ease as the creature fell down in a pool of its own blood on the floor.


    A notification screen showed up in front of him.


    [You have slain the Boss of the Werebat dungeon]


    [You have obtained a {Brave Soul}X 2]


    [You have obtained, Defiled Core Fragment]


    [You have obtained [Sanguine Seal] ]


    [The Spire of Teeth is now ownerless, without the ruler of the Spire the Batlord which are the weakest of the dwellers of the Bastos March will find themselves without a leader. Chaos will ensue in their ranks as many of their kin will attempt to fill the empty throne.]


    Ludwig waved away the notification as he scanned the loot.


    "The drops aren''t that great," Ludwig said as he picked up the items. Though the Brave Souls were a great addition to his stash of souls, he was disappointed as this Werebat was quite skimpy on the rewards.


    In his hands, Ludwig inspected the [Sanguine Seal] a ring that had a blood red gemstone in the center of it. Along with the symbol of the house of Bastos.


    ***


    Sanguine Seal -Ring-


    Item category: Accessory


    Effects: Recovers 5% of all physical damage dealt as health. Only applicable to warm blooded creatures.


    Lore: A ring that was once the property of one of the few True Vampires to live. This ring was used mainly to seal documents and letters, but after having been with its owner for hundreds of years, it grew a hunger for blood.


    ***


    "Nice, life steal items are always broken," Ludwig said.


    Just as he finished his words, the rubble on the entrance to the room began shuddering, the Werebats were coming in.


    "Are you ready for this?" Thomas asked.


    "Aren''t I always?" Ludwig said as he flicked his weapon to its sword form.


    ***


    Somewhere far from the Bastos march and barely at the rims of the overgrown forest surrounding the whole city, a source of light was surging out from between the shady-looking trees.


    A group of adventurers was sitting around a campfire, six of them in fact.


    "Timur, pass that thigh," One of the burlier adventurers, who looked like a barbarian from his sheer size and tattoos on his body, asked.


    Timur, a man of a far shorter stature, smiled as he ripped the thigh of a roasting wild boar and handed it to his companion.


    "We should have brought some salt," a female adventurer said as she was having difficulty eating the unseasoned food.


    While they were eating, the sound of footsteps echoed near them, then a rustle, and almost instantly,y everyone who was having their food was grabbing their weapons.


    From inside the shadows and bushes, a young man emerged, he was wearing full black clothes, akin to an assassin almost.


    "Robin, anything strange around us?" the man named Timur said.


    "Nothing Captain. No monsters nearby either."


    "Good, good, come have some food, we''ll have a big day tomorrow," Timur said.


    "Is it really alright to go there? The last group that went there never came back," the female adventurer said.


    "I heard rumors that they were seen in the Kingdom of Sand. They must have found treasures and refused to report them to the adventurers'' guild; that''s the only way they could keep the majority of the items themselves, even if cursed," Timur said.


    "How trustworthy is your information?" the barbarian asked as he continued eating.


    Timur opened his mouth and closed it, "I''m not gonna lie, he hasn''t been the best informant, but most of his tips are solid. What I do know is," the captain said as he pulled a small medal, "The Vampire Hunters are paying solid money to investigate the manor." He said.


    "Yeah, those lazy slobs, I mean, why not do that shit themselves, they pride themselves for being Vampire Hunters but when was the last time you''ve ever seen a vampire?" The female healer shook her head.


    "All they have is their name. The Real Vampire hunters disbanded hundreds of years ago. These guys just want to revive their so-called legacy, as for me, I''m getting paid by the job. Once we obtain proof of being inside the Bastos Manor, we''ll leave," Timur said as he tore through the roasted boar in front of him.

 Chapter 255 - 255: Tainted Murder

    The fallen stalactites that had once sealed the entrance to the boss room now lay in shattered ruins, their jagged remains jutting from the cavern floor like the broken teeth of some long-dead leviathan. Dust still hung thick in the air, stirred by the frenzied claws of the Werebats as they forced their way through the narrow gap. Their bodies pressed against one another in a squirming, snarling mass¡ªwings tangled, fangs bared, eyes burning with a mindless, all-consuming rage. A frenzy that made them look like they were monsters from a horror movie.


    Ludwig could hear the wet, guttural snarls of the closest Werebat as it wrenched itself through the opening, its talons gouging deep furrows into the stone. Saliva dripped from its maw in thick ropes, its breath reeking of rotting meat and blood. Behind it, dozens more writhed in the tunnel, their collective fury turning the air into a suffocating miasma of hatred. The sound of their screeches was deafening, a cacophony of nails on glass and bones cracking under pressure.


    Only this movie was all too real for Ludwig.


    "This is going to be tough," Thomas said.


    Ludwig didn''t answer immediately. His gaze remained fixed on the encroaching horde, his mind racing through calculations. The Werebats were packed too tightly, their numbers too overwhelming for conventional combat. But that very weakness was their undoing.


    A slow, cold smirk curled his lips as he raised his hand. "You think so?" he said, his voice eerily calm. "We''re not under the eyes of the Empire anymore." Dark energy crackled around his fingertips, a swirling miasma of violet-black power that hissed like a living thing. "[Taint]."


    A spell he rarely used, technically he only used once before. It was a rather weak spell, a curse in fact, that would perfoliate through an entity''s body and curse them, weakening their flesh and bones, and corroding it. It wasn''t that great to use in one against one combat as it was a slow ticking spell that did very small amounts of damage.


    However, where it excels was in group combat, against many opponents, especially opponents that allowed the spread of this curse.


    A violet and violent surge of dark energy shot out from Ludwig''s hand and latched onto the Werebat that was trashing the most trying to get inside to tear through Ludwig for having killed their boss.


    The creature''s body convulsed once when it was afflicted with the curse, deep dark purple marks and mares spread all over its body, a burning sensation seemed to assault it as small puffs of smoke rose from its body, but the Werebat didn''t seem to mind the damage it was receiving. After all, from what Ludwig could see, the Werebat was losing miniscule amounts of health due to the curse.


    "That''s it?" Thomas asked, incredulous.


    "That''s only the start," Ludwig said as he jumped forward and dove his weapon right through the infected werebat.


    In one fluid motion, he lunged forward, his sword flashing in the dim light. The blade punched through the cursed Werebat''s gaping maw, skewering it from jaw to heart with lethal precision.


    [You have slain a Werebat]


    The creature collapsed, lifeless¡ªbut Ludwig wasn''t done.


    "Rise Undead!" Ludwig cast as soon as the creature died.


    [You have revived a Zombie Werebat]


    For a brief moment, Thomas looked skeptical. "One zombie isn''t going to stop them."


    He was right. With the Zombie Werebat at the front, the hundred of Werebats behind it would maul it and turn it to minced meat in seconds, but things weren''t as simple in Ludwig''s calculating eyes.


    The taint which was afflicted onto the living Werebat was now affected by the power of Undeath.


    ***


    [Congratulations you have uncovered a harmonious Skill]


    [Your curse [Taint] has fused with the Undeath Aura of a Zombie- [Contagion].]


    [Tainted Contamination] All creatures in the vicinity of the Cursed Undead will be afflicted by Tainted Contamination, the damage of [Tainted Contamination] will scale based on how many enemies it afflicts.


    Each consecutive spread will duplicate the base damage.


    The curse can be applied and re-applied on already cursed targets indefinitely.


    The curse [Tainted Contamination] can only spread through physical contact.


    ***


    Almost instantly, the purple marks spread to the nearest Werebat that was also trying to get inside, then the ones behind it and the ones behind that too.


    In less than a few seconds, the screech of Werebats seemed to grow to a crescendo.


    Ludwig barely had time to process the notification before the cavern erupted into chaos. The Werebats'' frenzied screeches turned into shrieks of agony as the curse ravaged their bodies, their health bars plummeting in rapid succession.


    And the notification of Inflicted enemies began scrolling down Ludwig''s sight like a cascading waterfall. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In matter of seconds, hundreds upon hundreds of Werebats were afflicted, and in almost similar time¡­


    [You have slain Werebat]


    [You have slain Werebat]


    [You have slain Werebat]


    ¡­


    The system messages flooded Ludwig''s vision, a relentless cascade of death. Within seconds, the entire horde was collapsing, their bodies withering under the exponential growth of the curse''s damage. The cavern floor became a writhing sea of twitching limbs and dissolving flesh, the air thick with the stench of decay.


    "YOOO what the hell, that''s broken?!" Thomas asked, his flickering form glowing brightly this time from sheer surprise.


    Ludwig exhaled, watching the last of the creatures twitch and die. "Yeah, I guess so." He flexed his fingers, the remnants of dark energy dissipating. "But there''s a limitation."


    "Are you kidding me? What sort of limitation could even make this look bad?"


    "The fact that Tainted Contamination needs physical contact to spread. So unless they''re huddled up together like this, it''s quite useless, in fact Contagion from zombies is actually more effective because it afflicts a small area around them. But this fused skill needs the enemies to touch and be huddled up together to spread this fast. Now time to get the loot," Ludwig said as he walked out of the now cleared cave.