39th Episode – Second Try
Early morning.
On the snowy and icy plain, atop a hill rising in its corner,
the swarming undead army was clearly visible below.
Hiding my body, I addressed the remaining three.
“Ah… so let me explain the plan one more time. Everyone knows the rough outline, right?”
Halsenberg, Leira, and Seop Baek hesitantly nodded.
“…”
“…”
The atmosphere within this party couldn’t be described as good. Especially between Seop Baek and Leira, it was as if an invisible wall stood between them.
“…”
“…”
The two were treating each other as if invisible.
Though I could sense the uncomfortable tension, I couldn’t bring myself to tell them to reconcile. Honestly, I didn’t want to reconcile with Leira myself, so who am I to scold them?
Sighing, I first looked at Halsenberg and said,
“Halsenberg, please focus solely on forging a path at the front. Once we reach Eldritch, retreat along the same route we came. Don’t worry about me.”
“…Young Master Jung Yong. Surely, that cannot be. I must also accompany you to the very end…”
Halsenberg hesitated as he spoke.
I knew he’d say that. Interrupting him before he could finish, I cut him off.
“Halsenberg, in case the plan fails, you have the critical task of protecting these two ladies. Isn’t protecting ladies part of chivalry? Please handle that. As for me, I’ll handle my own escape.”
“But… ”
“But this and but that. The lives of these two women rest in your hands. Do you understand?”
“…I understand. Let’s do it that way.”
Halsenberg reluctantly nodded. As expected. This approach works effectively, just like in the previous life.
With that thought in mind, I glanced at the remaining two, and I sighed involuntarily.
Judging by their discontented expressions, it looked like this conversation would take longer than with Halsenberg.
I asked Leira first.
“Why are you so sulky again?”
“I’ve been like this from the start.”
“…”
That’s right. She’s been full of complaints from the start. Though she might verbally grumble, following Guin’s recommendation and her master Halsenberg’s orders, she likely won’t neglect the task given to her. We have to trust in that.
“You will stay here and wait. Once we enter, you’ll start drawing the Undead’s attention. Just use your spinning iron ball technique, and that’ll do.”
“I know without you telling me.”
Without her usual sass. She’s clearly not pleased. I turned my gaze from her to Seop Baek.
“Why the long face?”
“I… I feel like I’m not doing anything significant. I’m worried I’m just deadweight…”
Seop Baek said with a deflated expression.
I widened my eyes and grabbed her shoulder.
“What are you talking about? You’ve been given a huge responsibility!”
“Guarding from the back and keeping watch – how is that significant?”
“You’re not just watching. Your Ki Dragon is helping me earn my keep here.”
At my words, Seop Baek fell silent.
That’s right. Seop Baek was a supporting engineer—simply put, a buffer. Her Ki Dragon could be attached to others, enhancing their various physical abilities.
We were going to make full use of that ability in this battle. She was absolutely not just a straw scarecrow standing there.
Moreover, Seop Baek had been given another critical task.
“Look at all those Undead. Do you think we can emerge unscathed from breaking through them?”
I pointed down at the hill.
Down there, hundreds, no, thousands of various Undead wriggled and carried out their insane actions.
“GGGGGEEEEEEH!”
“KAAAH!!!”
Some clusters fought and devoured each other, while others screamed aimlessly at the sky. Just watching them made me feel like my sanity would start to crumble.
Glancing momentarily, Seop Baek shuddered and turned her eyes away. I took that moment to address her,
“If we fail and have to flee, the presence of any injured ones will slow us down considerably. So if that happens, immediately heal them with your Ki Dragon. Got it?”
“…Yes. I understand. Please trust in me.”
Finally, Seop Baek nodded with a touch of pride on her face.
She was a girl who clearly craved attention.
Anyway, I extended my hand toward Seop Baek.
“Then let’s start. Attach your Ki Dragon to me.”
“Yes.”
Seop Baek nodded and summoned her Ki Dragon immediately. Whispering something, the Ki Dragon nodded briefly before flapping and merging into my body. A cool yet slightly chilly sensation spread through me, different from the feeling of Ether.
“Wow… what a rush of energy.”
I was reminded of the slogan from a cereal commercial. The sensation was that intense—enormous power coursing through my veins.
With the preparations in my mind complete, we just awaited the perfect moment to depart. Then, from behind, Leira asked,
“There’s one thing I want to ask.”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“Why did you choose this specific time?”
“Ah…”
I began reflexively answering and couldn’t help but smirk at the irony.
In the previous life, it was Halsenberg asking; this time, it was Leira. The growing number of people in the group was becoming palpable.
I grinned mischievously as I muttered,
“Because of the renewal of insurance.”
[The point of immortal return has been renewed.]
[Date – Mittelrand Kingdom Calendar/Year 547, December 21, 7:00 AM]
[Location – Northern Border of Halsenberg Territory, Snowy Plains]
[Notice – The Undying Demon King is nearing hatching.]
[Notice – The return point will renew every 12 hours until The Undying Demon King is fully resurrected.]
The time had come.
With that, I commenced my final preparations.
“Hopefully, nothing happens this time…”
With familiar movements, I rummaged through my backpack, pulled out the Box of the Dead, and swiftly renewed the “death insurance.”
‘Preparations are done.’
All that was left was to charge ahead. I immediately absorbed the Ether.
The previous failure had emphasized the necessity for offensive power, so I had removed one each of Wind and Earth Ether and charged with Fire Ether instead.
‘This time, full doping!’
I absorbed the three Ethers simultaneously.
Savoring the light sensation swirling around my body, I signaled to Halsenberg.
“Let’s go, Halsenberg!”
“Understood!”
We both sprang up in unison.
Without needing to signal who would go first, we powerfully kicked off from the end of the hill.
“GOOOO!”
“HAHHHH!”
With roars and shouts, we plummeted vertically down toward the plain.
SWISHH! We drew our swords.
The two of us drove forward like two wedges toward the swarm of countless Undead.
“HAATTT!!”
Suddenly, a cry and accompanying sound of flesh being torn resounded—not made by either Halsenberg or myself.
“KUEEEAAK!”
Instantly, a portion of the Undead blocking our path collapsed where they stood. Halsenberg and I stared astonished at the scene.
Enormous iron balls kept flying in, drawing the Undead’s attention.
“Hurry! I can’t hold them for long!”
Leira began sprinting in the opposite direction from us.
Each time her broom swirled, flashes of sword light appeared. Lower-tier Undead were invariably slashed into two.
‘Great, she’s definitely earning her keep!’
Despite my initial concerns about her cooperation, it seemed those worries were unfounded. Quite a number of lower-tier Undead were focused on Leira, making our progression much smoother.
Having personally experienced the last attempt, I could sense how drastically different things were this time.
“Now’s the moment! Charge, Halsenberg!”
“Of course!”
SWISHH, CRUNCH, SNAPT!
Like a single wedge, we penetrated deep into the formation’s center. The sound of flesh tearing echoed continuously as we advanced.
The distinctive crowd of nearby Undead made eerie scratching sounds as they rushed toward us.
“KUEEEAAK!”
“KIIAAAGH!”
Undead behave the same in both my previous life and this one.
They didn’t panic or waver upon our sudden assault; instead, they charged straight at us determined to devour our flesh.
“Ugh! There still are so many!”
Halsenberg, who was leading the charge while cutting through the Undead like lightning, suddenly shouted. Despite my incessant slashes, I too began to feel it.
‘Damn… have we slowed down again?!’
We had definitely advanced much further than last time.
However, the Undead pressing forward was packing more densely, and our advancement speed was decreasing geometrically.
Even Death Bishop hadn’t appeared yet. We can’t afford to stagnate already!
Just as I was biting my lips in growing frustration…
“Step aside, Master Jung Yong!”
Suddenly, Halsenberg slashed through five incoming ghouls at once, sheathed his sword, and drew the staff fastened at his waist.
The blood-red gem on the head of the staff began to crackle with a fierce blue lightning.
‘That’s…!’
The blindingly blue lightning that filled my vision and the ominously glowing red gem.
I realized what Halsenberg was about to do.
“Lotus Re-Embrace!”
CRACKKK!
A moment of blinding flash, and several streams of thick lightning surged forward.
The lightning scorched the air and Undead alike as it rampantly tore across all sides. Echoes of screams and flesh bursting rang through.
It was a field of flowers made of lightning.
Beautiful, yet the destruction it left in its wake was enough to chill the spine.
‘The fuck, I can’t believe it, even the second time…’
A completely different dimension of ultimate magic from what Halsenberg had used before.
Surveying the scorched land around, I couldn’t help but whistle in awe.
“Really impressive, Halsenberg!”
I gave him a thumbs-up.
With difficulty, Halsenberg smiled and reinserted his staff into his waist.
“Phew. Ancient magic is no joke.”
Listening to his statement, I suddenly remembered.
Thinking back, Halsenberg had fallen into exhaustion from the aftermath of using this magic in the previous life.
‘Could it be… again this time?!’
I quickly scanned Halsenberg’s condition in detail but then sighed in relief.
Halsenberg’s breathing had grown rough, but he didn’t seem like he couldn’t endure it.
“What are you standing there for? Move on!”
“…Ah, Ah!”
Surprisingly, he urged me to press forward. His condition didn’t look like he was going to collapse immediately.
The scenario that I had experienced has now been broken!
‘Great. Now we break through!’
I clenched my fist and immediately followed closely behind Halsenberg.
And I shouted heartily,
“We still have a long way to go! Keep sharp and let’s go!”
“Understood!”
Like that, we advanced with unstoppable momentum.
Contrary to our fears, our speed only increased. This was because our skill in cutting through Undead had improved.
‘Here to the left! Kill two ghouls and just take the next hit!’
We precisely targeted only the necessary enemies, relying on our armor and the defensive prowess granted by Earth Ether to create an efficient path.
It was an insane speed. It seemed nothing could stop us.
…Until the shadowy bishops in their dark robes, wielding skull staffs appeared. This was our second encounter with them.
I grinned ferociously at the sight of them.
