The western outskirts of Arilleia Island.
A clearing made wide for the sake of only one being.
There, a Dragon and a knight were continuing their heated training.
Burn.
Of course, the one training was the Dragon, Freya, and the one watching over her was the Dragon Knight, Regarda Ovierre.
Freya was in the middle of practicing Dragon Tongue in her true form.
‘Bu, Buuurn…?’
Fwoosh—
Interest.
The language spoken as a Dragon has the power to move Magic Power by its very nature, so the Magic Power within the body reacts naturally and creates magic according to that will.
That was the greatness of the Dragon Tongue.
However.
“The power loaded into the words is still weak, Freya.”
Although it had turned into flames according to Freya’s will, it was weak.
It was because her intent had not yet grown.
Normally, one would see the Dragon Tongue of their own kind, observe the flow of massive Magic Power and its results, and learn it naturally. But all Freya had seen were sparks caused by crude skills.
Therefore, Freya’s Dragon Tongue could only manifest to that extent.
[It is difficult.]
It hadn’t been long since she began learning the Dragon Tongue in earnest.
Until then, she had been busy adapting to the Dragon’s body and learning how to handle Magic Power.
In a manner of speaking, the adaptation period had only just ended.
Because of that, a look of pity passed through Regarda’s eyes.
If only he were a Magician instead of a knight.
In times like these, the spear techniques he had mastered were of no use… If he were a Magician, perhaps he could have shown and taught Freya much more.
“Recall the battle that took place at the Kingdom’s Capital of Hibernia back then.”
This was the only thing he could do for her.
That day, which he had been intentionally avoiding thinking about.
Reciting the memory of the day he had no choice but to send Aerial away.
“You might not have seen it clearly because you were far away, but even so, remember the Blue Flame that rose. That was something truly comparable to a Dragon’s fire.”
The blue flames that covered the sky, shown by the Magician.
Of course, it was true that it lacked compared to the fire breathed by a true Dragon.
The Magician’s will was contained in that sea of Blue Flame, but his intent was not.
Unless even that was included, merely burning hot on the surface would never reach the level of a Dragon.
Conversely, it meant that if only intent were included, it would become a power more terrifying than anything in the world.
[If it is the flames of the Magician…]
Freya also recalled the battle in the sky she had seen that day.
Even though all she did was watch from far away while being carried on Airlights’ back.
By the time they arrived nearby, Aerial was falling along with the Skill: Celestial light, but because she had seen it from afar, she could guess the immense power of those flames.
[I will try!]
Finally, a mental image began to take shape.
In her mind, she drew the flames of that day that covered the sky and struck down toward the Dragon from all directions, and Freya’s will soon summoned it.
Thus, the power was released through language.
[Cover everything.]
Magic Power fluctuated violently and began to take shape according to the Dragon’s will.
[…Wow!]
It soon became the Blue Sun of that day, completely covering the sky.
Even after accomplishing such a feat in just a few attempts, the only thing she said was a small exclamation.
[It is pretty!]
That was a Dragon.
A sublime lifeform called a demigod.
An almost infinite amount of Magic Power held within the body. Scales harder than anything in the world. Profound intelligence and the mental strength to manifest magic as easily as breathing.
Furthermore, was Freya not a green dragon who governed the wind?
It meant that she was at this level even though fire was not her specialty.
“Well done.”
Even the blunt Regarda nodded and praised her this time.
[Hehe. Then have I mastered Dragon Tongue now?]
“You are still a long way off. You must learn all the Dragon Tongue in the Magician’s House and even Aerial’s unique Dragon Tongue magic.”
[Yes…]
Despite being a wind dragon, she still couldn’t properly control the wind.
The road ahead was still very long.
The training continued regardless of day or night.
It was possible because Regarda and Freya had a concept of time that was beyond common sense.
In the midst of such continuous training and teaching, Freya would often ask Regarda.
[What was the war with the Strange Entities like?]
A war from a thousand years ago that no one remembered.
Although related history remained in Arilleia, even that was not accurate.
It was because it was written purely based on Regarda’s memories.
All other records had vanished without a trace.
As if they had been swallowed by the Abyssal Depths.
Regarda answered Freya’s questions with all his heart.
He seemed blunt on the outside, but he was always doing his best for Freya.
[What were the dragons originally like?]
[What were the Magicians of old like?]
However, Freya, still a young Dragon, was overflowing with curiosity.
What other dragons looked like.
What kind of habits they had and how they lived.
What life was like when magic flourished and what kinds of Magicians existed.
When they talked about such things, stories of the distant past would come up.
“It is said that among the ancient Magicians, there was one who loved dragons very much.”
It was a story from the very distant past that Regarda had only heard through Aerial.
[Wow! That sounds cool!]
“…Yes. Anyway, he liked dragons so much that he even created magic to be with them for a lifetime.”
[Magic?]
“It is said to be similar to a contract where soul and soul are connected. Magic that allows one to call a Dragon whenever they wish and freely use that omnipotent power.”
It was said that such magic existed in ancient times.
It wouldn’t be very strange since it was a time when dragons clearly existed and magic was highly developed.
“But in the end, that magic was completely destroyed when the dragons stepped in directly.”
[Eh? But it is a good magic that lets you stay together forever, right?]
“Do you think a Dragon and a human can stay together? Humans are beings who live based on desire. The massive power of a Dragon that can be used at any time. A human using that for petty desires. It was literally a Great Catastrophe.”
[Hiek! That is too much!]
Freya was making a crying face even with her majestic Dragon countenance.
At that sight, Regarda spoke firmly with a faint smile.
“So Freya. Do not follow just anyone simply because they ask to make a contract or follow them.”
[Hmm… even if it is someone I know?]
“Yes. Always think about the massive influence your power possesses.”
[Yes, sir!]
“Since it is said that every Dragon came forward to completely destroy that Great Catastrophe-like magic that controls dragons, you will never see it, but I am telling you to be careful.”
[What was the name of that magic?]
At Freya’s question, Regarda briefly combed through his old memories.
One of the most terrible magics, perhaps, that could summon and control a demigod Dragon at will.
The name was definitely…
“Ancient Grimoire: Book of Dragon Summoning.”
That was its name.
***
After checking all the skill effects of Spatial Magic, I immediately left the Room of the Spatial Magician on the 125th floor.
If possible, I wanted to learn Spatial Magic in depth as well, but the efficiency was not good for that.
I had confirmed through the effects that this would provide a sufficiently satisfying result as the fifth high-rank skill, so now it was time to move on to other tasks.
And if I was talking about other tasks, it was naturally.
– Necromancy! Let’s go right now!
‘Was I not the disciple of a Necromancer, after all?’
It was quite ambiguous to say which school of magic Hio belonged to right now.
Necromancy was the only magic he had learned by inscribing every Circle Inscription from the basics, but in reality, he was hardly using it.
– That ‘Ging-ging’ or ‘Ce-ce’ or whatever of yours, the one that fits best with it is Necromancy. If I had taught you this from the start, your mind might not have been so exhausted… then again, maybe not?
“What’s with that ambiguous statement?”
– …You’ll see once we get there.
I immediately took a portal and moved to the floor for Necromancy education.
Unlike other floors, it was a gloomy floor where Deathly Energy lingered.
– Necromancy up to the 4th Circle was mainly focused on summoning.
As we walked down the hallway of such a gloomy training ground, Furnel’s explanation began.
– Summon Lava, Summon Phantom Steed, Summon Ghost—with the exception of attack magic like Bone Spear, a Necromancer up to the 4th Circle is generally someone who summons ghosts to fight. Also, though you might not know, there was a way to directly create undead by collecting corpses and Deathly Energy.
“So you’re saying it’s different from the 5th Circle?”
– That’s right. From now on, you will truly be a one-man army, the Magician one least wants to encounter on a battlefield, a true Necromancer.
“Oho…”
This was certainly the reason I hadn’t used Necromancy much before.
The destructive power wasn’t superior to elemental magic, and the ghosts or Lava that were summoned weren’t particularly capable.
At least I was making good use of the Phantom Steed because I had the Spirit Body trait.
The rest had flaws in various ways.
– Besides, don’t you even possess the Three Regalia of Kreutzvalt? The Lantern and the Cloak. If that ‘Ging-ging’ or whatever is added to those…
Furnel smacked his lips as if he were salivating just at the thought.
– It would truly be the second coming of Kreutzvalt.
“I’m not able to properly utilize Kreutzvalt’s Artifacts right now. According to what you’re saying, it means I’ll be able to use them properly now.”
The Cloak, the Staff, and the Lantern—what Furnel called the Three Regalia of Kreutzvalt.
Hio was currently unable to fully use the power of these magnificent Artifacts.
The reason could be seen by looking at their abilities.
[Kreutzvalt’s Dignified Cloak (Epic)]
[A cloak made for the great Necromancer Kreutzvalt, who brought down a kingdom alone over nine nights. It is specialized in powers related to death.]
[When worn, the total amount of Death Aura required for creating undead is significantly reduced.]
[Death Aura: Stat enhancement for all summoned undead +30%]
[Dignity: All summoned undead are summoned with a shield. The strength of the shield is proportional to the amount of Magic Power used by the summoner.]
[Soul Harvester’s Lantern (Epic)]
[An object not of this world]
[Soul Absorption: You can permanently increase stats by absorbing souls. The rate of increase varies according to the rank of the soul.]
[Soul Storage: You can store souls without damage. Souls stored in the lantern for a long time can be controlled by the user.]
[Soul Recovery: You can consume stored souls to recover spiritual power or vitality.]
[Soul Extraction: You can extract the purest darkness from a soul and convert it into dark-attribute Magic Power. This is the energy that is the root of all black magic.]
As one could see, the abilities were for summoning undead or absorbing souls.
– Look, the monsters in the Abyss also all have souls. You should have utilized the Lantern while on the infinite floors.
“It… is true. Just because they are stained by the Abyssal Depths doesn’t mean their souls have disappeared.”
Abyss Monsters were actually creatures that originally existed somewhere in this world.
Naturally, they had souls, and although they were submerged in the Abyssal Depths, the fact that they were souls remained unchanged…
He should have been able to perform Soul Absorption through the Soul Harvester’s Lantern.
The reason he hadn’t was that he was too busy pouring out magic, and he had excluded the idea of Soul Absorption entirely.
“If I absorb a soul… what happens to the original soul?”
Although they were treated as Abyss Monsters here, cursed and pointed at with scorn, did Hio not know that they were innocent?
In such a state, if he even absorbed their souls, what would happen to those pitiful souls?
Furnel’s answer to that was quite cold.
– It’s obvious. They will be extinguished. So steel your heart. To do what you want to do, you must do this. You can’t achieve anything with a half-hearted mindset.
In fact, every single word was correct.
‘Where was there a way to save a soul already stained by the Abyssal Depths?’
No matter how pitiful they were, no matter how miserable the souls were, there was no way to restore them.
If there were, everyone would have been restored long ago. Such a tragedy would not have happened.
– Become strong enough to break through any variable with power. You know well how difficult that is. Next time, don’t hesitate and absorb all the souls.
“……I understand.”
Absorbing souls with the effect of the Lantern increases stats permanently.
I didn’t know how much the increase would be because I hadn’t tried it, but it would certainly be significant.
“That aside, what about the Cloak? The effect of the Cloak is basically activated only when you summon undead.”
The effect of the Cloak was to lower the Death Aura needed to create undead and to strengthen them.
‘To do that, wouldn’t I need the power to immediately turn deaths on the battlefield back?’
To that question, Furnel replied with a grin.
– We’re going to do that now. You’re now going to properly learn how a Necromancer lives.
A Necromancer’s way of life is unique.
No, it would be more accurate to say it’s half-insane.
Wherever they go, they have their eyes peeled, looking only for corpses.
It’s fine in an era overflowing with war and conflict, but in an era that isn’t, a Necromancer is a symbol of ill omen.
If a Necromancer appears, corpses naturally follow, so it might be a natural phenomenon to think that way.
– But you are a Necromancer who grew up very sheltered. Aside from when you first entered the field, you’ve barely even touched a corpse, haven’t you?
“Well, there wasn’t really a need to…”
– Mouth! Watch your mouth! How dare you, when your master is speaking!
“……Fine. Go on.”
Excited by his long-awaited dominance, Furnel stroked his non-existent chin and continued grandly.
– Anyway, no matter how great you are, you can’t just keep throwing Bone Spears forever. You need to enter the real stage of undead production.
“Like skeletons?”
– Hey! Why such low-level undead? With your level, you could aim for a Dullahan or a Death Knight. The problem is the corpses. Does nothing come to mind when you think of where to get bodies high-quality enough to create high-ranking undead?
A high-level physical body capable of producing high-ranking undead.
A place where such corpses could be obtained.
“Don’t tell me… Abyss Monsters?”
At Hio’s answer, Furnel puffed up his body and rejoiced.
– Correct!
“Is that possible?”
– “Why wouldn’t it be? They die, too. And when they die, the soul leaves no matter how stained they are by the Abyssal Depths. Then you take that soul to raise your stats with Soul Absorption, and take the remaining physical body to turn it into a high-ranking undead. In short, it’s an incredibly precious resource with nothing to throw away!”
“……You’re insane.”
He was insane.
Even if they were innocent beings in life, not only was he going to absorb their souls, but he was also going to use their physical bodies.
Of course, he had resolved to steel his heart, but Furnel’s way of thinking was on a different level.
He was a true Necromancer to the bone.
Whether he read Hio’s complex expression or not, Furnel flew up in front of his eyes.
– “Why, can’t you do it?”
Hio closed his eyes for a moment at Furnel’s question, as he stared intently with his large eyeball.
And when those eyes opened again, there was no longer any hesitation left.
“I must. Since I vowed to become stronger no matter what it takes.”
At that, Furnel began to laugh loudly, as if satisfied.
– “Right! Of course, that’s how it should be!”
He said this with the corners of his mouth curled up to the top of his head.