Chapter 9: Death Knight (4)

The night had grown dark.

I threw myself onto the musty bed in my basement studio apartment.

The chaotic events of the day replayed vividly in my mind.

My memory was hazy from the moment the gate started collapsing—everything was such a blur.

Somehow, I managed to escape the dungeon before it fully collapsed, and in the midst of the chaos, I slipped away and hightailed it back home.

“Man, I survived. I actually made it out alive.”

But in the process, I ended up completely broke.

All the money I’d earned from selling Rozchild’s gold coins had gone up in flames.

Of course, the leather sack still overflowed with treasures.

But…

“How am I supposed to use this thing without worrying…?”

Using Rozchild’s leather sack guaranteed misfortune, big or small.

Thanks to that, I’d ended up experiencing an instance dungeon—a phenomenon rarer than winning the lottery.

I stashed the leather sack in my inventory.

“Why’s my ability so damn complicated? Other Awakeners don’t seem to have this problem.”

With a sigh, I opened my status window.

Ding-dong!

[Cha Hasang]  

Occupation: Morgue’s Inexperienced Warehouse Keeper  

Skills: Open (O), Close (C)  

– Morgue’s Magical Warehouse Exploration Rate  

   Safe: 0.02% <UP↑>  

Observation: (Locked)  

Unrest: (Locked)  

Terror: (Locked)  

Incomprehensible: (Locked)  

The exploration rate for Morgue’s Magical Warehouse had gone up.

Just a tiny bit, barely a fraction.

Does exploring the warehouse or using its items increase the rate?

I couldn’t pinpoint the exact mechanism, but I had a gut feeling.

I opened Featherback’s guidebook.

Ding-dong!

<Guidebook for Novice Warehouse Keepers>

– Storage Number: MRG-3021  

– Storage Grade: Safe  

The work log of Morgue Mu Featherback, the last warehouse keeper.  

Contains detailed information necessary for a rookie warehouse keeper to become the final warehouse keeper.  

“May the one who opens this journal be worthy.” 

– Morgue Mu Featherback  

Next, a list of items I could borrow from the warehouse appeared.

<The Immortal Pseudo-Dragon>  

– Storage Number: MRG-682  

– Storage Grade: Safe  

<The Reckless Tycoon’s Rawhide Sack> 

– Storage Number: MRG-1689  

– Storage Grade: Safe  

“The money sack is one thing… but the Immortal Pseudo-Dragon is seriously something else.”

The Immortal Pseudo-Dragon, confined at the entrance of the Safe zone.

I’d initially thought it would just serve as a meat shield.

Who would’ve thought it’d overpower a Death Knight?

And not just overpower—it dominated.

Tore it apart? 

Crushed it? 

Flipped it upside down?

Whatever you call it, that’s what happened.

“Though it threw a fit when I sent it back to the warehouse.”

I turned on the TV and switched to the news.

[Breaking news: The reason behind the sudden dungeon appearance in Dongjakgu, Seoul, has been revealed. Do you recall the Death Knight that clashed with Swordmaster Cheok Junseong on the 21st?]

The media announced that Swordmaster Cheok Junseong and Red Mage Tower Lord Shin Sodam had defeated the Death Knight.

Maybe that was for the best.

I don’t need any unwanted attention.

Since I still didn’t fully understand my ability, it was better to stay out of the spotlight for now.

“First, I need to make some money.”

I had to cover last month’s overdue rent, this month’s rent, and tuition for returning to school.

“Even as an Awakener, I should probably get that college degree. You never know how life will turn out.”

Some Awakeners retire from hunting and become professors or instructors, where a degree makes a huge difference.

“I heard submitting an Awakener registration can get you academic credits… I’ll think about that later. Much later.”

As I mulled over these thoughts, I checked my inventory.

Aside from Rozchild’s leather sack, other items caught my eye.

<Mana Stone> / Material / C  

A mana stone extracted from a C-rank magical beast.

<Crowman’s Scythe> / Two-Handed Weapon / C  

A scythe wielded by a Crowman.  

Crafted using the primitive smelting techniques of a subhuman race, its quality isn’t great.  

Holding it somehow makes you feel like killing.  

– Attack Power +80  

– Skill: “Sever” (Special)

<Crowman’s Cloak> / Cloak / C  

A cloak worn by a Crowman.  

Not really a cloak—just a rag woven from the feathers stripped off a Crowman’s body.  

Useless during the day, but helpful for avoiding notice at night.  

– Defense +80  

– Skill: “Crow Stealth” (Special)

Items dropped by the Crowmen in the Forest of Blade Trees.

“The scythe and cloak are too obviously tied to the Crowmen… they might raise suspicion, so I’ll hold onto them for now. But the mana stone? I can sell that right away.”

I’d heard C-rank items were quite valuable.

Having never traded mana stones before, I didn’t know the exact market price.

Maybe a few hundred thousand won?

I listed the C-rank mana stone on an auction app.

This way, people would bid competitively, and it’d sell at a fair price.

“Alright, that’s settled.”

With that, I’d wrapped up everything related to the Forest of Blade Trees dungeon.

Except for one thing.

[Master.]

A chilling voice came from behind me.

A shiver ran from the back of my neck to my tailbone.

I slowly turned around.

“Sigh.”

A deep sigh escaped me.

Why?

How could I not sigh?

An A+ rank super-high-tier magical beast, the Death Knight, was kneeling formally in my dingy basement apartment.

[Master.]

“What is it?”

[Please take me as your disciple.]

“Are you kidding me…?”

This had been going on since I got home.

I turned to stare at the Death Knight’s face.

Long, straight black hair.

The undead’s characteristic inverted eyes.

Skin so pale it was almost translucent, without a single blemish.

And the exposed parts of her body, damaged in places.

Her wounds are so severe you can see her bones and organs…

Overall, she looked like a character from a game’s concept art.

Above all, I never imagined the Death Knight would be a woman.

Was there ever news of a female Death Knight appearing?

Not that I’d heard of, at least.

But that wasn’t the important part right now.

[Master.]

Why did she keep calling me “Master”!?

“Did you hit your head or something?”

[Please speak informally, Master.]

“Why am I your master? Seriously, why?”

[Please speak informally, Master.]

I had a feeling.

This Death Knight was unbelievably stubborn.

With another sigh, I said, “Fine, I get it. So, why do you keep calling me Master? What did I do?”

The Death Knight slowly raised her head and spoke.

[…I’ve fallen for you.]

“?”

Did I hear that right?

Fallen for me?

Like, she wants to slice me in half with her sword or something?

Regardless, the Death Knight continued.

[The quality of a lord who summons a powerful beast with a single word and commands it at will.]

[The noble chivalry that not only avoids defiling the honor of the defeated but even covers their shame.]

“…”

[And the boundless generosity of taking in a lost soul like me into your sanctuary.]

“…”

Wasn’t she the one who followed me here on her own?

Then, the Death Knight placed a hand on her chest and bowed her head.

[Above all, you restored my freedom.]

The dark blue crystal embedded in the center of the Death Knight’s armor, known as the “Soul-Binding Fetters.”

This sinister gem was a cursed artifact that sealed the target’s ego, turning them into a puppet.

[Because of that artifact, I fell into a Death Knight, wandering the netherworld. My soul was trapped in the fetters, forced to watch the atrocities my body committed.]

She had wandered the Lokpia continent aimlessly before being caught in a gate and crossing into this world.

During the battle with the Pseudo-Dragon, the Soul-Binding Fetters were destroyed, allowing her to regain her ego.

[If you hadn’t saved me, Master, my soul would have fused with the fetters and been completely erased.]

“How long were you trapped in that artifact?”

[Exactly 19,982 days, 21 hours, 58 minutes, and 42 seconds.]

“…That’s over 50 years, even roughly speaking?”

[Not a single day, not a single moment, could I forget. I endured endlessly, obsessively replaying the moment I would tear apart the ‘Seven Traitors’ who defiled my beliefs and honor.]

Now it was starting to make sense.

Her unchanging expression.

Her emotionless, dry voice and unnaturally stiff demeanor.

[Though the atrocities were not my will, I cannot deny they were committed by my body. I have no intention of turning away from that responsibility. I wish to atone for my past sins by your side, Master.]

Her eyes were filled with sincerity.

[If I were to lose control again, you, Master, would surely be able to stop me. So please, take me as your disciple. I earnestly beg you.]

“…”

[At the very least, please take me in until I find a way back to my original world, Lokpia. I know it’s shameless, but I implore you.]

I didn’t know what to say, but sighs kept escaping me.

“Fine. Just until you find a way back to your world…”

[I am deeply grateful for your magnanimity! If it’s not too presumptuous, may I know your esteemed name?]

“Cha Hasang.”

[Cha Hasang-ya. A name imbued with nobility.]

“No, just Cha Hasang. Three syllables.”

[Cha Hasang. Understood. This unworthy disciple, Ravianglily Mu Jeanne d’Arc, swears to become a sword that carries out your will.]

Then, the Death Knight bit her thumb hard.

Crunch!

Dark red blood welled up on her pale finger.

She began writing something in the air.

The blood floated and formed letters.

Ravianglily Mu Jeanne d’Arc swears before the Twelve Nether Constellations to honor and follow Cha Hasang as her master.

What the hell is that? 

That’s creepy… Why’d she bite her thumb? 

What are the Nether Constellations?

I decided not to dig deeper.

Digging deeper felt like it’d drag me somewhere dangerous.

At that moment.

Bzzz—Bzzz—Bzzzz!

My smartphone started vibrating furiously.

“?”

Curious, I checked it and saw the auction app notifications updating nonstop.

[Messages (999+)]  

– <The highest bid for your item has been updated!>  

– <The highest bid for your item has been updated!>  

– <The highest bid for your item has been updated!>  

– <The highest bid for your item has been updated!>  

– <The highest bid for your item has been updated!>  

– <The highest bid for your item has been updated!>  

– <The highest bid for your item has been updated!>

What the hell is going on now…?