The stream of blood flowed toward the northern front. The power created by the clash between him and the ancient dragon was intertwined throughout the land. It was weakened in some places to the point of almost vanishing, while it was strong enough to affect the flow of the blood in others.
The location where the blood transformed into the true manifestation of Osiris was the point of maximum remaining power.
Srrr-
Osiris gazed forward. Endless cliffs and mountains stretched ahead irregularly, but the landscape held no significance.
The situation was different from what the Awakened told him. Not only he and the ancient dragon had clashed here, but also two colossal entities, Doom Kaos and the Old One had fought here. The scene unfolding before his eyes was as horrifying as the apocalypse.
However, considering the involvement of Doom Kaos and the Old One, it was not surprising. Both had never revealed themselves, but they had emerged here. Also, they likely did so by borrowing the physical forms of Him and the ancient dragon.
The Inner Eye Osiris had gained since awakening as the Undead Emperor gave him more information than that. At that moment, he sensed a gaze brushing past his head. The glance had originated from a distance.
Osiris stared at the sky for a while, and the gaze gradually became clearer as time passed by. Then, it happened.
Osiris witnessed a part of the deity known as Doom Arukuda for the first time. There was a gigantic eyeball embedded in the sky, resembling the sun. It existed solely within the realm visible through the Inner Eye of the Undead Emperor. As it appeared as a purely spiritual entity without a physical structure, the sky was just an ordinary blue sky to the other Awakened.
Osiris thought the eye bore a resemblance to a hyena’s. Soon after, the emerald light in Osiris’s eyes rapidly faded. There was only one reason why the Soul Devourer, Doom Arukuda’s eyes, were rolling in all directions. It was to search for and exploit the souls of the ancient dragon and Him.
Nonetheless, neither would succumb to Doom Arukuda’s plan. The soul of the ancient dragon was concealed so masterfully that even Osiris couldn’t locate it. Moreover, his soul had been securely moved by a formidable force.
The secret behind the resurrection ability he had in the Stage of Advent lay there. In other words, he had prepared a sanctuary where he could safeguard his soul, even in death, avoiding the avaricious clutches of Doom Arukuda.
Furthermore, he possessed the capability to reconstruct his physical form, ensuring complete revival. This immortal ability could have been an inherent trait or perhaps granted by some special privilege he had received.
Anyway, the crucial point was that he would undoubtedly come back to life somehow.
How long has it been?
Recalling his memories, Osiris shifted his gaze ahead. One of the fragments of the spear that had been shattered caught his attention. The others lay buried in the ground or flung into the cliffs, out of sight already.
It was a noble spear that once conjured thunder when it was in his grip. However, it was now nothing more but a broken relic.
Doom Arukuda no longer spared a glance at it as it was deemed useless. It only sought the soul of the ancient Dragon.
Osiris could still feel the gaze of Doom Arukuda even without looking up at the sky with his Inner Eye. It was a creepy glance that could freeze his blood with just a look.
Osiris couldn’t imagine how powerful Doom Kaos would be as he told him it was the most powerful out of all the Demon Kings. The same went for Saint Jayden and the Old One. He realized that he, who made all of them enemies, was indeed carrying a heavy burden.
***
Osiris could see many Awakened at the spot he stopped again. In the distance, there was a small city being used as an outpost, where an endless line of new entrants Awakened were.
It couldn’t match the scale of the Awakened gathered at the end of the Stage of Advent to return to the mainland. However, Osiris was certain that it would reach a comparable size before long if more people gathered at this rate.
Most of them had gathered to collect his items. They resembled those who gathered in Western America during the Gold Rush, and it was confirmed that they were under the control of the association.
Then, Osiris could let go of his regrets. There was no need to bring the Undead Corps. Now that the Awakened had been mobilized in large numbers, there was no reason for him to personally take the initiative and retrieve his equipment.
“Red Point Five Sector. It’s a dangerous area, so no other groups have entered. That is why we, from now on…”
Osiris focused on one group. The Awakened had logos of their affiliated companies attached to their chests, and the group that caught his interest had a logo that he recognized. It was the Karjan’s logo, which he had no more ties to after passing the title of family heir to Lipeke. However, that was not the reason why Osiris was interested in them
Swoosh-!
Osiris lunged forward and snatched a file from the group leader’s hand.
“What the fuck…!”
Osiris ignored the Awakened’s exclamation and started flipping through the documents on the spot.
The map in the file meticulously divided the areas scouted by drones. The dangerous areas were marked as red dots, accessible regions as blue dots, and the places where entry had already started as black dots. Also, there were aerial photographs of each area attached. Information on a new monster named Dragon Bone Soldier was also there.
While Osiris was skimming through the file, the group that had been interrupted backed up from him. They perceived Osiris as someone who shouldn’t have been there. Not only was he wearing a black formal suit, fitting for the elite of Greenwood, but he also did not have any noticeable items equipped, not even the ones the Bsilgol had.
Nonetheless, the real reason they couldn’t attack Osiris impulsively and were looking around for support was because of the oppressive aura emanating from him.
Then, red letters began to be engraved on the map in Osiris’s hands.
「His Spear (Destroyed)」
From the engraved letters over the area where Osiris had avoided from, a smell familiar to the Awakened wafted. It was faint but definitely the smell of blood.
「1. Find His Bone Ring as a top priority.
2. Do not touch it upon discovery.
- Osiris -」
The second inscription was engraved at the bottom of the map in even more bolded letters than the ones that previously appeared.
He handed the map back to the leader in the same way as he had snatched it from him. He slipped into their group and returned to his place. Their reactions were slow compared to Osiris’s movement this time as well.
No one recognized Osiris even until then. It was partly because his appearance had changed a lot, but even those who looked at him challengingly quickly averted their gaze as soon as they met his eyes. They felt a mysterious dark power from Osiris’s eyes.
“Are you… Osiris by chance?”
The words only came out after the leader of the group checked the letters on the map. Osiris was famous, and his notoriety encompassed dangers beyond what it had in the Stage of Advent.
The Awakened unconsciously took steps back with startled expressions. The circle centered around Osiris kept expanding to the point where there was only one person left who was directly facing Osiris from a few steps.
Then, Osiris responded by looking at the logo on the man’s uniform and his face. He pointed in the direction where the outpost was located. His message was clear. He wanted them to relay the message he had engraved on the map to the command as orders.
“Should we relay it to the command…? Lord Osiris.”
For the first time, a voice came from Osiris’s mouth, “Yes.”
Everyone, including the ones facing Osiris and the others, gathered and kept their distance from him, exchanging glances that showed that they already considered Osiris as an enemy. He was an enemy, but a terrifying being to confront. There was no change in Osiris’s expression as he was used to such looks.
Srrrr-
He then disappeared into a pool of blood. The Awakened began to talk about him, but they collectively realized one thing. Many had seen Osiris, but no one could precisely recall his changed face. His magnificent appearance was masked by an aura intimidation. His neat blonde hair and flawless skin were also blurred within the fear he emanated.
***
Osiris finally stopped at a high ground where the northern front was visible at a glance. It was his destination.
The Awakened and knights who could deal with Mana were ingredients for ghouls, and ordinary soldiers were zombies, skeletons, or evil spirits’ materials.
However, there weren’t many intact corpses. The long-range Awakened and outer space species’ corps were at a standoff. It was because paladins were plowing through the battlefield, even at the risk of being hit by the Awakened’s long-range skills. They indiscriminately crushed the skulls of all corpses, enemy or ally, with hammers. When the skull of a knight who was exposed to a skill was crushed, the skulls around it were destroyed as well. The sound of crushing skulls was as loud as the explosions of long-range skills.
Crack! Crack!
Word has spread this far.
Osiris coldly observed the paladins’ actions. They risked their lives with the belief that even in death they would go to the heaven of Lord Lacryma, but the truth was different. Doom Arukuda would never leave such souls alone. Doom Arukuda was a greedy glutton without limits.
Then, Osiris turned his gaze elsewhere. The battlefield was in chaos. It was a melee, and a dense cloud of ashes was floating in the air. It appeared to be the place where the Fire Spirit King had struck. Therefore, there didn’t seem to be much usable material there either.
But that doesn’t matter.
It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV.
The corpses that the paladins couldn’t handle would rise, and the ancient adventurers who were rotting underground would come out again. The fresh souls that hadn’t been collected would form semi-transparent bodies blocking the sun, and all the dead would cast shadows on the battlefield with him.
As Osiris was about to take the first step, his brows furrowed.
A gate?
Space tore in the center of the enemy’s camp. An elf emerged from there and seemed to be aware of Osiris at a distance, but he soon shouted to the surroundings.
“Elsland has defeated the Demon King, Doom Entegasto! Now it is your turn, the species of Greenwood!”
Waaaaaaaaah-!
The cheers exploded, loud enough to drown out the groans of the wounded. The corps that followed the elf was a coalition of various species.
Osiris felt an unknown sense of crisis from the weapons held by the leaders of the corps.
“Come forth,” Osiris muttered.
How long have they been following me?
As if crawling out from the depths of hell, three figures surged from Osiris’s shadow. One was the Lord of the Corpses, one was the Lord of Wraiths, and the last was the Lord of Vampires. The face of the Lord of Corpses was ruined, the Lord of Wraiths was filled with howling, and the Lord of Vampires was a lady of beauty.
Osiris began to give them commands, and the battle seemed like it would go on for a long time. It was clear that there was a reason why the Old One’s faction wanted to desperately occupy this area. Even the beings capable of creating gates had intervened.
Because of his items? Or the soul of an ancient dragon hidden somewhere? If not… because of the heart left by the dead dragon? There must be a bigger reason.
For example, something left by the collision between Doom Kaos and the Old One…
It didn’t take long for such suspicions to turn into certainty. An unexpected figure appeared under the strong escort of the corps. It was the Queen of Elsland who was supposed to be in her palace. She was here at the moment.
