The Genius Necromancer of the Barbarian Race

Chapter 58 : Got You, You Rascal!

Got You, You Rascal!

***

A wolf fang necklace.

It's larger than a typical wolf's tooth, but I knew this was from a 'wolf.' More precisely, it was from a 'Red Wolf.'

That's because I had the ability to see an item's options.

But Girinil wouldn't have that ability.

No "player" has appeared so far, and even if one did exist, it certainly wouldn't be Girinil.

He didn't react to the words "Dungeon God".

"Isn't it obvious that it's from a wolf?"

"Serena, did you know what animal that necklace came from?"

Ignoring Girinil's words, I asked Serena. She rolled her eyes, then answered cautiously.

"I—I thought it was the fang of a lion or tiger, brother."

See? Even to her, it doesn't look like it's from a "wolf."

Despite that, if he realized this necklace was made from a wolf's fang, there are only two explanations.

He either heard it from the necklace's owner,

or he knows we're part of the "Red Wolf Tribe".

"You said you were from the Red Wolf Tribe, didn't you? So it was natural for me to think it's a wolf's fang."

If he knows we're from the "Red Wolf Tribe", he might have inferred that the necklace was made from a wolf's tooth.

"We never once told you, in your presence, that we are of the Red Wolf Tribe."

The problem is, we never revealed to Girinil, face to face, that we're "from the Red Wolf Tribe".

So, how did Girinil know?

"I don't know what's going on, but why are you suspecting Lord Girinil?"

Roland interrupted the conversation.

Maybe he didn't like our interrogative attitude—there was a hostility in his face that we hadn't seen before.

"Lord Girinil is a Cardinal of Hyrat's Order. You barbarians should not doubt such a person so lightly!"

Roland shouted as if admonishing us, but Barkal didn't pay any attention.

In the gap of his skull helmet, Barkal's eyes glinted with a chilling light.

"You—aren't we meeting for the first time?"

"It's our first meeting."

Barkal stared pointedly at Girinil, his grip tightening on Erindal.

"Is this truly our first meeting?"

This time I asked, and Girinil nodded.

"Yes. Why would I have any reason to lie—?"

SPLAT──!

I drew "Blood-Colored Awl" and slashed toward Girinil.

A torrent of blood gushed forth.

"Blood?"

"Wh-what are you doing, barbarian!"

Roland and the guard, both drenched in blood. But seeing the "Blood-Colored Awl", Girinil hastily leapt out of the way.

To an outsider, it just looked like I had swung a dagger. The only strange thing was that blood flowed along its trajectory.

I had never shown "Hardened Blood" in this dungeon before. But Girinil had dodged the 'blood' I'd sprinkled as if he knew to avoid it.

As if he had been struck by "Blood-Colored Awl" before.

I couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Girinil, you survived that fall from such a great height?"

Falling from a cliff might be a "stroke of luck", but to come out completely unscathed?

Serena understood my implication. Her once-confused gaze sharpened.

"The necromancer from the banquet hall!"

Barkal, apparently intending to use his "barbarian-style necromancer tracking technique", raised his axe and charged at Girinil.

CLANG──!

But Barkal's axe was blocked by the sword Roland drew.

"Argh, guh...!"

Unable to withstand Barkal's enormous strength, Roland grunted in pain, his eyes still filled with doubt.

"What on earth are you thinking, Dungeon God!"

"That man is a necromancer!"

"Nonsense! Lord Girinil is a noble—!"

Even as Roland muttered, Barkal's attention remained fixed on Girinil.

"How did you know about these wolf fangs!"

Under Barkal's bone-chilling shout, Girinil took a step back, his guard moving protectively to his side.

"Move. That man is a necromancer."

Despite my warning, the guard didn't budge.

At this point, I had to take decisive action. Messing with a follower of Hyrat is dangerous, but if Girinil revealed his true colors, perhaps a suspension of punishment could be justified!

"Serena, guard him."

"I'll protect you, Lord Girinil!"

"Thank you, Endal!"

Just as we rushed forward to subdue him, Girinil's hand reached for the neck of his guard—called Endal.

"I know a more useful way."

Then, a smirk twisted onto Girinil's face, one I had never seen before.

Sensing he was about to make a move, he suddenly twisted the guard's neck himself.

CRACK.

With the sound of bones snapping, Roland collapsed in shock.

Among everyone's confusion, Roland was the most surprised.

"Endal!"

Seeing his comrade fall so brutally, Roland stared at Girinil.

He wanted an explanation. Why had Girinil done this?

In the meantime, several spots began to appear all over Girinil's body.

Signs of "necromancy".

Facing the dead guard, Girinil pulled something from his robes.

A dark red, glowing orb.

A jewel identical to the 'Right Eye of the Ascendant Maiden' I possessed.

Is that also a "divine"-grade item?

"Endal, we weren't close for long, but you were my friend."

With a torn smile, Girinil aimed the jewel at Endal.

"Let me borrow your body for a bit."

As he said it, the jewel in Girinil's hand began to glow, and the dead guard rose back up.

Resurrected as an undead, the guard picked up his sword and beheaded himself, then held his own head aloft.

Dullahan.

Him again.

"Buy me some time."

Girinil—or rather, the necromancer—muttered in a low voice. The dullahan creaked into action.

"So it's you again, head-grabber! This time, I won't lose like before!"

Round two with the dullahan.

Barkal seemed to remember the last time too. With a roar, he gripped "Erindal" and leaped at the dullahan.

His massive axe sliced through the air with a boom, colliding with the dullahan's sword.

But this time, the dullahan couldn't withstand it with "technique" alone.

* 【Activating Curse of Boiling Blood.】

With Barkal's improved affinity to Thrag, once the "Curse of Boiling Blood" was cast on him, his physical abilities rose dramatically, overpowering the dullahan.

"If I lack strength!"

The dullahan, unable to withstand the axe, began to buckle to his knees.

"Then I just need more strength!"

That's such a barbarian way to think.

While Barkal dealt with the dullahan one-on-one, Serena quickly charged the necromancer.

As she did on the night of the banquet, the necromancer quickly summoned skeletons to block her path.

One.

"This is nothing!"

Two.

"I'm fine!"

Three.

"I'll do my best!"

Ten.

"UWAAAAAH!"

Engulfed by a wave of skeletons, a flustered cry escaped Serena's lips.

To control that many skeletons—he must have a "divine"-ranked item.

That jewel I saw earlier, identical to the "Right Eye".

It must be Mortis's divine equipment.

This guy—

He's Mortis's apostle.

But what use is being an "apostle" when you're facing a swarm?

While Barkal and Serena kept them busy, I covered my legs with exoskeleton and closed in on the necromancer.

"What...?!"

Surprised by the rapidly closing gap, the necromancer's eyes widened with fear.

He frantically tried to cast necromancy, but I kicked him in the head and drove "Blood-Colored Awl" into his chest.

Piercing his heart.

Even though "Blood-Colored Awl" is technically a dagger with a short blade, I stabbed him in a spot sure to be fatal.

Goodbye, necromancer.

Hello, experience points.

"Hm?"

Strange. Why won't the "Blood-Colored Awl" come out?

"Going for the heart—quite sharp of you."

The necromancer slowly straightened up.

Even though his heart was pierced and he should have died instantly, he slowly raised his head.

His face, where my kick had landed, began to fracture like glass, revealing pale eyes and decaying skin.

"A lich...?"

A spell that transforms your body into "the dead".

Becoming undead through "undeath" magic—a necromancer like this is called a lich in this world.

"You know your stuff."

While wrestling with the stuck "Blood-Colored Awl", the lich's hands reached for me.

"Thanks to my mother's grace, I surpassed death."

He planned to twist my neck, just as he did the guard earlier.

I smiled at the lich's outstretched hands.

"But did your mother teach you this?"

I released all the blood from the "Blood-Colored Awl" embedded in his chest.

* 【Activating Hardened Blood.】

Simultaneously invoking Thrag's authority, "Hardened Blood", the blood exploded outward and instantly solidified.

"Gah!"

Groaning, the lich staggered back. With a gaping hole in his chest, unable to keep his balance, he fell to his knees.

"You... bastard...!"

Now, with skin shattered away and looking like a corpse, the lich's shout made his skin crack and split.

Gross. I need to finish him off quickly.

"Well, now I'm sure."

I was salivating at the sight of all the accessories dangling from the lich's body.

Just like the first time I saw him, he gave a ragged grin.

"You're definitely the one carrying my mother's right eye."

Right eye?

Oh, that gem.

Yeah, I do have it.

"My mother will descend upon this world once more."

"Even if that's true, it doesn't look like you'll be around to see it."

"You never know."

So, he's overflowing with confidence. Let's see how long it lasts.

* The owner of the dungeon has died.

Huh?

What's going on?