Chapter 20 – Greysoul Cemetery (6)
When Sungjin exited the Columbarium, he found Hiro waiting for him at the entrance.
“Sensei! Are you alright?”
Sungjin nodded nonchalantly. From start to finish, the ghost had no intentions to hurt anyone.
Her existence was a form of a test, designed to protect the Moon Specter from cowards. Hiro saw the Moon Specter and commented
“Sensei, what is that G.o.d-awful sword?”
“…it’s…”
He didn’t really want to explain.
“It looks even worse than the starting sword you were using until now.”
“…No…”
Don’t judge a book by its cover… Sungjin gave up on giving an explanation.
‘Annoying little brat…I hope we never see each other again.’
“…I just saw it lying around.”
Sungjin made a half-hearted excuse and called the Operator.
“Operator, Cube.”
Sungjin returned his ‘Basic Katana’ into the cube.
“Eh…?”
Hiro looked strangely at Sungjin, but Sungjin ignored him and said,
“Operator, how much time left?”
[Returning in 14 minutes and 34 seconds.]
‘14 minutes…’
He still had the hidden boss to kill. Sungjin decided to use ‘Treasure Hunter’ for the first time.
“Operator, activate ‘Treasure Hunter’ skill.”
[t.i.tle ‘Treasure Hunter’ is not currently equipped. The skill can only be used once.]
“I know, I understand so just use it.”
The Operator seemed to sigh due to Sungjin’s att.i.tude, but she quickly recited the hint about the hidden boss.
[Cemetery, final resting place of the dead.]
[But, to he who disturbs the coffins and reawakens the departed souls]
[Necromancer, a Cemetery is but a farm.]
[Destroy the farm and those who care for it]
[Will inevitably intervene]
“hmm…”
Hiro tilted his head, confused.
“Sensei, what is…”
Sungjin placed his pointer finger over his lips. Hiro stopped speaking while Sungjin mulled over the Operator’s hint.
‘Destroy the farm…’
Sungjin looked around him. Greysoul Cemetery contained a staggering number of tombstones.
‘Destroy… Destroy, eh?’
Sungjin looked down at the closest tombstone.
‘R.I.P Chris Ben…’
It was a tombstone with a stranger’s name. It looked like there used to be more engravings after his name, but it was too weathered to make out the words.
‘If there is an owner of this grave, I apologize.’
Sungjin bowed to apologize, and in one swift motion, he pulled the katana out and cut the tombstone in half.
“Wow!”
Hiro exclaimed in awe. It was not directed at his swordsmans.h.i.+p since Hiro had already witnessed it. Neither was it directed at his destructive power. That, too, he had witnessed it.
He was awed by the blue glow of the ‘Moon Specter’s’ blade. Despite the nearly non-existent moonlight, the Sword still s.h.i.+ned bright blue.
“…in that c.r.a.ppy looking scabbard…”
Sungjin placed his finger over his lips again.
“Shh”
Anyone would understand the second time. Hiro closed his mouth once again.
Sungjin walked over to the next Tombstone and cut it down again. This time,
‘Cough…Cough…’
Sungjin heard sounds of a cough from somewhere. He turned to look at Hiro.
“Did you… cough?”
“No, I have not Sensei. I was closing my mouth. But… I also…”
The two men scanned their surroundings wordlessly. The Undead do not cough. It was also possible that it was one of the three other hunters, but they were nowhere in sight.
And amongst them, two carried a lantern, so they should be easy to spot.
“Quiet down again.”
Hiro nodded at Sungjin’s words. Sungjin moved from Tombstone to Tombstone and cut down every tombstone in the way.
“Cough… Cough… Pah!”
Sungjin and Hiro exchanged glances. This time, the voice even spat phlegm.
‘This is it…!’
Filled with certainty, Sungjin addressed Hiro.
“Hey… You said your name was Hiro, right?”
Being called by name for the first time, Hiro answered enthusiastically.
“Yes, Sensei. My name is Watanabe Hiroaki.”
“I don’t care. Go break some Tombstones for me.”
“Right away Sensei.”
The two of them began the work of destroying tombstones. Sungjin simply held the ‘Moon Specter’ horizontally and ran by the graves.
The Moon Specter, as if to demonstrate its A rank Dexterity bonus boost, cut through the tombstones like a hot knife through b.u.t.ter.
“Haa!”
Hiro shouted and cut the Tombstones one by one, striking with all his strength.
And with each tombstone that fell
“Cough Cough Wheeze”
A loud and rough cough could be heard coming from somewhere. And as the numbers of desecrated tombstones continued to increase, the volume of the cough increased as well.
And after Sungjin had cut down several dozen tombstones, a voice loud enough to shake the entire Cemetery spoke out.
“Who dares disturb my fields?”
It was a voice amplified by magic. The Cubes gave out announcements.
[Warning! Hidden Boss]
[Gravekeeper “Oryx” has appeared!]
Sungjin quickly scanned his surroundings. But he did not spot the Hidden Boss “Oryx”.
‘Just where…’
Sungjin bit down hard and ground his teeth. It appeared as though he would have to go searching for the hidden boss somewhere in the Cemetery.
“So annoying…”
Sungjin activated the Swift Paw once more.
“Swift Paw, Activate”
Claws emerged from the wolf boots. Sungjin began searching the Cemetery at a breakneck speed.
*
Henrik and Kultu put their Lanterns down and chatted. They did not move away from the location where the Lich had appeared and died.
“Is Northern Europe a good place to live? I heard there are no beggars or anything there.”
“Meh, it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be. How is Nepal? From what I hear from people coming back from climbing the Himal…”
Interrupting them,
“Cough… Wheeze”
Loud coughing and wheezing sounds could be heard. The two men turned to look at Akanna.
Akanna raised both his hands to show he didn’t do it.
“Then who…?”
As Henrik looked around to see where the sound came from, the Operator gave out an announcement.
[Warning! Hidden Boss]
[Gravekeeper “Oryx” has appeared!]
“Hidden Boss?”
While Henrik was still recovering from shock, Akanna leaped up, spear at the ready. He stared into the distance and said
“Enemies… Many”
At his words, Henrik and Kultu picked up their weapons and prepared themselves. In the distance, they could see a green light flickering.
And around it followed a horde of Zombies, Skeletons, and Ghouls.
“What? What’s that?”
Henrik and Kultu both started panicking. And they heard a loud amplified voice ring out.
“…You must be… the culprits who defiled my Cemetery… Cough cough…”
Henrik and Kultu looked at each other. They were no match for the approaching horde.
‘Run away!’
Wordlessly, they agreed. If they could just run until they find Kei and Hiro, they could probably survive. But,
“Unholy power, strip the skin and expose the bones. Frenzy!”
When the voice finished his incantations, the ghouls charged forward at incredible speeds.
Outrunning them was impossible. Kultu and Henrik both prepared to fight the horde head on.
“Hou!”
Akanna began swinging his spear. But behind the Ghouls, a sea of zombies and skeletons followed, also with the ma.s.sive speed boost. Running at at least twice the normal speed.
*
Sungjin heard the magic incantations from afar.
“Unholy power, strip the skin and expose the bones. Frenzy!”
‘There!’
Sungjin ran as fast as he could towards the sound. But when he arrived,
“Ahhhhh!”
He came just in time to see Kultu being ripped apart to pieces by ghouls.
‘…f.u.c.k…’
“Save me! Help!”
Henrik tried to run towards Sungjin as soon as he noticed him.
“Haoh!”
Akanna was still fighting against the waves of undead.
“Powers of Corruption, unleash the blight upon the living. Decay of Death!”
He was. .h.i.t by a magical bolt fired by the Necromancer. His arm began rotting away starting from the fingertips.
“Huh…”
Akanna dropped his spear in surprise which was the only thing that was keeping him alive from the Undead horde in front of him. He was trampled by the wave of skeletons charging at him.
‘f.u.c.kers!’
Sungjin had made haste to try and save them, but a thick wall of zombies blocked the way. Thanks to the Necromancer’s magic, they moved at twice the normal speed.
But still, it was no match for Sungjin’s dexterity. He swung the ‘Moon Specter’ with lightning fast strikes.
Sungjin originally had no trouble cutting them down with the Basic katana. With Moon Specter, fighting zombies was no different from swinging a sword at leaves falling through the air; so much as touching the enemies with the sword disintegrated them. Then suddenly
“Decay of Death”
Another bolt of magic flew out from the boss. Sungjin was forced to retreat.
“Kaaa!”
Akanna, buried under a mountain of skeletons, met his end.
“f.u.c.k!”
Sungjin worked as quickly as possible to destroy his enemies around him. But the Gravekeeper Oryx chanted another spell.
“Awaken and become my slave! Rise of the Dead”
Kultu who had been ripped apart to pieces by ghouls and Akanna who was stabbed to death by the skeletons, stood up upon hearing the Gravekeeper’s command and picked up their weapons. All the while gus.h.i.+ng with blood.
“My…G.o.d…”
Henrik stammered out in shock, and Sungjin finally hit the limits of his patience. He glared at the necromancer who took control of the recently deceased and swore under his breath.
‘You little b.i.t.c.h…’
But as if responding to his anger, he heard a voice from somewhere.
‘…Kill…’
It was the Mad G.o.d ‘Yanhurat’s’ voice. Sungjin fought against the temptation.
‘Shut your mouth.’
But the Voice continued, disregarding his wishes.
‘…Kill…’
And while he was distracted
“Hou!”
The Zombified Akanna attacked Sungjin with his spear. It was a precise and dangerous strike aimed at his neck. But nowhere near fast enough to seriously threaten Sungjin.
Even if his t.i.tle was ‘Veteran Spearman’, Akanna couldn’t overcome the absolute difference in stat points. Sungjin easily broke off and pushed the spear to the side with his hands. And then
“Sorry”
Apologized into his ear and swung his Katana.
“Kaaaaagh…”
Akanna perished once more. Twice, back to back. Killing a zombified hunter with his own hands left a bitter taste in his mouth.
“My G.o.d… My G.o.d…”
Henrik was completely out of it, whispering to himself repeatedly.
“Sensei!”
He heard someone’s call from behind. He didn’t want to kill any more hunters with his own hands.
“…I am going to kill you with everything I’ve got, Gravekeeper.”
Sungjin prepared his ‘Moon Specter’ and charged towards the Necromancer head on.
Translation note:
A correction has been made. We have asked the author to clarify what the name of the sword was. Because no chinese name was provided, we could only guess as to what the actual meaning behind the name of the sword was. The most direct translation being ‘moon phase’. It turned out that the word the author intended was actually ‘shadow’. But because ‘Moon Shadow’ didn’t exactly sound like a sword, he agreed that “Moon Specter” is an acceptable interpretation of the meaning. So going forward, the name of the Possessed Sword will be ‘Moon Specter’.