Episode 190
Thud! Thud!
When Zeke knocked on the wall, it sounded hollow.
“Hmm, what’s this? A secret chamber, perhaps?”
Just then, a message window appeared.
[This is a secure area designated by the previous administrator.]
“A secure area, huh.”
Zeke commanded the system to deactivate the security measures.
The concealed wall vanished, revealing a door. He opened it and stepped inside.
A space constructed with solid walls, resembling an underground labyrinth, unfolded before him.
Zeke marveled as he surveyed the area.
“Wow! What is this place? It’s bigger than the mansion itself. Is this the work of a grand sorcerer’s magic?”
Modern spatial magic could only compress empty spaces to create subspace artifacts. Compressing an entire area like this was beyond even the capabilities of a tower master.
‘Perhaps those Nirvana family mages, who obsessively studied spatial magic, could manage it.’
Even so, creating a space of this magnitude seemed impossible.
Zeke continued to explore the secure area, his amazement unabated.
But as he ventured deeper, he sensed a strange, corrupted energy.
“What is this?”
Suddenly, something appeared before Zeke.
Creak!
To his surprise, a skeleton clad in rusty armor, wielding a sword and shield, emerged.
Zeke paused, contemplating the skeleton that pointed its sword at him.
“Should I destroy it for points, or hand it over to Richmond?”
Creak!
While Zeke deliberated, the skeleton charged at him.
Without even drawing his sword, Zeke unleashed a powerful shockwave with a simple gesture.
Crash!
The skeleton crumbled under Zeke’s attack.
Whoosh!
He could feel the unholy energy dissipating from the pile of bones scattered among the armor.
It seemed the accumulated ‘death energy’ in this space had naturally animated the corpses into undead.
“A space with this much death energy… What is this place?”
Puzzled, Zeke ventured further inside.
To his astonishment, skeletal remains were strewn about, as if they had fallen where they stood.
Zeke examined the armor and weapons on the skeletons.
Surprisingly, the styles of the armor and equipment varied greatly.
He even found some recently deceased bodies, dressed similarly to Aaron.
Zeke realized who they were.
“Knights who foolishly entered to lift the curse of this place.”
It seemed the guardians of Hoshigar had trapped intruders here, leaving them to die and become undead, their death energy accumulating over a millennium to form a natural dungeon.
“Fascinating. A naturally formed undead dungeon.”
Zeke summoned Richmond from the laboratory.
Richmond entered the labyrinth, taking a deep breath with a contented expression.
“Ah, this damp, eerie air. It’s wonderful. Where are we, Master?”
“A natural undead labyrinth.”
“What? How did you find such a treasure?”
“It was hidden inside the mansion. Intruders were trapped here, killed by the undead, and then became undead themselves due to the death energy.”
Richmond shivered with excitement, unable to contain his enthusiasm for such an ideal research environment.
“Ha, ha. It’s like having a perfect laboratory with a fantastic specimen collection!”
Zeke stepped aside, watching Richmond with a wary eye.
‘That guy can be such a weirdo sometimes, just like those Nirvana lunatics.’
Muttering to himself, Zeke led Richmond deeper into the labyrinth.
Natural undead were valuable research materials for a necromancer.
Richmond gleefully captured skeletons with his magic as they emerged.
Zeke watched Richmond and asked, “What do you plan to do with them?”
“There are many uses. I can study how they move, and once the research is done, I can reassemble the bones into new skeletons.”
In other words, nothing would go to waste.
Nodding, Zeke surveyed the area, summoning his dragon soldiers to collect the scattered weapons throughout the labyrinth.
He hoped to find a decent artifact among them to repair and distribute to his subordinates.
Then, they stumbled upon a large room within the labyrinth.
“What is that?”
Richmond seemed equally puzzled.
Suddenly, something began to flicker all around them.
Screeeech!
The sound was disorienting, like Zeke’s dissonance skill, designed to confuse the mind.
Zeke, with his curse resistance, was unaffected, and so was Richmond, an arch-lich.
Zeke scanned the surroundings to assess the situation, spotting ghostly figures emitting eerie wails from the ceiling. He turned to Richmond.
“Do you know what those are?”
“They look like banshees. Wow, there are banshees here. This place must be ancient.”
Banshees were undead monsters said to be born from the vengeful spirits of wronged female sorcerers.
Richmond studied the banshees intently, then seemed to recall something.
“Wait, if the banshees are wailing like that, could it be…?”
As Richmond spoke, something emerged from the depths of the room.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Richmond gasped in awe.
“A Dullahan! A headless knight!”
It was clad in rusted armor stained with blood, holding its helmeted head in one hand.
Zeke had never seen such a creature before.
“That’s a Dullahan?”
“Yes, indeed! Wow, seeing a real Dullahan in my lifetime! I’m truly moved, Master!”
Dullahans were among the rarest of undead monsters, their creation conditions exceedingly stringent.
It was said that only a noble knight, whose soul had been corrupted and who died with a grudge after being beheaded, could become a Dullahan.
They couldn’t be artificially created, only naturally occurring, making them exceptionally rare.
Unlike death knights, born from the corrupted souls of dead knights, Dullahans were a different entity.
The Dullahan glared at Zeke and Richmond, its eyes glowing from its severed head.
Zeke asked Richmond, “Can’t you control that thing?”
“Dullahans are knights with deep grudges, so they see nothing but their target. To control it, I’d have to subdue it and imprint my seal on its corrupted soul.”
“Then we need to subdue it first.”
Capturing the Dullahan would significantly bolster Richmond’s undead army.
Zeke drew Bahamut and aimed it at the Dullahan.
“Come on, let’s see what you’ve got.”
As if understanding the challenge, the Dullahan advanced, brandishing a sword exuding a sinister, blood-red aura.
Zeke charged at the Dullahan first.
Clang!
Zeke’s strike clashed with the Dullahan’s sword, forcing it back with unexpected strength.
Regaining its balance, the Dullahan suddenly hurled its own head at Zeke.
Whoosh!
The helmeted head flew toward Zeke.
“What the…?”
Zeke swung his sword, deflecting the Dullahan’s head.
Crash!
The head slammed into the wall.
At that moment, the headless body of the Dullahan charged at Zeke.
Simultaneously, its sword, wrapped in a blood-red aura, slashed toward him.
Boom!
Zeke raised an aura blade to block the Dullahan’s attack.
The Dullahan, surprised that Zeke had blocked its strike so effortlessly, pressed harder.
“Try harder.”
Unfazed, Zeke stood his ground as the Dullahan summoned the banshees clinging to the ceiling.
Screeeech!
Four banshees circled Zeke, wailing.
But with his curse reflection and strong mental defenses, Zeke was unaffected.
Annoyed by the noise, Zeke extended chains from his left hand, using soul-binding magic on the banshees.
Muffled cries!
Bound by the chains, the banshees fell silent.
Then, a blood-red mist began to emanate from the Dullahan’s armor.
“What is this?”
Richmond, standing behind Zeke, communicated his thoughts.
‘Master! It’s the Dullahan’s unique ability, “Dance of the Dead Blood”!’
‘What does it do?’
‘It causes skin irritation, hallucinations, nausea, and headaches.’
’…Sounds both terrifying and not.’
The blood mist enveloped Zeke, but it had no effect on him, immune as he was to all poisons.
Zeke pushed through the mist, advancing on the Dullahan and swinging his sword.
Crash!
The Dullahan, unable to withstand Zeke’s strength, was slammed into the wall.
Zeke then unleashed a radiant mace at the Dullahan.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Dullahan, struck directly by the radiant mace, was left dazed.
Seizing the moment, Zeke extended chains to bind the Dullahan.
“Richmond, imprint your seal on this one.”
Richmond, who had been watching, hurried over to retrieve the Dullahan’s head from where it had been knocked into the wall.
Holding the head, Richmond began chanting an incantation.
A hum resonated as Richmond’s energy seeped into the Dullahan’s eyes.
The bound Dullahan’s body swayed back and forth. Soon, a violet glow emanated from the Dullahan’s head that Richmond was holding.
“Phew, it’s done, Master,” Zeke said, releasing the Dullahan. Richmond handed the head back to the Dullahan, who promptly knelt before him.
Richmond looked at the Dullahan with a satisfied expression, while Zeke chuckled at the sight.
“You’re really pleased, aren’t you?” Zeke teased.
“Heh, of course I am. To have such a rare Dullahan in my grasp… it’s thrilling,” Richmond replied with a grin.
Having captured the Dullahan, Zeke also released the banshees he had restrained. They let out a high-pitched wail and cowered behind the Dullahan, clearly intimidated by Zeke.
Ignoring the banshees, Zeke and Richmond continued to explore the labyrinth with the Dullahan in tow. The maze was so vast that it seemed impossible to fully explore.
As they wandered, Zeke sensed something unusual. “Huh?” he murmured, noticing signs of life.
He motioned for Richmond and the undead to stay back and approached the source of the movement. Inside a room, a figure stirred.
Suddenly, a gaunt knight in ancient armor charged at them. He was so emaciated he could have been mistaken for a skeleton. Wild hair and a tangled beard spilled out from under his helmet.
Richmond raised his staff, ready to cast a spell. “You skeletal fiend!”
“Wait, Richmond!” Zeke interrupted, raising a hand. “I don’t think it’s a monster.”
The signs of life were unmistakable, and undead creatures didn’t have hair or beards. Zeke sheathed his sword and asked, “Are you human?”
The skeletal knight recoiled in surprise, then slowly removed his helmet, revealing a haggard face.
“A human? By the gods! Have you survived this cursed mansion too?” the knight exclaimed.
Zeke addressed him calmly, “I’ve lifted the mansion’s curse. Are you a survivor?”
The knight was taken aback, then tears of relief welled up in his eyes. “By the gods! Is the curse truly broken? Tell me this isn’t a dream! Please, strike my cheek to prove it’s real!”
Zeke obliged, delivering a light slap.
Thwack!
“Oof!” The knight spun around from the force, more than just his face turning.
“Ah, sorry about that. Didn’t mean to hit so hard,” Zeke apologized.
“It’s fine!” the knight coughed, regaining his composure. “I am Aslan Solmara, once a royal guard of the Kingdom of Thebea. I owe you my life!”
Zeke was startled by the revelation. “Aslan Solmara… the renowned knight of the Cross Sword? I thought you disappeared thirty years ago…”
Aslan’s lineage was well-known, tied to the noble Solma family.
Recognizing Zeke’s familiarity, Aslan brightened. “Oh! You know of me? What an honor! May I ask your name?”
“I’m Zeke Draker,” Zeke replied.
At the mention of Draker, Aslan hesitated briefly but then nodded, kneeling before Zeke. “I, Aslan Solmara, swear to repay this debt to Sir Zeke Draker for the rest of my life!”
The vow came from a knight famed thirty years ago as a royal guard of Thebea. Zeke’s eyes gleamed with opportunity.
‘This could be useful someday,’ he thought.
Leaving the rest of the labyrinth’s exploration to Richmond, Zeke led Aslan back to the surface.
“By the gods! To breathe fresh air after thirty years! It’s blissful, truly blissful!” Aslan exclaimed.
Concerned for Aslan’s health, Zeke decided to take him to the Duchy of Troy. He instructed Richmond to guard the mansion and set off immediately.
‘I should report the lifting of the curse and secure ownership of this place from the Baranown side,’ Zeke mused, unwilling to relinquish the valuable Hoschgar laboratory.
He also brought along Aaron, whom he had captured, and returned to the Duchy of Troy with Aslan.
Upon seeing Zeke’s estate, Aslan couldn’t contain his excitement. “A lord with his own domain! No wonder you broke the curse of the haunted mansion!”
Zeke ignored Aslan’s exuberance and entered the castle, where familiar faces awaited him. The Knights of the Rose had also returned to Troy after completing their rescue mission.