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Chapter 46: The Demon King\'s Name (3)

The fallen Constellation experienced it in full force. She feared her unknown future and she feared the threat of death. She feared me. Every time I moved closer, she moaned in terror, but it wasn’t enough to stop anyone from approaching.

“I’m really glad that you became a human,” I said. “Think about it: if you remained a monster, you wouldn’t have been subject to my Monster Legion Summon even after all the trouble I went through. Well, I guess it’s Monster Legion Reincarnation now. It doesn’t really matter what the Skill’s name is though...”

“Ahhhhhh!” In a last-ditch attempt to beat her fear, she grabbed her familiar—almost iconic—red greatsword. However, it was so heavy that she couldn’t even properly lift it. She frantically swung it about with her thin arms, its weight throwing her wildly off balance.

Of course, she would never get me with such random attacks. I avoided them with ease. Once, twice, thrice... The fallen Constellation continued to swing her sword, trembling.

—She’s a lost cause, the Guardian blurted. His brows were deeply furrowed. Her basic form is clumsy. Her feet aren’t properly planted on the ground, and she isn’t even looking forward as she attacks. There’s no conviction in her attacks. What is she even trying to do after the swing? Tsk—this is a prime example of someone who relied too much on their Skills and aura. She isn’t even a swordswoman.

The Guardian had stayed silent since I had cleared the nineteenth floor, but it seemed that the fallen Constellation’s so-called swordplay upset the Sword Emperor too much for him to contain his grumbling.

—Look, Zombie. Look at her. She’s the reason why I always tell you the importance of honing your basic skills. You are the only one you can rely on when the end comes. Show her.

And I did. With one stroke, my sword destroyed the other sword.

The two swords shrieked as they clashed. The fallen Constellation’s eyes widened in dismay.

“Ahhh...”

Her greatsword was broken in two.

“Ahhh... Urgh... Ahhhh...”

What was left of the fallen Constellation’s will to resist vanished. The feeble animal sank to the ground, crushing the acacia blossoms beneath her diminutive frame.

The end of the Demon King... I calmly looked down at the cowering creature. The one who reaps death...

The message that the Tower had given me with my title suddenly crossed my head.

[Hail to the king who reaps deaths.]

The message somehow seemed to fit the situation. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.

Yeah, but it isn’t wrong.

I slowly tightened the grip on my sword.

—Uh, Zombie? Hold on a second, the Guardian interrupted as I was about to cut down the fallen Constellation’s head. I know you’re in your moment. Sorry for the interruption. Well, to be honest, I’m not really sorry. I just said it because I was bored. Anyhow, wait a moment. Don’t kill her yet.

As always, the Sword Emperor was Sword-Emperoring again.

“Geez. What now?” I snapped out loud. I didn’t bring the Sword Star and Black Witch to the twentieth floor anyway, so no one was around to mistake me for a madman.

—I mean, you seem to take it for granted. The Sword Emperor shrugged.

“What are you talking about now?”

—Hear me out. Let’s say that she isn’t a monster, sure, but does that make her a human like you? Who knows? She may have become a normal NPC.

“So what...”

—Are you sure NPCs can be controlled using Monster Legion Reincarnation?

I came to a stop. “Uhh... I think so.”

—You’re a real pushover, so you’ve never killed an NPC. It’s clear that monsters aren’t targeted by Monster Legion Reincarnation, but we don’t know if it applies to NPCs. What are you going to do if you go with the flow and the Tower just goes [Sorry! An NPC isn’t a valid target!] Huh? You’re going to make things real awkward.

“Wait, but...”

—Wake up, Kim Zombie! I’m speaking from experience. The Tower is very strict when it comes to a matter like this, the Guardian scoffed.

The fallen Constellation was still studying my face with eyes filled with the terror of death.

Shit. I cursed as I read the Skill Card again.

Monster Legion Reincarnation

Class: SSS

Effects: You are able to summon those you killed as monsters. The deceased won’t have their original abilities. However, if you wish, the deceased will have their memory and appearance. If not, they are summoned as monsters like goblins, orcs, zombies, and skeletons.

※However, you can summon your legion only once a week.

—See? It’s vague. The Guardian pointed at the card. Who knows if NPCs are included? Can you be certain about it? Huh?

“N-NPCs are humans too. Humans.”

—Well, that’s what you think, Mr. Kim Zombie. The Guardian looked dead serious. Try negotiating with the Tower before you slit her throat.

“Negotiate with the Tower...?”

—Why? What’s wrong with that? You already did it once and it went well enough earlier. Doing it again won’t really be a problem.

The Guardian had a point.

“Excuse me, Tower...?” I awkwardly looked up at the sky.

[The Tower directs its attention to you.]

Fortunately, the Tower didn’t ignore me, which would have been a disaster. It looked like I could freely converse with the Tower, at least for the time being. I had received a message that said I temporarily had the authorization level of an apostle, so maybe that was the reason.

“Can I ask you a question?”

—Hey, you were all demanding earlier, so what’s up with your tone? You’re ridiculous.

“Emotions got the better of me earlier... Ah, forget it! Be quiet, please!”

While we bickered, the Tower answered me.

[The Tower asks what your inquiry is.]

“Let’s see. So is an NPC included in the dead for Monster Legion Reincarnation? Or does it only count Hunters like me?”

Tower gave me an unexpected answer.

[Inquiring Zrakua for confirmation.]

[Unable to confirm.]

[The answer to the inquiry exceeds the Tower’s authorization level.]

“Pardon?”

The Tower wasn’t done with the surprise.

[Checking the inquirer’s authorization level.]

[Passed.]

[The Death King temporarily owns the authorization level of an apostle.]

[The Tower has conceded the Death King’s inquiry to be a formal agenda.].

[The Tower has requested the Six Pillars of All Life to convene for a majority vote meeting.]

The white light blinded my eyes.

***

...Huh? I blinked after a moment.

I found myself alone in a place I wasn’t unfamiliar with, but that made me all the more confused. It was the Underworld, my dark hell and the starting point after every death. In other words, I had no business here unless I died.

Why am I here...?

The voice brought me back to my senses.

[Identifying the participants.]

It wasn’t just the voice.

[The Sixth Pillar, Primordial Staff, has joined the meeting.]

[The Fifth Pillar, Mirage-Walking Princess, has joined the meeting]

[The Fourth Pillar, Bystanding Moon of Blind Faith, has joined the meeting.]

[The Third Pillar, Legislator of the Beginning, has joined the meeting.]

[The Second Pillar, Void-Dancing God, has joined the meeting.]

I tried to make as little sound as possible. No matter how hard I looked around me, all I could see was never-ending darkness, but I could feel the presences.

[The participation of the Six Pillars of All Life has been confirmed.]

[The Tower has shared the agenda raised by Temporary Apostle, Death King.]

The presence was too strong to just call it presence. They were everywhere as they looked at me from beyond the darkness.

[All participants have received the agenda.]

I felt all of their gazes on me.

[Proceeding with the majority vote on the agenda.]

[Is an NPC included in the subject of the Skill Monster Legion Summon?]

[Please vote in favor if you agree on including an NPC as the subject.]

[Please vote no if you disagree on including an NPC as the subject.]

—Gesh... la... ZaquA cho... Deo....

—Sato, yovela? Weloyo-na Shu...! Deo phenta....

—kunto, nyola Gesh-ve-Nail na? Nai-Gesh-Nail na?

The invisible beings spoke quietly in a language that I didn’t understand. It seemed to be a language made from the shadows themselves.

Invisible snakes were all over the place. I heard hisses from the above, below, left, and right. The voices resembled the movements of snake tongues. The long, red tongues slipped into my ears and touched the corner of my brain.

—Gesh... Mula-Gagamia... cho Gretehen Weloyo....

—Nail.

I felt lightheaded and dizzy. I was certain that only my consciousness was there, but I felt like vomiting. I would do anything to vomit out this uneasiness in my stomach—no, my brain. It was like those tongues were coating my very soul in a thick layer of grease.

—Layo na.

—Gesh. Nail. Nai—Gesh—Nail.

—...

—...

—Deo zakun.

Just then, the voices stopped, and the Underworld went silent. None resumed talking. The tongues stroking my brain through my ears stopped moving too. I finally felt like I could breathe.

I managed to pull myself together.

These beings aren’t from the Tower! All of the languages that people in the Tower use are automatically translated... but theirs is different. They live outside the Tower. They’re incomparably superior to the Demon King of Autumn Rain!

Perhaps they were the beings who had built this Tower, inhabitants of places I couldn’t even imagine.

[Proceeding with the vote on the agenda.]

After a long silence, I heard the familiar voice. It made me feel right back at home.

[The Sixth Pillar, Primordial Staff, has voted against the agenda.]

[The Fifth Pillar, Mirage-Walking Princess, has voted in favor of the agenda.]

[The Fourth Pillar, Bystanding Moon of Blind Faith, has voted in favor of the agenda.]

[The Third Pillar, Legislator of the Beginning, has voted against the agenda.]

[The Second Pillar, Void-Dancing God, has abstained from making a vote.]

Two consents, two dissents, and one abstention.

I froze. I had yet to discover who they were and where they were from; however, it was clear that they had the right to decide what my Skill, Monster Legion Reincarnation, could do. But they made a vote which resulted in neither yes nor no. Why? What did they want from me?

...Wait. Realizing something, I looked around the—blissfully free of hisses—place. There is... one being who hasn’t voted yet.

Yes, I had heard it when I was summoned here.

[The Tower has requested the Six Pillars of All Life to convene for a majority vote meeting.]

Even before I heard the hisses, I received a similar message.

[Identifying the participants.]

[The participation of the Six Pillars of All Life has been confirmed.]

Yes, there are six of them!

The Tower had vouched for it. If so, the vote tally right now was odd because only five votes had been cast. Where did the last vote go?

And who was the last one? What about them made everyone else go silent?

It was because the last being was the Tower’s master. There was no need for them to join the meeting because they had been here from the start. It was how they knew everything going on in the Tower.

I looked straight at the dark region where I could feel the strongest presence and tried to consider the situation as calmly as possible.

...I-I think it’ll be yes. Let’s say that NPCs shouldn’t be included as my Skill’s subject. Then how did the Demon King summon all her monsters? I’m sure that all of the people of the empire and the kingdoms that the Demon King killed used to be NPCs.

I could feel them watching me silently.

I understand what all of you are worried about. I might kill any NPCs and use them as my summons... But I’m sure I’ve shown you all what kind of a person I am.

The place was dark, but I still turned to face each presence one by one.

That isn’t who I am, I continued, and I won’t be like that in the future either.

No matter how strong an opponent I was dealing with, I always had two choices: fight them or persuade them.

The Demon King gets to use NPCs as her summons, but I can’t? That’s unfair.

—Not bad.

The whisper felt close and far at the same time. It gave me goosebumps. Every syllable spoken felt like an electrical shock.

—But you’re thinking too hard.

The voice was tinged with laughter.

—Death King, try speaking from your heart, not your head.

After a short silence, I said what I wanted to say.

That Demon King is my prey, so don’t touch her.

The being burst into laughter.

[The First Pillar, Master of All Life, has voted in favor of the agenda.]

[Compiling the votes]

[3 consents. 2 dissents. 1 abstention.]

[NPCs shall be included as the subject of the Death King’s Skill Monster Legion Reincarnation.]

As the master laughed, the darkness shattered like a glass window. Empty gaps spiderwebbed my already empty hell, but light soon seeped through them.

[Revoking the Death King’s temporary apostle authorization level.]

[Ending the meeting.]

[May luck be with you.]

As the brilliant light enveloped me, I realized that I had successfully persuaded the Tower.

***

—Zombie? Hey, Kim Zombie?

When I opened my eyes again, I could see the acacia blossoms, my Guardian, and the fallen Constellation who used to be called the Demon King of Autumn Rain. The acacia blossoms were soundless, and the fallen Constellation didn’t dare to make a sound. Only the Guardian disturbed the peace.

—Why are you blanking out? Ask the Tower, the Guardian urged me. Hey, Mr. Kim Zombie? Zombie King, can you hear me?

It felt strange. It seemed that only the blink of an eye had passed... but at the same time, it also felt like an eternity. It was really odd. The memory of the conversation I had just now instantly faded away—I had trouble recalling what we were even talking about.

“Mr. Sword Emperor...”

—Finally, you’re speaking. Did I tease you too much, Zombie? Is your brain actually taking after a zombie’s?

“Didn’t you hear that? Couldn’t you see it?”

—What are you talking about?

“The Tower summoned me to the Underworld... Talked about some ‘all life’...and pillars... Something that I think is the Tower’s master showed up and laughed... Do you have any idea what I’m talking about?”

The Guardian looked at me like a dog with rabies and frowned.

—Zombie, I’m sorry. I must have called you Zombie too many times. Man, I’ve never sincerely apologized to anyone, but I suddenly feel real bad... I’ll tone it down from now on, so get a hold of yourself.

The man in front of me was a legend. He had cleared the ninety-ninth floor of the Tower in a different world, gaining the title of Sword Constellation[1] and becoming a Guardian... Even he didn’t know what I was talking about.

Who did I meet just now? Who in the world... I felt a chill run down my spine.

...No. I clenched my hand around the hard metal of my sword’s hilt. Stay calm, Kim Gong-Ja.

I swallowed and looked forward. The road I needed to take was still there, and the fallen Constellation was laying in the middle.

I still don’t know many things, but I know that now is the time to deliver the final strike on my prey.

I slowly raised my sword. Maybe I would discover something once I reached the hundredth floor of the Tower.

—Huh, Gong-Ja? Are you going to just kill her? Are you sure you don’t have to ask the Tower? The Guardian tilted his head.

“It’s okay. I already got my answer,” I said.

The fallen Constellation extended her hand. “H-hold on...! Save me—!”

I swung my sword. It was the weapon I received for my requiem on the tenth floor, the sword I’d used to move the soldiers’ hearts on the eleventh floor. For thousands of days, I had been trapped in the prison of time when I had been on the twelfth stage. This sword was the witness to my time, and I used it to slay the fallen Constellation.

There was a small scream, and the fallen Constellation collapsed. By the time the scream petered out, she lay dying among the white acacia blossoms.

I watched a drop of red dye a petal of white blossom as I slowly said, “Monster, rise.”

My shadow jolted, and a dark hand emerged from the flat shadow, as if something was escaping from a pit of hell. However, it wasn’t struggling to get out.

“Rise.”

Its resistance was meaningless, as the shadow couldn’t resist my command. The head came out first, and followed by the neck, the waist, and the legs. She gasped and panted, her limbs quivered like a newborn gazelle’s. Her appearance might be that of an adult, but she had only just been truly born.

“Estelle is the name you stole. It’s not something you can have.”

Someone who brought life into the world always had to bear the responsibility of it. The first responsibility was to name the life.

“Preta.”

She looked up at me, her long hair fluttering.

“Your name is Preta. You will live on and serve me as your master.”

The woman used to be called Estelle; she was honored as the Saintess of the Outskirts, and feared as the Demon King of Autumn. However, she didn’t have the right to have any of her former names.

Now, she trembled. Only after she’d received a name from me did she bow.

“Yes... I will obey your command... Master. “

A white acacia blossom landed on her hair. On the last of the promised five days, one of the two kings—the Death King and the Demon King—fell.

1. This is a Skill name, but it’s also the Guardian’s other title. ☜