Chapter 21
Chapter 21: Necromancer’s Tomb (1)
The post with the most information was this one.
As expected, it was written by a member of George’s raid party. Most of the information comes from their posts.
It feels strange to see posts from people who are no longer in this world helping those who are still alive.
Just as a tiger leaves behind its fur when it dies, perhaps George’s raid party left behind their walkthroughs.
Anyway, reading about the skills makes me feel like I’m remembering the time I played the game.
Although I was more focused on finding hidden skills and wandering around instead of playing efficiently, I still used those skills.
Hanna’s skill tree is ‘Light’s Protection’, ‘Light Tempering’, ‘Master of Combat’, and ‘Light Explosion’. Except for one, they’re all light-related, making her literally Light Hanna.
According to the post’s author, Helbraun’s one-line comment, it seems like she invested her skill points quite well. Even reading the effects briefly, they all seemed like fairly efficient skills.
Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind. What if I had been possessed as a Paladin?
I would have probably died surrounded by worshippers and low-ranking demons while frantically searching for Hidden Pieces.
I’m someone who can think calmly when given time, not someone who can react instinctively in urgent situations.
Even if I had survived, could I have become as strong as Hanna? I’m somewhat pessimistic.
But what about now?
Rake, who can easily subdue a level 4 Paladin, and Kanto, who is probably around level 3 as a Paladin, are my right and left hands.
Besides them, over forty warriors follow my commands without question. There’s no threat to my life either.
Compared to other possessed individuals, I’m starting with a very advantageous position. Unlike Paladins, who have a clear limit of level 10, I have no limitations.
My blessings can also have a greater impact than a Paladin’s skills. The first blessings I learned were group healing and status ailment removal.
To brag a little, perhaps only I, among the possessed, can save them and drive out the demons.
Let’s not forget that fact and see this through to the end.
I reaffirmed my resolve and gathered my thoughts. It was my own way of self-awakening.
* * * * * *
Three days have passed since I made the promise with Hanna.
Hanna, who diligently sparred with the Barbarians during that time, is about to leave now.
“Ugh.”
Hanna, equipped with all her gear except for the equipment ‘confiscated’ by Rake, lifted her bundle.
I’m observing through Muri’s body using Divine Possession.
“She may be a civilized person, but she was an excellent warrior.”
“It feels like I’ve overcome an invisible wall. I’ve grown a lot.”
“Her milk jugs were certainly impressive.”
The Barbarian warriors who sparred with her for the past few days saw her off. Well, seeing her off just meant standing idly by and watching her leave.
“That bastard is like that until the end.”
Hanna frowned at Dodo, the milk jug youth’s last words, but she waved and accepted the warriors’ farewell. Did she get attached to them while fighting?
“I’ll definitely kill you next time we meet.”
Muttering those words while looking at Rake, who came out for surveillance until the very end, Hanna left the Tribal Federation without hesitation. What a grudge holder.
[Not a Netkama: It’s over! Hanna is free.]
She sends a personal message right away. She’s very casual.
Does she think we’re best friends because we exchanged messages frequently? For me, they were all business messages.
Well, there’s no need to be harsh. She’s just clueless and irritable, not a bad person.
[Be nice to Barbarians if you meet them next time.]
[Not a Netkama: ?? I was captured by them until now?]
[What were you doing that got you captured?]
[Not a Netkama: I was just trying to teach those Barbarian bastards a lesson when they were loitering around.]
[Did you think before you spoke?]
[Not a Netkama: Okay… ]
[Not a Netkama: I’m going towards Martba.]
[Not a Netkama: Wanna come here? It’s just forming a 2-person party for a bit.]
[Not a Netkama: It’s a coastal area here, so there’s a sea.]
[No.]
[I have business here.]
[Not a Netkama: Where is that?]
[Dubenheim.]
[Not a Netkama: That’s so far… Let me know if you come this way next time.]
[Take care.]
Well, we’ll probably meet again sometime if we live. Even if we don’t, we can contact each other through messages when we’re bored.
We’re like online friends, so to speak.
I closed the message window and spoke to Muri.
━ I want to see the totem that you said is complete.
“Understood. I made it hastily in a short time, so the quality might be lacking.”
━ It’s alright. I know you did your best.
“I’m grateful that you understand.”
Muri had been confined in a residential tent, sleeping very little while making the totem.
Although Paya went to help her occasionally, it must have been a difficult task.
━ I’ll go ahead and wait.
I withdrew from Divine Possession and returned to the altar, waiting for Muri.
A few minutes later, Muri arrived at the altar and placed something in front of me. It was a palm-sized totem made of wood.
It was round like an egg, with an Eastern dragon carved on it like a pattern.
━ I’ll test it out.
I bestowed the ‘Bound Totem’ blessing on the mini totem. My vision changed instantly.
“How is it?”
I looked up at Muri, who was right in front of me.
━ It works well. This is all thanks to you, Priestess Muri.
“I’m glad.”
I used the ‘Healing Totem (Advanced)’ blessing while in the mini totem state.
The space around me, about 10 meters in radius, was dyed blue.
“Ah… I feel my fatigue melting away.”
Muri, kneeling, slowly closed her eyes.
Seeing a grandmother kneeling before me and using extremely honorific language made me feel guilty.
Grandmother, your joints must be bad, please just get up. I’m sorry.
Anyway, I confirmed that it works.
I sent Muri away and called for Paya.
“Did it succeed?”
Paya, who must have been at the House of Feathers, asked with feathers stuck in her hair. She was always busy, but she’d become even busier with the new members.
Rake had no interest in the tribe, Muri was busy making the totem, and Kanto was useless except for combat, so Paya had no choice but to do everything herself.
This was practically a one-person rule.
Now that Muri’s work was done, Paya’s workload would be reduced a bit.
━ It did.
I ordered her to send the totem and a letter to the Sky Tree Tribe living in Dubenheim using the monster pigeon, Tteunteuni.
“It’s a distant region, so it will take at least five days to arrive.”
━ That’s enough.
Cluck cluck!
Tteunteuni let out a powerful cry and flew off.
Now all I had to do was wait… or I thought so, but there was unexpectedly a lot to do.
First, I worked on expanding the territory. It was for the new members who had joined and for those who would join in the future.
I wanted to order them to use the conquered village as a new settlement, but when I subtly brought it up, the expressions of the Barbarians, except for Rake, darkened, so I let it go.
They would live in the village if I pushed for it, but I didn’t want to go that far. My main body totem was also on this land.
I could understand their position. The tribe’s land held a significant meaning for the Barbarians.
The Brown Rock Tribe, who easily abandoned their tribal land and came here, was a special case. I heard later that Rake had just pushed for it unilaterally.
She’s truly a strongman (dictator), or rather, a strongwoman.
I also moved the livestock from the village ruled by the Snail Demon to this side (the warriors had been going down to the village and steadily collecting feed).
They were livestock that hadn’t been infected by demonic energy despite being close to the demons. It was suspicious in many ways, so I entrusted Paya and Muri with researching them before bringing them all here.
What if this was a trick by the demons or their worshippers? They might look fine, but we could get infected if we eat them.
I found out that the livestock were all fine because they had high magic resistance.
The worshippers and demons also had to fill their stomachs, so they raised livestock, and perhaps only the individuals that could resist demonic energy survived among the livestock they raised.
It’s a kind of survival of the fittest.
We also built many tent-like structures, but we ran out of buffalo hide, which was the material for them, so we used this and that hide and eventually even built huts.
“Huh, for me, Dodo, to end up using this kind of place as my dwelling…”
The muttering of the first hut lottery winner speaks volumes about the state of the hut.
Anyway, time flew by as we went through such tasks.
Five days passed quickly.
‘Can you hear me, Loa Malak? The Sky Tree Tribe desires you.’
I hear the voice of someone far away calling me.
It seems Tteunteuni has finally reached the Sky Tree Tribe.
I used the ‘Bound Totem’ blessing. I could feel the mini totem even though it was far away.
It felt like a part of me.
“Ah, you’ve arrived! Loa Malak!”
A brown-skinned woman with her body wrapped in black panther hide appeared before my eyes. Maybe in her mid-30s?
Her sharp eyes made her seem like a Priestess, and her toned arm muscles made her seem like a Chieftain.
“I am Nix, daughter of Amawa and Juri, the Chieftain and Priestess of the Sky Tree Tribe.”
A dual class, huh?