The Power of the Undead

An adventurer decapitated a couple of undead at once, but suddenly, a metallic spider the size of a fist appeared out of nowhere and jumped onto the head of this adventurer. A "Crack" sound occurred, and it began exerting force while devouring. As it penetrated the skin, it reached the bones and soon the brain. The sharp scream of that adventurer echoed throughout the bone forest.

"Don't retreat!" The experts in that group of adventurers formed a powerful attack. They continuously pushed forward with terrifying force, advancing step by step.

Boom!

As they risked their lives to enter the valley, victory was within their eyes. Suddenly, there was an explosion that shook the earth, turning the ground into a black hole, like the mouth of a mighty dragon, and all the adventurers who were taken by surprise fell without being able to do anything.

The cries of fear, terror, and death resounded everywhere, and those adventurers who were actually powerful were devoured by the earth. Then, after swallowing all the adventurers, the hole closed without a trace that it had ever been open.

In a short time, the valley regained its tranquility. If there were no blood on the ground, no one would be able to imagine that a bitter battle had just taken place here.

As the cold breeze blew, Gilgamesh's group trembled. This was the first time they saw undead using weapons and casting spells. They always thought that the undead were like zombies or puppets.

"In that valley, at least, there is an undead who, considering its strength, is a Sword King or higher." Cusnfiel looked towards that valley and sighed, then said, "I wonder what kind of treasures we could find if we go there."

At this moment, those who still questioned how powerful the undead were and how terrifying this place was felt the urgency to be alert. This was only the entrance, but a powerful group of adventurers was completely destroyed by underestimating the enemy. Think about it, how terrifying would the undead deep inside the cemetery be?

"Are you scared? They are definitely stronger than any undead in this place; all you need to do is not underestimate the group." Gilgamesh looked at his group that had fallen silent and gave them some small hints.

Cunsfiel nervously swallowed his saliva and gathered his courage, then laughed and said, "With my lord here, what could we be afraid of? I have seen demons kill humans, also kill demons, battles of gods, and true ominous beings. How could I be afraid?"

"Less drama..." Gilgamesh smiled at seeing Cusnfiel, who despite having lived for hundreds of years, still had fear.

"What do we do if the ground sinks while we're fighting? Unlike Roxy, I can't fly." Eris expressed her concerns about fighting in this place.

"Yesterday, I looked a lot at what has happened and will happen in this place, so there's no need to fight with the undead who don't make deals. We'll do business with those who want to exchange products for information." Gilgamesh shook his head and replied.

Eris was curious and asked, "Who will do business with us? It all seems like they have no intelligence; do those beings we want to negotiate with have consciousness?"

"No and yes." Gilgamesh looked ahead and explained, "From what I could find out, the undead here are nothing more than prisoners. To be exact, supposedly, there's no one controlling those beings, but hypothetically speaking, if they had a master, he would be here. The rumors in this place are pure legends without evidence or facts, so the things this place can hide are very tempting to ignore."

"Can we find that answer?" Roxy asked, a bit excited. If she manages to solve this, she might consider writing a book about all the things they have done over the past year.

"I'm not sure..." Gilgamesh shook his head and said, "This place is too ancient to investigate in just one day... The undead are troublesome, but they are not the only problem. Mosquitoes, adventurers, snakes, and dragons once swallowed by the earth of this place will turn into undead."

"So, what about those who come to find out for themselves?" At this moment, everyone was very curious. This was the first time they had heard of these things.

"Those who come determined to surrender to the earth are not interrupted since they will become part of this cemetery. The problem arises when each of us enters for different reasons," replied Gilgamesh, recalling what he had seen yesterday.

"Could they really regain their youth?" This time Roxy asked with some suspicion.

"That's quite exaggerated, but the undead we're going to negotiate with are indeed people who have come to this place to regain their youth. As for the undead that attack, they are adventurers who enter this place to steal. Of course, this is only limited. The longer the burial time, the longer the minutes of life. Over time, some of their youth is restored. One has to be buried for hundreds of years to even live a few more weeks."

"So, it's a possibility of rebirth..." Eris murmured a bit excited, her grandfather could come here if he wanted to live longer.

Gilgamesh nodded and continued, "Regarding the principle, yes. However, the possibility is less likely than being able to find a fortune in a dangerous mountain. Many give up the desire to live longer when they feel the loneliness of this place."

"That means the test of this place is to have a strong will to keep living." Roxy drew a conclusion from this.

"That's correct. Moreover, people like us who come to this place in search of treasures could possibly be food for this place as well as for extending the lives of those still buried." Gilgamesh nodded in agreement.

Listening to this, everyone was amazed.

"That's the sacrifice of living longer..." Roxy murmured, having a different perception of life compared to humans.

But Gilgamesh was totally different since he had been able to become immortal but eventually accepted his humanity, becoming something he never expected to be.

"So, all of us are their food, shouldn't we destroy this place?" Eris asked while touching her chin.

Gilgamesh just smiled and said, "Follow me. All of you need to stay right behind me. Everyone should be half a step away. Don't be too far from me. Remember, when I'm negotiating, don't speak."

Gilgamesh's group followed his steps, extremely excited about what they were going to find. Unlike others who can enter with special methods, they first entered with the Vimana and walked. They dared not be careless. They split to both sides, and everyone prepared to fight.