4 Chapter 4: The Empty Hartz National Cemetery and the Corpse of Aura Master

"Ugh, ugh!"

Angela suddenly twisted her body and let out a scream.

"What, what did you do!"

With those words, Angela rolled her eyes and collapsed.

It happened so suddenly that I couldn't even react to the situation.

"....Hey, are you okay?"

Just in case, I tried talking to her, but she remained silent as if she had fainted.

In this incomprehensible situation, I reviewed the characteristics I had chosen.

[Evolution]

Unique

Develops a target from a lower to a higher state with sufficient experience

Can be used on non-hostile subjects

A characteristic that enhances and supplements the strengths and weaknesses of a necromancer, with overall versatility. Most of the unique characteristics were generally useful, so there was no loss in choosing any of them. But in the situation I found myself in, there was no better characteristic than this.

Of course, since I had just obtained it, I didn't know the exact usage or how much it would improve through evolution.

It seemed like Angela's oath regarding the family met the conditions for the second evolution.

Unintentionally, Angela, who became the first sacrifice of my characteristic, was lying before me, and another message appeared.

[Angela Lucifel]

[In the process of evolution....]

[Time remaining: 167 hours 41 minutes 03 seconds]

Nearly a week of time was indicated.

Although I wondered why it took so long, for now, I was grateful to have bought some time. After all, I had to leave the room because of the task Caron had given me. During this time, who knew what Angela might say to Caron? It was better to leave her in this unconscious state and not have to worry about it.

When I checked the time, it was already late at night.

I quickly organized myself, checked Angela once again, and returned to my dorm room.

Back in my room, I immediately checked my schedule.

"Of all times..."

To visit the Empty Hartz National Cemetery according to Caron's given time, I had to leave right away. The problem was that I might have to skip my classes tomorrow afternoon without permission.

"Do I really care about attending those lectures when my life is at stake?"

In fact, they were important. Very important.

As you know, the Adrias family is in dire straits financially, with debts and an impoverished situation. Moreover, due to the passing of my father, the previous Earl, I was selected as a scholarship recipient. Thanks to that, I was barely able to cover the tuition with the scholarship benefits. If I were to skip class without permission, even that could disappear.

Although my mind was in turmoil, my body was already prepared to go out.

Just in case, I packed an extra disguise in my suitcase and pulled it along.

"Let's resolve this as quickly as possible. If I'm lucky, I might be able to return by tomorrow afternoon."

After mapping out the route in my mind, I immediately set my plan into motion.

It was late at night, so there was no one passing by outside.

However, the mana railway station near the academy, which operated 24 hours, was brightly lit.

"Ah."

When I tried to calculate the ticket cost and took out my wallet, I found that I only had enough money for a round-trip ticket.

"That damn Caron. At least he should have given me some money for running errands."

I cursed silently and reluctantly paid the ticket fare before boarding the mana express train.

Come to think of it, Caron had never given me money for the tasks he assigned me.

In the game, I rarely had to worry about money. I simply utilized my character's traits to earn it. But now, as a character like Adrias with no notable traits or talents, I had to find another way.

Fortunately, I had always made notes and played the game, so I had plenty of knowledge and ideas, even for a character as pitiful as Adrias.

"The problem is, I don't even have initial funds."

The more I thought about it, the more pitiful my character seemed.

But what could I do? This was who I was now.

Since time was of the essence, I ran with all my might, pulling my suitcase, until I reached the cemetery entrance after a short but intense struggle that lasted less than five minutes.

"I should really exercise regularly."

Physical stamina was essential for survival.

But I had to worry about someone thinking, "Isn't he a magician?" and questioning my physical stamina. No, I wish I had some magical talent in the first place.

After nearly an hour of struggle, I finally managed to arrive at the entrance of the cemetery, gasping for breath.

The sky was already brightening with the dawn.

"I'm from the Jenis residence. I'm the third grandson."

"Do you have the flowers with you?"

"I brought 13 Blue Sky Butterfly flowers."

"Very well. You may enter."

I exchanged the predetermined greetings with the gatekeeper and entered.

The society of dark mages may have been hidden from the public eye, but their power was by no means insignificant. The Empty Hartz National Cemetery, too, was one of the places that had already been bought by the dark mages.

As I passed through the main gate and entered the interior, I saw hundreds of gravestones and a gravedigger in the spacious outdoor area.

I approached the gravedigger who was working.

"Mr. Payman."

"Caron's errand, I presume. You came early."

"Yes. He mentioned Bayden's grave."

"Very well. I've already prepared it. It should be over there."

It seemed like he already knew what I was referring to, as he pointed in a direction. I saw a grave that hadn't been filled yet, or perhaps one that had been emptied.

"Thank you."

As I expressed my gratitude, I happened to see the grave that the gravedigger had been working on.

"The gravestone of Lifheel? Lifheel, Lifheel..."

It felt familiar, but I couldn't recall where I had seen it before. It probably wasn't something significant, so I headed toward Bayden's grave instead.

When I opened the grave, I found the neatly arranged corpse of a knight who had recently died. Despite the natural revulsion, I nonchalantly picked up the corpse.

"It's heavier than I thought."

It was the second event that made me keenly aware of the importance of exercise.

I placed the corpse in the suitcase I had brought. The suitcase was provided by Caron for transporting bodies and had a small space-expanding enchantment, allowing it to fit easily.

As I finished arranging the corpse and straightened up, I suddenly realized the identity of the corpse that the gravedigger had been working on.

"Lifheel! Nickel Lifheel!"

In fact, it was one of the not-so-important Easter eggs in the game.

Here's the story: A man who idolized Ora Master suddenly stopped worldly affairs and spent decades solely practicing his sword skills. He eventually became Ora Master, but at that moment, he succumbed to a terminal illness and died. It was a strange story about an ordinary man without talent in swordsmanship who eventually became an Ora Master through his efforts, only to die. Ora Masters were truly extraordinary beings in this world.

To think that Nickel Lifheel had become an Ora Master, unofficially ending his life. He was only known through rumors in the village where he lived. Honestly, it was an unimaginable death when thinking of the image of an Ora Master.

That's why it was an Easter egg. And this Easter egg ultimately revolved around Kadrasik's story.

But why would they bother creating such an Easter egg?

"It means he was a real Ora Master. Otherwise, why would they go through all the trouble to create this Easter egg?"

However, since it was just a trivial Easter egg, I didn't pay much attention to it. Even I, who had played the game meticulously, couldn't recall it immediately.

"But Nickel Lifheel..."

My heart raced.

The fact that Nickel Lifheel had become an Ora Master was never officially announced. It was only passed down through rumors in the village where he lived. It was something unimaginable considering the image of an Ora Master.

That's why the true value of this corpse was probably unknown to anyone.

"The abilities of a summoned creature revived through necromancy are proportional to their abilities in their lifetime. If I were to create something like a Death Knight with this..."

Of course, even Caron couldn't create a top-tier summon like a Death Knight right now. But with this, it was evident that I could surpass the level of an ordinary skeleton.

Just as the gravedigger, who had placed Lifheel's coffin in the pit, wiped his forehead and looked at me, I subtly threw out a question.

"Ah, by the way."

"What now? Aren't you going somewhere?"

"Is it possible for me to obtain a corpse or be assigned one for summoning purposes? I'm starting to think about creating my own summons soon."

"Hmm, how many years has it been for you?"

"I'm now in my third year."

"Hah! You're still a fledgling and already so ambitious."

"Is that so? Haha."

As I pretended to laugh, he stole a glance at my forehead, wiped his sweat, and said, "I understand your feelings, but for now, get permission from Caron first. That's the quickest way."

"You're right. I understand. Thank you for the advice."

...Or so I thought.

I couldn't just let it go after discovering the corpse of an Ora Master, especially when no one, not even suspecting that it was an Ora Master's corpse, had found it yet.

After a brief hesitation, I made a decision.

While holding out the ring I had in my hand, I spoke to Payman.

"Mr. Payman."

"Why again? Aren't you going?"

"Would it be possible for me to take the corpse here with this ring?"

Payman's eyes widened as he saw the ring I presented. But in an instant, he hid his emotions and casually replied, "As I said before, you can't do it without Caron's permission. If I were caught giving you a corpse and it was traced back to me, I would be in a difficult position."

"You don't have to worry about that. I have complete confidence in keeping it hidden," I assured him.

Payman remained silent for a moment, weighing his options. Then he spoke, his voice laced with caution, "Your enthusiasm is understandable, but it would be best to get Caron's approval first. That would be the quickest and safest route."

"Perhaps you're right. I understand. Thank you for your advice," I replied, concealing my disappointment.

I decided to follow Payman's suggestion and seek Caron's permission. It was clear that obtaining the corpse without authorization would only complicate matters and potentially cause problems for both of us.

"Ahem. Is that so? It's still a bit difficult..."

"Please, I'm begging you, Mr. Payman. This ring is all I have. But as a dark mage, achieving my goals takes priority, and I've made a firm decision. Please, accept it."

"Well, this isn't right..." Payman hesitated but eventually pretended to give in, accepting the ring from me.

Inwardly, he probably thought he had completely fooled me, right?

Well, that ring was the signet ring of Count Cromwell, after all.

"It's just a ring. I can earn money later and return it."

For now, securing any resources I could manipulate, even if it was just a little, was the priority.

After all, I had planned to exchange that ring for money and use it to acquire the Ora Master's corpse. It would be much more beneficial.

"Alright. You said you wanted this corpse, right? Take it," Payman finally relented.

"Thank you."

We both concealed our true intentions and took advantage of the situation.

Perhaps Payman was pleased with selling the corpse of an old man who wasn't even a young knight for a hefty sum. Even though the Cromwell family was known for their noble lineage, it was still the signet ring of a high-ranking noble, so it would fetch a considerable price.

But compared to the corpse of an Ora Master, it was nothing.

Money couldn't buy something like this, the corpse of an Ora Master.

If he knew it was the corpse of an Ora Master, he would probably grab his throat and collapse in disbelief.

As I opened the coffin inside the grave, the elderly man, who appeared to have recently passed away, lay there with his eyes closed.

"I entrust this to you. My first subordinate."

With delicate hands, as if handling a baby, I carefully lifted and moved the corpse.

It was a strenuous task, but to me, it was something that no treasure in the world could compare to. A smile formed on my face.