Corpse Puppet

Living on earth was not as easy as it seemed. At the very least, that was how society rejects felt. For anyone who didn't have the means to blend in, real world was more or less, hellish torture in its own way.

Introverts, abuse victims, depressed people and many more different kind of people in real world had problems blending into society. These people usually seek shelter online in the form of social networks or even online games.

True, most gamers play for the fun of it. But there were also people who needed the games as a mean to escape reality. These kind of people exists, they really do.

Hallel was unexpectedly one of these so called abuse victims. She was just a plain girl in a normal household, a single child. The head of the family, her father was a doucebag. He always came home drunk and beat both Hallel and her mother on his whim.

As a child, obviously Hallel had no way of solving that problem. Even her mother never said anything to anyone about it. The only thing they could do was endure.

With that living environment, there was no way for Hallel to lead a normal life. She became more and more depressed each day. Her nature also turned violent making it harder for her to make friends. Soon enough, she was isolated at school, forever alone without friends.

Her only salvation was HeavensTale. A world where her social status, real life problems nor complication never matters. A brand new world where she was free from anything binding her. Here, she could do whatever she wanted whenever she wanted. Nobody would bother with her as long as she minds her own business.

She had no money to buy items? She could grind all she wanted. She had no friends to dungeon with? She stopped dungeoning. She couldn't join wars? She never cared. As long as she could play the game and focus on what she wanted, that alone was more than enough for her. That alone was happiness for her. The game itself saved her from the cruel reality of real life.

"This is so good. I don't mind eating your cooking for the rest of my life."

"Seriously? You're the girl. You should at least learn how to cook."

"I can't help it. My mother never teach me how to."

"My mom died when I was five. So?"

"Uh, sorry."

"Hahaha don't mind it. But my point still legit though. Learn how to cook!"

Just like that, their lunch time ended with a friendly conversation about daily life. With her water magic, Hallel just shot a stream of water for dishwashing before putting them all back into her space belt. That washing method was extremely effective though.

"Do we wait until the curse wear off?"

"Nah, it's better to move. Nothing to do here anyways. The dukedom up ahead is the Stoness Dukedom right?"

"If the dryad didn't lie to us then yeah. I've never been there before so I'm not sure."

"Let's go then."

Donning his signature Crimson Death Armor sets together with his Flame Emperor Cape which were all pitch black from the curse, Mays readied himself. He put Drasca on his shoulder as if that place was now her exclusive spot.

With his borrowed mount, Mays sprint forward with a cheerful smile on his face. Hallel followed behind him without hesitation. This kind of life had been their routine these few days. Unless they happened on a village where Mays might try something new, they ride most of the time, only stopping for meals and sleep.

"Master."

"What is it?"

After spending days with Drasca, Mays was somewhat accustomed to this dragon calling him master. It was awkward at first considering how this girl appeared in his consciousness whenever she wanted but after some time Mays had unexpectedly gotten used to it.

"Town in front. I sensed something horrifying."

"Eh? What is it?"

"I don't know."

"Something you don't know?"

"Yeah."

Her short answer on every question was still annoying as usual. Mays didn't bother asking anymore after she said she didn't know. Mays deduced that whatever the thing Drasca sensed was something which might be connected to players.

After conversing with Drasca for days, Mays had verified almost half of his unanswered question with Drasca's knowledge. Her knowledge was limited mostly to things inside this world. She knew next to nothing about players which were also called godkins in this world. Five years ago was her first time meeting players who wandered the demon continent by mistakes.

"We might meet something unexpected in the town ahead."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah. I can feel it."

"Can't wait to see what it is then. I'll tear it to pieces if it's disgusting."

Rather than doubting what Mays just said, Hallel even joked about it. She was not even bothered by the certainty of Mays's sense. Reason was, this kind of things happened twice before this.

Once was when they met a silver ranked insane boss residing in NatureSprite Dukedom. If not because of Mays's prompt warning, Hallel might accidentally step into a trap laid by that boss. The second time was when they were trapped inside a never ending labyrinth of trees.

With the same excuse of his sixth sense, he told Hallel to sit still for one hour inside the labyrinth. Just like that, the labyrinth disappeared as if it was never there. Of course all these information came from Drasca but Mays was not inclined to explain all that. Saying that it was his sixth sense made it somewhat cooler.

----------------------------------------------------

"This town feels kind of… lifeless?"

"Well, kinda."

Both Mays and Hallel were observing the town in an awkward manner. The town was basically half destroyed and the resident were all quiet and gloomy. There were lots of different kind of humanoid monster inside the town.

"What happened here?"

"I don't know. Go ask them yourself."

"Jerk! Would it hurt if you show a little bit of your gentlemanliness?"

Hallel snorted at Mays's usual nonchalant tone. She who spent almost one week with him already gotten used to his self-conceited personality by now. He never did anything he didn't want to do. He only did whatever he wanted and he wouldn't even bother others when he was doing them.

Approaching a veteran looking lizard kin who was tending his stall, Hallel bought a bucket of fruits which looked like persimmons from him before asking him some question. The male lizard kin was quite wary at first considering the one approaching him was a human but he let out a relieved sigh after Hallel paid for the fruits.

"I just arrived in this town today. Can you tell me what happened here?"

The usual Hallel would without a doubt caused trouble right away. The only reason why she was acting so nice at the moment was because the presence of Mays. She somewhat decided to show her good side for reasons unknown.

Quickly hiding the gold coins which was clearly excessive for just several fruits, the stall keeper glanced all over the area before he started talking.

"Four days ago, a group of human trashed the city. Not just that, I heard that they even go as far as killing the lord or this dukedom. The latter part is just a rumors though."

"Those humans are not here anymore?"

"Nope. They all left already. But, they leave something behind though, something demonic I must say."

"Oh?"

Hallel attentively listened to the story told by the male lizard kin. Mays on the other hand was busy observing the perimeter. He could gather quite a lot of information just from his observation alone. Most of the resident inside this town were wary of human hence none of them approached Mays or Hallel on their own.

"Hallel, let's go!"

"Ah, okay. Thanks for the info."

Thanking the male lizard kin before she took off, both Mays and Hallel walked deeper into the town with Mays on the lead.

"Where are we going?"

"To meet the unexpected thing I told you previously."

They were now at the center of the town, inside a plaza with a water fountain at its center. Mays was quite fixated on something at the moment as both his eyes were looking at a rundown chapel not too far from them.

"It's inside that building?"

"Probably. I'm not sure myself but I think so."

"I can tear it to pieces right?"

"If that is what you wanted."

Mays replied nonchalantly to Hallel's blatant request. He knew that this girl would sooner or later showed her true color. In fact, he was quite shocked at how she managed to hold on this long, watching at the side line as Mays do what he wanted.

"Damn right it is. I have been holding back my killing urge for days."

Hallel ran toward the chapel without looking back with her great sword gripped tightly using both her hands. Mays sighed at the sight of this hot-headed girl but decided not to stop her. Ramming through the half destroyed door of the chapel, Hallel strode forward with her great sword ready to strike. She observed the inside of the chapel diligently. She could feel the intense killing intent directed at her from something inside this chapel. There really was some kind of demon hiding here.

"Ktang!"

Blade met blade inside the chapel when Hallel was ambushed by the unknown enemy. She was good enough to parry the attack even when it came from her blind spot. She didn't spent her five years inside demon continent for nothing.

"State your name, vile creature!"

"…"

Obviously, her enemy didn't reply. It even attacked faster than before, making it difficult for Hallel. She still managed to fend off all the attacks coming at her regardless.

Most of the townspeople immediately ran into their house and lock their door after Hallel entered the rundown chapel. They all knew what resides inside it but none of them could do anything about it. All notable fighters inside the town had been killed by that thing when they tried to fight it a few days ago.

"Take this, Heaven's Lacerator!"

Hallel's great sword turned invisible as the skill activated. Next moment, her enemy was sent flying outside the chapel, rolling over the plaza before it came to a stop beside the fountain.

"Whoa!"

Even Hallel was quite shocked when she realized what the thing she just fought was. She couldn't get a clear view on her opponents inside the chapel considering how dark it was in there. A bundle of bones and muscles from real corpses patched together and compacted into a newly created being. A skeletal zombie which was famed for their toughness.

"This is really unexpected. A corpse puppet. A max potential one at that."

"Hell yeah."

[Corpse Puppet] was Demon Priest's signature skill. This sole skill was also the main reason why some players branded Demon Priest as necromancers. Back in the game, it was quite hard to make a maxed potential [Corpse Puppet] but now that might not be a problem. Corpses would not disappear into thin air so the [Corpse Puppet] could be patched and compacted over and over until it reached its maximum potential.

Mays who stood not too far from the fountain smirked before he chuckled. It seemed like the person he wanted to see most right now happened to be close by. For the sake of meeting with this person, he wouldn't mind delaying his trip back to Demonfall Forest. This was after all, a rare chance for him.

The person in question was none other than the leader of DarkMonarch, Black Death Stan. He was the only Demon Priest in HeavensTale.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

[Corpse Puppet] was never that strong to begin with. Even maxed potential [Corpse Puppet] was only on par with early gold rank intermediate bosses. A normal elite players with at least legendary tier weapon could fight them one on one.

The only good part of [Corpse Puppet] was that those skeletal zombies summoned using this skill wouldn't disappear as long as the Demon Priest stayed alive and logged on. Stan once shocked the world when he brought an army of more than a hundred skeletal zombies into territory war.

It brought an easy victory for DarkMonarch thanks to the great reinforcement. Ever since that incident, the whole server kept an eye on Stan to ensure that something like that wouldn't happen again.

Everything was different now after the game turned into reality. Stan could produce as many skeletal zombies as he wanted as long as he had the corpses needed for it. With his personality, it was obvious that he would once again raised an army of skeletal zombies.

"It's time to end this fight."

The fight between Hallel and the skeletal zombie was one sided from the very start. Something on the level of early gold ranked intermediate bosses couldn't hold a candle even against the weakest of the eight, let alone the strongest. Hallel easily routed the skeletal zombie before she decided to end the fight with her greatest attack.

"Golden Brilliance Blade!"

One hundred eleven bladed weapon appeared all over the skeletal zombie after Hallel activated her skill. Swords, daggers, axes and many others bladed weapon surrounded the skeletal zombie as they emitted a faint golden light. It took less than five second for the golden light to shine its brightest before all the weapon rained toward the skeletal zombie in all direction. The skeletal zombie was indeed torn to pieces after that attack.

"It's been a while since last I have a good exercise."

Brushing off the dust all over her body, Hallel then stored her great sword inside her space belt once more before she walked toward Mays with a smile on her face. The plaza was riddled with craters while the rundown chapel was almost demolished thanks to the battle between Hallel and the skeletal zombie.

"Good job."

"Heh, it's a matter of course."

If the person in front of him was Ria, Mays would without a doubt stroked her head gently as he praised her. The difference between Hallel and Ria was obvious. Leaving her physique which was almost at the same height as Mays aside, her temperament was also way different.

The only similar traits the two of them shared was their headstrong character. Ria kept her strong facade most of the time where in actuality she was a meek and gentle girl on the inside. She often emitted the aura of those seeking protection whenever she was with Mays but Hallel was totally the opposite.

Hallel was like a wild beast, both outside and inside. She was strong, unyielding and resolute. This personality might had been the result of her perseverance all these years living under the pressure of her asshole father coupled by her five years of tempering in demon continent.

"For now, let's just look for an inn to stay the night. I don't feel like travelling in the dark."

"Sounds good to me."

Rather than not wanting to travel in the night, Mays already had something planned in his mind. Even Hallel's action of killing the skeletal zombie was a part of his pre calculated scheme.

Not too far away from the plaza where Hallel defeated the skeletal zombie was a decent looking inn with a dragon scripture in front of its store board. Both Mays and Hallel decided to stay the night inside that inn after they ate an exotic grasshopper as dinner in the same inn.

"Mays, your armor is back to normal."

"Haha yeah. Now nobody will doubt the fact that I am the Red Wargod."

Gently tapping his armor which he already placed at his side of the bed, Mays recalled the day he met Hallel. It really was a good thing that Hallel decided to believe in him. He really was out of idea on how to persuade her that time.

"You okay with sharing the same room, Hallel?"

"What of it? It's a large room with two bed even."

"Ah okay."

Hallel didn't care at all about sharing the same room as Mays. They had been sleeping close to each other this whole week when they traveled together. Sharing the same room meant nothing to her. Her common sense was quite messed up on that part for sure.

The two bed inside the room was arranged not too far from each other. Hallel's bed was facing the window while Mays's was closer to the door. Since Mays busied himself with checking his gear, Hallel watched the bright moon outside the window with a look of longing on her face.

"Just so you know, if it is some other guy then I will without doubt reject it."

As if trying to justify something, Hallel started talking after quite some time. She even glanced at Mays to see if there were changes on his facial expression after she said that.

"Did you say something?"

Pretending to be busy checking the items in his space belt, Mays asked with his usual nonchalant tone. He even stopped checking his item as he looked at Hallel who was enjoying the night scenery outside the window.

"Nah, nothing."

"Oh."

Mays grinned as he replied. He then turned back to his space belt before continuing his item check. He obviously heard what Hallel just said but pretended not to. He didn't want to indulge himself with other things at the moment.

"Jerk."

Hallel muttered softly and stopped watching the scenery outside the window. She noticed Mays's usual grin hence she gave up bothering him.

Truth be told, Mays was not grinning because of what Hallel just said. He just remembered what happened during their first night camping outside a few days ago. Mays didn't let down his guard even when he was going to sleep.

That night, he felt someone closing onto him. It was Hallel. She sat in front of him while her hand slipped into his kimono, feeling his body. Mays opened his eyes to confirm what actually happened only to witness Hallel's flushed face turning redder the moment their eyes met.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm just checking your wound. Glad it looks okay."

It was quite hilarious for Hallel to answer the question without stuttering in that situation. She then walked away from Mays and lay down at her own makeshift bed. Mays could even hear some soft muttering coming from her but he decided not to bother with it. That was also the first and last time Hallel sneaked on him at night, or so he thought.