44 – Miasma Ruins

"Miasma ruins, a place that holds the greatest treasure, right, Your Majesty?" Szur asked after I tell them about the destination. "Szur thinks he has heard of it from people's chatter."

"Two hundred years ago, a rich man had a unique idea to keep his treasure safe," I explained while leading the way. "He made buildings full of mazes."

Emily shrugged. "Sounds familiar."

"But, all of those buildings were blown away." I shrugged.

"Huh?"

"Actually, that person doesn't keep his treasure 'somewhere' but puts it in an object that is constantly moving," Szur added.

"And every human who comes there will die from the bad aura." I then explained in detail everything that needed to be known, as well as the strategy I had devised. Then, I set the timer for the fast-forward feature and automatic mode. "However, it is said that demons and undead like us will not be affected by that aura."

"Haven't the demons conquered that place yet?" This time it was Ayre who asked.

"Well, I guess they prefer to steal from humans. That's easier, right?" I determined my destination in my game UI, then wrapped my arms around Ayre and Emily on the waist. "Hold on, you two. And Szur, get on my back."

The little creature bowed down. "Szur is very honored to fly with you, my lord."

After Szur climbed onto my back, I flapped my wings. Simultaneously, the fast-forward feature kicked in. I can't use my hands because I'm carrying two women, so I purposely made the feature active with a timer.

Everything went so fast for me. Because the journey was quite far, our group stopped several times to eat and rest.

With automatic mode, my body moves on its own to land, sit, and do other activities. So, the three-day flying trip felt like only a few minutes for me.

Then, the fast-forward feature stopped, a sign that we were close.

Once we got to our destination, I gasped. As far as I could see, I only saw the ruins, leaving me unable to estimate how big this place was. What kind of madman would keep his treasure in such an oversized place?

"I wondered if the person who made that place was as idiotic as Ritor," Emily asked. "How could the demon chariot he used couldn't be controlled and destroy the maze instead?"

I'm laughing. "And the special clothes that the rich man made couldn't make him immune from the bad aura. So, he died there. Well, maybe his idiot level exceeds Ritor's."

We then landed in an area filled with large, dull-colored ruins.

"Holy shit." Emily glanced around. "How many idiots have come here? Why are there so many corpses here?"

Human corpses are scattered on the streets of the ruins. Most have been in the form of bones, but some are still in decay.

All of them carried various weapons. It was clear they were adventurers who gambled with their lives to get to the treasure.

"My old place doesn't smell like this, even though it's called the undead cave," Emily observed a corpse surrounded by maggots and flies. "My late master uses special magic to dispel any foul odor…. Hey, what are you doing, Szur!?"

Szur took a bite of the dried meat he had just taken from an adventurer's bag. "What?"

Emily just shook her head, deciding not to comment further.

"Emily, you better do that now." I gave the order after observing the situation for a while. "Before the demon chariot came."

"All right, my lord." The supreme undead massaged her shoulders, then pressed her palms to the ground.

There was silence for a moment, then the corpses around us began to squirm.

"Well, there's a lot of them." The woman mumbled. "I need more time."

Even though Emily said that, the ritual was very short. In less than a minute, the corpses got up and approached Emily.

"Excellent, Emily." I had no idea that she would perform such a remarkable feat. There were probably a hundred corpses that she resurrected.

The name 'demon chariot' in my game UI is orange, a sign that the monster's level is still above us.

However, these undeads were not counted in the level calculations. So, I believe we have a chance.

We still need a lot of money for various things, after all. On the other hand, I don't want to ask my worshippers. They might stay away from me instead.

"So, we will..." I froze while Emily was doing something to one of the still-undecayed corpses.

"Sorry, lady adventurer." The supreme undead was skinning the woman's face with a knife. "But, I really need a face. It's excruciating to have no eyelids."

I cringed when she finally pulled the skin off that woman's face.

"Let me help." Ayre, completely unaffected by that gruesome act, took the initiative to remove the bandage on Emily's face.

"Thanks."

"What did you do to my wife!" Suddenly a male undead emerged from the crowd.

"Sorry," Emily responded, and the undead man collapsed, returning to his lifeless state.

"So, that's what you mean. The resurrected corpses sometimes retain their consciousness, but it happens randomly?" Even though what was happening was very strange, I tried to act normal.

"That's right, sir." She pressed the facial skin onto her own, then massaged it for a moment. "Do any of you have a mirror? I need to correct the position of this face."

Szur burst out laughing because of Emily's face. Her eyelids are not symmetrical, her nose is on one of the cheekbones, and her mouth is tilted.

I wonder if this is her ultimate dark joke.

"I'm good at disguises." Ayre touched her colleague's new face. "Let me shape it according to your real face."

"Thanks again."

I was speechless seeing that absurd thing. Ayre shaped Emily's face like she was shaping clay.

"Ouch! Ouch!" Emily cried out in pain as Ayre tugged at her nose. "Don't pull it like that. My face will come off. The nose can't be formed because it has bones in it."

I don't know if I should be grateful or not. Emily's face was in its original shape. But her nose was different, her eyebrows were black instead of purple, and there were still scars around her face. I think the scars are a sign that her new face hasn't entirely merged with her head yet.

"You're doing great, Ayre. It looks a lot like me." Emily nodded while looking at her reflection in the small mirror held by a skeleton. She then looked around, pointing at another female undead. "I found a nose similar to mine!"

Unable to stand the absurdity, I decided to jump to one of the ruins and observe the situation. I found black smoke moving in the distance, followed by the clatter of quick steps.

"Our prey is coming." I hissed.

Emily hastily poked the nose of the undead with her knife. She almost dropped the organ, then put it on her face.

Szur laughed again, louder this time.

"Shit, I put it upside down!" The pale purple-haired woman cursed.

I'm at a loss for words.