How intimate, her hands over my mouth, it was strangely arousing, it was a much-needed distraction as this sudden contact buried all of my fear of the Necro King.
Once the tension eased, she let go. I said nothing. No point in making it awkward.
But all of us... We feared the Necro King's name.
The Karthalem...
They might be, my main enemy...
» [System]: Player, once you obtain the Blasphemy Crest, focus all your efforts on growing stronger, because you'll need that power when the time comes to confront the forces of the Karthalem.
I see… but why did you vanish the moment the Necro King's name was spoken?
» ...I don't know, player...
You're acting strange.
» ...Forgive me, player...
A concerning situation, with the slight mention of the Necro King's name, it was enough to disrupt the system, I'll have to find a way to mitigate that.
Before it affects me in the future.
---
Without a word, the woman and the man stepped behind a corner, they kept their conversation private and out of my earshot.
But my curiosity was focused on the glass panels, wondering who might be watching this interrogation.
Their exchange was brief, and soon enough, they returned to inform me.
"Luden, we appreciate your cooperation. Everything went as planned," she said.
"What do I do now?"
"Follow us, Sir Leonard and Lady Rayleigh are waiting."
I'm not surprised that they've been here all this time; they're likely the ones behind the glass panel.
Ahead of me is a narrow hallway, something pulled straight from a Sherlock Holmes novel, filled with professionals in brown trench coats, a detective's haven.
But something felt off...
Those walls, are they cursed? I feel weak just walking through here.
» [Status]: This place has specialized walls that weaken non-humans. Player, your AP ratio has dropped to a mere 50.
Fifty?! From 303? I'd better behave and not cause any trouble then!
"Are we underground?" I asked.
"You're correct—" the girl replied, but she offered nothing else, when I tried asking for the name of this place, she refused to give an answer.
If I had to take a good guess, we were in some kind of underground prison, but I don't think we're at its lowest level.
Though every human that I encountered in this facility was cautious upon seeing me, they braced themselves at the moment I showed any form of retaliation.
Smart of them.
---
"How long have I been here? What's the date today?" I asked, needing to confirm something important.
The girl paused, clearly uncertain about whether she should answer.
"Sir Luden… It's September 5th. You've been here for five days."
"I see..."
Five days.
But... September? That doesn't make sense.
Do they use the same calendar as Earth?
Owie—
---
A headache that alarmed both of my escorts, as it's too similar to the report they received regarding the incident five days ago.
"Luden, what's wrong?" the girl asked, keeping distance from me. She signaled for the others to say back with a subtle motion of her hands.
While the man was prepared to strike me if I ever attempted anything that would do harm.
"This is just a headache, I'm fine, can I have something to drink?"
I haven't had anything in these five days, soon I'll be craving someone's soul...
But the mention of that 'word', it didn't lower my sanity this time...
The girl ordered one of the employees to fetch me some water from a dispenser. He was shaking, as he was about to hand a cup of water to a Banshee.
I took the cup slowly, doing everything I could to show I meant no harm. The employee backed away immediately.
I doubt I'll ever get used to this… but still, I drank the water and thanked them for giving me something to drink.
But I do wonder if I'll ever get my wand back…
"Let's keep going, shall we?" the girl said. Only then did the man finally lower his knife. Now that I looked closer, it was more of a bayonet.
The others remained on edge. Even the slightest movement from me causes a reaction.
We walked in silence until we reached a specific room.
"Is this the viewing area for the glass panel?" I asked.
She gave a quick nod.
---
She opened the door, but my eyes drifted to the man.
I haven't heard a single word from him.
He gestured for me to enter, then stayed behind, standing guard outside the room.
I left him alone.
Upon stepping into the viewing room, I saw them, Rayleigh, her skin pale as always. She wore a casual outfit: a blue blouse, a white skirt with a visible leather belt, and matching shoes. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail.
Beside her stood Sir Leonard, dressed in formal black attire. His hair was neatly combed, and he looked more like a businessman than a noble.
I'm not even sure if I'm glad to see them again…
After what I just did...
There were also a few guards and an old man in the same brown trench coat. Who I assumed was the chief.
Immediately, I bowed and apologized. "I didn't mean to cause any harm. It was a mistake on my part, for that, I apologize."
Rayleigh wasn't saying anything. Was she still mad at me? Well… I did point a wand at her.
But this room... I expected it to be more modern, though not really. It still held that antique feeling to it, with a touch of technology just beside the viewing panel where you could see the room I woke up in.
What a confusing place...
"Luden, can I still trust you?" Leonard asked. It was clear the recent incident had created a rift between us. After all, I just aimed a wand at his daughter.
"Sir Leonard. It won't happen again." I was still bowed. I did feel ashamed, and I wish that incident with the corrupted memory never happened again...
"Raise your head, Luden," Leonard commanded. I lifted my gaze to meet their eyes.
A black sling bag flew toward me. I caught it; it came from the old man.
I recognized it immediately. It was mine. I unzipped it without delay, and there it was, the prodigal son, my Wand of Elegy.
I've grown attached to it.
Rayleigh got closer, her perfume the same melon-scented one she always wore.
"Chief Lein, Luden's name has been cleared, hasn't it? Can we let the teens go now? My daughter and Luden have their Ascendant Trial in two days, and he's already lost five days of preparation," Leonard said.
I lost five whole days, just because of a corrupted memory.
It terrifies me. If it happens again, I could end up even worse. Five days is already bad enough…
"Luden? You look so malnourished right now, you're like a twig!" Rayleigh said as she walked up to me.
Just a moment ago, she looked pissed. Now she's teasing me, interesting.
"I haven't eaten or drunk anything. I'm honestly surprised this body's still alive." I replied.
She chuckled. "We'll get something as soon as we're out of here."
She seemed calm. No questions about the incident? Did she move on that quickly?
---
"He's free to go." Chief Lein said.
I wasn't entirely sure how I'd proved my innocence, but if they said I was free, then I wasn't going to argue.
"May I ask why we're releasing this Banshee, Chief?" one of the guards questioned, as if he would rather shoot me here.
Rayleigh looked annoyed, but her father told her not to say a word she'd regret. I turned around, and the girl who interrogated me was... eating... Pocky?
The chocolate stick?
"The king wants this Banshee returned. There's nothing more we can do," said the old man, but the guard wasn't backing down.
"The king must've lost his mind... trusting a Banshee?"
The room went silent...
"We all felt it, didn't we?" Lein continued. "Even just trying to say it… It felt like our skulls were about to split open."
He's talking about the Necro King...
The guard didn't argue back, so it wasn't just us. Everyone here felt it. The headache… and the fear that followed.
How powerful must someone be to inflict that much mental damage… just from us trying to say their name?
They all looked… scared. I glanced at Rayleigh, her eyes were filled with... Boredom?
Interesting...
But who exactly is the Necro King?
"That banshee didn't hesitate in speaking the Necro King's true name. Under any other circumstances, anyone who even tried to say it would've turned into a mindless abomination."
"But he didn't. And since we all felt that fear... we know it was true. That banshee isn't with Karthalem—he's innocent. Let him go," the chief explained, though his voice sounded more like an old man scolding children.
No one dared to question it.
The guard backed down...
Not much happened after that. We got ready to leave the vault, and I chose not to confront Rayleigh about her lie; it was better to let it go.
Making our way back to the surface, climbing a hellish number of stairs.
But this place was a military zone: multiple barracks and soldiers in black and brown coats were stationed everywhere.
A lot of tanks rolled past us. Their models looked old—WWII era, maybe? Not exact replicas, but they're similar in appearance.
Outdated by modern standards, yet still impressive for this world...
These weren't running on diesel or gas.
I didn't bother questioning how I knew it; the chance of memory corruption was too high.
I already understood that I'm not from this world… and I still have no idea how I got here in the first place.
But one thing caught my eye the most.
"Luden, look—" Rayleigh saw it too, and we stood side by side admiring its sheer size.
"What... Is that?" I asked.
» [System]: Player... Try to remember.
Right.
I know that structure very well.
"That's Leon kingdom's 'Gateway'," Rayleigh said with awe in her tone.
The only known method of ascending the Tower of Babel.
And I know... There's an even bigger gateway at the center of the First Block, and one day all nations will contest it.
But right now it's... inactive...
Its opening, the start of a war...
Chapter End.