Chapter 2: A Loyal Reunion
There exist those called “Explorers.”
Their purpose? To investigate [unexplored areas]—
uncharted lands scattered across the world, said to be nests of demons and places where they sharpen their blades for vengeance against humanity.
Their profession involves adapting to terrain warped by dense magical energy, slaying demons, and claiming the realms’ resources for humankind.
Lv. 3 hidden realm dungeon: [Cage of the Battlefield]]
A gaping hole in a vast plain—resembling the burrow of some massive creature—serves as the entrance to a collapsed underground space.
The subterranean area sprawls like an ant colony, branching into countless paths. Without a plan, escape would be nearly impossible.
Yet, considering that the highest-difficulty realm discovered so far is only Lv. 10, this anomaly unfolding in a “safe” Lv. 3 realm was unprecedented.
Among Explorers (whose ranks also cap at Lv. 10), a mid-tier Lv. 4 party sprinted frantically through the realm.
“Hah…… Hah……!”
“Ugh…… Aah……”
The voice reverberates through the air as the sound gasps in pain and breathes unevenly.
Labored breaths and pained groans echoed. Their footing grew unstable, and their means to counter the lethal pursuit behind them dwindled. Of the original four, only two remained.
If they turned back in desperation now, they’d find only the mangled corpses of their comrades.
“Guh…… Damn iiiit!!”
Letting his injured ally run ahead, the man spun around and swung his greatsword.
The blade tore through the air with a metallic clang, its impact reverberating through his arms. But no amount of wild swings could mask his terror—
there was no winning this.
The creature advancing through the barrage, [Hssssssss……], loomed tall enough to force him to crane his neck.
Mid-Rank Demon
Reported only in realms Lv. 5 and above—why was it here?
The Explorer could only curse his misfortune.
Crunch…… Crunch……
With each step, the demon’s armor-like carapace creaked.
Its eyes, unsettlingly rational, locked onto him as it raised a gauntleted fist.
[GROOOOOOOAAARRR!!]
The roar of hatred filled the cavern, leaving no room for escape.
After devouring the mangled Explorer, the demon pulsed with energy and resumed its patrol.
That day, the sole survivor brought news to the Explorer city of Ghat: the emergence of Mid-Rank Demon.
As a result, [Cage of the Battlefield]] was reclassified as Lv. 6, and the demon was given a name:
Mid-Rank Demon Identification: [Yoroi].
■
Shiou-Hizaki
Usable Magic:
[Ice Magic] Lv. 5
Unique Abilities:
[Blessing of Death] Total: 1,474
Authority Unlock scales with lives taken. 374/2,000
Lv. 1: Pain Nullification (100/100)
Lv. 2: Fear Immunity (1,000/1,000)
Ability Acquisition scales with fallen allies. 0/1
Title:
[Corpse King]
Proof of divine recognition.
Grants massive magic growth boost.
“[Blessing of Death]’s effects are barely different from before.”
First, I took a hundred lives.
Then, a thousand.
Next, two thousand.
The mountain of corpses beneath my feet lifts me higher. Just like last time.
Pain and fear—crippling weaknesses against demons—were stripped away one by one until facing them became routine.
Kill. Kill. Kill.
“Enough… No point dwelling on it.”
I trudged through a frozen forest, boots crunching on icy ground.
Sensing presences trailing me, I halted under the shadow of Griffil Sea of Trees’s mightiest tree.
“Aah… You can come out now.”
My whisper vanished into the snow without echoing through the forest,
There is no answer.
No, I know you’re here. …….
“Both of you—I know you’re there.”
Still nothing.
Ugh, this is the worst! I really don’t wanna do this.
How could I have done such an embarrassing thing in the past?
Young me was way too into this cringey schtick! And you two—how are you not embarrassed?! …Guess not. Sigh.
“Ah… —‘Thou who kneel before me, pledge thy oaths.’”
“[No Falsehood].”
“[No Mercy].”
“…Nifl, Garm. Good to see you’re well.”
Two figures in gray, blending into the tree’s shadow, stared at me with teary eyes.
One—silver-haired, with faintly iridescent eyes, a twisted halo floating behind her head, and curves evident even under an oversized robe—exuded elegance. Nifl, Helheim’s Strategist.
The other—a petite girl with fiery red hair and a face ill-suited for tears—looked ready to tackle me. Garm, the Vanguard.
They refused to step forward, kneeling in the shadows instead.
“The… Corpse King… is it truly you?”
“Yeah.”
“Our… King?”
“…That’s right.”
I’d prefer you didn’t call me that… but for now, it’s fine.
After waiting so long, they deserved this much.
For those who have waited for me, I’ll be the corpse king.
“…I kept you waiting. The Corpse King has returned.”
“…………Welcome back.”
“W-We barely waited! Welcome home, my King…!”
Nifl held out a gray overcoat matching theirs.
Put this on?
…Fine. I’ll admit it—I still think this looks cool.
Slipping it on, I pulled the hood low.
Wow, I could only wear this outfit in another world.
Ugh, this is peak “otherworldly edgelord.” The intentional tattering? Maximum chuunibyou.
But… I can’t deny it works.
Switching to a lighter tone, I signaled them to follow with a backwards wave.
“Let’s go. Someone’s using our name. We’ll crush them all. —Follow me.”
[“All as our King wills.”]
“Guh—OOOAAAGH! STOP! I’ll die of cringe!!”
Under their puzzled stares, I writhed.
Not their fault—this is all on me.
When the whole gang’s back together, I might actually perish.
Unable to bear their sparkling eyes, I stifled a sigh.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.PAGES.DEV
Minutes later…
“Aah…………”
“?”
“Gau?”
For me it was a reunion after several years, but from what I hear, for them it was after more than a hundred years. Having reunited, I started walking without a destination and couldn’t stop my feet.
After dramatically flipping my coat and saying “Follow me!” with a stern expression, I couldn’t possibly ask the two following me like baby birds with sparkling eyes, “What should we do now?”
It seemed my bad habit of not thinking things through still hadn’t been cured.
What we need now is information. If that’s the case, we have a strategist we can rely on before gathering information.
“Nifl, can your network dig up anything about those posing as Helheim?”
Without looking back, I asked, and Nifl lowered her voice noticeably, though it still lacked much inflection.
“No, while there is abundant information about incidents they’ve caused and wanted notices, the actual details are obscured by rumors of spirits and monsters. I apologize for my inadequacy.”
“King! Don’t be angry with Nifl… Nifl was tired from searching for you and stayed at home all this time…”
“H-Hey, Garm!”
“No, it’s fine. …I’m sorry.”
“There’s no need for the Corpse King to apologize…”
“I’m apologizing because I want to. Please accept it. Garm, you know I wouldn’t get angry, right?”
“Oh! Heheh, that’s right!”
Garm smiled as if tickled, while Nifl put her hand to her chest and sighed.
Nothing has changed. At least the expressions and gestures they make are exactly as I remember them.
Ah, this is no good. I agreed to the re-summoning with a reluctant attitude toward the gods… yet here I am thinking, ‘I’m glad to be back.’
I’m not at all disrespecting my original world or my family there. But it’s also true that the events in this world make up the majority of what shaped me as a person.
And I’m acutely reminded of how significant the organization “Helheim” was to me.
Unable to resist the sentiment and nostalgia, I looked up at the sky. As the sun began to set, droplets fell and dampened my cheeks.
As the rain began to fall as if expressing my inner feelings, I pulled the hood of my coat deep over my head.
“…I’m home.”
The words spilled out. Behind me, they wept again.
Visit the request page If there’s a Japanese Light Novel (LN) or Web Novel (WN) you’d like me to translate
When the donation goal progress bar above hit 100% one novel will be chosen for translation
| Table of Contents | Next* |
Support the Author by Buying the Original Books!
