Chapter 19
***
Simon took two lanterns from his subspace.
He kept one and placed the other in the skeleton's hand.
"Let's go."
The skeleton led the way, and Simon followed.
Inside the ruins, there was only darkness.
The chill of the stone floor seemed to seep into his feet and legs.
There were no railings, so he moved cautiously, aware that a fall would be fatal.
'This is...'
As he descended the stairs, he noticed unreadable characters carved into the walls.
But somehow, they looked familiar.
Had he seen them recently?
Simon racked his brain.
'That's right, ancient runes!'
They were similar to the ancient runes Eric had explained in Jet Black Mechanics class.
So, were these ancient ruins? Why were they near Kizen?
With countless unanswered questions swirling in his mind, Simon continued his descent.
Thud.
Finally, he reached the bottom of the stairs.
He had descended quite deep; even when he shone his lantern upwards, he couldn't see the ceiling.
He needed to widen his search area.
Simon summoned a second skeleton, gave it a lantern, and instructed it to explore.
Simon also walked around, shining his lantern.
Ancient runes covered the walls and floor.
'With this many runes...'
The ruins themselves were a giant magical device.
Click! Click!
The skeleton signaled that it had found something.
Simon hurried over.
'What's this?'
There was an altar in the middle of the rune-covered ruins, and on top of it lay a skull.
Simon placed his lantern on the altar and carefully touched the skull.
'....'
An unknown thrill ran up his arm.
Simon's knowledge of the undead was limited, but he instinctively knew.
That this was the skull of an ancient and terrifyingly dangerous undead.
Simon carefully lifted the skull.
Clatter!
"Whoa!"
As he lifted the skull, bones rained down from the ceiling.
Simon quickly stepped back to avoid them.
"That surprised me."
The skeletons approached and shone their lanterns on the floor.
Simon stared at the scattered bones and picked one up.
"...Number 2?"
He muttered to himself and attached it to the base of the skull.
It fit perfectly, like a puzzle piece.
"...."
A strange excitement began to build within him.
He wanted to assemble this undead.
He didn't know how it would react when it awakened, or if it would harm him.
Nevertheless, if there was ever a time to take a gamble, he felt it was now.
Resolute, Simon placed the skull back on the altar, placed his hand on the handprint beneath it, and channeled his Jet Black.
Woooong!
"Ugh!"
He had only channeled a small amount of Jet Black, but it felt like all the Jet Black in his body was being sucked into the altar.
The altar glowed with a dark blue light, and a faint blue flame flickered in the skull's eye sockets.
'Hmm. Is it not complete yet?'
Simon brought the number 2 bone closer to the skull.
Click!
It attached itself like a magnet.
The 'attraction force,' characteristic of skeletal undead, was at work.
'Good.'
Simon placed the skull down and began working in earnest.
As if possessed, he assembled the bones, the sensation more satisfying than ever.
Cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal vertebrae connected in sequence, forming the spine.
He attached the scapula, clavicle, and humerus to the front, adding ribs to assemble the torso.
He picked up the hip bone and attached it below the coccyx, forming the pelvis.
Femur, tibia, and patella connected, gradually shaping the legs.
'All that Summoning studying this morning paid off!'
He wasn't 100% sure, but this skeleton had the bone structure of a 'human.'
Simon's intuition, combined with his knowledge of Summoning, allowed him to assemble the bones without hesitation.
But this skeleton was incredibly tall.
Simon, who had been kneeling while assembling it, had to crouch, then stand, then stand on his tiptoes, and finally climb onto the altar to continue his work.
It would have been helpful if the skeleton could have bent down, but it didn't listen to his commands.
It stood up on its own as soon as its legs were complete.
'I should have assembled the arms first!'
Simon struggled to complete the arms.
He stepped back and admired the skeleton with a sense of accomplishment.
"Wow..."
A massive skeleton, over two meters tall, stood before him.
It was an awe-inspiring sight, but it still remained motionless.
"Now what do I do?"
As Simon pondered with his arms crossed,
Whoosh!
A brilliant moonlight poured down from the ceiling like a curtain of light.
The moment the moonlight illuminated the skeleton's skull, the flames in its eye sockets flared up like torches.
[Ha. Haha! Hahahahahahaha!]
The ruins shook with a booming laughter.
The runes on the walls peeled off, forming a stream and wrapping around the skeleton like silk.
The runes were being absorbed into the skeleton's bones.
[Finally! Finally, I have returned!]
Simon covered his ears at the resounding cry.
Jet Black surged from the skeleton's body like raging waves.
[Who has awakened me?!]
The skeleton's head creaked as it turned. It saw Simon standing against the wall.
Thud. Thud.
The massive being approached Simon. It lowered its head and observed him from close range.
Simon struggled to suppress a scream.
[State your name, human.]
"S-Simon Polentia."
The skeleton's skull tilted.
[You are a Polentia...?]
HAHAHAHAHAHA!
A booming laughter echoed through the ruins. Simon broke out in a cold sweat.
[Could it be! Are you a descendant of Richard?!]
"No,"
Simon said, calming his racing heart.
"I am his son."
[HAHAHAHAHAHA! Yes! Yes! That's it! I thought the Jet Black felt familiar! Only Richard could awaken me!]
The skeleton turned its back. A shadowy cloak-like substance fluttered around it.
"...Who are you?"
Simon asked. The skeleton stopped and turned around, grinning.
It was strange that a skeleton could have an expression, but it definitely did.
Its jaw moved, its nose twitched, and its burning eyes held intense curiosity.
It was almost like a living human.
[I am Pier. The Legion's administrator.]
Pier said.
[I once ravaged the continent alongside your father, Richard!]
Simon's eyes lit up.
This was his father's undead!
Pier laughed heartily and leaned closer, continuing,
[Before that, I have a question. Who led you here?]
His voice was sharp.
Feeling like he was being tested, Simon gulped and answered.
"Nephtys Archbold."
[Ah.]
Pier's mouth curved upwards.
[Hehehe, so that's how it is! That woman would do something like this! Good!]
Whoosh!
A fierce wind, like a storm, swept through the ruins.
Light flooded the ruins, and the very air seemed to scream.
[Make a contract with me, Simon Polentia! And lead the 'Legion'!]
His father's undead spread its arms wide and shouted.
[The Legion will become your will and crush all who stand in your way! All things in the world will kneel before you and bow their heads!]
His excited voice resonated through the ruins.
[However, you will inevitably walk a blood-soaked path! That, too, is your destiny! Son of Richard, are you prepared to lead the Legion?!]
Simon bit his lip, with his face troubled. Pier circled him and chuckled.
[Are you afraid? Terrified? What are you pondering in your mind before this power, boy?!]
It was his father's power, but it was still an unknown entity.
Simon didn't know what the Legion was, what the blood-soaked path meant, the terms of the contract, or what handicaps it might have.
However,
"I have a question."
Instead of an answer, a question came. Pier's face contorted in displeasure.
[Speak.]
"I don't know what use you are. Is this Legion strong?"
Pier stopped abruptly.
[Ha. Hahahaha! Pfft! Khahaha! Hahahahahahaha!]
Boom!
The air vibrated, and dirt rained down from the ceiling.
Usefulness? He dared question his usefulness!
This boy wasn't lost in wonder and fear. He dared to 'evaluate' the Legion!
[A splendid question, human! Strong, you ask? Shall I demonstrate by crushing this Kizen if you wish?]
Groooooan!
Eerie cries of the dead echoed from all directions.
It was a terrifying sight, but Simon's expression remained unchanged.
[Good! I shall answer your question!]
Pier withdrew his power and spoke.
[Your father once disbanded the Legion! And I was sealed here! And with you awakening me, the administrator, the Legion has experienced its 'first moment'.]
"First moment."
[Indeed! But if we gather the scattered forces of the Legion and restore its former power...]
Pier's mouth curved into a smile.
[No one on this continent will be able to stop you.]
"Alright."
Simon nodded.
"I accept the contract."
[Khahahaha!]
Pier wrapped his arms around Simon's waist and leaped onto the altar.
[Place your hand on my 'Core'!]
Pier's rib cage opened, revealing a pulsating mass of Jet Black magical power, beating like a heart.
Simon placed his hand on it without hesitation.
[Once this contract is complete, your life will change completely! Are you not afraid?!]
"There's nothing to be afraid of,"
Simon said calmly.
"If you truly are my father's army, it's only natural that I take command."
[HAHAHAHAHAHA! Good! That's the spirit!]
Outwardly, he was a calm, humble, ordinary boy, but flashes of a conqueror's qualities shone through.
'You raised a fine son, Richard! This boy is different from you!'
His current mastery of dark magic seemed low, but he possessed tremendous potential.
And unlike Richard, his ego and emotions were well-balanced, a mentally complete being.
Pier was quite pleased with this boy.
[We shall now proceed with the contract! Don't die, Simon Polentia!]
***
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