NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 73: Chapter 73
The space-time energy here feels off. The energy at the top of the cave seems weaker compared to what I've encountered before.
"It should just be pure spatial energy."
But none of that matters right now. The most critical thing is the figure standing at the center of the cave, next to the floating magic stone radiating death energy.
This person is completely unlike the zombies he faced before. Despite their pale skin and the eerie glint in their eyes, there's no sign of irrationality. On the contrary, they appear calm, though with a faint trace of astonishment.
"An undead... with self-awareness?"
Ethan could sense it clearly, the figure in front of him was an undead creature brimming with death energy, completely distinct from the living like himself.
"This setup... This kind of existence... Why does it feel like I've walked into the final boss fight?"
Ethan tightened his grip on his longsword. Everything about this situation screamed the tropes of a traditional adventure story. Was this the person behind all the abnormalities on this island?
"Oh? You survived my undead army and made it here alive. Impressive. By the standards of this desolate sea, you're certainly top-tier adventurers."
Not only did this undead retain self-awareness, but they could also speak. Their voice was devoid of emotion, cold and flat, yet the chill it carried was unsettling.
The aura of a final boss grew stronger in Ethan's mind. He glanced around the cave before responding to the figure's words.
"Well, I wouldn't say I'm the best, but close enough…"
The corner of the undead's mouth curled into a cold smile. The expression was stiff, as if their face had forgotten how to smile, pulling the muscles into a grotesque semblance of the gesture. There wasn't the slightest hint of genuine mirth behind it.
"Good." The figure spread their arms wide, their posture dripping with arrogance. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Wilson. Get to know your future master."
Wilson completely disregarded Ethan's presence, launching straight into a self-absorbed speech.
"After all these years, someone worthy finally appears. This is truly delightful. The undead soldiers I've created from weaker individuals have always been unsatisfactory. But you... you may very well become my finest subordinates yet!"
Wilson didn't wait for questions. He continued speaking, spilling everything about himself, his plans, and his achievements.
Wilson wasn't originally an adventurer from this sea. He had crossed the stormy waters from the other side of the sea of storms to return here. The magic stone at the center of the cave, the one brimming with death energy was something he had brought back from the new sea beyond the storms. By harnessing its power, Wilson transformed himself into an undead. He no longer needed to eat or breathe, relying solely on the death energy supplied by the magic stone to sustain his existence indefinitely.
Thanks to his lack of need for air, Wilson had spent an eternity navigating the ocean depths. He had crossed the stormy seas and returned to this calm region, which he referred to as the "barren sea."
His goal? To use the magic stone to build an undead army.
For years, Wilson had scoured newly risen islands, exploiting the magic stone to turn them into lifeless wastelands, converting any adventurers who set foot on them into undead creatures. Before an island would completely fall silent, he would leave with his new undead soldiers in tow, seeking out another freshly risen island to repeat the process and expand his power.
"Thirty years... The adventurers of this sea are pathetic. Most of them don't even qualify to become undead warriors. I hope you won't disappoint me. Prove yourselves worthy of becoming true undead warriors... not just some weak, low-level trash."
Ethan waited silently, letting Wilson ramble on without interruption. When the self-proclaimed villain finally ran out of things to say, Ethan scoffed in disdain.
"You talk as though you've already beaten us. What gives you such confidence?"
"What gives me confidence?" Wilson's stiff expression suddenly twisted into wild laughter. "My overwhelming strength, of course!"
The laughter stopped as abruptly as it began. Wilson's cold, emotionless gaze locked onto Ethan. "Ignorant youth, let me show you the meaning of true power."
Wilson made no physical move, but Ethan immediately felt the death energy within the cave surge. Violent waves of energy rippled outward from the magic stone, filling the space with an oppressive atmosphere.
Almost simultaneously, agonized screams erupted from behind Ethan. Spinning around, he saw Helena's two subordinates, Marta and Eliza, clutching at themselves in pain. The two powerful warriors, normally so composed, now looked as though they were being torn apart from the inside.
"What's happening?" Ethan's mind raced as he analyzed the situation. Although the fluctuations of energy weren't overpoweringly strong, they were insidious, drawing the dense death energy in the cave toward the two women.
"No... If this keeps up, they'll be forcibly turned into undead."
Though Ethan wasn't the strongest fighter, his relentless studies had given him a sharp mind and deep reserves of knowledge. In an instant, he deduced what was happening to Marta and Eliza.
"Helena, get back!" he barked, stepping in front of her.
"What are you doing?" Helena stumbled backward, startled by Ethan's abrupt command.
"The two of them are being corroded by death energy. They're on the verge of being forcibly transformed into undead."
The source of the problem, Ethan realized, was likely the wounds the two women had sustained in earlier battles. The injuries, though seemingly minor, must have carried traces of death energy, leaving them vulnerable to its pull.
Without Wilson's interference, the death energy present might have caused some trouble, but it wouldn't have been enough to suddenly turn two people into undead.
Now, however, this energy had become a catalyst. The only solution was to eliminate the invading death energy entirely.
If it had been the old Ethan, he wouldn't have been able to do anything in this situation. But things were different now. Ethan understood his limitations: as a mage, he couldn't cast spells quickly, and as a warrior, his physical strength was lacking. At this stage, his greatest advantage lay in the various tools and items he had prepared.
Ethan was someone who believed in always being prepared. In his downtime, he would think through potential scenarios and create tools to handle them, like what to do if he was ever invaded by foreign negative energies.
It was this preparation that had given him the confidence to promise Helena he'd explore this island with her. Without it, he wouldn't have agreed, not even for the allure of spatial energy. He would never risk his future recklessly.
Rushing to the two women, Ethan didn't need to ask where their injuries were. Using his mental energy, he could sense exactly where the death energy had taken root.
The ribs and shoulders.
Ethan pulled a pendant from around his neck. This item was something he had crafted specifically to counter energy intrusions. Though crudely made and basic in design, it served its purpose.
The core of the pendant resembled a dog tag. Ethan wrapped the chain around his hand, pressing the core to his palm before placing it on the areas where the death energy had gathered. He channeled his mental energy to activate the pendant, triggering the embedded magic circle to absorb the invasive energy.
The amount of death energy wasn't overwhelming, thanks to Ethan's quick response. Wilson, watching from a distance, couldn't figure out what Ethan was doing. Seeing Ethan's actions, he simply regarded them with the amusement of someone watching a futile struggle.
To Wilson, Ethan's efforts were probably nothing more than a meaningless waste of time. He seemed eager to witness the moment Ethan realized his efforts were useless.
But things didn't unfold the way Wilson had anticipated. He stood frozen, watching in disbelief as the expressions of the two women softened. Their pained grimaces faded, and their complexions regained their vitality. At the same time, Wilson could sense the residual death energy in them vanish completely, drawn out and absorbed by the young man before him.
"This is impossible!"
For the first time, Wilson's cold composure cracked. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, momentarily wondering if this was all just a trick. But as an undead, Wilson was incredibly sensitive to fluctuations in death energy. The power concentrated in Ethan's palm was unmistakable.
"How could a living person control death energy?"
Wilson, who had maintained his icy demeanor until now, completely lost his composure. In his understanding, only undead creatures could manipulate this energy. Yet here was a living being shattering everything he thought he knew, upending the very foundations of his beliefs. The shock sent him spiraling toward madness.
Ethan, however, regarded him with nothing but disdain.
"Ignorant and arrogant fool," he muttered.
Looking at the pendant in his hand, Ethan felt a sense of unease. The concentrated death energy within it made him wary, and he had no intention of keeping it on him any longer than necessary.
Without hesitation, he tossed the pendant into a corner of the cave. The magic circle embedded in the pendant would gradually lose its effect, and the pendant itself, corroded by death energy, would eventually disintegrate into ashes. As it broke apart, the death energy inside would dissipate harmlessly into the already saturated environment of the cave. In a place like this, the additional death energy wouldn't make any difference.
Ethan turned his attention back to Wilson, noting the stark contrast between the self-proclaimed boss's current demeanor and the confident arrogance he had displayed earlier. One small upset had shaken Wilson to his core. His confidence shattered, and now he was on the verge of losing control, seething with barely contained fury after being humiliated by someone he had dismissed as a novice.
An opponent who's lost their composure is much easier to handle. However, Ethan couldn't help but wonder what other tricks Wilson might have up his sleeve.
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