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Chapter 93
Chapter 93: Resurrection Magic! The Alliance Leader of Zuranon
Tang Zheng walked up the broken steps of the temple, arriving beside Khajiit's corpse. A thick, slightly foul, bloody scent permeated the air.
His head, full of unconcealed defiance, had rolled to one side, his eyes wide in death.
Seeing this scene, Tang Zheng let out a soft sigh. It wasn't out of pity for Khajiit, but from the sudden realization that, imperceptibly, he no longer felt any discomfort at such sights.
Over a month of slaughtering goblins in the Touv Great Forest seemed to have truly changed his mentality.
Thinking back to his previous life, he hadn't even killed a chicken.
He never expected that after only about two months in this world, he would have already adapted so completely.
He reached out and picked up two magic items: the Staff of Shadow and the Bone Necklace.
The blood-red robe Khajiit wore was also a magic item, but it had been destroyed by the Flame Archangel's attack, which Tang Zheng found regrettable. That blood-red robe should have been worth a lot of money.
After appraising the two magic items, he found they were both related to the necromancer class and weren't very useful to him.
"You four stay here and guard the outside for now."
Tang Zheng casually pointed to four Flame Archangels, instructing them to guard outside the temple.
Then, he led two Flame Archangels into the secret passage beneath the temple.
After about seven or eight minutes, Tang Zheng reemerged from the secret passage below. He had gained nothing but a bit of dust. There was nothing of value inside; his expectations had been for naught.
"Burn it."
Tang Zheng waved his hand, issuing the command to the Flame Archangels.
Several Flame Archangels immediately flew forward, touching Khajiit's corpse with their flaming swords. In moments, it was reduced to ash. One of the Flame Archangels flew toward Khajiit's severed arm.
"Wait."
Tang Zheng's gaze flickered as he suddenly spoke.
He stepped forward, picked up the severed arm, then found a piece of tattered cloth to wrap it in.
"Time to leave."
Tang Zheng looked up toward the city wall in the distant night, then headed back the way he came.
Outside the tightly shut, massive gate, on two watchtowers illuminated by the light of *Everlight*, guards gazed in alarm toward the depths of the graveyard.
"What in the world happened in the graveyard? Why is there a light?"
"Should we report it...?"
"Idiot!"
"What happens in the graveyard has nothing to do with us. It's nighttime."
A trembling voice immediately piped up.
"But—"
"No 'buts,' you fool! Our job is to prevent the undead from assailing the gate."
"Are there any undead charging the gate right now?!"
"What happens in the graveyard is none of our business."
"It's not too late to report it when it's light out. Let those adventurers go investigate."
A cacophony of jumbled, fearful voices echoed from the two watchtowers.
Meanwhile, Tang Zheng had already scaled the wall and vanished into the night.
By the time he returned to the inn, it was already around two in the morning.
Tang Zheng used an alleyway as a foothold to easily climb to the second floor, re-entering his room through the window.
"Awoo!"
The little soul-hound saw Tang Zheng return and immediately scrambled up from the floor, letting out an excited, low growl.
"Shhh!" Tang Zheng raised a finger to his lips.
"Awoo~" The little soul-hound quieted down, wagging its tail as it approached to rub its head against Tang Zheng's trouser leg.
"Good boy, Xiao Hei."
Tang Zheng chuckled. This little soul-hound really was a lot like a dog.
"First, a shower. I reek of rot."
Tang Zheng took off the black robe he was wearing and casually tossed the tattered cloth containing Khajiit's arm into a corner.
He entered the room's small bathroom.
The spell *Deodorize* could eliminate the smell, but Tang Zheng preferred taking a shower to feel more comfortable.
A moment later, a cloud of white steam billowed out as Tang Zheng stepped out of the shower. He saw the little soul-hound in the corner, having unwrapped the bundle containing Khajiit's arm and staring at it curiously.
"It contains negative energy. If you eat that, you'll probably die a little faster," Tang Zheng said flatly.
"Woof..." The little soul-hound didn't understand his words, but it seemed to sense something from the expression on Tang Zheng's face. It ducked its head and voluntarily retreated a few steps.
He glanced at the pale, withered arm.
Tang Zheng looked away. It wasn't that he had some strange fetish for collecting body parts.
Rather, just as the Flame Archangel was about to dispose of the arm, Tang Zheng had suddenly recalled something.
In the anime, after Khajiit and Clementine were both slain by the Bone King—disguised as the leader of the adventurer team Darkness—their corpses suddenly disappeared from the morgue.
The Bone King might not have cared about this, but Tang Zheng certainly did.
There were only two possibilities for the disappearing corpses. First, they were stolen, which would mean there were still Zuranon members or their subordinate forces in E-Rantel.
The second possibility was that they had been resurrected.
Tang Zheng brought the arm back precisely to determine if it was the latter.
Once someone is resurrected, any of their remaining body parts will also disappear. As for the location of their revival, it would be wherever the caster is.
The Alliance Leader of Zuranon was very mysterious.
Tang Zheng secretly suspected that both Khajiit and Clementine, the defector from the Black Scripture, were from the Slane Theocracy.
Therefore, he had a theory: was the Alliance Leader of Zuranon also from the Slane Theocracy?
The Slane Theocracy had the Six Scriptures, which on the surface corresponded to the Six Great Gods. In reality, however, their strongest unit, the Black Scripture, was formed by selecting the most powerful individuals from the other five Scriptures.
Rather than corresponding to one of the Six Great Gods, it was more of a special unit that combined the strengths of the other five!
Five of the human players among the Six Great Gods had died long ago; only one, a heteromorphic Death God player, had survived the longest.
And it was precisely this longest-surviving Death God that made things mysterious. The members of the Slane Theocracy who worshipped the "God of Death" were incredibly secretive.
Or rather, on the surface, it was as if they didn't exist at all.
This was why Tang Zheng suspected the Alliance Leader of Zuranon was a member of the Slane Theocracy.
Because resurrection magic was the domain of faith-based magic!
Mana-based magic casters couldn't master resurrection magic; not even the Bone King was an exception.
The only reason the Bone King could use resurrection magic was his large reserve of resurrection items and priceless pay-to-win items.
He himself had not actually mastered the magic.
"Why does it feel like this world is full of so many cunning old schemers?" Tang Zheng rubbed his temples and walked toward the bed.
"Awoo!"
Suddenly, the little soul-hound let out a low growl.
Tang Zheng paused and turned to look behind him. He found the little soul-hound cautiously staring at the severed arm.
*Shhhh—*
Khajiit's severed arm was emitting a faint blue glow. In the blink of an eye, the entire arm vanished into thin air, like melting snow.
*Bzzz—*
A notification appeared.
[Discovered Skill: 'Resurrection (Modified)'. Requires Mana-based Caster Level (29-35). Requirements met.]
[Spend 1 Skill Point to learn?]
---
[Skill Points: 40 → 39]
Skill: Resurrection (Modified) (5th Tier)
Cost: 25 (50)
Description: A modification of the original faith-based magic 'Raise Dead'. It consumes double the mana, allowing a mana-based magic caster to use it.
Note: This spell can be combined with special methods to reduce the requirements regarding the condition of the corpse.
---
...
Looking at the information on the panel, Tang Zheng's expression grew odd. He quirked the corner of his mouth. "My luck is really terrible. Not only did I guess wrong, but this Alliance Leader seems even more troublesome than I imagined."
Despite his words, his tone suggested he was actually in a rather good mood.
...
In an unknown land.
The entire ground was a dark brown, as if stained with blood. An invisible mist permeated the air, causing the moonlight to cast a deep red reflection.
"Caw! Caw!"
A sound like a crow's caw echoed from above.
It wasn't a crow, but some type of undead bird, the sound warped by its desiccated throat. Within this area, there should be no living creatures.
Resentment!
Fury!
Despair!
A storm of negative emotions flooded Khajiit's mind. The fear of death made his entire body tremble.
Why am I still conscious?
Shouldn't I be dead?
The thought flashed through Khajiit's mind and, as if in reaction, his eyes shot open.
"Hah! Hah! Hah!"
Khajiit sat up, gasping for breath, the terror and despair in his eyes yet to fade.
"How interesting."
"I recall you were in E-Rantel. In a small place like that, there shouldn't have been anyone who could threaten you."
A faint, grating voice, like two iron rods rubbing together, sounded from ahead.
Khajiit lifted his head and saw a figure completely shrouded in black. This wasn't because of clothing; the mana emanating from the figure was warping reality itself, cloaking their entire form in darkness.
"A... Alliance Leader."
Khajiit's body trembled as he quickly scrambled to his knees.
(end of chapter)
Tang Zheng walked up the broken steps of the temple, arriving beside Khajiit's corpse. A thick, slightly foul, bloody scent permeated the air.
His head, full of unconcealed defiance, had rolled to one side, his eyes wide in death.
Seeing this scene, Tang Zheng let out a soft sigh. It wasn't out of pity for Khajiit, but from the sudden realization that, imperceptibly, he no longer felt any discomfort at such sights.
Over a month of slaughtering goblins in the Touv Great Forest seemed to have truly changed his mentality.
Thinking back to his previous life, he hadn't even killed a chicken.
He never expected that after only about two months in this world, he would have already adapted so completely.
He reached out and picked up two magic items: the Staff of Shadow and the Bone Necklace.
The blood-red robe Khajiit wore was also a magic item, but it had been destroyed by the Flame Archangel's attack, which Tang Zheng found regrettable. That blood-red robe should have been worth a lot of money.
After appraising the two magic items, he found they were both related to the necromancer class and weren't very useful to him.
"You four stay here and guard the outside for now."
Tang Zheng casually pointed to four Flame Archangels, instructing them to guard outside the temple.
Then, he led two Flame Archangels into the secret passage beneath the temple.
After about seven or eight minutes, Tang Zheng reemerged from the secret passage below. He had gained nothing but a bit of dust. There was nothing of value inside; his expectations had been for naught.
"Burn it."
Tang Zheng waved his hand, issuing the command to the Flame Archangels.
Several Flame Archangels immediately flew forward, touching Khajiit's corpse with their flaming swords. In moments, it was reduced to ash. One of the Flame Archangels flew toward Khajiit's severed arm.
"Wait."
Tang Zheng's gaze flickered as he suddenly spoke.
He stepped forward, picked up the severed arm, then found a piece of tattered cloth to wrap it in.
"Time to leave."
Tang Zheng looked up toward the city wall in the distant night, then headed back the way he came.
Outside the tightly shut, massive gate, on two watchtowers illuminated by the light of *Everlight*, guards gazed in alarm toward the depths of the graveyard.
"What in the world happened in the graveyard? Why is there a light?"
"Should we report it...?"
"Idiot!"
"What happens in the graveyard has nothing to do with us. It's nighttime."
A trembling voice immediately piped up.
"But—"
"No 'buts,' you fool! Our job is to prevent the undead from assailing the gate."
"Are there any undead charging the gate right now?!"
"What happens in the graveyard is none of our business."
"It's not too late to report it when it's light out. Let those adventurers go investigate."
A cacophony of jumbled, fearful voices echoed from the two watchtowers.
Meanwhile, Tang Zheng had already scaled the wall and vanished into the night.
By the time he returned to the inn, it was already around two in the morning.
Tang Zheng used an alleyway as a foothold to easily climb to the second floor, re-entering his room through the window.
"Awoo!"
The little soul-hound saw Tang Zheng return and immediately scrambled up from the floor, letting out an excited, low growl.
"Shhh!" Tang Zheng raised a finger to his lips.
"Awoo~" The little soul-hound quieted down, wagging its tail as it approached to rub its head against Tang Zheng's trouser leg.
"Good boy, Xiao Hei."
Tang Zheng chuckled. This little soul-hound really was a lot like a dog.
"First, a shower. I reek of rot."
Tang Zheng took off the black robe he was wearing and casually tossed the tattered cloth containing Khajiit's arm into a corner.
He entered the room's small bathroom.
The spell *Deodorize* could eliminate the smell, but Tang Zheng preferred taking a shower to feel more comfortable.
A moment later, a cloud of white steam billowed out as Tang Zheng stepped out of the shower. He saw the little soul-hound in the corner, having unwrapped the bundle containing Khajiit's arm and staring at it curiously.
"It contains negative energy. If you eat that, you'll probably die a little faster," Tang Zheng said flatly.
"Woof..." The little soul-hound didn't understand his words, but it seemed to sense something from the expression on Tang Zheng's face. It ducked its head and voluntarily retreated a few steps.
He glanced at the pale, withered arm.
Tang Zheng looked away. It wasn't that he had some strange fetish for collecting body parts.
Rather, just as the Flame Archangel was about to dispose of the arm, Tang Zheng had suddenly recalled something.
In the anime, after Khajiit and Clementine were both slain by the Bone King—disguised as the leader of the adventurer team Darkness—their corpses suddenly disappeared from the morgue.
The Bone King might not have cared about this, but Tang Zheng certainly did.
There were only two possibilities for the disappearing corpses. First, they were stolen, which would mean there were still Zuranon members or their subordinate forces in E-Rantel.
The second possibility was that they had been resurrected.
Tang Zheng brought the arm back precisely to determine if it was the latter.
Once someone is resurrected, any of their remaining body parts will also disappear. As for the location of their revival, it would be wherever the caster is.
The Alliance Leader of Zuranon was very mysterious.
Tang Zheng secretly suspected that both Khajiit and Clementine, the defector from the Black Scripture, were from the Slane Theocracy.
Therefore, he had a theory: was the Alliance Leader of Zuranon also from the Slane Theocracy?
The Slane Theocracy had the Six Scriptures, which on the surface corresponded to the Six Great Gods. In reality, however, their strongest unit, the Black Scripture, was formed by selecting the most powerful individuals from the other five Scriptures.
Rather than corresponding to one of the Six Great Gods, it was more of a special unit that combined the strengths of the other five!
Five of the human players among the Six Great Gods had died long ago; only one, a heteromorphic Death God player, had survived the longest.
And it was precisely this longest-surviving Death God that made things mysterious. The members of the Slane Theocracy who worshipped the "God of Death" were incredibly secretive.
Or rather, on the surface, it was as if they didn't exist at all.
This was why Tang Zheng suspected the Alliance Leader of Zuranon was a member of the Slane Theocracy.
Because resurrection magic was the domain of faith-based magic!
Mana-based magic casters couldn't master resurrection magic; not even the Bone King was an exception.
The only reason the Bone King could use resurrection magic was his large reserve of resurrection items and priceless pay-to-win items.
He himself had not actually mastered the magic.
"Why does it feel like this world is full of so many cunning old schemers?" Tang Zheng rubbed his temples and walked toward the bed.
"Awoo!"
Suddenly, the little soul-hound let out a low growl.
Tang Zheng paused and turned to look behind him. He found the little soul-hound cautiously staring at the severed arm.
*Shhhh—*
Khajiit's severed arm was emitting a faint blue glow. In the blink of an eye, the entire arm vanished into thin air, like melting snow.
*Bzzz—*
A notification appeared.
[Discovered Skill: 'Resurrection (Modified)'. Requires Mana-based Caster Level (29-35). Requirements met.]
[Spend 1 Skill Point to learn?]
---
[Skill Points: 40 → 39]
Skill: Resurrection (Modified) (5th Tier)
Cost: 25 (50)
Description: A modification of the original faith-based magic 'Raise Dead'. It consumes double the mana, allowing a mana-based magic caster to use it.
Note: This spell can be combined with special methods to reduce the requirements regarding the condition of the corpse.
---
...
Looking at the information on the panel, Tang Zheng's expression grew odd. He quirked the corner of his mouth. "My luck is really terrible. Not only did I guess wrong, but this Alliance Leader seems even more troublesome than I imagined."
Despite his words, his tone suggested he was actually in a rather good mood.
...
In an unknown land.
The entire ground was a dark brown, as if stained with blood. An invisible mist permeated the air, causing the moonlight to cast a deep red reflection.
"Caw! Caw!"
A sound like a crow's caw echoed from above.
It wasn't a crow, but some type of undead bird, the sound warped by its desiccated throat. Within this area, there should be no living creatures.
Resentment!
Fury!
Despair!
A storm of negative emotions flooded Khajiit's mind. The fear of death made his entire body tremble.
Why am I still conscious?
Shouldn't I be dead?
The thought flashed through Khajiit's mind and, as if in reaction, his eyes shot open.
"Hah! Hah! Hah!"
Khajiit sat up, gasping for breath, the terror and despair in his eyes yet to fade.
"How interesting."
"I recall you were in E-Rantel. In a small place like that, there shouldn't have been anyone who could threaten you."
A faint, grating voice, like two iron rods rubbing together, sounded from ahead.
Khajiit lifted his head and saw a figure completely shrouded in black. This wasn't because of clothing; the mana emanating from the figure was warping reality itself, cloaking their entire form in darkness.
"A... Alliance Leader."
Khajiit's body trembled as he quickly scrambled to his knees.
(end of chapter)
