The Return of the Iron-blood Sword Hound
chapter-199

Chapter 199 Corpse Queen (2)

Vikir stood in the center of the ruins, wearing a crow-beaked helmet and armor and a cloak that seemed to engulf only the darkest part of the night sky. In this desolation, ‘It’ was the master of the wandering spirits. And Vikir recognized its sinister identity.

[Ten Corpses (Eighth Ranked), Sere]

Danger Level: S+

Size: ?

Discovery Location: Depths of the Gate of Ruin, ‘Snake’s Uterus’

Also known as the ‘Eighth Corpse.’

One of the ten supreme demons, an enemy of humanity, impervious and invincible.

[The herds of livestock and beasts will perish.]

『Ten Commandments』 10: I –

Sere, the eighth demon lord.

One of the highest-ranking demons who crossed over to exterminate humanity.

Vikir suppressed a shiver as he glimpsed at the deep moans boiling up from the creature’s throat.

‘…Didn’t expect to meet you like this.’

Following ‘Inferior Second Son Seth’ Andromalius and ‘The Thousand Faced Demon’ Dantalian. The appearance of the eighth demon, Sere, was rather abrupt.

Vikir recalled the memories before his regression.

A dark sorcerer known as the ‘Corpse King.’

Sere was a formidable entity adept at resurrecting the dead.

The circus of puppets using corpses, the legion of the undead—when they marched, all living things held their breath and trembled in fear.

Furthermore, Vikir already knew the identity of the entity that had entered into a contract with the eighth Corpse Sere.

Unlike the contractees of other Ten Corpses, the contractor of Sere was relatively well-known.

It was none other than ‘Snake Morg’, the leader to the dark faction of the Morg Clan.

Snake Morg, representing the Dark faction of Morg, had always been secretly involved in dark magic. Therefore, the alliance between Sere and Snake Morg must have been a perfect match.

“As the rival of the magic prodigy Adolf Morg, he must have been a formidable opponent even in his lifetime.”

Snake Morg was the chief representative of the Dark faction, while Adolf Morg was the chief representative of the public faction. For some reason, the relationship between the two had been strained for a long time, and Lespene Morg, their master, and the leader of the whole clan, was barely keeping it under control.

However, before his regression, Vikir did not know the reason why Snake contracted with Sere, but he vividly remembered the horrific outcome.

“Adolf Morg is still in the 6th circle of magic. If that’s the case, Snake Morg’s mastery of magic may not be that high yet…”

However, Vikir’s thoughts were abruptly interrupted.

The Corpse King had sensed Vikir’s presence.

[…Who’s there?]

A resonant voice echoed.

Surprisingly, mingling with the demonic aura, the somewhat murky voice was undoubtedly that of a woman.

“…?”

Only then did Vikir scrutinize the opponent more closely.

Different.

It was different from the memories before his regression.

The man who should have become the ‘Corpse King,’ Snake Morg, was tall and disturbingly thin to the point of feeling unpleasant. When he walked, he looked like a clown on stilts.

His appearance and strength were well known to Vikir. There was no mistake about it.

‘…But the Corpse King in front of me has a height similar to mine.’

Moreover, with a well-trained body and a balanced ratio, the Corpse King’s physique was markedly different from Snake Morg’s. Furthermore.

‘…A woman?’

Vikir’s mouth half-opened in astonishment.

Judging by height, chest, and buttock shape, the Corpse King’s body was distinctly feminine.

Something is strange.

Sere’s contractor has changed.

According to the original timeline, Snake Morg should have contracted with Sere.

And that too, well after the current moment.

However, Sere’s contractor has already revealed themselves, and it’s someone completely different from Snake Morg.

The Corpse Queen.

Wearing a helmet made of two skulls, her face was hidden, but she was unmistakably human, presumably a woman. She turned towards Vikir, her long hair, burning like crimson flames, and a black cloak billowing beneath the skull helmet.

“…”

Vikir furrowed his brow slightly behind his mask.

He didn’t know what was going on, but it seemed to work out somehow.

Even if Snake Morg, an immensely powerful mage whom not even Vikir could guarantee victory against, had contracted with a demon, he would have become even stronger. But now, someone entirely different had become Sere’s contractor.

The aura emanating from her was strangely half-human, half-demon.

It seemed a bit easier to deal with her. Perhaps fortune had smiled upon him today. If things went well, he might be able to kill Sere, another one of the ten corpses.

Faced with the dilemma of whether to flee or confront the eighth Corpse, Vikir, who had been contemplating, leaned towards the direction of battle.

At the crossroads of life and death.

The confrontation between the demon and the demon hunter had begun.

* * *

Vikir arrived a few minutes earlier at the ruins.

“…”

The Corpse Queen stood among the remnants, silently surveying the aftermath of a significant collapse. Whatever had happened, it seemed like a considerable catastrophe had taken place.

[Thieving scoundrel, Dantalian. How dare steal my things…?]

Simultaneously, she extended her hand, unleashing an aura akin to the darkness of the abyss.

Creaking sounds echoed as fragments scattered throughout the debris started to converge in mid-air.

Injustice, sorrow, anger, hatred, longing…

Hardened droplets of blood, torn flesh, shattered bone pieces, missing strands of hair…

Traces left untouched by the dead, unable to distinguish between the soul and the physical, entangled all around without order.

They responded to the Queen’s summons, gathering in one place.

With a thud and a whoosh, a black magic circle appeared out of nowhere, and a woman’s body began to regenerate on top of it.

Gerento, the red mage reappeared.

The Corpse Queen, seeing the revived Gerento, gently stroked her hair.

[Indeed, Sere’s power seems to have some effect.]

The Corpse Queen handled Gerento’s hair as if it were something extremely precious.

[Rosie, I managed to find her, but… I still couldn’t find the one I really wanted. Perhaps I shouldn’t have believed the devil’s words after all.]

A demon’s contractor, but she had not fully mastered that power yet.

Therefore, the Corpse Queen dedicated herself to daily necromantic training without skipping a single day, completely isolating herself from the outside world.

[To fully control this power, it seems I’ll have to cross the door of death completely. Right now, it’s just half.]

She hadn’t fully mastered the power yet.

Therefore, when resurrecting Gerento, she inadvertently wasted mana, causing the surrounding corpses to rise as undead.

Around that time…

“…”

The Corpse Queen sensed the unwelcome guest.

A figure in a black robe wearing a plague doctor mask—a grotesque entity.

A sinister aura emanated from the observer.

“Ahh, the Eighth Corpse, Sere. So you’re one of my copycats?”

Gradually, a eerie voice modulation emanated from him.

Night’s Hound. The most feared villain currently plaguing not only the wastelands but the entire empire.

However, the Corpse Queen merely chuckled at the sight of Night’s Hound.

[Who are you?]

“Do you not recognize me?”

[I don’t. Why would I know someone like you.]

“It seems you have no interest in how the world turns. Don’t you even read the newspapers?”

The Corpse Queen lightly chuckled at Night’s Hound’s question.

[Newspapers? Why would I bother with such things? I have no more attachments left in this world.]

Indeed, newspapers were tools for informing the public about worldly events. Those uninterested in the mundane affairs of the world did not need newspapers.

Night’s Hound and the Corpse Queen, two masked figures, faced each other. Although they hadn’t revealed their identities, their stance against each other was evident.

“Devils will be slain.”

[If you can, give it a try.]

Night’s Hound summoned the Black Bow Anubis.

Simultaneously, the Corpse Queen summoned the undead, including Gerento.

Creak…

Deep within the underground of the orphanage, forgotten bones, flesh, and specters rose from their rest, forming a congregation.

[Skeleton]

Danger Level: C

Size: 1.7m

Discovery Location: Continent-wide

– Also known as the ‘Remnant of Bones.’

A common and mundane specter found anywhere, from graveyards and battlefields to abandoned houses and sewers. In rural or underdeveloped cities, it’s as frequently encountered as mice.

[Ghost]

Danger Level: C

Size: ?

Discovery Location: Continent-wide

– Also known as the ‘Remnant of Spirits.’

A common and mundane specter found anywhere, from graveyards and battlefields to abandoned houses and sewers. In rural or underdeveloped cities, it’s as frequently encountered as mice.

[Ghoul]

Danger Level: C+

Size: 1m

Discovery Location: Continent-wide

Also known as the ‘Corpse-Eating Being’ or ‘Flesh Eater.’

A lower-tier monster commonly found where corpses are present, such as graveyards, battlefields, abandoned houses, and sewers. It is not a form of the resurrected dead but rather a different type of undead that entwines itself to devour corpses. Interestingly, the origin of ghouls, and how they come into existence when a creature dies, remains unknown. Once a ghoul dies, it cannot resurrect as undead again.

Skeletons, zombies, ghosts, ghouls—these are the most basic forms that make up the ranks of the Necromancer’s Undead Legion. Considering the location, most of the resurrected undead were either former orphans from the daycare or entities entwined to devour corpses.

“Tsk.”

The Corpse Queen, looking at the gathered undead, clicked her tongue as if uninterested in dealing with them. Night’s Hound, on the other hand, focused on a particular skeleton at the front.

Clang…

A golden necklace gleamed brightly around the slender neck of the small-sized skeleton.

‘Nymphet.’

Upon reading those words…

“…”

Even Night’s Hound couldn’t help but bare his teeth.

“Do not think you’ll die peacefully.”

Ferocious. Even more ferocious.