The Ruined Death Knight
chapter-177

Currently near the borders of the Arcana kingdom, in a small city near the mountains.

The darkness of the night and the depressing rain had filled the sky.

With barely any light that was being made with the lanterns that had the simplest of enchantments placed in.

Usually, such an envirment would make someone subconsciously get wary and look out for potential scetzy people who would take any opportunity to find trouble with you.

It was a time when no person would have willingly gone out.

But currently, though such a night was a tall figure wearing a dark cloak that was almost blending in the night itself with the hoody completely shadowing his face from others people's sight.

Anybody who was that figure would undoubtedly feel that something is off about him.

The figure in question who was continued walking stopped in a particular tavern that by just standing outside could one hear the voices of the cheering mood inside.

Nevertheless, the figure didn´t stop to see if it was worth entering the tavern or not. Instead, he stared at the wall of the taverns build.

More specifically, at a piece of paper that was glued on the wall.

While staring at the wall motionless.

A sudden thunder roared through the sky, illuminating the night for a split second.

*Twighhhh!

In that split second, the paper that the figure shows together with the figure's face under the hood.

[Wanted]

Rue Danzel.

Dead or alive.

Reward 10 000 gold coins

...

The wanted poster withholds information about the height, the weapon, and that the wanted person always wore armor.

Such details matched exactly the figure who was staring at the poster.

"Such a useless thing to do..." The figure, the man himself described in the wanted poster said to himself.

Rather than a man though, Rue Danzel was an undead.

While Danzel was on his mind, he noticed two men with horses not far away from the tavern stopping with uniforms that Danzel very well recognized.

"Sigh..."

Grabbing the wanted poster, he tore it apart stored the remains in his storage ring, and made his way towards the tavern as he noticed the two men wearing the uniform of the merchant union coming his way.

*Gweeegh.

With a screeching of the door, Danzel who stepped inside unwillingly was greeted by bright lights and the sight of many people having their fun their way.

Men competing among themselves who could drink the most.

Another bet among each other hoping that lady luck would spread her legs for them.

Some tried to start a conversation with the ladies hoping to get in their pants only to be rejected right from the start or ending with a punch from the delicate hand from the very lady's that was strong enough to send a normal person K.O.

Those were the few of the many.

The unique tables that Danzel found were three in particular.

One of the far back was a man sitting all alone with a cloak hiding his face and cheap liquor taking a few sips from time to time.

Though he wasn't able to explain why that man was letting out a depressing aura that would make everyone want to avoid him.

He looked like someone who would suddenly start telling his depressing past and how life sucked when you just passed by.

The other that brought Danzel's attention were two-man arm wrestling while using their mana.

What brought most of his attention though was the table beside those two men.

On the table beside, them were a duo with strange clothing that Danzel haven't seen before.

The one of them that was wearing a wight robe with long sleeves with an additional cloak that was hiding her face guessed Danzel that it was a kid based on his height ( she wears something similar to Chinese traditional clothing with a cloak over her should covering her face. Danzel doesn't know how those clothes are called)

Opposite to her was a man who surprisingly was about 2 meters tall.

He wore a shirt-like bottom while the top also had long sleeves.

Danzel could see leather armor behind his clothing.

That man was similar to the kid also hiding his face with a silver half mask covering his mouth and a weird dark hat that was circular ( think of samurai-like clothing with a jingasa on top of his head.)

Beside the man's chairs rested a sheath hiding a large blade that was similar in high to Danzel's long sword.

Of course, such a sight was quite exotic, but the thing that made him pay so much attention to them was the fact that they had over 10 plates stacked up to each other while continuing eating as if those guys are starving.

'Did you guys starve for a month or what?'

While Danzel was in his thoughts.

A beautiful young maiden came before.

"Welcome dear customer. Would you like something to eat or to drink?"

Seeing her speaking with him, Danzel was confused for a second.

'Can I do neither of those two?' Danzel thought bitterly.

How could he, an undead do those things?

Nevertheless, Danzel knew that he would appear weird if not suspicious if he truly said his thoughts out loud.

"I...would like something to eat."

Showing a glowing smile on the undead who killed hundreds of living beings. The young maiden looked around for a second before pointing at a particular table.

"Sir, as we are somewhat full this night, would she mind if you sit behind the table to where that small girl and man is?"

Seeing that she was pointing at the exotic duo, he nodded solemnly.

"It's fine by me."

Escorting him to the table, the young maiden brought out a wooden tablet while holding a piece of coal wrapped around some cloth as the pen.

"What would she like to have?"

"I...will go with what your recommendation."

Finishing his order, Danzel cursed to himself.

'Damn, just being among those guys brings me to want to bash their heads. At the dead mana less air also sucks'

Though he learned to control his urges of wanting to kill those before him.

Resisting them at all was by itself quite tired some of his mentality.

It had been a total month since his fight with Hanson.

At that time he used to move around the areas that weren't as much populated according to the map and by taking a long way, he finally managed to reach the borders of the Arcana Kingdom.

In other words, one step away to get out of that unlucky kingdom.

But once he tried crossing them, he noticed several armed people looking around the boards.

Making him forced to halt on his path.

The reason why it was so highly guarded was that the war between the kingdoms spiked and that a battle was brought around the corners.

Nevertheless, the current situation wasn't optimal.

"I could circle around the border, but the time that it will take is-"

*Baahm!

Throwing out of his thought, he glanced at the table opposite to him.

"Hahaha! Won! Now spill it out! What was the news that you been talking about?" The man who won the arm wrestle laughed in triumph while flexing his muscles.

"Tch, fine. Not long ago, I met a guard who apparently run away from his duty of protecting a merchant when some bandits attack them. And apparently, that merchant was the son of a rich merchant. Meaning that those Bandits must have struck gold!"

Hearing that the man looked slightly disappointed.

"Huh? I thought you said that the information would make us rich. If what you said is true, wouldn't the merchant Union handle the spoils of the bandits?"

"Tch, tch, that's the good part. The merchant wasn't associated with the union. Meaning that if we go raid that place in the mountains, we will be rich!"

"Ohhh!"

While the two were thinking about the idea of looting the bandits.

There was loud conversation borough attention to few people.

Mainly a person who walked to their table and Danzel with the man having a half mask covering his face.

"You two better forget about it is you hold dear to your life. I heard the boss of the bandits is of the 3rd-tier. With many 2nd-tier people on his proposal. With your two pitifully strength you will die without even taking a glance on the fortune." The man who came in their table said as he chucked down his liquor.

"Huh!? Are you mocking us!?"

"Are you looking for trouble you bastard!?"

The two said enraged.

Danzel who was watching my side was having his own thoughts.

'The strongest is a 3rd-tier, with many 2nd-tier people. if their leader doesn't have the same strength as Hanson then is doable.' Danzel though.

The idea that he was having was although possible dangerous.

Could very well be an opportunity.

Being so close to level 100 where he thought was his next evolution. Danzel desperately wanted to earn the required XP to become a 4th-tier undead.

Although he needed to max his class and his subclass level together with the other skills such as [Undeath Corruption]

But seeing he was so close to reaching level 100, that was by high changes the next evolution.

Being once and done with it was much to his preference.

And surely it wasn't because of the addictive feelings that came with the process of evolution.

Although training would slowly but surely gain the required XP.

Killing some XP bags called bandits didn't sound too bad.

While he was on his own thoughts, the fight that was about to break out a few meters away from him was shortly interrupted by two men with a uniform of the Union entering the tavern.

"Those guys are..."

"From the union right?"

"Pss, they will hear you..."

While everyone around was getting quieter in the tavern, the two of the Union looked around and raised a piece of paper in the air.

"Anyone! Have you seen someone with such feature-"

Seeing the all-familiar poster, Danzel cursed internally.

'It seems it's to go...'

Before he could step up though, a young maiden with a large grilled fish came and deliver it to Danzel's table.

"Here sir, have a nice meal."

"..."

Starting at the dead fish with his hollow eyes, Danzel felt troubled.

The union people who had finished what they asked looked around with their eyes landing on a man looking extremely scetzy in a corner alone.

Pointing their finger at him, they made their way towards him.

Resulting in the loud atmosphere of before to resume.

'Change'

Dropping a gold coin to the table, Danzel standard up and parted ways with a fellow dead being that was the fish.

As he is standing up, he subconsciously looked at the table in front of him where the girl had finished devouring her plate and started looking at the grams with pleasing eyes.

As he suddenly noticed something, he got quite surprised.

'Those are...'

Shaking his head, he passed through him while mention with his finger at his food.

"I lost my appetite, feel free to take me. I already paid."

The gramps gave him a sharp judging look as he was trying to read what he wanted for them.

Danzel in turn noticed that didn't care and simply walked towards the door to leave.

Before he could leave though, the young maiden of before yelled as he waves at him.

"Sir! That's way too much! I haven't given you change."

The two members of the merchant union who heard that turned their heads towards the door to see what the communion was about.

On they saw a tall cloaked figure, their frowned.

'Dammit...' Cursing of the girl's good nature, Danzel left as he noticed the two moving towards him.

Seeing that suspicious movement, the two hasten their steps to catch up with Danzel.

Looking from the side, the small girl looked at the fish that Danzel left and then at the elderly.

"Grandpa, can I have the fish from that man."

Showing a bitter smile under his mask, the grandpa in question looked under the table at a small pouch that had few coins.

'We got to restock...' Taking his eyes away from the pouch.

He picked Danzel fish and gave her to the little girl in front of her.

"Since that man gifted it to us, it would be a waste to let it be thrown away."

"Yaayh!" Taking her small fork, the small girl started devouring the dead fish with no hints of mercy.

The elderly who smiled by seeing that took a Blanche at the second that was resting beside him.

'The bandits should be a nice target....'