Chapter 191

191: Dark Star Necromancer Hassan

191 – Dark Star Necromancer Hassan #2

Swoosh.

From amidst the bushes, something came flying through the air, slicing through it.

Thud!

It embedded itself into the head of the Bone Goblin I had been facing. Since it had the most prominent right arm, I had roughly named it ‘Right.’

Grrrrr!

Right was livid, glowering at whoever had dared to lodge an arrow in its skull, flashing its unnerving, bluish glow.

At that moment, the bushes rustled and a few presence became evident.

“Oi, we hit it! You there! We’ll help you!”

Soon revealed were four adventurers. With iron-gray metallic identification tags dangling around their necks, they seemed to be Iron Plate adventurers from the looks of it.

Two men and two women, a four-person party.

They were armed with an assortment of weapons—small daggers, small shields, long swords, and a longbow—all balanced well for a party.

In particular, the longbow strapped on the back of one of the females bore strange serpent-like decorations, seemingly quite valuable.

“Scadi! Cover me!”

The woman adventurer with the small shield and dagger lunged toward me. sh*t, did they catch me in the act of some cultish behavior?

“You damned monster!”

Clang!

The short, golden-haired female adventurer struck the Bone Goblin who had been hovering in front of me with her shield, then turned her back to me.

“We’re from the Minerva Guild’s adventurer party ‘Scorze’! Allow us to help you! Everyone, hurry over here!”

Minerva Guild’s adventurer party Scorze?

It seemed like these four were protecting me from the Bone Goblin as if they genuinely believed I was in distress.

Their movements were impressively sharp and agile.

But there was something odd about their attitude. Did they not realize that these Bone Goblins were creatures I had summoned?

Because I was wearing a mask and a robe, I looked suspicious enough that I expected to be attacked—especially with the recent mask festival making masked individuals seem mundane.

So these adventurers mistakenly thought I was simply someone caught in a monster attack within the woods.

In actuality, there had been a battle with the Bone Goblins too.

Anyway, it was an interesting situation.

Hiding a sigh of relief beneath my mask, I asked, “Minerva Guild adventurer party Scorze, you say? How strong are you? These ones are quite tough monsters. Can you handle them?”

In response, the female adventurer with the small shield stated, “We all have a combined Karma rating over 10! We’re pretty seasoned, so you can trust us! We’ve dealt with Skeletons loads of times!”

“We also participated in the Cultist War a few weeks ago!”

Indeed.

With combined stats over 10, they were undoubtedly strong enough to rival any typical Bronze Tier adventurers. You could say they were the top dogs among Iron Tier adventurers, soon to ascend.

They oozed confidence and lived up to being part of the Minerva Guild, evidently full of righteousness.

A well-balanced four-person party, all with combined ratings over 10.

Deeply moved by their attempt to save me, I also recognized this as a good opportunity to test the capabilities of my minions.

I had summoned a total of ten of them, each around Level 13.

How would these up-and-coming adventurers fare against them?

Through the slit in my mask, I directed a gaze at my Bone Goblins.

The Bone Goblin with an arrow lodged in its head—Right.

As I stared at its glowing blue eyes, I slightly furrowed my brow.

-Fight.

And while no one else could hear, I didn’t forget to whisper.

Kraaaaaaa-!!!

Suddenly, with a ferocious roar unmatched by the hesitance it had shown earlier, Right sprang into action.

Following its lead, the other minions too began to scream wildly, their blue eyes flaming like blazing torches, filling the entire forest with shrieks.

“Kraaa! What… What kind of monster’s scream is this!”

At this, the female swordswoman who stood in front of me shrunk back, looking terrified. Not just her, but the entire might of their adventurer party seemed to waver significantly.

Perhaps this was the skill my Bone Goblins possessed—dispersing fear. To be honest, hearing that dreadful wail made me want to cover my own ears.

Right at that moment, the frail man with ashen hair standing on my right slammed his staff on the ground, intoning,

“Spell to Resist Fear-.”

Clank, clank, clank.

With the staff striking the ground three times, the bell-like ornament attached to it jingled.

After hearing it, a certain odd sensation spread through the air, overlaying the earlier deafening roar.

So, it was magic, maybe a spell?

The adventurers, who had previously been quivering, immediately took up their shields and weapons once more.

The female adventurer with the shield shouted,

“Jircal, good job!”

The name of that gaunt, staff-wielding man must be Jircal then. A wandering priest, perhaps? Priest Jircal narrowed his eyes and continued,

“They’re coming, Kasiya!”

“I’ll hold them off!”

Kehaaa!!

Kasiya, the blonde female swordsman with the small shield, deflected the massive right arm of Right that was lunging towards her using her shield. It was a move like a parry from a game.

Due to this, Right, who had lost balance with his massive right arm, wobbled and fell.

I realized that a small shield can be used in such a way when attached to the arm. Fascinating.

But the performance of my Bone Goblins seemed subpar to me. Their discipline was slipping.

At that moment, while I was questioning the efficiency of my necromantic skills,

Keeerrrraaaak!

Graaah, groooagh!

All the Bone Goblins, excluding Right who was still rising after his fall, attacked simultaneously from all sides.

“Quick, fast!!”

“Seems like these aren’t ordinary Undead!”

The Bone Goblins began clinging to the bodies of the party members, embedding their claws and fangs into them.

“Help detach these creatures!”

“I’m busy too! These guys are stronger than I thought! A bone pile and they act all high and mighty…!”

Crack, crack.

Due to this, not only the female swordswoman with the shield at the front lines but also the female archer, Priest Jircal, and the unknown man were all dragged into an ugly melee battle.

“My… my oakwood shield!”

The small shield of the woman named Kasiya was about to be wrested from her arm by the Bone Goblins. Clearly, it was a life-or-d*ath situation.

“Thi… this! Why are these creatures so solid?”

The adventurer named Kasiya, wielding a small shield, repeatedly kicked the Bone Goblins trying to take her shield with great force.

Geeerrrraaaaaaah!!

However, these sturdy Bone Goblins, despite their bodies cracked, continued to regenerate and lunge without hesitation.

“Holy regeneration! Luluar, how’s the spell coming along!?”

“Almost ready! Going, goingggg-!”

Upon Cryder shouting, the male adventurer huddled in a corner muttered something and finally raised his hand high, calling out,

“Holy-Bolt!”

Zzzzzt!

There was a strange current of electricity that discharged from his fingertips. It was a current visible and potent enough to seem magical. Was this an electric spell?

The electric magic, along with Elfride’s fire magic and Belmina’s ice magic, was one of the powerful attack magics around.

The last member was indeed a mage.

Kuh… uhhh…

The Bone Goblins hit by the bolt were stunned as if they’d lost their senses. They crumbled unable to maintain their form.

As the mage Luluar wiped the skeleton dust from his clothes,

“Hmm… seems like beasts like these cannot stand before the holy lightning of Jupiter. Hehe.”

Looking at the face exposed when his hat was removed, it was clearly that of a sophisticated-looking young noble.

“But, they shouldn’t resurrect, right…?”

The young mage poked the scattered bones on the ground cautiously with his long staff, still tense.

Of course, my Bone Goblins usually regenerate from normal attacks, but with specific powerful shocks, they collapse like this.

Seemed like attack magic was still exceptionally strong.

Holy-Bolt, huh? It appears somewhat different from regular lightning. Is it an Undead weakness attribute or something?

I’ve learned something new.

“Phew… how’s everyone doing? Any injuries?”

When all ten Bone Goblins had turned into piles of bones, the female swordsman Kasiya checked around, asking about the situation.

Most had been scratched, their equipment damaged with bloodstains on their faces. Nevertheless, no one had suffered mortal wounds.

This level, is it somewhat decent? Could be…

I thought about reviving the fallen minions, but decided against it since it might make my necromancy too obvious.

With a mage and a priest among them, they might be able to detect Hell’s magical energy or something.

“Phew, those Undead were stronger than expected. Numerous too…”

The female swordsman Kasiya muttered as she inspected her shield. The priest Jircal responded,

“Their glowing blue eyes made them quite sinister. Why would Undead appear here, I wonder?”

The question was answered by a woman with indigo hair who carried a bow.

“Because of the festival. The Mask Festival gathers the dead, after all.”

“It’s only a legend, though. Scadi, how old are you to believe in such wandering spirits?”

“Ruluar, I did see a ghost when I was a child!”

“Yeah, that’s a lie-.”

Each adventurer chimed in with their own comments.

I clearly realized that this party of adventurers consisted of a well-balanced group—a priest, a mage, an archer, and a front-row swordsman—making them quite the ideal opponent.

Managing to corner them somewhat suggested that my Bone Goblins were somewhat capable too, right?

I asked,

“You used lightning magic earlier, can you use it multiple times?”

“Since my mana is limited, the usage is restricted, though I can’t go into details.”

I see.

If I had kept reviving and engaging the goblins in battle, there also would have been a chance for them to win. Overall, it was quite a satisfying fight.

*

Minerva Guild’s Iron Tier Adventurer Party, Scorze.

They routinely cleaned the abandoned sacred ground here. It was previously a task for Mars Guild’s Iron Tier adventurers, but now, with Mars Guild not fulfilling its role fully, the job had shifted to Minerva Guild.

“So, using the initials of our names, we’ve called ourselves ‘Scorze.’ It’s quite fun, right?”

Kasiya continued chattering despite not being asked anything.

But it wasn’t so much because she was talkative—it seemed more like she was trying to reassure me who might have been scared from the Undead attack.

These were relatively friendly toward me, despite just having met.

“Kasiya, don’t reveal too much information.”

Of course, not everyone felt the same.

A woman with long, indigo hair carrying a longbow. Scadi, the party leader, seemed to still be wary of me.

Her unhidden wary glance questioned,

“So, what were you doing in the forest?”

“Hmm… just, you know, picking herbs. Need to earn a living, right?”

Thus, I showed the herbs tied around my waist as an alibi.

I had gathered some plants that Luna might like; thankfully, they proved useful in this moment.

“Hmm… for someone so big, you’re into herbs…?”

But Scadi narrowed her brows, seemingly unsatisfied with my answer. Soon after, Kasiya, a short female with simple golden hair, interjected,

“Scadi, you’re still suspicious of him? If this person was a cultist, why would they get attacked by Undead?”

“That’s right! Scadi thinks you’re a cultist! Cultists don’t get attacked by Undead, right? That’s funny!”

“Ah, it seems it was a mistake on my part.”

Scadi unwillingly acknowledged it as a misjudgment, but her instincts were quite sharp. After all, it was me who controlled those Undead.

What might have happened if I hadn’t timed it right and they discovered me commanding those Undead? It would have likely ended poorly.

In many ways, it was lucky for both them and me.

In any case, this kind-hearted adventurer party guided me to the entrance of the forest and didn’t forget to scold me a bit before leaving.

“Recently, it’s dangerous for you to wander around alone in this forest. There are many Goblins, and there are even rumors of a silver-tier monster, a Goblin King, digging tunnels.”

At the cheerful blonde swordsman’s words, I grew a little curious.

“A silver-tier monster?”

“It refers to a level of monster that silver-tier adventurers can take down. A Goblin King, sounds creepy, doesn’t it? This might be why we’ve seen Bone Goblins appearing.”

“Kasiya. That’s a matter Minerva Guild wanted kept secret as far as possible. It’s not even confirmed yet!”

“Alright, Scadi. So, don’t reveal too much information, right? Anyway, you must absolutely not enter the forest alone!”

“Yes, I’ll be careful. Thank you for rescuing me. You are the Minerva Guild’s adventurer party Scorze, right? I’ll spread good words about you.”

“Hehe, we weren’t really after the thanks. It’s good that you appreciate though.”

With that, the adventurer party parted ways with me. I headed to the edge of the woods, they went deeper to hunt the increasing Goblins.

“King Goblins…”

A silver-tier monster, huh? It’s quite a chilling story. Definitely beyond the strength of Bronze Tier adventurer Hassan. Probably something like Gigamax Goblin.

But what about Necromancer Hassan?

I thought the story was intriguing enough to remember as I made my way toward the city’s western slums and the hut where Luna waited.

“Luna, I’m back.”

Upon arriving on the first floor and casually hanging my mask and clothing on the wall, I noticed something unsettling about the unusually quiet atmosphere inside the hut.

Did Luna go shopping at the market?

“Keng Keng, did Luna go out?”

Woof, woof.

Since it barked twice, maybe she’s upstairs?

Thinking so, I ascended the staircase cautiously and noticed Luna sleeping soundly face down on the makeshift vanity on the second floor.

Though it was still early evening, far from bedtime for Luna.

Perhaps it was tiresome from making potions? There were no stacked jars or ingredient residues on the first floor though.

“Luna, did you sleep all day?”

Since the festival ended,

Luna sometimes sleeps for long stretches. Like catching up on missed sleep.

To the extent that it makes me worry if something’s wrong.

Whether day or night, she sleeps.

“Luna, wake up.”

I pressed her shoulders and neck with my fingers. Then, she let out a large inhalation sound,

And finally, came a laugh.

“Unh, Hassan’s home? When did I fall asleep…?”

“You must’ve been really tired.”

I massaged her shoulders and back with my hands, and as I did, Luna stretched while yawing lazily.

“Ugh, I feel stiff!”

Despite her words, Luna’s emerald eyes, likely refreshed from her sleep, looked quite bright and wide, as usual.

Bright and cheerful Luna made me feel relieved.

“Hassan, you’re injured! On your waist! Were you training again?”

Luna pointed to my side, and I noticed a slightly dried bl**d from a cut I received from the Bone Goblin. It wasn’t serious; it should heal in a day or so.

“Hmm, you might get injured during training. Rather, Luna, haven’t you been sleeping too much lately? Is there somewhere that hurts?”

The worry that something might be wrong with Luna made me incredibly uneasy. If she were unwell anywhere, I would prefer it if I was the one suffering instead.

Is this what being in love feels like?

Hence, I checked her pulse at the wrist.

『Name: Luna Noxdotty, Lv. 17 20

Strength: 4 5

Agility: 10 11

Stamina: 3 4

Abilities: Wriggle Frenzy 』 Appetite for Evil 』 Nocturnal』

Condition: Nox’s Curse 』 Erebore’s Curse』

Apart from the increased level, her condition seemed fine. When had she leveled up? Luna’s already at level 20! She’s growing incredibly fast.

“Is there any place you feel bad?”

“Don’t worry, Hassan. I sometimes sleep like this. About once a year.”

“Really?”

“Usually, I sleep a lot during winter. This year, I guess it’s summer sleep time.”

Luna said it casually. It might be something like growing pains. They say beautiful people tend to sleep a lot too.

Still, worry lingers despite this. Therefore, I resolved to visit the healing center with Luna at the earliest the next morning.

“Hassan worries too much. Rather, Hassan, tonight there’s going to be a meteor shower! The stars will be falling from the sky like rain! Let’s go watch!”

“Meteor shower?”

I didn’t know what a meteor shower was. Falling stars from the sky… maybe like meteors? As I envisioned the night sky in my mind, Luna added hesitantly,

“Paraonia and Hippolyte couldn’t come, so it’s just the two of us in the yard. We didn’t get to enjoy the festival properly, did we?”

True, due to the Shrine Knights’ raid on the undead at the festival, we hadn’t properly enjoyed it.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Seeing Luna look genuinely pleased by watching out the window, I nodded.

Luna leaned toward the window, staring at the sky, anxious about when the sun might set.

“Hey, when will the sun set…?”

Through Luna’s shoulder, I could observe the setting sun still lingering in the sky.

Stars, huh?

I started to feel a bit excited at the thought of a nighttime date with Luna.

[Author’s Note]

This episode 191 turned out longer than expected… Like a 1.5 part…

And now… the real… beginning of the… story is upon us… Season 3 is officially… here!!!

For real…!!!