Chapter 383: The other world
Ossen City. Han Shuo’s official residence.
Within a secret room, Han Shou grasped the skeletal staff, chanting the incantation for necromancy. After a long and tedious section of incantation, a mummy lord stood before Han Shuo. The mummy lord was stupefied as it inspected Han Shuo, the entire secret room suddenly filled with the deathly scent emitted from its body.
Of the three summoning spells at grand magus level, Han Shuo has already mastered two of them. He is able to proficiently summon old fey demons and mummy lords, only left with the spell for bone demons. As he still didn’t really understand the characteristics of the bone demon’s body composition, Han Shuo temporarily still could succeed in summoning a bone demon into this world.
With an order, the mummy lord unwillingly wielded the ancient strips of cloth that twisted around its body, moving its body in accordance to Han Shuo’s directions.
Nodding his head, Han Shuo knew that he thoroughly grasped the summoning of the mummy lord. Han Shuo then chanted another spell and with a wave of the white bone staff, the mummy lord returned back to the netherworld.
Keeping the white bone staff, Han Shuo then took out the skeletal staff obtained from the Cemetery of Death. Fiddling with the skeletal staff in his hand, Han Shuo hesitated for a while, intending to use the skeletal staff to summon the old fey demon and mummy lord.
This skeletal staff was different from the white bone staff. Chanting necromancy while holding the skeletal staff would often result in the might of the summoning spell to be doubled. When Han Shuo used the white bone staff, he could save a little mental strength but he would be unable to summon two old fey demons to the Profound Continent.
However, if it was channeling the necromancy spell through the skeletal staff, he should be able to momentarily search for two old fey demons. Han Shuo had the experience of using the skeletal staff when summoning evil knights. He believed that old fey demons were perhaps the same as the evil knights and he could similarly summon two old fey demons.
Han Shuo hesitated for a moment, before starting to chant the necromancy spell to summon old fey demons. When Han Shuo’s spell connected with the netherworld and the chanting reached the section to search for old fey demons, Han Shuo’s mental space suddenly felt the two targets that were separated by a long distance.
These two targets were old fey demons. However, there was a incomparable distance between the two old fey demons. In the same moment, both old fey demons felt Han Shuo’s presence. When the feeling of their freedom being threatened entered their souls, the two old fey demons instinctively struggled.
Han Shuo was startled, fixing his mental strength on suppressing one old fey demon as they were too far apart. Han Shuo’s mental strength couldn’t handle both old fey demons at once, their frantic resistance causing him to get a little dizzy. This was the reason why Han Shuo’s suppression became quite strenuous.
At this moment, Han Shuo understood that he had neglected an important issue. The personality of old fey demons were vastly different from that of evil knights. Although evil knights were similarly high ranked undead creatures, there were numerous undead creatures in the netherworld. In addition, evil knights were considered to still prefer living in a group. When Han Shuo used the skeletal staff to summon evil knights, they would often be from the same location, locating two or three evil knights and then summoning them to the Profound Continent.
However, old fey demons were an even higher ranked existence and their numbers in the netherworld were much lesser than evil knights. Furthermore, as high ranked existences, old fey demons dwelled in separate locations, becoming the master of that location. Basically, it highly unlikely for two old fey demons to live together in the same area.
Han Shuo had precisely overlooked this point. When the spell channeled through the skeletal staff, it immediately sensed two old fey demons were five thousand kilometers apart. As the two old fey demons were too far apart, Han Shuo couldn’t handle both of them at the same time. Old fey demons were also undead creatures with a formidable soul. When Han Shuo focused on one old fey demon, the other old fey demon suddenly revolted, causing Han Shuo to be somewhat unable to suppress it with his mental strength.
This situation happened too quickly. A necromancy summoning didn’t take long. Because Han Shuo didn’t anticipate such as a situation at the beginning, he simply didn’t have the means to handle it at short notice. When the two old fey demons sensed that Han Shuo’s mental strength was in slight disorder, they frantically resisted further.
There was a sudden sharp pain in his mind. Distracted, Han Shuo’s consciousness was a little routed and he felt himself actually becoming a strand of peculiar existence. Under the pull from the souls of the two old fey demons, he traversed the spacetime tunnel, arriving at the unknown netherworld.
Han Shuo had had the same experience once. Now that it happened a second time, Han Shuo immediately reacted, his mental strength tenaciously wrapped around that strand of consciousness to prevent harmful substances within the spacetime tunnel from intruding as he involuntarily descended to the world filled with deathly stillness and mystery.
Within the world which seemed forever monochrome, a thick stationary layer of grey clouds obstructed the horizon. This place was filled with swamps everywhere, as well as deathly still forests that were formed from large withered trees. These withered trees seemed to have gone through thousands of years of decay and had long since been void of any moisture or nutrients. There were even ash grey colored spider webs suspended from the tree trunks, with many bizarre tiny undead creatures wiggling on the spiderweb.
Within the swamps which were all over, the aura of death pervade everywhere. The swamps gave off weird bubbles and from time to time, one or two zombies will rigidly climb out of the swamps and then proceed to aimlessly roam the vast silent netherworld.
The netherworld was the final destination of departed spirits. Over the millions of years, the perpetual deathly qi continuously produced various kinds of undead creatures. When an undead creature disappears, the death qi from its body would return to this world, go through many years of bizarre evolution before once again forming another undead creature.
Han Shuo’s consciousness was gradually restored. Han Shuo slowly observed the deathly still area that was covered with swamps. During his observation, Han Shuo tried to absorb the deathly qi from the Cemetery of Death and condense a body that is visible yet lacking in form for himself. However, Han Shuo’s whole body was drifting in the air.
Suddenly, Han Shuo felt the existence of the little skeleton and the zombies. They were in a region far away, but Han Shuo was able to distinctly sense their existence. As for the three evil knights that were refined later, he could only sense a faint dot.
Howl… “Petty existence, you have intruded into my world without permission, I want you to suffer the burn of my fury.” a shrill voice filled with incomparable anger suddenly rang in Han Shuo’s ears. This voice was filled with the roar of ire, scaring Han Shuo greatly.
With a sudden reaction to his consciousness, Han Shuo felt a shadow rapidly approaching from his left. Han Shuo watched attentively as one of the old fey demons that he had just attempted to summon unexpectedly appeared. The surroundings of the old fey demon were filled with hundreds of low ranking undead creatures. Among them were ghouls, skeleton knights, zombies and three hate warriors.
It looks like this old fey demon should be the overlord of this area. He still remembered the aura on Han Shuo’s body and when he suddenly realised Han Shuo’s soul appearing within his territory, the old fey demon was incessantly furious, immediately following Han Shuo’s aura that he just sensed and angrily rushed toward Han Shuo.
In the netherworld, the old fey demon could display its strength as much as it wanted. The rich omnipresent death qi could supply him with sufficient energy. However, for Han Shuo whose consciousness has entered this world, he could not utilise his demonic arts without a physical body and could only utilise his consciousness and necromancy magic to attack.
Seeing the old fey demon ferociously charging over while brandishing its sharp claws that could rip through iron and stone, Han Shuo’s consciousness suddenly locked onto the old fey demon’s body, unleashing a Soul Tremor.
Bang!
The old fey demon’s soul that was midair seemed to be heavily hammered on, the sharp pain momentarily spreading to the deepest parts of his soul. Without waiting for the old fey demon to react, many bone spears attacked through the sky, causing the old fey demon to stumble as he dodged. Another Soul Tremor followed immediately, the old fey demon was momentarily dazed.
However in this other world, the old fey demon had sufficient death qi to utilise, and its soul was extremely formidable. Although Han Shuo’s Soul Tremor attack was able to cause enormous harm to the old fey demon, it was unable to truly kill it. Furthermore, the bone spears were only able to leave shallow white scars on the old fey demon’s body, unable to pierce this high ranking undead creature.
In such a place, Han Shuo’s mental strength was exhaustible. Prolonging such as situation, Han Shuo’s mental strength will definitely be used up. At that moment, he would not be able to contain the old fey demon. This high ranking old fey demon would definitely be able to destroy Han Shuo’s soul that had descended to such a place.
After the row of bone spears and Soul Tremor, a bone prison formed suddenly, temporarily imprisoning the old fey demon within. Han Shuo saw that the old fey demon did not have any reaction to the Soul Tremor magic and didn’t continue staying in this area, his visible yet immaterial body quickly floated into the distance, resembling an ordinary wraith in the netherworld.
Within the netherworld’s overcast sky, there would often be wraiths floating about. These wraiths only had the simplest of consciousness and usually became food for higher ranked undead creatures. They were also the nutrient that Han Shuo used in refining some of his demonic creatures. Han Shuo never though that one day he would enter the netherworld and actually be besieged by wraiths.
Five white misty wraiths suddenly surrounded Han Shuo. These five wraiths sensed that Han Shuo had a different aura from them and attempted to attack Han Shuo as though he was a mutated being.
When Han Shuo who was visible but had not material body saw the five wraiths approaching, he could sense their ill intentions revealed by their simple consciousness. Han Shuo gathered a small amount of mental strength, unleashing the Soul Tremor magic. With a poof, the five wraiths were turned into grey smoke, becoming death qi and returning to the earth.
The rows of wraiths that were further way felt the momentarily explosion of power from Han Shuo, immediately classifying Han Shuo as a high ranked undead creature and kept far away from Han Shuo. None of the wraiths dared to approach Han Shuo any more.
At a towering barren mountain peak an unknown distance away from han Shuo, there was a magestic undead palace. Within a lofty palace where there were strict rankings, on the highest respected platform, the little skeleton sat upright on an enormous throne filled with sharp spikes (TL note: Game of thrones reference?) By his side were the earth zombie, fire zombie, wood zombie and the seemingly timid water zombie.
Beneath the little skeleton were six evil knights and two bone demons as well as the previously subdued mummy lord. They all knelt on one knee with their heads lowered towards the little skeleton.
On the palace’s cold ceiling hung the bone demon that was remodelled by little skeleton with the ability to fly as well as numerous gargoyles that curled their bodies and stood in place silently.
Behind the few evil knights were a few stupied hate warriors and zombie warriors. They resembled conscientious bodyguards, devotedly standing upright, as though willing to risk their lives for the little skeleton at any moment.
“My lord, why do you need to depart?” The previously subdued mummy lord humbly inquired with his head lowered.
“All of you, help me properly look after this place. I’ll be back very soon.” The little skeleton had yet to answer, only giving orders as a superior. “The powerful existence from the eastern dead sea might come in the near future. All of you guard this place, do not attack others while I’m not around.”
“Understood, my lord!” The high ranked undead creatures all replied deferentially. Facing the fiercer little skeleton, they who were previously lords of an area couldn’t help but lower their proud heads.
“You can withdraw. Properly guard your respective territories!” The little skeleton imposingly conveyed his intention. Apart from the three evil knights that had been refined by Han Shuo’s demonic magic, the other evil knights and mummy lords all withdrew after receiving the orders.
“Father has come here. This world isn’t the same as the material world. Without a corporeal body, Father would possibly run into danger, I must go and protect him!” The little skeleton said to the earth zombie and the others after the subordinates have withdrawn.
“We’ll go too!” The earth zombie touched its head, simple-mindedly saying, “We want to see Father in this world too.”
“That’s out of the question. You need to stay here and look after our home. With their strength, those subordinates would find it hard to ensure the safety of this place. I only trust you guys. This is because we have inherited the same bloodline!” The little skeleton instructed, before saying, “Be at ease. When i find Father, I’ll bring him over.”
With that sentence, the flying bone demon that was hanging upside down at the top of the hall suddenly spread its wings and soared in front of the little skeleton. The seven bone spurs on the little skeleton’s back trembled, shooting into the body of the already remodeled bone demon. The huge wings of the bone demon made of meshed rotting flesh flapped once, bringing the little skeleton away from the summit of the towering death mountain.