Chapter 152
"That power doesn't only contain your pure aura."
With those words, Mikhail raised his hand. Blue aura bloomed from his palm.
― Wooong.
Suffused in a deep indigo radiance, Mikhail spoke to Erich.
"I don't know exactly how your ability works, but something beyond that is amplifying your output."
"... Something beyond that, you say?"
"How would I know? I can't read it, but I can sense that it's there."
Erich quietly bit his lip. Now that he heard it put that way, something dawned on him.
'The divine technique.'
After witnessing Laurenti's corpse, Erich had tried to recreate the power he had seen at that time.
As a result, he had gained the ability to draw upon a power as blazing as the sun.
Of course, even from Erich's own perspective as the user, he did not know exactly what the divine technique truly was, nor what principles it operated on.
But Erich was at least aware that its power had naturally blended not only with his aura but with his other abilities as well.
Mikhail spoke to Erich once again.
"It seems you already have an idea of what it is. If so, you must also know what you should do."
"Are you telling me to try mastering this power further?"
"Not only master it, but find a form that suits you—that's what's truly important."
― Kkuuk.
Erich clenched his fist and extinguished the bright sunlight. The advice Mikhail offered was very simple.
'Mold its form and utilize the divine technique properly.'
If he managed that, he might even achieve greater efficiency than Mikhail himself.
However, Erich had another assignment before him.
It made sense to mold a form and increase efficiency, but what role exactly did the divine technique play within this power?
Erich half wished Incensus would crawl out and point and say, 'This is what it is.'
But Erich slowly raised his head. Moonlight flickered in the sky.
Beneath it, the towering peak of Haratakan radiated an eerie aura, as if it would swallow Erich whole.
In the end, all Erich could do was hope that he could master this power before confronting the dead atop that place.
***
The northern lands beyond the Great Wall were famous for their harsh weather.
Yet, even worse was the trek up Haratakan and the blizzards along the way.
― Hwiiiing.
Erich scanned his surroundings.
The biting wind was so strong that the unit members could hardly stand.
The price for marching head-on against nature's force was a cold so intense it felt like it cut into their flesh, accompanied by fierce winds.
'Two more hours ahead. We'll need to set up another camp within that time.'
Progress up Haratakan slowed as they ascended.
What was supposed to be a week-long journey now seemed likely to stretch longer.
As Erich searched for a knoll suitable for a base camp further up, something flickered at the edge of his vision.
"... Halt."
Even before Erich finished speaking, Frederick and Barnes raised their hands behind him.
The trailing troops immediately stopped in unison.
Of course, those unaccustomed to such discipline—the mages—ended up bumping their heads into the backs of those in front, like beads on a string.
"Ugh!"
"... Wh-what's going on?"
Leaving the mages' confusion behind, Erich fixed his gaze on the spot where something had glimmered.
A flash appeared again in the place that had caught Erich's eyes.
"Barnes, gather the advance party and follow me."
"Yes, commander."
Erich moved forward with Barnes and a few troops. Mikhail and Hrung-ga also followed behind Erich.
'... Could it be the dead?'
Erich wondered if it was possibly an ambush by the dead.
The trail up Haratakan was so treacherous that an ambush anywhere along the way would not have been surprising.
But Erich's tension eased for just a moment, and his hand, which had rested upon his sword, slowly fell away.
The first to speak was Hrung-ga.
[... They're shamans.]
[Are they anyone you know?]
[No. Shamans usually keep to themselves.]
All eyes turned to where, beneath the snow, lay corpses. There were six bodies in total.
They were barbarians, all heavily inked with intricate and nuanced tattoos.
Here, Erich recalled the shaman he had seen before—a barbarian shaman, Kalga, and these resembled him.
Hrung-ga quickly bent down to inspect the corpses. He turned the bodies over several times, gauging their cause of death.
[... Goddess. My goodness. Something has punctured their backs.]
[Hmm.]
Erich stepped forward to inspect the bodies Hrung-ga examined.
Huge holes gaped from their abdomens to their backs. Around the wounds, the skin showed signs of decay, as though it had rotted away.
'... Corrosive energy. The same as that used by the lich.'
Fortunately, Erich had never been struck by the lich's power when they fought.
Had he been hit, he would have ended up the same as these barbarians.
What this suggested was that someone as powerful as a lich had killed them.
If the dead were infused with that much corrosive power, it could only be beings of that caliber.
Then Mikhail spoke.
"That's a foul power. Surely, whatever did this will be waiting up ahead."
"... We'll need to prepare thoroughly."
At that moment, Ceres approached with the mages in tow. She glanced at the corpses from a distance, then spoke to Erich.
"Perhaps the mages from our Mage Tower can use their mana to track traces left by the enemy."
"... Traces of the enemy?"
"Yes, for example, to see if any are lying in ambush nearby."
Erich nodded quietly. One could never be too careful.
Especially against the dead wielding corrosive energy, vigilance was all the more needed.
Ceres snapped her fingers.
Instantly, the mages behind her spread out and began to wield their respective powers.
Their sleeves were rolled up, revealing black tattoos that writhed and glowed.
This was the characteristic way Mage Tower mages utilized their power.
Soon, the mages exchanged glances with one another.
Erich sensed something strange about their actions. Ceres, sharing their senses, soon spoke to Erich.
"... They say there's a survivor?"
"A survivor?"
Erich's eyes narrowed. He looked around but found no sign of anyone other than the mages.
"... Let's go check it out."
To think there were shamans that survived an attack by the dead.
Erich thought that this might prove a valuable opportunity.
'... If there are surviving shamans who can lend us their power, that could be quite helpful.'
Ceres nodded at Erich's words.
The gazes of the mages and Ceres all pointed in one direction.
Not the uphill path, but a path leading to the side.
They would have to head toward the place, lined with sheer ice cliffs.
***
The entire group, including Erich, came to a halt.
They crossed over the icy cliffs, endured the blizzard and biting winds, and even the deep snow could not stop their advance.
But what stopped them now was not the environment; it was a subtle, spreading energy.
Not only Erich and the mages, but even the ordinary troops tilted their heads, as if they sensed something.
Hrung-ga spoke.
[... There's a totem. We'll need to be careful from here.]
Where Hrung-ga pointed stood a beast-shaped totem, its red-stained blood now dried, glaring fiercely at Erich and his party.
That peculiar aura enveloping the air seemed to originate entirely from that totem.
Yet, while everyone stopped moving, Erich alone stepped forward.
Something about the flow of power from the totem felt oddly familiar to him.
'... Why? It feels like I've seen this somewhere before.'
Where did this sense of déjà vu come from?
Before Erich could search for an answer, he simply passed by the totem.
Once it was clear that Erich was safe, the rest of the troops followed in his path.
But only a moment later, something stirred in front of Erich.
"... Ugh."
One of the Shadows, sent to guard Erich and camouflaged in the snow, collapsed.
Erich instantly felt a surge of murderous intent directed at him.
At that moment, Ceres was the first to shout.
"Mages!"
― Wiiiiing!
Their powers shone. Without anyone needing to act first, soft shields formed, encasing Erich and the others.
― Chijijijik!
It was as if something kept striking the surface of the mages' shields, causing sparks to fly.
Erich quickly scanned his surroundings.
'... Six of them. They're hiding, but I can see them clearly enough.'
Still, the fact that they had managed to strike first, evading the notice of both Erich and Mikhail, was impressive.
'Most likely, shamans.'
They seemed determined to punish invaders who had dared to trespass upon their land.
But before Erich could say anything, Hrung-ga strode forward boldly.
[I am Hrung-ga of the Wolf Clan who collects heads !]
With his proclamation, the sparks scattered on the barrier subsided.
Shamans, who had hidden behind the icy wall, cautiously poked out their heads.
At last, an elderly barbarian, so aged one could believe he was a hundred years old, pushed through the others.
[... Haratakan is not to be set foot in lightly, even by our own kind. Let alone imperial folk.]
Erich quickly replied to the shaman.
[We saw the corpses of shamans on the way up here. Is something going on?]
[That's not an outsider's concern.]
[Really? It seems you've already suffered dearly.]
A worm-like wrinkle deepened on the old barbarian's brow.
[Shamans have no need for the power of outsiders.]
[Even if their enemy is the dead?]
[... Yes.]
Despite his words, the barbarian ended on an oddly subdued note. As Erich observed this, a faint smile crossed his face.
[If you say so. But isn't it true you're troubled by this issue?]
[... I don't think a man leading a band of imperials is in any position to talk.]
The barbarian glared fiercely at Erich. Erich realized that this enmity was no small matter.
'This won't be easy.'
For someone who had just met Erich to show this much hostility—it seemed persuading him, or even avoiding a fight, would not be simple.
But then, unexpectedly, the barbarian spoke.
[You will bring doom upon this sacred Haratakan. Do not even think of seeking our help.]
[... Pardon?]
Erich stared blankly at the barbarian.
What could he possibly have done to doom Haratakan?
But there was no doubt in his mind that this enmity was genuine.
Erich slowly crossed his arms. His mind raced with ideas about how to persuade this stubborn old barbarian.
Then, Erich slowly opened his mouth to speak.