Chapter 45: Undead
Sollivan shifted his senses to Noctis, who was hiding nearby, then quietly sneaked toward the massive coffin at the end of the hall. When he reached it, he could see it more clearly. The coffin was slightly large, made of a strange type of gray stone covered in golden engravings. Its edges were adorned with evenly sized colored gemstones, adding a mysterious decoration to it. There were also several strange white symbols, some cracked or faded, and Sollivan immediately recognized them.
’A sealing formation... but it’s broken.’ He exhaled in relief, having momentarily feared his plan might fail. He slipped behind the coffin, out of sight from the people in the hall, and quietly summoned Noctis’ hands from the shadows on the ground to lift the extremely heavy lid. However, it was far too heavy for Noctis alone, forcing Sollivan to bring out the rest of its body from the shadows, forming two additional hands. With great difficulty, he lifted the coffin lid—though he didn’t set it aside gently. Instead, he threw it down with force, causing it to shatter upon impact, sending a loud crashing sound echoing through the vast hall.
Everyone’s eyes widened. Their fighting stopped abruptly as they all stepped back simultaneously, leaving a safe distance between them. Then, they turned and stared at the coffin in shock and bewilderment.
They didn’t understand what had happened, but the loud noise alerted them that something was wrong. Even Darnell himself was confused and quickly glanced toward where Sollivan was hiding. Despite being fully engaged in battle, he hadn’t neglected his surroundings for even a moment, so he was certain the sound hadn’t come from Sollivan. Still, he suspected it might be one of his ridiculous tricks.
Sollivan slipped inside the coffin, where a human skeleton lay—smooth and pristine white, like a precious stone. He frowned in confusion. ’How is this possible?’ The skeleton was unnaturally beautiful, as if polished, which contradicted the fact that it should have belonged to someone who died thousands of years ago. The skeletal figure lay on its back, hands resting on its chest, gripping a short sword with a golden blade adorned with mysterious engravings and a blood-red hilt that had lost none of its luster. The blade itself gleamed as if freshly forged, without a speck of dust.
Sollivan knew that Arcane treasures were categorized by tiers, and it was clear that this sword before him was of an extremely high grade—perhaps even among the highest in the entire empire.
He didn’t continue staring at the skeleton or the sword. Quickly gathering his courage, he ordered Noctis to merge with the skeleton, just as it did with his wheelchair.
And so, Noctis’ darkness began covering the skeleton, obscuring its radiant white glow. The bones turned into an inky blackness, starting from the ribcage and spreading to the skull and the tips of its toes. Noctis’ gem-like eyes took the place of the empty sockets, and within moments, the once-white skeleton, which had emanated a beautiful white aura, was now a pitch-black skeleton exuding ominous energy.
Noctis gripped the sword on its chest and lifted it effortlessly, making Sollivan sigh in relief—at least the sword wasn’t unreasonably heavy.
...
In the hall, the gathered people continued watching the silent coffin with obvious hesitation, unaware of what was happening inside. Some wanted to go and check, but none dared. While they were lost in their questions, a black skeletal hand emerged from the coffin and gripped its left edge. Their bodies trembled at the sight, their senses screaming in fear.
Slowly and deliberately, the black skeleton rose from the coffin and stared at them with its terrifying crimson eyes. It examined them with cold, incomprehensible indifference, as if peering into the depths of their frightened souls. It was like death itself, its oppressive darkness weighing on their hearts. They didn’t understand what was happening—more importantly, they didn’t know the skeleton’s true strength or if it even posed a real threat. But its chilling presence and arrogant movements left them unable to muster the courage to face it. All the experience they had gathered over the years was useless against something so unnatural, so far beyond their common sense.