The Ruined Death Knight

Chapter 168 - Past Mistakes

In a room where not a spark of light was to seen except the ominous dark green mana.

Sitting in front of a bench, was an undead who movent his finger with an extreme focus on the top of the chest plate in a way that almost seemed like a machine.

Almost, that is.

"..."

Raising the chest plate in front of him, Danzel nodded to himself.

"That shall do..."

[You received 8000 XP]

Placing the chest plate to the side, Danzel summoned his status.

[Status]

Name: Rue Danzel

Level: 40

Race: Wight

Class: [Black Guard Lv. 1]

Sub-Class: [Runesmith of Undeath Lv.30]

Health: 8910/8910

Mana: 2079/2079

Attribute points: 40

Attributes: Strength:192 Agility: 229 Intelligence: 189 Endurance: 161

Talents: [Superior Undead] [Sin of Wrath] [Reinforced Soul] [Superior Unique Concioness] [Rune Vision] [Dead Rune Knowledge] [Undead Carver] [Dead Mana Affinity] [Dead Mana Resilience] [Undying][Lower Class Death Magic] [Mastery of Himself] [Affinity Carving Mastery]

Skills: [Intermendiate Weapon Mastery Lv.1] [Stone Wall Lv.1] [Leap Lv.1] [Silent Steps Lv.1][Undeath Corruption Lv.1] [Swift Movement Lv. 1] [Shield Charge Lv.1] [Gale Mana Blade Lv.3] [Greater Sense Danger Lv.1] [Curse of Exhaustion Lv.1] [Penetrate Lv.1] [Mana Arms Lv.9] [Vanguards Defense Lv.5] [Armor Mana Plating Lv.1] [Cursed Blade Lv.1] [Death Influence Lv.1] [Coating Miasma Lv.1] [Curse of Decay Lv.1] [Lesser Raise Undead Lv.1] [Reconstruct Body Lv.1]

[Remark: A Undead that recently became a Wight. Although he lacks knowledge about Death Magic. His Strength alone makes him much stronger than your usually 3rd-tier Undead and shows the behavior of a Lich. ]

[XP: 985 025]

"Almost one million..." Danzel said with a tired tone.

Not only was he practically forced to make over 80 runes that were quite demanding on his focus, but he even failed to receive out of 10 runes his XP reward, as it didn´t fit the standard.

That by itself was quite annoying as it made him feel like his efforts have been wasted.

Of course, he wasn´t capable to get physically tired as he was one of the undead. But even he would get tired of constant failure and repeat the same thing.

It practically took him two weeks to learn how to carve the rune correctly and two other weeks to continue the supply that Hanson wanted.

In other words, he continues carved for almost a whole month with little to no breaks. 

And those breaks were mostly him doing nothing in the room!

The only interesting thing that he has done was carve a rune into a huge crystal that Hanson sent him.

Once he read what this crystal was, Danzel would have to lie if he didn´t consider taking it for himself. But he knew his limits.

Although sad, it was a nice change of pace for him.

His only regret was carving such an inferior rune on that crystal. To him, it felt like a child painting at top of a famous painting.

He actually wanted to first raise the quality of the [Rune of Mana] that he could make before carving the rune of that big crystal.

But as he was given a week of time, he could only carve the rune and continue the grind of the chest plates.

Having done with those now, he focused on his status as currently, it was his only hope to get him out of here.

"So expensive..."

Staring at [Swift Movements] cost, Danzel had a bad predicament.

For a single upgrade of it, it cost a total of 500 000 XP!

Let alone the rising cost per upgrade, such a cost rise was terrifying huge!

The worst of it all, Danzel knew that his other skill such as [Gale Mana Blade] would cost way more compared to this once it receives the third upgrade!

Just imagining it makes him have a headache.

He had realized long ago that his skills lacked quite a bit, but the fight between those bounty hunters opened his eyes!

Well, metaphorically speaking that is.

The damage that his armor received back then would even be fatal to other none undead warriors.

Saying that he brute-forced his way through the win against the bounty hunters.

At least against the earth magic caster wouldn´t be really wrong.

As he got sever all-time penetrated by earth needles...

"How long will it take me to upgrade everything four times?" Daniel asked himself.

With only coming up with that it will be a ton lot.

"As of now a yea- No, maybe year's..." 

His way of getting XP, although consistent for now.

It was rather slow to say the less.

Alas, unless he went into a genocide, then his fate wasn't going to change any time soon.

'I don't lack time' Standing up from his seat he made his way towards the door.

Though he hated being shackled here making runes, he knew that he had to bide his time.

'Let's forget about everything for now. If I remember right today is that day.'

He let all his planning of upgrades and work that had to do behind and wore his small magic mask.

Opening the door, the guards got startled for a moment before glancing at Danzel with wary.

Edward who was one of the guards asked with a frown on his face.

"...Is something wrong, Sir Danzel?"

Without even bothering to give him a glance, Danzel walked right past the guards.

"I will be going out for shorts, don't follow me."

The moment those words came out of the masked figure, the guards got suddenly dense.

"Sir...we can't. Our order-"

"Stop." Danzel stopped Edward word a deep voice.

"I told you once already. Don't make me repeat myself." Walking down the stairs, Danzel continued.

"You see...I hate those making the same mistake. If I was trying to escape, Hanson would have known by now from the contact."

The guards wanted to chase after him, but the feeling of Danzel killing intent made them halt.

Fighting him here would only bring attention to the building.

Seeing Danzel slowly going out of the building, Edward grabbed his communication device.

"Yea?"

"S-Sir Hanson, we got a situation..."

***

Walking towards the streets of the capital, Danzel scanned the area, noticing that it was way different from the time he came here.

Streets were bustling with merchants selling rare and exotic food while dancers using magic were giving performances to the people.

What surprised him the most were the small children that wearing a similar, but a way more shabby mask than him.

'So annoying'

Feeling the gazes upon him, he hastened his steps.

He chose a path where it didn't have many people and had some long stairs going up.

Following the stairs, he found himself somewhere where he could see most of the houses and a statue of a man wearing robes there.

"Much better here..." Sighing in relief of the lack of people, Danzel observer the city from above.

"Hmm...that's the Fire Festival, huh?" He said to himself.

Personally, he knew only that they celebrated the coming of the new year.

Why it had the name Fire Festival he did not know.

"Taking a break outside might have been a bad idea with so many...people," Danzel said as he started at the city.

It was currently nighttime, so the sight of many lights illuminating the whole capital was sure a nice sight for Danzel to see.

But what surprises him the most was what happens next.

Flying to the air, blue and red light flew in the sky.

*Booom!

*Booom!

With the lights exploding like fireworks, the sky was illuminated by those lights.

"Those have to be spell." Danzel mumbled to himself.

Though he didn't the reason as to why they ended such a spell similar to the fireball that once roasted his pure bones.

Danzel couldn't help but admit.

"It's just like back then..."

Flashbacks of how he once left the dark cave and to be engulfed by the sunlight for the first time after coming out of the cursed lake.

The sight before him was as beautiful as back then.

'I should even cut all connections with the humans once I left Berum.' As Danzel thought that.

His shadow that was being cast by the lights in the air seemed to become alive.

No, they were alive.

As if multiple eyes were watching Danzel from the shadows.

In the middle of the shadow, a figure wearing black gauntlets was formed by the shadows themselves.

Turning his head at the growing Hanson, Danzel grumbled to himself.

'To think that I would do the same mistake twice.'

"I just wanted to see the culture of you people, but I had enough of his sight, I will be coming back" Turning his back from the lights, Danzel followed where Hanson was going.

'Just wait. It's just a matter of time. Unbeknownst to you, that powerless undead will soon....'