Awesome Shut-In Necromancer

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Since there was no further testing to be done, we released the concealment spell and immediately began to move.

Inevitably, this led to clashes with the Hunters waiting in front of the dungeon.

“Who are you? Did you cause this mess?”

“No, it wasn’t us. Something’s happening inside the dungeon.”

As Lee Ji Cheol, our lead, pointed inside the dungeon with his finger, the Hunters couldn’t calm down, constantly glancing back and forth.

And of course, it wasn’t long before our identities were exposed.

“Wait, that’s the Saint of France…”

“Isn’t that the Seven Stars’ Count Xavier?”

“Strange, I hadn’t heard they were coming.”

Shortly after, urgent shouts erupted from the agents of Spain, who had been quietly assessing the situation.

“We have individuals here whose entry records cannot be confirmed! They’re hiding something!”

“What?!”

The atmosphere soured in an instant.

Even though they recognized Xavier and Yesiel, there were still several S Rank Hunters on the other side.

Naturally, they didn’t seem inclined to back down easily.

However, surprisingly, this tense standoff was broken by an unexpected figure.

“Calm down for a moment. We need to hear the circumstances.”

It was Sanada, the Japanese swordsman who had accompanied me in raiding dungeons in the U.S.

“I know from firsthand experience. With this number of people, you can’t handle them.”

“What? Whose side are you on?”

As fierce objections erupted, Sanada glared sharply and stepped forward.

“Is there anyone here who’s confident that they can take me down one-on-one?”

“…”

“I can assure you that Baek Eun Ha from Korea is over twice as strong as I am. Feel free to attack if you wish to die, but it’ll just be a waste of energy.”

With Sanada’s strong words known for his pride, other Hunters hesitated to argue back.

Seizing this moment, Yesiel calmly explained the situation.

“I apologize for not sharing information beforehand. There’s a secret organization of Returners hiding inside this dungeon. If we fail to stop them, something terrifying will happen.”

“That can’t be true. Since the day the dungeon was observed, dozens of national agents have been guarding this area, and high-rank Hunters joined one by one afterward. Someone would have noticed if someone entered the dungeon.”

Once again, it was clear they couldn’t understand. From their perspective, they must have thought they had completely blocked the entrance.

However, if there were over seven S Rank Hunters gathered, they couldn’t imagine that even a couple of S Rank Hunters or national agents would be able to breach the defenses.

There must have been a moment when a gap appeared.

“Ah, Astrid.”

“…Yes, Teacher.”

I didn’t want to waste time here.

Recognizing my intention, Astrid drew her sword and swung it forward.

Piiing!

Swooosh─!

In an instant, a thin sound of slicing filled the air, and almost simultaneously, the black mist enveloping the area burst apart.

Then, a deafening crash pierced our ears.

Kwaagahgagh!

“Ugh!”

“W-what was that all of a sudden?”

The Hunters jumped in surprise, but none of them were harmed. It appeared that she had targeted only the mist to control the intensity.

It was a clear demonstration of the level difference.

Hunters stood frozen with stiff expressions at that blatant warning.

Taking this chance, Astrid, who had secured the lead, said,

“…We don’t have time. Move aside.”

Thus, we entered the dungeon without giving our opponents a chance to refuse further.

#

Hooosh.

Kuwong.

“There are no monsters around. Perhaps they’ve been taken out already.”

Inside the dungeon, filled with a dark aura and an ominous atmosphere, Henesia deployed a large-scale detection spell immediately upon entry, shaking her head and reporting there was nothing detected.

“So, the enemy is deeper inside?”

“Hmm, they might already be conducting the ritual. Is it okay to advance?”

Faced with this unsettling sense I had never encountered before, even Xavier showed a cautious attitude.

But there was no time left. We had to move forward, whether it was life or death.

‘…If only I had strength.’

Truthfully, whether Gideon was resurrected or not was none of my concern, but not being able to utilize my power made me a bit anxious.

So, I needed to hurry.

I wanted to resolve everything neatly before the Resurrection Ceremony was completed.

“I have enough power. Just push through.”

After moving at full speed for a while, we finally came face to face with characters who seemed to be members of Hades.

They blocked the entrance alongside powerful Undead knights, and a strange energy was flowing from the Boss Room beyond them.

“…Quite a crowd you’ve brought.”

“Do you have a connection with Beatrice from Italy?”

A middle-aged man in a robe and a young man with a massive halberd, bare-chested.

Though I didn’t show it, it seemed they were flustered by our unexpected strength.

Understanding their reaction, I quickly shouted to my companions.

“Uh, we’ll win anyway. Don’t hold back, just engage.”

Hearing those words, Yesiel and Lee Ji Cheol stepped forward and unleashed their magic power, while both of the opponents’ expressions turned sour.

‘They must also be among the founders.’

Excluding Eric, who died in front of me, the two in front of me were practically the last key members of Hades.

I thought they likely had power above S Rank, but that level was probably similar to Lee Ji Cheol after he acquired the power of a Dragonkin.

If there was something particularly concerning, it was the black-armored knight standing behind them.

I recognized it from a memory I had seen during my previous entanglements with Hades, while that knight filled Jackson with immense fear.

“Um, Xavier.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“You handle that Undead.”

Right now, the two people I trusted the most in terms of ability were Astrid and Henesia, but Xavier was hardly lacking either.

“…Can you separate them in the corridor?”

“Leave it to me.”

Obeying the order cheerfully, Xavier kicked the ground and charged forward, while I prepared a teleportation spell with Henesia in the meantime.

“We don’t need to deal with the small fry, right? Understood.”

Leaving Lee Ji Cheol, Xavier, Song Ha Yeon, and Yesiel behind, the rest quickly headed towards the Boss Room.

“…What?!”

“Brago! Stop them!”

Realizing our intentions, the two of them unleashed attacks trying to cancel our magic, but the overwhelming disparity in numbers led to their complete failure.

After averting the charge, we successfully completed our teleportation and moved to the front of the Boss Room.

“…I’ll use defensive spells to prepare for ambush.”

Hooosh.

Creeeek.

Kuguguguguh.

Without hesitation, as soon as we opened the door, a seemingly calm figure gazed at us, as if already aware of the situation.

“…Wow, this is more than I can handle.”

Then, with an expression of surprise, he turned his gaze toward me and continued speaking.

“Honestly, I didn’t expect this. You’re not the type to recruit companions this way.”

“Is that so? That’s quite interesting.”

His demeanor, as if he knew me well.

As Lee Ji Cheol has said, he clearly had seen my previous self.

And this meant that probably.

“…You came from Thebes, didn’t you?”

“Correct. However, you seem to not remember perfectly.”

“……”

When I fell silent, he slowly pulled off his robe, revealing his face.

With somewhat faded blonde hair and eyes filled with dark energy.

As I scrutinized his face closely, my expression hardened as I opened my mouth once again.

“I-I don’t know you.”

Upon my words, my companions shot me doubtful glances.

As I was about to protest in indignation, he suddenly burst into a hearty laugh.

“It’s not strange. Compared to you, who has always been considered an outlier, I was merely a part of that place.”

Only after hearing that did I realize his identity.

Indeed, there was a scene in the corners of my memory where I had seen his face.

“…You, you’re from the straw pile?”

The straw pile.

A group of Undead creators from that side, uniquely obsessed with corpses, conducting endless research and experiments. He came from there.