Chapter 103
"Everyone, board now!"
"There's only one enemy!"
Dozens of pirates rushed up onto the deck.
An overwhelming difference in numbers. Yet Finch, with an utterly calm expression, opened his subspace.
From within, he pulled out a small potion bottle the size of a finger, uncorked it, and downed its contents.
Burp.
A burp escaped his lips. At the same time, his back began to boil and bubble.
"Kill him!"
Just as the pirate at the front swung his sword, a green tentacle burst from Finch's back, grabbed the pirate's face, and slammed him into the deck with a thud!
"...!"
"What the hell?"
Wriggle, wriggle.
The pirates hesitated. From Finch's back, light green tentacles reminiscent of a jellyfish began to rise.
"Why."
Finch grinned chillingly.
"Is this your first time facing a necromancer?"
"You bastard...!"
"Everyone attack!"
The pirates charged at once. From behind Finch, multiple tentacles lashed out as if they’d been waiting.
Thwack!
Crash!
Splat!
It was one-sided.
The tentacles were elastic and could freely change their length. Even while facing dozens of enemies alone, Finch didn’t take a single step from his position and remained relaxed.
‘He's off guard!’
One pirate circled to the side, aimed a crossbow at the back of Finch’s head, and fired.
With a thunk!, the bolt struck Finch squarely in the back of the head.
"Got him! Nailed it!"
The pirate cheered.
"Kehaha! Acting all high and mighty, and now look at y— huh?"
Finch moved his arm. He reached back and grabbed the bolt that had gone through the back of his head and out through his eye, then pulled it out forcefully.
With a pop!, the bolt was removed, and a few drops of liquid splattered onto the deck.
Finch’s face had already turned into something like green liquid.
"Did you really think that would work?"
Clink.
He dropped the bolt onto the floor. His face, once liquid, was already reforming back to normal.
"Insane...!"
"What kind of monster is this!"
Swoosh!
A tentacle whipped out like a whip, grabbed the leg of the pirate who had fired the crossbow, and flung him overboard. His horrible scream echoed before ending with a splash as he hit the water.
Meanwhile, another pirate who had sneaked in from the side slashed at Finch’s waist, but only green liquid oozed out like juice, and Finch didn’t seem to feel any pain at all.
"What the hell are you... kuhek!"
Finch reached out and grabbed the pirate’s face.
"K-kyahhhhh!"
Hisssss!
Smoke rose as the flesh sizzled and melted. Soon, his entire head was gone, and only his body slumped to the floor.
The remaining pirates backed away slowly, their faces full of horror.
"Getting the picture now?"
Finch showed a twisted smile.
"You fools have no idea who you've made your enemy."
Finch was overwhelmingly strong. He took all the enemy's attacks head-on while using his tentacles to toss over a dozen men into the sea or wrap around their necks and snap their bones. Now he was even scattering poisonous gas around the battlefield.
Physical attacks followed by wide-range chemical warfare. The pirates had no chance and collapsed helplessly.
"C-captain!"
A pirate looked to Gael with a terrified expression.
"We can’t handle him! You have to step in, Captain...!"
"Shut up, you bastard!"
Gael shouted, kicking the pirate in the rear.
"Fight, damn it! Or do you want me to kill you before he does?"
"N-no, sir!"
As the pirates were driven to the slaughter, Gael—or rather, Erzebet disguised as Gael—was sweating profusely.
What the hell kind of body is that?
No matter what attack hit Finch, his body just turned to liquid and deflected it. Erzebet's spiderweb bindings and wide-range piercing attacks would likely have no effect either.
And that wasn’t ordinary black magic turning his body into liquid. To attain a form like that, he must’ve paid an enormous price. Erzebet was certain of it.
‘If I can just get the Count out and escape... huh?’
Just then, her vision spun violently, and a terrible dizziness struck her.
She fell to one knee. But none of the other pirates seemed affected.
"The effect’s finally kicking in."
Step. Step.
Finch walked toward her, knocking down the remaining pirates.
"How are you feeling, undead?"
Erzebet flinched.
He had seen through her disguise, and even knew she was undead.
"I have a good nose."
Finch sniffed the air.
"Undead give off a particular smell. And I also know you're far stronger than Gael ever was."
"..."
"That drug was developed by me, effective only on undead. I mixed it into the fog and mist around the ship in gas form. It's colorless and odorless, and harmless in small amounts, but it accumulates in the body. Once it hits a certain threshold, it kicks in all at once."
Erzebet stood up, staggering, but managing to hold her ground.
"Troublesome, troublesome."
Finch frowned.
"My thesis says that injecting over 4,760 ppm into an undead renders them completely powerless, regardless of type. But there’s a variable standing right in front of me."
Rrrrrip!
Tentacles surged wildly from Finch’s back.
"For the integrity of my research, you’ll have to die. And I want to dissect that exceptional body of yours!"
A dark-black flare glimmered on her fingertips as she formed spiderwebs.
Just as the two were about to strike—
BOOOOOM!
Another massive impact hit the ship. Another pirate ship had emerged through the fog and rammed the hull.
"Uwaaaaah!"
"We—we’re falling off!"
Unprepared pirates were thrown from the deck into the sea, while Finch and Erzebet withstood it using Darkness. She fired a web that safely anchored Shun to a pillar.
"What the hell now?!"
Finch whipped his head around.
Three massive pirate ships were now tangled together in disarray, and from the deck of the ship that had just rammed them, two silhouettes emerged through the mist.
‘Ah, the Commander!’
Erzebet's face lit up. Shun, still tied up, shouted loudly.
"Simon brother!!"
Crossing the deck were none other than Simon and Feer. Finch clicked his tongue.
"Coming all the way here just to die, how foolish."
"We’ll see about that."
Simon smirked.
"Erze, take Shun and fall back."
"Yes!"
[Khehehehe! Good! Finally, it’s my time to shine!]
Feer hoisted his greatsword over his shoulder and started forward, but Erzebet raised an arm to stop him.
"Feer! Don’t come any closer!"
[Why?]
"A reagent harmful to undead has been dispersed all over. Just a little exposure is enough to leave you barely able to stand."
Rrrrrrrip!
Not even allowing time to talk, more than twenty tentacles shot out at once.
They each jumped in different directions to dodge. Wherever the tentacles hit, the deck was left full of gaping holes.
"Junior! You've got some fascinating undead with you!"
Finch thrust his arm forward. The tentacles all twisted at once, aiming directly at Simon.
"Ugh!"
[Out of the way!]
Feer leapt in front and blocked with his greatsword. The tentacles, deflected, twisted again in midair and targeted Simon.
As Simon jumped off a patch of Darkness, holes rapidly perforated the floor where he’d just stood.
"Simon brother!"
"I’m fine!"
Simon waved to Erzebet, signaling her. She nodded and ran toward Shun.
[Mm, he’s right!]
Feer grimaced.
[That strange substance has spread all across the ship! The space is too cramped, we’ll be under constant effect from it if we fight here!]
"Then what should we do, Feer?"
[There is one way. I’d rather die than do it, though!]
Slaaaash!
Before the conversation could properly continue, Finch kept sending out tentacles.
His back bubbled violently as the number of tentacles kept increasing.
‘Insane!’
Simon threw himself aside. He twisted his neck, bent his arms and legs at strange angles. The light green tentacles barely grazed him as he evaded them.
Sssssss!
They were laced with poison. Fortunately, the defensive magic inside his Keyzen uniform held up, keeping his body from melting.
As Simon landed on the deck from midair—
Clunk!
"...!"
The deck, corroded by the poison, collapsed and he fell to the lower floor. It was a storage room thick with dust, and the smell of rum from the barrels pierced his nose.
Bang!
Thunk!
Craack!
Tentacles pierced through the walls and windows of the lower floor, persistently pursuing him.
Simon ran frantically. When cornered, he ran straight up the wall. The tentacles followed him down in sequence, slamming into the walls and punching holes—bang! bang! bang!
"Huup!"
Simon stepped on Darkness, leapt, and grabbed a ladder connected to the ceiling. He immediately climbed it back up to the deck.
"Feer!"
On deck, Feer and Finch were engaged in battle.
Feer frowned, clearly affected by the reagent, and Finch also looked noticeably shocked. The tentacles that were severed by Feer's greatsword hadn’t regenerated.
"I’ve never seen such a powerful, intelligent undead before. Fascinating!"
Muttering to himself, Finch sent more tentacles toward Simon as he climbed back onto the deck. Feer quickly leapt in front of Simon and scattered the tentacles with his greatsword.
"I don't understand! Why would an undead like you serve a brat like him?!"
Feer cackled and spoke directly into Simon’s mind.
[His head's full of inferiority complexes!]
‘Feer! More importantly, what’s that method you mentioned earlier?’
Feer raised a corner of his mouth and replied.
[Boy, wear me!]
"...!"
More tentacles flew their way. Feer slashed through them with his greatsword, and Simon ducked low to dodge.
‘Is that even possible?’
Bone Armor using Feer.
Strictly speaking, Feer was also a skeleton-type undead.
[I can't control my body properly because of the reagent! I can’t fully protect you in this state! So you take my power and defeat him!]
Simon’s heart began to race wildly with excitement.
The priest he met in the Forbidden Forest.
Erzebet.
Ellen Zile.
Serne Eindark.
All the formidable enemies he couldn't handle on his own, he had overcome them with Feer's help. More precisely, he had only watched from behind Feer's back.
As a Legion Commander and a leader, that role was expected. Still, Simon always felt regretful and frustrated that he couldn’t resolve things on his own.
But now, things could change.
He could fight using Feer’s power.
[But I’m an Ancient Undead! Connecting to my psyche will be harder than you imagine. If you mess up, your mind could collapse, and you could end up a vegetable. Are you still willing to do it?]
Simon nodded without a moment’s hesitation.
‘Of course. I’ll make it happen no matter what!’
[Get ready! The moment I give the signal, wear me!]
Tat-tat.
Tap.
Simon and Feer dashed toward each other, dodging the tentacles.
[One!]
Shlrlrlrlrlrk!
Finch’s tentacles spread out in all directions and rained down from the air simultaneously.
[Two!]
Feer rushed forward to shield Simon.
[Three! Now!]
Crackkk!
Feer’s body shattered upon impact with the tentacles, breaking apart into bone fragments.
Finch, seeing his attack land at last, lit up with triumph, but it was a mistake.
Everything had been deliberate.
Simon, who had been standing still with eyes closed to focus, suddenly snapped his eyes open.
‘Bone Armor!’
Feer's disassembled body flew toward Simon. At the same time, their minds linked, and Simon successfully connected to Feer’s psyche.
"...!"
Drip.
A single drop of water fell into a pond.
Simon was merely a tiny drop. Feer was the vast pond.
As the drop was swallowed by the pond, Simon’s presence gradually began to fade.
[Focus, boy.]
Feer’s voice rang out.
[Don’t get consumed by my psyche. Stay aware. Maintain your will inside this foreign body.]
‘Yes.’
Before his consciousness could be entirely devoured and blurred, Simon snapped himself back into awareness.
‘Focus, focus, focus.’
The surface of the pond, once smooth and transparent like glass, rippled from the falling drop.
The expanding ripple became crashing waves, the waves turned into rapids, and the rapids formed a new current. The pond began to swirl into a vortex.
Feer’s lips curled into a wide grin.
[Kuhuhuhu! Just as expected of Richard’s son! Perfect!]
Fwaaaaaah!
Snapping out of the mental realm, Simon returned to the physical world.
The countless bones that made up the massive, over-two-meter-tall body of Feer floated into the air and began to attach themselves to Simon one by one.
Clack!
Clack-clack-clack!
Feer’s bones wrapped around Simon tightly, forming both upper and lower body armor.
On his back settled Feer’s shadowless cloak, and Feer’s split skull covered Simon’s face like a skeletal helmet.
Simon’s right eye was hidden behind Feer’s skull, and a dark blue flame ignited from within.
Fwoosh!
The large, shadowless cloak draped completely over Simon’s shoulders.
Feer’s hand bones overlaid Simon’s palms, forming gloves. Only Simon’s right arm was armored with Feer’s bones, his left hand remained bare.
Bone Armor was meant to be a set made of two skeletons. With just Feer’s body, there weren’t enough bones to cover everything, so only the helmet and right arm were armored.
Even so—
Thump-thump!
Simon felt an electrifying power coursing through his body like never before.
Shrrrrrrrk!
Tentacles surged like waves from all directions, and Simon walked forward, grabbing Feer’s greatsword embedded in the deck.
Shhhk.
The sword, once too heavy for him to lift, now rose smoothly, as if welcoming its true master.
Feer’s voice echoed in his mind.
[Let’s go, boy!]
‘Yes, Feer.’
Simon smiled and raised the greatsword of destruction.
Superb.