Chapter 1
That Time I got Isekai'd and become a Necromancer
You know, there were a lot of things I expected to happen when a lightning bolt descended from the sky and stroke me down. Waking up in some creepily-ass temple located in who-knows-where wasn't one of them.
Who would've thought all this started when I just decided to go for a walk? I guess this is karma telling me I was an overbearing asshole who needed to be removed from the world. But even then that still doesn't explains my bizarre situation!
Then again, I have the tendency of going beyond whatever expectations others have to me, for better or worse (most occasionally, the latter). I guess that's one of the perks of walking alongside death since birth due my peculiar clinical condition.
Still doesn't make it any less weird though. If I could go back on time I'd tell my Past-Self to devote his life to become a scholar so he won't fall prey of Lady Luck's whimsical attitude. Plus, I wouldn't end up in such a macabre place like this!
Hmm. On second thought, I shouldn't stick in a library for so long. Even I want to do something more than accommodating books for living. Maybe I should aim to be a meister? No, too dull. I gotta aim higher than that.
[C**f***e*. *x*r* S*i*l [M***t*r] s****essf*ll* **qu*r*d.]
… The hell was that?
Eh, probably nothing to be concerned about.
Now, where was I…? Ah, yeah. I woke up in a nasty cavern.
By the way, it's just me or does this place looks like it has been assaulted by a quake or something? It has many fissures and cracks here and there.
CREAAAK!
Yup, definitely an unstable structure. Well, that's settle it, I must leave this place before it collapses completely and bury me under those massive boulder.
Oh, and there was these freaky-looking, giant shelled lizard and human knight's corpses laying motionlessly on the corner. Given their weird positions I'd take a guess and say the human knight faced the big lizard and the end result was a mutual kill for both parties.
What kind of idiot decides to face a big damn monster using only a stick and a wooden shield anyway? This dead guy was either a fearless warrior or some retarded fool.
Oh well, at least he managed to bring the scaly bastard down. That alone deserve some praises. But seriously, how the fuck did even he accomplished that?! The damn thing looks as big as a goddamn elephant and I'm sure as hell its hide was equally if not far more durable! And don't make me talk about that stupid natural armor of lizard!
Someone was a hardcore monster slayer, huh?
Wait, am I really admiring this finely done scene of slaughter? Man, now I fear for my sanity.
Common sense dictates that I should freak out right now but strangely enough that's not the case. Why? Eh, you should thank the stinky smell of the corpses for that. The time I spent trying to ignore the foul odor helped me to overcome the panic creeping on my chest.
Aromatherapy sure was effective to calm your nerves. Who would've thought?
Either way, it still doesn't change the fact this whole situation is on a whole new level in my "Creepiness Scale." I mean, people don't just teleport to random caves right besides what it seems to be a goddamn Dark Souls scene recreation!
…
Oh, wait. Who is to say all this was even real and not a dream to begin with?
SMACK!
"Agh! That hurts, damnit!"
I guess that answer the question.
Hmm. Hmmmm…
Well, it seems like the only logical explanation for this is that I somehow got spirited away from Earth and ended up in a completely different world. That would explain why this fucking beast`s corpse didn't look like any animal I have seen before.
But why me of all people? I'm pretty sure I was not a descendant of a prestigious line of powerful space warriors or an enigmatic clan of dimensional-hopping ninja. I was just an average joe with a heart condition from a nameless town with no great deeds on his life curriculum!
And why did I got transported here specifically, in some weird ruins right next to the remnants of a bloody massacre, instead of a gorgeous palace with gallant knights and pretty ladies greeting me?!
Classic Isekai Adventure doesn't work like this! Moreover, an otherworldly journey won't be complete without a Cheat Skill to provide the MC the actual ability to defend themselves from the threats of their new world, you know!
Not like I'm asking for anyone to turn me into a battle seeking macho-man given my heart condition but come on. At the very least you should do is give me something useful like a Support Skill or summoning ability.
"I'd kill to have the power to invoke an army of Heroic Spirits… That would be awesome." I commented with a dry tone due how bad my shitty luck was, secretly hoping that whatever deity watching this would be generous enough to respond to my prays.
But obviously, such a thing was but a blissful thought with no room in Real Life. This wasn't a Light Novel series.
[Confirmed. Unique Skill [Shadow Army] successfully acquired.]
"What the…?" I blinked a few times in surprised as my ear registered a phantom, machine-like voice echoing through the air. "Umm… Hello? Is someone else here?" I asked tentatively, waiting for a response.
…
No response, huh?
Perhaps that voice was just my brain playing tricks on me as a copy mechanism to deal with this unusual situation I found myself in. After all, I am in an unknown, creepy place surrounding by dead bodies and who know what else. I bet there must be some monsters waiting to kill me given the chance.
I would be questioning my sanity if I didn't have at least some degree of anxiousness.
Either way, there is no time to worry about that now. I need to get out of here before this get worse. This foul smell could attract corpse eating monsters from all I knew!
But what should I do next? It's not like I have any weapons at hand or a fancy suit of armor to protect my fragile body.
Hmmm. What to do?
Oh, maybe I could use the armor of the knight and his weapons. Donning this gear will raise my chances of survival. Everything looked sturdy and in perfect conditions except for the stains here and there—which was kinda weird because this guy apparently died fighting this bloody lizard.
"It really makes you wonder how the heck the knight died, huh? If it wasn't the hit then what killed him?" I mumbled with intrigue as I glanced at the corpse more attentively, looking for a possible explanation but ultimately got nothing.
I need to make a thorough examination then.
…
Just kidding. No way in hell I'm about to make a forensic evaluation on this guy or the monster corpse! What do you take me for, a Forensic Pathologist?! It's a miracle that I ain't panicking right now!
"Not to mention, I don't know what kind of parasites or foul creatures is inhabiting them, eating this rotting corpses' flesh. Worst case scenario, I may contract some nasty infection." Chuckling awkwardly, I grimaced with a grim expression.
Opening up the bodies will surely release all gases and bacteria residing within them, which is dangerous for your health if you lack the proper protection. There is a good reason why doctors do their operations on sterilized rooms with so many layers of equally sterilized clothes!
Following that train of thought, looting the knight was probably a bad move too but I'm the one who knows no shit about this place and have no weapons, and this guy has the required tools to ensure I could defend myself.
Desperate times calls for desperate measures.
"Ok, let's loot the corpse!"
I'm truly sorry buddy but I'm gonna steal your equipment. I hope you don't mind, since you are dead and probably won't need it anyway.
Shortly after making a silent prayer for the soul of the poor knight, I started to take the armor and weapons off from the knight's corpse and began to equip the gear as my own.
Let's hope this thing won't be too big for my smaller body frame.
(Ten Minutes Later)
Surprisingly enough, it turns out the clothes fits my body quite nicely. Though it's a bit loose in some places, it didn't obstruct my movement speed by a wide margin.
Leaving just the basic necessities with the knight so it won't end up stark naked, my work consisted on crafting a custom made outfit using the parts I took and my already donned wardrobe.
Obviously, I couldn't use the full suit of armor lest I want to overexert my relatively frail body so I focused on taking the leather protection, the combat boots and the short sword on hanging on his side. The spear will also provide me a good option for mid-range combat too, but since the damn thing was a little heavy I must be mindful with my moves.
I look like a proper adventurer~!
Now, the only thing left is to bury this guy so he can rest in peace.
What? You seriously thought I'd leave this guy's dying corpse to rot alongside this monster for all eternity?!
I may have a nasty personality considering I just took his possessions without a second thought but even I can be respectful with the dead, you know! Moreover, what's to say this guy didn't protect me from the monster when I was unconscious?
Think about it. The location I found myself in is most likely some abandoned ruins—which, according to most fictional works and historical facts, are filled with beasts most of the times. That means any normal person who were to step inside this death trap would be turned into mincemeat faster than Dio Brando could say: "Za Warudo!"
However, I was alive somehow. Why? Simple. The knight saved me (or at least, I think he did so).
Probably, the armored fellow was an adventurer of sorts exploring the ruins, saw my body and thought I was foolish civilian who decided to stupidly venture through this place and got knocked out. And being the kindred soul he is, decided to drag my unconscious ass back to whatever village he was from but then the monster appeared... the rest is history.
Sure, this theory seems awfully convenient, far-fetched, naïve and very optimistic but I'd like to believe the dead knight was a victim of the circumstances instead of a human-trafficker trying to sell me off to some shady medieval organization from the underworld. I mean, the lack of restrains like ropes in my body suggests my made-up hypothesis was right on the mark!
And since this guy fought so hard to save my life, the least I can do is to show some fucking decency and bury him.
Oh, I'm aware it sounds like a bunch of bullcrap when it comes from the same guy who is basically stealing the belongings of a corpse, so what? My morality chain is that flexible, deal with it.
Anyway, let's not get sidetracked. I gotta dig a hole for this poor fellow.
What a shame though. I'd have been overjoyed to thank him properly, maybe forming a party with him. Probably, you went and traveled across the world as a full-fledged adventurer, living several adventures, but at the end you have to die to save a nameless asshole like me.
If only I could take you with me...
[Use Unique Skill [Shadow Army] on the target.]
Y/N?
… What.
Rather than having a panic attack, I just blinked owlishly as this weird voice ran across my mind.
Wait a goddamn minute. It's the same voice from before!
Hmm. Kind of rude of that voice, though. Showing up, asking a simple question, andthen disappearing without a warning. The hell, man?
…
No reaction, huh? It seems my theory was right and this is a copy mechanism of sorts. My brain hasn't decided to stop playing tricks with me, what a drag.
Oh well, no use to cry over spilled milk. Won't be respectful to leave my deceased friend waiting any longer for his burial ceremony.
Now that I think about it, should I do something with me monster's corpse?
I mean, perhaps I could collect part of its hide and take some fangs and claws too. According to my experience in RPG and History lessons, craftsmen from medieval ages used metal, wooden structure and animal parts to create weapons or protective gear.
Just by looking at this guy, I could tell a local blacksmiths could make a fine weapon using the raw materials from the lizard. And if that's not possible, I'd just sell it all to the wandering merchants.
That would help my barely existing finances. It's more than likely that the money I have with me won't be usable here so I may as well get some source of income.
Yup, is settle then! Once I finish with Sir Knight here, I'm gonna loot the lizard monster!
"Huh, looking at this deceased body, I can't help but feel an odd sense of pity for the poor bastard."
The scaly asshole might have attempted to eat me but even I gotta admit this is a fine specimen of a colorful, exotic species you'd want to see in a Zoo. Like a real-life, breathing dinosaur from Jurassic Park! Minus the raptors' outbreaks and the rampaging T-Rex, of course.
Hmmm. I wonder if it's possible to raise monsters in this world.
Not like I have plans of raising a monster so I could use it as my personal soldier/meat shield should the situation warrant it. No sire! I have a good set of morals engraved into my soul!
…
Ok, you got me there. I admit the thought of getting a monster pet crossed to my mind. I can't help it, you know! Getting a powerful beast to do your biding and defeat your enemies is pretty cool, otherwise the Pokemon Franchise won't have gotten so successful.
[Would you like to use the Unique Skill [Shadow Army] on the intended targets?]
Y/N?
Agh! There is it again!
Really, now! Just how many times are you gonna do that, Ms. Creepy Voice from My Head?! And what's with this more sophisticated language!
Seriously. What the hell! Are you gonna keep asking this dumb question until I gave you a vocal answer?!
"If that's the case then fine! I pick 'Y'! Happy now?!" Finding this interruption more annoying than scary, I snapped at this voice with an angry snarl.
I was way too frustrated with my own circumstances and my patience was running thin due the massive amount of effort I put on not freaking out, so I guess it's understandable that I felt more snappy than usual.
However, I admit my reaction was exaggerated a little too much and childishly shouting at some ethereal voice in my head was probably a stupid decision who would bear no results whatsoever. Maybe I should just ignore it for the time being and focus on the task at hand.
[Confirmed. Executing [Shadow Army]'s Sub-Skill; "Shadow Extraction." The souls of the deceased entities are about to become part of your forces and serve the Shadow Lord.]
…
Well, shit. That… doesn't sounds so good. I think I should've kept my trap shut, no? Don't tell me I triggered some Hidden Boss fight!
"What the…!" Just when I was about to kick off the ground and sprint my way outta here, my entire body became stiff—incapable of moving from the spot as I watched the events before my very eyes.
FSSHH!
Thick, heavy and animalistic moans resounded out from somewhere and at the same time the shadows of the deceased knight and lizard began wiggling as if they were alive. I could even see an ominous miasma being expelled from the corpses as the bodies began to crumble into ashes just before getting swallowed in twin swirls of darkness rotating macabrely as if they're devouring the energy of the vicinity right before my eyes.
I was about to run away instinctively but I was overtaken by the mesmerizing beauty of the whole spectacle. My eyes went wide as I saw several tiny dots of purplish energy bursting in the air which were then absorbed by the two high-speed rotating vortexes. Heck, my shock was so big that my grasp on the spear become slippy and the stick fell flat on the ground. Nevertheless I paid it no mind. This light show was that impressive.
Then—
CLANG!
A jet-black, shelled lizard monster with a dark mist-like aura climbed out from cinders of the dead reptile. It was big, menacing thing with sharp fangs and claws and neon blue eyes that flashed a dangerous glint and its body was made of pure darkness.
It was followed shortly by a menacing warrior with a tall and slim physique, donning a demonic-looking suit of armor as black as the night itself and wielding the very spear I dropped on the ground. And like the first creature, this one has an alien aura about him.
The two beings before my eyes was something you would see in a Dark Fantasy story or some RPG. With an appearance and presence so intimidating and otherwordly that I couldn't even find the right word to describe them, though I guess "Phantasms" seems like an apt description.
Naturally, I took several steps back out of reflex as I prepared myself to flee the instant these two show the slightest sense of hostility, even though I knew deep inside that they could catch me in a blink of an eye and tear me in pieces.
Alas, it seems like my paranoia was unfounded, because the moment I looked these guys at the eyes, they kneeled before me as if I'm some royalty or superior officer.
O-K. That settle it, I got Isekai'd. Stuffs like this doesn't happen on Earth, period.
Doesn't make it any less creepy, though. And I don't even know what I did!
A pamphlet or short summary would be nice.
[Individual [Armorsaurus] and [Nameless Knight] had been successfully integrated. Now they can be deployed and commanded by the user as shadow soldiers from the Unique Skill [Shadow Army].]
Ah, nice.
Wait, no! The hell are you even saying?!
Nevermind the fact this creepy disembodied voice was still echoing in my head, what the heck is this about "integrating" them into my what-now army?! Did I suddenly become a goddamn Necromancer?!
Whyyyy?!
I've never been into stuff like this before! Whenever I played RPGs I always choose the Paladin or Wizard Classes! First, I woke up in this nasty cavern now I gotta deal with this shit?! Was this a cosmic joke some random deity decided to force onto me?!
"Ugh. I guess this is really happening." I mumbled with a sulking tone, wondering what I've done to deserve this. Gazing at the two blackened creatures in front of me—which were still kneeling before me, by the way—I had to suppress a sigh I didn't know was holding. "It seems like I have no choice but going along with the flow, huh?"
I shall worry about my weird powers later, now I have to escape from this hellhole and find civilization! And for the sake of conveniences I'll pretend I'm a rookie merc or an adventurer apprentice who was ditched by his shitty master!
No way in hell I'm gonna push my luck by telling anyone I wasn't from this world. They would either think I'm a delusional creep or try to capture me for "research" purposes. I ain't gonna deal with Type-MOON-like magus shit!
But that still left these guys who I just turned into my "soldiers." How am I gonna explain this? Maybe I should say they are my contracted spirits or summons?
Hello, citizens! I'm your average, rookie merc extraordinaire and his merry group of guardian spirits!
Yeah, that sounds reasonable enough.
Obviously, we need a lot work to do, like figuring out the fighting capabilities of these guys so I can create a good battle formation to better exploit their best traits but right now I'm gonna focus on leaving this awful place and find civilization.
There is no doubt this journey to get back home will be a long, stressful one but I'm not gonna sulk and fall into the abyss of desperation.
Who knows? Maybe I could find a knowledgeable sage that would become my mentor figure, get a good friend to chat with and a cute girl. Heh, it would be funny if all these three routes are mixed into a single one, personified by one person.
Perhaps I could find someone like Scáthach, a cute woman who can act as a Mentor/Sage figure!
But what are the odds I would find someone like that?
"Psst! Get real, man." I snorted at my own dorkiness.
(…Elsewhere…)
"Achoo…!"
"Hmm? Are you alright, Little One?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. But for some reason I got the feeling someone is talking about me? How weird."
"Ahahah! You must have been quite popular in your world then!"
"Not really, I was just a simple woman with nothing impressive on her life curriculum. The most impressive thing I pulled was saving my kohai from that asshole but even then I ended up dying."
"You shouldn't sell yourself short, sacrificing your life for the sake of your friends is an admirable action. I, the Strom Dragon Veldora, acknowledge your bravery and selflessness!"
"Well, it's not like I did it to gain recognition or fame in the first place. I just did what I thought was the right thing to do."
"All the more reason to feel some pride, Ms. Slime! Kindred souls like you are quite rare."
"Thank you, I guess."
← To be Continued