Ghost Knight King's Dungeon Project

Chapter 76 [The Beginning of the Knights' Arrival]

The drop in temperature and snowfall temporarily dispelled the long-standing dark clouds over the Skeleton Heart Plain, and the gray moss-covered fields, misty lakes, tall grass plains, and rusted copper forests were briefly illuminated by the sunlight.

The lake, like a mirror, reflects the azure sky. The hazy sunlight illuminates the gray moss and gilds every blade of grass on the tall plain. The dappled sunlight on the rusty bronze tree branches, like molten gold, drips onto this cursed land, making it look fresh, comfortable, and relaxing.

In this kind of weather, the scenery of Haixin even seems somewhat pleasant.

At the intersection of the Tall Grass Plains, the Gray Moss Fields, and the Misty Lake, the open ground near the Misty Lake is filled with traces of the undead civil war. The original shrubs and rusted copper trees have been broken and crushed into pieces, replaced by scattered catapult pits and boulder fragments, as well as broken and damaged Nether Bronze weapons.

Mud, hoofprints, footprints, claw marks, sword marks, and scythe marks were everywhere. Fossil fragments of skeleton warriors, severed limbs of carrion demons, and the remains and tendons of flesh gladiators were scattered all over the half-melted snow and mud.

Dozens of undead were roaming the battlefield, collecting shattered flesh and rotting limbs—the Corpse Demons weren't picky about the quality of the corpses they used; anything that hadn't rotted into humus could be used to create them. Fragments of skeletal warriors could also be incorporated into the roots of corpses like calcareous rocks, serving as new warrior materials.

In the center of the battlefield, six or seven undead gathered broken bronze weapons from the surrounding mud and planted them before their respective lords, piling them into two small, broken, and imposing bronze mountains. Sharp bronze blades, spears, claws, and scythes stood out in all directions, symbolizing the victors and conquerors of the undead civil war.

Two corpse knights raised their tower shields and placed them on the small hill of dark bronze.

Samael and Ansba each extended their gauntlets and placed them on the tower shield.

The ghost copper printer is now enabled.

The semi-molten bronze flowed between the broken weapons, casting them into two thrones made of war debris.

The two sat calmly on their respective thrones, silently watching the rotting corpse knights step forward to pay homage to their monarch.

The Corpse Knight knelt on one knee and raised his hand to hold up a large tray of ghost bronze.

The tray held Rahador's Heroic Winged Helmet.

“Uh…is this really necessary?” Rahado’s awkward chuckle came from under his helmet.

“You should know very well in your heart,” Samael replied, raising the sharpening wheel on his left arm guard to meticulously sharpen the blade of the Witch Gold Knight Sword before sheathing it back into its scabbard at his waist.

The rest of Rahado's body had been brutally beaten by the two men, and had been broken into five parts—six parts including the helmet.

His left arm and shoulder armor were surrounded by a dozen skeleton warriors, his right arm and shoulder armor were impaled on the blades of the scimitars of the carrion hunters, his left leg armor and boots were hung behind the herd of skeleton warhorses and dragged somewhere in the Graymos Wilderness, and his right leg armor and boots were dragged into the tall grass by the tentacles of the carrion crawlers and hidden away.

His breastplate and torso were suspended by chains of necromancer, hanging from the tops of two intersecting spear shafts planted in the ground, like a victor's banner.

“Alright, alright, if this puts your minds at ease…” Rahado chuckled dryly, “perhaps, at least let my men come and get my helmet…” he bargained.

Two winged undead, each carrying a scythe, cautiously approached from the left and right. However, surrounded by corpse knights and skeleton warriors, they couldn't get close at all. One was knocked away by a corpse knight raising his kite shield, and the other was blocked by a skeleton warrior.

The winged necromancer awkwardly wandered around outside the guard circle, eventually giving up on the idea of ​​rescuing the monarch for the time being.

Despite his body being torn to pieces, Rahador's ability to control the undead was not severed. He could still control his helmeted subordinates wearing Collins-style helmets, but the lack of a new helmet to manufacture made it impossible to replenish his elite units.

“You are not trustworthy,” Ansba said in a deep, rumbling voice.

“Alas, prejudice in people’s hearts is a mountain,” Rahado’s helmet sighed dryly. “How can you accept others if you are unwilling to climb over the mountain?”

“I have no intention of accepting anyone else,” Ansba said.

“Good heavens, don’t you have any friends, you big oaf?” Rahado asked. “You must be living a really boring life.”

“I don’t need friends,” Ansba said. “I don’t need life either. I live to find a burial ground where I can see the blue sky—I couldn’t find one in life, and now I continue to search.”

“First of all, Ansba has friends—at least I am one of his friends,” Samael interjected. “Secondly, stop interrupting, Rahador—hopefully we can consolidate the intelligence and information we have so that we can re-examine this world and the current situation.”

Ansba and Rahado's helmets were looking at him.

“I hope you can tell me about your circumstances when you awoke from your skeletal remains,” Samael said. “By the way—were your circumstances the same when you awoke?”

“They are the same,” Ansba said. “Six knights, all the same.”

"Then why do you all have so many differences in your physical characteristics?" Samael asked.

"The [Amplifier] of the [Extermination System] allows us to customize our own architecture," Rahado's helmet answered quickly. "Similar to stat allocation in an RPG game, the stats are fixed. You can use the amplifier to enhance certain characteristics of the machine, such as specializing in defense, strength, speed, control, operational efficiency, computing power, and so on."

Eager to curry favor and prove his abilities, he explained in exceptional detail and with remarkable clarity.

"Once the specialized configuration is completed, the machine will automatically undergo changes in appearance and abilities once it absorbs enough Nether Copper."

“For example, Ansba is probably specialized in defense and strength.” Rahado’s helmet cackled at Ansba.

“In addition, we’ve also improved operational efficiency,” Ansba said. “Specialized defense makes the machine heavy and slows it down significantly. Without improved operational efficiency, it would be very difficult to move around.”

"And you?" Samael looked at the heroic winged helmet in front of him.

“Hey, that’s just as rude as asking someone’s grades, job, or monthly salary,” Rahado’s helmet said disapprovingly.

“I’m not used to threatening people, but—to be honest, Rahador, threatening you makes me feel no guilt.” Samael drew his Witch-Gold Knight Sword from his waist, the blade gleaming with a ghostly blue light, pointing at the Heroic Spirit Winged Helmet before him.

“Isn’t this a bit…” Rahador’s helmet shifted awkwardly, clicking softly as it collided with the bronze tray below. Clearly, he was trying to activate [Powerful Attraction], but his body was too far from the helmet and he was secured by chains, preventing him from succeeding immediately.

He had just witnessed the sharpness of the Witch Gold Knight's Sword; it could slice through Nether Copper with a single stroke, as easily as a steel knife cutting through bamboo.

“Speed, power, control.” Facing the gleaming tip of the shamanic sword in front of his helmet, Rahador reluctantly answered, “So… I can swing the scythe quickly with enough power to pierce armor, and I can also dodge attacks in a relatively agile way.”

"Where did you all come from to enter this world?" Samael asked tentatively, "The underground ruins?"

“No, it’s a coffin, a coffin made of ghost copper,” Ansba said. “First it was pitch black, then the coffin lid was opened and a piece of the coffin fell out.”

“To be precise, it’s a coffin made of ghost copper that was ejected from a volcano,” Rahado quickly added. “The scanner’s result for the coffin is [Engineering Vehicle Deployment Container].

“Volcano?” Samael repeated.

“It’s probably a volcano. The bronze coffin was half-buried in volcanic ash, and part of its surface was melted, with black igneous rock and ash still stuck to it,” Ansba explained.

“Uh… the fog in my territory has been cleared up. Now look towards the southeast horizon, Boss, you should be able to see that cluster of volcanoes over there. A dense mass of volcanoes, their smoke and clouds obscuring the sky, towering high, probably still emitting smoke—they’re probably the reason for the poor air quality and frequent smog in this area,” Rahado replied. “Between the territories of Sinzro and Sokofa. That’s where our coffins will appear.”

“The coffin, or rather the drop-off capsule, is disposable. Once we leave the coffin, it falls apart,” Ansba said.

"So, why did you all come all the way to such a remote area in the northwest?" Samael asked, somewhat puzzled.

“I don’t like volcanoes, they’re annoying to look at.” Ansba’s reason was simple and blunt: “I want an open space where I can see the sky and flocks of birds flying in the sky.”

“There are no undead in the volcanic area and the surrounding scorched wasteland, boss,” Rahado said. “There’s not even a blade of grass there, just rocks, lava, ash, and sulfur. If you want subordinates and to develop your power, you have to explore your own abilities while searching for undead and copper-containing resources in the surrounding areas. Almost all the knights are heading northwest in search of undead and other environments.”

“Then you two must have gone the furthest northwest,” Samael said, looking at the two knights before him.

“Of course, my abilities go without saying,” Rahado said, ignoring the keywords “we” and “you two,” and becoming smug again. “However, not all knights who come here head west or north,” he added.

“Sokofa was a coward. He didn’t dare to wander around. After leaving the coffin, he dug a hole in a scorched black wasteland hill near the volcanic area and buried himself there. He never left that hole again.”

“Xinziro is a strange man. Instead of seeking out his necromancer subordinates, he went south into the depths of the scorched volcanoes and rocky wastelands—I don’t know what he’s up to or what his subordinates are. Anyway, there aren’t any useful resources in that area, and the only one who borders him, Sokofa, is a cowardly socially awkward guy, so almost no one pays him any attention.”

“I understand roughly,” Samael said in a low voice. “Do you have any information regarding the amplifier enhancements for the other knights?”

Ansba shook his head.

“I don’t concern myself with other people’s business,” he replied bluntly.

“Yes! Yes, yes, yes! Of course!” Rahado excitedly answered, “I deal with them all the time, I know those guys better than anyone!”

"Dekgon has focused on strength, speed, and defense, with strength and speed as the main attributes. He has not enhanced his control, so his movements are often out of control. He has not added any points to operational efficiency, so his endurance is insufficient. Although he has a lot of energy, he has to stop after fighting for a while."

"Suo Kefa only specialized the machine's computing power, control, and operational efficiency, without adding anything else. Therefore, his main body has almost no combat power and has been hiding in the tomb, forcibly calculating and creating those complex and thankless Nether Bronze constructs without the ability to encode."

“Prang and Sinziro… I’m not sure yet.” Rahado hesitated. “However, as long as you put me back in the same boat, let me go and ask them a few questions, I can get the information out of them in no time.”

“We’ll talk about it later,” Samael replied. “I’m not comfortable watching you leave my sight right now.”

“But…” Rahado wanted to try to fool him again, but Samael waved his hand.

“Based on the information I have, this world is suspected to be a colony created by some advanced civilization. They call themselves gods.” He stood up and looked at Ansba and Rahado’s helmets. “After the world was built, they left for some reason.”

"Our bodies are the engineering machinery they left behind, driven by the systems they left behind, carrying out the remaining commands—commands whose meaning is unknown."

"But we are not machines; our will remains clear, and we can choose our own path."

He leaned on the throne made of war wreckage, slowly tilted his head back, and gazed at the clear blue sky after the snow.

“Uh…then can I…” Rahado said.

“No, I’m not comfortable with that,” Samael said.

“I haven’t finished yet, boss…” Rahado chuckled dryly, “Do you already know what I’m going to say?”

“I don’t know what you’re trying to say, but I know what you’re planning to do,” Samael said. “You also know what you’re planning to do. So, it’s not really necessary to ask.”

“Then my territory, and my undead…” Rahadol stammered.

“You should ask Ansba,” Samael said. “He prioritizes picking up the spoils.”

Ansba nodded, got up and went to the lakeside, grabbed the head of a membranous corpse demon, and molten black copper gushed out, instantly forming a black copper barrel helmet.

The barrel-helmeted winged necromancer leaped into the air, flapping its wings and leaving a crooked trail in the sky.

It stumbled and flew around aimlessly, like a headless fly, for a moment, and then crashed headfirst into a rusty copper tree next to it with a loud bang, falling into the shade and twitching.

Lahado cackled.

“Implanted helmets also have specialized attributes, which are inherited from the amplifier’s specialized attributes of the helmet’s owner.” He chuckled. “The complex movements of flying necromancers require helmets with specialized control and speed, and only I can control them stably—you big oaf with all your points in strength and defense, don’t even think about it.”

Samael paused slightly, then stepped forward and grabbed the head of a membranous rotting demon. Molten bronze surged out and formed a bell-shaped helmet.

The bell-helmeted corpse demon leaped into the air, flapping its wings and gliding stiffly through the sky.

Its movements are not as agile as Rahador's Membrane-Winged Corpse Demon, and its turning and rushing speeds are also much slower, but it is still able to maintain normal flight.

"Huh?" Rahado was taken aback. "Boss... you have an amplifier? You've added points to control and speed?"

“No,” Samael replied, but said nothing more.

So that's how it is—the construction system's core is pre-set with a default, balanced stat allocation. He realized this important fact.

Although his own machine is far less outstanding than other knights in certain individual specializations, it is well-balanced, with all attributes slightly higher than the un-enhanced blank version.

This is a significant advantage – other knights' armored elite units are limited by attribute specialization, often only able to specialize in one type of undead, but finding it difficult to use other types of undead.

Just as Ansba struggled to control the Flying Membrane Corpse Demon, Prange was also clumsy when controlling the Swamp Giant.

With the preset balanced amplification, one can simultaneously control different types and styles of units, combining and matching them to achieve a "one plus one is greater than two" effect, in order to counter the "one and a half" ability value amplified by other undead.

“I can’t control those flying ones,” Ansba said. “I want the skeleton warriors buried under the rusted bronze tree, and the rotting corpse materials in his cellar. Those rotting corpses are buried between the tree roots and transformed over a long period of time using a circuit permeator. They will harden and become skeleton warriors.”

"Please go ahead." Samael nodded. "As we agreed before, you have priority in choosing the necromancer."

“Hey… what about me?” Rahador interjected. “I’m a member of the Covenant too, aren’t I? You should leave me something, right?”

“I don’t trust you yet,” Samael hesitated. “When you are more trustworthy, I will give you command of a necromancer army to assist us in battle.”

"But for now, you should just stay like this."

“So, about these territories—” he looked at Ansba.

“You can choose,” Ansba said. “An excessively large territory means little to me, and I don’t want to send skeleton warriors to guard an empty land. After I take away those wandering undead, you can arrange the land as you see fit.”

"Thank you," Samael replied. "I need some time to determine the status of those plant and animal resources."

“Then you go and confirm it first. We’ll talk about it later,” Ansba said. “As for Rahado.”

“Let him stay in his current state for now. You’re in charge of the left arm guard, left leg guard, and torso,” Samael said. “I’ll keep the helmet, right arm guard, and right leg guard. We’ll put him back together when he can trust me.”

“Okay,” Ansbarr said. “I have to go back and prepare the soldiers. Once the next target is confirmed, let me know with your little scout.”

He left with the Skeleton Warriors, leaving Samael standing there, holding Rahador's helmet, staring blankly at the island in the middle of the lake not far away.

“Uh… Boss?” Rahado’s helmet asked.

“I will try to win over the island in the middle of the lake and keep it for you,” Samael said. “After all, it’s a place you used to live, and it’s reserved for you. When you are worthy of my trust, your island and this fortress will be returned to you intact.”

“Huh?” Rahado stared blankly. “That’s just a cold, empty grave where the dead are buried. I didn’t mean to say that… but… uh…”

His helmet paused for a moment, then he chuckled twice, muttered something, and finally let out a muffled groan.

"Whatever, boss," he mumbled indistinctly.

(End of this chapter)