Deep within the graveyard, inside a dimly lit shrine, several figures in robes stood in a circle with their heads bowed, murmuring unknown incantations.
Naohara made no attempt to hide himself. Riding Hamsuke openly through the air made it impossible not to be noticed.
The chanting stopped.
From among the robed figures, one dressed in a dark crimson robe stepped forward, a faintly glowing stone clutched in his hand.
As the man and hamster slowly descended, along with the black-robed figure behind them, Khajiit's expression darkened.
"Adventurers?"
"How did you break through to this place?"
Khajiit had expected powerful opponents eventually, but that should have been after the city fell and the Kingdom's reinforcements arrived.
To prevent interference, he had deliberately prepared several Undead whose strength was close to the hero tier. He had assumed they would at least buy him half a day. Yet someone had reached this point so quickly. That was completely beyond his expectations.
"Because I'm just a little stronger."
Naohara raised two fingers close together, leaving only a tiny gap between them.
Khajiit's face sank at the answer. He didn't believe it for a second. There was no way the other party had wiped out tens of thousands of Undead.
If that explanation was wrong, then only one possibility remained.
"A magic item?"
Seeing the spotless armor on Naohara, Khajiit concluded that he must have used some precious magical artifact to bypass the Undead and reach this place.
And they were all warriors.
Naohara held a longsword. The hamster at his side seemed oddly intelligent. The black-robed figure behind them kept her head lowered without saying a word.
Khajiit let out a quiet breath of relief.
If that was the case, there was nothing to fear.
"Clem, your partner doesn't seem very bright."
Naohara glanced at Khajiit, who had started smiling foolishly, then turned to Clementine beside him.
The change in Khajiit's expression had been quite something. From cautious and calculating, to relieved, and now openly smug.
"Well, Khajiit-chan has always had a few screws loose. I'll help him cool off."
Clementine said it with a faint smile, her head slightly lowered.
The next moment, her body dissolved into a swarm of bats and vanished from where she stood.
"Ah!"
Just as Khajiit thought he had heard a familiar voice, screams erupted behind him.
He spun around to see all his disciples already lying on the ground.
A breeze lifted the hood of the attacker, revealing a face he knew all too well.
"What?!"
Khajiit stared in shock. Though there were subtle changes, he recognized her instantly.
Clementine. The partner he had believed had fled.
Clementine looked back at him now, wearing a faint smile and eyes so pure they almost seemed innocent.
Khajiit froze for a moment. Clementine… showing that kind of expression?
But the thought was quickly drowned out by rising anger. His face twisted with fury as he opened his mouth to speak.
"Clementine, you madwoman, you actually betrayed me!"
Khajiit glared at Clementine in fury. One look at her made it clear she had already turned against him. He had thought she'd simply run away. He never expected her to stab him in the back so quickly.
What a disgraceful woman. After betraying the Black Scripture, now she was raising a banner against Zurrernorn as well?
Did she even think about the consequences? Being hunted by both the Theocracy and Zurrernorn at the same time was a death sentence. Even a Hero-tier powerhouse wouldn't survive that.
"Calm down, Khajiit-chan. I'm helping you."
Clementine returned to Naohara's side, completely unconcerned by Khajiit's roar. The Theocracy and Zurrernorn were nothing to her.
And she wasn't lying. She really had just saved him. If she had acted, there was still room to maneuver. If Naohara had made a move, there would have been no turning back.
She didn't particularly like Khajiit, but she didn't mind giving him a hand. Strictly speaking, his life and hers were both tragedies. The only difference was that she had already found redemption, while he had not.
As for the people she had killed, what of it? There wasn't a single good person here anyway.
Khajiit let out a cold laugh. She slaughtered his disciples and still had the nerve to say she was helping him?
[Summon Skeletal Dragon]
Without hesitation, Khajiit raised the Orb of Death in his hand and activated the Negative Energy sealed within it. Dark purple light flared out in waves.
Magic power mixed with Negative Energy and gathered in the air, forming a massive magic circle. A thunderous roar echoed as pale bones surged forth, twisting and assembling into two enormous Skeletal Dragons.
Long, slender necks. Bodies made entirely of white bone. Though they were called dragons, they had nothing to do with true dragons at all. Watching them take shape, Naohara couldn't help but sigh in disappointment.
"No one can stop me from resurrecting my mother!"
"Clementine, you'll die here with them!"
Khajiit's confidence was absolute. Even an adamantite-ranked adventurer couldn't defeat his Skeletal Dragons.
Still, his heart ached. This was Negative Energy he had painstakingly accumulated over several years. Summoning these Skeletal Dragons had nearly drained it dry.
But once he slaughtered E-Rantel, he could replenish it. Thinking of that eased his mood somewhat.
"Skeletal Dragon, oh Skeletal Dragon. Why couldn't you be a true dragon?"
Naohara rubbed his chin as he looked at the two towering creatures, letting out a helpless sigh.
"Clem, I'll leave it to you. With your current strength, it shouldn't be a problem."
Having lost interest, Naohara simply sat down on the ground and leaned against Hamsuke. He took out two pieces of Guardian-level jerky, handed one to Hamsuke, and the two of them started eating while watching the show, looking completely at ease.
"No problem. I've been wanting to see just how strong I am now!"
Clementine nodded, eyes gleaming as she stared at the Skeletal Dragons.
Ever since becoming a Vampire, she knew she was powerful, but she had no clear sense of how powerful. Today was the perfect chance to find out.
"Khajiit-chan, be careful. I'm really strong now, you know~"
As she spoke, sharp fangs slowly emerged at the corners of her mouth. Her skin turned deathly pale, and her dark red pupils gleamed like gemstones. Wisps of faint crimson blood aura rose and coiled around her body.
Combined with her smiling expression and teasing gaze, she looked thoroughly dangerous.
"That's… a Vampire!!"
After a brief moment of confusion, Khajiit quickly realized what had happened. He stared at her with naked jealousy.
He had worked himself to the bone for decades, all for the sake of abandoning his humanity. Yet she disappeared for only a few days and achieved his goal so easily. The unfairness of it made his teeth grind.
A Vampire. Compared to becoming a mere Undead, this suited his ambitions far better.
"Yes, that's the look. That jealous look."
"Khajiit-chan, does it sting? How about joining us? Then you could be just like me."
Clementine made the offer while discreetly glancing back at Naohara. When she saw no trace of displeasure on his face, she quietly relaxed.
If Naohara had shown even the slightest dissatisfaction, she would have cut off Khajiit's head without hesitation. Helping him was secondary. Naohara's attitude came first.
Fortunately, she had already told Naohara the story of "Khajiit Saving His Mother."
"Join you…"
"Hmph. Beat me first."
Khajiit paused at her invitation, his mind racing. He couldn't deny he was tempted.
But betraying Zurrernorn carried heavy consequences. In the end, he chose to refuse for now. He needed to see her strength first, to decide whether she was worth betraying Zurrernorn for.
He gave himself an out.
If he won, he would continue the Undead Project. If he lost, he would join them. Either way, he wouldn't lose.
His wish was simple. As long as his mother could be resurrected, he would serve whoever made it possible.