"What year is it?"
King Hans was freed? I don't really know what Mag did since I had to stay away from this kingdom. I waited about one sunset and he told me to see the lively place.
It's not lively...
The houses and community buildings are very dull...and destroyed. Now I'm in the undecorated Throne Room of King Hans with the Mag guy.
"It's been 90 years since the Great War that lasted 9 years."
Glad I wasn't born during that time. Maybe Father's grandfather fought for the war but which side really?
"I have weakened the Undead Kingdom by reviving all of you."
Ah so the right term is revive as Mag explains directly. Weaken? Oh yes the skeleton said the kingdom was finally at twice the strength because of some source. This is the source.
I feel my intellect improving.
"Strange. We did not age. Are we perhaps...behind in technology?"
"The Undead caster who did this prevented it probably."
They don't look too behind as my Father travels on horses and plenty of horses are back running wild in the kingdom.
"The horses have become wild?"
"Angered that I disturbed their soul to be brought back to the mortal realm."
Sounds like a big royalty talking when Mag speaks...
"My wife has gone wild too with shopping?"
"Delighted to enjoy privileges again perhaps. The gold reserves will be fine."
I wonder if Father had this problem with Mother.
"Very well. Thank you very much our trusted advisor Mag."
Advisor? A smart old man that looks out for the kingdom and answers the King's call of distress!
"I'm not old."
Mag looks at me with an infuriated face. Again with these mind readers.
"But you fought in The Great War?"
"How did you know?"
Looks like he's scanning me for mind-reading abilities. Time to bring out the fruits of my intellect improvement.
"You remember the war so..."
"Anyone can read the Great War from a short story picture book. You just guessed."
My confidence with my intellect is forever tarnished.
"What shall we do with the Undead Kingdom, King Hans? They've been cheating but it's punished anyway."
Cheating? I will just listen and witness how the discourse between King and advisor unfolds
"This time we will hold the Regionals. I've learned from spies that many of the annual Regionals have been hosted in the Undead Kingdom and that none of the combatants return home. Their champions always goes on to the World Finals but...their champion dies right away at the World Finals."
"Therefore, they have lost many exceptional and powerful representatives. An invasion is-"
"Out of question. They have preserved our bodies for all these years."
"Correction. They enslaved your bodies for their own strength."
"That doesn't erase the fact that none of the bodies have scars."
"The bodies were between the mortal realm and astral realm. You were technically a soul and ghost my king without a body. I learned the magic to pull the souls out."
"Which means what comes next are..."
"The consequences. Reviving that many has probably angered the gods."
A black sphere suddenly fell from the sky and into the Throne Room.
Mag was being strangled by the old man
"I have come as the punisher."
Mag attempted a Light magic spell that should've disintegrated the old man.
The old man is unharmed.
"Are you a being of Light? No answer? Some Black Lightning should prove it."
Mag looked confident at first. Maybe...oh yeah dark is weak to light but soon after...
Mag was in pain but used magic to minimize the noise from the screaming.
"Hmm? Nullify then. Try casting something?"
Mag's pain could be felt just by the voice alone. Nullify made the pain loud and clear. I noticed Mag's struggle to cast magic.
"Transform..."
A form of a small bat was no good for escape. Transform seemed to be use again and I could no longer see Mag...the old man let go of the strangle hold.
"Nullify All."
Mag suddenly appeared on the wall of the Throne Room as if Mag was climbing and fell down immediately.
"I've taken the skills I needed and-"
[Nearby party detected...Scanning Average Level...
Average Level: 10,500]
"Annoying. My time as boss has come earlier than expected. Maybe it's a beta test? One battle won't hurt."
"I'm winning the regionals! Just letting you know."
I just had to say something stupid.
"Skill Manage is mine. Since you've cooperated with me 'nicely', I'll be one of the judges for the Regionals and it will start tomorrow. Time Skip."
Mag looked horrified but gathered enough strength to speak.
"Time Skip....No way...A skill that should only belong to the Lord of Time."
"I'd like to think I've taken that responsibility. As Lord of Darkness, the next time you resurrect this many and interfere with the astral realm, I will seal you. I have a party to destroy. Few of this world can handle all types of magic, but many across the universe have mastered all magic."