Two hours later, inside Aurelia Castle.
At first glance, it might have seemed like Shinwoo had used talk-no-jutsu to win over Darius. But the truth was vastly different. Shinwoo had talked to Darius, sure—but he'd also used a skill to tip the scales in his favor.
A little skill called [Coercion].
Charm didn't work on the dead—whether they were spirits or corpses. But inside the core, where even spirits had pseudo-physical forms, they weren't immune to being charmed anymore.
Shinwoo had exploited this loophole to persuade Darius to join him.
Did he feel bad about using such a sneaky trick?
Not at all.
Shinwoo had done what he needed to for Aaran, his other self. With a powerful spirit like Darius on his side, he would be safe, even if Dread wasn't around to protect him.
That was the primary concern Aaran had. After all, he was still a toddler and needed constant protection.
But because everyone could see Dread, there weren't many times he could keep Aaran safe without giving away his secret of necromancy.
But such limitations didn't hold Darius back. He could stay right by Aaran's side, and no one would even notice.
However, there was still one big problem.
Aaran's mana levels were almost nonexistent, and taming Darius had only made things worse. Sure, he could buy mana from the store, but spending so many charm points wasn't worth it.
It's better to use it in case of emergencies, not for indulgence.
He needed to figure out a way to gain mana without putting in too much effort. Something like an idle cultivation technique. But after spending multiple lifetimes in Elysium, Aaran knew cultivation did not exist in their world.
That's where Darius came into the picture.
As an old fossil, he might know things no one else did in the world. But he couldn't talk to him at the moment as he wasn't there.
Right after taming Darius, Aaran sent him to his mother, Amara, on the battlefield. He needed Darius to gather firsthand information from the front lines and assist his mom.
Once Darius finished helping Amara, Aaran planned to send him to his father to do the same. They've been endlessly protecting Aurelia while the Empire did not help them. Darius's help would be significant for them, even if they had no idea about it.
It was also an experiment. Aaran wanted to see what Darius was truly capable of. How far could a spirit travel without him nearby? Could they still fight even if he wasn't there?
Aaran had already asked Dread these questions, but Dread didn't bother answering. But he knew something had been bothering Dread ever since he saw him in the spirit world.
"So… you were a giant, huh?"
Aaran asked once the nanny left the room.
"Yes… I was a frost giant once. Killed by humans and resurrected by your father."
"For a frost giant, you are easily rattled."
"…"
Aaran's words hit a nerve. Either way, it had to be said. The reason Dread was ignoring him was simple. He didn't know who his master was.
Was it the child before him or the one he saw in the spirit realm?
While it shouldn't have been a big deal for the living, for the dead, the identity of their master meant everything. But that didn't mean the answer wasn't simple.
"Look at yourself," Aaran said, pointing at the mirror. "What do you see in it?"
"What has that got anything to do with—"
"Answer me."
"I see myself—"
"So," Aaran cut him off. "you're an oversized teddy, or are you a frost giant?"
Dread smiled inwardly. The little master was peculiar, yet a genius. Instead of giving him the answer, Aaran forced Dread to quell his doubts himself.
"I'm neither the teddy nor the frost giant," Dread replied.
The glowing orb emerged out of the teddy's chest, shining in the moonlight.
"I am Dread."
With that, he kneeled before Aaran as if affirming his loyalty.
"Serve the soul… not the vessel," Aaran smiled, patting the teddy's head.
Park Shinwoo or Aaran Aurelia—those names were just labels for the body crafted by the gods. They didn't define who he truly was; they were just the shell he inhabited. But as a necromancer, none of that mattered.
The only thing that counted was his bond with Dread. He was the master, and Dread was the loyal subordinate who willingly served him. Nothing more.
"Not get back to your position before someone finds out about us and you gain a new subordinate," Aaran mumbled, waving his hand.
"Of course."
Even though the master was a child, he didn't shy away from the important stuff. Like protecting his secret, even if it meant killing innocent people.
Dread didn't know whether he should be proud or afraid of such a master.
***
Meanwhile, at the northern border of Aurelia.
Amara was massaging her temples. Crushing the barbarians had been easy for the Aurelian army. They had repelled countless attempts by the barbarian to enter their kingdom.
But this time, things weren't as easy.
The Marki empire had gone all-out to prepare the barbarians. But even that wasn't as problematic as one individual.
The Silver Wolf.
That's what the barbarians called their leader. The one who doesn't use any gear provided by the Marki. But she used the axe that symbolizes the barbarian's unrefined and destructive nature.
Amara had fought her earlier. Their clash resulted in two wounds. One on the wolf's thigh and the second on Amara's shoulder.
An ordinary human hurt Amara, who didn't bleed when fighting the demon lord. If that wasn't concerning, then she didn't know what else could be.
"I have to stop her… no matter what."
Amara destroyed the liquor bottle in her hand.
The silver wolf had to be stopped. She didn't even want to imagine what would happen if someone like her entered the kingdom.
Meanwhile, someone was looking at his descendant and clicking his tongue.
When Darius heard about Amara from Aaran, he thought highly of her. After all, anyone who defeated the demon lord deserved that much. But now, seeing her like this, he felt let down.
[As my master decreed it, I shall lend you my aid this once.]