Chapter 511 (1): The Death Knight Levels Up and Becomes the Death Rider

[img]

[img]

[...]

Seeing the collection of artistically censored photos starring Her fake friend made Aztimor’s eyes twitch. She felt like She had become a prop in Wayne and Ines’s kinky life.

Who are you trying to scare? Show me the uncensored version if you dare!

Among the four kneeling figures, Rognes and Grau looked up at Wayne’s back. The former showed concern for him, while the latter threw him pointed looks, urging him to give up.

The Underworld was where rewards and punishments were given fairly, and the goddess employed both the carrot and the stick. Saigner had committed an unforgivable crime for which she must pay.

You’re different, buddy. Heed my advice. You’re someone who will become a subordinate god, so you must not risk your own future in a moment of passion.

You’re a hero of the Underworld. Without you, the goddess wouldn’t have awakened. If you admit your mistakes and show humility, the goddess will surely forgive you.

Saigner pursed her lips and looked at Wayne, moved almost to tears. She had given up hope and mentally prepared herself for punishment, but Wayne turned out to be a man of his word. He risked attracting the goddess’s ire and spoke up for her.

“What are you doing, Aztimor?” Wayne messaged Aztimor. “We just agreed that I would be your knight in the mortal realm, not your subordinate god in the Underworld.”

“And you just promised me that you wouldn’t interfere with my governance of the Underworld!” Aztimor responded. “I’m doing this for your sake. You trust Ines too much. If you don’t make moves against her, she will make moves against you. If you’re made the Judge of the Underworld, though, things will be different. Ines will surely put in more investment to reclaim you once she sees you getting closer to me.”

“Good idea,” Wayne snorted. “But then Ines wouldn’t have been mistaken. You will be a wench who stole Her best friend’s boyfriend.”

“I didn’t. I came first!” Aztimor shot back. She was the first to make Wayne a chosen knight and give him a divine artifact. She was his first investor. Moreover, She was the first goddess he had ever met. All Her riches had become his at their first meeting. No matter how one looked at it, She had first claim.

Also, don’t bring up Darkness in front of me. There’s nothing I hate more!

Wayne raised an eyebrow. It seemed to him that Aztimor’s illness as a vassal had worsened.

“I’ll deal with Ines on my own. Do me a favor and go easy on Saigner. If you still feel dissatisfied, make her life as difficult as you’d like.”

“Are you sure?” Aztimor scoffed. “I’m going to make you a subordinate god and Saigner your slave. If you want me to take back the order, you’ll get none of that.”

(一`´一)

Again, he wasn’t a pervert. Why wouldn’t She believe that?

“Are you regretting it now?”

“No,” Wayne said reasonably. “From the perspective of a pervert, Saigner is far from your match. Since I’ve claimed the main deity of Death, why would I care about a subordinate god? I can have as many as I want!”

“How shameless of you to speak to your goddess like that!” Aztimor glared at him. Feeling how the words had affected Her made Her ire burn harder. From the divine throne, She looked down at Wayne’s kneeling form, her tone severe. “Wayne, are you sure you’re going to speak for Saigner and give up on being a subordinate god?”

“Yes,” Wayne responded loudly, looking up at Her. “I am your chosen knight in the mortal realm. While the Divine Realm was in chaos, I cut down the traitors of the church. There is no Church of Death there at the moment. Religion breeds ignorance. Without guidance, the heretics run amok, knowing not the divine might and grace of Death. I have unfinished business in the mortal realm. That’s why I cannot stay in the Divine Realm.”

That left Rognes feeling inferior, Grau touched, and Saigner ashamed, her head bowed.

She was the goddess’s most talented disciple and one of Her personal creations, but she was far from Wayne’s match.

On her knees, she said deferentially, “My goddess, my devotion in my faith is lacking, which makes me undeserving of the mantle of a subordinate god. Much less do I deserve to govern the Divine Realm for you. I’m willing to be your chosen knight in the human world instead. I’ll tell the mortals about your glory and advise them to follow the eternal, serene Death.”

“That comes too late.” Aztimor huffed. “I’ve made up my mind. If a certain someone is unwilling to be my subordinate god, he may continue to be the Death Knight.”

Rognes and Grau looked up and spoke for Wayne. Wayne had made an unmatched contribution in quelling the rebellion in the Divine Realm. They hoped that the goddess would reconsider.

Aztimor had so much pent-up frustration that She would only recover if Wayne coddled Her. She ignored the two subordinates, giving the replicated Shadow Nightmare to Rognes and appointing him as Sizorn’s replacement so that there were three avatars in the Underworld once more.

He would be the Executor, Rognes the Headless Knight!

Rognes had to question his hearing. The Headless Knight? He had a head on his shoulders, too big to be ignored. Why would he be the Headless Knight?

The period of time when he had no head had brought him pain he could not forget. If possible, he would like the goddess to consider a different title.

His devotion, however, stopped him from voicing his dissatisfaction. Picking up the second Shadow Nightmare with both hands, he swore to sentence the disloyal ones to death with the sword.

Aztimor nodded. With the excuse that She was still tired after waking up, She sent the four subjects kneeling below Her throne out of the temple.

Bam!

The stone door slammed shut. The noise alone made the goddess’s grievances clear.

Grau shuddered appropriately and sighed at Wayne. “How many times did I tell you not to speak up for Saigner? She’s not good enough for you. But you wouldn't listen. That has consequences. The goddess didn’t say a word about your loyalty, and you didn’t receive any of the rewards that you should’ve gotten... I didn’t get mine, either.”

Rognes shook his head. “It’s a good thing to honor your word, but...”

He shook his head once more, regretful about how Wayne’s achievements had gone unrewarded.

Saigner shared the sentiment. She stood behind Wayne with her head bowed. Since Wayne had failed to become a subordinate god and instead left a bad impression on the goddess because of her, it would be ungrateful of her to thank him now.

A few words of gratitude wouldn’t be enough to repay the help she received. Moreover, she was a woman of few words, so she wasn’t able to come up with the right words to express herself.

Thus, she decided not to try. She was a woman of action. If Wayne wanted anything, he should tell her. Even the most unreasonable requests would be reasonable in her eyes.

“Since there’s no changing what happened, I’ll live with it. Besides, I prefer the human world over the Underworld. It’s nice to be the Death Knight.” Wayne shrugged, turning to Rognes. “Congratulations. You have once again acquired Shadow Nightmare. Though it’s a different one, it’s identical to the original. You can continue to spend all your time with Julia once more.”

Rognes scratched his head with his skeletal mouth open in joy. As Wayne had said, Julia was no longer an incarnation of the goddess, and he had reclaimed Shadow Nightmare. He could once again fight alongside his old partners.

Then Julia came over with Monica on her head. She clip-clopped around Rognes and Wayne. The smooth, elegant curve of her back showed both power and beauty. Her long, slim limbs were strongly built with explosive agility, as well as endurance and speed.

The well-crafted saddle was fitted to the horse’s back to ensure comfort and the right posture for the rider, making it so that the rider could ride for a long time without getting tired. The simple decorations were pleasing to the eye. While being practical, it also improved the riding experience. It wasn’t just a tool, but a bridge of communication between the knight and the horse.

Rognes’s pelvis itched for a ride as he looked at Julia. He reached out for the reins and lifted his foot, ready to resolve his yearning.

But he stopped, realizing something was wrong.

While he was holding the reins, Julia had been nuzzling Wayne. His heart clenched. He reminded himself that Wayne was Julia’s rightful owner, just like Rognes. Selfishness went against the knightly virtues that he abided by.

“What are you waiting for, Rognes? Can’t you see that Julia is waiting for you?” Wayne patted Julia on the head. “I realized that you wanted to get close to Julia back in Palis, and you only stopped yourself because you’d given away the goddess’s thoughts. Now that the goddess has awakened, and Julia is no longer Her incarnation, you may ride her to your heart’s content.”

“That’s not what I meant, Wayne.”

“It’s fine. I understand. I’m generous enough not to mind it, so don’t worry.” Wayne picked up Monica and held her, giving Rognes a thumbs-up. “While you weren’t around, I had been riding Julia for two hours per day. Not only have I become an excellent rider, but Julia has also improved noticeably. Don’t you want to see for yourself the progress she’s made from her study?”

Please, stop talking.

Rognes didn’t have a heart, but he felt a great heartache. Dejected, he hopped on and stirred Julia with the reins.

As Wayne had said, Julia had become noticeably better. She was able to adjust her own center of gravity when she turned and sped up to make it easier for the rider, freeing his hands for dangerous actions he couldn’t take before.

You’ve become so skilled, Julia!

His heart ached even more!

But that wasn’t the end.

“Haven’t I improved a lot, Master Rognes?”

“Huh... Yeah, yeah. You’ve improved a lot.”

“Tee-hee, that’s what Master Wayne said, too. He’s been treating me well. He always compliments me.”

“That-that... As long as you’re happy. Wayne is a good master.”

“Right? I think so too.” Julia galloped around with a skip to her hooves, overjoyed. Double the master, double the fun, as they said. She was the happiest mare in the entire world.

“They’re back. Everything is right again.” Wayne nodded and smiled as the knight and horse galloped away. “They have gotten what they wished for, finally returning to each other’s side after the separation. I’m moved.”

You guys—no, you seem to be acting out an unusual kink!

Grau hissed, placing a hand on Wayne’s shoulder and pointing at Rognes. He looked depressed on horseback. “So, hero of the Underworld, what role do you play in this act?”

“For Julia’s happiness, I’ve chosen to let go. That’s the role I play. I’m a loser—a loser who gives his silent blessings.” Wayne sighed, touched by his own consideration.

Bah, you shameless bastard. How could you even put that into words?!

Grau rolled his eyes. He tried to stop himself, but couldn’t. “Seriously, I’ve never met someone as shameless as you are.”

“What’s wrong with me?”

“Let me ask you one thing: will you ride Julia in the future?”

“Of course I will. I’m the Death Knight. How could one be a knight without a horse? I don’t want to be a Death Footsoldier.”

Ptui!

Spit all you want, Wayne huffed. I’ll have Aztimor punish you for that.

He brushed Grau’s hand off his shoulder. Who did Grau think he was, putting his arm around his shoulders so familiarly? Wayne had even turned down Aztimor.

The cold shoulder, however, didn’t stop Grau from reaching out.

Vermin attracted each other, after all. As the top vermin and a major loyal subject of the Underworld, Grau had taken a liking to Wayne, another loyal vermin. He found Saigner beneath him, and he lacked common ground with Rognes. Wayne was the only one who was just right. He would like to become sworn brothers with Wayne.

He was blind!

Wayne was indeed a vermin, but loyal? That... was debatable.

Wayne had invaded the Underworld from the human world and cleared the Death dungeon among the five major dungeons, completing his promotion. The Death Knight leveled up and became the Death Rider. He had refrained from riding the goddess only because his pitiful moral compass told him that it was wrong.

Grau and Wayne bickered a little more. When Grau noticed Saigner sticking around and staring at Wayne unblinkingly, he warned again in a loud voice, “Be careful. That woman isn’t good. She wants to use the goddess’s goodwill for you to earn Her favor. You’ve made one mistake. Do not repeat it.”

He glared at Saigner. “Wayne failed to become a subordinate god because of you. You’ve done enough damage to him. If I were you, I would stop harassing him.”

Enough already, bro. Because of you, my progress bar is reaching far into her.

Wayne stopped Grau with a wave. If this continued, he worried that he wouldn’t be able to sleep in peace tonight.