Chapter 33, segunda, The Five Horsemen of the Apocalypse

Chapter 33: 33, segunda, The Five Horsemen of the Apocalypse

The skin was gray and covered in black cracks across the chest, neck, and arms. He had long white hair that fell messily around him, and his eyes were completely black, without irises or pupils.

His fingers were long and ended in black, claw-like nails. He wore only a long, dark robe, resembling the clothing of an ancient pilgrim, because his true defense was not physical.

At the center of his chest was a fissure that seemed to lead into an inner spiritual space, capable of absorbing the essence of souls.

Yun Che observed the five undead, each of them possessing a different aura. However, one thing they all shared was an unconscious aura of death emanating from their bodies.

Yun Che felt deeply satisfied when he noticed that each of those five creatures possessed exactly the same cultivation realm as him: Profound Elementary.

And according to what the system had conveyed to him, they were not simple puppets. They possessed their own consciousness and could learn, understand, and evolve alongside their master.

That made them far more valuable. He rested one hand on his knee.

"Can you speak?"

The five heads simultaneously turned toward their master. The aristocratic-looking man was the first to answer.

"Yes, my master. I can understand your words, and I can also express what I think."

"Interesting," Yun Che said.

"Do you know who I am, where you came from, and what each of you is doing here?" Yun Che asked curiously.

"Master, I know that I stand before you. I know that I was created through your power, and I recognize you as the one who gave me existence. However, there is something strange within my mind. When I try to remember who I was before this moment, I find absolutely nothing."

Yun Che narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Then you don’t remember who you are? You have no memory of your name, the place where you lived, or any event that occurred before I summoned you?"

The Lich remained motionless for several seconds. The dark-blue flames within his eye sockets flickered slightly.

"No, my master. I searched for those answers within my own mind, but I found nothing...."

"...There is nothing related to them. The first thing I am conscious of is the darkness of your energy enveloping my body and pulling me into existence. After that, the first image my senses registered was that of my master sitting before me."

The vampire slowly raised her head.

"My master, I possess no such memories either. I know that I am a vampire because I understand the nature of my own race, but I do not know where that knowledge came from..."

"...I cannot remember ever living in a city, a castle, or even meeting another person. To me, my existence began when my master decided to summon me."

The warrior spoke immediately afterward.

"It is the same for me. I do not remember anything, my master. I know how to fight, I know how to move my body, and I instinctively understand how to use my strength..."

"...but I cannot remember who taught me. The scar on my abdomen seems important, but there is no memory associated with it. I only know that it exists and that it is part of who I am."

The woman wrapped in bandages tilted her head slightly.

"I have no past either, my master. I know that I am a mummy, and I understand my abilities, my bandages, and the weapons hidden within them..."

"...But there is no memory from before this moment. It is as if the world began for me when your energy granted me a body."

The last one remained silent for several seconds before finally speaking.

"There is no past within my mind, my master. I know that I am a Soul Devourer, I know what my body can do, and I understand the nature of my spiritual hunger..."

"...But I do not know who I was, where I was born, or whether there was ever anyone who knew me. My first certainty is simple: I exist because my master summoned me."

Yun Che remained silent.

Then he asked:

"Then, if you possess no memories, what exactly do you know?"

The five undead creatures raised their eyes toward him. As before, the Lich answered first.

"We know that we exist."

The vampire continued:

"We know that our existence began at the moment our master summoned us."

The Revenant slowly clenched his fists.

"We know that we were created to serve."

The mummy let out a faint smile.

"And we know that the one who granted us this existence is our master."

The Soul Devourer concluded:

"Obeying our master is the purpose of our existence."

Yun Che silently observed the five. It was now confirmed that the system had explained everything correctly. They were not ordinary corpses transformed into puppets.

The system had brought new existences into being through his necromancy, granting them their own consciousness from the instant they were summoned.

"Do you possess your own will?"

The Lich immediately answered.

"Yes, my master. We possess thoughts, emotions, and the ability to make decisions. We can analyze a situation..."

"...learn from what happens and act without receiving instructions for every small movement. However, possessing our own will does not mean possessing a will that opposes our master’s."

The vampire continued:

"It is difficult to explain with words, my master. I can think for myself, and I can choose how to act in a given situation..."

"...but there is a certainty within me that I cannot question. You are my master. My existence is connected to you, and I have no desire to betray the one who granted me the very opportunity to exist."

The Revenant nodded.

"If my master orders me to fight, I will fight. If he orders me to protect, I will protect..."

"And if you allow me to decide how to carry out an order, I will use my own judgment. I do not need my master to control every movement of my body for me to remain his servant."

Yun Che looked deeply at the mummy, who in turn slowly moved her fingers, causing some of the bandages around her arm to slide along her body.

"We are capable of thinking, learning, and growing, my master. We are not dolls that remain motionless until they receive an order..."

"...But our consciousness does not diminish our loyalty. On the contrary, we understand perfectly who it is that we are meant to serve."

The undead slowly raised his head.

"We can think for ourselves, my master. We can choose, observe, and learn. But our loyalty does not belong to us."

Yun Che remained silent for several seconds. Then a faint smile appeared on his face.

"Very well."

He observed the five for some time.

"Then you have no names."

None of them answered.

Yun Che understood the answer without needing to hear anything more.

He slowly stood up from the enormous stone.

"If you have no names, then you cannot continue like this."

He thought for a moment before continuing.

"A name is not merely a word. It is a way to distinguish one existence from another. You may have been born only a few minutes ago, but from this moment onward, you need to possess an identity of your own."