[Creature: Necromancer
Hero-sama, worry not if the term is unfamiliar. Permit me to enlighten even the most unlearned Hero.
A Necromancer is a mage who commands the undead—a being of pure malice that feasts on souls. Do not be fooled into thinking they were once human. They are not to be trifled with!
The strength of a Necromancer isn't fixed; it grows in direct proportion to the number of souls they consume. Hero-sama’s soul is particularly strong, so fear not being devoured outright by a Necromancer—but beware the undead they control! Should you fall to one, half your soul will be consumed regardless!
Take heed!]
While a Necromancer may not rival the raw strength of a Slime King, their true power lies in their army of undead, vast and varied, with unknown abilities and unpredictable numbers.
Take the castle before you—it’s likely crawling with monsters under the Necromancer's thrall.
Anyi had received Karen’s warning: a Class 3 monster, a Beholder, awaited them within. Unlike minor foes like Slime Kings or Goblin Shamans, a Beholder was no mere nuisance, but rather a minor undead whose gaze could rob one’s sight. If a Necromancer could command such a creature, it implied a Class 4 Necromancer or higher, and worse still, potentially legions of undead minions.
Karen, as the castle’s heir, moved to open a door along its shadowed rear entrance. The others exchanged glances, giving her the honor.
Once they crossed the threshold, an eerie chill seeped through the air, a stark contrast to the warmth outside. The temperature plummeted, as though stepping from the heat of day into a cold room. And it wasn’t merely the temperature—the whole atmosphere felt oppressive, draped in a sinister gloom.
Miruku froze, a shiver running through her. Her eyes darted toward the exit, but Anyi caught her arm before she could bolt.
“Uh…” She glanced at Anyi, her eyes misting. “Here… there aren’t… ghosts… right?”
Anyi’s lips curled slightly. “What’s the mission called again?”
“I—I could… maybe go scout around the walls of the castle! The walls might have… ah, ants… digging tunnels or something…” Miruku stammered, visibly uneasy.
“Don’t be scared, Miruku!” Ariana declared confidently. “Kami-sama protects us! No ghost could harm us!”
Miruku took a deep breath, her shoulders relaxing just a little—until Ariana turned to Karen with an innocent look. “What is a ghost, by the way?”
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Miruku: “?!?”
'She doesn’t even know what a ghost is?!'
Karen chuckled, her tone soothing. “A ghost is a soul of the deceased, lingering because of some unfulfilled desire. My sight allows me to see the living and the dead… including ghosts. Actually, right now, there’s one beside Miss Miruku. Oh, look—”
She feigned a look of surprise.
“It’s a headless ghost…”
“Bang!”
The door slammed shut behind them with a bone-rattling thud, cutting off the exit.
Three of them jumped. Miruku, in sheer terror, let out a blood-curdling scream and collapsed on the spot, eyes wide with horror.
Karen’s smile faltered. “N-no, it was just a joke! But why did the door…?”
A shiver crept through her voice. “Could there… really be something here?”
The fear of the unknown haunted Karen more than anything. Though she claimed she could see the living and the dead, her ability was limited to mortal beings and objects. She had never truly encountered a ghost—and the mere idea of an invisible enemy lurking nearby filled her with dread.
“Anyi, those monsters won’t actually find us, will they?” she whispered, her voice betraying her unease. “They locked the door on us… without a sound.”
Ariana, who didn’t grasp the concept of ghosts, glanced nervously at the door that had slammed shut. Her courage faltered just a bit.
“It’s fine!” Layton bellowed, his voice straining with forced bravery. “Whether it’s monsters or ghosts, we’ll drive them out! Ghosts are nothing to a real man!”
Yet, despite his words, Layton clung tightly to the wall, his bravado thin as a leaf in the wind.
“Come on, Layton! A man faces his fears!” he grumbled to himself, still clutching the wall. “Smile in the face of terror! Just smile…”
In this world, fear of ghosts wasn’t mere superstition. Here, ghosts existed—and those afraid of them faced a strange, magical consequence. Upon entering a Tale tied to the undead, a negative status would cling to them:
[Negative Status: Fear
Status Description: You’ve fallen into deeper fear.]
For anyone already fearful of spirits, this debuff heightened their terror, amplifying it into an almost paralyzing dread.
The only ones unscathed were Anyi, who knew no fear, and Ariana, who simply didn’t understand what she was facing. Karen shivered occasionally, trying to keep her composure. Layton, however, struggled loudly to mask his growing fear. And Miruku—poor Miruku looked more terrifying than any ghost, her eyes wild and unfocused.
Anyi nudged Ariana. “Holy Maiden, can you see the negative status affecting them?”
“Uh… ‘Fear’…?” Ariana murmured, her expression thoughtful. “I remember when treating the Rod Hero, I saw a ‘Bleeding’ status. Holy Healing cured it. Could ‘Fear’ be cured the same way?”
“It’s worth a try,” Anyi replied, nodding.
Ariana nodded and raised her staff, a soft golden light radiating from her hands as she murmured a spell.
With a warm flash, the light enveloped Karen, and her tense face softened, her fear receding. At the same time, the status [Fear] vanished.
“It works!” Ariana gasped, her eyes lighting up. She immediately turned and released the same light over Layton. The golden aura washed over him, and the oppressive fear lifted in an instant.
Layton straightened, cleared his throat, and rejoined the group with a newfound swagger. “Ahem! As a real man, I’ll face any ghost! I feel a hundred times stronger now!”
Anyi couldn’t help but smile at the simplicity of it all. Holy magic was a natural counter to undead debuffs—no complex ritual, just a touch of the Holy Maiden’s light.
“Anyi! Why isn’t it working on Miruku?” Ariana said, frowning as she cast Holy Healing again over the trembling Miruku, only to see her remain in her bizarre state.
Miruku: (twisting) (shuddering) (rolling) (convulsing) (twitching) (frothing at the mouth)
Anyi gave her a flat look. “…Maybe that’s just… normal for her.”