Dark Humas. Characterized by their black-colored hair, the mention of their race or the sight of their black hair was enough to send shivers down the spines of even the Order faction’s Heroes and the Demon Lords of the Chaos Factions. That was how much terror the Dark Humas instilled in others.
There were rumors that their hair weren’t originally black. It wasn’t because they had earned a god’s ire and were cursed as a result, no. Instead, because of how much they desire to be in war---drenched in their enemies’ blood from head to toe---that their hair had gradually turned black over time.
Barbarians, they fearfully called them, for their lack of culture and their want of war. Even though it was the Dark Humas, they were the most technologically advanced race at the time. This is only in terms of weaponry (they were the inventors of the Mana Rifle), however, and they never even bothered to use their genius to advance in other areas such as art, literature, or philosophy.
Truth be told, though, the common folk of all the other races weren’t as fearful of Dark Humas. Well, except for healthy young men who might be conscripted in times of war, but that’s beside the point. It was the people in positions of power were, in fact, the ones who feared Dark Humas the most.
At the wasteful gatherings of the avaricious and prideful, they spat the name of Dark Humas with disgust and disdain. But behind closed doors, the facade of disdain would often crumble, revealing deep-seated terror and paranoia.
The reason behind the nobles’ fear of the Dark Humas and the Dark Humas' desire for war was one and the same: the Dark Humas sought a worthy lord, a leader who possessed both virtue and strength.
That is why they would join wars, though most of the time they instigate them. The Dark Humas believed that through conflict, they could test the mettle of potential leaders and find someone worthy of their loyalty. They saw war as a crucible for uncovering true leadership qualities, even if it meant being the ones to initiate the battles themselves.
Nobles, as conceited as they were, thought of themselves as the natural choice for leadership. They believed that their noble bloodline and inherited privileges automatically made them worthy of the Dark Humas' loyalty. They saw their status and upbringing as proof of their inherent superiority and entitlement to rule.
However, the Dark Humas' search—which bordered on obsession—for a fitting lord led them to slaughter any fool who carelessly claimed the title without proving their worth.
There were many instances in written history where individuals from noble bloodlines failed to live up to the expectations of the Dark Humas and died at the hands of their ruthless judgment. The Dark Humas' unwavering commitment to finding a deserving leader ensured that only those who possessed true strength and wisdom could ascend to positions
But not everyone shared the Dark Humas' beliefs. And those who disagreed were much more numerous than they were. To protect their vested interests, the nobles of kingdoms and empires of this bygone era formed a world-spanning alliance.
All for one common goal: to eradicate the Dark Humas, who threatened their power and authority. This alliance consisted of influential figures from various domains, including powerful warlords, cunning politicians, and wealthy merchants.
With their vast wealth, they funded research for a weapon similar to the Dark Humas' Mana Rifles and a countermeasure against the same weapon. This research was carried out by the most brilliant minds of the time, including renowned scientists and engineers. And the end result of their research was the creation of a weapon, the Magic Rifle, which shoots physical ammo through the use of mana.
On the other hand, the Dark Humas were a minority group within society, scattered in various regions, searching for a worthy lord. And even with their Mana Rifles, against the combined might of the nobles' armies, they were vastly outnumbered. Worse, armed with the Mana Rifle knock-off Magic Rifle, the noble armies' forces easily overpowered them.
In a war that lasted decades, the once-feared Dark Humas were eventually wiped out, their children and women not spared from the slaughter. The noble armies' relentless pursuit and systematic extermination left no trace of the Dark Humas' existence. Only the long-lived races, demons included, still remember the legacy of the extinct Dark Humas.
Dark Humas. They were once among the many races that walked upon this world before it was named Erse. But not anymore. Or at least, they shouldn't be anymore.
However, in the Philippines, on June 30, 2023, after it was transported to the world of Erse, it marked the unexpected return of the Dark Humas. Chosen through sheer luck—or perhaps by some twisted fate—a Filipino named Isao became a Dungeon Master and unknowingly bought an NPC Dark Huma combat unit with DP.
And that Dark Huma was Ava, the Princess Knight of the Dark Humas.
***
Back to the present—
Amid the deafening sounds of gunfire and artillery and the dying shrieks of Hantik Ants, Ava found herself reminiscing. Even though the Hantik Soldiers reinforced the Hantik Workers attacking them, the battle had reached a stalemate with the weapons prepared by their overly cautious Dungeon Master, allowing her to do so.
She couldn't help but think about her race's obsession with finding a lord worthy of their loyalty and devotion. And how she finally found that lord in Isao, a human-turned-dragonoid. The Dungeon Master treated her like his equal and treasured her summoned fellow Dark Humas, not as expendable pawns but as valuable allies. She wasn't aware that Isao was just being a coward, afraid that they might betray him if he didn't treat them well.
Isao wasn't like the nobles of Erse, who viewed their subjects as mere servants and tools for their own gain. His overprotectiveness irked her greatly, as Dark Humas born warriors. Despite her annoyance, his genuine concern for their well-being and his efforts to ensure their safety during battles earned her fellow Dark Humas' respect and loyalty. Not that Isao was aware of it.
That is why it was guilt-inducing for Ava when Isao didn't punish her enough for the incident in which Joanne had died. He was able to resurrect Joanne, yes, but Ava couldn't shake off the feeling that she had failed in her duty.
While she was punished and subjected to Synthesis, Ava couldn't help but feel that it wasn't enough to atone for her mistake. The Synthesis turned her into a Lich Princess, an undead. That might be seen as a punishment by the other races, but Dark Humas didn't see becoming undead as such but rather as a way to enhance their powers and serve their purpose for a longer time, unbound by the shackles of death.
In fact, by becoming an undead fixed her jack of all trades stat spread into a more focused and specialized skill set. Ava thought that was Isao’s idea when he said he would use Synthesis on her as punishment.
This is Ava’s status when she became a Lich Princess.
ＳＴＡＴＵＳ
Name: Asvarani
Designation: Combat Unit (NPC)
Race: Lich Princess
Class: Death Princess Witch
Rank: I
ＨＰ: 10/10
ＭＰ: 1000/1000
STR: I
DEF: I
STA: I
AGI: I
DEX: I
ACC: I
SNS: H
INT: F
RES: H
Unique Skills: Summon Undead Dark Huma, Death Princess’ Charisma, Immortality
Skills: Command Rank F, Necromancy Rank I, Mana Drain Rank I, Mana Absorption Rank I
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Most of Ava's status had taken a hit, and she had lost most of her skills. Only her Intelligence stayed at a high level, while her Senses had risen from I to H. But it's clear that she became a magic-focused character with her improved unique skills and new Necromancy and Mana Drain abilities.
Her Unique Skills had evolved, her Summon Order of Darkness had transformed into the Summon Undead Dark Humas and her Princess Knight’s Charisma had become Death Princess' Charisma. And she gained a new Unique Skill called Immortality.
Before, she could only summon forces that were among her Order of Darkness in the past. Now, with her new ability to summon her deceased fellow Dark Humas—her countrymen who succumbed to death after the genocide—she now had a stronger and more diverse army at her command.
Her Death Princess' Charisma still bestows a Brave Heart buff that raises Morale by 50% for friendly units and 75% for her summons. This gives them Fear resistance and boosts their combat effectiveness on the battlefield. But this unique skill has now evolved to boost all stats of her undead summons, including their attack power, defense, and speed, by 10%.
And her new unique skill, Immortality, makes her MP basically her HP. As long as she had mana, she would be able to continue fighting without the risk of dying. However, she had paper-thin defenses that made her vulnerable to strong physical attacks. Despite this weakness, she had her new skills, Mana Drain and Mana Absorption, to offset it.
The Mana Drain skill allowed her to siphon mana from her opponents, weakening them while replenishing her own. While Mana Absorption allowed her to absorb mana directly from the environment, that regenerates 1 MP per second at Rank I.
She was able to absorb mana from her surroundings and drain it from her opponents, which helped to partially offset her weak defenses.
“Ava, this is Fel, nya.” While Ava was absorbed in her thoughts, she finally received a private telepathic message that she was waiting for from Fel.
“So did you succeed in persuading our Liege, Fel?”
“Yes, nya,” He sounded tired. “Although, it was a trial and a half to convince that stubborn and overprotective Master of ours to allow you to engage the Hantik Queen instead of just buying time for reinforcements."
A vein popped in Ava’s forehead upon hearing Fel’s casual disrespect of their lord. Their lord might treat them as equal, but for Ava—or for Dark Humas, in general—it is not an excuse for a subject to casually disrespect their lord.
“Fel.” There was a palpable anger in her voice as she uttered her fellow disciple’s name. “Could you not disrespect our Liege so carelessly? It undermines the respect and loyalty we should have for him." Ava's tone was stern, emphasizing the importance of maintaining proper reverence for their lord.
On the other side of the telepathic conversation, Fel has an exasperated expression on his face. ‘This is why Master always has a difficult time dealing with this people. They’re too uptight.’
Every disciple of Isao’s was aware that he was born a commoner—though there isn’t an actual class division in modern Earth, but that’s how everyone understood the circumstances of his birth. And Fel was sure that their Master would prefer it if they treated him casually most of the time, as long as they still showed respect when necessary.
Since he was sure Ava would have a hard time understanding this as a Dark Huma, Fel decided to just change the subject forcefully. "Anyway, with the Master's permission granted, you can now proceed with engaging the Hantik Queen instead of just buying time for him to arrive."
"Understood," Ava responded, her voice filled with determination. She will do whatever it takes to redeem herself, even though Isao didn't think she had to do so.
Ending their telepathic conversation then and there, Ava took a deep breath. Doing so, the sounds of battle returned to her ears as her eyes narrowed in focus.
Opening the Maps she had been given access to, Ava quickly analyzed their current situation. They hadn't suffered any casualties so far, only minor injuries. However, the ant monsters were becoming more relentless and aggressive, with the Hantik Queen birthing more and more offspring.
As she looked in the Hantik Queen's direction, Ava noticed the queen's massive size and menacing presence. But it didn't intimidate her. In fact, as a Dark Huma, she felt eager to prove her strength and take down the Hantik Queen once and for all. 'I'm going to take you down.' she thought.
"Hear my call, my fallen brethren!" she started chanting, her voice echoing through the battlefield. "I, Ava the Princess Lich, beseech you; rise from your eternal slumber and lend me your power!" As Ava's words hung in the air, a wave of darkness swept over the battlefield, causing the ground to tremble.
Bony hands then emerged from the earth, pushing themselves to the surface. Clad in cyberpunk-esque armor and wielding Mana Rifles, the resurrected undead soldiers stood tall, their empty eye sockets glowing with an eerie blue light.
These same eyes they used to search for whoever had awakened them, their gaze piercing through the chaos of the battlefield. Catching sight of Ava, their summoner, one skeleton stepped forward, its warrior's gait confident and purposeful. With a voice that sounded both hollow and commanding, it addressed Ava, "Are you the one who has summoned us back from the depths of death?"
Looking straight at his hollow eye sockets without fear, Ava confidently nodded and replied, "Yes, I am the one who has called upon you. I seek your aid in this battle to prove my—no, the Dark Humas might to the worthy lord that I have found."
"Oh-ho. So you are saying that you have found what our race has been searching for all these centuries?" the warrior questioned, his voice filled with a mix of skepticism and curiosity. Ava stood tall, her determination unwavering as she replied, "Indeed, I have found a lord worthy of the Dark Humas' might, and I need your help to convince him of our power."
"Very well. I, Guigerdro, shall join you in this battle and lend my strength. For now." Then, even though his eyes were just hollow sockets, Ava felt as his eyes turned critical. He continued, "But remember, if this lord proves unworthy, he shall die."
"Don't worry, my Liege won't."
***
Confusion turned to outrage as the Hantik Queen watched her Workers and Soldiers unable to do a thing to a few dozen humanoids. The Hantik Queen's anger grew as she witnessed her once-innumerable ant army die, one by one, at the hands of these seemingly insignificant creatures.
As far as the ant queen could see, the enemy was using weapons in the shape of a long, slender stick that emitted bursts of fire and loud noises. And her ant troops use something similar by using the Limb Weaponization skill, which turns their limbs into projectile firing devices. This was a skill that had proven effective against most monsters in this area and helped the Hantik Ants establish dominance and defend their territory.
Additionally, the humanoids' have built walls and dug trenches, and along their disciplined lines, they strategize and coordinate their attacks with precision. The Hantik Queen wasn't like the ignorant and mindless monsters that prowled this area; realizing the effectiveness of the humanoids' tactics, she decided to adapt and emulate their strategies. However, even with this new approach, they were still on the back foot and struggled to gain an advantage.
This is because of the extremely long-range weapons that the humanoids possessed, which wiped out entire swaths of the Hantik Queen's forces before they could even get close. The Hantik Queen was supposed to have a counter for these long-range weapons, her Hantik Knights, the highest variant a Hantik Ant could evolve into.
They were capable of flight and had powerful exoskeletons that provided them with enhanced protection. However, they were preoccupied with a single humanoid, trapping them inside a floating crimson ball, rendering them unable to assist in the battle.
The Hantik Queen watched in frustration as her prized Hantik Knights remained incapable of contributing to their assault against these trespassers on their territory. She knew that without the support of her Knights, victory would be uncertain. Desperate to break the stalemate that's bleeding her forces, the Hantik Queen made the decision to use her trump card—a trump card that she was reluctant to use. With a heavy heart, the Hantik Queen took a deep breath and let out a high-pitched, piercing scream that reverberated through the battlefield.
***
Suddenly, the air was pierced with a shrill and deafening sound as the Hantik Queen screeched, causing allies and enemies alike to freeze in their tracks. Ava was just about to give her orders to her newly summoned undead fellow kin when the Hantik Queen's scream reached her ears.
Ava frowned. 'What's happening?' she wondered, a cold sweat forming on her brow. Seeing the Hantik Ants retreating with haste and purpose, she grew cautious as to why the Hantik Queen's scream had caused such a reaction. She was apprehensive, but as the commander on the field, she knew she had to remain composed and quickly assess the situation.
"This is Princess 01 to HQ! Give me a sitrep as to what that oversized ant was trying to do with that ear-piercing screech!" Ava urgently demanded into the telepathic communication network, her voice laced with concern and authority.
A few tense seconds passed as Ava awaited a response from headquarters. The silence was unsettling, amplifying her growing unease. She couldn't shake off the feeling that something sinister was at play, and time was running out to uncover the truth.
And then, finally, a telepathic message broke through the silence, relaying the information Ava had been desperately seeking. But what she would hear would send chills down her spine. "T-this is HQ," the voice stammered, filled with fear and uncertainty. "I-it seems that the Hantik Queen was... eating her own kind."
"What?" Ava's heart skipped a beat as the words sank in, leaving her speechless. 'But for what purpose?' she wondered, her mind racing to comprehend the reason behind such a gruesome act.
Then she remembered one of the many lessons Isao had taught them about the many skills he suspected might exist in this game-like world. Like his Unique skill Devour, which allowed him to restore his HP and MP and even gain additional abilities by consuming the flesh of defeated monsters.
Could it be possible that the Hantik Queen possessed a similar skill, using her own kind as a means of survival or empowerment? The thought sent shivers down Ava's spine. However, she knew that speculation wouldn't get her anywhere. She needed to act, and she needed to act quickly.
"HQ! Provide the Hantik Queen's coordinates to the Mage Team!" Ava urgently commanded, her voice filled with determination.
Changing the recipient of her telepathic message, she reached out to the Mage Team's leader and said, "Mage 01, this is Princess 01! I want you to bombard the Hantik Queen's location provided by HQ with all the firepower you've got. Whatever she's doing there, it can't be good. We need to neutralize her before she poses a greater threat to our mission."
BOOM!-BOOM!-BOOM! Explosions echoed in the distance as the Mage Team unleashed their devastating assault on the Hantik Queen's coordinates. The ground shook beneath Ava's feet, but she was apprehensive, her instincts as a Dark Huma saying that this was not yet the end of the battle.
Oh, how correct she was. As the smoke cleared, Ava's eyes widened as she saw not just one but two more Hantik Queens emerging from the wreckage, their menacing presence signaling a formidable challenge ahead. And they screeched in unison, and the Hantik Ants willingly offered their bodies as sacrifices to enhance the Queens' strength. They jumped to the wide, open mouths of the Queens, fueling their power.
But Ava was not deterred. She was smiling fiercely, ready to face the new threat head-on. If she defeated this formidable challenge, she could finally absolve herself of the guilt that had plagued her since the death of the hero.
She might be resurrected already, but the fact remains that she failed to protect the loved one of her Liege. And this achievement could make the standing of her fellow Dark Humas stronger in the eyes of their Liege, even though it was unnecessary.
"Guigerdro," Ava turned to the undead Dark Huma, who had a commanding presence that she summoned earlier. "My apologies; the Hantik Queen interrupted me earlier. But let me give you your first orders."
"Follow me in battle and show our Liege the unwavering loyalty and strength of the Dark Humas." The undead Dark Huma, Guigerdro, put his Mana Rifle to his chest and nodded in understanding. "For the duration of this battle and until your lord proves himself worthy of our race's allegiance, we shall lend our powers and skills to aid you in your cause," Guigerdro declared, his voice echoing with an eerie confidence.
The other undead Dark Humas, followed suit, their skeletal forms and cyberpunk armor clanking as they also put their Mana Rifles to their chests.
"My fallen and summoned brethren!" she called out in a commanding tone, her voice carrying across the battlefield. "We finally found a worthy lord that our race has been searching for! And the heads of those oversized ants make for a fitting tribute for our Liege!"
If Isao ever heard her words, he would definitely, vehemently refuse such bloody tributes. But unfortunately, he was too far away to hear her.
"To battle!" Ava shouted, and the Dark Humas, undead and summoned alike, rallied and left their fortifications to charge towards the enemy. Proving the claims calling them barbarians in the past, they fought with a ferocity unmatched by any other race.
Moving with viciousness and discipline, they fearlessly engaged the ant monsters. Even though they were moving fast, they fired volley after volley from their Mana Rifles, the lines changing places as they continued their relentless assault. The sound of gunfire echoed through the battlefield, both mana bullets and magically enhanced AP rounds tearing through the air.
As the Dark Humas let loose in their assault, the number of ant monsters began to dwindle until none were left standing. But they weren't just the ones who caused the reduction in enemy numbers. The three Hantik Queens, who have been eating their own kind, also played a significant role in thinning out the ant monster ranks.
And with the mana they had absorbed from their eaten offspring emanating from their bodies like an ominous glow, the Hantik Queens stood tall and formidable. But this isn't the end of the cannibalism that the Hantik Queens engaged in. The two newly born Hantik Queens approached the first Queen and let themselves be eaten, further fueling her power and strengthening the Queen.
Of course, Ava and the Dark Humas weren't so stupid to stand idly by and watch the Hantik Queens grow stronger. They fired their Mana Rifles at the Hantik Queen before it could consume the two newborn Queens. The Mage Team also used the cannons at their disposal and the coordinates provided by HQ to launch a relentless assault on the Hantik Queen to stop it from getting any stronger.
But they were already too late, as the Hantik Queen had already eaten enough of the newborn Queens to significantly increase her power. The mana inside her body created a cocoon of energy, enveloping her in a shimmering aura. As the cocoon beat with vibrant energy, cracks began to form, revealing the Hantik Queen's new form: standing more than five stories tall, with exoskeleton plates that gleamed in the sunlight. Her mandibles clicked menacingly as she unleashed a deafening screech, signaling her readiness to obliterate anything in her path.