I Became the Dark Knight in the Game - Chapter 80: Returning (5)

Dale stood at the entrance of the temple.

As always, it was a shabby temple.

Dale left Harty waiting at the temple entrance and slowly walked down the stairs. The usual scene unfolded in the pitch-black temple without a single ray of light.

The skeleton swinging its sword through the air in a corner.

The smiling head priestess with a blindfold that was always standing in the same spot like a temple structure.

The air was cool and calm.

But this tranquil atmosphere was shattered by the sound of Dale’s iron boots striking the ground.

Erielle’s gaze turned his way.

She saw Dale and greeted him with a smile on her face.

“Sir Dale, you’ve arrived. I’ve heard the news. You’ve vanquished the resurrected Ganiagos.”

“It was resurrected just recently, so it is hardly worth calling a demon.”

“Still, a demon is a demon. You’ve elevated our temple’s prestige, Sir Dale. The goddess is greatly pleased.”

Dale nodded his head.

Having faced Ganiagos personally, Dale knew the creature’s power was insignificant compared to other demons.

But to most people, such details were irrelevant.

What mattered was the fact that he actually defeated a demon.

Erielle spoke with delight.

“It was during a council meeting that we heard of Sir Dale’s triumph over Ganiagos. The sight of the church’s bishops with their downcast faces was immensely satisfying!”

She went on about trivial matters, such as the increase in those wishing to join the followers of the night due to this event, and how it allowed them to walk with their heads held high.

Dale half-listened to her talk while waiting for a moment to interject and steer the conversation elsewhere. It was then that something caught his eye as he glanced around.

The skeleton that was swinging its sword as always somehow drew his attention. Its dimly glowing eye sockets and frail form stood out.

More precisely, it was the movements and actions that captivated him.

“One hundred fifty million, three thousand seventy-one. One hundred fifty million, three thousand seventy-two.”

The skeleton raised its sword above its head, then slashed diagonally downward. Following this, it thrust forward, lifted its arms to slash through the air again, and then brought the sword down once more.

This routine was repeated endlessly by the skeleton.

The movements were basic, and simple even.

Yet, they were far from ordinary.

For some reason, the skeleton reminded Dale of Kristen whom he had faced before.

The lethal aura that only a swordsman dedicated to a lifetime of training could emit seemed to emanate from the skeleton.

Perhaps, it was even a higher realm of skill…

“Sir Dale? Are you listening?”

“Ah.”

Sir Dale scratched at his helmet. Erielle pouted for a moment before smiling again and speaking.

“It seems my story wasn’t very interesting to you.”

“…I was distracted by that skeleton.”

“Are you referring to Master Ludwig?”

Ludwig. Dale had surmised from his skeletal form that Ludwig had been male in his human life.

Dale asked her,

“Who raised that skeleton? Was it someone’s doing, or did it arise naturally?”

Undead beings fall into two categories.

Those resurrected through dark magic or witchcraft, and those who arise naturally due to some anomaly.

The former are controlled by the one who revived them and cannot defy their master, while the latter often act on their own instincts.

Erielle responded,

“If I had to guess, I’d say it’s the former. Master Ludwig refused death through his own will.”

“He wanted to become undead? But why choose to be a skeleton?”

Skeletons are considered the lowest tier among the undead.

Without muscles, bones alone struggle to exert much strength.

Erielle shrugged her shoulder.

“Perhaps because becoming a lich or a death knight requires much preparation and effort? I’m not entirely sure of the details myself.”

“Hmm.”

Dale looked at the skeleton closely. He must have been an outstanding swordsman during his lifetime. Dale narrowed his eyes sharply and envisioned the swordsman holding a sword. But now that he had become a lesser undead, he could no longer glimpse intelligence or wisdom from the skeleton.

Regret. Or perhaps obsession.

These seemed to be the only reasons one would turn to undeath.

Dale looked away from the skeleton and asked.

“I’d like to offer a prayer.”

“Ah, all the rooms are vacant now; feel free to enter any.”

Dale nodded his head and walked down the corridor. He put down the cursed sword in front of the prayer room, opened the door, and entered.

An altar and a silver candlestick stood in the narrow prayer room. When Dale knelt and removed his helmet, smoke rose from the unlit candles.

The smoke transformed into white feet and flowing hair that started cascading downwards.

“I have arrived.”

[Welcome, my proud son!]

The goddess always welcomed Dale warmly, but today, the sentiment was heightened.

The adjective “proud” was added to her welcome.

[Well done! You’ve done marvelously! That vile serpent was a dreadful being that should never return. Had it been left unchecked, it would have surely destroyed this continent. You’ve done well.]

“I was lucky. I encountered it just as it had resurrected. Had more time passed after its revival, I wouldn’t have stood a chance.”

It was exactly as he said.

Had Ganiagos regained more strength, Dale could not have won. In fact, he wouldn’t have even considered fighting but would have fled instead.

Without the help of Esther and the other priests, victory would have been impossible, and if the hunched-back man had not noticed Dale, the ritual might have been delayed.

Victory was the result of several coincidences converging.

Yet the goddess remarked,

[When coincidences align, it’s called destiny. And Dale, you’ve seized that destiny. Take pride in your achievement.]

Dale nodded his head.

Then he said,

“I wish to offer the souls I’ve collected so far.”

He had amassed a considerable number of souls. It was time to convert them into power.

The goddess said with admiration.

[You really have gathered a lot.]

“Can I advance to the next grade with these?”

[You can. I’ll elevate you right away.]

The goddess collected the souls from Dale.

Her gentle hand touched his forehead.

Flash!

New power began to seep slowly from the tips of Dale’s fingers.

The light in Dale’s eyes flickered menacingly a few times, illuminating the prayer room brightly.

A transformation was underway.

The armor Dale wore started to drip down like liquid, writhing as if it were a living creature, before reattaching to Dale’s body and reassuming the form of armor.

Yet, it was slightly different from before.

The surface had become harder, the shoulder guards sharper, and an indecipherable script was now etched vertically along the calf sections.

Dale turned his head to inspect the changes that had occurred to him.

My grade has gone up.

Dale’s shadow, which had not lost its presence even in the darkness, became even darker.

The chilly aura surrounding him intensified, and the gleam in his eyes that flickered in the darkness shone with a stronger color.

All these phenomena pointed to one thing.

Dale had ascended to a higher level.

The goddess of night was delighted with such changes as if they were her own doing.

[Congratulations! To see my son grow at such a swift pace fills this goddess with immense joy! No, I must not just stand here. I must immediately send an oracle to Eriell to throw a festival. It’s precisely for moments like this that I’ve saved up wealth!]

“Please don’t do that.”

Dale thought as he stopped the goddess from trying to play any gimmicks.

I’ve reached grade 4.

Grade 4. It was a midpoint in one’s class and was often marked as the stage where one truly began to express their individuality as a dark knight.

After all, the robust physical strength he had relied on until now was not unique to dark knights alone.

Dale asked,

“Are there new skills I can learn?”

There surely would be. Dale asked as if to confirm.

The goddess affirmed,

[Indeed, there are. Three skills await your selection. Choose one.]

Dale nodded his head.

Three options appeared before his eyes.

《Darkness Strike》

Imbue your weapon with the power of darkness to deliver a mighty blow to your enemy. Those who fail to defend properly will find themselves stiffened by the chilling embrace of darkness conveyed.

《Shadow Shield》

Surround yourself with shadows to fend off attacks. As the skill advances, the shadows will develop their own consciousness and start blocking attacks on their own without the need for commands.

《Soul Domination》

Controls the target’s soul with powerful soul power and plunges them into fear. Those with weak willpower will lose their reason entirely and obey your commands. It allows for the souls of the deceased to be bound forcibly to their corpses, enabling you to command them for a brief period.

Darkness Strike. Shadow Shield. Soul Domination.

Each skill was an essential part of the Dark Knight’s arsenal and boasted excellent efficacy.

If possible, he would choose all three.

However, that was not an option. A choice had to be made.

Dale weighed his options carefully.

Darkness Strike. Certainly a fine skill.

Imbuing one’s weapon with the power of darkness to unleash greater destruction, Darkness Strike was a skill that was both straightforward and devastating.

It could be applied in a variety of situations and was undoubtedly a choice that could never go wrong.

Yet, it somehow felt lacking for Dale at the moment.

It seems I already have enough destructive power.

With Dale’s formidable strength, he could easily deal significant damage to most foes. Increasing his destructive power further seemed unnecessary and almost wasteful.

Moreover, there was an issue with the cursed sword Dale wielded.

Darkness Strike couldn’t be used with a cursed sword that had the power to cut through spells.

Though it could be used with a secondary weapon…

Why should I do that?

Dale decided to exclude Darkness Strike from his options first.

Next to catch his eye was “Shadow Shield”.

As the name suggests, this skill involved surrounding oneself with shadows to block incoming attacks.

While it could offer significant protection, not just for oneself but also for allies, Dale shook his head.

It feels too wasteful to invest in defense.

Defense was not high on Dale’s list of priorities.

Shadow Shield seemed insufficient to warrant forgoing other skills. And so, only one skill remained to be considered.

“Soul Domination”.

A skill that ensnared and controlled the soul of an enemy.

Of course, domination wasn’t guaranteed to succeed.

The lower an opponent’s mental strength compared to Dale’s, the higher the likelihood of succumbing to his control, though the success rate wasn’t particularly high.

But that alone is enough.

Domination could fail.

But merely unsettling an opponent’s soul had its merits.

This was especially true when facing mages.

Disrupting a spellcaster’s focus with Soul Domination during incantation could nullify the spell and even inflict mental injuries.

More than anything, it’s not a bad idea to revive a killed opponent and have them fight.

He could briefly resurrect and dominate a freshly dead enemy.

Since some of the original abilities of the corpse could also be used, it was different from summoning undead by a necromancer.

Furthermore, should the skill evolve in the future, it might be possible to demonstrate incredible power on a battlefield with many enemies involved….

Dale made his decision.

“I will learn Soul Domination.”

[Are you sure?]

“Yes.”

A shadow flickered through Dale’s mind. He learned how to use Soul Domination.

The abstract feeling was etched into his consciousness.

[Do you grasp how to use it?]

“Yes, thanks to you.”

“Great. I hope this new skill will be of aid to you my son.”

All that remained was to allocate his stat points.

As always, Dale invested heavily in “Strength” followed by his “Soul”.

Soul Domination not only consumes a great deal of magical power but also depends on my mental strength.

Strengthening the soul would boost both magical power and mental strength.

And if he wanted to make good use of Sould Domination, it could be said to be a necessary investment.

Afterward, Dale invested the remainder in “Armor” and reviewed his stats.

Dale

Grade: 4

Class: Dark Knight

Strength: 72

Defense: 45

Magical Power: 32

Stamina: ―

Mental Strength: 22

[List of Acquired Skills]

Life Force Absorption

Black Mist

Soul Domination

Traits

Half-human, Half-undead

Unholy Senses

Blessing of the Goddess of Night

Titles

Demon Slayer

His grade had now reached 4 while boasting strength and defense that far exceeded expectations for his level.

My magical power has greatly increased too.

Drinking the blood of Ganiagos and strengthening his soul had borne fruit. Now Dale could handle vastly more magic than before.

It was satisfactory growth.

These numbers proved that Dale was at least not going in the wrong direction.

The goddess too expressed her pleasure,

[Well done, truly well done my son. Keep going. Then your wish will come true. And you will reach your desired wishes and the truths you seek.]

Dale bowed respectfully in gratitude and, having finished his business, turned to leave without any regrets.

“I shall take my leave now.”

[Why leave so soon? Stay a bit longer and talk with me.]

“…. I’m just swamped with work right now. I promise to stay longer next time I visit.”

The night goddess reluctantly accepted this. And Dale hastened his steps to leave.

As always, the goddess spoke to Dale’s departing back with a wistful tone.

[Do visit more often, my son. It saddens your goddess to be sought out only when there’s a need.]

Her voice then took on a slightly cold edge.

[If you don’t visit more often, I might just send an oracle to Eriel to forcefully bring you back.]

Dale pretended not to hear and hurried out of the prayer room.

As he walked, he pondered over the new powers he had acquired.

I wonder how well I can wield them right away. The problem is, I have no one to test them on.

It wasn’t something he could just try out on others without reason.

If only there was a suitable opponent…

Just then, Dale’s eyes landed on the skeleton swinging a sword.

“One hundred and fifty million, four thousand and eighty-three.”

Dale thought to himself.

Come to think of it, soul domination doesn’t have to be used solely on humans. It’s also possible to take control of the undead summoned by necromancers. In that case…

Dale fixed his gaze on the skeleton.

The glow within his helmet flickered and the magical power emanating from his body rippled outward in waves.

The magic enveloped the skeleton. The hollow eye sockets of its skull trembled precariously.

Dale was uncertain if he had succeeded or failed and so he commanded,

“Come here.”

Then the skeleton turned its head and walked quickly towards Dale with its sword hanging down.

Then it held the sword and bowed its head in front of Dale.

“Oh.”

To Dale’s own surprise, his first attempt was a clear success, almost to the point of being disturbing.

It was a casual try, more of a practice attempt without much thought…

“Did that actually work?”

The next moment, Erielle who witnessed the scene exclaimed in alarm.

“Sir Dale! What are you doing?”

Dale then found himself enduring a lengthy sermon from Erielle on why one should not dominate the souls of fellow believers.