"...Hu...man."
Logan stiffened for a second, goosebumps spreading on his arms from the voice. He could feel the imnse danger this being was... yet his instincts weren’t warning him this ti.
He swallowed hard, narrowing his eyes. He had to push through and get the answers he wanted.
’’Hello,’’ he said. ’’I am indeed human.’’
The green fire in the skeleton king’s eyes flickered, but they never left Logan’s body.
Logan forced himself not to look away and keep going until he got the answers he wanted. ’’You understand , don’t you?’’
The skeleton king didn’t answer his question. Instead, its eyes slowly drifted past him, scanning the surroundings in great detail.
The green flas in its eyes dimd for a second, before flaring up brighter.
When it finally spoke, its voice ca out like the sound of stones colliding deep underground.
"...This plane... thin... Not mine."
Logan’s eyes widened slightly. ’Plane?’
The skeleton king tilted its head back, staring up at the ceiling as if searching for sothing.
’’Isolated... but cracks everywhere,’’ it continued, its voice slowly getting used to talking.
Its eyes flared up, sending shivers down Logan’s spine.
’’Shallow... Death here... weak.’’
It raised its arms and stared at them, the flas in its eyes flickering wildly.
’’Vessel weak too,’’ its voice echoed through the room. ’’Death enough... for now.’’
’Death is weak here?’ Logan repeated in his mind, narrowing his eyes. ’What exactly does that an?’
’I suppose he’s comparing it to the place I’ve seen in my dreams... but where is that even?’
Logan clenched his fist and looked up. He had to get answers, and he wanted them now.
’’Hey,’’ he said, taking a step closer. ’’What are you? And where do you co from?’’
The skeleton king slowly put down its arms and tilted its head slightly as it stared at Logan.
’’Strange... human,’’ it said. ’’Or spawn of the... abyss?’’
Logan’s jaw tightened. "Spawn of the abyss? No. I’m human."
The flas in the Skeleton King’s eyes narrowed, flickering like slits. "Human... yet not. Abyss clings to you..."
It paused for a second, then took a step closer.
’’Life... also clings to you...’’ it said. ’’Impossible...’’
Logan didn’t know what to say, its voice echoing through his mind. ’Life and death? Impossible?’
’’What do you an impossible?’’
The skeleton king lood above him, its green flas flaring brightly. ’’Two rivers... should never et. Yet in you... they burn and rot together. Never seen before... bloodline.’’
Then it said the words that made Logan’s eyes widen. ’’Phoenix... and Raven.’’
Logan’s chest tightened. The dreams he’d had about both creatures flashing before his eyes. Being burned alive by a phoenix... the skeleton king clashing with the Abyssal Raven.
’’You’ve seen them before?’’
The king’s head tilted slightly, the movent rattling its bones. ’’Fought... Endless war... until cracks and pieces shattered.’’
Logan’s eyes widened slightly. ’War... and what are these cracks and pieces he’s talking about?’
He shook his head slightly. ’No that isn’t important right now.’
’’How were you inside ?’’ he pressed, voice low but firm. ’’And why?’’
The flas in its eyes dimd for a mont, then its bones started crackling as if it was laughing at him.
After a few seconds, the rattling laugh faded and it stared at Logan again.
’’What’s so funny?’’ Logan asked, clenching his fist tightly.
The Skeleton King’s head tilted, the flas in its sockets burning faintly. "...Human questions. Always why... but always far out reach.’’
It paused for a mont, then continued. ’’Humans weak... only strong get answers.’’
Logan went through a mix of emotions, not sure how to feel. But even so, he needed to get an answer to his question.
’’At least answer this— how did you get inside ?’’
The skeleton king stared at him for a mont, the flas in its eyes flaring up. ’’Chance... irregularity... your soul there... and open.’’
’’Do you know how my soul got there?’’ Logan imdiately asked.
Seconds passed, but the skeleton king remained quiet.
Logan didn’t know if it had lost interest or if it didn’t know the answer either, but he was already satisfied with the answers he had gotten so far.
’I didn’t expect it to tell everything right away,’ he thought, shaking his head. ’But there’s one question left really.’
Logan stared at the skeleton king with narrowed eyes. ’Is he my ally or my enemy?’
With no easy option to figure that question out, Logan decided to start probing.
’’...So now what?’’ he started, voice low. ’’You live inside ... what does that an for us?’’
The skeleton glanced at Logan again, the flas flickering in its eyes.
’’Boun. For now. You live... I exist. You break... I vanish.’’
Logan’s eyes narrowed. ’’So our fates are tied.’’
The king tilted its head, as if unwilling to accept such a reality. After a few monts, it finally spoke again.
’’Yes. But do not mistake... I am not servant. My blade shan’t be drawn at whim.’’
Logan’s jaw tightened slightly. ’So he won’t be a tool that I can use whenever I please.’
This was far from what he wanted.
’The first Dark Knight was supposed to be my safety net,’ he thought, gritting his teeth. ’Sothing I could always rely on.’
Logan shook his head, forcing himself to focus. ’I should have expected as much after I summoned him though.’
He looked at the flas in its eyes, then spoke.
’’Then what will you do?’’
The creature’s voice ca out imdiately, cold and deep.
’’Fight... Strong... Forget weak.’’
Logan nodded, happy with at least that much. ’’Good tha—’’
’’Until cracks widen... and abyss returns.’’
The skeleton creature’s voice echoed through the room.
Its words gave Logan goosebumps. ’What are these cracks, and the abyss? Does he want to fight until he can return there?’
Many questions once again ran through his head, but his eyes remained firm. He needed to confirm that the skeleton king would truly help him and not harm him in any way.
’’So you’ll help fight the strong, but not the weak?’’ Logan repeated.
’’Human... right.’’
’’Alright,’’ Logan mumbled. ’’That’s sothing at least.’’
He exhaled, feeling the tension leave his body. While he hadn’t gotten a knight that perfectly listened to his commands, he did get so kind of ancient warlord... and it seed like it wasn’t against helping him since they were bound together.
’I’m not sure if he can be counted as an ally,’ Logan thought. ’But at least he isn’t an enemy either.’
Still, he couldn’t help but wonder what this abyss that the warlord ntioned was and what would happen when these cracks widen.
He shrugged. ’I think I’ll be able to get more information from it eventually. It’ll probably stay with for a long ti after all.’
Logan straightened his back, a smile growing on his face. "Then we’ll leave it at that. You fight when the strong appear, and I’ll deal with everything else myself."
The flas in the Skeleton King’s sockets pulsed once. No words followed, but the gesture felt like an unspoken acknowledgent.
He exhaled slowly. ’’... that’s enough for today then.’’
Slowly, the skeleton king dematerialized in front of him, its sickly green mana flowing into Logan’s palm again, rushing straight towards the undead chamber in his heart.
Logan clenched his fist as he felt the extrely cold mana rush through his body, yet he was no longer afraid of it.
’If I pass, he does too,’ he thought. ’Which ans it can’t harm for now.’
The reason why he unsummoned it now was simple. He had gotten what little he could out of the creature, and pressing further now felt pointless.
’’I’ll need to assess its strength later on,’’ he muttered, shaking his head. ’’Doubt it needs to train in so way though.’’
He couldn’t imagine that the ancient warlord needed to sharpen its techniques. Most likely, all it needs is mana to continue growing stronger since it had lived for thousands of years and fought countless creatures.
’I might even be able to get so techniques from it later,’ he thought, eyes widening slightly. ’Maybe it’s even more worth than I’d expected.’
As for figuring out its strength, Logan would look into it later.
’I could go to a dungeon soti,’ he thought. ’Or who knows, I might already be in danger before that.’
He sat down on the ground and let out a deep breath, staring up at the ceiling. He smiled.
’’Seems like the future will be even more interesting now,’’ he said. ’’And I have another chance to grow insanely much stronger.’’
His fingers drumd against the glaive beside him while his mind raced with the many possibilities that had opened up.
"Another chance..." Logan whispered.
He closed his eyes for a mont, letting exhaustion wash over him. His mind moved on to the next event, the freshman competition in six days from now.
’I should be fine to head to the university tomorrow,’ he thought.
Logan smiled. ’I wonder if I’ll need the Dark Knight at the competition... and what other people would think of him.’
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