Deus Necros-Chapter 230: Secret of The March

"I don't know much about being your disciple," Ludwig said, his voice calm but firm. "I personally never agreed to it. But the Tyrant Blade art… I got a book about it from the library back in Tibari."

The Knight King's shadowy form loomed over Ludwig, his glowing eyes narrowing as he considered the undead's words. "I see… though I see no reason to call you a liar, I find it hard to believe that you could understand the words written in that book."

Ludwig shrugged, his expression unbothered. "Well, I know how to do this," he said, and without warning, he activated [Summersault Slam]. His body flipped upward with a fluid motion, his weapon stopping a mere centimeter from the floor.

"I didn't finish it," Ludwig added, "in case I break the palace…"

The Knight King's glowing eyes flickered with something akin to surprise. "I can see that you know the basics," he admitted. "Tell me, why did you pick this art?"

"I heard it was pretty strong," Ludwig replied, his tone casual.

"It is," the Knight King said, his voice deepening. "But you… I don't think you should use it. That's an art not for the likes of you."

Ludwig frowned, his skeletal brow furrowing. "What do you mean?"

"It is an art made to kill those who are like you," the Knight King said, his tone grave.

"I'm getting confused," Thomas interjected, his voice echoing from the lantern.

"Silence, spirit!" the Knight King roared, his voice reverberating through the room.

Ludwig raised an eyebrow. "How did you even hear him?"

The Knight King paused, his glowing eyes flickering as if he were processing the question. Then, to Ludwig's surprise, the shadowy figure let out a deep, rumbling laugh. "I… I see," the Knight King said, his laughter fading into a darker tone. "HAHAHAHAAH! I'm also a spirit… what wretched luck is this? That book should have been destroyed…"

Ludwig glanced down at the Codex Necros, noticing that the image of the Knight King was slowly reforming on the page.

"I don't have much time left in this form… quite unfortunate," the Knight King said, his voice growing quieter. "But don't use that art anymore."

"You're not my boss," Ludwig shot back, his tone defiant. "And I definitely will keep using it."

The Knight King's form seemed to ripple with anger. "You fool! That is not an art for battle!"

Ludwig crossed his arms, his expression unimpressed. "Then what is it for? This looks like a battle art alright. It hits hard! Is it not enough for battle?"

The Knight King's glowing eyes narrowed. "It seems that you're mentally unwell."

"Did he just call me stupid? I think he just called me stupid…" Ludwig muttered, glancing at Thomas.

"No, I think I kinda understand what he means…" Thomas said, his voice thoughtful. This time, the Knight King didn't interrupt him. "The art you're using, although I'm not the smartest person when it comes to swordsmanship… it's not meant to fight humans. I think that's what he's trying to say."

Ludwig tilted his head, his confusion evident. "That's making me even more confused. I thought all sword arts are made to fight humans…"

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"That's a misconception," the Knight King said, his voice heavy with frustration. "I developed that art to protect my kingdom. Not against humans, but the monsters of this world. That art is designed to tear apart beasts and fiends, and break their will under immense power and strength. The more one uses it, the more it would break them down. Though I have cleaned up my kingdom from all fiends before I was worn down by it."

Ludwig thought for a moment, his skeletal fingers tapping against his weapon. "No wonder you didn't use it against me and Master Van Dijk," he said finally.

The Knight King's form flickered, his glowing eyes dimming slightly. "I have little memory of what occurred back in Tibari, but I remember fighting you, although I was completely constricted and limited."

Ludwig didn't comment, waiting for the Knight King to continue.

"Regardless of this, don't use it," the Knight King said, his tone firm. "It's unbefitting to have a monster such as you use an art to kill other monsters…"

"No," Ludwig said simply.

"You infuriating brat!" the Knight King howled, his shadowy form rippling with anger.

"Think about it," Ludwig said, his voice calm but insistent. "Where are we right now?"

The Knight King frowned, his glowing eyes scanning the room. Though there was nothing but the crumbling walls of the palace, the Knight King seemed to hesitate. "This… this place… how could it fall so? This used to host lives and people… what sort of atrocities happened to this land?"

"I don't think you're one to speak," Ludwig said, his tone dry. "I've seen Tibari with my own eyes. It wasn't any better."

"That's different," the Knight King said, his voice tinged with bitterness. "For Tibari to have fallen to the Gluttonous Death, it was nothing but its fate. Though we fought, we never were able to beat the corruption. Here, on the other hand… this isn't done by something as mighty as the Gluttonous Death, but it is by far more sinister… it was done by humans themselves…"

[You have received a new Quest!]

[Fallen Lands]

Part 1

The Bastos March was once a prosperous land of wealth and peace. However, a great danger befell the land that turned it to what it is today.

Investigate the source of the current fall of the Bastos March.

Reward: 10 Weak Souls.

The Knight King's form began to fade, his glowing eyes dimming as he spoke. "I grow tired of this. Do whatever you want, brat. But these lands, with how feeble you are, I doubt you'll ever escape them… there is more danger outside these walls than inside them. As an undead, I doubt you'll find any comfort in remaining here for eternity."

With those final words, the Knight King's form disappeared, returning to the Codex Necros.

"Man, he has a nasty temper…" Thomas said, his voice breaking the silence.

"Can you blame him?" Ludwig replied, his tone thoughtful. "His whole kingdom was taken over by a psychopath, and then his people were corrupted. He had to live eons watching them like that. And then a random undead monster comes in and takes his masterwork technique, which probably took him a lifetime to create, and makes it his own…"

"Now that you say it like that, you do sound like the evil guy in the story," Thomas said, his tone teasing.

"Yeah, right," Ludwig said, rolling his eyes. "Regardless, this is pretty nice for now. Looks like I'll need to investigate more of this place before we can go outside it."

"Sounds like a plan then," Thomas replied, his voice fading as he returned to the lantern.

Ludwig stood alone in the crumbling palace, the weight of the Knight King's words lingering in the air. The Bastos March was a land of secrets and dangers, and Ludwig knew that his journey was far from over.

With a deep breath—or the undead equivalent—he tightened his grip on his weapon and stepped forward, ready to uncover the truth behind the fall of the Bastos March.