PMS 07

Chapter-07

I decided to join the Herter Mercenary Corps.

Any misfortune that might happen during the wyvern hunt… I figured I could handle it somehow. After all, there were still a few months left until next year.

‘Well, come to think of it, it was inevitable.’

It was bound to happen that the Herter Mercenaries would notice me sooner or later.
Who else at sixteen would display such martial prowess?
I should just think of it as fate — everything aligned a little earlier than expected.

Anyway, there were still three days before the mercenary corps left this region.

In the meantime, I had something to take care of.

“Allen! Those guys showed up at the tavern!”

“Did they now?”

As expected, those bandits again.

With three days left, the news had finally arrived. I had slipped a few gold coins to a drunkard who loitered in the tavern, telling him to watch whether those men came by.

Bandits usually had a habit of drinking heavily before a raid — a sort of “send-off feast,” if you could call it that — so I expected them to stop by the tavern first.

‘Whew. I thought I might miss the dungeon.’

Not that it would’ve been a great loss, but there was quite a decent artifact there — one I didn’t want to just pass up.

The drunkard kept babbling.

How the bandits swaggered into the tavern, saying they were going up the mountain.
How they were armed to the teeth and bragging that they’d start a new life as adventurers.
How they couldn’t stop grinning from ear to ear.

“Thank you.”

I handed the drunkard a few more coins and headed straight for the cave.

All I carried was a sword and a backpack.
But even that was enough — I was fully prepared.
After all, the “sacrifice” was their part to play.

“Let’s see…”

When I arrived, the entrance of the cave was a mess — clear signs that people had gone in and out.

“They really danced around here, huh.”

There were far too many footprints for just three people.

They must’ve been thrilled.
I suppose it made sense — lifelong bandits finally meet a “benefactor,” get their illnesses cured, and receive intel on a dungeon?
They probably thought social advancement was within reach.

“Ecstatic…”

But there was a problem.

When I went deeper inside, instead of three bandits, I found dozens of corpses strewn across the floor.

“Don’t tell me…”

I hadn’t expected this at all.

That coward Mosley must’ve been too afraid to go alone — so he brought a whole bunch of men with him.

“That idiot! No guts at all!”

I smacked my forehead.

Who would’ve thought men who could cut off a wrist without flinching would lose their nerve here?

I was foolish to assume they’d keep it secret — that they’d quietly go on their own because it was valuable information.

Bandits are cowards who only act tough when they think they have the advantage!

“Ah, this is bad.”

And the problem… was the number of them.

Slither…

From the corpses on the cave floor, thin streams of blood were crawling outward like red threads.
Those threads merged, forming a small crimson stream that flowed deeper into the cave.

That was the cave’s true nature.

A Bloodsucking Cave.

I stared as the rivulets of blood trickled deeper inside.

“So… how much stronger has it gotten this time?”

For a brief moment, a sense of dread washed over me — but I quickly straightened my grip on my sword.

Yeah, even if it had absorbed more blood this time, I was far stronger than I’d been in my previous life.

“All right then! Let’s see which of us is the bigger variable, shall we, cave?”

Even if the ritual sacrifice had consumed dozens instead of three, it didn’t matter much.
I knew this dungeon inside and out — every twist and trap — from the prophetic dream I’d seen.

“Let’s go claim that sword.”

And with that, I stepped into the cave.

The cave was deep and damp. Not only did it reek of blood, but also of something burnt — a sharp, acrid stench.

Just as I’d heard in my previous life.

Just like in that article from Dungeon Registry, the magazine updated annually in the capital.

“They said this place was created by an ancient mage.”

Back then, adventuring parties eventually uncovered that fact.
They triggered the ritual of human sacrifice, opened the way, and advanced into the depths by torchlight.

There, they faced the dungeon’s monster.

Many lives were lost, but numbers prevailed — they finally defeated the creature and earned a formidable artifact.

A sword shaped like a key.

Originally meant to open something, but it surpassed its original function — famed as a sturdy weapon: the Keyblade.

That was exactly what I needed.

I glanced down at the sword in my hand.

‘This won’t cut it.’

Even if it was a noble family’s sword, how could a blade from the House of Prophecy compare to a classified artifact-grade weapon?

To wield my full power, I needed a proper sword.

Step.

‘Though… I’ll have to deal with that skeleton golem made of massive bones.’

Step, step.

‘Shouldn’t be too hard to toy with it — the only question is how much stronger it’s become after absorbing more blood…’

Then I froze.

The moment I reached the deepest chamber, I saw something strange.

Instead of the peacefully dormant skeleton golem I expected—

“Hehehe~ What a feast this is.”

—a talking skull was rummaging through the golem’s belongings, pulling the sword out of its chest.

The skull turned and saw me.

We both blinked in confusion.

After a brief, silent stare-off, the skull tossed the key-shaped sword back into the golem’s chest and rubbed its bony hands together.

Clatter clatter.

“Ah, I see now. The door must’ve been opened already.”

The skull laughed eerily, then politely bowed its head.

“My apologies. I didn’t even greet my guest. But really, how could I resist? The smell of blood was unbearable! I could’ve held back if it were five or six people, but dozens? My coffin burst open on its own!”

It pointed toward a massive black coffin in the corner — now with a gaping hole in it.

I nodded slightly.

“So that’s how it is. I didn’t know both could be summoned at once.”

“Both?”

“Last time, you were defeated by the second raiding party.”

“Second? What are you talking about?”

The lich tilted its skull in confusion.

Of course it didn’t understand — I was talking about events from my previous life.

The first activation of the ritual awakened only the skeleton golem.
Defeating it granted the Keyblade.

But if someone then used that Keyblade to tamper with the coffin—

This talking skull would appear.

That’s how the dungeon was truly cleared — by the second expedition.

And it became famous among mercenaries as a lesson: “Always check even ‘cleared’ dungeons.”

I kept a calm expression and replied,

“It’s natural you don’t understand. What I just said was a prophecy.”

“A prophecy? What do you mean?”

“It means I’ve seen the future. I’ve already seen the future where you lose to me.”

“Oh ho…”

The skull grinned.

“How daring. To taunt me, a lich!”

“It’s not a taunt. Just the future as it will happen.”

“Is that so? Then let’s see…”

Whoosh!

The lich swung its cloak — and vanished.

“Did you foresee this too?!”

In an instant, it reappeared before me, claws slashing down.

I sighed.

“Told you already.”

Clang!

Its claws met my sword head-on.

“What?! You predicted my teleportation?!”

“I said it, didn’t I?”

Crack.

Under my strength, its arm began to sink lower and lower.

“I can see the future.”

“Y-you damned human!”

Clang! Clang!

The dark cave flickered with light each time our weapons clashed.

“You’re quite something! Even if I haven’t performed the Keyblade ritual and can’t use dark magic, for you to last this long!”

“Is that so? Then I’m glad.”

Kaang!

I sheathed my sword momentarily, stepping back.

My face remained expressionless, but thoughts raced inside.

‘Stronger than I thought.’

I had prepared well — but that was preparation by my past life’s standards.

To someone of my current level, the lich was far beyond standard measure.
With that monstrous physique alone, an ordinary sword couldn’t possibly cut it down.

Just as it said — the fact that it couldn’t use dark magic was my saving grace.

‘Had it been able to, I’d probably have lost an arm by now.’

If it had launched ranged magic attacks, I would’ve had no choice but to take them head-on.

“Phew…”

I exhaled slowly, lowering my stance.

Mercenaries always prepare for the unexpected.
Surprise threats are just part of life.

And more importantly—

“It’s not like I wasn’t ready for this.”

“What?”

I had prepared a trick in case the skeleton golem fight went wrong.

If I pushed it, it might even work on the lich.

That trick was—

“Ptoo!”

—poison.

I spat hard. The lich instinctively twisted aside to dodge.

“What the—!”

“Nice reflexes.”

I spat out the small leather pouch that had been hidden in my mouth — it had a tiny puncture.

A mercenary’s trick pouch — designed to store toxins in the mouth, suck some up through the hole, and spit it out for a surprise attack.

“This smell… a blood coagulant?”

The lich immediately recognized the substance.

Blood coagulant — it gradually thickened blood until it hardened like stone.
Technically a poison.

Deadly to blood-drinking monsters.

Normally, it would have seeped into the skeleton golem’s blood-infused bones, slowing its movement.

“Hah.”

But the lich sneered.

“That’s all? Blood coagulants only work if the target drinks them. Spitting them on my skin won’t do anything!”

“I know.”

Of course I knew.
I was a veteran mercenary, after all.

That was just a bluff — a way to buy time.

“Because I’ve already made sure you did drink it.”

“What?”

I pointed to the thin blood streams still connecting him to the corpses.

“I mixed the coagulant into that blood before I came in.”

“Ha! Don’t make me laugh! Even if that were true, no ordinary coagulant could affect me, a lich!”

“I know that too.”

Yes — that applied to both the skeleton golem and the lich.

Ordinary coagulants used on vampire bats wouldn’t do a thing to a high-tier monster like this.

That’s why I’d brought something special.

“It’s not an ordinary one. I brought something very expensive.”

“Ridiculous! A mere mercenary couldn’t afford anything costly enough—unless it was the top-tier coagulant made by noble houses!”

“Noble houses? You mean this?”

I pulled out the brooch of the House of Prophecy.

“You… you’re a noble?”

“Yeah. You might not remember after a few centuries, but you should recognize this — the crest of the greatest noble house of this era.”

“Lies! You insolent brat! You dare mock me?!”

Frustrated by my words, the lich lunged again.

“All lies! Every word!”

“Is that so?”

I smiled, raising my sword calmly.

Thanks to his temper, the timing was perfect.

“If you thought that, you should’ve attacked sooner.”

Creak…

As the lich charged, its movements suddenly began to slow—

Crack!

—and then froze completely.

The top-tier blood coagulant I’d carried from the House of Prophecy had finally reached its full effect inside him.

“Th-this… can’t… be…!”

The blue flames in his eye sockets flickered weakly.

I slowly approached the immobilized creature.

“E… even… so… mere… swordsmanship… can’t… scratch…”

His words faltered, fading with each syllable.

Hummm.

The dull sword in my hand shimmered faintly with mana. The lich’s eyes flared wide.

“You… a mere child… can wield… mana…?”

“I mature fast.”

“This… impossible… coincidence…”

“Hey.”

I lifted the sword, its blade glowing blue, and aimed for his neck.

“I told you. It’s not coincidence.”

Then I swung with all the mana I had.

Crack!

The lich’s skull rolled across the floor, empty sockets staring blankly.

From its mouth came a faint whisper.

“This… cannot… be…”

“This is a true prophecy.”

I ground the skull beneath my heel.

“And you’ve just fulfilled it.”

And so, my second prophecy came true.