Building My SSS-Rank Universal Empire: From Trash to Cosmic Overlord-Chapter 161: Shit

He began to climb down from the platform through the stairs, and as he did, he began to create more glowing red orbs around himself, lighting up the area.

The air was strangely fresh— not something Vale expected— but when he thought about it, he realized that there must be some kind of magic or enchantment that allowed the free flow of air.

’....Why don’t they just build it above ground and save us all the stress...’ Vale grumbled inwardly.

The buildings were almost similar to what was seen back in the Clan among the lower clan members. Vale picked a street that he thought would make him reach the Commander’s building quickly, and he stuck to it.

His balls of glowing light followed behind him like little stars. It unnerved him—the way silence and darkness lay thick between the buildings. It was strange, walking through a dead village.

Now and then, he would see different buildings that must have been used for purposes other than housing. And then the smell hit.

Vale froze as the stench of rotted flesh filled the air, but it was different— as if he were sniffing dried bones.

’.....I’m smelling dead bodies, but they’re long dead... Were there people left behind here after the Commander fell?....’

Thinking about it now, Vale had never heard what happened to the Knights of the Commander. Did they return to the Hinterlands or die with him?

’.....Some must have remained, but how? Why didn’t they just leave.....’

Two streets more, and he saw his first dead bodies.

He saw them in the space where four streets met, and the way they were arranged was so strange that a chill ran down his back. A large round table with chairs—each occupied by a dead person. What remained of them was nothing more than bones with thin, blackened, dried flesh.

They wore tattered robes that seemed to have been preserved somehow. They were certainly cleaner than they should be.

Plates and cups were arranged in front of them as if they were just about to have their meal. But the food on their plates was skulls and finger bones.

’.....This... Someone did this....’ Vale was sure this was not the way these people died. His hand on his sword tightened as he took cautious steps forward.

Then, he suddenly extinguished all the fireballs around him, crouched, and quickly moved out of where he was. He used his essence senses to sweep the surroundings, but he felt nothing—everything was dead to him.

’....No one is monitoring me? Right, if there were survivors, they could only be Errant Knights or below, and unless there’s a large supply of food, they’d be long dead by now... unless they are Elemental Knights who can grow plants.....’

When he didn’t feel any eyes or presence, he created his fire orbs again and began to move forward. He ignored the skeletons, but now, the way he walked was different.

He didn’t move as casually as before—he walked as if he were expecting an attack at any moment. But he soon forgot about the bodies as he moved deeper into the village, the building he was after growing bigger with every step he took.

Suddenly, he stopped walking again and looked around, turning to take in the new sight. The buildings surrounding him were wrecked—walls crumbled, and roofs crushed. And around him were dead bodies.

’....There was a fight here... Did the survivors fight among themselves, or is this something else?....’

He shook his head and continued, the darkness parting around him with each step he took. Just then, he heard a series of clicking sounds, as if something hollow was being knocked together. He looked straight ahead and saw that his way was blocked.

Three dead bodies—more bones than flesh—stood in front of him, their eyes burning with green fire. They emitted a cold aura that was different from the usual coldness of ice.

"Undead... There’s a Necro Knight here!" Vale hissed. "No wonder those bodies were standing so strangely earlier. Right, a necromancer can definitely live this long as long as he draws nutrients from his undead..."

Vale frowned as he felt numerous eyes watching him from the shadows—green fire eyes starting to glow around him, a fire that burned with coldness. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"Why don’t you just come out?" Vale raised his voice. It echoed in the darkness, bouncing off buildings, but nothing answered him back except the clicking of bones.

"I don’t have time for this," Vale said, and his sword blazed with fiery light, bathing the surroundings in red. "Not for dried bones."

A wave blasted off him, washing over the undead, and their dried bones easily caught fire, turning into charcoal and ashes within seconds. The buildings around him were leveled as well.

He didn’t bother walking anymore. Instead, he immediately jumped into the air, an explosion sending shockwaves rippling beneath his feet as he was launched higher. He did it again as he was about to touch down, crushing the building below him.

The small village echoed with the sound of small explosions and flaring red light. Within minutes, he was close to the building, and after a few more explosions, he was standing in front of it.

’.....It’s a grand building, fit for a commander... But what the hell is standing in front of it?....’ Vale thought, a frown on his face. His essence senses swept forward, and his frown only deepened.

’....It’s not a monster... That’s a human?.....’

It was hunched and dressed in tattered robes that seemed to be made of soil, with the amount of dirt clinging to it. Its... his face was a mess of half-chewed, rotted flesh struggling to cling to the bones, weeping yellow pus and green liquid.

The eyes in the sockets were hollowed and withered, burning with a green brilliance of coldness. The ground beneath it was covered in a thin layer of frost.

It was mumbling, mouth opening and closing with sharp clicking sounds.

’...This... Is this the Necro Knight? This one has turned into a monster.... More dead than alive...’

Vale studied it in pity, readying himself to end its miserable existence.

But then, the mumbling got louder—so loud that parts of the words reached him. And then it got louder still, and sharper, gaining clarity with each word.

"Huh... eii... the... the... I... I... smell... smell Athrimir! The Commander is back... Must, must be strong to kill him... More... more... eat more flesh... build more armies!"

The half-monster Necro Knight turned to Vale at the end of its rotted speech and let out a scream—half filled with pain and joy.

Vale took a step back. "Shit."