Chapter 1

### Chapter 1: I Had Talent

I had talent.

“Are you truly mad? Causing a ruckus at a tavern and getting thrown out? Do you know how much our family's honor has been tarnished because of you?”

I had the talent to tarnish the family's honor.

Father couldn't sleep at night dealing with the trouble I caused.

“Brother! Why did you assault the young lord of the Ryanbloom Marquessate? Sister was dragged away by that filthy troublemaker, trying to resolve the issue!”

I had the talent to trample on the family's future.

Sister had to marry unwillingly to avoid the wrath of the Ryanbloom Marquessate.

“Damian… Why did you borrow money using the family's land as collateral? The place you borrowed from is a business of the Duke. This time, even I can't help you.”

I also had the talent to squander the family's wealth.

The little wealth of the Haksen Viscount's family disappeared in my hands.

“Leave.”

Father finally couldn't bear it and cast me out.

Mother, who usually protected me, remained silent this time.

My younger brother was delighted, saying it was about time.

“Damian… At least take this money.”

Only Sister was worried about me.

Even though she had to break up with her beloved fiancé and ruin her life because of my misdeeds, she still cared.

“Please be happy.”

That day, for the first time, I understood what guilt and shame were.

I fled from the family like a runaway.

* * *

After being cast out of the family, I wandered aimlessly.

There was no way a fool who had lived off the family's blood all his life could have any special skills.

The money I had quickly ran out. To avoid starving to death, I had to do anything.

Begging was common, and I often got into fights.

“Hey, they say you're the young master of the Viscount's family. Your nose is so high it almost touches the sky.”

“You must be desperate to go mad. How about I grant your wish?”

And surprisingly, I discovered a new talent.

“My arm… My arm…!”

“S-Someone, give me a potion… My leg won’t move!”

“P-Please, j-just save me once!”

I had a talent for swordsmanship.

When I felled over ten thugs with a rusty dagger I found in a back alley, I finally realized my talent.

During my time in the family, I had spent my days in debauchery and laziness, never touching a sword.

That's why I didn't know I had such a talent.

“What? You want to become a mercenary? Is that frail body of yours going to be okay?”

“…Huh, your sword skills are surprisingly good, despite your appearance.”

“With this level of skill, you won’t die easily. Congratulations on joining our mercenary group.”

While working as a mercenary, I realized something.

My talent was far more impressive than I thought.

I could quickly master any sword technique. Not just swords, but I handled other weapons well too.

“I can’t believe you actually defeated a knight!”

“If it weren’t for you, we would all be dead!”

“Brother! From now on, I will only trust you!”

I quickly became the ace of the mercenary group.

No enemy frightened me. Even knights were no match for me.

Before long, I realized that my talent had no limits.

In a rather unpleasant way.

- Fresh corpses walking in on their own!

During a mission I took without much thought, our mercenary group encountered a Lich.

Lich

A necromancer who transformed themselves into an undead to avoid death.

Only the most powerful necromancers could become Liches, and their abilities were said to surpass their mortal lives.

The Lich our mercenary group faced was not an ordinary Lich.

It was an Archlich, the pinnacle of Liches.

The mercenary group was completely incapacitated by the Archlich's dark magic.

I was no exception.

- Oh? What a surprising discovery. A human with such immense talent. Even my magical eye can't gauge your limits!

The Archlich showered me with praise and admiration.

- But your talent's development is pitifully inadequate. With this level of talent, you could easily reach the level of a master with just a little practice.

The Archlich, who was observing me again, clapped his hands.

The sound was hard and dry, as only bones remained of his body.

- Ah, now I understand. Your soul's light is so weak that you must have been wasting your talent due to inherent laziness!

The Archlich accurately pinpointed my flaws as a human.

- Tsk, tsk, what a pity. But don't worry. From now on, I will make your talent bloom.

After that, a hellish time ensued.

The Archlich performed unspeakable and horrific acts on my body.

I was injected with dozens of drugs.

My organs were replaced with those of other creatures, and all kinds of magical artifacts were implanted.

After ten years, I was no longer human.

- Finally, it's complete!

Death Knight.

The highest-ranking undead, born only when a necromancer corrupts a knight's soul.

The Archlich used all his knowledge and resources to turn me into a Death Knight.

I found this situation far from pleasant, but I couldn't express my dissatisfaction.

During the process of transforming me into a Death Knight, the Archlich completely eradicated my intellect.

He did this to make me a loyal slave to him.

However, for some reason, my intellect did not completely disappear.

I couldn't control my body as I wished, feeling trapped inside it.

- Now, let's show the world your power.

As soon as I was completed, the Archlich started a war with humans.

Surprisingly, in the first battle, I alone slaughtered over a thousand soldiers.

The result of the Death Knight's powerful body, the immense dark magic forcibly infused into me, and my talent.

- Humans are dying like insects!

The Archlich gleefully sent me to more battlefields.

I cut, I cut, and I cut again.

The more I did, the more my talent rapidly developed.

At some point, I could perfectly understand and mimic any sword technique I saw once.

Eventually, I surpassed imitation and reached the level of creation.

I combined all the sword techniques I had learned to create a new one.

From then on, I had no equal.

Many knights were killed by me.

Among them were the King of Mercenaries, the Sword Saint, and the Empire's Greatest Swordsman.

No one could stop me.

Not even myself.

“Damian! Why are you with the Archlich? What is that form of yours!”

When I stabbed my father in the heart on the battlefield.

“Brother! Why are you doing this! Stop! Please, stop!”

When I beheaded my younger brother.

“Are you alive? But that form….”

When I burned down the family estate and killed my mother.

“Damian… You must have been unhappy.”

When I attacked the Ryanbloom Marquessate and watched as skeleton soldiers brutally killed Sister.

- How did it feel to kill the family that cast you out? I specially prepared this for you.

After killing my entire family and returning, the Archlich said to me.

He knew everything and had ordered me to attack the Haksen Viscount's family and the Ryanbloom Marquessate.

- Haha, of course, you felt nothing. But I was truly delighted. It was a great spectacle to watch.

I had never hated the Archlich so much.

I had never resented my talent so much.

Yet, I had to continue fighting for the Archlich.

And eventually, I succeeded in destroying all the kingdoms as he wished.

- Finally! The whole world is kneeling before me!

On the day the stubborn empire finally fell, the Archlich greatly praised me.

- This is all thanks to you! Without you, this day would never have come. No, I found you, so ultimately, the greatest credit goes to me. Hahaha!

That's right.

In this world, only the Archlich truly recognized my talent.

That's why the world faced a disaster in the form of me.

However, there was something the Archlich didn't anticipate.

My talent had already surpassed his calculations.

Enough to regain control of the body he had stolen from me.

On the day of the victory celebration, my consciousness returned.

* * *

It was a hellish scene.

The city walls had crumbled. Buildings were destroyed and burning.

Massacres were taking place in the streets.

“Ah!”

“Run! You must not be caught!”

The victims of the massacre were humans.

The blood of the people who once lived in this city was being spilled.

The perpetrators of the massacre were not human.

Partially rotten zombies, meat golems made from flesh, and bone ogres moving with only bones.

In addition, countless other undead were killing humans.

“Please, spare my son!”

“Mom! Mom!”

The undead, lacking reason, showed no mercy.

People were cruelly slaughtered.

- Hahaha, ahahaha!

Someone burst into laughter at the sight.

A man in a high-quality fur coat, which seemed out of place in this hell.

Or, was he even a man?

Only bones remained, making it impossible to determine his gender.

- Good! Very good! Just as I expected!

His skull repeatedly clacked as he laughed.

Though only bones remained, it was clear he was greatly pleased.

- They say revenge is sweeter the longer you wait. Can you imagine how great my joy is now, after 500 years, finally completing what I vowed to do?

No answer came.

The Archlich, Dorgo, turned his body and asked again.

- Why no answer? Isn't this body asking you?

Dorgo turned to see a middle-aged man being held by skeleton soldiers.

Ripe pumpkin-like yellow hair and a beard that reached his chest.

He was Howard Adelait, the Emperor of the Empire.

Howard Adelait, held by the skeleton soldiers, shouted at Dorgo.

“Beast! How dare you kill all my people! You filthy demon, even hell would be too good for you!”

To the current Dorgo, the Emperor's curse was meaningless.

In fact, it was even sweet.

Dorgo savored the Emperor's anger before speaking.

- So, are you done talking? Then let's proceed with the coronation.

“What kind of ridiculous talk is this! A creature like you having a coronation!”

- Heh, of course, it's my coronation. I am the first to unify the continent in history. Being called an emperor is not too much, is it?

Dorgo burst into laughter.

The Emperor closed his eyes tightly.

Just how far does this undead intend to mock humanity?

- Bring the crown.

Among the undead army, a black-armored undead walked out.

The moment the Emperor saw the Death Knight, his face turned pale.

Death Knight Damian Haksen.

Countless knights had lost their lives to this Death Knight, and over hundreds of thousands of soldiers had been massacred.

Dorgo's conquest of the continent was solely due to this Death Knight.

- Oh, my most loyal knight.

Dorgo looked at the Death Knight with affectionate eyes.

- Thanks to you, I have reached this position. How can I possibly commend your service?

The Death Knight stood still, holding the crown.

Dorgo laughed at the sight.

- What a foolish question. You are my slave. Serving me is the greatest joy.

As Dorgo's laughter grew louder, the Death Knight suddenly threw the crown behind his head.

Dorgo's laughter abruptly stopped at this unexpected action.

- What? What is this? I never gave such an order…

The Death Knight gripped the greatsword on his back.

In one step, he swung the sword.

Dorgo instinctively cast dark magic.

A black barrier appeared in front of him.

But the Death Knight's strike easily tore through the barrier.

Simultaneously, it cut Dorgo's body in half.

- W-What is happening…

The Death Knight removed his helmet, revealing a youthful face.

It was undoubtedly a human face.

However, due to the transformation into a Death Knight, the skin was entirely gray.

“Finally… I can move according to my will.”

As the voice came from the face, Dorgo was even more bewildered.

- H-How are you speaking? I completely eradicated your intellect!

“It only seemed eradicated. I didn't completely disappear. I was trapped inside my body, watching everything.”

Death Knight.

No, Damian Haksen, picked up Dorgo's upper half.

His face was expressionless, but his eyes burned with hatred and anger.

Dorgo, recognizing this, smiled.

- Oh… You are very angry. I understand. I would have been the same.

Despite the dangerous situation, Dorgo was at ease.

A Lich stores their soul in a magic container called a Life Vessel.

A Lich cannot die unless the Life Vessel is destroyed.

The same applied to Dorgo, the Archlich.

- Considering your service, I will allow you to vent your anger today. Until I find a way to control you again.

Dorgo had prepared several spare bodies.

If his current body was destroyed, he planned to transfer his consciousness to a spare body and regain control over Damian Haksen.

- Go ahead. You can crush this body to dust, or curse me as much as you want… Ugh!

Suddenly, Dorgo vomited black magic.

It wasn't just his mouth; black magic spewed from his entire body.

The dark magic and soul stored in the Life Vessel were flowing out.

- I-Impossible… Ugh!

The Life Vessel was intact.

Yet, Dorgo was dying in real-time.

It was incomprehensible.

“For a long time, I pondered how to kill you.”

A Lich cannot die unless the Life Vessel is destroyed.

But in the situation where Dorgo controlled me, finding the Life Vessel was impossible.

“To kill you, I created a sword technique that could cut through the soul.”

- T-There can't be such a technique…

“Why do you think it can't exist?”

Damian Haksen, gripping Dorgo's neck more tightly, said.

“Have you already forgotten who I am? Didn't you always boast about me! You said I was your greatest masterpiece!”

Damian Haksen.

His talent, grown by devouring countless strong beings, had reached a divine level.

With a sword, he could do anything.

The word "impossible" did not apply to him.

- S-Stop! Stop this creature immediately!

Panicked, Dorgo ordered the undead army.

Skeleton soldiers and golems rushed at Damian Haksen.

When Damian Haksen swung his greatsword, a black aura surged like a tidal wave, engulfing the undead army.

The black wave shattered and tore apart the army.

The undead were swept away without any resistance.

- No, this can't be…

Dorgo was speechless at the absurd scene.

Now, he deeply understood the monstrosity of the Death Knight he had created.

No more dark magic flowed from Dorgo's body.

Dorgo could feel death approaching.

- P-Please, spare me… P-Please…

Damian Haksen, twisting his lips, said.

“Fall into hell.”

The light in Dorgo's skull faded. His soul was completely extinguished.

Damian Haksen threw Dorgo's skull to the ground and crushed it to dust.

- Ugh!

- Grr!

The undead outside the palace began to scream.

Without their master, they were going berserk.

“Silence.”

Damian Haksen spread dark magic to regain control over the undead.

The undead army fell silent instantly.

As the war dragged on, Dorgo had infused Damian Haksen with dark magic knowledge.

Because of this, Damian Haksen was the second-best necromancer in the army, after Dorgo.

“Despair.”

At Damian Haksen's command, the army began to destroy itself.

Over hundreds of thousands of undead vanished in an instant.

“W-Who are you…?”

The Emperor, with a shocked face, looked at Damian Haksen.

But Damian Haksen had no interest in him.

“…Finally, it's over.”

Damian Haksen sat on the ground.

Despite being an undead, a deep fatigue enveloped his body.

“No, it's not over yet.”

Damian Haksen gripped the sword hilt in reverse.

He placed the blade against his chest.

Beneath this skin lies the power source that keeps Damian Haksen, the Death Knight, operational.

Destroying this would allow Damian Haksen to truly die.

“There's still… something left to do.”

The faces of his family appeared in his mind. Only angry faces, not smiling ones.

He had always made his family angry.

“I need to apologize. I'm sorry, I'm sorry.”

Without hesitation, Damian Haksen plunged the sword into his chest.

There was no pain.

Only a deep darkness clouded his vision.

And then…

“Damian?”

A voice came from the darkness.

“Damian, why are you sleeping here? Wake up.”

It was Sister's voice, the one he had longed to hear.

Fortunately, he could meet Sister before falling into hell.

“Father is looking for you. He's very angry. What have you done this time?”

Father must be very angry too.

He needed to find Father and confess all his sins, asking for forgiveness.

Damian Haksen, determined, opened his eyes.

Bright sunlight and Sister's face greeted him.

“…Huh?”

Sister's face was much younger than the last time he saw her.

Damian Haksen, surprised, asked Sister.

“…Sister, why are you so young?”

“Oh, what a sudden compliment. I get it. You want me to take your side when Father scolds you, right?”

Sister laughed.

The sound of her laughter, which he hadn't heard in a long time, made Damian Haksen freeze.

“Alright. Trust this sister. Just fix your clothes and come quickly?”

Sister walked ahead.

The Haksen Viscount's mansion was visible in the direction she was heading.

“…I definitely destroyed the mansion with my own hands, didn’t I?”

Damian Haksen looked down at his body.

Unlike when he was a Death Knight, his skin was pale and healthy.

“…What happened to me?”

It took some time, but Damian Haksen finally realized.

He had regressed to the past.