The Ruined Death Knight-Novel

Though the abandoned side of Nercana where destroyed buildings and grown grass were to be seen, a trio came walking in.

Except for the few people that gazed at the trio between the cracks of the buildings, the whole area was deserted.

After the group walked for some, they arrived at a big building that was in an even more deserted place with only some withered grass and weeds.

If someone were to be here in this place they would even forget that they are in a city.

Even the slums in Berum had at least their paths made out of stone and earth.

For grass to have grown all around this place, neglectance was probably the main reason.

As Serran mention, this whole city is being by a mercenary association.

Since their main customers so to say were warriors and magic casters, the city aimed to satisfy their needs for a greater profit.

Be it inns, blacksmiths, or even small academies for talented magic caster´s to take part in, Nercana offered anything that a mercenary would ever need or desire.

For that reason, the local resident were for the most part abandoned.

Only the inner part of the city receives better treatment since that´s where most of the mercenary find their residents.

The further out one would go, the worse it became.

Such as the place where the trio was currently.

"Alright Danzel, here should be the place that you bought..." Serran stared at the silent Danzel with a frown.

"This Jeyckop, to think he would sell you such a place for a total of 500 gold! If you want we can turn back and get your money back." said Hannes.

"...I appreciate your offer, but I would like to take a look first before I judge by appearance alone."

Looking at each other, Hannes and Serran were out of words.

'Who would want to live in there?' Both though at the same time.'

"Alright, you do your thing. We will be going then." 

"Make sure to go back at Jeyckop if you are unsatisfied with...that place. If he doesn't pay you back come and find us at the association´s main building."

"Alright" Danzel nodded.

After both of them said their farewell to him, Danzel pulled out the paper that had the detail information of the place in front of him.

Reading through it he remembers the discussion that he had with Jeyckop today.

****

An hour ago in the [Nercana Land Management]

Hearing Jeyckop's question brought a second of confusion in him.

After it passed, Danzel knew why he asked him that.

With his chest plate having a cross shape and the place he wanted to buy, he would of course mistake him as a paladin if he chooses a church to reside in.

"I wouldn´t call myself a paladin..." Danzel answered.

`What kind of undead would call himself a paladin?´

"No? Anyway, are you sure you want this place? Although it has the larger base together with a basement level, they say that this church is cursed." Jeyckop said.

"Cursed? how so?" Danzel asked interested.

"Well, not exactly cursed. It´s just that a few years ago, some crazy guy using forbidden magic created there a cult under the disguise of a church."

"Though that cult has long since been uprooted by the magic caster of the Arcana kingdom. Although the cult disguised as church wasn´t famous to the people since we from Arcana aren´t many believers ourselves, many had died down there."

"But that´s all in the past, although they are people calling this place cursed, I went many times to confirm that it is not."

Looking at Danzel, Jeyckop said with a  serious tone.

"You still willing to be?"

"As long as it has what the paper mentions, then yes."

*****

Danzel standing in front of the church, put the piece of paper away while bringing out the keys that Jeyckop has given him.

"Let´s hope that it´s as promising as it says..." He mumbled to himself as he walked in the front door.

What he saw though was a slightly opened door that seemed to have broken lock.

"That´s a great start." He grumbled to himself.

The expectations that he previously had took a big hit at this sight.

"I will make him repair me that door..." Swearing to go and file some complaints on Jeyckop later, he pushed the door open.

*Twwch

Shaking his head, he ignored the sound of the door and went inside.

Though the outside of the church had some cracks on the walls, the interior seemed all fine to him. Although there was no speck of light to speak of, he didn´t need any since he had his night vision from being a undead.

The church had two rows of wooden seats that were in a terrible condition, while at the front was a broken statue that had most of his half-broken down.

Only a half-kneeling figure with only an arm holding a book and a wing remained to be seen.

Though what got him the most attention were the small figures that were peeking at him though behind the seats.

"Children..?" Danzel said as he turned his head and locked sight with one of them.

"Ah..." The child who was directly being stared at, let a small sound of surprise.

"He can see..." He mumbled to the others around him before they went for cover through the seats.

"What the hell are you-" As he hurridly his steps, a small rock was thrown from his right side aimed at his helmet.

Seeing that, Danzel grabbed the small with one of his hands before crashing it into small pieces.

"Huh!?" The brat who threw the stone cried out in surprise, as he didn´t imagine the stone to be broken with just the man's strength.

"Idiot, hide!" A voice of a girl said from the front side as she pulled an improvised crossbow fitting her size aiming at Danzel.

*Fsssss!

The arrow flied through the air aimed at Danzel´s heart.

But the moment the arrow hit Danzel's chestplate it just bounced off without even leaving a scratch.

"Realy..." The girl said dumbfounded.

Turning around she tried to hide through the seats, but before she could do a bright blue light appeared next to her.

"Kiagh! What is that!?" Glancing at her wirst being grabbed by two blue ethereal arms, she started to panic.

"Let me off!" The girl threw a punch at the arms, with no further results to be seem.

Danzel who cast [Mana Arms] strolled at the small girl.

Though the [Mana arms] combat capability were almost no existed, they still had the strength of holding Veren.

Not only that, but they were extremely vulnerable against physical attacks to the point where a half-a*sed punch from a grown adult would destroy them into oblivion.

But against a small girl who looked around her 8 years old, her punch wasn´t enough to free her from the grasp of both the ethereal arms.

If he were to use only a single arm to hold her down, she could probably manage and free herself. Though with both of the mana arms holding her down made it next to impossible to get herself out.

"Anna!" Voices through all around the church sounded with worry.

A boy around her age appeared near her and started to smash the mana arms with a rock in his hand.

"Anna! Don´t worry, I will get you out!" The boy hit the mana arms with the stone only for them to waver a bit before turning back to how they were.

"Marcus! You can´t! Run away!" Anna said to the boy Marcus next to her with tears starting to form in her eyes.

"Never!"

"..." Danzel silently stared at both of them before continuing walking towards them.

Ignoring the rocks that were thrown at him from all around him, he arrived 4 meters away towards those two.

"You guys..." Raising his hand, he reached out to replace the mana arms grip with his own hand.

And as he was about to grab her wrist, he heard a cold voice behind him.

"Don´t touch them!" Jumping from the seeling, a boy with dark hair looking at his teens reached the ground as if he were a cat right behind Danzel.

And the next moment he pulled out a small dagger surrounded by bits of mana from his wrist out and jumped at Danzel with the intent to pierce through his head from behind.

With his skill [Greater Sense Danger] activating long before the dark-haired kid touched the ground, he turned around and the hand that was supposed to grab the girl named Anna grabbed the boy's wrist that held the dagger.

A glint of surprise flashed through the boy´s eyes as Danzel managed to react in time.

Before he even had the chance to struggle against that strong grip.

Danzel dragged his arm and threw him towards the seats to his left as if he were a sack of potatoes.

*Baahm! 

Flying through the air, the black-haired boy soon crashed at the seats, breaking some of them and raising the gathered dust from the seats into the air.

"Kayn!" The children who were hiding in the seats raised up and called in worry.

With hasten steps they went towards the black-haired boy with a worried look written on their faces.

Among that group were the girl and boy who were struggling against the mana arms a moment ago.

`I lost my focus way too fast, I guess I have to invest more in my skills...´ Danzel thought bitterly as he looked at the fading mana that were the mana arms.

Shaking his head from those thoughts, he walked towards the gathered brats and said with a cold tone.

"Why are you here?"