The Ruined Death Knight

At the same time when Danzel entered the church.

From a run-down building beside the church, a certain person was watching.

In the shadow that the ruined building was casting.

Similar to how Kerres the assassin traveled through shadows but also different.

A whirlwind made out of shadows was coming out of the shadow, slowly forming into that of a figure with dark gauntlets and sharp eyes.

"He must be it..." The man, Hanson who was wearing tight clothing that showcased his muscles and a light armor protecting his chest made out of special dark metal came walking out of the shadows while looking at the church in front of him.

Ever since he met Kayns group coming out of Honor´s store, his curiosity got awakened.

Or rather his suspicion on them.

His goal of being here was to meet the runesmith that supplied Honor with his items.

Rue Danzel.

Till yet, although he had many duties to take care of in the union. He decided to take the matter in himself to find the runesmith.

So important were to Danzel to Hanson.

Even if his work was slowly pilling up on his desk... finding the man who was capable to create the runed contracts was essential for the union and his plans.

Knowing that someone would have to supply Honor with the items, Hanson bind his time while stalking Honor through the shadows.

As interacting with Honor risked him breaking the contract that he had with the runesmith.

And by far what he read by the report from Berum, that he got from his connections.

Rue Danzel was a man who wanted to remain hidden.

At least that's what Hanson got out of this report.

The very fact that this sort of guy made such an invisible contract was in Hanson's mind another proof of his reasoning.

Alas, the times he spends stalking Honor we're finally rewarded by meeting the three kids.

Which to his surprise directly lead him to where he wanted to be!

And that was unexpected to abandon church out of all places.

The moment he saw a figure wearing dark armor leaving the building, with the same ring that those kids were carrying at that too.

He knew that this man was the man he was searching for.

The ring that he recognized as a [Ring of Spatial storage] was what made him come to this conclusion.

But since he saw the runesmith going somewhere else, he decided to wait for him to come back.

Although he could confront him now, he was afraid that he would appear too hostile to him.

And after hours of wait, he came back!

"Let's hope nothing goes wrong..."

Walking with his hands on the back, he halted for a moment before seeing the destroyed lock.

Pushing the door to the side, he walked inside the dark lightened church.

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

Hanson and the kids inside looked at each other in confusion.

An awkward silence between them appeared.

The kids looked warily at Hanson while he looked somewhat surprised.

He knew that inside there would be the kids he had followed, but for him to see so many kids here surprised him.

As Hanson scanned the building, he put a frown on his face.

'He isn't here?'

"Hey, didn't a man wearing some armor and a hood come in just now? He should be called Rue Danzel, so were he?" Hanson asked with a command-like voice.

Hearing that together his face looking cold. The kids went hidding between the different seats.

Before Hanson could make up for what they were doing, his ears picked up a wind-cutting sound from his side.

Swinging his hand in that direction, he caught a poorly made arrow with little difficulty.

"That..." Staring at the arrow with a frown, the kid that he talked with before came dashing in front of him.

But what happend after surprised him.

The kid accelerated and threw a punch at him while starting to shed block tears.

"You are..."

Stoping the punch with ease, Kayn started pulling his dagger out and swung amateurish at Hanson who was simply dodging by moving to the side or fending it off with his gauntlets.

Seeing him making no progress, Kayn threw the dagger at Hanson's face and tried to kick him to his side.

Unfortunately for Kayn, the one he was facing wasn't his match.

Catching the dagger, Hansom simply pushed Kayn with one hand to the chest.

Through this simple movement, Kayn was sent crashing to of the seats with groans of pain escaping his mouth.

"For a brat, you are quite good, but sadly you lack the technique and skill for such power. Even if you control that powers of you."

Grabbing him by his arm, he raised Kayn to the air with a blank look on his face.

"I didn't come here to fight. I am just looking for the man who just came in here a few moments ago." Hanson said with a cold voice.

With a bitter smile on his face, Kayn shook his head.

"We can't tell..."

'Could it be...' With his frown growing much worse, his voice got colder.

"I see, you also signed the man's contract..."

Seeing Kayn and the other kids who couldn't control their surprise made Hansom confirm his suspicion.

'Since I already found him, breaking their contract wouldn't matter much...'

"Then so will it go, is you don't tell me where that man is, I will kill everyone inside here, starting by you first."

"Ahhh..."

However cold it sounded, what Hanson said proved to be effective.

"T-The bad man is down in the basement!"

"He is under that trapdoor!"

"He is in the statue there!"

Hearing what the kids said, looked at the statue with a frown on his face.

"Mhmm, good." Letting Kayn go from his grip, he started at Kayn's legs with surprise.

'So he really can control it...'

"Kayn! Are you alright!?" Marcus who was to the side came rushing in and helped Kayn move away from Hanson.

Although he wanted to join in the fight, he was forced by Kayn to stand back as his side effects started to appear.

Hanson stared for a brief moment at the duo before going to the stages.

As he wanted to go there though, the trap door was suddenly pushed up.

Coming out of the trap door, an armored two-meter tall figure wearing a weird mask and a sword on his hand was to see.

Once he stepped out, a wave of thin killing intent covered the church.

***

Danzel POV

Seeing a man with two dark gauntlets and Kayns pained expression, he roughly figure what was going on.

"Are you by any chance the runesmith, Rue Danzel?"

'Another one came from me...' Danzel cursed to himself.

His body felt extremely stiff to move and overall weak.

He guessed it was the side effect of having so little dead mana in his body currently.

Not only that, his actual mana barely recover.

Which for the current situation was extremely bad.

"What if I am?" Danzel said with a cold voice.

"You see, I wanted to discuss with you-"

"There is nothing to discuss between us..." Stepping down the stage, Danzel's aura turned much grimmer.

"Since I will be leaving his place..."

Hearing that, Hanson's face looked like he swallowed a bad pill.

"That-"

Without letting him finish, Danzel replied as he gather his last bits of mana to activate [Swift Movements].

"And I won't allow anyone to get in my way!"

Dashing forward, He swung one of the long swords that he had at the figure.

*Twiich!

Metal clashing with metal.

"I didn't come here-"

With [Sin of Wrath] activating, Danzel turned a deaf ear to what the man in front of him said and continued to swing forward.

Sparks flew left and right, as the two-man clashed many times with each other.

The wind was bring pushed back by each blow that they made.

Although it looked like Hanson was at disadvantage.

That wasn't the case.

Every swing was blocked without much effort.

"Aghhhh!" Frustrated, he raised his blade up and swung down at Hanson with all his strength.

"Sloppy"

*Booogh!

The whole church shook with just falling down.

Hanson, who was holding the blade with his two arms.

The ground under his seemed to cave in like a crater.

Yet even though the swing was strong, Hanson caught it by ease.

Being in a standstill, before Danzel could react, coming out of Hanson's hands came another set of hands looking like living shadows.

Reaching for his chest plate, the two shadow arms pushed with their palm at him with enormous strength behind them.

The next moment he knew, Danzel was sent flying towards the half-broken statue.

*Baaahm!

With bits of the statue falling on top of him, Danzel looks at his saved chest plate.

Many of his ribs got broken and soon turned into dust.

That attack made him realize.

That he was weaker than this man.

That thought alone made his [Sin of Wrath] deactivate.

It wasn't that he was giving up.

'[Mana arms]'

With a half-broken mana arm appearing, it dragged the weird that he let go to come back at him.

Standing up from the statues rumble, he looked up ahead.

Once he did, he was swiftly grabbed by his neck and bind towards the wall.

If that was someone else of one of the living. His injuries and being grabbed by the next could have been fatal.

But for Danzel, one of the undead.

He knew no pain.

Raising his sword by grabbing it by the blade itself, he wanted to pierce the man's throat.

However, it didn't work.

The shadow-like arms appeared and held both of his arms.

Raising his free hand, Hanson pulled the mask out of Danzel's head.

"I suspected it....the sensation was different as usual when I hit you. For hitting something so hollow could truly only be one of the undead."

"Kgh...bastard!" Danzel struggled to get free, alas with no success.

Kayn, Marcus, Anna and the other kids who saw were speechless to see that the man they lived with was one of the undead.

Hanson stared for a few moments silent, before starting at Danzel flaring ethereal eyes.

"Are you from the council?"

Grinding his teeth, Danzel answered.

"First that magic caster then you...I got no idea what that council is!"

Staying silent once again, the shadow arms took Danzel's sword away and Hanson let him fall to the ground.

Confused Danzel didn't dare move.

His mind was racing as to find the reason why he was let go suddenly.

"Undead...No, Rue Danzel. I came here to make a deal with you."

Hearing that Danzel froze, with a grin appearing on his face.

Though since he hadn't a face, in Hanson's perspective it looked to him grinding his teeth.

'I can survive.'

That single word remained in Danzel though.

"What kind of deal?" He said with a cold voice.

"It's simple, I want you to make runed items for me. You will also be forced to be under supervision. In return...as far as it is in my capabilities, I will supply you with the items that you are in need."

Hearing that, Danzel scoffed at him.

"Heh, isn't that me becoming you slave?"

Shrugging his shoulders Hanson replied.

"You should know that making a deal with an undead puts me at high risk. Nonetheless...don't you think it's better than getting destroyed here?"

'I shouldn't have ever gone to the home of humans...'

No matter how he sweet tones it, Danzel could only see that as a slave's contract.

But as the man said, dying here was much worse.

'This could also be an opportunity...'

If what that man said was true, Danzel could slowly improve himself in time to the point where he could escape.

'It's not like I got a choice...'

Shaking his head internally, he nodded.

"Alright...it's a deal then. But only If I leave Nercana."

"Why?" Hanson tilted his head.

"I... an old magic caster using ice magic from the mercenary association know who I am. Staying here would endanger me...If you agree to that then the deal is done..."

"Nevvan..." Hearing that Hanson face distorted before sighting

"Alright, it shall be done."

Having his safety guaranteed for the moment, Danzel looked at the side.

"What about them."

Looking at the kids who were frozen in fear, Hanson put a thoughtful expression as he saw a dark-haired boy.

"Let me deal with them...."