Simple man with his overpowered army

Chapter 82: Meeting with the epitome of undeath

After Lud was done showing the place around, he went and looked for Toki. He asked her "I’ve got something I need to ask you. Do you have a sec?"

Toki replied "Sure. What is it?" and Lud explains about the dream he had and how he wishes to go and see this Kuo.

Toki nodded and added that "While I understand where you are coming from, it isn’t safe to just do something like that. Last time, there was a good reason to go there, but now, all you have is a dream where you think you heard someone that is currently residing in the afterlife. Maybe you just heard the name before somewhere, like one of your alternate selves, and just forgot about it."

Lud tried to argue "But... I feel like I must go there for some reason. I just..."

Toki says "I get it, but you are risking something far bigger than simply missing out on your duties here by going on a trip. You are now one of the bones of this world and a demigod. Going to a place not fully connected to the rest of Lutah can be very risky as a pillar. Like a bone that detaches from its place and tries to wander, you need to stay in the most stable place in Lutah."

Lud argues "But I’ve traveled even in the dream realm. Isn’t that the same thing?"

Toki explains "There, it is only a part of you that connects to that place and not fully you. While that does have some risks associated with it, it is something that is out of our control. So please, understand that I can’t just send you to the afterlife the same way I did last time."

Lud tries to argue, but he can only blurt out the question "So... Is there really no way I can get to meet this duke of afterlife?"

Toki ponders for a moment, until she brings out an idea. "While you cannot go to the afterlife to meet the guy, we may be able to create a line that connects the two places enough to manage communication."

Lud asks "Could you arrange something like that, please?"

Toki looks at her pleading father, hoping he would back down, but gives in and says "Fine. I will try to contact someone who may be able to create a line between the duke’s mansion and here."

Lud hugs Toki and says "Thank you, dear, you are a lifesaver."

Toki leaves for a while to make it possible for Lud to contact Kuo. After some time had passed, Toki came to Lud’s workroom and said, "While I cannot send you there, I have someone who can connect the two places."

Then behind Toki came Thews with a smile on his face as he waved his hand. He said "How’s it hanging you little you? I heard you have some business in the underworld that needs to be taken care of as soon as possible."

Lud says "I didn’t expect Toki to bring you of all people here."

Thews gave a little laugh and said "The number of people who can actually connect the afterlife to any other place can be counted with only one hand, so you didn’t have many options in your hand."

Lud asks "Then who are the few people that can do that?"

Thews then starts to count with his hand while listing names. "There is me, of course, Mors should also be obvious, Ao, while she doesn’t have the authority to do so freely, she could probably pull something up. Was there anyone else?"

Toki responds by saying "I don’t believe there are any more people who could do it."

Thews then puts his hands on his hips and says "Well then. My memory doesn’t seem that far gone, but anyways. Let’s do this so that I don’t have to spend more time here than I have to. That and..."

Lud asks "And?"

Thews then finishes by saying "Mira might get more mad than she already is."

Lud asks "Did you do something to upset her?"

Thews responds by saying "I forgot our anniversary a couple days back and she has been bombarding me with all kinds of work as a result."

Lud then says "And I wager that you didn’t exactly get her permission to come here. Or even told her about this trip."

Thews looks away in guilt, and Lud stops asking more about the situation and says "Let’s get started now, shall we?"

Thews responds "Right. And so..." Thews opens a gateway that leads to the duke’s palace and on the other end a red haired woman comes into view.

The woman on the other end asks "Your majesty? I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon after what I heard from the queen."

Thews says nervously "Yeah... things have been rough in the castle, but that isn’t why I call you. There is someone with me who requests to meet up with Kuo."

The look on the woman’s face became conflicted and asked "Who, in the name of Mors, would want to meet up with my husband?"

Thews moves aside a little and introduces Lud "This man is the king of Elysium in the living world and I heard that he had a dream that mentioned that guy."

The woman bows a little and says "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, king of Elysium. My name is Mirlinda Lemansa and I am the wife of Kou Lemansa, the Duke of the afterlife."

Lud nods and says "It is a pleasure to meet you as well dutchess. My name is Faust Ilumnos. I’m sorry to be a bother and ask for your assistance in this."

Mirlinda says "It is no issue, but I’m afraid I can’t just let you meet up with him."

Thews asks "Even if I use my title to call for him?"

Mirlinda looks troubled and says "If it the will of his majesty, then I suppose it can’t be helped."

Thews says "Fantastic. Bring him over."

Mirlinda says in a worried tone "But your majesty, you do know what it means to wake up the Duke, right?"

Thews gets a little more serious and says "I am aware, but I can’t rule out the fact that the Duke himself might want to meet the King of Elysium in person after hearing about his dream."

Mirlinda says "But you know the nature of dreams. It might be just that. A dream."

Thews says "I am aware, but as far as I’m aware, the King of Elysium wasn’t aware of the Duke’s existence before the dream, so I think it is highly possible that the Duke himself is reaching out for him."

Mirlinda thinks for a moment, until she gives in and says "Then I suppose it can’t be helped. I will go and wake him up."

Toki left the room by now and Lud asked Thews "Why is it so serious that I get to talk to this guy?"

Thews answered "It isn’t exactly the safest meeting people can have in all of this world, but it can be managed, if it is kept at minimum."

Lud asks "So what happens to the world when this guy is woken up?"

Thews answers "In short, the undeath power will get spread far and wide across Lutah, which will amplify the chances of people not getting the proper rest in death that they should normally have."

Lud asks "Why does this guy in particular cause this phenomenon?"

Thews answers "Because... well... he is the closest of gods that could have been before you. And his domain would have been ’undeath’."

Lud confirms "So it would affect the whole world, if he is set free as is?"

Thews answers "Something like that, but that is enough for you to know."

About that time, Mirlinda comes back in contact with Thews and says "Now... it is your turn to break the seal, your highness."

Behind the portal that Thews made shows a man, chained in stone with all kinds of scripts. The energy that gets past the portal makes Lud a little bit uneasy as is, but when Thews says "Open up your chains, duke of afterlife", it begins to tremble in the room.

The tremors in the afterlife would be greater, but Lud would be unaware of these at the time.

When Kuo, a demon half worshiped by the Nous empire, who has horns like a crown on his head, opens his violet eyes, he starts twisting his head sporadically and shouting "All is lost! Come to death! All life should perish! No purpose for life should persist!" and things like that.

It continues for a while, until it suddenly stops and the head becomes limb.

After that, a way calmer voice asks the question "Why have you woken me?"

To this, Thews answers "I believe that you already know, since you have made contact with him in your dream."

Kuo starts to twist and turn his head again, "Dream! That place you locked me in?! Such cowardice! I am the undeath! All life and death should unite into..."

And then a short silence brewed for a moment, until a more sane voice came from the chained man "I see. So he has come... To keep it short... one thing must be clear..."

Lud asks "And what is that?"

Kuo starts to twist his head sporadically again in fury as he shouts "He asks the question! How dare he! Someone with life! Ask the undead king?! How detestable!! If he were wise, he would have been...!"

Then a calm comes to Kuo and he says "You... the dreamer of all... must find a way to kill Samael... peacefully. Or the nightmare... will continue endlessly."

Lud tries to ask "What does that mean?", but Kuo began to twist his head sporadically again as he shouted "Death? Peaceful death? How dare that person have something like that?! Why can’t I just die in peace?! Why must I continue to suffer... in this prison of..."

The shouting stops suddenly as Kuo gains control once more to say "It won’t be an easy feat, and you will face many hurdles. But continue to move on. That is your fate."

Lud says "I mean... I can try, but I don’t understand the ’why’ of all of this."

The place where Kuo is sealed, began to shake more and more after that, and Mirlinda says to Thews "We can’t keep the connection for much longer. If we continue, then the damage will be..."

Thews says to Mirlinda "I understand." and then waves his hand as he says "Continue your slumber. The undead one. For you shall not conquer this world today."

And as Thews said those words, the chains around Kuo began to glow in violet hue. As Kuo furiously twisted for a moment, the tremors soon ended as he began to sleep once more.

Lud asked Thews "What the hell just happened?" To which Thews answered "Bunch of undead energy just got amplified in the living world, but I think it is withing expectations. Though Mira might disagree."

Mirlinda says through the portal "If I may add, that is one hell of an understatement, your highness. I’m afraid that, considering the length of this meeting, millions will find themselves trapped in their bodies thanks to this meeting. I hope that it was worth for all that suffering."

Thews says "I can’t say for certain, but I have hope that it will help many people in the future."

Lud, still confused from all of this, says to the two "So what? I’m meant to kill someone with the reverse dreamer syndrome when I fall asleep? When people sleep, they barely have control of themselves as is, so how in the hell am I supposed to grant Samael, my friend, a peaceful death?"

Thews taps Lud by the shoulder and says "That is yours to figure out. But now... I need to return to the afterlife so that I won’t get scolded for more than this was worth."

Mirlinda comments "So you didn’t have her permission after all."

Thews scratches his head for a moment, until he pleads "Would you keep this ’down low’ for Mira? I would really appreciate it."

Mirlinda says "I’m afraid that I can’t, since, unlike you, I value my friendships."

Thews comments "That is way too mean to say to your king. But... then again..."

There is a silence for a while that has been awkwardly left out, "I am the sword demon."

With that, Thews leaves along with the portal to Mirlinda, and Lud is left to wonder what he should do.