Myths Reawakened

Crack, crack!

Wayne stepped on dead branches and fallen leaves. The powerful vitality of the Nature Knight clashed with the forest of Darkness and Death. Under the influence of such potent energy, the surrounding forest began to show signs of rejuvenation.

Senna couldn’t be more envious. It wasn’t easy to switch faith. While she acknowledged that Wayne was her master, she still retained her reverence for the Goddess of Nature. She couldn’t help but worship the living Nature Knight before her eyes.

It far exceeded her respect for Moula.

“...”

Senna pursed her lips. So it was still an extension of the blind worship of her faith. She couldn’t refuse Wayne. She was likely done for.

Fine, she could still hold on.

“Ladies, I’m here...”

Wayne spread his arms, having the Book of Greed issue invitations to give the twelve unfortunate souls a chance at rebirth.

The lowly one who prays, the wronged dead with grievances, I’ve heard your pleas...

Under this sacred contract, all that you have will be mine. Your past remains your own, but not your future...

You’ve gained another chance at life. You will become a vengeful spirit and slaughter for your master and your god.

Wayne waited cheerfully to recruit a girl group, but he soon realized something was wrong. A few days ago, there had been twelve unfortunate souls, but two more had been added recently.

“Can’t you inhuman bastards rest for once?”

He glared at Senna. She felt wronged by the accusation. The Misty Forest was the Pope’s doing. She had never done such things. Even when her student turned her back on her, she had only cut off contact rather than killing her.

“I know, but the Pope isn’t here, so you’ll have to be the placeholder.”

Wayne shrugged. Fourteen labor contracts were sent out, waiting to be signed. Glancing at the two new unlucky ones instinctively, he scowled, his expression darkening.

He knew them. He was close to one of them, in fact.

“Ottilia...”

“How...”

He froze, staring at the figure on the book page. As his emotions fluctuated violently, the life energy around him surged, bringing rebirth to parts of the forest of death in his proximity. The thick fog of Death and Darkness was expelled. Bathed in infinite vitality, the branches sprouted green leaves and unfurled toward the chosen knight.

Everything seemed wonderful.

Senna disagreed. She sensed a powerful oppression from her faith. The cold killing intent tormented her thoughts and flesh, causing her unbearable pain. With a cry, she dropped to her knees, pale.

“What have I done wrong, Master?”

The next second, the pain vanished. She was soaked in sweat like she had just been pulled out from underwater, her hands trembling as she propped herself up. Her eyes were blank and unfocused. It felt like she had died and come back to life.

When she looked up, Wayne was gone.

A white light streaked through the thick fog, leaving fleeting afterimages. Along the way, radiating energy infused the forest with vitality, reversing life and death by force and leaving an isolated zone of life in its wake.

Wayne hurried to a large tree, spreading his thoughts and sensing the two bodies buried deep underground. Expressionless, he raised his hand and carefully unearthed them.

Soil rippled as chilling Death energy pervaded. Wayne crouched down and brushed a hand across the face that had become as stiff as ice. “Why you? Why didn’t you just stay in the library and read books? Why did you have to participate in this damn Holy Maiden selection...”

Suddenly, he thought of something. Holding his breath, he unleashed flames of surging vitality from his fingertips. The gentle energy coursed through Ottilia’s body, dispelling the cold energy of Death and injecting new life. Her grey skin became smooth and fair again, and her flesh and blood revived. Her heart slowly began beating again.

Still warm!

Overjoyed, Wayne gave the three goddesses a thumbs-up. If they weren’t such close friends, and the Nature Knight could only wield the power of Nature, he wouldn’t have been able to reverse life and death like this.

His joy was short-lived, though. His smile slipped. No matter how much life force he injected her with, he could only revive Ottilia’s body, not her thoughts. She lingered nearby in the form of a wraith.

“I’m not stopping!” He scoffed, burying Elemental Mantra in the ground and exiting the state of the Nature Knight. Then he drew Shadow Nightmare and Twilight Despair in quick succession.

The artifacts of the three chosen knights were a sight to behold. When Senna caught up with Wayne, she was stunned by the spectacular scene.

Watching the Death Knight transform the spirit and personally guide her into her body, Senna held her breath, not daring to make a sound. She wanted to tell Wayne not to waste his effort. The boundary between life and death was the beginning and the end. Not even a chosen knight could break the boundary to create a real cycle.

The girl was dead.

Senna dared to think it but not to say it, worried that he would take his anger out on her.

As Senna expected, Wayne tried several times, but couldn’t truly awaken Ottilia. She was no longer a wraith. Her incorporeal form touched Wayne, then her mouth fell open in an O when she saw him alternate between the forms of the three chosen knights. She looked adorable.

Wayne didn’t find her adorable. Aching for the loss, he extended his undead skeletal hand, passing through her face. “Sorry, I was late.”

Ottilia gave him a small smile, pressing her face to his skeletal hand with no real contact. Now that her resentment was soothed, her form became even more transparent.

“Idiot, who told you to be satisfied?!”

“Hold onto your hatred. Remember your resentment and the pain of your death. Live on uglily with this curse!”

Wayne was nearly scared to death. He hurriedly finalized his contract with Ottilia, making her his third vengeful spirit before she could disappear. That was close. Ottilia had been one step away from being truly gone.

Huff! Huff, huff—

Under Senna’s incredulous gaze, Ottilia’s ‘corpse’ sat up, gasping greedily for air. She brushed soil off herself and held onto the Death Knight, hopping up and down.

“Wayne, you’re the Death Knight?!”

“Also, the Darkness Knight and the Nature Knight... What kind of monster are you? Why haven’t you ever mentioned this?”

“What’s a vengeful spirit? You aren’t going to be mean to me because we’ve signed a master-servant contract, are you?”

The bookish girl bounced around, acting uncharacteristically cheerful after coming to life—a different form of life.

Watching her force a happy look to dispel her sadness, Wayne dismissed the Death Knight disguise and pulled her into his arms.

“Sorry for being late.”

Ottilia’s arms stiffened. The smile on her face gradually faded. With a soft huff, she buried her face in Wayne’s chest and started sobbing quietly.

Her crying grew louder and louder until she was wailing, her tears streaming down her face. Her usual image was gone.

Feeling a pang in his heart, Wayne patted her gently on the back. “Cry. Just cry, and you’ll feel better.”

While comforting Ottilia, he looked at the page for his new vengeful spirit in the Book of Greed. Scenes from the past flickered before his eyes:

A young Ottilia met Holy Maiden Flora and became her student with admiration and longing for the older woman, beginning her path as a mage.

Flora was in a tight spot in the church, a pawn of the Pope’s with limited power. She trained Ottilia in secret and infused her with phoenix blood, keeping her under watch and forbidding her from making public appearances.

She wasn’t so much a phoenix but a caged bird.

Over time, Ottilia developed a habit of reading. Since she had no friends, she could only pass the time by reading books.

Soon, Wayne appeared in her memory. The caged bird envied him greatly for his freedom, and thus he left a deep impression on her.

He’s a pervert!

He has many girlfriends!

He’s wooing me?

Similar to how Senna’s strict control over Silvia had pushed her to rebellion, Flora experienced the same thing: Ottilia entered her rebellious phase. Although she knew that she shouldn’t, she went on a movie date with Wayne.

Ottilia participated in the Holy Maiden selection and lost to Wayne. Although she felt guilty about the effort Flora had put into training her, she was also finally able to shed her burden; she looked forward to the free life she would enjoy.

In the last moment, though, she found herself in the Misty Forest, her bloodline taken by Flora. Her vitality withered, and the world turned black in her eyes.

She resented her master, the church, her own weakness, and the unjust fate. She had lived twenty years for her master’s dream, waiting and hoping for the moment she could finally live for herself, only for her life to come to an abrupt end.

Wayne glanced at the Book of Greed. Ottilia had granted him two skills: super memory and affinity with fire elements.

Neither was useful to him. He had always had a good memory, allowing him to learn anything quickly. As for affinity with fire elements... yeah, at least super memory had some appeal.

“Flora...”

You again!

Wayne narrowed his eyes, glancing at Regina’s body. As he had guessed, the two women were killed by Flora—no, by the Pope through Flora.

You’re dead, old bastard!

The thirteen labor contracts were delivered. The wraiths eagerly volunteered themselves, refusing to give up the chance to be reborn. They each dressed themselves up properly, trying to make themselves more marketable.

They were getting competitive!

Wayne didn’t spare them a glance since he was busy comforting Ottilia. She proved the common expression that women were made of water, having cried nonstop for half an hour. After releasing all her grievances, she stood quietly to the side, looking at Regina, who had suffered the same fate, and then at Wayne.

Since he was here, he should save her, too!

Wayne nodded. Before signing a contract with Regina, he reached out and touched Ottilia’s face.

“???”

“Nothing. I just want to check your body to make sure how I should treat Regina.”

He examined Ottilia’s half-dead body with both hands. Unlike Do and Bo, Ottilia’s body was lifelike and malleable. She seemed no different from a living human at first glance, not resembling regular magical creatures at all.

If her corpse could be revived through the Nature Knight’s power, he should be able to do the same for Regina. He had an idea—he would try to modify Do and Bo once he returned so that they could be active in broad daylight.

He had revived Ottilia before signing a contract with her, while there was already an established contract between him and Do and Bo, solidifying their forms. He wasn’t sure if he could still change them, but he kept the plan in mind.

Repeating the process, Wayne revived Regina’s body as the Nature Knight, converted the wraith into a soul as the Death Knight, and, after several unsuccessful attempts at true resurrection, signed the contract.

Regina propped herself up on her elbows, gaping at Wayne and the three knightly swords of the chosen knights behind him. Each weapon corresponded to one chosen knight and one goddess’s approval, so...

What on earth is going on here?