Published: August 15, 2025
“Shadow Bind”
At the same time as Miss Remily’s voice, two black ropes shot out from the feet of the two suits of armor. They instantly entwined the spears held by the armor’s arms, and the suits collapsed like puppets with their strings cut.
“Capture complete.”
“That was easy.”
The spears, tangled in the shadowy ropes, thrashed wildly as if being wielded by an invisible force. Even with mana sensing, the mana seemed to be coming more from the spears than from the armor, so it appeared that the magical beast’s true form was the spear itself.
I had heard of magical beasts classified as undead called “wandering weapons”—weapons that float up on their own and attack living beings. Weapons left for long periods where mana has accumulated, or which have killed many people or magical beasts and have been soaked in blood, tend to become wandering weapons.
“Where do you think these suits of armor and the weapons used by the guards yesterday came from?”
“You know how zombies and skeletons regenerate when injured, right? Similarly, higher-tier undead can manifest their equipment as part of their own bodies.”
“So it’s believed that, including their gear, they’re trying to resemble their living forms.”
“I see… so that's how it is.”
While we talked, the wandering weapons continued to thrash about in struggle. But when Miss Remily struck them with a Light Ball, they stopped moving. Once the restraints were released, the spears simply fell to the floor. Even though the enemy took the form of weapons, light magic still worked effectively.
More than that—
“Is that shadow magic?”
“Shadow Bind. As you can see, it’s a spell that manifests ropes of shadow to bind the target. It’s difficult to master, but not only can you summon the ropes, you can also manipulate them to some extent. It’s very useful to know. Besides restraining enemies, it’s good for fixing objects in place, or as a lifeline in emergencies.”
“I definitely want to learn it.”
“Thought so. Once we finish gathering the Everdark Herb, I’ll teach you more details. Also, watch this.”
Miss Remily cast another spell on the spear lying on the ground.
“Dispel.”
A faint light enveloped the motionless spear, and after a moment, it seemed to be absorbed and disappeared.
“When you defeat a wandering weapon, it just turns back into a regular weapon. But sometimes, dark-elemental mana remains in the weapon, which can cause curses that harm the owner’s mind or body. Dispel is countercurse magic. If you use it to process the weapon properly, it becomes safe, so you can use or sell it yourself.”
“By the way, curses can also be deliberately placed using dark magic, so it’s better to learn Dispel as a precaution. I’ll teach you that too, along with shadow magic.”
“Thank you. I look forward to it.”
I was already looking forward to that time.
The Execution Ground of Starvation and Thirst was just ahead, and I wanted to finish gathering the herbs quickly, but it seemed not that simple. I sensed a large amount of mana beyond the door.
“They’re here.”
“This is the place where undead are most likely to spawn. Can’t be helped. Before we go in, let’s confirm: you and I, Ryoma, take the front, and the other three support from behind, okay? Also, Ryoma, leave the Emperor here to reduce the risk of being flanked.”
“That’s best.”
“We’ll leave the close combat to you two.”
“I have no objections.”
“I agree as well. Let’s separate one king slime, and have the rest guard this place.”
After confirming this, we steeled ourselves and carefully opened the door.
“Kyaaaaaa!!!”
Three ghouls at the front reacted swiftly, screaming as they charged. I calmly slashed them down with a sword imbued with light mana and advanced into the execution ground, firing off rapid Light Shots.
Inside, as expected, a spiral staircase wound down counterclockwise. Each step was wide to restrain death row inmates—about seven meters wide and three meters deep. Every so often, there were even wider landings. The footing was solid, so there was plenty of room to fight.