The Villainous Son Loves His Mother - Chapter 75

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West of Yggdrasil, the capital of the Duchy of Yggdra, deep within a forest of ancient, towering trees, it suddenly appeared.
A malevolent tower that pierced the sky.
The structure, which seemed to have materialized from nowhere, was a perfect cylinder, its unnatural presence suggesting it had sprung directly from the earth.

“That’s it…”

A low, growling voice escaped from the shadows beneath the trees.

“Yes, no mistake. It’s the ‘Corpse Tower’ mentioned in the report.”

The speaker was “Dragon Scale” Alfred, a massive figure clad in thick armor from head to toe.
Beside him stood three figures:

“Dragon Claw” Kiska, a young and skilled female swordsman.

“Dragon Wing” Harris, a healer.

and “Dragon Eye” Mayhem, a prodigious young mage.

They were the members of Dragon Soul, the Duchy of Yggdra’s Adventurer Guild’s most elite party.

“Disgusting…”

Mayhem muttered softly.

“What have they done…”

Harris continued in a strained voice.
Their gazes fixed on the tower’s surface, where countless corpses of humans and beasts were embedded.
Fused as if they were part of the stone itself, moans and groans leaked from the entire structure.

“The Guild Master’s information was accurate.”

Alfred said, clenching his fist.

“Silver Rank adventurers and higher have been disappearing one after another, and all that returned were their rotting corpses… And now this tower has appeared.”

Kiska rested her hand on her sword hilt, feigning composure.
But Alfred didn’t miss the fire of anger burning in her eyes.
Beneath her ladylike demeanor, Kiska possessed a fiery soul.
Alfred had fallen for this very contrast in her, and after confessing his feelings, they had become lovers.
But that was beside the point.

“Everyone, stay calm. Let’s assess the situation first.”

The three of them silently nodded at Alfred’s words.
Maintaining a safe distance from the tower, they surveyed their surroundings.
A faint mist hung in the forest.
Dark, wet-looking trails stretched across the ground in multiple directions.
And most alarming of all, countless shadows roamed around the tower.

“Undead… right?”

Mayhem asked, relying on his instincts as a mage to confirm.

“Yes, no doubt about it,”

Alfred replied, narrowing his eyes as he counted.

“Over twenty zombies… about ten skeleton soldiers… and…”
His voice trailed off.

“Three Dullahan,”

Kiska finished, taking over.
Normally, even a single Dullahan could give high-ranking adventurers a hard time. To find three of them roaming freely was beyond alarming.

“That tower… It’s like their nest,”

Harris muttered.

“It’s not just a nest.”

Alfred said in a low voice.

“It’s a… factory.”

“Factory”—the word sent a shiver down Mayhem’s spine.

“A factory that creates undead…?”

“Yes. The bodies of the missing adventurers have been used as stone for that tower.”

Alfred said, clenching his fist.

“Even in death, they find no peace.”

Kiska gazed coldly at the tower, then drew her sword.
The blade glowed with a pale, bluish light.

“Unforgivable,”

She said, her voice icy.

“Be careful, Kiska. We still don’t know the enemy’s true nature.”

Alfred warned, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“But behind that Dullahan…”

Mayhem pointed, and everyone followed his gaze.
A figure stood at what appeared to be the tower’s entrance.
Clad in a pitch-black cloak, the figure held a long staff.

“A Necromancer… a death mage who controls the Undead?”

Alfred frowned.

“No, that’s not it,”

Harris said, his voice trembling.

“That’s no ordinary Necromancer.”

“What do you mean?”

“I can’t explain it in detail, but… that presence is extraordinary.”

Harris’s face paled.

“A Lich… who has mastered the forbidden art of manipulating the dead…”

The moment he heard those words, Mayhem held his breath.

“No wonder there are so many Undead…”

“They’re likely performing a grand Necromantic ritual.”

Harris exhaled deeply.

“I’ve never seen such a massive gathering of Undead before. To amass enough corpses to build a tower… they must have some terrifying purpose.”

Alfred drew his sword.
The blade glowed crimson, as if resonating with his fury.

“We’re going to make it back alive, everyone.”

The three exchanged glances and nodded silently.

“We’ll have to write a report when we get back, after all.”

“Another tedious paperwork.”

Kiska remarked with a smile.

“Harris, provide rear support. Mayhem, use your magic to suppress the area.”

“Understood.”

“Got it.”

“Kiska and I will create the breach.”

Alfred declared, his gaze fixed on the tower.

“Let’s destroy that tower and grant peace to our lost comrades.”

Their eyes burned with fury and determination.
They had survived countless brushes with death before, but this enemy was different.
Normally, they would have retreated immediately and requested reinforcements.
But they refused to back down.
The sight of their comrades embedded in the tower had overridden all reason with rage.

“Let’s go!”

At Alfred’s command, the four warriors surged from the shadows, charging toward the swarm of undead massing before the Corpse Tower.