Standing atop a mountain of dead bone monsters, the king of the undead loomed imposingly, his voice echoing like a thunderclap across the canyon. Every skeleton within earshot bowed in unison, their movements mechanical yet reverent.
The oppressive aura emanating from him was unmistakable.
"Overlord?"
Ronnel tasted the name, muttering it quietly as his gaze remained fixed on the skeletal figure.
The figure's regal bearing and skeletal form reminded Ronnel of a character from a drama he had seen in his previous life. It was enough to evoke the subconscious comparison.
Indeed, the figure bore no flesh—only polished white bone, identical to the minions kneeling around him. If Ronnel's instincts were correct...
"It doesn't matter if he calls himself Ainz Ooal Gown or Overlord. His appearance, the submission of these creatures, and his self-proclaimed title as king…"
Ronnel's musings were cut short by Ging, who had been quietly analyzing the situation.
"I agree. He's clearly the leader of these undead bone creatures," Ging said, his voice tinged with certainty. "The King of the Undead Bone Demons that dominate this canyon."
The skeletal monarch, who had introduced himself as Overlord, seemed unfazed by their speculation. If anything, he looked intrigued, nodding slightly before declaring:
"That is correct! I am the king of my kind. But we are not the unintelligent beasts you call undead bone monsters. We are the Undead Bone Demons, the most ancient and intelligent race on this continent!"
With those words, he spread his arms, his skeletal frame exuding an aura of pride and grandeur.
"Do not degrade my people by associating them with mindless, uncivilized beasts. My kind is older and far superior in wisdom than any race you can name!"
His voice carried an almost sacred conviction, but Ging's sharp eyes scanned the kneeling creatures. He scratched his head, unimpressed.
"These guys don't exactly scream intelligence," he remarked dryly.
Ronnel smirked. "Yeah, they seem more like oversized attack dogs, acting on instinct."
His comment earned a twitch from the Bone King's jaw.
"Let's not insult monsters here," Ronnel continued. "True monsters have intelligence rivaling humans. They strategize, they plan. Take the Kiriko family under the giant fir tree on Dolle Harbor—they're a perfect example."
Ging nodded. "Humans are technically mammals too, so you could even argue we're part of the same category as those monsters."
The duo's unrelenting commentary made the Bone King visibly tremble with suppressed rage.
"Silence, you insolent mortals! How dare you insult my people!"
Raising his skeletal arms, the king unleashed a dark, suffocating aura of Nen that surged across the canyon like a tidal wave.
"Body delay?"
Both Ging and Ronnel felt their movements falter as a strange force gripped them, slowing their reflexes.
"Predictable," Ging muttered under his breath, exchanging a knowing glance with Ronnel.
The two had quickly deduced the king's personality—a delusional pride in his race paired with an easily triggered temper. Their earlier taunts had been deliberate, intended to provoke him into revealing his abilities.
"When beings—human or otherwise—get angry, they tend to show their full strength. This king is no exception," Ging observed calmly.
From the Nen fluctuation earlier, Ging had already gauged the Bone King's power.
"He's stronger than me, but not by much. If Ronnel and I work together, we can take him down."
Ronnel frowned. "The problem isn't him—it's his army."
True to his title, the Bone King seemed capable of controlling the undead creatures en masse. Combined with the ability to delay opponents' movements, the fight was shaping up to be more complex than anticipated.
"It's worse than I thought," Ging murmured. "That aura—it's the Sonata of Darkness."
Ronnel's eyes widened. Ging's familiarity with the infamous Sonata of Darkness was well-known. The destructive Nen instrument had wreaked havoc before, and its eerie power seemed woven into the Bone King's abilities.
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