“Master, this is my friend Julia.” Do phased through the wall into the backyard, then turned to Julia. “This gentleman is my master. He complimented your beautiful name and praised you as an elegant lady.”
“Your master has excellent taste!”
Julia snorted and lowered her head slightly toward Wayne in greeting.
The dog and horse were communicating in silent voices he couldn’t hear, but seeing the undead warhorse’s gentle reaction, he placed his hand on his chest and bowed in return, accepting Do’s peculiar social circle.
Birds of a feather flock together—it made perfect sense for a spirit hound to befriend an undead horse! Besides, the undead horse was only slightly eerie. Compared to those Lovecraftian members of the Geocentrism Sect, she was perfectly normal.
“Greetings, Lady Julia. I’m Wayne, Do’s master.” He smiled and extended his hand instinctively, but immediately regretted it.
Julia didn’t find it strange. She lowered her head and gently nuzzled his palm, enthusiastically starting a conversation with him.
Ding! Julia sent you a friend request!
He sensed the mana wave and responded with his thoughts, establishing a connection with Julia. They were able to communicate smoothly and without obstruction. It was like telepathy or a dialogue between souls, but different from his contractual bond with Do. It was new to him, and getting curious, he chatted amicably with Julia, their conversation turning to magic. Meanwhile, Do was also talking to her.
“Julia, didn’t you want to find a new master? Why haven’t you said anything?”
“Not so soon. Your master is nice, but this is our first meeting. If I make it too easy for him, he won’t treasure me later.”
“How troublesome. Since you’re too shy to speak up, I’ll help you.”
Do was determined to help her master secure this wild mare. Ignoring Julia’s coyness, she explained the situation to Wayne.
“Your master’s missing?!”
Wayne’s eyes widened. Julia wanted a new master, and through Do’s introduction, had decided to give him a chance. This was truly heartbreaking news. He was so saddened that he nearly burst out laughing. The age-old wisdom that good deeds were rewarded turned out to be right. His daily acts of kindness had earned him a prize: a potential companion came to him with a new piece of equipment.
“That’s my plan, but you’ll need to pass a test. Drawing this sword won’t be easy,” Julia spoke coyly like a woman on a blind date who realized her date was her type.
You’re alright, but I need to observe you a bit more.
“But what about your former master? He’s only missing, not necessarily dead. If they return someday...” Wayne suppressed his joy and let his rational mind take over, his brows furrowing. “A horse can’t have two masters. When that happens, you’ll have to choose. I don’t want to put you in that dilemma or create enmity with your former master.”
“My master doesn’t have much of a brain and won’t mind such details. If he gets angry, I’ll just let him ride a few extra laps. He’s easy to appease.” Julia’s frustration was quite clear. She didn’t want to replace her master, either, but her back felt uncomfortably empty; she needed someone to mount her while she ran.
Wayne’s mouth twitched. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Julia sounded like one part of a quarreling couple. The girlfriend, unable to tolerate her boyfriend’s chauvinist behavior, stormed out in anger and found herself a rebound.
Oh no, I’m the rebound!
He stroked his chin, stopping his twitching mouth. Forget about being a rebound. He was a romantic who would always support true love and cut down cheaters, but...
Julia’s master was like Schrodinger’s cat at the moment—the odds were fifty-fifty whether he was alive or dead. If the guy were truly gone, wouldn’t refusing Julia mean spurning heaven’s generous gift?
Torn between options, he chose to compromise. He would sacrifice himself to care for Julia temporarily on behalf of her master, preventing such a magnificent mare from wandering the streets without a companion; if and when her master showed up, he would let the guy take her back at any time.
Julia would only be practicing being a mount under his guidance, with her master being the ultimate beneficiary. No cheating, no rebound. Love would win either way.
Perfect! I’m a genius!
He nodded to himself and, with Julia’s permission, prepared to draw the knightly sword. It was the prerequisite to mounting her. If he couldn't do it, the discussion would be meaningless.
Before he touched the hilt, he caught himself and withdrew. “Let’s move this to somewhere private. Then we can leave quickly if this causes too much commotion.”
Under the hazy moon, thick fog and ghostly phosphorescent flames covered the cemetery. Wind stirred the blurry silhouettes of the trees as mist crept along the ground. Everything about the scene contributed to the eerie atmosphere.
Wayne asked to go to a quiet place where they would be alone, and Julia, taking his words literally, led him to a cemetery—quiet, with no living souls around.
He felt a curse stuck in his throat. Julia had said that her former master didn’t have much of a brain, but what about herself? Who would bring someone to a cemetery at night? What if someone spoke in this deathly silence?
Fine, cemetery it was. He wasn’t picky. He eagerly placed his hand on the sword hilt.
“The sword is named Shadow Nightmare, the embodiment of nightmares. Only my master can draw it. If you feel any discomfort during the process, please release it and don’t push yourself.” Julia gave him a friendly warning.
Wayne raised an eyebrow. He actively merged with the Book of Greed to buff himself before slowly drawing the blade.
A bone-chilling murderous intent crept up his arm. He sensed an overwhelming, condensed aura of decay, which severed all life and represented the most sublime death, as well as an eternal slumber that would follow decay. The Book of Greed extended its tentacles and swallowed the energy of death. Near the great central eye, the smaller eye that represented Death glowed brilliantly, blinking in a lifelike fashion.
He drew the sword from its sheath. A cold gleam flashed before him. The guard was shaped like a bone, and the pommel featured a skull with a ruby between its teeth. The blade was made of an unknown material that radiated a metallic luster.
He examined the blade. Although it was named Shadow Nightmare, the sword was gleaming white, reflecting his face like a mirror. In the reflection, his facial features and skin vanished, leaving a skull with white flames dancing in its eye sockets.
He marveled at the sword’s peculiar properties and didn’t realize that the Book of Greed’s central eye was gazing at the eye of Death and, with Shadow Nightmare’s help, circulating the eternal power of decay through his entire body.
Grey whirlpools surged as his flesh transformed into bones. Black armor materialized, from pauldrons, breastplate, bracers, to articulated gauntlets. Piece by piece, a set of menacing black armor formed, covering his torso and limbs. A tattered grey cloak draped from his shoulders as he transformed into a skeletal knight with black smoke wreathing his skull.
He felt cold but not uncomfortable. On the contrary, his mind had never been so calm with desires fading away, granting him a clarity he had never had.
The ruby at the bone sword’s pommel blazed with crimson light. An endless supply of death energy flowed into his skeletal frame. As long as he was holding this blade, he possessed inexhaustible power.
So strong! Ridiculously strong!
He experienced the effect of legendary equipment for the first time. The power was immediate and unparalleled, with no apparent side effects... While the transformation seemed like a serious complication, the form of an armored skeleton was only skin-deep. Once he let go of the sword, he’d still be the hot-blooded young man serving justice.
Julia watched the transformation with bated breath. Seeing Wayne draw the knightly sword and assume the same form as her master, she knelt on her front legs and addressed him as master with ecstasy. As for her original master, she believed that a horse should keep its head high. As a warhorse, she should be carrying something on her back instead of leaving it empty.
Do wagged her tail frantically. As expected, Master was unique and the only one who could draw the sword. Excellent! Now she could remain friends with Julia forever.
Having been riderless for too long, Julia was eager to let Wayne mount her and go on a ride. She knelt and impatiently invited him to hop onto her back.
Wayne grasped the front of the saddle with one hand, stepping into the stirrups for a test ride, but mid-mount, he remembered that he didn’t actually know how to ride horses.
The poor drove cars, the rich collected watches, and the super-rich rode horses. His economic situation hadn’t allowed him to develop this skill. Veronica would be different. With her long legs, she had the potential to become an excellent jockey.
“Um, I don’t know how to ride,” Wayne slowly said, his voice coming out booming and somber.
Even the dog was speechless.
“That’s fine. You can practice. I’ll go slowly around the cemetery for a lap while you get a feel for it,” Julia reassured him.
“Julia’s right,” Do chimed in encouragingly. “No one’s born a rider. I can’t ride a horse, either. Master, you can start by getting used to the motions. Riding is like walking. You’ll learn by doing it.”
“Makes sense.” Wayne sheathed Shadow Nightmare, mounted the horse, and gripped the front of the saddle to maintain balance. Once Julia stood up, he asked, “I forgot to ask. Who was your original master?”
“The Death Knight!” Julia declared proudly. “He serves the Goddess of Death as her solitary knight walking the mortal realm. He’s also the creator of the underground catacombs, worshipped by the followers of Death...”
“That’s enough. Stop. Pull over by that tree ahead. I’m getting off.”