Ark Undead

The immortal heard footsteps outside and knew someone was standing at his door.

creak...

The wooden door was pulled open, and Vina, who was cautiously eavesdropping at the door, was startled. She slowly raised her head and looked at the tall, dark figure in front of her.

“Vina”.

The undead man uttered Vina's name in a hoarse voice.

"Sending firewood?"

"Ah...yes." Vina felt a little chilly.

"Come in."

The immortal turned around, left the wooden door, and returned to the room.

Vina walked in cautiously, her good upbringing and manners making her stand tall. But her tense arms and legs betrayed that she was not at peace.

When Vina went inside, she saw a little girl sitting by the campfire, covering her head. An undead man sat next to her, reaching out to pick up a piece of firewood from the pile and throwing it into the fire.

Vina went to the woodpile and unloaded the firewood from her back.

What are you doing here?

Seeing this, it was clear that things were not as Vina had imagined, but she still had some doubts.

The Undead pointed to Melantha next to him, then to the floor next to her.

"I was practicing swordsmanship when I fell and hit my head."

Melantha lifted her head, which had been drooping, and looked at Vina, who had just walked in, with teary eyes.

She had seen this older sister before.

He looks like a gang leader from the downtown area!

With tears still welling up in her eyes, Melantha's expression changed instantly. She instinctively reached for the straight sword lying beside her, but her outstretched hand was grabbed by the undead.

"fine."

The immortal said to her.

"The firewood deliveryman."

Vina could naturally sense Melantha's sudden hostility.

She could understand, because last time she came, she asked Mr. Youhun to give her some pointers on melee combat techniques.

That was probably Melantha's first time visiting the Undead, and the real, hard-fought battle between the two must have frightened her.

"really?"

Melantha glanced at Vina, then at the Undead.

After the Undead nodded again, Melantha slowly withdrew her hand that was about to grasp the sword.

The Undead reached out and patted the floor beside him, gesturing for Vina to sit down.

"sit."

Since the immortals had spoken, Vina didn't stand on ceremony. She sat cross-legged on the dusty floor, facing the fire, letting her exposed white legs feel the warmth of the fire. Her golden ears, which had been standing upright because of the cold, twitched twice and then relaxed comfortably.

Well, being next to the undead's ever-burning campfire felt incredibly warm.

The sense of security from the rising flames, coupled with the high-quality firewood used by the Undead and the special ventilation system on the roof, led Vina and Hannah to frequently visit the Undead.

Vina glanced at Melantha, who was still somewhat wary, reached into her pocket and took out two lollipops, tossing one to Melantha.

"Lollipops, I like to eat them."

Vina tore open the lollipop herself and popped it into her mouth.

Melantha hurriedly took the lollipop and glanced at the Undead.

The Undead ignored Melantha; he was still pondering whether or not he should tell her about his possible departure.

After all, Melantha only said five gold coins per lesson, without specifying how long the lessons would last.

If there were truly enough time, the Undead might actually pass on everything they know to Melantha.

Melantha saw that the immortal didn't say anything, so she imitated Vina, unpacked the package, and put it in her mouth.

The slightly sour taste made Melanie's still-aching head go numb for a moment.

The purple cat ears on its head stood up and swayed from side to side.

It's clear that Melanie is very satisfied with the lollipop.

Vina warmed herself by the fire for a while before speaking to express her gratitude to the Undead.

“Thank you very much, Mr. Ghost. Hannah told me that without you, not many of the Glasgow Gang brothers would have survived.”

"They are all friends."

The voice of the undead came from under the helmet, a buzzing sound.

"If you were here, you would feel the same way as me."

He meant that the Undead's actions last night weren't just due to being hired; the Glasgow Gang members had all delivered firewood to the Undead to some extent, and most members respected this wandering spirit.

If Vina were here, her choice would be the same as the Undead's.

Vina was dejected.

When the Undead spoke of friends, Vina thought of her family members whom she would never see again.

There was definitely some sadness involved, but Vina couldn't show it.

But Vina's visit today wasn't simply to thank the Undead.

“These things may happen frequently in the future.”

Vina wanted to sound out the Undead to see if they were willing to continue being employed by the Glasgow Gang.

"If I were to establish a long-term employment relationship with you, would you be willing, Mr. Wandering Soul?"

"..."

The Undead turned his head and peeked at Vina through the gap in his helmet.

Vina felt that gaze, and she turned to look at the Undead.

The Undead didn't answer Vina; instead, he turned to Melantha and spoke.

"Today, I'm taking a break."

The Undead stood up, helped Melantha put away her longsword and placed it in the corner, then helped her carry her small bag.

When Melantha saw the Undead helping to pack her things, she immediately knew that the Undead wanted her to leave.

The Undead escorted Melantha to the door.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, teacher!" Melansha bowed deeply.

"have a good rest."

The Undead paused for a moment, then added another sentence.

"Don't forget, one hundred times every day."

"Know it."

Melanie turned and left, clutching her small bag.

The Undead watched Melantha leave the alley before closing the door and returning to sit down by the fire.

Vina heard the undead speak.

"I'm leaving."

Vina turned her head in surprise to look at the Undead.

The immortal continued to speak.

"I hope you can take care of Melanie."

"That girl? That's not a problem, as long as we don't run into any trouble."

Vina nodded in agreement that no one would die, since they were friends after all.

But she was still shocked by the departure of the undead.

"When are you leaving? Why so suddenly?"

The immortal shook his head.

"Uncertain. But soon."

The immortals have already noticed that their consciousness sometimes becomes briefly blurred.

Like today, he usually didn't need to sleep or rest. But today, as soon as he got home, he threw a few pieces of wood into the fire and soon dozed off by the campfire until Melantha knocked on the door, waking the undead.

His gut feeling was that Victoria was not a safe place.

His own time was running out. Although even the immortal himself didn't know why.

He wanted to leave Victoria when he was nearing his limit, find a place where no one could find him, and then quietly face the possibility of a long sleep.

In the memories of the undead, this happens to those who have died many times.

There are also immortals who quickly lose their minds after losing their goals.

But for him personally, he had neither any goals nor had he died many times.

His ability to remain conscious for so long is clearly different from that of an ordinary immortal.

However, even I cannot guarantee what will happen after I lose my mind.

The Undead didn't want to hurt their friends living in Victoria.

“I will tell you.”

The Undead stared at the campfire in front of him and told Vina his terms.

"The exchange is this: if I'm sober, I'll help."

Although she was used to the undead's fragmented way of speaking, Vina still struggled to understand what the undead meant.