Whoosh!
Ul had just pushed open the gate when a gust of wind suddenly struck from the side...
Ul's expression didn't change. He shifted his feet and stepped back, drawing the cheap Tachi at his waist in an instant. A flash of cold light burst forth, and a pitch-black arm fell to the ground.
Before the attacker could even scream,
Ul stepped forward again. His blade flashed once more, and a figure appeared behind the gate, clutching his throat tightly. After making a few meaningless "gurgling" sounds, he collapsed helplessly to the ground.
Light from outside spilled through the gate. Only then did Ul get a clear look at the attacker.
"Huh?"
Ul let out a soft sound of surprise.
He found that the attacker seemed a little different from what he'd imagined. It seemed... not quite human!
Dark skin, black scales covering both cheeks, and dense veins bulging across his neck and arms, red as blood...
"What the hell is this thing?"
A hint of curiosity rose in Ul's heart. He'd discovered that there really were a lot of strange things in this world, as if it were full of creatures that were neither human nor ghost.
After prodding the corpse on the ground a couple of times, Ul lost interest.
This half-human, half-ghost thing wasn't strong. After killing it, he'd gained only a negligible amount of magic power. And it didn't look edible, either. If it couldn't be eaten or provide magic power, then, in Ul's eyes, it was basically no different from trash.
He continued forward.
The space beyond the Jet Black Gate wasn't small, but the light was dim. With only a faint glow to guide him, Ul could just make out that he seemed to be following a narrow alley slowly down beneath the castle...