《Monarch of Death》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1. 0. Prologue He was the one who ruled over death. It took him 100 years to realize it. To live like a human, one must not rule over such a thing. *** It was a grand and magnificent pce. Endless rows of golden pirs, a marble hall stretching beneath them, elegant paintings and decorations adorning the walls, and meticulously crafted sculptures. But there were no people here, none who should have been present. No king, no queen, no prince, no princess, not even a single minister or servant. No, to be precise, there was a king. And there were ministers and servants. It was just that they were not human. Arge golden throne bathed in faint moonlight. Upon it sat a skeleton draped in a ck robe, muttering to himself. ¡°Why did I do that¡­?¡± He let out a deep sigh after uttering those words. ¡°Hah, why on earth did I do that¡­?¡± With a sigh, his shoulders slumped as he wore a hollow smile. A smile not of a human, but of a skull. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t know why. It couldn¡¯t be helped.¡± Though there was no one to listen, the skeleton, the Death King Karnak, continued muttering to himself as he nkly raised his hand. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± A faint blue aura formed over the slender bones, taking on the shape of a human hand. A hand that, with a single swing, could split the seas and shake the heavens. Even atop his skull, a human form began to emerge. A pale blue human face let out a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s already been 70 years since I ended up in this body? Wow, time really flies.¡± Leaning back against the throne, the Death King Karnak continued to smile in futility. ¡°Though sometimes it feels like it¡¯s dragging on forever.¡± *** Karnak first encountered the forbidden art of necromancy, the ultimate taboo, about 100 years ago. He was born as the illegitimate child of a fallen noble family and grew up under scorn. To survive, he reached out for the forbidden, and fortune favored him, granting him power. Whether it was luck or misfortune, he did not know. As the price, he strayed from the path of humanity. He fought against endless waves of enemies, sometimes striking first, killing the innocent over and over, living the life of a wicked necromancer. The world grew to despise him even more as he became a demon. The Central Empire of Lakeania, the Union of Seven Kingdoms in the west, the Verus Federation in the east, even the Church of the Seven Goddesses that worshipped the Great Seven Goddesses. The entire continent was his enemy. Despite facing the whole world, Karnak did not retreat. Using the immense power of death, he turned the enemies who dared to challenge him into undead, making them his subordinates and expanding his dominion even further. The war continued to grow. A living hell, where the dead walked among the living, spread across the entire continent. Before long, he became known as the Death King, an existence that humanity could not tolerate¡ªan absolute evil. Finally, even thest bastion of humanity crumbled. The four Martial Kings, the strongest warriors of the human world, and the three Archmages, whose powers were said to reach the heavens, were defeated and became the Death King¡¯s minions. In the end, the protector of the world, the Dragon Emperor Grateria, was forced to reveal himself. Indeed, the Dragon Emperor was powerful. Even Karnak, who hadmitted every possible taboo, could not see a way to defeat him. It was only natural. What could a mere human, who had relied solely on cunning and forbidden methods, possibly do against the greatest of the dragon race, the supreme Dragon Emperor? With no other choice, Karnak resorted to the worst forbidden art he had been saving forst. He transformed himself into the ultimate transcendent being, the ¡°Astra Shunaph,¡± surpassing even the most powerful undead, such as the Death Knight or the Archlich. In doing so, Karnakpletely abandoned his humanity. As much as he lost, the cost was equally great. After three days of battle, Grateria lost his rank as the Dragon Emperor. He became the corpse dragon Grateria, a loyal ve to the Death King. Karnak, who had nothing special about him other than being of lower noble birth. A mere human, born without the bloodline of heroes or the power of gods, overcame extraordinary heroes and divine powers to ascend to the supreme position. The world became entirely his. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s all good. It¡¯s a happy ending. Everything¡¯s great, but¡­¡± Karnak let out a deep sigh as he looked once again at his hand. ¡°What can I possibly do with this body that¡¯s nothing but bones?¡± Gold and silver treasures, elegant beauties, fine wines and songs, all the luxuries and pleasures a human could imagine. None of it had any meaning anymore. In this dead body, all human senses hadpletely disappeared. ¡°I want to feel¡­¡± He wanted to taste. He wanted to feel the warmth of another person. He wanted to feel the gentle breeze blowing and the warm sunlight shining down. No, he would even prefer to feel pain. Even fragile skin, which would be pierced by a de and bring excruciating pain, would be better than these dry bones. ¡°¡­No, honestly, that¡¯s not true. No matter what, numbness is better than pain. What kind of nonsense am I spouting like some pampered noble?¡± Karnak quickly changed his words and let out a smallugh. Still, it was true that he missed having senses. It was ironic; when he had them, he didn¡¯t realize how precious they were, but now that they were gone, he missed them to the point of despair. ¡°That¡¯s why there¡¯s always a reason when people say not to do something. No wonder everyone called necromancy a forbidden art, a taboo, and looked down on it.¡± There was no joy in living. There was no driving force to continue his life. But even so, he didn¡¯t want tomit s*****e. ¡°Dying is still scary.¡± He thought that once he became numb, he wouldn¡¯t feel fear of death anymore, but that wasn¡¯t the case. He wanted to live and find joy, not die and forget his sorrows. All that came out was another sigh. ¡°Is that the only thing I can trust?¡± Karnak nced behind the throne. Arge blood-red monolith stood there, flickering with an eerie light. His eyes gleamed. ¡°If that seeds¡­¡± To be precise, it wasn¡¯t really his eyes that gleamed. His eyeballs had long since rotted away. It was just that the spiritual eyes created within his empty skull sockets were shing. ¡°¡­there might be hope.¡± *** A long corridor shrouded in ominous darkness where sunlight didn¡¯t reach. A massive knight, standing nearly two meters tall, was walking down the hallway. He might appear human at first nce, but he was not. The thick muscles beneath his pale skin held no warmth. He didn¡¯t need to breathe, nor did he blink. These were clear signs that he was not among the living. He was the second-inmand of the Empire of the Dead, Necropia. A warrior who defeated three of the Four Martial Kings and imed the title of the strongest on earth, and the suprememander of the Legion of the Dead. He had been Karnak¡¯s most loyal servant, even from the time when Karnak was still human, long before he had encountered necromancy. The Death Knight Lord, Varos, suddenly looked back. Another Death Knight, robust yet appearing rtively leanpared to Varos, was following him. Varos asked, ¡°Why did he suddenly summon me, Sir Leven?¡± The Death Knight Leven replied politely, ¡°How could I possibly understand the deep intentions of our lord, Lord Varos?¡± Varos gave a bitter smile. ¡°You always say something like that. You were much better when you were alive.¡± Leven Strauss, once one of the Four Martial Kings and the pinnacle of all swordsmen, bowed his head respectfully once more. ¡°Everything unfolds ording to his will.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re not the same as you used to be, so I suppose that¡¯s unavoidable.¡± Varos continued walking, leaving Leven behind. Atst, his steps brought him to the entrance of the massive hall. Entering the hall, Varos knelt and spoke respectfully. ¡°Before the Lord of all the dead, the ruler of life and death, the conqueror of the continent, the great Death King Karnak, I humbly present myself¡­¡± The skeleton on the throne waved him off immediately. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°Huh? No need for formalities?¡± Varos looked up in confusion. Karnak, resting his chin on his hand, grumbled. ¡°What¡¯s the point of all that? Who¡¯s going to think less of me if we skip the formalities?¡± Those with absolute power often be indifferent to etiquette. After all, they can instill manners on the spot if they really want to. Even so, Varos had observed formalities because, despite being undead who obeyed Karnak, they were still somewhat influenced by the customs they had followed in life. While Karnak had the power to enforce manners at a moment¡¯s notice, it was more convenient to avoid creating a situation where he would need to do so in the first ce. ¡®But now he says to drop the formalities?¡¯ This implied that there was no longer a need to control the undead. ¡°Oh, could it be?¡± Varos reverted to the old title he had used to address Karnak since the time when they were both still human. ¡°Did it seed, Young Master?¡± Karnak puffed out his chest with pride. ¡°Yeah, it seems so.¡± ¡°My goodness.¡± Varos¡¯s gaze shifted to therge blood-red monolith behind the throne. He asked skeptically as he looked at it. ¡°Does it really work this time? You¡¯ve failed so many times before.¡± *** At first, Karnak hadn¡¯t regretted losing his living body. World domination, cing everything under his control¡ªthese were exhrating experiences. The problem was that the thrill didn¡¯tst for more than a few years. What was the point of conquering the world with absolute power if he couldn¡¯t enjoy any of its pleasures? This is why high-ranking undead, like liches, often develop extremely sadistic tendencies. They derive vicarious satisfaction by torturing and tormenting others, feeding off their pain. Unfortunately (?) Karnak didn¡¯t have such sadistic inclinations. ¡°Other people¡¯s pain is just that¡ªsomeone else¡¯s pain. Why would that make me happy? I¡¯m not some antisocial psychopath.¡± Varos chimed in, interrupting him. ¡°You¡¯re not? Considering what you¡¯ve done so far¡­¡± ¡°Ah, that was just me iling around trying to survive!¡± ¡°If all the people you¡¯ve killed could hear that, I¡¯m sure they¡¯d find greatfort in your words.¡± ¡°¡­Shut up.¡± In any case, for these reasons, Karnak tried various methods. The first thing he attempted was possession. Honestly, he didn¡¯t need to live as a living being all day long. He just needed to feel sensations whenever necessary, and only for as long as needed, right? So, he captured a bunch of living human ves, erased their souls, and tried to take over their bodies. ¡°¡­And you still im you¡¯re not an antisocial psychopath?¡± ¡°Shut up, Varos.¡± Sadly, the attempt failed. The spiritual power of Karnak, who had be the ultimate transcendent being, Astra Shunaph, was simply too immense. Possession wasn¡¯t even an option; just inserting a fingertip of his soul into a body caused it to shatterpletely. ¡®So, taking over someone else¡¯s body temporarily is impossible, huh?¡¯ Next, he aimed for reincarnation. He gathered carefully selected infants, choosing the body most suitable for his soul, and attempted to inhabit it. The results were better than with possession. At least he managed to get one leg inside the body¡ªa significant improvementpared to a mere fingertip. Of course, that was still the limit. He tried several other methods as well. He attempted to steal the senses of others or sought various ways to pursue pleasure as an undead. It was all in vain. Wraiths, who feel pleasure by absorbing souls, or vampires, who gain ecstasy through blood-sucking. Themonality among these undead was that the pleasure they experienced was actually a side effect. It stemmed from filling a void within themselves. But Karnak, as the ultimate transcendent being, had no such void. With nothingcking, there was nothing to fill. With nothing to fill, there was no pleasure. He despaired. Was he doomed to live on, unable to die, with no enjoyment in life? As he wasted time, a thought suddenly came to him. The reason he couldn¡¯t obtain human pleasures was because he wasn¡¯t human. The reason he wasn¡¯t human was because he had be the ultimate transcendent being. ¡®Then all I have to do is stop being Astra Shunaph, right?¡¯ He continued his research to find a way to lose the power he possessed. And finally, he found the answer. ¡®I need to return to the time when I was human.¡¯ To the time when he was still human. The time before he was the enemy of the world and the object of all the living¡¯s hatred. The time when he was just an illegitimate child of a lower noble, harboring vague resentment toward the world. ¡®I will turn back time!¡¯ The result of that research was the blood-red monolith behind the throne, a manifestation of darkness that transcends time and space. Karnak spoke with confidence. ¡°The greatest necromancer in human history poured his most desperate desires into this research. If this fails, it means no one else could ever seed!¡± As if on cue, Varos snorted dismissively. ¡°Isn¡¯t that because, since humanity started recording history, you¡¯re the only proper necromancer there¡¯s ever been? You can¡¯t im to be the strongest without any point ofparison¡­¡± Necromancy was a forbidden art left behind by a mysterious ancient race that existed before humanity even invented writing, in prehistoric times. It was considered the ultimate taboo, so no one ever mastered it properly. There were only third-rate fools who sought power half-heartedly and got their heads chopped off for their trouble. Of course, Karnak would be the strongest in human history. ¡°Well, you¡¯re not wrong¡­¡± The skull on the throne clicked its jaw in irritation. ¡°Varos, if you weren¡¯t a loyal servant who grew up with me since childhood, I would¡¯ve beheaded you long ago.¡± ¡°I know that, which is why I¡¯mfortable talking back like this. Do you think you¡¯d feel better if you chopped off my head?¡± ¡°Ha, you¡¯re all talk.¡± Karnak rose from the throne. As he approached the blood-red monolith, he muttered, ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go, Varos.¡± Varos also moved closer to the monolith. As he inspected its dark red surface, he asked, ¡°So, if this works, when exactly will we return to? Are we starting over from infancy?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen. There has to be a minimalmonality.¡± Since they were twisting time and space with dark magic, the time they arrived at had to have a simr point of contact. With a sense of nostalgia, Karnak continued, ¡°It¡¯ll be the moment I first set foot on the path of necromancy. The very instant I first harnessed the power of darkness.¡± ¡°So, do I return to the moment I became a Death Knight? The timelines don¡¯t match up, though.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just hitching a ride with me, aren¡¯t you? We¡¯ll go back to the same time.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Varos continued to scrutinize the monolith with a doubtful expression. Then, suddenly, he asked, ¡°What happens if it fails?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be annihted.¡± ¡°Annihtion doesn¡¯t seem like something you should mention so casually, as if it¡¯s someone else¡¯s problem.¡± ¡°Why? Do you have regrets about your current life?¡± Varos chuckled dryly. The second-inmand of a great empire that rules the world. An immortal body with superhuman power. Did he have any attachment to all of this? ¡°None whatsoever.¡± Indeed, there was no pleasure in life for Varos either. ¡°Nothing to lose, no harm in trying.¡± With a calm expression, Varos ced his hand on the monolith. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Young Master.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Karnak also ced his bony hand on the monolith. The blood-red monolith began to emit a massive wave of darkness. ¡°Let¡¯s go back. To the time when we lived like humans.¡± Chapter 2 Chapter 2. Something Feels Off The first thing Karnak saw when he opened his eyes was a young man in his twenties with a rather naive impression and blonde hair. ¡®¡­Who is this? He seems familiar, though.¡¯ As Karnak pondered, a familiar voice reached his ears. ¡°Excuse me, could you be the young master?¡± He remembered who it was. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s you, Varos.¡± The young man before him had been his loyal servant before bing a Death Knight, back when he was still young. ¡°This isn¡¯t quite what I expected.¡± Varos blinked and wore a dazed expression. ¡°Hello, my present self¡­ I thought a new life would unfold¡­ I expected to feel disoriented¡­ Something like that.¡± Karnak didn¡¯t bother to chide him. ¡°Well, I thought so too.¡± Who would have thought that everything would change the moment he opened his eyes? It was so sudden that it didn¡¯t even feel real. ¡°Bring me a mirror. I want to check how I look.¡± ¡°Talking about mirrors? Do you think we could afford such an expensive item at this point in time?¡± For the Death King Karnak, who once ruled the world, a mirror would have been amon and cheap item. However, as the illegitimate child of a minor noble, it was a luxury beyond his reach. Instead, Varos checked his face for him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You look exactly like you did at 20, young master. You have a skinny frame, ck hair, ck eyes, and the same arrogant expression.¡± ¡°¡­Do I really look that unpleasant?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to make a kinder face? Despite being handsome when you¡¯re calm, you always had a look of dissatisfaction with everything, tsk tsk.¡± Karnak smiled with satisfaction. ¡°At least one thing hasn¡¯t changed.¡± Even after returning to the past, Varos was still Varos. ¡°You¡¯re still as insolent as ever.¡± And he had kept this insolent servant by his side for over a hundred years. By now, he had grown too ustomed to it to be offended. ¡°Yeah, I did have a lot ofints about the world when I was younger.¡± Karnak looked around. The two of them were standing in a dark cave. A small table was ced against one wall, and on top of ity an open book. The only source of light was a small, flickering candle. Karnak picked up the book, which looked more like a scribble pad, and muttered. ¡°Here it is, the beginning of everything.¡± It was an old book he had found by chance deep within the family¡¯s storage. Although called an old book, it wasn¡¯t even a proper one. It was a crude notebook, handwritten in a messy script, without even a title. It wasn¡¯t a properly published book, but rather something someone had scribbled down privately. However, it was from this book that he had gained the knowledge to first walk the path of necromancy. ¡°Shall I give it a try¡­?¡± Muttering to himself, Karnak snapped his fingers. A tiny me, norger than a fingernail, red up and began to consume the old book, growingrger as it did. Whoosh! In an instant, the fire reduced the book to ashes and then died out. ¡°So this is the extent of my necromantic power at this point in time.¡± Karnak nodded to himself. ¡°It¡¯s just about what I expected. Since I¡¯ve only just started learning necromancy, this makes sense.¡± Varos, who had been watching, flinched in surprise and asked, ¡°Ack! Was it okay to burn that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already memorized everything in it, so it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± The book itself didn¡¯t contain any special dark magic. It was just an ordinary book with knowledge written down. ¡°And the knowledge inside wasn¡¯t particrly advanced. It was just basic-level necromancy.¡± The reason he had be the world¡¯s greatest necromancer was because he had traveled the world, continuously acquiring ancient knowledge. It wasn¡¯t as if this one book had suddenly turned him into a top-tier necromancer. ¡°That¡¯s precisely why it had to be burned. After all, this book was what allowed me to begin learning necromancy.¡± If Karnak could use it to get started, then some other fool could as well. Moreover, if someone were to discover he was in possession of such a book, he¡¯d be lucky to face only a hanging; if he was unlucky, he¡¯d be burned at the stake. ¡°There¡¯s no need to keep something that could cause troubleter.¡± After brushing off the ashes, he turned his gaze toward the cave¡¯s entrance. He could see light shimmering in the distance. ¡°Shall we head outside for now?¡± *** Karnak screamed. ¡°Ugh!¡± Varos was also startled. ¡°W-what is this?¡± A tremendous light was pouring down from above! It was an overwhelming amount of light, as if it could burn the entire world! Varos mumbled nkly, ¡°Ah, this is that.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Sunlight.¡± ¡°Now that you mention it, the sun was always like this, wasn¡¯t it?¡± The two of them looked around, their faces dazed. As their eyes adjusted, the world around them came into focus. In hindsight, it was only natural. They were no longer undead but fully alive humans, so why would sunlight feel like the hellfire of the underworld? In reality, their eyes were only dazzled for a few seconds before it was over. The reason they had overreacted was more psychological than anything else. But there was still more to overreact to. ¡°Oh, wow!¡± ¡°The sunlight is so warm, young master!¡± ¡°The smell of grass! I can smell grass!¡± ¡°And the scent of soil too!¡± The sensations that every human naturally experiences and often takes for granted overwhelmed the two. Karnak and Varos were moved to tears. And they were moved again by the fact that they could shed tears. ¡°Look at this, Varos! Tears! I¡¯m crying!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve even got a runny nose!¡± ¡°I¡¯m even drooling!¡± ¡°At this rate, do you think we could even pee?¡± ¡°Of course we can! We¡¯re human again!¡± ¡°¡­Let¡¯s stop talking about gross stuff now, shall we?¡± Nevertheless, they had regained it. The ability to feel, to experience emotions, to be moved¡ªtrue physical bodies. What they lost in exchange was their absolute power. No longer were they the greatest necromancer or the mightiest Death Knight in human history. ¡°Ah, who needs that crap anyway!¡± ¡°Exactly! It¡¯s not like that stuff made us happy!¡± Karnak shouted to his longtime servant. ¡°This time, let¡¯s try living like real people!¡± *** In a forest on a low hill, two men walked along a sunlit path between green trees. They were both dressed in in, slightly shabby travel clothes. The young man with scruffy blonde hair suddenly ced a hand on his forehead and looked up at the sky. ¡°The weather¡¯s nice.¡± The handsome young man with sleek ck hair replied absentmindedly. ¡°Yeah, the weather¡¯s really nice.¡± The sun was shining brightly, the sand sparkled. The weather was certainly fresh and warm. ¡°¡­It¡¯s too hot, though.¡± ¡°And the sweat is making me irritable.¡± ¡°Yeah, this sensation thing is oddly annoying.¡± The ck-haired young man, Karnak, let out a deep sigh. ¡°Living in a physical body is such a hassle.¡± It had been half a day since they packed their things, left the cave, and set out on the road. They were hot and irritable, hungry and irritable, and thirsty and irritable. The momentary sense of wonder had faded, and as time passed, they began to miss their old powers again. This must be why people are said to be fickle. ¡°Well, there¡¯s no turning back now, so we¡¯ll just have to get used to it.¡± Grumbling, Varos unfolded a map. ¡°It should be about time to reach Darha Vige¡­¡± He scratched his head as hepared the map to the surrounding terrain. ¡°It¡¯s been so long that I don¡¯t remember anything.¡± After all, they had gone back more than a hundred years. It would be stranger if they did remember. ¡°Still, there should be a restaurant there, right? Since it¡¯s a vige on the trade route.¡± ¡°Of course, that¡¯s why my old self chose this ce.¡± This time period was when Karnak had first secretly left his family to learn necromancy. He had spent several months in a secluded cave deep within the forest, avoiding others¡¯ eyes as he delved into the dark arts. ¡°Judging by my mana level, it seems like it¡¯s been about two months since I first gained necromantic power.¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s not exactly the moment when you first felt necromantic power?¡± ¡°Considering we¡¯ve traveled back over a hundred years, a margin of error like that is expected.¡± Even while learning necromancy, he still needed to eat. It was difficult to expect such services in a remote ce where outsiders rarely ventured. That¡¯s why he had purposely chosen the low hills near Darha Vige. Darha Vige was located on the central trade route of the Kingdom of Ustil. As a trading vige with inns, restaurants, and shops for peddlers, Karnak often sent Varos to buy necessities there. ¡°Now that you mention it, I think I do remember that.¡± As he muttered, Varos¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. ¡°Wait, does that mean we can now enjoy rich red wine and juicy beef?¡± Karnak tried to ignore the sparkling, starry-eyed look from his loyal servant and wore a sad expression instead. ¡°As if a high-ss restaurant like that would exist in Darha Vige.¡± Even if such a restaurant did exist, they wouldn¡¯t be able to afford it anyway. ¡°We don¡¯t have any money.¡± ¡°True, we are poor, aren¡¯t we?¡± Varos slyly lifted the money pouch hanging from his waist. ¡°It¡¯s pretty heavy, but that¡¯s only because it¡¯s full of coins.¡± This era¡¯s Karnak had no connection to higher-quality currency like silver coins. Gold coins? He¡¯d only seen those from a distance a few times. Karnak let out a deep sigh. ¡°What¡¯s the point of being from a noble family if it¡¯spletely bankrupt?¡± And to top it off, he was the unwanted illegitimate child of that ruined household. He still vividly remembered how he had scraped together small change for this secret journey, even though it had been over a hundred years ago. The memory was so clear, it was as if it had just happened. ¡°That¡¯s why I was so desperate to learn necromancy in the first ce. Now it really feels like I¡¯m back.¡± As they walked, Karnak reminisced about the past. ¡°Come to think of it, does this mean I¡¯ll have to face my parents and two older brothers again? I really don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t want to either,¡± Varos grimaced. Given that the family had fallen into such ruin, they had been particrly harsh toward Karnak. Being an illegitimate child was always a source of conflict to begin with. Had the two brothers been in better circumstances, they might have shown some leniency, but they were struggling to take care of themselves. Naturally, whenever they dealt with Karnak, they treated him harshly. Of course, back then, Karnak also ground his teeth in frustration whenever he faced them. Would he be able to remain calm if he met his brothers again? As he recalled the past, Varos looked worried. ¡°Are you sure you won¡¯t justsh out the moment you see them, young master?¡± ¡°Come on, what¡¯s the point now? I¡¯ll just tter them a bit and suck up.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it because you couldn¡¯t do that that things escted?¡± Remembering how he had brought about the downfall of his family, killed his two brothers, andmitted all kinds of atrocities, Karnak smirked. ¡°I can handle it now. I¡¯ve aged, haven¡¯t I? I¡¯m not some twenty-year-old brat anymore.¡± ¡°But the current you is exactly that twenty-year-old brat.¡± ¡°The inside has aged a hundred years, though.¡± Back then, he couldn¡¯t tolerate being ignored and hadshed out in youthful rage, but now he was confident he could let things slide. ¡°Looking back, it wasn¡¯t even that harsh.¡± At the time, he had felt as though he bore the weight of the world¡¯s misfortunes on his shoulders, but now, after experiencing all kinds of things, he realized something. His two brothers, like ordinary people, had merely dumped their own misery onto Karnak because they were suffering too. ¡°Wait, but now that I think about it, they were a bit over the toppared to others. Huh, I¡¯m starting to get mad thinking about it.¡± ¡°See? Your temper hasn¡¯t changed one bit.¡± ¡°Just kidding, just kidding.¡± Waving his hand dismissively, Karnak continued walking along the mountain path. In any case, the problem at hand wasn¡¯t the distant family estate, but the immediate need for a meal. ¡°But what about money? Should we rob someone on the road?¡± ¡°I thought we were going to live like decent people?¡± ¡°Right, old habits die hard¡­¡± ¡°Robbery is a habit for you?¡± ¡°Are you acting like it¡¯s not? You¡¯ve killed more people than I have!¡± ¡°Yeah, but I killed them and then brought them back to life.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one who brought them back. You only killed them.¡± As they continued their ambiguous conversation, they eventually reached the edge of the forest, where the field began. In the distance, Darha Vige came into view, faintly visible. ¡°Let¡¯s get something to eat first. We can think after that.¡± Varos¡¯s face brightened at Karnak¡¯s suggestion. Although they needed to save some money for the journey back home, they could at least afford a meal. ¡°Wholeheartedly agree, young master!¡± Chapter 3 Chapter 3. 1. Something Feels Off (2) A small inn at the entrance of Darha Vige. On the first floor of this inn, which also served meals, several peddlers were having lunch. However, few of them were solely focused on their meals. This was because there were two strange fellows among the guests. ¡°Oh! Ohhhh!¡± ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s delicious!¡± ¡°Ah, so this is what ¡®taste¡¯ is!¡± ¡°Yes, this is what ¡®boiling¡¯ means!¡± The two grown men had ordered nothing more than two loaves of barley bread and a bowl of stew, yet they were reverently gazing at the food as if they were performing some sort of ritual. Each time they took a bite, they caused amotion. Naturally, to the others, these men appeared to be quite unhinged. ¡®What¡¯s with those guys?¡¯ ¡®Why are they making such a fuss?¡¯ ¡®Did they starve for three days or something?¡¯ ¡®If they were that hungry, shouldn¡¯t they be shoveling it down? Why are they making such a show of eating it bite by bite?¡¯ Even as the other guests murmured among themselves, the bizarre behavior of the two young men did not cease. A short whileter, when the innkeeper brought them two mugs of ale, they even started to shed tears. ¡°Gasp! Young master, this is¡ª!¡± ¡°Alcohol!¡± ¡°Ah, just the smell is enough to make me feel faint!¡± (EN : The cringe is so great I¡¯m getting second-hand embarrassment¡­) It wasn¡¯t some legendary liquor. It was just ale brewed at the vige distillery. In fact, the higher-quality ale had already been supplied to the lord, leaving only the lower-grade stuff for them. Their reaction after gulping it down was truly a sight to behold. ¡°Ahhh!¡± ¡°I think I¡¯d risk my life for just one more of these¡­¡± ¡°You literally did risk your life, young master.¡± Seeing the two trembling after just a sip of ale, the other guests came to a conclusion. ¡®They¡¯re pitifully crazy.¡¯ ¡®Let¡¯s just ignore them.¡¯ Regardless of how others reacted, Karnak and Varos werepletely blissful. It was the first meal they had tasted in decades. Each bite brought a surge of supreme pleasure. They truly felt that nothing could make them happier than this. ¡­Or so they thought! ¡°Here¡¯s your dish!¡± At the table right next to them, a dish of chicken stir-fry, wafting an incredible aroma, was served! ¡°Gasp! They have chicken dishes here too?¡± ¡°This must be a high-ss restaurant!¡± Even in a vige bustling with trade, rare meats like beef or pork were only seen during festivals, and even then, they were too expensive to eat regrly. On the other hand, chicken was somewhat affordable. You could keep them in your backyard and twist their necks regrly. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean it was cheap enough to eat whenever you wanted. The fact that you could get chicken just by paying for it indicated that this vige was quite prosperous and had arge poption passing through. Yes, as long as you had the money¡­ The two began whispering to each other. ¡®If we had some of that chicken as a side dish with our ale, it would be amazing!¡¯ ¡®How much do you think that costs?¡¯ It was clear that it wasn¡¯t something they could buy with just a few coins. Those customers were probably quite high-ranking travelers. Even their clothes looked rather exceptional. Karnak¡¯s eyes suddenly darted around. ¡®Should we just kill them all and take their stuff?¡¯ ¡®Act like a human! Act like a human, young master.¡¯ Even if they gave up on living like humans, it would be impossible anyway. Varos pointed this out coldly. ¡®What power do we have to kill everyone here? We¡¯d end up getting beaten to death instead!¡¯ ¡®Y-Yeah, that¡¯s true.¡¯ They were no longer the Lich King who ruled the world, nor the strongest Death Knight. With his shoulders drooping, Varos opened his money pouch to calcte the cost of the meal they had just eaten. ¡®Ah, if only we had money¡­¡¯ At that moment. ¡°Huh?¡± Suddenly, Varos¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Young master, something¡¯s strange.¡± ¡°What is?¡± Varos cautiously looked around before pulling his hand out of the pouch. Karnak¡¯s eyes also grew as wide as full moons. ¡°Huh?¡± A silver coin was glimmering between Varos¡¯s fingers. ¡°Why is that in there?¡± Quickly, Varos stuffed the silver coin back into the pouch and lowered his voice. ¡®It¡¯s not just one.¡¯ He then subtly showed the inside of the pouch to Karnak without letting others see. ¡®There are more silver coins than copper ones.¡¯ ¡®That can¡¯t be right.¡¯ Baffled, Karnak also checked inside the pouch. It was true. There were a lot of copper coins, but more than half were silver coins. ¡®You just noticed the change in the contents of the pouch? Didn¡¯t you check it even once on the way here?¡¯ ¡®Why would I check when I already knew what was inside?¡¯ ¡®As a servant, you should have at least checked that!¡¯ ¡®I was the second-inmand of Necropia until this morning! I haven¡¯t been a servant for over 100 years.¡¯ For a moment, Karnak wondered if the pouch itself had been switched, but that wasn¡¯t the case. The family crest was clearly engraved on the entrance of the pouch. It was only the contents that differed from their memory. Exchanging nces, the two continued their whispered conversation. ¡®Exactly how much did we take for our expenses back then?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s been over a hundred years. How could I remember?¡¯ ¡®I do distinctly recall that we were extremely frugal because we were so poor.¡¯ The memory of living in poverty isn¡¯t something easily forgotten. ¡®There¡¯s no way we had this much money back then.¡¯ ¡®We did save diligently, though.¡¯ ¡®¡­This isn¡¯t a matter of saving.¡¯ No matter how much they saved, copper coins wouldn¡¯t magically merge into silver coins. ¡®What on earth is going on?¡¯ As Karnak stared at the silver coins filling the pouch, he was suddenly struck by fear. This wasn¡¯t just about having more money¡ªit was clear something was wrong. ¡®What mistake did I make? Did we really go back in time? Or did the time-space magic even work properly in the first ce?¡¯ His train of thought was abruptly interrupted by Varos¡¯s next question. ¡°Excuse me, young master?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Can we afford to eat chicken now?¡± Between the chicken before them and the unknown fear, the scales tipped easily. ¡®Forget it, let¡¯s just eat first and thinkter!¡¯ Karnak shouted confidently. ¡°Order up!¡± *** He bit into the greasy chicken. ¡°Ha-ha-ha!¡± Then he gulped down the ale. ¡°Hee-hee-hee!¡± They ate, drank, and then ate and drank some more. ¡°Hee-hee-ha-ha!¡± As they devoured the food with wild abandon, the two reveled in bliss. When they finally finished eating, Varos muttered contentedly, like a bear preparing for hibernation. ¡°Wow, I think I¡¯m going to lose my mind.¡± ¡°I agree. Was meat always this delicious? I doubt even drugs couldpare to this.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve tried them before and didn¡¯t feel much, remember?¡± ¡°That was because we were both undead at the time.¡± In the long history of the continent, there has never been a case of undead beings getting high. ¡°Anyway, this is great¡­¡± Leaning back in his chair, Karnak murmuredzily. This is amazing. This is beyond incredible. I¡¯m so happy I could die. It was a pleasure worth giving up all power, authority, and glory for. But they couldn¡¯t just stay like this forever. ¡°Now, let¡¯s pull ourselves together and think about this.¡± Straightening up, Karnak looked at the pouch of coins. ¡°What on earth could have happened?¡± Varos also grew serious. ¡°Could our memories be wrong?¡± ¡°You might misremember having nine coins as ten. But mistaking ten silver coins for ten copper ones? That¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°Then, could it be that your magic went wrong?¡± ¡°How would a time-reversal spell go wrong in a way that turns copper coins into silver ones?¡± ¡°¡­Did the distortion of time and space somehow snatch our coins and rece them with silver?¡± Karnak asked, as if talking to an absolute fool. ¡°Does that even make sense to you?¡± Varos responded, as if addressing someone even more foolish. ¡°That¡¯s for you to figure out, young master. What do you expect from an uneducated swordsman?¡± It was such a straightforward argument that Karnak had no choice but to close his mouth. Varos continued in a soothing tone. ¡°Let¡¯s return to the main house first. It won¡¯t be toote to assess the situation after that, will it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Karnak leaned back in his chair. However, the thought of returning home felt overwhelming. It would take at least three days to travel from this vige of Darha to the Zestrad Estate. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a tiring journey. Ugh, when are we ever going to walk that long distance¡­¡± Hearing Karnak¡¯s grumbling, Varos suddenly tilted his head. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What now?¡± ¡°When you think about it, do we really need to walk back? This is a ry station vige. Why don¡¯t we rent some horses?¡± Between ry station viges, they rent out swift horses for messengers or merchants in a hurry. Buying a horse would require visiting arger market, but renting one was possible. The horses could only be used between ry stations, and the cost was significant, but¡­ ¡°What¡¯s the problem? We have plenty of money!¡± Karnak, exasperated, scolded him. ¡°Have you no concern about where this money came from?¡± Shaking his head, Varos countered. ¡°Will not spending the money make the worry go away?¡± ¡°Well, no¡­¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s worry while we spend it! At least our bodies will befortable.¡± Karnak blinked. ¡°Your body has to befortable for your mind to be at ease, and a calm mind solves problems better!¡± What initially seemed like sheer foolishness actually started to sound quite logical. ¡°Well, that¡¯s surprisingly persuasive.¡± * * * After their delightful meal, Karnak and Varos headed to the ry station on the west side of Darha Vige. The Darha ry station was quite a sizable facility, consisting of a two-story wooden building with arge stable attached. As they approached, a middle-aged man eagerly came toward them. He seemed to be the manager of the station. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve returned!¡± For a moment, both men froze in ce. ¡®Returned?¡¯ ¡®Us?¡¯ The word ¡°returned¡± implied that they had visited this ce before. The man continued, bowing slightly as he spoke. ¡°We¡¯ve taken good care of the horses you left with us.¡± ¡®We left horses here?¡¯ ¡®We did?¡¯ Despite their bewilderment, the two maintained calm expressions. The middle-aged man then led them toward the stable. Among the dozen or so horses tied up, two brown steeds began to neigh and stamp their hooves as soon as they saw Karnak and Varos. *Neigh!* *Neigh-neigh!* The man smiled warmly as he soothed the horses. ¡°These fellows are excited to see their owners again.¡± Karnak and Varos exchanged uneasy looks. They truly did seem happy to see them, as if they were familiar faces. ¡®But this is our first time meeting them.¡¯ ¡®They¡¯re so thrilled, it¡¯s almost overwhelming.¡¯ The man handed over the reins and continued in a friendly tone. ¡°As instructed, I mixed high-quality feed with beans. Both of them should be brimming with energy.¡± His attitude was consistently kind, even somewhat obsequious, which made it clear that he was expecting something in return. Varos gave Karnak a look. ¡®This is one of those situations, right?¡¯ Karnak understood immediately. ¡®It sure is.¡¯ ¡®Should I go ahead?¡¯ ¡®Do it. We¡¯ll see how he reacts.¡¯ With Karnak¡¯s approval, Varos, adopting a slightly arrogant demeanor, pulled out a silver coin and handed it over. ¡°You¡¯ve done well. This is a small token of our young master¡¯s appreciation.¡± Instead of being surprised, the man epted the coin as if he had been expecting it, bowing deeply. ¡°Thank you as always! I¡¯ll fetch the saddles you left as well.¡± As the man dashed into the ry station, Karnak muttered to himself. ¡°Always?¡± ¡°Sounds like we¡¯ve given him tips like this before.¡± ¡°And with silver coins, no less.¡± ¡°Us?¡± They were so baffled that they were nearly speechless. This was the behavior of a wealthy noble who had more money than sense and little understanding of the world. ¡°What is going on here?¡± At this point, even Varos was beginning to feel a creeping sense of unease. ¡°This might not be something to be happy about after all.¡± ¡°Ugh, I¡¯ve been saying that all along, and you¡¯re just getting it now?¡± Karnak was deep in thought. Had they really returned to the past? It seemed so. The world mostly matched their memories. But there were significant inconsistencies as well. ¡®I need to get home quickly. That should be our top priority.¡¯ Meanwhile, Varos was also lost in thought. ¡°How should we address them? Hey, what are your names, anyway?¡± *Neigh!* *Neigh-neigh!* ¡°¡­Talking to horses. I must be an idiot.¡± Chapter 4 Chapter 4. Something Feels Strange (3) Karnak¡¯s family, the Zestrad Barony, was one of the lower noble houses in the Kingdom of Ustil. It had a history of roughly 100 years, not long enough to be considered deeply rooted, but also not so new as to be called an upstart. It was a fairly typical provincial noble family. Reflecting on the past, Karnak spoke nostalgically. ¡°It really was a family of no significance.¡± It was a ce that wasn¡¯t particrly barren nor particrly fertile, but it produced enough to get by. In times of plenty, they would hold feasts, and in times of famine, the table would be sparse. Luxuries were out of the question, but they maintained a level of dignity befitting nobility. It truly was a verymon provincial noble family. Karnak¡¯s grandfather, Baron Grellid, had always been dissatisfied with this. ¡®How long must we remain buried in this rural corner? Shouldn¡¯t a man harbor grand ambitions?¡¯ With the intent to achieve something great, he tried various ventures using the estate as coteral. The result was aplete failure. The businesses failed one after another, the few fertilends in the estate were lost, and he died from an illness brought on by stress. What began with grand ambitions ended only with enormous debt. Following him, Karnak¡¯s father, Baron Krafut, became the head of the family. He grasped onto the barren estate and the crumbling mansion, trying desperately to revive the family. Of course, it wasn¡¯t easy. It was already difficult to sustain themselves, and they were heavily in debt as well. Still, the eldest son was fairly clever and grew up well as the heir, and the second son showed talent in martial arts and became a fine knight. In their own way, the family managed to keep going, but¡­ ¡°To be honest, thosebels like ¡®clever¡¯ and ¡®fine¡¯ were just our father¡¯s opinions.¡± By societal standards, both sons were also quite ordinary. If you took anyone and gave them the same education, they could have achieved about as much. Even though the estate was still a declining ruralnd, Baron Krafut continued doing all that was expected. Despite everything, he decided to enjoy himself as a ¡®noble¡¯ and even took a mistress. When the mistress suddenly became pregnant, he showed some sense of responsibility by bringing her into the family. The problem was that once she was brought into the family, she was neglected. Karnak¡¯s mother, who had once been the mistress, suffered under the constant harassment of the baroness, eventually falling ill and dying. As an illegitimate child, Karnak had to grow up in constant humiliation. ¡°Ah, just thinking about it makes me angry again¡­¡± Karnak shook his head, trying hard to shake off the thoughts. He then took out a silver coin from his pocket. ¡°In any case, that¡¯s the current state of our family¡­¡± He rolled the silver coin between his fingers. ¡°So, where on earth did this moneye from?¡± * * * Thanks to traveling on horseback, the journey from Darha Vige to the Zestrad estate, which would have taken three days on foot, was shortened to two. ¡°We didn¡¯t save as much time as I had hoped,¡± Varos grumbled, ncing at the brown horse he was riding. ¡°You said you fed them well, right? Then why do these guys tire out so quickly?¡± Karnak threw out a teasing remark, seemingly incredulous. ¡°For living horses, they¡¯re actually quite sturdy!¡± ¡°As if I¡¯ve ever ridden something like that before.¡± For reference, the mounts Varos used to ride were zombie horses, skeletal horses, and ghost horses. ¡°They don¡¯t get tired, you don¡¯t have to carry feed, and they don¡¯t even poop. They¡¯re nothing but advantages!¡± There was, however, a minor(?) issue: if one rode such undead steeds, they would gradually be tainted by dark energy and wither away¡­ ¡°But I was already a dead man, so it didn¡¯t matter.¡± Thanks to their diligent riding, they were getting close to their destination. As Varos surveyed the surroundingndscape, he looked down past the hill and murmured. ¡°The estate ising into view, young master.¡± ¡°The human mind is really strange,¡± Karnak said with a bitter smile as he gazed at the fields covered in green barley. ¡°This ce has nothing but bad memories for me, yet seeing it again still makes me feel nostalgic.¡± ¡°It still just annoys me,¡± Varos said with a scowl. ¡°I was hated just as much as you were.¡± He was an orphan from the estate. Zestrad¡¯s estate, being in the barren northern region, was frequently invaded by monsters. Therefore, orphans weren¡¯t umon, and they weren¡¯t particrly shunned either. But Varos¡¯s situation was a bit different. His parents had swindled the local people, taken their money, and fled in the middle of the night. They even abandoned their child in the process. It wasn¡¯t the boy¡¯s fault that his parents were scum, but people naturally harbor the prejudice that a wretch¡¯s bloodline must be wretched as well. No one wanted to take him in. And it wasn¡¯t as if the estate was wealthy enough to support a welfare facility like an orphanage. It was Karnak who extended a hand of salvation. Despite his usually timid nature, young Karnak stubbornly insisted on taking Varos as his attendant. Even though he was a scorned illegitimate child, Karnak was still a noble, and out of regard for appearances, it was necessary to give him at least a servant. Given the difficulty of dealing with Varos, Baron Krafut agreed, thinking it was like getting rid of trash. ¡°Still, I was the only one who took care of you, right?¡± ¡°Well, I was the only one who took care of you, young master. Why are you acting all high and mighty now?¡± As the two chatted, their horses steadily continued on their path. They entered the fields, where the figures of the farmers became clearly visible. ¡°Everyone looks busy.¡± ¡°It must be time to pull the weeds.¡± ¡°We should probably just pass through quickly, right?¡± ¡°That would be best.¡± Among the people of the estate, Karnak and Varos were seen as nothing more than the spoiled youngest master and his equally reckless attendant. There was no reason to expect a warm wee, so they were nning to pass through quickly when¡­ ¡°Ah! Lord Karnak!¡± ¡°You¡¯re back!¡± To their surprise, the vigers noticed them and greeted them from a distance with delighted expressions. Some even had tears in their eyes. ¡°Thank you so much for all your hard work!¡± ¡°Oh, the hardships you must have endured¡­!¡± This was vastly different from what Karnak remembered. He let out a small, incredulousugh. ¡®What on earth did I do to deserve this kind of praise?¡¯ But since everyone greeted him as if it was the most natural thing in the world, it wasn¡¯t like he could ask, ¡°Why are you so happy to see me?¡± Offering brief waves in return, the two quickly urged their horses forward and left the area. ncing back, Varos frowned. ¡°It feels like I¡¯m having a nightmare.¡± ¡°Same here. We¡¯d better get home quickly.¡± *** Standing before arge stone wall, Varos muttered to himself. ¡°Young master? What on earth is this?¡± Karnak replied, his face twisted in a grimace. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me. I have no idea anymore.¡± A grand mansion stood before them. Tall walls made of high-quality bricks extended to either side, beyond which an elegant garden peeked through. In the center stood a stunning two-story mansion,plete with a sunlit terrace and various statues sparkling under the sun. ¡°This is definitely the Zestrad mansion, right?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Karnak nodded. It was unmistakably the house and the building he remembered. At least, the basic structure was. ¡°The size of the walls is the same, the garden is the same size, and the building is the same¡­ but¡­¡± ¡°Why does the mansion look so pristine?¡± ¡°Exactly. It¡¯s beenpletely renovated!¡± The original Zestrad Barony had a mansion over 100 years old that could be called antique. But to be honest, ¡°antique¡± was just a polite way of saying it was old and worn-out, a gloomy ce that had deteriorated over the decades. Due to their tight financial situation, they hadn¡¯t been able to properly maintain the house for almost several decades. Yet now, the mansion had been thoroughly renovated, every corner sparkling and fresh. The mansion was elegant, dignified, and refined¡ªnearly the epitome of what people imagine when they think of a noble family¡¯s estate. ¡°Where are we? Just where exactly have we ended up?¡± Karnak couldpletely understand Varos¡¯s question. It wasn¡¯t just about the mansion itself. It was a question about the nature of this world. ¡°Well, let¡¯s just go inside for now.¡± ¡°Goodness, are we really allowed to enter such a grand ce, being the shabby people that we are?¡± Feeling uneasy, the two of them made their way to the main gate. One of the gatekeepers noticed them and, with a delighted expression, hurried over to greet them. ¡°Ah! Lord Karnak!¡± The man, who appeared to be in his mid-forties, was a familiar face from Karnak¡¯s memories. With a calm demeanor, Karnak nodded. ¡°I¡¯m back, Katail.¡± Katail quickly urged the other gatekeeper. ¡°Hurry and inform the butler! The young master has returned!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Watching this unfold, Karnak let out a sigh. In the mansion from his memories, a figure from his past rushed to greet him. On the surface, everything seemed just as he remembered it. But the appearance was entirely different. The mansion gleamed, and the servants¡¯ clothes were spotless. He had no memory of ever having the funds to keep their clothes so clean, asundry was an expense that added up over time. And then, there was the matter of this warm wee? He could say with absolute certainty that he had never been treated with such kindness before. The scornful and cold looks he used to receive were not something one could easily forget, no matter how much they tried. ¡®This is driving me crazy, really.¡¯ Varos leaned in to whisper. ¡®Young master.¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t think anything can surprise me anymore.¡¯ ¡®Same here.¡¯ Their expectations were shattered again, and it didn¡¯t take long. Soon after, a neatly dressed elderly man came rushing out from the mansion. ¡®Grandfather Tafel?¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s right. He¡¯s still alive at this time, isn¡¯t he?¡¯ Tafel Flyde, the old butler who had served the Zestrad family since Karnak¡¯s grandfather¡¯s time, was now before them. ¡°The young master has returned, sir!¡± the gatekeeper called out. Butler Tafel, in the stern voice they were all too familiar with, scolded him. ¡°Mind your words, Katail. How much longer do you intend to call him young master?¡± Then, with a warm expression that Karnak had no recollection of, Tafel respectfully bowed his head to him. ¡°Wee home, my lord.¡± The two could only look at each other, blinking in disbelief. ¡®Did he just call me lord?¡¯ ¡®Me?¡¯ * * * In an opulent drawing room adorned with elegant paintings and decorations, steam rose gently from the teacups ced on the table. Staring at the teacups, Karnak wore a dazed expression. ¡®Tea¡­?¡¯ In this era, he had never even had the opportunity to taste such a luxury. ncing around, Karnak noticed that Varos, standing nearby, was also trying his best to hide his confusion. The old butler, Tafel, looked at Karnak and spoke in a soft tone. ¡°It¡¯s already been over half a year since you took over as the head of the household, Lord Karnak¡­¡± Judging by the situation, it seemed he had inherited the barony immediately after hising-of-age ceremony, around the age of twenty. ¡°Did you achieve your goal?¡± ¡°Goal?¡± Karnak reflexively asked, caught off guard. Tafel seemed momentarily puzzled before asking again. ¡°You traveled specifically for that purpose, didn¡¯t you?¡± Realizing he had to be careful, Karnak quickly mumbled an answer. ¡°Ah, well¡­ more or less¡­¡± Thankfully, the old butler didn¡¯t seem to find his response suspicious. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Thete lord would have been pleased.¡± ¡®Huh? My father¡¯s dead?¡¯ Karnak¡¯s mind raced, but Tafel continued speaking. ¡°If Lady Isabe were still alive, she would have been so proud¡­¡± Isabe was the wife of Baron Krafut, Karnak¡¯s stepmother. ¡®Good grief, she¡¯s dead too?¡¯ ¡°When Lord Tesil also passed away, I was at a loss, but now I can finally feel at ease.¡± ¡®Even my eldest brother is dead?¡¯ At this point, Karnak couldn¡¯t help but be curious. ¡®Then what about Paralt? What happened to that bastard?¡¯ It was clear that Paralt wasn¡¯t around either. If his second brother had survived, the title wouldn¡¯t have fallen to Karnak. But what could have happened? ¡®I¡¯m dying to ask, but I can¡¯t bring myself to do it.¡¯ He also had no idea what ¡°goal¡± Tafel was referring to. ¡®If I had a goal during this time, it¡¯s obvious what it would be.¡¯ It was to secretly master the necromancy he had stumbled upon by chance. There couldn¡¯t have been any other reason. In the current timeline, Karnak was undoubtedly learning necromancy. ¡®But there¡¯s no way I would¡¯ve openly stated that as my goal.¡¯ If that truth hade out, a warm smile wouldn¡¯t have greeted him¡ªonly the warmth of a pyre. ¡®What purpose does Tafel think I had?¡¯ There was another mystery to unravel. Karnak originally pursued necromancy to gain power and exact revenge on his family. But judging by the current situation, it seemed that all thoughts of revenge had already been resolved. Now a lord, Karnak seemed to be receiving recognition and favor from those around him. Everyone appeared to treat him with genuine warmth. ¡®Why on earth did I bother learning necromancy if I was living thisfortably?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t understand it. Not even a guess came to mind. ¡®If my power was intact, I could use mental domination to extract information, but that¡¯s not an option right now¡­¡¯ Realizing that he couldn¡¯t leave things as they were, Karnak subtly signaled to Varos with a nce. ¡®Do something!¡¯ Communicating through mere eye contact might sound impossible, but after doing it for over a hundred years, it became second nature to them. Catching on immediately, Varos smoothly inserted himself into the conversation. ¡°Butler Tafel.¡± ¡°Yes, Varos?¡± ¡°Lord Karnak is weary from his long journey. Perhaps it would be best to continue this conversation tomorrow?¡± ¡°Ah, I see. I¡¯ve been thoughtless.¡± The old butler clicked his tongue and stood up. ¡°My apologies, my lord. That was my mistake. Please, rest for now.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Karnak, who had felt as if he were walking on thin ice, internally sighed with relief as he rose from his seat. He then hurried Varos along. ¡®Let¡¯s get out of here, quickly.¡¯ ¡®I couldn¡¯t agree more, young master.¡¯ Chapter 5 Chapter 5. Something Feels Off (4) Night had deepened. Yet, even as Karnaky in bed, sleep eluded him. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± He gazed at the ornate ceiling of his bedroom, covered with luxurious wallpaper, and let out a sigh. ¡°How much did that cost? And why is something like that on the ceiling of my room?¡± It wasn¡¯t just the wallpaper. The furniture, the bed, even the candles were all high-end. It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t adjust to the opulence¡ªafter all, when he was the King of the Dead, he had been surrounded by far more extravagant things. But the difference from the bedroom he remembered was too stark. ¡°This wasn¡¯t part of my n¡­¡± Karnak no longer had any attachment to the powers of the Necromancer King. That didn¡¯t mean he nned to live as a powerless fool, either. Theoretically, he had already figured out a way to erase the side effects of necromancy while growing stronger. He had also prepared backup ns in case things didn¡¯t go well. He wasn¡¯t the impulsive youth he once was. He intended to get along with his parents and siblings, appeasing them as needed. No matter how much his family had despised him, they would surely change their attitude if he handed them enough money. And how would he earn that money? He had that covered, too. He had gathered all sorts of historical records,piling information about when and where wars would break out, when droughts and famines would ur, where treasures would be discovered, and so on. He had ns for how to invest and grow his wealth using that future knowledge. The goal was to live a life that wasn¡¯t too shy but not ignored eitherfortably well-off and secure. ¡°A life with just the right house, just the right status.¡± As Karnak surveyed the estate and family that had be his, he felt a sense of futility. ¡°But I¡¯m already living that life?¡± He had done nothing except return to the past, and yet his life goals seemed to have already been achieved. He wasn¡¯t foolish enough to naively think, ¡®Wow, life really is easy!¡¯ and be content with it. ¡°I need to figure out what¡¯s going on¡­¡± Karnak grumbled, rolling around on the bed. ¡°Why is that idiot Varos taking so long? Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s asleep?¡± It was only muchter that he finally heard the knock he had been waiting for. ¡°Young Master, Young Master.¡± Karnak, brightening up, lowered his voice and called out to his servant. ¡°Come in.¡± The door quietly opened, and Varos slipped into the room, ncing around cautiously. Karnak sat up in bed and asked, ¡°Is everyone asleep?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Good, now we can finally move.¡± ¡°Are you going to cast a mental search on the old butler?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. But with my current abilities, it¡¯s difficult to cast a mental search directly.¡± A catalyst was needed. Additionally, there were drugs required to weaken the target¡¯s mental resistance. Only by putting the target into a deep sleep and conducting the search during sleep would the desired results be achieved. ¡°So, there¡¯s something we need to prepare first. Ds petals, Jesscho, Palrel extract, and Lapat grass. They¡¯re allmon weeds that grow in the garden, so they should be easy to find¡­¡± Before Karnak could finish speaking, Varos handed him a pouch. ¡°Here you go.¡± Inside the pouch were the weeds Karnak had requested. ¡°What? Did you prepare these in advance?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been with you for over 100 years, Young Master. I¡¯ve picked up on things like this by now.¡± Varos shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I waste because I was gathering these. The garden is so well-maintained now that they were hard to find.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. The garden used to be overrun with weeds, but not anymore, I suppose.¡± But now that all the weeds had been pulled, it must have been difficult to find what was needed. ¡°If we had gone searching for them now, we would have wasted the entire night. Good job.¡± Karnak gestured as he walked out of the room. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving.¡± ¡°What if the servants catch us?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll just say we couldn¡¯t sleep and went for a walk. From what I can tell, there doesn¡¯t seem to be anyone who would dare question me for doing as I please.¡± ¡°True, you¡¯re the lord now.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Karnak let out a wryugh, as if he found it absurd. ¡°Me, the lord? The bastard child who was always treated as a burden?¡± * * * Ds petals, Jesscho, Palrel extract, and Lapat grass were ced into a bowl, then crushed and mixed together. Using necromancy, Karnak ignited the mixture. Whoosh! The mes red up briefly before dying out. All that remained was a long trail of ck smoke. The smoke moved as if it were alive, drifting through the air. Karnak manipted it using his magic. The ck smoke slithered into the nostrils of the old man lying on the bed. His body trembled for a moment, then the old butler rolled his eyes back, revealing the whites. ¡°Good, he¡¯spletely under.¡± After confirming the butler¡¯s condition, Karnak gave an order. ¡°Rise, my servant.¡± Themand in his voice held power, and the old man immediately sat up in bed. ¡°Yes, Master.¡± The old butler was now in a state where he would answer any question truthfully. ¡®But what should I ask first?¡¯ Karnak hesitated for a moment. ¡®There¡¯s too much to ask, I can¡¯t even organize my thoughts.¡¯ He decided to confirm what he was most curious about first. ¡°How did my father die?¡± The answer came immediately. ¡°Three years ago, he was killed by the treacherous de of Sir Randolph.¡± Karnak and Varos exchanged nces. ¡°Randolph? Who is that?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he a knight of Deventor? You know, from the neighboring territory¡­¡± Just hearing the conclusion without the context made it hard to understand. ¡°Then what about Baroness Isabe?¡± ¡°She fell ill from the grief of losing the Baron and the eldest young master. Eventually, she never recovered and¡­¡± ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s the order they died in?¡± Karnak continued his questioning. ¡°Then what happened to my brother, Tesil?¡± ¡°The eldest young master¡­¡± * * * Karnak fired off question after question. Each time, the old butler, Tafel, answered diligently, though he was in a daze. Thanks to this, Karnak was able to piece together the situation to some extent. ¡°At least until I turned sixteen, nothing significant happened.¡± The fact that the territory was on the brink of copse, that Karnak, as an illegitimate child, was despised by his family, and that he, as a wastrel, was scorned by the people¡ªall of that remained the same. The change urred in the year 683 of the Kingdom of Ustil, four years ago. While his second brother, Paralt, was climbing the mountains for martial training as usual, he happened to discover arge copper vein in a cave to the north. ¡°A copper vein?¡± Karnak frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t recall ever hearing about a copper mine in our territory.¡± Varos shrugged. ¡°Maybe it just wasn¡¯t known before. They say it was discovered by chance.¡± ¡°Even so, it sounds too contrived.¡± The discovery of a mine in a territory is one of themon fantasies that all local nobles dream of. Of course, it rarely bes a reality. If copper veins were thatmon, they wouldn¡¯t be such a big deal in the first ce. So, when a noble family announces they¡¯ve found a mine, people usually think something like this: ¡°Those guys must have made money through some shady means and are just using the mine as a cover!¡± ¡°But this time, it¡¯s real?¡± With this incredible stroke of luck, the Zestrad family hurriedly began developing the mine. It was said to be a copper vein of very high quality, so they were able to see some results within just a year. Of course, they didn¡¯t develop it on their own. Mining development is a business that requires advanced excavation and civil engineering skills. You don¡¯t just dig into the ground and expect copper ingots to pop out. You also need the technology to separate and refine the copper from the ore. Would the Zestrad Barony, which had only ever engaged in farming, really be able to develop a copper mine on its own in just a year? Of course not. So, they handed over the mining operations to the Tekas Merchant Guild, thergest tradingpany in the Kingdom of Ustil, which had the necessary technology and manpower. They managed the mine through a profit-sharing arrangement. The problem arose afterward. The neighboring territory, the Deventor Viscountcy, which had always kept the Zestrad family in check, raised an issue. The im, roughly summarized, was this: *¡±Originally, that copper vein was discovered by the Deventor Viscountcy. Moreover, the location of the copper mine lies in a neutral area bordering both territories. However, the generous Viscount of Deventor proposed that both families jointly develop and share ownership of the mine. The Zestrad Barony initially epted this proposal. But once the Barony realized the scale of the copper vein, they cowardly broke the agreement and changed their stance. They are now falsely iming that they discovered the mine from the start, distorting the truth. How can we forgive such treachery? We will reim our rights, even if it means shedding blood!¡±* Varos scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s brazen. Then again, they¡¯ve always been shameless.¡± ¡°But, you know¡­¡± Karnak shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not entirely baseless.¡± The copper mine was located to the north of the territory, in a branch of the Zeden Mountain Range. Based on its location, it clearly fell within the Zestrad territory. However, the boundaries of a territory, especially one involving mountains, aren¡¯t always clearly defined like drawing a line on a map. While the ownership of cultivated farnd is well-established, what about forests and mountains? Usually, they¡¯re just vaguely marked on maps, with no one bothering to spend money on surveying them, as they¡¯re considered uselessnd. ¡°Sure, it¡¯s near our territory, but it¡¯s also true that we never actually worked thatnd.¡± If the Deventor family had indeed discovered the copper mine first, while they might not be able to im full ownership, they would certainly have a strong case for joint management. ¡°If they really did find the mine first, that is.¡± ¡°Do you think it¡¯s possible, Young Master?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say it¡¯s impossible¡­¡± Karnak scratched his head, trying to recall his memories. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s not very likely.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because Deventor is much stronger than we are.¡± Unlike the Zestrad Barony, which was on the brink of ruin, the Deventor Viscountcy had been steadily building its strength since the previous generation. In both military and financial power, they far surpassed the Barony. ¡°If they had nned to develop it jointly from the start, no sane person would take such a dangerous gamble, right?¡± As a result, the rtionship between the two families deteriorated sharply. When words failed, fists flew, and when fists failed, swords shed¡ªsuch was the way of the world. Inevitably, the two families engaged in a territorial war. There were numerous bloody battles, and most of them ended in defeat for the Zestrad family. The strength of the Deventor family, which had been steadily growing its power since the previous generation, was no joke. A yearter, a catastrophe urred when the head of the family, Baron Krafut, was killed by Deventor¡¯s strongest knight, Sir Randolph. While the soldiers were retreating, the heir, Lord Tesil, was also killed by an arrow shot by Randolph. The Zestrad Barony thus lost both its head and its heir in one fell swoop. Baroness Isabe, who lost her beloved husband and son, fell gravely ill, and the second son, Lord Paralt, became the head of the family. Though Paralt tried to gather the remaining forces to resist the Viscountcy, the tide had already turned irreversibly. The following year, he too became a victim of the Deventor Viscountcy. In another sh, he lost both his legs to Randolph. Thanks to his regr training, he barely survived, but he was left crippled and could no longer serve as a knight. Ovee by the shock of bing disabled, he sumbed to alcohol and drugs, which severely deteriorated his health. Eventually, Paralt died from his illness, and around the same time, the ailing Baroness Isabe passed away as well. ¡°Wow, this Randolph guy really wiped out our entire family, didn¡¯t he? Was there such a powerful figure in the neighboring territory?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that Randolph was exceptionally strong; it¡¯s just that our family was too weak.¡± ¡°Seriously, who is this Randolph?¡± ¡°I only barely remember the name myself¡­¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like making a name for yourself in a rural backwater like this matters much.¡± How could Karnak and Varos, who had fought the Four Great Martial Kings, the Three Archmages, and the legendary Dragon Emperor, possibly remember some local knight from a remote area? Brushing off the matter, Karnak continued to interrogate the old butler. ¡°So, what happened next?¡± Now, Karnak, the illegitimate son, was the only surviving member of the barony¡¯s bloodline. The title of heir was passed down to him, with the decision made that he would officially be the head of the family upon reaching adulthood at the age of twenty. In response, the Deventor family dered a temporary ceasefire, announcing that they would wait until Karnak became the lord. It was indeed a noble and dignified move worthy of an aristocrat. ¡°Of course, that was just the pretext. In reality, they were probably just waiting for a suitable party to strike a deal with.¡± The Deventor family¡¯s goal wasn¡¯t topletely annihte the Zestrad Barony and seize the entire territory. They only wanted to take control of the copper mine and collect war reparations. ¡°For that, they¡¯d need someone to officially sign the contract.¡± At the time, there was a lot of opposition to the idea of Karnak, who was then still a wastrel, bing the lord. However, as two years passed and he eventually became the head of the family, everyone reportedly came to respect and acknowledge him. ¡°They respected me? Why?¡± When Karnak asked this, the old butler suddenly teared up. ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t respect a lord willing to risk his life to protect the territory?¡± ¡®Seriously? He¡¯s tearing up even while under mental control? Just how sincere is he?¡¯ Karnak was about to move on to the next question, finding the situation rather absurd. ¡°Wait, risk my life?¡± Karnak¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°What do you mean by that? Why would I risk my life?¡± Chapter 6 Chapter 6. An Honorable Lord? Who? The next morning. Karnak was lying on the office sofa, recalling this morning. ¡°Ah, that was delicious.¡± Soft omelet, fragrant white bread spread with sweet jam, savory sausage, and well-roasted carrots. It was indeed nice to be wealthy. To think that he could eat such luxurious food in the morning? ¡°I originally thought that even after returning, I¡¯d have to settle for rough meals for a while.¡± While he was rolling around on the office sofa, he heard a knock. ¡°It¡¯s Varos, young master.¡± ¡°Come in.¡± A sturdy young man with blonde hair entered the office. Karnak, still lying down, spoke. ¡°Are you going to keep calling me ¡®young master¡¯? I¡¯m a lord now. Won¡¯t it look suspicious?¡± ¡°It should be fine. It seems I often make this kind of mistake anyway.¡± From what Karnak heard, Varos had been scolded by the old butler so many times for not breaking the habit that he had half given up on it. ¡°It¡¯ll probably look more natural this way.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s fine. Did you have breakfast?¡± ¡°Yes, I did. It was quite good.¡± ¡°Are they giving the servants good food too?¡± ¡°Yes, it seems we really have be rich.¡± Varos looked at the documents on the office desk. With a puzzled expression, he asked. ¡°But young master, is it okay for you to just be lounging around like this? Now that you¡¯re the head of the family, I¡¯ve heard there¡¯s a lot more work to do?¡± ¡°That stuff?¡± Karnak shrugged as he nced at the reports on estate management. ¡°I finished all that earlier.¡± ¡°Already?¡± ¡°Do you really think I¡¯d be struggling with something like that at this point?¡± For a 20-year-old who had just be the head of the family, the workload would typically require all morning, but for the Death King who once conquered the world, it was hardly a task. ¡°I finished it while having dessert after breakfast.¡± ¡°Whoa! Dessert! Lucky you! I didn¡¯t get any of that!¡± Watching his servant focus on the wrong point, Karnak smiled wryly. ¡°Is dessert really the issue here?¡± ¡°It is! I gave up all wealth and glory for that!¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. I¡¯ll sneak you someter. But there¡¯s a more important issue right now.¡± ¡°Ah, right.¡± Varos adjusted his expression and sat down across from Karnak. With a serious look, he asked, ¡°So, what will you do now? About the duel trial?¡± * * * When Karnak officially became the head of the family, the Deventor Viscounty also started to make moves again. The Zestrad Barony, sensing the situation, grew tense. Honestly, the barony had no way to counter Deventor with their current forces. Of the nine knights they originally had, only five remained, and of those, two were recuperating from injuries. The condition of their hundred or so territorial soldiers wasn¡¯t good either. The only way to survive was to hand over the copper mine and pay arge war indemnity. However, doing so would not only mean losing all the wealth they had painstakingly gained, but they would also be even poorer than before. Themoners would start dying of starvation in droves. Caught in a situation where neither option was viable, the one who saved the family was the new lord, Karnak. In front of everyone, he boldly dered: ¡°In the name of Alium, the Goddess of the Moon and Justice, I will request a duel trial against the Deventor Viscounty!¡± ording to the doctrine of the Moon¡¯s Church, a duel fought in the name of Alium would result in victory for the righteous. This teaching gave rise to the system known as the duel trial. Under the supervision of an Alium priest, the duel would be fought fairly to determine right and wrong. At first nce, it seemed like a crude method where the stronger side took everything, but that wasn¡¯t entirely the case. First, both parties had to agree to the duel for it to proceed. Moreover, if there was an obvious difference in power, penalties could be imposed, and it was also possible to appoint a champion to fight in one¡¯s stead. ¡°Of course, that¡¯s just how it¡¯s supposed to work in theory, but in reality, it¡¯s just a way for the stronger side to take everything¡­¡± Varos shook his head. ¡°Is he out of his mind? What on earth was he thinking when he did that?¡± This was something Karnak should never have suggested. There was a tant difference in power, and there was no champion to send in his ce. Besides, Karnak, at 20 years old, wasn¡¯t some extraordinary warrior. Even if the opponent had suggested it, he should have strongly opposed it. ¡°But to go ahead and dig his own grave¡­¡± The sacred duel trial¡¯s verdict could only be reached through the death of one side. Once the duel was established, there was no such thing as surrender. If Karnak tried to avoid the duel now and acknowledged defeat, the Alium Church would take his head. Karnak slumped his shoulders. ¡°At least now I know why the old butler and the othermoners¡¯ attitudes towards me have changed so much.¡± In fact, from the perspective of the Zestrad family, it wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad condition. If the territorial war continued as it was, they would lose the copper mine and have to pay arge war indemnity. But if they managed to steer it towards a duel trial? There was, of course, no chance of winning. However, even in the case of defeat, they would only need to hand over the mine that was the cause of the duel, and that would be the end of it. Once the verdict was reached in Alium¡¯s name, all grudges would be settled, meaning they wouldn¡¯t have to pay the heftypensation. At the very least, they could avoid the people starving. ¡°I honestly can¡¯t understand why the Deventor Viscount epted this duel. If he just fought a regr battle, he could have extorted a huge sum aspensation.¡± ¡°He has to care about his reputation. Oppressing the weak too much doesn¡¯t look good, does it? It could start rumors among the other nobles.¡± After all, the Deventor family wasn¡¯t exactly impoverished. ¡°If they can neatly take the copper mine through a duel trial, it¡¯s worth giving up thepensation. It¡¯s not a bad deal for them either.¡± Thus, the duel trial was set between Sir Randolph, the strongest knight of Deventor, and Karnak, the new lord of Zestrad. Who wouldn¡¯t respect the young lord who was risking his life for them? ¡°Damn it, no wonder everyone¡¯s eyes were sparkling when they looked at me¡­¡± As Karnak ground his teeth, Varos posed a question. ¡°So, why did you personally step forward? You could have at least appointed a champion.¡± ¡°Hey! Did I step forward? It was this damn 20-year-old brat Karnak who stepped forward!¡± Karnak red up but quickly calmed himself, trying to control his agitation. Then he subtly asked, ¡°By the way, Varos, couldn¡¯t you be the champion?¡± Of course, Varos was no longer a Death Knight. He was merely a frail human now, and not even one with a properly trained body. ¡°But even so, you should be able to handle a local knight like this, right?¡± ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s why you called me, huh?¡± Varos scratched his head and shook it. ¡°I think it might be too much right now.¡± ¡°Huh? Why? With your experience, you can¡¯t even manage that?¡± He had fought alongside Karnak for nearly a hundred years. Even though he had returned to a frail human body, his umted experience was immense. ¡°You were the second-inmand of Necropia! You took down three of the Four Great Martial Kings!¡± ¡°That was all thanks to the power you bestowed upon me, young master.¡± ¡°But you were the one who wielded that power, right?¡± ¡°Well, you see, it¡¯s amon misconception among people who haven¡¯t properly trained in martial arts¡­¡± Varos gave a bitter smile. ¡°Even if your body changes, can you still overpower a third-rate knight just because you have a wealth of experience? There¡¯s a bit of a misconception there.¡± No matter how exceptional your swordsmanship is, you can¡¯t use it if you have no arms. No matter how skilled you are in footwork, it¡¯s useless if you¡¯re paralyzed. This concept extends further. At the very least, you need a body capable of executing the experience you¡¯ve umted. That¡¯s the minimum requirement. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember how I tried to stop you in Darha Vige, young master? It wasn¡¯t just for show¡ªif a fight had broken out then, I really wouldn¡¯t have been able to handle it alone.¡± Varos exined that even a child¡¯s body with basic martial training would be better than his current untrained, oversized body. ¡°Of course, even in my current state, I could probably beat a child, but using my umted experience is a different story.¡± Karnak frowned. ¡°Ugh, shouldn¡¯t someone with over 100 years ofbat experience be stronger than this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s precisely because I¡¯ve fought for over 100 years that I know my limits. Of course, if I start training, I¡¯ll progress faster than others. I won¡¯t have to deal with trial and error.¡± Varos paused, calcting something before continuing. ¡°Maybe six months? If I train seriously for about that long, I could probably handle an average knight.¡± For a mere servant who hadn¡¯t even held a sword properly to surpass a regr knight in just six months? It was an absurd im that would make him seem not just arrogant, but insane. Experience, after all, was an invaluable asset. The problem was¡­ ¡°The duel trial is in a month. We don¡¯t have time.¡± ¡°Well, then there¡¯s nothing we can do.¡± ¡°Damn it¡­¡± Varos asked curiously. ¡°This isn¡¯t like you, young master. Even if I was just a mere servant at the time, there were other knights you could have put forward. But you decided to risk your own life? You weren¡¯t the type to be so self-sacrificing.¡± Karnak paid no attention to theck of reverence in his servant¡¯s tone. After all, he¡¯d been listening to Varos talk like this for over a hundred years. Instead, he responded seriously. ¡°After hearing the story, I think I understand how it came to this.¡± There were no knights left in the current Zestrad Barony capable of standing as a champion. ¡°The strongest knight in the family was Paralt, but he¡¯s dead, isn¡¯t he?¡± At this point, the chances of the remaining knights defeating Sir Randolph were practically zero. ¡°It would be pointless to put forward a champion who can¡¯t win.¡± The Duel Trial was held in the name of the Goddess, so the defeat of the champion was also considered the defeat of the duelist. In other words, if the champion lost, Karnak would also have tomit s*****e. ¡°Either way, it would end the same, so it seems that the me of this time found a method on my own.¡± It was said that about two months ago, Karnak suddenly spoke these words. ¡°I have something in mind. Trust me and wait a little longer.¡± Then, without providing any reason, he abruptly left on a journey and only returned yesterday. ¡°Now, isn¡¯t it obvious what someone like me would have thought of?¡± Varos smirked. It really was obvious. His master had done simr things in the past as well. ¡°Necromancy, huh.¡± *** What kind of nerve did Karnak of this period have to do such a crazy thing? This was not something that could be found out by searching through the old butler¡¯s memories. Even at that time, he kept necromancy thoroughly secret and didn¡¯t say anything about it. ¡°Still, I can make some guesses.¡± Karnak had discovered necromancy books because of his long-standing habit. From a young age, whenever something difficult happened, he would escape to the old warehouse of his family. Rummaging through the dark, empty ce brought him a sense of mental stability. ¡°Come to think of it, I was quite a gloomy kid, wasn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°You were still a gloomy adult even when you were older, so what¡¯s so surprising?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it not that bad?¡± ¡°Does a sociable adult kill people with a mere touch of their finger when they¡¯re nothing but bones?¡± ¡°Shut up¡­¡± The Karnak of this period likely followed a simr path. As the pressure of being a lord mounted, he probably retreated to the warehouse in a feeling of escape, where he found the necromancy book. If he had learned necromancy near the estate, he would have been caught right away, so he must have traveled far to Darha Vige. The reason for choosing Darha Vige was also clear. The location had to be far enough from the estate and deep enough in a secluded area, yet essible enough to procure supplies¡ªces like that were not exactlymon. ¡°The situation might be a bit different, but it¡¯s still me at 20 years old. Naturally, I would havee to a simr conclusion.¡± The only difference was that in his previous life, he had secretly run away with only Varos to learn necromancy, while now he had openly dered his departure. ¡°Now it¡¯s starting to make sense.¡± Varos nodded. ¡°I was wondering why the young master, whocks for nothing, would bother learning necromancy¡­¡± Then he suddenly asked, ¡°But can you really defeat a regr knight with just three months of necromancy training?¡± The opponent was Sir Randolph, the strongest knight in the Deventor estate. Of course,pared to the renowned knights of the kingdom¡¯s central forces, he might fall short, but he was still at a level that ordinary people wouldn¡¯t dare to challenge. ¡°No matter how much of a game-changing forbidden art necromancy is, three months seems too short.¡± Karnak looked at Varos with a baffled expression. ¡°Hey, of all people, how could you say that?¡± ¡°What did I say?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve watched me all this time, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That was a hundred years ago! I barely remember the young master with flesh still on his bones.¡± ¡°F-Flesh, you say¡­¡± Karnak grimaced, feeling as if he¡¯d suddenly been reduced to a dog treat. But, well, it wasn¡¯t wrong¡­ ¡°Honestly, I can win.¡± He shifted the topic. ¡°Necromancy is the ultimate forbidden art, right? Even showing the slightest trace of it would make all the churches on the continente after you with full force. Despite the enormous risk, why do necromancers still emerge?¡± Necromancy allowed one to be powerful with shocking ease. In a short time, without effort, even without talent. ¡°If someone like me¡ªor anyone else¡ªwas determined to master it, they¡¯d have more than a fair chance.¡± Varos tilted his head. ¡°Then what¡¯s the problem? You¡¯re saying there¡¯s a way to win?¡± ¡°Yes, there is a way to win.¡± Karnak sighed deeply. He was a necromancer, not a mage. This meant he only knew necromancy. ¡°There¡¯s no way to avoid getting caught.¡± Chapter 7 Chapter 7. An Honorable Lord? Who? (2) The mountain was shrouded in deep darkness. Dozens of pursuers, holding torches, were scouring the mountain in all directions. ¡°Over here!¡± ¡°We found traces!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let him escape! Whoever captures that demon shall receive the blessing of Alium!¡± On the opposite ridge, two young men were frantically running along the mountain path. ¡°Huff, huff huff!¡± ¡°Young Master! Run faster!¡± At Varos¡¯ urging, Karnak cursed. ¡°Damn it! If I knew it woulde to this, I would¡¯ve mastered the Death Steed Summoning first!¡± Due to his usual neglect of physical exercise, even a short run through the mountains left him breathless. If he had summoned and ridden a death steed, it would have been much easier, but postponing it, thinking it wasn¡¯t immediately necessary, had backfired. ¡®Who could have predicted that I¡¯d end up running for my life like this?¡¯ But if he sat down because he was tired, he would be heading straight for the stake, so he gritted his teeth and forced his heavy feet to move. ¡®How on earth did they find out? I made sure to erase every trace, without a doubt!¡¯ When he dealt with his father, stepmother, and two older brothers, everything had gone smoothly. His necromancy had reached its peak, and as a result, no one suspected that the nightmare that befell the Zestrad family was Karnak¡¯s doing. ¡®I thought the only thing left was to take over the family and leisurely enjoy my life¡­¡¯ But suddenly, priests of Alium appeared and identified him as a necromancer. There wasn¡¯t even a moment to im it was a misunderstanding. ¡®They were absolutely certain!¡¯ Was it because Karnak¡¯s pace was too slow? A group of pursuers soon caught up and blocked the path of the two men. They were all heavily armed, robust warriors¡ªelite soldiers brought by the priests. Drawing their swords, the soldiers shouted. ¡°You demon!¡± ¡°Do you think you can run any further?¡± ¡°ept your punishment quietly!¡± Varos, terrified, looked back at Karnak. ¡°Y-Young Master!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Snorting, Karnak spread his arms to the sides. His wide sleeves began to p violently. ¡°Do you think I¡¯d be afraid of mere soldiers, let alone priests of Alium?¡± A cold darkness spread from his entire body. A gloomy muttering flowed through the night¡¯s darkness. ¡°Come forth, wandering spirits¡­ Erase the fate of the living with the light of the abyss¡­¡± The darkness soon took the form of a wavering evil spirit. It was a wraith, a ghostly entity draped in a veil of darkness, snatching the lives of the living. The soldiers¡¯ faces turned pale. ¡°It¡¯s necromancy!¡± ¡°He¡¯s summoning evil spirits!¡± ¡°Everyone, use your talismans!¡± In a panic, the soldiers hastily pulled something from their pockets. It was a bronze artifact engraved with scales on hexagonal tes of varying lengths¡ªa protective talisman of Alium, the Goddess of the Moon, believed to repel sinister energies. As the soldiers hurriedly brandished their talismans, a chilling sound sliced through the air. Sssseeeek! With a terrifying noise, the wraith glided through the air. Bang! Bang bang! The moment the wraith¡¯s aura touched them, all the talismans shattered into pieces and scattered. ¡°What, what is this?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t the Goddess¡¯ protection work?¡± The evil spirit soon overwhelmed the soldiers. They tried to block it with their shields and swung their swords, but it was futile. The wraith passed through the soldiers like an illusion, snatching away their lives. ¡°Aaagh!¡± ¡°Uwaaaah!¡± In mere seconds, more than ten warriors copsed, coughing up blood. With the situation swiftly under control, Karnak smiled coldly. ¡°Good, this means I¡¯ve gained some additional forces.¡± He began to move his fingers in a grotesque manner. ¡°Rise, dead ones. Awaken and walk the earth once more.¡± The freshly deceased soldiers rolled their eyes back as they each began to stand. Blood poured from their eyes, noses, and mouths as they staggered, turning back to the path from which they hade. ¡°Grrr.¡± ¡°Grrrrr¡­¡± As the zombie soldiers moved away, Varos asked, ¡°Are we safe now, Young Master?¡± Karnak shook his head. ¡°No, they were created too hastily, so they¡¯re not at full strength.¡± At their current level, these zombies were probably only one-tenth as strong as they had been in life. They were nothing more than a temporary distraction, so they needed to escape the area quickly. Karnak and Varos began running along the mountain path again. As Karnak desperately moved his feet, he ground his teeth once more. ¡°I¡¯ve barely exacted my revenge! I¡¯ve only just seized the family!¡± This was all the fault of the mysterious author who wrote that necromancy book. ¡°That damn con artist! What? ¡®No one will notice¡¯? The priests noticed everything!¡± Even in the urgency of the moment, Varos interjected. ¡°He said ordinary people wouldn¡¯t notice. But priests aren¡¯t ordinary, are they?¡± ¡°That bastard wrote it in a way that was deliberately misleading!¡± To be precise, it was written like this: ¡ºWith this method, ordinary people will never detect traces of necromancy. Even knights who¡¯ve mastered aura or wizards who wield mana won¡¯t be able to perceive it.¡» ¡°See? There¡¯s no mention that priests wouldn¡¯t notice.¡± ¡°Then he should have written a separate warning! It¡¯s justmon sense!¡± ¡°If he hadmon sense, he wouldn¡¯t have studied necromancy in the first ce, right?¡± Even with their lives on the line, Varos just couldn¡¯t help but make snide remarks¡ªit seemed to be part of his very nature. Karnak shouted irritably. ¡°Shut up and just keep running!¡± Reflecting on their past ¡°memories,¡± Karnak and Varos wore nostalgic expressions. ¡°We really struggled back then.¡± ¡°We thought it was all over, but then we got caught and ended up being chased day and night, didn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°That was when the legend of Karnak the Necromancer King began.¡± ¡°Oh,e on, that¡¯s not true. The legend started muchter. Back then, you were just a vile, third-rate necromancer scurrying around like a cockroach, trying to cling to life¡­¡± ¡°Varos, you were running with me! Why are you talking like it was someone else¡¯s problem?¡± In any case, the Karnak of the past was overly confident in his necromancy. He believed that if he moved stealthily, he could obtain whatever he wanted without anyone noticing. It was hard to me him for being so foolish. Given his level of knowledge at the time, that was the extent of his expectations. ncing at the mirror, Karnak spoke curtly. ¡°So, I can understand why that fool made such a mistake.¡± Referring to his reflection as if it were another person, he shrugged his shoulders. ¡°He probably thought that if he used necromancy discreetly, he could take down someone like Randolph. And indeed, he had enough power to do that.¡± The typical approach for most necromancers in openbat is to pretend to engage in a normal fight while secretly casting a curse to strike down their opponent. This way, to the eyes of ordinary people, it just looks like an ordinary battle. ¡°But if I did that, I¡¯d just be repeating the same mistakes from the past.¡± You can deceive ordinary people, but you can¡¯t fool the priests. Clerics, who wield divine power, are particrly sensitive to traces of necromancy. No matter how secretly you use necromancy, they will inevitably track you down by following the remnants. That was what happened to the Karnak of the past. Suspicious of the curse on the Zestrad family, the priests of Alium eventually discovered his true identity, leading to a relentless pursuit that drove him to infamy until he finally abandoned his humanity. ¡°I went through the trouble of turning back time just to live like a proper person, so I can¡¯t let that happen again.¡± To use necromancy without revealing his identity, he would need to erase every trace with almost paranoid thoroughness. Even the smallest slip would have the Church of the Seven Goddesses hunting him down like a bloodhound. ¡°So, in simple terms, you¡¯re saying I should never use necromancy in front of priests?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°But this is a Duel Trial, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then the judges will be priests, won¡¯t they?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then what possessed you to agree to a Duel Trial, Young Master?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know that at the time, okay?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Varos groaned, lost in thought. Then suddenly, his eyes lit up. ¡°Can¡¯t we postpone the duel for about half a year? I¡¯ll get in shape by then and give it a shot.¡± The reply came immediately. ¡°No, we can¡¯t.¡± The quickness of the answer suggested that Karnak had probably already considered trying to postpone it. ¡°What if something happened to the duelist? Like if you were injured, Young Master¡­¡± With a sly look, Varos nced at Karnak¡¯s leg. ¡°If we break your leg, it would take at least half a year to heal. Or we could im you¡¯ve fallen ill and need time to recover.¡± Karnak snorted. ¡°This is a duel overseen by priests. Do you think they¡¯d just let that slide?¡± The priests of the Church have the power of the goddess¡¯s healing at their disposal. ¡°If you start whining about being sick, they¡¯ll just use divine power to heal you on the spot.¡± ¡°Oh, right, they have healing magic, don¡¯t they? I¡¯ve been living as a Death Knight for so long, I forgot that living people can benefit from divine blessings.¡± Of course, even the priests¡¯ healing magic isn¡¯t all-powerful. The stronger a cleric¡¯s healing spell, the more expensive it is. The cost is so high that even the wealthiest people can¡¯t easily afford it, so most people still rely on conventional medicine. ¡°But who would believe that a wealthy family with a copper mine couldn¡¯t pay up to dy a trial?¡± Also, even with healing magic, they can¡¯t regenerate lost body parts. If someone like Paralt has lost a limb, recovery is impossible. ¡°And it¡¯s not like I can just chop off my entire leg to get a dy on the Duel Trial.¡± Varos came up with another idea. ¡°What about cutting off Randolph¡¯s leg before the duel?¡± Cutting off Karnak¡¯s leg would be a waste. But as for Randolph¡¯s leg, who cares if it¡¯s cut off or not? ¡°All we need to do is prevent the Duel Trial from happening, right? This seems doable.¡± Karnak looked at his servant with a pitying gaze. ¡°And who¡¯s going to do that? Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re not strong enough to handle him?¡± ¡°Huh? Well, you could just put a curse on him or something, right? Or just kill him outright. You¡¯ve done it before with your parents and siblings, so why not¡­?¡± ¡°After that, we were hunted down mercilessly, weren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, we got caught anyway.¡± It was a catch-22 situation. At this point in time, Karnak might have eagerly run off to master necromancy, thinking it was a great idea, but looking back after returning, there was no bigger folly. ¡°Ugh, I should¡¯ve just waged a territorial war. Then I could¡¯ve secretly used necromancy to somehow¡­ No, I¡¯d still get caughtter on.¡± ¡°What if we secretly coat the de with poison?¡± ¡°The priests have antidote magic, Varos.¡± ¡°Oh, right, that wouldn¡¯t work either. And if we got caught using poison, it would be an instant disqualification, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± No matter how he thought about it, there was only one option left. ¡°Do we have to run away after all?¡± Since he had invoked the Duel Trial in the name of Alium, there was no backing out now. If he did, he would be executed for mocking the goddess. So, before that happened, he could gather up his valuables and money and flee. Then, he could abandon his identity and live as a mere adventurer in hiding. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound too bad. Knowing the future events, I could probably live quite well. It would also give me time to rebuild my strength.¡± ¡°But the current situation is just too good to give up.¡± The troublesome family members had already been dealt with, and he had be the head of a wealthy family. Unlike in his previous life, he was even loved by the vassals. Everything he had wanted in the past was now within his grasp. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to give this up¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it better than dying? The only solution we had left was to pit me against him as your champion, but that¡¯s off the table now.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, but¡­¡± As Karnak wallowed in regret, Varos shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ll just do whatever you decide, Young Master.¡± Getting up from his seat, Varos continued. ¡°I¡¯ll be going now. The old butler gave me some tasks to do. Let me know when you¡¯ve made a decision.¡± Watching his servant leave the room, Karnak could only groan in frustration. ¡°Ugh, what should I do¡­¡± * * * Karnak called for Varos again the next morning. ¡°Why did you call for me again? I was in the middle of doingundry.¡± Varos asked bluntly as he hastily wiped his wet hands. With bleary eyes, Karnak spoke. ¡°I¡¯ve made a decision.¡± ¡°Oh! Should I start packing? I already know where the valuables and estate funds are stored.¡± ¡°¡­When did I say anything about running away?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no other option, is there?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve thought of a way.¡± Karnak¡¯s face lit up with a determined smile. ¡°It¡¯s risky, but I¡¯m willing to take the chance.¡± Chapter 8 Chapter 8. An Honorable Lord? Who? (3) The Jaden Mountain Range stretches across the northern part of the Kingdom of Ustil, from east to west. This treacherous terrain, teeming with all sorts of monsters, also served as the boundary between the human kingdom and the monster territory known as Chaotic North. Since these monsters frequently invaded humannds, the Viscounty of Deventor, along with the Barony of Zestrad, yed the role of vanguard, defending the northern part of the kingdom. That was until about 20 years ago. Since the fall of the Zestrad family, only Deventor has properly maintained its duty to protect the kingdom. As such, in Deventor¡¯s northern fortress, a group of knights was once again dedicating themselves to training today. ¡°Haah!¡± With a shout, the sturdy knights exchanged attacks and defenses. Their swords shed, and they pushed forward with their shields, sweat pouring from their bodies amid the rising dust. ¡°Hup!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± A middle-aged knight watching the scene shouted loudly. ¡°Never neglect your training! We are the true protectors of thisnd!¡± It was Sir Bright, themander here. ¡°We can¡¯t rely on those worthless Zestrad scum!¡± The Zestrad Barony¡ªjust thinking about them made him furious. Despite failing to fulfill their given duties, they had the audacity to betray Deventor and seek only to satisfy their greed, after being granted the undeserved fortune of a copper mine? ¡°But that will soon be resolved neatly.¡± After assessing the knights¡¯ condition, Bright dered a break. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Take a short rest, and we¡¯ll start again!¡± The knights, their breathing in gasps, tried to steady their breathing. Among them, however, was onerge knight who didn¡¯t seem tired at all. Bright approached him and asked, ¡°Are you well-prepared for the Duel Trial, Sir Randolph?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t been neglecting my training, but¡­¡± The knight let out a dryugh and brushed back his brown hair. ¡°What preparations do I even need against some mere bookworm?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡± Bright chuckled and patted Randolph on the shoulder. ¡°But I¡¯m saying this just in case. Isn¡¯t it hard to understand why he¡¯s doing this? Unless he¡¯s got something up his sleeve¡­¡± The new lord of Zestrad, Karnak, proposing a Duel Trial was far too predictable in its oue. ¡°No matter how foolish he is, would he really throw his life away so easily?¡± ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t n to let my guard down, but¡­¡± Randolph shrugged. ¡°Heard that the new lord of Zestrad wasn¡¯t even a proper heir originally. Perhaps he doesn¡¯t really understand how strong a true knight can be?¡± He might just think that knights are only a little stronger than regr soldiers. ¡°It¡¯s not umon for a young noble who¡¯s out of touch with reality to do something foolish, is it?¡± Bright smirked. ¡°It sure isn¡¯t umon.¡± In life, there were often situations where someone seemed so foolish that you suspected they might have some hidden agenda. But most of the time, they turned out to be genuinely foolish. Randolph picked up his sword again. ¡°Of course, training must never be neglected.¡± Now that the break was over, it was time to focus on training again. ¡°Not for the Duel Trial, but to protect thisnd and its people!¡± One by one, the other knights began to take their stances as well. Throughout the training ground of the fortress, the shouts of the knights echoed loudly once more. ¡°Huhp!¡± ¡°Haah!¡± Bright watched Randolph, who was now fully engaged in his training, with a satisfied look. Randolph¡¯s powerful sword strikes followed one after another. His unique, aggressive swordsmanship forced his opponents back, even when they tried to block with their shields or withstand his attacks with their armor. Ultimately, they would end up losing their lives. ¡®He is indeed strong.¡¯ If he continued to grow at this pace, he might one day learn the battle aura that every knight dreams of and be truly first-ss. ¡®The only concern is his rough temperament and his habit of underestimating his opponents¡­¡¯ However, no matter what, there was no way he would lose to a 20-year-old novice who hadn¡¯t even received proper training. ¡®I still can¡¯t figure out what that kid is relying on to challenge us to a duel.¡¯ Just then, Bright¡¯s gaze shifted beyond the training ground. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ He had the feeling that someone was watching them. Curious, he looked more closely and saw a peddler beyond the courtyard fence, selling various goods to the women. There wasn¡¯t anything particrly unusual about the scene. Peddlers like that often came by. While the main estate was different, the northern fortress was small. The courtyard sometimes served as a training ground, aundry area, or a ce where peddlers sold their wares. It wasn¡¯t umon to see knights training on one side while women dried theirundry on the other. But this young peddler seemed to be ncing over at them more often than seemed normal. ¡®That guy?¡¯ For a moment, Bright wondered if this peddler could be a spy sent from Zestrad to gather intelligence on their forces. However, Bright soon shook his head. ¡®That¡¯s ridiculous.¡¯ After all, it was just physical training time. They weren¡¯t practicing any unique secret techniques or special tactics that would be problematic if discovered by others. The really important training was always conducted in private, away from prying eyes, no matter how small the fortress was. Of course, it wasn¡¯t impossible to gauge an opponent¡¯s strength just from their minor movements or habits¡­ ¡®But that¡¯s something only a master who¡¯s dedicated decades solely tobat could do.¡¯ And there was no reason for such a formidable expert to be posing as a mere peddler to spy on them. If that were the case, wouldn¡¯t it be simpler for them to personally participate in the Duel Trial? Moreover, it wasn¡¯t surprising formoners to look at knights with eyes full of admiration. Clearing his thoughts, Bright turned his attention back to the training ground. The resounding shouts echoed over the sweating knights. ¡°Keep moving! The sweat you shed will be the nourishment that protects thisnd!¡± * * * Various goods wereid out on a mat spread on the ground. A group of women had gathered around, eagerly inspecting the items. They were all family members of the knights and soldiers stationed at the northern fortress. A middle-aged woman caressed a handkerchief with an enraptured expression. ¡°Oh my, it¡¯s so soft. What kind of fabric is this?¡± ¡°How much is it?¡± ¡°Just 30 Kelin per set!¡± ¡°Oh my, that¡¯s so cheap? In that case, I¡¯ll take one too¡­¡± While eagerly bargaining with the women, the peddler¡ªmore urately, Varos disguised as a peddler¡ªsmiled inwardly. ¡®Business is booming. Well, as expected.¡¯ These goods were specially sourced from the central region of the kingdom, prepared just for this day. They were high-quality items, rare in such a deste fortress. Moreover, he was selling them at the exact price he had purchased them for, without any markup. ¡®No wonder they¡¯re eager to get their hands on them, wanting to use them right away, hehe.¡¯ Thanks to this, he couldfortably observe the knights¡¯ training from within the crowd of people. Especially Randolph¡¯sbat style. ¡®I¡¯ve got a pretty good grasp now.¡¯ Even if it was just basic physical training, habitual movements inevitably showed through. And Varos, the second-inmand of Necropia and once the world¡¯s strongest warrior, had an entirely different level of precision when it came to his observations. With just a little observation, he had thoroughly dissected Randolph¡¯s capabilities. He understood Randolph¡¯s personality, his fighting style, his speed, and his timing. ¡®At that level, I probably wouldn¡¯t have needed six months to prepare,¡¯ Varos thought. Randolph was a typical knight who specialized in heavy swordsmanship. To put it positively, his swordsmanship was powerful, efficient, and straightforward. On the downside, it was rather simple and brutish. In many ways, he was an opponent whose movements were easy to predict. Varos believed that if he spent just three or four months conditioning his body, he¡¯d have a good chance of winning. ¡®Although, if I fought him right now, I¡¯d probably get my head chopped off pretty quickly.¡¯ So, for now, it was best to proceed ording to Karnak¡¯s n. While Varos was spying on Randolph, one of the women in the group approached him. ¡°Do you happen to know my brother?¡± ¡°Oh! You¡¯re Sir Randolph¡¯s family,¡± Varos responded quickly, managing his expression with ease. ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t know of Sir Randolph, the strongest knight in the North? I¡¯m just a country bumpkin, so I couldn¡¯t help but keep staring out of awe.¡± In truth, Randolph was only the strongest knight in Deventor, but Varos subtly exaggerated. ¡°I apologize if I was being rude. As a gesture of apology, I¡¯ll give you an extra piece of underwear. It¡¯s all I have to offer.¡± No one would refuse a free gift. The woman giggled and epted the undergarment. ¡°Oh my, thank you so much. Hehehe.¡± Effortlessly smoothing over the situation, Varos turned his gaze back to Randolph. ¡®With this, I¡¯vepleted what the young lord asked.¡¯ A wicked smile crept onto his lips. ¡®Now I¡¯m starting to see how I¡¯ll handle that guy. Hehehehe.¡¯ * * * In one corner of the Zestrad estate stood a secluded private training ground. Such facilities weremon in most noble households, not just the Zestrad family, because revealing the secret techniques of each family could lead to significant disadvantages. As Karnak stepped into the training ground, he voiced his curiosity. ¡°Honestly, our family¡¯s swordsmanship isn¡¯t something that¡¯s so amazing it needs to be hidden from others, right? Why bother building a ce like this?¡± Varos waved his hand, disagreeing. ¡°When third-rate fighters battle each other, even minor differences can make a huge impact. Of course, you need a facility like this.¡± The Zestrad family¡¯s traditional swordsmanship wasn¡¯t worthless enough to be called third-rate. However, since both of them had experience in much higher circles, their standards were set ordingly. Locking the door to the training ground, Karnak joked. ¡°Well, thanks to that, we¡¯re able to trainfortably.¡± Once Varos returned, Karnak immediately dered that he would begin intense training in preparation for the duel. He also sternly warned that no one but Varos was toe anywhere near the training ground. Since the fate of the estate was at stake, no one doubted Karnak¡¯s insistence on keeping everything strictly confidential. After all, Varos had always been Karnak¡¯s close aide, so it was only natural for them to work together. ¡°With this, Varos, no one will find it suspicious if you suddenly be stronger, right?¡± At this point, Varos was merely a servant. If he were to suddenly transform into a first-rate knight without any exnation, it would definitely raise eyebrows. Thus, they needed a scenario like, ¡°While serving Karnak, Varos picked up martial arts by observing him and awakened his hidden talent!¡± ¡°For now, let¡¯s focus on what¡¯s in front of us.¡± Muttering to himself, Varos ced a set of te mail armor in front of Karnak. ¡°Put this on.¡± Karnak picked up the chest piece of the armor and tilted his head in confusion. ¡°How do I even wear this?¡± He had never worn armor in his life. As a necromancer, armor had only been a hindrance, so he never wore it. After bing Astra Shunaph, his body was far stronger than any armor, making it even less necessary. ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± Varos deftly assisted Karnak, securing the gauntlets and tightening the straps. Then, after stepping back, he nodded in approval. ¡°You look quite imposing.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re mocking me, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m mocking you. How could I possibly be serious?¡± With his slender frame, Karnak in full armor looked no different from a heavily armed scarecrow. There was so much space inside the armor that it nked loudly with every movement. Karnak red at Varos. ¡°I should have just turned you into a zombie or a ghoul.¡± ¡°Go ahead, if you can. But then, who would you have to keep youpany, young master?¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± In any case, Karnak began to walk back and forth in the armor. He raised his arms, lifted his legs, and even drew the sword at his waist to give it a light swing. ¡°What? It¡¯s not as heavy as I thought.¡± The knights he had encountered were always proud of how they could move nimbly despite wearing heavy armor. ¡°Were they all just bluffing?¡± Varos responded as if it was obvious. ¡°Well, for now, yes.¡± No matter how heavy a suit of iron armor was, it wasn¡¯t something that would render a person immobile just by wearing it. After all, it was made for people to wear, wasn¡¯t it? ¡°Try running nonstop for just five minutes in that outfit. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll change your mind.¡± Karnak¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Run for five minutes? I can¡¯t even run that long without armor!¡± Varos¡¯s expression also stiffened. ¡°What? It¡¯s only five minutes. Are you telling me a healthy 20-year-old can¡¯t run for five minutes without stopping?¡± The gap between someone who had spent over a century using only their mind and someone who had spent over a century using only their body was greater than either had anticipated. ¡°That¡¯s strange. You seemed to run quite well when you were escaping before.¡± ¡°I was using necromantic power back then.¡± ¡°You mean you actually used necromancy just to run through some mountain paths?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t really necromancy; I just used a bit of necromantic power to strengthen my body.¡± ¡°¡­¡± At a loss for words, Varos rubbed his forehead and sighed. ¡°Ugh, we have a long way to go¡­¡± But now that they hade this far, there was no turning back. They had no choice but to press on. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s begin your knightly training!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get this straight. This isn¡¯t knight training.¡± Karnak corrected him in a serious tone. ¡°This is training to *pretend* to be a knight.¡± Chapter 9 Chapter 9. An Honorable Lord? Who? (4) Varos spoke seriously to Karnak, who was awkwardly standing while wearing armor. ¡°The first goal is very simple. Building up your stamina.¡± No matter how exceptional the technique, it¡¯s useless if your body can¡¯t handle it. No, you won¡¯t even be able to learn it in the first ce. ¡°Start running, along the edge of the training grounds.¡± ¡°That much¡­¡± Since it was an indoor training ground, the space wasn¡¯t veryrge. It would take about 20 seconds? He couldplete ap in that time. Wearing armor definitely made his steps slower. ¡°Huff, huff huff, isn¡¯t that enough? What¡¯s next?¡± Varos looked at Karnak, who was panting, with an expression that seemed to ask, *What are you doing?* ¡°You still have 49 moreps to go.¡± ¡°Wait! You want me to run 50ps?¡± ¡°Did you really think it would end after just onep?¡± ¡°How can a person run 50ps without resting?¡± ¡°You sure talk a lot. Just keep running.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± With a pained expression, Karnak started running again. He gritted his teeth and managed to endure for about 3 moreps. However, his running gradually slowed down. After around 5ps, his vision started to turn yellow. He was now moving closer to walking than running. By the 10thp, his yellowed vision turned ck. ¡°Gah¡­¡± Karnak¡¯s legs gave out, and he copsed onto the floor. The loud ttering of his armor echoed throughout the training ground. Crash! ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Varos covered his face with his hands. A wave of frustration washed over him. ¡°I knew the young master had no stamina, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be this bad¡­¡± He realized he would need topletely revise his n. ¡°We¡¯ll have to dy strength training for now. First, we need to get you up to at least an average person¡¯s stamina.¡± Varos forcibly lifted Karnak up. ¡°Come on, get up! Keep running!¡± ¡°I-I really can¡¯t run anymore.¡± ¡°Are you giving up? Shall we start preparing to flee in the night?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Groaning, Karnak started moving his feet again. Varos was right. Things were too dire to give up now. ¡°Yes! Run! Keep running!¡± * * * Ten Days Later, Karnak Shed Tears of Joy. ¡°I-I did it!¡± He finally seeded in running 50ps around the training ground without stopping! It was truly a remarkable improvement. Of course, Varos was quick to cut him down. ¡°You didn¡¯t really run the whole time, did you? Thest 10ps were more like walking.¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯t stop!¡± ¡°Well, good job.¡± Varos didn¡¯t bother to nag any further. In fact, Karnak could genuinely be said to have taken his training seriously. For a body that had never exercised, to build up this much stamina in just ten days was no small feat. While Karnak¡¯s efforts weremendable, a bigger factor was the ample nutrition he received after bing wealthy. ¡°See? Stuffing you with meat and letting you sleep well really helped build your stamina. No wonder rich knights are so strong.¡± ¡°It¡¯s surprising to me too. I remember not having much of an appetite before.¡± ¡°Now, all our meals taste good.¡± Usually, when you push your body too hard in a short time, you lose your appetite. But Karnak¡¯s insatiable hunger, which seemed to be fueled by his very soul, had even surpassed the limits of his body! No matter how tired he was, he never missed a meal. If he felt bloated, he even took digestive aids to help him shovel food into his mouth. In terms of nutrition, he followed a model regimen. Thanks to that, his body had improved considerably; he had gone from being just a scarecrow to a ¡°scarecrow with a bit more stuffing.¡± Varos nodded as he looked Karnak up and down. ¡°You¡¯ve barely managed to be functional. Now we can start your stamina training.¡± Karnak¡¯s expression turned odd at the mention of stamina training. ¡°Then what have I been doing until now?¡± ¡°Rehabilitation.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You should at least be able to move at full speed for 5 minutes while wearing armor.¡± ¡°I thought that¡¯s what I just did?¡± Karnak had certainly run(?) well over 5 minutes in armor without stopping. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s the same as when a de is swinging in front of you? At your current level, your legs will give out in less than 30 seconds.¡± Feeling the creeping despair, Karnak protested. ¡°Then when am I supposed to learn swordsmanship? There¡¯s no time left.¡± The duel was already less than twenty days away. ¡°That¡¯s why you need to hurry.¡± Soothing his master with a mischievous grin, the faithful servant urged him on. ¡°Now, let¡¯s begin the real stamina training!¡± * * * Karnak¡¯s Daily Routine Was Simple. First, he got up in the morning and had breakfast. Then, he went straight to the training ground and relentlessly did push-ups, swung a heavy iron rod, squatted and stood up repeatedly, and so on. Afterward, he would rest, eat lunch, and head back to the training ground. His day consisted solely of eating, resting, and training¡ªnothing else. ¡°Huff, huff, huff¡­¡± Today, too, as he swung the iron rod with all his might, Karnak suddenly nced to the side. A blonde young man d in heavy armor was swinging a greatsword, repeatedly practicing the same stance. Varos was in the same position, needing to build up his own body, so while training Karnak, he was also deeply engaged in his own regimen. ¡°Hey, Varos.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± ¡°Do all knights go through this kind of mindless training?¡± Varos raised an eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s not knight training.¡± ¡°Really?¡± So, was he the only one being put through this grueling regimen? Karnak was about to protest. ¡°That¡¯s just a standard training course for regr soldiers. Knights wouldn¡¯t train so lightly.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Deted, Karnak let his shoulders droop. Come to think of it, despite being the Death King who had conquered the world, he had no memory of ever watching his knights or soldiers train. It made sense. They were all either skeletons, half-rotten corpses, evil spirits, or Death Knights, after all. On the other hand, Varos had fought alongside Karnak in a living body even before bing undead. He was well-versed in the basics of body conditioning. ¡°What I¡¯m doing is knight training.¡± Varos¡¯s body had undergone even more changes than Karnak¡¯s. He was force-feeding himself twice as much as Karnak and steadily building his body; the thickness of his arms alone was on another level. Karnak squinted enviously at him. ¡°You bulk up quickly, huh? Why don¡¯t I?¡± ¡°This is still mostly just fat. Muscles don¡¯t develop properly in just a few days, you know? If I keep training steadily, this will eventually turn into muscle.¡± ¡°From what I can see, you¡¯re already stupidly bulky. No wonder knights are all so muscr.¡± ¡°This is still weaker than regr knights. It¡¯s more like the level of a squire.¡± ¡°¡­Are all knights monsters?¡± Varos retorted as if the idea was absurd. ¡°And who are you calling a monster, when you¡¯re the one whomands skeletons to cut off people¡¯s heads?¡± Despite all his efforts to build up his body and master techniques, Varos was still relentlessly overwhelmed by true masters. It was onlyter, after bing a Death Knight through Karnak¡¯s power, that he began to truly make a name for himself. ¡°Don¡¯t think you can ck off and take a break while pretending to do something else! You rest only when I permit it!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the master and who¡¯s the servant here?¡± Grumbling, Karnak diligently followed Varos¡¯s instructions. Another week passed like this. Karnak¡¯s stamina had improved to the point where he could move somewhat freely while wearing armor. Varos nodded in approval. ¡°It¡¯s time to start your sword training.¡± There were only fifteen days left until the duel. * * * Finally, he was permitted to draw a sword. Feeling a bit excited, Karnak drew the training longsword from his waist. ¡°Can I finally start swinging the sword?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± The task at hand for Karnak, now holding the sword, was this: ¡°I¡¯m not asking for much. Just stand properly and correctly.¡± ¡°Just that?¡± Though puzzled, Karnak raised his sword and assumed a stance, aiming at an imaginary enemy. And soon after, he realized that it was not ¡°just that.¡± He had to endure a barrage of corrections for what he thought was a simple stance. ¡°Your arm is shaking.¡± ¡°Bend your knees more.¡± ¡°Shift your weight to your back foot.¡± ¡°Keep your eyes on the center of the opponent.¡± ¡°Rx your shoulders.¡± ¡°Put more strength into the arm holding the sword.¡± Karnak, struggling and frustrated, finally snapped. ¡°How am I supposed to put strength in my arm but rx my shoulders? Do you have your arm and shoulder attached separately?¡± ¡°¡­Ugh, how do I even exin this?¡± After spending half a day, Karnak barely managed to get the stance right, though it would immediately fall apart if he lost focus. At this rate, there was no way he could deliver a proper strike. However, Varos decided to move on for now. ¡°At your current level, even if you swing the sword correctly, you¡¯ll still end up getting cut down.¡± The goal of this training wasn¡¯t to defeat Sir Randolph in the duel. ¡°But if you maintain this stance, at least you won¡¯t get decapitated in a single blow.¡± Varos picked up arge wooden club and pointed it at Karnak. ¡°I¡¯m going to attack you. Prepare yourself.¡± Karnak¡¯s eyes lit up as he tightened his grip on the sword. ¡°You want me to counterattack?¡± ¡°Counterattack¡­¡± Varos snorted, finding the idea absurd. ¡°You¡¯ll understand after you experience it.¡± Suddenly, a heavy pain struck Karnak¡¯s abdomen. Varos had abruptly jabbed him with the club. ¡°Gah!¡± Despite the armor, the force prated, shaking his insides. Groaning, Karnak clutched his stomach with both arms. ¡°It hurts, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t just stand there holding your stomach. Get back into stance.¡± Gritting his teeth, Karnak once again raised his sword, his eyes now filled with determination. ¡®This time, I¡¯ll take advantage of the opening when the clubes in andnd a hit!¡¯ There was no such opening. Thwack! ¡°Guh!¡± Karnak staggered back, having taken a blow to the shoulder. Varos spoke indifferently. ¡°Get back into stance, I said.¡± The beating continued relentlessly. Varos showed no mercy, thoroughly pummeling Karnak, who could do nothing but take the blows over and over. Counterattack? Not a chance. Before he could even think of attempting one, Varos¡¯s follow-up strikes woulde,pletely shutting down any opportunity. Every attack targeted critical points¡ªhis shoulders, waist, knees¡ªdisrupting the movements at their core. From Karnak¡¯s perspective, there was absolutely nothing he could do. ¡°This is why knights can toy with ordinary people. It¡¯s not because they have some superhuman reflexes or perfect vision that they can block or dodge every attack.¡± Of course, there was some truth to that, but it wasn¡¯t the whole story. ¡°It¡¯s because they can prevent their opponent from attacking altogether or force them to attack in a way they can easily counter. The less experience the opponent has, the easier it is.¡± That¡¯s why it was important to recover your stance quickly, even if it was disrupted by an attack. ¡°At the very least, you¡¯ll be able to avoid the next strike. I¡¯m sure your duel with Sir Randolph will go exactly like this.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Nodding seriously, Karnak took his stance once more. He tried to prepare for the next blow when¡ª Thwack! He got hit again¡­ ¡°Hey! I can¡¯t block the next strike even when I¡¯m in stance!¡± ¡°Not at your current level.¡± ¡°You said if I maintained my stance, Randolph wouldn¡¯t be able to cut off my head!¡± ¡°As if! If he wanted to, he could cut you down anytime.¡± ¡°Then why are we doing this training?¡± Varos grinned. ¡°To make sure he doesn¡¯t want to.¡± Randolph, as Karnak had assessed, was someone with a strong desire for self-aggrandizement. He had the skill to thoroughly toy with his opponent, and with plenty of spectators watching, he wasn¡¯t likely to just behead someone right away. ¡°There¡¯s a solid reason to believe this.¡± The proof was Paralt, who had both his legs cut off. In a situation where Randolph could have easily taken his head, he chose to cut off both legs instead, something far more difficult. This clearly showed Randolph¡¯s personality. ¡°But if you lose your will to fight, it¡¯s a different story.¡± Toying with an opponent who has given up would look like bullying the weak. ¡°The reason Sir Paralt, who was much weaker than you, had his head cut off in one blow was because of this.¡± The former head of the house, Baron Krafut, had little proficiency in swordsmanship. It was said that he lost his will to fight the moment he faced Randolph. ¡°If Randolph had toyed with such an opponent, it would¡¯ve hurt his own reputation. So, he ended it honorably with a single blow.¡± Thus, the current goal of Karnak¡¯s training was clear. ¡°You need to appear as someone who hasn¡¯t lost their fighting spirit and won¡¯t give up until the end. That way, he won¡¯t kill you in one strike.¡± Chapter 10 Chapter 10. An Honorable Lord? Who? (5) Every day, Varos would beat and beat him again. Every day, Karnak would get hit and get hit again. ¡°I-I¡¯m going to die¡­.¡± Once again, Karnak sat down on the training ground floor with a tearful expression. His whole body ached from bruises. Every time he moved, it felt like his muscles were screaming in pain. Wasn¡¯t he working hard enough to have improved a little by now? He hadn¡¯t. He hadn¡¯t learned anything in the first ce. ¡°Hey, shouldn¡¯t you start teaching me something by now? Like how to at least deflect the blows if I can¡¯t dodge them¡­.¡± All he¡¯d been doing was wearing armor, holding a sword, getting hit, and then getting back up like a roly-poly toy, over and over again. ¡°Do you think deflecting is an easy skill?¡± Varos, now bulked up, lightly tapped Karnak¡¯s shoulder with his club. ¡°Only a month¡ªno, now there are just ten days left. With so little time, what could you possibly learn?¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s the point of this training?¡± ¡°This is a process of getting used to the pain.¡± Excellent swordsmanship? Great stamina? Irond toughness? Unshakeable mental fortitude? There was something more crucial to prepare for than any of these when aplete novice facedbat. ¡°You need to get used to taking hits and being in life-threatening situations. Only then can you stay sane, and you need to stay sane to either fight or flee.¡± Normally, one wouldn¡¯t go through such a process separately. They would naturally pick it up during sparring. If someone had talent, they would get used to it quickly, and even without talent, their body would eventually adapt with time. ¡°But right now, you don¡¯t have time or talent, so we have to do it this way.¡± It was a convincing answer. But just because it made sense didn¡¯t mean his dissatisfaction disappeared. ¡°What if I get seriously injured from all this?¡± Varos snorted. ¡°I¡¯m not hitting you hard enough to causesting damage. Besides, I¡¯m just striking over the armor.¡± Though his tone was arrogant, the truth was that Varos was more loyal to Karnak than anyone else. He was sincerely doing his best for his cherished master. ¡°It¡¯s only because you¡¯ve never done anything physical that it seems so harsh. Actually, this isn¡¯t even that rigorous of a training. I¡¯m being careful with my strength.¡± ¡°But still, is it okay to train like this without resting for even a single day? I heard too much training can be bad.¡± ¡°That only applies after you¡¯ve built up your body to some extent. At your current level, getting a good night¡¯s sleep is more than enough rest.¡± No matter how much Karnak argued, it was no use. ¡°He¡¯s got a real knack for talking back.¡± Varos asked with a serious expression. ¡°How would you feel if I started lecturing you about necromancy?¡± ¡°It¡¯d be utterlyughable, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly how I feel right now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So just shut up and get up. Time is ticking away, you know?¡± * * * On the fifth day of the brutal training. It was only with ten days left until the duel that Karnak finally began to learn swordsmanship. It was just the very basics of shing and thrusting, though. Karnak continued to sh horizontally at Varos, letting out a battle cry. ¡°Hah!¡± Varos easily deflected it with his club and shouted, ¡°Louder with the battle cry!¡± Karnak attempted another thrust, raising his voice. ¡°Tah!¡± Still, it seemed Varos was not satisfied. ¡°Scream it louder! You don¡¯t shout to put power into the strike! You shout so others can hear you!¡± Karnak tilted his head in confusion. ¡°But isn¡¯t the battle cry meant to help focus power?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what it is for you.¡± At Karnak¡¯s current level, whether he let out a battle cry or roared like a lion, it would still only result in a feeble strike. The shout was merely a way of saying, ¡®I¡¯m still ready to fight!¡¯ ¡°Here Ie!¡± Varos kindly announced his attack, swinging his club. Perhaps the training hadn¡¯t been entirely in vain, as Karnak quickly raised his shield to block. But he was sent flying along with the shield. ¡°Urgh!¡± Thud, thud, thud! As his precious master rolled on the ground, his loyal servant offered heartfelt advice. ¡°Don¡¯t try to withstand a sh! Just roll on the ground, no matter what!¡± ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t that a bit embarrassing? Can¡¯t I just stand my ground?¡± ¡°Do you want to get sliced through along with your sword and armor?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll roll.¡± This routine of swinging his sword, blocking with his shield, and then rolling on the ground to dodge repeated over and over. For Karnak, who had never pushed his body to this extent in his entire life, it was an incredibly harsh regimen. ¡°Oh, my poor back¡­¡± Karnak sighed deeply, rubbing his aching back. ¡°Who would have thought I¡¯d end up brawling with some brute in my lifetime?¡± ¡°You should have at least picked up some swordsmanship as a hobby. Youined about being bored for a hundred years straight.¡± ¡°A hobby is something fun! What¡¯s fun about sticking close to a sweaty guy and fighting close enough to hear each other breathing?¡± Before bing the King of the Dead, during the time when he wandered while hiding his identity as a necromancer, he thoroughly pretended to be a wizard. His tactics were the same. He always made sure to put distance between himself and his enemy, and then, from afar¡ª*bang!* He despised situations where he had to engage in closebat. ¡°My usual tactic was to send out a meat shield and then take them out from behind.¡± ¡°I know that very well. I was that meat shield, after all.¡± Though Karnak grumbled incessantly, he diligentlymitted to his training. As time passed, there were some results. Previously, he had looked like a shabby recluse, but now he appeared to be at least a shabby third-rate soldier. Thanks to this, he gained a bit of confidence. ¡°At this point, I might actually have a bit of a chance, don¡¯t you think? I¡¯ve been working pretty hard.¡± Even Varos acknowledged it willingly. ¡°You have worked hard. At this rate, you won¡¯t be killed immediately.¡± ¡°After all this suffering, that¡¯s all you can say?¡± And so, the day of the duel drew closer and closer. Two days before the duel. ¡°It seems you¡¯re more or less prepared now.¡± Varos, now holding a longsword instead of a club, spoke seriously. ¡°We will proceed to the final stage.¡± * * * The second-inmand of the Empire of the Dead, Necropia. The strongest Death Knight on the surface, who had defeated three of the Four Martial Kings. These were the titles that had once described Varos. ¡°But I wasn¡¯t a superior warriorpared to the Four Martial Kings.¡± In terms of strength, skill, mental fortitude, and experience, they were all superior to him. Nevertheless, the main reason he was able to win was entirely due to the overwhelming power of Karnak, the King of the Dead. ¡°Heh, I guess I was pretty impressive.¡± ¡°Of course. You were so impressive that you went around possessing skulls, didn¡¯t you?¡± Varos spoke with a hint of resentment as he continued addressing the boastful Karnak. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have been a little less impressive? Then we could have been living it up, slicing steak and sipping wine.¡± ¡°If we had, we¡¯d both be dead by now.¡± In any case, it was true that Varos was a step below the Four Martial Kings. However, there was one area where he excelled far beyond the other Martial Kings. ¡°I¡¯m the best at tormenting the weak and killing them while shaming them. It¡¯s how I¡¯ve lived my entire life.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a devious one.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who ordered it, Master! You said that drawing out hatred and anger before killing them made for better undead, didn¡¯t you?¡± Thanks to this, there was one thing he could predict with certainty. How Randolph would toy with Karnak and eventually force him to submit. ¡°He¡¯ll definitely y it out like this.¡± Varos swung his longsword, pressing Karnak hard. ¡°At first, he¡¯ll probably mock you slowly like this.¡± Karnak panicked and rolled on the ground. ¡°Gah! You¡¯re too fast!¡± Even though Varos imed to be moving slowly, his strikes came at a speed that Karnak could barely perceive. Varos, still swinging his sword with ease, said calmly, ¡°But now you can dodge, right?¡± Indeed, the training hadn¡¯t been in vain. Though Karnak was rolling pathetically on the ground and taking hits on his armor, he somehow managed to avoid any direct blows. ¡°Huff! Huff, huff!¡± Even while taking hits and rolling around, Karnak struggled to his feet and aimed his sword again. Seeing this, Varos smiled with satisfaction. ¡°You¡¯re moving quite well.¡± ¡°Really? Is it good?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s perfect for toying with you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m genuinelyplimenting you. Reaching this level isn¡¯t easy, you know?¡± Regardless, Randolph would be quite pleased to face such a determined Karnak. After all, it wouldn¡¯t look good if he appeared to be overly bullying a weaker opponent in a duel trial. ¡°He¡¯ll probably try to finish it off slowly.¡± Even so, Randolph wouldn¡¯t go straight for the kill. ¡°The best scenario for him would be to force you to your knees and make you admit defeat. That way, he can leave your execution to the priests and maintain his honor as a knight.¡± So, Randolph¡¯s target would likely be Karnak¡¯s legs. ¡°Even if your arms are cut, you can stay standing through sheer willpower. But if your legs are cut, there¡¯s no willpower left¡ªyou just kneel.¡± Varos¡¯s movements suddenly changed. In an instant, his entire figure blurred, and a sh of light streaked toward Karnak¡¯s knees. ¡°Gah!¡± There wasn¡¯t even time to react. Karnak froze in ce, and Varos smiled broadly at the sight. ¡°He¡¯ll try to cut your legs like this.¡± ¡°¡­And I have to stop that?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can.¡± ¡°If you know what part he¡¯s aiming for in advance, you should be able to block it at least once. Of course, we¡¯ll practice it repeatedly.¡± Varos continued, emphasizing that this was Karnak¡¯s only chance to counterattack. ¡°Of course, even if your opponent shows an opening, you can¡¯t just swing your sword recklessly and expect them to take the hit.¡± At this moment, Karnak would need to use a truly powerful and precise sword technique. ¡°So¡­.¡± Varos lowered his stance, reversing his grip on the longsword and cing the de on the ground. This naturally positioned him in a defensive stance, protecting both knees. ¡°The technique you need to learn now is this.¡± He then swung the sword diagonally upward, as if scooping it up, while switching the grip between his hands. After cutting through the air in front of him, he switched from a two-handed grip to a one-handed one, extending his shoulder to increase his reach. At the same time, he added rotational force and swung upward once more! *sh! sh!* The air seemed to tear with a series of sharp sounds. ¡°Double Rising sh, Overkill.¡± Varos calmly murmured to Karnak, who stared wide-eyed in astonishment. ¡°It¡¯s one of the secret sword techniques of Leven Strauss, the Martial King of Delphiad.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Karnak blinked repeatedly, speechless. In the past, he wouldn¡¯t have recognized how impressive this technique was¡ªhe¡¯d never even wielded a sword before. But after swinging a sword countless times over the past few days, he could now appreciate just how advanced the technique Varos had demonstrated was. ¡°And you expect me to do that?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then you should¡¯ve taught it to me earlier! There are only two days left¡ªhow am I supposed to master something like that?¡± ¡°A day is enough.¡± Varos remained asposed as ever. ¡°You¡¯re not going to master it; you just need to imitate it.¡± Mastering a technique means repeating it thousands, even tens of thousands of times, until it bes so ingrained in your body that you move instinctively, without needing to think. ¡°I¡¯m not expecting that level of proficiency. You just need to mimic the technique convincingly in the specific situation.¡± ¡°Is that really okay?¡± ¡°Normally, no.¡± But for Karnak, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem. ¡°After all, once this is over, you won¡¯t need to hold a sword again. It¡¯s actually more efficient to cram it all in one day and then forget it afterward.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Uncertain, Karnak gripped his sword. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give it a try.¡± He ced the de on the ground, his eyes focused as he swung the sword upward! ¨C *Overkill!* The longsword flew far off, tumbling into a corner of the training ground. He had lost his grip on the sword. The technique involved changing grips several times, causing his fingers to fumble. ¡°¡­Can I really pull this off?¡± Varos remained confident. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I nned all this ording to your level.¡± ¡°And what level do you think I¡¯m at?¡± ¡°Like a 16-year-old noble girl who¡¯s only ever done embroidery at home.¡± ¡°You damn bastard¡­¡± * * * Despite his grumbling, Karnak diligently followed Varos¡¯s instructions in his training. Two days passed like that, and finally, the morning sun rose. The day had arrived¡ªthe day that would decide the fate of the Zestrad Barony and Karnak¡¯s very life. It was the day of Alium¡¯s Duel Trial. Chapter 11 Chapter 11. Duel Trial A full-length mirror adorned with silver and bronze. Reflected in it was the image of a man, stripped to the waist. At a nce, his physique seemed ordinary. A moderately built body with just the right amount of flesh and muscle, neither particrlyrge nor small. If you brought any young man and had him undress, he would look simr. However, Karnak felt a deep sense of satisfaction. ¡°Wow, my body has really improved, hasn¡¯t it?¡± He smiled brightly, flexing his muscles. His body, which had always been somewhere between a weakling and dried fish, now looked quite human. ¡°Aren¡¯t these muscles pretty decent, Varos?¡± As Karnak admired the results of his intense training, his loyal servant sincerely responded. ¡°After rolling around like that, any man should have at least that much muscle. No, even a woman would reach that level. You¡¯ve been eating a lot of meat, after all.¡± ¡°Considering I¡¯ve changed this much in just a month, can¡¯t you at least give me some praise?¡± ¡°How little must you have moved before if you changed so much in just one month? Please, be aware of your own limits.¡± Karnak paused in slight bewilderment. Varos¡¯ usual attitude was arrogant as always, but something felt different. Realizing the reason, Karnak patted Varos on the shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. It¡¯ll be fine.¡± Karnak would soon face Randolph in a duel trial. Varos was understandably anxious about this. ¡°How can I not worry?¡± No matter how well-prepared one might be, the world is unpredictable. ¡°If things don¡¯t go as nned, use necromancy right away. Just kill everyone watching and run.¡± ¡°Ah, that would just be repeating the past, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that better than dying on the spot? Winning the duel won¡¯t mean much if you lose your head first.¡± For most people, losing their head would be the end, but Karnak was different. Even if killed, he could use necromancy to resurrect as an undead. Though he would lose human sensations in exchange. ¡°Even if I flee, I have to escape alive. I gave up everything and came back because I wanted to live like a human.¡± ¡°Fine, fine.¡± Soothing Varos, Karnak turned his head. He saw the armor, longsword, and shield standing in one corner of the room. These were the weapons Varos had meticulously prepared for this day. As he moved towards them, Karnak murmured seriously, ¡°Let¡¯s go, to the dueling ground.¡± * * * The temporary arena for the duel trial had been set up in the northern ins where Alium¡¯s temple was located. This area, on the border between the Zestrad and Deventor territories, was usually a ce where few people ventured. Aside from priests and shepherds, almost no one frequented this location. But now, arge crowd had gathered. Varos, upon arriving at the arena, looked around with his mouth agape. ¡°Wow, there are way more spectators than I expected!¡± On both sides of the arena were people from the Zestrad Barony and the Deventor Barony, along with priests of Alium who were there to oversee the trial. The crowd easily exceeded a hundred people. Karnak, dressed in armor, moved forward and whispered quietly, ¡°Of course. This is a duel that will determine the fate of the territories.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t the time to be speaking like it¡¯s someone else¡¯s problem, is it?¡± Still unable to hide his worried expression, Varos asked, ¡°If things go wrong, do you think you can escape?¡± ¡°With this number, it¡¯s definitely possible.¡± Finally, Varos let out a sigh of relief at Karnak¡¯s calm demeanor. Inwardly, Karnak gave a bitter smile. ¡®Well, it¡¯s not exactly a lie.¡¯ He was confident he could escape. But he had no confidence in killing them all. ¡®If I run, my identity will be exposed immediately.¡¯ He knew all too well what it would mean to live the rest of his life as a necromancer, constantly hunted. ¡®I have no choice but to win this duel.¡¯ Amidst the bustling atmosphere, Karnak walked towards the entrance of the arena. As he moved, the people of the barony wiped their tears and offered prayers. ¡°Oh, young master¡­¡± ¡°May Alium watch over our lord¡­¡± ¡°Please avenge the former head of the family!¡± The response was more positive than he had expected. They weren¡¯t treating him as if he were already dead; they genuinely believed there was a chance he could win. To Karnak, this wasughable. Logically speaking, how could a clueless schr who had trained in secret for only three months possibly defeat a seasoned knight? ¡®I must¡¯ve really talked them up well.¡¯ Then again, if he had intended to use necromancy during the duel, it made sense that his confidence had rubbed off on those around him. ¡®Though they don¡¯t realize that would¡¯ve been the path to ruin, sigh¡­¡¯ Soon, a priest appeared in the center of the arena. The middle-aged priest raised his hand to quiet the crowd. ¡°Silence before the authority of Alium!¡± The surroundings quickly fell silent. The trial had begun. ¡°Both sides have imed that the other¡¯s evidence is false, so under the great protection of Alium, the truth shall be revealed!¡± The priest¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°Lord of Zestrad, duelist Karnak, step forward before the Goddess!¡± Karnak entered the arena. d in gleaming steel armor and carrying a shield bearing his family¡¯s crest, he cut an impressive figure. Cheers erupted from the Zestrad side. ¡°Waaah!¡± The priest¡¯s voice echoed once more. ¡°Sir Randolph, duelist of Deventor, step forward before the Goddess!¡± Another round of cheers erupted, this time from the Deventor side. ¡°Waaah!¡± Amid the apuse, arge man stepped into the arena. It was Randolph, dressed in simple everyday clothing. Unlike Karnak, he wore no armor and carried no shield. He had only arge, familiar greatsword strapped to his back. This was a prearranged agreement. Given the skill levels of both sides, this was deemed necessary for the duel to be fair. Of course, even with these conditions, Randolph still had a significant advantage. This was evident in the confident smile that remained on his face. The two men walked slowly until they finally stood face-to-face in the center of the arena. Holding up a sacred relic of Alium, the priest asked, ¡°Duelists, do you swear to fight honorably in the name of Alium?¡± Karnak drew his sword and brought it before his helmet as he answered, ¡°I swear upon the honor of Zestrad!¡± Randolph did not draw his sword. Instead, he simply dered with arrogance, ¡°I swear upon the honor of Deventor!¡± Nodding, the priest stepped back. ¡°Under the protection of the Goddess, the scales of justice shall tip.¡± The middle-aged priest, now outside the arena, made one final promation. ¡°Let the duel trial begin!¡± *** Randolph drew the sword from his back. *Shrring!* The chilling sound of steel slicing through the air was unnervingly sharp. Though the sword wasn¡¯t particrlyrge, the sound made Karnak¡¯s body instinctively tense. But Karnak did not flinch. He had anticipated this, and Varos had made sure to repeatedly practice drawing and sheathing the sword to produce the intimidating *shrring* sound. ¡°Youngling of Zestrad.¡± Letting his sword hang loosely, Randolph sneered viciously. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve been up to these past three months¡­¡± He casually stepped forward. At the same time, a sh aimed at Karnak¡¯s shoulder came flying in. Karnak swiftly raised his shield to block. *Thud!* With a sh of metal, Karnak was pushed back several steps. But he didn¡¯t fall. Randolph didn¡¯t seem particrly surprised that his attack had been blocked. In fact, it was a strike so light that it would have been surprising if Karnak hadn¡¯t blocked it. ¡°The path of the sword isn¡¯t so shallow that it can be mastered in just a few months.¡± Randolph sneered as he pressed his attack, while Karnak responded seriously. After blocking Randolph¡¯s strikes with his shield, Karnak would counterattack. But Randolph would easily dodge andunch another strike. Karnak would block again with his shield and then counter once more. *ng, ng!* The sound of shing steel echoed as the exchange continued. To an observer, it seemed like a fairly impressive duel, prompting cheers from the Zestrad side. ¡°Ooooh!¡± ¡°The young master is fighting well!¡± ¡°He¡¯s not the young master anymore! We should call him Lord!¡± Karnak, too, felt a sense of relief. ¡®Luckily, the opening has gone as Varos predicted.¡¯ Randolph¡¯s attacks weren¡¯t particrly fast or powerful. They were clearly intended to gauge Karnak¡¯s skill level. Even the trajectory of the attacks was so predictable that Karnak could easily block them by following his training. So, there was only one thing for him to do. He let out the loudest battle cry he could muster¡­ ¡°Take this!¡± ¡­and with every ounce of his strength and determination, he showed a fearless spirit, as if he had no regard for his own life. *ng! ng! ng!* Several more strikes were exchanged before Randolph muttered with satisfaction, ¡°Your resolve is impressive.¡± To be honest, Karnak¡¯s skill was nothing special. He couldn¡¯t be considered a proper knight. In fact, he wasn¡¯t even at the level of apetent soldier. But his attitude towards the fight wasmendable. ¡®This should be enough to make this duel trial seem legitimate.¡¯ Randolph¡¯s swordsmanship stepped up a level. A more forceful and deliberate strike came straight at Karnak. ¡°Hup!¡± If he tried to block it with his shield, it seemed likely that he¡¯d be cut down entirely. But Karnak wasn¡¯t fazed. ¡®Just as expected!¡¯ As if he had been waiting for this moment, Karnak threw himself to the ground and rolled away. ¡°Huh?¡± Randolph was momentarily taken aback. He hadn¡¯t expected his opponent to dodge so pathetically. On the battlefield, this would have been the moment to simply chase after Karnak and stab him to end the fight. ¡®But this is a duel, and such a move would be inappropriate¡­¡¯ So, Randolph waited for Karnak to get back up. Then he swung his sword again¡­ *Roll!* ¡°Huh?¡± ¡­only for Karnak to roll away again. Randolph swung once more¡­ *Roll, roll, roll!* ¡°This little¡­?¡± Randolph was both baffled and starting to get a bit irritated. Did Karnak really think that rolling around would eventually give him an opening to win? ¡®Does he really think so little of a knight¡¯s honor?¡¯ Randolph¡¯s demeanor shifted slightly. ¡°This¡­ seems like it requires a bit more seriousness.¡± He was moving from merely testing his opponent to applying a bit more pressure. Any experienced warrior would know that a more serious assault was about to begin. Of course, Karnak had no experience in swordsmanship. He wasn¡¯t even aware that Randolph¡¯s attitude had changed. But what Karnak did have was a loyal servant overflowing withbat experience. ¡°Young master!¡± Varos shouted out. It was the prearranged signal. ¡®Ah, is it now?¡¯ Honestly, Karnak couldn¡¯t tell what had changed, but if Varos said it was time, then it was. Suddenly, Karnak dropped his shield. ¡°Huh?¡± Randolph was momentarily taken aback. ¡®Has he lost his mind, discarding his shield like that?¡¯ Of course, in reality, it didn¡¯t matter whether Karnak had a shield or not. If Randolph wanted to, he could take Karnak¡¯s head at any moment. But that was from Randolph¡¯s perspective, not something Karnak should be doing. With his shield discarded, Karnak assumed a formal stance. ¡°I shall take this seriously as well, Sir Randolph!¡± He gripped his longsword with both hands and pointed it at his opponent. It was a stance that Varos had painstakingly drilled into him over the course of half a day. A murmur spread through the ranks of the Deventor knights. ¡°What?¡± ¡°That stance¡­¡± ¡°Could it be?¡± This wasn¡¯t the swordsmanship of the Zestrad family. It was a far more renowned technique, particrly in the northern part of the Kingdom of Ustil, where any knight worth their salt would recognize it. Randolph muttered in disbelief, ¡°Delphiad Swordsmanship?¡± Chapter 12 Chapter 12. 3. Duel Trial (2) Delphiad Swordsmanship. One of the legendary swordsmanship techniques passed down through the generations of the Strauss family, a martial house renowned across the continent. It was said that Gard Strauss, the current head of the house, mastered this Delphiad Swordsmanship to its peak and ascended to the position of Martial King. ¡°The Martial King¡¯s swordsmanship¡­.¡± Randolph was thrown into confusion. The other knights watching the duel were in the same state. It wasn¡¯t just because the opponent had brought out the legendary Martial King¡¯s swordsmanship. ¡®Who wouldn¡¯t know that technique?¡¯ Delphiad Swordsmanship was widely known across the continent. At least, the basic form of it was. It was such a famous technique that many tried to imitate it. And everyone reached the same conclusion: ¨C ¡°This is pointless for us to learn.¡± Delphiad Swordsmanship¡¯s true strength only became apparent after mastering aura techniques. Its methods of utilizing aura were so profound and powerful that it gained its renowned reputation, but before that stage, it was actually inferior to even ordinary third-rate swordsmanship. However, since it was extremely effective inying the foundations, it was often taught to squires as an introductory course among knights. But now, it had been brought out in this duel? ¡®What is this? Is there some hidden n?¡¯ Had he somehow acquired the true Delphiad Swordsmanship, the secret of secrets involving aura maniption, that was unknown to the public? Was that why he entered the duel with such confidence? ¡®After just three months of practice?¡¯ Three months wasn¡¯t even enough time to properly learn the basics, let alone master aura techniques. ¡®This doesn¡¯t add up.¡¯ Randolph furrowed his brow, unable to understand. The spectators began to murmur. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°They say that¡¯s the Martial King¡¯s swordsmanship.¡± ¡°You mean that legendary Martial King?¡± ¡°Oh my, then isn¡¯t Sir Randolph in big trouble?¡± Indeed. Just as ayman couldn¡¯t understand an expert, an expert couldn¡¯t understand ayman. Every knight knew this: Even learning third-rate swordsmanship takes years, and with a top-tier technique like Delphiad Swordsmanship, even a lifetime might not be enough. But ayman would think like this: With a technique like the Martial King¡¯s swordsmanship, wouldn¡¯t a few months of training be enough to easily defeat someone who had trained for years with third-rate swordsmanship? This wasn¡¯tpletely unfounded either. Sometimes, even young direct descendants of the Strauss family would effortlessly defeat seasoned knights. But that was only because they were geniuses among geniuses, not because Delphiad Swordsmanship could turn an ordinary person into a top-tier swordsman in just a few months. ¡®So then¡­.¡¯ Randolph, having grasped the situation, let out a dry chuckle. ¡®So, a clueless bookworm somehow got his hands on the Martial King¡¯s swordsmanship manual, thought it was some incredible opportunity, and after three months of half-hearted practice, decided to stand before me?¡¯ Now, everything made sense. ¡°Kuk, kukukuk!¡± Giggling, he straightened his back. ¡®It¡¯s not a bad story.¡¯ With the Martial King¡¯s swordsmanship as a backdrop, the duel trial could end more convincingly. With his sword pointed, Randolph shouted triumphantly. ¡°O new lord of Zestrad! In the name of Alium, I will bring justice!¡± * * * Observing the reactions around him, Karnak sighed in relief. ¡®Phew, this should cover up my actions over the past three months.¡¯ Of course, he knew nothing about Delphiad Swordsmanship. All he could manage was the basic form. The reason he resorted to this was to clean up the mess left by the Karnak of this time period. He had been away from home for several months, iming he would gain power. Therefore, he needed a basis for his confidence. Normally, he would have passed as a mage, which wouldn¡¯t have been a problem, but since he was presenting himself as a knight, he needed a suitable excuse. So, he asked his loyal attendant. ¡°Varos.¡± ¡°Yes, young master?¡± ¡°Is there anything like this? A swordsmanship technique so incredible that just obtaining it would shock everyone, that is also easily recognizable, and something I could imitate?¡± Even as he asked, he found it absurd. If it¡¯s so rare that everyone would be shocked just by obtaining it, it would be an extremely rare swordsmanship technique. Such a rare technique should also be easily recognizable by these rural knights? And despite its power, it had to be something that even a weakling like Karnak could imitate? ¡°If there isn¡¯t anything, never mind. I wasn¡¯t really expecting much¡­¡± ¡°There is.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°There is, a technique like that.¡± Varos had walked the path of martial arts for over a hundred years. The number of swordsmanship techniques he had collected from across the continent during that immense time was no small amount. ¡°Sir Leven¡¯s Delphiad Swordsmanship fits those conditions perfectly. At this point, Sir Gard would be the Martial King.¡± ¡°You know how to use it?¡± ¡°More or less.¡± Out of the four renowned Martial Kings, three had fallen to Varos. And their martial arts were passed down to him in their entirety. It wasn¡¯t because Varos was some once-in-a-century genius who could steal techniques while crossing swords. ¡°I just asked them to teach me, and they did.¡± They were resurrected as Death Knights after their defeat, bing the loyal subordinates of the Necromancer King. As subordinates of Varos, the Death Knight Lord, they would obedientlyply if he simply ordered them to teach him. ¡°Thanks to that, I managed to learn the techniques of all the Martial Kings except for Raphicel.¡± There was a reason he couldn¡¯t learn Raphicel¡¯s techniques. Karnak hadn¡¯t turned her into a Death Knight. Raphicel Crot¨¦um, the sole woman among the four Martial Kings. She was truly a great hero of humanity. Even in a hopeless situation where all the other Martial Kings had fallen and the three Archmages had be loyal followers of the Necromancer King, she never gave up and fought to the end, inflicting significant damage on Karnak. And she met a particrly harsh fate, befitting her heroic deeds. After her defeat, she was made the gatekeeper of the Necropolis in the Imperial Pce, with her remains stationed at the eastern, western, and southern gates. It might seem absurd to think someone could guard three locations simultaneously, but with necromancy involved, it made sense. Her bones were stripped and raised as skeleton soldiers to guard the eastern gate. Her flesh was separated and crafted into a flesh golem to guard the western gate. Her soul was split and bound to a living armor, guarding the southern gate. It was a punishment of eternal suffering, neither truly dead nor alive. Recalling that time, Karnak clicked his tongue. ¡°Wow, I was really a terrible person, wasn¡¯t I? Why didn¡¯t I feel anything like this back then?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because you¡¯ve returned to a human body now?¡± ¡°Right? It¡¯s better to live like a human after all. No doubt about it.¡± Given the casual nature of their conversation, it seemed living like a proper human was still a distant goal. Unfortunately, neither the master nor the servant had yet be fully human. In any case, the Martial King¡¯s swordsmanship was the perfect facade for a young man to deceive himself into thinking he had gained power. Even after the duel, there would likely be no suspicion. ¡®The only remaining issue is¡­.¡¯ Karnak swallowed hard as he gripped his sword. ¡®I just need to survive.¡¯ * * * As Karnak discarded his shield, he managed to demonstrate a somewhat convincing basic form of the Delphiad Swordsmanship. And in return, he began to take a beating. ¡°Kuk! Kuek! Kuek!¡± With the shield, he could at least block the attacks, making it somewhat easier. But now, he had to block them with just his sword. Sir Randolph suddenly closed the distance. And then did something. What did he do? From Karnak¡¯s perspective, he had no idea. There was a sh, so he knew a sword had been swung, but that was the extent of his understanding. ¡°Krrgh!¡± Sparks flew off his armor. Randolph¡¯s strike hadnded on him once more. The only silver lining was that the blow struck his armor, turning what could have been a shing wound into a blunt impact. Karnak was sent flying from the force of the blow, rolling across the ground once again. ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re doing that again¡­¡± Randolph¡¯s words were cut short. There was something different this timepared to how he had rolled before. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Earlier, he had just tumbled aimlessly. But now? ¡°It¡¯s not over yet!¡± Karnak rolled, but then smoothly sat up and pointed his sword once more. ¡°Come! Knight of Deventor!¡± He hadn¡¯t fully stood up; he was kneeling on one knee with his sword aimed forward. Yet, his form looked surprisingly convincing. It resembled an eagle lowering its stance as it prepared to strike its prey. On top of that, he was shouting with confidence. ¡°Do you think you can bring down the bloodline of Zestrad with this level of skill?¡± He was so brazen that even Randolph was momentarily confused. ¡®What¡¯s he talking about? I¡¯ve already beaten him!¡¯ But, no matter. He just needed to chase him down and finish him off. As the lord of a territory, the man was wearing top-quality armor. Even if Randolph went a bit overboard, it wouldn¡¯t be easy for him to die ungracefully. ¡®Let¡¯s wear him out first.¡¯ A fierce sh struck Karnak¡¯s armor like a whip. Karnak groaned and continued to roll on the ground. ¡°Kuk! Kuek! Kuk!¡± However, he wasn¡¯t sustaining any fatal injuries. The moment he was hit, he would throw his body to the ground without hesitation, so the impact would prate, but it wouldn¡¯t pierce through his armor. And then, he would rise again, lifting only his upper body, striking a pose, and loudly proiming, ¡°The sword of Zestrad will not break!¡± Randolph¡¯s eyes shed with intrigue. ¡°Surprisingly, your defense is pretty solid. Is this the parrying technique of Delphiad Swordsmanship?¡± Karnak scoffed inwardly. ¡®What a ridiculous man. As if I could do something like that.¡¯ Varos was right after all. Being just a rural knight, Randolph¡¯s judgment wascking. Karnak¡¯s confidence surged. With a shout, he reignited his fighting spirit. ¡°Tahaaaat!¡± * * * Varos was watching with satisfaction. ¡®You¡¯re quite good at parrying. I guess I did a decent job teaching you.¡¯ Karnak wasn¡¯t aware of it, but he was indeed using his armor to execute a technique that deflected Randolph¡¯s shes. Without this technique, no matter how sturdy the armor was, it wouldn¡¯t have endured such a relentless onught. Varos had trained him by intentionally guiding him to react in that way while being struck. At a beginner¡¯s level, being aware of such facts would only hinder his ability to perform even what he could manage, so Varos had deliberately kept that knowledge from Karnak. ¡®His bravado is far better than I expected.¡¯ He was still getting hit. He was still being sent flying and rolling on the ground. Yet, despite all that, his expression remained supremely confident, and his eyes shone with a sharp intensity as if he could conquer the world! ¡°The sword of Zestrad will not break!¡± Hearing Karnak¡¯s shout, Varos let out a faint chuckle. ¡®Well, bluffing was always your specialty, wasn¡¯t it? No wonder you¡¯re good at it.¡¯ Necromancers, by nature, are a profession built on a lot of pretense. The effectiveness of their dark arts is greatly enhanced by creating a gloomy and sinister atmosphere to instill fear in their opponents. In his prime, Karnak had almost turned pretending to have power into a habit. That long-practiced skill was now proving useful. ¡°Come at me, Sir Randolph!¡± With one knee on the ground and his sword pointed forward, he struck a pose! It looked convincing, at least to an untrained eye, as if it had been a genuine technique all along! And with his whole body, he dered: I haven¡¯t fallen! I¡¯m still fighting evenly with my opponent! The spectators were in awe of his valiant (or so it seemed) disy. ¡°Oooooh!¡± ¡°To think the young master is this strong!¡± The knights were impressed in a different sense. The knights of Deventor paid their respects to Karnak¡¯s perseverance¡­ ¡°This young lord, I see what he¡¯s aiming for.¡± ¡°If he¡¯s destined to lose anyway, he¡¯s trying to protect his family¡¯s honor as much as possible?¡± ¡°Though hecks skill, his noble spirit is admirable.¡± The knights of Zestrad were even moved to tears. ¡®To think I once treated such a man as a mere wastrel¡­¡¯ ¡®It was my mistake. Even if hecks skill, he is more than worthy to be served as our lord!¡¯ How could ack of skill be a w? His spirit was imbued with the true nobility and honor of a knight! * * * Contrary to the surrounding evaluations, Karnak himself was in agony. ¡®Ugh, how long do I have to keep this up?¡¯ Randolph was reacting just as Varos had predicted. Thanks to that, he was managing to hold on as he had practiced. But even that had its limits. After just a month of rushed training, he was nearing his breaking point. ¡®When will my chancee, Varos?¡¯ Fortunately, Randolph¡¯s patience was also within Varos¡¯s expectations. ¡®Good, the duel has ripened enough.¡¯ Randolph, deciding to end it, adjusted his grip on his sword lightly. At that moment, Varos shouted again. ¡°Young Master!¡± ¡®Ah, is it now?¡¯ Karnak¡¯s face lit up as he surged forward. At the same time, Randolph¡¯s massive frame also moved, closing the distance in an instant. Randolph did something as he approached. What did he do? Just like before, Karnak couldn¡¯t quite tell. He simply charged forward, counting in his head. ¡®One, two, three!¡¯ Then, suddenly, he thrust his sword into the ground! *ng!* The sh of des sent sparks flying. Randolph¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡®He blocked that?¡¯ He had intended to confuse Karnak¡¯s vision with a light feint before shing at his legs, but to his surprise, his opponent wasn¡¯t deceived at all and had urately blocked the low sh! This greenhorn, who was practically a novice in swordsmanship! ¡®What in the world¡­?¡¯ As Randolph hesitated, momentarily taken aback. ¡®This is my chance!¡¯ Karnak¡¯s movements became quicker. ¡°Taaah!¡± With a second upward strike, the Overkill. The technique he had practiced tirelessly all day, the finishing move of the future Martial King, Leven Strauss, filled the air with radiant light. Chapter 13 Chapter 13. 3. Duel Trial (3) Two streaks of sword light tore through the air. A terrifying light rushed toward Randolph, drawing the shape of two crescent moons. ¡°¡­Gah!¡± Randolph twisted his body in fright. This time, he was truly caught off guard. And then¡­ ¡°Ah!¡± The crowd let out a sigh. Randolph¡¯s chest was slightly torn. Red droplets of blood seeped out, staining his clothes. It had missed. And by quite a bit. The priests who were watching shook their heads. ¡°How unfortunate¡­¡± ¡°Such a shame.¡± It was a strike aimed with all his might, targeting a crucial opening. It was a remarkable technique, worthy of being called a master stroke. But the skill was far too unrefined. Any regr knight could have unconsciously avoided it. One of the Zestrad knights murmured in dismay. ¡°As expected, there¡¯s no such thing as a miracle¡­¡± Karnak had tried. From early morning, he had thrown himself into training, sweating blood all day long, to the point where it was hard to believe he was the same scoundrel they once knew. He had put in repeated effort after effort. Even those who had no favorable feelings toward him began to harbor hope, seeing how he gave his all within the given time. But the result was no more than a shallow cut, like that of a cat¡¯s scratch. ¡°Hah, haha¡­¡± Randolph chuckled bitterly as he raised his sword. ¡°Not bad. For someone of your level, you¡¯ve done your best.¡± The knights turned their heads away. This was reality. No matter how hard one tries, before overwhelming skill, there was nothing one could do. ¡°The world is truly¡­¡± One of the knights murmured sorrowfully. ¡°¡­brutally unfair.¡± *** Varos was quite satisfied. ¡®Lucky.¡¯ He was incredibly lucky. ¡®It¡¯s not easy for things to go exactly as expected like this.¡¯ Unfair? In what way? Karnak had tried his best for a month, but any regr knight puts in that much effort. And they do it for decades. Moreover, his opponent was Sir Randolph, the strongest knight in Deventor. A man born with talent, who had risen to his position through rigorous training since childhood. If someone like him were to lose his life to a hastily learned skill, it would only prove that effort was meaningless. ¡®Indeed, it wouldn¡¯t be right to call something like that unfair.¡¯ Varos faintly smiled. ¡®The real unfairness starts now.¡¯ * * * ¡°Ah, this is just¡­¡± Randolph was dumbfounded. ¡°They say even a cornered rat will bite a cat. To think I¡¯d end up in this situation.¡± He had allowed Karnak, someone he considered beneath him, tond a strike. Moreover, he had even drawn a bit of blood. While it wasn¡¯t a big deal, it was enough to irritate Randolph. He could already imagine his fellow knights mocking him over drinks for days toe. ¡°I¡¯m going to be the butt of jokes for a while. Damn it.¡± He was just about to finish things off. Karnak, with his head lowered, spoke in a small, almost whispering voice. ¡°Your opponent put his life on the line, and you¡¯re only worried about being mocked? I¡¯m d I don¡¯t have to feel guilty.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± For a moment, Randolph was puzzled. ¡°Guilty? Who would feel guilty toward whom?¡± Karnak grinned. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t really know what that feeling is either.¡± Suddenly, something surged from Randolph¡¯s entire body. *Fwoosh!* Startled, he looked down at himself. From the slight tear in his clothes, a dark shadow erupted. The darkness quickly spread, forming a massive shape that engulfed the surroundings. ¡°W-What is this?¡± Seizing the opportunity, Karnak thrust his sword forward. ¡°Taaah!¡± Of course, he was immediately kicked away. No matter how panicked his opponent was, there was no way he could ovee a trained knight. *Thud!* The problem was that Karnak was sent flying more than five meters away by that kick. ¡°Hah!¡± The entire audience gasped in shock. To send a grown man, d in full te armor, flying with a single kick? This was a feat of strength impossible for any human who had not awakened to the use of aura! ¡°What¡¯s with that strength?¡± ¡°And that ck thing?¡± ¡°It looks like¡­ the shape of a demon¡­¡± The astonishment rippled through the entire arena like a wave. A priest¡¯s shout echoed out. ¡°Necromancy!¡± *** Shouts rang out from all around. ¡°Necromancy?¡± ¡°Is that what necromancy is supposed to look like?¡± ¡°My God! How could such an evil forcee from Sir Randolph?¡± Randolph was in a state of extreme confusion. ¡°Necromancy? Who? Me?¡± Necromancy? He had only heard of it; he didn¡¯t even really know what it was. So why was something like that surging from his body? And why did his strength suddenly increase? Gripping his sword, he looked around frantically. ¡°No, I, uh¡­¡± As if in response to his movements, the ck energy surged even higher, forming dark wings and coating his de in shadow. At just the right moment, Varos shouted. ¡°Demonic wings! That guy is trying to escape!¡± It was only then that the priests of Alium snapped back to their senses and quickly sprang into action. ¡°Judges! Restrain him at once!¡± Armed battle priests surged into the arena. These were the ones who had been on standby to carry out the execution after the Duel Trial. ¡°In the name of Alium!¡± ¡°Deliver the judgment of justice upon the unholy being!¡± Holy light shed from all sides as spears and swords flew toward Randolph. In his confusion, Randolph began to wail. ¡°Aaaaahhhh!¡± *** A ck giant rampaged. ¡°Aaahhhh!¡± Each time, the battle priests were sent flying in all directions. With each swing, they were hurled several meters away, a scene far beyond what any ordinary human could produce. ¡°This is true necromancy!¡± ¡°You demon!¡± Fueled by their hatred for necromancers, the battle priests relentlessly pressed Randolph. Swinging his greatsword wildly, Randolph wailed and wailed again. ¡°Aaahhhh!¡± What is this? What the hell is going on? Why is this happening? He wanted to scream out in frustration, but his mind was paralyzed, and the words wouldn¡¯te. All that poured out were his raw emotions, erupting into a roar. ¡°Urrgh!¡± But that outburst didn¡¯tst long. The ck energy, which had red up like a seizure, quickly diminished. At the same time, Randolph¡¯s monstrous strength faded away. ¡°He¡¯s weakening!¡± ¡°Seize him now!¡± Even so, they still couldn¡¯t capture him. Even without necromancy, Randolph had always been the strongest knight in Deventor. With his innate power, he continued to rampage like a wild boar,shing out in his fury. ¡°Aaaahhhh!¡± In the end, the battle priests abandoned their attempts to capture him and switched to eliminating him. From all sides, des aimed at Randolph¡¯s vital points. Without his armor, Randolph couldn¡¯t fend off all the attacks. des pierced and cut him repeatedly. He was shed and shed again. ¡°Aaaargh!¡± With a final, desperate cry, Randolph eventually lost his life in the middle of the arena. Watching Randolph take hisst breath, Karnak let out a bitter smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect things to go this smoothly.¡± Originally, he thought Randolph would be subdued and dragged to the temple. If that happened, there was a risk of the truth being discovered, so he had instructed Varos to step in and kill him before that could happen¡­ ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that guy would be so incapable of controlling his temper. Well, I guess I can understand.¡± Randolph, driven to the brink by the injustice that gnawed at his very bones, had rampaged like a wounded wild boar, forcing the situation to be resolved here and now. ¡®Still, I have to do what needs to be done. Ugh, this hurts¡­¡¯ After being sent flying five meters, even the best armor couldn¡¯t prevent the lingering aftereffects. Thanks to Varos¡¯s relentless drilling, Karnak had managed to perform a propernding technique just in time, or else he might have broken something. Staggering as he got to his feet, Karnak shouted out. ¡°Priests of Alium! What is the oue of this Duel Trial?¡± The priests, who had been standing around Randolph¡¯s corpse in confusion, now wore grim expressions. ¡®A Duel Trial? Is that really the issue right now?¡¯ ¡®A forbidden curse, a seed of unspeakable evil, has sprouted here!¡¯ But then they realized¡ªit *was* important. This was a sacred trial in the name of Alium. Concluding it properly was also a priest¡¯s duty. A judge, forcing himself to remainposed, raised his right hand and began to dere. ¡°The duelist from Deventor hasmitted an unforgivable sin by bringing such foul evil into this sacred Duel Trial! This is a heinous affront to the Goddess herself!¡± The priest¡¯s voice echoed throughout the arena. ¡°I hereby dere Baron Karnak of Zestrad the victor!¡± There was no cheering. Only a heavy silence hung in the air. Everyone stood in fearful awe, silently staring at the corpse in the arena. *** The Viscount¡¯s family of Deventor was in an uproar. A knight of their house had been linked to necromancy¡ªconcerns about the copper mine were now the least of their worries. The main temple of the Church of Alium sent priests directly to the Viscount¡¯s estate to conduct a thorough investigation, searching for any further traces of necromancy. In Randolph¡¯s quarters, they discovered a handkerchief with necromantic symbols, undergarments stitched with sinister charms¡ªclear evidence that he had consorted with the dark forces. Randolph¡¯s younger sister insisted that these were items she had purchased from an unknown traveling merchant and that they had nothing to do with Randolph, but this only heightened suspicion toward her. Interrogations extended to her, the other knights, their families, and even the servants. Though they were eventually cleared of suspicion, it was not without considerable suffering¡­ ¡°I heard they went through quite an ordeal.¡± Hearing Karnak¡¯s exnation, Varos smiled wryly. ¡°I feel a bit sorry for Sir Randolph¡¯s sister. She probably had no idea what was going on.¡± He said he felt sorry, but his expression didn¡¯t seem to reflect that at all. Karnak tilted his head in curiosity. ¡°Is feeling sorry the normal human response in situations like this?¡± ¡°Probably. Most people seem to act that way.¡± After having caused suffering for more than a dozen people, that was all he had to say. It seemed these guys still had a long way to go before bing truly human. Nevertheless, Karnakughed cheerfully. ¡°It turned out really well. I was terrified when I was told to risk my life the moment I got back.¡± Using necromancy in front of the priests would inevitably get him caught. Even Karnak, who had mastered necromancy to the highest degree, had no immediate way to avoid detection. So, he decided to change his approach. ¡®If I¡¯m going to get caught, I might as well use it! But let Randolph take the fall instead of me!¡¯ It was, after all, a fight in a distant arena. It was inevitable that sinister darkness would erupt from the tangledbat. Given those circumstances, Karnak could covertly use necromancy and make it seem like Randolph was the one responsible. ¡°The problem was that the opponent had to bleed for the necromancy to be cast naturally, but it was worth the effort.¡± Recalling the training he had undergone, Karnak felt a sense of satisfaction. Varos suddenly asked. ¡°Won¡¯t the church suspect anything? This can¡¯t be the first time you¡¯ve used this tactic, right? There have been necromancers before.¡± ¡°I¡¯m probably the first.¡± ¡°Huh? Really?¡± To make it look like someone else was using necromancy while hiding your own power in close quarters? ¡°Such a sophisticated maneuver is something only I, in my current state, can pull off. Most people couldn¡¯t do it.¡± Even the Karnak of the past wouldn¡¯t have been capable of it. It was only possible because he had reached the pinnacle of his craft, to the point of being called the Necromancer King. ¡°There¡¯s no precedent for this, so it shouldn¡¯t be an issue. However¡­¡± As he spoke, Karnak¡¯s expression subtly hardened. ¡°There¡¯s something that doesn¡¯t quite make sense.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°This whole thing went too smoothly.¡± Objectively speaking, Randolph was someone who had no need to rely on necromancy. He was already recognized as a knight with a bright future ahead of him. On the other hand, the one who benefited the most from this situation was, without a doubt, Karnak, who had narrowly escaped death. ¡°No matter how unprecedented this tactic is, this should have made me suspicious.¡± Even if they didn¡¯t openly use him, it would have been normal for them to at least conduct an investigation. ¡°So I deliberately suppressed my necromantic power and prepared myself for an interrogation¡­¡± But the church didn¡¯t suspect Karnak. In fact, they didn¡¯t even send anyone to the Zestrad family. They were entirely focused on overturning the Viscount¡¯s house in Deventor. ¡°It¡¯s almost as if they epted Sir Randolph¡¯s involvement with necromancy as a given.¡± Puzzled, Karnak tilted his head. ¡°Why? Why would someone like Sir Randolph, who had nothing to lose, resort to necromancy, and why isn¡¯t anyone questioning it?¡± *** The Gessn Great Temple of the Church of Alium, responsible for the northern diocese of the Kingdom of Ustil. A middle-aged priest was bowing deeply before an elderly man in his sixties. The elder wore ornate ceremonial robes adorned with gold embroidery. The old man asked, ¡°Have you confirmed it beyond doubt? This is a grave matter. Even the slightest mistake is uneptable.¡± Nodding, the middle-aged priest took out a small ss vial from his robes. ¡°I have served as an Inquisitor for three years now. I¡¯ve gained much experience during that time. I can say this with absolute certainty.¡± Inside the vial, a faint darkness briefly stirred. It was an extremely weak force, but one that any devout follower of the Goddess would be unable to overlook. ¡°This is not the work of an ordinary necromancer. The attributes are an exact match.¡± With conviction, the middle-aged priest continued to speak clearly. ¡°It is the fragment of the Transcendent, the death that will bring about the world¡¯s destruction, as foretold by the Goddess.¡± Holding up the vial containing the darkness extracted from the body of Randolph, the knight of Deventor, his expression hardened. ¡°There is no doubt¡ªthis is the Doom of Darkness.¡± The archbishop, who took the vial, let out a deep sigh. ¡°The power of darkness has spread this far already¡­¡± Chapter 14 Chapter 14. 4. The Omen of Destruction With the victory in the Duel Trial, the copper mine was now firmly in the hands of the Zestrad family. Karnak, who had saved the territory, was able to solidify his position as lord. A feast was held. Cows and pigs were ughtered, and plenty of food and drink were offered to the serfs. Among the lively festivities, what stood out the most was the appearance of the ¡®respected new lord.¡¯ ¡°Varos!¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master!¡± ¡°It¡¯s beef!¡± ¡°We also have pork! Not just sausages, but freshly ughtered pork!¡± ¡°The fat is just dripping off!¡± ¡°And there¡¯s even sauce on it!¡± The two of them were so focused on their meal that they even shed tears of joy. They were so genuinely moved that it left the serfs feeling a bit bewildered. ¡°Is it something to be so delighted about?¡± ¡°Of course, beef is a rare delicacy, but still¡­¡± For ordinary serfs, cows and pigs were foods they could only eat on special asions, maybe once or twice a year, and only in times of plenty. So, they were also deeply moved by the taste of the beef and pork they hadn¡¯t had in a long time. But the reaction of these two was excessively intense. ¡°Don¡¯t nobles eat meat regrly?¡± ¡°But they¡¯re acting like it¡¯s the first time in decades¡­¡± ¡°Come on, that can¡¯t be true, right? They¡¯re nobles.¡± Not knowing the truth, the serfs could only think this way. ¡°How harsh must their training have been for them to be so pleased by such a small thing?¡± ¡°It must have been grueling. Didn¡¯t they put their lives on the line?¡± ¡°People really are unpredictable, aren¡¯t they?¡± They all looked at the new lord, Karnak, with eyes full of respect. The one who had once been a wastrel not only turned over a new leaf but also saved the territory and secured the future of the serfs. How could they not show him respect? Of course, Karnak was just mindlessly chewing on his meat. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s delicious. But why is everyone looking at me?¡± ¡°Maybe we¡¯ve eaten too much? If we eat more, we might get sick.¡± ¡°We should be careful. We¡¯re precious, after all.¡± In any case, everything was going well. He had be the master of a wealthy family and gained the respect and goodwill of the serfs. The family members who hated him had destroyed themselves. It seemed that all the goals he had set when he turned back time and returned to the past had been achieved. As he clinked his ss, Karnak smiled brightly. ¡°Now, all that¡¯s left is to enjoy life leisurely. Heh heh heh.¡± ¡°Indeed, Young Master. Heh heh heh.¡± Varos responded with a radiant smile. * * * Three months had passed since the Duel Trial. In the outer training grounds of the Zestrad family, a group of knights gathered to watch a sparring match unfolding before their eyes. It was a duel between a knight in his mid-thirties and a young man who seemed to be around twenty years old. ¡°Be careful!¡± The knight in his thirties shouted a warning as he delivered a shing strike. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The young man cautiously parried the attack andunched a counterstrike. For a while, the shing of des echoed continuously as they engaged in an intense bout of swordy. Despite his youthful appearance, the young man¡¯s skill was impressive. He held his ground against a seasoned knight without faltering. After a short while, the knight paused to catch his breath and sheathed his sword. ¡°Phew, let¡¯s stop here for today.¡± The young man also sheathed his sword and bowed his head respectfully. ¡°Thank you for your guidance!¡± Wiping the sweat from his brow, Sir Valtun, a knight of the Zestrad family, shook his head in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯ve almost reached my level now.¡± When Varos, the young man before him, suddenly dered his intention to be a knight, everyone had been taken aback. It was said that he had trained alongside Karnak, who had mastered the Delphiad Swordsmanship¡­ ¡®Just because you¡¯ve learned exceptional swordsmanship doesn¡¯t mean you automatically be strong.¡¯ ¡®The ignorance of those with no experience is astounding.¡¯ At first, it was so absurd that they didn¡¯t even feel like mocking him. They simply pitied him. ¡®A few good beatings should bring him back to reality.¡¯ But in just a few months, his skills had improved at a startling pace. Sir Torres, a veteran knight who had been observing from the sidelines, also found himself amazed. ¡°Varos, who knew you had such talent?¡± Not only did he acquire skills at an incredible speed, but hisbat instincts were wless, and still being in his growth phase, his physical abilities improved daily. He was an extraordinary genius. It was almost a waste for someone like him to be stuck in such a remote ce. ¡®At this rate, if it were a real fight, I might not be able to handle him soon.¡¯ However, not wanting to let praise go to his head, Sir Torres spoke in a deliberately stern tone. ¡°But don¡¯t let it go to your head. It¡¯smon for a warrior born with talent to meet a tragic end due tock of experience.¡± Varos humbly bowed his head. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind, Sir Torres.¡± Of course, he was still hiding most of his true abilities. If he fought seriously, he could cut down all five of these Zestrad knights within a minute by himself. After all, weren¡¯t they just rural knights who couldn¡¯t even handle one Randolf? But that wasn¡¯t a reason to look down on them. ¡®It¡¯s not as if I¡¯m some incredible genius either.¡¯ Varos was well aware that his rapid progress was due to the vastbat experience he had umted over the years, not because of any heaven-sent talent. In truth, before bing a Death Knight, he had been, at best, a second-rate knight, unable to even awaken his Aura. ¡®Now that I think about it, I wonder if I could master Aura on my own without the Young Master¡¯s help. Well, at least I understand the theory now, so I should be better off than before.¡¯ Regardless, there was no denying that the evaluation of Varos had skyrocketed. The knights began to speak, each with a tone of admiration. ¡°At any rate, it¡¯s impressive.¡± ¡°To have such skill at your age¡­¡± ¡°And to think that with this talent, you used to just mess around?¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s precisely why you¡¯ve developed such a sharpbat sense.¡± Though Karnak and Varos had been criticized for their wild behavior in the past, they hadn¡¯t actually caused any significant trouble. All they really did was sneak into nearby towns to drink, gamble, and get into back-alley brawls. They couldn¡¯t even indulge in women because they didn¡¯t have the money for it. That sort of behavior was something even the knights themselves engaged in from time to time. And if teenagers were already indulging in ¡®adult vices¡¯ without any forethought, it was only natural they were seen as delinquents. Sir Torres, reflecting on the changes, muttered with a mix of emotions. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing. Not just for you, but for the Young Master as well. Who would¡¯ve thought he¡¯d mature like this¡­¡± Many had initially doubted Karnak¡¯s transformation. No matter how much he had changed after bing a lord, they wondered if an old scoundrel could truly turn over a new leaf. But those doubts had long since melted away. After all, everyone had seen how deeply moved he was by just a single ss of alcohol. The intense emotion that seemed to shake his very soul was undoubtedly the expression of someone who had been sober for years, savoring the first drink in a long time. ¡°He certainly shows restraint, only drinking a bit with meals. Thanks to that, the Young Master¡ªno, the Lord¡ªseems to be in much better health,¡± Sir Torres said. Varos couldn¡¯t help but smirk inwardly. ¡®Of course he is.¡¯ Unlike before, Karnak was now also paying attention to his physical well-being. It wasn¡¯t that he had any intention of bing a knight. He had simplye to realize the importance of health. After all, he had spent decades living with a dead body, sacrificing everything just to regain this one. In both a figurative and literal sense, his body was indeed ¡°precious.¡± Health was now his top priority! Take care of yourself while you¡¯re young! If you wait until you¡¯re old, it¡¯s toote! I know because I¡¯ve learned the hard way! Both Karnak and Varos were now focused on eating a bnced diet, maintaining a regr routine, and exercising diligently, all to care for and refine their precious bodies. ¡°I never thought a person could change so much.¡± ¡°Indeed. I heard he¡¯s even deeply into reading now?¡± ¡°Unlike before, he spends most of his leisure time in the study.¡± ¡°When the previous Baron passed away, I thought everything was lost¡­¡± The knights reminisced with wistful expressions as they thought of their new lord, Karnak. Ah, the future of the Zestrad territory now seemed bright! Varos, however, kept a wry smile to himself. ¡®It¡¯s true he¡¯s holed up in the study, but it¡¯s not exactly like he¡¯s immersed in reading as you imagine.¡¯ *** After returning to the past, Karnak¡¯s original n had been to travel across the continent, gather treasures, and use his foresight to make profits through trade, thereby securing his position. This family¡¯s situation was so dire that there seemed to be no other solution. But with the discovery of the copper mine, the financial problems had been resolved. At the same time, there was no longer a need to roam the continent. The entire n had been about bing a moderately powerful local noble, living a peaceful life without drawing too much attention or being looked down upon. Having achieved that, what reason was there to leave the territory and go through hardships? Adventure? The passion of youth? Curiosity about seeing the world? He had already traveled around the world five or six times. He had seen everything there was to see, and even more than he ever wanted to. However, that didn¡¯t mean he nned to spend his dayszily or idling around. Now that he owned the copper mine, it was possible that more people like the Viscount Debentor woulde after him. No, it was certain that they would. There was no greater driving force for humans than greed. He needed to have at least the minimal strength necessary to protect the territory. But since he couldn¡¯t use necromancy, he required abilities that could be disyed openly. In therge study on the second floor of the Zestrad mansion, Karnak sat on the floor, meditating under the moonlight streaming through the windows. ¡°Hoo¡­¡± Taking a deep breath, he focused his mind, gathering the surrounding energies. The darkness of the night, the yin energy of the moonlight, and the faint traces of negative energy all converged towards him, being reprocessed. After a moment, Karnak opened his eyes. ¡°Good, I¡¯ve gathered enough.¡± He raised a finger, and a small me flickered to life at the tip. Varos, who had been watching from the side, looked intrigued. ¡°Huh? It doesn¡¯t have that typical necromancy feel to it.¡± When necromancy is activated, the aura of death it emits is something that any living being, even an ordinary human, can sense as an ominous presence. Clerics, in particr, are highly sensitive to it. However, the me that Karnak had just conjuredcked that distinctive aura. It looked like an ordinary spell, nothing more. ¡°The color is red, too. It just looks like a normal fire,¡± Varos observed. ¡°Exactly,¡± Karnak nodded. ¡°This originated from necromancy, but it¡¯s no longer necromancy.¡± For Karnak, necromancy had lost its appeal as a power. He knew all too well what the end result would be, no matter how much he strengthened it. But starting anew as a knight, wizard, or cleric was also out of the question. ¡°Once you learn necromancy, there¡¯s no turning back.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware of that. But that applies not just to necromancy; it¡¯s the same with other paths, too,¡± Varos replied. In this world, there are four ways to transcend human limitations. The Aura, wielded by knights, which maniptes life force. The Mana, wielded by wizards, which maniptes natural forces. The Divine Power, wielded by clerics, which follows the principles of light and providence. Andstly, necromancy, or dark magic, which maniptes the powers of death and darkness. What all these methods have inmon is that they umte the energy of the world within the body and convert it into a unique power. In this process, the soul and body of the practitioner be optimized for the method they¡¯ve chosen. In other words, once you choose a path, you¡¯re bound to it. Can a wizard, who wields mana, also train in martial arts? It¡¯s certainly possible. After all, having arms and legs means one can wield a sword or spear. But mastering Aura is impossible. Once the soul and body are imbued with the essence of mana, no matter how hard one tries, the world¡¯s energy will only umte as mana. The same principle applies to necromancy. Once a soul has been stained ck, it can never turn white again. ¡°Well, to be precise, it can be bleached. The bleaching process itself is possible.¡± The problem was that the memories and personality of the individual would also be bleached away in the process. The act of converting that energy into power essentially remakes one¡¯s soul and body anew. This is also why Aura users, wizards, or clerics who dabble in necromancy often end up corrupted. They lose their original power and even their personality changes, transforming them into someone entirely different. For Karnak to make apletely fresh start, he would have needed to turn back time to before he learned necromancy. But that was an impossibility. The nature of the time-reversal spell was inherently linked to necromancy, targeting points in time after he had already mastered the dark arts. Because of this, he could only return to moments after he had learned necromancy. ¡°Varos, you were able to return to a time before bing a Death Knight because you were tied to me.¡± Karnak had been aware of this issue since his days as the Necromancer King. That¡¯s why, after returning to the past, he had prepared a method to make a fresh start. ¡°And this is the result.¡± He waved the me at his fingertip and grinned proudly. ¡°I¡¯ve named it Chaos Power.¡± Chapter 15 Chapter 15. 4. The Omen of Destruction (2) Why are necromancers subjects of hatred, contempt, fear, and loathing? The reason is so clear that it doesn¡¯t even require contemtion. They engage in acts that no human shouldmit. They be stronger by doing these despicable things. Thus, all necromancers go to great lengths to conceal their identities. In public, they intentionally use methods that appear to be ordinary magic, while secretly employing their truly evil techniques in the shadows. But why do they still get caught by priests or sharp-witted individuals? The answer is simple. It¡¯s because the very source of necromancy, necromantic power, is such a ¡®filthy¡¯ form of magic. Necromantic power is the result of converting all the world¡¯s negative and malevolent energies¡ªsuch as the aura of death, resentment, hatred, and fear¡ªinto strength. Any living being instinctively shuns necromancy the moment it is activated. It¡¯s like how you reflexively frown and cover your nose when you approach a decaying corpse. But to cleanse the filth of necromantic power? Even Karnak, the strongest necromancer in human history, couldn¡¯t find a way to do that. Necromancy fundamentally deals with negative energies, and those very energies are what evoke revulsion. It¡¯s like trying to say that the smell of rot shouldn¡¯t exist when the very process begins with decay. Here, Karnak had an idea. ¡®Wait a minute, aren¡¯t there foods that are originally made by rotting?¡¯ The technique of fermentation has numerous examples throughout human history. Even the alcohol he loved as a human followed this principle. ¡®I can¡¯t cleanse the filth, but maybe I can make it seem less filthy.¡¯ After this realization, he began researching whether necromantic power could be ¡®fermented.¡¯ Of course, the idea of rotting food was merely a metaphor; the actual fermentation process couldn¡¯t be applied to necromancy. But the concept could be borrowed. ¡®What if I processed necromantic power, which is based on negative energy, and refined it a second time?¡¯ After decades of research, he finallypleted the theoretical framework. And once he returned to a living body, he sessfully implemented it. ¡°I stripped away the negative emotions like resentment and hatred from necromantic power, leaving only the pure essence of darkness and death, and then reprocessed it to convert it into a form closer to natural magic.¡± Karnak conjured a few more mes around him. Once again, the mes exuded no trace of necromancy, only the presence of ordinary magic. Karnak smiled mischievously as he spoke. ¡°It¡¯s like mana, but not exactly mana, yet it¡¯s so close to mana that it could be considered a third form of energy,¡± Varos said, tilting his head in curiosity. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying you filtered out all the impurities and just left the delicious part, like with good liquor?¡± ¡°Well, roughly speaking, yes. It¡¯s not a perfect analogy, though.¡± ¡°That exins why you¡¯ve been cooped up in the study all this time. You used to wander around gloomy ces like cemeteries and haunted battlefields.¡± ¡°Necromancy grows more powerful in ces with a thick aura of malice.¡± But chaotic magic requires filtering out all those impurities. Only then can the pure essence of death be refined and reprocessed. ¡°Now I actually have to avoid those ces. Going there would just mean more work for me.¡± Varos shrugged his shoulders. ¡°That¡¯s a relief for me. I thought we¡¯d have to start digging up corpses again.¡± Did they just dig up corpses? They even went as far as kidnapping innocent people, torturing them, and corrupting their souls to forcibly convert them into power. ¡°I¡¯m starting to feel like I¡¯m living like a normal person now.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t it feel like I¡¯ve gotten a lot kinder?¡± He wasn¡¯t lying. Given the extreme atrocities of the past, he was indeed much kinder now. Karnak smiled contentedly as he extinguished the mes. ¡°With this, I can pass as a regr magician even in front of priests.¡± During the duel trial with Randolph, he had to y the part of a knight because there wasn¡¯t enough time to prepare. But now, he wouldn¡¯t need to take such dangerous measures again. Suddenly, Varos asked another question. ¡°But why is it called chaotic magic?¡± He had a general understanding after hearing the exnation, but the term ¡°chaotic¡± didn¡¯t seem to fit at all. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t ¡®fermented magic¡¯ be more urate?¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound cool at all!¡± ¡°Is that all there is to it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the importance of a name. Just think about the term necromancy.¡± In the past, necromancers were also called dark sorcerers or warlocks. Necromancy involves controlling the power of death, while dark magic deals with the power of darkness. Strictly speaking, the methods are slightly different, but the source energies for both are nearly the same. Necromantic power is derived from death and darkness, while dark magic is based on darkness and death¡ªit¡¯s almost the same. ¡°Whether you add milk to tea or tea to milk, it¡¯s the same thing.¡± Because of this, there was hardly a necromancer who wasn¡¯t also a dark sorcerer, and vice versa. Naturally, a necromancer could easily be a dark sorcerer as well. This perception only changed due to the bacsh from magicians. The terms ¡°Dark Magic¡± and ¡°Dark Sorcery¡± carry connotations closely tied to magic. In contrast, ¡°Necromancy¡± feels like an entirely unrted, malevolent force. The magicians were adamant about eradicating the term ¡°dark magic¡± and spreading the word ¡°necromancy¡± instead. Simrly, necromancers themselves never referred to themselves as dark sorcerers. For necromancers, being perceived as a subset of magicians was a matter of pride. ¡°Now do you understand the importance of a name?¡± Karnak asked. Varos pondered seriously. ¡®I don¡¯t understand at all.¡¯ But he didn¡¯t argue further. Even if he didn¡¯t understand, if it made Karnak happy, that was good enough. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be off now. Take care.¡± * * * It had been nearly half a year since Karnak returned to this era, and a year since he became the new lord. Both Karnak and Varos had been living fulfilling lives each day. Varos had been relentlessly training daily, walking the path of a knight. Although his lowly origins had prevented him from being officially knighted yet, the people of the territory had long recognized him. No matter what others said, Varos was now undeniably the strongest knight in Zestrad. His growth was so remarkable that he could now easily overpower other knights even if they attacked together. The only reason his fame hadn¡¯t spread was that he hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to prove himself publicly. Varos himself didn¡¯t care at all. ¡®It¡¯s better to stay unknown.¡¯ Having a high reputation meant that one had fought in many battles. After surviving decades of intense battlefields, and even dying a few times, Varos had no interest in fame. ¡®A cold beer after a hard day¡¯s work is far more precious!¡¯ Today, too, he finished a rewarding personal training session, drenched in sweat, and downed a drink. ¡°Ah! This is the joy of life!¡± After emptying his beer mug, Varos left the training grounds of the mansion. He nned to wash off his sweat at the well. As he passed by, some maids blushed at the sight of his bare upper body. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Varos.¡± ¡°He¡¯s gotten so handsometely.¡± He was no longer thenky boy he used to be. His shoulders were broad, his chest expansive like a field, his back resembled that of an ox, and his arms and legs bulged with well-defined muscles. Unlike before, he no longer treated his body carelessly just because he was young. No matter how delicious something was, he ate in moderation, and no matter how tedious it was, he trained consistently, doing his best to keep this ¡®living body¡¯ in peak condition. Varos¡¯s disciplined behavior served as an inspiration to many. It was admirable to see someone so young and full of vigor restraining his desires and continuously training himself. Of course, his mindset was still closer to that of a middle-aged man. ¡®I¡¯d love just one more beer. But I should hold back, right? Healthes first, after all.¡¯ * * * In the office of the Zestrad mansion, Karnak, as usual, had finished his work early and was now practicing chaotic magic. He was deeply focused on the mana conversion when a knock came from outside. ¡°I¡¯ve brought snacks, sir.¡± ¡°Come in, Varos.¡± Although his position as a knight meant that he could have left such trivial tasks to the maids, Varos still faithfully attended to Karnak. Why? As soon as he ced the tray on the table, he swiftly split the stack of snacks in half and set his portion in front of himself. ¡°Half of this is mine, right?¡± Since he couldn¡¯t enjoy the luxury of snacking on the lord¡¯s expensive treats in front of others, he used this as an excuse to share them. ¡°Sure, eat up.¡± The two happily indulged in the snacks, grinning all the while. ¡°Ah, this is sweet.¡± ¡°Mmm, delicious.¡± The snacks disappeared in no time. Karnak sighed wistfully as he mumbled. ¡°Couldn¡¯t we have just a little more? It¡¯s not like we can¡¯t afford it.¡± Varos immediately cut him off. ¡°You¡¯ll gain weight.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the type who doesn¡¯t put on weight easily.¡± ¡°That¡¯s even worse. It¡¯s the most dangerous when a slender person ends up with a protruding belly, you know?¡± Even though they were still young and eating a few more snacks wouldn¡¯t cause any serious harm, anyone who had lived long enough knew better. It always starts with something small, and before you know it, your body has deteriorated. That¡¯s just how the world works. ¡°Right, let¡¯s not trust ourselves too much. Thest thing you should trust is yourself.¡± Karnak reluctantly pushed the te of snacks away, giving up his lingering attachment. As Varos tidied up, he asked, ¡°How¡¯s your magic training going?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m ready to present myself as a magician to others.¡± Although Karnak had participated in the duel trial as a knight, he couldn¡¯t keep ying that role indefinitely. So, he made a public deration. ¡°The path of a knight doesn¡¯t suit me. From now on, I shall walk the path of a magician!¡± Surprisingly, Karnak had more connections than just Delphiad Swordsmanship. ¡°While training in the mountains to master Delphiad Swordsmanship, I discovered a great legacy. It¡¯s the magic tome of Das, the court magician who was renowned 150 years ago!¡± ¡°Oh! What a stroke of fortune for you, my lord!¡± The members of the Zestrad family didn¡¯t find Karnak¡¯s choice to be particrly strange. They had all witnessed the duel trial. Karnak had disyed unwavering mental fortitude, determination, and the dignity befitting a noble. He was truly a lord to be proud of. But¡­ did that mean he was skilled inbat? ¡®Even to the untrained eye, it was a bit¡­¡¯ ¡®To be honest, he didn¡¯t seem very talented.¡¯ ¡®If he could excel as a magician, that would be ideal!¡¯ After all, he had imed to have obtained the magic tome of a court magician! Maybe the Zestrad family would produce a top-tier magician! ¡°Doesn¡¯t it make perfect sense? My magical abilities have improved dramatically after obtaining the court magician¡¯s tome,¡± Karnak said confidently. Varos raised an eyebrow. ¡°Well, yes, it does, but¡­¡± A court magician¡¯s tome? Varos knew better than anyone that such a thing didn¡¯t exist. ¡°Who is Das? Was he even a real person?¡± ¡°He was truly famous, which is why I used his name.¡± Das was indeed a renowned magician 150 years ago. His name had been passed down through the generations. ¡°What if a real descendant of Das shows up? The legacy of a court magician could cause some issues.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± ¡°Absolutely. Das left behind no disciples and didn¡¯t write any tomes. There¡¯s no connection.¡± ¡°How can you be so certain?¡± Karnak had a very solid reason for his confidence. ¡°Because he told me himself. You¡¯re familiar with him too, Varos.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Remember the Archlich I sent to manage the southern region of Necropia?¡± Varos racked his brain for a moment before his eyes widened. ¡°Governor Dempis?¡± ¡°Yep. That guy¡¯s human name was Das.¡± ¡°But you said he was a magician from 150 years ago? How was he hanging out with us? The timeline doesn¡¯t match.¡± ¡°Do you remember the ruins we excavated in the Baracanth Mountains?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°We found the remains of a magician there, processed them, and summoned his soul to create an Archlich. That was him.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Karnak had truly learned the unique magic of a real magician (though, to be exact, he had forcibly extracted it through mind control) and adapted it into chaotic magic. ¡°This is more than enough to justify posing as a magician, hehehe.¡± Of course, this alone wouldn¡¯t allow him to reim the immense powers he had as the Death King¡­ but it was a start. ¡°What does it matter? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m nning to conquer the world again.¡± Having enough power to protect the territory and handle any potential incidents was sufficient. ¡°What if something truly catastrophic happens that you can¡¯t handle with that power?¡± ¡°In the first ce, I shouldn¡¯t get involved in such big events.¡± After living for over a century, Karnak had learned one thing. He wasn¡¯t sure if great power came with great responsibility. But he was certain that great power brought about great events. He knew this from experience. ¡°I¡¯m going to hole up and live as quietly as a mouse! I¡¯ll never get involved in the affairs of the world again!¡± Karnak clenched his fists, firmly resolving to stick to his n. It was revealed to be a mistake about three monthster. Chapter 16 Chapter: 16. 4. The Omen of Destruction (3) The one who effectively managed the copper mine in the Zestrad Barony was the Tekas Trading Company. They handled most of the mining, refining, and distribution. However, this did not mean that the Zestrad Barony simply sat back and collected unearned ie. Due to its location deep in the northern part of the Jaden Mountain Range, the area around the mine was often frequented by all sorts of demonic beasts and ferocious predators. Protecting the miners from these dangers and securing the paths was the primary duty of the Zestrad family. In a forest to the west of the copper mine. A force of about ten soldiers was engaged in battle. ¡°They¡¯reing!¡± ¡°Hold the line!¡± Demonic beasts charged at the soldiers. At first nce, they appeared to berge, ash-gray wolves, but these beasts, known as Snerols, had abnormally long fangs and ws. A pack of Snerols surrounded the soldiers and let out a ferocious roar. ¡°Awooooo!¡± The soldiers maintained their formation, raising their shields, and shouted back. ¡°Hold them off!¡± ¡°Stab with your spears!¡± Sharp ws scraped against the shields. Spears shed as they cut through the air. Blood spattered, and the beasts¡¯ screams echoed through the forest. ¡°Graaaah!¡± The soldiers erupted in cheers. ¡°We got one!¡± ¡°Stay focused! There are still plenty left!¡± Varos, who had been watching the battle, couldn¡¯t help but be impressed. ¡°Wow, they¡¯re fighting really well.¡± In terms of physical abilities, Snerols were not much different from ordinary wolves. The reason they were ssified as demonic beasts was due to the deadly poison in their fangs and ws. Even a scratch could paralyze the entire body, making them extremely difficult to deal with. ¡®In the past, just a pack of these Snerols would have caused so many deaths.¡¯ But now, most of the soldiers were handling the Snerols with rtive ease. It wasn¡¯t that the average skill level of the soldiers had particrly improvedpared to the past. ¡®Money really does work wonders.¡¯ Thanks to the ie from the mine, the level of armament in the territory had greatly increased. Before the copper mine, even the knights had to mix chainmail with te mail. The soldiers wore low-quality leather armor, or sometimes didn¡¯t even have that, being sent out with only a spear and shield. But now, all the soldiers were equipped with chainmail and mixed steel arm and leg protectors. The knights were even wearing full te armor, including the extremely expensive steel gauntlets. Even if they were scratched by the fangs and ws, the risk of being poisoned was low, allowing them to fight with much more bravery! ¡°Die, you damned beasts!¡± ¡°Come at us, you bastards! Now we don¡¯t even have to worry about getting bitten!¡± ¡°You still shouldn¡¯t get bitten! If their fangs strike you directly, they can pierce through your armor.¡± Varos chuckled as he watched the soldiers engaged in the chaotic battle. Suddenly, one of the soldiers urgently shouted. ¡°Sir Varos!¡± A Snerol had charged at him, aiming for Varos. In an instant, the beast closed the distance, swiping its front paw at Varos¡¯s head. It was then. A sh of light appeared, and the Snerol¡¯s head was sent flying through the air. The soldiers stared in shock, their eyes wide. ¡®What just happened?¡¯ ¡®What did we just see?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t as if any borate swordsmanship had been disyed. Varos had merely shifted his body and turned his shoulder, but by the time anyone noticed, the de had already moved to the other side. They hadn¡¯t even seen the shing motion. Varos flicked the blood off his sword and bowed his head respectfully. ¡°That was close. Thank you, Sir Gilliman.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­ no problem¡­¡± The soldier, referred to as Gilliman, wore a dazed expression before quickly shaking his head. ¡°Please, Sir, you are a knight now. You don¡¯t have to speak so formally with me, Sir Varos.¡± With a simple smile, Varos scratched the back of his head. ¡°How long has it even been since I became a knight? It¡¯d be even stranger for me to start talking down to you now.¡± Recently, Varos had officially been knighted. Karnak, exercising the rights of a lord, had personally appointed him. There had been no objections at all. Not only was Varos extraordinarily skilled, but he had also contributed greatly to the defense of the territory and always conducted himself in an exemry manner. Even now, despite his astonishing disy of martial prowess, there wasn¡¯t a hint of arrogance in him. The soldiers who vividly remembered Varos¡¯s childhood could only be amazed. ¡®He¡¯s so strong at such a young age, and yet he¡¯s still humble.¡¯ ¡®Is this really the same Varos who used to be such a troublemaker?¡¯ ¡®People can change this much, it seems.¡¯ In truth, Varos hadn¡¯t considered the Snerols to be worthy opponents, so he hadn¡¯t thought anything of it, but outwardly, it didn¡¯t seem any different. In the meantime, Varos effortlessly dispatched the remaining Snerol pack. ¡°Kaaagh!¡± Atst, the final one let out a death cry, spilling its blood onto the earth. ¡°That should take care of all of them.¡± The soldiers began cleaning up. The hides, fangs, and ws of demonic beasts could fetch a good price as magical catalysts. Gathering them was a nice side ie for the soldiers. While they were busy with this, Varos¡¯s lieutenant, the veteran soldier Toleil, approached and greeted him. ¡°Well done, Sir Varos.¡± ¡°You all did the hard work,¡± Varos replied. ¡°It¡¯s worrisome, though. Snerols weren¡¯t this powerful before.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve be at least twice as strongpared to before. Didn¡¯t you notice, Sir Varos?¡± Varos made a puzzled face. ¡®How would I know if these things got weaker or stronger?¡¯ In his previous life, the first time he encountered Snerols was when he was just starting to learn necromancy and was desperately running away with Karnak. Back then, he was just a clueless novice and naturally assumed that Snerols were demonic beasts straight out of hell. By the time he faced them again, he had already be a Death Knight. Back then, they were creatures that would explode just from him pointing a finger at them. ¡®The difference is too vast, so I can¡¯t really tell if these ones are strong or weak now.¡¯ Of course, he couldn¡¯t just admit that, so he subtly changed the subject. ¡°Until recently, I wasn¡¯t even capable of participating in a fight like this, was I? I don¡¯t have as much experience as you all, so I can¡¯t say for sure.¡± ¡°That makes sense.¡± Nodding in agreement, Toleil continued. ¡°Indeed, the state of the demonic beasts has changed. It¡¯s only because Sir Varos is so strong and our armament level has improved that we managed without much trouble.¡± This wasn¡¯t a phenomenon limited to the northern part of the Kingdom of Ustil. Across the entire continent, the rampancy of monsters and demonic beasts was bing more frequent, and the dangers they posed were growing daily. ¡°It seems the rumors are true.¡± Varos¡¯s expression turned serious. He, too, had heard the rumors that Toleil was referring to. ¡°Are you talking about the goddess¡¯s prophecy that the world will end?¡± *** A few years ago, an incident urred that shook every religious order on the continent. The great goddesses, who protected the world and bestowed their blessings upon humanity, had delivered the same prophecy to all seven churches. The Void shall open its mouth and spew forth an undesired fate. It shall be darkness that extinguishes the light, death that reaps life. Cmity shalle. The wayward beasts shall gain corrupted power, and the dead shall rise to walk upon the unclean earth. The King of Death shall descend and cleanse the world with blood and tears. This shall be the final omen, signaling the end of all things. The priests who received the prophecy of doom were horrified. They discreetly informed the various nations of the continent, striving to prepare for theing cmities. Indeed, anomalies began to appear all over the continent. The rampancy of demonic beasts became more frequent, necromancers wielding forbidden powers began to emerge, and ordinary people, tainted by darkness, unleashed malevolent forces, plunging the world into chaos. At first, they tried to keep the prophecy a secret and deal with it in private. This was to prevent the people from falling into panic and chaos. But it was a secret that couldn¡¯t be hidden for long. As the confusion continued to grow, all sorts of rumors began to spread. In the end, the seven churches were forced to publicly announce the goddess¡¯s prophecy. ¡ºIf things continue as they are, the world will be destroyed! In the name of the goddess, fight against the apocalypse!¡» The Prophecy of Doom rapidly spread across the continent, eventually reaching even the remote Zestrad Barony. *** In the office of the Zestrad estate. Varos and Karnak sat together, both with troubled expressions. ¡°What is this, Young Master? There was no such prophecy in the past.¡± ¡°There wasn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then why does the past keep changing? First, the copper mine, and now this?¡± Karnak shook his head, his expression serious. ¡°I don¡¯t know. There¡¯s too little information to make any guesses.¡± Varos asked, his tone skeptical. ¡°¡­¡­This doesn¡¯t have anything to do with you, does it?¡± Cmity ising? The dead will rise? The King of Death will cleanse the world with blood and tears? The world will walk the path of destruction? ¡°Isn¡¯t this exactly what we did?¡± ¡°It does seem that way, doesn¡¯t it?¡± He couldn¡¯t deny that he had considered the possibility. ¡°But the timeline doesn¡¯t match. We returned only about a year ago.¡± The goddess¡¯s prophecy had been given several years ago. While the exact timing was unclear, it was definitely long before the two of them had traveled back in time. ¡°It seems like it happened about four or five years ago.¡± That roughly coincided with when the copper mine, which hadn¡¯t existed before, suddenly appeared. Perhaps the two were connected. ¡°At least we now know why the matter with Sir Randolph was resolved so easily.¡± Apparently, for the past few years, there had been a growing number of people across the continent dabbling in necromancy. And it wasn¡¯t just oppressedmoners or back-alley criminals. More and more often, knights, wizards, and even high-ranking nobles were being discovered using dark powers after sumbing to corruption. ¡°So it seems they thought the incident with Sir Randolph was just anothermon urrence.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fortunate for us, but still¡­¡± With a worried expression, Varos questioned him, almost usingly. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we investigate this? They¡¯re saying the world is going to end!¡± Even if it wasn¡¯t directly rted to them, the magnitude of the situation couldn¡¯t be ignored. ¡°What¡¯s the point ofing back to live like a decent person if the world itself is going to be destroyed?¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried too, but there¡¯s nothing we can do about it right now.¡± Karnak shot back and then asked, ¡°So, what do you want to do? Visit the Church of the Seven Goddesses, who issued the prophecy?¡± ¡°You said the Chaos Magic would keep you from getting exposed, right?¡± ¡°And what am I supposed to say when I get there? ¡®Hey, we¡¯ve traveled back in time, and we know a bit about the future, but now history has changed. Can you tell us why?¡¯ Should I ask them that?¡± Varos¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°Yeah, that¡­ that doesn¡¯t seem like a good idea.¡± For a moment, silence filled the room. It was Karnak who finally broke the silence with a calm voice. ¡°Maybe it won¡¯t be a big problem? The goddesses were kind enough to give a warning to prepare for destruction, after all.¡± ¡°Right? The world won¡¯t end that easily, will it? You only seeded because you secretly built up your power and pushed forward gradually.¡± ¡°And even then, do you remember how hard it was for us to conquer the world? It wasn¡¯t easy.¡± ¡°It was really tough. The Three Archmages, the Four Martial Kings, even Dragon Emperor Grateria.¡± The former Necromancer King and the former Death Knight Lord exchanged weary smiles. ¡°They¡¯ll handle it, right?¡± ¡°Of course. There¡¯s no way this so-called ¡®King of Death¡¯ could be as ruthless as you, Young Master.¡± They reached a conclusion. Let¡¯s believe in the strength of the world! Surely, the great humanity will ovee this cmity on their own! The mighty dragonkind, the noble elven race, and all the other great beings will surely band together! So, let¡¯s just focus on taking care of ourselves and living modestly! ¡­Even so, the unease lingered. ¡®Ugh, this feels bad¡­¡¯ ¡®I have a feeling ignoring this wille back to bite us.¡¯ *** No matter how much one tries to hole up in their estate, it¡¯s not easy to avoid the storms of the world. Even the remote Zestrad Barony in the northern regions wasn¡¯t immune to the effects of the Prophecy of Doom. About a month after the rumors had spread, clergy from the Church of Latiel, the Goddess of the Sun, visited the territory to request cooperation. ¡°A necromancer who was operating in the Countdom of Chad has been found to have fled to the Zestrad Barony. It seems they¡¯re hiding somewhere near the Jaden Mountain Range, so we seek the cooperation of Baron Karnak¡¯s estate.¡± Karnak readily agreed. ¡°How could I refuse the sacred duty of the goddess?¡± The Church of Latiel¡¯s request was simple¡ªthey only wanted a few local guides who were familiar with the nearby terrain. It was a task that required little effort and would bring significant credit, so there was no reason to refuse. For Karnak personally, it was also a timely opportunity. ¡®This works out well. If I capture that necromancer, I might be able to find some clues.¡¯ Chapter 17 Chapter 17. 5. The Doom of Darkness The darkness hung thickly over the mountain. A pursuit party of about ten men, holding torches, scoured the forest. ¡°This way! Over here!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve found him!¡± The light from the torches illuminated a man hiding in the forest. He appeared to be in his thirties, with a rather unimpressive appearance. The man muttered darkly to himself. ¡°They¡¯ve already caught up¡­¡± The pursuers surrounded him and drew their swords. A knight d in armor engraved with the emblem of the sun emerged from the encirclement. ¡°O fallen necromancer.¡± He was a crusader of the Latiel Church. ¡°Kneel before the goddess and seek her forgiveness!¡± ¡°Grrr¡­¡± The man, who had been ncing around nervously, suddenly let out a ghastly roar. ¡°Uraaagh!¡± Darkness surged around him. The crusader shouted in rm. ¡°Be careful! He¡¯s summoning evil spirits again!¡± The darkness transformed into five ck specters, charging toward the encirclement. However, the soldiers were not fazed. They had already faced these evil spirits in battle before. ¡°Futile!¡± ¡°For we are blessed by Latiel!¡± The soldiers held up talismans of the Sun God with their left hands and began thrusting their swords with their right. Normally, these spirits would ignore mere des, but they flickered and weakened as they were struck. Explosions resounded all around. The blessing of the talismans imbued the soldiers¡¯ swords with the power to strike spiritual entities. Yet, the spirits did not fall easily. Though they wavered, they bound the soldiers in ce, emitting wailing shrieks. Aaaaargh! In the midst of this, the man tried to flee once again. The crusader shouted and lunged forward. ¡°Do you think you can escape?¡± The man suddenly ced both hands on the ground. ¡°Come forth, spirits!¡± Three more streams of darkness surged and formed into spirits. Seeing the spirits closing in from all sides, the crusader gripped his sword tightly. ¡°Do you still have this much power left?¡± His sword began to glow, cutting through the spirits. ¡°Haah!¡± The powers of the clergy who served Latiel, the Goddess of the Sun, were indeed the nemesis of necromancy. It took him only about ten seconds to cut down all three of the spirits. But it was enough time for the man to escape. The crusader ground his teeth as he watched his opponent disappear into the depths of the forest. ¡°Hmph! You won¡¯t get far, you filthy necromancer!¡± * * * Fred, the necromancer, gnashed his teeth as he raced frantically down the mountain path. ¡°Damn those dogs of the goddess¡­¡± Just half a year ago, he had been aborer living in the back alleys of Derat City, a northern trade town in the County of Chad. It had been a hard life. No matter how much he hauled and toiled all day, all he ever earned was mere pocket change. His daily routine consisted of filling his stomach with coarse food and copsing in a ce worse than a stable, with his only joy being the asional numbing of his brain with cheap liquor. On that day as well, Fred had copsed in the back alley, drunk as usual. ¡°Damn¡­ this filthy world¡­¡± Why was his life so miserable, while the nobles, simply by being born into good families, lived without ever knowing hardship? ¡°Should I just die¡­?¡± He muttered thement that had be a habit as he gazed up at the night sky. That was when the darkness of the alley suddenly expanded and enveloped him. The darkness wrapped around him and began seeping into his entire body. ¡°Huh? What¡­ what is this?¡± At first, he was terrified. But the fear quickly faded away. It wasn¡¯t because the situation was no longer frightening, but rather because it felt as though the very emotion of fear itself was being numbed. At the same time, he realized. ¡°This is¡­¡± It was power. It was authority, darkness, and death. Even without anyone telling him, he instinctively understood. It was the very power that all the sects of the continent loudly warned against, the power foretold by the Prophecy of Doom, the power of the end that was now surrounding him. ¡°Aaah¡­¡± Fred, frozen like a corpse, let out a groan. The wisdom of the darkness seeped directly into his soul. It conveyed silent truths and demanded a choice. If he turned away, the darkness would leave him, and he would return to his ordinary life. If he wanted, he could gain this power. But in return, he would have to abandon the path of humanity. Choose. Choose. Choose¡­ ¡®Abandon the path of humanity?¡¯ He snorted. ¡®When had I ever been treated as human?¡¯ The choice was too easy. Without hesitation, he chose the darkness, and the knowledge of how to use the power came to him naturally. The method was surprisingly simple. He only had to wish for it. If he wished, the darkness would rise, bing an evil spirit that moved ording to his will. The first person he killed was the head of the construction guild who had tormented him. He also killed the thugs from the back alleys who had always looked down on him. Strangely enough, he wasn¡¯t afraid ofmitting murder. He was just a little worried about the consequences. Luckily, he wasn¡¯t caught. The evil spirits were beings that appeared silently, took lives, and vanished without a trace. No one realized that he was the murderer. The crimes grew bolder with time. Fred broke into the homes of the rich and killed everyone inside. He stole their valuables and splurged on luxury and pleasure in the red-light district. If he had given it even a little thought, he would have realized that such a lifestyle couldn¡¯tst. Even if his identity wasn¡¯t discovered at first, people wouldn¡¯t just stand by as murders continued to ur. Weren¡¯t the Seven Goddesses¡¯ Church already monitoring abnormal phenomena across the continent in preparation for the Prophecy of Doom? But Fred hadn¡¯t thought that far ahead. He was too absorbed in indulging his desires. In the end, the Inquisitors from the Church of the Sun were dispatched to Derat City. They quickly identified Fred¡¯s true nature and began pursuing him relentlessly. The evil spirits that could easily kill ordinary people were powerless against the priests. Faced with knights and soldiers blessed with divine protection, all Fred could do was flee to keep himself alive. He fled north, leaving the County of Chad behind, running and running again. Life as a fugitive was brutal. Like a beast, he wandered through the forest, tormented by cold and hunger. Yet, despite it all, he didn¡¯t regret choosing the darkness. He only felt resentment. ¡°Why did I end up like this¡­?¡± Hiding among the bushes, Fred bit his nails. ¡°Damn it, if only I had more power¡­¡± He didn¡¯t give a moment¡¯s thought to the atrocities he hadmitted. He believed he was suffering simply because he was weak, unable to kill all his pursuers. ¡°I need to get stronger¡­¡± In the darkness of the forest, the man grinned like a demon. ¡°Yes, I just need to escape this ce.¡± All he had to do was survive this immediate crisis. Then he could kill more, grow even stronger. He would wield absolute power of darkness that could annihte those scum in an instant! ¡°Just wait and see, I¡¯ll kill them all next time!¡± Even in his dire situation, he was still intoxicated with power. *** At a mountain pass leading to the northern wastnds of the Jaden Mountain Range, a unit of soldiersy hidden around the path. It was a pursuit team from the Lathiel Church. They waited silently in the darkness, not even lighting a fire. How long had they been waiting? Suddenly, a middle-aged priest in his 40s, who was hiding next to Karnak, whispered quietly. He was Priest Rosso, the leader of the pursuit team. ¡°Are you sure he¡¯lle this way?¡± A soldier from the Zestrad Barony, who had been serving as a guide, nodded with a serious expression. ¡°Most likely. The paths humans can take through the Jaden Mountain Range are extremely limited.¡± Sure enough, a faint sound began to emerge from beyond the path. It was the sound of someone¡¯s footsteps. Momentster, a human silhouette appeared under the moonlight. The man was in rags, looking utterly worn out, as if he had endured great hardship. He nced around warily as he continued to run along the path. Then, just as he approached the ambush point where they were hidden¡ª ¡®Now!¡¯ At Priest Rosso¡¯s signal, the pursuit team¡¯s mage crossed his hands. ¡°Light that illuminates all, Lumis Light!¡± A sphere of light floated up, brightly illuminating the surroundings. sh! ¡°Huh?¡± Startled by the sudden light, Fred covered his eyes and staggered. In that brief moment, the pursuit team sprang from their hiding spots and formed a tightening encirclement. When Fred opened his eyes again, he nced around and spat out a curse. ¡°Damn it! Was this a trap?¡± Watching Fred¡¯s reaction, Priest Rosso felt satisfied. ¡°It¡¯s true what they say: a single guide is worth more than a hundred maps.¡± The noose was tightening. This time, the pursuit team was determined to catch him, focusing solely on blocking every possible escape route without rushing. Fred, ring at the pursuit team, suddenly shouted in desperation. ¡°You think you can capture me?¡± His face became visibly marked with dark, swollen blood vessels. ¡°I possess the great power of darkness!¡± He hadn¡¯t formally studied necromancy, so he didn¡¯t chant any incantations¡ªtruthfully, he didn¡¯t know any. He simply gritted his teeth and forcibly drew out his power. ¡°Graaah!¡± The darkness surged, transforming into a horde of evil spirits. There were nearly twenty of them. Fred was putting everything he had into this. ¡°Go, my spirits! Kill them all!¡± The soldiers didn¡¯t panic. ¡°Hah! The bastard¡¯s making hisst stand!¡± ¡°Futile!¡± ¡°Everyone, take out your protective talismans!¡± They responded calmly, assuming their positions as trained, steadily confronting the situation. Spears and swords, imbued with the priests¡¯ blessings, continuously pierced and shed through the horde of evil spirits. ¡°No, this can¡¯t be¡­¡± Fred was terrified. The spirits he had summoned with such effort were vanishing one by one. Screams echoed from the evil spirits. He ground his teeth. If this continued, he would lose. If this continued, he would be captured and sent to the pyre. ¡®I can¡¯t let that happen!¡¯ Suddenly, Fred¡¯s eyes rolled back. His irises disappeared, leaving only the whites, as a blood-red gleam burst from his eyes. ¡°Graaaah!¡± A translucent figure surged up from beneath his feet. A billowing, pale ghost shrieked as its tattered ck robes fluttered in the air. Screeeech! The previouslyposed expression on Priest Rosso¡¯s face turned grim. ¡®That thing!¡¯ The grayish apparition swept through the soldiers, causing the protective talismans of Lathiel to explode simultaneously. ¡°Gah!¡± ¡°The talismans!¡± The wraith weaved through the soldiers, emitting an eerie noise. With a sinister sound akin to a snake slithering, the soldiers began to copse one by one. ¡°Aaargh!¡± ¡°Nooo!¡± The priests were horrified. No matter how much divine power they unleashed, they couldn¡¯t disperse the wraith¡¯s presence. ¡°A w-wraith!¡± ¡°My god! Is he a high-level necromancer capable of summoning such a powerful spirit?¡± *** On a hill overlooking the mountain pass, two figures watched the battle unfold. Concealed in the darkness were Karnak and Varos. ¡°Good grief, he¡¯s rampaging like a wild beast.¡± Unlike the terrified priests, Karnak wore an expression of disdain. A high-level necromancer capable of summoning a wraith? Hardly. ¡°That guy doesn¡¯t even know the first thing about necromancy.¡± If he were a proper necromancer, he would have summoned the wraith efficiently using precise incantations and rituals. But this guy had merely poured raw dark power into it, barely managing to summon one. ¡°Well, this is why necromancy is such an easy way to gain power.¡± A mage couldn¡¯t cast spells without precise incantations and proper control. Just pouring raw magical energy into a spell? It would result in nothing but wasted energy. There would be no spell activation, and no effects whatsoever. Knowledge and wisdom were absolutely necessary. But necromancy was different. Even if one brutishly forced out necromantic energy while gritting their teeth, they could still achieve some results¡ªalbeit with terrible efficiency. Moreover, the summoned wraith itself wouldn¡¯t be any different. Whether a brute used up all their power to inefficiently summon it or a powerful necromancer summoned it with precise efficiency, the wraith itself would be the same. ¡®So, in terms of raw necromantic energy, is he stronger than me right now?¡¯ Beside him, Varos cautiously asked, ¡°What will you do, young master? They¡¯ve discovered him before us.¡± ¡°I suppose we did send some overlypetent guides, didn¡¯t we?¡± Originally, the n was to quietly secure the necromancer before the Lathiel Church could get to him. But the soldiers borrowed from Zestrad had been unexpectedly capable, setting up an effective trap and luring the necromancer in. ¡°If they capture him as is, won¡¯t that be troublesome?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a huge problem, but¡­¡± What if that necromancer is captured by the church? We could use the authority of a lord to arrange a brief interrogation. What if the necromancer dies on the spot? We could use necromancy to summon his dead spirit and interrogate it. Even if things go awry, there are ways to handle the situation. But the easiest option would be to secure him ourselves and interrogate him at our leisure in a safe location. A momentter, Varos¡¯s eyes gleamed. ¡°Look at that! He¡¯s running away. I guess even with a wraith, he¡¯s not a match for them.¡± In the distance, Fred could be seen fleeing in the opposite direction, having unleashed the wraith to cover his escape. ¡°This makes things easier.¡± Karnak nodded slightly. ¡°Let¡¯s move as well.¡± Chapter 18 Chapter 18. 5. Doom of Darkness (2) Fred was making his way through the dark underbrush. ¡®I must avoid the mountain path.¡¯ Even someone as dim-witted as him had realized after getting caught several times. If he followed the road, he would eventually be caught by the pursuit team. It wasn¡¯t a wise move. Straying from the path in a dark forest was an extremely dangerous act. Especially if one only knew how to handle spirits but had physical abilities no different from an ordinary person. However, it couldn¡¯t be said that it was foolish either. If he followed the road, he would be caught anyway. In his current situation, he had no other choice. He continued to push through the rugged forest, barely managing to find ces where he could set foot. The only saving grace was that he could use the spirits to clear the underbrush blocking his way. ¡°Destroy!¡± A spirit surged forth, sweeping away the underbrush before him. After clearing the path, Fred trudged forward with heavy steps. ¡®If I can just get out of here¡­¡¯ With his strength and spirit power nearly depleted, his body was utterly exhausted. The cold and hunger had left him in a daze. Like a zombie, he muttered to himself vacantly. ¡°If I can just¡­ get out of here¡­¡± *** Karnak and Varos were running through the forest. ¡°He fled this way.¡± They had urately found the path Fred had taken and pursued without hesitation. There was a reason they could do so. ¡°Click, click, you really shouldn¡¯t use necromancy so carelessly when fleeing.¡± With just a bit of concentration, they could sense the traces left behind by the spirits. Ordinary people wouldn¡¯t notice it, but to Karnak, it was as bright as a shining beacon. ¡°No wonder the priests of Latiel tracked us all the way to our territory.¡± With spirit power of this level, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for a clergyman to detect it. It might not shine brightly, but it would certainly leave a noticeable trail. ¡°Well, not that he would know that.¡± It was hard to me Fred for his foolishness, as Karnak himself had made the same mistake in the past. This area was the very ce where Karnak and Varos had fled in a past life. Now, another necromancer was being chased here. ¡°This feels all too familiar.¡± It wasn¡¯t a sentimental, human story about feeling nostalgic for his past self. If Karnak had the capacity for empathy to feel such things, he wouldn¡¯t have learned such an evil art like necromancy in the first ce. ¡°Because it feels familiar, I can roughly guess where he¡¯ll try to escape.¡± As he surveyed the surrounding area, Karnak asked, ¡°Just a bit further in this direction, and we¡¯ll get there, right?¡± Varos, who understood, nodded. ¡°Ah, you mean that ce?¡± About ten minutes away from here, there was a cliff with a split running through it, located near a stream. The zigzagging crack in the cliff was an ideal hideout¡ªit allowed for a fire to be lit without light escaping, while also providing excellent venttion. Karnak smiled with satisfaction. ¡°If he¡¯s a fugitive shivering from the cold, there¡¯s no way he¡¯d pass up a ce like that.¡± Just like the two of them back then, Fred must also be exhausted from the cold and hunger. The urge to light a fire and feel warmth would be overwhelming. However, he couldn¡¯t just light a fire recklessly. A fire in the dead of night would be visible from very far away. Moreover, it wasn¡¯t feasible to use necromancy to summon ck mes to warm himself. That would be like suggesting doing push-ups to warm up instead of lighting a fire. It might warm the body temporarily, but it would only deplete his energy even more. In such a situation, could he really ignore such a perfect hiding spot? ¡°He¡¯ll probably hide there until dawn. Just like we did.¡± ¡°What if he passes by without noticing it?¡± ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll continue the pursuit. There¡¯s no harm in checking.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right about that.¡± They already knew the location of the cliff. Their pace quickened. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry before the priests catch him first.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± *** A small fire crackled within the narrow crevice of the cliff. Crackle, crackle¡­ Beyond the flickering mes, Fred was curled up, fast asleep. For a brief moment, he was having a pleasant dream. In his dream, the nobles who usually unted their arrogance were screaming as they died. ¡°Aaaaah!¡± The beautiful women, who usually wouldn¡¯t even spare him a nce, were now begging for their lives, willing to do anything. ¡°P-please spare me!¡± He was conflicted. Should he just kill them? Or have his way with them before killing them? ¡°Hehehe¡­¡± Fred smiled in his sleep. Those were truly enjoyable days. How wonderful would it be if those days could return? Just then, a voice shattered his dream. ¡°Oh, he really is here, Young Master.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t even set up a detection barrier around him? He¡¯s got some nerve.¡± Startled, Fred¡¯s eyes snapped open. ¡®W-who is it?¡¯ The voice wasing from the other side of the crevice. ¡°Maybe he just doesn¡¯t know how to set one up?¡± ¡°Probably. He¡¯s not properly trained, after all.¡± Fred was now fully awake. ¡®Have they caught up with me already?¡¯ Terrified, Fred bolted out of the crevice. This crevice in the cliff was a dead end. If he got trapped here, there would be no escape. As Fred hurried out to the stream, two men stood there calmly, staring at him. ¡°He looks more normal than I expected, Young Master.¡± ¡°Just because he¡¯s a necromancer doesn¡¯t mean he has to look like some kind of horrific monster.¡± ¡°You were a greenish-blue skeleton, Young Master.¡± ¡°Hey! And you were a greenish-blue muscle-bound corpse!¡± ¡°What I¡¯m saying is, we were both horrific monsters.¡± ¡°And what I¡¯m saying is that this guy doesn¡¯t seem like much. A necromancer who looks normal is just that much weaker, right?¡± Fred was confused. He couldn¡¯t make sense of their conversation. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Karnak smirked. ¡°We¡¯re the ones here to catch you.¡± Of course. Who else could possibly have any business with him in this situation? ¡°You bastards dare!¡± Enraged by their mockery, Fred summoned the darkness. ¡°Come forth, spirits!¡± The darkness condensed into two malevolent spirits. However, they didn¡¯t attack right away. An inexplicable sense of foreboding held them back. ¡®Damn it! Who are these guys? Why do I feel like this?¡¯ Varos stepped forward, drawing his sword. ¡°Shall I handle this?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll get some practice in too.¡± Karnak raised his right index finger and lightly drew a circle in the air. ¡°A sword that strikes the spirit, Spell de.¡± Varos¡¯s de began to glow with a faint white light. It was a spell that allowed the sword to cut through incorporeal, ghost-like entities. While not as powerful as the abilities of a priest, mages could use simr techniques. Of course, Karnak¡¯s method was a bit different. ¡°How does it feel? Does it seem like magic?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simr, but it feels a bit different.¡± To be precise, it was chaos magic that produced the same effect as the Spell de. It looked the same on the surface, but the technique and mana maniption were distinct. ¡°It actually feels more like a priest¡¯s blessing, though without any of the holy aura.¡± ¡°How would you know what a blessing feels like if you¡¯ve never received one?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen others receive them enough times to make a roughparison.¡± ¡°I see. Strip away the pretense, and it resembles a holy spell more than a regr spell? That¡¯s interesting.¡± Fred calmly assessed the situation. He still couldn¡¯t understand their conversation, but one thing was clear. ¡°So, he¡¯s a mage¡­¡± Just as priests could instinctively sense necromancy, necromancers could instinctively perceive holy power. Fred couldn¡¯t sense any holy power from that arrogant young man. ¡°If they¡¯re not servants of the goddess¡­¡± For a moment, a look of relief shed across Fred¡¯s face. As long as they weren¡¯t clerics. He had already killed several ordinary knights and mages! Regaining his confidence, Fred shouted triumphantly. ¡°Haha, howughable! Do you really think just the two of you can challenge me?¡± The two men still only responded with mocking smiles. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s embarrassing. Where did he pick up that way of speaking?¡± ¡°That¡¯s how you used to talk, Young Master.¡± ¡°Did I really sound like that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s remarkably simr. Does learning necromancy automatically make you talk like that?¡± ¡°¡­Shut up and just take him down.¡± Fred, ring at the two who were not just being cocky but downright obnoxious, screamed. ¡°Go, spirits! Kill them all!¡± *** The spirits screeched as they flew toward the two men from both sides. Aaaahhh! Varos quickly assessed their positions and raised his sword, preparing himself. He decided to target the right side first. ¡°Hup!¡± With a short breath, he thrust his sword forward, then swiftly followed up with an upward diagonal sh, slicing through the spirit¡¯s body in a sweeping motion! Boom! With a resounding explosion, the spirit was obliterated before it could even mount an attack. ¡°That was easy.¡± Varos didn¡¯t stop there. Using the momentum from dispatching the first spirit, he charged at the one on the left. Just as the spirit began to swell and engulf him in darkness¡ª ¡°Hmph!¡± With a scoff, Varos executed a rapid double upward sh. Two crescents of light shed, and the spirit was instantly torn apart. This was the Over Kill technique of Leven Strauss. Varos looked down at his hands and clicked his tongue. ¡°Tsk, I got too used to it before you even got a chance to practice, Young Master.¡± Fred¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°My spirits were defeated so easily?¡± He tensed up, summoning the darkness again. ¡°So, you had some tricks up your sleeve! But my power doesn¡¯t end there!¡± A massive wave of darkness spread out, engulfing the entire stream with a sinister aura. ¡°Come forth, my minions!¡± Once again, countless spirits began to materialize all around them¡ªthis time numbering nearly a dozen. ¡°This again? The guy¡¯s got a limited repertoire.¡± This time, Karnak also joined the battle. Varos was the first to leap into the fray, cutting down spirits with precision and force. ¡°Hup! Take this!¡± Meanwhile, Karnak followed up with his magic. ¡°Fire, condense and explode.¡± Fireballs rained down, burning the spirits to ashes¡­ ¡°The roar of the sky shall flow into the earth.¡± Thunderbolts danced, tearing through the darkness. Bang! Bang! Bang! With each deafening explosion, the number of spirits dwindled. Varos, pausing mid-swing, nodded in admiration. ¡°Oh, you really do seem like a proper mage, Young Master.¡± Karnak, satisfied, smiled as well. ¡°Right? Can¡¯t even tell the difference, can you?¡± Fred¡¯s expression grew even more twisted. ¡®T-they¡¯re strong¡­¡¯ No matter how many spirits he summoned, they were no match for these two. He needed to call forth something more powerful. ¡®Damn it, but the aftereffects of that are severe!¡¯ But if he didn¡¯t use it, he¡¯d be captured here and now. Resolving himself, Fred¡¯s face twisted into a ghastly expression. ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll show you the true power of death!¡± Raising both hands above his head, his eyes glowed a menacing red. ¡°Kneel before the great darkness!¡± ¡°Wow, even that way of speaking is just like the Young Mast¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up, Varos.¡± ¡°Yessir!¡± With a horrifying wail, a gray specter emerged. It was a Wraith, the most powerful spirit Fred could summon. Screeeech! It seemed that even these two were tense in the face of a Wraith. Varos stepped back, speaking seriously. ¡°This is beyond my ability.¡± Karnak¡¯s expression was simrly grim. ¡°It¡¯s beyond my magic too. This is the limit of what we can handle right now.¡± Seeing them retreat, Fred shouted arrogantly. ¡°It¡¯s toote to beg for mercy now! Go, spirit!¡± At hismand, the Wraith cut through the darkness, its gray form elongating as it advanced. Screeeech! The ghastly wail shook the very heavens and earth. A terrifying aura of death spread in all directions, painting a horrific scene as if death itself had taken form. In an instant, the Wraith flew right up to Karnak. And then¡ª ¡°Hey.¡± Karnak, with a bored expression, spoke as he stared at the Wraith. ¡°Kneel.¡± The Wraith, mid-flight, dropped to the ground. Creeeeak¡­ It bent low before Karnak, as if bowing to a king. Or, more urately, since it had no knees, it simply crumpled its lower half andid t on the ground. Fred¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡®W-what¡­ what is that?¡¯ Chapter 19 Chapter 19. 5. Doom of Darkness (3) Fred screamed. ¡°Rise, O evil spirit!¡± He shouted and shouted again until veins bulged in his neck. ¡°Kill that bastard as Imand you!¡± The wraith remained unmoving. Like a well-behaved dog, ity t at Karnak¡¯s feet, without the slightest movement. Karnak grumbled as he looked at Fred. ¡°Why do you keep calling it an evil spirit? It has a proper name¡ªit¡¯s called a wraith.¡± Varos responded while fastening his sword to his waist. ¡°If you haven¡¯t been properly educated, that can happen.¡± Fred had never formally learned necromancy. He had simply gained the power of darkness in an instant and wielded it instinctively. In his mind, there was just the concept of an evil spirit, many evil spirits, and a stronger evil spirit, nothing more. ¡°A wraith is still a type of evil spirit, isn¡¯t it? So technically, it¡¯s not wrong.¡± ¡°But from my perspective, it¡¯s seriously cringeworthy.¡± Let¡¯s put this into a normal person¡¯s context. Imagine amander giving orders to soldiers like this: ¡®Go, humans!¡¯ ¡®Kill them all, people!¡¯ How awkward would that be? For a necromancer, it felt exactly like that. Karnak grimaced. ¡°That idiot¡¯s the one doing something stupid, so why do I feel embarrassed just watching? Damn it¡­¡± Suddenly, Fred¡¯s gaze changed. ¡°That power¡­¡± Karnak had felt nothing when using magic. But now it was different. A terrible aura of death and darkness flowed from his entire body. ¡°So, you were a necromancer too!¡± ¡°Did you just realize that now? You¡¯re unbelievably slow.¡± Necromancy couldn¡¯t be used with chaotic energy. But Karnak still had the remnants of death energy and miasma left after refining chaotic energy. It was an extremely concentrated form of necromantic power. Of course, the total amount was minimal. If measured purely by necromantic power, it was less than one-tenth of Fred¡¯s. But in every aspect except quantity, Karnak was overwhelmingly superior. It was more than enough to suppress a wraith. Fred shouted in frustration. ¡°As fellow necromancers, couldn¡¯t you live and help each other instead of bing a dog of the Church?¡± At that, Karnak and Varos widened their eyes. They reacted as if they had just heard somethingpletely absurd. ¡°What did you just say? Help and live together as necromancers?¡± ¡°Wow, this guy seriously has no basicmon sense, does he?¡± ¡°A necromancer this naive? That¡¯s refreshing.¡± Necromancers were beings that thrived on death and darkness. And that death and darkness included the existence of fellow necromancers. In fact, it was more like an excellent elixir. Because of this, it was utterly impossible for necromancers to get along with each other. They had only two options: either kill their opponent and consume their energy, or ce them under a powerful curse and use them as a ve. ¡°The world really has changed. A necromancer spouting such nonsense¡­¡± ¡°Back in our day, no one gained necromantic power without having the knowledge to wield it.¡± Fred cautiously observed them. ¡®These bastards¡­¡¯ Was it because they had overwhelmed the wraith and held an undeniable advantage? They treated him as if he was already a captured prey, chatting among themselves. ¡®In that case¡­¡¯ Suddenly, Fred turned his back and started running at full speed. He nned to escape while they were distracted by their conversation. ¡°Well, well, trying to run away?¡± Karnak didn¡¯t bother to chase after him. Why had he treated Fred as if he were already caught prey? ¡°Because he really was.¡± Darkness suddenly erupted from Fred¡¯s limbs as he ran. The shadows formed into a massive hand that seized him. ¡°Kuh!¡± Fred copsed to the ground after barely taking a few steps. Karnak had already secretly restrained his opponent¡¯s limbs with necromancy. ¡°Do you think I talk so much for no reason? Misdirecting your attention while pulling something off behind your back is one of the main tactics of necromancy.¡± It¡¯s called misdirection¡ªthere¡¯s even a specific section on it in necromancy books. ¡°After matching your rhythm, I¡¯ve picked up the habit of chatting during fights too, even though I don¡¯t really need to.¡± Even as the two of them leisurely talked, the darkness continued to do its job. It crawled up Fred¡¯s limbs, seized his torso, and eventually reached his head. The darkness gripped Fred¡¯s soul and began to twist it. A horrifying scream erupted. ¡°Argh, aaaagh!¡± *** When the summoner copsed, the wraith naturally disappeared as well. Karnak extended his hand toward the unconscious Fred. He intended to ce him under mind control and extract information. ¡°Open your eyes, my servant¡­¡± Fred¡¯s eyes rolled back as he opened his mouth. ¡°Yes, Master¡­¡± He then began to babble everything he knew. But even saying ¡°everything¡± wasn¡¯t much of value. He just gained power, went on a rampage, and got caught. The end. A life that could be summed up in just a few words. ¡°He really was a worthless fool. There¡¯s nothing to gain from him.¡± Varos asked. ¡°So, what will you do now?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make him kill himself.¡± If the Latiel Church found out that the two of them were involved, it would be problematic. ¡°Search his belongings and find a knife or something simr.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± A traveler never goes without a de. Even if it¡¯s not for self-defense, a knife is an essential item for any journey. Varos found a dagger on Fred and ced it in the man¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s step back. Don¡¯t want to get sttered with blood.¡± After putting some distance between them, Karnak manipted Fred¡¯s mind. Fred, nowpletely out of it, slit his own throat with the dagger. Splurt! Blood sprayed out like a fountain as he instantly died. To any onlooker, it would appear as though ¡°a necromancer, driven to despair, had taken his own life after being relentlessly pursued.¡± ¡°Now we just have to wait for the Latiel Church¡¯s trackers to find this body.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t they notice that he was forced to kill himself using necromancy?¡± ¡°If they were ordinary humans, they would. But¡­¡± Karnak reached out toward Fred¡¯s corpse. ¡°In this case, the body is already drenched in foul miasma. Who would notice a little more filth added to a cesspool?¡± Darkness rose from the corpse and flowed toward Karnak. The ck energy began to fiercely seep into his grasp. Varos asked in surprise, ¡°Wait, you¡¯re absorbing the necromantic power?¡± ¡°Just a little. I need to leave most of it for the Latiel Church; otherwise, they might get suspicious.¡± ¡°No, I meant¡­ Didn¡¯t you say it¡¯s better to avoid absorbing such tainted necromantic energy?¡± Chaotic energy required too much effort to cleanse the miasma and death energy. Absorbing the pure yin energy from the beginning was far more efficient than taking in the severely corrupted necromantic power like Fred¡¯s. Karnak shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not doing this to gain power. I¡¯m trying to find out more about the Prophecy of Doom. There might be something useful.¡± As Karnak continued to absorb the darkness, he focused intently. ¡°¡­!¡± Suddenly, his expression hardened. Varos, rmed, asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, sir?¡± There was no response. Karnak¡¯s face grew increasingly pale, as if he had been deeply shocked. ¡°¡­Sir?¡± For a long time, Karnak stood there, frozen in ce. Just as Varos began to reach for his weapon, wary of any sudden danger¡ª ¡®Did something go wrong?¡¯ Karnak let out a deep sigh and finally began to move. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s return to the mansion, Varos.¡± It was the usual tone of his master. Relieved yet puzzled, Varos couldn¡¯t shake off the strange feeling. ¡®Why is he acting like that?¡¯ To be precise, Karnak¡¯s expression was slightly different from usual. ¡®It¡¯s almost as if¡­¡¯ No one in the world was more ustomed to ghosts than Karnak. He dealt with all kinds of spirits, mastered death and darkness, and eventually became known as the King of Necromancers. So, at the very least, it was unimaginable to use this expression when referring to Karnak. ¡®¡­He looked like he¡¯d seen a ghost.¡¯ *** As expected, the Latiel Church¡¯s trackers found Fred¡¯s corpse. Everything went smoothly. The priests of Latiel inspected the scene and concluded that Fred hadmitted s*****e. Since necromancers driven to despair often took their own lives, no one suspected Karnak or Varos. After expressing their gratitude to the Zestrad Barony, the Latiel trackers returned to their church. For some time afterward, Karnak remained secluded. He distanced himself even from Varos, spending almost all of his time in the training hall, except when he was sleeping. He went so far as to have his meals brought to the training hall, thoroughly cutting off contact with others. The official reason was this: ¨C I wish to delve deeper into my magical studies, so I will distance myself from the affairs of the world for a while. It was almostmon knowledge that knights or magicians would iste themselves to reach a new level of mastery. Even during the Duel Trial, Karnak had left the barony to train. Varos epted it as such without much thought. During his time as the King of Necromancers, Karnak often secluded himself for months while immersed in research. However, one thing still puzzled Varos. ¡®What was that expression back then?¡¯ On the seventh day of Karnak¡¯s seclusion, he finally emerged from the training hall. He immediately summoned Varos. ¡°You called for me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As Varos entered the study, Karnak began preparing a spell. He used chaotic energy to create a thin barrier that enveloped the entire study. It was a soundproof barrier to prevent any noise from escaping. ¡®A barrier? In his own house?¡¯ Watching this, Varos grew even more puzzled. The study was already soundproof, ideal for quiet reading. Karnak hadn¡¯t even taken such precautions when discussing necromancy. ¡°Why are you doing this? It¡¯s not like you.¡± Karnak slowly began to speak. ¡°Listen, Varos.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been doing some research.¡± ¡°You mean about that ¡®Doom of Darkness¡¯ or whatever?¡± There wasn¡¯t much to gain from Fred, but one thing was clear. The dark energy that had tempted Fred was indeed the ¡®Doom of Darkness¡¯ as referred to by the seven major religious orders on the continent. ¡°Yes, the prophecy of that goddess¡­ the one about the end of the world and all that¡­¡± Karnak twisted a strand of his dark hair around his finger as he continued to trail off. ¡°Sir?¡± Varos frowned. ¡°Why are you dragging this out?¡± Karnak let out a long sigh and forced a smile. ¡°It turns out¡­ I¡¯m the culprit.¡± * * * The King of Necromancers, Karnak, used his immense necromantic power to twist time and space, linking the past and the future. This twisted passage of time allowed him to send his soul back to the past¡ªa technique known as the Temporal Regression Spell. Sessfully casting this spell, he had abandoned all the immense power he possessed as the King of Necromancers to return to this era. ¡°Up until now, I thought that was how things worked¡­¡± Slumping into a chair, Karnak muttered weakly. ¡°But it turns out I was mistaken about something.¡± ¡°Mistaken?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Suddenly, Karnak changed the subject. ¡°Varos.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Where do you think the world¡¯s energies like aura or mana are stored?¡± Varos tilted his head in confusion and asked in return, ¡°Aren¡¯t they stored within the body?¡± ¡°Right, to be precise, they¡¯re stored in the physical body. That¡¯smon knowledge.¡± A knight¡¯s aura or a magician¡¯s mana is umted in the body. Therefore, no matter how powerful a knight or magician may be, they ultimately cannot escape the passage of time. The same goes for priests. Holy energy is stored within the body, and the soul governs that energy in tandem with the body. ¡°Necromantic power is also stored within the body in the same way.¡± Karnak briefly conjured a small ck me before extinguishing it. After using chaotic energy to cleanse the foul aura, he continued speaking. ¡°The Temporal Regression Spell I created discards the physical body, allowing only the soul to transcend time and space. There¡¯s nothing wrong with the method itself.¡± The problem was that Karnak¡¯s case was extraordinarily unique. ¡°I was Astra Shunaph, wasn¡¯t I?¡± An undead among the undead. An embodiment of absolute power, akin to the God of Death. ¡°Here¡¯s a question: What did I, the King of Necromancers, look like?¡± Varos was dumbfounded. Was Karnak really asking such a question to someone who had been his loyal follower for nearly a hundred years? ¡°What did you look like? You were just a skeleton draped in a shroud of dark energy, floating around like a ghost¡­¡± As he responded brusquely, Varos¡¯s expression suddenly hardened. ¡®Wait, like a ghost?¡¯ A deep sneer formed on Karnak¡¯s lips. ¡°Exactly. I was Astra Shunaph¡­¡± He had discarded his human body, creating a body of spiritual energy through immense dark power, bing a being that transcended fate and mastered death. That¡¯s right, a body of spiritual energy. A chaotic existence, neither fully a physical body nor merely a soul. ¡°I naturally assumed that my necromantic power was stored in my body. But it turns out that body was actually part of my soul.¡± And Karnak¡¯s soul had transcended time and returned to this era. ¡°No way¡­¡± Varos¡¯s mouth dropped open. ¡°Your powers¡­ They regressed through time along with you?¡± Chapter 20 Chapter 20. 5. Doom of Darkness (4) Karnak scratched his head irritably. ¡°Ah,e to think of it, there were clues.¡± The spiritual energy that had be Astra Shunaph was so vast that he couldn¡¯t even properly possess a body. Just inserting a single finger would make the target explode. Karnak believed this phenomenon urred because the soul wasn¡¯t properly separated from the body. Even when he tried to transfer his soul into another body, the spiritual energy involved in the process was too overwhelming for the subject to withstand. That was why he had even created the time-reversal magic. With simple possession, the soul couldn¡¯t be cleanly extracted. The soul and body had been intertwined for so long that there was no clear indicator to distinguish them. ¡°But this body is me, myself. Since I¡¯m returning to the original soul and body that were once one, the essence itself serves as the marker, allowing for a clean separation.¡± In fact, up to this point, it had been a sess. His soul had discarded all necromantic power and settled perfectly into the present body, bing aplete human. ¡°So, I thought the remaining realm of Astra Shunaph was just abandoned in that timeline¡­¡± The problem was that he hadn¡¯t considered that if the soul itself was too immense, it could also fail at possession. What if Karnak¡¯s necromantic power had returned to this era along with his soul? Even so, his soul would still separate from the necromantic power and inhabit the body of this era. The result wouldn¡¯t be different. ¡°But in this case, the sequence has reversed.¡± Instead of separating and then reversing time, he reversed time first and then separated. The realm of Astra Shunaph, the power of the Necromancer King, existed in the present, not the future. ¡°It seems that thing has now spread across the world as the Doom of Darkness, right?¡± Varos blinked. The exnation was a bitplicated, but having served by Karnak¡¯s side for so many years, he understood the situation. Even so, it wasn¡¯t easy to ept. ¡°¡­So, because of the power you discarded, the world is on the brink of destruction?¡± ¡°Probably?¡± ¡°But no matter how powerful you are, sir, it¡¯s not like the world would tremble with fear as if it were about to end just because the seven orders united¡­¡± Varos trailed off, closing his mouth. It was Karnak who had brought about the downfall of those Seven Goddesses¡¯ Churches. ¡°Still, there are many powerful empires and kingdoms in the world¡­¡± ¡°We destroyed all those empires and kingdoms.¡± ¡°There are still the dragonkin, the fae¡­ and the Four Martial Kings, as well as the three Grand Mages¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you kill them all, turn them into undead, and make them your subordinates?¡± But that wasn¡¯t all. In the end, even the seven goddesses lost their influence over the world. The power of the Necromancer King had spread across the entire world, preventing the goddesses¡¯ blessings from reaching it. ¡°Come to think of it, it really was you who destroyed the world, wasn¡¯t it?¡± For Karnak, it was a conquest, but for the living, it was no different from an apocalypse. And now, they were the ones on the receiving end of it? ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Still unable to fully ept it, Varos raised an objection. ¡°Back then, you were able to conquer the world because you could control that power, right?¡± Now, only the power remains, scattered in all directions. ¡°It¡¯s not even concentrated in one ce. Do you think we still can¡¯t handle it?¡± Even if someone were to gather part of that power and be another Necromancer King, they would surely be weaker than the real Karnak. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± Karnak nodded. ¡°But, Varos.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°When did I conquer the world? More precisely, how many years after bing Astra Shunaph did I conquer the world?¡± ¡°Well, thest battle was when you defeated the Dragon Emperor, so¡­¡± Varos calcted roughly and continued. ¡°It was about three years after you became Astra Shunaph.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Karnak chuckled in disbelief. ¡°And how many years passed before we performed the time-reversal?¡± ¡°About 70 years¡­ Gah!¡± It was only then that Varos grasped the severity of the situation. Karnak had conquered the world and be the Necromancer King in his early fifties. And they had returned to this era when he was around 120 years old. That meant he was nearly seventy years stronger than when he had brought the world to ruin! ¡°I¡¯m at least five or six times stronger now than I was during the world conquest.¡± Varos turned pale. ¡°My God¡­¡± Imagining it, the power was truly terrifying. It was enough to make the seven goddesses, who protect the world, simultaneously issue a prophecy dering the end of times. Varos, now ashen-faced, urgently asked another question. ¡°Is there really no possibility that you¡¯re not the culprit?¡± Facing that terrifying version of Karnak from his Necromancer King days was a hundred times worse than some mysterious demon lord invading from another realm. ¡°That¡¯s right! You mentioned the timeline didn¡¯t match up, didn¡¯t you?¡± Thinking it through, something seemed off. Karnak and Varos had performed the time-reversal about a year ago. However, the Doom of Darkness had already been scattered across the world long before that time. Moreover, ording to the announcements made by the church, it wasn¡¯t even fully dispersed yet. It was steadily invading this world across time and space, bit by bit. ¡°The timeline doesn¡¯t add up! There¡¯s no way you could be the culprit, young master!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand that part either.¡± Despite this, there was undeniable evidence. ¡°You know that Doom of Darkness we got from Fred? Its attributes match mine 100% perfectly.¡± This was why Karnak hadn¡¯t been suspected at all in the Randolph or Fred incidents. No matter how much of his own energy Karnak left behind, the church only saw it as the Doom of Darkness. So, there was no reason for suspicion to fall on him. The Doom of Darkness was already being spread across the continent. ¡°There¡¯s no doubt about it. This is my power. The only thing I don¡¯t know is how it ended up like this.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s your power¡­ can¡¯t you just take it back now?¡± Karnak shot a sharp look at his still-hopeful servant and retorted. ¡°Do you think that makes any sense?¡± Imagine a wealthy man one day brings a bag of gold coins and throws them all over the town square. And then he shouts, ¡®Gold coins, return to me!¡¯ Would the scattered gold coins fly back to the wealthy man¡¯s bag on their own, or would the passersby pick them all up and take them home, feeling like they hit the jackpot? Once it was thrown away, Karnak had already lost control over it. ¡°I can¡¯t just ignore it anymore, not now.¡± The situation had grown too big to be dismissed as he had done in the past. A madman had grown too powerful. And that madman was Karnak himself. To trust in humanity¡¯s strength, to believe in the world¡¯s resilience, and ignore it? He was the very one who had crushed both humanity and the world. ¡°I can¡¯t trust that! How am I supposed to trust it!¡± As Karnak ranted, Varos tried to calm him down and asked. ¡°Then, what do we do now?¡± Karnak, having regained hisposure, spoke seriously. ¡°First, we need to gather information.¡± At this point, they knew too little. You can¡¯t form a n until you have a clear understanding of the situation. ¡°Like how you absorbed necromantic power from that guyst time?¡± ¡°Yeah. I need to check the state of the necromantic power that separated from me. Last time, the amount was so small that it barely provided any useful information.¡± The Doom of Darkness absorbed from Fred had been too insignificant. Compared to Karnak¡¯s original power, it was just a crumb, like taking a single bucket of water from an ocean, so it offered almost no information at all. ¡°We need to gather more data.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re saying we have to go around collecting the Doom of Darkness now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°And that also means saying goodbye to the easy life we¡¯ve been enjoying in the estate for a while?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡± The two men looked at each other and let out a deep sigh. For those who thought they had nothing left to do but enjoy life as humans, it was truly a harsh fate. Karnakmented. ¡°Ah, I really wanted to live quietly this time, but the world just won¡¯t leave me alone!¡± Varos retorted. ¡°What does the world have to do with it? You brought this upon yourself, young master.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, but still¡­¡± ¡°ming the world before even considering your own actions¡ªyep, that¡¯s our young master, alright.¡± ¡°Oh, shut up, will you.¡± *** The next morning, Karnak summoned the vassals of the family. ¡°It looks like I¡¯ll be away for about three months.¡± He had alreadye up with a usible excuse. He had been diligently studying magic through Das¡¯ grimoire, but self-study had its limits. Therefore, he either needed to invite a high-ranking mage for further guidance or personally visit a mage guild to seek instruction. However, at his current level, hiring a high-ranking mage who could actually help would cost a lot of money. No matter how prosperous the estate had be, as a lord, he couldn¡¯t just spend money recklessly. ¡°So, I¡¯ll go directly to the capital to gain magical knowledge and wisdom. Varos alone will be sufficient as my escort.¡± The old butler strongly supported this decision. ¡°That is indeed a very wise choice.¡± The Zestrad estate was running smoothly without any major issues. The lord being absent for three months wouldn¡¯t cause any significant problems. And this wasn¡¯t the first time Karnak had left for an extended period¡ªhe had previously been away for several months during the Duel Trial. Since it was something he¡¯d done before, there was no reason for anyone to find it strange that he would do it again. Of course, back then, everyone had opposed it. Not because of the absence itself, but because it was considered too dangerous for Karnak, who had nobat skills, to leave the estate with only a single attendant. Despite their objections, Karnak had insisted, and they had reluctantly agreed. But now? Karnak had grown stronger as a mage, and Varos had be the strongest knight in Zestrad, so there wasn¡¯t much to worry about. Moreover, the old butler had another reason for his enthusiastic support. ¡°Broadening your horizons by seeing the world is indeed a privilege of youth! It will be a truly valuable experience for you!¡± It seemed the old butler thought Karnak wanted to go on a journey out of youthful curiosity. ¡®No, I¡¯ve had more than enough of those experiences already¡­¡¯ Still, it was fortunate that they misunderstood. None of the other vassals objected either. ¡°Please travel with peace of mind. We will safeguard the estate in your absence.¡± ¡°We eagerly await your return, hoping that you will have grown even more.¡± The old butler, speaking on behalf of everyone, bowed respectfully. ¡°May the blessings of the Seven Goddesses be with you, my lord.¡± From Karnak¡¯s perspective, that was a statement he could hardly smile at. ¡®Those goddesses conspired and issued prophecies to bring me down. Like they¡¯d ever bless me.¡¯ After finishing the handover of estate management duties for his absence, he returned to his room. When he entered, Varos was busy packing their belongings. His expression wasn¡¯t great. The thought of leaving behind afortable life and wandering the world again didn¡¯t sit well with him. ¡°Sigh, I never thought the day woulde when I¡¯d have to pack these bags again.¡± ¡°The situation is better than before.¡± Trying to cheer him up, Karnak held up a pouch of money. ¡°We have plenty of money now. We even have gold coins, right?¡± Varos¡¯s expression brightened. ¡°Oh, so we can eat the finest delicacies from each region while traveling? And sleep soundly in the most luxurious inns?¡± ¡°Of course. We¡¯re not being chased anymore, are we?¡± Back when they used to roam the world, they had to constantly hide and lurk in alleyways. With a past full of sins, even having money didn¡¯t mean they could freely reveal their identities. On top of that, they had to constantly be on guard against the pursuit of the Church of the Seven Goddesses, so they never had a good night¡¯s sleep. ¡°Just thinking about those times when we were on the run made me frown, but things are different now.¡± It seemed there was nothing wrong with treating this as a young, nouveau-riche noble¡¯s grand tour of the continent. ¡°If we¡¯re going to go through hardships, might as well enjoy them, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± With his packingplete, Varos slung the backpack over his shoulder and asked. ¡°So where are we headed? We¡¯re not really going to the capital, are we?¡± ¡°To Derat City. That¡¯s where that Fred guy first obtained his power, so there should be some clues there.¡± Chapter 21 Chapter 21. 6. Derat City The wide ins were filled with the energy of spring. Two men were riding horses along a straight road that stretched out before them. The young man with ck hair, riding a white horse, was clearly from a noble family. He was dressed in a luxurious travel outfit made of a mix of deer leather and silk, and the magical staff he carried at his waist was also a rather expensive item. He was undoubtedly a wizard of noble origin. The young knight on the brown horse who apanied him was also no ordinary person. He had a well-trained physique and sharp eyes. Though he wasn¡¯t heavily armed like a traveler, he wore armor made from the hide of a valuable beast, and his gauntlets and greaves were of high-quality steel. He carried arge bastard sword on his back, which was also of superior craftsmanship. The young knight, Varos, suddenly looked to his side and spoke. ¡°It really feels like we¡¯ve returned to the past. Back then, even if we had money, we purposely dressed in shabby clothes.¡± The nobleman, Karnak, responded with a smile. ¡°It just goes to show that one shouldn¡¯t live a life of sin. Isn¡¯t it great that we can now reveal our identities openly?¡± ¡°I used to think that unting wealth would attract troublesome people, but no one¡¯s really bothered us.¡± ¡°Of course. We dressed like this with that in mind.¡± Disguising oneself as a poor traveler to avoid bandits is not always a wise choice. Bandits don¡¯t necessarily target wealthy travelers; they target those who seem like easy prey. It¡¯s more profitable to safely take small sums rather than risk everything for a big haul. However, it¡¯s also not good to appear as though one is a wealthy noble on a leisurely journey. That might entice those who are willing to take risks. In this sense, Karnak and Varos¡¯s current attire was quite appropriate. At a nce, they looked like travelers from a noble family with strong backing. Moreover, their attire was not only shy but also expensive and practical. It was the clothing of seasoned travelers with considerable experience. Varos¡¯s imposing figure and level of armament, as well as Karnak¡¯s magical staff, clearly showed that they were not to be underestimated. ¡°Even bandits are just trying to make a living, so they wouldn¡¯t cross a dangerous bridge unless necessary.¡± Even if they were to encounter an unusual group of bandits, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem. With Karnak¡¯s chaos magic and Varos¡¯s martial prowess, they were more than capable of handling most situations. And if they did encounter enemies beyond their current capabilities? ¡°Then we¡¯ll just use necromancy.¡± Thanks to this, the two of them were able to continue their journey pleasantly and without incident. In half a day, they would reach their destination. Varos, who had been looking down the road, asked, ¡°So, how do you n on finding the Doom of Darkness? Is there a specific spell for that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still researching it, but for now, there isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then how are you going to search for it?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll go by the book. You know the ce we used to frequent back in the day?¡± Understanding, Varos nodded. ¡°We¡¯re going to rely on the Adventurers¡¯ Guild again?¡± The Adventurers¡¯ Guild. It originally started as an organization of bounty hunters who hunted down wanted criminals for rewards. In bounty hunting, information is just as important as strength. After all, you need to know where your target is hiding to capture or kill them, right? Bounty hunters began sharing information and working together to pursue their targets, and this eventually evolved into a specialized organization for gathering information andworking, known as the Bounty Hunters¡¯ Guild. As they expanded their operations by managing various types of information and connections, someone in the guild had a thought: ¡®Why limit ourselves to selling information only to bounty hunters?¡¯ Information that might be worthless to one person could be of immense value to another. They began selling information to treasure hunters who explored ancient ruins and dungeons left behind by pre-human civilizations. Naturally, these treasure hunters also became members of the guild. Monster hunters who exterminated beasts and magical creatures were also eager buyers of good information. They, too, joined the guild. By this point, the organization was no longer just for bounty hunters. The name was changed to the Hunters¡¯ Guild. The Hunters¡¯ Guild continued to expand its influence across the continent. At the same time, its nature began to change. More and more members were epting ¡°requests¡± rather than just ¡°hunting¡± something. The types of requests also became much more diverse. There were mercenary jobs, where they fought in territorial wars for local nobles for a fee. There were escort missions, protecting caravans or travelers. They even handled trivial errands, like delivering messages or recovering debts. The guild had evolved to the point where many members weren¡¯t even hunters anymore, so another name change became necessary. But calling it ¡°A Non-Regr Workforce That Does Anything for Money¡± was too long andcked ir. So, they settled on the title Adventurer. Nowadays, everyone and their dog calls themselves an adventurer, making it a rather embarrassing title, but back then, it had a pretty good image. The Adventurers¡¯ Guild, where all kinds of information gathered, was a highly useful ce for Karnak when he was desperately searching for ancient necromancy knowledge. He had obtained a lot of information through the guild. ¡°But there¡¯s also a lot of junk information, so you need to sift through it carefully.¡± Varos looked up at the sky with a wistful expression. ¡°I miss those days. We really owed a lot to the guild back then.¡± When the two were fugitives, the identity they most often adopted was that of adventurers. As wanderers, it was easy for them to clean up their identities. iming to be from an unknown territory in a faraway kingdom made it impossible for others to verify their story. Karnak nced at Varos and chided him. ¡°You miss those days? I¡¯d rather not think about them.¡± Given the nature of their work, they were more often wanted criminals than adventurers. ¡°Having a friend from yesterday chase after you with bloodshot eyes, ready to cut your throat, isn¡¯t exactly a pleasant experience.¡± ¡°You killed them all and turned them into zombies, so why suddenly wax sentimental about friends?¡± As they continued their conversation, they eventually caught sight of a city in the distance. It was Derat City, thergest trade city in the northern part of the Kingdom of Ustil. ¡°Do you really think the necromancer we¡¯re looking for will be there?¡± Varos asked. Karnak responded calmly, ¡°We¡¯ll have to be patient. It¡¯s not like necromancers aremon.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s not a bad way to look at it.¡± Varos grinned. In truth, there wasn¡¯t much need for patience. ¡°We can certainly wait as long as we want while enjoying fine food and drink at a luxury inn!¡± * * * As soon as they arrived in Derat City, Karnak made the Adventurers¡¯ Guild his first stop. In their past lives, Karnak and Varos had concealed their identities and registered with the guild, operating as adventurers. They had to hide their identities and make money. In the process, they also secretly gathered information rted to necromancy, killing two birds with one stone. ¡°But this time, there¡¯s no need to be an adventurer.¡± Now, Karnak had a legitimate identity as Baron Karnak of Zestrad, the lord of the territory. Investigating matters rted to the Doom of Darkness wasn¡¯t a crime, either. He openly revealed his identity andmissioned the guild to gather information rted to the Doom of Darkness. He even provided a usible pretext: ¨C A necromancer associated with the Doom of Darkness had appeared in our territory. Fortunately, the Latiel Church dealt with him, but there¡¯s no telling when such an incident might happen again, so I cannot afford to ignore it. Since this was based on real events, it didn¡¯t seem suspicious. But as it turned out, there hadn¡¯t even been a need to offer an excuse. Other nobles were already using the Adventurers¡¯ Guild to gather various pieces of information rted to the Prophecy of Doom. It¡¯s only natural for a good lord to prepare in advance for the possibility of a necromancer running rampant in his territory. To the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, Karnak was just another typical client. ¡°Thank you for using the Derat City Adventurers¡¯ Guild, Baron Karnak! We¡¯ll contact you as soon as thetest informationes in!¡± * * * One week had passed since they began staying in Derat City. Karnak and Varos had settled into the finest inn and spent their time eating and drinking to their hearts¡¯ content. Thanks to the copper mines, they had plenty of money, so they spared no expense. They stayed in the most expensive rooms, ordered the finest cuisine, and enjoyed themselves thoroughly. They were, in every sense, living the life of leisure. However, there was one key difference between them and other nouveau riche types¡ªthey didn¡¯t engage with women from the red-light district. It wasn¡¯t that they had any particr issues with sexual desire. Both had barely managed to return to human bodies. And weren¡¯t they now in the prime of their youth? It would be a lie to say they had no sexual urges. They weren¡¯t particrly concerned with morals or ethics either, so they did, in fact, visit a brothel. Yes, they went, but¡­ ¡°Ah, this just doesn¡¯t feel right.¡± Karnak turned on his heels after seeing the prostitutes. It was because he was a necromancer. A powerful necromancer often earned titles like Lord of Death, Lord of Darkness, or Lord of Pestilence. Necromancers are specialists in disease. Unlike clerics, who specialize in healing, necromancers specialize in infection. In other words, Karnak could practically see the sexually transmitted diseases clinging to the women in the red-light district! How could people, who take care to avoid unhealthy snacks, be so careless with their bodies? ¡°I suppose I should meet a good woman, get married, and live a decent life. That¡¯s what it means to live like a proper human, right?¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re actually thinking of getting married?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m a lord now, aren¡¯t I?¡± As the head of a noble house, it was important to leave behind an heir. ¡°Marriage is a must. And preferably with a woman I like.¡± He had no intention of entering a political marriage with a woman he had never met. The current Zestrad Barony wasn¡¯t in such dire straits as to require that. ¡°What about you, Varos? Don¡¯t you have someone you like?¡± ¡°Well, actually, there is someone I¡¯ve been thinking about.¡± Recently, the maids at the manor had been giving Varos such meaningful looks that he had begun to harbor some expectations of his own. ¡°Really? Why didn¡¯t you pursue them?¡± ¡°Just when I was about to make a move, some lunatic decided to spread doom across the world. Thanks to that, I¡¯m stuck here with you.¡± ¡°S-Sorry about that¡­¡± * * * In any case, they certainly had a good time. The problem, however,y with their original purpose. ¡°It¡¯s been a week, and we¡¯ve got nothing to show for it.¡± ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t expect it to turn out like this.¡± It wasn¡¯t that there was no information about the Doom of Darkness. On the contrary, there was too much information. The goddess had delivered a prophecy directly, and the Seven Orders had announced it to the world. The prophecy foretold theing of the world¡¯s end, urging everyone to prepare for the darkness. How would ordinary people interpret this? If bandits ran wild in the hills, they med it on the darkness. If monsters infested the forests, they said it was because of the darkness. If they were scammed and lost money, they med it on the darkness that had consumed the swindler. People were even saying that if the neighbor¡¯s dog attacked the chicken from the house behind, it was because the dog had been tainted by the darkness. In short, every bad thing that happened was being med on the Doom of Darkness. ¡°Sigh, so this is why the Seven Orders had been keeping the prophecy a secret all this time.¡± Karnak shook his head. The world was overflowing with supposed incidents rted to necromancy, but almost none of them were genuine. ¡°How tant were Fred¡¯s actions for him to be chased so relentlessly?¡± ¡°Judging by what he did, it¡¯s a miracle he wasn¡¯t caught sooner.¡± They had learned something new after arriving in Derat City¡ªthe Latiel Church hadn¡¯t been chasing Fred from the beginning. In the early stages of the incident, they had ced a search request through the Adventurers¡¯ Guild. During that time, several adventurers were killed, which aroused the suspicion of a priest from the Latiel Church who started investigating the case. He, too, met an untimely end. It was only then that the church realized the severity of the situation and deployed arge number of forces. With so much unreliable information, even the Seven Orders couldn¡¯t intervene in every incident. They only got involved when things were reasonably certain. ¡°We need to get ahead of them and take control of the situation first.¡± As Karnak strolled through the night streets, he spoke as if making a wish. ¡°I hope we get some useful information tomorrow¡­¡± Chapter 22 Chapter 22. 6. Derat City (2) It had been ten days since Karnak and Varos arrived in Derat City. As usual, the first thing they did after leaving the inn was visit the Adventurers¡¯ Guild. Their routine these days involved checking out new information and then exploring the local eateries. ¡°Wee, Baron Karnak.¡± A teenage boy greeted them with a polite attitude in the lobby. It was Hans, an apprentice guild member working as a receptionist. ¡°Would you like to check the requests?¡± ¡°Yes, anything useful today?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, not much¡­¡± Hans handed over a stack of papers with an apologetic expression. Even someone as young as him could tell that the guild¡¯s information was garbage. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I wasn¡¯t expecting much anyway.¡± Karnak casually replied as he took the documents and skimmed through them. As expected, there was nothing worthwhile today either. Varos, who had been peeking over his shoulder, frowned. ¡°Seriously, ming the ¡®Doom of Darkness¡¯ for a wife running away after getting beaten by her drunk husband? Isn¡¯t that a bit much?¡± Of course, the husband insisted that his wife, who had always stayed quiet no matter how much he beat her, must have been tainted by darkness if she suddenly left him. ¡°If she had really gained the power of darkness, do you think she would¡¯ve just run away? She would¡¯ve torn that husband apart.¡± ¡°Exactly, it¡¯s just more nonsense.¡± Hans cautiously asked, ¡°You instructed us to collect any information rted to the Doom of Darkness, no matter how trivial¡­ Should we start filtering them out?¡± ¡°No, keep doing what you¡¯re doing. You never know what might turn up.¡± Karnak, who had reached the pinnacle of necromancy, could detect even the faintest traces of darkness that even the highest-ranking priests couldn¡¯t perceive. Even information that seemed worthless at first nce might reveal something suspicious to him that others would miss. The problem was that, so far, there hadn¡¯t been any clues, not even minor ones. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re out of luck today as well.¡± Varos tried to console the disappointed Karnak. ¡°Why don¡¯t we head to Seral Street this time? I heard there¡¯s a bakery there that makes incredible baguettes.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. My mouth¡¯s already watering.¡± The two of them, their eyes gleaming with anticipation for a new culinary delight, were about to leave the guild together when a deep voice echoed from across the lobby. ¡°How can you not believe me? I¡¯m telling you, an evil necromancer has appeared!¡± Varos and Karnak exchanged astonished looks. ¡°Young master, did he just say necromancer?¡± ¡°No way. Could it be that our timing is this perfect?¡± * * * The one who had shouted was an ordinary farmer who appeared to be in his early thirties. He imed to be from a small vige called Gelfa, located about a day¡¯s journey from Derat City. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying a necromancer appeared in your vige, and you came all the way here to report it?¡± The farmer nodded vigorously in response to Hans¡¯ question. ¡°Yes! But no one would believe me!¡± Because of themotion, other adventurers had gathered in the first-floor hall, in addition to the receptionist. The adventurers exchanged looks and shook their heads. ¡°This sounds like amon tale, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Right? Seems like he¡¯s already visited the temple as well.¡± The Church of the Seven Goddesses is always on high alert when ites to incidents rted to the Doom of Darkness. Typically, if a report were legitimate, one of the seven orders would dispatch personnel to investigate. But only if it truly was an incident rted to the Doom of Darkness. ¡°So, the church didn¡¯t believe you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, they didn¡¯t!¡± The farmer shouted, clearly feeling wronged by Hans¡¯ question. One of the adventurers tried to calm him down. ¡°Alright, alright! Let¡¯s hear the full story. What exactly happened?¡± The farmer began exining, stammering a bit. Not long ago, a mysterious outsider appeared in Gelfa Vige. He settled in an abandoned vi that belonged to a noble family located in the vige forest. Using some strange methods, he captivated all the vige maidens, earning the resentment of the vige¡¯s young men. ¡°Even Emily, who had promised to marry me, fell for him!¡± ¡°I see. And then?¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®and then¡¯?¡± The adventurers waiting for the next part of the story looked puzzled. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± ¡°Is that it?¡± The farmer raised his voice as if wondering what more they needed. ¡°Emily was a diligent and virtuous woman. She¡¯s not the kind of girl who would fall head over heels for someone she¡¯s never met before!¡± It seemed he was implying that the woman he had his eye on was suddenly enchanted by some random guy, and it must have been due to the power of darkness. It was a story that had be quitemon these days, but the adventurer decided to press further just in case. ¡°What does this person look like?¡± Grinding his teeth, the farmer replied. ¡°He¡¯s as handsome as a male courtesan.¡± ¡°How old?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a young man in his twenties.¡± ¡°Has he swindled money out of the vige maidens or anything like that?¡± ¡°No, he seems to have plenty of money, though I don¡¯t know where it came from.¡± The adventurers listening couldn¡¯t believe what they were hearing. ¡°So, let me get this straight¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying there¡¯s a young man who¡¯s not only good-looking but also wealthy, and he¡¯s charming all the women?¡± ¡°Does that really require the power of darkness?¡± Varos, who had been listening from the back, stepped forward. ¡°So, the other vigers just left him alone? It¡¯s only one person, so why did you have toe all the way here?¡± The farmer slumped his shoulders. ¡°The vigers are all under his spell too¡­¡± ¡°What exactly did he do?¡± ¡°Well, he¡­¡± In response to Varos¡¯ question, the farmer¡¯s voice grew quieter. ¡°He¡¯s been hosting vige feasts and giving medicine to the sick¡­¡± In other words, the young, wealthy, and handsome man was also kind-hearted. Hans spoke seriously, ¡°From our guild¡¯s perspective, we can¡¯t ept your report. Unless, of course, you want to ce a personal request?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t have that kind of money¡­¡± The farmer¡¯s face turned pale. There was no way a mere farmer could afford therge sum required to hire adventurers. He had likelye all the way to Derat City, relying on the Church of the Seven Goddesses to handle necromancer cases for free. In the end, the farmer left the guild building, disheartened. The adventurers watched his retreating figure with mocking smiles. ¡°It¡¯s just a loser jealous of someone better than him.¡± ¡°Pathetic.¡± ¡°Still, this kind of thing is happening so often these days, it¡¯s no surprise.¡± Karnak and Varos also left the guild with simr smirks on their faces. But as soon as they turned the corner of the alley, their expressions changedpletely. ¡°Suspicious, right, young master?¡± ¡°Very suspicious.¡± ¡°That sounds exactly like something you would do.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve actually done simr things before.¡± At first nce, the story didn¡¯t seem strange at all. But upon closer consideration, there were some questionable aspects. It wasn¡¯t unusual for vige maidens to be attracted to a young, handsome, and wealthy man who was also kind. But if you think about it the other way around¡­ Why would a man with such abilities go out of his way to seduce simple vige maidens? ¡°If he¡¯s truly capable, wouldn¡¯t he target a nobledy instead of a in country girl?¡± Nodding, Karnak muttered, ¡°A true con artist wouldn¡¯t find much value in a country maiden.¡± However, there is a realm where an innocent country maiden holds significant value¡ªspecifically, her *soul*. ¡°Could it be ck magic?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking.¡± Of course, the world is vast, and there are plenty of entric people out there, so it¡¯s not impossible that this person is genuinely interested in vige maidens. But it was certainly worth checking out. ¡°He said it was Gelfa Vige, right? Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Since everyone else justughed it off, we won¡¯t have to worry about troublesome adventurers getting involved. We can investigate without any hassle.¡± * * * Although the farmer mentioned it was a day¡¯s journey, that was based on traveling slowly on foot. For Karnak and Varos, who were traveling on horseback, it only took half a day to reach Gelfa Vige. They climbed a nearby hill overlooking the vige to assess the situation. It was a typical rural vige, with nothing unusual at first nce. However, Karnak was pleased. ¡°We¡¯vee to the right ce.¡± Varos asked, ¡°Do you see something?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll show you.¡± Karnak summoned his chaotic magic, lightly covering Varos¡¯s vision. As a result, faint ck lines appeared, connecting beneath the vige¡¯s scenery. ¡°Oh, a barrier.¡± The dark power, hidden from view, was intricately woven like a spider¡¯s web through the vige underground. It was so discreetly concealed that even a high-ranking priest would struggle to detect it. ¡°Not bad. Seems like someone learned this the proper way.¡± Having seen nothing but amateurs for so long, Karnak was almost pleased to witness some proper necromancy. As he continued observing the vige, Varos asked another question. ¡°So, it¡¯s rted to the Doom of Darkness?¡± ¡°We won¡¯t know until we catch him.¡± The nature of darkness can only be fully understood by probing its very essence. That¡¯s why, during the Fred incident, Karnak couldn¡¯t identify the nature of the darkness until he had extracted and absorbed it himself. ¡°There¡¯s a chance it¡¯s just a regr necromancer.¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible.¡± In any case, they needed to confirm it. And confirming it wasn¡¯t difficult at all. No one was watching, and there were no allies to worry about. They could simply head to the noble¡¯s vi where the suspect was staying and deal with him immediately. ¡°Judging by the barrier, he seems to be somewhat skilled, but that¡¯s hardly a problem.¡± Karnak was about to confidently pull the reins to move forward. ¡°Let¡¯s go finish this quickly¡­¡± Suddenly, both of their expressions changed. They sensed someone approaching from the other side of the hill. What¡¯s more, the presence was heading straight toward them. ¡°Huh? Someone¡¯sing?¡± While Varos merely sensed the presence, Karnak was genuinely surprised. ¡°A high-ranking priest?¡± Necromancers and priests are highly sensitive to each other¡¯s presence. The person approaching them had a significant amount of divine power. ¡°A priest of this level in such a rural vige?¡± As Karnak watched in bewilderment, a figure appeared in his sight. It was a young man in his twenties, dressed in green robes adorned with a mountain emblem, holding an oak staff. As he approached, the young man shouted to the two of them. ¡°Ex-Excuse me! You there!¡± * * * The young priest who had run up to them caught his breath for a moment before immediatelyunching into speech. ¡°You¡¯re adventurers who¡¯vee to investigate the strange urrences in this vige, right? Perfect timing! I was just about to do the same!¡± It was a bit bewildering how he jumped to conclusions without giving them a chance to say anything. Varos cautiously asked, ¡°¡­And who might you be?¡± Realizing his oversight, the priest quickly corrected himself. ¡°Oh, I haven¡¯t introduced myself yet. I am Alius, a priest serving Hatoba.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re from the Earth Church.¡± Pretending to understand, Varos introduced himself as well. ¡°I¡¯m Varos, a knight of the Zestrad family. And this is our lord, Baron Karnak.¡± Alius¡¯s eyes widened at the mention of the baron title. ¡°You¡¯re not adventurers?¡± Karnak, finding the priest¡¯s confusion puzzling, asked in return, ¡°Why did you assume we were adventurers, priest?¡± ¡°Well, just from your appearance, you both seemed to be quite capable¡­¡± It dawned on the two what had happened. They had dressed in a way that made them look like formidable adventurers to avoid unnecessary trouble, and Alius had misunderstood because of it. Realizing his mistake, Alius cautiously asked, ¡°¡­So, you¡¯re not here to investigate this vige?¡± Varos sent a magical message to Karnak. [What should we do?] While exchanging nces could work for a while, it wasn¡¯t a reliable way tomunicate in the long term. So, Karnak had used chaos magic to establish a secret messaging system with Varos. [It seems like we can¡¯t just say we¡¯re passing through at this point.] [Exactly. This priest seems determined to dig deeper into this vige no matter what.] It seemed best to give a vague answer for now. Karnak spoke in a careful tone, ¡°We didn¡¯te here specifically to investigate. We were just passing by when we heard something strange and decided to take a look.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Alius looked relieved, as if this was what he had expected. ¡°In that case, would you be willing to assist me? This is also a holy duty for the goddess!¡± Though Karnak already knew what Alius wanted, he yed along and asked innocently, ¡°A holy duty?¡± Alius nced around nervously before speaking in a low voice. ¡°¡­There¡¯s a possibility that an evil necromancer is operating in this vige.¡± Chapter 23 Chapter 23. 7. A Model Necromancer Alius was a priest affiliated with the Northern District Parish of the Church of the Earth, located in Derat City. ¡°Embarrassingly enough, I hold the rank of a 1st-ss Inquisitor.¡± Karnak tilted his head in confusion. ¡°Did you say a 1st-ss Inquisitor?¡± ¡°Yes, an Inquisitor is¡­¡± ¡°No, I know what an Inquisitor is.¡± Traditionally, whenever traces of necromancy were discovered, the Church of the Seven Goddesses would send a seasoned clergyman to investigate the truth. The position given during these investigations was known as ¡®Inquisitor.¡¯ Once appointed, the priest would determine the truth of the matter, deliver judgment in the name of the Goddess, and then return to their original position. In other words, it was originally a temporary role. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of Inquisitors having ranks.¡± Having ranks implied that it was a formal position. But if necromancers were so widespread that a permanent need for Inquisitors existed, wouldn¡¯t that mean the world was in a state of chaos? Alius made a bitter expression. ¡°That¡¯s the problem¡ªsuch a world has alreadye.¡± There had been so many incidents rted to the Doom of Darkness that sending temporary Inquisitors, as was done in the past, had be insufficient. As a result, the church now trained professional Inquisitors. ¡°I just recently received the 1st-ss rank. Until not long ago, I was 2nd-ss.¡± Karnak let out an admiring sound. Typically, the ranks of priests did not rise so easily. ¡°That¡¯s quite impressive for someone so young.¡± Alius scratched the back of his head, looking somewhat embarrassed. ¡°There are so many incidents. If you work as an Inquisitor, you umte experience whether you like it or not.¡± He certainly seemed to be quite capable. He, too, had sensed something suspicious about Gelfa Vige, just like Karnak. ¡°It¡¯s indeed strange for such apetent man to target a rural vige like this.¡± Varos, who had been listening to the conversation, suddenly asked a question. ¡°But did youe here alone, Priest? If there really is a necromancer in that vige, it would be dangerous.¡± His question implied that Alius should have brought the church¡¯s forces with him. Alius shook his head. ¡°Unfortunately, the church does not move without solid evidence.¡± ¡°Evidence? If an Inquisitor confirmed it, isn¡¯t that enough?¡± ¡°It used to be, but¡­¡± Alius sighed and replied weakly. ¡°The truth is, the church considers this to be another baseless rumor.¡± ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t the situation suspicious enough?¡± If it had gone unnoticed, that would be one thing, but with Alius already having identified a w, dismissing it as mere rumor seemed iprehensible. Yet, it appeared this was bing the normtely. ### ¡°Recently, there was a simr incident. Of course, it had nothing to do with necromancy.¡± ¡°¡­Are you saying it¡¯smon for a young, rich, kind, and even handsome guy to be chasing after a simple country girl?¡± Varos, who couldn¡¯tprehend the situation, asked in disbelief, prompting Alius to sigh. ¡°That¡¯s precisely why it¡¯s a matter of perspective.¡± What does it mean to be wealthy? Where does the line for wealth begin? What does it mean to be handsome? What is the threshold for being considered kind? These aren¡¯t things that can be measured by numbers, except for age, perhaps. Even the definition of ¡°young¡± is rtive. In a vige full of elderly folks in their seventies or eighties, someone in their fifties would be considered a youngster. Karnak and Varos thought it was strange for apetent man to be targeting a rural girl, assuming he was some ¡°wealthy young noble who looked like a pampered yboy throwing gold around.¡± ¡°But if he has just enough money saved up and his skin isn¡¯t too tanned by the sun, he could easily be seen as rich and handsome by countryside standards.¡± ¡°Ah, in that case, it wouldn¡¯t be so strange for him to be interested in a country girl.¡± ¡°Exactly. What used to be typical incidents and idents are now all being attributed to the Doom of Darkness.¡± As a result, the sheer volume of false information has made it difficult for the church to act without solid evidence. They simply don¡¯t have enough personnel. ¡°I¡¯m notpletely convinced that there¡¯s a necromancer in this vige either. I just don¡¯t want to ignore something suspicious without checking it out.¡± Varos, looking dumbfounded, used a magicalmunication spell to speak with Karnak. [We almost wasted our time here, didn¡¯t we?] [Indeed. We got lucky this time and stumbled upon something by chance.] They hade here full of confidence, mocking adventurers for being fools, but now it seemed that their initial assumptions were wrong. ¡®Man, I can¡¯t afford to act recklessly based on old habits.¡¯ Regardless, the fact remained that there really was a necromancer in that vige. ¡°So, are you nning to gather evidence and return to the church?¡± Karnak asked. Alius looked embarrassed. ¡°Actually, I was nning to handle it on my own.¡± This wasn¡¯t just youthful recklessness. His divine power was quite substantial. After all, Karnak had been startled when he sensed Alius¡¯s approach. In terms of divine power, even if all the priests of Latiel who had visited the Zestrad Territory werebined, they wouldn¡¯t amount to half of what Alius possessed. ¡®As expected from someone of 1st-ss rank. If the necromancer isn¡¯t too powerful, he really might be able to handle it alone.¡¯ Despite this, Alius¡¯s excitement at seeing the two of them was understandable. With allies, he could use his holy spells much more effectively. ¡°You both seem to be quite skilled¡­¡± In truth, the one Alius truly desired as an ally was Varos. Karnak was young and a mage, so it was hard to gauge his exact capabilities just by looking at him. But Varos was different. With his massive, well-trained body and the sword and armor that showed signs of long use, there was no way someone like him could be weak. Alius made a sincere request. ¡°Your help would be greatly appreciated.¡± * * * While Alius waited for a response, Varos secretly asked Karnak. [What do you n to do, young master?] [What else? We can¡¯t use necromancy in front of a priest. We¡¯ll make an excuse to part ways for now and handle this on our own¡­] Mid-reply, Karnak suddenly changed his mind as something urred to him. [No, let¡¯s move together.] [Huh? Are you sure about that?] [This is a perfect opportunity. There¡¯s something I want to check.] Turning back to Alius, Karnak spoke earnestly. ¡°I understand the situation. We are also children of the Goddess, and it¡¯s our duty to assist in sacred tasks, however modest our help may be.¡± Alius, overjoyed, made the sign of the cross. ¡°Thank you for your assistance. May the blessings of the Seven Goddesses be with you both.¡± Varos still felt uneasy. [Are you really okay with this? What if we end up in a situation where we have to use necromancy?] [Then we use it. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time I¡¯ve used necromancy in secret.] [But every time you¡¯ve done that, it hasn¡¯t ended well.] Although it was supposedly done in secret, Karnak¡¯s usual method was to openly use necromancy and then erase people¡¯s memories through mental maniption. [Everyone whose memory you erased ended up suffering from nightmares, wasting away until they went mad. Are you nning to do that again?] [Is that so?] [Exactly. We decided to start living like decent people, remember?] By the way, their definition of ¡°living like decent people¡± didn¡¯t necessarily mean following morals and ethics to live virtuously. Rather, it was more about wanting to live that way but not really knowing how. So, the standard that Karnak and Varos had set for themselves was this: ¨C Don¡¯t live like they did before. [This priest is a good person.] Though he had a somewhat hasty and presumptive nature, he was fundamentally diligent and kind-hearted. The fact that he had gone out of his way to travel to this vige, even when everyone else dismissed it, was proof enough. [Turning a good person into a lunatic seems like living as we did before, doesn¡¯t it?] [You¡¯re right.] Agreeing, Karnak pondered how to find a solution that wouldn¡¯t harm anyone. [Hmm, how can I erase memories without causing any mental damage?] [¡­Is not manipting someone¡¯s mind even an option? You really are the quintessential necromancer.] [I¡¯m not going to use necromancy; I¡¯ll use chaos magic to erase them.] [There¡¯s a way to do that?] [If I thin out chaos energy like a needle and burn away part of the brain¡¯s memory center, it might work.] [¡­] [What? Did I say something wrong?] [No, it¡¯s just that you really are a model necromancer.] [I told you, I¡¯m not using necromancy! Why do you keep bringing up necromancers?] Since their conversation was happening through a magical telepathic link, outwardly it only seemed like the two were silently keeping their mouths shut. Misinterpreting their expressions, Alius spoke in a gentle tone. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so tense. We haven¡¯t confirmed that there¡¯s a necromancer in that vige yet. And even if there is¡­¡± Gripping his oak staff tightly, he donned a sacred expression. ¡°I have the blessing of Hatoba with me, so no wicked necromancer stands a chance!¡± Varos stared intently at Alius. ¡®The very necromancer you¡¯re talking about is targeting you right now.¡¯ But of course, he couldn¡¯t say that out loud. He simply nodded with a warm smile. ¡°It¡¯s reassuring to hear that. We¡¯ll be counting on you.¡± * * * Gelfa Vige was quiet. Most of the residents seemed to be out in the fields, leaving only a few women and children asionally visible. The vigers nced at Karnak¡¯s group as they passed by, their expressions curious about the unusual appearance of outsiders in their small vige. ¡°Judging by their reactions, we probably can¡¯t expect there to be an inn.¡± If the vige had an inn, it wouldn¡¯t be so surprising for outsiders to show up now and then. Holding the reins of his horse, Varos nced around. ¡°We¡¯ll need a ce to stable the horses and unpack our things¡­¡± In a vige without an inn, travelers would typically seek out the vige chief¡¯s house or a local church for lodging. ¡°There¡¯s likely a small church in a vige this size, right?¡± Karnak shook his head. ¡°I doubt it.¡± ¡°What makes you think that?¡± Alius answered in his ce. ¡°If this vige had a church, that farmer wouldn¡¯t have gone all the way to Derat City to seek help.¡± ¡°That makes sense. I guess I¡¯m just a simple swordsman¡ªI didn¡¯t think that far.¡± Impressed by their reasoning, Varos had just started heading deeper into the vige when they saw it¡ªa small, neatly built white building. The building had a blue sacred relic hanging from its roof and a symbol representing wind drawn at the entrance. It was unmistakably a church dedicated to Saisha, the Goddess of Wind and Sky. Varos mumbled in surprise. ¡°But¡­ there¡¯s a church here?¡± The two who had confidently deduced there wouldn¡¯t be one quickly tried to cover up their mistake. ¡°Oh, so there is.¡± ¡°¡­Then why did that man go all the way to Derat City?¡± Varos chuckled and resumed walking. ¡°Well, it¡¯s good for us. We¡¯ll be able to stay there.¡± The church was so small that it only had two clergy members: a vige church leader in his mid-forties and a nun who appeared to be in her thirties. They weed the group warmly. ¡°Wee to the Church of the Wind, brothers of the Earth.¡± After stabling their horses and unpacking their belongings, they exined their purpose. Upon hearing the situation, the priest, Father Gras, shook his head. ¡°Tsk, tsk. So he went all the way there?¡± Apparently, the man had already caused quite amotion here as well. When no one in the vige believed him, he decided to go all the way to Derat City. ¡°Mr. Cleo is a diligent and good man. He¡¯s been a great help to the vige, and everyone here likes him. I can assure you he has nothing to do with necromancy.¡± Sister Julia, who had just finished tying the horses in the church¡¯s backyard, smiled warmly and added her thoughts. ¡°Indeed, a few months ago, another priest came by, but he left without incident.¡± Neither of them sensed anything suspicious about this mysterious man, Cleo. ¡°It¡¯s a shame you¡¯vee all this way only to find it was a false rm,¡± Father Gras said. Alius smiled gently. ¡°It¡¯s alright. In my line of work, a false rm is actually a good thing.¡± ¡°Oh my, the previous visitor said the same thing.¡± As it was gettingte to return to Derat City, they decided to spend the night at the church. After showing them to a small guest room, Sister Julia kindly said, ¡°It¡¯s humble, but please make yourselvesfortable.¡± * * * Once they were alone, Karnak asked, ¡°So, what will you do now, Priest?¡± Alius pondered for a moment before replying, ¡°On the way here, I conducted a divine search throughout the vige, but I didn¡¯t find anything suspicious.¡± ¡°Does that mean it really was just a rumor?¡± Karnak asked. ¡°Not necessarily. Necromancers are skilled at hiding their presence. Just because I didn¡¯t detect anything doesn¡¯t mean they aren¡¯t here.¡± Varos joined in on the conversation. ¡°Then we should observe the situation a bit more. I noticed there¡¯s a tavern where the locals gather,¡± Varos suggested. A tavern is usually the easiest ce to gather information about the local situation. Once people start drinking, they tend to spill everything, true or not. Judging by the way Varos was licking his lips, though, it seemed like he was just looking for an excuse to have a drink. Alius shook his head. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be of much use.¡± Considering the attitudes of Father Gras and Sister Julia, it was clear that this Cleo person was well-trusted by the vigers. ¡°The other vigers probably feel the same way. I doubt we¡¯d learn much from asking around.¡± Varos looked dejected at the prospect of missing out on a drink, so Karnak asked on his behalf. ¡°Then what do you n to do?¡± Looking out the window, Alius¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°I¡¯ll have to check for myself.¡± His gaze was fixed on the dense forest to the west of the vige, where an old noble¡¯s mansion was said to be located. Chapter 24 Chapter 24. 7. A Model Necromancer (2) Karnak wore a displeased expression. ¡®You want to confront the necromancer directly? And then what?¡¯ The oue was obvious if they faced off head-on. ¨C Hello, are you by any chance the necromancer? ¨C No, I¡¯m not. ¨C Oops, my mistake. Goodbye. Could it really go like this? Surely, Alius wasn¡¯t that naive. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not saying I¡¯ll interrogate them outright. The Inquisitor has their own methods.¡± Karnak¡¯s eyes gleamed. ¡®Oh, have they developed a holy spell specifically to track necromancers that I don¡¯t know about?¡¯ That was possible. Necessity is the mother of invention, after all. In his previous life, necromancers didn¡¯t sprout up like weeds as they do now. ¡°In that case, we should move before the sun sets.¡± Just as Karnak was about to rise, Alius stopped him. ¡°We¡¯ll move after night has fully fallen. Let¡¯s rest for now.¡± ¡°¡­Is that really okay?¡± Sunlight greatly weakens the power of darkness, which is why necromancers exhibit their true strength deep in the night. And yet, they wanted to confront the necromancer only after the sun hadpletely set? ¡°It¡¯s easier to determine whether someone is a real necromancer when the night is deep. You¡¯ll see soon enough.¡± With that, Alius headed towards his bed. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll take a quick nap. We need to be prepared for the night.¡± It wasn¡¯t just because he was sleepy. He was trying to replenish his holy power as much as possible through rest. If they were really going to face a necromancer, it was the proper stance for a cleric to take. Karnak and Varos alsoy down on their respective beds. Staring at the ceiling, Varos asked through magical telepathy. [What¡¯s the real situation, young master?] [Both of them are under mental maniption.] Unlike Alius, Karnak could clearly see the state of Priest Gras and Sister Julia. [Their foreheads are dull. It means they¡¯re under necromantic influence. It¡¯s so faint that Alius didn¡¯t notice, but it¡¯s there.] [The necromancer must be quite strong, right? Isn¡¯t it difficult to manipte the mind of a cleric?] [It¡¯s more that their holy power is just too low.] To be honest, their level was barely enough to even be called clerics. [That¡¯s probably why they¡¯ve been assigned to this rural vige.] Not just the clerics, but the entire vige was under a weak bewitching spell. Karnak had already confirmed it all on the way here. [For a third-rate necromancer, they¡¯re pretty decent. They¡¯re around the level I was in my mid-20s. They¡¯re hiding so well that it¡¯s unlikely they¡¯ll be caught easily.] But in his past life, there were no clerics like Inquisitors who specialized in dealing with necromancers. That¡¯s why, even when he was weak, he managed to survive by hiding and running away. ncing at the deeply sleeping Alius, Karnak smiled. ¡®It was definitely worth moving together. I can learn about the clerics of this era.¡¯ * * * The three of them slept soundly until dusk. Then, they had a hearty meal prepared by Sister Julia. It was a simple meal, befitting a small vige church, but it was enough to restore their energy. During the meal, Karnak offered a donation worth several times the cost of the food, bringing happiness to Priest Gras. After finishing their meal, the three of them returned to their room, saying they would get some more sleep since the night had deepened. A bit more time passed. Alius, who had been watching the situation outside, spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s about time for you two to go to bed as well. Let¡¯s move.¡± He was suggesting that they sneak out of the church without Priest Gras and Sister Julia noticing, in order to find Cleo, who was suspected of being a necromancer. ¡°Is it really necessary to keep this secret?¡± Karnak asked, curious. Alius answered seriously, ¡°It¡¯s to prevent the possibility that they might be under the necromancer¡¯s influence. If that¡¯s the case, our movements could be reported to the necromancer.¡± ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t it have been better to hide the fact that you¡¯re a priest from the beginning¡­?¡± ¡°There are times when we do that.¡± He exined that this is indeed the case when there is a certain level of foot traffic in the area. ¡°But in this vige, outsiders are rare. It¡¯s better to clearly reveal our identity than to appear as suspicious strangers.¡± Many priests were already traveling across the continent, continuing their search for necromancers. Didn¡¯t Sister Julia mention that another priest had visited a few months ago? So, the appearance of an outsider priest in the vige was still within the realm of what could be tolerated. But if that priest suddenly left the church in the middle of the night? ¡°Now that would be truly suspicious.¡± ¡°I see, I hadn¡¯t thought that far ahead.¡± Karnak was honestly impressed. Unlike him, Alius hadn¡¯t noticed anything suspicious about the people in the vige. Despite that, he was prepared to handle the worst-case scenario. Alius, feeling a bit embarrassed, responded, ¡°This is standard training for official Inquisitors.¡± The world had certainly changed. Unlike in the past, the Church of the Seven Goddesses had now systematized their response to necromancers. After finishing his preparations, Alius rummaged through his belongings once more. He pulled out a shabby robe, which he put on over his priestly garb, and then he took out two equally shabby cloaks and three masks. ¡°It¡¯s fortunate I had spare cloaks.¡± Laying them out in front of the group, he began to exin the n. * * * Moonlight faintly filtered through the window. As Cleo gazed out at the dark forest beyond, a smile crept across his face. ¡®The time for harvest is drawing near.¡¯ Reflected in the window was the image of an ordinary middle-aged man, seemingly in histe forties. Contrary to what the vigers believed, he was neither young nor handsome. But that didn¡¯t matter. The vigers perceived him differently. How fragile is the human mind? ¡®Foolish beings, hehehe.¡¯ In the room, a maid was busy tidying the bed. In reality, a maid from a noble household wouldn¡¯t wait until thiste hour to prepare the bedroom. Proper etiquette dictated that all tasks bepleted before the master¡¯s presence was required. However, this girl, wearing a maid¡¯s uniform, was just an ordinary maiden from the vige. Expecting more from her would be unreasonable. Cleo waved a hand dismissively toward the maid once she finished. ¡°You may go now.¡± ¡°¡­Good night, Master.¡± With vacant eyes, the girl left the room. Watching her retreating figure, Cleo clicked his tongue. ¡®Tsk, just watching is hard to endure.¡¯ She wasn¡¯t particrly beautiful, but she was still a young maiden. The desire to take her on the spot was almost overwhelming. But Cleo restrained himself. A maiden¡¯s soul held high value as a sacrificial offering. ¡®Aftering this far, I can¡¯t lower that value for a moment of indulgence.¡¯ It had taken him half a year just to seize control of the vige, gather the dark power, set up the barrier, and prepare to offer the sacrifice to summon a demon. He had even spent a considerable amount of money to purchase and renovate the abandoned mansion to blend seamlessly into the vige. ¡®Hehehe, it¡¯s almost time.¡¯ He was just about to lie down, dreaming of the immense power he would soon wield, when something triggered the detection barrier he had set up around the mansion. ¡®¡­Intruders?¡¯ Startled, Cleo focused his mind. ¡®Could it be a follower of the Goddess?¡¯ He had already been uneasy, knowing that a priest had entered the vige. But since there had been no movement from the church after the priest¡¯s arrival, he had begun to rx. ¡®Regardless, if there are intruders, I can¡¯t just sit here.¡¯ Cleo hurriedly grabbed his sword. As he stepped out of the room, he found three men standing in the hallway, their faces concealed by masks. ¡®Masks?¡¯ If they were priests, there would be no reason to hide their faces. Additionally, their shabby robes and cloaks made it difficult to identify their affiliation by their attire. Perplexed, Cleo pointed his sword at them. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± Cleo demanded. A man in a shabby robe swaggered forward. ¡°Hey, man, there¡¯s a lot of talk about you. Word is, some rich kid¡¯s been throwing money around like it¡¯s nothing.¡± He twirled a dagger lightly in one hand as he continued in a sneering tone. ¡°So we thought we¡¯d drop by and get a share of that leftover cash ourselves.¡± Cleo¡¯s expression twisted into something strange. This waspletely unexpected. ¡®¡­What is this? Just somemon thieves?¡¯ But the more he thought about it, the less surprising it seemed. When rumors spread about someone having money, it was almost inevitable that this sort of thing would happen. Cleo let out a small, incredulousugh. ¡°Kuh, heh, heh¡­¡± ¡°Oh, so you think this is funny?¡± The young thief frowned, pretending to stab with his dagger. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re going to need a little prick to snap out of it.¡± Pathetic. Utterly pathetic andughable. Cleo¡¯s eyes changed. His voice dripped with contempt. ¡°Hmph, worms like you aren¡¯t even fit to be sacrifices¡­¡± A pitch-ck darkness erupted from Cleo¡¯s body, filling the corridor. ¡°For the crime of disturbing my sleep, you¡¯ll pay with your lives!¡± Paaaaaaah! An overwhelming aura of malevolence spread in all directions. The sheer power of the darkness was enough to instinctively paralyze any living being with terror. Cleo burst into maniacalughter. ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± But then a voice cut through hisughter, freezing him in ce. ¡°Wow, you really showed your true colors right away, huh?¡± *** Alius¡¯s ¡°n¡± was as follows: ¡°We¡¯ll disguise ourselves as bandits and threaten him for money.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Naturally, Karnak¡¯s response was one of disbelief. ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re not going to use a holy spell to identify the necromancer?¡± ¡°It would be wonderful if such a spell existed, but since it doesn¡¯t, we can¡¯t just sit back and do nothing.¡± ¡°Even so, are you really going to have a priest of the Church of the Seven Goddesses pretend to be a bandit?¡± Alius looked slightly sheepish. ¡°This is just my own method. It¡¯s not something the Church rmends.¡± Karnak felt a bit relieved. Thankfully, it seemed the Church of the Seven Goddesses wasn¡¯t that reckless after all. ¡°But you¡¯d be surprised how effective it is.¡± Necromancers are those who break all kinds of taboos to gain power. ¡°And when such a person is confronted by bandits in the dead of night, with no one around to witness¡­¡± Alius smiled with satisfaction. ¡°Would they really hand over everything quietly, afraid of the consequences, or would they reveal their true nature in anger?¡± * * * Dark energy surged in every direction. The mere sight of it would cause any living being to tremble with fear. The necromancer, his red eyes gleaming in the darkness, should have been the embodiment of terror itself! ¡­But for some reason, the reaction wasn¡¯t what Cleo expected. One of the masked men in the shabby robe shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? This method has never failed before.¡± A thin man nodded seriously, acknowledging the effectiveness of the n. ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s hard for this not to work, considering human psychology.¡± Therge man¡¯s reaction was more ambivalent. ¡°More than that, if this method didn¡¯t work, we wouldn¡¯t even be able to identify the target in the first ce. So it¡¯s only natural that it always seems to seed¡­¡± Despite standing before a necromancer¡ªa figure synonymous with death and terror¡ªthe three men remained utterly calm. It was clear they were no ordinary bandits. ¡°You bastards¡­¡± Cleo, surprisingly, found himself regaining hisposure. ¡°So, you really are the Goddess¡¯s dogs.¡± Karnak and Varos threw off their cloaks, revealing the longswords and wizard¡¯s wand they had hidden beneath. Alius also pulled an oak staff from within his robe. ¡°To the one who serves the darkness¡­¡± The staff began to emit a brilliant light, pushing back the darkness. ¡°Kneel before the light of the Goddess!¡± Light and darkness collided, producing a thunderous roar. The corridor and ceiling shook as dust fell from above. Kwakakakwang! Amidst the deafening noise, Cleo murmured calmly to himself. ¡°Yes, I knew this day woulde¡­¡± He was momentarily surprised, but it wasn¡¯t a major issue. His opponents consisted of only one priest, one warrior, and one mage. That much, he believed, he could handle. ¡°Fine then, you dogs of the Goddess!¡± Cleo spread his arms wide, and a shroud of darkness began to spread in all directions. ¡°I¡¯ll show you the true power of death!¡± Chapter 25 Chapter 25.7. A Model Necromancer (3) A voice echoed. ¡°Arise, O departed of the underworld¡­¡± Dozens of summoning circles appeared on the floor of the corridor. ¡°¡­Driven by darkness, reveal your wicked fangs!¡± With a ttering noise, dark shadows began to emerge. Skeletons and half-decayed corpses armed with swords and shields. They were Skeletons and Ghouls, the symbols of a necromancer. The disturbed dead let out painful groans. ¡°Uuuuuhhh¡­¡± ¡°Aaaahhhh¡­¡± Alius shouted in anger. ¡°Cursed necromancer! How dare you defile the rest of the dead in such a way!¡± Karnak, on the other hand, had a different thought. ¡®What a diligent and hardworking fellow.¡¯ Those unfamiliar with necromancers might think that corpses rise easily with a mere gesture. But as the saying goes, seeds must be sown for anything to grow. The undead Cleo summoned now included 20 Skeletons and 10 Ghouls. To prepare catalysts for such a number, he must have dug up at least 30 graves. [Looks like he¡¯s been diligently stockpiling, like a squirrel gathering acorns.] Varos¡¯s thoughts differed from Karnak¡¯s as well. [Hardworking, my foot! Do you think he dug up those graves himself? He probably ordered his underlings to do it.] [Why are you so sure? He might have dug them up himself.] [I know a necromancer quite well, and no matter what, he never moves a muscle. He always makes his servants do the grave digging.] [Oh, really? So there¡¯s another one like that besides me, huh?] [¡­As expected, young master, you¡¯re not one to be underestimated.] [Huh? What do you mean?] Despite their conversation, they were steadily preparing their formation. Varos took the lead, blocking the corridor, while Karnak channeled his magical power into both hands. Focusing his mind, Alius began chanting a holy spell. ¡°O Hatoba, bestow your protection upon your servants!¡± A divine light enveloped Karnak and Varos. ¡°Now, neither of you will be affected by the undead¡¯s aura.¡± At the same time, Varos¡¯s longsword also gleamed white. It was imbued with the power to cut down the undead. After bestowing the goddess¡¯s blessing, Alius stepped back. ¡°Please buy me some time! During that moment, I will take care of them!¡± * * * The first to move was Varos. ¡°Hup!¡± With a short exmation, he jumped in between the skeletons, shing left and right. The skeleton soldiers reacted quickly as well. They swung their rusted longswords,unching a continuous offensive. The metallic sounds of shing filled the air. ng! ng, ng! Karnak also cast a spell. ¡°Magic Arrow!¡± A simple yet effective sh spell struck the charging group of ghouls directly. Some of their limbs were severed upon impact. The force of the blow caused them to stagger back. However, they didn¡¯t fall. Being corpses, losing limbs wasn¡¯t enough to stop their movement. The corpses continued advancing towards Cleo, while Karnak and Varos fought on, protecting Alius. Swinging his sword surrounded by holy light, Varos sent a magical message. [So this is what a priest¡¯s blessing feels like.] [How is it?] [It¡¯s simr to the Berserk curse you used to cast, sir. No, I should say it¡¯s exactly the same, just a different color.] Aside from the brilliant light instead of dark, Varos couldn¡¯t really tell the difference. [Well, the curse I cast added rationality to the Berserk effect. If a berserker rampages calmly while maintaining their reason, there¡¯s not much difference from a holy knight, is there?] [I don¡¯t think a holy knight would agree with that opinion, though.] Blocking two charging skeletons at once, Varos asked casually. [How about you, sir? This is your first time receiving a blessing, right?] [It was worth checking.] Karnak nced at Alius with a faint smile. [It seems they haven¡¯t noticed at all.] Even if it was indistinguishable from mana, the origin of chaotic energy was ultimately necromantic power. If this collided with a priest¡¯s blessing, who knew what side effects might ur? In theory, there was no problem, but when had theory and reality ever perfectly aligned? [What would you have done if side effects had really urred?] [That¡¯s why I purposely arranged this situation.] If he had just gone to any priest and received a blessing, he would have had to silence them if any unexpected side effects urred. But now? [With necromantic energy overflowing everywhere, it doesn¡¯t stand out.] Just like he pinned everything on Randolph, he could also me the necromancer. Even if someone sensed something suspicious about Karnak, he could just im it was because of a curse. [I shouldn¡¯t live like I used to, after all.] [Oh, for once you¡¯re actually making a human-like decision. What¡¯s gotten into you?] [¡­I¡¯ve always tried to live like a human.] Meanwhile, Cleo was frowning. ¡®What is this strange feeling?¡¯ At a nce, it seemed like a typical adventurers¡¯ battle. The warrior held the front line to protect hisrades, the mage cast spells from the rear, and the cleric supported the battlefield. Yes, there was nothing particrly unusual about it. It was a steady and traditional team-basedbat style. ¡®But something¡­¡¯ What bothered Cleo was the attitude of the two fighting against the undead. They weren¡¯t fighting half-heartedly, but they also didn¡¯t seem tense. Their expressions were so natural, evenfortable, that it was strange. Come to think of it, he had seen simr expressions before. The old baker Errol, who had been baking bread in his hometown for 20 years, had that exact same look on his face when he started kneading the dough every morning. It seemed like he was just going through the motions, yet the baker¡¯s dough was always perfectly kneaded and glossy. In contrast, no matter how much effort and care his apprentice put in, the dough always seemedcking in some way. ¡®So¡­ those guys have fought undead that often?¡¯ Cleo let out a small chuckle. It was a ridiculous thought. ¡®They¡¯re just oblivious to the situation.¡¯ Still, there was no denying that they were strong. By now, the horde of skeleton soldiers and ghouls that had been summoned were almost entirely defeated. But it didn¡¯t matter. After all, those guys were just bait to buy time. ¡°They were quite skilled.¡± With a sneer, Cleo formed a seal with both hands. ¡°But this was just a warm-up¡­¡± Necromantic power painted a ck magic circle in the air, emanating a dark hue. ¡°Now, taste the true power of darkness!¡± The summoning circle began to expel a massive entity. ¡°Come forth, beast of hell! Descend upon thisnd ording to my will!¡± A gigantic demon, its entire body stained red, set foot in the corridor. It had a fearsome appearance with enormous horns, a body covered in bulging red muscles, and rough battle hammers gripped in both hands. Standing close to two meters tall, it made the corridor feel cramped. ¡°Grrrr¡­¡± The summoned demon spewed mes as it spoke. ¡°Contractor, what do you desire?¡± ¡°The death of those fools!¡± ¡°It shall be as you wish¡­¡± An intense killing intent spread out with the demon¡¯s terrifying aura. Cleo grinned with satisfaction, fully expecting their expressions to finally contort in fear. ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Finally!¡± But Cleo¡¯s expectations werepletely shattered. Varos and Karnak, instead of showing fear, were actually beaming with excitement. * * * Varos adjusted his grip on his sword and grinned slyly. [Now we can finally get some proper practice in, sir.] Karnak felt the same way. [Indeed.] Skeletons and ghouls weren¡¯t particrly strong. To be blunt, they were barely different from regr soldiers. Their utilityy in how easy they were to create and the fact that they could turn fallen enemies into allies, making them valuable assets in an army. But individually, theirbat prowess was ordinary. The reason seasoned warriors sometimes fell to these low-tier undead was due to ack of familiarity. In terms of attack power and movement, they weren¡¯t much different from ordinary human soldiers. But when it came to defense, there was a significant difference. Being corpses, they continued to move even after losing limbs or having their heads severed. Warriors ustomed only to fighting the living might assume they had finished off an enemy, only to be caught off guard when the undead kepting. There was also the psychological burden of fighting something that didn¡¯t die no matter how much you stabbed or shed it. But if you looked at it coldly, the ability to keep moving despite losing limbs wasn¡¯t that impressive. A severed limb didn¡¯t reattach itself, after all. If you cut off an arm, the enemy was left with one arm; if you severed both legs, they became immobile. They didn¡¯t die, but theirbat power was significantly reduced. Once you became ustomed to the fact that the dead could still move, they weren¡¯t much of a threat. Karnak and Varos were among the most experienced fighters against the undead in the world, making these low-tier undead unworthy opponents. The demon that had just been summoned, however, was a different story. [What rank would that demon be?] [It¡¯s a low-rank demon, but that¡¯s perfect for our current level.] [True, since we¡¯re starting over.] They were no longer the Necromancer King or the Death Knight Lord. At this point, they needed to reassess their strength and refine their senses. As a training opponent, this demon was just what they needed. Varos let out a battle cry full of determination. ¡°Demon! I¡¯ll take you on!¡± Just as he was about to charge forward¡ª ¡°Light of Hatoba, cleanse this evil!¡± Alius mmed his staff into the ground, unleashing a massive holy radiance. ¡°Holy Dispel!¡± Wings of light spread across the corridor¡¯s ceiling and walls. The brilliant light engulfed the demon¡¯s entire body. The demon, who had been exuding a murderous aura, looked around in panic. ¡°This, this is¡ª!¡± A rift opened in space. With a scream, the demon¡¯s crimson body began to be sucked into the void. ¡°Gah! A reverse summoning!¡± The demon¡¯s form vanished. The demonic aura and killing intent that had filled the area also dissipated. With ¡°Holy Dispel,¡± the holy spell that erases darkness, Alius had obliterated the demon summoning ritual itself. Varos, who had been about to charge forward with enthusiasm, blinked in confusion. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Alius shouted coldly, ¡°It¡¯s useless, necromancer! Before the light of the goddess, all wickedness shall wither away!¡± Cleo, having lost his trump card so easily, shook his head in disbelief. ¡°H-how did he figure it out?¡± The holy spells used to banish undead and those used to dispel demon summoning are fundamentally different. Yet Alius had been preparing the appropriate spell even before the demon was summoned. This meant that he had seen through the fact that the skeletons and ghouls were merely distractions, and that the real attack would be a demon summoning. Indeed, Alius had anticipated everything. ¡°Your actions in this vige revealed it all, necromancer.¡± As an experienced inquisitor, he could deduce the specialties of his opponents based on the crimesmitted by other necromancers. Necromancers who spread undead usually turned entire viges into living hells, often by spreading gues. Cleo, however, had bewitched the entire vige and lured the maidens here. ¡°This means your specialty lies in ck magic, specifically in offering sacrifices to gain power from demons, doesn¡¯t it?¡± As he turned to face hispanions with a triumphant expression, he continued, ¡°Now, let¡¯s put an end to th¡ª¡± Alius suddenly froze mid-sentence. Both Karnak and Varos were openly disying expressions of disappointment. ¡°¡­Did I do something wrong?¡± The two, startled, quickly tried topose themselves. ¡°No, not at all.¡± ¡°We were just¡­ momentarily stunned by how you took down such a massive demon so easily.¡± They tried to y it off, but it was clear they couldn¡¯t hide their disappointment. [Ah, there goes our practice.] [Let¡¯s just finish this, sir.] Judging by Cleo¡¯s state, he had very little necromantic energy left. They could just walk up and slice him down, and it would be over. Varos began striding forward, his longsword exuding a cold, menacing aura. ¡°Surrender, necromancer.¡± Seeing death approach, Cleo¡¯s face twisted in grotesque desperation. ¡°It¡¯s not¡­ it¡¯s not over yet!¡± He reached deep within, pulling forth the darkest energy, tainting his very soul as he sought more power. ¡°Arghhh!¡± With a horrifying scream, Cleo¡¯s entire body began to distort. His limbs stretched out, his clothes tore apart, and his very flesh grew in size. In no time, he had transformed into a monstrous figure, letting out a beastly roar. ¡°Graaaaah!¡± There was no longer any trace of the human Cleo in that spot. What stood there now was another demon, almost identical to the one that had been summoned earlier. ¡°Demon Knight! He still had that much power left?¡± Alius was horrified. He turned to warn hispanions. ¡°He¡¯s used a demonification spell! Everyone, be ca¡ª¡± But once again, his words trailed off. Karnak and Varos¡¯s eyes were gleaming with excitement. ¡®Wait, why are they so happy?¡¯ * * * Finally, the opportunity for practice had returned. Opportunities like these were to be cherished. [Let¡¯s take him down quickly before that priest interferes again!] [Agreed, sir!] Varos leaped into action. ¡°Hoo¡­¡± He exhaled lightly as he dove straight into the embrace of the demonified Cleo. ¡°What the¡ª! You wretch!¡± Cleo, startled, frantically swung his massive arms, but it was no use. No matter how powerful the attack, it was meaningless if it didn¡¯t connect. Effortlessly dodging every strike, Varos delivered a relentless series of blows. Demonic blood sttered everywhere, and in the blink of an eye, Cleo¡¯s body was torn to shreds. Simultaneously, Karnak unleashed his spells. ¡°Fireball, Magic Arrow, Lightning Shock.¡± These weremon, low-level attack spells, but their timing and angles were wless. Every single spell struck the demon¡¯s weak points with pinpoint uracy, as if orchestrated in advance. With each explosion, Cleo¡¯s agonized screams echoed through the corridor. ¡°Gah! Aaargh! Uwaaaah!¡± After about a minute, the demonification wore off, and Cleo, now reverted to his human form, copsed in a mangled heap. [Ah, that was a good warm-up.] [Quality over quantity, after all.] It had been a short but satisfying practice session. With a contented smile, Varos stomped on Cleo¡¯s back. ¡°Guh!¡± Then, with an innocent expression, he turned to Alius and asked, ¡°So, what do we do now? Kill him? Or capture him?¡± Alius, who had been watching in stunned silence, could only stand there, dumbfounded. ¡®My god¡­¡¯ The situation had ended before he could even do anything. ¡®Just who are these people?¡¯ Chapter 26 Chapter 26. A Model Necromancer (4) Recalling the scene from just moments ago, Alius clicked his tongue. ¡®How on earth can someone fight like that?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that they disyed superhuman skills. They were far from the transcendent force wielded by aura users who had awakened their energy or by high-level mages. ¡®The power of their swordsmanship and magic was clearly at an ordinary level.¡¯ It was just that their experience surpassed imagination. They read every attack in advance and evaded it, targeted every weakness as if they could see it inly, and executed all of this without a single mistake, without any sign of tension. How muchbat experience would one need to pull off something like that? ¡®And they¡¯re both still in their twenties. At best, they¡¯re around my age. Where did they gain such experience?¡¯ Alius had more experience than most for his age, but even he wasn¡¯t on that level. ¡®Could they be hiding their true abilities?¡¯ But that didn¡¯t make sense. Not only was there no reason for them to hide their skills, but it would also be ridiculous for someone hiding their abilities to disy such seasonedbat techniques so openly. That left only one conclusion. They were still young and had not yet awakened their aura or umted much magical power, but their talent was so extraordinary that theirbat instincts alone allowed them to achieve this! ¡®Wow, even I was considered quite the prodigy within the Church¡­¡¯ Although he showed humility in front of others, Alius was honestly aware of his own talent. It would be foolish not to, when he could easily learn things others struggled with. Yet, even he felt envious of the sheer talent these two possessed. ¡®They said they were from the Zestrad Barony, right?¡¯ These were not talents that should be buried in some rural fiefdom. And in increasingly chaotic times, talent was always in short supply. ¡®I need to investigate them as soon as I return to the Church.¡¯ As Alius momentarily drifted into these thoughts, a voice interrupted him. ¡°Excuse me, Priest?¡± Varos, who had pinned Cleo down, urged him. ¡°What should I do now? Kill him or spare him?¡± Alius snapped back to reality. ¡®This is no time to be daydreaming.¡¯ He approached the fallen Cleo and pointed his staff at him. ¡°I¡¯ll handle this.¡± A light began to emanate from the tip of the staff. Cleo, pinned beneath Varos, struggled in fear. ¡°U-ugh¡­¡± Ignoring him, Alius brought the holy light closer to Cleo. ¡°Aaaargh!¡± A scream erupted as Cleo¡¯s veins darkened and bulged. His skin soon tore open, and a ck aura surged forth. The ck aura gathered in the air, then was drawn into a vial Alius had taken out. Momentster, all the aura had vanished. Baros and Karnak nced at Cleo. He had already passed away. ¡°As expected,¡± Alius said definitively after examining the light within the vial. ¡°It¡¯s the Doom of Darkness.¡± Karnak smiled faintly. ¡®Oh, so that¡¯s how they deal with it? I learned something useful.¡¯ He had just witnessed firsthand how a priest sealed necromantic power. This was a significant discovery. Meanwhile, Baros was worried. [Is this okay? We need that too, you know. Are we just going to let them take it?] [It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve already prepared for this.] [Prepared?] At that moment, a dark tendril suddenly shot out from a corner of the hallway, aiming at Alius. *Pa-a-aht!* ¡°Oh no! There was still a trap left¡­¡± Alius turned in rm, but he was a moment toote. In an instant, the tendril began to choke him. ¡°Ugh! Gah¡­¡± Through his dimming vision, Alius saw Karnak rushing towards him in rm. ¡°Priest!¡± Even as he was losing consciousness, Alius felt a sense of relief. Since the necromancer had already been dealt with, he trusted that these people would handle the rest. ¡®I¡¯m d I didn¡¯te alone¡­¡¯ As Alius fully lost consciousness, the tendril that had been strangling him also released its grip. Karnak, who had been feigning concern, immediately changed his expression. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± Baros looked incredulous. ¡°When did you prepare something like this?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a necromancer¡¯s job to pull tricks behind the scenes?¡± ¡°Even so, if they start getting suspicious¡­¡± Baros trailed off as he looked around. ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s unlikely?¡± The Doom of Darkness was sealed in the vial, but the residual dark energy still filled the hallway. And setting traps everywhere was a specialty of necromancers. ¡°To Alius, it¡¯ll just seem like that guy was up to something¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s actually a bigger reason than that,¡± Karnak said as he subtly drew upon his chaotic magic. ¡°Look, see? Magic.¡± ¡°It¡¯s magic, so what?¡± ¡°It means I¡¯m a mage right now. Someone who uses mana.¡± Baros finally caught on. ¡°Oh, I get it.¡± Fred had been too ignorant to realize that Karnak, despite being a mage, was using necromancy, and had dismissed it as him hiding his true identity. But Alius was a high-ranking priest. While a necromancer could disguise themselves as a mage in front of ordinary people, doing so in front of a priest was impossible. And mana, aura, holy power, and necromantic power are fundamentally ipatible. That¡¯smon sense. ¡°For someone like him, who saw me using mana, would he even suspect me? Well, it¡¯s actually chaotic magic, but the difference is almost negligible.¡± Karnak grinned as he pulled the ck vial from Alius¡¯s unconscious body. ¡°I¡¯ll investigate this and return itter, making it a perfect crime.¡± * * * ¡°Well then, let¡¯s see¡­¡± Karnak focused his mind as he infused chaotic magic into the darkness contained within the vial. Baros, who was watching, asked, ¡°Is this really the fragment we were looking for?¡± ¡°It is.¡± ¡°Lucky us, then. The necromancer we found just happens to be exactly who we needed.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t luck,¡± Karnak shrugged. ¡°It was inevitable.¡± In his previous life, necromancers were as rare as a bean sprouting during a drought. But now, due to the Doom of Darkness, they were popping up everywhere. ¡°Imagine someone threw ten thousand more stones into a space that originally had only ten. If you picked up a random stone, what are the chances it would be one of the original ones?¡± Most of the necromancers currently active were connected to the Doom of Darkness. ¡°On top of that, the original stones are gradually disappearing.¡± During his investigations, Karnak had discovered something important. Cleo had been pursuing necromancy even before the chaos began. Originally a pure necromancer, Cleo had killed another who possessed the Doom of Darkness and absorbed their power. ¡°Even the original necromancers are prioritizing hunting the Doom of Darkness in these circumstances. It¡¯s too tempting a prey.¡± Karnak doubted if there were any necromancers left who were not connected to the Doom of Darkness. After finishing his exnation, Karnak focused again. Baros, growing bored, hesitated before asking again. ¡°So, did you find anything useful?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve figured out what this guy was up to¡­¡± ording to the residual thoughts, Cleo had joined a cult worshipping a deity called Tesranak after obtaining the Doom of Darkness. ¡°Tesranak?¡± Baros looked puzzled. It was a name he had never heard before. ¡°Yeah. Supposedly the God of Death.¡± ¡°Does that even make sense?¡± In the old days, there had been someone referred to as the God of Death. That someone was Karnak himself. Although Karnak was human¡ªalbeit not apletely ordinary one¡ªhe had earned that grand title for a reason. ording to the doctrine of the Church of the Seven Goddesses, death and darkness were not domains governed by the goddesses. Darkness was simply the concept that arose when the Goddess of Light¡¯s protection weakened, and night was the time when all sorts of monsters and evil beings roamed freely, instilling fear. Thus, the Goddess of the Sun drove away darkness, turning night into day, while the Goddess of the Moon and Stars guided humans with their light even in the darkness of night. Death was merely the unavoidable fate that unfortunate humans faced. Those who follow and believe in the Seven Goddesses will be gathered into the goddesses¡¯ heaven after death, free from suffering. If one meets death without the goddesses¡¯ protection, their soul will fall into a demon-infested hell where they will suffer. Death and darkness are not separate phenomena; they are merely the absence of life and light. ¡°But is there really a god of death and darkness?¡± ¡°It seems that the cultists believe so.¡± ording to their doctrine, Tesranak is a god of death and rebirth who spreads the Doom of Darkness, purifying the corrupt and deceitful world through death and then unveiling a new paradise. Varos let out a dryugh. ¡°So, this Tesranak is the one who caused this cmity, is that the story?¡± ¡°Apparently so.¡± Karnak sighed in disbelief. ¡°Good grief, they¡¯re attaching all sorts of things together. They¡¯ve even gone and made up a nonexistent god¡­¡± From his perspective, it was a truly absurd story. ¡°Well, we can¡¯t exactly say it¡¯s not true, so we might as well just go along with it, right?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± He explored a bit more, but after that, there was no useful information. The situation was too fragmented, and there was still too little information to grasp the overall situation. To learn more, they would need more of the Doom of Darkness. Still, he wasn¡¯t particrly disappointed. He had expected it to turn out this way from the start. ¡°This time, we¡¯ve gained quite a bit, so I should be satisfied with this.¡± As Karnak drew out the chaotic energy from the bottle containing the darkness, he smiled brightly. ¡°It¡¯s just as I expected. It bes a lot easier with the help of a priest.¡± ¡°What does?¡± ¡°Refining chaotic energy.¡± Chaotic energy is purified necromantic power. In other words, it¡¯s also sealed necromantic power. Theoretically, by using a priest¡¯s holy power, one can refine chaotic energy much more easily and simply! ¡°But I need a way to test this.¡± Inviting a priest over and saying, ¡®I¡¯m about to use necromancy, could you purify it with your holy power?¡¯ would surely get a great reaction. The main reason Karnak had decided to move with Alius was to gather information on how holy power purifies necromantic power and how to apply that method to refining chaotic energy. As he extracted all the chaotic energy from the darkness in the bottle, Karnak smiled with satisfaction. ¡°Now I know what to do.¡± He had filled in the gaps in his knowledge, and his amount of magic power had more than doubled. He had gained a lot without much trouble. ¡°With this, I could probably pass as a 4th-circle mage.¡± Varos nced at the unconscious Alius and asked. ¡°Oh, so does that mean we have to keep bringing him along in the future?¡± And knock him out every time, like now? That didn¡¯t seem right. Unless he was a fool, if the same situation kept repeating, he would definitely start to get suspicious. ¡°Of course not.¡± Karnak waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Not only priests possess holy power.¡± There are things in this world, aside from people, that possess holy power. Holy relics, for instance. ¡°They may sound grand, but in reality, holy relics are surprisinglymon.¡± Things like holy water sold by the church, talismans for dispelling evil, and protective charms are all technically holy relics. They¡¯re somon that they don¡¯t even feel like holy relics. ¡°I¡¯ve got plenty of money, so I should gather a bunch of those and use them to refine magic power. Things will be easier from now on.¡± He had already extracted all the information and magic he needed, so there was no longer any use for this bottle of darkness. Karnak ced the bottle back into Alius¡¯s possession. Even if Alius checked the bottle, he wouldn¡¯t find anything strange. The corruption and foul energy would still be present, and extracting magic power from necromantic energy was something most wouldn¡¯t even imagine. ¡°It¡¯s like extracting nutrients from excrement¡ªsomething you wouldn¡¯t normally think of.¡± Varos wrinkled his nose in disgust. ¡°That¡¯s a pretty filthyparison, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s how dirty necromancy is. Especially to priests.¡± ¡°Are we really that despicable?¡± ¡°Why do you think we¡¯ve been living with the world¡¯s hatred?¡± Now, all that was left was to wake up the unconscious Alius. Afterposing his expression, Karnak began to urgently shake Alius. He raised his voice, filling it with concern and worry. ¡°Priest! Are you alright, Priest?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Alius let out a faint groan and slowly opened his eyes. Karnak sighed in relief. ¡°Thank goodness. You¡¯re safe.¡± Watching the scene, Varos could only shake his head in disbelief. [Wow, he¡¯s really good at faking it without even batting an eye.] [Keep your expression in check, Varos!] [Ah, yes, sir!] *** When Cleo died, the necromancy cast over Gelfa Vige was also broken. The vigers, freed from their delusions, realized the inconsistencies in their memories and were horrified. ¡°My God, why did I think that person looked so young?¡± ¡°Why did we think he was handsome?¡± ¡°Even the priest from the church was under the spell?¡± Fortunately, thanks to Alius¡¯s swift follow-up actions, the panic subsided. First, they coordinated with the vige church. The vige church hadn¡¯t been idle. In fact, they had been suspicious of Cleo all along. This is why Priest Gras had secretly invited Alius to deal with Cleo. This was how the announcement was made. With this, trust in the church was restored. Moreover, the fact that the vigers hadn¡¯t suffered any significant harm yed a big role in this. Cleo had indeed been preparing to use the vige maidens as sacrifices. To set up for this, he had spread money around the vige, trying to win everyone¡¯s favor. But, right before he could carry out the sacrificial ritual, he was caught by Alius. From Gelfa Vige¡¯s perspective, it was like they had just pocketed the money and wiped their hands clean of the whole affair. ¡°Phew, that was a close call.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll need to be more careful in the future.¡± Though the atmosphere in the vige had be somewhat grim, they eventually regained stability. After wrapping up the aftermath, Alius set out for Derat City with Karnak and his group. Throughout the journey, he peppered them with questions. ¡°Where did you both learn your swordsmanship and magic?¡± ¡°You seem to have a lot ofbat experience. Is the Zestrad Barony a particrly harsh ce?¡± ¡°Have you ever fought a necromancer before?¡± He seemed to have a great deal of interest in them. Well, after seeing their performance, it was only natural. Karnak responded with carefully chosen answers. ¡°I was fortunate enough toe across the legacy of an old court magician. Sir Varos has mastered the Delphiad Swordsmanship.¡± ¡°Our territory is rather rough, so we often encounter monsters.¡± ¡°Recently, a necromancer fled to ournd, and we had to borrow the Latiel Church¡¯s power to deal with him.¡± By skillfully blending truth with lies, they managed to keep the conversation flowing smoothly. Finally, they arrived in Derat City, and it was time to part ways. ¡°Are you both returning to your territory now?¡± At Alius¡¯s question, Karnak shook his head. ¡°No, we n to stay in Derat City for a while.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Alius gave a graceful bow and offered a formal farewell. ¡°May Hatoba¡¯s blessing apany you on your journey.¡± As he watched Alius walk away, Varos muttered nonchntly. ¡°Feels like we¡¯ll see that priest again, don¡¯t you think? He seemed pretty interested in us.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no harm in building connections with the Church of the Seven Goddesses. The situation has changed, after all.¡± They were bound to continue searching for the Doom of Darkness. The more avenues they had to gather information, the better. Karnak changed the subject. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get back to our business.¡± Varos cheerfully followed behind. ¡°Yes, sir! Let¡¯s finish that food tour we started!¡± ¡°Hey, our main goal is to investigate the Doom of Darkness, remember?¡± ¡°So? Does that mean you¡¯re not going to eat?¡± ¡°Of course I am, it¡¯s food!¡± Chapter 27 Chapter 27. The City of Sin, Trist ¡°*Huff, huff¡­*¡± Gasping for breath, Luke kept running. ¡°Ugh, why is this happening¡­?¡± He couldn¡¯t stop. If he slowed down even a little, that horrifying monster would pounce on him at any moment. ¡®This is impossible. This must be a dream. There¡¯s no way this could be happening¡­¡¯ No matter how much he tried to deny reality, the darkness chasing him from behind did not disappear. ¡°Ugh, ah¡­¡± Before he knew it, the entire alley was wrapped in a ck shadow. There was nowhere left to run. Luke¡¯s knees gave out. ¡°Ah, Goddess¡­¡± He copsed, sinking to the ground, praying. Calling upon the Goddess who blesses the world, he faced the terror before him. Amidst the swirling darkness, a young man with ck hair emerged. The young man wore an expression of disbelief. ¡°Hey, do you even have the right to call on the Goddess right now?¡± Luke stretched out his hands and screamed in desperation. ¡°Get away from me, you horrifying demon!¡± On either side of Luke, pitch-ck specters surged forth. Watching the oing spirits, the young man, Karnak, scoffed. ¡°Who are you calling horrifying?¡± This was the man who had killed 30 people, raped twice as many women, and sacrificed children, spreading terror across the entire Drd region. And now, when faced with his own demise, he was acting like an innocent civilian. ¡°Is this what they mean by how a person¡¯s behavior changes depending on their situation? Or is this something else entirely? Anyway, it¡¯s hard to understand the feelings of an ordinary person.¡± Tilting his head in confusion, Karnak pointed his finger. With just a slight flick of his finger, the specters were easily obliterated. Luke¡¯s face was overtaken by despair. ¡°My specters¡­¡± Another shadow appeared at the opposite end of the alley. ¡°Wow, this guy¡¯s fast. Since when did a necromancer get so good at running?¡± ¡°I heard he used to be a petty thief. He sure knows how to run away.¡± Karnak, having trapped Luke between himself and the new arrival, gestured with his hand. ¡°Hurry up and grab him.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Varos lunged forward. Luke tried to resist by summoning his specters, but it was useless. Karnak¡¯s necromancy had already tightly bound his darkness. At this moment, Luke was nothing more than an ordinary petty thief. There was no way he could withstand the punch of a knight trained to the fullest. *Wham!* With a heavy blow, Luke copsed. Varos, who had knocked him out with a single body blow, grabbed him by the back of the neck and asked, ¡°Shall I drag him over there?¡± With an air of indifference, Karnak responded, ¡°Yeah. We need to extract the Doom of Darkness from him.¡± * * * The former Karnak used to extract the Doom of Darkness from a necromancer on the spot and then slowly purify it with chaotic energy over time. However, now that he had found a more efficient method, he was using a different approach. In a shabby warehouse on the outskirts of Derat City. In this dim, isted ce, Luke, with his shirt off, was dangling in the air. ¡°Ugh, ugh¡­¡± Below him, arge water tank was set up, with Varos firmly holding the rope that kept him suspended. Karnak¡¯s voice echoed through the space. ¡°Dunk him.¡± The rope unraveled, and Luke plunged into the water tank, head first, of course. ¡°Mmff! Mmmph!¡± Luke thrashed about, gurgling as he struggled. But since his entire body was tightly bound, it was futile. Just when he thought he was about to drown, Karnak spoke again. ¡°Pull him out.¡± Luke gasped for air, barely tasting oxygen as he panted heavily. ¡°Dunk him.¡± *Ssh!* ¡°Pull him out.¡± ¡°Cough, cough! Cough!¡± Choking and gasping, Luke sobbed. ¡°¡­Why, why are you doing this?¡± They had abruptly captured him and locked him in this warehouse, only to keep torturing him with this water ordeal. He had waited, ready to be interrogated. He was even prepared to spill any secret they wanted. But there were no questions. They just kept torturing him, without reason. ¡°What do you want, cough, what is it you want?¡± Why wouldn¡¯t they ask anything? He was willing to answer anything! Karnak¡¯s response was cold. ¡°Dunk him.¡± ¡°Mmff! Mmmph!¡± No matter what Luke said, Karnak paid no attention. He just continued with the so-called ¡°torture.¡± And all the while, he muttered iprehensible words. ¡°See? This method really is more efficient.¡± ¡®What efficiency? What the hell is he talking about?¡¯ In confusion, Luke sank into the water tank once more. But in truth, Karnak wasn¡¯t actually torturing him. ¡°The tainted energy is being sucked out nicely.¡± He was simply doing the undry.¡± Thanks to Alius, Karnak had learned how to purify tainted energy with divine power. He had also developed a method using holy artifacts instead of priests. Through Alius, he had acquired arge supply of holy water. Everything had seemed fine, but when it came to practical application, a problem arose. The quantity was too small. Even if he poured ten bottles of holy water, it wasn¡¯t enough to purify the entire soul of a necromancer. So he had chosen this method. When doingundry, you don¡¯t just use soap. You rinse with water to thoroughly remove the dirt. Simrly, he diluted the holy water in regr water and then slowly washed away the tainted energy by soaking the entire body. In essence, it really was undry.¡± The only difference was that the item being washed wasn¡¯t fabric, but a soul. ¡°Pull him out.¡± ¡°Blub, blub, blub!¡± * * * Thanks to this, Luke felt like he was going to die, but naturally, Karnak couldn¡¯t care less. The only one feeling uneasy was Varos. ¡°Is this really okay? We said we wouldn¡¯t live like we used to.¡± In the past, Karnak¡¯s most frequent activity was capturing innocent people, torturing them, and corrupting their souls to extract necromantic power. Now, they were torturing someone to extract power again, so wasn¡¯t this just like the old days? Karnak firmly argued that it wasn¡¯t. ¡°Back then, we were torturing innocent people. This guy here is a bad person, isn¡¯t he?¡± Well, it was true that Luke had killed so many people that he¡¯d even earned a special title because of it. ¡°¡­But what was his title again?¡± ¡°Another Lord of Darkness.¡± There was a reason for the word ¡°another¡± being attached. This was the third ¡°Lord of Darkness¡± that Karnak and his group had captured. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, all these necromancers have the same titles.¡± ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, you used to call yourself the Lord of Darkness too¡­¡± ¡°T-that was when I was young!¡± ¡°And then you were called the gue Master¡­¡± ¡°I was still young then too!¡± ¡°I think you were over thirty when you called yourself the King of Death¡­¡± ¡°¡­Shut up.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± In any case, there was no doubt that the man currently being dunked in and out of the water tank, called the Lord of Darkness, hadmitted countless atrocities. That¡¯s why Karnak could be so confident. ¡°Capturing a bad guy and making him pay for his sins is, without a doubt, a righteous act!¡± ¡°¡­Is it?¡± Varos made a strange expression. Logically, it seemed sound¡­ But when he looked at the man hanging upside down and writhing in pain, it didn¡¯t quite feel that way¡­ ¡°He looks like he¡¯s having a hard time being hung upside down. Should we hang him the other way?¡± ¡°Varos, you¡¯re truly a bad guy, aren¡¯t you? If we hang him by the neck, he¡¯ll choke to death! We should hang him by the ankles.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± Varos¡¯s expression brightened as if he had gained a profound understanding. ¡°Considering even the safety of your enemy¡¯s life, you really are performing a righteous act, young master!¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Neither of them seemed to consider that they could just tie him by the wrists or waist. As a result, the only one suffering unbearably was Luke. ¡°Gah! Cough! *Gasp*! You crazy¡ª *ack!*¡± Amid Luke¡¯s desperate screams, Karnak¡¯s leisurely voice echoed again. ¡°Dunk him.¡± * * * Eventually, all the tainted energy was drained from Luke. The Doom of Darkness he had possessed was alsopletely absorbed by Karnak. At the same time, Luke, who had beenpletely drained of his life force, died. Despite all the talk about considering the safety of his enemy¡¯s life, Karnak had mercilessly killed him once his usefulness was exhausted. But neither Karnak nor Varos gave it a second thought. After all, their goal was never to show mercy to their enemies. They only kept them alive because it made the purification of darkness easier. As a result, Luke died slowly, in immense pain and despair. In a sense, it was a sort of offering to those who had fallen victim to him. Looking at Luke¡¯s corpse, Varos muttered, ¡°If we contact the Hatoba Church, they¡¯ll take care of it as usual, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s head back.¡± Leaving the warehouse, the two made their way to their lodging. As they walked, Varos suddenly asked, ¡°Did you gather a lot of darkness?¡± They had been staying in Derat City for over three months now. During that time, they had hunted down a considerable number of necromancers. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ the ones we¡¯ve caught so far¡­¡± Varos briefly counted on his fingers. ¡°Three Lords of Darkness, two gue Masters, and one who called himself a Companion of Death? They all have such simr titles.¡± ¡°That Companion of Death was a bit unusual, though.¡± ¡°Summarizing it makes the nuance sound odd.¡± In any case, they had hunted quite a few necromancers, and as a result, had gathered a significant amount of Doom of Darkness. So, was it about time to head home? ¡°Any noticeable changes?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°How much more do we need to gather? You¡¯re not nning to collect all the Doom of Darkness scattered across the world, are you?¡± ¡°Are you crazy? That would take a lifetime, and even that might not be enough.¡± After organizing his thoughts for a moment, Karnak spoke. ¡°As of now, I have three ways to deal with the end of the world.¡± ¡°Dealing with the end of the world? The way you say that makes it sound like you¡¯re some sort of savior. Isn¡¯t it more like you¡¯re just cleaning up the mess you made¡­?¡± ¡°Shut up. Why do you keep adding unnecessaryments?¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Karnak gave his ever-loyal servant a re before continuing. ¡°The first option is to ignore whatever happens to the world and live my life without a care.¡± This wasn¡¯t feasible. The disaster he had caused was too great to ignore. That was why he was running around like this in the first ce. ¡°The second option is to collect all the Doom of Darkness that¡¯s been scattered, just as you suggested.¡± This, too, was equally unrealistic. Collecting all the vast amounts of Doom of Darkness scattered across the entire world? It was an enormous task that would take a lifetime, and even then, it might not be enough. ¡°I gave up everything to try and live like a normal person, but I can¡¯t spend my whole life wandering and suffering like this, can I?¡± So, the only feasible option was the third n. ¡°Block the fundamental passage through which the darkness is being spread.¡± Thanks to the Doom of Darkness they had gathered so far, Karnak had managed to grasp the situation to some extent. The darkness currently being scattered wasn¡¯t being spread randomly, all over the world, without rhyme or reason. ¡°They say the Doom of Darkness falls like rain, but even that rain requires clouds to form. If you think of the passage through which the darkness spreads as those clouds, the concept is more or less the same.¡± No matter how powerful Karnak was, he couldn¡¯t possibly block all the rain from falling. But he could prepare in advance and prevent the clouds from forming. ¡°With the information we¡¯ve gathered so far, we¡¯ve identified the existence of these clouds. So, if we collect more information and figure out the conditions under which these clouds form and appear, we should be able to stop the Doom of Darkness from falling any further.¡± Of course, this method wouldn¡¯t do anything about the Doom of Darkness that had already been spread. But Karnak chose to ignore that particr issue. ¡°As long as the Church of the Seven Goddesses can still handle it, things should be okay.¡± Varos had a nk expression. ¡°Uh, sure¡­¡± Honestly, for someone like him who was a swordsman, this was a difficult concept to grasp. To be frank, he didn¡¯t really want to understand it either. What he really wanted to know was this: So, when are we going home? ¡°How many more of these guys do we have to hunt down?¡± After some rough calctions, Karnak shrugged. ¡°About twenty more Lords of Darkness?¡± In other words, they needed to catch twenty more guys like Luke. It was strange how the grand title of ¡°Lord of Darkness¡± hade to represent a third-rate necromancer, but that was just the way the world was these days. Varos sighed. ¡°At this rate, we¡¯ll have to stay in Derat City for at least another three months. I wonder if the old butler is going to throw a fit.¡± Originally, Karnak had said he was going to the capital and would be away from his territory for about 100 days. But that time had already passed. They hadn¡¯t even gone near the capital. Karnak¡¯s expression hardened, realizing his mistake. ¡°I should probably send a message back to the estate. Let them know we¡¯ll be a littlete.¡± ¡°What should we say? Should we lie and tell them we¡¯re staying in the capital?¡± ¡°Is there any need for that? We can just tell the truth.¡± On their way to the capital, they discovered necromancers tormenting people. How could they, under the name of the Zestrad Barony, simply stand by and watch such behavior? Punishing those scoundrels was a noble¡¯s duty, after all. For that reason, they had been eliminating necromancers with the support of the Hatoba Church, which meant they hadn¡¯t been able to reach the capital. They¡¯d likely have to keep doing this for another three months, so everyone should wait. ¡°We can just say that.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s telling the truth?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a lie, is it?¡± ¡°Is it?¡± It was somewhat confusing, but hard to argue against. Varos, having followed Karnak around all his life, found his understanding of normal people¡¯s logic was quite out of sync. ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re saying it won¡¯t take forever, right?¡± Having heard what he wanted to hear, Varos¡¯s face brightened again. ¡®Suffering for another three months or so isn¡¯t too bad, I suppose. Plus, exploring good restaurants is fun.¡¯ Switching into foodie mode, Varos¡¯s eyes gleamed. ¡°How about we head to Seral Street for dinner tonight? I heard there¡¯s a ce there that makes amazing noodle dishes.¡± Karnak, who was feeling hungry, also smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go.¡± Their steps felt unusually light as they set off, satisfied with a job well done and eager to seek out a good meal! They returned to their lodging, changed clothes, and were just about to head out again. ¡°Are you Baron Karnak?¡± A seemingly ordinary boy approached Karnak. ¡°I¡¯m a messenger from the Hatoba Church.¡± The boy handed him a letter. Since Karnak and Alius regrly exchanged information this way, he casually opened the letter. Varos leaned over, curious. ¡°What does it say? Has the fourth Lord of Darkness shown up or something?¡± Karnak looked puzzled. ¡°Alius wants to meet in person. He says he¡¯ll exin everything in detail when we see each other.¡± Chapter 28 Chapter 28. The City of Sin, Trist (2) In the Church of the Seven Goddesses, the hierarchy of Inquisitors who deal with necromancers is divided into three levels. Third-ss Inquisitors are those who have justpleted their training and have been newly assigned to fieldwork. Their skills are still insufficient to directly confront necromancers. Therefore, they are usually tasked with safer follow-up duties, such as handling corpses after an incident or purifying areas tainted by malevolent energy. When an Inquisitor reaches Second-ss, they are finally deployed to actualbat. The primary duty at this level is the detection of necromancers. Securing evidence and reporting it to the Church is the top priority, but if the situation bes dire, they may engage in directbat with the necromancer. Due to the high number of casualties during these missions, the Church prioritizes supporting Second-ss Inquisitors as its mainbat force. First-ss Inquisitors have enough authority to takemand of situations. They are capable of not only detecting necromancers and securing evidence but also directly punishing them. Additionally, they have the autonomy to manage the Church¡¯s funds at their discretion. Thus, a First-ss Inquisitor, given their authority to allocate budget, can hire skilled adventurers as needed. A First-ss Inquisitor is strong enough to handle most necromancers alone, so when they team up with adventurers, they can resolve cases independently. However, First-ss Inquisitors rarely hired adventurers. Instead, they often resolved cases with the cooperation of knights or mages from nearby noble families. Adventurers demand money, but nobles seek honor. For adventurers, who wander like floating weeds, money is paramount. However, for nobles, who already hold power, influence is far more important. Rather than receiving a small sum of money, it is much more beneficial for them to strengthen their ties with the Church of the Seven Goddesses and increase their family¡¯s reputation. This is why Alius had his eye on Karnak and hispanions. Even though the Church¡¯s budget could be used, wouldn¡¯t it be better to resolve the matter without spending any money? Alius had witnessed the strength of Karnak and Varos with his own eyes. If their origins were secure, there couldn¡¯t be more desirable allies. Upon returning to the Church, Alius researched the Zestrad family and discovered that they harbored a deep hatred for necromancy. ¡°To have lost parents and siblings to necromancers and nearly had their territory stolen! They have a clear reason to eradicate necromancers!¡± Well, thete Randolph might jump up in frustration, but Alius had no way of knowing that much. Three days after the incident in Gelfa Vige, a formal request for cooperation was sent. ¡°In the name of the Hatoba Church, I kindly ask for your assistance. Could you help the Church with its sacred duties, at least while you¡¯re staying in Derat City?¡± Karnak readily epted the request. ¡°It would be an honor. I dly offer my assistance in the name of the Zestrad family.¡± After all, they were searching for the ¡°Doom of Darkness.¡± After all, they had necromancers to hunt. [But isn¡¯t it great that they¡¯re handing over rted information for free?] Varos, who had been observing the situation, asked via magical telepathy. [Isn¡¯t there a reason to refuse?] It was customary in the Church of the Seven Goddesses to assign a skilled Inquisitor to any coborator dealing with necromancers. [This means that a priest from the Hatoba Church will be apanying us.] With someone watching, it would be difficult to freely use necromancy or pocket the ¡°Doom of Darkness.¡± Varos had pointed this out, but Karnak didn¡¯t seem concerned. [I had a feeling this would happen, so I looked into it ahead of time.] Recently, the Hatoba Churchcked the resources to assign Inquisitors to every coborator. After all, dealing with necromancers required specialized priests who had undergone proper training. But how many cases of the ¡°Doom of Darkness¡± were there? With more tasks than hands to handle them, the Hatoba Church, along with most other branches of the Church of the Seven Goddesses, typically provided information to coborators and had them handle the matter directly, unless it was a particrly significant case. [Oh, so it¡¯ll just be the two of us?] [Exactly!] And the benefits didn¡¯t end there. Alius, looking somewhat apologetic, continued. ¡°You might already be aware, but given the current situation, it¡¯s difficult to assign an Inquisitor unless it¡¯s a major incident. However, we can provide you with holy water, talismans, and other items tobat necromancy. Considering your abilities, I¡¯m confident you¡¯ll be able to handle this task, and I ask for your help.¡± [See? No priest following us, and they¡¯re giving us free holy water and talismans!] For others, this might have been a risk worth considering, but for these two, it was a situation with nothing but gains. So why refuse? Seeing Karnak ept without a moment¡¯s hesitation, Alius was once again impressed. ¡®He¡¯s willing to take on risks without hesitation¡ªtruly a righteous nature. But why does someone like him have such a notorious reputation?¡¯ * * * Recalling the past, Varos muttered. ¡°Alius did say they couldn¡¯t assign an Inquisitor unless it was a significant case, right?¡± ¡°He did.¡± ¡°And they¡¯ve been consistently sending us information about necromancers in the west.¡± The letter they received earlier was a bit different from usual. Up until now, they had mainly received information about necromancers who had been reported to be seen near Derat City, with a high likelihood of actually existing. However, this time, there wasn¡¯t any such information. The letter only mentioned that they would discuss things in person. This implied they were being cautious about information leaks. ¡°That means¡­¡± The streets of Derat City were quite bustling under the setting sun. As they continued to walk through the crowd trying to get home before nightfall, Varos spoke again. ¡°Does this mean something big has happened?¡± ¡°It seems so, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Karnak shrugged. ¡°It seems like something urgent. They usually don¡¯t contact us again so quickly.¡± Typically, after dealing with a necromancer, they had about three days of downtime. But now, barely half a day had passed since they dealt with Luke and reported it to the Church, and they were already being contacted again. Varos frowned. ¡°Is this okay? If something major happened, it might mean an Inquisitor could be assigned to us. Actually, considering the situation, it seems most likely that Alius himself would get involved.¡± ¡°I am a bit concerned about that too, but¡­¡± Karnak shed a grin at the worried Varos. ¡°On the flip side, it might be a good thing. It must be something huge if they want to meet in person to discuss it.¡± Just as great power follows great events, great events often bring substantial rewards. The Hatoba Church¡¯s temple was graduallying into view in the distance. Karnak spoke in an expectant tone. ¡°If we¡¯re lucky, we might be able to take down ten Dark Lords in one go, don¡¯t you think?¡± * * * Karnak and Varos were promptly led to the reception room upon arriving at the Hatoba Temple. As they entered, Alius greeted them warmly. ¡°Wee, both of you.¡± Besides Alius, there were two others in the reception room. One was a man in his mid-thirties wearing a robe, and the other was a beautiful woman in her twenties, equipped with light armor and a solid build. Karnak cautiously asked, ¡°Who are these people?¡± From their attire, it was clear that the man was a mage and the woman a swordsman, but both were unfamiliar faces. The brown-haired man was the first to introduce himself. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet two such renowned individuals, Lord Karnak and Sir Varos. I am Riltein, a Sixth-Circle Mage.¡± Varos acknowledged him. ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re High Mage Riltein.¡± Karnak then discreetly sent a magical telepathic message to Varos. [Do you know him?] [He¡¯s ourpetition. Remember how Alius mentioned there was a high-level mage among his coborators besides you?] [Ah, so this is the guy who beat us to the punch twice?] Now Karnak remembered. Alius had a few other coborators besides Karnak and his group, and among them, Riltein was particrly noteworthy. Riltein had hunted down a total of eight necromancers so far. In terms of numbers alone, he had surpassed Karnak. However, it seemed that Riltein was more impressed by them. ¡°I heard you¡¯ve taken down six necromancers in just under two months. Quite an impressive feat.¡± ¡°It was just a stroke of luck,¡± Karnak replied, feigning modesty while observing Riltein closely. Though Riltein had suppressed his mana, making it difficult to gauge his exact power, Karnak could still sense enough to make a rough estimate. ¡®It seems he¡¯s just recently advanced to the Sixth Circle. His mana hasn¡¯t fully stabilized yet.¡¯ Even so, Riltein was undoubtedly one of the strongest in the vicinity of Derat City. Magic is the act of channeling mana into a spherical space within the body called a ¡°mana hole,¡± where it forms a circr spell formation, or circle, to manifest effects in reality. The more powerful the magic, the more mana and the moreplex the spell formation required. A mage¡¯s prowess is determined by the number of circles they can form, which allows them to cast more advanced spells. 1st to 2nd Circle: This is the novice level, often referred to as the realm of apprentice mages. Although they can use magic, they are not considered full-fledged mages. 3rd to 5th Circle: This is the realm of regr mages, where most people remain. They can cast useful spells for daily life and somebat spells with decent lethality. When people think of mages, this is usually the level they imagine. 6th to 8th Circle: This is the level of high-ranking mages, who are respected wherever they go. They possess the power to massacre dozens alone, and when gathered, they can determine the oue of battles. They are often considered on par with aura users asbat mages. 9th Circle: These are the Masters, renowned across the continent. They serve as court magicians, heads of mage orders, or masters of famous mage towers. Their power is feared and respected. Finally, there is the 10th Circle, the ultimate realm that transcends human limitations. Only three individuals on the entire continent have reached this level, known as the Three Archmages. They wield power that far surpasses conventional magic, existing as absolute entities on another ne of existence. Currently, Karnak was pretending to be a mage of the Fourth Circle¡ªa fairly average, regr mage. Inparison, Riltein, being a Sixth Circle mage, was significantly more advanced. *¡®Well, that¡¯s only if you¡¯re talking about conventional mana,¡¯* Karnak thought to himself, as his true powery elsewhere, specifically in chaotic mana. Meanwhile, Varos was curiously eyeing the woman. [I don¡¯t recognize her. Was there a female swordsman that attractive among Alius¡¯ coborators?] She had striking red hair and soft, reddish-brown eyes. While not a beauty that could topple kingdoms, she was undeniably very pretty. Her physique also clearly showed the results of extensive training. The vibrant energy of a wild horse was evident, even through her light armor. [With that kind of appearance and skill, she¡¯d have to be famous, wouldn¡¯t she?] And indeed, she was well-known. Even Karnak, who typically wasn¡¯t interested in others, had heard her name before. ¡°I am Serati Allen, affiliated with the Adventurers¡¯ Guild.¡± Karnak was slightly surprised by the woman¡¯s introduction. ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re Lady Serati. I¡¯ve heard of your reputation.¡± As Karnak often explored various gourmet spots in the city, he couldn¡¯t help but overhear the rumors circting on the streets. This woman was currently the most talked-about adventurer. Born as the daughter ofmoners, she chose the path of a warrior, a field generally unfavorable to women. She began making a name for herself as an adventurer at the age of twenty. Recently, she even awakened the aura that all knights dream of, making her a true genius blessed by the heavens. Serati shook her head modestly. ¡°I¡¯m just an adventurer. I¡¯m not a knight, so the title ¡®Lady¡¯ doesn¡¯t really suit me.¡± ¡°An aura user can be knighted anytime they wish, can¡¯t they?¡± ¡°I was just fortunate to awaken my aura a bit earlier than others. I still have a long way to go.¡± It seemed she genuinely believed this, not just out of politeness. Indeed, among aura users, she had only just taken her first steps. She was at the entry-level stage of a *Red Knight*, so it was natural for her to feel inexperienced. Moreover, by Karnak¡¯s standards, her level wasn¡¯t particrly impressive. *¡®She¡¯s definitely a genius at her age, but on a continent-wide scale, there are easily hundreds of people with that level of talent.¡¯* Still, since she was a well-known figure in the area, Karnak knew he had to react appropriately. Karnak made a show of enthusiasm. ¡°It¡¯s truly an honor for someone like me to meet a renowned aura user in person.¡± Serati looked at him with a mix of disbelief. ¡°Someone like you? What do you mean? You¡¯re both quite famous yourselves.¡± ¡°Famous?¡± ¡°We are?¡± Karnak and Varos both widened their eyes in surprise. [Wait, what have we done to be famous?] [Exactly. We¡¯ve only taken down a few third-rate necromancers.] Riltein smiled faintly. ¡°You¡¯re both quite humble. Did you really think you wouldn¡¯t be famous after taking down so many necromancers in just two months?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± Varos scratched his head, realizing the truth of the matter. *¡®Come to think of it, it makes sense that we¡¯d be a topic of discussion.¡¯* While Karnak and Varos were so familiar with necromancy that they could handle it easily, even a third-rate necromancer typically had power surpassing that of an ordinary first-rate mage. Even Luke, whom they captured without much effort, would have required five or six skilled knights or mages to bring down. Considering how many they had taken down in such a short time, Karnak and Varos had naturally gained considerable fame around Derat City, known as the ¡°Shadow Hunters¡± of the Hatoba Church. [Is it okay to be famous, Young Master? Didn¡¯t we agree not to live like we did before?] In his past life, Karnak¡¯s fame¡ªor rather infamy¡ªhad spread far and wide, to the point where there was no one in the world who didn¡¯t know his name. All of humanity had once called for the downfall of the ¡°Necromancer King¡± with fear and hatred. [But this isn¡¯t infamy, so it should be fine, right?] [Right? We¡¯re not going back to the way we lived before, right?] It was only after this double-check that Varos let out a deep sigh of relief. [Ah, living like a normal person is harder than I thought.] [I know, right? There¡¯s so much to worry about.] Regardless, from Alius¡¯s perspective, he had undeniably gathered some significant figures. A Sixth Circle mage and an aura user were powerful individuals who would be respected anywhere they went. Karnak adopted a more serious expression and asked, ¡°This sounds like it¡¯s not an ordinary situation, is it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Alius nodded and gestured for them to take a seat. ¡°Please, have a seat first.¡± Chapter 29 Chapter 29. The City of Sin, Trist (3) In the western continent, between the Kingdom of Ustil in the north and the Kingdom of Tarum in the northwest, lies the city of Trist, within the Union of Seven Kingdoms. This city has no fixed ruler. It¡¯s just teeming with those who wish to be one. Originally, Trist City was a kind of buffer zone established by Ustil and Tarum. Exhausted from long territorial disputes, the two nations each put forth a member of their noble branches to be wed, establishing the Trist County and designating it as a neutral area. The problem was that the geographic location of Trist County, situated along a river, meant that it had significant trading rights. It was such a crucial location that the two countries had even gone to war to im it. Given that money and people naturally flocked to the area, considerable ability and skill were required to manage it properly. However, the Trist Countycked that kind of capability. After all, it was a puppet family established from the start, so it was inevitable. Moreover, neither the Kingdom of Ustil nor the Kingdom of Tarum could intervene. Both nations were too wary of each other to interfere recklessly. With a nominal ruler in ce, various factions began to vie for control of the trade rights, and it was only a matter of time before the city descended into chaos. Criminals and smugglers ran rampant, and bloodshed became a daily urrence. Now, decadester, people no longer referred to this ce as the County of Trist. The City of Sin, Hell on Earth, the Paradise of Ouws. These were the phrases that now described Trist City. * * * ¡°Until recently, Trist City was divided between two families.¡± Continuing the exnation, Alius spoke. ¡°The Ranpelt family and the d family.¡± Both families originated from lowly backgrounds, starting out as organizations involved in smuggling and prostitution. However, as their power grew, they began to im themselves as the true heirs of the Trist County, engaging in a power struggle. ¡°It¡¯s not entirely a lie. Both families do have the blood of the Trist County flowing through them.¡± Both sides had taken in the descendants of the fallen County of Trist into their families, securing the legitimacy of their bloodline. Of course, neither the Kingdom of Ustil nor the Kingdom of Tarum recognized this. For the two kingdoms, the bloodline of a count without tradition meant little. What mattered was who could effectively manage Trist City. It didn¡¯t matter who, as long as they could firmly control the city. Then, they would be recognized as the count. Though it wasn¡¯t openly stated, this was the proposition of both the Kingdom of Ustil and the Kingdom of Tarum. Thanks to this, the Ranpelt and d families had continued their deadly feud for decades. ¡°Both sides were so evenly matched that the bnce didn¡¯t easily copse.¡± Alius¡¯s voice lowered. ¡°¡­However, recently, that bnce of power has been broken.¡± It was due to the rampant spread of the Doom of Darkness. Awless area like Trist City was the perfect ce for necromancers to operate in secret. Naturally, all sorts of necromancers flocked to Trist City to avoid pursuit. And inevitably, they shed with the existing powers that controlled the city. The d family was the one primarily involved in these shes. Necromancers mainly targeted human lives to use as sacrifices. The Ranpelt family, which focused on smuggling, had little reason toe into conflict with them. On the other hand, the d family, involved in prostitution and the ve trade, found their domains ovepping with those of the necromancers. ¡°So, the d family was the one that primarily dealt with the necromancers.¡± The problem was that, during this process, a significant number of necromancers were recruited into the family. ¡°Even the unforgivable power of necromancy seemed quite attractive to them.¡± Surprisingly, the necromancers readily epted the recruitment offers. No matter how much they imed to serve a lord of darkness, they were originally just third-rate people living miserable lives. Once they were offered money, women, and pleasures, they quickly sumbed. ¡°They were insignificant people who just happened to acquire power by chance, so it¡¯s only natural.¡± Alius continued his exnation, revealing his tant contempt. ¡°With the power of necromancy, the d family broke the stalemate. They fiercely attacked the Ranpelt family and began to seize full control of Trist City.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Serati, who had been listening, nodded and asked, ¡°Then, the d family currently controls Trist City?¡± She assumed they had gathered to punish the d family. However, Alius shook his head. ¡°No, the victorious side was the Ranpelt family.¡± ¡°What?¡± He smirked at the bewildered Serati. ¡°They say a long tail will eventually be stepped on.¡± The Ranpelt family, while being driven back, discovered traces of necromancy in their enemy and informed the Hatoba Church, with whom they had long-standing ties. Once the existence of necromancy was confirmed, the Church of the Earth immediately took action. The Ranpelt family, unusually, cooperated fully. With local cooperation, the church aggressively pursued the d family. ¡°In the end, the long feud ended with the victory of the Ranpelt family. All those associated with necromancy were executed, and the d family was left in ruins, barely maintaining their lineage.¡± Unable toprehend, Riltein asked. ¡°Then, why did you summon us? Isn¡¯t the situation already over?¡± ¡°Haa, well, that¡¯s the thing¡­.¡± Alius let out a deep sigh. ¡°There are suspicions that the Ranpelt family, which took control of Trist City, is also employing necromancers.¡± * * * Whether it¡¯s the Ranpelt family or the d family, both are criminal organizations. They¡¯re all the same, so how could one side act morally or righteously? The Ranpelt family, just as much as the d family, had been actively recruiting necromancers. The difference was that, unlike the d family, who were intoxicated by the power of necromancy, the Ranpelt family had been working hard to keep their existence hidden. This was the reason why the Ranpelt family had been initially pushed back. ¡°In hindsight, this might have been their strategy from the beginning. They probably intended to borrow the power of the Church of the Seven Goddesses to deal with their opponents decisively while maintaining their own power.¡± The mage Riltein, astounded, asked, ¡°So, even though they were also employing necromancers, they used their rivals of being necromancers? And the priests of the Church didn¡¯t realize this?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a problem with identifying friend from foe when necromancers who possess the Doom of Darkness fight each other. The Church only discovered this recently.¡± When necromancy is used, it leaves clear traces in the surrounding area. This is one of the primary methods the Church of the Seven Goddesses uses to track down necromancers. ¡°But when both sides used necromancy, only the same traces of the Doom of Darkness were left behind. So, even when the victorious side used the other of being necromancers, the Church didn¡¯t find it suspicious.¡± ¡°Their brazenness in defying the Goddess is truly unforgivable. Ha ha¡­.¡± It was at that moment, while Riltein was letting out a bitterugh, that Serati, who had been listening quietly, suddenly looked to the side with curiosity. ¡°Why are you sweating so much, Sir Varos?¡± ¡°Pardon? Oh, no, it¡¯s just that I¡¯m a bit warm.¡± ¡°Warm? It¡¯s actually quite chilly today.¡± ¡°I, uh, tend to run hot¡­.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Clearly, he had something to hide, as his expression betrayed him. Desperately making excuses, Varos anxiously nced at Karnak. ¡®Is the young master managing his expression well?¡¯ Karnak didn¡¯t even flinch. He didn¡¯t move a muscle. Anyone could see that he waspletely innocent, with no connection to the matter at hand. In fact, he even clicked his tongue in disapproval along with the others. ¡°That¡¯s why they say necromancers are people you just can¡¯t associate with. It¡¯s dangerous to consider them as fellow humans.¡± Varos was deeply impressed. ¡®Wow, look at that shameless man!¡¯ As expected, the acting skills of someone who had lived with a face of iron for over a hundred years were not ordinary. With nothing but a look of disgust, Karnak continued speaking. ¡°So, this is the current situation.¡± On the surface, the Ranpelt family had borrowed the power of the Church of the Seven Goddesses, while secretly employing necromancers to turn the tide. In doing so, they had be the undisputed rulers of Trist City. ¡°In that case, we can¡¯t openly investigate the Ranpelt family on the grounds of necromancy. It would damage the reputation of the Hatoba Church, which has already deemed them innocent.¡± ¡°Exactly. That¡¯s why I gathered you all.¡± If they wanted to avoid escting the situation, it was better to move a small group of elites rather than deploy arge force. ¡°The higher-ups believe that since it¡¯s the Hatoba Church¡¯s mistake, we must handle it ourselves. It¡¯s not just about saving face; the church¡¯s trust is at stake.¡± Everyone¡¯s expressions turned serious at Alius¡¯s words. The reason why saving face is so important in human affairs is because losing ites with tangible losses. Damaged reputation means damaged trust, and losing trust makes it harder to gain cooperation. Without cooperation, capturing necromancers bes more difficult, leading to more innocent victims in the process. ¡°Excessive pride can be poisonous, but maintaining the necessary amount of face is crucial. I understand the situation.¡± Serati, having grasped the situation, inquired about their next steps. ¡°So, when do we depart?¡± ¡°We n to move out first thing tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°You¡¯re moving quickly? Well, you did summon us rather urgently today.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a reason for that.¡± Alius began to exin the circumstances. ¡°In fact, this isn¡¯t the first attempt to investigate the Ranpelt family.¡± The Hatoba Church had already tried several times to infiltrate the Ranpelt family. And each time, the teams had disappeared without a trace. ¡°At some point, all contact with them waspletely lost. It was as if they had vanished into thin air.¡± The victims weren¡¯t inexperienced novices. They were skilled dark hunters and seasoned adventurers. Erasing such individuals without leaving any trace, no matter how much the Ranpelt family had taken control of a city, was not an easy feat. Karnak pointed this out. ¡°Our information is leaking, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Alius lowered his voice, as if embarrassed. ¡°One of the main suspects within the current Ranpelt family is, unfortunately, connected to our church.¡± The person under suspicion was Bishop Shutraff, the head of the Trist diocese. He was a high-ranking cleric within the Hatoba Church, and had yed a leading role in helping the Ranpelt family drive out the d family. ¡°We realized this toote, but we couldn¡¯t afford to make it public. It would mean admitting that a cleric of the Hatoba Church was colluding with necromancers.¡± Therefore, this operation was entirely Alius¡¯s own initiative. He hadn¡¯t even informed his superior, the bishop of Derat City. ¡°Fortunately, as a First-ss Inquisitor, I have enough authority to act on this. I won¡¯t face reprimand as long as I submit a report afterward.¡± His n was as follows: Publicly, Alius, Karnak¡¯s party, Riltein, and Serati would move separately. Each would pretend to be searching for necromancers in the surrounding areas, as they normally did. These days, rumors about necromancy were rampant across the continent, so such activities wouldn¡¯t raise any suspicions. ¡°And then we¡¯ll rendezvous, conceal our identities, and head to Trist City. Once inside, we¡¯ll track down the Ranpelt family¡¯s trail.¡± Serati¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°That sounds dangerous.¡± Not only Serati, but everyone present was undoubtedly an expert in dealing with necromancers. They had already proven their skills by cooperating with Alius. However, this time, the enemy wasn¡¯t just necromancers. They were up against a vast power that had ruled a city for nearly several decades. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean the entire city could be our enemy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I called you all.¡± The objective wasn¡¯t to punish the Ranpelt family. The goal was to find ¡°evidence¡± to punish the Ranpelt family. Alius looked around the room with a trusting gaze. ¡°If it¡¯s you, I¡¯m confident you can at least get out safely, even in the worst-case scenario.¡± Chapter 30 Chapter 30. The City of Sin, Trist (4) The next morning, Alius, Riltein, Serati, and Karnak¡¯s group departed from Derat City as nned. During the journey, they split up and moved in different directions: east, west, south, and north. They made sure to conspicuously wear priestly robes, a mage¡¯s robe, and a knight¡¯s armor. After moving for about half a day away from Derat City, they changed their route. At the prearranged meeting point, they regrouped and brought out the clothing they had prepared. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s disguise ourselves.¡± Alius exchanged his priestly robes for a traveler¡¯s outfit. He also altered the priest¡¯s staff by attaching some shabby carvings to make it look ordinary. For Karnak and Riltein, it was easy. All they had to do was take off their mage robes and hide their wands. Varos and Serati, however, were a bit more challenging. In Varos¡¯s case, even without his armor, hisrge, muscr build was unmistakable. Since there was no way to reduce his size, he covered his entire body with a loose-fitting coat and disguised himself as aborer by carrying a backpackrge enough for a grown man. Serati¡¯s issue was that she was simply too beautiful. While it wasn¡¯t umon for women to be among travelers, a beauty of her caliber was another story. Her appearance alone would draw attention. However, disguising herself to look ordinary was also risky. Simply the fact that she was in disguise could arouse suspicion. Especially since the city they were heading to, Trist City, was a den of criminals, the chances of her disguise being noticed were high. Alius had anticipated this as well. ¡°If it¡¯s going to look suspicious anyway, we should just give them a reason to be suspicious from the start.¡± Thus, Serati applied light makeup, wore elegant gloves, but donned shabby women¡¯s travel clothes, creating an awkward appearance. She looked exactly like a typical noblewoman trying to hide her identity while traveling in secret. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve never put something like this on my face before¡­¡± Serati kept touching her cheeks, ufortable with the makeup, making Riltein smile softly. ¡°Indeed, this way, even if we¡¯re suspected, it won¡¯t cause any real problems.¡± To someone unaware, they would just look like an ordinary group of travelers; to someone experienced, they would appear to be a group disguising themselves to protect a noblewoman with a story. Either way, they would be able to keep their true identities hidden. Afterpleting their disguises, Karnak¡¯s group set off on the path leading northwest, where Trist City was located. As they walked along the mountain path, Varos grumbled. ¡°Traveling on foot will take quite a bit of time.¡± Apologetically, Alius responded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. If we travel on horseback, it would inevitably attract attention.¡± Horses were expensive, so just riding one would attract attention. Since they were disguised as ordinary travelers, they had no choice but to endure the hardships of traveling like ordinary people. Surprisingly, Karnak didn¡¯t seem to mind. ¡°I don¡¯t think this is so bad.¡± In his previous life, he was the type who would avoid physical exertion at all costs. To the point where he would even say something like this: ¡ª ¡°No matter how much I exercise, I just don¡¯t sweat!¡± How inactive had he been to actually believe that? To the old Karnak, his body was just an annoying obstacle, a trivial curse that hindered his mental activities. That¡¯s why he had no hesitation in turning himself into an undead. But now, things were different. ¡ª ¡°Oh! My precious body! I need to take care of it and nurture it.¡± Through consistent exercise, he regained his health, and as he got healthier, his condition improved as well. He even discovered the joy of eating after working up a sweat. Even while traveling, he made sure to enjoy good food. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s eat!¡± When lunchtime arrived, Karnak promptly reminded the group. They sat under a tree near the road, taking out their food supplies. For most travelers, a meal would typically consist of dried fruits, biscuits, jerky, and the like¡­ but¡­ ¡°A sandwich with tongue terrine and capers!¡± ¡°Roasted pigeon with arug pur¨¦e and fried acacia flowers!¡± ¡°Steamed freshwater crayfish vored with white wine and pepper!¡± What emerged from Varos¡¯s backpack were delicacies from high-end restaurants in Derat City. Each dish was something with neither the preservation nor portability needed for a journey. These were certainly not items one would expect to see on the side of a road. Alius, bbergasted, muttered under his breath. ¡°¡­Anyone would think you just packed a lunch.¡± ¡°You need to eat well to stay strong!¡± ¡°¡­Did you really just pack lunch?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Not believing it, Alius peered into the backpack and found it was indeed stuffed full of nothing but packaged foods. The enormous backpack,rge enough to fit a grown man inside, was packed with food. ¡°Where are your spare clothes?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just wash what I¡¯m wearing!¡± ¡°And if they get worn out?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll sew them up!¡± ¡°What about armor or weapons¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m wearing them under the coat! I just won¡¯t take it off!¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it exhausting to wear that kind of outfit?¡± ¡°Eating delicious food gives me strength!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Alius fell silent. Something seemed off, but Varos¡¯s logic(?) was so consistent that he couldn¡¯t argue against it. Serati was equally dumbfounded. ¡°We have at least three or four more days of travel ahead. Won¡¯t the food spoil?¡± Varos had prepared for that as well. ¡°The young master cast preservation magic on all the food in advance!¡± Riltein was shocked and asked, ¡°You cast preservation magic on all this food, one by one?¡± Preservation magic was a 3rd-circle spell, something he could also use. Despite that, they had still packed preserved food because¡­ ¡°My goodness, that must have taken an entire day!¡± Preservation magic wasn¡¯t an instant spell; it required a long casting time. For a 6th-circle mage to preserve a single portion of food for three days, they would need to cast the spell for an entire hour. This was why preserved food remained useful despite the existence of preservation magic. ¡®It¡¯s impressive, but did he really need to go that far?¡¯ Karnak replied confidently. ¡°Isn¡¯t it worth the effort to enjoy good food?¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡± In truth, it didn¡¯t take Karnak nearly as long as it normally would. ¡®I¡¯m just low on mana right now, but myputational ability hasn¡¯t changed.¡¯ Although his current mana allowed him to use only up to 4th-circle spells, his mastery had already surpassed even that of a great mage. A spell that would take Riltein all day to cast, Karnak couldplete in under ten minutes. Thanks to this, the atmosphere was quite cheerful. Karnak and Varos weren¡¯t the type to selfishly keep delicious food to themselves. ¡°Would you like to join us?¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± There¡¯s no one in the world who would refuse good food. Serati, delighted by Varos¡¯s offer, dly epted the sandwich. As a result, the initial distance between them narrowed significantly. As she nibbled on the sandwich, Serati took the opportunity to observe her newpanions closely. At first nce, they didn¡¯t seem particrly special. A lord and his apanying knight¡ªamon enoughbination. Their abilities were decent for their age, both as a warrior and a mage, butpared to Serati, who was an Aura user, they seemed ordinary. ¡®And yet, they supposedly captured necromancers so easily?¡¯ Since they had been in such a rush, they hadn¡¯t had a proper spar, leaving her curious about their true strength. Just how skilled were they? ¡®So far, they just seem like people obsessed with food¡­¡¯ Aside from mealtime, the journey was uneventful. Disguised as merchants, Karnak¡¯s group continued to head northwest, following the Yustilia Road. After four days, they finally arrived at Trist City. * * * Throughout the journey, Karnak had been thinking. ¡®The City of Sin, huh? That¡¯s quite a grand name.¡¯ He was familiar with the slums of cities. In his previous life, both Karnak and Varos had often lived in the back alleys. Having experienced the major cities across the continent, a ce like this beingbeled the ¡°City of Sin¡± didn¡¯t leave much of an impression on him. After all, every part of the world had itswless corners, and ces with terrible security weremon enough. He thought it was much ado about nothing. ¡®It¡¯s just another ce where people live, no matter what they call it.¡¯ ¡­or so he thought, but Trist City was different from the start. The basic structure of the city was impressive. It had originally been the western front of the Kingdom of Ustil, so sturdy stone buildings were scattered everywhere, and the streets were fairly well-paved with stone. But everything was half-copsed. The inhabitants were living among these ruins, patching things up with nks and logs as best they could. It was too intact to be called ruins, yet too deste to be considered a proper city. There were far too many people for it to be abandoned, but the atmosphere was too grim to call it lively. ¡°This city¡­ it certainly leaves an impression.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a reason they call it the City of Sin.¡± As they continued walking, they came upon a market. The market, too, consisted of half-ruined buildings haphazardly patched up, with stalls and tents set up all around. Karnak chuckled, feeling a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. ¡®This ce feels exactly like the ck markets in the Empire.¡¯ The only difference was that it wasn¡¯t yet dark. Since it was evening, many women were out shopping, carrying their baskets around. Seeing this, Serati murmured. ¡°They say it¡¯s awless zone, but it seems they maintain some level of order.¡± Alius chuckled. ¡°The security here is¡­ self-managed.¡± ¡°What?¡± Serati blinked in confusion, trying to understand what he meant. Just then, a boy dressed in rags suddenly snatched a basket from an elderly woman walking by. ¡°Hey!¡± He swiftly dashed forward, cutting the basket¡¯s strap with a knife and grabbing it as he ran like the wind¡ªhis skill was remarkable! Riltein and Serati, shocked, muttered to themselves. ¡°A pickpocket?¡± ¡°With so many people around?¡± Meanwhile, Karnak and Varos were unfazed. ¡®Security here is non-existent¡­¡¯ ¡®What does it matter how many people there are?¡¯ As expected, the passersby didn¡¯t react at all to the theft happening right beside them. They merely watched with idle curiosity. However, what happened next even surprised Karnak and Varos. ¡°Oh my!¡± The woman who had been robbed didn¡¯t seem flustered at all. Calmly, she pulled out a menacing dagger from her coat and threw it! Whoosh! Thud! The dagger struck the boy¡¯s thigh with perfect uracy. Blood sttered as he let out a scream. ¡°Aaagh!¡± The woman didn¡¯t even hurry. Leisurely, she walked over to the fallen boy, retrieved her basket, and inspected it. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll have to fix this handle,¡± she muttered casually, as if it was nothing. Then she calmly pulled the dagger out of the boy¡¯s thigh. Even as blood sttered, she didn¡¯t so much as blink. After that, she simply continued on her way. She didn¡¯t get angry, nor did she curse. It was as if nothing had happened. ¡°Aagh¡­ Aah¡­¡± As the boy groaned in pain, passersby threw remarks at him as they walked by. ¡°Tut-tut, and you tried pickpocketing with that level of skill?¡± ¡°You should go back to begging.¡± Even though a childy bleeding on the ground, no one seemed inclined to help. Karnak¡¯s group, who had been watching, was left speechless. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the atmosphere in this ce?¡± Serati, on the other hand, was nervously looking back at Alius. ¡®What should we do, Alius? If we leave him like this¡­¡¯ Whether by coincidence or the woman¡¯s precise aim, the dagger had avoided the boy¡¯s arteries. For now, his life didn¡¯t seem to be in immediate danger. But could they really just stand by and do nothing? Especially since Alius was a priest. Alius merely shrugged. ¡®Didn¡¯t I tell you? The security here is self-managed.¡¯ Sure enough, three children came rushing out from a nearby alley. They were all dressed in shabby clothing and approached the fallen boy as if this was routine. They quickly stopped the bleeding and wrapped the wound with a bandage. Theirments during this were something else entirely. ¡°See, Kain, I told you pickpocketing was dangerous!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just stick to selling ourselves honestly.¡± The children, supporting the boy¡¯s limbs, quickly disappeared back into the alley. All of this took ce in just a few minutes. What remained were the merchants and passersby, who resumed their activities as if nothing had happened. ¡°Come,e! Fresh Latier meat for sale!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got fresh turnips in today!¡± Looking at the pool of red blood on the ground, Riltein sighed. ¡°My goodness, so that¡¯s why the roads are stained brown¡­¡± He¡¯d been walking over it without a second thought, but now he felt utterly uneasy. Karnak and Varos, too, wore expressions of deep impression. ¡°Well, it¡¯s definitely a ce where people live, but¡­¡± ¡°The type of people living here are¡­ quite different.¡± The woman wasn¡¯t particrly skilled. Compared to those who had formally trained in martial arts, she was certainly amateurish. However, the basicmon sense here was entirely different, not just for the woman, but for the entire city. ¡°There¡¯s no need to give any special warnings,¡± Alius said, breaking the silence. ¡°You¡¯ve seen it for yourselves, this is Trist City.¡± Karnak¡¯s group was undoubtedly strong. If it came to a direct confrontation, Serati alone could probably take down dozens of ordinary bandits with ease. ¡°But in this ce, it¡¯s hard to expect anyone to be polite enough to face you head-on.¡± Chapter 31 Chapter 31. The City of Sin, Trist (5) Karnak and his group continued walking down the street. During that time, they witnessed two more incidents of pickpocketing and three more cases of robbery. In less than an hour, they had seen five crimes. Even so, there wasn¡¯t a situation where Alius needed to step in. The pickpockets they encountered afterward disyed a seasoned demeanor, unlike the boy from the market. They skillfully snatched up belongings, immediately dashed off, handed the stolen goods to waiting aplices, and managed to dodge flying daggers before disappearing into alleys. The victim of the pickpocketing raged furiously, but the reaction of those around them was different. ¡°Those guys are pretty good, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to be a pickpocket, you should be at least that good.¡± Just as they had shown no interest in the boy who had fallen earlier, they showed no concern for the person who had just been pickpocketed. As a result, there was no bloodshed, and no need for a cleric to step in. The robberies were much the same. ¡°Hey, buddy, mind lending us some cash?¡± It wasn¡¯t even in a back alley¡ªburly thugs openly robbed a passing merchant right in the middle of the street. Naturally, the merchants, enraged, tried to fight back. But they were hopelessly outnumbered from the start. They were beaten senselessly and had their purses snatched away. However, it was clear how often the robbers had done this, as they never beat anyone badly enough to causesting harm. They just knocked them down to subdue them, took the money, and quickly left. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°You damned bastards!¡± ¡°The heavens are truly indifferent!¡± The merchants, bruised and robbed, cried out in frustration, but from Alius¡¯ perspective, it wasn¡¯t a situation where he could intervene. ¡®If their lives were at stake, maybe, but I can¡¯t reveal my identity for something like this¡­¡¯ While he was busy worrying about what to do, no one seemed to take special notice of his hesitation. The other people were just watching as if it were an entertaining spectacle. When the situation ended, they simply went about their business. Varos clicked his tongue in disbelief. ¡°Wow, what kind of ce is this?¡± He had walked through many shady backstreets rife with illegal activities, but this ce was different. ¡°So, this is why they don¡¯t call it the City of Illegal Acts but the City of Lawlessness.¡± The difference between havingws that are broken and not havingws to break was more significant than one might think. Serati spoke up, worried. ¡°I¡¯m not sure we can safely stay at an inn here.¡± The entire city was under the control of the Ranpelt family, and the ce was swarming with people who would stab you in the back at the slightest provocation. Even staying at an inn, it was doubtful they could sleep with both eyes closed. ¡°Won¡¯t we end up getting stabbed in our sleep if we stay just anywhere?¡± Alius agreed, replying, ¡°It¡¯s said that many drifters disappear without a trace in this city. That¡¯s why we need to find a ce with reliable connections.¡± Riltein frowned. ¡°So, does that mean we need to set up defensive barriers in our inn rooms? This is ridiculous¡­ it¡¯s not like we¡¯re camping outdoors.¡± Fortunately, that wouldn¡¯t be necessary. ¡°I have a ce in mind, Riltein.¡± ¡°What? But didn¡¯t you say the Trist Parish is suspicious¡­?¡± It¡¯smon practice for priests operating outside their home regions to seek out the local church. But the Hatoba Church in this city couldn¡¯t be trusted. Wasn¡¯t that the very reason they had disguised themselves in the first ce? ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why I found a different local ally.¡± ¡°¡­Can they be trusted?¡± Given the city¡¯s atmosphere, having a local ally was essential. But could this ally be trusted? After all, the Ranpelt family had already seized control of the entire city. They found the answer as soon as they reached the central street. ¡°No way, this is¡­¡± Serati muttered in disbelief as she looked at therge mansion standing before them. ¡°This is the d Mansion?¡± It was the very same family that had been ruined by the Hatoba Church. * * * The exterior of the d Mansion was unremarkable. In fact, it was quite an old building. There were many areas in need of repair, and it was clear that Karnak¡¯s Zestrad Mansion wasrger and more splendid inparison. Yet, the mansion before them seemed surprisingly luxurious. ¡°Wow, with everything else around here in such a state, this ce actually looks pretty good.¡± In a city filled with patched-up, run-down buildings, even a halfway decent exterior stood out. And in this city, maintaining a mansion like this was indeed a luxury. ¡°Even though they¡¯ve fallen, it seems they still have considerable power,¡± Karnak said with a smile. He had wondered how much help a ruined family could provide, but seeing this, it seemed they were trustworthy. ¡®Besides, they must hold an unquenchable grudge against the Ranpelt family, so there¡¯s no worry about betrayal.¡¯ As they approached the mansion, Aliusmented, ¡°The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right? Right now, there¡¯s no one more reliable for us than the d family.¡± ¡°And isn¡¯t the Hatoba Church also their enemy?¡± ¡°More precisely, the Trist Parish of the Hatoba Church is their enemy. And aren¡¯t we here to punish them?¡± ¡°Indeed, our interests align perfectly.¡± Watching their surroundings as they approached the mansion entrance, they noticed two gatekeepers standing guard. Both were older and didn¡¯t seem particrly skilled, reinforcing the impression that the family had indeed fallen on hard times. As the group approached, one of the gatekeepers, wary, asked, ¡°What brings you here?¡± Without a word, Alius pulled out a brooch from his coat and showed it to them. It was a seemingly ordinary brooch, yet the gatekeepers immediately dropped their guard. It must have been a prearranged sign. ¡°I¡¯ll show you inside.¡± As it was already nighttime, candles were lit throughout the mansion. After being led to a reception room, they waited until a young woman in a dress entered the room. ¡°Wee to the d family estate. I am Sildera, the head of the household.¡± She wasn¡¯t an extraordinary beauty, just someone with a in appearance. However, she had a well-developed physique, fitting for a woman living in such a harsh city. [Looks like she can hold her own.] [She¡¯d look better in armor than in a dress.] While Karnak and Varos habitually assessed her, Alius politely greeted her. ¡°I am Alius, servant of Hatoba. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Sildera.¡± She was the daughter of the former head of the d family, Marad. When the former head went on a rampage, allying himself with a necromancer, she was the one who stood up against him and was consequently despised, spending a long time in seclusion. After the family¡¯s downfall, this opposition became the very reason she earned the absolute support of those who remained. She alone served as proof that the d family was no longer involved in necromancy. ¡°I have no intention of making excuses for my father¡¯s sins. My goal is simply to restore the family.¡± Sildera¡¯s expression twisted slightly as she continued. ¡°To do that, I cannot tolerate that vile Ranpelt family. However, weck the strength to oppose them¡­¡± The d family¡¯s power had dwindled to almost nothing. The key figures involved in necromancy had been executed, and those who remained had either scattered to seek their fortunes or struggled just to survive. ¡°Even so, we still have some influence left throughout the city. If you trust us, we will do our best to help.¡± Alius nodded without hesitation. ¡°Of course, I trust you.¡± In truth, those who remained in the current d family were genuinely uninvolved with necromancy. Anyone even slightly suspected of involvement had been executed. Many innocents had perished as well. Only those who, no matter how much they were scrutinized, had nothing to hide, managed to survive. The church¡¯s inquisition had been that harsh. The d family harbored as much hatred for the Hatoba Church as they did for the Ranpelt family. Alius had skillfully directed that hatred specifically towards the Trist Parish. ¡°The Church can no longer turn a blind eye to the Trist Parish¡¯s atrocities. They will surely face the goddess¡¯s punishment.¡± After they had settled in, Alius asked seriously, ¡°So, can you update us on the current situation?¡± *** The Ranpelt family¡¯s defenses had be extremely tight. This was only natural, given that the Hatoba Church had already sent people multiple times. ¡°The Church¡¯s usual tactic of infiltrating under disguised identities to gather evidence of necromancy is no longer effective.¡± They didn¡¯t allow anyone they didn¡¯t know inside. Even those they knew weren¡¯t allowed close unless they were long-time subordinates. It was as if they had bristled like a porcupine, ready to strike at any threat. Thus, Alius¡¯s n was a nighttime raid. They would disguise themselves as a different faction, attack the mansion, and in the ensuing chaos, search for evidence of necromancy. ¡°It¡¯s a simple and brute-force method, but surprisingly, it has a high sess rate¡ªas long as we have enough military power.¡± To make this work, they needed an urate understanding of the current forces within the Ranpelt family. Sildera brought out a map and spread it on the table before beginning her exnation. ¡°The Ranpelt Mansion currently houses about 100 soldiers. All of them are warriors equivalent to 2nd-grade adventurers, and they have three 2nd-circle mages and five 3rd-circle mages.¡± In addition to this, the Ranpelt family¡¯s forces were spread throughout the city, making it clear that they had enough power to control the entire area. Despite this, Riltein felt reassured. ¡°This seems manageable.¡± When considering the forces at the mansion alone, they didn¡¯t seem overwhelmingpared to Karnak¡¯s group¡¯s current level. Moreover, since they had detailed information on the troop cements and shifts, it seemed feasible to strike and retreat sessfully. Sildera¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°The problem is the necromancers.¡± The d family¡¯s intelligence couldn¡¯t determine how powerful the hidden necromancers were or how many there were. This was something they wouldn¡¯t know until they faced them. However, Alius appeared confident. ¡°That won¡¯t be an issue.¡± Necromancers were formidable not only because they could gain power easily but also because their methods were so unfamiliar. No matter how strong someone was, encountering something outside their experience could reveal unexpected weaknesses. In this respect, Alius¡¯s group had nothing to worry about. ¡°These people here are all veterans at dealing with necromancers.¡± * * * The enormous basement of the Ranpelt Mansion, located on the western side of Trist City. Torches were embedded in the walls, casting a dim light over the darkness, while agonized groans echoed throughout the space. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Ahhh¡­¡± Blood-soaked bodies hung from the walls and pirs. Their skin had been yed, and their entire bodies were covered in wounds, leaving them in a grotesque state. The scene was so horrific that one might think if hell existed, it would look like this. Two men stood on one side of the basement, observing the scene. One was a middle-aged man, appearing to be in his forties, and the other a younger man in his thirties. The younger man cautiously spoke while watching the basement. ¡°It¡¯s been a month since west dealt with those sent by the Church. Don¡¯t you think the main temple might take action again soon?¡± The older man seemed unconcerned. ¡°If the Church keeps sending people, it¡¯s a wee development. It just means more sacrifices for us.¡± He turned his gaze to the dozens of men bound in the basement¡ªmembers of the Hatoba Church¡¯s Shadow Hunters. They were all exceptionally skilled warriors, experienced in facing other necromancers. ¡°But the truth is, they¡¯ve never faced a true necromancer.¡± They were pitiful wretches, wielding the mighty power of darkness like a spear or sword, without any wisdom or knowledge. They had only ever fought against the lowest of the low, those unworthy of being called necromancers, and yet they believed themselves to be the ultimate enemies of necromancy. This foolishness had led them here. The older man raised his right hand. At that moment, darkness began to rise throughout the basement. ¡°Arghhhh!¡± ¡°Aaaaah!¡± As the screams echoed, the rising darkness converged toward the older man. Absorbing the darkness, he smiled contentedly. ¡°Good, it¡¯s transformed into high-quality necromantic energy.¡± The younger man asked, concerned, ¡°Isn¡¯t this putting a strain on your body?¡± ¡°There¡¯s some strain, of course.¡± The older man replied as if it were nothing, sping his hands together. ¡°And that¡¯s why¡­¡± As he brought his hands together, they began to emit a radiant light¡ªthe holy light of Hatoba, the goddess of the sacred earth. ¡°¡­I protect my body with the blessings of the great goddess.¡± The older man, Bishop Shutraff, the head of the Trist Parish of the Hatoba Church, grinned wickedly, his hands filled with both light and darkness. ¡°This time, I hope a high-ranking priestes to challenge us. The rewards will be even greater.¡± Chapter 32 Chapter 32. Ranpelt Mansion The night streets of Trist City were shrouded in thick fog. Five men were running through the alleys. d in leather armor, armed with daggers, and their faces concealed by masks, they appeared to be typical thieves. ¡°Hurry up. We need to keep to the schedule.¡± ¡°Yes, brother.¡± Despite their severely limited visibility, their movements were unhesitant. It seemed they were familiar with theyout of the city, as they navigated through the fog and the darkness of the night without the aid of any light sources like torches. Soon, the men arrived near arge mansion. The mansion was so vast that the ends of the walls stretched into the fog, obscuring them from view. One of the men, who had been surveying the inside, muttered nervously. ¡°The security is just as tight as expected.¡± The building itself was quite elegant and antiquated. It had originally been the mansion of the Earl of Trist, so it was fitting. However, the Ranpelt family, who had taken over the ce, had turned the once elegant noble residence into a menacing thieves¡¯ stronghold. Where beautiful rose vines should have gracefully climbed the walls, sharp des and broken ss were embedded instead, guarding against even the smallest intruders. The once refined garden trees had been severely pruned, and makeshift watchtowers had been erected on them, where guards with crossbows were stationed. The once splendid, noble-style garden had beenpletely uprooted. All the decorative trees had been cleared away, turning the area into a training ground. This was a measure to ensure that nothing could obstruct their line of sight. One of the men let out a sigh. ¡°Attacking this ce¡­ No sane person would ever attempt it, right?¡± Another man responded with a scolding tone. ¡°We¡¯re not being asked to climb over the walls, are we? Our job is just to create as much chaos as possible.¡± Of course, even that would require risking their lives, but they had already steeled themselves for this. These men were all survivors of the d family, who had lost their families andrades to the Ranpelt family. The new head of the family, Sildera, had gathered the remaining twenty elite members of the family and said: ¡°The night of revenge hase.¡± She didn¡¯t exin the detailed n. The gathered men didn¡¯t try to ask, either. They were all seasoned enough to know that the more people who knew the n, the higher the chance of failure. They just trusted the head of the family and followed the n. And they hoped that the n she had devised would prove to be effective. Hiding in the shadows, they continued to wait. The fog was so thick that it was difficult to determine the position of the moon, and the church bells didn¡¯t toll at thiste hour. The only way to gauge the time was through their own senses. ¡°Alright, by now, everyone should be in position.¡± A middle-aged man gestured with his hand. ¡°Begin.¡± Another man pulled out a bottle from his coat. It was a Molotov cocktail filled with oil. ¡°Those vile Ranpelt bastards¡­¡± With a triumphant smile, he lit the bottle and threw it. ¡°Take this, you scum!¡± With a loud crash, mes erupted. Chaos ensued within the walls. ¡°Attack!¡± ¡°Everyone, to your positions!¡± *** No matter how strong Karnak and his party were, charging head-on into the enemy¡¯s stronghold was a risky move. That¡¯s why Alius had involved the d family. The n was a diversionary tactic: decoy forces would cause disturbances on all sides, creating an opening to infiltrate the interior. ¡°Honestly, I was disappointed to hear there were only twenty of them¡­¡± Observing the situation, Karnak¡¯s expression showed a hint of surprise. ¡°They¡¯re doing much better than I expected.¡± Disturbances were erupting on all sides of the Ranpelt mansion¡ªeast, west, south, and north. Masked men were continuously hurling Molotov cocktails and shooting ming arrows. Their targets were the wooden watchtowers. As expected, they weren¡¯t built to withstand much, so the mes quickly surged. And just as quickly, they were extinguished. ¡°Hmph! Did you really think we wouldn¡¯t be prepared for something like this?¡± It wasmon sense to ce magical barriers around key locations to prevent fires. The Ranpelt mansion even had a resident 3rd Circle mage, so it wasn¡¯t possible to set fires with mere Molotov cocktails. But that didn¡¯t matter. What was important wasn¡¯t starting a fire but the mere fact that they had tried. ¡°Who dares!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll show them the power of Ranpelt!¡± Armed troops soon poured out from various parts of the mansion. They had taken control of the city and were now in a position of victory. Even the most insignificant soldiers were brimming with arrogance. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean they were particrly disciplined. About half of them had flushed faces, drunk on alcohol. ¡°Ah, damn! Who the hell is causing trouble while I¡¯m in the middle of a good drink?¡± If they had been diligent people, they wouldn¡¯t be here in the first ce. These were back-alley lives that had drifted this far due to their inherently debauched lifestyles. But surprisingly, even in their drunken state, they were able to put up quite a fight. ¡°Ugh! You bastards!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± If a seasoned warrior is someone who constantly hones themselves and maintains peak physical condition through restraint, then a seasoned rogue is someone who, even while drunk and staggering, can snap to attention and fight when the situation demands it. Despite being intoxicated, they all managed to engage in battle. ¡°Die, you scum!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the ones who¡¯ll die! Filthy Ranpelt dogs!¡± The sh quickly escted into a fierce battle. The sounds of spears and swords shing, screams, groans, shouts, and wails filled the night fog. ¡°Uwaaah!¡± ¡°Take this!¡± All of this was reflected on arge water surface. It was Riltein¡¯s *Far Sight Water Mirror* magic. Karnak and his party were currently hiding on the rooftop of a three-story building a block away from the Ranpelt mansion. From there, they were observing the overall situation. Serati clicked her tongue. ¡°Tsk, tsk. Not a single one of them seems to know how to properly wield a sword.¡± Varos shrugged his shoulders. ¡°To be honest, they¡¯re still stronger than most soldiers. They may seem insignificant to an Aura user like you, but¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m trying to brag¡­¡± The ones who had rushed out were holding their own against the attackers from the d family. Given that their numbers were nearly three times greater, the fact that they were only managing this much meant that their skills werecking. ¡°If they¡¯re at that level, it means this isn¡¯t the true strength of the Ranpelt family. It looks like they don¡¯t intend to deploy their necromancer.¡± ¡°Things never go that smoothly, do they? Even just avoiding unnecessary exhaustion is a big help.¡± Thanks to the d family, they could head directly into the mansion. Expecting more would be greedy. Alius stood up and continued. ¡°We¡¯ll have to draw out the real target ourselves.¡± *** While chaos reigned on all sides of the Ranpelt mansion, Karnak and his party aimed for the gap in between. Using Riltein¡¯s *Levitation* magic, they easily scaled the walls. An empty garden immediately came into view. Under normal circumstances, there should have been guards patrolling this area as well, but¡­ ¡°No one¡¯s here,¡± Riltein remarked. Karnak responded, unsurprised. ¡°They¡¯ve probably all gone over there.¡± Expecting them to steadfastly maintain their positions even while a battle raged nearby? That was something you might see in a well-disciplined military camp, not in a back-alley brawl like this. The group quickly crossed the garden. When they reached the front of the mansion, waiting guards finally emerged. ¡°Hmph!¡± ¡°We were expecting you!¡± ¡°They must be the bait.¡± Their armor alone set them apart. They were equipped with proper metal armor, wielding longswords and shields. They looked every bit like regr knights. ring at Karnak and his group, the guards each made ament. ¡°Where are you lot from? Velen? K? Stile?¡± ¡°Maybe d?¡± ¡°Ha, that ce has already been wiped out, hasn¡¯t it?¡± There were so many enemies that it seemed they had too many possible guesses about where Karnak¡¯s group might be from. Watching the wary soldiers maintain their distance, Alius smirked slightly. ¡°Judging by their reaction and their gear, these must be the real elite troops.¡± If even these soldiers were defeated, the necromancer would have no choice but to intervene. Riltein stepped forward, gripping his magical wand. ¡°Shall we start with a little greeting?¡± mes ignited, wrapping around the wand. Seeing the signs, the Ranpelt soldiers panicked and shouted. ¡°A mage!¡± ¡°Scatter!¡± Arge fireball shot through the air. It exploded with a deafening roar that shook the ground. **BOOM!** The mes surged, the heat boiling the air. Even if they managed to dodge it, the impact alone was powerful enough to cause serious injury. However, no one fell. ¡°Damn it!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s going to get hit by such a slow spell?¡± The moment the fireball exploded, the soldiers had thrown themselves to the ground, minimizing the damage by lying t. With the protection of their thick armor, they avoided fatal injuries as long as they didn¡¯t take a direct hit. These soldiers were clearly seasoned, showing familiarity even with magic. But Riltein was just as experienced. ¡°I figured you¡¯d do that.¡± He had anticipated the attack might miss and had already prepared his next move. ¡°Roar of the dark clouds, flow through the earth! *Chain Lightning!*¡± A web of electricity surged across the garden, crackling with energy. The soldiers gasped as they saw the iing lightning. ¡°Gah!¡± ¡°Another spell?¡± They had only ever seen 2nd or 3rd Circle mages, so they hadn¡¯t expected such a rapid session of spells. They had never experienced magic being cast this quickly. Four soldiers, unable to dodge in time, were caught in the electrifying attack. Screams erupted from all directions. ¡°Aaaargh!¡± ¡°Gaaah!¡± Someone shouted orders. ¡°Take down the others! If we close in, the mage can¡¯t use his spells freely!¡± Leaving their fallenrades behind, the remaining soldiers charged in unison. Battle cries echoed as they tried to boost their morale. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid!¡± ¡°There are only five of them!¡± Serati stepped forward lightly. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go first.¡± Her longsword slid smoothly from its sheath, the de enveloped in a crimson glow. A sinister red sh cleaved through the two leading soldiers. **Shing!** The sword, the shield, and even the armor¡ªeverything was cut through in a single stroke by the blood-red de. Ranpelt¡¯s once-valiant elite troops were now nothing more than dismembered pieces of flesh, spraying blood in all directions. The gruesome sight was more than enough to halt the advancing soldiers in their tracks. ¡°Ugh! That light¡­.¡± ¡°A battle aura sword?¡± In shock, the soldiers staggered backward. ¡°An Aura user?¡± ¡°Wait, why would an Aura user be here of all ces?¡± Trist City might have been known as a city of sin or a hell on earth, but it was still considered a remote backwater. Aura users typically moved in higher circles, often in the royal capital or other significant cities, rather than in such a rural area. A man who seemed to be the leader shouted to those around him. ¡°What¡¯s the big deal about an Aura user?¡± Pointing at Serati¡¯s sword, he raised his voice, trying to muster some confidence. ¡°There¡¯s no need to fear! It¡¯s just at the red level!¡± The level of an Aura user could be judged by the color of their battle aura. Serati¡¯s aura glowed red, indicating that she was at the lowest tier among Aura users. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean she was to be underestimated. Some of the more experienced soldiers couldn¡¯t help but feel incredulous as they stepped back. ¡®Just at the red level¡­?¡¯ ¡®Sure, it¡¯s a red aura, but¡­¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s still a battle aura sword!¡¯ ¡®What difference does it make if she¡¯s the weakest among Aura users?¡¯ It was like saying: ¨C ¡°She¡¯s not a tiger, she¡¯s just a leopard! Don¡¯t be scared!¡± But to these men, who were like mere cats, what difference did it make whether they faced a tiger or a leopard? Either way, a single bite would be fatal. However, not all of the soldiers at Ranpelt Mansion were as seasoned. For the younger, more hot-blooded ones, this slight reassurance was enough to boost their morale. ¡°Damn it!¡± ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s so special about an Aura user?¡± ¡°Reinforcements will be here soon!¡± ¡°You think we can¡¯t hold out until then?¡± With angry shouts, the soldiers began to charge at Serati. Gripping her sword more firmly, she gave a cold smile. ¡®Hah! Do you think you can hold out?¡¯ Sorry, but she had no intention of holding back. These soldiers needed to be utterly crushed to wake the Ranpelt forces from theircency and force them to bring out their hidden necromancer. Serati lightly pushed off the ground. As she soared through the air like a bird, red shes of her battle aura scattered around her. ¡°Take this!¡± Chapter 33 Chapter 33. Ranpelt Mansion (2) Each time the red sword shed, red blood sttered. Under the misty night sky, red rain fell, apanied by screams. ¡°Aaah!¡± ¡°Aaargh!¡± Serati continued to sweep through the battlefield. As expected of an Aura User, a warrior who had transcended the limits of humanity, her sword showed no hesitation. When she swung her sword, she cut through des, and when blocked by shields, she sliced through them as well. However, Varos, who was watching the scene, clicked his tongue inwardly. ¡®Is it because she¡¯s still at the Red Level? Her movements are¡­¡¯ The stages of an Aura User are divided into five levels. The Red Level, where one handles aura that burns like fire. They are called Red Knights and use a red aura. This level, where they draw out aura to exhibit destructive power that transcends human limits, is known as the Strongly Able stage. Even at this level, one could gain fame anywhere. In remote areas, a single Red Knight could significantly alter the power dynamics. The next stage is the Blue Level, where one handles aura as calm as water. They are called Blue Knights and use a blue aura. At this stage, they can control aura with finesse,bining overwhelming destructive power with delicate skill, known as the Skillful and Strong stage. These warriors are known throughout the kingdom as powerful figures, typically invited by high-ranking noble families or serving as royal knights. If they prefer not to be tied down, they often work as top-tier adventurers. Beyond this, one bes known as a Purple Knight. At this level, where the red and blue auras merge into a purple aura, one reaches the Perfect Unity of Strength and Skill stage, where the control over aura ispletely mastered. This is the realm of true superhumans who have transcended the limits of humanity, often bing the leaders of prestigious knight orders or the Empire¡¯s strongest knights. Breaking through another barrier allows one to handle silver aura. These are known as Silver Knights, or Silver Warriors, a stage where one not only masters skill and power but also surpasses themon understanding of swordsmanship. This stage allows a warrior to not just imbue objects with aura, but to materialize and wield the aura itself. Imperial Knight Commanders or the Guardian Knights of a kingdom typically reach this level. Finally, there is the ultimate stage, the Golden Knight. In this stage, where everything is in perfect harmony, transcending reason, it is said that with just one sword, even the winds and clouds can be controlled. This is the realm of a war god, virtually an army of one, where only the Four Great Martial Kings have reportedly reached. Varos, who had once been the Death Knight Lord, was a supreme warrior among the supreme, having even crossed swords with the Four Great Martial Kings in his prime. Thus, Serati¡¯s movements couldn¡¯t help but catch his eye. ¡®Ah, that¡¯s not how you should move.¡¯ ¡®Ah, you shouldn¡¯t do that there.¡¯ ¡®Ah, why so many unnecessary movements?¡¯ Of course, in his current state, he had no right to criticize Serati. How could someone who couldn¡¯t even handle aura dare to look down on anyone? ¡®Sigh, I should just know my ce and focus on my own business.¡¯ Kicking away an approaching soldier, Varos once again focused on the battle. The soldiers of the Ranpelt estate didn¡¯t target Serati alone. The more seasoned ones actually concentrated their attacks on the rest of the group. Wouldn¡¯t it be much more feasible to capture one of herrades as a hostage rather than face that terrifying Aura User directly? The problem was that theserades were anything but easy targets. ¡°Explode, Explosion!¡± Riltein¡¯s fireball struck the barren garden. With a loud explosion, a gust of wind surged, and ck smoke billowed up. KABOOM! ¡°Charlie¡¯s down!¡± ¡°Damn it! Fall back!¡± ¡°Aim for their backs! Go for their backs!¡± ¡°Throw the daggers! Throw the daggers!¡± ¡°Hey! How can you shout that out loud?!¡± Those trying to strike from a distance were swiftly dealt with by Serati. ¡°Hmph! Who said I¡¯d let you do that?¡± Despite never having practiced together, the two were executing coordinated attacks with remarkable precision. Karnak couldn¡¯t help but be impressed. ¡®As expected of veterans.¡¯ ¡®Indeed. Their experience allows them to coordinate effortlessly, even improvising on the spot.¡¯ But what they didn¡¯t realize was that the ones who were truly surprised were actually Serati and Riltein. ¡®No way, those two¡­¡¯ ¡®How are they fighting so seamlessly?¡¯ Karnak and Varos moved in perfect sync. Varos would strike and retreat, Karnak would cast spells, and they continuously shifted positions, yet never showed an opening. Maintaining the most advantageous positions throughout the battle, they fought with such calm and precision that no matter how many Ranpelt soldiers charged at them, they were like an impregnable fortress, unshakable. As a result, the number of enemies they had defeated was more than double that of Serati and Riltein. How could thebination of Varos, who wasn¡¯t even an Aura User, and Karnak, a 4th Circle magician, be stronger than the duo of an Aura User and a 6th Circle magician? ¡®No wonder Priest Alius praised them so highly¡ªthere¡¯s a good reason for it.¡¯ ¡®Their battle sense is incredible, really.¡¯ In truth, it was simply because Karnak and Varos had fought together for far too long. They had fought side by side for over a hundred years. Even if they fought thoughtlessly, their coordination was wless. In fact, it would be harder for them to be out of sync. As a result, the soldiers of Ranpelt were being pushed back continuously, unable to find any openings. Even Alius, who might have been considered a weak point, wasn¡¯t one. Swinging his longsword, he calmly dealt with the approaching Ranpelt soldiers. Since he had to hide the fact that he was a priest until the necromancer appeared, he deliberately acted like an ordinary swordsman. Surprisingly, his swordsmanship was quite impressive. While not as overwhelming as the others in the group, he fought steadily, protecting himself and continuing the battle. ¡°Haah! Take this!¡± Karnak and Varos, who had been observing the situation, couldn¡¯t help but be amazed. [At this level, he could easily be considered knight-ss.] [He¡¯s even better than our territory¡¯s knights. Where on earth did a priest learn to fight like this?] Eventually, after leaving countless corpses behind, the soldiers began to retreat. Serati frowned as she watched the enemies withdraw further into the mansion. ¡°This is strange¡­¡± Despite all themotion, no additional reinforcements had appeared. But it was unlikely that these soldiers represented the mansion¡¯s full strength. ¡°Could it be that there¡¯s no necromancer after all?¡± ¡°I doubt that,¡± Alius said, his expression darkening. The atmosphere of the Ranpelt mansion had changed from earlier. ¡°The foul stench of necromancy is seeping out.¡± The ominous aura grew stronger. While Serati and Riltein might not have noticed, to Alius, a priest, the air was filled with a dreadfully ominous energy that made his hair stand on end. ¡°It seems they intend to confront us in a ce more favorable to them.¡± * * * BANG! With a single strike, the thick wooden door shattered. At the same time, Karnak¡¯s group charged inside. Immediately upon entering, they scanned the surroundings, prepared for any sudden attack. Riltein, with his magic wand aimed, frowned. ¡°It¡¯s oddly quiet.¡± As expected of a noble¡¯s mansion, the first-floor hall was spacious. There were four corridors extending to the left and right, and in the center stood a grand staircase leading to the second floor. The walls were lined with lit candles, making the area fairly bright. ¡°Over there.¡± Sensing something, Serati pointed to the top of the stairs. Three figures dressed in ck robes emerged from the shadows. ¡°Aura Users and a high-level magician, I see¡­¡± ¡°They must be quite renowned.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s all meaningless before the power of darkness.¡± With a sinister voice, the air grew heavier. The dark energy was so palpable that even those who were not priests could clearly feel it. They were the necromancers of the Ranpelt family. ¡°Behold!¡± ¡°This is the true power of necromancy!¡± The figures simultaneously unleashed their dark magic. In an instant, pitch-ck shadows filled the hall. It was a sight that would make anyone¡¯s skin crawl. ¡­That is, if they were the kind of ¡°ordinary people¡± these necromancers were used to dealing with. Alius was quite pleased. ¡°Oh, are there three of them?¡± Riltein and Serati also reacted with satisfaction. ¡°That should be enough evidence.¡± ¡°It would be best to take all three of them in, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Everyone wore smiles on their faces. Though they didn¡¯t openly express it, Karnak and Varos felt the same way. [How many servings of dark energy do you think that is?] [Looks like they¡¯ve consumed a fair amount of darkness. Combined, the three of them must be worth at least ten servings.] [Indeed, big events alwayse with big rewards.] Seeing Karnak¡¯s group so unfazed, without a hint of fear or tension, the necromancers were enraged. ¡°You wretches!¡± ¡°How dare you mock us?¡± Their arrogant demeanor was fitting for Aura Users and high-level magicians. They must have spent their lives looking down on those like them, who lived in the shadows. ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you can keepughing!¡± Grinding their teeth, the necromancers began to condense the darkness in the air. They werebining their powers to summon a more formidable entity. ¡°Come forth, avatar of death!¡± Soon, the darkness took the form of a grotesque specter wielding a massive scythe. ¡°Go, Specter! Drain everyst drop of their life force!¡± The Specter let out a terrifying wail, exuding an overwhelming aura that filled the area. Screeeech! * * * The Specter was a high-ranking undead among spirits. Without the power of a priest, neither swords nor magic were very effective against it. As such, even elite warriors and magicians found it difficult to confront if they weren¡¯t familiar with fighting the undead. Its power was so formidable that a single Specter had once wiped out an entire vige. The necromancers were convinced that these arrogant intruders would soon be dead. However¡­ ¡°The light of the Goddess shall punish all that is unholy!¡± Alius¡¯s oak staff emitted a brilliant sh. In an instant, the Specter¡¯s advance slowed. The necromancers flinched and let out a groan. ¡°What?¡± Riltein quickly followed up with his spell. ¡°Piercing spear of me, me Spear!¡± The fiery spears pierced through the Specter¡¯s body like skewers, targeting its now sluggish form. ¡°¡­What the¡­?¡± At the same time, Serati unleashed her red aura-infused sword. ¡°Hiyaah!¡± With a light shout, she sliced the Specter cleanly in half, causing it to vanish into thin air. ¡°¡­W-What?¡± Unfortunately for the necromancers, their opponents included a priest and people experienced in fighting the undead. It took only a few seconds for the Specter they had painstakingly summoned to dissolve into nothing. Serati grinned as she watched the necromancers, now stunned and speechless. ¡°Now, we just need to capture those guys and head back, right?¡± ¡°Yes, indeed. Things are turning out easier than expected.¡± Normally, they would have extracted the Doom of Darkness and ended it there, but these men needed to testify to the crimes of the Ranpelt family, so capturing them was necessary. ¡°It seems the earlier battle was more troublesome than this.¡± With a slightugh, the red-haired beauty swiftly leaped forward. In a blink, she closed the several meters between herself and the necromancers, appearing right in front of them. The terrified necromancers fell back in shock,nding on their rears. ¡°Huh, huff!¡± Then, it happened. The heads of the fallen men suddenly exploded. Bang! Pop! Flesh flew in every direction, and blood sttered all around. Alius shouted in rm. ¡°Miss Serati! I said we needed them alive¡­.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t me!¡± She turned around in confusion. Suddenly, the surroundings began to change. Woom woom woom woom! With a bizarre noise, the walls started to distort, transforming into dark red masses of flesh. The floor turned into a squishy, bloody swamp, and countless grotesque tendrils sprouted from the ceiling. It was truly a nightmarish scene. Alius was taken aback. ¡°¡­What¡­ What is this?¡± He had dealt with many necromancers in the past, but he had never seen anything like this. Typically, necromancers would summon spirits, ghouls, or zombies. The more powerful ones might even summon demons from hell, but even then, they would only shroud the area in a thick, ominous aura. But this? In an instant, a normal noble¡¯s mansion had been transformed into a hellishndscape. This was an extraordinary feat, altering the very space itself. Riltein and Serati were just as stunned. This seemed like something out of the legends they had heard as children about necromancers. ¡°This¡­ Is this actually possible?¡± ¡°So it wasn¡¯t just a made-up story?¡± As the group struggled to make sense of the situation, a voice suddenly echoed. ¡°Haha, well now¡­¡± The voice came from one of the fallen necromancers. ¡°An Aura User and a 6th Circle magician¡­ quite the catch¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t the voice of the necromancers. After all, how could it be, when the sound wasing from the throat of a corpse whose head had just been blown off? ¡°Even Inquisitor Alius hase? It seems these useless fools had some value after all.¡± Alius recognized the owner of that voice. ¡°¡­Bishop Shutraff?¡± Chapter 34 Chapter 34. Ranpelt Mansion (3) For a moment, Alius doubted his ears. But there was no mistake. He had met this person several times before and remembered the voice clearly. It was Shutraff, the parish head of Trist. ¡°Why on earth are you practicing necromancy¡­?¡± A mocking reply returned. ¡°Why are you so surprised? Weren¡¯t you already suspicious and sneaking in here like this?¡± Of course, he had been suspicious. But at most, he thought Shutraff might have allied with a necromancer. He never imagined that the man himself had be a necromancer. ¡°Good grief! A servant of the goddess, indulging in the unholy powers of darkness?¡± ¡°And why wouldn¡¯t I? Hahaha!¡± With the deepening sneer, the entire space quivered. The force of darkness grew stronger, transforming into a heavy pressure that crushed down on their bodies. ¡°Ugh!¡± Serati, sensing the danger, scanned her surroundings. When the situation bes dire, securing a retreat is the first priority. ¡®The exit?¡¯ The gate they had destroyed upon entry was now blocked by grotesque masses of flesh. She immediately summoned her aura de. ¡°Haaah!¡± A red aura struck the wall of flesh. But it quickly dissipated. The wall only quivered for a moment and remainedpletely intact. ¡°How is it so tough?¡± Riltein wasn¡¯t standing idle either. Struggling to regain hisposure, he prepared a spell. ¡°Fire Arrow!¡± ming arrows shot toward the wall of flesh in quick session. Boom! Boom! Boom! Unfortunately, the result was the same. After the explosions subsided, the masses of flesh began to writhe again. Both the aura and the magic were smothered by the darkness before they could unleash their full power. ¡°I¡¯ll dispel the curse!¡± Pointing his oak staff forward, Alius channeled his divine power. ¡°Light of Hatoba!¡± A radiant sh spread in all directions. It was the holy light of the goddess, capable of burning away all evil. No darkness could withstand it. ¡­At least, that¡¯s how it had always been. But the darkness didn¡¯t fade in the slightest. Instead, it devoured the holy light and grew even more powerful. The entire space was filled with the stench of death, and the blood pooled on the floor began to swirl violently. ¡°My divine power¡­ it¡¯s not working¡­?¡± Alius¡¯s face paled. This was the first time he had faced such a powerful necromancer. No, he had never imagined that the power of darkness could be so overwhelming. ¡°Tsk tsk, Alius, my friend.¡± A voice echoed from beyond the miasma-filled space. ¡°Did you really think those people you encountered were true necromancers?¡± The voice sounded almost sympathetic for a moment¡­ ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not it.¡± ¡­but in truth, it was filled with utter mockery. ¡°Think about it. If necromancy were only as trivial as that, why do you think the Church of the Seven Goddesses has always been so wary of the powers of darkness?¡± The ¡®Doom of Darkness¡¯ cultists currently ravaging the continent¡­ Most of them had no idea what necromancy truly was. They simply wielded power because it came to them. It¡¯s like identally picking up a legendary sword. Just because someone swings a sword recklessly, does that make them a swordsman? ¡°How do you feel now that you¡¯ve faced the real thing after only dealing with amateurs?¡± Serati and Riltein groaned. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The invisible pressure grew even stronger. Just standing became a challenge as their minds grew hazy, and their breathing becamebored. Alius¡¯s face grew paler as he looked around. ¡®Damn it, what should we do now?¡¯ * * * Even in the hellish scenery before him, with the suffocating darkness that seemed to pierce the brain, Varos remained unshaken. ¡®Wow, now this guy can actually call himself a true necromancer.¡¯ While others might have felt terror at the gruesome sight and the dark energy, he was different. ¡®It¡¯s been a while, but I¡¯ve missed this.¡¯ This was a scene he had grown tired of in the past. It was amon necromantic barrier that Karnak often deployed to crush his enemies. Of course, unlike back then, this space was no longer an ally. But that didn¡¯t matter. What was there to worry about when the Death King Karnak, who had mastered necromancy to the highest degree, was by his side? ¡®This is actually a good thing.¡¯ If this necromancer was powerful enough, he must have consumed a lot of the Doom of Darkness¡¯s energy! ¡®If we¡¯re lucky, we might get home right away.¡¯ Varos nced at Karnak expectantly. Karnak was scanning the surroundings with a stiff expression. Varos couldn¡¯t help but be impressed. ¡®As expected, our young master¡¯s acting skills are unmatched. Even I, who have served him for so long, almost believe he¡¯s genuinely startled.¡¯ That impable acting was truly something to admire. Putting on his own shocked expression, Varos secretly sent a magical message. [So, young master, what should we do now?] Soon, Karnak would analyze the flow of necromantic power, identify the barrier¡¯s weakness, and give instructions. All Varos had to do was follow those directions and strike at the weak point. He waited confidently for the instructions¡­ [Young master.] But there was no response from Karnak? [Young master?] Karnak was still just ¡®acting startled¡¯ the entire time. [Why are you acting like you¡¯ve never seen necromancy before?] Finally, a reply came. [I¡¯ve never seen it before.] [What?] [I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯ve never seen anything like this!] [¡­What?] * * * Karnak was sweating coldly. ¡®What the hell is going on here?¡¯ The necromantic barrier that Shutraff had cast was at a remarkably high level. Even by the standards of his previous life, where necromancers were rare, this wasparable to that of a first-rate necromancer. Still, to Karnak, it was third-rate at best. From the perspective of the Death King, it was still insignificant. With just a bit of focus, he could clearly see the flow of the magic and the methods used. The problem was that he could see it all too clearly, but couldn¡¯t actually do anything about it. ¡®Why is there holy power mixed in with the necromantic energy?¡¯ The current necromantic barrier wasn¡¯t formed purely by dark energy. Within the flow of ck magic, there was aplex intertwining of holy light. This fusion of holy power had turned what was otherwise a straightforward necromantic barrier into something he couldn¡¯t break with his usual methods. ¡®Light and darkness have merged? How is that even possible?¡¯ To put it inyman¡¯s terms: The light was purifying the darkness. In such a state, the necromantic barrier should copse on its own, without any intervention. After all, necromantic energy and holy power could never coexist. But here they were, coexisting naturally. ¡®How is this even possible?¡¯ It was so far beyondmon sense that Karnak couldn¡¯t even form a hypothesis. Moreover, this wasn¡¯t the time to leisurelye up with theories. ¡®At this rate, there¡¯s nothing I can do!¡¯ Until now, Karnak had never struggled when dealing with necromancers. It wasn¡¯t because his magic was stronger than theirs. Ever since his regression, Karnak had deliberately focused only on cultivating his chaotic magic, avoiding developing his necromantic powers as much as possible. As a result, his necromantic energy was extremely limited. In pure necromantic power alone, even those half-witted necromancers with their heads blown off would likely have ten times more than Karnak. Yet, he had always been able to defeat them easily because he could clearly identify their weaknesses. It was almost like foresight, allowing him to anticipate their moves and preemptively block any necromantic spells, effortlessly overpowering them. But now, that method was impossible¡­ [Varos, stay alert.] He would have to face this enemy with nothing but his chaotic magic and a small amount of necromantic power. [If we¡¯re unlucky, we might die here.] Karnak swallowed hard. For the first time since returning to this era, he felt a sense of impending danger. Varos¡¯s expression also hardened immediately. [Is it that serious?] He didn¡¯t know all the details, but he was all too familiar with that look on Karnak¡¯s face. [Well, I had a feeling things were going too smoothly.] * * * ¡°There¡¯s no escape¡­¡± With the eerie voice, the darkened space began to shift. The bloody swamp writhed as dozens of tendrils shot up, slicing through the air. ¡°Surrender your foolish souls to the darkness, sacrifices!¡± Riltein hastily prepared a wind spell. ¡°Winds, be des of decapitation! Wind de!¡± Serati also unleashed her aura de. The wind des and red aura shed through the swamp, striking the tendrils. Pop! Pop! Pop! The advancing tendrils were severed and scattered in all directions. Riltein muttered in surprise. ¡°Hey, did it work this time?¡± Earlier, neither their aura nor magic had any effect, but this time the attack seemed tond sessfully. Just as Alius and his party started to show a glimmer of hope, Karnak¡¯s cold voice cut in. ¡°Don¡¯t celebrate. It only worked because they let it.¡± ¡°What?¡± Serati, puzzled, caught sight of a strange scene. The severed tendrils began to morph simultaneously, each transforming into a towering dark giant, about 2 meters tall, emitting a disturbing noise. Goooh¡­ Goooorrr¡­ These were chaotic golems, necromantic constructs made of blood and darkness. The golems charged at the group all at once. Alius quickly cast a holy barrier. ¡°Hatoba! Grant your servant protection!¡± A dome of holy light enveloped the group. The golden barrier pushed back the advancing golems for a moment. But it didn¡¯tst long. Goooorrr! With a roar, the chaotic golems began hammering the barrier with relentless force. Bang! Bang! Boom! With each impact, a thunderous sound echoed, and the barrier started to warp. Alius groaned repeatedly. ¡°Ugh! Ugh!¡± Every time the golems struck, the shock reverberated back, hitting him hard. It wasn¡¯t just physical force; the punches were infused with dark energy. ¡°It¡¯s no use, Priest Alius.¡± The mocking voice returned. ¡°Your light is far too weak before the true darkness.¡± His insides twisted as blood welled up. ¡°Gah, ugh!¡± Alius staggered, coughing up blood. Riltein, focusing intently, shouted. ¡°Hold on just a little longer!¡± The barrier could break at any moment. They needed to turn the tide with a powerful spell before that happened. As Riltein finished his incantation, he raised his wand high above his head. ¡°Raging inferno that consumes all, me Strike!¡± This was the most powerful fire spell he could currently cast. A massive pir of fire erupted, filling the entire hall and sweeping toward the golems. Kwooooom! Or so he thought. Just as the pir of fire surged toward them, the chaotic golems opened their mouths. They spewed forth darkness, unleashing a deafening roar. Goooooh! The inferno was engulfed by the darkness and extinguishedpletely. It wasn¡¯t merely dispersed or shattered¡ªit was entirely obliterated. ¡°Tsk, tsk. You shouldn¡¯t go around setting fires in someone else¡¯s house.¡± With the sound of a tongue clicking, the barrier of light finally shattered. Boom! The chaotic golems surged forward, overwhelming the group. A massive dark hand gripped Alius by the throat. ¡°Ugh! H-Hatoba¡­¡± He desperately tried to cast a holy spell, but it was useless. The darkness seeped into his entire body, suppressing his ability to summon divine power. A cheerful voice echoed through the hall. ¡°Always secure the priest first.¡± Riltein found himself in a simr situation. ¡®Damn it! I need to cast another spell¡­¡¯ His mana was surging wildly after casting such a powerful spell. He needed just a moment to catch his breath and cast another spell, but that ¡°moment¡± wasn¡¯t given to him. Thud! One of the golems struck him down, stomping on him. Pinned under the golem¡¯s foot, Riltein struggled. ¡°Ugh, ugh¡­¡± Then, he went limp. The darkness had infiltrated his mind, rendering him unconscious. ¡°Well, we¡¯ve caught the high-ranking mage as well.¡± Shutraff¡¯s attention then turned to Serati. ¡°So, that just leaves this youngdy?¡± Of course, Karnak and Varos were still standing, but Shutraff didn¡¯t care much about them. To him, they were just a regr knight who hadn¡¯t even awakened his aura and a mid-level mage of the 4th Circle. Compared to an aura user, they were insignificant sacrifices and thus lower on his priority list. Serati, however, was still holding on. ¡°Hah, hah¡­¡± Even though herrades had fallen one after another, she refused to give in to despair. She continued to swing her aura de, targeting the chaotic golems. ¡°Take this!¡± But it was no use. No matter how fiercely she shed with her aura de, it was blocked by the dark armor that enveloped the golems. Finally, she took a hit. A heavy fist struck her shoulder. Thud! Although the blow only nced off her, the impact momentarily halted her movements. In that brief pause, a golem¡¯s massive hand seized her by the throat. ¡°D-Damn it!¡± In a desperate attempt, Serati tried to cut through the golem¡¯s arm with her aura de, but it was futile. The chaotic golem remained unscathed. ¡°What a rich soul you have.¡± The voice, now filled with satisfaction, echoed from the void. ¡°You will make a truly splendid sacrifice.¡± At that moment¡­ Whoosh! Suddenly, an ordinary steel sword flew through the air, aiming for the golem¡¯s forearm. With a loud metallic ng, the thick arm was severed cleanly. ng! The severed arm lost its grip on Serati¡¯s throat and fell away. Taking advantage of the opening, Varos quickly moved in, pulling Serati back to safety. ¡°Are you alright, Miss Serati?¡± Serati¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. The dark armor that had withstood her powerful aura de had been sliced through like straw by a simple steel sword. ¡°H-How¡­?¡± Chapter 35 Chapter 35. Ranpelt Mansion (4) ¡°Huh-up!¡± Letting out a sharp cry, Varos lunged at the golem in front of him with a body tackle. It might have seemed like a brute-force move at first nce, but it was actually a very refined wrestling technique, deeply digging in with his shoulder to unbnce the golem. No matter how tough the golem was, it still had a humanoid form, meaning its center of gravity was simr to that of a human. In an instant, the golem lost its bnce, and its two feet lifted off the ground. Not missing the opportunity, Varos thrust his sword into the golem¡¯s torso. ¡°Eiit! Just break through already!¡± The steel de forced its way through the dark armor. ck blood gushed out from the wound. ¡°Did it work this time?¡± The massive body of the golem slowly began to copse. Varos quickly withdrew and swung his sword left and right. The darkness clinging to the de sttered in all directions. ¡°Ha, taking down just one of these things is a real pain¡­¡± Serati was shocked as she watched the grumbling giant of a man. He had just taken down something that even she, an Aura User, couldn¡¯t handle¡ªyet this knight, who hadn¡¯t even awakened his battle energy, had done it? And it wasn¡¯t as if Varos¡¯s sword was some kind of powerful magical weapon either. It was a well-crafted but ordinary steel sword, with no special magic infused into it. ¡°How did you do that?¡± ¡°Uh, well¡­¡± Varos couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. Goooo-! Other Chaotic Golems were charging at him again. ¡°Ugh!¡± Varos hastily resumed the battle. He dodged to the left to avoid an attacking golem, shed at it, then quickly retrieved his sword and turned to strike at another one on the right. ng! A loud metallic sound rang out as the golem, with its shoulder shed, spurted ck blood. On the other hand, another golem that took a de to the abdomen remained unscathed. Serati realized something. ¡®So that¡¯s it!¡¯ Not the entire body of those golems was strong enough to withstand a battle energy-infused sword. There were spots here and there that were weak enough for even a normal sh to break through! Sheunched herself forward, targeting one of the golems with her battle energy-infused sword. ¡®This is its weak spot!¡¯ The red aura struck the Chaotic Golem¡¯s shoulder¡ªthe same spot that Varos had aimed for. It was an amazing disy of precision, urately targeting the same area with just a single observation. ¡­But it didn¡¯t work. ng! Her battle energy-infused sword bounced off again. Feeling the tingling in her hand, Serati was bewildered. ¡®I definitely aimed for the exact same spot!¡¯ Meanwhile, Varos was still relentlessly fighting the golems. He attacked and retreated in a flurry, slicing through the golems as he went. Some fell with each strike, while others continued to move as if nothing had happened. But there was no consistency in this process. One golem was brought down by a sh to the waist, while another one, hit in the leg, remained perfectly fine. It seemed logical to assume that the waist was a weak point, but that wasn¡¯t always the case. One golem had its leg cut clean off, while another, struck in the waist, remained unaffected. Earlier, stabbing the chest had worked, but now the same strike to the chest was simply deflected. ¡®What is going on?¡¯ Serati was utterly confused. ¡®Could it be that each golem has a different weak point?¡¯ That seemed unlikely. If that were the case, it would mean that Varos was somehow identifying the unique weak points of each of these countless golems. ¡®How on earth is he doing that?¡¯ * * * Varos nced at the panic-stricken Serati and inwardly clicked his tongue. ¡®How should I even exin this?¡¯ As the second-inmand of Necropia and the top confidant of the Conquering King of the world, Varos had many subordinates of darkness at his disposal. Among them was a legionposed of Chaotic Golems. Thanks to this, he knew their weaknesses well. Chaotic Golems didn¡¯t operate independently. They were powered only within a certain barrier, moving only by the force provided within it. Right now, the blood-soaked swamp surrounding them served as the medium injecting power into them. They were functioning by continuously receiving dark magic. ¡®This was always their w.¡¯ During the process of magic infusion, there inevitably came moments where the flow would falter. When the magic flow was at its peak, they could even block the battle energy-infused swords of an Aura User. But when the flow faltered, even a normal sword could pierce through them. Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that Chaotic Golems were entirely useless. The gap in the flow didn¡¯t always appear in the same ce. The flow of magic changed with the movement of the golem, and so the gap in their defenses shifted ordingly. To exploit these weak points, one would need to analyze every single movement of the golem, memorize the ever-changing location of the gaps, and then strike at the precise moment in the correct spot. Only then could the golem¡¯s weaknesses be effectively targeted. In the past, the only group capable of such a feat was the Imperial Knights, known as the strongest on the continent. Having fought countless battles against Karnak¡¯s Legion, they had gained enough experience to pull off such crazy tactics. And Varos, who had endlessly fought against those Imperial Knights, could do the same. Had he not seen them bring down Chaotic Golems countless times? Having dealt with them so frequently, he couldn¡¯t help but memorize the movements and weak points of the Chaotic Golems, whether he liked it or not. That knowledge was now keeping him alive. ¡®Who would¡¯ve thought I¡¯d find myself mimicking those Imperial Knight bastards I hated so much?¡¯ Since this was a technique based entirely on experience, there was no way he could exin it to Serati. He didn¡¯t have the leisure to exin it to her anyway, and even if he tried, it would probably just confuse her more and mess up her movements. Feeling her panicked gaze, Varos silently apologized. ¡®I¡¯m sorry. Do your best to survive. If we¡¯re lucky, we might be able to escape together.¡¯ In truth, Varos wasn¡¯t in afortable situation either. In his previous life, he had been the Death Knight Lord, but now, he was just a regr knight who hadn¡¯t even awakened his battle energy. No matter how long he held out, he would eventually run out of stamina and be finished. If he wanted any chance of escaping, he had to rely on Karnak¡­ ¡®What on earth is the Young Master doing?¡¯ Panting heavily, Varos nced at the former Conquering King. Since earlier, he had been dealing with the Chaotic Golems using only chaos magic. ¡®Shouldn¡¯t he start using necromancy by now? This isn¡¯t the time to worry about hiding his identity, is it?¡¯ * * * A massive golem charged head-on. Goooooo! In a calm tone, Karnak recited the activation words. ¡°Arcane Disc.¡± A disc of magical energy flew forward, slicing through the golem¡¯s leg with precision. The enormous figure staggered and crashed into the blood-soaked swamp. *Boom!* At the same time, a follow-up fire spell was cast. ¡°Fire de.¡± The heart of another golem was pierced by a de of fire. Two of the advancing golems were swiftly neutralized. However, their numbers were still overwhelming. Despite theirrades being struck down, the golems kept mindlessly pressing forward. Goooooo! But Karnak wasn¡¯t overwhelmed. ¡°Wind Walk.¡± Using wind magic, he glided smoothly to a more advantageous position. Without missing a beat, he unleashed another attack. ¡°Mass Magic Arrow.¡± *Kwakwakwakwang!* A volley of magical arrows flew out, aiming for the heads of the Chaotic Golems. These creatures, which had withstood a 6th-circle fire spell, had their heads blown apart by mere 1st-circle basic magic arrows. *Kwakwakwakwang!* Karnak effortlessly felled the golems, using only spells of the 4th circle or lower. After all, if Varos could do it, there was no reason Karnak couldn¡¯t. Even though the flow of darkness had been disrupted by the contamination of light, he could still clearly see the weak points. Naturally, identifying their vulnerabilities wasn¡¯t difficult. The problem was that defeating these golems didn¡¯t improve the situation. As he continued casting spells, Karnak grew increasingly anxious. ¡®Ah, this is troublesome¡­¡¯ The Chaotic Golems kept drawing power from the blood swamp. In other words, as long as the blood swamp remained intact, no matter how many golems were destroyed, they would just keep regenerating from within it. He needed to destroy the main source¡­ ¡®¡­But it¡¯s not working, is it?¡¯ Contrary to Varos¡¯s suspicion, Karnak had already been using necromancy. It simply hadn¡¯t been visible on the surface. Even during battle, he discreetly let necromantic energy flow through his feet, attempting to infiltrate the blood swamp and wrest control away with his necromantic power. But he kept hitting obstacles. The cursed contaminated holy power was mixed with the necromantic energy. Though Karnak, as the Conquering King, had managed to find gaps in the barrier¡¯s structure, he couldn¡¯t seize control of it. ¡®At this rate, we¡¯re done for.¡¯ Karnak¡¯s expression grew increasingly grim. ¡®I need to find another way¡­.¡¯ *** In the damp, dark space beneath the Ranpelt Mansion. A ck shadow loomed over the blood-red barrier. A grotesque figure of a middle-aged man, twisted by dark tendrils that writhed through his entire body¡ªit was the fallen priest, Shutraff. ¡°Mmm¡­¡± He was puzzled. ¡®What on earth did those guys do?¡¯ In truth, he was just as bewildered as Serati. ¡®Why are the Chaotic Golems falling so easily?¡¯ Chaotic Golems were monsters that even Alius, the powerful priest, and neither a 6th Circle mage nor an aura user could handle. Their power was exactly as described in the necromancy book. But why were those two, who were weaker than the others, handling them so easily? ¡®Does the Chaotic Golem have some kind of weakness?¡¯ He didn¡¯t know. There was no mention of such a thing in the necromancy book he had read. Shutraff¡¯s knowledge of necromancy came entirely from books stored by the Hatoba Church. Ironically, the ce with thergest collection of necromancy books on the continent was the Church of the Seven Goddesses. Knowing the enemy¡¯s methods well was the best way to counter them. Every time they defeated necromancers, they stored the necromancy books the necromancers carried in the temple, just in case. As a high-ranking priest, Shutraff secretly stole and learned from a few necromancy books, and as a result, he was able to wield dark powers nearly on par with top-tier necromancers. However, since his knowledge wasn¡¯t built up steadily from the basics, itcked depth. He could perform necromancy, but he didn¡¯t understand the principles behind it. He just followed the book¡¯s instructions: set up a barrier, recite the incantation, and then it would work¡ªthis was all he knew. ¡®Those guys seem to know something I don¡¯t¡­¡¯ In any case, one thing was clear. The Chaotic Golem was not very efficient. But it wasn¡¯t much of a problem. ¡®I¡¯ll just change my approach.¡¯ The necromancy that he had mastered didn¡¯t just include the summoning of Chaotic Golems. There were plenty of dark beings that could be summoned using the Swamp of Blood. Shutraff began to draw upon his necromantic power. ¡°It seems you were lucky enough to know how to deal with the Chaotic Golem¡­¡± Dark energy began to flow through the tentacles and spread out through the stone walls. ¡°Then how about this? Hehehe¡­¡± *** Just because Karnak and Varos were dealing with the Chaotic Golems easily, it didn¡¯t mean Serati¡¯s situation improved. The golems weren¡¯t just fighting them; they were still attacking her as well. Although she barely escaped the immediate danger, that was all¡ªSerati was still being pushed back. ¡°Huff, huff¡­!¡± No matter how skilled an aura user was, their stamina wasn¡¯t infinite. Especially when they were constantly using aura and expending energy in chunks like this. The intervals where her aura flow was disrupted became increasingly frequent. She had reached her limit. He anxiously looked back at Karnak. They were weaker than her, but at this very moment, they were her lifeline. ¡°What¡­ what should we do now?¡± As she urgently shouted, the situation changed abruptly once more. All the Chaotic Golems copsed simultaneously, returning to the Swamp of Blood. At the same time, a crimson wave surged from the center of the swamp, engulfing the group. Paaaaaat! Serati was swept up by the shockwave and thrown backward. There was no warning, leaving her no time to respond. ¡°Ugh!¡± On the other hand, Karnak and Varos only staggered back a few steps but managed to hold their ground. As if anticipating this situation, Karnak had deployed a shield to deflect the shockwave. Varos had also moved to that position beforehand. ¡°Truly fascinating fellows. I wonder where you acquired such knowledge.¡± Shutraff¡¯s mocking voice continued. ¡°But aren¡¯t you neglecting yourpanion a bit too much?¡± The recent shockwave had created a significant distance between Serati and Karnak¡¯s group. From the Swamp of Blood, blue specters soared up and rushed toward the now-isted Serati. ¡°Kyaaaaaah!¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Varos hurriedly tried to save her, but it was toote. The specters reached Serati first. As she fell, she forced herself to lift her sword and unleashed one final aura sh. ¡°Take this!¡± As expected, the aura had no effect. Like illusions, the specters passed right through the crimson sword light and shed at Serati with their ws. sh! Both of her arms were severed. There was no blood. The cross-sections were charred ck, emitting only a pungent smell. ¡°Aaaaaaah!¡± Serati let out a desperate scream from the extreme pain. Shutraff¡¯s satisfied voice echoed. ¡°With this, we¡¯ve secured an aura user as well.¡± Just as the specters were about to snatch up the copsing Serati. With a triumphant smile, Karnak swung both arms. ¡°Finally showing a weakness, aren¡¯t you, rookie necromancer!¡± An immense darkness erupted from his entire body. The wave of darkness engulfed the specters and dissolved them in an instant. ¡°Kieeeeeeeek!¡± Simultaneously, the entire space began to tremble violently. Shutraff¡¯s astonished voice resounded. ¡°Necromantic power? So you were a necromancer too!¡± The shaking space copsed with a series of explosive sounds. Boom! Kwang! Kwaaaaang! Beyond the copsing space, the entrance of the mansion they had entered became clearly visible. Karnak¡¯s exhratedughter followed. ¡°It¡¯s wide open! Hahaha!¡± Chapter 36 Chapter 36. Ranpelt Manor (5) The space began to change. The blood swamp that had covered the hall, the tentacles of darkness, and the walls of flesh all crumbled, revealing their original forms. It was because the necromantic barrier had gone out of control. ¡®W-why is this suddenly not working?¡¯ Shutraff grimaced in frustration. Judging by the circumstances, it was clear that this was the work of that Karnak¡­ But how? ¡®What did he do?!¡¯ The barrier hadn¡¯t shattered. It still exuded dark power exactly as he had conjured it. His necromantic energy hadn¡¯t been obstructed either. It was still flowing through the barrier as it should, perfectly in line with his will. He had followed the necromantic script precisely, without making a single mistake. Everything had been going smoothly. And then suddenly, it all stopped working. ¡®What on earth is going on?¡¯ Karnak watched the copsing necromantic space with a cold smile. ¡®You don¡¯t understand, do you?¡¯ Despite the barrier breaking down, there was no immediate reaction from Shutraff¡ªa clear sign of his utter confusion. ¡®Of course, you wouldn¡¯t know.¡¯ *** The mixed barrier of light and darkness had thrown Karnak into disarray. He had been trying to seize control of the barrier¡¯s power the entire time but found it impossible to break through. To be honest, it was bing quite frustrating. ¡®Seriously, is there still necromancy in this world that I don¡¯t know about?¡¯ What particrly grated on him was the fact that some priest had managed to wield a technique that even he, the former Necromancer King, couldn¡¯tprehend. He could understand losing in terms of power since he had lost all his former abilities after being reincarnated. But when it came to knowledge and wisdom, he still prided himself on being the ultimate necromancer! Then, he suddenly realized something. Something was off. If that were the case, it would mean Shutraff was an ultimate necromancer¡ªa monster among monsters, possessing profound wisdom and knowledge even Karnak, the Necromancer King who had conquered the world and brought down the Church of the Seven Goddesses and the Dragon Emperor, couldn¡¯t fathom. That guy? The one who arrogantly summoned chaotic golems and showed off like that? ¡®This¡­¡¯ A reasonable doubt arose in Karnak¡¯s mind. ¡®Does he not know either?¡¯ He decided to change his approach, just in case. Instead of trying to seize control of the darkness and wrestle away itsmand, he would ovey his own necromantic barrier on top of it! Normally, this would be a foolish move. It would only add more power to the opponent. Anyone with even a basic understanding of necromancy could easily break through such a technique. In fact, it was hardly even a technique. But if this fusion of light and darkness wasn¡¯t born from some profound magic, and if Shutraff himself didn¡¯t know the reason behind it¡­ ¡®Then that means he¡¯s in the same position as me.¡¯ The moment he changed his technique, confusion would ensue! * * * As expected, Shutraff couldn¡¯t manage the situation at all. No, it seemed he didn¡¯t even realize that confusion had urred in the first ce. If he had noticed, he would have at least tried to contain the situation. In the end, the necromantic barrierpletely ceased to function. Looking around at the first-floor hall of the manor, which had reverted to its original state, Karnak gave a bitter smile. ¡®So, you¡¯re just another fool who¡¯s only skimmed the surface.¡¯ He was better than those who hadn¡¯t even scratched the surface, but still, he didn¡¯t truly know what the ¡°real¡± experience was like. As a result, the necromantic barrier that had been suppressing them no longer existed. Karnak shouted, ¡°Varos! Let¡¯s get out of here!¡± Varos had been waiting for themand. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Just as he was about to dash toward the exit, Karnak, who had already started ahead, yelled at him. ¡°Hey, you need to take thedy too! Are you nning to leave her behind?¡± That¡¯s right. Serati was still lying unconscious, her arms gruesomely severed. ¡°What?!¡± Varos was momentarily stunned. ¡®Is the young master actually concerned about someone else?¡¯ At the same time, he felt a sense of shame. He had briefly worried about her but quickly forgot. Yet, Karnak had changed enough to care about someone else¡¯s safety? ¡®Unbelievable! I always thought that no matter what, I was more human than that man!¡¯ With deep self-reflection, Varos hurriedly ran over to Serati. ¡°G-get away from me¡­ you necromancer¡­¡± Even in her weakened state, she struggled to push him away. ¡®Ah, thisdy saw the young master using necromancy, didn¡¯t she?¡¯ Her eyes, filled with hatred born of deep betrayal, red at him. ¡°How could you deceive us all this time¡­ you vile¡­¡± Varos didn¡¯t pay attention. ¡®It¡¯s not like this is the first time I¡¯ve gotten looks like this.¡¯ Ignoring her resistance, he hoisted her onto his shoulder. At that, her entire body went limp. She had fainted from exhaustion. ¡®Well, at least she¡¯s easier to carry now.¡¯ He immediately ran through the exit to the front yard of the manor. Approaching Karnak, who was anxiously waiting, Varos spoke with admiration. ¡°Young master, you¡¯ve changed! You even made sure to save thisdy.¡± Karnak responded matter-of-factly. ¡°Aura users have a high value as sacrifices. While we might just want to kill her, others will want to keep her alive. She can be used as a shield.¡± Varos beamed with a grin. ¡°I knew it.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°As expected, you never fail to live up to expectations, young master.¡± Varos still felt like he was a bit more human than Karnak. That made him happy. ¡°Is this really the time for nonsense? Run!¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± * * * Two men burst out of the gaping entrance of the manor. Karnak led the way, with Varos following close behind, carrying Serati on his back. Shutraff ground his teeth as he watched them sprint across the garden. ¡°Hmph! Do you think you can escape?¡± He still didn¡¯t know what had happened. The necromantic barrier he had cast continued to ignore hismands. But that didn¡¯t mean he had to cling to it. ¡°You might have a few tricks up your sleeve¡­¡± The power of darkness that Shutraff wielded was still immense. There was no need for him to rely on a malfunctioning barrier. He could simply discard it and cast a new one! ¡°In the face of overwhelming power, tricks are useless!¡± With a thunderous roar, the barrenndscape of the garden began to change. Whirr, whirr, whirr! The sky twisted into a chaotic vortex and turned a blood-red hue. The ground grew soft and spouted dozens of tendrils. Thorny vines sprouted, forming a massive wall that blocked the two from escaping. Karnak looked around and clicked his tongue. ¡°His necromantic energy is really overflowing. He must¡¯ve consumed a ton of other necromancers.¡± But it still wasn¡¯t a big problem. Another necromantic barrier? He could just disrupt it again! ¡°Huh!¡± Karnak spread his arms wide. Darkness surged and extended in all directions. Compared to the thick aura that had enveloped the garden, it was a faint shadow. Yet the result was astonishing. The newly formed necromantic barrier vanished. As if time had been reversed, the sky and the earth reverted to their original state. ¡°Damn it, this isn¡¯t working either?¡± Cursing, Shutraff switched tactics. Another necromantic barrier appeared, altering the world once more, only to crumble again. This cycle repeated over and over. Taking advantage of these moments, Karnak and Varos continued their desperate escape. As they ran, Varos suddenly asked, puzzled, ¡°Is there really a need to keep running, young master?¡± From what he could see, Karnak now had the upper hand, able to shatter Shutraff¡¯s techniques. ¡°It seems like it¡¯d be better to just turn back and finish him off.¡± Karnak shook his head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s trying different things.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Varos tilted his head in confusion, not understanding. Just then, corpses began to rise from various spots in the garden. They were the soldiers of Ranpelt Manor, in when Karnak and his group had stormed in. Now, they were being reanimated by Shutraff¡¯s necromancy, turned into zombies. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Ughhh¡­¡± Groaning eerily, the horde of corpses began to shuffle across the ground. They weren¡¯t ordinary zombies by any means. Shutraff had poured so much necromantic energy into them that they had be monsters rivaling even high-level undead. Despite this, Varos wasn¡¯t worried. ¡®They¡¯ll just copse on their own, like before.¡¯ If all those sophisticated necromantic barriers were useless, what difference could these zombies make? He was wrong. ¡°Prepare to fight, Varos.¡± ¡°Huh? Are you saying these ones won¡¯t go down easily?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± The moreplex Shutraff¡¯s necromantic barriers were, the easier they were to disrupt. The more intricate the spell, the more likely it was to create confusion. Conversely, simpler necromancy was harder to interfere with. ¡°He probably didn¡¯t n it this way¡­¡± Karnak got into a battle stance, as if he had anticipated this all along. ¡°When you try enough things, eventually something¡¯s bound to work.¡± *** ¡®This one¡¯s working? But why?¡¯ Though puzzled, Shutraff¡¯s eyes gleamed with excitement. He didn¡¯t know why, but this time his magic wasn¡¯t being disrupted. He couldn¡¯t let this opportunity slip by! ¡°Go, my servants!¡± The zombies began to transform. Hideous fangs sprouted, and their nails elongated into beast-like ws. Their skeletal structure twisted grotesquely, and their muscles swelled unnaturally. ¡°Tear them to shreds and offer their souls to me!¡± The cursed creatures, no longer recognizable as human or beast, let out agonized roars. ¡°Raaagh!¡± Varos swung his sword at the oing horde of deformed zombies. ¡°Take this!¡± Even with Serati slung over his shoulder, he wielded his sword with ease, showing no signs of struggle. He had plenty of experience fighting while carrying someone. ¡®I¡¯ve lost count of how many times I had to fight while carrying the young master when he was exhausted!¡¯ Luckily, in this life, Karnak¡¯s body was in much better shape. He could cast spells while walking around on his own, with some energy to spare. ¡°O pure light of destruction, Arcane Burst!¡± Karnak unleashed a barrage of destructive shes, pushing back the advancing monsters before casting another spell. ¡°des of darkness, protect your master¡ªDark de!¡± ck des shed through the approaching zombies one after another. Varos and Karnak fought fiercely against the oing zombie horde. It seemed like they would be overwhelmed at any moment, but somehow, they managed to hold their ground. It wasn¡¯t just because they were experienced in fighting the undead. ¡®Are they really doing that?¡¯ Whenever the situation became too dire, Karnak would subtly maneuver Serati, still slung over Varos¡¯s shoulder, into the path of the zombies¡¯ attacks. ¡°Sorry about this, Miss Serati!¡± Since Serati was a precious aura user, a valuable sacrifice, the zombies were forced to halt their attacks each time she was used as a shield. Shutraff clicked his tongue in disbelief. ¡°What kind of people are they?¡± Using arade as a meat shield! And not just anyrade, but a pitiable woman who had lost both her arms. Could those really be considered human? ¡°Necromancers are truly despicable creatures!¡± It seemed he had already erased from his memory the fact that it was he who had put Serati in such a state. Self-justification wasn¡¯t unique to necromancers, so it wasn¡¯t particrly surprising. In any case, Karnak and Varos were fighting astonishingly well. Considering their abilities, their resourcefulness was extraordinary. ¡°It¡¯s just a cheap trick, though.¡± No matter how clever they were, they were still just ordinary humans. Their necromantic energy was feeble, their magical power was low, and they hadn¡¯t even awakened any martial aura. ¡°I¡¯ll put an end to this!¡± Shutraff focused his mind. From the depths of the manor, a massive surge of necromantic energy burst forth, piercing through the garden¡¯s sky. *Boom!* ¡°Come forth, demon of Gehenna!¡± A portal of darkness opened in the air, and a towering blood-red giant, nearly three meters tall, emerged. It was Maz-nun, a demon from the abyss with two ck horns on its head, a grotesque appearance, and bulging muscles ready to burst. ¡°Raaagh!¡± The demon roared, asserting its presence. ¡°Contractor, state your desire!¡± Shutraff replied with arrogant confidence. ¡°Kill the men and bring the woman to me!¡± Maz-nun was a fearsome demon,parable to a Purple Knight, a warrior of the highest rank. No matter how skilled those two were in necromancy, they wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against such overwhelming power! However, the demon¡¯s response was unexpected. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Who exactly do you want me to kill?¡± Shutraff couldn¡¯t understand why the demon was asking this. He stood there, baffled. ¡°Have I been found out?¡± Karnak nced at the demon with a sly smile. ¡°Well, the demon was summoned toote. Of course, it won¡¯t be fooled.¡± ¡®Fooled? What does he mean by that?¡¯ Shutraff¡¯s gazended on Karnak, who was waving at him. ¡°Thanks, you bumbling necromancer.¡± At the same time, Karnak, Varos, and Serati began to blur. ¡°You¡¯re the first person I¡¯ve ever met who falls so easily for illusions.¡± In an instant, all three of them vanishedpletely. All that remained were the zombie horde and the demon, looking around in confusion. ¡°Contractor, speak clearly! Who am I supposed to kill and who should I bring to you?¡± Shutraff¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°¡­It was all an illusion?¡± Since when? Where? A roar filled with rage echoed through the manor¡¯s underground. ¡°Those bastards dared to deceive me!¡± Chapter 37 Chapter 37. 10. Night of the Corpses On the dark street, about two blocks away from the Ranpelt Estate. Two men were running down a narrow alley. They were Varos and Karnak, with Serati slung over Varos¡¯s shoulder. After hiding in the shadows of the alley, Varos looked beyond the street. ¡°We managed to buy ourselves some time. Lucky for us, he¡¯s just a naive fellow.¡± ¡°I said it to make him angry, but it¡¯s not just because he¡¯s naive.¡± Karnak smirked faintly as he nced back toward the Ranpelt Estate. ¡°Who told him to keep controlling things from a distance?¡± If their opponent had shown himself, even someone like him wouldn¡¯t have been able to maintain the illusion. However, Shutraff had only used necromancy indirectly while hiding somewhere within the estate. ¡°It¡¯s hard to deceive the caster themselves, but creating an illusion that tricks a irvoyant spell isn¡¯t that difficult.¡± ¡°If he doesn¡¯t even know such basics, doesn¡¯t that make him naive?¡± ¡°Being naive and being ignorant are different things. Then again, he¡¯s a clergyman, so it¡¯s to be expected, I guess? He doesn¡¯t even have the most basic skills, tsk tsk.¡± As Karnak clicked his tongue, Varos asked him a question. ¡°So, what now?¡± ¡°First, let¡¯s find a ce to hide.¡± Although it was quiet for now, this silence wouldn¡¯tst long. Shutraff wouldn¡¯t just sit still after losing track of Karnak and hispanions. Any moment now, he¡¯d unleash the Ranpelt family¡¯s subordinates to search the entire city. They needed to find a hiding ce before that happened. ¡°We also need to make ns for what¡¯s next¡­¡± Karnak pointed toward Varos¡¯s shoulder. Specifically, at Serati, who was still unconscious and slung over his shoulder. ¡°We need to deal with this youngdy too.¡± * * * It was just as Karnak had predicted. The enraged Shutraff immediately mobilized the Ranpelt family to scour every inch of Trist City. Lights flickered on across the city, and people began to move. ¡°Hey, open the door!¡± ¡°Is there any suspicious outsider here?¡± The fact that it was the dead of night, with everyone asleep, meant nothing. The Ranpelt family¡¯s thugs roamed the inns and alleys at will. In the process, more than a few innocent people were unjustly caught up in the mess. ¡°No, we¡¯re just simple merchants¡­¡± ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± The foreign peddlers who were dragged out of their beds protested fiercely, but no one paid them any attention. Blood was spilled, and cries of pain echoed everywhere. ¡°Aaah!¡± ¡°For heaven¡¯s sake, who exactly are you looking for?¡± ¡°Shut up and follow us! The order is to capture anyone suspicious!¡± Among them, there were quite a few who resisted fiercely. Outsiders had willinglye to this infamous city of crime. Ordinary citizens wouldn¡¯t have sought out a city like this in the first ce. ¡°Do they think they can take us lightly?¡± ¡°Do they think we don¡¯t have weapons?¡± Bloodshed erupted all around, and chaos continued. It had been about an hour since the previously quiet night in Trist had beenpletely overturned. However, no matter how much they searched, the search teams couldn¡¯t find their targets. ¡°Where the hell are these guys hiding?¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible for outsiders not to stand out in this city.¡± Someone raised the question. ¡°Could they have escaped the city?¡± But this was immediately refuted. ¡°No way. We¡¯ve deployed so many people.¡± Even though it was awless city, it had originally been a fortress of the nation. With enough manpower, it could be secured like a fortress. ¡°But these guys were bold enough to directly attack the estate. Maybe they forced their way out¡­¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t received any reports of that.¡± If a battle had urred, there would have been some traces left behind¡ªbe itmotion or corpses. The guards stationed at the city¡¯s perimeter were all still at their posts without incident. ¡°¡­So where on earth are they?¡± * * * Serati slowly regained consciousness. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± From the hazy edge of her awareness, she heard voices. ¡°It¡¯d be dangerous to return to the d family, wouldn¡¯t it, young master?¡± ¡°Probably. In this situation, the first ce they¡¯d go would be the factions that opposed them. They¡¯ve likely sent arge number of people there by now.¡± ¡°Sigh, we left all our stuff there. We¡¯ll have to retrieve itter.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect things to turn out like this. I thought I¡¯d avoid being chased and hiding in this life.¡± ¡°Maybe this is just our fate.¡± It was the voices of Karnak and Varos. Serati jolted awake in shock. ¡®Them!¡¯ Her senses returned with a start. She had seen it clearly¡ªthe dark energy surging from Karnak¡¯s entire body. She needed to escape from here immediately. She tried to get up. ¡°Ugh!¡± A sharp pain surged through her, and a faint groan escaped her lips. Hearing the sound, Karnak approached her. ¡°You¡¯re awake, Miss Serati. How are you feeling?¡± ¡°¡­Are you, a filthy necromancer, really asking about my well-being?¡± Her cold response made Karnak scratch his head awkwardly. ¡°Ah, well, I suppose I can¡¯t help how you feel¡­¡± He was caught off guard. Since his true identity had been revealed, Serati had expected him to show his true colors. Yet, he still wore a pleasant expression. Who could possibly suspect that this gentle face belonged to an evil necromancer? ¡®Come to think of it, why did he keep me alive?¡¯ Even though she was puzzled, Serati first assessed the situation. ¡°Where are we?¡± ¡°We¡¯re in the forest on the southern outskirts of Trist City. It¡¯s safer outside the city.¡± ¡°How did you manage to slip through the security? They wouldn¡¯t have let you leave so easily.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had quite a bit of experience with this sort of thing.¡± The Ranpelt family had undoubtedly sealed off Trist Citypletely. It would be tough for even a powerful adventurer or mage to sneak through that security. But necromancers were different. Necromancy specialized in techniques like mind control, memory maniption, and enchantment. Things that might be impossible for a mage were achievable for a necromancer. Tight security? They could simply knock out the guards and then alter their memories for a perfect crime. Alternatively, they could hypnotize or brainwash them from the start. This was why necromancers were especially difficult to capture. Necromancy was inherently advantageous for evasion and concealment. Moreover, Karnak and Varos had faced situations like this dozens of times in their past lives. They had operated in secret for months in the imperial capital, where security was said to be the strictest on the continent. A small-town city like this was nothing inparison. ¡°We only left the area briefly because we needed time to ¡®deal with¡¯ Miss Serati.¡± Though his tone was calm, the content of his words was anything but. ¡®Deal with me?¡¯ Her face turned pale. Karnak, noticing this, continued with an awkward smile. ¡°Is ¡®deal with¡¯ too harsh a word? But I can¡¯t just leave you be when you know my secret, can I?¡± ¡°¡­Are you nning to kill me?¡± Even as she said this, Serati didn¡¯t believe it. If he intended to kill her, he wouldn¡¯t have gone through the trouble of bringing her all the way here. As expected, Karnak shook his head. ¡°I have no such intention. Believe it or not, I¡¯m trying to live withoutmitting any crimes.¡± ¡°Hmph,ing from a necromancer?¡± ¡°I ended up learning necromancy, but it¡¯s not something I particrly like. In fact, I try to avoid using it whenever possible, and instead¡­¡± Karnak summoned a faint magical energy. ¡°¡­I diligently pursue the path of a mage.¡± As an Aura user, Serati could recognize the nature of his energy quite urately. The power Karnak disyed now was undoubtedly mana. It wasn¡¯t necromantic energy. ¡®That¡¯s true, he¡¯s used magic several times, and no one ever noticed it was him.¡¯ Not only Serati, but even the mage Riltein and the priest Alius hadn¡¯t noticed anything, so it clearly couldn¡¯t have been dark magic. ¡®So, is he lying?¡¯ However, there was something that made her hesitant to ept it so easily. ¡°Aren¡¯t necromancy and magic ipatible?¡± ¡°Usually, that¡¯s true. This is my own unique method. I avoid learning necromancy as much as possible.¡± Come to think of it, even Shutraff, who had been a priest, used necromancy. It didn¡¯t seem entirely impossible. Serati began to waver a little. Was Karnak truly someone who had no choice but to learn necromancy, and was he now solely walking the path of a mage? ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why haven¡¯t youpletely abandoned necromancy?¡± Karnak chuckled softly. ¡°Miss Serati, let me ask you the opposite. Can you abandon your Aura?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The fighting spirit you¡¯ve mastered¡ªcan you give it up?¡± ¡°What nonsense is that? How could I possibly give up the Aura I¡¯ve already mastered¡­¡± ¡°Exactly. That¡¯s the reason I can¡¯t abandon my necromantic power.¡± Serati found herself at a loss for words. As someone who also wielded Aura, she understood immediately. Indeed, once you¡¯ve mastered a certain power, it¡¯s impossible to simply discard it. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s say that¡¯s true¡­¡± She sighed and asked, ¡°If you¡¯re not going to kill me, then what do you intend to do with me?¡± ¡°I n to erase part of your memory. Just the moment when I used necromancy.¡± Her expression hardened. Erase a person¡¯s memory? Could necromancy really do such a thing? ¡°It¡¯s not such a big deal. You¡¯ve probably experienced something like that once or twice yourself, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous! How could it bemon for perfectly normal memories to be erased?¡± ¡°Never cked out after drinking too much?¡± Once again, Serati was left speechless. Honestly, who hasn¡¯t? In fact, not just once or twice¡ªquite a few times. She did enjoy drinking, after all. ¡°There won¡¯t be any problems. You passed out during the fight anyway, right? It¡¯ll just be like you passed out a few minutes earlier.¡± She was now confused. The terms were surprisingly generous. It wasn¡¯t something one would expect from a wicked necromancer. ¡°¡­Why are you going this far? Are you trying to win me over?¡± As she softened slightly, Karnak gave her a somewhat ambiguous look. ¡°I hesitate to say this, but¡­¡± He nced pointedly at her shoulder. ¡°Right now, there¡¯s no need to win you over. You wouldn¡¯t be of much help anyway.¡± For a moment, she didn¡¯t understand. An Aura user is of no use? Why? Instinctively, her gaze followed Karnak¡¯s. He was looking beneath her shoulder. Naturally, she expected to see her elbow. But her arm was gone. All that remained was the charred, ckened stump where her arm had been severed from the elbow down¡­ A groan, like the soul itself was decaying, escaped her lips. ¡°Ah¡­¡± * * * The realization, dulled by her numbed senses, now hit her with full force. ¡®That¡¯s right, I lost my arms¡­¡¯ Both her arms were gone. She could no longer wield a sword. No tears came, only the uncontroble trembling of her body. Of course, with proper care, she could regain the ability to use Aura again. But the swordsmanship she had honed over a lifetime was now useless. No, the sword wasn¡¯t the issue. Having no arms meant she couldn¡¯t grasp anything. Even the most basic daily activities would be impossible. She couldn¡¯t even wipe herself after relieving herself. This young woman, in the prime of her life, would no longer be able to maintain even a shred of dignity. ¡°Aah¡­¡± Her vision darkened with despair. In the midst of her hopelessness, Karnak¡¯s words of constion reached her ears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Serati. You were truly a talented Aura user.¡± To her, they were nothing but hollow echoes. ¡°¡­Just kill me.¡± She murmured despondently. ¡°My memory? There¡¯s no need to erase it. Just kill me here¡­¡± With a tone of regret, Varos asked cautiously, ¡°Is there really no other way, young master? What about seeking out a powerful priest for healing¡­?¡± ¡°In cases where limbs have been severed, it¡¯s impossible. You know that, right? No matter how powerful the magic or divine spell, it can¡¯t restore lost limbs. It¡¯s an act that goes against the natural order.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s different from necromancy.¡± Varos let out a deep sigh. ¡°Different from necromancy?¡± Serati, lost in despair, suddenly lifted her head. ¡°Wait! Then with necromancy? Are you saying necromancy could restore my arms?¡± Karnak blinked for a moment, then responded quietly. ¡°That is true¡­¡± He scratched his cheek, looking ufortable. ¡°But it¡¯s not something I would rmend.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because the only way to do it would be to make you one of my minions. Surely, you don¡¯t want to be the servant of a wicked necromancer, do you?¡± Chapter 38 Chapter 38. 10. Night of the Corpses (2) A powerful necromancer could subjugate a human soul through a contract of subordination, making it their servant and enving it. The tale of an adventurer who, after being captured by a necromancer and subjected to extreme torture, falls into corruption and turns to evil is amon theme in various adventure stories. Naturally, Serati was horrified. ¡®Be the servant of a necromancer?¡¯ It was something that could never happen. She could never ept it. ¡®But¡­¡¯ It was difficult to outright refuse when both her arms felt so empty. The future ahead also seemed too bleak. Could she really say that falling into corruption and turning to evil was worse than living miserably with both arms lost? Serati stammered as she asked. ¡°¡­If I really be your servant¡­ can I get my lost arms back?¡± After a moment of hesitation, Karnak answered. ¡°Yes.¡± In truth, even with necromancy, regenerating severed limbs wasn¡¯t an easy feat. It wasn¡¯t that the method was difficult, but rather that there was no need for such techniques to be developed. The problem could be easily solved by simply grafting parts from another corpse or by growing a new arm of darkness altogether. Why would an evil necromancer bother with the difficult path of considering their opponent¡¯s life? However, Karnak did have the ability to fully restore Serati¡¯s severed arms. It was possible even with his currently limited necromantic power. Varos, who had been his servant, was constantly getting his limbs blown off. Though his manner of speaking was rude, Karnak could trust no one in the world except Varos. There had been a time when Karnak had devotedly clung to regeneration techniques because he couldn¡¯t bear to see his precious servant disabled. Of course, those techniques became meaningless once he turned Varos into a Death Knight. ¡°It is possible. Though I can do it¡­¡± Serati grew anxious at Karnak¡¯s less than enthusiastic attitude. ¡°Then what¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to do it. I told you, didn¡¯t I? I¡¯m trying to stay away from necromancy as much as possible.¡± Karnak genuinely intended to erase her memories and set her free. Make Serati his servant? As an aura user and a beauty, she would certainly be useful, but at the moment, that wasn¡¯t a particrly attractive option for him. ¡®That would be like going back to living as I used to.¡¯ If he had pursued power, he wouldn¡¯t have bothered developing chaos magic. He would¡¯ve just continued to cultivate his necromantic power. ¡°Th-That¡¯s¡­¡± Serati was flustered. This was an unexpected answer. In truth, she had harbored some doubts, suspecting that he might be tempting her on purpose to make her his ve. Karnak, who had been watching her in confusion, suddenly sent a magical message. [Hey, Varos.] [Yes, Young Master?] [Did you do this on purpose?] Varos knew well that if a personpletely lost a part of their body, not even a priest¡¯s holy spell could heal it. Even though he knew, he deliberately steered the conversation to suggest that necromancy could heal it. [Why did you do that?] [The youngdy is pitiful, you know. I¡¯ve also lost my limbs before, so I understand how she feels.] Though he had brushed it off back then, thinking the young master would just make him new limbster, the despair he felt when he first lost his arms was still vivid in his memory. [I just wanted to help her if possible. It¡¯s not that difficult for you, is it?] In the middle of talking, Varos suddenly felt a bit uneasy. Now that he thought about it, Karnak was no longer the Necromancer King he once was. [Is it difficult for you now?] [Well, it¡¯s not as easy as it used to be, but I can manage one person. But are you sure I should make this girl my servant?] To capture a young beauty¡¯s weakness, force a contract, and turn her into a ve to do whatever he wanted with her soul. [That sounds like something only a truly vile viin would do, doesn¡¯t it?] [So you were aware you were a truly vile viin? That¡¯s surprising.] [That¡¯s why I¡¯m trying to live as kindly as possible now.] No matter how he thought about it, it was ambiguous. [Is this a bad deed or a good one?] Varos came to a clear conclusion. [You should just let Miss Serati decide.] Exin the situation clearly and leave the choice to her. Then, whatever happens is her responsibility. [This way, it¡¯s not the same as living as you used to, right?] [Right!] Karnak¡¯s thoughts became clear. Feeling at ease, Karnak called out to her in a gentle voice. ¡°Miss Serati.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± Unconsciously, her tone shifted to a more respectful one. It was a sign that her spirit had already been broken. ¡°No matter how much I dislike necromancy, it doesn¡¯t sit right with me to just leave you like this.¡± ¡°Th-Then?¡± ¡°You should decide, Miss Serati. I¡¯ll do whatever you want.¡± Would she choose to live with some of her memories lost and her arms gone, disabled for the rest of her life? Or would she choose to regain herplete body in exchange for bing Karnak¡¯s servant? Serati couldn¡¯t answer. It wasn¡¯t something she could decide easily. Of course, she desperately wanted to get her lost arms back, no matter the cost, but¡­ ¡°¡­What do I have to do to be your servant? Do I have to sell my soul?¡± Karnak chuckled softly. ¡°That¡¯s something you do when making a pact with a demon from hell to gain power. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m bestowing some divine power upon you, is it?¡± Serati was puzzled, not understanding why he wouldugh at that. Was this some kind of joke among necromancers? ¡°Then¡­ will my soul be tainted by darkness?¡± ¡°Not really. Just as a wound healed by a holy spell doesn¡¯t constantly radiate divine light, necromancy works the same way. Once the regeneration isplete, your arms and soul are simply yours again. They won¡¯t be particrly tainted by darkness.¡± In fact, it would be troublesome if they were tainted by darkness. ¡°If my servant were to be constantly emanating dark energy, wouldn¡¯t that give away my identity? If anything like that happens, I¡¯ll have to work to get rid of it.¡± Serati was bewildered. This seemed a bit different from what she had heard. Wasn¡¯t bing a necromancer¡¯s servant supposed to turn one into a bloodthirsty demon, hungry for ughter? ¡°Then¡­ what happens to me if I be your servant?¡± ¡°Your soul will be subjugated by me.¡± Karnak continued his exnation. ¡°To be precise, your soul¡¯s structure will be fully revealed to me. I need to see the blueprint of your soul to regenerate your arms, after all.¡± Additionally, a few restrictions would be ced. ¡°If you betray me, you¡¯ll face death as a consequence. For instance, if you reveal my identity to someone, or raise a weapon against me.¡± ¡°And I must obey yourmands unconditionally?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible, but I won¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯d have to manipte your mind. In that case, your ability to handle aura would significantly diminish, and there¡¯s no reason to weaken a servant¡¯s abilities, is there?¡± Unconditional obedience wasn¡¯t always beneficial. For example, if Karnak, in a fit of anger, yelled at Serati, ¡®Go and die!¡¯ What if Serati actually went and died? That would result in the pointless loss of a skilled aura user. ¡°So, other necromancers don¡¯t usually tamper with their servants¡¯ minds halfway. They either turn them into mindless puppets or leave their free will intact, only imposing restrictions.¡± Serati became increasingly conflicted. Now that she thought about it, the terms didn¡¯t seem as bad as she had expected. Of course, this was under the assumption that Karnak was telling the truth. ¡®This isn¡¯t all that different from a knight swearing an oath of loyalty, is it?¡¯ Though her situation was much worse. After all, Karnak held her life in his hands. But wasn¡¯t the realparison between this and losing her arms? Was it truly an unfair contract to serve a dangerous master in exchange for regaining her lost arms? ¡°The choice is yours, Miss Serati.¡± A subtle voice reached her ears as she wrestled with her decision. ¡°Your freedom, your lost arms, your future as a swordswoman.¡± It was a voice that was soft and gentle, yet seemed to pierce through her heart. ¡°You are the only one who can weigh which is more precious.¡± As he finished speaking, Karnak felt a sense of satisfaction. He had exined everything kindly, made sure she understood, and even offered her a choice. He hadn¡¯t forced her into anything. ¡®Wow, I¡¯ve really be a better person, haven¡¯t I?¡¯ Watching from the side, Varos had a strange expression on his face. Karnak was clearly offering this proposal with good intentions, trying his best to live as a decent person and giving Serati the choice¡­ ¡®So why does it feel like I¡¯m watching a demon seducing an innocent maiden? Is it just my imagination?¡¯ In the end, Serati made her decision. ¡°¡­Please make me your servant, Lord Karnak.¡± *** A contract of subordination was an incrediblyplex and advanced form of magic. For an ordinary necromancer, it would require at least half a day of preparation, followed by a lengthy ritual before the contract could be sealed. But for Karnak, who had once been the Necromancer King, the time it took to drink a cup of tea was more than enough. ¡°In the name of Karnak Zestrad, Master of Darkness, I ask you this: Serati Allen, will you be my servant?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then open your mind and ept the contract.¡± Karnak ced his palm on Serati¡¯s head as she knelt before him. The dark magic flowed from the top of her head, coursing through her entire body. ¡®Ugh!¡¯ For a brief moment, she almost activated her aura to resist. But then, she heard his voice again. ¡°Then you shall regain what you have lost.¡± With that, Serati retracted all of her aura and willingly epted Karnak¡¯s darkness. At the same time, an intense pain radiated from her severed arms. ¡°Ugh! Ahhhh!¡± As she groaned in pain, her eyes reflected the change that was happening. The charred scabs on her arms began to peel away. At the same time, new arms started to grow. To be honest, it wasn¡¯t a pretty sight. Unlike the radiant light and seamless healing of holy spells, necromantic regeneration involved bones sprouting, raw red muscles covering them, and grotesque tendons and blood vessels forming. It looked truly horrifying and repulsive. Yet, Serati was filled with joy. ¡°Ah¡­ Ahhh¡­¡± Her arms. The arms she had lost were growing back. Even the pain was a sweet sensation in the face of such a miraculous sight. Karnak withdrew his hand from her head. ¡°Serati Allen, from this moment on, you are my servant.¡± Without realizing it, she spoke in a formal tone. ¡°Yes, my master¡­¡± And then she copsed on the spot. As Varos supported the unconscious Serati, he smiled faintly. ¡°This reminds me of the old days. I fainted like this too.¡± ¡°Is it really that painful?¡± ¡°It feels like your whole body is being torn apart. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t use it in the middle of a battle.¡± ¡°True, I always envied the healing powers of priests.¡± Suddenly, Varos tilted his head in thought. ¡°Wait, I¡¯m no longer your servant, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± When Karnak returned to the past, all past events were erased. Naturally, the subordination contract with Varos also ceased to exist. ¡°So that¡¯s why you were able to take Miss Serati as a servant? With my current power, I can only handle one servant at a time.¡± ¡°Does that mean if I lose my limbs again, I won¡¯t be able to regenerate them?¡± Varos shuddered, wondering if he had dug his own grave by trying to be kind. Karnak responded casually, as if it were no big deal. ¡°Why not? Of course, you can.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll break the contract with Serati and make you my servant again.¡± ¡°¡­But if you break the subordination contract, Miss Serati would die on the spot, wouldn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°That¡¯s unavoidable. I can¡¯t turn you into a cripple just to keep her alive.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­ very considerate of you, but¡­¡± Varos stared at the unconscious Serati. ¡®I¡¯d better take good care of my body. This youngdy¡¯s life depends on my limbs.¡¯ It was fortunate that she had passed out. Had she heard this conversation, she might have regretted her decision deeply. In any case, it was time to start nning for whaty ahead. Varos asked, ¡°So, what will you do now?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about that.¡± Karnak had two options avable. The first was to prepare for a counterattack and rescue Alius and Riltein. The second was to abandon them and flee from Trist City. ¡°To live like a decent person, I should obviously choose the first option, right?¡± The problem was that he couldn¡¯t face Shutraff with chaos magic alone. He would have to use necromancy. Only then would he have a chance of winning. ¡°Why is that an issue? You¡¯ve used necromancy plenty of times when no one was watching.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly the problem; too many people are watching this time.¡± Shutraff¡¯s necromantic power was quite formidable. To face him, it wouldn¡¯t be enough to use power covertly and sparingly, as Karnak had done until now. ¡°I¡¯d have to use necromancy on arge scale, in full force, and that feels too much like going back to my old ways.¡± Return to being an evil necromancer, turning the city into hell while rescuing hisrades. Or, avoid using dark powers and abandon hisrades, choosing instead to flee. ¡°Which is the right choice?¡± ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s really confusing.¡± They racked their brains together for a long time but couldn¡¯t find an easy answer. Finally, Varos came to a simr conclusion as before. ¡°Let¡¯s ask Miss Serati when she wakes up.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a proper human being, unlike us. So, she might be able toe to a proper conclusion.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right! Varos, you¡¯re getting smarter by the day!¡± Chapter 39 Chapter 39 ¨C 10. Night of the Dead (3) Serati, who came to her senses again, reaffirmed her resolve. Now, she had be a member of the necromancer¡¯s household. She was in a position to obey any evil order. What order would Karnak give to her subordinate? The first order was frankly a bit embarrassing. ¡°Take your pick, Serati. Which one is the right choice?¡± Was it because he made her into his circle? Karnak¡¯s tone had changed. Serati, who was hesitant, asked quietly. ¡°Of course, we have to save Mr. Alius and Mr. Riltain, don¡¯t we?¡± She didn¡¯t know why that would be a problem to worry about. Did he even think about abandoning them? ¡°Are you saying it¡¯s okay to resort to evil tricks to save yourrades?¡± ¡°Of course, it is not a good choice. But even though there is a way, we can¡¯t abandon yourrades, can we?¡± In the first ce, Serati was also a person that epted necromancy to get her arms back. If she was evil, she wasn¡¯t so tightly blocked that she shuddered unconditionally. She was a personality that couldpromise with the world to some extent. ¡°If someone finds out that you¡¯re a necromancer, Master Karnak, you¡¯ll also be in danger, so it¡¯s understandable to avoid it, but¡­¡­ Isn¡¯t it right enough to take such a risk to save yourpanions?¡± Karnak and Barros shook their heads as if they had realized. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°If the purpose is right, the means can be vicious.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay to do bad things for good things, right? We¡¯ve been living right.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Serati was taken aback. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t say that¡­¡± However, it seemed that the two had alreadye to their own conclusions. Standing up from his seat, Karnak spoke lively. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to use necromancy in earnest after a long time.¡± ¡°A lot of people will die, but it¡¯s all to save ourrades.¡± ¡°Since they¡¯re bad guys anyway, wouldn¡¯t it be okay to die?¡± ¡°I see? It¡¯s nice that there¡¯s no pressure.¡± Serati stuttered. ¡°Oh no, that¡¯s¡­¡± What was that feeling? They were able to rescue their capturedrades, Alius and Riltain. And it was a good thing. That was obviously a good thing, right? ¡°But why do I feel like I¡¯ve done something irreversible?¡± ?©ƒ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©‚? A powerful necromancer who controlled the city was making all kinds of preparations while hiding in a hiding ce. What should he do to deal with this enemy? ¡°But right now, themand power is so poor, so I can¡¯t do that.¡± If it was Karnak of yesteryear, he would have first created a huge undead army with vast authority and then wiped out the city. After that, he would step by step break the opponent¡¯s defense and advance, eventually cutting the enemy¡¯s throat. Karnak pondered whileparing Straf and his own necromancy power. The gap between the two was extreme. Even though he had a lofty status as the King of Death, the answer was not visible. It was said that a force of one could move a weight of ten using a lever, but it was still necessary to have at least a force of one. Karnak murmured as he looked at Trist City covered in darkness. ¡°I¡¯m going to use some scams from the surroundings as soon as possible.¡± Barros asked, ¡°Is there that much fraud around here? This isn¡¯t some sort of graveyard or battlefield, is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a funny story, but it happened.¡± It was a city so dangerous that it was called the city of sin and the hell of human tax. It was a ce where people died every day, and knife fights took ce. The entire city was already a huge graveyard and a bloody battlefield. ¡°Wow, is that enough? Isn¡¯t that a real ce for people to live?¡± ¡°I mean. How can people live in a ce like this?¡± To the extent that such inspiration came from the mouths of the old Commander King and the Death Knight Lord, one could easily guess how busy Trist City was. Serati also nodded, ¡°Yeah, no matter how much necromancy you use here, the crime here looks serious.¡± But she couldn¡¯t understand where the conversation was going. ¡°As expected, human vitality is amazing.¡± ¡°Sure. That¡¯s why we went through that trouble.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Why was that something to admire? Serati didn¡¯t know. Meanwhile, the conversation between the two continued. ¡°So you¡¯re saying you can gather enoughmand power to deal with him, young master?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a temporary scrape, so it might becking a lot, but I think I¡¯ll be able to fill the minimum standards.¡± ¡°What are you going to do next? There are no corpses to use to create an undead army.¡± It was true that Trist City was full of ghosts who died unjustly. Surprisingly, however, there were not many bodies buried there. A river ran beside the city. You could just throw it out. Karnak could treat it with fish food, but why bother digging and burying it? ¡°But filling the army only with evil spirits consumes too muchmand power.¡± You also needed a body. Even with the most boring things. ¡°I can¡¯t. We have no choice but to go back to the past.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it? I tried not to live like before, but in this case, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡± ¡°There won¡¯t be any big problems, right? Miss Serati said it was fine.¡± ¡°You can do bad things to save yourrades.¡± The two men looked at Serati and smiled broadly as if they were really trustworthy. She put on a nk expression. ¡°I never said anything like that¡­¡± But Serati couldn¡¯t resist. If that happened, they seemed like they would run away, abandoning Alius and Riltain. Karnak wondered if it would be like that as a human being, but for some reason, they gave off an atmosphere that seemed like it could be like that. ¡°Okay, the grand n is in ce.¡± Smiling, Karnak wiggled his fingers. He seemed quite excited, probably because he had returned to his main job after a long time. ¡°First of all, we have to make it inrge quantities.¡± Serati asked cautiously, ¡°Are you going to kill Ranfeld¡¯s gang members one by one from now on?¡± ¡®Please don¡¯t kill unrted citizens.¡¯ Infamous Scans Trantor: Anom Proofreader: Orange Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/D28kQrftFe It was a question with such a wish, but Karnak shook his hand. ¡°There¡¯s no need to go all that way, Serati.¡± A condescending smile appeared on his lips. ¡°Isn¡¯t this city self-sufficient in security?¡± ?©ƒ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©‚? A night street south of Trist City. Two tough-looking men were sitting down on the street and taking a break. They were the servants of the Ranfeld family who searched the city all night. One of the men, Erold, grumbled, ¡°Ah, what are you really doing at night?¡± His legs hurt, and he was tired. Thinking that the superiors who made him did that would be sleepingfortably made him angry. ¡°Didn¡¯t you bring a bottle of wine too?¡± ¡°Hey, Lehman! Give me the bottle!¡± A man called Lehman asked in a blunt tone. ¡°Why? Are you dissatisfied? You should have won if you felt unfair.¡± ¡°Keugh¡­¡­¡± Seeing the opponent acting arrogantly, Lehman gnashed his teeth, and there was nothing he could do because he was just Erold¡¯s subordinate now. Lehman was originally a member of the Krell family, which was hostile to the Ranfeld family. After the family was destroyed, he entrusted himself to Ranfeld. That was the situation. Originally, he went under someone who was fighting with swords, so he felt very dirty. Of course, Erold didn¡¯t care. ¡°You! What are you going to do? Are you going toe and fight me now?¡± Now that the Ranfeld family had taken control of the city, his prestige was much higher. Just looking at this him right now, he was originally in a higher position than that, but wasn¡¯t it rolling underneath like this now? Suddenly, a low voice flowed into Erold¡¯s ears. It was a time when such an awkward atmosphere flowed. ¡°You showed your back.¡± At the same time, the de grazed his shoulder. He stabbed Erold with the sword Lehman was holding. Frightened, Erold drew his sword. ¡°You bastard!¡± The wound was not very deep, but seeing the blood made his eyes wander. ¡°Yes! I knew you would eventually reveal your true colors!¡± Erold started swinging his sword wildly. Embarrassed, Lehman stepped back. ¡°Huh? No, this is not that¡­¡± Even Lehman couldn¡¯t understand what had just happened. He was just standing in a daze, but an invisible force slightly pushed the tip of his sword away. But it was not a very deep wound, so was he making a fuss like that? ¡°Damn! I don¡¯t know!¡± It was no longer a situation to speak. Besides, to be honest, he was the opponent Lehman always wanted to put a knife to. nk! nk! The sound of knife shing began to reverberate through the dark night streets. ?©ƒ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©‚? Untimely fights were taking ce all over the city. A fight broke out among Ranfeld¡¯s gang members, who searched the city in pairs of two or three. ¡°You bastard! After all, you¡¯re after me!¡± ¡°What, what are you talking about?¡± ¡°Who do you think will win?¡± ¡°You are the one who intends to deal with me with this excuse!¡± A mission to search the city in the middle of the night when you couldn¡¯t sleep. As with most dirty things, the higher-ups didn¡¯t meddle in these things. Most of the troops currently searching the city were either low-ranking members of the Ranfeld organization or those who had been brought in from outside after the family¡¯s fall. Those who risked their lives fighting each other forcibly became on the same side, so he couldn¡¯t find it even if he washed his eyes and looked for camaraderie. Even the slightest misunderstanding could light up his eyes and cause him to die. It was inevitable that the screams would follow. ¡°Aaaagh!¡± ¡°Gagging!¡± Karnak, who was hiding in the darkness of the alley and watching the situation, smiled. ¡°It¡¯s eating well.¡± Serati, who was hiding together, was dumbfounded. ¡°My God, it¡¯s a matter of life and death, so you draw a knife that easily?¡± ¡°If this is a normal city, Serati is right.¡± But this was Trist City, a ce where security was self-sufficient. ¡°We¡¯ve seen it with our own eyes that we usually draw knives all the time, right? From their point of view, this isn¡¯t a very umon situation.¡± To divide the enemy, Karnak did not use much force. There was nomand power for that, and there was no need for it. ¡°There¡¯s a mountain of kindling sticks piled up, so do you really need to fire a fireball? If you put just one spark, it¡¯ll burn brightly.¡± Just moved the tip of the sword slightly with magic power. And it left a short hallucination in the ear. ¡°Are there only two left?¡± ¡°Revenge!¡± ¡°The opportunity hase.¡± This was enough. Even with this level, those who were usually full of distrust easily drew their swords and died easily. ¡°Aaaagh!¡± ¡°Kuuk, this, this dog¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Terrified, Serati shuddered, ¡°Oh my god¡­¡­.¡± It was not even a huge method. It was a minor hallucination, and only a minor misunderstanding was thrown. But people are dying in dozens¡­ She was breathing a sigh of relief. Karnak¡¯s tactics only targeted Ranfeld¡¯s gang members and not the public. ¡°So¡­ isn¡¯t that a horrible person?¡± On the other hand, Barros had a very disapproving expression. ¡°There are too few corpses.¡± Dozens of people died throughout the city. ¡°Whatmand corps do you make with this?¡± No matter how much life was in the middle of the day, simple tricks like that only worked for some. To be honest, more guys didn¡¯t get over it. ¡°It¡¯s magic!¡± ¡°The wizard is bewitching us!¡± Those who noticed it came to their senses and began to search the surroundings. Besides, not all searchers were in pairs of two or three. Quite a lot of people run around in groups of ten or so. They couldn¡¯t use this tactic themselves. ¡°What are they going to do?¡± Karnak was unconcerned. ¡°Could this be all?¡± It was only the stage of sowing the seeds. ¡°There are other ways.¡± Chapter 40 Chapter 40 ¨C 10. Night of the Dead (4) Five tough men looked at the scene before them and were puzzled. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Why are these guys dead here?¡± These were also members of Ranfeld¡¯s lower end. While searching the streets with his colleagues, he discovered that the guys wandering through other areas were dead. ¡°The situation is a bit strange for an enemy attack¡­¡± No matter how he looked at it, it looked like they stabbed each other to death. Living in a city where there were so many cases of stabbing each other to death, he could tell just by looking at it. However, there was no reason for them to kill each other in the current situation. ¡°Has the wizard manipted the scene?¡± ¡°That means¡­¡± ¡°Are you saying that someone is targeting us somewhere right now?¡± The situation became terrifying for a moment, and it was when the organization members stared at the other side of the fog with their backs to the corpse. Two bloody corpses rose from behind. ¡°Haaaaa¡­¡± It was before the members of Ranfeld, startled by the groaning, even turned around. The knife held by the corpse cut deeply into one man¡¯s chest. Blood poured. ¡°Arghh!!!¡± A life went so quickly. The organization¡¯s members burst into screams at the sight of their colleague falling bleeding. ¡°Aww!¡± ¡°Guys the body moves!¡± ¡°It¡¯s dead!¡± The bloodied corpse charged at him, brandishing a sword. The men were frightened and fought back. ¡°Damn it! A wizard?¡± ¡°Damn, those top guys!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I should tell you something important like this!¡± A scuffle ensued with stabbing, cutting, and spraying blood. A knife was driven into the corpse¡¯s torso. ¡°Uhhh¡­¡± And it was no use. Those who had died would not die again¡ªrecklessly pushed and stabbed with a knife. A knife was lodged again in the man¡¯s torso. ¡°Kuuk!¡± A scream broke out. The living lost their vitality and copsed like dolls. The confrontation between a corpse that felt neither pain nor fear and a living person who sometimes died even when cut three inches was too absurd. It really was. ¡°Aaaaaaa!¡± ¡°Mo, cut your throat!¡± ¡°Even if you cut me, I won¡¯t die!¡± ¡°Then cut off your head and cut off all your limbs!¡± The five men paid a high price to leave only two moving corpses incapable ofbat. Two of the five died; the third suffered severe injuries and breathed heavily. ¡°Heh heh heh heh¡­¡­¡± ¡°Even so, because you screwed it up like this¡­¡± ¡°I will never get up again.¡± The whole head of the attacking zombie was smashed, and the limbs were also made into very well-minced meat chunks. Even if it moved again, he thought that would be fine since there was no means of attack. Damn, was it that scary that a chopped body could move? The muttering man¡¯splexion suddenly turned pale. ¡°Wait, the body is moving?¡± There were two more bodies in that ce. Those zombies just killed the members of Ranfeld¡¯s organization. ¡°Uhhh¡­¡± ¡°Uhhh¡­¡± Even the deadrades turned into zombies and began to rise. Terrifying screams pierced the night fog. ¡°Aaaagh!¡± * * * Things to avoid were happening one after another in the city. Colleagues killed each other, rose as zombies, and attacked other colleagues. However, the members of the Ranfeld organization were not easy opponents either. A street in central Trist City. About ten gang members were in the process of hacking through three zombies. ¡°Heh heh heh heh¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hey! What a zombie¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal if you deal with it calmly!¡± Everyone was a battle veteran who was ustomed to blood and death and was not unfamiliar with zombies. One member of the organization spat while wiping the blood. ¡°To hell with that necromancer! Did you think we would be shaken this much?¡± The agony of re-ying a deadrade? There was no such thing in the first ce. He could kill even a livingrade if he was wrong, so what was wrong with hacking up a corpse already? ¡°Search around! The necromancer who did this must be nearby!¡± A few of his men scattered across the street. After a while, a cry was heard from the back of the alley. ¡°They¡¯re here!¡± ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± As if they had waited, the men rushed into the alley to live. Just like that, it was time to stare into the alley. ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°What?¡± There was no one inside. Not only the necromancer but even the organization¡¯s members burst into shouts. ¡°¡­Then who just made that noise?¡± It was a time when everyone was dumbfounded. Outside the alley, another underling called them. ¡°This way, Brother!¡± As soon as the report was made, the subordinate quickly ran away and disappeared through the fog. Clicking his tongue, others followed him. ¡°Did you run away there?¡± However, when he came out to the street, he didn¡¯t see his subordinate. ¡°Where has this guy gone?¡± It was when the men were bewildered. A man ran from the other side of the street. ¡°There is no one here, Leader.¡± It was the subordinate who had just disappeared beyond the fog. Looking at him, the captain asked. ¡°What, you? When did you go there?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You just ran this way!¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± It was a time when they didn¡¯t understand and were embarrassed by each other. This time, footsteps were heard first. Tha tha tha¡­. Then, out of the fog, the same subordinate emerged for the third time. ¡°Captain, there¡¯s no one here¡­¡± ¡°Whoa! What was that!¡± Infamous Scans Trantor: Anom Proofreader: Orange Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/D28kQrftFe He was frightened when he saw another himself on the other side. It was a time when everyone was confused and muddled. ¡°Come to think of it, did you hear footsteps this time?¡± Muttered the captain. He hadn¡¯t heard that sound before. ¡°It¡¯s a trick! This guy is fake!¡± Even if he looked at it like this, it was a body that had been through all the maternity battles in Trist City. Did you think they would fall for this trick! ¡°You bastard!¡± ¡°Where are you going to trick people!¡± Saying that they would show the truth, the men grabbed knives and rushed at them. ¡°Huh? Huh? What is this?¡± They didn¡¯t care if the other person was embarrassed or not. It was a life where even the slightest mistake could cost you a life. He could only survive if he had to use his hands quickly. ¡°Ugh, ah!¡± It was an instant for one person to be hacked to pieces. Yes. It was one person. Not illusions or fantasies, but one person. The men looked back at each other, holding their swords dripping with blood. ¡°Excuse me¡­¡­¡± ¡°This feels like a shoulder¡­¡± ¡°Looks like it¡¯s real.¡± The captain snorted. ¡°Hong can¡¯t be real, right?¡± Because the real thing was behind him now. He was sure that he heard footsteps. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right? Prot¡­¡± Calling his name, he turned around and was startled. ¡°Prot?¡± He did not exist. Obviously, the subordinate who was standing just before was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Where did he go?¡± No, to be precise, where was he exactly. Prot was chopped into pieces with his own hands and became a corpse. Chills ran down his spine. ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­The one we just killed?¡± The body rose. ¡°What¡­.¡± Unjustly killed by colleagues¡­ ¡°Uhhh¡­¡± Being filled with resentment to the core and bing another zombie exuding fraud and dishonesty. ¡°Aaaaaaa!¡± * * * He couldn¡¯t believe what he saw. A colleague who was clearly in front of him was disappearing, and a colleague who should not be there was right in front of him. ¡°Damn! What¡¯s going on?¡± He also couldn¡¯t believe what he heard. Auditory hallucinations were not just about making sounds that were not there. Eliminating existing sounds were also hallucinations. ¡°No, I couldn¡¯t hear it clearly¡­¡± If you stabbed a colleague who ran silently with a knife, vivid blood would pour out. If he sent a noisy colleague behind his back, it would disappear before he knew it. ¡°Everyone, wake up!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t scatter, stay together!¡± If so, could you trust a colleague behind your back? How much was this warmthing from your back? That warmth was turning into chilly cold air before he knew it. Fu-wook! ¡°Keuouk!¡± ¡°Uh, at some point¡­¡± Apparently, the former colleague became a bloody corpse and stabbed the former colleague. The dead once again became a moving corpse and walked the earth moaning. ¡°Scatter!¡± ¡°There are zombies among us¡± ¡°Nonsense! It seemed fine until a moment ago¡­¡± He was cutting zombies in shock and panic. The eyes of a colleague who fought hard together suddenly turned bizarre. ¡°Hey, you, your eyes¡­¡± The pointed-out colleague nervously replied. ¡°What happened to my eyes?¡± It was a really human reaction, so it was a moment to be relieved. ¡°Deguru¡­!¡± A colleague¡¯s eyeballs fell out. Hanging from dark red tendons, the eyeballs trembled. ¡°Aaaaaagh!¡± Frightened, they brandished their swords at once. ¡°Kuuk! No, why did I suddenly¡­¡± The one who was suddenly attacked died in resentment. The survivors gasped for breath, stared at the dead, and were astonished. ¡°Oh my, what did I see?¡± ¡°Surely the eye rolled down?¡± The two eyes of the corpse were intact. The corpse woke up as a zombie, groaning with its normal but now unfocused eyes wide open. ¡°Uhhh¡­¡± He really couldn¡¯t trust anyone anymore. Even himself. He just screamed in fear, confusion, and despair. ¡°Aaaaaagh!¡± * * * Karnak continued to work. Traveling through Trist City, he searched for members of the Ranfeld organization. It was easy to find because they were noisy and roaming around in the first ce. When found, he spread a veil of darkness and hid himself. Then, he cast a magic spell on the Ranfeld group and adjusted the situation. Large-scale seduction could not be performed since there was no room formand power. But even so, it was no big deal. A short auditory hallucination didn¡¯t consume much of themand power. ¡°Are you fooled?¡± One word was enough. The mere fact that someone said something suspicious caused self-immtion among them. ¡°Hey, you son of a bitch!¡± ¡°Wait! Why are you suspicious of me?¡± Of course, cold-hearted people could try to rectify the situation somehow. ¡°Everyone, wake up!¡± ¡°Someone is bewitching us! Can¡¯t you see it?¡± Add a little salt here and season to taste. It was the salt called fantasy. ¡°Wait¡­ your face¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my face?¡± ¡°Aww! Don¡¯te any closer, you monster!¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about again!¡± They killed each other, the corpses multiplied, the multiplied corpses killed the living, and the corpses multiplied again. There were even unexpected situations. How would ordinary citizens see the appearance of the members of the Ranfeld organization, where self-restraint urred? Ah, those Ranfelds who didn¡¯t want to see that look got beaten up. But he was wearing an expensive sword and armor. It was not umon for mice and birds to die without even noticing if they were simply scattered. Karnak smiled happily, ¡°As expected, this is what happens when only bad guys gather.¡± If bad guys got together and did bad things, you would always see a bad reality and live. It felt like the world was full of only bad things, so if things got a little worse, he could only think of the worst possible oue. And most of Trist City¡¯s citizens had solved all their problems with swords and violence. ¡°Is this why people have to live kindly?¡± ¡°Your words are very persuasive. Barros snorted. ¡°We ended up like that because we didn¡¯t live kindly, maybe?¡± ¡°So you¡¯re continuing your good deeds like this?¡± Serati trembled at the sight of Karnak strutting. ¡®You mean this is a real necromancer¡­?¡¯ He did not spread great darkness and turned the entire city into hell like the legendary necromancer. He just wandered around the city, performing simple seduction tricks and walking again. But people kept dying¡­ ¡°Is it really good that I became a member of his family?¡± Of course, that didn¡¯t mean she hadn¡¯tmitted murder either. Living as an adventurer, she had had many asions where she was forced to fight to the death, and she had abundant experience in punishing viins. But no matter how bad the opponent was, could a person die so easily? Perhaps feeling Serati¡¯s gaze, Karnak turned around. Then, embarrassed, he scratched his head. ¡°I showed such an embarrassing side. I don¡¯t usually do this.¡± ¡°Still, it seems that you have at least a conscience?¡± The look on his face made him look really embarrassed. Serati was slightly relieved. ¡°Well, even if you¡¯re a necromancer, you¡¯re also a human, so there¡¯s no way you¡¯d do something like thisfortably¡­¡± ¡°Originally, he spreads the magic of darkness throughout the city and raises an army of corpses at once. Doing this without magic is not possible, so there is no need to look at me with such a disappointed eye.¡± ¡°¡­Was that your embarrassing point?¡± Karnak sighed heavily, not knowing that Serati was stunned. ¡°Well, it¡¯s really hard to live without power.¡± It was definitely a tiring job. If he had been in the past, he would never have done such a troublesome thing. Still, the number of people who died unjustly continued to rise. An unfair corpse walked the earth, and an unfair ghost hovered in the sky. ¡°With this, you got the number you needed, right?¡± Karnak stretched his hand into the air, ¡°Arise, my troops¡­¡± The gloomy voice began to spread through the city through the shadows. ¡°Be an army of death and march ording to my orders!¡± Chapter 41 Chapter 41 ¨C 11. Dawn¡¯s Curse Bodies moved. They walked erratically, staggering their split heads and dragging their elongated intestines. Leaving behind the puddles of blood containing the severed arms and legs, the silence of the night was polluted with screams. ¡°Aaaaa¡­¡± ¡°Aaaaaaaaaa¡­¡± ¡°Aaaaaaa¡­¡± Alleys were full of zombies. The streets were overflowing with corpses. Serati, who was hiding on the roof of a building and watching the scene, let out amentation. ¡°Goddess¡­¡­¡± There were too many dead bodies. Dozens or hundreds? That wasn¡¯t such a cute number. No matter how small it was, it seemed to be enough for 3,000. Otherwise, everything she saw couldn¡¯t be a corpse. ¡°What have I done?¡± She looked back at the ck-haired young man who had brought down hell in reality, now her master. Karnak looked at the city of corpses and smiled proudly. ¡°Will this be enough?¡± ¡°Now, I think we can rescue Mr. Alius and Mr. Riltain.¡± ¡°Come to think of it; this is the first time I¡¯m going to rescue another colleague besides you, Barros.¡± ¡°Me too. This is the first time I¡¯ve taken care of someone other than the young master.¡± Regrets crept in. Maybe this could have been prevented¡­ If he hadn¡¯t said useless words, this much blood might not have flowed¡­ Serati was brainwashed once again. ¡°¡­What have I done?¡± *** A legion of corpses rushed in, and beyond that, the dark Ranfeld mansion appeared under the dim moonlight. Countless corpses reached out and started burning the walls. ¡°Uhh¡­¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Corpses stepped on corpses and form huge waves that eroded all sides of the mansion. Like a swarm of ants rushing into sugar, zombies covered all over the ce in pitch ck. Straf watched the scene from the basement of the mansion. ¡°What the heck is this¡­¡± Looking at the circumstances, it was clear that this bastard Karnak had done the work. But he didn¡¯t understand. ¡°That guy was such a powerful necromancer? But obviously, themand power wasn¡¯t much¡­?¡± His dark magic was at a level that even a dozen or so zombies couldn¡¯t handle properly. At least, that¡¯s what Straf understood. ¡°Did he hide his power?¡± It didn¡¯t seem like it. If he had this much strength, he wouldn¡¯t have had to run away earlier. ¡°Or maybe there¡¯s a really powerful necromancer?¡± This made sense. If he brought hispanions after running away, then his hypothesis would be correct. Confident in his reasoning, Strafughed wickedly. ¡°If I absorb that darkness, my strength will grow even more!¡± Straf spread his arms left and right. ¡°Come, hell. Descend to thisnd under the darkness of all evil¡­¡± The magic of darkness swayed and flowed through the tentacles. The magic flowing through the tentacles wrapped around the entire mansion, turning it into a huge power. ¡°The true army of darkness will arise and strike my enemies¡­¡± The pupils of the fallen cleric turned ck. ¡°Then it¡¯s rather a good thing.¡± Such a powerful necromancer must have tremendous power. Dozens of tentacles shot out from the hideous meat wall that covered the cer wall. ¡°This is themand of the king who rules over death¡­¡± A bizarre sound began to echo from above the Ranfeld Mansion. Kuk kuk kuk kuk kuk kuk! * * * The first trumpets of darkness rang the sky. Whoops! Holes appeared all over the night sky. Darkness uttered an empty cry and poured out all kinds of monsters. Monsters with arms, legs, heads, and wings that looked like broken pieces of y. They were negative-type monsters of the lowest level in hell. They spewed cacophony and charged at the zombie horde. Kyaaaa! Kyaaaa! A second trumpet of darkness followed. The ground shook, and countless tentacles sprang up. Numerous tentacles coil around the corpse, crushing, shing, and crushing them. Blood and flesh sttered and sttered again. The sound of the trumpet continued endlessly. Woo woo woo! Third, fourth, fifth¡­ The trumpet continued to sound. Each time thendscape melted, and hell unfolded. It was a nightmare that could no longer be called andscape of the present world. Moving corpses and distorted monsters roamed among the fleshy trees and bone petals, vomiting blood and screaming repeatedly. Ugh ugh¡­ Ugh ugh¡­ It was a crucible of terrible confusion. Throughout the mansion, groans, explosions, and metal mingled to heat up the night sky noisily. Karnak, who was watching the situation, made a slightly surprised expression. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the Seven Trumpeter of the Four Dragons? You know how to do it. Where did you learn it?¡± In his previous life, only Karnak knew that technique. Because he secretly stole and reproduced the ancient necromancy arts that had been rotting for hundreds of years within the secret storage of the Hatoba Church. ¡°That¡¯s right, that human was originally a priest of the Hatoba Church, right? Then there is nothing strange about it.¡± That said, there was a high possibility that the other knowledge and wisdom that Karnak had monopolized in his previous life were now taken by others. Unlike back then, all sorts of misceneous necromancers were prevalent in this time zone. ¡®This, I guess my trick could hit me. I need to prepare in advance.¡¯ Anyway, this was something to take care ofter. ¡°Let¡¯s move slowly.¡± Karnak beckoned. Until now, he had spread the veil of darkness to avoid surveince and hid on the roof of a building near the mansion. But there was a battle hiding in that chaos, and they should be able to move to Ranfeld Mansion. ¡°I have to save myrades in this gap.¡± Infamous Scans Trantor: Anom Proofreader: Orange Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/D28kQrftFe Serati, who had been standing there nkly, also came to her senses. ¡°Yes.¡± That was not the time for regrets. They must have to save Alius and Riltain. She calmed down and asked, grasping the situation. ¡°Isn¡¯t it time yet?¡± The battle had just begun. It was strategically advantageous to move when the battle had progressed to some extent and confusion had increased. Karnak shook his head, ¡°If you wait too long, he¡¯ll find out.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡®Caught? What?¡¯ ¡°They will say it¡¯s only their hallucinations.¡± Surprised, Serati looked at the thousands of zombies swarming the Ranfeld mansion. ¡°¡­ Were that all hallucinations?¡± Karnak shrugged, ¡°Not all, but about 200 are real.¡± Then again, she was ashamed. ¡°Hey! How can I kill thousands of people with only necromancy now?¡± She still didn¡¯t understand what was embarrassing about it, but she thought she was ashamed anyway. As if making excuses, he continued. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t kill as long as I have enough time¡­¡± If you wanted to increase the zombie army by thousands, the members of the Ranfeld team were not enough. No matter how much the Ranfeld family controlled the entire city, it would not be enough to release thousands of people for just a search party. In other words, even ordinary citizens of Trist City had to touch it. ¡°No matter how much malevolent I am, I know that it is a real evil! Or, in this situation, is that even an eptable range?¡± Serati, who was dumbfounded, nodded her head absent-mindedly. ¡°Well, good work! Of course, you can¡¯t go that far!¡± It felt like a part of her heart was brightened. ¡®He wasn¡¯t that much of a viin!¡¯ Of course, killing 200 people in one night is a huge massacre. However, the weight of the crime was different between killing someone to kill and killing someone who had nothing to do with it. ¡°As expected, you should only kill the viins. In my experience, if you kill good people as well, the aftermath is not great.¡± ¡°I knew that,¡± Karnak nodded. ¡°Viins don¡¯t take revenge.¡± Serati asked back, not understanding. ¡°The viin doesn¡¯t take revenge?¡± Usually, what viins always say was ¡®Let¡¯s see!¡¯, ¡®I will definitely take revenge!¡¯ Wasn¡¯t it etc.? ¡°It¡¯s just what I said, but most of them would give up cleanly if they were defeated. In reality, no guy would risk his own life for revenge.¡± On the other hand, the death of a good person was different. When good people die, other good people rose like wildfire. And when it had the matter of ¡®justice¡¯, it turned into a formidable force that was not afraid of even death. Karnak, who was the Death King, had desperately tasted that power. Of course, he suppressed all of that power and conquered the world, but he lost so much in return. ¡®Nothing, I shouldn¡¯t live like before.¡¯ With a new resolution, Karnak called Barros and Serati. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go and rescue ourrades.¡± * * * A battle ensued on all sides. Everywhere you looked, corpses and monsters were endlessly spread out. It was numbers spread out on the ground. Three people were walking through that earthly hell. It was Karnak, Barros, and Serati who opened the veil of darkness. Passing between zombies and monsters, Serati stuck out her tongue. ¡°Is this really an illusion?¡± A zombie jumped out right next to it. Then, it rose again with a scream and attacked the strange monster. Even the tattered intestines, forearms, and blue skin were so vivid. ¡°No matter how you look at it, it looks real.¡± The illusion was a technique that relied heavily on the caster¡¯s imagination. So she didn¡¯t understand anymore. ¡°How can human imagination alone create such borate illusions? Enough to reproduce all the textures of that blood, intestines, and skin?¡± Seeing Serati¡¯s reaction, Karnak was satisfied inside. ¡°It seems that he hasn¡¯t grasped the reality yet.¡± This was the illusion he was confident in, ¡®copy and paste¡¯. Realizing a fantasy with only imagination required great concentration and memory. However, if you only cut something that already existed, the difficulty would drop significantly. There were all most 200 zombies that actually fought, and Karnak erged them more than 20 times as illusions, copied them, mixed them up, and released them on the battlefield. In this case, there must have been countless identical zombies, but there was a reason Serati didn¡¯t notice. Because there were various differences, such as intentionally reversing the left and right, reducing and increasing the size, and slowing down the speed of movement. If he did this, she wouldn¡¯t notice unless she paid close attention. In addition, since all the corpses were in tatters, the clothes were all rags, which was a plus. ¡°I¡¯m also doing some directing, right?¡± Of course, even if he did this if the monster passed through the illusion, it would be found out soon. However, Karnak¡¯s illusions had one more strength. In his fantasy, even the reaction of falling out is embodied. ¡°The most important thing when casting magic is the reaction.¡± If he swung a sword, it cut, if you kicked it, it fell out. Then got up again and attacked. However, in the case of normal human fantasy, awkwardness was inevitable. It was cut with a knife, but it attacked again with a fine appearance? Notice that this was an illusion. But with zombies, this problem also disappeared. Was it tattered in the first ce? Even if it got hit with a knife in the first ce, did it get backed up? It was not for nothing that necromancers used terrifying zombies or skeletons as their main material when they used fantasy. Of course, the purpose was to bring fear to the enemy, but rather than that, the protagonist of the fantasy must be a tattered corpse to prevent excessive consumption of mental power reproducing the details. Anyway, even Serati, an Aura user, couldn¡¯t figure out the true nature of this fantasy. Even when he told her it was an illusion. What did he mean? ¡°That Straf guy hasn¡¯t noticed yet either. I can buy enough time.¡± * * * Karnak¡¯s guess was correct. ¡°Heh, it seems he has quite a bit of skill, but¡­¡± Straf hadn¡¯t even dreamed that the numerous zombie corps could be an illusion. ¡°No matter how many zombies there are, they¡¯re not my opponent!¡± Pouring out his dark magic, he continued his necromancy. Thanks to that,mand power was consumed extremely, but he didn¡¯t care. Because he was winning. It was noticeable that the number of zombies surrounding the mansion was gradually decreasing. On the other hand, the monsters from hell he called were almost undamaged by the spirit barrier. At this rate, victory is certain, so why bother? In fact, the real zombies, who were the real ones, just fell out and the illusion disappeared along with it, but Straf didn¡¯t know that fact. The fact that there was no damage from monsters and barriers was because most of the zombies were in fact illusions, but that fact was also unknown. He was just excited about the idea of ??consuming the powerful necromancer and increasing his strength. ¡°Where are you?¡± Throws far-sighted sights all over the battlefield to find the target. Karnak and his gang must be hiding somewhere. ¡°Where are you?¡± It was at that time that Straf opened his eyes, saying that he would gather and capture the monsters as soon as he found them. ¡°Oh, there was a space like this in the basement of the mansion?¡± Suddenly a voice was heard. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s wide. Why did you make the basement so big?¡± ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be a wine cer. We have something like this in the basement of our house.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not that big.¡± The voice was not heard by the necromancer. He was hearing it with his two physical ears. ¡®Gosh!¡¯ Straf looked back in surprise. He could see three men and women standing at the entrance to a secret basement room with a terrible sight stained with blood. The curly-haired young man dressed as a wizard opened his mouth with a bright smile. The middle-aged man¡¯s face contorted. ¡°Are you Straf? You look like this.¡± ¡°How are you here?¡± Chapter 42 Chapter 42 11. Dawn¡¯s Curse (2) Serati carefully looked around. Ranfeld Mansion¡¯s basement was fairlyrge. It was almost 7 meters tall and could see more than 20 meters from side to side. ¡°Is this a wine cer? Isn¡¯t it too big?¡± After taking a closer look, she found out why. It was a structure that was divided into a basement and a second floor, but the walls and floor were blown off to transform it into a vast space. ¡°Where are Mr. Alius and Mr. Riltain?¡± As she searched for allies, Straf tried to calm his excitement. He was taken aback for a moment, but thinking about it, it wasn¡¯t something he couldn¡¯t understand. The tactic itself wasn¡¯t great. It was just that he diverted his attention to the outside of the mansion and infiltrated it. Just a cowardly necromancer, he didn¡¯t know that he would deliberately escape from the safe zombie army and jump directly into the dangerous ce. He just didn¡¯t think of it. Straf muttered as he red at Karnak and the others. ¡°You cheated well.¡± ¡°I was fooled well.¡± Looking up and down at him, Karnak continued his sarcasm. ¡°You look exhausted. Did you use your strength to deal with the zombies?¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡­¡± Straf groaned softly. He was not wrong. He had consumed a lot of normal magic while performing necromancy all the time. He was still much higher than Karnak. However, it is not enough to overwhelm only with the difference inmand like before. Victory could no longer be guaranteed. ¡°Should I reap themand power and put you outside of the mansion right now?¡± A voice rang in the ears of the troubled Straf. ¡°Reap the necromancy road you spread out to replenish your normal magic. Well, whatever.¡± Karnak had the attitude of not having anything to do with it. ¡°Then, we can just run away. The zombie army wille to the basementfortably.¡± ¡°Uh? Can you catch the author with only the zombie army, young master?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s impossible. That human, R¡­¡± Karnak pointed around. ¡°But this underground facility could be destroyed, right?¡± Red magic circles and patterns were drawn everywhere. Crimson chunks of meat clump together on the walls and pirs, wriggling. To an outsider, it might just look like a hellscape, but to Karnak, it was a familiar sight. This is the altar. An altar where captured sacrifices are dyed with fraud and offered to the devil. He had made a lot of simr things himself, so there was no way he didn¡¯t know. ¡°Can you really restore an altar of this size in a matter of days?¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying we can just get some rest ande back tomorrow night?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Straf made an impression. Indeed, when a horde of zombies from outside the mansion, was pushed into the basement, it became a headache. It was not a matter of winning or losing. The altar would be lost when this ce became a battlefield. He had been preparing for a long time, but he couldn¡¯t lose it in vain. But he also felt bad to be dragged along as he intended. ¡°Are you going to run away? Are you going to throw away the friends you came to rescue?¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯m a bit worried, but¡­ Karnak shrugged. ¡°If the altar is destroyed, at least you won¡¯t have to worry about being offered as a sacrifice, right?¡± Barros intervened again. ¡°What if that man just kills you?¡± ¡°The necromancer just gave up the precious sacrifice he got his hands on? Just to scratch my temper?¡± Straf¡¯s expression darkened even more. He was doing it very openly, but the problem was that he had no choice but to go over it even though he knew it. As he said, you couldn¡¯t just kill precious sacrifices like high-ranking priests and wizards without any benefit. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡± Straf walked out of the season. ¡°But there¡¯s one thing you guys misunderstood.¡± The tentacles that wrapped around the arms were released and returned to the meat wall. ¡°It¡¯s true that I¡¯m tired, but¡­¡± Darkness rises from the feet and spreads in a whirlwind. ¡°It¡¯s not to the point that even you guys can¡¯t deal with it.¡± Kahkkkk¡­. Kahkk¡­. All over the basement, corpses began to rise. All of them were massive, heavily armed ghouls. These were the corpses of the dark hunters Straf had captured. Dark magic rang throughout the underground space. ¡°A lion can¡¯t catch a mouse because he¡¯s tired!¡± * * * Ghouls armed with swords, shields, and armor burst into screams and charged. ¡°Kuaaa!¡± ¡°Aww!¡± Barros and Serati also jumped forward as if they had been waiting. Between dozens of ghouls, the two swords began to run amok. Karnak also raised both hands. Right now, he had quite a bit ofmand power. It was different from the time when he had to fight only with chaos magic. ¡°Come. Soul ves, I call you from the depths of Purgatory¡­¡± The ck magic that summoned the cursed soul, ¡®Echo of the Underworld¡¯, was activated. Evil spirits rose from all over the basement floor and attacked the ghouls. Ughhhhhh¡­. Kak kak¡­. Infamous Scans Trantor: Anom Proofreader: Orange Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/D28kQrftFe A chaotic battle ensued with groans, screams, and bizarre noises. Winning or losing wasn¡¯t easy. Straf¡¯s necromancy skill was crude, but hismanding power was very high, and Karnak¡¯s necromancy skill was at the extreme of efficiency, but it was far behind in the total amount of normal magic. This was also reflected in the ghouls and demons, leading to a tense confrontation. Continuing to use necromancy, Karnak observed the opponent¡¯s reaction. ¡°Now, how are you going to get out?¡± Straf didn¡¯t particrly make additional use of the Command Barrier. Even more dark magic poured down on the mighty ruler of ghouls. He was just raising his body. ¡°Arise, my servants, let death be with you.¡± The power of turbid darkness poured down on the fallen ghoul warriors. The guys got stronger and raised their bodies. A group of evil spirits that had been fighting tight, and Barros and Serati were pushed back little by little. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°These guys, how did you get stronger¡­¡± Deep down, Karnak gave Straf a point. ¡®He has quite a bit of learning ability.¡¯ He didn¡¯t use themand power. Only the ghoul warriors ced in advance move efficiently. It means that they were wary of the barrier nullification method. ¡®I don¡¯t think I know why, but¡­¡¯ ¡®Greater level Death Barrier didn¡¯t work, but other necromancy arts worked. He seemed to know only that much¡¯ ¡°If you figured out the cause, you would have just used the simple spells among the four seasons, right?¡± It wasn¡¯t a bad situation anyway. At this rate, he could easily aggravate away his normal magic. Of course, the premise was that Karnak and his party must endure in the meantime, but¡­ ¡°Ms. Serati! Left!¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Barros!¡± Thebination of the experienced Barros and the Aura user, Serati, was working beyond expectations. They were a bit taken aback at first, but they responded right away. As Barros assisted in line with Serati¡¯s movements, the number of ghouls that fell gradually increased. Karnak smiled coldly as he red at Straf, whoseplexion was hardening. ¡°Now, maybe it¡¯s time to take out a trump card?¡± * * * Barros and Serati were both on a rampage, and they frequently collided with summoned evil spirits and rushing ghouls endlessly. At that time, the turbid magic of darkness swirled ceaselessly throughout the basement. Straf broke out in a cold sweat. The more the whirlpool got rougher, the faster themand power was depleted. ¡®I never thought he could have done this¡­¡¯ At this rate, he couldn¡¯t do anything and he was exhausted. Before that, he had to transcribe something. Fortunately, he had the strength left to make onest move. Grinding his teeth, he raised his voice. Mobilized all remainingmand power and called the strongest being that he could handle. ¡°Come, the demon of Hyena!¡± A dark door opened in the air. Beyond the summoning door, the scenery of hell was reflected, and a 3-meter-tall bloody giant appeared. Serati eximed in fright, ¡°Ah, the devil!¡± On the other hand, Barros had a sullen look on his face. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Maz-nun. Are you going to use that again?¡± Karnak was also mocking him, ¡°I knew it woulde out like that¡­¡± There was no way he didn¡¯t know what Barros had guessed. Of course, he expected that if they pushed himself to this extent, he would take out Maz-nun. That devil of the abyss, equivalent to the Purple Knight, must be the strongest card that could ovee this situation. Darkness rose over Karnak¡¯s shoulder. Demon Summoning was also a moreplex technique than necromancy. And if it was aplicated spell, he could break it! ¡°Then, let¡¯s finish¡± A simple barrier covered the demon-summoning ceremony. Confusion arose and the summoning itself began to be canceled. Whoops! As the door of darkness shrunk back, the magic of hell leaking out also rapidly lost its prestige. The demon, trying to answer the call, looked around. ¡°Uh huh?¡± An embarrassed devil and an embarrassed Straf. Looking at them, Karnak smiled. ¡°If only this is nullified, there won¡¯t be anymand power left.¡± Everything was as nned. Until now. Cooong! Suddenly, there was a roar, and when it copsed, the Dark Portal came to a halt. Karnak¡¯s eyes widened. *** Originally, the Dark Portal was well over several meters. It wasrge enough for Maz-nun, a 3-meter-tall demon. But now it was only about 1 meter? It was the size of the window, not the door. Barros stared nkly at the demon standing in Hell beyond the window. The maz-nun also stared nkly at the human standing on the other side of the window. A bizarre sight was unfolding, where humans and demons stared at each other and blinked their eyes. Barros looked back at Karnak in dismay. ¡°Young master? Aren¡¯t you going to close it?¡± The same was true of Maz-nun, who was bewildered. ¡°What is this?¡± The dark door was open. Yes, in the size of the hole it was open. It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t pass if he squeezed in somehow. But to do so, he had to crawl on all fours. It was said that he, the noble demon of the abyss, must crawl like a dog. ¡°Should I renounce the contract?¡± It was too wasteful for that. His contractor promised many souls in exchange for calling him. ¡°Can¡¯t you¡­?¡± The maz-nun reached out both hands at the summoning text. Red-hot devil¡¯s fingers grasped the summoning letter and gave it magical power. Red lightning struck in all directions. Quaang! Quaang! At the same time, the summons began to widen. The devil was reopening the dark door with his power. Serati eximed, ¡°Master Karnak!The door!¡± Quaang! The explosion shattered the door of darkness. A ck shadow stood tall in the smoke. A cry rang out. ¡°Contractor! Say what you want!¡± Straf, who was stunned, responded hastily. ¡°Sah, kill the boys and bring that woman to me!¡± ¡°The conditions are the same as before.¡± With a wry smile, The maz-nun looked at Karnak and his party. The conditions were the same, but there were differences from before. ¡°You can see it this time, hehe¡­¡± Above the eyes of the devil, the nervous figures of Barros and Serati passed by. Both were in a cold sweat. Maz-nun, the demon of the abyss, was a high-ranking demon that not only the current Barros but also Serati, an aura user, couldn¡¯t dare to touch. Even if the ss was different, it was too different. Holding his sword, Barros asked in a trembling voice. ¡°Young Master? This is of course part of the n, right?¡± A disappointing answer came back. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t expect this¡­¡± [To be continued.] Chapter 43 Chapter 43 11. Dawn¡¯s Curse (3) The giant demon looked down at the party. ¡°Since this body has descended to thisnd¡­¡± He blinked his dark eyes and let out an arrogant voice. ¡°It¡¯s useless to struggle, you insignificant humans.¡± Theplexions of Barros and Serati turned pale. A terrible pressure was pressing down on their shoulders. ¡°Uhm¡­¡­¡± ¡°Such a high-ranking demon¡­¡± Karnak was also breaking out in a cold sweat. ¡°Why? Why didn¡¯t the summon door close again?¡± He was the man whose name was the Death King. Even though he lost his strength and started crying, the knowledge and wisdom in his head did not disappear. He soon found out why. ¡®Damn, that was the problem.¡¯ Originally, the ck magic that summoned demons had aplicated technique as the necromancy barrier art. However, Straf¡¯s technique was a little different. ¡®That bastard, he didn¡¯t develop the spell properly because he¡¯s a master in necromancy!¡¯ Only a few important major techniques were deployed, and all the missing parts were filled withmand power. The advantage of necromancy was that even if he didn¡¯t use it properly, if he just pour magic into it, the result woulde out somehow. As a result, the situation became ambiguous. It was not a simple technique, so it was enough to confuse. But again, it wasn¡¯t soplicated that the summoning spell hadpletely canceled. Simple andplex, was it narrowly straddling the boundary? As a result, the ceremony stopped without being canceled! ¡®For a moment? But why didn¡¯t I notice that?¡¯ Straf confirmed that he was using the demon-summoning technique. That was the reason, he came up with this n with confidence. ¡®Oops.¡¯ Only then, Karnak realized what mistake he had made. ¡®I¡¯ve never seen it with my own eyes!¡¯ He only looked at it with the sight of a far-sighted dog while running away with illusion. He didn¡¯t see the demon summoning scene himself. Didn¡¯t Karnak alsough at Straf right away? There was no way he could control the situation remotely from afar and properly grasp the situation, right? At best, heughed at others and made the same mistake himself. Just seeing the fact that he summoned a demon, of course, he assumed that he had used the demon-summoning technique he knew. ¡®Oh, to make such a basic mistake¡­¡¯ It seems that after returning, he was tired of the too-peaceful atmosphere. With a roar, the Maz-nun released his magic. ¡°I will fulfill the contract¡± A gale came and drove Karnak¡¯s party. Oveing the pressure, Barros and Serati moved. They jumped to the left and right of the devil andunch a dazzling attack! ¡°Hut!¡± ¡°Taat!¡± It was useless. All the shes were just bounced back. The devil¡¯s skin was not even scratched as if he had hit the iron te with a bat. ¡°Just some furniture for me, you bugs!¡± Rxingly, Maz-nun swung the sword in his hand. It was an unmatched sh. Naturally, both easily dodged the offensive attack. However, it was impossible to avoid the huge energy that followed the sh. A wave of darkness ripped through the cer floor and crashed down on the two. The two, men and women caught up in it were blown away like leaves. ¡°Keugh!¡± ¡°Do something, young master!¡± Rolling on the floor, Barros barely stood up and called Karnak. ¡°Now what?¡± Karnak replied nervously, clutching fireballs in both hands. ¡°What the heck? I have to fight!¡± Two fireballs flew toward the Maz-nun. The devil snorted. ¡°Heh, there¡¯s no need to stop this!¡± Kwak! Just by ring at him, the flying fireball exploded in the air. Because the power gap was sorge, it was impossible to even approach. Darkly, Barros grumbled, ¡°No, how are we going to catch that now¡­¡± * * * Choosing to breathe, concentrating, and concentrating, she gathered all her fighting spirit to point her sword. Wielding a sword of zing fire, Serati attacked the demon. ¡°Kaaaaaa!¡± The red g continued to dance. Her new body was running around in a dizzy space.cStone walls and stone floors were dug up and scattered into powder. Kaaang! It was a movement that transcended human limitations and was destructive. ¡°Kill the devil¡± The Maz-nunughed off all the attacks. ¡°You¡¯re slow and weak.¡± Serati¡¯s movements were obviously fast, but the devil¡¯s was even faster. In the first ce, the advantage of a red-ss aura user was that they could unleash a fast and powerful attack that could transcend the limits of the human body. If she encounter a faster and stronger enemy, she would be at an overwhelming disadvantage because she couldn¡¯t even do anything. ¡°Damn it!¡± Even so, Serati managed to hold on. It wasn¡¯t because she was doing well. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it in our contract to capture this woman?¡± So, she was dealing moderately, only kicking or pushing. On the other hand, Barros was relentless. Infamous Scans Trantor: Anom Proofreader: Orange Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/D28kQrftFe ¡°This guy doesn¡¯t have to do that.¡± All kinds of fireballs, magical des, roars of crushing pressure, and dozens of magical bullets were pouring down on him. ¡°Whoa, whoa! Whoa!¡± In front of that overwhelming bombardment, Barros had no choice but to run away like mad. They struggled to survive by running, rolling, and sometimes even crawling. ¡°Aaaaaaa!¡± The great thing was that in the middle of it, he managed not to get hit. Before these side attacks, They took the appropriate evasion stance, avoided invisible attacks in advance, and run away from the falling bombing spots. It was a pretty embarrassing situation even for the Maz-nun. Did this guy have any kind of foresight? Still, it wasn¡¯t a threat. asionally, a gruesome counterattack returned. There were also cases where he mysteriously dug into Maz-nun¡¯s loophole and gave it a sharp blow. ¡°Taaaat!¡± However, those attacks did not scratch the skin. Since the demon¡¯s defense was so high, it didn¡¯t work at all except for thete point. Grinding his teeth, Barros grumbled. ¡°Ah, I really thought the day woulde when I would struggle against Maz-nun or something¡­¡± Serati and Barros ran amok in front, and Karnak threw magic hard in the back, fiercely fighting the demons. Of course, everyone knew that this situation would notst long. The Maz-nun was never in a hurry. ¡°Humans are like rats, and they run away from time to time.¡± He just withstood all the attacks with his overwhelming power and slowly pushed back Karnak and his party. ¡°Can¡¯t we just leave it like that? Gradually, Serati¡¯s breathing quickened, Barros¡¯ movements slowed down, and Karnak¡¯s magical power depleted. He¡¯d rather use a dazzling spell, aiming for that gap if that devil jumped up wildly. But the situation was different. There was no spell or power to use magic big enough to forcibly create a gap. ¡®I wish they could do something for me¡­¡¯ Karnak looked at Barros and Serati with regret. Both were fighting valiantly, but the situation was so bad. Serati¡¯s ck orbit was so simple that no matter how much she swung it, she couldn¡¯t hit the devil¡­ ¡®Keugh, too fast!¡¯ The power of Barros¡¯ sword was so weak that no matter how many times it hit the demon, it couldn¡¯t make any damage. ¡®Oh, this is too hard!¡¯ It was time for the frustrated Karnak to speak his tongue. ¡°It would be much easier if I put the two together¡­ Huh?¡± Come to think of it, he was a necromancer. This was not a very nonsensical story! Karnak hurriedly called Barros. ¡°Barros!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s n P!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± As if understood, Barros ran to Karnak. ¡°Right! There was a way, right?¡± And immediately bowed down. Karnak put his hand on the top of his head. ¡°My servant¡­¡± Darkness rose and wrapped around Barros¡¯ head. Serati was taken aback. ¡®Didn¡¯t Sir Barros say he was a member of his family?¡± It wasn¡¯t Barros that Karnak had just referred to. ¡°Open your mind and ept it! This is your master¡¯s mandate!¡± The focus disappeared from Barros¡¯ pupils. The movement became simple like a doll, and then stood next to Karnak and mechanically took a sword-holding posture. With a burst of spirit, he rushed off the floor and flew up. The red fighting sword moved sharply and cut through the devil¡¯s offensive. At the same time, Serati¡¯s movements were also changed. It was apletely different swordsmanship from before. Although she was slower than the devil, she preupies the space and exquisitely dug into the gap! ¡°Yes!¡± A shocked Maz-nun stepped back. Red blood was welling up from his chest. Correcting her posture again, Serati smiled. ¡®This move¡­?¡¯ A thick tone flowed from between the beautiful woman¡¯s lips. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been moving someone else¡¯s body?¡± * * * n P. What this means was simple. It was just the first letter of possession. Karnak had ced the spirit of Barros over her body. Caught inside her own body, Serati panicked. ¡®Oh, this can¡¯t be¡­¡¯ Originally, possession did not happen so easily. The human soul was indeed covered with a thick spiritual defense, so a high level of necromancy skill was required to prate it. However, the situation was different for Serati. She became a member of Karnak¡¯s household. The soul itself had already been revealed to him. Karnak could take her body whenever he wanted. Of course, Barros wasn¡¯t a member of his family, so he could have resisted, but there was no reason for that. ¡®Being a necromancer¡¯s family¡­ Did you mean this?¡¯ Fear came. She felt like she had made an irreversible choice. Barros, who upied Serati¡¯s body, spoke shyly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Miss Serati, it¡¯s a matter of risking your life¡­¡± He tried to calm her fear in a intive tone. She had no choice anyway. She should have been prepared for this when she got her hands on the dirty trick of a necromancer. ¡®Yes, I can¡¯t help it because my life is at stake¡­¡¯ She still didn¡¯t understand. Serati also admitted that Barros was superior in swordsmanship and had more experience than herself. So why? ¡®What does it mean for Mr. Barros to take over my body?¡¯ The Maz-nun also had the same question. ¡°What do you want to do, you guys?¡± Like a demon, he knew the situation right away. But he didn¡¯t know why. ¡°What are you going to do with someone who isn¡¯t even an Aura user possessing an Aura user?¡± Serati¡¯s ability to transcend humans was entirely due to the power of Aura. Pure physical ability that was far superior to Barros. Because he was much experienced and there was a difference between male and female. In other words, if he couldn¡¯t use her aura, he could take Serati¡¯s body¡­ ¡°How can a guy who can¡¯t even master his own fighting skills use someone else¡¯s fighting skills?¡± The ensuing sight left the demon speechless. ¡°Who thought this would work?¡± Whoops! Red spirits gushed brilliantly from the sword. It was a fighting sword of a red-ss Aura user that could be seen by anyone. It was the first necrosis that even the Maz-nun, who had the wisdom of the devil, had never seen. ¡°Uh, how?¡± Not being able to learn spection meant that he had no experience dealing with spection. But he was dealing with someone else¡¯s body right away? Was it that natural? Barros shrugged his shoulders as he entered Serati¡¯s body, aiming his fighting sword. ¡°I mean, writing other people¡¯s spections is my major!¡± The darkbat that he used during the Death Knight was given to him by Karnak, not his power. Even before that, he would often possess someone else¡¯s body or absorb someone else¡¯s aura and used it. ¡®To be honest, I don¡¯t know how to use my own spection.¡¯ Indeed, Barros himself had never awakened to fighting spirit. Anyway, with this, there was a way to definitely counterattack. Karnak eximed cheerfully, ¡°Okay, not now Barros¡­¡± Came to think of it, now it was Serati plus Barros. All names had to be called correctly. ¡°Go! Sera Barros!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t put people¡¯s names together in a weird way!¡± Sera Barros threw themselves while grumbling. The fighting sword exploded with a sharp spirit. ¡°Taaaaaa!¡± Chapter 44 Chapter 44 ¨C 11. Dawn¡¯s Curse (4) A naked beauty wandered around the underground space. The red fighting sword danced splendidly to fill the field of view. ¡°Huup!¡± The Maz-nun also faced them off in earnest. The Maz-nun swung a sword at high speed, unleashed a storm of magical power, pressed the enemy with a roar, and inflicted a fierce attack. ¡°Quaaaaa¡± Blood spattered. Not human blood, but devil¡¯s blood. The Maz-nun narrowed his eyes. ¡°This guy?¡± Even when Barros attacked before possessing, it was a sh that asionally broke through defenses. It was just that there was no problem with getting hit, but in fact, he was cut several times. But now, if he got cut, he would get injured. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s see!¡± Unexpectedly, he became stronger, but he was still only a red ss. On the other hand, although he was not an Aura user, Maz-nun was a purple-grade, devilparable to the Purple Knight. Even this simpleparison revealed a difference between the two levels. ¡°I¡¯ll crush you like a worm!¡± The excited demon started running wild. Magic manifested itself in fire and explosions and covered the entire basement. Haaaaaaa! Still, the red-haired beauty was not hit. No, it didn¡¯t even touch. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve written spection, so it¡¯s fun.¡± It was so easy to dodge, dug in and cut, and fell back. It wasn¡¯t even the movement of the Red Knight anymore. Red-ss Aura users moved with the flow but weren¡¯t that flexible. Suddenly, Serati¡¯s sword was shining blue. ¡°¡­¡­A blue fighting sword?¡± The Maz-nun was shocked. It must have been. It was a blue-ss aura, the level of a blue knight. ¡°It¡¯s not enough to treat someone else¡¯s body as if it were your own, but rather use it much better than the original owner?¡± Gazing at the blue light in the sword, Barros muttered in Serati. ¡°Can we get this far? He has no experience, but he has a lot of potential.¡± A cold sneer passed through her lips. ¡°Thanks to you, I can fight morefortably.¡± A vein formed on the Maz-nun¡¯s forehead, enraged. ¡°You dare to be a lowly human subject!¡± * * * Serati was idly contemting herself. ¡®Oh my god¡­¡¯ The devil swung his long nails. It was a high-speed, invisible attack. However, her body neatly avoided all the attacks. At the same time as dodging, the de slid along the demon¡¯s arm. The sh exploded, and blood spurted again. This series of movements was seamlessly connected without any gaps. ¡°How could my body move like this¡­?¡± The bloodied demon roared and fired hellfire continuously. It was a wide-range attack with no ce to avoid at all. ¡°Kuaaa!¡± And her body didn¡¯t avoid it. Instead, she drew a circle with her fighting sword and kicked out the mes. A blue aura swayed around the fire, bewitched them, and deflected them in the wrong direction. ¡®My aura could have flowed like this¡­?¡¯ The fear of having her body taken away no longer remained. She just felt in awe. The Maz-nun was still faster and more robust. Although he had reached the level of the Blue Knight, his physical ability was still a bit higher. However, it covered everything with overwhelming technique. It was really amazing, and at the same time, she couldn¡¯t understand it. ¡®How can you do that?¡¯ Because Barros was a superior swordsman than her? Some things just couldn¡¯t be exined. Women and men have different skeletal structures. It was a trivial difference, but this structural problem also disrupted the way he used her body. The difference would berge if he used such detailed and sophisticated swordsmanship. However, Barros was moving, considering even that difference. It was as skillful as if you had done it dozens or hundreds of times. This was not possible simply by being a master of the sword. What should she say about this? ¡®¡­¡­A master of possession?¡¯ It was a movement as if he had been possessed by another person, regardless of gender or age. Otherwise, there was no way she could move like that naturally. ¡®What are they?¡¯ At this point, what people were doing had be irrelevant. A more fundamental question enveloped Serati. ¡°¡­Was he even human in the first ce?¡± * * * The demon¡¯s arm flew into the air. ¡°Keuuk!¡± Having lost his left arm, the Maz-nun took a step back. After being cornered and cornered, he finally allowed a fatal blow. Barros didn¡¯t bother chasing him and putting an end to it. ¡°What is it? Is it just this much?¡± Rather, he smiled coldly as he retracted the blue fighting sword. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve used spection, so I felt good, but is it over now?¡± It was an arrogant attitude. The Maz-nun gritted his teeth. But he couldn¡¯t afford to dare to try again. This side was already bloody, but the other side was still overflowing with room. ¡°A monster, a monster¡­¡± In fact, even Barros wasn¡¯t in such a rxed situation. ¡®Well, there are many side effects from forcibly raising the level¡­¡¯ On the outside, he was giggling while looking at the arrogant himself, the devil-like bug, but on the inside, he was working hard to recover and stabilize his energy, sweating cold. ¡°Of course, it doesn¡¯t tease. Haha.¡± When it came to bluffing, Barros was just as experienced as Karnak, and it was clear from his expression that he was genuinely disappointed. Completely deceived, the Maz-nun trembled faintly. ¡®Would I be exiled to hell like this helplessly?¡¯ ¡®There is still a chance.¡¯ The reason why that guy became so strong was because Serati¡¯s body possessed him. In other words, if he targeted the person who cast the necromancy, the possessed state will be released! Suddenly, the Maz-nun started charging furiously at the red-haired beauty. ¡°Kuaaa!¡± Barros epted with ease. It was after he had already taken a lot of breath while bluffing. ¡°Does it work?¡± It was when the devil¡¯s side was cut profoundly, and the blood poured out like a fountain. ¡°Innomoum!¡± The Maz-nun lifted his head, opened his mouth, and let out mes. The target was Karnak, who was leisurely watching the battle on the other side of the basement. Faaaaang! Karnak, who could not escape, was directly hit by the heat wave. The Maz-nun burst intoughter. ¡°Ha ha ha! You¡¯ve been careless, human!¡± The madness didn¡¯tst long. ¡°¡­¡­uh¡± Something was strange. Barros was still ring at the demon, upying Serati¡¯s body. ¡®Why is the state of the possession maintained even though the necromancer was killed?¡¯ A voice came from behind, ¡°What are you doing?¡± And that was not all. Infamous Scans Trantor: Anom Proofreader: Orange Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/D28kQrftFe ¡°That¡¯s awful¡­¡± Karnak¡¯s voice echoed throughout the cer. ¡°The one who called or the one who was called¡­¡± Karnak appears here and there. ¡°It¡¯s just as easy as being fooled.¡± Five Karnak were watching Maz-nun from all sides. The devil¡¯s expression crumpled excitedly. ¡°Wow, was it a hallucination?¡± * * * Karnak chattered, ¡°I didn¡¯t have much time before, so it was impossible, but¡­¡± ¡°Are you out of your mind right now?¡± ¡°Thanks to that, I was able to see a lot of gaps.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s easy to use seduction.¡± Seeing the illusions of Karnak scattered everywhere, the Maz-nun fell into a panic. Could he have predicted that he would target him? Karnak snorted. ¡°You don¡¯t think you know what you mean?¡± Barros, who was watching his confident expression, suddenly sent a magic message. [Young master.] [Huh?] [Is it up?] [Huh.] To be honest, he didn¡¯t expect him to attack so suddenly. But why did he use the trick? It was just a habit. Because he had so many enemies andmitted so many sins, he bet on cheating whether it was necessary or not. [Is this why the words of the old sage are not wrong? Good habits change your life.] [¡­¡­I don¡¯t think that meant that, but did you?] Anyway, he waspletely done with this. The Maz-nun blew the remaining power into the air in vain. ¡°Ha, I did this to a mere human¡­¡± Disappointed, the demon¡¯s figure slowly began to fade. It was to exhaust all power and be banished to hell. ¡°Let¡¯s see when Ie back, and I¡¯ll find you guys first!¡± The summoning was canceled, and the Maz-nun cursed. ¡°I¡¯ll make you neither die nor live! I¡¯ll give you the pain that cannot be imagined! This is a promise from hell!¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s scary.¡± Sneering, Karnak raised his right hand. ¡°Are you saying I¡¯ll be in big troubleter if I send you back?¡± Darkness rose and wrapped around the Maz-nun¡¯s blurred body. ¡°I even warn you in advance, but I can¡¯t ignore it.¡± A light of astonishment shed in the devil¡¯s eyes. ¡°Gosh!¡± The banishment to Hell was blocked. At the same time, the demon¡¯s own magical power began to disintegrate itself in reverse. ¡°What? Does such a method exist?¡± ¡°In the past, I would bet on subordination and enve them, but now I don¡¯t have themanding power to do that. Controlling demons also takes a lot of time.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s work.¡± Cooong! Darkness oppressed the devil. The power of existence in hell was dissipating and disappearing at a terrifying speed. ¡°So I¡¯ll just destroy it cleanly.¡± An impatient Maz-nun waved his hand. ¡°Wait, wait!¡± He was so urgent that his tone of voice had changed before he knew it. ¡°I will make a subordination contract! I will be your ve!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you.¡± Unfortunately, Karnak didn¡¯t seem interested at all. ¡°It¡¯s living like before. That¡¯s¡­¡± Desperate screams filled the cer. ¡°Aaaaaaagh!¡± *** The body of Maz-nun had disappeared entirely from the present world. Then, Karnak also rereleased the possession. Returning to his own body, Barros scratched his head. ¡°You did well, Miss Serati.¡± However, she couldn¡¯t vent her anger at having her body stolen on her own. ¡°Ah! M-my body¡­¡± Barros overworked Serati¡¯s body so much that her whole body was in tatters. ¡°Did you use it a little too much? Turn it over,e on. Then it will hurt less.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to do that!¡± ¡°Oh, I guess I¡¯ll have to teach youter.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that¡­¡± It was of no use to regret after bing a member of the ugly necromancer¡¯s family. Grinding her teeth, Serati struggled to endure the pain. The only people left in the cer were Karnak and the others, and Straf stood there nkly. ¡°Well, then we¡¯ll have to deal with the bishop as well.¡± Straf had a chewed-up face. There was not a dime left of themand power that had been so vast. He had no power to protect himself anymore. ¡°Hah¡­.¡± He sighed and raised his hands. ¡°I will surrender.¡± ¡°Funny human being.¡± As if it was absurd, Karnak shuddered. What was with that attitude that he would take it for granted if he surrender? ¡°You guys can¡¯t kill me.¡± Straf gave a mean smile, ¡°You must want to extract information that I know, right?¡± ¡°Of course I need information. But what makes you think that I can¡¯t kill you?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°It¡¯s easier to steal information after killing it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­uh?¡± Straf¡¯splexion turned pale. Come to think of it; there was something he hadn¡¯t thought of before. Karnak was no ordinary mage. He was an evil necromancer. ¡°If you kill them first and torture their souls, you can easily see what they need, so why keep them alive?¡± Even death couldn¡¯t be a source of escape in the face of necromancy. With the terrified Straf in front of him, Karnak suddenly looked back. ¡®Let¡¯s just check.¡¯ In order not to live like before, he dared to ask Serati. ¡°Can¡¯t you just kill me? It¡¯s from themon people¡¯s sensibility.¡± The answer was universal enough. ¡°Kill me now!¡± ¡°I see.¡± Karnak moved on. The darkness rose and became a huge de. Faced with his approaching death, Straf hurriedly eximed. ¡°Hey, wait a minute¡­¡± Before he could speak, his throat was cut and he flew into the air. ¡°It¡¯s enough to kill me, so why do I keep talking to you?¡± It was too futile to be the end of a high-ranking priest of a church and a necromancer who ruled a city in fear. Karnak flicked his finger at the bleeding corpse. ¡°Okay then, I¡¯ll take care of my business.¡± Soon, ck smoke rose, became a bead, and began to be absorbed by him. It was the darkness of the end that Straf had gathered so far. ¡°Oh! It¡¯s hearty.¡± ¡°How much is it, Young Master?¡± ¡°It¡¯s enough for 30 dark lords.¡± ¡°Can I go home?¡± ¡°I know. When it¡¯s over, shall we go back?¡± Serati, who had been listening nkly, raised her hand cautiously. She couldn¡¯t understand the context of the conversation at all, and she had to point it out. ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you looking for Alius and Riltain?¡± Karnak and Barros upied their eyes. ¡°Right¡­.¡± ¡°Originally, we were here to rescue those friends, right?¡± ¡°Ipletely forgot.¡± ¡°I did too. It¡¯s awkward to do something I¡¯ve never done before.¡± Serati trembled once more as she looked at the two of them. ¡°What are all these people doing?¡± Chapter 45 Chapter 45 ¨C 12. The End is An Open Door Alius and Riltain were unharmed. They did not suffer or were injured greatly. They were captured in the early evening, and Karnak and his party defeated Straf the next morning. There wasn¡¯t much time to suffer. The two rescued people were curious about the location. ¡°What the hell happened?¡± The building shook and exploded when they were in the prison, so they knew something had happened. However, after being rescued, they looked around and it looked like there were no idents. There were dead bodies and traces of the dead all over the ce, the big mansion had been destroyed in half, and the whole city was in chaos. How did only three people even make that possible? ¡°And how did you defeat Straf?¡± It was a powerful necromancy technique that Alius had never seen before. It was good that they were rescued, but no matter how much they thought about it, there was no way they could defeat Straf with their own power. If the opponent was that easy, Alius and Riltain wouldn¡¯t have been defeated so easily from the start. Karnak calmly began to exin, ¡°I was lucky.¡± Straf¡¯s necromancy was clearly powerful. They thought they would just die on the spot. ¡°However, it seemed that he hadn¡¯t mastered the necromancy perfectly, so some of the barriers were canceled in the middle.¡± In the meantime, they got out of the mansion. Of course, Straf also tried to capture Karnak¡¯s party with all his might, but he could barely escape with the power of Serati, an Aura user. Later, an ident urred in Trist City while they were hiding and thinking about a way to save Alius and Riltain. Infighting broke out within Ranfeld¡¯s faction. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but they started fighting each other.¡± The entire city was thrown into chaos as the gang members cut their swords at each other. ¡°I returned to the vicinity of the mansion to assess the situation. And I witnessed a truly terrifying sight.¡± An innumerable zombie army was advancing toward the Ranfeld Mansion! Seeing that the mansion¡¯s spirit barrier was fighting against the zombie corps, it wasn¡¯t Straf¡¯s fault. ¡°Perhaps another necromancer under hismand rebelled?¡± Alius also agreed, ¡°It can be. The necromancers are impatient because they can¡¯t eat each other.¡± In fact, didn¡¯t everyone witness Straf blowing the head of his necromancer? It¡¯s very natural for subordinates to rebel. Riltain had a simr idea. ¡°Straf showed a loophole while dealing with us, and it seems another necromancer was aiming for that loophole.¡± Karnak continued his exnation, ¡°I happened to have an opportunity, so I sneaked into the mansion.¡± It was not difficult to find the hiding ce because of the evil aura. Straf had set up a bizarre altar and was preparing something when he went down to the mansion¡¯s basement. ¡°He faced us with ghoul warriors and demon summons. He didn¡¯t use powerful necromancy spells that turned space itself into hell. He probably exhausted himself dealing with zombie hordes.¡± Straf, who had already wasted a lot ofmand power, could fight back somehow, even with the strength of Karnak and his party. He overcame death several times but barely survived, and with the help of Aura user Serati, he exterminated the demon and cut off Straf¡¯s head. ¡°I didn¡¯t touch the corpse on purpose. I was thinking of asking for a purification ceremony after rescuing Mr. Alius.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡­.¡± Neither Alius nor Riltain found any loopholes in this story. First off, everything actually happened. Chaos broke out in the city, they fought each other, took advantage of the gap to infiltrate, and Serati fought the demon and won. The one who won was Barros, but the body was definitely Serati¡¯s. Since the incident itself was all real, traces of it remain intact. There was no doubt. He was just admiring his luck. ¡°Indeed, I have nothing to say besides Hatoba¡¯s blessing.¡± Of course, Serati, who knew the truth, was full of spirits. ¡®Wow, this is why the necromancers are not caught.¡¯ Since the truth and lies are skillfully mixed, it seemed that he had no choice but to be deceived if he didn¡¯t know the context. After that, Alius quickly started cleaning up. He took out the darkness of the end from Straf¡¯s corpse. Sealing the darkness with divine power, Alius stuck out his tongue. ¡°It¡¯s a tremendous amount of energy. Compared to the necromancers you¡¯ve captured so far, it¡¯s almost ten times the darkness of the end.¡± Barros, who was watching from the side, was stinging. Didn¡¯t Karnak say 30 times? [Young master? Didn¡¯t you just forget the information and put it back?] [I kept some in case. You never know what will happenter.] [I thought you said you wouldn¡¯t live like before?] [So you left as much as I did. In the past, I would have eaten them all.] [Isn¡¯t that a problem? What if I continue to raise mymanding power and get caughtter?] [Don¡¯t worry. If you spend some time, you can melt it all down and turn it into chaos magic.] Karnak¡¯s thoughts were still the same. There was no need for absolute authority like before. All he needed was as much energy as possible to live his new reality. It was just that the standard of this ¡®as much as necessary¡¯ had been raised a bit. To the extent of protecting one¡¯s territory, to the extent of being able to safely live in a world that had be turbid. [Someone like Straf might appear again. I have to raise my magic power, at least to a level where I can deal with those guys.] [Well, that¡¯s something the young master will do on his own. But the important thing now is not to arouse Alius-san¡¯s suspicions, right?] [That¡¯s okay.] Infamous Scans Trantor: Anom Proofreader: Orange Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/D28kQrftFe It was Alius who had first met a high-ranking necromancer like Straf in the first ce. There must be a target ofparison for the magic of darkness. Didn¡¯t he know if it was big or small? ¡°I see¡­ He had this much darkness, so he must have been able to use such a tremendous necromancer.¡± Doubt was also aw that he needed to know something. He thought it was natural and moved on. After finishing their errands, Karnak and his party left the mansion. And Alius contacted the Pord family and the Hatoba Diocese of Trist City. Even though Straf took control of Trist Parish, not all priests were corrupt. They selected those who were not suspicious and entrusted them with the cleanup of the case. Of course, in the future, they would also have to cover ck and white through interrogation, but it was a necessary help right now. There was no resistance whatsoever. It was thanks to the fact that so many members of the Ranfeld family had diedst night that there were no forces left to dare to rebel. Trist City quickly regained stability. In the meantime, there was one piece of news that surprised Alius. ¡°Yes? You mean Serati became a knight of Baron Zestrad?¡± It was strange that a warrior had found a master to trust, but Serati was not an ordinary swordsmaning here. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Surprised, Alius soon changed his expression. In other words, ¡°Why did a person who can be a user for an Aura be a knight in such a rural area?¡± Excuse me very much. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean it in that way, but¡­¡± ¡®No, what is it? That¡¯s exactly what it means.¡¯ With a wry smile, Serati told the circumstances. ¡°Because ofst night¡¯s events, I knew that Baron Karnak was someone I could pay my allegiance to.¡± She received great help from Karnak and took an oath of allegiance, believing that his wisdom and character were sufficient to serve as her lord. It was roughly like this. There wasn¡¯t a corner that fit this subtly either. Great help? You got it right. Wisdom? Well, his wisdom as a necromancer was enormous. Character? It wasn¡¯t good. She just said he was worth serving as a lord. ¡®I didn¡¯t lie, no lie.¡¯ When the aftermath of the incident was somewhatpleted, Karnak and his party left Trist City. However, he did not go to Derat City with Alius and Riltain. ¡°In the meantime, I felt a lot of joy while doing the duties of the goddess. But now I have to go back to the territory.¡± The ostensible reason was Serati. ¡°I made her my knight, but it was informal. Shouldn¡¯t we return to the manor to be formally sworn in?¡± The real reason was that since they¡¯d got all the darkness of the end they needed, they didn¡¯t have to hunt the necromancer anymore. ¡°Okay. Thank you for your cooperation.¡± Though regretful, Alius said goodbye. ¡°For those who walk the earth, all roads are connected roads, so please be blessed by Hatoba in your future.¡± ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? Following Karnak, who became her lord, Serati headed for the Zestrad domain. Her mind was still confused. What had happened the night before was full of things that hermon sense could not exin. Crossing the mountain and crossing the water, they walked for half a day. In the end, Serati couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. ¡°What the hell are you guys? Karnak and Barros were not surprised by her sudden question. They expected her to ask such a question soon. She tried to pass it all over once. ¡°I am Baron Zestrad.¡± ¡°I am a knight of Baron Zestrad.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m secretly learning necromancy.¡± ¡°We secretly cooperate with the young master when he uses necromancy.¡± Of course, it didn¡¯t work. ¡°You know I¡¯m not asking that, right? It was aw that could be understood only when she showed her skills in moderation. Karnak destroyed a city, raised countless corpses, and created a massive hallucination. He showed tremendous swordsmanship and experience in a subject that he had not mastered fighting, and he naturally took over the body of others and even Barros, who easily used even fighting skills and eventually defeated high-ranking demons such as Majnun. Wasn¡¯t it a level that could be exined to the extent that he was secretly learning necromancy? Just look at the ridiculous knowledge and skill they showed right now. ¡°You both look to be in your early twenties at best, does that make sense?¡± Karnak and Barros shrugged. ¡°Honestly, doesn¡¯t it make sense?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too much to believe.¡± Karnak stared at Serati. She opened her eyes fiercely, waiting for an answer. [What should I do, Barros? Can I tell her the truth?] [Isn¡¯t it okay to leave it as it is?] [She might make a bad guess and make an ident. I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t betray me anyway since she is a member of my household.] [Can you believe that I¡¯m telling the truth?] [You are free unless you believe.] [Indeed, it is.] Karnak made up his mind and put on a serious expression. ¡°Okay, let me be honest.¡± Serati hardened herplexion. Karnak and Barros talked seriously. ¡°I conquered the world before?¡± ¡°I helped him conquer the world together.¡± Her stiff expression twisted strangely. ¡°¡­¡­What nonsense are you talking about?¡± ¡°Yes, this is a normal reaction.¡± With a wry smile, Karnak continued. ¡°Listen first.¡± Chapter 46 Chapter 46 ¨C 12. The End is An Open Door (2) It was not possible to recount all the stories spanning over 100 years. So, Karnak roughly summarized the story of his past life and told Serati. He was born as an illegitimate son of a fallen family and learned necromancy. The days when he was trying to take over the family and was chased after being caught as a necromancer. Afterward, he traveled around the world, growing stronger, and in the meantime, earning people¡¯s anger and eventually bing a hero of the continent. In the end, he gave up being human, became Astra Schnapps, seeded in conquering the world, and even tried to recover her lost body. ¡°That¡¯s why I came back to this era. Something like this.¡± Finishing the detailed exnation, Karnak winked. ¡°How is it? did your curiosity clear up?¡± Serati had a bewildered face. ¡°Oh, my god¡­¡­¡± But in the meantime, it seems that she was getting a little bit convinced. ¡°Okay. Indeed, that¡¯s why¡­¡± Karnak was taken aback. ¡°Huh? Do you really believe it?¡± ¡°Are you lying?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that, but it¡¯s a story that¡¯s hard to believe even when I think about it.¡± ¡°Honestly, once you show something like that, you can¡¯t help but believe it.¡± The skills he showed were so absurd. It would be more understandable if it was based on such a ridiculous story. At the same time, he also heard another question. ¡°So, does that mean Karnak was originally an immortal being?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°You mean there was no death, no disease, no pain, right?¡± ¡°Uhuh.¡± ¡°Do you even have enough power to handle all things at will?¡± ¡°It may be different depending on the scope of all things, but anyway, I was able to sleep as much as I wanted in the world.¡± ¡°However¡­.¡± Serati asked again as if she couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°You threw all that away and became human again?¡± Wasn¡¯t it the sound of getting out of the limits of insignificant human beings and rising to the realm of gods? But gave it up just because it didn¡¯t feel human? ¡®Isn¡¯t it better to create a separate body that can feel the senses?¡¯ ¡°I tried. It didn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Then if you possess another human¡­¡± ¡°I tried that too. It didn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Then, if you put something like sense sharing on another human¡­¡± ¡°I tried it too. It didn¡¯t work.¡± For decades, he tried everything he could think of. After failing and failing, this was the only way left. ¡°By the way, Serati also secretly knows a lot about this trick? It¡¯s hard for good people to think of, but something like that.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s because I¡¯ve read a simr book before¡­¡± This was one of the reasons she readily epted Karnak¡¯s exnation. Thanked the hobby of reading various adventure stories whenever she had time, she could easily understand the stories of his previous life and space-time return. Anyway, Serati was confused. What if someone told her that instead of bing an undead, she could be an ultimate warrior who transcends even the four great kings? ¡®I guess I¡¯ll take it¡­¡¯ Until Karnak reached that level, there must have been a constant effort, tenacity, and unwavering mental strength. So he must have obtained immortality. But after reaching the goal, he gave up because it was different from what he thought? In the first ce, wouldn¡¯t that kind of person not be able to go to that supreme state? Karnak let out a deep sigh. ¡°Yeah, I knew that too.¡± It was sincere at the time. He regarded this piece of flesh as just a cumbersome obstacle blocking the path to the ultimate state of his dreams. He thought that it was worth giving up everything for one truth, one absolute goal. ¡°You¡¯ll never understand that until you actually experience it.¡± ¡°I was just as happy in the early days of bing a Death Knight. All of the ufortable things I had as a human disappeared.¡± Karnak and Barros grinned. There was no regret at all for having abandoned both of them. Serati cautiously continued the question. ¡°Still¡­ Is it worth it?¡± Wouldn¡¯t it be sad to lose what he¡¯d built his whole life? Wouldn¡¯t it be resentful to be pushed by an opponent weaker than him? Didn¡¯t he run away from Straf¡¯s ¡®something¡¯? ¡°Why would it be a waste?¡± Karnak continued, ¡°If possible, I would not give up on both of them. It was just that I couldn¡¯t help it because one of them had to give up.¡± Infamous Scans Trantor: Anom Proofreader: Orange Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/D28kQrftFe Did he miss the powers of the past? To be honest, sometimes yes. Was he not dissatisfied with his weakened current self? Why not? Of course, there wereints. Though, he never wanted to go back to Astra Schnapp. ¡°I was the King of Hell. No matter how much I was a King, it didn¡¯t change the fact that I was living in Hell.¡± Of course, bing a human did not mean living in heaven. Didn¡¯t people say it too? The present world was said to be hell. Karnak agreed with that to some extent. ¡°If there are stages in hell, human life would be about the middleyer of hell.¡± The life that became Astra Schunapp was at the bottom of hell. ¡°It is better to livefortably in the middle of Hell than to reign as the King of Hell¡¯s Underworld and subjugate the world to your feet.¡± He smiled calmly, ¡°I have lived both, so it must be perfect.¡± Serati nodded, ¡°Okay¡­¡­.¡± She thought she knew why necromancy was a taboo among taboos. It was the conclusion that someone who had reached the ultimate level in necromancy had not reached. ¡°Is it better to choose death than to be undead¡­¡­¡± Karnak raised his eyes. ¡°What are you talking about? If you¡¯re going to die, you should be undead.¡± ¡°Pardon? But just now¡­¡± ¡°So I will stay away from necromancy as much as possible. But I¡¯m going to die right away, so give up on life? Then, that¡¯s all I can do.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s no point in returning, right?¡± ¡°So, no matter what, we have to go back to Astra Schnapp.¡± Then, a road construction regression towards his was performed to regain his human senses again! ¡°Isn¡¯t this reasonable?¡± Beside him, Barros also said a word. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that take too long? You have to kill half of the continent¡¯s poption before you can be the Commander-in-Chief again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s something I¡¯ve only done once. It won¡¯t take years like it used to.¡± ¡°I see. I understand.¡± Serati trembled at the calm conversation between the two masters and servants. Now she understood their behavior. ¡®Ah, you¡¯re that kind of people.¡¯ The mindset itself was different from that of ordinary people. Once again, she made up her mind. ¡°Master Karnak.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I am now your knight, so I will protect you with all my life.¡± Not for Karnak. For humanity and the world. She had no idea what this dangerous man would do if her life was in danger! Karnak tilted his head at Serati¡¯s sudden change of attitude. In any case, there was no reason to refuse her protection. ¡°Uh. What. Thank you.¡± With the story roughly finished, the party moved on again. Watching Karnak¡¯s back as she followed, Serati thought for a moment. ¡®Then, what will their human n be when it¡¯s time to die of old age?¡¯ ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? Five days after leaving Trist City, Karnak, and his party arrived at Zestrad Manor. 5 ¡°I¡¯m here, Old Man Tafel!¡± Because they had received a message in advance, the mansion¡¯s attendants were there to meet them. Old butler Tafel greeted Karnak with a bright face. ¡°Wee, my lord.¡± He¡¯d already heard it through rumors. How Karnak and Barros performed at Derat City. Tafel was also worried when he received the news that if he went to the capital to study magic, he would have been sitting in Derat City for several months. It was said that it was the privilege of youth to see the world and increase knowledge, but it was not a word that surprised him by putting off things to do. At one time, he was quite worried about how to nag. But, what? Didn¡¯t the fame of Karnak and Barros, who made great strides in Derat City, spread to the northernmost part of the kingdom, all the way to Zestrad? It was a truly honorable thing to deal with numerous necromancers and save the people of the kingdom. The prestige of the Zestrad Family also greatly increased. It was a rumor that Tafel was able to praise with a happy heart. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ Behind Karnak stood a woman he hadn¡¯t seen before. She was a beautiful woman with luscious red hair, a remarkable impression, and a look full of vitality. For those who lived only in the countryside, she was also a surprising beauty they had never seen before. ¡°¡­..No way?¡± He felt a little uneasy, but Tafel responded calmly. ¡°You have a guest, my lord. It would have been nice if you had informed me in advance.¡± ¡°Right, really?¡± Karnak pointed at her as if he had just remembered it. ¡°Let me introduce you. This is Serati Allen.¡± The reason was obvious if a young guy went on a trip and returned with some beauty. The servants and maids of the mansion where they gathered began whispering. ¡®Oh, my goodness!¡¯ ¡®What if?¡¯ ¡®Is she the future baroness?¡¯ Tafel was perplexed. The lord of a region could not take a wife at will. She had to match to some extent. But he had never heard of an aristocrat with the surname Allen. No, the name sounded verymon. It meant that she was possibly amoner and not a noble. ¡®Huh. How am I supposed to say this?¡¯ However, the story that followed was a bit surprising. ¡°She has be a new knight of the Baron Zestrad family. The formal appointment will be madeter, so be prepared.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes?¡± Tafel blinked. A knight? Not a prospective wife? ¡®No, why did such a woman be a knight of our territory?¡¯ She was obviously someone with fantastic beauty. Her body was also slim and beautiful. However, this was a virtue of beauty, not a virtue of a knight. Wouldn¡¯t it be basic to have reliable muscles, a big size, and a strong impression if she wanted to live like a knight? So, like that, Sir Barros standing next to her. ¡°Lord, no matter how much our territory was the frontier, you couldn¡¯t make anyone a knight¡­¡± Not only Tafel, but everyone else looked at Karnak and Serati in confusion. Barrosughed at the people¡¯s reaction. ¡°It¡¯s as expected by Serati.¡± ¡°It happens often.¡± Serati did not blink an eye. Even halfway people got angry when they were ignored, and the true strong were insensitive. She could prove herself instantly either. At first nce, Serati drew her sword. The movement of the foot sword was quite sophisticated, and everyone was convinced to some extent. ¡°It¡¯s cool to draw a sword.¡± ¡®Well, if a woman wants to use a sword, she¡¯ll do that much, right?¡± ¡®But I heard that graceful swordsmanship against monsters is useless.¡¯ Whoa! A red light covered the de. At the same time, she pressed the shoulders of those who had gathered formidable energy. ¡°Woahhh!¡± ¡°Kyaaak!¡± Servants and maids stepped back in amazement. Tafel¡¯s eyes also shook violently. No one knew what the light in front of their eyes was, no matter how ignorant of swordsmanship they were. ¡°Too, a fighting sword? Could it be that you¡¯re an Aura user?¡± Sir Barros, who was recognized as the strongest in Zestrad, and Sir Randolph, who was the strongest knight in Deventor, could not reach that stage. Wasn¡¯t it a realm of super-humans that all the family¡¯s knights would not dare to attack? Karnak asked sullenly, ¡°Do you still have doubts about her skills?¡± There was no way. It was just that Tafel¡¯s expression had changed a little. ¡°No, but why is someone like that a knight in our territory?¡± Chapter 47 Chapter 47 ¨C 12. The End is An Open Door (3) Serati and Barros stayed at Karnak¡¯s mansion. The other knights had families, so each had a house, but Manuel was still unmarried. And a few dayster, she officially became a knight of Karnak. The knights of Zestrad weed her wholeheartedly. Of course, there was no territorial attitude. She was an Aura user so she had a gap from the rest of the knights. Instead of feeling superior to them, she showed fierce curiosity. And the knights had several questions for her, like how strong were the aura users they only heard about till now? and was it true that aura users show ruthless strength even with the body of a woman? Thank that, Serati had to spend her busy days dealing with other knights. ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? There was arge gymnasium in the backyard of the mansion. A stout man in his mid-thirties was preparing for a duel with Serati. He was the knight of Zestrad, Emile. ¡°Please teach me,¡± Emile said politely, aiming at the training sword. Likewise, Serati, who was holding a training sword, answered politely. ¡°Rather, it¡¯s me who¡¯d be learning from you. I¡¯ll be in your care.¡± Soon, Emile rushed wildly. ¡°Taaaat!¡± The fierce Emile, trained in real battles, aimed at her. But Serati didn¡¯t even move. She just took all the attacks lightly and bewitched them. Bang! Bang! Several shes came and went with a loud sound. Emile¡¯s body began to sweat. The sound of his breathing also gradually became rougher. ¡°Heh, heh, heh, heh¡­¡­¡± On the other hand, Serati did not change at all. Let alone sweat, even breathing was not disrupted. Emile¡¯s eyes twinkled. ¡°Was being an Aura user such a high wall?¡± He heard that the red ss was the most beginner-level among Aura users. Besides, wasn¡¯t the opponent in a woman¡¯s body? Of course, he didn¡¯t think he could win. However, no matter how much he failed to awaken his weapon, he knew how to fight back to some extent. But that was not a match at all. ¡®I¡¯m not even using a fighting sword yet!¡¯ Moaning at Serati¡¯s counterattack, Emile stepped back. At first nce, it was a sh that seemed to contain lightly. However, the moment they struck back, a shock as if they had been hit by a carriage pierced their whole body. ¡°Keugh!¡± What he barely endured was hisst mistake as a man. ¡°Ah, you haven¡¯t fallen yet!¡± The other knights who were watching the match made faces. They were the ones who had experienced sparring with Serati first. ¡°Emile, that friend, is a dragon.¡± ¡°I know how you feel.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s hard to understand that you¡¯re pushed by such a slender woman by force.¡± Serati did not use any exceptional swordsmanship or subtle techniques. She could deal with just ordinary, basic swordsmanship. She was only just too hard, too fast. Even if she did not have to use a fighting sword, there was an absolute gap in the physical ability amplified by the aura. ¡°Gagging!¡± Eventually, Emile rolled across the floor. He barely picked himself up and greeted her. ¡°Ah, thank you for your time¡­¡± It was a mixture of humiliation and admiration. Of course, he was upset because he left without being able to do anything. However, the awe of the Aura user was as great as that. Serati also drew her sword. ¡°Thank you for your effort.¡± Still, she didn¡¯t break a sweat. However, she was polite, she deliberately pretended to wipe her sweat. She, too, was acknowledging them. ¡°What is it, isn¡¯t everyone at the level of the first-ss adventurers of the guild?¡± She thought it would be nothing to do with Karnak¡¯s disparagement, but surprisingly, her skills weren¡¯t bad. Although she had little experience in interpersonal warfare, this was not a big drawback since the main enemies of the Zestrad Territory were monsters. They were trained enough to handle the given situation. Then why did Karnak and Barros disparage the knights of their territory so much? ¡®It¡¯s only by the standards of those humans, sheesh.¡¯ Serati pursed her lips. In fact, by their standards, she was also third-rate. No, the vast majority of people in the world were third-rate to Karnak. There were times when she was dumbfounded and asked outright. ¡°Then, what kind of person do you think Master Karnak is?¡± The answer was simple. ¡°Four great kings and three great wizards.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± If the four great kings who had reached the ultimate level of nothingness and the great wizards who had reached the realm of god were first-rate, then what about the first-rate? ¡°If you¡¯re the Dragon Emperor Gratheria, you¡¯re top-notch.¡± ¡°Then, do you make it?¡± ¡°About the captains of the Imperial Knights or the guardians of the federation? If it¡¯s the Seven Kingdoms Alliance, maybe the captain of the knights of the Altair Kingdom can join.¡± Infamous Scans Trantor: Anom Proofreader: Orange Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/D28kQrftFe By the way, they were all silver knights, silver knights. Those who had only one step left to the end of nothingness. ¡°Everything below that is third-rate?¡± ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°Does that make sense? How vast is the gap below that!¡± Even the purple knights were strong enough to handle 10 red-ss soldiers alone. Even the red-ss Serati could easily deal with dozens of ordinary warriors. ¡°How can you lump this into third rate?¡± ording to Karnak¡¯s logic, it seemed possible. ¡°What¡¯s strange? A guy with 10 coins or a guy with 1,000 coins is the same as being poor anyway.¡± ¡°Ah, do you think that way?¡± ¡°¡­¡­That kind of thing?¡± Afterward, Karnak wondered, ¡°Why does every single one disappear when I think about it?¡±, but this was not a very important story. Anyway, the knights of Zesterd Territory were on the strong side in terms ofmon sense rather than senseless Karnak standards. But even so, it had no meaning in front of Serati. There was a many times difference between those who had awakened fighting spirit and those who had not, in all physical abilities such as strength, speed, and reflexes. Serati was also able to understand well enough to know what she was like before awakening to the fighting spirit. However¡­ ¡®How can Sir Barros be so strong without using an aura?¡¯ ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? ¡°Why why?¡± Serati bounced back, holding the sword. ¡°Ugh!¡± It wasn¡¯t because of Barros¡¯ sword power. As Barros deflected her sh, she was thrown back by her own power. ¡°It¡¯s because Serati handles spection poorly.¡± Late afternoon. Today, as usual, she was being taught by Barros. It was not a polite expression, but a real ¡®teaching¡¯. ¡°Of course, I know that my level is still low¡­¡± Quickly correcting her posture, Serati put on an expression of iprehension. She was faster. Barros¡¯ movements were obviously slow. But, even though she can see him attacking, she couldn¡¯t stop him! ¡°The reason is simple.¡± Spinning his sword, Barros shrugged. ¡°There is too much-wasted energy.¡± No matter how fast and strong a sword could be swung, there would always be a dy in returning to its original position once it has been swung. Barros was aiming for this dy. ¡°Reducing this dy is not simply about making the action faster.¡± urate posture and rapid control, movements that had been repeated hundreds of times to eliminate unnecessary actions, skill to use at the right ce in one blow, and experience of instantly grasping about the right ce were required. ¡°It¡¯s an experience, it¡¯s not something I can do right away, but¡­¡± Barros moved again. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t the superfluous actions at least be removed from the movement?¡± Again her sword began to dance gracefully. Even though it was still slow, it was an attack that bizarrely prated Serati¡¯s entire body. ¡®But yes, obviously I¡¯m faster¡­¡¯ Serati let out amentation while concentrating only on avoiding and hitting him. Why were ws that she usually couldn¡¯t feel at all, only felt when she fought Barros? Had it been like that for a minute? For some reason, Barros¡¯s offensive ckened and Serati frowned. ¡°Why are you looking at me all of a sudden?¡± Barros smiled shyly. ¡°I¡¯m not looking at you, I¡¯m just getting tired.¡± ¡°Is that a look on your face?¡± ¡°Oh, this? It¡¯s just a habit.¡± The more he was tired, the more he could survive only when it was a habit to cheat while pretending to be calm. ¡°Anyway, this is the limit of my ability.¡± ¡°Already?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way this kind of movement can continue with a body that can¡¯t even fight, right? At least, I can still barely do it with breathing and gradual control.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Today¡¯s sparring was lost to me.¡± ¡°If it was a real battle, I would have died before that, right?¡± Without saying anything, Barros smiled. It was no different than an answer, so Serati rolled her eyes. ¡°Hey, if you want to kill me, you have already killed me, right?¡± Looking for shade, Barros slumped down. ¡°Let¡¯s take it easy.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Take a breath and drink the water you prepared earlier. Suddenly, Serati stared at Barros. ¡®Come to think of it, there¡¯s nothing particrly bad about being a member of this, right?¡¯ When she became a necromancer¡¯s attendant, she was determined, but now she thought about it, there wasn¡¯t much of a problem. It was not that Karnak was giving evil orders, and it was not that her mind had turned evil. Rather, being able to learn from Barros was enormous. It was Serati who practiced her swordsmanship over her shoulder here and there without a fixed teacher. Thanks to her innate talent and hard work, she was able to be an Aura user at a young age, but she was hungry for a higher level throughout. In that sense, Barros was a really great teacher. He had the memories of being the world¡¯s strongest warrior, had collected all the fairly famous swordsmanship, and had a lot ofbat experience, so he pointed out the difference between theory and practice. His understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of others was also very high, probably due to his experience of fighting while possessing this person. ¡®That¡¯s right, possessed. I honestly liked that.¡¯ Suddenly, Serati put on an ecstatic expression. She was terrified when she was taken away, but looking back now, it was an amazing experience. Not indirectly, but ¡®directly¡¯, experiencing how one¡¯s body moved, how one¡¯s aura flows, and what a higher realm was like. Greedy, she asked softly. ¡°Hey, Lord Barros. Can¡¯t you possess my body again like you did back then?¡± ¡°Possession?¡± ¡°Yes. I thought I might be able to get a feel for it if I experienced it a few more times¡­¡± Barros was straight. ¡°It¡¯s better not to do that often.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Actually, that idea, Young master, came up with it first.¡± After Barros possessed the body of an aura user who was struggling with being blocked by a wall, he directly felt the high level. Wouldn¡¯t this make it easier to break down the wall? To prove this hypothesis, he caught some Aura users and experimented with them. The results were not satisfactory. ¡°I went crazy after repeating the possession three times.¡± ¡°Possession is the act of covering someone else¡¯s soul over one¡¯s soul, right? Serati, who was astounded, shouted. ¡°Did you do that dangerous thing to me?¡± ¡°At that time, my life is at stake, so I can¡¯t help it¡­¡± Serati came to her senses. ¡®As expected, these humans can¡¯t be careless.¡¯ He never knew what would happen if he did something wrong. Even if he got something to try, he always had to be nervous. ¡°If you go crazy on the third, you mean you can do it twice?¡± ¡°Why did you interpret it like that?¡± The angry Barros looked at Serati. ¡®Thisdy, she has a simr way of thinking to the young master.¡¯ No matter how scared she was, she seemed to want to take care of things. ¡°Now, now! It¡¯s dangerous, so stop thinking about it. Even if you don¡¯t do that anyway, Miss Serati will be stronger. You¡¯re still young. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± Sheughed. It was kind of funny, like a grandfather scolding his granddaughter. As for the subject, a young woman in her twenties. ¡°Well, Sir Barros is really old, isn¡¯t he?¡± Although physically her age, what is inside is a 100-year-old demon. And Karnak too. He shouldn¡¯t judge either by appearance alone. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s hard to see Master Karnak¡¯s face these days.¡± Serati looked toward the mansion as if she had suddenly remembered it. ¡°Is it because he¡¯s the lord? There must be a lot of backlogs in the meantime.¡± Barros shrugged. ¡°He must be busy but it may not be because of overdue work.¡± Chapter 48 Chapter 48 ¨C 12. The End is An Open Door (4) The lord¡¯s office was on the second floor of Zestrad Mansion. Today, Karnak was engrossed in his work after taking care of his business instantly. It was to reprocess the darkness of the end stolen from Straf. He let out a sigh while manipting the darkness in the subspace. ¡°Ah. This is annoying.¡± Now he had three things to do. First, the darkness of the end stolen from Straf must be changed into chaos magic. This was something that had to be done over time. No matter how much Karnak had the wisdom and knowledge of the Death King, it would take several months. To be precise, in the past, since he was the King of death, he could reduce what would have taken years to a few days. But he also had to find out how Straf was able to fuse Divine Power withmand power. Again, he couldn¡¯t find an answer right away. ¡®It¡¯s changed a lot, but it doesn¡¯t seem to have changed much from Astra Schnapp¡¯s attributes.¡¯ Of course, there might be parts that Karnak had yet to discover, so this also needed to be constantly checked over a long period. ¡®Or was there something special about Straf?¡¯ There was little chance of that. Before handing it over to Alius, he carefully examined the corpse but found no difference from the other priests. Nevertheless, the possibility was ¡®enemy¡¯ rather than ¡®no¡¯ because the investigation time was short, so there may be parts that had yet to be discovered or missed. If Straf was not the problem, they had no choice but to consider the following possibility. ¡°From the beginning, my authority could fuse with other energy, but I didn¡¯t know that?¡± It wasn¡¯t a story that made a lot of sense. The authority of Karnak, who became Astra Schnapp, was the ultimate power that transcended even themand power. It would be possible to deviate from the existingmon sense ofmand power. But that, too, was inconsistent. It had been 70 years since he became Astra Schnapp, and during that time, he used normal magic countless times and used it again, but didn¡¯t he know that? If he was that stupid, he couldn¡¯t even be called the King of Death in the first ce. ¡®Actually, it¡¯s not like there¡¯s no way to check this¡­¡¯ The most convenient way was to cause that phenomenon one more time. The quickest way to observe the change was to select a suitable priest, forcibly inject the darkness of the end, and observe the change. He would have done that in the past. ¡®But that shouldn¡¯t be the case now, right?¡¯ So, the solution had to be put on hold. Anyway, the most important thing was different. ¡®I have to start from the end.¡¯ They must prevent the scattered darkness of the end from encroaching on the world any longer. ¡®Once you take care of this, you can take care of the rest slowly. At least the situation won¡¯t get any worse.¡¯ The amount of information was sufficient, thanks to the darkness extracted from Straf. They could get a rough sense of how the darkness of the end flew and how it passed through time and space. So, Karnak was currently producing ¡®Eyes of Darkness¡¯ through subspace. Exploring space and time to read the flow of themanding force. It was a kind of magical body that emitted energy. After diligently manipting the darkness of the end, Karnak uttered anotherment. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s annoying.¡± Reading the flow of the world by floating the eyes of darkness in time and space was simr to flying a kite to determine the wind direction. The kite material itself didn¡¯t take much. The same went for the thread connecting the kite. Now Karnak¡¯smand power was sufficient. But that didn¡¯t mean the method itself was easy. Didn¡¯t a kite require a very high skill level to make it precise? It wasn¡¯t even the sky. It was an empowered body that would fly to the other side of time and space. He didn¡¯t need a lot ofmand power, but he did need it to be incrediblyplex and sophisticated. Of course, it wasn¡¯t a level of difficulty that even Karnak, the King of Death, would struggle with, but it took a lot of work. As an analogy, would it be the act of setting up thousands of dominoes? Building dominoes could be done by anyone, but it took considerable skill, mental strength, and concentration to build thousands of them without failure. No matter how skillful he is, he couldn¡¯t finish it in an instant, and it was tedious, repetitive work. ¡°Eh, if it was before, I wouldn¡¯t have had to do this.¡± If it was the King of Death, he would have simply used the power of infinity to destroy time and space and simply nced over it. ¡°No,e to think of it, even if you have power, you can¡¯t do that.¡± That was tantamount to shouting, ¡®Here the King of Death has descended!¡¯ to the whole world. ¡°I can¡¯t do that now.¡± Abandoning his lingering attachments, Karnak returned to his work of manipting darkness. Rather than being an evil necromancer who wielded the powers of death and darkness¡­¡­. ¡®¡­¡­It feels like sewing on buttons, but this.¡¯ Suddenly Karnak looked out the window. It was time for Barros and Serati to finish their sparring. ¡®Did he gain something, that guy?¡¯ Serati must have gained a lot. She was like an empty vessel, so she would have filled it with anything. Even though it was empty, that was Karnak¡¯s standard. The question was, did Barros get what he wanted from Serati? Barros was not hanging out with Serati, just out of pure goodwill. He was guiding her, watching her progress, and in the process, trying to catch a clue about his awakening of fighting spirit. However, there was still no news on how to awaken it. ¡®I mean, does it make sense that the world¡¯s strongest unmanned man still can¡¯t even pass the basics like that?¡¯ ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? At the same time, Serati also had the same question. In the morning, when they spar, Barros was the teacher, and Serati was the disciple. On the other hand, in the afternoon training time, the position was the opposite. ¡®Does it make sense that he couldn¡¯t even pass the basics even though he was the world¡¯s strongest swordsman?¡¯ ¡°Whoa¡­¡­¡± Sitting upright under the shade of a tree, Barros caught his breath. While deeply meditating, slowly exhaled a long and thin breath. ¡°How is it? Do you feel anything?¡± At Serati¡¯s cautious question, Barros made an embarrassed expression. ¡°Nothing at all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s strange¡­¡± Looking at Serati, who couldn¡¯t understand, Barros asked. ¡°What was Ms. Serati like when you first awakened the fighting spirit?¡± Infamous Scans Trantor: Anom Proofreader: Orange Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/D28kQrftFe After thinking for a moment, Serati slowly opened her mouth. ¡°Contemting myself, guided by the inner light, I stretch out my hand and be a single sword¡­¡­¡± ¡°Not like the swordsmanship passages.¡± It was Barros who had memorized all the first-ss swordsmanship books on the continent. ¡°It¡¯s not because you don¡¯t know that, is it?¡± Serati got annoyed. ¡°You say you don¡¯t know Tascal swordsmanship?¡± The Tascal School was prestigious and historical in the central part of the Yusteel Kingdom and was a swordsmanship school that was mainly spread among adventurers. It was also swordsmanship she had learned. Barros scratched his head, ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m memorizing all first-ss swordsmanship books¡­¡± ¡°Ah, Tascal is a third-ss swordsman. Is this it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not really like that, and isn¡¯t it just amon swordsmanship?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what it sounds like!¡± Serati rolled her eyes. Afterughing awkwardly, Barros spoke. ¡°I wish I could tell more about Serati¡¯s intuitive feeling.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­¡­¡± For a moment, she recalled the time when she awakened her fighting spirit. If she were to describe that moment honestly and inly, without all the useless rhetoric? ¡°¡­¡­It just seems to work.¡± ¡°I knew it.¡± That is the same voice that all Aura users who have awakened to fighting spirit say. It worked because she did it, but it worked because she tried. ¡°Is it because my talent is a problem?¡± Seeing him worried, Serati put on a puzzled expression. ¡°There¡¯s no way that Sir Barros doesn¡¯t have talent, right?¡± What would he do if he made a fool of people all morning and now said he had no talent? ¡°The talent to deal with the fighting spirit and the talent to awaken a fighting spirit may be different things.¡± Barros also had a cool understanding of himself. He had the talent for fighting, the talent for handling the sword, and the talent for using the body. ¡°But the talent for making a sword and the talent for handling a sword are two different things.¡± Handling a sword was the domain of a swordsman, but making a sword was the domain of a cksmith. ¡°Maybe spection is simr.¡± With a sigh, Barros sat up again and started meditation. It was also an attempt to feel the spection. Of course, the result was still the same. ¡°Ah, it doesn¡¯t work either.¡± Serati, who was watching, tilted her head. ¡°But what good am I to Sir Barros?¡± Once she asked, he answered, but she didn¡¯t know what he could do for her. Whatever she knew, Barros knew anyway. That too, was at a higher level. ¡°Why do you need me?¡± ¡°In case you didn¡¯t know.¡± Barros also had his thoughts. ¡°There¡¯s a story about frog tadpoles being unable to think.¡± The water where Barros yed was the stage for the frogs, the super king frogs. All of his swordsmanship theories belonged to those frogs. ¡°I wondered if there would be something different if I heard the story of the tadpoles¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Serati thought for a moment, ¡®Should I stay calm after hearing this? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to hit this human¡¯s skull even if he died or until he die?¡¯ Of course, she was just thinking. She was too scared to put it into action. ¡°Ehh¡­¡± Only a sigh came out. ¡®Still, I think it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve been treated so badly as an Aura user.¡¯ Just in time, Barros sighed as well, ¡°I tried so hard in my previous life, but in the end, I failed, and thinking about how I got Dark Fighting through the power of the young master, I wonder if my talents are truly infinite.¡± Seeing him sullen, Serati suddenly came up with another idea. ¡®Still, isn¡¯t it too strange?¡¯ He knew all of the first-ss swordsmanship that existed in the world. As long as he got his hands on spection, he could use that skillfully as if it were his own. His pure physical abilities were amazing, and his sense of battle was excellent. Excluding experience and all, Barros was a born warrior. There was no doubt about this. However, only the talent of awakening his fighting spirit was missing, and it¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t use it. ¡®Is it possible that the talent of awakening fighting spirit ispletely separate from the talent of a martial artist?¡¯ The talent of a cksmith and the talent of a swordsman were of course different. ¡®But isn¡¯t it possible that a swordsman who was intensively trained in swordsmanship and after he started to learn cksmithing skills?¡¯ Fighting, on the other hand, could be mastered when a swordsman was intensively trained in swordsmanship. In that sense, it should be seen as an extension of a swordsman. No matter how much she thought about it, that cksmith¡¯s analogy seemed wrong. ¡®Maybe there is some other reason?¡¯ ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? It had been over a month since Karnak returned to the Zestrad estate. In the meantime, Serati had fully established herself as a knight of Zestrad. It was a time when Barros, as usual, was struggling to find a clue to his spection. Then one day, Karnak called the two. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± ¡°Oh, finally?¡± Delighted, Barros asked. ¡°So, is it all over now?¡± ¡°If things go ording to n, then yes.¡± Only Serati, who did not know the matter, was puzzled. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Oh, there is such a thing.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll exinter.¡± Karnak, Barros, and Serati prepared to leave the mansion. Nominally, to raise the realm of magic one step higher, they intended to go into the forest near the manor and receive the spirit of nature. Of course, the real reason was different. ¡°Opening the eye of darkness in our territory, what if we get caught?¡± This was absolute necromancy. If this was even smelled by the 7 Goddess Church, things would be a headache. ¡°So,mit it in the next town, the Deventer estate.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a great ploy,¡± Barros nodded. ¡°Even if someone gets caught, I¡¯ll be able to me Deventer again!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Serati quietly raised her hand. ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t you say you wouldn¡¯t do bad things?¡± ¡°Hmm? Is this also evil?¡± ¡°..¡­.I¡¯m more curious why you think that¡¯s not a bad thing.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not saying you don¡¯t know it¡¯s a bad thing¡­¡­¡± Karnak wasn¡¯t a moron, but he couldn¡¯t distinguish between good and evil. What he could not distinguish was not the ¡®existence¡¯ of good and evil, but the ¡®degree¡¯. ¡°Isn¡¯t this something everyone else does too, I mean.¡± The goal was to live a normal life, doing moderately good and moderately bad things like ordinary people, no matter what kind of adult. It was not that he would live by doing only good and avoiding evil like the wise men. Serati hesitated. If he was the Viscount of Deventor, he had seen blood several times as a long-standing enmity with Baron Zestrad. He had even killed the previous baron as well as Karnak¡¯s brothers, and even Karnak himself was almost killed by them. Was it truly ¡®uneptable evil¡¯ to me such a person? ¡°It seems like everyone else is doing that too¡­¡­.¡± Karnakughed softly. ¡°Then, let¡¯s get going.¡± Chapter 49 Chapter 49 ¨C 12. The End is An Open Door (5) In a forest outside the Deventer estate. Three people were sitting together around a campfire. Karnak¡¯s party had gone deep into the forest to avoid people¡¯s eyes. Looking up at the night sky, Barros asked. ¡°How much longer do I have to wait, young master?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not yet. It¡¯s most effective when the night is at its peak.¡± ¡°Looks like the moon is already high enough¡­¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t long before.¡± Serati made a nk expression. The story she had heard earlier was so shocking that she was still distraught. ¡®Oh my god¡­¡¯ Conquering the world or doing poetry was grandiose, but it was ¡®someone else¡¯s story¡¯ to the end. But, this was a situation that was now in reality. ¡°Is that person the cause of all this?¡± It was unlikely that it would be false under the circumstances. If Karnak had no reason to cheat on her, and if he was indeed a god-like being (albeit a death god) and a transcendental figure who even ruled the world, it wouldn¡¯t make much sense to have caused such a situation. It was just unreal how an ordinary human like her got involved in such a thing. ¡®In my opinion, I thought I was on a special axis¡­¡­¡¯ Even the title of a prodigy beauty prosecutor who awakened her fighting spirit in her 20s had be an ordinary personpared to them. It was just a sighing out. ¡°Hahh¡­¡­.¡± A little more time passed like that. Karnak, who was sitting by the campfire, got up. ¡°It¡¯s about time.¡± Serati knew very well what he was going to do from now on. She asked cautiously. ¡°Are you closing the dark door now?¡± When the door of darkness is closed, the darkness of the end will no longer descend, the world will no longer be muddled, and tribtion will cease. Would she be able to sit down? Karnak snorted at her hopeful question. ¡°You want me to close the door? What kind of power do I have right now to intervene in time and space directly?¡± Manipting time and space itself required tremendous power indeed. He didn¡¯t know when he was the King of the Dead, but he now had no guess. There was no sound. ¡°Then what is the story of the end?¡± ¡°You¡¯re trying to figure out how to close the door.¡± Making projectiles unaffected by space-time and exploring them was an area of ??skill. It was possible even for Karnak today. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of figuring out a way and secretly handing it over to the Seven Goddess Church.¡± He didn¡¯t need to close the door of darkness. No matter who willplete it will do just fine. It was rtively easy to pass on information. ¡°I got the relevant information by chance while dealing with Straf. It¡¯s annoying to forge old books, so I can pass it on as a manuscript.¡± ¡°What if the 7 Goddess Church ignores it?¡± ¡°The Goddess Church isn¡¯t that stupid.¡± He knew the potential of the Church of the Seven Goddesses because he had dealt with them himself. He was sure they would figure out the truth and realize it was a trick that worked. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you like to take care of yourself after that? It will be okay to gather all the strength of the 7 Goddesses and call the three archmages.¡± Karnak spread both hands. ck energy rose and began to create strange shapes. It was an object that could cross space and time, the eyes of darkness. Before long, dark eyes began to rise high into the sky. The sky shook. Dark clouds whirled and opened the gates of time and space, vomiting emptiness. Heavy rain poured down, and thunder erupted in all directions! ¡­¡­Things like that didn¡¯t happen at all. The dark eyes just floated up silently and disappeared without a sound. Nothing happened to the point of being chilly. Serati, slightly disappointed, murmured. ¡°How are you quiet?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Karnak spoke up. ¡°Because there is no change in space-time.¡± He didn¡¯t open the door of time and space and blow the eyes of darkness. The eyes of darkness itself had the property of going in and out of time and space. ¡°If you fly a kite in the sky, a storm won¡¯t blow, right?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s like that.¡± The eyes of darkness safely entered the other side of time and space. Now, it was time for Karnak to concentrate as much as possible. ¡°I¡¯ll be out of my mind for a while now. I¡¯ll be keeping this up.¡± Nervously, Barros and Serati drew their swords. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± With his eyes closed, Karnak shifted his senses toward the Dark Eye. ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? A vast void spread out in front of him. Outside of this world and beyond time and space. There was an infinite realm that was so wide and so far that it was impossible to measure the end. Even the world in front of this void was just a speck of dust. Mere human cognition did not dare to realize this infinity. Only poor imagination was allowed. The moment someone realizes what infinity is, the mortal soul would go mad. But if he didn¡¯t recognize this void, he couldn¡¯t even explore it. Taking as much as necessary and ignoring as much as needed was indeed a work that required detailed sensory coordination. ¡®Now, let¡¯s go.¡¯ Acknowledge and ignore. Recognizing and ignoring. He swam in the void, protecting the soul and individuality through endless neglect and abandonment. Eons of time had passed. It was also a fleeting moment. In the chaos realm where time lost meaning, he wandered and searched for his goal. Atst, he saw a great shape beyond the void. It was a huge tree. No, it was just a tiny, withered bud. Ignoring the contradictory sensations, Karnak approached the tree. It wasn¡¯t a tree when he got closer. It was a group of gigantic skeletons that were all rotting away, like a tree, with both arms spread out and branches of countless bones stretched out, like a corpse hanging from its neck. He smiled bitterly. That ugly form was the essence of the authority of the old Death King. Injustice itself, which turned the world into hell, destroyed humankind, destroyed even the boundary between life and death, and eventually mixed reality and fantasy. ¡®I was a very strange person too. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s good about wearing something like that.¡¯ Clicking his tongue, Karnak approached the void tree, Astra Schnapp. The huge trunk was covered in blood. Dark air flowed through each branch. The terrible energy of death sprouted and bore fruit. The ripened fruits ripened and fell one by one. A gap was created in the void each time the space-time was slightly shaken. The fallen fruit disappeared beyond the hole, and the darkness of the end was sown in the world¡­ Infamous Scans Trantor: Anom Proofreader: Orange Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/D28kQrftFe ¡®Ugh, I need to wake up.¡¯ Instead of looking at the scene as if possessed, Karnak focused his mind. The important thing now was to prevent this from happening. ¡°Let¡¯s see, so¡­¡± Originally, it was his power. It was the power he cultivated and nurtured. Although it had changed as much as he had changed, the basic flow was the same. Rode the flow and slowly moved the eyes of darkness. He felt the thickest darkness between the storm of darkness. ¡®Is it over there?¡¯ As it was, he went inside the authority and stole information. And found a way to stop this corrupted power of the void from interfering with the world any longer. As he continued to approach, Karnak disyed a moment of uncertainty. ¡®I hope it works out as nned¡­¡­.?¡¯ He was confident about it in front of Barros and Serati, but he wasn¡¯t sure about the n at all. He was confident in searching the void, but there was no guarantee that the search would lead to clues. Even if he caught a clue, it didn¡¯t necessarily mean it would lead to a solution. But why did he have to shout it out loud in front of them? ¡®You don¡¯t need to worry in advance. If there is no way, that¡¯s something to think about then.¡¯ Finally, it came close to Astra Schnapp. The eyes of darkness slowly turned in front of the giant tabletop tree reminiscent of the legendary world tree. ¡°Where should I enter?¡± He was looking for a suitable ess road. Suddenly a voice was heard. ¡°Back off, mortals¡­¡­.¡± Karnak was frightened. It was a voice that could never exist in this infinite void. ¡°What, what is this?¡± Sound continued. ¡°This is a territory that is not permitted to beings destined to disappear.¡± Confused, he nced at the giant tree of darkness that was his power. ¡°Couldn¡¯t that be talking?¡± He asked cautiously, just in case. ¡°¡­¡­Who are you?¡± ¡°I am death.¡± Surprisingly, the answer came back smoothly. ¡°It is death and darkness, and it is the destiny to destroy.¡± It was so out of the blue that there was no answer. At the same time, a strong storm came. An invisible force shook the dark eyes violently like a leaf in a storm. ¡°Kuh, ugh!¡± Karnak was in confusion. It was so powerful that the eyes of darkness could not be controlled. ¡°Shit! What the hell is this, what the hell!¡± What made it even more confusing was that this force pushing him away was the darkness of the end. ¡®Something¡¯s wielding my powers?¡¯ A ripple spread from the huge aura tree, Astra Schnapp. Wow! The eyes of darkness swept away by the ripples were gradually torn apart. A majestic voice was heard in the blurred consciousness. ¡°Imand thee in the name of Tesnarak.¡± That was thest. ¡°Leave, poor mortal¡­.¡± Karnak¡¯s consciousness began to rapidly fall to the ground. ¡°Ooh, whoa, whoa!¡± ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? A buzzing sound was heard in the ear. ¡°¡­¡­up!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Master Karnak!¡± It was the voice of Barros and Serati. Karnak struggled to open his eyes. Little by little, his sight was returning. ¡°Are you out of your mind? Can you see me?¡± ¡°Are you all right?¡± Moaning, he barely got himself up. Then he looked around and asked. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­¡­? They were guarding Karnak diligently, but suddenly his body trembled and copsed. Surprised, he quicklyid down, and his arms were numb. He was rubbing his legs. This was Barros¡¯ exnation. ¡°Is it a bad n?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t go well or whatever¡­¡­¡± Clearing his confused mind, Karnak turned to Barros. ¡°What did the cultists say was the name of the god they believed in? A god of death or something¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yes? Uh, that¡¯s¡­¡­¡± Barros hesitated. It was such an absurd story that he couldn¡¯t remember it properly either. Instead, Serati opened her mouth. ¡°You mean Tesnarak? The god of death and darkness worshiped by the Church of the ck God¡­¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Tesnarak.¡± He checked again. The voice was calling itself ¡®Tesnarak¡¯. ¡°I met him.¡± ¡°Huh? Is it Death?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. That.¡± Barros blinked his eyes. Did he meet? The tesranak? A god of death and darkness? ¡°¡­Could a Tesranak exist?¡± Karnak frowned and looked up at the sky. ¡°No, it can never be.¡± It was still an ordinary night sky. But, what happened out there was anything but not ordinary. ¡°But why does that exist?¡± ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? A subspace where there is only darkness, no up or down. Three people¨Ctwo men, and a woman, their faces covered with dark veils, stood in the air¡ªthe Pope of Death, the Emperor of Darkness, and the Saint of Destruction. They were the three saints who led the Church of the ck God and served Tesranak. The world dismissed them as the leaders of cults and evil demons who disturbed the order but to the members of the ck God, they were worse than they were. The man¡¯s voice echoed through the darkness. ¡°There is something wrong with the Sanctuary.¡± ¡°How could that be?¡± Another man raised a question. ¡°A sanctuary is a sanctuary because nothing can vite it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. But it happened.¡± The woman spoke in a calm voice. ¡°I¡¯ll have to check.¡± The darkness was gone. The shapes of the three men and women also melted into the darkness. The surroundings had changed. The woman woke up in an elegant private room decorated with pure white marble. It was a beautiful woman with blue eyes, brown skin, and rich blonde hair hanging down to her waist. Rising, she murmured, ¡°The sanctuary was invaded? How peculiar.¡± The woman raised the magic bell. Soon after, a young maid ran into the private room. Shivering, the maid lowered her head. ¡°You called, Miss Eleazar¡­.¡± Seeing that, the woman, Eleazar,ughed. She was going to have to call her confidant, but she seemed overly nervous because she was a new maid. Eleazar soothed the maid with a gentle smile. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so nervous.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Of course, the maid couldn¡¯t rx. On the outside, she looked like a beauty in her early 30s, but she was already over 50. The magical power that far transcended human limits slowed down even the body¡¯s aging, so it just looked younger. One of the three great wizards who had reached the pinnacle of all magic and the royal mage of the Laceanian Empire. Pursuer of the 10th circle, Eleazar de Recion. How could a mere maid rx against her, one of the strongest people in the world? Seeing the maid still trembling, Eleazar gave an order. ¡°Can you go and call Hudel for me? Just tell him that I¡¯m looking for him.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Eleazar.¡± Chapter 50 Chapter 50 ¨C 13. The King¡¯s Order A month has passed since he encountered the unidentified being, Tesranak. In the meantime, Karnak made two more attempts to enter the void. The process of creating and opening the eyes of darkness was repeated. It took 15 days to make one, so twice was the limit. But nothing came of it. At least in the first encounter, he could go to a close distance. But the second time, he couldn¡¯t even get it near, and the third time, he couldn¡¯t locate it. It meant that someone was guarding and blocking his ess. ¡°So I decided not to do any more exploration.¡± After calling Barros and Serati, Karnak exined the situation. ¡°If I did more, my location would be identified. It¡¯s too dangerous.¡± It would be foolish to keep handing over this information when he didn¡¯t know the other person¡¯s identity. It was necessary to restrain himself in the proper line. Barros asked, ¡°Then you didn¡¯t find out anything, young master?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not very rare.¡± Didn¡¯t he find out that there was something with a will and that it was influencing the ancient powers of Karnak? ¡°We need to figure out what it is. That way, we can solve the problem of the Darkness of the End or not.¡± ¡°It¡¯s certain that it¡¯s rted to the Church of the ck God.¡± ¡°I guess so. Because it mentioned Tesranak.¡± The question was, what was the position of the Church of the ck God in this situation? ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you before, Barros?¡± This situation could be likened to a situation in which Karnak scattered a pile of gold coins, and then a dog or cow picked them up. ¡°But it turned out that there was a separate tree that grew gold coins. An incredibly tall and huge gold coin tree that ordinary people can¡¯t even see.¡± ¡°So what?¡± ¡°What if someone could see the tree? So what if that person was beating the tree hard with a pole, knocking the gold coins off? In the meantime, what if someone else approached the tree, brandished a pole, and made a fuss to get it off?¡± The question was whether the Church of the ck God were gold pickers or pole wielders. It was not a big deal if they were picking up gold coins that fell without thinking. But what about those guys who were wielding poles? ¡°The matter gets serious.¡± Serati blinked. ¡°¡­¡­is that such a serious matter?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to make sensepared to a pole, Serati. That means the power reaches the other side of space and time.¡± ¡°What Master Karnak did was also send the authority to the other side of time and space, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯spletely different.¡± Karnak¡¯s tactic was only using the dark eye to peer into the void. He couldn¡¯t really influence anything. ¡°There is a difference between looking at 10 kilometers away from a distance and directly moving an object 10 kilometers away from a distance.¡± Expanding the domain of authority to the other side of time and space? Even Karnak, who became Astra Schnapp, could barely do this after decades of failure because that is the technique of space-time regression. ¡°This is why I said it could never happen.¡± To reach out to Karnak¡¯s old authority that existed beyond time and space, he must have absolute power that transcended even Karnak in his days as the Death King. ¡°If you really have that much power, you don¡¯t have to keep dropping gold coins, right? You can just pull the tree down.¡± ¡°Maybe he¡¯s leaving it on purpose because he wants to keep eating gold coins, right?¡± ¡°I said trees metaphorically because it really doesn¡¯t mean that the darkness of the end continues to open?¡± No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t understand the current situation. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense to send influence beyond the void in this world. You don¡¯t have to do such a thing if you have that much power. But if you do this, it¡¯s said there is a separate person called Tesranak in the void, so where on earth did such a guye out of nowhere?¡± Serati, who was watching Karnak muttering, cautiously opened her mouth. ¡°Hey, how about something like this?¡± She knew about a legend and liked heroic stories. She knew little about magic, so she could imagine things that a wizard would never have thought of. ¡°What if Master Karnak¡¯s authority became a being with a kind of ego in itself?¡± Barros snorted. ¡°Does that make sense? Then Miss Serati¡¯s aura will also wander around as a ghost separately? If you talk to her, she¡¯ll answer.¡± Karnak, on the other hand, did notugh. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s ridiculous, but the situation itself is so absurd that I can¡¯t ignore it.¡± Infamous Scans Trantor: Anom Proofreader: Orange Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/D28kQrftFe Aside from themon sense of magic, it was a usible hypothesis when looking at the phenomenon alone. No one wielded a pole, but the tree itself shed the darkness of the end itself and swung its own branches. If it was blocking the approaching guys, he would hit in the front and back. Barros frowned, ¡°Doesn¡¯t that sound like overthinking?¡± So that aura tree named itself Tesranak? Was it his own will to serve as the god of death while sharing his power with the Church of the ck God? From what was merely energy, the self was born spontaneously, and something was born from nothing? ¡°If this is the case, it can be said that the boy made a god? Ayy, no matter how great the young master is, at this point, he is just a food fruit¡­¡­¡± Karnak protested, blushing. ¡°Who made God? That¡¯s because there¡¯s nothing you can do but specte.¡± Yeah, in the end, this was the problem. That he didn¡¯t know anything. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do right now. Until we learn more about that Thesranak.¡± And in this world, there was only one way to find out about Tesranak. ¡°As expected, I should investigate the Church of the ck God¡­¡­.¡± Only they had spoken of that name throughout past lives and in this world. Karnak frowned. ¡°¡­What should I do now to investigate them?¡± ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? The era of chaos. Necromancers were rampant all over the continent, so the 7 Goddesses revived the Inquisitor system and reformed the system to confront it. These specially trained inquisitors hunted and judged necromancers with several allies, so these allies came to be called the Shadow Hunters. However, there were situations in which this alone could not be dealt with. It was the cult that wielded power throughout the continent, the Church of the ck God. In the beginning, the secr kingdoms didn¡¯t particrly care about the Church of the ck God. When the world was in chaos, it was inevitable that cultists of all kinds would boil over. They, too, thought it was just a kind ofmon urrence. However, the Church of the ck God was different from the cults Karnak had seen so far. This cult serving the god of death, Tesranak, was expanding its power at an astounding rate. Its speed was so terrifying that it spread all over the continent before anyone knew it, so it gradually became a threat that not only the Seven Goddess Church, but even the worldly powers could not ignore. The Church of the ck God belonged to high-ranking nobles, even royalty and great lords. He didn¡¯t know why the people with the position that he didn¡¯t want to regret fell into such a cult, but the important thing was that they were high-ranking people in each country. The authority to simply hunt individual necromancers could be granted to the Church of the Seven Goddesses. This was the realm of ¡®inquisitors¡¯. However, when high-ranking officials with power were entangled in it, it became the realm of ¡®politics¡¯ or ¡®rebellion¡¯. For the Seven Goddess Church to manage this, their authority must increase ordingly. High-ranking aristocrats, even royalty, could be dealt with effectively only when they can be punished at will, which was a serious situation in which secr authority was being infringed upon. So, the Seven Kingdoms Alliance established a separate agency. Non-clerics were given the authority of inspector directly, which made them the face of the organization. The King¡¯s Order was a special agency directly under the royal family that only hunted the Church of the ck God. ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? Karnak asked while biting his lip. ¡°If you want to investigate Tesranak, you¡¯ll have to hold a high-ranking member of the cult, right?¡± Giggling, Barros answered, ¡°There¡¯s no way ordinary believers would know important information.¡± Karnak continued while savoring the savory vor of sesame seeds that spread throughout his mouth. ¡°It must be very difficult for us to hold on to high-ranking positions.¡± Licking the sweet sugar cream with his tongue, Barros nodded. ¡°They¡¯re hiding without even knowing mice or birds, so it¡¯s unreasonable to expect them to get caught by chance while hunting the local necromancer like now. If you do well, you¡¯ll catch a pawn.¡± With a serious face, Karnak swallowed the contents of his mouth. ¡°Are you sure you want to join the King¡¯s Order?¡± Barros also replied earnestly, wiping the sugar stains on his lips. ¡°Is that right?¡± ¡°I know you two are having a very important conversation¡­¡­.¡± Serati, who was watching from the side, asked as if she couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°How do you get sweets in your mouth in such a serious situation?¡± The two men protested vehemently. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a must!¡± ¡°Sure! I even turned back time to eat this!¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s delicious to eat every time.¡± ¡°I mean.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± No matter how much the fate of the world was shaken and the end approaches, he could not give up an important routine. It was afternoon snack time. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Serati was just silent. Watching two grown men purr in front of a bowl of cookies like girls, she didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°You seem to have a surprisingly pitiful side?¡± Karnak rather looked like she didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Serati, don¡¯t you eat sweets?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like sweets.¡± In an instant, the two were in deep shock. ¡°Omg!¡± ¡°Oh my god!¡± ¡°How can you not like sweets?¡± ¡°I gave up half of my happiness in life.¡± With a sigh, Serati put away the tray of cookies. ¡°If you¡¯ve eaten roughly, let¡¯s discuss it.¡± In the meantime, seeing that each of them took a handful of leftover snacks, it seemed that they had no intention of leaving any leftovers. Karnak made a serious expression while holding the snack in his hand. ¡°Now then, let¡¯s think about how to enter the King¡¯s Order.¡± After the establishment of the King¡¯s Order, the Kingdom of Yusteel was also hunting the Church of the ck God, also known as the Dark Church. Karnak knew this much from rumors. Likewise, Barros, who ced colorful candies on his palm the size of a pot lid, made a worried expression. ¡°From what I hear, even if the walls are high, they aren¡¯t usually high.¡± As it was not a simple necromancer hunt, the authority given to the King¡¯s Order was enormous. Even if the opponent was a noble or royal family, they could be immediately arrested and interrogated and even had the right to immediate execution if the evidence was clear. It was impossible to deal with the Dark Church that secretly moved without giving this much authority. Of course, if abused, it would cause great confusion, so the King¡¯s Order¡¯s selection conditions were extremely demanding and strict. Loyalty to the royal family, devout faith in the 7 Goddesses, and excellent military and fighting power, as well as abundant experience in dealing with necromancy, were required. ¡°We also had a reputation as dark hunters in Derat City, but will this be the condition to join?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if the conditions are right or not.¡± Before that, there was no immediate way to cross the threshold of the King¡¯s Order. Because simply having high skills wasn¡¯t everything, the King¡¯s Order was strictly made up of rmendations. Of course, Karnak also had a connection to the Seven Goddesses called Alius, but¡­¡­. ¡°The King¡¯s Order is an institution directly under the royal family.¡± There was no way that Karnak, who was only a local aristocrat, had connections with the royal family. ¡°I¡¯d rather just select people based on their skills, but somehow¡­¡­¡± ¡°I know, right. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s some sort of open trial¡­¡­¡± ¡°Did you live too much in the provinces, this?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. Did you know this would happen, where?¡± ¡°What should I do? Go blindly to the capital and visit the King¡¯s Order Headquarters right away?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you being too reckless?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no other way, now.¡± With serious faces, Karnak and Barros were troubled. Of course, in the meantime, they were eating the sweets and candies they held in their hand. Serati, who had been quietly listening, opened her mouth. ¡°So, Master Karnak, your goal is to be a part of the King¡¯s Order now?¡± ¡°Why? Do you have any acquaintances?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not to the extent that there is, but if you want, you can apply to join immediately.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a way?¡± Chapter 51 Chapter 51 The two of them already knew Serati¡¯s connections. ¡°You know Alius is here.¡± Of course, there was a reason why the two excluded Alius from the beginning. ¡°The King¡¯s Order is directly under the royal family?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it a separate organization from the Goddess Church?¡± She corrected the misunderstanding between the two. ¡°It¡¯s indeed a separate, independent organization, but that doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯spletely unrted.¡± No matter how much each royal family tried to hunt cultists independently, they could not rule out the Seven Goddesses. To deal with the necromancer, the existence of a powerful cleric was essential. For this reason, each royal family wanted to keep the high-ranking priests of the Seven Goddesses under the direct control of the royal family. Naturally, the Goddess was at a loss as well. The power of heresy must be exercised in the name of the Great Goddess. Only those who held office were qualified to perform their duties. However, giving the authority of the Inquisitor to the general public and even attaching a priest under it? Doctrinal problems arose in many ways. In fact, it was said that there were many objections from fundamentalists. But they couldn¡¯t ignore the reality. Currently, the Seven Goddess Church was in a daunting situation with only the necromancy incidents rampant across the continent. It was clear that it would be a great power if the authority of the world took care of the Church of the ck God. ¡°In fact, there are quite a few cases where the Seven Goddesses suffered hardships in cases involving the Dark Church.¡± When it became entangled with political issues, the Seven Goddess Church, one step away from the world, had no choice but to waste unnecessary time. In other words, the fact that the royal family of each country was leading the situation itself was something that the Goddess Church would agree to. So, it found apromise. The King¡¯s Order was under the direct control of the royal family, but its members were determined through rmendation by the Church of the Seven Goddesses. If the royal family directly appointed them, it was a condition that they should receive the gratitude of the Church of the Seven Goddesses. In this way, the abuse of the power of the Inquisitor by the rulers of the world could be prevented, and the doctrinal faults were covered to some extent. The royal families of each country also epted this condition. Since it was in a position where it had to be supported by a priest from the Goddess Church anyway, it couldn¡¯t be stubborn. ¡°¡­¡­.For this reason, it is said that Mr. Alius also has the right to rmend. Because he is a first-ss interrogator.¡± While listening to the exnation, Karnak was suddenly puzzled. ¡°How does Serati know about this story?¡± This was not information that could be grasped as rumors. Wasn¡¯t it a secret that only those who were pretty deeply involved know about? ¡°That¡¯s because I heard it from Mr. Alius himself.¡± Serati chuckled. ¡°In the first ce, Riltain and I were going to be rmended to join the King¡¯s Order.¡± It was said that the Trist City case handled by Karnak and the others was a kind of test. Serati was an Aura user, and Riltain was a 6th Circle mage, so both had enough skills. In the meantime, hunting many necromancers and practical experience was also proven. ¡°So they said that if we solve the issue of Bishop Straf, then the qualifications of the King¡¯s Order will be proven.¡± In fact, the Trist City mission was more than just hunting cultists. Originally, it was a matter of the King¡¯s Order, since the person in power who controlled a city was the opponent. ¡°Since it¡¯s a scandal of the Hatoba Church, we tried to solve it internally somehow. Then they rmended us to the King¡¯s Order and sent us useful talent, and as a bonus, they nned to make excuses for the excesses. Since we can advance to the capital and do bigger things, we had no reason to object.¡± Karnak nodded, ¡°I see. If only I was told in advance¡­¡­¡± Barros asked strangely, ¡°Why didn¡¯t we hear about that beforehand?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it, it¡¯s a bit funny to tell you now¡­¡­¡± Serati continued. ¡°You two look weak, right?¡± ¡°We look weak?¡± ¡°We?¡± ¡°So on paper.¡± Serati, of course, knew how monstrous Karnak and Barros were. Even Alius and Riltain, who didn¡¯t know about their secrets, were convinced that they weren¡¯t ordinary people because they saw them fighting. But what if she had to exin this to someone else? Karnak was only a magician of the 4th circle, and Barros was just an ordinary knight who had yet to awaken his fighting spirit. He was obviously excellent in practice, but on paper, he was pretty mediocre. ¡°That¡¯s why I deliberately called the two of you to the Trist City case. Even if your skills are mediocre, to prove that you¡¯re an expert against necromancers.¡± ¡°So, I was thinking, you were trying to seduce us once we¡¯ve solved that case. Is this it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡± ¡°Alius didn¡¯t even give me a chance to talk.¡± Before he could say anything, Karnak dered that he would return to the territory first. ¡°It was, indeed.¡± Barros murmured as if he finally understood. ¡°For some reason, he was particrly regretful.¡± She thought it was a little strange because the expression of disappointment was too much to lose a useful ally. ¡°Wait, then, can we just go and find Mr. Alius on the road?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Serati answered confidently. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll write a letter of rmendation right away.¡± ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? Once the goal had been set, there was no reason to dy. Karnak, Barros, and Serati started preparing for the trip. However, they could not leave for Derat City. ¡°Oh, no!¡± It was because of the fierce opposition of old butler Tafel. ¡°If the lord is not there, who will rule our territory?¡± It was an unexpected situation for Karnak. ¡°No, why did youe here again¡­¡­¡± Hadn¡¯t he been away for months or even half a year before? Originally, among local nobles, it was verymon to entrust the estate to an agent and jump into politics from the center. It was safe to say that there were very few cases where the lord himself directly managed the manor throughout the year unless he was a country boy on the border. It was amon case to work and manage a few months in the center and a few months in the manor. In other words, there was no problem with Karnak either. Until now. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a life-and-death situation before!¡± Infamous Scans Trantor: Anom Proofreader: Orange Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/D28kQrftFe He couldn¡¯t help them when he was away because of the threat from the Viscount Deventor. Because at that time he had no other choice. After that, when they headed to Derat City, there was no reason to oppose. They were just going to study magic in the capital. Soter, when they heard that Karnak was trying to catch the necromancer, they were happy and worried. But now it was going to be the King¡¯s Order? Didn¡¯t that mean they were going to fight the terrifying Dark Church? ¡°Isn¡¯t it dangerous that you don¡¯t know when your life will be lost?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not going to die.¡± ¡°All the young people in the world say that! How can death avoid people?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s not wrong, but¡­¡­.¡± Looking at the old butler, Karnak asked nervously. ¡°What are you talking about? Should I just stay stuck in the manor like this?¡± ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t mean that.¡± Tafel, a loyal old butler who only cares about Baron Zestrad, sternly dered. ¡°You have to get married and have an heir! Enjoying lifees next! That¡¯s the duty of those who inherit the family!¡± ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? It had been three days since they decided to be the King¡¯s Order. Karnak was still tied to the brightnd. ¡°An heir¡­¡­¡± Looking out the study window, he muttered nkly. ¡°Where are you going to find a wife right now?¡± Barros, who was lying on the sofa, shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s a problem even if you get it. Even if you get married right away, it will take ten months for you to have a baby.¡± The current issue was not a situation where there was enough room to drag it out that far. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m getting caught in a ce I didn¡¯t even think of.¡± Karnak sighed. ¡°Should I choose a healthy girl among the young people and ask her to give birth to a baby? In any case, all I need is an heir.¡± ¡°Is it okay to have amoner wife?¡± ¡°I¡¯m also half ofmoner blood, too. But when I think of my mother who passed away, I don¡¯t think I should do it¡­¡­¡± ¡°But we can¡¯t continue wasting our time like this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. As expected, anyone can choose a suitable girl¡­¡­¡± ¡°They say that Mary at the watermill is really good.¡± ¡°Is she pretty?¡± Judging from the fact that even in the middle of this, people were asking if she was pretty, it seemed that Karnak was also a man who couldn¡¯t help it. Barros shrugged. ¡°You don¡¯t know? I didn¡¯t even see her face.¡± ¡°Is there any maid among them? She might fall for it if you say she can be the lord¡¯s wife.¡± ¡°Does she have any children?¡± ¡°No. I wasn¡¯t interested at all? I don¡¯t even remember her face.¡± Meanwhile, Serati stood on one side of the study and watched the conversation between the two with a pitiful look on her face. It had been three days since he had been picking up such nutritious nonsense. Suddenly, she murmured, ¡°It¡¯s a bit strange.¡± Karnak turned his head. ¡°Huh? What?¡± After hesitating for a while, Serati continued to speak quietly. ¡°¡­¡­Master Karnak didn¡¯t mention me.¡± In fact, she is the most suitable opponent in the current situation. Since she became a member of Karnak¡¯s family, she was in a position to faithfully obey anymand. If he was asked to dedicate her body, she had no choice but to obey whether she liked it or not. Wasn¡¯t it a beauty that didn¡¯t get lost no matter where she put it? However, even in the middle of picking up all the girls of the territory, he never mentioned Serati. Could it be that he value her? Well, she didn¡¯t think that person was that conscientious. So, was it because she was amoner? He couldn¡¯t be. The young girls of thend were alsomoners. ¡®Or am I not that attractive?¡¯ Of course, she never said that she wanted to marry Karnak, but it was a delicate feeling to be ignored like this. Looking at Serati, Karnak widened his eyes. ¡°Oh, you?¡± Then, he threw a bomb deration. ¡°Serati is a member of my family. You can¡¯t have children in that state?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes?¡± ¡°Your soul is tied to me. That¡¯s why no matter how much you sleep with a man, you will never have children. Part of the souls of a man and a woman must mix together to create a foundation for a new soul to settle down in, but that doesn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°For a moment! Did you make me sterile?¡± Frightened, Serati burst into a shout. ¡°You never said anything like that!¡± Both Karnak and Barros had nk expressions. She had a face that did not imagine that such a radical reaction would return. ¡°Is that such a serious matter?¡± ¡°Yes. I thought it was a good thing because you were on constant birth control¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hey, you crazy bastards!¡± Serati stumbled for a moment. She heard a sound so shocking that her legs were loosening. ¡®As expected, these people can¡¯t be careless¡­¡­.¡¯ Trying to get her mind back, she asked again and again. ¡°Now, what else will interfere with your daily life when you be a member of this goddamn household? Be honest.¡± Looking at each other, Karnak and Barros eagerly picked up and served. ¡°Uh, that¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No more?¡± ¡°Yeah! This must be all.¡± Serati, of course, didn¡¯t believe it. Now she knew too. ¡®These guys don¡¯t even know what everyday life is in the first ce! So there¡¯s no way I can tell if there¡¯s a problem or not!¡¯ It was said that they were not even aware of the problem until it stroke. Anyway, at this point, the thought of wanting to see him disappeared. Serati bluntly opened her mouth. ¡°Stop worrying about unnecessary things, now.¡± ¡°Is it a useless worry? They say they won¡¯t let you go because of the sessor issue.¡± ¡°Leave a letter or something and just sneak away at night. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t die. I¡¯ll gain fame and raise the family¡¯s honor. I wille Massively like this.¡± Karnak¡¯s eyes twinkled at the unexpectedly simple solution. ¡°It¡¯s okay? Isn¡¯t that a bad thing?¡± Of course, it was bad. If he was a sensible person, if he were a lord who was responsible for his family, he should never do that. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about that too, but I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s a bad thing to do or not. Isn¡¯t it like being cursedter?¡± ¡°Are you thinking about that after you did this to me?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you criticize me. You¡¯re my family anyway.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Seratiughed hard as she gritted her teeth. ¡°Yes, no problem. You¡¯re just an idiot ying honor with your youthful spirit? If Karnak returns alive, it will pass without incident, and after death, it doesn¡¯t matter whether you are cursed or not, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Karnak¡¯s eyes shone as if he had attained enlightenment. ¡°Pack your bags, Barros! Let¡¯s wake up tonight!¡± ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? The next morning. Old butler Tafel was screaming while holding a letter. ¡°Master!¡± The content of the letter was really simple. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t die. I will gain fame and raise the honor of the family.¡± It could be said that this was the result of overly epting Serati¡¯s opinion. ¡®What the hell is this about? I thought you¡¯d changed recently, but you¡¯re just as old as before?¡¯ There was only one thing that had changed since then. ¡®It¡¯s also her fault!¡¯ Remembering the red-haired beauty, the old butler gnashed his teeth. ¡®That woman is bringing bad color to our good lord!¡¯ Chapter 52 Chapter 52 13. The King¡¯s Order (3) ¡® After escaping at night, Karnak and his party headed back to Derat City. Alius reunited with them and was overjoyed. ¡°It is truly Hatoba¡¯s guidance!¡± He was so happy that Karnak felt embarrassed. ¡°¡­¡­If you rmend us, what benefit will you get?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m in a position where I can¡¯t help but care about performance.¡± Of course, they have umted enough results so far. Wasn¡¯t that why he became a first-ss interrogator at such a young age? But human greed had no end. ¡°If three of my referees join the King¡¯s Order, my rating will be even higher. I don¡¯t know if I can get over it.¡± Serati said as if it was new. ¡°I¡¯m surprised.¡± She didn¡¯t know that Alius, who only thought he was a good man, would have such a desire to seed. However, he was also a good person. ¡°If you be a special interrogator, you will have greater authority, and then you can save more subjects. How could I not be greedy?¡± Alius was greatly disappointed. Having just attained the first rank, he had never rmended a shadow hunter to the King¡¯s Order. Since this was the first time, he was more careful in picking and choosing people. That¡¯s Karnak¡¯s party, Serati, and Riltain, who participated in Operation Trist City. However, three were lost because Serati became a knight of Karnak. Moreover, even the remaining Riltain gave up joining. The reason was that he lost confidence while dealing with Straf. Well, it was only natural that he couldn¡¯t use his hands or feet and was miserable. So, did he even quit being a shadow hunter and go back to practicing magic? ¡°You have no idea how happy I am that the three of you are back. This increases the chances of saving subjects from the cultists.¡± Barros and Karnak secretly exchanged magic messages. [As expected, Mr. Alius is a good person.] [I think Jae is better than him?] Their eyes turned to Serati. She put on a nk expression. [Why are you looking at me?] Now that she had be a member of Karnak¡¯s family, Serati had also been included in the secret magic message system. While the three of them secretly chatted, Alius wrote a letter of rmendation with one stroke. ¡°Of course, this is just a letter of rmendation and does not guarantee to join the team¡­¡± Handing over the documents, he put on a confident expression. ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone can do it. May Hatoba bless you!¡± ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? North Territory, Baron Zestrad. It took three days from there to Derat City, thergest city in the North. Also, it took an additional ten days to travel from Derat City to the capital of Yusteel Kingdom. It was by no means a short distance, and travel in that era was truly dangerous, so even Karnak and his friends couldn¡¯t rx! ¡­¡­He thought. ¡°Did youe without anything?¡± Looking at the gigantic city across the in, Drunta, the capital of the Yusteel Kingdom, Barros smiled. Karnak replied nonchntly, ¡°At most, there is no way that a big incident could happen in a small country like Yusteel?¡± Serati, who was listening next to her, asked in a bewildered tone. ¡°¡­¡­Nothing happened?¡± On the way, they also met a group of bandits, and the necromancer found, two of them were captured and handed them over to a nearby church. Encounters with pickpockets and robbers were somon that he didn¡¯t even count them. It was Serati who had been biting her tongue the entire time, saying that the world was going crazy in an era of turmoil. ¡°What do you mean that nothing happened at all?¡± ¡°Huh? That¡¯s about it. Isn¡¯t it normal when you¡¯re just traveling?¡± ¡°What kind of lives did you two live in your previous lives?¡± Karnak and Barros searched for memories. ¡°Come to think of it, we usually do the theft, right?¡± ¡°We were the necromancers.¡± ¡°We also did robbery and pickpocketing, but we¡¯ve never been victimized.¡± He didn¡¯t think much of it because it was a sight he¡¯d always seen while traveling, but originally, the guy who unfolded that scene was Karnak himself. It was said that the world was peaceful enough except for these two human beings. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s true that the world is really chaotic right now.¡± ¡°So, let¡¯s get this out of the way.¡± As he moved his steps again, Karnak gazed at the panoramic view of the massive city of Drunta, the royal capital. ¡°Can we go to the King¡¯s Order headquarters now?¡± ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? Drunta, the capital of the Yusteel Kingdom, was thergest city in the kingdom, built along the Zaltan River. The royal castle stood tall in the center, and towers and churches lined the streets. Most of the buildings were two or three stories. Numerous citizens came and went in that magnificent city. As it was the capital of a country, the poption was no joke either. Passing through the countless crowds, Serati looked around. Derat City was also a well-known city in the north, but it looked like a vigepared to the capital. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s amazing, as expected, of a ce where a king lives.¡± Infamous Scans Trantor: Anom Proofreader: Orange Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/D28kQrftFe On the other hand, Karnak and Barros were reluctant. ¡°It¡¯s still a small town.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still a small city. Well, it¡¯s nice that it¡¯s small.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What town are youparing to?¡± ¡°Thea Krahan.¡± ¡°Rontoras.¡± Thea Krahan is an archipgo in Laceania, and Rontoras is the capital of Felmeier, the most powerful country in the Seven Kingdoms Alliance. Both of them were far stronger in national power than the Kingdom of Yusteel, so of course, the size of the capital must be muchrger. ¡°Well, even those two cities were smallpared to Necropolis.¡± Seratiughed at Karnak¡¯s arrogant attitude. ¡°Just hearing the name Necropolis, you¡¯ll know what it¡¯s doing.¡± He didn¡¯t usually give a city such a gloomy name. It must be the capital of the undead empire that Karnak founded in Bona Mana¡¯s previous life. Karnak scratched his head. ¡°Is the name too explicit? But when I tried to name it, nothing came to mind.¡± ¡°Thanks to that, the whole city was full of necro in my previous life. Necropia, Necropolis, Necro Wall, Necro Cross road mark. There was nothing that wasn¡¯t attached to the fretboard with a necro. Maybe?¡± ¡°Hey, Barros, you agreed that it was a suitable name back then!¡± ¡°You knew it only after naming it. Finding the way is difficult because it all starts with necro.¡± Not all undead were unconscious puppets like zombies or skeletons. Many undead have egos, such as Death Knights, Vampires, and Liches. ¡°Thanks to that, there have been many appeals to change the name.¡± Serati was surprised by Barros¡¯ words and asked. ¡°Do you have anyints even if you be undead? I thought you just obeyed thoroughly.¡± Karnak replied instead. ¡°The original version is a human being. Living or dead, a human being is a human being. If you have an ego, that¡¯s natural.¡± ¡°I thought that if I became undead, I would be unconditionally loyal to the caster.¡± ¡°Loyalty and dissatisfaction are two separate domains. Come to think of it, it seems that the more loyal you are, the more dissatisfaction you have.¡± ¡°Why do you look at me while talking, young master?¡± As they chatted and continued walking, they gradually saw their destination. The King¡¯s Order headquarters was located on a street north of the capital, Drunta. Upon entering, Barros inspected the building out of habit. ¡°It¡¯s an ordinary government building.¡± Well, it¡¯s right in the middle of the capital, so it probably didn¡¯t have to be decorated like a fortress. Of course, boundaries were never loose. The guards at the entrance were excellent warriors, and Karnak and his party could only enter the room after confirming the authenticity of the letter of rmendation. In preparation for the possibility that it might have been counterfeit, it hadpleted a two or three-fold review with magic. ¡°We have confirmed that it is a letter of rmendation from the Hatoba Church. We will deliver it to the superiors soon.¡± Looking at the guide walking away with a letter of rmendation, Karnak smiled happily. ¡°You are sensitive to the authenticity of the letters of rmendation. There seem to be a lot of guys trying to fake it.¡± Serati was puzzled. ¡°Why should you be happy that there are so many counterfeiters?¡± ¡°Because it means you¡¯re doing the right thing.¡± If the King¡¯s Order was a shoddy ce, the cult needn¡¯t be bothered by them either. ¡°I was worried that the King¡¯s Order might be like that because I¡¯ve seen so many cases where the special agency or something has rotted inside after putting on a coat of arms.¡± Barros shook his hand. ¡°Ah, the King¡¯s Order was created only about a year ago, so it must have already been corrupt?¡± ¡°Whether it was a person or an object, it took a certain amount of time to rot. In the meantime, the guide who had carried the letter of rmendation returned to the group. ¡°Wait a moment. The Lord of the Order will greet you three soon.¡± ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? Karnak and the others waited for a while on the first floor of the headquarters. In the meantime, people in various costumes wereing and going from time to time. Some wore civilian clothes or uniforms, and asionally dressed as wizards or priests, but they all had one thing inmon. Barros stuck out his tongue. ¡°Everyone is not easy.¡± When ites to Barros, he could roughly tell how good it was just by looking at the opponent. All of them were strong yers who would not be defeated no matter where they were presented. ¡°Randolph, if you came here, you would have been beaten?¡± Even the strongest knight in Deventor would not dare to show his business card here. So did the wizard. Karnak said nervously. ¡°Most of them are in the 5th circle or higher. You can see the 6th circle from time to time.¡± Although he possessed great necromancy wisdom, he was still only in the 4th circle with chaos magic alone. Of course, he was still growing his magic, so he would be able to enter the 5th circle sooner orter¡­¡­. ¡°The level is unexpectedly high? Don¡¯t you know that we are falling behind?¡± Serati was also surprised. ¡°I saw 2 Aura users. It seems that they were at the same level as me in the red ss.¡± She had never seen another Aura user besides herself. In Derat City as well as throughout the entire area, Serati was the only spective Awakener. ¡°To think that rare Aura users aremon, the capital city is different as expected.¡± Karnak scoffed at her admiration. ¡°Ah, Aura users are indeed rare, but it¡¯s not quite right to say it¡¯s rare. Especially if it¡¯s at the red level.¡± ¡°Are you using your own standards again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more a matter of perspective.¡± Aura users were obviously rare. Even in the Kingdom of Yusteel, with a poption of over 800,000, there were less than 100 people. But in fact, the poption of 800,000 was not a veryrge country on the continent. Even in a small country like the Kingdom of Yusteel, it was ambiguous again if she asked whether beings with close to 100 people were really rare. ¡°You mean that the perspective changes depending on the water you y with?¡± ¡°There is also the fact that this is the capital of a country.¡± All human beings wanted to seek money and honor as their abilities grew and to y an active role in a bigger world. ¡°Serati, you were originally nning to head to the capital.¡± Even though they were still a small number of Aura users or high-ranking wizards, they were all flocked to the capital that made money. ¡°That¡¯s why seeing Aura users in the provinces is even harder. The 7 Goddess Church directly manages high-ranking priests, so they¡¯re evenly distributed in the provinces.¡± It was said that in the capital, you could not expect to be treated as an aura user. Of course, they would admit it, but they wouldn¡¯t support it as wildly as they did in the provinces. Well, from Serati¡¯s point of view, it didn¡¯t matter. ¡°Anyway, I haven¡¯t been treated well since I got involved with Master Karnak, huh!¡± Looking at her, Karnak and Barros tilted their heads. ¡°Did we miss anything?¡± ¡°I see. I fully acknowledge Miss Serati¡¯s skills.¡± ¡°The biggest problem is that they don¡¯t know.¡± In any case, the more he looked around, the more he felt a fresh sensation that he never experienced in his previous life. It was intimidating. ¡°Wow, we¡¯re not really going to fall like this, are we?¡± ¡°Did you think you woulde after you¡¯ve built up some more results, this one?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever been so nervous about someone else¡¯s evaluation. It¡¯s a strange feeling.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Seeing the two grown men intecing their fingers, Serati clicked her tongue. ¡°If you¡¯ve just bought it, can this be the first time you¡¯ve cared about other people¡¯s opinions?¡± It was when they were wasting their time so hard. ¡°You¡¯ve waited a long time.¡± Finally, the guide called Karnak and his party. ¡°Lord Erantel is looking for you.¡± [To be continued.] Chapter 53 Chapter 53 ¨C The King¡¯s Order (4) The ce where the party was guided to was an office on the third floor of the King¡¯s Order Headquarters. A dignified man in his 40s greeted them. ¡°Wee. I¡¯m Erantel, the leader of the King¡¯s Order.¡± Erantel von Naiad. He was a famous knight who had risen to the level of Purple Knight, one of only two purple-level Aura users in the Yusteel Kingdom, along with Lord Alrond, the leader of the Royal Knights. Originally the vice-captain of the Royal Knights of Yusteel, he had a fair and upright personality and was well-received by the public and trusted by King Wescott I. The fact that he was appointed as the leader of the King¡¯s Order meant that the royal family also took this issue seriously. The group also introduced themselves. ¡°This is Zestrad¡¯s Karnak.¡± ¡°This is Serati, who serves Baron Karnak.¡± ¡°I am Barros, who serves Baron Karnak.¡± Erantel nodded as he pointed to the letter of rmendation in his hand. ¡°All three of them are qualified. Their status is clear, and above all, they are rmended by Inquisitor Alius, so they are trustworthy.¡± Karnak and Barros secretly exchanged nces. ¡®Is Alius quite famous?¡¯ ¡®I know, right? They know the name even in the capital?¡¯ It was just that they couldn¡¯t realize it, but Alius was quite a celebrity. His divine power was powerful enough to rise to the first rank at only 20, and his performance as an interrogator was also exceptional. In Derat City, the number of necromancers that the Church of Hatoba had dealt with exceeded 50. It was a record that could be counted among all the denominations in the youthful kingdom. ¡°If Inquisitor Alius had carefully chosen them, they would be worthy of bing members of the glorious King¡¯s Order and¡­¡­¡± Suddenly, Erantel put on a stern expression. ¡°You know you can¡¯t be the King¡¯s Order with that alone, right?¡± As if he knew that, Karnak replied. ¡°I heard the rough story.¡± Just because you joined didn¡¯t mean you could immediately be part of the King¡¯s Order officially. For now, they must go through a training period as new members. It was to deal with the cult under the senior order, get them familiar with the field, and do a final review to see if they were trustworthy. ¡°Until then, it can¡¯t be called the King¡¯s Order yet. It¡¯s just doing the King¡¯s Order¡¯s work under orders.¡± Simply put, this would not give them the right to be abused, such as the right of summary execution orprehensive interrogation, and he would only judge their ability to handle things. That was how it sounded. ¡°It¡¯s a process that not only you but all neers go through.¡± Karnak had noints either. Although he would have been anxious if they had been epted rather easily, it means that cultists could easily infiltrate them. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s a pretty strangebination, isn¡¯t it? The owner of a territory and his knights joined at once¡­¡± ¡°Is there any problem?¡± Erantel shook his hand at Karnak¡¯s question. ¡°Hmm? Ah, not really. It¡¯s not like there aren¡¯t examples.¡± There had been cases where the lord directly led a knight under hismand before joining. Viscount Rnd, themander of the 3rd Battalion, was the case. It would be an irresponsible act for the family owner to jump into such a risky job, but for rural nobles, it was a good opportunity to increase the family¡¯s prestige. Especially if the lord was a young man who was burning with sympathy. From the point of view of the family, it was impossible to just send a person of the level of a lord to death, so of course, a powerful knight was attached next to it. Of course, you couldn¡¯t appoint an unqualified knight to the King¡¯s Order just by looking at a knight under hismand, so most of them were eliminated, but thatbination was not particrly strange. It was the other side that Erantel really cared about. ¡°Was the Baron Zestrad a family enough to embrace Aura users?¡± Although he said it before her, Serati¡¯s skills were too much for an ordinary nobleman¡¯s knight. If she was talented enough to awaken her fighting spirit at that age, she was a talent that even the grand duke¡¯s family would pay attention to. ¡®I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the Goblin Hand¡¯s famous sword or if there¡¯s something else.¡¯ ording to Alius¡¯ letter of rmendation, Baron Karnak has excellent magical talentpared to his prowess, so his future development potential was limitless. Did Serati figure this out in advance with the unique sense of Aura users? Erantel soon gave up his curiosity. ¡®Hmm, I¡¯ll see if I see it.¡¯ After all, she had to go through a trial period. If she couldn¡¯t prove it, she didn¡¯t have to care anymore. Either die or return home, one of the two. ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll give you guys the first task.¡± ¡°Wee to the King¡¯s Order.¡± If Karnak was truly an undisclosed gem, he would have to prove his abilities in the meantime. Erantel slowly opened his mouth with his hands behind his back. Barros and Serati asked back in bewilderment. ¡°Yes? Right now?¡± ¡°Are we really doing it today?¡± The middle-aged man smiled as if he knew such a reaction woulde. ¡°That¡¯s what our job is like. Always busting, always busy. You guys have to get used to it.¡± Be prepared. From now on, the hardships are open. It was a smile full of meaning. ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? The King¡¯s Order consisted of seven battalions centered on the leader, Lord Erantel, and each battalion consisted of a small elite of about 8 to 10 people. Karnak¡¯s party was assigned to the 4th Battalion. And, they met the senior King¡¯s Order, who would be with them on their first mission. Tarman, the wizard of the 5th Circle, was the second son of Count Alban, a noble family with a long history. Kald was a swordsman who worked as a dark hunter and dedicated himself to the King¡¯s Order. Alice, the second-ss interrogator of Atima, the goddess of the sea, was one of them. Infamous Scans Trantor: Anom Proofreader: Orange Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/D28kQrftFe The next day, they left Drunta, the capital, early in the morning and headed for the southern part of the kingdom. Serati grumbled as she moved along the duct. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to leave immediately without seeing the king.¡± Even Karnak and Barros, who had been tired of seeing Drunta in their previous life, felt the same way. ¡°Sheesh, I made a list of restaurants.¡± ¡°I know, right? I was thinking of going around in turn, starting from the west.¡± Barros, who grumbled, asked those who took the lead. ¡°Is the King¡¯s Order always this busy? So much so that there¡¯s no break?¡± ¡°Could it be?¡± Tarman, themander of the 4th battalion of the King¡¯s Order, a man in his thirties with a plump body, let out a good-naturedugh. ¡°You guys had bad timing. You arrived the same day our mission fell.¡± ¡°I guess it was just unlucky.¡± ¡°You could say it¡¯s luck. Isn¡¯t there nothing good about a long probationary period?¡± Swordsman Kald added by the side, ¡°At best, the timing would have been just waiting for a few days. There is indeed a lot of work.¡± He was a young man with an impression like a sharp de. It was said that he used dual-handed sword fighting with a dagger and a long sword unusually, and it was also said that he was an unrivaled strongman in the Delim region. ¡°Well, it¡¯s an ordinary axis in the King¡¯s Order, but I haven¡¯t awakened my fighting spirit yet.¡± Muttering, Kald nced at Serati. As expected of a swordsman, he seemed concerned about the newly joined Aura user. Alice, a priest, on the other hand, seemed more interested in other parts of Serati. ¡°Miss Serati, your skin is very beautiful, isn¡¯t it? Not like an Aura user.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Does it have anything to do with skin?¡± ¡°There are two Aura users in our battalion, and both of them have scars all over their bodies. So, I thought all Aura users were like that.¡± Barros, who was listening next to him, was suddenly puzzled. ¡°Two Aura users areing to the 4th battalion?¡± By the way, the captain of the 4th Battalion is the magician Tarman in front of him. That means¡­¡­. ¡°Are you saying that we have two more members that are aura users?¡± Still, she knew she would be the captain if she became an Aura user. Tarman questioned, ¡°Why? I¡¯m still only in Circle 5. Is it strange that an Aura user is below me?¡± ¡°Oh, no. I am not saying that Lord Tarman is weak.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not wrong. I¡¯m not yetparable to an Aura user.¡± Usually, red-ranked, red knights were treated on the same level as wizards in the 6th circle. Of course,paringbat power was a bit ambiguous. In a small battle, the red Aura user would overwhelm the 6th circle mage, and in arge-scale battle, the 6th circle mage would be much more helpful in winning. In any case, it was true that Circles were definitely of a lower rank than Aura users. Even so, there was another reason why Tarman was the captain. ¡°First of all, the fact that I¡¯m from the Count family is great.¡± No matter how skill-oriented a minority of elites were, their status cannot bepletely ignored. ¡°Above all, in our mission, status is part of skill.¡± If it was just a necromancer; just kill him at the point of finding him, and that¡¯s it, However, cultists often used their secr status to wield power if they were nobles or royalty. Wasn¡¯t the King¡¯s Order created on purpose in the first ce because of those worldly powers? ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be easier for someone like me who is strong and well-bred to take down cultists who are strong and well-bred? Many people in the world value the prestige of their family more than their skills.¡± And the second reason, actually, was more important. ¡°Against the cultists, we need other parts rather than fighting power.¡± If he were an Aura user, he would exert tremendous power in battle. But were the cultists attacking them fairly and squarely? ¡°The King¡¯s Order main mission are gathering information, hunting out cultists, kidnapping key figures, and interrogating rather than fighting. Just having highbat skills doesn¡¯t make things work out.¡± Serati clicked her tongue, ¡°Howe it seems that it¡¯s only a dirty mission?¡± Tarman giggled. ¡°You got it right! It¡¯s our job to do nasty things to the cultists!¡± As such, against cultists, wizards with various techniques were more advantageous than Aura users, who were simply good at fighting. So most of the captains of the King¡¯s Order were wizards. The leader in charge of the entire King¡¯s Order also serves as a signboard, so the renowned knight Sir Erantel was a good candidate, but in actual missions, it was most efficient for a wizard to move with an Aura user as his aide. ¡°It¡¯s the opposite of a battlefield.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only on the battlefield that the captain has to take the lead and wave the shining sword diligently to raise the soldiers¡¯ morale, so Aura users are the best. But isn¡¯t our mission something someone wants to see?¡± Serati, who nodded, had another question. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, isn¡¯t a priest also qualified?¡± Regarding various techniques, the clergy were no less than the wizards. Above all, against necromancy, it was much more effective than wizards. ¡®Right now, Mr. Alius is good at interrogation, too.¡¯ The answer was given by Alice, ¡°The King¡¯s Order was created to keep the Seven Goddesses in check, but there¡¯s no way priests like us would be given the position of captain.¡± In the first ce, there wasn¡¯t even a high-ranking priest enough to be the captain. The priests of the seven goddesses assigned to the King¡¯s Order were all second-ss inquisitors. The Seven Goddess Church couldn¡¯t handle the special or 1st ss because it was too much for them to handle, and the 3rd ss was still too low to follow the King¡¯s Order¡¯s mission. ¡°I don¡¯t really have anyints. If you build up a lot of performance here, your chances of bing a first-ss interrogator will increase.¡± Karnak, who had been silently listening to the conversation, suddenly opened his mouth. ¡°Anyway, isn¡¯t it time for you to give more details?¡± ¡°Huh? Details?¡± ¡°About our mission.¡± A brief briefing about the mission we received. {There is a suspicion that Count Vrend, one of the local aristocrats in the southern part of the Kingdom of Yutseel,mitted himself to the Church of the ck God. He hid his identity, and disguised himself as an adventurer. Head to the county of Brent, find out clear evidence, and punish the Count in the name of the king!} But he hadn¡¯t heard any more details. ¡°I would like to hear information about what the Count is used of, whether the information is really certain, and what evidence we need to find out.¡± Karnak¡¯s request was certainly reasonable. Even so, Tarman couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly. ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it. You know everything we know.¡± ¡°No, then you¡¯re moving without knowing whether the other person is an actual cultist or not?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we moving now to find out?¡± To put it simply, heading to the bare ground was a mission. ¡°I can see why you¡¯re so busy.¡± Seeing Karnak shaking his head, Tarman grinned. It was the same smile on Captain Erantel¡¯s lips as seen at headquarters: ¡°Wee to the King¡¯s Order.¡± Chapter 54 Chapter 54 ¨C Territory of the ck God Death was an inevitable fate. Therefore, human beings lived an upright life ording to the teachings of the seven goddesses and humbled themselves before death. It was the truth. No matter how strong a person was, no matter how powerful a king was, everyone was equal in the face of death. That¡¯s why Count Vrend was able to ept it. He was determined, even after hearing the harsh story, that even if his precious son, whom he barely saw at ate age, would die slowly due to his innate constitution, there was no way to cure it, even with the sacred spells of the Seven Goddess Church, he would not be able to make it past the age of twenty. Because that was fate. Because it was a natural principle of the world that human beings had to endure. But it wasn¡¯t. Fate could have been avoided. The order of the world had not been decided. They (Dark Church) came silently and whispered secretly. To turn to the true God. That way, his son would be able to live. He wasn¡¯t lying. Certainly, ording to their words, the son could not have died. However, it was not something that could be lived. What they proposed was the magic of darkness, the necromancy. Naturally, Count Vrend was very angry. ¡°Are you saying you should abandon the natural world and tamper with evil forces?¡± However, they rather questioned it. ¡°Who said it was natural?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it the principle of the world that the goddess has decided?¡± ¡°Did the Goddess really teach you that? The priests of the Seven Goddess Church, who im to know the will of the Goddess ?¡± ¡°Ha! So you guys know the true will of God?¡± They gradually denied the teachings of the Seven Goddess Church. ¡°Anyone who ims to know everything about God must be arrogant indeed.¡± ¡°We are not talking about gods and goddesses.¡± ¡°It¡¯s about humans following gods and goddesses.¡± ¡°All we want to say is, just look at the world a little wider.¡± ¡°How well do you really know, Count, what the world calls necromancy?¡± Count Vrend was not seduced. ¡°Nonsense! Do you think I don¡¯t know what the words of those who fell into the necromancer?¡± Stories of those who used necromancy to raise the dead were widespread. After saving a precious person, he became a monster. It was just a rotting, moving corpse. Not to mention the body, even the mind was no longer the precious person he knew, and so on. Now ended beautifully together. Wasn¡¯t that why necromancy was called such an ugly method? They did not deny this either. ¡°You are right.¡± ¡°The necromancer¡¯s words weren¡¯t very good.¡± ¡°Until now.¡± And, he put the reason in his mouth. ¡°Because it wasn¡¯t true necromancy.¡± Real necromancy was never magic that dealt with the powers of death and darkness. Tesnarak, the god of darkness and death, was a holy power bestowed by that great Transcendental One. ¡°It just happened because they tried to wield the powers of death and darkness like arrogant wizards as tools.¡± The necromancers, iming to be the priests of Tesnarak, were iming their powers as divine incantations of darkness. That was why only they could handle the power of true darkness and death. ¡°True dark powers must be used properly in the service of Tesnarak.¡± ¡°Like the priests of the Goddess worship the goddess and use their powers correctly.¡± ¡°Then death will not be destiny.¡± ¡°Aging is only a disease, and death is only the result of those who have not been cured of the disease.¡± ¡°How can it be considered a wicked act to cure a disease?¡± ¡°However, your son is still young.¡± ¡°Do you think that it is the natural order of the world for a child to ept death as their destiny?¡± Count Vrend was shaken. Their words were persuasive, and his son was dying. ¡°Anyway, the 7 Goddess Church is of no help¡­¡­.¡± In the end, the Count broke his will. ¡°Dear Tesnarak¡­¡± ¡°I want to worship you. Will you ept me?¡± Of course, it wasn¡¯t sincere. First of all, after saving his son, he nned to turn himself into the Goddess Church. The son who was dying like that was given a new life. ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? Seven days after leaving the capital, Tarman and Karnak¡¯s party arrived at the county of Vrend. It was a rtively prosperous ce. The vige was quiterge. Even if you look at the market, there were many kinds of goods, and it was full of energy. Serati muttered as she looked around the street. ¡°I thought our territory was pretty well off, but there¡¯s noparison.¡± Inadvertently, she referred to the Zestrad Territory as ¡®our¡¯ territory. It seemed that she was quite settled. Barros shrugged. ¡°Because it¡¯s been a while since we got the copper mine. It wasn¡¯t really a center for logistics movement.¡± In any case, it seemed unmistakable that Count Vrend was apetent master. So, it was even more questionable. ¡°What on earth did he want to end up bing a cultist?¡± Tarman made a small addition to Serati¡¯s question. ¡°Someone says, but it hasn¡¯t been confirmed yet.¡± The fact that the charges were against Count Vrend was weak. It was just that while interrogating the cultist captured by the 2nd Battalion of the King¡¯s Order, there was only a mention of Count Vrend. ¡°There¡¯s more than half the chance that it¡¯s nonsense.¡± Infamous Scans Trantor: Anom Proofreader: Orange Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/D28kQrftFe Karnak asked as if he couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t it be better to have a separate person in charge of collecting information?¡± To be honest, he didn¡¯t quite understand. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a need to gather talented people and have them do these trivial things? I think it¡¯s more efficient to just let the information gathering be done separately and only deal with the King¡¯s Order¡¯s targets.¡± At Tarman¡¯s question that followed, Karnak finally realized what he was mistaken for. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Isn¡¯t that why you created the King¡¯s Order?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Then can anyone do a high-difficulty mission like information gathering?¡± It was a difference in sensation. The elite troops were precious, so they were left on standby, and the lesser ones were used as the intelligence department. This was the same feeling back when he was still the King of Death. But, what about the conditions of the Ministry of Information? He didn¡¯t have to be extremely strong, but he didn¡¯t know what would happen in the process of gathering information, so they must have a certain level ofbat ability. So, among the third-rate, they used to use undead forces that were still usable as intelligence departments. The power on the human side that wasparable to that ¡®usable level of undead power¡¯ was ¡®a red-ss Aura user, or a magician before or after the 6th circle or a priest of 2nd or higher level¡¯. ¡®The elite troops aren¡¯t like the Death Knight Corps that Barros wasmanding, really.¡¯ If it was a minority elite by Karnak standard, it was just an asymmetric power, one-man corps level by ordinary people. Anyway, this was the problem of those who went down well in the old days. To judge the situation while thinking about the past without understanding the subject. ¡®Ah, it¡¯s not easy to fix my senses even though I keep paying attention¡­¡¯ While Karnak grumbled in his heart, Tarman cautiously continued. ¡°Since it was information obtained through torture, it has not been verified at all. So you shouldn¡¯t treat the count with prejudice.¡± Kald and Alice from the side also added exnations. ¡°Originally, when being tortured, people are bound to say things that do not really exist, so it is not easy to determine the truth even from the point of view of interrogation.¡± ¡°Above all, if you¡¯re mistaken, it¡¯s meaningless no matter how much you try to figure out the truth.¡± Saying she understood, Serati interrupted the conversation. ¡°Perhaps there are cases where you believe lies as truth? Due to the nature of the fortune-teller organization, you may deliberately spread false information to deceive the King¡¯s Order¡­¡± And got hit right away. ¡°Ah, that can¡¯t be.¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you read too many over there storybooks?¡± It was a point organization that deliberately leaks fake information to subordinates? What if this happened? ¡°Go to a nobleman you don¡¯t care about, whisper ¡®Long live Tesnarak!¡¯ and then get beaten up?¡± He might not give out information, but he could not hand over fake information. If he did, he would be begging for the title with his own hands. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± Tarman soothed the shy Serati. ¡°I can¡¯t help but be mistaken because I¡¯m not a regr member yet. Isn¡¯t that why there is an apprenticeship period?¡± As he continued walking, he came across an inn he had seen before. Tarman looked back at the group. ¡°Let¡¯s unpack, then disperse and start the investigation.¡± ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? Arriving at the inn, Karnak¡¯s party learned the ways of the King¡¯s Order from Tarman. ¡°It¡¯s a very obvious thing, but you must never reveal that it is the King¡¯s Order.¡± Even if they pretended to be disguised as dark hunters and came to hunt necromancers, they would still be wary. After all, all the leaders of the Church of the ck God were necromancers. They couldn¡¯t go around throwing questions everywhere for no reason. Again, it was good to be suspicious. ¡°It should be used in a way that does not seem to have anything to do with cultists or necromancers, but allows for natural inquiry.¡± So, Tarman took out some portraits from his bosom and handed them out. ¡°There are many ways, but this is the one I will be using now.¡± Barros asked. ¡°Who is this? ¡°Helon Kratt, a notorious criminal wanted in the capital. He robbed many mansions of nobles and evenmitted murder. ¡°Oh, did something like that happen in Drunda?¡± ¡°No. There wasn¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°But if you say you¡¯re looking for a wanted person like this, then it¡¯ll look natural if you ask questions like this, right?¡± Disguised as a bounty hunter chasing a wanted person. And went around the vige and asked the residents.It seemed that this dangerous human had fled to the county of Vrend and was hiding somewhere. So, did they see a suspicious person? Or, please let them know if he hasn¡¯t experienced anything suspicious. Besides, wasn¡¯t he a master of disguise? He wondered if the people he knew well didn¡¯t feel like they¡¯d somehow changed. ¡°A dangerous wanted man has entered the vige, but there are few who will not cooperate. Especially if you give him a penny in moderation.¡± In this case, even if the purpose of the question was different, the answer would ovep with the information about the cult. Residents here would also have less mental distance from spreading rumors. ¡°Because taking our money doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re doing bad things. Isn¡¯t it just handing information to the bounty hunter and getting a fair price?¡± Afterward, Tarman divided the party into three teams: the wizard, Tarman, and the warrior, Barros; the warrior, Kald, and the wizard, Karnak; the priest, Alice, and the Aura user, Serati. He was a person who distributed power evenly in case something unpleasant happened. Karnak and the others had to learn the seniority method from the sidelines, so they attached one person at a time. So, the group scattered and began to investigate various parts of the vige. If they had a clear purpose, their actions would be confident. Not only did he roam freely without any suspicion, Tarman even met Count Vrend in person. Nominally, it meant asking for permission. The wanted man ran away here, and they hade to catch him. He would never do anything that would cause trouble. Wouldn¡¯t it be good for Count Vrend to have such a dangerous person roaming the territory? He could understand. They would cooperate as much as possible. He thanked him for his permission. Well, it was kind of like this. After the business was over, Tarman immediately left the count¡¯s castle. Barros, who had been silently following him all along, was puzzled. ¡°Hey, is this the end?¡± He thought he was going to do the interrogation, but he literally only came out with permission. Regarding cults, there was not a word of the hemisphere. ¡°If you¡¯re going to do this, why did you meet the count?¡± However, the experience was different. ¡°We¡¯ve got enough of what we want.¡± Tarman gestured with a confident face. ¡°We¡¯ll go back to the inn soon.¡± Chapter 55 Chapter 55 ¨C Territory of the ck God (2) As the sun went down, the other party returned to the inn. Tarman said after gathering everyone. ¡°Now then, let¡¯s exchange information.¡± Kald spoke first. ¡°It¡¯s about Count Vrend.¡± Count Vrend was a 46-year-old man this year, and the Countess died giving birth to a son early, leaving only one member in his family. The count loved his wife deeply and did not marry anew and took great care of his one and only son. However, it was said that the son was born too weak and would not be able to pass the age of 20. ¡°It sounds like it¡¯s an incurable disease that can¡¯t be helped with the divine power of the Goddess Church.¡± The Divine Healing of the Goddess Church was of course great, but the limitations were clear. Regeneration of limbs, resurrection of lions, and incurable diseases could not be cured even with sacred spells. This was natural, determined by the Goddess. ¡°It was luck in the world. It would be more correct to say that he is still alive thanks to the Seven Goddess Church.¡± Tarman nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a good part for necromancers to dig into.¡± Those who fear death were easily seduced by the necromancer. What was impossible with the sacred arts of the 7 Goddesses was possible with necromancy. Even the providence of the goddess could be disobeyed if it was a wicked way of sacrificing others. Of course, he had to pay the price for that. Inquisitor Alice also solved the information Serati had gathered. ¡°Recently, they say that the security of the estate has improved a lot.¡± It was thanks to Count Vrend¡¯s decision to arrest robbers, thieves, and vagrants and banish them from the territory. ¡°First of all, he looks like a great lord, but¡­¡­¡± At Alice¡¯s words, Kald shook his head. ¡°I doubt it.¡± ¡°Yes. We didn¡¯t hear anything like this on the way.¡± On the way down from the capital, he also stopped by the nearby viges quite a bit. However, he hadn¡¯t heard of anything like that there. At first nce, he might think it might be, but it was actually hard to understand. ¡°Arge number of criminals who could have been expelled from their own neighborhoods have flowed into other towns. How likely are they to stay quiet?¡± However, it was also awkward that Tarman¡¯s party and the exiles¡¯ movements never coincidentally ovepped. So where did those exiles go? ¡°Large missings, this is also amon urrence when necromancers are involved.¡± ¡°It seems clear that the Count is upset about something.¡± As he muttered, Tarman smiled coldly. ¡°I personally visited the Count¡¯s castle.¡± Of course, he didn¡¯t say a word about the cult. Nothing was gleaned from the meeting with Count Vrend. The important thing was the fact that he entered the castle itself. ¡°I found something interesting while touring the count¡¯s castle.¡± In some ces on the windows, there were curtains with thick fabric. ¡°Like there¡¯s a need to block out the sun at all costs.¡± The eyes of Kald and Alice shone. ¡°That¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Somehow, this is a familiar story.¡± Both of them seemed to have something on their minds. Tarman shook his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t put it in your mouth. You might fall into prejudice.¡± The investigation was not over yet. All possibilities should be left open until the evidence was convincing. ¡°Until then, we must reserve judgment. Prudence is also a duty of the King¡¯s Order.¡± ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? Since they were in the position of learning, Karnak, Barros, and Serati just stood by and listened without speaking. But they already knew the answer. [What do you think happened to that boy?] [A Vampire.] He was sorry, but from Karnak¡¯s point of view, it was a search and a rumor, and it was all meaningless. Serati was puzzled and sent a magic message. [How do you even know that?] She knew that Karnak was a man who reached the pinnacle of necromancy. Also, being able to easily grasp any trace of darkness, no matter how trivial. However, some parts were hard to understand. [I can sense the dark energy to some extent, right? In my heart, I was very focused and searched all over the town. But I didn¡¯t feel anything.] Even Inquisitor Alice, an expert in necromantic exploration, couldn¡¯t find anything. [Did we go that far?] [Not necessarily like that.] No matter how Karnak was, as long as he was human, he often missed too faint traces. [It¡¯s not like I felt the vampire energy itself. It was thoroughly concealed.] Infamous Scans Trantor: Anom Proofreader: Orange Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/D28kQrftFe Properly using necromancy, he properly erased all traces. He probably wouldn¡¯t have found any clues even if Alius came by himself. What Karnak had figured out was not the traces of the vampires, but the tactics he hadid out to hide them. [There are spells to block vampire detection all over the territory, so why don¡¯t you know?] If necromancy were involved in any way, Karnak¡¯s eyes could not be fooled. If they left a trace, he would notice it right away. If they erase the traces, he would notice right away through the method of erasing. [Then what if I use another spell so that even the blocking spell cannot be detected?] [What is that technique, is it not a necromancy technique?] [Ah, that doesn¡¯t make any sense¡­¡­.] Silently, Serati asked another question. [Then what now?] [What¡¯s up?] [Shouldn¡¯t you let them know this too?] [What do you mean? Anyway, the other side must have guessed that the target is a vampire.] Knowing the answer was not enough. The process of proving why he gave such an answer and what the evidence was was equally important. If they know the correct answer through an expedient, shouldn¡¯t they be able to exin why the answer came out so they didn¡¯t get caught? [Let¡¯s quietly watch and learn from the side. So we can use itter.] ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? At the same time, Count Vrend¡¯s old castle. In a darkened restaurant, a young boy in his mid-teens was drinking. The Count asked, looking at the boy. ¡°Are you calling the ship?¡± ¡°Yes, Father.¡± Putting down the ss, the boy smiled. Looking at the blood in the ss, the count asked again. ¡°¡­¡­Don¡¯t you resent this father?¡± ¡°Why should I be resentful?¡± Seriously, the boy wasughing. ¡°For the first time in my life, I knew life could be so easy.¡± Neither the severe headache that gued him all day nor the lethargy of his limbs. He no longer woke up in the middle of the night, waking up crying in extreme pain. The boy looked back at himself as if he was new. ¡°Other people, they all had this pain-free life.¡± The Count cautiously continued his question. ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re satisfied with living the life of a vampire?¡± Now his son had be a monster who covets the blood of others and had to live only in the dark for the rest of his life. Was he satisfied with that fate? It seemed like that. ¡°Anyway, humans can survive only by killing and eating something. In that respect, I think my father is rather merciful.¡± He could not eat animal blood. He couldn¡¯t even eat the blood of a monster. A cursed monster that was doomed to eat only the blood of its own kind. But his son hadn¡¯t killed anyone yet. Those who offered blood to his son were followers prepared by the Church of the ck God. Received a certain amount of blood from them and count gave them enough money. He did nothing morally reprehensible. And the fact that he couldn¡¯t see the sun¡­¡­ ¡°I haven¡¯t seen it before, so what?¡± He was a very weak son who would quickly be dizzy in the sunlight. Rather, it was much more satisfying now that it moved smoothly even after the sun went down. ¡°It¡¯s just that my eating habits have changed a little, and I have more things to watch out for. Anyway, it¡¯s better than dying.¡± Only then did the Count recall a smile. ¡°I¡¯m d.¡± At first, he nned to surrender immediately after saving his son. But he didn¡¯t intend to do that anymore. It was because the situation wasn¡¯t worse than expected. Of course, his son¡¯s life would not be smooth in the future. Vampires were hideous monsters, and if the world found out the true identity of his son, they would try to exterminate them at all costs. There would be no concept of killing. Vampires were undead, just living corpses. For a moment, the Count was furious. ¡®My son is a corpse? Are you moving and talking andughing like that?¡¯ His son hadn¡¯t changed. Still polite and aristocratic, he was the heir who would inherit everything from him. Neither personality nor wisdom had changed at all. Now he got that. The teachings of the 7 Goddess Church were not wrong. Obviously, their teaching was to follow the world¡¯s logic. Until now. But the world had changed. Everything in the world was not eternal in front of time and was always changing, and even the teachings of the goddess could not be an exception. The Church of the ck God was not a cult. It was just a new truth in a new age. The Count whispered to his beloved son, ¡°Be patient. I won¡¯t live you with that body forever.¡± When Tesnarak would descend, that child would be able to live a normal life. The dead and living would harmonize and open up a world where they could freely choose their own life and death. Count Vrend was determined. Therefore, he would devote the rest of his life to that child. Thus, a condition could be formed where that child could live confidently. ¡°The light of the setting goddess will fade, and the world will be covered with darkness¡­¡­¡± As if possessed, he recited the teachings of the ck god. ¡°When the darkness is at its deepest, the dawn wille, and a new world wille¡­¡­¡± ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? The next day, Tarman and his party continued to gather information. They traveled from ce to ce, handing out wanted letters and pretending to be looking for wanted people, figuring out strange things about the town. Serati, who had been following Alice, asked subtly. ¡°¡­¡­A vampire, right?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t intentionally put it in my mouth¡­¡­¡± Alice smiled bitterly. ¡°If it¡¯s this obvious, it won¡¯t matter, right?¡± Zombies and ghouls were just moving corpses, so daily life was unnecessary, spirits and ghosts were not something that could be solved by hanging some curtains, and necromancers who extended their lifespan with life drained only weaken under the sun and die. Lich or Death Knight? Those powerful enough didn¡¯t even get scratched in the sunlight. ¡°Those who are undead but have thick curtains at home are usually vampires.¡± Nodding her head, Serati asked again. ¡°So you¡¯re still looking for evidence like this?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a boring job.¡± But, he said it could end unexpectedly soon. ¡°Sometimes good luckes along. It would be more correct to call it bad luck.¡± If the inquiry continued in this way, the cultists usually react in two ways. The first was to just ignore it without scratching it for nothing. It was all toomon for bounty hunters to roam here and there looking for a wanted person. Plus there were cases where they reveal their identity first and then get caught by bad luck, so prudent cultists just hide and wait for them to pass by. The second was if they want to remove the swelling even if they scratch it. Surprisingly, there were quite a few cases like this among cultists with impatient tempers. ¡°About half and half?¡± So, starting tomorrow, they decided to go around after the sun went down. ¡°If we do well, the other side might attack first.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really bad luck. Danger and opportunitye at the same time.¡± It was when the two women were walking down the street and having a conversation. A young man approached from the other side. He was one of the vigntes under the count. ¡°Are you the Bounty Hunter, Ms. M?¡± For reference, M is a pseudonym Alice was using. ¡°What are you doing?¡± The young man took out a piece of paper and handed it to him. ¡°I found the wanted man. He told me to tell you.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Leaving behind the two puzzled people, the young man left. It was the attitude that he just did it because he was told to do it. The remaining Serati and Alice looked at each other. ¡°How did he find a wanted man who didn¡¯t even exist?¡± ¡°I know, right? This is the first time this has happened.¡± Chapter 56 Chapter 56 ¨C Territory of the ck God (3) A summary of the information received was as follows. He found a ce presumed to be the hideout of the wanted man on the outskirts of town. During the day, it was impossible to determine whether he was hiding elsewhere, but at night, he seemed to return there to sleep. So they should aim for that time and catch it. Throwing information to the bounty hunters and taking their hands off seemed at a nce to be abandoning the lord¡¯s responsibilities. But if he looked at it, it was a natural thing. A corresponding cost would be incurred if there was an injury or death while moving soldiers in the territory. Why roll soldiers when an outsider could get rid of a nuisance for free? It was an attitude that would have been taken by a lord who ruled the territory. ¡°If the wanted man really existed.¡± Tarman and the others snorted. ¡°It¡¯s a trap.¡± ¡°Even it only appears at night? What is this? It¡¯s confirmed.¡± ¡°The cultists in this town seem a bit stupid. Don¡¯t you think we¡¯ll fall for this obvious trap?¡± At that time, Karnak refreshed the atmosphere. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that rather a headache?¡± ¡°Hmm? Trouble?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s think about it from the cultist¡¯s point of view.¡± Cultists gave them the information, but what if Tarman and the others ignored it? It was like acknowledging that the real target wasn¡¯t the wanted man. From the standpoint of cults, there was a beautiful reason to pay attention. What if the party crawled into the trap without thinking? It must mean an ordinary bounty hunter. But it didn¡¯t matter. This was the sound of foreigners without connectionsing to ces where people were rare. They could get rid of them and get a lot of tasty blood. What if Tarman and his party were really the King¡¯s Order and fall into a trap on purpose even though they knew it was a trap? They could deal with the King¡¯s Order, which they had to defeat anyway, with an advantageous board in an advantageous ce. ¡°Whatever it is, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything to lose from the cultist¡¯s point of view.¡± There was silence for a while, and they didn¡¯t even think of that. Karnak clicked his tongue in his heart. ¡®I thought these things were moving in a fairly detailed way, but they¡¯re rather careless, aren¡¯t they?¡¯ Well, it had been less than a year since the King¡¯s Order was founded. It was not yet the time to umte various know-how. ¡°Shit.¡± As he crumpled the portrait of the wanted man, Tarman made a chewed expression. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to use the method of finding the wanted person from now on.¡± Kald asked with hisplexion hardened. ¡°Then what, chief?¡± Should they ignore it? Or should they go knowing it¡¯s a trap? Tarman, who was worried for a while, looked at Karnak and his party and rxed his expression. ¡°Come to think of it, we¡¯re pretty lucky.¡± Originally, Tarman, Kald, and Alice were supposed to take on this mission. Crawling into the den of vampires, knowing it was a trap with only them? ¡°It¡¯s not to the point of saying there¡¯s no chance, but you can¡¯t ignore the risk.¡± But now there was Karnak and the others, Serati, an Aura user to be precise. As a King¡¯s Order or as an apprentice, a strong man whose actualbat skills were iparable wherever he went. ¡°Let¡¯s fall into the trap.¡± ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? That evening, Tarman and his party gathered in a hut on the outskirts of town. It was the hiding ce of the so-called ¡®wanted man who did not exist¡¯ that Count Vrend had told me about. Tarman murmured after sitting on a random chair on the floor. ¡°Now we just have to wait until the sun goes down.¡± Everyone took a break and started preparing for the uing battle. Watching that scene, Serati had a question. ¡°Aren¡¯t you too rxed?¡± No matter how much she believed in her as an Aura user, he seemed too rxed. They didn¡¯t seem to think at all that they would be in danger. ¡®Are vampires so easygoing?¡¯ So she quietly asked Tarman. ¡°How strong are vampires?¡± Tarmanughed. ¡°It¡¯s not to the extent that Miss Serati should care.¡± When someone bes a vampire, their physical abilities be several times stronger than when they were a human. In addition, if it continued to drink blood and increase its strength, it could use its unique blood magic. ¡°In other words, it¡¯s all about bing several times stronger than when you were a human. Those who ate a lot of blood show abilities beyond first-ss knights. It is, but¡­¡­¡± Even so,pared to the power of the current party, it was not so much to be wary of. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how many people there are¡­¡­¡± This too could be roughly calcted through the number of missing humans because they would have sucked their blood. It was simr to figuring out the number of people through distribution. ¡°At most, there were about 10 people, so I judged that they weren¡¯t a big threat. So I was able to make the choice to fall into the trap on purpose.¡± Serati was puzzled. ¡°Aren¡¯t old vampires powerful enough?¡± Among the adventure stories she read, some monarch-ss vampires lived for hundreds of years. Then, Kald and Aliceughed. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s how it appears in adventure stories, but¡­¡­¡± ¡°Realistically, there can¡¯t be such a vampire, right?¡± A monarch-ss vampire who had grown in power by drinking blood for hundreds of years must be a great monster. However, could it be possible to drink blood without being caught for hundreds of years? ¡°Usually, they are discovered before that and die.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Vampires were not beings that can grow in strength in a remote ce like other monsters. The characteristic of having to drink human blood was bound to leave traces in the living sphere of merchants from time to time. Infamous Scans Trantor: Anom Proofreader: Orange Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/D28kQrftFe Suffering for hundreds of years by sucking blood like that every day? For this to be possible, two prerequisites were required. First, vampires themselves would be dismissed as non-existent legends. Second, superhuman abilities such as fighting spirit, magic, and divine power did not exist or were extremely rare. What would happen if everyone took it for granted that vampires exist, and if there were ways in the world to earn a name higher than that of a vampire even with a human body? What if both hunters and vampires could use simr abilities? ¡°Aren¡¯t they just blood-sucking criminals who can¡¯t even walk around in broad daylight? It also has tomit crimes from time to time.¡± ¡°Even if you can somehow survive for a few years, you can¡¯t survive hundreds of years like that.¡± ¡°So all the old vampires are long gone.¡± ¡°But it is also difficult to eradicate the vampire itself.¡± ¡°Vampires are like endemic diseases because no matter how hard you try to eradicate them, they will reappear somewhere.¡± Serati was embarrassed by Kald and Alice¡¯s exnation. The story and reality seemed to be a bit different. Still, questions remained. ¡°What if an aura user or wizard bes a vampire? In this case, isn¡¯t it strong enough to be a vampire?¡± It didn¡¯t look like that again. ording to Tarman, in the case of Aura users, wizards, and priests, there is nothing particrly good about bing a vampire. ¡°Auras such as fighting spirit and magical power are rather useless when you be a vampire.¡± Auras did not mix with each other. No matter how powerful an aura user or wizard was, the moment they be a vampire, they lose their fighting spirit and magical power. Starting as an ordinary vampire, it had to raise its dark magic again from the beginning. It was not for nothing that their attitude was rxed. No matter how old the existing vampires were, no vampires had been around for more than 10 years, and the limit was clear regardless of their strength when they were human. ¡°Miss Serati, you don¡¯t know a lot about vampires, do you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve only heard about it, but I¡¯ve never met him in person¡­¡­¡± ¡°Then, I should tell you something.¡± No matter how easy a vampire was, it could be ignored. Like a senior, Tarman and his party told them a story. ¡°The most effective thing is, of course, the holy power. Or the holy power of the 7 Goddess Cults that contains the holy power.¡± This was amon weakness of all undead as well as vampires. ¡°The sun¡¯s light is so famous¡­¡­¡± ¡°It is wrong to say that silver is a weakness. To be precise, it is weak against sacred silver. Silver is the metal that is the easiest to contain divine power.¡± But one thing they didn¡¯t seem to know. ¡°As for garlic, it¡¯s ambiguous.¡± ¡°Each person I¡¯ve dealt with has a slightly different opinion.¡± Vampires were afraid of garlic. Garlic was absolutely useless. The fear of garlic is just a stupid superstition. Vampires didn¡¯t like garlic, but that didn¡¯t really hurt anything, and so on. ¡°Even within the King¡¯s Order, there is a difference of opinion on this. What is real, won.¡± Then, Serati suddenly remembered. ¡®Wait, there¡¯s an expert right next to you, right?¡¯ There was no need to be curious. Just ask Karnak. [What¡¯s real?] [Well, um¡­¡­.] Karnak replied as if it were ambiguous. [Should I say that if it works, there is, and if it doesn¡¯t, then this?] [Yes?] [Vampire hunters smear garlic juice all over their bodies to smell it or wear it around their necks, don¡¯t they? If you change this to a vampire point of view, it will look like this.] Some crazy guy fought with excrement all over his body. Or, he wore an X(cross) around his neck and wielded a knife like crazy. [It¡¯s a bit dirty, but you get it right?] Serati was frightened. [¡­I don¡¯t really want to get close apart from strong and weak.] This was why words were different, even within the King¡¯s Order. Vampires also have different standards of infatuation. Some will avoid it because it is dirty or scary and will just run away; some will try hard to close their eyes and ignore it, and some will get angry and kill more. [Still, it¡¯s not that it¡¯s not very effective, so there¡¯s nothing to lose by keeping it.] In fact, Tarman and his party had already stocked up a handful of garlic. If they threw it when they were in a hurry, they could expect to make a gap. Tarman let out a bigugh. ¡°Even looking at this, isn¡¯t the King¡¯s Order the best of the kingdom? You shouldn¡¯t be vignt, but you can¡¯t be overly nervous about a group of vampires. There is no need.¡± ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? The sun went down while they were rxing. The day passed, and the night cast darkness. The sunset disappears in an instant, and the world bes dark. Suddenly, Karnak sent a message. [They areing. Let them know too.] Having received the instruction, Serati opened her mouth. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be getting ready soon?¡± Tarman, who was meditating, was puzzled. Alice, the priest, hadn¡¯t given any warning yet. ¡°Did you sense something, Miss Serati?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that. It just doesn¡¯t feel right.¡± Then, theplexion of Tarman, Alice, and Kald changed. ¡°The feelings of Aura users cannot be ignored.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± This was the reason Karnak insisted on letting Serati go. It was doubtful that an ordinary mage would notice the approach of a vampire that even a priest could not detect. But Serati didn¡¯t care. Aura users¡¯ senses were so vague that everyone thought so. Standing up, Tarman grabbed the magic wand. ¡°Everyone prepare for battle!¡± The others also stood on the edge, each holding a weapon. How would the vampires attack? Ceiling? Wall? Window? Or they could fire something like a fiery arrow from a distance. Vampires fear the sun, not fire. It was a time when she didn¡¯t rx for a long time. Suddenly, Alice¡¯splexion turned pale. ¡®What about this energy?¡¯ At the same time, the cabin exploded! Aaaaaang! A tremendous amount of light hit the cabin directly and blew it away. A small but intact house copsed in an instant. Thaaaakk¡­ Dust rose between the pouring wood debris. Between them, six shadows jumped out. It was thanks to Alice spreading her divine protection and protecting everyone. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Vampires are this strong?¡± Tarman¡¯s party was taken aback. The blow from just now was powerful enough to be seen by quite a few Aura users or high-ranking wizards. Ten red-eyed vampires were standing in front of the group that ran out into the yard. Among them, there was one that stood out. ¡°As expected, they were the King¡¯s Order guys.¡± It was a mature man in his mid-thirties, at the head of the group, aiming at a red-shining de. ¡°There¡¯s no way a bounty hunter can dodge this blow.¡± Grabbing the fighting sword as red as blood, he slowly moved forward. The red aura shook and vibrated the air, releasing a terrifying roar. Whoops, whoops! Serati looked to the side. ¡°Hey, Lord Tarman?¡± Tarman said it would be nothing to see if an Aura user became a vampire. Instead, He would have grown new strength but couldn¡¯t use the existing spection. ¡°Then what is that?¡± Tarman frowned. ¡°¡­What happened to that?¡± Chapter 57 Chapter 57 ¨C Territory of the ck God (4) It wasn¡¯t just Tarman and Alice who were flustered. Kald was as stiff as a male corpse. It was because it was a familiar face. ¡°¡­Sir Durald?¡± The strongest knight of Count Vrend and a red-ss Aura user turned into a vampire and appeared before them. Seeing Kald¡¯s reaction, Durald narrowed his eyes. ¡°I thought it was a familiar face, but it must have been Delim¡¯s twin swords. Did you enter the King¡¯s Order?¡± As if in disbelief, Kald stuttered. ¡°Uh, how did you be a vampire?¡± There was no way he was initially a vampire. Two years ago, Durald was unmistakably human. He had seen him in broad daylight, under the scorching sun! ¡°What do you miss about someone like you¡­ If an Aura user bes a vampire, they will rather lose their power¡­¡± No, that was not it. What was now held in Durald¡¯s hands was undoubtedly a fighting sword. ¡®What happened?¡¯ Leaving the confused Kald behind, Tarman stepped forward. ¡°It has been confirmed that Count Vrend colluded with the cult.¡± He returned with a severe face, looked around, and opened his mouth. ¡°By the authority given to me by the King¡¯s Order, I will regard you as enemies of the Goddess and the King!¡± The vampires began to shed strangeughter. ¡°Keukkeuk¡­¡­¡± ¡°Kickiki kick¡­¡­¡± ¡°King¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Get down on your knees?¡± ¡°Who to whom?¡± Tarman wasn¡¯t thrilled. He just took it as a prescribed procedure. He didn¡¯t even expect them to surrender meekly in the first ce. ¡°If you don¡¯tply, there¡¯s only a summary judgment!¡± Kald and Barros took abat stance. Karnak also raised his magic power, and Alice surrounded herself with divine power. ¡°King¡¯s Order! Punish them in the name of the King!¡± Durald also raised his right hand. ¡°Go, Tesnarak¡¯s guards! Advance!¡± Vampires started flying all at once. ¡°Offer the blood of heretics to our god!¡± ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? Tarman¡¯s party, Karnak and Barros quickly formed a circle. They had to deal with a group of vampires who rushed back to each other and prepared for an attack from behind. One of the vampires in the lead burst into a sharp spirit. ¡°Kyaaaaaagh!¡± Both ws grew longer and swung as ten des. A of red blood cuts through the air. An ordinary soldier would have been frightened by this alone¡­ ¡°Ah!¡± With a snort, Kald passed the attack. This was simr to swinging an ordinary dagger. Five fingers, Five knives? Even so, weren¡¯t they all attached to the palm of his hand? The orbit was the same for all five des. The scope had only been slightly broadened. Wielding it with both hands was just like a double-wielding dagger. ¡°I¡¯ll show you the real twin swordsmanship!¡± Kald also counterattacked. The twin swords danced dizzily. Deflected the attack with a dagger and released a series of attacks with advantage. ¡°Ugh!¡± The attacking vampire retreated while bleeding. In the gap, Kald narrowed the distance. At the same time as they dug in, the dual swords switched roles this time. The short sword that could be switched quickly took the offensive, and the long de of the long sword protected the body as a shield. The nail of another vampire looking for an opportunity next to him stuck in the de. At the same time, blood sttered on his chest. ¡°Ugh, goddamn¡­ dammit!¡± He couldn¡¯t speak and take a deep breath. It was because the dagger had dug through the skin. This rapid change of workshop was why the sword was called the twin swords of Delim. Although he hadn¡¯t awakened his fighting spirit, he was already a swordsman who had reached the stage. The battle continued against the two well-known vampires. But he couldn¡¯t make a decision right away. Vampires didn¡¯t fall immediately with just a little knife hit. Even serious injuries that would have knocked people down in one blow were just physical wounds that lost some blood and healed. ¡®As expected, guys with regenerative power are annoying!¡¯ So, what was needed was the holy power of the priest. Alice raised her wand. ¡°Atima! Give your sword the blessing of cutting wickedness!¡± A soft light hovered over Kald¡¯s twin swords. It was a divine spell that weakened the regenerative power of the undead. He didn¡¯t stop with this and continued with new orders. ¡°In front of the goddess¡¯s light, the unclean will burn!¡± A subtle radiance covered both allies and enemies. There was nothing wrong with humans, but it was a light that felt like mes to the undead. Feeling pain as if their skin was burning, the vampires used evil. Infamous Scans Trantor: Anom Proofreader: Orange Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/D28kQrftFe ¡°Kyaaaagh!¡± ¡°Priest!¡± ¡°Get rid of that bitch!¡± A vampire armed with thick armor struck the halberd. Alice grunted as he watched the flying axe de. ¡°Since we met. Are you always aiming for me first?¡± The sound of a situation that he experienced always meant that they were familiar enough with it. Turning, he lowered his staff to the earth, not the vampires. Thud! The light spread across the ground and tied the vampire¡¯s feet. Thanks to this, Halberd¡¯s momentum, which had been striking down, was also broken. The axe de, which had lost momentum, could not pierce Alice¡¯s shield and stopped midway. He reached out. ¡°O Atima¡¯s sh!¡± A bullet of light hit the vampire¡¯s abdomen. ¡°Keuuk!¡± Alice eximed triumphantly as she saw him fall. ¡°You think priests can¡¯t fight? We have plenty of attack spells!¡± The snarky vampire quickly got back up. Even though they were properly hit by the holy power of the undead¡¯s natural enemy, it didn¡¯t seem like they were hit that hard. As if regretting it, he continued. ¡°¡­¡­Most of the attack spells aren¡¯t that powerfulpared to magic, but that¡¯s a problem.¡± This was a typical cleric¡¯s battle method. Spreading divine power widely to block ess, prating to the end, pushing back weakened enemies, and caring only for self-defense. There was no need to take risks and try to suffocate the enemy. That was up to the other colleagues. ¡°Fire st!¡± Tarman¡¯s heat wave magic hit the heavily armored vampire, aiming for Alice again. Quaang! Thanks to this, he was forced to stand up and roll on the road. ¡°Keuuk!¡± In the meantime, another vampire aimed at Tarman¡­ Kooong! A two-meter-tall y doll blocked the way. It was a golem summoned by Tarman. ¡°Damn it! Golem or something!¡± Shaking his teeth, the vampire brandished his nails. Red blood stroke the y doll repeatedly. However, because it was so hard, only a few fragments fell. The y doll reached out again and tried to grab the vampire. But this time, the opponent also quickly got away. It was because the golem was so slow. Both wizards and necromancers operated their summoning objects through magic. Necromancers were zombies, ghouls, ghosts, and spirits, and wizards were golems, puppets, or phantom beasts or spirits. However, the power was quite different. Necromancers could handle hundreds of zombies simultaneously and often summoned undead monsters that were rare in the world. Wizard golems and dolls could have been faster and more robust. If it was a phantom beast or a spirit, it was still worth trying, but with the same magic power, a necromancer couldmand dozens of shades when a wizard called a phantom beast. At a simr level, the necromancer¡¯s summoning technique was superior to the wizard¡¯s in every way. On the other hand, wizards also had an overwhelming advantage. ¡°Lightning st!¡± Blue lightning cut through the air. It was so fast they couldn¡¯t dodge it. The thunderbolt hit the retreating vampire with a full blow. ¡°Aaaaagh!¡± Those who were hit instantly turned into ck ash and scattered everywhere. It was a formidable force that could not be helped even with the vampire¡¯s regenerative power. The power of a blow was superior to that of a wizard. At a simr level, the wizard¡¯s attack magic was superior to the necromancer¡¯s in every way. That was why the tactics of wizards and necromancers who used summoning were also very different. The necromancer was amander who controlled the war situation while the summoned person was the main body of the battle. On the other hand, to the magician, the summoned beast was just a shield that protected the body. The subject of the battle was the wizard himself. Capturing the seething magic power, Tarman observed the situation. ¡®Did you kill one? Not bad.¡¯ Shortly after the battle began, the enemy¡¯s strength was cut. On the other hand, this one did minor damage. Tarman nced at Karnak. He silently thanked them because their skills were higher than expected. A leisure battle was possible. ¡®I heard that the 4th circle mage is an article of change¡­¡­.¡¯ The three were dealing with five vampires. On the other hand, Karnak and Barros were not pushed back even when dealing with four of them alone! Once again, in admiration, Tarman stuck out his tongue. ¡®After all, the world is wide. Do you mean that such strong people have remained unknown?¡¯ ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? In Tarman¡¯s eyes, Karnak and Barros looked like they were dealing with the vampires leisurely. But the reality was a bit different. [Ah, this is ambiguous.] [The opponent is a vampire¡­¡­.] Rxing was right. It was also true that the situation was far from a crisis. However, considering their careers, they should have already killed at least four vampires. Even against more powerful necromancers, they were used to easily defeat them with only their skill. Casting extension magic, Karnak murmured. [How did they fight, Barros?] [I don¡¯t know.] Swinging his sword, Barros shrugged. [It was so weak that I just used it as a general misceneous.] It was Karnak who fought against the world and led many monsters under hismand. Among those subordinates, there were definitely vampires. The problem was that Tarman¡¯s exnation was eptable. There really wasn¡¯t a single vampire who lived for a long time. All died before that. After decades of conquering the world, there were still some stronger kids, but at that time there was no strong enemy to oppose the King of Death. [I¡¯d rather have zombies or ghouls as opponents since I¡¯ve used them a lot when I¡¯m weak, so I guess I¡¯ll know the tactics¡­¡­.] They had never seen or cared about vampire battles. [Ignore it and assume it¡¯s just a general misceneous soldier.] [That would be better.] The two continued their battle calmly. Didn¡¯t overdo it and be safe. Whatever the case, there was nothing to lose to these guys. As such, the situation was progressing in favor of Tarman¡¯s party. At this rate, he would surely be able to y the entire group of vampires without much damage. Even so, the vampires were not afraid at all. ¡°Tesnarak protects us!¡± ¡°Even if I die here!¡± ¡°The god of death will bring down the darkness of resurrection!¡± For those who were tainted with fanaticism, even the ending that turned to ashes and disappeared was nothing more than martyrdom to take refuge in Tesnarak. Even if a colleague died, even if he died, they didn¡¯t care and attacked mercilessly. On the other hand, Tarman¡¯splexion was getting worse and worse. ¡®It¡¯s not about us winning.¡¯ ¡®But the problem is what will happen over there.¡¯ Even in the middle of the battle, Kald and Alice continued to nce across the clearing. Earlier, the merciless binge continued without a break¡­ Bang! Bang! Bang! It was the battlefield of Serati and Durald, who crossed two streams of red aura and devastated the surroundings. [To be continued.] Chapter 58 Chapter 58 ¨C Territory of the ck God (5) A red de came crashing through her vision. Concentrating, Serati also counterattacked. Ahhh! Fighting swords and fighting spirits collided, and shockwaves spread in all directions. As a result, the trees shook, and the earth was dug up and raised dust. A naked woman gasping through the thick dust appeared. ¡°Heh, heh¡­¡­¡± The red-eyed Durald, a user of the Vampire Aura, shuddered as if in admiration. ¡°You are quite skilled at such a young age.¡± Although it was only the leisurely admiration of those who had the advantage. ¡°But you¡¯re not my opponent!¡± Aura¡¯s de flew again. Serati gritted her teeth as she hurriedly dodged. ¡®Is being in this age truly lucky? She doesn¡¯t seem to have much experience either.¡¯ They had run into each other several times already. Thanks to that, the opponent¡¯s skills were grasped. There was no significant difference in the amount of spection itself. No, she even had a bit of an edge. Fence? Swordsmanship was well worth sticking with. Durald was probably more than ten years older than Serati, but there was no gap in experience alone. As a knight of the count¡¯s family, he had only experiencedbat in limited circumstances. On the other hand, Serati was an adventurer. Although the period was short, the battles she experienced were much more diverse. In particr, recently, she umted more experience dealing with several necromancers. Judging from the skills of the Aura users alone, nothing wascking in Seratipared to Durald. However, she still pushed her power and speed. ¡°Huup!¡± With a burst of spirit, Durald struck down the fighting sword. It was a simple blow. Typically, he would have driven right away andunched a counterattack. However, Serati had to be busy just holding on. ¡°Kuuuuugh!¡± The moment she blocked it, an iparable force pressed down on both shoulders. After that, Duraldunched a series of attacks. The fighting sword danced and pierced left and right. ¡°Tamat!¡± This time, too, Serati managed to avoid it. But she only dodged. She couldn¡¯t aim for the gap. ¡®If I try to fight back, I¡¯ll be defeated.¡¯ She gnashed her teeth as she continued to rush. She knew exactly where she was aiming, but even though she knew, he was pushed by her strength. She knew what trajectory the next offensive would fly into but couldn¡¯t use her hands because of the speed. ¡®Real vampires are annoying¡­¡¯ As the power of the aura was oveid on the vampire¡¯s physical ability that transcended humans, tremendous destructive power came out that the original red-ss aura user could not produce. Then, why couldn¡¯t the Red Knight have such destructive power? At the point where that was possible, it was already the level of a blue knight, not a red knight. But again, if Durald was the state of the Blue Knight, that was not the case. He couldn¡¯t skillfully perform clever steelmaking tricks like a blue-level Aura user. The technology itself was just mediocre. ¡®His swordsmanship skills do not push me, but I¡¯m pushed by strength!¡¯ She felt the feelings of the ordinary knights she had dealt with up to now. Seizing the victory, Durald eximed triumphantly. ¡°Taste the power bestowed by Tesnarak!¡± ¡°I just became a vampire and got stronger! What god¡¯s authority is that?¡± ¡°Even if you be a dark n, fighting spirit shines! If this is not the power of God, what is power?¡± ¡°Ah, that sounds usible again, but¡­¡­.¡± Serati, who had muttered nkly, shook her head. ¡®I¡¯m not in a position to be persuaded right now.¡¯ It was troublesome anyway. Fortunately, her other teammates seemed to be fighting well, but it didn¡¯t mean much. If it was the current Durald, it would be enough to deal with Tarman¡¯s party, Karnak, and even Barros, who hid their powers. If Serati loses, her other colleagues would also be in danger. Of course, if she went that far, Karnak would reveal his true colors and defeat Durald¡­¡­. ¡®But anyway, Mr. Tarman and his party won¡¯t all die!¡¯ Or even if they didn¡¯t die, there was a high chance that something would seriously damage their memory. It was a situation that should not happen for Tarman¡¯s party. Serati¡¯s back slowly became wet with cold sweat. ¡®What should I do with this?¡¯ ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? Karnak, who was examining the situation, secretly sent a magic message. [Hey, Barros, if that¡¯s the case, Serati will lose?] Just because she was an outsider in swordsmanship didn¡¯t mean she was an outsider inbat. How many battles did she go through in her previous life? Just by looking at the floor, he could get an estimate. [Improving Serati¡¯s skills is good, but isn¡¯t it time to change?] Barros shook his head. [It¡¯s too much.] Infamous Scans Trantor: Anom Proofreader: Orange Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/D28kQrftFe He didn¡¯t intentionally leave Durald to Serati. [If I try, I will lose. Didn¡¯t you see it when you were fighting Majnun?] [Then isn¡¯t it troublesome? If we lose too, Serati has no chance at all. I¡¯m weaker than you.] [Instead, Miss Serati¡¯s physical abilities aren¡¯t as bad as mine.] The gap that the current Barros could handle was just about Serati. If he went further, the expertise itself wouldn¡¯t work at all. [Isn¡¯t that why I was sacrificing myself against Randolph in the past?] At the time, it had just returned. He had all the skills and experiences in his head, but it was impossible to unfold them with a body that hadn¡¯t been trained at all. The same went for the Demon Majnun. It was only then that she was trained, so he was able to use all her skills, but she was just so overwhelmingly pushed in the physical department that he couldn¡¯t do anything. [The odds are higher for a poor technique that works than a perfect technique that doesn¡¯t work.] [Then what? Are you telling me to use necromancy again?] [There is a safe method. Write n p, n p.] [Ah, that¡¯s it. Really.] Only then did Karnak put on a relieved expression. Certainly, as long as Barros was possessed by Serati, he could use it without Tarman and the others. Of course, Serati¡¯s mental health will suffer greatly in return, but¡­¡­. [I go crazy after doing it three times, so I still have at least one time.] By the way, it was not just Karnak and Barros who had joined this ¡®secret magic message system¡¯. Serati, who had been fighting recklessly, trembled. [Hey! I can hear everything!] If he did it, he would go crazy, so he was careful. But he would justmit it again simply like this? Karnak calmed her down. [Are you okay? Because I have spare time.] [That¡¯s why I heard it¡¯s being saved for a real emergency!] [You look desperate right now.] Serati gnashed her teeth. It felt sobering. Up until now, she was only worried about Tarman¡¯s safety, but now it was her own problem. ¡®I have to win! Never lose!¡¯ Serati¡¯s momentum had changed. Twice was okay? Where was the guarantee that it was true? That was what someone she couldn¡¯t trust said! ¡®If I lose here, I might be a psychopath!¡¯ Fighting heated up like a sharp de, and a surprising resolution lingered throughout the body. Due to her sudden change of attack, Durald¡¯splexion also changed. ¡°What, what is it? Aren¡¯t you usually determined?¡± ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? Serati fought desperately and fought again. ¡°Taat! Haap!¡± Until now, it was just ¡®desperate¡¯ in an idiomatic sense, but now it is a situation where life was really at stake. Didn¡¯t going crazy means losing her life? ¡°There¡¯s no way that person will take care of a useless member of the family!¡± Considering the personality of Karnak that she had seen so far, the possibility of throwing her away was very high! ¡°Aaaaaaa!¡± In front of that formidable fighting spirit, even Durald could not move as leisurely as before. ¡®Why did it suddenly change like this!¡¯ Thanks to that, the situation that had been crowded turned into a close match. Serati and Durald exchanged fighting swords fiercely without being pushed back even an inch. Kahhhhhhh! Still, the odds of winning were slim. The battle was barely maintained, but not to the extent of overturning the victory or defeat. At this rate, he would eventually be pushed back by her. ¡®Aaaaaaa¡­¡­¡¯ As he wielded the fighting sword, Serati¡¯splexion turned pale. ¡®Am I going to lose my body again like this, am I?¡¯ For a moment, she thought that wouldn¡¯t be too bad. In fact, she thought many times that she wanted to feel that sensation again. ¡®No! Wake up, Serati! This kind of thinking itself was dangerous!¡¯ It was then. [You don¡¯t need n P?] Karnak¡¯s rxed voice came through the magic message. [I¡¯ll win if it¡¯s that way.] Barros had a simr reaction. [I know, right. It¡¯s worth working hard.] Serati was taken aback. ¡®I¡¯m winning?¡¯ Why did they think they would win? She was in a situation where she couldn¡¯t see the answer at all! ¡°What do you mean by saying that rolling is rewarding?¡± She was so confused about the drive. Inadvertently, Serati¡¯s fighting sword pierced through Durald¡¯s offensive attack. Even Serati herself couldn¡¯t understand why she moved like that¡­¡­. ¡°Gah!¡± Durald freaked out and backed away. All of a sudden, her attack exquisitely aimed at the gap where she changed her stance. Thank to this, the tense battle flew waspletely broken. ¡°Uh?¡± While embarrassed, Serati immediatelyunched a counterattack. The red aura burrowed like a snake and aimed at Durald in all directions. After being pushed back once, Durald¡¯s movements also slowed dramatically. He frantically stepped back and gnashed his teeth. ¡°Sheesh, did you have a lot?¡± ¡®¡­¡­What can I do?¡¯ The head was confused, but the body steadily carried out the next movement. Serati¡¯s consecutive stabs aimed at Durald¡¯s left side. This time, the fighting sword exquisitely pierced Durald¡¯s defense. ¡°¡­¡­Uh?¡± A stepter, she realized what she had done. ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± This was it. The reason why Barros, who had not even awakened to fighting spirit, was able to y with Serati, an Aura user. No matter how strong and fast an offensive attack could beunched, the movement of taking the starting point of the offensive cannot be elerated. So, what she had to aim for was not the flying de or Durald¡¯s body wielding the sword. It was the ¡®intention¡¯ of Durald himself who wielded the sword. ¡®This was it¡­¡­.¡¯ After gaining enlightenment, Serati¡¯s movements became more flexible. The fighting sword drew a circle as neatly as water flows, attacking all sides of Durald. In the meantime, he still had doubts¡­¡­ ¡°Uh?¡± She questioned herself and got an answer at the same time. ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± Durald, on the other hand, was mad. ¡®What is this?¡¯ If it was easy, the opponent would suddenly say ¡®aaaaaaa¡¯, and it became strangely strong. ¡®What is it? Is it an order? Or is it witchcraft?¡¯ Why was there a bizarre counterattacking along with that grotesque sound? Again, Serati¡¯s fighting sword prated the offensive. ¡°Uh?¡± If he managed to kick it away, a series of blows would follow that he could neither hit nor avoid. ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± Blood began to spurt all over his new body. It was an injury caused by spection that even a vampire¡¯s body could not handle. ¡®This can¡¯t be!¡¯ His arrogant face crumpled mercilessly. ¡®This can¡¯t be!¡¯ Despair began to bloom in the face of the fallen knight. ¡®Tesnarak has given me new strength!¡¯ Exploding all spection, Durald raised his sword above his head. Disregarding his own safety, he delivered a fatal blow. It was a willing attitude. ¡°Kuaaa!¡± Seeing that, Serati was impressed. ¡®Wow, so shameless!¡± ¡®You die, and I die! But I¡¯m a vampire, so I won¡¯t die anyway!¡¯ If she tried to find a loophole here like before, one arm would fly away. So, should she back off? Does she have to give up on winning? In an instant, her eyes narrowed. ¡®Why?¡¯ It didn¡¯t seem necessary. ¡®I¡¯m a member of the evil necromancer¡¯s family right now, right?¡¯ Thanks to bing a member of his household, he regained her severed arms. ¡®Then can¡¯t you give me an arm? That human will put it back on anyway!¡¯ With a cold smile, she stepped forward. At the same time, a sharp fighting sword shed horizontally. Both sides disregarded their own safety, and it was a crazy shing sh. Wow! The difference between winning and losing. Durald¡¯s red de is half-embedded in Serati¡¯s right arm, spraying blood¡­¡­. Dip, drip, drip¡­¡­¡­. At the same time, her de urately cut through the opponent¡¯s throat. Awesome! With an eerie sound, Durald¡¯s head shot up into the air. Chapter 59 Chapter 59 ¨C Territory of the ck God (6) A severed head rises into the air. And soon, it fell to the ground and rolled around. An airy groan escaped from between sharp fangs. ¡°Turn off, turn off¡­¡­¡± The body of the owner, Durald, slowly knelt down. Karnak, who was watching, smiled. [Serati also had a good sense, right? She made good use of the situation.] [Although it¡¯s also because the other person acted foolishly.] Durald¡¯s judgment was too sloppy. If he had be a vampire and transcended regenerative powers, he should have moved more reliably. Serati¡¯s arm should have beenpletely cut off, regardless of whether his throat was cut or not. [If that was the case, the whole head would not have been cut off.] It must have stopped in a half-cut state, and it could be restored with the vampire¡¯s regenerative power. [Or give up your arms from the beginning, like when you were a human, and protect your neck.] They would have both retreated without much damage if that were the case. [You should have made it clear whether you act like a human or a vampire.] [It¡¯s been a while since I became a vampire, so that¡¯s possible.] After Durald fell, the fate of the other vampires did notst long. Although they struggled like a fanatic, in the end, they sprinkled blood on the ground one by one. ¡°Aaah!¡± ¡°Aaaagh!¡± As soon as thest one was decapitated, Alice rushed to Serati. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of your injuries first, Miss Serati!¡± The wound on her arm was deep but not to the point of requiring amputation. As Alice¡¯s healing technique unfolded, the wound soon healed, and the pain subsided. Of course, it would take more time to be cured, but it was beyond the level that it would interfere with movement. After moving her arm, Serati thanked her. ¡°Thank you, Priest Alice.¡± ¡°We¡¯re rather grateful. If only we hade, we would have been harmed.¡± Really, if only the three of them hade, they would have be ghosts in the wilderness. Because they never imagined that such a powerful vampire would exist. Tarman moved with a stiff face. Durald, with only his head remaining, was still groaning silently. ¡°Ugh, uh uh¡­..?¡± He had no lungs, so he couldn¡¯t even make a sound, and even then, he couldn¡¯t even die. The power of darkness was still keeping him alive. ¡°Not yet. I¡¯m not dead yet!¡± Tarman stretched out his hand, drawing out his normal magic. ¡°Yes, he is not dead.¡± A sh of white light hit Durald¡¯s head directly. ¡°I¡¯m not dead, though.¡± An intense chill threw the severed head away into ashes. ¡°With this, we have secured evidence of the Count¡¯s crimes.¡± Tarman smiled eerily as he lifted his head into the air with his telekinesis magic. ¡°Please contact headquarters, Miss Alice. All preparations to punish the Vrend family have beenpleted.¡± ¡°Yes, chief.¡± ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? Three days after the battle to the death, Count Vrend just past noon. A group of about 100 armed men surrounded the castle and were conducting a massacre. ¡°Catch them all!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t miss a single one!¡± Heavily armed soldiers roam the castle. And those who attacked were punished mercilessly. Servants died. ¡°Aagh!¡± Even the maids died. ¡°Aagh!¡± There was no hesitation in the hands of the soldiers. The servants and maids who attacked were by no means ordinary human beings. They all show more than human movements with their fangs exposed and their red eyes full of menacing voices glistening. Under the darkness of the castle covered by thick curtains, they sneaked around and swung their sharp ws at the soldiers. ¡°Kyaaaaa!¡± ¡°Kyaaaaaagh!¡± Even so, it was the width of the vampires who fell. Although not as strong as the King¡¯s Order, the soldiers were also elite soldiers with solid bones in battle. The number was muchrger, and it was broad daylight. ¡°In the name of the goddess!¡± ¡°Punish the evil one!¡± Even if the curtains were opened, sunlight would hit the vampires directly. In the first ce, at the point where the battle was fought in broad daylight, the power of vampires was severely cut. ¡°Aagh!¡± In front of the soldiers¡¯ offense, the Count copsed terribly. Even the knights that the Brandt family was proud of were useless now. They were just watching the situation from outside the castle. ¡°Unbelievable¡­¡­.¡± Infamous Scans Trantor: Anom Proofreader: Orange Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/D28kQrftFe ¡°The Count¡­¡­.¡± The current situation was unbelievable to those who knew nothing, knights and soldiers who had nothing to do with the power of darkness or the Dark Church. But they couldn¡¯t help but believe it. The ¡®living head¡¯ of Durald¡¯s justice, put forward by the King¡¯s Order, was clear evidence that the Earl of Vrend was allying with the cult. No, most of all, weren¡¯t vampires rampaging right in front of your eyes? No proof was more definitive than what they saw with their own two eyes. ¡°To think that our castle was a cultist¡¯s den¡­¡­¡± With the loyalty of his subordinates and the protection of the Dark Church gone, there were not many paths for Count Vrend to choose. Other than sitting in the chair of the castle lord, fixing the de and gazing into space with empty eyes. ¡°Tesnarak, please look down¡­¡­¡± It was only after the castle was fully upied that the body of the Count who hadmitted suicide was found. But Tarman wanted more. Not all of the count¡¯s sins were caught yet. ¡°Find the son of the count! Not a single seed of sin can be left behind!¡± ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? Two men and a small boy ran outside the castle in a forest. ¡°Hurry up, Young Master!¡± ¡°You never know when they¡¯lle after you!¡± The priest of Tesnarak, a necromancer who served the Church of the ck God, pampered the boy. But the boy¡¯s pace only slowed them down. He was too weak in the first ce. Even if he became a vampire, he barely regained the physical strength of his normal peers. Besides, it was broad daylight now. Although he covered himself with a thick robe and used necromancy to block the sunlight, it also had an effect. ¡°Hah hah hah¡­¡­¡± Even as he moved through the forest¡¯s shadows as much as he could, his breathing became increasingly rapid. His whole body was also damp with sweat. The boy gritted his teeth in the burning pain of the sunlight. It wasn¡¯t night. The skin cracked, and blood was seeping out. ¡®Father¡­¡­.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t forgive them. He could never forgive. He would surely take revenge. In the name of the great Tesnarak, this grudge must be avenged! The boy¡¯s resolve was not fulfilled. It was because three shadows appeared from the other side of the forest. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ming here too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really amazing. How did you figure this all out, Master Karnak?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? I can see it if I just look at it. What¡¯s the hardest thing about tracking it when the traces remain intact?¡± It was Karnak¡¯s party that had separated from Tarman¡¯s party and pursued them separately. Karnak cracked a spoon andughed sinisterly. ¡°Huh, shall we hunt for prey then? Please, Serati.¡± It was a truly evil smile. Clicking her tongue inwardly, Serati threw herself. ¡°Yes, yes.¡± The necromancers hurriedly tried to counterattack, but it was to no avail. At that moment, Karnak snapped his finger. ¡°Who let you use necromancy?¡± With a click, a ck shadow enveloped the two, suppressing all their power. The astonished necromancers shouted. ¡°Were you also a necromancer?¡± ¡°How can someone who uses the power of darkness try to defy Tesnarak!¡± ¡°Oh, but do they know anything about Tesnarak? That¡¯s good.¡± There was absolutely no reason to keep them alive since he intended to extract information through the darkness of the end anyway. Serati¡¯s fighting sword shed two shes. The necks of the necromancers flew off at once. ¡°It¡¯s big¡­¡­¡± ¡°Really big¡­¡­¡± All that was left now was a young boy who was trembling. Looking at the young Count, Serati put on a sorrowful expression. ¡°Even such a young boy¡­¡­¡± She knew that kid was a vampire. She also knew that she had be an existence that would never be forgiven, having extended his life with the wrong power of darkness. However, she was also reluctant to kill a child. ¡°Young Count, you are innocent, but¡­¡­¡± It was time for her to raise her sword, hardening her determination. ¡°What are you doing without killing, Miss Serati?¡± With a calm voice, Barros cut the boy¡¯s throat. ¡°Ah?¡± It was so easy to kill that he couldn¡¯t even feel the reality for a moment. Serati, staggered, stuttered. ¡°No, that, that easily¡­¡­¡± ¡°Why? Did he have something to do? If you have any questions, ask the young master. Will you use necromancy to find out?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± She sighed. She thought they had be quite close, but when they encounter situations like this, they get a keen sense of what kind of people they were. ¡°It¡¯s just that I feel like a viin.¡± The two abnormal guys tilted their heads in front of amon sense reaction. ¡°Eh? Is that so?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we doing good, Barros?¡± ¡°I thought so too.¡± Serati didn¡¯t bother asking further. ¡°No, good work.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it? Surprised. I thought you didn¡¯t act like a human again.¡± Relieved Karnak pointed his finger at the decapitated corpse. ¡°Burn them all.¡± Roaring! Three bodies were engulfed in mes in an instant. The sight of human figures burning was truly terrifying. Terrified, Serati shouted. ¡°Now, wait! Why are you burning the body?¡± Karnak replied calmly. ¡°If left alone, the darkness of the end they possess must be returned to the Church, right? We must erase the traces.¡± This time, even Barros was puzzled. ¡°Did you mean to say that you couldn¡¯t find them from the beginning and take care of all the darkness of the end?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Why?¡± So far, Karnak had not been very greedy for the darkness of the end. What he wanted was the information contained within it, but the authority itself was passed on to the church without any regrets. It was obvious that he had to raise hismanding power anyway. Because to live like a human, it was best to develop pure chaos magic. However, as before, he began to be greedy formand power. Barros stopped Karnak , he still wanted to know why he was doing it. ¡°Young master? We promised to live like human beings, didn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even want to go back to being a skull bowl¡­¡­.¡± Pulling out all the darkness of the end, Karnak hardened hisplexion. ¡°That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t even save myself while building up my strength. The situation was serious.¡± Serati blinked. ¡°Serious?¡± Of course, she admitted that the current situation was serious. The darkness of the end was polluting the continent, an unknown cult was growing in power, and above all, an unknown being called Tesnarak had appeared. However, this was a fact she already knew, and it was after Karnak made the decision to move ordingly. But suddenly his attitude changed. ¡°Has something seriously wrong happened?¡± ¡°Yeah. Because of that guy named Durald.¡± Nodding his head, Karnak closed all the darkness. ¡°A guy called Straf is also a problem.¡± The expressions of Barros and Serati grew even more suspicious. ¡°Straf, though¡­¡­¡± ¡°Durald?¡± ¡°That bastard, you didn¡¯t count that much, did you, young master?¡± ¡°I struggled a bit, but it was at a level I could handle.¡± Karnak sighed. ¡°They don¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Sure?¡± He turned away since the work here was taken care of, they had to join Tarman¡¯s party. As he moved his steps, Karnak muttered quietly. ¡°The real problem is how they came to be¡­¡­.¡± Chapter 60 Chapter 60 ¨C The Hunt of the Wise Cultist Karnak and his party, which dealt with the Count Vrend case, officially joined the King¡¯s Order. Normally, they would have to go through two more apprenticeships, but Tarman¡¯s evaluation was so good that Erantel¡¯s leader recognized them right away. Afterward, they were assigned to the 4th Battalion and handled various cases, and continued to achieve results. Three months went like that. Now, Karnak¡¯s party was trusted enough to take on the task of eradicating the cult on their own. ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? Located in the western part of the Yusteel Kingdom, the Relzebet Mountains divided the northern part of the continent from north to south. Hundreds of herds were gathered in the depths of this rugged mountain range adjacent to the Laceanian Empire. Most of them were ordinary peasants, and more than half of them were children, women, and the elderly. The weak gathered to light a bonfire and offered sincere prayers. ¡°Take care of us¡­¡­¡± ¡°Look upon yourmbs¡­¡­¡± The images of them running away from oppression and sneaking into this deste mountain, holding on to a feeble hope and offering prayers, looked truly sincere. It was a problem because they were too faithful. An old man full of faith raised his hands, ¡°ept the offering!¡±And he approached the campfire with the baby in his arms. ¡°A bloody offering to you!¡± All of them were cultists following the Order of the ck God. Filled with madness, people raise their voices. ¡°This is the affliction that Tesnarak brings upon us¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Only those who pass the test will knock on the door of paradise!¡± The child¡¯s cries grew louder. The fanatics¡¯ prayers grew even louder. Finally, the old man stood in front of the campfire. Just as the baby in the hands of the old man was about to be thrown into the fire¡­¡­ ¡°Mad people!¡± A ray of red light flew from outside the fortress along with a sharp cry. A sh of light shattered the campfire in one blow, sending sparks flying in all directions. Kwaaang! At the same time as the explosion, a woman flew through the fortress wall. Beneath the fluttering red hair, a brilliantly shining red fighting sword appeared. The fanatics were startled and scattered in all directions. ¡°The King¡¯s Order!¡± ¡°Oh my god! They were disbelievers in the kingdom!¡± The bonfire where the sacrifice was to be made was gone. Not knowing what to do, the old man panicked while holding the baby. ¡°This, no¡­¡­ This will make your consciousness¡­¡­.¡± Taking advantage of that gap, the woman approached the old man. Soon after kicking the old man, he immediately snatched the baby out of the air. So gracefully, she let out a sigh of relief after epting the baby without any shock. ¡°Yes, yes, child. It¡¯s fine now.¡± Seeing the womanforting the baby, the old man began to weep. ¡°Like the dogs of the evil goddess!¡± Stunned, the woman burst outughing. ¡°Evil? Who do you think the guys who tried to throw the baby into the fire were evil?¡± The old man¡¯s attitude did not change. He had no doubts that the woman who interrupted the sacred ceremony was a sinner of the Heavenly High Court. ¡°You really are a foolish unbeliever who is seduced by lies! Do you believe that only what you see is the truth?¡± ¡°It¡¯s dazzling and nasty, so throwing a child into the fire isn¡¯t a bad thing? What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Behind the back of the woman holding the baby, the sound of a horn can be heard over the fortress walls. Boo woo woo! After that, the walls copsed, and soldiers began to rush in. They were elite soldiers led by the kingdom¡¯s judges, the King¡¯s Order. ¡°Advance soldiers of the kingdom, punish those who betray humanity!¡± ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? Screams echoed from all directions. It was the scream of cultists being killed by soldiers. ¡°Aaaagh!¡± ¡°Mother¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Dear Tesnarak¡­¡­¡± Most of them were simple peasants. They had never experiencedbat before, so there was no way they couldpete with elite soldiers. It was truly a brutal massacre. However, the expression on the soldiers¡¯ faces was not so agitated. ¡°Really, cultists¡­¡­.¡± ¡°They are really crazy people.¡± All of these had already been seen outside the fort. These naive peasants had woven countless piles of corpses into wooden poles as offerings to the ck God. Being naive didn¡¯t mean being good. No, because they were naive, they could fall into evil even more easily. ¡°The evil species that should not be left alive!¡± The swords of the enraged soldiers had no hesitation. Most of the cultists were driven out helplessly. As they died, they cried out to the gods and priests they believed in and followed. ¡°Hey Tesnarak!¡± ¡°Palestil!¡± ¡°Where are you, Darion!¡± The priests of the ck god, the dark necromancers, whom they cried out so much for, could not protect the church members. Because another opponent already blocked them. Infamous Scans Trantor: Anom Proofreader: Orange Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/D28kQrftFe ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? A two-story wooden building located deep inside the fort. Inside the building, two necromancers were confronting three men and women: a young ck-haired wizard, a rugged blonde knight, and a young-looking priest woman. Looking at the young wizard among them, the necromancers trembled. ¡°kheaaaagh¡­¡­.¡± ¡°How did the King¡¯s Order find this ce¡­¡­¡± Even though they obviously moved covertly, they found their tracks too easily. And it was so easy to track it down, and so easily it came to this beech. They didn¡¯t understand. ¡°How on earth?¡± ¡°By what means?¡± This question was not only felt by necromancers. The same was true of Milia, a second-ss inquisitor who participated in this mission as the King¡¯s Order and a priest of the sun goddess Ratiel. ¡°How on earth did you find it so easily, Lord Karnak?¡± Karnak¡¯s behavior, she saw waspletely iprehensible. It was not about gathering information, it was not about dissolving a tracking party. After arriving at the mountain range, all they had to do was take a quick look at the mountain range. ¡°Let¡¯s just go there.¡± She was dumbfounded, but she did as she was told, but when she got there, there really was a hideout of cultists? Karnak looked back at Milia and said soothingly. ¡°You¡¯re not in a situation where you¡¯re chatting leisurely right now, are you? I¡¯ll let you knowter.¡± That was absolutely right. Convinced, Millia focused again on the necromancer in front of her. ¡°I see. Punishing them is the priority now.¡± Of course, Barros knew the truth. [What excuse are you going to make, young master?] [I have to deal with them first and think about itter. It¡¯s tiring to make excuses every time.] Just then, a red-haired woman entered the building. It was Serati who joinedter after entrusting the rescued baby to another soldier. ¡°How¡¯s the outside, Serati?¡± ¡°The resistance is quite strong, but there won¡¯t be much damage.¡± She looked back at Millia and asked politely. ¡°Still, there may be injuries, so Priest Milia, please take care of the soldiers.¡± ¡°Yes? But to deal with the necromancer, I have to be a priest¡­¡­.¡± Karnak added softly to the bewildered Milia. ¡°Soldiers¡¯ lives are as precious as anyone else¡¯s. Since we can deal with them alone, shouldn¡¯t we give priority to saving precious lives?¡± Milia was impressed. ¡®You value the lives of soldiers more than your ownfort!¡¯ Indeed, it was the appearance of a nobleman worthy of being imitated. Continued refusal here would rather be disrespectful to Karnak. ¡°Okay. Then, Ratiel¡¯s blessing.¡± Light flowed from Milia¡¯s body and wrapped around Karnak, Barros, and Serati. It was the blessing of the goddess to fight against the power of darkness. ¡°Then, please!¡± Millia ran out of the building to assist the soldiers. Then, the attitude of the rest changed dramatically. ¡°Ah, gone.¡± ¡°Now take this off, young master.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± For a moment, the necromancers were astonished. The power of darkness emanated from the young wizard¡¯s whole body, and didn¡¯t itpletely erase the blessing of the goddess that Millia had ced? ¡°Gah!¡± ¡°Is the King¡¯s Order the power of darkness?¡± Karnak, who erased the blessing road, trembled. ¡°Ah, this is really annoying. I can¡¯t tell you not to do it.¡± Serati had a very ufortable face. ¡°I tried my best to walk her away, but isn¡¯t it a bit like treating her as if she¡¯s dirty?¡± The necromancers in confusion drew out the power of darkness. ¡°I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re talking about¡­¡­¡± ¡°We are the bodies chosen by Tesnarak!¡± Dark blue ghostly shapes appeared around them. The souls of knights and soldiers covered in blood burst into tears. Kyaaaaaagh! It was a spirit of the wilderness, a necromancy technique that summoned the spirits of the battlefield bound by the evil thoughts of the earth. Unlike the clumsy guys he had met so far, these were necromancers who had properly mastered the wisdom of darkness. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a taste of the true power of darkness!¡± Serati was still not nervous. It was not clear what the oue would be. Indeed, the smile on Karnak¡¯s lips grew thicker. ¡°Oh, you performed the necromancy properly? You¡¯re not bad at it.¡± Thanks to that it was easier. ¡°More than ignorant bastards who know nothing and use their strength¡­¡­¡± He raised his index finger and lightly spun it in the air. ¡°On the contrary, it is much easier for those who know properly to take advantage of it.¡± As the air currents of darkness flowed backward, the summoned ghosts began to attack the necromancers in reverse. ¡°Ouch! What is this?¡± ¡°No, why don¡¯t you listen to my orders¡­¡­.¡± Soon, loud screams filled the building. ¡°Ughhhhhh!¡± ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? Karnak stretched out his right hand toward the strewn corpses of the necromancers. Keeeaaaaa¡­¡­. ck energy flowed out and permeated through the palms. ¡°Now then, I will take care of all the darkness of the end.¡± Instead of the right hand that reaped the darkness, he put out his left hand. Another darkness flowed from the left hand and permeated the corpse. ¡°You should put a dummy instead. Our Miss Millia also needs to submit something to the church.¡± It was the ¡®darkness¡¯ of Karnak, which was condensed by collecting morale from all sides. This property itself was no different from the darkness of the end. ¡°The quality is vastly different.¡± Even today¡¯s Karnak could create darkness of the end. In the first ce, if he collected morale and takgi and converted them intomand power, that was the darkness of the end. However, it would take a considerable amount of time to refine this into an actual useful power. On the other hand, what about the takgi sprayed on the corpse? He just scooped up everything he could find and condensed it. It was the same takgi, but it was not refined, so it was useless as amanding power. ¡°But from a priest¡¯s point of view, it¡¯s the same.¡± It could be likened to fake food that he would never be able to distinguish until he put it in his mouth and chewed it. ¡°But there¡¯s no way a sane priest would put this in his mouth and chew it, right?¡± Unless he was a crazy person who ate anything, he wouldn¡¯t be able to tell the difference. And the world called such a guy a necromancer. Karnak was relieved and absorbed the essence of darkness. Then, with both hands open, he began to use magic power. ¡°Now, then, separate the magic from themand¡­¡­¡± His left hand was enveloped in thick darkness. ¡°After separating chaos magic from normal magic¡­¡­¡± His right hand was enveloped in a brilliant light. ¡°If you mix this well and capture it!¡± Light and darkness disappeared at the same time. At the same time, a subtle magic power rose from his body. It was the energy of pure magical power, without feeling fraudulent or taciturn at all. Karnak put on a satisfied expression. ¡°Okay, 6th circle done.¡± [To be continued.] Chapter 61 Chapter 61 ¨C The Hunt of the Wise Cultist (2) Karnak smiled as he checked his normal magic. ¡°Not bad.¡± Until not long ago, he only possessed the magic power of the 4th circle. He raised it to the 6th circle quickly because he changed the method. Instead of lowering the purity of chaos magic by refining 100% of puremand power as safely as possible, this significantly increased the power amplification rate. The remaining sorcery and fraud were covered and hidden as if coating sugar on the medicine written by operating chaos magic separately. Even if he did this, it was still just ordinary magic power from the outside, so there was no need to worry about his identity being discovered. Even so, Barros still seemed worried. ¡°Ah, are you really allowed to do something so dangerous?¡± There was a reason Karnak hadn¡¯t taken that approach so far. ¡°Hasn¡¯t it exceeded the level that can be digested with chaos magic?¡± Karnak, who had just returned, stayed away from cheating and deceiving as much as possible and devoted himself only to turning allmand power into chaos magic. Compared to ordinary people, it could be said that it was an act of taking care of health by choosing only healthy foods. Then things got a little strange, and he slightly increased themand power reserve. This was simr to the act of gaining weight by overeating and then raising the weight ss first. As for muscle, the increase rate was higher when there was some amount of fat in the body. This would put on some weight, but it would increase his strength. However, what he was doing now was close to an act of gaining weight by recklessly eating too much food to the point that it was difficult to digest. It might be fine right now, but if he threw it away at a certain point, he would be highly obese. This state of extreme obesity caused by death power is ¡®undead¡¯. If he went to a state where he couldn¡¯t turn back at all, you would bepletely undead. Of course, it was just a matter of stopping before reaching the limit. Karnak said he had no intention of going there either. But¡­¡­. ¡°You said that in your previous life and ended up being a skull gourd!¡± ¡°So did I tell you?¡± Karnak made an impression. ¡°It¡¯s not a situation to be moderately saved, now.¡± ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? In the Battle of Trist City against Bishop Straf, Karnak was not very rmed about the situation. Unexpectedly strong enemies might appear, so It was about to do aparison. However, after meeting Durald, he realized that this was not an ordinary problem. After solving the Count Vrend case, Karnak returned to the capital and exined the matter to Barros and Serati. ¡°You know what Straf and Durald both have inmon, right?¡± Straf, who was a priest, maintained the divine power of the goddess even after bing a necromancer. While Durald, who was an aura user, was also able to emit spection called life force even though he became a vampire. ¡°Ah, of course, I know¡­¡­¡± Barros tilted his head. ¡°Is that such a big deal?¡± Straf, who became a necromancer, rarely used sacred arts because the necromancy arts he had in his hands were so powerful. Although the divine power remained, it did not have a significant effect. Serati also had an ambiguous expression on her face. ¡°Lord Durald was also great, but isn¡¯t that what you would call serious?¡± Even after bing a vampire, he did not lose his ability as an aura user, so he got stronger. But even so, in the end, didn¡¯t he lose to Serati? Obtaining the power of darkness did not mean he became an invincible force. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s something I barely won, but¡­¡­ I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any reason for Master Karnak to be so serious, right?¡± Sufficiently serious events were already unfolding all over the world, such as the darkness of the end and the unknown God of Destruction. Karnak also nodded. ¡°Yes, Durald itself is not a problem at all. So did Bishop Straf.¡± In an instant, hisplexion hardened. ¡°The fact that they haven¡¯t lost their sacred power is a serious thing.¡± The energies of the world did not mix. Fighting spirit, magical power, divine power, andmand power, if someone mastered one, he had to give up the other fields. This wasmon sense and the truth so far. Infamous Scans Trantor: Anom Proofreader: Orange Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/D28kQrftFe ¡°But thatmon sense is broken. By using the darkness of the end, wizards can learn necromancy, and Aura users can also be members of the darkness.¡± Barros tilted his head. ¡°It was possible in the first ce, right?¡± The wizard who learned necromancy was Arch Lich, and the Aura user who had be a member of darkness was Death Knight. ¡°You¡¯ve done as much as you can, so why do you care so much?¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t understand.¡± Sighing, Karnak suddenly asked a question. ¡°Have you ever thought about it? Why are there so few necromancers in the world?¡± Serati asked with a tone if she had to even think about it. ¡°I have to do all sorts of evil things, and I get ostracized from the world, but isn¡¯t it strange that there are many of them?¡± ¡°Yes, it is. By the way¡­¡­¡± Suddenly, a cold smile appeared on Karnak¡¯s lips. ¡°Are you good enough to give up immortality and mighty power just because you¡¯re evil and rejected by the world?¡± If someone learned necromancy, he could easily gain power. He could be much stronger than others. When he reached the realm, he could dream of immortality and overcame all kinds of physical obstacles. Necromancy was the power of darkness that made even impossible things possible under thews of the goddess. He could get that power if he just gave up morality and ethics and abandoned human duty. ¡°Even so, very few people want to learn necromancy.¡± Was this really because there were very few people who were evil enough to even learn necromancy? The reason why a sorcerer nearing death from old age, a soldier who had lost a part of his body and could no longer hold a sword, and a priest who had a disease that could not be cured even with the grace of the goddess did not touch love was that their souls were upright and beautiful? ¡°There are more practical reasons than that.¡± ¡®The energies of the world did not mix.¡¯ This major premise was the greatest deterrent to increasing the number of necromancers. ¡°Let¡¯s say there is a great wizard who has reached the ultimate level. And when he grew old, he feared death.¡± Death could be dyed by using necromancy like bing a vampire or learning other necromancy skills to be a necromancer and regaining your youth. But at that moment, he was no longer the Archmage. ¡°Because you¡¯ll lose all the magic you¡¯ve built up in your life.¡± Be a rookie vampire at the level of a third-rate bounty hunter or a poor necromancer who trembled even with a single priest. ¡°It¡¯s the same with Aura users.¡± Even if he were one of the four great kings who woulde to the world, the moment he gave up his aura and got hismanding power, he would be able to use his sword well. So, for the archmage to obtain immortality without losing his power, he had no choice but to be an archlich. Only when he abandoned his living body and became a being that flowed with darkness instead of blood could he maintain his current level. ¡°Even in the case of an Aura user, you can¡¯t maintain yourself.¡± This was the case with the former kings who became Death Knights due to Karnak. Even after they became Death Knights, they changed their auras to dark arts and maintained their existing abilities, but in return, they lost themselves and became puppets serving the King of Death. What was the difference between this and death? ¡°Necromancy isn¡¯t a very attractive option for the truly strong. You have to throw away everything you¡¯ve built up and start over.¡± Even that bottom was not simply a young and weak state, but a cursed life ostracized by the whole world. One could not regain his original power. He would have to live only as a necromancer. However, one¡¯s lifetime experience was also useful as it didn¡¯t disappear. ¡°Topare, instead of giving the old man his youth back, he took away his lifelong wealth and index and threw them away in a slum. Is that the same saying?¡± Necromancy had been a weapon of the weak for generations. Those who had nothing more to lose anyway, who wanted to win what they wanted regardless of means and methods, even abandoning race and duty, or those who had nothing more to lose, had their hands on the necromancy technique of taboos among taboos. ¡°On the other hand, the vested interests weren¡¯t so greedy for the power of darkness. It is of no use to those who already have the power but how to destroy the world. It¡¯s just to get dirty.¡± What if there was a way to use necromancy while maintaining the existing power? There was a possibility of bing stronger and even achieving immortality just by giving up one¡¯s conscience, morals, and ethics. What if? ¡°Oh my god¡­¡­.¡± Barros¡¯plexion turned pale. Only then did he truly realize the meaning of Karnak¡¯s words. ¡°You mean that the strong of this era can be enemies.¡± So far, Karnak had not regarded the strong men of this era as enemies. Rather, he thought of him as a reliable ally. Because he had no intention of bing a road necromancer. The only potential enemies they were wary of were those involved in the Darkness of the End, but as long as the opponent used necromancy. Karnak was not much of a threat. ¡°But if necromancy and conventional energy are mixed, all these premises copse.¡± As in the case of Straf, when other energies and necromancy werebined, they caused strange phenomena beyond Karnak¡¯s knowledge. If priests, wizards, or aura users mastered necromancy without losing their power, they could not be easily fooled by their previous experiences. ¡°It bes a situation where you don¡¯t know if a certain old strongman will transform into a necromancer ande out. Oh, of course, there¡¯s no way even the three great wizards or the four great kings can get their hands on necromancy, but¡­¡­¡± ¡°Still, there must be quite a lot of strong people who are fascinated by necromancy. I can see why the young master is worried.¡± It was an expression that was understood not only by Barros but also Serati. ¡°I can understand why the Church of the ck God was able to increase its power so frighteningly unlike other cults.¡± Karnak¡¯s eyes shone fiercely. ¡°Until now, I thought it would be enough to just be a high-level wizard. But that would change the story.¡± He needed to increase his strength as much as possible. Even in the worst situation, he needed to be strong enough to keep his body healthy. Looking into his eyes, Serati asked. ¡°What is the standard for keeping one¡¯s body healthy?¡± This Karnak was so puzzled by human standards that he couldn¡¯t help but worry. ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re not saying you¡¯re going back to being the old Death King, are you?¡± Of course, he also had no intention of giving up his living body. ¡°I n to increase my magic power as much as possible while maintaining my human nature.¡± ¡°How much is that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Karnak shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s a road I¡¯ve never walked before. How would I know now?¡± ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? The news of Karnak¡¯s rise to the 6th Circle shook the entire King¡¯s Order. ¡°Already?¡± ¡°Surely, didn¡¯t you say you were at the end of the 4th circle just a few months ago?¡± The level had risen dramatically in a very short period. It was an incredible growth rate. So, Karnak also worked hard to prepare an excuse. Originally, he self-studied with only one magic book in his family, right? Then, aftering to the capital and bing the King¡¯s Order, he encountered a lot of magical knowledge and wisdom. The realm of magic rose so rapidly! In fact, there was a magic guild library in the capital of the kingdom, and thanks to the authority of the King¡¯s Order, Karnak¡¯s reading rights were also high. As an excuse, he was deliberately going to the library whenever he had free time. This was to avoid any suspicion. There was no way that there wouldn¡¯t be anyone who would suspect that necromancy was involved. However, when he opened the lid, his expectations werepletely different. No one suspected anything. No one associated him with the necromancer. Why? Because there was no precedent. The energies of the world did not mix. Of course, there was no such thing as a wizard using necromancy to increase magical power. It was enough to abandon the power of magic and be a more powerful necromancer. Of course, that kind of thing was happening now, but it was just a recent situation. ording to the existing perception, there was no reason to associate Karnak¡¯s development with necromancy. So everyone judged ording to precedent. ¡°You¡¯re a genius from heaven!¡± ¡°Is it just that I haven¡¯t been able to learn properly because I¡¯ve been shut up in the countryside?¡± ¡°Maybe there will finally be an archmage in our kingdom!¡± ¡°It is truly Yusteel¡¯s red suit!¡± Among those who were gifted with natural talent, it was not umon for them to show such progress in their youth. Usually, such geniuses became great wizardster, or they just stayed where they were, hearing that young geniuses were just old criminals. ¡°What is it? You were worried for nothing?¡± Without any problems, Karnak was recognized as a high-ranking mage. In addition, he had an unexpected sess. Erantel and the existing captains who highly valued Karnak raised his status. Karnak was now the captain of the 7th Battalion of the King¡¯s Order and was in charge of a new battalion. ¡°You¡¯ve seeded, young master.¡± ¡°There is no reason for me to be happy about something like this now, but¡­¡­¡± Karnak grinned. He was happy for another reason. ¡°It¡¯s nice to have a much easier time dealing with the cultists.¡± [To be continued.] Chapter 62 Chapter 62 ¨C The Hunt of the Wise Cultist (3) Even after taking over the 7th Battalion, Karnak¡¯s reputation continued to rise. It was because of his superior performancepared to other King¡¯s Orders. Taking on a single case took a long time for other battalions. Of course, there were cases where they ended quickly, as in the case of Count Vrend, but due to their duties, that was close to bad luck, so it was not something to be liked. It was because the opponent attacked first and luckily seeded in counterattacking. However, Karnak caught the cultists very quickly. Besides, the information was also well extracted. And based on that information, it was easy to clean up. So, in the beginning, some people suspected he was a cultist spy. However, after reading the report, such doubts were also dismissed. ording to the report, this was also done through diligent spection and interrogation. It was just that he was better at reasoning than others and was good at extracting information through torture and then determining the truth. Naturally, Barros snorted. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just that you know the answer first and adjust the situation, so you must be seen as having excellent reasoning skills.¡± Serati¡¯s reaction was equally as surprised. ¡°You¡¯ve never been interrogated before.¡± All he did was kill him, call his soul with necromancy, and force him to blow information. Karnak was proud. ¡°Even if you go to Moro, it¡¯s the destination, but it¡¯s enough if you arrive safely, what?¡± In any case, the apostle hunt was progressing steadily. Even after Karnak became captain, he took on five more cultist charges and dealt with them admirably. It was no exaggeration to say that everything was going smoothly. However, Karnak was feeling dissatisfied. ¡°This, spiritual achievements are not there?¡± ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? Asura is a border fortress located in the southeastern part of the Yutseel Kingdom. A scream echoed from the basement of the tower located in the center of the fortress. ¡°Aaaaaagh!¡± Ratiel¡¯s priest, Milia, who was hanging around at the entrance to the basement, shuddered. ¡°Aaaaaaaaa¡­¡­¡± She knew it in her head. To protect the kingdom¡¯s subjects, they had to interrogate the cultists to obtain information. And that torture was inevitably necessary in the process. Considering the crimes theymitted, it was no different from a reasonable punishment. Still, she couldn¡¯t help but shudder whenever she heard a scream. ¡°Aaaagh!¡± Fortunately, Captain Karnak did not allow Milia to participate in the interrogation process. He was considerate of her, who was still young and even a woman. ¡®As expected, the captain is a good person.¡¯ Deeply grateful to Karnak, Milia walked away from the basement. Like a dutiful priest, she muttered a final prayer for the cultists. ¡®Ratiel, grant the rest of the atonement to that sinful soul.¡¯ ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? In a dark cer, where swaying candles gave off a faint glow, Karnak sat at a table in one corner of the basement, busy filling out paperwork. This cultist hunt was a report to submit to the King¡¯s Order. A groan was heard from the other side. ¡°Hah,haaa¡­¡­.¡± The man, covered in blood all over, was tied up and hung. He was a captured necromancer. In front of him, Barros sat down on a chair and made a bored expression, then stabbed him with a knife from time to time. ¡°Huh huh, haaaaa¡­¡­.¡± He was tortured so severely that even though he had been stabbed with a knife, only faint screams came out. Barros clicked his tongue. ¡°This scream is too small. Is your energy exhausted?¡± As if it was nothing, Karnak muttered. ¡°Poke and turn.¡± Indeed, after stabbing it with a knife and even digging it out, loud screams erupted. ¡°Aaaagh!¡± Serati trembled as she saw the sight of people being tortured as if it were no big deal. ¡®It¡¯s a sight I can¡¯t adapt to no matter how I look at it.¡¯ It was true that Karnak had never interrogated a cultist. The interrogation was an act to pressure the opponent into spitting out information. But that was not to say that there was no torture. The necromancer, who had been bleeding, grieved. ¡°Cha, I¡¯d rather kill¡­¡­¡± Barros replied calmly. ¡°I just want to kill quickly. Do you know if you like it?¡± They were sessful in gently coaxing Milia out of the basement, but it was not until they gave her the opportunity to do the interrogation. However, even after declining, she should have heard screams outside the basement for a while. ¡°Aaaaaaagh!¡± Serati looked away. She understood that this person was once human, too. This was only a light punishment considering the evil this person had done to others. ¡®No, is this a causal retribution? Are you crushing bad deeds with even greater evil?¡¯ However, it was a bit ambiguous to stop Karnak. Thanks to this, the cultists of the Dark Church were quickly wiped out, and many kingdom citizens who were about to be sacrificed unjustly were saved. It seemed clear that the means were wrong, but the results were outstanding. ¡®Yes, it¡¯s just their own business.¡¯ Trying to understand, she approached Karnak. He was writing down usible excuses for how he had found the cultists. Serati, feeling curious, asked. ¡°What excuse are you going to make this time?¡± Infamous Scans Trantor: Anom Proofreader: Orange Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/D28kQrftFe Instead of answering, Karnak pointed to some of the documents. When he read it, the contents were like this. [¡°One of the cultists used a forbidden technique to gain more powerful dark power. It¡¯s called ¡®The Cursed Hand¡¯, and it¡¯s an evil necromancy art that cuts off human hands, dries them, and uses them as a medium to cast curses in darkness. After luckily obtaining this, I was able to follow the trail with magic and find out their base¡­¡±] Serati, who was reading the documents, was puzzled. ¡°Cursed hands? Was there such a thing?¡± Then, Barros immediately cut off the right hand of the necromancer who was tied up. ¡°Aaaaaagh!¡± Blood gushed out with screams. Shaking off his severed right hand, he held it out without hesitation. ¡°Done, young master. A cursed hand.¡± ¡°Drain some more blood. That way it dries out well.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Serati, who had been watching, nodded in agreement. ¡°Ah, I guess you can do that.¡± And was immediately frustrated. ¡°Wait, why am I still epting such a sight?¡± Her personality seemed to have worn off quite a bit as she hung out with these non-human beings. This was why it was said that she should make friends well. That was while Serati was drowning in self-loathing. Eventually, the necromancer¡¯s breath stopped. It was blood loss due to excessive bleeding. She heard Barros¡¯ voice. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°Did he scream a lot and die?¡± ¡°Yes, young master.¡± ¡°Okay, then.¡± It was a really dull voice. Anyway, now that the ¡®pretending to interrogate¡¯ was over, it¡¯s time to get to the main point. Standing in front of the corpse, Karnak raised hismand power. It was a dark energy that could be detected by apetent cleric, but he didn¡¯t care. The necromancer who was tied up died anyway, spreading the energy of darkness everywhere. Since it was energy sourced from the darkness of the end, it had the samemanding power and attributes as Karnak. No priest would be able to tell the difference between the two unless they saw this scene in person. ¡°Now then, let¡¯s extract the information.¡± ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? Performed necromancy and summoned the spirit of a bored necromancer who had just died. And it oppressed the soul, making everything blow. It was not an easy task even for a powerful necromancer, but it was a very simple task for Karnak, who was a necromancer. ¡°Tell me everything you know about the Church of the ck God and Tesnarak, the god of death.¡± ¡°I will do as youmand, Lord of the Dead. Please do what you want¡­¡­¡± When he was alive, he was a necromancer who even rebelled, but now that he became a soul, he was just a faithful ve. He just blew all the information into pieces. But there was nothing really useful about it. Clearly, the spirit of the necromancer was sincere andpletely uttered what he knew. It was a problem because the content was like this. ¡°What is Tesnarak¡¯s true identity?¡± ¡°He is a god of destruction and darkness and a creator god who changes the world and ushers in a new order.¡± ¡°Tell us the truth that the Church of the ck God knows, not the external propagation.¡± ¡°He is a god of destruction and darkness and a creator god who changes the world and ushers in a new order.¡± ¡°Damn it, this guy really believes this too.¡± Since the captive wasn¡¯t very high-ranking in the Church of the ck God, he didn¡¯t know anything about them. Besides, when he thought about it, it wasn¡¯t particrly strange. If he held on to the priest of the 7 Goddess Church and asked the same question, do you think the answer will be significantly different? Human cognition of divine existence was limited initially to that extent. But that¡¯s only when Tesnarak was an ordinary god. ¡°A god that didn¡¯t even exist suddenly appeared. Didn¡¯t you ever think it was strange?¡± ¡°Since both death and darkness have existed since the beginning, how could a god suddenly appear? It¡¯s just that the one who existed from the beginning and the foolish human didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Oh, do you teach like that?¡± It only took too little. No one knew the truth about Tesnarak. ¡°As expected, you need to have a higher status in the cult to know the truth.¡± Thanks to catching several cultists, he was able to understand the Church of the ck God to some extent. Three chiefs governed the Dark Church. There were 6 cardinals under him, 13 archbishops, and dozens of branch heads in each region to manage the branch office. The priests of Tesnarak that he had caught so far were secretly under the branch manager. At the level of the branch manager, they hid themselves so well that even the priests of Tesnarak couldn¡¯t tell who his superiors were or where they lived. There was no case to know. Barros, watching from the side, said, ¡°At least we need to capture the branch manager so we can get useful information.¡± ¡°I know. That way, we can track it down a little higher.¡± With a disgruntled face, Karnak reaped his power. ¡°That¡¯s it. This guy has no nutritional value either.¡± The spirit of the necromancer became the dark contraption and changed into his power. ¡°Aaaaaaagh!¡± The soul that could not find rest even after death let out a final cry, but Karnak, Barros, and even Serati did not pay attention. It was not something they had seen once or twice before. With a sigh, Karnakined. ¡°I deliberately entered the King¡¯s Order, but things still aren¡¯t going well.¡± Barros also had an expression of sympathy. ¡°It would be nice if a big guy like an archbishop or a cardinal would bet on it.¡± Serati shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s the sound of a serious incident happening, but you can¡¯t hope that will happen, right? Innocent people will be sacrificed that much.¡± Then Karnak and Barros looked back at her curiously. ¡°Ah, there is such a point of view.¡± ¡°As expected, it seems like a human being to speak like that here, right?¡± ¡°I learned something good.¡± It was Serati who watched the absolutes of yesteryear as if she were pathetic. ¡°¡­¡­Is this something that I have to learn to know?¡± In any case, it was true that something big must happen. Only then would there be room to dig into the center of the cult. Karnak touched his chin. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want a really big incident to happen?¡± ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? The wish came true. The King¡¯s Order Headquarters, the office of Captain Erantel. From there, a new order was issued to Karnak and the 7th Battalion. ¡°I heard a rumor that there is a collision with the Dark Church in the capital city of Drunta.¡± Why was the leader¡¯s voice awkward? It wasn¡¯t his usual confident, dignified voice. So Karnak dared to ask. ¡°Who is the suspect?¡± ¡°So that¡¯s¡­¡­¡± Captain Erantel replied in a voice with a hint of hesitation. ¡°¡­¡­The second prince of the Yusteel Kingdom, His Highness Alford Rudan Yusteel.¡± [To be continued.] Chapter 63 Chapter 63 ¨C The Royal Family¡¯s Struggle The current king of Yusteel Kingdom, Wescott I, had two sons. They were the 1st Prince Lloyd Rudan Yusteel, who turned 20 that year, and the 2nd Prince Alford Rudan Yusteel, who was 19 years old. The two were fighting fiercely over the session to the throne. ording to the principle of the eldest son, it wasmon knowledge that the first prince, Lloyd, had to seed to the throne, but that was a bit troublesome. Originally, King Wescott I¡¯s wife was Queen Melea, a daughter of the Duke of Holler, a high-ranking aristocrat in the Kingdom of Yusteel, through an arranged marriage. She was a woman who became the queen of the sun. The rtionship between the king and queen was neither good nor bad. They were educated from a young age that they should marry a designated partner for their family. Neither of them had the personality to burn with passion, saying that they could throw everything away in front of love. For about 10 years after their marriage, as members of an ordinary royal family, they continued their married life without difficulty. The problem was that the two had no children. Having no heir in the kingdom was a pretty serious matter. Of course, the royal family, as well as the nobles, rmended that Wescott I bring in a concubine to seed the heir. Among several candidates, Kalpia from Marquess Taline¡¯s family, a family with a long history, was chosen. Queen Melea did not object too much. Her pride as a woman should have been hurt, but she had faults, so she thought it was inevitable because she couldn¡¯t give birth to a prince. Deep down, the concubine also expected that her faults would be covered if she did not have children. In this case, the one with the thickest blood in the royal family will seed to the throne But what was this? Kalpia, who became the concubine, unexpectedly had the king¡¯s child. Even three months after entering the pce, she checked and found that she was in her third month of pregnancy. It was just that the child entered right on the first night. Time passed just like that. Kalpia warmed up smoothly and gave birth to a healthy baby. It was the first prince, Lloyd. With great joy, King Wescott I proudly named Prince Lloyd in the name of Allium, the moon goddess who governed thew, and dered him his sessor. Up to this point, it must be just an ordinary secret of the royal family. The problem was the following. Rtions between the king and queen did not deteriorate significantly because they weed a concubine. No matter what was on the inside, Melea maintained a calm and elegant demeanor on the outside. She didn¡¯t show any envy or jealousy. No matter how barren she was, the queen was the queen that was the wife, and it was indeed natural for a husband and wife to sleep together. Since Kalpia was pregnant, King Wescott I naturally turned to Queen Melea. Now that the sense of duty to produce a sessor had disappeared, they treated each other morefortably than before. Was that why? After 10 years of marriage, the 30-year-old Queen Melea btedly had a child. It was the birth of the second prince, Alford. The royal family was stunned. It could only be called a trick of fate. Under the principle of the eldest son, the first prince was created with a legitimate right of session in the goddess¡¯s name. The second prince was clearly born from the ship of the royal family and was far ahead in terms of blood. Even the two are only half a year apart in age. Who was truly worthy of a king? ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? ¡°It¡¯s mostly like this.¡± Serati nodded at Karnak¡¯s exnation. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it too. It¡¯s a fairlymon story among the people of the capital. About the feud between the two princes.¡± Barros clicked his tongue as he rested his elbows on the luxurious table. ¡°It wasn¡¯t like a feud, was it? They couldn¡¯t kill each other, so it was really frustrating.¡± Currently, they were staying at the ¡®Echo of the Dragon¡¯, an inn located on the outskirts of Drunta. He paid in advance for long-term amodation at a luxury inn. Originally, he was thinking of getting a separate house in the capital city, but honestly, it was such a waste of money. The King¡¯s Order was often away from home due to the nature of its mission. In fact, it had already been 7 months since Karnak and his party became the King¡¯s Order, but they stayed in the capital for less than 30 days. Didn¡¯t he have to pay expensive money to buy an empty house that he didn¡¯t use well? No matter how rich the family became, it was Karnak¡¯s line that he would rather use that money to buy more delicious food. It was a choice. Even at that moment, fresh fruits and sweet snacks were ced on the table and eaten. ¡°Anyway¡­¡­.¡± After biting into one of the cut apples, Karnak continued. ¡°It seems that the king¡¯s irresponsibility is the biggest reason why the situation hase this far.¡± The first prince was armed with the principle of the eldest son, and the second prince of the lineage of the royal family. Neither side had a significant advantage in terms of justification. The power behind the second prince was much stronger than the first prince, who had the Wheeler family as his mother¡¯s family, but the king had made the first prince the sessor in the name of the goddess. From the king¡¯s point of view, no matter which side he chose, the aftermath would inevitably be great. So Wescott I¡¯s decision was¡­¡­. ¡°They just postponed the matter.¡± This was not something to decide right away. Didn¡¯t he know what would happen as the princes grew up? As in the case of the king himself, he might not be able to produce an heir. So, he would make a decision carefully after the princes get married! Serati and Barros, who were listening to the story, were dumbfounded. ¡°Is he really someone that indecisive?¡± ¡°It¡¯s also a good thing to make a decisionter on.¡± He didn¡¯t know if he said that he decided carefully after the king, but how would this sound from the listener¡¯s point of view? Oh my goodness! Was he saying that if something happened to the king over there, the prince would be king? Karnakughed heartily. ¡°Thanks to that, things turned out to be fun.¡± It had been 20 years since the two princes were born. The Marquis of Taline, who served the first prince, and the Duke of Holler, who served the second prince, were often in conflict. It was not umon for them to strike with swords when they encountered them on the road, and there were often cases where they lost their lives. There were also many attempts to assassinate each other secretly. Barrosughed, intrigued. Infamous Scans Trantor: Anom Proofreader: Orange Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/D28kQrftFe ¡°It¡¯s shit. Actually, most of the royal family¡¯s affairs are shit.¡± Only Serati¡¯s reaction was absurd. ¡°What¡¯s funny about that?¡± The two men widened their eyes. ¡°Yeah, isn¡¯t that our business?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it human nature to take pleasure in ruining others?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be!¡± Serati tilted her head for a moment without getting irritated. ¡®Does it seem human nature to be happy while watching other people go bankrupt?¡¯ However, if she admitted this, she thought she would be a human like ¡®those guys¡¯. She changed the subject. ¡°Which of the two princes is more worthy of a king?¡± Karnak snorted. ¡°Isn¡¯t it natural to first define what a king¡¯s qualifications are?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s the ability or the personality¡­¡­.¡± ¡°They¡¯re both barely 20 years old? How do you know if they¡¯re talented or not?¡± It was an age where it was still difficult to learn the world. They didn¡¯t get a chance to show off their abilities. However, neither of them were great geniuses who stood out from a young age. ¡°Of course, based on his personality, the first prince is more suited to the throne.¡± The first prince, Lloyd, had a calm and cautious personality. He was also sincere and humble in everything he did. On the other hand, the second prince, Alford, is quick-tempered, violent, and even arrogant. To be honest, if he looked at the future of the kingdom, Prince Lloyd was much more suitable for the throne. Even so, the reason why Wescott I couldn¡¯t raise Lloyd¡¯s hand was because he was too weak. Ever since he was little, he had frequent fevers and copses. Even after getting older, his body didn¡¯t get better, and even though he faithfully learned the best swordsmanship under the best teacher, he became a mediocre soldier. It was barely on the level of dealing with him. Thanks to being a prince of a country, he received divine healing techniques from time to time, so it was a pity, and the opinion of the world was that if he had been amoner, he would not have been more than 10 years old. On the other hand, the second prince, Alford, was born with strong bones and even had an ipetent talent, and was already evaluated as a first-ss knight at the age of 20. It was even said that if he had not neglected training due to his arrogant personality, he might have awakened his fighting spirit. ¡°Since the first prince is so weak that it wouldn¡¯t be strange if he died anytime, the second prince might want to use his hand secretly.¡± In fact, assassination and poisoning were the specialties of the necromancers. ¡°Okay¡­¡­.¡± Sarati, who nodded, suddenly asked. ¡°Then who became the king in your previous life?¡± Karnak replied nonchntly. ¡°The second prince. I know this because I¡¯ve met Alford, whoter became king.¡± It was not that Prince Alford, from his previous life borrowed the power of necromancer. There was no one to borrow power from because the Church of the ck God didn¡¯t exist as it did now. ¡°So I was waiting for something to happen to Prince Lloyd, but it seemed that this didn¡¯t work out.¡± It was said that the first prince seeded to the throne without dying even though he was struggling all his life. ¡°A civil war broke out shortly thereafter.¡± The second prince, who could not stand it, rebelled. After countless bloodshed, Alford eventually seeded in usurping the throne, but the Yusteel Kingdom was already in ruins. ¡°In the end, he couldn¡¯t even properly serve as a king and perished along with the kingdom.¡± ¡°The Yusteel Kingdom was destroyed?¡± Surprised, Serati blinked. She didn¡¯t really have much patriotism, but she was still embarrassed to hear that her country had copsed. ¡°Who destroyed it? Is it the emperor?¡± If it was Yusteel Kingdom¡¯s long-time enemy, it was also the Laceanian Empire, which faced part of the border. But it didn¡¯t seem like that. Barros pointed out to Karnak first. ¡°That man.¡± Karnak also raised his hand without hesitation, ¡°Yes. Me.¡± The emperor was an empire, but it was an undead empire, not Laceania. ¡°¡­¡­Ugh.¡± Serati sighed. Surprisingly, it wasn¡¯t that surprising for her. How did you think it would be? Anyway, with this, she roughly understood the situation. Barros raised his body with his eyes shining. ¡°Now then, this mission is to investigate the second prince. Shall we summon the battalion members? Karnak stopped him. ¡°Calm down, Barros. We haven¡¯t taken on a mission yet.¡± The King¡¯s Order was not an adventurer¡¯s guild, and they couldn¡¯t pick and choose missions ording to their taste. However, if the issue was this big, even the higher-ups couldn¡¯t force it. If he forcefully passed it on and then failed, the problem got bigger. ¡°So I asked for some time to think.¡± ¡°Huh? Did you refuse? Why?¡± Wasn¡¯t this what Karnak always sang about, the ¡®magnificent case involving the Titans¡¯? ¡°Even if the other battalion tries to take over the mission, isn¡¯t it the case that the young master has to take it by force?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I asked for more time.¡± Did the 2nd prince really join hands with the Church of the ck God? There was nothing wrong with this. As usual, they could find traces of necromancy first and then fabricate an excuse by manipting the report. ¡°Rather, it¡¯s a headache if there¡¯s nothing to do with it.¡± They had to make up why the other person was innocent and why they made that judgment. Karnak didn¡¯t even know how to do this. ¡°It is.¡± Barros also agreed. ¡°I¡¯ve often done things like frame innocent people, but I¡¯ve never thought about proving innocence.¡± So, for now, Karnak and the others alone should investigate first. ¡°I¡¯ll have to confirm whether it is really rted to the Dark Church before taking on the mission or not.¡± [To be continued.] Chapter 64 Chapter 64 ¨C The Royal Family¡¯s Struggle (2) Karnak asked for three days to decide whether to ept the mission. Anyway, just by looking at him, anyone could tell if he was rted to a necromancer or not. So, he thought that three days would be enough to figure out whether the second prince had anything to do with the Dark Church. It was a mistake. The capital, Dstas, was the central capital of Drunta. Karnak clicked his tongue as he stood outside the capital¡¯s high barrier. ¡°Oh, I have a problem with this.¡± Even if he had eyes that saw through all necromancy, he had to do the act of seeing first. As in the case of Gelpa Vige, if a necromancy barrier was spread extensively throughout the vige, it could be noticed from a distance, no matter how they kept it secretly. However, if small-scale necromancy was cleverly used, as in the case of Count Vrend, it would be possible to confirm it only by direct exploration. So, once he entered the castle, he had to see the second prince or the residence of the prince¡­¡­. ¡°There¡¯s no way to get in.¡± How could Karnak, who had no ties to the royal family in the first ce, approach Prince Alford¡¯s residence buried deep in the pce? Put an audience request under the guise of the King¡¯s Order? For what reason? Did he mindlessly look it up because he was suspicious? Karnak would have to meet him well. Whether the allegations were true or not, that was enough to make him feel bad, and the displeasure of those in power differed from that of ordinary people. He had to check it out secretly. So, for the past two days, Karnak¡¯s party had been eagerly wandering around the capital, looking for an opportunity. And, of course, it didn¡¯t work. Sitting together at the inn, Karnak dropped his shoulders. ¡°I have to give them an answer by tomorrow, so what now?¡± Serati asked, saying she didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Did you never think that this would happen?¡± Acting so proudly, she thought Karnak had some kind of exquisite magic trick. She thought it would confirm the traces of the necromancer. He couldn¡¯t believe she couldn¡¯t even remember that was a problem. ¡®Is this person really an idiot?¡¯ As if making an excuse, Karnak grumbled. ¡°Well, it was easy toe in and out in the past.¡± ¡°How?¡± The two ¡®human bastards of yesteryear¡¯ replied bluntly. ¡°I broke everything and went in, what?¡± ¡°I killed them all and went in.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡­¡± This was why biased experiences were dangerous. When infiltrating the hideout of a back alley criminal group, those who came up with all kinds of tricks couldn¡¯t even think of how hard it was to get in and out of a country¡¯s capital. Karnak also looked sullen, perhaps realizing his problem. ¡°When you think about it, it¡¯s really obvious, but I don¡¯t think about it until it shuts up.¡± Scratching his head, he looked troubled. ¡°What? Do you take on a mission? But then, if there is no charge, I can¡¯te up with any excuses.¡± Serati asked cautiously. ¡°First of all, why don¡¯t you find out why you doubted the second prince?¡± He must have been suspicious for some reason, and since the reason sounded reasonable, Captain Erantel must have regarded it as a serious matter and called Karnak. Just an unknown wanderer came¡­¡­. ¡°The 2nd Prince won! I thought he joined hands with a necromancer!¡± ¡°He couldn¡¯t! What was the basis?¡± ¡°Just. Still, wouldn¡¯t it be good to do some research?¡± ¡°Right! The King¡¯s Order was out!¡± ¡°¡­¡­There¡¯s no way this could have happened, right?¡± Barros shook his head. ¡°We know that much. But you have to be on a mission to find out.¡± Even within the King¡¯s Order, such detailed information was only given to the party on the mission. ¡°Well, the concern right now is whether or not to take on the mission?¡± Karnak and Barros looked at Serati with expressions asking how they could not know this. So Serati responded with the same expression. ¡°No, so now you have an excuse!¡± ¡°Huh? You got an excuse?¡± ¡°Have you thought of a good way, Miss Serati?¡± Serati groaned inwardly once more. ¡®Are these people actually fools?¡¯ She didn¡¯t even have to make excuses. ¡°Actually, we couldn¡¯t approach the second prince right now, so we couldn¡¯t even figure out the allegation itself.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you report it?¡± It was true that Karnak demonstrated his skills against the local people. However, there was no way to approach the backbone of the royal family, as they were all rural nobility and local aristocrats. It seemed that this mission should be taken on by another King¡¯s Order with a higher status. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Karnak and Barros¡¯ eyes lit up. ¡°Sure! So what?¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t I think of this, us?¡± Serati let out a deep sigh. Infamous Scans Trantor: Anom Proofreader: Orange Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/D28kQrftFe ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t try to fill the world with lies¡­¡­¡± Barros nodded with a look of realization. ¡°Well, sometimes the truth alone can fool you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Why did we think this was soplicated?¡± With this, the burden of taking on a mission was gone. Karnak stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll go visit the King¡¯s Order headquarters then.¡± Barros suddenly asked. ¡°But in this case, wouldn¡¯t the Young Master¡¯s rating go down? It would be the first mission that could be a failure.¡± In that respect, Karnak had no worries. ¡°What does that matter? What am I doing to get ahead?¡± ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? At Karnak¡¯s consent, Captain Erantel smiled happily. ¡°Oh, do you want to take the mission?¡± ¡°You seem happy about it?¡± It turned out that the leader also suffered quite a lot. ¡°Because there was no one else to entrust.¡± The King¡¯s Order had many high-ranking nobles due to the nature of its mission. The opponent was not an ordinary aristocrat but a royal family member and a person with a high possibility of bing a king. It was a matter that could blow an entire family if done wrong. It was difficult to intervene in matters that could damage the family, no matter how inmed, with a sense of justice and high loyalty. Erantel¡¯s choice of Karnak was partly because of his great achievements and because he was a powerless aristocrat in the region, so he was not affected by the central power struggle. Above all, since all of his parents and siblings were lost to necromancy, it was also reliable that he had an extreme desire for revenge against necromancy. ¡®Actually, I¡¯m not even a necromancer, and I don¡¯t have any vengeance.¡¯ Karnak smiled bitterly inside, but he didn¡¯t show it. There was no reason to correct this convenient misunderstanding. ¡°So I would like to receive detailed information about the mission.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Erantel opened the office safe and pulled out a pile of papers. Usually, he just put it in a drawer and handed it over, but this time, it was kept strictly because the matter was severe. Handing over the documents, Captain Erantel lowered his voice. ¡°It¡¯s a royal family affair involving two princes who have been feuding for a long time. Please move carefully.¡± ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? The second prince of the Kingdom of Yusteel, Alford Rudan Yusteel. It was Prince Lloyd¡¯s secret informant who brought charges that he had colluded with the Church of the ck God. The two princes had already nted spies in each other for a long time and had been fighting in secret. One of the spies discovered this while digging for information near Prince Alford. Prince Lloyd could not move recklessly as it was not usually a serious incident that a country¡¯s prince colluded with a necromancer. So, he secretly requested cooperation from the King¡¯s Order. Karnak said as he moved his steps. ¡°I was so careful that only one letter from Prince Lloyd flew to the headquarters.¡± Currently, Karnak and his party were heading to the eastern outskirts of the capital. ording to the information, it was where Prince Lloyd¡¯s spy was hiding. Barros, who was listening to the exnation, tilted his head. ¡°You believed that Captain Erantel moved by believing just one letter? That man doesn¡¯t have that kind of personality.¡± ¡°Even though it was a signed letter from Prince Lloyd.¡± ¡°Ah, then you must be trustworthy enough.¡± Sir Erantel was the lieutenantmander of the royal family before taking on the role of leader of the King¡¯s Order. Since he was also acquainted with Prince Lloyd, he must have been able to sufficiently determine the authenticity of the letter through his handwriting and his usual tone of voice. ¡°Well, that¡¯s all I know right now. They said that any further details would only be passed on to the person involved in the mission. Ipletely believe in the King¡¯s Order as well.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying you can¡¯t do it.¡± Serati nodded. ¡°You¡¯re cautious like a spy.¡± From Prince Lloyd¡¯s point of view, Captain Erantel was trustworthy enough. He had been loyal to the royal family for a long time and maintained a neutral position despite the secret struggles of the princes. So, he was rather reliable. Necromancer matters were beyond the realm of ndestine fighting. But he couldn¡¯t trust everyone in the King¡¯s Order. It wasmon sense to be as careful as possible and be careful again, as he never knew where information might leak out. Conversing, the three of them continued to walk the streets of the capital. Instead of neat buildings in the capital, shabby buildings rece the streets. A slum on the outskirts of the capital where the lower sses mostly live. Among them, a cluttered two-story building made of logs and boards was the meeting ce. Upon entering, a stout man with a deep robe covering his face was waiting for the party. The man looked around and asked. ¡°What are you doing, sir?¡± Karnakughed. ¡°For a spy, the smoke is so clumsy, isn¡¯t it?¡± Maybe he was trying to look like amon poor, but he was too good for that. Besides, if someone he didn¡¯t know came, he should be puzzled. Why was he vignt? Karnak took out the emblem from his chest and held it up. ¡°It¡¯s the King¡¯s order. Are you the one who received Highness Lloyd¡¯s secret order?¡± After checking the seal, the hooded man changed his tone. ¡°Right. Are you the ones chosen by Lord Erantel?¡± For a moment, Barros was puzzled. ¡®Isn¡¯t the way he talks too high-ss?¡¯ Even for a spy, his tone was too high-handed. No, rather than being overbearing, wasn¡¯t that a noble¡¯s natural way of speaking? ¡°Are you a high-ranking aristocrat?¡¯ That was weird as high-ranking aristocrats usually did not work as spies. ¡®Be wary,¡¯ Barros said. ¡°Now, it¡¯s your turn to prove your identity.¡± The man shrugged. ¡°The only physical evidence to prove my identity was a letter from the prince to the King¡¯s Order.¡± ¡°You mean there¡¯s no evidence?¡± Barros brought his hand to the sword at his waist. Serati also slightly bent her knees. However, the opponent did not care. ¡°So, all I have to prove is my face¡­¡­¡± He lowered his voice as he brought his hand to his hood. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, but you¡¯d be quite surprised by the look on my face. So, I want to ask you in advance not to panic.¡± In front of the puzzled party, the man threw back his hood. A young man with dark ck hair, sharp virtues, and a strong impression revealed his face. A mysteriously calm feeling mixed with an expression that seemed confident at first nce. The moment they saw that face, theplexion of Barros and Serati hardened. ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°You are?¡± They had never seen him in person, but it was a familiar face from the portrait. Due to the nature of the job, the King¡¯s Order learned people¡¯s impressions with life-like portraits made by dyeing with the magic of light, not glorified artistic portraits. Thanks to you, he was able to find out right away. ¡°¡­¡­Prince Alford?¡± ¡°What is this?¡± The identity of the hooded man was Alford, the second prince of the Yusteel Kingdom. It was a situation they didn¡¯t understand. Was it the second prince himself who brought the suspicion that the second prince colluded with the Dark Church? But then something even more iprehensible happened. ¡°You¡¯re right. This face must be Alford¡¯s.¡± Touching his chin, the man smiled bitterly. ¡°But I am not Alford. It¡¯s hard to believe, but¡­¡­.¡± Then, he pointed at himself and spoke calmly. ¡°I am the first prince, Lloyd Rudan Yusteel. The rightful heir of this country.¡± [To be continued.] Chapter 65 Chapter 65 ¨C The Royal Family¡¯s Struggle (3) The second prince suddenly appeared and imed to be the first prince? An ordinary person would think that Prince Alford¡¯s mind was in serious trouble. However, if he were familiar with necromancy, the story was different. Karnak made an impression. ¡°Have your souls been exchanged?¡± Alford, to be exact, Prince Lloyd, who took over Alford¡¯s body, made a surprised expression. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what I said, but is this a story that can be easily epted?¡± ¡°Although the conditions are very difficult.¡± The prince sighed in relief. ¡°As expected, choosing you was the correct choice.¡± This was the reason he deliberately contacted the King¡¯s Order. It was not that there weren¡¯t wizards more powerful than those of the King¡¯s Order in the Kingdom of Yusteel. But when it came to necromancy-rted cases, no one was more experienced than them. Why? Before the darkness of the end was spread, there was no reason to use a method rted to the Grand Spirit Necromancer. How many sieves did he have? He expected that at least a wizard of the King¡¯s Order would recognize the necromancer. Prince Lloyd asked again. ¡°Could a non-King¡¯s Order mage recognize it as easy as you did?¡± If so, it might be possible to contact other mages belonging to the First Prince¡¯s faction. But Karnak shook his head. ¡°You have a misunderstanding. It¡¯s not like I grasped the prince¡¯s condition with some kind of magical eye.¡± As soon as he saw him, he was like, ¡®Huh? A strange soul was inside. The soul exchange technique currently being used on Prince Lloyd was a very advanced necromancy technique. Not only magicians but even necromancers were hidden so secretly that they could not be recognized unless it was the person who opened it. He figured it as he was Karnak, but it was normal not to notice it. ¡®So, I have to pretend that I didn¡¯t recognize him.¡¯ Karnak shamelessly continued. It was just that if the prince¡¯s words were true, the soul exchange was the best match. ¡°Could it be that he is deceiving you and pretending to be Prince Lloyd?¡± Any other King¡¯s Order would have judged it this way. Prince Lloyd frowned. ¡°Does that mean you don¡¯t fully trust me yet?¡± ¡°Not necessarily. Given the circumstances, the possibility that you are Prince Lloyd is quite high.¡± ¡°How did you judge that?¡± Karnak clicked his tongue inwardly. He knew the answer, but it was annoying because he couldn¡¯t tell him the circumstances. He couldn¡¯t even tell the truth out loud. So, he trembled moderately. ¡°Because Captain Erantel trusted your letter.¡± ¡°Is it possible that I even deceived Lord Erantel? It is possible that Alford yed a trick after obtaining my handwritten letter separately. Isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°From what you¡¯re saying, it¡¯s more and more likely that it¡¯s Prince Lloyd.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°If you were Prince Alford and you were faking it, you wouldn¡¯t have said it that way.¡± Unconsciously, he must have said that ¡®I¡¯ had separately obtained the handwritten letter from ¡®Prince Lloyd¡¯ and Alford was Alford. If he said that way. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± Prince Lloyd¡¯s expression softened. Karnak looked up and continued. ¡°Just the reaction the prince is showing right now.¡± ¡°Reaction?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you always asking me why I don¡¯t doubt myself?¡± If Prince Alford was pretending to be Prince Lloyd, there was no need to question him so closely that he doubted himself. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s to get rid of the suspicious parts first so that we can gain trust¡­¡­ No, that¡¯s right. Then, even more so.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to go this far.¡± ¡°And there¡¯s also the fact that there¡¯s not much to gain from it.¡± ¡°Nothing to gain?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that how things are?¡± Prince Alford pretending to be Prince Lloyd and used his forces and himself of necromancy charges? ¡°I have no idea what Prince Alford could gain by doing this. Of course, this is also not without the possibility of nning a bizarre strategy that I can¡¯t even imagine¡­¡± This was also extremely unlikely. No matter how bizarre a ploy was, there was at least a basic framework. Given all the circumstances, it was very likely that Lloyd and Alford¡¯s body swap was true. ¡°This is my conclusion.¡± Lloyd¡¯s expression softened. He felt a bit relieved now. ¡°I¡¯m so d I met someone as wise as you.¡± Barros and Serati snorted. [¡­A wise man?] [I just peeked at the correct answer and put it together, what?] [Hey, do you both manage your facial expressions?] Infamous Scans Trantor: Anom Proofreader: Orange Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/D28kQrftFe In any case, thanks to this, Prince Lloyd saw Karnak as a trustworthy wizard who was very wise and not quick to judge the situation. The prince asked cautiously. ¡°Are you saying there¡¯s no magical way to prove that our bodies have changed?¡± ¡°As far as I know, there is none. Of course, I don¡¯t know if the powerful mages of the Mage Tower can refine it.¡± There was. However, it was a problem because it took a long time to prepare, thepound was tough to find, and the ritual required a high degree of magical knowledge. ¡®Currently, at the level of the Mage Tower in the Kingdom of Yusteel, no wizard can do that.¡¯ Lloyd nodded too. ¡°Well, Alford wouldn¡¯t have done this if he was easily caught.¡± And he had a worried expression on his face. ¡°Then, what should I do now? I came to you expecting that a King¡¯s Order wizard would be able to prove my identity¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to hear the circumstances first.¡± Karnak suggested sitting down because the story was going to be long. He asked again as they sat at a shabby table in the room. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just woke up, and I was Alford.¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking you to exin the process in detail. The prince might catch clues that you don¡¯t know about.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Convinced, Lloyd slowly opened his mouth. ¡°It was before the new day¡­¡­¡± ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? ording to the prince, it was a day that was nothing different from usual. ¡°That same day, I went to bed after finishing my routine and receiving the priest¡¯s divine healing technique that I receive every day.¡± Barros suddenly asked. ¡°You receive divine healing every day?¡± Lloyd let out augh. ¡°I¡¯m sure you guys have heard rumors that my body is weak, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s it¡­¡± It was not a weak level or an almost-breathing zombie level? Of course, he didn¡¯t dare to speak openly in front of the prince. Perhaps a familiar reaction, Lloyd shrugged. ¡°So, it¡¯s not unreasonable for my father to be expecting Alford. At any rate, until he fell asleep, there was nothing particrly unusual about him.¡± Karnak pointed out more carefully. ¡°Have there been any unfamiliar objects left in the room or strangers wandering around? ¡°I can confidently answer that.¡± Even if it wasn¡¯t for necromancy, Prince Lloyd was always concerned about the defense of the residence. Because he had a deep discord with Alford, he didn¡¯t know when he would try to poison him. ¡°Not only in my dwelling ce but throughout the royal pce are barriers of powerful magic and sacred arts. So, I don¡¯t understand at all. Is necromancy such a powerful technique?¡± ¡°That part is a bit difficult for me to understand.¡± Seeing Karnak arguing, Serati secretly asked. [What is it actually?] [I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t understand.] [Oh, weren¡¯t you deliberately pretending not to know?] [It¡¯s not all-powerful because it¡¯s necromancy. To use this level of magic, you have to be prepared for it.] Casting necromancy from a distance without entering the royal pce of a country that had all the defenses in ce? [If that¡¯s possible, I wouldn¡¯t have suffered in my previous life, right?] [How do I know what Karnak went through in his previous life?] [That¡¯s what they mean, right?] Leaving Serati¡¯s criticism behind, Karnak fell into trouble. It was because of the Trist City incident a few months ago. ¡®Let¡¯s wait, what is this again? Was there another trick I didn¡¯t know about?¡¯ Lloyd started to exin again. ¡°That¡¯s how I fell asleep, and when I opened my eyes again, my surroundings hadpletely changed.¡± ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? The first thing he felt when he opened his eyes was his physical condition. ¡®What? Why do I feel much better?¡¯ No headache was felt upon awakening. He didn¡¯t feel the heat, which was always painful. Even the creaky joints were strangelyfortable. Puzzled, Lloyd tried to stand up. And in an instant, He flinched. ¡°Oh?¡± The whole body was tied with a rope. Thanks to that, He couldn¡¯t get up as naturally as he usually did. rmed, Lloyd quickly scanned his entire body. And once again he was puzzled. ¡°Who is this?¡± Thick, muscr, well-cleaved forearms were there that looked manly just by looking at them. It wasn¡¯t his arm that was hard to tell the difference evenpared to the young girl¡¯s. No, this was not the problem now. ¡®Where am I now?¡¯ He had closed his eyes in his room, in his bed, but now he had opened his eyes in some unknown space. Lloyd looked around frantically. It was a small stone chamber. A in, dark stone chamber with no furniture. A strange red magic circle was drawn on the floor under the magic light, and he was sitting in the middle. And beyond that, three men in ck robes had covered their faces. One of the men let out a sinister voice. ¡°Did you cough, Prince Lloyd?¡± The words were polite, but the tone was full of ridicule. Lloyd looked at the men calmly. ¡°Unknown ces, unknown people.¡± It was embarrassing enough, but he couldn¡¯t express it like that. ¡°You¡¯ve got a good talent. You mean you kidnapped a country¡¯s prince from the depths of the pce? Lloyd continued, looking at himself exaggeratedly. ¡°Even after the kidnapping, it looks like he did something strange to my body. My arms aren¡¯t that thick, and my body isn¡¯t that thick either.¡± In response, the other man clicked his tongue. ¡°You¡¯re so calm. I thought you¡¯d show the least amount of embarrassment.¡± Lloyd asked with cold eyes. ¡°Yes. What have you done to me? The man waved his hand in the air. ¡°I will show you.¡± A magical mirror of light was created in the air and frightened Lloyd. Lloyd¡¯splexion turned pale as he looked in the mirror. ¡°¡­¡­Alford?¡± For a moment, he thought his brother was sitting there. However, he was tied up and quickly grasped the situation through facial expressions. That ¡®Alford¡¯ was Lloyd himself! No matter how calm he was, he couldn¡¯t help but be dazed at the moment. The man in the ck robe continued. ¡°The bodies of the prince and His Highness Alford were swapped. It was because of the power of the mighty Tesnarak. Whoops.¡± The name Tesnarak had been familiar to Lloyd. A look of astonishment shed in his eyes. ¡°¡­¡­A cultist!¡± ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? ¡°Hmm? Isn¡¯t that a bit strange?¡± After hearing the exnation, Serati was puzzled. ¡®Did you dare make a magic mirror to show the prince¡¯s current appearance and even inform him of the situation without asking?¡¯ Were the original necromancer strains so talkative like that? [To be continued.] Chapter 66 Chapter 66 ¨C The Royal Family¡¯s Struggle (4) The cultists dragged the tied Lloyd out of the stone chamber. They exited the basement, went into the corridor, and went upstairs. Lloyd looked up and asked a few questions. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°What have you done, Alford?¡± ¡°Do you think you can safely go over even if you do this to the prince of a country?¡± There was no answer. Contrary to the lengthy exnation of the situation a while ago, he was only consistent with silence from beginning to end. He was being dragged along like that. Suddenly, augh came out. ¡®This is very convenient.¡¯ Was itfortable when he was tied up with a rope and being dragged like a cow? It had to be nonsense. But it was reallyfortable. There was just no pain itself. My feet were so light, and my body moved so easily. ¡®Well, if you think about it, it was like that when I woke up.¡¯ It was he who had fallen asleep in afortable pajama on soft bedding. But when he woke up, he was lying face down on the cold stone floor, with his arms tied tightly in cumbersome everyday clothes. Even so, he woke up feeling morefortable and refreshed than ever before. ¡°So, Alford always lived like this?¡± He realize once again how messed up his original body was. When he went up to the second floor of the mansion, a group of men were waiting for him. There was a familiar face among them, and Lloyd made an impression. ¡°Sir Sebastian.¡± He was one of Prince Alford¡¯s henchmen. ¡°Surprised. I never thought you would betray Alford.¡± Sebastianughed at the fume. It was the expression of hearing an absurd sound. ¡°Do you think I betrayed Alford?¡± ¡°Otherwise, why did you put Alford in my junk body?¡± ¡°Well, I can¡¯t deny that it looks that way.¡± In response, Lloyd smiled inwardly. With this, it was confirmed that Alford led the situation. He still didn¡¯t understand. ¡®What benefit would that guy have by taking over my body?¡¯ Sebastian gestured to the men behind him. A thick door on one side of the hallway opened. Inside was a gorgeous bedroom. Afortable and rxed space enough for a country¡¯s prince to live in. The only difference was that all the windows had thick iron bars. ¡°Come in.¡± There was no point in resisting in this situation. Obediently following, Lloyd threw a word. ¡°What do you want from me?¡± Unlike the cultists, Sebastian didn¡¯t reply. ¡°You mean what we want?¡± He shook his head at Lloyd, who entered the room. ¡°There is nothing.¡± The men pulled back the rope that bound Lloyd. They had no intention of leaving it tied up. ¡°The prince just needs to be healthy and stay here quietly.¡± The thick door closed firmly, and the sound of the lock resounded. ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? Looking around Karnak and the others, Lloyd continued. ¡°After being locked up for the night, I did what I had to do first.¡± What the imprisoned should do, of course, was to find a way to escape. ¡°I shook the grates on the windows, checked every corner of the room, and looked over the door. It wasn¡¯t too difficult since they let my arms go free.¡± And came to the same conclusion as most of the incarcerated. ¡°There was no way to escape. I was expecting it, so I¡¯m not disappointed.¡± In fact, the joy was greater than the disappointment. ¡°It may not be something a person who has lost his body and is trapped in an unidentified ce would do¡­¡­.¡± After being imprisoned all the time in the prison of a weak body, he obtained Alford¡¯s body. Just walking around the room made him realize what freedom meant. ¡°To be honest, I thought it would be nice if I could just live like this with a changed body.¡± The treatment wasn¡¯t bad either. He wasn¡¯t particrly tied up, the bed was soft, and there were books to read separately in case he was bored while imprisoned. ¡°The meal was also of the highest quality that a country¡¯s prince would eat.¡± Even though they were the same prince, Lloyd had never tasted delicious food in his life. ¡°It¡¯s not because I don¡¯t have money or because I¡¯m discriminated against, but I get sick right away when I eat too much stimting food.¡± For the first time in his life, he experienced how spicy, salty, and sweet food could bring happiness. Lloyd made a vague expression as he stared into space for a moment. ¡°Ah, I liked it back then.¡± Karnak and Barros nodded sincerely. ¡°Oh, it can be.¡± ¡°It makes perfect sense.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Why do you guys understand that?¡± After a moment of puzzlement, Lloyd continued his exnation. ¡°There¡¯s been no contact since. He just brought me food for every meal.¡± A thick visit that only opened for meals. That would be the only chance for trapped Lloyd to escape. But things weren¡¯t going well. Sebastian was no fool either, and four heavily armed first-ss knights apanied the maid whenever she brought his meals. Even Alford himself was the elite of the elite who could not win one-on-one. Since such people were watching with sad eyes, it was difficult to use one¡¯s hands during meals. ¡°Uh, then¡­¡± After hearing the story, Serati was puzzled. Right now, Lloyd had escaped the mansion and was sitting in front of them like this. ¡°How did you escape?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you mean¡­¡± Prince Lloydughed incredulously. ¡°Those friends had a serious misunderstanding.¡± *** Locked in the room, Lloyd calmly organized the situation. ¡®First of all, let¡¯s figure out what I know in the current situation.¡¯ At this point, there was no way to know what the hell Alford was up to. What was certain was that the bodies of the two had changed and that Lloyd himself was imprisoned. ¡®Not killing me right now means that I have a reason to stay alive.¡¯ If he looked at his surroundings, he would be more confident. It was toofortable to be a prison, and it was a thoroughly prepared space. The meals were top-notch, and the toilet was attached to the room, so he was able to handle the toilet with dignity. At least it was clear that he was very concerned about Alford¡¯s ¡®body¡¯. If so, wouldn¡¯t it be possible to try to escape by using the meal time? ¡®Anyway, the opponent won¡¯t be able to harm this body, so I¡¯ll use that loophole¡­¡­?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s like I care about my health unintentionally.¡¯ It was an absurd story. This meant that Lloyd, who couldn¡¯t even deal with a single soldier, subdued all four first-ss knights that even Alford himself couldn¡¯t deal with, and after taking care of all the guards around the mansion, he escaped from the mansion where he didn¡¯t even know where he was. Didn¡¯t that mean danger is out of his grasp? ¡°It¡¯s nonsense.¡± Exhausted, Lloyd habitually warmed up. Since he was the owner of such a messed up body because his body did not move properly unless he released his joints and muscles from time to time. He was in the middle of that. He simply warmed up his body, but he felt an amazing sense of vitality and energy throughout his whole body. ¡°What?¡± For a moment, Lloyd blinked. ¡°¡­¡­Will it work?¡± ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? Prince Alford certainly possessed outstanding military talent. Showing the skills of a first-ss knight at the age of less than twenty was not an ordinary talent. However, to put it in reverse, it could be said that even so, he was only the skill of one first-ss knight. The person now in Alford¡¯s body was the first prince, Lloyd, like a tree with no strength. It was a situation where even 2-3 ordinary soldiers could be enough to subdue him. Even so, Sebastian selected the most outstanding among his knights and attached them as watchers. As the matter was so serious, they were vignt enough to prepare for an emergency. Each of them was far stronger than Alford, and as many as four of them were attached, so no one could me them for poor preparation. But now those four knights were lying on the floor like corpses. ¡°Thaak¡­¡­¡± ¡°Thaaaaaaak¡­¡­¡± It happened in an instant. After epting the meal, Lloyd suddenly jumped up and hit the lead knight¡¯s neck with a sharp blow. A rivalry was like a sh war that followed. Of course, the knights responded immediately, but Lloyd¡¯s sword was faster. All the attacks flew towards the exact target at the exact time, and the knights couldn¡¯t handle the attack. Amid the blurred consciousness, one knight made an expression of disbelief. ¡°How¡­¡­Even Prince Alford himself wasn¡¯t this strong¡­¡­.¡± Taking a breath, Lloyd shook his head. ¡°It seems that you had no idea how weak my original body was.¡± He was fragile. Even though he learned the best swordsmanship under the best teacher, he could only deal with one soldier. But was this proof that there was no strength? Instead, it was the opposite. He learned the best swordsmanship under the best teacher and, with ¡®that rubbish body,¡¯ showed ipetence equivalent to that of a ¡®normal soldier.¡¯ He overcame the overwhelming stamina, energy, and muscle strength gap with minimal strength, minimal movement, and only numbers and skills. What would happen if such a Lloyd obtained a healthy, even strong body? ¡°You son of a bitch, Alford. Can¡¯t you do all of this with such a blessed body? Aren¡¯t you toozy?¡± Lloyd clicked his tongue and heard the maid¡¯s terrified moan from behind. ¡°Ah, Ahhhhh¡­¡­¡± With a smile, he left the door. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t harm you.¡± There was no need to harm the maid. ¡°All you have to do is keep them locked up here for a while. Fortunately, it¡¯s easy to lock them up. This is the room they built for me to be locked up in the first ce.¡± ??¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-?? ¡°Unexpectedly, I was able to get out of the mansion after that easily.¡± Lloyd¡¯s prediction that there would be an imprable surveincework was wrong. Of course, there were guards everywhere, but even when they saw him, they didn¡¯t want to catch him. ¡°They just politely saluted.¡± Then he realized. ¡°Coming to think of it, there was no way I would have informed the general soldiers of my situation. Isn¡¯t it an incident involving a cult?¡± In the eyes of the guards, he was still Prince Alford. So, he confidently headed to the garden, saying that he would just take a walk in moderation. Of course, he couldn¡¯t leave the mansionpletely. ¡°Even the real Alford himself won¡¯t let him out alone.¡± Since Lloyd was also a prince, he knew the situation. If it was dangerous, they would try to attach an escort, then the upper management would be contacted, and then Sebastian woulde after him with his knights. ¡°So, after aiming for a ce where there were no people, I jumped over the fence.¡± Luckily, he seeded in escaping from the mansion. However, there were too many dangers to return to the pce immediately. The 2nd Prince¡¯s side must have guessed that much. They would take control from the corner of the road, and there was a high possibility that they would be caught again before they even reached the royal pce. However, it was also challenging to find other henchmen. There was no certainty that people would believe the words that the cultists changed the body. What if they didn¡¯t believe it? With Alford¡¯s body alone, it was like falling under Lloyd¡¯s power. No matter how much the enemy was, he was the country¡¯s prince, so they would wonder if he was killed right away¡­ ¡°Wasn¡¯t it too long to conclude that it wasn¡¯t?¡± They had been aiming at each other¡¯s necks for over 10 years. Could they be sure that there were no henchmen who considered it true loyalty to post an after-action report aftermitting an arbitrary act? ¡°It¡¯s not like there hasn¡¯t been a simr case in reality.¡± Life was not something to gamble recklessly. ¡°It was an unprecedented situation, and I couldn¡¯t decide what to do.¡± It was the King¡¯s Order that came to mind then. ¡°I expected that those familiar with necromancy would be able tomunicate. The enemy would be less likely to anticipate my movements.¡± So, he wrote a handwritten letter and secretly sent it to Captain Erantel. Since he had an existing acquaintance with Lloyd, he thought he would know enough about his handwriting. ¡°It¡¯s just that there¡¯s an unexpected problem here. I¡¯m sure I typed normally, but Alford¡¯s handwriting came out.¡± Handwriting and habits were subject to the body, not the soul. ¡°But it¡¯s originally my handwriting, right? After some practice, I was able to use my original handwriting.¡± Prince Lloyd joked, saying that forging his own handwriting was also quite a strange experience. Afterward, he hid himself in a slum and waited for an answer. And three dayster, he met Karnak and his party. ¡°This is what the past five days have been.¡± As he finished his exnation, Lloyd narrowed his eyes. ¡°Fortunately, I have contacted you, so I want to ask you now.¡± If you were a King¡¯s Order who had dealt with necromancers professionally, you would be familiar with it. ¡°Now, how am I supposed to move?¡± [To be continued.] Chapter 67 Chapter 67: The Appropriate Bait (1) A mansion in the outskirts of Drunta, the capital of the Kingdom of Yustil. This was the residence of Count Edran, a follower of Prince Alford, and the new hideout that Sebastian had arranged after losing track of Prince Lloyd. Since their location had beenpromised, they couldn¡¯t stay in the same ce any longer. In the mansion¡¯s office, Sebastian was holding his head in frustration. ¡°What should I do now¡­.¡± He had deployed all avable personnel to search for Prince Lloyd, or more precisely, for Prince Alford¡¯s body. He even gathered information indirectly through the Adventurers¡¯ Guild in the capital. Yet, there was still no progress. Frustrated, Sebastian nervously chewed on his nails. ¡°Could he have already contacted his subordinates? Is that why he¡¯s gone into hiding? If so, this could turn into a real problem¡­.¡± Three men sat across from him, listening to his muttering. They weren¡¯t dressed in their usual ck robes, but as ordinary men, though they were actually necromancers sent by the Dark God¡¯s cult. The leader of the necromancers, a man in his fifties named Detzras, spoke calmly. ¡°Didn¡¯t we already confirm that the royal pce and the Marquis Tin¡¯s household were clear?¡± Both ces had spies nted long ago. So, it was certain that Prince Lloyd had not gone to the royal pce or his maternal rtives¡¯ residence. Sebastian responded bluntly. ¡°But we can¡¯t rule out the possibility that he¡¯s found other subordinates, can we?¡± Just as Prince Alford had subordinates who weren¡¯t publicly known, so too could Prince Lloyd. It wasn¡¯t possible to nt spies in every faction. To do that, there would have to be a massive difference in power, and in that case, the conflict wouldn¡¯t have dragged on for over ten years. It would have ended long ago. Detzras shook his head. ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s not a major issue, is it?¡± The other necromancers also agreed and spoke up. ¡°If Prince Lloyd had contacted his subordinates, there would surely be some movement, and we can respond to that ordingly.¡± ¡°The important thing is to have Prince Alford¡¯s body in the right ce at the right time. We still have a chance.¡± At this, Sebastian looked even more frustrated. ¡°That¡¯s only true if people actually believe that Prince Lloyd¡¯s body has been swapped, isn¡¯t it?¡± They didn¡¯t seem to grasp the real problem at all. ¡°The real issue is if they don¡¯t believe it!¡± Only a few years had passed since the Darkness of Doom had descended. The world was still not familiar with the existence of necromancy. Even Sebastian himself was no exception. If one day, Prince Lloyd suddenly came and said, ¡®I¡¯m actually Prince Alford. My body was swapped with Lloyd¡¯s!¡¯¡ªthen what? ¡°I would¡¯ve thought that Prince Lloyd had gone mad, or that he had some other ulterior motive. I certainly wouldn¡¯t have believed the situation.¡± And then what would have happened? The target he¡¯d been desperately trying to kill for so long would have fallen right into his hands, alone and vulnerable. ¡°It would have been the perfect opportunity to deal with him.¡± The necromancers exchanged worried nces. ¡°No way, you mean they¡¯d just kill him on the spot?¡± ¡°But he¡¯s still a prince of the kingdom!¡± Sebastian looked at the necromancers with disdain. ¡°We¡¯ve been trying to kill each other¡¯s princes for over ten years now. This isn¡¯t the first time.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t there a chance that it might be true? Wouldn¡¯t they at least have that suspicion?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re necromancers. That¡¯s why you think like that.¡± Even Sebastian hadn¡¯t known it was possible for bodies and souls to be swapped until he met these people. ¡°Before then, I never even imagined such a thing could happen.¡± ¡°How could that be? There are simr stories in some street legends.¡± ¡°Do you think a noble like me would read such amon drivel?¡± And most of Prince Lloyd¡¯s loyal followers were also nobles. ¡°Well, that¡¯s quite a problem¡­.¡± The necromancers¡¯ faces hardened. With things as they were, there was indeed a real possibility that Prince Lloyd might end up killed by his own subordinates. ¡°The good news is that such a thing hasn¡¯t happened yet.¡± Detzras raised his right hand. A faint ck aura flickered between his fingers and then vanished. ¡°The Soul Change Ring is still in effect. This is proof that both princes¡¯ bodies are still alive.¡± But there was no guarantee that this would continue. ¡°Is there really no way to find the prince¡¯s body through necromancy?¡± Sebastian had asked this question several times over the past few days. So the necromancers repeated the answer they had given just as many times. ¡°If there were such a way, we would have already done it.¡± This had all taken ce in Drunta, a city full of mages, clerics, and even the King¡¯s Order, which specialized in necromancy. Given the circumstances, they had to ensure the utmost secrecy. Even the ones who cast the spells couldn¡¯t trace the remnants of the spell. It had to be that way to remain undetected. Sebastian clutched his head again. ¡°It was too dangerous a move. I should have stopped the prince.¡± Detzras clicked his tongue. ¡°Under normal circumstances, it wouldn¡¯t have been that risky. We just didn¡¯t anticipate that you would be so ipetent.¡± ¡°What did you just say¡­?¡± ¡°Did I say something wrong? Who was it that foolishly lost the prey we caught for them?¡± Veins bulged on Sebastian¡¯s forehead. Sensing the rising tension, the other necromancers quickly intervened. ¡°Please, both of you, calm down.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not over yet. We can still resolve this before the ritual.¡± ¡°In the worst case, the souls of both princes will just return to their original bodies.¡± ¡°Of course, if that happens, it will be revealed that Prince Alford has allied with us, which would be a disaster¡­¡± ¡°But the prince¡¯s life won¡¯t be in danger.¡± Sebastian suppressed his anger and let out a sigh. ¡°In any case, we must find Prince Lloyd quickly. That is our best option.¡± *** Three days had passed since Karnak and his group made contact with Prince Lloyd. The prince was hiding in a safehouse that Karnak had arranged¡ªa rundown house located in the slums of Drunta. ¡°My apologies for housing someone of your status in a ce like this,¡± Serati said with some regret, but Lloyd didn¡¯t mind. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m not ufortable.¡± And he wasn¡¯t just being polite¡ªhe genuinely didn¡¯t feel any difort. Instead of the royal silk bedding from the pce, he now had a rough nket stuffed with straw. Instead of the luxurious royal meals, meticulously prepared with nutritional bnce in mind, he now ate themon food of the street folk. For a prince like him, this should have been a harsh experience, one he had never encountered before¡­ ¡°Funny as it may sound, but I¡¯ve never lived asfortably as I havetely.¡± With a light wink, Lloyd took a bite of the bread in his hand, savoring it. ¡°What good is an exceptional environment when the body is in terrible condition?¡± It was just bread¡ªin, coarse ck bread. But to him now, with strong teeth and gums capable of chewing this tough bread as if it were stone, it was a luxury! And he could even sprinkle it with salt! ¡°After escaping, there were times when I had to wrap myself in rags and sleep crouched in an alley. Even then, I was morefortable than I ever was in the pce.¡± Serati looked at him with pity. ¡°You must have truly been in a terrible state.¡± ¡°People with healthy bodies don¡¯t understand how exhausting it is to live with one that isn¡¯t.¡± On the other hand, Karnak and Baros nodded in deep agreement. ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°You only understand it when you experience it.¡± ¡°¡­So why do you two get it?¡± Lloyd clicked his tongue and changed the subject. ¡°Anyway, how did it go?¡± Three days ago, the prince had asked them how they should proceed. Not about what to do¡ªthat was already clear. They needed to capture the cultists responsible for all of this. Whether they killed them or took them alive, securing those bastards was the top priority. There was no need to ask Karnak for advice on this matter. The question was how to capture those cultists. So Karnak had dispatched members of the King¡¯s Order to search the mansion from which Lloyd had escaped. Unfortunately, the results were as expected. ¡°The necromancers, Sir Sebastian, and all of his subordinates have disappeared without a trace.¡± Lloyd wasn¡¯t particrly disappointed. ¡°They¡¯re not fools; they wouldn¡¯t have stayed there. So, what¡¯s next? Are you going to deploy the King¡¯s Order to track down the cultists?¡± ¡°That would be the standard procedure, but it doesn¡¯t fit the current situation.¡± This wasn¡¯t a regional territory where the King¡¯s Order had operated before; this was the capital of an entire kingdom. The search area was too vast, and there were too many nobles involved. Even the King¡¯s Order couldn¡¯t go around raiding the residences of all the high-ranking noble families without solid evidence. ¡°Continuing the search discreetly isn¡¯t impossible, but it would take too long. We don¡¯t even know what Prince Alford¡¯s n is, so we can¡¯t afford to waste time.¡± Lloyd sighed. ¡°So, there¡¯s only one option left.¡± If they couldn¡¯t find the cultists, they would have to make the cultistse to them. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be the bait. That should bring them out of hiding, right?¡± Karnak responded curtly. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a given.¡± ¡°¡­Were you nning to use me as bait all along?¡± ¡°You volunteered to be the bait, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a difference between me volunteering and you deciding to use me as bait.¡± Clicking his tongue, Lloyd looked at Karnak. It seemed Karnak had indeed nned to use him as bait from the start. Yet, there was still something that seemed to be bothering him. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°The type of bait is the issue.¡± When fishing, you must use the right bait for the fish you want to catch. ¡°Certainly, Your Highness is good bait. Many of Prince Alford¡¯s subordinates will take the bait.¡± With a bitter smile, Karnak continued. ¡°But the necromancers won¡¯t.¡± A missing Prince Lloyd¡ªor more precisely, Alford¡¯s body¡ªreappearing would naturally prompt Alford¡¯s forces to try and capture him again. ¡°But there¡¯s no reason for the necromancers to step in directly.¡± After all, Prince Alford¡¯s forces are already strong enough. They wouldn¡¯t risk exposing their identities unnecessarily. ¡°For the same reason, it would be problematic if it became known that you had allied with the King¡¯s Order.¡± The King¡¯s Order is a specialized organization for dealing with cultists, meaning it¡¯s particrly effective against necromancers. ¡°Against the King¡¯s Order, Prince Alford¡¯s existing forces are more effective than the necromancers. Naturally, the cultists wouldn¡¯t move.¡± That¡¯s why the King¡¯s Order could only be deployed for covert missions, like searching the mansion, but not for directly guarding Prince Lloyd. ¡°Even if the cultists themselves don¡¯t act, wouldn¡¯t we be able to capture the ones who do and interrogate them for additional information?¡± ¡°The chances that the execution unit would be aware of such sensitive details are slim.¡± There¡¯s no need to exin the exact current condition of the two princes. They can simply be told that Prince Alford has been kidnapped and must be rescued. ¡°Just tell them that due to being brainwashed by magic, the prince is not in his right mind, and to ignore whatever he says and just bring him back. That should prevent any major issues.¡± Lloyd frowned. ¡°Then you¡¯re saying there¡¯s no way around this?¡± If the enemy were ordinary soldiers or knights, it would be better to deploy ordinary soldiers or knights in response. If the King¡¯s Order were the opponent, it would be even more advisable to deploy ordinary soldiers or knights. ¡°So, if we go by your reasoning, there¡¯s no reason for the cultists to get directly involved, no matter what we do.¡± ¡°Yes, and that¡¯s why¡­.¡± Karnak shed a mischievous smile. ¡°We¡¯re nning to add a more suitable bait.¡± Chapter 68 Chapter 68: The Appropriate Bait (2) It¡¯s been seven days since they lost track of Prince Lloyd. Sebastian, who had been feeling like his blood was drying up with each passing day, finally received the long-awaited news. ¡°Have you found the Prince?¡± A man matching Alford¡¯s description was spotted near Dine Street, west of the capital, Drunta. ¡°Dine Street¡­ That¡¯s where Viscount Rontium¡¯s residence is located.¡± The Viscount Rontium family was one of Prince Lloyd¡¯s long-standing supporters. ¡°Did he make contact with them?¡± The subordinate giving the report shook his head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like it.¡± The Prince had been wandering the back alleys in shabby vagrant attire. This indicated he was lingering near the Viscount¡¯s residence, waiting for the right opportunity. Sebastian could understand this. Revealing his identity recklessly might get him killed by his own subordinates. Prince Lloyd himself would surely be aware of something even Sebastian could easily deduce. Given that he had been embroiled in conspiracies since birth, it was only natural for him to be cautious. In any case, it was truly fortunate. There was still an opportunity to recover from this failure. ¡°Send the Crimson me Corps.¡± The Crimson me Corps were not knights. However, depending on the situation, they were a force that could rival knights. Knights were typically those who donned armor, rode horses, and fought on the battlefield. Butbat doesn¡¯t always take ce on a battlefield. In situations involving kidnappings, confinement, assassination of key figures, and small-scale urban battles, there were many who could be stronger than knights¡ªadventurers or members of a thieves¡¯ guild, for instance. For over ten years, Prince Alford had been embroiled in endless intrigue, so such forces were just as essential as knights. That¡¯s why he had secretly raised a personal guard, the Crimson me Corps, who moved like his own limbs. There was no one more suited to quietly securing Prince Alford¡¯s body than these individuals. For the first time in a while, a relieved smile appeared on Sebastian¡¯s face. ¡°Finally, we can bring the Prince back.¡± *** As the sun set, darkness enveloped Dine Street. A group of 20 men moved through the sparsely popted road. Though they appeared to be dressed in ordinary clothing, they were discreetly armed to the teeth. Walking naturally along the street, one of the men spoke up. ¡°Is this really okay?¡± These men, members of the Crimson me Corps, had carried out countless covert missions. Many of those missions were difficult to understand. Even so, this particr order seemed especially strange. ¡ºPrince Alford has been poisoned or affected by magic, causing him to lose his sanity. Currently, the Prince is not in his right mind and may even perceive the Crimson me Corps as enemies. Focus solely on securing him, even if it means inflicting wounds, as long as they aren¡¯t life-threatening or result in the loss of limbs.¡» ¡°To say it¡¯s fine to wound the Prince¡­¡± ¡°No matter how clouded his mind is, that¡¯s a bit¡­¡± The sharp-featured man in his twenties leading the group responded bluntly. It was Bert, the leader of the Crimson me Corps. ¡°As long as he doesn¡¯t die or lose his limbs, he can be fully healed with holy healing magic. We¡¯re not really harming him.¡± Despite this, his subordinates remained doubtful. Bert was troubled. ¡®This is difficult.¡¯ As the captain, he knew the truth. Currently, Prince Alford and Prince Lloyd¡¯s bodies had been swapped, and this was all part of Alford¡¯s n. However, he couldn¡¯t reveal such critical information to his subordinates. As a result, he had to issue these seemingly contradictory and strange orders. Forcing himself to change the subject, Bert asked, ¡°What¡¯s the current location of the Prince?¡± One of the subordinates who had been on reconnaissance replied, ¡°Somewhere inside that alley. The exits have already been blocked, so he won¡¯t be able to escape.¡± ¡°No one else is with him?¡± ¡°At least from what I observed, there was no sign of that.¡± ¡°Still, always be on guard, just in case.¡± It had been quite some time since Prince Lloyd had escaped. Even if he hadn¡¯t made contact with his former subordinates, there was a possibility he had found other allies. ¡°If the Prince has any allies with him, kill them without hesitation. They are likely the ones who poisoned him.¡± The men hesitated again and asked in confusion, ¡°But wouldn¡¯t it be better not to kill them?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we try to find out who¡¯s behind this?¡± They were right. Under normal circumstances, Bert would have fully agreed with them. ¡®Lying is such a hassle in so many ways.¡¯ In situations like this, the best approach was just to shout them down. ¡°Stop overthinking it and just follow your orders! That¡¯s why we¡¯re here!¡± Finally, the members of the Crimson me Corps began to move without further protest. They each spread out and started to slip into the back alleys. Watching them, Bert frowned. ¡®Why on earth did Prince Alford decide to team up with those cultists¡­?¡¯ *** Finding the Prince was easier than expected. The Crimson me Corps members were scattered in small groups throughout the back alleys, and two of them spotted a raggedly dressed man standing in a corner. Though his clothes were shabby, there was no doubt it was Prince Alford. One of the men cautiously approached and spoke. ¡°We¡¯vee to escort you, Your Highness.¡± The Prince looked at them indifferently and asked, ¡°Do I look like Prince Alford to you?¡± The men¡¯s expressions hardened. ¡®So it¡¯s true that his mind has be clouded¡­¡¯ ¡®It seems to be the case.¡¯ This wasn¡¯t the Alford they knew. Not just his tone, but the subtle expressions and the look in his eyes were entirely different. Taking abat stance, one of the corps members spoke respectfully. ¡°If you resist, we have orders to take you by force.¡± ¡°We¡¯re doing this for your sake, Your Highness. Please forgive us.¡± The Prince smiled faintly. ¡°Give it a try.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I said, give it a try.¡± It was then that a cold wind suddenly blew. A chilling breeze brushed past their backs. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ They instinctively felt a sense of unease that they couldn¡¯t simply dismiss as just the night wind. But the members of the Crimson me Corps didn¡¯t know why. Not until a strange, eerie sound emerged from behind the Prince, and a pale, ghostly figure began to rise. Ssssshhh¡­ Two streams of darkness transformed into evil spirits, gliding through the air. The men¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Gasp!¡± ¡°What is this?¡± The evil spirits soon descended upon them. The once-quiet alley echoed with terrifying screams. ¡°Aaaagh!¡± ¡°Ahhhh!¡± *** All around the back alleys, darkness flowed, and evil spirits rampaged. ¡°Ughhh!¡± ¡°A-a monster!¡± No matter how much they tried to run, it was futile. The walls opened, extending tendrils, and the ground cracked, spewing out corpses. Even the air they breathed was tainted with an oppressive, evil energy, causing their lungs to freeze and tears to dry up just by running. ¡°Grrr, gghhh¡­¡± ¡°Ughhh¡­¡± The 20 members of the Crimson me Corps who had entered the back alleys were all dying helplessly. And their captain, Bert, was no exception. Grrr¡­ Ughhh¡­ Countless zombies approached, emitting eerie groans as they surrounded the narrow alley. Bert and the two remaining members, now trapped, grew increasingly pale. His subordinates cried out in desperation. ¡°Captain!¡± ¡°What should we do?¡± Bert had no answer to give. All his training had been against human opponents. All the missions he had carried out had been against human enemies. Enemies who could be cut, stabbed, and bled, eventually falling to the ground. But what if the enemy was a moving corpse? What if a formless evil spirit was hunting their lives? He had no idea how to deal with such threats. ¡°What¡­ what is this¡­?¡± As the horde of zombies closed in, Bert was engulfed in despair. ¡®Why is there a necromancer with the Prince?¡¯ A pitiful death cry echoed into the night sky. ¡°Aaaagh!¡± *** Two days earlier, Karnak had asked: ¡°How can we make the cultists allied with Prince Alforde out into the open?¡± First, they needed to understand why these cultists weren¡¯t revealing themselves. The first reason was the risk of their identities being exposed. The second was that there hadn¡¯t been any opponents strong enough to warrant the cultists¡ªor more specifically, the necromancers¡ªtaking action. ¡°In other words, we just need to create a situation where there¡¯s no fear of their identities being exposed, and where only necromancers can solve the problem.¡± His solution to this was, at first nce, absurd. ¡°We¡¯ll deal with them using a necromancer of our own.¡± If Prince Lloyd¡¯s ally is a necromancer, then? Since both sides are in hiding, the cultists on Alford¡¯s side wouldn¡¯t be able to rush out and report anything. This solves the first problem. Moreover, if their forces include a necromancer, Alford¡¯s existing subordinates would naturally find it difficult to face them¡ªsimply because they¡¯ve never encountered anything like this before. Normally, they would have to summon a cleric or a mage to handle such a situation, but under the current circumstances, they can¡¯t openly involve outsiders. But if the cultists themselves are forced to act? They would be well-versed in necromancy and could handle the situation without issue. ¡°Most importantly, necromancers can steal each other¡¯s necromantic power to enhance their own abilities. They¡¯d be driven by greed to engage because if they don¡¯t, someone else might take what they covet.¡± Lloyd looked puzzled. At first nce, it sounded usible, but there was one crucial premise to this n. ¡°Where are we supposed to find this necromancer? Do you have one locked up somewhere in the King¡¯s Order?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± The King¡¯s Order secretly hiding a necromancer? Someone as rigid as Commander Erantel would never allow that. ¡°But we do have several confiscated evil artifacts.¡± Karnak smiled slyly. Zombies? Evil spirits? Various sinister necromantic barriers? With illusion magic, one could create something that looked quite simr using magic. For example, casting an illusion of a zombie on a magically controlled puppet or oveying an evil spirit¡¯s image with spirit magic. But most people wouldn¡¯t be fooled by something like that. The real problem lies in the evil energy and malevolent aura that inevitably apany necromancy. These evoke a primal fear and instinctual revulsion that any living creature, even ayperson, would immediately recognize. ¡°So, we¡¯ll use illusion magic inbination with the cult¡¯s confiscated artifacts to spread that evil energy and malevolent aura. This way, it will look like real necromancy is being used.¡± ¡°Is that really possible?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a technique we¡¯ve been developing recently to deceive other necromancers.¡± ¡°Indeed, given the nature of the King¡¯s Order¡¯s missions, something like that would be necessary.¡± Satisfied, Lloyd nodded. ¡°Proceed with the n.¡± Recalling his conversation with Karnak, Lloyd gazed into the darkness of the back alley. Beyond that darkness, all manner of screams echoed, evil spirits rampaged, and corpses reanimated to kill the living. Eventually, the screams ceased. It seemed the situation was over. Soon after, a red-haired woman approached Lloyd. ¡°Were you hurt at all, Your Highness?¡± It was Dame Serati, a member of Karnak¡¯s team. ¡°Not a scratch. Captain Karnak¡¯s magic is truly impressive. Did everything go well?¡± ¡°We let two of them escape. They¡¯ll make sure to testify as nned.¡± It seemed the n had unfolded perfectly. Relieved, Lloyd let out a sigh of admiration. ¡°By the way, it was really convincing. With this, they¡¯re bound to be fooled.¡± Karnak¡¯s magic was truly realistic. It truly looked like zombies, and it really seemed like evil spirits. ¡°Even though I know the truth, it still looked like genuine necromancy to me.¡± Serati made a strange expression. ¡°Y-Yes, I suppose it would.¡± ¡°Hm? Why are you making that face?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing¡­ really¡­¡± Chapter 69 Chapter 69: Battle in the Dead of Night (1) ¡°Necromancy, you say?¡± The Crimson me Corps members, who had barely made it back alive, nodded vigorously. ¡°There¡¯s no doubt about it.¡± ¡°The corpses were moving, and the evil spirits attacked us¡­¡± ¡°A dreadful aura lingered everywhere; how could we not notice it?¡± Sebastian blinked in disbelief. He had never imagined, not even for a moment, that there could be a necromancer by Prince Lloyd¡¯s side. ¡°How did the prince end up joining forces with a necromancer?¡± Meanwhile, the eyes of the cultists sparkled with interest. ¡°A necromancer, you say!¡± ¡°It seems they¡¯re a wanderer who hasn¡¯t received the teachings of Tesranak.¡± ¡°Even so, their necromantic power seems quite strong.¡± Not only the cult of the Dark God used necromancy. The Darkness of Doom had already spread too much across the world. Moreover, necromancers could absorb the powers of their opponents to increase their own strength. It means that the one who picks it up is the owner. ¡°We¡¯ll take care of it!¡± Those who usually held back were now more eager than ever. ¡°If it¡¯s necromancy, that¡¯s our specialty!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll safely bring the prince back!¡± Since the opponent was also a necromancer, there was no need to hide their identities from each other. With no reason to oppose, Sebastian nodded. ¡°Th-Then I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± As soon as he granted permission, the cultists left the room, seemingly eager to begin preparations. They were in a hurry, perhaps worried that someone else might get ahead of them. Left alone, Sebastian clicked his tongue. ¡®Is it really true that Prince Lloyd has allied himself with a necromancer?¡¯ On the surface, it didn¡¯t seem all that strange. If one was harmed by a necromancer, they might seek out another necromancer to resolve the issue, right? It was just too absurd. This only made sense if Prince Lloyd had known another necromancer for a while. In other words¡­ ¡®So, does this mean they were trying to do something simr to what Prince Alford was nning?¡¯ It was enough to make him chuckle in disbelief. ¡®Ha, ha¡­ The royal family really is a den of demons, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ *** Detzras, a necromancer serving the Dark God. At fifty-three years old, he had originally been a mage of the fifth circle. In the world of magic, the fifth circle was a level where one could definitely hold their own. It was a position that could not be reached without both talent and effort. Yet, Detzras was not satisfied. The regr mages who ranged between the third and fifth circles were the mostmon, the level where most mages fell. He hadn¡¯t worked so hard just to end up on the same level as everyone else. He wanted to reach higher, to possess more. And so he ceaselessly strived towards his goal. But reality was harsh. Though he had talent, it was not enough to overwhelm others. As much as he advanced, so did others. As much as he worked hard, so did others. When everyone puts in the effort, what remains is only the gap in talent. Some people say that life is long, that it¡¯s not a sprint but a marathon, and if you keep running steadily, you will eventually reach your destination. That if you keep walking your path diligently, when you look back, those who had been ahead of you will be sitting behind. Well, it wasn¡¯t entirely untrue. There were indeed those who, relying only on their youthful talent, cked off and faced ruin. When he looked back, he could see those who had fallen behind. It¡¯s just that there were still far more people far ahead of him. What sense does it make to ignore the hundreds, thousands ofpetitors ahead and look back at the few who have fallen behind? If you keep running steadily, you¡¯ll eventually reach your destination? When is that supposed to happen? In 20 years? 30 years? When you¡¯re 70 or 80 years old? Human life has its limits. Are they telling him to finally reach his goal only to die in contentment after his body has aged and withered? It was then that the cult of the Dark God approached him in his despair. ¡°Mage Detzras, the true power of darkness has chosen you.¡± When faced with the saint of the great god, Detzras¡¯s first reaction was one of sphemy. ¡°A cultist dares to reveal themselves openly? Are you mad?¡± He knew well that learning necromancy would be of no use to a mage. It was akin to a fighter cutting off both arms and attaching pincers instead. Sure, the pincers might be useful inbat. They could hit harder with thick shells, and crush enemies with the pincers. But the martial arts they had learned when they had arms would be almost useless. ¡°And you suggest necromancy to me? Do you think I¡¯m some novice mage?¡± A novice mage might consider it. Giving up low-level magic of the first or second circle to gain powerful necromancy would be an attractive proposition. But Detzras was already a mage of the fifth circle. Even if he was dissatisfied with the results of his decades of dedication to magic, the power itself was far from weak. Abandoning it to be a novice necromancer wouldn¡¯t necessarily make him stronger than before. But the cult of the Dark God was different. ¡°That is because what you¡¯ve seen is not true necromancy.¡± The true power of darkness wasn¡¯t about cutting off your arms and attaching pincers. It was about reinforcing your arms with exoskeleton-like armor. This meant he could continue to use the skills he had mastered while also learning new techniques. He could walk a new path while maintaining the mana he had umted so far! With little to lose and much to gain, it was inevitable that he would join the cult of the Dark God. ¡°So, there¡¯s a necromancer on Prince Lloyd¡¯s side too?¡± Returning to his room to prepare for departure, Detzras smiled contentedly. ¡°How much more powerful will I be if I devour that necromancer?¡± Magic requires relentless effort to increase mana. Thus, the path to increasing mana is a difficult one. ¡°Of course, necromancy doesn¡¯t grant power for free. Nothing in this world is obtained without effort. However, the nature of the effort is slightly different. While magic requires one to solely refine oneself, necromancy allows one to steal the power of others. ¡®I don¡¯t know who this necromancer by the First Prince¡¯s side is¡­¡¯ As he prepared, Detzras fell into thought. ¡®They can¡¯t be a mere wandering necromancer, who is using the Darkness of Doom.¡¯ Judging by how they handled the Crimson me Corps, they have surpassed the level of simply wielding the power of darkness without skill. ¡®But even so, they won¡¯t be a match for me.¡¯ No matter how powerful conventional necromancers are, they are merely those who have not received the true teachings of darkness. In contrast, Detzras is both a necromancer and a mage. It¡¯s like fighting someone with one arm while you have two¡ªunless the difference in skill is vast, it¡¯s unlikely he would lose. ¡®Of course, if the difference is vast, then I might lose¡­¡¯ The middle-aged man smiled confidently. ¡°There¡¯s no way a necromancer as powerful as me exists on this continent outside of our cult!¡± *** Even after his whereabouts were revealed, Prince Lloyd did not leave Dine Street. Although he moved his hideout, he continued to make appearances in the same area. Detzras, having learned this through his spies, smirked. He thought he understood what the prince was up to. ¡°Really, necromancers all think alike.¡± It was obvious that they were trying to lure them in. Detzras wasn¡¯t the only one who saw the opponent as prey. One of the cultists following behind, Kale, also sneered. ¡°He seems quite confident in his own power. Howughable for a mere wanderer¡­¡± Detzras waved his hand, indicating it wasn¡¯t surprising. ¡°Most necromancers are people who¡¯ve lived at the bottom of society and suddenly gained great power. It would be stranger if they weren¡¯t drunk on that power.¡± Usually, people like that meet their match and get a harsh lesson in humility¡­ ¡°Most of the time, they don¡¯t even get to use the humility they¡¯ve learned before departing this world.¡± The cultists continued to move through Dine Street. The night was so deep that there were no passersby. Only the asional night watchmen patrolled the streets. Under normal circumstances, they would be subject to inspections, but with the seal of Prince Alford in hand, there were no issues. ¡°We¡¯re almost there.¡± Under the faint moonlight, obscured by clouds, the shadowy slums came into view. Detzras turned to the two necromancers, Kale and Olt, andmanded them. ¡°Move ording to the n.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The n Detzras had devised for the ¡®Remation of Prince Alford¡¯s Body¡¯ was simple. First, the two would lure out the necromancer on Prince Lloyd¡¯s side. Then, Detzras would watch from the shadows, waiting for the right moment to ambush andpletely subdue the opponent. Why go to such lengths when they could just fight together? The justification was this: ¡ªThe enemy might flee, so I¡¯ll monitor the battle from the rear! But the real reason was this: ¡®There¡¯s no way that guy is stronger than me, but you never know, right? I should use these two as bait first.¡¯ If they handle the situation, he¡¯ll praise them and share the necromantic power with them. He¡¯ll take half and give them the other half. Is that too harsh? It¡¯s not like he is taking everything for himself, so what¡¯s the problem? What if Kale and Olt betray Detzras and try to absorb the power themselves? Even if they do, they won¡¯t be stronger than Detzras, so he can just punish them for insubordination. And while he¡¯s at it, he could swallow up their necromantic power as well. With such a justification, the cult wouldn¡¯t object too much. But what if the two get defeated? That would mean Prince Lloyd¡¯s necromancer is indeed a formidable foe, proving Detzras¡¯s decision to use them as bait was wise. It¡¯s a method that could easily get him stabbed in the back, but Detzras felt no guilt. Only someone who could truly think this way would be capable of practicing necromancy. Naturally, Kale and Olt weren¡¯t ignorant of Detzras¡¯s dark intentions. ¡®Damn it, being weak is a sin.¡¯ ¡®But we can¡¯t defy him either.¡¯ Kale took out an old-fashionedntern from his coat and lit it. Sssss¡­ As the me ignited, a chilling sound like a snake slithering echoed, and a cold aura filled the surroundings. It was the Lantern of the Lost Souls. The souls of knights and soldiers who had fallen on the battlefield were sealed within this cursed artifact, one of the treasures Detzras had bestowed upon them from the cult. Even if they were being used as bait, providing them with a means of survival like this was necessary to ensure they followed orders. Focusing his mind on thentern, Kale began to chant a spell. ¡°In the name of Tesranak, Imand you¡­¡± The me of thentern turned blue, and one by one, wraith-like figures began to rise from the ground. ¡°Rise, cursed souls of fallen warriors¡­¡± Countless ghosts of knights and soldiers filled the street, their wails echoing through the night. ¡°Uuughhh¡­¡± ¡°Aaaahhhh¡­¡± *** Inside a shabby two-story house in the slums. Karnak, who had been sitting in a chair reading a book, suddenly looked up and muttered. ¡°They¡¯re here.¡± Though it seemed like a random statement, Baros and Serati understood immediately. ¡°Already?¡± ¡°That was quick.¡± The Crimson me Corps had attacked just the night before. Yet, within just one day, another assault from Prince Alford¡¯s side had begun. Rising to his feet, Baros asked, ¡°Is it necromancers this time?¡± ¡°As expected, they¡¯re in a hurry, likely afraid someone else might steal their prey.¡± Serati and Baros swiftly prepared for battle. Watching them, Prince Lloyd wore a skeptical expression. ¡°It¡¯s not that I doubt your skills, but¡­¡± They were already fully armed and waiting, so there wasn¡¯t much preparation to be done. All they had to do was grab the ¡®anti-cultist weapons¡¯ that Karnak had prepared for them. The problem was that these so-called secret weapons were rather unconventional. In Baros¡¯s hand was a long mop. In Serati¡¯s hand was a rusty frying pan. ¡°¡­Are you seriously going to fight with those?¡± Chapter 70 Chapter 70: Battle in the Dead of Night (2) Ghost soldiers move through the eerie fog. Uttering ghastly moans, they glide through the night slums, spreading a bizarre darkness. ¡°Uuuuuh¡­¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Yet, there was still no sign of life. It wasn¡¯t because there were no residents here. ¡°Goddess¡­ please¡­¡± ¡°What on earth is this¡­?¡± ¡°Hey! Stay away from the window!¡± Everyone was hiding deep within their homes, trembling in fear. It was only natural. Two men in gloomy robes were walking ominously through the streets, with an army of ghosts in tow, spreading a white mist across the ground. Who would dare step outside after witnessing such a scene? Anyone with a warrior¡¯s heart brave enough to do so wouldn¡¯t be living in a slum like this in the first ce. Thanks to this, Kale and Olt were able to advance deep into the slum without any obstruction. Looking around, Olt asked, ¡°What do you think their move will be?¡± Considering they had made this much of a scene, the necromancer should have already sensed the situation. ¡°It depends on what the necromancer¡¯s specialty is.¡± ording to the reports from the Crimson me Corps, the necromancer allied with Prince Lloyd initially used a horde of zombies to create pressure before summoning evil spirits. ¡°That¡¯s a typical necromancy¡­,¡± Kale continued, sounding doubtful. ¡°But it¡¯s likely that they¡¯re under some kind of illusion, right?¡± When one thinks of necromancy, the first thing thates to mind is usually the maniption of zombies. Raising corpses to create new death¡ªthat grotesque spectacle is the very identity of a necromancer. It¡¯s not just a stereotype; it¡¯s actually a fairly easy spell. Even the lowest-level necromancer can raise and control corpses, and sometimes, even those without knowledge of necromancy but possessing the power of darkness can achieve this through sheer desperation. It¡¯s something you can do even without knowledge, and with knowledge, it bes even easier, requiring little energy while being highly efficient. The problem is that this spelles with a critical w. Kale pointed out exactly this issue. ¡°There¡¯s no way they could have gathered that many corpses in the capital.¡± Zombie maniption involves reanimating existing corpses, not creating new ones out of thin air. And it¡¯s not as if one can carry corpses around all the time. Unless in a specific ce like a graveyard or battlefield, zombie maniption is not a very useful tactic. ¡°Their actual specialty is likely summoning evil spirits, necromancy.¡± ¡°Considering they added an illusion, they¡¯re not a very powerful necromancer. If we face them head-on, they won¡¯t be much of a match for us.¡± ¡°So, they¡¯re probably hiding somewhere, waiting to ambush us?¡± ¡°That would be the prudent approach for a necromancer.¡± Kale grinned as he looked back. He issued amand to the dozens of ghostly soldiers wrapped in cold spectral mes. ¡°Go forth, my minions¡­¡± At his gesture, the ghosts began to scatter in all directions. ¡°By themand of darkness, seek out your master¡¯s enemies!¡± *** Countless ghosts cut through the night streets, roaming everywhere. As spirits, there was no way that walls or roofs could block them. They passed through walls, rose from the floors, and flowed down from the ceilings, moving effortlessly between houses. Though they didn¡¯t cause direct harm, merely inspecting and moving on, it was surely a terrifying sight for the hiding residents. Each time the ghostly soldiers passed by, people trembled, forcing themselves to stifle their screams. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Hic¡­¡± Serati, who was observing the situation from a concealed spot on the side of the street, frowned. ¡°Those bastards, dragging innocent residents into this¡­¡± In contrast, Baros seemed impressed. ¡°For necromancers, they¡¯re surprisingly kind!¡± ¡°Kind, you say?¡± ¡°They¡¯re ignoring the residents as they pass by.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? The residents aren¡¯t their enemies; there¡¯s no need to harm them.¡± ¡°There is a need, actually.¡± A strange smile appeared on Baros¡¯s lips. ¡°Each person they kill bes another useful corpse.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serati was at a loss for words. She had never even considered thinking in such a way. ¡°Are all necromancers like that?¡± Baros tilted his head thoughtfully. ¡°¡­Now that I think about it, maybe it was just the Young Master?¡± It wasn¡¯t that those cultists were particrly kind; it¡¯s just that, no matter how evil someone is, it¡¯s not easy to think that far ahead. Only a truly rotten viin woulde up with such an idea. ¡®And that rotten viin is my soul¡¯s master. Oh, what a fate I have¡­¡¯ Perhaps noticing Serati¡¯s inner thoughts, Baros offered an excuse on his behalf. ¡°The Young Master has turned over a new leaf recently.¡± ¡°The problem is that even after turning over a new leaf, he¡¯s still like this!¡± Meanwhile, the ghosts continued to scour the slum. They were getting closer to the spot where the two were hiding. ¡°It¡¯s about time.¡± Baros gripped his mop tighter, his eyes gleaming. ¡°Let¡¯s move ording to n.¡± *** Suddenly, Kale looked up. The mes that had been burning blue inside thentern flickered momentarily. ¡°One of the lost souls has been taken out.¡± It was the reaction he had been waiting for. Olt, tense, asked, ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Over there.¡± After confirming the direction, Kale ordered all the ghostly soldiers to converge there. ¡®Go, my minions!¡¯ After sending the lost souls ahead, the two also began to run. Soon, they arrived at the scene where the ghost soldiers had gathered en masse. It was a small clearing between the slum buildings. Upon arrival, they saw that a battle had already broken out. ¡°Hah!¡± With a short shout, a man with ck hair thrust his sword forward. A ghost soldier charging at him was dispersed with a single strike, letting out a ghastly wail. ¡°Kyaaaah!¡± As the spirit dissipated, more rushed in, swinging their swords. Just as a translucent spiritual de was about to strike the man, a red-haired woman quickly intercepted. ¡°Hmph!¡± With a snort, her longsword carved an elegant arc, shattering the ghost¡¯s de as it passed through. Each time, the ghosts let out eerie wails. ¡°Aaaargh!¡± Despite facing the ghost soldiers swarming from all directions, the two remained remarkably calm. They showed no signs of being overwhelmed, efficiently cutting down the ghost soldiers with every move. The reason this was possible was due to the intense aura of darkness emanating from their longswords. Observing the situation, Kale wore a peculiar expression. ¡°Are they the necromancers from Prince Lloyd¡¯s side?¡± Olt had a simr reaction. ¡°Something seems¡­ off.¡± At first nce, they appeared to be ordinary swordsmen. But who ever said that necromancers must wear ck robes? You can¡¯t judge them by their attire alone. Of course, Kale and Olt were dressed in ck robes, but that was because their profession required them to carry numerous necromantic catalysts, making robes the most convenient. The reason for the ck color was simply to match the dark and death aura. The fact that their swordsmanship was exceptionally skilled was also within the realm of understanding. Some necromancers are martial artists who enhance themselves for closebat. ¡°They seem to be using the power of darkness, so they might be necromancers, but¡­¡± However, there was one thing that bothered Kale greatly. He tilted his head in confusion. ¡°What on earth is that?¡± In the other hand of the man cutting down the ghosts, there was a mop. ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± The woman was no different. She was elegantly wielding her sword with one hand, while holding a frying pan in the other. Olt blinked. ¡°¡­Is that some kind of necromancy?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure.¡± If it were necromancy, shouldn¡¯t there be some sort of evil energy or aura of malice emanating from it? But no matter how they looked at it, it was just a mop and a frying pan. Moreover, they weren¡¯t even using them as weapons. They were just holding them. This even put them at a disadvantage by leaving one hand unusable. ¡®Why on earth?¡¯ ¡®I really don¡¯t get it.¡¯ Meanwhile, the ghost soldiers continued to fall. The two snapped out of their daze. This wasn¡¯t a situation where they could just stand around and watch. ¡°Let¡¯s take care of them first!¡± They were already applying pressure using arge number of ghost soldiers, so there was no need to summon additional familiars. Kale spread his arms wide and drew upon his necromantic power. ¡°Awaken, O dead, and extend the hand of chaos!¡± Blood-red darkness rippled outwards from Kale, and at the same time, eerie hands began to rise from the ground. This was the necromantic barrier, ¡®Sinking Swamp of the Dead,¡¯ which summoned countless hands from the depths of hell. ¡®Huh?¡¯ The previously rxed Baros suddenly stiffened. ¡®If he¡¯s using something like this, he¡¯s really at a high level.¡¯ This was on a different levelpared to the cultists they had encountered before. ¡®Well, if he¡¯s close to a member of the royal family, he must be pretty high-ranking within their cult.¡¯ Still, there was no need to be overly tense. This was a technique he was quite familiar with. ¡®It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had to step up.¡¯ First, he took a deep breath. ¡°Hoooo¡­¡± With a strange shout, Baros¡¯s movements suddenly changed. ¡°Hup! Ho! Hoy!¡± Where he had been wielding his sword with steady, deliberate motions, he now began to move lightly, almost as if dancing. Kale and Olt¡¯s expressions twisted in confusion. ¡®What the¡­?¡¯ It was as if he were mimicking a graceful dancer. This burly man was prancing lightly between the hands of the dead, and it was truly an unbearable sight. Yet, it was effective. He deftly maneuvered between the hands of the dead, cutting down the ghost soldiers as he went. ¡°Kyaaaah!¡± With the ear-splitting wails filling the air, Kale¡¯s expression grew even more strained. ¡®My God, was the Sinking Swamp of the Dead really this easy to ovee?¡¯ The same went for Serati, the red-haired woman; the necromantic barrier wasn¡¯t affecting her either. ¡°Hup!¡± With a loud shout, she stomped on the ground. Each time she did, the hands of the dead shattered and scattered. Unlike Baros, who dodged gracefully(?), she simply crushed the hands underfoot. Thud! Thud! Thud! Olt clicked his tongue. ¡°It¡¯s like they¡¯ve switched roles¡­¡± The sight was absurd: the man who looked like he could wrestle a bear with his bare hands was dodging desperately, afraid of getting hurt, while the delicate beauty, who looked like she might fall over with a light tap, was pounding the hands of the dead like she was ying whack-a-mole. Even so, the necromantic barrier¡¯s vast range meant that they were gradually being pushed back. As they continued to retreat, Baros and Serati eventually found themselves back-to-back. ¡®Phew¡­¡¯ ¡®Finally, we¡¯ve got them cornered, right?¡¯ Just as Kale and Olt were about to feel relieved, Baros and Serati suddenly moved in unison. With a loud shout, they threw the mop and frying pan high into the air! ¡°Hup!¡± ¡°Hah!¡± And then they immediately drove their longswords into the ground. Darkness surged up like a geyser, spreading out in a massive wave in all directions. Fwoooosh! The blood-red swamp waspletely washed away by the overwhelming wave of darkness. Now free from danger, Baros and Serati reached up, catching the mop and frying pan as they naturally returned to their hands. Twirling the mop, Baros taunted them. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to do anything to us with a trick like that.¡± Kale¡¯s expression grew even more rigid. The spell he had been so confident in was shattered far too easily. What was especially troubling was that he had no idea what they had done. ¡®I can¡¯t even begin to guess what technique that was!¡¯ Even with all his knowledge of necromancy, he couldn¡¯t figure out how the mop and frying pan were connected to necromancy. Seeing Kale¡¯s confusion, Olt stepped forward. Throwing off his robe, he drew upon his necromantic power. ¡°I¡¯ll handle this!¡± Olt¡¯s size increased by more than three times, with horns and tentacles sprouting from his limbs. ¡°Power of hell, bestow upon my body the power of chaos!¡± A monstrous roar erupted from his demonic form. ¡°Raaaargh!¡± Chapter 71 Chapter 71: Battle in the Dead of Night (3) Baros clicked his tongue as he looked at Olt, who had taken on the form of a demon. ¡®That¡¯s quite a tricky one. This guy¡¯s on a high level too.¡¯ Demonification is a technique that most necromancers can perform. The transformation into a demon itself is rtively easy; the difficult part is reverting back to human form. This is why demonification is often regarded as equivalent to suicide. Most necromancers who transform into demons lose their sanity and eventually go on a rampage. However, what Olt had cast was the highest level of demonification spell, Demonic Metamorphosis. It is a high-level spell that allows the caster to maintain their sanity while only summoning the power of a demon. ¡°Graaaaah!¡± With a roar, Olt charged at Baros. No matter how much experience and knowledge Baros had, he was still constrained by the limits of a human, making Olt a formidable opponent. He quickly signaled to Serati with his eyes. [Take care of him!] [Yes!] She swiftly positioned herself between them. The magicalmunication made it much easier to coordinate their movements in battle. ¡°Your opponent is me!¡± A de infused with darkness shed in front of Olt¡¯s eyes. He quickly tilted his head to dodge it, then sneered. ¡°Do you think you can face me with just that level of physical enhancement?¡± His confidence was well-founded. After all, Karnak had once said, ¡°There¡¯s no way a normal-looking necromancer could be strong, right?¡± The more a necromancer strengthens their body using necromantic power, the more they lose their human appearance. ¡°I¡¯ll show you the true power of darkness!¡± Olt sharpened his ws like des and began to attack with the force of a storm. ¡°Kahahaha!¡± To his surprise, however, Serati was holding her own quite well. ¡°This much is nothing!¡± She deflected his minor attacks and parried the powerful ones. As she continuously moved around Olt, delivering her strikes, the battle was evenly matched. Olt couldn¡¯t understand what was happening. ¡°Why¡ªwhy are you so strong?¡± Serati still appeared to be a beautiful woman on the outside. This meant that her physical enhancement was minimal at best. ¡®But how can she disy such monstrous strength?¡¯ She chuckled to herself. ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m not using necromantic power to enhance my body.¡± To disguise herself as a necromancer, Serati deliberately refrained from revealing her aura. She was only circting it within her body to enhance her physical abilities, meaning she wasn¡¯t even using a fraction of her true power. Yet even this was far more efficient than enhancing her body with necromantic power. As they exchanged blows, the battle between Serati and the demon grew more intense. The sound of their sh echoed in all directions. Boom! Boom! Boom! Frustrated, Olt once again drew upon his necromantic power. ¡°You insolent bitch! I¡¯ll obliterate you with a single strike!¡± The power of darkness he summoned shot out like lightning from the demon¡¯s mouth. Serati¡¯s expression hardened slightly. ¡®I can¡¯t dodge this.¡¯ She could block it if she revealed her aura, but that would expose her true identity. So, she decided to use her secret weapon instead! ¡°Hmph!¡± With a scoff, Serati raised a frying pan over her head. Then, with a loud shout, she swung it down hard and thrust her sword forward. In an instant, a dark red aura erupted from the de and collided with Olt¡¯s attack. BOOM! The entire street shook as Olt¡¯s attack waspletely nullified. His bewildered gaze naturally turned to Serati¡¯s left hand. ¡®So, what exactly is she doing with that thing?!¡¯ *** Baros continued to face off against Kale, and the scene was theplete opposite of what was happening with Serati. Kale was the epitome of a traditional necromancer. From a distance, he protected himself with evil spirits while using the Lantern of the Lost Souls to summon ghost soldiers. He nned to eliminate his enemies from a safe location. The sheer number of ghost soldiers kept pushing Baros back continuously. It was a situation where he seemed like a lone leaf caught in a raging storm. However, it didn¡¯t mean he was at a disadvantage. ¡®No matter how strong the storm is, it can¡¯t tear apart a leaf.¡¯ He was constantly being pushed back and deflected, only to move back in a graceful flow, using all his energy to escape into his and his enemy¡¯s blind spots. If anyone dedicated to the martial arts had witnessed this scene, they would have marveled at the height of his skill. Of course, for Kale, who had no interest in martial arts, it was nothing but a frustrating sight. ¡°You little rat, all you do is scurry around!¡± ¡°And the fact that you can¡¯t catch this rat is more of a problem, isn¡¯t it?¡± Baros responded with a taunt as he examined the surrounding ghost soldiers. Even though he said that, he had no intention of just running away forever. ¡®I need to conserve my strength whenever I can.¡¯ Taking advantage of an opportunity, Baros swung his broom widely and then shed down with his sword. Darkness erupted from the de, engulfing the ghost soldiers. The evil spirits, now wrapped in a dark shroud, began to scream in agony. ¡°Graaaah!¡± ¡°Kyaaah!¡± The ghosts melted away rapidly as if they had been doused with acid. Kale gritted his teeth. ¡°Damn it! That again?¡± It had been like this the whole time. Whenever Kale pushed forward with his ghost soldiers, Baros would unleash that mysterious necromancy to escape danger. And then it was back to running, running, and more running. Despite his efforts to analyze the opponent¡¯s spell, Kale couldn¡¯t make any progress. ¡®I just can¡¯t figure it out!¡¯ No matter how much he looked, it was just an ordinary broom. There was no aura of malice or evil energy. He couldn¡¯t sense any power of darkness from it at all. Because of that, he couldn¡¯t predict its movements or grasp the flow of power. But one thing was certain¡ªBaros was definitely doing something. ¡®What on earth is that spell!?¡¯ *** On the rooftop of a shabby building in the slums, a block away from the clearing. ¡°He can¡¯t figure it out, can he?¡± Watching the situation through a distant-view spell, Karnak smiled faintly. ¡°Of course he can¡¯t, and that¡¯s how it should be.¡± There are two kinds of good lies. One is a realistic lie, one that¡¯s usible enough for people to believe it might be possible. The other is so absurd that people think, ¡°There¡¯s no way they would go that far,¡± making it a shameless lie. This lie was thetter. Can¡¯t figure it out no matter how much he looks? Can¡¯t even read any signs? Of course not. Because there was truly nothing there. It was really just an ordinary broom and frying pan. ¡®And that¡¯s the beauty of it.¡¯ Throughout the battle, Karnak had been hiding himself while secretly assisting Baros and Serati with necromancy. But since the enemy was also a necromancer, they might be deceived for a moment, but they would eventually notice the situation through the flow of malevolent and necromantic power. So, he had to divert their attention. Misdirection is an essential skill for any necromancer. The broom and frying pan were excellent tools for drawing attention. They were suspicious, but their true nature was impossible to discern, which only made them even more captivating to look at. ¡®If only I could keep running into naive people like this, life would be so easy,¡¯ Karnak thought with a satisfied smile as he observed the situation. However, he knew this wouldn¡¯t work forever. ¡®They should be catching on soon,¡¯ he mused. *** The first to notice something was Kale. ¡°I¡¯ve got it!¡± he eximed. Unlike Olt, who was locked in closebat with Serati, Kale was fighting from a distance. This allowed him to have a broader view of the situation and to analyze it more quickly. ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled, Olt! It¡¯s nothing!¡± Olt, who had just dodged one of Serati¡¯s strikes, raised an eyebrow. ¡°Nothing?¡± For a moment, he didn¡¯t understand. Serati seemed like she was trying to do something with that frying pan again. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s just a trick to distract us!¡± Olt, being a necromancer himself, understood the importance of misdirection. He quickly realized what was going on. ¡°So that¡¯s it! Clever bastards!¡± These two were just pawns. There must be a real necromancer somewhere pulling the strings. ¡®No wonder we couldn¡¯t figure out their techniques from the start!¡¯ Olt began to widen the distance and scanned the surroundings. Kale, too, focused his attention on the power of darkness around the clearing, rather than on Baros. Baros and Serati, sensing the change in their opponents¡¯ demeanor, exchanged messages. [Uh-oh, did they figure it out?] [We need to act quickly.] Baros lifted his broom high into the air, then swung it in a wide, borate arc, tracing an infinite loop before stepping forward and thrusting it straight toward the sky. ¡°Hup!¡± Serati, too, twirled the handle of her frying pan with a flourish and swung it dramatically. ¡°Take that!¡± The movements appeared grand and impressive at first nce. But Kale and Olt were no longer fooled. ¡°We¡¯ve already figured it out!¡± ¡°You think we¡¯d fall for that now?¡± Theypletely ignored the broom and frying pan, focusing solely on the flow of dark energy around them. And in doing so, they could clearly sense it. The real necromantic power, sneaking in like a thief from the other side of the clearing! ¡°Tesranak!¡± Shouting the name of their dark god, the two unleashed a massive wave of darkness. A deafening explosion echoed as the necromantic barrier that was about to be activated was shattered. BOOM! ¡°Hah! How do you like that!¡± But neither Kale nor Olt realized that this was exactly what Karnak had nned all along. ¡°Excited because you figured it out, huh? Now that¡¯s all you can focus on, right?¡± Standing at a distance, Karnak chuckled quietly to himself. Ignoring a swinging broom like that? ¡°Really? Do you think an ordinary broom doesn¡¯t hurt if it hits you?¡± Baros slipped behind Kale with the broom in hand. But Kale didn¡¯t notice, his mind still entirely focused on Karnak¡¯s necromancy. Seizing the moment, Baros brought the broomstick crashing down on the back of Kale¡¯s head. Smack! You don¡¯t need immense power to knock someone out. You just need to strike from outside their awareness, where they least expect it. With that single blow, Kale¡¯s entire body crumpled like a puppet with its strings cut. ¡°Ughhh¡­¡± Olt met a simr fate. Serati, having rapidly closed the distance, swung her frying pan expertly at his skull. Of course, Olt, being in his demonified state, had significantly enhanced defense. A simple metal object wouldn¡¯t be enough to knock him out. So, she coated the pan with a dazzling, red aura! ng~! A clear, resonant sound rang out through the night sky, as beautiful as it was lethal. *** ¡°It¡¯s over,¡± Karnak said as he nced back. ¡°I¡¯m stepping out for a moment, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Are you going to interrogate them? In that case, I will apany you,¡± replied Lloyd, ready to follow him. But Karnak stopped him. ¡°It would be better if you stayed here, Your Highness. Another necromancer could be lurking around, waiting for an opportunity to target you.¡± The real reason was that Karnak couldn¡¯t let the prince witness the interrogation, but it wasn¡¯t aplete lie. Situations like that were actually quitemon. The prince epted this exnation without question. ¡°That makes sense. I¡¯ll stay hidden, then.¡± Karnak left the building and leisurely made his way to the clearing. There, he saw Kale and Olt tightly bound by dark energy. Both of them had been beaten so severely that they were still dazed, unable to fully regain their senses. ¡°Shall I wake them, young master?¡± Baros asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Baros pped Kale and Olt across the face several times. The two necromancers soon regained consciousness and, after ncing around in confusion, locked their eyes on Karnak, their faces contorting with fear. ¡®It¡¯s him!¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s the real necromancer!¡¯ Even just standing there, Karnak exuded a palpable aura of malevolence. For the two necromancers, it was a chilling, bone-deep terror. Kale and Olt exchanged nces. ¡®Damn it¡­¡¯ ¡®In that case!¡¯ They couldn¡¯t allow themselves to be captured. They would rather die than bring disgrace to their cult. With grim resolve, they both red fiercely. ¡°Tesranak, our lord!¡± ¡°We return to your embrace!¡± In an instant, both men spewed blood and copsed to the ground. It was a suicide spell unique to the Dark God¡¯s cult, a heart explosion. No one was particrly shocked by this. They were more exasperated than anything. ¡°Are they out of their minds? They¡¯re necromancers themselves, and they chose tomit suicide just to keep their secrets?¡± Karnak clicked his tongue and raised his right hand. From the ground, dark hands emerged and soon revealed the souls of the two men, floating in midair. The pitch-ck hands grabbed each soul by the cheek and began to drag them forward. ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Karnak grinned as he threw the two souls to the ground. ¡°Now then, we have a lot to talk about, don¡¯t we?¡± Terror slowly crept into the eyes of the two souls as they realized their situation. Chapter 72 Chapter 72: Magic of Necromancer (1) The souls of Kale and Olt, who had been captured, werepletely absorbed into the darkness. Watching Karnak harvest the two souls, Baros asked, ¡°What should we do with these corpses, young master?¡± Even though the souls had been extracted, the necromantic power still lingered in the bodies. ¡°Shall we drain the necromantic power and burn them as usual?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the simplest approach, but¡­¡± After a moment of contemtion, Karnak made a decision. ¡°Let¡¯s take them with us.¡± For a necromancer, corpses have many uses, especially those filled with an aura of malevolence. ¡°Because there¡¯s still one enemy left,¡± he added. ording to Prince Lloyd, there were three cultists on Alford¡¯s side: two men in their forties and one in his mid-fifties. However, the man in his fifties was nowhere to be seen. ¡°I thought for sure he¡¯d be lurking nearby, using these two as bait while observing the situation¡­¡± ncing around cautiously, Serati replied, ¡°Maybe he missed his chance to intervene?¡± The battle was already over. Any surprise attack now would be meaningless. In this situation, it would be much more effective to wait until the enemy hadpletely let their guard down before striking. ¡°If I were in his position, that¡¯s what I would do,¡± Karnak said, nodding toward the other side of the open space. ¡°Let¡¯s move. We need to prepare for the interrogation and greet our guest properly.¡± At hismand, Baros and Serati each hoisted a corpse onto their shoulders. They also took the Lantern of the Lost Souls with them. Looking down at thentern, Baros chuckled. ¡°This will make the perfect piece of evidence to present to the King¡¯s Order.¡± *** On the rooftop of a building overlooking the open space: ¡°Damn it¡­¡± Detzras crouched in the darkness with a troubled expression on his face. ¡°I never expected both of them to fall so quickly.¡± He had been waiting for the right moment to counterattack, thinking that finally, the opportunity hade. But before he could act, the situation had already ended with a few swift blows. There was no time to do anything. Of course, he had plenty of chances to intervene earlier, but he had only watched. The reason was simple. He, too, had been distracted by the broom and frying pan. ¡®Tsk, no matter how skilled a necromancer, to resort to such lowly tricks¡­¡¯ In the distance, he could see Karnak¡¯s group collecting his fallenrades¡¯ bodies and leaving the open lot. Detzras fell into deep thought. ¡®What should I do now?¡¯ If the enemy were weak, there would be no need to hesitate. He could just attack and finish them off now. If the enemy were strong, the decision would be just as simple¡ªflee without a second thought. No matter how strict the order of the cult, survivales first, doesn¡¯t it? ¡®But I can¡¯t tell if that guy is weak or strong.¡¯ He hadn¡¯t shown much. He had subdued Kale and Olt through psychological tactics alone, leaving too little evidence to judge. ¡®In any case, I can¡¯t just let him go.¡¯ Detzras slowly slid into the darkness. *** Karnak and his group brought the corpses to an old hall in a building within the slums. It was another hideout, far from the ce where Prince Lloyd was hiding. As they ced the corpses inside the hall, Baros asked, ¡°Is it safe to leave the prince alone?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice. I can¡¯t use necromancy in front of the prince.¡± ¡°But what if the remaining cultist targets the prince?¡± There was still one cultist left. Karnak responded calmly to Baros¡¯s concern, ¡°It¡¯s fine. In fact, I left him alone on purpose for that very reason.¡± In other words, Lloyd was a backup bait in case the n didn¡¯t go as intended. ¡°Anyway, we need to focus on our task.¡± As Karnak summoned the darkness, the souls of Kale and Olt reappeared. Looking at the two ghosts, who had taken on their full forms as they were in life, Serati muttered, ¡°They look pretty healthy. Though I¡¯m not sure if it makes sense to say a ghost looks healthy.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s true that they¡¯re in good condition.¡± Since the souls were preserved immediately after their deaths, there was no chance for their memories to fade or deteriorate. As he slowly exuded an aura of malevolence, Karnak began to speak in a chilling voice, ¡°Alright, first, recite your personal details.¡± It was a rather vaguemand. But due to his mastery of necromancy, they responded immediately. ¡°My name is Kale Bowsen, under the directmand of Bishop Detzras¡­¡± ¡°I am Olt Gelperant, acting on the orders of Hudel¡­¡± Thanks to this, Karnak gained considerable insight into the Cult of the Dark God that had infiltrated the Kingdom of Yustil. The one in charge of the Kingdom of Yustil was Cardinal Hudel Grenthal, and those involved in this incident were his direct subordinates, including Bishop Detzras. Detzras held a high rank within the cult and was connected to the upper echelons. This also meant that his abilities as a necromancer were formidable¡­ ¡°So, he was also a mage?¡± Unlike Kale and Olt, who had started as mere peasants before bing necromancers, Detzras had risen to a high position quickly, possibly because he was a mage from the beginning. ¡°He uses both magic and necromancy. I¡¯m curious about how that works.¡± Karnak himselfbined magic and necromancy using Chaos Power, so naturally, he was intrigued. ¡°But for now, there¡¯s a more pressing question I need answered.¡± In most cases, the most important concerns would be what the enemy¡¯s plot was and how strong their forces were. However, Karnak had a higher-priority issue. ¡°Tell me,¡± he demanded, his eyes gleaming as he infused the subdued souls with an aura of malevolence. ¡°How did you manage to swap the souls of the two princes?¡± Soul Change Ring was a necromantic spell Karnak was well familiar with. He knew it so well that he could recite over twenty different methods to perform the ritual on the spot. But there was one thing he couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°How did you manage to curse Prince Lloyd, who was protected deep within the royal pce?¡± Gathering Lloyd and Alford in one ce to swap their souls was easy. Karnak could do it right now if he wanted to. But extracting a soul from a distance, especially from someone protected by magic and divine power, was impossible even for Karnak in his prime as the Death King. ¡°Technically, it¡¯s possible. You could just shatter all the protective barriers and force the curse in.¡± But that wasn¡¯t the method the Cult of the Dark God used. They had seeded in secretly and seamlessly swapping the souls of the two princes. This meant they had used necromancy that even the Death King did not know. ¡°Hmm, now that I think about it, this feels oddly familiar. D¨¦j¨¤ vu, maybe?¡± Karnak remembered hearing something simr during his past battle with Bishop Shutraff. With a wry smile, Karnak urged them to continue. ¡°Speak. What method did you use?¡± Kale responded in a dazed voice, ¡°We ced a curse on the prince.¡± ¡°Yes, I know that. But what kind of curse allowed you to seed from such a long distance?¡± Olt, with a vacant expression, added, ¡°We did not ce the curse from a distance. We had the prince sit within a designated barrier and then used a catalyst to cast the curse.¡± ¡°¡­You kidnapped Prince Lloyd? There was no mention of that,¡± Karnak said, puzzled. Kale and Olt continued, ¡°It wasn¡¯t Prince Lloyd.¡± ¡°The target of our curse was Prince Alford.¡± As it turned out, this was how it worked. The spell they cast was ¡®a curse to switch bodies between bloodlines¡¯. They had ced this curse on Prince Alford. In other words, Alford yed the role of the curse¡¯s victim. And because of the nature of the curse, it required all sorts ofplex barriers, catalysts, and rituals to be applied to the victim. In contrast, Prince Lloyd was the beneficiary of the curse. Since the curse was cast on him, the process required was rtively simplerpared to the victim. ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s how you matched the conditions?¡± Karnak clicked his tongue in realization. Lloyd, with his frail body that seemed ready to copse at any moment and his constant envy of Prince Alford¡¯s healthy physique, was an ideal candidate to benefit from the curse. ¡°There was no need to kidnap the prince himself.¡± ¡°Just obtaining Prince Lloyd¡¯s blood was enough.¡± Baros raised a question, ¡°But getting the prince¡¯s blood wouldn¡¯t have been easy, would it? You¡¯d have to infiltrate the pce to do that.¡± For an ordinary royal, his statement would be correct. ¡°But Prince Lloyd¡¯s situation was different.¡± ¡°He had such a weak body that even the slightest exertion would cause him to have nosebleeds. Because of this, bloodstained handkerchiefs and clothes were a daily urrence.¡± ¡°It was somon that the pce didn¡¯t pay much attention to managing it.¡± Karnak frowned as he listened to the exnation. ¡°That sounds usible enough, but¡­¡± There was still something that didn¡¯t add up. ¡°Even if he¡¯s the beneficiary, at the very least, the curse should reflect his will. But Prince Lloyd had no knowledge of this at all. How do you exin that?¡± Kale and Olt took turns answering. ¡°We resolved it with Detzras¡¯ magic.¡± ¡°He is someone who uses both magic and necromancy simultaneously.¡± ¡°He used a magic mirror to project Prince Lloyd and created a soul link state with the person under the curse.¡± ¡°And then the curse was ced on Prince Alford. A fake persona was created, making it seem like it was Prince Lloyd¡¯s own will.¡± Karnak blinked in surprise. ¡°Magic?¡± When he thought about it, it made sense. What¡¯s impossible with necromancy might be achievable with magic. Conversely, what magic cannot do, necromancy might. So, if necromancy and magic were used toplement each other toplete the curse¡­ ¡°Huh? That actually makes sense?¡± Upon hearing the exnation, Karnak realized that even he could use such a method. He could also wield both magic and necromancy simultaneously using Chaos Power, couldn¡¯t he? He just hadn¡¯t thought of it. ¡°Indeed, when magic and necromancy coexist, you can pull off something as absurd as this.¡± Now he understood why they had gone through the trouble of reflecting the prince¡¯s image in a mirror to confirm the truth. ¡°Since Prince Lloyd is the one at the core of the curse, it makes sense that he had to be the one toplete the ritual. Yes, it all makes sense now.¡± Having resolved his curiosity, Karnak stroked his chin. The reason such a convoluted curse was possible wasn¡¯t solely because of the fusion with magic. The more fundamental reason was that Lloyd had always envied Prince Alford¡¯s body, even subconsciously. The curse was only possible because Lloyd harbored the unconscious desire to switch bodies, despite knowing as a prince he shouldn¡¯t. The curse worked because the body swap would only benefit Lloyd. In fact, Karnak had discussed something simr with the prince. *** ¡°If the culprit had been Prince Lloyd, it would have been easier to understand,¡± Karnak had mused, to which Lloyd nodded seriously. ¡°That¡¯s true. To be honest, I don¡¯t really feel like a victim in all of this.¡± The prince continued, seemingly unable toprehend the situation. ¡°Alford takes over my body and seizes the throne? With that worn-out body? For what reason?¡± If Prince Alford had been far removed from the throne, with little to no chance of ascending, perhaps that would have made sense. Greed for power can often cloud rational judgment, and humans tend to value what they don¡¯t have more than what they do. ¡°If that¡¯s really the case, Alford must be deeply regretting it by now¡­¡± Lloyd said, but quickly dismissed the idea. ¡°There¡¯s no way. If Alford had simply killed me, he could have had everything he wanted, without having to give up his naturally healthy body.¡± *** ¡®Indeed, Prince Alford had no reason to swap bodies with Prince Lloyd.¡¯ The gap between them was so vast that even reversing their positions didn¡¯t make the curse work in Alford¡¯s favor. ¡®And yet, he deliberately went through with it?¡¯ Having solved his first curiosity, Karnak moved on to the second issue. ¡°Speak.¡± Karnak resumed his interrogation. ¡°Then why did Prince Alford swap bodies with Prince Lloyd? What benefit did he stand to gain?¡± At that moment, the hall suddenly shook as one side copsed with a thunderous roar. Boom! Chapter 73 Chapter 73: Magic of Necromancer (2) A chilling aura of malevolence and cold air seeped through the copsed wall. Through the breach, a man shrouded in dark currents emerged. ring inside, the necromancer, Detzras, wore a grim expression. ¡°¡­How did they know?¡± On the other side of the hall, Baros, Serati, and Karnak stood calmly. Despite the enormous explosion, they didn¡¯t have a scratch on them. They had clearly avoided it by anticipating the danger. It was impossible unless they had foreseen it in advance. Detzras couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°He was clearly using necromancy¡­¡± While employing necromancy, the caster¡¯s ability to detect is greatly diminished. That¡¯s why he had deliberately chosen to strike after the interrogation had begun, yet they noticed so easily? Karnak smiled faintly. ¡°You timed it well.¡± Indeed, during the interrogation, his detection abilities were significantly reduced. The problem was that even with these diminished detection abilities, they were still far superior to those of any other necromancer who had fully concentrated. After all, wasn¡¯t he once the Death King? He could sense the gathering necromantic power on the other side of the hall as clearly as if he were seeing it with his own eyes, so it was nothing to prepare and dodge in advance. Of course, there was no need to tell him this. ¡°I¡¯ve always had a good sense for these things.¡± Karnak brushed it off with a wave of his hand. Baros and Serati drew their swords and stepped forward. Suddenly, she nced at the ruined hall with a regretful murmur. ¡°It would have been better if this had happened after the interrogation was over.¡± Karnak looked puzzled. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°What do you mean, why? We haven¡¯t gotten all the information yet.¡± ¡°So, why is that a problem?¡± His gaze shifted toward the shattered debris. ¡°You think a ghost would die from being crushed by something like that?¡± ¡°¡­Oh, right.¡± She had unconsciously been thinking about it as if it were a regr interrogation, but necromantic interrogations are different from normal ones. Even if interrupted, it doesn¡¯t really matter. You just finish off the opponent and then leisurely continue the interrogation. ¡°Besides, that guy probably knows more, doesn¡¯t he?¡± Karnak squinted his eyes at Detzras. The tone in his voice implied that having more ghosts to interrogate was a good thing, not a bad one. Of course, this was the kind of confidence that could onlye from someone who was sure they could turn their opponent into a ¡®ghost.¡¯ ¡°Heh, you insolent brat¡­¡± Anger flickered in Detzras¡¯ eyes. ¡°You¡¯re a cheeky little punk, aren¡¯t you!¡± But Karnak¡¯s reaction was odd. ¡°Little punk?¡± For a moment, his face looked puzzled, and then he suddenly burst outughing. ¡°Oh, right! Are we kids now?¡± ¡°Of course! We¡¯re fine young men.¡± Even the burly swordsman next to him reacted simrly. ¡°Ah, the hard work is finally paying off.¡± ¡°You said it, young master.¡± Detzras was bewildered. He¡¯d seen people brush off being called a brat before, but it was his first time seeing someone actually enjoy it. ¡°¡­I really don¡¯t understand these guys.¡± At this point, he was more cautious. Growing serious, Detzras raised his hands. A vast amount of necromantic power began spreading in all directions. ¡°Shadow of the bitter cold! Descend here and unleash the night of Acheron!¡± *** A white fog spread across the ground. In an instant, everything froze. Sharp ice jagged edges and icicles began to fill the entire field of vision. Amidst the biting northern wind, something rose with a ghastly noise. ¡°Grrrr¡­¡± ¡°Haaa¡­¡± Monstrous beasts with hideous forms, twisted with darkness, blood, and ice. They began to surround the group, exuding cold and malevolence from their entire beings. Looking around, Serati tensed up. ¡®This¡­¡¯ What was once a simple slum now resembled an icy hell. She had seen a simr phenomenon before. ¡®It¡¯s like that time.¡¯ A powerful necromantic spell that could transform the very space around them. It was the same dark miracle she had once witnessed from the most powerful necromancer she¡¯d ever encountered, Bishop Shutraff. Meanwhile, Karnak and Baros didn¡¯t seem particrly surprised. ¡°Well, of course, he¡¯d be capable of this. He¡¯s in a simr position as that Shut-whatever bishop, right?¡± ¡°It does look a lot like that time.¡± Karnak smiled as he surveyed the necromantic barrier that enveloped the area. Mana and necromantic power were intricately intertwined. Much like how Shutraff had fused divine power with necromantic power. ¡°It¡¯s just as obvious that you can¡¯t do anything about it.¡± Serati¡¯s face hardened. ¡°¡­Doesn¡¯t that mean we¡¯re in danger?¡± For her, that battle was still a terrifying memory that sometimes haunted her nightmares. In fact, the reason she got involved with Karnak in the first ce was because of that battle with Shutraff. ¡°Not really?¡± Karnak replied nonchntly, snapping his fingers lightly. Snap! At that moment, the surrounding chill began to dissipate at an rming speed. The ice vanished, the monsters melted away, and the warped space that had enveloped them was restored as if time had reversed. Within seconds, the ce where Detzras had been standing returned to the shattered hall. Detzras¡¯s face turned pale with shock. ¡°What in the¡­?¡± The necromantic barrier had dissipated on its own! ¡°What is this? What the hell did you do?¡± Baros smirked. ¡°He¡¯s just another guy who likes watermelon rinds.¡± ¡®Watermelon? Rinds?¡¯ Detzras didn¡¯t understand what he meant, but he knew he was being insulted. However, he quickly calmed himself down. Unlike Shutraff, Detzras had been wary of Karnak from the beginning. ¡°As I thought, you¡¯re no ordinary opponent. But!¡± He drew upon his necromantic power once again, focusing intensely. ¡°The power bestowed upon me by Tesranak is far from exhausted!¡± Another powerful necromantic barrier unfurled. This time, the space was filled with grotesque chunks of flesh and writhing tentacles. Of course, the result was the same. Snap! ¡°D-damn it! I still have spells left¡­¡± Snap! ¡°It¡¯s not over yet! This time for sure¡­¡± Snap! Every necromantic barrier he tried to summon crumbled immediately. The barriers copsed so quickly that it almost seemed staged. Detzras ground his teeth in frustration. ¡°What is this? Why are all my necromantic barriers shattering just because you snap your fingers?¡± In truth, the finger-snapping was just a distraction; the real trick was oveying a beginner¡¯s barrier through his power. But there was no need to reveal that. Karnak looked at Detzras with a smug expression. ¡°So, are you out of tricks?¡± Detzras, tense, began to think. It seemed this guy had some special technique for deconstructing necromantic barriers. If that was the case, there was no need to panic. ¡®I¡¯ll just attack in a different way.¡¯ He abandoned the barrier technique and delved into the realm of necromancy. Pouring all his necromantic power into the spell, he cast the wandering evil spirits into the shadow of his perception. ¡°Wandering evil spirits that roam the darkness, follow your master!¡± With a thunderous noise, the ground cracked open, and ck evil spirits began to spring up everywhere. He had switched to a simple but undeniably powerful necromantic spell. Uwoooo! With a ghastly wail, the ghosts started floating in the air. Baros watched and nodded. ¡°When nothing else works, they revert to the same old tricks.¡± The problem was that this was something even Karnak couldn¡¯t counter. ¡°So, should we start running now?¡± Baros shrugged as he raised his sword, implying that since the situation was the same as before, they should respond the same way. Karnak¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°What do you mean, why? You said it¡¯s just likest time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not exactly the same.¡± Suddenly, dozens of magic projectiles materialized behind Karnak. The zing projectiles hovered in the air for a moment before beingunched at the evil spirits. Boom! Boom! Boom! With a series of explosions, the spirits were all pushed back. It was a 6th-circle destructive spell, Scorching Magic Bullets. A sly grin spread across Karnak¡¯s face. ¡°We¡¯re not the same as we were back then, are we?¡± *** When Karnak fought Bishop Shutraff, he was merely a 4th-circle mage, with his necromantic power extremely weak. But now? ¡°Scorching Magic Bullets!¡± Dozens of magic projectiles struck the advancing evil spirits directly, causing them to explode one by one. Now, Karnak was a 6th-circle mage, a fully-fledged high-level mage. The power of the spells he could use now was vastly superior to what he had at the 4th circle. And it wasn¡¯t just his magic that had changed. ¡°Come forth, Nemesis Ghosts. By your master¡¯smand, annihte those enemies.¡± With a low incantation, white ghosts began to materialize around Karnak. They were undead spirits of the same rank as the evil spirits summoned by Detzras. The ck evil spirits and the white spirits shed and tangled in the air. Keaaaah! Graaaah! Shockwaves erupted, and wailing cries filled the air. The two forces were evenly matched, and Karnak wasn¡¯t pushed back at all, even against Detzras¡¯s overwhelming dark evil spirits. ¡°My necromantic power has increased significantly since then as well.¡± Karnak had been pushing himself hard to increase his necromantic power, which had grown almost twenty-fold in numerical terms. ¡°Now, I¡¯m just about at the level of someone who casually stumbled upon the Darkness of Doom!¡± Of course, he was still below Detzras. In fact, he was probably much weaker than Kale or Olt, who he had just captured. But even at this level, his necromancy was far more potent than most. After all, his understanding, maniption, and efficiency were leagues ahead. ¡°Moreover, unlike back then, I have an additional ally.¡± Karnak nced to his side. A red-haired beauty was protecting him, fiercely fending off the approaching evil spirits. ¡°Haa!¡± Although Karnak had infused her sword with necromantic power, which allowed it to cut through the spirits, the damage wasn¡¯t severe enough to stop them from reforming. ¡°Serati.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°No need to hold back your strength anymore. Our friend here has already made his move, hasn¡¯t he?¡± She had been holding back only to keep Detzras from bing too wary. ¡°Yes!¡± As if she had been waiting for this moment, Serati unleashed her power. With a loud roar, her red aura sword sliced through the darkness. Vwoooom! ¡°Oh, an aura user?¡± Detzras gasped in shock, his voice filled with disbelief. ¡°Why would an aura user be working under a necromancer?¡± The situation was so absurd that, for a moment, his mind reverted to the perspective of a rational mage rather than a wicked necromancer. ¡°And who are you to talk, considering you were a mage before bing a necromancer?¡± Serati snickered and began to fully unleash her strength. ¡°Haaah!¡± Once she started using her aura in earnest, herbat prowess was indeed terrifying. Each time her aura sword passed by, the evil spirits were shattered and scattered. Earlier, even if they were shed, they would quickly recover, but not anymore. Now, just brushing against them with her sword spread a red wave that incinerated all the darkness within the evil spirits. Keaaaah! Graah! Aaaah! Karnak wasn¡¯t idle either. ¡°Cry out, Roar of Thunder.¡± Whips of lightningshed out in every direction. ¡°Strike down, Blow of Dominion.¡± The Scorching Magic Bullets relentlessly pierced through and shattered the evil spirits. The broken evil spirits were then reassembled by Karnak¡¯s necromancy¡­ ¡°Rise, my servants. Obey themand of your new master!¡± Now turned into dark familiars, they howled and attacked the remaining spirits. Keeaaah! Both Serati and Karnak were handling Detzras¡¯s necromancy without difficulty. Compared to when they faced Shutraff, they had all made tremendous progress. Ah, except for Baros. ¡°Ha! Chaah! Taah! Hiyaah!¡± Watching the hulking knight il his sword around energetically, Karnak let out a sigh. ¡°There are some things that haven¡¯t changed at all since then.¡± Back then, and even now, Baros was just Baros. He was still just an ordinary swordsman with an abundance of experience. He hadn¡¯t improved, but he hadn¡¯t gotten worse either. ¡°When are you finally going to awaken your aura?¡± ¡°Do you think I haven¡¯t tried? It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t want to learn it; it just doesn¡¯t work, no matter how hard I try.¡± Well, Baros was a capable fighter back then, too. Naturally, he was doing fine now as well. As time passed, Detzras¡¯s forces were increasingly being pushed back. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± Groaning, Detzras red at Karnak. ¡®Just who the hell is this guy?¡¯ Chapter 74 Chapter 74: Magic of Necromancer (3) That young man, Karnak¡¯s necromancy is truly astounding. With such meager necromantic power that it could be considered insignificant, he continuously casts powerful spells that rival Detzras. However, the reason Detzras was shocked wasn¡¯t just because of that. ¡®¡­I can understand that.¡¯ He was originally a mage. In fact, it had only been a few years since he began studying necromancy. Moreover, he was quite timid. Even after bing a powerful necromancer, he would often send his subordinates as bait first, simply because he didn¡¯t know the strength of his opponent. Therefore, Detzras assessed himself rather coldly. There was no doubt that he had be stronger after learning necromancy and acquiring vast necromantic power. However, the level of a necromancer he had reached was not particrly high. So, if a ¡®traditional necromancer¡¯ were to disy skills far superior to his, it wouldn¡¯t be something he couldn¡¯t understand. ¡®But this, I cannotprehend!¡¯ The man was undoubtedly a traditional necromancer. There was no doubt about it, considering how efficiently and powerfully he used necromancy. But to use a 6th Circle spell? ¡®How can someone use both necromancy and magic?¡¯ Even Detzras, who used both magic and necromancy, found it astonishing, but this was actually a groundbreaking event that could shake the very foundation of the Dark God¡¯s cult. ¡®Wasn¡¯t that only possible with the blessing of Tesranak?¡¯ The ability to wield both magic and necromancy carries a significance far beyond simply bing stronger. Aura, divine power, mana, and necromancy do not mix. This is the naturalw of the world established by the Seven Goddesses. But to break that divinew? This would be clear proof that Tesranak is indeed the true god of death and a transcendent being. That¡¯s why so many had entrusted themselves to the Dark God¡¯s cult. It wasn¡¯t merely because they gained more power or acquired new abilities. The fact itself validated the truth of the doctrine, leading people to truly believe that a new world was dawning and to follow the teachings of the religious order. ¡®But for someone unrted to the cult to wield both magic and necromancy¡­¡¯ It shakes the very foundation of Tesranak¡¯s teachings. If that were to be acknowledged, the Dark God¡¯s cult would be shaken to its roots. ¡®That can¡¯t be.¡¯ Therefore, there was only one conclusion to draw. ¡®It¡¯s nothing but a trick.¡¯ One of the two¡ªeither the magic or the necromancy¡ªhad to be fake. It had to be. ¡°Hmph, I almost got deceived.¡± Calmly, Detzras raised both hands. Unlike that fake, he was truly blessed by Tesranak. He was someone who could truly wield both magic and necromancy, breaking the divinew using powers permitted by the god of death. ¡°Do you think I would fall for that, foolish unbeliever?¡± Mana and necromantic power rose simultaneously from his hands. ¡°I¡¯ll show you the true teachings of the god!¡± *** Baros continued to cut down the evil spirits. ¡°Huh-up! Tah-at! Tah-aaat!¡± Even though each evil spirit was as formidable as a first-ss adventurer, he didn¡¯t falter at all. He pierced the gaps precisely, retreated urately, and struck only as much as necessary without any excess movements. It was an extreme performance that could only be achieved through physical prowess alone. Serati, who was watching, looked on with admiration. ¡°Oh, I want to move like that¡­¡± Baros grumbled as he red at her. ¡°That¡¯s my line, you know?¡± Serati was also dealing with evil spirits, but her method was vastly different from Baros¡¯s. If they approach, she stabs. Or she shes. Or she smashes. That¡¯s it! There was no need for any borate technique or skill. As an aura user, her basic physical abilities were so overwhelmingly superior that the evil spirits couldn¡¯t do anything against her. Moreover, the red aura on her sword was so destructive that just brushing against the evil spirits caused them to burst. Boom! Boom! Kwoooom! ¡°Oh, this is so frustrating, I really need to master aura quickly,¡± he muttered. It was a matter ofpatibility. If it were a single, powerful enemy, Baros would have the upper hand. However, when faced with arge number of weaker enemies, there was no way he could match Serati, an aura user. Thanks to this, the number of Detzras¡¯ evil spirit army was rapidly dwindling. Karnak, observing the situation, muttered to himself. ¡°At this rate, we¡¯ve drained a lot of his necromantic power¡­¡± It seemed like it was time to deal with the real body. Just as he was about to prepare the next spell, Detzras suddenly shouted something strange, his face twisting in anger. ¡°You think you can deceive me, foolish unbeliever!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I will show you the true teachings of the god!¡± ¡°¡­What exactly am I deceiving you about?¡± Karnak didn¡¯t quite understand what Detzras was saying, but he could sense something ominous in the air. Intense mana and necromantic power were simultaneously pouring out of Detzras¡¯ body. ¡®I better prepare just in case.¡¯ Karnak quickly cast a defensive barrier. Around ten shadowy figures began circling Karnak and hispanions. It was a necromantic spell that used shadows to create a shield of darkness. At the same time, Detzras activated his magic. ¡°Rise! Spirit of the earth!¡± Kuuuuuung! The earth and rocks began to gather and rise, eventually forming a two-meter-tall y golem. Baros and Serati looked baffled. ¡°Wait, that¡¯s¡­¡± They had seen this magic just a short while ago. It was the same spell that Tarman, the mage from the King¡¯s Order, had used when fighting the vampire. ¡°A golem summoning spell?¡± Karnak also seemed puzzled. ¡®Why that spell, of all things?¡¯ Golem summoning was certainly one of the most powerful 5th Circle spells. Its strength was nothing to scoff at. But for Karnak, it wasn¡¯t a particrly difficult opponent. He had reached the 6th Circle in magic and was also proficient in strong necromantic arts. A single golem wasn¡¯t something he couldn¡¯t handle. ¡®Did he summon it to target Baros?¡¯ As expected, Baros¡¯ expression hardened as he stepped back. ¡°That¡¯s a bit too much for me.¡± The y golem was essentially a moving boulder. Its sheer toughness and strength meant there was no room for finesse in fighting it. On the other hand, Serati¡¯s face brightened. ¡°Shall I handle it?¡± A solid mass of stone? Then she would simply slice through it with her aura de, just as one would cut through rock. It would be tough to break it with a single strike, but golems were slow-moving. She could leisurely chip away at its exterior like peeling an apple. ¡°A golem? No big deal¡­¡± She readied her aura de and was about to step forward when Detzras chanted another spell. ¡°Your mastermands you! Descend, Wailing Armor of Darkness!¡± Whooooosh! The air began to swirl as darkness condensed in the sky. Soon, a massive armor appeared, gripping a greatsword. It was a Death Armor, one of the highest-ranking undead among the self-moving Living Armors. Serati¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°Ugh, that¡¯s going to be tricky¡­¡± Death Armor is a dark creature driven by the lingering will of a deceased warrior. While it might not have the sheer strength of a golem, it could wield a sword with precision. Moreover, since it had no physical body, it was much more confusing and difficult to deal with. Swordsmanship, after all, is designed to kill people, not to break armor. At that moment, Karnak muttered. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Serati.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I can handle the Death Armor.¡± While the Death Armor was indeed a much stronger summon than a golem, it didn¡¯t matter much to Karnak. He knew its weaknesses all too well. If he left the golem to Serati and took on the Death Armor himself, there wouldn¡¯t be any major issues. ¡°You¡¯re right, I thought he was doing something grand because of the intense atmosphere, but it turns out it¡¯s nothing special?¡± Just as Serati began to feel relieved, she noticed something odd. Karnak and Baros still had tense expressions. ¡°Why are you both like that?¡± In response to her question, the two men spoke in low voices. ¡°Something feels¡­ off.¡± ¡°Strange, isn¡¯t it, young master?¡± Indeed, as Serati pointed out, the atmosphere was definitely unsettling. There was a determined resolve on Detzras¡¯s face when he cast that spell. ¡°But¡­¡± Baros muttered, seemingly confused. ¡°Why would he make that face for something like this?¡± *** Detzras was breathing heavily. ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± Golem summoning was the best spell he could cast. And the Death Armor was the strongest undead he could summon through necromancy. But even with these, he couldn¡¯t defeat the unbelievers before him. They were that strong and proficient in necromancy. So now, he would use the final method given to him by the cult! ¡°Guh, guh¡­¡± Mana and necromantic power swirled together throughout his entire body. If he lost control even a little, the vortex would shatter his soul into countless pieces. But he didn¡¯t back down. He had to show those unbelievers the true glory of the god. That was the duty of one who served the truth. ¡°Oh great Tesranak¡­¡± Ignoring the risk to his life, Detzras brought his hands together in front of him. ¡°Grant your blessing to your faithful servant!¡± Mana began to glow from the entire body of the golem. Darkness spread thickly from the Death Armor. ¡®What now?¡¯ Karnak frowned as he watched cautiously. The two-meter-tall stone giant suddenly spread its arms wide toward the sky. Simultaneously, the Death Armor shattered into pieces in midair. The scattered pieces of the dark armor flew toward the golem and began attaching themselves to its various parts! ng! ng! ng ng! With loud metallic sounds, the two-meter-tall stone giant donned the heavy Death Armor. The darkness from the living armor seeped into the golem, strengthening its entire body as it grew evenrger. What now stood there was no longer a golem, nor was it a Death Armor. It was a new entity born from the fusion of magic and necromancy¡ªthe Golem Knight. Raising its jet-ck sword, the Golem Knight let out a thunderous roar. Roooaaar! A massive shockwave of malevolent energy and mana radiated outward, shaking Karnak¡¯s defensive barrier. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°What is that?¡± Baros and Serati turned to Karnak in rm. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Detzrasughed maniacally, as if ted. ¡°Behold! This is the true might of the god!¡± *** Baros stared at the massive 2.3-meter-tall figure that filled his vision, his expression conflicted. ¡®He put Death Armor on a golem?¡¯ But golems don¡¯t really need armor, do they? A golem¡¯s strength lies in its toughness and brute force. Adding armor to an already solid body would only make it heavier and slower, wouldn¡¯t it? But this wasn¡¯t just any armor; it was Death Armor, a armor that moved on its own. ¡°What does that mean for it, young master?¡± ¡°What does it mean, you ask¡­¡± A golem¡¯s strengths are its immense defense and power, but it¡¯s too slow and its movements are simple. Living Armor is known for its incredible speed, as it only has the armor to move. Moreover, it can use powerful swordsmanship depending on the spirit within the armor. However, its durability is inevitably lower. Which is more likely to get crushed: a solid stone or an empty can? ¡®But if the two werebined¡­¡¯ A golem with immense defense and power moving swiftly like a Death Armor and wielding powerful swordsmanship? And it could even use the power of darkness? ¡°Uh, that¡¯s not going to be easy.¡± Before Karnak could finish speaking, the Golem Knight began to move. Roooooar! With a terrifying speed, it trampled the ground and charged, swinging its jet-ck sword! ¡®What the¡ª?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s fast!¡¯ Serati and Baros, startled, hurriedly moved to shield Karnak. Baros pushed Karnak to safety while Serati counterattacked with her aura de. ¡°Take this!¡± The power of darkness shed with her red aura. The sound of the impact echoed as the shockwave sent her flying. ¡°Ugh!¡± Barely managing to regain her bnce, Seratinded on the ground, grimacing in pain. ¡®This thing is stronger than most high-ranking demons!¡¯ Individually, they could have been dealt with, but whenbined, they had be a monster even surpassing Maz-nun, whom Shutraff had summoned. ¡°Scorching Magic Bullets!¡± Karnak¡¯s magic projectiles flew toward the Golem Knight. But they had little effect. The Death Armor¡¯s magic resistance was so high that even a 6th Circle spell was deflected. And trying to break through the Death Armor wasn¡¯t an option either, as the mana and necromantic power were intertwined, preventing interference. Baros turned to Karnak with a tense expression. ¡°What do we do now, young master?¡± At least with Maz-nun, they knew how to handle it. The problem was that it was just exceptionally strong. But this Golem Knight was a bizarrebination of magic and necromancy, making all conventional strategies useless. ¡°Looks like the only option is to brute-force it.¡± Karnak responded nonchntly. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this.¡± ¡°Again?¡± Baros¡¯s face twisted in frustration. How many times is he going to say he didn¡¯t expect something? But then something unusual happened. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Karnak¡¯s expression was different from usual. There were no signs of the typical reactions¡ªpanic or fear¡ªthat one might expect when faced with an unforeseen situation. ¡®What¡¯s going on? Why is he so calm this time?¡¯ Chapter 75 Chapter 75: Magic of Necromancer (4) A heavy strike cleaved through the air. The sword of darkness extended, piercing both the floor and ceiling, slicing through the entire building. Before the overwhelming force, the two-story wooden structure crumbled like it was made of straw. Boom! Amidst the billowing smoke and copsing debris, three shadows swiftly escaped. Serati, gripping her aura-infused sword, gritted her teeth. ¡°Damn it!¡± She had struck the Golem Knight several times already, but the most she had aplished was inflicting a few scratches. Its toughness was so extreme that even a direct hit barely damaged it, and it didn¡¯t even take the blows head-on. The swordsmanship of the warrior residing within the Death Armor blocked or deflected all of her attacks. ¡®There¡¯s no way out of this!¡¯ It was overwhelmingly tougher and faster than her, and even more skilled in technique. Serati couldn¡¯t find a single advantage in this fight. It felt like she was up against a far superior aura user. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Detzrasughed triumphantly. ¡°Have you witnessed the true power of the god?¡± Dodging the relentless assault of the Golem Knight, Serati ground her teeth. ¡°What power of god? It¡¯s just some high-level Purple aura user!¡± Honestly, while the Golem Knight was indeed strong, any knightmander from the various kingdoms could handle it. iming the power of god with something like this was embarrassing to witness. But Detzras remained confident. ¡°Foolish and blind. You stand before the truth and still fail to recognize it?¡± In truth, any priest or mage would indeed be shocked. Thebat power of the Golem Knight wasn¡¯t the issue. The mere fact that magic and necromancy could be fused was an impossibility¡ªa wicked miracle that transcended thews of the goddesses. It was worthy of being called the power of God. But Serati had no way of knowing that. ¡°He¡¯s just bragging about something only he understands, isn¡¯t he?¡± Grumbling, she sent a magical message to Baros. [What do we do now?] [Well, I¡¯m not sure?] Baros was on the opposite side, still looking for an opening. Anyway, his sword was useless against the Golem Knight. Even if the Golem Knight stood still and took hits, it would take dozens of minutes to cut off an arm. So he had been targeting Detzras from the beginning. It¡¯smon sense to aim for the summoner when facing a summoned creature. The problem is that it¡¯s alsomon sense for a summoner to protect themselves. ¡®I can¡¯t find an opening.¡¯ He had tried to approach Detzras several times, but it was in vain. Each time, the Golem Knight would unleash its dark greatsword, forcing Baros to retreat. This, in turn, would create an opening for Serati to strike, but¡­ ng! Even when Seratinded a perfect aura-infused strike in that brief opening, the Golem Knight¡¯s body was so tough that it didn¡¯t cause any significant damage. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ ¡®What do we do now?¡¯ They were truly stuck on all sides. Naturally, both of their gazes turned to the one person they could rely on¡ªthe once-great Death King, Karnak. [Young master?] [Lord Karnak?] Karnak had been watching the battle with no intention of fighting from the start. ¡°Wow, so that works.¡± ¡°Wow, they can do that too.¡± ¡°Who designed this spell? Their understanding of magic must be incredibly deep.¡± He muttered to himself continuously, watching with great interest, which was infuriating to those who were risking their lives in the fight. ¡®What is he doing?¡¯ Irritated, Serati raised her voice. [If you have any trump card, could you use it before we die?] Just in case, Baros quickly chimed in. [If you¡¯re counting on n P, forget it! That¡¯s not something I can handle just because I take over Serati¡¯s body!] Karnak smirked. ¡°I¡¯d like to observe a bit more, but I suppose I should take care of this first. I¡¯ll ask about the restter.¡± Seeing Karnak remain so calm, Baros was puzzled. No matter how he looked at it, Karnak seemed to be confident in something, but Baros had no idea what that could be. Given the nature of the Golem Knight, it couldn¡¯t be dealt with by skill alone. Powerful physical force, magic, or necromantic power was essential. Just as a warrior could be defeated with skill, but breaking their shield required sheer strength. Baros knew all too well that the current Karnak didn¡¯t possess that kind of power. [What are you so confident about? You said you didn¡¯t foresee this situation!] [Yeah, I didn¡¯t foresee this.] Karnak raised his hands confidently. [But I had a feeling something like this might happen. I do learn, you know?] In other words, he had anticipated that something unexpected might ur. [So this time, I made sure to be well-prepared. No matter what happens, I¡¯ll handle it.] [And what exactly is that?] Karnak lowered his raised hands. Darkness flowed from his fingertips, seeping into the ground. [These guys.] From the darkness flowing across the ground, the dead began to rise again, standing tall. A chilling voice seeped out from between dry, decayed throats. ¡°My lord¡­¡± ¡°Give us yourmand¡­¡± Karnak, smiling broadly, pointed with his finger. ¡°My necromantic power might be insignificant.¡± At the two corpses draped in pitch-ck robes, emanating vast darkness in all directions. ¡°But these two have plenty to spare, don¡¯t they?¡± Detzras¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°¡­Kale? Olt?¡± That lunatic just raised his recently deceased subordinates as undead! *** The pale, lifeless eyes of the corpses red out from their bluish skin. Darkness continuously flowed from the two bodies. It wasn¡¯t particrly surprising. When a corpse is raised as a zombie, this sort of thingmonly happens. Given that the dead were necromancers steeped in evil energy, it was only natural that a lot would seep out. But what happened next was beyond Detzras¡¯sprehension. In Kale¡¯s hand, there was suddenly a smallntern. It was the eerie artifact, the Lantern of the Lost Souls, which Karnak had prepared earlier. ¡°Rise, cursed spirits of the fallen warriors¡­¡± As the bluentern me ignited, countless evil spirits began to surge from all directions. ¡°Uuurgh¡­¡± ¡°Aaaah¡­¡± Olt, too, transformed into a demonic form, his body swelling in size. It was his signature demonification spell. ¡°Power of the abyss, bestow upon my body the power of chaos!¡± Detzras couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. Both of them were precisely using their specialty techniques from when they were alive. ¡®Good grief!¡¯ He was a high-ranking necromancer himself. He understood well how absurd this situation was. ¡®Using necromancy to control the necromantic power of a dead necromancer and make them use necromancy?¡¯ Even saying it out loud was enough to make one bite their tongue. Is it even possible for a human to perform such aplex ritual? But it was happening right before his eyes. ¡°Go, my minions¡­¡± The zombie Kale spoke in a sinister voice. ¡°Strike down the enemies of your master at themand of darkness¡­¡± The evil spirits swarmed the Golem Knight. At the same time, the demonified Olt let out a roar andunched himself at the enemy. ¡°Raaaargh!¡± Detzras quickly regained hisposure and issued a newmand. ¡®Defeat those ones as well!¡¯ The Golem Knight swung its dark greatsword and moved its massive frame. Woaaah! The ghost soldiers shattered into pieces and scattered with each sh of the sword. The enormous demon was pushed back, repelled by the sheer force of the Golem. Boom! Boom! Boom! The relentless explosions echoed as ck waves spread in all directions. Watching the Golem Knight grab the demon by the neck and m it into the ground, Detzras sneered. ¡°Hmph! Nothing has changed!¡± Even when those two were alive, they were weaker than him. So how could they be stronger after death? Karnak might have been pulling off some unbelievable feats, but it wasn¡¯t anything overwhelmingly powerful. It was just an intriguing spectacle, nothing more. ¡°They¡¯re still no match for me!¡± Surprisingly, Karnak readily agreed. ¡°Oh, of course. But¡­¡± Suddenly, a barrage of Scorching Magic Bullets struck the back of the Golem Knight¡¯s head with immense force. Boom! Boom! Boom! Thanks to the timely intervention, the ghost soldiers regrouped. The demonified Olt also managed to get back on his feet. The attack hade at just the right moment. ¡°Do you think they¡¯re the only ones here?¡± Indeed. Just because those two joined the fight didn¡¯t mean Karnak¡¯s group would sit back and do nothing. Baros and Serati, who had caught their breath, leaped into action with renewed vigor. ¡°Now things are!¡± ¡°Starting to go our way!¡± With the two of them joining in, the battle quickly began to turn in their favor. Kale¡¯s ghost soldiers, in particr, proved to be extremely effective. Karnak issued an order to Kale, who then ryed it to the Lantern of the Lost Souls. ¡°My servant, target that man!¡± As Karnak intended, the ghost soldiers ignored the Golem Knight and instead flew towards Detzras from all directions. Of course, Detzras didn¡¯t just stand by. ¡°Damn! Protect your master!¡± Hemanded the Golem Knight to sweep away the approaching ghost soldiers. The sword of darkness was so powerful that even a mere graze, or the shockwave it generated, sent dozens of wraiths flying. Boom! Boom! Boom! And with each attack, as before, the Golem Knight exposed a brief opening¡­ ¡°Hiyaah!¡± With a shout, Serati shed at the Golem Knight¡¯s armor with her aura-infused sword. Crackle! As expected, the armor only sustained minor cracks. She still didn¡¯t have enough power to destroy the Death Armor in one blow. ¡°But this time, it¡¯s different.¡± On top of that, Olt, in his demonified form, delivered a powerful strike with his ws! Boom! Repeated strikes finally began to break even Death Armor¡¯s tough exterior. Detzras furrowed his brow. ¡°Damn¡­¡± It seemed he couldn¡¯t rely solely on the Golem Knight for defense. He quickly prepared another tactic. ¡°Awaken, O dead ones, and stretch forth your hands of chaos!¡± He unleashed the Necromantic Barrier, the Sinking Swamp of the Dead. Immediately, a blood-red darkness spread, and countless hands of the damned emerged. But why hadn¡¯t he used the necromantic barrier until now? Snap! As soon as Karnak snapped his fingers, the emerging hands were sucked back into the ground. ¡®Damn it! He has this kind of ability.¡¯ That¡¯s why he hadn¡¯t used the necromantic barrier until now, but in his urgency, he had momentarily forgotten. Regretting his mistake, Detzras refocused his attention on the Golem Knight. ¡®This spell is all I can rely on.¡¯ Meanwhile, the Golem Knight¡¯s armor continued to break. Earlier, it was only Serati, but now Olt, in his demonified form, had joined the fray. With the two of them attacking together, theirbined power was effectively doubled. Moreover, they had far more opportunities to strike than before. ¡°Oh, they¡¯re doing well over there. In that case, I¡¯ll¡­¡± Baros cautiously circled around Detzras, constantly watching for an opportunity. He deftly weaved in and out among Kale¡¯s ghost soldiers, executing hit-and-run attacks. Each time, the self-preserving Detzras wouldmand the Golem Knight to protect him. ¡°Protect me!¡± Then, the focus would shift back to Serati and Olt. ¡°It¡¯s our chance! Attack the Golem!¡± But Detzras had no choice but to order the Golem Knight to defend again¡­ ¡°Take them out first!¡± And then, once more, they would slyly target Detzras. ¡°It¡¯s our chance! Attack him!¡± ¡°Protect me!¡± ¡°It¡¯s our chance! Attack the Golem!¡± ¡°Argh! You damned bastards!¡± This was, without a doubt, the pinnacle of a rotation strategy that had nothing to do with chivalry. Serati clicked her tongue. ¡®Ugh, anyone watching would think we¡¯re the viins here.¡¯ Come to think of it, she wasn¡¯t wrong. They were using necromancy, controlling corpses and evil spirits, and ganging up on a single opponent. If that wasn¡¯t viinous, what was? ¡°Damn it!¡± Detzras gritted his teeth and continued to draw on his mana and necromantic power. ¡°Like this!¡± Ignoring the searing pain in his brain, he infused more mana and necromantic power into the Golem Knight. ¡°Do you think the power granted by Tesranak will be broken?¡± Thanks to his near-desperate efforts, the Golem Knight, though battered and torn, was still standing strong. Karnak clicked his tongue. ¡°Wow, that thing is really tough.¡± Baros quickly sent a message. [What do we do? We¡¯re stillcking in destructive power.] [If we¡¯re short on destructive power¡­] Karnak smiled broadly. There was a method that could create a powerful destructive force even with their current means. [Then let¡¯s do this.] He sent a mentalmand. ¡°Go, my servants.¡± Suddenly, Kale and Olt charged toward the Golem Knight, throwing themselves at it. Of course, the Golem Knight responded by unleashing its dark de, impaling both necromancers at that very moment. ¡°Corpse Explosion.¡± A tremendous explosion rocked the entire slum district. KABOOM! Chapter 76 Chapter 76: Magic of Necromancer (5) A crimson mist rose all around, filling the entire field of vision. The bodily fluids of the dead showered down like a sticky rain, covering the streets. Detzras was momentarily stunned, wearing a nk expression. ¡°¡­¡± It wasn¡¯tmon for a human to burst apart so cleanly. The horror was so extreme that it almost felt unreal. However, the subsequent hail of flesh and bone fragments, the fragments of intestines dancing like snakes, and the eyeballs rolling around like marbles were more than enough to drag him back to reality. ¡°Aaaargh!¡± Detzras recoiled in terror, stumbling backward repeatedly. Even he, a wicked necromancer who hadmitted all sorts of atrocities, could never have imagined such a hellish scene. ¡°You¡­ you devil!¡± Weren¡¯t those people alive just moments ago? No matter how much of a necromancer he was, how could one do this to another human being? ¡°How can you do such a thing while wearing human skin!¡± Karnak tilted his head quizzically. ¡°Did I do something that terrible?¡± He didn¡¯t particrly feel offended by the insult. He had lived his entire life enduring far worse. But he hadn¡¯t expected to hear such words from a fellow necromancer. ¡°I just blew up a couple of corpses, so why¡¯s he making such a fuss? He¡¯s a necromancer too.¡± Serati, finallying to his senses, stammered out a response. ¡°¡­It is an incredibly gruesome act, Lord Karnak. If others see this, they¡¯ll definitely try to kill us first.¡± ¡°Is it that bad?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Serati answered firmly. She needed to make sure Karnak understood this now, so that maybe, just maybe, Karnak would be a bit more cautious in the future. Karnak and Barros showed a glimmer of remorse. ¡°I knew it was something I¡¯d be scolded for, but I didn¡¯t think it was this bad.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± The problemy in how far outside the norm their reactions were. ¡°I suppose from now on, I¡¯ll have to kill anyone who witnesses a corpse explosion.¡± ¡°And make sure to clean up more thoroughly afterward.¡± Serati, exasperated, asked, ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t there an option where you just don¡¯t use that spell?¡± Both men blinked simultaneously. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why not use it?¡± She sighed in exasperation. ¡®Ah, they really don¡¯t understand, do they?¡¯ Usually, in situations like this, people at least try to offer some sort of excuse. They might argue that their lives were on the line, so they couldn¡¯t afford to be picky about methods, or that they didn¡¯t care about the trivial opinions of others. But these two were different. They looked like swordsmen who had been told not to use their swords, or mages who had been told not to use their magic. Making excuses was something people did when they at least realized they were in the wrong. ¡°Sigh, forget it.¡± With a sigh, Serati looked over at the Golem Knight. The massive stone giant was no more; only two stone feet remained standing. The Golem Knight, which had withstood so much pummeling, was shattered in a single blow. It was indeed an incredible disy of destructive power. Given that they had simultaneously detonated two corpses filled with necromantic power, the oue was inevitable. Karnak, with a cold smile, red at Detzras. ¡°So, got anything left to pull out of your sleeve?¡± Detzras bit his lower lip. He was right. With the Golem Knight shattered, his mana and necromantic power werepletely drained. ¡°Ku, kukuku¡­¡± A hollowugh escaped his chest. ¡°You are strong, unbeliever. Truly strong¡­¡± Now, he had only one option left. ¡®I¡¯ll have to kill myself before I divulge the secrets of the cult¡­¡¯ Drip¡­ Blood began to trickle from the corners of Detzras¡¯ mouth. It was the result of the self-destruct spell, Heart Explosion, that Kale and Olt had used before. Of course, Karnak was dumbfounded. ¡°This guy is an idiot too. Killing yourself in front of a necromancer is pointless.¡± Karnak immediately summoned the Hand of Darkness, intending to subdue Detzras¡¯s soul just as he had done before. However, it seemed that Detzras was different from his two subordinates. ¡°Tesranak¡­ please, take my soul¡­¡± As he was dying, he uttered his final words. At the same time, a pir of ck light surged up from his entire body. Paaaat! The Hand of Darkness, which Karnak had extended, collided with the pir of ck light and was repelled. ¡°Damn!¡± Karnak¡¯s face twisted in frustration. He had a rough idea of what that ck pir was. ¡®A pre-contracted soul transfer spell!¡¯ It was a necromantic technique where a soul was branded in advance and then collected upon death. At this rate, the cult of the Dark God would reim Detzras¡¯s soul. ¡°Damn it, did I underestimate him?¡± Karnak hurriedly tried to break the spell, but the ck pir moved faster. The darkness deepened and began to engulf Detzras¡¯s corpse. Soon, his soul started to disappear into the darkness. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± Karnak was left helpless, watching the soul slip away before his very eyes. Just then, a ghost suddenly popped up at his feet. It was Detzras¡¯s soul, which had just vanished into the darkness. With a bewildered expression, Karnak looked down at the ghost. ¡°¡­?¡± The ghost also looked up at Karnak with a bewildered expression. ¡°¡­?¡± For a moment, both were frozen in ce, their minds confused. ¡®Wasn¡¯t this guy supposed to go to Tesranak?¡¯ ¡®Why am I here instead of in the presence of Tesranak?¡¯ Of course, the awkward silence didn¡¯tst long. ¡°Tsk tsk, looks like your spell got messed up.¡± Baros¡¯s mocking tone snapped Karnak back to reality. Indeed. When you think about it, how many times had his necromancy spells gone awry? ¡°You should have mastered the basics first.¡± With a smirk, Karnak extended the Hand of Darkness once more. Soon, the ck fingers grasped the ghost by the hair and dragged it back. ¡°Aaaargh!¡± As Detzras¡¯s soul screamed in agony, Karnak smiled gleefully. ¡°Well then, we¡¯ve got a lot to talk about, don¡¯t we?¡± *** After securing Detzras¡¯s corpse and soul, Karnak and hispanions moved to a new location. The building where the necromancy had been performed was nowpletely destroyed, so they needed another discreet ce. Finding such a spot in the slums wasn¡¯t too difficult. They found a sufficiently ruined structure and went inside. Baros ced the corpse he had been carrying on the ground. As Karnak prepared to use necromancy, he muttered to himself. ¡°This time, it¡¯s going to take a while. There¡¯s a lot we need to find out.¡± Serati, who had been keeping watch, suddenly asked, ¡°Won¡¯t we be keeping Prince Lloyd waiting too long?¡± Karnak responded nonchntly, ¡°Well, he¡¯ll just have to wait. What else can we do? I can¡¯t exactly perform necromancy in front of him.¡± ¡°I was just worried he might start getting suspicious.¡± ¡°If he does, he does. How can you be a necromancer if you worry about every little thing?¡± Serati inwardly epted his confident response. ¡®As expected¡­¡¯ She figured that the reason necromancers who were skilled at lying eventually got caught and beheaded was probably due to personalities like Karnak¡¯s. Of course, she kept that thought to herself. Meanwhile, Karnak was looking down at Detzras¡¯s corpse with a serious expression. ¡°This time, I¡¯ll need to focus.¡± Noticing his unusually serious demeanor, Serati asked curiously, ¡°Oh my, why?¡± Barros answered for him. ¡°Young Master has been so good at subduing souls and extracting information from them with ease that this might seem like a convenient method, but in reality, it¡¯s quite dangerous.¡± The pain and madness of the souls summoned through necromancy could also affect the necromancer. If the necromancer had a strong sense of empathy, just performing this act could make them experience death so vividly that their heart could stop. Even an ordinary human would eventually go mad, corrupted by evil energy and malevolence. ¡°This isn¡¯t a technique to be used lightly, even for a necromancer.¡± It¡¯s much safer to extract information by torturing a living person with a hot iron than to cross such a dangerous bridge. ¡°So, what about you, Lord Karnak?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m an exceptional necromancer.¡± ¡°More urately, it¡¯s because you don¡¯t have any proper empathy, Young Master, which is why you¡¯ve been able to do this sofortably.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not wrong, but somehow that doesn¡¯t sound very nice.¡± Grumbling, Karnak sped his hands together. ¡°This guy is quite skilled, so he¡¯s likely prepared defenses against necromancy.¡± A necromancer of his caliber would have taken all sorts of measures to protect his soul. Carefully, Karnak summoned Detzras¡¯s soul. ¡°Come forth, my servant¡­ Obey themand of your master¡­¡± With a chilling voice, the ghost materialized, and simultaneously, pitch-ck shadows began to rise from the surroundings. Kyahhhhh! A terrifying wail echoed as a ck wave spread in all directions. The sudden shock made Serati stagger backward, her mind reeling. ¡°Ugh! What is this?¡± Baros, remaining vignt, spoke up, ¡°As expected, an evil spirit of madness was guarding him.¡± It was one of those necromantic spells designed to trap the soul of anyone who dared to confront it. There¡¯s a saying: when you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes back at you. The moment you try to invade the soul, the evil spirit of madness drives you insane. However, the situation was unfolding in an unexpected way. The evil spirit of madness locked eyes with Karnak and let out a hideous scream. Screeech! Aaaagh! The ck shadow began to tremble violently, shrinking in ce. It was obvious that it had seen something it wasn¡¯t supposed to. ¡®What the¡­? Wasn¡¯t it supposed to drive him insane?¡¯ Serati blinked in confusion. ¡°Then why is it going berserk instead?¡± As if he expected this, Baros nodded knowingly. ¡°Like I said, when you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back.¡± ¡°¡­And I¡¯m the abyss?¡± With a disgruntled expression, Karnak watched the evil spirit of madness fade away. It really seemed like the evil spirit had been utterly terrified and crushed by something incredibly dark and horrid. Karnak muttered in frustration, ¡°Is my soul really that horrifying? It can¡¯t be that bad, can it?¡± Baros, with a look of disbelief, asked, ¡°Do you truly believe that?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t I be a lot kinder? I¡¯ve even made a lot of effort to live like a decent person since my return.¡± ¡°You have indeed. But do you think a century of umted filth can be washed away in just a year?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Upon reflection, Karnak nodded in agreement. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to try even harder to live like a decent person.¡± Serati, overhearing their conversation, remained silent. ¡°¡­¡± From what she had observed, Karnak wasn¡¯t exactly a viin. He was genuinely trying hard not to do bad things. She had to acknowledge that. But does that mean he¡¯s actually living a good life now? That didn¡¯t seem quite right either. ¡®No, wait, why does Sir Baros think he¡¯s fine? Is it just because he¡¯sparing himself to Lord Karnak?¡¯ In any case, the evil spirit of madness had vanished. This meant that Detzras¡¯s soul was now ready to spill everything. ¡°Let¡¯s ask again.¡± It was time to resume the questioning that had been interrupted earlier. ¡°Answer me.¡± Facing the trembling ghost, Karnak asked, ¡°Why did Prince Alford switch bodies with Prince Lloyd? What could he possibly gain from it?¡± *** In a shabby shack tucked away in the corner of the slums, Prince Lloyd had been hiding, keeping himself concealed in one corner of the hut. ¡®When is Lord Karnaking back?¡¯ The entire slum had been shaking with tremendous explosions, the noise echoing continuously, making him too afraid to show himself. All he could do was wait, hoping that Karnak and his group would return soon. How many hours had passed? It was only after the explosions ceased, and the surroundings had fallen into silence for quite some time, that the awaited party finally returned. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re back! How did it go?¡± Karnak calmly gave his report. ¡°We defeated the enemies andpleted the interrogation of the necromancers. It seems we¡¯ve roughly figured out Prince Alford¡¯s intentions.¡± ¡°Is that so!¡± This was precisely the news Prince Lloyd had been anxiously waiting for. He asked urgently, ¡°What was the reason? Why did Alford target my body?¡± ¡°Well, about that¡­¡± With a wry smile, Karnak shrugged. ¡°It turns out he never had any interest in coveting your body from the start.¡± Chapter 77 Chapter 77: The Prince¡¯s Plot (1) ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Lloyd was puzzled. ¡°Not after my body? Does that mean Alford is also a victim?¡± ¡°I guess I said something that was a little misleading.¡± Karnak continued, looking embarrassed. ¡°It¡¯s true that he was after your body, but he didn¡¯t covet it.¡± The n of Prince Alford, which was discovered through Detzras, was this: First, the bodies of the two princes would be swapped with the help of necromancy. Temporarily, at least. ¡°There was never any intention to make it permanent.¡± That¡¯s why Lloyd, whose body had been swapped, was locked away so carefully. ¡°Since he would eventually get his body back, he had to keep you in good condition.¡± They had also discovered a way to reverse the body swap. ¡°It¡¯s possible even without a necromancer.¡± Karnak took out a small brooch with a ck jewel embedded in it from his pocket and continued speaking. ¡°This is a cursed jewel known as the Soul Exchange Ring. It¡¯s the medium used for the soul exchange.¡± To break the curse, the brooch had to be ced under the light of a full moon, and then the freshly shed blood of Prince Alford had to be poured over it. ¡°Does it have to be this body? Can¡¯t they use the blood from my original body?¡± ¡°The beneficiary of the curse is still you, Prince Lloyd. So, the subject of the curse is this body.¡± ¡°Alford can¡¯t undo the curse by himself? So that¡¯s why he was so desperate to capture me.¡± Lloyd, understanding now, sighed in relief. ¡°It¡¯s a relief that the curse can be lifted even without a necromancer.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± With a doubtful expression, Barros whispered secretly. [¡­Is this for real?] [I understand why you¡¯re skeptical, but this time it¡¯s true.] Anyway, when the night of the full moon arrives, the bodies of the two princes can be returned to their original state. ¡°That¡¯s why Prince Alford nned his actions for the evening of the full moon.¡± The n was to assassinate King Wiscot I. ¡°He¡¯s targeting my father?¡± ¡°Yes. He nned to request an audience with His Majesty and then, at the right moment, stab him with a concealed dagger.¡± Lloyd shook his head in disbelief. ¡°That¡¯s not going to work.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not as impossible as it sounds. No matter how vignt His Majesty might be, he wouldn¡¯t suspect his own son. There wouldn¡¯t be a thorough body search either. The opportunity could certainly present itself.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± The prince clicked his tongue. ¡°Assassinate my father? Using my body?¡± King Wiscot I of the Yustil Kingdom was once a renowned knight known for his martial prowess. Even in his old age, he was still in excellent health, frequently going hunting and practicing martial arts. And now, Prince Lloyd was supposed to ambush such a king? ¡°Doesn¡¯t Alford know how weak my body is?¡± Alford was well aware of that too. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if the assassination fails.¡± Karnak continued in a calm voice. ¡°Just the attempt would mean the n has seeded.¡± If the assassination were sessful? Then Prince Lloyd would be seen as a madman who killed his own father, a heinous act. Naturally, he would be captured by the royal guards and imprisoned. If the assassination failed? He would still be considered a traitor who attempted to kill his father. Being captured by the royal guards would be inevitable either way. ¡°What will happen if the bodies are switched back in that state?¡± Only then did Lloyd¡¯splexion turn pale. ¡°Oh my god¡­¡± No matter how much he tried to exin after returning to his original body, no one would believe him. If he was unlucky, he¡¯d face execution; if he was lucky, he¡¯d be treated as a madman and spend the rest of his life locked away. Whether the king lived or died, the second prince, Alford, would be the sole heir to the throne. ¡°I do not think they n to keep you alive anyway. Prince Lloyd, you would soon be driven to madness andmit suicide in prison.¡± ¡°I wouldmit suicide?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And who decided that?¡± ¡°Necromancers are quite skilled at making othersmit suicide, Prince.¡± ¡°¡­Ugh.¡± Prince Lloyd groaned. He knew his brother was ambitious, but he never imagined he would go this far¡­ ¡°Now that I think about it, it¡¯s just the sort of thing he would do.¡± The only silver lining was that he had discovered the entire n in advance. And it was all thanks to Karnak. ¡°Truly, meeting you has been the greatest fortune of my life.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too kind.¡± ¡°No, really. If it weren¡¯t for someone as wise as you, how would I have survived until now?¡± Barros and Serati exchanged strange nces. ¡®Greatest fortune?¡¯ ¡®Wise?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s not exactly wrong¡­¡¯ ¡®But it¡¯s not entirely right either¡­¡¯ In any case, now that they had uncovered the enemy¡¯s plot, it was time to devise a solution. ¡°The conditions for lifting the curse are the light of the full moon and freshly shed blood from this body, correct, Lord Karnak?¡± ¡°Yes, Prince.¡± ¡°Are you certain it must be freshly shed blood? I¡¯m asking if they could extract Alford¡¯s blood¡ªthis body¡¯s blood¡ªin advance and use that instead.¡± ¡°I¡¯m certain. That¡¯s why they went through all that trouble to capture you, Prince Lloyd.¡± If the curse could be lifted with pre-extracted blood, they wouldn¡¯t have cared whether Lloyd escaped or not¡ªthey could have just lifted the curse on the nned date. ¡°That makes sense.¡± Lloyd stroked his chin, lost in thought. ¡°So, the choice is mine then¡­¡± Since the condition involved the full moon, the timing for lifting the curse was fixed. But whether to switch the bodies back at that time was now entirely up to Lloyd. ¡°In this situation, Alford won¡¯t be able to proceed with his n recklessly.¡± The n only made sense if they could switch the bodies back afterward. In the current situation, Prince Alford was also cornered. If he made a move and couldn¡¯t recover his body, he¡¯d die as Lloyd. ¡°Does that mean my father is safe for now?¡± Lloyd murmured with a hint of relief. ¡°But we still need to assess the situation¡­ However, if I return to the pce, who knows what might happen¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t trust his original subordinates, and pretending to be Prince Alford was too dangerous. That¡¯s why he had been hiding, not daring to act rashly. At that moment, Karnak quietly spoke up. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be a problem, Prince.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ve obtained some valuable information.¡± Detzras was the leader among the cultists involved in this plot. Thanks to that, he knew secrets that even Kale and Olt didn¡¯t. ¡°I have a list of who knows about this n and who doesn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Oh! Is that true?¡± Lloyd¡¯s face lit up with joy. ¡°Then I can finally pretend to be Alford!¡± Until now, Lloyd had no way of knowing which of Alford¡¯s close aides were involved in this n. As a result, he had been on guard against everyone, keeping himself hidden. But with that list, it was now clear who to avoid. As long as he avoided those individuals and interacted with the other subordinates of Alford, he could easily pass himself off as the second prince. ¡°Of course, it won¡¯tst long, but it doesn¡¯t need to.¡± All he had to do was be cautious until the night of the full moon. He could return to the royal pce, pretending to be Alford, prepare for any unexpected situations, and when the time came, switch back to his original body, restoring everything to normal. ¡°It bothers me a bit that Alford might get away without any consequences for causing all this trouble.¡± A cold smile suddenly appeared on Lloyd¡¯s previously kind-looking face. ¡°Or perhaps this could be a good opportunity. Should I drink some slow-acting poison before switching back? Or maybe cut off one of his legs?¡± Karnak intervened. ¡°That would be problematic.¡± For the soul change to be reversed, it was crucial that both bodies remained as unharmed as possible. If either body was injured, it could prevent the curse from being lifted. ¡°If that weren¡¯t the case, Prince Alford wouldn¡¯t have needed to target His Majesty at all. He could have just injured himself and then switched back.¡± Lloyd nodded reluctantly, understanding the point. ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Baros watched, secretly impressed. ¡®Not bad. He¡¯s not as naive as I thought.¡¯ Prince Lloyd had a reputation for being a kind andpassionate person. In fact, that was the impression Baros had always had of him. Yet here he was, casually talking about killing or crippling his own brother. ¡®Well, considering they¡¯ve been trying to kill each other for over ten years, it makes sense.¡¯ Meanwhile, Karnak pointed out another issue. ¡°I just want to confirm something. Prince Lloyd, all of your assumptions are based on the premise that Prince Alford knows his n has gone awry, correct?¡± ¡°Why? Is there a problem?¡± ¡°The thing is, it¡¯s possible that Prince Alford doesn¡¯t know you¡¯ve escaped.¡± Alford, now in Lloyd¡¯s body, would naturally find it difficult to contact his original subordinates. Their living spaces were different, and they had little interaction. Moreover, he couldn¡¯t proceed with the n without anymunication. There¡¯s always the possibility of unforeseen circumstances, isn¡¯t there? If things went awry, he would need to halt or adjust the n. ¡°So, Prince Alford likely established a secret method to stay in constant contact with his close aides, like Sebastian.¡± ¡°That makes sense. It¡¯s a basic precaution.¡± ¡°The problem lies with that method ofmunication.¡± The body swap through necromancy was such a forbidden act that it couldn¡¯t be disclosed to anyone, not even to his own people, lightly. He needed tomunicate in secret, away from the eyes of both his enemies and allies. In other words, he required a third, unknown method, one that neither Lloyd¡¯s side nor Alford¡¯s side would suspect. And what better method than using the necromancy of the cultists? That¡¯s likely how Prince Alford had been maintaining contact all along. But hadn¡¯t those cultists just been sent to the afterlife by Karnak and his group? Though, in reality, their souls were still under Karnak¡¯s control, but that¡¯s just a figure of speech. Lloyd, listening to the exnation, asked with a puzzled expression. ¡°Wait, are you saying those three cultists were the only ones working with Alford?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How is that possible? Wouldn¡¯t it be foolish for someone in charge of such an important task to act alone? Shouldn¡¯t at least one of them have stayed behind as a precaution?¡± Karnak chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s the mindset of someone used to being in charge.¡± Those in power often have the bad habit of assuming that their subordinates will understand and execute their wishes without needing explicit instructions. They believe that since the subordinates are under them, they will naturally grasp their intentions and act ordingly. But how much time and effort does it take to cultivate a subordinate who is genuinely that trustworthy? Besides, these cultists weren¡¯t originally Alford¡¯s subordinates, were they? They were merely cooperating under the orders of their cult. ¡°A good opportunity hase to increase their necromantic power, and they wouldn¡¯t want to lose it to someone else. So why would they care about Prince Alford¡¯s situation? What has the prince ever done for them?¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s true,¡± Lloyd said, scratching his head awkwardly. Then, he looked at Karnak with a curious expression. ¡°You¡¯ve got a pretty straightforward way of speaking, don¡¯t you? Most people wouldn¡¯t be so direct in front of a prince.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Karnak felt a pang of guilt inside. He had lived as an absolute ruler for so long that, despite his efforts, his habits had slipped out without him realizing it. ¡°I apologize. I¡¯m just a country bumpkin, so I¡¯m not very good with formalities¡­¡± ¡°No need to worry about that. You¡¯ve done so much for me; how could I be angry? Besides, your bluntness shows you¡¯re thinking of my best interests.¡± Surprisingly, Lloyd wasn¡¯t bothered at all. He seemed genuinely intrigued rather than upset. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that Alford¡¯s means ofmunication was through those cultists, and now they¡¯re all dealt with?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s what makes things uncertain now.¡± Of course, it¡¯s possible that Alford had prepared other methods ofmunication besides the cultists. Even with necromantic interrogation, it¡¯s hard to determine the truth if the person truly believes they¡¯re telling it. ¡°Detzras was certain that they were the only contacts, but we can¡¯t rule out the possibility that Prince Alford secretly prepared another means ofmunication.¡± If that were the case, things would proceed as Prince Lloyd predicted. ¡°But what if themunication really has been cut off?¡± At Karnak¡¯s question, Lloyd¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°How will Alford respond to that¡­?¡± Will he postpone the n because there¡¯s nomunication? Or will he proceed with the n regardless? ¡°Logically, postponing would be the reasonable thing to do, but¡­¡± Is Prince Alford a reasonable person? Lloyd wasn¡¯t sure about that at all. If Alford were a reasonable person, he wouldn¡¯t havemitted such a dangerous act as body-swapping using necromancy in the first ce. ¡°This is troublesome. So, does that mean I should inform my father before the night of the full moon?¡± Karnak shook his head. ¡°And what would you tell him? Wouldn¡¯t it be difficult to exin everything?¡± The idea that human souls had been swapped was unprecedented. Convincing someone of this would require some verypelling evidence. ¡°Do you have any secrets that would convince His Majesty?¡± Prince Lloyd gave a bitter smile. ¡°Unfortunately, no. My brother and I were never that close to our father.¡± Their father had always been the type to say, ¡°Let the son who survives after fighting his brother be king.¡± He wasn¡¯t exactly the kind of father his sons would be fond of. Lloyd¡¯s voice grew a bit louder, as if he were suddenly irritated. ¡°Now that I think about it, I almost feel like letting my father die, though I know I can¡¯t actually do that.¡± Setting aside filial duty, it would create practical problems. If Alford went through with his n, Lloyd would still be branded a traitor even if he managed to return to his original body. ¡°I can¡¯t afford not to get my body back.¡± As Lloyd grew more serious, Serati cautiously spoke up. ¡°Um, Prince?¡± ¡°What is it, Dame Serati?¡± ¡°This might be hical and immoral, but¡­¡± Choosing her words carefully, she asked, ¡°¡­Is it really necessary for you to get your original body back?¡± Chapter 78 Chapter 78: The Prince¡¯s Plot (2) Taking over someone else¡¯s body is clearly an evil act. It can never be ethically justified. But, in this situation, did Lloyd steal Alford¡¯s body? ¡°Isn¡¯t it just Prince Alford¡¯s own doing?¡± From Serati¡¯s perspective, it doesn¡¯t seem like there would be much of a problem living as Alford from now on. Even from the citizens¡¯ perspective. It¡¯s clear who between Prince Lloyd and Prince Alford is more suited to be king. In terms of character and personality, Lloyd is definitely better. The only issue was that he was so frail that no one knew when he might die. But now, Lloyd¡¯s mind in Alford¡¯s body? Isn¡¯t that the makings of a perfect King? ¡°Of course, living as someone else wouldn¡¯t be an easy task.¡± If the body changes, so does the birth mother, the maternal family, and all the forces that supported you. It¡¯s not something you can change as easily as changing clothes. Still,pared to what he gained, the loss doesn¡¯t seem that significant. First of all, he¡¯d obtain the healthy body he¡¯s longed for so much. Moreover, if he goes as far as to overthrow Alford, who is now inside Lloyd¡¯s body? It could even be a great opportunity to unite the forces from both sides. Once he settled down and secured his position, couldn¡¯t he meet with each person individually and persuade them? ¡°You weren¡¯t close to the king, but surely you were close to his confidants? You must have shared some secrets with them, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true.¡± Since they were originally his subordinates, he would know how to handle them, and if any continued to oppose him, he could subtly hint that he is actually Prince Lloyd and might win them back as allies. It would be deeply regrettable for the prince¡¯s birth mother, and there would be other issues as well, but¡­ ¡°Rather than being dead-set on returning to your original body, wouldn¡¯t it be worth considering this option too?¡± Serati cautiously continued, watching Lloyd¡¯s peculiar expression. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Then he suddenly asked, ¡°By any chance, do you like royal romance stories, Dame Serati?¡± Serati blushed. ¡°Ah, well, I¡­ um¡­¡± In truth, she did. She had seen a story with a simr plot before, and that¡¯s what sparked her words. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest.¡± Lloyd smiled faintly and asked in return, ¡°Do you think I haven¡¯t thought about that? I¡¯ve had nothing but time.¡± He had pondered it many times. What if he simply took over Alford¡¯s body and ran away somewhere? What would he lose? His royal status, his family, and his loyal followers. But what would he gain? A life free from the constant pain he had never even dared to imagine. ¡°No, it¡¯s more than just a life without pain.¡± It was a young, vigorous body, far more robust and lively than even the average person¡¯s. It was, quite literally, the very dream Lloyd had always wished for. As Serati pointed out, this entire situation was caused by Alford. There was no reason for Lloyd to feel guilty or responsible. ¡°If I could get my hands on this body, I wouldn¡¯t mind giving up the throne to Alford at all. That¡¯s my honest feeling.¡± Of course, Lloydughed as he remarked that Alford would certainly mind very much. ¡°That guy is probably grinding his teeth in my frail body right now, just waiting for the day he can take action. Dealing with constant fevers, headaches, and a runny nose¡ªhow miserable that must be.¡± Then, as if suddenly remembering something, ¡°But you know, the terms are so tempting that it actually made me suspicious.¡± Lloyd¡¯s expression grew serious. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that necromancy allows people of the same bloodline to exchange bodies, Lord Karnak?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then why is it that in all of history, there hasn¡¯t been a single tyrant who exchanged bodies with one of his own kin?¡± Let¡¯s say there¡¯s a tyrant king or emperor. And let¡¯s assume that he¡¯s old, sick, and nearing death. ¡°If I were in that position, I wouldn¡¯t care whether it¡¯s a forbidden art or not¡ªI would immediately switch bodies with my son or grandson. If I designated the body-swapping candidate as the heir to the throne, I wouldn¡¯t even lose power.¡± Were necromancers so well-hidden that no one ever knew this method existed? That doesn¡¯t make sense. How many tyrants have existed throughout the continent¡¯s history? Are they to believe that not a single one of them ever found a necromancer? No, even if they didn¡¯t find one, it still doesn¡¯t make sense. ¡°If such a thing were possible, there¡¯s no way necromancers wouldn¡¯t have secretly approached dying kings with this tempting offer.¡± However, in reality, the tyrants of the past simply died as they were. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean there¡¯s a serious w in that method?¡± Suddenly, Lloyd, mid-sentence, showed an uncertain expression. ¡°Or¡­ is it possible that such acts have beenmitted frequently, and I¡¯m just unaware of it? Could it be that the first emperor of the empire has been stealing the bodies of his descendants and living on¡­?¡± Karnakughed and shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not the case. I was about to warn you, but you figured it out yourself.¡± Then he continued seriously. ¡°Originally, possession doesn¡¯tst long. The body and soul aren¡¯t in harmony.¡± That¡¯s why possession usually onlysts a day or two at most. If it continues for longer, the body breaks down and the soul goes mad. ¡°If the bodies have simr traits, the duration extends. It¡¯s true that the closer the bodies are in physical condition, age, or gender, the longer the possession canst.¡± Even so, Karnak exined that the limit would only be a few months. ¡°Even for identical twins with nearly the same body, if they exchange souls, they can onlyst about a year.¡± ¡°And in my case?¡± ¡°While your bloodlines are quite close, the two princes are half-brothers. And physically, the differences are too great. At most, three months would be the limit.¡± Lloyd, flustered, raised his voice. ¡°Does that mean if I miss this full moon night, I¡¯ll only have one or two more chances?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Damn¡­¡± Lloyd clicked his tongue. He had suspected there would be some catch, but he hadn¡¯t expected to have so little time. ¡°What the hell was Alford thinking, doing something so dangerous?¡± Karnak chuckled. ¡°I believe he didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t know? What do you mean?¡± ¡°We learned this by interrogating the cultists¡­¡± Detzras¡¯ group didn¡¯t tell Prince Alford the full truth. They conveniently left out the part about the time limit of possession, only telling him that they could swap bodies. Even if things went awry, there would still be a chance to reverse itter. But living in Prince Lloyd¡¯s body would be such a torment that the risk was worth taking. ¡°It seems they exined it to him like that.¡± ¡°¡­Did he really believe that?¡± ¡°If he didn¡¯t, he wouldn¡¯t have done it, right?¡± ¡°Haha¡­¡± Lloyd let out a hollowugh as he organized his thoughts. ¡°In any case, it seems my top priority is to get my original body back during this full moon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°At the same time, I need to be mindful of my reputation and safety.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± They didn¡¯t know what kind of trouble Prince Alford, now in Lloyd¡¯s body, might cause, so it had to be prevented in advance. But it¡¯s no easy task to stop someone who seems determined to ruin themselves. ¡°It looks like I¡¯ll have to secretly contact Alford.¡± Lloyd muttered with dissatisfaction. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to negotiate with him. Propose that we return everything to the way it was, without damaging each other¡¯s bodies or reputations.¡± Deep down, he felt a strong urge to deal a blow to his younger brother. But he wanted to avoid a situation where he too would end up getting hurt. ¡°This seems to be the best option for now.¡± Watching the prince, Karnak thought for a moment. In truth, Karnak didn¡¯t particrly care whether Lloyd got his body back or not. His main goal had been to capture the high-ranking cultists. And with Detzras¡¯ group¡¯s souls now in his hands, he had already achieved that goal. What happened to Prince Lloyd¡¯s affairs didn¡¯t concern him much at all. ¡®But surprisingly, this guy has a decent personality, doesn¡¯t he?¡¯ The vow to stay out of major incidents was already broken. In that case, wouldn¡¯t it be a good choice to build connections with a prince of a kingdom? ¡®If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s better to be connected with someone in power.¡¯ Karnak, trying his best to maintain a gentle and trustworthy smile, opened his mouth. ¡°Are you really looking to give him a good blow, Your Highness?¡± Seeing the sudden shift to a meaningful expression on the other¡¯s face, Lloyd tensed up and asked back. ¡°And what if I am?¡± ¡°I have a good idea.¡± *** Lloyd¡¯s residence, Silver Ka Pce, located on the western side of the royal pce in Yustil. From one of its bedrooms, groans echoed out. ¡°Aah, aaah¡­¡± Though the sun was already high in the sky, having passed noon, Lloyd was still lying in bed. To be precise, it was Alford inside Lloyd¡¯s body. ¡®This cursed body!¡¯ Grinding his teeth while lying in bed, Alford cursed internally. Yesterday had been somewhat manageable, but today, he woke up with a fever, headache, and an aching body all over. ¡®How in the world did Lloyd live in this body?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just a bad day. Every day was like this. It was easier to count the rare ¡°not sick¡± days. That¡¯s how frail Lloyd¡¯s body was. Alford realized it again. If a weakling like this became the king of Yustil, the kingdom would be doomed. ¡®As expected, I¡¯m the only one fit to be king.¡¯ Taking deep breaths, Alford nced out the window from the bedroom. ¡®Anyway, the day has finallye.¡¯ Today was the day of the great event. Once that sun sets, the full moon will rise. And then¡­ ¡®I¡¯ll finally be free from this cursed body!¡¯ To be honest, he felt a bit anxious. For several days, he hadn¡¯t been able to contact the cultists. He had tried to reach them multiple times through the catalysts, but there was no response. But dying the n wasn¡¯t an option. ¡®Live another month in this body? That¡¯s insane.¡¯ Alford forced himself to get out of bed. He had been lying down all day, but it seemed that his energy had somewhat recovered. ¡®This should be enough to attend the dinner I¡¯ve arranged with the king tonight.¡¯ As a member of the royal family, they didn¡¯t sit down together for family dinners like ordinary families. So, he had specifically requested a private dinner with his father under the pretense of discussing important matters, and it was granted. The only thing left was to wait for the right moment and use the dagger hidden in his robes to attack. ¡®Not that I have much of a chance of sess in this body.¡¯ He had considered coating the dagger with poison to ensure his father¡¯s death but had given up on that idea. After all, as the king, he was constantly surrounded by powerful clerics, and he himself carried protective talismans hidden in his clothing. Even Alford, as a prince, had always done the same. ¡®It¡¯d be far worse if I identally cut myself with the poisoned dagger.¡¯ All he needed to do was show his intent to kill, to disy his treasonous resolve clearly. He would cause a ruckus, act like a madman, and then immediately throw the dagger away and surrender before he got hurt. That would resolve everything. As he reviewed his n, Alford looked out the window once more. ¡®Now, all that¡¯s left is for the sun to set¡­¡¯ It was at that moment. ¡°Your Highness!¡± The door suddenly burst open, and a group of servants and guards rushed into the bedroom. Startled, Alford¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°W-what¡¯s going on?¡± Therge head maid, in a panic, rushed to lift him up and shouted, ¡°You must evacuate immediately!¡± Because Lloyd¡¯s body was so small and frail, even a woman¡¯s strength was enough to lift him up with ease. As Alford was carried out like a piece of baggage, he heard the servant¡¯s urgent shout. ¡°Prince Alford is out of his mind, swinging his sword and aiming for you!¡± Alford¡¯s expression turned nk. ¡®What does that mean? I¡¯m targeting myself?¡¯ And then, he quickly realized the situation. He was currently inside Lloyd¡¯s body. That meant the ¡°Prince Alford¡± they were referring to was¡­ ¡®¡­Lloyd?¡¯ *** In the hallway of Silver Ka Pce. A single robust knight stood in a standoff against dozens of soldiers. ¡°You scoundrels! Kneel before your future king!¡± The soldiers shouted back in disbelief. ¡°What are you doing, Prince Alford?!¡± ¡°Do you think His Majesty will overlook such reckless behavior?¡± But there wasn¡¯t even a need to invoke the authority of the king. After all, the only one storming into the pce was Alford¡ªalone. ¡°Why is he acting like this?¡± ¡°No matter if he¡¯s a prince¡­¡± ¡°What can he possibly achieve by himself?¡± As the confused soldiers muttered among themselves, Lloyd couldn¡¯t help but smirk internally. ¡®Of course, I can¡¯t achieve anything by myself.¡¯ And that was exactly the point. ¡®Alford, you foolish younger brother¡­¡¯ Havingmitted such a crazy act, he would soon be captured and thrown into prison. And the news that ¡°Prince Alford¡± had lost his mind would spread throughout the kingdom. ¡®If you thought you could ruin me, you should have known I could ruin you just as easily.¡¯ Chapter 79 Chapter 79: The Prince¡¯s Plot (3) The long corridor of the Ka Pce leading to Prince Lloyd¡¯s chambers. The soldiers surrounding Prince Alford were shouting at the top of their lungs. ¡°Capture the traitor!¡± The prince, looking around, retorted in kind. ¡°How dare you call me a traitor! I am the true king of this kingdom!¡± Swords and spears shed soon after. The mor of metal rang loudly as the battle ensued. Bang! Bang! Prince Alford shouted once more toward the soldiers surrounding him. ¡°Step aside! All I want is that weakling Lloyd!¡± Sir Zeliard, the captain of the Ka pce guards, hardened his expression. Despite the atmosphere, the battle itself wasn¡¯t particrly violent. They were merely threatening each other from a distance where no fatal injuries would ur. ¡®It seems like he has no intention of actually harming the soldiers.¡¯ This wasn¡¯t typical of Alford, but it wasn¡¯t particrly strange. After all, if it were the usual Prince Alford, he wouldn¡¯t bemitting such insane acts in the first ce. There¡¯s no reason to be puzzled by a madman acting out of character, is there? The problem was that this situation made it hard for Zeliard and his men to respond forcefully. No matter how hostile the rtionship, their opponent was still a prince. They couldn¡¯t push with the intent to kill. Doing so would lead to grave consequences. ¡®We¡¯ll have to subdue him by causing just enough injuries¡­¡¯ But they couldn¡¯t inflict injuries as they wished. Even though Zeliard was the captain of the royal guard, hurting a prince would require an excuse. An excuse that the prince had been so reckless that subduing him without spilling blood was impossible. But for some reason, Prince Alford was acting more restrained. ¡°Step aside! I don¡¯t want any bloodshed! In the end, you¡¯ll all be mine anyway!¡± From Zeliard¡¯s perspective, it was almost absurd. Since when did the prince start caring about the safety of soldiers? But since Alford was acting that way, they too had to subdue him without injuries. ¡°Prince Alford seems to be greatly confused! Capture him safely!¡± Following the captain¡¯s orders, the soldiers continued to press the prince. Yet, the situation didn¡¯t improve. The prince¡¯s skill was better than expected. He was skillfully moving in and out of range, controlling the distance with precision, disying an unexpectedly high level of expertise. Even Zeliard, a seasoned first-ss knight, found himself impressed. ¡®Was Prince Alford¡¯s swordsmanship always this good?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just Zeliard who was amazed. The soul inside Alford, which belonged to Lloyd, was equally impressed. ¡®This body is incredible. It moves so well.¡¯ Thinking about giving up such an amazing body and returning to his own left him feeling rather glum. But he quickly snapped back to focus. ¡®No matter how great this body is, I can¡¯t stay in it and die in less than half a year!¡¯ While he continued to stall for time, he nced down the hallway. The appointed time was approaching. ¡®Not yet?¡¯ Just then, a white sh of light suddenly pierced through the corridor, exploding between the prince and the soldiers. KABOOM! It was a powerful burst of magic. Zeliard flinched in surprise and turned toward the direction the light hade from. ¡®What was that? Reinforcements for the prince?¡¯ They were indeed reinforcements for a prince, but not for Alford. ¡°Sir Zeliard!¡± Three men and women were running down the hallway from the opposite end. A knight with a sturdy build, a red-haired beauty, and a young ck-haired mage. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°We are the King¡¯s Order, sent by Prince Lloyd! My name is Karnak!¡± As they joined the encirclement, Karnak quickly handed Zeliard a piece of paper. Taking it, he saw that it was a personal letter from Prince Lloyd, verifying Karnak and hispanions¡¯ identities. As the captain of the Ka pce guards, Zeliard was familiar with the prince¡¯s handwriting. It was undoubtedly authentic. ¡°I see. So the prince had something else in mind?¡± ¡°Then, we will subdue Prince Alford.¡± Zeliard immediately stepped aside. He had been unsure of what to do, and now that someone else appeared to take responsibility, there was no reason to refuse. ¡°Remember, you must not shed any blood carelessly!¡± ¡°I understand. Dame Serati!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± At Karnak¡¯s words, the red-haired beauty, sword in hand, stepped forward. She lightly flicked her hand. Bzzzz! A red glow flowed along the de, radiating a brilliant light. The soldiers murmured in awe. ¡°Ohh!¡± ¡°An aura user!¡± Serati lightly leaped forward. In an instant, there were shes of sword light, and soon enough, ¡®Prince Alford¡¯ let out a groan and copsed to his knees. ¡°Ugh! Guh!¡± Considering themotion, it ended rather anticlimactically, but no one found it strange. It was the expected result. No matter how skilled Prince Alford might be, he was no match for an aura user. Karnak pointed a finger at the fallen prince. ¡°Then I will subdue him. Hold Person.¡± Ropes of light tightly coiled around Alford¡¯s body. ¡°Urgh! How dare you do this to me!¡± The prince struggled, but he couldn¡¯t do anything. Watching him bound, Zeliard let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Phew, that was close. But what¡¯s going on all of a sudden?¡± *** Once themotion had settled, Prince Lloyd returned to his chambers after taking refuge. ¡°Well then¡­¡± More urately, it was Alford, in Prince Lloyd¡¯s body, who returned. ¡°So, Alford caused a disturbance, got caught, and is now imprisoned in the pce dungeon, is that it?¡± In response to his question, the head maid replied respectfully. ¡°Yes. Lord Karnak is overseeing the situation.¡± Alford was bewildered. ¡®Karnak? Who the hell is that?¡¯ However, he couldn¡¯t outright ask. From the way the head maid spoke, it was obvious that Lloyd should know, so he couldn¡¯t pretend ignorance. ¡®No, that¡¯s not the problem right now.¡¯ Realizing his mistake, Alford hurriedly asked, ¡°What about tonight¡¯s appointment?¡± The head maid replied as if it was obvious. ¡°It has been canceled. Your safety is the top priority.¡± They couldn¡¯t take any action without first understanding what ¡®Prince Alford¡¯ was nning. It was a sensible and correct response. At least, it was for those loyal to ¡®Prince Lloyd.¡¯ But for Alford, who was inside, the situation was utterly maddening. ¡®What the hell is going on?¡¯ But there was nothing he could do with Lloyd¡¯s frail body. He could only sit half-confined in the chamber, idly sitting on the bed. Time passed like that. Since they couldn¡¯t let the noble prince go hungry, a maid brought his dinner to the chamber. Alford ground his teeth as he looked at the meal. ¡®Damn it! I thought this tasteless food would be myst!¡¯ The meal was made from healthy ingredients and prepared neatly, or so they said. The problem was that the mealpletely disregarded any concept of ¡®pleasure for the pte.¡¯ It was utterly tasteless. Even the food served to noble pets might have been better. ¡®If things had gone ording to n, I would have been dining with the king by now.¡¯ As he grumbled, Alford¡¯s expression suddenly changed. ¡®¡­Dinner?¡¯ Dinner is eaten in the evening. Meaning, it was currently evening. And evening typically refers to the time after the sun has set. ¡®Wait a minute! Does that mean¡­?¡¯ In a panic, Alford rushed to the window. He looked out and saw a shining full moon in the distant sky. ¡®The light of the full moon¡­¡¯ In that instant, everything before his eyes shifted. *** Alford blinked. ¡°¡­What?¡± It was an odd feeling. His body felt incrediblyfortable, yet simultaneously ufortable. A strange mixture of awkwardness and familiarity washed over him. It didn¡¯t take long to realize why. He was tied up, hands and feet bound, lying on a cold stone floor. Naturally, that would feel awkward and ufortable. And yet, the reason it feltfortable and familiar? ¡®This is my body!¡¯ In a hurry, Alford stood up. He looked around. Gray stone walls surrounded him, and in front of him was a thick iron cell door. It was the pce dungeon. ¡®Why am I here?¡¯ No, it made perfect sense. They had locked him up because ¡®Prince Alford¡¯ had gone on a rampage. ¡°Lloyd, you bastard!¡± It wasn¡¯t hard to guess what had happened. After all, it was Alford¡¯s own n that had been executed. ¡®I¡¯ve been tricked!¡¯ Just then, he sensed someone approaching beyond the iron bars. ¡°Wee back, Prince Alford.¡± A young man in a mage¡¯s robe, apanied by a man and a woman who appeared to be knights, stood outside the cell. Alford red at him and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± The young man responded with an odd question of his own, ¡°You don¡¯t know me, do you?¡± For a moment, Alford was speechless. ¡®Of course, I asked because I don¡¯t know. Why would I ask if I already knew?¡¯ However, Alford couldn¡¯t bring himself to mock the young man. A strange, ominous feeling crept up his spine. The young man approached him, raising a finger. A sharp needle of light began to form at his fingertip. With a gentle smile, the young man¡¯s gaze shifted toward Alford¡¯s head. ¡°You¡¯ll continue not knowing in the future.¡± *** Four days after Prince Alford¡¯s iprehensible rampage. Karnak and hispanions were in the library of the Ka Pce, facing a young man. He had pale skin, light gray hair, eyes tinged with a hint of gold in their blue, and a delicate face. He almost looked like a teenage girl, but in reality, he was Lloyd, the first prince of the Kingdom of Yustil, now 20 years old. The situation had been mostly resolved, allowing them to finally meet outsiders again. Baros, observing Lloyd, who had regained his own body, wore an awkward expression. ¡°Should I say¡­ nice to meet you for the first time?¡± Lloyd chuckled and responded, ¡°It is indeed a strange situation.¡± They had known each other for several days now, and from Lloyd¡¯s perspective, he had even entrusted his life to them. However, this was the first time they were meeting face-to-face in his real body. ¡°Allow me to introduce myself once again.¡± Lloyd stood and formally expressed his gratitude. ¡°I offer my sincere thanks. Without your help, I can¡¯t imagine how much worse the situation might have be.¡± Following etiquette, Karnak humbly replied, ¡°We only did what was expected of nobles.¡± Lloyd, regretful, continued, ¡°What saddens me is that I cannot properly reward your efforts. You¡¯ve saved not only my life but also my father¡¯s and, in essence, this entire kingdom.¡± The fact that Lloyd and Alford had switched bodies had not been made public. It was a monumental incident, and the potential consequences were too significant to act recklessly. As a result, the contributions of Karnak and his group werergely downyed. In reality, they had supported Lloyd both physically and emotionally, but since this was a closely guarded secret, their official credit was limited to simply subduing the rampaging Alford. ¡°Please, think nothing of it.¡± Unlike the regretful Lloyd, Karnak remainedposed. ¡°I¡¯m simply content with having dealt with the heretic cultists, Your Highness.¡± He was sincere. From the beginning, they had gotten involved to capture a high-ranking cultist, and they had achieved that goal. Since they had aplished what they set out to do, Karnak had no real interest in rewards. True sincerity always gets through. ¡®He really is a man without greed.¡¯ There would be many future conflicts with the Cult of the Dark God. Those who had extended their reach even to a prince of the kingdom wouldn¡¯t back down easily. ¡®I can¡¯t let such talent be wasted. I¡¯ll need to discuss this with Commander Erantelter.¡¯ While the prince was deep in thought, Baros suddenly asked, ¡°What will happen to Prince Alford now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s ssified information, but I suppose it¡¯s something you should know,¡± Lloyd replied after a brief moment of contemtion, having made up his mind to share. ¡°Alfordmitted suicide. He hanged himself. It happenedst night.¡± Then, with a hardened expression, he continued in a low voice, ¡°To be more urate, he was made tomit suicide.¡± A prince of the kingdom dying by suicide in prison would never be dismissed with a simple burial. Naturally, arge number of clerics were involved in the investigation to understand what had happened. And that¡¯s when they discovered it. The subtle traces of the Darkness of Doom, carefully hidden. ¡°Lord Karnak, you were right.¡± Lloyd sighed, shaking his head in dismay. ¡°Necromancers truly have an exceptional talent for making people kill themselves.¡± Chapter 80 Chapter 80: The Prince¡¯s Plot (4) As soon as they left the prince¡¯s room, Baros and Serati naturally nced at Karnak. ¡°Young master?¡± ¡°You said you weren¡¯t going to live like before anymore, right?¡± Karnak frowned, looking as if he had been wronged. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me who did it, you know?¡± He really hadn¡¯t killed Alford. ¡°Why would I have any reason to kill that man?¡± Baros tilted his head curiously. ¡°To keep a secret?¡± ¡°There has to be a secret to keep! What does that guy even know about me?¡± ¡°¡­Now that you mention it, you¡¯re right.¡± In reality, Alford knew absolutely nothing about Karnak and hispanions. He had been confined in the pce the entire time since the body swap. ¡°If I had done something unnecessary, it would have only aroused more suspicion. Especially since I was thest one to meet him.¡± Alford died three dayster. By then, others had already interrogated him, so there was no way Karnak would be med. Recalling what happened in the prison, Serati asked, ¡°Then what did you do back then?¡± He stuck a needle into a perfectly fine person¡¯s head and rummaged through his brain¡ªanyone would think that was pure evil. ¡°That was really nothing.¡± All he did was extract information about how Prince Alford had aligned himself with the Cult of the Dark God and what he knew about the cultists. ¡°Isn¡¯t this proof that I¡¯m not living like I used to?¡± ¡°¡­You controlled his mind and even manipted his memories?¡± At Serati¡¯s retort, Baros slyly defended Karnak. ¡°Well, in that case, it¡¯s true he¡¯s not living like before. He didn¡¯t kill anyone, after all, right?¡± In any case, if Karnak wasn¡¯t the culprit, there was only one possible suspect left. Serati frowned. ¡°So you¡¯re saying the Cult of the Dark God took care of him?¡± Baros nodded. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t want Prince Alford to leak any information he had. Plus, they¡¯d probably try to gather more intel on us as well.¡± This, too, didn¡¯t seem to be much of a problem. ¡°That¡¯s why I made sure to handle it first.¡± After extracting the information, he had neatly erased Alford¡¯s memories as well. Serati asked in astonishment, ¡°Did you predict this would happen, Lord Karnak?¡± ¡°Cultists are necromancers too. It¡¯s easy to figure out how necromancers think.¡± Now, all that was left was to cross-check and extract any useful information from the souls of Detzras and his group. ¡°I¡¯ll take my time and slowly look through them.¡± Serati looked bbergasted. ¡°No matter what, they¡¯re still human souls. Treating them like a bunch of documents seems a bit¡­¡± ¡°Well, since they aren¡¯t innocent souls, it should be fine, right? They¡¯re just paying for their sins.¡± ¡°Does it really work that way?¡± She sighed. The more she stayed with these people, the more her sense of good and evil seemed to blur. Karnak smiled faintly and turned to leave. ¡°For now, let¡¯s head back to the lodging.¡± *** Late at night, a young man in his mid-twenties was receiving a report in the study of a noble estate located in the capital. With blonde hair, blue eyes, and the appearance of someone who had been raised in luxury, he looked every bit the aristocrat. A man in his thirties, standing opposite the young man, kept his head bowed, ncing nervously. ¡°The mission in the Kingdom of Yustil has failed, Lord Hudel.¡± Though dressed in in clothes to conceal his identity, the man was a necromancer of considerable rank within the Cult of the Dark God. Despite this, he remained nothing but unfailingly polite before the young man called Hudel. The necromancer continued his report in a voice tinged with fear. ¡°Prince Lloyd has regained his body, and Bishop Detzras has be a martyr.¡± ¡°Damn it¡­¡± Hudel rubbed his forehead. ¡®Who the hell interfered with our ns?¡¯ No small effort had been made to secure the prince of a kingdom, and now it had all been for nothing. ¡°You made sure to clean up the aftermath properly, I hope?¡± ¡°Yes. Prince Alford¡¯s soul has been properly retrieved.¡± Even though the dead don¡¯t speak, under necromancy, they could sometimes be even bigger bbermouths than the living. That¡¯s why the Cult of the Dark God took great care with post-mortem management. Proper necromancy was a power granted only to those who served Tesranak. However, even sloppy necromancy could yield results for lesser necromancers, so vignce was always necessary. ¡°And the prince¡¯s soul?¡± At Hudel¡¯s next question, the necromancer pulled out a ck pearl. ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± While the royal family of Yustil might be going through the motions of a grand funeral, believing the prince¡¯s soul to have gone to rest with the goddess, in reality, his soul was trapped inside this pearl. ¡°Once the situation is fully understood, I will erase it cleanly.¡± Hudel inspected the pearl from different angles. ¡°Is there no other use for it? After all, it¡¯s still a royal soul, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°The quality wasn¡¯t particrly high.¡± ¡°Well, a soul¡¯s value isn¡¯t determined by bloodline or status during life, after all.¡± The power of necromancy is determined by the strength of the soul itself. In a way, it treats all humans quite equally. Returning the pearl, Hudel asked another question. ¡°Does anyone else know about this?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve all been dealt with. Fortunately, Prince Alford had only informed a small number of close associates, so cleaning up was rtively easy.¡± ¡°At least the cleanup was done properly.¡± Still, Hudel had no intention of offering praise. He fell into a brief moment of contemtion. ¡®What should I do? I can¡¯t just leave the Kingdom of Yustil alone like this.¡¯ The reach of the Cult of the Dark God extended beyond the Kingdom of Yustil. It had quietly infiltrated all regions across the continent and every domain of humanity. But even among them, the Kingdom of Yustil held special importance. ¡®It was a ce that Lady Elezar specifically instructed me to keep an eye on.¡¯ One of the three Archmages, Elezar de Recion, Imperial Mage of the Lacaenia Empire. Few knew that she was one of the three saints leading the Cult of the Dark God. Hudel was among the select few. Recalling his conversation with Elezar, Hudel furrowed his brow. ¡®I don¡¯t know why she gave such orders, but still¡­¡¯ *** ¡°Take a closer look at the northeastern part of the continent, Hudel.¡± Hudel was caught off guard by this suddenmand. ¡°I beg your pardon, but could you provide more details? At the moment, the order seems a bit too vague.¡± Fortunately, Elezar did not get angry. ¡°The situation isn¡¯t clear enough for me to do that. How should I put it¡­ Just keep an eye out for anything unusual. That¡¯s about all I can say.¡± It wasn¡¯t that she was being deliberately vague because of secrecy; she seemed genuinely uncertain. This gave Hudel the courage to speak up. ¡°In that case, could you at least narrow down the scope of the investigation?¡± ¡°Hmm, well¡­¡± She finished her sentence with anguid smile. ¡°Look for events that seem like our doing, but aren¡¯t actually caused by us.¡± *** Though Hudel didn¡¯t know why such an order had been given, it was the duty of a good subordinate to carry out orders faithfully. Thus, he had been keeping a special eye on the Kingdom of Yustil and the Kingdom of Tarum, which were located in the northeastern part of the continent. And now, something had indeed happened in the Kingdom of Yustil. ¡®What on earth should I do¡­¡¯ As Hudel mulled over the situation, he suddenly found something odd. Even afterpleting his report, the necromancer hadn¡¯t left. ¡°Is there something else?¡± The necromancer, hesitant, finally spoke. ¡°There¡¯s one more problem.¡± ¡°A problem?¡± ¡°Although we¡¯ve retrieved Prince Alford¡¯s soul, we can¡¯t locate Bishop Detzras¡¯ soul.¡± In an instant, Hudel¡¯s face paled. ¡°What? How is that even possible?¡± ¡°Well, uh, I don¡¯t know either¡­¡± The one making the report seemed more flustered than Hudel. It¡¯smon enough for souls to get lost while practicing necromancy, so the necromancer hadn¡¯t expected Hudel to react so seriously. But that was merely due to hisck of knowledge. To anyone who understood the spell cast on Detzras, this was indeed a major issue. ¡®A soul marked by Lord Tesranak has strayed from its proper path? Could it be that the servants of the Goddess have gained such powerful authority?¡¯ In a panic, Hudel hurried out of the study. ¡°I¡¯m going to the altar! Prepare for the necromantic spell!¡± The flustered necromancer immediately followed behind. ¡°Y-yes, sir!¡± *** Hudel and the necromancer made their way to the basement of the mansion. They descended a staircase, passed through a dimly lit corridor, and arrived at a hidden stone chamber. The ce was filled with grotesque items: chunks of flesh, ck slime, dried herbs, and strange nts and animals. A red magic circle was drawn on the floor. Standing at the center of the stone chamber, Hudel closed his eyes and then opened them again. Not only his blue irises, but even the whites of his eyes turned pitch ck. ¡°Come, believer Detzras¡­¡± He attempted the summoning several times, but there was no response from Detzras¡¯ soul. ¡®It¡¯s true. His soul is gone.¡¯ Hudel¡¯s expression darkened. ¡®What in the world has happened?¡¯ Had Detzras¡¯ soul already crossed over to the other side, the world beyond death? No, that was too soon. Detzras¡¯ soul bore the mark of the great god of darkness, Tesranak. There was no way it had simply passed on to the afterlife. ¡®So, someone must have stolen his soul¡­¡¯ Hudel ground his teeth. This was a truly serious problem. If it had been done by magic or a holy spell, then what? Tesranak is the god of death and darkness. But if that power over death had been broken by magic or the divine power of the goddess? It would be like saying that a necromancer had surpassed mages or the clerics of the goddess in using light-based or healing spells. Just how powerful would someone have to be to aplish that? ¡®Or is it the work of another necromancer?¡¯ Indeed, there were plenty of necromancers out there who had not received Tesranak¡¯s teachings and were not affiliated with the cult. After all, the darkness of doom had spread widely. It was true that some of them possessed considerable power. Could there be someone among them who was strong enough to erase the mark of the Dark God? ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯ Either way, continuing these attempts seemed pointless. So, Hudel turned his necromancy toward the soul of Alford instead. ¡°Rise, heretic Alford¡­¡± The soul trapped within the ck pearl immediately reacted. ¡°Ugh¡­ uh¡­¡± Alford appeared, a translucent, half-formed soul, resembling the state he was in just before his death. After suppressing the soul, Hudel began interrogating it. The more he learned, the darker his expression became. ¡°What the hell is this?!¡± Alford¡¯s soul knew nothing. The real issue was that he didn¡¯t even remember things he should have known. ¡°You don¡¯t even remember cooperating with the cult?¡± The only exnation was that someone had already erased his memories. It wasn¡¯tpletely impossible to understand. Magic or divine powers could erase human memories, too. But memory maniption was usually the domain of necromancers. Given the missing souls of Detzras and his group, this situation became even more suspicious. Elezar¡¯s order naturally came to Hudel¡¯s mind. -Look for events that seem like our doing but aren¡¯t. As he ended the necromantic spell, Hudel spoke. ¡°I need to conduct a proper investigation in the Kingdom of Yustil.¡± The necromancer bowed his head deeply. ¡°Who will you send?¡± Hudel pondered for a moment. ¡°The situation is different from when we dispatched Bishop Detzras¡­¡± The goal was not to expand the cult¡¯s influence but to uncover something. In that case, the best strategy would be to stir up chaos and observe the reactions. ¡®Not long ago, the headquarters sent us a cursed sword, didn¡¯t they?¡¯ Having collected his thoughts, Hudel finally spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll use that.¡± The necromancer flinched and asked in surprise. ¡°But¡­ we can¡¯t control it.¡± Hudel smiled coldly. ¡°Who said we need to control it?¡± A monster like that would create more than enough havoc simply by being released into the world. Whether the enemy was a necromancer or not, someone would surely react. ¡°When a storm arises, the hidden reefs will reveal themselves.¡± Chapter 81 Chapter 81: A Short Vacation (1) The power struggle within the Yustil royal family, which hadsted for over a decade, finally ended with the victory of Prince Lloyd. With Prince Alford having been killed by a cultist, the forces supporting him, as well as his maternal rtives, were left in a precarious position. Of course, they didn¡¯t ept defeat so easily. They caused amotion, demanding a thorough investigation into Alford¡¯s death. But soon enough, they quieted down. The deeper the investigation went, the clearer it became that Prince Alford had colluded with the cult. Although it was difficult to grasp the full picture due to the cult¡¯s intentional cover-up, the evidence pointing to Alford and his close aides associating with the Dark God¡¯s cult kept surfacing. Even those who were not directly involved had a sense of what was going on. No one, unless they were a fool, could be unaware that the prince was scheming something in the background. They simply chose to turn a blind eye. In the end, this was the conclusion they reached: The vile cultists deceived Alford and then stabbed him in the back! And why? Well, if the powerful Prince Alford was gone and the weak Lloyd became king, it would be much easier for the cult to take over the kingdom! Even Prince Lloyd didn¡¯t reveal the whole truth. He hid the fact that his body had been switched, instead pretending to be an ignorant schr locked away in his study. This was based on Karnak¡¯s advice. ¡°You want me to hide the fact that my body was switched? Why?¡± ¡°Because then people might think your soul was also affected by necromancy. It¡¯s best to avoid any misunderstandings.¡± ¡°But I have nothing to do with the cult.¡± ¡°What does that matter? People will still look at you with suspicion just because necromancy was involved.¡± ¡°But doesn¡¯t that make me seem like an easy target for the cult?¡± ¡°And is that a problem? Is there some other prince I¡¯m unaware of?¡± ¡°Ah, right.¡± With Alford dead, Lloyd was now the sole heir to the Kingdom of Yustil. Whether he was weak or strong, there was no one else to rece him. ¡°So, all I have to do is sit still, and things will work out on their own. Understood, Lord Karnak.¡± Lloyd had received considerable help from Karnak and his group in many ways. Prince Lloyd wanted to express his gratitude, however possible. ¡°Is there truly nothing you desire? If it¡¯s within my power, I will do my best.¡± Karnak responded in a rather indifferent manner. ¡°Just help us clean up after the cultistster. It¡¯s a headache when nobles or royalty are involved, like this time.¡± It was a response that seemedpletely devoid of personal ambition. ¡°Very well, then I¡¯ll give you what you need.¡± As if he had prepared it in advance, Lloyd pulled out a golden seal from his robe. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s proof that you are my representative, authorized to act on my behalf. With this, hunting cultists will be much easier, won¡¯t it?¡± It wasn¡¯t just a matter of convenience; with this, Karnak could wield power at will, backed by the prince. In fact, this wasn¡¯t something to be given away lightly. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s alright to hand this over so casually?¡± ¡°The man I¡¯vee to know isn¡¯t someone who would misuse it.¡± It felt like Lloyd was both underestimating and urately assessing Karnak at the same time. In reality, Karnak had no intention of wielding the golden seal. It wasn¡¯t because hecked ambition, but because he didn¡¯t see much value in it. With little enthusiasm, Karnak epted the seal. ¡°Well, it¡¯ll be convenient to have, I suppose.¡± Prince Lloyd gave him a slightly resentful look. ¡°Aren¡¯t you being a bit too indifferent? Then again, it¡¯s precisely that attitude that reassures me.¡± *** Karnak and his party had yed a pivotal role in the recent events. Not only had they saved Prince Lloyd, but they had also put an end to the long-standing power struggle within the royal family, stabilizing the kingdom. ¡°The downside is that we can¡¯t make it public, so we can¡¯t expect any real reward,¡±mented Commander Erantel. Karnak shrugged in response. ¡°True. Officially, I was merely carrying out Prince Lloyd¡¯s orders to stop the mad Prince Alford.¡± ¡°Is there anything you want, then?¡± ¡°Well, how about letting me take some overdue leave?¡± ¡°Leave? You?¡± Erantel looked puzzled. Among the members of the King¡¯s Order, Karnak was especially known for being dedicated to hunting cultists. Since joining the King¡¯s Order, he had barely taken a break, constantly taking on new missions. So much so that people around him would often suggest he rest or remind him to consider the well-being of his 7th battalion members. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, feel free to take it. But what¡¯s the reason?¡± ¡°This mission was pretty exhausting. I think we could all use some time to reorganize.¡± ¡°Of course. You¡¯re still human, after all.¡± Erantel readily signed off on the leave request and gave Karnak and his party a warm smile. ¡°Then take a good rest.¡± As they left the office, both Karnak and Baros were grinning from ear to ear. ¡°Hey, he called us human!¡± ¡°Yeah, looks like we¡¯ve really changed, huh?¡± Naturally, Serati found it absurd. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what he meant.¡± Nevertheless, it was true that they needed to reorganize. The cultists they had captured this time had a lot of valuable information. It would take time to thoroughly interrogate them. For that reason, Karnak rented a secluded cabin in the forest on the outskirts of the capital. The cabin was usually used by nobles during hunting season, so it was rarely upied¡ªmaking it the perfect ce for such a secretive task. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll hole up somewhere quiet and thoroughly sift through everything.¡± *** After arriving at the cabin, Karnak¡¯s party got to work. Baros cleaned the cabin and prepared it for their extended stay, while Serati headed down to the basement to assist Karnak. They cleared out the cer, which was originally used for storing food, and set up a necromantic barrier in preparation for the real work of necromancy. ¡°This is quite the preparation for once, isn¡¯t it, Lord Karnak?¡± Serati asked curiously. ¡°Don¡¯t you usually summon souls pretty easily?¡± ¡°Summoning the souls is still easy.¡± The souls of Detzras, Kale, and Olt were already fully subdued. They were safely stored in the Lantern of the Lost Souls, ready to be called upon whenever needed. ¡°Then what¡¯s the issue this time?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot of information to go through this time.¡± As with all things, there were pros and cons, and necromantic interrogation wasn¡¯t always easier than torturing the living. The first issue was the side effects of necromancy. Interrogating the dead through necromancy is an act that taints the caster¡¯s soul with malevolence, and if one is not careful, the necromancer could be consumed by madness. Of course, this didn¡¯t apply to Karnak. If anything, the evil spirits would go mad from trying to peer into Karnak¡¯s soul. The second issue was that to get good answers, you had to ask good questions. No matter how much you torture a living person, there¡¯s no guarantee they¡¯ll tell the truth. If they have strong willpower, they can endure extreme pain and even deceive the interrogator. On the other hand, the dead never lie. They faithfully and obediently tell the truth, exactly asmanded. ¡°The dead have no will of their own.¡± But theck of will is not always an advantage. ¡°Sometimes, when you want to gather broader information, it¡¯s actually better to torture a living person.¡± When you torture a living person and demand they tell you everything they know, they¡¯ll spill both real and false information, much of which can turn out to be useful. Moreover, since the living speak from their own ¡°will,¡± they tend to condense and organize the information before speaking. All the interrogator has to do is sit back, listen, and adjust their methods slightly (like pulling out a fingernail or two if needed). ¡°In contrast, a soul summoned through necromancy will obey orders to the letter.¡± The moment you ask them to reveal everything they know, they¡¯ll spew out all of their knowledge in an incoherent jumble. ¡°Serati, you¡¯ve seen this plenty of times during your days as a Darkness Hunter, haven¡¯t you? How rambling and disorganized evil spirits can be.¡± ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s the issue.¡± It¡¯s like they¡¯ll spout nonsense, such as ¡°The sky is blue, the sun is red,¡± and other irrelevant details. That¡¯s why, when interrogating a soul, you need to ask clear and specific questions, and that requires prior knowledge of what to ask. Karnak hadn¡¯t been mindlessly observing Detzras¡¯ unique spell, golem knight, the fusion of magic and necromancy. ¡°The more prior information I gather, the easier it will be to extract additional detailster.¡± With that prior knowledge in hand, Karnak had to carefully select each question and interrogate the soul thoroughly, which naturally took time. ¡°There¡¯s a lot we need to uncover about the cult. We¡¯ll probably be at this for days.¡± After finishing his exnation, Karnak reached for the Lantern of the Lost Souls. ¡°Well, let¡¯s begin, shall we?¡± A thick wave of evil energy filled the air, and a chilling voice echoed in the basement. ¡°Arise, my servant, Detzras¡­.¡± With a swirl of darkness, a pale, ghostly soul appeared, bowing respectfully. ¡°I await yourmand, my master¡­.¡± *** It had been five days since Karnak had taken leave and relocated to the cabin in the forest. During that time, Karnak had persistently used necromancy to interrogate the souls of Detzras and hispanions, extracting information about the Dark God¡¯s cult. Detzras had apparently held a fairly high rank within the cult. Thanks to that, Karnak had obtained some very useful intelligence. ¡°The Dark Cardinal, Hudel Grenthal¡­¡± The title ¡°Cardinal¡± wasn¡¯t particrly important. The cultists had merely adopted the titles of the Churches of the Seven Goddesses in an attempt to present themselves as a legitimate religious order. What mattered was that Karnak had gained direct information to infiltrate the core of the cult. ¡°A handsome young man in his twenties, from the Empire, based in the western border region?¡± This wasn¡¯t enough to immediately pinpoint Hudel¡¯s exact location, but it had significantly narrowed the search field. ¡°I¡¯ll have to investigate further once I return to the King¡¯s Order.¡± There were also other valuable discoveries. Karnak had gained insight into the unprecedented technique Detzras used, which fused magic and necromantic power. ¡°This is interesting. It seems his method of controlling necromantic power diverged from my Chaos Magic in apletely different way.¡± Karnak had refined his necromantic power by purging it of evil energy and malice, transforming it into chaos power. Detzras¡¯ method went in the opposite direction. He infused mana with evil energy and malice, making it more akin to necromantic power. It was a power that resembled necromantic power, yet wasn¡¯t quite the same. However, it was also so simr to necromantic power that it could almost be called a third form of mana. In this state, it was possible to fuse magic with necromancy and use them together. Karnak couldn¡¯t help but admire the intricacy of the technique. ¡°This is truly high-level magic. I wonder who came up with it.¡± In the past, Karnak had reached the pinnacle of necromancy. It was through this supreme mastery that he was able to transform necromancy into chaos magic. Simrly, this was a case where someone who had mastered magic to the highest degree had turned that mastery into necromancy. ¡°There aren¡¯t many mages alive today capable of this,¡± he mused. Only those who pursued the 10th circle, the three archmages, or their top disciples could perform magic of this caliber. Baros, who had been assisting him, shook his head. ¡°Doesn¡¯t make sense, does it? What would those people gain from dabbling in necromancy?¡± Karnak shrugged. ¡°In theory, you¡¯re right, Baros¡­¡± But this strange phenomenon wasn¡¯t limited to magic alone. Karnak had seen instances where necromantic power was fused with aura, or with divine power. All of those cases had been tied to the Dark God¡¯s cult. To merge necromantic power with another energy like this, there was one fundamental condition that had to be met. There had to be someone within the cult who had mastered necromancy along with the pinnacle of aura, divine power, or magic. In other words, someone of the same caliber as the Pope of the Church of the Seven Goddesses, one of the Four Martial Kings, or the Three Archmages would have had to devote themselves to necromancy and then join the cult. ¡°At first nce, it might seem like an excessive leap. But then again, if we¡¯re talking leaps of logic¡ªtwo undead who once conquered the entire world giving up all their power and going back in time isn¡¯t a leap?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯ve got a point there.¡± The world is unpredictable; you never know what might happen. The fact that there was such a high-level magic technique right before their eyes couldn¡¯t be denied. So, no matter how absurd the spection, it couldn¡¯t bepletely dismissed. Baros shook his head again. ¡°I just hope it turns out to be mere spection. I really don¡¯t want to face those guys again.¡± ¡°I agree, but we should still grow stronger just in case.¡± Internally, Karnak raised his previous standard of ¡°being able to survive the worst-case scenario¡± to yet another level. He muttered in frustration. ¡°Man, I just want to live a quiet life as an ordinary guy. Why is that so hard?¡± ¡°Are you familiar with the saying ¡®You reap what you sow¡¯?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Still, the ritual had been a valuable learning experience. Especially in terms of the techniques involved, Karnak had gained a lot. Karnak raised both of his hands. In his left hand, chaos magic swirled, and in his right, necromantic power rose like a shimmering haze. ¡°With this method, I can apply necromancy to magic as well.¡± Chapter 82 Chapter 82: A Short Vacation (2) On the tenth day of vacation. For the first time in a while, Karnak emerged from the basement and headed to the backyard behind the cabin. He had made some progress in interpreting and applying the magic forms, and now, he wanted to apply them to actual magic. As he was warming up, Baros asked him, ¡°It took you a while.¡± ¡°Hm? What did?¡± ¡°The magic form interpretation.¡± Baros had thought Karnak, being so exceptional, would master Detzras¡¯ magic in no time. But surprisingly, hadn¡¯t he spent more than five days on it? ¡°You¡¯re the ultimate necromancer, aren¡¯t you, young master? Do you still have anything left to learn from others?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing more for me to learn about necromancy. I¡¯m the best at that.¡± What Karnak had gained knowledge in was the magic form rted to magic. Although Karnak¡¯s skill in magic was also quite advanced, it wasn¡¯t at the same absolute level as his necromancy. ¡°And honestly, it didn¡¯t even take that long! I finished it in five days, but for any other mage, it would have taken months.¡± Karnak began to gather his mana. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s give this a test.¡± Calmly, he channeled his chaos power and cast a spell. ¡°Arise, spirit of the earth!¡± Boom! Part of the backyard rose and clumped together, forming arge golem made of earth. It was a golem summoning spell. Baros, who had been watching, lit up with excitement. ¡°Oh! Are you going to ovey that golem with Death Armor now?¡± He thought Karnak was going to replicate Detzras¡¯ spell, but surprisingly, Karnak shook his head. ¡°No, I can¡¯t do that.¡± Chaos magic and Detzras¡¯ magic form hadpletely opposite directions. It was impossible to fuse magic and necromancy together like the Death Armor Golem. ¡°Huh? Then what is it that you¡¯ve learned?¡± Karnak smirked and snapped his fingers. ¡°Something like this.¡± Once again, there was a loud rumble. Boom! The noise didn¡¯t stop with just one boom. Thud! Thud! Boom! All over the backyard, piles of earth clumped together and rose with a loud noise. And all of them turned intorge golems standing tall on the ground. ¡°Wha¡ª?¡± ¡°Oh my!¡± Baros and Serati both widened their eyes in surprise. Before they knew it, there were about 20 golems standing in a row in the backyard. ¡°How is this possible?¡± ¡°Could you summon that many all at once?¡± Karnak responded proudly. ¡°With just magic, it¡¯s impossible.¡± If their skills are simr, a necromancer¡¯s summoning abilities are far superior to a mage¡¯s in every way. That¡¯smon sense in the world. It¡¯s not particrly astonishing to see necromancers controlling dozens or hundreds of zombies or skeletons. But have you ever seen a mage control dozens or hundreds of golems? No matter how powerful a mage is, they would struggle to control even three or four golems. ¡°Even archmages can¡¯t drastically increase the number of golems they control. Do you know why?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because mages have to personally design the control magic form for each golem, every time.¡± It¡¯s not that theyck mana; it¡¯s a matter of concentration and processing power. ¡°So, instead of trying to control dozens of golems at once, most mages prefer to create a single super golem with the strength of dozens.¡± On the other hand, necromancers arepletely different. Necromancers don¡¯t need to design control magic forms for undead beings like zombies or skeletons. ¡°The lingering consciousness in the corpse reces the control magic form.¡± Once they are raised, that¡¯s it. There¡¯s almost no need for processing power or concentration. As long as you allow necromantic power, you can raise hundreds or even thousands of undead in an instant. ¡°So, Ibined the two methods.¡± Pointing to the 20 golems he had summoned, Karnak smiled. ¡°For each golem I summon, I infuse a lingering thought into it and control it using chaos power, just like necromancy.¡± This was the new power he had acquired. It wasn¡¯t possible to merge magic and necromancy like the cultists did, as their directions were entirely different. ¡°And honestly, there¡¯s no need to. At my level, why would I bother with something like that?¡± At that point, it was much better to simply use necromancy rather than trying to fuse magic with it. ¡°But this method has quite a bit of usefulness.¡± Karnak prepared another spell. Using necromancy-like techniques, he activated chaos magic. Dozens of ck spheres of light rose behind him. Serati looked puzzled. ¡°Isn¡¯t that just Scorching Magic Bullets? Only the color¡¯s different.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what it looks like.¡± Karnak, suggesting they wait and see, cast the spell. ¡°Pitch-ck Magic Bullets!¡± Dozens of magic bullets struck different parts of the forest, creating a deafening explosion. Boom! Boom! Boom! The ground shook as if an earthquake had hit. The power was truly immense. Finally understanding, Serati nodded. ¡°Ah, I see.¡± The strength of magic lies in its destructive power. The strength of necromancy lies in its highly efficient use of mana and the ability to perform continuous bombardments with simple calctions. Pitch-ck Magic Bullets possessed both of these advantages. It allowed him to take only the strengths of both necromancy and magic. ¡°Though, this probably wouldn¡¯t be much help to ordinary mages. The difficulty is many times higher.¡± If another mage tried to use this method, they would have to learn how to control necromancy in addition to the magic they already knew. Instead of wasting time on that, it would be a hundred times better to simply use their existing efficient magic. But Karnak was the best necromancer in the world. ¡°Better to use a method that¡¯s difficult but familiar than one that¡¯s easy but awkward.¡± Above all, there was another major advantage. ¡°This still just looks like magic, doesn¡¯t it?¡± He was only inserting lingering thoughts, not actual souls. This meant that the golems weren¡¯t imbued with any evil energy or malevolence. Even if he controlled dozens of golems, no one would suspect him of being a necromancer. They¡¯d simply marvel at the appearance of a genius summoner. The same applied to the Pitch-ck Magic Bullets. Since no evil energy or malevolence could be felt, others would merely think he was an incredibly smart mage who could fire a lot of magic bullets. In every way, the results were very satisfying. ¡°If I spend more time, I could keep developing more exclusive magic forms. I don¡¯t know who they are, but this was really great study material.¡± As Karnak calmed his mana, he felt content. Baros, who had been watching, muttered with envy, ¡°Must be nice. I still can¡¯t even grasp the concept of aura.¡± ¡°Oh, about that.¡± Suddenly remembering, Karnak turned his head. ¡°I think I figured out why you can¡¯t awaken your aura.¡± ¡°Huh? How?¡± Baros couldn¡¯t believe it. Karnak, who wasn¡¯t even a warrior, had figured out the secret of aura that Baros himself didn¡¯t know? ¡°Yeah. I realized it during the interrogation of those cultists¡­.¡± Karnak continued, as if it were ridiculous. ¡°Baros, you¡¯re actually a necromancer.¡± Baros blinked in disbelief. ¡°¡­Me?¡± *** In both his previous life and this one, Baros had always been the quintessential warrior. He had lived a life where his body did the work so his brain wouldn¡¯t have to suffer. He had stayed far away from books his entire life. Thanks to Karnak constantly pestering him, he at least knew how to read, but it was limited to basic swordsmanship and martial arts manuals. ¡°And yet, you¡¯re telling me I¡¯m a necromancer?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying you¡¯re a proper necromancer¡­.¡± Karnak scratched his head as he exined. ¡°Think about it. Were any of those Lords of Darkness we¡¯ve fought real necromancers?¡± Baros had a nk look on his face. ¡°Come to think of it, those guys who ran wild, believing in the Darkness of Doom, were considered necromancers.¡± Necromancy is different from magic. Sure, knowledge and wisdom are helpful, butcking them doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t wield its power at all. There could even be illiterate necromancers who couldn¡¯t read a single word. ¡°But I¡¯ve never dabbled in something like the Darkness of Doom, right? Or could it be that I somehow became tainted by darkness without realizing it?¡± That would be truly unfair! After his return, he had been living so carefully, paying attention to his health! Karnak shook his head. ¡°Your body is fine. The problem lies in your soul.¡± Mana, aura, divine power, and necromantic power. Once you master any of these energies, there¡¯s no going back. In the process of storing it in your body and transforming it into power, both your soul and body be optimized for that particr energy. That¡¯s right. Both the soul and the body. ¡°What I¡¯m saying is, just purging the energy from your body doesn¡¯t fully reset everything.¡± Even if Baros had returned to a younger version of his body, his soul was still that of a Death Knight Lord who once served the Death King. ¡°¡­But I wasn¡¯t a necromancer, I was a Death Knight.¡± ¡°Baros, what was your specialty? It was possession and dark battle aura, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Someone who could possess others, steal their energy, or extract their energy entirely to convert it into power of darkness. ¡°If that¡¯s not what a necromancer does, then what is?¡± Baros looked stunned. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Come to think of it, it made sense. Karnak had been so utterly corrupted, and yet, the person who stuck with him for a hundred years wasn¡¯t corrupt too? That couldn¡¯t be possible. ¡°Wait, so you were destined to be a necromancer all along, young master?¡± Karnak had said that he could only reincarnate after mastering necromantic power. That¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t master magic or anything else and had to create chaos magic instead. But in reality, whether he had necromantic power or not, his soul was already that of a necromancer, which meant he couldn¡¯t learn anything else? ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true.¡± This was, in fact, the reason why Karnak hadn¡¯t realized this problem until now. Once energy umtes in the body, there¡¯s no turning back. However, when ites to the soul, it¡¯s merely a remnant of past habits. If you erase the habits ingrained in the soul, you can make a fresh start, but Karnak had unconsciously overlooked this possibility. ¡°But thinking about it now, fixing those habits isn¡¯t something simple.¡± Let¡¯spare the process of mastering aura to ying with colors. If ordinary people¡¯s souls are white and those who wield aura have red souls, then mastering aura would be like pouring red dye into the soul. But Baros¡¯s soul was currently blue. ¡°No matter how much red dye you pour into blue, all you¡¯ll get is purple, right?¡± With that, no matter how much he practiced using traditional methods, the desired result would nevere. First, he needed to turn his soul back to white. Only then could he follow the usual method to awaken the aura. ¡°Basically, you¡¯ve been buttoning your shirt wrong from the start.¡± Baros slowly nodded, starting to understand the situation. ¡°So, I need to create my own unique method of aura awakening?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°How do I do that?¡± Karnak avoided Baros¡¯s eager gaze, looking away as if distracted. ¡°How would I know? Am I a swordsman? You¡¯re the swordsman.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± Disappointed, Baros hung his head. But it was true. Karnak was a necromancer, after all. He could only point out issues rted to necromancy. ¡°The only choice is for me to find the answer myself.¡± *** The group had a total of 20 days of vacation. During that time, Karnak made the most of it. He developed new techniquesbining magic and necromancy, and also worked hard to stabilize the chaos power he had been recklessly increasing over time. His abilities as a mage improved significantly. Although he was still at the 6th circle, the power and efficiency of his magic had increased dramatically. In actualbat, he wouldn¡¯t fall behind even when facing a 7th circle mage. Serati also spent the time diligently, recharging her body and mind. She reflected on her battles with strong opponents, incorporating what she learned, and continued to train her aura under Baros¡¯s guidance. Only Baros was feeling frustrated. ¡°It¡¯s great that I identified the problem, but I have no idea how to solve it.¡± His soul had developed bad habits, and now he was being told to erase them? But how exactly was he supposed to do that? All the knowledge and wisdom he had gained in his past life as a swordsman were useless in this situation. After all, this was an unprecedented case. The problem with walking a different path from others is that when you encounter issues, there¡¯s nothing to refer to. Baros ultimately couldn¡¯t find any answers. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m the only one stuck in ce.¡± When their vacation ended, Karnak and hispanions returned to the headquarters of the King¡¯s Order. One of the subordinates from the 7th Battalion hurriedly greeted him. ¡°Captain Karnak! You¡¯ve finally returned!¡± He looked unusually tensepared to his usual demeanor. Karnak, noticing this, stiffened his expression and asked, ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Yes, it concerns the southern part of the kingdom, the region of Zetelva.¡± The subordinate nodded seriously, continuing in a grave tone. ¡°A cursed sword that drinks blood has appeared. They say it possesses those who wield it, turning them into murderous fiends.¡± Karnak and Baros exchanged puzzled nces. [A sword that drinks blood and turns its user into a murderer?] [Isn¡¯t that just amon cursed item, young master?] [Yeah. Nothing too special. Why all themotion?] The subordinate, speaking in a tense voice, added, ¡°In the past ten days, there have been over 500 victims. Commander Erantel is taking this matter very seriously.¡± At that, both Karnak and Baros¡¯ expressions turned grave. ¡°¡­500? In just ten days?¡± ¡°With just a single cursed sword? Does that even make sense?¡± Chapter 83 Chapter 83: The appearance of a Cursed Sword (1) Ten days ago, a mass ughter urred in the small rural vige of Mareda in the Zetelva region. Not only the vigers, but even the livestock they raised were all dead. The notable detail was that both the vigers and the livestock had their blood drained, leaving them shriveled up like mummies. Suspecting the appearance of a vampire or a simr type of monster, a nearby temple began an investigation. And sure enough, they were found as corpses, drained of their blood. The unknown massacre continued. Starting from Mareda Vige, in just five days, four more viges were wiped off the map. With casualties reaching the hundreds, it was only natural that the world would be thrown into turmoil. Eventually, even Archenbart City, thergest city in the Zetelva region, suffered arge number of casualties. In a city like this, no matter how powerful the monster, it couldn¡¯t kill everyone it encountered. After ughtering until it was exhausted, it fled, leaving many witnesses behind. At this point, the Church of the Goddess finally faced the perpetrator of the massacre head-on. The identity of the monster responsible for the countless killings was a small girl, no older than twelve or thirteen, holding a grotesque, two-handed sword. In the past, it would have been iprehensible how such an insignificant girl couldmit such a horrendous ughter. But the times had changed. It was an era where the Darkness of Doom ran rampant across the continent, and necromancy flourished everywhere. The Church assessed the situation coolly and quickly recognized the presence of a cursed sword controlling the girl. After all, the overwhelming evil energy and bloodlust radiating from it were impossible to ignore. By examining the witnesses¡¯ testimonies, the traces left at the scene, andparing the energy with ancient records, they were able to make a fairly urate judgment. -It¡¯s presumed to be a cursed sword that draws power from its human host. -It seems to be a Blood Eater Cursed Sword. Spreading evil artifacts to sow chaos in the world was one of the specialties of heretic cultists. Moreover, the intervals between massacres were too short and the range too wide to be the work of an individual. There was a high possibility it was an organized effort. Naturally, the Church of the Goddess suspected the cult of the Dark God. If it was the work of cultists, the King¡¯s Order would be involved. A message was sent to the capital, Drunta, and the 5th Battalion was dispatched to handle the mission. *** ¡°¡­And then, just the other day, we received word. The 5th Battalion has been annihted.¡± With a sigh, Commander Erantel shook his head. Karnak and Baros nodded grimly. ¡°Figures¡­¡± ¡°No wonder the headquarters was in such a panic¡­¡± They were standing in the special conference room of the King¡¯s Order headquarters. Commander Erantel, along with the key members of the 1st and 7th Battalions, were present. The annihtion of the 5th Battalion was the worst incident since the founding of the King¡¯s Order. An event like this couldn¡¯t be ignored. Thus, the 1st Battalion, known as the strongest in the King¡¯s Order, and the 7th Battalion, which had recently been gaining prominence, were summoned together. The 1st Battalion was led by Captain Jiken, along with his adjutants Trib and Harris. The 7th Battalion was led by Captain Karnak, with his adjutants Baros and Serati. Commander Erantel addressed everyone as he looked around. ¡°You all understand the situation now, right?¡± The lean man in his mid-forties, Jiken, wore a serious expression. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ far beyond what I expected.¡± The Church of the Goddess had estimated the power of the cursed sword to be around the upper level of a Red Knight, based on the scale of the previous massacres. Trib, a knight of a simr age, stroked his chin and muttered. ¡°The 5th Battalion is no weak force, though¡­¡± Jiken, the 1st Battalion¡¯s captain, was a 7th-circle mage, and his adjutant Trib was a Blue-ss aura user. Both were among the strongest in the Yustil Kingdom. This was why the 1st Battalion was considered the strongest in the King¡¯s Order. Even from their perspective, the power of the cursed sword was rmingly high. ¡°To single-handedly take down the entire 5th Battalion¡­ Trib, do you think you could do that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible. While it¡¯s conceivable that one could massacre hundreds in a short time, depending on the circumstances¡­¡± After all, it was a massacre of ordinary civilians. The issue was more about mobility and endurance than individual strength, so it wasn¡¯t entirely out of the realm of possibility. ¡°Of course, only if someone was supporting them from behind. As humans, we aren¡¯t free from the needs of eating and sleeping, are we?¡± On the other hand, if someone were under the influence of a cursed sword, they would be rtively free from such needs. ¡°But against the 5th Battalion? No chance.¡± Trib nced at Erantel and asked. ¡°Commander, would you be able to do it?¡± Under normal circumstances, he would have been modest, but this was a moment for assessing their opponent¡¯s strength. Objective judgment was needed rather than needless humility. Erantel responded seriously. ¡°If I were to give it my all, it might be possible. But there¡¯s no guarantee I¡¯d walk away unscathed.¡± ording to the report, the girl with the cursed sword had fought and left the scene without any significant injuries. The mood in the conference room grew somber. Erantel, Commander of the King¡¯s Order, was one of only two Purple Knights in the Yustil Kingdom. Among aura users, this meant he was treated as a monster. And yet, a mere sword had turned an ordinary civilian¡ªnot even a sturdy man, but a frail girl¡ªinto such a monster? Jiken clicked his tongue. ¡°Truly, the power of darkness exceeds our imagination. To think such a powerful cursed sword could exist¡­ I never would have believed it.¡± Karnak and Baros exchanged secret messages through telepathy as they watched the situation unfold. [This is bing harder and harder to understand, young master.] [I agree. At that level, it¡¯s not even just Blue aura anymore¡ªit¡¯s more like Purple.] [Can such a powerful cursed sword really exist?] [Absolutely not.] [Right? I thought I was mistaken for a moment.] Serati interrupted their conversation. [Um, what exactly are you basing that on?] The world is vast. Even though Karnak had reached the pinnacle of necromancy, wasn¡¯t it a bit of a stretch to make such a definitive statement? The reason was surprisingly simple. [Because I don¡¯t know.] [That¡¯s it?] [No, really, if I don¡¯t know about it, then it doesn¡¯t exist.] After Karnak became the Death King and ruled the world, he had scoured the entire continent, collecting all the dark artifacts he could find. At least when it came to necromantic items, nothing could escape his notice. [Then it¡¯s possible someone newly created the cursed sword.] [That¡¯s impossible too.] [Why?] [Because I can¡¯t make one.] [¡­..Wow, that¡¯s quite an arrogant statement.] But Karnak had every right to be. At least when it came to necromancy. [Lately, there have been a lot of people using necromancy in strange, new ways, so I can¡¯t bepletely sure¡­] Even if it were a fusion of other energies with necromantic power, such a cursed sword couldn¡¯t exist in theory. [There¡¯s a clear limit to how much power can be granted by external objects.] Even if there was some new method Karnak didn¡¯t know about, allowing the creation of a cursed sword with power equivalent to a Purple Knight¡­ [There¡¯s no way a mere human could withstand that kind of power, right? They¡¯d have exploded long ago.] [Maybe there¡¯s a way to make them endure it.] [If there were, do you think I¡¯d have abandoned my powers and gone through space-time regression?] This wasing from someone who had captured countless humans and made them explode in his quest to regain some human sensations. It was a well-founded assumption. [There¡¯s something else going on here.] *** The meeting concluded, and a course of action was decided. Given the gravity of the situation, Commander Erantel had initially intended to handle the matter personally. Since the power of the cursed sword was equivalent to a Purple knight threat, he believed it was his duty as a Purple Knight to face it. But Jiken and Trib dissuaded him. ¡°Commander, it would be unwise for you to leave your post.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know what the heretics might be plotting next.¡± Commander of the Royal Knights, Alonde, and Commander of the King¡¯s Order, Erantel, were the only two Purple aura users in the Yustil Kingdom. If the heretics were nning something in the capital, Erantel was one of the major obstacles in their way. ¡°It could very well be a scheme to lure you out of the capital.¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s not, the risk of you leaving Drunta at this time is too great.¡± They had already lost Prince Alford due to the heretics. While the end of the long royal feud was a relief, it left only Prince Lloyd as the sole heir to the throne. If something were to happen to him, the entire political situation of the Yustil Kingdom would be thrown into chaos. Jiken and Trib continued to persuade Erantel. ¡°Please leave it to us.¡± ¡°We can handle this.¡± ¡°If webine our forces, even you wouldn¡¯t escape unscathed. And we have Lord Karnak and the 7th Battalion as well.¡± Erantel was convinced. ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll leave it in your hands.¡± Thus, the 1st and 7th Battalions moved together in a joint operation. Jiken, captain of the 1st Battalion, was appointed leader, and Karnak became the vice-leader. Additionally, the cursed sword was officially given a name. Of course, it wasn¡¯t like such cursed swords carried their name engraved on the de, so no one knew its original name. But it was inconvenient not to have a name for it. They can¡¯t keep writing ¡®A cursed sword appeared in Region XX in the year XX of the Royal Calendar¡¯ in every report, right? Thus, it became customary to give specific names to notable events or monsters, much like naming typhoons or earthquakes. ¡°The Mareda Cursed Sword¡­¡± As they returned to their quarters, Karnak clicked his tongue. ¡°As the world changes, even cursed swords get strange names.¡± Normally, cursed swords like these would naturally acquire names over time, like ¡°Lord of the Abyss¡± or ¡°Summoner of Darkness.¡± In contrast, this sword was named ¡°Mareda¡±¡ªsimply because the vige where it was first discovered and where the first casualties urred was called Mareda. ¡°Is this really okay? I bet the people who died would feel pretty wronged.¡± The name of a vige filled with precious memories had now be the name of an evil cursed sword. ¡°At this rate, they won¡¯t be able to rest in peace, even in death.¡± Baros replied indifferently. ¡°It¡¯s just a name pped on by some bureaucrats, right? That¡¯s how things usually go around here.¡± ¡°True, it does feel very ¡®government-like.''¡± Serati, somewhat exasperated, asked. ¡°You don¡¯t care about the lives of the living, but you¡¯re worried about the feelings of the dead?¡± ¡°Why? Is that strange?¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s strange is why you don¡¯t find it strange.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s amon thing for me.¡± Serati¡¯s expression turned odd. Come to think of it, it made sense. Ignoring the lives of the living while caring about the feelings of the dead? That¡¯s the essence of necromancy, isn¡¯t it? In any case, the three of them continued to walk briskly. The Mareda Cursed Sword was likely still out there, continuing its massacre. They didn¡¯t have much time. By the end of the day, the entire 7th Battalion had to be gathered to join the 1st Battalion and head to the Zetelva region. Baros sighed as he voiced hisint. ¡°The King¡¯s Order is always busy. We just returned from our leave today.¡± Chapter 84 Chapter 84: The appearance of a Cursed Sword (2) It had been three days since Karnak and his party left the royal capital, Drunta. In a deste rural vige, dozens of outsiders appeared. They were the 1st and 7th Battalions of the King¡¯s Order, who had immediately begun tracking the cursed sword as soon as they arrived in the Zetelva region. Their search led them to the vige where the cursed sword Mareda had carried out itsst massacre, and they began tracing its path from there. The vige was littered with dried bloodstains. The soldiers grimaced as they passed through severed bodies and scattered human flesh. ¡°Horrible.¡± ¡°Looks like at least dozens of people died.¡± Jiken surveyed the surroundings and asked, ¡°Are all the vigers here dead?¡± A woman in her early 30s with brown hair answered his question. She was Meili, a 2nd-ss inquisitor of the 1st Battalion of the King¡¯s Order and a priestess of Katerra, the goddess of fire and struggle. ¡°There are about ten survivors. They¡¯re being protected at the nearby Saisha temple.¡± ¡°So it didn¡¯t manage to kill everyone.¡± In the early days of the cursed sword¡¯s appearance, there had been many cases where entire viges were annihted, leaving no survivors. It was because they hadn¡¯t had time to flee. To the vigers, unaware of the danger, it was nothing more than a ragged girl staggering toward them, holding a sword far toorge for her. Who would think to run away from such a sight? If they were kind-hearted, they would approach the pitiful girl to help, and if they were wicked, they would approach with ill intentions. Either way, they would end up as prey for the cursed sword. But now, the entire Zetelva region was gripped by terror, and people fled in fear at the mere sight of the girl with the cursed sword. ¡°No matter how powerful the cursed sword¡¯s abilities are, it couldn¡¯t possibly catch every viger fleeing in all directions.¡± Jiken turned his head to look at a girl d in the robes of Latiel. She was originally a subordinate of Karnak, a 2nd-ss inquisitor of the 7th Battalion named Millia. ¡°Inquisitor Millia, assist Inquisitor Meili in the pursuit.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± As the order was given, the two women, apanied by ten soldiers, headed out of the vige. They were tracking the cursed sword Mareda¡¯s movements by identifying the traces of darkness left behind throughout the vige. Looking at those remaining, Jiken continued. ¡°We¡¯ll follow them at a distance. Everyone, stay on high alert.¡± *** The 1st and 7th Battalions continued southward, tracking the cursed sword Mareda. The pursuit progressed smoothly. The traces of darkness were extremely strong and continued without pause. The traces were so distinct that even a 2nd-ss inquisitor could easily follow them. Their progress was so unhindered that Serati couldn¡¯t help but feel puzzled. [Are we really following it correctly, Lord Karnak?] [We¡¯re doing fine. Why?] [It¡¯s just that it seems too easy.] [There¡¯s nothing strange about it.] From the moment one bes possessed by the cursed sword, all reason and intelligence are lost. The wielder bes nothing more than a being wandering in search of blood and ughter. [That¡¯s just how cursed swords are. They don¡¯t hide from anyone.] The reason they hadn¡¯t been able to stop it before was that everyone it encountered had been killed, not because it couldn¡¯t be found. [Even the 5th Battalion found it easily. The problem was what came after.] [True.] [Don¡¯t worry. That man Jiken is doing a good job. This should wrap up without too much trouble.] As the 1st and 7th Battalions moved southeast for about half a day, Meili and Millia, who had been leading the pursuit, returned to report. Both women had tense expressions. ¡°We¡¯ve located the cursed sword Mareda, Sir Jiken.¡± *** Beyond the small hill that overlooked the ins, a sparse forest stretched out before them. The girl with the cursed sword was hiding within the shadows of the forest. She sat under a thick tree, crouching as if to avoid the sunlight, her body curled up as much as possible. ¡°Is that her?¡± Surveying the target, Jiken gave his orders. ¡°Everyone, form a perimeter.¡± The 1st and 7th Battalions spread out, positioning themselves throughout the forest. It was a strategy nearly identical to the one used by the 5th Battalion. It was a typical tactic when dealing with necromancers or undead monsters. When facing necromancers or undead creatures, it¡¯s dangerous to recklessly charge in with sheer numbers. Monsters that feed on human blood can recover their strength and powers by devouring allies. Weak attackers would only be a hindrance. That¡¯s the reason the elite King¡¯s Order was established in the first ce. But that cursed sword Mareda wasparable to a Purple Knight in terms of its current capabilities. Even members of the special forces like the King¡¯s Order would be considered weak against it. Only powerful aura users and high-ranking mages were worthy of directly facing the cursed sword. Still, unpredictable variables could arise, so the remaining soldiers formed a perimeter to apply pressure. As the perimeter waspleted, two men drew their swords and stepped forward. One was Trib, a blue aura user and vice-captain of the 1st Battalion. The other was Harris, a red aura user and Jiken¡¯s adjutant. With the addition of Jiken, a 7-circle mage, and Meili, a 2nd-ss inquisitor, the elite members of the 1st Battalion were assembled. Jiken, holding his magic wand, looked back at Karnak and Serati. ¡°We¡¯ll take the lead and scout the area. You two move ording to the situation.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll stand by.¡± Both of them were also strong enough to directly confront the cursed sword¡ªafter all, they were a 6-circle mage and a Red Knight. However, sheer numbers alone didn¡¯t guarantee sess. If they acted without coordination, they might end up getting in each other¡¯s way. Thus, they agreed to maintain the perimeter and wait, only stepping in if the bnce shifted or danger arose. As for Baros? He wasn¡¯t even mentioned since he wasn¡¯t an aura user to begin with. ¡°Ah, this is frustrating,¡± he muttered to himself. Drawing their aura swords, Trib and Harris approached the tree stump where the girl was sitting. The girl remained motionless. But the cursed sword was different. Vvvvmmmm¡­ The sword vibrated, emitting a bizarre resonance. Laughter echoed through the air, faint and eerie. A chilling, mockingugh. Hehe¡­ Darkness began to rise around the cursed sword. At the same time, the girl moved. It wasn¡¯t that the girl stood up holding the sword, but rather the sword lifted her into the air as it hovered. ¡®The evil aura is getting stronger,¡¯ Jiken thought, his tension rising as he stroked the tip of his wand. With the example of the 5th Battalion in mind, they couldn¡¯t act recklessly. ¡°Let¡¯s see how it reacts.¡± Vast amounts of mana flowed through the magic form, manifesting into the present world as a spell. mes erupted from the tip of his wand, and the zing fire swirled in midair, forming a vortex. ¡°me Strike!¡± A massive pir of fire pierced the center of the forest. An enormous explosion began to shake the entire forest. Boom! *** Explosive mes surged from all directions. Serati grumbled as he shielded his face. ¡°Why use a fire spell in the middle of a forest¡­?¡± It could easily lead to a wildfire. But Karnak didn¡¯t seem concerned. ¡°He must¡¯ve known what he was doing. No way a 7-circle mage wouldn¡¯t have considered that.¡± Sure enough, the towering mes vanished in just a few seconds. Only the spot where the cursed sword had been was reduced to ck ash, while the rest of the area remained untouched. From the start, the spell had been cast with follow-up measures in mind. Perfect control over the concentration and destruction of the magic, without any unnecessary waste of power. wless skill. Unfortunately, it missed. ¡°Tch!¡± The girl soared through the ck smoke. She didn¡¯t appear to be injured. It seemed she had managed to evade the strike just in time. ¡°Ahahaha!¡± The girl burst intoughter and charged straight at them. Jiken raised a shield and shouted. ¡°Trib! Harris!¡± The two were already moving. ¡°Hup!¡± With a short shout, Trib¡¯s blue aura sword danced in the air. His blue sword light shed repeatedly with the cursed sword¡¯s dark energy, creating piercing sounds. In the midst of the chaos, Harris aimed for the girl¡¯s back. He approached carefully, focusing intently on the flow of all the energy and currents around him. ¡®Never let your guard down.¡¯ The 5th Battalion¡¯s aura user had been a Red Knight, just like Harris. If they had lost their lives so easily, how could he afford to rx? After ensuring a safe distance, he calmlyunched his red aura sword. ¡°Take this!¡± Blue, red, and ck lights intertwined, creating a chaotic whirlwind of colors. The continuous sound of explosions and shing metal filled the air. Boom! Boom! Boom! After sessfully halting the cursed sword¡¯s movements, Jiken and Meili stepped forward. Swinging his wand, Jiken cast an ice-type spell. ¡°Freeze! Fall from the sky! This is themand of the king who rules over winter!¡± Countless icicles formed and rushed toward the cursed sword. Each time, a ck aura surged up, shattering the icicles, sending dazzling fragments scattering in all directions. But it didn¡¯t end just by breaking them. The shattered fragments clung to everything within range, freezing whatever they touched. The surface of the cursed sword began to freeze as if covered in fog, and the girl¡¯s movements started to slow. Of course, this also affected Trib and Harris. The cold made them sluggish as well. But they had a priest at their side. ¡°Katerra, bestow the blessing of struggle upon those who fight!¡± A holy light washed away the cold from both of them. Freed from the ice, Trib and Harris began to press their attack even harder, raising their aura. ¡°Hyaaaah!¡± The intense battle raged on. Indeed, the cursed sword Mareda was strong. Despite the relentless assault from all four of them, it did not retreat and continued its fierce offense. Yet, Jiken felt a sense of relief. The girl with the cursed sword was alone. Meanwhile, the King¡¯s Order still had plenty of reinforcements left. ¡®At this rate, we shouldn¡¯t have any major problems.¡¯ Perhaps frustrated by theck of results, the girl with the cursed sword suddenly leapt back and let out a strangeugh. ¡°Kya-hahaha!¡± At the same time, her eyes shed menacingly. Two beams of sword light shot towards Trib and Harris. But the oue was different. ¡°Hmph!¡± ¡°Not a chance!¡± Both of them easily blocked the attack with their aura swords. Unlike earlier, the cursed sword Mareda had been significantly slowed by Jiken¡¯s ice magic. The two of them were more than capable of stopping the sluggish sword light. The girl tilted her head in confusion, as if puzzled by the oue. Then, she startedughing even louder. ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Sensing the time was right, Jiken shouted. ¡°Karnak! Serati!¡± It was the signal for them to join the battle. Until now, they had been held back to avoid any potential miscoordination. But after observing the fight for a while, it was clear that both were skilled enough to sync their movements with the others. Without hesitation, Serati unleashed her aura and leaped into the fray. ¡°Yes!¡± With her joining the battle, the previously even bnce was broken. Under the barrage of aura-infused sword strikes from all sides, the girl with the cursed sword began to falter. Her skin tore, blood flowed, and ck energy seeped out, staining the surrounding air. Yet still, sheughed. ¡°Hahahaha!¡± It wasn¡¯t out of confidence, but rather because her mind hadpletely snapped. Karnak stepped forward, gripping his wand. ¡°I call upon thee, eyes of the sky, to pierce through the earth¡­¡± Just as Karnak was about to cast his spell, something unexpected happened. The girl¡¯sughter suddenly stopped. ¡°¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t just that she stopped. She was staring directly at Karnak. The look of shock on her face was clearly reflected in Karnak¡¯s eyes. Suddenly, she screamed at the top of her lungs. ¡°Kyaaaa!¡± Everyone was taken aback. It was an entirely unforeseen reaction. ¡°What the¡ª?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Her piercing scream echoed through the forest. The girl, trembling all over, stepped back. ¡°Aaaah! Aaaah!¡± Then, without warning, sheunched herself into the air. In one swift motion, she leaped over the perimeter and headed toward the far side of the forest. It was a clear attempt to escape. ¡°Ah, damn it!¡± Only then did Tribe to his senses and attempt to give chase, but it was toote. The girl with the cursed sword had already vanished beyond the forest, disappearingpletely. Those left behind could only stand there, staring nkly at where she had fled. ¡°¡­¡± With a bewildered expression, Jiken asked, ¡°What on earth did you do, Lord Karnak?¡± Chapter 85 Chapter 85: The appearance of a Cursed Sword (3) All eyes, as if by some silent agreement, turned to one man. No one said anything, but their expressions fiercely demanded an exnation. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Karnak frowned. ¡°What do you all think I did?¡± Jiken averted his gaze awkwardly. ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not it.¡± Truthfully, Karnak hadn¡¯t done anything. He hadn¡¯t even finished reciting the spell. ¡°The situation is just so absurd that I had to say something.¡± Trib and Harris chimed in as well. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just a coincidence?¡± ¡°It seems the timing just happened to align when Lord Karnak joined us.¡± The suspicion dissipated quickly. There was no real reason to doubt him, after all. Of course, this was only the perspective of those who didn¡¯t know the full story. Baros and Serati, on the other hand, were still tenaciously skeptical. [Come on, Young Master.] [Confess the truth.] [What did you do?] [If you had such a trick, you should¡¯ve told us in advance!] Karnak, ring up, protested. [I swear, I didn¡¯t do anything!] Yet, for someone protesting, his expression wasn¡¯t exactly one of pure injustice. To be honest, Karnak himself was feeling uneasy. An unidentified cursed sword fleeing the moment it saw the former Death King? Was it really just a coincidence? It seemed a bit of a stretch. ¡®Damn, what did I do? Even I find this suspicious.¡¯ *** The cursed sword¡¯s girl fled. She was also properly surrounded, but she was lost in vain. But Jiken didn¡¯t me the King¡¯s Order members. He had no right to me anyone. He had been caught off guard himself. ¡°Man, I never imagined she would run away¡­.¡± The fact that something like a cursed sword even had the concept of retreat was astonishing in itself. Swords of that type turn their hosts into berserkers. Retreat because things aren¡¯t going well? Such a sword shouldn¡¯t even be capable of recognizing that things aren¡¯t going in its favor. Back in Archenbart City, it had supposedly fled after massacring until its strength ran out, but the truth was, it had killed enough to be satisfied and left to rest. That¡¯s just what they had written in the report. Regardless, now they had to track the cursed sword again. Priestess Meili and Millia took the lead. As usual, they advanced through the forest, sensing the traces of darkness. ¡°Oh?¡± Suddenly, Meili¡¯s expression darkened. Jiken asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°The pattern has changed.¡± The cursed sword was no longer leaving traces of darkness everywhere. The trail was abruptly breaking off in ces. And the distances between the traces were growing wider and wider. After about an hour of wandering through the forest, Meili sighed and raised her hands. ¡°We¡¯ve lost it. The trail haspletely vanished.¡± Feeling troubled, Harris asked, ¡°What should we do now, Captain Jiken?¡± *** They continued the search for a long time, but they couldn¡¯t find any trace of the cursed sword. The sun was slowly setting. Shadows spread thickly across the forest, and the trees and bushes began to fade into the darkness. Jiken made a decision. ¡°It¡¯s better to withdraw for now ande up with a new n.¡± Even though they had brought camping gear, there was no reason to stay in the forest after losing track of their target. Moreover, since they couldn¡¯t pinpoint the location of the cursed sword Mareda, they had to consider the possibility of a counterattack. ¡°In a situation like this, the right decision is to regroup and rearm in a safe ce.¡± The closest city to their current position was Archenbart City. The 1st and 7th battalions left the forest and headed there. Even with arge group of around 40 peoplebined, finding lodging wasn¡¯t a problem. Due to the chaos caused by the rampaging cursed sword Mareda, nearby trade had temporarily halted. As a result, the inns in Archenbart were nearly empty, making it easy to secure rooms for the entire King¡¯s Order. ¡°Tonight, everyone can rx. Drinking is permitted, as long as it¡¯s not excessive.¡± After all, they would have to restart the pursuit of the cursed sword from the beginning. Considering they would be on a forced march for some time, it was wise to let everyone rest tonight. Once the dismissal order was given, the members dispersed. Karnak¡¯s group also headed to their respective lodgings. As usual, Karnak, Baros, Serati, and Millia shared a room. Exhausted from chasing the cursed sword, Millia soon fell fast asleep, and Serati, who hadn¡¯t done much and wasn¡¯t particrly tired, unpacked her things and headed to Karnak¡¯s room. Upon entering, she found Karnak and Baros still pondering the earlier incident. ¡°What do you think happened, Young Master? It couldn¡¯t have just been a coincidence, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. If it¡¯s just a coincidence, I¡¯ve probablymitted too many sins for that.¡± Serati, sitting on the bed, joined the conversation. ¡°Do you have no idea at all, Lord Karnak?¡± Baros answered in his ce. ¡°Honestly, there are some ideas.¡± As the old saying goes, when you stare into the abyss, the abyss also stares back at you. ¡°Maybe the evil spirit inside the cursed sword had a fit when it saw the Young Master?¡± ¡°Why are you saying I¡¯m the abyss?!¡± Karnak red at them in frustration. However, he couldn¡¯tpletely dismiss the idea. Even he found parts of it unsettling. ¡°¡­Am I really the abyss?¡± It wasn¡¯t an entirely baseless theory. What is a cursed sword? A sword possessed by an evil spirit, luring its host into all sorts of bizarre phenomena¡ªa sword haunted by an evil spirit, to put it simply. And not just any evil spirit, but one in a very bad state. An evil spirit being terrified at the sight of the king of evil spirits? ¡°When you put it that way, it kind of makes sense¡­¡± Karnak mumbled but then shook his head. ¡°No, something still doesn¡¯t add up.¡± He wasn¡¯t the Death King he once was. ¡°How would the sword¡¯s spirit even know I was a king in the first ce?¡± Even if he had once been a tyrant, would an evil spirit that encountered him now, in ragged clothes wandering the streets, instantly recognize him and tremble in fear? ¡°If the spirit in the cursed sword can see through space and time into my past, that would be even stranger.¡± After pondering for a while, Karnak irritably scratched his head. ¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t know.¡± There wasn¡¯t enough information for now. Until they could capture the cursed sword and study it, there would be no answers. ¡°I¡¯m hungry. Let¡¯s eat.¡± As if waiting for the cue, Baros spoke up. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I found a decent tavern near the inn. The innkeeper rmended it.¡± ¡°Is it good?¡± ¡°They say they¡¯re good at cookingmb. The special sauce is supposed to be amazing. The innkeeper insisted we try it.¡± ¡°Oh, let¡¯s check it out.¡± As if they had never been pondering the issue, Karnak and Baros began smacking their lips, savoring the thought of food. Serati, watching them, remarked in disbelief. ¡°You two still prioritize food above all else, don¡¯t you?¡± Well, considering why they had turned back time, it made perfect sense. ¡°So, are you noting, Serati?¡± Of course, there was no way she would refuse something delicious. ¡°Of course I¡¯m going.¡± Karnak grinned as he stood up. ¡°Then let¡¯s keep thinking while we eat. After all, everything we do is so we can keep living, right?¡± It was amon phrase everyone used, but for him right now, it was the clearest mission of all. *** Unlike the generally deste atmosphere in the inns, the taverns were quite bustling by dinnertime. Inns mostly housed outsiders, but taverns were frequented by locals. And no matter how much havoc the cursed sword Mareda caused, it wouldn¡¯t appear in the heart of the city. It wasn¡¯t that it couldn¡¯t enter the city¡ªit had no reason to. A cursed sword is like a ferocious bear that just woke from hibernation. Its evil spirit is always hungry, and it¡¯s never satisfied. There¡¯s no way such a sword would pass by a human without acting. Before even reaching the city, it would run wild on the outskirts. In fact, the cursed sword Mareda had appeared near Archenbart City¡¯s walls, ughtering there before disappearing. Since the city itself was safe, people moved around without much worry. Thanks to this, the members of the King¡¯s Order also scattered in small groups, enjoying their rest. Wace and Beric from the 7th Battalion were no exception. They found a spot, sat down, and quietly talked over ckcurrant brandy. ¡°What do you think happened?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s not all that strange, really.¡± Mareda¡¯s sudden retreat had surprised them too. But not as much as it had the 1st Battalion. The 7th had long grown ustomed to Karnak¡¯s strange antics. ¡°Our captain has always been a mysterious person, right?¡± ¡°And Sir Baros is quite an odd one too. How is he so strong when he¡¯s not even an aura user?¡± ¡°Exactly. He doesn¡¯t seem all that fast, but before you know it, you¡¯re already subdued.¡± A nail hidden in a pocket eventually pokes through. Karnak and Baros had tried to be cautious in their own way, but most of the 7th Battalion members felt some sense of unease, whether big or small. The only one who wasn¡¯t particrly odd was Serati. She was a reasonably skilled aura user, after all. It was impressive that such a beauty had be an aura user, but not beyond understanding. However, she was a bit strange in her own way. ¡°Do you know what¡¯s funny about those guys?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The way they suddenly go silent and have intense staring contests with each other.¡± ¡°Yeah, I saw that too. I have no idea what they¡¯re up to.¡± With that, the two happily drank and filled up on food. Starting tomorrow, they will resume the dangerous pursuit. This was their only chance to rx and drink. ¡°We¡¯ve had quite a bit.¡± ¡°Shall we head back?¡± ¡°Yeah, we should call it a night since we have to move tomorrow.¡± With a pleasant buzz, Wace and Beric left the tavern. The sharp autumn wind cut around the corners, brushing against their skin. As they left the alley, they emerged into the closed market. The merchants had long packed up, leaving the cepletely deserted. There, she stood. A small girl with dirty, matted ash-gray hair and a bizarrelyrge, grotesque two-handed sword. Beric¡¯s expression turned nk. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± It was a familiar face and a familiar sword. After all, it was the face they had seen that very morning. How could it not be familiar? But it didn¡¯t make any sense. There had been nomotion. No screams were heard. Yet, how could that be here, right in the middle of the city? The smile on the lips of the girl gripping the cursed sword grew wider. A giggle¡­ Her faint sneer was followed by two chilling screams. *** Standing on the street in the deep night, where even the moonlight was dim, Jiken let out a sigh. ¡°My God¡­¡± Trib and Harris echoed in grim tones. ¡°How in the world¡­¡± ¡°For something like this to happen in the heart of the city¡­¡± It had all happened about three or four hours earlier. Since it waste, they did a routine headcount before heading to bed. The 1st Battalion had returned to the inn in full, but two members of the 7th Battalion were missing. It was an embarrassing situation for the 7th Battalion, especially for Serati, who was part of the leadership. ¡°They¡¯ve probably just had too much to drink and are stumbling around somewhere!¡± For the record, Karnak and Baros didn¡¯t think much of it. Neither of them had much sense of shame to begin with. But Serati, who had a much more sensible and reasonable perspective, was naturally furious and set out to search for them immediately. And that¡¯s when she found them. The dried-up, shriveled corpses of Wace and Beric lying in the middle of the street. Everyone stared at the bodies in shock. Even Karnak. ¡®Uh, even I¡¯m a little shaken by this.¡¯ Chapter 86 Chapter 86: The appearance of a Cursed Sword (4) The clerics, Meili and Millia, carefully examined the corpse. ¡°The corpse has beenpletely drained of blood.¡± ¡°It matches the victims of the cursed sword Mareda.¡± Confused, Jiken asked, ¡°Are you saying the cursed sword appeared in the middle of the city?¡± That was odd enough, but there was something even stranger. ¡°And neither of you sensed anything?¡± The King¡¯s Order¡¯s lodgings and the ce where the body was found were only about a block apart. If the cursed sword had used the power of darkness, there was no way the clerics wouldn¡¯t have sensed it. Shrugging, the two priestess answered in uncertain voices. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°I was asleep¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t entirely their fault. The surroundings were unnaturally clean. There was no trace of darkness, like malevolent energy or an aura of malice, to be felt. It was no wonder they hadn¡¯t sensed anything. [Even I didn¡¯t feel anything.] [You too, Young Master?] Baros asked, perplexed. [But necromancy was involved. How could you not feel anything, Young Master?] [I know, that¡¯s why I said I was shocked too.] It was absurd. If the cursed sword had used its power, there should have been traces left behind. But if no force had been used, why had Wace and Beric fallen? ¡°Let me ask in return.¡± Jiken, who had been thinking about something, questioned the two clerics. ¡°In what scenario could these two be killed without either of you sensing anything?¡± Meili and Millia exchanged nces. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Um, well¡­¡± This was a situation they hadn¡¯t considered before. After a long pause, Meili was the first to answer. ¡°In a situation like this, it could be possible.¡± Someone unconnected to necromancy subdues and kills Wace and Beric, and then the cursed sword Mareda simply drains their blood afterward. ¡°In that case, we wouldn¡¯t have sensed anything. The blood-draining process happens inside the body, so nothing would spread externally.¡± Millia offered her own exnation. ¡°This scenario is also possible.¡± The ce where Wace and Beric were killed might not be here at all. ¡°If they were killed far enough away that we couldn¡¯t sense it, and then their blood-drained corpses were brought here, we wouldn¡¯t have noticed anything.¡± Jiken¡¯s expression hardened even more. ¡°Both lead to one conclusion.¡± There was an aplice. This means someone was either helping the cursed sword Mareda from behind, or a third party with the ability to control the sword¡¯s movements was involved. ¡°Because the cursed sword itself wouldn¡¯t be capable of making such a decision.¡± At this point, the most suspicious culprits were clear. ¡°Could it be the Cult of the Dark God?¡± At Jiken¡¯s words, Karnak narrowed his eyes. [That seems unlikely.] [Why?] At Serati¡¯s question, he nced at the two clerics. [If those cult bastards had used their power, I would¡¯ve noticed. Even if these two didn¡¯t.] [But they could have avoided using necromancy, right?] [Does the cult even have someone that skilled?] Wace and Beric were members of the King¡¯s Order, elite among the elite. Would such a powerful individual, capable of killing them without necromancy, really be part of the Dark God¡¯s cult? Serati thought it was possible. [Faith isn¡¯t always born from practicality.] [You¡¯ve got a point there.] Karnak tilted his head in thought. [Come to think of it, maybe those cultists really were involved?] [Why the sudden change of mind?] [It¡¯s just¡­ this is another method I don¡¯t know.] Looking down at the shriveled corpses, Karnak frowned. [Since my return, any necromancy I didn¡¯t know about has always been rted to those guys.] *** Jiken gathered the entire 1st and 7th Battalions at an inn. There was a chance that the cursed sword Mareda might strike again during the night. They even set up night watches, remaining on high alert. Night watches in the middle of the city seemed ridiculous, but no oneined. After all, tworades had just been killed. Most stayed up all night or only slept lightly, so it was questionable whether night watches were even necessary. Thus, the entire King¡¯s Order spent a tense night. However, the cursed sword did not reappear by the time the morning sun rose. *** A small room on the second floor of the inn. The leadership of the 1st and 7th Battalions gathered to discuss what to do next. Looking at Jiken, Harris asked, ¡°What do we do now, Captain?¡± Originally, the n was to remain here in the city of Archenbart, waiting for another victim of the cursed sword to appear so they could focus their search there. Since they had already lost the trail, they had no other choice. They couldn¡¯t just wander aimlessly through the wilderness with no leads, could they? The cursed sword Mareda had been attacking viges in this area, so they had assumed they could easily track it down again. But now, it had shown up in the middle of the city. Their starting premise hadpletely changed. Trib frowned. ¡°This is troublesome. This is entirely different from tracking an ordinary fugitive.¡± If the target were cultists, there was a specific method to track them. Since they were human, they couldn¡¯t escape the basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter, allowing a somewhat limited search range. However, the cursed sword drained human blood to supply energy to its host. This meant it had no need for meals. Furthermore, it didn¡¯t care about the host¡¯s health, so there was no need to sleep under a roof or wear decent clothes. Meili, a priestess of the Goddess of Fire, Katerra, clicked her tongue. ¡°We¡¯re dealing with a cannibal monster, so we can¡¯t use the usual tracking methods.¡± Karnak, who had been listening from the side, suddenly muttered. [It is a monster, but it¡¯s not exactly a cannibal.] Serati was puzzled. [Isn¡¯t it?] [Sucking human blood is more like absorbing nutrients. If you call that cannibalism, then wouldn¡¯t a fetus in the womb also be a cannibal for getting nutrients through the umbilical cord?] [Why are you being so defensive? What¡¯s going on?] [Well, uh¡­] Karnak suddenly started dodging the question. Baros smirked and chimed in. [It¡¯s probably because he used to consume a lot of it himself.] Serati red at Karnak in shock. [You didn¡¯t actually eat people, did you?] [It¡¯s not cannibalism!] Absorbing human blood made one an evil monster, but actually enjoying eating people would make one an evil perverted monster. Being just a monster was better than being a perverted monster. [Still, the fact that you don¡¯t like being called a cannibal means you¡¯ve be more human.] At Baros¡¯ment, Karnak tilted his head. [¡­Have I?] In any case, since their opponent was a blood-sucking monster, they needed toe up with an appropriate countermeasure. After some thought, Jiken spoke up. ¡°In the end, the question is this: Is the cursed sword Mareda deliberately targeting the King¡¯s Order?¡± If it was indeed targeting them: ¡°Then there¡¯s no need to leave Archenbart City. We just need to prepare thoroughly and face the cursed sword when it attacks again.¡± If it was just a coincidence: ¡°The cursed sword will probably attack nearby viges again. In that case, we can resume our original n of tracking it.¡± Everyone agreed with Jiken¡¯s conclusion. Either way, the King¡¯s Order¡¯s task wouldn¡¯t change. ¡°In that case, we need to find a different location than this inn.¡± Looking out the window, Karnak added, ¡°We need a fortress within the city¡ªsomece where we can respond effectively to external attacks, rest, and reorganize.¡± *** What seemed like a challenging condition was surprisingly easy to resolve. They simply requisitioned thergest mansion in Archenbart City. The ce was grand enough to house the entire 1st and 7th Battalions of the King¡¯s Order with room to spare, to the point where Baros was concerned. ¡°Is this really okay? The owner of a mansion like this must belong to a very powerful family. Won¡¯t there be any bacsh?¡± Serati shrugged. ¡°They said there¡¯s no issue.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, apparently it¡¯s Captain Jiken¡¯s cousin¡¯s house.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± In addition to being high-ranking mages, one of the requirements for bing a captain in the King¡¯s Order was to be a noble of influential lineage. Captain Jiken, for example, was a high-ranking mage with the 7th Circle, but he was also the second son of a marquis family. He wasn¡¯t involved in his family¡¯s affairs and instead pursued the life of a mage, but his noble blood was on a level that rural nobles like Karnak couldn¡¯t even dream of. Of course, nowadays, Karnak also had considerable status thanks to the seal of Prince Lloyd, making him just as influential as Jiken. ¡°Even if that weren¡¯t the case, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Right now, Archenbart City is fully cooperating with the King¡¯s Order.¡± Due to the chaos caused by the cursed sword Mareda, trade in and out of the city had significantly slowed. Since the economic impact was severe, it was in Archenbart¡¯s best interest for the issue to be resolved quickly. As a result, the King¡¯s Order was receiving abundant¡ªalmost excessive¡ªsupport. Not only did they get the mansion, but they were also provided with the finest food supplies. Skilled cksmiths were sent to ensure their weapons and armor were in perfect condition. Trustworthy servants, sent by local nobles, took care of the chores, freeing the members of the King¡¯s Order from all mundane tasks. All the soldiers had to do was stay in the mansion and maintain their top condition. It didn¡¯t feel like they were trapped either. They were living in a luxurious house, being waited on, eating excellent meals, and sleeping infortable beds. Honestly, there wasn¡¯t a better vacation than this. After spending so much time in the field, this was the perfect opportunity for the soldiers to focus on training that had been neglected. Only Karnak and his group felt a little uneasy. ¡°We already used up all our dyed leave, and now it feels like we¡¯re on another vacation.¡± ¡°Exactly. We¡¯ve already rested enough.¡± It had been three days since they moved into the mansion, but there had been no developments. No attacks, no news, nothing. Watching Serati and Baros lounging around, Karnak gestured with his chin. ¡°Let¡¯s eat. They say food is the one thing that stays with you.¡± ¡°Sounds good! I heard we got some excellent deer today.¡± Excited, the two men sauntered off toward the dining room. With a sigh, Serati followed them. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m going to gain weight at this rate.¡± *** Karnak spread a generous amount of butter on a freshly baked loaf of bread and stuffed it into his mouth, washing it down with rich ale. With a satisfied expression, he chewed slowly. ¡°Ah, delicious. Yum.¡± It was a luxury he could never enjoy while on a mission. It wasn¡¯t that butter or bread was expensive, but the luxuryy in the fact that the bread had juste out of the oven. Out in the fields, there were no ovens. Baros sliced a piece of grilled deer leg and ced it on Karnak¡¯s te as he asked, ¡°What¡¯s the n for today, Young Master?¡± ¡°Same as always.¡± They would remain on standby, do some training, stretch their bodies, and stay alert for any emergencies. Serati nced out the window. ¡°Well, nothing¡¯s likely to happen during the day. We only need to worry about the nights.¡± Malevolent energy and aura of darkness are greatly weakened in the sunlight. Those who wield the power of darkness never act during the day. ¡°Still, don¡¯t let your guard down.¡± Picking up a piece of meat with his fork, Karnak added, ¡°Mareda might not move during the day, but the cultists could still attack.¡± ¡°Oh,e on. If they did that, they¡¯d have to disguise it as Mareda¡¯s doing. The chances of that happening are really¡ª¡± Baros was about to wave it off when suddenly, an explosion rocked the mansion from the other side of the dining hall. KABOOM! Baros stared nkly, his mouth still full of meat. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Chapter 87 Chapter 87: A blood-drinking sword (1) Temporary Training Ground Behind the Mansion. A thick cloud of smoke lingered in the area where the 7th Battalion of the King¡¯s Order was catching up on their missed training. The smoke came from an explosion that had just blown apart part of the outer wall. About ten swordsmen and mages formed a battle formation and readied themselves. ¡°Everyone, stay on guard!¡± ¡°Identify the target!¡± A shadow moved swiftly through the smoke. It was a girl with ashen-gray hair, moving along the edge of the training ground, leaping over the copsed wall. The expressions of the soldiers hardened when they saw the two-handed sword she was holding. ¡°It¡¯s her.¡± ¡°Is that really the cursed sword Mareda?¡± One of the soldiers, looking incredulous, nced up at the sky. ¡°¡­But it¡¯s broad daylight?¡± As members of the King¡¯s Order, an agency that specialized in dealing with dark cult, they were all well aware of the nature of cursed swords, creatures born of darkness. A cursed sword like Mareda appearing under the sun wasn¡¯t a good sign. Its power would be significantly weakened in daylight. ¡®But why?¡¯ This was far from normal. Everyone grew tense, their confusion evident. ¡®Are we mistaken about something?¡¯ ¡®Could it be that this cursed sword doesn¡¯t lose its power, even in daylight?!¡¯ At that moment, the girl with the cursed sword swung her weapon wide. From the tip of the de, a red aura of darkness erupted,shing out like a whip and striking different parts of the training ground. Bang! Bang! Bang! The soldiers of the 7th Battalion dodged the attack with rtive ease and exchanged confused nces. ¡°¡­Wait, no?¡± ¡°She really is weakened, isn¡¯t she?¡± Her power had drastically decreased. It was at a level that a red-ss aura user could easily handle. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean the 7th Battalion soldiers could rx. There were no aura users present at the moment. Trib and Harris had both stayed up all night and were napping. ¡°What about Dame Serati?¡± ¡°She¡¯s eating.¡± ¡°She¡¯ll be here soon.¡± They began carefully engaging the girl with the cursed sword. There was no need to forcefully defeat her. All they had to do was tie her down and buy time. Normally, facing the cursed sword would have been impossible, as it possessed overwhelming power¡­ ¡®What is this?¡¯ ¡®We can manage this?¡¯ The sound of shing swords rang out dozens of times as they exchanged blows. The soldiers¡¯ expressions shifted oddly. ¡®She¡¯s definitely weaker!¡¯ That monstrous strength that used to slice through people and weapons alike in a single strike had diminished significantly. They were still being pushed back in direct confrontation, but it wasn¡¯t as overwhelming as before. However, that didn¡¯t mean the cursed sword had be easy to deal with either. ¡®But wait¡­¡¯ ¡®In another sense, she¡¯s stronger!¡¯ While her raw power and dark aura had decreased, her movements were far superior now. She attacked, withdrew, pressed forward, and maintained distance with such efficient precision that they couldn¡¯t find an opening. ¡°Gah!¡± ¡°What¡­ What is this?¡± The battalion members were flustered. The girl, who had previously moved like a wild beast driven by pure instinct, was now demonstrating refined and sophisticated swordsmanship, as if she had be a master swordsman. Moreover, she wasn¡¯t wearing that usual eerie smirk. Instead, she remained calm and expressionless the whole time. ¡°¡­¡± The ashen-haired girl darted across the training ground like a fierce leopard, her de slicing the air with a chilling brilliance wherever she moved. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Hah, hah!¡± Despite the pressure, the battalion members managed to hold their ground. No one had fallen yet. While part of it was due to the weakened power of the cursed sword, something about the girl¡¯s movements seemed off. ¡®Since earlier¡­¡¯ ¡®It seems like she¡¯s only targeting that one person?¡¯ With sharp, agile attacks, she focused solely on chasing one man, as if he were the sworn enemy of her parents. Her movements showed no interest in the other battalion members at all. The target, Lephan, a member of the 7th Battalion, had also realized this. ¡°What the hell? Why is she only after me?¡± He felt slightly indignant, but this was actually an opportunity. ¡°Hey! I¡¯ll keep running, so cover me from behind!¡± The others quickly understood and adjusted their formation. Lephan focused solely on evading, while the rest of the 7th Battalion worked hard to block the cursed sword¡¯s path. Of course, this strategy wasn¡¯t going to take down the girl. But who cared? The one meant to defeat her wasn¡¯t them anyway. A sharp sound rang out in the distance. It was Serati, the aura user of the 7th Battalion. ¡°Is everyone alright?¡± Shrouded in a red aura, she was rapidly closing the gap, covering over 10 meters with each step. The girl flinched at the sight of Serati. ¡°¡­¡± Suddenly, the girl¡¯s skin began to tear, and blood oozed from her wounds. The spilled blood turned into an aura of darkness, forming a shadowy armor around her, blocking the sunlight. She then raised the cursed sword high and mmed it into the ground. Boom! An enormous explosion erupted, the same one that had previously destroyed the mansion¡¯s wall. Dust and debris filled the air, and in the midst of the chaos, the girl leaped away. Her direction was clear¡ªshe was fleeing outside the mansion. ¡°Running away again?¡± Grinding her teeth, Serati increased her speed. But the girl with the cursed sword was faster. In an instant, she dashed out into the street, leaping over the rooftops and disappearing from view. Serati gave chase, but by the time she reached the rooftops, the girl was already out of sight. ¡°Damn it, did I lose her¡­?¡± Looking down at the cityscape of Archenbart, Serati frowned. ¡°If she was going to flee so easily, why did shee here in the first ce?¡± *** Trib, Harris, and Jiken, who had been napping, arrivedte. After hearing the report, Trib and Harris both voiced their doubts. ¡°The cursed sword attacked?¡± ¡°In broad daylight?¡± ¡°And then just left?¡± ¡°Without killing anyone?¡± Jiken stroked his chin, deep in thought. ¡°Does the cursed sword Mareda really possess intelligence?¡± The actions were clearly rational. She exploited their assumption that she wouldn¡¯t move during the day, attacked only the King¡¯s Order while ignoring everyone else around the mansion, and retreated without hesitation when the situation turned against her. ¡°If she were mindless, there¡¯s no way she¡¯d act like this.¡± Harris shook his head. ¡°But, doesn¡¯t it seem a bit odd to assume that?¡± If the cursed sword¡¯s actions were considered wise, then that¡¯s questionable too. After all, didn¡¯t it just recklessly charge in, rampage aimlessly, and then flee like a startled deer? ¡°If it had a mind, I don¡¯t think it would move in such a way.¡± Jiken muttered in frustration. ¡°Does this thing have a mind or not?¡± Oddly enough, saying it out loud sounded like the typicalints of a parent scolding their child, but one thing had be certain. ¡°The cursed sword is clearly targeting the King¡¯s Order. We don¡¯t know why yet, but that¡¯s for sure.¡± So, what should they do now? They thought it over, but no immediate solution came to mind. Since the King¡¯s Order was a rtively new organization, this situation was unprecedented. There were no examples to refer to. Jiken nced over at Karnak, just in case. ¡°Do you have any ideas?¡± Karnak¡¯s ability to sniff out cults ¡°like magic¡± had earned him quite the reputation within the King¡¯s Order. But Karnak shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve just been lucky. If you don¡¯t know, Captain, how could I?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t the time for modesty.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not modesty. I truly have no idea.¡± He wasn¡¯t lying. After all, Karnak¡¯s ¡°deductions¡± were usually just observations with some clever guesswork added. ¡®But this time, I genuinely don¡¯t know.¡¯ He stopped smiling wryly and then suddenly tilted his head. ¡°Now that I think about it, there is something strange.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s something I heard from the battalion members¡­¡± The ce the cursed sword attacked was the training ground where the 7th Battalion was gathered for practice. And during the attack, it specifically targeted Lephan. ¡°Wace and Beric, our first victims, were also part of the 7th Battalion.¡± It seemed like the cursed sword was deliberately singling out the 7th Battalion. ¡°Ande to think of it, the first time it acted strangely was when it encountered the 7th Battalion¡¯s captain, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Jiken¡¯s expression hardened slightly. ¡°Does this cursed sword have some connection to the King¡¯s Order¡¯s 7th Battalion?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think a cursed sword would check our ranks before attacking¡­¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it a fact that there¡¯s something inmon?¡± As the two pondered, Serati offered a suggestion. ¡°Why don¡¯t we test it?¡± ¡°Test it? How?¡± ¡°By changing the living arrangements.¡± They would surround the 7th Battalion with the 1st Battalion, cing Lephan¡¯s quarters at the very center. Then, they would see how the cursed sword reacted. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t this help us find some kind of clue?¡± *** Now that they knew the cursed sword Mareda could strike day or night, the King¡¯s Order needed to change its defense strategy. So, Jiken shifted themand¡¯s guard shifts and sleeping arrangements into three rotations. This way, in any situation, at least half of the force would be awake and ready to respond. Additionally, he banned excessive training and alcohol consumption among the soldiers. This ensured they would always be in peak condition, ready to confront the enemy at a moment¡¯s notice. Not that he needed to say this aloud¡ªthere wasn¡¯t a single member of the King¡¯s Order foolish or ipetent enough to make such mistakes. The 1st and 7th Battalions¡¯ areas of operation were also clearly divided. The 1st Battalion would patrol only the outer perimeter, while the 7th Battalion would remain inside the mansion. And Lephan would stay confined in a bedroom in the center of the mansion. Until the cursed sword appeared, he would eat and sleep solely in that room. From Lephan¡¯s perspective, it was like being imprisoned for no reason at all. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t seem to mind. ¡°You guys feed me and give me a ce to sleep without me having to do anything. What¡¯s there toin about?¡± And so, another day passed, and night returned. This time, the target really appeared. Boom! With an explosion, the southern wall of the mansion crumbled. The girl with the cursed sword had used the cover of night to infiltrate the mansion grounds once again. She pierced through the encircling forces of the 1st Battalion, heading straight ahead before leaping onto the roof of the mansion. As she sprinted across rooftops, she suddenly stopped. She had arrived above the building that housed Lephan¡¯s bedroom, in the exact center of the mansion. ¡°Aha?¡± Letting out a peculiarugh, the girl swung her cursed sword downward. The roof caved in, and she quickly descended,nding right in front of the door to Lephan¡¯s room. But waiting for her there were Jiken, Harris, and Serati, all fully prepared. ¡°Unbelievable.¡± ¡°She really is only targeting him?¡± Though they were surprised, the three quickly took upbat positions. Since the cursed sword had shown up, it was the perfect opportunity to eliminate it. The girl nced around, a faint smile crossing her lips again. ¡°Aha¡­¡± Then, in a sh, she leaped back up through the hole in the ceiling, attempting to flee once more. However, this time, Harris and Serati immediately chased after her, jumping through the roof as well. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± ¡°This time, you won¡¯t escape!¡± Thanks to their preparation, the cursed sword couldn¡¯t shake off the pursuit this time. Sensing the gap between them closing, the girl¡¯s eyes suddenly glowed red. ¡°Hahaha!¡± With a manicugh, the cursed sword unleashed a de of dark red energy. The terrifying surge of dark aura swept toward the two pursuers. Harris and Serati quickly deployed their aura shields to block the attack. But this time, it was deep into the night. The cursed sword¡¯s powers were no longer weakened. Boom! With a massive explosion, the two were thrown back over 10 meters. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Damn it¡­¡± In the meantime, the cursed sword escaped the mansion grounds. As her shadow darted into the night streets, she vanished beyond the darkness. Once she disappeared into the maze-like alleyways, it would be impossible to track her. Serati, frustrated, clicked her tongue. ¡°Ugh, she got away again!¡± Sheathing his sword, Harris tried to calm her down. ¡°But at least we¡¯ve confirmed it now, haven¡¯t we?¡± There was no doubt. The cursed sword Mareda was specifically targeting the 7th Battalion, and within that, Lephan. But why? Standing on the mansion¡¯s roof, gazing down at the dark cityscape of Archenbart, Serati¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°Let¡¯s test it one more time.¡± Chapter 88 Chapter 88: A blood-drinking sword (2) Serati¡¯s suggestion was simple. All other conditions would remain the same, except for one change. ¡°You¡¯re suggesting wepletely erase the presence of Lephan?¡± ¡°Yes, Captain Jiken. Can you make it so that the cursed sword can¡¯t find him at all?¡± ¡°It might be possible.¡± How exactly did the cursed sword Mareda track its targets? One thing was certain: it didn¡¯t rely on the host¡¯s line of sight. The girl had found Lephan, who was hiding deep within the mansion and out of sight, and had run straight toward him. ¡°It¡¯s likely through smell, or maybe by sensing the soul¡¯s wavelength.¡± That was a typical method used by undead creatures or demons summoned through necromancy to locate their targets. And a 7th-circle spell existed to block both of those methods with a detection interference barrier. ¡°Then I¡¯ll cast a magic circle and ce Lephan inside.¡± ¡°Please do.¡± Of course, it only made Lephan feel even more confined. Sitting in the middle of the magic circle drawn in the center of the bedroom, Lephan let out a series of deep sighs. ¡°Ugh, at this point, it really feels like I¡¯m in prison.¡± *** A day and a half passed. Just as the morning sun was rising at dawn, Pross, from the 7th Battalion, was in the middle of breakfast when he found himself in apletely unexpected situation. Boom! As he sat in the dining hall, tearing bread to dip into his stew, one of the walls suddenly came crashing down. At the same time, a small girl¡ªby now a familiar sight, having appeared so often¡ªrevealed herself. ¡°The cursed sword Mareda!¡± ¡°She¡¯s here now?¡± The soldiers of the 7th Battalion, who had been eating, quickly scrambled into battle positions. The girl moved at once. ¡°Kyahahaha!¡± The cursed sword¡¯s target was clear. Ignoring the other soldiers, she charged directly at Pross alone. Pross, now running for his life, shouted in frustration. ¡°What the hell? Why is it me this time?¡± *** Thanks to the swift response of Jiken, Trib, and the other leaders, the cursed sword Mareda once again fled without causing significant damage. Pross was safe, but new questions arose. ¡°The 7th Battalion again?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°First it was Wace and Beric, and now it¡¯s Lephan and Pross¡­¡± Jiken pressed his fingers against his temples. It was a habitual gesture whenever a headache loomed. ¡°Even the smallest detail will do. Do you have any guesses, Lord Karnak?¡± At first, the cursed sword screamed and fled at the sight of the 7th Battalion¡¯s captain. Now, it was relentlessly targeting members of the 7th Battalion. ¡°This cannot be a coincidence.¡± ¡°I agree. But honestly, I have no idea.¡± Karnak, frowning, continued. ¡°I can¡¯t even begin to guess. There isn¡¯t the slightest clue. What possible connection could there be between the cursed sword and our 7th Battalion?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± A silence fell. Not just Jiken and Karnak, but all the other aura users present also kept quiet. No one could figure it out. It was then that Pross, sensing the tension, cautiously spoke up. ¡°Um, would it be alright if I offered a rather absurd suggestion?¡± Jiken and Karnak turned to him, their curiosity piqued. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Do you have an idea?¡± ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t exactly call it a guess¡­¡± Pross looked uncertain. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s a really ridiculous guess. It seems like pure coincidence, no matter how I look at it¡­¡± ¡°Right now, we don¡¯t even have that ridiculous guess.¡± Jiken gave his approval. Feeling more at ease, Pross pointed to himself and Karnak. ¡°Well, it seems like it¡¯s based on the order of who was standing closest to Lord Karnak, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Closest in order?¡± Baros was puzzled. ¡°What do you mean? If we¡¯re talking about being close to the captain, it should be me and Dame Serati. Why Wace and Beric?¡± Of course, everyone knew that Karnak¡¯s closest aides were Baros and Serati. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about personal rtionships.¡± Pross shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m talking about the situation when the cursed sword screamed and ran after seeing the captain.¡± The King¡¯s Order is an elite among elites. Naturally, when forming an encirclement, there are predetermined positions. ¡°Look. Wace, Beric, Lephan, and me. Isn¡¯t that exactly the order we formed the encirclement around the captain?¡± Everyone blinked. ¡°Now that you mention it¡­¡± ¡°It really does seem that way, but¡­¡± A ridiculous conjecture, one that¡¯s hard to believe. ¡°I know, it sounds absurd. I only brought it up because we¡¯re grasping at straws here.¡± At that moment, Harris raised his hand. ¡°It seems like a decent theory to me.¡± Jiken, looking baffled, asked again. ¡°Do you really believe that?¡± ¡°Belief isn¡¯t what¡¯s important here.¡± There was one advantage to that hypothesis. ¡°We can verify it, can¡¯t we?¡± He looked over at Pross and asked. ¡°At the time of the encirclement, who was standing closest to Lord Karnak after you?¡± ¡°Uh, it was Krant.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± With a triumphant smile, Harris continued. ¡°Next time, you should enter the magic circle with Sir Lephan. Don¡¯t say a word to Krant.¡± *** The following night. A sturdy young swordsman in his mid-twenties was leaning against a half-copsed mansion pir, gasping for breath. His entire body was covered in blood and dirt, showing that he had been through quite the ordeal. ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­ I nearly¡­ died¡­¡± Had the cursed sword Mareda not fled in time, he might have truly lost his life. As Krant, a member of the 7th Battalion, let out a sigh of relief, Jiken and the King¡¯s Order leadership wore conflicted expressions. ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± ¡°She really chased after only this guy?¡± ¡°¡­What on earth does this mean?¡± *** Why did the girl with the cursed sword scream and flee the moment she saw Karnak? And why did she start targeting the 7th Battalion of the King¡¯s Order, specifically in the order of those closest to Karnak? No one knew the reason. To be honest, they even doubted if there was a reason. But even without knowing the reason, if you understand a pattern, you can use it. Just like how you don¡¯t need to know why the sun rises and the moon sets to create a calendar or grow crops. After gathering the leadership, Jiken proposed an idea. ¡°Let¡¯s lure the cursed sword Mareda.¡± If they could identify the target of their opponent, it meant they could control her movements. By using Lephan and Pross, who were high-priority targets, as bait, they could lead the girl and the cursed sword into a trap. ¡°In that case, there¡¯s no need to stay here any longer. It¡¯ll be easier to track the cursed sword¡¯s approach in a less popted area,¡± Trib said. Serati interjected, ¡°And it¡¯ll be easier to chase her down when she tries to flee.¡± The reason she had lost the cursed sword so many times wasn¡¯t just because it was fast. ¡°There are simply too many ces to hide in a city full of buildings.¡± Once it hid its presence and slipped into the shadows of the alleyways, it was nearly impossible to detect it with magic or aura techniques. Harris agreed. ¡°In the past, we would¡¯ve been able to track traces of darkness with the holy magic of the clergy, but even that¡¯s not working now.¡± The transformed cursed sword Mareda left no traces behind. It was as if the sword was intentionally erasing them. However, if they were out in the open fields, all those problems would vanish. The general strategy was set. First, they would leave Achenbat City. Then, they would search for an appropriate location nearby and set up a camp. ¡°Since the cursed sword¡¯s target is clear, there¡¯s no need for the 1st Battalion to surround the 7th Battalion, is there?¡± ¡°Just like usual, we can divide into left and right nks and split the roles.¡± Lephan and Pross would be positioned at the center of the campsite. When Mareda appeared, they would alternate erasing the two¡¯s presence using a blocking ier magic circle, luring the cursed sword into a trap. Jiken spread a map out on the table, a detailed map of the terrain around Achenbat City. ¡°This will be our campsite.¡± He pointed to the wide-open fields to the north of the city, where visibility waspletely clear, and issued his orders. ¡°We¡¯ll move by the end of the day. Everyone, get ready!¡± *** That afternoon, the 1st and 7th Battalions of the King¡¯s Order left the mansion and headed to the northern ins. There, they began diligently setting up camp. It wasn¡¯t just about pitching tents. Since this would also be the battleground where they would lure and deal with the cursed sword Mareda, they had to prepare various traps in advance. ¡°Whatever happens, we must deal with her this time.¡± As Trib inspected the traps, he encouraged the troops. ¡°By any means necessary, let¡¯s end this!¡± The soldiers working with him asked, ¡°By any means necessary¡­?¡± ¡°Does that mean we¡¯re willing to kill the host?¡± They were asking whether it would be eptable to sacrifice the innocent girl possessed by the cursed sword. Karnak, overhearing this, flinched in surprise. ¡®Are they seriously suggesting we just kill the girl? That¡¯s not an option.¡¯ He was about to intervene, but Trib answered first. ¡°It¡¯s a life-or-death situation. I¡¯m not saying we must save her at all costs.¡± He chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°But killing her outright isn¡¯t the solution either, is it? After all, we¡¯re acting under the king¡¯s decree. And even without that, as someone who serves the Seven Goddesses, we should save a life if we can.¡± ¡°Of course, Lord vice-captain, what you¡¯re saying is morally correct, but¡­¡± One of the younger soldiers seemed unconvinced. ¡°The more the cursed sword runs wild, the more blood will be spilled. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to decisively sacrifice the girl and prevent further casualties?¡± Trib, a man in his forties, looked at the young soldier in his twenties and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I thought at your age.¡± ¡°Is that wrong?¡± ¡°Logically, your reasoning is sound.¡± Sacrificing one person to prevent greater damage? In theory, it makes perfect sense. ¡°But reality doesn¡¯t work that way.¡± The problem is always people. ¡°People who think that way often end up failing to save either the individual or the many. They just end up with both the sacrifice and a lot of casualties.¡± If you can save a life, you should do everything in your power to save it. That mindset, ironically, is what minimizes the damage and saves the most people. It¡¯s not about numbers or statistics. The soldiers wore ambiguous expressions. ¡°Is that so?¡± Trib gave a bitter smile. He understood that it was hard to grasp, as he himself had onlye to realize it vaguely at this age. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but as a mere swordsman, I can¡¯t exin it any better.¡± ¡°No, sir!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll take your words to heart!¡± Meanwhile, Karnak and Baros were silently impressed. [Oh, so that¡¯s how you¡¯re supposed to live like a proper person, young master.] [Impressive. I never thought about it that way.] [You were nning to save the host anyway, weren¡¯t you, young master?] [Yeah.] All life is equal, and every life is precious? It wasn¡¯t some kind of noble or admirable sentiment like that. [If we kill her carelessly, she mighte back stronger as an undead.] When ites to necromancy, killing someone often causes more problems than leaving them alive. It wasn¡¯t about morality, but practicality¡ªkeeping her alive was the smarter choice. [So that¡¯s how you say the same thing without making people mad.] [We should learn from him.] [Indeed. Is speaking eloquently a talent? I¡¯m jealous.] Listening nearby, Serati was puzzled. [Is that really so impressive?] What Trib said was simr to the sermons many clerics gave. But wasn¡¯t it strange that these guys, who had lived for over a hundred years, didn¡¯t know that? Karnak and Baros nodded in agreement, as if to say it made sense. [It¡¯s because I never really listened back then.] [Whenever we encountered a cleric before, we¡¯d just kill them and make them dance as skeletons.] [Ah, I see¡­ You terrible people.] [Huh?] [Oh, nothing.] The nearby 7th Battalion soldiers looked at the three of them with peculiar expressions. Their faces seemed to say, ¡°There they go again, silently staring each other down.¡± Realizing this, Baros quickly changed the topic. ¡°So, are we just going to stay here for now?¡± ¡°We have to.¡± ¡°When do you think the cursed sword will show up?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know, so we¡¯ll have to keep camping until it does.¡± Looking around the camp, Karnak smiled softly. ¡°It won¡¯t take long. She¡¯s been attacking us relentlessly every day.¡± Chapter 89 Chapter 89: A blood-drinking sword (3) As expected, Karnak¡¯s prediction was not wrong. It was around the time when the sunset began to slowly steal the colors of the ins. One of the sentries who had been on guard shouted out. ¡°She¡¯s here!¡± A small girl wielding a two-handed sword appeared from the darkening fields. She was more than 100 meters away from the camp¡ªplenty of distance to prepare for her approach. Indeed, with the open surroundings, it was easy to detect anyone approaching from a distance. ¡°It¡¯s the cursed sword!¡± ¡°Everyone, prepare for battle!¡± ¡°Take your positions!¡± The girl with the cursed sword silently red at the King¡¯s Order warriors preparing for battle. Without a word, she suddenly kicked off the ground and charged toward the camp at an incredible speed. However, she couldn¡¯t easily break through the defense line like before. The King¡¯s Order had already set themselves up in perfect formation. The soldiers dove to her left and right,unching consecutive attacks as she charged. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± ¡°You think we¡¯ll let you go that easily?¡± The girl retaliated. She swung her cursed sword, sending ck energy scattering in all directions. The des of darkness mmed into the ground, creating a series of violent explosions. Boom! Boom! Boom-boom-boom! But no one had fallen. They had already moved out of the explosion¡¯s range. The soldiers scattered and regrouped, quickly forming their battle formation once again. As the girl nced at the surrounding encirclement, she suddenly burst intoughter. ¡°Kya-hahaha!¡± No one paid much attention. Everyone remained calm, maintaining the first defensive line. ¡°At first, it was a bit creepy¡­¡± ¡°But now that we¡¯ve heard it so often¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not really a big deal anymore, huh?¡± Baros, themander of the defense line, smiled with satisfaction. ¡®Good, everything is going ording to n.¡¯ There are no free victories in this world. If you use power, you must replenish it¡ªthat¡¯s thew of the world. The cursed sword Mareda was a monster that absorbed blood after cutting down a human, converting it into power of darkness. It wasn¡¯t a source of infinite power; it had clear limits. So the mission of the first defensive line was simple. -Exhaust the power of the cursed sword! Specifically, their goal was to prioritize defense while gradually chipping away at the girl¡¯s power. If they recklessly threw their lives away and got cut by the cursed sword, allowing her to absorb their blood, they wouldn¡¯t just die¡ªthey¡¯d end up increasing her strength even further. That¡¯s why it was crucial to walk a fine line between engagement and retreat. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Laughing, the girl wielding the cursed sword shed at the soldiers in front of her. Perhaps because night was approaching, her strikes seemed more dangerous than usual. Even if they raised their swords to block, it was obvious they¡¯d be sliced in half. So, they focused all their effort on evasion. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Move back!¡± There was no need to worry that the girl would chase after them and cut them down entirely. That was what theirrades were for! ¡°Torres!¡± ¡°Please, be safe!¡± Two soldiers shouted as they thrust their spears toward the girl¡¯s back. Since they yelled loudly enough for her to hear, the girl naturally reacted. She twisted her body and swung the cursed sword, effortlessly deflecting the two spears. ng! ng! Thanks to their distraction, the soldiers who had retreated earlier managed to escape safely beyond her range. ¡°Whew, that was close.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go again!¡± The encirclement was reformed, surrounding the girl. ¡°¡­..¡± The girl hesitated for a moment. Her target was clear. She needed to reach that target. And anything in her way had to be eliminated. However, the obstacles were behaving oddly. Just as they were about to be a hindrance, they would retreat. And whenever she advanced toward her goal, they would persistently target her from behind. It was unclear whether she should ignore them and push forward or stay to eliminate them. This ambiguity was exactly what the King¡¯s Order was aiming for. ¡°Everyone, fall back!¡± ¡°Good! She¡¯s heading deeper into the camp!¡± ¡°It¡¯s our turn now!¡± ¡°Chase her!¡± They let her pass and aimed for a strike from behind. That was their basic strategy. But given the vast difference in ability, they couldn¡¯t keep her tied up forever. ¡°Heh¡­¡± With a faint smirk, the girl with the cursed sword kicked off the ground. Boom! Rather than jumping, it was as if something had exploded beneath her, propelling her into the air. Her entire body shot up into the sky with the explosion. She intended to break away from the encirclement and target her objective in one swift move. ¡°Kya-hahaha!¡± In an instant, the distance between her and the defensive line widened. At this rate, she would be too far away to catch. Baros signaled. ¡°Wester! Cami!¡± A man and a woman in their thirties, both wearing robes, appeared between the tents. They were Wester and Cami, official mages of the 7th battalion. The Clerics of the King¡¯s Order were considered highly valuable, as the religious order only provided a limited number of them. Each battalion had just one assigned. On the other hand, mages were more numerous. Like Karnak before he became a battalion captain, mages at the 4th Circle level were well distributed among the battalions. The two mages raised their wands. Each mage¡¯s mana flowed through their wands, forming a radiant magic circle in the air. The glowing patterns flickered as immense power rippled outward. Havingpleted their spells, the two mages shouted in unison. ¡°Strike of lightning!¡± ¡°Come forth to our hands!¡± A pir of thunder struck the girl and her cursed sword. The roar of the thunder tore through the night sky. Boom! After a moment, the girl emerged from the smoke. She waspletely unharmed, not even a hair singed. At the moment the lightning struck, she had protected herself with a curtain of blood energy. But it didn¡¯t mean the magic was useless. She must have used a considerable amount of her reserved power to block the spell. The girl turned her gaze toward the mages. This magic had been threatening. It meant that they were obstacles she couldn¡¯t ignore. Thus, she had to deal with them. However, the mages were already abandoning their positions and fleeing swiftly. ¡°We¡¯ve done our part, right?¡± ¡°Absolutely! Run for it!¡± Without looking back, they sprinted¡ªstraight in the direction opposite the camp, far away from the girl¡¯s target. Now, things became tricky once again. The target is this way. The obstacles are over there. She had intended to deal with those obstacles first, but if they were so far away now, they no longer posed a threat, right? ¡°¡­..¡± As she hesitated for a moment, the King¡¯s Order, who had worked hard to widen the distance, rushed back in and reestablished the encirclement. As if on cue, Baros shouted. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go again!¡± *** Under Baros¡¯mand, the King¡¯s Order firmly held the first defensive line. Even so, the girl with the cursed sword Mareda continued to steadily push toward the center of the camp. It was to be expected. They weren¡¯t trying to block her approach entirely from the start. They were merely draining her strength during the process of her advance. Pushing too hard before she fell into the trap would be a problem. If cornered too much, she might escape again. That¡¯s why the King¡¯s Order leadership, including Jiken, Karnak, and the other aura users, were still waiting near the trap. Watching the battle from a distance, Trib suddenly let out an exmation. ¡°My goodness, is that guy some kind of ability?¡± As expected from the elite of the elite, everyone in the King¡¯s Order was fighting well. The knights and mages were working in perfect sync, pressing the cursed sword with remarkable coordination. But Baros stood out, even among them. He wasn¡¯t an aura user, nor was he exceptionally fast or strongpared to the others. Yet, he dealt with the cursed sword more easily than most aura users. He struck, retreated, darted in, slipped past, disrupted the girl¡¯s movements, and perfectly stole her rhythm and timing. None of his actions were out of ce. Even as a Blue-ss aura user, Trib didn¡¯t think he could pull off something like that. ¡°How is he even able to do that?¡± Lephan, one of the soldiers hiding alongside him in preparation for the bait role, asked curiously. ¡°Are you saying you can¡¯t do that even with aura?¡± Of course, he knew well how strong Barros was. Whenever they sparred, Lephan would always find himself strangely overwhelmed, unable to do anything. ¡®But even the Blue Knight is impressed?¡¯ Trib shook his head. ¡°That has nothing to do with aura.¡± Using aura, of course, could allow one to cut down a powerful enemy in a single strike. But no matter how skilled the aura user, they couldn¡¯t repeatedly strike the same precise spot dozens of times without error. And the girl wasn¡¯t even standing still. She was moving, and Baros predicted her every movement, targeting her vital points, stabbing first, and reaching her before she could even react. It almost seemed like she was offering herself up to his de. ¡°Is he just incredibly smart, calcting all of his opponent¡¯s movements?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t seem that smart to me.¡± ¡°Then maybe he has an insane amount of experience?¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t look that old, though.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s so amazing.¡± Meanwhile, Baros was silently calcting the time. ¡®This should be enough, right?¡¯ It had been quite a while since the battle with the cursed sword began. He could see some of the soldiers starting to tire. It was time to pass the baton. ¡°Alright, King¡¯s Order, everyone!¡± As he retreated, he yfully called out. ¡°Time to clock out!¡± *** The words retreat and clocking out have distinctly different meanings. Retreat means falling back depending on the advantage or disadvantage in battle. But clocking out? It means leaving work after your shift is over. In a battlefield context, it means leaving entirely. As soon as themand was given, the entire King¡¯s Order rushed out of the camp, fleeing. The girl with the cursed sword looked around for a moment, then made her decision. The enemies were far enough away. By the time they returned, they would be too far to interfere with her targeting her goal. They were no longer obstacles. Now, she could go after her target freely! ¡°Ahaha¡­¡± With a wildugh, the girl sprinted across the ins like a predator. With nothing standing in her way, there was nothing to slow her down. In an instant, she reached the center of the camp. And finally, she found her target. ¡°Ah, so you¡¯ve finally arrived¡­¡± A young swordsman in his twenties, with a tense expression, took up a battle stance. This was Pross, a member of the 7th Battalion. The excited girl immediately set her sights on him. ¡°Ahahaha!¡± But if there was a first defensive line, that meant there was a second one as well. Two individuals responsible for the second defensive line appeared. Harris and Serati, Red-ss aura users. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s our turn now!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go first!¡± Drawing their red aura swords, the twounched themselves forward. Their force was no joke. Even the girl with the cursed sword couldn¡¯t ignore them and continue targeting Pross. ¡°Ahahaha!¡± The girl redirected her attack toward them. The ck aura of her cursed sword shed with the red aura in the air, causing a thunderous explosion. Pross, who barely survived, clicked his tongue. ¡°This is crazy. I¡¯ve got two aura users guarding me.¡± Harris and Serati, blocking the cursed sword, gave wry smiles. ¡°How does it feel to be treated like a noble?¡± ¡°Now, move ording to the n!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Pross quickly retreated while the two aura users blocked the girl with the cursed sword. Three streaks of destructive light danced across the ins, spinning together in a dazzling disy of power. Chapter 90 Chapter 90: A blood-drinking sword (4) The sh continued, sending ripples of aura spreading in all directions. Taking advantage of the battle, Pross kept retreating. Harris and Serati also slowly moved the battlefield. The target and obstacles were all moving in the same direction, so naturally, the cursed sword followed suit. The purpose of the second defensive line was slightly different from that of the first. Not only was it meant to wear down the cursed sword¡¯s power, but it also aimed to guide it to the desired location. Even amidst the intense fighting, the battlefield was steadily shifting. Before long, they had left the campsite and reached the entrance of a small canyon. It was a basin-shaped canyon, hollowed out inward, with a diameter of about 100 meters. ¡®Good!¡¯ Pross threw himself into the magic circle he had prepared in advance. The girl wielding the cursed sword looked around, seemingly flustered, as her target had suddenly disappeared. ¡°¡­¡± The confusion didn¡¯tst long. Another target had revealed itself deeper within the canyon. It wasn¡¯t the human she had been chasing, but a target with an even higher ¡®priority.¡¯ At that moment, Harris and Serati had also distanced themselves from the cursed sword. There was no interference in handling the new target. ¡°Kyahaha!¡± Laughing, the girl with the cursed sword headed straight for the ravine. Harris, watching this, couldn¡¯t help but be taken aback. ¡°She really doesn¡¯t stray from our predictions, does she?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s fortunate, but still¡­¡± Following slowly behind, Serati furrowed her brow. ¡°¡­I still don¡¯t understand. Why is she doing this?¡± *** Inside the basin, Jiken, Trib, and Lephan, who had just emerged from the magic circle, were waiting. As the girl with the cursed sword entered the basin through the canyon, she first set her sights on Lephan. ¡°¡­¡± However, she didn¡¯t immediately rush in. Jiken and Trib¡¯s presence was too imposing to ignore. Both were radiating intense mana and aura. She needed to deal with those two first to achieve her goal. ¡°Ahahaha!¡± With augh, the girl lunged forward. Trib responded by swinging his blue aura-infused sword. The cursed sword¡¯s deshed out like a whip, scattering a dark red aura. The red aura and blue aura shed violently, intertwining in chaos. Leaves were scattered, and the air was torn apart with deafening roars. Bang! Paang! Jiken calmly supported it with magic, casting various fire and lightning spells targeting the cursed sword from behind. It was a joint attack from a 7th-circle mage and a blue-ss aura user. Moreover, Jiken and Trib were both seasoned veterans who had worked together in the King¡¯s Order for a long time. Their coordinated assault gradually drove the girl with the cursed sword into a defensive position. Yet, she did not fall. The more cornered she became, the more the aura of darkness intensified, unleashing frenzied shes in all directions. ¡°Kyahahahaha!¡± As her offensive grew stronger, so did her maniacalughter. ¡°My god, how does she still have this much strength left?¡± Trib clicked his tongue, while Jiken shook his head. ¡°At this point, it¡¯s clear her strength has already been greatly depleted. How else could the two of us handle someone of purple-ss?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Meanwhile, Lephan was circling the battlefield with his sword drawn, keeping a cautious distance. He couldn¡¯t afford to let his guard down since the cursed sword might target him at any moment. However, there was no need to interfere either. Simply keeping a safe distance and circling was enough. Just by doing that, they were able to shake up her priorities and give Trib and Jiken a moment to catch their breath. Thanks to this, they had stalled for enough time. Harris and Serati, who had been trailing at a distance, now closed in behind the cursed sword. The maniacalughter of the girl suddenly ceased. ¡°¡­¡± With an expressionless face, the girl nced around her. The situation had grown quite dangerous. Retreating was the wisest choice. Having made her decision, the girl suddenly leaped backward. Trib frowned. ¡°Is she really going to run?¡± Jiken, gripping his wand, shouted, ¡°Hold her down for just a little longer!¡± Harris and Serati blocked her path. However, the physical abilities of the cursed sword¡¯s wielder wereparable to that of a purple-ss aura user. Once she made up her mind to escape, stopping her wouldn¡¯t be easy. Indeed, a small opening appeared. The girl swiftly dodged to the left, deflecting Harris¡¯s aura sword, and broke through the encirclement. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ Leaving a flustered Harris behind, the girl dashed across the ground with terrifying speed. Her destination was clear: the canyon¡¯s entrance, the only way out. And then¡ª ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± A man appeared from the crevice of a rock. It was Karnak, who had been hiding in a magic circle, just like Lephan. The moment she saw him, the girl let out a sharp scream. ¡°Kyaaaa!¡± She reacted as if she had seen something utterly horrifying, and in sheer panic, she fled in the opposite direction. Where else could she go if not back? She had returned right into the middle of the encirclement. ¡°It was a good thing we had a backup n, just in case.¡± Jiken let out a sigh of relief, raising his wand. ¡°O flowing crystal radiance, be the prison that binds my enemies!¡± A massive crystal prison,posed of light, formed around them, stretching dozens of meters in every direction, with its ceiling, walls, and pirs all made of radiant crystal. This was a 7th-circle imprisonment spell, Crystal Labyrinth. While it had the disadvantage of a long preparation time, once activated, it was powerful enough to trap even a Blue Knight. The girl gripped cursed sword tightly, her face showing signs of panic. ¡°¡­¡± Of course, if the cursed sword wielder had strengthparable to that of a purple-ss aura user, she could probably break through this barrier. It would likely take only two or three strikes. Indeed, the girl made an attempt to do just that. She raised her sword high, concentrating all her power into a single point, and struck at the wall of light! BOOM! With a single blow, the light barrier trembled, and cracks formed along its surface. But it did not shatter. If it would take two or three strikes to break, that meant it could withstand the first one or two. This gave Trib, Harris, and Serati enough time to interfere. ¡°We¡¯ve gone this far!¡± ¡°You think we¡¯re going to let you get away?¡± The girl, now frustrated, nced around in confusion before fixing her gaze on one spot. Karnak was slowly approaching from a distance. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± For the first time, a different sound escaped the girl¡¯s lips. It was not augh, nor a scream, but a groan. ¡°Uuuhhh¡­¡± *** The girl no longer targeted Lephan. She didn¡¯t scream at the sight of Karnak, nor did she attempt to escape anymore. Like a cornered beast, she let out faint groans, scanning her surroundings constantly. ¡°Uuuu¡­¡± The encirclement of the King¡¯s Order was tightening from all sides. Beyond them, the sturdy crystal prison blocked every route of retreat. Had she realized that fighting was the only option left? The girl slowly ran her hand along the de of the cursed sword. ck mes began to rise along its edge. Whoosh! At the same time, sheunched herself into the air! ¡°Kyiaaah!¡± With a scream, shes were scattered in every direction. At first nce, they seemed wild and reckless, but in truth, they were precisely aimed attacks. Trib deflected the assault with his blue aura sword and shouted, ¡°Everyone, stay alert!¡± A series of fierce strikes followed. Yet, they weren¡¯t very effective. Harris and Serati remainedposed, focusing solely on defense without overextending. Jiken and Karnak also concentrated on maintaining their mana shields, blocking her offensive. They had forced her into this corner. There was no need to rush and risk making a mistake. ¡®Stick to the n!¡¯ ¡®Separate the cursed sword from the girl!¡¯ With a nce to each other, Trib and Harris continued their coordinated attack from both sides. Blue and red streams of aura relentlessly struck the ck mes. Each hit weakened the fire, and its intensity steadily diminished. The goal was to avoid harming the girl and focus on destroying the sword itself. Since the cursed sword was the true threat, breaking the weapon would ensure victory. Despite their efforts, the cursed sword endured. It wobbled as if it might fall at any moment, but still managed to deliver menacing counterattacks. While continuing to batter away at the ck mes, Trib nced to the side. ¡®Is Lord Karnak ready yet?¡¯ With Jiken focused on maintaining the crystal prison, Karnak was the only mage who could act in this moment. Finally, Karnakpleted his spell. He struck his wand to the ground, unleashing a surge of chaos power! ¡°I summon the chains of binding power! Chain of Arcane Force!¡± Five red chains shot up from the earth and wrapped around the cursed sword and the girl. Three chains coiled around the de, while one each bound the girl¡¯s legs. Serati¡¯s eyes lit up with hope. ¡°Did we get her?¡± But it was too soon to celebrate. The girl let out a piercing scream and began thrashing wildly. ¡°Kyaaaa!¡± The chains anchored in the ground were violently ripped out, iling in the air. Boom! Boom boom boom! The chains themselves were sturdy, but the ground holding them wasn¡¯t strong enough to withstand her force. The red chains, like whips,shed out in all directions, attacking the members of the King¡¯s Order instead. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Lord Karnak!¡± The shout was meant to urge him to prepare the next spell after the failure of the previous one. But Karnak remained calm. ¡®I didn¡¯t fail.¡¯ This was part of the n all along. Without hesitation, Karnak activated the next spell. ¡°Rise, spirits of the earth!¡± Rumble! The ground shook as mounds of earth rose, transforming into five y giants. In an instant, Karnak had summoned not one but five golems. Trib and Harris were left in shock, their mouths agape. ¡®By the heavens, did he just summon five golems at once?¡¯ ¡®Even Captain Jiken¡¯s limit was two, wasn¡¯t it?¡¯ Jiken was just as surprised. ¡®They said a genius Archmage had appeared in the Kingdom of Yustil¡­¡¯ This wasn¡¯t merely about mana or the level of one¡¯s magic circle. It was a testament to Karnak¡¯s incredible mana maniption and processing abilities. ¡®He really is a talent blessed by the heavens.¡¯ In reality, it was simply because this particr spell didn¡¯t require muchputational power. ¡®Well, I guess everyone thinks I¡¯m a genius.¡¯ Karnak felt slightly awkward under their intense gazes, but he remainedposed. ¡®I can¡¯t let it show.¡¯ With a confident expression, Karnak gave themand. ¡°Subdue the enemy, my servants!¡± The y giants grasped the red chains and pulled with immense force. Though slow in movement, golems are known for their immense strength. Both the cursed sword and the girl were left dangling helplessly in midair. ¡°Kyaaah!¡± The girl screamed and struggled, but it was futile. Once her feet had left the ground, she couldn¡¯t muster the strength to break free. ¡°Now! Strike!¡± At Karnak¡¯s signal, the three aura users moved. Serati quickly grabbed the girl from behind, immobilizing her. In that moment, Harris struck the cursed sword with a powerful blow. The impact caused the girl to drop the sword. ng! However, the connection wasn¡¯tpletely severed yet. A fiery ck aura still linked the girl and the cursed sword. As long as this me remained, the girl was still the sword¡¯s host. Trib raised his sword high above his head, readying himself for a decisive strike. With overwhelming force, he brought it down. ¡°Take this!¡± Earth Smasher. It was his most powerful finishing blow, and it mmed into the fiery connection between the girl and the cursed sword. An enormous explosion followed. Boom! The girl¡¯s body was flung backward, skipping across the ground like a stone on water. Atst, she had been freed from the cursed sword¡¯s control. Serati quickly rushed forward, scooping the girl up and retreating to safety. ¡°We¡¯ve rescued her!¡± The cursed sword, now alone, vibrated wildly in the air, emitting a frantic, ominous hum. Woom woom woom woom woom! But it was toote for any further resistance. Karnak¡¯s chains fully coiled around the sword¡¯s de, while light from Jiken¡¯s crystal prison pressed down on it. Finally, the ck mes extinguished, and the cursed sword¡¯s eerie cries ceased. ¡°Good!¡± A satisfied smile spread across Jiken¡¯s face. ¡°We¡¯ve finally secured it for real this time!¡± Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Jiken fired a me spell into the sky. Whoooosh! Bang! It was a signal for the King¡¯s Order to return after thepletion of the cursed sword capture operation. Meanwhile, Karnak was binding the cursed sword with chains of mana. As he infused mana into it, he called out to Jiken. ¡°If you¡¯re done, give me a hand over here.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± After dispelling the crystal prison magic, Jiken headed toward the cursed sword and added his mana to Karnak¡¯s chains. For now, they temporarily suppressed the power of the cursed sword, waiting for Meili and Millia. Once the two clerics arrived, they would seal the sword for good with holy spells. While the two mages were managing the cursed sword, Trib and Harris approached Serati. She hadid the ash-gray-haired girl they had rescued on the ground and was carefully examining her. ¡°What should we do with her?¡± Serati asked, and Trib responded calmly. ¡°We¡¯ll leave her to priestess Meili when she arrives.¡± He looked down at the girl with pity. ¡°Tsk, tsk. She¡¯s so young, and to have gone through something like this¡­¡± Harris, too, looked at the girl with sympathy. ¡°Will she wake up safely? Her body must be badly damaged.¡± Suddenly, Harris tilted his head in puzzlement. ¡°Something¡¯s strange.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I assumed her body would be in bad shape, but¡­¡± Trib soon understood Harris¡¯s point. ¡°You¡¯re right. This is odd.¡± For aura users, it¡¯s rtively easy to assess someone¡¯s physical condition at a nce. To their surprise, the ash-gray-haired girl didn¡¯t seem injured at all. She was filthy, with dirt on her body, but physically, she appeared perfectly healthy. ¡°Could the cursed sword¡¯s influence have had some unexpected beneficial effect on her?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s some kind of miracle medicine.¡± While the three of them were pondering this strange situation, a faint aura began to emanate from the girl¡¯s body. Serati, startled, bristled. ¡°What is this?¡± It was an intense aura, something no ordinary girl could possess. rmed, Trib nced at the cursed sword Mareda. ¡°Could it be that the connection wasn¡¯t severed?¡± No, there was still no discernible link between the cursed sword and the girl. So, what was this power? ¡®It doesn¡¯t even seem like necromancy¡­¡¯ Suddenly, the girl¡¯s eyes snapped open. At the same moment, the three aura users leapt into the air like startled cats. ¡°Gah!¡± ¡°Ahh!¡± ¡°Eeek!¡± It wasn¡¯t because they sensed any killing intent. The overwhelming sensation that washed over them caused their bodies to react instinctively. But for aura users of their caliber, even Trib, who was at the Blue rank, to be startled like this? ¡®What the heck is going on?¡¯ As they watched in astonishment, the ash-gray-haired girl slowly rose to her feet. She appeared normal. It was just a simple act of standing up. Yet, an inexplicable sense of pressure weighed down on their shoulders. The reason became clear soon enough. Behind the small girl¡¯s back, a purple haze began to rise. A terrifying power of destruction spread outward, manifesting as a purple mist. Trib and Harris¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°¡­An aura user?¡± ¡°And a Purple Knight at that?¡± *** The girl was barely twelve or thirteen years old. Even if she had started martial training as a toddler, at best she would have only mastered the basics by now. Of course, there are rare geniuses in the world. Some are blessed with such talent that they awaken their aura at an incredibly young age. After all, even Serati, standing here now, was a genius who had awakened her aura in her early twenties. Especially in this era, where the strongest warriors, the Four Great Martial Kings, had all awakened their aura in their mid-teens. But awakening at that age is one thing; being at the Purple-level at such a young age is unheard of. So, this phenomenon had to be rted to the cursed sword Mareda¡­ But there was no connection! They still couldn¡¯t sense any link between the girl and the sword! As Trib and Harris stood there, baffled, the girl muttered softly. ¡°Humans¡­¡± With a faint voice, she took a step forward. ¡°I have to save humans¡­¡± At the same time, her figure blurred. In an instant, she appeared on Harris¡¯s left side. Startled, Harris twisted his body, but the girl was already gone. She had slipped into his blind spot and moved to his right! ¡®F-Fast!¡¯ She flowed with the momentum and darted forward, her delicate fingers curling softly into a cute fist. Then, with a single blow to the sr plexus¡ª ¡°Ugh¡­¡± A purple wave engulfed Harris¡¯s entire body. With just one strike, his mind blurred, and his knees buckled. ¡°S-Sir Harris!¡± Startled, Trib drew his sword, igniting his battle aura. The situation made no sense. How could she be stronger now than when she held the cursed sword? ¡°Take this!¡± With a loud cry, Trib swung his sword with all his might. But the girl was already gone. ¡°I must¡­ save them¡­¡± She left only a faint whisper as she slipped into his range. Under the blood-soaked ash-gray hair, her blue eyes gleamed. In a sh, she jumped and delivered a high kick. Wham! The kick struck Trib precisely on the neck like a whip. There was no pain. It was simply astonishing how quickly his consciousness faded. ¡®W-What¡¯s happening¡­?¡¯ Serati stood in stunned silence as she watched the two fall. ¡°My god¡­¡± They were both taken down before they could even react. Her movements were just that overwhelming. The girl turned her gaze toward Serati. ¡°Subject¡­¡± Serati was confused. Why did she call her something different? No, it wasn¡¯t just the title that was different. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± Suddenly, a fierce killing intent surged from the girl¡¯s entire body. Her reaction to Serati was entirely different than when she fought Trib and Harris. A barrage of punches and kicks rained down like a storm. Serati barely dodged, gritting her teeth. ¡®Hey! Why am I the only one getting this treatment?¡¯ It felt unfair! She was the one who saved the girl first! But ironically, because the killing intent was so intense, she could at least sense and avoid it. Trib and Harris had no warning and couldn¡¯t defend themselves, but when facing Serati, the killing intent was so obvious that she could react. This was a mistake that a true Purple-ss aura user would never make. Of course, even with that, Serati could only hold out for ¡®a little longer.¡¯ ¡°A-Aahhh!¡± Just before Serati copsed, a stream of scorching mes shot toward the girl from behind. The girl quickly retreated, and an explosion urred where she had stood. Boom! Jiken had fired a spell in haste, saving her. ¡°Are you unharmed, Dame Serati?¡± The girl stopped her assault and red at Jiken. ¡°Humans¡­¡± She muttered another iprehensible phrase. ¡°I must save humans¡­¡± The killing intent vanished, and her attacks resumed, now elegant and swift. The problem was that her graceful strikes were so fast and gave no warning. Before Jiken could even react, the girl closed the distance between them. ¡°Wha¡ª?¡± Jiken¡¯s chin was sent spinning with a sudden elbow strike. His brain rattled, and his legs gave out as he copsed like a puppet. Thud! ¡°Sir Jiken!¡± Karnak, who arrived a moment toote, stared at the girl in shock. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Serati?¡± The girl now set her sights on Karnak, and again, her expression changed. With intense fury, she shouted. ¡°¡­Karnak!¡± ¡®Huh? How does she know my name?¡¯ Then it urred to him¡ªthey had been calling each other by name quite a bit, so maybe she had overheard. But why was she so angry? The next title, however, was beyondprehension. ¡°Cursed Death King!¡± Karnak¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°¡­What?¡± *** Growling like a beast, the girl red at Karnak. Her dirt-streaked face was revealed beneath the matted ash-gray hair. It was the face of the child he had seen many times before. ¡®Who is she? How does she know my past?¡¯ He had no idea. Karnak had never cared much for others. He didn¡¯t bother remembering the appearances of people he encountered unless absolutely necessary. ¡®But for some reason, she feels¡­ familiar¡­¡¯ Once again, a purple aura red up around the girl¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Arrrghhh!¡± With a scream, sheunched herself forward. Though her hand merely came down in a light chop, it carried an overwhelming force. Boom! Boom! Boom! The purple aura de surged toward Karnak as if it would slice him apart. Serati urgently stepped in front of him. ¡°Lord Karnak!¡± She tried to deflect the attack with her sword coated in battle aura, but the difference in power was overwhelming. She was sted backward in an instant. ¡°Ugh!¡± Even as she was flung back, she couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡®What¡­ How can there be such a difference in power¡­?¡¯ She was using all her strength, coating her de in aura, and swinging with all her might, while the girl had only casually released the aura with her bare hands¡ªand yet it crushed her so easily? How vast was the gap between them? With Serati out of the way, the girl aimed a hand de strike at Karnak¡¯s head. Desperate, Karnak resorted to necromancy. ¡°Shadows, protect me!¡± There was no time to use chaos magic. Only necromancy, a skill so ingrained in him that he could cast it even in his sleep, could be activated in time. The purple aura collided with the necromantic barrier, producing a deafening explosion. Boom! The barrier shattered in a single strike, and Karnak was hurled backward. ¡°Argh!¡± At this rate, he was about to be beheaded in an instant. As his face turned pale, something happened. From afar, about a dozen arrows flew through the air. Whoosh! Whoosh! The girl, who had been chasing Karnak, stopped and turned her head. Aura red from her entire body, and she shattered the iing arrows mid-air with ease. Bang! Bang! Bang! Karnak, barely alive, saw a group of soldiers charging toward them from across the valley. ¡°Young master!¡± ¡°Lord Karnak!¡± ¡°Captain!¡± It was the 1st and 7th Battalions of the King¡¯s Order, led by Baros. They had finally returned after receiving Jiken¡¯s signal. Seeing the fallen Karnak, Millia shouted in warning. ¡°Be careful! The enemy is using necromancy!¡± From her distant vantage point, she had mistakenly assumed that the barrier Karnak had summoned was the girl¡¯s attack. Karnak was relieved. He had almost been caught. The King¡¯s Order soldiers surrounded the girl, looking around cautiously. ¡°Captain Jiken?¡± ¡°And Sir Trib¡­¡± Baros surveyed the scene, taking in the fallenrades and assessing the situation. ¡°The mission was a failure. What about the cursed sword Mareda¡­?¡± Then he realized¡ªhe didn¡¯t fully understand the situation yet. The girl¡¯s hands were empty. ¡°Wait a minute¡­ Where¡¯s the cursed sword?¡± In the distance, the massive two-handed sword was lying on the ground, tightly bound in mana chains. The soldiers muttered in confusion. ¡°The cursed sword is over there?¡± ¡°Then why¡­ What¡¯s going on with this girl?¡± No one could grasp what was happening. Had the mission seeded, or had it failed? Meanwhile, the girl calmly observed the King¡¯s Order soldiers surrounding her. She no longer pursued Karnak and Serati. Instead, she seemed to be prioritizing the soldiers. ¡°Humans¡­¡± Her ominous voice came out once again. ¡°I must save humans¡­¡± Chapter 92 Chapter 92 The girl moved forward. With calm eyes and firmly pressed lips, she maintained an indifferent expression as she approached. ¡®Huh?¡¯ In that moment, the members of the King¡¯s Order couldn¡¯t react. It was just too natural. There was no killing intent, no hostility, not even the slightest sign of annoyance. Thud! Suddenly, a sh struck. Apanied by a faint scream, the member was flung into the air. ¡°Ugh¡­ ugh¡­¡± It was a front kick that urately struck the chin, closing the distance in an instant. Adding to that, the kick was imbued with aura, so the trained warrior was knocked out in a single blow. A momentter, the other members rushed at the girl. ¡°What the hell?¡± ¡°Why were we just standing there, spacing out?¡± shes came flying from both sides. The girl twisted her body and raised both hands. Thwack! It wasn¡¯t even particrly fast, but the timing was so precise that she caught the des between her fingers. Then, a low voice followed. ¡°I must save¡­¡± The members whose des had been caught widened their eyes in shock. ¡®Huh?¡¯ ¡®Is this even possible?¡¯ In legendary tales, it¡¯smon for a master to catch des with their fingers, but seeing it happen in reality was a first for them! ¡°Humans¡­¡± The girl muttered softly as she shook her arms. A purple wave of aura traveled along the des, striking the two members. ¡°Gah!¡± ¡°Aagh!¡± Another tworades fell unconscious, copsing to the ground. The King¡¯s Order was thrown into chaos. They couldn¡¯t understand why she kept saying she wanted to save them, yet continued to knock them out, and the girl was simply too strong! ¡°Everyone, be careful! It¡¯s not just about that cursed sword!¡± ¡°Damn it! Why is she even more monstrous when she¡¯s unarmed?¡± Meanwhile, Serati was guarding Karnak. Though ¡®guarding¡¯ might be an overstatement, as in reality, she was just keeping herself out of harm¡¯s way while the others fought. It wasn¡¯t her usual behavior, but she had no choice. Just thinking of the overwhelming killing intent from earlier made her legs shake. She couldn¡¯t even bring herself to move. At least the fact that the girl¡¯s attackscked any killing intent eased her guilty conscience slightly. ¡®But honestly, she¡¯s treating thempletely differently from how she treated me.¡¯ When she fought Serati, it was as if the girl had encountered her mortal enemy, overflowing with rage and killing intent, but now she was merely knocking out the other King¡¯s Order members. It wasn¡¯t just that she was holding back. Even when she had the chance to deal a finishing blow, if it looked like they might get seriously hurt, she deliberately changed her stance and withdrew. She went out of her way to ensure that her attacks left nosting injuries. Even during sparring withrades, no one could be this careful about their opponent¡¯s safety. Karnak clicked his tongue and muttered. [At least one thing is clear.] [What is?] [How such a powerful cursed sword could exist in the first ce.] The cursed sword isn¡¯t strong. The sword itself is just an ordinary monster. It¡¯s just that the girl is too powerful! [The cursed sword merely supplemented her with energy, and it was the girl¡¯s own skill that used it so efficiently.] In fact, it could be said that she was weaker because she was holding the cursed sword. What on earth is her identity, that she can disy such immense abilities at her age? Serati pressed Karnak for answers. [Think about it carefully. What have you done?] [Why do you immediately assume I¡¯m the culprit?] [In this situation, how could someone searching for the Death King have nothing to do with you?] [It could be a coincidence!] In the meantime, the battle had entered a brief lull. Whenever anyone approached her, they were knocked out swiftly, so no one dared to charge recklessly. As the King¡¯s Order hesitated, the girl didn¡¯tunch any additional attacks either. Taking advantage of the lull, Baros cautiously inched closer. ¡®Wow, she¡¯s really strong. But for some reason, she seems oddly familiar¡­¡¯ And then it happened. The girl¡¯s face suddenly changed when she saw him. mes flickered in her eyes, and the purple aura around her body red up dramatically! ¡°Lord Baros!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Baros was stunned. She called him Lord Baros, not Sir Baros? That title wasn¡¯t used for him in this timeline. The girl¡¯s sharp shout erupted like a scream. ¡°Die!¡± The girlunched herself at Baros. It was just like when she faced Serati¡ªunmistakable killing intent, extreme fury pouring out as a merciless barrage of aura. ¡°Ahh! Aaahhh!¡± Her killing intent was so obvious that it made her trajectory easy to predict. Startled Baros rolled on the ground, dodging desperately. Other members of the King¡¯s Order hurriedly moved in to assist. ¡°Hah!¡± ¡°She suddenly went berserk?¡± ¡°Sir Baros!¡± Serati and Karnak, watching the scene unfold, muttered nkly. [It¡¯s confirmed.] [Yeah, I¡¯m the culprit.] At this point, there was no denying it. She was calling Karnak the Death King and directing pure hatred toward Baros, who had once been a Death Knight Lord. There was no way this was a coincidence. Baros, having barely escaped, caught his breath and adjusted his stance, wiping sweat from his brow. ¡°Huff, huff¡­ That was close.¡± He slowly backed away, letting other members take his ce. The girl, watching them, hesitated for a moment. Fighting with bare hands kept letting her ¡®target¡¯ escape. She needed a sharper offensive approach. The girl reached out her hand towards the fallen member of the King¡¯s Order. A longsword that the member had dropped floated into the air andnded in her grip. She let both arms hang down at her sides. Bzzzz! A blue aura surged up the longsword in her right hand, while her left hand became enveloped in a red battle aura. Over her shoulder, a purple aura continued to rise like a mist. The members of the King¡¯s Order blinked in confusion. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°How is she doing that?¡± She was simultaneously manifesting a red and blue aura, all atop a foundation of purple aura. It was a transcendent level of mastery, where even the attributes and intensity of aura could be freely altered. ¡°Even themander can¡¯t do that, can he?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that something only possible if you¡¯ve at least mastered the Silver Sword Aura?¡± Baros looked equally bewildered. [What is this, young master? Has there ever been a swordsman in this era capable of something like that at her age?] Serati asked. [Is that supposed to be difficult?] In the past, when Baros had possessed her body, he had demonstrated a simr technique. Since he made it look so easy, she had assumed that once you reached a certain level, everyone could do it. Baros snapped back in frustration. [Of course it¡¯s difficult! Only someone at my level can pull it off!] Karnak¡¯s expression darkened. [So, you¡¯re saying that girl has aura maniption skills on par with you, Baros?] Although he had lost all his power after returning to this era, Baros had once been the strongest swordsman, taking down three of the Four Martial Kings. ¡®It does feel oddly familiar¡­¡¯ Baros narrowed his eyes. It wasn¡¯t that her martial arts techniques felt familiar. The techniques she used were basic andmon, not belonging to any particr school. But the flow of her aura, the essence of her martial arts, was something he had definitely encountered before. ¡®Where have I seen this?¡¯ Karnak, too, was getting a simr feeling, but from a different perspective. He didn¡¯t know much about martial arts¡ªit wasn¡¯t his area of expertise. But the flow of martial essence embedded in her movements was unmistakable. ¡®Strange. We¡¯ve never met before, so why does this feel so familiar¡­?¡¯ Just then, the girl turned her gaze. ¡°Lord Baros¡­¡± Then, she suddenly screamed with fury. ¡°ursed dog of the Death King!¡± The members of the King¡¯s Order looked bewildered. From their perspective, this outburst waspletely out of the blue. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± But for Karnak and Baros, it was a shout that dredged up memories from the far recesses of their minds. ¡°Guh!¡± ¡°Oh, no!¡± Both of them realized where this familiarity stemmed from. ¡°This¡­ this is bad!¡± Suddenly, Karnak waved his wand frantically, his face pale as he shouted. ¡°Explode, sh of light!¡± Ten magic bullets radiated beams of light, slicing through the air. The girl didn¡¯t even bother dodging. She just stared at the magic bullets, draping herself in an aura shield. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The magic bullets struck her, erupting in rapid, deafening explosions. But they couldn¡¯t harm her. She stood like an unshakable mountain, enduring the entire assault without flinching. Taking advantage of this, Karnak spun around quickly. ¡°Baros! Serati!¡± He knew that whether she was hit by one shot or ten, they wouldn¡¯t be able to prate her aura defense. That much was clear. But there was one benefit to firing ten shots. The dust cloud was ten times bigger! ¡°Run!¡± After blocking the girl¡¯s view, Karnak started sprinting at full speed. Baros followed suit, groaning strangely. ¡°E!¡± Given the situation, Serati had no choice but to follow them as well. As she chased after them, she asked in disbelief, ¡°What¡¯s going on with you two? Do you really know her?¡± It was the first time she had seen these two, who were usually full of themselves, so pale and shaken. They didn¡¯t even have the presence of mind to use discreet magicalmunication. ¡°It¡¯s Laficel!¡± Karnak replied between gasps. ¡°The Martial King of Syphras! Laficel Crot¨¦um!¡± *** The members of the 1st Battalion of the King¡¯s Order werepletely bewildered. ¡®What now?¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ Their leaders¡ªZiken, Trib, and Harris¡ªhad all been taken down. So the only ones left tomand the King¡¯s Order were Karnak, Baros, and Serati. But those crucial leaders suddenly up and fled, abandoning all their subordinates? ¡®Should we run too?¡¯ ¡®But we can¡¯t just leave our fallenrades!¡¯ While the entire 1st Battalion was in a state of confusion, the 7th Battalion seemed oddly unfazed. ¡°Looks like he¡¯s up to something again, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s always like this.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t he ever talk it through with us first?¡± As if ustomed to such situations, they calmly surrounded the girl and prepared for battle. Despite being abandoned by their leader, they showed no signs of feeling betrayed. If Karnak had been a cowardly man, the troops would have undoubtedly despised him. But surprisingly, he was held in fairly high regard by his subordinates. For one, he rarely pushed his men into dangerous situations, preferring to avoid sending them into harm¡¯s way. (Though, in reality, it was easier for him to use necromancy without his men around, so he intentionally kept them at a distance.) He also never forced them into unreasonable missions just to im military honors. (He prioritized capturing cultists himself to extract information rather than relying on the battalion¡¯s collective achievements.) And most importantly, Karnak was extremely diligent about providing his troops with food and drink. For reasons unknown, he approached meal preparation with a near-religious fervor, as though their very souls depended on it. For those who work with their bodies, having a superior who ensures proper meals is a vital matter. He had always been a good leader, frequently moving in secret, and often did things that seemed nonsensical at the time. So, a sudden retreat wasn¡¯t all that shocking. ¡°Looks like Captain Karnak has a n!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s follow his lead!¡± The 7th Battalion threw themselves into blocking the girl¡¯s path. Thanks to their efforts, Karnak, Baros, and Serati managed to safely reach the entrance of the canyon. As he caught his breath, Karnak shivered. ¡°By the gods, it really is Laficel!¡± Baros wore a simrly exhausted expression. ¡°How is Laficel here, young master?¡± Serati, looking between the two, cautiously asked, ¡°Who exactly is Laficel?¡± Chapter 93 Chapter 93 The only woman among the Four Martial Kings, Laficel Crot¨¦um. She is the youngest person in history to have earned the title of Martial King and a great hero of humanity who continued to fight against the Death King, even after the entire world had sumbed to his terror. Karnak and Baros looked at Serati with disbelief. ¡°How do you not know?¡± ¡°She¡¯s one of the Four Martial Kings, right?¡± Serati still didn¡¯t understand. ¡°There¡¯s no one named Laficel among the Four Martial Kings.¡± The name Crot¨¦um was familiar, though. Beltia Crot¨¦um, a swordswoman from Syphras, was currently one of the Four Martial Kings and the only woman among them, known as an absolute powerhouse. However, she was now over forty years old, a mature woman. She wasn¡¯t some young girl. ¡°Oh, right¡­¡± Karnak and Baros finally realized. They had momentarily gotten confused, but in retrospect, it made sense that Serati wouldn¡¯t know Laficel. ¡°At this point in time, Laficel hasn¡¯t be a Martial King yet, has she?¡± ¡°More than that, most of the future Four Martial Kings haven¡¯t attained that title at this point in time.¡± Laven Strauss was still acting as the sessor to his father, Martial King Gard Strauss. Malikan Tun was still training in seclusion in the eastern refuge and hadn¡¯t yet reached the level of a Martial King. ¡°Dreltain Telix should be active, though. He was a Martial King even in this era.¡± However, instead of being the elderly swordsman they remembered in his sixties, at this time, he was a vigorous young swordsman in his thirties, having just be a Martial King. As for Laficel Crot¨¦um¡­ ¡°She hasn¡¯t even be Beltia¡¯s disciple yet in this era.¡± It would be another 20 years after bing Beltia¡¯s disciple and taking on the surname Crot¨¦um before she finally earned the title of Martial King. Serati nced at the gray-haired girl confronting the King¡¯s Order. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that girl is a future Martial King?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then how¡­?¡± The girl continued elegantly and gracefully knocking out the members of the King¡¯s Order, one by one. Even though she was wielding a sword, she didn¡¯t sh at them. She bluntly gathered her aura into her weapon, using the sword like a club rather than a de. It was apletely different demeanor from how she had treated Karnak and his group. ¡°What did you do to this future Martial King that makes her act as if she¡¯s facing her sworn enemy?¡± Suddenly, Karnak looked sheepish and avoided eye contact. ¡°Well, it¡¯s just that¡­¡± With a sigh, Baros answered for him. ¡°¡­Because we are her sworn enemies, of course.¡± *** It happened when Karnak was fully establishing his infamous reputation as the Death King, turning the world upside down. By then, most of humanity had already bent the knee to his undead army. Even the three Archmages and most of the Four Martial Kings had fallen helplessly before the vast powers of the Death King and his cursed subordinates. However, Laficel did not submit. She never bowed, no matter what trials and hardships she faced. Even when despair came her way, she rose again and steadfastly opposed the darkness. Her unyielding resolve was nothing less than a beacon of hope for humanity. From the perspective of the Death King, she was a major thorn in his side. As Laficel¡¯s continued efforts against the Necropia Empire persisted, Karnak finally decided to personally intervene. ¡°What did you do to her?¡± ¡°My original n was to capture her master, Beltia, and use her as a hostage.¡± But the hostage n didn¡¯t work. Even though she shed tears of blood for her beloved master, Laficel abandoned her and continued to resist the Death King. She was fighting for justice, for humanity, with unwavering resolve. ¡°So, I turned Beltia into an undead and ordered her to capture Laficel,¡± Karnak said. Serati¡¯s mouth dropped open. ¡°What?¡± So, he turned her only master, practically like a parent, into an undead and forced them to fight each other? ¡°I mean, I captured her, so I had to make use of her somehow, right? And Beltia, while past her prime, was still quite useful¡­¡± ¡°You¡­ monster.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Listening to this, Serati thought it made perfect sense why Laficel would consider Karnak her sworn enemy. But Baros then interjected. ¡°The real story hasn¡¯t even started yet.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not the end of it?¡± After Laficel cut down Beltia, she was consumed by even more fury and resisted Karnak with all her might. However, even she couldn¡¯t withstand Karnak after he had transformed into Astra Spiritus. In the end, her sword broke against the overwhelming onught of his undead army. Karnak inflicted a truly horrific punishment on the captured Laficel. He stripped her bones to turn them into skeleton soldiers, tore off her flesh to create a flesh golem, and separated her soul to seal it within Living Armor. ¡ªYou insolent woman who dared to defy me! I will make you suffer in a hell where you can neither live nor die for all eternity! ¡°¡­or so he said,¡± Baros concluded. Serati turned to look at Karnak, her gaze colder than it would have been if she had spotted a cockroach. ¡°Wow, even demons would weep at this¡­¡± ¡°I have made many demons weep, actually. You saw it yourself, Serati. Maz-nun, that demon weeped as he disappeared¡­¡± ¡°Stop changing the subject.¡± ¡°Okay, sorry.¡± Seeing him hang his head apologetically, it seemed Karnak finally understood just how atrocious his actions had been. Not that this excused him in the slightest, of course. With a sigh, Serati muttered under her breath, ¡°Now I understand why she screamed and ran the moment she saw you, Lord Karnak.¡± If she had experienced something like that in a past life, she would have done the same. It also made perfect sense why Laficel was so intent on trying to kill both Baros and herself. One was a close subordinate of the Death King, and the other was his servant. But then Serati tilted her head in confusion. ¡®Wait, a past life?¡¯ As she spoke, she realized something important. ¡°Are you saying that girl is the future Martial King?¡± Not ¡®a girl who will be the Martial King in the future,¡¯ but the actual future Martial King herself. That would exin why she reacted with such fury and hatred upon seeing Karnak. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Karnak had a grave expression on his face. ¡°That¡¯s the future Laficel. Her soul has traveled back through time like ours.¡± He had realized that her soul came from the future as soon as he identified her. No matter how strong the future Martial King was, in this current time, she was only around twelve or thirteen years old and hadn¡¯t even met her master, Beltia, yet. There was no way she should possess that kind of power. The real mystery was how she had followed them to this point in time. ¡°How did she manage to follow us back here?¡± Karnak wondered. *** The 1st and 7th battalions of the King¡¯s Order were still trying to block the girl¡¯s path. The 7th battalion, fully trusting Karnak, threw themselves into the fight with all their might¡­ ¡®Oh man, I¡¯m gonna die.¡¯ ¡®I wonder when Captain Karnak wille back.¡¯ The 1st battalion, on the other hand, fought with skepticism they couldn¡¯t entirely shake off. ¡®Are we really following some sort of n?¡¯ ¡®Didn¡¯t he just run away?¡¯ Even so, none of them retreated. They had begun to realize something important: it was fine to get knocked out by that girl. Those who had been struck by her fell with such grace. There wasn¡¯t even a bruise or a sign of serious injury. She was fighting with a thoroughly cautious, safety-first attitude. ¡®Not sure why, but¡­¡¯ ¡®If things go on like this, we can charge in without worry!¡¯ Though, realistically, they shouldn¡¯t have felt so relieved. Just because there were no external injuries didn¡¯t guarantee they were fine. They could look unharmed on the outside but have a broken spine and be paralyzed inside, right? But they deliberately ignored that thought. Considering such things wouldn¡¯t help in the current situation anyway. With their fighting spirit rising, the 7th Battalion relentlessly charged forward. ¡°Just hold her back!¡± ¡°We¡¯re fine even if we fall!¡± ¡°If we buy enough time, Captain Karnak will figure something out!¡± Karnak¡¯s response to this deep trust and beautiful camaraderie was: ¡°The others are getting hunted down, so let¡¯s use this chance to put more distance between us.¡± Watching the battle unfold, Karnak and Baros quietly edged backward. Serati was shocked, and asked, ¡°Are you really going to use yourrades as bait?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll be fine. I told you, they won¡¯t die,¡± Karnak replied. Baros had a simr reaction. ¡°They won¡¯t end up crippled either. Laficel wasn¡¯t that kind of person.¡± She was the hope of humanity, someone who never did anything unjust, no matter the situation. Even when her own life was at risk, she never sacrificed the innocent. Though she was their enemy, both Karnak and Baros acknowledged that Laficel was a true hero. Which made Serati stare at them in even greater disbelief. ¡®So you did something so monstrous to such an incredible hero, tore apart her soul, and tortured her? Why am I following these guys?¡¯ Serious doubts about her choices began to creep in. ¡°Come to think of it, it¡¯s strange. Why does she harbor so much hatred for me as well?¡± Serati wondered aloud. Karnak? Anyone could see that he deserved her fury. Baros? The same. But Serati hadn¡¯t done anything to Laficel, so why the intense hatred? Karnak shot her a nce. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because she sees you as a cowardly human who sold their soul to a vile necromancer to save your own life.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Leaving the now deted Serati behind, Karnak and his group continued deeper into the canyon. Eventually, they found a suitably secluded rock to hide behind. ¡°Curtain of Chaos, drape over me and deceive the eyes of my enemies¡­.¡± A 6th Circle concealment spell spread around them, cloaking them in an illusion and hiding not only their appearance but also their presence and scent. It was a higher-tier invisibility spell. Only after this did Karnak allow himself to rx. ¡°We¡¯ll figure out how she got hereter¡­¡± Right now, that wasn¡¯t the problem. Surviving was. ¡°How do we catch her?¡± Karnak asked, watching Laficel fight. Baros replied, ¡°Herbat instincts are still as sharp as ever. Just like back in the day.¡± ¡°Yeah. Ugh, I really don¡¯t want to face her.¡± As the two shuddered at the thought, Serati asked, ¡°Just how strong was she?¡± Karnak and Baros answered simultaneously. ¡°She was the strongest of the Four Martial Kings.¡± ¡°She was strong, obviously. But the weakest of the Four Martial Kings.¡± Serati blinked, confused. ¡°Why are you two sayingpletely different things?¡± *** The other Martial Kings were born into noble families and received systematic training from a young age. In contrast, Laficel¡¯s childhood was anything but privileged. In fact, it would be more urate to say it wasn¡¯t even ordinary. Born into a poor,mon family, she grew up struggling, eventually losing her parents to bandits and bing an orphan. Before she was taken in by Beltia, she didn¡¯t even have the luxury of training in martial arts. Her daily life was a constant struggle just to get by. But on the flip side, despite such circumstances, she was so exceptionally talented that when the Martial King of the time saw her, she immediately took her in as her personal disciple. ¡°Her talent was truly overwhelming.¡± Of course, talent alone wasn¡¯t enough to surpass the other Martial Kings. After all, no one reaches the level of Martial King without being a genius. To be a Martial King, one had to be naturally gifted, receive ample support, dedicate themselves to grueling efforts, and even have a bit of luck on their side. That¡¯s why Laficel was considered the weakest of the Four Martial Kings. ¡°But she had a knack for adapting quickly to any situation.¡± She was strongest when facing enemies no one had ever encountered before. No matter how bizarre the enemy¡¯s techniques were, she always found a way to break through. From Baros¡¯ perspective, as a warrior, she was somewhat easier to deal with. But for Karnak, a necromancer, she was the most troublesome of the Four Martial Kings. ¡°Oh, she was such a pain,¡± Karnak muttered, ncing over the rock. ¡°Fortunately, she¡¯s not as formidable as she used to be.¡± Serati, shocked, asked, ¡°You mean she¡¯s weaker now?¡± ¡°Of course. You think someone could be a Martial King with just that level of skill?¡± ¡°Exactly. The sky¡¯s still blue, and the ground hasn¡¯t split open, has it? She¡¯s stuck in a young, untrained body right now, that¡¯s why she¡¯s like that,¡± Baros exined. Serati¡¯s face went nk. So, when Laficel was in her prime, the sky would change color and the ground would crack? How strong are these Martial Kings supposed to be? And what does that make Baros, who defeated them all? ¡°So what¡¯s the difference between Sir Baros and that girl?¡± she asked. ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± She understood that both of them were once monstrous beings who had fallen from their prime. But the degree of their decline seemed different. Unlike Baros, who couldn¡¯t even use his aura anymore, that girl was freely unleashing a purple aura. ¡°You said you two were equals back in the day, but now the gap between you is enormous¡­¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s different circumstances. Baros and that girl¡­¡± In the middle of their conversation, something clicked. ¡°Aha!¡± Karnak¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Of course! There¡¯s that method!¡± Chapter 94 Chapter 94 Laficel was still calmly dealing with the King¡¯s Order. She coated her de with a blunt aura, turning it into a club, and knocked them out just enough without overdoing it. At this point, it was closer to anesthesia than simply knocking them out. By now, more than half of the 1st and 7th battalions were sprawled across the ground. Only about 10 remained standing. ¡®Damn it¡­¡¯ ¡®How long is this going to go on?¡¯ ¡®What the hell is Captain Karnak doing?¡¯ Even if the opponent showed no intent to kill, continuing to fight against such a stark difference in skill wasn¡¯t easy. The fact that they held out this long proved just how elite the King¡¯s Order truly was. The members began to slowly step back, and some even discreetly opened gaps in their encirclement. It was a tant gesture. ¡®Look, we¡¯ve done our part, now go to Captain Karnak!¡¯ However, the girl, Laficel¡¯s demeanor suddenly changed. ¡°Humans¡­¡± She muttered while ncing between those who had fallen and those who remained standing. ¡°I have to save them¡­¡± Then, sheunched herself toward those who had retreated. The members widened their eyes in shock. ¡°What the?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she going after the captain?¡± The girl, who had only been passively countering their attacks, was now proactively attacking the King¡¯s Order. It was merciful, but from the perspective of those being hit, it was merciless. The storm of blunt aura strikes rained down on the remaining members. ¡°Urgh!¡± ¡°T-this¡­!¡± None of them could properly resist and helplessly copsed to the ground. They couldn¡¯t even run away properly. Human psychology is often governed by inertia. With the subconscious belief that retreating was not an option, they couldn¡¯t switch to escape mode quickly enough. In the end, even thest person fell unconscious from Laficel¡¯s blow. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± With that, every member of the King¡¯s Order present was rendered incapable of fighting. Laficel looked around. ¡°Humans¡­¡± And then, a faint smile spread across her face. ¡°I saved them¡­¡± Though the fallen members would certainly disagree, it seemed to be a satisfying oue for her. Having extinguished the immediate threat, it was now time to focus on the real target. A purple light gleamed from Laficel¡¯s eyes. She red across the canyon and growled. ¡°¡­Death King!¡± *** Within the cracks of a massive rock near the canyon. Karnak hid in the shadows, nervously biting his nails. ¡®Did they all fall?¡¯ In the distance, the girl was slowly making her way toward him. ¡®I thought they could hold out a bit longer¡­¡¯ Serati checked on the fallenrades and asked, [Are they going to be okay?] Although they looked perfectly fine on the surface, as if they were simply sleeping, it was clear they wouldn¡¯t wake up anytime soon. They likely wouldn¡¯t regain consciousness for at least half a day. [They¡¯ll be fine. There shouldn¡¯t be any major problems,] Karnak shook his head. [Laficel has a lot of experience knocking humans unconscious,] he added. Apparently, she was quite skilled at knocking people out without anysting aftereffects. [Why does she have so much experience with that?] Serati asked. [Uh, well, that¡¯s¡­ uh¡­] Karnak averted his gaze once again, and Serati quickly realized the reason. Why indeed? It was likely because that wicked Death King often used mind control to manipte innocent people, forcing Laficel to knock them out to free them. Sigh¡­ While Serati felt disheartened by the situation, Laficel continued to wander around the basin. ¡°Karnak¡­¡± She called out his name in a low, ominous voice, filled with anger. ¡°Karnak¡­¡± Karnak and Serati shrank back even further into the shadows of the rocks. [She¡¯sing this way,] Serati whispered. [Don¡¯t move. We¡¯ll get caught.] Thanks to the concealment spell, they hadn¡¯t been discovered yet, but with her sharp senses, Laficel would likely detect them the moment they made any movement. [We just need to hold out until Baros returns¡­] But then, suddenly, Laficel changed direction. She retraced her steps and began heading back toward the inner part of the basin. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Karnak was taken aback. ¡®Where is she going?¡¯ While it was certainly a relief that the enemy was moving away, the problem was the direction. If Laficel continued in that direction, she would cross paths with Baros, who was stealthily moving under a concealment spell. As mentioned before, with her keen senses, Laficel would detect him the moment he moved, regardless of the concealment spell. Though she hadn¡¯t noticed yet due to the distance, once they got closer, even Baros¡¯s careful movements would give him away, and they¡¯d lose theirst remaining chance of victory. Karnak realized he had no choice but to draw her attention back to their side. And there was only one way to do it. ¡®No other choice. We¡¯ll have to risk our lives!¡¯ Both Karnak and Serati jumped out from behind the rocks. Drawing her battle aura-infused sword, Serati let out a sharp shout. ¡°Over here!¡± Laficel turned her head. ¡°Huh?¡± Narrowing her eyes, she bloomed into a bright, flower-like smile. ¡°¡­Found you.¡± *** Laficel¡¯s gray hair swayed in the wind, and her blue eyes glinted. The battle aura-infused sword in her right hand began to change. Woooong! The calm blue aura transformed into a zing purple light. The once blunt weapon sharpened into a deadly de. There was no more intention to knock them out¡ªher intent to slice and kill was now unmistakably clear. Serati grimaced slightly. ¡®Of course, she¡¯s going all out¡­¡¯ Thankfully, Laficel¡¯s gaze was locked solely on Karnak. It seemed that a ¡°lowly subject¡± like Serati was of no concern to her. ¡°Death King!¡± With a burst of aura, Laficelunched herself forward. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± At the same time, Karnak activated Chaos Magic. ¡°Rise, spirits of the earth!¡± Countless piles of dirt erupted from all around. They rapidly transformed into massive earth golems. He summoned a total of 20 golems and chanted themand phrase. ¡°Strike down my enemies at mymand!¡± The golems charged at Laficel en masse. In midair, she twisted her body and unleashed waves of purple sword aura. ¡°Take this!¡± The de of her aura cut through the golems mercilessly, weaving destruction through their ranks. Each time the light shed, chunks of rock were sliced cleanly away. The smooth, sliced surfaces of the rocks mmed into the ground with a deafening crash. Boom! Boom! Boom! Even slicing butter with a hot knife wouldn¡¯t be as effortless as this. Watching the golems being mercilessly cut down, Serati shouted urgently, ¡°It¡¯s not working!¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t supposed to work!¡± It was merely a stalling tactic. Karnak had used up all of his chaos power to summon those 20 golems. Even for Laficel, it would take some time to destroy all of them. So, did they manage to buy¡­ maybe 5 seconds? ¡°What¡¯s the point of all this?¡± ¡°There is a point! It bought me time to use necromancy!¡± With their current abilities, defeating Laficel was impossible. Even Jiken, a mage more powerful than Karnak, and Trib, a more skilled aura user than Serati, had been defeated effortlessly and pathetically. Magic and aura were no match for her. Their only hope was necromancy! Karnak, having drained himself of chaos power, immediately cloaked himself in a thick shroud of darkness. ¡°Come forth, my servants! Imand you in the name of the King of the Dead!¡± ck evil spirits rose from the shadows around them. The spirits danced through the air, releasing malevolent waves as they howled. Screeeech! Serati¡¯s face hardened as she watched the evil spirits fill the basin. ¡°Is it really okay to use necromancy?¡± ¡°As long as no one finds out, it¡¯s fine!¡± This was why they had waited for the rest of the King¡¯s Order to fall before acting. With no witnesses around, they could safely use necromancy. Even if people woke upter and noticed traces of darkness, they could always me it on Laficel. Karnak gave orders, moving his fingertips as if conducting. ¡°Go forth, those summoned by the abyss. Face the light with your pain¡­¡± The evil spirits rushed toward Laficel one after another. Hissss! Screech! At this point, Karnak had regained enough of his power of darkness. With his full power in necromancy, even Laficel couldn¡¯t deal with them as easily as before. ¡°Death King¡­¡± Of course, while the situation was a bit better than with the golems, it was still only a stalling tactic. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Laficel swung her sword again, unleashing a merciless barrage of strikes against the oing spirits. One by one, the evil spirits began to melt away rapidly. In that brief moment, Karnak prepared another necromancy spell. ¡°Servant, I now grant you a form!¡± A red aura rose from Serati¡¯s feet, enveloping her entire body. It then transformed into grotesque-looking full te armor. She gasped in surprise. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the armor of the Blood Demon summoned from Gehenna! Now we stand a better chance!¡± Karnak shouted. Serati felt a wave of unease. Did that mean the evil power of hell now enveloped her entire body? As a human, she should naturally be repulsed by such a thing. ¡®So why does it feel sofortable?¡¯ It was as if she had never worn such a snug and fitting armor before in her life. ¡®How corrupted has my soul be?¡¯ She wanted to cry, but there wasn¡¯t time to dwell on it. d in the crimson armor, Serati leaped into action. ¡°Hyaah!¡± The armor¡¯s abilities were indeed impressive. In an instant, she managed to get behind Laficel. Her physical abilities had improved dramatically. Laficel¡¯s expression shifted slightly. ¡°¡­A servant of hell!¡± Earlier, she had dismissed Serati as a ¡®lowly subject¡¯ and focused solely on Karnak. But now, Serati was brimming with the necromantic power of the Death King. That made her the priority threat. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± A terrifying killing intent pierced straight into Serati¡¯s mind. She felt like a frog facing down a snake. ¡®Ahhh¡­¡¯ Yet, despite her fear, her body continued to move. ¡°Who said I¡¯m just going to die?¡± Her battle aura-infused sword shed through the air in a brilliant arc. The sh of red and purple lights filled the sky as they collided. Boom! Bang! Amazingly, Serati managed to block Laficel¡¯s attacks three times in a row. Considering the vast difference between red-ss and purple-ss, this was an incredible feat. ¡®Wait, am I actually doing okay?¡¯ Just as that thought crossed her mind¡­ ¡°Hmph!¡± With a disdainful snort, Laficel swung her battle aura sword upward in a long, sweeping motion. Serati quickly twisted her body to evade the attack. She barely dodged the strike, the purple aura grazing the edge of her armor. Or so she thought. But then¡­ Boom! Serati¡¯s entire body was sent flying like a child hit by a runaway carriage, crashing dozens of meters away. The impact was so intense that she bounced along the ground like a stone skipping on water. ¡°Ugh! Urgh!¡± It turned out Laficel had been holding back all this time. She had merely been testing her opponent¡¯s strength, exchanging light blows to assess her abilities¡ªamon habit among skilled warriors. ¡°Ugh¡­ ugh¡­¡± Serati groaned as she forced herself to her feet. Fortunately, the armor of hell didn¡¯t just enhance her physical abilities; it also provided incredible defense. Thanks to that, she could still move. But if the fight continued like this, the oue was clear. Trembling, Serati anxiously nced toward the other side of the basin. ¡®When on earth is Sir Barros going to return?¡¯ *** On the west side of the basin, where the darknessy thick, Baros moved stealthily under the cover of night. Even as he advanced, he kept ncing over his shoulder. ¡®Things are really chaotic over there.¡¯ shes of light erupted in the night sky, a clear sign that Karnak and Serati were in the middle of a fierce battle against Laficel. ¡®I need to hurry¡­¡¯ But he couldn¡¯t move any faster. If he rushed, Karnak¡¯s concealment spell would break. As frustrating as it was, he had no choice but to maintain a steady pace, keeping his cool. Atst, he arrived at the desired location. Amid the tall grass, he spotted the unconscious Jiken and Trib, both knocked out. But they weren¡¯t the reason he hade here. ¡®Sorry, but I¡¯ll have to save you twoter.¡¯ Baros continued forward, his true objective in sight. Lying between them, was arge two-handed sword bound by mana chains. It was the cursed sword Mareda. Chapter 95 Chapter 95 Death Knight Lord Baros and the Martial King of Syphras, Laficel. These two are almost on the same level. If you look closely, Baros is slightly below Laficel in terms of skill, but the difference isn¡¯t significant. However, while the regressed Baros has no aura to speak of, Laficel possesses a purple battle aura. Where did she even obtain that aura? There¡¯s no way a child of just thirteen or so could have gained it through training alone. And it¡¯s not like her future self brought it back either. Battle aura isn¡¯t something that attaches to the soul. If that were possible, Baros would have returned to this era with his vast dark aura intact. The answer is simple. ¡°It¡¯s the power of the cursed sword.¡± The cursed sword Mareda controls its host, shing down humans and sucking up their blood. It then sends that power back to the host, making them stronger, pushing them to y more humans. ¡°It converts the blood into the host¡¯s dark aura.¡± In other words, the aura Laficel is currently wielding is all evil energy injected by the cursed sword. Here¡¯s where her geniuses in¡ªshe not only broke free from the cursed sword¡¯s control, but she even transformed that dark aura into her own unique aura. And she did all of this while in a state of madness. ¡°Of course, since it¡¯s not a power she cultivated on her own, once it¡¯s used up, she won¡¯t be able to replenish it. But for now, she can use it like her own aura, which is why she¡¯s so powerful.¡± Karnak¡¯s exnation made Serati sigh. She had a pretty good guess about what he was getting at. So, he¡¯s saying that if Baros could use aura, he could stand a chance against Laficel? ¡°You¡¯re telling me to let Sir Baros possess my body again, aren¡¯t you?¡± For once, her guess was wrong. ¡°It¡¯s useless.¡± Baros shook his head. Even if he took over Serati¡¯s body, the oue would be the same. ¡°The physical gap is just too big.¡± Serati bristled. ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m that weak?¡± She found it hard to ept. No matter how much of a genius her opponent might be to be a Martial King in the future, Laficel was currently just a teenage girl who hadn¡¯t trained much. Meanwhile, Serati was a woman in her twenties who had been training diligently. How could she be any less skilled? ¡°It¡¯s not that. No matter how used to handling someone else¡¯s body I am, it¡¯s still not better than handling my own.¡± ¡°Oh¡­.¡± Now she understood. When ites to opponents of equal skill, even something as simple as whether you¡¯re wielding a familiar weapon can determine the oue. If it¡¯s your own body, that goes without saying. ¡°Then what am I supposed to do?¡± ¡°The young master already told you, the answer is simple.¡± With a resigned expression, Baros looked across the basin. ¡°He¡¯s telling me to sneak over, pick up the cursed sword, and give it a try.¡± *** Reflecting on conversation with Serati, Baros stared at the two-handed sword before him. The cursed sword Mareda was bound by mana chains, emitting a strange, eerie hum. Hummmmm¡­. Baros¡¯s face stiffened slightly. ¡®Can I handle it?¡¯ But he had no other choice. This cursed sword was his only hope. Or, to be more precise, it was the only way for him to survive this challenge while still living like a human. If he intended to live like he had before, there were plenty of other options, of course. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this!¡± Resolving himself, Baros reached out his hand. His thick fingers wrapped around Mareda¡¯s hilt. Fwoosh! ck mes erupted, filling his vision. The killing intent and madness surged, threatening to consume his mind. ¡°Wretched human¡­.¡± A thunderous voice echoed in his ears. ¡°ept the dominion of darkness!¡± And then, a horrifying scream pierced the air. ¡°Arghhhhhhhh!¡± *** Terrifying evil spirits, whose mere touch could snuff out life, roamed the sky. Shadows of destruction, capable of splitting even rocks, raced across the ground. ¡°Kyaaaaaa!¡± ¡°Graaaah!¡± The evil spirits screamed as they continued to swarm. The entire basin was overflowing with sinister power. Yet still, Laficel remained unscathed. ¡°Karnak¡­.¡± With a soft murmur, she swung her sword. The purple aura formed a massive de that swept across the sky. Nearly a dozen powerful wraiths¡ªevil spirits so strong that a single one required an entire battalion from the temple¡ªwere cut down in one strike. ¡°Karnak¡­.¡± She stepped forward, weaving through the crowd of shadows. Waves of aura spread in all directions. The light erased the shadows as ripples of radiance shook the ground. Clearing a path, Laficel leaped forward. ¡°¡­Karnak!¡± shing through the evil spirits, she made a beeline for the necromancer¡¯s neck. In a panic, Serati raised her sword to block the attack. ¡°Hah!¡± The sh of aura-infused swords sent a jarring shockwave through her entire body. Serati grimaced in pain. ¡®Argh, dammit!¡¯ But this time, she wasn¡¯t sent flying in humiliation. The armor summoned from Gehenna deployed a shadow shield just in time, absorbing the remaining impact. Even in her pain, Serati felt a sense of awe. ¡®Wow, I actually blocked that¡­.¡¯ It made her realize once again just how powerful necromancy could be. The problem was, it also made her realize just how terrifyingly strong this girl, Laficel, really was! ¡°Servant of Hell!¡± With a beast-like growl, Laficel extended her left hand. A purple aura bullet became a sh of light and exploded against Serati¡¯s abdomen. ¡°Guh, urgh!¡± The impact felt like her internal organs had been flipped upside down. Serati coughed up blood and copsed to the ground again. ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± Even through her groans, she couldn¡¯t help but admire her opponent. ¡®So this is what it¡¯s like when an aura master reaches the peak, to be able to project their aura like magic bullets or arrows¡­¡¯ Thanks to Serati¡¯s efforts, the evil spirits managed to block Laficel¡¯s path once again. Frustrated that she couldn¡¯t target Karnak, Laficel let out a scream full of rage. ¡°Arrrgh!¡± Her elegant sword dance flowed like that of a goddess, and one by one, the evil spirits melted away. Even amidst the battle, she seized any opportunity to strike at Karnak. ¡°Death King!¡± A brief gap appeared in the evil spirits¡¯ encirclement. Laficel lunged forward, her aura-imbued sword sweeping through the air. ¡°Ah!¡± This time, Serati couldn¡¯t block in time. The sword¡¯s lightning-fast sh was aimed precisely at Karnak¡¯s neck. Serati¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡®Lord Karnak?¡¯ Fortunately, Karnak¡¯s head didn¡¯t fall. No blood spilled. It simply vanished without a trace. It was an illusion. Suddenly, several Karnaks appeared across the basin, one after another. ¡°Huff¡­.¡± ¡°I almost died¡­.¡± ¡°Good thing I prepared¡­.¡± Luckily, Laficel was still out of her mind, meaning she was susceptible to illusions. And if there¡¯s one thing Karnak excels at, it¡¯s illusion magic and bewitching spells! All of Karnak¡¯s illusions spoke at once. ¡°Now.¡± ¡°All we need to do is wait.¡± ¡°Until Baros arrives!¡± But the three chattering illusions were quickly cut down by Laficel¡¯s purple aura. ¡°Karnak¡­.¡± Unable to tell which one was real, Laficel came up with a very simple solution. ¡°I¡¯ll just kill them all!¡± Waves of aura sted out in all directions. ¡°I am here.¡± The destructive shockwaves rippled across the ground, sweeping over every Karnak. ¡°I am here.¡± Explosions resounded everywhere, one after another. ¡°I am here.¡± What was remarkable, however, was that even in her madness, Laficel was careful not to harm the fallen members of the King¡¯s Order. If her aura identally veered toward them, she would forcibly change her attack¡¯s direction, ensuring they wouldn¡¯t get caught in the explosion. Serati couldn¡¯t help but feel impressed. ¡®Even in this state, she¡¯s that skilled¡­.¡¯ Though they were enemies, it was hard not to respect her. What kind of righteous hero must she have been to act like this? ¡®Compared to her, this guy¡­.¡¯ Serati nced over at Karnak with a look of disdain. The lord of her soul was hiding in the safest ce he could find. Where? He was crouched behind one of the fallen members of the King¡¯s Order. He was using the enemy¡¯s kindness to his advantage, treating his ally as a literal meat shield. ¡°¡­¡± [What? Why? I have to survive too, you know?] Judging by his flushed face, he was at least aware of how embarrassing his behavior was. Regardless, the illusion magic was working well on Laficel. Again and again, her purple aura sword sliced through the illusions, and each time, Karnak conjured new illusions to hold her off. But it was only a temporary solution. Once his mana ran out, the oue was inevitable. Karnak, growing more anxious, muttered to himself as he continued to cast illusions. ¡®Come on, Baros, hurry up before I die¡­.¡¯ Serati, desperate herself, asked. [When is she going to run out of power?] Karnak had exined that once Laficel used up all the blood-infused aura provided by the cursed sword, she wouldn¡¯t be able to replenish it. But there was no sign that her power was diminishing at all. It was baffling. Hadn¡¯t the entire King¡¯s Order fought in shifts just to wear her down? [Did we fail to exhaust her strength properly?] Karnak weakly replied. [No, this is her exhausted state¡­] Her strength had indeed been worn down, she was tired, and her stored aura was depleted. In reality, she was barely clinging to life, fighting in a near-death state. [A near-death state, and she¡¯s this strong?] [Yeah.] [Damn¡­] Despite supposedly being near death, Laficel looked frighteningly alive, rampaging even more wildly. Her aura-imbued sword shed relentlessly in all directions. Explosions, smoke, evil spirits, and illusions mixed together, creating chaos. ¡°¡­Death King!¡± Karnak was sweating profusely. While he had improved his necromantic power considerablypared to before, it still wasn¡¯t that strong. He was running out of strength. [Is this as far as I can go living like a decent human? Do I need to live like I used to again?] Serati remarked in disbelief. [Are you saying you¡¯ve been living decently up until now?] The scene around them was filled with necromancy, evil spirits everywhere, and dark energy boiling over, making it look like the middle of hell. ¡®And yet, he thinks he could get even more wicked?¡¯ Apparently, he could. [The 1st and 7th battalions are all down.] These were people who had gathered for the sake of justice and honor. And the 7th Battalion even held deep trust and affection for Karnak. [If I kill them all and gather their souls, I could take her on¡­] [Yes, you¡¯ve been fighting decently until now, for sure.] Serati couldn¡¯t believe it. Such a vicious idea was something she had never even imagined. It was beyond herprehension. To be fair, Karnak had no real intention of doing it either. [I know, I know. I¡¯m well aware it¡¯s something I shouldn¡¯t do. But if things keep going like this, we have no other options¡­] Just then, something unexpected happened. Laficel¡¯s movements suddenly stopped. ¡°¡­.¡± With a nk expression, she turned her head and quickly moved. Her small form slid through the darkness in an instant. At the same time, rain began to fall from the sky. A rain of sharp, blood-red shes. Dozens of blood swords rained down in a storm. Boom! Boom! Boom! Amidst the relentless bombardment, a man revealed himself. A towering knight, gripping a massive two-handed sword in one hand, with red aura trailing behind him. ¡°Is everyone still alive? I¡¯m not toote, am I?¡± Serati¡¯s face lit up, and she shouted excitedly. ¡°Sir Baros!¡± Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Finally, the long-awaited reinforcements arrived. Karnak shouted irritably. ¡°You¡¯rete!¡± Feeling wronged, Baros immediately retorted. ¡°I hurried as much as I could!¡± Laficel stood quietly, just ring at the opponent. ¡°¡­¡± Unlike before, she didn¡¯tunch an immediate attack. It seemed she instinctively sensed that the situation was dire. Serati, looking at the two-handed sword Baros held, asked in a concerned tone. ¡°Are you okay with that cursed sword?¡± It was a vile sword, one that had the power to dominate humans and turn them into bloodthirsty murderers. Even Baros, who had been the Death King¡¯s most loyal servant, was now just an ordinary human. How long could Baros withstand the terrifying power of that sword? Baros answered with a serious face. ¡°I¡¯m focusing as much as I can.¡± Indeed, handling the sword¡¯s power was a tricky task. If he lost focus for even a moment, the bnce would be destroyed! ¡®Gah! I messed up again!¡¯ A horrendous scream erupted from the cursed sword Mareda. ¡°Aaaah!¡± At the same time, a pale evil spirit appeared through the de. ¡°Ah! Ah! Aaaaaah!¡± It thrashed about wildly, desperately trying to escape from the sword. It looked like a drowning person frantically iling for life. ¡°This again?¡± Baros muttered with a scowl as he shook the sword. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going? You can¡¯t escape.¡± A dark current rose from the de, capturing the evil spirit and sucking it back into the sword. It was as if it was being dragged to hell. ¡°Kyyaaaaah!¡± With a final, agonizing scream, the evil spirit vanished back into the de. ¡°Just a littlepse in focus and it tries to pass on for good, even though it¡¯s an evil spirit.¡± Serati stared in disbelief. ¡®Oh, that scream was from the evil spirit?¡¯ As expected, the servant matched the master. Like Karnak, Baros was also one who belonged to the ¡°abyss.¡± For some reason, Serati felt the weight of her fate more deeply than ever. How had she ended up among people against whom even evil spirits were desperate to escape? Just as she was lost in thought, Baros directed a message at her. [Please guard the young master, Dame Serati.] [Ah, yes!] Snapping back to her senses, Serati rushed to Karnak. Baros lifted the cursed sword Mareda and pointed it at Laficel. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Dame Laficel.¡± Woooong! A sinister red battle aura radiated from the de. It was the dark aura drawn out by the sword¡¯s power. ¡°We¡¯re not exactly happy to meet again, are we?¡± Laficel could barely handle this dark aura and had to transform it into her own aura before she could use it effectively. But for Baros, this was his expertise. ¡°Given the situation, let¡¯s give it our all.¡± The grey-haired girl twisted her expression. ¡°Lord Baros¡­¡± Her blue eyes filled with murderous intent, and purple aura surged, enveloping her entire body. ¡°You cursed dog of the Death King!¡± Her voice, filled with hatred, echoed through the air. *** The gray-haired girl shed vertically through the air. The giant knight counterattacks with an upward strike, kicking the ground. Two streams of battle aura shed midair. Crackle! A deafening sound echoed as if the air itself had shattered. A vortex of light burst out in all directions. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Argh!¡± Both let out groans as they staggered backward. The first sh was a draw. In terms of speed, timing, and the destructive power of their aura, they were evenly matched. Karnak, observing from the sidelines, muttered to himself. ¡®As expected, when Baros uses the cursed sword, he can still manage this level of power even in his current state.¡¯ The pure power of the cursed sword alone wouldn¡¯t be able to achieve such efficiency. At best, it might shatter a few rocks and drain the remaining bloodstone. ¡°Die!¡± With a sharp cry, Laficel unleashed another shing attack. The de of light danced chaotically, teasing the eye with its dazzling movements. But Baros wasn¡¯t fooled. ¡®I¡¯ve been hit by this move too many times before!¡¯ He ignored the shing de and focused on the flow of the sword itself. He calmly deflected the iing strike and immediatelyunched a counterattack. ng! The des collided, and the exchange of strikes began. Sparks flew again and again. des of grass were shredded and sent flying, while the atmosphere around them seemed to tear apart with a howl. Rumble! Like two beasts filled with murderous intent, they gave no quarter, leaving no openings for each other. Both of their breaths grew heavier. ¡°Haa¡­ haa¡­¡± ¡°Huff¡­ huff¡­¡± They needed to steady their erratic breathing. Baros stepped back and mmed his cursed sword into the ground. ¡®Let¡¯s catch my breath for now!¡¯ A wave of dark red aura surged from the sword, ripping through the earth as it traveled. It was his favored long-range aura technique, Shadow w. Laficel responded by striking the ground with her sword, sending an aura wave to counter it. The two waves of aura intertwined like snakes and then exploded. Boom! Boom! Boom! Karnak, watching, allowed a slight grin to form. ¡®Ho?¡¯ Laficel was pushed back more than 10 meters, while Baros stood firm, catching his breath where he was. ¡®It seems we¡¯ve managed to wear her down quite a bit.¡¯ It made sense. She had been fighting relentlessly since dusk. Even while under the cursed sword¡¯s control, she had fought against the entire King¡¯s Order, and after breaking free from its control, she continued battling. She had to be nearing exhaustion by now. But Baros wasn¡¯t in a particrly advantageous position either. The cursed sword Mareda had been running on fumes for a while. There was hardly any blood energy left in it. Baros was simply squeezing out thest drops to fuel his dark aura as efficiently as possible. ¡®If I had known it woulde to this, I would¡¯ve gathered more dark aura for Baros in advance. But doing that would¡¯ve meant living the way we used to¡­.¡¯ Dark aura doesn¡¯te for free. He would need to kill at least a hundred people to gather enough aura to fuel Baros. ¡®Anyway, I need to focus on surviving this immediate crisis.¡¯ Karnak began to calmly draw out his remaining necromantic power. ¡®Given how tired she is, this technique should start working soon.¡¯ *** After learning Laficel¡¯s true identity, several mysteries were finally resolved. Why had she screamed and run the moment she saw Karnak? Given what she had gone through, it was hardly surprising. Her soul had been mutted¡ªhow terrifying that must have been. Then why did shetere back to try and kill him? It was because she had been freed from the cursed sword Mareda. While under its control, she didn¡¯t have the mental strength to ovee her fear of the Death King. Only after breaking free could she suppress her fear with anger. Why had the surroundings been so pristine when Wace and Beric died? How had neither the clerics nor Karnak sensed any dark aura? It was simply because she hadn¡¯t used the power of darkness. Someone like Laficel could easily massacre those two with just her natural talent and enhanced physical abilities, even without the dark aura of the cursed sword. However, there was still one unanswered question. When Laficel was under the sword¡¯s control, she had acted in a bizarre manner, targeting the members of the 7th Battalion in a specific order, based on how close they stood to Karnak. It made no sense. Moreover, she had uncharacteristically tried to kill innocent people with a disturbing persistence. Only after thoroughly examining Laficel¡¯s soul did Karnak find the answer. ¡®This is part of my karma, too. Sigh.¡¯ Karnak had torn Laficel¡¯s soul and body into three parts and made her the gatekeeper for Necropia¡¯s gates. He had also imnted specificmands into each part. To the skeleton soldier guarding the northern gate, who had to be wary of humanity, he gave thismand: ¡ªKill every human that approaches. To the flesh golem guarding the western gate, the main gate he used regrly, he said this: ¡ªOnly the Death King¡¯s closest confidants may pass through. And to the living armor guarding the southern gate, which saw the most traffic, he gave this instruction: ¡ªDiscern friend from foe, and block anyone with hostility. On top of that, there was Laficel¡¯s original extreme hatred and fury toward the Death King: ¡ªI¡¯ll kill you, Karnak! I¡¯ll definitely kill you! All thesemands had mixed together, resulting in a mess. ¡ªKill all approaching humans, only the Death King¡¯s closest may pass, discern friend from foe, I¡¯ll kill you, I¡¯ll definitely kill you! Aplete disaster, to say the least. Once Karnak realized this, he saw a way to resolve the situation. ¡®If I can fuse her soul back together, that madness should subside.¡¯ But he couldn¡¯t restore her fully to normal. If he did, he¡¯d be beaten to death by Laficel, who had once been the Martial King. ¡®I¡¯ll need to bury all her memories deep within her unconscious mind while healing her soul.¡¯ This way, all of her memories would be sealed, including her hatred and anger. As Karnak began to cast his spell, he formed a seal with both hands. ¡°O suffering soul, let the King of the Underworld guide you to peace¡­¡± A dark magic circle appeared on the ground, exuding a sinister energy. At the same time, mist-like particles spread toward Laficel. Since there was no hostility, she didn¡¯t try to evade them. She didn¡¯t even seem to notice, still fixated on Baros. Karnak¡¯s incantation continued. ¡°Follow the path of rest, and enter the realm of peace¡­¡± *** Dark red battle aura and purple aura shed in the air. Crackle! Electric sparks flew as both figures were thrown in opposite directions. Baros, wielding the cursed sword Mareda, and Laficel, holding an ordinary longsword, red at each other. ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± ¡°Haah¡­¡± Both were breathing heavily, sizing each other up. Blood stained Baros¡¯s shoulder and Laficel¡¯s thigh. The bleeding stopped quickly. Those who had mastered the art of aura control could easily stem bleeding with just their aura. Of course, stopping the bleeding didn¡¯t mean the wounds had healed. ¡®Ugh, if I move too much, it¡¯ll reopen.¡¯ Feeling anxious, Baros nced behind him. ¡®He¡¯s doing something, but¡­¡¯ He could feel a powerful, sinister energy emanating from Karnak. ¡®Why is it taking so long?¡¯ This was the former Death King, after all. Unless hecked necromantic power entirely, if he could still use it, he should be more than proficient. While still keeping an eye on Laficel, Baros sent a quick message. [Young master, how much longer?] [Just hold on a little longer!] The reply was urgent, clearly showing Karnak¡¯s deep concentration. [What exactly are you doing?] [Sealing Laficel¡¯s memories!] [Is that something that takes this long?] [It¡¯s hard because I¡¯m not used to doing this!] Baros was even more confused. Sealing memories? That¡¯s not something he hadn¡¯t done before. Karnak had tampered with memories countless times, gaining all sorts of infamy for it! Karnak shouted as if making an excuse. [I¡¯m healing Laficel¡¯s soul! I¡¯ve never healed anyone other than you!] That¡¯s right. Crushing and breaking souls, erasing memories¡ªthat was easy. He did that all the time. But carefully nurturing a soul, treating it with gentleness, ensuring it¡¯s healed without engaging in hostile actions¡ªthat was something he had never once done! [Ugh, I should have lived more kindly¡­] Watching Karnak struggle and groan, Serati was taken aback. [Why are you suddenly doing something so nice?] Could it be that he felt guilty? Was that why he was trying to save Laficel¡¯s soul, even though his life was at risk? No way. [If she senses hostility or murderous intent, she¡¯ll immediately strike back! I have to be as gentle as possible to make her ept the healing!] Right now, it was impossible for Karnak to dominate or brainwash Laficel¡¯s soul. Her mental strength was too strong for that. However, it was possible to heal her fragmented soul. That was because this act wasn¡¯t rooted in hostility but in goodwill. It was within the realm of what Laficel¡¯s instincts allowed. In a way, it was like trying to calm a wild beast enough to administer medicine. [So, just hold on a little longer!] [I think I can manage, but¡­] Baros nced anxiously at the two-handed sword in his hand. The sword¡¯s evil spirit peeked out from between the des, looking like a dried-up mummy. The blood energy had already beenpletely drained, and even the spiritual energy was hanging by a thread. [I¡¯m worried this thing won¡¯t hold out much longer.] Laficel, who had steadied her breathing, once again had her eyes turn blood-red. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll kill you, dog of the Death King!¡± Chapter 97 Chapter 97 A purple sword wind relentlessly pressured Baros. The shing of metal echoed loudly and repeatedly. Baros gritted his teeth as he dodged and parried frantically. ¡®Still such an exhausting style.¡¯ In terms of skill and experience, Baros wasn¡¯t inferior to Laficel. Even in terms of battle aura, there wasn¡¯t much of a difference. Both of them were barely able to utilize the energy they gained from the cursed sword Mareda. In fact, Baros had a clear advantage in terms of physical size. The current Baros is a young man in the prime of his life who has trained diligently and eaten only good food. On the other hand, Laficel was still just a young girl. She hadn¡¯t trained properly, nor was her nutrition the best. Physically, he had an overwhelming advantage. Yet, Baros was the one being pushed back. ¡°You dog of the Death King!¡± Laficel screamed as she shed diagonally with her sword imbued with battle aura. ¡°I¡¯ll kill youuu!¡± It seemed like a simple strike, but Baros wasn¡¯t careless. He knew all too well how deceptively that simple trajectory could change in an instant. ¡®Which way will it be this time?¡¯ Using his experience, he predicted her next move and found an opening. He stepped forward with his left foot and countered with a thrust! ¡°Ugh!¡± The one who was wounded was Baros. His thrust barely grazed Laficel, but her diagonal sh struck his shoulder with precision. A sharp pain surged through his shoulder. Baros gritted his teeth as he retreated. ¡®I got hit again, damn it.¡¯ That was the issue. Even other Martial Kings marveled at Laficel¡¯s greatest strength. She could fight exceptionally well without needing to be taught, and even without experience, she could instinctively find the right answer in battle. He simply couldn¡¯t keep up with that terrifying battle sense. ¡®Back then, at least, I could still manage¡­.¡¯ In truth, battle sense alone doesn¡¯t determine one¡¯s strength. Able to fight well without learning? Able to find the right move without experience? This also means that if someone trained diligently and gained enough experience, they could potentially catch up. That was why Baros, the Death Knight Lord, could surpass Martial King Laficel back then. He couldpensate for hisck of battle sense with mastered swordsmanship and experience. And his overwhelming physical ability helped as well. But now, his battle aura was too weak. He couldn¡¯t properly utilize his swordsmanship or experience. Despite his physical advantage, he was gradually overwhelmed. As the relentless attacks continued, Baros¡¯ body was increasingly stained with blood. ¡°Ugh! Guh! Argh!¡± Unable to bear watching any longer, Serati stepped in. She swung her sword infused with battle aura, targeting Laficel¡¯s back. [I¡¯ll join you, Sir Baros!] Laficel reacted immediately. Her crescent moon-shaped attack knocked Serati back. Boom! Serati adjusted her stance, absorbing the impact. Earlier, she had been knocked away like a skipping stone. But this time, she managed to evade the attack. ¡®Alright! I can handle this now!¡¯ Until now, she hadn¡¯t been able to intervene. But now, Laficel was thoroughly exhausted. Serati, who was a Red Knight, could now hold her own. The armor summoned from the hell was also a big help. Suddenly curious, Serati asked. [This armor is amazing, so why aren¡¯t you using it, Sir Baros?] Baros gave a bitter smile. [I can¡¯t use it.] [Why not?] [The armor runs away.] [¡­What?] As Serati stood puzzled, Baros pointed at the cursed sword Mareda. [It¡¯s in the same category as this.] In other words, the armor from hell, like the cursed sword, turned humans into hosts and consumed their souls. [Wait, then what¡¯s happening to my soul right now?] Baros averted his gaze and charged at Laficel again. ¡°Hyaaaaah!¡± Serati¡¯s unease grew. Why was he avoiding the question? [Excuse me, Sir Baros?] [It¡¯s fine. The young master will take care of it.] [¡­Take care of what exactly?] Even as she wore a troubled expression, Serati kept swinging her sword. For now, dealing with Laficel was the most urgent priority. With the two of them attacking together, the situation began to turn in their favor. Laficel¡¯s expression gradually twisted. ¡°Ugh! Argh! Guh!¡± Karnak¡¯s eyes gleamed with anticipation. ¡®Both of them are doing well!¡¯ Just a bit more, and he would be able to reach her soul. It was then. Laficel¡¯s sword struck the de of the cursed sword Mareda with a powerful blow. A deafening roar filled the air, followed by a scream. ¡°Aaaaahhhhh!¡± But it wasn¡¯t Laficel, Baros, or Serati who screamed. The sound came from Mareda itself. From the de of the sword, a dark, translucent humanoid figure began to float. ¡°Haaaahhhh¡­¡± With an oddly satisfied expression, the sword¡¯s evil spirit started dissolving into the ground. Serati blinked in confusion. ¡°What, what just happened?¡± Baros grimaced. ¡°Ah, damn it. That bastard finally went back to hell.¡± *** Laficel¡¯s sword, imbued with battle aura, flickered through Baros¡¯s field of vision, taunting him. ¡°Lord Baros!¡± Baros rolled across the ground as he leapt backward. His timing was impable, allowing him to dodge perfectly. Yes. He didn¡¯t just narrowly escape; hepletely avoided the attack. Yet, despite that, the shockwave still caught him and sent him flying like a fallen leaf! ¡°Uwaahhh!¡± The massive, bear-like figure bounced on the ground like a fox. To prevent a follow-up attack, Serati quickly targeted Laficel from behind. ¡°Hiyah!¡± But Laficel immediately changed the direction of her sword. The swords, both charged with battle aura, collided with a deafening sound. Serati staggered backward, cold sweat dripping from her forehead. [W-What should we do now?] Baros, unable to use the dark battle aura, was no longer of any help. Now, Serati had to face Laficel alone. Feeling desperate, Serati sent a telepathic message. [Should I offer you my body now?] [Uh¡­ That sounds a bit strange, you know¡­] Of course, her intention was to suggest Baros possess her body through necromancy. [It¡¯s already toote.] Baros shook his head. [You should¡¯ve done that earlier.] Karnak had already begun his necromancy ritual. Attempting possession now would require stopping the ongoing spell casting, meaning they¡¯d have to start all over again. It would put them at an even greater disadvantage. Baros red at the now-empty cursed sword. ¡°How could an evil spiritck so much tenacity? Just a little pressure, and it couldn¡¯t handle it?¡± Laficel, who had been watching them both, suddenly burst intoughter. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Then she lunged at Baros. It was only natural¡ªof the two, it was obvious which one she held a deeper grudge against. Baros responded as well. Now wielding just a regr two-handed sword, not the cursed de, he wore a grim expression. ¡®Damn it, can I even handle this?¡¯ He executed precise thrusts and shes in rapid session, disying an exceptional, well-practiced swordsmanship that upied all of Laficel¡¯s space. But with a single, casual horizontal sh from Laficel, it was all blown away! ¡°Ugh!¡± The impact traveled through the de, paralyzing both of Baros¡¯s arms. He grimaced. ¡®As expected, it¡¯s no use¡­¡¯ Laficelughed wildly as she brought her sword down toward Baros¡¯s head. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Fortunately, Baros managed to dodge just in time. The killing intent was so thick that he could sense it and react first. But he couldn¡¯t avoid the mid-level kick that followed immediately. The chain of attacks was simply too fast. ¡®Even though I know it¡¯sing, I can¡¯t dodge¡­¡¯ Thud! His right arm, barely holding on, went limp. Even though he had tried to mitigate the blow, his thick arm muscles were paralyzed in a single hit. He wouldn¡¯t be able to use that arm for a while. ¡®At this rate, I¡¯m going to die!¡¯ Desperately, Baros called out to Karnak. He had no other option left. ¡°Young master!¡± ¡°J-Just a little more!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time for that anymore!¡± They truly didn¡¯t have time. Baros was now shouting, not just magic messages. As Baros staggered, Serati rushed in to confront Laficel. ¡°Move, Sir Baros!¡± Charging head-on toward Laficel, Serati aimed a head strike to grab her attention before attempting a sh at her waist. It was basic swordsmanship, but effective in realbat. Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be enough to work on someone like Laficel. ¡°Servant of Hell!¡± Easily dodging the attack, Laficel swung her sword in a horizontal sh. In that moment, Serati¡¯s eyes gleamed. She had purposely used a basic technique, hoping for this very moment. ¡®Now!¡¯ Ignoring Laficel¡¯s sh, Serati countered with a thrust. She had trusted in the defense of her armor. Although she knew she would get injured, she believed it wouldn¡¯t be fatal. But even that was within Laficel¡¯s expectations. Ha¡­ With a mockingugh, Laficelunched a front kick. Her toes struck the t side of Serati¡¯s sword, knocking the thrust upward. Then, with a fierce roundhouse kick, she targeted Serati¡¯s side. Boom! Crimson shards flew in all directions with a loud noise. Serati screamed in excruciating pain that made her eyes roll back. ¡°Aaahhh!¡± She gritted her teeth, trying to keep her mind from bing hazy. ¡®How can it hurt this much? She¡¯s so small!¡¯ A girl barely 150 centimeters tall had kicked the armor of hell with her bare feet, yet her foot remained unharmed while the armor shattered. It wasn¡¯t just astonishing¡ªit was iprehensible. Laficel¡¯s ability to manipte aura was on a whole other level. Even as he staggered, Baros couldn¡¯t help but be impressed. ¡®She¡¯s always been like this, but her talent is truly innate¡­¡¯ Laficel wasn¡¯t in a normal state right now. Her memories were shattered, and her soul was in tatters. Yet she was still perfectly converting the cursed sword¡¯s dark aura into her own aura. ¡®No one taught her that¡­ she¡¯s doing it purely through battle instinct¡­¡¯ Just as Baros was marveling at her skill, a thought struck him. ¡°Huh?¡± Laficel had done all of this without being taught by anyone¡­ ¡°Wait¡­¡± She had taken power that wasn¡¯t her own and made it hers? ¡°¡­Ah!¡± A faint glimmer of realization shed in Baros¡¯s eyes. *** The barrage of follow-up attacks continued. Punches, kicks, and shes rained down mercilessly on the cracked hell armor. Serati¡¯s entire body was slowly turning into a bloody mess. ¡°Agh! Ugh! Gah! Aaah!¡± Serati was on the verge of death. Boom! Suddenly, with a loud explosion, Laficel¡¯s small body was thrown backward. A red sh had struck her hard. ¡°¡­Aura?¡± Shocked, Serati turned around to see what had happened. A massive knight stood there, holding a two-handed sword, emanating a glowing red light. It wasn¡¯t the dark aura from before, but a bright, fiery aura like mes. It was unmistakable. Pure aura. ¡°Sir Baros? Did you¡­ awaken?¡± And at such perfect timing? How in the world? ¡°Exining it would take a while¡­¡± Without looking back at Serati, Baros stepped forward. ¡°But first, let¡¯s deal with the situation here!¡± Laficel, who had been thrown back, quickly regained her stance and charged again. Baros calmly swung his sword to meet her. Their auras shed, but this time Baros wasn¡¯t being pushed back. Wielding the brilliant red aura, Baros wore an odd expression. ¡®So this is what it feels like?¡¯ He had always relied on the energy of others. He had never once used his own aura directly. ¡®It¡¯s¡­ quite a strange feeling.¡¯ Gradually, Laficel began to falter. No matter how much of a genius she was, she hadpletely exhausted her strength by now. Meanwhile, Baros still had plenty of energy left. No, to be exact, it wasn¡¯t just that he had energy left¡ªhe had gained a new power. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s about time you go down!¡± Once the bnce tipped in his favor, it didn¡¯t shift again. Baros¡¯s aura-infused sword shattered Laficel¡¯s longsword. The radiant purple aura surrounding her weapon began to fade. In that state, he grabbed the little girl by the back of her neck and mmed her hard into the ground! Thud! Pinning her down, Baros called out once more. ¡°Still not done yet, young master?¡± ¡°It¡¯s over!¡± In truth, the final blow had broken the resistance of Laficel¡¯s soul. Karnak delivered the finishing strike. ¡°O burden of suffering, rest now under the shadow of darkness!¡± A pir of darkness descended upon Laficel. She let out a piercing scream. ¡°Aaaaaaah!¡± And then, she copsed, going limp. Baros ced his fingers near her nose to check her breathing, then let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank goodness, she¡¯s still alive.¡± As Karnak approached, he asked incredulously, ¡°Hey, Baros, what happened to you? What¡¯s with that aura?¡± Chapter 98 Chapter 98 After his space-time regression, Baros struggled greatly because he couldn¡¯t awaken his aura on his own. It wasn¡¯t just because he had no prior experience awakening aura. If he had simply started over from the beginning, it might have been easier. After all, his mind was still full of martial arts manuals he had collected in his previous life. But none of that was useful to him now. He had gotten into the bad habit of always using other people¡¯s power, other people¡¯s battle aura. Even his soul had be significantly distorted. While the way he operated his battle aura was like that of an aura user, the way he stored it inside his body was closer to that of a necromancer. Given how distorted he had be, he needed a different method of awakening, but there was no martial arts manual that could help him with that. That¡¯s why he had told Karnak before, hadn¡¯t he? When you walk a path different from others, this bes a problem. There¡¯s nothing to refer to when something goes wrong. ¡°But it turns out,¡± Baros muttered, ¡°there was such a case right in front of me.¡± Baros looked at the copsed Laficel. Freed from the control of the cursed sword, she had perfectly transformed the dark battle aura into her own aura. She had gone from relying on someone else¡¯s battle aura to using her own. It was precisely the method of operation that Baros wanted. Serafi asked in surprise, ¡°Can you imitate it just by watching it once?¡± ¡°Hey, even though I¡¯m like this now, I used to be pretty famous back in the day, you know?¡± Baros shrugged. ¡°I can¡¯tpare in terms of skill or precision, but I can grasp the essence, the core concept.¡± An aura user who has reached a certain level can recreate techniques just by watching. And if they were at the level of the Martial King, it would be even easier. Of course, as Baros said, his level of proficiency would be severelycking, so it wouldn¡¯t be fair to say he ¡°stole¡± the technique. What mattered now was that he understood the method. Once he had the direction, it was a matter of training and effort. Looking down at Laficel with a newfound perspective, Baros clicked his tongue. ¡°Once you grasp the concept, it¡¯s not that hard. Buting up with the idea in the first ce¡­ is this the difference between a genius and an ordinary person?¡± Karnak nodded in agreement. ¡°Well, in any case, it¡¯s a good thing. So, what¡¯s your current level?¡± ¡°About this much?¡± Baros held up a finger. A red aura briefly flickered on his index finger before disappearing. Karnak frowned. ¡°What? You can¡¯t even manage Blue Knight level?¡± ¡°If I put in some effort, I could do it.¡± Instantly, his finger red with a blue light, only to return to red a momentter. ¡°Ah, it onlysted a second. Well, you¡¯ll keep working on it.¡± Serati grumbled, clearly confused. ¡°So, why does your level go up just because you put in effort? How is that even possible?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t something that can be exined with words.¡± If Serati¡¯s level increased, she would understand without needing an exnation, and if her level wasn¡¯t high enough, no amount of talking would make her understand. Looking tired, Baros released the aura he had gathered and continued speaking. ¡°Still, I¡¯m better off than Dame Laficel in this regard. It looks like she¡¯spletely exhausted.¡± Strictly speaking, neither of them had awakened their aura on their own. They had merely converted the dark aura of the cursed sword. However, Baros was able to store some of that aura for himself, thanks to the difference in their vessels. If Laficel¡¯s vessel was a beautiful and elegant crystal wine ss, Baros¡¯ vessel was more like a y pot. Crude, thick, and clunky, but also sturdy and stable. ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll take this as a foundation and work hard to build on it from here¡­¡± Baros muttered as he looked around. By now, night had fallen. Darkness covered the surroundings. In the pitch ck, dozens of King¡¯s Order membersy scattered. They were still unconscious, unable to wake up. Baros asked, looking troubled, ¡°By the way, what should we do about them?¡± *** After leaving the valley, Karnak¡¯s group returned to their original camp. They gentlyid Laficel inside a tent. When Serati suggested they should tie her up just in case, two of them opposed the idea. ¡°If my necromancy worked correctly, all her memories should be sealed. She won¡¯t be able to use that power again.¡± ¡°If the young master¡¯s necromancy didn¡¯t work, then she¡¯d just go berserk again. And what exactly could we tie her up with? She¡¯d break any chains easily.¡± Since either way, the oue would be the same, they decided to let her restfortably. ¡°Maybe she¡¯ll have a better impression of us when she wakes up this way.¡± With Laficel tucked inside a sleeping bag, it was time to take care of the fallen King¡¯s Order members. Using telekinesis magic, Karnak moved Jiken and Trib and said, ¡°Let¡¯sy these folks in the tents as well.¡± Baros also slung a member of the King¡¯s Order over his shoulder and started walking. ¡°If we leave them like this, they¡¯ll catch a cold, won¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Look at us, worrying about other people¡¯s health!¡± ¡°I feel like a real human!¡± Watching the two joke around, Serati rolled her eyes. ¡°¡­Truly noble of you.¡± Of course, she was also busy carrying the unconscious members. After a while, Serati began to wonder. ¡°Howe none of them are waking up?¡± It had been a considerable amount of time since they fainted. ¡°Are they really unconscious? Could something have gone seriously wrong¡­?¡± In fact, it¡¯s rare for a human to stay unconscious for this long. At least, not under normal circumstances. Karnak and Baros responded as if it were obvious. ¡°Did you think we were joking when we said ¡®anesthesia¡¯?¡± ¡°It¡¯s real anesthesia.¡± As it turns out, Laficel hadn¡¯t simply knocked them out with brute force. ¡°She used aura like needles to paralyze their nervous system.¡± Serati blinked, feeling like she had just heard something ridiculous. ¡°¡­Is that something a person can actually do?¡± ¡°Actually, I can do it too,¡± Baros replied. It turns out that the other three Martial Kings could imitate it as well. First, you enhance your opponent¡¯s body to assess their physical condition, then detect the flow of energy within their body to determine the appropriate amount of aura to use. You then measure the strength of their nervous system to gauge how much aura is needed to paralyze them. Finally, you strike at the exact moment, inserting just the right amount of aura into the precise spot to achieve the paralysis. ¡°¡­It works if you do it like that,¡± Baros concluded. Serati, who had been listening in disbelief, retorted, ¡°For that to work, wouldn¡¯t the opponent need to be lying perfectly still from the start?¡± Even the slightest movement would change all those variables in real-time. How could someone possibly process all that information in an instant? ¡°That¡¯s why only Dame Laficel uses it in actualbat.¡± In truth, such extreme measures weren¡¯t even necessary. ¡°Breaking their arms and legs would stop them from moving just as well, so why bother¡­?¡± ¡°Then why did she go to such lengths?¡± Serati asked. Karnak answered for her. ¡°Because breaking arms and legs doesn¡¯t stop people under mind control.¡± People controlled by necromancy are like zombies in some ways. Even if their bodies are destroyed, they continue to move. Laficel had developed this extraordinary technique as a way to safely subdue people under mind control without causing permanent harm. ¡°So, this is your fault again, Lord Karnak?¡± ¡°Well, yeah. Looking back, I do feel a little guilty.¡± ¡°A little guilty? That¡¯s it?¡± As they continued to chat, they eventually finished carrying all the unconscious members of the King¡¯s Order into the tent. Looking at the sleeping individuals, Serati asked, ¡°So how do we wake them up?¡± ¡°We could remove the aura embedded in their bodies, and they¡¯d wake up¡­¡± Karnak turned to Baros. ¡°But there¡¯s no real need, is there?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just let them rest. It¡¯s probably good for them.¡± These people had been worn out. Letting them sleep deeply would only help them wake up refreshed the next morning. They also collected the cursed sword Mareda. Inspecting the de, Barosmented, ¡°It¡¯s no longer a cursed sword.¡± The eerie aura that had once emanated from it waspletely gone, thanks to the evil spirit that had fled from the de. ¡°What do we do? Won¡¯t people find it suspicious?¡± ¡°True, it is a bit too clean.¡± The solution wasn¡¯t too difficult. If the problem was that it looked too clean, they could simply make it look dirty again. That was something Karnak was particrly good at. ¡°I can¡¯t restore the cursed sword¡¯s power, but I can make it look like a sword that¡¯s been drained of its power.¡± He gathered some malevolent energy from around the area and smeared it onto the de. ¡°It¡¯s like the difference between in water and t soda.¡± Serati tilted her head. ¡°Isn¡¯t t soda just in water?¡± ¡°You¡¯d be surprised how different they taste once you try.¡± With the cleanup done, Karnak¡¯s group gathered around a campfire they had set up at the edge of the camp. ¡°Now, all that¡¯s left is to wait for them to wake up naturally.¡± As they gauged the time by the position of the stars, Serati asked, ¡°So what do we do until then?¡± There was still quite some time before dawn. Baros¡¯s eyes gleamed. ¡°Let¡¯s eat!¡± Serati clicked her tongue in disbelief. ¡°¡­How are you always thinking about food?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re supposed to eat every day!¡± Karnak retorted confidently as he started gathering utensils. *** Unlike the heavily ¡°anesthetized¡± King¡¯s Order members, Laficel had simply copsed in a normal state. Naturally, she regained consciousness before the others. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Letting out a faint groan, she opened her eyes. Three people were looking down at her. A handsome oppa with ck hair, a gentle-looking oppa with blonde hair, and an incredibly beautiful unnie. The handsome oppa with ck hair cautiously asked, ¡°Are you awake?¡± His voice was gentle, making her heart flutter for some reason. Laficel calmly sat up and stared at the man in front of her. ¡°¡­Who are you?¡± Her tone was youthful and childlike. Karnak smirked. ¡°That¡¯s what I want to ask.¡± He then returned the question, ¡°Who are you?¡± Who am I? Laficel blinked. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t remember anything?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± Karnak felt a sense of relief. ¡®Phew, the memory seal worked well.¡¯ Her memories were gone, and all the aura she had absorbed from the cursed sword had beenpletely used up. She had fully returned to being an ordinary girl of this era, meaning she was no longer a threat. ¡°In that case, I suppose you don¡¯t remember your name either. It¡¯ll be difficult to call you without one, so¡­¡± Just as he was about to give her a new name, Laficel interrupted. ¡°Laficel.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I remember being called Laficel. I remember that much.¡± Karnak, doing his best to hide his surprise, quickly thought it over. ¡®Why does she remember her name? Could it be because it¡¯s tied to her core identity?¡¯ Or perhaps something went wrong with the seal. Either way, he needed to investigate further. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a relief. At least you remember your name¡­¡± Just as Karnak was about to continue speaking, he noticed something strange. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Laficel was staring directly at him. After a long moment of silence, she cautiously spoke. ¡°¡­Do you know me by any chance?¡± ¡°What?¡± The girl¡¯s eyes gleamed. ¡°I feel like I know you.¡± Chapter 99 Chapter 99 ¡®Seems like she knows me¡­¡¯ Karnak felt his heart drop, but he tried hard to maintain hisposure. Just that alone isn¡¯t enough to conclude that the memory seal has failed. For now, he responds calmly. ¡°Of course you¡¯d know me. We¡¯ve been fighting for days now, so it¡¯s only natural that I seem familiar.¡± ¡°Fighting?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Laficel had a nk expression. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Karnak and Baros exchanged nces. [How should we exin this?] [Why not just tell her the truth?] Serati scoffed. [As if you two would ever tell the truth.] She had plenty of experience with how conveniently these guys twisted their version of the ¡°truth.¡± Anyway, Karnak opened his mouth calmly. ¡°Let me tell you what the King¡¯s Order investigated.¡± Given the circumstances, it appears she was originally just an ordinary girl from a rural vige. Somehow, she must have encountered the cursed sword Mareda, and ended up under its control. After that, she wielded the cursed sword,mitted countless killings, and even fought against the King¡¯s Order. But that was all the sword¡¯s doing¡ªit had nothing to do with Laficel. She was merely under its control. Naturally, the King¡¯s Order has no intention of holding her ountable for what happened. ¡°The King¡¯s Order couldn¡¯t figure out your identity or origin before you fell under the control of the cursed sword.¡± Karnak finished his exnation with ease. ¡°To be honest, we didn¡¯t even try to investigate. The sword was what mattered, not you.¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie. In fact, that¡¯s about all the King¡¯s Order had uncovered. ¡°I see¡­¡± Laficel murmured as if she had epted it. ¡°So, we really have no connection at all.¡± Then, as if something didn¡¯t make sense, she lifted her head again. ¡°Then why?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°¡­Why does my heart race when I see you?¡± The expression on Laficel¡¯s face changed. ¡°¡­My heart pounds. My face gets hot.¡± Her breathing quickened, her cheeks flushed, and her heart beat faster. It was a face as if she had fallen in love. ¡®What¡¯s going on with her all of a sudden?¡¯ As Karnak grew flustered, Baros spoke up. [Uh, could that be anger?] It could also be described as heavy breathing, a flushed face from excitement, and a racing pulse. ¡°And for some reason, there¡¯s this dull ache in my chest. It hurts.¡± Serati chimed in as well. [It¡¯s probably fear.] Laficel still looked at Karnak with sparkling eyes. It was an extremely burdensome gaze. Karnak subtly averted his eyes. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know. I have no idea why that¡¯s happening.¡± [Why pretend? It¡¯s just the suspension bridge effect.] [Shut up.] Unlike the flustered Karnak, Laficel seemed convinced of something. ¡°I think you¡¯re a very important person to me.¡± Well, of course he was. He was her mortal enemy she had to get revenge on, after all. ¡°So, um¡­¡± The girl shyly crossing her fingers as she asked, ¡°¡­can I stay by your side?¡± Her face looked like a newborn chick gazing at its mother, just having emerged from the egg. For a moment, Karnak furrowed his brow. It felt like a needle was pricking his chest. [Kuh, guilt, guilt is¡­ creeping up.] [Congrattions, Lord Karnak. You¡¯re finally experiencing what everyone else normally feels.] [Do other people live feeling like this all the time? They must have incredible mental strength.] [It¡¯s not really that big of a deal, you know?] Laficel anxiously waited for an answer. Looking at her, Karnak forced himself to appear calm and replied, ¡°Your future is something the King¡¯s Order will decide. I can¡¯t give you a definite answer before that.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Laficel¡¯s shoulders slumped in disappointment. Then, she began blinking her eyes. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sleepy.¡± Well, after all the chaos, it was no wonder she was exhausted. Her body was still that of a child, untrained and undeveloped. ¡°Rest a bit more.¡± At Serati¡¯s gentle words, Laficel copsed into sleep. ¡°Mm¡­¡± Afterying her down carefully, Serati turned to Karnak. ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± Feeling troubled, Karnak turned to Baros. ¡°When is Laficel supposed to be Beltia¡¯s disciple?¡± Though it wasn¡¯t typical for Baros to know someone else¡¯s personal affairs, Laficel¡¯s case was rather well-known. ¡°I think she was around 16 years old.¡± Martial arts training should ideally begin at the age of five or six to properlyy a foundation. Starting at 16 was much toote. And yet, Laficel had awakened her aura after only two years of training. Ten yearster, she had inherited all the techniques of the Martial King, Beltia Crot¨¦um, and in another 20 years, she became one of the new Martial Kings herself. It was a well-known story. ¡°How old is Laficel now?¡± ¡°Who knows? I can never tell how old girls are.¡± Serati, who had moremon sense, answered instead. ¡°I can make a rough guess. She hasn¡¯t hit puberty yet.¡± Unlike nobles or children from well-off families,moners often experience dyed puberty due to poor nutrition. ¡°She¡¯s probably about twelve or thirteen.¡± ¡°As expected, Serati knows her stuff.¡± Originally, Laficel was supposed to meet Martial King Beltia in two years and be her disciple. ¡°So, what are you going to do, young master? Let her follow her fate?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll keep her by my side for now.¡± Though he had fumbled earlier, Karnak had always nned to keep Laficel with him. ¡°I need to make sure the memory seal is working. It would be a disaster if her memories came back.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Serati nodded. She had also seen firsthand what would happen if the Laficel from that nightmarish future reawakened. ¡°Surprisingly, you didn¡¯t consider killing her to remove future problems?¡± Realizing what she just said, Serati quickly added, ¡°Of course, you wouldn¡¯t do that now, considering how you¡¯ve changed.¡± Karnak responded with a wry smile. ¡°I can¡¯t kill her. There¡¯s something I need to confirm.¡± This Laficel was from the future, just like Karnak and Baros¡ªsomeone who had gone through space-time regression. ¡°I need to find out how she regressed in time, like us.¡± This was something he couldn¡¯t figure out right away. To discover the answer, he would need to probe into Laficel¡¯s sealed memories, but if they were identally restored in the process, it could be a serious problem. ¡°What about making her a subject, like me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just as dangerous. If we mess with her soul, it could trigger the return of her memories.¡± The best course of action for now was to keep her close and monitor her until a way to extract the necessary information without reviving her memories was found. Karnak muttered while gazing at the sleeping Laficel. ¡°Now, how do I exin why I¡¯m keeping her with me?¡± *** The next morning, Jiken and the rest of the King¡¯s Order woke up without any lingering aftereffects. Naturally, they were curious about the events of the previous night, so Karnak mixed lies with the truth to exin. Why had the girl disyed such overwhelming power, even after being freed from the cursed sword? -As it turns out, the King¡¯s Order just didn¡¯t notice, but it seems the sword¡¯s evil spirit had transferred into the girl. Why did Karnak¡¯s group disappear until all the other members had copsed? -The girl¡¯s abilities, having essentially be the cursed sword itself, were far too powerful. We needed time to prepare for the unexpected situation. And what kind of preparation was that? -Twenty golems. Is it even possible to control twenty golems? That seems impossible with magic. -That¡¯s why we retreated. While the rest of the King¡¯s Order bought us time, we prepared the golem summoning circle. Then, we lured the girl in and engaged her with the golems, one by one. I see. You might not be able to control all twenty at once, but summoning five at a time is feasible. -Exactly. Now, here are the traces of that battle. A brilliant strategy. So, even though the girl with the cursed sword was incredibly strong, you were able to subdue her? ¡®No, it was incredibly difficult. If the other members of the King¡¯s Order hadn¡¯t weakened her first, they would¡¯ve been defeated.¡¯ ¡­Well, the exnation went more or less like that. It was a pretty convincing story, and since the evidence from the battle matched Karnak¡¯s exnation closely, everyone epted it and moved on. Next was the issue of handling the cursed sword Mareda. The clerics who had recovered the sword carefully examined it with their divine power. They came to a conclusion. ¡°It¡¯s certain.¡± ¡°The evil spirit in the sword is gone. It¡¯s now just an ordinary sword.¡± However, it still couldn¡¯t be treated lightly, so ording to protocol, the cursed sword Mareda was sent to the royal capital¡¯s main temple for further investigation. As for the former host of the cursed sword, Laficel, she was also subjected to further examination. The conclusion came quickly. ¡°There¡¯s no trace of any malevolent energy in this girl. She¡¯s just an ordinary vige girl.¡± Karnak asked, ¡°Does this girl also need to undergo additional investigation at the main temple in the capital?¡± Meili shook her head. ¡°There are no such procedures for her.¡± Unlike the cursed sword Mareda, the girl was just amon human host. If anyone else had been under the sword¡¯s control, they would have acted simrly. There was nothing suspicious about her. ¡°Then, what will happen to the girl now?¡± ¡°She¡¯ll likely be ced in a nearby temple and cared for until she reaches adulthood.¡± Karnak spoke with a hint of pity. ¡°Her life ahead won¡¯t be easy.¡± As amoner herself, Meili gave a faint, bitter smile. ¡°You nobles may not realize it, but life is rarely easy formoners.¡± The smile quickly faded as she noticed Karnak¡¯s unexpectedment. ¡°May I take her in?¡± ¡°That girl?¡± Meili looked at him with a wary gaze. ¡°If it¡¯s just a moment of sympathy, I¡¯d like to stop you.¡± A grown man taking in a young girl could easily lead to suspicions¡ªsuspicions that would not be good in any way. Of course, Karnak was well aware of this. ¡°Serati says the girl seems to have talent with the sword.¡± As if waiting for this moment, Serati stepped forward as well. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of taking her in as my squire. Would that be alright?¡± Meili¡¯s expression visibly softened. ¡°If an Aura User says so, then I suppose¡­¡± This had been discussed between Karnak and Serati beforehand. ¡°Is there really a need to take her in as my squire? We could just use her as Lord Karnak¡¯s maid.¡± ¡°That way, it won¡¯t seem strange if Laficelter shows her talent, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°¡­Are you really going to teach her swordsmanship? Isn¡¯t that dangerous?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. She¡¯ll be strong anyway, even if we teach her nothing. Just watching from the sidelines, she¡¯ll likely surpass you.¡± ¡°Is she really that talented?¡± ¡°She only lost her memories. Her soul is still that of the future Martial King.¡± She had forgotten what she¡¯d learned, not erased it entirely. Just by observing others¡¯ battles, she would recover some of her skills. ¡°In that case, it¡¯s actually safer to teach her swordsmanship from the beginning. With her personality, even if her memories return, she wouldn¡¯t strike down her teacher.¡± It was a way to bind her with the chain of fate and create a safeguard, should something go wrong. ¡°How do you only think of things in this manner?¡± ¡°Huh? Is this another bad thing I¡¯m doing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s worse because you can¡¯t definitively say it¡¯s wrong.¡± ¡°Then what should I do?¡± ¡°¡­Honestly, I can¡¯t think of anything better, either. For our sake, and for hers.¡± In the end, Serati took Laficel in. No one opposed the idea. It wasn¡¯t unusual for a female Aura User to take interest in a talented young girl. Swordswomen were rare to begin with. ¡°Poor girl, but it seems things turned out well for her.¡± ¡°Under Dame Serati¡¯s guidance, she could be a great knight.¡± And so, the cursed sword Mareda incident was officially resolved. The only lingering question was Jiken¡¯s unresolved doubt. ¡°So, what was the connection between the cursed sword and the 7th Battalion, anyway?¡± Chapter 100 Chapter 100 Three dayster, the 1st and 7th Battalions of the King¡¯s Order returned to the capital, Drunta. The cursed sword Mareda was one of the many darkness-rted incidents that shook the Kingdom of Yustil, and it caused particrly significant damage. After handling this, the royal family highlymended their efforts. The reputations of Captain Jiken and Vice-Captain Trib spread throughout the kingdom. However, Karnak¡¯s name remained unknown. It was deliberately kept hidden. *** The day before their return to Drunta. ¡°You want to credit me with handling the cursed sword Mareda? Leaving you out of the story?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? It was you, Lord Karnak, who defeated the evil spirit of the sword in the end, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Jiken was strongly opposed when he first heard the suggestion. ¡°There¡¯s no need to shift the credit to me. Do I look like someone petty enough to be jealous of such things?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what this is about.¡± Karnak had his reasons. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it Captain Jiken who ultimately subdued the cursed sword?¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie. It was indeed Jiken who suppressed the sword in the end. What rampaged afterward wasn¡¯t the sword but Laficel. ¡°We merely finished it off.¡± And that was only possible because Jiken, Trib, and others had already weakened most of its power. ¡°The captain is only getting the honor that is rightfully his.¡± ¡°Even so, honor should be shared. Why are you excluding yourself?¡± Karnak gave a bitter smile. ¡°Not everyone in the King¡¯s Order is as magnanimous as you, Captain.¡± At that, Jiken understood the situation. Karnak had already achieved too much in such a short time. If he earned even more merit, surpassing one of the most senior members like Jiken, it would likely unsettle the other battalion captains. ¡°I¡¯m just a country bumpkin who¡¯s made his way to the capital, and it¡¯s already been overwhelming enough. I don¡¯t want to create any more trouble.¡± ¡°Well, given how quickly you¡¯ve been promoted, I suppose showing some restraint isn¡¯t a bad idea. But falsifying the report¡­ that feels a bit¡­¡± Jiken looked troubled. If they followed Karnak¡¯s n, they would have to omit the fact that the sword¡¯s evil spirit had transferred to a human host. That would mean lying. ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll report the truth to Commander Erantel. But do we really need to document the King¡¯s Order¡¯s mistakes in writing?¡± Within the King¡¯s Order, it was crucial to know the methods of the cultists to prepare for future encounters. Hiding such details would be dangerous. But was there a need to expose those mistakes to the outside world? ¡°Even if we report it honestly, wouldn¡¯t it just give people more reasons to criticize us? It would only hinder our future operations.¡± For the same reason, it was better to leave out the strange behavior of the girl towards Karnak and the 7th Battalion. If they reported that truthfully, they¡¯d have to exin the reason behind it, which they still hadn¡¯t figured out. It would only invite more criticism. ¡°It¡¯ll be cleaner if we just say that Captain Jiken and Vice-Captain Trib handled everything.¡± Jiken, now convinced, nodded. ¡°Understood. We¡¯ll take the credit.¡± Then, he looked at Karnak seriously. ¡°I owe you a debt. I¡¯ll make sure to repay it one day.¡± Karnak smiled softly. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯ve done you a favor, but it¡¯s always nice to have someone to rely on when times are tough.¡± A smile appeared on Jiken¡¯s face as well. ¡°If you ever need anything, don¡¯t hesitate toe to me.¡± *** ¡°What¡¯s the real reason?¡± Baros asked with a face full of disbelief. ¡°Why do you think there¡¯s another reason?¡± ¡°Young master, you are acting with restraint? That can¡¯t be true.¡± There was, of course, another reason. ¡°It¡¯s because of Laficel.¡± The King¡¯s Order believed that Laficel had been briefly possessed by the sword¡¯s evil spirit and made one final desperate attack. Because of this, no one paid much attention to that fact. It¡¯smon for evil spirits to jump from host to host. ¡°But the Church of the Seven Goddesses might not see it that way.¡± Currently, the Church of the Seven Goddesses is persistently tracking any traces of necromancy. There are many highly capable and responsible individuals within the church who scrutinize even the most minor issues. Take Priest Alius, for example. He¡¯s that type, which is why they even met. It¡¯s good to have suchpetent priests, but he is afraid of stirring up unnecessary trouble. What if the Main Temple decided to investigate Laficel? And what if, under the influence of divine power, some of her memories began to return? ¡°It¡¯s better to avoid drawing attention from the start.¡± The reason the sword¡¯s girl acted strangely toward the 7th Battalion was ultimately because of Karnak. If someone dug into that, it would only be a nuisance. It¡¯s a hundred times better to let Jiken and Trib take the credit and move on safely. ¡°Thanks to that, everything wrapped up nicely, didn¡¯t it?¡± Karnak beamed with a bright smile. He had diverted the public¡¯s attention away from Laficel, and on top of that, he had strengthened his rtionship with Jiken. ¡°With this, don¡¯t you think my social skills have improved quite a bit, Baros?¡± ¡°I suppose so. In the past, everyone you met seemed to turn into an enemy.¡± ¡°Why was that, anyway?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Karnak and Baros both tilted their heads in confusion. Watching them in disbelief, Serati spoke up with a teasing tone. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because you¡¯re so talented that you never had to care about what others thought.¡± She was just saying it in passing, but the two men nodded seriously. ¡°So, social skills only develop when youck certain things?¡± ¡°True, I¡¯ve also been getting along with people bettertely.¡± Serati chuckled inwardly. It felt both off-track and somehow right at the same time. ¡®Still, the fact that those two are starting to care about how others see them is a good sign.¡¯ *** Thanks to the prearranged n, Karnak¡¯s name didn¡¯t be a topic of conversation among the people. However, there was one name that did be a small topic of interest. Baros. ¡°Congrattions, Sir Baros!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve finally be an Aura User!¡± No one was particrly surprised by the fact that Baros had be an Aura User. After all, he had always been a master of martial arts. ¡°It was stranger that he hadn¡¯t awakened to his Aura until now.¡± Within the King¡¯s Order, there were already several Aura Users who had been defeated in duels with Baros, despite him not being able to wield aura at the time. Everyone had been expecting that he would be an Aura User sooner orter. A few nobles watched with some interest. ¡°Two Aura Users, and the lord himself is a 6th-circle mage?¡± ¡°The Jestarad family is more powerful than I thought.¡± ¡°There¡¯s also a rumor that Prince Lloyd is backing them?¡± Even so, it wasn¡¯t enough to draw any significant attention. Bing a newly awakened Aura User wasn¡¯t considered all that extraordinary. In the capital city of Drunta, the Red Knights were not umon. There was no reason for the central powers to feel threatened just because a minor provincial family had gained a bit more strength. The perfect bnce of appropriate recognition and indifferent dismissal. It was precisely the position Karnak had aimed for. ¡°Alright, now that the external issues are resolved, it¡¯s time to deal with personal matters.¡± Leaving the inn where they had been staying, Karnak bought a house in the southern district of Drunta. With Laficel joining them, their group had grownrger, and it wasn¡¯t exactly ideal to stay at an inn while taking care of a young girl. ¡°Most importantly, I don¡¯t want her interacting with random strangers before we¡¯ve fully assessed her condition.¡± ¡°Wow, that sounds like you¡¯re nning to lock up a little girl and raise her to your liking.¡± ¡°Oh? Is that a bad thing, Serati?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a joke, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°d to hear that.¡± As nned, Laficel was entrusted to Serati¡¯s care, though Serati herself felt uneasy about the arrangement. ¡®Isn¡¯t this a bit of a downgrade for her? Her original teacher was the Martial King, Beltia.¡¯ But she couldn¡¯t just leave her alone. If Laficel regained her memories, the people who would be in real danger weren¡¯t just the former Death King and the Death Knight Lord. She won¡¯t leave wicked followers of the Death King alone either. ¡®Well, as long as I treat her well from now on, it should be fine, right?¡¯ Serati took good care of Laficel, buying her delicious food, helping her bathe, brushing her hair, and dressing her in fine clothes. Laficel, who had been a dirty country girl, was reborn as a lively and adorable city girl. Sitting her down in front of her, Serati spoke seriously. ¡°From now on, you¡¯ll be my squire, Laficel.¡± ¡°Yes, Master!¡± ¡°Master, huh¡­¡± For someone like Serati, who was an Aura User, she certainly had the qualifications to take on a squire. But still, being called ¡°Master¡± by the future Martial King felt a bit awkward. ¡°¡­Just call me Unnie instead.¡± Since Laficel didn¡¯t know any better, she obediently followed Serati¡¯s instructions. ¡°Yes, Serati Unnie!¡± As a squire, Laficel would need to learn how to handle various tasks, so she was given simple household chores to start with. With her memories sealed, Laficel was truly a kind and diligent child. The hatred and anger she¡¯d shown when they first met had vanished without a trace. In fact, she was surprisingly obedient to Karnak and Baros. ¡°Lord Karnak! I finished cleaning!¡± ¡°Lord Baros! I fetched water!¡± ¡°Lord Karnak! I finished sewing!¡± ¡°Lord Baros! Can I help you prepare the meal?¡± Each time, the two men awkwardly averted their eyes. ¡°Oh, uh, right¡­¡± ¡°Good job, thanks¡­¡± Her bright smile made it hard to look her in the eye. [Gah!] [The guilt¡­] Watching them, Serati couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. [What¡¯s this? Those two who were always so shameless¡­] Well, their guilt was heavy enough that even their thick skins couldn¡¯t handle it. In any case, Laficel naturally blended into the group. Karnak was also able to observe her more closely. ¡°For now, it seems like the memory seal is holding properly¡­¡± Now, it was time to figure out how she had reversed space-time to end up in this era. However, recklessly probing the sealed memories was still too dangerous. ¡°Sigh, we finally have a lead, but we can¡¯t even confirm it.¡± ¡°A lead, young master?¡± ¡°There was something I¡¯ve been suspicious of all this time. But thanks to Laficel, I¡¯m more certain now.¡± He had been curious for a while. Why had the Jestarad family suddenly be so wealthy? Where did that copper mine, which hadn¡¯t existed before,e from? And why had Karnak¡¯s power, the Darkness of Doom, already started spreading in the world from a time even before his time? ¡°All of this happened roughly four years before we returned.¡± So, what exactly happened during that time? Suddenly, Karnak changed the subject. ¡°Do you know, Baros? Magic rted to space-time is purely theoretical. There¡¯s never been a case where it¡¯s actually been proven.¡± Baros didn¡¯t bother responding. Through long experience, he knew that Karnak wasn¡¯t asking for an answer. This was just Karnak organizing his own thoughts through the act of questioning. ¡°What really happens when you reverse time and go back to the past? How do you resolve the contradictions of time?¡± This is a topic on which mages are divided. Some argue for the existence of parallel worlds, while others im that the space-time continuum is immutable, making time maniption magic impossible. Others believe that fixed singrities exist in the continuity of space-time. The important point is that all of these ideas are merely thought experiments. No one had ever actually reversed space-time. ¡°Only I have.¡± Karnak smiled bitterly. ¡°So no one has ever been able to give me answers on this matter.¡± Until now, he had assumed this world was some sort of parallel world. ¡°But it turns out that even in this case, history can be altered.¡± What if someone else had returned to this timeline? And what if they returned before Karnak and influenced the past? ¡°That would exin why the world has be so twisted.¡± Chapter 101 Chapter 101 ¡°Someone arrived in this era a few years before us¡­¡± Baros had a doubtful expression. This hypothesis required one assumption. ¡°Are you saying there are others besides you who can manipte space-time?¡± Even the ultimate necromancer, Karnak, had failed countless times with the Space-Time Reversal Spell. Astra Spiritus, a being said to beparable to a god, struggled for decades before finally seeding. ¡°If such a powerful mage or necromancer existed, we would have known about it from the beginning.¡± Even the three Archmages, considered the strongest of humanity, could not venture into the realm of manipting space-time. If they were truly at such a high level, they wouldn¡¯t have been defeated by Karnak in the first ce. As for the Four Martial Kings, they were Aura users, so they didn¡¯t count. If the Dragon Emperor Grateria, who once protected the world, had been in his prime, perhaps it would have been possible¡­ ¡°But we know better than anyone that he¡¯s far from okay.¡± Karnak nodded. ¡°Right, no one could have created a space-time reversal spell from scratch like I did.¡± But what if someone tampered with something someone else created? ¡°Do you remember the Monument of Transcending Space-Time?¡± ¡°Eh, that blood-colored b we used toe to this era?¡± ¡°Yes, that one.¡± Karnak¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°After using the Monument of Transcendence, I didn¡¯t think much about what happened afterward.¡± He had thought that by returning to the past, all futures would disappear. He believed that everything he had done would cease to exist, that all history would vanish into nothingness, and that a new history would be written. But what if that wasn¡¯t the case? What if the future still remained, even after Karnak and Baros left for this time? ¡°That means the Monument of Transcendence still exists.¡± At the same time, it meant that the undead of Necropia, once ruled by the Death King, still existed. Including the Lich Dragon Grateria, the three Archmages, the Four Martial Kings, and all the countless other monsters. What would happen if Karnak¡¯s control over them disappeared? Grateria hadpletely lost his reason. Even without Karnak¡¯s control, he would be nothing more than a mindless beast. Even Karnak, for all his power, could not bring himself to control the terrifying Dragon Emperor as a Lich Dragon with its reason intact. On the other hand, the three Archmages and the other Martial Kings, except for Laficel, retained their intelligence. Simply engraving loyalty upon them was enough to control them. Besides, due to the nature of magic and aura, they were useless if they lost their intellect. But what if they regained their sense of self? And what if they discovered the Monument of Transcending Space-Time behind the empty throne? ¡°A 10th Circle pursuer might be able to study the remaining monument and learn the Space-Time Reversal Spell¡­¡± Seeing Karnak¡¯s seriousness, Baros nodded solemnly. ¡°I see.¡± Then, with an even more serious expression, he asked: ¡°So in the end, it¡¯s all the young master¡¯s fault again?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Pouting, Karnak fell deep into thought. This hypothesis exined a lot. If someone had experimented by sending Laficel into this era before crossing over themselves, it made sense. ¡°The problem is¡­ how do we confirm this?¡± *** After the incident with the cursed sword Mareda, Karnak¡¯s group was granted another break. It hadn¡¯t been long since theirst break, but there was no issue. They still had a lot of unused vacation days. With this free time, Baros devoted himself to diligently training his aura. In fact, he didn¡¯t need to learn anything more about battle aura. All he needed was to increase his aura reserves. He already knew everything else. Still, he went back to basics, carefully honing his fundamentals. ¡°Review is important, review.¡± Moreover, it was his first time handling his own aura, so he had to be prepared for unforeseen problems. ¡°Hah! Urah! Hiyah!¡± He swung his sword daily in new backyard, adjusting to his new sense of bnce. Laficel began learning the fundamentals of swordsmanship from Serati. She intentionally taught her techniques for overall physical training rather than practical swordbat. ¡°If you push your body too hard before you¡¯ve fully grown, you¡¯ll end up getting injured.¡± Laficel had talent and followed instructions well. However, she wasn¡¯t growing at an extraordinary pace. Now that the cursed energy had been fully drained from the cursed sword, Laficel was just an ordinary child. No matter how much of a future Martial King she might be, without the proper physical foundation, she couldn¡¯t demonstrate her abilities as in the case of Baros. As a result, whenever Serati demonstrated even a simple downward sh, Laficel¡¯s eyes would sparkle in awe. ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°Amazing, unnie!¡± ¡°When will I be able to wield a sword like you, unnie?¡± Laficel, following Serati around like a little chick, was so adorable that Serati couldn¡¯t help but dote on her. Although she did sometimes show a slightly chilling side. ¡°Serati unnie!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I did it! I sliced a leaf in half just like you told me to!¡± Serati looked at the two intact leaves and tilted her head in confusion. ¡°What exactly did you slice?¡± ¡°You told me to cut it in two, right?¡± It finally dawned on her that the two leaves were unusually thin. ¡®Wait, was this originally one leaf?¡¯ Instead of cutting it in half, Laficel had peeled the leaf into two thinyers as if she had split it from both sides¡ªin mid-air! ¡®Wow, how in the world did she do that?¡¯ Serati was in awe of the impressive skill she couldn¡¯t even hope to mimic. ¡°Well¡­ very well done.¡± ¡°Hehe!¡± Laficel beamed with a joyful smile, filled with the belief that there was no greater teacher in the world than Serati. ¡°I want to be strong like you soon, unnie!¡± Only then did Serati begin to understand how Karnak and Baros felt. ¡®Ugh! The guilt¡­¡¯ *** In Serati¡¯s bedroom on the second floor. Once again, she was undergoing a soul cleansing by Karnak. Using the Wailing Armor of Gehenna had considerably tainted Serati¡¯s soul, and it had to be purified. ¡°I honestly didn¡¯t feel anything, though.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re my subordinate.¡± For a necromancer¡¯s subordinate, it was less about contamination and more about adaptation. The real issue was what exactly one was adapting to. ¡°You don¡¯t want to adapt to the air of hell, do you?¡± ¡°Please cleanse me as quickly as possible.¡± Karnak chuckled softly as he drew a magic circle on the floor. Since it wasn¡¯t necromancy but chaos magic, there was no need for secrecy. He could openly perform it at home. After setting up the ritual, Karnak gestured. ¡°Alright, sit still and behave.¡± ¡°How long will it take?¡± ¡°About 10 minutes?¡± Serati sat cross-legged in the center of the magic circle, while Karnak pulled up a chair and sat down. Just sitting there felt boring. Karnak nced out the window. He saw a small gray-haired girl diligently swinging a sword in the backyard. ¡°How¡¯s Laficel?¡± Serati sighed. ¡°I feel like I¡¯mmitting a sin.¡± Laficel was originally supposed to be the disciple of the Martial King, Beltia. ¡°I keep wondering if I¡¯m blocking her future¡­..¡± ¡°Laficel will be a Martial King anyway.¡± She is the ¡®future Martial King.¡¯ It¡¯s not that she¡¯s destined to be one in the future¡ªshe is the future Martial King. It wasn¡¯t that she hadn¡¯t learned; she had simply forgotten what she¡¯d been taught. ¡°Her title will just change. She won¡¯t be the Martial King of Syphras, but the Martial King of Jestarad.¡± ¡°Who knows, maybe another Martial King from Syphras will emerge under Beltia.¡± ¡°Then the Four Martial Kings will simply be the Five Martial Kings.¡± The titles of Martial King and Archmage aren¡¯t given based on rankings. It¡¯s not like the world keeps a tally of the strongest, second, third, and fourth Martial Kings, while anyone ranked fifth or below is just considered a regr swordsman. Humans don¡¯t remain static. They can be stronger or weaker, so how could you consistently rank them? The titles of Archmage and Martial King are honors that recognize those who have reached a certain pinnacle. Those who attain the ultimate mastery of Aura, the golden aura, are called Martial Kings, and those who reach the 10th Circle of magic mastery are called Archmages. Naturally, the number of Martial Kings and Archmages has fluctuated throughout history. There were times when there was only one Archmage and three Martial Kings, or when there were two Archmages and six Martial Kings. There were even periods when there were no Martial Kings or Archmages at all. ¡°There was even a brief time when there were five Martial Kings.¡± ¡°When was that?¡± ¡°About 20 years from now?¡± Though Karnak spoke in the past tense, it was actually a future event. After training under Beltia and emerging into the world, Laficel eventually mastered the golden aura and became the new Martial King, while Beltia was still active. ¡°But it quickly returned to four Martial Kings.¡± Nothingsts forever, and no matter how powerful one¡¯s body and mind, they eventually weaken with age. Even those who have reached the peak of martial arts usually retire around the age of 60 or 70. In the present day, the Four Martial Kings were Gard, Beltia, Dreltain, and Batalok. Gard and Beltia each trained sessors¡ªLaven and Laficel, respectively¡ªwho would be the new Martial Kings upon their retirement. ¡°Dreltain was still active at that time.¡± As for Batalok, he was a case of failing to raise a sessor. Though a genius himself, hecked the talent for teaching. Despite taking on several disciples, he failed to produce a single Martial King¡ªor even a Silver Knight. ¡°Oh, so the new Martial King had nothing to do with Batalok?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± One of the new Four Martial Kings, Malikan Tun, was an example of someone rising from humble origins. Though his master was only a Purple Knight, through extreme effort, Malikan reached the pinnacle of golden aura mastery. ¡°Well, not that it mattered¡ªthey were all defeated by Baros in the end.¡± Only the experienced veteran swordsman, Dreltain, managed to surpass the Death Knight Lord. But even he eventually knelt before the power of the Death King. ¡°I see¡­¡± Serati listened as if entranced by Karnak¡¯s story. Knowing the future is fascinating to anyone¡ªno wonder fortune tellers are so popr. Of course, the future Karnak knew had already been twisted, so things might not turn out that way. Still, Karnak¡¯s predictions were probably more urate than any fortune teller¡¯s. ¡°What about the three Archmages? Did any new Archmages emerge among them?¡± Karnak shook his head. ¡°No, that remained unchanged.¡± Unlike Aura users, mages have a rtively longer prime. Magic is a discipline of the mind, so even with age, a mage doesn¡¯t decline as rapidly as an Aura user. Once someone bes an Archmage, they can use their immense power to retain some degree of youth. However, the number of mages who reach the 10th Circle is exceedingly small. Having three Archmages in one era was a rare urrence, something that happens only once every few hundred years. Typically, there were only one or two at most. ¡°Whether in my time or now, the three Archmages haven¡¯t changed.¡± The three Archmages of this era were: Diogres Colon, Lord of the Tower of Dawn. Giyen Ren, the chief guardian of the fairy race. Elezar de Recion, the Imperial Court Mage. These were the Archmages of this era, and they would eventually fall under themand of the Death King several decadester. Serati¡¯s expression darkened slightly. ¡°So, one of them could be the one who came back to this time and caused all of this, like Lord Karnak did?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Whether only one came or more, I can¡¯t say.¡± If the hypothesis was correct, whoever returned was likely closely connected with the cult of the Dark God. ¡°The good news is, we now have a clue.¡± The Dark Cardinal, Hudel Grenthal. He was the highest-ranking figure among the cult members they had identified so far. ¡°Up until now, they¡¯ve hidden so well that we¡¯ve been left chasing after them¡­¡± A smile spread across Karnak¡¯s face. ¡°But now, it¡¯s our turn to strike first.¡± Chapter 102 Chapter 102 The greatest and most powerful nation on the continent, the Lacaenia Empire. Naturally, the capital of the strongest empire on Earth had to be thergest and most beautiful city on Earth. Thea Crahan was truly the city of the emperor. Among the countless buildings stretching to the horizon, narrow alleys sprawled in aplex web like the capiries of a giant. But it was a different story on the main roads. The meticulously standardized, perfectly straight roads divided the city into districts, resembling a grid, serving as the veins of the imperial capital, transporting the countless citizens. The sheer scale wasn¡¯t the only remarkable thing. The grandeur overwhelmed other cities as well. In other ces, massive towers and mansions that would easily serve as symbols of the city were just ordinary buildings here. At every step, sky-piercing towers lined up, and mansions, shining like works of art, adorned the city. To the east of this metropolis stood a single tower. Compared to thevish imperial pce or the mansions of the nobility, this white tower was uncharacteristically neat, almost in. However, no one, not even the emperor, could dare ignore the owner of this tower. This was the magic tower of Elezar de Recion, one of the three Archmages and the most powerful mage of the empire. *** A reception room located inside the tower, with borate paintings of all kinds of wild birds. A beautiful woman with brown skin and elegantly tied golden hair satzily on a sofa with a rxed expression. ¡°How did it go, Hudel?¡± A blond youth in his twenties respectfully made his report in front of her. ¡°We¡¯ve identified suspicious individuals, Lady Elezar.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Elezar nced over the documents Hudel had presented. The papers depicted portraits of a gaunt man in his mid-40s and a swordsman of a simr age. Jiken Esperode, a 7-circle mage and captain of the 1st battalion of the King¡¯s Order of the Kingdom of Yustil. Trib Larkins, a blue aura user and vice-captain of the same battalion. She asked while looking over the papers. ¡°Why did you suspect them?¡± ¡°Because they are the ones who defeated the cursed sword we prepared, Lady Elezar.¡± More precisely, they had left behind a significant amount of evil energy and aura of malice during the process. The King¡¯s Order likely believed it to be traces left by the cursed sword, but Hudel knew better, as he was responsible for the incident. ¡°We know for sure it wasn¡¯t us.¡± There had been a battle, and traces of evil energy and aura of malice were left behind that didn¡¯t belong to the cursed sword. In that case, those traces could only havee from whoever opposed the cursed sword, right? Moreover, ording to the stolen report from the King¡¯s Order, there had been no one else around when they dealt with the cursed sword. ¡°It appears they acted in a manner consistent with secretly using necromancy.¡± Another reason for suspicion was that these individuals were powerful mages and aura users. Despite the presence of necromantic elements, they still wielded magic and battle aura. Almost like the Dark God¡¯s cult. It fit perfectly with what Elezar had requested: incidents that seemed like their doing but weren¡¯t. ¡°Further investigation is needed, but they¡¯re certainly not unrted.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Elezar flipped through the documents with a dispassionate expression. Hudel had done quite a satisfactory job, but he still hadn¡¯t brought the answer she truly wanted. Were these really the ones who had trespassed into the sanctuary? ¡®It doesn¡¯t quite feel that way, though¡­¡¯ Nevertheless, the discovery of a clue was a good thing. ¡°What are you nning to do now?¡± ¡°They are quite prominent figures. It¡¯s too risky to act recklessly. I n to investigate further for the time being.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± ¡°Yes, Lady Elezar.¡± She continued to flip through the documents. Hudel, observing her, suddenly remembered something. ¡°The power of the cursed sword granted by the main temple was truly astonishing.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°With just that one sword, we were able to deliver the righteous teachings of the true god to hundreds of heretics. It was nothing like the cursed swords I¡¯ve known before.¡± Elezar¡¯s face went nk. The ¡°righteous teachings of the true god¡± spoken of by the Dark God¡¯s cult ultimately meant death. ¡®¡­It killed hundreds of people?¡¯ She flipped past the earlier part of the report to the section detailing the cursed sword¡¯s activities in the Kingdom of Yustil. Momentster, her expression hardened. ¡®Oh my, it¡¯s true.¡¯ The cursed sword given to Hudel by the cult was indeed a fine artifact. It was unusually powerful, even for a cursed sword. For a cursed sword, that is. It was never something capable of shaking the world on such a scale. ¡®This is strange. A cursed sword this powerful shouldn¡¯t exist.¡¯ Puzzled, Elezar asked, ¡°How exactly did you use this cursed sword?¡± Hudel stammered at the unexpected question. ¡°W-Well, just in the usual way.¡± The sword was the important part, not the host. So he had simply kidnapped an orphaned girl, handed her the cursed sword, and released her into the world. That was all. ¡°Was there something special about the soul imbued in the sword?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell, with my limited insight¡­¡± After pondering for a moment, Elezar gave a firm order. ¡°Retrieve it. Bring it back.¡± Hudel looked troubled. ¡°The evil spirit in the sword is already gone. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to find anything at this point.¡± But she was resolute. ¡°Retrieve it anyway. I have a bad feeling about this.¡± *** After returning to Drunta, Karnak assigned the King¡¯s Order Intelligence Division to investigate the dark cardinal Hudel. The world is vast, and there are many people, so finding someone with just a few pieces of information is close to impossible. However, if you have a good grasp of their appearance and origin, the difficulty is significantly reduced. Two weekster, Karnak received the information he had been waiting for. ¡°Hudel Grenthal, a noble of the Lacaenia Empire. Male. Age: 28. He is the head of the Grenthal Count family, located near the western border of the Kingdom of Yustil¡­¡± As Karnak continued reading the document, a look of interest appeared on his face. ¡°This guy¡¯s quite something.¡± Originally, Hudel was never meant to be the family head. He had three older brothers, and although his father, the former family head, was in his 60s, he was still rtively healthy. The unexpected event urred after the Darkness of Doom was spread. A mysterious necromancer appeared and attacked the Grenthal territory. In the chaos, the former family head was killed, and all three brothers sumbed to a curse and died after suffering. Hudel was the one who saved the doomed territory. Despite his young age, in histe twenties, he demonstrated exceptional leadership by mobilizing the territory¡¯s knights to chase down the necromancer, eventually tracking and executing the culprit. With the overwhelming support of his retainers and the people, he became the new head of the Grenthal family. ¡°It seems like his life¡¯s journey is eerily simr to someone else¡¯s, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Baros smirked andmented. ¡°Indeed. It¡¯s practically a mirror image of yours, young master.¡± Parents killed by a mysterious necromancer, older brothers who would have inherited the family all dead, leaving him to take over the territory? Considering Hudel is a cardinal of the Dark Cult, there¡¯s no doubt about who that ¡°mysterious necromancer¡± was. This is precisely the n young Karnak had conceived before his time regression, isn¡¯t it? The only difference is that, in Karnak¡¯s case, he was eventually discovered and pursued, while Hudel sessfully imed his family. ¡°It¡¯s a bit strange to call it a coincidence. How could their fates be so simr¡­?¡± At Serati¡¯sment, Karnak and Baros chuckled. ¡°There¡¯s nothing strange about it.¡± ¡°The actions of those who dabble in necromancy tend to follow the same patterns.¡± ¡°You might as well call it a fated match. Not sure if that¡¯s the right expression, though.¡± For the record, it waste at night. Following Serati¡¯s advice that good children should go to bed early and wake up early, Laficel had long since tucked in and was soundly asleep. This allowed them to talk freely among those who knew the truth. Even so, they had set up a soundproof barrier just in case. ¡°So, all we have to do is catch this guy, right?¡± Baros asked, intrigued. ¡°How strong do you think he is?¡± Hudel Grenthal wasn¡¯t an aura user or a mage. He had received some knight training but was, for all intents and purposes, a typical local lord whose main duties involved administration. However, considering his true identity, he had to be a rather powerful necromancer. ¡°He¡¯s probably stronger than Detzras, at least,¡± Karnak replied, tapping the documents. ¡°The issue isn¡¯t whether he¡¯s strong or weak.¡± The real problem was that the Lacaenia Empire was a foreign country. Unlike the Churches of the Seven Goddesses, which transcended borders and influenced the entire continent, the King¡¯s Order was strictly an agency of the Kingdom of Yustil. They had no authority in the Empire. ¡°There¡¯s no way the Empire would just stand by while a foreign group tries to capture one of their nobles.¡± Serati, who had been listening quietly, posed a question. ¡°What about notifying the Empire in advance?¡± The Lacaenia Empire had its own organization, simr to the King¡¯s Order. Evil ying Brigade. It was an anti-cult organization directly under the emperor, led by the Silver Knight, Cliff von Sandreas. ¡°Couldn¡¯t we secretly contact them and have them act on our behalf?¡± Karnak shook his head. Apparently, the King¡¯s Order had already considered that option. ¡°They said it¡¯d be a miracle if we¡¯re not suspected of being spies.¡± Yustil Kingdom was part of Seven Kingdoms Alliance, and the Lacaenia Empire and Seven Kingdoms Alliance had been long-standing rivals. Moreover, special agencies like the King¡¯s Order and Evil ying Brigade typically had poor cooperation, even within their own countries. Expecting cooperation between rival nations¡¯ organizations? Not likely. ¡°Besides, we can¡¯t even trust the Evil ying Brigade. How do we know there isn¡¯t a cultist among them?¡± For the exact same reason, the Evil ying Brigade wouldn¡¯t trust the King¡¯s Order either. ¡°So, it¡¯s clear the King¡¯s Order can¡¯t act in this case.¡± After a brief moment of consideration, Serati suggested another idea. ¡°In that case, what about using the identity of a Darkness Hunter from the Churches of the Seven Goddesses? We know someone who¡¯d be more than happy to help us.¡± Karnak¡¯s face brightened with understanding. ¡°Ah, you mean that friend, right?¡± *** The Hatoba Temple in Derat City, northern part of Yustil Kingdom. ¡°¡­You mean to infiltrate the Empire¡¯s territory and capture a core member of the Dark Cult?¡± As expected, Alius readily agreed. ¡°Of course, we must! I¡¯d be upset if you left me out!¡± Even after parting ways with Karnak¡¯s group, Alius had continued working with Darkness Hunters, taking down numerous necromancers. Thanks to his achievements, he had risen to the position of bishop, overseeing the inquisitors of the Hatoba Religious Order across the entire northern region of the Yustil Kingdom, far beyond just Derat City. Considering he was still in his twenties, it was truly an astounding rise. ¡°Thanks to that, I¡¯m doing more paperwork in the temple these days than fieldwork. I¡¯ve been itching for action.¡± Despite leaving thefort of the temple to head into a grueling mission, Aliusughed with genuine joy. ¡°With the world growing more corrupt and so many people suffering, how could I sit idly in the temple just to livefortably? Anyone who does that is human trash!¡± Two men, who had been nning to live quietly in their territories regardless of the world¡¯s fate, awkwardly avoided his gaze. ¡°Ah, uh, well, is that so?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah, right, um¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on with you two?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing.¡± And so, Karnak¡¯s group returned as Darkness Hunters under the Hatoba Religious Order. The paperwork was easy. After all, they were already Alius¡¯ coborators. They simply pulled out old documents and had them signed again¡ªnothing more. Alius took care of the rest of the preparations. He nned their journey to the Empire, gathered the necessary supplies, and even provided them with sturdy horses. All Karnak¡¯s group had to do was cover the expenses. ¡°Well, at least it¡¯s not free, right?¡± ¡°These are the precious donations of the faithful, Lord Karnak. Not a single coin can be wasted.¡± ¡°And this is the precious sry of a government official, you know?¡± ¡°I know youe from a wealthy family.¡± With the Hatoba Religious Order¡¯s full support, the preparations were swiftlypleted. The very next day, fully equipped, Karnak¡¯s party stood at the eastern gate of Derat City. Holding the reins of his horse, Alius cheerfully shouted. ¡°Let¡¯s go, to the Empire!¡± Following behind, Baros let out a small chuckle. ¡°He¡¯s more excited than we are, isn¡¯t he?¡± Chapter 103 Chapter 103 The Barakant Mountains, the backbone of the continent, stretches from north to south across the central-westernnds. It is the main range of the Zeden Mountains, bordering the Jestarad territory, and also serves as the boundary between the Lacaenia Empire and the Kingdom of Yustil, epassing a vast region. In the northern part of these rugged Barakant Mountains, a well-armed force of 20 men was moving along the ridgeline. They were the border patrol that guarded the Swindler Fortress, the gateway between the Empire and the Kingdom. Looking down at the steep valley slopes spreading out on either side, the captain of the patrol asked, ¡°Is the pursuit going well, Felix?¡± The man in his thirties, dressed in priest robe and scouting ahead while keeping a lookout, shrugged his shoulders. ¡°No problem.¡± For someone like him¡ªa priest of Saisha, the Goddess of Wind and Sky, and a second-tier inquisitor¡ªthe tant traces of darkness were as clear as a signpost. ¡°It seems they¡¯re not even bothering to hide their tracks.¡± ¡°Does that mean the aura of darkness is strong?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s weak. They¡¯re just carelessly leaving it behind.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying they¡¯re weak and sloppy?¡± ¡°At the very least, it¡¯s clear this isn¡¯t the work of a high-level necromancer.¡± The soldiers following behind smiled with relief at their conversation. ¡°Well, that¡¯s good news.¡± ¡°Looks like it was just a petty thief, after all.¡± ¡°But still, they¡¯re using dark powers, so it must be a witch, right?¡± The captain put on a serious expression. ¡°Let¡¯s not lower our guard too much. The damage is still quite significant.¡± *** Esk, a mountain vige near Swindler Fortress, which supplies goods to the stronghold. For about a month now, strange incidents had been urring in this vige. Strange if strange, but ordinary if ordinary. ¡°A witch stole my eggs!¡± ¡°A witch stole my chickens!¡± ¡°A witch stole my dog!¡± An unidentified old woman had been appearing at night,mitting petty theft. The border patrol didn¡¯t know about this from the beginning. At first, the vigers tried to deal with the thief on their own. The term ¡°witch¡± didn¡¯t seem out of ce either. The culprit was an old woman, andtely, ming everything on the Darkness of Doom was all the rage. But as time passed, the situation became more bizarre. ¡°A witch stole my pig!¡± ¡°A witch took our cow! Oh no!¡± The scale of the thefts kept growing. It got to the point where the vigers could no longer handle it, and even the Swindler Fortress had to get involved. The border patrol began an official investigation and was taken aback. The way the witch was stealing cows and pigs was anything but ordinary. Why? Because she did it in the same way she stole eggs and chickens. ¡°She carried them off!¡± ¡°What? Carried them off?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying! She picked them up and walked off with them!¡± The captain blinked in disbelief at the elderly viger¡¯s testimony. ¡°¡­That big cow and pig? The old woman, by herself?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± He could still see it clearly. The terrifying sight of the old woman throwing a cow over her shoulder, scaling a wall, her blood-red eyes glowing in the darkness as she let out a crazedugh! ¨C Kehehel! I¡¯ll take this one to make sure I stay strong and healthy! ¡°¡­Is what she said.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The captain fell silent. The old man, flustered, continued speaking. ¡°I swear I¡¯m not lying, sir!¡± ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re lying either.¡± The captain just wondered if the elderly viger¡¯s health was declining or if his memory was fading. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it seem a bit strange for this to be the wicked deeds of an evil witch?¡± ¡°What could be more wicked than carrying off someone¡¯s cow!¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, but¡­¡± In any case, it was undeniable that damage had been done. It was also true that traces of evil energy and malevolent aura remained where the cows and pigs had disappeared. The captain spoke seriously. ¡°Understood. We¡¯ll handle it.¡± *** One of the soldiers chuckled as they continued walking. ¡°If you think about it, this isn¡¯t really our job, is it? We¡¯re a border patrol, after all.¡± He was suggesting they contact the Church of the Seven Goddesses to send a darkness hunter, since this was a matter rted to the Darkness of Doom. Priest Felix shook his head. ¡°We did contact them, but it¡¯s unlikely they¡¯ll send reinforcements.¡± There are still too many cases rted to darkness, and the personnel responsible for handling them are always in short supply. From the temple¡¯s perspective, strange stories about a witch in a remote mountain vige wouldn¡¯t be a high priority. Other soldiers grumbled. ¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is they¡¯re ignoring us because we¡¯re from the countryside?¡± ¡°They always focus on the morous cities and push us country folk to the back, huh?¡± Felix tried to soothe the soldiers. ¡°Come now, the goddess¡¯s grace is bestowed equally upon the entire world.¡± ¡°Then why won¡¯t they send anyone to help us?¡± ¡°They have.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here, isn¡¯t it?¡± Now that they thought about it, having Felix, a second-tier inquisitor, stationed at Swindler Fortress was unusual in itself. They had just gotten used to seeing him around so often that they took it for granted. ¡°Well¡­ now that you mention it¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been rude to the priest. Sorry about that.¡± As they continued moving forward, the sun began to set. Suddenly, Priest Felix pointed to the ridge beyond. ¡°I¡¯ve found it, Captain.¡± Amidst the darkened slope, in a meadow with swaying grass, stood a small, solitary figure. It was an old woman, dressed in typical peasant attire with a shabby apron. Upon seeing her, the captain muttered absentmindedly. ¡°¡­A witch.¡± The other soldiers had simr expressions. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s a witch.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really a witch.¡± ¡°She looks too much like a witch!¡± Their strange remarks had a reason. Her tangled white hair, wrinkled and aged face, hooked nose covered with warts, jutting chin, and frail, small frame¡ªall made her the perfect image of an old hag from a fairy tale. Even if someone had intentionally dressed her up to y the role of a witch, they couldn¡¯t have done it better. The soldiers began whispering among themselves. ¡°She looks so stereotypical, it¡¯s almost suspicious.¡± ¡°No matter how much of a witch she is, can anyone really look that much like one?¡± ¡°Maybe she¡¯s just an olddy with a scary face?¡± Felix also wore a perplexed expression. ¡°Well, we¡¯ve followed the traces of darkness to get here, but¡­¡± The old woman, who had been quietly watching the border patrol, finally spoke. ¡°You young men, what brings you to a ce like this?¡± One of the soldiers hesitantly started the conversation. ¡°Old woman, have you noticed anything strange around here?¡± ¡°Something strange? I don¡¯t think so.¡± Responding calmly, the old woman rummaged through her clothes for a moment and then pulled something out. ¡°Would you like some snacks?¡± It was an eyeball from some creature, still shiny and fresh, with blood vessels and nerves attached as if it had just been plucked. At the same time, the old woman¡¯s eyes began to glow a blood-red. ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± The border patrol soldiers, shocked, recoiled. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Yikes!¡± ¡°Damn! She is a witch!¡± The captain drew his sword and shouted. ¡°Everyone, prepare for battle!¡± *** While the Barakant Mountains serve as the border between the Kingdom of Yustil and the Lacaenia Empire, technically speaking, most of the mountain range belongs to the Empire. The Kingdom¡¯s territory ends at the foothills of the mountains. Swindler Fortress, one of the western gateways to the Empire, was also situated at the entrance of the Barakant Mountains. Riding his horse toward the fortress entrance, Baros looked around. ¡°Wow, there are a lot of people here.¡± With winter approaching, the weather had be quite chilly. At the fortress entrance, a long line of travelers in thick fur coats had formed. Most of them were merchants traveling between the Empire and the Kingdom. The Lacaenia Empire and the Seven Kingdoms Alliance, long-standing rivals, had been at war and peace in turns throughout history. Currently, while there was no formal exchange between the nations, trade between civilians was allowed, which exined the long line of merchants. Karnak grumbled as he adjusted his cloak. ¡°Do we have to wait in line too? It¡¯s freezing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Alius shrugged. ¡°As servants of the Goddess, we have a few small privileges.¡± Since the faith of the Seven Goddesses was spread across the entire continent, most nations granted clergy members priority when crossing borders. Especially now, with the forces of darkness running rampant across the world, the presence of clergy was seen as a good omen, as it meant the weakening of the darkness. A powerful priest like Alius was certainly someone to be weed with open arms. Without hesitation, Alius bypassed the line and moved to the front. No oneined about him cutting ahead. Even the soldiers treated him with priority as a matter of course. ¡°I am Alius, a first-tier inquisitor of the Hatoba Religious Order. These people are our allies, the Darkness Hunters.¡± The soldiers briefly examined their documents. There were no issues. All of their identities had been verified by the Hatoba Religious Order. ¡°You all are quite renowned Darkness Hunters.¡± However, one soldier was a bit puzzled. ¡°But¡­¡± He nced at one member of the group and asked, ¡°Is that child also a Darkness Hunter?¡± Standing behind Serati, curiously looking around, was the ash-haired girl, Laficel. She was currently traveling with the group as Serati¡¯s disciple. Of course, at first, Alius had vehemently opposed this. -Is that child going to the Empire with us? Isn¡¯t she too young? This wasn¡¯t something a sensible adult should say. In fact, Karnak fully agreed with that opinion. But they couldn¡¯t leave Laficel unattended just yet. What if something went wrong with her memory seal? It was still a time when they needed to keep an eye on her. But since they couldn¡¯t say this openly, they came up with a usible excuse. -Dame Serati has decided to take her along. -Oh, in that case, I suppose there¡¯s nothing to be done. The training of a disciple is the mentor¡¯s responsibility, and it wasn¡¯t for Alius, an outsider, to interfere. Moreover, among knights, it wasn¡¯t umon for squires to apany them from a young age to learn on the field. The belief was that experiencing battle early helped one grow stronger more quickly. The gate soldiers of the Empire were also familiar with such stories. So they didn¡¯t question it further and allowed the group to pass. They only looked at Laficel with some pity in their eyes. ¡°The Barakant Mountains will be tough for a child like that to cross¡­¡± ¡°Oh boy, the Kingdom of Yustil really puts their disciples through the wringer.¡± Swindler Fortress was both a defensive stronghold and a trade town. After passing through the gates and walking a short distance beyond the thick walls, they arrived at the fortress vige. Around the small central pond were inns, taverns, and general stores catering to travelers, with a few houses scattered nearby. As they rode their horses toward an inn, a group of soldiers came running from the distance. ¡®Hm?¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Leading them was a middle-aged knight dressed in the Empire¡¯s formal armor. He approached the group and asked urgently, ¡°Are you Priest Alius of the Hatoba Religious Order?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I heard you¡¯re a first-tier inquisitor. Is that correct?¡± Alius frowned slightly. The tone was rather arrogant. ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± The knight¡¯smanding voice continued. ¡°I am Leocolt of the Evil ying Brigade.¡± Baros and Serati exchanged startled nces. [Evil ying Brigade?] [Isn¡¯t that the Empire¡¯s version of the King¡¯s Order?] They hadn¡¯t expected to meet such a figure in a ce like this. Alius quickly assessed the situation. Not only the knight but all of the soldiers wore grim expressions. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± ¡°There is.¡± The middle-aged knight, Leocolt, nodded with a stern face. ¡°A witch has appeared.¡± Chapter 104 Chapter 104 No matter how urgent things were, it wasn¡¯t proper to discuss important matters in the middle of the street. ¡°We should change locations.¡± With a flick of his finger, Leocolt turned around and started walking ahead. He moved before anyone had the chance to reply or indicate they would follow. Serati, who hade to the empire for the first time, whispered in disbelief. [What¡¯s that? He¡¯s treating us like subordinates.] On the other hand, Karnak and Baros had both visited the Lacaenia Empire in their previous lives. As such, they both seemed indifferent. [The people of the empire tend to look down on those from the Seven Kingdoms.] [The fact that he¡¯s being somewhat respectful is likely because Mr. Alius is a high-ranking priest.] Even the young Alius had never been to the empire before. He nced nervously at Karnak¡¯s party. ¡°What should I do?¡± ¡°Hearing him out shouldn¡¯t be a problem, right?¡± Karnak and his group decided to follow Leocolt. They were using one of the barracks on the outskirts of Swindler Fortress temporarily. A table was set up, and a modest herbal tea was ced in front of the group. ¡°Please, help yourself.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, thank you.¡± Only Alius was offered tea. The others werepletely ignored, as if they didn¡¯t even exist. Seeing this, Karnak and Baros were reminded of old memories. [What a model imperial noble.] [It reminds me of the past. The imperial folks were like this back then too.] It didn¡¯t seem like there would be anything pleasant about staying too long. Deciding it was best to hear the story and leave quickly, Alius took a sip of the tea. ¡°What exactly is this all about?¡± Leocolt opened his mouth to speak. ¡°It happened just a few days ago¡­¡± *** A witch had appeared. In the good old days, everyone would haveughed if someone went around spreading such rumors. -Hey, have you been reading too many children¡¯s fairy tales? But now, things are different. -Is it a real witch, or just another one of thosemon nonsense stories? The Darkness of Doom spares no one, regardless of age or gender. It¡¯s entirely possible for an elderly woman to have been corrupted by the power of darkness. Witches had now be a real, tangible fear. However, rumors were spreading like wildfire. Among the ignorant country folk, there were many who wouldbel innocent women as witches and, quite literally, engage in ¡°witch hunts.¡± Of course, in such cases, the temple would strictly impose punishment, so actual victims were not asmon. It could be a very serious matter, or, conversely, somethingpletely trivial. A situation delicate enough that the Goddess¡¯ church couldn¡¯t get directly involved, but one they also couldn¡¯t ignore. ¡°And so, the Swindler border patrol went in to investigate.¡± Defending the border means preparing for all sorts of attacks that may threaten it. A witch attacking a vige near the border could also be considered within the border patrol¡¯s jurisdiction with a little stretch of reasoning. Well, the real reason was that the patrol wanted to ease the worries of the vige elders they were close to. The captain of the patrol took twenty veteran soldiers to find the witch. Now, it¡¯s not like the Swindler border patrol is an elite force. There were no aura users or high-level mages among them. Still, they were border guards, so they were reasonably skilled. As such, no one thought much of the situation at that point. The problem arose three dayster. ¡°They never returned.¡± At Leocolt¡¯s words, Alius blinked in confusion. ¡°What do you mean, they didn¡¯t return?¡± ¡°Exactly what I said. They disappeared.¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t die or anything?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Their fate is unknown.¡± Serati tilted her head, puzzled. ¡®This sounds like one of those typical witch stories.¡¯ The kind where once you enter, you nevere out again¡ªlike the cursed witch¡¯s forest shrouded in mist. Amon theme in street children¡¯s fairy tales. [Is there such necromancy, Lord Karnak?] [A spell that can make twenty soldiers vanish? There are so many possibilities that it¡¯s hard to pinpoint just one.] In any case, when the patrol soldiers went missing, that¡¯s when the chaos began. Demetas, themander of Swindler Fortress and a baron, found himself in a dilemma. He feared sending a search party, worrying they¡¯d also fall victim to the witch. There was no time to request assistance from the nearby temple. It would take at least two weeks for the church to respond, and who knew what might happen to the missing soldiers in the meantime? That¡¯s when the Evil ying Brigade, who happened to be staying at the fortress, stepped in. Karnak asked, ¡°Why did the Evil ying Brigade get involved? Don¡¯t they usually only deal with the cult?¡± Leocolt furrowed his brow. His expression showed that he was displeased by someone interrupting the conversation without permission. However, he did respond. ¡°It¡¯s not the brigade¡¯s primary mission. This is merely a personal service to the empire.¡± Though it didn¡¯t seem that way, Leocolt was actually doing his best to gauge Karnak and his party¡¯s reactions. After all, they were the ones in need of help at the moment. As it turned out, not all of the soldiers around them were members of the Evil ying Brigade. Only Leocolt, another knight in his thirties named Lestain, and a man in a mage¡¯s robe named Stronoff were part of the brigade. The rest were the usual Swindler border guards. ¡°We were on our way back home after taking our long-awaited leave. This ce was just a quick stopover on our way back to the capital.¡± At that moment, the witch incident broke out, and Baron Demetas, who was acquainted with Leocolt, asked for help. Leocolt, despite his noble arrogance, was also aware of his duty as a noble to care for his ¡®subordinates.¡¯ He agreed immediately. ¡°It was an urgent matter, and people¡¯s lives were at stake. How could I refuse?¡± Moreover,pared to the brigade¡¯s usual tasks, this was an easy mission. In incidents rted to the forces of darkness, one could roughly gauge the danger by assessing the evil energy and malice lingering around the area. The traces of darkness left by the witch weren¡¯t particrly impressive. It might be challenging for the border patrol, but¡­ ¡°For us, it¡¯s more than manageable.¡± The brigade consisted of two red aura users, experts in advanced necromancy, and one sixth-circle mage, along with ten seasoned border guards. The force was more than sufficient. But then, a problem arose. ¡°There was no priest.¡± To be specific, there wasn¡¯t a cleric trained as an inquisitor capable of battling the darkness. No matter how powerful their force was, their first priority was finding the target. And the low-ranking priests at the local temple were useless when it came to tracking a witch. Unfortunately, the only inquisitor in the area, Felix, had gone missing along with the patrol captain. ¡°And as I mentioned earlier, there¡¯s no time to wait for a new inquisitor to arrive.¡± In a state of impatience, they learned from the gatekeepers that a first-tier inquisitor was heading towards the empire. Worried that they might miss their chance, they rushed over in a hurry. ¡°For this reason, we seek your cooperation.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Alius nodded. He honestly wanted to help, but he couldn¡¯t make the decision alone since he hadpanions with him. ¡°Understood, I¡¯ll discuss it with my party.¡± Leocolt¡¯s expression hardened slightly as he continued speaking. ¡°It seems there¡¯s been a misunderstanding. I said I seek your cooperation, Inquisitor Alius.¡± His cold gaze swept over Karnak, Baros, and Serati. ¡°Not theirs.¡± ¡°Huh? These people are powerful darkness hunters, though.¡± ¡°I have eyes too, so I can tell they¡¯re aura users.¡± Aura users could sense other aura users unless one deliberately tried to conceal it. ¡°But they are not citizens of the empire.¡± Leocolt dered in a stern voice. ¡°The people of the empire will be protected by the hands of the empire.¡± Alius asked, bewildered. ¡°But I¡¯m from the Kingdom of Yustil.¡± ¡°A servant of the Goddess transcends nations, no?¡± Seeing him respond so confidently, Serati clicked her tongue inwardly. [What is this guy talking about? We never even agreed to help, but now he¡¯s acting like we¡¯re unnecessary.] Karnak and Baros gave bitter smiles. [Didn¡¯t I tell you earlier? That¡¯s just how imperial nobles are.] [They have this ingrained sense of superiority over people from the Seven Kingdoms.] Alius kept his expression neutral as he replied. ¡°In any case, I¡¯ll discuss it briefly. Even if I agree to help, we can¡¯t dy our ns just because of me.¡± ¡°Very well. While time is short, we can spare a few minutes.¡± Leocolt stepped out for a moment, leaving only Karnak and his party behind. ¡°Ha, I didn¡¯t expect this to happen the moment we set foot in the empire¡­¡± Scratching his head, Alius asked, ¡°What do you think? Should I go on my own?¡± Serati responded, suggesting there wouldn¡¯t be any problem. ¡°You¡¯re doing a good deed, right? I don¡¯t see any reason to object.¡± Baros agreed as well. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like there will be much danger.¡± The Evil ying Brigade was a powerful special forces unit in the empire, even surpassing the King¡¯s Order. While the people they met might seem like lower-ranking members within the brigade, they were still exceptional aura users and mages. With their current force, they wereparable to a battalion of the King¡¯s Order, so it was unlikely they would find themselves in any real danger. Karnak, though not entirely thrilled, also gave his approval. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t cause much of a problem with our schedule.¡± After all, capturing Hudel was something they had to approach with caution. It wasn¡¯t something they could dy for too long, but at the same time, it wasn¡¯t something they needed to rush. A dy of a few days wouldn¡¯t change anything major. ¡°Besides, in the empire¡¯s territory, it¡¯s unwise to go against the will of an imperial noble.¡± Karnak wasn¡¯t against the witch hunt itself, just the fact that they were doing it without him. In fact, building connections with the Evil ying Brigade could be a good move. ¡°Go ahead and rx. We¡¯ll be waiting leisurely at the inn.¡± *** Swindler Fortress, being on a trade route, had quite a few inns. In this mountainous area, farming was difficult, and hunting or livestock herding had its limits. So, the inn business developed to cater to travelers passing through. Looking around, Serati asked, ¡°Where are we staying?¡± As she nced at the signs, Baros replied, ¡°Mr. Alius rmended a ce¡­ Ah, there it is.¡± Baros pointed to an inn called The Song of Palpato. It was a modest two-story building, not particrly eye-catching, but of a decent size and slightly shabby. Serati looked at Karnak with curiosity. ¡°What¡¯s the asion? You usually only go to luxurious inns.¡± Karnak and Baros¡¯ eyes gleamed with excitement. ¡°They say the food here is the best!¡± ¡°The most important quality of an inn!¡± Alius¡¯ rmendation wasn¡¯t wrong. In front of them were well-toasted bread, wild herb soup, mashed potatoes thered with cheese, and roasted pheasant. Karnak and Baros devoured the food greedily. ¡°Oh! This is delicious!¡± ¡°This is good too!¡± ¡°Ah, this is the joy of wandering the world.¡± ¡°If only it had been like this before! We did wander around a lot back then too.¡± Sitting beside them was a beautiful red-haired woman, eating gracefully. ¡°Ugh, these gluttons.¡± Serati frowned and turned her head away. ¡°Laficel, don¡¯t ever be like the¡ª¡± Her words stopped short. The adorable, gray-haired girl was stuffing her cheeks to the point of bursting, shoveling food into her mouth and chewing frantically. Munch! Munch! Nom nom! ¡°It¡¯s delicious, Lord Karnak!¡± ¡°Laficel, you too?¡± Karnak and Baros exchanged a nce as if it all made sense. [Now that I think about it, Laficel¡¯s probably like us.] [It¡¯s been around 70 years since she became undead, right?] [Which means it¡¯s been about 70 years since she had a proper meal.] At home, she had been more reserved, watching the others¡¯ reactions, but now that she¡¯d gotten morefortable, her instincts were starting to take over. [Poor Laficel¡­] Serati quietly resolved to treat her better from now on. After filling their bellies with dinner, everyone enjoyed a good night¡¯s sleep on soft beds. Then, the next morning. The vige was unusually noisy, not with the usualmotion, but with an air of shock and fear. Curious, Baros grabbed a passerby and asked, ¡°What¡¯s all this chaos about?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t heard the news?¡± The passerby replied, trembling with fear. ¡°The Evil ying Brigade, which had gone on a witch hunt, has disappeared!¡± Chapter 105 Chapter 105 When Karnak first heard the news, his initial question wasn¡¯t, ¡°How could the Evil ying Brigade lose when they had two red aura users, a 6th circle high-ranking mage, and a first-tier inquisitor?¡± or ¡°What on earth happened to Alius?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t they leave yesterday afternoon, Baros?¡± ¡°They did.¡± ¡°So how do they know the Evil ying Brigade is missing when it¡¯s only been one night?¡± While the Witch¡¯s Forest was only a half-day¡¯s journey from Swindler Fortress, there was no telling how long it would take to track down the witch. It was natural to go a couple of days without any contact. ¡°What makes them so sure they went missing after only one day?¡± It turned out there was a reason. ¡°They say two survivors barely managed to escape.¡± However, the survivors seemed half-mad, making it difficult to get any clear information. No matter what they asked, the responses were always the same: -It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s the witch! Aaahhh! -They¡¯re all dead! They all fell! -The witch dragged them all away! From the context, it was clear the witch had been involved, but no further details could be gathered. There were no corpses left behind, and since the survivors kept repeating that people were ¡°dragged away,¡± they could only guess the others were missing, not dead. ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± After a brief moment of contemtion, Karnak asked again. ¡°It means Alius is not one of the survivors, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± While he didn¡¯t care what happened to anyone else, Alius was different. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to meet themander.¡± *** It isn¡¯t easy for a wanderer, especially one who isn¡¯t even from the Empire but from the Kingdom of Yustil, to meet themander of a fortress. Especially in chaotic times like these. However, Baron Demetas was more than willing to meet with Karnak and his group. ¡°You¡¯repanions of Priest Alius?¡± Their credentials were undeniable. The radiant red auras gleaming from Baros¡¯ and Serati¡¯s swords were more effective than any formal identification. ¡°You¡¯re here to find Priest Alius, I take it? We¡¯ll help in any way we can!¡± Not only were they aura users, but they were also experienced Darkness Hunters. With the loss of the Evil ying Brigade, the border patrol saw these people as theirst hope. If they found theirrades, the chances of finding the missing border patrol would increase as well. Of course, this all assumed they were still alive. Thanks to this, the conversation went smoothly. ¡°Could we meet the survivors?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll arrange it right away.¡± Baron Demetas was in no position to disy the typical arrogance of an Imperial noble. He immediately called for a servant to carry out his orders. ¡°Show these people to the survivors!¡± The survivors had been quarantined in a small tower on the outskirts of the fortress. Two heavily injured meny on shabby beds with nk expressions, while a medic attended to them. ¡°These are the survivors. Both of them are out of their minds, so I doubt you¡¯ll get much from them¡­¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s worth a try.¡± Karnak cautiously spoke to them. ¡°Can you hear me?¡± He tried speaking to them several times, but the survivors showed no reaction. No matter what he said, they only spouted nonsense. ¡°Monsters! They¡¯re monsters!¡± ¡°Ahh, Goddess, protect me¡­¡± Serati clicked her tongue. ¡°There¡¯s no getting through to them. What kind of wicked magic is this¡­¡± Suddenly, the survivors reacted to her words. ¡°Magic?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t some cheap curse!¡± ¡°The witch tears people apart!¡± ¡°Iron arms, iron legs, iron pot lids¡­¡± Baros blinked. Even with all his experience dealing with madmen, he couldn¡¯t make any sense of what they were saying. ¡°What in the world are they talking about?¡± Karnak, after a moment of thought, casually lifted his index finger. ¡°Well, let¡¯s make this simple.¡± He gestured towards the medic. ¡°Grrrr!¡± The medic¡¯s legs gave out as he copsed to the floor, immediately snoring. Karnak had put him to sleep with a sleep spell. Karnak then pointed his finger towards the survivors. The eyes of the two men rolled back, showing only the whites. ¡°Grrrk!¡± ¡°Guhhh¡­¡± They started foaming at the mouth before copsing onto their beds. Karnak smirked. ¡°It¡¯s just easier to look directly into their memories.¡± Serati frowned as she nced between the copsed medic and the survivors. ¡°Is this really okay?¡± ¡°Well, nothing major will happen.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying something minor could happen though, right¡­¡± *** A dense fog covered the depths of the forest. Swindler Border Guard Chandler stared at the old woman in front of him with a tense expression. ¡°She¡¯s a real hag¡­¡± She looked like a witch straight out of a fairy tale. Just looking at her gave him chills. Leocolt made a hand gesture. ¡°Form a perimeter.¡± The soldiers spread out in a circle, surrounding their target and taking upbat positions. Meanwhile, the old woman still hadn¡¯t moved. She just stood there like a scarecrow, arms hanging limply at her sides. ¡®Why isn¡¯t she reacting?¡¯ Despite the oddity, Leocolt and his group followed the n. As soon as the perimeter was formed, the mage Stronoff and the priest Alius positioned themselves to block the witch¡¯s escape from both the front and rear. Then, the two aura users moved to the front. Drawing his sword, Leocolt muttered, ¡°Be cautious. We don¡¯t know what kind of wicked magic she might use.¡± If she truly was a witch, there was a high chance she would cast some kind of invisible curse. Far more terrifying than any flying sword. ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± They were already focused on their aura shields. Nodding, Lestain also summoned his aura. Wooom! The air vibrated as two beams of red light illuminated the darkness of the night. That¡¯s when it happened. ¡°Kehehehe¡­¡± The witch raises her head with a faintugh. Between her blood-clotted gray hair, a pair of glowing red eyes gleamed. ¡°What pretty little children you are!¡± At the same moment, she sprang into the air like a grasshopper. The two men¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡®What?!¡¯ ¡®She¡¯s fast!¡¯ In an instant, the witch lunged toward them,unching her attack. Her hunched back straightened, and she delivered a barrage of punches with both arms. Her bony forearms extended in rapid session, raining blows down like meteors. The other soldiers, watching in confusion, had bewildered expressions on their faces. This was¡­ quite different from what they had imagined. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The witch¡­ is punching?¡± Leocolt frantically swung his aura de to defend himself. ¡°Damn! This crazy witch!¡± Her bony fists repeatedly struck his aura-coated sword. Leocolt¡¯s face grew pale. She was fighting bare-handed, while his sword¡ªcapable of cutting through stone¡ªwas trembling and starting to crack! Boom! Bang! Boom boom boom! Loud explosions echoed through the forest. Lestain hurried to provide backup. ¡°Sir Leocolt!¡± The two aura users and the old witch tangled together in a chaotic exchange of blows. Shockwaves continuously erupted in all directions, shaking the earth beneath them. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Gah, damn it!¡± Despite being two against one, the aura users were the ones being pushed back. The border guards, waiting for an opportunity to intervene, muttered in disbelief. ¡°¡­She¡¯s too strong.¡± Not only was she strong, but her strength was far beyond what they had expected. ¡°Why is the witch engaging in hand-to-handbat?¡± ¡°And doing it so¡­ brutally?¡± The witches they knew poisoned people in secret or threw bones to cast curses. This one was flipping through the air and delivering 360-degree spinning kicks like a monster! Well, she did throw bones, at least. ¡°I do love to eat plump, juicy children!¡± With a creepy voice, the old woman pulled a few bones from her robe. Then, she slid them between her fingers and flicked them into the air. Astonishingly, as she flicked the bones with her fingers, an explosion rang out. Boom! At the same time, the bones flew toward Leocolt, faster than an arrow! ¡°Ugh!¡± Leocolt barely managed to turn his head to dodge. The bone missed him and struck the forest beyond. Bang! Bang! Boom! The bone fragments pierced throughrge trees, shattered rocks, and tore up the earth, sending clouds of dust into the air. Alius muttered in a dazed voice. ¡°¡­Do we count that as a curse too?¡± Whether it was a curse or something else, one thing was certain: getting hit by it would mean instant death. ¡°I¡¯ll create an opening!¡± The mage Stronoff raised his wand. A vast of electricity spread through his entire body. Rumble! Thunder roared as lightning slithered across the ground like a snake, surrounding the witch on all sides. For a moment, the old woman¡¯s movements stopped. It onlysted for an instant before she freed herself from the electricity, but that brief moment was enough. Alius seized the opportunity and raised his voice. ¡°Light of Hatoba! Dwell within my wand!¡± A divine radiance descended above the witch¡¯s head. The divine power pressed down on her, and her movements slowed even more. Taking advantage of this, Leocolt pressed his aura-coated sword down on the witch. The witch raised both arms to block the aura sword. They were locked in a brief stalemate. ¡°Go for her neck now!¡± Lestain moved in. With precise movements, he closed in on the witch and delivered a sharp sh! ng! A metallic sound echoed. At the same moment, Lestain¡¯s expression hardened. He had just struck the witch¡¯s neck. He had felt the sensation of slicing through flesh. ¡®But what is this feeling?¡¯ His aura sword hadn¡¯t cut through her neck. It merely touched the surface of her skin. ¡°Kehehehehe!¡± With a hideousugh, the witch¡¯s eyes widened. Her blood-red gaze red up like an explosion. ¡°Let me see your hand! I want to check how much flesh you have!¡± In an instant, she lunged at Lestain, grabbing his right arm. Then she swung him violently, mming him down! ¡°Guhhh!¡± With a single blow, Lestain lost consciousness. The border guards surrounding them gasped in shock. ¡°Sir Lestain!¡± It wasn¡¯t over. The witch then turned toward Leocolt andunched a tant middle kick. ¡°Ohohohoho!¡± Leocolt hurriedly raised his aura sword to block, but it was no use. Her thin, bony leg shattered the finely sharpened aura de and struck deep into his side. Bam! Was an unseen curse scarier than a direct attack? That was only because the direct attacks hadn¡¯t been powerful enough. Leocolt, too, passed out with a single hit. ¡°Grrr¡­¡± Everyone else stood there, unable to close their gaping mouths in disbelief. To take down two aura users, both at the peak of their abilities, so easily? ¡°My, my, they¡¯re both so scrawny!¡± The witch¡¯s gaze turned toward Alius and Stronoff. Her frail, aged body charged at the two of them at a speed of lightning bolt. ¡°Kehehehehe!¡± They tried to counterattack, but it was futile. Before they could do anything, their magic shattered, and the holy spells were destroyed. Then, a swift strike to the neck from her bare hands knocked them both out. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Argh!¡± As his consciousness faded, Alius ground his teeth in frustration. ¡®What kind of monster is this¡­?¡¯ He had to at least prevent total annihtion. Summoning thest of his strength, he let out a desperate shout. ¡°E-Everyone, retreat!¡± It was useless. Before the guards could even think of fleeing, the witch leaped toward them. A barrage of merciless punches and kicks rained down on the soldiers. ¡°Gah!¡± ¡°Arghhh!¡± ¡°Aaah!¡± It took less than a few minutes for all of hisrades to copse. The witch pulled a ck rope from her robe. She unraveled it thread by thread and began tying up the fallen soldiers, one by one. She tied up the aura users, the mage, the priest, and over ten soldiers, all bound up meticulously. ¡°They¡¯re all so scrawny, aren¡¯t they?¡± And now the witch approached Chandler. It was in that moment of despair that Chandler began to pray. ¡®Oh, Goddess¡­¡¯ The witch looked at him and tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Ugh, this one¡¯s liver is rotten. How much alcohol did you drink?¡± Well, it was true that Chandler drank quite a lot. ¡°This one¡¯s the same.¡± Mird. Chandler¡¯s closest drinking buddy and rival when it came to alcohol consumption. ¡°Ugh, these two are too spoiled to eat.¡± Even in his terror, Chandler was struck by another fear altogether. Just how badly had their livers been damaged for even a witch to dismiss them as useless? After tying up the others like winter herring, the old woman began dragging the human bundle into the forest. The unconscious men, bound and tied, were dragged across the ground. Her eerie cackle echoed through the branches. ¡°Kehehehehe! I¡¯ll take these and make myself a nice, hearty meal!¡± *** The memory projection ended. Karnak blinked with a nk expression. ¡°¡­What in the world did I just see?¡± Chapter 106 Chapter 106 Baros and Serati asked, ¡°Have you seen all the memories, young master?¡± ¡°What exactly happened?¡± Karnak hesitated. How was he supposed to exin this? A crazy olddy tied up dozens of perfectly healthy humans like a bundle of fish and carried them away? ¡°Well, it¡¯s, um¡­¡± As Karnak fumbled for words, the two pressed him. ¡°What kind of techniques does she use? ck magic? Or maybe necromancy or spirit summoning? Which field is it?¡± ¡°You have to exin for us to understand.¡± Karnak responded vaguely. ¡°¡­She just beat them up.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°She just used her fists and feet to beat them up.¡± Baros and Serati¡¯s expressions became serious. ¡°An Aura user, a high-ranking mage, and even a first-tier Inquisitor¡ªshe defeated all of them barehanded?¡± ¡°Is she a powerful martial artist?¡± ¡°Even calling her a martial artist seems¡­ a bit off.¡± Karnak gave up trying to exin. There was no way he could exin this without causing some misunderstanding. ¡°Fine, both of you can just see for yourselves.¡± He used Chaos Magic to project a memory visualization. Momentster, both of them wore expressions simr to Karnak¡¯s. ¡°What exactly did we just witness?¡± With a relieved look, Karnakughed. ¡°See? It¡¯s better to show once than to exin a hundred times.¡± *** The witch was by no means a master or expert. She didn¡¯t disy any martial arts moves, her movements were crude, and her body was full of openings. It was exactly how an untrained person would il around wildly. Yet, she was ridiculously strong. Regardless of whether her opponent attacked or not, she tanked all the blows with her body. No matter how they tried to dodge, she would chase them down, grab them by the cor, and beat them senseless,pletely ignoring their counterattacks. Baros muttered in disbelief. ¡°It¡¯s purely a physical ability, isn¡¯t it?¡± That alone was so overwhelming that neither Aura nor magic could break through. Even holy spells from the clerics were shrugged off by her body. Serati asked, ¡°Is there any necromancy that can amplify physical strength like that, Lord Karnak?¡± ¡°There is.¡± In fact, the spell cast on the cursed sword Mareda worked in a simr way. It injected human blood into the host, empowering them and making them go berserk to absorb even more blood. ¡°It can¡¯t make someone that strong, though.¡± This witch was just iprehensible for a simr reason. ¡°She¡¯s too strong. Necromancy alone can¡¯t make someone that powerful.¡± In response to Karnak, Serati fell into thought. In the case of the cursed sword Mareda, the host, Laficel, was already a monstrous figure, which is why it could show such immense power. So then? ¡°Could that olddy actually be the Martial King?¡± She offered her theory, eyes gleaming. Serati asked, ¡°Could Laficel¡¯s master have used space-time regression too?¡± Baros shook his head. ¡°One thing¡¯s for sure, it¡¯s not Beltia.¡± The current Beltia was, at most, 40 years old. Even if her future soul had taken over her present body and gone insane, her appearance should still reflect her forties. ¡°And there¡¯s no one else whoes to mind among the others.¡± They had already identified most of the strong figures from the future, having either killed them or turned them into undead. So Baros was confident in saying, ¡°There wasn¡¯t a single person with such a distinct and entric appearance like that old woman.¡± Indeed, if someone like that had roamed the world, it would have been hard for them not to be famous. Serati proposed another idea. ¡°Then what if she returned in a different body? Is that possible?¡± Karnak scratched his cheek. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯ve been suspecting that too¡­¡± Generally, when a future soul regresses, it naturally returns to its own past body. This is because the body itself serves as an anchor in the flow of time, allowing it to pinpoint its location. ¡°But we can¡¯t say for certain that exceptions can¡¯t ur.¡± Karnak himself hadn¡¯t fully grasped the intricacies of space-time regression when he used the technique. And in necromancy, there were many spells that swapped souls or allowed possession of other people¡¯s bodies. Serati¡¯s idea wasn¡¯t entirely impossible. ¡°Though I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case this time.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s just¡­ a feeling.¡± ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Baros smiled from the side. ¡°Oh, then you¡¯re probably right this time.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°When the young master goes with his gut, his uracy is pretty high. It¡¯s only when he tries to overthink things that he tends to get it wrong.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Serati pondered. Was that apliment or an insult? Meanwhile, Karnak was seriously trying to think things through. ¡°This is definitely a strange situation.¡± It was clear the witch was strong, but he couldn¡¯t figure out why she was so strong. The aura of malevolence and evil energy she left behind was too faint. Judging by how she fought, she didn¡¯t seem to be wielding the power of darkness. And if her strength came from her own ability, it was beyond belief. ¡°I¡¯ll have to see her in person to understand.¡± In any case, they needed to find the witch because of Alius. ¡°Do you think Mr. Alius is okay? What if he¡¯s already dead?¡± Serati asked, worried. Baros responded nonchntly, ¡°We still have to find him, regardless. Only then can we check if he¡¯s alive or dead.¡± Karnak grumbled as he stood up, ¡°What is he, a princess in a tower? Why do I keep having to go rescue him?¡± *** After finishing his business, Karnak woke up the medics and survivors who had been put to sleep. He had done such a neat job putting them to sleep and waking them up that none of them even realized what had happened to them. ¡°These are the ones. Both are mentally unstable, so I doubt they¡¯ll be able to provide any useful testimony¡­¡± ¡°That seems to be the case.¡± Since Karnak had seamlessly linked their memories, the medics believed they had been awake the entire time. They had lost about 10 minutes of memory, but since there was no clock in the room, they wouldn¡¯t notice the gap anytime soon. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll be heading out now.¡± As Karnak¡¯s group left the room, Viscount Demetas approached them again. ¡°You¡¯re nning to find yourpanion, I assume?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°The main temple has promised to send Inquisitors as soon as possible. Additionally, the Evil ying Brigade will also send reinforcements.¡± Unlike Karnak¡¯s group, Baron Demetas had been unable to obtain any useful information from the survivors. He didn¡¯t know the extent of the witch¡¯s powers. However, he was certain that the situation was dire. The situation waspletely different from when regr border guards had gone missing. With two Aura users and a high-ranking mage defeated, this had escted into a top-tier darkness-rted disaster. ¡°The troops will gather soon, just wait four days,¡± said the baron. In any case, without the help of a trained Inquisitor, it would be impossible to track down the witch. Naturally, the baron assumed that Karnak and his group would wait at the fortress until then. ¡°I n to form a search party as soon as the Inquisitors arrive. Will you assist us?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not someone else¡¯s problem.¡± After finishing the conversation, the group left the castle. When there was no one around to hear, Serati asked immediately. ¡°You¡¯re not really going to wait, are you?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Karnak could easily trace the signs of necromancy far better than any cleric. He didn¡¯t need an Inquisitor¡¯s help to find the witch. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s much easier to move without anyone watching.¡± ¡°Well, at this point, having people watch doesn¡¯t matter much anymore¡­¡± Since the incident with Prince Lloyd, Karnak had been steadily researching the fusion of magic and necromancy whenever he had the chance. ¡°There¡¯s no way we can wait four days. Something could happen to Alius in the meantime.¡± The group quickened their pace. They needed to return to the inn, pack up, and prepare for the search. Baros mumbled, ¡°But what about Laficel?¡± Under normal circumstances, they would¡¯ve just brought her along, but the situation seemed too dangerous. Their opponent wasn¡¯t someone they could fight while protecting a nonbatant. And with her memory still sealed, Laficel couldn¡¯t use her fullbat abilities. Of course, if the memory seal were lifted, she would be a powerful ally, but then she¡¯d likely attack Karnak¡¯s group, which was equally troublesome. ¡°Can we really leave her alone at the inn?¡± Serati shrugged. ¡°She¡¯ll probably be fine.¡± Even if Laficel couldn¡¯t unleash her fullbat power, she wouldn¡¯t be easily overpowered by ordinary people. When they arrived at the inn, they sat her down and gave her firm instructions. ¡°Be good and wait here.¡± ¡°Yes, unnie!¡± ¡°What do you do if a stranger tries something bad?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll turn them into leaves!¡± Baros and Karnak tilted their heads in confusion. ¡°Leaves? What¡¯s she talking about?¡± ¡°I have no idea.¡± With that, they finished their preparations for the search and left the inn again. As they looked around, Karnak asked, ¡°So, where exactly is this Witch¡¯s Forest?¡± *** The Witch¡¯s Forest itself was easy to find. It had originally been just an ordinary forest near Swindler Fortress. It only became known as the Witch¡¯s Forest after the witch appeared, so it wasn¡¯t exactly difficult to locate. The real problem was where in this vast forest the witch could be. ¡°The traces are too faint,¡± Karnak muttered, standing amidst the dense coniferous trees with a frown. ¡°Judging by the traces, she¡¯s only about half as strong as the Lord of Darkness,¡± he said. By now, even Serati had started to understand Karnak¡¯s strange way of describing things. ¡°You¡¯re saying she¡¯s only half-trained in necromancy, right?¡± ¡°Only based on the traces, yes.¡± This was precisely why the border patrol and Leocolt from the brigade had confidently gone after the witch. Based on the traces she left behind, she seemed insignificant. It was as if some untrained thug had identally consumed a bit of the Darkness of Doom and caused a ruckus. ¡°But in reality, she¡¯s incredibly strong, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Exactly, which is what makes it so strange.¡± Only someone like Karnak could even attempt to track her; any ordinary Inquisitor wouldn¡¯t be able to find these faint traces. Baros clicked his tongue in disbelief. ¡°Even with these faint traces, Mr. Alius still managed to track the witch?¡± ¡°I have a rough idea of how.¡± As for Alius, that was understandable. But Felix, the priest from the border patrol, was only a second-tier Inquisitor. There was no way a second-tier Inquisitor could track such faint traces of darkness that even Karnak struggled with. ¡°Most likely, the witch found them. They didn¡¯t find her.¡± In any case, the traces were too faint and unclear. At this rate, they might not be able to track the witch, even if they spent days searching. Just as Karnak was contemting whether he needed to find another method, something caught his eye. ¡°Hm?¡± He noticed a faint aura scattered between the bushes and the grass. It wasn¡¯t a dark aura, but it was something equally sensitive that a necromancer would immediately recognize. ¡°¡­It¡¯s divine power?¡± Upon closer inspection, it was a small fragment of sacred object, barely the size of a fingernail. Baros nodded. ¡°It¡¯s from Mr. Alius.¡± Alius hadn¡¯t gone down without a fight. Even as he was being captured, he had chipped away at the Inquisitor¡¯s holy relic from Hatoba, imbuing it with divine power, and scattered it along the ground, hoping that someone would find the trail and rescue them. The aura was so faint that even the witch hadn¡¯t noticed it. Serati smiled with relief. ¡°This means Mr. Alius was alive at this point.¡± Karnak started moving. ¡°Let¡¯s follow it for now.¡± Chapter 107 Chapter 107 A cake dusted with pure white sugar served as the rafters, while giant chocte pirs stood in neat rows. The doors were made of well-baked cookies, and the chandelier hanging from the ceiling was made of glistening ice candy. Delicious-looking breads and pastries were stacked like bricks, forming a massive wall over 10 meters high. It was truly a candy house. No, at this scale, it should rightfully be called a mansion or even a castle of sweets. Suspended in the air of the massive hall made of colorful candies and sweets were dozens of cages, each imprisoning a person. ¡®What a bizarre sight.¡¯ Alius sighed as he sat trapped in one of the cages. ¡®What on earth is the point of all this?¡¯ Alius knew that necromancers often engaged in all kinds of strange rituals. But even so, what was the reason for creating such a ridiculous ce that seemed straight out of a children¡¯s fairy tale? ¡®At least the missing people seem to be unharmed¡­¡¯ Alius nced at the other cages. In each of the dozens of cages, one person was imprisoned. Most of them were the missing members of the Swindler Border Patrol. In cages a bit farther away were members of the Evil ying Brigade¡ªLeocolt, Lestain, and Stronoff. Felix, the inquisitor of Saisha, who had been missing earlier, was also safe. Strangely enough, not a single person had died. Some might call it a stroke of luck, but it wasn¡¯t exactly a situation to be happy about. They knew why the witch had kept them alive. After imprisoning each person in a cage, the witch had given them an abundance of food. Candy, cookies, biscuits, and various sweets made of cream and sugar. And with augh, she had proimed, ¡°Keh-heh-heh-heh, I¡¯ll fatten you up and eat you all!¡± Of course, Alius didn¡¯t eat anything. Who could, after hearing something like that? Even if she hadn¡¯t said it, he wouldn¡¯t have dared to touch the food anyway. Houses made of sweets might seem appetizing in children¡¯s fairy tales, but in real life, they evoke nothing but fear. This was true, at least, for the second search party, who had only been captured a day ago. But for those who had been imprisoned for nearly a week, they had no choice. Once again, it was mealtime. The chocte door opened, and cats wearing boots walked in, carrying trays filled with cookies, fruit juice, and other treats. ¡°Meow!¡± ¡°Meow meow!¡± Puss in Boots effortlessly leaped into the air, reaching the cages, and skillfully pushed the treats into the cages with their front paws. The sight might seem cute at first nce, but no one dared tough. When something that should not be cute bes cute, it only heightens the fear. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Urgh¡­¡± The patrol captain, Felix the priest, and the other border patrol members, who had been held captive the longest, began mindlessly shoving the sweets into their mouths with dazed expressions. Crunch! Crunch, crunch, crunch! No matter how much they screamed for them to stop eating, it was useless. Even if they shouted from inside the cages, their voices couldn¡¯t be heard. No one¡¯s voice could escape beyond the cages. In the midst of these silent cries, they just ate and drank. After days of this, everyone had grown noticeably plumper. It was a terrifying sight. What on earth were these sweets made of that could fatten them up like this in less than a week? ¡®We must never eat them.¡¯ But would they really be able to resist forever? For now, hunger and thirst weren¡¯t unbearable. After all, it had only been a day since they were captured. But when more time passes, would they really be able to act differently from the others? From a distance, Leocolt, trapped in another cage, suddenly began to shout something. ¡°¡­!¡± Although his voice couldn¡¯t be heard, Alius could clearly see him wrapping red aura around his hands and striking the cage. Alius clicked his tongue. ¡®It¡¯d be better to avoid wasting energy unnecessarily¡­¡¯ As expected, Leocolt¡¯s battle aura didn¡¯t leave even a scratch on the cage. It was something they had confirmed several times already. Not only did battle aura have no effect, but neither Stronoff¡¯s magic nor Alius¡¯ holy spells worked on the cages either. ¡®It seems they can only be destroyed from the outside, huh?¡¯ If that was the case, their only hope was for someone toe and rescue them. Fortunately, Alius had made some preparations. He had discreetly broken a few holy relics to leave a trail. ¡®If it¡¯s Lord Karnak, he¡¯ll find a way to help.¡¯ In truth, there wasn¡¯t much of a power difference between Leocolt¡¯s party and Karnak¡¯s. Both groups had high-level mages of the sixth circle and red aura users. Still, Alius had a strange feeling that Karnak or Baros would find a way out of this situation. ¡®The problem is time.¡¯ The marks he left couldn¡¯t be found using magic or aura. Only a cleric could track them. That meant it could be done discreetly, but¡­ In other words, the nearby temple would need to send a high-ranking inquisitor for them to be found. ¡®It¡¯s likely to take at least three or four days.¡¯ During that time, no matter how thirsty or hungry he got, he would have to endure. Alius angrily kicked the tray in front of him. ¡°I¡¯ll never eat it! Never!¡± The cookies and juice spilled onto the floor of the hall with a thud. Below the cage, the Puss in Boots grumbled as they cleaned up the crumbs. ¡°Meow!¡± ¡°Meow!¡± *** In the fog-filled forest, Serati paused and furrowed her brow. ¡°This fog¡­ it¡¯s definitely not a natural phenomenon.¡± As an Aura user, she can instinctively distinguish between east, west, south, and north. But ever since they had entered this fog, her sense of direction had beenpletely muddled. Karnak shrugged his shoulders. ¡°That means we¡¯re on the right track.¡± They continued following the traces for about 30 more minutes. Through the fog, the vague outline of a small hut began to emerge. Baros, seemingly relieved, muttered, ¡°Oh, we found it.¡± As they quickened their pace, the details of the hut became clearer. At the same time, Karnak and Baros¡¯s expressions grew peculiar. Yes, it was indeed a hut, but¡­ ¡°What¡­ is that?¡± ¡°Am I seeing things wrong? Why is that here?¡± It was a quaint candy house. A roof topped with cream, windows framed with candy, walls and pirs crafted from bread and pastries, and even a cake chimney. Charming and whimsical, yetpletely surreal. ¡°A candy house¡­¡± Serati muttered in disbelief. ¡°It really looks like something out of a fairy tale.¡± Karnak and Baros, puzzled, asked, ¡°You recognize it, Serati?¡± ¡°Are there fairy tales with things like that?¡± Serati was even more surprised. ¡°Oh my, you two don¡¯t know?¡± The story of a witch living in a candy house was amon fairy tale, known across the entire continent. ¡°Didn¡¯t your parents tell you stories like that when you were young?¡± The two men answered proudly. ¡°We didn¡¯t grow up with that kind of love from our parents.¡± ¡°I grew up alongside the young master, enduring the same hardships as him.¡± ¡°In fact, I killed my father with my own hands.¡± ¡°I helped him with it.¡± Serati was momentarily speechless. It had been a simple, innocent remark, but to be met with such a grim story? ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t mean it like that¡­¡± Karnak and Baros chuckled as they passed her by. ¡°You¡¯re the same as everyone else, huh? Most people get flustered when we bring this up.¡± ¡°It was always effective at throwing Martial Kings off their game.¡± Shaking her head, Serati sighed. ¡°¡­Was that a lie?¡± ¡°The part about growing up under harsh treatment is true.¡± ¡°So, you really don¡¯t know what this is?¡± The group cautiously approached the candy house. The house wasn¡¯t veryrge¡ªabout the size of a typical hunter¡¯s cabin. It was definitely notrge enough to hold dozens of people. Baros nced around and asked, ¡°Where do you think Mr. Alius and the others might be?¡± ¡°No idea¡­¡± As they examined the house, Karnak suddenly asked, ¡°Serati, that fairy tale about the witch and the candy house¡ªis that story famous?¡± ¡°Huh? Most kids from the Seven Kingdoms would probably know it.¡± ¡°And what about the Empire?¡± ¡°It originally came from the Empire, so most kids there would know it too, I¡¯d think.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s a universally well-known fairy tale across the continent?¡± ¡°Well, yes¡­ but why?¡± Pointing at the house, Karnak¡¯s expression grew serious. ¡°Why does it resemble the story so closely?¡± Serati, still not understanding, replied with a question of her own. ¡°Isn¡¯t necromancy usually like this?¡± All the necromancy she had seen so far was bizarre and grotesque. A candy house showing up now didn¡¯t seem all that strange inparison. If a witch could exist, why wouldn¡¯t there be a candy house? But for Karnak, it seemed to be more troubling. ¡°Even necromancy has its own set of rules. It just defiesmon sense. Remember that necromantic barrier that guy Shutraff summoned?¡± Serati let out a bitterugh. ¡°How could I forget?¡± Because of that barrier, she had lost both of her precious arms, and trying to get them back was why she was now traveling with these people. It was an event that had changed the course of her life. ¡°Those tentacles, that wall of flesh¡­ it was all so hideous¡­ Ugh.¡± ¡°Exactly. Hideous.¡± Karnak nodded. ¡°Necromancers don¡¯t summon those grotesque tentacles or lumps of flesh because they like them.¡± Sure, seeing it often might make one grow ustomed to it, and for some necromancers, even fond of it. But generally, that¡¯s not the case. ¡°It¡¯s just that those things are part of the hell power they wield.¡± The reason necromancy often involves vile and grotesque spells is that such spells are easier to cast and more powerful. It¡¯s not because necromancers want to use such evil and grotesque magic. ¡°It¡¯s the same reason most demons summoned by necromancers are ugly.¡± They¡¯re stronger and easier to summon that way. ¡°If a beautiful demon was both powerful and easy to summon, every necromancer would be calling on that instead.¡± Karnak spread his arms, gesturing to the candy house. ¡°But this? What¡¯s the point of recreating a scene from a fairy tale? Why go out of their way to do something like this, even using part of their power to make it happen?¡± From a necromancer¡¯s perspective, this candy house was an unnecessary, irrational creation. ¡°There seems to be something more going on here¡­¡± At that moment, the door to the candy house slowly creaked open. ¡°¡­!¡± Startled, Serati instinctively reached for her sword. But her expression quickly softened. Two ck cats emerged from the open door. Serati smiled, delighted. ¡°Oh my, how cute.¡± Karnak and Baros tilted their heads in confusion. ¡°Cute?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°What?¡± Suddenly, the two cats began to grow rapidly, as if exploding in size! ¡°Eeeek!¡± ¡°Krrahahaha!¡± The cute cats vanished, and in their ce were two grotesque, slime-covered monsters, each over two meters tall. Serati pulled out her sword in horror. ¡°Ah! What are these things?¡± Baros chuckled and extended his hand. ¡°What do you mean? They¡¯re justmon gatekeeper monsters.¡± There wasn¡¯t even a need to draw a sword. He simply coated both hands in red aura and thrust them simultaneously into the slime monsters. The monsters¡¯ entire bodies began to swell, and beams of light shot out from them in all directions. And then, an explosion! BOOM! As he dusted off his hands and stepped back, Baros grinned. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s really nice to have awakened my aura.¡± Serati blinked in confusion, struggling to understand what had just happened. ¡°What did you just do?¡± ¡°Nothing much.¡± Baros casually exined. ¡°I just infused them with aura through my hands, made them swell up like blowfish, then turned the aura into needle shapes and fired them in every direction. Want me to teach youter?¡± ¡°¡­¡± By the time he was talking about manipting aura like y, Serati knew this was far beyond her capabilities. And now he was suggesting she transform it into needles andunch them? What was even more impressive was that none of the exploded monster fragments had touched Karnak or his group. Baros had precisely controlled the force and direction of the explosion, ensuring nothing sprayed in their direction. ¡®Right, this guy¡¯s really a monster among monsters, isn¡¯t he?¡¯ She had momentarily forgotten because she¡¯d only seen him weak and struggling while unable to use his aura. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll just keep practicing what I¡¯ve been doing.¡± Serati¡¯s tone became noticeably more respectful. Chapter 108 Chapter 108 Karnak stood in front of the candy house, leaving behind the corpses of the shattered monsters. ¡°Well, whatever happens, I guess we should go inside first?¡± Serati asked, eyeing the half-open door. ¡°Shall I go in first?¡± ¡°No, not there.¡± Shaking his head, he snapped his fingers. Boom! With a tremendous explosion, one side of the wall copsed with a loud crash. Rather than using the perfectly fine door, he deliberately created a hole in the wall. Looking through the newly made passage into the house, Karnak grinned. ¡°When dealing with necromancy, the irrational bes rational.¡± Upon entering, they found themselves in a long hallway. Like the outside, it was a hallway made of colorful candy. The candy-shapednterns hanging from the ceiling emitted light, making the space quite bright. At first nce, nothing seemed too out of the ordinary. But Serati was utterly shocked. ¡°Oh my gosh, what is this¡­?¡± Indeed, it was a long hallway. The candy house was no bigger than a small hunter¡¯s cabin. How could there be such a long corridor inside? In fact, the size wasparable to the corridors of a decent castle. The height was several meters, and the width far exceeded the actual size of the candy house. ¡°This is impossible. How can the inside of that tiny house be this big¡­?¡± Unlike the trembling Serati, Karnak and Baros seemed indifferent. ¡°Why are you so surprised?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just amon space distortion.¡± With the two so nonchnt, Serati began to calm down a little, though she shot them a re. ¡°¡­It may bemon for you two, but it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen something this bizarre.¡± ¡°If you understand how it works, it¡¯s not all that amazing.¡± As they walked down the hallway, Karnak pointed with his finger. ¡°The hallway doesn¡¯t actually exist inside the candy house we saw.¡± The candy house was just the entrance. Though they thought they¡¯d broken through the wall and entered, they had actually passed through a dimensional gate. The moment they stepped into the corridor, they were in apletely different space, separate from the candy house. ¡°So this is an entirely different dimension?¡± ¡°Yep. Just a part of normal hell.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Serati paused for a moment. ¡®¡­But isn¡¯t hell, by definition, not exactly normal?¡¯ Surprisingly, the fact that they were in hell didn¡¯t shock her much. She had already seen windows (?) showing thendscape of hell, met demons from hell, and even worn armor forged there. She felt somewhat ustomed to hearing about hell at this point. ¡®Though this isn¡¯t something I wanted to get used to.¡¯ Meanwhile, Karnak was looking around the hallway with great interest. ¡°The energy here feels somewhat familiar¡­¡± He had traveled through many different hells. Even if the surroundings were decorated with candy, he couldn¡¯t miss the faint traces of demonic energy seeping out. ¡°What do you think this ce originally was, Baros?¡± Baros, who had also wandered through hell with him, offered his thoughts. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like a major hell like Gehenna or Tartarus, does it? The demonic energy there is much thicker.¡± ¡°This ce feels more stuffy and restless, so maybe somewhere between Parphas and Jilong? Who ruled that area again?¡± ¡°I believe it¡¯s the domain of the demon count Rota-Boodun.¡± ¡°He¡¯s dead, though.¡± ¡°In this timeline, he should still be alive. It was during the time when the young master had just be the Death King and was forcibly using him, and then Lord Laven killed him.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right.¡± As they continued walking down the corridor, cautiously scanning their surroundings, they heard a faint pping sound in the distance. It was like the sound of dozens of birds flying towards them. The noise grew louder, and soon, a group of shadows appeared from around the bend in the corridor, screeching as they came into view. ¡°Screeeeech!¡± ¡°Eeeeek!¡± Baros blinked in surprise. ¡°Huh? Monkeys?¡± Dozens of winged monkeys were flying through the corridor. Serati drew her sword and asked, ¡°Are there monsters like that in hell?¡± Baros, who was also preparing for battle, responded, ¡°They look a bit like gargoyles, but they are not like that.¡± Except for the wings, they were just ordinary monkeys. They carried long spears in their hands, and their eyes glowed a fierce red, making them look vicious, but aside from that, they didn¡¯t deviate much from the appearance of typical monkeys. ¡°Winged monkeys, huh¡­¡± Karnak asked, staring at the creatures. ¡°Is there a fairy tale like this, Serati?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, something simr exists.¡± ¡°Is it amon story?¡± ¡°Common? It¡¯s a fairly well-known fairy tale.¡± ¡°Interesting¡­¡± A faint smile appeared at the corner of Karnak¡¯s eyes. ¡°Very interesting.¡± The winged monkeys were quickly closing the distance. Baros also drew his battle sword. Whoooom! ¡°What should we do, young master?¡± ¡°Just cut them down.¡± As if waiting for thatmand, Baros leaped into action. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± *** The monkeys were fast. And loud. ¡°You idiots!¡± ¡°You should¡¯vee in through the door!¡± ¡°Why did you break the wall!¡± ¡°We were waiting for you this whole time!¡± ¡°Took you long enough toe back!¡± For monkeys, they were surprisingly articte. From what they were saying, it seemed like Karnak¡¯s group had caused them a lot of trouble by breaking through the wall. ¡°I see,¡± Serati said, nodding in understanding. ¡°That¡¯s why Lord Karnak insisted on breaking through the wall.¡± Baros, wielding his sword, charged into the swarm of monkeys. Serati quickly followed suit. Red auras shed dozens of times, sttering blood everywhere. The winged monkeys started to drop like pigeons caught in a typhoon. ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°Eeek!¡± It didn¡¯t take more than a few minutes to ughter all the winged monkeys, which numbered in the dozens. There was no need for Karnak to get involved. Baros and Serati had already handled everything. It wasn¡¯t just because the two were strong. The real issue was that these winged creatures were wandering in a corridor, failing to take advantage of their ability to fly. For ordinary soldiers, they might have been a challenge, but for aura users, they were no threat at all. ¡°These things are way too weak.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t imagine that the Evil ying Brigade would have been defeated by something like this.¡± Suddenly, the far end of the corridor became noisy again. Karnak gestured toward it. ¡°Herees another group, Baros.¡± This time, it was a swarm of toads, each the size of a small child. Dozens of grotesque toads hopped toward them, croaking as they approached. ¡°Toad!¡± ¡°Toad, toad!¡± Serati slumped her shoulders. ¡°Uh, that¡¯s not how toads are supposed to sound, is it¡­?¡± The approaching toads suddenly transformed into slimy monsters. They were the same creatures they had encountered outside the candy house. ¡°Raaaawr!¡± ¡°Kaaargh!¡± Once again, Karnak¡¯s group dealt with the monsters without any difficulty. After wiping them out and taking a moment to catch their breath, anothermotion rose from down the corridor. This time, there were dozens of ck cats. By now, Serati didn¡¯t even bother toment on how cute they were. She had already seen what those adorable cats could turn into. The only thing that bothered them now was the sound they were making. ¡°Cat!¡± ¡°Cat cat!¡± Serati, dumbfounded, nced at Baros. ¡°¡­Is hell usually like this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really know, but even in hell, things aren¡¯t normally like this.¡± After all, once they transformed, they turned into the same slimy monsters. Naturally, this swarm of cats followed the same pattern as the toads from earlier. And they were dealt with in the exact same waypletely wiped out. ¡°Looks like more areing, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Just as Baros predicted, this time, dozens of rabbits began hopping down the corridor. Karnak muttered under his breath, ¡°I think I¡¯m starting to understand the pattern.¡± Cats, toads, and now rabbits? These were the typical minions associated with witches in old legends. ¡°A very stereotypical,mon image.¡± However, there was one thing that puzzled him. The rabbitsing toward them were holding colorful eggs in their front paws. ¡°What¡¯s the connection between rabbits and eggs, Serati?¡± ¡°I have no idea, either.¡± As the swarm of rabbits approached, they red at Karnak¡¯s group and started to cry out. ¡°Bunny!¡± ¡°Bunny bunny bunny bunny bunny!¡± Feeling betrayed, Serati protested, ¡°Hey! Where¡¯s the ¡®hop hop¡¯? What happened to that?¡± ¡°What a weird thing to nitpick about,¡± Baros grumbled, his expression just as unimpressed. The situation, though not serious, was irritating enough to drain their energy. ¡°Still, we can¡¯t ignore them¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll just have to fight them, yes.¡± As the rabbits transformed into slimy monsters, Baros and Serati began cutting them down again. Watching them, Karnak remained calm, deep in thought. ¡°It doesn¡¯t quite feel like hell, but¡­¡± In a certain sense, it was very much like hell¡ªbecause reality itself was distorted. ¡°The important question is why and how it got distorted¡­¡± Once again, the monsters were easily wiped out. However, Serati and Baros didn¡¯t look as rxed as before. ¡°They¡¯re not much on their own, but¡­¡± ¡°If they keeping like this, it¡¯s going to get tiring, young master.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s take a break.¡± ¡°Where, though? There¡¯s nowhere to rest,¡± Serati questioned, looking around. Karnak raised both hands, and darkness began to flow between his fingers. ¡°I¡¯ll make a ce to rest now.¡± *** Karnak had roughly figured out the structure of the ce. ¡°It¡¯s a variation of the Infinite Corridor.¡± However, it wasn¡¯t the result of highly advanced necromancy. Instead of casting a necromantic barrier, someone had used overwhelming power to crudely tear a hole in the dimension, forcibly linking it to a part of hell. That¡¯s why it took some time to understand the structure. While high-level spells are more difficult to break, for Karnak, who had once been the Death King, most spells weren¡¯t thatplicated. In fact, this brute-force method was harder to decipher. Without a ritual or spell involved, he had to personally examine the flow of the space itself. As Karnak worked his magic, his hands moved in intricate patterns. ¡°Erase the false distortion and return it to its true warped form¡­¡± His ten fingers tapped the air as if ying an invisible instrument. ¡°Evil to evil, ash to ash, dust to dust.¡± With each movement, waves of darkness rippled outward,yering and shaking the space. The ceiling, floor, and walls trembled. ¡°Even death follows order, so let this twisted hell return to its right path.¡± The candy hallway began to fade. Serati¡¯s face stiffened in shock. ¡®What¡­?!¡¯ The chocte patterns on the ceiling disappeared, revealing bones wrapped in pulsating veins. The bread-like walls shifted and transformed into writhing chunks of flesh. Instead of glittering candy chandeliers, strange, burning blue tentacles twisted eerily. Even the floor was now a carpet of countless interwoven human bones. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Serati took a step back, looking around in horror. The once whimsical candy house had turned into a gruesome, blood-red house of flesh. Everything was grotesque, terrifying, and bizarre. ¡°What¡­ what is this?¡± Baros and Karnak answered casually, as if it were nothing out of the ordinary. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°This is the real form of this ce.¡± Both of them acted like they knew all along. Despite her shock, Serati understood in hindsight. ¡®No wonder those two, who go crazy for sweets, didn¡¯t even nce at the candy¡­¡¯ Karnak and Baros settled down and took a seat. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s rest for a bit.¡± Frowning, Serati nced down the hallway. ¡°Can we really rx here?¡± Another group of winged monkeys was flying toward them, closing the distance rapidly. They would be here in a matter of seconds¡ªat least, that¡¯s how it appeared. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Karnak assured her, pointing at the monkeys. They weren¡¯t able to get any closer. No matter how much they pped their wings and flew, they stayed in the same spot. ¡°It¡¯ll take them at least a month to get from there to here.¡± Chapter 109 Chapter 109 An endlessly sprawling nightmare. Walls of flesh writhe, closing in from both sides. The ceiling copses, sending forth dark red tentacles. These tentacles stretch out, transforming into sharp spears that pierce through the entire body. A scream bursts out. ¡°Aaaah!¡± Continuing forward would only lead to destruction. They flee. Running madly, with the crumbling world behind them. It¡¯s useless. The world copses far too quickly. ¡°Argh!¡± They scream, over and over again, for there was no other choice. Theirrades die around them. Countless tentacles strangle necks and tear limbs apart. The floor and ceiling crush entire bodies. Fluids bubble up and stter everywhere. Everything is twisted, crushed, and bursts open. No matter how fast they run, the nightmare doesn¡¯t fade. The ceiling bes the floor, and walls turn into windows. Beyond the punctured walls, another hallway unfolds. An ocean of blood overflows, swallowing everyone whole. And beyond all this nightmare, they are there. Cold eyes, faces devoid of even a hint of mercy, spreading hell in the real world and killing everything. All that can be done is to scream. ¡°Aaaaaaah!¡± In this terror and despair, the only freedom permitted was to scream. ¡°Aaaaaaaaah!¡± *** ¡°¡­Why do I feel like we¡¯re the viins here?¡± Serati clicked her tongue as she looked down the hallway. Karnak and Baros shook their heads. ¡°It¡¯s just your imagination.¡± ¡°Those are merely the lingering thoughts of hell. Just because they¡¯re screaming doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re all living creatures.¡± The scene unfolding before them was as follows: Winged monkeys and slimy monsters were madly chasing Karnak¡¯s group. Soon, they were crushed as they were swept up in the writhing mass of flesh and iling tentacles. ¡°Aaah!¡± ¡°Aaah!¡± ¡°Graaaah!¡± This entire area hadpletely fallen under Karnak¡¯s control. He could manipte the space as he wished, slicing up the monsters at will. Thanks to that, Baros and Serati had nothing left to do. All they had to do was follow behind Karnak and keep watch. Walking leisurely over the skeletal floor, Karnak observed his surroundings. Unlike when they were walking through the colorful candy corridors, his expression was calm and serene. ¡°This feels much more familiar andforting than something like a candy house, after all.¡± Serati sighed. ¡°It sounds absurd, but the fact that you actually feel that way is amusing.¡± Surrounded by grotesque bones and flesh, it oddly felt more peaceful than the bright, colorful candy setting from earlier. It wasn¡¯t that the scenery was more pleasant, but at least itcked the unsettling unease and dissonance she had felt before. As they continued walking, Karnak focused his mind. ¡°By the way, where could Alius be?¡± His control was solid but not wide. While he could fully deploy his barrier-stealing spell, there were still limits to his necromantic power. So they had to keep moving to search. And of course, they had to deal with the monsters along the way. ¡°Aaah!¡± ¡°Graaaah!¡± ¡°Graaaah!¡± As they walked, leaving the constant cries of the monsters behind them, thendscape suddenly twisted and whirled before a massive entrance opened up. Beyond the entrance was a grand hall, beautifully decorated with candy. Cats wearing boots, holding trays, nced at Karnak¡¯s group and let out wary cries. ¡°Meow!¡± ¡°Meow meow!¡± ¡°Why are those cats crying like normal?¡± Serati asked in confusion. Karnak casually replied, as if it were nothing special. ¡°Too much distortion.¡± She blinked, still not understanding. ¡°If it¡¯s too much, why do they go back to normal?¡± ¡°Is that the normalcy of reality? It¡¯s the normalcy of a fairy tale.¡± Indeed, the cats in boots weren¡¯t transforming into slimy monsters. Instead, they were running around with trays in their paws. And that too with two feet. Watching them, it really did feel like something out of a fairy tale. ¡°I still don¡¯t really get what you¡¯re saying¡­¡± Serati, feeling unsure, was just starting to raise her head when¡ª ¡°Ah!¡± She noticed dozens of cages suspended in midair throughout the hall. She had been too distracted by the cats to notice them until now. Inside each cage were the missing people, frantically crying out. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Of course, since the sound was blocked, to Karnak¡¯s group, it only appeared as if they were silently opening and closing their mouths. Karnak and Baros casually muttered to each other. ¡°Oh, they¡¯re still alive.¡± ¡°They¡¯re all alive, even.¡± ¡°Why are so many of them still alive?¡± ¡°Why are you two just standing there? We should rescue them quickly¡­¡± Serati was about to rush toward the cages when¡ª ¡°Wait.¡± Baros stopped her and pointed around. ¡°Why is everything still covered in sweets, Young Master?¡± Only then did Serati notice something was off. The surroundings were still coated in sweets. With Karnak¡¯s presence, the hall should have transformed into a grotesquendscape of flesh, but it hadn¡¯t. ¡°I told you, the distortion is too strong.¡± This meant that his control no longer worked here, and the distorted image cast over the hall was too intense. It also suggested that they were close to the master of this domain. With cold eyes, Karnak red toward the other side of the hall. ¡°The witch is nearby.¡± Beyond the rows of cages, a sinister voice echoed. ¡°Khehehehe¡­¡± It was the voice of an eerie old woman. ¡°What beautiful little children you are.¡± *** The witch was truly a grotesque sight. Her face was covered in so many wrinkles that it was impossible to guess her age, with a hooked nose, and she was dressed in a shabby robe and a wide-brimmed pointed hat, holding a broom in one hand. As Karnak red at her, he thought to himself. ¡®Just like the memory projection.¡¯ The precise definition of a witch, as referred to on the continent, was this: A female necromancer who wielded the power of darkness and death. A woman who simply used magic wasn¡¯t called a witch. Just as Elezar, one of the three Archmages, wasn¡¯t called a witch. The opponent before them was a hunched old woman, clearly wielding high-level necromancy. By anyone¡¯s standards, she was a wless example of a witch. ¡®But why does this not feel quite right?¡¯ The witch approached Karnak¡¯s group. Karnak, slowly pulling out his wand and aiming it, shouted. ¡°Hey, old hag! Are you really a witch?¡± The witch frowned. ¡°Ugh, you all look so scrawny.¡± ¡°Why did you capture these people? To eat them?¡± ¡°This olddy likes to eat plump, fat children!¡± A perfect example of nonsensical rambling. Serati sent a mental message. [¡­This feels exactly like when we first met Laficel, doesn¡¯t it?] No matter what they said, she acted like she didn¡¯t hear them and kept repeating herself. [Is it possible someone else crossed over?] [It sure looks that way.] Judging by the situation, Serati¡¯s suspicion was very reasonable. Karnak agreed. [My instincts are screaming that it¡¯s not the case, though.] Not that he expected an answer. He just wanted to gauge her reaction. ¡®I¡¯ll have to confirm it for sure.¡¯ Now, as always, Karnak¡¯s method of resolving his curiosity was the same. Violence. ¡°Baros!¡± As if he had been waiting, the blonde knight stepped forward. ¡°Yes, young master!¡± The witch sprang into action. With a sweep of her robe, she flew at Baros like a ghost, stopping right in front of him. Her speed exceeded expectations, and Baros¡¯s expression tightened slightly. ¡®She¡¯s really fast!¡¯ The witch swung her broom down. Baros raised his sword, imbued with battle aura, to block. As the broom and sword collided, a shockwave erupted. Boom! The shockwave shattered the candy floor around them, sending shards flying everywhere. The force was so powerful that all the suspended cages shook in unison. Yet Baros didn¡¯t budge an inch. ¡®I¡¯m not the type to be pushed back by this.¡¯ Baros absorbed the iing shock by slightly bending his knees, allowing the force to dissipate into the ground. It might have looked simple, but this was a highly advanced deflection technique that most aura users couldn¡¯t even dream of mastering. The witch, however, wasn¡¯t pushed back either. ¡°Heh heh, you¡¯re quite the disobedient child!¡± But her reason was entirely different from Baros¡¯s. She simply withstood the impact with her bare body, without any technique to dissipate the force. This puzzled Baros. ¡®Her body being fine is one thing, but how is she not being pushed back?¡¯ She wasn¡¯t particrly heavy, nor was she anchored to the ground. Something felt off. At that moment, Serati also sprang into action. [I¡¯m joining in!] She drew her sword imbued with battle aura and positioned herself behind the witch. Out of caution, she sent a quick message to Karnak. [Don¡¯t give me that Hell Armor! I¡¯ll fight with my own strength!] The Hell Armor she had worn during the battle with Laficel was indeed powerful, but it also corrupted the soul. She preferred not to use it unless her life was on the line. Not that Karnak had any intention of giving it to her anyway. [Even if you asked, I wouldn¡¯t. With so many eyes watching, do you think I¡¯d really hand it over?] There were dozens of people trapped in cages, all watching the battle unfold. They might be muted, but their sight wasn¡¯t blocked. [Ah, good point.] With Baros and Serati now nking the witch, they both aimed their aura-infused swords at her. The witch hurled her broom aside and lunged at Serati, swinging her long, w-like fingers wildly. ¡°Khehehe!¡± Her attacks were so predictable that any seasoned aura user could dodge them with their eyes closed. Of course, Serati wasn¡¯t a fool, so she dodged carefully, fully aware. At the same time, she aimed a strike at the witch¡¯s shoulder with her aura sword! ng! The de, infused with powerful aura, couldn¡¯t pierce through the witch¡¯s pping robe and was deflected. Serati clicked her tongue. ¡®As expected, this isn¡¯t enough.¡¯ She wasn¡¯t surprised. She had already seen the memory projection of the battle between Leocolt and Lestain. Both were Red Knights of her caliber, yet they couldn¡¯t even scratch the witch. Something extra was needed. ¡®In that case¡­¡¯ Serati dashed in closer, pressing her attack. ¡®Like this¡­¡¯ She mimicked the precise movements she had observed from Baros countless times, skillfully moving her de. ¡°Hyaaah!¡± The witch¡¯s attack narrowly grazed Serati¡¯s hair, but at the same moment, her aura sword struck the witch¡¯s shoulder once more. Swoosh! This time, the robe was pierced, and ck smoke, like blood, began to seep out. The witch¡¯s own force was used against her, as Serati had perfectly timed her counter. Instead of Serati¡¯s sword piercing the witch¡¯s shoulder, it was as if the witch had mmed her own shoulder into the sword tip. ¡°This works.¡± Feeling proud, Serati smiled. Even she had to admit that this move was executed well. Baros, too, seemed quite pleased. [Oh, that was pretty good, Dame Serati.] The witch¡¯s face contorted with fury as she exploded in anger. ¡°¡­Such disobedient children!¡± From within the cage, Alius watched Karnak¡¯s group. ¡®I knew they¡¯de for us.¡¯ His trust had been rewarded beyond expectations. They hade to rescue him much sooner than he had anticipated. However, something seemed off. Karnak¡¯s group had not brought along an inquisitor who could assist them. ¡®So how did they find this ce?¡¯ The divine power he had left behind was far too faint to be detected by aura users or mages. There were only two possible scenarios for someone to sense it. Either a properly trained inquisitor had detected it, or¡­ ¡®Perhaps¡­ a necromancer might be able to.¡¯ Chapter 110 Chapter 110 The excited witch became even more violent, rampaging furiously. She smashed through various parts of the hall, recklessly charging with brute force. ¡°You bad children!¡± However, Baros and Serati easily handled her. The witch¡¯s attacks were so chaotic that it worked in their favor. Her punches and kicks were so obvious that dodging and counterattacking became easy. In addition, Karnak¡¯s well-timed magic was helping a lot. ¡°Force Rope!¡± A rope made of magic flew and wrapped around the witch¡¯s arms and legs. Though it broke almost instantly, it slowed her down for a brief moment. During that short moment, a of lightning was cast, blocking her retreat¡­ ¡°Lightning Stun!¡± The ground transformed into a giant hand, grabbing the witch. ¡°Fist of the Ground!¡± In this case, it was more like a hand made of candy rather than earth. Rather than using offensive magic, the spells were aimed at hindering the witch¡¯s movements, providing advantageous opportunities for Baros and Serati. As they weaved through the witch¡¯s sweet hall, Karnak¡¯s group relentlessly pushed the witch back. It was clear they were gaining the upper hand. But the witch wasn¡¯t going down easily. Despite being continuously shed and struck by magic, she simply wouldn¡¯t fall. ¡°Let me see your hands! I want to check how much you¡¯ve gained!¡± ¡°It¡¯s nonsense, but hearing it enough is getting on my nerves.¡± Grumbling, Serati dodged a downward kick from the witch and raised her aura sword to sh the witch. Once again, she used a counterattack that took advantage of the opponent¡¯s strength. It wasn¡¯t hard to wound the witch this time, either. The problem was that the witch recovered from her injuries just as easily. ¡°Let me see your arms! Show me those arms!¡± In no time, she waspletely healed and reached out with both ws again. Clicking his tongue, Baros stepped back. ¡°¡­That doesn¡¯t sound like a line from a fairy tale.¡± The battle continued in the same manner. Although they were clearly pressuring her, they couldn¡¯tnd a fatal blow. The witch¡¯s attacks were certainly messy, but her movements were unpredictable. She wasn¡¯t just fast; it was impossible to predict her next move. Suddenly, Baros felt a strange realization. ¡®Why are her attacks so obvious, but her movements unpredictable?¡¯ No matter how fast an opponent is, if their moves are this apparent, it should be possible to predict them. Especially for someone with Baros¡¯ level of experience. ¡®Could it be¡­?¡¯ Baros began to focus on the witch¡¯s extremities, paying close attention to her hands and feet rather than her overall movements. The witch pushed off the ground with both feet and leaped into the air. ¡®What the¡­ her actions and the actual flow of power don¡¯t match?¡¯ She was just pretending to jump, but in reality, she was gliding through the air, like a ghost. ¡®That exins why others fell to her so easily.¡¯ Once he figured out the cause, finding a solution was no problem. Baros moved behind the witch. The witch turned and slid, as if moving on air. To be precise, she was sliding as if she was moving. ¡®Sorry, but I¡¯m pretty used to dealing with movements like this.¡¯ He had seen plenty of opponents who moved like ghosts. Following her with ease, Baros brought down his aura sword. Boom! This time, hended a direct hit to the witch¡¯s side. She didn¡¯t have time to dodge. She let out a bizarreugh and dark blood spurted from her body as she wildly iled her ws. ¡°Khehehe!¡± Baros calmly rotated the tip of his sword. Serati had to strike, retreat, and weave in, aiming for gaps in the witch¡¯s attacks tond a counter. She would use the witch¡¯s own strength to amplify her attacks. But Baros didn¡¯t need to do that. ¡°Hup!¡± In an instant, Baros¡¯ aura sword turned blue. The witch¡¯s onught, which came flying at him, slid off in all directions as if it had hit an invisible shield. Then, he switched to a red aura sword and unleashed a series of strikes. The red aura signified the Stage of Strong Ability , while the blue aura indicated the Stage of Skill Over Strength. Though he hadn¡¯t yet reached the Stage of Perfect Unity of Strength and Skill like the Purple Knights, by switching his aura momentarily, he could produce a simr effect. Additionally, he could conserve his aura as well by deliberately moving between stages. This was amon tactic once a warrior mastered the Silver Sword stage. ¡°Taaaah!¡± A barrage of shes rained down on the witch¡¯s body. Her robe was shredded to pieces, and darkness erupted in all directions like a fountain. sh! As the furious witch prepared tosh out even more violently, Baros¡¯ eyes gleamed for a moment. ¡®Now!¡¯ He stepped forward, twisted his body, and delivered a long horizontal sh. At the same time, his aura sword flickered between red and blue! Boom! With a thunderous sound, the witch¡¯s entire right arm shattered. Baros grinned in satisfaction and muttered to himself, ¡°I haven¡¯t rusted yet either.¡± *** The witch, having lost her arm, raised her head with a nk expression. Darkness swirled around her, and her severed arm regrew. Baros wasn¡¯t surprised. ¡°It¡¯s not umon for a monster using necromancy to grow limbs, right?¡± The ¡°necromantic monster with newly regrown arms¡± turned toward him with a disgruntled expression. [¡­You weren¡¯t saying that for me to hear, were you?] [I used to be in the same situation, you know?] With a wry smile, he shared the witch¡¯s secret with Serati. [So, if you think of her as a ghost and analyze her movements that way, you¡¯ll be able to predict her next actions.] [I¡¯m not sure if I can manage that.] Though Baros spoke as if it was obvious, Serati couldn¡¯t tell if it was meant as trust or if Baros was being overly confident. ¡®Well, he told me, so I¡¯ll give it a try.¡¯ Focusing his mind, Serati stared intently at the witch. The witch still stood with an indifferent face. She seemed puzzled. ¡®Why isn¡¯t she moving?¡¯ There were no more strange remarks or bursts ofughter. She looked almost like a doll. Then, suddenly, the witch opened her mouth. From her pitch-ck mouth, a bizarre sound erupted. ¡°Groooo!¡± It wasn¡¯t a voice but a noise. Completely devoid of anything human, it was a truly mechanical, inorganic sound. ¡°Groooooo!¡± The entire candy hall began to shake as if hit by an earthquake. The ceiling and walls distorted as candy protrusions started to sprout everywhere. Chocte and sugar clumped together, and cookies and cakes stuck to one another in massive chunks. Soon, the hall was filled with candy soldiers, candy tigers, and candy dragons. It was hard to tell if they were cute or terrifying, but these creatures roared with fury. ¡°Kyakya-kya-kya!¡± ¡°Kraaaah!¡± ¡°Kaaooo!¡± Looking around, Serati clicked her tongue. ¡°What the hell? Did she give up on hand-to-handbat?¡± Candy monsters swarmed from all sides. Just because they were made of candy didn¡¯t mean they were harmless. Their appearance may be sweet, but their actual toughness wasparable to steel. Of course, an aura user¡¯s sword could cut through steel, but there were simply too many of them. Facing them one by one would drain too much stamina. ¡°Kraaaah!¡± As Baros shed through the approaching candy monsters, he frowned. [This is getting annoying.] The witch had transformed the entire candy hall under her control, turning it into an army of minions. It was simr to when they faced the slimy monsters in the corridors earlier. That means the solution should be the same. [Can¡¯t you do something, young master?] [Not right now.] Unlike before, there were others watching, so he couldn¡¯t recklessly use necromancy. Only chaos magic could be safely used at the moment. Serati signaled with her eyes toward the hall¡¯s entrance. [Should we change locations?] [No, that won¡¯t be necessary.] ncing toward the cage, Karnak¡¯s eyes gleamed. [This is a perfect opportunity. I might as well test the new magic I developed.] *** Originally, the chaos magic Karnak had developed was merely a method of using ordinary magic through chaos power. The magic itself did not deviate much from traditional forms. However, after absorbing the soul of Detzras, things changed slightly. The Dark God¡¯s cult had been using a method that fused necromancy and magic in a new way. After stealing this technique, Karnakbined the strengths of necromancy and magic, transforming it into a new form of chaos magic. Karnak aimed his wand at the iing candy monsters. [Fireball is a powerful spell, but it only flies in a straight line and explodes.] Thus, it requires precise control and the ability to adjust the area of effect. If fired recklessly, enemies can easily dodge it, and it might explode in the wrong ce, wasting mana. [On the other hand, fox fire is a necromantic spell that never misses, but its firepower is too low.] Hitting the target with fox fire is extremely easy. The necromancer doesn¡¯t have to worry much as it flies straight to its target. It¡¯s nearly impossible to dodge. The problem is, while it¡¯s hard to avoid, it¡¯s just as easy to destroy in the air since its power is so weak. But what if these two methods werebined? Raising his wand, Karnak began chanting a spell. ¡°zing mes of the soul, guided by my will, strike my enemies!¡± A giant fox fire materialized, radiating heat as it glided through the air. Then, it split into dozens of smaller fireballs as it raced through the hall. Not a single one missed its mark, as the countless fire foxes struck the candy monsters that filled the hall! Boom! Boom! Boom! The entire hall erupted into mes. ck smoke billowed everywhere as a thunderous roar echoed. The cage hanging above was caught in the storm, shaking violently. Satisfied, Karnak smiled. ¡°Good, the power¡¯s impressive.¡± It was clearly a modified 4th-circle Fireball spell, but the destructive force was at the level of a 6th or 7th-circle spell. Baros, surveying the wreckage of the shattered monsters, expressed his admiration. [Wow, that¡¯s seriously strong.] It had the uracy that magic couldn¡¯t achieve and the destructive power that necromancy alone couldn¡¯t produce. [But there are still plenty of them left, aren¡¯t there?] None of the fire foxes had missed. Dozens of mes hit their marks. But the number of monsters the witch summoned was in the hundreds. [Just wait a moment.] Karnak grumbled as he tapped his wand on the hall¡¯s floor. [It¡¯s not over yet.] Thump, thump, thump! Each time the tip of the staff struck the ground, faint ripples of light spread outward. These ripples soaked into the candy floor, causing it to tremble. ¡°Rise, spirits of the earth!¡± From the floor made of candy, heaps of cookies rose. They transformed into dozens of giant beings made of sugar. Baros and Serati looked shocked. This wasn¡¯t the usual golem summoning technique they were used to. [Huh?] [You can do that too?] Both of them, being aura users, could sense the overall energy form. Powerful mana surrounded the candy piles filled with necromantic power, transforming them into golems. Without using necromancy, Karnak was influencing the witch¡¯s domain using only chaos magic. [It¡¯s possible because it¡¯s me, obviously.] Smugly, Karnak continued his incantation. ¡°By thew of darkness, be governed by my hand¡­¡± A ck aura rose from the golems¡¯ bodies. ¡°Go forth, my servants! By mymand, strike down my enemies!¡± With a thunderous roar, dozens of giant candy golems began charging forward. Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud! *** Stronoff watched the scene unfold in a daze. ¡°How is something like that even possible?¡± He was a 6th-circle high-ranking mage and a member of the Evil ying Brigade who had fought numerous necromancers. That¡¯s why he could say this with certainty. The candy golems were clearly emitting dark power, yet they were being controlled by mana. This young mage had sessfully stolen control of the witch¡¯s necromancy using nothing but pure magic. ¡°¡­Could such magic truly exist in this world?¡± Chapter 111 Chapter 111 The hall was filled with the mor of intense battles. The Candy Golem grabbed the Chocte Dragon by the scruff of its neck and mmed it down. It trampled on the Sugar Soldiers and crushed the Cake Monsters. Loud crashes and noises echoed throughout the space. The two main forces behind this grand dessert battle were none other than the Witch and Karnak. The Witch continuously summoned candy monsters using the vast powers of darkness. Karnak, on the other hand, infiltrated her barrier with chaos power, causing confusion. Dark currents and flows of mana intertwined, creating mayhem. Karnak smiled, satisfied with the oue. ¡°You fight well.¡± Serati sent a message. [Is this really okay?] Even now, those trapped in cages were watching the battle unfold. It was a question about whether their gazes should be a concern. [No problem.] Karnak answered confidently. [This is real magic. Not necromancy.] The method was fundamentally no different from the necromancy he usually employed. Layering barriers upon barriers, analyzing the flow of darkness, and then reversing it to steal control. The method and power were identical. There was only one difference. He was using chaos power to achieve what he used to do with necromantic power. [It means I can use it openly in front of people.] In fact, if other mages asked about the technique, he could even teach it to them. He had essentially pioneered a new school of magic. Although, in the beginning, he had borrowed some magic forms from the Dark Cult. [With this method, other mages could also disrupt an opponent¡¯s necromantic barriers. Though, of course, they wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it as freely as I do.] Somehow, he had truly created a magic fitting of the word ¡°chaos.¡± Karnak boasted arrogantly. [Don¡¯t you think I came up with a pretty good name?] Baros offered genuine admiration. [Wow, you are truly impressive.] And then, out of the blue, he asked. [But how do you n to exin how you mastered such a spell? There¡¯s no way a mere 20-year-old novice could create such magic.] The achievement of pioneering a new school of magic was something only a 9th-circle mage, usually an Archmage, could do. It was certainly not something a 6th-circle mage could aplish. Of course, Karnak had already thought of this. [Well, I mastered it through the magic tome left to me by my great teacher!] [Huh? Since when did you have a teacher, young master?] [Why wouldn¡¯t I have a teacher?] The wicked Death King Karnak had no teacher, but the righteous Baron Karnak of the King¡¯s Order had a teacher¡ªa court mage named Das from 150 years ago. At least, ording to his backstory. [Are you using that guy as an excuse again?] [Is there a better excuse than this?] The final magic insights left behind by Court Mage Das were passed down to Karnak, transcending 150 years. With his heaven-sent talent and supreme effort, he eventually mastered a unique technique specifically designed to counter necromancers! [¡­That¡¯s the story.] [It does sound usible.] Baros, convinced, nced up at the ceiling of the hall. [Just like you nned, no one seems to have noticed.] Inside those dozens of cages were Aura users, mages, clerics, and regr soldiers, all possessing various skills and abilities. If he could deceive all of them, it would prove just how safe this chaos magic was. Suddenly curious, Serati asked. [What would you do if someone among them realized what you were doing?] [I¡¯d just manipte their memory.] [But what if they told theirpanions?] [How would they? The sound is blocked.] [Ah¡­] [Look, I¡¯m trying to resolve this without killing anyone and in a good way. Am I not living like a decent person?] [Well, that¡¯s true, but¡­] There wasn¡¯t anything wrong with what he said, but for some reason, Serati found it hard to admit it. With a sulky expression, Serati nced at one of the cages. ¡®I wonder if Mr. Alius is okay. Surely he hasn¡¯t caught on?¡¯ *** Alius trembled. ¡®I see¡­¡¯ His fingertips quivered as he watched the scene before him. ¡®So that¡¯s what it was¡­¡¯ This wasn¡¯t magic that controlled darkness. It was magic that controlled necromancy. A magic that, while following the righteousws of the Goddess, governed those who practiced evil arts. ¡®That¡¯s how he found us so quickly.¡¯ No matter how skilled a cleric was at detecting traces of darkness, they could never outdo a necromancer themselves. If Karnak could use magic like that, it made sense that his detection abilities surpassed even those of a cleric. ¡®No wonder he¡¯s been so particrly strong against necromancers¡­¡¯ That magic was essentially the bane of necromancy. And for such magic to emerge in this dark time, when the darkness of doom was spreading across the world? ¡°Truly, it must be the guidance of the Goddess.¡± Deeply moved, Alius made the sign of the cross. His greatest strength and weakness was that once he believed in someone, he trusted thempletely. *** Serati carefully observed Alius inside the cage. Then, she felt relieved. ¡®Okay, no problem.¡¯ Having known him for a while, she could roughly read his expressions. A very tant glimmer of trust was shining in both of his eyes. ¡®Mr. Alius is a good person, but he¡¯s way too naive.¡¯ Still, it was a relief. They were going to travel together through the Empire for a while, and she didn¡¯t want to witness him suffering, thrashing about with a needle in his head every night. She shifted her gaze back to the hall. ¡®Once we deal with that, it¡¯ll all be over, right?¡¯ The Witch was wreaking havoc against the approaching Candy Golems. ¡°Goooooo!¡± She let out a metallic, soulless sound, swinging her limbs repeatedly. With every swing, the Golems shattered, scattering cookie crumbs everywhere. The Witch herself was also falling apart, leaking darkness. Her arms would break, then regenerate. Her legs would break, and then regenerate again. Destruction and regeneration repeated endlessly. [It¡¯s her final struggle,] Baros said, gripping his sword tightly. [Shall we end it?] [No, I¡¯ll do it. Since we¡¯ve got the opportunity, I might as well experiment with everything I can.] [What do you have in mind?] Instead of answering, Karnak posed a question in return. [Why do you think the Witch has been able tost this long?] The two swordsmen exchanged looks as if to say, ¡°How would we know?¡± Chuckling, Karnak continued. [It¡¯s because this ce is a twisted hell.] This ce had been warped by the Witch¡¯s powerful imagery. It was a distorted fairy tale, drawn from the well of her subconscious¡ªa universal, stereotypical, yet messy and chaotic image. The stronger that image, the weaker reality bes. That¡¯s why real swords and magic were greatly weakened against the Witch, but the Golems made of her sweets were easily able to crush her monsters. [Since the twisted fairy tale is the Witch¡¯s reality, a weapon from within that fairy tale should be able to fatally wound her without any interference, right?] And so, he pulled it out. The image of a powerful weapon hidden within the Witch¡¯s fairy tale. Gripping his wand, Karnak summoned forth chaos power. ¡°Come forth, a piece of the abyss slumbering in the deepest depths.¡± Summoning circles appeared all around the hall, and round, wheel-shaped objects emerged. At the sight of it, Baros and Serati¡¯s expressions turned peculiar. ¡®Huh?¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s¡­¡¯ It was something everyone recognized. [It¡¯s a spinning wheel?] Dozens of spinning wheels, the kind you could find in any farmhouse, were scattered around the hall. Baffled, Serati asked, [Why is a spinning wheel a weapon?] This time, even Karnak looked slightly taken aback. [Well, uh, who knows?] He hadn¡¯t summoned it knowing what kind of weapon it would be. He just pulled up whatever was buried deep in the abyss of the image. But now that it had been summoned, there was no doubt it was one of the weapons from the fairy tale. The problem was he had no idea how this could be considered a weapon¡­ After a moment¡¯s thought, Karnak waved his wand. [Oh well, from here on, I¡¯ll rely on every boy¡¯s childhood dream.] When in doubt, it¡¯s always best to go with what¡¯s familiar. He had learned that through long experience. And besides, the image of the fairy tale didn¡¯t belong solely to the Witch. ¡°Rise, soul of the abyss!¡± Each of the dozens of spinning wheels transformed into strange shapes. Huge arms, huge legs, torsos, heads, and hands¡ªall morphed and then flew up, merging together in the air! ¡°Gooooooo!¡± The enormous spinning-wheel golem raised its arms and let out a mighty roar. And then, without warning, it hurled a long sword at the witch. Boom! With a thunderous crash, the Witch was flung over 10 meters away. Baros¡¯s eyes widened in shock. [It¡¯s¡­ strong!] [Of course it is.] Karnak puffed out his chest proudly. [Is there a boy in the world who doesn¡¯t love a good transformation andbination scene?] *** The enormous spinning-wheel golem relentlessly pushed the small hag back with brute force. ¡°Gooooooo!¡± It attacked over and over without rest. Golem punch, golem kick, golem headbutt. The Witch fought back fiercely, shing at the spinning wheel with her ws, kicking with both feet, and iling her arms wildly. Crash! Boom! Bang, bang, bang! The two of them continued to pummel and be pummeled in a repetitive sh. In such a brutal contest, where both were swinging their limbs wildly, the bigger one was bound to win. Gradually, the Witch was being pushed back. The entire hall began to shake. Smash! Bam! Thud! Each time the Witch was hit, the candy hall started to disappear, reced by walls of flesh. The surroundings shifted, as though a giant illusion was being peeled away, revealing something far more grotesque. The humans inside the cages screamed in terror at the sight of the hall, now covered in hideous tentacles and flesh. ¡°Ugh, ughhh!¡± ¡°What is this?!¡± The most repulsive part was realizing that the colorful candy just moments ago had transformed into disgusting chunks of flesh, and the sweet juice was now rancid, bloody fluid. ¡°Blergh!¡± ¡°Ughhh!¡± Some of them even feared that they might have eaten some of it. Everyone was shivering with disgust, gagging at the thought. Meanwhile, the first team of the Witch¡¯s search party, who had already consumed the grotesque substances, sat nk-faced in the cages, still dazed. The golem continued to crush the Witch over and over again. ¡°Gooooooo!¡± It broke her arms, shattered her legs, and smashed her head. The Witch¡¯s regeneration was growing slower and slower. Now, she seemed almost ghostly, weakly releasing darkness from her entire body as she drifted aimlessly. ¡°Well then, shall we finish this?¡± Karnak snapped his fingers. Suddenly, fierce mes began to surge from the entire body of the spinning-wheel golem. Whoooosh! Serati was puzzled. ¡®Huh? Why is he suddenly setting the golem on fire?¡¯ Just then, Karnak¡¯s voice reached her ears. [Dame Serati, you mentioned something earlier, didn¡¯t you?] [What about?] [How the Witch dies in that fairy tale with the candy house.] [¡­What?] Confused for a moment, Serati looked at Karnak. He was wearing a meaningful smile, nodding toward the Witch with his chin. The Witch, and the burning spinning-wheel giant. [Aha!] Serati moved, realizing Karnak¡¯s intention. She had figured out what he meant. The Witch was continuously retreating, trying to avoid the ming golem. Serati stealthily moved behind her. Once she was close enough¡­ ¡°Take this!¡± She simply kicked the Witch square in the back! Thud! This was the same Witch who had shrugged off attacks from Serati¡¯s aura-infused sword. Normally, a mere kick should have done no real damage. But to everyone¡¯s surprise, the Witch fell over pathetically easily. ¡°Kehek!¡± Falling into the burning golem¡¯s embrace, the Witch let out a gut-wrenching scream. The mes zed even fiercer, and the Witch¡¯s entire body began turning to ash, scattering into the air. ¡°Kwaaah!¡± Both Baros and Karnak winced at the horrifying sight. [Wow, seeing it in person is pretty brutal.] [Yeah, is this really the kind of fairy tale you¡¯d tell kids?] The screams slowly faded, and the Witch¡¯s form shrank more and more. In the end, both the golem and the Witch burned away and vanished. As Karnak watched thest of the Witch¡¯s ashes scatter into the air, he grinned. [I knew it would end like this.] Strictly speaking, it wasn¡¯t Serati who finished off the Witch. It was the final scene of the twisted fairy tale the Witch had distorted. [In necromancy, if you can¡¯t trick your opponent, you¡¯ll end up being tricked yourself. That¡¯s the essence of it.] With that, the Witch was dealt with cleanly. Now all that was left were the people in the cages, helplessly pping their mouths in silence. ¡°Baros, Serati.¡± Karnak gestured into the air. ¡°Free the people.¡± Chapter 112 Chapter 112 After rescuing everyone, Karnak and his party sessfully escaped from the candy house. In reality, it wasn¡¯t a particrly dangerous situation that warranted calling it an ¡°escape.¡± Aside from the hall, the rest of the area was already under Karnak¡¯s influence. Even the witch who originally ruled this space had disappeared. In fact, they merely trudged toward the entrance, and once everyone was outside, they simply locked the gate to the underworld. Once everyone had escaped, the candy house vanished on its own. ¡°It seems that with the witch gone, this ce can no longer exist.¡± In truth, Karnak had sent it away himself, but that¡¯s how the exnation had to go. When the gate to the underworld closed, the thick fog that had covered the surroundings also lifted, and the Witch¡¯s Forest returned to being a normal forest. When Karnak¡¯s party returned to Swindler Fortress, they were hailed as heroes. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You saved our lives.¡± No one dismissed them as mere citizens of the Seven Kingdoms anymore. Even the arrogant Leocolt had aplete change of attitude. ¡°You have saved my life. I will never forget this favor.¡± Though he had been arrogant, he wasn¡¯t someone who would ignore a debt of life. ¡°If you ever need help from the empire, contact me. I will help with whatever I can.¡± This left the Evil ying Brigade with a debt owed to them. For just a few days of dy, it was an unexpected windfall. However, the change in their attitudes wasn¡¯t just because their lives had been saved. As soon as they returned to the fortress, the mage Stronoff informed hisrades. -We must find out what magic he used! As a mage, he recognized the value of the spell Karnak had employed. A magic that could reverse the power of a necromancer! Such a feat was unprecedented in history. Even the three Archmages had not yet developed such a spell. Well, to be precise, it wasn¡¯t that they couldn¡¯t¡ªit¡¯s just that they hadn¡¯t. How long has it been since the Darkness of Doom began to run rampant? Before that, such a spell was simply unnecessary. No one paid attention to this kind of magic until recently. That¡¯s what makes it all the more curious. Where did he learn such magic? It¡¯s unlikely that Karnak himself developed it. A mere 6th Circle mage, and still in his twenties, couldn¡¯t have created such a spell. But it was difficult to ask directly. For mages, knowledge is power, authority, and wealth. In the world of mages, probing into the secrets of someone¡¯s magic is tantamount to theft. ¡°¡­For that reason, even though they want to ask about Lord Karnak¡¯s magic, they¡¯re just watching quietly,¡± Alius remarked. Serati just shrugged. ¡°He won¡¯t reveal it easily, of course.¡± Karnak hasmitted quite a few transgressions. Naturally, he¡¯d want to keep things hidden. However, Alius seemed to interpret it differently. ¡°Well, he¡¯s not exactly the type to enjoy conversation, is he?¡± ¡°Lord Karnak, you mean?¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s such a quiet person. Just like Sir Baros.¡± ¡°Sir Baros?¡± Serati was taken aback. If it were Karnak and Baros, they were among the most talkative people she¡¯d ever met. They never missed a chance to boast, even during battle. ¡®What do you mean, ¡®quiet¡¯? That¡¯s absurd.¡¯ But then again, she thought, maybe it made sense. ¡®Wait a minute, we only ever talked through telepathy, didn¡¯t we?¡¯ To an outsider, they would indeed seem like a quiet and serious mage and knight. ¡®No way! They¡¯re both so talkative!¡¯ It felt incredibly unfair, but there was no way she could exin the truth. ¡°Yes¡­ they¡¯re both very quiet¡­ right¡­.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± In any case, it seemed that Stronoff wouldn¡¯t be prying into the magic any time soon. Given the gravity of the situation, he probably nned to make formal contact with the brigade after they returned. Reporting the developments to Karnak, Serati asked, ¡°Is it really okay to be getting this much attention, Lord Karnak? Haven¡¯t you been trying to avoid standing out this whole time?¡± As for the source of the magic, they could always im it came from the Archmage Das of 150 years ago. ¡°What if someone asks you to teach them?¡± Karnak was unfazed. ¡°Then I¡¯ll teach them.¡± ¡°Huh? Is that really okay?¡± ¡°I told you, this is actual magic. I developed it to make it known to the world in the first ce.¡± Of course, he wasn¡¯t talking about revealing all of chaos magic¡ªjust the part rted to necromancy interference. Originally, chaos magic had been developed merely as a technique to pose as a mage. As a result, it didn¡¯t differ much from existing magic. But with the world bing more chaotic, they found themselves facing necromancers more and more often. Because of that, Karnak had to increasingly resort to secretly using necromancy. ¡°As they say, if your tail gets too long, it¡¯ll get stepped on.¡± There are two ways to deal with a tail before it gets caught. Either cut off your own tail, or attach long tails to everyone else! ¡°What do you think will happen if other mages also start using necromancy interference spells?¡± After a moment of thought, Serati responded, ¡°More mages will be able to handle necromancers more easily.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a more important point than that.¡± Karnak smiled brightly. ¡°It means that other mages, besides me, will be able to use the power of darkness, even if only indirectly.¡± If Karnak alone were using both magic and the power of darkness, it would raise too much suspicion. But if other mages were doing it too? Then it would just seem like amon urrence. ¡°I can¡¯t keep using necromancy in secret forever, can I? I have to make my move before it gets exposed.¡± Hearing this, Baros expressed concern. ¡°But¡­ in this case, wouldn¡¯t you be putting yourself in danger, young master?¡± Distributing a magic that is the nemesis of necromancy, when Karnak himself was a necromancer? There was no guarantee that this magic wouldn¡¯t eventually turn against him. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have no intention of continuing as a necromancer.¡± Karnak waved his hand dismissively. ¡°And even if I need to use necromancy, it won¡¯t be a problem for me.¡± After all, the necromancy interference spell was a magic that only Karnak could use effectively. This spell required a precise understanding of the opposing necromancy to be fully effective. In other words, the caster needed to possess more knowledge and wisdom than the necromancer they were opposing. ¡°And there¡¯s no necromancer in the world wiser than me, right?¡± ¡°Uh, yes¡­,¡± Serati replied, looking deeply impressed by his confidence. She was so stunned that she was at a loss for words. On the other hand, Baros still seemed worried. ¡°And what will you say when you use it properly? Won¡¯t that just prove you know too much about necromancy?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just insist that I¡¯m a genius and that I handled it instinctively. There are actually a few prodigies like that out there.¡± And to those who fail to master it, he¡¯d say this: Why are you ming me for your ipetence? ¡°Something like that,¡± Karnak concluded with a grin. Baros finally seemed reassured and smiled as well. ¡°That should be safe enough to reveal to the world.¡± Then, with a curious glint in his eye, he asked, ¡°You¡¯re not nning to teach it for free, are you?¡± ¡°Of course not. Nothing in this worldes for free.¡± He nned to sell it for a lot of money. A great deal of money. With a smirk, Karnak squared his shoulders. ¡°Anyway, things worked out well. Originally, I was nning to subtly reveal this at the Grenthal estate.¡± This necromancy interference spell was based on a technique from the Dark Cult. Meaning, someone from the Dark Cult might recognize it. And what then? That¡¯s actually a good thing. ¡°It means they¡¯re the culprit.¡± If someone recognized it, that meant they either came from the past or were connected to it. ¡°We can¡¯t keep chasing after invisible enemies forever, can we?¡± The original n was to discreetly drop hints while securing Hudel. However, the Evil ying Brigade had influence across the entire empire. The bait would be spread even more effectively this way. Karnak rubbed his neck and muttered, ¡°We¡¯ve been dyed a little, but in the end, things have worked out pretty well.¡± They had rescued those in danger, built connections with the Evil ying Brigade, and earned greater recognition from the public. Doesn¡¯t this seem like a rather decent way to live? ¡°What do you think, Serati?¡± Karnak and Baros both looked at Serati like students waiting for their grades. With a wry smile, she nodded. ¡°Surprisingly, it seems like you¡¯ve really done well this time.¡± *** Laficel was safe at the inn. ¡°Wee back, Lord Karnak!¡± ¡°Yes, Laficel. Everything went well, I hope?¡± ¡°Everyone treated me kindly!¡± That was only to be expected. Even though the world was in turmoil and leaving a young girl alone in a foreignnd was dangerous, it had only been less than two days. Furthermore, they had paid the innkeeper extra to keep a close eye on her, and this was a fortress town with regr troops stationed. Besides, her guardians included a powerful aura user, a high-level mage, and a senior cleric¡ªif trouble arose despite all that? ¡°In that case, there would definitely be something suspicious going on.¡± ¡°Exactly, there¡¯d have to be some grand conspiracy for it to make sense.¡± Even after reuniting with Laficel, they couldn¡¯t leave Swindler Fortress right away. There were still matters to attend to. The recently captured members of the Evil ying Brigade and Alius were in no real danger. However, the members of the first witch-hunting expedition, who had been kidnapped a week earlier, were not in normal condition. While they didn¡¯t seem to have any physical problems, mentally they were half-gone, likely due to eating the witch¡¯s sweets for so long, and they had all plumped up noticeably. Considering what the true nature of those sweets might have been, they couldn¡¯t just leave them as they were. So Alius was spending a day using divine spells to care for them in detail. Normally, this task would have fallen to Felix, the 2nd-rank inquisitor stationed at Swindler Fortress. However, Felix had also been captured and had plumped up like the rest of them. Alius sighed as he cast a divine spell on each of the people lying on the bed. ¡°Whew¡­ truly pitiful¡­.¡± As he spoke, he paused, hesitant for a moment. Even though everyone was out of their minds, they were all smiling brightly. Even their skin was plump and oily. ¡°¡­But they do look surprisingly happy, don¡¯t they?¡± Karnak and the others, watching nearby, couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Seems like they were well-fed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what the witch kept saying, wasn¡¯t it? That she was going to fatten them up.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a ssic line from grandmothers everywhere.¡± In any case, there didn¡¯t seem to be any major issues. It looked like they¡¯d be able to get up on their own in three or four days. In the meantime, Alius provided minor healing spells to other residents of the fortress as well. It was customary for clerics to offer the blessings of the goddesses as a gesture of gratitude when crossing the boundaries of an estate or nation. It wasn¡¯t for no reason that Karnak and his party had passed so easily through the border gates. When foreign clerics appeared, people were happy to receive free healing, making it mutually beneficial. It wasn¡¯t that Felix was particrly greedy. The 7 Goddesses Church simply had strict rules against providing free healing without cause. Once all the patients were stable, Karnak and his party were finally able to leave the fortress. ¡°Ah, it was quite a busy time,¡± Alius remarked, clicking his tongue as they rode their horses along the winding mountain path. ¡°Come to think of it, what exactly was that witch¡¯s true identity?¡± Most traces of the witch¡¯s existence hadpletely disappeared. As a result, the Evil ying Brigade seemed to be struggling to uncover the truth. ¡°She didn¡¯t even leave a body behind, so¡­¡± Karnak nodded. ¡°Indeed, not even a body was left behind.¡± And he smiled inwardly. ¡®I didn¡¯t lie, after all.¡¯ He subtly slipped his right hand into his coat. His fingertips brushed against a small, square object. It was a ck, hexagonal cube with a surface that rippled like flowing shadows. ¡®She didn¡¯t leave a body behind, that¡¯s for sure.¡¯ Chapter 113 Chapter 113 As they crossed the mountain range, the season changed. White powder was gently falling from the sky. ¡°Wow! It¡¯s snowing, Serati unnie!¡± ¡°Oh dear, we need to cross the mountain quickly.¡± ¡°If it piles up too much, it¡¯ll be a real headache.¡± The child enjoyed the sight with pure delight, while the adults frowned with concern. Fortunately, they were almost at the end of their journey over the mountain range. With chilled cheeks, they continued moving for another half day. Sunlight scattered across the white snow. Every time the wind blew, snowkes dispersed into the air. The dry snow crunched with every step they took. Finally, a vast in stretched out before them in the distance. A river running down from the mountain range split thend in two like a de, flowing into an older river. On the right bank stood a stately, antique castle on a hill, while on the opposite sidey a sprawling vige, connected to the castle by arge stone bridge. Their destination: the County of Grenthal. *** Currently, Karnak and his group¡¯s official status was as Alius, a first-tier inquisitor of Hatoba, and his coborators. They were concealing the fact that they belonged to the King¡¯s Order of the Yustil Kingdom and were only posing as Darkness Hunters. Hunting the Empire¡¯s cult was strictly the responsibility of the Evil ying Brigade, and their target, Hudel, was a noble of the Empire. But if the King¡¯s Order were to take this matter into their own hands? It would be a serious international issue. They couldn¡¯t openly discuss it or seek cooperation. Considering how much the Lacaenia Empire disregarded the Seven Kingdoms, it was obvious they wouldn¡¯t even bother listening to such a request. Thus, the reason Karnak¡¯s group presented when crossing the border was as follows: ¨CThe necromancer we were pursuing has shown his tracks in Kt City in the western part of the Empire. We intend to coborate with the Kt Diocese of the Hatoba Order to apprehend him. It reminded Baros of the n the King¡¯s Order had used when hunting a vampire at the Count Brnt¡¯s estate, which prompted him to express concern. ¡°That method didn¡¯t work too well, though.¡± ¡°They copied it poorly, that¡¯s why,¡± Alius exined. ording to him, the method was originally that of the Church of the Seven Goddesses. Only, unlike the King¡¯s Order, they weren¡¯t foolish enough to seek cooperation from the suspects themselves. In any case, with this pretext, there wouldn¡¯t be any suspicion. It was quitemon for a necromancer on the run to cross borders to escape, and just asmon for those who had lost family members to a necromancer to cross borders in pursuit, driven by a burning desire for revenge. And wasn¡¯t there someone in their group who had lost their entire family to a necromancer? ¡°Who would that be?¡± ¡°Who else? Didn¡¯t you lose your entire family to a necromancer, Lord Karnak?¡± ¡°Ah, you mean me.¡± ¡°Why do you speak as if it¡¯s someone else¡¯s story¡­?¡± ¡°I already finished my revenge, didn¡¯t I? So I didn¡¯t really think of it in that way.¡± Though the conversation was somewhat suspicious, they managed to gloss over it without raising any rms. So, under the guise of heading to Kt City, they would secretly slip into the County of Grenthal. Afterward, they would find evidence that Hudel was part of the cult, report it to the Evil ying Brigade, and capture him together. Since this was a right granted to the Church of the Seven Goddesses, it wouldn¡¯t cause any friction with the Empire. While they would have to hand over Hudel to the Evil ying Brigade, they could extract the necessary information in the meantime. For Karnak, that would be enough. ¡®After all, what I need is the information, not the person.¡¯ *** After entering the Grenthal territory, Alius spoke to the group. ¡°Well, I will head to the Saisha temple now.¡± In the western part of the Empire, the Religious Order of Saisha, the Goddess of Wind, was prevalent, so there wasn¡¯t a separate Hatoba temple. Therefore, to gather information on Hudel, they had to seek out the Saisha Religious Order. Baros asked, ¡°Are we going to be working with the Saisha Religious Order from now on?¡± Since the County of Grenthal was a thriving territory situated along the major trade route between the Lacaenia Empire and the Alliance of the Seven Kingdoms, the influence of the Saisha temple here was considerable, with many inquisitors and Darkness Hunters under itsmand. His question was whether they would be receiving cooperation from them. Alius shook his head. ¡°Officially, no.¡± On the surface, Grenthal was a clean territory with no heretics or necromancers. Therefore, most of the Saisha inquisitors and Darkness Hunters stationed in the temple were dispatched elsewhere. Even Felix, the second-tier inquisitor they had met, was originally from this ce. ¡°Because of that, we can¡¯t expect much support from those stationed at the temple right now, and¡­¡± Scratching his cheek awkwardly, Alius continued. ¡°¡­To be frank, the Hatoba Religious Order and the Saisha Religious Order don¡¯t exactly get along.¡± The Church of the Seven Goddesses is a polytheistic religion that serves seven goddesses who uphold greatws. Though each religious order may worship a different goddess, it is still technically one religion. It¡¯s like different noble factions under one king. And, just because they serve the same king doesn¡¯t mean the nobles get along. In fact, they usually don¡¯t. The Hatoba Religious Order is based in the Seven Kingdoms Alliance, while the Saisha Religious Order is based in the Lacaenia Empire. Although the Church of the Seven Goddesses transcends national borders, it¡¯s hard to bepletely free from worldly politics. As a result, rtions between the two religious orders were quite strained. ¡°Given that, it¡¯s hard to expect full cooperation. And we can¡¯t entirely trust the Saisha temple either.¡± As with the case of Shutraff, the Cult of the Dark God has a history of infiltrating even high-ranking clergy. But on the surface, Grenthal is a very clean ce. There are no heretics, no necromancers. The Saisha temple here,pared to other temples in the region, manages arge number of inquisitors and Darkness Hunters. If Hudel is indeed a heretic, how could the temple, with all its resources and abilities, fail to find any clues? ¡°There¡¯s a high chance that there¡¯s a spy within the temple. Otherwise, it would be hard for them to avoid suspicion for this long¡ªof course, assuming that Count Hudel really is a heretic.¡± Serati tilted her head. ¡°Are you saying we might be mistaken?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not doubting you. If I doubted you, I wouldn¡¯t havee this far with you, would I?¡± Alius shrugged. ¡°But humans make mistakes, don¡¯t they? If we¡¯re going to use an Imperial noble of heresy, we need to be much more cautious than usual.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± So, they wouldn¡¯t officially visit the Saisha temple. Instead, they would seek out Belton, a priest of the temple. He was an old friend of Alius¡¯ superior, Eon, the northern diocese head of the Hatoba Religious Order in Yustil, and someone Alius trustedpletely. The n was to gather information on the situation in Grenthal through him. ¡°I¡¯ll disguise myself as a regr pilgrim and meet him secretly. If we all go together, we¡¯ll be exposed, so I¡¯ll go alone.¡± After exining the situation, Alius turned to leave. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be away for a while. In the meantime, find an inn and wait for me.¡± For the record, this entire conversation took ce among the adults, excluding Laficel. It wasn¡¯t something they wanted a child to hear. From a distance, Laficel, too busy exploring the vige, waved innocently. ¡°Have a safe trip!¡± *** As befitting the county of Grenthal, a center of trade, the vige near the castle had as many inns and taverns as any other city. It seemed like the vige was on the verge of bing an independent city, just like others, by paying taxes to the lord and purchasing self-governance rights. The inn where Karnak and his group settled was one of the most inconspicuous and average among the many avable options. Even though Karnak was aplete food enthusiast, he wasn¡¯t foolish enough to search for a ce with good food in such a situation. That didn¡¯t mean he hadpletely given up on the idea of enjoying good food, though. ¡°Well, I can always buy food separatelyter.¡± ¡°Exactly. As long as there¡¯s a bed, sleep doesn¡¯t need to be fancy.¡± After using fake names to secure their rooms, they ate their meal. Laficel, exhausted from crossing the mountain range, fell asleep immediately after eating. Despite her soul being that of the future Martial King, her body was still that of a young girl. After putting her to bed, Serati headed over to Karnak and Baros¡¯ room. Upon entering, she found the two of them lightly drinking, with a bottle of local wine and a few slices of cheese on the table. Joining them, she took a sip of the wine and smiled warmly. ¡°I¡¯d heard this region¡¯s wine was famous, and it really is.¡± ¡°It¡¯s rare for you to openly enjoy food, Serati.¡± ¡°I do like alcohol.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, you do like drinking. Even if you¡¯re not a fan of sweets.¡± After finishing the remaining wine, Serati asked, ¡°So, why did you call me?¡± Karnak nced at the wall toward the next room and responded with a question. ¡°Is Laficel definitely asleep?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Still, we should be cautious just in case.¡± He gestured lightly in the air. A faint glowing pattern appeared, transforming into a magic circle, then dissolved into the air, spreading in all directions. It was a soundproof barrier. ¡°Good. Now it¡¯s just the three of us.¡± Karnak pulled something out from inside his coat. ¡°There¡¯s something I need to check while Alius is away.¡± Baros, looking at the ck cube in Karnak¡¯s hand, asked with curiosity. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°What does it look like?¡± ¡°Uh, a ck dice?¡± It had no markings on any of its sides, making it useless even for gambling. ¡°Is it an unfinished dice or something?¡± Serati tilted her head in confusion. Karnak gently shook the ck cube as he continued questioning them. ¡°Don¡¯t you sense anything from it?¡± ¡°Is it rted to necromancy, perhaps?¡± Karnak¡¯s expression stiffened slightly. ¡°¡­Why do you think that?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s ck.¡± She said it as if it were no big deal. ¡°When Lord Karnak carries something ck, it¡¯s usually rted to that field.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not saying that because you actually sense something, right?¡± ¡°No.¡± Only then did Karnak let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Phew, you gave me a scare for a moment.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°If you had sensed something, it would mean you detected something that even I couldn¡¯t.¡± Karnak ced the cube on the palm of his hand and spoke in a serious tone. ¡°This was left behind by the Candy Witch.¡± Both Baros and Serati¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t the witchpletely disappear?¡± They had all witnessed the witch burn awaypletely. Not only Karnak and Baros, but even those who had been trapped in the cage with them had seen it. But now, to think Karnak had secretly taken something in the middle of all that? Serati and Baros let out exmations of disbelief. ¡°My goodness, when did you even grab that? You¡¯ve really got some sticky fingers.¡± ¡°As expected from our young master, no one can match you when ites to sneaky side activities.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t show you this just to get nagged, you know?¡± Regardless, if the witch left this behind, it was bound to be no ordinary item. The two aura users focused their senses to detect any energy from it. But they grew even more puzzled. ¡°This was really the witch¡¯s item?¡± There was no sense of evil energy, malice, or any necromantic power that one would expect from such an object. Baros frowned in doubt. ¡°Well, Dame Serati might not notice due to her lower sensitivity, but I¡¯m quite familiar with dark energy, and I¡¯m not sensing a thing.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry for my low sensitivity,¡± Serati muttered. ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± Seeing Baros flustered, Karnak chuckled before continuing. ¡°That¡¯s why I said, if Serati could feel something I couldn¡¯t, that would be an issue too.¡± This wasn¡¯t just some ordinary item left by the witch. ¡°To be precise, it¡¯s a corpse. But at the same time, it isn¡¯t.¡± The two of them looked even more confused. Karnak started rolling the ck cube between his fingers. ¡°That¡¯s because it wasn¡¯t human to begin with.¡± Chapter 114 Chapter 114 The Candy Witch was, in many ways, fundamentally different from typical necromancers. How could her traces be so faint? How could she leave so little behind, no signs of evil energy or aura of malice? ¡°And more importantly, how could she be that powerful?¡± Karnak held up a ck cube. ¡°This is the answer.¡± Serati thought the witch might have been a case simr to Laficel. A future powerful being whose soul returned and entered the body of an old woman. ¡°When you look at the way she fought, it doesn¡¯t add up.¡± In Laficel¡¯s case, she was able to disy such grandeur because she wielded the power she possessed with extraordinary skill. She was a master at maximizing minimal force to its utmost potential. But the Candy Witch wasn¡¯t like that. ¡°Necromancy itself is simple. It¡¯s just a basic method of amplifying physical abilities using necromantic power.¡± It¡¯s just that the total amount of necromantic power was unimaginably vast. ¡°If youpare it to me now¡­ it¡¯s about a thousand times more.¡± Both Baros and Serati were shocked and asked again. ¡°A thousand times?¡± ¡°Then how did we win?¡± Karnak answered casually as if it was nothing special. ¡°Because she handled necromantic power about ten thousand times worse than I do.¡± It was the exact opposite of Laficel¡¯s case. She was wildly swinging an immense power of darkness that had been absurdlypressed. ¡°That¡¯s why there was almost no trace of evil energy or aura of malice left behind.¡± Because the necromantic power was so highlypressed, very little of it leaked out. But that also meant she couldn¡¯t fully utilize her necromancy. That¡¯s why the witch had no choice but to resort to such bizarre hand-to-handbat. ¡°But since thepressed darkness was so massive, everyone else was simply overwhelmed by it.¡± ¡°Can necromantic power really bepressed that much?¡± Suddenly,Baros raised his hand. ¡°I remember, young master, you once said that was impossible.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. For a necromancer, it is impossible. Even if it were possible, it would be useless.¡± Normally, necromancy is not about concentrating power. ¡°You know how, in stories, when a Demon King exerts his power, there are earthquakes, storms, and lightning? That¡¯s because the power is so unfocused that it leaks everywhere.¡± Magic focuses on concentration, while necromancy emphasizes dispersion. Magic gathers vast amounts of energy into a single point to create immediate changes. That¡¯s why magic has an image of intense concentration. On the other hand, necromancy spreads its power wide, subtly infiltrating and overtaking. umtion and dispersion are more critical than concentration in necromancy. ¡°But this is fascinating. She managed topress necromantic power to an extreme degree. I have no idea how she did it.¡± ¡°Not even you, young master?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then it must be another cult technique. Either aura , magic (??), or divine power.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the most likely, but nothing stands out.¡± No aura, no magic, and no divine power can be detected. In fact, you can¡¯t even feel the necromantic power. If Karnak hadn¡¯t known it was left behind by the witch, he would have thought it was just an ordinary dice. Serati, who had been hearing the conversation between Karnak and Baros, cautiously asked. ¡°So, the dice was inside the witch¡¯s body, right?¡± ¡°Huh? No.¡± Karnak shook his head. ¡°This is the witch.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I told you before, she wasn¡¯t human.¡± People had assumed that an ordinary old woman had absorbed the Darkness of Doom and be the Candy Witch. Lately, that¡¯s how things have been happening. But if it had been a case of darkness being absorbed into a human body, no matter how high the necromantic power was, her physical abilities wouldn¡¯t have been so enhanced. The human body couldn¡¯t withstand that. ¡°The truth is, the witch was the Darkness of Doom itself,pressed to an extreme degree.¡± She wasn¡¯t a necromancer, but rather the result of necromancy. Like Karnak¡¯s evil spirits, she was a mass of darkness that followed pre-setmands. This part, Karnak was quite certain about. ¡°I could tell from the Candy House.¡± The witch¡¯s necromantic power was sopressed that none of it leaked out. So, how did the candy house, that hellish fairy tale image,e to be? The answer is simple: ¡°The witch didn¡¯t create it.¡± The witch, too, was a part of the fairy tale. That¡¯s why she had such an unrealistic appearance, like an old woman from a story, and her dialogue was equally bizarre. ¡°I think someone projected the collective unconscious of children onto the Darkness of Doom. There¡¯s necromancy like that, although it¡¯s not really my style.¡± The witch hadn¡¯t conjured up the fairy tale image. Someone else had conjured the fairy tale image around the witch. And what this meant was¡­ ¡°There¡¯s information about the person who did all this inside this cube.¡± *** Serati quietly nodded. She felt like she had a rough understanding of the situation. ¡°But why did you call us here?¡± Suddenly, Karnak sighed and held out the ck cube. ¡°I want to extract the information from this.¡± It wasn¡¯t just the information. Since it contained such a massive amount of necromantic power, absorbing it would also grant great power. ¡°To do that, I need to dismantle it slowly and absorb it.¡± However, this ck cube was an extremelypressed mass of necromantic power. It was sopressed that no evil energy or aura of malice was leaking out. Karnak continued, almost as if he wereining. ¡°It¡¯s too solid. No matter how much I try to melt it, it doesn¡¯t react at all.¡± It was like trying to scratch a diamond with a fingernail. Naturally, there wasn¡¯t even a specking off. ¡°The only thing that worked, even just a little, was chaos power. I couldn¡¯t extract any information, but at least it made a tiny scratch.¡± It seemed that an energy different from necromantic power worked better. That¡¯s why he was asking Baros to give it a try with aura. ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Baros took the cube and wrapped his right hand in a red aura. He channeled the aura and attempted various things. Watching him, Serati asked. ¡°Since you have Sir Baros, why did you call for me?¡± ¡°Baros isn¡¯t my subject anymore. I thought maybe I could control it indirectly through a subject¡¯s soul.¡± Karnak then also tried channeling necromantic power into the cube again through Serati¡¯s soul. But the result was still disappointing. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s no use.¡± ¡°Same here, young master.¡± ¡°Do we need to find another method?¡± ¡°How did the one who created that witch even use this? You can¡¯t even use it, young master.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that exactly what we¡¯re trying to figure out right now?¡± Clicking his tongue, Karnak returned the cube to his pocket. ¡°I¡¯ll store it safely for now.¡± It looked like he was simply putting it in his clothes, but that wasn¡¯t the case. A small space opened between his garments, and he stored the cube inside that space. Seeing this, Serati asked a question. ¡°Oh my, what was that?¡± ¡°Huh? It¡¯s an illusory space.¡± ¡°Is it like a mage¡¯s subspace pouch?¡± ¡°Simr. But it¡¯s more like a necromancer¡¯s subspace pouch.¡± ¡°My goodness! Isn¡¯t that a 9th-circle spell?¡± In shock, she widened her eyes. A subspace pouch is a magical space that can store several items with the volume of roughly a cow. Time doesn¡¯t pass within the subspace, and the weight of the items disappears as well, making it incredibly useful in many ways. With a bitter smile, Karnak responded. ¡°The illusory space is much easier to use. Its storage capacity is also farrger.¡± Compared to the subspace pouch, which is a 9th-circle ultimate spell, the illusory space doesn¡¯t require such a high level of necromancy. In terms of difficulty, it¡¯s roughly equivalent to a 6th-circle spell in magic. Even so, it can hold dozens of times more items than the subspace pouch. Feeling frustrated, Serati raised her voice. ¡°With such a convenient magic, why did you make me carry everything?¡± As she spoke, something felt odd. ¡®Wait a minute, weren¡¯t these guys carrying stuff too?¡¯ Besides, it wasn¡¯t like Karnak to hold back from showing off. ¡°Well, there¡¯s a serious drawback to the illusory space.¡± The two of them sighed. ¡°If you store food in it, it all rots.¡± ¡°Not just food. Even clothes get tainted with evil energy and an aura of malice.¡± ¡°And if you put a living creature in there, ites out as a corpse.¡± ¡°So, I¡¯ve only used it to carry catalysts and reagents rted to necromancy.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you mostly store corpses in there before, young master? And a heap of skeletons too.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t live the way I used to, so I purposely didn¡¯t bring any of that along.¡± In other words, you can¡¯t really put any normal items in it. Disappointed, Serati remarked. ¡°It¡¯s surprisingly useless.¡± ¡°Exactly. It was pretty handy back when I was a necromancer, though.¡± After closing the illusory space, Karnak picked up his wine ss again. ¡°Well, until Alius gets back, let¡¯s finish our drinks.¡± This, too, couldn¡¯t be stored in the illusory space. ¡°Since carrying it would be a hassle, we¡¯d better just drink it now.¡± *** It waste at night when Alius returned to the inn. ¡°I¡¯ve gotten a general understanding of the situation here through Priest Belton.¡± First of all, their target, Count Hudel, was currently absent from his territory. Karnak and Baros frowned. ¡°He left the territory?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t this supposed to be the period when he stays here?¡± Like most nobles, Hudel alternated between spending time in the imperial capital, Thea Crahan, and his own estate. However, there was something different about Hudelpared to other nobles¡ªhe traveled between the two ces far too frequently. Typically, nobles spend spring and summer in the capital, return to their estates during the autumn harvest season, celebrate the New Year there, and then head back to Thea Crahan once spring arrives. Hudel, on the other hand, made the trip back and forth almost every two months. Because of this unusually short interval, Karnak¡¯s group had timed their journey to coincide with his return to the estate. ¡°But if he¡¯s left the territory, then our schedule is messed up, right?¡± ¡°Not exactly. It seems he¡¯s just dyed by about half a month.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s a relief.¡± In any case, Count Hudel Grenthal had no formal usations of being part of a cult. ¡°But it seems Priest Belton has been suspicious for quite some time now.¡± The Grenthal estate itself appeared spotless. Having lost his parents and family to necromancers, Hudel governed his territory with great vignce, ensuring that no sinister figures could set foot in Grenthal County. ¡°That¡¯s not particrly surprising. It¡¯s just proof that Count Hudel ispetent.¡± However, in the neighboring Baron Ralcade¡¯s territory, Kt City, and Aolin¡¯s territory, cultists had been far more active than in other regions of the empire. The problem was that these cultists were incredibly elusive. Even when they were tracked down, they always severed ties and disappeared, with their leaders vanishing without a trace. No one could figure out where they were hiding. ¡°Priest Belton believes that the Grenthal estate is the most likely ce they¡¯re hiding.¡± Baron Ralcade¡¯s territory lies to the east of Grenthal, Aolin¡¯s territory to the south, and Kt City is situated at the center of the three. In other words, the Grenthal estate was perfectly positioned for cultists, whose identities had beenpromised, to escape to. If everything around you is a sea of blood, yet one ce remains peaceful, what does that imply? ¡°He¡¯s definitely the culprit.¡± However, it seemed they couldn¡¯t do anything just yet, as evidence either vanished naturally or was impossible to find. ¡°Not just Priest Belton, but other priests also suspect that Count Hudel has spies within the Saisha Temple.¡± Now that they had gathered this information, it was time to cross-check it. Alius spoke. ¡°Starting tomorrow, we¡¯ll begin investigating the vige. If there are any cultists here, they must have left some traces behind. That¡¯s where we¡¯ll start.¡± Chapter 115 Chapter 115 The next day, Karnak¡¯s group wandered around the vige. They pretended to be ordinary passersby, eavesdropping on people¡¯s conversations or acting as if they were shopping while subtly inquiring about the atmosphere of the town. At the same time, they checked for any traces of darkness. Once again, Laficel waited quietly at the inn. It was a cold winter day, with her breath visibly escaping in puffs of white mist. ¡°Hiya!¡± A gray-haired girl swung a wooden sword in the inn¡¯s backyard. -If you want to get stronger, you have to train diligently and consistently every day. -Yes, Serati unnie! Though it was just basic horizontal, vertical, and diagonal shes, her posture was remarkably clean and precise. A few passing merchants, noticing her, admired how well she had mastered the fundamentals for someone her age. ¡°Wow, the young girl¡¯s got some skill.¡± ¡°She¡¯ll be quite a strong swordswoman when she grows up.¡± In truth, the merchants simplycked the sharp eye to recognize it, but she was already at a level where she could overpower most adult warriors. As long as you eat well, sleep well, and move diligently, anyone can grow strong unless they are exceptionally weak. And she was a natural genius, so how much more so for her? The frail figure from when they first met was nowhere to be seen now. She had gained a healthy amount of weight, giving her a cute appearance while her body had be sleek and toned. If Serati was a mature lioness, she was like a young, growing leopard cub. ¡°Hup! Hiya! Taaah!¡± She was in the middle of her diligent sword practice when suddenly, Laficel puffed out her cheeks. ¡°Tch¡­¡± While she appreciated her dedication and desire to be stronger, a sense of dissatisfaction was beginning to grow. It was amon frustration for any young person. ¡®Why does Lord Karnak keep leaving me out? I could be of help too!¡¯ *** That evening, Karnak was sharing the information they had gathered with Baros and Serati. Alius had gone to meet with the priest Belton again to gather additional information, so only the three of them were in the room. In the midst of their discussion, someone knocked on the door. Knock, knock, knock. Karnak quickly dispelled the soundproof barrier before asking, ¡°Who is it?¡± A cute voice replied, ¡°It¡¯s Laficel.¡± The three exchanged puzzled nces. [What could Laficel want?] [No idea.] [Well, she¡¯s here, so we should let her in.] Laficel entered the room, ncing around nervously before speaking cautiously. ¡°¡­Excuse me, Lord Karnak.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°When you¡¯re out scouting for the cultists, could you take me with you?¡± Serati, startled, asked, ¡°How do you know about that?¡± Karnak¡¯s group had never told Laficel what they were doing in the Grenthal territory. They had just told her that the adults had important tasks, so she should wait patiently. ¡°I overheard Priest Alius discussing it with someone not too long ago.¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t something you could¡¯ve heard.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Still looking nervous, Laficel answered, ¡°So I strained to hear it.¡± ¡°What?¡± For a moment, Serati wore a nk expression. How does straining your ears make you hear better? ¡°Isn¡¯t that how it works?¡± Laficel asked in confusion. ¡°When you strain your arms, they get stronger, and when you strain your legs, they get stronger too, right?¡± she continued, speaking as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. ¡°So, if you strain your eyes, your vision improves, and if you strain your ears, your hearing improves. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± It was only then that Baros and Serati realized what Laficel was talking about. [Technically, she¡¯s not wrong.] [True¡­] Aura users can enhance their physical abilities through aura¡ªnot just strength, endurance, or reflexes, but also senses like vision, hearing, and even smell can be heightened if aura is applied properly. It wasn¡¯t far-fetched since Serati herself could do the same thing. ¡®Now that I think about it, didn¡¯t Laficel say ¡°have a safe trip¡± when Mr. Alius left?¡¯ That was something she couldn¡¯t have said without knowing the purpose of Alius¡¯ visit. At that time, Laficel must have enhanced her hearing to listen to a conversation from far away. And this means¡­ [Is Laficel using aura?] No matter if her soul is that of a future Martial King, how could she use aura without actually having any? [It sounds absurd, doesn¡¯t it?] But Baros gave a wry smile. [Actually, now that I think about it, it makes sense.] Everyone had been mistaken, thinking that Laficel would awaken her aura soon after some training. But that wasn¡¯t the case. [She¡¯s already awakened, hasn¡¯t she?] She just didn¡¯t have any stored aura yet, so it hadn¡¯t been noticeable until now. [However, since aura is tied to life force, any living being must have at least a small amount of aura.] Aura builds up over time, and once it umtes enough, it bursts out like an explosion, making it possible to control. This is what aura users refer to as an ¡°awakening.¡± When someone bes highly skilled at controlling their aura over a long time, they can even manipte the most subtle forms of life force, entering the domain of a master. Laficel¡¯s soul had already been shaped into that of a martial artist decades ago. In terms of instinct and perception, she had long since surpassed the realm of a master. Her body simply wasn¡¯t trained enough, meaning she had too little aura to draw from. And because she had lost her memories, she could only use it subconsciously. [I may have just figured out how to control my own aura, but Laficel is in a different situation entirely.] [So that¡¯s why Lord Karnak always sets up the soundproof barrier when talking in secret around her.] Serati was starting to fully realize just how monstrous the girl standing before them was. Seeing everyone¡¯s serious expressions, Laficel started to get scared. ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡± ¡°No, you did well. But don¡¯t talk about this in front of others, okay?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Serati hesitated for a moment. Laficel was an extraordinary existence who surpassedmon sense, so drawing attention from others could be dangerous. But how could she exin this naturally? ¡°Have you heard of secret sword techniques passed down within families, Laficel?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s simr to that. A martial artist¡¯s skills shouldn¡¯t be carelessly revealed to others.¡± ¡°Oh, I see!¡± This wasmon knowledge, so Laficel epted it without any trouble. Karnak, observing, couldn¡¯t help but be impressed. [Oh! Serati¡¯s getting better at lying!] [I wasn¡¯t trying to get better at this!] Serati retorted, ring at him. [So, what are you going to do now?] After a moment of thought, Karnak¡¯s eyes gleamed. [It might not be a bad idea to bring her along.] In the future, Laficel was a hero of humanity, fighting against the Death King. This meant she had more experience facing necromancy than anyone else. Of course, she now only retained a fraction of that ability¡­ [Even with just that, her instincts are probably sharper than most clerics or necromancers.] Karnak nodded in agreement. ¡°Laficel, from tomorrow onward, you¡¯lle with us.¡± Laficel smiled joyfully. ¡°Yes, Lord Karnak!¡± *** From the second day onward, Laficel joined the group in their vige investigations. Arge group walking around together tends to attract attention, so today, Alius and Baros formed one team, while Karnak, Serati, and Laficel formed another. Unfortunately, despite Laficel¡¯s presence, they didn¡¯t uncover any signs of evil energy or aura of malice that they had missed the previous day. Life doesn¡¯t work that conveniently, after all. However, they did find unexpected help in an area they hadn¡¯t considered. ¡°What a cute young girl. Is she your sister?¡± Bringing a child along significantly lowered the merchants¡¯ wariness. Even when asking various questions about the world, people didn¡¯t seem suspicious. Thanks to that, they were able to gather a wide range of information. During their investigations, they also came across fascinating items that were rarely seen in the Seven Kingdoms. ¡°Oh my!¡± They were pretending to browse items in a general store when Serati¡¯s eyes sparkled as she held up a sword. ¡°Is this really a Dwarven sword?¡± The shopkeeper, with pride in his voice, responded, ¡°We also have clothes made from Elven fabric. All of these are rare items brought from the East.¡± Karnak peeked over. ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? Is it that amazing?¡± ¡°Of course! Elven fabric and a Dwarven longsword¡­¡± She knew that the fairy races, like the Elves and Dwarves, lived in the far east of the continent. But she had never seen them. The immense presence of the Lakenia Empire blocked most interactions, so it was extremely rare for anything from those races to reach the Seven Kingdoms Alliance. asionally, items like Elven-made clothes, jewels, or Dwarven swords would cross the Barakant Mountain Range, but these were so rare that only high-ranking nobles could afford them as luxury goods. Serati came from Derat City, a provincial town in the Kingdom of Yustil. She had never seen a fairy race or even an item made by them. ¡°Should I buy one¡­?¡± Karnak stopped her. [Forget it.] [Why?] [Because it¡¯s fake.] [How do you know?] [I can tell just by looking. Even the cheapest Dwarven sword would cost at least 10 times more than this.] His words came from someone who had traveled across the continent and even conquered parts of it. He was highly trustworthy. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Disappointed, Serati put the sword back. Karnak nced at some adventurer¡¯s travel gear and cloaks nearby and muttered absentmindedly, ¡°At least the underwear¡¯s actually made from Elven fabric.¡± ¡°Oh, is this one real?¡± ¡°The only ones who can work with Moonlight Silk are the Elves.¡± Underwear made from Moonlight Silk was infamous for its absurd price,parable to high-grade armor. However, Serati¡¯s finances were in pretty good shape now. With the sry from Karnak and the ie from the King¡¯s Order, she had plenty to spare. ¡°I¡¯m buying it!¡± She smiled brightly and headed to the clothing corner. Karnak, who was watching from the side, asked calmly. ¡°Is it really worth spending that much on underwear? It¡¯s something you wear under your clothes.¡± ¡°Typical men¡­¡± Serati clicked her tongue. But she didn¡¯t bother trying to convince him. It was obvious he wouldn¡¯t understand. ¡°And we need to get something for Laficel too.¡± Laficel¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement, showing her agreement. ¡°Thank you, Serati unnie!¡± With that, the two women eagerly began picking out underwear, their eyes alight with enthusiasm. Karnak finally seemed to grasp the situation, nodding to himself. [Ah, Serati really knows how to live well. She¡¯s probably showering Laficel with favors now so that when her memories return, she¡¯ll be less likely to turn on us, right?] [¡­That¡¯s not it!] Serati responded internally, annoyed. *** That evening, as they shared the information they had gathered, Alius let out a sigh. ¡°We¡¯ll have to keep investigating, but so far, we haven¡¯t found anything suspicious.¡± Since Hudel had be the lord, the Grenthal territory had been consistently peaceful. There had been no sightings of cultists or necromancers, no mysterious disappearances, no unexined deaths, not even outbreaks of gues or attacks by monsters. It was just an ordinary, bloodless, deathless territory. The fact that it was so peaceful, especiallypared to the surroundingnds, was suspicious, but it could also be seen as evidence of Hudel¡¯spetence as a lord. ¡°Indeed, if there were anything odd, Priest Belton would¡¯ve mentioned it.¡± Karnak nodded in agreement at Alius¡¯s exnation. ¡°We found the same thing.¡± Thanks to bringing Laficel along, they had been able to gather more detailed information from the merchants andmon folk. But the contents were simr to what Alius had reported. Everyone only expressed their gratitude to Count Hudel for ruling thend so peacefully. ¡°Which is exactly why I found something suspicious.¡± Though he had gathered the same information, Karnak had drawn a different conclusion. ¡°This territory is too peaceful.¡± Chapter 116 Chapter 116 Gant Mountain, one of the branches of the Barakant Mountain Range, was located west of the Grenthal territory. Due to the rugged terrain and the frequent appearances of monsters, it was a ce rarely visited by humans outside the established trade routes. Even brave hunters and the tough lumberjacks who led harsh lives dared not venture this far. Amid this treacherous mountain, five men and women were walking. There was a ck-haired young man wearing a mage¡¯s robe, a priest in his twenties dressed in priest robes, a man and woman in heavy armor, and even a young girl with ash-colored hair, lightly armored and with a longsword strapped to her waist. This was the well-armed group led by Karnak. This time, Laficel was with them too. As they walked, Alius whispered to Serati. ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± This mission wasn¡¯t a simple journey. They were chasing an imperial noble suspected of being a cultist, making it a dangerous task with unpredictable situations. Until now, they had always kept Laficel away frombat situations. But for some reason, this time, Karnak had allowed her to apany them. ¡°Isn¡¯t this too dangerous for someone so young¡­?¡± Serati responded calmly. ¡°Laficel is my disciple. A warrior cannot remain in safe ces forever.¡± Alius still looked concerned. ¡°I understand that, but¡­¡± The way a mentor trains their disciple is their domain, and it¡¯s considered a great insult for an outsider to interfere. Moreover, it wasmon for knights to take their squires along on their duties. So, strictly speaking, there was no issue. Yes, no issue at all, but¡­ ¡®Didn¡¯t she say it¡¯s been less than two months since she took her as a disciple? How much swordsmanship could she possibly have learned in that time?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just Laficel that he was worried about. What if they were hindered because of her, putting the rest of the group in danger? Serati¡¯s response to this was firm. ¡°Both life and death are hers to bear, and as her teacher, it is my responsibility. There¡¯s no need for you to worry, Mr. Alius.¡± ¡°¡­Understood.¡± If this had been Alius¡¯s mission, he never would have allowed it. But this was led by Karnak. Although publicly, it was said that they were Alius¡¯s coborators, in truth, Alius was cooperating with a mission from the King¡¯s Order. Since Karnak had permitted Laficel¡¯s participation, he had no choice but to trust his judgment. ¡®Yes, Dame Serati isn¡¯t someone who would act so irresponsibly.¡¯ Convinced, Alius returned his focus to the mountainousndscape ahead. It was a vast terrain of steep valleys, covered with beautiful forests. The view was stunning. ¡°So then¡­¡± He turned around and confirmed once more. ¡°You¡¯re saying it¡¯s highly likely that the cultists are hiding somewhere around here, right?¡± *** As Karnak observed Grenthal County, there was one thing that struck him as strange. ¡°It¡¯s far too peaceful.¡± At first nce, there seemed to be no problems. A peaceful territory was a good thing, after all. However, even with a little thought, something about it felt off. ¡°Why is it so peaceful?¡± In Karnak¡¯s territory, Jestarad Barony, which bordered the Wild North, monsters frequently invaded from the Zeden Mountains. During the reign of the previous lord, the citizens constantly suffered from monster attacks. It wasn¡¯t until a copper mine was discovered, making the barony wealthy, that the situation improved. With better equipment for knights and soldiers, hunting monsters became rtively easier, and the citizens could live in peace. The situation in Grenthal County was simr. Located near Gant Mountain, a branch of the Barakant Mountain Range, it too had suffered frequent monster attacks in the past. The attacks stopped after Count Hudel became lord. It was said that Hudel managed the territory with remarkable skill, bringing peace to the people. ¡°This is rather strange.¡± There hadn¡¯t been any reports of people going missing? That could be possible, if the lord was managing the territory well. No mysterious deaths? That, too, made sense, as it was a matter of maintaining order. But what about the monsters? Every citizen said the same thing¡ªthat since Hudel became lord, Grenthal County had not been attacked by monsters. ¡°How does one govern a territory so that monsters don¡¯t attack? Did this capable lord engage in diplomacy with the monsters?¡± If they had simply prepared well and repelled the invading monsters, that would indeed be a testament to his skill. But to prevent monsters from attacking altogether? That wasn¡¯t a matter that could be solved withpetence alone. ¡°And one of the specialties of necromancers is controlling monsters.¡± Of course, this was all just baseless spection for now. There wasn¡¯t enough to use Hudel of coborating with cultists yet. ¡°But it¡¯s worth investigating.¡± If the suspicion turned out to be wrong, they¡¯d only waste a few days. There would be no real loss. But if there truly were cultists hiding here¡­ ¡°They might have some rather useful information to share.¡± *** After another half-day of travel, the group had ventured deep into Gant Mountain. As they looked around the dense forest, Alius muttered, ¡°We need to find where the monsters are nesting.¡± They would locate the nest, exterminate the monsters, and then look for any traces of necromancy. If a necromancer was involved, there would surely be some sign left behind. Karnak voiced his disagreement with Alius¡¯s n. ¡°Won¡¯t that take too long?¡± The forest was so rugged that finding the nest wouldn¡¯t be easy. There were spells, like the Observer spell that allowed the summoning of a reconnaissance orb, but even that would be ineffective. Viewing from the sky wouldn¡¯t help since monsters didn¡¯t build obvious structures, making it hard to distinguish their habitat from the surrounding environment until they got up close. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of luring the monsters to us instead.¡± One way to hunt monsters was to disguise themselves as unarmed travelers or woodcutters to draw them in. Alius shook his head. ¡°That would take just as long.¡± Monsters didn¡¯t immediately appear just because a human entered their territory. If that were the case, monster hunting would be much easier. When arge group of humans, like an army, entered their territory, the monsters hid quietly. However, they didn¡¯t always underestimate smaller groups. When humans entered their territory, monsters typically observed them first. Only when they were sure they could win would they strike. People often assumed monsters acted like berserkers, attacking recklessly. But in reality, they were much more cautious, simr to wild animals. More urately, the reckless ones were dead, leaving only the cautious monsters alive. ¡°If we wait for them to attack, it could take three or four days.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be the case,¡± Karnak said with a sly smile. ¡°We have excellent bait.¡± *** ording to the teachings of the Church of the Seven Goddesses, this world was created under the breath of the seven goddesses, and three special races were given the authority to rule over it. These races were the dragons, humans, and fairies. However, the forces of darkness invaded this world, and their wicked power tainted the goddesses¡¯ beautiful creation, giving birth to foul beings. These creatures became known as monsters. In a shadowy forest deep in a mountain valley. There were several huts, blending seamlessly with the natural surroundings. They were far too eco-friendly in design to be called houses. These huts were the nest of a group of Stone Orcs, which resided in Gant Mountain. Monsters, the servants of darkness, could be ssified into three major types: humanoid, beast, and formless. The Stone Orcs were categorized as humanoid monsters. Though shorter than humans, their bodies were bulkier. There¡¯s a saying that humans are like hairless monkeys, but orcs truly resembled apes stripped of their fur in appearance. From across the forest, an orc came running toward the nest, shouting a warning. ¡°Kaaaak!¡± Roughly tranted, it meant, ¡®Humans have appeared!¡¯ Arge orc with gray, cracked skin roared back. ¡°Kraaa!¡± That roughly tranted to, ¡®Quiet down! Report calmly!¡¯ After snapping at the other orc, the chieftain of Stone Orcs pondered for a moment. Human belongings were highly useful, which is why the Stone Orcs frequently raided human settlements. However, recently, they had been unable to do so. The ¡®terrifying one¡¯ had not permitted it. But now, humans had appeared in the mountains? Could they raid these humans? It seemed like it might be allowed. The ¡®terrifying one¡¯ had only forbidden raids on human settlements. There hadn¡¯t been any orders not to catch humans who entered the mountains. Still, it was dangerous to lower their guard. Among humans, sometimes there were those terrifying individuals who could wipe out dozens of orcs by themselves. The ones with the shiny swords, the ones who shot fire from their hands, and the ones who muttered things to the sky and brought down lightning. That¡¯s why, when humans entered their territory, careful handling was required. The orc chieftain shouted. ¡°Kraaa!¡± It was a question¡ªwhat kind of humans had appeared? The orc who brought the news yelled back. ¡°Kaaaak!¡± It¡¯s just a small girl. But she was decked out in a lot of high-quality human gear. The Stone Orcs¡¯ eyes gleamed. A young human was easy prey. A young human girl was even easier. And human clothes, armor, and swords¡ªevery orc wanted them. It had been a long time since luck had smiled upon them. ¡°Kaka!¡± ¡°Kraaa!¡± The orcs moved all at once. Even though their opponent was just a single young human girl, they charged in a mass. It wasn¡¯t out of fear of the girl, but to ensure ownership of the spoils. ¡°Kaa!¡± One of the Stone Orcs shouted, meaning, ¡®Whoever strikes first gets the prize!¡¯ But the chieftain¡¯s roar quickly drowned it out. ¡°Kraaaah!¡± Which roughly meant, ¡®Anyone who strikes before me dies!¡¯ *** Deep within the thick forests of Gant Mountain. A young girl walked between the bare winter trees. She was equipped with a rather impressive-looking longsword at her waist and wore a stylish set of light armor. Hidden behind rocks, the Stone Orcs observed the girl. They soon rxed. They needed to be cautious with fully grown humans. Adult men or women could sometimes be so strong that they could wipe out an entire orc group on their own. That¡¯s why, even if a human appeared unarmed or was just a woodcutter with an axe, the orcs had to be careful. But this human girl was no bigger than a goblin, still not fully grown. A human that young couldn¡¯t possibly be strong, no matter how good her sword or armor was. The orcs charged out at once. ¡°Kraaaaah!¡± Dozens of orcs rushed at the young girl, surrounding her in an instant. There were no threats or introductions. When a bandit threatens, it¡¯s to avoid unnecessary conflict and achieve their goal. But monsters, whose ultimate pleasure was spilling human blood, had no reason to avoid a fight. The chieftain, at the front of the charge, raised his club and roared. ¡°Kakakaka!¡± Which roughly tranted to, ¡®This one¡¯s mine!¡¯ And that was his final word. sh! A gleam of light, and the orc¡¯s head spun in the air, rotating three times. A spray of blood formed a pretty spiral in the sky before falling to the ground with a stter. The charging orcs froze in their tracks. ¡°Kek?¡± ¡°Kaa?¡± It was a scene that made no sense to them. A Stone Orc¡¯s neck bones were much tougher than a human¡¯s. They weren¡¯t something that could be cut through so easily. Moreover, the chieftain was at least two heads taller than the human girl. No matter how much she swung her sword, she shouldn¡¯t have even been able to reach him. Yet, as she drew her sword, she leaped into the air, meeting the orc¡¯s eye level, and with a lightning-fast strike, decapitated the chieftain! ¡°Kakaka!¡± ¡°Kraaa!¡± The orcs panicked, retreating in confusion. Roughly tranted to cries like, ¡®Young human girls are supposed to be weak!¡¯ and ¡®Why is this one so strong?¡¯ The ash-haired girl elegantly swung her sword to flick off the blood and shouted. ¡°Lord Karnak! They took the bait!¡± Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Dozens of ice pirs formed in midair and came crashing down to the ground. Boom! Boom! Boom boom boom! Arge ice barrier broadly surrounded the Stone Orcs. A group of humans walked out from between the pirs. A ck-haired young man holding a wand sneered as he looked at the orcs. ¡°Wow, didn¡¯t expect them to take the bait this quickly.¡± A blonde knight d in heavy armor shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Right? I thought we¡¯d have to cast the bait and wait for at least an hour.¡± From the opposite side, a red-haired beauty and a young priest also revealed themselves. ¡°Well done, Laficel.¡± Laficel blushed shyly at Serati¡¯s praise. Alius admired as he looked at the headless orc chieftain. ¡°I thought it was too dangerous no matter what, but I guess I was wrong.¡± This was why Karnak had insisted on bringing Laficel along. The tactic of deliberately disguising a powerful warrior as weak and luring monsters was already widely known. Monsters wouldn¡¯t drop their guard if the opponent seemed like an adult. But if it was a child, they would charge in without hesitation. It was a guaranteed way to save time. The problem, of course, was that the child used as bait would be put in extreme danger, but Serati was clearly not an irresponsible teacher. ¡°Now I understand why you brought that child. She has got quite some skill.¡± To be honest, her skill was almost too impressive. ¡°I never thought she would reach that level in such a short time.¡± No matter how you looked at it, this was not the movement of a child who had only trained in martial arts for a couple of months. Even if they¡¯d received the best education in a noble household from the age of five or six, it was questionable whether they could reach this level. Serati also responded naturally, as she had expected to be suspected. ¡°The kid¡¯s naturally talented. When you¡¯ve got the talent, you grow quickly, don¡¯t you?¡± In hindsight, it made sense. Karnak, who had been a 4th Circle mage when theyst parted ways, was now a 6th Circle mage, and Baros had also be a full-fledged aura user. And yet, it didn¡¯t feel strange. Somehow, with them, it seemed like that level of progress was only natural. ¡®Well, I guess having a good teacher makes that possible.¡¯ Alius himself had learned holy spells in just a few days, so he epted it without much thought. It was the frustratingmon understanding that only geniuses share. At any rate, now all that was left was to deal with the orcs and check for any signs of the cultists. Karnak¡¯s group had blocked all sides of the orcs. The surrounded orcs began growling, raising their stone axes and clubs. ¡°Graaaah!¡± ¡°Kyaaak!¡± One particrlyrge Stone Orc stepped forward. He was the second-inmand of the group. With the chieftain dead, he was now the leader. The new chieftain raised his massive stone axe high above his head and let out a grand roar. ¡°Roooaaar!¡± ¡®I¡¯m the chieftain now! Follow me!¡¯ was what it meant. And then, his head flew off. Boom! Shattered skull fragments scattered through the air. In just three seconds of bing the new chieftain, he had to surrender his spot to the third-inmand. Pointing his finger, Karnak muttered indifferently. ¡°Climbing this mountain made me hungry. Let¡¯s finish this quickly and get lunch.¡± *** Red hair fluttered in the wind. Like a crane extending its body straight and swiftly diving like a swallow, Serati charged into the midst of the orcs. ¡°Hyaah!¡± Her red aura sword left a trail of light. It was the light of division, slicing through everything it touched. Orc blood spurted out in session. ¡°Guh!¡± ¡°Graaagh!¡± Laficel¡¯s eyes sparkled at the awe-inspiring sight of Serati cutting down Stone Orcs one after another. It was a remarkably splendid and beautiful sword technique. ¡®Wow, Serati unnie is so cool!¡¯ In contrast, Baros¡¯ swordsmanship was in. He took a single, steady step forward and thrust his sword with simplicity. His body¡¯s center remained as solid as a mountain, never wavering. His arms flowed like a storm over the mountain peaks, wielding his sword with calm precision¡ªstriking, blocking, and shing. Laficel looked at both and pondered. ¡®Oh no, I think oppa¡¯s swordsmanship is better than unnie¡¯s.¡¯ Serati¡¯s swordsmanship was undeniably impressive. But Baros¡¯ technique was excellent. ¡®I want to imitate oppa¡¯s style¡­¡¯ However, she was Serati¡¯s disciple. Wouldn¡¯t it be disrespectful to copy Baros? ¡®What should I do?¡¯ After a brief moment of hesitation, Laficel found apromise. ¡®It wouldn¡¯t be disrespectful if I imitated both, right?¡¯ Gripping her sword firmly, she stepped forward. An orc charged at her, targeting her. ¡°Hiyah!¡± With a cute shout, she used the sticity of her whole body to propel herself. Twisting in midair, she unleashed a series of shes. Her flowery, dazzling swordsmanship struck the orc¡¯s vital points with precision. ¡°Guh-huh!¡± After instantly severing the orc¡¯s breath, Laficelnded steadily without faltering. It was thanks to maintaining her body¡¯s center as firmly as a mountain. She had merged Baros¡¯ steady swordsmanship with Serati¡¯s shy techniques, creating a sword style of her own. ¡®Sess!¡¯ With great teachers, she had learned excellent techniques. Feeling grateful, Laficel once againunched herself into the fight. Orcs¡¯ screams began to echo around her. Serati¡¯s eyes widened as she watched the scene. ¡®I never taught her that!¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a matter of what she had or hadn¡¯t taught. This was swordsmanship of a higher level that Serati hadn¡¯t even touched. ¡®Unbelievable¡­¡¯ From stillness to movement, from movement to stillness. Standing firm like a mountain, flowing like a river, fluttering like a flower, then striking like lightning. ¡®That¡¯s the perfected form of Tascal Swordsmanship!¡¯ Tascal Swordsmanship was the style Serati had mastered and was currently teaching Laficel. But it couldn¡¯t be said that Laficel knew the full technique. Right now, she was only teaching her the basics, which are quite simr across different sword schools. [Has Laficel perhaps practiced Tascal Swordsmanship in a past life?] [Who knows.] Even Baros didn¡¯t keep track of every sword technique she might have learned. But even if she hadn¡¯t learned it, it wasn¡¯t all that strange. [That¡¯s just a milestone everyone passes once they¡¯ve trained in swordsmanship.] To be frank, Baros could do the same. He was just fighting with basic moves for practice right now. By top-tier standards, this was just an ordinary skill. [So, does that mean¡­] Serati¡¯s voice grew gloomy. [My ultimate move is just an ordinary sh for her?] A deep sense of discouragement overwhelmed her, and she let out a sigh. Baros chuckled andforted her. [It¡¯s normal to feel down when you cross swords with her. Even I, and other Martial Kings, have felt the same way.] Baros and the other Martial Kings were stronger, but they could never quite match that unique battle sense of hers. [Don¡¯t worry about it. Just keep learning from her. We did the same.] [¡­Really?] Hearing that even the other Martial Kings had gone through the same thing made Serati feel a bit better. Swallowing her pride, Serati focused on Laficel¡¯s movements. ¡®Ah, so that¡¯s how you do it?¡¯ Serati herself had been talented enough to awaken aura at a young age. She wasn¡¯t on par with the Martial Kings, but she had still been considered a genius in her own right. Moreover, she was still in the physical and mental stages of growth. Identifying her shorings, Serati found herself learning quite a bit. As she became aware of her weaknesses, her movements became more refined and graceful. ¡°Hyaaah!¡± Watching her, Laficel thought to herself. ¡®Unnie is demonstrating the Ascension Swordsmanship!¡¯ Surely, since she had been following her so well, her teacher was now showing her a more advanced level of swordsmanship. As expected, Serati was an excellent teacher. With a heart full of gratitude, Laficel watched and learned even more intently. ¡®Swordsmanship is something you steal from your teacher, right?¡¯ Serati had never said such a thing, and Laficel didn¡¯t know where she had picked it up from, but in any case, her movements became even more precise and delicate. She read and predicted every movement of the orcs, even understanding the flow and trajectory of their strength as she pierced them with her sword. Completely reading all of their moves, the battle began to look more like a performance than a real fight. The orcs¡¯ death cries echoed all around. ¡°Graaaaah!¡± ¡°Guh!¡± ¡°Argh!¡± And so, the two disciples diligently swung their swords while observing each other. The teacher taught the disciple, and the disciple taught the teacher. It was truly a beautiful teacher-disciple rtionship. Well, aside from the minor issue that one side had far too much to learn from the other. As Serati frantically tried to keep up with Laficel¡¯s movements, she inwardly cried out. ¡®Teacher! The pace is too fast!¡¯ *** Under the overwhelming power of the group, the Stone Orcs continued to fall. At this point, no matter how ferocious the monsters were, it was normal for them to lose their will to fight. Monsters don¡¯t have the concept of surrender, so their only remaining option was to flee. But even that wasn¡¯t possible. Karnak and Alius had them thoroughly cornered. As the orcs turned to flee, Karnak cast a spell, aiming at their retreating backs. ¡°O light of suppression, envelop my enemies, Hold Person!¡± Ropes of light formed and wrapped around the fleeing orcs¡¯ bodies. Bound and copsed, they struggled in vain before being cut down by the iing des. Hold Person doesn¡¯t specifically mean it only works on humans. The spell sent ropes of light vertically to bind the bodies, and it was mainly used on bipedal creatures, which is why it had that name. For quadrupedal creatures, there was a separate spell called Hold Beast, which cast the light horizontally. On the other side, Alius was reciting a holy prayer. ¡°Hatoba, use your authority upon the guilty and bring them to their knees.¡± Waves of sound spread across the battlefield. The fleeing orcs froze in ce. ¡°Guh!¡± ¡°Wha¡­?¡± In the end, thest orc fell. One of the orcs muttered its final curse in a faint voice. ¡°¡­Krakaak¡­¡± The dying words meant, ¡®Damn it! I knew today was going too well.¡¯ Alius drew upon his divine power as he surveyed the scattered orc corpses. ¡°Let me check now.¡± The divine radiance of the goddess slowly washed over the bodies. Most of the orcs showed no traces of darkness. However, the one whose head Laficel had cut off first, and the one whose skull Karnak had shattered, were different. ¡°Lord Karnak, you were right.¡± The orcs who had held higher ranks exuded a sinister aura. It wasn¡¯t the Darkness of Doom, but traces of refined necromancy. ¡°These monsters were under the control of a necromancer.¡± Chapter 118 Chapter 118 Pointing to the corpses of orcs filled with the aura of darkness, he offered a prayer. ¡°Hatoba, with your light, let the hidden truth be revealed.¡± The holy light enveloped the corpses and conveyed an image to Alius. It was a variety of information left behind by traces of necromancy. ¡°It¡¯s certain. These orcs were being controlled by a necromancer. And the identity of that person is¡­¡± His expression suddenly became strange. ¡°¡­a really, really scary person?¡± At the very least, it was certain that the Stone Orcs were calling him that. ¡°Whether it¡¯s the necromancer¡¯s terrible naming sense or the orcs¡¯ poor vocabry, I can¡¯t tell.¡± Baros nodded in agreement. ¡°Usually, it¡¯s thetter, but the necromancer¡¯s naming sense is as bad as the orcs¡¯ vocabry.¡± Karnak shot Baros a nce. Baros feigned ignorance as if he hadn¡¯t said anything wrong. In any case, the necromancer¡¯s title wasn¡¯t important right now. What mattered was where he was. Alius continued shining the holy light, concentrating the darkness into a single point. The condensed darkness wriggled out of the orcs¡¯ corpses like a caterpir and began to squirm. Quickly, the darkness was sealed inside a small ss bottle, and he offered another prayer. ¡°Under the guidance of the earth, the darkness is led into the light¡­¡± The darkness trapped in the bottle thrashed violently as if trying to go somewhere, constantly pushing towards one side of the bottle. ¡°The tracking spell was sessful.¡± Alius nodded in satisfaction. Wherever this slimy darkness pointed, the necromancer who had controlled the Stone Orcs would be there. That meant their next step was clear. ¡°Let¡¯s eat first.¡± No oneughed; they all took it seriously. Serati and Baros looked around. ¡°Where should we eat? Lunch?¡± ¡°There are a lot of corpses, so let¡¯s move for now.¡± It wasn¡¯t a joke. Timing your meals correctly was one of the most important things in the field. What would happen if you suddenly needed to relieve yourself just before a battle? They moved to a suitable spot, sat down, and unpacked their lunch. It was vegetable bread and grilled sausages, prepared at the innkeeper¡¯s request. Munch munch, chomp chomp. ¡°Oh, this ce grills sausages well.¡± ¡°Lord Karnak, could you pass me some sauce?¡± ¡°Ah, here it is, Laficel.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Serati watched the scene with a renewed gaze. The hero of humanity, who had sacrificed everything to save the world, and the former Death King who had once tortured her, tearing her into three pieces, were now having a pleasant conversation with warm expressions. ¡®Come to think of it, they shouldn¡¯t really be getting along so well¡­¡¯ They all filled their stomachs heartily. With this, their digestion should proceed smoothly as they pursued the necromancer¡¯s trail. By the time they encountered their target, they¡¯d be in peak fighting condition. Standing up, Alius took out the ss bottle. ¡°Then, let¡¯s begin the pursuit.¡± *** The darkness inside the bottle writhed, constantly extending in one direction. Every time it did, Karnak¡¯s group dashed in the direction it pointed. In truth, running in a single direction through a deep forest without paying attention to the terrain was extremely dangerous. Especially in a ce like Gant Mountain, where thendscape was treacherous. You never knew what kind of terrain awaited you. How many times had they encountered valleys too deep to descend or hills too steep to climb when they had pressed forward thoughtlessly? Well, that is, if you were an ordinary person with average physical abilities. ¡°It¡¯s a valley.¡± ¡°Just jump down.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a hill.¡± ¡°Just jump up.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got thick bushes ahead.¡± ¡°Just cut through them.¡± Even the lowest-level aura users like the Red Knights could perform a standing jump of nearly 3 meters. Once you transcend human limits, terrain bes less of an obstacle. Baros, Serati, and even Laficel navigated the rough mountain terrain as easily as if it were t ground. While Karnak and Aliuscked that level of physical prowess, they had magic topensate. If something seemed too high or too low, they simply used levitation magic to float. With Karnak¡¯s magic, bringing Alius along was no problem at all. Unless it was an enormous cliff, the rugged mountain terrain hardly posed a challenge. Karnak¡¯s group continued to cut through the mountains, relentlessly following the trail of darkness. But then, they hit a snag. ¡°Well¡­ this is troublesome.¡± It might not have been 10,000 feet tall, but the towering cliff ahead was certainly not something they could simply leap over. Baros looked at Karnak with a troubled expression. ¡°What should we do, young master?¡± ¡°Shall we try flying over with levitation magic?¡± ¡°Can you transport all of us?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible, but it¡¯s a bit tricky.¡± Magic is the act of concentrating mana in one ce to bring about changes in the world. When the same spell is used repeatedly in one spot, the world begins to adapt to the change, and as a result, the spell¡¯s effectiveness gradually diminishes. This is why mages alternate between different spells during battle. Additionally, unfocused mana tends to scatter meaninglessly in all directions, causing the magic¡¯s waves to spread over a wide area. ¡°If we¡¯re unlucky, the necromancers might notice us.¡± They didn¡¯t want to havee this far only to end up like a dog chasing chickens. Alius proposed a different idea. ¡°Let¡¯s try going around the cliff and climbing up.¡± They led the way with the bottle of darkness, circling the cliff and climbing up the mountain. As they diligently pressed on, Alius¡¯s expression tightened slightly. ¡°Why is this happening?¡± The movement of the darkness in the bottle was acting strangely. Even though they were walking in one direction, it kept shifting up and down. ¡°This guy¡­ he¡¯s moving.¡± And he was very close by. Everyone tensed and prepared for battle. The warriors drew their swords, while the mages and priests gripped their wands. After cutting through the forest for about ten more minutes, a man came into view. Dressed in a ck robe with a ne made of skulls, he was the epitome of a necromancer. Everyone¡¯s expression turned nk for a moment. It was good they had found their target, but the situation was entirely unexpected. The necromancer was squatting on the ground, holding a small hoe, busily digging up wild arrowroots. The group stared nkly at the necromancer. ¡°¡­¡± The necromancer stared nkly at the group. ¡°¡­¡± Karnak clicked his tongue. ¡°Well, I guess even necromancers have to eat.¡± Even a necromancer, unless turned into an undead, still needs to eat. And there¡¯s no reason why a necromancer wouldn¡¯t enjoy fresh wild vegetables. But if he used monsters to dig them up, they¡¯d probably be mashed to a pulp. It was already hard enough to find wild vegetables after the first snow had fallen. The desire to dig up fresh arrowroots before the ground frozepletely must have been hard to resist. Suddenly realizing the situation, the necromancer jumped up in a panic. ¡°Wh-Who are you people?¡± It wasn¡¯t hard to figure out their identity. Karnak¡¯s group was fully armed ording to their professions. Especially Alius, whose priestly robes clearly marked his status. ¡°A priest of Hatoba!¡± The shocked necromancer waved his hands, gathering power. Dozens of wraiths began rising from the ground, their eerie screams echoing through the forest. SCREEEEEECH! But instead of being startled, the group looked more at ease. A necromancer summoning evil spirits was far more natural than one digging up wild roots. Pointing his wand, Alius solemnly shouted. ¡°Kneel before the name of the Goddess!¡± ¡°Hmph! You¡¯ll be the ones to kneel!¡± The necromancer didn¡¯t back down. Emitting an ominous aura in all directions, he roared like a demon from hell. ¡°None of you shall leave here alive after witnessing my face!¡± At this very necromancer-like deration, Karnak responded indifferently with a mental message to Serati. [Just to be clear, Serati.] [Yes?] [I¡¯ve never said a line like that.] [¡­Who said you did?] More than ten wraiths floated among the snow-covered branches, like drifting shadows. Being able to summon that many wraiths was a testament to the necromancer¡¯s considerable skill. He was no amateur who had identally stumbled upon the Darkness of Doom and haphazardly gained power. He had clearly mastered necromancy. He was probably on the same level as Cleo, the necromancer they had encountered in Gelpa Vige when they first met Alius. BANG! BANG! BANG! The summoned wraiths were quickly smashed apart by Baros¡¯s aura-infused sword, bursting like bubbles. It wasn¡¯t even particrly refined swordsmanship. He was just swatting them down like flies. ¡°If you can use aura, this much is nothing¡­¡± At Cleo¡¯s level, this necromancer posed no threat to Baros. Serati, too, was at ease. Even though she often got scolded by this group, she had made a name for herself as the strongest Darkness Hunter in the northern regions of the Yustil Kingdom. On top of that, she had gained much more experience and improved her skills since then. ¡°He¡¯s not that strong.¡± There was no need for Karnak or Alius to step in. Baros and Serati alone were enough to sh through the wraiths like fresh fish being fileted. SCREEEEEECH! In no time, all the summoned wraiths had been wiped out. ¡°Y-You bastards!¡± The enraged necromancer trembled and gathered his strength once more. ¡°I¡¯ll show you the true power of darkness!¡± Once again, a dozen or so wraiths were summoned. It seemed to be the strongest necromantic spell in his arsenal. The same wraiths that had just been swatted away like flies. Alius smiled awkwardly. ¡®This is the first time I¡¯ve ever felt sorry for a necromancer.¡¯ As Alius scratched his cheek, he nced to the side and noticed a silver-haired girl with sparkling eyes. ¡°Laficel.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Want to give it a try?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Alius ced a finger on Laficel¡¯s longsword. Her de began to glow faintly as he cast a holy spell on it, allowing her to strike the wraiths. ¡®With Sir Baros and Dame Serati here, there shouldn¡¯t be any danger even though she¡¯s still a child.¡¯ The girl had remarkable talent. She could probably handle at least one or two wraiths, right? Just as he was thinking this, Laficel sprang forward,unching herself off the ground. ¡°Hah!¡± At the same time, her figure suddenly split into five. Each version of her shed at a different wraith, leaving streaks of sword light in the air like blooming flowers. sh! Without even time to scream, the wraiths vanished, all of them destroyed. Laficel sheathed her sword and beamed. ¡°I took care of them all!¡± The necromancer¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. He couldn¡¯t understand what had just happened. Alius, too, was confused. There had just been a bright sh, and then all the wraiths were gone? ¡°¡­What did Laficel just do?¡± Serati hesitated, unsure how to respond. She didn¡¯t know either. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a family secret technique.¡± In any case, the necromancer had beenpletely neutralized. Summoning over twenty wraiths had been an incredible feat, one that must have drained his necromantic power. It just didn¡¯t look like much because they had been effortlessly cut down. ¡°Ugh¡­ ugh¡­¡± The terrified necromancer stumbled backward, only to bump into something. Baros was already standing behind him. ¡°Hey, there.¡± He ced a hand on the necromancer¡¯s shoulder and asked gently. ¡°By any chance, do you know someone named Hudel?¡± It certainly didn¡¯t sound gentle from the necromancer¡¯s point of view. Chapter 119 Chapter 119 At Baros¡¯ question, ¡°Do you know Hudel?¡± the necromancer responded firmly. ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Thanks to that, Karnak and his party were certain. ¡®What an idiot.¡¯ How could someone live right next to the estate and not know the lord? If he really wanted to deny it, he should have at least pretended to know the name. Realizing his mistake toote, the necromancer began to ramble. ¡°I-it¡¯s true! I don¡¯t know anything about Count Hudel or the Cult of the Dark God!¡± Baros murmured sadly. ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t even mentioned the Cult of the Dark God yet.¡± ¡°Ah, crap!¡± He was not only stupid but also naive. Feeling the pitiful gazes around him, the necromancer mped his mouth shut. It seemed he had decided it was better to remain silent than to risk blurting out more and getting caught. Of course, in this era, silence was not a right at all. Serati asked casually. [What should we do, Lord Karnak? Do you want to handle this quietly again?] [Why would I? We have Alius here.] When ites to extracting information from the dead, necromancers are undoubtedly the best. But when ites to getting information from the living? [The title ¡®Inquisitor¡¯ says it all. He¡¯s a professional.] After tidying up his appearance, Alius stepped forward. ¡°May I handle this for a moment?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± After tightly binding the necromancer, Karnak¡¯s party retreated. Alius, staring down at the necromancer, spoke in a calm tone. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± The necromancer remained silent, stubbornly pressing his lips together. ¡°You won¡¯t even tell me your name? Not a good start.¡± Alius was undeniably a righteous and virtuous man. But at the same time, he was an Inquisitor. That meant, when facing a sinner, he couldmit any cruel act without hesitation¡ªprecisely because he was righteous. Alius nced back at the group and made a request. ¡°Could you step away for a moment? It¡¯s not a sight for children.¡± Karnak¡¯s group disappeared into the forest. Now, only Alius and the necromancer were left. ¡°For the record, I can heal all your wounds.¡± Even with his mouth shut, the necromancer felt confused. Why was someone about to interrogate him talking about healing? ¡°So don¡¯t worry.¡± Alius cast a holy spell. A gag of light formed, sealing the necromancer¡¯s mouth. ¡°Until you spill everything you know, you won¡¯t die.¡± The necromancer was flustered. ¡°Mm! Mmm?!¡± Wait, why gag me if you¡¯re going to make me spill everything I know? ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the gag. It will disappear once your soul bes honest.¡± Alius¡¯ eyes, reflected in the terrified necromancer¡¯s pupils, were calm and clear. They shone with the conviction of someone determined to save the pitiful soul before him. ¡°You¡¯re not being truthful yet. I can tell just by looking into your eyes.¡± Alius¡¯ hands began to glow with a holy light. A devout prayer spilled from his lips. ¡°Hatoba, forgive your servant¡­¡± What? Why are you praying for forgiveness? What are you about to do? ¡°Mmm! Mmmph!¡± Soon, a pitiful scream, muffled by the gag, leaked out weakly. ¡°Mmmmph!¡± *** About ten minutester, Alius reappeared, dragging the necromancer behind him. He looked around at everyone and smiled brightly. ¡°By the grace of the Goddess, Mr. Remike has fully cooperated with the interrogation.¡± And so, everyone realized. ¡®So, this necromancer¡¯s name was Remike?¡¯ Remike looked perfectly fine. There were no visible wounds, no bloodstains on his clothes. From the outside, it seemed like nothing had been done to him at all. But his eyes werepletely lifeless. The eyes are so empty that it seems like this is what a breathing zombie would look like. ¡®What exactly did he do to him?¡¯ Serati, unaware of what an Inquisitor could do to a necromancer, naturally had questions. On the other hand, Karnak and Baros, who had some experience in the past, trembled involuntarily. ¡®Ah, he got hit with that.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t even want to think about it.¡¯ Shaking off the thought, Karnak asked, ¡°Did you get anything out of him?¡± ¡°As expected, this man was a member of the Dark Cult.¡± Alius continued, ncing back at Remike. ¡°He also serves Count Hudel.¡± ¡°Can we use him as evidence to use the Count?¡± ¡°Mr. Remike alone may not be enough¡­¡± The empire¡¯s nobility is not so easily cornered by throwing one necromancer at them and saying, ¡®We have a witness who ims you¡¯re a cultist!¡¯ Stronger evidence was needed. ¡°Fortunately, he told me about the cultists¡¯ hideout.¡± The cultists in this region were hiding in the Gant Mountains under Count Hudel¡¯s orders. It seemed they had even set up a fairly borate hideout. ¡°What exactly are they doing there?¡± ¡°That, he didn¡¯t know.¡± Remike¡¯s task was simply to stay hidden in the area and act as a messenger between the cultists of the Seven Kingdoms Alliance and those in the Lacaenia Empire. He had no idea what ns the cult was scheming. Baros murmured, nodding in understanding. ¡°Well, judging by his skills, it doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯d y a major role.¡± Still, if they could capture arge number of cultists, it would be enough evidence to pressure Count Hudel. With some luck, they might even uncover more information. Alius gestured toward the other side of the mountain. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Indeed, Remike fully cooperated. He guided them along the way without the slightest resistance. It was as if his soul had beenpletely broken. Even Karnak himself knew that breaking someone¡¯s spirit so thoroughly with just torture wasn¡¯t easy. He couldn¡¯t help but think. ¡®Maybe having a cleric handle the torture and a necromancer extract the soul is the most efficient way to build necromantic power?¡¯ They circled the ridge and continued moving for another hour. Deep in the forest, a small log cabin came into view. It looked like a hunter¡¯s shack, but no hunters were bold enough to hunt in the Gant Mountains. ¡°Is that the ce?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How many more are there?¡± ¡°I have threepanions. All of them are necromancers.¡± ¡°What are their specialties?¡± ¡°They¡¯re simr to me. Necromancy and summoning evil spirits are their main skills.¡± Remike answered every question without hesitation. It was Baros¡¯ turn to ask. ¡°So, who¡¯s the leader, and how strong is that personpared to you?¡± An unexpected answer came. Remike raised his hand slightly. ¡°That would be me.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the highest-ranking member.¡± Everyone¡¯s gaze turned toward Remike. Though no one spoke, they all had the same expression. ¡®Is this really it?¡¯ Terrified, Remike hurriedly continued speaking. ¡°It¡¯s true! I¡¯m not lying!¡± He seemed to be afraid of what would happen if they thought he was lying. Serati, still puzzled, nced at Alius once more. ¡®What exactly did you do to him to make him like this?¡¯ After a moment of thought, Alius nodded. ¡°It seems he¡¯s telling the truth.¡± Thinking it over, it did make sense. Alius had tracked the necromantic spell that controlled the Stone Orcs all the way to this man. And at the end of that trail was Remike. He was the one the orcs had referred to as ¡®the terrifying one.¡¯ Considering the orcs¡¯ limited vocabry, that was quite the high praise. It meant there wasn¡¯t anyone scarier than ¡®the terrifying one.¡¯ ¡°Why is the highest-ranking member out gathering herbs?¡± ¡°My other subordinates dislike vegetables¡­¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you make your subordinates do it?¡± ¡°They are not strong enough to order them around¡­¡± The situation became clearer. Serati shook her head. ¡°So, they¡¯re all just bottom-tierckeys.¡± If the strongest one, Remike, was at this level, there was no need to even bother with the others. Karnak, eyeing the hut in the forest, spoke nonchntly. ¡°Let¡¯s clean this up quickly.¡± Shortly after, a storm descended upon the peaceful hideout of the necromancers. *** After capturing Remike and the other necromancers, Karnak¡¯s group descended from Gant Mountain. However, they didn¡¯t immediately return to the vige. Dragging four bound prisoners through the streets would draw far too much attention. So, after reaching the base of the mountain, they hid for a while, and only Alius made his way alone to the Saisha Temple. He returned just as the sun was beginning to set, apanied by arge four-wheeled wagon and about twenty soldiers. They were soldiers of the Temple of Saisha, along with Priest Belton. ¡°Are these the ones?¡± Belton surveyed the bound necromancers with an open look of disgust. He then turned to Alius and expressed his gratitude. ¡°I can sense the foul energy of darkness. Thank you, Brother Alius.¡± With a humble demeanor, Alius introduced Karnak¡¯s group. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have seeded without their help. They are coborators of our religious order.¡± A brief round of introductions followed. ¡°I am Belton, a servant of Saisha.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Karnak, a Darkness Hunter from Derat.¡± ¡°Baros.¡± ¡°Serati. And this is my squire.¡± The soldiers restrained the necromancers and loaded them into the wagon. They were going to be interrogated more thoroughly once back at the temple. Belton also extended an invitation to Karnak¡¯s group to apany them. ¡°Come with us.¡± The Temple of Saisha was located on the western side of Vige. It was argeplex, consisting of a main sanctuary, five chapels, stables, a wine cer, barns, and other buildings. Upon arrival, the soldiers dragged the necromancers down to the dungeon. Baros watched, curious. ¡°You¡¯re just locking them up in the dungeon? You said there could be cult spies lurking around.¡± His question implied they should hide the prisoners in a more secretive location, but Belton shook his head. ¡°We know that, but it¡¯s not like we can conjure up a good hiding ce out of thin air, can we?¡± Moving in secret isn¡¯t always the best approach. What would they do if they hid the prisoners in a random house or shabby barn, only for the location to be discovered? Rather than creating a half-baked hiding ce, it was better to fortify an already secure location. There was another reason, too. ¡°We are servants of the Goddess. It¡¯s not fitting for us to sneak around like rats, as the cultists do.¡± Afterward, Belton and Alius headed down to the dungeon to interrogate the necromancers. Karnak¡¯s group was shown to a guest room where they could rest. Though not luxurious, the room was tidy, and the bed was decently soft. Tired from climbing the mountain, Laficel immediately grabbed a pillow and fell into a deep sleep. ¡°Mmm¡­ food¡­¡± Serati nced at her with a momentary look of pity before turning away. [Excuse me, Lord Karnak?] [Hmm? What¡¯s up?] [This has been bothering me for a while¡­] Serati already knew not to speak carelessly while Laficel was asleep. So, she continued using discreet magicmunication. [Is it really okay to use your real name?] Chapter 120 Chapter 120 After meeting Laficel, a hypothesis came to mind. The hypothesis is that one of the future Archmages might have followed Karnak and Baros and returned to this time period. If that assumption is true, how will the returned Archmage treat the former Death King? [You didn¡¯t treat them particrly well either, right?] At Serati¡¯s question, Karnak let out a wry smile. [If they regained their sense of self, they¡¯d probably be just as eager to tear me apart as Laficel.] It had been a struggle just dealing with the crazy Laficel. If a perfectly sane 10th-circle mage appeared, could he even manage to escape? Oddly enough, however, Karnak didn¡¯t seem particrly concerned about that possibility. In the past, he might have been unaware, but now he should recognize the danger. [Is it okay to reveal your real name like this? Shouldn¡¯t you be using an alias?] [Hmm, well¡­] Karnak pondered for a moment, choosing his words carefully before speaking again. [I don¡¯t know if that hypothesis is true or not, but if we assume it is, there¡¯s one thing I¡¯m certain of.] The regressor doesn¡¯t know who the Death King and the Death Knight Lord were in the past. [The fact that the Jestarad territory is still intact is proof of that. Otherwise, they would¡¯vee and killed us by now.] [What about the copper mine?] [That part¡¯s a bit suspicious, but I still think it¡¯s just a coincidence for now. We haven¡¯t found anything particrly suspicious.] He had reason to make such a judgment. Baros added from the side: [Neither the young master nor I told anyone about the past.] They were simply Karnak and Baros. The name Jestarad was never mentioned. They had killed the entire family, from the lord to the youngest, with necromancy and were now fugitives. If they were discovered, their heads would be on the chopping block immediately. Why would they broadcast their past? [And once we gained some power, there was no need to talk about it.] [Neither of us had the habit of reminiscing about the past over drinks.] [We were progressive and future-oriented in nature!] Serati¡¯s expression turned odd. [No, you weren¡¯t? You guys were always reminiscing about the past. Like a couple of hermits holed up in some room.] On reflection, that might have been true. Aren¡¯t they both now 100-year-old monsters? In terms of age, they were beyond typical hermits. [And our appearances have changed a lot too.] When the whole world had turned against them, both Karnak and Baros were well into middle age. They didn¡¯t have the youthful, tight skin they possessed now. [And even that middle-aged appearance didn¡¯tst long.] One turned into a skeleton, and the other into a blue-tinted death knight. In other words, even if someone from the future returned, the only way to identify them would be by their names. But the names Karnak and Baros weren¡¯t particrly rare. Karnak was originally the name of an ancient architectural site left behind by a pre-historic race, and it was often used among nobles. Baros was also a fairlymon name amongmoners in the Seven Kingdoms. They didn¡¯t know their origins, didn¡¯t know their family names, their appearances had changed, and their names weren¡¯t unique. So, from the regressor¡¯s perspective, the only clue to finding them would be if a ¡°Karnak¡± and a ¡°Baros¡± were seen together. [But even if they do manage to find us, they wouldn¡¯t daree directly to me.] Unlike the soul-torn Laficel, the other Martial Kings and the three Archmages had retained their intelligence. Instead of tearing apart their souls, Karnak had inscribed loyalty into their souls, manipting their personalities and taking them as subordinates. This situation was very different from how Baros or Serati were bound as subjects through contracts. A subject¡¯s contract was like chaining their soul as a ve. Although they became ves, their memories and personalities remained intact. Since their souls hadn¡¯t changed, Serati could still use aura. Moreover, if only the soul crossed space-time, the chains would naturally remain behind. That¡¯s why Karnak and Baros¡¯s subject contracts had been broken. In contrast, with the Martial Kings and the Archmages, he had inscribed obedience directly onto their souls. They were too formidable to control with the softer method of a subject¡¯s contract. [Even if they do transcend space-time and return to this era, the inscriptions on their souls wouldn¡¯t disappear.] It¡¯s possible that when the Death King vanished, they regained their sense of self. Perhaps, driven by their anger toward the Death King, they had attempted space-time reversal and even seeded. But even if they returned to the past, they wouldn¡¯t dare to seek out Karnak directly. [Because doing so would mean they¡¯d fall under my control again.] Karnak of the present couldn¡¯t exert the same level of influence over the world as he had during his Astra Spiritus days. However, even at his current level, he could still re-activate the soul inscriptions if they were nearby. Once they reunited, he could easily make them loyal subordinates again. [And they know that well.] That¡¯s why they wouldn¡¯t act directly. They¡¯d likely use their subordinates to search for Karnak and Baros. So, Karnak had been deliberately scattering the names ¡°Karnak¡± and ¡°Baros¡± around. [Hoping they leave clues during their search for us.] Listening to the exnation, Serati tilted her head. [¡­Is that really necessary?] The three Archmages weren¡¯t recluses hiding in some mysterious ce. Their whereabouts were somewhat known. [Can¡¯t you just go to them directly?] If just confronting them would make them loyal again, why was he being so cautious? [This is all based on the assumption that my hypothesis is true.] Karnak¡¯s expression hardened slightly. [What if my hypothesis is wrong?] Even before meeting Laficel, he had already been suspicious of the three Archmages. The hypothesis was that they were the ones who developed the magic forms that fused necromantic power and magic, as used by the followers of the Dark God. But what if they weren¡¯t regressors? What if they were just Archmages of this era who had be followers of the Dark God for some reason? What if they didn¡¯t have any soul inscriptions and were purely enemies? [We¡¯d be lucky to leave behind aplete corpse.] If he revealed everything now and it turned out they weren¡¯t regressors, he¡¯d be left without any recourse. So he was only leaking their names while hiding the rest, maintaining his distance and observing their reactions. [Of course, it could turn out that neither of these theories is true. It¡¯s all just unverified spection, after all.] They were in the middle of exchanging words when footsteps were heard from outside. Everyone adjusted their expressions and stopped talking. Momentster, the door opened, and Alius entered the room. ¡°The interrogation is over, Lord Karnak.¡± ¡°Is it my turn now?¡± As if waiting for this, Karnak rose to his feet. Baros asked, ¡°Why do they want you, young master?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll exin after I return.¡± *** In the dungeon, built with hard stone walls, the four cultists captured during the day were locked up. They appeared utterly exhausted, likely from undergoing a harsh interrogation. Karnak approached a corner of the dungeon with his staff, drawing upon the power of chaos magic. ¡°Those who dare to trespass here, their own strength shall turn against them¡­¡± A faint magic circle formed and then quickly sank into the prison¡¯s stone walls, disappearing from sight. Turning around, Karnak spoke. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± Priest Belton expressed his gratitude. ¡°Thank you for your efforts. Now, even if the cult¡¯s spies try something, we¡¯ll be able to handle it.¡± Karnak had been tasked with setting up a magic trap around the dungeon. If there were any spies from the cult within the Saisha Temple, they would get caught by this trap when trying to approach the prison. Of course, Alius and Priest Belton could also set various protective barriers using holy spells. In fact, they had already installed some. But the presence of a spy within the temple suggested that the individual might be quite familiar with holy spells. There was a chance they could bypass the holy barriers, so it was safer to also rely on magic. ¡°We do have some mage coborators, but they are all out of town at the moment.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee that those coborators aren¡¯t spies either.¡± Looking at the cultists sprawled on the floor of the prison, Karnak asked, ¡°Did you manage to get anything useful out of them? If they know about Hudel, they must hold a fairly high rank.¡± Alius clicked his tongue. ¡°Unfortunately, they turned out to be low-level members in a different sense.¡± The interrogation of the cultists was already finished, but they hadn¡¯t yielded much information. The only cultist Remike knew of was Hudel, the Dark Cardinal. He had no knowledge of other cultists within the territory. He had only ever received direct orders from Hudel. ¡°They¡¯re low-level, but directly under hismand, you could say.¡± Whenever Hudel was away from the territory, as he was now, they had no specific duties. It seemed that wandering around aimlessly, digging up arrowroots, was their only task. ¡°And how do they contact Hudel?¡± ¡°There is no way to contact him. They only receive orders one-sidedly.¡± The other three cultists didn¡¯t even know Hudel was a follower of the Dark God. They simply acted as messengers for the cultists across the mountains in the Seven Kingdoms, as instructed by Remike. Karnak nodded in understanding. ¡°Indeed, none of them seemed particrly strong.¡± Still, this should be enough evidence to present to the Evil ying Brigade. By tomorrow morning, they nned to send a messenger to Kt City to make contact. ¡°And so, from now on, our task is¡­¡± Alius finished, pointing to the cultists. ¡°To ensure their safety until the Evil ying Brigade arrives.¡± *** ¡°¡­That¡¯s the general situation.¡± After Karnak¡¯s exnation upon returning to the room, Baros tilted his head in confusion. ¡°Why are we sending the messenger tomorrow morning? Wouldn¡¯t it be more certain to send them now?¡± Serati gave him a side-eye, as if he were acting like a heartless employer. ¡°Sir Baros, living people need to sleep, you know.¡± Even aside from that, the night in this era wasn¡¯t safe enough to ride through in the dark. Baros, who was used tomanding undead all the time,cked awareness of this fact. ¡°At this point, the cultists will only take one of two actions.¡± The first was to silence their capturedrades. ¡°They¡¯ll likely try to kill them all before the Evil ying Brigade arrives, to prevent them from talking. From the looks of it, they don¡¯t seem like vital personnel worth rescuing.¡± The second option was to destroy all evidence linking the cult to Grenthal County. ¡°If Hudel were still guarding the territory, he would¡¯ve probably chosen that option.¡± No matter how many witnesses there were, they were just cultists. The Empire couldn¡¯t easily act against an imperial noble just because some cultists imed something. The gap between being suspected and being branded as a cultist was huge. ¡°But Hudel isn¡¯t around, is he? That means the remaining members can¡¯t recklessly destroy evidence.¡± That was the downside of a decentralized organization. Since they operate so secretly, unless they¡¯re directly involved, it¡¯s hard for members to judge what¡¯s important and what¡¯s not. As a result, when the person in charge is absent, the freedom of those left behind is significantly reduced. In the end, the cultists¡¯ only option is the former¡ªsilencing their capturedrades. They have to deal with their capturedrades somehow, and they¡¯ll try to do it as quietly as possible. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t dare storm the temple in broad daylight, would they?¡± That would essentially be starting a full-blown cultist rebellion. If they did that, all of Grenthal County would be an enemy of the Empire, and Hudel would be irreversibly branded as a cultist. It would destroy the entire religious influence they¡¯d built in this region. ¡°No one¡¯s stupid enough to do that.¡± Instead, they¡¯d likely try to discreetly handle it using their hidden spies. ¡°It seems like they¡¯re nning to flush out all the spies during this opportunity.¡± Thanks to that, it was bound to get noisy at night for a while. The cultists would wait for nightfall and continuously send assassins. ¡°So, our task is simple.¡± Karnak shifted his gaze out the window. Beyond the vige, under the moonlit night, he could faintly see the castle of Count Grenthal in the distance. ¡°Just rx, eat the temple¡¯s food, and when the rm goes off, catch the spies and get information from them¡­¡± Then, Karnak suddenly stopped speaking. ¡°¡­What?¡± Beyond the scenery, a thick aura of darkness was slowly spreading. It was a familiar sight. After all, it was something he himself had often created in his previous life. Whenever he summoned hordes of zombies, ghouls, and other evil spirits and monsters to form an army, the surrounding energy would be polluted, creating such a scene. ¡°Excuse me, young master?¡± Baros, looking out the window, let out a dryugh. ¡°They¡¯re storming the temple in broad daylight.¡± Chapter 121 Chapter 121 They woke up Laficel, who had been sleeping, armed themselves, and Karnak¡¯s group quickly dashed out of the lodging building. The temple had already be a scene of chaos. The temple servants, gripped by fear, were panicking. ¡°Ahhh! It¡¯s the undead army!¡± ¡°Monsters are closing in!¡± In contrast, the priests and soldiers of the Saisha Temple remained rtively calm, trying their best to stayposed and respond to the situation. ¡°Everyone, arm yourselves!¡± ¡°Get to your positions!¡± The priests raised their wands, and the soldiers grabbed their spears and swords, donning their armor. Even the acolytes, too young to fight, were preparing holy water from the holy water reserve to use against the undead. Karnak scanned the surroundings. ¡®Where is Alius? And Priest Belton?¡¯ Neither was in sight. They must still be in the dungeon. ¡®I need to assess the situation first.¡¯ The group swiftly moved toward the outer wall of the temple. As with most castles or mansions, temples were typically built in elevated ces to be looked up to. This Saisha Temple was also on slightly higher ground than its surroundings. As they approached the wall, a middle-aged priest stood guard and questioned them cautiously. ¡°Who are you?¡± It was understandable for him to be on guard since unfamiliar faces had suddenly appeared. Fortunately, there was someone nearby who recognized Karnak¡¯s group. One of the soldiers who had apanied Priest Belton while escorting Remike¡¯s group spoke up. ¡°They are darkness hunters from Hatoba of the Seven Kingdoms.¡± ¡°Now that you mention it, I recall hearing about some guests arriving this afternoon.¡± The soldier continued with the introductions, evidently familiar with Karnak¡¯s group. ¡°Lord Karnak is a 6th Circle mage. These two are Red Knights.¡± In a situation like this, strength mattered far more than titles or status. The middle-aged priest¡¯s face visibly brightened. ¡°Saisha¡¯s grace be upon you!¡± Among the Saisha Temple¡¯s allies, there were a few aura users and high mages of the 6th Circle or higher. However, all of them had left for distantnds. This was a peaceful territory, after all. At present, Karnak¡¯s group was the strongest force they had. ¡°How is the situation?¡± Baros asked. The middle-aged priest¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°It¡¯s not good.¡± In the distance, countless monsters and undead forces were slowly advancing. The sky was filled with evil energy and an aura of malice, while cold air spread across the ground like mist. Amidst it all, the dead continued to march forward, step after step. A gloomy sound echoed from all directions. Uhhhhhh¡­. Uwooo¡­. Their numbers were considerable. A rough estimate put them at several hundred. The priest let out a sigh of despair. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why they¡¯re doing this.¡± ¡°We captured a group of cultists earlier today. They¡¯ve likelye to rescue theirrades,¡± Karnak exined. The priest looked confused. ¡°You¡¯re telling me they managed to assemble such a massive army in less than a day?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the terrifying power of necromancy.¡± Gathering hundreds of soldiers isn¡¯t something that can be done overnight. You¡¯d have to send messengers to their homes and viges, wait for them to gather at the assembly point, and after that, organize units and distribute weapons. Even in the fastest scenario, it would take at least a week. But for an army of undead? It only takes a few necromancers to make a few calls. Once notified, the necromancers would raise corpses from graves. Unlike living soldiers, who are difficult to control, the undead follow orders without question, so there¡¯s no need to organize units or anything of the sort. If the call was made in the afternoon, they could easily gather and start marching by midnight. ¡®Even considering that, they seem to have gathered quite quickly¡­¡¯ Among the undead army, there were also several living people, aside from the necromancers. Most of them were ordinary people in everyday clothes, armed only with spears or swords. Some even carried farming tools like pitchforks or ils. ¡®They must be cultists who were hiding in this territory. Their forces are muchrger than expected.¡¯ The distance between the undead army and the temple was rapidly closing. The middle-aged priest turned to Karnak¡¯s group and pleaded. ¡°We are preparing to cast a holy barrier to prevent them from advancing. Could you break their momentum in the meantime?¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Leaving the spot, Karnak¡¯s group moved along the outer wall, searching for an optimal location to engage in battle. As they watched the steadily approaching undead horde, Karnak clicked his tongue. ¡°What¡¯s with these necromancers strutting around like they¡¯ve done something worth bragging about? Such shameless people.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that precisely what necromancers are like?¡± Baros shrugged. ¡°You used to pull the same kind of stunts back in the day, young master.¡± In his past life, Baros had often fought at the frontlines of undead armies, swinging his sword while following Karnak. Even in Trist City, it had been simr. Karnak red at him. ¡°I only did it because it was necessary.¡± Necromancers often usedrge-scale attacks to instill fear, but that was always after carefully weighing the risks and benefits. ¡°What good could possiblye fromunching such a massive assault in a situation like this?¡± No matter how much he thought about it, nothing came to mind. No sane necromancer would ever do something like this, whether they¡¯re a necromancer or not. ¡°But those guys did,¡± Karnak muttered in disbelief. ¡°I can¡¯t even begin to guess what they¡¯re nning.¡± *** At the center of the army of the dead, filled with zombies, skeletons, and all manner of monsters, two men in ck robes, wearing skull nes, weremanding the army. One of the men, staring off into the distance at the Saisha Temple, asked, ¡°Are you really sure this is a good idea?¡± A middle-aged man responded seriously, ¡°How can you doubt the words of Tesranak, Sephedes?¡± This man was Lehane, the bishop of the Grenthal Diocese of the cult. ¡°Under the watchful gaze of Tesranak, everything will proceed smoothly.¡± His voice was not just serious but solemn, which made Sephedes frown. ¡®I¡¯m not doubting Tesranak¡¯s words, I¡¯m doubting your judgment!¡¯ Of course, he didn¡¯t dare say that out loud. In front of a far more powerful necromancer, honesty wasn¡¯t exactly a rmended virtue. Instead, Sephedes muttered under his breath, ¡°We could have just handled this discreetly using people¡­¡± Lehane, sharp as ever, caught the small murmur. ¡°Handle it? How can we, who serve the righteous god, stoop to such vile plots as the heretics do?¡± Lehane chastised Sephedes with a stern tone. ¡°Those who walk the righteous path must always be forthright. Surely, you wouldn¡¯t abandon your fellow believers?¡± Normally, yes, you¡¯d abandon them. That¡¯s how a proper secret cult operates. ¡®But I can¡¯t exactly say that to this guy¡¯s face.¡¯ Frustrated, Sephedes sighed internally. He had joined the cult of the Dark God to be a powerful necromancer. Honestly, faith wasn¡¯t his highest priority. On the other hand, Lehane was a devout believer in Tesranak. His loyalty had earned him a higher rank and made him a stronger necromancer than Sephedes. Lehane truly believed. He believed that if they waited long enough, a new world would open. When asked when that day woulde, the cult of the Dark God would give this teaching: ¨CWhen the dayes, all believers will realize it on their own! To Sephedes, that sounded like a vague and evasive answer. If they specified a date and nothing happened, the believers¡¯ faith would be shaken. However, even the cult of the Dark God had overlooked one crucial detail. There are surprisingly many people in the world who genuinely believe, ¡°My understanding is everyone¡¯s understanding, and what I feel is what everyone feels.¡± When the news broke that the cult members hiding in Gant Mountain had been captured by the Saisha Temple, Lehane saw it as a revtion from Tesranak. He believed that this was the moment to start a rebellion and change the world. Why? Because he felt that way! Because he had received a spiritual revtion! ¡®This must be the enlightenment Tesranak spoke of!¡¯ In reality, it was likely that Lehane had unconsciously hypnotized himself due to his desperate waiting. But in any case, Lehane genuinely believed. He believed that now was the very day Tesranak had foretold. Without a word to Sephedes, he activated themunication device, rallied the cult members, summoned all the monsters, and raised all the corpses they had hidden away to form an army, marching them straight toward the Saisha Temple. By the time Sephedes realized what was happening, it was toote to stop it. ¡®Damn it, I thought no sane person would ever pull off such a crazy stunt¡­¡¯ But then again, zealots aren¡¯t sane, which is why they¡¯re zealots. To make matters worse, Lehane believed he waspletely sane and that the rest of the world was the one that was out of touch. The problem was that even Sephedes had underestimated the extent of Lehane¡¯s zeal. After all, they worked in a decentralized organization, so they rarely met face-to-face. You can¡¯t really understand someone¡¯s nature unless you see them often, right? A decentralized organization is great for keeping secrets, but it¡¯s full of disadvantages in every other aspect. While Sephedes was consumed by his despair, Lehane was still overwhelmed with excitement. ¡°Though we have hidden in the shadows because of our weakness¡­¡± He raised his voice boldly amidst the overwhelming aura of death that was spreading all around them. ¡°The time hase to reveal the true teachings to the world with pride!¡± At hismand, the undead army quickened its pace toward the temple. As Sephedes gazed at the distant Saisha Temple, his mind raced. ¡®There¡¯s no turning back now.¡¯ Fortunately, the powerful mages and aura users who were supposed to be their allies were absent from the temple. This gave them the upper hand. ¡®First, I need to wipe them all out and erase any trace of this¡­ then¡­¡¯ His thoughts stopped. Then what? How was he going to exin to the empire that a massacre suddenly took ce at a perfectly intact temple? And how would they possibly deal with the imperial army and the Evil ying Brigade that would undoubtedlye afterward? No matter how hard he thought, there was no answer. All it brought was a headache. ¡®Let¡¯s just focus on getting through tonight. If we can¡¯t annihte the Saisha Temple here, there¡¯s no point worrying about whates after.¡¯ *** Karnak and his group had positioned themselves atop arge outer wall between the temple building and the stables. From this spot, they had a wide view ahead, making it easier to cast spells, and there were symbols of Saisha to the left and right that could provide cover if needed. In the distance, cultists armed and chanting the teachings of the Dark God were approaching. ¡°Death is but a new beginning¡­¡± ¡°Fear not, for there is nothing to dread¡­¡± ¡°Tesranak has opened the way, so we follow with joyful hearts¡­¡± Serati, tense, drew her sword. ¡°It¡¯s starting soon.¡± The swarm of zombies and skeletons had already drawn within several dozen meters. A captain on the temple side shouted out orders. ¡°Fire the arrows!¡± The arrows were all soaked in holy water. As the sacred energy struck the undead, explosions rang out in all directions. Boom! Boom! KABOOM! But the effect wasn¡¯t great. There were simply too few arrowspared to the number of undead. ¡°The new world is about to open¡­¡± Lehane began muttering in a singsong voice. ¡°And we shall be its vanguard!¡± Suddenly, the speed of the undead surged. All at once, they began charging toward the temple at terrifying speed! ¡°They¡¯reing!¡± ¡°Saisha, protect us!¡± Hundreds of corpses and skeletons mmed into the outer wall of the temple. KUUUUUNG! A fierce battle erupted. Ominous roars and desperate screams echoed throughout the temple. ¡°Kraaaah!¡± ¡°Ahhhh!¡± Chapter 122 Chapter 122 A fierce battle erupted on all sides. The dead and the living, those who believed in the Goddess and those who followed the darkness, shed with spears and swords, shouting and roaring. ¡°Saisha, bestow your grace and grant us your sword!¡± The priests all offered a collective prayer of blessing. The weapons of the temple soldiers faintly glowed with divine light. ¡°Stay calm, everyone!¡± ¡°With the priest here, these zombies aren¡¯t a tough enemy!¡± The soldiers bravely swung their blessed des toward the approaching horde of zombies. With every swing, limbs of the zombies flew through the air. ¡°Uuuhhh¡­¡± ¡°Uuuhhh¡­¡± Normally, they would have ignored losing limbs and continued attacking. However, due to the divine power imbued in the des, the zombies, now wounded, hesitated for a few seconds, temporarily halting their movements. Taking advantage of this brief moment, the soldiersunched a relentless offensive. ¡°Keep attacking!¡± ¡°Cut them down before they get back up!¡± Though the blessings didn¡¯t instantly kill the zombies, even with a mere touch, they made the fight significantly easier. Elsewhere, soldiers wielding blunt weapons like battle hammers and maces were fighting against the skeletons. ¡°You skull-headed freaks!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll smash every one of you!¡± Cutting through bones with a sword is no easy feat, but smashing them with a hammer is something anyone can do. Swinging hammers imbued with divine light, the soldiers relentlessly shattered the skulls of the skeletons. Thud! Crash! Smash! Loud noises echoed throughout the temple. Amidst this noise, wraiths and banshees flew through the night sky, unleashing ghastly wails. Aaaaaaah! Such spirits are not easy for the soldiers to handle, even with blessed weapons. Not because they do not have a physical body, but because they¡¯re flying and out of reach. That¡¯s where the priests came in. They cast protective spells into the air, sprinkle holy water all around, and activate a divine barrier. ¡°May the light of the Goddess shine upon my enemies!¡± The divine power of the priestsbined through the barrier, merging into a single, overwhelming force. The sky brightened, and beams of the Goddess¡¯s light repeatedly struck the evil spirits. Boom! Screams erupted from the wraiths and banshees within the pir of light. Kyyaaaah! Despite the sudden onught, the Temple of Saisha held its ground well against the onught of the army of the dead. After all, clerics were the nemesis of necromancers. And the cult of the Dark God knew this all too well. ¡°Send in the beasts!¡± Lehane gave the order for a second wave. Four subordinate necromancers concentrated their powers andmanded the monsters under their control. Beyond the army of the dead, new shadows with glowing red eyes surged forward. ¡°Graaaah!¡± ¡°Raaaaah!¡± The new wave consisted of various bipedal monsters such as orcs and gnolls, along with an assortment of ferocious beast-type monsters, forming a massive attack force. The soldiers cursed under their breath. ¡°Damn it!¡± ¡°It¡¯s monsters!¡± Though fewer in numberpared to the undead, monsters had a significant advantage. They weren¡¯t particrly vulnerable to divine power. With these monsters joining forces with the undead, the situation quickly turned against the temple defenders. The zombies and skeletons were merely sacrificial pawns. By using the undead as a vanguard to disrupt the defensive line, the monster army could follow up with a crushing blow. It was a highly efficient tactic, making it challenging for the temple to handle. And the second wave wasn¡¯t justposed of monsters. ¡°Tesranak has opened the way¡­¡± ¡°We follow with joyful hearts¡­¡± Dozens of cultists, in a half-dazed state, were attacking the temple from all directions. They had once been ordinary people, but now they were different. Through a unique form of necromancy used by the cult of the Dark God, they had been physically enhanced, their strength on par with that of the monsters. ¡°Soon, a new world will dawn¡­¡± ¡°We shall be its vanguard!¡± The temple¡¯s defensive line momentarily wavered. It wasn¡¯t just the cultists¡¯ strength that caused trouble, but also their very presence, which threw the defenders into confusion. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Michael from the house next door?¡± ¡°Is that Uncle Ryan?¡± These cultists were all familiar faces from the localmunity. Even the outsiders, Karnak and his party, recognized some of them. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the owner of our inn?¡± ¡°Oh my, they were a cultist?¡± ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll have to pack up and leave once the sun rises.¡± The prayers of the cultists echoed from all directions. ¡°Come forth, new world!¡± ¡°The Dark God¡¯s grace shall descend upon all!¡± As she smashed an approaching skeleton, Serati furrowed her brow. ¡°Their eyes are zed over like they¡¯re on drugs or something.¡± A young priest assisting Karnak¡¯s group nodded. ¡°Using drugs to expand their influence is one of the cult¡¯s signature tactics.¡± He wasn¡¯t an inquisitor, just an ordinary low-ranking priest. He couldn¡¯t cast high-level divine spells, but in the current situation, he was still quite useful. Even if he could only make the approaching undead pause momentarily with divine light, it made the battle significantly more manageable. After sending three zombies flying, now frozen by the holy light, Baros looked incredulous. ¡°What in the world makes people believe in a religion that uses drugs?¡± Serati asked curiously. [You talk as if you never did anything like that yourselves.] Karnak and Baros replied confidently. [We never touched drugs.] [They were too expensive.] [There was no need to use drugs to create ves, anyway.] [If we killed them and raised them as undead, they¡¯d end up in a simr state without costing us anything.] Serati nodded, as if that made perfect sense. [¡­.Well, it¡¯s good to know you never used drugs.] Baros, however, wasn¡¯t shocked by the evil acts the cultists hadmitted. He was baffled by how people fell for such an obvious scheme. But as it turns out, the cultists had their own twisted logic. The cult of the Dark God didn¡¯t deny earthly pleasures. In fact, they taught that numbing pain with drugs was a way to embrace the arms of their god fully. Of course, drugs are dangerous. While they might provide momentary pleasure, in the end, they only ruin your life. But here¡¯s the question. ¡ªIs your life truly too valuable to ruin? What¡¯s so wrong about using drugs to forget your pain? What¡¯s so wrong about ending your life? Why is clinging to a hopeless future considered the right path? After all, your life won¡¯t change. The pain you feel today will repeat tomorrow, the next day, and every day until you die. If you embrace Tesranak¡¯s embrace, you¡¯ll gain a new life beyond death, free from your painful existence. If a new life awaits you, why hold on to this one? And if you no longer care about your current life, why not spend the remaining time in pleasure instead of suffering? ¡°¡­That seems to be their reasoning,¡± the young priest exined. Karnak clicked his tongue in disgust. ¡°If that¡¯s their logic, shouldn¡¯t they just quicklymit suicide?¡± ¡°They im Tesranak won¡¯t grant them a new life if theymit suicide. That¡¯s why they say they must umte good deeds in this world first.¡± ¡°Well, that doctrine is certainly convenient.¡± Scoffing, Karnak continued to unleash scorching magic bullets. With each hit, various monsters bled and copsed. The others weren¡¯t idle either. Baros, Serati, and even Laficel all ravaged the surroundings with overwhelming force. ¡°Were such powerful individuals still left at the temple?¡± Lehane muttered in frustration as he sent even more undead towards Karnak¡¯s group. As a result, the density of undead around the temple significantly increased, especially in the area surrounding them. Watching the battlefield, Karnak slowly raised his magic staff. ¡®Looks like it¡¯s time.¡¯ The appropriate distance, the right range, and enough undead had gathered. It was the perfect moment to achieve maximum efficiency. Tapping the ground with his wand, he began to chant his spell. ¡°With the power of righteousw, I shall govern and take judgment in my hands¡­¡± A faint ripple of light spread out, seeping into the earth. An intricate web of delicate mana silently expanded across the area. Raising his wand to the sky, Karnak shouted the final invocation. ¡°I shall be the one who atones for the sins of darkness, Redeemer of Necromancy!¡± *** The night sky opened. Through the parted heavens, brilliant light shone down. Saaah! Powerful magical light, in the form of a pulse, swept over the horde of zombies and skeletons. At every point the vast concentric circles passed, radiant magic chains shot up from the ground. Dozens of chains wrapped around the necks of dozens of zombies. Dozens of shackles bound the necks of dozens of skeletons. The bound undead began to emit a strange aura. The clear, bright magic intertwined with the thick shapes of darkness. The subdued undead all turned their bodies at once. And they began to attack other undead. ¡°Uoooh!¡± ¡°Graaaah!¡± The undead tore into each other, striking, smashing, and wing. The temple soldiers, witnessing the sight, looked at one another in confusion. ¡°What¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°What is this?¡± The priests, however, had a clearer understanding of what was happening. ¡°Did you¡­ did you just take control of the enemy¡¯s undead with magic?¡± ¡°Unbelievable¡­ how is that even possible?¡± On the other side, the necromancers were just as shocked. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Is he a necromancer too?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s undoubtedly the power of magic¡­¡± Amidst the astonished reactions, Karnak allowed himself an inward smile. ¡®As expected, they figured it out quickly.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t particrly worried, though, as his abilities had already been proven during the witch hunt at the border. It was chaos magic, a technique refined to dominate and reverse control over the opponent¡¯s necromancy. He had perfected this method, transforming it into a wholly separate magic form. Therge-scale necromantic domination spell he had just cast was called the Redeemer of Necromancy. ¡°Go, my servants! By mymand, strike down my enemies!¡± At Karnak¡¯smand, the shackled zombies and undead continued to push forward, relentlessly attacking the cultists. Thanks to this, the tide of the battle began to shift little by little. The temple soldiers¡¯ defensive line, which had been on the verge of copse, regained stability, while the cultists¡¯ army began to scatter. In a panic, Lehane started recklessly firing off necromantic spells. ¡°D-Don¡¯t retreat! Tesranak will protect us!¡± All manner of evil spirits were summoned, swirling in the air. Karnak¡¯s eyes gleamed as he watched. ¡®That must be the leader.¡¯ He licked his lips, already plotting to secretly capture the soul for interrogation if given the chance. Boom! Suddenly, an explosion erupted on the opposite side of the temple. Karnak frowned and turned his head. ¡°What¡¯s this? They had a separate force?¡± The cult¡¯s vice bishop, Sephedes, had taken part of their forces andunched a separate attack. After all, the cultists¡¯ true goal was to rescue Remike and his group, who had been captured. Though, to be precise, Sephedes wasn¡¯t aiming to rescue them but to quietly dispose of them. ¡®If the prisoners are taken, that¡¯ll be a headache.¡¯ However, Karnak was currently controlling the Redeemer of Necromancy spell, dominating this area, so he couldn¡¯t leave. ¡°Baros, you go. Take Serati with you.¡± ¡°Will you be alright on your own, young master?¡± Karnak motioned with his chin toward the ashen-haired girl nearby. ¡°Laficel is here, isn¡¯t she?¡± Nodding, the two turned to leave. Serati gave some parting advice. ¡°Laficel, please guard Lord Karnak.¡± ¡°Yes, unnie!¡± Laficel quickly positioned herself beside Karnak, feeling secretly delighted. ¡®Ah! Lord Karnak trusts me so much!¡¯ Of course, Karnak¡¯s thoughts were entirely different. ¡®If she keeps fighting the undead, she might regain her past memories. I need to stay close to make sure I can restore her at the right moment.¡¯ Laficel, resolutely gazing at the undead army, spoke with determination. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lord Karnak! I¡¯ll protect you with my life!¡± ¡°Uh, sure¡­¡± Her eyes were so pure, filled withplete trust in him. Once again, Karnak clutched his chest. ¡®Did dinner not sit well with me? Why do I feel this sudden difort?¡¯ Chapter 123 Chapter 123 South Chapel of the Saisha Temple. Numerous monsters were flooding into the building. It was Sephedes¡¯ squad. While the main forces of the cult were attacking the west side of the temple, this group was attempting to infiltrate the dungeon. However, they couldn¡¯t reach the basement. They were stopped on the first floor of the chapel, thanks to the desperate resistance of two clerics. The spacious chapel, where dozens of worshippers had been offering their prayers, was now overrun by snarling monsters. Their target was the small door leading to the dungeon, but it wasn¡¯t easy to reach. The path to the door was a narrow corridor, fiercely defended by Alius and Belton. ¡°You won¡¯t get through, you bastards!¡± Belton shouted as he continuously swung his mace. The heavy, holy-enchanted weapon crushed the skull of an approaching orc with a sickening crack. Thwack! A gnoll charged forward next, shing with its sword. Belton pushed it back with his shield, disrupting its bnce before delivering another powerful strike. ¡°Hyaaah!¡± Like most clerics, Belton had also mastered a fair degree of martial arts. He hadn¡¯t had time to don his armor due to the urgency, but he was skillfully using his mace and shield to fend off the encroaching monsters. Alius, too, was engaged in a bloody battle, wielding both a longsword and a wand. He shed at a charging wolf monster, forcing it to retreat before raising his wand and chanting a holy spell. ¡°May the Holy Spear of Hatoba purify thisnd!¡± A bluence of light materialized in midair and plunged into the ground, creating a whirlwind of holy light. The wolf monsters caught in the vortex howled in pain, bleeding as they were forced back. ¡°Keaaak!¡± ¡°Grrrrr¡­.¡± Alius¡¯ face darkened. ¡®Tch, it¡¯s only this effective?¡¯ Though he had managed to repel the monsters, none of them had been killed. If they were undead, this would have been enough to turn them all to dust. However, because they were living creatures, the power of his spell had been diminished. Belton, eyeing the mass of monsters, muttered in dismay. ¡°Dear Goddess, what in the world is happening¡­?¡± They had been in the dungeon, discussing future ns, when suddenly the outside had grown strangely noisy. Rushing to the surface, they found that all the guards had been killed and the monsters had breached the chapel. Frantically picking up the fallen soldiers¡¯ weapons, they drove the monsters back and were now holding the entrance to the dungeon. ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­¡± It had only been a few minutes since the battle began, but both of them were already gasping for breath. Seeing them struggle, a necromancer taunted from the back. ¡°Foolish dogs of the goddess, how long do you think the two of you can hold out?¡± Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t wrong. Alius quickly tried to think of a solution. ¡°Damn it, how can we send a message¡­?¡± All the guards were dead, and they were trapped inside the building. How could they call for Karnak¡¯s group? ¡®That¡¯s it!¡¯ Suddenly, Alius aimed his wand at the ceiling of the chapel. ¡°Hatoba, grant me your radiance!¡± Boom! An explosion erupted from the ceiling. However, it wasn¡¯t very powerful, only shattering some windows. ¡°¡­Mr. Alius, what are you doing?¡± Belton was momentarily dumbfounded, wondering why Alius would break the temple¡¯s windows. ¡°This should be loud enough for them to hear from outside, right?¡± Alius said. Belton¡¯s expression brightened. He, too, started casting a holy spell aimed at the ceiling. ¡°Even if the windows are expensive, they¡¯re cheaper than lives!¡± With a crashing sound, the stained ss windows of the chapel¡¯s upper floor shattered one after another. Sephedes, realizing their n, hastilymanded the monsters to move. ¡°Go, servants of darkness! ughter them all!¡± *** They fought. They fought with everything they had. But there were too many monsters. They had no time to rest. Thud! Eventually, Belton dropped his mace. His grip had weakened to the point where he couldn¡¯t hold it anymore. The necromancer sneered. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? You won¡¯tst long.¡± It felt like they had been fighting for an eternity, but in reality, it hadn¡¯t even been five minutes. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± Alius cursed, trying to summon everyst bit of his strength. ng! Suddenly, with a loud crash, shards of ss fell onto the heads of the monsters. Something was smashing through the stained ss ceiling of the chapel. ¡°Hah!¡± With a sharp shout, a red sh zipped through the monsters. In the blink of an eye, five orcs were dismembered, and arge knightnded gracefully on the ground. Alius eximed with delight. ¡°Sir Baros!¡± Right after, a beautiful woman with red hair descended from the air as well. As shended, she spun in a dazzling arc of light, cutting down all the surrounding monsters. With the area cleared, Serati turned and asked, ¡°Are you both safe?¡± Belton let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Thanks to you, Dame Serati.¡± ¡°What about the dungeon?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still secure.¡± ¡°Then we just need to take care of these monsters.¡± The monsters hesitated and began to retreat. The intense aura emanating from the two warriors¡¯ swords was so overwhelming that the monsters instinctively recoiled. Taking advantage of the moment, Alius helped Belton sit down near the entrance and then tightened his grip on his wand. ¡°Catch your breath for a moment, Priest Belton. We¡¯ll take care of things from here.¡± A single priest alone isn¡¯t much of a force in battle, but with strong warriors guarding them, they can perform at their best. ¡°Hatoba! Grant your blessings to your children!¡± The goddess¡¯s blessing enveloped Baros and Serati. Without wasting a moment, the two warriors charged forward, causing blood to rain throughout the chapel. ¡°Aaagh!¡± ¡°Graaaagh!¡± With the assistance of a first-tier inquisitor, the power of these two aura users was truly immense. Everywhere Baros and Serati passed, rivers of blood flowed in their wake. In an instant, the swarm of monsters was pushed back, all the way from the corridor to the opposite side of the chapel. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°To think there were warriors of this caliber still remaining in the temple¡­¡± The necromancers controlling the monsters recoiled in shock and retreated. At that moment, three swordsmen d in light armor stepped forward. ¡°Aura users?¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s our turn.¡± Serati frowned. The enemies¡¯ swords glowed with a dark, pitch-ck light, and faint ck smoke rose from their shoulders like a heat haze. ¡°Dark battle aura¡­¡± Baros smirked slightly, recognizing the familiar energy and sight. ¡°Dark Knights.¡± *** The Dark Knights were knights who, unable to awaken their own aura, used the power of necromancy to wield a form of artificial aura. They were essentially living versions of Death Knights, warriors who had not yet fully sumbed to undeath. Baros himself had once walked this path. The dark knights sneered coldly as they pointed their ck aura swords. ¡°A Red Knight, huh.¡± ¡°You seem skilled, but¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re no match for those blessed by Tesranak.¡± Their words couldn¡¯t simply be dismissed as arrogance. Dark aura, due to its nature, made it difficult to gauge the opponent¡¯s level, but from their sheer presence, it was clear they were formidable. All three were on par with Serati at least, likely even above the level of a Red Knight. ¡®They¡¯re not going to be easy,¡¯ Serati thought as she tensed, flexing her fingers in preparation. ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re all dark aura users.¡± Baros suddenly spoke up. ¡°But why didn¡¯t you step up until now?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The Dark Knights were momentarily confused by the question. ¡°Over there, you know¡­ the dungeon.¡± Baros pointed toward the entrance leading to the basement. ¡°If you¡¯d stepped up earlier, you could havepleted your objective before we even arrived, don¡¯t you think?¡± He wasn¡¯t wrong. If the three Dark Knights had attacked from the start, the priests, with no real protection, would have been swiftly decapitated. ¡°So, why were you sitting back all this time?¡± After a brief hesitation, one of the knights responded, ¡°¡­We were simply staying behind to guard our allies, just in case.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lie,¡± Baros snorted. ¡°You just wanted to make a shy entrance.¡± Having once been a Dark Knight himself, Baros knew exactly what they were thinking. He had the same thoughts back in the day when he hadn¡¯t earned his power through his own effort but borrowed it from others. ¡°You were waiting for an aura user like us to show up so you could make a grand appearance, isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°W-what nonsense are you spouting?!¡± The knight¡¯s face flushed red, clearly revealing that Baros had struck a nerve. Even the other necromancers gave them a look as if to say, ¡°Wait, is that really the case?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I get it,¡± Baros continued his taunt. ¡°You lived a pathetic, lower-ss life, swinging your sword all your life but never mastering aura. Then, all of a sudden, you got power, right? Of course, you¡¯d want to make a dramatic entrance, wielding your aura sword like one of the naturally gifted knights. I understand, really.¡± ¡°Sh-shut up!¡± The Dark Knights, their faces now red with rage, lunged all at once. The Dark Knights swung their swords infused with dark aura,shing out in furious rage. ¡°You arrogant fool!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll cut off your limbs and make you beg for mercy!¡± Watching the dark aura fly from all directions, Serati inwardly admired the situation. ¡®So this was the n.¡¯ She had wondered why Baros was taunting the enemies so much in the face of battle, but now it was clear. The Dark Knights had lost theirposure, and their swordsmanship had be as shaky as that of novices. With just a few words, Baros had brilliantly unsettled their focus. Serati unleashed her own aura and swung her sword in response. Red and ck aura swords shed in midair. Though the Dark Knight¡¯s aura was stronger, Serati had the upper hand. Their overexcitement had caused them to lose control of their aura flow. ¡°Haaah!¡± Serati deflected the force of the descending blow and used the rebound tounch a counterattack. Her fierce sh cut deeply across the chest of one of the Dark Knights. ¡°Graaaagh!¡± As he copsed, bleeding heavily, the fallen Dark Knight muttered in disbelief. ¡°You¡­ you damned heretic¡­¡± Baros, on the other hand, was having an even easier time. ¡°Tsk tsk, the first one to lose their temper is the first to lose the fight.¡± The dark aura swords flew at him from both sides, but the flow of their aura was irregr and full of gaps. With his vast experience, Baros didn¡¯t miss those openings. He swung his sword lightly, as if it were a whip, and deflected the attacks. Boom! With the sound of aura shing, their des vibrated in midair. Baros had wrapped his own aura around the dark aura, causing it to backfire. For an ordinary aura user, this wouldn¡¯t be a big problem¡ªjust a momentary disruption in breathing. But for the Dark Knights, it was different. ¡®Dark aura isn¡¯t exactly healthy for the body,¡¯ Baros thought. Both Dark Knights coughed up ck blood simultaneously. ¡°Urgh!¡± ¡°Hack!¡± As they staggered, Baros moved in and delivered a mighty sh. Crash! With a thunderous sound, the Dark Knights were sent flying into the wall. Though they weren¡¯t dead, the impact had clearly taken a toll on them, and they slumped to the ground, unable to move. The necromancers, who had been watching, stared in disbelief. ¡°How could the Dark Knights fall so easily?¡± ¡°This is impossible! They¡¯re warriors on par with aura users!¡± Turning toward the necromancers, Baros let out a faint chuckle. ¡°They didn¡¯t fall because they were weak. They fell because they were stupid.¡± His eyes then grew cold as he stepped forward. ¡°Now, it¡¯s time for a little talk with you lot, don¡¯t you think?¡± Chapter 124 Chapter 124 ¡°They lost because they were stupid¡­¡± Looking at the fallen Dark Knights, Sephedes let out a bitterugh. ¡°I have nothing to say. We didn¡¯t even get a chance to do anything.¡± Seeing him calm down instead, Baros clicked his tongue inwardly. ¡®Did I provoke him too much?¡¯ Sephedes raised both of his arms. Around him, necromantic power surged and spread in all directions. ¡°They couldn¡¯t do anything, but¡­¡± ck smoke began to seep out from the fallen Dark Knights. It was the dark battle aura that had been the source of their power. ¡°¡­thanks to that, they haven¡¯t even used up much of their dark aura!¡± The dark battle aura gathered in midair and then flowed out of the broken chapel window. Serati frowned. ¡®What is he trying to do?¡¯ Soon, ck shadows began to rush into the chapel from all directions. Breaking through the main gate and climbing over the shattered windows, they started to appear one by one. ¡°Death means being in the arms of Tesranak¡­.¡± ¡°There is no reason to fear¡­¡± ¡°I shall offer my body to the true god!¡± There were about 20 of them, seemingly ordinary cultists armed with spears, sickles, and other agricultural tools. But what followed was anything but ordinary. Woooom! Dark battle aura erupted from the weapons of all of them. Serati¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Dark battle aura? That many of them?¡± Each one of them had an auraparable to that of a Red Knight. They were not inferiorpared to the Dark Knights they had just defeated. ¡°Are you saying they are all Dark Knights?¡± Alius muttered in a somber voice. ¡°They¡¯re ck Servants.¡± Dark Knights use dark battle aura, but the only difference between them and regr aura users is that they wield the aura more efficiently. On the other hand, ck Servants inject the dark battle aura in an instant and consume it in a short time. For a brief moment, they can exhibit powerparable to aura users, but once they exhaust the injected aura, that¡¯s the end. Furthermore, the user inevitably loses their life in the end. Their bodies can¡¯t endure thepression of all that power and end up copsing. In other words, they are disposable puppets that wield dark battle aura. Alius continued with a bitter expression. ¡°So, they¡¯re basically time-limited aura users.¡± ¡°How long do theyst?¡± ¡°About 30 minutes?¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite long¡­¡± Even after demonstrating such a feat, Sephedes still wore a dissatisfied expression. ¡®Damn it, because of those bastards, I¡¯ve had to waste all the dark battle aura I¡¯d gathered.¡¯ Even to a necromancer who took human lives lightly, ck Servants weren¡¯t a particrly attractive spell. Who would want to waste precious dark energy, painstakingly collected, only to have it dissipate in half an hour? Naturally, it was better to create Dark Knights and use them carefully for a long time. However, despite the downside, the power was undeniable. For at least 30 minutes, more than 20 aura users were now under his control. ¡°So, how do you feel about your little conversation?¡± Sephedes sneered, and Baros grinned in response. ¡°I can¡¯t say you¡¯re stupid.¡± There are plenty of people in the world who suffer greater losses because they hesitate over minor inconveniences. Sephedes, on the other hand, had made a bold decision and changed the situation. The ck Servants, radiating dark battle aura, began to tighten their encirclement. ¡°Tesranak¡­¡± ¡°Watch over us¡­¡± Even if their battle aura was simr, it was impossible topare them to real Dark Knights. Originally, they were ordinary people, untrained in martial arts. And now, they were in a drug-induced daze. In a one-on-one fight, a Dark Knight would easily win. The problem was their numbers. ¡°No matter what, twenty is way too many.¡± Baros nodded. ¡°Looks like rehab training ends here.¡± Suddenly, a red sh flew straight at Sephedes. In the middle of speaking, Baros had thrown a battle aura-infused sword. Just as the sword was about to pierce through Sephedes, one of the ck Servants swung dark battle aura and intercepted it. Boom! With a loud crash, the red battle aura sword was deflected into the air. Startled, Sephedes shouted in frustration. ¡°Did you really think such a sneak attack would work? I was already prepar¡ª¡± Before he could finish his sentence, the head of a nearby ck Servant was suddenly sliced off. ¡°Kuhh!¡± With a faint groan, blood sprayed out like a fountain. The necromancers wore nk expressions. ¡®Huh?¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®Why did that guy die?¡¯ Only Serati, watching from a distance, had grasped the situation. The deflected battle aura sword suddenly changed direction in midair, drawing arge arc as it targeted the back of another ck Servant¡¯s head. The ck Servants failed to react in time as they focused solely on protecting Sephedes ording to orders. ¡°One down.¡± Baros flicked his wrist as he threw himself forward. ng! The fallen longsword returned to him with a strange sound. A chain of red light appeared between his wrist and the sword¡ªan aura-formed chain. Atst, Serati grasped the situation. ¡®He used that to change direction in midair.¡¯ Gripping the sword again, Baros moved along the outskirts of the chapel. Three ck Servants pursued him. Dark battle aura surged at him sequentially from both the front and sides. Baros lowered his stance as if crawling along the ground and counterattacked. He slipped through the enemy¡¯s assault with a sharp thrust, delivering a swift counter! ¡°Gah!¡± The ck Servant¡¯s throat was pierced, and ck smoke billowed from the wound. Baros¡¯s indifferent voice echoed faintly. ¡°Two.¡± It wasn¡¯t over yet. Using his momentum, Baros twisted his body. As he passed by, the red battle aura sword suddenly shot upward into the air. The pursuing dark battle aura was also swept up and misdirected. In that gap, a lightning-fast downward sh struck with force. The red sh cleaved through the necks and chests of the remaining two enemies in sequence. ¡°Three, four.¡± The two ck Servants fell, spilling blood and malice, screaming as they copsed. The necromancers were left speechless. In just a moment, something shed, and they had already lost four of their forces. What¡¯s worse, since ck Servants are disposable, once they fall, the dark battle aura they wield can¡¯t be reused. Shaking with anger, Sephedes shouted at the top of his lungs. ¡°Surround them! Attack all at once!¡± *** The ck Servants rushed in all at once. The necromancers standing behind them began to channel their dark energy. ¡°So, this is where the fun from ambushes ends?¡± Baros clicked his tongue but didn¡¯t seem particrly tense. ¡°You two, guard the entrance to the basement.¡± Serati and Alius shouted in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re going to face all those enemies alone?¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Baros made an embarrassed face. ¡°Ah, actually¡­¡± He smiled warmly and turned his right hand. ¡°It¡¯s not that impossible.¡± ng! Once again, a chain of red aura stretched out from him. Sephedes flinched and stepped back in shock. The ck Servants blocked his way. Immediately, the chain sword danced, drawing intricate arcs through the air. In the same instant, one person exploded. Boom! Flesh scattered in every direction. The victim wasn¡¯t Sephedes, nor were they one of the ck Servants. It was another necromancer, watching the situation from the sidelines, who had been struck down without even imagining that he would be targeted. ¡°There¡¯s one thing about people who hide behind others and shoot stuff.¡± Baros spun the chain sword with a cold smile. ¡°They always think it¡¯s not their problem just because they¡¯re a step back. Why do they think the ones in front will be the first to die?¡± Sephedes¡¯s face turned pale. ¡®He¡¯s a guy who¡¯s seasoned in fighting necromancers!¡¯ When the sword pierced the necromancer¡¯s heart, the necromancer had already died instantly. However, Baros deliberately exploded the aura, shattering even the corpse. Leaving a body behind would only allow the necromancers to reuse. ¡°Alright, here we go again!¡± With a shout, Baros threw himself forward. He extended his chain sword, aiming for the leading ck Servant. The opponent blocked the attack with dark battle aura. He maniptes the chainsword that bounces off the air and instead rams it into the ceiling. Then, with a pull, he hoisted himself into the air within the chapel! ¡°Hah!¡± Being suspended in midair is generally not a favorable position in battle. But when one moves freely in midair, the situation changes entirely. The chain sword relentlessly assaulted the ck Servants. Like a snake, itshed out in all directions, coiling, striking, and crushing them. The metallic ngs echoed like the warning rattles of a viper. ng! The ck Servants tried desperately to fend off the storm of violence with their dark battle aura. Their power was certainly not something to be taken lightly. Even a ncing blow could deal a fatal wound to Baros. That is, if they couldnd a blow. ¡°They can¡¯t hit me.¡± No matter how they swung and stabbed with their dark battle aura-infused swords, Baros slipped away like an illusion¡­ ¡°Hup!¡± Exploiting their openings, he delivered fatal strikes! ¡°Aaah!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Baros weaved through their screams like water, smiling contentedly. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve used this technique.¡± The Desteran Style Chain Sword. It was the signature swordsmanship of Silver Knight Desteran, the leader of Sorch ck, the most powerful criminal organization that once ruled the darkness of the Lacaenia Empire, and an aura user who had reached the peak of silver sword aura. It was also a technique that Baros, as a Dark Knight, used frequently before he became a Death Knight. Until now, he hadn¡¯t had enough aura to perform it, but he could finally execute it once again. Seeing Barospletely dominate the situation, Sephedes muttered in disbelief. ¡°Were you not even fighting seriously until now?¡± Baros chuckled. ¡°Come on, of course I¡¯ve been fighting seriously. Do you think I¡¯d mess around when my life¡¯s on the line?¡± He wasn¡¯t lying. He had been serious. Serious about gauging his opponents¡¯ abilities, and serious about fighting them. ¡°But now¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Baros pushed off the ground andunched himself again. ¡°¡­I¡¯m seriously killing you.¡± *** Baros, the Death Knight Lord and greatest subject of the Death King Karnak. In his previous life, he was undoubtedly one of the strongest warriors in the world. But before that, he had also been one of the world¡¯s worst killers. A being so corrupted, having killed and killed again, that even the fragments of his soul were steeped in the stench of blood. The chains of aura bloomed like the flowers of hell, spraying dark red blood in every direction. Red shes from the sword scattered all around. Baros himself was barely visible. It was as if the chain sword hade to life on its own, dancing freely. ng! He simply moved the sword as his heart willed. Even without deliberate effort, his ughter never deviated from its deadly purpose. Boom! Boom! Boom! Relentless explosions echoed through the merciless screams. ¡°Aaah!¡± ¡°Uuuggh!¡± And yet, neither Serati nor Alius, watching this unfold, felt any sense of unease. The ones Baros was killing now were the evil cultists and necromancers, after all. Depending on one¡¯s perspective, the same actions can be perceived entirely differently. Alius clicked his tongue in amazement. ¡°I had no idea Sir Baros was this strong. He¡¯s gotten unbelievably powerful since thest time I saw him.¡± Serati wore a helpless expression. ¡°I¡¯ve been with him this whole time, and even I didn¡¯t know he was this strong¡­¡± Amid the shock from both allies and enemies, Baros continued to steadily reduce the number of ck Servants. Growing desperate, Sephedes summoned all of his remaining necromantic power. ¡°Come forth, suffering souls of the abyss!¡± The two surviving necromancers also called upon their powers. ¡°Rise, deceive death, and walk again on your own feet¡­¡± Wraiths began floating through the air inside the chapel, and dead monsters rose again as undead. Baros frowned slightly. ¡®Is this their final desperate act?¡¯ There¡¯s a saying that a cornered rat will bite a cat. Of course, even if the rat bites the cat, it will still end up being eaten. But that doesn¡¯t mean the cat won¡¯t feel the pain of the bite. Retracting his chain sword, Baros calmly sent out a message. [Dame Serati!] Chapter 125 Chapter 125 A group of wraiths swirled around the chapel, wailing with ghostly cries. ¡°Arrggh!¡± A horde of monster zombies growled as they surged forward. ¡°Grraaa¡­.¡± ¡°Grraa¡­.¡± Baros began spinning his chain sword in a wide arc. Chains of aura unraveled, and everything within a radius of several meters was engulfed in the destruction zone of the sword aura. Boom! Boom! Boom! The chapel began to copse in various ces. However, neither the wraiths nor the monster zombies were affected. They had already moved outside of the range. Instead, the ck Servants charged in. The pitch-ck sword aura shed with the red chain sword, creating waves of aura. Amid the constant explosions of sound, a series of back-and-forth exchanges followed. Suddenly, Baros red at the necromancers and unleashed an intense wave of killing intent. ¡°Ugh!¡± The necromancers were well aware of Baros¡¯s sneaky tactics by now, where he would fight one enemy while targeting another. Panicked, the necromancers moved their monster zombies to block the front. At that moment, a blood-stained de suddenly emerged from the chests of two necromancers. Their eyes bulged with bloodshot veins as their dying breaths echoed faintly. Sephedes¡¯ eyes widened in shock. ¡°What, what¡¯s happening?¡± Behind the fallen necromancers, a beautiful woman with red hair appeared. It was Serati, who had been guarding the entrance to the basement moments ago. ¡®When did she get there?¡¯ She had silently circled around the chapel and snuck behind the necromancers without anyone noticing. It had been Baros¡¯s n all along. The order to guard the entrance was just a decoy, and his real intention was elsewhere. [When the time is right, take care of the necromancers!] When everyone¡¯s attention was on Baros, she quietly slipped away from the entrance, climbed along the chapel walls, and reached the necromancers¡¯ rear. With two longswords in hand, she approached the necromancers, and in the moment when Baros¡¯s killing intent distracted them¡ªstab! Thanks to this, she easily and efficiently dealt with two enemies. Though it would have been even better if Sephedes had been taken down as well, this was still an excellent result. Baros didn¡¯t hold back his praise. ¡°Well done, Dame Serati!¡± Serati quickly returned to her post by the entrance. Alius asked in disbelief, ¡°Wait, when did you go there?¡± Even he, who was standing right next to her, hadn¡¯t noticed. Serati realized now what Baros meant earlier. ¡®So, just because you have eyes doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re actually seeing everything.¡¯ Even if something is within your field of vision, if you¡¯re not consciously aware of it, it¡¯s as if you never saw it. She felt like she hade to some sort of understanding, though she wasn¡¯t quite sure what it was yet. Meanwhile, the monster zombies were dropping one by one. With the necromancers who controlled them dead, their spells could no longer be maintained. All that remained were five ck Servants and the wraiths summoned by Sephedes. ¡°Once we deal with these, it¡¯s over,¡± Baros said, grinning confidently. Sephedes scowled like a demon. ¡°No! It¡¯s not over yet!¡± The wraiths began pouring down on Baros like a waterfall. Spinning his chain sword like a shield, Baros blocked the attack and stepped back. ¡°Mr. Alius!¡± Summoning the wraiths had been a mistake. There were not one, but two high-ranking priests present. ¡°Let the light of Hatoba descend upon thisnd!¡± ¡°Saisha, banish the unholy with your radiance!¡± As if they had been waiting for this, Alius and Belton cast arge-scale purification spell. The wraiths, caught in the divine light, began to thrash in the air. ¡°Arrrggghh!¡± In that moment, Serati silently slipped out from the entrance again and charged toward Sephedes. mes red in Sephedes¡¯ eyes. ¡°You bastards!¡± Having been deceived once, he had been keeping a constant eye on Serati¡¯s position. ¡°Do you think you can fool me again?!¡± The ck Servants lunged to block her. Behind them, Baros seized the opportunity. He had used his enemies so far; now, he used his allies to break his opponent¡¯s focus. [Thanks for being good bait.] Serati wasn¡¯t fazed. [Go ahead and use me all you want.] She had already be familiar with how these people thought. She immediately spun around, engaging the ck Servants in a pincer attack. Despite being outnumbered five to two, the ck Servants were the ones being pushed back, thanks to the advantageous positioning and timing. ¡°Krrgh!¡± ¡°Argh!¡± In the end, all the ck Servants fell. The wraiths Sephedes had summoned couldn¡¯t withstand the divine power of Alius and Belton and were also destroyed. All that was left was Sephedes, who was pale from exhaustion and out of necromantic power. ¡°D-damn it¡­.¡± Pointing his sword, Baros spoke coldly. ¡°Surrender.¡± ¡°¡­.Do you think I could?¡± Sephedes slumped his shoulders andughed. ¡°Heh, heh¡­¡± He cried out helplessly with a face full of despair. ¡°You naive children of the goddess¡­ You have no idea how cruel true darkness can be.¡± Baros and Serati exchanged awkward nces. ¡°Uh¡­ well¡­¡± ¡°I mean, that¡¯s kind of¡­.¡± It was debatable whether these two could really be called children of a ¡°naive goddess.¡± In any case, it seemed Sephedes had given up on everything. ¡°At least I won¡¯t have to worry about the aftermath¡­.¡± With a sigh, darkness stirred within his body. It was the unique suicide method of the cultists, the Heart Explosion. Sensing the shift in energy, Baros panicked for a moment. ¡®Oh no!¡¯ Come to think of it, Karnak wasn¡¯t here right now. Even if he were, with two priests present, soul harvesting wouldn¡¯t work. He had to stop this guy frommitting suicide. ¡®But how? How do I stop this?¡¯ Baros had spent his life killing people who wanted to live. He had no experience saving someone who wanted to die. ¡®Ah, what should I do?¡¯ The thought process was long, but in reality, it took only a moment. Before he realized it, Serati had dashed forward like lightning and delivered a fierce uppercut to Sephedes¡¯s jaw. Thwack! His neck snapped back, and Sephedes copsed on the spot. Naturally, the heart explosion was halted. ¡°Gaaaah¡­.¡± Hitting the jaw to knock out consciousness is much simpler than striking the nape of the neck to make someone faint. Of course, there¡¯s the minor downside(?) of the jawbone shattering, but at least the person¡¯s life was spared. ¡°Why did you hesitate?¡± Baros scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯ve never done this before, so I reacted slowly. I guess I should practice itter.¡± Serati shook her head with a wry smile. ¡°So there is something Sir Baros can¡¯t do.¡± *** The battle in the middle of the night ended in victory for the Temple of Saisha. All the undead army had been dealt with, and most of the cultists were either dead or captured. Those who survived were all imprisoned. Among them were Bishop Lehane of the Grenthal territory and Vice-Bishop Sephedes. To prevent suicide, they were gagged and their minds suppressed with divine power, lying unconscious on the prison floor. Afterward, the bodies of the undead and monsters around the temple were all burned. When facing necromancers, leaving bodies intact was the same as providing them with reinforcements. Even if not for that reason, the bodies had to be dealt with before they rotted, but there were too many to bury one by one. By the time they finished cleaning up, the morning sun was rising. As the surroundings brightened, the head of the Temple of Saisha, Trak, gave his orders. ¡°Send a messenger to Kt City. We need to contact the Evil ying Brigade.¡± The elderly man, nearly 80 years old, had not participated in the battle but had been hiding, only nowing out to issuemands. After giving out various instructions, Trak bowed respectfully to Karnak and his group. ¡°We owe a great debt to the coborators of Hatoba. Leave the rest to us and please get some rest.¡± Karnak shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re fine. Let us help finish this.¡± Although Karnak had no empathy, he was skilled at pretending. ying along with the situation, he continued. ¡°Everyone is working hard, so how can we rest?¡± ¡°We¡¯re asking you to rest for our sake. What if the cultists attack again?¡± Without Karnak and his group, the temple forces would not have been able to repel the cultists the previous night. It was better for them to rest and recover their strength for future battles. Karnak had anticipated this response and had only made a show of offering help. ¡°Then we¡¯ll excuse ourselves.¡± As the group returned to their quarters, Alius stayed behind with BVelton and other high-ranking priests to discuss what to do next. ¡°What will you do now?¡± ¡°We must gather the temple warriors and head to the Count¡¯s castle as soon as possible.¡± Currently, Count Hudel was not in the castle. This was the perfect opportunity to raid the castle and confiscate any evidence rted to the cultists. ¡°Isn¡¯t everyone too exhausted?¡± One of the other priests expressed concern. Belton shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not just about confiscating evidence. We don¡¯t know what might happen to the knights and soldiers in the castle due to the cultists¡¯ influence. We must act first.¡± It was a valid point. ¡°I¡¯ll mobilize the soldiers immediately.¡± *** Karnak had returned to his room obediently, but he had no intention of staying put. ¡°Laficel, guard the room.¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Karnak!¡± After naturally separating Laficel, Karnak headed for the dungeon, apanied by Baros and Serati. When the guards at the entrance saw them, they saluted. ¡°Ah! Lord Karnak!¡± ¡°Sir Baros!¡± Karnak pointed inside the prison. ¡°I¡¯d like to interrogate the cultists for a moment. Could you leave us alone for a bit?¡± ¡°Yes, understood.¡± The guards left their post immediately. No one suspected a thing. To them, Karnak and his group were the heroes who had saved the temple from the evil cultists. Even if they weren¡¯t considered heroes, there was no reason to doubt them. Why would it be suspicious for those who captured cultists to want to interrogate them? Once they were alone, Karnak quickly set up a soundproof barrier. Then, he looked at the unconscious Lehane and Sephedes and smirked. ¡°Now, let¡¯s see if these guys have any useful information.¡± Normally, he would have killed them and extracted their souls, but in this situation, that wasn¡¯t possible. If these prisoners, who had been prevented frommitting suicide, suddenly dropped dead, it would raise suspicion. ¡°There¡¯s no need to kill them right now.¡± Luckily, Alius was away, and most of the other priests had also left. Karnak raised his index finger. ¡°It¡¯s a good day for needlework on their brains.¡± Baros stood guard at the entrance. ¡°I¡¯ll keep watch.¡± Serati narrowed her eyes. ¡°Are you really going to do that again?¡± Karnak shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve be more humane, haven¡¯t I?¡± He probably thought it was apliment. She didn¡¯t know how to respond, so she just rubbed her temples. ¡®Ugh, I guess it¡¯s better than killing them and extracting their souls.¡¯ A few momentster, agonizing screams echoed within the prison. ¡°Aaaaargh!¡± Thanks to the soundproof barrier, the screams would never escape, leaving only silence outside. *** An hourter, Karnak emerged from the dungeon with a satisfied grin. He had thoroughly rummaged through the minds of Lehane, Sephedes, and the other cultists. He had also gathered plenty of information about the cultists in the area. ¡°Aah, what a productive day.¡± He returned to his room, finally ready to catch up on some sleep. After a good rest, he woke up feeling hungry. Just as he stepped out of his room, ready to eat, he noticed something unusual. ¡°Huh?¡± The temple courtyard was filled with wounded soldiers, sitting on the ground, covered in blood. They were the priests and soldiers of the Temple of Saisha. ¡®Could the cultists have attacked while I was sleeping?¡¯ That couldn¡¯t be. How could a massive battle have taken ce without him noticing? If he were that oblivious, he would have died long before bing the Death King. But then, what exined these signs of intense battle? Alius appeared exhausted among the defeated soldiers. As they hurriedly approached him, he saw him looking back at his group and sighing. ¡°Ah, Lord Karnak¡­ ¡­ .¡± Baros asked, looking bewildered. ¡°What on earth happened?¡± Chapter 126 Chapter 126 Alius, Belton, and about ten other priests crossed through the vige, apanied by over a hundred soldiers. The vige residents, upon seeing them, cautiously moved away, trying to avoid drawing attention. ¡°What are the priests doing here so early in the morning?¡± ¡°And why does the atmosphere seem so¡­ strange?¡± Their expressions were unusually stern. Having fought a fierce battle the night before, it was no surprise that none of them looked particrly well. They passed through the vige and climbed the hill until they reached the gate of the Count¡¯s castle. Now it was time to convince the knights and soldiers of the Count¡¯s house to uncover evidence that Hudel was involved with the cult. The castle gates were firmly shut. Belton, surveying the castle, muttered, ¡°Strange. They should have opened the gate by now.¡± Two gatekeepers peeked out from above the gate. One of the priests shouted up at them, ¡°Imand you in the name of Saisha! There is suspicion that the Count¡¯s family is involved with heresy, so open the gates at once! Dy any further, and you too will be used of heresy!¡± They fully expected the gatekeepers to be terrified and open the gates immediately. Being used of heresy in the Empire was no small matter. But the response waspletely unexpected. ¡°Hah!¡± ¡°Filthy heretic scum!¡± The gatekeepers hurled insults and shot arrows at them! ¡°Wha¡ª!¡± ¡°Th-those bastards?¡± The priests hurriedly cast holy shield spells. Though their offense might becking, defense was a hallmark of holy magic, so the arrows harmlessly deflected. One of the priests cried out to the gatekeeper in disbelief. ¡°Darlin! How could you shoot an arrow at me? I officiated your wedding!¡± One of the gatekeepers lowered his head, ashamed. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± But then he remembered the situation. ¡°¡­No, wait! My loyalty belongs to my one true master!¡± His speech wavered between respectful and casual, reflecting the awkwardness of the situation. The gatekeepers retreated behind the castle walls. The priests, too, fell back, ncing at each other. ¡°Could it be that the entire castle of Count Grenthal has fallen to the cult?¡± ¡°If so, this is the worst possible scenario¡­¡± It seemed their worst fears wereing true. A group of knights appeared above the gate. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Priest Belton.¡± It was Ancent, the strongest knight of the Grenthal family and a red aura user. Behind him were other knights and a 5th-circle mage named Kamiros. ¡°Sir Ancent¡­¡± Belton scowled and asked, ¡°Surely you all haven¡¯t joined the cult too?¡± Ancent, a knight in his thirties standing in front, looked down at Belton and smiled coldly. ¡°Who are you calling cultists? Lord Tesranak is the only one who can truly save this world!¡± There was no doubt. They had all fallen into the hands of the cult. Belton let out a sigh of despair. ¡°I¡¯ve made a grave mistake¡­¡± He had assumed that the forces they foughtst night were all the cult had, so he only brought the priests and soldiers. Karnak and the others weren¡¯t even here. If aura users and mages were among the cultists, there was no point in trying to fight. ¡°Everyone, retreat!¡± At Belton¡¯smand, the temple soldiers began to withdraw down the hill, casting wary nces at each other. ¡°Hah! You think we¡¯ll just let you go?¡± Watching them, Mage Kamiros raised his wand. ¡°Come forth, fog. Creep and spread, and cover all directions.¡± *** By the time they had fled down the hill and re-entered the vige, the priests were confused. The streets werepletely empty. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Where did everyone go?¡± Just moments ago, the streets had been bustling with people. Now, it was as if they had vanished like ghosts. Belton gritted his teeth. ¡°Those cultist bastards, what are they scheming?¡± An eerie sound echoed from all directions. Saaa¡­ Saaa¡­ Fog began to roll in. It grew so thick that even the buildings across the street became barely visible. It was clear that if they stayed, they¡¯d soon lose their way. Alius raised his wand. ¡°Hatoba, shine your light and guide our way!¡± A brilliant light cut through the fog, allowing the priests to faintly make out the outlines of the vige. But through the fog, something strange was approaching. ¡°Lord Tesranak¡­¡± ¡°Save us¡­¡± It was the missing vigers. They were muttering strange words as they slowly approached the priests with zed eyes. Just like the others from the night before, they appeared to be under the influence of some drug. ¡°Are they cultists again?¡± ¡°But¡­ there are so many of them.¡± The priests exchanged shocked nces. No matter howrge the cult¡¯s influence, it was impossible that the entire vige had turned into cultists. It seemed more likely that innocent civilians were being mind-controlled after being drugged. ¡°Which means¡­ perhaps those fromst night¡­¡± A terrible realization swept over the priests, causing them to shudder. Had they mercilessly killed the faithful followers of the Goddess, mistaking them for cultists? ¡°Ah, Lady Saisha¡­¡± ¡°What shall we do with this sin¡­¡± Alius shouted at the despairing priests. ¡°Everyone, pull yourselves together! We need to get out of here first!¡± ¡°Thanks to the sun being up, the power of necromancy was significantly weakened. The controlled vigers were not as strong as the cultists fromst night. We were able to handle them.¡± Alius let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Also, we were lucky the cult mage made a mistake.¡± The mage had nketed the entire vige in thick fog to hinder the temple forces. Normally, they would have lost their way in the fog. However, most of the priests of Saisha, just like the cultists, were from this verynd. They had lived here their entire lives and regrly traveled in and out of the vige. How could a little fog make them lose their way? If anything, it was the fog that caused the mind-controlled vigers to lose track of the priests. ¡°So, we were barely able to escape the vige and return to the temple.¡± Hearing this, Karnak stared up at Grenthal Castle from the distant hill. ¡®Has the entire castle been taken?¡¯ Concentrating his senses, he began to detect traces of malevolent energy. ¡®Ah, they¡¯ve set the whole stage.¡¯ Even from this distance, he could feel the evil energy. If it was this strong here, the scene up close must resemble the fortress of a demon king straight out of a storybook. One of the priests who had escaped with them murmured fearfully, ¡°I don¡¯t know what the enemy will do next¡­¡± Serati shook her head. ¡°We know exactly what they¡¯ll do.¡± They had only managed to escape because the sun was up. ¡°They¡¯ll wait for nightfall, and then attack again.¡± The soldiers¡¯ faces grew tense at the thought. They all remembered the bloody battle from the night before. The priests began to whisper among themselves. ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°Maybe we should temporarily abandon the temple and retreat to Kt City?¡± ¡°What are you saying? We who serve Saisha cannot submit to those filthy cultists!¡± ¡°All they want is to destroy the evidence. As long as we hold onto the prisoners¡­¡± ¡°At this point, does evidence even matter?¡± Belton shouted in frustration. ¡°Leaving the temple is out of the question!¡± This wasn¡¯t just about pride or faith as clergy. It was simply impossible in practical terms. The temple of Saisha was a massive structure, and over a hundred priests and soldiers were stationed there. ¡°How would we even move such arge group all at once?¡± The temple was fortified with holy barriers and was structurally built for defense. If they were attacked by cultists out on the road, they would likely be massacred. ¡°We must face them here.¡± Fortunately, there were many wounded among the temple soldiers, but few had actually died. Priests specialized in pulling soldiers from the brink of death and sending them back into battle. With Karnak and his group around, they could hold out for several days. Belton encouraged everyone and spoke resolutely. ¡°We¡¯ll hold out here until the Evil ying Brigade arrives.¡± That night, the undead army came once more. Just as Serati had predicted. But there was something she hadn¡¯t foreseen. The attacking undead were merely zombies and low-level monster corpses. There were only about a hundred of them at most. For soldiers blessed with holy spells, they were easy to dispatch. It made no sense. The confirmed cultist forces included a red aura user, a 5th-circle mage, nine knights, and nearly a hundred soldiers from the Count¡¯s castle. Not to mention the necromancers and the worshippers of the Dark God hidden within. So why were they only sending a meager force of low-level undead? ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Why would they waste their energy like this?¡± The priests were utterly confused. Only Karnak allowed himself a small, bitter smile. ¡®I was confused at first too.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t until after interrogating Lehane and Sephedes that he understood the cultists¡¯ behavior. They were followers of the Dark God as much as they were necromancers. In other words, they were a secretive cult. ¡®That¡¯s the weakness of a decentralized organization.¡¯ The leader of this area, Hudel, was away. Bishop Lehane, who had taken charge in his absence, had been captured. Sephedes, the only one with a practical mind, was also now a prisoner. So, who was left? A few middle-ranking executives who barely knew each other by name, let alone face, were forced to y leaders. -We have to wait for Count Hudel to return! -No, we must strike down the heretics and rescue ourrades now! The cult had split into two factions. One group had holed up inside the castle, while the other led a force of zombies to attack the temple. Thetter group was far weaker. After all, the main forces¡ªLehane and Sephedes¡ªhad been wiped out the night before. That¡¯s why the cult¡¯s attacks were so half-hearted. The undead army came every night after that, but it was always the same: zombies and low-level monsters. Of course, they were easily repelled. But even though they couldn¡¯tunch an effective counterattack, the temple forces also couldn¡¯t march on the Count¡¯s castle. Their forces weren¡¯t strong enough to take advantage of the daylight, and the undead weren¡¯t strong enough to overwhelm them at night. Of course, if Karnak and his team got serious, they might be able to turn the tide. But they deliberately stayed in the temple, not taking the lead. ¡°If we move too aggressively, it could be a problem.¡± Hudel needed to return to the territory. Only then could they capture him and extract the information they needed. ¡°What if the situation resolves itself before he gets back?¡± The enemy might slip away, disappearing into the shadows. ¡°Until then, we need toy low as well.¡± *** It had been seven days since the cultists in Grenthal¡¯s territory began their rebellion. A carriage passed through the main road. Inside was Count Hudel, returning home after finishing his business in the capital. As he entered his territory, Hudel opened the carriage window. The castle should being into view soon. He looked forward to resting and shaking off the fatigue of travel after returning to his home. But as he turned his gaze toward the castle¡­ ¡°What?¡± Hudel blinked in disbelief. Dark energy was swirling around the castle. Dark clouds loomed overhead, wraiths floated about, and the vige was shrouded in thick, ominous fog. Shocked, Hudel muttered under his breath. ¡°What the hell¡­ is going on?¡± Chapter 127 Chapter 127 The Lord¡¯s office in Count Grenthal¡¯s castle. Hudel sat at his work desk, cradling his head in his hands with a heavy sigh. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± The dozen or so men lined up in front of him anxiously watched for his reaction. ¡°Count?¡± ¡°Your Excellency, the Cardinal?¡± To his left were the knights of the Count Grenthal, and to his right were the followers of the Dark God who had been hiding within the estate. Hudel lifted his head briefly, scanning the faces of those standing before him, then lowered it again. Another deep sigh escaped him. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± He had only dyed by about two weeks, no more. The only thing that dyed the schedule was a little bit because Elezar had suddenly ordered the collection of the cursed sword he had used, and he had to give rted instructions to the Dark God¡¯s cult hidden within the capital. But when he returned, the household was in shambles, and he was one step away from bing a wanted man. ¡®What on earth is going on?¡¯ Stifling the urge to cry, he tried to assess the situation, but it only made things worse. ¡®What? They dered war on the Saisha Temple?¡¯ Hudel knew that Lehane had some zealous tendencies. But since he was effective at expanding the influence of the cult, Hudel hadn¡¯t considered it much of a w. Little did he expect Lehane to cause such a colossal disaster. ¡°What on earth were they thinking, attacking the temple openly?¡± The knights of the Count¡¯s territory seized the opportunity to condemn those standing opposite them. ¡°Exactly!¡± ¡°What were they thinking with such a foolish move?¡± Meanwhile, Lehane¡¯s followers nervously nced around, anxious and unsure. ¡°We did find it a bit suspicious¡­¡± ¡°But it was Bishop Lehane¡¯s order¡­¡± ¡°He said it was the will of Tesranak¡­¡± Hudel, finding their excuses pathetic, turned away from them and nced out the window. A few wandering evil spirits driftedzily through the thick mist. Though it was still broad daylight, and their power was weak, such things shouldn¡¯t be wandering around at this hour. Hudel¡¯s gaze shifted back to his knights. ¡°If they had already caused trouble, the least you could have done was clean up the aftermath. Why is the castle in this state?¡± This time, it was Lehane¡¯s followers who shouted, agitated. ¡°Exactly!¡± ¡°Why is the castle in this state?¡± The Count¡¯s knights answered awkwardly. ¡°There are things in the castle that priests shouldn¡¯t see¡­¡± ¡°We couldn¡¯t let them inside¡­¡± ¡°And without you here, we didn¡¯t know what to do.¡± Hudel understood. Their mission was to protect the castle, and they were just following orders. If they were just ordinary knights, they hadn¡¯t really done anything wrong. The problem was that these knights were also followers of the Dark God¡­ ¡®Come to think of it, we never really had protocols for a situation like this.¡¯ They had always cut off the tail to preserve the body when problems arose, but now, the entire body was exposed for the first time. Hudel smiled bitterly. ¡®Well, this was bound to happen sooner orter.¡¯ The Gant Mountain incident was just the trigger. The Dark God¡¯s cult had been growing in power across the continent for over five years. Even those who had been persecuted now had some strength. It¡¯s human nature to want to use power when you have it. There had been increasing voices within the cult calling for judgment upon the world in the name of Tesranak. They had been patient because theycked power before, but now they had the strength to change the world. Of course, it still wasn¡¯t time. The world remained strong. The Seven Goddesses¡¯ Church was still solid. But not every member of the cult was wise enough to understand that. Hudel forced himself to regain hisposure. The situation had already blown up. ming Lehane now wouldn¡¯t change anything. First, he needed to understand how the Empire would respond. ¡°Did the temple contact the outside?¡± His subordinates answered in turn. ¡°They seem to have sent a messenger to Kt City.¡± ¡°We tried to intercept them but failed.¡± ¡°They moved quickly. From what we can tell, they left the morning after the attack.¡± Hudel stroked his chin. ¡°So, it was six days ago, in the morning?¡± It took about two days on foot for a swift traveler to reach Kt City from the Grenthal territory. That was enough time to contact the Evil ying Brigade. ¡®Of course, it would be unrealistic to expect they wouldn¡¯t find out about this disaster.¡¯ So, when would the brigade arrive at the Grenthal territory? ¡®I¡¯ll need to do the math.¡¯ Hudel spread a map of the western Empire across the table. *** The Seven Kingdoms Alliance followed a traditional feudal system. There was a king, and lords in each region who maintained the kingdom through mutual contracts. The Lacaenia Empire was a bit different. While it was primarily feudal, the Emperor¡¯s power was also significant. It operated as a centralized local government system, which might seem contradictory at first nce. Each fief is still ruled by a feudal lord of the empire, but between these fiefs are cities directly controlled by the emperor. Through these directly controlled territories, the Emperor exerted substantial influence over all the lords of the Empire. It was a level of influence unmatched by the kings of the Seven Kingdoms Alliance. The reason this system worked was because each of these imperial cities had a dedicated magicmunication center. In modern times, the mostmon way to deliver information was still by messenger. Whether on foot or horseback, having someone carry a letter was the most reliable method. In urgent situations, carrier pigeons were used, but they had too many limitations. Since they relied on their homing instinct, they could only be used for one-waymunication. They could also be lost, and training pigeons was a tedious process. Thus, they were mostly used for military purposes. Magic expanded the range ofmunication slightly. High-level mages of the 7th Circle or above could use magical messages to rece carrier pigeons. Magical messages were far less likely to be lost and didn¡¯t require training, so they were more convenient. However, there were still significant drawbacks. Only mages of the 7th Circle or higher could send and receive magical messages. Moreover, there were too few of these powerful mages. And it wasn¡¯t as though mages that strong would spend their time delivering letters for others. While nobles or royalty could asionally hire them at great expense for personal use, it wasn¡¯t a system that could be implemented universally. Necromancers, on the other hand, had an easier method ofmunication. Instead of magical messages, they could use things like zombie crows or pigeons, a simple spell even beginner necromancers could use. However, this method released a considerable amount of evil energy during the process. A passing priest would see a dark figure soaring through the sky, radiating the power of darkness, and it would be a death sentence if discovered. Therefore, it wasn¡¯t a method to be used lightly. Thus, the mostmon means ofmunication across the continent remained human messengers. But the Lacaenia Empire was different. As a massive empire that ruled over more than half the continent, they mobilized arge number of high-ranking mages to create an extraordinarywork. At great expense, theyid a vast web of magicmunication lines across their territory. It was so expensive that the Seven Kingdoms Alliance couldn¡¯t even consider attempting it. Just installing themunication lines would consume arge portion of a national budget. The catalyst for theplex magic circle installed at eachmunication center was as valuable as its weight in gold, adding even more cost. Even maintaining the system was exorbitantly expensive. Each time a message was sent, the magical catalyst was consumed. Maintaining thework alone cost half the yearly budget of the Kingdom of Yustil. But the efficiency was unmatched. Running a magicalmunication center didn¡¯t require a high-level mage. A mage of the 3rd Circle or higher could use it, and they could send real-time messages to any connected region. Magicmunication centers were established in the four regions of the East, West, South, and North, and 17 cities under the direct control of the Emperor. This allowed the Empire to collect and disseminate information at a speed impossible for the feudal lords to match. It was a major factor supporting the Emperor¡¯s power. Looking over the map, Hudel tried to estimate the messenger¡¯s path. ¡®The messenger likely arrived in Kt City on the evening of the fifth day and immediately used magicmunication to contact the Evil ying Brigade.¡¯ Unlike the King¡¯s Order, which was limited to the small kingdom of Yustil, the Evil ying Brigade was the Empire¡¯s forces, covering a vast area. The brigade was divided into five divisions stationed in the east, west, north, south, and central regions of the Empire. The division overseeing this area was stationed at H¨¢n Fortress, two days from Kt City. How would the brigade have responded after receiving the message? Lehane¡¯s actions amounted to rebellion. They would have dered an emergency. ¡®They must have started gathering troops immediately.¡¯ If the brigade assembled their forces and marched to Grenthal at full speed, it would take about three to four days. ¡®They¡¯re probably on their way now. If they¡¯re fast, they¡¯ll be here in two days.¡¯ Having finished his calctions, Hudel leaned on his chin, lost in thought. ¡®What do I do now?¡¯ The first thought that came to mind was to clean up the situation and escape unscathed. Kill everyone in the Saisha Temple, rebuild the temple with only the low-ranking priests, and throw a few cult members to the authorities as sacrificialmbs. Hudel and his faction would then pretend they had no ties to the Dark God¡¯s cult. ¡®No, that won¡¯t work.¡¯ There are limits to how much you can cover up with lies. That strategy only worked when there were a few people involved. They had caused too much damage this time. Not only had they attacked the temple, but they had also destroyed the entire vige below the castle. ¡®They even messed with outsiders.¡¯ Grenthal¡¯s territory was a key trading hub for merchants crossing the mountains to the Seven Kingdoms. Even after the incident, merchants continued to visit the estate. These foolish and zealous cult members had enved all of those outsiders with mind control. ¡®How could they so recklessly kill the goose thatys the golden eggs¡­¡¯ Having built up the estate¡¯s prosperity to this point, the situation pained Hudel greatly. Now, only one option remained. He had to flee in the night. He would have to abandon the power, status, and wealth he had umted. ¡®Yes, I must give up my position in the Empire.¡¯ But he couldn¡¯t give up his standing within the cult. If he was going to lose his influence as an imperial noble, he needed to secure power as a Dark Cardinal. Only then could he maintain his status within the cult. ¡®And the easiest, fastest way for a necromancer to grow in power is by offering sacrifices.¡¯ Powerful aura users, mages, and devout priests were the most coveted sacrifices for demons. And they were all holed up in the Saisha Temple. ¡°Tonight, we will use all of our forces to wipe out the temple.¡± Having made up his mind, Hudel issued hismand. ¡°Activate all of the necromantic barriers in the castle to draw out power!¡± The expressions of those gathered brightened. A powerful necromancer alone could disy the strength of an army. Hudel was strong enough to achieve that. ¡°For Tesranak!¡± ¡°We will finish them off tonight!¡± They were now ready to secure a decisive victory for the Dark God¡¯s cult. The knights of the Count and the necromancers alike smiled with joy. ¡®Don¡¯t smile, damn it!¡¯ Seeing his subordinates celebrating made Hudel¡¯s head throb once more. *** Karnak, who had been lounging around the temple, suddenly looked up. ¡°Oh, I think he¡¯s here.¡± Baros looked at him in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s here?¡± ¡°That Hudel guy.¡± Serati, also puzzled, asked, ¡°How do you know? Did you sense Hudel¡¯s presence?¡± ¡°Sense the presence of someone I¡¯ve never even met? How would I do that?¡± Scoffing, Karnak threw a question back at the two of them. ¡°Do you feel the change in the castle?¡± Baros and Serati concentrated for a moment before shaking their heads. ¡°No, not at all.¡± ¡°It feels the same as usual.¡± ¡°Right? You can¡¯t feel anything, can you?¡± The change happening in the Count¡¯s castle right now was so subtle and refined that only someone like Karnak could barely perceive it. ¡°If a necromancer that skilled had been in the castle from the start,st night¡¯s attack wouldn¡¯t have been so weak.¡± In other words, Hudel had returned. ¡°We should let the priests know. We need to start preparing.¡± Karnak was about to leave the room to find Alius when Serati absentmindedly asked, ¡°What will you say? How will you exin how you figured it out?¡± Karnak paused mid-step. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a problem, isn¡¯t it?¡± Chapter 128 Chapter 128 The river of darkness flowed with a steady current. Thergest stream was upied by an army of undead, made up of countless deaths. Zombies, ghouls, and the moving corpses of monsters trudged forward, their rotting footsteps apanied by faint groans. Their number reached nearly hundreds. Uoooh¡­. Uoooh¡­. Humans who had their minds controlled also moved with them. Leading the front were the residents of the vige and captured outsiders. They walked in a daze, holding spears and des in their hands. The followers of the Dark God followed behind them. These were those who had been strengthened by the necromancy of the ¡°Apostles of the Dark God.¡± In their drug-induced stupor, they chanted the name of their god in their clouded minds. ¡°Tesranak¡­¡± ¡°Grant us a new world¡­¡± All of them were being controlled by twelve necromancers. Each one was cloaked in a thick aura of malevolence and malice, drawing power under the blessings of the night. Feeling the dark energy swirling around their bodies, the necromancers were pleased. ¡°As expected, the power of the Cardinal is truly incredible.¡± ¡°I feel much stronger than usual.¡± The knights of the count¡¯s family also had a faint aura of darkness enveloping their bodies. They had obtained a dark battle aura through the dark knight¡¯s sorcery. This was all thanks to the massive necromantic power flowing from the altars of darkness installed throughout the castle. The confidence that they could crush anyone, even the Evil ying Brigade or the Empire¡¯s army, filled them. Amidst their heightened morale, Hudel¡¯s forces continued their march. In the distance, the Saisha Temple came into view. Torches were lit throughout the building, making it fairly bright despite the night. Hudel muttered. ¡°They¡¯re prepared, as expected.¡± There was no way they wouldn¡¯t be ready, having been attacked by a zombie army night after night. They surely expected another attack tonight as well. Unfortunately for them, tonight would not end with just zombies. He held the necromancers, cultists, and the knights of his family in reserve. The n was to pretend as usual by sending only the zombies at first and then suddenlyunch an all-out assault, making it easier topletely subdue the temple. ¡°It wasn¡¯t deliberate, but it seems I¡¯veid a trap.¡± With a cold smile, Hudel raised his right hand. ¡°In the name of the Dark God, Imand you.¡± The zombies and ghouls at the front began to emit a blue glow from their eyes. ¡°Bring death to thisnd.¡± No sooner had the order been given than the horde of hundreds of corpses surged forward, attacking the temple as if to overwhelm it. A barrier of light unfolded around the temple, holding off the zombies¡¯ assault. Sparks flew and waves of holy light spread out in all directions. Zap! Zap! But it didn¡¯tst long. Before long, the barrier of light copsed, and the zombies breached the temple¡¯s defenses. Seeing this, Hudel frowned. ¡®That was too weak.¡¯ The barrier had fallen much faster than expected. Moreover, there were no priests or soldiers in sight, only the holy barrier itself blocking the attack. ¡®Are the priests exhausted? Or are they deliberately conserving their strength?¡¯ In the end, the holy barrier couldn¡¯t hold and waspletely destroyed. Though it was suspicious, Hudel couldn¡¯t miss the opportunity. He gave the order for the full assault. ¡°Go forth, children of Tesranak!¡± The cultists¡¯ army surged towards the Saisha Temple like a tidal wave. Roars erupted from all directions. ¡°Waaahhh!¡± But the roars began to die down. ¡°Waaah¡­?¡± The excited troops looked around, their expressions hardening. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Where are they?¡± Panic set in as they searched the temple grounds, but no one was there. No priests, no soldiers, not even themon servants or maids. The ce was truly empty. Even the dungeon was deserted. They had taken even the captured prisoners with them. ¡°They abandoned the temple and fled?¡± Upon receiving the report, Hudel¡¯s face went nk with disbelief. ¡°¡­That can¡¯t be true.¡± It wasn¡¯t that he thought the clergy were too rigid toe up with such a simple idea. Abandoning the temple and fleeing would be tantamount to surrendering to the heretical cultists, a grave sin against the goddesses¡¯ doctrine. No matter how much they valued their lives, it wasn¡¯t a decision they could make lightly. ¡°A few might flee, but the entire temple doing so?¡± That¡¯s when it happened. Suddenly, a faint explosion was heard behind them. Kuuuung¡­ Everyone turned in surprise. And they were shocked once more. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®The castle?¡¯ Explosions were going off all over the count¡¯s castle. And not just ordinary explosions, but holy explosions, caused by the power of the goddess. Boom! Boom! Boom! That wasn¡¯t all. In the fog-covered vige, the light of holy spells was also rising from various ces. Hudel¡¯s face twisted into a grotesque grimace. ¡°No way!¡± *** As soon as Karnak noticed the enemy¡¯s trick, he sought out the priests of Saisha. ¡°Count Hudel has returned. It seems he intends tounch a full-scale assault tonight.¡± When the priests wondered how he knew, he once again invoked his great teacher. As always, Das served as a perfect excuse. ¡°The magic school I studied specializes in dealing with necromancy.¡± Alius also chimed in from the side. ¡°Lord Karnak has always been skilled at reading the traces of darkness.¡± There was precedent, after all. During the witch hunt, hadn¡¯t Karnak saved the people by detecting the traces of necromancy that no one else had noticed? ¡°You can trust Lord Karnak¡¯s words. I vouch for him.¡± He was a man of loyalty, once he decided to trust someone. Serati, on the other hand, could only apologize inwardly. ¡®I¡¯m so sorry, Mr. Alius!¡¯ Karnak then persuaded the priests to abandon the temple. Naturally, they resisted at first, but Karnak¡¯s eloquence won them over. He had no talent for understanding people. But he certainly had a talent for stirring them up. ¡°All the servants of the goddess must rise and deliver divine punishment upon that sinful count¡¯s castle!¡± It wasn¡¯t about abandoning the temple. It was aboutunching a full-scale attack. That was his argument. Of course, the priests still had trouble epting it. ¡°But¡­ But¡­¡± ¡°How can we allow the holy temple to be trampled by those filthy cultists?¡± ¡°Which is why we must act quickly!¡± Before the cultists could defile the temple, they needed to set the castle aze, forcing the cultists to return to defend it. ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± It sounded reasonable. And yet¡­ not quite. ¡°What about the cultists we¡¯ve captured?¡± ¡°We can hide them in a barn for the time being.¡± ¡°But what if they¡¯re found?¡± ¡°If their home is burning down, will they really have time to rescue theirrades?¡± Of course, Karnak didn¡¯t mention that fighting meant certain death. Saying that would only make them seem afraid of losing their lives, which would have the opposite effect. In the end, the priests werepletely swayed. And so, they quietly left the temple at night, setting the castle aze and shattering the necromantic barrier. ¡°Oh Saisha, strike down my enemies!¡± Even though holy power was weakerpared to magic or aura, there was nothing better than priests and holy spells when dealing with necromancy. Holy light struck the necromantic barrier at every point. Each time, the barrier shattered, and dark energy dispersed into the air. Even the soldiers were busy at work. ¡°Set it on fire!¡± ¡°Destroy the cultists¡¯ evil altars!¡± There was no battle to be fought. Hudel had taken all his forces with him. What was there to stop them in an empty vige and an empty castle? Serati alone found it a little strange. ¡°This is odd.¡± She hadn¡¯t expected it to be this empty. ¡°I thought they¡¯d at least leave some minimal defense.¡± Naturally, Karnak nodded in agreement. ¡°I would have done the same.¡± Though he didn¡¯t understand people¡¯s minds, he knew the minds of necromancers all too well. Especially those trying to flee after being caught using necromancy¡ªhe could read their intentions like the back of his hand. ¡°If they¡¯re nning to run anyway, why would they care about the castle? They just use it onest time and discard it.¡± But now, they wouldn¡¯t even get to use it that ¡°onest time.¡± So now, the cultists had only one option left. Looking in the direction of the Saisha Temple, Karnak smiled brightly. ¡°They must be rushing back in a panic.¡± *** A river must always flow steadily. If it flows backward, it just bes a filthy stream. Hudel¡¯s forces were in utter disarray as they retreated. On their way to the temple, they had surged forward with the momentum of a dark river, but now they were rushing back, their ranks in shambles and their pace chaotic. Zombies, ghouls, cultists, and necromancers were all mixed together, creating a cacophony of footsteps. At the front of the line, Hudel gritted his teeth. ¡°Damn those bastards!¡± As time passed, the dark power that had imbued his followers was weakening. This was proof that the necromantic barriers set up in vige were being destroyed in real-time. The dark power he had painstakingly gathered over the years was slipping away into the void. And that wasn¡¯t the only problem. mes were rising from the castle, where the precious altars were located. Those altars were essential for offering sacrifices and gaining greater power. If the altars were lost, even if he captured the priests, he would be stuck in the territory for several more days. It would take that long to rebuild the altars. This would inevitably lead to an encounter with the Evil ying Brigade and the Imperial army, and the oue of that would not be pleasant. Hudel kept urging his cultists forward. ¡°Run faster!¡± Eventually, they reached the outskirts of the vige. Standing at the vige entrance, the cultists scanned their surroundings. No matter how urgent the situation was, they couldn¡¯t afford to rush in recklessly. No doubt, the soldiers from Saisha Temple would be lying in ambush. As they cautiously approached the castle, a thick fog suddenly began to roll in. Ssshhh¡­ The entire area was quickly nketed in a dense fog, obscuring their vision. The mage Kamiros frowned. ¡°It seems the enemy is using magic fog.¡± ¡°It appears so. But why?¡± Were they trying to make them lose their way? If so, it was a foolish tactic. Hudel and the cultists were all natives of thisnd.The vige was their home. They wouldn¡¯t get lost just because the fog was thick. The problem was that this was the same mistake Kamiros had made just a few days earlier. No matter how foolish they were, it didn¡¯t make sense for them to repeat the same mistake that their enemy had just made. Ancent offered another guess. ¡°Could they be nning to ambush us by limiting our vision?¡± ¡°That¡¯s also¡­¡± Hudel¡¯s expression was uncertain. Inrge-scale open-field battles, using fog for ambush tactics was a known strategy. But this was the vige. If a battle broke out, it would be urban warfare. If they couldn¡¯t see, then their enemies wouldn¡¯t be able to see either. How could limiting their vision with fog benefit the temple¡¯s forces? ¡®I don¡¯t understand, but I can¡¯t think of any other exnation.¡¯ They strengthened their vignce and continued toward the count¡¯s castle. ¡°Prepare for an ambush! They may be lying in wait!¡± They carefully scanned their surroundings. The temple¡¯s soldiers could be hiding in the alleyways. The windows and rooftops of the buildings were also areas of concern. They mightunch arrows from above. Just as they were about to enter the western za of the vige¡­ Their enemies had indeed been lying in wait. But Hudel and the cultists had never imagined where. They had been underground. Aaaaaaah! With eerie wails, countless wraiths burst forth from the ground. The zombies, ghouls, and other undead were caught in the wraiths¡¯ attack and began to crumble at a terrifying rate. The panicked cultists fell into chaos. ¡°Was it a trap?¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be!¡± ¡°This is necromancy!¡± How could there be a necromancer among the goddesses¡¯ allies? And even if there were, how could they use necromancy in a situation like this? ¡°That¡¯s impossible! The priests would be watching with their eyes wide open¡­!¡± At that moment, Hudel¡¯s words were cut off. Come to think of it, the thick fog was still all around them. Whether their eyes were wide open or not, it didn¡¯t matter if they couldn¡¯t see anything. ¡°Damn it!¡± Chapter 129 Chapter 129 The zombies and ghouls were continuously being cut down and exploded under the onught of the wraiths. Aaaah! Uwaaah! However, the wraiths couldn¡¯t hold out for long either. The necromancers stepped in to prevent further losses. ¡°How dare you use the power of Tesranak in front of us!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll show you how terrifying the true power of darkness can be!¡± Two men were watching the scene from the roof of a general store in the vige. ¡°They¡¯re not holding out for long, huh?¡± The fog was too thick to see clearly, but it was easy to tell that the wraiths were being extinguished one after another. Even so, Karnak didn¡¯t blink an eye. He had nothing to lose, after all. He nced at the blue-litntern in his hand. ¡°This is great. It¡¯s convenient and takes no effort.¡± It was the Lantern of the Lost Souls, a relic left behind by Kale, one of Detzras¡¯ subordinates. ¡­Though calling it a relic was a bit ambiguous since Kale himself was trapped inside, struggling to be let out. ¡°Aaaaaagh!¡± ¡°Quiet.¡± ¡°Grrrr¡­¡± Karnak pressed Kale¡¯s ghost, which was protruding from thentern, back inside before summoning the wraiths again. Next to him, Baros frowned. ¡°Excuse me, young master.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Thentern is cracking.¡± ¡°Well, of course it is. I¡¯m overusing it without much thought.¡± It was supposed to have been submitted to the King¡¯s Order a while ago. But upon closer inspection, Karnak realized it had a lot of practical uses. So, he stashed it in his illusory space to use a few more times. Naturally, if he used it too long, he¡¯d be found out, so he nned to use it quickly and discard it. ¡°And you¡¯re nning to submit it after it bes trash?¡± ¡°I have to collect an extra bonus, don¡¯t I?¡± His effort to pour all the remaining darkness into thentern paid off. The number of low-tier undead, like zombies and ghouls, had been reduced by more than half. Although the knights of Hudel and the necromancers of the cult had yet to be touched, it didn¡¯t matter much. The reason for using the Lantern of the Lost Souls wasn¡¯t to deal with them. As long as it helped reduce the numbers of the annoying undead army before the real battle, that was a satisfying result. Eventually, all the wraiths summoned by thentern were annihted. Karnak stepped away from the rooftop¡¯s wall and asked Baros, ¡°Are Laficel and Serati in position?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As they descended from the building, Karnak gestured with his chin. ¡°Send the signal.¡± *** Serati and Laficel were waiting in the fog alongside the temple soldiers. They remained calm, barely breathing, and soon heard a faint rumbling from the distance. Boom! Boom! It was the promised signal. Due to the fog, fire-based signals were hard to see clearly. Moreover, using fire would reveal their location to the enemy. Once fired, their position would be exposed. In contrast, sound-based signals were quite useful in this situation. For someone like Baros, breaking through a wall or two wasn¡¯t a big deal. And in the fog, the sound scattered, making it difficult to pinpoint their location. The cultists, startled by the booming sound, began looking around in confusion. ¡°What? What¡¯s happening?¡± Serati drew her sword. With a surge of red aura around her de, she charged directly into the enemy ranks! ¡°Attack, everyone!¡± With a war cry, Laficel and the temple soldiers followed her lead. In line with the nned signal, they struck the enemy¡¯s nk. ¡°Waaah!¡± Soon, battles broke out all over the streets. shing through drug-addled zealots, the soldiers fought with wild excitement. ¡°As expected of Lord Karnak!¡± ¡°The number of zombies has drastically decreased!¡± Karnak had imed that he would counter the undead army using his unique magic that repurposed necromancy, known as the Redeemer of Necromancy. Just as he said, there were hardly any zombies or ghouls left¡ªmostly just cultists. Amidst the chaos of shing weapons, Serati continued cutting through cultists as she made her way toward the center of the enemy lines. That was where the knights of the count¡¯s family were stationed. ¡°Laficel, deal with the cultists!¡± Just as Laficel was about to follow Serati, she hesitated and asked, ¡°What about you, unnie?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll handle things over there.¡± ¡°Then, I should go with you!¡± ¡°Do as you¡¯re told!¡± The knights of the count¡¯s family were all users of dark battle aura, making them too much for the still-developing Laficel. Though conflicted for a moment, Laficel soon agreed. ¡°¡­Alright!¡± The necromancers of Hudel didn¡¯t remain idle either. Though momentarily flustered by the surprise attack, they quickly regainedposure and summoned hordes of hell monsters. ¡°Aaagh!¡± ¡°Graaaah!¡± As the summoning gates opened, all kinds of hell creatures poured out. At that moment, another loud boom echoed. Boom! Simultaneously, a divine light began to rise from behind the enemy lines. ¡°Oh Saisha! Rain down the light that scorches the darkness!¡± It was the priests of Saisha, leading a small force of elite soldiers. Their powerful holy spells engulfed the hell monsters. The monsters¡¯ movements slowed significantly as they staggered. The elite soldiers wasted no time, thrusting their spears and swords, which had been blessed with holy water, into the monsters. ¡°Hyaah!¡± Seeing the situation, Hudel urgently gave orders. ¡°Sir Ancent! Lead the knights and take on the priests! Switch opponents!¡± From a rooftop, a voice mocked him. ¡°Heh, this guy doesn¡¯t know how tomand.¡± The blonde knight, Baros, had already charged into the center of the enemy lines. ¡°Switching formations in the middle of an already chaotic battlefield? That¡¯ll only make things worse.¡± Sure enough, Hudel¡¯s forces were thrown into even greater confusion due to the abrupt orders. In the midst of this, Baros¡¯s red aura sword shed through the enemy ranks. ¡°Excuse me,ing through.¡± Normally, charging alone into enemy lines would be a foolish move that would result in being surrounded. But with their allies controlling the outskirts, it was more like a breakthrough to the center. Baros¡¯s chargepletely split the enemy formation in half. ¡°Is everyone alright?¡± He joined Serati and shook his right hand. The chains of his aura unraveled in unison. Clink! The red aura chains il wildly in the air like a living creature. They soared, changed direction, stabbed, and danced, spinning like a whirlwind. It was as if a massive brush was painting an epic scene on the canvas of the sky. The only issue was that the paint was the blood of the enemy. Screams and cries of agony echoed relentlessly. ¡°Aaaah!¡± ¡°Uwaaaah!¡± With expert precision, Baros wielded his chain sword, moving freely through the enemy ranks. Watching him, Laficel¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Wow! Baros oppa is amazing!¡± She felt a sudden urge to imitate him. But she wasn¡¯t an aura user. She didn¡¯t have the ability to create chains out of aura or change the direction of her sword in mid-air. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ After a brief moment of contemtion, Laficel epted reality. ¡®I¡¯ll just do what I can.¡¯ This was a vige where people lived. And in daily life, ropes were quitemonly used for various tasks. Finding a suitable rope wasn¡¯t hard at all. She tied the rope to the hilt of her sword and began swinging it around. ¡°Like this? Like this? Is this right?¡± After a few spins, she seemed to get the hang of it. Feeling confident, Laficel leapt forward. ¡°Hiyah!¡± Once again, the battlefield was painted with scenes of blood. Though the scale was slightly smaller than Baros¡¯s, the precision of her attacks was notcking in the slightest. Watching this, Serati couldn¡¯t help but wonder. ¡®What is she doing now?¡¯ Laficel¡¯s earlier technique had at least been an extension of her swordsmanship, so there was something to be learned from it. But this chain sword imitation was something entirely different. ¡®How does one even practice such a thing?¡¯ At that moment, Baros¡¯s words echoed in her mind. [There¡¯s one thing I didn¡¯t get a chance to tell you before.] [What¡¯s that?] [When dealing with Laficel, there¡¯s something just as important as learning from her.] He knew exactly what Serati was thinking. After all, he had been through the same thing in the past. [If it doesn¡¯t seem right, give up on it immediately.] [¡­Excuse me?] [I¡¯m serious. Trying to imitate her will only ruin your own swordsmanship. There were actually quite a few people who did just that.] Knowing what doesn¡¯t suit you is important. Many lives have been ruined by failing to recognize this. [That makes sense.] Serati shifted her focus away from Laficel. ¡®I¡¯ll just stick to what I can do.¡¯ Letting go of her curiosity, she returned to her own swordsmanship. Her sword swings became even more precise. *** Baros and Serati continued to push the knights of Hudel. ¡°Hyaaah!¡± With a mighty shout, Baros¡¯s chain sword wrapped around and struck down everything in its path like a serpent. The knights of the count¡¯s family tried hard to counter with their dark aura swords, but it was futile. Whenever they got caught in the chain sword, they couldn¡¯t hold out and were quickly defeated. The confused knights ground their teeth in frustration. ¡°Damn it! We¡¯re aura users too!¡± ¡°How are we being overpowered like this?¡± Serati felt the same way. [Aren¡¯t these guys Dark Knights? But they¡¯re a lot weaker than I expected.] Dark Knights were supposed to be as strong as red aura users. But when shing swords with them, Serati felt like their aura strength was barely half of hers. Baros nodded in understanding and exined. [That¡¯s because we¡¯ve been setting the count¡¯s castle on fire.] The dark aura that these knights used was drawn from necromantic altars set up in the count¡¯s castle. With those altars destroyed, the amount of energy flowing to them had naturally decreased. Also, although Baros didn¡¯t know it, there was another reason why they were weaker. It was true that the cultists had stockpiled a considerable amount of dark aura. They had enough to empower all the knights of the count¡¯s family. However, just a few days ago, a certain bishop had taken all of it. And not only had he taken it, he had used it all up, leaving nothing to be recovered. ¡®Lehane has really messed things up in every possible way!¡¯ Grinding his teeth, Hudel assessed the battlefield. At the front lines, the necromancers were struggling against the priests of Saisha. The divine light was relentlessly pressing down on the darkness. The necromancers were clearly losing ground. The protective barriers they had set up had all been shattered. They members of the Dark God¡¯s cult were fighting the temple soldiers, but they too were on the losing side. Even though the cult had far more people, most of them were drugged and incapable of making sound judgments. On the other hand, the temple soldiers were all seasoned veterans. In fact, after being constantly ambushed every night, they had all turned into elite warriors. Moreover, that young girl leading the charge was far too fearsome! ¡°Hiyah! Haaah! Hyap!¡± With cute battle cries, she was swinging her rope-bound swords wildly, causing blood to spray everywhere. Not long ago, she had only been spinning a single sword, but she had already grown ustomed to it and was now wielding dual swords. ¡®Wow, now I can handle two at once!¡¯ The knights of the count¡¯s family were already being ughtered by Baros and Serati. Hudel clenched his fists in frustration. ¡®This wasn¡¯t how it was supposed to go¡­¡¯ His original n had been to tie down the temple¡¯s strong fighters with the undead army and the cult¡¯s soldiers. During that time, the knights were supposed to target the priests, while the necromancers dealt with the temple soldiers. Even if they suffered losses in numbers, the end result should have been victory. But their positions and timing had beenpletely preempted. And all in real time. ¡®How did this happen?¡¯ This wasn¡¯t something that could be exined by mere strategy or tactics. ¡®It¡¯s as if they¡¯re watching the entire battlefield¡­¡¯ *** The answer to Hudel¡¯s question was quite simple. They really were watching the entire battlefield. ¡®Good, everything is going smoothly.¡¯ Standing on the rooftop, Karnak took in the entire vige with a single nce. The fog was so thick that nothing could be seen from the ground, but that wasn¡¯t an issue. Tendrils of dark energy were rising everywhere in the fog, reaching up to the sky. And it wasn¡¯t just one or two tendrils. Pirs of malevolent energy were forming all over the vige. It felt like watching pieces on a giant chessboard. He could see everything, while the enemy was blind. There was no way to lose. ¡®But soon, he will start to catch on¡­¡¯ Even so, Hudel didn¡¯t have many options. In fact, to be precise, he had only one choice. ¡®Alright,e on. Let¡¯s y.¡¯ Chapter 130 Chapter 130 As Karnak expected, Hudel finally grasped the situation, albeit btedly. ¡®The bastard is observing the entire battlefield from above the building!¡¯ Looking back, it was such a simple thought, and Hudel couldn¡¯t understand why he hadn¡¯t realized it earlier. But it couldn¡¯t be helped. After all, he had almost nobat experience. As a necromancer, he had performed all sorts of secretive tasks, but this was his first time in actualbat. ¡°Imand with the power of the abyss! Arise, De-Petle!¡± A crimson tentacle was summoned from the ground. Hudel leaped onto the tentacle, rising swiftly to the rooftop of a nearby building. Once he ascended above the mist, he could finally perceive Karnak¡¯s presence. ¡®So that¡¯s where he was?¡¯ Beyond the thick fog, he could sense mana. The mana itself wasn¡¯t very strong, probably around a 6th Circle level. Of course, that made Karnak an high-ranking mage, certainly not weak, but it was a bit surprising considering the scope of what he had been doing. ¡®I expected a more powerful mage.¡¯ Still, it was clear that this man wasmanding the entire temple army. In other words, if he could deal with Karnak, the situation could be reversed. Dark aura of malice seeped from Hudel¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Come forth, dominion of hell¡­¡± He summoned his necromantic power, spreading it out in all directions. A chilling darkness began to cover the skies above the battlefield. ¡°The void shall open its mouth and spew forth disaster!¡± Dozens of dimensional gates appeared across the night sky. From these pitch-ck holes emerged Hell Imps, mid-tier monsters from hell with fiery tongues writhing beneath burning eyes. The Imps flew straight toward Karnak. A strange noise echoed between the pping of their wings. ¡°Kyahaha!¡± ¡°Sacrifice!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a sacrifice!¡± Karnak smiled with satisfaction. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s doing all of that? Impressive.¡± It was quite an elegant use of necromancy¡ªnot just brute force. ¡®Perfect for causing disruption.¡¯ Raising his wand, Karnak began a light chant. ¡°I shall be the one who redeems the sins of darkness!¡± He activated chaos magic, triggering the spell Redeemer of Necromancy. Chains of light materialized in the air, snaking toward the Hell Imps, binding them by the neck. Hudel¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡®What?¡¯ He could feel it¡ªthe sensation of his control slipping away like sand through his fingers. ¡®This can¡¯t be!¡¯ The Hell Imps, who had been flying toward Karnak, abruptly stopped and turned around. They opened their mouths wide, spewing fire toward Hudel instead. BOOM! Hudel hastily crossed his arms. ¡°Gah!¡± Darkness spread out, forming a shield. The mes mmed into the curtain of darkness, causing an explosion. BAM! Through the thick smoke, Hudel reappeared. ¡°Gasp¡­ gasp¡­¡± Thanks to his quick defense, he wasn¡¯t injured, but the mental shock was evident on his face. ¡®What is that spell?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t surprising because such magic shouldn¡¯t exist. He was shocked precisely because he knew it did. ¡®¡­..How does that bastard know Lady Elezar¡¯s spell?¡¯ *** Beyond the mist, the Hell Imps rampaged through the sky, raining hellfire down on the streets below. Crackling! The scorching heat was palpable on their skin. The necromancers were in a state of panic. ¡°Ahhh!¡± ¡°Why are those things attacking us?¡± The priests of Saisha didn¡¯t look much better. ¡°Aren¡¯t those things on our side?¡± ¡°I think so¡­ but¡­¡± Logically, they understood that the Hell Imps had switched to their side, but seeing demons up close instinctively made them want to cast exorcism spells. ¡°This feels really awkward.¡± The Hell Imps continued their rampage, attacking the cultists indiscriminately. Kamiros, the mage of Count Grenthal¡¯s household, anxiously surveyed the surroundings. The number of fallen cultists was increasing. ¡®I have to do something about this.¡¯ But half-hearted magic or necromancy wouldn¡¯t work. He had no choice but to use the most powerful method at his disposal, even if it meant risking his life. Kamiros thrust his staff into the ground. ¡°Arise! Spirit of the Earth!¡± The ground in the vige square erupted, forming a massive golem. He quickly followed up with necromancy. ¡°By themand of your master, descend, Wailing Armor of Darkness!¡± A giant floating suit of armor appeared. The armor and the golem then fused, letting out a powerful roar. ROOOAR! It was a fusion spell once used by Detzras, the Golem Knight. This was the most powerful spell a 5th Circle mage and necromancer could cast. A few Hell Imps flew toward the Golem Knight, breathing fire. BOOM! Explosions erupted across the armor, but little damage was done. The Golem Knight took a step forward, extending both hands. Itsrge, lid-like hands grabbed two Hell Imps by the throat. ¡°Kek?¡± ¡°Kyaa!¡± Before they could even react, the Golem Knight clenched its fists. CRACK! Like squeezing fruit, demonic juices sttered everywhere. Though Hell Imps were formidable demons, they were crushed with ease. Of course, the strain on Kamiros was immense. ¡°Guh, gah¡­¡± Both his mana and necromantic power were being drained rapidly, leaving him on the verge of copse. His entire body felt limp, as though he could fall at any moment. But he fought to maintain his focus. ¡®Not yet! I can¡¯t fall yet!¡¯ He had finally summoned the Golem Knight. At the very least, he needed to eliminate the key figures from the temple side. Pointing at Baros and Serati, who were sweeping through the battlefield, Kamiros shouted. ¡°Get rid of those bastards first!¡± The Golem Knight thundered forward, swinging its massive hands. BAM! With a brutal impact, blood sttered into the air. ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°Aaah!¡± But the ones who had been crushed were Count Grenthal¡¯s own knights. They had rxed, thinking reinforcements were arriving, only to be struck down mercilessly. Kamiros let out a dumbfounded groan. ¡°¡­What?¡± *** Observing from beyond the mist, Karnak smiled faintly. ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯ve already seen that one before.¡± Detzras¡¯ Golem Knight was indeed a powerful spell, but Karnak had long since understood every aspect of its structure. He twirled his wand, creating glowing points of light in the air. ¡°Here, here, here, and finally, here!¡± Tap, tap, tap, tap! A wave rippled from the final point, flying straight toward the Golem Knight. A ring of light coiled around the golem¡¯s stone head. With that, all control of the Golem Knight shifted entirely to Karnak. ROOOAR! The massive figure charged into the cultists¡¯ ranks. The Golem Knight was a monster that even knights wielding dark battle aura could barely withstand. Themon followers had no chance. ¡°Ahhh!¡± ¡°Noooo!¡± As the sky filled with screams, blood flowed like a river. Kamiros trembled at the horrific sight. ¡°W-What¡­ is this?¡± The Golem Knight waspletely out of his control. Despite that, both his mana and necromantic power continued to drain away. His power was killing his own allies. Was there any reason to hold on to his consciousness any longer? ¡°Damn it¡­¡± Without a reason to concentrate, his focus naturally broke. His consciousness faded, and with it, the Golem Knight was unsummoned. ¡°Already? That guy has no willpower,¡± Karnak muttered, clicking his tongue as he looked elsewhere. By then, Baros was already rushing toward the fallen Kamiros. The distance between the rooftop and the street below was too great for subtlemunication. So, Karnak just shouted loudly. ¡°Capture him alive, Baros!¡± If it had been just Karnak¡¯s party, they would have killed him and used necromancy to extract information. But they were working with the priests now. ¡®To live like a human, you have to be considerate of the situation.¡¯ Baros fully understood the situation. Approaching the fallen Kamiros, he lightly swung his aura de. sh! The mage¡¯s wrists were severed. With the heat applied during the cut, the cross-sections were charred ck. Whether it was a mage or a necromancer, without hands, they couldn¡¯t form seals, greatly limiting their power. It was a quick and safe way to neutralize them. Of course, to onlookers, it was a horrifying sight. Ancent was terrified and ran with his teeth chattering. ¡°Kamiros!¡± Behind Baros, a red battle aura sword extended. The red aura sliced through the air. And was effortlessly deflected. ¡°Gah!¡± The one who blocked the strike was the red-haired swordswoman who had been shing with him from the start. ¡°Damn, where did these monsterse from?¡± The blonde knight was formidable enough, but this woman¡¯s skills were no ordinary thing either. She looked like a young maiden, and yet she was on par with himself, the strongest knight in Count Grenthal¡¯s territory. As Serati watched his expression of frustration, she couldn¡¯t help but be puzzled. ¡®A monster? Me?¡¯ But when she thought about it, it made sense. Facing Ancent wasn¡¯t particrly difficult for her. In the past, it would have been a fierce battle that could have gone either way. ¡®Since when did I be this strong?¡¯ Even as she marveled at herself, she effortlessly deflected his battle aura sword and brought down a diagonal sh. ¡°Ugh!¡± Ancent, already exhausted, had no strength left to resist. He dropped his sword and fell to his knees. ¡°Urgh¡­¡± Hudel looked down at the ground with a gloomy expression. ¡®Ancent, Kamiros¡­¡¯ To be honest, he didn¡¯t have much attachment to the other necromancers. Despite his high position in the cult of the Dark God, he wasn¡¯t particrly fond of zealots. After all, weren¡¯t those zealots the ones who caused this entire mess? But those two were different. They were loyal vassals of the Count¡¯s household and had shown great dedication to him. It was thanks to Ancent and Kamiros that they had been able to hold the line, even while being pushed back. Now that both had fallen, the copse of their forces was elerating. In the sky, the Imps spewed fire, while on the ground, holy light and red aura shed, and each time, more of his allies were in. At this rate, the oue was clear. Hudel steeled himself. ¡®There¡¯s no other choice now.¡¯ If he hesitated any longer, even the slim chance he had left might vanish. ¡®¡­I have no choice but to abandon the path of humanity!¡¯ Hudel sped his hands to his chest, drawing upon the vast dark energy within him. ¡°By the bindings of the contract, Ipel these to justify their existence¡­¡± The darkness spread, consuming the mist. All the cultists scattered throughout the street fell under its influence. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Your Eminence, Cardinal?¡± A ck mark appeared on the foreheads of the necromancers. The cultists and the knights of the Count¡¯s household were no different. From the pitch-ck symbols, dark energy began to pour out. ¡°My lord!¡± ¡°Could it be¡­ he¡¯s turning on us?¡± Screams erupted from all directions. Vast amounts of vital energy were being drawn from their bodies, along with their souls. ¡°Your sacrifice will not be forgotten.¡± As the darkness gathered, Hudel spoke solemnly. ¡°When a better worldes, we shall meet again.¡± The hardcore zealots were filled with ecstasy as they cried out. ¡°For Tesranak!¡± ¡°We offer our bodies and souls!¡± Those still sane screamed in terror. ¡°Damn it, you son of a¡­!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to die!¡± Regardless of how they felt, the result was the same. The drawn-out souls and energy converged into Hudel. His entire body was engulfed in darkness, swellingrger andrger. ¡°O Abyss, pierce the eye of the moon and cast a night of blood!¡± The night sky turned crimson, revealing a gigantic form. It was a creature of darkness that had consumed every necromancer and cultist present. Chapter 131 Chapter 131 Beneath the blood-red sky, a grotesque, unholy figure writhed. Bones and mucus floated within its form. Five legs trampled buildings while eight arms stretched out in all directions. A distorted face clung to its shoulders, rippling like a mirage. At first nce, it resembled a colossal slime, towering several tens of meters. But it was far more terrifying and hideous than any real slime, which would seem cute inparison. The priests of Saisha gasped in horror and shouted. ¡°My God, what vile abomination is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s eating itsrades!¡± It was necromancy, the most vile and forbidden art, a spell that no human should ever practice. ring at Hudel, Karnak exploded in rage. ¡°What kind of monstrous act is this? These were the very subordinates who trusted and followed you!¡± His proud, upright stance as he looked up to the heavens without a hint of shame left Serati with her mouth wide open. ¡®Wow, look at this shameless man.¡¯ Wasn¡¯t this the very same thing Karnak tried to do when he fought Laficel? Baros shrugged his shoulders proudly. [As expected, our young master is quite the actor.] [And you¡¯re proud of that?] [Better than not being able to act at all, right?] Baros wore a leisurely expression. No matter how powerful it was, it was still necromancy. And in this ce stood the former Death King himself. ¡®The young master will handle it.¡¯ Sure enough, the spreading darkness began to dissipate from the edges. Balls of light formed in the darkness, drilling into its surface with a strange noise. Scratch, scratch, scratch¡­ The spell of Karnak was devouring that massive darkness. ¡®So, it¡¯s going this way after all?¡¯ Hudel calmly observed the situation. ¡®I don¡¯t know how he knows this magic¡­¡¯ He had learned the principles of magic through Elezar, though he couldn¡¯t cast it himself since he wasn¡¯t a mage. This magic exploited the ws in a spell¡¯s structure, causing errors and turning them against the caster. Therefore, he either needed to use necromancy so simple that no errors could arise, or¡­ ¡®Focus the necromantic power on a single point to avoid creating any gaps!¡¯ Floating in the darkness, Hudel opened his mouth. ¡°I bestow fate upon a nameless existence.¡± The darkness, which had been spreading in all directions, rapidlypressed. The massive figure, once several tens of meters tall, shrank to just a few meters, tearing the air apart as it did so. ¡°Come forth, one who speaks the name of death!¡± *** The enormous, formless being was no more. In its ce stood a giant of darkness, towering at three meters. It was still massive, though much smallerpared to its previous size. Yet, despite its reduced size, it wasn¡¯t weaker. On the contrary, the darkness had be highly concentrated, and its surface shimmered like ck obsidian. ¡°Whatever tricks you think you have up your sleeve¡­¡± The dark giant that Hudel had be opened its red eyes wide. ¡°They are meaningless before absolute power!¡± A ck storm swept across the sky over the vige. The fierce winds of destruction engulfed Karnak and the entire vige. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! But that wasn¡¯t the end. The storm split the sky, raining down blood. Wherever the blood touched, buildings and the stone pavement melted, releasing smoke. ¡°Take cover!¡± ¡°Everyone, deploy the divine light!¡± The clerics and temple soldiers scrambled to take shelter under holy barriers to avoid the bloody rain. Watching from above, Hudel sneered arrogantly. ¡°Hmph! You look like rats!¡± And he had every right to be smug. With a single strike, the entire area had been turned into ruins. Alius trembled as he looked up at the rooftop. ¡°Such overwhelming power¡­¡± Amidst the smoke and mes, a half-copsed building came into view. Karnak, his body protected by a magic shield, brushed his hair back. ¡°Impressive.¡± His entire body was covered in dirt, but he didn¡¯t seem injured. Hudel narrowed his eyes. ¡°Ho, you managed to avoid it.¡± Looking up at Karnak, Serati sent him a message. [Should we join in, Lord Karnak?] [Not yet.] Hudel¡¯s arrogant voice continued. ¡°Go ahead, try another trick.¡± ¡°I see.¡± With a subtle reply, Karnak began to float into the air. Hudel¡¯s expression stiffened slightly. ¡®Levitation magic? That¡¯s inefficient during battle.¡¯ Mages flying gracefully through the air, shooting fire and lightning? It might look cool, but in reality, it made them easy targets. Sometimes, inrge-scale battles, it was used to demoralize the enemy, but in this situation, it was pointless. And yet, he was intentionally making himself a target in the sky? ¡°Hmph, I¡¯ll swat you down like a fly.¡± Hudel raised both arms with a sneer. Dozens of ck lightning bolts shot from behind his shoulders. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can dodge this!¡± Indeed, Karnak didn¡¯t dodge. Every attack struck him head-on! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! And yet, he didn¡¯t fall. Using levitation magic, Karnak had deployed a barrier, blocking all of the attacks. Hudel let out a small sigh of admiration. ¡°Your defense is quite good.¡± But it was merely a 6th-circle barrier spell. Meanwhile, he had devoured countless dark cultists and necromancers, gaining immense power. He had evenpressed it for greater potency. ¡°How long do you think you canst?¡± The explosions continued. BOOM! BOOM! Hudel¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. ¡®Something¡¯s wrong.¡¯ His opponent was holding out too well. Far too well. ¡®How can a 6th-circle barrier be this strong?¡¯ It should have shattered long ago. Unless the barrier had been repeatedly refreshed upon breaking, there was no way it couldst this long. ¡®What the hell?¡¯ Suddenly, Karnak asked an iprehensible question. ¡°Can you see me?¡± Startled, Hudel focused his mind. ¡®Is this an illusion or some sort of trick?¡¯ No, Karnak was definitely standing right before him. ¡°What¡­ are you trying to say?¡± ¡°Can you really see me?¡± ¡°Why are you asking such an obvious question?!¡± An ominous feeling crept into Hudel¡¯s voice, making him sound more irritable. Karnak smiled faintly. ¡°Then you¡¯re not looking down.¡± ¡®Down?¡¯ Instinctively, Hudel looked toward the ground below the building, and his face turned pale. Twenty golems had extended their hands toward him. ¡®W-What?! When did they get there?¡¯ On top of the thick stone hands, round magic circles flickered. Twenty magic bullets were roaring, ready to be unleashed. Whirr¡­ Whirr¡­ With a yful tone, Karnak snapped his fingers. ¡°Fire!¡± Twenty streams of fire streaked through the sky. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! *** A 3-meter-tall dark giant crashed into the street in the midst of the smoke. Crash! The moment itnded, the golems lunged at it all at once. From all sides, the massive stone golems pummeled it with punches. Panicked, Hudel retaliated. ¡°Ugh, ughhhhh!¡± A savage brawl broke out between the dark giant and the stone golems. They grappled, struck, kicked, and hurled each other. Each time, stone fragments and shards of darkness scattered in all directions. Thud! Thud! Crash! ¡°Ugh!¡± Hudel was growing more flustered. Each time a golem broke, so did part of Hudel¡¯s body. ¡®Why is my body breaking so easily?¡¯ Karnak¡¯s golems were certainly powerful. He had to admit that. But even considering that, his necromantic armor was shattering far too easily. ¡®Is there a spell that breaks the defenses of darkness?¡¯ Hovering in the air, Karnak looked down at the street below, stroking his chin. ¡°Tsk, tsk. You should at least know what you¡¯re doing.¡± Magic requires focus; necromancy requires dispersion. These are the ways to maximize each one¡¯s power. ¡°But what happens if you concentrate necromantic power on a single point?¡± When necromantic power clumps together haphazardly, it just turns into a formless, fragile darkness. In the case of the Candy Witch, it was a unique situation that caught Karnak off guard, but normally, it¡¯s ineffective. Meanwhile, Karnak¡¯s power is focused, creating a single point of destruction. In other words, Hudel was currently crashing his own weakness into his opponent¡¯s strength¡­ ¡°If you punch yourself in the gut, who¡¯s going to hurt more?¡± And it¡¯s not like using a simpler necromantic spell would neutralize the Karnak¡¯s spell either. A simpler necromantic spell would be far weaker. Until now, Karnak¡¯s necromantic power had been minimal, which was why it worked. Despite the vast difference in necromantic power, hadn¡¯t Karnak stille out on top? The greatest advantage of his spell was this: Even if the enemy could respond, they¡¯d still end up in a worse position. The only true way to counter the Redeemer of Necromancy was to reverse-engineer the spell form and block it through simr methods. ¡°Of course, he isn¡¯t capable of that.¡± Muttering to himself, Karnak aimed his wand at Hudel on the ground. ¡°I¡¯d feel bad letting the golems do all the work. I should give them a hand.¡± A brilliant sh of light tore through the air and struck the earth. BOOM! The deafening explosion sent the dark giant crashing through buildings. A long trail of devastation stretched across the vige. ¡°D-Damn it!¡± Writhing on the ground, Hudel began to release darkness in all directions. ¡°This¡­ this can¡¯t be happening!¡± He couldn¡¯tprehend it. Even if his necromantic technique didn¡¯t adhere to strict principles, the raw power he had amassed was immense. It shouldn¡¯t be this weak. ¡°This power, gained through everyone¡¯s sacrifice!¡± Slowly descending from the air, Karnaknded in front of Hudel. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s another reason why you¡¯re weak.¡± ¡°What?¡± Hudel staggered and tried to get up, but then copsed again. ¡°Ugh!¡± Whatever was happening, the necromantic power inside his body was going haywire,pletely beyond his control. As Karnak approached, he clicked his tongue. ¡°You still feel pity for the people you consumed, don¡¯t you? That¡¯s why you¡¯re talking about sacrifices and such.¡± Hudel¡¯s face went nk, unable to grasp what Karnak was saying. ¡®What? How can I not call a sacrifice a sacrifice?¡¯ Karnak raised his right hand. ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯ll never make it.¡± A necessary sacrifice for the greater good? If you¡¯re fooling yourself with that logic, you¡¯ll never be a true necromancer. If you¡¯re going to feel guilty about the lives you sacrificed, you shouldn¡¯t have sacrificed them at all. Or, you should kill them so casually that the word ¡°sacrifice¡± doesn¡¯t even cross your mind. ¡°Do you cry every time you pick up a spoon, thinking about the farmer¡¯s blood and sweat?¡± Karnak¡¯s finger pointed at Hudel¡¯s chest. ¡°You should eat your meals without a care.¡± He whispered an incantation. ¡°Let there be a piercing sh, Arcane Burst.¡± A burst of light tore away all of Hudel¡¯s darkness. With an explosive sound, the battered Hudel rolled across the ground. There was no scream, only the faint sound of shallow breathing. ¡°I¡¯ll keep you alive for now. There¡¯s still much I need to learn.¡± Looking down at the fallen Hudel, Karnak clicked his tongue. Hudel¡¯s necromancy wasn¡¯t weak. But he had failed to use it properly, which left him vulnerable. Because he still clung to his humanity. To be a true necromancer, one must cast aside the life of a human. To live like a human, you cannot be a true necromancer. ¡°It¡¯s hard to live like a human, isn¡¯t it?¡± Chapter 132 Chapter 132 The long night passed, and finally, morning came. The vige, now a battlefield, had transformed into a hell. Everywhere, there were shattered corpses of zombies and monsters. The bodies of dead cultists and necromancersy scattered throughout the vige. No matter how evil the cultists were, they were still beloved family members and neighbors. Many had been controlled without guilt and died as a result. The survivors wept as they gazed upon the dead. ¡°Father!¡± ¡°Uwaaaa!¡± ¡°Oh noooo!¡± But those responsible for cleaning up this cmity no longer existed. Most of the retainers of the Count¡¯s household, who governed the territory, were cultists. All of them had been drained of their dark energy by Hudel and died. Instead, the priests of Saisha, including Alius and Belton, were moving about busily. The Count¡¯s castle had burned down, the vige was half destroyed, and the temple of the territory was in ruins. There was much to be done. They scraped together food and supplies, managing to prepare a meal somehow. Then, they began the cleanup. They moved the injured to the rtively intact buildings and set up temporary shelters for those who had lost their homes. Because there were so many dead and injured, manpower was severelycking. Thus, even Serati and Laficel, despite their exhaustion, were helping as much as they could. ¡°Are you alright, grandmother?¡± ¡°Laficel, take this child to the temporary shelter too!¡± ¡°Yes, Serati unnie!¡± Karnak and Baros were also busy. Of course, not to help the people. They weren¡¯t quite that humane yet. They ran straight to the inn they had stayed in to gather their belongings. ¡°Fortunately, no one stole our stuff.¡± ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought the innkeeper was a cultist.¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have been a big deal even if we had lost it. We didn¡¯t carry anything that valuable.¡± ¡°What do you mean? Elf-made underwear is super expensive.¡± ¡°¡­Did Dame Serati really buy something like that?¡± When they returned to the vige hall with their packed bags, Serati red at them. ¡°I appreciate you packing our things, but could you help over here now?¡± Karnak blinked. ¡°Huh? Why?¡± Baros blinked too. ¡°Do we really have to help?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think anything these people did was as helpful as me defeating Hudel.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this enough for outsiders?¡± Both of them tilted their heads in confusion. But Serati didn¡¯t bother scolding them. By now, she understood. It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t want to help or found it annoying¡ªthey genuinely didn¡¯t understand why they should. And she was beginning to understand how to handle them. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Lord Karnak, you¡¯re absolutely right.¡± ¡°So, can we just rest?¡± ¡°Yes, you can.¡± Serati subtly switched the conversation to a secret telepathic message. [If you want to live like a decent person, help out.] [Why is helping them living like a decent person?] [Have you ever understood the actions of other people?] [No.] [Then, of course, you won¡¯t understand this either.] She nced over at Laficel. [So, don¡¯t try to understand, just follow Laficel¡¯s lead.] [Follow Laficel?] [Yes. She¡¯s supposed to be humanity¡¯sst hero, isn¡¯t she?] Even now, having lost all her memories and powers and reverted to a child¡¯s body, Laficel was still running around, trying to help people. [If you don¡¯t want to be a viin again, it¡¯s safest to follow someone who never bes one, regardless of the situation.] Baros and Karnak looked at each other. [That¡¯s¡­ convincing.] [¡­Yeah, it is!] After that, both of them joined the rescue effort. Karnak used magic to clear debris and save survivors, while Baros diligently carried the injured. Neither of them had any idea why they were doing it, and their expressions showed it. But they didn¡¯t care. ¡®Laficel doesn¡¯t know the reason either since she lost her memory¡­¡¯ ¡®But she¡¯s still doing it instinctively, right?¡¯ ¡®So, there must be a reason.¡¯ The vigers tearfully expressed their gratitude. ¡°Thank you. Thank you so much.¡± ¡°May the blessings of the Goddess be with you¡­¡± Even as the vigers thanked them, neither Karnak nor Baros felt anything in particr. After all, they would never see these people again once they left. Moreover, the gratitude ofmon folk was fleeting, disappearing easily in the storm of the world¡¯s hardships. But the expressions of the priests of Saisha as they looked at Karnak¡¯s group were filled with warmth. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± ¡°You must be exhausted¡­¡± Karnak¡¯s group wasn¡¯t even from the empire; they were from the Seven Kingdoms. Nevertheless, they had defeated the cultists and saved the territory, and now they were helping as if it were their own task. It was impossible not to be moved. ¡°There are so many in this world with power who don¡¯t fulfill their duties¡­¡± ¡°These people truly understand the responsibilities thate with strength.¡± For Karnak and Baros, it was a rather novel experience. When they had been fighting the cultistsst night, they hadn¡¯t received looks like these. [So, that¡¯s it. Even if you do good deeds, there¡¯s a difference in the type of good deed.] [Doing good deeds alone doesn¡¯t raise your reputation.] [You have to make sure people know about it for it to be valuable!] Serati sighed again as she watched the two of them reach this new realization. [¡­Why do you interpret things like that?] *** After focusing hard on resolving the situation, an entire day had passed. It waste afternoon when Karnak and the others were finally freed from their tasks. After putting the exhausted Laficel to sleep in a corner of the room, Karnak began discussing their future ns. Roughly calcting, the Evil ying Brigade was expected to arrive sometime between tomorrow and the day after. ¡°We¡¯ll wait until then.¡± The n was to hand over Hudel and the captured cultists while making sure their presence was noted and appreciated. That way, the next time they had toe to the empire, things would be more convenient. Serati clicked her tongue. ¡°You don¡¯t understand people¡¯s feelings, yet you¡¯re really good at things like this.¡± Feeling wronged, Karnak protested. ¡°I don¡¯tpletely misunderstand human emotions, you know?¡± He could understand human greed. Emotions like fear, resentment, hatred, and anger also made sense to him. It was just love,passion, pity, and protective instincts that he couldn¡¯t grasp. ¡°So, I¡¯m actually a very emotional person. But why do people keep saying I have no emotions?¡± ¡°Well, um¡­¡± Serati stammered, unsure how to answer. In any case, there was something to be done before the Evil ying Brigade arrived. ¡°We need to get what we can from Hudel.¡± Baros stroked his sword. ¡°Do we kill him and extract his soul?¡± Killing someone while keeping their soul intact wasn¡¯t easy. They needed to be fully aware that they were dying to make it easier to perform necromancyter. Sometimes people died too peacefully, unaware they were dead, and became wraiths, which made soul summoning significantly more difficult. Baros was well-versed in the technique of making sure someone died fully aware of their death. Karnak shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s try the needle first.¡± If they could extract the information easily, there was no need to kill him. It was better to hand him over alive and rack up more favors with the Evil ying Brigade. ¡°If he resists too much, we¡¯ll say it was an ident and hand over the body.¡± *** Hudel was imprisoned in the underground storage of a warehouse on the outskirts of the vige. It had originally been a food storage for winter, but now, with the Saisha temple and the Count¡¯s castle both destroyed, it was the sturdiest building left. Thick iron bars had been installed to prevent theft, making it the perfect ce to hold a prisoner. After telling the guards to step aside for a moment, Karnak and his group descended into the underground chamber. ¡°How¡¯ve you been, Mr. cultist?¡± Hudel, with his necromantic power sealed by divine cuffs, ground his teeth. ¡°Hmph! No matter what you do, I won¡¯t talk!¡± Karnak casually replied as he set up a soundproof barrier. ¡°Don¡¯t talk, then.¡± After blocking out the surrounding noise, he immediately pulled out a thin needle made of chaos power. Seeing this, Hudel¡¯s face filled with terror. ¡°Wh-what is that?¡± Thunk! The needle pierced the back of his head without warning. Hudel¡¯s expression instantly changed. ¡°Uuurgh¡­¡± Drooling, he began to hang his head. ¡°I¡¯m getting better at this with practice.¡± Karnak had be skilled enough in manipting the brain with chaos power that it was starting to approach the efficiency of necromancy. ¡°See? There¡¯s nothing in this world you can¡¯t get better at with effort.¡± Baros sneered. ¡°That¡¯s probably the most corrupted version of the word ¡®effort¡¯ I¡¯ve ever heard.¡± Serati stood by, listening to the conversation with a conflicted expression. She had gotten so used to them that this kind of talk didn¡¯t even seem strange anymore. ¡®Oh dear, I wonder if I¡¯m okay with this.¡¯ Afterpletely subjugating Hudel¡¯s mind, Karnak gave hismand. ¡°Alright, tell me your life story.¡± *** Hudel Grenthal¡¯s childhood had many simrities to Karnak¡¯s. Although he wasn¡¯t an illegitimate child, he had three older brothers, making his chances of inheriting the territory very slim. He had grown up without love under a father who treated his children as possessions, much like Karnak had. The key difference was that while Karnak had been treated as a good-for-nothing, Hudel had been a bright child from a young age. But that turned out to be a problem. Hudel¡¯s talent made his brothers jealous, and they frequently bullied him. His father, the previous lord, simply told Hudel to serve and follow his eldest brother, not tolerating any defiance. At one point, Hudel considered leaving the family entirely and bing a mage or a priest. But being a mage or priest wasn¡¯t something you could achieve with intelligence alone. You needed an innate talent for mana or divine power. Unfortunately, Hudel had no such talent. Just like Karnak. It was five years ago, when the Darkness of Doom first spread across the world, that things changed for Hudel. After absorbing the Darkness of Doom, Hudel found he could control the powerful power of death with sheer willpower. For a teenager, it must have been an overwhelming temptation. Yet Hudel showed a different sidepared to other necromancers. Rather than feeling ecstasy in the face of his newfound power, he felt fear first. ¡®Uncontroble power is nothing but disaster.¡¯ At the time, little was known about the Darkness of Doom. But instinctively, Hudel realized this power was rted to necromancy. So he asked his father to send him to the capital city, Thea Crahan, for study. He imed he wanted to support his brothers better by deepening his knowledge and asked for financial backing. This was a very favorable decision for the Grenthal family. It solved the troublesome session issue cleanly, so there was no reason to oppose it. Thus, Hudel enrolled in the academy in the capital. While studying administration and other subjects, he delved into magic and ancient texts, desperately searching for knowledge about necromancy. ¡®I need to find a way to properly control this power. I mustn¡¯t let it be discovered before then.¡¯ He was extremely careful. For two whole years, he gathered information without anyone finding out. Eventually, he even managed to grasp the basics of necromancy. And yet, in the end, his secret was uncovered. One day, while secretly practicing necromancy in a secluded forest, a woman appeared before him. ¡°You¡¯ve managed to learn that much on your own? Quite an interesting child.¡± He already knew who she was. She had asionally appeared at the academy, and he had seen her from a distance a few times. So, Hudel gave up on everything. It was the Imperial Court Mage, Elezar de Recion. What could he possibly do in the presence of that great Archmage? It was then that a subtle, dark aura began to emanate from her entire body. ¡°N-necromancy?¡± Hudel was shocked. Even he knew the basic principle that different forces in the world couldn¡¯t mix. But an archmage? A 10th-circle mage, using necromancy? How was that possible? ¡°I¡¯ll take you under my wing, child.¡± Her soft voice whispered in Hudel¡¯s ear. ¡°If you truly want to master the power of darkness, follow me.¡± *** ¡°I see.¡± A spark of interest flickered in Karnak¡¯s eyes. ¡°Elezar, was it?¡± Chapter 133 Chapter 133 After that day, Hudel became a direct subordinate of Elezar. He wasn¡¯t particrly taken as a disciple, as he had no aptitude for magic. Instead, he was appointed as a secretary. From that point on, Hudel managed the administration of the magic tower and secretly learned necromancy from Elezar. Where she obtained it from, Hudel never knew, but she possessed a wealth of information on necromancy. By then, he had already gathered enough necromantic power from the Darkness of Doom, and it took less than a year for him to be a powerful necromancer. Once he could handle his tasks to a certain degree, Elezar led Hudel to the cult of the Dark God. Besides being an Imperial mage of the empire, she held another identity. She was one of the three saints of the cult of the Dark God, known as the Saintess of Destruction. ¡°Wow, to think the Imperial mage of the empire was the Saintess of Destruction¡­¡± Serati clicked her tongue in astonishment as she listened. The Pope of Death, the Buddha of Darkness, and the Saintess of Destruction. They were the three saints leading the Order of the Dark God, which worshiped Tesranak. Of course, the Seven Church of the Goddesses referred to them as demons. Karnak wasn¡¯t surprised. ¡°Someone like Elezar wouldn¡¯t be in a low position, would she? If she was truly involved with a cult, she¡¯d naturally be at the top.¡± Unfortunately, the identities of the other two saints remained unknown. Hudel had no information on them either. ¡°I¡¯ve never met them personally. Lady Elezar never mentioned them either.¡± Still, the fact that one of the three saints had been exposed was significant. If the Empire or the Church of the Seven Goddesses heard this news, they would be greatly pleased. ¡°It was a good thing I kept this one alive.¡± By handing Hudel over to the Evil ying Brigade, the empire would also learn about Elezar¡¯s true identity. ¡°It¡¯d be ideal if they handle it themselves, and even if not, things will be much easier from here on.¡± With a grin, Karnak urged Hudel to continue. ¡°So, what happened next?¡± *** Even after pledging his loyalty to the cult of the Dark God, Hudel continued to work as Elezar¡¯s trusted confidant. Publicly, he was the secretary of the imperial mage, and within the cult, he served the Saintess of Destruction with utmost devotion. During this time, his necromantic power grew stronger, and his position within the cult rose to that of a Cardinal. With power and authority in hand, he returned to his homnd, the Grenthal Territory, and cleanly resolved an old grievance. That is, by killing his entire family and monopolizing the territory for himself. ¡°This part isn¡¯t much different from what we investigated.¡± With Elezar backing him, there was no issue in assuming the position of the new lord. He smoothly became the lord of the Grenthal Territory. Afterward, Hudel¡¯s main task was to serve as the messenger between the cult of the Dark God within the Seven Kingdoms Alliance and the empire. He acted as a sort of vanguard to expand the order¡¯s influence into the western regions of the empire. Baros nodded. ¡°If this guy disappears, the cultists within the Seven Kingdoms Alliance will be shaken as well.¡± Karnak waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Come on, there¡¯s bound to be other connections besides him. Do you really think this is the only one?¡± From this, a further, more usible assumption could be made. Serati pointed it out. ¡°It seems like most of the cult¡¯s key forces are concentrated in the empire.¡± If there were someone like Elezar in the Seven Kingdoms Alliance, there¡¯d be no reason to have Hudel act as the vanguard. ¡°We can probably trust the strong forces of the Seven Kingdoms Alliance to a certain extent.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good news.¡± Even after this, Hudel traveled between the imperial capital and the Grenthal Territory, handling the various duties of the cult as per Elezar¡¯smand. While most of it was new to Karnak and his party, there were also incidents closely rted to them. ¡°Was it this guy who sent Laficel around wielding a cursed sword?¡± They had discovered Hudel by backtracking the incident where the souls of the princes of Yustil were swapped, so it was naturally connected. But Karnak hadn¡¯t expected that the Cursed Sword Mareda incident was also this guy¡¯s doing. Realizing the timing was right, Karnak asked seriously. ¡°Why did you give Laficel that cursed sword?¡± An unexpected answer came. ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Hudel¡¯s only involvement in the incident was the cursed sword Mareda. He hadn¡¯t sent Laficel with it. A necromancer from the Grenthal Territory, who had received the cursed sword, had conducted experiments on orphaned children as sacrifices, and the girl with the best results was sent to the Kingdom of Yustil. It just so happened that the girl was Laficel. ¡°So it was just a coincidence?¡± Serati¡¯s words made Karnak scratch his cheek awkwardly. ¡°It¡¯s not an impossible coincidence, but still¡­¡± Of all the girls, it just so happened that Laficel was chosen as the host for the cursed sword? That would indeed be an extraordinary coincidence. However, out of the many orphans gathered, Laficel was selected because she handled the sword particrly well. That wasn¡¯t impossible, though. ¡°Come to think of it, wasn¡¯t Laficel originally from the western part of the empire?¡± Karnak¡¯s question made Baros shrug. ¡°Since they speak the samenguage, I mistakenly thought she was from the Kingdom of Yustil as well.¡± In the central western continent, where the Barakant Mountains are located, the Kingdom of Yustil, Kingdom of Atringen, and the western region of the Lacaenia Empire all use the same Isnguage. Despite being different countries, they share amon cultural sphere. That¡¯s why Karnak¡¯s group didn¡¯t face anynguage barriers when they crossed the border into the empire. Usually, when you cross into another country, thenguage changes, but the central western continent has a unique historical situation. Until about 200 years ago, the rulers of the current Kingdom of Yustil and the Kingdom of Atringen were known as the margraves of the western part of the Empire of Lacaenia, defending its borders. It used to be the Five Kingdoms Alliance, not the Seven Kingdoms Alliance. The Barakant Mountains, being sorge, made it difficult for the empire¡¯s influence to reach easily. As a result, the two border regions developed independently. Tensions with Lacaenia increased over time, eventually leading to their independence as separate nations. Despite this administrative separation, theirnguage, culture, and societal systems remained quite simr. ¡°I¡¯ve heard stories that the Martial King Beltia took Laficel as her sessor while wandering through the empire. Could this have been here?¡± ¡°Was it really just a coincidence?¡± Karnak clicked his tongue and looked back at Hudel. ¡°This guy says he doesn¡¯t know Laficel.¡± That¡¯s when it happened. Another unexpected answer came. ¡°I don¡¯t not know her.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard the name Laficel before.¡± ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± *** It was right before Hudel returned to the Grenthal Territory, afterpleting a mission Elezar had assigned him. ¡°This is the cursed sword Mareda, Lady Elezar.¡± ¡°Mm, good work.¡± Elezar closed her eyes for a moment with the stolen cursed sword in hand. ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s what happened.¡± ¡°Did you confirm the reason?¡± Ignoring Hudel¡¯s question, she smiled slightly. ¡°The host just happened to be Laficel? Well, that¡¯s not so strange, then.¡± *** ¡°Wait, Elezar knows Laficel?¡± ¡°She definitely mentioned her at that time.¡± Karnak¡¯s face brightened at Hudel¡¯s bewildered response. This confirmed Elezar was a Space-time Regressor. ¡®Looks like it¡¯s safe to track down Elezar now.¡¯ Once they got a hold of Elezar, they¡¯d likely uncover why this world had turned out the way it had. Perhaps she could even help reverse everything. ¡°Things are going to get much easier.¡± As Karnak delighted in this thought, Hudel¡¯s voice interrupted. ¡°Afterward, Lady Elezar asked me a question.¡± *** ¡°What has be of Laficel now?¡± ¡°One of the battalion captains of the King¡¯s Order has taken her in.¡± ¡°Oh? And who might that be?¡± ¡°Baron Karnak of the Jestarad Family, a 6th Circle mage whomands the 7th battalion of the King¡¯s Order.¡± Hudel then briefly reported on Baros and Serati as well. Upon hearing the names, Elezar murmured quietly. ¡°Karnak, Baros, and Serati, huh?¡± She seemed puzzled for a moment before shaking her head. ¡°They must have taken her in without knowing anything.¡± She handed the cursed sword back to Hudel. ¡°You¡¯ve done well, Hudel. Go back to your hometown and rest for a while.¡± ¡°Yes, Lady Elezar.¡± *** ¡°¡­..Wait a second.¡± Karnak¡¯s face turned stony. ¡°Why did Elezar speak as if she didn¡¯t know me?¡± Baros had the same reaction. ¡°She acted like she didn¡¯t know me, either.¡± ¡°Could she not be a regressor after all?¡± ¡°Then how does she know Laficel? That only makes sense if she¡¯s a regressor.¡± ¡°If she¡¯s a regressor, why doesn¡¯t she know us?¡± It was a contradiction. None of it made sense. Karnak rubbed his temples, lost in thought. ¡°What on earth is going on?¡± *** They pondered for a long time but couldn¡¯t find an answer. At this point, there was simply too little information to make any conclusions. ¡°For now, we¡¯ll just have to proceed cautiously.¡± Since they had brought it up, they decided to question Hudel further on other matters of curiosity. ¡°What did you do at the border gate?¡± Hudel knew nothing about the infamous ¡°Candy Witch Incident.¡± ¡®Was it not the cult of the Dark God that orchestrated it? Or is it that this guy didn¡¯t know, and some other cultists acted separately?¡¯ Still, they managed to gather a lot of valuable information about the cult scattered across the Seven Kingdoms Alliance. Even just the list theypiled was a significant achievement. ¡°All that¡¯s left now is to wait for the Evil ying Brigade, hand Hudel over, and return to the Kingdom of Yustil.¡± Serati asked. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we inform them that Elezar is the leader of the cult?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t reveal it outright. They¡¯d realize I¡¯m involved, wouldn¡¯t they?¡± While necromancy was one thing, memory search through needle sticks is not a very honorable act. So far, Karnak had gotten by pretending to interrogate suspects before killing them and presenting evidence after their death, but he couldn¡¯t treat an imperial noble like Hudel in the same way. ¡°We need to make sure the Evil ying Brigade interrogates and handles him directly.¡± Karnak shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve got a n.¡± *** Two dayster, the Evil ying Brigade finally arrived at the Grenthal Territory. As veterans in dealing with cultists, they quickly began tidying up the aftermath of the incident, allowing the Clerics of Saisha to finally be relieved of their burdens. However, the atmosphere wasn¡¯t pleasant when they interacted with Karnak¡¯s group. Most members of the Evil ying Brigade were imperial nobles who despised the people of the Seven Kingdoms Alliance. ¡°A Yustil Kingdom citizen?¡± ¡°We acknowledge their contribution in defeating the cultists, but for them to be from the Seven Kingdoms, of all ces¡­¡± But the mood soon shifted. The leaders of the Evil ying Brigade happened to be familiar faces. It was Leocold, Lestain, and the mage Stronoff, who had recently returned from leave. They were the very ones whom Karnak¡¯s group had saved at the border gate. ¡°Lord Karnak!¡± ¡°Sir Baros! You¡¯re here!¡± Leocold, known within the Evil ying Brigade for his arrogant nature, was the first to wee them enthusiastically, which naturally softened the attitudes of the others. ¡®Oh, they were the ones who did that?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ve heard they¡¯re incredibly strong.¡¯ Thanks to this, everything went smoothly. Karnak and his group, who had been preparing for a tense standoff with the Evil ying Brigade, found the situation much morefortable. Watching how things unfolded, Serati clicked her tongue. ¡°Well, what a coincidence.¡± Karnak shook his head. [It¡¯s not really a coincidence.] Baros looked like he had expected it. [I had a feeling it might turn out this way.] [Yeah.] From the beginning, Karnak had suspected they might be part of the western fortress of the Evil ying Brigade. Because the Lacaenia Empire was so vast, it wasmon for locals to be assigned to their region¡¯s fortress. And those men had been on their way home for leave when they introduced themselves, meaning they were from this area. [They had just returned from leave. If something happened, wouldn¡¯t they be the first to be assigned to the task?] Chapter 134 Chapter 134 The captured cultists, including Hudel, Lehane, and Sephedes, were all handed over to the Evil ying Brigade. During that time, of course, their heads were subtly manipted with needles imbued with chaos power. Thanks to this, even though they had spilled all the information, they had no recollection of it whatsoever. As they were handing over the cultists, Karnak spoke meaningfully to Leocolt. ¡°There was something I couldn¡¯t ignore when I interrogated them.¡± He had also conducted an interrogation for appearances¡¯ sake, aside from the memory maniption with needles. It had to look natural to the outside world. He slyly conveyed the information obtained from that interrogation. ¡°They said that even the Emperor cannot act recklessly towards the one they serve.¡± ¡°Even His Majesty the Emperor cannot act recklessly¡­?¡± Leocolt asked with a serious expression. ¡°Are they referring to the dark god, Tesranak?¡± Karnak shook his head. ¡°When asked who they were working for, they refused to answer and said something along those lines. Given that it¡¯s not something to be taken lightly, I felt it necessary to bring it to your attention.¡± This implied that someone high-ranking in the Empire was involved with the cult of the Dark God. Someone so high-ranking that even the emperor himself could not act recklessly against them. ¡°How many people in the Empire hold such a high position?¡± ¡°Not many.¡± The names of several of the Empire¡¯s top executives shed through Leocolt¡¯s mind. None of them were people you could easily use of being cultists. Watching this, Karnak chuckled inwardly. ¡®Elezar¡¯s name is surely among them, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ The truth was, Hudel had never made such a statement. Karnak had made it all up. But who would know? Who would believe the words of a cultist? Moreover, it wasn¡¯t entirely fabricated. Elezar was indeed one of the leaders of the cult. No matter how much Hudel denied it, there was no way to hide the dirt once you started digging. ¡°I may be overly cautious, but if what they said is true and someone so high-ranking is involved¡­¡± Karnak added with a meaningful expression. ¡°You should be especially careful with the cultists you¡¯ve captured. They may have powerful connections, enough to influence the Evil ying Brigade.¡± It was alreadymon knowledge in the Empire that necromancers were experts in ¡°forced suicide.¡± Leocolt, seeing the wisdom in his words, expressed his gratitude sincerely. ¡°Thank you. I will keep that in mind.¡± Once Leocolt left, Karnak turned to Baros with a smile. ¡°They should be able to figure things out on their own now.¡± ¡°And if they don¡¯t?¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll just get another chance. There are plenty of cultists out there; what¡¯s the worry?¡± *** The cultist rebellion in the County of Grenthal. Without a doubt, the heroes of this incident were Karnak and his group. Of course, the efforts of the clerics of Saisha and the temple soldiers could not be disregarded. But without Karnak¡¯s group, there wouldn¡¯t have been such a favorable oue. Nevertheless, as usual, Karnak attributed all the credit to the Temple of Saisha. ¡°Even though Hudel was a cultist, he was still a noble of the Empire. It wouldn¡¯t look good for foreigners like us to im that we handled the situation.¡± Alius didn¡¯t object either. ¡°After all, our goal was to gather information on the cultists¡¯ influence within the Kingdom of Yustil. Since we achieved that, we are satisfied just to have been able to assist the clerics of Saisha.¡± The Evil ying Brigade praised their modesty. ¡°How admirable.¡± ¡°To achieve so much and yet not seek credit.¡± But even they understood internally. ¡®Indeed, it makes sense.¡¯ ¡®I would¡¯ve done the same if I were them.¡¯ This was the Lacaenia Empire, and Karnak¡¯s group was from the Kingdom of Yustil. Earning achievements in another nation wouldn¡¯t benefit them much. Had it been within the Seven Kingdoms Alliance, things might¡¯ve been different. But the Empire was a different story. The Lacaenia Empire and the Kingdom of Yustil had long been adversaries. The first king of Yustil had been a margrave of the Empire, a traitor. The recent peace between the two was ironically due to the Darkness of Doom. With the world in chaos and cultists spreading like wildfire, the Empire and the Seven Kingdoms Alliance hade to a ceasefire agreement to cease hostilities and focus on dealing with internal threats. Even so, it was not the right time for someone from Yustil to be highly regarded for achievements within the Empire. They wouldn¡¯t gain status or honor, and at best, they might receive some mary reward. In that case, it was more advantageous to give the credit to the Temple of Saisha and make them indebted to him. Thus, the matter was handled as usual. The official report stated that the Temple of Saisha had led the suppression of the cultist rebellion, with Karnak¡¯s group lending assistance as guests. During this process, the contributions of Baros and Serati were also greatly downyed. However, there was one exception. Laficel¡¯s achievement was not concealed. ¡°This girl is truly amazing!¡± The members of the Evil ying Brigade couldn¡¯t believe their ears. ¡°She really defeated all these cultists?¡± ¡°At such a young age?¡± The temple soldiers of Saisha fervently nodded. They had seen firsthand how terrifyingly powerful the small girl with the ash-gray hair had been throughout the night. ¡°Shall we report this as is?¡± At the investigator¡¯s question, Karnak responded in a gentle tone. ¡°We have no issues, but we cannot ignore this child¡¯s efforts.¡± Laficel murmured, moved by the recognition. ¡°I was just fighting the way my unnie taught me¡­¡± Others began to look at Karnak in a new light. He humbly stepped back, but ensured his subordinates¡¯ efforts were recognized. A model nobleman, indeed. Thus, Serati asked: [What¡¯s your game this time?] Baros squinted his eyes. [It¡¯s hard to believe the young master is such a virtuous person.] Karnak pouted. [You two are in sync these days.] Of course, their suspicions were not unfounded. [It¡¯s because we still don¡¯t know who Elezar truly is.] Whether she¡¯s a regressor or not, nothing makes sense. [So, I¡¯m trying to throw out more bait.] While dealing with the Cult of the Dark God, Karnak¡¯s biggest concern was how much information to release. In truth, for his own safety, it would have been best to operate under a false name. But in that case, his chances of infiltrating the cult of the Dark God would drop significantly. It could take years to carefully navigate through the proper channels, and he didn¡¯t have the time to waste. Luck might bring the Seven Goddesses Church or others into direct conflict with the cult, but he wasn¡¯t willing to gamble on theirpetence. If Karnak had trusted others, he would never have left the Jestarad Territory. He would¡¯ve just livedfortably off the profits of the copper mine. For this reason, he carefully leaked information about himself to the world. He needed to draw some attention from the cult, so he revealed himself as a new mage using a new magic that controlled necromancy, the Redeemer of Necromancy. On the other hand, Baros¡¯s abilities were kept hidden. He was introduced only as Karnak¡¯s adjutant, a standard red-ss aura user at best. He was purposely made to appear on par with Serati. How would the Cult of the Dark God perceive this? Karnak would definitely catch their attention for his unique magic, simr to their own dark arts. Meanwhile, Baros and Serati would seem unremarkable. If they still paid attention to Baros, it would be evidence that the enemy had knowledge of the future. [That¡¯s been the n all along, but Elezar might only know Laficel and not us.] He needed to confirm just how Elezar knew Laficel. It seemed like Elezar recognized her as the future Martial King, but in that case, not knowing Karnak or Baros didn¡¯t make sense. [That¡¯s why I¡¯m letting Laficel stand out, to observe the reaction.] Serati nodded in understanding. [So, you¡¯re using Laficel as bait.] [That¡¯s right.] She nced at Laficel with sympathy. [¡­It¡¯s toote to stop you now.] Karnak and Baros clicked their tongues. [You don¡¯t need to worry about her.] [Her soul is the Martial King. Do you remember how strong she was even when not in her right mind?] Serati looked at them in disbelief. [Regardless of her future, she¡¯s still just a child. Adults don¡¯t need a reason to worry about children.] Both men blinked, puzzled. [Is that how it is?] They still didn¡¯t fully understand her point. But they had a nagging feeling that not understanding this was part of why they had struggled to live normal lives. [This isplicated.] *** After wrapping up their business, Karnak¡¯s group left the County of Grenthal and returned to the Kingdom of Yustil. Even after their return, there were still matters to attend to. First, they presented a fine gift to the King¡¯s Order. ¡°Here¡¯s a list of cultists active within the Kingdom of Yustil.¡± They handed the list to Commander Erantel, saying it was a list of those suspected of being cultists. ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee Hudel was telling the truth, of course.¡± In fact, Hudel hadn¡¯t lied. The list was urate from his perspective. But if Karnak revealed the truth, they¡¯d just ask how he could be so sure, and it would be a hassle to fabricate more lies. So, he gave a vague exnation. ¡°We interrogated him, and that¡¯s what he confessed.¡± Whether it was true or not, Karnak would leave for the Commander to figure out. What followed was Erantel and the King¡¯s Order¡¯s problem to deal with. Of course, Karnak¡¯s 7th Battalion would also be gathering intelligence here and there. ¡°But I will have to stay in the capital for a while. Will that be a problem?¡± ¡°If you wish to take a break from your duties, that¡¯s not an issue.¡± The information they had extracted from Hudel alone was a greater aplishment than what the rest of the King¡¯s Order had achieved. No one wouldin if Karnak was given some leeway. ¡°But why stay in the capital? Do you have other matters to attend to?¡± Karnak nced out the office window. ¡°There¡¯s someone who¡¯s looking for me. I need to spend some time with them.¡± In the distance, beyond the streets of Drunta, a tall, azure tower gleamed. It was the tower of Deltros, the court mage of the Yustil Kingdom and a master of the 9th Circle of magic. Chapter 135 Chapter 135 The top floor of the Azure Magic Tower, located in the northern part of the capital, Drunta. An old man with a gray beard that extended down to his chest was questioning Karnak. This was Deltros, the court mage of Yustil and master of the tower. ¡°Are you really studying that kind of magic?¡± The secret magic spell of the Das School, Redeemer of Necromancy. It was an especially useful magic in the current era, where the Darkness of Doom ran rampant. The more mages mastered this magic, the easier it became to fight necromancers. Upon hearing the news, Deltros had no choice but to seek out Karnak as a priority. ¡°Hah, I didn¡¯t even know there was something like the Das School¡­¡± He didn¡¯t particrly doubt its authenticity. There was, after all, a court mage named Das 150 years ago. The fact that Das had secretly left behind a magic tome, and that Karnak had stumbled upon it and be its sessor, was not far-fetched in the magicmunity. His only curiosity was this: ¡°At that time, there weren¡¯t even many necromancers around, so why did he study this kind of magic?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I simply learned it because it was there.¡± Feigning ignorance, Karnak handed over the Redeemer of Necromancy magic form to Deltros. ¡°This is the magic the sage left behind.¡± Deltros, examining the parchment, stiffened slightly. ¡°This is quite a bothersome type of magic.¡± As a 9th-circle mage, he quickly grasped the strengths and weaknesses of the magic form. To properly wield this magic, one needed an exceptionally keen ability to sense evil energy and instinctively exploit the gaps in the enemy¡¯s magic form. Alternatively, the caster had to have an extraordinary understanding of necromancy to overpower their opponent. Of course, no mage could master necromancy at the same time, which meant that the effectiveness of the magic would depend entirely on the caster¡¯s natural talents. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a method that heavily relies on innate talent?¡± ¡°Which is why I¡¯ve only recently been able to use it in practice.¡± Even with the need for talent, Redeemer of Necromancy was highly useful, especially against necromancers. Deltros asked again. ¡°Are you really willing to give this to me?¡± ¡°What good would it do for me to hoard this magic? I¡¯d just end up being targeted by cultists.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± From Karnak¡¯s perspective, there weren¡¯t many choices. This was a magic meant to be known to the world. Therefore, the best option was to get some benefit out of it, but he didn¡¯t have a way to directly turn it into money. What was he supposed to do? Build his own magic tower and charge mages toe learn? A mere 6th-circle mage? The best way to profit was to pass it to a powerful mage and take amission. ¡°Alright, let me be honest. How much do you want?¡± A broad smile spread across Karnak¡¯s face. *** Baros and Serati were waiting on the first floor of the tower. Laficel was back home, so only these two hade along. As Karnak descended, Serati asked, ¡°How did it go?¡± He gestured for them to head outside, and they left the tower. As they walked through the streets, Karnak slyly reached into his coat. ¡°I made quite a haul.¡± What he pulled out was a magical check stamped with the royal seal of the Kingdom of Yustil. It was a highly trusted document that could be exchanged for cash at any bank. ¡°How much is it?¡± Baros, checking the number on the check, widened his eyes in shock. ¡°1,000 Terakel gold coins?¡± Although Karnak¡¯s cheerful expression had hinted at a good amount, Baros hadn¡¯t expected this much. ¡°Wait, why would they give you this much for just a single magic spell?¡± The currencymonly used was Kelin copper coins. While Karnak¡¯s group carried Lakel silver coins for everyday expenses, gold coins were something they kept only for emergencies, and only about 20 of them at that. A thousand Terakel gold coins were equivalent to half the annual budget of the Jestarad territory, which had be wealthy from copper mines. Even though Deltros was a court mage, that amount wasn¡¯t something he could easily hand over. ¡°Are the mages here all suckers?¡± Karnak shed a knowing smile at the bewildered Baros. ¡°Well, I did add a bit of bait.¡± Besides Redeemer of Necromancy, the Das School had other spells specifically designed to counter necromancy. He hadn¡¯t mastered them yet, so he couldn¡¯t reveal them now, but once he did, he promised to give Deltros the first pick¡ªof course, for a generousmission. ¡°¡­That¡¯s how I phrased it.¡± Redeemer of Necromancy wasn¡¯t a particrly valuable spell for a mere King¡¯s Order battalion captain. But when it was in the hands of a court mage of a kingdom, the stakes changed. Especially when dealing with empires, it became a powerful political weapon. ¡°I made sure to tell him it would give him a significant advantage against that arrogant imperial court mage, Elezar.¡± This would be an irresistible offer for Deltros. A 9th-circle mage like him couldn¡¯t help but feel envious of anyone aiming to reach the 10th circle. Serati tilted her head. ¡°Wait, doesn¡¯t Elezar already know that technique?¡± Karnak grinned. ¡°Deltros doesn¡¯t know that, does he?¡± And Elezar wasn¡¯t in a position to unt that knowledge. ¡°In any case, Deltros will feel quite proud of himself.¡± Baros suddenly asked, ¡°But do you really have more magic spells to offer?¡± ¡°I¡¯m developing a few chaos magic spells for public use.¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s not aplete con, then.¡± Thanks to that, they hade into a windfall¡ªa veryrge one. Baros smacked his lips. ¡°So, what are you going to do with all that money now? Should we go eat something expensive?¡± Serati gave a wry smile. ¡°You¡¯re already eating expensive meals whenever you like.¡± The pay from the King¡¯s Order was quite generous. Karnak was a battalion captain, and both Baros and Serati were treated as adjutants, which was no small role. In addition, there was a personal maintenance fund from the Jestarad territory. These people always stayed at the finest inns and dined on the best food, so it couldn¡¯t be said they lived modestly. But given how much they earned, they hardly needed to touch the gold coins. ¡°But you never know when we might need a lot of money. That¡¯s why I aimed high.¡± His n was to use the money for investments. ¡°If we invest in a good merchantpany and be partners, things will be much easier in the future.¡± ¡°Business partnerships with a merchantpany?¡± Serati asked, puzzled. ¡°Sure, a thousand gold coins is a lot, but it¡¯s not enough to gain significant influence over a merchantpany.¡± Terakel gold coins were indeed quite small¡ªabout the size of a fingernail. One Imperial gold coin was worth about seven Terakel gold coins in value. Karnak wiggled his finger. ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re aiming for a smallpany with high growth potential.¡± ¡°How would you know if it¡¯ll grow in the future¡­¡± Halfway through her question, Serati stopped speaking. ¡®That¡¯s right, these people are from the future. Of course, they¡¯d know.¡¯ This had always been Karnak¡¯s n. To use his knowledge of the future to build wealth. When he found that a copper mine had appeared out of nowhere after his return, he stopped worrying about it until now. ¡°At this point, Owent should have just started his merchantpany and be struggling.¡± Baros nodded. ¡°Indeed, there¡¯s Owent.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± In response to Serati¡¯s question, Karnak smiled. ¡°The head of the Altas Merchant Company. Right now, he¡¯s just a small merchant, but in ten years, he¡¯ll be one of the top three merchants in the Seven Kingdoms Alliance.¡± *** Owent Altas was originally a small merchant traveling between the Kingdoms of Yustil and Tarum. However, with exceptional business acumen, he opened his ownpany at the rtively young age of thirty-five. Like most merchant groups, he initially struggled, but quickly established himself and expanded his trade routes across the Seven Kingdoms. In just five years, he would be one of the top two merchants in the Yustil Kingdom, and ten years from now, he would be one of the three major merchants, along with Shirud of the Felmyre Kingdom and Rigal of the Etrial Kingdom. ¡°My first target was actually the Tekas Merchant Company. But Owent seemed too big to handle.¡± Upon returning, Karnak discovered that the Tekas Merchant Company was already thergest in Yustil. In fact, Tekas was handling the mining operations for the Jestarad territory¡¯s copper mine. ¡°Originally, they shouldn¡¯t have be a majorpany yet, but I don¡¯t know what happened four years ago.¡± Unlike Tekas, Altas was still a small merchant group. Karnak had already done his homework. ¡°They¡¯re still in the early stages, so if we invest now, we can make a significant profit.¡± Just having a foot in the door as a partner would reduce their financial worries significantly. Plus, a merchantpany would have connections all over the kingdom, offering conveniences during travels. ¡°He¡¯s a proven talent, so he¡¯ll grow quickly for a while.¡± ¡°True. In about ten years, they¡¯ll nearly copse due to a massive famine in the Southern Kingdom of Lifaul, but we can prevent that this time.¡± Serati gasped at Karnak and Baros¡¯s words. ¡°Oh my, a famine in ten years?¡± She wondered if it was a bad idea to invest in something that would copse in a decade. But on second thought, it seemed there wasn¡¯t a problem. ¡°Right, if you know in advance, you can prepare for it.¡± Karnak shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯m not saying we¡¯ll prepare for it. The famine won¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Seeing Serati¡¯s confused expression, Baros smiled warmly. ¡°That famine? It was caused by the young master.¡± Karnak scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. ¡°To be precise, I didn¡¯t intend to cause a famine¡­¡± He had originally nned to expand his followers with minimal effort. ¡°I released a gue on the crops, without anyone knowing.¡± The n was for people who ate the diseased grain to lose their minds and be his puppets under necromancy. That way, he could easily gain tens of thousands of followers. At the time, it seemed like a great idea, but when he tried it, there was a problem. ¡°The wheat and barley died before the people did.¡± For his n to work, people needed to eat the infected crops, but they all withered before the harvest. Naturally, he didn¡¯t gain a single follower. All he did was cause a massive famine. ¡°Eventually, we ran out of food ourselves.¡± ¡°So, we just fled to the Empire.¡± ¡°The Seven Kingdoms Alliance became a hellscape because of the famine.¡± ¡°But things got easierter, didn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. With so many corpses lying around, it became easy to gather materials for the undead army.¡± Nostalgic, Karnak and Baros nodded in unison, remembering those days. Watching them, Serati could only sigh in disbelief. ¡°Wow, you two really are something.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing. The world really is¡­ so colorful.¡± Chapter 136 Chapter 136 As they continued walking and conversing, they soon found themselves in the merchant district. ¡°But, are you only going to spend the money you just received?¡± Baros, who was walking alongside him, suddenly asked. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to spend a lot more? You already know it¡¯s going to be sessful anyway.¡± He was suggesting they also use the reserve funds from the Jestarad estate to aim for an even bigger profit. Karnak shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s too risky. There¡¯s no guarantee that this will seed.¡± The world had already changed enough. Even the Tekas Merchant Group, which had grown tremendously, wasn¡¯t originally destined to be sorge at this time. ¡°Likewise, the Altas Merchant Group could fail earlier than expected.¡± In his previous life, the Cult of the Dark God didn¡¯t even exist. There was a significant chance that the Altas Merchant Group could face unexpected cmities. So, when making investments, it¡¯s not about glimpsing into the future; it¡¯s about assessing the people. People don¡¯t change easily. ¡°Owent is certainly a reliable merchant. He¡¯s someone who overcame countless hardships and became a tycoon.¡± Of course, no matter how talented someone is, there are often times when luck isn¡¯t on their side. There was now saying Owent couldn¡¯t end up being one of those cases. But is there any investment in the world without risk? Just the fact that Karnak could assess someone¡¯s abilities beforehand gave him an advantage over others. ¡°Besides, this is free money. Even if it¡¯s lost, it won¡¯t hurt too much. It¡¯d be a bit of a waste, though.¡± Serati nced at Karnak, as if noticing something new. ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly cautious, Lord Karnak.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve lived long enough to see things go wrong in many ways.¡± It wasn¡¯t that Karnakcked ambition. He had already entertained thoughts simr to Baros¡¯. ¡°If everything went exactly as the future dictates, I¡¯d be the god of investments. But life doesn¡¯t work that smoothly, does it?¡± Karnak muttered while looking around. ¡°By the way, where¡¯s the Merchant Group building? I heard it was around here.¡± Baros pointed to a two-story building in the distance. ¡°There it is.¡± *** The Merchant Group¡¯s building was quiterge, but overall, it looked shabby. The building itself was old and worn. Only the sign that read ¡°Altas Merchant Group¡± was new. ¡°They must not have been in business for long.¡± Karnak¡¯s group entered the building. Several servants were busy packing goods for trade. A woman with dark brown hair, seemingly in her mid-thirties, was writing in a ledger and giving various instructions to the servants. Baros cautiously called out to one of them. ¡°Excuse me.¡± One of the servants turned and asked gruffly, ¡°What do you want?¡± At the moment, Karnak¡¯s group wasn¡¯t dressed as knights or mages but in ordinary clothes. Baros and Serati hadn¡¯t even brought their swords. In the capital, carrying des longer than 30 centimeters was prohibited byw. They looked like ordinary citizens, so it was no wonder the servant¡¯s attitude was rude. Baros straightened up and changed his tone. ¡°This here is Baron Karnak of the Jestarad family. We¡¯vee to meet with the head of the Altas Merchant Group.¡± ¡®A¡­ a noble?¡¯ Startled, the servant quickly bowed his head. ¡°Please wait a moment.¡± The servant called over the woman writing in the ledger. She approached the group and asked, ¡°Wee to the Altas Merchant Group. May I ask what brings you here?¡± Given that the purpose of their visit was investment, they couldn¡¯t talk to just anyone. Karnak cautiously replied, ¡°It¡¯s an important matter. I¡¯d like to speak with the head of thepany in private.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± The woman led the group to thepany owner¡¯s private office on the second floor. Owent was still nowhere to be seen. The woman spoke again. ¡°You can speak now.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯d like to speak directly with the head¡­¡± Karnak, feeling awkward, trailed off, but the woman smiled kindly. ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Know what?¡± She bowed her head politely. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Baron Karnak. I am Edia, the head of the Altas Merchant Group.¡± For a moment, Karnak was taken aback. ¡°Isn¡¯t Mr. Owent the owner?¡± Did he get kicked out of thepany? No, that didn¡¯t make sense either. ¡®Thepany¡¯s still named after Owent.¡¯ After all, the name ¡®Altas Merchant Group¡¯ was derived from Owent¡¯s surname. If the ownership had changed, the name would have, too. At that moment, Edia¡¯s expression twisted with annoyance. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that fool is going around iming he¡¯s the owner?¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s not it, then how do you even know about Owent?¡± Karnak and Baros exchanged confused nces. They had no idea what was going on. Serati cautiously asked Edia, ¡°Excuse me, but could you exin the situation?¡± It wasn¡¯t until she exined in detail that they understood the situation. Her full name was Edia Altas. She was Owent Altas¡¯s wife. ¡°Although it¡¯s been over a year since I¡¯vest seen him.¡± Back when Owent was just a small-time merchant, they were a regr married couple. Though they didn¡¯t have children, they lived rtively well. Things changed after the founding of the Altas Merchant Group. ¡°That lunatic suddenly got obsessed with some cult called ¡®Tesra¡¯ or something.¡± iming that the world was about to change and that worldly ties were useless, he abandoned both his wife and thepany and joined the Cult of the Dark God. ¡°Since then, I¡¯ve been the one running the Altas Merchant Group.¡± After hearing Edia¡¯s story, Serati nced back at Karnak in disbelief. [Um, isn¡¯t this a case of a person changing in a different way?] Karnak chuckled. [Life really does have a way of throwing curveballs.] A brief silence followed. Edia cautiously asked, ¡°You haven¡¯t told me the reason for your visit yet?¡± ¡°Well, I was thinking of discussing an investment. However¡­¡± Karnak trailed off. What he was after was Owent. Without him, there wasn¡¯t much of a reason to invest in the Altas Merchant Group. But the moment Edia heard the word ¡®investment,¡¯ her expression changed dramatically. ¡°Please, take a seat.¡± Before Karnak could even decline, she led him to the sofa, served tea, and brought out numerous ledgers and documents. ¡°Ourpany holds a portion of the salt trade rights between the Kingdom of Etrial and the Kingdom of Tarum. We also deal in leather from the Barakant Mountains and wool from Tarum.¡± She meticulously gave a briefing, putting on the face of a merchant dealing with a potential investor. Watching her, Karnak felt a bit conflicted. He couldn¡¯t just tell her that he hade to invest in Owent, not her. From what it seemed, Owent wasn¡¯t even involved in the business anymore. If she were to ask why he valued Owent so highly, Karnak wouldn¡¯t have a good answer. ¡®What should I even say?¡¯ Meanwhile, Edia was internally rejoicing. A good merchant knows that obtaining information about notable figures in society is essential. As soon as she heard Karnak¡¯s name, she recognized him. ¡®It¡¯s really him, the one from the rumors.¡¯ Recently, a rising noble had appeared like aet in the capital, Drunta. He was the owner of the wealthy Jestarad Barony, which owned copper mines in the north, held a high position within the King¡¯s Order, and was favored by Prince Lloyd. Moreover, he had two aura users under hismand, and he himself was a 6th-circle high-ranking mage! For a fledglingpany like the Altas Merchant Group, this was a figure who couldn¡¯t be ignored. ¡®I can¡¯t miss this opportunity!¡¯ A wealthy, capable, and well-connected investor was invaluable in many ways. She didn¡¯t know how Karnak had learned about the Altas Merchant Group, but it was crucial to y her cards right. ¡°May I exin a bit more?¡± Karnak nodded absently. ¡°Oh, sure.¡± He wasn¡¯t particrly interested; he just wanted to let her talk while he thought of an excuse to leave without arousing suspicion. But as he listened, something seemed odd. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ She was exining the potential and vision of the Altas Merchant Group, and it mostly matched the information Karnak had. ¡®These are things the Altas Merchant Group will do in the future.¡¯ ns that Owent was supposed toe up with were now being discussed by his wife, Edia. Curious, Karnak interrupted her. ¡°Did youe up with these ns yourself? Not your husband?¡± Edia smiled wryly. ¡°That man never had the brains for this. He was just someone who carried goods around and drank.¡± She didn¡¯t seem to be lying. Karnak had suspected she might just be parroting ns Owent had alreadyid out, but if that were the case, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to exin everything so naturally. ¡®So that means¡­¡¯ Despite Serati¡¯s earlier teasing, Karnak hadn¡¯t been entirely wrong. People don¡¯t change easily. Even if the Cult of the Dark God had altered the course of the world, the essence of Owent and Edia hadn¡¯t changed much. ¡®So, from the beginning, Edia was the true owner of the Altas Merchant Group?¡¯ Now everything made sense. In his previous life, there had been no Cult of the Dark God, so Owent wouldn¡¯t have left his home for the cult. Moreover, the Seven Kingdoms Alliance, unlike the Lacaenia Empire, held women in lower regard. For credibility¡¯s sake, it made sense that Owent would have been the public face, even if Edia was the one running things behind the scenes. The real talent who had elevated the Altas Merchant Group to one of the top three merchants in his previous life was the woman standing before him¡ªEdia. ¡®Wait, so what does this mean?¡¯ Karnak hadn¡¯t wanted Owent for the man himself, but for his business acumen. And if that acumen actually belonged to Edia¡­ ¡®There¡¯s no reason not to invest, is there?¡¯ *** In the end, Karnak became an investor in the Altas Merchant Group. The check he received from Deltros was handed over to Edia. As they left thepany and headed back home, Karnak grumbled. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m not sure if this was the right decision.¡± Noticing his unease, Serati asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say Edia was the true owner of the Altas Merchant Group even in your past life?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a theory.¡± ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case, won¡¯t things work out well this time too? Or is there something that makes you uneasy?¡± Karnak scratched his head. ¡°There¡¯s no particr reason. It just doesn¡¯t feel right¡­¡± Baros, his longtime confidant, frowned. He knew all too well that Karnak had an uncanny tendency to be right when he trusted his gut. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re going to lose money?¡± That didn¡¯t seem to be the case. ¡°No, I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m going to lose money. Yeah, that¡¯s not it.¡± But it did feel like something bad was going to happen. ¡°What does that even mean?¡± ¡°That makes no sense.¡± As the two looked at him in disbelief, Karnak shrugged. ¡°Right?¡± Even he thought it was ridiculous. ¡°I have no idea why I¡¯m feeling this way.¡± Chapter 137 Chapter 137 For a while, Karnak and hispanions stayed at Drunta¡¯s residence. Serati was puzzled by their decision to dy even the King¡¯s Order mission. ¡°Are you waiting for Elezar to send her subordinates?¡± ¡°No, not exactly.¡± Even if she were to send her subordinates, it would take them quite a while to track down Karnak¡¯s group. First, the news of Hudel¡¯s capture would need to reach Elezar, which would take a few days. After receiving the news, it would take her more time toe up with a countermeasure, and even longer to assign someone to handle the task. All of this would consume considerable time. ¡°Then they¡¯d have to cross the Barakant Mountain Range from the Empire ande all the way to the Kingdom of Yustil. That would take at least a month.¡± He couldn¡¯t waste time idly waiting for the enemy toe. They had their own lives to live and work to do. There was a different reason Karnak stayed in the capital. ¡°I have to earn the gold I was paid.¡± As agreed in advance, he had to pass down the ¡°Redeemer of Necromancy¡± to Deltros and the other mages. Magic isn¡¯t something you can just nce at a form and instantly master. Of course, for a mage at the 9th Circle, most spells could indeed be learned with just a quick look, but the Redeemer of Necromancy was different. This spell heavily relied on a person¡¯s natural senses. Until they got a handle on the basic feel of it, Karnak needed to be nearby to constantly correct them. As a result, a rather amusing situation arose. A young mage, barely in his twenties and at the 6th Circle, was now teaching senior mages at the 8th and 9th Circles. Yet he showed no sign of intimidation. ¡°This spell itself is something you can all cast with ease, but applying it to necromancy is an entirely different issue.¡± The older mages were even impressed by his confidence. ¡®What an incredible young man.¡¯ ¡®Even with that level of self-assurance, it¡¯s not easy to maintain such a demeanor in front of us.¡¯ Of course, from Karnak¡¯s perspective, there was no reason to be intimidated by mages much younger than himself. ¡°Alright, alright! Stay focused and cast the spell again!¡± *** Every day, Karnak visited the Azure Magic Tower. Whenever he left, Serati would also leave the house with him. Her destination was the King¡¯s Order headquarters. ¡°You¡¯re here, Dame Serati?¡± ¡°Please guide me, Sir Dvoyce.¡± ¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s me who should be learning from you.¡± She was there to spar with other aura users from the King¡¯s Order who were off-duty. Serati had gained quite a bit of experience by this time. She had learned many things on her own. It was time for her to organize those experiences and take her skills to the next level. When she asked Baros what to do, he suggested this method. ¨CYou don¡¯t be stronger just by fighting strong opponents. You also need to experience crushing the weak and growing arrogant. Even though his words were harsh, they weren¡¯t entirely wrong. Having always sparred with Baros, Serati had developed the habit of being overly cautious and retreating. Though her opponents weren¡¯t weak, at least by pushing aura users of her level, she could build her confidence. So, she requested sparring matches with the aura users of the King¡¯s Order. Since they all stood to gain from it, they were more than happy to draw their swords. After spending all day training, she¡¯d return home, only to be greeted by Baros organizing the groceries he had bought. ¡°You went to the market again today, Sir Baros?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an important part of my daily routine.¡± Baros, of course, trained steadily as well, but he had a bit more free time than Serati. He spent his spare moments indulging in his cherished hobby. As an extension of his food adventures, he wandered around Drunta, sampling all sorts of dishes and famous drinks. Having regained his physical form, he intended to fully enjoy the pleasures of the flesh. However, he didn¡¯t want to destroy his body by eating and drinking recklessly. So he sought out only the most delicious food to fill his stomach. ¡°In that spirit, today¡¯s snack is freshwater shrimp boiled in salt water!¡± Caught from the Sindaril River near Drunta, they were known for their savory and salty vor, a well-known delicacy among the citizens of Drunta. Everyone¡¯s eyes lit up as they gathered around. ¡°Is there some for me?¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°Give it to me.¡± First came Serati, then Laficel, and finally Karnak. They all sat in the garden and started peeling and eating the shrimp. ¡°Yum, yum.¡± Serati smiled warmly as she watched Laficel munching on the shrimp with her lips puckered. ¡°Eat as much as you want, Laficel.¡± Laficel suddenly blushed. ¡°¡­I feel like I¡¯m going to gain weight.¡± Baros interjected with a smirk. ¡°Considering your daily activity, you could probably eat twice as much and still not gain weight.¡± Laficel¡¯s daily routine was as follows: Breakfast, then cleaning the house, and ying. Lunch, clean-up, and then either a nap or y. Afternoon snack, followed by more time to y. At a nce, it seemed like she spent the entire dayzily. The problem was that all of her ¡°y time¡± was spent training her swordsmanship! She loved swinging her sword so much that she saw it as ytime, but in reality, it was an enormous amount of training. Laficel rubbed her arm and frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ It feels like I¡¯ve gained weight.¡± Serati chuckled softly. ¡°That¡¯s just because you¡¯ve grown taller, isn¡¯t it?¡± Laficel had grown noticeably taller, by at least a finger¡¯s width. Rather than it being a sudden growth spurt, it seemed more like she was now growing at the normal rate for someone her age who had previously been undernourished. Karnak and Baros had been ensuring she ate heartily at every meal, and Laficel was clearly benefiting from it. ¡®Thanks to that, her swordsmanship seems to be improving by the day.¡¯ At this rate, it wouldn¡¯t be long before there was another aura user in Jestarad¡¯s territory. Technically, she had already awakened, but her body hadn¡¯t fully caught up yet. Before they knew it, the shrimp were all gone. ¡°Thank you for the meal!¡± Laficel cheerfully gathered up the shrimp shells. After cleaning up, she nned to practice her swordsmanship before dinner. As usual, Karnak grabbed a wooden sword and joined her. ¡°Let¡¯s practice together, Laficel.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± *** In the past, Karnak was the type of person who wouldn¡¯t exercise even if it killed him. His philosophy was that only thosecking intelligence had to resort to physicalbor. But after returning to the past, his attitude hadpletely changed. Now he had a clear purpose. To maintain this precious body in the best condition possible for as long as possible. His duel trial against Randolph, the knight of Deventor, had been a blessing in disguise. At the time, it had been excruciating. He had no desire to run away in the middle of the night, so he reluctantly yed the part of a knight, swearing to quit the moment his business was finished. But once he built up his basic fitness, he found that it wasn¡¯t so bad after all. Anyone who has exercised knows that it¡¯s difficult at first, but once your body gets used to it, it bes much more bearable. And once you reach a certain level, moving your body can even be enjoyable. Considering that he had reversed time because he missed the sensations of his physical body, it made sense. ¡®Who would have thought I¡¯d actuallye to enjoy exercising?¡¯ So, he made time for regr swordsmanship practice, at least on a basic level. Today, too, he practiced simple horizontal and vertical shes, swinging his wooden sword through the air. ¡°Hup! Haah!¡± Laficel, who was practicing swordsmanship next to him, couldn¡¯t help but watch Karnak intently. ¡®As expected, Lord Karnak is diligent. Despite being a mage, he also trains his body.¡¯ Of course, she knew that Karnak¡¯s swordsmanship was far from impressive. But it wasn¡¯t like he was nning to use the skill in realbat. ¡®Since it¡¯s just for health, he¡¯s doing a decent job.¡¯ Then, all of a sudden, Karnak switched his grip to reverse and started performing two upward shes into the air. ¡°Hyaaah!¡± It was the secret technique, Overkill, Laven Strauss¡¯ secret technique, which he had learned after enduring Baros¡¯s harsh training. The trajectory of the sword was fairly decent, and Karnak let out a cry of triumph. ¡°Nice! I did it!¡± Laficel¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡®Wow, he¡¯s actually pretty good at that technique!¡¯ Clumsy people tend to focus solely on mastering one technique once they get the hang of it. It¡¯s usually because that¡¯s the only skill they¡¯re proficient at. At that level, she thought she could probably imitate it. Laficel quietly gave it a try. ¡°Hi-yah!¡± With a single attempt, Laficel perfectly executed the Overkill technique that Karnak had practiced countless times but had never fully mastered. sh! She adjusted her grip on the sword, tilting her head in confusion. ¡®That¡¯s strange. Why does this technique feel so familiar?¡¯ *** The sun was slowly setting. Karnak¡¯s entire body was drenched in sweat. ¡°Ugh, I need to wash up before dinner.¡± In this era, most houses didn¡¯t have bathrooms, and even when they did, only the mansions of nobles had them. Fetching water was no small task. However, Karnak¡¯s house had its own bathhouse. This extravagant man had gone as far as hiring a poter to indulge in regr baths. The reason was simple. ¨CMy body is worth more than the cost of water! Of course, even Karnak couldn¡¯t afford the luxury of boiling water every time. But that wasn¡¯t much of a problem. First, he filled the bath with cold water, then lightly touched the surface with his right finger. ¡°Heat Wave.¡± It was a spell that transformed cold water into hot water. It didn¡¯t boil the water to the point where it could cook food, making it unsuitable for cooking orbat, but it was perfect for heating bathwater. A whileter, a rxed voice leaked out from beyond the bathhouse window. ¡°Ah, this feels great~!¡± Laficel, who was preparing dinner in the kitchen, made a strange face. ¡°Serati unnie.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°About Lord Karnak and Baros oppa¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Sometimes, don¡¯t they seem a bit like old men? I wonder why.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm, well, who knows?¡± *** Ten days had passed since Karnak¡¯s group settled in Drunta. In the meantime, Deltros and the other mages had sessfully mastered the Redeemer of Necromancy. There was no longer a need to visit the Azure Magic Tower. It was time to return to the King¡¯s Order. Two days after finishing his work at the magic tower, Commander Erantel summoned Karnak. ¡°You called for me,mander?¡± He naturally assumed it was to assign his next mission, but the Commander¡¯s expression was oddly ambiguous. ¡°I hear you have some connection with apany called Altas Merchant Group?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct, but¡­¡± ¡°They seem to be having some issues.¡± Karnak wasn¡¯t surprised. He had a pretty good sense when something negative was going to happen. ¡®I knew something felt off.¡¯ The only thing that puzzled him was why the King¡¯s Order, which had nothing to do with the Altas Merchant Group, was bringing it up. But the next words did surprise him. ¡°I¡¯m not a merchant, so I don¡¯t fully understand the situation, but¡­¡± With a bewildered expression, Commander Erantel looked through the documents and continued. ¡°They say you¡¯re now the owner of the Altas Merchant Group?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Three days ago. A report was filed at the Temple of Alium, the Goddess of the Moon and Justice, located in Drunta. The report came from Tekas Merchant Group, thergest Merchant Group in the kingdom, using one of the risingpanies, Altas Merchant Group, of being involved in a heretical cult. Investigators were sent, and they confirmed the truth. The true identity of Owent Altas, the founder of Altas Merchant Group, was that of a follower of the Dark God. For a long time, he had been operating in the shadows, using his wife, Edia, as a front to fund the cultists. But recently, that fact was exposed! Tekas Merchant Group, which faithfully serves the Seven Goddesses, discovered the heinous acts of the cultists and reported it to the Church of the Goddesses. Fearing punishment, Edia and her husband fled before the priests could arrive. Since they couldn¡¯t let such wicked cultists go free, the priests of Alium thoroughly searched the Merchant Group, leaving no stone unturned. They interrogated all the associates and scrutinized the ledgers and documents. In the process, an unexpected figure emerged. It turned out that Baron Karnak, a member of the King¡¯s Order and lord of Jestarad, was connected to Altas Merchant Group. ¡°This is why this matter reached me.¡± Although the matter wasn¡¯t directly rted to the King¡¯s Order, it was still a case involving a heretic, and the person involved was a member of the King¡¯s Order, so it couldn¡¯t be entirely ignored, ording to Erantel¡¯s exnation. Karnak frowned. ¡°¡­Am I also being suspected of being a heretic?¡± Commander Erantel shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not the case.¡± The Church of the Seven Goddesses knew well that Karnak harbored a deep hatred for necromancers and had been working to eradicate necromancy from the world. It made sense. Even the money Karnak had invested in Altas Merchant Group was likely earned during his efforts to spread powerful anti-necromancy magic. However, the issuey in the amount of his investment. ¡°You hold thergest stake among Altas Merchant Group¡¯s investors. That¡¯s why your opinion is needed regarding its fate.¡± Karnak was the only one crazy enough to invest a thousand gold coins in a newly established Merchant Group. Erantel handed him the document in his hand. ¡°It¡¯s from Tekas Merchant Group.¡± Karnak skimmed through the document and clicked his tongue. ¡°So, they¡¯re asking me to hand over the Merchant Group for a settlement fee?¡± Currently, Altas Merchant Group was in a state of limbo, having lost its owner. But that didn¡¯t mean thepany had copsed. It still held trading routes andmercial rights, only thepany¡¯s head had vanished. From Tekas Merchant Group¡¯s perspective, it was a very tempting prize. Thus, they contacted Karnak, thergest stakeholder. ¡°They¡¯re offering to buy the rights to Altas Merchant Group, and the amount they¡¯re offering is¡­¡± Karnak¡¯s expression turned peculiar. ¡°Two thousand gold coins?¡± The money had doubled without him doing anything. *** ¡°¡­That¡¯s the gist of it.¡± At Karnak¡¯s residence in Drunta. After hearing the exnation, Baros and Serati muttered in disbelief. ¡°Wow, are you some kind of god of investment? Everything you do turns out cursed.¡± ¡°How do you manage to ruin others¡¯ fortunes while reaping all the benefits yourself, even when you don¡¯t mean to?¡± Karnak pouted, as if feeling wronged. ¡°Hey, this time, it¡¯s not my fault.¡± Indeed, this time Karnak was clearly a victim as well. ¡°Right, your money just doubled in ten days.¡± ¡°If you call yourself a victim, people will mock you.¡± Despite their words, both of them knew this situation wasn¡¯t something to celebrate. This wasn¡¯t about making a few extra gold coins. Karnak had invested for the sake of securing long-term connections and influence with powerful tradingpanies, something important for his future. If possible, resolving the situation was the best course of action. Baros murmured in disbelief. ¡°Is Lady Edia really a cultist? She didn¡¯t seem that way at all.¡± ¡°I heard the King¡¯s Order did a separate investigation.¡± There were some details that the Church of Alium¡¯s investigation had missed. ¡°ording to thepany¡¯s servants, Owent barged in and forcibly dragged Lady Edia away.¡± He had somehow increased hisbat abilities, overpowering thepany¡¯s experienced guards. ¡°There are plenty of necromantic spells that temporarily boost strength, so it¡¯s not all that surprising.¡± Naturally, Edia resisted, but it was futile. -How dare you nag at what your heavenly husband tells you to do! Shut up and follow me! -I¡¯m trying to teach you the truths of life, but you¡¯re too stupid to learn! ¡°He shouted things like that while dragging her away.¡± Serati furrowed her brows in disgust. ¡°Turns out, it¡¯s a prettymon type of situation.¡± From the looks of it, the possibility that Edia had conspired with her husband was very low. It seemed more likely that Tekas Merchant Group used Owent to get rid of her. ¡°The fact that the user is Tekas Merchant Group makes their intentions quite clear.¡± Karnak asked, deep in thought. ¡°So, what do we do now?¡± There were two options. One was to ept the two thousand gold coins and cleanly settle the case. The other was to rescue Edia and reinstate her as the head of Altas Merchant Group. ¡°Let¡¯s rescue Lady Edia! We can¡¯t just stand by while someone¡¯s life is at risk, can we?¡± ¡°And she¡¯s supposed to be one of the top three merchants, right? We can¡¯t let go of such a valuable person for a cheap price!¡± For reference, the first suggestion was Baros¡¯, and the second was Serati¡¯s. Karnak looked at the two of them with a curious expression. ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you two switched?¡± Baros¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Right? I must have be a better person.¡± Meanwhile, Serati was in sudden despair. ¡®W-What happened to me?¡¯ Laficel, who had been eavesdropping while washing dishes in the kitchen, was simply puzzled. ¡®What are they talking about? Baros oppa has always been a good person.¡¯ *** The next day, Karnak returned to the headquarters of the King¡¯s Order. ¡°So, let me get this straight¡­¡± Commander Erantel looked at him with a troubled expression. ¡°You want to rescue the former head of Altas Merchant Group?¡± ¡°Yes. Isn¡¯t fighting cultists the very mission of the King¡¯s Order?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not wrong, but there¡¯s a matter of priorities.¡± The main task of the King¡¯s Order was to handle heretic-rted incidents involving royalty and high-ranking nobles. Just because the Dark God¡¯s cult was involved didn¡¯t mean they could get involved in every case. ¡°Then there¡¯s no issue with me acting on my own, right?¡± ¡°You can do what you like, but it¡¯s a bit difficult right now.¡± The King¡¯s Order was already a very busy organization. There were plenty of tasks far more pressing than this minor Merchant Group incident. Karnak had been granted ample time off due to his many aplishments, but even that was starting to run out. ¡°No matter how capable you are, you¡¯ve taken too much time off. I can¡¯t allow you to skip another mission.¡± ¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is¡­¡± Karnak grinned, as if he had expected this response. ¡°It¡¯s fine if this heretic-rted case involves royalty or high-ranking nobles, right?¡± He pulled out a document from his coat and handed it over. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Erantel¡¯s expression turned strange as he looked at the paper. He noticed a familiar seal at the bottom. ¡°Prince Lloyd¡¯s seal?¡± With exaggerated movements, Karnak shrugged. ¡°As it turns out, Prince Lloyd is also an investor in Altas Merchant Group.¡± Anticipating this response, he had prepared ahead of time. He still had the golden seal that Prince Lloyd had given him a while ago. ¡®I never thought I¡¯d actually have to use this.¡¯ Erantel alternated his gaze between the document and Karnak in disbelief. ¡°¡­Does the prince know he¡¯s an investor?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m making money for him, so I don¡¯t think he¡¯d object.¡± ¡°True, you¡¯re not exactly doing anything wrong.¡± In this situation, it was hard to argue against making this a mission of the King¡¯s Order. ¡°No issues, right?¡± ¡°None.¡± Commander Erantel epted the document with a wry smile. ¡°Take care out there.¡± *** Commander Erantel granted permission. The mission to rescue Edia was officially recognized as a task for the King¡¯s Order. The next step was to track down her whereabouts. Serati offered a suggestion. ¡°Shall we visit the Drunta Adventurers¡¯ Guild? We might find a bounty hunter who can track down Edia.¡± Baros shook his head. ¡°That would take too long.¡± They weren¡¯t dealing with a high-ranking noble, just two ordinary citizens who had disappeared. In such cases, it usually took a long time to trace their whereabouts. Even in the best-case scenario, it would take several months. ¡°If we take that long, Altas Merchant Group¡¯s remaining trade routes will vanish too.¡± Time was of the essence. If they couldn¡¯t restore Edia to her position within a month, even the rights to sell Altas Merchant Group would be gone. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± Karnak smiled brightly. ¡°All we need to do is find Owent, right?¡± Since Owent had kidnapped Edia, finding him would naturally lead them to her. Baros asked in disbelief. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what we¡¯re trying to figure out in the first ce?¡± ¡°Why are we overthinking it? We know someone who might know.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°The one who reported it¡ªTekas Merchant Group.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Now that he thought about it, that made sense. Owent had shown up to take Edia, and Tekas Merchant Group conveniently reported it. The fact that they timed it so perfectly suggested that they had deliberately manipted the situation. ¡°All we need to do is find the one who reported Owent and ask about his whereabouts.¡± ¡°How do you know they¡¯ll know where he is?¡± It was possible that Tekas Merchant Group just stumbled upon the information about Owent and took advantage of it. Baros pointed this out, and Karnak shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re right. I can¡¯t guarantee it. But it¡¯s quite a usible theory, don¡¯t you think?¡± Owent had escaped Drunta too easily, even with Edia in tow. A mere merchant wouldn¡¯t have been able to pull that off. ¡°Someone had to have helped him.¡± There was even a chance that Tekas Merchant Group was connected to the Dark God¡¯s cult. After all, they would need some sort of rtionship to manipte a cultist like Owent. ¡°Well, it¡¯s all spection for now. There¡¯s no solid proof.¡± But it was worth investigating. ¡°Interrogating him should give us answers.¡± Serati frowned. ¡°Are you nning to stick a needle in his head again?¡± ¡°No.¡± Karnak had already been scolded by her for relying too much on memory maniption. She had told him to stop trying to solve everything by messing with people¡¯s minds. ¡°This time, I¡¯m nning to act like a normal person.¡± Serati¡¯s expression was skeptical. ¡°If you do that, they won¡¯t confess easily.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Karnak raised an eyebrow, as if he didn¡¯t understand the problem. ¡°I told you, I¡¯ll act like a ¡®normal¡¯ person.¡± Chapter 139 Chapter 139 In the dead of night, a man in his mid-fortiesy bound on the floor of avishly furnished bedroom. His body was covered in wounds, as if he had endured severe torture. ¡°Ugh¡­ ugh¡­¡± Three unidentified figures loomed over him as he groaned. They are dressed in ck robes from head to toe and their faces arepletely covered with ck hoods, so it is impossible to tell the difference between men and women, let alone their identities. The man, terrified, asked in a weak voice, ¡°¡­Who are you?¡± Just the night before, he had gone to sleep peacefully in his bed. Now, he had awakened bound and thrown onto the floor of his own bedroom. ¡°Why are you doing this to me?¡± There was no answer. One of the figures simply lifted a poker, which had been heated red-hot by some mana. ¡°P-please!¡± He begged for mercy, but it was in vain. The scorching metal seared his flesh mercilessly. ¡°AAAAAAHHH!¡± The pain was unbearable, but it was too intense even to pass out. The man thrashed and screamed in agony. ¡°What do you want from me?!¡± Still, there was no response. The poker glowed hotly again and drew near. ¡°AAAHHHH!¡± And so it continued. They asked no questions, made no demands, and remained silent, inflicting torture without pause. The man felt as though he would go mad. ¡®Why¡­ why are they doing this?¡¯ No matter how much he screamed, no guards or servants came to his aid. It seemed a soundproof barrier had been erected. After what felt like an eternity of torment, one of the figures finally spoke. ¡°Drunta branch manager of the Tekas Merchant Group, Maddington. Is that correct?¡± Maddington¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and he nodded frantically. ¡°Yes! Yes!¡± They had tortured him this much only now to ask his identity? What if they had gotten the wrong person? But he was too broken from the torture to feel any sense of injustice. He was simply relieved that they were finally talking to him. ¡°I will ask you something.¡± The voice was cold as it continued the interrogation. ¡°You know the name Owent, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes! He was the former head of the Altas Merchant Group!¡± Even as he answered, Maddington was confused. Why was Owent being brought up in this situation? ¡°They say you reported Owent and his wife to the Alium Temple, correct?¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s true, but¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± One of the figures chuckled derisively before shouting angrily. ¡°You heretic! Did you think you could harm a follower of Tesranak and go unpunished?¡± Only then did Maddington realize who his tormentors were. ¡®Could it be¡­ the Cult of the Dark God?¡¯ Frantically, he replied, ¡°H-harm? They escaped safely, I swear!¡± ¡°Owent and his wife¡¯s whereabouts are unknown. You must have killed them and hidden their bodies somewhere.¡± One of the hooded figures drew a menacing longsword. ¡°In the name of Tesranak, I will deliver divine punishment.¡± ¡°W-wait!¡± Maddington¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°There¡¯s been some misunderstanding! I¡¯m also a follower of Tesranak!¡± The hooded figures scoffed. ¡°Do you think we¡¯re fools?¡± ¡°Do you think such a lie will work in this situation?¡± ¡°Do you think the glory of serving the Dark God is something just anyone can im?¡± Desperate, Maddington¡¯s voice rose. ¡°I¡¯m not lying! I swear on the name of the Dark God!¡± He iled his bound arms and pointed toward a table in the corner of the bedroom. ¡°There! In the drawer! There¡¯s a hiddenpartment! You¡¯ll find proof of my devotion to the Dark God!¡± One of the figures opened the drawer and retrieved something¡ªa small emblem, proof of ay follower of Tesranak. It was a sphemous object that would have led to being burned at the stake if discovered by the Goddesses¡¯ Church. ¡°See! We¡¯re brothers in faith!¡± Just as Maddington sighed in relief, a cold voice followed. ¡°If you are truly an apostle of the Dark God, why did you betray your fellow believer, Owent?¡± Panicking, Maddington hurriedly exined. ¡°It was all a scheme Owent and I devised together.¡± He had wanted to take control of the Altas Merchant Group and raise his position within the Tekas Merchant Group, while Owent had wanted to bring his wife into the Cult of the Dark God. Their goals aligned, and they had worked together on this n. ¡°If that¡¯s true¡­¡± The hooded figure spoke with clear disbelief. ¡°Then why can¡¯t anyone find Owent and Edia?¡± ¡°They went back to his Brothers in Etrial!¡± Maddington exined that Owent and his wife had fled to the Werd branch of the Cult of the Dark God, located in the Kingdom of Etrial. Of course, it would be impossible to find them in the Kingdom of Yustil. ¡°Lies. I¡¯ve heard no such thing.¡± ¡°The branches of our cult rarely exchange information, as you know!¡± Desperate, Maddington gave the exact location of the Werd branch where Owent had gone. ¡°Go there and check for yourself! You¡¯ll see that I¡¯m telling the truth!¡± The hooded figure slowly nodded. Then, suddenly, he removed his hood and looked toward the door. ¡°It seems that¡¯s all we needed to know.¡± The door opened, and a group of men entered. ¡°¡­What?¡± Maddington¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Well done, Lord Karnak.¡± ¡°You treacherous scum, thinking you could deceive us!¡± They were familiar faces. Every one of them wore robes emzoned with the symbol of the Moon. These were the priests of the Alium Temple, the same people Maddington had run to just days ago to report Owent. ¡°¡­No¡­¡± *** Maddington was dragged away by the priests of the Alium Temple. Before parting ways, Karnak turned to the priests and asked, ¡°Do you think the head of the Tekas Merchant Group is also part of the cult?¡± It was unclear whether this was just the branch manager¡¯s doing or if the entire guild was involved. If the whole Tekas Merchant Group was entangled, Karnak would have to reconsider their dealings, particrly regarding the copper mine. The priest of Alium, wearing a thoughtful expression, replied, ¡°We don¡¯t know yet. He ims otherwise, but there¡¯s a chance he¡¯s hiding the truth.¡± They promised to let Karnak know if they discovered the truth before leaving. Karnak and his group also left Maddington¡¯s home and returned to their residence. As they walked through the nighttime streets, Serati cautiously spoke up. ¡°Excuse me, Lord Karnak.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask any questions and just started with torture?¡± ¡°That way, they can¡¯t think straight. I made sure to break him until he wasn¡¯t in his right mind. Why, was something wrong with that?¡± ¡°Not really¡­ the interrogation wasn¡¯t particrly unusual¡­¡± While the torture had been severe, it wasn¡¯t out of the ordinary. The issue was that they had conducted it under the guise of behaving ¡°like a human.¡± ¡°I just think you should be aware that you didn¡¯t exactly act like a human.¡± Serati thought it was essential to push Karnak¡¯s moralpass toward something closer to normal for the sake of humanity¡¯s future. Karnak looked puzzled. ¡°Isn¡¯t this what everyone does?¡± ¡°Well, it is, but most people don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good thing. Wouldn¡¯t it have been better to just use needles on his brain?¡± ¡°That wouldn¡¯t have worked.¡± No matter what methods they used, they would have eventually figured out Owent¡¯s whereabouts. But this way, the Drunta branch of the Tekas Merchant Group would be too preupied to recover quickly. ¡°This way, when Ediaes back, it¡¯ll be easier for them to rebuild the merchant group, since Tekas will be in disarray.¡± Karnak was confident he had acted as a human should, and he had his reasons. His method was an adaptation of how Alius had disguised himself as a bandit to expose a necromancer. ¡°Serati, didn¡¯t you say to just follow good people¡¯s example when in doubt?¡± He had followed the actions of a good person (Alius), punished the wrongdoer, and even summoned good people (the priests of Alium) to confirm everything. And to top it off, they had praised him! ¡°Wow, I really think I did an excellent job this time.¡± ¡°Indeed, young master.¡± Karnak and Baros grinned as they indulged in self-praise. Watching them, Serati grew more confused. ¡®Wait¡­ did they really act like humans?¡¯ These inhuman beings were pretending to act like humans, but for some reason, Serati found herself questioning humanity, not them. ¡®Well, as long as we can rescue Lady Edia, I guess it¡¯s fine¡­¡¯ *** Now that they knew Edia¡¯s location, all that was left was to track her down. Karnak immediately assembled a pursuit team. His usual group¡ªhimself, Baros, Serati, and Laficel¡ªwas joined by one new member: Millia, a second-tier inquisitor from the 7th battalion of the King¡¯s Order. Since this was an official mission of the King¡¯s Order and not a personal matter, they had to bring along an inquisitor. Worried that she might overhear something she shouldn¡¯t? It wasn¡¯t a problem. They had taken her along on previous missions for the King¡¯s Order without issue. And besides, now they have Laficel. Whether Millia was there or not, they had to be careful about what they said and did. ¡°If worsees to worst, we¡¯ll just stick a needle in her head and be done with it.¡± Naturally, Serati protested¡­ ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were going to act like a human?¡± Karnak remained confident. ¡°I acted like a humanst time, so this time I can afford to take it easy, right?¡± ¡°Where on earth does that logice from?¡± ¡°Variety is important for a bnced life¡ªsometimes you do good, sometimes you do bad.¡± ¡°¡­At this point, I don¡¯t even know where to start with my rebuttal.¡± Unaware of these sinister intentions, Millia happily joined the group. ¡®See? Lord Karnak must really care about me!¡¯ Working under Karnak had many benefits. Since being assigned to the 7th battalion, Millia¡¯s reputation had greatly improved. She had gained experience and grown stronger than most of her peers. Whatever the internal situation might be, things were going well for her. The person most pleased by Millia¡¯s addition to the group was Laficel, the ashen-haired girl. ¡°Hello, Priestess Millia.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Miss Laficel.¡± There was only a 3-4 year age gap between Laficel and Millia. After spending so much time with adults, Laficel was happy to finally have a peer around. Especially since two of those adults had the mental age of someone who had lived 120 years. The two girls quickly hit it off. As they packed for the journey, theyughed non-stop as if everything was hrious. Lord Karnak and Sir Baros are like old men! They sometimes have silent staring contests! Yet they always pick the best food and drink! Such picky eaters! They¡¯re incredibly fussy about inns and sleeping arrangements! But that part is nice! Such cheerful banter flowed between the two girls as theyughed together. Karnak and Baros, overhearing this, tilted their heads in confusion. ¡°What are they so happy about?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s nice to see them getting along.¡± Once all the luggage was packed onto the saddles, the preparations for the journey wereplete. Karnak turned to the group and spoke seriously. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry and rescue Lady Edia. We don¡¯t know what kind of suffering she might be enduring among those cultists.¡± It was a perfectly normal thing to say in such a situation, so Laficel and Millia didn¡¯t find it strange at all. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°Aye!¡± But Baros and Serati were taken aback. [Whoa, did the young master just say something reasonable?] [Someone might actually believe he¡¯s genuinely worried about Lady Edia.] With a sullen face, Karnak mounted his horse. [This is exactly what I¡¯m supposed to say in a situation like this, right? I told you I¡¯ve been studying.] The others mounted their horses as well. The five horses set off from their residence, galloping through the streets of Drunta. Chapter 140 Chapter 140 Unlike the unified Lacaenia Empire that had long existed, the western continent was made up of scattered tribal states, each forming its own distinct culture. As time passed, these tribal states went through a series of alliances and separations, eventually transforming into five major powers, marking the birth of the Five Kingdoms. Felmyre, Tarum, Etrial, Lifaul, and Altale. These five kingdoms, sometimes joining hands and sometimes battling one another, continued to grow in strength. As the western powers became more formidable, the Lacaenia Empire could no longer sit idly by, leading to more frequent shes between the two sides. In response, the five warring kingdoms formed an alliance to stand against the Empire. The Lacaenia Empire, in turn, appointed the Yustil and Atringen families as margraves to keep the west in check. However, this decision backfired. Both families betrayed the Empire, dering independence and siding with the western forces. The Five Kingdoms Alliance then expanded into the Seven Kingdoms Alliance. From then on, the Lacaenia Empire and the Seven Kingdoms Alliance maintained a long,plex rtionship. When the Empire was strong, the Seven Kingdoms Alliance resisted fiercely. When the Empire weakened, the Alliance wouldunch counterattacks. At times, when both sides were equally matched, a more amicable atmosphere would prevail. At the center of the Seven Kingdoms Alliancey the Kingdom of Etrial. It was centrally located geographically, not politically. The Kingdom of Etrial was the smallest and poorest of the Seven Kingdoms. Its first disadvantage was that it wasndlocked with no ess to the sea. Its second problem was that monsters frequently appeared within its borders. Of course, monsters appeared frequently across the continent, but there was no other country where they were so evenly distributed across the entire territory as in Etrial. Thend was dominated by the towering Halcyor Mountain in the center, the surrounding vast Kalenta Forest, and the enormouske Desperl, often referred to as an ind sea. The entire nation was made up of mountains, forests, andkes. Farming was difficult, and the moment one stepped outside a vige, danger lurked in every direction. In essence, the kingdom was an ideal environment for monsters to thrive. Strictly speaking, humans had forced their way into and that was originally a primary habitat for monsters. As a result, all sorts of monster hunters and treasure hunters seeking ancient relics flocked to thisnd. Providing services to these adventurers and distributing the relics they obtained helped developmerce in the region. Thus, the Kingdom of Etrial earned the nickname ¡°The Land of Adventurers.¡± Countless adventurers gathered here, hoping for a big score, and in turn, merchants gathered to profit from these adventurers. Werd City, located at the edge of the great Kalenta Forest, was a city that flourished through pioneering and trade. Even today, the streets of the city were bustling with all sorts of outsiders. Among them were Karnak and his party, who had just arrived. *** The pioneer city of Werd consisted mostly of wooden buildings, except for a few temples and watchtowers. Walking past therge roads lined with numerous log buildings, Karnak pulled his cor tighter. ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s cold.¡± Though it was rtively warm for mid-winter, the chill still seeped through. Smoke rose from various parts of the city, a sign that people were hard at work heating their homes. Baros nced around and spoke. ¡°We should find an inn first.¡± Millia asked, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we meet with Sir Starr first?¡± Karnak¡¯s party was part of the King¡¯s Order of Yustil. They couldn¡¯t act freely in a foreignnd. Thus, they had already arranged to receive cooperation from the King¡¯s Order of Etrial and were scheduled to meet with a man named Starr Fallon here. ¡°Do you think Sir Starr is strong?¡± Serati wondered. Karnak replied indifferently, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± To be honest, it didn¡¯t matter whether he was strong or not. They had enough power as it was. The cooperation was merely a political formality. As long as the guide did their job properly, that was enough. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to meet today, but there¡¯s still plenty of time before evening.¡± Baros smacked his lips. ¡°While we wait, let¡¯s grab something to eat and explore the town.¡± Karnak¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Sounds good. I wonder what this town¡¯s specialties are?¡± At the mention of food, Millia¡¯s eyes sparkled. She had learned by now! The legendary tale of Karnak that was passed down in the Seventh Battalion! -There¡¯s no need to beg for expensive meals! -Just investigate the local specialties and make a suggestion! -The captain will then spend money like water! -He¡¯ll buy you so much that you¡¯ll be stuffed to the brim, and it¡¯ll be the finest regional delicacies! She was a diligent and conscientious person who never ignored her seniors¡¯ advice. ¡°Werd City¡¯s specialties are¡­¡± Millia¡¯s mental encyclopedia flipped open. ¡°Goat shank stew with salted lemon, smoked oysters vored with herbs, and trout tartare with shallots!¡± Karnak shot her a look. ¡°You want me to buy it, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yep!¡± It wasn¡¯t just Millia. Laficel¡¯s eyes were also gleaming with anticipation. Twinkling, sparkling eyes. ¡°¡­Fine, let¡¯s go.¡± As they headed out to eat, Karnak pondered for a moment. He enjoyed eating delicious food, but at the same time, he couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit conflicted. ¡®What kind of image do they have of me, anyway?¡¯ *** Due to the geographic diversity of the Kingdom of Etrial, many differentnguages were spoken. The northwest of the kingdom spoke Is, from Yustil, Atringen, and the Kingdom of Tarum. The northeast spoke Bernardi Language from the Kingdom of Felmyre. In the southern regions, Ralfon Language, from the Kingdoms of Lifaul and Altale, was spoken. Additionally, Keltin, the ancientnguage of the Church of the Seven Goddesses, was still used. Since Werd City was in the western part of Etrial, Is wasmonly spoken here. After finding an inn, storing their belongings, and handing over their horses, Karnak and his group set out to find the restaurant Millia had rmended. Her information was impable. Most of the dishes she had suggested greatly pleased Karnak. ¡°Ah, this was worth spending money on.¡± The smoked oysters with herbs, in particr, were a delicacy. ¡°This town has no sea, so how is smoked oysters a specialty?¡± In response to Karnak¡¯s question, Serati chuckled. ¡°Since it¡¯s ind, smoking techniques developed. If it were by the coast, they¡¯d eat them raw.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Baros was enjoying wine made from mountain grapes. ¡°This local wine is delicious too. Should I grab a few bottles?¡± However, carrying them around would be cumbersome. With some disappointment, he asked, ¡°Young Master, when will you reach the Ninth Circle?¡± ¡°Why the sudden question about the Ninth Circle?¡± ¡°Because then you¡¯ll be able to use a subspace pouch.¡± ¡°Oh, look at this cheeky servant trying to turn his master into a porter!¡± Gathered around a warm brazier, sharing good food, the atmosphere naturally became more rxed. Karnak quietly smiled. ¡®Ah, this is nice.¡¯ Even these small moments made him realize something important. No matter how much of the world one conquers while sitting on a cold, empty throne, it¡¯s meaningless in the end. ¡®It was the right choice to give up power.¡¯ After filling their stomachs, they still had time to spare before meeting with the King¡¯s Order from Etrial. Baros idly scratched his head and asked. ¡°So, what should we do now?¡± Serati, Millia, and Laficel all shouted in unison. ¡°Let¡¯s go shopping!¡± *** Werd City, as a pioneer and trade hub, was a ce where goods from all over the Seven Kingdoms passed through. As a result, it had quite a few luxury itemspared to the city¡¯s size. Technically, most of these items were just temporarily stored here before being moved to other kingdoms, but some of them inevitably ended up on the market. This time, Serati enjoyed her shopping frugally, while also keeping Karnak and Baros in mind. ¡°They have high-quality men¡¯s underwear here too. It looks like it¡¯s from the Kingdom of Felmyre.¡± The two men grimaced at the sight of the underwear Serati handed them. ¡°Do we really need to buy this?¡± ¡°You can just wear whatever underwear you want.¡± However, after trying them on, both men¡¯s attitudes changed. ¡°Serati, I admit I was foolish.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Who would have thought that good underwear could be sofortable! ¡°Why didn¡¯t we know about this before?¡± ¡°Uh, maybe because we never had a reason to?¡± They had always been so busy traveling and fighting that they hadn¡¯t cared about such small details. And when theyter became undead, there was even less reason to care. Now, Karnak expressed regret. ¡°If I had known, I would¡¯ve bought some elf-made underwear when we went to the Grenthal Estate.¡± Serati shook her head. ¡°That would¡¯ve been impossible. They only sold women¡¯s underwear.¡± True, it wasn¡¯t something men would typically spend that much on unless they were high-ranking royals or nobles. Satisfied, Karnak and Baros both smiled contentedly. Serati felt a sense of pride. ¡®I¡¯m d they both liked it.¡¯ Meanwhile, Millia and Laficel had more mixed expressions. Watching two grown men standing in the middle of the street talking about thefort of their underwear wasn¡¯t exactly thrilling for the teenage girls. ¡®Ah, this is a bit embarrassing.¡¯ ¡®Isn¡¯t it?¡¯ ¡®Let¡¯s pretend we didn¡¯t hear.¡¯ ¡®Yes, let¡¯s.¡¯ Suddenly, Baros nced up at the sun. ¡°By the way, it¡¯s about time we head to the meeting point.¡± *** In therge za in the center of the city. Karnak and his group waited leisurely, scanning the people passing by. And then, a young man, seemingly about twenty years old, approached them. At first, they thought he was just another passerby. His appearance didn¡¯t match the description they had of Sir Starr. But then the man cautiously asked them. ¡°Excuse me, are you Baron Karnak of the Kingdom of Yustil?¡± ¡°How do you know me?¡± Karnak scrutinized the man warily. The young man had thick, tawny hair and green eyes, with a handsome yet somewhat delicate appearance. Despite his fragile look, his body was well-trained, suggesting he was a capable warrior. The young man quickly continued. ¡°Sir Starr was injured, so I¡¯vee in his ce. Here¡¯s proof of the King¡¯s Order¡­¡± The man handed over a magic-imbued emblem. Serati pulled out the emblem they had prepared and matched them. A small light briefly flickered and disappeared. This was what happened when the magic codes embedded in the emblems matched. These days, security measures like this were essential, given the infiltration of spies from various sects. There was no doubt he was from the King¡¯s Order of Etrial. ¡°It¡¯s confirmed.¡± After putting the emblem away, Serati asked again. ¡°Is Sir Starr all right? Was there an incident?¡± ¡°He was injured during another mission. He¡¯s unable to move for a while, so I¡¯vee in his ce.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Given the nature of the King¡¯s Order¡¯s missions, this was entirely usible. Since it didn¡¯t matter who met them, there was no need to be concerned. But Karnak and Baros both frowned. ¡®Who is this?¡¯ ¡®Why does he seem familiar¡­?¡¯ Though they had never met this man before, there was something oddly familiar about him. Yet they couldn¡¯t ce why. Baros cautiously asked. ¡°May I ask your name?¡± ¡°Oh, I haven¡¯t introduced myself yet.¡± The young man hurriedly blushed, seemingly a bit timid. ¡°I¡¯m Laven Strauss, from the Fifth Battalion of Etrial¡¯s King¡¯s Order.¡± In that instant, Karnak and Baros¡¯ expressions hardened. ¡®Laven?¡¯ ¡®Sir Laven?¡¯ Now they knew why he seemed so familiar. That face belonged to none other than the young version of Laven Strauss, the Martial King of Delphiad, who had tormented Karnak so much! ¡®What is he doing here?!¡¯ Chapter 141 Chapter 141 The Seven Kingdoms Alliance consists of nations, each with its own distinct characteristics. First, there¡¯s Felmyre Kingdom, the most powerful due to its vast territory andrge poption. Then, there¡¯s Tarum Kingdom, a maritime nation that dominates the sea and waterways after pioneering the northern sea routes. Altale Kingdom boasts the most powerful knight order, while Lifaul Kingdom serves as the breadbasket of the Seven Kingdoms Alliance. Both Yustil Kingdom and Atringen Kingdom, formerly part of the Empire, excel in the magic academia and are culturally and artistically advanced. Compared to these nations, the Etrial Kingdom is undoubtedly the weakest. Although called the nd of adventurers,¡± which might suggest a lively and intense atmosphere, in reality, it is simply overrun by transient vagabonds,cking any true substance. Still, there is a reason why the Etrial Kingdom has not been swallowed by other kingdoms and continues to stand firm. It is thanks to the presence of the Strauss ducal house, the kingdom¡¯s protector. *** ¡°Strauss¡­ You mean that Strauss?¡± ¡°The family of the Martial King?¡± Serati and Millia were astonished. The Strauss Ducal House! Anyone across the continent would know the name of the ruler of the Delphiad region and the house of Martial King Gard. That is, unless they were an amnesiac girl. ¡°Do you know him?¡± The girl with ash-gray hair tilted her head with an innocent expression. Serati and Millia quickly stopped her, fearing that it might be rude. ¡®Oh, Laficel!¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll exinter!¡¯ ¡®¡­?¡¯ Laven smiled bitterly. ¡°Yes, Martial King Gard is my father. I am, sadly, an unworthy descendant who is sullying the family name.¡± He turned and suggested it to the group. ¡°We can¡¯t just stand here talking on the street. Let¡¯s move somewhere else.¡± *** The Lacaenia Empire is mighty. In all aspects¡ªterritory, poption, power, and culture¡ªit far surpasses the Seven Kingdoms Alliance. This superiority is evident in the presence of the strongest figures of the era. Even now, two of the three Archmages belong to the Empire, and three of the Four Martial Kings are under the influence of the Empire. Except for the Elven Archmage Giyen Ren of the Fairy race, most of humanity¡¯s strongest belong to the Lacaenia Empire. In contrast, the only powerhouse in the Seven Kingdoms Alliance is the Martial King of Delphiad, Gard Strauss. Thus, the Strauss Ducal Family is respected not just in the Etrial Kingdom but throughout the Seven Kingdoms Alliance. It wasn¡¯t just because of symbolic reasons. The Strauss family possessed a tremendous ability, unmatched even by the renowned families of the Lacaenia Empire. For over 200 years, they have consistently produced Martial Kings. There¡¯s a saying: the hardest thing in the world is raising children, and the second hardest is teaching students. Yet, the Strauss family consistently raised their children and trained them into Martial Kings. Honestly, it¡¯s a remarkable achievement. That¡¯s why there¡¯s another saying: The Martial King of Delphiad might not be the strongest swordsman in the world, but the Strauss Ducal House is undoubtedly the world¡¯s greatest sword family! ¡®And that young man is the next Martial King?¡¯ Serati marveled as she looked at the youth walking ahead. Incredible. He hadpletely concealed his strength. Had Karnak not informed her in advance, she would have merely thought him a regr knight, unaware that he was the future Martial King. [Just by looking at him, it¡¯s hard to tell if he¡¯s even awakened his aura. Is this what it takes to be the future Martial King?] Serati was in awe of Laven¡¯s talent. [Actually, that¡¯s what¡¯s been bothering me¡­ I¡¯ve been observing closely.] Baros wore a puzzled expression. [It really seems like he hasn¡¯t awakened his aura.] [What?] Baros, who had the keen insight of a Martial King, could not be fooled, no matter how much someone tried to conceal their strength. Laven, being barely 20, couldn¡¯t deceive him. It was certain. He wasn¡¯t hiding his power. There wasn¡¯t any power to hide in the first ce. [This is strange. Why is he so weak? Is this really Sir Laven?] Even Karnak was confused. [Is he that weak?] [Yes. He¡¯d lose if he fought Laficel.] [Isn¡¯t it a bit much topare him to Laficel?] [Well¡­] After a moment of thought, Baros made aparison that Karnak could easily understand. [Remember Randolph of Deventor?] [Yeah.] [He¡¯s about that level.] [Wow, he really is weak.] Now Karnak understood, and he examined the young man walking ahead. [He does look like Laven.] Moreover, he couldn¡¯t figure out why Laven was here. [Shouldn¡¯t he be in the middle of intense training as Gard¡¯s sessor?] [I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s not like I remember the exact timeline.] It was possible. The time period they remembered as Laven¡¯s ¡°youth¡± spanned over a decade. [Now that I think about it, I seem to recall that Sir Laven¡¯s aura awakening was quitete for a Martial King.] Watching the two, Serati asked. [In his past life, did he not join the King¡¯s Order?] Baros chuckled. [Of course not. The King¡¯s Order didn¡¯t even exist back then.] [Then something must have changed¡­] While the three of them exchanged curious nces at Laven, Millia, unable to contain her curiosity any longer, openly asked a question. ¡°Excuse me, may I ask you something?¡± ¡°Yes? Sure.¡± ¡°How did you end up working in the King¡¯s Order? Shouldn¡¯t you be undergoing sessor training in the Strauss family?¡± Laven¡¯s face showed a hint of weariness, as if tired of such questions. ¡°Oh, I think you¡¯re confusing me with my older brother.¡± But then he quickly managed his expression and answered politely. ¡°The one inheriting the Strauss name is my older brother, Emile. Not me.¡± Hearing this, Baros¡¯s expression subtly changed. ¡®Right. Sir Laven wasn¡¯t the heir to the Martial King from the start.¡¯ *** The current Martial King of Delphiad, Gard Strauss, had two sons. The eldest was Emile Strauss, and the second, three years younger, was Laven Strauss. From a young age, Emile was renowned as a prodigy. No matter how difficult the sword technique, he learned it with ease, and he handled grueling training as if it were child¡¯s y. Even the stern Martial King Gard refrained from nagging Emile much. Laven, on the other hand, was ordinary. It¡¯s not that hecked talent. As a member of the Strauss bloodline, he was undoubtedly gifted in martial arts. Compared to most other knights, he would still be considered exceptional. The problem was that Emile was a genius sent from the heavens. Laven was certainly brilliant and talented, but unfortunately, the person he waspared to¡ªhis older brother¡ªwas simply too extraordinary. Gard, as well as the entire family, had already chosen Emile as the next Martial King of Delphiad. As Laven grew older, being constantlypared to his older brother made him increasingly withdrawn. The Strauss name became nothing but a heavy burden on his shoulders. He only thought about bing independent and living as an ordinary knight, far removed from his family. The turning point came when Laven was 19 years old. A disaster befell his brother, Emile. A powerful necromancer appeared in Yustil Kingdom, causing chaos. Emile, who was unusually righteous and deeply religious, pursued this vile necromancer to protect the people, but instead, he was ambushed and killed. Emile was only 22 when he tragically perished. Thus, Laven was suddenly plunged into the role of the heir to the Strauss family and the next Martial King. *** [So¡­] Halfway through the exnation, Serati fixed Karnak with a sharp gaze. [You¡¯re telling me he died at the hands of an evil necromancer?] It was easy to guess who that necromancer might have been. Baros chuckled. [Who else could it be?] [Is there any ce where you didn¡¯t cause trouble?] [That¡¯s why we were constantly being chased. It¡¯s no wonder the young master became a public enemy of all humanity.] *** After that, Laven was forced to walk the path of a sessor, reluctantly. With his older brother gone, he had no choice but to dedicate himself to the sword training he hadn¡¯t cared much for, and he had to endure direct instruction from his father, whom he had always feared. Gard was relentless in pushing him. The Strauss family had produced Martial Kings for generations. He couldn¡¯t allow the family¡¯s centuries-old legacy to be tarnished during his time. Thankfully, Laven¡¯s talents finally blossomed, albeit btedly. He had merely been overshadowed by Emile until now; Laven, too, was a prodigy of the Strauss bloodline. Once he began to stand out, his growth was rapid, and he eventually seeded Gard to be the next Martial King of Delphiad. [After that, well, he chased the young master day and night, seeking vengeance for his older brother.] [Man, that was exhausting.] Karnak grumbled as he recalled the past. [If you think about it, he became Martial King because of me, yet he was so fixated on revenge.] Serati, utterly dumbfounded, remarked. [Wow, what a trashy thing to say.] [That was?] [Yes.] [Then I¡¯ll avoid saying things like that from now on.] Karnak mentally added another line to his list titled, ¡°Things to Avoid Saying When Trying to Live Like a Decent Human Being.¡± From his experiences, he had learned that waiting to fully understand before taking action often meant being toote. There were too many things in the world to be cautious about, so he figured he should act first, understandter. It was part of his effort to live like a decent human being. That¡¯s why he had asked Serati to point out his mistakes immediately. ¡­Though, it was starting to feel like she was treating him more and more roughly because of it. In any case, thinking back on the past, he roughly understood the situation. [Emile is still alive now, right? Since I didn¡¯t kill him.] [Sir Laven wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to change either.] [So he stayed independent and became a member of Etrial¡¯s King¡¯s Order?] [It wouldn¡¯t tarnish the family¡¯s name to join the King¡¯s Order.] The King¡¯s Order was a prestigious organization made up of elite members, admired by many. It was just that the Strauss family name was so renowned that it overshadowed the King¡¯s Order somewhat. [Gard must have agreed to it willingly.] Baros gazed at Laven¡¯s back with a distant look. ¡®Sir Laven not as the Martial King¡­¡¯ Among the four Martial Kings, Laven Strauss was the one Baros shed with most frequently. Naturally, since Karnak had been responsible for killing his older brother, Laven had plenty of reasons to fight him. They had fought to the death 23 times, with Boras winning six times and Laven winning 17. Baros had been killed nine times. Yet, despite all this, Baros didn¡¯t harbor any ill will towards him. In fact, he even respected him. Laven was, in Baros¡¯s mind, the closest to the ideal image of a knight. ¡®Honestly, why would I hate him? We¡¯re the ones whomitted all the wrongs. It¡¯s only natural that he despises us.¡¯ Baros had been the most regretful when Laven became a Death Knight and was changed forever. Now, with Emile still alive, Laven would never be the Martial King again. He would likely live quietly as an ordinary knight, a member of the King¡¯s Order. ¡®The Martial King of Delphiad I knew no longer exists¡­¡¯ Chapter 142 Chapter 142 The ce Laven guided Karnak and his group to was the headquarters of the merchant group located in the center of Werd City. Much like the Kingdom of Yustil, the Etrial King¡¯s Order often worked hand-in-hand with the noble families of each region. ¡°If you¡¯ve already booked an inn, I suggest you move here. You¡¯ll find it much more convenient in many ways, and we¡¯ll also take good care of your horses.¡± Karnak readily epted Laven¡¯s suggestion. It¡¯s free, so there¡¯s no reason to refuse. ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you. I appreciate it.¡± The merchant group weed them with utmost courtesy. Since they were introduced by the Strauss family, they seemed to take special care. After spreading a map on the table, Laven spoke in a serious tone. ¡°We¡¯ve confirmed the location where the cultists of the Dark God are hiding.¡± Through a messenger, the information Karnak¡¯s group had obtained was already delivered to the Etrial King¡¯s Order. The investigation was based on this information. ¡°Their hideout is the ancient ruin Maleficus, located in the western part of Kalenta.¡± *** Before humanity had even begun to build its civilization, the world was ruled by unknown ancient species. Very little is known about them. Even the dragon race and fairy race, who live far longer than humans, had no records of them. What is known is that they were giants, roughly three meters tall, and that necromancy, a forbidden art to humans, was originally a technique of these ancient beings. Despite the mystery surrounding them, no one doubts their existence. Ancient ruins left behind by these ancient species,monly referred to as dungeons, are scattered all over the world. Strictly speaking, the word ¡°dungeon¡± simply means prison. More specifically, ¡°tower prison.¡± However, since most castles also built prisons underground, the meaning expanded to include underground prisons, and eventually, the term was applied to theplex ruins overrun with monsters. There¡¯s a reason why ancient ruins are mostly associated with being underground. Most ancient ruins are buried beneath the earth. Why? Because anything left on the surface had already been looted and used as building materials by humans. The structures of the ruins were repurposed for construction. Another reason most ancient ruins are underground is that the primary skill of the ancient species was necromancy. The greatest enemy of necromancy is the sun. So, even if ancient ruins are exposed to sunlight, they lose their power and be mere piles of stones. But underground ruins were different. The powers of the ancient species still lingered. Their control over monsters and influence over countless undead spirits and wraiths persisted in the darkness. Though dangerous monsters and evil spirits appeared in these ces, the ruins might also contain valuable treasures from the ancient species that have been forgotten in the present era. It was only natural that dungeons became objects of desire. This led to the emergence of treasure hunters, specialists who explored ancient ruins. Many treasure hunters died while exploring dungeons. Over time, dungeons were looted to the point where they became empty. Many years passed. Even without treasure, a dungeon remains a dungeon. Monsters and evil spirits continue to appear. But who would risk their lives entering a dungeon if there¡¯s nothing to gain? These abandoned dungeons were forgotten. asionally, if the number of monsters in a dungeon grew sorge that they threatened nearby viges, a subjugation party would be sent. Even this wasn¡¯t done often since the cost of sending a party usually outweighed any benefits. But there were those who saw potential in these abandoned dungeons. Why are dungeons dangerous? Because of the appearance of monsters and evil spirits. Why do monsters and evil spirits appear in dungeons? Because of the lingering power of necromancy left behind by the ancient beings. In other words, for a necromancer, a dungeon could be controlled, with the monsters and evil spirits turned into their own power! Many cultists, fleeing persecution, hid in these ancient ruins. Tesranak¡¯s followers settled in abandoned dungeons all across the continent. The Werd branch of the Dark God¡¯s cult, located in the Maleficus dungeon, was one such case. *** It was an enormous stone chamber. Its height reached over ten meters, and the pirs were more than twice as thick as those found in a typical temple of the Church of the Goddesses. This was proof that it was an ancient ruin left behind by the ancient species. There are no remaining records of the ancient species¡¯ appearance. No one knows what they looked like. However, their buildings and tools were muchrger than those used by humans, though the basic shapes were simr. This is why people assume they were giants, roughly three meters tall. Torches lit the stone chamber, illuminating the interior. Despite being underground, the venttion was excellent, allowing the torches to burn brightly and making it easy to breathe. In this deep underground stone chamber, dozens of cultists who worshiped Tesranak had gathered. ¡°There must be death for there to be resurrection, night must deepen for dawn toe, and destruction must exist for creation to follow¡­¡± A man in his mid-fifties, d in a ck robe, stood before them, solemnly leading the mass. He was the archbishop Hugot, head of the Werd branch of the Dark God¡¯s cult. ¡°We offer our prayers in the name of the master of death and destruction, of darkness and resurrection, who oversees the dawn and creation.¡± The people bowed their heads, murmuring in a trance-like state. ¡°O Tesranak, watch over us, protect us¡­¡± Among them was a woman in her thirties named Edia. Outwardly, she appeared to be offering prayers like the others. But inwardly, her thoughts were quite different. ¡®What utter nonsense.¡¯ It had been fifteen days since her ex-husband Owent had kidnapped her and brought her to these Maleficus ruins. For the sake of her safety, she had been cooperating, but the more she listened to their doctrine, the more absurd it seemed. They im that there must be destruction for creation, but¡­ ¡®How is this the word of a god? It sounds more like a construction worker¡¯s logic.¡¯ Even if you ept the notion that you need to destroy something old to create something new, where¡¯s the guarantee that what¡¯s newly built will be better? ¡®Well, I guess all cult doctrines are pretty much the same.¡¯ Historically speaking, cults have always been amon urrence. There are necromancers who im to be gods, gathering followers and deceiving them with promises of eternal life. There are those who assert that the Church of the Seven Goddesses is wrong and that their god is the true god. What these cultsmonly preach is a new world. They all want to destroy the current world and create a new one. To those dissatisfied with reality, this may sound appealing, but anyone withmon sense would scoff at such an idea. Before she was brought here, Edia couldn¡¯t understand these people. She couldn¡¯t fathom why Owent had been so taken in by a doctrine that wasn¡¯t particrly special. But now that she¡¯d seen it up close, she could understand to some extent. The Dark God¡¯s cult ims that necromancy is a divine power bestowed by Tesranak. The so-called ¡®clergy¡¯ of Tesranak wield this power of darkness. So far, this was no different from other cults. The problem lies in what came next. ¡°Disciple Dale, step forward.¡± A man stepped forward, his face brimming with excitement. ¡°Ooh!¡± ¡°Brother Dale!¡± Cheers erupted from all around, filled with envy. With his hand ced on the man¡¯s forehead, Hugot solemnly dered, ¡°You, a faithful servant of Tesranak, are baptized in the name of darkness.¡± A powerful darkness enveloped the man¡¯s entire body. Ovee with emotion, Dale praised the Dark God. ¡°I dedicate my body and soul to Tesranak!¡± Indeed. This ordinary man had gained the power of darkness with just a touch of Hugot¡¯s hand. This was what set them apart from the other cults that only preached empty words. ¡®¡­They really do bestow power.¡¯ The monsters that had terrorized the dungeon now obeyed like ves. The fearsome evil spirits and wraiths, which had once been terrifying, now guarded the ruins like trained pets. And this wasn¡¯t something limited to the Dark God¡¯s clergy. Even ordinary followers could wield these powers. In the Dark God¡¯s cult, even regr believers could easily obtain the power of darkness. Just look at her husband. Didn¡¯t he single-handedly knock down a dozen of guards and kidnap Edia? ¡®Owent, who originally would¡¯ve had a hard time dealing with even one of them, was just a regr merchant.¡¯ The image of necromancy that the Dark God¡¯s cult teaches also ys a significant role in expanding their influence. The Church of the Seven Goddesses teaches that necromancy is a corrupt and dark art, ruled by death and darkness. On the other hand, the Dark God¡¯s cult defines necromancy as a sacred power that rules over even death and darkness. It¡¯s the same idea, but the nuance changes the entire perception. Who in this world would willingly choose to die? The ability to control death? Immortality is always an enticing promise. However, the Church of the Seven Goddesses doesn¡¯t offer immortality. They teach that after death, one resides in the domain of the goddesses, where the wicked are sent to hell, the good to heaven, and then they are reborn to return to the world. But what if someone says, ¡°I don¡¯t want heaven or hell. I just want to stay here, in this world.¡± That¡¯s what people truly desire, but the Church only talks about something else entirely. So why should anyone believe in the Seven Goddesses? There¡¯s a true god right here, offering exactly what they desire! ¡®¡­Wait, what am I even thinking?¡¯ Startled, Edia shook her head. She was confused. The more she listened to Hugot¡¯s ¡®voice,¡¯ the more she found herself drawn in. ¡°Spread the righteous teachings. This is your sole duty. Do not be bound by themon sense of the mundane world¡­¡± Ignoring his voice, Edia forced herself to concentrate. There was nothing else she could do in her current situation but follow along for now. So, she decided to do what she could! ¡®Observe.¡¯ She was a merchant, and merchants calcte and produce results. She would observe the number of people, assess their power, note the amount of food they consumed¡­ ¡®Keep observing.¡¯ If she died? Well, that would be the end of it. But if she was lucky enough to escape? ¡®This is all valuable information! I can sell it for a high price.¡¯ Driven by greed, Edia clung to her principle of keeping her mind sharp. ¡®Even if the world ends tomorrow, I¡¯ll make today¡¯s profit!¡¯ Her merchant¡¯s desperate resolve shed with the gloomy voice of the necromancer, echoing in her mind. ¡°Follow, mymbs. For this is the word of truth¡­¡± *** After a good night¡¯s rest to recover from the journey, Karnak and his group prepared to set off in the morning. They were about to traverse the great Kalenta Forest, teeming with monsters, and infiltrate the ancient ruins of Maleficus, the necromancers¡¯ base. Thinking they might need an expert, Millia made a suggestion. ¡°How about hiring a treasure hunter, Lord Karnak?¡± Laven shrugged his shoulders in response. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here instead of Sir Starr. Before I joined the King¡¯s Order, I worked as an adventurer. I¡¯ve got quite a bit of experience as a treasure hunter too.¡± ¡°¡­Oh, I thought you were a knight.¡± ¡°Well, with my older brother Emile already serving as the family knight, there wasn¡¯t much point in me bing one too.¡± Laven chuckled, dismissing the need for formalities. Then he spread a map before the group and began exining the uing journey. ¡°If we follow this route, it should take about four days. Of course, we¡¯ll likely be attacked by quite a few monsters along the way¡­¡± He scratched the back of his head with a casual smile. ¡°But what¡¯s there to worry about? We¡¯ve got a 6th-circle mage and two aura users. Haha!¡± Karnak and Baros both made ufortable expressions as they met his gaze, which was filled with admiration. [Well, isn¡¯t this strange, Laven looking at us like that.] [This is really awkward.] Chapter 143 Chapter 143 A vast coniferous forest, nketed in white snow. Six men and women were walking through it. Towering trees stretched endlessly overhead. The gray winter sky peeked through the dense branches now and then. ¡°We¡¯ve been walking for almost half a day¡­¡± Karnak clicked his tongue as he walked. ¡°Honestly, the scenery hasn¡¯t changed at all.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a reason they call it the Great Forest,¡± Serati replied nonchntly, adjusting the backpack slung over her shoulder. ¡®It¡¯s not heavy, but the sheer size of it makes it rather cumbersome.¡¯ They were on a journey through the Great Kalenta Forest, teeming with monsters. Since there was no lodging to be found, camping was essential, and so were the many supplies they had to carry. Ropes, food, nkets, and various other necessities. The problem was that there was no ce to bring horses, so they had to carry everything themselves. Traveling through the forest wasn¡¯t particrly difficult. Most of the branches were well above a horse¡¯s head, so they could move freely. But it was too difficult to keep the horses safe. For the starving monsters, horse meat was a rare delicacy. There was no choice but for the group to carry everything themselves. Even after packing only the essentials, the load was still considerable. Serati nced longingly at Karnak. [¡­When are you going to reach the 9th Circle?] Karnak smirked and replied. [Why? You want me to store your backpack in an illusory space?] [But it¡¯ll get tainted with the aura of malice, won¡¯t it?] [You¡¯re the subject of a necromancer. A little malice shouldn¡¯t be a big deal.] [So you¡¯re saying it¡¯s still a problem, just not a big one?] [Well, since you¡¯re still alive, maybe?] Serati¡¯s expression hardened instantly. [¡°Still¡±? What do you mean by ¡°still¡±? Hey, what do you mean by ¡°still¡±?] [It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m constantly regting it, so you won¡¯t turn into an undead.] [What if you stop regting it?] [¡­] [Why aren¡¯t you answering?] Watching the two, Laficel thought to herself. ¡®Oh, Unnie and Lord Karnak are having another staring contest!¡¯ The small, ashen-haired girl with a backpack as big as her kept tilting her head curiously. ¡®Why do they sometimes do that without saying anything? Is this what adults call ¡°locking eyes¡±?¡¯ Millia noticed and asked suddenly. ¡°Is your load heavy, Laficel?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Unnie.¡± Judging by her expression, it didn¡¯t seem like an empty response. She really wasn¡¯t struggling. ¡°You¡¯re stronger than you look. I guess that¡¯s why you¡¯re aspiring to be a knight.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it heavy for you, Lord Karnak?¡± Millia chuckled. ¡°We¡¯re not even carrying half as much as you. We have no right toin.¡± In reality, while everyone else carriedrge loads, Karnak and Millia only had light backpacks. Unlike warriors, mages and clerics typically carried light loads. It was done to not waste their stamina, soter they won¡¯t be able to im, ¡°I have plenty of mana and divine power, but I¡¯m too tired to fight!¡± Overhearing their conversation, Karnak pondered for a moment. ¡®Now that I think about it, Laficel is carrying that much as well?¡¯ For some reason, it felt a bit odd to let a child carry so much. [Should I offer to carry it to seem more decent?] Serati snickered. [You¡¯re finally developing some awareness?] [Really?] [At least pretend to offer. Just don¡¯t actually take the load.] Baros chimed in. [If Young Master tires out from carrying too much, I¡¯ll be the one who suffers.] In their previous life, Baros had often ended up carrying both his own and Karnak¡¯s load after they escaped on the run. [It¡¯d be easier if the load had legs and walked by itself.] [No one expects anything from mages anyway. Just buy Laficel something tastyter.] Through a covert magic transmission, the three engaged in a trivial conversation. Laficel, observing them, noticed something. ¡®Ah! Now the three of them are locking eyes!¡¯ She then fell into deep contemtion. ¡®But can three people lock eyes at once? Is it because they¡¯re adults?¡¯ It was a na?ve thought, something only a child unaware of the true meaning of the expression could think. Meanwhile, Millia was puzzled. ¡®What¡¯s she thinking to have that kind of expression?¡¯ At the front, Laven continued to guide them. ¡°If we keep heading northeast for a while, we should be good.¡± It was a monotonous, lengthy journey. The forest was mostly t, but with continuous rises and falls. At every dip, snow piled up, and cold winds blew. On such cold days, even wild animals wouldn¡¯t wander about. But monsters were different. For them, winter was the season to hunt humans. As they walked in silence, Baros suddenly red into the depths of the forest. ¡°Of course, something was bound to show up.¡± Karnak nodded, not at all surprised. ¡°Naturally, it¡¯s winter.¡± Focusing her senses, Serati asked. ¡°Seven¡­ No, eight of them?¡± Laficel replied cautiously. ¡°I think there are ten. Two more are a little farther back.¡± ¡°Your senses are sharp, Laficel.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Everyone calmly began preparing for battle. Only Laven, bewildered, seemed clueless about what was happening. ¡°Uh? Why? Is something going on?¡± Watching him, Millia gripped her wand with a serene expression. ¡°Just go with it. These people are always like this.¡± *** ¡°Awooooo!¡± With a loud howl, giant shadows emerged from various points in the forest. They resembled centaurs at a nce, with wolf bodies and the torsos of werewolves, but they were far more ferocious. Laven gripped his longsword, startled. ¡°Wolfentros!¡± The pack of Wolfentros charged at Karnak¡¯s group, encircling them. Despite standing over 2 meters tall at the shoulder, they moved as nimbly as real wolves. ¡°Kaaaak!¡± As one of them lunged at Laven¡¯s head with a spear, he let out a battle cry and swung his sword in return. ng! Their weapons shed, deflecting the beast¡¯s attack. But the sheer weight difference was crushing, forcing Laven¡¯s shoulders down with immense pressure. ¡°Ugh!¡± Groaning, Laven focused even harder. Wolfentros were powerful monsters that could challenge even 3-4 trained knights at once. They were not to be underestimated. ¡°But!¡± That didn¡¯t mean he should be afraid. Although overshadowed by his older brother¡¯s aplishments, Laven was still the son of a great knight from a renowned family. ¡°Take this!¡± The refined swordsmanship he had honed through years of training was unleashed. His sword danced, slicing through the winter wind. ¡°Graaaah!¡± The sharp de severed the Wolfentros¡¯s throat, spraying blood everywhere. He had precisely struck a vital point, causing massive bleeding. His swordsmanship was wless. After taking down one of the beasts, Laven quickly surveyed the scene. ¡®What about the others?¡¯ Of course, he didn¡¯t think anything would happen to Karnak¡¯s group. They had a high-ranking mage and aura users, after all. But there was a child among them. ¡®Is Miss Laficel safe?¡¯ He didn¡¯t understand why such a young child had been brought to a battlefield, but as an adult, he couldn¡¯t help but worry. As he searched for Laficel, he suddenly froze in disbelief. ¡°Uh¡­¡± The ash-haired girl was standing on top of Wolfentros¡¯s head. Somehow, she had jumped over twice her height, taking control of the air, flipped over, and shed her sword horizontally! Swoosh! Red blood sttered onto the white snow. As Laficelnded gracefully, another Wolfentrosy behind her, already felled in a simr fashion. Both of them had had their cervical arteries severed¡ªjust like Laven¡¯s kill. ¡®How can someone that young move like that?¡¯ Noticing Laven¡¯s stunned gaze, Laficel turned her head. ¡°Ah?¡± She then smiled awkwardly and bowed politely. ¡°Thank you for your teachings.¡± ¡®¡­What teachings?¡¯ Before Laven could process what was happening, a red-haired beauty dashed past him. She moved like the wind, flowing between the Wolfentros. Whoosh! With a whistle, a red sword light cut through the air, leaving a trail of brilliance. For a brief moment, it felt like time had stopped, before the massive monsters were split and shattered, blood spraying everywhere. ¡°Graaaah!¡± Laficel¡¯s swordsmanship, at least, could be followed. But Serati¡¯s was on a whole other level. She simply walked forward. It didn¡¯t even look particrly fast. It seemed leisurely, like she was taking a step at a time. Yet in the blink of an eye, she had closed the distance with the Wolfentros, slipped past them, and upied their blind spots, lightly scattering her sword light. Each time she did, the Wolfentros¡¯s blood and screams filled the air. ¡°Graaaah!¡± ¡°Kraaak!¡± The only way to describe it was ¡°ying with them.¡± It was a disy only possible with an overwhelming gap in skill. After dispatching three of the beasts, Serati nodded as if understanding something. ¡°It¡¯s important to asionally experience overwhelming weaker enemies.¡± Baros replied with a bright smile. ¡°Exactly.¡± His de, however, remained perfectly clean. Not a single drop of blood had stained it. Naturally so. He hadn¡¯t even unsheathed it. All he did was grab the wolves by their snouts and m them into the ground as they charged. Simply by mming them into the ground, the Wolfentros would spew blood from their eyes, nose, mouth, and ears, dying instantly. How or why that happened was beyondprehension. The entire group of ten Wolfentros that had attacked was wiped out in less than a minute. Thebat prowess of Baros, Serati, and Laficel was overwhelming. Even Karnak and Millia didn¡¯t need to step in. ¡°I understand what you meant about them now, Priestess Millia.¡± Laven chuckled in disbelief, a wry smile on his face. ¡°I guess I should just get used to it from now on, haha.¡± Millia, however, wasn¡¯t able to brush it off so easily. She was used to seeing Baros and Serati fight, so their power didn¡¯t surprise her. But seeing Laficel fight like that was a first. ¡®My goodness, was she always that strong?¡¯ *** At the same time, in a stone chamber deep within the Maleficus Dungeon. ¡°Strauss has made his move.¡± Hugot, the archbishop and head of the Werd branch of the Dark God¡¯s cult, was respectfully delivering his report. ¡°The visit from the Yustil King¡¯s Order has provided an unexpected opportunity. Sometimes, unforeseen coincidences work to our advantage.¡± A rough voice, like iron scraping, echoed from the pitch-ck darkness. ¡°What is the strength of the Yustil King¡¯s Order?¡± ¡°A high-ranking mage of the 6th Circle, a 2nd-grade inquisitor, two Red Knights, and one squire. If we had encountered them outside, they would have been rather troublesome opponents.¡± Hugot shrugged as if it were amusing. ¡°But here, they won¡¯t pose much of a challenge.¡± A faint shadow began to emerge from the darkness. ¡°It cannot be helped. I am not in a position to leave this ce¡­¡± A human figure, shrouded in ck malevolent energy, hovered over a pale skull. Underneath the tattered robes, cold air seeped out, and a powerful aura of darkness enveloped the surroundings like mist. The Arch Lich¡ªthe most dreadful of undead, having mastered corrupt magic. ¡°Then, let us prepare to greet our guests¡­¡± Raising a skeletal hand, the lich gave his orders. ¡°We must not neglect the proper hospitality for such esteemed visitors¡­¡± Hugot bowed deeply in respect. ¡°Yes, Lord Demphis.¡± Chapter 144 Chapter 144 Karnak¡¯s group encountered a huge ogre, standing 3 meters tall, for the second time in the Great Forest. ¡°Roarrr!¡± A deafening roar reverberated through the air, making the birds flee and the branches tremble. Laven, pale-faced, drew his sword. ¡°Damn it! Why did it have to be a monster like that?¡± The ogre was wielding a massive wooden club nearly 2 meters long. Even a mere brush from it would surely mean instant death. ¡°Quick, form up!¡± When facing a giant monster, there is a somewhat standardized formation. The strongest warrior, Baros, takes the front, followed by the second strongest, Serati, in the rear. Laficel and Laven stay on the sides, providing support and protecting Karnak and Millia. In this formation, they face the giant creature with the assistance of the mage and the cleric. This is how they treat a formidable foe like this higher-ranked ogre. However, Karnak¡¯s group was far from conventional. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll take care of this one,¡± Karnak said, stepping forward alone and raising his magic wand. Instead of forming a formation, the others simply stepped back. ¡°I¡¯ve advanced a level, so it¡¯s time for some practical training.¡± First, he cast a suitable spell to grab the ogre¡¯s attention. ¡°Explosion.¡± The ogre¡¯s head exploded in a burst of mes. Enraged, the huge ogre charged towards Karnak with a thunderous roar. Boom! Boom! Boom! The ground trembled slightly under the ogre¡¯s massive weight as it ran. Karnak chuckled. ¡°Well, that makes things easier.¡± Thanks to the ogre¡¯s stomping, the ground had been shaken, making it easier for Karnak¡¯s magic to take hold. He pointed his wand to the ground and began chanting. ¡°Arise and bind, Earthquake Hand!¡± Suddenly, mounds of earth shot up from the ground, transforming into dozens of grasping hands. The rocky hands tightly gripped the huge ogre¡¯s legs. ¡°Grr?¡± The ogre, caught off guard, swung its club furiously at the stone hands. Bam! Bam! Bam! Laven, watching, was amazed. ¡®Is there such an earth magic spell?¡¯ Karnak¡¯s magic was unique. Normally, Earthquake Hand would summon a singlerge hand of stone to grab the target. But Karnak¡¯s version was different. He summoned dozens of small hands of stone, intertwining to bind the target. It was something Laven had never seen before. ¡®No, it seems oddly familiar.¡¯ Somehow, the appearance of the hands reminded him of something unsettlingly familiar. ¡®Could it be my imagination, or do they resemble the grasping hands that necromancers use?¡¯ Regardless, the spell was certainly effective. The ogre, its legs bound, growled in frustration at Karnak. ¡°Grrr!¡± Karnak, unbothered, calmly prepared his next powerful spell. ¡°O King of me, I summon thee by our contract¡­¡± mes ignited in the air, gradually forming into a humanoid shape. ¡°Descend upon this ce by my will!¡± Whooosh! The mes fully took shape. A giant d in fire armor, wielding a ming sword, materialized in the physical world. This was the fire spirit giant, El Ragnatia. ¡®That¡¯s a 7th-circle spell!¡¯ Laven¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡®He said he was a 6th-circle mage? But at such a young age, he¡¯s already in the 7th circle?¡¯ Even for a prodigy, it wasmon knowledge that one had to be at least in their 40s to reach the 7th circle. Yet, no matter how he looked at Karnak, he appeared to be in his early 20s. ¡°Well, that hard work paid off,¡± Karnak said, smiling, as he gave themand. ¡°Go, El Ragnatia.¡± The giant of me charged towards the ogre. Standing over 4 meters tall, the fire giant loomed over the 3-meter-tall huge ogre. Seeing a creaturerger than itself for the first time, the ogre screamed and charged in desperation. ¡°Grr, GRAAAHH!¡± The fire giant, radiating intense heat, swung its ming sword downward. Boom! As the two giants shed, waves of intense heat spread in all directions. *** At the heart of the forest, where the huge ogre and the fire giant had collided, the surroundings had turned into a scene of massive destruction. Sunlight poured down onto the ground through the shattered canopy of trees. The trees nearby had been reduced to smoldering stumps, and even the massive ancient trees, which hadn¡¯t seen sunlight in centuries, were split and burning. Laven nced around at the destruction and clicked his tongue. ¡°The power is overwhelming¡­¡± Despite using such arge-scale magic spell, Karnak didn¡¯t seem the least bit tired. He inspected the fallen huge ogre, murmuring casually. ¡°Alright, spirit magic seems pretty useful.¡± Millia, impressed, asked, ¡°When did you reach the 7th circle?¡± Karnak shrugged. ¡°Not long ago. I¡¯ve only just entered it, so it feels a bit embarrassing to call myself a 7th-circle mage.¡± ¡°Still, 7th-circle is 7th-circle. And on top of that, spirit magic¡­¡± Her admiration was justified. Spirit magic was incredibly powerful. Not only was its offensive capability remarkable, but it also required less mental energy, allowing the summoned spirit to act autonomously, making it much more effective than other magic of the same tier if used correctly. However, it was also an extremely difficult magic to use. The difficulty wasn¡¯t just in theplexity of the magic itself. There was no guarantee that the summoned spirit would obeymands! Depending on the mage¡¯s condition that day, the spirit might be tremendously powerful one moment and the next moment, it might send out a tiny me and disappear. In the worst-case scenario, the spirit wouldn¡¯t even answer the summons. Thus, the effectiveness of spirit magic depended greatly on how well one could maintain a good rtionship with the summoned spirits. This ability was called ¡°spirit affinity¡± in the field of magic. ¡°As expected of Captain Karnak. I¡¯ve heard only upright and pure-hearted people have high spirit affinity.¡± Karnak scratched the back of his head and waved dismissively. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not that big a deal. It just happened by chance.¡± Laven silently admired him. ¡®How humble.¡¯ It made sense now. Someone with such a personality would naturally earn the favor of even the most difficult spirits. Meanwhile, Baros and Serati looked at each other with skeptical expressions. [Upright and pure-hearted?] [Young master?] [What did you do?] [Oh, nothing much.] Feeling frustrated that he couldn¡¯t boast in front of Millia, Karnak began bragging through secret telepathy. [I just applied the necromantic technique for controlling wraiths.] First, when summoning a spirit, he poured in twice the usual amount of mana. This greed for power attracted the spirits. However, in this scenario, the spirits would often take the mana and run away. [So I cast a bewitching spell to forcibly control them! Once they¡¯re under the spell, they all behave like wraiths.] [Wait, can you really do that?] [I can. Because I¡¯m me.] Serati, still doubtful, chimed in. [But once you summon a spirit like that, won¡¯t it refuse to answer your summons again?] [That¡¯s why I erased its memory before sending it back.] And so, when he summoned the spirit again, it would behave obediently once more. [Can you really get away with that?] [Like I said, I can. Because I¡¯m me.] Karnak remained smug. Regardless, his spirit magic was undeniably powerful. Laven, watching from the side, felt a pang of inadequacy. ¡®How can these people be so strong?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just Karnak. Baros and Serati were also iprehensibly powerful. He had expected them to be strong, as high-ranking mages and aura users, but their power seemed to defymon sense. ¡®Especially Sir Baros. He seems stronger than my older brother Emile.¡¯ At 23, Emile Strauss was acknowledged as a genius. Despite his youth, he had already reached the level of a Blue Knight, and in a short duel, he could even rival a Purple Knight. With more experience, it was widely believed that Emile would one day be the Martial King. So why did Baros, still ssified as only a Red Knight and seemingly not much older than Emile, seem stronger? Curious, Laven cautiously asked. ¡°If it¡¯s not too rude, may I ask your age?¡± ¡°Me? I¡¯m 25 this year,¡± Serati answered without much thought. ¡°I think I¡¯m 21 now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m 22. Yeah, that sounds right.¡± When Karnak and Baros answered, Serati was shocked. ¡°Wait, am I the oldest here?¡± The youthful ¡°old-timers¡± nodded their heads. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Seems like it.¡± Indeed, despite their wisdom and strength, these people were in their early 20s in terms of physical age. Laven, at 20, and Laficel and Millia were even younger. ¡®Why do I suddenly feel so wronged?¡¯ [What¡¯s wrong?] Serati red at Karnak, who seemed puzzled. [I suddenly feel like I¡¯ve aged.] Of course, there was no way a 25-year-old woman would have wrinkles. It was just a figure of speech. But Karnak took it seriously. [Are you worried about skincare? I can regenerate your skin if you¡¯d like?] For a moment, Serati¡¯s eyes gleamed dangerously. [You can regenerate skin?] [If I can regenerate limbs, why not skin? Though, it only works on my subjects.] [Oh my, being one of your subjects doesn¡¯t sound so bad?] [¡­..Hey, Serati. Your eyes are scaring me.] Seeing her sudden transformation, Karnak shivered slightly. [If I ever fall to the dark side, you¡¯re supposed to stop me. What if you fall first?] [Well, if my skin can go back to looking like I¡¯m in my teens!] As the two of them bantered and stared each other down, Baros chuckled and turned to Laven. ¡°But why are you curious about our ages?¡± Laven scratched his head awkwardly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. It¡¯s just that Sir Baros seems stronger than my older brother Emile¡­¡± Of course, he was right. Considering Baros¡¯s experience, defeating someone of Emile¡¯s level wouldn¡¯t be difficult, even if his aura reserves were rtively low. But Laven didn¡¯t know this. Even so, just from watching Baros¡¯s less-than-full-poweredbat, he had judged him to be stronger than Emile, a Blue Knight. ¡®As expected of Sir Laven. His natural instincts are nothing to scoff at.¡¯ *** The group encountered several more monsters along the way. Naturally, they dispatched them without much trouble. Eventually, night fell. Karnak¡¯s party found a rtively safe ce to set up camp. As they settled down and ate, Laven quietly approached Laficel and asked, ¡°Excuse me, but what school of swordsmanship is that from?¡± This was in reference to the battle earlier when they had encountered a group of harpies. There was a specific sword technique that Laficel had used which stuck in Laven¡¯s mind. She had dropped her sword low and performed two consecutive upward strikes. For some reason, it gnawed at him until he could no longer resist asking. ¡°Oh, this?¡± Laficel demonstrated the move again before answering. ¡°It¡¯s a technique Lord Karnak has been practicing. He calls it ¡®Overkill.''¡± Impressed, Laven nced at Karnak. ¡°He is a mage, but he practices swordsmanship as well?¡± ¡°Nah, just as a form of exercise¡­¡± Indeed, from what Laven could tell, Karnak¡¯s sword skills were quite average. Satisfied, he turned back to Laficel. ¡°May I observe it again?¡± Laficel thought for a moment. This Laven guy had taught her some sword techniques (or so she believed, though in truth, she had just copied him). She thought it was only fair to reciprocate. ¡°Sure!¡± Once again, she demonstrated ¡®Overkill.¡¯ Laven, his eyes sparkling with interest, imitated the technique. His keen eye for detail was remarkable. He nearly replicated it perfectly after just one demonstration. Watching this, Baros muttered in disbelief. [The creator of ¡®Overkill¡¯ is learning it from someone else. Is this okay?] [Yeah, no kidding.] Karnak, who had beenughing along, suddenly turned serious. [Wait, Laven just learned ¡®Overkill¡¯ from Laficel, right?] A question arose. [Then who created the sword technique ¡®Overkill¡¯?] [Well, Sir Laven did, of course.] [But the creator didn¡¯t create it himself. He learned it from someone else. So, doesn¡¯t that mean Laven didn¡¯t actually create it?] [Huh. You¡¯re right.] Furrowing his brow, Karnak began to ponder. [So, what happens now?] The fact that Laven had created ¡®Overkill¡¯ had seemingly vanished. And yet, the technique still existed. ¡®Is this a case of something being born out of nothing?¡¯ Chapter 145 Chapter 145 The current goal of Karnak¡¯s party is to rescue Edia. However, that is not their official mission. As part of the King¡¯s Order, their formal mission is strictly to ¡°gatherprehensive intelligence on the Werd branch of the Cult of the Dark God and report it to facilitate its subjugation.¡± The Etrial King¡¯s Order already knew that cultists were hiding somewhere in the Kalenta Great Forest. They frequently appeared in Werd City, causing all sorts of mischief, so there was no way to be unaware of them. They had also identified that the cult was using an abandoned dungeon somewhere in the forest as their base. The problem was that they didn¡¯t know the exact location of the base or how many cultists were hiding there. That¡¯s why they couldn¡¯t make a move until now, but fortunately, the Etrial King¡¯s Order had received a request for cooperation from the Yustil King¡¯s Order. Thanks to Karnak¡¯s interrogation, they discovered that the Werd branch was hiding in the old abandoned dungeon, Maleficus. Through adventurers¡¯ guild old records, they also determined which area of the Kalenta Great Forest the dungeon was located in. However, the details of the information were stillcking. The Kalenta Great Forest is a difficult ce to navigate, even with a map. Adventurers, notoriously, are not the most diligent when ites to keeping records. The exact location of the Maleficus Dungeon and the route to reach it had to be confirmed on-site. After infiltrating the dungeon and grasping itsyout and the rough strength of the cultists, only then would the Etrial King¡¯s Orderunch an official subjugation. Rescuing Edia in the process was just a bonus. Why not have Karnak¡¯s party simply wipe out the cultists in the dungeon? ¡®After listening, it turns out that¡¯splicated.¡¯ For various reasons, Karnak¡¯s party was currently roaming suspicious areas of the forest, hunting monsters. No matter where you go, the easiest way to gather information is by contacting the locals. And in the case of the Maleficus Dungeon, the ¡°locals¡± would be the cultists of the Dark God. So, they were killing any monsters they came across, trying to see if there were any signs of necromancy. Near the dungeon, the monsters would likely be controlled through necromancy, prepared for any external attacks. However, after ying monsters for over half a day, they still hadn¡¯t encountered any controlled by a necromancer. Serati sighed. [Can¡¯t Lord Karnak just look around like he used to and figure it out?] In the past, when they had gone to subjugate cultists, Karnak had easily found their base. She was asking if he could do that again. [If their base was in the mountains, I could. Evil energy or malevolent aura would rise into the sky.] Karnak shook his head. [But if it¡¯s underground, that¡¯s impossible.] Even if he could see what others couldn¡¯t, something had to exist to be seen. [Nothing rises from the ground, so what can I do?] [I see. I guess we¡¯ll just have to keep wandering around like this.] Finally, after killing several more monsters, they encountered what they were looking for. A group of bipedal hyena-like monsters¡ªGreat Gnolls. The monsters gripped rusty spears and long swords, speaking clumsy Is. ¡°Humans!¡± ¡°Intruders!¡± ¡°Kill!¡± Karnak smiled brightly. ¡°Oh, rejoice, everyone. We¡¯ve found it.¡± Smiles broke out across the faces of the party. ¡°Finally!¡± ¡°At least we found it today.¡± ¡°Thank goodness.¡± The cheerful bloodlust filled the forest. A short whileter, the sounds of monsters being ughtered echoed throughout the forest. ¡°Keek!¡± ¡°Yelp! Yipe, yipe!¡± *** In a dense forest near the southeastern entrance of Maleficus Dungeon, a young necromancer in his thirties was walking through the underbrush. ¡°Seems like nothing unusual today.¡± His mission, assigned by the Cult of the Dark God, was to guard the southern area of the Werd branch. Though the public considered cultists and necromancers terrifying, even they had much to fear. Goddess worshippers were terrifying, the King¡¯s Orders were terrifying, and there were plenty of fearsome adventurers and Darkness hunters as well. So he had to stay vignt and check the state of the monsters he controlled in the forest. ¡®Huh? Did the Great Gnoll group die?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t immediately conclude that an outside force had invaded. The Kalenta Great Forest was a ce where all kinds of monsters fought over territory. The Great Gnolls could have been killed by other monsters. ¡®I¡¯ll have to check.¡¯ The necromancer turned his steps around. About ten minutes into his journey, he suddenly heard voices behind him. ¡°Found him.¡± ¡°What? He¡¯s wandering outside the dungeon?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll need to interrogate him again.¡± ¡°Ugh, making us do the same thing twice.¡± The necromancer, startled, spun around. ¡°Wh-who are you?!¡± But he didn¡¯t get to see his attackers. Before he could, a massive blow struck his face. ¡°What difference would it make if you knew?¡± Thud! Darkness filled his vision in an instant. Without even a groan, the necromancer copsed on the spot. As he withdrew his fist, Baros turned to Karnak. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get the information out of him.¡± As usual, he was about to disappear into the shadows with the necromancer when Millia raised her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll do the interrogation!¡± ¡°Hm? I can do it.¡± ¡°No, Captain Karnak. I appreciate the offer, but¡­¡± She ced her hand on her chest and looked determined. ¡°I am also an Inquisitor by rank. This is my duty.¡± She wasn¡¯t wrong. For Millia to fully pull her weight, she couldn¡¯t avoid tough tasks forever. Having no argument against that, Karnak scratched his head. ¡°Ah, well, go ahead then.¡± Millia immediately bound the necromancer¡¯s limbs tightly. Thinking of Alius¡¯s interrogation, Serati asked, ¡°Do we need to step away?¡± ¡°No, not really.¡± Alius had avoided the scene to spare Laficel¡¯s sensibilities, but Millia didn¡¯t seem to feel the need for that. Considering the gruesome monsters Laficel had in so far, it was clear she could handle some brutality. Summoning a gag of light, Millia forced it into the necromancer¡¯s mouth, and he finally regained consciousness. ¡°Mmph! Mmmph!¡± Millia smiled sweetly down at him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the gag. It¡¯lle off naturally once your soul bes honest.¡± Her expression, oddly gleaming with anticipation, was unnerving. The others quietly took a step back. ¡®Whoa, why does she look like that?¡¯ ¡®I suddenly don¡¯t want to get any closer to her.¡¯ Then, with glowing hands, Millia began to pray. ¡°Lady Latiel, forgive your servant¡­¡± Her eyes gleamed even brighter, more beautiful. The party, having taken one step back, now took another. ¡®M-Millia unnie can make a face like that?¡¯ Her hands, radiant with holy light, wrapped around the necromancer¡¯s head. At that moment, a brutal scream erupted from the gag. ¡°Mmmbbbbbb!¡± It was only then that Serati understood why Alius had said it wasn¡¯t a sight for children. The necromancer¡¯s eyes bulged. His veins swelled, his skin turned purple, and his body trembled violently like a leaf in the wind. ¡°Mmph! Mmmph!¡± His face contorted so grotesquely, it looked like a masterpiece representing the very concept of ¡°pain.¡± Serati, Laven, and Laficel all felt a chill run down their spines. About ten minutester, the necromancer¡¯s struggle ceased, and a limp figure remained. ¡®Ah, his eyes are dead again¡­¡¯ Serati clicked her tongue in disbelief. Even after witnessing it, she couldn¡¯t quite understand. ¡®What on earth happens to make someone¡¯s eyes look like that?¡¯ Turning back, Millia beamed at Karnak. ¡°Interrogation ready, Captain Karnak!¡± *** The subdued necromancer eagerly answered all questions. ording to Millia, he fully cooperated with the interrogation under the blessing of the goddess. He revealed the cultists¡¯ approximate strength, poption,ndmarks, and more. Most importantly, they discovered a route to infiltrate Maleficus Dungeon. Pointing at a map Laven held, the necromancer spoke in a daze. ¡°There is a secret passage connecting to the outer part of the dungeon here¡­¡± Technically, it wasn¡¯t a secret passage but rather a neglected one. After all, the Cult of the Dark God hadn¡¯t built the Maleficus Dungeon. It was an ancient ruin they had simply refurbished for temporary use. There were copsed corridors and gaps between broken structures throughout the dungeon. If there were gapsrge enough for a person or two to crawl through, that was essentially a secret passage. It was a structure full of hidden routes. Having extracted all the necessary information, Karnak looked down at the dazed necromancer. ¡°What should we do with him now?¡± Baros mumbled awkwardly. ¡°Well, we can¡¯t exactly kill him.¡± It wasn¡¯t that they had suddenly developed respect for the sanctity of life. There was a practical reason. Necromancers could use necromancy to summon the souls of lostrades. It wasn¡¯t umon for information to leak even after death. When it was just Karnak, Baros, and Serati, they could clean up after themselves, but now, it was better to keep him alive to hide their approach. Serati scratched her cheek in hesitation. ¡°Yeah, but we can¡¯t just tie him up and leave him anywhere.¡± If they did that, he¡¯d be food for monsters, and letting him be eaten alive, even as a necromancer, seemed too cruel. Millia smiled brightly. ¡°It¡¯s alright. The Inquisitor¡¯s manual has a procedure for situations like this.¡± The mercy of the Goddess embraces even wicked necromancers! ¡°So here¡¯s how the Goddess Church deals with it.¡± First, they¡¯d dig a hole and bury him deep. They¡¯d insert a straw in his mouth so he could breathe. Then, they¡¯d cast a discreet barrier around the straw to prevent monsters from detecting him. ¡°He¡¯ll be a bit ufortable, but he can safelyst for about three days.¡± The expressions of the party members turned grim. ¡°¡­A bit ufortable?¡± ¡°¡­Three days?¡± ¡°That sounds like a perfect way to drive someone mad.¡± Still, Millia¡¯s bright smile remained unwavering. ¡°They¡¯re already mad. They betrayed the Goddess andmitted forbidden acts. This punishment isn¡¯t even severe.¡± If someone had sinned, how could they expect to livefortably? This pain would cleanse them of their sins! That seemed to be her logic. [The Goddess Church has a surprisingly ruthless side.] Karnak smirked at Serati¡¯sment. [The Church of the Seven Goddesses has always been terrifying. Did you think I avoided them for no reason?] There¡¯s a reason why cults like the Dark God¡¯s can spread. If the Church of the Seven Goddesses were wless, the Cult of the Dark God wouldn¡¯t have gained such influence. Rolling up her sleeves, Millia enthusiastically shouted, ¡°Now, help me dig!¡± It took only a few minutes to bury the necromancer alive. The only sign he was still alive was the faint sound of breathing through the straw. Laficel murmured quietly. ¡°If we don¡¯te back in time, he¡¯ll die here like this, won¡¯t he?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll cleanse his sins and return to the embrace of the Goddess, so it will be a blessing for him.¡± Millia¡¯s expression was pure and serene, like that of a saintess offering a prayer. Laficel quietly hid behind Serati¡¯s back. ¡°Millia unnie¡­ is scary¡­¡± *** The entrance to Maleficus Dungeon was hidden in a crevice betweenrge rocks in the forest. An old metal doory shrouded in shadow. The small door was justrge enough for two people to squeeze through at a time. ¡°Looks like it wasn¡¯t intentionally hidden, but rather blocked by rocks from an earthquake or something.¡± Karnak mumbled as he pulled out his wand. ¡°I¡¯ll break it.¡± Laven stopped him. ¡°I¡¯ll try opening it first.¡± Given how vast the forest and ruins were, it was unlikely their approach would be detected by sound or vibrations. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t hurt to be cautious, right?¡± He pulled out a specialized lock-picking set for ancient ruins and smiled. ¡°Back in my treasure-hunting days, I was known as Laven the Master of locks.¡± Baros looked at him with a skeptical expression. Laven was certainly skilled, but whether he was top-ss was debatable¡ªjust enough to have earned that title, perhaps. ¡®Why do you even have that nickname!¡¯ However, it seemed the title wasn¡¯t entirely misced. After a few minutes of tinkering, the metal door groaned open with a rough noise. Creeeeeak¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Chapter 146 Chapter 146 Based on the information obtained from the interrogated necromancer, the cult of the Dark God had taken control of the western part of the Maleficus Dungeon, using it as a base. Due to the vastness and the many damaged sections, they couldn¡¯t use the entire area. About 20% of the area served as their residential quarters, while the rest remained inessible to humans, overrun by monsters and evil spirits. Edia was said to be imprisoned in the deepest part of this residential area. Officially, the reason was to keep new recruits from wandering around the dangerous dungeon, offering them the safest ce. But in reality, it was simply to imprison her to prevent escape. To rescue Edia, there were two options: A direct breakthrough through the residential area, where the cultists would be heavily guarding. Or, a stealthy route, bypassing through the non-residential area, swarming with monsters and evil spirits. At first nce, thetter might seem advantageous, but it¡¯s not necessarily the case. It¡¯s like saying the back of a fortress is lightly guarded because it¡¯s a steep cliff, which makes it vulnerable to attack. But why is the cliff lightly guarded in the first ce? Because most who attempt the climb fall to their deaths before reaching the top. Even so, some extraordinary individuals manage to scale such cliffs. Karnak¡¯s party was just that kind. *** In a deste underground hallway, a group of monsters charged through the darkness. These creatures, a mix of hedgehog and wolf, were known as Sakad Wolves. Like most dungeon monsters, they had imed a part of the Maleficus Dungeon as theirir. ¡°Grrrraaaa!¡± Their red eyes gleamed with excitement, clearly agitated. It was understandable¡ªan unknown human had dared to trespass into their territory. Driven by primal instincts, the Sakad Wolves relentlessly searched for the intruder. ¡°Grrrrr¡­¡± Their fur shimmered, lighting up the darkness. As creatures of the underground, they had developed bioluminescence. Beyond the glow, a human shadow flickered. Upon spotting their target, the Sakad Wolves charged down the corridor. ¡°Kaaa!¡± Just as they burst into the stone chamber where the shadow had disappeared¡­ ¡°Grck?¡± The wolves hesitated, looking around in confusion. The human they were chasing had vanished without a trace. The only thing that echoed through the empty space was a sinister voice. ¡°Well done, luring them here.¡± ¡°Choosing advantageous ground is part of being a Treasure Hunter.¡± A blonde knight, a red-haired beauty, and two young girls appeared one by one. At the rear stood a ck-haired mage, who spoke calmly. ¡°I¡¯ve put up a barrier, so rx and slice them, Laficel.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Leading the charge, the ash-haired girl and two aura users fell upon the Sakad Wolves. In a sh of de light, the heads of the three leading monsters flew off simultaneously. ¡°Kaooo!¡± ¡°Kaaak!¡± Their aura-infused swords gleamed as the wolves, twice the size of real ones, died easily. Screams filled the air from all directions. But no other monsters were drawn by the noise¡ªKarnak¡¯s soundproof barrier encased the entire chamber. With a swift movement, Laven emerged from the shadows, embedding his sword into a wolf¡¯s forehead. As he finished off another, he calmly spoke. ¡°Be mindful of vibrations in the area. If you break anything recklessly, the walls might carry the tremors.¡± It was practical advice¡ªstrong aura users or mages could copse buildings if they weren¡¯t careful. Laven continued handling the Sakad Wolves efficiently, shing, dodging, and moving fluidly through the flow ofbat. [Sir Laven is stronger than I expected.] Indeed, he was living up to his Strauss family lineage. Considering he was only 20 years old, his skill was remarkable. [At this rate, he could even stand against Laficel without being overwhelmed¡­] But Baros stopped mid-sentence. Complimenting him for merely not being overwhelmed felt trivial considering the difference in their ages, physique, and gender. [Feels like I¡¯m watching a fallen idol.] [Not fallen, just not risen yet, in this case.] Karnak chuckled as he continued casting his spells. A zing fireball burned through the monsters. Boom! Boom! The entire Sakad Wolf pack was exterminated in less than three minutes. The chamber was littered with the dismembered and charred remains of the monsters. Laficel, watching the scene, suddenly bit her finger. ¡°Are these¡­ edible?¡± Serati gasped and asked in disbelief. ¡°Why? Are you hungry?¡± ¡°No, it just seems like a waste of meat.¡± Baros and Karnak began whispering through telepathy. [Laficel wasn¡¯t always like this, was she?] [Maybe we¡¯ve starved her for too long?] [Seventy years is a long time, indeed.] Meanwhile, Laven had already stepped out of the chamber. ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving.¡± *** When exploring ancient ruins, having a Treasure Hunter is essential. Even finding the correct path is no easy task. In such old ces, you never know when or where something might copse. It¡¯s not umon to find a seemingly clear path suddenly blocked. You need a keen eye to assess everything and choose a safe route. It¡¯s not just about strength¡ªexperience in treasure hunting is crucial. Laven was a highly capable Treasure Hunter. He frequently tapped the stone walls and floors, checking for vibrations andparing the structures to ancient architectural designs to find the safest path. Whenever he spotted traces of monsters, he skillfully avoided encounters as much as possible. ¡°This seems to be the habitat of Darkbles. They aren¡¯t particrly dangerous, but¡­¡± There are plenty of tales about arrogant adventurers who, after defeating a few monsters, identally knocked over a pir and got themselves buried alive. ¡°If there¡¯s an option to turn back, it¡¯s best to take it.¡± No matter how strong you are, fighting in a dungeon carries its own risks. They had been progressing for tens of minutes, and yet, no other monsters had appeared. This was a testament to how well Laven had mapped out the route. Karnak, observing his back, muttered absentmindedly. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve explored a dungeon like this.¡± Serati looked surprised. ¡°Huh? You¡¯ve never been to a dungeon before?¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I have been?¡± He had, many times. ¡°I just mean it¡¯s my first time with a Treasure Hunter.¡± Karnak smirked and switched to silent telepathy. [I was never an explorer. I was a resident.] In his prime, Karnak didn¡¯t venture into dungeons for treasure or monster hunting. He aimed to be the ruler of the dungeon itself. So his approach had always been different¡ªgradually expanding his territory, like a game ofnd conquest. This method was entirely different from the treasure hunting Laven was demonstrating now. Karnak mused with a newfound sense of nostalgia. [From taking over others¡¯ homes to sneaking into them¡­ I must be getting soft.] Serati¡¯s expression became peculiar. Treasure hunting wasn¡¯t illegal, and it was a perfectly respectable profession, yet¡­ [What you said isn¡¯t wrong, but the way you said it is¡­ a bit¡­] Just then, Laven stopped abruptly. He examined the architectural style and the copsed surroundings before calling for Millia. ¡°This looks like a ce where wraiths might appear. Please confirm, Priestess.¡± ¡°Again?¡± Millia sighed. ¡°How do you always know these things, even better than me, a priestess?¡± Even Karnak was impressed. ¡®I don¡¯t know how either. How does he know?¡¯ Laven responded casually. ¡°Well, that¡¯s why I said it¡¯s a good spot for wraiths to appear, not a hidden spot.¡± Laven didn¡¯t possess any special ability to sense hidden wraiths¡ªthat was the realm of priests or necromancers. ¡°It¡¯s the same logic as detecting traps.¡± Most dungeons were ancient constructions from long-gone civilizations. Their structures followed certain cultural patterns, which meant that trap locations and wraith appearances also hadmonalities. Over time, such information umted into what could statistically be called the ¡°most likely spots for traps and wraiths to appear.¡± ¡°This is precious wisdom passed down among frequent dungeon-treading Treasure Hunters.¡± In a way, it was simr to how a seasonedmander could predict ambush points based on terrain and avoid or prepare ordingly. It¡¯s always possible there wouldn¡¯t be any wraiths, in which case, they¡¯d simply move on without issue. Karnak began gathering his mana. ¡°Millia, get ready.¡± Millia pulled out her wand. ¡°Understood, Captain.¡± Karnak cast a spell on her, and she advanced a bit further. Sure enough, Laven¡¯s prediction was spot on. Translucent, dark wraiths began to appear, seeping out from the walls, floor, and ceiling, emitting eerie moans. Uuuuuu¡­ Uuugh¡­ The wraiths circled around, some even approaching right up to Millia¡¯s face. However, they didn¡¯t attack her. Uuuh? The wraiths nced around, confused. They had sensed an intruder but couldn¡¯t locate their target. Millia raised her staff high. ¡°Latiel, cleanse the souls of these wretched beings!¡± A brilliant wave of light swept through the wraiths, erasing them one by one. Screeeech¡­ Though these wraiths were too powerful to be vanquished by a mere purification spell, the surprise attack from an unexpected direction proved too much for them. After wiping them out, Millia sighed in admiration. ¡°Wow, this magic is incredibly convenient. It¡¯s called the Circumventer of Necromancy, right?¡± *** The Circumventer of Necromancy. Like the Redeemer of Necromancy, it was a specialized spell Karnak had developed exclusively for advanced necromancers. ¡°I got paid handsomely by old man Deltros, so I couldn¡¯t just take the money and run.¡± Unlike the Redeemer of Necromancy, which reuse the necromantic powers, the Circumventer of Necromancy was specifically designed for dealing with evil spirits. Anyone under its effects couldpletely hide from evil spirits. At first nce, it didn¡¯t seem like an extraordinary spell¡ªthere were simr divine techniques used by priests. However, the actual effect was vastly different. Most deception spells were temporary; they would break if the user exerted too much power or made a significant movement, exposing them to the spirits. But the Circumventer of Necromancy had no such limitations. Once cast, the user could freely wield aura, cast spells, or even use divine spells without the concealment breaking. In simple terms, it allowed someone to be invisible while mercilessly beating down evil spirits! ¡°I¡¯m also working on something called the Mediator of Necromancy, but it¡¯s still iplete.¡± ¡°What does that do?¡± Millia asked, intrigued. Karnak smiled. ¡°A spell that fakes necromancy using necromantic materials.¡± It had originally been a lie he told to trick Prince Lloyd. Butter, Karnak realized how incredibly useful such a spell would actually be and began developing it in earnest, hoping to profit from it oncepleted. Laven¡¯s predictions were proving urate again¡ªjust as he expected, wraiths had appeared exactly where he anticipated. Baros was puzzled. [He¡¯s not just an experienced Treasure Hunter, is he?] Laven¡¯s skills indicated someone with extensive experience. Where could someone like him, trained only in martial arts by the Strauss family, have gained such expertise? [I suppose I could just ask. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s a secret.] ¡°When did you start treasure hunting?¡± Karnak asked casually. Laven responded nonchntly. ¡°It¡¯s been about four years, I¡¯d say.¡± Chapter 147 Chapter 147 When Laven had just turned 16, he was deeply immersed in training at the Strauss family¡¯s main estate alongside his older brother, Emile. Emile often left the main estate to train alone. During one of these times, he identally discovered the partially revealed entrance to an ancient ruin deep in the forest. The Strauss ducal family wielded influence not only over their ownnds but throughout the entire Delphiad region. Because their domain was so vast, it wasn¡¯t particrly unusual for ancient ruins to be discovered within their territory. Typically, when such discoveries urred, it was customary to leave the cleanup to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild. However, this particr ruin was rmingly close to the main estate¡ªless than half a day¡¯s walk away. Because of this proximity, the Duke of Strauss decided to personally handle the potential threat. He summoned renowned treasure hunters and selected knights and soldiers from the family to form an expeditionary team. The ancient ruin they discovered was named the Keliant Dungeon. However, Emile, the one who had discovered it, showed no interest in the dungeon exploration. He was solely focused on the path of the sword. The only thing that bothered him was the fact that themotion surrounding the dungeon exploration meant he could no longer train in his usual spot in the forest. Laven, on the other hand, asionally participated in the exploration. At first, it was merely out of curiosity. The dungeon was so close to home that he could visit it for a bit of fun whenever he had the time. As a result, whenever he had some free time from training, he would tag along with the exploration team. Having been trained in swordsmanship since childhood as a member of the Strauss family, Laven¡¯s skills surpassed those of most knights. Despite his young age of 16, he actively participated in battles inside the dungeon. Even the Martial King Gard left him be. After all, Emile was the heir to the family. As the second son, Laven had a bit more freedom. Of course, if Laven had been merely wandering around aimlessly, he would have been scolded. But participating in dungeon exploration was seen as a form of practical training. During this time, Laven became deeply fascinated with dungeon exploration, especially treasure hunting. The treasure hunters invited by the family weren¡¯t particrly strong. They were weaker than the Strauss family knights and even weaker than Laven himself. In one-on-onebat, Laven was confident that he could defeat them ten times out of ten. Yet, it was always the treasure hunters who ended up saving his life inside the dungeon. For someone like Laven, who had only ever known the strength of the sword, this opened up a new world. Swordsmanship wasn¡¯t everything. Sometimes, wisdom and knowledge could surpass the power of the sword. ¨CIf I learn this, I might even be able to surpass Emile. Laven knew that no matter how much of his life he dedicated to the sword, he would never be able to catch up to Emile. So why not walk a different path, one that belonged to Laven alone? Thus, a year passed. Laven became more and more absorbed in treasure hunting. Finally, when he turned 17, he officially spoke to his father. He wanted to be an adventurer, a treasure hunter. The response from the Martial King Gard was unexpected. ¨CDo as you please. The Duke of Strauss showed no particr reaction to the fact that his second son wanted to be a wandering adventurer. For Gard, the entire future of the family revolved around Emile. He had little interest in what his second son did. His only response was, ¡°Just don¡¯t end up bing a burden to Emileter.¡± Laven wasn¡¯t particrly hurt by his father¡¯s favoritism toward Emile, as he had seen it all his life. He was simply happy to have received permission. For the next two years, he wandered the world as an adventurer. He followed senior treasure hunters and explored dungeons throughout the Seven Kingdoms, gaining experience. During that time, he made quite a name for himself. While he may have been weakerpared to Emile, Laven was far too skilled to be just a regr treasure hunter. Naturally, he became well-known. And so, at the age of 19, the world changed. The Prophecy of Doom concerning the Darkness of Doom was officially announced, and cultists and necromancers began to swarm everywhere. This was no longer a time for leisurely exploring ruins. Laven temporarily halted his treasure hunting activities and began working as a darkness hunter in cooperation with the Church of the Seven Goddesses. ¡°Somehow, I ended up bing quite famous as a darkness hunter as well. A priest I had a connection with rmended me to the central church, and¡­¡± Laven scratched his head sheepishly. ¡°So now, here I am, working for the King¡¯s Order.¡± *** After hearing the story, Baros secretly whispered to Karnak. [As expected, the past has changed.] Originally, even when Emile died, Laven was supposed to remain at the main estate, focused on his training. [There¡¯s been so much change since we regressed through space-time, it¡¯s hardly surprising.] [No, this is something we need to pay attention to.] Karnak¡¯s expression grew serious. [It sounds oddly familiar, doesn¡¯t it?] [Familiar? In what way?] [The fact that a dungeon was discovered when Laven was 16¡ªabout four years ago.] It was around the same time that a copper mine was discovered in the Jestarad territory. [And even the circumstances are simr.] Emile discovered the entrance to the ancient ruin while training in the forest, right? This wasn¡¯t too different from what happened with Karnak¡¯s second brother, id. He, too, had supposedly discovered arge copper vein while training in the mountains near their territory. [Now that I think about it, it¡¯s strange.] [Strange? How so?] [Baros, imagine you were in id¡¯s shoes. Let¡¯s say you were training and identally discovered a cave.] Karnak gave a wry smile. [Do you think you¡¯d be able to tell that the cave contained a copper mine?] [Oh, now that you mention it¡­] No matter how close the Jestarad copper mine was to the surface, recognizing it as a vein based on the exposed parts alone would require a considerable understanding of geology. [Was that man really that knowledgeable?] Karnak scoffed. [The guy could barely read, let alone have such knowledge.] Baros¡¯s expression tightened slightly. [Wait, when was the Keliant Dungeon supposed to be discovered originally? I know it was near the Strauss family¡¯s territory, but¡­] Most ancient ruins were shrouded in mystery, their locations and origins unclear. They were often hidden in remote areas, and treasure hunters frequently concealed information about them to keep rivals at bay. But the Keliant Dungeon was famous. Mostly because of its location. Appearing right next to the Strauss family estate, a house that rivaled royal families, meant it was bound to be talked about by treasure hunters and gossipers alike. Moreover, Karnak knew the exact timing of the dungeon¡¯s discovery. [It wasn¡¯t supposed to be discovered for another 10 years.] He remembered it clearly for a reason. Not only the Keliant Dungeon but many dungeons across the Seven Kingdoms were supposed to be unearthed 10 yearster. It was due to a famine that Karnak himself had caused. Most of the crops people relied on had withered and died. With no way to survive, many peasants left their homes in search of a new way of life. Some even ventured into the deep mountains and treacherous forests, teeming with monsters. The famine Karnak had caused wasn¡¯t the result of a natural disaster. It was a man-made famine, where a disease specifically targeted crops. That meant the fruits of the forests and the animals in the mountains were unaffected. The only reason people hadn¡¯t ventured there before was because the areas were full of monsters. With their farms ruined, many tried their hand at gathering and hunting in these dangerousnds. In doing so, many lost their lives to monsters, but they also uncovered hidden ruins in the process. [The Keliant Dungeon was supposed to be discovered in that way. It wasn¡¯t supposed to be revealed this early.] Serati, who had been listening to the conversation, asked cautiously. [But didn¡¯t you say the copper mine in the Jestarad territory was never discovered in the future? Isn¡¯t that a different situation?] [Well, until now, I thought so too¡­] Karnak shrugged. [But now that I think about it, I don¡¯t know if the mine was ever developedter.] [How could you not know about a copper mine being discovered in your own territory?] [Because it wasn¡¯t my territory by that time.] A few yearster, a copper mine in the Jestarad territory? That was impossible. By that time, the Jestarad family no longer existed. The territory had been taken over by another noble family, who might have developed the mer on¡­ [Back then, I was already too busy being chased around to care. I had no interest in my homnd, which I¡¯d long since lost any attachment to.] Karnak fell into thought for a moment. One copper mine could be written off as coincidence, but if the same thing happened again, there had to be something more going on. ¡®Is someone deliberately developing mines and dungeons ahead of time?¡¯ If there was another person who knew the future like Karnak, it was entirely possible. Karnak turned back to Laven and asked, ¡°I have a question.¡± ¡°Yes? What is it?¡± ¡°In that dungeon, did you find any ancient treasures?¡± ¡°Yes, we found quite a few. It was an untouched ruin, after all.¡± ¡°And how were the treasures dealt with?¡± ¡°As usual, they were divided between the treasure hunters and our family. Most were sold to the Tekas Merchant Group, though.¡± ¡°Tekas Merchant Group?¡± ¡°Yes. They were the ones who introduced us to the treasure hunters.¡± As he answered, Laven tilted his head. It wasn¡¯t particrly strange information, so he wondered why Karnak was so interested. Karnak quickly covered it up. ¡°I was just curious what to do if we found treasures here. Do they sell for a good price?¡± Laven shook his head. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect much. This ce is a deserted ruin, after all.¡± The Maleficus Dungeon wasn¡¯t an untouched ruin. It had been explored multiple times before being abandoned andter reimed by monsters. ¡°The treasures were probably taken a long time ago.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s disappointing.¡± After wrapping up the conversation, Karnak furrowed his brow in thought. [The Tekas Merchant Group again?] When he first regressed, Karnak had thought of them as merely a convenient group that handled tedious matters like mines. But they seemed to be involved in more than he initially realized. [These guys are suspicious.] Serati, with some doubt in her voice, asked, [Could a simple merchant group really pull something on the scale of manipting the Martial King¡¯s family?] [A scheme like this wouldn¡¯t cause any major issues.] Whatever methods they used, the dungeons and mines were still discovered by the relevant noble families, not the Tekas Merchant Group. The merchants had approached them legally and taken only a reasonable amount of profit. There was no reason to suspect them. [Even we didn¡¯t find anything suspicious about them.] For now, their priority was to rescue Edia. [Let¡¯s deal with saving our merchant first, and then we can investigate them. Since they¡¯repetitors anyway, it won¡¯t hurt to dig up some dirt.] *** Karnak¡¯s party continued deeper into the dungeon. They dealt with monsters and avoided evil spirits as they pressed on. At some point, the environment around them began to change. The frequency of structural damage decreased significantly. The ceilings and walls were in much better condition. After turning down a long corridor, they came upon a rtivelyrge room. Laven peeked inside and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s a residential area.¡± Even without him saying it, everyone could tell it was a residential area. Unlike the ces they had passed before, this area had magical lights and torches hanging on the walls. In addition, there were objects present that simply couldn¡¯t exist in a ce filled with monsters or evil spirits. There were piles ofundry hanging everywhere. Chapter 148 Chapter 148 Arge cavern, several meters high. Ancient bas-relief murals depicting the culture of an old race were engraved on the stone walls. In the center, a thick pir rose to support the ceiling. Although much of it had eroded over time, the elegant beauty of the ce, weathered by the ages, still remained visible in parts. This grand space, however, was now covered in all kinds ofundry. Serati clicked her tongue as she looked around. ¡°It suddenly feels very¡­ domestic, doesn¡¯t it?¡± What should have been a majestic ancient ruin had been transformed into something akin to the backyard of a dormitory. Laven let out a bitter smile. ¡°Well, cultists are people too. If their clothes get dirty, they¡¯ve got to wash them.¡± Laficel tilted her head in confusion. ¡°But why would they hangundry near an uninhabited area?¡± It was strange that women woulde to doundry in a ce so close to areas where monsters could easily appear. Baros shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s the opposite.¡± It was because this was near the uninhabited area that they hung theirundry here. ¡°There¡¯s nothing odd about it. Even in castles,undry is often hung to dry in the courtyards near the cliffs, isn¡¯t it?¡± These chores were usually done in more secluded areas. It might look unusual since this was a dungeon, but that¡¯s the only difference. ¡°Now that you mention it, that makes sense.¡± They cautiously walked past the rows ofundry. They had just left the cavern and entered another hallway when Millia suddenly stopped walking. ¡°Did you sense it, Captain?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a necromancer.¡± Karnak halted the group as well. ¡°It seems someone is keeping watch nearby.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like they¡¯re doing a very good job of it, though.¡± As they got closer, they could finally make out their opponent, and Millia¡¯s odd statement began to make sense. At the end of the corridor, blocked by arge iron door,y a man in his thirties, dressed in a ck robe. He wasn¡¯t just lying there; he had his cloak rolled up under his head like a pillow and was in the middle of a full-on nap, even snoring. ¡°Drrr¡­¡± Baros snorted. ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s nning to keep watch at all, huh?¡± Still, they couldn¡¯t just ignore him and move on. Laven pointed to four statues of monsters standing on either side of the hallway. ¡°He¡¯s relying on those, it seems.¡± The statues were radiating a strong aura of darkness, so it wasn¡¯t hard to guess what they were. ¡°Gargoyles.¡± Gargoyles usually stayed in their statue form but would awaken at the necromancer¡¯smand to attack intruders. They were made of stone or something equally durable, making them quite a nuisance to deal with. ¡°That¡¯s only if they wake up, though.¡± Karnak grinned as he looked at hispanions. ¡°Shall we try a little of the 7th battalion¡¯s fishing trick?¡± Millia, Baros, and Serati all smiled in return. *** Guarding theundry station near the outskirts of the residential area was one of the necromancers¡¯ favorite duties. Even though it was near the uninhabited zone, meaning it couldn¡¯t go unguarded, the powerful necromantic barrier ensured that monsters rarely made it into the residential area. As a result, the guards saw this duty more as an afternoon nap opportunity than anything else. Walter, a second-tier dark priest of the Cult of the Dark God¡¯s Werd branch, was no exception. He was in the middle of a sweet, deep sleep at the end of the corridor. ¡®Mmph!¡¯ Something suddenly covered his mouth. Startled, Walter opened his eyes. ¡®What the¡­?¡¯ It was a glowing gag of some kind. In a panic, he tried to pull it off, bringing his hands to his mouth. nk! At the same time, chains wound tightly around his neck. His breath caught, and his vision began to blur. ¡°Guhk!¡± He struggled against the chains as hey on the floor. He needed to wake the gargoyles and end this mess quickly. But he had no time. The chains around his neck pulled him along! ¡°¡­.Ugh ugh ugh!¡± He was dragged across the floor, iling as he went. ¡®If only I could move my mouth, I could wake the gargoyles!¡¯ No, even if his mouth was bound, he could still activate the power of darkness by focusing his mind! It was toote. By the time Walter¡¯s body was dragged to the opposite end of the corridor, he was already too far from the statues. Even if his mouth was freed now, he couldn¡¯t wake the gargoyles anymore. A man with ck hair appeared before his eyes. ¡°Fly fishing sess.¡± ¡°Mmmph! Mmmph!¡± As Walter iled helplessly on the ground, Millia rolled up her sleeves. ¡°Shall we begin the interrogation?¡± Serati, looking bewildered, turned toward her. Her cheeks were flushed, as if she was excited. ¡®Was Miss Millia always like this?¡¯ When she first joined the 7th Battalion, didn¡¯t she shudder at the mere sound of a cultist screaming? Karnak had even relieved her from interrogation duties back then, and she¡¯d been grateful. Millia sped her hands in prayer. ¡°¡­O Latiel, grant me the righteous torture.¡± Walter¡¯s face turned pale. It was the scariest thing he¡¯d ever heard. ¡°Mmph! Mmmph!¡± *** Ten minutester. Walter had also be one of those ¡°graced by the goddess¡¯s favor¡± and was fully cooperating with them. Unfortunately, he knew nothing about Edia. Of course, this was expected. She wasn¡¯t exactly a famous figure. But he readily spilled information on who might know. ¡°The believers in the residential area are managed by First-Tier Priest Soress. He should know.¡± Millia scoffed. ¡°We knew, but it still sounds ridiculous every time. Cultists, calling themselves priests¡­¡± Walter also revealed the location of Soress¡¯ quarters and detailed the underground structure near it. The interrogation methods of the Goddess Church were always effective. ¡°Well, now that we¡¯ve gotten everything we need from him¡­¡± Millia¡¯s eyes sparkled as she pulled out a tube. ¡°Shall we bury him?¡± Though it was a stone structure and not a forest, there were plenty of broken fragments lying around. They could simply pile up some debris to make a makeshift stone coffin, toss him inside, and seal it up. Walter, unconscious, was buried alive. At first, the others had been hesitant, but now they were burying people with no hesitation whatsoever. Humans truly were creatures of adaptation. Once the cleanup was done, Karnak and the group gathered again. ¡°Now we just need to find this Soress.¡± Considering the size of the residential area, there were likely many other cultists there as well. Taking this into ount, Laven spoke up. ¡°Disguising ourselves as cultists and infiltrating seems like the safest bet.¡± The problem was, they needed uniforms to disguise themselves as cultists. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Karnak nced back at the ce where Walter had been buried, looking annoyed. ¡°Should we dig him up, strip his clothes, and bury him again?¡± Laficel raised her hand hesitantly. ¡°If you need uniforms¡­¡± She pointed behind her. ¡°There¡¯s a whole bunch right there, isn¡¯t there?¡± Everyone turned to look over her shoulder. Theundry line was full of cultist uniforms, hanging out to dry. *** The residential area felt less like a vige and more like a military barracks. Everyone wore the same uniform¡ªck robes with skull nes¡ªand they went about their duties without much interaction. Amid them, six followers of the Dark God were moving with armfuls ofundry. They were, of course, Karnak and his team in disguise. As they passed by, other cultists on guard would acknowledge them. ¡°Hm? Movingundry?¡± ¡°Good work.¡± Even though they were unfamiliar faces, no one paid them much attention. The dungeon was so deep that there wasn¡¯t much fear of outsiders entering. Besides, the poption of the Werd branch had recently surpassed 300. While 300 wasn¡¯t a huge number, it wasn¡¯t so small that everyone would recognize each other by face either. And with the simr outfits, it was hard to tell people apart, especially the women, who wore hoods. The only thing that caught attention asionally was Serati¡¯s beauty. ¡°Hey, was there always such a pretty woman in the cult?¡± ¡°Youngdy, when did you join our order?¡± Those men were quietly dragged off to secluded rooms and dealt with. They ended up lying on the ground, breathing through straws. Without any issues, the group passed through the residential area and finally reached Soress¡¯ quarters. It was at the end of a deep corridor in arge cavern. ¡°Is that it?¡± Laficel frowned as she sensed movement. ¡°Soress isn¡¯t alone.¡± It would be best to subdue them quietly. Laven inspected the door before pulling out his lockpick. ¡°I¡¯ll handle the door.¡± He worked skillfully, and the door opened without a sound. They followed the hallway inside to find arge bedroom. A half-dressed young girl was sitting on the edge of the bed, trembling. ¡°P-please, don¡¯t do this!¡± ¡°Hehehe, just behave.¡± A middle-aged man with a bulging belly, his shirt half removed, was leering at the girl, pressing her against the bed. ¡°All is the will of Tesranak. Now,e here¡­¡± The man was clearly abusing his position to assault a young girl. Anyone with any sense of morality would feel anger at the sight. But there was no anger in the expressions of Karnak¡¯s group as they watched. ¡®Uh¡­¡¯ ¡®Hmm¡­¡¯ ¡®What is¡­?¡¯ Karnak and Baros might have been expected to react this way, but even Serati, Millia, and Laficel showed no signs of anger, only a mix of confusion and disbelief on their faces. ¡®What the¡­?¡¯ Soress, the middle-aged man, finally realized that others were present and turned around in shock. ¡°Wh-who are you?¡± He yelled, quickly hiding the girl behind him. ¡°How dare you enter here without permission?¡± His face turned red as he shouted, but the group just looked at him with disbelief. ¡°We¡¯ve seen plenty of filthy necromancers, but¡­¡± ¡°This is a new low.¡± There was a reason Serati and Laven spoke this way. ¡°That¡¯s a zombie, isn¡¯t it?¡± Yes. Soress was controlling a zombie girl with necromancy, staging a one-man y all by himself. It was an act of depravity so bizarre that even Karnak and Baros, who had seen and done all kinds of things, were taken aback. ¡°But how is that zombie talking so well?¡± ¡°Seems like ventriloquism.¡± [T/L: Ventriloquism is an act of stagecraft in which a person speaks in such a way that it looks like their voice ising from a different location, usually through a puppet known as a ¡°dummy¡±.] In other words, the sweet, pleading voice of the girl had actuallye from Soress himself. ¡°¡­Is it really necessary to go this far?¡± ¡°Indeed. I didn¡¯t know anyone could be this pitiful and vile.¡± Their eyes, filled with a mix of pity and disdain, focused on Soress. ¡°I-it¡¯s a misunderstanding! This is part of the ritual to rebirth her as a warrior of the cult¡­¡± Soress tried to excuse himself, but suddenly his expression changed. As the overseer of the residential area, he knew the faces of most of the cult members. ¡°Wait! You¡¯re not part of our cult, are you?¡± His face showed relief that those who had witnessed his disgrace were not fellow cultists. Baros stepped forward with a sneer. ¡°Is now really the time to feel relieved?¡± ¡°Oh, no!¡± Realizing that they were intruders, Soress quickly tried to summon the zombie to fight back. But it was already toote. ¡°Nowhere to run!¡± Barosnded a punch deep into Soress¡¯ sr plexus. With just one blow, Soress¡¯ entire body went numb, and his legs gave out beneath him. ¡°Guhh!¡± As he writhed in pain, Karnak looked down at him with a grimace. People had always talked about ¡°putting yourself in someone else¡¯s shoes,¡± but he had never understood it¡ªuntil now. ¡®¡­Was I really that much like this?¡¯ Chapter 149 Chapter 149 Indeed, Soress knew about Edia. Contrary to expectations, she had been a key target of the Werd branch. ¡°From the start, Lady Edia was the real target? Not the Altas merchant group?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Karnak and his group had initially believed that this kidnapping was merely a power struggle between merchant groups. They thought Tekas merchant group was using Owent to swallow up a smaller merchant group. But the situation seemed a bit moreplicated than that. ¡°The first target was Owent Altas. He was considered to possess exceptional business talent, so there was an order to bring him into the religious order.¡± Frowning, Karnak continued questioning. ¡°Owent is just the head of a small merchant group who started as a peddler. Why did you think of him as such a talented merchant?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It was just an order from the higher-ups¡­¡± Karnak and Barros exchanged nces. [This seems like¡­] [Something someone who knows the future would do, right?] However, once Owent was brought in, they realized he wasn¡¯t as sharp as they had thought. No matter how leniently they looked at him, he didn¡¯t seem like someone with outstanding business acumen. After investigating further, they discovered that the real operator of the business was his wife, Edia, while Owent was just a figurehead. ¡°So, you decided to kidnap Lady Edia instead?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Because of that, she was currently under the direct supervision of Hugot, the highest-ranking member of the Werd branch. She was constantly made to attend services where they would cast bewitching spells on her, attempting to brainwash her into bing a follower of the cult. Even when awake, she was always under watch, and at night, she was isted in a solitary cell to prevent her from escaping. ¡°Being in a solitary cell might actually make it easier to sneak her out.¡± Millia¡¯s eyes gleamed. ¡°Mr. Laven, you mentioned you found a map earlier, right?¡± While the rest were interrogating Soress, Laven had been busy searching through his room. As the chief administrator of the residential area, there were plenty of documents and ledgers in the room. He had found detailed maps of the Maleficus Dungeon, controlled by the cult, as well as documents about food supplies and other necessities. These alone could give them information about the male-to-female ratio and the number of people there. By reverse-calcting weapon distribution, they could also estimate the totalbat power of the cult. Since the group¡¯s original mission was to assess the total strength of the cult, they couldn¡¯t overlook such details. Holding up the map he had found earlier, Laven asked, ¡°Where is Lady Edia located?¡± ¡°Her location is¡­¡± With a vacant expression, Soress answered all their questions without resistance. Once there was nothing left to ask, Millia¡¯s eyes sparkled mischievously. ¡°What should we do with him, Captain Karnak?¡± She seemed to have developed a habit of burying cult members alive. But since they couldn¡¯t afford to make too much noise by digging through stone floors, her suggestion was dismissed. ¡°Knock him out and stuff him in the closet.¡± After getting rid of Soress, Karnak paused for a moment, deep in thought. Now that they knew Edia¡¯s location, the only thing left was to wait for everyone to fall asleep and rescue her. But where should they hide to avoid being detected by the cultists? Looking around the room, Karnak gave a wry smile. ¡°There¡¯s no ce better than here.¡± Soress had sternly warned everyone not to enter his room until the next morning. Why he had done so was understandable, though not pleasant to consider. ¡°As long as we stay here, we won¡¯t get caught¡ªunless someone higher-ranking than Soress shows up.¡± Fortunately, Soress¡¯ room was spacious enough to amodate the entire group. Everyone found a suitable ce to sit and rest. Without much thought, Karnak suggested to Millia and Laficel, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be morefortable for you two to rest on the bed?¡± Both girls¡¯ faces twisted in disgust. ¡°That bed?¡± ¡°¡­Absolutely not.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± Nodding in understanding, Karnak was surprised by how easily he had epted their reaction. [Wait, am I understanding their feelings?] [Me too, young master. Perhaps we¡¯re bing more human?] Serati gave them a vague smile as he watched the two. Is that really what it means to be human? ¡®Well, they do say the first step is the hardest.¡¯ *** The day came to an end. Most of the magic lights and torches were extinguished, and a quiet darkness settled over the entire residential area. Ediay alone in her solitary cell, which was no better than a prison. ¡®What am I supposed to do now?¡¯ Shey on the shabby bed, staring at the ceiling. She tried her best to keep her mind intact, but it wasn¡¯t easy. The more time passed, the more distracting thoughts crept in. Maybe these people weren¡¯t so bad after all? This was still a ce where people lived, wasn¡¯t it? Maybe she could pretend to follow the cult, gain their trust, and escapeter? She shook her head fiercely. ¡®No, I can¡¯t do that.¡¯ Regardless of her true feelings, once she crossed that line, she would be considered part of the cult. She wouldn¡¯t be able to return to her old life. ¡®I don¡¯t know why I keep having these thoughts.¡¯ Edia forced herself to refocus. ¡®No, these people can¡¯t be good.¡¯ Otherwise, why would they always have someone watching her during the day and lock her up in this solitary cell at night? There was, of course, an official exnation for it. The person beside her wasn¡¯t a guard. They were a mentor and guide for new cult members. And the solitary cell? It wasn¡¯t confinement¡ªit was a special privilege, giving her a private room. ¡°Ha!¡± She scoffed. ¡®If that were the case, why does the door lock from the outside? If it really were a private room, it should be locked from the inside.¡¯ As Edia red at the door¡¯s lock, something unexpected happened. The lock turned silently. ¡®Huh?¡¯ It was so quiet that she even doubted whether she had seen it correctly. But that wasn¡¯t the end of it. The door slowly opened. Still, there was no sound. When she had opened it, there had been a creaky metallic noise. A faint but familiar voice broke the silence. ¡°Lady Edia, are you there?¡± A group entered the room. Seeing the ck-haired man at the front, Edia couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. ¡°¡­Lord Karnak?¡± It was unmistakable. It was Baron Karnak, thergest investor in the Altas Merchant Group. ¡°How did you¡­?¡± ¡°We¡¯vee to rescue you. Thankfully, you seem to be unharmed.¡± Edia¡¯s body trembled slightly. ¡°Aah¡­¡± She was a capable merchant. She knew full well what would happen to the Altas Merchant Group if she were to disappear. Even so, they hade all the way to this distant country to rescue her, trusting solely in her value as a merchant? Had anyone ever recognized her worth this much before? Overwhelmed with emotion, tears began to flow down her cheeks. Laven clicked his tongue. ¡°She must have gone through a lot.¡± The others were sympathetic. How much had she suffered for her to break into tears the moment she saw her rescuers? Except for Karnak. ¡®Uh oh, she has messed with the bewitching spell.¡¯ Edia had been resisting the cult¡¯s bewitching spells all this time. But the moment her heart softened, the blind loyalty that the Cult of the Dark God had painstakingly built up began to copse, redirecting itself. ¡®What should I do about this?¡¯ After a brief moment of contemtion, Karnak made up his mind. ¡®Let¡¯s just leave it be.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t as if he had anything to lose. ¡®If she¡¯s going to be loyal to me, that¡¯s not a bad thing, right?¡¯ Keeping an eye on the hallway, Serati said, ¡°Let¡¯s get her out of here.¡± ¡°Wait, just a moment.¡± Stopping them, Karnak pulled out a magic wand. ¡°Just in case, we should check.¡± Edia had been an important target under close supervision. It made sense that the cult would have ced a tracking spell on her. ¡®If I were in their position, I would have.¡¯ Karnak scanned Edia¡¯s body with the wand, but the results were unexpected. There were no spells or necromantic power ced on her. ¡®Maybe she wasn¡¯t as important as we thought? Or perhaps they didn¡¯t expect an outsider to infiltrate this far?¡¯ In any case, it was now safe to proceed. ¡®Come to think of it, do we need to rescue Owent?¡¯ Thinking back, the kinds of people who dered justice usually saved both husband and wife. So just in case, he asked, but Edia¡¯s response was firm. ¡°We don¡¯t need him.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°That bastard is neither my husband nor anything else to me. Just leave him.¡± Her expression was so fierce that Karnak didn¡¯t ask further. Instead, he turned to Serati. [Is this really what it means to live properly?] [Uh, well, more or less?] It seemed even Laven and Millia were nodding in agreement, as if it was the natural course of things. ¡®Well, I don¡¯t really get it, but if everyone thinks so¡­¡¯ Karnak gestured toward the door. ¡°Let¡¯s escape.¡± *** The underground passage was a mix of natural caves and stone walls. Karnak and his group moved through the thick darkness without making a sound. Leading the way, Laven checked their surroundings and gestured. ¡®This way!¡¯ Up ahead was a lone cultist standing guard. He wasn¡¯t a necromancer, just amon follower. If it were the outer area of the dungeon or the residential area¡¯s perimeter, those withbat abilities would naturally stand guard, but for something like this, they couldn¡¯t spare such people. Karnak cast a spell on him. ¡°Sleep.¡± The sleep spell was simple, merely causing drowsiness for a moment. Even a regr person could resist it with enough focus. But it was strong enough to knock out someone who was already tired. ¡°Yawn¡­¡± The cultist, struck by the spell, yawned and leaned against the wall, closing his eyes. He likely thought he was just taking a quick nap because of exhaustion. Even with a group of people quietly passing right in front of him. As they safely passed by, Laven whispered, ¡°Having the internal map sure makes things easier.¡± What made it particrly convenient was that the map also showed the guard shifts. Since Soress was in charge of the residential area, he had arranged the guard shifts as well. Thanks to this, they had a clear understanding of where and when the guards would be stationed. ¡°That pervert has been helpful in several ways.¡± Karnak smirked and continued forward. After moving a bit further, they arrived at arge space that was likely an auditorium in ancient times. If they passed through the copsed gap on the other side, they would reach the non-residential area again. From there, it was just a matter of dealing with a few monsters, like they had on the way in. ¡°Hold on.¡± Laven pressed against the wall and peered into the room. ¡°There¡¯s a gargoyle.¡± Indeed, there were petrified creatures under the power of necromancy scattered around the auditorium. Karnak focused for a moment. ¡®It¡¯s not a spell that triggers automatically upon movement.¡¯ He had anticipated as much. An automatic-trigger system couldn¡¯t be used in the residential area. It would activate every time a resident passed by. These were statues that would activate when a specific spell sent a signal. ¡®There¡¯s no need to make unnecessary noise.¡¯ Though it seemed safe to pass through, overconfidence was never a good habit. ¡°I¡¯ll cast a concealment spell, so gather around.¡± After taking precautions, Karnak and his group moved forward. They reached the center of the auditorium when suddenly¡ª ¡°Ah?¡± A faint light shot up from beneath Edia¡¯s feet. Fwoosh! The light formed a ck magic circle, spreading toward the statues on all sides! The statues began to awaken, letting out roars. ¡°Graaaah!¡± ¡°Kaoo!¡± ¡°Graaaah!¡± Baros, startled, turned to Karnak. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t you check everything?¡± Karnak was just as shocked. ¡°I did! I swear there was nothing wrong!¡± Chapter 150 CHAPTER 150 Dozens of winged monsters flew around inside the hall. The sound of wings pping echoed loudly from all directions. p! p! A horde of gargoyles circled the group like a flock of crows that had found a corpse. ¡°Kaaargh!¡± Laven shouted while ring at the iing swarm of gargoyles. ¡°Be careful! Their skin is like stone!¡± He yelled urgently, though their skin wasn¡¯t literally stone¡ªit was just hardened by a partial petrification, making it tough like rock. If they were truly made of stone, it would be impossible for them to fly, even with wings. But they were indeed that tough. Laficel focused her mind and thrust her sword. ¡°Hah!¡± Her sharp thrust aimed straight at the chest of an approaching gargoyle. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t powerful enough to pierce through the hardened skin. At the moment her sword made contact, she twisted her wrist, altering the trajectory of her thrust. At the same time, she dragged her de along the monster¡¯s skin, maximizing her energy, and shed a long cut! ¡°Hah!¡± The strike cut through like a saw. Even stone-like skin could not withstand it. The gargoyle¡¯s chest split open, and ck blood poured out. ¡°Krrk!¡± Laven¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as he witnessed this. ¡®Whoa, is that even a real technique?¡¯ In truth, it wasn¡¯t part of any formal swordsmanship; Laficel had simply swung instinctively. It just happened to fit swordsmanship perfectly. Regardless, it was impressive to see such a small, young girl perform such high-level swordsmanship. ¡®With that technique, we can definitely cut through gargoyles.¡¯ The gargoyle that had been attacking Laven suffered the same fate, its chest split open as it fell. Laven had imitated the sword technique Laficel used after watching her. ¡®Our family¡¯s swordsmanship relies too much on aura users, so it¡¯s weak in areas like this.¡¯ Serati, watching this, chuckled dryly. He imitated a technique without even knowing how it was done? ¡®That¡¯s right, he is the future Martial King, after all.¡¯ For a moment, she considered trying it herself. ¡®Should I give it a shot?¡¯ But then, she recognized her limits. ¡®There¡¯s no way I could mimic that on the first try.¡¯ It was the kind of skill that would need to be practiced slowly over time. For now, she focused on what she could do. Vwoooom! A red battle aura surrounded her sword. The intense aura granted her body powers beyond human limits. Wrapping her entire body in aura, Serati lightly tapped the ground with her foot. That alone was enough for her to dominate the airspace above the gargoyles. Like a red meteor shower, her aura descended upon the swarm of gargoyles. ¡°Kraaaargh!¡± ¡°Kaaagh!¡± ¡°Aaaargh!¡± With a series of pitiful screams, the surrounding gargoyles were swept away as if caught in a storm. Laven and Laficel looked at Serati in awe. ¡®Incredible power!¡¯ ¡®As expected of you, unnie!¡¯ With just one move, she had taken out more enemies than the two of thembined. ¡®As expected of a genius who awakened her aura at such a young age.¡¯ ¡®When will I ever be an aura user?¡¯ Both future Martial Kings gazed at her with sparkling eyes full of admiration. Serati,nding lightly, wore a rather dissatisfied expression. ¡®No, no, you two shouldn¡¯t be looking at me like that¡­.¡¯ The others were also dealing with the gargoyles without much trouble. Each time Baros unleashed his chain sword, the gargoyles fell like sparrows. Those monsters that aimed at the rtively weaker Edia were swiftly intercepted by Millia. ¡°Latiel, please bless your servant!¡± Under the protection of a divine barrier, Karnak finished his spell. ¡°Fierce mes!¡± A chaos me spell,bining the destructive power of a fireball with the homing ability of fox fire, urately struck multiple gargoyles. Explosions erupted from all directions. Boom! Boom! Boom boom boom! The number of gargoyles was rapidly decreasing. Though they were quite strong, they weren¡¯t enough to make Karnak¡¯s group fear them. The problem was that they had caused amotion. ¡°We need to get out of here quickly!¡± Laven shouted to the group as he cut down thest gargoyle. ¡°If we waste any more time¡­¡± Laven¡¯s words trailed off. The sound of wings pping once again echoed from all directions. p, p, p. ¡°There¡¯s more of them?¡± Another fierce battle began. The newly arrived gargoyles weren¡¯t particrly stronger than the previous ones. They could be dealt with quickly. But then, the sound of wings pping filled the air once more! ¡°There are still more?¡± As they were halfway through taking down the next wave of gargoyles, something strange happened. The remaining gargoyles suddenly backed off. They folded their wings and spread out, standing guard near the exits like sentries. Baros frowned. ¡°This isn¡¯t good.¡± Serati agreed. ¡°We¡¯re toote.¡± Laficel¡¯s gaze shifted toward the passage on the opposite side of the hall. ¡°They¡¯reing.¡± Laven, now bewildered, looked around. ¡°Huh? What¡¯sing now?¡± Saaaah¡­. From every passageway, dark energy flowed in like a gathering storm. Figures in ck robes began to emerge one by one from the shadows. ¡°Cultists!¡± They were necromancers of Tesranak. ¡°How dare you tread upon this sacred ground with your filthy feet?¡± *** Five necromancers had appeared in total, all of them from the elite ranks, granted special powers by the Werd branch. ¡®This can¡¯t be¡­.¡¯ Their leader, Hugot, red at Karnak¡¯s group, disbelief evident on his face. ¡®How in the world did they manage to sneak in this deep?¡¯ They had known in advance that the group was heading for the Werd branch. They even had a rough idea of when they would arrive. That¡¯s why they had set up special defenses throughout the dungeon, taking extra precautions. They had been puzzled when the group¡¯s arrival was dyed. But to think they had already made it to the very depths of the dungeon without being detected? ¡®How did they pull this off?¡¯ It was impossible that they had entered through the non-residential section. Even as a necromancer, Hugot himself couldn¡¯t easily traverse that area. The monsters there were one thing, but the evil spirits that roamed were incredibly powerful. There was no way the dungeon¡¯s evil spirits would have let intruders pass unnoticed. Entering through the residential area was far easier than trying to break through the non-residential section. ¡®I really don¡¯t understand.¡¯ In any case, the fact that these intruders stood before them was undeniable. Hugot lowered his voice ominously. ¡°You rats, how dare you make it this far¡­.¡± His voice rumbled slowly through the hall. ¡°But it¡¯s useless. The great Tesranak has been watching over everything, aware of your presence all alo¡ª¡± ¡°Awareness, my foot.¡± Karnak cut him off. ¡°You just woke up, didn¡¯t you?¡± Baros chimed in. ¡°You still have eye boogers.¡± ¡°Your hair¡¯s a mess too.¡± ¡°You rushed over here, huh? Why not catch your breath before finishing your little speech?¡± That¡¯s right. Despite the necromancers¡¯ attempts to appear intimidating, they had actually just woken up and rushed out of bed in a hurry. ¡°Looks like you were having a nice nap when the rm suddenly went off. You panicked, threw on your robes, and came running.¡± ¡°And right before entering the hall, you probably fixed your clothes, spread out some ck smoke, and tried to make a dramatic entrance, huh?¡± The necromancers were silent. They were eerily spot-on. ¡®How could they know this?¡¯ ¡®Were they watching us?¡¯ Of course, they hadn¡¯t been watched. There was no need for that. ¡®It¡¯s not like it¡¯s our first time dealing with necromancers.¡¯ ¡®They all do the same thing.¡¯ As Karnak and Baros exchanged taunts, Hugot¡¯s temper red. ¡°S-Shut up!¡± If he let them continue, he¡¯d end up getting swept into their pace. He raised his skull wand high and shouted. ¡°Servants of Tesranak, in the name of darkness, capture them all!¡± The necromancers raised their skull staffs in unison. ¡°Come forth, hounds of darkness¡­.¡± ¡°Hell, open your mouth and release the void¡­.¡± A thick aura of malevolence spread out like fog, enveloping Karnak¡¯s group. A vast aura of malice began to cover the entire hall. Laven and Millia trembled. ¡°Gah!¡± ¡°Such evil energy¡­!¡± Hell itself seemed to open before their eyes. High-level specters, the most powerful of wraiths, hovered above, letting out ghostly wails. Aaaaaaaa! The gates of hell opened, and demons with mouths full of mes appeared. ¡°Grrr¡­.¡± Dark skeleton soldiers, d in ck and reinforced beyond steel by power of darkness, emerged from the necromantic summoning circles. The group was nowpletely surrounded by monsters. Serati clicked her tongue as she assessed the enemies. ¡°They¡¯re on apletely different level than the gargoyles we just fought.¡± Even the weakest of them, the dark skeleton soldiers, were undead enhanced with power of darkness to be stronger than steel. Even aura couldn¡¯t easily cut through their bones. Each one of them was a formidable monster. Edia, trembling in fear, muttered a prayer. ¡°G-Goddess, please¡­.¡± And then, a strange sound interrupted her. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± p, p, p. Karnak was apuding. ¡°Impressive. Very impressive necromancy.¡± He kicked at the fallen gargoyle corpses. ¡°These things were just okay, honestly. The trap activation method was decent, but the magic was too simple.¡± His gaze shifted toward the newly summoned monsters. ¡°But you all? Your level is really something. Such a delicate, intricate, and refined necromancy!¡± He spoke in an exaggerated, theatrical voice. ¡°You didn¡¯t just gain the power of darkness and wield it like a blunt club. This is an art. Truly, you must have worked hard to achieve this.¡± The necromancers¡¯ faces darkened. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with him?¡¯ When someone on the verge of death starts pping nonchntly, it¡¯s a bad omen. It means they¡¯re confident in something. Hugot, drawing more power of darkness, spoke. ¡°¡­What are you trying to say, heretic?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing much.¡± Karnak smirked. ¡°Just wanted to say thanks for making your necromancy soplicated.¡± All the while, he had been pretending topliment them while secretly analyzing the pattern of their necromantic power. As he continued to heap praise on them, he alsopleted his own spell. Now, the only thing left was to activate it! Raising his wand high, Karnak shouted the activation phrase. ¡°I shall be the one who atones for the sins of darkness, the Redeemer of Necromancy!¡± An invisible force swept through the hall, washing over the specters, demons, and undead one after another. Chains of light formed around the monsters¡¯ necks. All at once, they turned their heads. nk! Countless pairs of eyes focused on the necromancers on the other side of the hall. ¡°W-What?!¡± A horrified Hugot barked out anothermand. ¡°In the name of darkness, Imand you! Obey me!¡± The other necromancers followed suit. ¡°Attack!¡± ¡°Kill them!¡± It was useless. The monsters in the hall stood silently in ce. ¡°Well, then¡­.¡± With a gentle smile, Karnak snapped his fingers. Snap! ¡°Go bite them.¡± The monsters moved at once. Soon, the necromancers¡¯ screams filled the hall. ¡°Aaaaagh!¡± Chapter 151 Chapter 151 Edia was no longer trembling. She merely stared nkly at the carnage before her. ¡°Ugh, ugh, aaah!¡± ¡°Why, why are these creatures¡­!¡± ¡°Go away! I said go away!¡± The summoned wraiths, demons, and skeleton soldiers were attacking the necromancers. Though the necromancers tried to fight back with the power of darkness, it wasn¡¯t enough. One of the necromancers, dying, cried out in despair. ¡°Why, why won¡¯t you listen to me?!¡± Karnak and his party didn¡¯t even need to join the battle. With just one strike from the Redeemer of Necromancy, the situation was over. Edia scratched her cheek. ¡°Hm, somehow, I feel a little sorry for them?¡± Millia clicked her tongue. ¡°To think that the captain¡¯s magic was this powerful.¡± She had already heard that Karnak had mastered a new magic spell, one specifically for dealing withrge-scale necromancy. After all, he had received a thousand gold coins for it, so it was no surprise the rumor had spread. But she hadn¡¯t expected it to be this devastating. ¡°If I¡¯d known it was going to be like this, we probably didn¡¯t even need to sneak in.¡± She turned to Karnak and asked. ¡°Couldn¡¯t we just wipe this ce out on our own?¡± Karnak shrugged while controlling the Redeemer of Necromancy. ¡°That depends on how you define ¡®wipe out.''¡± The skill level of Karnak¡¯s party was already quite high. Plus, Karnak¡¯s methods were a nemesis to necromancers, and they were especially powerful when dealing withrge groups of weaker foes. ¡°It¡¯s certainly possible to clear out the cultists in this dungeon. Since it¡¯s an underground structure like an anthill, there¡¯s no risk of being surrounded.¡± Carefully taking them down one by one wouldn¡¯t pose much danger. ¡°But taking out all the cultists here by ourselves? That¡¯s impossible.¡± At first nce, it might sound simr, but it was clearly a different statement. No matter how strong Karnak¡¯s group was, they were only six people. They could kill or capture all who attacked them, but they couldn¡¯t catch the ones who fled. ¡°If we stir things up and let some escape, wouldn¡¯t that just spread the cultists all over the region?¡± That was why a subjugation force couldn¡¯t consist of just a small elite group; it had to be of a certain scale. ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Millia quickly understood. ¡°We should just rescue Lady Edia and report back.¡± ¡°Thanks to us, the subjugation force thates after will have an easier time.¡± Meanwhile, the necromancers continued to die steadily. Eventually, all of them were torn apart by the demons, leaving only Hugot. ¡°Huff, huff, argh¡­¡± Of course, it didn¡¯t seem like he had much time left, either. ¡°When that guy dies, we should head out too.¡± Karnak pointed casually at Hugot. Suddenly, a pitch-ck sh shot from the upper part of the hall. Fwoosh! A ruthless beam of destruction swept through the area around Hugot. With a massive explosion, the undead and demons were wiped out in an instant. Boom! ¡°Huh?!¡± Laven looked around in shock. ¡°What is this? Who else is here now?¡± No doubt, he had failed to notice yet another arrival. He nced sideways at the others. Humans are so petty. Can¡¯t they just share information instead of keeping it to themselves? But this time, it seemed different. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What is that?¡± Even Karnak and Baros were staring in surprise at where the sh hade from. They, too, hadn¡¯t sensed anyone approaching. A chilling cold began to seep across the floor of the hall. At the same time, a sinister blue light flickered faintly from the darkness at the far end of the corridor. Karnak¡¯s entire party went pale. Even though the figure had not yet revealed itself, its overwhelming presence pressed down on them. It was a far more powerful aura than the necromancers they had just fought. ¡®This¡­¡¯ Finally, the figure emerged from the corridor. A skeleton draped in tattered robes and holding a golden wand, its entire body cloaked in a powerful spiritual energy. ¡°Hehehehehe¡­¡± A faintugh echoed through the hall, shaking their minds. Their hearts pounded with inexplicable fear. ¡°Guh!¡± ¡°Urgh!¡± Laven, Laficel, and Serati clutched their heads, staggering. Millia hastily cast a holy spell. ¡°Latiel! Please, grant us your light!¡± The radiance of the goddess who protects the mind enveloped the party. Only then did the overwhelming fear slightly subside. Millia red at the skeleton and spoke. ¡°Captain, that¡¯s¡­¡± Karnak frowned as he stared at the newly appeared skeleton. ¡°¡­An Arch Lich?¡± *** The Arch Lich slid across the hall floor and approached Hugot. ¡°My apologies for beingte.¡± At the same time, the surrounding undead, who had been attacking him, withdrew. Even though they were under the control of the Redeemer of Necromancy, the Arch Lich¡¯s evil energy had a stronger influence over them. ¡°I hurried as much as I could, but I didn¡¯t expect them to infiltrate this far.¡± Hugot staggered to his feet. ¡°No, no. Thank you for saving me.¡± The Arch Lich turned to look at Karnak¡¯s group and asked. ¡°Is it them?¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Demphis. It¡¯s those people.¡± The hollow eyes of the skeleton flickered with a blue me as it red at the group. Feeling the cold stare from the mes, Laven shivered. ¡°An Arch Lich¡­ isn¡¯t that a creature only found in legends?¡± Millia, trying to keep herposure, muttered. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a legend if it¡¯s standing right in front of us.¡± Everyone had looks of shock at the appearance of the legendary and powerful monster, the Arch Lich. Karnak and Baros, however, were surprised for a different reason. [Young master, doesn¡¯t that guy look familiar?] [Didn¡¯t he just call him Demphis?] Serati, puzzled, joined the conversation. [Do you know him?] Baros hesitated for a moment. How should he exin this? [Should I say he was the teacher of the young master?] It sounded ridiculous, but Serati had heard the name countless times before. [You know that Mr. Das that the young master always talks about? When he turned him into an Arch Lich and made him the governor of the south, his name was Demphis.] In other words, Demphis was originally one of Karnak¡¯s subordinates. Serati¡¯s eyes sparkled with anticipation. [So, does that mean you can make him obey?] Karnak frowned. [I wish I could, but¡­] He had been closely observing the Arch Lich since it appeared. If this skeleton was indeed Demphis, the governor of Necropia, there should be the soul brand he had ced on him. [Is the brand you put on him not there?] [I¡¯m not sure. There¡¯s something there, but it¡¯s not my brand.] [Ah, then maybe this is the governor Demphis from this timeline?] Originally, about ten yearster, Karnak found the remains of Das in the ruins of the Barakant Mountains and turned him into an Arch Lich, naming him Demphis. So, could someone else have revived him earlier in this timeline? [No, that¡¯s not it.] Karnak firmly denied it. [He¡¯s definitely from the future.] [How can you be sure of that?] [Because he¡¯s calling himself Demphis. That¡¯s the name I give him ten years from now.] Even if someone else had resurrected Das as an Arch Lich, how would theye up with the same name? In any case, the important issue wasn¡¯t which timeline the Arch Lich was from. Serati asked again. [So, can we beat him or not?] Karnak and Baros were still staring intensely at Demphis with serious expressions. [That¡¯s the wrong question.] [We should be asking whether we can escape safely.] [¡­What?] She was taken aback. It wasn¡¯t umon for these two to show uncertainty, but never when dealing with undead or necromancers. [In life, Das was the court mage of the Yustil kingdom.] Karnak gripped his wand tightly, cold sweat forming on his brow. It wasn¡¯t just because his opponent was an Arch Lich. [¡­And he was a master of the ninth circle.] *** Undead and monsters, bound by chains of light, stood frozen in the hall. They were still under the control of the Redeemer of Necromancy. Following Karnak¡¯s orders, they should have attacked, but the presence of Arch Lich Demphis was so overwhelming that it caused confusion. Demphis raised his golden wand. ¡°Let¡¯s clear away the unnecessary ones first.¡± From the tip of the wand, a fiery storm erupted. The intense heat began to engulf the entire hall. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Get over here!¡± Karnak and Millia quickly cast protective shields. While the party hid within the barriers, the remaining monsters and undead were swept away. Demphis¡¯ magic didn¡¯t stop there. ¡°We should block off the escape routes as well.¡± In the current situation, it was easy enough to kill those who tried to flee by sting them with magic. But during the chaos of battle, there was always a chance someone might escape. ¡°Death Round Ray.¡± A ck current swirled from the tip of the skeleton¡¯s finger. The current soon turned into a dark sh that cut across the entire hall. Explosions followed one after another. Boom, boom, boom, boom! All the corridors in the hall copsed, blocking the exits. Laven¡¯s face hardened. ¡®Damn, the escape route¡­¡¯ Of course, Karnak and his party could use either magic or aura to break through the blocked paths. They had enough destructive power for that. But doing so would leave them vulnerable to Demphis¡¯s attacks. Fighting and then escaping became much harder now. ¡®So, we have no choice but to face him head-on!¡¯ Karnak raised his wand. ¡°Mass Fireballs!¡± Over ten fireballs shot through the air towards Demphis. Each one was asrge as an adult¡¯s head. Demphis murmured in admiration. ¡°Oh, quite impressive for one so young.¡± He then flicked his skeletal finger. Just like that, the fireballs vanished in midair. The difference in mana was so great that they were dispelled before they could reach him. But Karnak wasn¡¯t fazed. After all, the fireballs were just a distraction. ¡°Now!¡± Baros and Serati drew their aura-infused swords and lunged simultaneously. The sound of chains echoed through the hall. nk! Red aura chains iled wildly in front of the Arch Lich, while Serati quickly moved to his rear. It was a technique where Baros would dazzle the enemy with his shy swordsmanship, allowing Serati to sneak in for a surprise attack. Her red aura sword struck down on Demphis¡¯s shoulder, creating a thunderous explosion. Boom! With a groan, she was sent flying back. ¡°Ugh!¡± Even though she hadnded a direct hit, her hand had burst open instead. It was the power of the darkness surrounding Demphis¡¯s entire body. ¡®A Curtain of Darkness!¡¯ Right after, Baros followed up with a series of chain sword attacks. But none of them could damage Demphis. He stood still, enduring the onught without moving an inch. The Curtain of Darkness was so powerful that none of the attacks could prate it. Realizing the situation, Millia cast another holy spell. ¡°Latiel, send forth your light to burn away the darkness!¡± The radiant light of the goddess enveloped the Arch Lich. But soon, her face turned pale. ¡°Th-this can¡¯t be¡­¡± The darkness was devouring the light. Shadows began to creep over the goddess¡¯s radiance, rapidly weakening its power. Demphis ttered his bony jaw. ¡°Those kids are impressive too. Were there really such strong individuals in this era?¡± Praising them, he raised his golden wand high, his magic power surging. ¡°Lightning,e to my hand and howl!¡± Blinding bolts of lightning shot out in all directions. Karnak¡¯s party frantically dodged the attacks, their faces pale. But it wasn¡¯t over yet. ¡°You shall crawl on your belly, and the dust shall be your food.¡± The scattered lightning bolts bounced off the walls and slithered along the floor like serpents,unching a second wave of attacks. Though the power had diminished, the range had expanded, making them nearly impossible to avoid. Baros, Serati, and Laficel managed to dodge, but the slower Karnak, Edia, Millia, and Laven were hit and staggered from the shock. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Argh!¡± Seeing this, Hugot shouted in panic. ¡°Be careful! That one must not be harmed!¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯ve already been taking extra precautions.¡± At Demphis¡¯s response, Baros and Serati unconsciously looked at Karnak. Given the situation, they assumed the target was likely the former Death King. But Karnak knew that wasn¡¯t the case. It wasn¡¯t Edia either. From the power and angle of the lightning bolts, it was clear who Demphis was being cautious about. ¡®Why are they targeting Laven?¡¯ Chapter 152 Chapter 152 With a single lightning strike, Edia was knocked unconscious. Millia hurriedly cast a sacred barrier to protect her. Baros and Serati leaped forward. ¡°Hyah!¡± ¡°Hah!¡± Swinging their swords continuously, they aimed for the front and back of the Arch Lich. Demphis still hadn¡¯t moved. He merely raised his pitch-ck shield to block their attacks. Boom! With a thunderous sound, the two were pushed back. A mockingughter seeped through the skeleton¡¯s jaw. ¡°That won¡¯t be enough to pierce my darkness.¡± Taking advantage of the moment, Karnak unleashed his spell. ¡°Crawling mes, Fire Snake!¡± The fire roared, transforming into three serpents made of me. The fire snakes slithered across the floor of the hall, closing in on Demphis. Fwoosh! A strange gleam flickered in Arch Lich¡¯s blue eyes. ¡°Well, I suppose this could break through.¡± Then he raised his golden staff. ¡°Capturing storm, Blizzard w.¡± A storm of cold wind swept through, forming into the shape of a giant wed hand. The icy talons tore apart the approaching fire snakes. Boom! Heat and cold mixed, releasing thick clouds of steam. Covering his face, Karnak shuddered. ¡°Tch, I guess magic won¡¯t work against him after all¡­¡± Laven and Laficel had been observing the situation closely. Neither dared recklessly charge at the Arch Lich. ¡®This isn¡¯t a battle I can carelessly get involved in.¡¯ ¡®But I can at least interfere!¡¯ Laven pulled out a throwing dagger from his coat. He wasn¡¯t a knight but a treasure hunter, and over time, he¡¯d umted quite a few such small weapons. Laficel was holding a rope sword, mimicking Baros. Since chains were too heavy, she had opted for a rope instead. Millia cast a holy spell on the two of them. ¡°Let the swords of the heavens be with them!¡± The daggers imbued with divine power targeted the Arch Lich¡¯s back. Laficel¡¯s rope sword, faintly glowing, sliced through the air. But all of it was blocked by the curtain of darkness. The sh between divine power and necromantic power resulted in a series of explosions. Bang! Boom! Laven and Laficel kept fighting from a distance. They knew better than to engage such a powerful mage directly, knowing full well what kind of fate might await them. Demphis clicked his nonexistent tongue while looking at Laven. ¡°Tch, I can¡¯t go all out on them.¡± He tapped his golden wand on the ground. ¡°Be frozen to your bones. Freezing Ground.¡± Frost spread across the hall¡¯s floor, chilling the air and creeping toward Laven and Laficel. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Their legs froze in session, immobilizing their bodies. At that moment¡ª ¡°The mes of illusion will melt the shackles of the north wind!¡± Karnak¡¯s spell activated, dispelling the ice. He had anticipated Demphis¡¯ trick and prepared an ice resistance spell in advance. Now freed, Laven and Laficel quickly retreated beyond the Arch Lich¡¯s range. ¡®It¡¯s as if he knows my magic?¡¯ Demphis, intrigued, continued casting. ¡°Brilliant spears of ice, Frost Spear.¡± The cold that had settled on the ground condensed into a massive spear of ice. Its glittering, jewel-like de shot toward Karnak. ¡®Oh no!¡¯ Having just cast an ice resistance spell, he couldn¡¯t immediately invoke another one. There was a slight dy. ¡®Well, nothing to do but¡­¡¯ Just as he was about to resort to necromancy, Baros¡¯ battle aura sword shattered the ice spear first. Crash! Barosnded between the shattered pieces of the spear and nced at Karnak. ¡°Are you alright, young master?¡± ¡°Thanks to you, yes.¡± Karnak sighed in relief and red at Demphis. Arch Lich¡¯s intentions were clear based on the spells he had just cast. He intended to freeze Laven and Laficel and then skewer them with the ice spears. He was clearly aiming to kill them. ¡®Demphis¡­ you bastard¡­¡¯ Muttering the name he had given him, Karnak was certain of one thing: ¡®He doesn¡¯t recognize me.¡¯ Nor did Baros, it seemed. But he seemed to have caught on Laven. ¡®And what about Laficel?¡¯ He briefly considered probing Laficel, but revealing her identity wasn¡¯t particrly appealing either. Millia interrupted Karnak¡¯s thoughts. As Demphis¡¯ magic surged toward Laficel, she cried out. ¡°Be careful, Laficel!¡± It wasn¡¯t really her fault. In such situations, reactions like this were inevitable. Indeed, Demphis paused for a moment. He then carefully scrutinized the ashen-haired girl. ¡°¡­Laficel?¡± Karnak watched his reaction closely. ¡®Does he recognize her?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t easy to read the expressions of a skeleton face. Even for someone who had lived as a skeleton for decades, seeing one¡¯s own face wasn¡¯t exactly amon urrence. However, if someone had observed that skeletal face for years, it might be a different story. [What do you think, Baros?] [I think he recognizes her, but he seems unsure if this girl in front of him is really Laficel.] Indeed, Demphis¡¯ attacks on Laficel noticeably softened. Like Laven, he seemed intent on capturing her rather than killing her. ¡®It¡¯s good that Laficel is rtively safe¡­ but¡­¡¯ Considering the intention of capturing her alive, it was hard to feel entirely relieved. ¡®What¡¯s going on with Demphis and Elezar?¡¯ *** Destruction storms raged throughout the massive hall. Boom! Boom! Boom! Despite the chaos, Karnak and his party managed to survive. Demphis, who had been relentlessly casting spells, finally spoke in admiration. ¡°Impressive. If I weren¡¯t here, the Werd Branch might have been destroyed.¡± Hugot, on the other hand, looked anxious. It wasn¡¯t Demphis he was worried about¡ªit was Karnak and his group. ¡°Isn¡¯t there some way to capture them? They could be excellent offerings¡­¡± Just moments ago, merely surviving seemed like a dream. Now, with a bit of safety, greed began to creep in. Demphis shook his head. ¡°They would indeed make excellent offerings¡­ but¡­¡± There was a risk of things going awry if he tried to capture them. It was more certain to just take what he needed. The Arch Lich¡¯s gaze shifted to Laven and Laficel. ¡°They are important.¡± Then, he turned to Millia and the unconscious Edia¡­ ¡°That woman is necessary for the church.¡± Finally, his gazended on Karnak, Baros, and Serati. ¡°But those three are too strong to be bothered using as offerings.¡± He seemed to care little about Millia, but his intentions for the other three were clear: he nned to kill them outright. Baros subtly sent a message to Karnak. [This definitely seems like the governor Demphis we knew, doesn¡¯t it?] [It does.] Reflecting on it, Demphis had always been that way. Even after bing an undead lich, retaining only his bones, his personality remained cautious and conservative, with strangely human-like tendencies. ¡®So it is the Demphis I knew¡­¡¯ But why did Demphis fail to recognize Karnak? The Arch Lich raised his golden wand and spoke coldly. ¡°You must know when to give up.¡± Light radiated from the tip of his staff. ¡°zing light, Arcane st.¡± A dazzling beam of light tore through the hall. Boom! Boom! Boom! Caught in the explosion, Karnak and his party were tossed like leaves in the wind. Barely managing to shield themselves with aura and divine defenses, they could feel the grimness of their situation. ¡°Why is an undead lich so powerful with Arcane magic?¡± Baros grumbled, but Karnak¡¯s expression darkened. ¡®Just as I thought¡­¡¯ When an aura user retains their strength upon bing undead, they be a death knight. When a mage retains their abilities after bing undead, they be an Arch Lich. But neither death knights nor Arch Liches typically use pure aura or mana. Aura, the essence of life, transforms into dark battle aura, and mana bes necromantic power. Yet, dark battle aura and necromantic power could still produce the same effects as living swordsmanship or magic. So, even though an Arch Lich could theoretically use all their former magic, they usually avoided Arcane magic. Pure mana-based spells didn¡¯t mesh well with the power of darkness. ¡®But this time, there was no reduction in its power.¡¯ It was magic. Pure, powerful magic. ¡®Like other cultists, he¡¯s controlling both the power of darkness and mana.¡¯ This also exined why Karnak hadn¡¯t sensed the trap that had ensnared Edia. No existing necromancy could fool the former Death King, Karnak. At least, that¡¯s what Karnak believed. But what about a spell that could fool Baron Karnak, the 7th Circle mage? There were plenty. Any mage of the 8th Circle or higher could deceive him. And Demphis was a master of the 9th Circle. ¡®There¡¯s no way I could detect 9th Circle magic in my current state.¡¯ If Karnak had been using necromancy, maybe he could have, but that wasn¡¯t the case now, so the oue was obvious. ¡®I guess I need to ount for this in the future. Things have changed too much for me to act as I once did.¡¯ In any case, now wasn¡¯t the time to think about the future. The immediate problem was how to deal with the Arch Lich standing in front of him. As Karnak eyed the monstrous being, brimming with necromantic power and mana, he pondered his next move. ¡®The Redeemer of Necromancy won¡¯t work¡­¡¯ The Redeemer of Necromancy turned an opponent¡¯s necromancy against them. But Demphis wasn¡¯t using necromancy. His existence itself was due to necromancy, but he fought entirely with magic. The only use of necromantic power was in his defense through the curtain of darkness, which was no different than a human moving their limbs. It was too simple to be exploited by necromancy. ¡®Attacking with chaos magic doesn¡¯t seem like a winning strategy either¡­¡¯ The difference in strength between Karnak, who had just reached the 7th Circle, and Demphis, a 9th Circle master, was ringly obvious. ¡®Should I just use necromancy?¡¯ This would reveal his identity to Laven, Laficel, and Millia, but that wasn¡¯t a big issue. ¡®I could just erase their memories afterward¡­¡¯ But even that didn¡¯t sit well with him. For Karnak to properly wield necromancy, he needed adequate preparation. He had spent a long time trying to live like a normal person, and as a result, his necromantic power wasn¡¯t as readily avable. ¡®Looks like I¡¯m paying for trying to live a good life now!¡¯ He had no choice. He¡¯d have to temporarily abandon his good deeds and act like he did in the old days. ¡°Laven! Laficel!¡± Karnak turned and shouted. ¡°Run!¡± The two looked back at him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°But how can we leave you behind¡­?¡± ¡°And where are we supposed to run to¡­?¡± ¡°That bastard doesn¡¯t intend to kill you! So don¡¯t worry, just turn your backs and go!¡± Karnak quickly added. ¡°And make us an escape route while you¡¯re at it! Let¡¯s see how he reacts!¡± Finally, they seemed to understand. After all, Laven and Laficel were of little use in the current battle. But as bait, they were invaluable. Though the reasons were unclear, they had already noticed Demphis¡¯ reluctance to kill them. ¡°Alright!¡± Laven and Laficel dashed toward the copsed passageway of the hall. Watching them go, Demphis let out augh. ¡°Hah?¡± It was a strategy that seemed reasonable and logical, but it also felt strangely cheap. ¡®Why does their behavior feel so familiar?¡¯ Chapter 153 Chapter 153 Laven and Laficel headed towards the pile of rubble. It was one of the many hallways in the auditorium that Demphis had crushed. They turned their backs without hesitation and began to clear the stones. ¡°One, two, three¡ªheave!¡± Karnak, Baros, and Serati moved in the opposite direction. On the other side of the auditorium, they red at Demphis, drawing their swords infused with battle aura and preparing their magic. Their stances clearly indicated their intent: attack the moment he turned his back. ¡°Ah, these fools¡­ what is this¡­¡± With a perplexed look, Hugot nced around nervously. No matter which side he focused on, it was a situation where his concentration would inevitably be broken. Demphis raised his skeletal finger. ¡°What pathetic little tricks you¡¯re trying.¡± Thinking that such tactics would work against an Arch Lich was a grave mistake. Did they think he was alone? Too bad for them, summoning a powerful servant isn¡¯t a difficult task, whether you¡¯re a mage or a necromancer. ¡°Why don¡¯t I just summon my servants as well?¡± Woooong! The mana vibrated, and a red magic circle began to form beneath Demphis¡¯ feet. At this sight, Karnak inwardly rejoiced. ¡®Good!¡¯ If Demphis summoned undead or demons from hell, Karnak could immediately unleash the Redeemer of Necromancy. Even if he summoned golems or spirits, magic infiltration would be possible. The worst-case scenario was if Demphis used powerful magic to incapacitate Laven¡¯s group all at once¡­ ¡®As expected, this guy¡¯s overly cautious, huh?¡¯ He wasn¡¯t using any destructive magic, likely out of fear that he might cause some serious injury. This was a n Karnak could only attempt because he knew Demphis¡¯ personality. ¡®Just finish the summoning. Then immediately¡­¡¯ And then it happened. Demphis twirled his bony finger. ¡°There¡¯s no need to summon something new. I¡¯ve already got one.¡± The magic circle red with light and began to swirl around Hugot, who was nearby. ¡°Lord Demphis?¡± Hugot, shocked, struggled in vain. The light had already begun to seep into his entire body. His limbs stretched, horns and tentacles sprouted from his body, and his size more than doubled as his human form gradually vanished. Karnak¡¯s face hardened. ¡°¡­What?¡± If things continued like this, there would be no opening for him to exploit! Baros, with a reluctant expression, said. [Now that I think about it, didn¡¯t Governor Demphis used to imitate the young master¡¯s behavior?] Exactly. Except for Baros, Karnak treated all his subordinates as disposable. And Demphis was one of Karnak¡¯s most loyal followers. ¡®Ugh, I figured out his personality but didn¡¯t catch on to his character.¡¯ Like master, like servant. Both were fundamentally underhanded. ¡°I¡¯ll return you to normal after the battle, so don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Demphis casually pointed at Laven and Laficel. ¡°Capture them.¡± The monstrous Hugot roared, shaking the entire auditorium. ¡°Graaaah!¡± *** A 2.5-meter-tall monster charged through the auditorium. Karnak¡¯s group frantically tried to block its path, but it was no use. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?!¡± Demphis intervened, firing off lightning magic spells. With explosions all around them, they had no choice but to fall back. Serati gritted his teeth. ¡°Damn it!¡± In the brief moment of distraction, Hugot¡¯s tentacles, which had grown from his back,shed out like whips. Sssshhh! The tentacles shattered Millia¡¯s divine shield, wrapping tightly around her arms and legs. ¡°Ugh!¡± However, Laven and Laficel were different. They skillfully maneuvered through the sound of tearing air. Even though their movements were slower than the tentacles, they preemptively anticipated Hugot¡¯s attacks and dodged them. ¡®How do they know in advance?¡¯ Hugot was stunned, while Demphis remained unimpressed. ¡°Of course, they should at least be capable of that.¡± As Laven and Laficel leaped through the air, an invisible pressure suddenly pressed down on their shoulders. It was the gravity spell Demphis had cast, Maximum Gravity. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Argh!¡± Crushed by the invisible force, both of them froze in ce. Hugot¡¯s tentacles immediately wrapped tightly around their limbs as well. ¡°Sir Laven!¡± ¡°Laficel!¡± Baros and Serati dashed along the perimeter of the auditorium. However, Demphis¡¯ magic was far too impregnable. ¡°Not a chance.¡± He pointed his golden wand at their backs and began chanting. ¡°The howl of the mountain wolf echoes across the sky, Wild Thunder.¡± A web of erratic lightning surged in all directions. Barely dodging the attack, Serati sent a message to Karnak. [What do we do now, Lord Karnak?] The situation had turned into a mess. At this rate, they had only handed over hostages for no reason. But even Karnak didn¡¯t have any good ideas. [First, let¡¯s focus on getting through this immediate crisis!] Baros¡¯ chain sword whirled, and Serati¡¯s red aura filled the room as they fiercely continued to battle. Despite their efforts, the tide of the battle wasn¡¯t turning in their favor. ¡°Now that there¡¯s nothing else to worry about¡­¡± Demphis leisurelyunched spell after spell, pushing them further into a corner. ¡°I¡¯ll take my time reaping your lives.¡± His mana reserves were overwhelming, making it impossible to even think of a counterattack. Simply surviving was the best they could manage. Sweat trickled down Karnak¡¯s forehead. ¡®This is bad¡­¡¯ The only reason they hadsted this long was, ironically, because of Demphis¡ªor rather, because Das was truly Karnak¡¯s magic teacher. The foundation for his Chaos Magic hade from Das¡¯ magic. In the first ce, Chaos Magic wasn¡¯t designed for power; it was for living a quiet, unnoticed life. But the three Archmages had highly unique magic. The more distinctive the magic, the harder it was to modify, and if used incorrectly, its true origin could be easily discovered. On the other hand, Das¡¯ magic was universal and rtively unknown. It was easy to manipte, and no one could recognize it. That¡¯s why Karnak had used it, never expecting it would turn out to be a blessing in disguise. But they couldn¡¯tst much longer like this. They were out of bait, the hostages had been taken, and the enemy had no qualms about killing them. One miscalction had put them in a highly unfavorable position. ¡®What do I do? How do I get out of this?¡¯ Karnak¡¯s expression grew increasingly stiff. *** Watching Karnak continuously block his attacks, Demphis felt puzzled. ¡®Why does that guy seem to know my magic so well?¡¯ He still hadn¡¯t realized that Chaos Magic originated from him. Karnak had altered it so much that it wasn¡¯t recognizable. But that didn¡¯t matter much. In the end, the strong always have more options than the weak. ¡®Even if he knows, I just have to change my approach so he can¡¯t stop me.¡¯ Countless brilliant lights began to appear around Demphis. The magic lights swirled around the Arch Lich, tearing through the air with a deafening roar. Then, all at once, they shot out in all directions. ¡°Archon Beat Area.¡± A barrage of light bullets flew through the air. The attack was too wide to dodge or deflect. To avoid the onught, Baros and Serati dove in opposite directions. ¡°Hup!¡± ¡°Tah!¡± Baros went left, and Serati went right. Both flew toward each other,nding at the same spot simultaneously. Unfortunately, Karnak happened to be standing right there. Baros¡¯ face froze. ¡°Oops!¡± Demphis had cleverly herded the three of them together. ¡®We need to spread out¡­!¡¯ But it was toote. Arch Lich¡¯s ultimate spell had already been cast through his golden wand. ¡°Disappear, you troublesome humans.¡± A vast wave of darkness surged from the tip of the staff, rushing toward them like a tidal wave. ¡°Ultimate Dark.¡± The darkness obliterated everything it touched. It was a simple, wide-ranging, extremely inefficient, and mana-draining spell. But for that reason, it was also unavoidable and impossible to block. ¡°Ughhhh!¡± Facing imminent death, Baros thrust his sword forward with all his might. ¡°Ughhhh!¡± At the same time, he focused his energy, refining his aura. The concentrated aura shifted into a sharp flow, glowing brilliantly in a vivid blue light. It was the Stage of Skill Over Strength, the mark of the Blue Knight. The blue sword light cut through the darkness, flowing in all directions. The merciless force of destruction surged through the auditorium, shattering walls, ceiling, and floor alike. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Even Demphis muttered in surprise. ¡°How can a mere Blue knight block this magic?¡± But that was all. He could dy the attack briefly, but there was no way to fully block it. All he could do was buy a few more seconds. ¡®I know, I know it, damn it!¡¯ Nevertheless, Baros poured every ounce of strength into enduring the attack. At least they wouldn¡¯t die right this instant. And after that¡­ ¡®That man, who¡¯s so desperate not to die, will figure something out!¡¯ Indeed, Karnak didn¡¯t betray Baros¡¯ expectations. As he gazed into the darkness engulfing him, an idea shed through his mind. ¡®That¡¯s it?¡¯ He recognized the pattern. He had studied every detail of this particr spell. As expected of the Death King, Karnak had scrutinized every death- and darkness-rted spell when creating his Chaos Magic. ¡®If it¡¯s this¡­!¡¯ Karnak immediately drew on his Chaos Power, casting a counter-spell. ¡°I summon forth a darkness more profound! Phantom of Darkness!¡± A denser shadow enveloped the previous darkness, and a storm of pitch-ck power swept through the entire auditorium. The deafening roar echoed like it would tear the very air apart. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! The darkness receded. A cold wind blew through the wrecked auditorium. The monstrous Hugot stood dumbfounded. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Karnak, Baros, and Serati were nowhere to be seen. ¡®Did they leave no trace, not even a body?¡¯ That seemed unlikely. No matter how thoroughly someone is obliterated, it¡¯s rare for nothing to remain. At least some traces of blood or a scrap of flesh should have been left behind. As expected, Demphis muttered indifferently. ¡°They escaped. I don¡¯t know where they went.¡± Hugot looked at him in disbelief. ¡°They fooled Lord Demphis?¡± This was an Arch Lich, a 9th-circle master, and one of the most powerful undead. How could he have lost track of them? ¡°How could that be possible?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Apparently, it was possible for them.¡± Surprisingly, Demphis didn¡¯t seem too bothered by it. ¡°Anyway, the objective has been achieved.¡± Demphis turned his gaze toward Laven, who was hanging from Hugot¡¯s tentacles. ¡°Move the sacrifices.¡± Hugot hesitated, ncing at Demphis. ¡°Before that, could you turn me back to normal¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± Demphis casually waved his golden wand. First, he cast Paralyze on Laven, Laficel, and Millia, immobilizing them. He then tossed them beside the unconscious Edia and restored Hugot to his human form. ¡°Phew¡­¡± Only after returning to his human shape did Hugot breathe a sigh of relief. ¡°We should set up maximum defenses using the priests.¡± ¡°¡­..Set up defenses?¡± ¡°Yes. Won¡¯t the ones who escaped try to return and rescue theirrades?¡± ¡°Hm, you have a point. Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± Hugot felt a bit confused. He had simply made an obvious suggestion, but Demphis¡¯ response was strangely measured. But Demphis didn¡¯t bother exining. Instead, he issued amand, sliding a skeletal finger into his robe. ¡°Reinforce the defenses and prepare the altar.¡± He retrieved something from subspace. ¡°When all preparations areplete¡­¡± It was a pitch-ck cube with strange markings swirling on its surface. ¡°¡­we willmence the Descent Ritual.¡± Chapter 154 CHAPTER 154 Hugot was moving swiftly. The altar had already been set up in the central chapel. However, to adjust it for the descent ritual, a considerable number of necromancers were needed. Because of the attack from Karnak¡¯s group, many of his subordinates had been lost. Now, apart from Hugot, only four dark priests remained in the Werd branch. ¡°We¡¯re short on manpower.¡± So, he resurrected the dead necromancers as undead. When necromancy is involved, the death ofrades doesn¡¯t necessarily mean a loss of power. ¡°When Lord Tesranak descends, he will grant you new life. Until then, serve the cult faithfully!¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°¡­Understood.¡± Even the subordinates, revived as ghouls and elder ghouls with their intelligence intact, were deployed to prepare for the descent ritual. In total, eight necromancers orchestrated the vast mana of darkness, spreading a barrier around the entire altar for the ritual. Watching this, Hugot sighed with relief. ¡°At least things are progressing ording to n.¡± Laven Strauss from the Strauss family would be used as the sacrificial offering for the descent ritual. This n had been prepared for over half a year, ever since Demphis descended from the main temple. It was fortunate that Laven was the target, not the eldest, Emile. If it had been Emile, the heir to the Martial King, no ordinary force could dare to even touch him. On the other hand, Laven was not an aura user, just a knight. Though his skills were quite exceptional, they weren¡¯t beyond Hugot¡¯s ability to subdue. However, the situation was far from ideal. Laven happened to be a member of the King¡¯s Order of the Etrial Kingdom. That meant he was part of a specialized organization that dealt with cults like the cult of the Dark God. Moreover, members of the King¡¯s Order rarely acted alone. Waiting for a time when he wasn¡¯t on a King¡¯s Order mission was even more problematic. After all, he was part of the Strauss family. It was easier to deal with him when he was with the King¡¯s Order. They had been watching for an opportunity for a while. And just when the Werd branch¡¯s location was exposed, and they were being hunted by the Etrial Kingdom, the situation got worse. At first, it was merely annoying, as Hugot thought, ¡°Ah, what a headache. This is frustrating.¡± Then, they received information that Starr was chosen to cooperate with the Yustil King¡¯s Order. Starr was from the same battalion as Laven and also a fellow treasure hunter who had joined the King¡¯s Order. In other words, if something happened to Starr, Laven Strauss would naturally have to step in! From there, the n progressed smoothly. An unfortunate ident befell Starr, Laven Strauss cooperated with the Yustil Kingdom¡¯s King¡¯s Order, and naturally, he ended up at the Werd branch. What they hadn¡¯t anticipated was that the Yustil Kingdom forces would be far stronger than expected. ¡°If Lord Demphis hadn¡¯t arrived in time, things would have gone terribly wrong.¡± Muttering to himself, Hugot looked inside the prison. He saw the unconscious bodies of Laven, Laficel, Millia, and Edia, who had been put into aa caused by magic. Hugot clicked his tongue as he looked at Edia. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to start over from the beginning, ugh.¡± The bewitching spell he had cast on her hadpletely gone off track. At this rate, Edia would end up pledging her loyalty to someone other than the cult¡ªa third party, most likely someone from the Yustil Kingdom¡¯s King¡¯s Order. Well, in this case, it wasn¡¯t a huge problem. Once the object of her loyalty disappeared, casting the bewitching spell again would be easier. And without a doubt, they woulde to rescue these prisoners. ¡°If they show up again¡­¡± Thinking of the particrly annoying ck-haired young man, Hugot ground his teeth. ¡°I¡¯ll offer them all as sacrifices and convert them into my power!¡± *** Outside the copsed chamber of Maleficus Dungeon, three people were crouched amidst the ruins of sand and columns. Karnak, Baros, and Serati had barely escaped from Demphis¡¯ final attack. ¡°Hoo, we survived because it was Demphis.¡± Looking at his cracked wand, Karnak clicked his tongue. He was truly lucky. It was a spell from the Das family that he had extensively studied. That¡¯s why, in that brief moment, he had been able to reverse the form and deflect the power. ¡°If it had been pure destructive magic like fire or lightning, we¡¯d all be dead spirits by now.¡± Serati shuddered. ¡°Yeah, we all almost died.¡± Baros shook his head. ¡°No, we wouldn¡¯t have been finished.¡± ¡°Huh? Didn¡¯t we almost die?¡± ¡°Yes, we almost died.¡± ¡°You said we would have be dead spirits¡­¡± ¡°And we almost became dead spirits, too.¡± There was a significant difference in how they interpreted the terms. For a true necromancer, ¡®death¡¯ and ¡®bing a spirit¡¯ are different forms of existence, not the end. Karnak rested his chin on his hand and mumbled. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t blocked it, our bodies would have beenpletely destroyed.¡± After bing undead spirits, specifically, undead specters, they would have drifted through the dungeon¡¯s malevolent energy, umting power. They would have gathered corpses from the surrounding monsters and assembled undead bodies, inhabiting them. ¡°Of course, if that had happened, our lives as humans would have been over, so yeah, it would¡¯ve been a big problem.¡± Rubbing his limbs, Karnak let out a deep sigh of relief. ¡°Really, we were incredibly lucky.¡± The thought of losing the precious body he had just obtained made his legs tremble. ¡°But we¡¯ve lost our otherpanions, haven¡¯t we?¡± Baros mentioned Laven, Laficel, and the others. ¡°How are we going to rescue them?¡± They hadn¡¯t been taken to be killed, so they were safe for now. But they couldn¡¯t be left like that. Karnak scratched his cheek awkwardly. ¡°At the moment, I don¡¯t have any particr ideas¡­¡± Serati¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say before? To save ourpanions, we may have to resort to some bad deeds.¡± Of course, she had never phrased it that way. But these guys had interpreted it that way, so it was easier to exin it in terms they¡¯d understand. ¡°Isn¡¯t it time for you to return to being a necromancer?¡± Of course, that would mean revealing Karnak¡¯s true identity to Laven, Laficel, and Millia. ¡°Still, if we just erase a little of their memories, we might be able to manage¡­¡± Karnak and Baros looked at Serati in amazement. ¡°Serati, did you really just say that?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s usually something I¡¯d say.¡± ¡°Well, what else can we do? We have to save Laficel, don¡¯t we?¡± Serati¡¯s irritated reply made Karnak chuckle. ¡°Yeah, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems with Laven, Millia, or Edia. We can probably erase about an hour of their memories without any side effects.¡± But he wasn¡¯t sure if the same would work for Laficel. ¡°Her mental state is so delicate that it¡¯s risky to tamper with her mind¡­¡± In any case, it was a problem to worry about after rescuing them. The real issue at hand wasn¡¯t that. ¡°I said earlier that I don¡¯t have any ideas, right?¡± Karnak spoke in a serious tone, still resting his chin on his hand. ¡°I said that based on the assumption that I would use necromancy.¡± *** Back when Karnak faced Bishop Shutraff in Trist City, he had immediately acted as a necromancer. Even when he had no answer as a mage, he had absolute confidence in his ability to overwhelm his opponent as a necromancer. But now¡­ ¡°Even if I use necromancy, I still don¡¯t have a way to defeat Demphis.¡± An Arch Lich is a monster capable of destroying an entire city on its own. Add to that mastery of the ninth circle of magic, and they be a one-man army. ¡°No matter how I calcte it, we¡¯ll lose if we fight him now.¡± ¡°So, what are you suggesting? Should we just abandon them and run?¡± Serati¡¯s question was meant as sarcasm, but Karnak nodded seriously. ¡°That¡¯s what I would have done in the past.¡± He really would have. He never threw himself into a disadvantageous situation. It¡¯s not that he hadn¡¯t fought against overwhelming odds¡ªhe had the whole continent as his enemy once¡ªbut he never took on a fight he could escape from. Hostages? Companions? Subordinates? He abandoned them without hesitation. No, he didn¡¯t even think of it as abandonment. The moment the situation turned against him, he considered it a loss of power. Baros muttered with a serious expression. ¡°Indeed, we¡¯ve never risked our lives to save anyone.¡± Serati frowned. ¡°But haven¡¯t we risked our lives to save each other?¡± Of course, they had. Even Karnak saved those who were truly important to him. The only difference was that there was only ever one person inside that circle. The same was true for Baros. ¡°So that¡¯s what it amounts to, huh?¡± Suddenly, Karnak¡¯s expression turned chilling. ¡°If it had been you, Serati, I would have thought about it. You¡¯re close enough to be inside that circle now.¡± But in the end, he would have given up. Against an opponent like that, with odds like these, even Serati would have been considered ¡°a lost asset.¡± And the others? Laven? Millia? Edia? They were just people he knew, humans he was slightly closer to than others. They weren¡¯t worth risking the precious human body. ¡°As for Laficel, yeah, I admit she¡¯s on my mind.¡± She was, like Serati, someone close to being inside Karnak¡¯s circle. He was concerned but not certain. To be honest, if this were the old Karnak, he wouldn¡¯t even be thinking about this dilemma. He would have already abandoned them and been focused solely on how to escape safely. ¡°But that would just be living the way I used to.¡± His real worry wasn¡¯t about hispanions¡¯ safety. ¡°Am I supposed to stop living the way I used to, even at the cost of my life?¡± Serati answered firmly. ¡°Yes.¡± Her response was so obvious and certain that Karnak was caught off guard. ¡°Wait, are you saying it¡¯s natural for me to risk my life?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because the life you fought so hard to protect, even turning back time for, wouldn¡¯t be worth much otherwise, right?¡± Karnak was momentarily speechless. Serati continued in a calm voice as he remained silent. ¡°Not everyone lives taking such risks. In fact, most people abandon theirrades when their own lives are at stake.¡± But even those people are more human than Karnak. Why is that? ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯d feel guilty about abandoning them, Lord Karnak.¡± ¡°Yeah, probably not.¡± She was practically insulting him to his face, but he didn¡¯t react. Watching him, Serati showed a bitter expression. ¡°I didn¡¯t understand before. I used to think, ¡®Isn¡¯t this just how life is sometimes?''¡± But now, she could say with certainty. Because she had seen Karnak. She knew what happened when someone stopped living like a human. ¡°You always say something, don¡¯t you?¡± Whenever he was tempted to overindulge in food or drink, Karnak reminded himself. It always starts small, but by the time you realize it, your body¡¯s already ruined. ¡°Well, that doesn¡¯t just apply to the body.¡± This time, let it go and do better next time? Can he really do that? After over a hundred years of not being able to live that way? ¡°The moment you abandon them¡­¡± In a subdued voice, Serati spoke clearly. ¡°You¡¯ll be abandoning your soul, too.¡± A long silence followed. Serati waited quietly without saying another word. After a long time, a wry smile appeared on Karnak¡¯s lips. ¡°Damn it, looks like I¡¯ve got to save them.¡± Chapter 155 CHAPTER 155 The underground chapel of the Dark God¡¯s cult, where Mass was regrly held. Hugot and the eight necromancers were channeling the mana of darkness into the bloody magic circle drawn around the pentagonal stone altar located in the center. Watching them, Demphis calmly reviewed his n. ¡®At this rate, the altar should bepleted by tomorrow.¡¯ He shifted his gaze to the small stone chamber behind the chapel. Currently, Laven and the other captured hostages were all imprisoned there, being used as a makeshift prison. There was a reason he had gathered them in the underground chapel despite having other prison options. ¡®Honestly, they weren¡¯t easy to deal with.¡¯ If it weren¡¯t for Demphis, there was no force at the Werd Branch capable of handling Karnak¡¯s group. That was why Demphis was personally guarding the hostages. He was sitting arrogantly on the central throne of the chapel, overseeing both the altar and the makeshift prison. In truth, being an Arch Lich, his legs wouldn¡¯t ache just from standing, but sitting made him look less trivial. After all, as the leader, sitting in a high ce and looking down arrogantly is what makes the subordinates shrink back and do their job properly. So, while he was directly guarding the chapel, he had also stationed skilled cultists in martial arts at various points along the hallways. With this level of preparation, they would be able to detect any attack immediately. And yet, Demphis wasn¡¯t entirely satisfied. This formation assumed Karnak¡¯s group was hiding in the non-residential areas. If they were hiding in the residential areas, an immediate attack on the chapel couldn¡¯t be ruled out. ¡®Of course, there¡¯s no evidence of that yet, but you never know when they¡¯ll sneak in, so I can¡¯t let my guard down.¡¯ Therefore, he regrly and thoroughly patrolled the entire residential area. Regardless of rank, he checked every individual¡¯s private quarters to prepare for any eventualities. ¡®With this level of preparation, there¡¯s nothing they can do.¡¯ Just as he habitually reassured himself by being fully prepared, Demphis suddenly tilted his head in confusion. No matter how much he prepared, every time he thought of that ck-haired young man, he had an unshakable certainty that said, ¡®He¡¯sing to rescue hisrades? No way. The sun would rather rise in the west.¡¯ ¡®I really don¡¯t know. Why do I feel this way about someone I don¡¯t even know?¡¯ *** Karnak was deep in thought. ¡°What should I do¡­?¡± Even though he had made up his mind to rescue hisrades, it wasn¡¯t as simple as immediately taking action. The goal was to ¡®rescue,¡¯ not charge in recklessly and ¡®die together.¡¯ The problem was that if he faced Demphis now, his chances of winning were zero. ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s no way to win, but¡­¡± After a long period of deliberation, a n finally came to him. ¡°¡­It might be possible to get the others out.¡± He considered Demphis¡¯s perspective. What would be the easiest scenario for him? Obviously, it would be best if Karnak¡¯s group couldn¡¯t do anything and the ritual waspleted smoothly. After that, Demphis could handle any remaining matters at his leisure. ¡°I have no idea what ritual they¡¯re preparing, though.¡± Karnak¡¯s ability to detect evil energy was remarkably formidable. Even from this distant non-residential area, by focusing his mind, he could sense the flow of darkness to some extent. Thanks to that, he had already grasped the general situation. ¡°Looks like they¡¯re setting up an altar in the chapel? Not sure what it¡¯s for, though.¡± Baros asked curiously. ¡°You don¡¯t know either, young master? Even though it¡¯s necromancy?¡± ¡°Those guys always use necromancy in such weird ways.¡± Like the other followers of the Dark God they had encountered, Demphis was also using some bizarre ritual that mixed mana with necromantic power. So, while Karnak knew they were up to something, he had no idea what it was. ¡°Ugh, using such heretical methods for necromancy.¡± For Karnak, who prided himself on being a true necromancer, it was an utterly displeasing sight. Serati, overhearing, had mixed feelings. ¡®If a necromancer uses heretical methods, is that good or bad?¡¯ Baros shrugged his shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s probably no big deal. After all, necromancers performing rituals with an altar is pretty typical.¡± ¡°Well, I doubt it¡¯s somemon ritual to summon a demon or anything like that¡­¡± Still, Baros wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. The exact nature of the ritual wasn¡¯t what mattered at the moment. What was important was preventing it from beingpleted. ¡°Judging by the flow of energy, I¡¯d say the ritual will beplete in about a day.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got plenty of time, then?¡± ¡°Yeah. At least we should be able to prevent it from beingpleted before we can intervene.¡± That didn¡¯t mean Karnak¡¯s group could win byunching a surprise attack before the ritual. In that case, Demphis would just kill them all and calmly continue the ritual afterward. So, the best timing was this: ¡°We¡¯ll interrupt them in the middle of the ritual.¡± Baros and Serati nodded. It wasn¡¯t a particrly surprising suggestion, and they had both anticipated it to some extent. ¡°The key is timing the interruption perfectly. Based on my experience, I have a good idea of when we should strike.¡± Serati suddenly asked. ¡°Based on experience? Have you interrupted a ritual like this before?¡± ¡°No.¡± A bitter smile appeared on Karnak¡¯s face. ¡°There was a time when we were interrupted. While we were setting up the altar and offering sacrifices.¡± *** During his time as the Death King, Karnak had offered countless sacrifices to draw power from the depths of hell. And each time, numerous heroes of humanity had tried to stop him. Most of the time, hepleted the rituals without issue. Karnak¡¯s dominion was powerful, and humanity¡¯s desperate efforts were trivial at best. But there had been a few cases that posed a significant threat. ¡°Even during a ritual, not every phase is equally dangerous.¡± In the early stages, when the necromantic power is focused on enveloping the entire altar, outside interference isn¡¯t much of a problem. ¡°You can just pause the ritual for a moment, deal with the interruption, and then continue.¡± In theter stages of the ritual, you could simply summon your minions to hold off the intruders while you hurriedly finished the ritual. ¡°If you just endure for a bit, the ritual will bepleted, so it¡¯s not a big deal.¡± The truly worst time for an interruption is in the middle of the ritual, right after the power transitions from the necromancer to the altar. ¡°At that moment, the necromancer¡¯s power ispletely tied to the altar.¡± Of course, that doesn¡¯t mean the necromancer is defenseless. They could simply abandon the ritual. ¡°But you¡¯d have to forfeit all the power and resources invested in preparing the altar, the sacrifices, and the ritual.¡± It would mean giving up everything you had worked for. ¡°There¡¯s a tricky window where greed gets in the way.¡± At that moment, there¡¯s still too much time left to just continue the ritual, but giving up means losing everything you¡¯ve worked for. Karnak once hesitated at that exact moment and suffered for it. ¡°They rushed in right when the ritual reached its climax. And then I have to reverse the flow of darkness and use it to protect myself.¡± Serati raised an eyebrow. ¡°They put you in that situation?¡± ¡°Yeah. All the necromantic power invested in the ritual was turned into a giant wall surrounding me that would deflect all attacks.¡± ¡°¡­That sounds like a good thing, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Not in that situation.¡± Once that spell is triggered, all the necromantic power used in the ritual forms a powerful barrier that protects the necromancer. ¡°The problem is, the necromancer can¡¯t break through that barrier themselves.¡± In other words, the wall of power you created bes your prison. To escape, the necromancer has to manually dismantle eachyer of their own power. ¡°We can¡¯t use this spell to defeat Demphis. It would practically make him invincible for a while.¡± But Demphis was already a monster beyond their ability to handle, so temporarily trapping him would be enough to rescue Laven, Laficel, and the others. Baros nodded. ¡°Oh, I remember now. That was the magic Elezar used, right?¡± Serati looked at Karnak. ¡°Elezar? The Archmage Elezar?¡± ¡°Yeah. I was kidnapping her talented students to sacrifice them.¡± ¡°Ah, I see¡­¡± That magic wasn¡¯t particrly difficult, but it required perfect precision in predicting the flow of necromantic power. Only someone like Elezar, who was hailed as an Archmage, could pull it off. No one else could. ¡°But now, with my current self, I think I can manage it.¡± Karnak¡¯s magic wouldn¡¯tpare to Elezar¡¯s, but his necromancy was more than enough to gauge the flow. ¡°Of course, since mana is mixed with necromantic power in this case, I can¡¯t guarantee sess, but it¡¯s still our best bet.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Serati nodded and asked, ¡°So, what happened back then?¡± Suddenly, Karnak looked away, trying to avoid the question. ¡°Well, uh¡­ you see¡­¡± ¡°Lord Karnak?¡± Baros answered for him. ¡°That was the day Elezar became one of the young master¡¯s subjects.¡± ¡°¡­Are you sure this method is really that useful?¡± Karnak frowned. ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted to just run away in the first ce!¡± The method sounded impressive when exined, but in reality, theory and practice didn¡¯t always align. Honestly, the old Karnak would never have taken such a reckless gamble. ¡°But, like you said, Serati, I can¡¯t live the way I used to.¡± *** Exactly five minutes after deciding he couldn¡¯t live the way he used to: ¡°Come, lost souls¡­¡± Karnak was back to his old ways. ¡°Submit to my hand and obey mymand¡­¡± With vast darkness cloaking his entire body, he reached out into the air. A vile energy poured from him in all directions. Even Baros, who had served Karnak for a long time, felt uneasy in the presence of this overwhelming aura. ¡°Wow, being in a living body makes it way more disturbing.¡± On the other hand, Serati felt nothing. That only made it more unnerving. ¡°Are you sure I should keep living as your subject like this?¡± Around Karnak, the wraiths began to gather. They wailed, groaning as they wept, slowly flowing into his grasp. And then, they screamed in agony. Their faces twisted in despair and suffering. ¡°Aaaaah!¡± ¡°Uuuaagh!¡± ¡°Gyaaah!¡± It was the kind of scene you¡¯d expect from a textbook depiction of sinners being dragged to hell, like those taught in the Church of the Seven Goddesses. Serati sighed inwardly. Since this was all to save hisrades by gathering power, there was nothing she could say. Yet, she still found herself wanting to say something. ¡°What? What? You said it¡¯s okay to live like I used to in moments like this, right?¡± ¡°No, no, keep up the good work¡­¡± ¡°Right? I¡¯m doing well, aren¡¯t I?¡± A momentter, Karnak lowered his arms. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve stored up enough necromantic power for now¡­¡± With his full dominion, he issued themand. ¡°Go, wraiths of darkness. Ride the flow of death and carry out my will.¡± Dozens, then hundreds of wraiths let out eerie sounds and began to surge toward the depths of the dungeon. Chapter 156 Chapter 156 The crumbling hallway in the southwest residential area. Four burly men were guarding the passage that connected to the non-residential area. They were specially selected followers from the Werd branch, skilled in martial arts. Of course, no matter how skilled they were, it would be impossible for ordinary people to stop Karnak and his group. Hugot wasn¡¯t counting on them as a formidable defense force. That¡¯s why he increased the guard formations from teams of two to teams of four and had everyone wear bone-made whistles around their necks. The intent was for at least one of them to survive and blow the whistle to alert of any intruders, should they encounter any. From the start, there was no expectation that they could actually stand against the enemy. The mission was almost like a suicide squad, but surprisingly, their vignce was strict. This was because they had fanatical faith in Tesranak. Even if they were killed in battle, they believed they would be resurrected by the Dark God. So, as the four guards gripped their spears and longswords, watching the dark hallway, it happened. Woo¡­ooo¡­ Suddenly, an eerie sound echoed, and a cold chill began to spread. At the same time, the torches flickered and started to go out one by one. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What¡¯s¡­this?¡± The guards looked at each other in confusion. While this would be a spine-chilling, eerie phenomenon in the outside world, it felt different in these parts. ¡°Is it a wraith?¡± ¡°Why would a wraith be here?¡± For these cultists, the existence of wraiths was no different from tigers or wolves lurking in the mountains. They were just neighbors from the next vige over. They were something to fear, but not an unknown terror. They were merely puzzled as to why wraiths were showing up when no intruders could be seen. The youngest of the guards made a guess. ¡°Could it be that the intruders are controlling the wraiths?¡± And he was immediately scolded. ¡°How could that be? That¡¯s only possible through necromancy.¡± ¡°The intruders are from the Yustil Kingdom¡¯s King¡¯s Order. How could they control wraiths?¡± The senior, a middle-aged man, reminded hispanions. ¡°Still, we can¡¯t be too sure. Stay vignt.¡± Nodding in agreement, the guards hung the Dark God¡¯s insignia from their weapons. If this were a non-residential area, just one of those wraiths could kill them all in seconds. But in the residential area, things were different. The powerful necromantic barrier of the cult was spread here, preventing even strong wraiths from exerting their full power. Even regr cultists could handle them. Woo¡­ooo¡­ With the faint sound of wailing, the chill intensified. Atst, faint shapes appeared in the distance, beyond the darkness. The forms were of soldiers, pitifully killed, with spears and arrows stuck in their bodies. The senior guard raised his spear and shouted. ¡°They¡¯reing!¡± His shout was only half correct. The wraiths started to charge down the corridor but suddenly stopped. About ten meters away, the wraiths and the guards stood facing each other. Woo¡­ooo¡­ The youngest guard quietly asked. ¡°What are they doing?¡± That was when it happened. The wraiths suddenly turned their backs. Then, they disappeared back into the darkness. The guards stared in bewilderment. ¡°¡­What the hell was that?¡± *** A corpse bat flew quickly toward the skull throne in the chapel. Then, it fell to the floor with a thud. ¡°Two wraiths have appeared in zone 3-3.¡± A human voice emerged from the bat that had fallen beneath the throne. It was long-distancemunication through necromancy. ¡°Wraiths?¡± Demphis tilted his head in confusion upon hearing the report. ¡°And the intruders?¡± ¡°They were not seen. Only the wraiths appeared. It¡¯s possible that the intruders are controlling them¡­¡± This made even less sense to Demphis. He had predicted various means the fleeing King¡¯s Order of Yustil might use. But none of those predictions included this scenario. ¡°Could the King¡¯s Order be using necromancy? That¡¯s not possible.¡± Nevertheless, since wraiths had appeared, he needed to assess the situation. ¡°Were the wraiths dealt with?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®no¡¯?¡± ¡°They disappeared on their own.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± The situation grew stranger. The wraiths had simply appeared and disappeared without doing anything. It was almost like they had wandered out for a stroll from the non-residential area. Of course, that couldn¡¯t be the case. ¡°This is really odd.¡± The strangeness didn¡¯t stop there. More corpse bats flew in with reports. ¡°Wraiths have appeared again.¡± ¡°And they disappeared again.¡± It was always the same. There was nobat. Wraiths kept appearing in various passages of the residential area, loitering for a bit, then vanishing. After pondering for a moment, Demphis smiled. ¡°It¡¯s a diversion.¡± Of course, since he was a skeleton, he couldn¡¯t actually smile, but it was a feeling like he had. Demphis sent out more corpse bats and gave instructions. ¡°Even if the wraiths retreat, don¡¯t chase them. Stay in your positions.¡± If the enemy truly intended to lure the guards away, they would show some response. Perhaps byunching a light attack, trying to draw the guards out. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Several reports came in. ¡°They attacked lightly¡­but then disappeared again.¡± Demphis was now certain of his theory. ¡°Just as I thought.¡± He had a rough idea of the enemy¡¯s n. Whether it was necromancy, magic, or holy arts, there was always amon point inrge-scale rituals. They were most vulnerable when attacked during the ritual. The enemy was surely aiming for that timing. ¡®They wouldn¡¯te out for a head-on fight when they have no chance of winning.¡¯ Since he had figured out their intentions, countering them was simple. He sent out corpse bats to the patrols. ¡°Thoroughly search every space in the residential area. Don¡¯t miss even the smallest crack that a mouse could slip through.¡± Tounch an ambush during the ritual, one requirement must be met. They had to hide near the altar and wait for the right moment. ¡®If they can¡¯t even get close, we won¡¯t have to worry about being attacked during the ritual.¡¯ Now that the solution was in ce, only one question remained. The current situation made it seem as if the fleeing King¡¯s Order was controlling the wraiths. But necromancy was clearly involved. ¡®How could a mage control wraiths? Did some new magic arise for this?¡¯ The world had already changed a lot. Just because he didn¡¯t know about such magic didn¡¯t mean it didn¡¯t exist. The blue mes in the empty eye sockets of the Arch Lich flickered. ¡°Karnak, was it?¡± *** In the darkness of the non-residential area of Maleficus Dungeon. Karnak, who had been sitting with his eyes closed, quietly muttered. ¡°Good. Now I know exactly where and how they¡¯ve set up their defenses.¡± Wraiths can pass through walls. That means they can move freely, unaffected by the terrain. By using this well, it¡¯s easy to scout the enemy¡¯s geography and troop deployment. Of course, it wasn¡¯t an easy task. Controlling such arge number of wraiths and using distant-view spells to grasp theyout required incredibly delicate necromantic skill. But for the former Death King, it wasn¡¯t too difficult. ¡°Well, what do I have left besides my senses? I¡¯ve lost all my powers.¡± Serati was puzzled. ¡°If you had this method, why did we sneak in and steal a map?¡± ¡°Because this is the way I used to live.¡± Karnak looked at her as if she had said something absurd. ¡°Or are you suggesting I should have used necromancy from the start?¡± ¡°O-of course not. It just felt so natural that I forgot for a moment.¡± Karnak continued manipting the wraiths for a while longer. Then, suddenly, he clicked his tongue. ¡°I thought of using this as a diversion, but it won¡¯t work.¡± No matter how much pressure he applied with the wraiths, the guards wouldn¡¯t leave their positions. Because of that, he couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on inside the chapel where the altar was set up. ¡°I¡¯ll have to figure this out another way.¡± Karnak stood up and gestured. ¡°I¡¯ve found a weak spot in their defenses, so let¡¯s sneak in.¡± Serati was confused. ¡°Already? But the ritual still has a long time to go, doesn¡¯t it?¡± The cultists were thoroughly searching every corner near the chapel in preparation for any emergency. There was no ce left to hide. ¡°I thought we were going to wait here until right before the ritual started.¡± Karnak waved it off as if it were nothing. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± *** Most of Hugot¡¯s necromancers from the Werd branch were focused on the altar ritual in the chapel. The ritual was soplex that they were short on manpower and had to reanimate the dead to participate in the ceremony. However, there were still two necromancers guarding the residential area instead of the chapel. They were Walter and Soress. Both had been buried alive during Karnak and his group¡¯s infiltration. They had been discoveredter during a search of the residential area. There was a reason Hugot hadn¡¯t been focused on finding them from the start. ¡ªI can¡¯t believe it. You two survived? Inquisitors of the Seven Goddesses¡¯ Church didn¡¯t kill necromancers recklessly. More often than not, the dead were far more troublesome. That said, they didn¡¯t let them live freely either. Leaving them intact often led to betrayal. So, instead of killing them, they would cut off their limbs and tongues, rendering thembat-ineffective. ¡ªYou¡¯re very lucky. It seems the inquisitor of the King¡¯s Order has a kind heart. For that reason, Walter, who had been foundte, was assigned to patrol duty, and Soress was in charge of overseeing the residential area as usual. It was during the second search of the area under Demphis¡¯s additional orders that Walter and a patrol of cultists stood in front of a stone chamber¡ªSoress¡¯ personal quarters. After locating Soress at the door, they ryed Demphis¡¯s instructions. ¡°He said to make sure to thoroughly investigate every corner.¡± ¡°Of course. That¡¯s what we¡¯ll do.¡± Soress nodded and gestured to his room. ¡°I¡¯ve already checked this room myself, so you may move on.¡± ¡°What? But he said we need to cross-check everything¡­¡± One of the patrol members gave him a suspicious look. Could it be that he was being coerced into hiding something in his room? At that moment, Walter cleared his throat awkwardly. ¡°Ahem!¡± Realization dawned on the patrolman. That¡¯s right. Soress thought he had hidden it well, but in such a closed, smallmunity, there were no real secrets. ¡®Ah, this is one of those rooms.¡¯ ¡®Right, understood.¡¯ They exchanged knowing nces and moved on. ¡°Let¡¯s check elsewhere.¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Walter.¡± It was a ce so obvious that there was no point in searching it. It was also a ce no one really wanted to approach. As they left, one patrolman muttered under his breath. ¡°Ugh, that perverted bastard¡­¡± As soon as Walter¡¯s group disappeared, Soress¡¯ eyes went nk, and three people emerged from the room. Karnak, Barros, and Serati. ¡°I¡¯ll say it again¡­¡± Karnak smiled warmly, exuding a sense of trust. ¡°Where else would you find a better hiding ce than this?¡± Chapter 157 CHAPTER 157 The pentagonal stone altar located at the center of the underground chapel emitted a red glow, illuminating the darkness. Hugot and the eight necromancers were fully engrossed in their continued preparations for the ritual. They constantly infused necromantic power into the mysterious symbols inscribed at the altar¡¯s edges. Demphis watched the scene from his seat on the skull throne. ¡®Everything¡¯s going smoothly.¡¯ Everything was progressing as nned. The escaped King¡¯s Order of Yustil had shown no further signs of movement. The wraiths that had asionally appeared had vanished again. ¡®Did they give up after realizing their final move wouldn¡¯t work?¡¯ There was no guarantee that the King¡¯s Order, renowned though they were, would always act out of noble conviction and camaraderie. Judging from the situation, it was logical to assume they had given up. Especially since his subconscious strongly supported this conclusion. ¡®No way that guy is someone who would look out for hisrades. No doubt about it.¡¯ Letting go of any concerns about the King¡¯s Order, Demphis focused solely on the descent ritual. It was truly an immense andplicated ritual that even an Arch Lich like him could not afford to take lightly. At that moment, a middle-aged necromancer entered the chapel. ¡°What is it, Soress?¡± ¡°I¡¯vee to give a status report.¡± The report was nothing unusual. He just borated on the fact that nothing had happened. The only thing different from his usual demeanor was that, even during the report, Soress kept ncing at the altar in the center of the chapel. More precisely, he was watching Hugot and the eight necromancers, who were sweating profusely. It wasn¡¯t particrly awkward behavior. His superiors had been struggling with that task for hours, while Soress himself had been spared from the hardbor thanks to the intrusion of the enemies. All he had to do was handle some light tasks. Now that the ritual had already begun, it wasn¡¯t possible to swap out any of the necromancers. It was only natural that he felt a bit self-conscious. Suppressing an amused smile, Demphis waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Well done. Keep maintaining the perimeter.¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Demphis.¡± *** After delivering the report, Soress returned to his chamber. Deep inside his stone room, into what he called his ¡®private space,¡¯ Soress¡¯ eyes suddenly lost all light. Karnak muttered, looking at the middle-aged man with nk, unfocused eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s see how things are going.¡± When Karnak ced his fingers on Soress¡¯ forehead, a vision of light appeared in the air. It was the scene Soress had observed earlier in the underground chapel. The shape of the altar, the red markings etched all over the stone chamber, the sight of Hugot, the eight necromancers, and even the Arch Lich¡ªall were clearly disyed in the image. Seeing Demphis casually interacting with Soress, Baros breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Seems like he hasn¡¯t noticed anything.¡± ¡°Indeed. I was a bit nervous.¡± Karnak¡¯s mind control technique was so incredibly refined that most necromancers couldn¡¯t detect it. However, since his necromantic power wasn¡¯t what it used to be, a truly powerful necromancer might still be able to sense traces of his influence. Yet, even Demphis appeared to have noticed nothing amiss. Serati, surprised, remarked. ¡°Isn¡¯t an Arch Lich supposed to be one of the strongest undead?¡± Karnak shook his head. ¡°Being a powerful undead doesn¡¯t necessarily make you a powerful necromancer.¡± A lich, after all, is born when a dying mage extends their life in order to continue their magic pursuits. While the necromantic spells binding their bodies are powerful, their methods are more akin to dark magic. ¡°Though, to be fair, Demphis has let his guard down quite a bit.¡± Karnak continued, amused. ¡°For such a cautious fellow, it¡¯s surprising he¡¯s so careless this time. Maybe he¡¯s not the Demphis I once knew?¡± Regardless, they had gathered all the necessary information. The route to the underground chapel, the defenses at the altar, the positions of the hostages, and even Demphis¡¯ condition were all now clear. ¡°Time to make the next move.¡± Karnak raised his right hand but then hesitated momentarily, turning to Serati. ¡°Just to double-check¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine if I revert to my old ways for a bit, just to save ourrades, right?¡± Serati didn¡¯t answer immediately. She had learned from experience not to answer such questions lightly. ¡°¡­May I first ask what exactly you¡¯re nning?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to use more necromancy.¡± ¡°Uh? Well¡­ that shouldn¡¯t be a problem¡­¡± Though puzzled, she nodded. ¡®He¡¯s been using necromancy all along, so why ask now?¡¯ Karnak, relieved, raised his right hand higher. ¡°Good.¡± And without warning, he swung a de of darkness across Soress¡¯ neck. St! More than half of Soress¡¯ neck was severed, sending a fountain of blood spraying out. The cut was so deep that his head hung back, nearly severed. Serati screamed in shock. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± ¡°Hmm? I told you, didn¡¯t I?¡± Karnak replied calmly, without the slightest change in expression. ¡°I¡¯m going to use more necromancy.¡± ¡°But did you have to kill him out of nowhere?¡± ¡°Well, if he were still alive, he wouldn¡¯t be very useful. I had to kill him so I could make him useful with necromancy.¡± Soress¡¯ corpse slumped to the floor like a felled log. Thud! A pool of blood began to spread across the floor. ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong? Didn¡¯t you say it was okay for me to act like before?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ well, yes, but¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, this guy would¡¯ve been executed if captured by the King¡¯s Order, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± Someone like Soress would definitely face the death penalty. Being part of a heretical cult was already a grave crime, and on top of that, he was a necromancer. He was doomed either way. ¡°If it¡¯s a life doomed to end, isn¡¯t it better to use it to save others and atone for his sins?¡± Serati sighed inwardly at Karnak¡¯s shameless attitude. ¡®This guy has no concept of paying for his own sins, does he?¡¯ Still, she didn¡¯t press the issue further. After all, Soress was indeed guilty, and arguing about it wouldn¡¯t bring the dead back to life, right? Then, an ironic smile crept across Serati¡¯s face. ¡®Well, maybe he cane back to life?¡¯ Indeed, Soress¡¯ body began to twitch again. The blood pooling on the floor slowly dried, turning a dark red. Red mist drifted toward the severed neck and was absorbed. The neck reattached itself, and the corpse stood up once more. ¡°Urrrgh¡­¡± ¡°Good. He¡¯s turned into a decent-quality undead.¡± Karnak, satisfied with his work, gave his orders. ¡°Prepare yourselves. It¡¯s time to begin.¡± While Karnak couldn¡¯t detect everything with precision, he could roughly sense the flow of energy in the space around him. The surge of necromantic power in the underground chapel was nearing its peak. ¡°If we move now, we¡¯ll arrive at the right moment.¡± *** Dark energy swirled throughout the chapel. The dark symbols on the pentagonal altar also emitted a soft, blood-red light. The Arch Lich, who had been seated on the throne, stood up. ¡°Atst, it isplete.¡± With an ominous voice, hemanded. ¡°Children of Tesranak, prepare the vessels.¡± Four necromancers moved toward the chamber where the hostages were kept. Momentster, they dragged out Laven. ¡°Mmph! Mmpph!¡± He struggled, but it was futile. His limbs were tightly bound, and his mouth gagged, leaving him unable to move. The necromancersid Laven on the altar and secured him. Laven, terrified, nced around in fear. ¡®What the hell are these madmen nning?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t hard to guess. When necromancers tie someone down on an altar, what else could it be? He simply didn¡¯t want to acknowledge it. As Laven was ced on the altar, Demphis spoke again. ¡°Everyone, take your positions.¡± Hugot and the eight necromancers stood in a circle around the pentagonal altar. Demphis also slowly made his way forward. The skeletal figure in a ck robe stood tall before the altar, gazing down at the bound Laven. With flickering blue eyes, he reached into his robe with bony fingers and pulled something out. A pitch-ck cube. ¡°Now, the descent ritual shall begin.¡± The nine necromancers began to chant in unison. ¡°Karl Lapica Dratia¡­¡± ¡°Dephet Lastali Fahayu¡­¡± The eerie, unhuman voices echoed ominously within the chapel. Demphis, too, clutched the ck cube he had pulled from the illusory space and slowly began his incantation. ¡°The door of the void shall open, and the threads of forbidden fate shall intertwine¡­¡± The slow chanting continued. Dark currents swirled, forming a massive vortex at the ceiling of the chapel. The symbols on the altar began to glow with a brilliant, bloody radiance. An overwhelming surge of malevolent energy filled the chamber, threatening to burst at any moment. Rumble! The ground trembled subtly, as if an earthquake had struck. Seeing this, Demphis felt satisfied. The ritual was a sess. Every step of the process had flowed smoothly. Then, suddenly¡ª ng! The chapel door swung open with a loud crash. The necromancers, startled, turned their gazes toward the source of the noise. ¡®What is this?¡¯ They had strictly warned the followers to stay away from the chapel no matter what happened. There was no way that any of the cult members, in their right mind, would dare to enter at this point. Could it be an intruder? The escaped King¡¯s Order of Yustil? ¡®Impossible!¡¯ ¡®We secured the perimeter so thoroughly!¡¯ But entering the chapel were two barely clothed figures. More specifically, a pot-bellied middle-aged man wearing only underwear and a zombie girl with bluish skin dressed in nothing but undergarments. Hand in hand, the two skipped into the chapel with an unnervingly carefree energy, almost like rabbits hopping along. Admittedly, very odd and disheveled rabbits. Hugot muttered in a dazed voice. ¡°¡­Soress?¡± The other necromancers froze as well. If it had been a true attack, they would have reacted immediately. If it were an ally acting suspiciously, they would have responded just as quickly. But this¡­ what was this? ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°T-that¡­¡± It was unexpected, but not entirely out of ce. It was the kind of bizarre scene one could almost imagine Soress being part of, given his entricities. Even Demphis had a simr reaction. ¡®Ah, this guy finally went mad. Well, there were warning signs.¡¯ While everyone remained frozen in ce, Soress, still holding the zombie girl¡¯s hand, hopped all the way to the altar. Hugot clicked his tongue, stepping forward to stop him. ¡°Tsk tsk, Soress, my friend, what on earth¡ª¡± But then it happened. Hugot finally noticed Soress¡¯ true state. His lifeless white eyes, the cold, unmoving skin, thepleteck of breath. ¡®He¡­ he¡¯s dead?¡¯ Soress was no longer among the living. He was unmistakably undead. ¡®What is this?¡¯ Suddenly, Soress¡¯ entire body began to swell at an rming speed, and then¡ª An enormous explosion erupted. BOOOOOOOM! Chapter 158 Chapter 158 Karnak was peeking inside through the crack of the left door of the underground chapel. ¡°It exploded beautifully.¡± Serati asked in disbelief. ¡°Did you kill him on purpose for this?¡± ¡°Yeah, because to use Corpse Explosion, you need corpses.¡± Karnak wasn¡¯t someone who particrly took pleasure in killing. He didn¡¯t kill people unnecessarily. It¡¯s just that his sense of ¡°necessity¡± was broader than most. ¡°There are ways to make people self-destruct while they¡¯re alive, though¡­¡± But the power of that method was too weak and inefficient. ¡°And honestly, I try to live like a decent person. Isn¡¯t making someone explode while they¡¯re alive even more inhumane?¡± ¡°¡­Well, that¡¯s true.¡± The most inhumane part was that he didn¡¯t even consider any method other than self-destruction, but Serati decided to let it slide. Anyway, it seemed that Soress was quite a capable Necromancer, contrary to his appearance. The power of his Corpse Explosion was significant, throwing the area around the altar into chaos. ¡°Who did this?¡± ¡°Watch all sides!¡± The air was thick with the smell of smoke, flesh scattered everywhere, and filth covering the surroundings. Some Necromancers were even retching. ¡°Ugh!¡± Karnak and Baros clicked their tongues. ¡°What¡¯s with these guys? For Necromancers, they have pretty weak stomachs.¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s no rule saying Necromancers have to be used to corpses, right? Honestly, I don¡¯t want to step in there either.¡± ¡°Actually, neither do I.¡± Being used to filth doesn¡¯t mean one enjoys it. ¡°But what can you do? You can¡¯t always live life on your terms.¡± ¡°Not something the young master, who has lived more on his terms than anyone, should say.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, isn¡¯t it?¡± Karnak chuckled and began chanting a spell. ¡°O King of mes, I summon you by the contract! Descend upon this ce by my will!¡± mes surged and formed the shape of a giant. A massive fire spirit, d in ming armor and holding a zing sword, appeared in the underground space, illuminating the area. ¡°Go, El Ragnatia!¡± With a roar, the ming giant broke through the chapel door and charged inside. ¡°Graaaah!¡± *** The me-belching giant charged through the darkness. Its burning eyes scanned the surroundings, radiating killing intent. ¡°Graaaah!¡± It was unmistakably a fire spirit, and one of the highest-ranking ones at that. Only mages of the 7th circle or higher could summon such a powerful spirit. ¡°Spirit magic! It really is the King¡¯s Order!¡± At Hugot¡¯s cry, the other Necromancers wore shocked expressions. ¡°But wasn¡¯t that Corpse Explosion just now?¡± ¡°How can a mage use necromancy?¡± In this era, there was only one group capable of using both necromancy and magic simultaneously. The mages belonging to the cult of the Dark God. Only when a mage received the grace of Tesranak could they wield both necromancy and magic. One of the panicked Necromancers mumbled in a daze. ¡°This is impossible. How can a heretic use the miracle of the Dark God?¡± The ming giant swung its zing sword down in a long arc. With a thunderous explosion, a wave of scorching fire rushed along the ground, heading toward the altar. Boom, boom, boom, boom! ¡°Stop it!¡± They couldn¡¯t afford to lose the altar. In a frenzy, the Necromancers scrambled to respond. ¡°O dark veil, be the shield that protects your master!¡± Darkness gathered in the air, blocking the oing wave of fire. Soon, the darkness and mes collided. And then¡­ nothing happened. ¡®Huh?¡¯ ¡®What the¡­?¡¯ The massive me spirit disappeared as if it had been a lie. In the first ce, it was all just for show with no actual power. Hugot btedly realized his mistake. ¡°Damn!¡± Currently, Laven was bound to the altar. Why would those who came to rescue him attack the altar? Were they trying to burn him alive? ¡®The fact that they used this kind of trick means¡­¡¯ Hugot shouted and turned his gaze behind the altar. ¡°It¡¯s a distraction!¡± And at that moment, he froze. A man and woman, each wielding a battle aura-infused sword, were rushing toward the Necromancers. ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Baros muttered coldly as he spread his arms to the sides. ¡°You realized toote.¡± Clink! Two swords, linked by chains of aura, danced through the air like snakes. In an instant, two Necromancers were sliced into pieces, their dismembered bodies hanging in mid-air. ¡°Gah!¡± ¡°Argh!¡± On the opposite side, a red-haired woman unleashed a lightning-fast sh. ¡°Hyah!¡± Before the enemy could even react, her sharp strike cut across their chest and sliced through their neck. Blood gushed as another Necromancer died. But Serati didn¡¯t stop. ¡®Is this how you should deal with a necromancer?¡¯ With a grim expression, she severed the limbs of the corpse to ensure that even if they rose again as undead, they wouldn¡¯t retain theirbat abilities. After dealing with three Necromancers, Baros and Serati quickly withdrew behind the altar. It was a wise decision. Had they gone any deeper into enemy lines, they would have been surrounded. Momentster, ck beams of destruction struck where they had just been standing. Boom, boom, boom! Their attacks missed and merely shattered the chapel floor. The Necromancers ground their teeth. ¡°Damn it!¡± ¡°Those damned heretics!¡± They had lost threerades in an instant. The Necromancers, enraged, began to gather their power. ¡°Come forth, forsaken ones! Burn your souls and strike down your enemies!¡± ¡°Arise, creatures of the abyss!¡± Unlike magic, which often failed when emotions ran high, necromancy became more powerful when fueled by heightened emotions. Dozens of evil spirits rose and began to circle through the air, and the gates of hell opened, summoning demons. ¡°How dare you ruin this sacred ritual!¡± ¡°Face divine punishment, heretics!¡± ¡°I will avenge my death!¡± For the record, thest shout came from one of the Necromancers who had been killed when Karnak¡¯s group had escaped and resurrected as an undead. When necromancy was involved, even nonsensical statements like that could be reality. The Necromancers surrounded Baros and Serati with renewed confidence. Meanwhile, Hugot was calmly scanning the surroundings. ¡®Where is he? Where¡¯s that man?¡¯ This wasn¡¯t the time to focus on those two aura users. The real terrifying enemy was the ck-haired mage who hadpletely dominated their necromancy. If that man showed up, it would be a repeat of the nightmare. Which meant he needed to counter with a powerful spell before that happened. Hugot turned his head to look beyond the altar. ¡°Lord Demphis!¡± And then, he froze. The Arch Lich stood there,pletely immobilized, as if trapped. The curtain of darkness emanating from the altar had surrounded him like an imprable barrier. ¡®¡­Lord Demphis?¡¯ *** Demphis was in shock. ¡®How¡­ how did this happen?¡¯ The enemy¡¯s magic had targeted him at exactly the right moment. ¡®How did they know the precise moment I couldn¡¯t move?¡¯ Five minutes. It was only a matter of five minutes. If they had attacked five minutes earlier? He hadn¡¯t yet reached the peak of the ritual, so he could have paused and dealt with them. If they had attacked five minutester? He could have elerated the remaining ritual andpleted it quickly. This was a deliberate act, exploiting a vulnerability they knew about. Which baffled him even more. Why? Because even Demphis himself hadn¡¯t known this ritual had such a weakness. It was only after being trapped that he realized this was a weak point. ¡®How could they have exploited a weakness I didn¡¯t even know about?¡¯ As a result, he was now trapped by his own power, unable to move. It was a form of magic he had never seen before. The blue mes in Arch Lich¡¯s eyes flickered as he looked across the chapel. A ck-haired youth was flying toward the altar, gripping a wand. ¡®What the hell is that guy doing?¡¯ *** Cutting through the air with a wind spell, Karnak sighed in relief. ¡®That was close.¡¯ He had summoned El Ragnatia, but he couldn¡¯t maintain it for long. He had to quickly cast Elezar¡¯s spell on Demphis, but his current mana wasn¡¯t enough to handle both at the same time. In any case, the fire spirit had done its job by disrupting the ritual around the altar. With Demphis restrained, all that was left were the minions! ¡°Fierce mes!¡± Dozens of fireballs arced through the air, crashing around the Necromancers. Boom, boom, boom! After bombarding the surroundings with fireballs, Karnaknded on the altar. He then swung his wand wide. ¡°Break!¡± The chains that had bound Laven¡¯s limbs shattered all at once. After freeing him from the restraints, Karnak helped him up. ¡°Hurry, get up, Laven!¡± In the rush, Karnak ended up speaking informally. Usually, he would switch between formal and informal speech since Laven was technically his subordinate. Of course, in the situation of being rescued, Laven wasn¡¯t in any position toin about being spoken to casually. ¡°Th-thank you!¡± First, he had to rescue Laven. Then, he would go deeper into the stone chamber to save the others, and after that, make a swift escape. Afterward, they would sprint at full speed toward the non-residential area! That was Karnak¡¯s n. ¡®Right, that must be the stone chamber where the others are being held?¡¯ Just as he was about to move away from the altar and head toward the other captives¡ª Laven, who had been following Karnak, suddenly stopped. ¡°What?¡± Though Karnak had cut the chains, the dark aura was still gripping Laven¡¯s neck and limbs. ¡®What is this? Why is the ritual still ongoing even though we¡¯ve left the altar?¡¯ Karnak scanned the flow of necromantic power surrounding Laven with a bewildered look. He quickly realized the reason. ¡®Wait, this isn¡¯t a sacrifice; it¡¯s a vessel?¡¯ The type of ritual was different from what he expected. In necromancy, a sacrifice is an object that is offered. In contrast, a vessel is the subject that holds something. Because of this, the power that had trapped Demphis, who was conducting the ritual, had also ensnared Laven, who was part of the same ritual. ¡®Damn it, this is what happens when you try something you¡¯re not familiar with.¡¯ If it had been necromancy, Karnak wouldn¡¯t have made such a mistake. But since he was trying to imitate Elezar¡¯s magic, this kind of side effect urred. In any case, the situation was dire. To free Laven from his bindings, he would also have to free Demphis. But if he did that, the 9th circle master would be his enemy once again. ¡®What do I do?¡¯ Maintaining hisposure, Karnak quickly surveyed the chapel. He needed to find a way to resolve the situation¡ªand fast. Unfortunately, it seemed Demphis wasn¡¯t nning to give him much time. *** Demphis was calmly thinking. Currently, he was trapped by his own power. What kind of magic had been used to create this situation? ¡®I have no idea. I can¡¯t even guess.¡¯ However, one thing was certain. That man, Karnak, had made a mistake. ¡®I don¡¯t know what happened, but¡­¡¯ Demphis refocused his mind on the pitch-ck cube in his hand. ¡®I will continue the ritual!¡¯ The dark energy, which had been momentarily halted by El Ragnatia, began to flow again. The vast necromantic power surged through the void, causing the chapel to tremble. Rumble, rumble, rumble! In the midst of the sudden situation, Baros and Serati sent secret messages. [Young Master?] [What are you doing, Lord Karnak? Hurry and get Mr. Laven out of there!] [Wait a second! This is¡­] Karnak¡¯s response was cut off midway. The aura of death that had enveloped the surroundings suddenly changed. The darkness grew still. Like the eerie calm before a storm. ¡°I will anchor myself in the space-time continuum, bing the dark beacon that blocks the light¡­¡± An eerie voice pierced through the silence, echoing softly. ¡°Come forth, Martial God of Necropia, King of those who wield the sword!¡± The darkness split open, and the void gaped wide. At the same time, something unseen crashed down upon the altar. Thud! Laven dropped to his knees, clutching his head, and screamed in agony. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± Karnak¡¯s face went pale. He recognized the sight all too well. ¡®This¡­¡¯ It was the phenomenon where a soul takes possession of a body. The problem was, Karnak was all too familiar with the soul inhabiting Laven¡¯s body. ¡®¡­Laven?¡¯ The soul of Laven Strauss, the future Martial King, had crossed the boundaries of time and space to descend into this world. ¡°Ahhhhhhh!¡± The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 159 CHAPTER 159 ¡®Following the guidance of the great God of Death, Tesranak¡­¡¯ A gentle voice echoed in his mind. ¡®I, now answer the call¡­¡¯ ¡°Aaaaah!¡± Laven screamed continuously. The voice kept prating him. ¡®Let go, my past self. ept your true being.¡¯ Even in the midst of excruciating pain, Laven found it absurd. He thought it was quite amusing how someone could spout such nonsense in such a grandiose way. ¡®What kind of tone is that?¡¯ But then, he realized something familiar about it. It was exactly the tone he used when he was putting on airs in front of his father, Gard. ¡®Is that really me?¡¯ Clutching his head, Laven fell into confusion. ¡®How can this be happening?¡¯ Though he knew nothing about necromancy, there was something he instinctively understood. That soul was him. A contradiction was urring, where his own soul was trying to seize his own body. ¡®Don¡¯t be ridiculous!¡¯ Whether the opponent was him or someone else didn¡¯t matter at this point. What mattered was one simple truth: If he lost his body now, the self that Laven identified with would cease to exist! ¡®Do you think I¡¯d give my body to some wandering soul that I don¡¯t even know?¡¯ ¡®I am not a wandering soul. I am you.¡¯ ¡®Still, I don¡¯t know where you came from!¡¯ ¡®¡­Well, that¡¯s true.¡¯ The invasion weakened slightly. This surprised Laven even more. ¡®W-wait, is this really me?¡¯ The way the soul shrank back and hesitated after being talked to, it was just like Laven¡¯s own personality. At least thanks to this, he felt he could hold on a little longer. Laven gritted his teeth. ¡®Grrrgh!¡¯ *** The altar emitted fierce darkness, and the sigils glowed with a red light. Inside that, Laven kept screaming over and over. ¡°Aaaaah!¡± Anyone could tell this was no ordinary situation. Serati urgently asked through a message. [What is going on, Lord Karnak?] Karnak responded briefly. So briefly that it was problematic. [Laven¡¯s soul is trying to enter Laven¡¯s body!] Despite that, she understood. [Oh no!] She had already witnessed a precedent with Lafiselle. [Does this mean another future Martial King is going to appear?] [Uh, yeah?] [Stop it!] Of course, it had to be stopped. Karnak wanted to stop it too. [How?] [Aren¡¯t you supposed to be the Death King? Can¡¯t you handle even this?] Serati¡¯s frustrated outcry jolted Karnak back to his senses. Yes, he was the Death King. [Then I¡¯ll just have to kill Laven right now!] A truly ¡®Death King¡¯-like solution. Serati screamed in horror. [What nonsense are you saying? Why kill Mr. Laven?] [If his body is destroyed, his soul won¡¯t have anywhere to return to!] He said it with such conviction. Serati, utterly exasperated, cursed at him. [What an idiot! Is he insane?] Even amidst the urgency, Baros had a brief idle thought. ¡®Dame Serati no longer even bothers with euphemisms?¡¯ Regardless, her curse worked. She was so direct in her profanity that even Karnak was taken aback and hesitated. [Serati, how dare you¡­] [Is this the time to scold me? Do something! Anything but killing Mr. Laven!] Annoyingly, she was entirely right. Which only made him more annoyed. ¡®You¡¯ll pay for this, Serati¡­¡¯ Karnak forced himself to stay calm as he looked at Laven. ¡®Let me think. Has anything like this happened before?¡¯ Yes. It happened when Karnak and Baros returned to this era through space-time regression. When he remembered that, something strange came to mind. ¡®Wait a minute, was this supposed to be something we could endure?¡¯ When they had regressed through time, it had all happened in an instant. There hadn¡¯t been any pushing and pulling like this. Back then, they had just thought of it as natural. After all, it was their own souls inhabiting their own bodies. But now, Laven of this era was resisting the soul of Laven from the future. Though clutching his head in pain, he was still the Laven of this era. He hadn¡¯t yet transformed into the future Martial King. How was this even possible? ¡®It must be because this era¡¯s Laven has a stronger soul.¡¯ Then why had they so easily given up their bodies back then? ¡®Well, we were pretty useless during that time, weren¡¯t we?¡¯ This meant that the souls of this era and the future were separate entities. That¡¯s why rejection, not fusion, was happening. ¡®So, did we basically kill our past selves to take over these bodies? Is this murder or suicide?¡¯ In any case, the conclusion from this assumption was clear. ¡®This is no different from possession. It¡¯s just a particrly strong form of possession where the soul and body are 100%patible.¡¯ Though Karnak¡¯s thoughts were long, only a moment had passed in real time. A smile of realization crept across his face. ¡®If it¡¯s a possession ritual, it can be stopped!¡¯ Karnak reached out his hand to Laven. ¡°Laven! Grab my hand!¡± *** Even with a normal evil spirit possession, immense mental strength was required to resist. Let alone the fact that it was Laven¡¯s own soul trying to inhabit his body. How much mental strength would it take to stop that? It was like being a man who hadn¡¯t had a sip of water while wandering in the desert for a week, suddenly taking a refreshing drink and then spitting it out. In other words, it was impossible for a human¡¯s mental strength to withstand it. Even Laven was nearing his breaking point. ¡°Ugh, ugh¡­¡± Just as he was about to lose consciousness, a voice shouted at him. ¡°Laven! Grab my hand!¡± He didn¡¯t know why, but he reached out his hand. A dark energy flowed up his wrist, wrapping around his entire body. ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ He felt a bit morefortable. But at the same time, fear crept in. ¡®T-this energy!¡¯ It was the power of darkness, the necromantic power. The sinister aura from Karnak was protecting Laven¡¯s spiritual body. ¡°Lord Karnak, you¡­¡± Laven opened his eyes wide in shock. ¡°You¡¯re a necromancer?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a necromancer! I¡¯ll exinter, but right now we need to save your life!¡± Karnak replied hastily, manipting the malevolent energy to fend off the future Laven¡¯s intrusion. But this was only a temporary solution. He couldn¡¯t hold out for long. ¡°Laven, there¡¯s only one way to save you right now.¡± In the brief moment they had, Karnak quickly continued. ¡°Be my servant!¡± ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°If you do, I can adjust your soul! I can protect you from that evil spirit!¡± There was no time to debate the nature of the future Martial King. So Karnak just referred to him as an evil spirit for simplicity¡¯s sake. It didn¡¯t make much difference to Laven anyway. Still, Laven was utterly horrified by the proposal. ¡°W-what nonsense is this? You want a King¡¯s Order knight to make a pact with a necromancer?¡± ¡°I¡¯m also a member of the King¡¯s Order! You think I¡¯m enjoying this? I¡¯m only offering because this is the only way to save you!¡± This was the truth. Karnak had no desire to make Laven his servant. ¡®I went through all that trouble to prepare a spot for Baros, and now this is happening, damn it!¡¯ Laven realized that Karnak wasn¡¯t exactly thrilled about the idea either. Yet, he was insisting out of necessity. ¡°B-but still¡­¡± Karnak¡¯s expression grew more twisted by the moment. ¡°Decide quickly! I can¡¯t hold on much longer!¡± His urgent voice pushed Laven to make a decision. ¡°If you don¡¯t, your soul will be destroyed! That body will be taken by that evil spirit! Then you¡¯ll be our enemy!¡± Laven gritted his teeth. Indeed, he had no choice. ¡°Damn it!¡± After cursing, he closed his eyes. ¡°I will be your servant!¡± ¡°Then open your mind and ept the contract!¡± Suddenly, a vast darkness erupted around the two of them. Laven wore a bewildered expression. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Unlike with Serati, there were no signs of pain. Her suffering had been due to the side effects of regenerating her arm, not the result of the servant ritual itself. ¡°What is this¡­?¡± Two invisible presences were fighting inside his mind. It was a battle between the future Laven and Karnak, who now controlled Laven¡¯s servant soul. ¡®You scoundrel! Do you think this meager spell will stop my descent?¡¯ ¡®If this seems like a meager spell to you, it means you¡¯re just as meager.¡¯ ¡®Are you mocking me?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m d to hear that tone, but we¡¯re not exactly in a friendly situation right now, are we?¡¯ The influence of the future Laven gradually weakened. Karnak, having already gained the upper hand, was rxed. The future Martial King let out a furious roar. ¡®Who are you? Who the hell are you?!¡¯ Karnak shook his head. ¡®So, you don¡¯t know me either, huh?¡¯ He wished he could capture the soul and interrogate it, but hecked the means to do so at the moment. ¡®I¡¯ll have to be satisfied with simply driving it out of Laven¡¯s body.¡¯ Adjusting Laven¡¯s soul as his servant, Karnak uttered the final incantation. ¡°Depart, soul who does not belong to this time.¡± Aaaah¡­ With a gloomy wail, the Martial King¡¯s soul vanished into the void once more. *** Demphis and the other necromancers had been silently observing the entire situation. They had no choice. The vast power of darkness used in the descent ritual had turned into chains, binding Demphis to the altar. Hugot and the other necromancers were facing off against Baros and Serati, and the moment they turned their backs, they risked being attacked. So both sides could do nothing but watch as the Martial King¡¯s soul retreated. Demphis inwardly grumbled. ¡®Things really do fall apart sometimes, don¡¯t they?¡¯ When Karnak performed the servant ritual, Demphis hadn¡¯t been too concerned. To think he could manipte another person¡¯s soul to stop the future Martial King? It seemed impossible. To do that, one would need incredibly precise necromantic adjustments. It would be like throwing darts a hundred times and never missing the bullseye. The amount of necromantic power required wasn¡¯t much, but the difficulty of its execution was extreme. There was only one being Demphis knew of capable of such precision. The great God of Death, the Death King Tesranak. And yet, this ck-haired young man had done it. Without much difficulty. ¡®Where in the world did such a monstere from?¡¯ As a result, the ritual ended in failure. All the effort they had put in had been for nothing. Sighing, the Arch Lich flicked his bony fingers. The dark currents that had bound him began to dissolve into dust and scattered in all directions. The failure of the ritual meant the ritual was over. And that meant Demphis was now free. ¡°No choice, then.¡± Demphis red at Laven and began to walk slowly toward him. Today¡¯s n had failed. But that didn¡¯t mean the descent ritual itself had failed. All he had to do was kill Karnak here, free Laven from the servant contract, and summon the future soul again. ¡°I¡¯ll have no choice but to arrange another day.¡± Evil energy flowed from the Arch Lich¡¯s entire body, filling the chapel with a malevolent aura. Karnak¡¯s group¡¯s faces hardened. ¡°Damn¡­¡± Cursing, Baros gripped his sword tighter. ¡°Out of the frying pan, into the fire¡­ Damn it¡­¡± They had saved Laven, but now a 9th-circle master was free from his constraints! Chapter 160 CHAPTER 160 They managed to stop the ritual for now, and even protected Laven¡¯s soul. There might be some debate as to whether saving his soul, only for him to be the servant of a vile necromancer, could truly be called saving, but at least Laven¡¯s own consciousness remained intact. The problem was that, in exchange, they had freed Demphis, that monster. ncing toward the other side of the stone chamber, Serati sent a message. [What do we do? We still haven¡¯t rescued the others yet¡­] Baros, sweating, responded. [This isn¡¯t the time to worry about that. We¡¯re about to die here!] The Arch Lich moved, its steps causing waves of evil energy and an aura of malice to flow across the floor of the chapel. Despite the interference with the ritual, its expression didn¡¯t show any intense anger. While it was true that Karnak had disrupted the ritual, it was only a temporary setback. As long as Laven¡¯s body was secured, it would only take a few days to prepare for the descent ritual again. For now, it was more important topletely subdue them. Demphis coldly muttered as he stared at Karnak. ¡°I won¡¯t make the same mistake twice.¡± His opponent¡¯s skill was far from ordinary. He possessed strange techniques that Demphis, a 9th-circle master, didn¡¯t recognize. He was not someone to be underestimated. But once that fact was acknowledged, the solution wasn¡¯t difficult. A weakling with just exceptional technique? Then he simply needed to crush him with pure strength. After all, Karnak¡¯s mana was undeniablycking. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to block your escape.¡± Demphis raised his golden staff and struck the ground. ¡°Let the earth rise and be the barrier. Stone Wall.¡± Rumble! With a thunderous noise, rocks shot up, sealing all the passageways of the chapel. Of course, a strong mage or aura user could destroy the rocks, so this alone wouldn¡¯tpletely block their escape. That¡¯s why he added anotheryer. ¡°Flow, darkness of the abyss.¡± From the Arch Lich¡¯s feet, darkness flowed, spreading across the stone walls and covering the entire chapel. The massive power of darkness coated everything as if ted in shadow. ¡°This should leave you without options.¡± Karnak let out a mockingugh. ¡°That¡¯s an incredibly inefficient and wasteful method. Are you proud of being so simple-minded?¡± Demphis remained calm. ¡°A beggar would fret over a single coin. But for the wealthy, wasting a handful of gold is nothing.¡± He wasn¡¯t wrong. Though Karnak mocked outwardly, he inwardly marveled. ¡®Well done.¡¯ The power of darkness had beenyered so thickly that the entire stone wall of the chapel was smooth like obsidian. This wasn¡¯t even an example ofpressing evil energy. Necromancy, unlike mana, loses power whenpressed. So instead, Demphis had spread the darkness thin like a cloth,yering it dozens of times to coat the entire area. It was a perfectly sound method in the principles of necromancy. ¡®As expected of Demphis. He¡¯s talented!¡¯ It was precisely because of that talent that Karnak had made him one of the four governors of Necropia in a previous life. The Empire of the Dead was centered around the absolute authority of the Death King Karnak, and supported by the second-inmand, the Death Knight Lord Baros, three Archmages, and three Martial Kings. Below them were the four governors of Necropia, followed by 13manders and 72 generals in each region. In this hierarchy, Demphis was positioned right beneath the Archmages and Martial Kings. ¡®The problem is that his talent is now aimed at tightening a noose around my neck¡­¡¯ After trapping Karnak and hispanions, Demphis raised his golden wand once more. ¡°I could finish you all off right now.¡± From his wand, a pitch-ck current flowed into Hugot and the other necromancers. ¡°I hear you use some peculiar magic?¡± Karnak¡¯s ability to turn necromancy against its user had already been reported by his subordinates. At first nce, it seemed like Elezar¡¯s magic, but it was different. Elezar¡¯s method allowed for the simultaneous use of both magic and necromancy, but it did not let one take control of the enemy¡¯s necromancy as Karnak could. In other words, Demphis still didn¡¯t know how Karnak did it. But he had understood the effects. ¡°Once the nature of it is revealed, countermeasures can be taken.¡± As he adjusted the darkness, Demphis uttered an incantation. ¡°Arise, children of Tesranak¡­¡± Just like in the previous battle, Hugot¡¯s entire body began to transform into a monster. His body grewrger, muscles bulged, and tendrils and spikes emerged from his back and forearms. ¡°Grrraaaah!¡± The other necromancers followed suit. Though half of them had already been smashed to pieces, the remaining ones were reborn as monsters. ¡°Kraaaagh!¡± Leading the five monsters, Demphis taunted. ¡°Think you can take control of them too?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Karnak didn¡¯t respond. But his hardened expression was answer enough. ¡°I thought not.¡± Demphis issued hismand. ¡°Capture them.¡± Hugot confirmed the order. ¡°You want them alive, sir?¡± In the past, Demphis had shown little interest in anyone other than Laven. But now, things are different. ¡°He¡¯s someone with a strange ability.¡± Demphis¡¯s eyes, zing with blue fire, focused on Karnak. ¡°We need to find out why.¡± *** The necromancers-turned-monsters began to encircle the group from both sides. Baros sent a message while ring at the approaching enemies. [What¡¯s the n, young master?] Karnak replied with a grave expression. [It¡¯s a failure.] While Demphis had been blocking their escape and transforming his subordinates into monsters, Karnak hadn¡¯t just been standing idly by. Though it seemed as though he had only been observing, he had actually been locked in a fierce battle of spells beneath the surface. [I kept trying to interfere, but there wasn¡¯t an opening. Though, the situation seems better than it was yesterday.] Serati muttered while raising her sword. [True. At least they¡¯re not trying to kill us outright¡­] Baros shook his head. [That¡¯s not quite right.] At that moment, massive spikes sprouted from the backs of the necromancers. Dozens of spikes simultaneously shot toward the two of them! Pababababam! ¡°Whoa!¡± Serati barely dodged in time. The spikes embedded themselves into the spot where she had been standing, causing a deafening crash. Kwak! Kwakwakwak! ¡°What¡¯s with this? I thought they wanted us alive?¡± Each spike was as thick as an iron stake. Even one would cause a fatal wound if it pierced you. Baros deflected the iing spikes with his aura de, wearing a bitter smile. ¡°In this line of work, the term ¡®alive¡¯ is open to some unique interpretations.¡± To a necromancer, capturing someone alive simply meant ¡®capturing them while their soul is still inside their body.¡¯ In other words, even if their heart stopped beating and their body was broken, as long as the corpse was still warm, it was considered a capture. Serati gritted her teeth. ¡°Ugh, I really hate necromancy.¡± On the other side, Karnak was casting a spell. ¡°Be a shield to protect your master, Mana Shield!¡± A red shield enveloped both him and Laven. The spikes flying toward them all bounced off the mana shield. Lowering the shield, Karnak let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Phew, that was close.¡± He had managed to protect Laven this time. But there was no time to rx in front of their enemies. ¡°Laven! Survive however you can!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to say something like that, at least give me a sword!¡± Laven had been looking for a weapon for a while now. But since all their enemies were necromancers, there wasn¡¯t a single one carrying a sword. The best he could find was a broken wand. Karnak took something out of his cloak and tossed it to him. ¡°Here!¡± Laven frowned as he caught it. ¡°It¡¯s a dagger?¡± Was he seriously supposed to face those massive monsters with such a short weapon? ¡°You think a mage like me would carry around a longsword?¡± While it was true that adventurers of any profession carried daggers, it was another matter entirely to have a proper sword. ¡°Then at least give me another dagger!¡± ¡°Here, use mine!¡± Serati tossed him a secondary dagger. Holding a dagger in each hand, Laven was at least somewhat prepared forbat. ¡®Ugh, well, I guess this is better than nothing.¡¯ After tossing the dagger, Serati leapt forward once again. ¡°Hah!¡± With a shout, her red aura de shed downward. The brilliant red aura cleaved through the monster. But the monster wasn¡¯t just going to take it. It immediately pulled out bone des and swung both arms at her. A fierce exchange of blows ensued as the aura de shed with the bone des. Bang! Bang! Bang! At the same time, Baros was dominating the battlefield, taking on three monsters at once. With his aura chainsshing out in all directions, he moved swiftly through the chapel, disorienting his opponents and creating openings. And once those openings appeared, he never missed them. ¡°Hup!¡± With a short grunt, Baros¡¯s aura de sliced deep into the monster¡¯s shoulder. Blood sprayed as the monster retreated, clutching its wound. ¡°Hmph! This is nothing. I¡¯ll just regenerate¡­¡± ¡°You won¡¯t.¡± The monster¡¯s wound began to regenerate but then stopped. ¡°Knowing how to counter regeneration ismon knowledge, isn¡¯t it?¡± Even outside of necromancy, monsters with regeneration weremon. So any first-ss warrior would know how to handle them. The easiest methods were to burn them with fire or freeze them. Leaving traces of aura or divine power in the wound also worked. The monster¡¯s regenerating wound was halted by Baros¡¯s aura and split open again. As a rule, wounds that reopen during healing are the most painful. ¡°Graaah!¡± The monster howled in agony. Seizing the opportunity, Baros drove his aura de down into the monster. Just as the red aura was about to strike the monster¡¯s head¡ª ¡°Lightning Spear.¡± With a grim voice, a spear of lightning shot toward Baros. Demphis, seeing his subordinate in danger, acted immediately. ¡®Damn!¡¯ If it struck him, he¡¯d be nothing more than a well-cooked corpse. Baros quickly twisted in midair and redirected his sword. ¡®Please block it!¡¯ The red sword light shattered the lightning spear, scattering sparks in all directions. With a deafening boom¡ª Kwaaang! Barosnded, shaking his head with a puzzled look. ¡®Huh, this time I¡¯m doing better?¡¯ The spell was weaker than he expected. Compared to yesterday, Demphis had definitely weakened. [I told you, didn¡¯t I? Things are better today.] Karnak¡¯s voice followed up, confirming his suspicions. [That guy¡¯s used up a lot of power too.] Between conducting the descent ritual, being bound by his own magic, and struggling to break free, Demphis had expended a huge amount of energy. He was fighting against himself and had tired himself out in the process. ¡°I see! In that case¡­¡± Baros, excited, charged at Demphis. With a rattling sound, his aura chains unfurled, sending two chain des flying at Demphis like snakes. ¡°Hmph.¡± Despite having no nose, Demphis snorted in disdain as he struck the ground with his wand. Woooom! Darkness surged and transformed into a massive vortex. The ck whirlwind deflected the chain swords and surged toward Baros. ¡°Urgh!¡± Baros was caught and hurled into the air. The vortex¡¯s force was so strong that Baros bounced off the ceiling, walls, pirs, and floor of the chapel. Finally, he regained his bnce andnded, grumbling in frustration. [He¡¯s still strong, huh?] [I said things were better, not that we had the upper hand¡­] [You should¡¯ve told me that earlier!] [Maybe you should¡¯ve listened until I finished speaking?] As the two bickered, the Arch Lich aimed his golden wand at them. ¡°Blow, death of the snowfield. Blizzard Storm.¡± A pure white world unfolded across the chapel. This wasn¡¯t just a simple snowstorm. It was a magic tempest that froze everything within its range. At this rate, not only their bodies but even intangible things like mana and aura would gradually freeze over! ¡®Damn, even weakened, a monster is still a monster.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that they had found a way to win; they had simply reached a point where they could at least struggle. ¡°And struggle we shall!¡± Karnak gripped his wand. ¡°Not me, but this guy!¡± Then, he stepped forward, casting a series of spells. ¡°O King of mes, I call you ording to the contract¡­¡± Fire surged forth, pushing back the snowstorm and forming the shape of a giant. ¡°Go, El Ragnatia!¡± Chapter 161 Chapter 161 A me giant d inva armor stood tall, holding a sword of fire. Intense heat radiated from the giant, dispelling the blizzard entirely. Watching his Blizzard Storm nullified, Demphis was inwardly impressed. ¡®Can that really be summoned?¡¯ This wasn¡¯t the first time Karnak had used El Ragnatia. He had summoned it once before during a surprise attack to disrupt the descent ritual. However, he had immediately recalled it back then, so its true power hadn¡¯t been disyed. That¡¯s why Demphis had assumed it was just an illusion. He never thought Karnak had actually summoned a me spirit. ¡®That man? Using spirit summoning? There¡¯s no way!¡¯ Only the purest of souls could possess an affinity for spirits. And Karnak was definitely not that kind of person. ¡®¡­The real question is, why am I even getting this feeling?¡¯ But Demphis quickly dismissed the thought as a mere illusion. After all, it didn¡¯t make sense in the first ce. If he went with his gut feeling, that ck-haired youth would never risk his life to save hisrades. Yet, here he was. Could it be that Karnak was, in fact, a pure and kind-hearted person? And that¡¯s why he could so powerfullymand spirit magic? ¡®Impossible, but there¡¯s no real evidence to dismiss it, either.¡¯ His instincts kept triggering inconsistencies. It felt like trying to perceive a bearded man in front of him as a woman. ¡®No, right now, capturing him is the priority.¡¯ Forcing himself to clear his mind, Demphis erased his wandering thoughts. Losing focus in the middle of a battle was never a good habit. He struck his golden wand into the ground and began chanting a spell. ¡°Rise, wall of ice. Ice Wall.¡± As the spell dictated, a wall of ice rose up. It was a very straightforward spell, and in the current situation, a somewhat random one. But Karnak quickly understood. ¡®Is that it?¡¯ Sure enough, Demphis immediately followed with another spell. ¡°Arise, my guardian.¡± As the ice wall crumbled, its shards gathered in the air, forming into a massive giant made of snow. It was an Ice Golem. The ice wall had been created solely to gather the material needed for summoning the golem. The me giant and the ice giant shed violently in the center of the chapel. Boom! Steam exploded into the air, unleashing a storm in all directions. ¡°Uwooooo!¡± El Ragnatia unleashed continuous fiery shes, roaring fiercely. ¡°Kraaaa!¡± The Ice Golem retaliated with its massive ice club, countering each strike. A brutal back-and-forth battle ensued. mes and steam erupted in rapid session. Boom! Boom! Boom! The power of the two summoned beings was evenly matched. It might seem a bit unfair, considering Karnak and Demphis¡¯s abilities, but that couldn¡¯t be helped. There was an inherent disparity between the power of spirits and golems. Nevertheless, Demphis had a specific reason for summoning the golem. For one, he couldn¡¯t use necromancy to summon wraiths or demons from the abyss. The risk of losing control over them was too high. Karnak¡¯s magic, the Redeemer of Necromancy, was so powerful that even Demphis didn¡¯t dare to take reckless actions. He also couldn¡¯t summon spirits or magical beasts through magic. Not because he didn¡¯t know how¡ªhe was a master of the 9th Circle, after all. If he wanted, he could summon a horde of powerful spirits and magical beasts. The problem was that the summoned creatures wouldn¡¯t listen to him. Though strong, spirits and magical beasts often turned on their summoner if the summoner was evil. It was amon urrence. That¡¯s why most mages preferred using golems or puppets when they needed a summoned entity. They avoided spirits and magical beasts summoning magic. And if the summoned creature was a skeleton? It would immediately turn on Demphis and try to kill him. ¡®But how is he controlling a spirit so well?¡¯ Demphis marveled once more as he looked at El Ragnatia. The me giant obediently followed Karnak¡¯smands, fighting in sync with him. It was clear to Demphis that Karnak wasn¡¯t pure of heart. How could he be, using such a thing? ¡°Restless wraiths, be arrows and strike down my enemy!¡± Behind the me giant, Karnak unleashed necromancy. ck wraiths rose from the ground, transforming into arrows that shot toward Demphis. ¡°Oh, for heaven¡¯s sake.¡± Annoyed, Demphis cast a Curtain of Darkness to block the arrows. He then alternated his gaze between Karnak and the me spirit. ¡®He¡¯s using necromancy right in front of the spirit, yet the spirit is acting like it doesn¡¯t notice? What kind of trick is this?¡¯ This wasn¡¯t just unusual in terms of spirit summoning. Behind the battle between fire and ice, Karnak and Demphis were also exchanging magic. ¡°Hellfire, descend upon thisnd!¡± ¡°Light, be a spear that pierces through all things!¡± The former was Karnak¡¯s magic, and thetter was Demphis¡¯s. It was an absurd scene: a mage of the King¡¯s Order, who should be hunting cultists, was freely using necromancy, while an Arch Lich wielded pure magic in response. Something was deeply wrong. As the battle dragged on, Demphis began to ponder. ¡®This is more troublesome than I thought.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t use more powerful magic, but the destruction would be too great. If the chapel copsed as a result, it would be his own foolishness for breaking through the barriers he had set up to prevent an escape. So, he was continuing to use a method that simply suppressed Karnak with raw mana¡­ ¡°I can block that, you know?¡± Karnak crossed his hands, staring at the encroaching mana. Necromantic power and mana intertwined, weaving together like fabric, forming a smooth barrier. Demphis¡¯s overpowering mana slid off, scattering and exploding in all directions. Boom! Boom! Boom! At that point, all Demphis could do was marvel. ¡®The way he handles mana is beyond me.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that Karnak was particrly skilled at handling magic. He manipted magic as if it were necromancy, and his mastery of necromancy was so divine that his control over magic exceeded that of a 9th Circle Master. ¡®Truly, this is one twisted man.¡¯ Demphis suddenly thought. Why should he bother dealing with such aplicated individual head-on? ¡®Let me show you that underhanded tricks aren¡¯t yours alone, human!¡¯ While continuously pouring out mana, Demphis discreetly selected one of his necromancers and gave him an order. ¡ªYour sacrifice is necessary. The necromancer¡¯s eyes wavered. ¡®No, no!¡¯ It was useless. Under control, his body faithfully carried out themand. Boom! The necromancer exploded, spraying poisonous liquid in all directions. Just like Karnak, Demphis had cast Corpse Explosion on his subordinate. However, this was an even more devastating version¡ªpoisonous liquid that could melt flesh on contact filled the air. Baros staggered back in shock. ¡°Ugh!¡± Serati also recoiled in horror, rolling to the ground. ¡°What the hell is this?!¡± The two barely managed to escape the area of effect. Thanks to their superhuman speed and reflexes as aura users, they barely made it out in time. But Karnak? Poison was difficult to block with magic. A Mana Shield would only deflect it partially; some would still inevitably ssh onto him. ¡®There¡¯s no way he can avoid this.¡¯ Once again, Demphis was wrong. As soon as the poison exploded, Karnak reacted immediately. ¡°Come forth! Delpaz!¡± In front of him, several small, blood-red demons appeared, each slightly smaller than a full-grown man. They were Delpaz, lower demons from hell. Karnak had instantly summoned them. His summoning skills were indeed impressive. But there was something even more remarkable. The Delpaz appeared precisely between Karnak and the exploding necromancer. The demons took the full brunt of the poisonous liquid as soon as they appeared! ¡°Kraaa!¡± ¡°It burns! It burns!¡± More than half of the summoned demons melted away in agony. But in the process, the poison¡¯s effect was entirely nullified. The remaining demons, who had been less affected, let out furious roars. ¡°Kraaaa!¡± At that moment, Karnak shouted. ¡°It¡¯s them!¡± He pointed at Demphis and his necromancer monsters, his eyes glowing red. ¡°They¡¯re the ones who doused you in poison!¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie. And because it wasn¡¯t a lie, the demons werepletely deceived. ¡°Kraaa!¡± The Delpaz rushed at the necromancers. ¡®¡­Wow.¡¯ Demphis was genuinely impressed. ¡®He is worse than me.¡¯ Necromancy worked by controlling summoned creatures, and the less control required, the more efficient the necromancer¡¯s power consumption. Because the demons had developed their own hatred and were attacking autonomously, Karnak¡¯s necromantic power expenditure was almost negligible. Moreover, his response in the critical moment was remarkably necromancer-like. When faced with an explosion, rather than casting a shield, Karnak had immediately summoned a flesh shield. Almost reflexively. It was proof that he always used such tactics to protect himself. Only someone who sacrificed others as naturally as breathing could react like that. ¡®What about others?¡¯ Deeply intrigued, Demphis calmly observed Karnak¡¯s party. Serati was ordinary. She had the soul of a typical person: somewhat righteous, somewhatpromising, someone who tried to pursue what was right. ¡®A perfect candidate for a sacrificial offering.¡¯ Baros, on the other hand, was different. His soul was deeply murky. Not quite the ck of an evil man, but something worse. Tomit evil deeds and yet have no shame while looking up at the heavens¡ªsuch a soul could only emanate such a color. Even demons might hesitate to ept him. Clearly, Baros held little value as a sacrificial offering. And Karnak¡­ ¡®My god!¡¯ Demphis recoiled. Karnak¡¯s soul was that shocking. It shone with a wondrously beautiful dark hue. It was a pitch-ck, polished sheen that reflected light, like a deep, endless void. So ck, so filthy, that it appeared almost clean. That wasn¡¯t the soul of someone to be sacrificed¡ªit was the soul of someone meant to receive the sacrifice! ¡®How can a mere human possess such a soul¡­?¡¯ Finally, Demphis understood. Why this battle was dragging on for so long? Why he had been so passive, unable to decisively deal with Karnak and his group. Even why he had been unable to focus, his thoughts constantly drifting. That soul¡¯s color had unsettled him. ¡®Why? Why do I feel this way?¡¯ He ced his hand on his ribcage, where his human heart had once been, reced by a heart of blue spiritual energy. He let out a low groan. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The great god of death, the Death King Tesranak. The branding of their contract trembled faintly. Chapter 162 Chapter 162 While Karnak was engaged in a magic duel with Demphis, Baros and Serati were facing off against the necromancers who had turned into monsters. There had been five necromancer monsters, including Hugot. One of them had fallen to the explosion of venom, leaving four. Baros was handling two of them at the same time, while Serati was locked in a one-on-one battle with Hugot. And thest one? Laven was handling it with all his might. ¡°Hup!¡± With a sharp battle cry, Laven crossed his twin daggers and shed at the enemy. The necromancer monster used the tentacles on its back to parry the attack. ng! ng, ng! Despite using mere daggers, Laven¡¯s swordsmanship was far fromcking. He managed to break through the enemy¡¯s defense several times, leaving wounds on the necromancer¡¯s torso. Meanwhile, Laven remained unharmed. Not even a single hair was out of ce. It wasn¡¯t because his skills were superior to his opponent¡¯s. ¡®This is¡­ frustrating.¡¯ As the exchange of blows continued, Laven clicked his tongue internally. ¡®They¡¯re going easy on me.¡¯ It had been like this from the start. During the venom explosion, Laven hade out unscathed¡ªnot because he had miraculously dodged it, but because the venom hadn¡¯t even been aimed at him. From the beginning, the range had been precisely adjusted so that Laven wouldn¡¯t be harmed. And it is the same now. Just like an adult fighting a child, the necromancer monster was only keeping Laven tied up, ensuring his safety. Even though Laven was trying to kill his opponent, they were holding back. From Demphis¡¯s perspective, Laven was a precious vessel that must never be broken. If Laven were to get caught in the chaos of battle and be harmed, it would be disastrous. Thus, Demphis had assigned one subordinate solely to deal with Laven. ¨CEven if you die, you must never let harme to the vessel! The necromancer monster was following Demphis¡¯s orders to the letter. And it wasn¡¯t a difficult task. He had already died and been resurrected twice. His life was cheap, so he could throw his body into battle without hesitation. ¡°Graaaah!¡± It might have been a cause for self-loathing, but Lavenughed instead. ¡®Not bad at all.¡¯ Self-loathing had been an oldpanion of his. After all, he had grown up with a brilliant father and older brother. ¡®At least I¡¯m pulling my weight.¡¯ Even though he wasn¡¯t an aura user, he was managing to hold back a powerful monster. That was enough to call it a contribution. In fact, he was handling it with rtive ease. His opponent couldn¡¯t harm him. Their objective was only to subdue him, not to kill. The necromancer¡¯s best oue was to tie him up without inflicting any wounds. Of course, Laven wasn¡¯t just going to stand there and get caught, but at least it wasn¡¯t a life-or-death situation. So he took this opportunity to assess the situation. ¡®Let¡¯s think.¡¯ First, he calmly sorted through the immediate issues. How could Karnak, a mage of the King¡¯s Order, use necromancy? Why had the cultists chosen him, a no-name soldier, instead of skilled aura users like Baros or Serati? These were questions forter. Right now, they had no answers and pondering them was pointless. The real issue was figuring out what he could do now. ¡®Can I save my otherpanions during this?¡¯ Impossible. Demphis had blocked all the exits of the chapel to trap Karnak¡¯s group. Among those blocked passages was the entrance to the stone chamber where hispanions were imprisoned. It would take significant physical power to break through those blocked passages, something Lavencked. However, it might be possible for aura users like Baros or Serati. ¡®In that case!¡¯ Laven nced at Serati and a small smile crept onto his lips. *** Baros and Serati continued to fight the necromancer monsters. In terms of raw skill, the two of them were superior. In fact, both of them remainedrgely unscathed, while Hugot and the other necromancer monsters were bleeding profusely. But they wouldn¡¯t fall. Even in their battered states, they relentlessly pressed the two warriors. Swinging his chain sword, Baros clicked his tongue. ¡°Ah, undead are such a pain.¡± Being already dead, they didn¡¯t fear death, and their corpses felt no pain from injury. Thanks to Baros¡¯s aura infiltration, their regeneration had slowed, but their bodies, overflowing with necromantic power, still moved freely despite being damaged. Serati, battling Hugot, was also growing frustrated. ¡°Damn it, this guy just won¡¯t go down!¡± ¡°You think a heretic¡¯s de could stop me? Lord Tesranak has blessed me!¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely doing the job, look at you¡ªyou¡¯re in tatters!¡± ¡°And yet, even this tattered body moves! This is Lord Tesranak¡¯s grace! What else could it be?¡± ¡°Is that something to brag about? What are you, a follower of some god of rags?¡± Though she mocked him, Hugot was indeed difficult to deal with. To take him down for good, she would have to inflict a severe blow, like severing his headpletely or splitting his body in half. Simply cutting off limbs was insufficient as they regenerated quickly. And the problem was that Hugot knew this, so he fiercely protected his head and torso. It was always difficult to deal with an enemy who guarded their weak points so carefully. ¡®This isn¡¯t going to work.¡¯ Their original n had already copsed. They were supposed to tie up Demphis and escape with Laven and theirpanions. But now that they were locked in directbat, the n was halfway to failure. The only silver lining was that Karnak was holding out longer than expected. Serati nced toward the far side of the chapel. Karnak was still holding his own in a one-on-one battle against the Arch Lich, using both fire spirits and necromancy. Despite earlier warnings that he had no way to counter necromancy, he seemed to be fighting surprisingly well. ¡®Maybe he was just exaggerating?¡¯ If Baros and Serati could quickly deal with the necromancers and join forces against Demphis, victory might be within reach. ¡®If only something could shake them up for a moment¡­¡¯ Just then, Laven suddenly turned his back on his opponent and sprinted toward Serati. He hurled his daggers at Hugot¡¯s back. ¡°Take this!¡± Serati frowned. ¡®That¡¯s not going to work¡­¡¯ It was an obvious move. Laven was trying to create an opening by drawing Hugot¡¯s attention away so Serati could strike. Of course, Hugot was aware of this. He ignored the daggers and let them hit his back. Thunk! Thunk! Being undead, such daggers barely even scratched him. ¡®Even if he is the future Martial King, right now he¡¯s just a rookie.¡¯ Hugot scoffed and refocused on Serati. But then, his body suddenly lurched. ¡°Ugh!¡± Laven, now unarmed, had lunged and tackled Hugot¡¯s legs! ¡®Wrestling, now?¡¯ The massive, three-meter-tall figure copsed to the ground. Even an undead creature wasn¡¯t immune to thews of physics. If you knock someone off bnce, they¡¯ll fall. And where did Hugot¡¯s head end up? Right at Serati¡¯s feet, within striking range of her brilliantly glowing aura sword. ¡°A-ah!¡± It was inevitable that Hugot¡¯s head was cleanly severed. Shing! With a simple sh, Serati decapitated him and couldn¡¯t help but be impressed. ¡®Wow, that was quick thinking.¡¯ Had Laven tried to tackle Hugot from the start, Hugot would have dodged. But by throwing the daggers first, he¡¯d tricked Hugot into thinking the attack was inconsequential, setting up the perfect trap for the tackle. Of course, Laven still had his own necromancer to deal with. Turning his back on an enemy was a risky move, and he was about to pay for it. Whoosh! Tentacles shot out, wrapping around Laven¡¯s limbs. But it didn¡¯t matter. Serati, now free, was there. ¡°Your turn to save me!¡± ¡°On it!¡± Smiling, Serati swung her aura de. The necromancer restraining Laven hesitated. ¡®Huh?¡¯ His mission was to subdue Laven, but now Serati¡¯s sword wasing right at him¡­ Shing! The necromancer¡¯s head flew into the air, just like Hugot¡¯s. The remaining necromancers shouted in panic. ¡°Lord Hugot!¡± ¡°Mitchell!¡± But the real problem was that they had been barely holding off Baros. ¡°Is this really the time to worry about them?¡± Once their bnce was broken, it was a domino effect. Baros¡¯s chain sword struck one of them, and Serati¡¯s aura de cut through the other. ¡°Arrgh!¡± In just a few moments, both necromancers were reduced to corpses. Baros sheathed his sword and offered genuine praise. ¡°As expected of Sir Laven. That was an excellent strategy.¡± Laven, somewhat embarrassed, replied humbly. ¡°I couldn¡¯t just stand by and do nothing.¡± It felt like apliment, so Laven gave a modest response, but Baros¡¯s words left him confused. ¡®As expected? He talks like he¡¯s known me for a long time.¡¯ In any case, Baros and Serati were now free. Laven quickly pointed to a part of the chapel. ¡°That¡¯s where ourpanions are trapped! Let¡¯s go save them!¡± *** Demphis let out a bitterugh, unable to believe what had just happened. ¡°Haha¡­¡± Just a moment ago, everything had been going well. But in the blink of an eye, his forces had been wiped out? Of course, it wasn¡¯t an irreparable situation. He could always bring them backter. It wasn¡¯t like this was their first resurrection; as long as he patched up their corpses, they would more or lesse back to life. Though they wouldn¡¯t be in perfect condition. Still, for now, they were useless. He had lost all of his forces. And it wasn¡¯t their fault. They had done their job well, holding off the others for this long. ¡®The problem lies with me.¡¯ The real issue was that Demphis still hadn¡¯t been able to deal with Karnak. Despite the overwhelming gap in skill. ¡®Why? Why is my mind so scattered like this?¡¯ It felt as if he had fallen under the influence of some necromantic illusion. Without knowing the cause, there was no solution. ¡®Ah, I¡¯ve been asking the wrong question.¡¯ The important thing wasn¡¯t why he was feeling like this now. ¡®Why didn¡¯t I feel this way when I first faced him?¡¯ Back then, he hadn¡¯t intended to let Karnak live. He had nned to kill them all, without hesitation. ¡®That¡¯s it. Back then, my killing intent was my focus.¡¯ He steeled his resolve. He let go of all his curiosity and focused his mind on a single emotion. The swirling instability from his contract band began to settle down once more. The Arch Lich raised his golden wand into the air. ¡°Fall down!¡± A vast storm of mana surged toward the fire spirit, El Ragnatia. This spell was on an entirely different level from what he had used before. BOOM! Having already expended a great deal of energy fighting the Ice Golem, the fire spirit was overwhelmed by the deluge of mana and couldn¡¯t hold out any longer. ¡°Aaaagh!¡± With a single strike, the fire spirit was forcibly unsummoned and vanished. ¡®Yes, this was the answer.¡¯ The Arch Lich pointed his golden wand toward Karnak this time. ¡°Die, human.¡± He deliberately spoke aloud, as if to reaffirm his resolve. ¡°I want nothing from you.¡± As ashes swirled above the desecrated chapel, a colossal killing intent filled the air. ¡°Perish, leaving neither body nor soul behind.¡± Chapter 163 CHAPTER 163 Dozens of shes of mana filled the space in front of him. Calmly, Karnak cast necromancy. A curtain of darkness spread out, blocking the shes. Boom! Boom! Boom! Explosions erupted in quick session. The darkness flickered and rapidly began to crumble. Sweat dripped down Karnak¡¯s brow. ¡®Ugh, I can¡¯t hold on¡­¡¯ Baros hurriedly jumped in. ¡°Young Master!¡± Desperately, he drew his sword imbued with battle aura. But his red aura alone wasn¡¯t enough to cut through those shes of mana. ¡°Taaah!¡± With a shout, Baros mustered all his remaining strength. His sword, imbued with battle aura, turned blue as he forcefully deflected the iing sts. Seeing this, Demphis¡¯s eyes gleamed. ¡®Blue aura again?¡¯ Curious. How does he switch between red and blue aura? That wasn¡¯t the only strange thing. While his mastery seemed to reach as far as the purple or even silver level, his aura level was still on the lower side of red. In fact, that red-haired female had much more aura than him. Because of this, his aura fluctuated constantly. It turned red, then blue, as if something was malfunctioning. ¡®Wait, can an aura even malfunction?¡¯ At that moment of curiosity, the brand on Demphis¡¯s body trembled, and a mental restriction tightened around him. Demphis regained focus. ¡®Curiosity is forbidden.¡¯ Now was the time to focus only on killing intent. ¡°You, too, shall die.¡± Arch Lich swung his right hand wide. mes surged up like a tidal wave, swallowing Baros whole. Once again, Baros struck down with his blue sword. The blue aura shed with the curtain of fire, causing a massive ripple. Boom! He held out for a moment, but it didn¡¯tst long. His blue sword turned red again and soon faded entirely. Baros¡¯s face turned pale. ¡®Kuh, is this the end?¡¯ There was no choice. No matter how much of a legendary warrior he had been in his prime, no matter how profound his mastery, there was one thing he couldn¡¯t ovee: time. Since his return, Baros had only managed to master his own aura after meeting Laficel, and that was less than three months ago. In fact, he had only been training as a knight for a little over a year. Even though he had grown several times faster than others, with so little time for training, he eventually hit a limit. The mes crept closer, threatening to consume Baros entirely. ¡°Ugh, ugh!¡± Serati instinctively hurled herself forward. ¡°Sir Baros!¡± Baros screamed at her in panic. ¡°Stay back!¡± The magic was too strong for even him to handle. If she joined in, she¡¯d only burn with him. Serati realized the danger toote. If Baros couldn¡¯t stop the magic, what could she possibly do by jumping in? But she had already moved, and her sword was already shing toward the mes. Her body moved faster than her thoughts, and her thoughts moved faster than her reason. ¡®Huh¡­¡¯ A sensation surged through her body, flowing through her limbs. Her vision expanded, allowing her to perceive things she hadn¡¯t before. As she swung her sword at the mes, Serati¡¯s consciousness drifted aimlessly. ¡®This¡­ I¡¯ve experienced it before.¡¯ What was it? What was it? What was it? In that brief moment, a beam of light pierced her mind. At the same time, her sword, imbued with battle aura, split the sea of mes. Boom! The divided mes scattered across the chapel. The ground beneath them trembled with the sound of the explosion. ¡°¡­Dame Serati?¡± Baros looked at her¡ªno, at her sword¡ªwith wide eyes. ¡°When did this happen?¡± Serati¡¯s sword was now shining with a brilliant blue aura. *** Holding the blue sword, she muttered to herself. ¡°Yeah, this is it¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t the intense red aura that zed like fire. It was a gentle blue aura, flowing like a river. Yet, within it, a fierce power of destructiony dormant, much like a tempest brewing beneath the surface of calm waters. It was the same sensation Baros had felt when he temporarily inhabited her body. There was no doubt about it. At that moment, Serati had be a Blue Knight. With a shout, Serati charged at Demphis. ¡°Taah!¡± Her body surged with energy. She felt like she could defeat anyone. Her blue sword aura sliced through the air, radiant. Demphis countered with magic. The curtain of darkness shed repeatedly with the blue sword aura, sending shockwaves through the air. Boom! Boom! Boom! Unlike Baros, whose aura flickered, Serati¡¯s aura was unwavering. She had always been qualified, but she had never awakened. Now that she had, her aura shone purely blue and maintained its destructive force steadily. [Wow, how nice¡­] Baros, watching her, expressed his honest envy. [Can¡¯t deny age, huh?] Serati¡¯s aggressive assault faltered momentarily. Age? What was that supposed to mean? But he wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. While Baros surpassed Serati in almost every aspect, there was one area where she held a significant advantage: her aura. At 25 years old, Serati had spent much more time training her body. On top of that, she had awakened her aura when she was around 20, meaning she had been training it for over five years. Even for the former Death Knight Lord Baros, it was hard to ovee the gap between five years and three months of training. Though, it didn¡¯t mean she appreciated the agement. ¡®Ignore it! Ignore it!¡¯ Without Baros¡¯s sky-high mastery or experience, Serati pressed her advantage, relying on the irreceable asset of time. She charged across the ground, flipped through the air to dodge spells, and asionally deflected attacks, all while keeping up a relentless assault. ¡°Hah! Taaah! Taaah!¡± Her strike shed against Demphis¡¯s wand. The attack was strong enough that Demphis was pushed back a step, his wand trembling in his grip. But that was all. ¡°Awakening, huh¡­¡± Demphis muttered in a bored tone. ¡°I¡¯ve witnessed something interesting.¡± Curious, but not surprised. Aura awakenings often urred in moments where life and death hung in the bnce. ¡°So, it¡¯s just a blue aura in the end, huh?¡± A rainbow-colored energy surged from the Arch Lich¡¯s entire body. It wasn¡¯t necromantic power, but pure mana. The vast mana transformed into the elements of earth, water, fire, and wind, surrounding Serati from all sides. ¡°Uwaaaagh!¡± Serati, who had been so confident just moments ago, rapidly paled. She thought she had the upper hand, but Demphis¡¯s counterattack was overwhelmingly powerful! ¡°Guh! Ugh! Ugh!¡± Serati barely managed to deflect the waves of fire, lightning, and frost, forced to retreat again and again. Within moments, her back was soaked with sweat. Demphis¡¯s taunting voice reached her ears. ¡°Did you think a mere Blue Knight could challenge a 9-circle master?¡± Awakening was impressive, but in the end, she had only just reached the blue level. The gap between her and Demphis remained vast. The only reason he had been cautious with her was because Baros was such an unpredictable opponent. And Demphis was always a cautious person by nature. ¡°I examined you just in case, but you¡¯re nothing special.¡± Demphis aimed his wand, his blue eyes gleaming. ¡°Now, die.¡± A massive pressure weighed down on her shoulders. The word ¡°death¡± rang in her mind with terrifying rity. Unconsciously, Serati took a step back. ¡®Is this it? Am I going to die after just reaching a new level?¡¯ As she fought to resist the overwhelming fear, a voice called out from behind her. ¡°Well done, Serati!¡± It was Karnak, his voice filled with excitement. ¡°You are our savior!¡± ¡°What?¡± Serati was bewildered. Since meeting Karnak, it was the first time he had ever praised her so sincerely. Karnak exchanged a nce with Baros. ¡®Wait, why are theymunicating with looks instead of telepathy?¡¯ Then Baros jumped over to Karnak and bowed his head. In that moment, memories shed through Serati¡¯s mind. ¡®¡­No way!¡¯ Indeed, the ¡°no way¡± seemed to have an uncanny ability to materialize. Karnak ced his hand on Baros¡¯s head and began chanting. ¡°My servant, open your mind and ept this!¡± ¡°You son of a¡ª¡± Her curse was cut off midway. Instead, her voice changed to that of a man. ¡°Oh! Dame Serati, you¡¯re truly amazing. This is incredible!¡± Karnak¡¯s triumphant voice echoed through the cathedral. ¡°Go forth, Serabaros!¡± *** The red-haired woman lightly shook her blue sword. Woooong! She¡ªno, Baros, now inhabiting Serati¡¯s body¡ªgrinned. ¡°If I put in a little more effort¡­¡± sh! Blinding purple light filled the chapel. ¡°I can even reach the purple level.¡± Serati¡¯s skill had grown significantly. So much so that her body could endure even greater exertion. Serati¡¯s soul, trapped within her own body, could feel this too. ¡®This¡­ this is the level of a Purple Knight¡­¡¯ She marveled, but quickly regained herposure. This wasn¡¯t the time to be enchanted by such things. ¡®Is this really okay? Didn¡¯t you say doing this repeatedly was dangerous?¡¯ ¡®Isn¡¯t it better than dying right now?¡¯ ¡®I mean, that¡¯s true, but¡­¡¯ It made sense. At first, she had cursed out of shock, but in hindsight, they had all been on the verge of death anyway. Finding any way to survive was the wisest choice. Even so, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little empty. ¡®I really thought I¡¯d achieved something this time! I was finally feeling proud of myself!¡¯ Regardless of how Serati felt, Baros seemed thrilled. ¡°Hahaha! Now this is more like it!¡± Serati¡¯s body charged at Demphis. Purple chains unfurled, and the sword aura stretched endlessly in the air. It was as if her sword aura was duplicating itself using pure energy. Ssss! Nine chains of sword aura surrounded Demphis on all sides. Every strike targeted a weak point, aiming directly at the Arch Lich¡¯s vulnerabilities. ¡°Hah!¡± Demphis summoned a mana shield around him, letting out a grunt of admiration. ¡®What is this? How is this possible?¡¯ No, he couldn¡¯t afford to think like that. ¡®Focus on the killing intent. Focus on the killing intent.¡¯ Demphis reminded himself, counter attacking with magic. But the power of his spells had already diminished. He was consumed by curiosity. It gnawed at him, making it impossible to suppress. ¡®How is this happening? Why does it even feel¡­ familiar?¡¯ The brand on Demphis¡¯s body trembled, and his attacks slowed significantly. And Baros, ever the seasoned warrior, seized the opening. [Young Master!] Karnak raised both his arms, as if waiting for this moment. [I know!] Even though Baros had reached the purple level, it still wasn¡¯t enough to take on a 9-circle master. Though not a perfectparison, a 9-circle master was usually on par with a Silver Knight. But! [If we don¡¯t hold back, even this is possible!] Serati screamed internally. ¡®You jerks! This is my body! Be careful with it!¡¯ Karnak unleashed all of the necromantic power he had been gathering. A massive shadow of darkness billowed into the air and engulfed Serati¡¯s body. Whoooosh! ck mes surged forth. On the back of the beautiful woman sprouted menacing, jet-ck wings. Her eyes burned red, dark horns protruded from her limbs, and shadows boiled at her feet like moltenva. ¡®What the¡ª? What¡¯s happening to my body?¡¯ Baros didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he changed the subject. ¡°With this, I can finally use my Death Knight techniques again.¡± ¡®What happens if you use them?¡¯ Serati¡¯s body assumed a stance. A massive killing intent gathered like a spear aimed at the Arch Lich. ¡®Hello? Why aren¡¯t you answering me?¡¯ Demphis was in utter shock. ¡®This¡­ this is¡­!¡¯ It was an overwhelming, dark battle aura, rivaling that of a Silver Knight. At this rate, he could truly lose. ¡®How is this possible?¡¯ Yet, despite everything, he could not stop the trembling of his brand. As proven by his final thought, Demphis had failed to ovee his curiosity. Baros stepped forward. Darkness flowed like light. In just a single step, the distance between them was reduced to nothing. And with that, the dark sword was swung down. ¡ªHeaven-defying Sword, Cleaving Life and Death! The golden wand shattered, the curtain of darkness was torn apart, and the power of darkness scattered into the air. Baros¡¯s strike, cleaving through everything,nded on Demphis¡¯s chest. Boom! From the shattered heart of the Arch Lich, countless shadows and souls erupted. ¡°Kuuaaaaaaaagh!¡± Chapter 164 CHAPTER 164 Laven stared nkly at the scene before him. ¡°¡­¡± One absurd thing after another kept happening. An evil spirit tried to take over his body, but it turned out that the spirit was actually himself? Then, hisrade, who he thought was part of the King¡¯s Order from a neighboring country, turned out to be a necromancer who saved him using the power of darkness? And as a result, he became the necromancer¡¯s servant? Even just that much was enough to make his head spin, but the situation that followed went beyond all reason. The mannerisms of Serati, who had been struggling against Demphis, suddenly changed to that of a man, and she suddenly became a Purple Knight! ¡®A red-ss warrior surpassing blue and reaching purple in a single day?¡¯ In the entire history of known Martial Kings, there had never been such a case. Even Emile, let alone his father, Gard, the Martial King of their time, hadn¡¯t achieved anything like this. ¡®Who exactly are these people?¡¯ Karnak, the mage from the King¡¯s Order, wielded necromantic power so wlessly that even a 9th-circle master Arch Lich was no match for him. Serati, the genius chosen by the heavens, had ascended two aura awakening stages in a single day. Laven¡¯s highest evaluation of Baros suddenly made him seem like the most ordinary person in the group. And it wasn¡¯t even over yet. Serati, who had reached purple-level, suddenly emitted darkness from her entire body and transformed once more. Then, she defeated the legendary Arch Lich in a single blow! ¡®My God¡­¡¯ Laven groaned as he watched Demphis fall. None of the sights before him seemed real. It was all just too confusing. *** Baros¡¯s soul began to leave Serati¡¯s body. Serati, having regained control of her body, copsed to the ground. ¡°Ugh! Argh!¡± It felt simr to when she¡¯d had her body taken over before. After such intense strain, her whole body hurt like crazy, as expected. But one improvement from before was that now she could use aura to ease the pain. ¡®Ugh, I need to circte my aura¡­¡¯ Following the method she had learned from Baros, she diligently manipted her aura to perform some emergency treatment, and finally, the pain subsided. As she staggered to her feet, Baros awkwardly scratched the back of his head. ¡°Are you alright? Does it hurt a lot?¡± After taking over her body without warning, it was natural for Baros to feel guilty if he had any conscience left. Sighing, Serati nodded. ¡°I can bear it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. The situation was just too urgent¡­¡± ¡°We survived, so it¡¯s fine.¡± Of course, in this world, there were those without even that minimal sense of guilt. ¡°Wait a minute, Serati.¡± Karnak frowned as he spoke. ¡°You cursed at me earlier, didn¡¯t you?¡± He hadn¡¯t forgotten the harsh words Serati had thrown at him before. Completely ignoring the fact that he hadmitted worse things. But Serati¡¯s reaction was unexpected. Instead of denying it, she smiled at him. ¡°You did well earlier, Lord Karnak.¡± Karnak¡¯s eyes widened at the suddenpliment. ¡°Huh? Me?¡± It seemed he was aware that he hadn¡¯t done anything worthy of praise. ¡°Yes. If you hadn¡¯t acted that way, we all would have died.¡± ¡°Well, yeah, that¡¯s true.¡± Karnak scratched the back of his head, feeling awkward. But Serati¡¯s expression suddenly became serious. ¡°But this is thest time, right?¡± ¡°What is?¡± ¡°Possession. This is thest time, right?¡± Frequent possessions drive the host¡¯s soul mad. Baros had already possessed Serati¡¯s body twice. If it happened again, it would likely cause irreversible damage to her soul. ¡°Yes, it would be dangerous to attempt it again.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying never do it again. If everyone¡¯s lives are on the line and there¡¯s no other choice, then we should do whatever it takes. I understand that.¡± But it was important to recognize this. It was an act of saving Karnak¡¯s life at the cost of sacrificing Serati. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to live like you used to, you should be aware of the consequences of your actions, Lord Karnak. For your own soul¡¯s sake.¡± It wasn¡¯t something to take lightly. Karnak¡¯s face also turned serious. ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll remember that.¡± Serati¡¯s solemn expression softened. ¡°Then it¡¯s fine. After all, thanks to you, Lord Karnak, we¡¯re all alive, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Thank you for understanding.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee. Even though the situation left us no choice, I¡¯ve gained a lot from bing your servant. I am grateful for that.¡± With a yful wink, she smiled brightly. ¡°And as much as I¡¯m grateful, I¡¯ll do my best to offer you good advice.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Karnak smiled back at her. Somehow, it put him in a good mood. Though, there was still a hint of difort lingering. ¡®Wait, am I forgetting something?¡¯ As Serati turned her back and sighed in relief, she thought to herself. ¡®Phew, I got away with that double curse just fine.¡¯ But to avoid it resurfacingter, she quickly changed the subject. Serati pointed at the fallen Demphis, whose overwhelming darkness and evil spirits were now almost entirely gone. ¡°What are you nning to do with the Arch Lich now?¡± Karnak, who had been waiting for the darkness to dissipate, replied. ¡°I¡¯m still thinking.¡± As he spoke, Karnak approached. ¡°If it were the old me, I¡¯d have branded him with a seal of domination without thinking twice.¡± But things are different now. ¡°And it¡¯s not just about trying to live differently than before¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t like he had the ability to dominate an Arch Lich in his current state. ¡°Right now, there¡¯s no way I can impose my dominance over an Arch Lich.¡± So, the best course was to extract some information and then obliterate his soul. However, even that wasn¡¯t going to be easy. Archlich is a fusion of power and spiritual energy, making them formidable even in a soul form. Simply using necromancy wouldn¡¯t be enough to control them easily. ¡°I¡¯ll check him out and decide from there.¡± Karnak extended his hand toward the skeleton on the ground, his expression grim. ¡°If things seem dangerous, I¡¯ll forgo the information and just go straight to destroying him.¡± As he sent a wave of darkness to examine Demphis¡¯s condition, something caught his attention. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Something strange was there. ¡®A brand of contract?¡¯ Someone had carved a powerful brand into Demphis¡¯s soul. ¡®It¡¯s not mine, but it feels like something was there before¡­¡¯ What puzzled Karnak even more was that the brand was eerily simr to one he had once ced on Demphis. Same spell, same position, same target. Even the necromantic power and the ritual form used to ce the brand were identical. There was only one difference. The name of the one who had ced the brand. ¡®Tesranak¡­¡¯ It was like finding a contract with a different signature on the same document. ¡®How could it be this simr?¡¯ At any rate, this opened up another possibility. ¡®If I just change the name, I could make him my ve.¡¯ It was within the range of what Karnak¡¯s current necromantic power could handle. It was worth trying. ¡®If it works out, I¡¯ll gain a useful servant and some valuable information about the Dark God¡¯s cult and Tesranak.¡¯ And if he failed? ¡®I¡¯ll just destroy him and be done with it.¡¯ Rolling up his sleeves, Karnak extended his hand toward the brand. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this!¡± As he infused the mark with his necromantic power, he focused. ¡°In the name of the Lord of Darkness, Karnak Jestarad, Imand you¡­¡± But just as he began to tamper with Tesranak¡¯s brand, something surprising happened. ¡®Huh?¡¯ It was too easy. It felt like all the rights of the contract were naturally transferring to him as if the mark had been his from the start. ¡°Uuuh¡­¡± With a faint groan, Demphis¡¯s scattered bones began to reassemble. The skeleton reformed in midair, and the spiritual energy of the Arch Lich wrapped around it. ¡°My lord, master of my soul¡­¡± The resurrected Demphis knelt before Karnak. ¡°Please,mand me. I shall obey¡­¡± *** Laven couldn¡¯t help butugh dryly. ¡°Hah, hahah¡­¡± As if things weren¡¯t confusing enough, now the fallen Arch Lich had risen again and was swearing allegiance to Karnak? Laven had been holding back out of respect for the tense atmosphere, but now he was reaching his limit. ¡°Who exactly are you people?¡± Serati gave him a knowing look. Though Laven was trying to remain calm, his voice trembled. ¡®I understand that feeling more than anyone,¡¯ she thought. Just as she was empathizing, Laven fixed her with a sharp gaze. ¡°Especially you, Dame Serati. Who exactly are you?¡± ¡°¡­Me?¡± ¡°Yes! Who are you? Are you perhaps some demon descended upon thisnd?¡± Serati nced at Karnak and Baros, dumbfounded. ¡®Do I look more suspicious than these guys?¡¯ Was there really no one left in this world for him topare her to other than them? But after hearing his next question, she realized that maybe he had a point. ¡°Or were you always a purple knight and just hiding it this whole time?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡­¡± From an outsider¡¯s perspective, everything must have looked incredibly unbelievable. Karnak and Baros exchanged knowing looks and shrugged. ¡°Well, since Laven¡¯s already one of us, there¡¯s no need to hide it, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, might as well exin everything now.¡± Even Demphis, noticing the atmosphere, raised his hand hesitantly. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m quite curious about it myself¡­¡± His insatiable curiosity had led him to his defeat, after all. The blue mes in Arch Lich¡¯s eyes flickered violently. ¡°Who exactly are you people?¡± The one who would have be the Martial King in the future, and the one who had returned from that future, both stared directly at him. Karnak thought for a moment. How could he exin things quickly and concisely? He soon found the easiest solution. ¡°Serati!¡± ¡°Huh? You want me to exin?¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re better at this than I am.¡± Indeed. It was easier to leave it to the subordinate. ¡°After all, this is about dealing with people, right? You¡¯ll do a better job than me.¡± ¡°Really?¡± She hesitated for a moment, then realized. This was going to be a very hard exnation to start. ¡°Uh, so¡­¡± After thinking for a bit, Serati awkwardly pointed at Karnak. ¡°He once tried to conquer the world¡­¡± Then, she gestured toward Baros. ¡°And he helped with that, apparently?¡± Before she knew it, her exnation had be nearly identical to the one she¡¯d been told earlier. Karnak and Baros chuckled to themselves. ¡°See? It¡¯s not so easy to exin, is it?¡± ¡°Even Dame Serati struggles with it.¡± Naturally, Laven¡¯s reaction was much the same as before. With a serious expression, he frowned. ¡°I¡¯m asking you this in all seriousness¡­¡± And Demphis added in a solemn tone, looking at Karnak. ¡°If you doubt me, you already know that there¡¯s no need for suspicion.¡± Serati gave a bitter smile and continued. ¡°Please, just listen for now.¡± The exnation that followed was more or less the same. Karnak, the illegitimate son of a fallen noble family, who had learned necromancy, along with Baros, his former servant. The story of how the two had caused trouble, been chased, and grown in power until they became the enemies of the entire continent. How they had seeded in conquering the world as Astra Spiritus, and eventually used space-time regression to regain their lost humanity. As the brief exnation concluded, Laven frowned. ¡°That makes no sense¡­ You¡¯re from the future¡­?¡± Unlike Serati, Laven wasn¡¯t interested in the typical tales of heroism found in the streets. Naturally, stories like this were hard for him to ept. On the other hand, Demphis, who had alsoe from the future, had a different line of questioning. ¡°That¡¯s strange. In the future I came from, neither of you existed.¡± Karnak, unsurprised, asked him, ¡°But you have an idea why, don¡¯t you?¡± Demphis nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Indeed, there had been someone in the future who had such an ovepping history. The god of death, Tesranak. ¡°If the story is true¡­¡± The Arch Lich, with his skeletal body, turned to face Baros, the golden-haired knight. ¡°Then you are Tesranak.¡± Karnak¡¯s group simultaneously widened their eyes. ¡°Huh?¡± Chapter 165 CHAPTER 165 The God of Darkness and Death, Tesranak. There are many strange aspects to his actions. He wields the Darkness of Doom like Karnak, controls those Karnak once ruled, andmits the same kinds of atrocities Karnak would have done. At this point, even a fool would suspect that there¡¯s some close connection between him and Karnak. ¡°Yeah, if we¡¯re talking about closeness, there is certainly a closeness, but¡­¡± Karnak looked at his servant with a dazed expression. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be this close?¡± Baros shook his head. ¡°Me, Tesranak? Instead of you, young master? That makes no sense¡­¡± Demphis, speaking politely, continued the conversation. ¡°It¡¯s only based on what that woman exined. From my perspective, however¡­¡± The Arch Lich¡¯s gaze turned toward Karnak. ¡°I feel the presence of my former master, Tesranak, within you, Lord Karnak.¡± Even if the brand of domination changes, loyalty doesn¡¯t flip in an instant like turning your palm over. Memories remain, and one should suffer from contradictions for a while. Normally, a psychological suppression is applied to change loyalty gradually. But Demphis was different. As soon as the brand¡¯s master changed, his loyalty shifted instantly. Though the memories of his loyalty to Tesranak remained intact, they all felt like illusions. ¡°In fact, it feels like I¡¯ve returned to my rightful ce.¡± And yet, he identified Baros, not Karnak, as Tesranak. Why? ¡°First, let¡¯s confirm this before anything else.¡± With a serious expression, Karnak asked: ¡°Just who was Tesranak anyway?¡± Demphis understood Karnak¡¯s question perfectly. Not ¡®who is he,¡¯ but ¡®who was he¡¯? The question asked for an exnation from the past, in order. ¡°I don¡¯t know much either, but¡­¡± The Arch Lich bowed deeply. ¡°I will exin everything I know.¡± *** Tesranak wasn¡¯t always the God of Death. Before he gained his authority and power, he was born as the lowly son of a mere human. ¡°There¡¯s little known about Tesranak¡¯s childhood.¡± It¡¯s said he was born the son of a peasant somewhere in the Western part of the Seven Kingdoms Alliance, and became an orphan at a young age, living as a servant to the young lord of a noble family. ¡°Tesranak¡¯s life changed because of the master he served.¡± Tesranak¡¯s master was an illegitimate child of a noble family. Having grown up oppressed by his parents and siblings, his resentment festered until he stumbled upon necromancy and devised a n to take revenge on his family. People often think necromancy requires no talent. And that¡¯s true. Unlike aura or magic, where one can¡¯t even begin without talent, necromancy can be easily started by anyone and quickly mastered. But, saying it requires no talent doesn¡¯t mean talent is useless. Of course, having talent gives one an advantage. And the talent for necromancy ispletely different from that for magic, divine power, or aura. What society considers a cking in humanity¡± is actually considered talent in necromancy. Tesranak¡¯s master was a born necromancer and soon became a monster. With his newfound power, he bared his fangs at the family that had oppressed him. ¡°Tesranak faithfully served his master, assisting him with the utmost sincerity.¡± Finally, his master seized control of the family. But the glory didn¡¯tst long. Tesranak¡¯s master, intoxicated by the power of necromancy, didn¡¯t realize how severe its side effects were. Isn¡¯t there a saying that if the tail grows too long, it will be stepped on? Eventually, his identity was exposed to the Seven Goddesses¡¯ Church. Forced to abandon the family he¡¯d barely taken over, he had to flee from the Church. Tesranak, too, followed his master, wandering the world without a home. *** ¡°This¡­¡± Karnak tilted his head repeatedly. ¡°This is exactly like our story.¡± Baros was no different. ¡°It really is our story.¡± ¡°But why are you the one in Tesranak¡¯s position?¡± ¡°ording to this story, Tesranak hadn¡¯t even mastered necromancy yet, right?¡± ¡°That partester in the story.¡± Demphis grumbled in his t tone, clearly displeased about being interrupted mid-exnation. With a chuckle, Karnak urged him to continue. ¡°Go on.¡± *** After that, Tesranak and his master wandered the continent, hiding their identities. The Church of the Seven Goddesses pursued them relentlessly, and much blood was shed in the process. During this time, Tesranak¡¯s master grew stronger. His evil deeds grew more heinous. Finally, the two faced an adversary they couldn¡¯t handle. Gard, the Martial King of Delphiad, and his eldest son and heir, the next Martial King and genius of the era, Emile Strauss, targeted them. After an intense pursuit, Emile tracked them down. A brutal battle ensued, and the oue was decided. Tesranak¡¯s master was indeed a powerful necromancer. Emile, Gard¡¯s son, couldn¡¯t surpass the great power of darkness and met his death. But the cost was steep. Tesranak¡¯s master was also mortally wounded in his fight with Emile Strauss. Although he won, he could no longer live. *** Karnak and Baros both jumped up in surprise. ¡°What?! I die?¡± ¡°Looks like it.¡± Demphis, once again interrupted, gave Karnak a sidelong re. Though, of course, only metaphorically¡ªhe was an Arch Lich without eyes. ¡°Shall I just submit this in writing?¡± Baros looked at Demphis anew. Even though he was bound by the brand of domination to be loyal to Karnak, he still stubbornly argued. It was a familiar sight in the Necropia Empire. ¡®That really is the Governor Demphis I know.¡¯ Karnak waved his hand. ¡°Sorry, go on.¡± *** As hey dying, Tesranak¡¯s master spoke to him: My loyal servant, take my body and soul. And continue my vengeance upon this world! Rule over all death and darkness, and bring pain and terror to every living thing! Tearfully, Tesranak vowed: ¡°I shall, my lord!¡± Thus, his master died, and Tesranak consumed his master¡¯s flesh and blood. Death embraced him, and darkness settled within him. His master¡¯s soul lived on within Tesranak. His master¡¯s knowledge lived on within Tesranak. His master¡¯s power lived on within Tesranak. Thus, Tesranak became a new necromancer and dark swordsman, stepping alone into the world¡­ *** Karnak dered definitively: ¡°Nope, that¡¯s not me.¡± Baros had the same reaction. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s not you, young master.¡± Asking someone to continue vengeance on their behalf? What nonsense! If anything, he would have demanded to be revived by any means necessary. ¡°No way I¡¯d say something like that. I¡¯d rather tell them to find a way to bring me back.¡± Serati, who had been listening nearby, chimed in. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s what really happened? And Tesranak just took the power and washed his hands of the promise.¡± ¡°Now that sounds more usible.¡± Karnak red at Baros. ¡°You viin.¡± Baros, feeling wronged, protested. ¡°I¡¯m not Tesranak! Besides, why would I eat you, young master?¡± ¡°True.¡± ¡°There are plenty of better things in the world to eat than someone as filthy as you, young master.¡± ¡°That was the reason?¡± Though they joked about it, the situation wasn¡¯t entirely without basis. ¡°If it was a matter of life and death, and there was no other way, then¡­¡± Baros shrugged. ¡°I might just close my eyes and do it.¡± ¡°Good thing I¡¯m still alive, then.¡± Meanwhile, Demphis, once again interrupted, simply stared at Karnak in silence. ¡°¡­¡± Feeling awkward, Karnak said: ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll keep quiet now.¡± But Demphis wasn¡¯t looking at him because of the interruptions. ¡°Interesting.¡± ¡°What is?¡± ¡°You¡¯re nothing like Tesranak, Lord Karnak.¡± Though their deeds might seem simr, their personalities and way of speaking bore no resemnce. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Sir Baros doesn¡¯t resemble him either.¡± Karnak and Baros exchanged nces. ¡°He is a mix of the two of us. Maybe that¡¯s why.¡± ¡°Does that even make sense?¡± ¡°When necromancy is involved, a lot of things that don¡¯t make sense start making sense.¡± ¡°Well, I suppose that¡¯s true¡­¡± Clicking his tongue, Baros turned to Demphis. ¡°So, what happened next?¡± *** The Church of the Seven Goddesses continued to pursue Tesranak. And each time, they suffered great losses. Tesranak had be a powerful necromancer and dark swordsman, a monster too formidable for the Church to handle alone. But life wasn¡¯t easy for Tesranak either. With increasing pressure from the world, he realized the necessity of expanding his forces. He gathered followers wherever he could. He wielded the power of darkness to raise the dead, enlisted high-level undead as his subordinates, and drew hidden monsters to his side. It was during this time that he found the remains of the former court mage Das in the Barakant Mountains and resurrected him as an Arch Lich. ¡°It was then that I was given the name Demphis.¡± At the same time, Tesranak never forgot his master¡¯s revenge. Countless humans died painfully. Then, they were resurrected to spread even more suffering. He even unleashed a special gue. It was so devastating that it affected not only humans but also crops, with the disease infecting everything. Countless people died from illness, starvation, or fought and killed each other over the few remaining scraps of food. Eventually, the Seven Kingdoms Alliance crumbled. Thest bastion, Delphiad, fell when its Martial King, Laven Strauss, was defeated and became Tesranak¡¯s servant. With the situation spiraling out of control, even the Lacaenia Empire couldn¡¯t stand idly by any longer. The strong among humanity rose up to confront Tesranak. But the result was the same. The once-mighty imperial army was crushed by the army of the dead, and the imperial court mage Elezar submitted to Tesranak¡¯s control. The survivors fled to the east, barely clinging to life. With most of the continent under his control, Tesranak became known as the Death King, the ruler of the dead. The only remaining force of humanity¡ªthe only force of the living¡ªwas the Verus Federation, a coalition of dragonkind and fairy race. The survivors and those who fled joined forces. The dragons, the fairies, and humans, along with the two remaining Archmages and the three Martial Kings, united to fight Tesranak¡¯s empire. It was truly a battle between light and darkness. No matter how powerful Tesranak, the Death King, was, he couldn¡¯t withstand the collective force of the world. Finally, he abandoned thest shred of his humanity. He performed the ultimate forbidden art and became the Ultimate Transcendent Being, Astra Spiritus. *** ¡°Wait, he became Astra Spiritus because of the joint attack of the Archmages and Martial Kings?¡± Karnak interrupted Demphis¡¯s story with a question. ¡°Then what about the Dragon Emperor?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You know, Dragon Emperor Grateria. The world¡¯s guardian.¡± This situation seemed different from Karnak¡¯s own experience. Karnak had only be Astra Spiritus due to the intervention of Grateria, not because of the Archmages and Martial Kings. ¡°Grateria¡­?¡± Demphis asked in a confused tone. ¡°Who is that?¡± Chapter 166 CHAPTER 166 The Dragon Emperor Grateria. The strongest dragon on earth, blessed by the Seven Goddesses with the fate of protection. ¡°You don¡¯t know about the Dragon Emperor?¡± At Karnak¡¯s question, Demphis, baffled by theck of understanding, asked back. ¡°How can dragons have an emperor?¡± In fact, this was moremon sense. Though the alliance of dragons, elves, and dwarves is called the Verus Federation, they do not have a distinct political structure like the Seven Kingdoms Alliance or the Lacaenia Empire. Originally, nations start as tribal or city-states and gradually evolve into feudal systems or centralized governments. Currently, the Seven Kingdoms Alliance is feudal, and the Lacaenia Empire is partially centralized. But the Verus Federation was different. Elves and dwarves still maintained a tribal and city-state system. The reason was simple. Their lifespans were too long. What was several generations for humans was merely a few generations for elves and dwarves. As a result, changes in their national systems were naturally slow. And dragons didn¡¯t even live together at all. Dragons begin as beasts, then grow into intelligent beings like humans or elves, eventually aging into wise sages. In their youth and adulthood, dragons are beasts driven by instinct, wielding immense mana and physical strength without reason. They don¡¯t establish nations for geopolitical reasons like humans, but rather choose their habitats for ecological reasons, like wild animals. Even mating, driven by instinct, urs during this period. In middle age, they gain intelligence and learnnguage and reason. But they are still a species without social needs, so they rarely interact with their own kind unless there is a special reason. In old age, they shut themselves in theirirs and spend most of their time in the ¡°Dragon Sleep.¡± Most dragon habitats are scattered like dots between the territories of elves and dwarves. While the expansivend they inhabit in the eastern continent is called the ¡°Verus Federation,¡± there is no political contract between the dragons and the elves. There was no need for such a contract either. The dragon habitats themselves formed a massive natural barrier, preventing the Lacaenia Empire¡¯s invasions, and the elves rarely dared to provoke the dragons. Thus, the concept of a dragon nation simply doesn¡¯t exist, nor does the idea of a Dragon Emperor. ¡°Well, it¡¯s more of a nickname, actually, but¡­¡± The title of Dragon Emperor was given to Grateria because of his overwhelming strength and greatness as a dragon. It wasn¡¯t that he held any real authority. ¡°If Grateria decided to act, there was no one strong enough to stop him, so in a way, he was an emperor in all but name¡­¡± Karnak, mumbling, nced at Baros. ¡°Come to think of it, we only found out muchter that there was such a thing as a Dragon Emperor, didn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Grateria only appeared after all the human forces had been defeated.¡± The guardian Grateria usually remains in a deep Dragon Sleep, only awakening when the world faces destruction. In other words, unless the world is on the verge of annihtion, he doesn¡¯t interfere. Even events like the Lacaenia founding war and the early Western Continent war of the Seven Kingdoms Alliance were just ¡°petty human squabbles¡± from the perspective of the Dragon Emperor. As a result, there are almost no records of him in human history. At most, distant legends and myths handed down from ancient times. ¡°On the flip side¡­¡± Serati, who had been listening, asked in disbelief. ¡°Are you saying that what Lord Karnak did was of mythic or legendary proportions?¡± Karnak shrugged. ¡°When I do something, I do it right.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not apliment!¡± In any case, what Tesranak had done could certainly bepared to Karnak¡¯s deeds. But in Tesranak¡¯s case, the Dragon Emperor didn¡¯t appear. ¡°Maybe Grateria doesn¡¯t exist in that world?¡± ¡°Or maybe Tesranak took out the Dragon Emperor first. If he dealt with him before the world knew, it makes sense that Governor Demphis wouldn¡¯t know about it.¡± ¡°That would mean he killed that monster before bing Astra Spiritus. But how on earth?¡± ¡°That¡¯s another problem, isn¡¯t it?¡± Karnak and Baros pondered intensely but couldn¡¯te up with a clear guess. ¡°Anyway, Tesranak only became Astra Spiritus to defeat thebined assault of the Archmages and the Martial Kings, right? So he¡¯s weaker than the young master.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that Tesranak was weaker than me. I would have had no chance if they had all teamed up against me, too.¡± When Karnak, in his human body, took down the three Archmages and the Four Martial Kings, it was only by targeting them one by one. He hadn¡¯t allowed those insanely strong beings to join forces. And there was a reason for that. ¡°Tesranak was alone, but we had two.¡± The Death King Karnak had the most reliable, strongest swordsman on earth by his side¡ªDeath Knight Lord Baros. ¡°Of course, back then you were probably ranked around fourth on the and not yet a Death Knight, but still, you were a useful subordinate.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going topliment me, why not just do it without adding conditions?¡± Had Karnak been alone, no matter how powerful he was, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to manage all of them simultaneously. But with Baros, they couldunch diversionary tactics. ¡°But in the end, both Tesranak and I became Astra Spiritus. Yet, the Dragon Emperor didn¡¯t appear on his side?¡± Karnak rested his chin in thought. ¡°Did things turn out differently for him afterward?¡± Demphis, who had been quietly waiting, spoke up again. ¡°After bing Astra Spiritus, Tesranak transformed into the God of Death, and from that point on, there was no one left to stop him¡­¡± *** All three Archmages became Tesranak¡¯s subordinates. Three of the Four Martial Kings also joined him. Only Laficel, the Martial King of Syphras, managed to escape, continuing a weak resistance. But it was like a dying me. In the end, even she was defeated. Thest hero of humanity fell into the hands of darkness, her body and soul torn apart, her fate cruelly disyed before all. Even the authority of the Seven Goddesses faded from this world, leaving the God of Death as the undisputed ruler. No one could stand in his way anymore. For decades, Tesranak reigned supreme as the Death King and God of Death. Then, one day, Tesranak made a deration. ¨CI was the one who ruled over death. ¨CIt took 100 years for me to realize this. ¨CTo be the true God of Darkness, I must rule not just death, but life as well! Baros couldn¡¯t help but snicker. ¡°Pfft!¡± That sounded all too familiar. Wasn¡¯t that the same kind of thing Karnak used to rant about? ¡°But this one sounds more impressive. Honestly, young master, you always sounded so petty¡­¡± ¡°Shut up, Baros.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± As the two bickered, Demphis cautiously asked. ¡°Uh, have you two finished your conversation?¡± By now, Demphis had grown ustomed to their antics and didn¡¯t even get angry anymore. In fact, it felt strangely familiar, as if it had been this way for a long time. ¡®Why does this feel so natural to me?¡¯ It was almost as if he had been dealing with these two bickering fools for ages. In any case, Demphis cleared his throat. ¡°Then I¡¯ll continue.¡± Karnak and Baros¡¯s expressions turned serious. From here on, it was a story they didn¡¯t know. *** As Tesranak transformed into the ultimate undead, he fully grasped the power of darkness and death. But in exchange, he became increasingly distant from light and life. This was his dissatisfaction. He wanted to control everything in the world, and the domains of the goddesses were no exception. How could he be the absolute being, governing both life and death, and all the fate of the world? He pondered and researched endlessly. Finally, he found a clue. ¡®If I return to a living body, and in that state, obtain the power of light equal to that of darkness¡­¡¯ However, realizing this was far from easy. Simply stealing the body of another living being wasn¡¯t enough to maintain the perfection of Astra Spiritus. Nevertheless, the God of Death eventually found the answer. ¡®If I use my own body as the base, it¡¯s possible.¡¯ The problem was that Tesranak had long since discarded his original body. So, he turned his gaze to the past. If he transcended time and possessed his body from the past, he could achieve his long-cherished goal! The research continued. There were failures. But he didn¡¯t despair. Having already gained immortality, time was a meaningless resource for him. He could waste as much of it as needed on new attempts. Finally, the ultimate spell to transcend time and space waspleted. Standing before a dark red monolith, Tesranak thought to himself. ¡®With this, I can return to the past. But even this isn¡¯t perfect.¡¯ The monolith could only send his soul back in time. Of course, since his body as Astra Spiritus was made of spiritual energy, this spell could send both his soul and his power to the past. But that would separate his soul from his power. ¡®That would be problematic.¡¯ He hadn¡¯t developed this spell just to return to being a powerless servant, wailing for his lost master. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ He found the answer. The separation of his soul and power urred because his soul had a ce to reside, but his power did not. While it wouldn¡¯t vite thews of the world for Tesranak¡¯s soul to possess his past body, the power of Astra Spiritus was too vast. The moment it forcibly intervened in the past, it would be met with resistance. ¡®The best way to maximize the power of necromancy is through dispersion.¡¯ Rather than immediately initiating the time regression, he would remain in a subspace, maintaining the union of his soul and power. Then, in that state, he would slowly disperse his power into the past, gradually spreading darkness across the world. In doing so, he would prepare a ce for his arrival. ¡®With this, it¡¯s possible.¡¯ However, there was still a problem with this n. In the past, the Seven Goddesses were still alive. The Church of the Seven Goddesses, humanity, dragons, and elves all remained intact. Even if he dispersed darkness into this world, it would likely be purged quickly. He needed beings who could return to the past first and spread darkness for him. *** ¡°The spell to transcend time and space didn¡¯t exist before Tesranak. Naturally, there was no certainty it would work.¡± ording to Demphis, before sending his loyal servants back, Tesranak conducted preliminary experiments. ¡°He sent souls that, though strong enough to withstand time regression, were expendable.¡± The soul of a human hero who had resisted until the end, someone whose powerful soul Tesranak couldn¡¯t subjugate. ¡°The Martial King of Syphras, Laficel Crot¨¦um.¡± Laficel¡¯s soul sessfully crossed the boundary of time and returned to the past. Though Tesranak had no way of knowing what happened to her afterward, just confirming that it had worked was enough. ¡°After that, he moved in earnest.¡± To prepare for Tesranak¡¯s descent, it wasn¡¯t enough to rely solely on the powers of darkness, death, and necromancy. He also needed to harmonize with the powers that already filled the world¡ªmana, aura, and divine power. Thus, the three chosen for the vanguard were selected. The Archmage representing mana, Elezar de Recion. The Martial King representing aura, Dreltain Telix. And the fallen Pope of the Sun, Zedex Thind, representing divine power. Chapter 167 CHAPTER 167 After confirming the sess of Laficel¡¯s experiment, Tesranak sent the three vanguard members back into the past. The designated space-time regression coordinate was this very moment. It was the point when his master had been killed by Emile Strauss, and Tesranak inherited the powers, bing the new necromancer. It was the same case for Karnak. Since they transcended space-time using necromantic power, the same contact point had to exist in the targeted past. ¡°But I heard the three vanguards ended up returning to very different times,¡± Demphis continued, shaking his head. ¡°In Laficel¡¯s case, we can¡¯t even figure out the situation, so we don¡¯t know at which point in time they regressed.¡± The departure times for the vanguards from the future were nearly simultaneous. However, the times they arrived in the past varied. Archmage Elezar returned to five years ago from the present. The fallen Pope of the Sun, Zedex Thind, went back seven years. And Dreltain Telix reportedly regressed over ten years into the pastpared to the current timeline. ¡°Ten years?¡± Baros, who had been listening, turned in surprise to Karnak. ¡°Is it possible to have such arge error?¡± ¡°In theory, it makes sense¡­¡± Setting space-time regression coordinates could bepared to drawing a wide target board based on the moment one mastered necromancy. ¡°Shooting an arrow doesn¡¯t necessarily mean it¡¯ll hit dead center every time, does it?¡± In reality, both Karnak and Baros had missed their exact target time slightly and returned two monthster than intended. Of course, ten years was excessive, but since Tesranak wasn¡¯t sending himself, it made sense that the margin of error would be greater. ¡°It¡¯s like using a crossbow bolt on a longbow string. Naturally, the uracy would decrease,¡± Karnak exined. Baros asked again, ¡°So does that mean, young master, that you could have returned to a time before you mastered necromantic power?¡± Karnak shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not the case.¡± Since necromantic power was the anchor, his past self also had to possess it. ¡°But in this case, Tesranak wasn¡¯t sending himself but others.¡± In such cases, the margin of error between past and future could widen. ¡°For instance, you, Baros, only regressed because you were along for the ride with me, with no connection to necromantic power.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± Demphis, sensing their hesitation, smoothly continued the exnation. ¡°I¡¯ll continue then.¡± *** Until the three vanguards gathered, Tesranak¡¯s n couldn¡¯t proceed. Moreover, Dreltain from ten years ago wasn¡¯t the Martial King yet. Zedex, who would be the Pope of Latiel in the future, was still just an ordinary cleric at this point. As seen in Baros¡¯ case, even with the soul of someone possessing experience and prowess from the future, oveing the limitations of the body takes time. Both were preupied with gaining power and couldn¡¯t make overt moves. However, Elezar was different. At the time of her return, she was already an archmage and the Imperial Mage of the Empire. ¡°Thus, the n began to unfold five years ago.¡± Elezar used her imperial authority to start her work behind the scenes. The two who arrived earlier could only establish their forces after receiving her assistance. The Church of the Dark God was founded, and the faith in Tesranak, the god of death, quietly spread across the continent. Once all three vanguards had secured their positions, Tesranak moved on to the next phase of his n. He opened space-time and attempted to regress himself as well. ¡°However, he didn¡¯t return directly to the past.¡± While Karnak only sent his soul and abandoned his powers, which allowed him to travel to the past without issue, Tesranak wanted to retain all his power. Unable to abandon Astra Spiritus¡¯ power, Tesranak first settled in a void, scattering his power across the past world. This was known as the ¡°Event of the Darkness of Doom.¡± As Tesranak¡¯s powers spread throughout the world, the Church of the Dark God grew even stronger. They collected the darkness of doom, bestowed it upon their followers, expanded their influence, and further shrouded the world in darkness. ¡°Naturally, the world didn¡¯t just sit back and take it.¡± A prophecy was delivered to the Church of the Seven Goddesses. The entire world united to fight against theing doom. But the wise god of death, Tesranak, had anticipated everything and prepared ordingly. Before sending the three vanguards, he had already taught them how to fuse Astra Spiritus¡¯ power with their existing powers. Thanks to this, even powerful individuals who became followers of the Dark God could retain their aura, mana, or divine power while bing necromancers. This proved highly effective in expanding the cult¡¯s influence. No matter how powerful a mage, aura user, or even a cleric might be, few could remain indifferent in the face of pain and death. Moreover, this wasn¡¯t the only measure Tesranak had in ce. The three vanguards were just that¡ªa vanguard. This meant that there was still a main force and a follow-up force toe. These were individuals who had once been the strongest among humanity but were now loyal subjects of Necropia, the empire of the dead. Tesranak nned to regress them too, to help resist the opposition of the past. ¡°However, there remained a tricky problem.¡± When regressing his followers, he couldn¡¯t predict which point in time they would arrive at. Without urately pinpointing the timing, the n could not proceed properly. ¡°To solve this, Tesranak bestowed further knowledge upon the three vanguards.¡± When a ship is trying to reach a harbor but can¡¯t find its way due to a storm, it must dock roughly near the shore. But if you want the ship to hit the mark, you need a lighthouse in front of the harbor to guide it. The knowledge Tesranak provided was how to build a ¡°space-time lighthouse¡± in that harbor called the past. Demphis fished out something from his pocket. ¡°This is it.¡± It was a shiny, pitch-ck cube, swirling with dark patterns on its surface. ¡°It is a fragment of the Transcendent Space-Time Monolith, a temporal beacon that designates a specific point in the space-time coordinates, reverse temporal transcendent device.¡± Karnak and hispanions all froze at the sight. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°That thing¡­¡± They had all seen it before. Karnak also took out an identical ck cube from his pocket. ¡°This, right?¡± Now it was Demphis¡¯ turn to be shocked. ¡°How does Lord Karnak have that? Did you make it yourself?¡± ¡°No, not really¡­¡± Karnak pondered briefly. How should he exin this? A strange witch had been rampaging around, so he dealt with her, and this appeared? ¡°Give it to me for now.¡± Despite the sudden request, Demphis obedientlyplied, handing it over without hesitation. ¡°Here you go.¡± Karnak alternated between looking at the two cubes, letting out a sigh. ¡°You¡¯re telling me this has something to do with the space-time monolith?¡± Even though he had reached the pinnacle of necromancy and personally crafted the space-time monolith, he had no clue about the origin of this cube. No matter how skilled a watchmaker one might be, they¡¯d still have to open the watch to examine its insides, right? The darkness waspressed too tightly to unravel and examine properly. ¡®But with a second sample¡­¡¯ Baros quietly asked from beside him. ¡°Did you figure something out, young master?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hear the rest of the story first. I need to organize this information.¡± *** With the knowledge of the reverse temporal transcendent device, the three vanguards, now saints of the cult of the Dark God, were able to guide Tesranak¡¯s main force from the future. However, creating the reverse temporal transcendent device came with its own issues. It was something no living being could create. ¡°That makes sense.¡± Karnak, listening to the story, nodded as if it were obvious. ¡°If it¡¯s a regression ritual rted to the space-time monolith, living beings shouldn¡¯t be able to interact with it. That¡¯s the logical theory.¡± Demphis continued. ¡°But the three vanguards couldn¡¯t abandon their living bodies.¡± As the top leadership of the cult of the Dark God, they were tasked with spreading the faith across the continent. To do so, they had to maintain their outward identities. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t do for Archmage Elezar to suddenly appear as a zombie, would it?¡± Instead, they needed someone capable of creating the reverse temporal transcendent device¡ªsomeone undead. Unfortunately, in the current era, no such individual existed. ¡°But in the future, they did.¡± Demphis pointed to himself. ¡°That would be us.¡± The four governors of the Necropia Empire. East: Malloca, West: Cf, South: Demphis, and North: Tirapat. Tesranak regressed these four Arch Liches from the future to the past. Their mission was to gather the darkness of the current era, create the reverse temporal transcendent device, and summon the remaining Martial Kings and Archmages to this time. ¡°Once all the Martial Kings and Archmages return to thisnd, their overwhelming power will surely allow the cult of the Dark God to dominate the world.¡± The conditions for Tesranak to descend with all his powers were simple. As long as his faith was the most widespread in the present world, it would be enough. They didn¡¯t need to conquer the entire world. They didn¡¯t need to be the sole religion. ¡°To put it bluntly, as long as the cult of the Dark God is even a littlerger than the church of Seven Goddesses, the condition is met?¡± ¡°Exactly. Once Tesranak descends, there¡¯s no need to worry anymore.¡± Demphis¡¯ mission was to summon the future¡¯s Martial King, Laven Strauss, to thisnd. ¡°I¡¯ve been preparing in secret for years and was about to perform the Descent Ritual when I happened to run into Lord Karnak, and it all ended in failure.¡± *** With that, Demphis¡¯ exnation came to a close. Karnak was lost in thought for a moment. Then he suddenly asked. ¡°So¡­¡± He lifted one of the ck cubes in his hand, the one Demphis had given him. ¡°You made this, right, Demphis?¡± ¡°Yes. I just did as instructed, though I still don¡¯t fully understand the principle behind it.¡± Demphis¡¯ voice grew a bit smaller. Even though he was a master of 9th-circle magic, it seemed embarrassing to admit that he didn¡¯t understand something. ¡°In that case¡­¡± Karnak now raised the other cube, the one created by the mysterious witch. ¡°Who made this one?¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious about that too¡­¡± ¡°Do you not know either?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. It¡¯s not like whoever made it left their name on it.¡± ¡°I guess that¡¯s true.¡± Karnak put both cubes back into his pocket and asked. ¡°But still, it was one of the governors who made it, right?¡± Demphis shook his head. ¡°Not necessarily. None of the other governors have arrived in this time yet.¡± Serati, who had been listening, chimed in. ¡°Oh, but didn¡¯t you all set off together?¡± ¡°As I mentioned earlier, just because we set off together doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯ll arrive together.¡± Demphis spoke respectfully to Serati as well. While Baros had been Karnak¡¯s loyal servant since a previous life, Serati was merely a regr servant. There was no need to be this polite. But¡­ ¡®Considering how close Lord Karnak seems to be with her, it¡¯s better to be cautious,¡¯ Demphis thought. He continued his exnation respectfully. ¡°We returned to this time without a reverse temporal transcendent device, just like the three vanguards. That¡¯s why I was the first to arrive.¡± Of course, there was always the option of acquiring another exceptional mage, converting them into an undead, and having them create it. Or perhaps another governor had already arrived without his knowledge. ¡°Though I haven¡¯t heard any such reports¡­¡± Demphis¡¯ voice trailed off,cking confidence. ¡°Communication within the cult is so poor that I can¡¯t say for sure it hasn¡¯t happened.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Karnak muttered quietly, rubbing his temple. ¡°So this is¡­ another world of sorts?¡± Chapter 168 CHAPTER 168 Many mages who dealt with space-time magic had conducted all sorts of thought experiments. Most of those thought experiments eventually converged on one issue: How do we resolve the time paradox? Just as Karnak had wondered who created the technique known as Overkill, a paradox inevitably arises when one travels between the past and the future. To address this, various hypotheses have emerged. One such hypothesis is fatalism, which posits that no matter what you do, you cannot change the past. It argues that even if you think you¡¯ve changed the past, that too was meant to happen, and thus it did. Then there are the hypotheses of mutable and immutable history. The idea that while minor events in the past can be changed, major fates cannot be altered. Another is the hypothesis of historical alteration. This theory states that the moment the past is changed, the original future disappears, and apletely new future unfolds. And finally, there is the parallel worlds hypothesis. It suggests that countless parallel worlds exist, with each branching out due to every small choice made, each leading to a corresponding parallel world. Alternatively, some argued that the very existence of a paradox is clear evidence that transcending space-time is impossible. Though, in thetter case, such a hypothesis bes meaningless once Karnak had already crossed into the past. Among these, Karnak supported the hypothesis of historical alteration. When one returns to the past, the future they came from vanishes, and the continuity of space-time bes dependent on the individual. Thus, Karnak believed that while he would live in a new timeline, he would still retain the knowledge of the vanished future. ¡°Based on the data I gathered while creating the space-time transcendence monolith, I thought this made the most sense.¡± However, this hypothesis was discarded. Because he had met Laficel, who came from the future. If the hypothesis of historical alteration were true, then everything from the future should have disappeared, making it impossible for Laficel to follow them into this time period. On the other hand, Demphis¡¯ exnation made sense of many things. Why had the returned servants seemed simr yet somehow different? Why did Elezar and Demphis know Laficel, but not Karnak or Baros? If this ce was a kind of parallel world, most of the questions they¡¯d had would be resolved. ¡°Even the existence of Tesranak can be exined.¡± Perhaps Tesranak¡¯s origin could have been Karnak and Baros. But if fate had twisted, where Karnak died and Baros took him, or if someone else entirely became that figure, then perhaps they changed their name to Tesranak and continued on. ¡°It doesn¡¯t really seem like me, but let¡¯s assume that for now.¡± In this case, even if Baros originally bore the fate, it¡¯s not hard to understand how Tesranak¡¯s path might resemble Karnak¡¯s, since they would¡¯ve taken on his power and body. Even the simrity in Demphis¡¯ mark made sense. ¡°Right, everything fits¡­ mostly.¡± Karnak had an uncertain expression. But there were still unresolved questions. *** ¡°For starters, I don¡¯t quite understand the existence of this reverse temporal transcendent device.¡± Karnak looked back at Demphis and asked, ¡°You said this was created to bring people from the future on time, right?¡± ¡°You could say that¡¯s an oversimplification, but yes.¡± ¡°And you all were randomly sent to this space-time, like the three vanguard members?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that seem odd?¡± ¡°In what way?¡± Karnak frowned at the puzzled Demphis. ¡°You¡¯ve already managed to send several people randomly, haven¡¯t you? So what¡¯s the reason you couldn¡¯t do the same with the others?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s to ensure they arrive at the right time¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what¡¯s strange.¡± Tesranak had already sent the three vanguard members and the four governors to this time period without the reverse temporal transcendent device. This implies they could do the same again. ¡°Yet now they insist on specifying the exact time, supposedly to synchronize everything?¡± Demphis had exined that this was to expand the cult of the Dark God, but if that was the true goal, there was no need for such precision. ¡°You could just send people over and over, randomly.¡± Chance turns into certainty when repeated enough. Returning one subordinate in a single day is unlikely. But what if you send ten in a month, a hundred in a year, a thousand in ten years? By scattering them widely, like sowing seeds in a field? ¡°Even if it¡¯s random, you¡¯d eventually gather the necessary forces.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s true.¡± Demphis stammered, realizing that Karnak¡¯s reasoning was valid. ¡°So why go to the trouble of creating this reverse temporal transcendent device and guiding people in such a specific way? There must be another reason.¡± Karnak mused while Demphis bowed his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know that much.¡± ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t know, you don¡¯t know.¡± Karnak nodded and changed the topic. ¡°There¡¯s another mystery.¡± The guardian of the world, the Dragon Emperor, Grateria. ¡°In the future I came from, Grateria definitely existed.¡± However, in the future Demphis came from, the one Tesranak ruled, Grateria did not. Whether it never existed from the beginning or disappeared for some unknown reason, no one could tell. ¡°So what about in this world?¡± Karnak looked at Serati and Laven, the residents of this world, and asked. ¡°Does the Dragon Emperor exist or not?¡± Laven responded gravely. ¡°This is the first I¡¯ve ever heard of such a thing.¡± Serati had a vague expression. ¡°I heard about it from you before, Lord Karnak. I didn¡¯t know before then, but I figured it was just because I¡¯m from the countryside¡­¡± Of course, this wasn¡¯t definitive proof that the Dragon Emperor didn¡¯t exist. In Karnak¡¯s future, few people knew the name Grateria until the world was on the verge of copse. Serati asked, ¡°Perhaps it doesn¡¯t exist here? The world is heading toward destruction, and the Dragon Emperor still hasn¡¯t appeared.¡± Baros chuckled. ¡°Well, that¡¯s kind of rtive¡­¡± Even when Karnak was destroying the world and wreaking havoc, the Dragon Emperor had merely been sleeping. Compared to the devastation the Emperor recognized, the current state of the world was just a slightly cloudy day. ¡°That¡¯s hard to believe,¡± Laven said in disbelief. ¡°The Seven Goddesses even gave us a prophecy to stop the world¡¯s destruction.¡± ¡°In our time, there wasn¡¯t any prophecy, but yes, by our standards, the world is in rtively good shape.¡± For the Dragon Emperor to perceive the world as truly on the brink of destruction, things would need to be far worse than they are now. For example, if the god of darkness and death descended from the future¡­ Laven continued, as if something had struck him. ¡°Now that I think about it, this is a critical issue. If humanity fails to prevent the world¡¯s end and Tesranak truly descends, the Dragon Emperor might be ourst hope.¡± He spoke with renewed urgency. ¡°Fortunately, we have a way to check.¡± Though few knew of the Dragon Emperor, there were still legends and myths about him. In other words, even if his existence was barely known, there should still be records in myth and lore. ¡°If we search through the Imperial Library or the Seven Goddesses Church¡¯s great temples for ancient records, we might find traces of him.¡± ¡°Right. It¡¯s worth investigating.¡± Karnak nodded, making a mental note to seek out Aliuster. ¡°In any case, the issue of Grateria can be confirmedter¡­¡± The first two issues were just mysteries for now. Even if Tesranak¡¯s world turned out to be a parallel one to Karnak¡¯s, it wouldn¡¯t create any major problems. But if that¡¯s the case, one question remains impossible to understand. ¡°You said Laficel was sent first, as a test?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s the same Laficel here?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± Demphis was confused. Why confirm something so obvious? Karnak¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°Laficel knew me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°She knew me, Karnak, the damned Death King, very well.¡± She even knew Baros. She used the exact title ¡°Lord Baros¡± when referring to him. ¡°If Tesranak sent Laficel, how does she know about us?¡± *** Many mysteries had been solved. But new ones had emerged. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do about this right now.¡± With the brand of domination imprinted on Demphis, there was no way he was hiding anything from Karnak. Further questioning would yield no answers. ¡°Well, we should start wrapping things up here.¡± Rising to his feet, Karnak nced over at Laven. ¡°Oh, and I should exin a bit more about your role as a servant, Laven.¡± He didn¡¯t need to say much. After all, there was already a kind and helpful senior. ¡°Hey, Serati.¡± ¡°Yes, I figured this wasing.¡± She briefly exined. That Laven couldn¡¯t betray Karnak, that he mustn¡¯t reveal Karnak¡¯s true identity, and that while he wasn¡¯t exactly a ve, he¡¯d still have a certain amount of freedom. Laven, seemingly understanding, asked, ¡°I see. Were you also one of Lord Karnak¡¯s servants?¡± Unknowingly, like Serati, he was already referring to Karnak with honorifics. Smiling wryly at the memory, Serati replied, ¡°I, too, was in a situation where I had no choice.¡± She told him how she had lost both her arms and smiled softly. ¡°There are some benefits to being a servant. For one, you be somewhat immune to injury¡ªafter all, you can regenerate your limbs if they¡¯re cut off.¡± Of course, that didn¡¯t do much to brighten Laven¡¯s expression. Being from the prestigious Strauss family, now bing a servant to a necromancer? His future undoubtedly seemed bleak. Karnak pouted. ¡°Don¡¯t act like I forced you into very. I was originally nning to make Baros my servant again, but I gave you the spot instead, so you should be grateful.¡± Laven narrowed his eyes. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you just cancel my contract and make Sir Baros your servant?¡± ¡°Uh, well¡­¡± Karnak was about to change the subject when Demphis, oblivious, chimed in. ¡°But would you really be alright with that? You¡¯d die the moment the contract was canceled.¡± ¡°What?¡± The response came from Serati, not Laven. Startled, Demphis turned to her. ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± Karnak and Baros facepalmed. ¡°Hey, Demphis¡­¡± ¡°Oh no¡­¡± Serati, smiling wickedly, red at Karnak. ¡°Excuse me, Lord Karnak? I think you owe me an exnation here.¡± ring at Demphis, Karnak responded. ¡°Technically, it means your soul would be erased.¡± Canceling the contract meant erasing the contract. But since a servant¡¯s soul was bound to the contract, erasing the contract would also erase the soul. That¡¯s why Demphis had originally nned to kill Karnak to erase Laven¡¯s soul and summon the future Laven into that body. Though he ultimately couldn¡¯t do so due to the brand¡¯s influence. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that, Serati. I have no intention of canceling any contracts.¡± Momentarily irritated, Serati rxed. ¡®At least this means he¡¯s still somewhat human if he¡¯s concerned about my feelings¡­¡¯ Satisfied with the exnation, Karnak gave Demphis an order. ¡°Lift the curtain of darkness. We need to rescue the others.¡± Chapter 169 CHAPTER 169 The darkness that had covered the entire chapel disappeared. The blocked passageways were all restored to their original state. Demphis, havingpleted his mission, bowed deeply. ¡°Then I shall conceal myself.¡± He couldn¡¯t let Millia or Edia know that he had taken him as a servant. ¡°Are you keeping this a secret from Laficel as well?¡± ¡°Obviously,¡± Karnak replied. ¡°You¡¯re saying what Tesranak did will be attributed to me.¡± Demphis understood immediately. ¡°It must be concealed at all costs.¡± Thanks to having be a servant, there was no need to hide this from Laven. ¡°This is fortunate.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir Laven saw everything after all.¡± At the exchange between Serati and Baros, Laven blinked in confusion. ¡°If I weren¡¯t a servant, what would have happened to me?¡± The two avoided his question. Laven¡¯s face grew more anxious. ¡°¡­Hey?¡± In any case, on the surface, it would be presented that Karnak defeated the Arch Lich and other necromancers, and rescued hisrades. Thus, after Karnak¡¯s group escaped, Demphis began moving separately. He had already issued several instructions to facilitate this. ¡°Then I shall proceed as ordered.¡± ¡°Contact me as we¡¯ve arranged.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After finishing the conversation, Demphis quickly slipped out of the chapel. Once he disappeared, Karnak looked toward the stone chamber. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go rescue the others¡­ no, wait, there¡¯s something we need to do first.¡± Since Laven had be a servant, he needed to be integrated into the secret magicalmunication. Karnak prepared a spell for a moment before sending a message. [Hey, hey! Can you hear me, Laven?] ¡°What the?! What is this?¡± Next, Baros and Serati¡¯s voices echoed in his head. [It¡¯s just a spell for us to talk to each other.] [We often say things that others shouldn¡¯t hear.] Laven looked around in confusion. Karnak gave him a knowing nce. ¡°Serati.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really putting me to work here.¡± Sheined but obediently taught Laven how to use themunication spell. The method itself wasn¡¯t difficult, so Laven picked it up easily. [Like this? It¡¯s much faster than talking.] [It¡¯s very useful in battle.] With that, they had taken care of everything they needed to. ¡°Right, now let¡¯s really go rescue the others.¡± *** Those who had been captured were safe. Thanks to being put to sleep by magic, they were only slightly drained but had no trouble moving. Millia, upon being rescued, asked in astonishment, ¡°My goodness, did you defeat Arch Lich?¡± While Edia didn¡¯t fully understand how monstrous an Arch Lich was, thinking only, ¡°The King¡¯s Order is really something,¡± those with knowledge of the undead couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. Karnak and Baros waved their hands modestly. ¡°We just got lucky.¡± ¡°A stroke of luck like that won¡¯te twice.¡± They weren¡¯t being humble; they really had been fortunate. If Serati hadn¡¯t awakened, even Karnak wouldn¡¯t have had a solution. Laficel was also in awe. ¡°Wow! Serati unnie, you¡¯ve be a Blue Knight?¡± It was truly impressive. To reach such a level in her mid-twenties! ¡®As expected of her! I need to train even harder!¡¯ Serati looked at Laficel with a mixture of disbelief. ¡®How did she figure that out just by looking?¡¯ No one had mentioned that Serati had reached Blue-level, yet Laficel had immediately eximed in amazement. Even though Serati had been lucky to advance earlier than others, seeing a genuine prodigy like Laficel made her feel a sense of urgency. ¡®If I don¡¯t want to fall behind, I¡¯ll need to work even harder.¡¯ After a brief exnation of the situation, Karnak urged the group. ¡°We may have taken out the leaders, but we don¡¯t know when the remnants of the cult wille after us. Let¡¯s get out of here quickly.¡± *** The escape was not difficult at all. It was only natural¡ªDemphis, who had been hiding, had done his utmost to clear the path for them. Without any problems, they escaped the Maleficus Dungeon and headed for the frontier city of Werd. On the way, they even remembered to retrieve the necromancer they had buried in the forest. Millia, as expected, had a kind heart. Though the necromancer had been half-dead for about four days and was mentally shattered, at least they had saved him before he died. What happened to him after that? He was put on trial and beheaded. He was a necromancer, after all. After arriving safely at Werd City, they handed over information about the cultists to the Etrial King¡¯s Order. It was now up to them to send in the extermination teams. But they couldn¡¯t return to the Kingdom of Yustil just yet. There was still a matter to resolve. Laven had discovered Karnak¡¯s identity. He had also be his servant. No matter how trustworthy a person is, it¡¯s difficult to let someone who knows your life-threatening secrets roam freely. Especially when Karnak wasn¡¯t exactly a good person. He said bluntly, ¡°Follow me.¡± Naturally, Laven asked, ¡°What about the Etrial King¡¯s Order?¡± The answer he received was obvious. ¡°You¡¯ll have to quit.¡± ¡°¡­Understood.¡± Surprisingly, Laven epted it without much resistance. After all, having be a necromancer¡¯s servant, he felt guilty staying in the King¡¯s Order, which specialized in hunting cultists. ¡°So, do I just follow Lord Karnak from now on?¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be natural like that, would it? I¡¯ll appoint you as a knight of the Jestarad family, like Serati.¡± Serati, looking troubled, interrupted. ¡°Wait a minute, but that means Laven would be abandoning the Etrial Kingdom to go to Yustil. Isn¡¯t that an international issue?¡± An aura user, regardless of strength, was a strategic asset on the national level. And Laven was from the famous Strauss family. Even though he was overshadowed by his brother Emile, no one would think of him as ipetent. He wasn¡¯t expected to be the Martial King in the future, but at the very least, it was anticipated that he would be an aura user of considerable talent. ¡°To the Etrial Kingdom, it¡¯ll look like Yustil Kingdom is snatching a valuable resource without lifting a finger.¡± Her words made Karnak scratch his head in frustration. ¡°Is that so? But we can¡¯t just kill him either.¡± Laven was shocked and asked in disbelief, ¡°Wait, if I don¡¯t follow you, you¡¯ll kill me? Is that the only option?¡± ¡°I said we can¡¯t kill you. Why are you freaking out when I said I wouldn¡¯t?¡± With a grin, Serati tapped Karnak on the shoulder. ¡°Lord Karnak.¡± ¡°Hm? What?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not use that kind of phrasing.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t even say that?¡± ¡°No.¡± Another line was added to the list of things not to say when trying to live like a decent person. After a brief moment of reflection, Karnak asked seriously, ¡°Then what should we do?¡± ¡°Just ask him.¡± The truth was, the real concern wasn¡¯t with the Etrial Kingdom. Everyone knew that the Strauss family held far more sway than the Etrial royal family. Serati looked at Laven and said, ¡°Contact your family and exin the situation. If your father gets furious, you can just use the excuse of knight training to follow Lord Karnak.¡± As a member of the Strauss family, being ordered to serve a nobody like Karnak from the start would raise suspicions. But if it happened after angering Gard? He¡¯d simply be a rebellious son defying his overbearing father. Amon enough urrence. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t seem suspicious at all.¡± It was a rather convincing suggestion. Karnak nodded in admiration. ¡°Wow, Serati, you¡¯re getting really good at lying.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Leaving the now-sullen Serati behind, Laven sent a messenger to his family. A few dayster, Gard¡¯s reply arrived. ¨CDo as you wish. It was exactly the same response as when Laven had joined the Etrial King¡¯s Order. Karnak and Baros clicked their tongues. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s cold.¡± ¡°Does he really not care what his son does?¡± For them to say something like that meant it was truly extraordinary. ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I? My father only ever cares about my older brother Emile.¡± Laven replied with a bitter smile of self-mockery. ¡°Still, for his second son to be a knight for some no-name noble family and get this kind of reaction¡­¡± Serati suddenly burst out in anger. ¡°Hold on! Are you seriously belittling our family like that?¡± After all, she was still a knight of the Jestarad barony. The native Jestarad members, however, were unfazed. ¡°Honestly,pared to the Strauss family, we deserve to be looked down on.¡± ¡°Exactly. How could Jestarad evenpare to Strauss?¡± Serati looked at the two of them in amazement. ¡°¡­Surprisingly, you guys don¡¯t have much pride in this area, do you?¡± In the end, Laven Strauss officially became a knight of the Jestarad family. *** All matters in the Etrial Kingdom were finally settled. Karnak¡¯s group, along with the rescued Edia, returned to the Kingdom of Yustil. Back in the capital, Drunta, Edia wasted no time regaining control of the Altas Merchant Group. The root of the trouble, the Tekas Merchant Group¡¯s Drunta branch, couldn¡¯t interfere at all. The Tekas Merchant Group had been subjected to endless investigations by the Church of the Seven Goddesses. In fact, Edia even managed to encroach on Tekas¡¯s territory during that time. ¡°So, what I¡¯m saying is, how about investing a little more, Baron Karnak?¡± ¡°Hey! You said you¡¯d swear loyalty, and now you want to squeeze more money out of me?¡± ¡°This is a golden opportunity to make money! You can¡¯t miss this chance!¡± Watching this scene, Serati realized something. ¡®Oh, so loyalty and dissatisfaction are separate matters, huh?¡¯ Though he grumbled a bit, Karnak handed over more investment money without protest. Because of the side effects of the bewitching spell, Edia was genuinely loyal to him. Everything she did was for Karnak¡¯s benefit. Moreover, with her business skills, she was bound to earn back more than the investment. Not to mention, having the Church of the Seven Goddesses on their side was a huge advantage. In fact, the reaction from other merchant groups regarding the Tekas¡¯ Drunta branch was this: ¨CThere¡¯s this guy named Karnak, and the merchant group he invested in? Tekas tried to mess with them and immediately started spiraling toward ruin. ¨CSomething feels off about this. Let¡¯s not get involved. The sharp intuition of merchants couldn¡¯t be underestimated. Thanks to that, most things were falling into ce. During this time, the rest of the group returned home for the first time in a while, resting and recovering their energy. Millia went home, and Laficel happily continued her swordsmanship training under Serati, who had awakened as a Blue Knight. Laven also finally heard the full story about his future that had been skipped over earlier. ¡°So, the one trying to take over my body was my future self, and I rose to the rank of Martial King¡­?¡± Laven was left speechless by Karnak¡¯s exnation. ¡°I¡¯m more shocked that my older brother Emile is supposed to die.¡± It was hard for Laven to even imagine that as his future. It felt like a story about someone from apletely different world. ¡°My older brother Emile sure seems to die a lot in different timelines.¡± In Demphis¡¯s future, Emile died to Tesranak, and in this future, he died to Karnak. Then, suddenly, Laven had a question. ¡°Then what happens to the soul of the Martial King? Can¡¯t hee back or something?¡± Karnak¡¯s answer, however, was unexpected. ¡°Who said he went back to the future?¡± ¡°What? I¡¯m talking about the soul of the Martial King.¡± ¡°Nope. He¡¯s still here in this timeline.¡± Chapter 170 CHAPTER 170 The descent ritual that Demphis performed was, after all, merely a means to ¡°guide¡± the soul to a point in the past. The act of sending a soul from the future to the past itself originates from the power of Tesranak, who exists within the void. ¡°So, just because the ritual failed, it doesn¡¯t mean the soul will return to the future.¡± That¡¯s why Demphis didn¡¯t take the failure of the ritual seriously. Since the soul of the future Laven still remained in this world, it was only a matter of finding another suitable day to set up the ritual again. Laven wasn¡¯t the only one surprised upon hearing this. Baros seemed unsurprised, as if he expected it, but Serati was taken aback. ¡°Please tell us about these important things beforehand!¡± ¡°You should ask properly yourselves. How am I supposed to exin every little thing when I don¡¯t know what you don¡¯t know?¡± Karnak, too, tries his best to exin things, but inevitably, some things slip through the cracks. ¡°Then what happened to that other Laven¡¯s soul?¡± ¡°Since it can¡¯t enter this Laven¡¯s body, it¡¯s likely wandering this world like a wraith.¡± Laven suddenly frowned. ¡°This Laven, that Laven¡ªthese titles are a bit¡­¡± ¡°What can you do? To me, both of you are the real Laven.¡± In any case, the cult of the Dark God wouldn¡¯t simply leave ¡°that Laven¡¯s soul¡± to roam freely. This was something even Demphis agreed on. ¡°The best option is always to return to one¡¯s own body, but if there¡¯s no way to do that right now, they¡¯ll seek a second option.¡± Karnak¡¯s guess was that they would likely target another host. ¡°You remember the case with Prince Lloyd and Prince Alford, right, Serati?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°The same situation will probably happen again.¡± Possession is easier when the bodies share simr characteristics. A simr physique, age, gender, and so on. That¡¯s why, generally, the closer the bloodline, the more simr the characteristics of the bodies. But blood rtion alone doesn¡¯t always meet all the conditions. Bymon standards, Lloyd and Alford, who were half-brothers, should have been lesspatible than their father, Wiscot I, who shared a closer bloodline. However, in terms of ¡°simr circumstances,¡± the brothers were actually closer. If the father¡¯s characteristics are 100, then the son only inherits 50. Even if the mothers are different, the brothers share more simr circumstances because both inherit 50. Additionally, both are younger than their father, making their bodies even more alike. ¡°Let alone if they were full siblings from the same mother, there wouldn¡¯t be any need to hesitate.¡± ¡°That means¡­¡± Laven¡¯s face hardened as Karnak¡¯s exnation sank in. ¡°Are you saying they might target my older brother Emile?¡± *** A deste clearing in a forest where winter¡¯s chill still lingered. In the middle of the clearing stood a man. With green eyes and dark brown hair, the young man in his twenties bore a refined look, and he was a swordsman. The young man slowly raised his sword. The aura around his entire body sharpened like a de, spreading as though it could cut through everything around him. Wooooong! With a loud hum, the de gleamed brilliantly in a purple hue. ¡°Amazing, Emile.¡± A man in his fifties, with green eyes simr to the young man¡¯s, looked on with a satisfied expression. ¡°To reach the level of a Purple Knight at your age. Even I couldn¡¯t achieve that at your age.¡± As he nced at Gard, the famed Martial King of the Delphiad and head of the Strauss family, Emile shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s still not enough.¡± His expression wasn¡¯t one of modesty but of genuine dissatisfaction. ¡°There¡¯s still a long way to go.¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Gard burst into a heartyugh. He was proud of his son. To have reached the level of purple aura at the young age of 23 was astonishing, but more impressive was that despite gaining such power, his son wasn¡¯tcent and kept his sights on even higher goals. Such a mindset was rare for someone so young. ¡®If he had shown any arrogance, I would have corrected him, but there¡¯s no need for that.¡¯ All that remained was for Emile to organize and refine what he had gained. ¡°You have much to reflect on. I¡¯ll leave you to it.¡± Gard left the vacant lot. Some time passed. Alone, Emile suddenly smiled. ¡°Has he left the forest?¡± He swung his sword once more. Bwoooong! With a fierce surge of energy, the purple aura changed. A brilliant silver energy wrapped around the de, shining resplendently. ¡°With focus, I can reach this level. But anything beyond silver aura is out of reach.¡± Indeed, the aura stored in this body could only go so far. ¡°I feel bad for Emile, but¡­¡± After withdrawing the aura, he sheathed his sword. ¡°You were always fated to die by Lord Tesranak¡¯s hand.¡± His green eyes shifted toward the sky beyond the forest. ¡°Even now that I¡¯ve taken over your body, nothing changes.¡± *** A few dayster, Laven spoke to Karnak. ¡°I¡¯ve received a letter from home.¡± ¡°Hmm? What news?¡± ¡°I was worried about my older brother Emile, so I sent a letter under the pretense of asking how he was doing.¡± Holding up the reply, Laven¡¯s face was grim. ¡°It seems my older brother Emile is doing well. In fact, they say he¡¯s already reached the level of a Purple Knight.¡± Serati¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°Could it really be¡­?¡± The timing was far too coincidental to be mere chance. If the future Martial King had taken over Emile¡¯s body, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising for his aura level to skyrocket. However, Karnak and Baros¡¯s reactions were somewhat ambiguous. ¡°Well, that alone doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s been possessed¡­¡± ¡°That kid was supposed to reach the Purple Knight level around this time anyway.¡± Serati was shocked. ¡°But he¡¯s only 23 years old!¡± If that were the case, what did that make her, who had only just awakened to the blue aura at 25? ¡°I told you, he¡¯s a real genius.¡± ¡°Even Sir Laven here would be overshadowed. In terms of raw talent, not even Laficel could keep up.¡± Karnak, too, was starting to appear differently. So, in his past life, he had already been strong enough to defeat a Purple Knight in his early twenties as a powerful necromancer? ¡°At the time, I was focusing solely on necromancy. Even then, I struggled immensely.¡± ¡°We barely won, but it was a close call for the young master.¡± ¡°I almost died for real.¡± ¡°In that other world, they say you actually did die, right?¡± ¡°I told you, that wasn¡¯t me.¡± In any case, Emile was a prodigy who might have be the strongest among the Martial Kings. Had it not been for the unfortunate encounter with Karnak, his life would have taken a different path. Given that Emile was destined to reach the Purple Knight level anyway, there was no way to be certain if future Laven had taken over his body just yet. ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait and see. Time will tell.¡± ¡°How?¡± At Serati¡¯s question, Karnak shrugged. ¡°You saw what happened with Princes Lloyd and Alford, right?¡± Possession of someone else¡¯s body doesn¡¯tst long. Even for half-brothers, the possession onlysted for about three months. Since Emile and Laven had the same parents, the possession mightst longer, but¡­ ¡°At most, half a year. If he really has been possessed, he¡¯ll target Laven¡¯s body again before then.¡± ¡°Target his body¡­ that¡¯s rather¡­¡± Laven¡¯s face twisted in displeasure. It wasn¡¯t exactly a pleasant thought from his perspective. ¡°Which is why we need to prepare before that happens.¡± Karnak chuckled and continued. ¡°First, let¡¯s solidify Laven¡¯s position.¡± Thanks to bing a knight under Baron Jestarad, Laven easily came under Karnak¡¯smand. But to stick close to Karnak, working together in the same organization would be ideal. ¡°You used to serve in the King¡¯s Order of the neighboring kingdom, didn¡¯t you? With that experience, you should be able to pass easily.¡± *** The headquarters of the Yustil Kingdom¡¯s King¡¯s Order, in Drunta. ¡°Laven? Laven Strauss?¡± Sitting in his office, Erantel stared nkly at the young man before him. ¡°You¡¯re really that Strauss?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve recently be a knight under Baron Jestarad.¡± Erantel¡¯s response was sinct. ¡°¡­Why?¡± A single word that carried a great deal of meaning. Karnak pursed his lips. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my family,mander?¡± ¡°Oh, no, I didn¡¯t mean it that way.¡± ¡®Didn¡¯t mean it? Yeah, right. That¡¯s exactly what you meant.¡¯ Erantel¡¯s reaction was understandable, though. The reputation of the Jestarad familypared to the Strauss family was likeparing a lizard to a dragon. ¡®Why would the heir of the Strauss family serve a small-time noble like Baron Jestarad¡­?¡¯ Erantel¡¯s thoughts trailed off as something dawned on him. ¡®Wait. Are they really a small-time noble anymore?¡¯ A household led by a 7th-circle mage, with two aura users, one of whom was at the blue rank. They also possessed a lucrative copper mine and had the backing of Prince Lloyd. Their renown had grown considerably due to their activities with the King¡¯s Order. While they weren¡¯t exactly a prestigious family, they certainly weren¡¯t small-time nobles anymore. Laven calmlyid out the story he had prepared in advance. While fighting a cultist in the Maleficus dungeon, he had received great help from Karnak, and as a result, pledged his loyalty to him and came to serve the Yustil Kingdom. It wasn¡¯t a lie. Not exactly. ¡°I see. So, you followed your lord and applied to join the King¡¯s Order?¡± He had all the qualifications, the family backing, and relevant experience¡ªeverything was in order. In fact, he was a veteran who could be put to use immediately. Naturally, he was epted. As Erantel reached out to shake hands and wee him, he paused for a moment. If he weed him to the King¡¯s Order, it felt strange since Laven was originally part of Etrial¡¯s King¡¯s Order. That would be odd. But weing him to the Yustil Kingdom felt like congratting him for betraying the Etrial Kingdom. In the end, Erantel awkwardly smiled. ¡°Well, I look forward to working with you.¡± *** Thanks to Demphis, they now had information about Tesranak, and Laven¡¯s position was secured. Gathering the group, Karnak spoke. ¡°So, now we stop this Tesranak guy or whatever his name is from carrying out his n!¡± Baros chimed in from the side. ¡°That¡¯s right! We can¡¯t let those guys from the future control this era!¡± Serati rolled her eyes. ¡°Excuse me, you all came from the future too, remember?¡± Of course, neither of them so much as blinked. ¡°Exactly!¡± ¡°We¡¯re the only exceptions!¡± ¡°Absolutely! No one else can!¡± Laven, exasperated, muttered under his breath. ¡°You two are seriously shameless.¡± On the other hand, Serati looked as though she had expected as much. ¡°They¡¯ve always been like that.¡± Clicking her tongue, she asked. ¡°So, what¡¯s the n now?¡± Thanks to Demphis¡¯ information, they realized it was impossible to prevent the spread of the Darkness of Doom. This wasn¡¯t some random event¡ªit was something Tesranak was directly and deliberately orchestrating. No matter how many doors they closed, Tesranak would just open new ones. But there was another way. ¡°If the cult of the Dark God bes the dominant faith in this world, that guy will descend, right?¡± In other words, they just needed to stop the cult from gaining too much influence. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t that what we¡¯ve been doing all along?¡± ¡°Up until now, we were just catching cultists to gather information.¡± Now that they had a clear goal, they could take more definitive action. Feeling uneasy, Serati asked. ¡°And what exactly do you n to do? You¡¯re not going to live like before, right?¡± ¡°Like before?¡± Karnak paused for a moment, pondering. Then, with a slightly uncertain tone, he replied. ¡°Hmm, no, it¡¯s different. At least for now.¡± Something about the way he said it was unsettling. Even more anxious, Serati asked again. ¡°¡­What exactly are you nning to do?¡± The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!