Karnak, Monarch of Death

Dozens of winged monsters swarmed through the auditorium. The flapping of their wings echoed noisily in every direction, and like a murder of crows drawn to a fresh corpse, the gargoyle horde circled the party.

”Kraaaah!”

Leven shouted as he glared at the incoming gargoyles. ”Be careful! Their skin is stone!”

It was a rushed warning, but not entirely accurate. Their skin wasn’t actually stone. Rather, it was a hardened, calloused hide partially petrified by necromantic magic, making it as tough as rock. If they were made of real stone, flying like that wouldn’t have been physically possible. But they were as durable as rocks.

Lapicel focused her mind and thrust her sword forward. ”Hah!”

Her sharp stab aimed directly for a gargoyle’s chest. Unfortunately, the strike wasn’t powerful enough to pierce through its tough, calloused armor. So, the moment her blade touched the surface, she twisted her wrist and adjusted the angle of her attack.

At the same time, she slid her blade across the monster’s hide, sharpening her intent to its peak, and sliced in a long arc.

“Take this!”

It was a cutting motion, almost like sawing through wood. Even a stone-like hide couldn’t endure that level of sustained pressure. A deep gash split open across the gargoyle’s chest, and black blood spilled out.

Leven’s eyes widened as he watched the scene unfold. Wow... So there are techniques like that out there?

In truth, it wasn’t an established sword technique. Lapicel had merely swung instinctively. It just happened to align perfectly with proper swordsmanship principles. Regardless, the fact that such a small, young girl could execute such an advanced skill was truly impressive.

With that technique, she can definitely cut down gargoyles.

The gargoyle attacking Leven met the same fate. Its chest was slashed open, and it was sent tumbling through the air. He had copied Lapicel’s movements almost exactly after watching her just once.

Our family’s swordsmanship is too specialized for aura users... The more conventional techniques are lacking.

Serati was exasperated as she watched from nearby. She didn’t know how, but he had managed to replicate Lapicel’s technique after seeing it just once.

Right... He’s supposed to be a future Martial King as well, isn’t he?

She hesitated for a moment.

Should I try it too?

And then, just as quickly, she came to a realization.

Yeah, no way.

That kind of technique required careful training over time. It wasn’t something she could mimic instantly. So, for now, she would focus on what she could do. A crimson aura surged around her sword. Her power had surpassed normal human limits.

With her body clad in overwhelming aura, Serati lightly kicked off the ground. That alone was enough to position her above the gargoyle swarm. Like a blood-red meteor shower, she rained down upon them. The monsters shrieked in agony as they were wiped out in an instant, as if caught in a violent storm.

Leven and Lapicel stared at her, awestruck.

What incredible power!

As expected, Sister Serati is amazing!

With a single move, she had taken down more enemies than the two of them had combined.

A genius who awakened aura at such a young age really is on a different level.

I wonder when I’ll be able to become an aura user myself...

Now, two future Martial Kings were staring at her with sparkling eyes full of admiration. Serati took on an awkward expression after landing.

No, no, you two are the last people who should be looking at me like that...

Meanwhile, the rest of the group was handling the gargoyles without issue. Each time Varos unleashed his chain sword, a cluster of gargoyles was struck down like a flock of sparrows. Any enemy that tried to target Edia was immediately blocked by Milia.

”Oh, Latiel, grant your servant divine protection!”

Under the shield of holy energy, Karnak completed his spell. ”Scorching Flames!”

A chaotic fire spell, combining the explosive power of a Fireball with the homing ability of Fox Orb, struck multiple gargoyles one by one. Explosions erupted from every direction, and the number of gargoyles dwindled at an astonishing rate. They were formidable creatures, but Karnak’s group was far beyond fearing them. The real problem was the noise.

”We need to get out of here!” Leven, taking down the last gargoyle, shouted urgently. ”If we stall any longer, things will get—”

Leven was stopped short. It was due to the loud flapping sounds echoing all around them once more.

”There’s more?”

Another fierce battle broke out. The new gargoyles weren’t particularly stronger than the previous ones. They could be dealt with quickly. The problem was that the flapping sound kept coming again and again!

”There are still more?”

Just as they had taken down about half of the new wave, something strange happened. The remaining gargoyles suddenly retreated. They folded their wings and dispersed, positioning themselves like sentries in front of the exits.

Varos scowled. ”This isn’t good.”

Serati had the same thought. ”We’re too late.”

Lapicel’s gaze turned toward the opposite corridor. ”They’re coming.”

Leven, still catching up, looked around in confusion. “Huh? Who’s coming now?”

From every corridor, dark currents surged forth like rolling storm clouds. Figures in black robes began to emerge from the shadows one by one.

”Damn pagans!”

They were the necromancers of Tesranach.

”How dare you set foot in this sacred place with your filthy presence?”

***

Five necromancers had arrived. They were all considered exceptionally powerful within the Wellad branch.

This can’t be... Their leader, Hugot, glared at Karnak’s group in disbelief. How did they infiltrate this far?

He had known in advance that these intruders were heading for the Wellad branch. He had even estimated their approximate arrival time. That was why they had reinforced security throughout the dungeon and remained extra vigilant. In fact, he had found it odd that they had taken so long to appear. And yet, here they were, deep in the very heart of the dungeon. And they had not triggered any alarms.

How the hell did they do it?

It couldn’t be that they had traveled through the uninhabited zone. Even he wouldn’t dare pass through that area recklessly. The monsters were one thing, but the evil spirits lurking there were far too powerful. The dungeon’s evil spirits wouldn’t simply turn a blind eye to intruders. Entering through the residential area was far easier than trying to break through the uninhabited zone.

I really don’t get it.

But the undeniable truth was that the intruders were standing before him.

Hugot’s voice dropped into a low growl. ”You rats... You really made it this far.”

His words reverberated slowly through the auditorium, filled with oppressive energy. ”But it’s pointless. The great Tesranach watches over all. He has already foreseen your—”

”Oh, cut the crap.” Karnak interrupted. ”You just woke up, didn’t you?”

Varos smirked and chimed in. ”You’ve still got crust in your eyes.”

”Your hair’s a mess, too.”

”Looks like you ran here in a hurry. Maybe take a breath before finishing your speech?”

That was right. They were trying to put on an intimidating display, but the truth was, these necromancers had been jolted awake and had rushed over in a panic.

”Let me guess. You were deep in sleep when the alarm suddenly went off, so you scrambled out of bed, threw on your robes, and bolted out of your rooms.”

”And when you got close to the auditorium, you stopped to fix your clothes, set the stage with some ominous black smoke, and then made your grand slow-motion entrance?”

The necromancers fell silent. The accuracy of the guess was almost terrifying.

How do they know this much?

Were they watching us?

Of course, Karnak and Varos hadn’t watched them. There had been no need.

Because we’ve been there ourselves.

Necromancers are all the same, after all.

As the two continued their back-and-forth mockery, Hugot finally snapped. ”Sh-shut up!”

If he let them keep talking any longer, the atmosphere might shift in their favor.

Raising his skeletal staff, Hugot bellowed, ”Servants of Tesranach, in the name of darkness, I command you. Seize them all!”

The necromancers immediately raised their staffs in unison.

”Come forth, hounds of darkness...”

”Hell, open your maw and vomit forth the void...”

Thick, ominous energy surged like fog, encircling Karnak’s party. A vast miasma of malice spread across the auditorium. Leven and Milia shuddered.

”Ugh!”

”This presence is beyond evil!”

It was as if the gates of hell had opened before them. At the top of the chamber, specters—one of the highest-ranking types of wraiths—hovered in the air, letting out chilling wails. The ground split open, revealing demons cloaked in hellfire emerging from the depths. Black skeletal warriors materialized over necromantic summoning circles, their hollow eyes glowing with an eerie light. A legion of monsters had completely surrounded the group.

Scanning the enemy forces, Serati clicked her tongue. ”These aren’t even in the same league as those gargoyles we fought earlier.”

Even the weakest among them—the skeletal soldiers—were dark skeletons, undead imbued with dark energy. They were reinforced to be as tough as steel. Even aura-enhanced blades wouldn’t easily cut through their bones. Every single one of them was a formidable opponent.

Edia trembled in terror, barely able to let out a whisper. “M-my goddess, please...”

Then she heard something that made her stop. ”Huh?”

Clap, clap, clap, clap.

Karnak was standing there, casually applauding. ”Magnificent. Truly magnificent necromancy.”

Then, nudging the fallen gargoyle corpses with his foot, he continued, ”Honestly, these guys weren’t all that impressive. The way the trap was triggered was well-crafted, I’ll give you that, but the formation itself was way too simplistic.”

His gaze lifted to the creatures standing before him. ”But you lot... this is something else entirely. Such delicate and intricate craftsmanship. It’s an elegance rarely seen in necromancy!”

His exaggerated tone was almost theatrical. ”This isn’t like those idiots who obtain dark power and swing it around like a club without understanding it. No, this... this must have taken years of painstaking effort.”

The necromancers’ expressions hardened.

What the hell is this guy up to?

If a man about to die was standing there clapping, it could only mean one thing. He had complete faith in something.

Hugot, drawing forth dark energy, narrowed his eyes. ”...What are you trying to say, cultist?”

”Oh, nothing much.” Karnak smirked. ”I just wanted to say thanks for putting so much effort into your necromancy and making it so complicated.”

All the while, as he mocked them, he had been analyzing the structure of their necromantic control. Under the guise of flattery, he had been breaking down their summoning patterns. And now, the spell was complete. All that remained was to activate it.

Raising his wand high, Karnak uttered the incantation. ”I shall become the one who atones for the sins of darkness. Redeemer of Necromancy!”

An unseen force rippled across the entire auditorium. A massive wave of magical energy washed over the specters in the air, the demons of hell, and the ranks of undead warriors. Chains of light wrapped around the monsters’ throats. All at once, they turned their heads.

Clank!

Countless glowing eyes shifted toward the necromancers at the far end of the auditorium.

”Ah!”

Hugot gasped, his face twisting in horror. He shouted another command in desperation. ”In the name of darkness, I command you. Obey my will!”

The other necromancers scrambled to reinforce his order.

”Attack!”

”Kill them!”

It was useless. Not a single creature moved. They simply stood in eerie silence.

”Well then...” With a pleasant smile, Karnak snapped his fingers. ”Go bite them!”

That was when the monsters finally moved. What followed was a chorus of agonized screams.