Karnak, Monarch of Death-Chapter 160: Awakening (2)

For now, they had managed to stop the ritual, though barely. They had also protected Leven’s soul. Whether becoming the servant of a depraved necromancer could truly be considered saving his soul was up for debate, but at the very least, Leven's sense of self remained intact. The problem was that, in exchange, they had freed the monstrous Demphis.

From across the chamber, Serati glanced at the sealed stone doors and sent a mental message.

—What do we do? We haven't rescued the others yet...

Varos wiped the cold sweat from his forehead before responding.

—Now's not the time to worry about them. We're about to die right here.

The archlich stepped forward, his golden staff tapping against the ground. Each step sent ripples of necromantic energy surging through the floor. Despite having his ritual disrupted, he showed no signs of anger. After all, Karnak's interference was only a temporary setback.

As long as he reclaimed Leven's body, he could perform the descent ritual again with just a few days of preparation. For now, it was far more important to eliminate these intruders once and for all.

Demphis fixed his cold gaze on Karnak and spoke in a quiet, deliberate voice. "I will not make the same mistake twice."

This one—Karnak—was no ordinary opponent. Even as a ninth circle master, Demphis had never encountered such an unorthodox set of abilities. Karnak was not someone to be underestimated. But once Demphis acknowledged this, the solution became obvious.

If an enemy was frail but possessed exceptional skill, the answer was simple: overwhelm them with raw power. And Karnak's lack of magical reserves was a fixed weakness.

"The first step is ensuring you cannot escape."

Demphis lifted his golden staff and struck the ground. "The earth shall rise as an unyielding barrier. Stone Wall."

With a deafening rumble, massive slabs of rock surged upward, sealing every exit within the chapel. Of course, a sufficiently powerful mage or aura user could still break through solid rock. That was why he layered an additional defense.

"Flow forth, Abyssal Darkness."

From beneath his feet, black shadows spread outward, coating the entire chamber, including the stone barriers, in an inky void. It was as if he had gilded the entire cathedral in the power of death itself.

"This should make things rather difficult for you."

Karnak let out a dry chuckle. "That's an incredibly inefficient and wasteful method. You pride yourself on brute force?"

Demphis remained unfazed. "A beggar would worry over a single coin, but a wealthy man can afford to squander a handful of gold."

He wasn't wrong. Despite Karnak's mocking tone, inwardly, he was impressed.

He reinforced this nicely.

The dark energy wasn't just a crude layer of power. Rather, it was woven in such fine threads that the stone itself gleamed like polished obsidian. And it wasn't compressed.

Unlike mana, necromantic energy actually lost potency when condensed. Instead, Demphis had spread it out like a delicate fabric, layering it over and over dozens of times until it formed an impenetrable shell. It was, in fact, a flawless execution of necromantic principles.

That's Demphis for you. Always so damn competent.

It was because of this very competence that Karnak had once placed him among Necropia's four governors. Back then, the empire of the dead had been ruled by Karnak, the Monarch of Death, with Varos, the death knight lord, as his second-in-command.

They were supported by the Three Archmages and three martial kings. Below them were the Four Governors of Necropia. Under them, thirteen High Generals and seventy-two Warlords commanded the armies of the dead.

Demphis, in terms of hierarchy, had been second only to the archmages and martial kings.

The problem is that his competence is currently being used to kill me.

With his prey now firmly trapped, Demphis raised his staff once more. "I could finish you all as you are now..."

From the staff, inky tendrils of energy slithered outward, wrapping around Hugot and the remaining necromancers.

"But I hear you possess a rather peculiar form of magic."

He had already been informed of the fact. Karnak had the ability to reverse necromantic control. At first glance, it seemed similar to Elezar's magic. But there was a fundamental difference. Elezar's methods allowed for the fusion of necromancy and conventional magic.

Karnak, on the other hand, had the ability to seize control of another's necromancy entirely. Demphis still didn't understand how it worked. But he knew what it did.

"And if I know what it does, I can devise a countermeasure.” Murmuring an incantation, he spread his arms. "Rise, children of Tesranach..."

Just as before, Hugot's body transformed into a monstrous abomination. His frame expanded, muscles swelling grotesquely. From his back and arms, writhing tendrils and jagged spines erupted.

The remaining necromancers underwent the same mutation. Half of their numbers had already been reduced to nothing but shattered corpses, but those who remained were reborn as monstrosities.

“Graaaah!"

Five grotesque beasts stood at Demphis's command.

The archlich sneered. "Can you control these as well?"

Karnak said nothing. But the stiffening of his expression was enough of an answer.

"I thought as much.” Demphis issued a command. "Capture them."

Hugot hesitated for a moment before confirming.

"You mean... capture them alive?"

Previously, Demphis had shown interest in only Leven. But now, things were different.

"That one possesses a peculiar ability.” The blue flames in Demphis's hollow eyes flickered as he fixed his gaze on Karnak. "I need to understand why."

***

The mutated necromancers began closing in, encircling the group from both sides.

Glaring at their approaching enemies, Varos sent a mental transmission.

—What's the situation, young master?

Karnak replied grimly.

—It's a failure.

While Demphis had sealed their escape and transformed his subordinates into monsters, Karnak hadn't been idle. Though it had seemed like he was merely observing, a fierce battle of magical formulas had been raging beneath the surface.

—I kept trying to interfere, but I couldn't find an opening. Still... it's a better situation than yesterday.

Serati muttered as she raised her sword.

—I suppose so. At least they're not trying to kill us outright.

Varos shook his head.

—That's not necessarily true.

At that moment, massive spikes sprouted from the necromancers' backs. Dozens of bone-like projectiles shot toward them in unison.

"Whoa!"

Serati barely managed to dodge. The spikes struck the ground where she had stood, shattering stone with explosive force.

"What the hell? Weren't they supposed to capture us?"

Each projectile was the size of a heavy iron stake. Even a single one would be fatal if it struck a vital point.

Varos deflected the incoming spikes with his aura-infused blades, smirking bitterly. "They have... unique interpretations of terminology in this business."

For necromancers, capture simply meant securing the body while the soul remained inside. In other words, as long as the corpse was still warm—even if the victim was dead and mangled—it still counted as captured.

Serati ground her teeth. "Ugh, I really hate necromancy."

On the other side, Karnak was casting a spell. "Become a shield that protects your master. Mana Shield!"

A crimson barrier enveloped both him and Leven. The spikes hurtling toward them deflected harmlessly off the magical shield.

Karnak let out a sigh of relief as he dispelled the barrier. "Whew. That was close."

This time, he had been fortunate enough to protect Leven as well. But he couldn't afford to keep wasting time on defense.

"Leven! Survive however you can!"

"If you're gonna say that, at least give me a proper weapon!"

Leven had been frantically searching for a weapon since the battle began. But all their enemies were necromancers. None of them carried swords. The best he could find was a broken staff.

Karnak reached into his coat and tossed something to him. "Here!"

Leven caught it and frowned. "A dagger?"

Was he seriously expected to fight these monstrous creatures with a dagger?

"I'm a mage. Do you think I carry a longsword?"

Daggers were a basic travel necessity, carried by people of all professions.

"Then at least give me another one!"

"Use mine!"

Serati tossed him a secondary dagger.

Now wielding one in each hand, Leven at least looked somewhat combat-ready.

Damn it. I guess this is better than nothing.

Serati, having finished her brief assist, launched herself back into the fray.

“Haa!" With a sharp battle cry, her crimson aura-clad sword came crashing down.

A brilliant red arc slashed through the air, cutting deep into the monstrous enemy. But her opponent wasn't about to go down easily. It immediately retaliated, drawing jagged bone blades from its body and swinging its twin arms in a wide arc. Aura-clad steel clashed against bone blades in a relentless exchange.

A fierce battle erupted. Varos took the lead in battle, fending off three monstrous opponents simultaneously. He wielded his aura chains like serpents, unraveling them through the cathedral, weaving an intricate web of movement to disorient his enemies. Each erratic motion forced them to leave openings, and Varos never missed an opportunity to exploit a weakness.

"Hah!" 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

With a short battle cry, his aura-clad sword cleaved deep into a monster's shoulder. Blood sprayed as the creature stumbled back, clutching its wound.

"Tch! A minor injury like this. I’ll just regenerate and—"

"You won't."

The wound, which had started to heal, suddenly stopped.

"Come on, now. Managing regeneration is basic knowledge, isn't it?"

Even without necromancy, creatures with regenerative abilities were common enough. Any seasoned warrior knew how to counter them. The simplest method was to burn them or freeze them solid. Another was to leave traces of aura or divine energy in the wound, preventing recovery. Sure enough, the creature's flesh failed to mend. The aura lingering in the wound tore it open again.

And a wound that tried to heal only to be ripped apart was far more agonizing than a fresh one.

The monster howled in pain.

Varos seized the opening and drove his aura blade downward. Just as his crimson strike was about to split the creature's skull, a sinister voice echoed.

"Lightning Spear."

A spear of crackling electricity shot toward Varos. Demphis had intervened the moment his subordinate was in danger.

Tch!

If it hit, he would be roasted alive. Mid-air, Varos twisted his stance and redirected his blade.

Please block it!

His crimson sword clashed against the incoming lightning, scattering sparks in every direction. He was blasted backward, but managed to land safely, his expression shifting into something almost amused.

Huh? This time, I can actually handle it?

The magic's intensity was noticeably weaker than before. Compared to the Demphis of yesterday, this one was clearly diminished.

—Didn't I tell you? Things are going to be better today.

Karnak's voice carried a hint of satisfaction. Karnak continued smugly.

—That bastard burned through a lot of energy.

The ritual alone had drained massive amounts of mana. Then he had wasted even more struggling against his own entrapment, only to finally break free. Demphis had essentially exhausted himself fighting himself.

"That makes sense! If that's the case...”

Emboldened, Varos lunged at Demphis.

Clatter!

His aura chains snapped open, and his twin chain blades slithered forward like striking vipers.

"Hmph."

Even though he lacked a nose, Demphis still managed to scoff. He slammed his staff against the ground. Darkness surged and formed into a massive vortex. The spinning black tornado deflected the chains with ease before engulfing Varos entirely.

"Gah!"

Swept up, Varos was hurled through the air. His body slammed into the ceiling, then the walls, then a column—bouncing off each surface like a ragdoll before crashing into the ground. He barely managed to steady himself before landing with a grimace.

—H-He's still absurdly strong!

—I never said we had the advantage. I just said things were better than yesterday.

—You should've led with that!

—Maybe you should listen to the end of my sentences.

As the two bickered, the archlich raised his golden staff again.

"Blow, frozen death of the tundra. Blizzard Storm."

A blinding white storm consumed the cathedral. This wasn't an ordinary blizzard. It was a spell that froze everything in its path. physical matter, magical energy, even intangible forces like aura were frozen in its wake. At this rate, not only their bodies but also their very life force would be encased in ice.

Tch. Even weakened, he's still a monster.

All Karnak and his allies had managed to do was slightly improve their chances of struggling, rather than being completely helpless.

"Well then...” Karnak tightened his grip on his wand. "I'll struggle with all I've got!"

Except... “Well, I won’t. He will."

With a flick of his wrist, he inscribed runes mid-air and began chanting.

"Oh great king of flame, I summon thee by contract...” Blazing fire surged, pushing back the freezing winds. The flames took the form of a colossal giant. "Go forth, El Ragnatia!"