Karnak, Monarch of Death-Chapter 75: The Magical Necromancer (4)

A heavy blow cleaved through the air. The shadow sword tore through the floor and ceiling, splitting the entire two-story wooden building like it was nothing more than a fragile bundle of twigs.

Boom!

Amid the rising smoke and falling debris, three figures darted out with impressive agility. Serati gritted her teeth, her aura-enhanced blade clutched tightly in her hands.

“Damn it!”

She had already struck the golem knight multiple times, but the most she had managed was a few superficial scratches. The creature’s body was so unnaturally tough that even her best strikes couldn’t cause significant damage. And worse, it didn’t allow direct hits. The swordsmanship imbued in the death armor allowed it to parry or deflect her attacks with eerie precision.

I can’t find a single opening!

It was stronger, faster, and even more skilled than she was. The golem knight outclassed Serati in every way. It felt as if she were fighting an aura user of a higher tier than her.

“Hahahaha!” Detzras’s laughed triumphantly. “Now do you see the true power of the divine?”

Serati cursed under her breath as she barely evaded another strike. “Divine power, my ass! That thing’s basically a purple-tier aura user.”

Though the golem knight was undoubtedly powerful, it wasn’t beyond comprehension. Any kingdom’s knight captain could feasibly defeat it. Claiming such a thing as divine authority felt more like a boast born of ignorance.

But Detzras seemed genuinely convinced. “Such blind fools! You stand in the presence of a miracle and yet fail to grasp its majesty!”

In truth, his words weren’t entirely baseless. The golem knight’s existence wasn’t just about its raw power. Rather, it was an affront to the natural order. The fusion of magic and necromancy defied the divine laws set by the seven goddesses. The golem knight was truly an existence fit to be called a heretical miracle. It was fit to be called the product of a divine power. Of course, Serati had no such context.

“Why’s he acting so smug over something no one else gets?” she muttered before sending a message to Varos.

[So... what do we do now?]

[Uh... good question.]

Varos had been lurking on the other side of the battlefield while biding his time. His sword was effectively useless against the golem knight. Even if it stood perfectly still, it would take him dozens of minutes to chip away at a single arm.

Instead, he had been focusing on Detzras, looking for an opportunity to strike. It was common sense to target the summoner when faced against a summoned creature. The problem was, it was also common knowledge for the summoner to defend himself.

I’m not seeing any opportunities.

Whenever Varos tried to approach, the golem knight would unleash its shadowy blade in a perfect counter, forcing him to retreat. While this created openings for Serati to attack...

Clang!

...her aura-reinforced strikes barely left a dent in the creature’s reinforced body.

Damn it!

What do I do now?

They were truly in a situation with no way out. Naturally, their eyes simultaneously drifted toward the man standing behind them. Their only hope was Karnak, the once-Monarch of Death.

[Young master?]

[Lord Karnak?]

Karnak was watching the battle unfold with a calm detachment, as if he had no intention of joining the battle.

“Wow, so it is possible,” he mused.

“Fascinating. Who came up with the formula for the spell? It must have required extraordinary expertise...”

He muttered to himself with an amused smile, entirely unfazed by the chaos around him. To the two who were fighting for their lives, it was infuriating.

What the hell is he doing?

Serati finally snapped, shouting through their magical link. [If you’ve got some secret move, could you use it before we die?]

Varos quickly added his own plea. [If you’re counting on Plan P, forget it! There’s no way me switching bodies with Sir Serati is going to help against that!]

Karnak gave a bitter smirk. “Well, I was hoping to watch for a bit longer, but I suppose it’s time to wrap this up. I’ll need answers directly from him.”

Varos’s brow furrowed. Karnak’s tone was too calm, too assured. But he had no idea what Karnak was planning. It was impossible to defeat the golem knight with mere tricks. It would require overwhelming strength or unparalleled magical expertise to defeat it.

Defeating a warrior holding a shield could be done with skill alone, but breaking the shield itself required pure strength. And no one understood better than Varos that the current Karnak lacked that level of strength.

[What on earth are you relying on to act so composed? Didn’t you say this situation was unexpected?]

[Yeah, I didn’t expect it.]

Karnak raised both hands confidently.

[But I had a feeling something like this might happen. I do learn, you know?]

In other words, he hadn’t predicted the specific event, but he’d anticipated that something unpredictable might occur.

[That’s why I made thorough preparations this time. I made sure I could handle whatever came our way.]

[And what exactly is that?]

Karnak lowered his raised hands. From his fingertips, darkness flowed down and seeped into the ground.

[These guys.]

The darkness spread across the earth, and at its edge, the dead rose to stand tall once more. From their parched throats came a chilling voice.

“My master...”

“Command us...”

With a broad grin, Karnak pointed at them.

“Now, my necromantic powers may be modest.” Two corpses cloaked in pitch-black robes emanated a vast, overflowing darkness. “But theirs? They're overwhelming.”

Detzras’s face hardened. “...Kayle? Olt?”

This lunatic had just turned his deceased subordinates into undead!

***

Pale, lifeless eyes, bleached white, appeared against blue-tinged skin. A dense miasma of darkness continuously oozed out from the two corpses. Not that it was particularly surprising. Raising corpses as zombies often resulted in such phenomena.

Given that the dead were once corrupted necromancers, it was natural that so much would seep out. But what followed completely defied Detzras’s understanding. Kayle was holding a small lantern—the Lantern of Lost Souls—in his hand

“Rise, cursed spirits of the fallen warriors...”

A blue ghostly flame ignited, and countless spectral soldiers surged from all directions.

“Grrraaah...”

“Arrrrgh...”

At the same time, Olt’s body swelled as he transformed into a demonic figure. It was a manifestation of his signature demonization technique.

“Power of the abyss, descend upon me and become my chaos!”

Detzras couldn’t believe his eyes. Both were wielding their signature skills with the same precision as when they were alive.

Impossible!

As a high-ranking necromancer himself, Detzras knew full well just how absurd this was.

He’s controlling dead necromancers through necromancy to make them wield necromancy?!

The thought alone was enough to make his tongue curl in disbelief. Was it even possible for a human to execute such a convoluted ritual? And yet, it was undeniably happening before his very eyes.

“Go forth, my minions...” Zombie Kayle’s eerie voice rang out. “Obliterate your master’s enemies under the command of darkness...”

The spectral soldiers swarmed the golem knight and crashed into it like a tidal wave. Simultaneously, Olt roared and hurled himself at the foe.

“Raaaargh!”

Detzras hastily snapped out of his daze and issued a new command.

Destroy them as well!

The golem knight swung its dark blade, its massive form barreling forward.

Boom!

With every swing of the blade, spectral soldiers shattered and scattered in all directions. The colossal demon was sent flying backward under the golem’s immense strength.

Bang! Boom!

The sound of explosions echoed as dark ripples spread out in all directions. Watching the golem knight pin the demon’s neck to the ground, Detzras sneered.

“Hah! It doesn’t make any difference in the end!”

Even when they were alive, the two had been weaker than him. There was no way they’d grow stronger after death. Sure, Karnak was pulling off some absurd feats, but that didn’t mean his methods were particularly powerful. They were just... unusual.

“They’re still no match for me!”

Surprisingly, Karnak nodded in agreement. “Of course, you’re right. However...”

Suddenly, a blazing magic bullet struck the back of the golem knight’s head with a resounding bang!

Boom! Boom!

The impact allowed the spectral soldiers to regroup. It also gave Olt to rise to his feet once more. The timing of the attack had been nothing short of impeccable.

"They’re not your only opponents."

Indeed. Just because reinforcements had joined the fray didn’t mean Karnak’s group had any reason to stand idly by. By now, Varos and Serati had caught their breath and were diving into the battle with renewed vigor.

"Finally!"

"The tide’s turning in our favor!"

With the two of them joining the fight, the battlefield began shifting rapidly. For starters, Kayle’s spectral soldiers proved to be exceptionally effective. Karnak would issue a command to Kayle, who in turn relayed it to the Lantern of Lost Souls.

"My servant, target him!"

The spectral soldiers followed Karnak’s orders and ignored the golem knight, instead surging toward Detzras himself from all directions. Naturally, Detzras wasn’t about to let that slide.

"Tch! Protect your master!"

The golem knight sent the spectral soldiers hurtling in all directions. The dark blade of the golem knight was so devastating that even its mere aftermath annihilated dozens in a single sweep.

Boom! Boom! Kaboom!

But each time, just as before, gaps in the golem knight’s defenses were exposed.

"Take this!"

With a sharp battle cry, Serati swung her aura-infused blade, leaving a long gash across the golem knight’s armor.

Crack!

Of course, it was still just a crack. Her attacks weren’t yet powerful enough to destroy the death armor in one strike.

"But this time, things are different!"

Adding to the assault, Olt’s claws struck with brutal force.

Boom!

Blow after blow landed on the same spot, and eventually, even the death armor couldn’t hold up.

Detzras frowned deeply.

"Damn it..."

It seemed he couldn’t rely on the golem knight’s defense alone anymore. Quickly, he prepared another move.

"Rise, O dead, and extend the hands of chaos!"

He unleashed a necromantic domain—The Sinking Mire of the Dead. Blood-red darkness blanketed the ground, and countless ghastly hands reached upward. But there was a reason he hadn’t used this technique earlier.

Snap!

At the sound of Karnak snapping his fingers, the ghostly hands vanished as if they had never existed.

Ah, right! That bastard has that ability!

In his urgency, Detzras had momentarily forgotten why he’d avoided using the domain until now. Cursing his mistake, he redirected his focus back to the golem knight.

This spell is the only thing I can rely on.

Meanwhile, the golem knight’s armor continued to break apart. Earlier, it had only been Serati attacking, but now, Olt had joined in. With the two of them hammering away together, their combined offensive power had essentially doubled. Moreover, they were finding far more openings for their attacks now.

"Looks like they’re handling things well enough. Guess it’s my turn..."

Keeping a close watch, Varos circled around Detzras, weaving through Kayle’s spectral soldiers and executing precise hit-and-run strikes. Each time, Detzras instinctively ordered the golem knight to protect him. After all, he valued his life above all else.

"Shield me!"

This, of course, shifted the turn back to Serati and Olt.

"This is our chance! Hit the golem!"

And just as Detzras commanded the golem knight to fend off another assault...

"Take care of those first!"

Varos would aim at Detzras.

"This is the moment! Strike that bastard!"

"Sh-shield me!"

"This is it! Attack the golem!"

"Aaaaagh! You cursed pests!"

It was the epitome of a relentless, dishonorable cycle—an artful display of opportunistic warfare. Serati clicked her tongue.

Ugh, anyone watching this would think we’re the villains.

And come to think of it, wasn’t that true? Using necromancy, controlling corpses and spirits, ganging up on a single opponent—if this wasn’t villainous behavior, then what was?

"Da-damn it!"

Grinding his teeth, Detzras poured more mana and necrotic energy into the golem knight.

"You think the power bestowed by Tesranach will falter under this?!"

Fueled by near desperation, his relentless reinforcement kept the golem knight standing, even as it was battered to pieces.

Karnak clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Damn, that thing’s tough."

Varos sent a quick message. [What do we do? We still don’t have enough firepower.]

[If we’re lacking firepower...]

Karnak grinned. There was a method that would produce devastating force, even with their current resources.

[Let’s do this.]

He sent out a mental command. "Go, my servants."

Kayle and Olt suddenly charged toward the golem knight. Then, without hesitation, they hurled themselves at it. Naturally, the golem knight retaliated. Its dark blade pierced straight through the two necromancers’ bodies.

And at that precise moment—

"Corpse explosion."

An earth-shattering explosion tore through the slums, shaking the area to its core.

Kaboooom!