Chapter 84

Chapter 84

Spendthrift Necromancer (84)

Second Arrangement (10)‘So this is where the Death Lord appeared?’Without Minwoo's interference, Merhen would still have been enduring the Academy amid constant bullying.

Then she would've naturally participated in the practical exam.‘And met the Death Lord here…….’Perhaps that was when she'd become undead.

The Knights drew their swords at the appearance of the demon and Lich. The Magic Corps cast every kind of spell as well.

The students steeled themselves for battle.

Liches were known as evil undead, and a Balrog went without saying. It wouldn't have been strange for battle to erupt immediately.

A suffocating silence continued.

Kim Minwoo was just as tense as everyone else.‘This is going to be rough…….’That was the Death Lord himself.

And a Legion Commander was with him.

What did Minwoo's side have?

A few hundred students, plus a Knight Order and Magic Corps that ranked only moderately high within the Empire.

Looking at it coldly, Valkan or whatever that Legion Commander's name was could probably wipe out all of them by himself.‘Still…… I've got to try.’He would've preferred to get through this without fighting if possible, but that didn't seem likely.

Sadistic delight was already overflowing from the Balrog's eyes.

He had the look of a predator staring at prey.

Then Valkan shrugged.―Lord. What should we do?―…….

The Death Lord slowly swept his gaze across everyone.

After a moment.

His eyes met Kim Minwoo's, and he tilted his head.―You…… what are you? Why do you possess my power……?

The Death Lord stared at him as though looking at some grotesque hybrid.‘Can he sense my Skill?’Death Lord(EX).

Minwoo had swallowed the man's power whole.

Naturally, that would seem strange to him.

From the Death Lord's perspective in the past, some random human had suddenly appeared using power similar to his own.

“No idea what you're talking about.”

Kim Minwoo shrugged. The Death Lord looked like an extremely evil Lich.

He was even traveling with a demon. With the Knight Order, Magic Corps, and students all standing there alive, it would be troublesome if Minwoo looked like he knew him.

After a silence, the Death Lord's gaze moved to Merhen.―……

Good.

This time, the Lich nodded with satisfaction.

He looked toward Valkan and spoke.―Dispose of them. Except those two.

Kern and Merhen.

Every gaze instantly converged on them. Merhen trembled, unable to understand why.

And Kern.

“Kill the evil demons!”

He raised his sword and charged immediately.

The others stared for a moment in confusion, then one after another snapped back to their senses. None of them had seriously expected to walk away from a demon and a Lich without fighting.

Kern had simply moved first.

“Destroy them!”

The Knights surged forward like a pack of hounds.

Countless spells poured toward Valkan as well.―Heh. At least I won't be bored.[Valkan summons his favored weapon, Flame Fiend!]

A gigantic whip of fire formed in the Balrog's hand, revealing razor-sharp fangs. He swung it with all his strength toward the brazen human charging first.

One hit would engulf the man's entire body in flames.

Watching humans scream while burning alive was one of Valkan's favorite entertainments.

The Lord had ordered him not to kill this one, so he could simply put the fire out after he'd burned enough. The flame whip slithered toward Kim Minwoo like a venomous snake flicking its tongue.[Title, ‘Law of Victory,’ activates!][All stats increase by 150%!][All damage increases by 150%!]‘Whoa.’Kim Minwoo was shocked inwardly.

He had reached Level 180 while massacring the Monster Wave earlier.

And Law of Victory still activated to this extent?‘At least high 1,600s.’As expected of a Legion Commander, his level was outrageous.

With a level that high, his stats had to be beyond imagination.

The gap was horrifyingly vast.[‘Snowy’ shares the Water attribute!][Using Necromantic Sword Art(S)

!][Consuming 5,000 Mana!]He poured in 5,000 Mana without hesitation.

Hundreds of streams of sword energy bloomed from the Necromantic Sword.

They poured forward.

The flame whip tore through every last one. In return, Minwoo managed to shift its trajectory slightly.

He summoned Dolsoe directly before the deflected whip.[Dolsoe uses Taunt(A)

on Valkan!][The opponent's level is overwhelmingly higher! Taunt is ignored!][Dolsoe uses Defensive Stance(B)

!]

Taunt failed, but since Dolsoe had been summoned directly in its path, the whip wrapped around the Golem.[Dolsoe is unsummoned!]

Even with Defensive Stance active, Dolsoe was unsummoned instantly. During that moment, Kim Minwoo closed into point-blank range with Valkan.[Curse of Aging(D)+9 activates!][The difference is overwhelmingly vast!][The curse fails!]

So the curse didn't work.

Minwoo thrust the Necromantic Sword into the demon's leg with all his strength.

Clang!

Sparks flew as though he'd struck solid steel.

Valkan's whip was already coming back.

It was incredibly fast.

Minwoo threw Dolsoe in front of it again, blocked, and dodged.

Cedric closed in and activated his Skills.[Cedric activates Shadow Spear(SS)

!][Cedric activates Dragon Strike(S)

!]

Shadow Spear doubled the damage.

Then Dragon Strike multiplied it sevenfold. A fourteen-times amplified blow slammed into Valkan.

Boom!

And yet not a single wound appeared on Valkan's body.

That was expected.

The level difference was far too overwhelming. Minwoo desperately avoided the demon's attacks while hammering the exact same point.[You struck the same location! Damage increases by 22%…….][Title, ‘One Who Keeps Digging at the Same Spot,’ activates…….]

The Knights arrived and stabbed Mana-filled swords toward him from every direction.

Countless spells poured in as well.―Begone.[Valkan uses Fist of Flame!]

Flames engulfed his fist.

The moment he punched, a gigantic pillar of fire erupted ahead.

“Aaagh! Save me!”

“Graaaagh!”

The Knights caught inside were roasted alive. Nearly fifty died from a single punch.

Half the Knight Order vanished.

From the students to the Mages standing in the rear.

Everyone felt chilling terror.

The Knights' swords didn't work.

Neither did the magic.

The enemy's level was simply too far beyond them.

And even more horrifying.

The Lich behind him still hadn't moved once.

Kim Minwoo didn't care.

He stubbornly continued hammering the exact same point.[You struck the same location! Damage increases by 44%…….][Title, ‘One Who Keeps Digging at the Same Spot,’ activates…….][You struck the same location! Damage increases by 55%…….][‘One Who Keeps Digging at the Same Spot’…….]

While the Knight Order and Mages held the demon's attention, Minwoo needed to force in as much damage as possible.

Finally.

Crack!

A fountain of blood burst from Valkan's leg.‘Got it.’Kim Minwoo's eyes gleamed.

He'd pierced the demon's hardened hide.

At least now he had the bare minimum of a route to victory.* * *Merhen stared ahead with trembling eyes.

A monster even the elite Knight Order couldn't handle.

Only Kern continued resisting it to the very end.

But the situation didn't look favorable. His body was already being reduced to a bloody wreck.

The Balrog, meanwhile, had only suffered a slight wound to one leg and was still overwhelming him with ease.‘Again…….’It was the same as before.

Kern had sent her away from the Wave.

And again, she couldn't help him at all.

Even in this situation, there wasn't the slightest sign that her magic would manifest.

A pathetic halfwit.

Nothing more than dead weight.

Then.

The Lich approached her.

Several Mages hurriedly cast spells, but it was meaningless.

“Ghk!”

With a single gesture from the Lich, they clutched their hearts and collapsed. As the terrified Mages retreated.

The Lich approached and spoke.―Child. Become my servant.

“……

What?”―Have you not always despaired over your sealed talent?

“……

How do you know that……?”

The Lich's glowing eyes curved into crescents.―Sometimes, talent reveals itself only in death. Your body is like a prison.

“M-My body is a prison?”―Yes. Your talent overflows, yet you will never succeed in manifestation for as long as you live. But if you become my servant, things will be different.

The Lich extended a hand temptingly.―I can feel the grief within you. You must have suffered. I will grant you the power to overturn it all. You need only take this hand…….

“N-No.”

Merhen reflexively shook her head.―Why?

“D-Do I need a reason not to want to become undead?”―I see.

The Lich extended his hand indifferently. At that instant, a Mage beside her collapsed.―How about now?

Merhen trembled.

The Mage who had been breathing beside her moments ago had died instantly.―Still not enough, I suppose.

The Lich snapped his fingers.

Dozens of Mages coughed blood and collapsed.

“Y-You think making servants like this will make me follow you?!”―We shall see.

The Death Lord smiled.

There was nothing disadvantageous about creating a servant this way.

Their loyalty might be weaker, but the more resentment accumulated within them, the greater the power they would possess.

Loyalty could always be corrected later.

“I-I'll never do it.”―Even if that human dies?

“……!”

The Lich pointed.

Kern was there, fighting the Balrog. Merhen's eyes trembled violently.

“D-Don't…….”

The Death Lord reached out.

As though seized by an invisible hand, Kern's body constricted and was helplessly dragged before him.―Have you changed your mind now?

“I-I'll do it! I will!”

Merhen blurted desperately when she saw the bleeding Kern.―Wise choice. You need only take this hand. Such a simple thing…….

Then.

The Death Lord tilted his head and reached somewhere else.―Cwee!

A bird caught in mid-flight cried pitifully.―Hmm…….

A pitch-black cage appeared above his palm as he stared at the bird.

The Death Lord imprisoned the white bird, then looked at Merhen.―Now then, your answer?

“I-In exchange, Kern…….”―Yes. I will spare him. I keep my promises.

He would spare him.

The Death Lord had never intended to kill Kern in the first place.

He was a human carrying the exact same energy as himself. Wasn't it necessary to discover how such a thing had happened?

Only.

The manner in which he fulfilled the promise was entirely up to him.

Even if he dissected every inch of Kern's body again and again.

As long as he remained alive in the end, hadn't the promise been kept?

Merhen was about to extend a trembling hand.

“……

Don't…… do it.”

A tiny voice came from behind.

Kern was gritting his teeth beneath the crushing pressure.

“You…… cough…… said you…… hate…… undead…….”

“Idiot! This isn't the time to worry about me!”

“Anyway…… that……

bastard…… won't…… keep…… his promise…….”―Noisy.

Crunch!

The pressure intensified, and the sound of bones breaking throughout Kern's body echoed out. Blood poured from his mouth.

That should quiet him.

Just as the Death Lord thought he'd finally silenced the annoying human.

“You can……

manifest……

magic……

.”

The Death Lord frowned.

Anyone suffering that much pain should've already lost consciousness. Yet he kept talking.

But increasing the pain any further looked liable to kill him outright.

Kern's body had already been shattered beyond recognition.

Merhen's eyes trembled violently at the sight.

She'd underestimated the Lich.

Kern had said he wouldn't keep his promise.

Now she understood.

This was a monster who crushed someone's body without hesitation.

He might truly do exactly what he'd said and merely ‘keep Kern alive.’‘N-No…….’That would mean nothing.

What was she supposed to do?

“You……

have……

to…… do it…….”

Kern was right.

The only thing she could rely on was her own manifestation. Her heart began pounding like mad. Every moment she'd spent with Kern flashed through her mind.

He was the first good person she'd ever met in her life.

Just as he'd saved her over and over.

She too…….‘I have to save him.’She had to.

If she failed, Kern would die.

She couldn't allow that.

She focused.

Never in her life had she wanted something this desperately.‘Please…….’Just once would be enough.

If only she could manifest magic.

If only she could save Kern…….

She would pay any price.

Then.

The Mana flowing through her body began to move.

Flash!

Light erupted above her hand.

It was magic.