Chapter 34

The lowest level of the underground cavern looked like a construction site. Fernandez carefully stepped on the wooden stairs, keeping an eye on his footing.

‘Fifteen people.’

-All of them are mages. One of them seems quite skilled.

‘I’ve never seen such perfectly preserved remains before.’

In the center of the lowest level lay the exposed upper half of a dragon’s skeleton. The rest of the remains were likely still buried beneath the ground.

Despite the limited visibility, the dragon was so massive that it couldn’t be fully seen at a glance. Robed mages bustled around, drawing magical formations and runes on the dragon’s bones and the floor.

One of the dragon’s molars, attached to its skull, was as large as a small child. Thick magical energy filled the cavern, dispersing like fog. The density of the magical energy was so intense that Fernandez felt dizzy and took a deep breath.

‘It’s almost complete. A resurrection ritual. Can they really revive remains that have been dead for over two thousand years?’

-Theoretically, it’s possible.

‘Yeah. Theoretically.’

Is there any magic as varied as the magic used to resurrect the dead? The most important aspect in the necromancy school related to resurrection is the ‘scope.’

The level of spirituality, the experience and memories of the soul, the presence of essence. To what extent will they be revived? Naturally, the closer to the original state, the more difficult it becomes, and reviving someone exactly as they were before death is practically impossible.

Therefore, even if their magic succeeds, it won’t be the original ‘dragon.’ It will only be a monstrous, inferior copy of the dragon.

Still, even a fragment of the dragon’s essence would be a significant threat.

-They’re more competent than I thought.

‘With such a level of skill, how come we didn’t know about them?’

Even to Fernandez, their magic seemed highly sophisticated. But necromancers, especially experimental ones, aren’t suited for combat. Fernandez gripped his dagger.

-Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss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As I turned towards the mage, one of them quickly dashed forward.

“Don’t move.”

-Whack!

“I told you not to speak.”

“Ugh…”

Fernandez’s longsword flew and pierced the mage’s stomach. The mage gasped in intense pain and slumped down. Blood flowed, soaking the floor. Fernandez tried to retrieve the sword from the fallen mage.

-Fizzle.

Before dying, the mage drew something on the floor with his own blood. A trigger word. It was the keyword to activate the magic circuit of the formation. Fernandez bit his lip and looked back.

“It… it’s started!!!!”

-Ooooooh…

-Rumble…

The cave shook violently, and the scattered mana in the air began to writhe. Fernandez quickly jumped into the center of the glowing red magic circuit.

‘Faijashi! If the undead resurrection requires a control ritual…’

-It must mean they intend to revive even the dragon’s soul.

‘Damn it.’

The amount of mana required to drive a mana wedge was beyond what he could attempt now. Fernandez bit his lip.

At least, the fact that their ritual was incomplete. Unlike in his previous life, the possibility that he could control the dragon’s resurrection, created through an incomplete ritual, was the only hope in this situation.

An unintended gamble, but he had no choice. Feeling the mana burning through his entire body, Fernandez grasped the beastman.

-Necromancy… It’s chilling.

‘It’s necessary. It’s necessary.’

He wasn’t saying this to Faijashi, but to himself. The thought of necromancy and the undead sent a chill down his spine, even for Fernandez.

Anyway, let’s say this is for his son. Fernandez completed the beastman and looked forward. Inside the dragon’s skull, a blue aura began to spread.

After two thousand years. The dragon was finally being resurrected.

*

Kirhas was running, hiding in the dark alleys. She could feel heretics with torches running around everywhere in the alley. She could take down one or two, but… their numbers were beyond what she expected.

‘Why are there so many heretics hiding in the elf city?’

-Whack!

“HuHe… Xiche!”

“Ah!?”

The wall Kirhas was hiding behind burst open, and a muscular giant appeared, laughing heartily. The complex patterns on his body emitted a strange blue light.

Behind him, the figure of a crow could be seen.

“Xiche… Got you, wench!”

The giant stuttered with an awkward tone. He didn’t seem familiar with the common language of the continent. Kirhas quickly pulled back and drew her sword.

-Clang!

“Ugh! What kind of strength?!”

“Pathetic little rat!”

The giant drew a blue dagger and knocked Kirhas’ sword away. The advantage of the weapon’s length was matched by the giant’s sheer size.

-Clang! Clang!

“Not bad, wench!”

Kirhas kept deflecting the giant’s dagger and stepped back. The sheer force and momentum from his size were violent in themselves. She felt as if she were sparring with the Brothers of Diemonica.

Sparring with Diemonica. Having trained with monsters who overwhelmed technique with sheer strength and instinct, the giant’s clumsy movements, inferior to Diemonica’s, felt…

‘Familiar!’

She was used to fighting enemies larger than herself! She aimed for the trajectory of the giant’s dagger and lunged in.

“What?!”

-Whoosh!!

The giant’s forearm brushed past her head. Kirhas quickly rolled to the side and got behind the giant. Her sword reflected the moonlight, flashing brightly.

-Crash!

“Ugh?!”

Just as the blade was about to pierce the giant’s back, the crow-shaped aura swirling around him roughly pushed her away! Kirhas quickly adjusted her posture mid-air and landed softly.

The giant glared at her, panting. He pointed at Kirhas with one hand and bent his fingers at a strange angle.

“Mage!”

“Chreat! Xixe Charka!”

-Whoosh!

Blue flames shot towards Kirhas following the giant’s hand. Kirhas rolled back, escaping the range of the flames. The fire spread from where she had been, starting to burn the alley!

“Tatch, Oraion!”

“??”

As the flames closed in on Kirhas, a heretic in a robe stumbled into the alley and shouted. The giant turned his head to look at the heretic.

At that moment, a silver flash tore through the air.

-Slice.

The heretic’s head rose into the air.

The terror and confusion etched on his face were vivid. A spray of blood shot into the air, and as it settled…

-Thud.

The heretic’s head rolled on the ground, and a moment later, his body collapsed.

“Sir Basil. Night walks in dangerous places, I see?”

Behind the heretic, silver hair scattered in the wind.

-Clang.

Leia sheathed her longsword and stepped forward. She looked at the giant with sharp eyes. The giant seemed stunned by her sudden appearance.

“Cease your magic, human.”

“Eld?! Eld ridare Bane!”

“Northern barbarian tongue. How did you cross the North Sea?”

“Elf warrior!! Useless vampires!”

Leia turned her body towards the giant, slowly placing her hand on the hilt. It was the unique swordsmanship of the elves. Kirhas recalled the manuals she had seen in the Inquisition Office’s library.

The unique swordsmanship of the elves who lived on ships. A swordsmanship designed for close-quarters combat on narrow decks. A sharp strike aimed at the enemy’s center in a single move!

“Eld Victi!! Wrela!”

Leia’s eyes widened at the giant’s words, and she paused for a moment. Seeing this, the giant roared in anger and quickly climbed the alley wall.

“Le, Leia! We lost him!”

“Chase him! I, I have urgent business!”

“Huh?”

“I need to meet General Aildern!!”

Leia bit her lip tightly and left the alley. General Aildern. The closest aide to King Guimerin and the captain of the royal guard! If he had betrayed them, the king’s safety couldn’t be guaranteed!

“Uh…”

Kirhas stood dumbfounded, watching Leia disappear. The flames that had been flowing along the alley walls had already subsided. Kirhas sighed and reached into her pocket.

She felt the incense burner. Anyway, she had to regroup with Your Excellency.

*