Karnak, Monarch of Death

The young man, Karnak, possessed truly extraordinary skills in necromancy. Even with his relatively weak reserves of necrotic energy, which could almost be called meager, he wielded spells that matched the strength of Detzras’s most powerful techniques.

But what truly left Detzras in shock wasn’t Karnak’s raw power. It was something far more confounding.

I can understand that part...

Detzras himself had once been a mage, only delving into necromancy a few years ago. His cautious nature meant that even as a powerful necromancer, he still sent subordinates ahead as bait whenever faced with an unknown enemy.

He prided himself on his pragmatic self-assessment. While he had indeed grown stronger through necromancy and his vast reserves of power, he was keenly aware that his skill as a necromancer wasn’t particularly exceptional.

Thus, it wasn’t beyond reason for a traditional necromancer to display superior technique or power compared to him.

But this... This I cannot comprehend!

Karnak was undoubtedly a traditional necromancer. His highly efficient and potent necromantic techniques were proof enough of that. Yet, there he was, simultaneously casting sixth-circle spells.

How can he use both necromancy and magic together?

It was an odd question, given that Detzras was also wielding both. But in reality, to him, this was an earth-shattering anomaly that challenged the very foundations of his beliefs.

Wasn’t this supposed to be possible only through the blessings of Tesranach?

Using both magic and necromancy wasn’t just a matter of enhanced power. It defied the natural order itself. Aura, divine energy, mana, and necromancy were fundamentally incompatible. Such was the immutable law decreed by the seven goddesses. For someone to break that divine rule meant challenging the very fabric of the world.

The Cult of the Black God preached this as a sign of their deity’s supreme authority. It was undeniable proof that Tesranach was the true god of death, a transcendent existence. It was this fundamental truth that drew so many to the cult. They didn’t merely seek power. They believed in the advent of a new world, backed by the evidence of his authority, as foretold by the teachings of Tesranach.

And yet, someone with no ties to the cult is wielding both magic and necromancy...?

This was heresy of the highest order. If it were true, it would shake the very foundations of the cult’s teachings.

That cannot be.

There could only be one conclusion.

It’s merely a trick.

One of the two—magic or necromancy—had to be fake. It was the only explanation that aligned with reason.

“Phew, I almost let myself be deceived,” Detzras muttered, regaining his composure.

He raised his hands steadily. Unlike this pretender, he was blessed by Tesranach. It meant he was a true practitioner of both magic and necromancy, one who had broken the natural order with the god of death’s blessing.

“You think I’d fall for your lies, foolish heretic?”

Mana and necromantic energy surged simultaneously from Detzras’s hands.

“Let me show you the true teachings of a god!”

***

Varos continued cutting down spirits with precision and efficiency.

“Take this! And that! Haah!”

Even though each spirit was comparable to an elite adventurer, Varos didn’t falter. Every strike found its mark, every retreat was calculated, and every movement was executed with perfect economy. His physical performance was nothing short of awe-inspiring. Watching him, Serati couldn’t help but feel a tinge of admiration.

“Wow... I wish I could move like that,” she muttered wistfully.

Varos shot her a sharp look, grumbling, “That’s my line!”

Like Varos, Serati was also fighting off the spirits, but her approach was vastly different. If they got too close, she either stabbed, slashed, or smashed them.

That was it. No finesse or complex maneuvers were necessary for her. As an aura user, her physical capabilities were so overwhelming that the spirits stood no chance. Moreover, her blade was imbued with crimson aura. It was so destructive that even a glancing blow would shatter a spirit completely.

Boom! Boom! Kaboom!

“Ugh, this is just depressing. I really need to learn aura soon,” Varos muttered bitterly.

It was a matter of compatibility. Against a single powerful foe, Varos’s skill and precision would give him the upper hand. But against a swarm of weaker enemies, an aura user like Serati was simply in a different league. Because of this, Detzras’s spirit army was rapidly dwindling.

Karnak surveyed the battlefield and murmured to himself, “At this rate, his necrotic power must be running low...”

It was time to deal with the man himself.

Just as Karnak was preparing his next spell, Detzras spoke in a low voice, his expression twisting into a grimace. “You think I’d fall for your lies, foolish heretic?”

Do you think I’ll fall for your tricks, foolish unbeliever?”

“Huh?”

“Let me show you the true teachings of a god!”

“What tricks? What are you even talking about?”

Karnak wasn’t entirely sure what Detzras was rambling about, but the energy radiating from him was anything but ordinary. From Detzras’s entire body, an intense mixture of mana and necromantic energy began surging outward.

Better prepare, just in case.

Karnak quickly erected a defensive barrier. Ten dark, shadowy forms began orbiting his group, forming a shield of darkness. It was a necromantic technique that created a barrier from the shadows.

At the same time, Detzras began casting a spell. “Arise, spirit of the earth!”

Boom!

The ground rumbled as soil and rock gathered and rose, forming a two-meter-tall earthen golem. Varos and Serati blinked in confusion.

“Uh... isn’t that...”

They had seen this spell not long ago. It was the very same magic used by Tarman, the mage from the King’s Order, during his fight against the vampires.

“A golem summoning spell?”

Even Karnak looked a bit puzzled.

Why that spell?

Golem summoning was undeniably one of the most advanced and powerful fifth-circle spells. Its strength was nothing to scoff at. But against the current Karnak, it wasn’t exactly a significant threat. Now a sixth-circle mage and a proficient necromancer, he had more than enough power to destroy a single golem.

Did he summon it specifically to target Varos?

Varos, meanwhile, had already taken a step back, his expression grim.

“This one’s going to be tough for me.”

A magical golem was essentially a moving mass of rock. Its sheer durability and brute strength made it impervious to any kind of finesse or technical skill.

Serati, on the other hand, seemed delighted. “Shall I handle it?”

Hard as a rock? That didn’t matter. With her aura-enhanced blade, she could slice through stone as easily as carving a fruit. It might take more than one strike to destroy it due to its durability, but golems were notoriously slow. She could leisurely chip away at it, starting from the outside.

“A golem’s nothing to worry about...” she said confidently, gripping her aura blade tighter as she prepared to move in.

But before she could act, Detzras began chanting again. “I command you! Descend, Armor of the Wailing Abyss!”

Whooooosh!

The air howled as darkness coalesced above, forming a massive suit of armor wielding a greatsword. It was a death armor, one of the highest-ranking undead among those categorized as living armor.

This time, Serati’s face fell. “Ugh... that’s going to be a pain to deal with...”

A death armor wasn’t merely an animated suit of armor. It was a malevolent entity imbued with the lingering will of a fallen warrior. While its durability didn’t match that of a golem, it had the combat skills of a seasoned swordsman.

What made it worse was the lack of a physical body to target. For any warrior, it was a nightmare opponent since swords were designed to kill living beings, not destroy armor.

Karnak murmured, “It’s fine, Serati.”

“Pardon?”

“I’ll handle the death armor.”

Though the death armor was far more dangerous than the golem, Karnak didn’t see much of a difference. He already knew its weaknesses. If Serati focused on the golem while he dealt with the death armor, there wouldn’t be any major issues.

“You’re right,” Serati said, starting to relax. “The way he was acting, I thought he was preparing something truly devastating, but this isn’t so bad.”

But as she glanced at Karnak and Varos, she noticed their expressions remained tense.

“Why do you both look so serious?”

At her question, the two men exchanged glances before responding in low voices.

“Something feels...,” Karnak said.

“Off, right? It’s strange, isn’t it, young master?” Varos added.

Serati frowned, confused. The air around them was undeniably heavy. Detzras’s demeanor carried a weight of finality, as though he had just committed to his ultimate move.

“But...”

Varos tilted his head, his voice laced with doubt.

“Would he really make that kind of face for... just this?”

***

Detzras panted heavily, his breath ragged and uneven.

“Hah... hah...”

Summoning the golem had been the pinnacle of his magical abilities. Likewise, the death armor was the most powerful entity he could conjure with necromancy. Yet even these were not enough to overcome the heretics before him. They were too skilled, too adept at countering his necromantic arts. Thus, it was time to unleash the cult’s ultimate technique.

“Krrgh...”

Mana and necromantic energy swirled chaotically around his body, threatening to tear him apart should he lose control for even a moment. And still, Detzras pressed on. He could not falter. He had to demonstrate the true power of the god he served. It was his duty as a faithful disciple of the truth.

“Great Tesranach...”

Bringing his trembling hands together, Detzras offered a desperate prayer.

“Grant your faithful servant your divine blessing!”

The golem began to glow, its entire body suffused with brilliant mana. From the death armor, a dense darkness seeped outward, coiling ominously.

What now?

Karnak frowned, his guard up as he watched the scene unfold. The towering two-meter-tall stone golem suddenly spread its arms wide into the air. At the same moment, the death armor shattered into fragments, and its pieces scattered in all directions. The fragmented armor flew through the air and attached itself to the golem’s rocky frame, piece by piece.

Clank! Clank! Clank-clank!

Amid a cacophony of metallic clangs, the massive stone giant donned the dark, living armor. The malevolent energy from the death armor seeped into the golem, strengthening its body and making it grow even larger. What now stood before them was neither golem nor death armor, but a new fusion of magic and necromancy: the golem knight. Lifting a colossal black blade, the golem knight let out an earth-shaking roar.

“Kraaaargh!”

A shockwave of mana and necromantic energy rippled outward, shaking Karnak’s defensive barrier to its core.

“Urgh!”

“What... what is that?”

Varos and Serati turned to Karnak, their faces pale with shock.

“Hahahahahaha!”

Detzras erupted into triumphant laughter, his voice dripping with glee. “Behold! This is the true majesty of the divine!”

***

Varos stared at the towering 2.3-meter figure before them. His expression was caught somewhere between awe and disbelief.

He donned the golem with the death armor?

On its face, it seemed almost redundant. Golems didn’t need armor. Their natural strength and durability were their defining features. Adding armor would only make them heavier and slower. But this wasn’t ordinary armor. It was a death armor, a living entity capable of independent movement.

“What happens now, young master?” Varos asked cautiously.

“Well...” Karnak’s tone was measured.

A golem’s strength lay in its unmatched durability and brute force. Its weaknesses? Sluggish movements and simple attacks.

The death armor, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. Its speed and dexterity made it a fearsome opponent, capable of wielding precise and deadly swordsmanship. However, its durability was relatively low compared to the golem.

But combined...

The result was a being with the golem’s overwhelming strength and defense, paired with the death armor’s agility and skill. Moreover, it could use dark energy.

“Uh... this could be a problem,” Karnak muttered.

Before he could finish his thought, the golem knight charged.

KROOAAAH!

With terrifying speed, it tore across the ground, raising its colossal black blade and swinging it down in a devastating arc.

What the?

It’s fast!

Serati and Varos barely had time to react. Varos quickly pushed Karnak out of harm’s way, while Serati stepped forward to intercept the blow with her aura-enhanced sword.

“Ha!”

The clash of shadowy energy and crimson aura sent a deafening shockwave through the air, blasting Serati backward.

“Ugh!”

She managed to land on her feet, but her expression was grim.

This thing is even stronger than a high-ranking demon!

Individually, the golem and death armor were manageable foes. Combined, they surpassed even the monstrous Maz-nun.

“Blazing Arcane Bolt!”

Karnak unleashed a volley of magical projectiles, aiming directly at the Golem Knight. It proved mostly ineffective. The death armor’s inherent resistance to magic rendered even a sixth-circle spell ineffective.

Moreover, the fusion of mana and necrotic energy made it impossible to disrupt the creature’s flow of power.

Varos turned to Karnak, his face etched with worry. “What do we do now, young master?”

Maz-nun had been a nightmare to fight, but at least they’d understood how to deal with it. This golem knight, on the other hand, was an entirely different beast. It was a bizarre amalgamation of magic and necromancy that defied conventional logic.

“Looks like brute force is our only option, don’t you think?” Varos asked.

Karnak replied dryly, “I didn’t expect this.”

“Again?” Varos groaned. His expression crumpled. How many times was it that Karnak had been caught off?

Wait, Varos thought, frowning.

Karnak’s expression was different than usual. There was no trace of panic or frustration, only calm focus. It wasn’t typical of him to remain calm when he was caught by surprise.

What’s going on? Why does he look so calm?