Karnak, Monarch of Death

Edia no longer trembled. She simply stared blankly at the gruesome scene before her.

”Ugh... aaagh!”

”W-why are they?!”

”Get away! I said get away!”

The summoned wraiths, demons, and skeletal soldiers had turned against the necromancers. The cultists desperately tried to counterattack using dark magic, but it was futile.

As one of them collapsed, dying, he let out a despairing cry. ”Why... why won’t they obey me?!”

Karnak’s group had no reason to participate in the battle. With just one cast of Redeemer of Necromancy, the fight had been effectively over.

Edia scratched her cheek. Uh... I almost feel sorry for them?

Milia shook her head in disbelief. I had no idea the captain’s magic was this powerful.

She had heard that Karnak had recently mastered a high-tier anti-necromancy spell. The rumours had spread quickly. After all, he had received a thousand gold coins in exchange for teaching it. But she hadn’t expected it to be this devastating.

”If we knew it’d be like this, we didn’t even need to sneak in, did we?” Turning to Karnak, she asked, ”Couldn’t we just wipe this place out by ourselves?”

Adjusting the spell’s control, Karnak shrugged. ”That depends on how you define wipe out.”

His group was certainly strong, and Karnak’s magic was especially effective against necromancers. Against a large number of weaker enemies, his abilities were overwhelmingly powerful.

”In terms of raw combat, we could overpower every cultist in the dungeon. The underground layout is like an ant hill. It makes it impossible for us to get surrounded.”

By steadily eliminating enemies one by one, they wouldn’t face much risk.

”But taking out all the cultists ourselves? That’s impossible.”

At first glance, the two statements sounded similar. But they were fundamentally different. No matter how strong Karnak’s group was, they were only six people. They could kill or capture every enemy that attacked them. But they couldn’t stop those who ran away.

”If we just rush in carelessly and let some escape, we’d be spreading cultists all over the region.”

That was precisely why extermination squads weren’t composed of small elite teams but required a certain level of manpower.

:Ah, that’s true.” Milia nodded in understanding. ”So, our best course of action is to rescue Edia and report back.”

”We’re making things a lot easier for the extermination force coming after us.”

Meanwhile, the necromancers continued to die. In the end, all of their minions had been torn apart by demons, leaving only Hugot standing.

”Huff... haah... argh...”

Though it was clear he wouldn’t last much longer.

”We’ll head out once he’s dead.” Karnak casually pointed at Hugot.

At that moment, a pitch-black flash shot down from above.

Fwoooosh!

A merciless blast of destructive energy engulfed Hugot. With a deafening explosion, the summoned creatures and wraiths were swept away in an instant.

Leven gasped and frantically scanned the area.

What the hell? What just happened?!

It had to be something he hadn’t noticed again. He shot a glare at the others. These people were so unhelpful. Would it kill them to warn him when something was coming? But it seemed like things were different this time.

”Huh?”

”What... was that?”

Karnak and Varos were also staring in shock at the source of the blast. Even they hadn’t noticed anything approaching.

A chilling air crept across the auditorium floor. From the corridor beyond, an eerie blue light flickered in the darkness. Karnak’s group tensed. Even though the figure had yet to fully emerge, an overwhelming pressure weighed on their shoulders. Compared to the necromancers they had just fought, this power was on an entirely different level.

This is...

And then, their foe appeared. It was a towering skeleton, draped in tattered robes, holding a staff of gleaming gold. Powerful spiritual energy was wrapped around its entire body like an armor of death itself.

”Heh... heh... heh...”

A faint, hollow laugh resonated through the auditorium, sending shivers through their minds. Their hearts pounded, and an inexplicable terror crept over them.

”Ugh...!”

Leven, Lapicel, and Serati clutched their heads, staggering.

Milia hastily cast a divine spell. ”Oh, Latiel! Bestow upon us your light!”

A radiant glow enveloped the party, shielding their minds from the creeping dread. Only then did the fear begin to subside.

Milia glared at the skeletal figure and spoke. ”Captain, that’s...”

Staring at the being before him, Karnak furrowed his brows. ”An archlich?”

The archlich slid across the auditorium floor, stopping beside Hugot.

”Sorry. I was a bit late.”

At the same time, the undead attacking him abruptly withdrew. Even under the control of Redeemer of Necromancy, they were more affected by the archlich’s death energy.

”I hurried as much as I could, but I never expected them to have infiltrated this far.”

Hugot staggered to his feet. ”N-no, not at all. Thank you for saving me.”

Turning to Karnak’s group, the archlich asked, ”Is it them?”

”Yes, Lord Demphis. It’s them.”

From the hollow sockets of the skeletal figure, cold blue flames flickered. They burned with an eerie light. Leven shuddered under its chilling gaze.

”An archlich...? I thought they only existed in legends.”

Milia forced herself to stay calm as she muttered, ”Well, it’s not a legend anymore if it’s standing right in front of us.”

The entire group looked shaken, their expressions filled with disbelief at the appearance of the mythical undead being. Karnak and Varos, however, were shocked for a different reason.

—Young master, doesn’t that guy seem... familiar?

—He just called himself Demphis, didn’t he?

Serati, sensing their odd reactions, cut in.

—Wait. Do you two know him?

Varos hesitated for a moment, wondering how best to explain.

—Should I call him the young master’s teacher?

It sounded like nonsense at first, but then Serati realized she had actually heard this name far too often.

—You know how the young master always resorts to blaming everything on Dallas? When the young master turned him into a rich man and made him governor over the southern territories, his name was Demphis.

In other words, originally, Demphis had been one of Karnak’s subordinates.

Serati’s eyes lit up with a hint of expectation.

—Then... can’t you just command him?

Karnak grimaced.

—I wish it were that simple.

He had already been carefully examining the archlich in front of him. If this truly was Governor Demphis of the Necropia Empire, then the soul brand Karnak had placed on him should still be there.

—Is your brand on him?

—Not sure. There’s something there, but it’s not mine.

—Then could he be this timeline’s Demphis?

In the original timeline, about ten years from now, Karnak was supposed to find Dallas’s remains in the ruins of the Baracant Mountains and resurrect him as an archlich. That was the Demphis he knew. Which meant that someone else might have raised him instead in this timeline.

—No. That’s not it.

Karnak was certain.

—He’s definitely from the future.

—How can you be so sure?

—Because he’s calling himself Demphis. That’s the name I will give him ten years from now.

Even if someone else had reanimated Dallas as an archlich, there was no way they would have used the exact same name. But none of that mattered right now.

Serati pressed again.

—So... can we beat him or not?

Karnak and Varos remained silent, their gazes locked onto Demphis with grim expressions.

—That’s the wrong question.

—The real question is whether we can escape in one piece.

—What?

She flinched. She had seen these two act cautious before, but never when dealing with undead or necromancers.

—Back when he was alive, Dallas was the court mage of the Kingdom of Eustil.

Cold sweat beaded on Karnak’s forehead as he gripped his wand tightly. It wasn’t the fact that he was facing an archlich that made him wary.

—He was also a ninth-circle master.

***

The undead and monsters bound by chains of light remained frozen in place within the auditorium. They had been subdued by Redeemer of Necromancy. By Karnak’s command, they should have attacked, but the sheer presence of the archlich Demphis caused confusion among them.

Demphis lifted his golden staff. ”Well then, let’s clear out the unnecessary ones.”

A storm of fire erupted from the tip of his staff. Blistering heat flooded the entire auditorium.

”Guh...!”

”Hurry, over here!”

Karnak and Milia hastily cast protective barriers. While the party took shelter within the shields, the remaining undead and monsters were completely incinerated.

But Demphis wasn’t finished. ”I should also block off the escape routes.”

At the moment, it was easy to blast apart any who turned their backs to flee. But in the chaos of battle, there was always a chance someone could slip away.

”Death Round Ray.”

A dark current surged from the tip of his skeletal finger. The black energy streaked across the auditorium like a bolt of shadowed lightning. Explosions erupted in rapid succession. Every exit collapsed, sealing off all paths of retreat.

Leven’s face stiffened.

Damn it, our way out...

Of course, Karnak’s group could break through the debris using magic or aura. They had enough destructive force to clear a path. But in doing so, they would be left vulnerable to Demphis’s attacks. Escaping mid-battle had now become far more difficult.

That means we have no choice but to fight head-on!

Karnak pointed his wand forward. ”Mass Fireball!”

Over a dozen fireballs, each as large as a grown man’s head, streaked through the air toward Demphis.

The archlich let out an amused hum. ”Oh, impressive for someone so young.”

Then, with a simple flick of his skeletal fingers, the fireballs flickered out of existence. The difference in magical prowess was so vast that the spells had been dispelled mid-flight. But Karnak wasn’t fazed. The fireballs had only been a distraction.

”Now!”

Varos and Serati lunged forward, blades gleaming with aura. The sound of clanking chains echoed through the auditorium. A crimson aura chain flickered before Demphis’s eyes, disrupting his vision.

Taking advantage of the opening, Serati swiftly maneuvered behind him. The plan was simple. Varos’s dazzling swordplay would serve as a distraction while Serati launched a surprise attack. Her crimson aura blade slashed down onto Demphis’s shoulder, unleashing a thunderous impact.

Boom!

With a grunt, Serati was sent flying backward.

”Ugh!”

The strike had landed. Yet instead of cutting through, the force rebounded. Her fingers had split open from the impact. It was the dark energy shrouding Demphis’s entire body—

Veil of Darkness!

Varos immediately followed up, lashing his chain sword in rapid succession. But none of his strikes could penetrate. Demphis stood his ground, completely unaffected by the assault. His veil was too powerful—none of their attacks could break through.

Realizing the issue, Milia quickly invoked divine magic. ”Oh, Latiel, grant us the light that burns away darkness!”

A brilliant radiance surged forth, engulfing the archlich. A moment later, Milia’s face turned pale.

”T-this can’t be...!”

The darkness was devouring the light. Shadows formed within the holy radiance, rapidly weakening its power.

Demphis clicked his bony jaw together in amusement. ”These children are quite impressive. I did not expect warriors of this caliber to exist in this era.”

Letting out a small chuckle, he raised his golden staff, surging with magical energy. ”Lightning, heed my command. Roar with fury!”

A blinding surge of electricity exploded outward. Karnak’s group scrambled in panic, barely managing to evade the blast. But it wasn’t over.

”As the serpent crawls upon the earth, so shall you.”

The scattered lightning rebounded off the walls, slithering across the ground like living snakes. It was a second wave of attacks. While the power was slightly diminished, the expanded area of effect made it nearly impossible to avoid.

Varos, Serati, and Lapicel managed to dodge in time. But Karnak, Edia, Milia, and Leven were caught in the current, staggering as electricity coursed through their bodies.

”Gah...!”

”Agh!”

Watching the scene, Hugot gasped and cried out,

“Please be careful! That one must be kept alive!”

Demphis responded without looking back. ”I know. I was already being careful.”

Varos and Serati instinctively turned to glance at Karnak. Given the situation, they had assumed that if the enemy wanted someone alive, it would obviously be the former Monarch of Death. However, Karnak knew otherwise. It wasn’t him they were trying to keep alive. Nor was it Edia.

From the way the lightning’s power and trajectory had been adjusted, it was obvious who Demphis was being cautious about.

Why are they targeting Leven?