Karnak, Monarch of Death

Waraine’s serpent staff glowed blood-red as he chanted, ”Flowing blood, become darkness and rain down your curse!”

Black clouds billowed into the sky and engulfed the space above Karnak’s head. A moment later, pitch-dark rain began to pour, a deluge soaking the earth and splashing across the plaza floor. Karnak’s expression hardened as he unfurled a mana shield to block the rain.

As expected, this thing is more troublesome than it looks.

It was just like holding an umbrella in the rain. No matter how well you positioned it, you couldn’t keep yourself entirely dry. Like a drizzle slowly soaking through clothes, this necromancy showered down tiny, insidious curses to gradually erode the soul. Ironically, it was a technique Karnak himself had often favored in his prime.

It worked great when I used it... but when you’re on the receiving end, it’s just annoying.

Dispelling it was still no easy task, but at least he could endure it. He maintained his defense and gradually retreated, preparing for his next move.

First, he put on a suitably surprised expression. ”A remarkable technique.”

Then, with a tone of genuine admiration, he asked, ”Is this another necromantic art bestowed by Tesranach?”

What believer wouldn’t beam with pride when their enemy acknowledged the glory of their god?

Sure enough, Waraine puffed out his chest and shouted, ”Now you understand the profound wisdom our lord has bestowed upon us!”

”Fascinating.”

Karnak had once faced an entity presumed to be Tesranach. The said entity resided in the void beyond space and time. They had fused with the authority of Astra Shunaph that Karnak had cast away, proclaiming themselves as Tesranach. Had that being made contact with the cultists here?

In theory, they shouldn’t be able to reach the material world from beyond space-time.

The reverse was barely possible but required immense skill. Even Karnak’s own void detection spells were so demanding in precision that no one else—not even the Three Archmages—could replicate them.

But that doesn’t mean they didn’t find another way.

He decided to dig deeper. ”So, your god likes chatting with his followers often, huh?”

Waraine’s expression twisted. ”What?”

”I mean, the goddesses only deliver revelations to their chosen ones. But it sounds like your god just hands out wisdom to anyone who asks?” His tone dripped with disdain.

No true zealot could ignore such provocation. ”How dare you blaspheme the God of Death!”

”I’m not insulting Tesranach, I’m insulting you. Isn’t it strange for someone of your level to receive direct wisdom from your god?” Karnak continued to poke at him. ”Or maybe Tesranach is just that cheap? Answers just anyone, huh?”

”Preposterous!” Waraine flared with rage. ”Our saint received this wisdom from the great one! I merely inherited that power!”

Karnak smirked inwardly. This confirmed it. So Elezar, Dreltaine, and Jedex did have a method of contacting the void beyond. Next, he needed to figure out the difficulty of that method.

”Oh? So Tesranach chats with this saint of yours all the time? Really sounds cheap,” he teased.

”Insufferable wretch! Do not measure a great being by your paltry standards!” He could take any insults to himself, but any slight against the God of Death was unforgivable. ”Do you know the price a mortal must pay to glean even a fragment of his wisdom?”

That figures it. It’s severely limited access.

Karnak found it almost amusing how easily information spilled from Waraine’s mouth with just a bit of goading. Furthermore, Waraine himself had no idea he was leaking anything at all.

That about covers what I needed to know...

Sliding his wand back into the loop at his belt, Karnak reached into his coat. His hand closed around a solid, angular object. It was the jet-black cube. Its surface gleamed darkly.

”That was enough pretending to be a necromancer!”

***

A single concentrated strike pierced the darkness and skimmed the edge of death itself. A human head was severed from its body along with a shout. It was the necromancer who had summoned the golem and cast his spells.

The man couldn’t even scream properly before collapsing in a spray of blood. Serati steadied her breath and turned her sights on the next enemy. ”Phew...”

Karnak’s voice rang out from across the plaza. ”Enough pretending to be a necromancer!”

It wasn’t loud enough to echo through the square, but any aura user could hear it clearly.

Serati frowned, puzzled. It definitely felt like he had raised his voice on purpose.

What’s with him, suddenly shouting like that?

Then Lapicel’s words clued her in. ”So he was using Meditator of Necromancy? I knew it.”

It was clear Karnak had finally remembered Lapicel’s presence after blatantly flinging around necromancy.

Lately, he’s been a lot more conscious of others, hasn’t he? What’s gotten into him?

Still, seeing him act more human made Serati feel oddly proud.

***

After loudly shouting on purpose, Karnak cast a glance across the plaza.

That should be enough to cover up the necromancy I just used.

Now it was time to fully assume the role of a mage. Karnak clutched the black cube with both hands and raised his arms high. The air trembled as invisible force rippled out in all directions.

Waraine’s face went pale. What is this mana?!

An immense surge of power pressed down over Waraine’s entire necromantic domain. The tendrils of darkness withered, the gloom overhead began to disperse, and even the demons shrank back in fear. It was a sheer, overwhelming display of magical might.

Just moments ago, he was only a seventh circle mage...!

Karnak’s lips curled into a smile when he saw Waraine staring in disbelief. ”Want to see something interesting?”

With a light motion, Karnak traced an arcane seal in the air. Mana converged into a massive spell formation, tearing open a gateway to the elemental plane.

”Come forth, El Aquaria!”

The surrounding water energy condensed, shaping into a colossal water elemental giant.

Trying to shake off his unease, Waraine scoffed. ”A mere water elemental?”

He had already shattered one of Karnak’s El Aquaria elementals in a single blow before. No matter how much mana the man commanded, if this was all he could muster, it was nothing to worry about...

”I’m just getting started.” Still smiling, Karnak drew another arcane seal. ”Come forth, El Ragnatia!”

This time, a gigantic fire elemental took shape. Perhaps because they were surrounded by flames, it appeared even larger than usual.

The sight of the oppressive elemental giant wiped the smirk off Waraine’s face. ”Another elemental...?”

N-no matter. He was the chosen apostle of the great Tesranach! With the wisdom of the great god of darkness bestowed upon him, what was there to fear?

”Hmph! That worthless fire elemental is nothing...!”

But Karnak cut him off with another chant. ”Come forth, El Terrastia!”

”Before the power of darkness...”

”Come forth, El Silpherisia!”

”Be...before...” Waraine blinked in disbelief.

Before he knew it, four towering elemental giants loomed before him in an imposing line. It was a sight that drained the very strength from his legs.

And to make matters worse, that infuriating voice continued! ”That was one full round, huh? Come forth, El Aquaria!”

”Wait, hold on, what is this?!”

As Waraine reeled in shock, Karnak’s smooth voice echoed by his ear.

”I did say I’d show you something fun, didn’t I?”

***

There is no defence against overwhelming force. It was a timeless truth that proved itself once again.

”Ugh! Guh! Aaargh!”

Faced with the relentless assault of the elemental giants, there was little Waraine could do. All he could manage was to pour his power into a barrier of darkness and desperately endure. But of course, the outcome was inevitable. The barrier began to distort, and tendrils of dark energy scattered in all directions.

The moment it shattered, Waraine’s fate would follow right behind it. Like a drowning man grasping at straws, Waraine turned his gaze toward the other side of the plaza. If only his subordinates could join the fight, he might still find a way to survive.

What in the world are they doing?!

They were doing absolutely nothing. That tended to be the case. It was hard to do anything when one didn’t have their head. As Waraine laid eyes on the corpses of his fallen followers, he felt a surge of horror.

They’ve already been defeated?!

The enemy had been far stronger than expected. According to the Cult of the Black God’s intelligence, Karnak’s group consisted of an unusually capable seventh circle mage adept at countering necromancy, one blue-tier aura user, and one red-tier aura user.

Up until the battle at the Zestrad territory, that assessment had been accurate. The battle at the territory had taken place barely over two months prior, so how much stronger could they have become since then? Waraine had been confident for good reason.

And yet, looking at them now, Karnak was wielding power on par with a ninth circle mage, and there were four aura users in total: two at blue tier, two at red tier. There was no way they could have grown so powerful in such a short time.

There could only be one conclusion. We were deceived! They’ve been hiding their true strength!

Even as he came to a realization, the elemental giants’ assault continued relentlessly. Despite having finished off their own opponents, Varos and Serati didn’t even bother joining Karnak. Instead, they focused solely on driving away the remaining demons and protecting the citizens.

After all, they were at such an overwhelming advantage that there was no need to step in.

Finally, the veil of darkness shattered, and death loomed before Waraine’s eyes. Gripped by despair, he let out a final, desperate cry. ”Tesranach!”

And then a sudden blaze of radiant light rained down from the sky, engulfing the elemental giants surrounding Waraine. It was a brilliant, golden wave of holy energy, shimmering and surging with overwhelming divine force.

Both Serati and Lapicel murmured in surprise.

”This light...”

”Is it... the Sun Goddess Latiel?”

The elemental giants trapped within the light began to fade, their forms dissolving as they were released from Karnak’s command and returned to the elemental plane. In the end, every elemental vanished without a trace.

Breathless with relief, Waraine cried out in exultation. ”Lord Jedex, you’ve come!”

His eyes turned skyward, to where the divine light cascaded down upon the night. There, atop a radiant disc of light, a silver-haired man descended from the heavens.

Bathed in blinding radiance from head to toe, he looked down upon the earth with lofty dignity, like a sun that illuminated the night itself.

Levon’s face twisted in bewilderment. ”That’s Jedex?”

The Jedex they had been searching for was supposedly one of the Three Saints of Tesranach, God of Death.

”Should someone who serves the God of Death really look like a sun incarnate?”

What they had just witnessed was unmistakably pure, divine brilliance. It was a light belonging to a goddess.

”I mean, sure, there have been people who used both divine power and necromancy before...” Varos recalled the incident at Trist City with the necromancer Straph and shook his head in disbelief. ”But not to this extent.”