The Third Return of the Necrotic Magic Swordsman

The Tier 0 battlefield had erupted into chaos.

All around the designated warzone, hunter teams clashed with beasts in an all-out struggle for survival. Some squads were holding their own with grit and coordination, while others were being overwhelmed—torn apart by savage claws and deadly fangs. Yet, a few were pushing forward like reapers, cutting through the monster ranks as if it were child’s play.

Among them, one stood out.

Evan, in his mask outfit.

In a clearing darkened by thick clouds and stained with blood, he now faced his first solo beast—a mutated monstrosity known as the Razorhide Mantirox.

A panther-like creature, it stood nearly as tall as Evan himself. Its obsidian-black scales shimmered under the dim battlefield lights, lined along its back like jagged blades. Fangs dripping fresh blood from its previous kill, it snarled, glowing yellow eyes locking onto Evan.

To the beast, he looked like easy prey.

It lunged, muscles coiling like springs as it launched itself toward him. Evan’s stance didn’t waver—his spear already drawn, feet anchored into the ground.

”Fast,” Evan noted silently.

The Mantirox’s speed far exceeded most beasts of its level, its lean, agile frame giving it unnatural acceleration. Its scales made it difficult to pierce—but no beast was without weakness.

Evan noticed it—the underbelly, devoid of armor.

As the creature leaped toward him with claws bared, Evan shifted his stance slightly. With a practiced motion, he drove his spear upward, aiming for the exposed stomach.

A clean strike.

The spear pierced the soft flesh just as the Mantirox twisted mid-air to avoid a fatal hit. It howled in pain, forced to disengage. Blood splattered from its wound as it leaped back, muscles tensing for another charge.

But Evan didn’t give it that chance.

{Quick Swap}

In a blink, his spear vanished—replaced by a sharp, clean-edged sword.

With practiced precision, Evan slashed down.

The Mantirox tried to dodge again, but bad luck—or perhaps fate—intervened.

A Wind Slash burst forth from Evan’s blade, a crescent of concentrated wind magic that tore through the air. It slammed into the Mantirox’s head, slicing deep across the side of its face.

The beast shrieked. Blood streamed from the gash, its vision thrown into disarray.

Evan stepped forward, his expression cold.

{Death Bolt}

A dark, necrotic bolt surged from his hand—crackling with malevolent energy. It punched clean through the Mantirox’s skull.

The beast collapsed.

Dead.

Evan let out a sigh, steadying his breath as he stepped closer to use Plunder on the corpse.

But fate wasn’t so kind.

The rustling of leaves and snarls caught his attention. His gaze snapped up.

A group of beasts was already closing in—drawn by the scent of battle. Among them were half-human-sized mutant rats, snarling with hunger, and a pack of goblins, armed and chittering with bloodlust.

They surrounded him, believing they’d found an isolated, weakened human.

Evan didn’t run.

He simply exhaled—and drew both blades.

”Tch. No breaks, huh?”

Skills were activated one after another.

{Meteor Dash} – His speed surged.

{Mighty Roar} – A wave of suppressive aura burst out, lowering the beasts’ stats.

{Bone Armor} – A skeletal shell formed around his body, boosting his defenses.

The wave of buffs and debuffs wasn’t limited to just him. Nearby hunters, many struggling, suddenly felt their burdens lighten. Their enemies slowed while their own strength swelled.

And then Evan moved—like a storm of blades.

Each slash from his dual swords claimed a life. His movements grew smoother, more instinctive. The Dual Blade passive activated, and with each swing, he grew faster, deadlier.

”I’m getting used to this… faster than expected,” he thought, cutting down another goblin without even looking.

Every second, another beast fell.

But this wasn’t the only front where the hunters were turning the tide.

Elsewhere in the Tier 0 sector…

Another team was dominating their zone—moving like a well-oiled machine.

Lucas’s team.

Unlike most others, they weren’t just surviving—they were winning.

Among the five, only Ilya played a supportive role, a half-offensive healer staying close to the rear. The rest? Pure firepower.

Lucas led the charge, muscles rippling with strength. Each swing of his blade carved through beasts like they were made of paper. His skills were overwhelming—shockwaves of raw power rippling with every strike.

At a distance, Tess, the archer, stood vigilant. Every time a beast tried to sneak toward Ilya, her arrows intercepted them with pinpoint precision. She didn’t miss.

And then there was Lyra.

The high-grade class Witch mage. Her eyes glowed with mana.

”Flame Tempest!”

Waves of magical destruction surged forward. Her AOE spells burned through waves of enemies, lighting the battlefield in hues of red and blue. Fireballs exploded. Flame spears rained down.

She didn’t even bother looking around—she was completely engrossed in her onslaught.

But not all threats come from the front.

A stealthy, thin, 1.5-foot-tall spider beast crept toward her—its legs silent on the battlefield floor, venomous fangs gleaming.

Just as it prepared to leap—

BOOM.

A pulse of gravity crashed down, pinning the spider in place.

And in the next instant, it was bisected—a massive greatsword slashing through it like wet paper.

”Watch your back,” said Mike, the gravity-user swordsman of the team.

Lyra gave a quick nod. ”Thanks.”

Mike nodded in return and charged toward another beast without missing a beat.

The five moved as one.

Their coordination, trust, and power made them an unstoppable force. Every time one faltered, another was there to catch them.

Together, they weren’t just a team.

They were a war unit.

Even when someone got injured, Ilya was quick to heal them on the spot.

The surrounding hunters couldn’t help but admire their team. Their flawless coordination and seamless teamwork uplifted everyone’s morale as time passed.

Above the walls, Caius and Lilia stood side by side, watching the battle unfold. Their eyes carefully scanned the field, analyzing the fighting styles and team dynamics of the hunters.

Caius, though typically stoic, couldn’t hide the small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. His sister was getting along exceptionally well with her squad, and it brought him silent satisfaction.

Meanwhile, Lilia was deeply focused, her sharp eyes observing every promising hunter. She was scouting for talent—potential recruits who stood out from the rest with their battle instincts and spirit.

In her perspective, a class grade only accounted for 50% of a person’s strength and worth. The remaining 50% was split between two key factors: 30% for how one utilized their class and 20% for how well they coordinated with their team.

And right now, many were performing beyond expectations.

Among them, Lucas stood out. Despite only holding an E-rank class, he was good at everything. In fact, Lilia silently questioned if such a talent could really be restricted to such a low-grade class, especially considering the forbidden skill he wielded.

Beside him were his teammates, Ilya and Mike, who showed remarkable synergy, not only with each other but also with the surrounding teams.

Then her gaze locked onto one particular hunter.

He was constantly on the move—cutting down enemies and aiding nearby hunters. Sometimes he fought with dual blades, other times with a blade and shield, or even switching to a spear-shield combo. It was strange and irregular but highly effective.

Lilia suspected he might possess the Weapon Master class. She’d seen such versatility before—but rarely at this level of finesse, especially from someone whose power rating seemed low.

What bothered her, though, was that this skilled hunter appeared to be fighting alone. No teammates in sight. That alone made her frown slightly. She was just about to check his status for his class and stuff to verify later who it was but.

Before she could investigate further, Caius’s voice pulled her back.

”Miss Lilia, should we move? The main boss and his lackeys are starting to act,” he asked calmly, his eyes narrowing as the tide of battle shifted.

”Oh! Yes, apologies, Mr. Caius.” Lilia blinked, realizing she’d been too engrossed in her observation. With a brief nod to Darian, the nearby formation master, she followed Caius to confront the real threat.

Within seconds, they arrived at the Tier 1 borderline, where chaos had fully erupted. The ground was crumbling beneath the sheer force of beast and hunter clashes.

In the distance, three powerful beasts stood still, watching the battle like silent overseers. They hadn’t moved until now, but with Caius and Lilia’s arrival, things were about to change.

The three Lords—an Earth Ape, an Ashscale Wyvern, and a Zombie Hybrid—had already sensed the presence of these two elite humans.

”They’re a lot calmer than I expected,” Caius commented with a dry smirk as they approached. ”If they were regular monsters, they’d have lunged at us already. Don’t you think so, Miss Lilia?”

”You’re right,” Lilia said with a sharp edge in her voice. ”Especially the one who used to be human. I suppose some rationality still lingers.”

The Zombie Lord chuckled.

”You humans are strange. Even when facing death, you mock your enemies. Yet... I will show you a shred of courtesy. Surrender what I want, and this assault will end.”

Caius narrowed his eyes. ”Oh? So now, even monsters want to negotiate mid-battle? That’s rich.”

”We want two beings,” the Zombie Lord declared. ”First, the one carrying the bloodline of Dragons—he fights among your people. Second, the one who holds authority over life and death. Hand them over, and we’ll retreat peacefully. Refuse, and true death will follow.”

Both Caius and Lilia frowned. That demand made no sense. Neither of them had heard of anyone matching that description within the city.

”Listen, you rotting corpse,” Lilia snapped, stepping forward. ”We don’t have anyone like that. And even if we did, we wouldn’t hand over innocent lives just to save ourselves!”

”Then so be it…” the Zombie Lord hissed. ”Kill them. Afterward, we’ll search for the targets ourselves.”

The Earth Ape Lord let out a thunderous roar and charged toward them.

Lilia didn’t hesitate. She dashed forward to meet him head-on, her warhammer summoned and swinging as the two titans clashed.

Each blow between them cracked the earth, their sheer strength shaking the battlefield.

Knowing the destruction was too close to the frontlines, Lilia gritted her teeth and activated one of her high-level skills. A swirling vortex of wind and earth engulfed her hammer’s head as she slammed it into the Ape Lord, sending him flying several kilometers away—far from the main battle.

She vanished after him in a blink, determined to end the fight where no one else would get caught in the crossfire.

Back on the field, Caius remained, now facing two Lords: the Ashscale Wyvern and Malwrath, the Zombie Hybrid.

”You go,” Malwrath said to the Wyvern. ”Find the targets. I’ll deal with this human.”

The Wyvern gave a nod and took to the sky, his wings spreading wide as he soared to scout for their mysterious prey.

Caius, alone now, stepped forward with a calm grin. ”So... just you and me now, huh?”

”Where do you think you’re going? I didn’t give you permission to leave,” Caius said coldly.

A spear of pure flame formed above his head and launched at the Wyvern Lord with incredible speed—so fast that even the Lord couldn’t react in time. But just before it could strike, Malwrath stepped in, blocking it with a single hand. The impact exploded around him, yet he remained unfazed.

”Tch… Is that all the strength you possess? Maybe I overestimated humanity’s so-called powerhouses,” Malwrath scoffed, his corrupted mana surging wildly. The ground beneath him darkened and twisted under its influence.

”Oh, don’t worry,” Caius replied, his voice like molten iron. ”You won’t be leaving here out of boredom. You’ll be staying—but as a corpse.”

His armor began to pulse with heat as the temperature around them skyrocketed. Plants withered into ash, Tier 2 beasts staggered in pain, and weaker hunters quickly evacuated the area, knowing what was about to unfold.

Their auras clashed like titans—intense pressure crashing across the battlefield. Each strike from their battle rippled through the surroundings, causing even the reinforced barrier to flicker and crack under the force.

On the surface, they seemed equally matched. But the truth became clear: Malwrath’s body was slowly accumulating damage, while Caius remained untouched—his armor unmarred, his stance steady.

His armor wasn’t ordinary. It was a rare Vesperis-class (Rank 3) set—nearly impossible to obtain on Ceruleth. It boasted not only excellent damage absorption but also reflection capabilities, returning a portion of damage back to the attacker. That very trait was eating away at Malwrath while his power was being getting a boost.

Caius surged forward, unleashing a barrage of flame-infused spears—each one so dense with energy that a single graze could trigger a massive explosion. Malwrath dodged and deflected, forced into retreat.

But Caius didn’t intend to give him even a second to breathe.

”{Blaze Rain},” he muttered.

A massive sphere of fire flew high into the sky and then burst. Instantly, a torrential downpour of flame droplets fell like hellfire upon Malwrath.

Each droplet exploded on impact. One drop was a burst—thousands of them created a storm. The land lit up with constant fiery detonations. Malwrath raised his shield, but even that began to crack, the heat seeping through and burning his flesh.

When the attack finally ended, he burst forward in fury, hoping to stop Caius from using such a devastating skill again. But Caius was already ready, as if this exact moment had been part of his plan.

Perfect timing.

As Malwrath charged, Caius stepped in and drove a flaming punch straight into his chest. The blow pierced through, his fist gripping ribs and splintered bone.

Malwrath vanished in a flash, the hole in his torso already beginning to regenerate—muscles and bones twisting unnaturally to fill the gap.

”Want another beating?” Caius asked casually, shaking blood from his hand. ”Or was that enough?”

Malwrath snarled, his pride wounded more than his body. ”Don’t test your luck, human. I swear, I’ll kill you this time.”

A massive wave of pressure burst from his body. His form began to distort as if empowered by an unseen force.

Caius narrowed his eyes.

”…Demonic energy,” he muttered. He recognized it instantly. He’d fought enough demons in the Nexus to know its stench. ”So, you’re borrowing power now? Typical of the dead. Go ahead—give it a shot. Maybe you’ll survive a bit longer.”

Malwrath’s face twisted with fury. ”You’ll regret mocking me!”

A new wave of erratic, chaotic energy radiated from him—stronger, more unstable. Above his head, a sphere of dark energy formed, corroding the very ground it hovered over.

”This is your punishment for humiliating me, human. Die!”

He hurled the energy ball toward Caius.

But Caius didn’t move.

He simply summoned a lance of fire, gripped it tightly, and aimed it at the sky. A bow of flame materialized in front of him, massive and ethereal. He nocked the lance like an arrow.

As his power surged, the lance began to glow blue—a sign of extreme temperature. The atmosphere distorted, and the already unbearable heat pushed the battlefield’s barrier to its limit. Formation masters in the distance gritted their teeth, fighting to keep it from collapsing.

Just as the black energy ball neared him, Caius released the lance.

It shot forward like a meteor, piercing through the ball instantly. The attack vanished in a flash—no explosion, no resistance. The dark sphere was erased in a blink.

For a moment, silence.

Then, Caius smirked. ”You really thought that would work?”

As the demonic energy ball disintegrated into pieces, the aftermath revealed a chilling sight—a streak of flame carved through the air, trailing behind it a line of scorched reality.

At its end stood Malwrath, a gaping hole in his chest. He looked down, eyes wide in disbelief.

”How...?” he muttered.

Before he could say anything else, his entire body ignited in a violent blaze. Flames erupted from within, dancing hungrily across his undead flesh. Yet despite the hellfire engulfing him, Caius knew—the Zombie Lord was not dead. Not yet.

Caius stood still, waiting. Watching. Letting the drama unfold.

—

Meanwhile, high in the sky, the Wyvern Lord scanned the battlefield.

Frustration had begun to creep in after sweeping through the city and even the Tier 1 and 2 combatants, unable to locate the two humans they were hunting. For a moment, he feared they had escaped. But just as hope seemed lost, he checked the innermost ring—the lowest tier of hunters near the city’s final barrier.

There. He sensed it. The aura of the two.

He dove, wings slicing through the air, aiming to breach the area and snatch them away. But the moment he got close, powerful defenses activated. The wall-mounted weapons flared to life, pelting him with lethal force. He was forced to retreat.

”Malwrath! Stop playing around!” he roared across the battlefield. ”I found them—just before the wall, inside the barrier! Use your power and drag them out!”

But what he saw next made his heart stop.

Malwrath was ablaze, burning in flames that should have consumed him whole.

”Oh no, you’re not getting anyone.” Caius raised his hand, releasing a massive arc of flame that tore through the air.

It was too fast. The Wyvern Lord barely had time to react. The flaming slash was aimed straight for his head—death was certain.

But just before it landed, Malwrath stepped in.

The attack struck him instead, and though it was deflected, it still cleaved through one of his wings.

The Wyvern Lord screamed as he spiraled down, crashing into the earth. Tier 2 hunters who had been chasing him seized the opportunity, charging in. Though he fought back, the loss of a wing crippled his movement. He was now prey, ready to be hunted.

—

Malwrath landed heavily before Caius once again, flames licking across his charred body.

Caius smirked. ”Still got tricks left, or is it time to end this?”

”I acknowledge your strength, human,” Malwrath said grimly. ”So now, I will use mine.”

He raised his hand to the sky. ”{Throne of the Forsaken}.”

A dark halo formed above his head, and a dome of corrupted aura burst outward, covering the entire battlefield, even touching the walls of the city and some even entering the city.

Suddenly, the tide shifted.

The hunters stood unaffected—but the beasts... the beasts changed.

Even the dying ones suddenly roared back to life, strength flooding into their broken forms. Power surged through their bodies, pushing many of them into the next level of strength.

This was the true horror of Malwrath’s Lord Skill, twisted further by his demonic blessing.

{Throne of the Forsaken} worked on a terrifyingly simple principle: Give and Take.

Malwrath’s aura fed strength into every beast under his command. In return, he received 0.01% of their power back.

Alone, that percentage seemed negligible.

But when half a million beasts fell under his rule...

That trickle became a flood.

Malwrath screamed in pain as unimaginable energy poured into him. His muscles rippled and hardened. His aura thickened. His killing intent became a tangible force in the air. Even space itself wavered around him.

As another effect of the skill, every beast was now mentally linked to him. The two humans they were hunting? He could now feel them.

”Now... I’ll show you the true terror of strength.” His voice rumbled like thunder.

Caius narrowed his eyes, no longer casual. ”So now you look like a proper opponent.”

He stepped forward, raising a hand as flames began to spiral around him.

”Then let me show you the proper respect.”

His aura exploded upward like a geyser of molten energy.

”{Infernal Warbringer}.”

At that moment, a mighty roar echoed across the entire battlefield. Even those on the city walls could feel it—pure, raw power radiating out like a second sun had been born.

—

Meanwhile, in the Tier 0 and Tier 1 zones, disaster struck.

The beasts, now empowered by Malwrath’s dome, began to overwhelm the hunters.

The tide had shifted violently. The number of hunter casualties was rising fast. Bodies piled up, and blood soaked the land. Even Tier 1 elites began to falter.

Lucas and his squad were barely holding on, their teamwork keeping them afloat while others fell around them. And away from them—

Evan, hidden beneath his masked visage, moved like a shadow among flames.

His blades danced, felling beast after beast. His level had risen to Lv.29, and he was only a step away from Lv.30.

The pressure was immense, but so was his growth. The beasts seemed increasingly focused on him now, drawn toward him like moths to a deadly flame.

Then it happened.

From the center of the battlefield—a great visage erupted.

A wave of power so overwhelming that even the heavens seemed to pause.

The battlefield trembled once again.

To Be Continued...

What will happen next? Does Caius still have hidden tricks to outsmart the formidable Malwrath, or will he fall victim to his own overconfidence?

The stakes are high, and the tension is palpable. As we eagerly await the next twist, will Evan finally get his moment in the spotlight, or will Lucas seize the chance to ascend to new heights, leaving Evan behind? The suspense is thick—don’t miss what comes next!