The Third Return of the Necrotic Magic Swordsman

Inside the heart of the Undead Forbidden Zone’s central cavern, three figures stood under the flickering embers of a slumbering flame.

Evan. Arven. And the soul of a once-mythic being—Velma, the Deathfire Phoenix.

She sat with her knees drawn in, arms folded tightly across her glowing spirit form, her gaze cautiously darting to the side, where Arven floated in silence, his pressure alone enough to force her into submission.

”My name is Velma,” she began, her voice a mix of pride and remorse. ”I am—or rather, was—Deathfire Phoenix, born from the flames of death itself. Once, I reigned as a Peak Tier 4 entity of the Sixth Expanse…”

Her words lingered in the heavy silence until Evan’s voice cut through with sharp disbelief. ”The Sixth Expanse? That’s impossible. Not even Gods can break the rules of the Nexus and descend here from that place.”

Velma gave him a side glance, a flicker of irritation passing her face. ”I was getting to that.”

She steadied her breath and continued. ”Yes, I hailed from the Sixth Expanse. And the reason I managed to come down here… was because I’m a Ruler Candidate.”

Evan raised an eyebrow, confused. ”Candidate? Of what?”

”I can’t say.” She looked away. ”Not because I won’t, but because I’m not allowed to. We’re bound by something far greater than mortal oaths.”

Evan narrowed his eyes, skeptical. ”So, just being some mysterious ’Candidate’ lets you bypass Nexus laws? That’s all the explanation I get?”

”Believe it or not, it’s the truth,” she said firmly. ”No ordinary being would know about it, and no Candidate is permitted to spill the full secret.”

”Tch. Says the one who claimed her flames couldn’t be absorbed—then watched it happen,” Arven scoffed, causing her to flinch in embarrassment.

”I was wrong,” Velma admitted reluctantly. ”I thought the flames were beyond his control. I still do. They were corrupted… tainted by the chains that bind me. They warped the very nature of my fire. Even I couldn’t hold onto them. That’s why I assumed… maybe he succeeded only because of your help.”

She turned to Arven, hoping to get a rise, but his next words stunned her.

”Help? You think I helped him?” Arven smirked coldly. ”Let me make something clear. He didn’t need help. And as for your so-called affinity with Death…”

He let the sentence hang, cruelly.

”What… what do you mean?” Velma asked.

Arven chuckled. ”You’re not even in the same league. You claim Emperor-level affinity, which is impressive—but it ends there. You’re looking at someone far beyond Emperors. He is a Monarch-class Death entity.”

Velma’s eyes widened. ”You’re joking. He’s Tier 0.”

”And yet,” Arven said with finality, ”his affinity with Death surpasses yours. Your strength, yes, is greater. Your power, more refined. But affinity? Connection to the Source? He’s above you.”

Velma reeled back in disbelief, struggling to comprehend what that meant. Evan, who had been quietly listening, finally interjected.

”Alright, alright. Let’s put the flexing aside for now. You were telling us a story—your story. I’d like to hear the rest.”

Velma hesitated… then nodded.

”I was once nothing but a simple bird,” she began softly. ”A fire-element creature, living in peace with my kin. Until a storm changed everything. A catastrophe I never saw coming. I was swept away—alone, broken, and dying.”

Her voice grew distant, haunted.

”Then… I saw it. A pillar. Floating in a shattered realm. My body was failing, but my soul… it resonated with it. That pillar chose me. And in that moment, I was transformed.”

She took a breath.

”Gifted with the bloodline of the Deathfire Phoenix, I rose. From the ashes of mortality to a legend in the making. My fire turned ashen. My soul embraced death. And my power… it grew.”

”I became a force feared across the Expanse. I mastered Death and Flame. I raised the dead. Built an army. Named nine of the strongest as my Generals. My path as a Candidate seemed unstoppable.”

”But,” she said, her tone darkening, ”with power comes greed.”

She looked down.

”I started small—climbing one Expanse at a time. But when I reached Tier 3, I took a shortcut. I skipped ahead to the Sixth Expanse, drawn by the promise of faster growth. It worked. I went from Low to Peak Tier 4 in just a few years.”

Her hands clenched.

”And then… I heard of a Dungeon. A forbidden one. A shattered realm called the God Prison. They said it was filled with treasure. Power. Things beyond imagination. That no one had ever cleared it—not since the Nexus was formed.”

”They called it… the Death Hole.”

Her voice trembled.

”I was arrogant. I led over a thousand elite explorers into that Dungeon. For six months, we fought and looted and thrived. Then, we found it. The core.”

She looked up, her spirit dimming.

”A graveyard. A prison. Countless corpses, all bound in chains. Millions, maybe. Still and silent. We thought we’d found the mastermind. We were wrong.”

Her next words were filled with dread.

”The chains themselves were alive.”

”We didn’t stand a chance. The chains devoured us—our mana, our life, even our souls. Half our group died in moments. The rest fell soon after. My army… gone.”

”I fell too. I should have died. But I used my Candidate privilege—my final lifeline—to escape.”

She touched her chest.

”Only I didn’t escape alone. A single fragment of those cursed chains came with me. I thought it was harmless. But it was not.”

Her voice broke.

”It corrupted me. Ate away my mana. My flame. My soul. I couldn’t revive. I couldn’t die. I was trapped… chained… bound to this cavern. My final breath birthed this Forbidden Zone.”

Tears—not real, but spectral—glimmered at the edges of her eyes.

”All I could do was hope. That someone would come. Someone worthy. I set up this trial… my last legacy. But he—Kael—got here first. And I was too weak to wait more.”

She looked at Evan now. And bowed her head.

”And that… is how I fell.”

The silence that followed was heavy. But when Velma finally looked up, she found Evan and Arven…

…asleep.

Eyes closed. Breathing gently. Snoring, even.

Velma twitched. Her soul burned with fury. ”ARE YOU KIDDING ME—?!”

She raised a hand, fully prepared to blast them both back to the Nexus—until she remembered the soul-crushing force Arven had just shown her.

”…Tch. Idiots.”

She sighed. And waited until they woke up.

”…So that’s how your story goes,” Evan muttered, stretching his arms behind his head. He yawned lazily, as if he hadn’t just heard a tale of death, downfall, and forbidden dungeons. ”But one thing still doesn’t make sense. How the hell did that Kael brat bypass your Nine Generals without taking your so-called trial?”

Velma’s expression stiffened for a moment before she gave a light, frustrated sigh.

”It was a few weeks ago… a group of arrogant adventurers barged into this zone. They weren’t ordinary either—one of them was a high-tier Priest, likely Grand Priest or Saint Job or near it. They crushed the Undead like they were clearing weeds. Among them was Kael. I observed them for a while, curious to see if any were worthy of my legacy.”

”And?” Evan raised an eyebrow, half-interested but clearly amused.

”That boy… he had a strange affinity. His Death energy was abnormally dense—likely from experiencing repeated brushes with death. His affinity could almost match someone in the Lord hierarchy. But…”

She paused, her voice turning bitter.

”They all reached my Nine Guardians. They didn’t stand a chance. The entire party was wiped out in minutes. Except him—Kael, the damn porter—ran away and somehow stumbled into my chamber through a hidden passage. Alone. Afraid.”

Arven snorted. ”Let me guess—you gave him your legacy out of pity?”

Velma’s lips twitched like she had been caught in her lie. ”No… I gave it because I had no choice. My soul was crumbling, and I needed someone—anyone—to fulfil the pact of revival. He accepted, swore on it, and I gave him the last uncorrupted fragment of my flame. The one you tamed was far beyond what he could’ve handled.”

Evan narrowed his eyes. ”Then how did he survive the trial? The flame burst nearly cooked me alive.”

Velma chuckled grimly. ”A Holy spell scroll. Likely smuggled in by that priest. A Tier 2-grade divine ward—when triggered, it shielded him long enough to withstand the initial burst.”

Evan blinked. ”Wow. Dumb luck is a talent now, huh?”

”But,” Arven added, leaning forward, ”there’s one more thing I want to know… Why did you suddenly try to incinerate Evan after he tamed your flame?”

Velma visibly cringed.

”…That was… a misunderstanding. I thought he was one of them.”

”Them?”

”There’s an organisation in the higher Expanses… They experiment on beings capable of wielding both Life and Death. It’s an abomination—dangerous even to Monarchs. When I saw Evan healing himself with Life energy after using Death flames… I panicked. I thought he was a product of that faction.”

Evan let out a slow breath. ”That explains the attempted soul-roasting… I thought you were trying to hijack my body.”

Velma bowed her head slightly, her pride still wounded. ”I apologise. Truly. I was wrong.”

”Well, apology accepted,” Evan said, brushing off the tension with a smirk. ”But now that your sob story’s over, we’ve got business.”

He turned to walk back toward the exit of the cave.

”Let’s go, Arven.”

”Wait,” Arven said in a hushed tone, floating beside him. He leaned in and whispered something into Evan’s ear.

And just like that, both of them—man and spirit—grinned like devils who’d found a golden apple in hell.

Velma’s expression shifted instantly. ”W-Wait… Why are you two looking at me like that?”

They didn’t answer.

Instead, they approached.

Slowly.

Casually.

Like looters strolling through the ruins of a fallen kingdom.

Velma’s eyes widened in horror. ”Stop! You… You’re not seriously thinking of—!”

”Oh, don’t worry,” Arven said cheerfully, ”we’re not going to take much. Just your core, maybe a few chain samples, and whatever else your corpse is hiding.”

”No! At least let my soul perish before you start grave-robbing my body!”

Evan cracked his knuckles as he drew closer to her chained remains. ”You really expect me to leave behind a perfectly good treasure trove? Come on. It’d be a crime against loot law.”

”The chains! Don’t touch those! They’re cursed—they’ll drain your energy, your soul, everything—!”

Arven waved her concerns away like smoke. ”Don’t worry. That’s exactly what we’re hoping for.”

He turned to Evan with a nod.

”Go, kid. But be quick. The Necrotic energy in this place is thinning. If word gets out, the vultures will swarm.”

Evan stepped forward, his eyes glowing faintly.

He raised his hand.

A dark whisper echoed from his lips, soft but powerful.

[Plunder].

The cave darkened.

Strings of pitch-black energy slithered from Evan’s body, weaving like tendrils of shadowy silk.

They wrapped around Velma’s chained corpse—delicate at first, then tightening with eerie precision, cocooning her in a translucent film of power that pulsed like a heartbeat.

The air trembled.

And then—

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

▣ [System Notification] ▣

[Detected 1× Tier 4 Death Fire Phoenix (Corrupted & Damaged)]

[What do you wish to do?]

[Host has selected: ▸ Plunder]

✦ Plundering Initiated...✦

Due to the Host’s current Talent Rank, several plunderable items have not been extracted.

✦ No compatible Bloodlines found.

✦ Proceeding with the extraction of available: Stats, Skills...

[Stats Absorbed ➤ +5 Red STR | +8 Red AGL | +13 Red INT | +0 VIT | +3 Red END | +6 Red STA]

[Skill Acquired ➤ ▸ Basic Cooking (Lv.1), Basic Tracking (Lv.1), Basic Butchery (Lv.1), Low Level Cold Resistance (Lv.1), Flame Mastery (Lv.1), Corpseflame (Lv.1), Pyre mark (Lv.1)]

[Elemental Energy Assimilated ➤ Integrated with host’s Ability: Elemental Manipulation]

→ +216% Ashen Dusk Flame]

[Ding! Flame Mastery is added to the ability: Elemental Manipulation.]

[Ding! Skills: Corpse Flame & Pyre Mark is added into the Necromancer class skills because being originate from the same tree.]

[Detected, Basic Butchery has been devoured by the Talent: Plunder. Talent has activated the new function ]

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Evan stared at the notifications popping up before him, and for once, his face lit up in pure joy.

These weren’t just ordinary skills—they were survival keys, the kind that others could only dream of. Rare, expensive, and immensely valuable. For Evan, who was always walking the edge between life and death, these skills were nothing short of blessings.

Even more, he saw that a new system function had been unlocked. But... he couldn’t use it—not yet. Taking the entire Phoenix body, even after everything, would break his promise to Velma. And no matter how tempting, Evan wasn’t the type to go back on his word—not unless absolutely necessary.

With a deep breath, he moved closer to the body, eyes sharp as he scanned every inch of it. Finally, he found what he was searching for.

The Core.

The most precious treasure inside any beast—especially a Tier 4 Phoenix. Getting this was no less than a god-tier loot drop. It wasn’t just rare—it fulfilled one of the highest requirements for his Death Monarch Physique’s next evolution. And with its ridiculously high grade? Evan knew this core alone could give him a massive leap forward.

Exactly why Arven had stopped him earlier—he now understood.

But now, it was time for the second item on Arven’s list: the chains.

The ones that had bound Velma’s body for who knows how long.

Evan didn’t know why Arven wanted something this cursed, but if he said it, there was a reason. So without hesitation, he reached toward the blackened, twisted chains—

—And the moment he touched them, they moved.

They twitched. Then lashed out like a predator lunging for its prey.

The chains coiled around his body like serpents, tightly binding him in an instant. At first, he didn’t feel anything... but then—

He felt it.

His mana.

Draining. Rapidly.

Evan’s eyes widened as he watched his mana bar plummet. The chains were eating his energy like a starving beast, and not slowly—they were devouring it.

He looked down and noticed something even more alarming—the chains were changing shape. Once wide and thick, they were now shrinking, molding to his body like some second skin.

”I told you! I warned you those chains were dangerous!” Velma shrieked, panic in her voice as she turned to Arven. ”Hey, Spirit! Help your master! If you don’t stop it, he’ll end up like me in minutes!”

But Arven didn’t look concerned. In fact, his eyes were gleaming.

”Hmmm... so that’s where they’re from,” Arven muttered. ”Evan! Let the chains feed more. Don’t fight it—pour your mana into it. Feed it until it’s full.”

Evan, struggling to stay calm, clenched his jaw—but obeyed. If Arven had a plan, he had to trust it.

He took a deep breath and stopped resisting.

He redirected his mana, letting it flow freely into the chains. The process sped up instantly. The cursed chains greedily devoured his pool of 35,000 mana, draining him until only 4,000 remained.

Evan could barely stand.

Was Arven right? Or was he about to fall into the same hell as Velma?

Velma herself was practically trembling, watching everything unfold. She was sure Evan would meet the same fate—chained, drained, and left to rot.

But then…

It stopped.

Just as Evan’s mana neared its end and the chains should have begun draining his vitality, the flow slowed

... then ceased. The chains began to glow with a faint blue hue, pulsing lightly with some unknown energy.

And then—The chains shifted.

They uncoiled from Evan’s body and began retreating—toward one specific area.

His arm.

He screamed as they sank into his flesh, burrowing deep into muscle and bone. The pain was unbearable. But through gritted teeth, he endured.

When it was finally over, the chains had vanished. In their place was a black tattoo wrapped around his arm and shoulder—shaped exactly like the chains themselves. It gave him a dangerous look—like a branded outlaw, or a cursed monarch.

Blood trickled down his arm, but even as he wiped it off, he could feel it. Something was different.

A system chime echoed in his ears.

[Ding! Host has formed a bond with the item: Veyr’Zhal, the Warden Chain Fragment (?????-Grade).]

[Warning: Item possesses its own ego. Possession may result in dangerous backlash if not handled correctly.]

Evan’s eyes narrowed.

”Veyr’Zhal… huh?”

He immediately opened his Eternal System. The regular system wouldn’t cut it—not for something this ominous. Whatever this chain fragment truly was… he had a feeling it wasn’t just a relic.

It was a monster waiting to awaken.

[Bound Item: Veyr’Zhal, the Warden Chain Fragment]

Type: Ego-Bound Weapon | Growth-Type Artifact

Rank: Absolute

Tier: 7

Origin: God Prison – Sealing Vaults of Eternity

Status: Fragmented (1/????)

Bonded To: Evan Windstone

🔹 Description:

Once a part of the infamous sealing mechanism that bound divine criminals within the God Prison of the forbidden abyss, Veyr’Zhal is no mere tool—it is a conscious sentinel, forged in the Void and etched with Lawless Will. Though fractured, this fragment retains an insatiable hunger for vitality, mana, and the willpower of its victims. Its effects unlock as it grows. 

Its ego is silent for now, but make no mistake: Veyr’Zhal remembers its purpose—to bind that which defies order, and it will drag down even the stars if the user wills it.

🔸 Core Effects:

Devour Link (Passive)

➤ Absorbs a portion of enemy vitality and mana on each successful bind or hit.

➤ Converts energy to growth points. For every 1000 units devoured, the chain length increases.

➤ Growth increases binding strength, range, and resistance to dispel.

Chain Domain: Confinement Echo (Active)

➤ Upon activation, Veyr’Zhal expands into an ethereal chain cage around a 20-meter radius.

➤ Enemies within are unable to teleport, phase shift, or soul-shift.

➤ Duration: 10 seconds | Cooldown: 6 hours

Unyielding Bind (Passive)

➤ When binding any target, Veyr’Zhal suppresses host equal-tier enemies’ movement and spell casting by 60%, while lower tiers are completely suppressed.

➤ Higher-tier entities must contest Ego Will to break free.]

”Wow~~~ another soul-bound item,” Evan muttered, eyes gleaming as he glanced at the tattoo-like chains now etched into his arm. They looked passive… harmless even.

But the moment he injected a trickle of mana into the inked mark—SHHHHK!The chains instantly materialised in front of him, crackling with eerie energy, like a beast ready to strike.

Curious, Evan raised a hand and pointed to a nearby stone pillar he’d created earlier. ”Go,” he whispered.

The chains lashed out like lightning, striking the pillar and embedding into it in a blink. Sharp barbs sprouted at the joints, locking into the rock with a brutal grip. Then, with a single thought, Evan commanded it to return.

The chains retracted cleanly. But the pillar… shattered.

Hairline fractures spiderwebbed across its surface before the entire structure crumbled into dust.

Velma’s jaw dropped.

That thing-the cursed chain that ruined her life—was now wrapped around Evan’s finger like a pet.

”How… how is that possible?” she whispered in disbelief. ”Why didn’t it ever obey me like that?”

Arven floated beside her, answering with a shrug and a mischievous grin.

”The answer’s simple. When it bonded to you, it was still connected to its main body. To tame it fully, you’d need more than just mana—you’d need to subjugate the will of its origin. But after being separated from its source for so long… it degraded. That gave Evan a chance.”

But that wasn’t the full truth. Not even close.

Arven kept the real secret to himself: Veyr’Zhal, the Warden Chain Fragment, wasn’t something a mere immortal could tame.

But Evan wasn’t ’mere’ anything. He carried the Legacy of the Abyssal Ruler—and that changed everything.

With the loot secured, Evan finally turned to leave. The place was too quiet now, and it wouldn’t stay empty for long. But just before heading out, he glanced once more at the blackened corpse of the Death Phoenix… and remembered something.

The Book Guardian Undead—the one from earlier.

He tried to summon it again. Nothing. No response. Not even a flicker.

Evan clicked his tongue in frustration, but Arven’s eyes suddenly lit up.

”Wait. I have an idea.”

”Huh?” Evan blinked as Arven motioned for him to follow.

They walked back into the depths of the cave. Velma, surprised, appeared again, eyes narrowing. ”What now?”

Evan didn’t answer.

He approached her fallen body in silence. Velma frowned, watching cautiously as Evan raised his hand toward the corpse. And then—

Her soul’s eyes widened in horror.

”[Awaken],” Evan commanded.

He cast Raise Undead on her body.

”NO!” Velma shrieked, panic flooding her voice. Her aura surged to stop the process, but before she could interfere, an overwhelming pressure descended from above.

Arven.

He floated there, eyes cold, voice firm.”Sorry, kid. But you’re entering his army now. A Deathfire Phoenix is too valuable to waste. You might even become his most trusted summon someday.”

”Please—don’t! If I get bound to him, I’ll lose my Candidate qualification! I’ll fall behind!” Velma begged, desperation in her voice.

Arven tilted his head. ”Oh, you don’t have to worry about that. The one you’re joining? He’s going to rise so high, even the Abyss will bow beneath him. This place? The Sixth Expanse? It’ll be crumbs beneath his feet.”

Velma trembled, resisting with all her soul. But Evan wasn’t giving up.

Again. And again. Raise Undead.

Over and over, he cast it, determined to bring her back. The Phoenix body, already half-destroyed from failed attempts, started to crumble. Her soul was on the verge of collapse.

”One last time,” Evan muttered, teeth clenched. ”Do or die.”

His eyes burned with resolve.

”[Awaken]!”

This time… something changed.

No instant rejection. No backfire.

The cave trembled faintly as a new, eerie energy surged through the space.

Notifications began flooding his vision.

[Ding!]

Evan’s expression shifted from strain to awe. What he gained just now... was a monster.

A true trump card—one that would change the course of every battle to come.

Meanwhile, outside the Undead Forbidden Zone...

Groups of adventurers hunted the outskirts as usual, but today was different.

The normally ashen sky was clear.

The oppressive aura was fading.

And the Undead?

Almost gone.

Teams exchanged uneasy glances. Something had changed—drastically.

Soon, dozens of elite parties began pouring into the zone, hoping to uncover the truth… and snatch the glory of clearing a Forbidden Area.

Top teams surged forward.

But two parties were conspicuously absent—Twilight Team and Kael’s Party.

Elsewhere in the zone…

Kael, along with Mirra and Elira, silently approached the outskirts.

”Kael… do we really have to go back there?” Mirra whispered, clutching his arm. ”That place gives me the creeps.”

”We must,” Kael said firmly. ”Back then, I came here weak and still made it out alive. Now I’m stronger. If something’s happened to Velma… I have to know.” He spoke his last words quietly, not wanting them to hear about it.

Mirra nodded reluctantly, while Elira remained calm, eyes focused ahead.

’Vela, are you sure something happened to your real body?’ Kael asked inwardly.

A flame-shaped spirit materialised before him—Vela, a shard of Velma’s will.

”Yes,” she replied, voice tense. ”My connection with the main body was severed just moments ago. That shouldn’t be possible unless… It’s been destroyed, or corrupted.”

Kael’s grip tightened. ”Then we need to move. Fast.”

He looked back. ”Mirra, carry Elira. We’re speeding up.”

Without hesitation, the trio sprinted toward the core region of the Undead Zone.

Hours passed.

They finally stood before the hidden mountain cave where Kael’s journey once began. A wave of nostalgia hit him… but something felt wrong.

They entered cautiously.

Silence.

And then—

Kael stopped in his tracks.

The spot where Velma’s corpse had once lain… was empty.

His eyes trembled. ”How… how can this be?”

Even Vela, floating beside him, was stunned.

Just as Kael was about to speak—

A voice echoed from behind.

”Nice~~~ following him really was a great choice.”

Kael froze.

He turned around… and his blood ran cold.

”You…”

That was all he could say, as the figure stepped out of the shadows.

Even the girls stiffened in disbelief.

—To Be Continued.