Monarch of Death

Uttering ghastly moans, they glide through the night slums, spreading a bizarre darkness.

“Uuuuuh…”

“Ugh…”

Yet, there was still no sign of life.

It wasn’t because there were no residents here.

“Goddess… please…”

“What on earth is this…?”

“Hey! Stay away from the window!”

Everyone was hiding deep within their homes, trembling in fear.

It was only natural.

Two men in gloomy robes were walking ominously through the streets, with an army of ghosts in tow, spreading a white mist across the ground. Who would dare step outside after witnessing such a scene?

Anyone with a warrior’s heart brave enough to do so wouldn’t be living in a slum like this in the first place.

Thanks to this, Kale and Olt were able to advance deep into the slum without any obstruction.

Looking around, Olt asked, “What do you think their move will be?”

Considering they had made this much of a scene, the necromancer should have already sensed the situation.

“It depends on what the necromancer’s specialty is.”

According to the reports from the Crimson Flame Corps, the necromancer allied with Prince Lloyd initially used a horde of zombies to create pressure before summoning evil spirits.

“That’s a typical necromancy…,” Kale continued, sounding doubtful.

“But it’s likely that they’re under some kind of illusion, right?”

When one thinks of necromancy, the first thing that comes to mind is usually the manipulation of zombies.

Raising corpses to create new death—that grotesque spectacle is the very identity of a necromancer.

It’s not just a stereotype; it’s actually a fairly easy spell.

Even the lowest-level necromancer can raise and control corpses, and sometimes, even those without knowledge of necromancy but possessing the power of darkness can achieve this through sheer desperation.

It’s something you can do even without knowledge, and with knowledge, it becomes even easier, requiring little energy while being highly efficient.

The problem is that this spell comes with a critical flaw.

Kale pointed out exactly this issue.

“There’s no way they could have gathered that many corpses in the capital.”

Zombie manipulation involves reanimating existing corpses, not creating new ones out of thin air.

And it’s not as if one can carry corpses around all the time.

Unless in a specific place like a graveyard or battlefield, zombie manipulation is not a very useful tactic.

“Their actual specialty is likely summoning evil spirits, necromancy.”

“Considering they added an illusion, they’re not a very powerful necromancer. If we face them head-on, they won’t be much of a match for us.”

“So, they’re probably hiding somewhere, waiting to ambush us?”

“That would be the prudent approach for a necromancer.”

Kale grinned as he looked back.

He issued a command to the dozens of ghostly soldiers wrapped in cold spectral flames.

“Go forth, my minions…”

At his gesture, the ghosts began to scatter in all directions.

“By the command of darkness, seek out your master’s enemies!”

***

Countless ghosts cut through the night streets, roaming everywhere.

As spirits, there was no way that walls or roofs could block them.

They passed through walls, rose from the floors, and flowed down from the ceilings, moving effortlessly between houses.

Though they didn’t cause direct harm, merely inspecting and moving on, it was surely a terrifying sight for the hiding residents.

Each time the ghostly soldiers passed by, people trembled, forcing themselves to stifle their screams.

“…!”

“Hic…”

Serati, who was observing the situation from a concealed spot on the side of the street, frowned.

“Those bastards, dragging innocent residents into this…”

In contrast, Baros seemed impressed.

“For necromancers, they’re surprisingly kind!”

“Kind, you say?”

“They’re ignoring the residents as they pass by.”

“Isn’t that obvious? The residents aren’t their enemies; there’s no need to harm them.”

“There is a need, actually.”

A strange smile appeared on Baros’s lips.

“Each person they kill becomes another useful corpse.”

“…”

Serati was at a loss for words.

She had never even considered thinking in such a way.

“Are all necromancers like that?”

Baros tilted his head thoughtfully.

“…Now that I think about it, maybe it was just the Young Master?”

It wasn’t that those cultists were particularly kind; it’s just that, no matter how evil someone is, it’s not easy to think that far ahead.

Only a truly rotten villain would come up with such an idea.

‘And that rotten villain is my soul’s master. Oh, what a fate I have…’

Perhaps noticing Serati’s inner thoughts, Baros offered an excuse on his behalf.

“The Young Master has turned over a new leaf recently.”

“The problem is that even after turning over a new leaf, he’s still like this!”

Meanwhile, the ghosts continued to scour the slum.

They were getting closer to the spot where the two were hiding.

“It’s about time.”

Baros gripped his mop tighter, his eyes gleaming.

“Let’s move according to plan.”

***

Suddenly, Kale looked up.

The flames that had been burning blue inside the lantern flickered momentarily.

“One of the lost souls has been taken out.”

It was the reaction he had been waiting for.

Olt, tense, asked, “Where?”

“Over there.”

After confirming the direction, Kale ordered all the ghostly soldiers to converge there.

‘Go, my minions!’

After sending the lost souls ahead, the two also began to run.

Soon, they arrived at the scene where the ghost soldiers had gathered en masse.

It was a small clearing between the slum buildings.

Upon arrival, they saw that a battle had already broken out.

“Hah!”

With a short shout, a man with black hair thrust his sword forward.

A ghost soldier charging at him was dispersed with a single strike, letting out a ghastly wail.

“Kyaaaah!”

As the spirit dissipated, more rushed in, swinging their swords.

Just as a translucent spiritual blade was about to strike the man, a red-haired woman quickly intercepted.

“Hmph!”

With a snort, her longsword carved an elegant arc, shattering the ghost’s blade as it passed through.

Each time, the ghosts let out eerie wails.

“Aaaargh!”

Despite facing the ghost soldiers swarming from all directions, the two remained remarkably calm.

They showed no signs of being overwhelmed, efficiently cutting down the ghost soldiers with every move.

The reason this was possible was due to the intense aura of darkness emanating from their longswords.

Observing the situation, Kale wore a peculiar expression.

“Are they the necromancers from Prince Lloyd’s side?”

Olt had a similar reaction.

“Something seems… off.”

At first glance, they appeared to be ordinary swordsmen.

But who ever said that necromancers must wear black robes? You can’t judge them by their attire alone.

Of course, Kale and Olt were dressed in black robes, but that was because their profession required them to carry numerous necromantic catalysts, making robes the most convenient. The reason for the black color was simply to match the dark and death aura.

The fact that their swordsmanship was exceptionally skilled was also within the realm of understanding.

Some necromancers are martial artists who enhance themselves for close combat.

“They seem to be using the power of darkness, so they might be necromancers, but…”

However, there was one thing that bothered Kale greatly.

He tilted his head in confusion.

“What on earth is that?”

In the other hand of the man cutting down the ghosts, there was a mop.

“And what’s that?”

The woman was no different.

She was elegantly wielding her sword with one hand, while holding a frying pan in the other.

Olt blinked.

“…Is that some kind of necromancy?”

“Well, I’m not sure.”

If it were necromancy, shouldn’t there be some sort of evil energy or aura of malice emanating from it?

But no matter how they looked at it, it was just a mop and a frying pan.

Moreover, they weren’t even using them as weapons. They were just holding them.

This even put them at a disadvantage by leaving one hand unusable.

‘Why on earth?’

‘I really don’t get it.’

Meanwhile, the ghost soldiers continued to fall.

The two snapped out of their daze. This wasn’t a situation where they could just stand around and watch.

“Let’s take care of them first!”

They were already applying pressure using a large number of ghost soldiers, so there was no need to summon additional familiars.

Kale spread his arms wide and drew upon his necromantic power.

“Awaken, O dead, and extend the hand of chaos!”

Blood-red darkness rippled outwards from Kale, and at the same time, eerie hands began to rise from the ground.

This was the necromantic barrier, ‘Sinking Swamp of the Dead,’ which summoned countless hands from the depths of hell.

‘Huh?’

The previously relaxed Baros suddenly stiffened.

‘If he’s using something like this, he’s really at a high level.’

This was on a different level compared to the cultists they had encountered before.

‘Well, if he’s close to a member of the royal family, he must be pretty high-ranking within their cult.’

Still, there was no need to be overly tense.

This was a technique he was quite familiar with.

‘It’s been a while since I’ve had to step up.’

First, he took a deep breath.

“Hoooo…”

With a strange shout, Baros’s movements suddenly changed.

“Hup! Ho! Hoy!”

Where he had been wielding his sword with steady, deliberate motions, he now began to move lightly, almost as if dancing.

Kale and Olt’s expressions twisted in confusion.

‘What the…?’

It was as if he were mimicking a graceful dancer.

This burly man was prancing lightly between the hands of the dead, and it was truly an unbearable sight.

Yet, it was effective.

He deftly maneuvered between the hands of the dead, cutting down the ghost soldiers as he went.

“Kyaaaah!”

With the ear-splitting wails filling the air, Kale’s expression grew even more strained.

‘My God, was the Sinking Swamp of the Dead really this easy to overcome?’

The same went for Serati, the red-haired woman; the necromantic barrier wasn’t affecting her either.

“Hup!”

With a loud shout, she stomped on the ground. Each time she did, the hands of the dead shattered and scattered.

Unlike Baros, who dodged gracefully(?), she simply crushed the hands underfoot.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Olt clicked his tongue.

“It’s like they’ve switched roles…”

The sight was absurd: the man who looked like he could wrestle a bear with his bare hands was dodging desperately, afraid of getting hurt, while the delicate beauty, who looked like she might fall over with a light tap, was pounding the hands of the dead like she was playing whack-a-mole.

Even so, the necromantic barrier’s vast range meant that they were gradually being pushed back.

As they continued to retreat, Baros and Serati eventually found themselves back-to-back.

‘Phew…’

‘Finally, we’ve got them cornered, right?’

Just as Kale and Olt were about to feel relieved, Baros and Serati suddenly moved in unison.

With a loud shout, they threw the mop and frying pan high into the air!

“Hup!”

“Hah!”

And then they immediately drove their longswords into the ground.

Darkness surged up like a geyser, spreading out in a massive wave in all directions.

Fwoooosh!

The blood-red swamp was completely washed away by the overwhelming wave of darkness.

Now free from danger, Baros and Serati reached up, catching the mop and frying pan as they naturally returned to their hands.

Twirling the mop, Baros taunted them.

“You won’t be able to do anything to us with a trick like that.”

Kale’s expression grew even more rigid.

The spell he had been so confident in was shattered far too easily.

What was especially troubling was that he had no idea what they had done.

‘I can’t even begin to guess what technique that was!’

Even with all his knowledge of necromancy, he couldn’t figure out how the mop and frying pan were connected to necromancy.

Seeing Kale’s confusion, Olt stepped forward.

Throwing off his robe, he drew upon his necromantic power.

“I’ll handle this!”

Olt’s size increased by more than three times, with horns and tentacles sprouting from his limbs.

“Power of hell, bestow upon my body the power of chaos!”

A monstrous roar erupted from his demonic form.

“Raaaargh!”