Bab 13: Terrifying Entity

The scene was one of desolation, with the blood and organ fragments of the necromancer scattered everywhere. The thick miasma that hung in the air seemed to have lost its intensity while the army of skeletons remained motionless and silent.

They didn't have the power to seriously harm the necromancer. Instead, they had used their mastery over Qi control for a different purpose. Bruno concentrated all his energy into the spear in a calculated manner, forcing its internal structure to break and expanding the capacity of its powerful metallic alloy, releasing a massive amount of energy.

The impact was nearly lethal for the necromancer, who wasn't prepared for an attack outside of his senses, followed by an explosive force directly into his organs.

"Flashy and powerful battle techniques? Raw and wild power has its uses," Bruno exclaimed excitedly. The Qi from the runes had been only the catalyst for the enemy's destruction, and now he observed the results of his unorthodox method.

The skeletons remained still, making the outcome clear. As the dust and wild energy from the explosion began to dissipate, at the center of a small crater, Bruno and Alm saw the dying figure of the necromancer in his last breaths.

Only the upper half of his body was intact; the other part was scattered around. He then looked at the approaching skeleton with a sharp terror in his eyes.

"You had a long list of enemies, even among those you considered allies. How childish. Making grand moves constantly worrying about betrayals only leads to inevitable mistakes," Alm uttered with a chilling tone, his empty and reddened eye sockets fixed on the necromancer, emanating a sinister and menacing aura.

"If you wish to follow the dark path, you must first eliminate all elements. But not before you make them accumulate resources for you. They will feel powerful, and then you can slowly refine them, bringing a satisfying sense," Alm said slowly with a muffled laugh while keeping his penetrating gaze on the necromancer.

At that moment, the necromancer realized he wasn't dealing with just an intelligent skeleton out of his control but rather a sentient and terrifying entity. Despite considering himself clever and ruthless, this being was the embodiment of complete malevolence, something far surpassing his own malice.

Without wasting time, the remaining Qi within the bones was violently poured into the necromancer's soul. The connection between him and the necromancer still existed since he was summoned by him; the channel was merely severed by him earlier.

It didn't take long for Alm to forcibly completely dominate the necromancer's Qi and body... or what remained of it. Suddenly, he reversely sucked all the accumulated energies from all the summoned skeletons, and a circle formed by the laws of death surged around the necromancer.

His remaining life was taken and transformed into death, and his once bloody body became dark and sinister. "Now you've become a pathetic undead, just like your creations," Alm remarked as the necromancer opened his eyes, and a black mass accumulated at the bottom of his body.

He rose with vacant eyes and knelt before the skeleton, emitting a dense evil aura; there was no consciousness left, only remnants of what once was.

"Half of the skeleton army was turned to dust in the process, but he'll be useful," Alm commented, attacking the necromancer in front of him again, but this time, the goal was his memories. Everything was rummaged through and slowly read.

***

The night had passed, and now the day was halfway through. In a secluded location deep within a dense forest, a large black mass stretched for several kilometers. The necromancer, now transformed into a true undead mage, kept the area covered with his staff while the sounds of bones and weapons clashing and breaking reverberated throughout the dark environment.

Within this dark mass, on top of a hill, Alm and Bruno were seated. The darkness around them seemed to devour any trace of light, but hundreds of dense runes covering the entire skeleton emitted a palpable aura.

A sudden disturbance in the laws governing the environment caused a shift, and their vision was restored, revealing a scene that pleased them.

"And this one reminds me of a Corpse Guardian," Bruno commented.

The creature in their sight was a giant skeleton that appeared to be a fusion of various skeletons. The upper part of its torso consisted of multiple ribcages and dozens of stacked skulls. On its right shoulder, it sported a bony, pointed pauldron. Its six arms held rudimentary, sharp weapons that blended with bones. The creature roared menacingly, and the power of death violently leaked from its imposing figure.

"You keep giving it strange names from Earth games and books. But this one fits well," Alm remarked.

With a thought, the Corpse Guardian froze, losing all autonomy while being completely dominated. It then moved silently to a more distant spot, and the undead mage raised his staff. Nearly a hundred skeletons rose from the ground.

"We'll soon have a decent army to fight with. Every day, a shipment of the dead arrives from the necromancer's allies. We'll accomplish the goal quickly," Bruno spoke.

The former necromancer, now reduced to a slave, could maintain a facade of life thanks to Bruno and Alm's skillful manipulation. Communication with the other beings and the queen was maintained, and they spoke through the necromancer.

The skeletons, now under the direct control of Bruno and Alm, moved in perfect synchrony, obeying orders with efficiency. They attacked each other, killing and accumulating more and more power of death. Strange transformations and mutations were foreseen by them.

"A dracolich, a death knight, and a demon empress. They were all stronger than the poor necromancer; he was only on the same level because he could create armies," Bruno continued.

Bruno and Alm found out that the death army had a total of four commanders. The Dracolich, the Death Knight, the Demon Empress, and obviously, the Necromancer they had just turned into an Undead Mage.

"They had internal conflicts and fought against each other. The queen was the one who united them and initiated the war against the cultivators of life. We have a path to explore."