Chapter 11: Unbelievable (Part 6)

The three necromancers fell silent. Even Nopolinot had shed his initial fear and timidity, sinking into a silence brimming with killing intent.

At times like this, there was no need for courtesy or pretense—strength was more persuasive than anything else. Though the oppressive presence of this figure was immense and the impression he had left on them was indelible, the three necromancers weren't the type to let a mere impression dictate their judgment. They understood that everything this man had said was true. While his power ranked among the most formidable on the continent, there was no way he could take on three necromancers working together.

The risk of challenging authority was immense, but so too was the temptation. Victory would mean the shadow looming over their heads would dissipate completely. And the shadow wasn't that large to begin with; banishing this final piece would grant them even more freedom.

Furthermore, killing him under these circumstances could even be justified as legitimate. Since he had broken the agreement first, an even darker and perhaps more terrifying shadow would have no reason to take revenge on them.

Yet none of them made the first move—they were no longer at an age where they would gamble their lives recklessly. Only those with nothing to lose could afford such abandon. Those who had lived only a short time could not comprehend the preciousness of life. The three necromancers, on the other hand, had names, influence, and power. People with much to lose would never willingly risk death. And they, far from having lived enough, still hungered for more life.

Finally, it was Master Aiden who broke the silence. "Let's leave it be. After all, we are all from Dehya Valley; it seems unnecessary for us to kill each other over outsiders. How about this... shall we make a wager?"

The golden mask emitted a soft chuckle. "What do you want to wager on? And how?"

"There are still five gargoyles here," Aiden said, gesturing toward the mechanical beings flapping their wings in midair. "It's been a while since we've seen your corpse animation technique. Let's wager on this: you create a single undead creature to fight these five gargoyles. None of us interferes. If you win, we'll leave. If we win, you stay out of this matter. How about it?"

The golden mask nodded. "Alright. I didn't expect you to be into games like this now."

"Nopolinot, you take control of the gargoyles," Aiden said, turning to Nopolinot. In the brief moment he turned his back to the golden skull mask, his gaze toward his two companions became peculiar. "Be careful. Our success depends entirely on you."

His two companions, having seen this look, remained utterly calm, showing no signs of surprise or unease.

"I understand," said the chubby necromancer, who, with surprising agility, leapt onto a gargoyle with another necromancer. Under his gestures, the other five gargoyles formed up in midair like a well-trained squad of soldiers. Their massive obsidian bodies moved with precision under his command.

The necromancer behind the golden mask sneered. Instead of controlling his mount, the large undead eagle, he raised his hand. A ball of blue light began to glow in his palm, growing brighter and brighter until it was blinding. With a flick of his wrist, the blue light poured to the ground like water.

Far below, the corpses of the swordsmen began to writhe the moment they were illuminated by the blue light. Those with intact limbs stood up on their own, while those crushed into pulp by the steel golems quivered and gathered into grotesque mounds, resembling monstrous blobs of flesh.

But it wasn't just the fresh corpses. The earth itself began to stir. Clumps of mud and bone fragments emerged from the ground like seedlings after a spring rain. These were remnants of creatures long buried in the soil. Some were as large as rhinos, others as small as rats or insects. Most were so decayed that they were unrecognizable, reduced to clumps of rotten flesh or shattered bones. Yet now, they teemed with vitality.

Under the descending blue light, the once-dead ground became alive, writhing with movement. The scene was terrifying and bizarre, as if the area had become the underworld of legends.

Griffinhart XVII's legs began to tremble violently. If not for Roland—the guardian he so deeply relied on—standing beside him, he might have already fainted in terror. Clutching Roland's arm tightly, his voice trembling:

"Let's run away while we can..."

"Your Majesty, please don't worry. With him here, we don't need to. That necromancer is here to help us," Roland said, shaking his head.

"Oh? He's on our side..." Griffinhart looked up toward the sky, the terror in his eyes gradually replaced by amazement and awe.

In midair, the three necromancers watched the blue light reviving countless corpses, their expressions grim. Nopolinot laughed bitterly. "Was it necessary to use Plague of the Dead combined with Soul Convergence Technique to create a giant undead puppet... just for a wager?"

"I only used a small fraction of my power," the golden mask replied coldly. "Did you think I would use my eagle to deal with your gargoyles? While it's likely stronger than your gargoyles, I have no desire to get to the ground. I've always been cautious around merchants like you; they're too cunning."

Nopolinot sighed and shook his head. "You're wrong. Merchants are actually the least cunning of all—they just like to openly discuss profits. After all, who doesn't live for their own interests? If you think about it, even emotions and beliefs are personal interests in disguise. The truly cunning are those who harbor secret, nefarious schemes. Compared to them, don't you think someone like me, who's straightforward about his goals, is the most honest?"

The golden mask chuckled and nodded. "Oh? Very well, then. Show me what tricks the most 'honest' man will play."

On the ground, the revived corpses gathered together, their diverse and grotesque forms merging, pressing, and writhing. Gradually, they took the shape of a gargoyle.

The undead creature stood up, shaking off clots of blood and broken limbs. Its massive wings, formed from decayed flesh, tiny limbs, and rotting mud, flapped powerfully, lifting it into the sky. The stench of death and rot instantly permeated the area, exuding an aura of terror greater than that of the demons of hell. Everything in the vicinity—birds, beasts, even insects—fled the overwhelming miasma.

"This undead puppet probably won't be defeated by five gargoyles... perhaps fifty would be closer," Nopolinot said bitterly. "Didn't we agree it would only be one undead creature?"

The golden mask sneered. "Do your eyes deceive you? Is this not one single creature? As long as you can seriously injure it, I'll count it as your win. Fair enough?"

The corpulent necromancer sighed and shook his head. "See? The ones who harbor secret calculations are the truly cunning ones. How can my gargoyles possibly inflict significant damage on something like this? Fine, can I use spells too? Otherwise, there's no point to this wager."

"I despise merchants for their haggling and nitpicking. But very well, go ahead. Aside from crafting useless contraptions, your pitiful elemental magic doesn't impress me," the golden mask replied, snapping his fingers.

The undead puppet surged forward with a burst of speed that belied its massive size, colliding with one of the gargoyles like a lover's embrace. A sharp crack echoed as the obsidian gargoyle shattered like glass in the monster's grip...

As the necromancer had predicted, with just one strike, the massive stone gargoyle was completely shattered, its body destroyed. The difference in strength was unmistakably vast. No matter how well-crafted a tool may be, it could never match the raw power of life itself. The corpse golem, brought to life by the necromantic soul magic, had unleashed all of its latent power. Even though its activity was brief, as long as it could move, no mere stone could withstand it.

However, at the same time, the claws of the other four gargoyles struck heavily against the corpse golem's body. Though the strike caused flesh to splatter, the torn pieces of meat almost immediately reattached themselves to the golem's form. This showed how ineffective conventional attacks were against such a creature.

With a deafening 'boom,' a massive burst of flame appeared in the air, enveloping both the gargoyles and the corpse golem in its fiery embrace. This was the moment when Nopolinot finally made his move, unleashing the advanced fire spell, Infernal Blaze.

The corpse golem, surrounded by sparks and smoke, shot out of the flames, leaving behind an unimaginable stench—the scent of decaying bodies burned by extreme heat. Even compared to the usual rotting corpse smell, this was an odor so overpowering that it could only be described as nauseating. If this were a battlefield, the stench alone would be enough to cause mass casualties among thousands of soldiers.

The four gargoyles, however, remained motionless within the flames, their obsidian bodies immune to fire. This was likely the reason Nopolinot insisted on contributing his magic—only a combination of magic and gargoyle attacks could hope to deal with such a powerful corpse golem. Both the magic and the gargoyles' attacks drained the magic energy within the monster's body, and this wide-area burning was proving to be highly effective.

The four necromancers hovering in the air showed no reaction, their eyes fixed on the battlefield. Nopolinot, while chanting his spell, was also trying to manage the remaining four gargoyles, looking somewhat overwhelmed. On the large sculpture of a bird, the necromancer wearing a golden skull mask seemed much more relaxed.

Of course, "relaxed" was relative. Creating such a massive corpse golem was no small feat, and while his task seemed easier than Nopolinot's, it still required considerable effort and focus. This was precisely what Master Aiden had been hoping for.

Master Aiden's face was impassive, his eyes calm, but the hand holding the scroll behind his back was beginning to tremble from tension. The scroll had been thrust into his hands by the acting guild leader when he left Dehya Valley.

Like most top-tier magicians, Master Aiden didn't typically carry magical scrolls with him. Even high-level spells like Thunderclap Bomb didn't take him much longer to cast than a scroll would. As one of the continent's most elite spellcasters, his pride wouldn't allow him to carry such items, much like a great chef wouldn't carry a recipe book. However, the acting guild leader had insisted that he take a few special combat scrolls "just in case."

Master Aiden had initially found this unnecessary, but the acting guild leader had said, "Even if it's a favor, take them with you." So, Master Aiden reluctantly accepted them.

Now, as he thought about the possibility of needing the scroll, a sense of dread crept over him—dread of the acting guild leader. The leader's presence here couldn't have been planned by him, which meant that he had anticipated this. Aiden had always looked down on the acting guild leader, considering him just a lucky young man who happened to resolve some issues with Ronis and obtain the title. He had never been impressed with his magical abilities or his way of handling matters. But now, in this moment, Aiden realized that the leader's foresight was so sharp and his planning so meticulous that even he, with all his experience, could not have predicted it. The acting guild leader had managed to keep his brilliant mind well hidden all this time, and now, Aiden could sense the chilling depth of that cunning.

Although these thoughts only flashed through his mind briefly, the most pressing issue was still to deal with the opponent before him.

The three of them were well aware that their combined strength would be enough to defeat the lone enemy. However, they also knew that a direct confrontation would result in at least one or two of their own losing their lives, even if they managed to kill the enemy. None of them wanted to be that casualty, so they hesitated, unwilling to take the risk.

Still, avoiding the risk didn't mean they were unwilling to act. At times, finding alternative methods or strategies could be both effective and safer. This was precisely the specialty of experienced and cunning veterans. Aiden quickly proposed the wager, an idea that sprang from just a moment's thought.

Against a mage of this caliber, any attempt to ambush them with magic would be sensed due to the magical energy fluctuations during preparation. In such cases, using a scroll was the best choice. The scroll in question was specifically designed to counter powerful lone opponents—a paralysis spell.

Initially, Aiden had intended to force the enemy to dismount from the giant eagle, but to his surprise, the enemy instead summoned a massive undead golem. Nopolinot immediately seized upon this turn of events and suggested that he, too, be allowed to use magic in the battle.

Although they had no prior coordination, Aiden trusted that a single glance he cast back would communicate his intentions clearly. As seasoned manipulators, their mutual understanding was forged through shared cunning—encompassing their interests, schemes, and strategies—all expressed in that single look. Aiden was confident that when he acted, he would not stand alone.

The appearance of the undead golem indicated that their opponent was cautious, likely harboring some concerns. With a creature as formidable as this, the three of them had reason to hesitate. The golem's immense size and power meant that only Aiden's agility gave him any advantage over it. The other two dared not reveal any hostile intent, lest they provoke an immediate and devastating retaliation. This creature was so robust that even a top-tier single-target spell like the Fireball Barrage would not destroy it in one strike.

However, Aiden remained confident in his ability to act effectively. Using a scroll allowed for undetectable preparations, even under the watchful gaze of an alert opponent. Moreover, the necromancer had to split his focus between controlling the undead golem and guarding against their attacks. The white magic spell on the scroll, a paralysis spell, was instantaneous and unavoidable unless the target had preemptively cast a protective spell or relied on sheer magical or physical strength to break free.

Even a momentary paralysis lasting no more than the blink of an eye would suffice—enough time to secure a kill a hundred times over. If the necromancer lost control, the undead golem would collapse on its own.

The aerial battle had reached a fever pitch. Despite their teamwork, Nopolinot's reinforcement spells on the gargoyles, and their best efforts to compensate for the power gap, the undead golem's immense strength was overwhelming. It smashed through the third gargoyle, leaving only fragments of its body in the air. However, Nopolinot's three successive Ice Bolts struck the golem, coating part of its body with frost and ice. The remaining gargoyles targeted these frozen areas, causing chunks of the golem's body to break off and fall to the ground. These fragments could not reattach themselves to the main body. Nopolinot seemed to have finally discovered an effective strategy against the monster.

The necromancer wearing a golden skull mask, appeared utterly unbothered, even yawning in a leisurely manner. The outcome was already clear to him. Though his opponents were slowly adapting their tactics, only two gargoyles remained. Victory was inevitable.

Unwilling to concede, Nopolinot directed the two remaining gargoyles to continue harassing the golem. However, he no longer dared to sacrifice a gargoyle just to land an attack. Nopolinot unleashed a barrage of spells—fireballs, lightning, and a relentless stream of magic—against the golem. Though the attacks tore chunks of flesh and bone from its body, they were no more than a drop in the bucket.

The air was filled with the sound of magic detonating, bits of rotting flesh flying, and the eerie waves emanating from the golem's body. The air currents stirred up by the high-speed flight of the enhanced gargoyles and the undead golem lashed against the skin like knives.

Aiden knew this was the perfect moment to act. Suddenly, he reached behind him and pulled out a scroll. The instant he unfurled it, the white magic spell radiated a burst of energy. At nearly the same moment, Nopolinot, who had been directing spells at the golem, turned his attention toward the necromancer on the eagle.

Aiden could feel the paralysis spell forming in his hands, just a fraction of a second away from activation. But at that instant, a chilling sense of dread washed over him—a primal, hair-raising intuition akin to having a knife pressed against his back, the hand holding the blade already tensing for the thrust.

Perhaps it was the numerous life-or-death battles he had faced in the past year that reawakened the sharp instincts of his younger days, instincts honed on battlefields and long journeys. He was the first among the three to sense the danger. Without hesitation, he abandoned the near-complete spell, twisting his body to evade while conjuring a wind wall behind him as he shouted, "Watch out!"

Not even the swiftest falcon could match the speed with which he transitioned from stillness to motion, dodging with incredible agility. The wind wall he summoned was strong enough to deflect even the most powerful crossbow bolts. It was fortunate he acted so swiftly; the small black shadow streaking toward him broke through the wind wall but slowed just enough to graze past the tip of his nose.

At such close range, Aiden saw clearly that the black shadow was a hummingbird. But it was no ordinary bird—hummingbirds couldn't fly at such high altitudes, move with such deadly speed, or reek of decay so strongly that the stench felt like having a bucket of sewage poured into one's nostrils.

The hummingbird, having missed its mark, turned sharply in the air to make another pass at Aiden. This time, it was met with a barrage of finely honed wind blades that shredded it into countless fragments, which were then scattered by a gust of wind. Only after dealing with the threat did the still-shaken Aiden turn to check on his companions, knowing the attack was unlikely to have targeted only him.

The necromancer specializing in soul magic was slower to react, realizing the danger only after Aiden's warning. However, luck was on his side. The black shadow heading toward him was slightly slower than the one targeting Aiden, and the spell he had been preparing for the enemy necromancer was redirected just in time for self-defense.

Upon Aiden's shout, the necromancer didn't move or even turn his head. He simply let out a low grunt, and the small black shadow closing in on him shattered into pieces. Soul magic, while lacking physical destructive force, unleashed pure magical energy capable of disintegrating such fragile targets.

Yet his luck wasn't perfect. One of the fragments from the shattered black shadow struck his arm.

Though it only made contact without breaking the skin, the necromancer screamed as if bitten by a venomous cobra. Wasting no time, he conjured an ice blade with his other hand and severed the affected arm at the shoulder. The blood pouring from the wound was a deep, viscous black rather than red.

Nopolinot, meanwhile, had slumped silently onto the back of the gargoyle he was riding. A large hole had appeared in his chest, and a raven-like bird's claw still protruded from the wound. However, no blood flowed from it. On closer inspection, the once-vibrant mage had been transformed into a zombie.

"You were right. It's always the ones who silently keep their schemes to themselves who are the most treacherous—just like me, isn't that so?" The necromancer on the eagle sneered triumphantly. "Honest people like you… Your plans are just too straightforward."