Chapter 153: Master of the Dungeon (4)

Leven and Lapicel ran toward a pile of rubble. It was one of the many collapsed passageways in the auditorium caused by Demphis. Then, without hesitation, they turned their backs to him and started clearing the debris.

“Heave-ho!"

“

Ha!

"

Meanwhile, Karnak, Varos, and Serati moved in the opposite direction. From the far end of the auditorium, they drew their aura-clad swords and prepared their spells, staring down Demphis with clear intent. Their posture made it obvious. The moment he turned away, they'd strike.

"H-huh? These bastards... what is this...?"

Hugot looked around in growing panic. No matter which side Demphis focused on, he would be forced to split his attention.

Demphis raised a skeletal finger. "What a petty little trick."

Did they really think such tactics would work against an archlich? Did they believe he was alone? Unfortunate for them, summoning powerful minions was hardly a challenge for a mag or a necromancer.

"I simply need to summon my own forces."

The air trembled as red magic circles formed beneath Demphis's feet. Karnak nearly grinned at the sight.

Good!

If Demphis summoned undead or demons, Redeemer of Necromancy would work perfectly. Even golems or elementals could be disrupted by magical interference. The real problem had been if Demphis simply unleashed a powerful spell to take Leven and Lapicel out in one blow.

As expected. He’s too cautious.

He was holding back on purpose, clearly afraid of accidentally injuring his intended captives. That hesitation was something Karnak had counted on.

Just finish your summoning. Then I'll—

But then Demphis suddenly twirled his bony finger in the air.

“There’s no need to summon anything new. I already have one."

The magic circle flared before engulfing Hugot.

"Lo-Lord Demphis?!"

Hugot flailed in terror, but it was useless. The glow of the spell twisted around him before seeping into his body. His limbs stretched grotesquely. Horns and tendrils sprouted from his flesh. His body swelled to more than twice its size as his human form rapidly faded.

Karnak's expression hardened. "What?"

With this, there was no opening to exploit.

Varos sent him a dry mental message.

—Now that I think about it... Governor Demphis did have a habit of copying your methods, didn't he?

It was true. Karnak had never treated his subordinates as anything more than disposable tools. At least except for Varos. And Demphis had been one of his most loyal followers back then.

Damn it, I analyzed his personality but overlooked his habits.

Like master, like servant. Both of them defaulted to underhanded tactics.

"I'll revert you back to your original form after the battle, so don’t worry yourself too much.” Demphis nonchalantly gestured toward Leven and Lapicel. "For now, just capture them."

The transformed Hugot let out a monstrous roar.

***

The 2.5-meter-tall abomination charged across the auditorium. Karnak's group scrambled to intercept it, but it was useless.

"Not so fast."

Demphis cut in, firing off a rapid barrage of light-based spells. To avoid being caught in the explosions, they had no choice but to retreat.

Serati gritted her teeth. "Damn it!"

Taking advantage of the gap, Hugot lashed out with the tendrils that had sprouted from his back. The whip-like appendages tore through Milia's divine barrier and wrapped around her limbs.

“Argh!”

But Leven and Lapicel were different. They evaded. Despite being slower than the tendrils, they moved before the attack reached them. They had predicted its trajectory and dodged preemptively.

How did they anticipate that?

Hugot was stunned. Demphis, however, barely reacted to their maneuver.

“That’s the least I would expect."

A crushing invisible force slammed onto Leven and Lapicel's shoulders. It was Maximum Gravity, Demphis’s spell designed to overwhelm their mobility. Pinned beneath the weight of the magic, the two were completely immobilized. Hugot's tendrils immediately lashed forward, tightly binding Leven and Lapicel's limbs.

"Sir Leven!"

"Lapicel!"

Varos and Serati dashed along the perimeter of the auditorium, leaping into action. But Demphis's defenses were far too solid.

"Not a chance.” Raising his golden staff behind them, Demphis chanted another spell. "The howl of the jackal blankets the sky. Wild Thunder."

A chaotic web of lightning crackled outward in all directions. Serati barely evaded the arcs of electricity as she sent a telepathic message.

—What now, Lord Karnak?

Everything had gone horribly wrong. They had practically handed the enemy hostages on a silver platter. But even Karnak had no clear solution.

—W-we need to survive first! We'll figure out the rest later!

Varos's chain sword danced wildly, while Serati's crimson aura blazed across the battlefield. Even as they fought with all their might, the tide of battle refused to turn in their favor.

"There's nothing left to worry about now...” Demphis fired spells leisurely, pushing the party back without exerting himself. "All I have to do is take my time ending your lives.”

The sheer reserve of his mana was overwhelming. It proved counterattack impossible. At best, they could dodge and stall. Cold sweat trickled down Karnak's temple.

Damn it, this is bad...

Ironically, the only reason they were still alive was because of Demphis, or rather, Karnak’s teacher Dallas. Dallas truly had been Karnak’s magic instructor. Karnak had based his chaos magic formulas on Dallas's foundational spellwork.

To begin with, chaos magic wasn't created for battle. It was designed to be low-profile to let him live a peaceful, unnoticed life. The problem was that the three archmages of his time had developed magic far too distinctive.

The stronger and more unique the magic, the harder it was to alter. Steal the wrong spell, and your identity would be exposed instantly. But Dallas's magic was different. It was versatile. It was obscure.

No one had ever paid much attention to it, which meant Karnak could modify it freely without raising suspicion. Now, by sheer coincidence, that decision was saving his life. But he wouldn't last much longer. They had no more bait. The hostages were taken, and Demphis had no hesitation in killing the rest. One miscalculation had led them into a crippling disadvantage.

What do I do? What the hell do I do?

Karnak's face hardened with each passing second.

***

Demphis narrowed his glowing eyes as he observed Karnak.

Why does he seem so familiar with my magic?

He still hadn't realized that chaos magic was derived from his own spellwork. Karnak had altered it too much for him to recognize. But that didn't matter. A stronger opponent always had more options.

If he understands it, I'll just make sure he can't block it.

Countless glowing spheres of magical energy flickered into existence around Demphis. The air warped as they vibrated violently, forming an unstable, rotating mass of power. Then he unleashed them all at once.

"Arcane Bit Area."

A storm of luminous projectiles rained down. The sheer size of the spell made evasion impossible. Varos and Serati were forced to avoid a direct hit. They lunged in opposite directions.

"

Hup!

"

"

Haah

!"

Varos dodged left. Serati dodged right. Their movements intersected, leading them to land at the exact same spot. Unfortunately, Karnak was already standing there. Varos's face went pale.

"Shit!"

Demphis had manipulated their movements perfectly, corralling them into one location.

We need to scatter...

It was too late. The final spell had already begun.

The golden staff gleamed with ominous light as the archlich intoned his verdict. "Begone, insignificant humans."

From the tip of his staff, a massive tide of darkness erupted.

“Ultimate Dark.”

A spell that devoured everything it touched. It was simple, wide-ranging, and absurdly inefficient. It wasted enormous amounts of mana. But in exchange, it could neither be dodged nor blocked.

"Damn it!"

Facing imminent death, Varos thrust his sword forward.

"

Aaaargh!!

"

At the same time, he compressed every ounce of aura in his body, refining it into a singular, desperate attack. Refined aura transformed into a sharp, flowing force, radiating a brilliant azure light. He had reached the realm of blue knight, where strength yielded to softness.

The blue swordlight slashed through the darkness, spreading outward in all directions. A merciless tide of destruction rippled across the auditorium, shattering walls, tearing through the ceiling, and fracturing the floor.

Even Demphis, taken aback, muttered in disbelief. "How is a mere blue-tier warrior blocking this spell?"

But that was all. It could delay the inevitable, but not stop it. At best, it bought a few more seconds.

I know. I know that, damn it!

And yet, Varos squeezed every last ounce of strength he had, desperately holding his ground. At the very least, he wasn't dead yet. And after this...

He’s terrified of dying. I’m sure he’ll figure something out!

Karnak didn't betray Varos's expectations. As the engulfing darkness bore down on him, something flashed in his mind.

This...

It posed a very familiar pattern. It was a spell whose every formula and structure he had studied in detail. Of course. What else would you expect from the former Monarch of Death? Even while developing chaos magic, he had obsessively analyzed death and darkness-based spells.

Then this will work!

Karnak immediately activated an inversion spell, channeling chaos mana. "I unfold the projected darkness. Phantom of Darkness!"

An even deeper darkness descended upon the already pitch-black void. A maelstrom of shadows erupted, consuming the auditorium. A deafening roar ripped through the air.

***

The darkness subsided. Cold wind whistled through the wreckage of the shattered auditorium. The monstrous Hugot stood frozen, wearing a blank expression.

"Huh?"

Karnak, Varos, and Serati were nowhere to be seen.

Did they... not even leave a corpse?

But something felt off. Even with a spell of complete annihilation, it was nearly impossible for three people to vanish without leaving a single trace. At the very least, there should have been bloodstains, scraps of flesh—something.

Demphis let out an indifferent murmur. "They escaped. No idea where they went."

Hugot turned to him in disbelief. "They... escaped you, Lord Demphis?"

This was an archlich, a ninth-circle master, one of the strongest undead in existence. And yet, he had lost them?

"How is that even possible?"

"I don't know. Apparently, it was possible for them.” Oddly enough, Demphis didn't seem particularly bothered. "Our objective has already been accomplished."

He turned his gaze toward Leven, dangling from Hugot's tendrils. "Move the sacrifice."

Hugot hesitated, then cautiously asked, "But... could you return me to normal first...?"

"Ah, right."

Demphis casually waved his golden staff. First, he cast Paralyze on Leven, Lapicel, and Milia, rendering them motionless. Then, he tossed them next to the unconscious Edia before finally restoring Hugot's human form.

“Phew." Now back in his original body, Hugot let out a relieved sigh. "We should mobilize the cultists and strengthen our defenses immediately."

"Strengthen the defenses?"

"Yes. They will definitely return to rescue their comrades, won't they?"

"Hm. True... Yes, you make a fair point."

Hugot felt a flicker of unease. His words had been obvious, but Demphis had reacted strangely. Yet, the archlich offered no explanation. Instead, he simply issued a new order while reaching into his robes with a skeletal hand.

"Increase security. And prepare the altar."

Through a dimensional pocket, he pulled out an object.

"Once everything is in place...”

It was a black cube, inscribed with bizarre, shifting glyphs.

"We shall begin the descent ritual."