Chapter 159: Awakening (1)

By the guidance of the great God of Death, Tesranach...

A solemn voice echoed in Leven's mind.

I answer the call...

"Aaaargh!"

Leven screamed as the voice continued to invade his consciousness.

Surrender, my past self. Accept your true being.

Even through the pain, Leven couldn't help but find it absurd. It was truly pompous nonsense.

Why the hell is he speaking like that?

Yet. something about it felt strangely familiar. It reminded him of the way he acted in front of his father, Gallard. It was how he put on a show of exaggerated formality.

That's supposed to be me?

Gripping his head, Leven struggled to make sense of what was happening.

How is this even possible?

He had no knowledge of necromancy. Yet instinctively, he understood what was happening. That soul was him. A paradox was unfolding before him. His own soul was trying to take his body.

Like hell it will!

It didn't matter whether the invader was himself or someone else. What mattered was one thing. If he lost control of his body now, the Leven that existed in this moment would cease to be.

You think I'm just going to hand my body over to some random ghost?! Where the hell did you even come from?

I am no stray ghost. I am you.

Yeah? Still, I have no idea where the hell you came from.

'That's... true.

The invasive force weakened—just slightly. Which, ironically, only made Leven more confused.

Wait... is this really me?

That hesitation, that sudden insecurity, it was exactly how he would react. Regardless, it bought him more time.

Grinding his teeth, Leven braced himself.

Damn it...!

***

The altar pulsed with violent darkness, glowing symbols radiating a deep, blood-red light.Within it, Leven's screams continued. It was an undeniably ominous sight.

Serati, now in full panic, sent a message through their telepathic link.

—What the hell is happening, Lord Karnak?!

Karnak gave a response. However, it was too brief to be useful, but just enough for her to understand.

—Leven's soul is trying to take over Leven's body!

Serati immediately grasped the situation.

—Oh, gods!

They had already seen something similar happen with Lapicel.

—Another future Martial King is about to show up?!

—Uh... yeah?

—STOP IT!

Of course, they had to stop it. Karnak wanted to as well.

—How?

—What do you mean how?! You were the damn Monarch of Death!

𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Serati's sharp words snapped Karnak out of his daze. Right. He was the Monarch of Death.

—I just need to kill Leven, then.

It was a very Monarch of Death-like solution. Serati shrieked in horror.

—What the fuck are you saying?! Why would you kill Leven?!

—If his body is destroyed, there won't be anything for the soul to return to.

He sounded so sure of himself. Serati's frustration exploded.

—Goddamn lunatic! Are you out of your mind?

Even in the midst of the chaos, Varos had a fleeting thought.

Serati doesn't even bother sugarcoating it anymore.

But her words did have an effect. Karnak flinched. He was stunned into hesitation.

—Serati... what did you just say to me...?

—Now is not the time to get offended! Just figure something out! Without killing Leven!!

Infuriatingly enough, she was right. And that really pissed him off.

Just you wait, Serati...

Suppressing his irritation, Karnak forced himself to focus on Leven.

Think. Has something like this ever happened before?

Yes. It had, when Karnak and Varos themselves had returned to this era. As Karnak recalled his own experience, something strange stood out.

Wait... was resisting even supposed to be possible?

When he and Varos had returned through time, the process had happened instantly. There had been no struggle, no push-and-pull like this. Back then, he had simply assumed it was natural. It had felt like his soul was meant to return to its body. But the current Leven was actively resisting his future self. Even as he writhed in pain, clutching his head, he was still this era's Leven. He had not yet transformed into the future Martial King.

But how was this possible?

His soul in this era must be strong.

Then why had he and Varos surrendered so easily?

Well... we were kind of trash in this timeline, weren't we?

That meant something crucial. The soul of this era and the soul of the future were separate entities. Otherwise, rejection wouldn't even be possible.

So did we technically kill our past selves and take over their bodies? Would that count as murder? Or suicide?

Either way, this led to a single conclusion.

This is no different from possession. A perfect, near-100% soul resonance. It’s a dangerously powerful possession.'

The thought process had been long, but in reality, only a moment had passed.

A triumphant smile curled across Karnak's lips.

If it's possession, I can stop it!

He reached out his hand toward Leven. "Leven! Take my hand!"

***

Even an ordinary spirit possession required immense mental fortitude to resist. But this? Leven's own soul was trying to claim his body. How much strength would it take to resist that? It was like a man dying of thirst in the desert, finally tasting cold, fresh water— And then having to spit it out rather than drink. It required a level of self-control beyond human limits. Even for Leven, he was reaching his breaking point.

"

Ugh... Uuuugh...!

"

Just as he was about to lose consciousness, a voice rang out. "Leven! Take my hand!"

He didn't know why, but instinctively, he reached out. Black tendrils of energy wrapped around his wrist, coiling up his arm and enveloping his entire body.

Ah...

The pain eased slightly. But at the same time, a deep sense of dread washed over him.

This energy...!

It was the power of darkness, necromantic energy, that was protecting him and his soul.

Leven's eyes widened in horror. "Sir Karnak... You're a necromancer?!"

"Yes! I'm a necromancer! I'll explain later. Right now, we need to save your life first!"

Snapping impatiently, Karnak continued manipulating the death energy, blocking the invasion of the future Leven's soul. But this was only a temporary measure. He wouldn't be able to hold out for long.

"Leven, there's only one way to save you.” Taking advantage of the brief moment he had bought, Karnak spoke quickly. "Become my vassal!"

“Wh-What?!"

"If you do, I can regulate your soul! I can protect you from that wraith!"

They had no time to argue about the future Martial King. So Karnak simply lumped the invader in with all spirits and called it a wraith. Not that it made much difference from Leven's perspective. Still, it was an offer Leven couldn't possibly accept.

He recoiled in disbelief. "W-what kind of nonsense is this?! You expect me, a member of the King's Order, to form a contract with a necromancer?!"

"I'm also in the King's Order! You think I want this?! This is the only way to save you!"

It was the truth. Karnak had zero interest in making Leven his vassal.

Damn it, I worked so hard to free up a spot for Varos, and now some random idiot is about to take it!

Leven, despite his distress, realized Karnak wasn't thrilled about this either. And yet, he was still insisting on it for Leven's sake.

"But still..."

Karnak's expression twisted. "Hurry up and decide! I can't hold on much longer!"

His urgent voice pushed Leven to the edge. "If you don't, your soul will be erased! That body will become his! And you'll end up our enemy!"

Leven clenched his teeth. He had no choice.

"Damn it!” Cursing, he squeezed his eyes shut. "I'll become your vassal!"

"Then open your mind and accept the contract!"

At that moment, an immense surge of darkness erupted around them.

***

Leven's face was filled with confusion. "Ah..."

Unlike Serati, he wasn't writhing in pain. Her suffering had come from the side effect of regenerating her arm, not from the vassal contract itself.

"What is this...?"

Within his mind, two invisible forces clashed. The soul of the future Leven, and Karnak, who now wielded dominion over his servant.

You insolent wretch! Do you truly believe mere trickery can prevent my descent?!

If you think this is trickery, that just means your standards are low.

You dare mock me?!

Honestly, I am glad to hear that formal tone of yours... but I don't think this is the time for pleasantries, do you?

The influence of the future Leven was fading. Meanwhile, Karnak, having already seized control, remained relaxed.

The future Martial King roared in frustration.

Who are you?! What are you?!

Karnak shook his head.

Ah. So you don't recognize me either.

If he had the means, he would have bound the soul and interrogated it. But for now, he had neither the time nor the capability.

For now, I'll have to settle for driving him out completely.

With absolute control over his vassal’s soul, Karnak uttered the final command. "Begone, spirit of a time to which you do not belong."

A deep, chilling wail echoed, and the Martial King's soul was cast back into the void.

***

Demphis and the other necromancers had no choice but to watch. They could do nothing else. Demphis himself was still bound by the immense necromantic energy used in the ritual. Chains meant to summon now shackled him in place.

Hugot and the other necromancers were locked in combat with Varos and Serati, unable to afford even a moment's distraction. As such, both sides could only stand there as the future Martial King's soul dissipated before their very eyes.

Demphis grumbled internally.

When things go wrong, they really go wrong.

At first, he hadn't been concerned when Karnak attempted to form a vassal contract. Controlling another's soul to override the presence of the future Martial King? That was simply impossible. The precision required to pull that off was unimaginable.

It was like throwing a dart a hundred times and landing dead center every single time. It required little raw power, but the sheer level of control needed was absurd. To Demphis's knowledge, there was only one entity capable of such a feat: The great God of Death, the Monarch of Death Tesranach. And yet, this black-haired young man had done the exact same thing, with barely any struggle.

Where the hell did this monster come from?

Regardless, the ritual had ended in failure. All the efforts they had poured into this moment had been rendered useless. With a faint sigh of disappointment, the archlich flicked his skeletal fingers. The dark chains binding him crumbled to dust and scattered into the air.

The ritual had failed, which meant he was free.

“I guess I have no other choice."

Demphis turned his gaze toward Leven and slowly took a step forward. Today had ended in failure. But that didn't mean the summoning ritual itself was lost forever. All he had to do was kill Karnak, sever Leven from the vassal contract, and simply call the future soul back again.

"I suppose I'll just have to prepare a more proper ceremony for you."

Dark energy surged from the archlich's body, flooding the chapel in a tide of death. Karnak's group tensed as the oppressive force bore down upon them.

“Shit." Varos cursed, gripping his sword tightly. "Another damn mountain to climb..."

They had saved Leven, but the ninth circle master had been unleashed.