Chapter 36: The Ranpelt Manor (5)

The space began to shift. The blood swamp covering the hall, the dark tendrils, and the walls of flesh all crumbled, revealing the estate’s original interior. The necromantic domain had slipped out of Straph’s control.

Why... why isn’t it working all of a sudden?

Straph’s face twisted into a grimace. It was clear that Karnak had done something to cause this, but...

What exactly did that bastard do?

The domain wasn’t destroyed—it still retained its form, radiating dark energy as it had before. The flow of necrotic power hadn’t been disrupted either. It was still moving steadily across the domain according to Straph’s will. He had followed the necromantic text perfectly, with no mistakes. Everything had been running smoothly. And then, suddenly, it wasn’t.

What is going on?

As the domain continued to collapse, Karnak smirked coldly.

You don’t get it, do you?

Straph remained frozen, doing nothing to stop the disintegration of his domain—a clear sign of his utter bewilderment.

Of course you don’t.

***

The mixed domain of light and darkness had confounded even Karnak. He had spent the entire battle trying to wrest control of the domain, but found it impossible to dismantle. The sheer complexity of the spell had left him feeling something unfamiliar: frustration. He had even started to feel despair.

Don’t tell me there’s necromancy I don’t know about?

What grated on him most was that Straph, a supposed priest, had somehow mastered a technique that even he, the former Monarch of Death, couldn’t comprehend.

Losing his powers after his regression was something Karnak could accept. But losing in terms of knowledge and understanding? That was unthinkable. He had prided himself on being the ultimate necromancer, the peak of wisdom in the art of death.

Then, a realization struck him. Something didn’t add up. For Straph to control such a domain, it would mean he possessed a level of insight and knowledge surpassing even Karnak’s. He needed to know something that Karnak—responsible for conquering the world, defeating the churches of the seven goddesses, and even the Dragon Emperor, a monster among monsters—didn’t.

But that guy? The same man who was flaunting the summons of chaotic golems as if it were some great accomplishment?

This can’t be...

A reasonable suspicion began to form in Karnak’s mind.

Could it be... he doesn’t know either?

Testing his theory, Karnak changed his approach. Instead of trying to seize control of Straph’s dark energy, he layered another necromantic domain over it.

Normally, this would have been a foolish move. Layering domains would only strengthen the existing one, granting more power to the opponent. Anyone with even basic knowledge of necromancy could easily counter such a tactic. In fact, it couldn’t even be called a tactic.

But if this fusion of light and darkness wasn’t some masterful spellcraft but rather an accidental anomaly that even Straph didn’t understand...

That would put him in the same boat as me.

If Karnak’s gamble was correct, introducing this change would create a cascade of confusion.

***

As expected, Straph failed to regain control of the situation. In fact, he didn’t even seem aware that a disruption had occurred. If he’d noticed, he would have at least attempted to stabilize the domain.

Instead, the necromantic domain ground to a halt and ceased to function altogether. As Karnak surveyed the now-restored first-floor hall of the estate, he let out a bitter laugh.

So, you’re just a dabbler after all.

Compared to others who hadn’t even scratched the surface of necromancy, Straph had certainly achieved more. But he still hadn’t tasted its true depths. With the domain gone, the oppressive power that had been subjugating them disappeared entirely.

Karnak shouted, “Varos, let’s get out of here!”

Varos, who had been waiting for the order, immediately responded. “On it!”

Just as he began sprinting toward the exit, Karnak barked at him again.

“Hey! Don’t leave the lady behind! Are you just going to abandon her?”

Right. Serati was still lying on the ground, horribly injured, her arms severed.

“Ah!”

Varos froze in shock for a moment.

The young master... cares about someone else?

Simultaneously, he felt a pang of self-loathing.

Varos had briefly worried about Serati but quickly forgot about her. However, Karnak had somehow changed enough to care about someone else’s well-being—like a

proper

person.

Unbelievable! I always thought I was more human than that freak!

Riddled with self-reflection, Varos hurriedly ran to Serati.

“G-get away... you filthy necromancer...”

Even in her weakened, semi-conscious state, she struggled against him.

“Oh, right. She must’ve seen the young master using necromancy.”

Her eyes burned with betrayal and hatred as they fixed on him.

“You deceived us all this time... you vile...”

Varos paid no mind.

It’s not like this is the first time someone’s looked at us like this.

Ignoring her struggles, he slung her over his shoulder.

Her body quickly went limp. She had passed out from exhaustion.

Well, at least carrying her will be easier now.

He sprinted through the entrance and across the estate’s front yard, heading toward Karnak, who was waiting impatiently.

“You’ve changed, young master,” Varos said with admiration as he approached. “Even going so far as to save this lady.”

Karnak responded matter-of-factly. “Aura users are valuable sacrifices. They might try and kill us, but they’d want to keep her alive. She might have value to us as a shield.”

Varos grinned broadly.

“Of course. That makes sense.”

“.....?”

“As expected, you never fail to live up to expectations, young master.”

Despite everything, Varos still felt he was slightly more

human

than Karnak—and that gave him a strange sense of pride. He was happy.

“Why are you wasting time talking nonsense? Run!” Karnak barked.

“Yes, sir!” Varos replied enthusiastically.

***

The two men burst out of the shattered estate entrance—Karnak in the lead, with Varos carrying Serati close behind. Straph, watching them cross the yard, ground his teeth.

“Hmph! Do you think I’ll let you escape?”

He still didn’t know what had happened to his necromantic domain. It continued to defy his control, but that didn’t matter anymore.

“You might play your silly little tricks, but...”

Straph’s dark powers were still vast. He didn’t need to cling to a malfunctioning domain—he could simply create another.

“Tricks and schemes are meaningless before overwhelming power!”

The desolate yard began to shift once more, accompanied by an ominous rumbling.

Whooooom! Whooooom!

The sky twisted into a blood-red vortex, and the ground pulsed and squelched as tendrils of darkness erupted from it. Thorned vines sprang up, forming a massive wall to block their escape. Karnak glanced around, clicking his tongue.

“He really is overflowing with necrotic energy. He must’ve absorbed a lot of other necromancers.”

Still, Karnak wasn’t overly concerned. So, Straph was trying to create another domain? Karnak could just disrupt it again.

“Hyah!”

Spreading his arms wide, Karnak unleashed a surge of darkness.

Compared to the overwhelming aura that covered the yard, Karnak’s energy seemed minuscule. And yet, the results were astonishing. The newly forming domain unraveled and vanished, as if time itself had reversed. The sky returned to normal, and the ground ceased its grotesque contortions.

“Damn it, this doesn’t work either?” Straph spat, his frustration mounting.

He quickly shifted tactics, summoning yet another domain. Once again, the landscape changed, only to collapse moments later. This process repeated over and over. Taking advantage of the confusion, Karnak and Varos continued their escape.

As they ran, Varos suddenly voiced his curiosity. “Why are we running, young master? You can clearly dismantle his spells now.”

“We could just turn back and finish him off,” Varos suggested, his tone almost eager.

Karnak shook his head.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because he’s trying new things,” Karnak replied.

“...Huh?” Varos tilted his head in confusion.

That’s when it happened.

All around the yard, corpses began to rise from the ground.

The corpses of the soldiers Karnak’s group had slain while storming the Ranpelt estate began to stir. Under Straph’s necromancy, they had been transformed into zombies.

“Uuuuh...”

“Grrraaah...”

Letting out grotesque moans, the undead horde began to shuffle forward. But these weren’t ordinary zombies. Straph had poured an absurd amount of necromantic energy into them, transforming them into monstrosities rivaling higher-tier undead. Even so, Varos wasn’t worried.

They’ll probably fall apart on their own like the rest.

After all, none of Straph’s sophisticated necromantic spells had worked so far—why would these creatures be any different? But Karnak immediately dispelled his complacency.

“Get ready to fight, Varos.”

“What? Don’t tell me these ones are immune!”

“They are.”

The more complex Straph’s necromantic constructs, the easier they were for Karnak to disrupt. Complexity bred chaos, and chaos was easy to exploit. But simple necromancy? That was much harder to counter.

“Not that he did this intentionally,” Karnak muttered, slipping into a combat stance. “This kind of trial and error eventually lands on something effective.”

***

This is working? Why?

Straph’s eyes gleamed with excitement, even as confusion gnawed at him. He didn’t understand why this particular spell wasn’t being disrupted, but he wasn’t about to waste the opportunity.

“Go forth, my minions!”

The zombies began to change. Fangs sprouted grotesquely from their mouths, and their fingers morphed into clawed appendages like those of beasts. Their skeletal structures twisted unnaturally, and their muscles swelled to monstrous proportions.

“Rip them apart and bring me their souls!”

With tortured roars, the cursed monstrosities surged forward. They could no longer be called human, but they weren’t beasts either.

“Raaahhh!”

Varos swung his sword to meet them head-on.

“Take this!”

Even with Serati slung over his shoulder, he wielded his blade with precision and ease. Years of carrying others in battle had made him a natural.

I’ve carried the young master into fights when he was too drained to stand more times than I can count!

Fortunately, in this life, Karnak was in far better physical condition. Now he could fight alongside Varos without needing to be carried.

“Pure light of destruction, Arcane Burst!”

Flashes of magical destruction burst forth from Karnak’s hands, driving back the advancing monsters. Following the blast, he unleashed necromancy of his own.

“Blades of shadow, protect your master. Dark Blade!”

Black swords materialized in the air, slashing through the approaching zombies. Together, Varos and Karnak fought fiercely against the relentless horde. Though it seemed they might falter at any moment, they continued to hold their ground in defiance of all odds. It wasn’t just their experience fighting the undead that kept them standing.

What... are they doing?

Whenever the situation became precarious, Varos would subtly shift Serati’s limp body into the path of the zombies’ attacks.

“Sorry about this, Miss Serati!”

The zombies, recognizing her as a valuable aura user, instinctively avoided striking her lethally, which forced them to pause their assaults. Watching from afar, Straph clicked his tongue in disbelief.

“What kind of scum are these?”

Using an ally—a severely injured woman missing both arms—as a meat shield? Could they even be called humans?

“Necromancers... such despicable creatures!” he spat, conveniently forgetting that he had been the one to mutilate Serati in the first place.

Still, Karnak and Varos fought with surprising effectiveness. Their skill seemed almost supernatural given their apparent limitations.

“Not that it’ll matter in the end,” Straph muttered.

No matter how resourceful they were, they were still just humans. Their necrotic power was meager, their mana reserves limited, and they lacked the strength of aura users.

“I’ll end this now.”

Straph began to concentrate. From beneath the estate, an immense surge of necrotic energy erupted, shooting through the sky above the yard.

Rumble...

“Come forth, demon of Gehenna!”

A portal of darkness tore open in midair, and from it emerged a towering figure, nearly three meters tall. Two black horns jutted from its grotesque head, its bulging muscles threatening to burst from its blood-red skin. The demon’s horrific visage radiated malice and despair. It was a demon of the abyss: Maz-nun

.

“Raaahhh!”

With an earth-shaking roar, the demon announced its presence, baring its fangs and snarling menacingly.

“Contractor, state your desire!”

Straph responded triumphantly, a wicked grin spreading across his face.

“Kill the men and bring the woman to me!”

Maz-nun was a demon of immense power, comparable to a purple knight, an aura user of the purple-tier. No matter how skilled his enemies were in necromancy, they couldn’t possibly stand against such overwhelming strength.

But the demon’s reaction was unexpected.

“Who?”

“...What?”

“Who exactly am I to kill?”

Straph blinked in confusion, unable to understand why the demon was behaving this way.

At that moment, a sly voice cut through the air.

“Looks like the jig is up.”

Karnak, wearing a crooked smile, glanced at the demon.

“Well, it came out a bit late, didn’t it? No wonder it wasn’t fooled.”

Fooled? What does that mean...?

Straph’s bewildered gaze shifted toward Karnak, who casually waved a hand.

“Thanks for being such a gullible necromancer, my friend.”

As he spoke, the figures of Karnak, Varos, and Serati began to blur and fade.

“I’ve never met anyone who falls for illusions so easily.”

In a matter of moments, the trio had vanished entirely. All that remained was the horde of zombies and the demon, glancing around in apparent frustration.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

“Contractor, state your desire clearly! Who am I to kill, and who am I to retrieve?”

Straph’s jaw dropped.

“...It was all an illusion?”

When? From where? Rage boiled over, erupting in a feral scream that echoed through the estate’s underground halls.

“Those bastards dared to trick me!”