Chapter 163: Undead (2)

Screeeech!

The massive tree trunks of the Earth Dragon shrieked in agony, reacting to Karyl’s flames as if they were alive.

Aidan felt strangely uneasy at the sight of something magical behaving like a living creature.

“Those things...”

“Necromancy ultimately brings back something that once existed in some form. Those tree trunks might have been real trees from the past, or maybe not.”

“What do you mean by

maybe not

...?”

“Who knows. They might be imbued with the spirits of dead elves from this place.”

“...”

Gordon’s explanation left Aidan with a bitter taste in his mouth.

“Still, he figured it out. Recognizing the unique movement of elves... Only someone familiar with elves would pick up on that. Has your master actually seen an elf before?”

“Uh, well... I don’t really know.”

Despite being fascinated by Karyl’s strength, Aidan sometimes felt a sense of distance between the two of them.

“Whatever... The battle is decided. Flames that Zarka Hochi’s mana can’t extinguish? Even the sorcerers of the empire would be in awe of such power.”

Gordon had noticed Karyl’s dragon mana in their first encounter. However, this current display had far exceeded his expectations.

The standard for Sword Masters was being able to condense 4th Class mana into a Mana Blade. Of course, with enough talent, someone at the pinnacle of swordsmanship would likely possess mana even greater than that.

Those flames... They’re far from ordinary. Is it because of the dragon mana?

Among the continent’s five Sword Masters, Kuwell MacGovern was known to possess mana close to the 5th Class. However, unlike him, Karyl’s mana wasn’t confined to a Mana Blade. Rather, his mana was pure, free from the sword.

No... Even Muriana, the former head of the Digon, who inherited the strongest dragon mana, couldn’t wield mana like this,

Gordon thought of Miliana’s biological mother.

Unless he’s an actual dragon...

Gordon chuckled at the ridiculous idea.

Dragon mana was known to transcend elemental boundaries, enabling the use of all elements. However, no matter how many elements one could wield, they could not exceed their mana capacity.

That guy... He never showed me all his cards.

Gordon realized that Karyl hadn’t fought him with his full strength. Ironically, both men were truly grasping each other’s capabilities only now, fighting another adversary as opposed to each other.

“Tsk, what an annoying guy. Making me work so hard...”

Though he grumbled, Gordon didn’t seem entirely displeased.

[You...!!] Zarka Hochi snarled, his face twisted in distress.

“Shh... Quiet. You should recognize the power within this mana. Even if you’re dead, you’re still an elf.”

[How could you...]

As a race, elves were the closest to spirits. From within the flames, Zarka could clearly feel the presence of the Blazing King.

Although impenetrable against Gordon’s fierce attacks, Zarka’s mana shield began to crumble against the spiritual power used by Karyl.

Flash—! Crack—!

With his shield broken, Zarka staggered backward.

“An elf is still an elf. Since your mana is being disrupted like this by the power of higher beings, it seems that it really is grounded in spiritual power. ”

Moreover, Ramine’s flames, having an affinity for nature, were especially effective against elves.

“Even as a lich, the core of your mana remains unchanged. Like your necromancy, you can’t sever your ties to life even in death. No wonder you’ve kept up this farce.”

Karyl shook off the remnants of the disintegrating shield as he spoke to Zarka.

[GET OUT!!]

Mana surged around Zarka. Although his shield had been shattered, he still had a thousand years’ worth of mana at his disposal.

[Kraaaah!!]

The dark mana transformed into sharp spears, which shot at Karyl. The air felt tainted, his nose pricking from the poison emanating from the tips of the spears.

This wasn’t elven mana; this was the necromantic mana of a lich.

“Look out!” Aidan shouted as he saw danger heading Karyl’s way.

However, Karyl merely shook his head as he faced the seventeen black spears flying toward him.

“Now you’re using black magic? Decide whether you’re a lich or an elf, Zarka Hochi.”

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Eight of the spears embedded themselves into the ground, but Karyl was no longer there. He had moved behind Zarka Hochi.

“Powerful... but too slow,” he whispered.

[...!!]

“The Elven shield that protected you is gone. If you face me as a lich, I shall respond accordingly.”

Crackle... Crackle—!!

Karyl’s dagger, Agnel, emitted a radiant glow—the unique violet lightning aura. It was pure Light and Darkness.

The power of Arcane mana, a force blending two elements together, pierced through Zarka Hochi.

[Ghaaaaaah!!]

Excruciating pain surged through him. Despite being a lich, Zarka’s agony seemed all too vivid, as though he were still alive.

[Arcane...?! How do you possess Allen’s power...?]

Zarka shot Karyl an incredulous look. His staff was trembling slightly, and the black spears floating in the air shuddered violently.

“You know him?”

[He was cold and selfish...]

Karyl smirked. “Spot on. I won’t deny it. But the Arcane mana is not a gift for a dead man like you. I only used it to confirm if you were a member of Blader.”

[...What?]

“Indeed, you’re too valuable to kill.”

Thud—

Karyl drove his other fist into the lich’s side.

[Guh—!]

Zarka’s face contorted in shock.

“Yes, it’s mithril, the strongest metal against mana among all minerals out there. The metal loved by your kind, the elves, known as the race of light.”

In the darkness, Karyl’s lips curled into a smile.

“Isn’t it funny? A human with Elven Mail wielding an elf’s sword.”

Shk—!!

Karyl pushed his fist deeper into Zarka’s side, and then, a sharp blade sprang from his gauntlet, burying itself in the lich.

[Gah...! Agh!] Zarka gasped in pain, black smoke billowing from the wound where the blade had pierced his side.

Sizzle... Sizzle...

Releasing a rotten stench, Zarka Hochi trembled violently. Seeing his reaction, Karyl twisted the embedded blade even further.

[Ghaaaa!!] Zarka screamed in agony. With his mana weakening, the entire Ghost Castle seemed to shudder.

[You... You—!]

Zarka gripped Karyl’s shoulder desperately, his teeth clattering uncontrollably. In that instant, Karyl pulled the gauntlet blade out. A sticky, black liquid oozed from the wound.

[Gasp... Gasp...]

With the blade removed, Zarka could finally breathe.

“I know elves and gnomes don’t get along, but now I dislike them even more. That gnome gave me this sword.”

[Damn you...]

Miliana and Aidan shuddered as they watched Karyl, feeling as if they had been pierced by the sword themselves.

“Zarka Hochi, I’m playing along with your pitiful game. You’ve draped human skins over elf corpses, so it’s only fair that a human with Elven armor and an Elven sword nullifies your mana.”

At Karyl’s words, everyone glanced at the corpses strewn all over the place.

“They’re dead. Holding onto them for a thousand years is like keeping them trapped in a dream.”

[How dare you...!] Zarka spat out his words, but Karyl’s voice remained cold.

“Is this fun for you?”

Shk—!!

Karyl drove the mithril gauntlet sword into Zarka Hochi’s spine.

[Gh-Gaah—!]

With a final scream, Zarka collapsed. With every movement, the blade burrowed deeper into his back with an audible screech.

Thud, thud, thud...

Karyl walked past the writhing lich, heading for the throne.

“There’s one thing that bothers me. Who is this?”

All eyes turned to him. By the throne was a small framed picture that Zarka had kept glancing at during the battle.

[Don’t... Don’t touch it...!]

Inside the old frame was a painting of a beautiful Elf in a dress. Karyl stared at it.

With all the illusions dispelled, the ballroom was in a state of rot and decay. Everything was decrepit, except for this one picture, which remained pristine as though preserved with mana.

The name of the woman in the painting was engraved on the frame.

Zarka Hochi staggered toward Karyl, crawling with difficulty.

Snap...!!

Without hesitation, Karyl crushed the frame underfoot. The sound of the glass breaking rang loudly in Zarka Hochi’s ears.

[NOOOO...!!]

Though a lich, he still held onto his memories.

“...”

Aidan wanted to intervene, thinking it too cruel, but seeing Karyl’s cold expression, he remained silent.

“The Elf Kingdom is gone, Zarka Hochi. Wake up from your childish dream.”

[Do you even know... what that means?!]

“I don’t know, and I don’t care.”

Karyl’s expression remained unwavering.

Clang...!!

He reverse-gripped his Freezing Talon and drove it into the ground.

“Everyone has lost something.”

Having lived once already and spent countless eons trapped in the tower, Karyl understood the weight of those words better than anyone.

[You took everything from me... Even in death, you come to take more.]

Zarka’s voice quavered. The framed picture had to be of someone important to him—a lover, or perhaps a family member. Whoever that was, it was clear that the picture was precious to him.

“I acknowledge that humans have desecrated the elves’ land. Do you resent them? Of course, you do. But I won’t apologize for them.”

The chilling aura from the Freezing Talon seemed to cleanse the castle of its stench of death.

“I couldn’t stop the humans a thousand years ago. I don’t know what they took from you. But attacking us with dead elves masked as humans won’t accomplish anything.”

Karyl gave a bitter smile.

“After all, no one is as accustomed to killing their own kind as humans. Such tactics only affect pure elves like you.”

[...]

The cold enveloped Zarka Hochi’s face, as if caressing him.

“I don’t know much about you, but I do know this.”

Karyl rose, pulled the Freezing Talon from the ground, and pointed it at Zarka Hochi. It seemed like he was about to behead him, but instead, he rested the blade on his shoulder.

“This was meant for someone else... but who would’ve guessed that Zarka Hochi, the mighty lich, is an elf from a thousand years ago.”

Ssss....

As the cold seeped into Zarka Hochi, the green orb glowing in his ribcage froze over and turned blue.

“This sword will guide you. Follow me. Then, instead of this pathetic play...”

Zarka looked up.

“...you can rebuild the fallen Elf Kingdom.”

Karyl’s voice echoed through the Ghost Castle.

“Let that be your true revenge on the humans of the past.”