Chapter 26

Necromancer

 

Kkung, kkung!

The small white furball sniffed the air, its tiny legs moving energetically as it wandered around the swamp.

The Radiant Anubis.

Normally, it would hide beneath Park Chan-woo’s pant leg, but as soon as they entered the misty ‘Swamp Zone’, thick with poisonous fog, Anubis began moving excitedly.

‘It’s reacting to something.’

Park Chan-woo tilted his head in curiosity.

There was nothing here that should have provoked a reaction from Anubis.

All around was the stench of rot, thick in the air.

All he could see was the murky swamp stretching out before him.

Even Park Chan-woo couldn’t move forward easily.

‘There’s no clear information about this Swamp Zone.’

He had very little information to go on. All he knew was that a miracle had once occurred here.

However, as soon as he set foot in the swamp, one thing became clear:

 

 

The swamp’s poison was strong.

Now he understood why information about this place was so limited.

If it paralyzed people and caused hallucinations, it made sense that anyone who had crossed the swamp would hardly remember the journey.

‘It’s designed to make people witness a miracle.’

From the beginning, it was planned.

He wanted people to face his feats, terrified and awestruck, so they would worship him.

There was no other reason to lead people into a swamp choked with poisonous fog.

So, that meant…

‘…He must have already formed a contract with a Creator.’

Whether or not the Creator he contracted with was one of the ‘Nine Supreme Monarchs’, it was clear that he had a contract with a Creator.

There was no way he could have set all this up alone.

And considering the host of the Water God Abyss had handed over such a vast territory to him, it suggested the support of a high-ranking Creator…

Or perhaps even a Named Creator.

It was also possible that the host of the Water God Abyss was his contracted Creator.

Either way, it was clear that he intended to cause a miracle with the full backing of his Creator.

‘Was he born a villain?’

Park Chan-woo shook his head.

The possibility that he hadn’t formed an ‘Avatar contract’ yet had never truly existed.

Any remaining feelings of sympathy vanished.

In the early stages of the Abyss invasion, many people had been saved because of him.

So, Park Chan-woo had allowed himself a glimmer of hope.

Maybe, just maybe, he hadn’t signed an Avatar contract early on.

But… if he had been an Avatar from the start, there was nothing more to say.

Everything he did had been calculated from the beginning. Setting up miracles, showing them to people, leading them toward him.

And in the end…

‘…He opened the worst Abyss.’

Just thinking about it made Park Chan-woo grind his teeth.

He cleared his mind.

Anubis, do you know where you’re going?

He asked, glancing at the brilliant Anubis, who was walking ahead as if leading the way.

Anubis hadn’t stopped once. It moved forward as if it knew exactly where it was headed.

But the Swamp Zone was a maze.

The paths constantly changed, shifting with each passing moment.

Several times, Park Chan-woo had marked bushes or trees with signs, only to find them again later, as if the path had circled back.

If Anubis knew the way, why would it lead them through the same spots repeatedly?

‘It’s avoiding something.’

…Anubis was deliberately steering clear of dangerous areas.

Until now, they hadn’t encountered anything in the Swamp Zone, which made it clear that Anubis was guiding them along the safest path.

That’s why they occasionally passed through the same areas.

Even though Park Chan-woo possessed the ‘Nonexistence’ status, which allowed him to erase his presence, it didn’t make him invincible.

He was still vulnerable to the Swamp Zone’s aggressive characteristics—the poisonous mist that affected anyone who stepped into it, as well as traps and barriers.

His ‘Nonexistence’ only prevented others from consciously perceiving him. Automatic hazards, like those in the swamp, could still pose a significant threat.

Pitter-patter, pitter-patter!

Park Chan-woo followed behind Anubis, who trotted along eagerly, its fur bristling with excitement.

How long had they been walking?

‘……!’

Something in the distance made Park Chan-woo halt.

Far off, there was a ‘sanctuary’.

A sanctuary was a structure meant for grand rituals.

But the creatures in front of it were anything but ordinary.

Cloaked in black robes, exuding dark magic as they maintained a ‘barrier’, stood the monsters.

And surrounding them…

Gurrk, gurrk!

Graaaugh!

Hundreds of ‘Venomous Zombies’ with greenish skin roamed the area, emitting eerie sounds.

‘Necromancer.’

One who commands death.

The creature closest to death!

Judging by the number of venomous zombies it had summoned, this was no ordinary necromancer.

It was a being powerful enough to devour the bosses of even high-tier Abyss dungeons.

Only a handful of entities in the Abyss dealt directly with death, and even among those of the same level, their standing and power were worlds apart.

Park Chan-woo’s gaze fixed on the sanctuary behind the Necromancer.

‘…There’s a treasure chest in the sanctuary.’

It was clearly visible.

The Necromancer was guarding something.

The treasure chest atop the sanctuary, emitting a faint blue glow.

That was the ‘offering’ the Creator had prepared for that wretch.

‘This is far beyond any other offering.’

The offerings guarded by mere monsters or hidden away were nothing in comparison.

This entire swamp seemed to exist solely to guard that treasure chest.

What could be inside?

As curious as he was…

‘There’s no way I can get through.’

The Necromancer, the barrier protecting the sanctuary, and the Venomous Zombies wandering around it—all of these were his worst enemies.

There were mechanisms in place that rendered his ‘Nonexistence’ useless. If he tried to force his way through, his body would be crushed by the barrier.

Pitter-patter, pitter-patter!

Yet, the ‘Radiant Anubis’ did not stop.

Park Chan-woo quietly watched Anubis.

Just like the Necromancer, who ruled over death, no—perhaps even more so—Anubis was deeply connected to death as well.

Hop! Hop!

Anubis skillfully avoided the Venomous Zombies and hopped right up next to the barrier, stopping in front of the Necromancer.

Suddenly, a glimmer of light returned to the previously lifeless eyes of the Necromancer.

「What… are you?」

There was a trace of confusion in the Necromancer’s voice.

「How did you awaken my sealed soul?」

The Necromancer seemed unable to grasp the current situation.

It was only natural.

The Necromancer had been tasked with guarding this sanctuary, his duty to ensure that no unauthorized being could approach by maintaining the barrier.

But this was not his own will. His soul had been sealed by someone else. His body was forcibly fixed in place, used solely to protect the sanctuary.

And yet, this white ball of fur had somehow summoned his sealed soul in front of the barrier.

It didn’t take long for the Necromancer’s soul to understand the cause.

「Ah… You are one who summons death. That’s why you were able to call forth my soul. But why is a sacred being, one who guides death, here in this place…」

The Necromancer recognized Anubis.

Anubis, the guardian of the Temple of Death, was far superior to a mere Necromancer. Even as a young one, there was no comparison to a Necromancer who could only manipulate corpses.

Hop! Hop!

「You want me to lift the barrier? I apologize, but my body no longer obeys my will. I am bound by a powerful contract. Only someone authorized or one of my kind can cross this barrier. Even though you are a sacred being’s youngling, unless you are fully grown…」

The Necromancer’s soul spoke with regret.

Then, almost as if muttering to himself, he continued.

「…Ah, why am I still guarding this sanctuary? Even when something wrong has been placed here to mock us… It’s painful. I want to follow my fallen comrades… to join them in death…」

His voice was filled with regret.

Listening to this, Park Chan-woo began to think.

‘Only someone authorized or one of his kind can pass through the barrier, huh?’

He was neither.

Even though the Necromancer recognized Anubis, he had still been certain that the barrier could not be crossed. This meant it wasn’t just an ordinary barrier.

It would take an adult Anubis to pass through. In other words, this barrier was strong enough that even with 1,000 defense, it was beyond anything Park Chan-woo could challenge.

‘As expected, this is no ordinary Necromancer.’

Who could he be?

Park Chan-woo had a rough idea.

The Necromancer had originally been a guardian of the sanctuary.

As he examined the sanctuary, Park Chan-woo pieced together the Necromancer’s origin.

‘…It’s written in Orcish.’

The faint hieroglyphs etched into the sanctuary.

Most of them were related to ‘Orcs’.

The crude symbolic drawings characteristic of Orc culture stood out.

‘Death, life, and reproduction. This sanctuary embodies the origins of these three forces. The Necromancer guarding it must have been an Orc priest.’

Moreover, the priest had personally laid the barrier and was protecting it.

That meant this sanctuary was dedicated to the god they worshipped.

But atop the sanctuary was not an offering to their god—it was a treasure chest.

It was an insult to the priest and his god.

Park Chan-woo erased all traces of his presence.

In front of him stood a horde of zombies.

If he were detected, they would rip him to pieces in an instant.

But he walked forward without concern.

As long as his ‘Nonexistence’ was active, the Venomous Zombies could not perceive him.

He boldly made his way through the countless zombies and stood before the barrier.

Then, with a solemn expression, he slowly opened his mouth.

Chwik!

「……!」

 

 

Now was the moment.

Park Chan-woo swiftly crossed the barrier.

He hadn’t expected to use the ‘Chwik Belt’ like this, but since both the Necromancer’s body and soul now perceived him as an Orc, it was possible.

「W-When did you get there? No, more importantly… I could have sworn I just heard the sound of a fellow…」

Park Chan-woo quietly sighed in relief.

He had only one chance.

If he’d failed, it would have been incredibly dangerous.

But nothing changes if you don’t take risks.

Even though Park Chan-woo had crossed the barrier, the Necromancer’s body didn’t react.

All of its functions were tied up with summoning the Venomous Zombies and maintaining the barrier.

Park Chan-woo set his sights on the treasure chest atop the sanctuary.

Magical energy crackled around the chest, like an electric field.

If he touched it carelessly, he would certainly pay the price in blood.

“Do you know how to open this treasure chest?”

When Park Chan-woo asked, the Necromancer’s soul responded.

「…I do.」

“It would be helpful if you could tell me. After all, you’re not guarding it willingly, are you?”

「Grant me rest, and I shall open it for you.」

“You want me to destroy your body?”

「Find the ‘Life Vessel’ and destroy it.」

“…Where is it?”

「I don’t know. But it must be somewhere. Once it’s destroyed, I can finally find the peace I long for.」

Park Chan-woo rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

Now it made sense why the Necromancer had such an overwhelming amount of magic.

His opponent had become a Lich.

And a Lich hides their soul and life in a ‘Life Vessel,’ keeping it in a secret place.

As long as the ‘Life Vessel’ remains intact, a Lich can live forever.

Of course, Park Chan-woo had a good idea where it might be.

‘He must have it.’

So this is what it meant to have created a miracle.

It seemed like his enemy planned to destroy the Life Vessel and kill the Lich.

Once the Lich died, the barrier would disappear as well.

It was all part of a perfectly orchestrated plan. A miracle designed so that only ‘that guy’ could achieve it.

‘…What to do now.’

Should he go after that guy now?

However, hunting him down was risky.

There was no certainty yet about which Creator he had a contract with.

If his contract was with one of the ‘Nine Supreme Monarchs’, then even attempting to kill him could be a dangerous move.

You would need at least a few hundred coins to even consider trying it.

Unlike ordinary Creators, ‘Named Creators’ do not stand by idly when their contracted Avatar is killed.

They only form contracts with one human they truly favor, and if their Avatar dies, they seek revenge to protect their pride.

Hop! Hop!

Just then, Anubis began hopping around outside the barrier again.

「The sacred being is asking for the barrier to be lifted.」

“How do we do that?”

「Lower the staff held by my body. That will lift the barrier.」

Park Chan-woo followed the Necromancer’s soul’s instructions and lowered the staff.

In an instant, the barrier surrounding the sanctuary vanished without a trace.

Pitter-patter!

As soon as the barrier disappeared, the Radiant Anubis climbed onto the Necromancer’s head.

“What’s it trying to…?”

Whooosh!

At that moment, a brilliant white light emanated from Anubis’s entire body.

The light soon formed into a flower bud, which slowly blossomed, opening its petals.

 

 

Seeing this, Park Chan-woo’s eyes glistened.

‘…So that’s why it’s called the Radiant Anubis.’

He finally understood the meaning behind the words written in the description.

Orc Priest Yan was equally stunned.

「Th-This is the power of a guide!」

No, the reaction of the priest far surpassed Park Chan-woo’s.

Shaking violently, as if having a seizure, the priest looked on with disbelief.

Above his head, a radiant flower bloomed in the form of light.

It had summoned his life, which had been sealed in the Life Vessel.

This was something only a fully grown Anubis should be able to do.

「Summoning death, and guiding it…」

But of course, Anubis was a sacred being that summoned and guided death.

Though surprising, it wasn’t entirely unnatural for a small Anubis to display the abilities of a guide.

The problem lay in what happened next.

At this moment, the ‘Radiant Anubis’ was consuming the death it had summoned.

Chomp! Chomp!

The fully bloomed ‘Flower of Life’ was being devoured.

「A being that consumes death…」

This was far removed from the role bestowed upon Anubis.

Anubis was not meant to consume the death it summoned and guided.

Its only task was to summon and guide death to the ‘Temple of Death’.

Bound to the temple, Anubis was forbidden from ever consuming life or death.

Such an act was not only impossible, but attempting it would result in the immediate loss of its sacred status.

To summon death, to guide it, and to consume it—there was only one entity capable of doing all of these things.

「C-Could it be… You are…!!」