Chương 85: What Lingers Behind

The necromancer-turned-skeleton raised his free hand before his face and watched in fascination as he flexed each finger in turn, studying the way the bones moved. At the same time, the green flames in his eye sockets flared brighter, reflecting his excitement.

"I must confess, I did not expect to awaken in such a marvelous form. What a pleasant surprise," Kayrus Odentis's voice rang through the tomb, accompanied by a mysterious ethereal echo.

"I have always been deeply fascinated by death and by the purity embodied in bone. This is, without a doubt, a dream come true… Or am I still dreaming? Could someone pinch me? Ah! There is nothing to pinch!" Nerez and Ily exchanged a glance, neither knowing how to react.

"However, I fear I have made a terrible mistake…" Kayrus let go of his staff, which remained standing perfectly upright beside him, then rested his skull in one hand while supporting that elbow with the other, adopting a thoughtful pose.

"I referred to you as guests when it is obvious that you are tomb robbers. I must be utterly brainless… Brainless! Do you get it?" Despite yet another bad joke, Ily sprang backward and, in a single second, nocked an arrow and drew the bowstring taut. That was because a threatening presence emanated from the skeleton, making it clear that Kayrus was completely serious. Nerez, for his part, merely brought a hand to his chin, deep in thought. This is interesting.

Even though I was the one who reanimated him, I don't feel the same kind of connection with him as I do with other reanimated bodies. Is it because Epitaph was at proficiency S when I reanimated him? Because he's a necromancer? Or perhaps because the being known as Kayrus Odentis is special in his own right?

"Now then, you have been a wonderful audience, but if you'll excuse me, the time has come to do a little cleaning. It looks as though this tomb hasn't been swept in a couple of centuries!" With that, the flames in the skeleton's eye sockets flashed brightly as his hand closed around his staff. It all happened in a single instant. But Ily was faster. She loosed her arrow.!!

"Interesting…" Kayrus remarked, holding the arrow between his fingers before snapping it in two with a single motion.

"How is that possible…" Ily could hardly believe what she had seen, and she had every reason to be surprised. The magic behind her shots made her arrows materialize already embedded in their target. This time, however, the arrow had appeared directly in front of the necromancer, and all he had needed to do was reach out and catch it.

"One who does not master multiple branches of magic can never attain excellence as a necromancer," Kayrus explained, reading the expression on Ily's face.

"Now then… it is my turn." This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. But the skeleton's attention was not on Ily. His blazing eye sockets were fixed instead on Nerez, who remained lost in thought with one hand on his chin, utterly unconcerned with everything happening around him.

"For some reason, not a single soul remains in my tomb. Nevertheless, that should not be too difficult to remedy." Kayrus struck the floor with the base of his staff, and a magic circle unfolded above his head.

"The souls free to move throughout the Underworld would never answer my call. Those drifting along the river of death, however, are another matter. Even a being as insignificant as I may dare send them an invitation into my god's domain and bid them come before me." A dark tunnel, lit from within by scattered points of light, began to form at the center of the magic circle and expanded until it filled the entire circle. …

"…? What… what's going to happen now?" Ily kept her gaze fixed on the tunnel above the skeleton's head, her bow still drawn, but there was still no sign of movement within it. … …

"Mm, how intriguing…" Kayrus also raised his head to peer into the tunnel. To his surprise, not a single soul emerged from it.

"This has never happened before. The souls refuse to come near this place. Yet, for some reason, there are exceptions…" The skeleton turned his gaze toward the Death Knights, who remained motionless at Nerez's command.

"In any case, one who is unprepared for contingencies like this can hardly aspire to excellence as a necromancer." With another strike of his staff, Kayrus closed the portal. At the same moment, a second magic circle appeared before him.

"Mm… seven, then. Not bad. Not bad at all." Seven points of light now shone within Kayrus's magic circle, each growing steadily brighter.

"Not all energy comes from souls. Any self-respecting necromancer knows there are countless other sources to draw from." The flames in Kayrus's eye sockets flared and spat sparks.

"For example… the grudges that have accumulated in this tomb over the years." The first of the lights shot out from the magic circle toward Nerez. The impact sent up a cloud of dust that completely obscured the area and hurled Ily toward the wall. Fortunately, the visiare used her spatial magic just before impact and reappeared several meters away. That gave her enough room to bleed off her momentum by planting her boots firmly and driving her metal bow into the stone floor.!!!

But before the dust could settle, Kayrus launched the remaining six comets of energy. Their explosions sent a series of tremors through the tomb.

"Lord Nereziel!" Ily cried out in alarm. It was one thing to know who Nerez was and another entirely to witness such chaos and destruction bearing down on him. Even the firmest certainty could falter before a scene like that.

"Lord… Nereziel…?" Kayrus repeated the words, still unable to fully process what they meant. But amid the tense pause that followed, the cloud of dust finally began to clear on its own. [Wall of Laments] A barrier of some kind stood before Nerez. Countless shadows writhed across its surface, forming all manner of faces. Some were sorrowful, others grim, and many seemed to be screaming in pain.

"I know this skill only draws on the emotions souls leave behind as they pass through the Lustral River," Nerez said, dismissing the barrier with a wave of his hand.

"Even so, it is rather unpleasant to look at…" As Ily watched in relief and Kayrus in astonishment (judging by how far his jaw had dropped), Nerez brushed off the dust that had slipped through gaps in the barrier's coverage.

"Well, I've seen enough to answer my questions and can conclude that bodies reanimated with Epitaph at proficiency S are truly independent. Who would've thought… Ah, I suppose it's about time I introduced myself… But first, I'd better stop suppressing my aura." At Nerez's words, the pressure Kayrus felt rose to an entirely different level. He was no longer facing a human, but death itself.