CHAPTER 201: NECROMANCY?

Adrian noted that the System had used the word ’creature’ instead of the usual beast. What he had been able to glean through a quick [Analysis] during the fight gave him a clue as to why.

[Analyzing...]

[Rank: 6-Star]

[Element: Darkness]

[Properties: Possesses extreme regenerative abilities and some intelligence]

[Remark: Its existence suggests the presence of a controlling Necromancer.]

The remark gave him creeps. He might not have heard of necromancers in this world. But from the fantasy books he read on Webnovel, and other entertainment he might have consumed in his past life — he was well aware of what the term meant.

’A Necromancer... I have to get to the bottom of this.’

He descended to the ground to meet Nyra, who was already helping a wounded guard to her feet. More Elves had arrived and were beginning to salvage the situation, tending to the injured and securing the plaza.

The moment Nyra met his gaze, the fear she’s been trying to hide revealed itself. "The others... my father... we have to head to the forest right away!"

Adrian held her firmly by the shoulders. "I will be going to the forest," he said in a tone that left no room for argument. "You will stay back."

"But—"

"No buts," he interrupted. "We don’t know the source of these attacks or how many of these creatures there are. I can’t guarantee that Eldryth is safe from more assaults. Another one could arrive at any moment. Your duty is here, to defend your people."

He handed her a mana detector from his [Inventory]. "If another monster shows up, its power source is its core. Try to locate it with this, it can help you sense mana to an extent.. If you’re not able to, attack various spots on its body to find a weak point. If that doesn’t work, preserve as many lives as you can, starting with your own; and give me a call via this."

He materialized a Communicator as well from his [Inventory] and pressed it into her hand. "I’ll try to establish a mind link with you, so we can communicate directly if there’s no chance to use it."

Nyra accepted the device with a blank expression. She already knew how to use the device, but his last statement puzzled her.

"A... mind link?"

"Yes," Adrian’s voice spoke, not from his mouth, but directly inside her head, startling her so much she almost dropped the Communicator.

Without another word, he turned. He knew he didn’t have a single moment to spare. So with a final, reassuring glance at the stunned princess, he took off into the sky once again.

***

As Adrian streaked through the sky, he focused his will inward, extending his consciousness through the invisible threads of the Soul Imprints.

He established a simultaneous link with seven of his eight Vassals, a multi-channel conference call taking place entirely within his mind.

"How’s it going over there?" he projected, his mental voice calm and casual, designed not to cause alarm.

Master Von was the first to respond. "I’m doing fine. Is there a problem? Don’t tell me you’ve gotten us into some trouble."

"We’re fine, boss, is there a problem? You abandon us for days without a word, and it’s only now you remember your loyal subjects?"

Eli’s voice cut through the chatter. "Shut up, Charles. Don’t you know my lad’s been busy? Let him breathe."

Adrian didn’t need to hear more to confirm that the situation in Zarion was stable. The familiar banter was the best proof he could ask for.

"Glad to hear you’re all well," he sent back to the group. "I’m dealing with a situation here in Eldryth. Increase security at all borders to the maximum. Stay at full alert. I don’t believe Zarion is the target, but be prepared for anything. Don’t hesitate to contact me via this link if anything arises. Take care of the people, especially Serena."

The moment he delivered his message, he poured more energy into his suit’s thrusters, leaving the mental link active in case they needed to reach him.

’They’re not targeting Zarion. That’s great news,’ he thought, a sliver of relief cutting through his concern. He increased his speed, and in no time, he reached the scene of the battle.

What he saw made his breath catch. Luckily, the four High Elves were all alive, but they were not in a good condition.

They were embroiled in a desperate, swirling battle against no less than forty of the grotesque, regenerating darkness monsters. It was clear that they were not winning.

The clearing was a chaotic canvas of elemental magic and writhing shadow.

They worked in tandem, unleashing brilliant waves of destructive magic, only for them to reform seconds later from the creeping mist.

The monsters kept regenerating and their numbers never dwindled, and the High Elves were clearly starting to get overwhelmed by the sheer attrition.

Sometimes, a creature would use its long, gangly arms to reach up and smack one of them from the sky, but their immense combat experience allowed them to recover, if only just barely.

Their tactic to survive the fight was one of desperate retreat; they would unleash a powerful barrage, fall back to catch their breath as the monsters advanced, then dive in for a surprise attack when they could.

It was this chaotic, shifting battle that had unfortunately allowed one of the creatures to sneak past them and reach the capital.

Adrian didn’t spend another second thinking. He acted.

’I will be taking you out of the fight and into somewhere safe now. Remain calm and do not resist.’

The High Elves were momentarily distracted by the sudden voice in their minds, but after turning their heads to see Adrian hovering in the sky some distance away, a wave of profound relief washed over their exhausted faces.

They thanked the Goddess and waited patiently for his intervention, trusting him completely.

Adrian approached them immediately, his speed a blur. He shot past Vamir, placing a hand on his shoulder as he flew by with [Storage] activated.

Vamir vanished after accepting the pull. He did the same for the others, weaving through the battlefield with an untouchable grace, collecting the Elven lords one by one upon their mental approval.

[Storage: 4/20 units stored]

After safe-keeping the last of them, he ascended upwards again, the wrath of all forty beasts now focused entirely on him.

A storm of shadowy projectiles and grasping shot towards him from all directions. He met the barrage head-on, his arms moving in the fluid, elegant motions of the Vortex Counter.

He became the eye of the storm, catching and redirecting the volley of dark magic.

~BOOOOOM!~

Their own attacks, amplified and redirected by his skill, were sent hurtling back down upon them. Many of the creatures were blasted backward, their unstable bodies filled with gaping holes from the sheer force of their combined assault.

Adrian didn’t relent. He only increased his pace. His eyes glowed a brilliant, analytical blue as he weaved through the horde of regenerating creatures, his mind processing the battlefield like a supercomputer.

~WHOOSH! ZAPP! PSSHH!~

He was a phantom of vengeance. He didn’t waste energy on grand, destructive attacks. He used Phantom Steps to appear beside each creature for a fraction of a second, his Mana Gun already aimed at the core hidden in their body.

A single shot of condensed mana was all it took for each one. He moved from one to the next with an inhuman efficiency that was more terrifying than any berserker’s rage.

A few minutes later, he was done with every single one of them. The forest floor, which had been transformed into a cratered hellscape by the earlier fight, was now eerily empty.

The creatures had all dissipated into harmless black dust, leaving nothing behind.

Adrian descended but stayed alert, hovering a few meters above the corrupted ground. He didn’t withdraw the High Elves yet. He was analyzing what this sudden, coordinated attack must mean, who the Necromancer was, what their goal could be.

’I’ll have to find—’ ’

~RUMBLE~

He was interrupted mid-thought when his [Omnisense] picked up a massive surge of energy from the ground directly beneath him.

Before Adrian could realize what was happening, dozens upon dozens of writhing shadow tendrils shot out.

He found himself in the middle of a crowd of more dark creatures, and this time they looked far more fierce and numerous than before.

Skeletons of giant beasts, twisted wraiths, and at least some more of the same type he fought before had appeared out of thin air, surrounding him completely.

***

I’m not sure most of you read the Author’s Notes, so I decided I’ll be doing it here (it wouldn’t add to coin cost of course).

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