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‘I must avoid the mountain path.’

Even someone as dim-witted as him had realized after getting caught several times. If he followed the road, he would eventually be caught by the pursuit team.

It wasn’t a wise move.

Straying from the path in a dark forest was an extremely dangerous act. Especially if one only knew how to handle spirits but had physical abilities no different from an ordinary person.

However, it couldn’t be said that it was foolish either.

If he followed the road, he would be caught anyway. In his current situation, he had no other choice.

He continued to push through the rugged forest, barely managing to find places where he could set foot.

The only saving grace was that he could use the spirits to clear the underbrush blocking his way.

“Destroy!”

A spirit surged forth, sweeping away the underbrush before him.

After clearing the path, Fred trudged forward with heavy steps.

‘If I can just get out of here…’

With his strength and spirit power nearly depleted, his body was utterly exhausted. The cold and hunger had left him in a daze.

Like a zombie, he muttered to himself vacantly.

“If I can just… get out of here…”

***

Karnak and Varos were running through the forest.

“He fled this way.”

They had accurately found the path Fred had taken and pursued without hesitation.

There was a reason they could do so.

“Click, click, you really shouldn’t use necromancy so carelessly when fleeing.”

With just a bit of concentration, they could sense the traces left behind by the spirits.

Ordinary people wouldn’t notice it, but to Karnak, it was as bright as a shining beacon.

“No wonder the priests of Latiel tracked us all the way to our territory.”

With spirit power of this level, it wouldn’t be difficult for a clergyman to detect it. It might not shine brightly, but it would certainly leave a noticeable trail.

“Well, not that he would know that.”

It was hard to blame Fred for his foolishness, as Karnak himself had made the same mistake in the past.

This area was the very place where Karnak and Varos had fled in a past life. Now, another necromancer was being chased here.

“This feels all too familiar.”

It wasn’t a sentimental, human story about feeling nostalgic for his past self.

If Karnak had the capacity for empathy to feel such things, he wouldn’t have learned such an evil art like necromancy in the first place.

“Because it feels familiar, I can roughly guess where he’ll try to escape.”

As he surveyed the surrounding area, Karnak asked,

“Just a bit further in this direction, and we’ll get there, right?”

Varos, who understood, nodded.

“Ah, you mean that place?”

About ten minutes away from here, there was a cliff with a split running through it, located near a stream. The zigzagging crack in the cliff was an ideal hideout—it allowed for a fire to be lit without light escaping, while also providing excellent ventilation.

Karnak smiled with satisfaction.

“If he’s a fugitive shivering from the cold, there’s no way he’d pass up a place like that.”

Just like the two of them back then, Fred must also be exhausted from the cold and hunger. The urge to light a fire and feel warmth would be overwhelming.

However, he couldn’t just light a fire recklessly. A fire in the dead of night would be visible from very far away.

Moreover, it wasn’t feasible to use necromancy to summon black flames to warm himself.

That would be like suggesting doing push-ups to warm up instead of lighting a fire. It might warm the body temporarily, but it would only deplete his energy even more.

In such a situation, could he really ignore such a perfect hiding spot?

“He’ll probably hide there until dawn. Just like we did.”

“What if he passes by without noticing it?”

“In that case, we’ll continue the pursuit. There’s no harm in checking.”

“You’re right about that.”

They already knew the location of the cliff.

Their pace quickened.

“Let’s hurry before the priests catch him first.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

***

A small fire crackled within the narrow crevice of the cliff.

Crackle, crackle…

Beyond the flickering flames, Fred was curled up, fast asleep.

For a brief moment, he was having a pleasant dream.

In his dream, the nobles who usually flaunted their arrogance were screaming as they died.

“Aaaaah!”

The beautiful women, who usually wouldn’t even spare him a glance, were now begging for their lives, willing to do anything.

“P-please spare me!”

He was conflicted.

Should he just kill them? Or have his way with them before killing them?

“Hehehe…”

Fred smiled in his sleep.

Those were truly enjoyable days. How wonderful would it be if those days could return?

Just then, a voice shattered his dream.

“Oh, he really is here, Young Master.”

“He didn’t even set up a detection barrier around him? He’s got some nerve.”

Startled, Fred’s eyes snapped open.

‘W-who is it?’

The voice was coming from the other side of the crevice.

“Maybe he just doesn’t know how to set one up?”

“Probably. He’s not properly trained, after all.”

Fred was now fully awake.

‘Have they caught up with me already?’

Terrified, Fred bolted out of the crevice.

This crevice in the cliff was a dead end. If he got trapped here, there would be no escape.

As Fred hurried out to the stream, two men stood there calmly, staring at him.

“He looks more normal than I expected, Young Master.”

“Just because he’s a necromancer doesn’t mean he has to look like some kind of horrific monster.”

“You were a greenish-blue skeleton, Young Master.”

“Hey! And you were a greenish-blue muscle-bound corpse!”

“What I’m saying is, we were both horrific monsters.”

“And what I’m saying is that this guy doesn’t seem like much. A necromancer who looks normal is just that much weaker, right?”

Fred was confused. He couldn’t make sense of their conversation.

“Who the hell are you?”

“What do you think?”

Karnak smirked.

“We’re the ones here to catch you.”

Of course. Who else could possibly have any business with him in this situation?

“You bastards dare!”

Enraged by their mockery, Fred summoned the darkness.

“Come forth, spirits!”

The darkness condensed into two malevolent spirits. However, they didn’t attack right away.

An inexplicable sense of foreboding held them back.

‘Damn it! Who are these guys? Why do I feel like this?’

Varos stepped forward, drawing his sword.

“Shall I handle this?”

“Yeah. I’ll get some practice in too.”

Karnak raised his right index finger and lightly drew a circle in the air.

“A sword that strikes the spirit, Spell Blade.”

Varos’s blade began to glow with a faint white light. It was a spell that allowed the sword to cut through incorporeal, ghost-like entities.

While not as powerful as the abilities of a priest, mages could use similar techniques.

Of course, Karnak’s method was a bit different.

“How does it feel? Does it seem like magic?”

“It’s similar, but it feels a bit different.”

To be precise, it was chaos magic that produced the same effect as the Spell Blade. It looked the same on the surface, but the technique and mana manipulation were distinct.

“It actually feels more like a priest’s blessing, though without any of the holy aura.”

“How would you know what a blessing feels like if you’ve never received one?”

“I’ve seen others receive them enough times to make a rough comparison.”

“I see. Strip away the pretense, and it resembles a holy spell more than a regular spell? That’s interesting.”

Fred calmly assessed the situation.

He still couldn’t understand their conversation, but one thing was clear.

“So, he’s a mage…”

Just as priests could instinctively sense necromancy, necromancers could instinctively perceive holy power.

Fred couldn’t sense any holy power from that arrogant young man.

“If they’re not servants of the goddess…”

For a moment, a look of relief flashed across Fred’s face.

As long as they weren’t clerics.

He had already killed several ordinary knights and mages!

Regaining his confidence, Fred shouted triumphantly.

“Haha, how laughable! Do you really think just the two of you can challenge me?”

The two men still only responded with mocking smiles.

“Wow, that’s embarrassing. Where did he pick up that way of speaking?”

“That’s how you used to talk, Young Master.”

“Did I really sound like that?”

“It’s remarkably similar. Does learning necromancy automatically make you talk like that?”

“…Shut up and just take him down.”

Fred, glaring at the two who were not just being cocky but downright obnoxious, screamed.

“Go, spirits! Kill them all!”

***

The spirits screeched as they flew toward the two men from both sides.

Aaaahhh!

Varos quickly assessed their positions and raised his sword, preparing himself.

He decided to target the right side first.

“Hup!”

With a short breath, he thrust his sword forward, then swiftly followed up with an upward diagonal slash, slicing through the spirit’s body in a sweeping motion!

Boom!

With a resounding explosion, the spirit was obliterated before it could even mount an attack.

“That was easy.”

Varos didn’t stop there.

Using the momentum from dispatching the first spirit, he charged at the one on the left.

Just as the spirit began to swell and engulf him in darkness—

“Hmph!”

With a scoff, Varos executed a rapid double upward slash.

Two crescents of light flashed, and the spirit was instantly torn apart.

This was the Over Kill technique of Leven Strauss.

Varos looked down at his hands and clicked his tongue.

“Tsk, I got too used to it before you even got a chance to practice, Young Master.”

Fred’s eyes widened in shock.

“My spirits were defeated so easily?”

He tensed up, summoning the darkness again.

“So, you had some tricks up your sleeve! But my power doesn’t end there!”

A massive wave of darkness spread out, engulfing the entire stream with a sinister aura.

“Come forth, my minions!”

Once again, countless spirits began to materialize all around them—this time numbering nearly a dozen.

“This again? The guy’s got a limited repertoire.”

This time, Karnak also joined the battle.

Varos was the first to leap into the fray, cutting down spirits with precision and force.

“Hup! Take this!”

Meanwhile, Karnak followed up with his magic.

“Fire, condense and explode.”

Fireballs rained down, burning the spirits to ashes…

“The roar of the sky shall flow into the earth.”

Thunderbolts danced, tearing through the darkness.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

With each deafening explosion, the number of spirits dwindled.

Varos, pausing mid-swing, nodded in admiration.

“Oh, you really do seem like a proper mage, Young Master.”

Karnak, satisfied, smiled as well.

“Right? Can’t even tell the difference, can you?”

Fred’s expression grew even more twisted.

‘T-they’re strong…’

No matter how many spirits he summoned, they were no match for these two. He needed to call forth something more powerful.

‘Damn it, but the aftereffects of that are severe!’

But if he didn’t use it, he’d be captured here and now.

Resolving himself, Fred’s face twisted into a ghastly expression.

“Fine! I’ll show you the true power of death!”

Raising both hands above his head, his eyes glowed a menacing red.

“Kneel before the great darkness!”

“Wow, even that way of speaking is just like the Young Mast—”

“Shut up, Varos.”

“Yessir!”

With a horrifying wail, a gray specter emerged.

It was a Wraith, the most powerful spirit Fred could summon.

Screeeech!

It seemed that even these two were tense in the face of a Wraith.

Varos stepped back, speaking seriously.

“This is beyond my ability.”

Karnak’s expression was similarly grim.

“It’s beyond my magic too. This is the limit of what we can handle right now.”

Seeing them retreat, Fred shouted arrogantly.

“It’s too late to beg for mercy now! Go, spirit!”

At his command, the Wraith cut through the darkness, its gray form elongating as it advanced.

Screeeech!

The ghastly wail shook the very heavens and earth. A terrifying aura of death spread in all directions, painting a horrific scene as if death itself had taken form.

In an instant, the Wraith flew right up to Karnak.

And then—

“Hey.”

Karnak, with a bored expression, spoke as he stared at the Wraith.

“Kneel.”

The Wraith, mid-flight, dropped to the ground.

Creeeeak…

It bent low before Karnak, as if bowing to a king.

Or, more accurately, since it had no knees, it simply crumpled its lower half and laid flat on the ground.

Fred’s jaw dropped.

‘W-what… what is that?’