Karnak, Monarch of Death-Chapter 155: Rescue Operation (1)

In the underground chapel of the Black God's cult, where mass was usually held, Hugot and eight necromancers stood in the center, channeling dark energy into the blood-drawn magic circle surrounding the pentagonal stone altar. Watching them, Demphis calmly reviewed his plan.

At this pace, the altar should be complete by tomorrow.

His gaze shifted toward the small stone chamber at the back of the chapel. It had been repurposed as a temporary prison to hold Leven and the other hostages. It wasn't as though they lacked proper prison cells. Rather, he had deliberately gathered the captives in the underground chapel.

Honestly, they weren't easy to capture.

If it hadn't been for him, the Wellad branch wouldn't have had the strength to handle Karnak's group. So instead of leaving it to others, Demphis had chosen to personally guard the prisoners. He arrogantly surveyed both the altar and the makeshift prison from the throne at the center of the chapel. Not that an archlich would get tired from standing, but appearances mattered.

A leader ought to sit on a high throne, gazing down imperiously. It kept the subordinates in check and ensured they performed their duties properly. To further secure the area, he had stationed skilled cultists throughout the corridors, men well-versed in martial arts.

This level of preparation would ensure that he would know immediately when Karnak’s group attacked. Yet, Demphis remained unsatisfied. His defensive formation was based on the assumption that Karnak's group was hiding in the non-residential areas. If they had managed to infiltrate the residential zones instead, there was a real possibility they could launch a direct assault on the chapel.

There haven't been any signs of that yet, but I can't let my guard down. They could slip in at any moment.

To counter this, he had implemented thorough and frequent patrols across the entire residential district. Every personal chamber, regardless of rank, was checked meticulously to prevent any unforeseen circumstances.

With this level of preparation, even they won't have a way around it.

Just as he reassured himself with that thought, Demphis tilted his head slightly. He found a trace of doubt creeping in his mind. Despite all his meticulous preparations, whenever he thought about that black-haired young man, a strange certainty surfaced in his mind.

That guy... coming to rescue his comrades? No way. Hell will freeze over before that.

He couldn't explain why, but for some reason, he simply couldn't picture it.

Strange. Why do I have this feeling about someone I barely know?

***

Karnak was deep in thought.

"What's the best way to do this...?"

Just because he had decided to rescue his comrades didn't mean he could act recklessly. His goal was to save them, not to rush in and get everybody killed. The real problem was that, in his current state, he had zero chance of winning against Demphis.

"Right. There's no way I can beat him, but...” After much contemplation, a plan started to take shape. "If it's just about sneaking the others out, it might actually be possible."

He imagined himself in Demphis's position. What would be the most ideal outcome for him? The obvious answer was simple: ending the ritual before Karnak's group had a chance to interfere. Then, he could take his time dealing with the rest.

"I have no idea what kind of ritual they're performing, though."

Karnak's ability to detect death energy was incredible. Even while hiding in this non-residential area, if he focused, he could sense the presence of dark energy to some extent. Thanks to that, he had already grasped the general situation.

"Looks like they're setting up an altar in the chapel. No idea what it's for, though."

Varos frowned in confusion. "You don't know? But it's necromancy."

“Ah, you know, they took necromancy and made it weird.”

Like the other cultists of the Black God, Demphis mixed mana and necrotic power in bizarre ways in preparing his ritual. As a result, Karnak could tell something was happening. Unfortunately, he didn’t know exactly what.

"Tch. A so-called necromancer resorting to these heretical methods."

As someone who prided himself on practicing proper necromancy, Karnak found it downright offensive.

Serati, listening nearby, felt strangely conflicted. So... is it good or bad if necromancy, which is already heretical, is being used in a heretical way?

Varos shrugged. "Doesn't really matter, does it? Necromancers performing rituals at an altar. It’s all the same thing in the end."

"Well, I doubt it’s just another one of those demon summoning rituals.”

That was true, but in the end, the nature of the ritual wasn't important. What mattered was stopping it before it could be completed.

"At this rate, I'd say the altar will be ready by tomorrow."

"So we've got some time, then?"

"Yeah. At least we don't have to worry about it being over before we make a move."

That didn't mean attacking before the ritual started was a viable option either. Demphis would simply wipe them out and resume the ritual at his leisure. That left only one ideal moment to strike.

"We'll have to disrupt it mid-ritual."

Varos and Serati both nodded. It wasn't exactly a groundbreaking strategy. Both of them had already expected as much.

"The real question is when we should intervene. But based on experience, I have a rough idea."

Serati blinked. "Wait. Based on experience? Have you done this before?"

“No." A wry smile formed on Karnak's lips. "I've had it happen to me. Back when I was the one setting up the altar and preparing the sacrifices.”

***

During his time as the Monarch of Death, Karnak had offered countless sacrifices to draw upon the power of hell. And each time, he had been interrupted by humanity's so-called heroes. Of course, in most cases, he had managed to complete the ritual without much trouble.

His authority had been overwhelming, and humanity's resistance had been nothing more than a feeble struggle. Still, there had been occasions when the interference was significant enough to pose a threat.

"Not every stage of a ritual is dangerous."

In the early phases, when necromantic energy was concentrated to envelop the entire altar, an external intrusion wouldn't cause too much disruption.

"If someone interrupts then, they can just pause the ritual, deal with them, and resume afterward."

Even in the later stages, a necromancer could simply have their subordinates hold off the attackers while rushing to complete the ceremony.

"If they can hold out just a little longer, the ritual ends, so that's not too much of a problem either."

The worst possible timing for an interruption, however, was in the middle of the ritual—right after the authority of the necromancer was transferred to the altar.

"At that moment, a necromancer's power becomes entirely bound to the altar."

That didn't mean they were left defenseless. If necessary, they could abandon the ritual entirely.

"The problem is that stopping the ritual means forfeiting all the power and resources invested in it."

A necromancer had to be prepared to lose everything—the altar, the sacrifices, and all the energy they had accumulated—to put a stop to it.

"There's a moment where human greed kicks in."

At that point, too much time had passed to finish the ritual quickly, but abandoning it meant losing everything they had worked for. Karnak himself had once hesitated at that exact moment, and had paid dearly for it.

"They waited until the ceremony was at its peak, then barged in and reversed the flow of dark energy, turning it into a protective barrier around me."

Serati looked puzzled. "They protected you?"

"Yeah. They gathered all the necromantic energy I had poured into the ritual and shaped it into a massive wall that repelled all attacks."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"Not in that situation."

Once affected by that spell, all the necromantic energy invested in the ritual transformed into an impenetrable shield that protected the necromancer.

"The problem is, even the necromancer can't break out of it."

In other words, the barrier they had created using their own power turned into an enormous prison. To escape, the necromancer had to dismantle their own energy, piece by piece.

"This spell won't defeat Demphis. It'll make him nearly invincible for a while."

But that didn't matter. Demphis was an opponent Karnak couldn't hope to fight anyway. The goal wasn't to kill him. Rather, it was to trap him long enough to rescue Leven, Lapicel, and the others before escaping.

Varos nodded in understanding. "Oh, I remember now. That's the spell Elezar used, isn't it?"

Serati turned to Karnak with surprise. "Elezar? You mean the archmage Elezar?"

"Yeah. She had a lot of talented apprentices, so I kidnapped them all to use as sacrifices."

“Right...”

The spell itself wasn't particularly difficult to cast. But to pull it off, one needed absolute precision in predicting the flow of necromantic energy. It had only worked because Elezar was an archmage. No ordinary mage could have done it.

"But now, I should be able to pull it off too."

He wasn't nearly as skilled in magic as Elezar, but when it came to necromancy, there were few who could rival him.

"Of course, since their magic fuses mana and necromantic energy, I can't guarantee success. But at the moment, this is our best bet."

"I see," Serati said with a nod. Then she asked, "So, what happened back then?"

Karnak suddenly averted his gaze. "Uh, well... um..."

“Lord Karnak?"

Varos answered in his place. "That was the day Elezar became one of his vassals."

"Are you sure this is actually a useful technique?"

Karnak scowled. "That's why I was going to just run away at first!" 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Theoretically, it sounded like a brilliant strategy. But theory and reality were often two very different things. The old Karnak never would have taken such a reckless gamble.

"Still, like you said, Serati. I can't live the way I used to.”

***

Five minutes after resolving that he couldn't live like he used to— “Come forth, you who have lost your way..."

Karnak was, in fact, living exactly as he used to.

"Submit to my will and heed my command...”

He stretched out his hand into the air while shrouding himself in vast darkness. Sinister energy billowed around him in thick waves. Even Varos, who had served Karnak for years, felt uneasy in the presence of such overwhelming necromantic energy.

"Ugh, this is way more unsettling now that I have a living body again."

Serati, on the other hand, felt nothing at all. Which, in a way, made it even more unsettling.

"Are we really sure I should still be living as one of your vassals?"

Around Karnak, wraiths gathered in droves. They let out eerie shrieks and sorrowful wails as they were drawn into his grasp. Then, they screamed. Their expressions twisted with utter despair and agony.

It was precisely the kind of sight the followers of the goddesses would describe when preaching about the damned being dragged into hell. Serati let out a quiet sigh. She couldn't exactly complain, considering this was necessary to gather power for rescuing their comrades. And yet, it was still a scene that made her want to complain.

"What? What? You said I could live like I used to at times like this."

"No, it’s not that. I was just telling you to do your best..."

"Right? This is the right thing to do, isn't it?” A moment later, Karnak lowered both arms. "Alright. That should be enough necromantic energy for now..."

Drawing upon the vast power he had accumulated, he gave his command. "Go forth, wraiths of darkness. Ride the currents of death and carry out my will."

Dozens—no, hundreds—of wraiths let out chilling cries as they surged forward, flowing like a dark tide into the depths of the dungeon.