Free Web NovelChapter 447: Chapter 444: Your Time Is Up
"I just thought of something." Rorschach frowned, just about to step through the Teleportation Gate.
Kano now gave his disciple his utmost attention. "What is it?"
"I read in some... ancient texts that the Lord of Order sealed all Magic above the Ninth Ring. Is that true?"
"Master Feuerbach mentioned that as well," Kano said with a nod. "But I saw the Super Tier Magic reaction on the Tree of Truth with my own eyes. We have no choice but to accept this reality. We don’t know the specifics of the Lord of Order’s methods. It’s possible the seal has weakened, or perhaps some Super Tier Magic always existed beyond its reach."
Kano didn’t believe any Divine Spirit could be truly omnipotent. Besides, the Lord of Order’s power was already waning—that much was clear from the various signs last year, and it was even more obvious from the drastic reduction of the Church’s sphere of influence.
"Are you saying... another god is causing trouble behind the scenes?" Kano looked at Rorschach, but quickly shook his head. "Regardless, we’ll only know for sure once we’re there."
Poincare, Caroline, and Snow remained behind to guard Valuva. Even though Kano had made his decision to take Rorschach—his "key strategic asset"—to Moncado Fortress, the most likely site of the Casting, they couldn’t risk any harm to the brain and heart of the Republic.
By the time the master and disciple appeared on the outskirts of Moncado Fortress, the ritual had already begun. The bustling National Guard hadn’t noticed anything unusual, but in the eyes of the two Casters, Negative Energy was already surging from the fortress’s center. It spread out in a continuous wave, washing over the army and the nearby Kongdi Capital.
In their Arcane Vision, every person marked and targeted by the Negative Energy was tainted with a purplish-black glow. The only exceptions were Kano and Rorschach, whose powerful Spiritual Lights repelled the encroaching corruption.
’There are about thirty thousand people left in the Kongdi Capital, and at least sixty thousand of the National Guard’s main force in the fortress and the main camp...’ Kano made a quick estimate, his expression darkening. He let out a cold snort. "Truly a grand undertaking." After confirming the location of the Casting, Kano sent a message to Poincare back in the capital, telling him and the others to hurry over.
The source of the ritual was easy to find: directly beneath the fortress.
"There’s a ward... but it’s not very sophisticated." Kano headed straight for Warehouse No. 1 and violently blasted the floor tiles apart, revealing the barrier the Necromancer Master had laid.
Pascal and Paul had only stumbled in by chance, having piggybacked on the "invitation" the chief officer of the army had extended to Richard. These two new, unwelcome guests, however, were to be barred from entry.
The Quartermaster moved to stop the intruders who were indiscriminately destroying the fortress. ’They look like Mages, but even Mages have to follow military regulations...’ Just as the thought crossed his mind, he collapsed to the ground.
The life drain had begun. Even Rorschach and Kano’s Spiritual Lights couldn’t fully resist the "pull." They found themselves growing weaker. To put it in concrete terms, it was as if their life force was rapidly ticking away, "-1" every second.
The cracks between the bricks in the warehouse suddenly softened. The stones parted like eyelids, revealing dozens of human eyes. "Kano..." A dry laugh echoed. "Getting fat and complacent from all that socializing. I haven’t seen a single decent achievement from you in over a decade."
After delivering his taunt from the secret chamber, the Necromancer Master immediately cast Space Anchor to prevent his enemies from teleporting in. Simultaneously, he diverted a portion of his accumulated power to erect three additional barriers.
’Why is the Spiritual Fire weaker after I added more ’fuel’?’ The Necromancer Master noticed that the energy in the Blood Pool hadn’t increased with the addition of Pascal and Paul. He frowned for a moment, but his expression quickly smoothed over. ’It’s a minor issue. The ritual has begun; it must continue.’
The "pull" grew stronger. Upon discovering the Space Anchor, Kano decided to turn its purpose on its head. He would attempt to temporarily sever the space containing the ritual’s core from the Prime Material Plane, thereby isolating the Magic’s effects.
But the Super Tier Spell was beginning to show its terrifying power. The ambient Magic Power no longer even heeded Master Kano’s command, continuing its "diligent" work of ferrying away life force as the rate of diffusion and transfer accelerated exponentially.
The Quartermaster, who lacked Endogenous Magic Power and was closest to the core, bore the brunt of the spell. His body disintegrated into dust.
Meanwhile, inside the secret chamber, the pile of flesh and blood began to merge and reshape itself. The gore contracted inward, gradually revealing the form of a valiant man, as if sculpted from marble.
The Necromancer Master’s feverish eyes admired his masterpiece. It was the Emperor’s physical form from the prime of his life—absolutely perfect, requiring not the slightest adjustment from the Master. Once the body was fully formed, the Magic’s range would expand to its maximum, and the speed at which it drained life would hit its zenith.
In a single instant, the Emperor’s enemies would be annihilated, becoming the foundation upon which the Empire would achieve eternity.
’You should feel honored!’ The Necromancer Master trembled with anticipation.
Meanwhile, outside the chamber, Rorschach had found a way to fight back. He had no choice but to absorb the ambient Magic Power, already corrupted into Negative Energy. He had to endure the resentment, hatred, and pain that came with it, fighting his own body’s instinctive repulsion. After drawing it in, he invoked the Divine Arts of Deryats to purify the energy before releasing it.
This pure Magic Power carved out a small Domain within the Super Tier Magic, enveloping Rorschach and Kano and finally giving the Great Mage the breathing room he needed for Casting.
"Master, let me prepare a spell..."
Kano immediately abandoned his plan to sever the chamber’s space. He chose instead to work with Rorschach, protecting his student as he prepared.
’Almost there, almost there...’
The Necromancer Master watched with eager anticipation as his masterpiece took shape. This was his gift to the Emperor: a body that would remain forever young and immortal. All that remained was the ankles...
The spell, as originally recorded, could only extend a person’s life at their current age. In other words, without the Necromancer Master’s improvements, even if the Casting had succeeded, the Emperor’s great Soul would have been trapped in his sickly, aged body.
’Your Majesty, you do not know, nor do you need to know, how much I have done for you...’
Suddenly, the incomprehensible happened. A blinding pillar of light descended from above. When the light vanished, all that remained of the future Emperor’s perfect body was the top of his head and the tips of his toes.
The pillar of light had even bored straight through the Blood Pool. At the edge of the now-dry basin, a stunned and terrified Pascal was dragging Paul away. Mutated blood vessels were visible all over his body.
Immediately after, giving the enemy no time to recover, another Ray descended. It dispersed the frenzied energy and soothed the restless souls and roiling flesh.
"No! NO! NOOO!" The Necromancer Master threw himself onto the remaining flesh, uselessly scooping up fragments of the body. The magical barrier isolating the chamber had vanished, and a gaping hole had been torn in the ceiling. Through the clean-cut opening, the Necromancer Master looked up and saw the two faces he would despise for the rest of his life.
"WHAT... HAVE... YOU... DONE?!" He rapidly lost his sanity, his tattoos flaring to life. "DIE! I’LL TEAR OUT YOUR SOULS AND..."
Kano wasted no words. He simply tore the screaming Necromancer Master to pieces on a spatial level.
Yet, his furious roar still echoed through the chamber as a dense black miasma shot upward, coalescing into the face of the army’s chief officer. He charged toward the two men, but it was a feint to cover his escape—the body created by his Static Cloning Technique was waiting for him.
Just then, the young man beside Kano—the one the chief officer hadn’t noticed—made his move.
"No, no, no... NO—!" These were the chief officer’s last words. He had stolen the lives of countless people in the fortress, and in the end, he paid the price with his own.
A new Teleportation Gate opened, and Poincare and the others arrived.
"It’s over already?" The newly arrived reinforcements were surprised. Paulina was the first to spot Pascal lying below the hole in the ceiling. The gruesome, mangled sight of him almost made her faint.
As the others began treating and rescuing the survivors, Poincare looked around. "Where’s Rorschach?"
"He probably went to check on the situation outside," Kano replied.
Rorschach, along with Richard, who was on the verge of transforming into a living corpse, had vanished from near the secret chamber.
