Damn Necromancer

Chapter 165

[Translator – Prøks]

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Chapter 165: Jonas

Gulp.

Han Younggil swallowed hard.

Kim Minwoo’s summoned creatures looked vastly different from before.

Even the Dullahan was a sight to behold.

What Dullahan in the world rode a horse made of blood?

Even the most insignificant skeletons had changed.

The weapons they held, swords, and shields, were all blood-red.

‘And their power is immense.’

The Griff Family’s Magic Knights.

Han Younggil had naturally heard of them.

Mages who wield swords.

But it wasn’t just for show.

‘Because they’re strong.’

The common perception was that mages were easy to defeat if you could close the distance.

And it was true.

If you got close, they were naturally weak.

The Griff Family overcame this weakness through swordsmanship training.

They weren’t true magic swordsmen, but rather a kind of magic knight.

But they were truly strong.

Even in close combat, they weren’t easily defeated.

They stubbornly survived and cast their spells.

And those magic knights were being hunted by mere skeletons.

Skeletons moving in perfect formation.

When just five skeletons were cornering an elite mage, he was so surprised he almost fainted.

“What the hell is that…?”

“…Team Leader, isn’t this a level where we don’t need to help?”

“…I guess so.”

Han Younggil nodded his head in a daze. He had intended to help when they were creating the magic circle.

But the situation was already half over before he could do anything.

Now, more than the tension of battle, he was filled with pure curiosity and a thrilling desire to watch.

It was no wonder, considering how advantageous it looked. To catch a hundred Griff members, Kim Minwoo’s side had only lost a few hundred summoned creatures. But strictly speaking, that wasn’t even a loss.

Summoned creatures could be revived as much as you wanted, as long as you had mana.

“People are filming over there…”

“Leave them alone. Can we stop them even if we try?”

“I guess…”

The airport was a place overflowing with people. Moreover, the Griff side was moving around, creating wind to clear a path. It was an act that couldn’t help but attract public attention.

Videos were probably being uploaded from all directions right now. Seeing Awakened fight in reality was a rare event.

“But, do you think we could win if we fought?”

“Those skeletons?”

“Yes. I never imagined I’d feel sorry for the Griff bastards… That thought suddenly crossed my mind.”

Han Younggil laughed bitterly.

His team member was right.

Those infamous Griff bastards looked pitiful.

The scene looked just like a battle between the Demon King’s army and the last stand of humanity.

The mages were resisting desperately. Of course, they would occasionally collapse when the skeletons struck them from behind.

“…Well, to be honest, it’s a bit scary. I considered myself an elite… I never thought I’d feel threatened by skeletons.”

“You mean, Team Leader?”

Han Younggil nodded.

Level 900.

He was among the top Awakened in Korea. That’s why he could be appointed as a team leader in the Gate Management Department and a level 3 civil servant.

Yet, those skeletons looked threatening.

The formations were so precise.

It was incomprehensible how mere low-level summoned creatures could move like that.

“Of course, we have to consider that the Griff’s magic knights don’t actually have magic…”

It was like chocolate milk without the chocolate.

Just bland milk.

That’s why they were being overwhelmed like this. If they could use magic, it would be Kim Minwoo’s summoned creatures being swept away.

But the problem was…

Kim Minwoo possessed a summoned creature that excelled in magic above all else. It was practically a mage’s nightmare.

“Now there’s only one left.”

Han Younggil’s gaze turned towards a certain direction. As time passed and the Griff members were subdued, only one person remained standing.

Knight Commander Jonas.

But his situation wasn’t good either.

Cedric, the skeleton called Bone Knight.

Every time the summoned creature swung its spear, Jonas would break out in a cold sweat as he parried the attack.

‘This will end smoothly.’

Cedric, too, had undergone a transformation. Not only had he sprouted dragon wings like something out of a fairy tale, but his size had also increased significantly.

This change was likely the reason he could handle Jonas so effortlessly.

In any case, the situation was almost resolved. He made a phone call.

“Your Excellency, this is Han Younggil, Team Leader of Team 3. An armed conflict has broken out.”

―Yes, I know. I’m watching the video on NewTube right now.

“Ah, you were watching?”

―It’s live. Those Griff bastards are truly audacious. I’m getting angry just watching them. How much do they look down on Korea…?

“…They must have learned their lesson now. Your Excellency, all the mages have been captured. One remains, but it seems that will end soon too. What should we do?”

―What does he want?

“He wants to take them as prisoners. However, it could cause diplomatic problems…”

―Let him do it. Remember, his thoughts are the thoughts of Korea. Treat him as you would treat me. No, he’s far more important than a washed-up old man like me who will be leaving in a year. For the future of Korea, that is.

President Lee Kanghoon’s resolute voice came from the other end of the phone.

Was it because of his years as the leader of a weak Awakened nation? The current president was definitely showing considerable favor towards Kim Minwoo.

But it was understandable.

“Understood. Then we’ll take them all as prisoners…”

That’s when it happened.

“…Huh?”

Han Younggil’s eyes widened.

―…Huh?

President Lee Kanghoon on the other end of the phone probably had the same expression.

That’s how shocking the scene unfolding before his eyes was.

Jonas, who was fighting Cedric.

His appearance started to change strangely.

* * *

The battle that ensued with the summoned creatures was pure hell.

“Sir Jonas!”

“What should we do?”

“The situation is dire… Cough!”

The mages who were desperately shouting around him started to fall one by one, surrounded by skeletons.

There were too many of them.

And since they couldn’t use magic, they were being defeated like a disorganized mob.

Jonas himself wasn’t in a good situation either.

Cedric flew in at high speed, clashing his spear.

Clang!

Jonas’s sword and Cedric’s spear collided violently.

“You vermin…”

—Your skills are more like vermin.

He was being completely blocked by just one summoned creature. And Kim Minwoo hadn’t even joined the fight yet.

‘At this rate, we’ll all be captured.’

It seemed inevitable that they would become prisoners. The forces gathered here represented nearly 10% of the family’s power.

10% might not sound like much, but…

It was a painful blow.

And it was a situation that could potentially become a hindrance to the family.

As if he had made up his mind, Jonas’s eyes hardened.

‘I can’t believe I have to use this power…’

He was one of the family’s leaders.

[Translator – Prøks]

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As such, he had received benefits.

The fact that he could level up faster than anyone else was due to that reason.

And the benefits he received didn’t end with just faster leveling up.

He had received a secret power.

A power that should not be revealed unless absolutely necessary.

In other words…

It meant that it was okay to reveal it in dire situations. Hoarding it and being helplessly captured would be the worst possible decision.

“…I’ll show you. What true ‘power’ is.”

A dark aura rose from Jonas’s body.

The shadows that flowed over his skin like a living thing grew darker, eventually enveloping his entire body.

His eyes became sharp like needles, and his pupils turned black, reminiscent of the abyssal darkness.

Even the air seemed to grow heavy.

A gloomy and ominous energy was filling the surroundings.

[Jonas uses the power of the ‘Shadow Apostle’!]

Shhh, shhh.

Jonas’s breathing became ragged. His muscles trembled as if convulsing with the sensation of surging power.

A vast amount of mana he had never felt before was swirling within his body.

[The power of shadow dwells within!]

‘This is the power of ‘that being’.’

A sinister smile crept across his lips.

Pleasure bloomed within him.

Everything became clear.

His vision, his hearing. The world became deathly silent.

Only the sound of his own breathing and heartbeat was clear.

The next moment.

Thump!

Jonas disappeared.

No, he moved too fast for the eye to see.

In an instant, he leaped behind Cedric and swung his blade.

Clang!

The sharp sound of sword and spear clashing rang out.

Cedric barely reacted in time to parry the sword.

‘What’s this?’

Kim Minwoo, who was watching the situation, frowned.

Jonas, who had turned pitch black.

He had become much sharper and stealthier than before. Did he suddenly jump from being mediocre to the realm of a master?

Even his stats seemed to have been boosted significantly.

Something was up.

He could tell.

This Cedric would struggle to win in a one-on-one fight.

‘Unless he awakens to SSS like last time.’

Kim Minwoo drew his sword.

It seemed he would have to join the battle.

“Merhen.”

—Yes.

“We’ll go with that.”

―Understood.

Merhen and Kim Minwoo.

A Summoned creature and a human approached Jonas.

Jonas retreated quickly.

He looked at them warily. Cedric’s hand was trembling slightly, as if the aftereffects of the clash hadn’t subsided yet.

“One-on-one is a bit tough, huh?”

―…Given time, I would have won. Of course, if you help, we’ll finish it faster.

“Right, right. I’ll join in, so let’s go. Like last time.”

Heart of the Legion.

It had the advantage of being able to control summoned creatures in detail.

But this advantage shone brightest when dealing with weaker opponents.

When facing a strong opponent that couldn’t be handled by ordinary summoned creatures…

The Heart of the Legion was still effective.

After a brief silence.

Jonas’s eyes flashed.

‘Foolish guy.’

If he could just take care of the Necromancer, all the summoned creatures would be recalled.

Instead of closing the distance, he should have kept throwing summoned creatures and stalling for time.

The power of shadow didn’t last forever, so if he had done that, he would have had to take a gamble.

But what about now?

He foolishly closed the distance.

Of course, he had two powerful summoned creatures with him, but…

‘There’s no reason I can’t catch them.’

He just needed to take them out with the mindset of sacrificing flesh to gain bone.

He saw a single thread of reversal.

Then he just had to move forward.

“Die, you rabble.”

Swoosh.

His figure glided forward.

His target?

Kim Minwoo, of course.

That’s when it happened.

“Hayang.”

With Kim Minwoo’s words.

―Coo.

[The Divine Beast merges with you!]

They merged.

Swoosh…

A chilling cold air rose from the sword.

Absolute Zero.

One hit and he wouldn’t know what hit him.

Jonas instantly appeared behind him.

[Death Spider Web (SS) activated…]

Thwack!

Sticky spider webs spread out from all directions, binding Jonas’s body.

[Slippery Shadow (SS)…]

As if his body was coated in oil, he slipped through the spider webs.

Cedric thrust his spear.

Clang!

He swung his sword at the exact same spot.

[The same area has been struck! Damage increased by 11%…]

He had used this once before during a spar with Isabella.

But there was a crucial difference between then and now.

‘We share thoughts.’

He didn’t need to say anything.

He knew where to strike.

He knew where to break first.

The difficulty of attempting overlapping attacks together had decreased exponentially.

Even though Jonas’s stats had increased, theirs had also increased enough to match him.

At the very least, he was much weaker than Isabella with all her equipment activated.

[The same area has been struck! Damage increased by 22%…]

[The same area has been struck! Damage increased by 33%…]

‘Huh?’

Jonas’s pupils shook in surprise.

The initial clash hadn’t been this shocking.

But with each exchange, the impact on his sword was increasing insanely. He realized it was an overlapping attack.

The problem was, no matter how he twisted his trajectory, the overlapping continued.

The two summoned creatures attacking precisely, and Kim Minwoo countering Jonas with their support.

[Shadow Blade (SS)…]

Jonas hastily coated his sword with shadow.

To reinforce its strength.

The exchange continued with this hastily applied enhancement.

After about twenty clashes.

Cracks started to appear in Jonas’s sword.

A Legend-rank weapon.

It was on the verge of shattering.

‘Oh, no.’

Jonas panicked.

His level was over 1,500.

Naturally, his sword was also a Legend-rank weapon with a very high level requirement.

In other words…

It was hard to obtain and incredibly expensive.

Even he, who held an important position in the family, would feel a considerable burden trying to replace it.

Of course, it would be a headache if it broke.

Just as he instinctively tried to retreat.

[Underwater Adhesive (SS)…]

Slap!

Slippery Shadow.

He had clearly used that skill, but the adhesive grabbed his leg.

Kim Minwoo’s sword struck Jonas’s sword.

Crack!

With the sound of shattering glass, the sword broke into pieces.

Jonas’s eyes became hollow at the unexpected loss.

“What’s the rush? There’s still a lot left.”

The equipment Jonas was wearing was visible.

Each piece was a high-level, expensive item with a high level requirement.

There was still plenty to break.

[Translator – Prøks]

[Proofreader – Prøks]