The Necromancer Who Was Despised - The Necromancer Who Was Despised chapter 267

“Defense is our job! Soldiers, focus on attacking!”

The holy knights.

They stood in front of my undead, blocking their path.

Unlike ordinary soldiers, these holy knights properly wielded holy power and had physical abilities that surpassed those of ordinary soldiers.

Even if they were elite, soldiers couldn’t receive knight-level training, and simultaneously, holy knights, who could strengthen their bodies with holy power, could withstand my undead.

Especially since they received the support of priests and had Rinne’s blessings, each of them could withstand the undead and buy time.

Meanwhile, the soldiers attacked my undead with holy power-infused weapons, gradually accumulating damage.

However, I maintained a calm expression, observing the battlefield.

Even if the damage accumulated, I could just heal it.

My stored magical energy was sufficient.

Although they were holding out better than expected, time was on my side.

“How long can they keep fighting?”

The holy knights’ combat endurance was undoubtedly excellent.

With the priests’ support, the soldiers could fight beyond their physical limits for a long time.

However, it’s not like the undead didn’t get tired at all.

My undead were holding off the enemies from all directions, and so they formed a formation with the priests at the center, surrounding us.

Since the battlefield was vast, rest was impossible, and it wasn’t like we didn’t take any damage either.

Even if the priests tried to heal the wounded, if one hit could kill instantly, there was nothing they could do.

Moreover, it wasn’t just the undead who were fighting.

The mages had already used their magic once, and it wasn’t like their magic had run out, so there was no reason to just watch.

We needed to make a move.

The undead priest squad was certainly useful, but compared to the real priest squad led by the archbishop, they were clearly lacking in power.

Even if I directly reinforced them and they received the influence, they could only hold out, but the priests’ overall power was clearly superior.

The skeleton mages’ supporting fire was present, but if a priest squad like that was waiting, it meant nothing.

So the mages took action, and the priest squad’s movements began to become disordered.

The earth turned black as it expanded its territory.

The divine power surged in to block the expansion, and the curses pouring down from the sky were blocked.

Attack magic poured down, shaking the defense barrier, but it didn’t break.

However, as a result, the offensive against the undead was gradually weakening.

The mages were instead slowly eroding the priest squad.

And so, they slowly collapsed.

Huaak.

After the first blessing, Rin’s hand, which had been silent, unleashed a massive amount of divine power.

The earth in the area was strongly imbued with divine power, and it was possible to confirm that the dying soldiers’ bodies were reviving.

‘Is this a temporary holy land?’

Rin’s massive divine power was being consumed, but its effect was certain.

The blackened earth began to purify, and the defense-focused holy knights slowly started to attack the undead, and with the reinforced elite soldiers joining in, they were now pushing forward slightly.

The problem was that my support was weakening within the holy land.

Not even the Death Aura could invade the holy land.

‘Hmm…’

If we fought a battle of endurance, I knew we would lose, so it seemed like we had abandoned our defensive strategy.

‘It seems the priests have given up on the land battle against the black mages.’

It was ridiculous, but it was the right choice.

It was also a recognition of my power.

Moreover, their gamble wasn’t over yet.

The master-level holy knight guarding Rin’s side.

He began to take the front line.

Seokeok.

The massive divine power-infused sword could not withstand the attack, no matter how much it was strengthened, even if it was made by the red ogre Draug.

In reality, if Artina or Kayla took action, even the elite undead wouldn’t be able to withstand them. Even the Death Knights couldn’t hold out properly, so there was no need to mention the other undead.

“…If we’re going to do it, let’s do it to the end.”

Artina let out a sigh as she watched that scene.

“Get ready.”

“Yes, Master.”

To confront him, Kyra and Atina stepped forward.

“I’ll finish this as quickly as possible. I’ll take the lead.”

“Yes.”

It seemed Kyra was also thinking of ending it quickly, as she didn’t like leaving my side for too long.

‘It won’t be easy, though.’

It seemed like Desenaite had decided to keep me by his side and move accordingly.

Considering physical abilities, Atina’s average was much higher, but Kyra was more experienced in using shields and had lived as a knight, so she was more familiar with taking the front line.

So, it was right for her to take the front line and Atina to aim for the gaps.

As the two of them stepped forward, the Master-grade swordsman’s movements, which had been dominating the battlefield alone, came to a halt.

“Finally, you’ve shown up.”

The swordsman spoke as if he had been waiting.

“I’m the Empire’s swordsman, Reard.”

“Kyra.”

Only Kyra had stepped forward.

Atina was watching from a distance, waiting for an opening.

However, since they were inside the sacred territory, it seemed like he had already recognized Atina.

“A female Master, I see. Normally, I would have slowly tested your skills, but unfortunately, time is of the essence.”

Reard spoke with a tinge of regret.

“With skills like yours, do you really need to be under a dark mage? If you were by my side, you would have experienced how filthy and evil they are. It’s not too late now. Take the Empire’s hand.”

Kyra replied calmly to Reard’s words.

“I’ve experienced it, and the filthy ones were the Goddess Church. No, was it the Bright Church? It’s better to die by my Master’s side than to enter such a place.”

“…You’ve completely fallen. It’s a pity.”

Reard no longer tried to persuade her.

The two clashed, and I pushed the undead around us back.

It would only be a hindrance if I stayed. As the two of them clashed, Atina also began to move slowly.

Reard was impressed by Kyra’s skills and tried to persuade me to betray her again, but Kyra didn’t listen.

It was truly astonishing.

She was fighting on the temporary sacred ground, receiving all sorts of buffs, but Kyra was withstanding his attacks without any buffs.

Moreover, her instantaneous counterattacks were making Reard’s heart skip a beat.

With Atina’s support, the battle found its balance, and Atina and Kyra successfully bound Reard.

As expected, it was difficult to quickly deal with Reard.

However, this was a favorable situation for us.

Reard also seemed to realize that, and his expression turned solemn as he increased his offense.

Looking at Rin, I saw her entire body drenched in sweat, her spirit focused.

It was clear that maintaining a temporary stronghold for a long time was not an easy task. It wasn’t just about maintaining it; they were also fighting on top of it.

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So, no matter how great a cardinal he was and how much support he received from the priestly order, his limits were clear.

In that situation, with Reard also bound, they had no other options left.

As expected, the more time passed, the weaker the blessing on Seongji became, and he felt the curse that had been cast on him gradually fading away.

Feeling that he was about to collapse, Leard desperately struggled to get up.

The soldiers and holy knights who had been holding on with endless recovery were also reaching their limits.

It was almost over. That’s what I thought.

“…For the goddess.”

A completely exhausted holy knight quietly murmured and charged towards the undead.

And then,

Kwaang!

A massive explosion occurred.

A holy power-filled flesh piece scattered everywhere, and several damaged dragons were destroyed on the spot.

Suicide bombing.

I didn’t know they had such a method, so I was momentarily stunned.

As one holy knight sacrificed himself, others followed, and some priests began to offer their bodies as sacrifices.

“…Crazy.”

Fanatics.

The words came out involuntarily.

Every time they exploded, the undead suffered irreparable damage, and in return, their momentum grew even more intense.

In reality, it was their last resort.

When I turned my head, there was Linin, who seemed to be saying, “I’ll definitely kill you.”

◈ Neutral Zone

The self-destruction of the holy knights and priests caused our side to suffer rapid losses.

However, since we had hardly taken any damage before, it seemed like we were fine, but objectively, I thought we were taking a big hit.

It was only natural that their numbers would decrease every time they attempted a suicide attack, which was unavoidable.

In reality, it was a game of reducing their numbers, and as a result, I would eventually gain the upper hand.

Moreover, as I mentioned earlier, the damage we were taking at the moment didn’t hold much significance for me, so I didn’t think their suicide attacks were that big of a deal.

‘That doesn’t mean I’m taking it lightly, though.’

Their suicide attacks not only inflicted damage on us but also temporarily strengthened the holy ground by filling the exploded flesh with holy power.

At the same time, the area of the holy ground expanded, which was inevitable, but it meant our movements were temporarily restricted.

Of course, we had to block the expanded holy ground with fewer numbers, which was impossible, but considering their intentions, it would definitely be helpful.

Naturally, their intentions were aimed at me.

Especially Linin’s blatant gaze was fixed on me, so I reinforced my defense even more.

At the same time, the magicians, especially the dark elves, noticed their intentions and grew enraged.

“…Traitors.”

In reality, the dark elves’ revival depended on me, and it wasn’t an exaggeration to say so.

When I was a magician, they had entrusted their fate to me, and having experienced the power of Tinus directly, they saw me as a being who would protect their tribe’s future even if it meant dying.

So, they were furious that I was being targeted right in front of them.

Their anger was directed towards the surviving soldiers and holy knights, and the damage to the opponents increased slightly due to the more intense holy ground and the undead’s hesitant movements.

Originally, magicians would leave some leeway for unexpected situations, but it seemed like they wouldn’t even do that this time.

Therefore, Linin, who was targeting me, couldn’t help but become flustered, and even Artina and Kaylamar noticed the situation.

It was different from what I had said earlier, that I would end it quickly – Master-level holy knight Leard was not an easy opponent, and the battle itself was balanced.

However, as the Empire’s situation continued to deteriorate, Leard’s calm demeanor began to crumble, and he eventually started to show a rougher side.

Kyla and Artina had been responding calmly until then, slowly pushing Leard into a corner, but they suddenly changed their strategy, realizing that they were being targeted.

Instead of playing it safe and securing a certain victory, they opted for a riskier approach to end the battle quickly.

The stable fight until then was abandoned, and the two sides began to exchange blows, with each attack scraping against the other’s skin.

Artina was no exception, charging forward with the intention of exploiting any opening, no matter how small, and her movements became increasingly intense as she tried to widen even the tiniest gap.

Leard seemed taken aback for a moment, but he soon regained his composure and began to counterattack fiercely, eventually exchanging blows with the two and inflicting wounds on each other.

Rinin was momentarily stunned by the sudden surge of high-level powers, but soon, a sense of conviction appeared in his eyes.

He had simply been waiting, and his decision to target me, who controlled the undead, was the correct one.

However, that didn’t mean we would go down without a fight.

The undead didn’t care if people died or not right in front of them.

Moreover, the high-level powers were determined to kill Rinin, who was trying to kill me…

Dozens of knights and priests threw themselves at him, but the encirclement remained unbroken.

Of course, the undead continued to lose, but in reverse, it was all the same.

In the end, Rinin realized that he couldn’t reach me and chose to sacrifice himself.

He didn’t seem to care about being captured alive, and he detonated himself along with dozens of priests, leaving behind an explosion that was unmatched by any other knight or priest.

The sheer scale of the destruction was immense, with hundreds of undead annihilated in an instant.

Although the explosion was made possible by the simultaneous detonation of dozens of priests, it wouldn’t have been possible without Rinin’s exceptional power as a high priest.

In the end, Rinin’s attempt to target me ended in vain, and he died without even getting close to me.

In reality, considering the difference in power, it should have been much easier to take him down.

However, at the very end, we were caught off guard by an unprecedented self-destructive attack, and time was wasted, resulting in greater damage.

The only consolation was that Master-level knight Leard was beheaded by Kyla and Artina.

“It seems he didn’t even get to self-destruct.”

Was it something he couldn’t do, or did he simply not have the chance? He was defeated by Artina and Kyla’s joint attack.

Kyla brought Leard’s head, apologizing for not arriving sooner.

“…It doesn’t matter; let’s focus on treating our wounds first.”

Fortunately, there were no critical injuries.

Although our skin was badly bruised, the wounds were relatively minor, and considering the Master’s regenerative abilities, they were practically negligible.