Episode 144: The Legion (1)
The unleashed dark magic spread out in all directions, like watching branches extend endlessly.
“Oh?”
Gastahl’s eyes gleamed at the sight.
“Dark magic, huh? I suspected something was up when you were controlling that flash golem, but this is truly fascinating.”
Though unexpected, Gastahl’s vast experience and knowledge meant he wasn’t easily surprised by Victor’s antics.
“What do you plan to do with that dark magic? Use forbidden techniques? Or perhaps activate the demon’s legacy?”
There were numerous ways to harness dark magic, even without delving into dark sorcery.
The forbidden techniques and demon’s legacy Gastahl mentioned were just a few examples.
However, these methods were less efficient and had severe side effects compared to dark sorcery, which is why they weren’t widely used.
Victor didn’t respond to Gastahl’s questions. Instead, he began to weave a spell using the dark magic.
Gastahl’s interest grew as he watched.
“Dark sorcery? Now that’s unexpected! A high-class knight using dark sorcery!”
Gastahl observed with great interest.
“I once knew a knight like you. He learned dark sorcery to take revenge on a dark sorcerer. Said you have to know your enemy to defeat them, or something like that.”
Perhaps it was because he had found an intriguing opponent.
Gastahl was more animated than usual, even rambling a bit.
“Do you know what happened to him? The clash between dark magic and mana left him a broken man. Foolish, wasn’t he?”
While Gastahl rambled, Victor completed his spell.
A large magic circle began to form on the ground.
“At least the form is correct. Let’s see how different you are from that fool…”
Gastahl’s face hardened as he examined the structure of the magic circle.
There wasn’t just one way to create skeletons with dark sorcery. The spells varied in complexity, matching the sorcerer’s skill level.
The lowest-level skeleton creation spell was so crude that it produced only weak skeletons, regardless of the soul used.
These skeletons would shatter with a strong blow, and the soul’s intellect and personality were completely absent.
As one advanced in dark sorcery, the skeletons became stronger, and the soul’s characteristics began to emerge.
And the dark sorcery Victor was using…
“The Tenth Tier?”
It was the highest level of dark sorcery, capable of creating skeletons as powerful as monsters, fully replicating the soul’s intellect, memories, and habits.
“How did you…?”
Even Gastahl, a grand dark sorcerer, required over a day to prepare such a spell.
Yet Victor had completed it in mere minutes.
It wasn’t just the speed. He drew the complex and intricate magic circle flawlessly, without a single mistake.
“This is the path you’ve chosen.”
The magic circle emitted a dark light, drawing in the souls of knights and soldiers.
“So don’t blame me.”
Just before being completely absorbed, the knights and soldiers of the White Kingdom smiled at Damian.
The magic circle devoured all their souls, and soon, dozens of skeletons rose from within.
The skeletons varied in size and form, each exuding a different aura.
It was only natural. They had been transformed into skeletons by the highest level of dark sorcery, which preserved their abilities from life.
Gastahl stared at them in shock.
“Impressive, but…”
But it was only for a moment. Gastahl quickly regained his composure.
“Those won’t be enough to defeat me. Do you know why?”
Gastahl sneered.
“The strength of a skeleton is determined by two main factors: the quality of the soul used and the effort invested by its master.”
The red skeletons were crafted from carefully selected souls and had been fed countless souls and memories to grow stronger.
Thanks to that, they had surpassed the low-class level in strength.
And what about the skeletons Victor created?
Most were ordinary soldiers. There were a few low-class and mid-class ones, but they were rare.
Moreover, their numbers were small. Victor’s side had only a few dozen, while Gastahl’s loyal followers numbered in the hundreds.
“Well, that’s true. These newly created ones can’t defeat you.”
Surprisingly, Victor readily admitted this.
“But there’s one thing I haven’t mentioned.”
Victor added, forming a hand sign.
“Undead can grow stronger with the support of a dark sorcerer.”
Victor began weaving another spell with dark magic.
Despite the enemy preparing dark sorcery, Gastahl remained calm.
“No matter what dark sorcery you use, you can’t close this gap… But I’ll watch. Let’s see what kind of dark sorcery you use.”
However, the moment Gastahl saw the spell Victor was creating, his composure vanished.
“What… is that?”
A grand dark sorcerer.
Gastahl’s accumulated knowledge could fill a mountain valley.
Yet even he had never seen the dark sorcery Victor was preparing.
The method of forming the spell and its structure were entirely new to him.
“This is on a different level… How can you use dark sorcery like that…?”
It was fundamentally different from existing dark sorcery, as if it completely rejected the foundations of traditional dark magic.
“Where did you learn such dark sorcery…?”
As Gastahl shouted, Victor completed the spell he was preparing.
At that moment, the ground shook as if an earthquake had struck.
As Damian completed the dark sorcery, the ground trembled. Simultaneously, an altar began to rise behind him.
It was shaped like a square pillar, wide at the base and narrowing towards the top.
At the very top of the altar was a single chair.
The chair was made entirely of bones, with a very high backrest.
Perhaps because of this, the chair exuded a strange sense of authority.
Just looking up at it felt like committing a sin.
It made one want to bow their head.
It was like looking at a throne.
“What… what is that dark sorcery…?”
Gastahl asked in a trembling voice.
Even as a grand dark sorcerer, he had never seen such dark sorcery, not even in records.
And for good reason.
This was an ancient dark sorcery, a secret technique left behind by Archlich Dorgo.
The Binding of Darkness.
A dark sorcery created to support the undead under one’s command.
Damian stepped onto the altar. Silence fell over the area.
The skeletons summoned by Damian, as well as Gastahl, held their breath as they watched Damian ascend the altar.
Why was that?
As Damian climbed the altar, a growing sense of fear filled everyone’s hearts. The emotion of terror accumulated. The feeling of reverence subtly emerged.
Both allies and enemies felt the same. Even Gastahl.
When Damian finally reached the top, the emotions everyone held reached their peak.
Damian sat on the throne, leaning back and looking down at everyone.
No one felt resentment towards his arrogant demeanor. Instead, only one word came to mind.
Sovereign.
Damian’s presence evoked the image of a ruler over the dead.
“I declare.”
Damian’s voice resonated deeply.
“From this moment, I will not move a single step from this place.”
Chains appeared from nowhere, wrapping around Damian and the throne.
“I will not react to any threats.”
A second chain bound Damian’s legs to the throne.
“I will not use any dark sorcery.”
A third chain bound Damian’s arms to the throne.
Everyone watching was puzzled.
Why was he sealing his own abilities? Especially when facing a transcendent grand dark sorcerer?
“In exchange for these three restrictions, I will temporarily share with my subordinates.”
Damian paused before finishing his statement.
“My knowledge and experience.”
In that instant, a torrent of information flooded into the skeletons’ minds.
No, it wasn’t flooding in. It was as if they had plunged into an ocean of knowledge. The sheer volume of information was overwhelming, almost suffocating.
The skeletons’ talents were too meager to absorb it all.
They could grasp only a single grain of knowledge.
But the moment they accepted it, a tremendous change occurred within the skeletons.
An explosive energy surged from the dozens of skeletons.
“What… what is this…?”
Gastahl was taken aback by the sudden transformation.
“What is happening right now?”
The skeletons simultaneously raised their weapons to the sky. A dark aura erupted from their weapons.
“Low… class?”
Gastahl muttered in disbelief.
But he quickly corrected himself.
“No, no… this is… this is…!”
Gastahl shouted in shock.
“Mid-class!”
All the skeletons had been elevated to mid-class.
“Impossible…”
In life, most of them had been ordinary soldiers. There were a few knights among them, but they were of the lowest rank. Only one or two had ever reached the middle class.
Yet now, these once insignificant and unremarkable beings had suddenly been elevated to the middle class.
“What on earth have you done?!”
The undead grow stronger with the support of their master.
But even that has its limits. No necromancer could ever elevate a mere skeleton to the middle class.
“I asked, what have you done?!”
As Gastal shouted, Damian leaned back, resting his arm with an indifferent expression.
“You’re noisy.”
The skeletons turned their gaze toward Gastal. The murderous intent of dozens of middle-class undead focused on him at once.
“Silence him immediately.”
At Damian’s command, dozens of middle-class undead charged at Gastal.