Chapter 70: The Return of the Doom-Grade Death Knight

Chapter 70: Hunting (2)

As the liberated dark magic spread in all directions, the entire area was filled with dark magic.

"The knight of the extermination team has dark magic?"

Even the Puppeteer of Corpses couldn't help but shudder.

Damian Hassen was not an ordinary knight but a collaborator of the cult.

For such a figure to possess dark magic?

Moreover, the amount of dark magic was not trivial. It was equivalent to the combined power of three high-ranking dark mages.

But what was truly astonishing was not the amount of dark magic. It was Damian Hassen himself, who controlled that vast amount of dark magic.

Dark magic usually arises from negative things like death and pain. It is much harder to handle than ordinary magic because it easily dissipates if not controlled properly.

However, Damian had completely mastered that enormous amount of dark magic.

"Who... what are you, really?"

For the first time, fear could be heard in the Puppeteer of Corpses' voice.

"My true identity? Trash like you doesn't need to know."

Damian Hassen began to move his dark magic.

The dark magic intertwined, forming magical arrays and incantations.

"Even dark magic...?"

Dark magic is not used only by dark mages. Demons, monsters, and, though rare, some swordsmen who use dark magic also exist.

The Puppeteer of Corpses naturally assumed that Damian Hassen was a swordsman who used dark magic.

But that was a misconception. Damian Hassen was more than that. He was a dark mage himself.

Moreover, he was simultaneously manifesting incantations and magical arrays with dark magic.

This meant he wasn't just a casual learner of dark magic.

"What a lunatic..."

The Puppeteer of Corpses felt a chilling cold.

Furthermore, since even the Puppeteer of Corpses had never seen such incantations and magical arrays, he couldn't tell what dark magic Damian Hassen was preparing.

But he could instinctively feel that it was extremely dangerous.

"Stop him from completing the dark magic!"

The 'masterpieces' rushed toward Damian Hassen.

Generally, the most dangerous situation for a mage is when they are preparing a large-scale spell. They can't move because they are controlling their magic.

And this was no exception for dark mages. Even if Damian Hassen was an outstanding knight, he couldn't fight the puppets while preparing dark magic.

...This judgment of the Puppeteer of Corpses was shattered in the next moment.

Damian moved his left hand. The dark magic in the air gathered and formed countless spears.

Creating spears was a simple dark magic, but the other dark magics bestowed upon the spears were different.

Three types of top-tier curses—decay, corrosion, and collapse—were attached to the spear tips. The air behind the spear shafts began to compress.

So many dark magics were completed in the blink of an eye.

"Multiple spears...?"

A skill that even the highest-ranking dark mages couldn't easily perform.

The moment the Puppeteer of Corpses recognized it, the spears were launched.

The compressed air exploded, pushing the spears forward. The launched spears pierced through the masterpieces.

A loud noise erupted, and the puppets pierced by the spears were torn to shreds. Their bodies were completely destroyed and couldn't move.

Even the relatively intact puppets were quickly ruined by the curses on the spear tips.

"...Attack! Stop Damian Hassen now!"

The Puppeteer of Corpses shouted in anger. The dark mage puppet, which had just completed the dark magic, activated it.

Yuran's companions, who had become dark mage puppets, were originally both from the Destruction School.

The Destruction School, as its name suggests, was a school that wielded the most destructive dark magic.

The two dark mage puppets prepared the most powerful dark magic they knew.

The Breath of the Demon.

A dark magic that turns everything within a certain range into dust.

As dark magic gathered in the air, it formed a sphere that rotated fiercely, like a compressed storm.

The two dark mage puppets sent the spheres toward Damian Hassen.

Just as the spheres were about to collide with Damian Hassen, he raised his hand.

A symbol on the back of Damian Hassen's hand began to glow. Immediately, the dark magic forming the sphere was dispelled, and the dark magic itself scattered in all directions.

This was proof that Damian Hassen had dominated and dismantled the dark magic approaching him.

"..."

The Puppeteer of Corpses thought he was dreaming. Otherwise, such a thing couldn't happen.

Even if the two had lost their refinement by becoming puppets, they were still high-ranking dark mages.

For a high-ranking dark mage to so easily dismantle a carefully prepared dark magic? And to control the dark magic as well?

"...That's why the world is so interesting."

The Puppeteer of Corpses was grateful.

To himself for continuously searching for outstanding materials.

To himself for steadily refining his puppet-making skills.

And to himself for finally completing the masterpiece, Kite.

"Kite, it's your turn. Finish it."

The ceiling.

Kite had already moved there.

Kite kicked off the ceiling and fell vertically toward Damian Hassen, striking with the blade on his elbow.

Just as the lightning-fast strike was about to pierce Damian Hassen's head, Damian Hassen flicked his finger. Shadows shot up, forming a large shield.

The blade couldn't cut through the shield and was blocked. Kite exerted force with his arm, but it was useless.

In the next moment, the surface of the shield began to bubble, and identical blades to Kite's sprouted out.

The blades cut through Kite's body, and he was thrown far away.

"...Shadow Shield?"

A dark magic that reflects the attack it defends against.

It was a highly complex dark magic that even high-ranking dark mages needed intense concentration to perform. Damian Hassen completed it instantly.

"Even if you're impressive, you can't stop Kite with just that level of dark magic."

Kite, who had been thrown far away, easily got up. However, the steel plates protecting his torso had fallen off.

Damian Hassen cast another dark magic. Countless black spears formed in the air, and the same combination magic that had destroyed the masterpieces was launched.

Dark magic began to gather on the blade that had sprouted from Kite's arm.

The blade, absorbing dark magic, turned red. When Kite swung the blade, an invisible blade was released.

Several blades cut through all the black spears.

Aether.

Surprisingly, the puppet Kite was using a skill permitted only to knights.

"How about that? This is my 'masterpiece.'"

Even in the middle of the battle, the Puppeteer of Corpses felt a sense of pride.

A puppet that could generate aether. A function worthy of a 'masterpiece.'

"Kite, kill him."

As soon as the order was given, Kite rushed toward Damian Hassen.

"Support Kite!"

The Puppeteer of Corpses commanded the dark mage puppets. The dark mage puppets flew toward Damian Hassen.

The dark mage puppets attacked Damian Hassen with dark magic.

The dark magic of the Destruction School rained down on Damian. But none of it reached him.

It was because the dark magic converted into dark magic and disappeared as soon as it approached Damian Hassen.

But it was enough to draw his attention. While the dark mages attacked, Kite approached Damian Hassen.

Kite took his stance and swung his blade. A massive aether blade flew toward Damian Hassen.

The Puppeteer of Corpses was certain of victory. Aether was the strongest weapon humanity possessed.

No monster's body was stronger than aether. Not even the skin of an ogre or the teeth of a drake could withstand aether.

And this was no exception for dark magic.

No matter how solid a shield was created with dark magic, it was nothing but paper in front of aether.

At that moment, the magical array above Damian Hassen's head was completed.

Damian Hassen's shadow burned like a flame, covering the cave floor.

Soon, chains sprouted from the shadows, shattering the aether blade.

"What the...!"

The moment the Puppeteer of Corpses shouted in shock, a bundle of chains sprouted from under Kite's feet.

They pierced Kite's entire body and pinned him to the ceiling. The steel plates surrounding Kite's body couldn't stop the chains at all.

The dark mage puppets were also pierced by the chains.

"Ugh...!"

The Puppeteer of Corpses was no exception. Chains sprouted from the ground, piercing his abdomen, chest, and limbs.

"Move... move, damn it!"

The Puppeteer of Corpses shouted at the puppets. The puppets, despite hearing their master's command, couldn't move a finger.

Chain of Darkness.

One of the ancient dark magics that Arcrich Dorgo left as a personal technique.

It summons chains that seal the movement of everything within a range.

Those pierced by the chains can't move and are also sealed from using any power, such as magic or holy power.

"Damian Hassen! What are you? How do you know such dark magic?"

The Puppeteer of Corpses shouted at Damian Hassen. Damian Hassen approached him.

The closer Damian Hassen got, the paler the Puppeteer of Corpses' face became.

Extreme fear began to spread across the Puppeteer of Corpses' face.

"Corpse Puppeteer Delant."

Damian spoke. For a moment, the Puppeteer of Corpses wondered if he had ever revealed his name.

"Where is Dorgo?"

But the question that followed immediately erased all his doubts.

"...How do you know his name?"

Arcrich Dorgo.

The savior who taught and set goals for Yuran, who was just a minor dark mage.

Dorgo kept his identity a secret. Only a select few dark mages even knew of his existence.

A hypothesis formed in the Puppeteer of Corpses' mind.

"Could it be... you're also a sworn follower who received teachings from him?"

If Damian Hassen was a sworn follower, everything made sense.

His middling sword skills and his dark magic skills, which were above the highest rank.

"Yes, a dark mage of this level isn't common... but if you're a sworn follower, why did you attack me?"

Confusion spread across the Puppeteer of Corpses' face.

"I'm also a sworn follower! A comrade who agreed to open the age of dark mages with Dorgo-sama when the promised day comes..."

Damian Hassen flicked his finger. Another chain sprouted, piercing his body.

"Ah, aah!"

The Puppeteer of Corpses screamed. The pain was so intense that he bowed his head and panted.

"Answer me. Where is Dorgo?"

"Heh, heh... heh heh..."

The Puppeteer of Corpses let out a strange laugh.

"I don't know why a sworn follower would betray him... but do you think I'll tell you?"

"I can kill you and ask your soul."

"Heh! That's right. If you're a dark mage, you should do that! But what can you do? My soul is already sealed!"

Damian Hassen's brow twitched at the Puppeteer of Corpses' words.

"I sealed my soul so I couldn't reveal anything about him! If you ask me about him, my soul will be destroyed!"

Damian Hassen stared at the Puppeteer of Corpses. After a moment, he clicked his tongue.

"Really. A crazy kid. Sealing your own soul."

"Now you understand? You can't learn anything from me!"

The Puppeteer of Corpses shouted. Damian Hassen watched him silently for a moment before speaking.

"Then I'll just have to kill you."

Even with death imminent, there was no fear on the Puppeteer of Corpses' face.

Instead, it was filled with joy. To die for him. It was the best situation.

"Anyway, I'm going to die. Serve the dead."

But the following words left the Puppeteer of Corpses stunned.

"The dead...? What are you talking about...?"

Damian Hassen raised his finger. The remaining dark magic from the Chain of Darkness began to react.

The dark magic formed incantations. Soon, strange sounds began to erupt.

-@#$@#%!

-@#!$!!%@!

Sounds that humans couldn't understand. Just hearing them made one shiver and feel goosebumps.

"Do you hear it? The voices of the dead who hate you."

"Ridiculous... there are no dead here!"

"A dark mage who can't see them. You're no better than a blind man."

The Puppeteer of Corpses couldn't see, but Damian Hassen could feel it.

The resentment of the dead surrounding him.

Their number exceeded several thousand, but the Puppeteer of Corpses' dark magic was too strong to have any effect.

But now it was different. Damian Hassen was directly lending power to the dead.

"After much thought, this method seems to inflict the most terrible pain."

The Puppeteer of Corpses' eyes widened. He tried to bite his tongue.

But the Chain of Darkness piercing his body wouldn't allow it.

"No... don't... just kill me...!"

The Puppeteer of Corpses pleaded with Damian Hassen.

As a dark mage, he knew all too well what the dead would do to someone they hated.

"Please, just kill me!"

Thousands of the dead entered the Puppeteer of Corpses' body through the chains.

A scream filled with despair and pain erupted from the Puppeteer of Corpses' mouth.