Helgenique advanced with a careful assessment of the timing. “This should be enough to declare the operation a success...” Even the mere sight of this massive undead army would ensure reinforcements would arrive. The Salvation Order must have been able to catch its breath thanks to him. The only thing left was to seize this opportunity to take over the Kingdom of {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} Grimwell. With the full power of the Salvation Order now unleashed, Grimwell wouldn’t stand a chance. “The Salvation Order gets what they want, and I get an even larger undead army. A win-win.” More importantly, the Orb of Life had opened new paths of knowledge for him. A bit more research, and he felt he could push his mastery to the next level. “Time to wrap things up.” The forces of the Parsali Kingdom had been pushed to their limit. Most of their strongholds had fallen, leaving them with no option but a desperate final stand. For the Kingdom’s army to minimize losses and buy more time, that nuisance Jerome would have to reappear. BOOM! “He’s here.” As expected, Jerome had reappeared. Having seemingly recovered his mana, he unleashed massive spells without hesitation. “Impressive. His mana recovery rate is truly extraordinary.” This pest had fought him tirelessly for days. Under normal circumstances, Jerome should have collapsed from sheer exhaustion, but here he was, back and full of mana. Although his magic wasn’t as powerful as it had been at the start, his recovery speed was astonishing nonetheless. “Go. Let’s finish this today.” ROAR! Two resurrected priests, already prepared, charged toward Jerome. Boom! Boom! Boom! Jerome, who had been mowing down the swarming undead, faltered as he caught sight of the priests. “You again? God, you’re insufferable.” BOOM! Jerome extended his hand, blasting the priests away. But his expression didn’t brighten. “Tch.” They didn’t shatter immediately like before. That meant Jerome had weakened considerably. With no choice, Jerome began to forcefully draw upon what little mana he had left. BOOM! The heads of the charging priests shattered instantly. Jerome steadied his breathing, thinking grimly. ‘This won’t end until that bastard dies.’ As long as Helgenique, the source of mana for the undead, remained alive, they would continue to resurrect endlessly. Jerome knew this well. But to give the people more time to prepare, he had no choice but to step forward. There was no way to kill Helgenique right now. ‘Just hold on a little longer.’ Although most of the strongholds had fallen and they were being driven back, the entire kingdom wasn’t yet overrun with undead. Survivors were gathering for a final stand. Every second Jerome delayed bought them more time to prepare. Even dragging it out this far was already a historic achievement. But Jerome wasn’t about to stop. “Hah!” BOOM! The undead closing in on him were blasted away. But having used significant mana to deal with the priests, Jerome prepared to retreat once more. He planned to recover his mana before launching another attack to thin their numbers. Just as he stepped back— SLASH! “Ugh!” The space around him warped, and dozens of Death Knights appeared in an instant. Clang! Clang! Clang! The Death Knights swung their blades, aiming to cleave Jerome in half. But the barrier he raised at the last moment held. ‘He’s trying to end this now!’ Jerome had anticipated this moment. His foe must have been thoroughly irritated by him. Still, Helgenique didn’t show himself. Instead, he sent Death Knights to finish the job. The tactic was clear: drive Jerome, already drained of mana, into a corner. The cunning of this bastard knew no bounds. ‘My mana is too low.’ Large-scale area magic was no longer an option. Expending any more mana would leave Jerome without the strength to escape. Flash! Jerome cast Blink, attempting to escape the battlefield. But the Death Knights, mounted on phantom steeds, doggedly pursued him. Some even moved ahead of him, spreading out to block all possible escape routes. Helgenique’s tactical acumen was evident. He knew exactly what to prioritize. “Tch.” The Death Knights continued to hound him, even cutting off his retreat. Using consecutive Blink spells would allow him to flee, but Helgenique would welcome that. ‘With my current mana, the distance I can travel is limited.’ Wasting mana like that would play right into Helgenique’s hands. Jerome would be caught eventually if he drained himself too much. Left with no other choice, Jerome decided to eliminate the Death Knights with minimal mana expenditure. Reviving these Death Knights would also require a substantial amount of Helgenique’s mana. Buzz— Golden light enveloped Jerome’s hands as mana surged. Clang! Clang! Clang! Jerome deflected the swords of dozens of Death Knights and engaged them in close combat. He had no other option but to conserve mana. Fortunately, years of rigorous training had elevated his martial arts to a high level. Thud! Thud! Thud! With each punch, Jerome smashed through Death Knight helmets, pierced their chests, and crushed their armor. Limbs were twisted and shattered. But the Death Knights regenerated quickly, relentlessly attacking Jerome again. Clang! Despite taking small wounds from their strikes, Jerome systematically disabled them one by one. Eventually, they stopped regenerating and fell for good. Time passed, and the remaining Death Knights retreated, encircling Jerome instead. “Huff... Huff...” Breathing heavily, Jerome surveyed the Death Knights surrounding him. Only ten remained. Even with his mana nearly depleted, he had managed to defeat over thirty. ‘What a sly bastard.’ The man who had accomplished this incredible feat gritted his teeth at the remaining Death Knights. The end felt near. Helgenique, it seemed, was deliberately not reviving the fallen Death Knights to conserve his own mana. Flash! The remaining Death Knights charged simultaneously. Despite his exhaustion and pale complexion, Jerome smirked. “I’m still alive, you bastards.” Thud! The battle resumed. Jerome clenched his teeth and fought off the Death Knights one by one. Days of little rest and almost no food were taking their toll. His once boundless mana reserves had run dry. Slash! Slash! Slash! The Death Knights’ strikes cut deeper with each passing moment. Blood sprayed from Jerome’s body as his movements slowed. Thud! Yet, he continued to fight, crushing Death Knights with sheer determination. When he finally shattered the last Death Knight’s head— Rumble! Strange bones burst from the ground. Sensing them, Jerome tried to dodge, but he was too drained to fully evade. Stab! “Argh!” Bones pierced his thigh and side, and Jerome let out a scream of pain. He managed to wrench himself free, but the bones kept rising. Rumble! Soon, bones filled the area, surrounding Jerome entirely. Though he tried to dodge, his weakened state left him vulnerable to constant injuries. Eventually, Jerome stopped moving. The rising bones ceased. “Bone Prison...” Jerome realized he was trapped in a cage of bone. Shhh... Darkness coalesced into a form, slowly taking the shape of Helgenique. Helgenique grinned as he looked at Jerome, now imprisoned in bone. “Finally caught the rat.” He had spent a long time exhausting Jerome’s mana. Though Jerome’s mana was still recovering, it wouldn’t be enough. Exhausted and gravely injured, Jerome wouldn’t escape his grasp. Jerome let out a hollow laugh and slumped. The rising bones radiated dark mana. A small magic field had formed within the prison, isolating him completely. There was no way to escape. “So, this is how it ends, huh?” Jerome muttered. “You should have learned to keep quiet. Because of you, I had to exert far too much effort,” Helgenique replied. With a wave of his hand, the bone cage began to close in on Jerome. Rumble... There was nowhere to run. Jerome resigned himself to the death that awaited him. "This is why I hate leaving home. Barely got to enjoy myself, and now I’m about to die." His calm demeanor caused Helgenique to pause the movement of the bones and ask: “What are you?” “Just a wizard,” Jerome replied. “Why bother doing something so pointless?” “Does it always have to have a purpose?” “Then why?” “Because I have the power to help.” “Because you have power?” “Yeah. The talents and environment I was born into are blessings from the world. It only makes sense to use them for the world.” “Hahaha!” Helgenique laughed, amused. He had never encountered someone this absurdly naïve before. So, he asked again, his tone mocking: “Even if the result of that idiotic ideal is death?” “Of course, I don’t want to die. Honestly, I’m regretting stepping out of the house right about now.” “Hahaha! You’re a funny one.” As Helgenique laughed, Jerome turned the question back at him. “And you? Why do you do all this with the power you have?” “Because I have power.” Though the answer was the same, its meaning was drastically different. Helgenique continued leisurely. “Because I have power, I can do this. The blessings of the world? Do you think a lion uses its strength for the sake of a rabbit?” “...” Jerome remained silent. There was no point in arguing with someone whose beliefs were fundamentally opposed to his own. Helgenique waved his hand, and the bones that had paused began to move again. His voice resonated ominously. “Lions and rabbits are born different. To a lion, a rabbit is just food. You’re a fool who gave up the life of a lion to live for the rabbits. Or are you a lion with the soul of a rabbit?” Creak... Large and small bones started piercing into Jerome’s body. “Urgh...” Jerome struggled to endure, pouring the last of his mana into his defenses, but it wasn’t enough. “Argh!” Unable to bear the agony any longer, Jerome’s body convulsed in pain. His focus wavered, and blood soaked his entire frame. Helgenique smiled at the sight. “Such a fine material I’ve obtained. Make it hurt more. Break his useless ideals and spirit.” The deeper the pain and resentment, the stronger the undead that would emerge. That was why Helgenique didn’t end it quickly. Materials of this quality were almost impossible to find, even across the entire continent. Helgenique’s triumphant anticipation was suddenly interrupted when he sensed something. “Hm?” Flash! A brilliant light erupted from the sky, followed by a thunderous bolt of lightning. BOOM! Helgenique had already shifted his body aside, avoiding the strike. But he could sense it—the overwhelming power now surging toward this location. Swoosh! Helgenique retreated again, just in time to avoid dozens of blue daggers that streaked through the air. He raised his hand instinctively as a woman appeared at his side, thrusting a dagger toward him. Clang! The dagger radiated divine energy, and Helgenique’s hand, which blocked the attack, began to smolder. In a low voice, Helgenique asked: “Who are you?” The woman smirked as she answered. “No one you need to know.” “How dare you...” Helgenique’s energy surged. Even now, countless undead soldiers advanced in the distance. But for this woman to evade his entire undead army and approach undetected—he hadn’t even realized she was near until she struck. Regardless of her raw power, her skills were undeniably extraordinary. Boom! Boom! Boom! Before Helgenique could retaliate, lightning bolts rained from the sky, shattering the bone prison and obliterating nearby undead. The precision of the mana suggested that the caster was a significant distance away, likely a 7th-circle mage. Jerome, unconscious and gravely injured, collapsed to the ground. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Amidst the deafening noise, Helgenique turned his gaze forward. In the distance, a group of powerful figures was cutting through the undead as they approached. “So, it’s them...” Realizing that several superhuman-level warriors had arrived, Helgenique dismissed the woman, Belinda, and moved toward Jerome. “I need to secure the material...” 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞 Even with the newcomers, the path ahead was swarming with undead. It would take them time to break through. Belinda tried to pursue, but Helgenique was faster. Flash! Using magic to cross the space, Helgenique appeared beside Jerome, reaching to grab him. But before his hand could touch Jerome, Helgenique felt a sudden, chilling sensation. The presence of a blade etched its intent onto his body. Slash! Helgenique quickly withdrew, but not fast enough. A deep cut had already appeared on his chest. ‘I need to retreat.’ The moment his chest was slashed, Helgenique immediately decided to abandon Jerome. A necromancer never fought head-on. He needed to pull back and regroup with his undead forces. But just as he resolved to retreat— BOOOOOM! A spear wreathed in crimson light tore through the air, ripping apart the atmosphere as it hurtled downward at an astonishing speed. “...!!” The perfectly timed attack caught Helgenique off guard. CRASH! The crimson spear struck, piercing through Helgenique’s chest and slamming into the ground with tremendous force.