hsntnovel Chapter 20: Level 8 Necromancer
Chapter 20: Level 8 Necromancer
That night, Lin Yun did something daring.
Instead of attacking the corpse demon, he released a light-type spell called "Holy Light" from above the valley—a level six light-type magic spell that has no offensive power but emits a strong aura of light over a large area.
For undead creatures, the aura of light is like fire to a moth—both a threat and a deterrent.
White light poured down from above the valley, enveloping the entire cave entrance.
The remaining twenty-odd level five and six corpse demons simultaneously let out mournful howls. They retreated frantically, huddling together, trying to avoid the blinding white light. The two level seven corpse demons, though not as violently reacting, were clearly uneasy, pacing back and forth at the cave entrance.
The man in black robes rushed out of the cave, his face as pale as paper.
"No..." His voice was filled with despair, "No! You can't do this! My magical artifact... my magical artifact is just one step away from completion!"
He frantically brandished his bone staff, dark green light surging from the gem in an attempt to dispel the white light. But the area illuminated by the holy light was too vast; his necromancy could not completely cover it.
More importantly, he dared not stray too far from the cave entrance.
His magical artifact is still in the cave. If he leaves, it will lose his magical infusion and all his efforts will be in vain.
Lin Yun observed all of this from the shadows, a slight smile playing on his lips.
He made the right bet.
The necromancer was trapped by his own magical artifact. He couldn't run, he couldn't chase, he could only defend passively. And the number of undead was decreasing day by day.
This time, Lin Yun wasn't going to wait any longer!
He returned to the entrance to the valley. This time, he did not hide.
He stood in the moonlight, his light magic slowly emanating from him, the white light enveloping his entire body.
"Necromancer!" His voice echoed through the valley, "Come out!"
A moment later, the man in black robes emerged from the cave.
He looked even more disheveled than before—his black robe was full of wrinkles, his face was as pale as a corpse, and the flames in his eyes had dimmed considerably. He gripped the bone staff tightly in his hand, but the gem at the top of the staff was now riddled with cracks.
Behind him, there were only two level-seven corpse demons and less than twenty level-five and six corpse demons.
"A...a child?" The man in black robes recognized Lin Yun, his expression shifting from fear to disbelief. "The one who's been harassing me these past few days is just a child?"
"It's me," Lin Yun said calmly.
The man in black stared at him for a few seconds, then let out a maniacal laugh: "A twelve or thirteen-year-old child has driven me to this point? Is the Church of Light out of its depths? Sending a child to die?"
He raised his bone staff, pointing it at Lin Yun: "Do you know what I'm doing here? I'm forging a necromancer! Give me just half a day, and I'll succeed! Then, not only will I recover from my injuries, but I'll also break through to the ninth-level necromancer archmage realm. At that point, even if the Inquisitor of the Holy See of Light comes, I won't be afraid!"
His voice grew increasingly agitated: "But you! You ruined my plans! You killed my corpse demon, depleted my spiritual power, and rendered my magical artifact unfinished!"
"Since you've delivered yourself to my doorstep, then become a sacrifice to my magical artifact!"
He swung his bone staff violently, and the remaining corpse demons moved simultaneously, surging towards Lin Yun from all directions. Two level-seven corpse demons charged at the forefront, their speed astonishing.
Lin Yun did not retreat.
He raised his right hand, and a level six spear of light condensed in his hand. Then, three spears shot out in succession, each in a different direction.
"Spear of Light!"
Three dazzling white beams ripped through the night sky, striking the heads of three level-five or six corpse demons with pinpoint accuracy. The three corpse demons collapsed to the ground, the flames in their eye sockets instantly extinguished.
This is the advantage of a level seven mage. His magical power is extremely abundant, and he can throw out level six spells as if they were free.
The black-robed man's expression grew even more grim. He frantically swung his bone staff, urging the corpse demons to speed up.
As Lin Yun retreated, he continuously unleashed spears of light. One, two, three… each spear of light precisely struck the head of a corpse demon. His magical power consumption was negligible, but the number of corpse demons was rapidly decreasing.
Ten, eight, five...
When the last level 5 or 6 corpse demon fell, two level 7 corpse demons had already rushed to within ten meters of him.
Lin Yun remained calm. He cast the wind magic "Wind Walk," his body nimbly retreating, while his right hand condensed a thicker spear of light—still level six, but infused with more magical power, its power nearly doubled.
"go!"
The light spear struck the head of the level seven corpse demon on the left, blasting a large hole in it. The corpse demon staggered but did not fall. Lin Yun then followed with a second and a third light spear, hitting the same spot in succession.
The moment the third beam of light exploded, the flames in the seventh-level corpse demon's eye sockets finally went out. Its body crashed to the ground, never to rise again.
There's only one left.
Lin Yun turned to face it, his right hand once again conjuring a spear of light. But this time, he didn't attack directly; instead, he first used "Light Binding" to entangle it, and then—
"Bebe!"
Bebe pounced from the side, its sharp claws precisely piercing the back of the corpse demon's head, pulling out the Undead Fire.
The last level 7 corpse demon fell to the ground.
The man in black robes stood at the cave entrance, his face filled with despair.
His corpse demons are all gone. His spiritual energy is exhausted. He cannot complete his magical artifact.
As an eighth-level necromancer who has lived for hundreds of years, at his peak he had dozens of eighth-level corpse demons and golden-armored zombies under his command, and countless seventh-level corpse demons. However, not long ago, his whereabouts were discovered by the Holy See of Light, which sent a team of ascetics led by a ninth-level mage. In that battle, all of his eighth-level subordinates were wiped out, leaving only a few seventh-level corpse demons. Helpless, he could only hide in the Monster Mountain Range to recover his strength.
In addition, his soul was severely injured, making it impossible for him to communicate with the Netherworld and summon new undead. So he had no choice but to target these mercenaries. After more than a month of careful accumulation, he finally managed to gather these dozens of level 5 or 6 corpse demons, but now they have been almost completely wiped out by Lin Yun. He was filled with hatred!
"You...you..." The black-robed man's voice was hoarse and trembling, "Who exactly are you?"
"Ernst Academy, Lin Yun Baruch," Lin Yun said calmly.
The man in black stared at him for a few seconds, then let out a maniacal laugh: "Baruch? The Dragonblood Warrior family? Hahahaha... I never thought I, Morton, would end up falling for a child from a Dragonblood Warrior family!"
The laughter stopped abruptly. His eyes suddenly turned crazed and resolute.
"But do you think you've won just like that?"
He abruptly raised his hands and began chanting some kind of incantation. Dark green light surged from his palms, coalescing into a twisted sphere of light in the air. The sphere of light exuded a chilling aura, and the surrounding air seemed to grow cold because of its presence.
Lin Yun's pupils suddenly contracted.
He recognized the spell—Delin had explained it in detail; it was the most bizarre technique used by necromancers.
Soul attack!
A necromancer can concentrate all their spiritual and soul power to directly attack the enemy's soul. This attack ignores both physical and magical defenses, striking directly at the soul's essence. If the soul is not strong enough, it will be instantly destroyed, leaving only an empty shell devoid of consciousness.
This is the necromancer's last resort, and also their most insane tactic—because it not only exhausts all their mental energy but also causes irreversible damage to their own soul. No necromancer would use this move unless absolutely necessary.
Morton, however, has clearly reached a dead end.
Lin Yun tried to dodge, but the soul attack was extremely fast and almost impossible to dodge—it directly locked onto the soul, and no matter where the body hid, it would be caught up.
A dark green orb of light flew from Morton's hand, heading straight for Lin Yun's forehead.
Lin Yun could only do one thing—he concentrated all his mental energy in the depths of his consciousness, desperately guarding the origin of his soul.
A dark green light entered his brow.
In an instant, Lin Yun felt an extremely cold power surge into his consciousness. That power was filled with despair, resentment, and madness, like a storm composed of countless sharp blades, trying to tear his soul to pieces.
The intense pain nearly made him lose consciousness. He clenched his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, and his body trembled uncontrollably.
The accumulation of three lifetimes came into play at this moment. His soul was far stronger and more resilient than that of ordinary people. However, Morton was a peak level eight necromancer. Even though he had been seriously injured before, this attack concentrated all of his soul power. Even though Lin Yun's soul was far superior to that of ordinary people, cracks began to appear.
Consciousness is fading, memories are shattering, and the protective barrier of the soul is crumbling inch by inch.
"No... I can't hold on any longer..."
Just as Lin Yun's soul was about to be torn apart—
The small bronze cauldron on his chest suddenly lit up.
It was a gentle yet vast light, neither as fiery as light magic nor as chilling as necromancy. It was like the oldest starlight in the night sky—profound, serene, and irresistible.
The small cauldron trembled slightly.
A warm power surged from the small cauldron, instantly flowing throughout Lin Yun's body and converging into the depths of his consciousness. The power was gentle yet firm, like a mother's hand stroking a child's forehead, gradually enveloping and melting away the cold power that had invaded his consciousness.
The dark green light vanished silently before the power of the small cauldron, like ice and snow meeting sunlight.
Lin Yun felt the soul-tearing pain suddenly disappear, replaced by an unprecedented tranquility. His soul not only recovered, but was also more solid and pure than before—the power of the small cauldron, while dispelling the invasion, also tempered his soul.
He opened his eyes.
Morton collapsed to the ground, black blood seeping from his seven orifices, the flames in his eye sockets completely extinguished. His face was filled with disbelief, his lips trembling as he uttered his last words.
"How... is it possible... your soul... has... something..."
Before he could finish speaking, his body completely lost its vitality.
Lin Yun stood there, panting heavily. His back was soaked with cold sweat, and his legs felt weak.
He was so close. He was so close to dying.
He looked down at the small bronze cauldron on his chest. The luster on the cauldron's surface had faded, and it had returned to its ancient and mottled appearance, resting quietly against his chest as if nothing had ever happened.
But Lin Yun knew that if it hadn't been for it, he would have been an empty shell without a soul.
"Thank you," he said softly.
The small cauldron felt slightly warm, as if in response, before falling completely silent.
Beibei hopped over from the side, perched on his shoulder, rubbed her little head against his cheek, and chirped twice, her voice filled with worry.
Lin Yun reached out and patted its little head, forcing a smile.
"It's alright now," he said. "I'm still alive. I acted impulsively this time!"
After resting for a while, Lin Yun struggled to stand up and walked into the cave.
Deep inside the cave, the mercenaries lay unconscious on the ground. They had no wounds and their breathing was relatively steady, though their faces were pale.
Lin Yun used a light-based magic spell to cast a purification spell, dispelling the undead mist within their bodies.
Mercenary captain Bacchus was the first to wake up. He looked around blankly, then saw Lin Yun, and a look of relief spread across his face.
"Young man...did you save us?"
Lin Yun nodded: "It's good that you're all alright. That necromancer is dead."
Bacchus and the other mercenaries awoke one after another. Seeing the black-robed man's corpse outside the cave, they understood what had happened. They thanked Lin Yun profusely.
Lin Yun waved his hand: "You guys should leave here first. It's too dangerous here. I need to deal with this."
Bacchus glanced at the little shadow mouse perched on Lin Yun's shoulder and nodded. "Then be careful. We're leaving now."
The mercenaries packed up and hurriedly left the cave.
Lin Yun took one last look into the depths of the cave—where there was a simple altar with a half-finished dark green crystal on it, emanating a strong aura of the undead. This was the artifact that the necromancer had refused to give up, even at the cost of his life.