The Genesis Of A Necromancer

Jack watched.

From his perch, the chaos below unfolded like a living nightmare. Gale, the team's unyielding tank, moved with the precision and ferocity of a war god. His massive wings spread wide, catching the faint glimmers of light emanating from Alisha's fading spells. The wings, tattered but resilient, cut through the air, propelling him forward with unstoppable momentum.

Each punch Gale threw sent shockwaves through the battlefield. His knuckles collided with undead warriors, shattering their brittle skulls and ribcages into clouds of dust. He twisted and weaved between skeletal claws, a living battering ram that seemed almost invincible. Almost.

But for every enemy he destroyed, two more rose to take its place. The skeletal tide was endless, pouring forth like a living flood from the cursed soil. Their empty eye sockets glowed with malice, and their jagged claws gleamed with unnatural sharpness. Even Gale, for all his incredible stamina and determination, began to falter. His breathing grew heavier, his movements slower, as exhaustion crept into his limbs.

Jack's gaze darkened, the weight of the scene pressing on him. But his expression remained impassive, a cold mask that betrayed nothing of the storm raging within. Erebus, the god of judgment, stood beside him, a sly smile curling on his lips as he observed the carnage with an air of detached amusement.

"This is your chance," Erebus purred, his voice soft yet insidious.

"A chance to fix it all. To become the hero they need. Merge with me, Jack. Together, we can ascend to unimaginable heights. We can destroy this curse, this cycle of suffering. You'll be unstoppable. Stronger than ever before."

Jack's jaw tightened as his eyes flicked to Alisha and Missy.

The two girls stood amidst the chaos, their faces pale with exhaustion, yet their resolve unwavering. Alisha's staff shone faintly as she conjured another volley of light spears, their golden brilliance piercing through the undead ranks. But her hands trembled, and the light faltered.

Missy, her younger companion, swayed unsteadily, her barriers barely holding against the relentless assault.

'They're going to die,' Jack thought, the realization sinking into him like a blade. His chest tightened, not with fear, but with something far more insidious: guilt.

But the thought was fleeting. He buried it quickly, drowning it in the icy waters of his resolve.

"Nah," Jack said finally, his voice calm, detached. "ain't not doing that."

Erebus blinked, stunned into silence for a moment before laughter spilled from his lips.

"You're… refusing?" The god's expression twisted into incredulity, then fury. Your next chapter is on My Virtual Library Empire

"You fool! Do you understand what you're saying? What you're throwing away? They'll all die without you! And their souls—"

Jack cut him off with a wave of his hand.

"Spare me the lecture. You think I care about them? About this world? I didn't ask for any of this. Let them die if they can't fend for themselves."

Yet even as he spoke, his eyes lingered on Alisha for a moment too long. Her strength was failing, her light dimming, and still, she fought on, wielding her staff with a grace born of unshakable faith.

Erebus saw the flicker of hesitation and pounced. "You're lying to yourself, Jack. If you truly didn't care, you wouldn't still be watching. You wouldn't hesitate."

Jack clenched his fists but didn't respond. His silence spoke volumes.

Below, the skeletal tide reached a crescendo. The swarm of undead closed in, their jagged claws reaching for the weary group. Gale roared in defiance, his wings beating furiously as he charged forward one last time.

The ground trembled beneath his feet as he unleashed a powerful stomp, creating a shockwave that sent a dozen undead flying.

But it was futile.

Alisha, standing at the center of the group, was surrounded. Her light, the only force capable of truly harming the undead, made her the primary target. The skeletal warriors, some wielding jagged bone swords, others hefting crude clubs, surged toward her. Their soulless eyes burned with dark energy, and their bony jaws clattered as they closed in.@@novelbin@@

One broke through her defenses, a skeletal mage whose staff of twisted bone crackled with black energy. Its spell struck her barrier, sending sparks of dark magic exploding around her. The barrier wavered, then shattered with a deafening roar.

Boom!

Alisha stumbled back, her face pale with shock. The bone mage lunged forward, its jagged staff aimed directly at her chest. Desperation flared in her eyes as she raised her staff, summoning a final burst of light. The two forces collided midair in a blinding explosion.

Bang!

The bone mage disintegrated into ash, but the strain of the spell took its toll. Alisha clutched her shoulder, where a deep gash oozed blood. She staggered, her legs trembling as she struggled to stay upright.

"Big sister!" Missy cried, rushing to her side.

Alisha scoffed, brushing off her concern.

With a flick of her wrist, she sent another volley of light spears into the approaching horde, destroying a dozen more undead. But her movements were slower now, her spells weaker. Blood dripped from her wound, staining the ground beneath her feet.

"Lady Alisha," a voice echoed in her mind—Nephris, her divine guide. "You've reached your limit. Any more, and you'll—"

"I know," Alisha snapped, her voice laced with frustration. "But if I stop now, we're all dead. So let's give it our best."

Nephris fell silent, but the weight of its concern lingered.

The undead pressed forward, their numbers overwhelming. Among them, spectral figures emerged—ghost warriors whose banshee-like screams tore through the air. The sound was deafening, a bone-chilling wail that rattled Alisha to her core. She clutched her ears, her vision swimming as the noise disoriented her.

From the corner of her eye, she saw a bone spear hurtling toward her. Her instincts kicked in, and she conjured a light barrier just in time. The spear shattered against it, but the impact sent her stumbling backward.

"They're coordinated," Alisha muttered, her gaze narrowing as she spotted several skeletal mages directing the assault. Dark tendrils of magic snaked through the air, lashing out at her with relentless precision.

She retaliated, hurling orbs of light that exploded upon contact, obliterating the mages. But the effort left her gasping for air, her vision blurred from exhaustion.

"Lady Alisha!" Nephris's alarmed voice rang out, cutting through the chaos like a dagger.

Alisha turned, her crimson eyes widening in horror. Looming before her, a towering skeletal knight raised its massive bone rod, the weapon pulsing with a dark, ominous aura. Cracks of energy danced along its jagged surface, the malice within it palpable. The rod descended with terrifying speed, leaving her no time to evade.

Time seemed to slow. Her mind raced, grasping for a solution, but her body felt like it was encased in stone. Her limbs refused to respond. She could only stare, frozen, as the rod hurtled toward her.

'Is this it?' The thought struck her with bitter clarity. Her heart clenched as images of her life flashed before her eyes—a mosaic of memories both cherished and painful. She saw her father's kind smile, his laughter echoing in her ears. She saw the moment she'd sworn vengeance, the promise she'd made to cleanse the world of these vile beings.

'Dad… I failed. I wanted to make things right, but now…'

The blade's gleaming edge caught the light of her fading spells, reflecting in her tear-filled gaze. She closed her eyes, her lips parting in a silent prayer.

But just as the deadly weapon was about to strike, a calm yet cold voice cut through the air like a razor.

"To think you would want to kill me like this."

Alisha's eyes snapped open. The voice was low, steady, and filled with a chilling detachment. It was familiar, yet… different.

The skeletal knight froze mid-swing, its bony grip trembling as if an unseen force was holding it in place. A shadowy figure emerged behind the knight, stepping into the battlefield with an almost casual stride.

Jack.

His expression was unreadable, his azure eyes now darker and devoid of emotion.

He moved with a purpose, his steps steady despite the chaos around him. The air seemed to grow colder in his presence, the very ground beneath his feet darkening with each step.

Gale, still engaged in the fight, turned toward the scene. His brows knitted together in frustration as he assessed the situation. He crushed another undead with a powerful punch, the force of it sending a shockwave through the air. Yet his attention remained on Alisha, too far away for him to reach in time.

'She's too far,' he thought, his mind racing. 'A long-range spell might reach, but my mana's too low. Even if I could, the spell would be weak… Damn it!'

Biting his lip, Gale slammed his fist into the ground, sending a wave of kinetic energy through the battlefield. But it wasn't enough. The bone knight's blade remained poised over Alisha, ready to strike.

Alisha, still frozen in place, could only stare at Jack as he approached. There was something different about him—something unsettling.

"Asriel…" she whispered, her voice trembling.

He didn't respond. Instead, his gaze shifted to the skeletal knight, his lips curling into a faint smirk.

"You dare lay a hand on her?" Jack's tone was calm, almost conversational, but there was an undercurrent of menace that sent shivers down Alisha's spine.