The City of the Dead, Necropolis.
For example, you can think of it as a space similar to the Otherworld where your Phantom Steed came from.
It’s certainly a dimension like this world, but a space that can’t be found in this world.
Like the Otherworld, Spirit Realm, or where Sacred Beasts reside, it’s a place connected to this world, yet independent—such is Necropolis.
From what I know, there are many types of Necropolis. Depending on who rules it, the city’s power and might are determined—mysterious cities of death.
“Are you saying there isn’t just one Necropolis?”
Countless. Perhaps they’re even vaster than the world we live in.
“So, one of those Necropolis was tainted by the Abyss and ended up like this……”
While it’s surprising to feel an unexpected surge of Deathly Energy, if you look closely, it’s not pure Deathly Energy but mixed together with Abyssal Curse.
The city wall soars up to the end of the sky.
Now, it’s sunk into the depths and become just one of the many floors of the Abyss, but these sanctuaries were once places that existed somewhere in the world.
“To think the Conquest Floor held such a secret.”
It reaches the sky, rising high, but its inner parts have now sunk and decayed.
Capturing the sight of what must once have been the city walls of Necropolis, I head toward the camp where the Empire’s flag flutters.
Hio arrived at quite an opportune moment.
It was just when Hio arrived that word came they’d finally found the entrance.
The vast outer wall.
It took quite some time to find the entrance, but since the Conquest Floor wasn’t a maze-like floor pressed for time, it didn’t matter.
Instead, once you entered through the gate, there’d be little chance of turning back.
Day or night, you’d have to keep fighting without rest.
Until you climbed to the very top of the enormous fortress and erased the master of the floor—the lord of Necropolis.
“Prepare to move!”
The knights, who were resting and getting used to the unpleasant aura while sightseeing the Abyss, moved in perfect order the moment the news came that the entrance had been found.
Since it was a space where they couldn’t bring horses, they had to walk on their own, but those gathered here were the elite among the elite of the Empire.
Even without warhorses, they’d be able to move at a quick pace.
“The Apostle has arrived!”
“Holy Apostle of the Goddess. This way…….”
After receiving the grand flattery of the High Priests and hearing a summary of the situation.
After confirming the location of the entrance, I used my skill right away.
There was no need to wait—just head straight for the entrance.
Skill – ‘Summon Phantom Steed’ activated.
Trait – ‘Spiritualization’ activated.
The gate to the Otherworld opens, and through the radiant light appears the splendid Phantom Steed.
Needless to say, cheers from the priests erupted behind me.
“Kihya!”
“It’s been so long, Sacred Beast!”
“The Apostle’s beloved steed!”
“Oooh! Truly divine and holy!”
Basking in such cheers, Hio gallantly mounted the Phantom Steed.
Vitalianus and Airlights looked at Hio with regretful faces and spoke up.
“Going on ahead again? Let’s go together, Hio.”
“Yes, let’s move together and chat a bit. I heard several times you stopped by the Imperial Palace, but you’re always so busy, it’s been a while since we met.”
Hio shook his head.
“There’s something I need to check. I’ll go ahead.”
From Hio’s perspective, there was no helping it.
It wasn’t for any grand reason…… but if I moved with these guys, I’d probably end up with my legs torn to shreds.
That’s why I intended to move using the Phantom Steed.
After all, my stamina, agility, and strength stats haven’t even reached 100 yet.
There’s a reason Hio is so attached to the Phantom Steed.
Those guys could move along at a relaxed pace, chatting and laughing, but with my low physical stats, even sprinting at full speed, I wouldn’t be able to keep up.
The other knights were all imperial elites, too—if I didn’t want to embarrass myself, it was better to just act cool and go on ahead.
“Well, if that’s what you want.”
“……We’ll catch up soon, so don’t try to handle everything alone, all right?”
Vitalianus, Airlights.
With the two’s regret—
“The Saint is moving! Clear the way!”
“It’s the Apostle’s procession!”
“Open the wayyy!”
Amid the fervent sendoff from the High Priests, I soared quickly toward the entrance in the city wall.
Even as the busy knights grew as small as a palm below, the city wall still towered overhead.
As the Phantom Steed picked up speed and the wind roared past, I unfolded a shield spell in front of my eyes and stared straight ahead.
In truth, the reason for going ahead wasn’t just to avoid embarrassment—I really did have something to check.
Hadn’t I reached the realm of a magician?
I hadn’t mastered 5th Circle magic yet, but a lot had changed.
My mana had grown deeper, and my perception sharper.
The ‘Genius of Mana Resonance’ Trait I’d always had was now combined with the ‘Everything is Doubled!’ Trait—making me something more than a mere genius.
On top of that, I’d added experience and skills as a magician.
Not just magic power, but in sensing and resonating with any kind of energy, I could confidently say I surpassed anyone in this world.
And now, with the intuition of someone who’d reached that realm—
“This… might be easier than I thought.”
This 52nd floor, the Conquest Floor, might actually be conquered easily and quickly.
I didn’t mean to use the highest skill, ‘Celestial.’
Just look at the height of the city walls—Necropolis is vast and immense.
With such a wide space and endless enemies to face, moving step by step with Celestial would just waste time and strength.
So Hio put away the old staff and took out a new one.
A staff as red as blood, brimming with ominous power.
One of the Three Sacred Treasures that symbolized Kreutzvalt.
Magician’s Staff of Dark Authority (???)
A staff created for the great black magician Kreutzvalt, the pioneer and progenitor of dark magic. Depending on the user’s ability, it boasts incomparable power.
Stat ‘Magic Power’ +15
Magic casting speed +15%
Abilities unlock sequentially based on the user’s Mana Circle.
Among the staff’s options, there was a special one where abilities unlocked according to the user’s rank.
And Hio, though he hadn’t yet mastered the magic, clearly possessed five rings—a 5th Circle magician.
Besides ‘Insight of Darkness,’ which proved useful in the labyrinth, he’d unlocked another ability.
3rd Circle: Skill – ‘Insight of Darkness’ available
5th Circle: Skill – ‘Domination’ available
7th Circle: Locked
The newly unlocked staff skill was called Domination.
Domination
The magic of the black magician, authority over necromancy and black magic, is imprinted on the staff.
Greatly strengthens domination over all undead within range.
Deathly Energy—dominates it completely.
Thus, you gain domination over all undead influenced by Deathly Energy.
The level of domination depends on the user’s magic power and mental strength.
In short, if there are undead, this skill lets you place them under your control.
No matter who made the undead, or if it was naturally born—as long as it’s an undead, it’s a being born from Deathly Energy.
That means, within a certain range, I can dominate that energy itself.
Undead within the domain of domination would obey the commands of the dominator.
It’s not limited by number, but by range—so as long as Hio’s magic power and mental strength hold out, he can keep using the skill.
It looks like you dominate the aura within the area—that is, Deathly Energy itself, controlling it as you will… I can only say it’s amazing.
“Truly.”
Even Hio, who doesn’t fully grasp a Necromancer’s ways, sees it as a broken skill.
If you have this magic, at least against other Necromancers, you’ll always have the upper hand.
Imagine pouring your heart into crafting undead, only to have your control snatched away—it’d be crushing, even if only temporary.
“No wonder it’s called the lord of black magic and necromancy.”
So what I need to confirm now is the staff’s ability that unlocked at 5th Circle—Domination.
Will this work on the countless undead inside those walls?
Undead are different from just necromancy. You’ve made a Death Knight yourself, so you know—the flesh itself is made from Deathly Energy. For the lowest and lesser undead, there’s no soul, just decaying corpses, but there won’t be such low-level undead in Necropolis, so let’s leave those out.
“Still, their souls were tainted by the Abyss and became something else entirely. Can we still call them undead?”
Well… even if the soul is that corrupted, the force that forms and moves their bodies is still Deathly Energy, so I think it should work.
If it works, as Hio suspects, conquering this gigantic city may indeed be simple.
How wide is the range, and how long does it last?
“Well, I’ll find out soon enough.”
The heavy castle gate was now coming into view—soon I’d know.
“Block it! Behind you!”
The expedition led by Antiphus and the Raenka had already entered the city wall.
Since entering, not for a moment had they paused—always advancing straight ahead.
Even so, the true castle had yet to appear.
The reason? These relentless monsters.
There were so many, it was like a black wave surging in.
Even the bravest would feel terror at this sight.
With no sun, the dim, dark field of vision only intensified that fear.
“Don’t stop! There’s no turning back anyway!”
What let them keep advancing were the powers of the top awakened trio.
Raenka among Raenka—ranked 2nd, 4th, and 5th.
Sirbert wrapped the rear with a telekinetic shield.
Every time Laflicia, the legendary weapon symbolizing Daphne, shone, a long path of ice formed straight ahead.
And at the very front, the might of Antiphus… To those watching from behind, the word ‘invincible’ came to mind.
“If you stop, you’ll be isolated! Never stop moving!”
Even with the three and fifty Raenka together, they were struggling—proof that the enemies were that formidable.
The barely visible, murky view.
Monsters with glowing red eyes rushed at them, moving even when their arms, ankles, or even heads were severed.
You want to kill them, but they refuse to die—and if you ignore them, your life is at risk.
They’d walked straight into a den packed full of such creatures.
But this was the only way.
There was no shortcut.
“Conserve your magic power!”
“Move by pushing them aside! There’s no way we can kill them all!”
So they just had to advance.
Once inside, forward was the only way.
Finding a bit of comfort in Antiphus’s sturdy back as he swung his sword at the front.
Pushing through the stormy sea of death, aiming for the great castle that would eventually appear.
With their lives on the line.
Putting forth all their strength, cursing, cloaking themselves in skills, and never stopping.
Hio soon arrived at the gate of the city wall.
“The outer wall is so big, no wonder the gate is enormous too.”
Sending the Phantom Steed away, he landed on the ground and looked inside the gate.
Beyond the wide open, gigantic gate, Deathly Energy overflowed so much that it took shape as flowing darkness.
And in that darkness, from inside the gate, hundreds, thousands of undead with blazing red eyes.
It seemed as though they couldn’t come outside the gate—they just stood there, staring at Hio with murderous intent, determined to kill him the moment he entered.
Their appearance was even more grotesque and dangerous than ordinary undead.
Not just their looks—their power was surely several times greater than before.
That was the power of the cursed Abyssal Curse.
“Man, they look terrifying.”
As Hio approached, a heavy growl echoed.
A snarling creature, as if it would burst out at any moment from the boundary of the gate and the outside.
It looked like a gatekeeper, radiating quite an intimidating presence.
Similar to a hellhound in form.
But several times bigger than Hio, and with fangs extending up to the top of its head—different from an ordinary hellhound.
No doubt, another product of Abyssal influence.
Hio aimed his blood-red staff at the hellhound.
And immediately triggered the skill.
Magician’s Staff of Dark Authority skill – ‘Domination’ activated.
An invisible domain spread widely from the tip of the staff.
This was the domain of Domination.
A domain of the Magician’s Staff of Dark Authority, which no being moved by Deathly Energy could resist.
It felt like I could command every drop of Deathly Energy within the domain as I wished.
Savoring that omnipotence, Hio reached a hand toward the enormous, savage hellhound.
“Paw!”
Compared to the hellhound, Hio’s hand was tiny.
And then—
Kiiing…….
The hellhound’s huge, rough paw bashfully overlapped with Hio’s little hand.
“Good boy!”
At Hio’s praise, the hellhound lowered its body and even wagged its tail. With each wag, dozens of undead were swept aside.
“That thing’s actually cute.”
Domination was a success.
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