MTLNOVEL Chapter 95
✦ Chapter 95 ✦
「Translator – Creator」
“Cough…Cough…! Cough!!”
“Cecila !”
“Hhuitt…!! It hurts…”
The coughing fit that suddenly started would not stop. Each time she coughed, reddish-black blood splattered in all directions. Not only was she coughing, but she was also groaning in apparent agony, clutching her chest.
“Ugh…”
“Cough…cough…!”
The other two Inquisitors did not seem to be faring much better either, barely propped against the wall to avoid collapsing.
The strangeness didn’t end there. Seeing their condition, Cecila reached out to infuse them with her holy power, but the moment she tried, she collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain.
“Aaah…aaaargh…!”
What in the world is happening? Did evil energy somehow invade her body without her knowing? But we just performed a purification ritual, leaving not a trace of corruption in the air.
Also, Mona and I were perfectly fine, yet she, who possessed the most amount of holy power among us, was in the worst condition… Wait a minute.
It was then that a thought suddenly surfaced through the foggy haze in my mind.
I looked down. Mona, nestled in my arms, had buried her face and was covering her ears with her small hands. I set her down and spoke, “Mona. Listen carefully. See that pile of junk over there? Go hide behind it right now. Don’t come out until I say it’s okay, understand?”
She shook her head, refusing at first, but after some convincing, she relented. Though I felt a bit relieved once her small form was hidden, it was only a temporary fix if we didn’t solve the underlying problem.
The existence of the obsidian necklace hung around Mona’s neck—a relic now said to be unobtainable; the current situation where activating holy power results in unbearable pain, proportional to the power’s strength.
I knew of a foe who employed such underhanded tactics.
And at the same time, the most likely suspect in this village came to mind — the one who had been with us all along, claiming to be Mona’s non-existent sister.
“…Cecila. Right now…”
The moment I turned, something scorching and searing pierced my shoulder.
The warmth of Cecila’s divine blessing instantly dissipated, and through that wound, something murky and dark rushed in. I could feel the evil energy spreading through my veins, overwhelming my body. My vision blurred and my breath became labored; a sharp, stinging pain dominated my nerves.
“Khhukkk…!”
“Edwin…!”
Cecila cried out helplessly, unable to do anything as she watched me.
“What an unsightly display. How are you worms any different from the ones writhing on the ground?”
In the midst of chaos, a mocking voice came from the doorway. It was a familiar sound, one I had heard before. Instinctively, I turned my head. Cecila, sprawled on the floor, and the two priests, barely standing, also strained to identify our attacker.
“I should have known when you were fawning over me earlier… Something felt off… cough…!”
Cecila lamented; meanwhile, shock and dismay were written on the other two’s faces.
“I had my doubts, but an inquisitor of all things. Lapdogs of the oppressors—how laughable and pathetic you are. How can I not scoff at the sight of you?”
Even with my fading vision, I could clearly make out the figure with absolute certainty—
Vibrant orange hair falling in messy strands.
Freckles dotting rounded cheeks like speckled grit.
Glaring down at us with contempt, as though looking at filthy, abhorrent vermin—
The Necromancer sneered.
* * * * *
The origins of Necromancers were veiled in mystery, though ancient legends recounted tales of individuals on this continent who gained power through pacts with demons, ultimately transforming into demon-like beings themselves. They willingly traded the noblest parts of their souls for unnatural longevity and mastery over vile dark magic.
Necromancers sustain their wretched existence by usurping the souls of others through abhorrent means. Masquerading as harmless individuals, they infiltrate villages, gradually establishing themselves until the village becomes their vile nest—leaving behind only empty, desolate homes abandoned by their owners.
After the fall of the Great Demon, many Necromancers went into hiding or were hunted down, yet some believe they still lurk across the lands, patiently awaiting the return of their dark master.
Rumors occasionally surface of secluded settlements vanishing without a trace, attributed to the foul work of Necromancers. However, catching one in the act was a rarity, making this instance the first in decades.
“Cough…You wretched… cough…!”
“wretched?”
As Cecila spat out the insult, the necromancer approached her, delivering a vicious kick to her stomach that sent Cecila flying into the warehouse wall.
—BANG!
“Cough…! Khheuk! Arrgh!”
“A mere child daring to speak. It seems your gods never taught you manners…hmm?”
The necromancer then closed in on Cecila again, placing her foot on latter’s head and grinding it down. Spotting some darkly glistening object in Cecila’s clenched hand, she curled her lip into a smile.
“Resorting to thievery too. Hand it over. How utterly inconvenient not having that to suppress your powers.”
She then forcibly pried open Cecila’s clenched hand and retrieved the obsidian necklace. As she put it around her neck, a large amount of evil energy flowed from the necklace into her.
“Now that I look closer at that vessel…ah yes.”
Just witnessing the scene sent a tingling, stinging sensation deep into the bones. The necromancer scanned her surroundings, fixing her gaze on the pile of junk Mona hid behind as she let out a sinister chuckle.
“How quaint. As if hiding there would do any good…”
“What did you do to Dante… Stefano and Enrico… cough!”
“Don’t worry. They’re quite fine. ‘For now,’ that is.”
“For now…?”
“It’s been so long since I acquired a pure soul like this, I can’t very well treat it too roughly. I was getting rather tired of those smelly, rotten potato sacks. This worked out splendidly.”
“Cough… Don’t tell me the villagers too…?”
Cecila seemed to realize something from the necromancer’s words, muttering under her breath. The necromancer sneered at her, mouth twisting into a sadistic grin.
“Why, they became my willing servants long ago. Ah, let me clarify before there are any misunderstandings. I merely gave them a choice — to continue suffering the plague’s torment or shed their bodily prisons for true salvation.”
“But how…when I used the Miracle of Insight, everything seemed…”
“I simply told the truth, as one would expect. The plague was real, the pilgrim’s arrival was real, me taking them in was real. And you used the Miracle of Insight already at such a young age? Quite the achievement. Though it seems that very feat is what’s causing your current anguish.”
“You wretched… cough…!”
Cecila seemed at a loss for words in the face of the necromancer’s audacity. Reflecting on the situation, it became clear that the necromancer had infiltrated the village disguised as a pilgrim. She then initiated a demon summoning ritual, causing the villagers to succumb to the plague. The necromancer then “rescued” their souls from their suffering, enslaving them under the guise of salvation.
Then she disguised herself as Becky, a non-existent person, and settled in the village. While the demon was anchoring itself to the host, she wore the obsidian necklace and drew a barrier with chicken blood to prevent any evil energy from leaking out.
It was amidst the progression of this ritual that our group arrived in the village.
“Cough… Cough!!”
Cecila’s coughing fit showed no signs of stopping. Even as she clutched her chest, barely maintaining her stance, she continued glaring defiantly at the necromancer, who regarded her with a look of disdain.
“Tsk tsk. So dull-witted. Preserving your full power would still leave you utterly outmatched…”
The necromancer was simultaneously an incredibly powerful and evil dark magic wielder. Legend has it they learned many of their dark arts directly from the Great Demon itself.
Among the many difficult-to-combat abilities of a necromancer, the most troublesome is ‘Reversion.’
Once the necromancer fully takes root, everything in that land falls under its wicked dominion. At that point, it can unleash the Reversion with itself as the nexus. When Reversion is in effect, holy power bestowed by the gods cannot be used on that ground. Instead, the more holy power one holds, the greater the pain they endure.
This was why Cecila, who possessed the most amount of holy power among us, was suffering the most, while Mona and I, who had none, remained unaffected. Cecila had enough holy power to perform a solo exorcism ritual to send demons back to hell.
“Might you have also been the one giving orders to Sarah?”
“Hmm?”
At my question, the necromancer finally turned to face me, her demeanor one of utter nonchalance — as if she could subjugate me whenever she wished.
“Who is this Sarah?”
“The black-haired maid who worked at the Reed estate.”
“Ah?”
Cocking her head at my words, the necromancer’s eyes suddenly widened as if struck by realization.
“Ah yes, the girl named Sarah. Indeed, I did take pity on the poor thing and asked a small favor in return. But who are you to know about that? Judging by your immunity to Reversion, you don’t seem to be a priest.”
“My name is Edwin Leed. The estate where Sara worked belongs to my family.”
“What? Hahaha, HAHAHA!”
Upon hearing my name, the necromancer’s eyes flew open even wider as she stared intently at my face, scrutinizing every feature.
Then, throwing her head back, she broke into raucous laughter.
My intention had been to shift the necromancer’s focus from Cecila to me, but this reaction seemed excessive. And the words that followed nearly made me lose my tenuous grasp on consciousness—
“Well now, isn’t this…you are just like him. Truly the spitting image of your wretched father…how could I have forgotten that hateful face…”
“…What?”
— End of Chapter —
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