Necromancer

The light in the Misty Forest was dim, and snowflakes still drifted down in thick swirls. The surrounding trees stood like silent giants, quietly watching the progress of the two people and one beast.

The squirrel would occasionally stop and prick up its ears to listen for movement nearby, then turn back to make sure the two had not fallen behind. It moved with agility and caution, as if it knew every inch of this forest like the back of its paw.

After passing through a dense pine grove, the squirrel suddenly picked up speed and darted toward a small snow-covered slope.

Shadow narrowed his eyes and vaguely made out a tall figure on the slope. It was Captain Argyle Cape. Wrapped in a heavy gray cloak, he stood with his back to them, studying the map in his hands. Kaisalin Xiwen stood beside him, and the two were speaking in low voices. There was no sign of Katerina.

The squirrel ran to Argyle's feet and gave two soft squeaks before leaping onto a low branch nearby. Its tail swayed smugly, as if claiming credit.

Argyle and Kaisalin turned around and smiled at Jialan and Shadow as they approached. After exchanging greetings, Argyle said solemnly to Jialan, "Welcome aboard. Your arrival is crucial to us! This time, our opponent is very likely a necromancer!"

The smile on Jialan's face froze...

Necromancers were terrifying beings. Their horror lay first in their ability to summon long-dead souls and bind them within decaying bodies, turning them into loyal servants.

These undead creatures had no thoughts or emotions. They only obeyed their master's commands, carrying out slaughter and destruction without mercy.

Second, necromancers could use curses and Dark Magic to transform living people into undead. Once their spells entered a person's body, they would rapidly corrode both soul and flesh, causing the victim to lose themselves in unbearable agony and ultimately become a walking corpse.

The existence of necromancers was not merely a blasphemy against life, but a trampling of the laws of nature. They disregarded the boundary between life and death, manipulating souls at will and wielding the power of death for their own use.

Whether commoners or nobles, everyone loathed necromancers and regarded them as the most evil beings in the world.

"If there's a necromancer, shouldn't we seek out priests from the Holy See? Only priests naturally counter them." Although necromancers had not appeared openly on the continent for centuries, Jialan, as a spellcaster, had always known of their existence.

The Church of Light, as the natural enemy and bane of necromancers, symbolized the power of holiness and redemption.

The priests and paladins of the Church of Light possessed powerful holy magic and purification abilities. Their prayers could summon dazzling radiance and disperse a necromancer's Dark Magic. Whenever necromancers attempted to summon armies of the undead, they would raise their Holy Swords high and chant sacred spells, sending the undead creatures back into the abyss of death.

Their presence was like a beam of light in the darkness, driving away the shadow of death and purifying lands defiled by necromancers.

The followers of the Church of Light firmly believed that only holy power could fight the evil of necromancers, and only faith in the light could save souls eroded by death. Their existence gave people the courage and strength to stand against darkness.

More than seventy percent of all living beings on the continent believed in the God of Light, and the Holy See's status was unmatched.

"No. The Empire has arranged certain things within this Misty Forest. We cannot let the Holy See learn of them!" Kaisalin Xiwen retorted.

Jialan asked in confusion, "What about priests of the Empire?"

Not all priests belonged to the Holy See. At the very least, in the four great empires, a situation where divine authority surpassed imperial authority could never arise.

The Holy See had been able to establish so many churches within the four great empires only by compromising with the royal families and great nobles. Some priests held important positions within the Holy See, yet they were people of the four great empires and influenced the Holy See's decisions.

This better served the empires' interests. They might push policies favorable to their empires or prevent the Holy See from taking actions detrimental to them.

The others understood what Jialan meant. Kaisalin shook her head. "No. The moment our high-ranking priests move, the Holy See will know. Low-ranking priests are about as useful as low-ranking spellcasters. To avoid alerting the enemy, it's better to be cautious."

Argyle put away the map in his hand. "That necromancer seems to know something. He chose this place as his lair because he's certain we have reservations and won't dare make a big show of capturing him."

"A necromancer, someone who can only live in the shadows—how did he learn that the Empire had hidden secrets here?" Jialan countered.

The three fell silent. Just then, a woman's voice came from nearby. "There is a traitor within the Empire. Most likely someone from the military, though it could also be someone from the royal family. Only they know the secret here. They may very well be in league with the necromancer." It was Katerina's voice.

"They may also be in league with those people from the Aus Empire. I went out to investigate just now and discovered several groups from the Aus Empire's military. Though they were dressed as mercenaries, some things were not things mercenaries could possess."

"In league with soldiers from the Aus Empire? Are you sure?" Kaisalin asked uncertainly.

Katerina glanced at her. "Not yet. But I don't believe a map to the Elf Ruins, whose authenticity is still unknown, could attract so many soldiers from an enemy nation. I doubt they even know the Elf Ruins map exists. Perhaps some mercenary merely found it by accident, and then it ended up in our hands."