Targeted

When the group arrived, they saw more than a dozen corpses sprawled across the ground. Black mist coiled around their wounds—the mark of necromancy.

Jialan crouched down, his fingers hovering above one of the bodies. He could sense residual Dark Element moving through the corpse.

"These are fake mercenaries from the Aus Empire military." Katerina examined the bodies while Jialan's brow furrowed deeper and deeper. His spiritual power had discovered something unusual within them.

Suddenly, his gaze fixed on an apparently ordinary corpse. The Dark Element around its wounds was abnormally active, as though it was... waiting for something.

"Watch out!" Jialan abruptly retreated, but it was already too late. The corpse suddenly opened its eyes, its pitch-black pupils devoid of all life. A ray of black light shot from its body straight toward Jialan's chest.

Argyle reacted swiftly beside him, raising the Holy Sword before Jialan in time. The powers of light and darkness collided, erupting in a blinding flash.

Katerina rolled across the snow and vanished in an instant. The next second, she appeared amidst the corpses, her dagger already plunged into one body's forehead. Yet more corpses began to twitch as Dark Element boiled within them.

"Protect Jialan!" Kaisalin shouted, swinging her longsword. All traces of her usual ladylike demeanor vanished as she charged headlong into the corpses like a massive magical beast.

Shadow's nimble form darted between the treetops, his arrows accurately striking the vital points of every corpse. Qiuqiu clung to his shoulder, letting out sharp cries as every hair on its body stood on end.

Jialan remained where he was, unleashing his spiritual power in full as he tried to locate the source controlling the corpses.

Suddenly, he felt a powerful mental impact. Its force was so overwhelming that his vision went black. In the instant before his consciousness blurred, he saw a figure—a man dressed in black robes, staring at him with a sinister gaze.

It was that necromancer. His target was actually Jialan. Had he discovered him long ago?

Jialan's consciousness drifted in darkness as muffled sounds of battle reached his ears. His spiritual power felt as though it were being torn apart, and every attempt to regain clarity brought a splitting headache.

The mental impact from an Intermediate Peak necromancer was far more powerful than he had anticipated. If Argyle had not protected his mind with the power of light in time, and if his spiritual power had not been slightly stronger than that of casters at the same level, his consciousness would likely have been completely shattered.

Jialan barely opened his eyes and found Katerina guarding him. Her dagger was still stained with black blood. In the distance, Argyle and Kaisalin were fighting the reanimated corpses, the Holy Sword's radiance especially dazzling amid the mist.

Jialan noticed that her breathing was somewhat hurried. "These corpses are harder to deal with than expected. It may be because the necromancer is nearby; the Dark Element has given them power far beyond what they possessed in life."

Jialan's temples still throbbed. The damage to his spiritual power had blurred his perception of his surroundings, but he could still sense that faint, elusive dark aura. The necromancer was nearby, and just as Katerina had said, he was injured.

"He's southeast," Jialan said, closing his eyes and forcing himself to focus. "About three hundred meters away. His spiritual power is very unstable. The injuries he suffered earlier probably haven't healed yet."

A cold glint flashed through Katerina's eyes. "That's why he was so eager to get rid of you. A tracker with powerful spiritual power is too dangerous for him."

Just then, an explosive shout rang out. Jialan turned to look and saw a corpse suddenly explode, black mist instantly engulfing Argyle. The Light Knight's armor emitted a piercing corrosive hiss, and his movements visibly slowed.

"Argyle!" Kaisalin tried to rush over, but more corpses blocked her path.

Jialan clenched his teeth. He knew he had to do something. Although he was only a Junior Mage and injured besides, he could only take the risk now. He took his staff from his Spatial Bag and began chanting. Eight or nine seconds later, blue light flashed in his eyes.

"Freeze!"

The moisture in the air instantly condensed, and tiny ice crystals pierced the corpses' joints like sharp blades. Although these Dark Element-enhanced corpses had greatly increased strength, their agility had suffered considerably. The slowing effect of the ice crystals made their movements sluggish, giving Argyle a chance to catch his breath.

"Nice work!" Shadow leaped down from a tree, his arrows accurately striking the Soul Fire within every corpse. "But this will expose your position."

Jialan gave a bitter smile. "He already knows where I am."

No sooner had he spoken than an even stronger mental impact struck. This time, Jialan was prepared. His spiritual power formed into a shield, barely blocking the attack. But the cost was blood beginning to flow from his nose, while his vision became blurred.

"He's moving," Jialan said, wiping away the blood from his nose. "He wants to break out from the west. There's a swamp there. If he escapes into it..."

Katerina had already vanished from where she stood, leaving only one sentence echoing through the air. "I'll intercept him. You follow."

As Jialan watched her retreating figure, unease suddenly rose in his heart. The necromancer's target was him; this was not simply about escaping. He recalled the abnormally active Dark Element he had sensed earlier, and a terrifying speculation formed in his mind.

"Quick!" he shouted at the others. "We can't let her face the necromancer alone!"

But it was already too late. A muffled impact sounded in the distance, followed by Katerina's pained cry.

When Jialan and the others arrived, they saw the female assassin lying on the ground. Her left arm had been corroded by Dark Element and was rotting at a visible rate. Before her stood a tall figure. It was not the injured necromancer at all, but a puppet composed entirely of Dark Element.

The real necromancer had long since vanished without a trace.

Katerina's arm emitted a sizzling sound beneath the glow of Light Battle Qi. The Dark Element struggled like a living creature, but it was ultimately no match for the pure power of light.

Fine beads of sweat seeped from Argyle's forehead. His Holy Sword was planted in the ground as he gripped Katerina's arm tightly with both hands, continuously pouring Light Battle Qi into it.

"Bear with it," Argyle said softly, a trace of tremor in his voice. Katerina gritted her teeth without making a sound, but her pale face and cold sweat betrayed her pain.

Jialan stood to one side, his spiritual power having recovered somewhat. Watching the darkness gradually recede from Katerina's arm, he took a deep breath and formed a complex hand seal with both hands. Fresh, moist air suddenly filled the surroundings as tiny droplets condensed in the air, turning into specks of glowing light.