Chapter 304 – Following Your Instincts (4)

The dark blue arrow instantly engulfed Honte's body.

"No!"

The Empire's knights flinched at the fierce shout.

Imperial Prince Adin shouted with a rare sense of urgency.

"We, we have to save Honte!"

He then paused and raised his voice.

"He is one of the pillars of the Empire's future! Mages, go help him!"

However, his shout was in vain.

Cale broke out into laughter at Imperial Prince Adin's shout as he looked at Honte.

"It's too late."

The dark blue arrow struck Honte.

Baaaam!

The deafening sound of the impact was heard.

Dust, gray smoke, and light burst out from the explosion.

The scale of the smoke was large enough to engulf not only Honte, but also the black skeleton bird.

"Ugh!"

The smoke slowly subsided and a collapsing person could be seen.

"Cough!"

"Ugh!"

Some of the battle leaders of the Alchemists' Bell Tower who had been near Honte with the intention of protecting him were unable to withstand the explosive power and threw up blood as they collapsed.

The Captain of the Empire's Mage Brigade's hands were shaking. It was because he felt the vibrations of mana from the explosion that just unfolded.

He shouted to Imperial Prince Adin as he saw the smoke start to subside.

"Your highness! Honte is important, but you must escape! The enemy's attack is beyond our expectations! I think the necromancer can even use magic!"

The Captain thought that Imperial Prince Adin should escape before the smoke completely subsided and before he ran into Commander Cale.

The fire that Cale used felt like divine judgment delivered by a god.

It was at that moment.

"As I thought, it's too soon."
"…Your highness?"

Adin drew a smile and the Mage Captain could see it.

"Huh?"

Someone could be seen cutting through the subsiding smoke.

The person had black mana around him.

It was Honte.

There wasn't a single scratch on his body as he shot up into the sky with his hand outstretched and got rid of his shield.

That wasn't all.

There was also another existence that cut through the smoke, no, that blew it away.

It was the black skeleton bird.

"It seems like that wasn't enough."

Cale drew a smile on his face that was pale from being driven to his physical limits. His hand moved and the black skeleton bird headed straight for Honte.

The black skeleton bird shot towards Honte who was rising into the air.

A battle began in the sky.

"Young master-nim."
– Human!

Cale let out a laugh.

"Fine, I'll do as you guys want this time."

Cale began to move in accordance with Mary and Raon's will.

Mary immediately straightened herself up on the black skeleton bird's spine. She revealed her hand that was laced with black spider web-like scars.

Honte and Mary.

Both of their hands were aimed at each other.

The corners of Honte's lips curled up. He stared downwards and opened his mouth once he knew that nobody else could hear him.

"The thing that had been extinct has reappeared."

Black mana rose up from his hand.

Black mana also rose up from Mary's hand at the same time.

Honte spoke in an amused tone as he saw Mary in her black robe.

"You necromancers have had that hideous appearance since long ago. How foolish."

He then looked toward Cale.

"I was barely able to get rid of the necromancers and the Dark Elves you know. I thought that I had annihilated them all."

Cale's eyes widened. A chill rose in the air at the same time. There were many hidden happenings that were going on in the background regarding the punishment that the Church of the Sun God carried out against the necromancers as he had expected.

Cale realized something at the same time.

'That bastard is the Tower Master.'

The Tower Master who had lived for a long time.

He was probably able to live so long by taking over other people's bodies.

Honte spoke cheerfully despite receiving Cale's sharp gaze.

"The Queen of Death must be very sad. She would have been glad to see someone following the path of a necromancer once again."

The cheerfulness then disappeared from Honte's face.

Contempt took its place instead.

"Too bad you're going to meet your end and die like her."

He continued to look at Cale as he continued to speak.

"I suppose that wind is also one of your ancient powers?"

Honte had not missed the power that Cale had used to grab the Imperial Prince's neck.

"Your plate is weak, but very big. Very very big."

He then licked his lips.

Cale felt uncomfortable seeing Honte's expression.

'What is with this bastard?
Could it be?'

Honte started to speak when Cale's eyes caught his moving corpse's body. His eyes contained bloodthirst as he gazed at Cale.

"I want it as my next body."

'Is he crazy?'

A chill ran down his back the moment Cale thought that.

'Behind me.'

– Is he crazy?!
"He is crazy."

Cale ducked the moment he heard Raon and Mary's voice.

Another small arrow grazed past him again.

Baaaaang!

An explosion occurred.

Cale raised his head. He saw a black arrow flying towards Honte once again.

It was from Mary. She started to speak calmly.

"Please be quiet."

She spoke with her usual calm and composed voice. However, the energy from the black arrow that came from her outstretched hand was anything but that.

Oooong-

The dead mana gathered together again and again. Cale looked at Honte who was unscathed.

– Human! That guy is as skilled as I am!

Cale could hear Raon's serious voice as Honte's mouth opened.

"Hahaha, you just keep firing those arrows. However, necromancers can't use dead mana just like magic, isn't that right? All they can do is move things that are already dead."

Cale flinched.
Boom. Boom. Boom.

His heart pounded again.

His heart was pounding despite the fact that he couldn't afford to use any more of his ancient powers.

'This is dangerous.'

– Human, his power is no joke!

Raon felt it as well.

– But I don't understand the principle behind it! It's just different from magic that is from nature! I don't know what kind of spell he is gathering his energy to cast.

Raon did not know the purpose of the energy that Honte was gathering.

That was how Cale was able to realize what that energy was. It was an energy that deviated from the laws of nature that dragons understood from birth.

"It's black magic."

Honte shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't have to control the dead like that hideous girl there. I can use magic and can just kill instead of just using the dead."

His shoulders shook as he laughed. Then he continued to speak.

"I'll get rid of the Dragon, the necromancer, and you. I'll get rid of all of you."

The wind was blowing.

Cale could feel the wind that was slowly gathering in the air.

A great force was gathering towards Honte.
Boom. Boom. Boom.

His heart was beating harder and harder.

"Mary, Raon."

Cale called out to them. He also motioned to Clopeh to have the white skeleton birds withdraw before continuing to speak to Raon and Mary.

"Hurry."

They needed to kill Honte before the spell was completed.

However, Cale realized his party's will the moment he spoke.

The black skeleton bird began to move, but it wasn't because of Cale.

"That's right. I handle bones the best."

Mary was making it move.

She continued to enlarge a black arrow as she controlled the black skeleton bird at the same time. Then she threw out a remark.

"My teacher once told me this."

"What? Your teacher?"

Cale asked and flinched. A puzzle arose in his mind.

The last necromancer before Mary was a person who was known to have made the desert of the Caro Kingdom into the Land of Death before disappearing from the world.

Mary was someone who was born again as a necromancer in the Land of Death.

'Could it be?'

Cale had a thought briefly graze through his mind, but Mary refuted that thought as she continued to speak as calmly as ever.

She was merely talking about the necromancer book that she had received from the mayor of the Dark Elves, Tasha's father.

"I think of the former owner and author of the book that I self-studied from as my teacher."

Cale was hearing all of this for the first time.

Perhaps these were the stories, no, the lives of the characters that Cale didn't know of because he had only read up to volume five of, 'The Birth of a Hero.'

Oooong-

Honte's magic continued to grow larger.

However, the body of the black skeleton bird also started to shine more and more with a black light. The black arrow was also growing larger at the same time. The black skeleton bird quickly shot toward Honte.

Mary started to speak to Cale.

"My teacher wrote on the first page of that book that necromancers were weaker than black mages and that necromancers would suffer their whole lives due to dead mana."

Necromancers had to live a life of suffering despite being weak from dead mana.

"However, black mages stop feeling pain the moment they take in black magic."

Black mages were stronger than necromancers and didn't feel pain like them.

The Dark Elf mayor had read the contents of the first part of the necromancer book to Mary when he had first explained about black mages and necromancers to her. That information still lingered in Mary's mind.

The reason why she chose to become a necromancer came out of her mouth for the first time.

She had already suffered through a lot of pain and even death when she was just ten years old.

That was why the words left by the owner of the book were deeply imprinted in her mind.

"To accept dead mana is to bear the sufferings of the dead and the yearnings for life that they have. That is why necromancers are always in pain and also the reason why necromancers…"

Mary still couldn't forget her mother's voice telling her to run first through the desert.

"…Are grateful to be alive and feel gratitude toward the dead. It is something that necromancers will remember forever through the pain."

Mary chose to become a necromancer as soon as she heard that sentence.

She has never regretted her decision since then.

She then heard Cale's voice.

"Your thoughts are the right answer. Do as you please."

'I know.'

Mary replied inwardly and started to move her hands. Her hand swung beautifully through the air as if she was a conductor.

Cale heard a scream-like shout from down below at that moment.

"No! Save Honte!"

Cale looked down. It was the Imperial Prince's voice. It was such a strong order that Cale flinched, but he soon turned away.

It was because Imperial Prince Adin couldn't afford to only look at the black skeleton bird.

A person appeared before the Imperial Prince as Cale expected.

"Did you forget about me?"

He saw a black aura.

The black envoy approached Imperial Prince Adin as he easily cleared through the knights and mages. The corners of Choi Han's mouth curled upwards as he approached the Imperial Prince.

"Your highness! You must escape!"

"Activate the shield!"

However, Imperial Prince Adin continued to speak to the voices that told him to escape.

"Save Honte."

"Your highness!"

"You must save him!"

Adin did not look at Choi Han.

He only looked up into the sky.

He stared into the sky despite the chaos around him from his subordinates collapsing after trying to block Choi Han.

Ooooong-

Honte's massive spell looked like it was about to strike.

The large black skeleton bird and the large black arrow approached the spell at that same moment.

"Hahaha! Yes, come!"

Honte stretched out his arms as he summoned more and more black mana and condensed it.

Oooong-

Cale leaned down.

The surrounding air vibrated as Mary and Honte approached closer to each other.

Something happened at that moment.

– Human! Don't use your shield! I know you're weak! I'll do it!

A silver shield surrounded the black skeleton bird.

Mary started to speak at that same moment.

"We are about to crash into him."

"Go!"

Honte's black mana transformed into a nine-headed snake and shot towards them.

Hiss- Hiss-

The snake's heads hissed threateningly and tried to devour the black skeleton bird while revealing its sharp fangs.

The black skeleton bird's beak and claws aimed at the snake's neck.

Boom! Boooom! Booom!

Cale frowned at the explosion. Black smoke and light burst from all over. However, the black skeleton bird gradually approached Honte without being stopped.

Crack.

Parts of the shield broke off while the black skeleton bird's bones began to crack and break.

However, it did not stop.

It was at that moment.

– Human, something's strange!
"Something isn't right."

'What?'

Mary and Raon spoke at the same time.

Cale's eyes widened.

The beak of the black skeleton bird could bite and rip off Honte's neck if it went a bit farther.

However, he saw something strange.

'…He's still wrapped in black mana?'

He still had a lot of black mana despite having made the nine-headed snake.

It was as if he was about to cast more spells.

It was at that moment.

Honte opened his mouth.

"See you at the capital."

'What?'

It happened before Cale could even ask back.

The black mana flashed and the spell activated.

Oooong-

The spell soon appeared.

Imperial Prince Adin.

The area around him began to glow. Honte had used magic on the Imperial Prince.

Cale shouted out of reflex.

'Teleport.'

That is teleportation magic.

"Raon!"
– I know!

Raon moved to block the teleportation magic.

Raon could cast magic faster than anyone else after learning the fast casting skill during his battle with the Dragon half-blood.

Choi Han hastened his speed as well.

It was because he noticed the glow of the teleportation spell.

Cale shouted at the same time.

"Mary, speed up! Shoot the arrow!"

They just had to kill Honte who was casting the spell.

Then the spell would stop too.

It was the fastest method.

The black skeleton bird would soon bite Honte's neck.

It was at that moment.

Cale and Raon heard a scream that caught their attention.

It was from a person who felt that something was strange a bit differently than Raon.

She shouted as she was the only one who realized the source of the strangeness.

"It is an explosion!"

Mary shouted emotionally unlike her usual emotionless self.

Her voice was full of fear.

'We must not attack it!'

Mary realized that.

'We, we must not attack that.'

"It, it's suicide bombing!"

Raon flinched.

Choi Han, who was on the ground and couldn't have known the happenings of the battle above him, also flinched as he passed by the Knight Captain. The Imperial Prince was now right in front of him. He could see the Imperial Prince's expression change.

"Ah, what a shame."

Imperial Prince Adin felt that it was a shame as he stood above the teleportation magic circle.

His demeanor changed as if he had never shouted for Honte to be saved.

Choi Han could also see that some other people had received Honte's teleportation magic in addition to Adin.

The leaders of the Empire, the leaders of the Lion Tribe who had escaped far away, and the people of the Caro Kingdom all received Honte's teleport magic.

"W, what is this?"

"This suddenly appeared!"

"Did Honte do this? This, this is on the level of an archmage!"

It was teleportation magic that simultaneously teleported a large number of people standing in different locations. It would have been considered extremely difficult even if only a few people or people standing in the same area were teleported.

However, Choi Han did not flinch because of that.

"Oh well."

It was because of Imperial Prince Adin's strange reaction.

"What a shame."

'What is?'

Choi Han had several questions, but still tried to catch the Imperial Prince.

It was at that moment.

"Stop!"

Cale's voice could be heard through the amplification magic that was on him.

He heard Raon's voice in his mind at the same time.

– H, how could this be!

The young dragon was astonished.

'What is it?
What is going on?'

However, Choi Han did not stop, and he could see Imperial Prince Adin mouthing something.

'What a shame. They're all going to die. It'll take a lot of time and money to raise them all again.'

Adin looked at Choi Han and laughed while saying that it was a shame. However, his expressions showed that it wasn't his business despite what he felt.

'What?
Everyone will die?
Raise them again? Raise what?'

Choi Han turned his head and looked up at the sky.

He then saw the black skeleton bird suddenly retreating.

Cale looked at Honte as Mary retreated the black skeleton bird.

Honte was laughing.

"Kuhahaha! Not bad for a beginner necromancer."

He spread open his lifeless body.

" 'I' am in the capital. 'This' is just a shell."

Then his body started to fall.

It plunged downward like a puppet whose strings were cut.

The body was dropping toward Toonka and the Whipper Kingdom's forces who had come to support Cale, as well as the Empire's forces who were holding them back.

The body was falling without stopping.

The life that had been in Honte's eyes slowly started to grow dim.

That, 'thing,' spoke to Cale one last time before the life completely extinguished.

"It's a gift. It's a gift for your necromancer. Consider it just a taste."

He then snickered.

"I'll give you this gift of dead mana from all of the people here."

Crack.

The last glimmer of life vanished from Honte's eyes and his heart area started to open up.

Something black could be seen through the crevice.

Two beings responded to that.

"No! It is immense!"

– No! That's similar to a golem's core! It's actually more dangerous!

Raon and Mary's voices.

Cale saw the scene on the ground as he watched the body of the real Honte who had died unfairly plunged downward along with the disappearance of the Tower Master.

He could see the escaping Imperial Prince.

He could also see the Whipper Kingdom's forces and Empire's army.

"Damn it!"

Cale grasped the reins of the black skeleton bird.

He then flew straight downward.

He turned his head to the side.

A lifeless corpse.

He could see tears of blood streaming down from Honte's eyes.

His body shook at the same time.

"Damn it!"

Cale stretched out his hand downward as veins bulged on his neck. A silver light started to pour out.

The bomb within Honte's body exploded at the same time.

Booooooooom-!

People went momentarily blind and deaf in that instant.

An ominous black light struck down like Cale's Fire of Destruction, except it was aiming for people instead of the golems.

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Yu Ryeo Han]

[Translator – Anowa]

[Proofreader – Rai_Mayank]