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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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However, that ended today.
I intended to claim this place.
“I don’t like his expression.”
Athena muttered, dismounting from her Skeletal Steed.
He seemed more annoyed than intimidated by our forces.
The reason was easy to guess; most of our troops were skeletal undead.
‘They can’t be used as food, even if we fight them.’
In other words, fighting us was a net loss. No wonder he was displeased.
They were even known for cannibalism.
However, he shouldn’t have made that expression.
‘He should have fled, or prepared to fight desperately.’
It wasn’t a matter of motivation; it was a matter of survival.
Perhaps due to their large size, they seemed to lack a sense of danger, even in the Barren Lands.
As mentioned before, they were apex predators.
And this tribe seemed to be one of the larger ones.
At a glance, there were over three hundred combatants.
Three hundred shouldn’t be underestimated.
These weren’t ordinary orcs, they were Desert Orcs.
While they couldn’t utilize it effectively, they could channel small amounts of mana to enhance their physical abilities.
Therefore, his attitude could be interpreted as confidence.
Of course, their overconfidence wasn’t a bad thing for us.
“Gagar, Baldur, Orie.”
-Your command!
I smiled faintly, hearing their responses.
“Eliminate them swiftly. Leave no survivors.”
-As you will!
-Certainly.
This time, speed and thoroughness were paramount.
No survivors.
I enhanced the advancing undead, and as they moved forward, I retrieved some of the stored corpses.
Annelise, escorted by Cereo, followed close behind.
The gathered orcs charged, looking down on the undead.
With their larger size and greater numbers, my undead seemed like flickering candles in the wind.
However, the reality was far different.
The front lines collided, and the orcs’ expressions shifted to surprise.
The Skeleton Warriors had effortlessly blocked their attacks.
Baldur seized the opportunity, smashing through the orc ranks from the right flank, crushing skulls as he advanced.
The Skeleton Warriors followed close behind, maintaining formation.
It seemed he intended to carve a path through the orcs from right to left.
He was supported by the Mummy Priests and Skeleton Mages.
Orie commanded them while simultaneously taking to the air with her Specters, harassing the orcs from above.
‘Even a large tribe of Desert Orcs can’t stop us.’
It was an expected outcome.
I glanced at the pride of Blue-Maned Lions.
They, especially the dominant male, bared their fangs, observing the undead’s power.
As I stared pointedly at him, he turned his gaze towards me, growling menacingly.
He seemed to understand that they were next.
Kayla stepped forward, glaring at the lion.
“A mere beast…”
She was the only one beside me.
Athena had already vanished, likely targeting the orc chieftain.
She seemed intent on eliminating the one she found displeasing.
I held Kayla back.
“As you said, it’s just a beast. There’s no need to be so emotional.”
While strong for a beast, even Baldur wasn’t confident in defeating it alone.
While few in number, I hadn’t encountered any monster in the Barren Lands stronger than it during my month of exploration.
It was an apex predator for a reason.
Of course, I hadn’t seen all the monsters in the Barren Lands.
Just as this was my first encounter with Desert Orcs, I hadn’t clashed with the fearsome underground monsters yet.
There could be stronger monsters deeper within.
However, I wasn’t afraid.
I scattered the corpses I had brought and activated the prepared spell.
The massive, blue-maned lion, sensing the threat, charged.
“I don’t think that was necessary.”
Kayla commented, and I replied nonchalantly.
“It ended quickly, didn’t it?”
“That’s true, but I could have handled those Blue-Maned Lions.”
Temporary Base Construction consumed a large number of corpses.
Kayla seemed to find it wasteful.
To a necromancer, corpses were a valuable resource.
Even if not turned into undead, they had many uses, and she seemed to think I had squandered them unnecessarily.
“While we have a large stockpile for now, we’ll be constantly fighting while building the tower. In such a situation, Master’s Temporary Base Construction serves as a valuable safeguard.”
She was right. With Temporary Base Construction, I could single-handedly annihilate a Desert Orc tribe.
And then some. It was possible even at 5th circle, and now, I had regained my peak strength, or rather, surpassed it.
It would be absurd for me, even without undead, to be unable to handle a single Desert Orc tribe.
Even as a necromancer who relied on undead.
Therefore, Kayla’s point was valid.
However, I had a different perspective.
“I have enough corpses stored to use it at least twice more. And we’ll be acquiring more, so it’s fine.”
“You intend to use the newly acquired corpses for the Land of Death, don’t you? And it’s always better to have more safeguards. While we’re fine for now, this is hostile territory.”
“But we avoided unnecessary battles, didn’t we?”
A massive wall rising from the desert.
A surge of amplified demonic energy.
While it might seem small compared to the size of the oasis, my Temporary Base wasn’t insignificant.
Indeed, as soon as I activated it, the monsters on the outskirts fled, abandoning even the prospect of scavenging.
The monsters here, especially the predators, were scavengers, and there would be plenty vying for the corpses of the Desert Orcs and Blue-Maned Lions, yet they chose to flee, allowing us to avoid unnecessary battles.
However, Kayla seemed to have a different opinion.
“Even that is a bit of a waste. Gagar, Baldur, and Orie fought exceptionally well. Even if the outer monsters tried to exploit the opportunity, we could have handled them.”
At Kayla’s words, I asked incredulously,
“…Are you saying you wanted their corpses as well?”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
Kayla asked, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
“Traveling through the Barren Lands for the past month, I’ve realized it’s not a place to be taken lightly. Without your unique abilities as a necromancer, the subspace artifact, and the dimensional fragment, our forces wouldn’t be able to handle this entire area.”
That’s why I was building a tower and employing unconventional methods.
“I can’t predict how many crises we’ll face while building the tower. And even after it’s built, it won’t be easy. You might regret this decision later.”
“Well, if it becomes too dangerous, we’ll retreat.”
“Indeed. You’re not one to take unnecessary risks. However, I don’t think you’ll abandon this place, Master.”
I couldn’t deny that.
I wouldn’t give up until I obtained the dragon’s corpse.
Even if I retreated temporarily, I would eventually return.
“Therefore, I hope we can succeed on the first try, even if it’s difficult.”
Having been with me for a while, Kayla understood me well.
Anticipating my unwillingness to give up, she was urging me to do my best, even saying things she normally wouldn’t.
“If my words offended you…”
“No, not at all.”
These were the words of someone who understood my goals and was willing to work with me. There was no reason to be offended.
“However, as I said, this wasn’t a waste.”
Using Temporary Base Construction, I had quickly ended the battle and prevented other monsters from interfering.
While I considered it a worthwhile trade-off, Kayla seemed to regret the large number of corpses used for the spell.
Indeed, they were prepared corpses, saturated with demonic energy, so it was a shame to use them once and discard them.
If I were truly discarding them, that is.
As we spoke, the Desert Orcs were on the verge of annihilation.
Athena had successfully assassinated the orc chieftain, and Gagar and Baldur, working together, had decimated the orc ranks, blocking their escape routes and preventing a single orc from fleeing.
Orie kept them distracted, and Annelise steadily supported Baldur’s front lines.
Dark Bolts rained down from the Skeleton Mages above, and the Mummy Priests continuously cast enhancement spells.
Having lost their chieftain, and with no hope of victory, the Desert Orcs were slaughtered.
With the main force eliminated, Baldur moved to finish off the remaining stragglers, followed by Gagar and Orie.
Over three hundred Desert Orc corpses littered the battlefield, and I focused my demonic energy on them.
“Normally, Temporary Base Construction is a one-time use spell. However, there are other ways to utilize it.”
I decided to show Kayla.
While Kayla was relatively knowledgeable about dark magic among my companions, her understanding was limited.
She was particularly unaware of the capabilities of a high-level warlock.
‘She wouldn’t have many opportunities to witness it.’
How often would a warlock operating in the shadows use large-scale magic like this?
I focused my mind and drew in demonic energy.
Eloset’s Staff and the Temporary Base resonated, amplifying the demonic energy dramatically.
Kayla’s expression tensed.
It was understandable.
While she wasn’t in danger, being at the center of such power was unnerving.
If I used this demonic energy for an offensive spell, even Kayla wouldn’t be unscathed.
The walls created by Temporary Base Construction began to tremble under the strain of the immense demonic energy.
The interior filled with demonic energy, compressing and intensifying.
It was a scale that an ordinary mage wouldn’t even dream of handling, let alone containing.
And it wasn’t mana, but demonic energy.
No one but me, not even a mage of the same circle, could control it.
Once sufficiently amplified, I began to arrange the demonic energy.
“What’s…?”
Kayla stared at the wall of the Temporary Base with a stunned expression, having noticed something.
Runes were slowly being inscribed upon it.
The wall created by Temporary Base Construction was a product of magic.
The effects of magic were usually temporary, dissipating over time.
However, there were exceptions.
The underground dungeon I had created in what was once Baron Owalan’s territory had a Land of Death at its entrance, and it was still active.
Of course, it had been designed to be semi-permanent from the beginning.
That was its initial state.
However, this Temporary Base Construction hadn’t been prepared for permanent use, so it required several conditions to be met for it to be maintained.
One of those conditions was these runes.
Runes, imbued with concentrated demonic energy, were inscribed all over the wall, and the amplified demonic energy, focused for a single spell, began to arrange itself.
I set the range to encompass the Temporary Base and the immediate surroundings, excluding the oasis itself.
I also included the fallen Desert Orcs.
It was a natural choice, as I needed their corpses.
I cast several spells in sequence, layering them to create a single, powerful effect.
I transformed the area where the Desert Orcs had died into a Land of Death, altering and enhancing the Temporary Base Construction, refining its form.
While it had become a Land of Death, unlike before, the corpses didn’t immediately rise as undead.
As the alteration and enhancement of the Temporary Base were completed, and an ominous aura filled the Land of Death, I finally completed the intended spell.
The demonic energy surging within the Land of Death converged on a single point, drawing in the surrounding Desert Orc corpses.
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