Chapter 66: Hidden Stage – The Fallen Necromancer’s Refuge (2)
〚Hidden Stage: The Fallen Necromancer’s Refuge
Rank: Unique
Grade: A-
Description: Once a great pioneer who first entered the Abyss and rose to the rank of Archmage, he succumbed to despair after the death of the Celestial Punishment. Corruption consumed him, turning him into a necromancer who transcended the limits of life. After the demise of the great entity he served, he lived a life on the run. Yet, his greed knew no bounds, and he dared to touch forbidden powers, which led to his ruin. Now barely surviving, he hides in his long-prepared refuge, sustaining the remnants of his life.
Objective: Defeat the Fallen Necromancer (0/1)
Success Rewards: The Necromancer’s Treasure and ???
Failure Consequences: Creation of the Sewer Monster <Shin Juha>〛
_____
As the message appeared, a massive cavern revealed itself. At the center of the cavern, within a gigantic magical device, floated an elderly man with his eyes closed.
“Is that the Fallen Necromancer?”
I swallowed hard, tensing my entire body as I cautiously approached the necromancer. And as I came close enough—
Flash!
The tightly shut eyes of the necromancer snapped open, locking onto mine.
His eyes were bizarre, with the whites and pupils inverted. The moment I met his gaze and saw him muttering something, I instinctively leaped backward.
At the same time, black, miasma-filled spikes erupted from the floor where I had just stood.
A chill ran down my spine.
“What the…?”
《1st Circle Dark Magic – Shackling Black Spikes》
I glanced at the spirit accompanying me. He spoke, still unaware of his own words.
《Black spikes pierce the limbs, delivering excruciating pain while shackling the target. It’s an amusing dark magic. The countermeasure is simple: only four spikes are summoned, targeting the arms and legs. Surround your limbs with magic to block them, then destroy the spikes.》
I nodded. I had no idea what this spirit’s true identity was, but his advice made sense.
Gripping my sword tightly, I advanced once more. As I crossed a certain distance, the necromancer’s gaze fixed on me again, and his lips began to move.
A black, miasma-laden magic circle formed beneath my feet. Without hesitation, I leaped into the air, cloaking my body in a gray aura.
Having previously enveloped my body with solar magic, this technique wasn’t difficult for me.
The spikes aimed for my arms and legs flew toward me.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
But they failed to penetrate the arrogance-infused aura protecting me. My arm moved swiftly.
The sword slashed through all four spikes, destroying them—not merely cutting them.
The spikes weren’t living entities; they felt more like metallic constructs made of miasma. Although their durability was less than actual metal, they were still formidable.
Upon seeing his magic nullified, the necromancer’s face twisted in frustration within the apparatus.
‘Is this all?’
To be honest, I expected more. Misfortune had already activated, pouring all its gathered power into this moment. There was no way this would end so simply.
This Hidden Stage’s rank and grade were much higher than any previous challenges I’d faced.
Typically, one would need a B+-grade Hunter to even attempt this stage, and an A-grade Hunter to clear it solo.
Of course, those assumptions were based on normal conditions. This situation was different. With the right strategy, even I could clear this stage.
It reminded me of the Dungeon Blackhole Incident when I exploited the Ganggwi’s weaknesses to barely succeed using the counter skill Yu Suhwa.
This time, I would clear the Hidden Stage as well.
‘That spirit must be a reward designed to assist me.’
It seemed like a helper meant to make clearing the stage easier.
‘The old man can’t leave that apparatus.’
The central device sustained the necromancer’s life by channeling liquid from dozens of tanks.
‘Destroy all the connected conduits.’
Cutting off the supply of liquid would inevitably end his life. Quickly, I scanned the number of conduits.
Nineteen in total—what a hassle.
Just then, the necromancer muttered something again within the liquid-filled device. I moved to evade.
“Ugh!”
But this time, the dark magic wasn’t something I could dodge.
〚Skill: Dark Magic. 3rd Circle – Black Oxidizing Curse of Blood has been applied to you.〛
〚Your health will decrease by 0.01% per second until it reaches below 10%.〛
What kind of…?
A sharp pain surged within my body, as if something inside me had died.
Immediately after, that dead thing was expelled from my mouth.
Cough!
Blood spilled from my mouth. Before I could even catch my breath, more blood began to flow from within me, this time pouring from my nose.
“This is insane.”
As I hurriedly retreated out of the range, the spirit accompanying me opened his mouth.
《3rd Circle Curse-Type Dark Magic – Black Oxidizing Curse of Blood. This dark magic was created after a Demon King captured a vampire, closer to a demonic species than to the Abyssal Demonkind, and conducted experiments. It inflicts the status ailment of death on the blood inside the body, causing a rapid decline in vitality. The countermeasures are limited to Unique-grade purification skills or potions for recovery.》
In other words, this was nearly impossible to counter. I neither had Unique-grade potions nor the necessary skills.
However, I had an abundance of potions. My vitality would decrease by 0.01% per second? My blood would die second by second?
“I can drink a potion every second, you bastard.”
I immediately pulled out the highest-quality potion from my inventory and downed it in one gulp. The rate at which my blood was dying began to slow, and the sense of fatigue disappeared.
I clenched my sword again and charged straight into the range without hesitation, foregoing any further investigation.
The necromancer also seemed fully aware of my intentions, glaring at me with a murderous expression while chanting even faster than before.
Woosh! A foreboding black flame appeared above my head.
Crack! Dozens of jet-black ice arrows materialized behind me.
Squelch! The ground between me and the pathways melted into a cursed terrain that instinctively screamed danger.
“Damn it.”
It was only now that I realized the true difficulty of the challenge. Surrounded on all sides, there was no easy way out.
I quickly reverted Manbyun from its sword form and projected the highest-grade shield I possessed.
Simultaneously, the black flame descended from above, and the ice arrows shot toward me from behind.
《2nd Circle Elemental Dark Magic – Abyssal Black Flame. Jet-Black Ice Arrows. Despair-Soaked Earth. Abyssal Black Flame inflicts a guaranteed 1st Circle curse upon dealing damage and will never extinguish until the curse is lifted. Jet-Black Ice Arrows trigger the effect of Jet-Black Corrosion, which rots the body upon impact. Despair-Soaked Earth subjects anyone stepping on it to continuous mental attacks equivalent to 1st Circle dark magic.》
Listening to the spirit’s explanation, it became clear that each of these spells was a formidable trap. However, there was a path forward.
‘Avoiding all of this is impossible.’
Therefore, I had to choose the option that inflicted the least damage. Without stopping, I sprinted ahead.
Squelch! Squelch! Squelch!
The ground felt like stepping into a foul swamp. My ordinary shoes melted away in an instant, and even my soles, protected by the power of Arrogance, began accumulating damage.
Meanwhile, numerous mental attack messages filled my vision, but Ultimate Soul blocked and cleared them all.
This was the right choice. My soles hurting a bit was far better than getting hit by the flames or pierced by the ice arrows. It was like walking on a reflexology mat—painful but tolerable.
The black flame landed where I had stood moments ago, and I raised my shield to block the incoming ice arrows.
Bang! Bang! Crack! Bang!
“Any stronger, and I might’ve died.”
The high-end SSS+ grade shield was now in tatters. Despite being a necromancer, the old man was more proficient in elemental dark magic than curses or basic dark spells.
《…To counteract these spells, remember that the opponent was once a master of elemental magic, reaching the level of an Archmage. Though fallen, his experience and knowledge amplify the power of all his elemental dark magic beyond ordinary limits. Prioritize evasion over counteraction.》
The spirit’s reminder aligned with my earlier conclusion. I transformed Manbyun back into a sword and slashed at the conduit above me.
Crack!
The conduit broke, spilling its liquid contents onto the ground. Simultaneously, the liquid level in the central apparatus housing the necromancer dropped slightly.
‘So this is the strategy!’
My prediction was correct. Now, I just had to endure long enough to destroy the remaining 18 conduits.
***
The necromancer inside the apparatus, sensing his life in danger, began casting numerous dark spells at lightning speed, hurling them all toward me without hesitation.
Clearly, he had no intention of holding back. In an instant, he unleashed three elemental dark spells.
“Ha…haha. What the hell.”
Lightning. Frost. Lava.
Each was a 4th Circle dark magic spell. This fallen necromancer was supposed to be clinging to life, barely surviving!
A 4th Circle spell could only be cast by high-tier A-grade Hunters at minimum. With his knowledge and experience as an Archmage, the power of these spells rivaled that of 5th Circle magic.
5th Circle spells were beyond the reach of S-grade Hunters, reserved only for SS-grade Hunters like the famed Five-Colored Mage of the United States.
Swearing under my breath, I realized how absurd this situation was. The necromancer, too, seemed to be pushing beyond his limits, visibly aging several decades and now looking as if he were on the verge of death.
“If I can just block this…”
Damn it… How was I supposed to block this? Each spell carried overwhelming destructive power.
My mind raced, searching for a way to overcome this predicament.
The mythical-grade item I bought from Gold Ring? Not suitable for defense.
The domain rune? Its effect of stealing and amplifying fortune was useless in this situation.
The Yu Suhwa skill? Unfortunately, my swordsmanship wasn’t yet advanced enough to deflect magic.
The items from the Golden Tower? They were merely high-grade items, incapable of countering 5th Circle-level magic.
The power of Equivalent Exchange? Even if I grew stronger and the opponent weaker, it wouldn’t suffice against this.
Gulp.
There was no solution. That harsh truth dawned on me, and the necromancer seemed to realize it too, grinning with satisfaction despite his frail, decrepit appearance.
Raising his feeble hand, he pointed a trembling finger at me.
The three spells surged toward me.
—
Read More at – GENZNOVEL.COM!!
PLEASE JOIN OUR DISCORD AND SUBSCRIBE THE ROLE TO RECEIVE LATEST NOTIFICATIONS!!
Click here -> https://discord.gg/S8c2kGVr2g
Comment