Chapter 67: Hidden Stage – The Fallen Necromancer’s Refuge (3)
As the three spells formed around me, I let out a hopeless sigh. This truly felt like death itself was pressing a blade against my throat.
Each dark magic spell imbued with malice carried power exceeding my amplified Mythical Stat, Arrogance.
Even though he had fallen, the necromancer was still a being surpassing Archmages. If compared to Hunters, he was above SSS-rank—a transcendent existence.
I had underestimated him. I thought defeating someone barely clinging to life would be simple.
Even more terrifying was that Misfortune hadn’t yet exerted its full influence, and already, I could feel an insurmountable wall before me.
‘Was I being arrogant?’
Was this the end? Negative thoughts began to flood my mind, but I quickly shook them off.
No, it couldn’t end like this. I had to find a solution. A way to overcome this situation. And then—
A calm and emotionless voice spoke from behind me.
《4th Circle Elemental Dark Magic – Lightning That Tears the Abyss, Froststorm of Calamity, Lava from the Deepest Abyss. Unlike ordinary lightning, Lightning That Tears the Abyss is slower but possesses immense destructive power. Froststorm of Calamity manifests a storm of frost within a designated area, bringing ruin to all within. Lava from the Deepest Abyss summons lava from the depths of the Abyss, incinerating all that it touches.》
The spirit finished its explanation calmly, then inhaled sharply and turned to look at me. For the first time, there was clarity in its expression.
The moment I met its gaze, I instinctively understood. It had regained nearly all its memories.
But it wasn’t enough. Something was still missing.
Yet, it was sufficient. Heavenly Fortune filled in the final missing piece.
〚Heavenly Fortune, which had been in a deep slumber, senses your crisis and scatters its last remaining fragment of power.〛
〚You lack the minimal amount needed to fulfill your wish!〛
〚Insufficient!〛
.
.
.
Countless messages flashed before my eyes in less than a second. Instinctively, I unleashed a blessing.
〚Rune: Domain Expansion – Icy Fate is deployed!〛
〚A fragment of Misfortune is forcibly bestowed upon Necromancer Tettelgius, slightly decreasing his luck.〛
〚A fragment of Heavenly Fortune is forcibly bestowed upon the purified ???’s spirit, slightly increasing its luck.〛
It wasn’t enough. Still lacking.
Behind me, a pair of black and white wings emerged. My stats increased, and Heavenly Fortune immediately unleashed its power without hesitation.
Misfortune, too, used its growing strength to advance its schemes.
This was why I didn’t want to rely on my wings. But there was no choice. Overcoming death in the moment mattered more than whatever tricks Misfortune had up its sleeve.
《Ah…!》
The final piece was restored. Through Heavenly Fortune, the spirit regained a sliver of its memory.
And at that moment, the spirit’s form began to change. Once faint and translucent, barely resembling a human figure, it transformed.
It still lacked a name in the system, but its appearance was restored. Though still semi-transparent, it now resembled its living form.
She was breathtakingly beautiful, exuding an air of nobility and divinity.
A defining feature: like me, she bore black and white wings. Her identity was clear.
“A Fallen Angel?”
Ten pairs of wings unfolded in dazzling splendor. The necromancer, who had been preparing to cast his spells on me, recoiled in shock.
《Great being, though small in appearance, I offer my gratitude.》
With those words, she flew toward me.
《Though I have yet to reclaim my name, I sense that you hold the key to its recovery.》
She merged into me, her form dissolving into my body.
《I shall form a soul contract with you. Consider this my gift in return.》
Ah! Something surged from deep within my core.
“Ah…!”
I couldn’t help but let out a gasp. The necromancer, snapping out of his shock, hastily raised his hand and fired his spells at me.
The magic sped toward me with incredible velocity, reaching me in what felt like an instant.
But it was too late.
〚The Fallen Angel, who has recovered fragments of her memory: ??? descends upon you!〛
〚She is the subject of the soul contract granted as a system reward.〛
〚For one use, the system bears the cost of her descent!〛
Whoosh!
From my back, ten pairs of wings unfurled. Including my own pair of Lucifer’s Wings, eleven pairs spread wide, releasing a shockwave of overwhelming power.
Each spell, capable of obliterating entire cities, was erased in an instant.
〚The Fallen Angel: ???, who has recovered fragments of her memory, has not yet regained her full strength or rank!〛
〚The duration of her descent is reduced to 30 seconds!〛
Thirty seconds. My consciousness retreated into the mindscape as she took control of my body.
I wasn’t worried. I instinctively knew she would not harm me. And even if she tried, the entities present would not allow it.
Within the mindscape, I understood why the Spear-Shaped Parasite had chosen self-destruction.
Her presence was overwhelming. Now, even Equivalent Exchange had joined forces with my other abilities. Four Authorities and a unique ability masquerading as an Authority stood at my side.
I realized something: I had barely tapped into the potential of my powers. Each one was a phenomenon defying logic, worthy of being called Authority.
〚You have gained a faint understanding of the nature of Authorities!〛
〚The proficiency of all your Authorities slightly increases!〛
My mind returned. Control over my body was restored.
Those thirty seconds passed like a fleeting moment, and when I opened my eyes again, everything had changed.
The spells meant to kill me had been completely erased. The 18 conduits that had remained were all severed, and the necromancer’s apparatus lay shattered. The old man had collapsed to the ground, gasping for his final breaths.
“Ugh…no…this can’t be…”
He crawled desperately, licking the spilled liquid on the floor. But it was useless.
His life had already reached its end, drained by the immense power he had expended casting 5th Circle-level magic.
It must not have gone the way he expected. He likely thought he could recover as much as he wanted if he killed me.
“Lucky for me.”
Yes, that’s the only way to describe it.
What if I hadn’t purified the malice-filled monster with the Purifying Four Tiger Sword?
What if Heavenly Fortune hadn’t aided the spirit in regaining its memories?
Amid the worst-case scenario, I had achieved the best possible outcome. Satisfied, I transformed Manbyun back into a sword and drove it into the old man’s chest.
“I want…to live…”
The necromancer, who clung desperately to life in his refusal to die, let out those pitiful last words before taking his final breath.
〚You have slain the Unique Rank A- LV 60 Fallen Necromancer Tettelgius!〛
〚Contribution: 100%〛
〚As a reward, you have received 1 White Coin and the Title: Archmage Defying Heaven [Legendary-S-].〛
〚You have cleared Hidden Stage: The Fallen Necromancer’s Refuge!〛
〚As a reward, you have received the Necromancer’s Treasure Vault Key.〛
〚As a reward, you have received the items: The Unstable Tome of Immortality [Ancient-S+] and the Unstable Elixir of Eternal Life [Ancient-SS-].〛
Truly fitting rewards for clearing a Hidden Stage in the Abyss. With that, an overwhelming sense of relief washed over me, and I collapsed to the ground.
“Ha… I really almost died.”
It was completely different from what I had planned. Originally, I should’ve entered a Hidden Vault, defeated a guardian monster, and obtained an item that granted access to a Mythical Quest.
Exhaustion mixed with the satisfaction of victory, but my reflection was short-lived as the now-shrunken Fallen Angel appeared before me.
《Contractor.》
“Ah… Lady Fallen Angel. Thank you. I survived thanks to you.”
《It’s fine. I was only able to recover even a fragment of my memory because of your help. That man was also someone I sought revenge against.》
She gazed wistfully into the air before speaking again.
《I was once a loyal servant of someone. I genuinely believed in and followed them. To stand beside that great and glorious being was the highest honor. But…》
Her flawless, beautiful face twisted in an instant.
《I remember nothing after that. The only other memory I have is of that old man experimenting on me and reducing me to that abominable state. Well, it seems he’s paid the price for daring to meddle with an existence far beyond his comprehension.》
Ah, so the story of meddling with something beyond his grasp and falling into ruin was partly about the Fallen Angel.
I let out a dry laugh and shook my head. Those ten pairs of wings—twenty in total.
She must’ve been one of the greatest archangels, comparable to Lucifer, the master of the Seven Deadly Sins of Arrogance, who had 24 wings.
Experimenting on such a being? Either sheer madness or an outright death wish.
《Do you regret forming the soul contract? From now on, I share my life and death with you.》
“Well…not really. You saved my life. And I think you’ll be more of a help than a hindrance.”
《In that case, I look forward to our partnership. Helping me regain my memory is the only condition I ask of you.》
“Understood.”
She was clearly connected to the necromancer. That meant she was likely tied to the Mythical Class I sought.
With that thought, I nodded and stood up. The chaotic scene around me, along with the mysterious liquids, entered my Inventory as Unstable Elixir of Eternal Life.
‘Is it over already?’
Was the use of 4th Circle magic the peak of Misfortune’s Curse? But the message of Stat: Perseverance hadn’t appeared.
I frowned as I scanned my surroundings, remaining on guard. Yet…even after waiting for a long time, nothing changed.
I sighed, setting aside the uneasy feeling, and moved.
‘Could it be that Misfortune wasn’t tied to this place?’
Was something happening elsewhere?
Pushing the thought aside, I took out a key from my Inventory—the Necromancer’s Vault Key.
Unlike that other guy who entered through a shortcut, I would unlock the vault as a legitimate reward.
I approached the vault’s entrance at the far end of the cavern and inserted the key, stepping inside.
“This place really is as I’ve heard.”
The old man had been a fugitive after his companions and faction fell. He had likely spent vast amounts of wealth on his research into immortality, so it wasn’t surprising that there was little left.
I scanned the vault’s sparse contents and gathered everything of value. Two items stood out.
〚Item: The Flame That Revives from the Brink of Death – ??? Fragment [Legendary-EX+]〛
〚Item: Unknown Ring [Common-F]〛
The former was incredible, even by my standards. A Legendary EX+-grade item!
Unfortunately, using Solar Eye for appraisal revealed only question marks for its abilities. Still, if I met the conditions, it could become an invaluable asset.
The latter was the item I had been seeking.
“A key to a Mythical-Class job.”
I decided to examine it further after leaving this irritating place. With that, I stepped out of the vault, preparing to leave the Hidden Stage when—
〚Misfortune, having awaited this moment, unleashes all its power.〛
Misfortune moved. It grinned viciously, as if mocking the idea that everything before had been insignificant.
As it activated, the flame in my hand turned black and seared my palm.
“Argh!”
The pain caused me to reflexively drop the flame, which flew toward the dead necromancer’s corpse as if it had been waiting for this moment.
“Damn it…what now?”
《How…is this possible?》
The flame engulfed the necromancer’s body, burning it like an offering.
From within the offering, something emerged, tearing through the flesh as it resurrected.
〚Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning!〛
The system screamed. It declared danger. That something had gone terribly wrong.
〚A fragment of the Abyss’s eternal void has met the conditions for revival and reappears!〛
《That being… It was supposed to have been torn apart by Him and sealed across countless places!》
Had she regained more of her memory? She seemed to recognize the being born from the flames.
〚This entity far exceeds the level of this stage!〛
〚Its revival is legitimate under proper conditions. Intervention is impossible!〛
〚The stage adjusts itself to mitigate the disparity through minimal intervention!〛
In the midst of chaos, the system coldly announced its judgment.
〚Hidden Stage: Throne of Sin – Fragment of Azazel the Fallen begins!〛
【It has been a long time. World! Bow your heads and repent for my resurrection! Azazel rises, descending through the offering of a great vessel! Confess your sins, for I, Azazel, shall judge them!】
〚Survive.〛
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