Awesome Shut-In Necromancer

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As I stretched out my arms, a dark blue mist filled the surroundings.

The sky and the sun were obscured, and from within the mist, the hands of the dead reached out, targeting their prey.

“We’re all busy here, so there’s no need to drag this out, right?”

In response to my clearly aggressive stance, my opponent whispered softly, turning their unseen face toward me.

[My name is Morus. I am the one who handles the end of all life.]

In simpler terms, it meant that from this moment on, I would be considered his enemy.

Whooosh!

Swoosh!

He didn’t do anything. Yet, the grasp of death energy altered into dust as if corroded.

‘This isn’t a case of the powers of the opposite extremes affecting him; I’ve never seen anything like this before.’

It was a phenomenon I had never encountered in my lifetime, indicating that Morus’s strength had reached the heavens.

“Death sentence. Seal of Magdala. Ring of Projection.”

Given the caliber of my opponent, there was no need for me to test the waters. From the very beginning, I started putting pressure on Morus using my most powerful means.

However, even with all of that, Morus showed no signs of distress or injury.

‘…What the hell?’

It felt like looking into an abyss.

Its depth seemed endless, and once you fell into it, there was no escaping the infinite deep.

At this point, my attacks felt like pouring water into a bottomless pit.

[Is this all you’ve got?]

I couldn’t even argue back; Morus’s divine status was too overwhelming.

It was merely an instinctual reaction, but I hadn’t felt the impending doom of an opponent in a long, long time.

“Your hands are idle; why don’t you try doing something?”

It wasn’t good to keep the offensive going here.

Having made that judgment, I decided to provoke Morus subtly to gauge his capabilities.

Just then, the world shook.

Kuguguguguung.

“…Cough.”

That was all I felt. Around my body, shaken by the waves of power, several black spheres began to form.

And they quickly grew in size, completely engulfing me.

Whooosh!

Bam!

‘…What the hell is this?’

An incomprehensible phenomenon occurred. Morus’s way of using power was completely different from that of others.

It was as if a 2D being were drawing lines, only for a 3D entity to interfere, completely transcending the norms of ordinary understanding.

I gradually felt my thoughts slowing down, and soon realized that all sensation in my body had vanished.

I couldn’t perceive where my eyes were, where my arms were, or even if I was breathing.

It was like a space that embodied the concept of death in a universal form.

[If even escaping from this place is impossible, it might be happier to forget everything right here.]

A voice invaded my ears, then vanished without a trace, as if it were just an illusion.

And within that surreal space, I steadied my now weary mind and thought calmly.

‘This is just incomprehensible.’

I couldn’t outline how to deal with Morus at all.

It was clear that Morus was closer to the concept of a god than anyone I had encountered before.

He possessed transcendental power, and I couldn’t shake off the feeling of just how far apart our strengths were.

So I felt the necessity to execute my second plan that I’d thought about.

“Is there at least some hope that the gap isn’t insurmountable?”

As I uttered those words, I regained the sensations that had vanished from my body.

Indeed, with time to observe, I began to see some properties of the strength he possessed.

He was at a very high level but not an invincible being.

There was surely a chance for me.

“Hans. Come to me.”

Swoosh.

Bam!

With a surge of intense power, I shattered the black sphere and inhaled the air of the outside world.

It was refreshing and revitalizing. Somehow, my thoughts began to organize, and everything grew clearer.

I turned to Hans, the embodiment of death, and whispered to him softly.

“I’ll count on you.”

“…You’re using a rather mismatched choice of words.”

That’s true. I had never expressed such a thing to Hans before.

However, this time, it had to be said. It seemed Hans immediately grasped my intention, and soon broke into a carefree smile.

“Well, it doesn’t particularly offend me. Is it time to keep the promise made back then?”

“……”

“There doesn’t seem to be a need for a reply.”

Hans awakened the heart I had received from him before and summoned his faithful steed at once.

Simultaneously, I turned my gaze toward Morus, who was watching me with curiosity.

[…I thought you wouldn’t be able to come out.]

“Oh, did you?”

[Have you surpassed that level already? Good. You have the right to leave a mark on my memories.]

With an attitude that seemed to demand I name myself, I raised the corners of my mouth and responded.

“Let’s each prove our qualifications for an introduction, shall we?”

At that moment, a powerful wave erupted, and Morus’s body began to get sucked somewhere.

That place was the entrance to the colossal gate where Morus and his subordinates had appeared.

[…What trickery is this?]

“The fight should be fair. If you really want to hear my name, try coming out from there first.”

Hee hee hee haw!

As I finished speaking and turned my body, the sound of thunderous hooves accompanied Hans’s assault into the gate.

“It has been rather pleasant.”

“……”

“Endless glory to my master.”

Though a hint of reluctance lingered, I made a conscious effort not to gaze at the scene and lifted myself into the air.

With that, I fulfilled the past promise of determining where he would die.

So now it was time to keep my promise of victory to Shin Do Yoon.

‘First, I’ll wipe them all out.’

And thus, the die of contention was finally cast.

#

[An incomprehensible choice.]

“Is that so?”

The interior of the dungeon was a desolate space. It seemed to exist solely for the purpose of being a passage for dimensional movement, with nothing present inside.

In that place, two beings stood facing each other.

[Of course, you may be somewhat special. However…].

As Morus subtly nodded, Hans’s entire being turned into a cloud of dust and scattered.

This was the stark contrast that existed between the two.

It took no more than three seconds to reach a conclusion, and with Morus’s power, reopening the door to the dungeon would be an easy task.

The moment he waved his fingers, Morus sensed something was amiss.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

[…Indeed, there was a valid reason.]

It wasn’t merely a power of recovery or resurrection.

In that moment, Morus had definitely led Hans to absolute death.

Boom.

Kugugugugu.

As Hans reemerged, he raised his spear and slammed it into the ground, causing a massive castle to begin rising in the previously barren plains.

It was old and nearly in ruins, yet there was strangely an unknown power resonating from it.

“Welcome to the castle of my first master.”

[…….]

“I am Hans, a zombie Dullahan and a proud knight. From this moment on, you shall never leave this place until you kill me.”

Thus, the battle commenced.

For the next eight minutes, Hans met death hundreds and thousands of times.

Swoosh.

Swiftly.

Boom!

[…Truly a tiresome one.]

“I was nurtured to be such a brat.”

Between them existed a stark difference. Hans was powerful, yet he couldn’t touch Morus even at his toes, merely dying in a one-sided fashion.

But paradoxically, Hans didn’t die.

Having recovered his heart and summoned his steed, he had come to fully control his own powers.

Through that repetitive cycle, Morus finally recognized his true identity.

[So, your will is bound to your spirit, not your body.]

That was the only power Hans possessed.

At this point, Hans would never reach death as long as his will didn’t falter.

Because of this, the former Baek Eun Ha had been defeated by him, and it had only been during the second confrontation that he managed to persuade him to form a contract after an endless struggle.

Hans recalled that memory softly.

“I had foolishly failed to realize that I alone could not accept the end of my master.”

His master had humbly accepted his last, satisfied with the life given to him.

Until Baek Eun Ha read the memories from his grave and conveyed the truth, Hans had been unaware of that meaning.

“So until I repay that kindness, I cannot close my eyes freely.”

Baek Eun Ha knew that Hans would meet true death at Morus’s hands in that very place.

So all Hans needed to do was buy time.

Somehow, he would hold onto the transcendent being in front of him as long as possible.

However, that too was now nearing its end.

[I commend your will.]

As Morus waved his arm, a space formed like a black hole, sucking in Hans’s body.

And from within that space, black hands sprang out and wrapped around Hans.

‘This is…’

It felt similar to a spell that Baek Eun Ha often used, yet it contained far more unsettling and higher-dimensional power.

Hans instinctively realized. This time, he would face true death, one he could not escape.

‘Indeed, he is dangerous.’

With Baek Eun Ha gaining divinity, Hans’s powers had also significantly strengthened, but had he been aware of his capabilities beforehand, killing Hans would have taken no more than a minute.

[Can you survive again?]

“……”

Hans had to admit it. He had ultimately been defeated.

Yet he could not bow his head just yet.

Turning his body to face the gate’s exit, Hans softly spoke to Morus.

“My second master displayed quite the ugly side, regardless of the capacity of his vessel.”

[…….]

“So if I let you go, you’d probably complain from the afterlife for not making it past ten minutes.”

That was something he could not accept even in death.

Thus, Hans willingly embraced and acknowledged the death that was to come to him.

Because of that acceptance, his immortality lost its power, and Hans’s body began to scatter and return to nothingness.

And at the cost of all of that, an unfathomable strength surged through his body and soul for an instant.

Thud,

Whooosh!

With one perfectly fine hand, he tossed his own head, sending it flying toward Morus in an instant.

Swoosh!

Though Morus, emotionless, reached out to stop it, Hans’s teeth bit into his hand just a moment faster.

Boom!

[…What?]

In the face of the sudden and heavy feeling, Morus sank to one knee and could not move toward the exit.

And it persisted for thirty seconds, lasting until the head of Hans completely vanished.

[…….]

Morus said nothing for a while. Then he stood up and began to walk toward the exit once more.

With a sense of anxiety he hadn’t felt in a long while, he dismissed it as merely a fleeting illusion.

When Morus opened the gate and returned to Earth, he was greeted by Baek Eun Ha, who bore a few minor injuries.

“You’re back?”

But for Morus, that wasn’t what mattered.

The absence of the energies of his five subordinates that he could feel anywhere on Earth drew Morus to murmur in a heavy voice.

[Where are they?]

“Why? Did you think they might have gone to sleep out of exhaustion?”

While it wasn’t a clear answer, its meaning was simple.

In Morus’s eyes, the light of rage gradually began to surface.

#

[…….]

Though he still concealed his face, it was easy to discern that Morus was not pleased.

Honestly, it had been a close call. It had taken longer to deal with Morus’s subordinates than I had anticipated.

Had Hans not given me enough time, everything would have gone awry.

‘This changes the situation.’

The reason Morus had chosen to engage me directly after sacrificing his subordinates was simple.

First, he believed he could win on his own, and second, he didn’t want to lose his subordinates.

‘That’s obvious; gathering a force capable of invading and conquering multiple planets isn’t an easy task.’

Even if his subordinates weren’t as powerful as Morus, they still held significant value. That’s why he deliberately sent them to other battlefields.

And that meant this.

‘He judged that I could sufficiently kill his subordinates.’

I gained certainty from that. So I took hold of the opportunity and executed my current plan.

None of Morus’s direct subordinates survived, and any remaining troops could be easily dealt with by Shin Do Yoon’s selected candidates.

The situation had now reversed completely, putting time pressure on Morus rather than me.

“Why? Have those beings from other planets played fair and fought without trickery?”

However, sadly, I held no such nobility as a deity.

All that mattered was winning by whatever means necessary; I wasn’t concerned with anything beyond that.

Morus, who had been silent, lowered his hand and finally unveiled his face.

[I acknowledge it. I have suffered significant losses due to your cunning.]

“……”

[However, you have crossed the line.]

Contrary to my expectations, Morus’s face was that of a very young man.

He bore the appearance of an ancient hero, one that could be seen in statues.

And the moment I beheld the rage contained in his gaze, I felt compelled to focus all my defenses.

Swish!

Swoosh—!

Everything around us was cloaked in darkness. Although I had performed a similar action not long ago, the power that now dominated the area was on an entirely different level.

No matter how much I had reached the pinnacle of necromancy, could I have ever reached such heights?

To summarize, it was impossible. It was literally the source. An area that could never be reached by effort or talent.

‘…This is terrifying.’

My fists clenched for the first time in a long while, and sweat began to pour.

Simply holding back the wave of power was exhausting, and the offensive had only just begun.

[Sink into this mire and dedicate your pitiful life.]

Boom!

Swiftly.

I had clearly been floating in the air, but soon my feet were engulfed by black sand, consuming my body.

And from where the sand came into contact, I felt a profound lethargy gripping me.

‘Is it absorbing my strength?’

Whooosh!

Hastily pulling out my seal, I invoked the currents of the underworld and created a passage through the sand to escape.

But then, a myriad of winged beasts and insects made of black mist attacked me.

“Give me a break here!”

I let off various spells, but the creatures just turned to dust and then reformed their bodies.

Thus, I conjured a vortex made of death energy with a wave of my hand.

But I couldn’t withstand the onslaught and fell to the ground.

“Damn it, seriously!”

Boom!

The creatures scattered my spells, which prevented me from using any movement magic, and Morus began to approach me slowly.

[You have overturned all logic with your human form. However, this is where it ends. You cannot advance any further.]

From the very beginning, we were of different natures.

Morus was one of the most ancient deities, while I was merely a transcendent who’d crawled up from the bottom.

Realizing that, Gordon’s words suddenly came to mind.

[As long as you live as the God of Death, you will never win against him.]

I had no choice but to accept it. His statement was indeed correct.

A being with a divine status rooted in the concept of death could never surpass Morus, who was like its origin.

However, because of that, I still had some possibilities left.

“After all, those who are destined to win can still succeed even if they fall.”

[What are you talking about…?]

I succeeded the ruler of the underworld of the planet Thebes, but the divinity I gained through my own hands was far removed from that capacity.

“After consuming the memories of your subordinates, I found some rather amusing tidbits.”

[…….]

As I had repeatedly stated, these beings were not recognized as deities or sole gods.

They were merely the ones who tuned the world, higher beings endowed with corresponding powers.

So then what was their origin?

What came first, the birth of life or the birth of these deities?

Unfortunately, I couldn’t uncover that answer, but one thing was clear.

They had a complementary relationship at the dawn of time.

“The people of the planet needed you, and you, in turn, existed because of them.”

According to the memories of his subordinates, it was said that the greatest entity among the nine deities with the oldest history made a powerful vow.

None of the nine deities should ever directly interfere with any human.

That was how they became known as the guardians of the planet and the reason for their origins.

And that vow reportedly lasted until the life deity Bruhe succumbed to death at the hands of humans long after it was made.

“To be honest, it’s none of my concern.”

That was history from a distant planet and an ancient past.

However, if the nature of the divinity I possessed were included, the conversation took on a different tone entirely.

“In the end, you were also a protector of life at the dawn, which means that was your desire and purpose.”

[Knowing that changes nothing.]

“No, perhaps it may not be.”

In that desolate wasteland, I created a measly skeleton for the first time, using the divine power that I possessed.

And what it represented was my origin.

The one symbol that allowed me to climb back up from the depths after losing everything.

So the nature of the divine power I had awakened unerringly pointed to that.

“Let’s see if it can go back.”

What my divinity contained was precisely that origin.

A coordinate that truly signifies the beginning of the long journey from which all life must inevitably depart.

Whooosh.

Swoosh—!

All the divine power I had held surged forth in an instant, enveloping everything around me.

And within that space, we confronted each other in our primordial forms.

I stood as the human Baek Eun Ha, and he as the planet’s guardian and god who brought peace to all, Morus.

Only at that moment did Morus seem taken aback by my meaning.

[So, this is what you intended. Indeed, it seems I cannot do anything to you here.]

Right now, I was just an ordinary human. Unable to use necromancy or unleash divine energy.

Yet because of that, Morus was unable to lay a finger on me.

[Even if it takes time, I can resolve this by demolishing this space.]

“Then I’d end up dying due to the backlash of that power, wouldn’t I?”

[…….]

Perhaps he wouldn’t find it easy to destroy, but in any case, Morus found himself utterly incapable of taking action.

In a completely deadlock situation, Morus finally let his guard down, allowing a weary laugh to escape.

[This is absurd. To think I would fall for such ridiculous trickery.]

And then, he quietly expressed a desire for peace.

[I will grant you time. I swear on my divinity that I will not disturb Earth for the next ten years.]

In short, it was an offer for a temporary truce, with the intent to continue our unfinished battle afterward.

However, I simply chuckled and responded.

“Not a chance.”

[Why not? It’s a proposal that would incur no losses for you.]

Even if I did nothing and let time pass, I would eventually die when my human life ran its course.

Conversely, if given ten years, I could devise some new countermeasures.

It was completely reasonable, and it was the logical route to take.

Of course, this held true only if the entity currently before Morus wasn’t me.

“Seems you’re mistaking something—I’m not some ordinary person who’s going to die.”

[What?]

“How many years do you think it took me to shed the restraints of mortality?”

Morus would likely never have imagined it, but it had barely been thirty years since I reached the pinnacle of necromancy and was granted eternal life after falling to Thebes.

In other words, if I were given a time frame even close to that, I’d certainly be able to enhance my capabilities enough to secure my lifespan again.

Considering the abundant energy of this space, it might even be twice as fast.

[What on earth…?]

As Morus continued speaking, he seemed to realize my true intention and grew rigid, blinking his eyes.

Seeing that, I finally let my true feelings spill forth.

“Indeed, I plan to start from scratch here.”

So, with time passing as I shed the restraints of mortality, gradually amplifying my power.

“Soon enough, I’ll grow strong enough to reach you.”

And only then would our duel conclude.

Morus would be unable to touch me, and I would be able to beat him soundly.

[That’s impossible.]

“Why? I wouldn’t say there wouldn’t be a hundred percent variable, but the situation just progressed that way.”

Morus had no words to counter that. Naturally, my statement held no lies.

[No, if you grew to the point of regaining divinity, my vow would lose its significance.]

“Then I simply won’t regain it.”

To be honest, I initiated this on an urgent basis, but if I had ample time, I would have surely found other ways to gain power without divinity.

And frankly, even my abilities before gaining divinity had been sufficient.

“Have you not heard of the spoon murderers?”
[…….]

“If I keep pounding, you’ll eventually die.”

Morus appeared to be in deep contemplation, yet no clear method presented itself.

The situation was crystal clear.

Morus had been defeated, and I had won.

With resignation, Morus asked me a question in a weary voice.

[Even so, you will still be unable to leave this place for that duration. Are you okay with losing everything you hold dear?]

Yet the answer had already been determined.

“I don’t care.”

It would likely be tedious and boring, but considering the power of Morus before me, that was a price I was willing to pay.

And ultimately, I wouldn’t have to give up everything after all.

“It’s at a one-tenth speed here.”

The properties of this space followed the times of the planet Thebes, which is my origin.

In other words, even if it took two hundred years of my time, I would return to Earth as if twenty years had passed.

That would indeed be bitter, but as previously mentioned, it was a remarkably cheap price to pay.

Having lost all possible options, Morus gazed into the void with a bittersweet glint in his eye for a long while before finally delivering the results of our confrontation.

[I lost. The invasion is over. I will return to where I belong after liberating all planets I have acquired.]

“……”

[I swear on my divinity.]

At that moment, I couldn’t help but tighten my fist instinctively.

Admittedly, it had been a gamble filled with uncertainty. The moment I first faced Morus, I had reflexively thought of defeat.

But in the end, I had won. It was a truly surreal experience.

“I hope you mean it.”

[There are no lies in my words.]

The back of Morus, turning away coldly, exuded an inescapable loneliness.

He too must have had reasons and goals for pulling off such a feat.

But that meant nothing to me.

Ultimately, what mattered to me were my family, Seo Ha, the people around her, and the planet I lived on.

“You were strong.”

Yet to seek dominion over countless planets was something beyond even him.

That was all there was to it.

Whooosh.

Swoosh!

After some time had passed, the space that had been trapping us vanished without a trace.

And so did Morus.

‘…….’

The long-standing dungeon crisis that had tormented Earth had finally reached its conclusion.