I Became The Academy Necromancer

“Huh?”

A woman was crouching and trembling in the corner of the Graypond Public Cemetery as she tried to avoid the tentacles coming out from all directions.

She hadn’t come here to visit the grave of a friend.

She was here to pray for the soul of the begging ghost who had tormented her in the past and to forgive him.

However, the relief she felt from giving forgiveness was overshadowed by the sudden disaster.

Just like what was happening outside the city walls and at the debate hall, downtown Graypond had also fallen into chaos when Romuleus’ tentacles poured out from the ground and from Mul’s followers.

The woman, hiding in a graveyard devoid of people, was relatively safer than the others. However…

Puwaaaccckk!

Right in front of her, damp soil splashed up like a fountain. A massive tentacle rose, pushing aside gravestones and desecrating the buried coffins.

“Kyaaaa!”

With tears flowing down, the woman fell from shock, unable to move due to her legs cramping.

“No! No!”

The eye on the tentacle swiveled and focused on the woman. As it squirmed, ready to strike its prey, the woman’s body began to rise slowly.

As if someone was lifting her from behind, she started dangling in the air. Thanks to that, she was able to avoid the tentacle’s attack.

“Huh? Huh! What?!”

The woman couldn’t help but wonder what was happening as the incomprehensible situation continued.

[Thank you, sister.]

A small boy’s voice echoed in her ear. And although she couldn’t see him nor could she feel his touch—she knew who the boy was.

“A-are you the ghost from back then?”

The one who saved her just now was the ghost boy who had once followed her persistently.

He was a boy with a tragic backstory.

Unable to withstand hunger and cold, he eventually died alone in a back alley.

That was why, even after becoming a ghost, the boy continued to beg for money by clinging to people.

[Thank you for putting bread on my grave. I’m sorry I pestered you. I wasn’t in my right mind back then.]

“Ah.”

Soul Whisperer Deus Verdi had clearly told her that the boy simply became an evil spirit because he was tormented by hunger and cold.

He wasn’t inherently a bad child.

Hearing his tragic backstory, the woman had come to place bread on the boy’s grave following Deus’ advice.

The woman managed to escape danger with the help of the beggar boy. After setting her down on the street, the boy then whispered again.

[Be careful, sister. I’m going to help other people.]

Though she couldn’t see him, the woman responded to the empty air in front of her.

“A-are you leaving?”

[Yes, please be careful.]

With that, the cold presence that had enveloped her vanished. The surrounding chaos, which was previously muffled, was now clear to her ears again.

The woman realized the boy had left.

“Ah.”

The woman had now understood that her decision to forgive had meaning. With that, the woman began to evacuate with others.

[Please go that way.]

She was unable to see it.

However, in Norseweden’s sky right now, countless souls were flying towards a single destination.

And the one who guided those souls was the woman wearing a black veil around her lower face.

[It is over there. He is at the debate hall.]

The Dark Spiritualist was guiding the souls who were awakened upon Deus’ call to him.

[Go there. Gather strength from him and please save those people.]

Like fish swimming with the river’s current, souls filled the sky, heading towards where her finger pointed.

[Hohoho!]

[Finally, we can meet the Soul Whisperer again!]

[We can finally help him and repay his kindness!]

[I wonder if my daughter is still living in Graypond…]

[What year is it now? How much has my grandson grown?]

From souls who had died not many years ago…

[Why should we support a Dark Mage after being woken by him??]

[Then you should just stay asleep! I woke up to protect our homeland!]

[Are these disgusting tentacles not remnants of Black Magic?]

To people and knights from different periods spanning hundreds of years, they all started to make an appearance.

[Woah! Woah! Woah! Woah!]

[I cannot surrender this land to God!]

[This is our land! Our ancestors have never surrendered it to God!]

Even the ancient inhabitants, who wouldn’t allow gods on their land, were awakened and started to move towards Deus.

[How much has he actually grown?]

Watching all of these souls, the Dark Spiritualist felt both dismay and pride.

Even without using Lemegeton, Deus Verdi was still able to create such a spectacle with his own abilities.

He was unlike any Necromancer she knew.

Whether it was Heraldzard, who led Griffin Kingdom to its destruction 200 years ago, or the Dark Spiritualist, who was one of the top masters of necromancy on the current continent—none of them could create such a scene.

Even though they were all Necromancers, that man was walking a different path.

[Maybe that’s why I keep following him around.]

She felt the urge to watch him until the end.

***“Whenever people see me, they always call me the vilest Dark Mage.”

Outside the debate hall, Luaneth uttered meaningful words while gazing up at the ghosts floating in the sky.

The worst Necromancer on the continent.

He was someone who killed many people, controlled their souls, and killed others with them.

“Deus Verdi.”

The name he reluctantly uttered felt heavier than expected.

Luaneth had no choice but to acknowledge it.

“He is indeed a great Necromancer.”

He opened a new horizon for Necromancy.

Unlike ordinary Necromancers who captured evil spirits and used pain to force them to do their bidding, eventually transforming the mana contained within their soul into magic, Deus Verdi treated souls as they were.

He treated them not as tools, but as humans.

Some said his countenance was boundlessly cold.

The reality that there was nothing but eternal rest after death was truly vain; death was simply the end. In some ways, this truth could even distort the reasons for life, beyond the boundaries of death.

However, on the contrary, he was a man who acted to comfort those who simply closed their eyes and peacefully entered eternal rest.

Although he was a cold person, he respected souls more than anyone.

Regardless, he was an impressive man.

“Professor…”

Similarly, Aria clenched her fists tightly as she looked up at the sky.

Although she had just come out of the debate hall, it seemed like she had made up her mind to retrace her steps. At that moment…

“Hey, what are you doing?”

Findenai quickly grabbed her shoulder.

“Are you going to fight with that? Didn’t you say he’s running wild because of something related to your fate or whatever?”

“…”

Although she always appeared indifferent to everything around her and only cared about her own life, Findenai always managed to hit the mark in situations like this.

It could be called animal instinct, or perhaps she simply had an acute perception that bordered innate talent.

“That’s right. Perhaps that god is causing such trouble to make me pick up the sword again.”

Mul, who came looking for Aria, continued to demand that she return to her destiny as the hero.

The current situation could ultimately be seen as groundwork to have Aria return as the hero by increasing her guilt.

“But… is running away really the right thing to do here?”

Findenai couldn’t provide a proper answer to her question. If she knew that, wouldn’t she be a god?

With arms crossed, she simply gazed into Aria’s eyes.

She could not derive answers through a thinking process like Deus Verdi did.

But just like a beast.

Just like a lone wolf.

She pulled the answer out through instinct.

“Let’s go.”

And right now, her instinct screamed at her: ‘Going back was the right thing to do.’

“Hey you, protect that kiddo. I’ll take care of her.”

With the Hand of Hemomacy, it was possible for her to hurt the tentacles with her fists. Although it was a shame that her axe was of no use, she had no other choice.

Findenai was about to launch into a swift assault with full force in mind, however…

“I refuse.”

Luaneth coldly dismissed her demand.

“The request I received is to protect Aria Rias. You are simply involved in it.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize that someone like you was protecting me.”

Shrugging her shoulders, Findenai didn’t back down and snapped back.

Instead of fighting against Romuleus’ tentacles, the atmosphere was so tense that it wouldn’t be strange if they immediately launched their attacks on each other.

“I-I can escape alone! The spirits Sir Soul Whisperer called will be helping me, so I’ll just be fine!”

It was as the boy said.

The ghosts that had come into contact with the Soul Whisperer in the debate hall were using the mana contained within themselves to rescue people.

Living magic.

This was one of Deus Verdi’s greatest strengths, a divine skill that no one could imitate lightly.

The souls were not fighting against the tentacles, instead, they were saving the kingdom’s citizens and guiding them to safety.

After all, Deus knew that fighting against Mul was pointless.

Thanks to Owen, who interrupted the two, Aria saw an opportunity and firmly spoke.

“Then, both of you will come with me. After all, this is my duty.”

“Hah! How insolent!”

“Alright, that was my promise with Deus.”

Aria ran straight towards the debate hall. Findenai, using her War Shoes, kept up with her at nearly full speed. Luaneth floated behind them as he emitted white smoke from his body.

I heard he is a Necromancer.

Findenai couldn’t figure out how Luaneth used his magic, but that wasn’t important right now.

So, she put these thoughts aside for the moment.

“What’s the plan?”

When Findenai asked Aria, who was leading the way, the latter answered with determination.

“Professor already said it himself. In the end, the key to breaking free from the shackles of destiny rests within me.”

“Ah, right.”

It was definitely something he told Aria just before heading out to the debate hall.

“I think I know what it means.”

“Hmm?”

“Professor gave me something.”

Deus had already given her the power and method to break the destiny that was suddenly imposed on her those years ago.

With those thoughts, just as Aria was about to head towards Mul…

Kuuuuwaaaaacccckkk!

A thunderous roar shook heaven and earth; a monstrous creature burst forth from the ground, swallowing half of the massive debate hall in one gulp.

There was nothing else but a sinister mouth that fit the description of being vast and grotesque on its black body.

The tentacles, which protruded from its entire body while it writhed in a disturbing manner, looked almost unpleasant to behold.

And due to that bastard’s sudden appearance, the building that was originally the execution ground began to collapse, and a cloud of dust covered Graypond.

Finally, the fallen god had revealed his form above this land.