The Necromancer's Servant

"It's been a long time since I've seen such a grand scene." Sandru struggled to find his footing among the piles of corpses, moving forward step by step.

This was a valley between two hills. The ground was almost entirely filled with densely packed bodies, and the stench of blood seemed to congeal the air into a solid mass, making it difficult to breathe.

These were the bodies of imperial soldiers, and from the marks on the corpses, it was clear they had died in battle, yet there were no signs of other enemies.

Bishop Ronis wore a grim expression, his candle-like eyes sweeping over the corpses as he silently followed behind Sandru. He was dressed in an ordinary monk's robe, appearing to be just an ordinary old man.

In the middle of the valley stood a protruding rock, on which sat a figure in a red robe setting something up. Upon seeing Sandru and Bishop Ronis approaching, he immediately stood up to greet them.

"It has been over twenty years since we last met. It is truly comforting for a student to see both masters in such good spirits." The figure in the red robe bowed to Sandru and Bishop Ronis. "I hadn't anticipated that this troop would move so quickly, so the location of the teleportation magic circle was slightly off, causing you two to suffer a laborious journey. I'm truly sorry."

"Did you kill these people?" Bishop Ronis fixed his gaze on the figure in the red-robed man and asked.

"Yes." The red-robed man answered respectfully. "They were assigned to scout and harass that orc fortress in the north. Since they were doomed to die anyway, it was better for them to perish here than to suffer further hardships and slaughter on the road. I controlled their captain, led the team in, and used illusions to make them kill each other. Dying at the hands of their own kind is much better than being ravaged by those orcs."

Sandru observed the red-robed man's covering face and asked, "What happened to your face?"

The red-robed man extended the dry, claw-like hand to remove the cloth covering the face, revealing half of a very ordinary visage. From mouth to jaw, there was no flesh or skin, only grayish teeth and bones exposed, with tendons resembling dry grass clinging to them. He managed a half-hearted smile with that half of a face: "I was careless, and someone damaged the mask that master Sandru specially made for me. However, the one who damaged it is also one of master Sandru's students. Shouldn't he be considered my junior?" This was a scar left from the battle in the Whispering Woods against Asa.

Sandru thought for a moment and shook his head, saying, "He's not my student…" At least Asa had never called him 'master.'

The red-robed man said, "But I saw him wearing the Ghost King's robe that you took, and part of his body got exposed to my magic but didn't get harmed at all. This is only possible if he has practiced True Meditation, which you took with you over twenty years ago. If he is not your student, how could he practice it?"

Bishop Ronis turned to glance at Sandru, but Sandru pretended not to see.

"He's not your student… Could he be your son?" The red-robed man asked. "Not long ago, I had no choice but to injure him. I hope the master won't hold it against me."

Sandru shook his head and replied, "No… He is my student…" He couldn't clarify, so he tentatively accepted it.

"That truly is a very energetic young man; no wonder the master would favor him. Although I injured him, he fell into the Sun Well, so he should be fine."

Bishop Ronis frowned and said, "Did you go through all this trouble and send us two teleportation scrolls just to talk about this nonsense?"

"Of course not. Please, masters, look over there." He pointed to the rock where he had been squatting, where a magic circle was drawn, and in the center lay a green leaf. The stench of the corpses throughout the valley couldn't mask the vibrant life emanating from the leaf.

"I wish to borrow the power of both masters to complete an unprecedented magical ritual." The tone of the red-robed man changed; although still hoarse and strange, it was now filled with excitement. "Using the life force of the World Tree's leaf as the core, we can shape a magical life form from the bodies here. This will be the most powerful creature ever. The distinct magical powers of the three of us can combine with the life force of the World Tree's leaf, cycling and endlessly renewing. Especially with the power of the World Tree's leaf, we can also use the legendary ultimate white magic, resurrection."

"Oh?" Sandru's eyes widened.

"This magical ritual could even surpass the power of the ancient gods. It will represent the pinnacle of magic, a testament to humanity's challenge against the Creator, the greatest masterpiece. This great endeavor will be executed by the three most powerful magicians on this continent." The red-robed man's voice became more hoarse and peculiar with excitement. Sandru seemed to be infected by his emotions, his eyes beginning to glimmer with an unusual fiery light.

"Do you think I would agree to this?" Bishop Ronis's voice was as cold as a bucket of ice water.

"I would like to ask the master to fulfill the promise made twenty-three years ago. Please help me with this…"

"I only remember promising a student named Vadenina that I would do my best to help her fulfill a wish. Unfortunately, before I had the chance, she was already gone…" Bishop Ronis's voice became strange with nostalgia and sentiment, turning into a resolute distaste. "But I don't recall ever saying anything to a lich such as yourself." He turned to leave.

"Would the master really be willing to watch countless innocent civilians perish and numerous towns and villages be destroyed?" The red-robed man called out hoarsely from behind.

"What do you mean?" Bishop Ronis stopped in his tracks and turned around. The light in his sunken eyes seemed to burn like two flames.

The red-robed man said, "I would never dare to threaten the master; I just want to remind you. If this magical ritual is held in this savage land, I can guarantee that no innocent civilians will be harmed. If the master insists on refusing, I would naturally not dare to press the issue. In that case, I will have to hand this World Tree leaf over to others in the guild. How and where would they choose to use it… I believe the master can guess the consequences."

Bishop Ronis fell silent, the light in his eyes flickering uncertainly. Finally, he silently walked back again.

"Student will always remember the teacher's grace." The red-robed man bowed down to the ground. Bishop Ronis did not respond.

The red-robed man said, "This ritual is based on master Sandru's magic. Only your 'Animate Dead' can fully activate and synchronize the energy of these corpses. Please first transform as many of these bodies as possible into undead, then concentrate them over that magic circle. After that, I will use my magic to merge with your power and sustain it. The final and most crucial part, master Ronis, is that you must use the life force of the World Tree's leaf to cast resurrection, unifying all the magical power into a living whole. Although resurrection is merely a theoretical spell, with the life force of the World Tree's leaf and your own proficiency in white magic, it should be no problem."

"Can this ritual really work?" Sandru asked with a furrowed brow. "It seems there has never been a similar magical ritual before. Will this hastily drawn magic circle truly be effective?"

The red-robed replied, "I love the saying you once taught me, 'Learning from predecessors is for the purpose of surpassing, not for repetition.' I began researching this magic over ten years ago, initially out of mere interest. I've always wondered what effect would result if the three of us, the most powerful magic users, could merge our distinctly different magics. It was only two years ago that I completed the research on this magic circle, and after obtaining the World Tree's leaf, I studied its power as well. I can assure you that this magic is absolutely feasible."

"Well then, let's get started." Sandru felt a surge of eagerness. He raised his hands and began to chant slowly. A bluish-white light began to flicker between his hands, illuminating the corpses around him.

The bodies in the valley began to stir slowly. At first, only one or two stood up gradually, but soon more and more began to rise. In the end, hundreds of corpses stood up from the pools of blood.

Initially, the movements of these corpses were slow and stiff, but as Sandru continued to chant, their actions became more agile and flexible, moving as if they were still alive. The corpses began to surge towards the World Tree's leaf on the rock, piling on top of each other as they accumulated. The movements of the corpses at the back became increasingly nimble, even beginning to leap and climb like monkeys, continuously building a mountain of corpses.

As the pile of corpses grew, Sandru's expression showed signs of strain; his raised hands began to tremble slightly. After all, this was the control of hundreds of corpses.

The red-robed man began to chant his own magic: "O dark dragon, sleeping within the rifts of time, awaken your soul from ancient memories. I summon you in the name of darkness and destruction; please display your power in this world."

Just as in the Whispering Woods, an illusion of a massive azure dragon began to coalesce in the air. The difference this time was that the illusion was clearer, as if it were a tangible entity. The dragon's position aligned perfectly with the mountain of corpses, and they began to shift as the dragon's illusion changed. The dragon did not breathe fire; it simply stood there silently.

"Master Ronis, it's your turn," the red-robed man shouted, but Bishop Ronis did not move.

"Please, master, cast resurrection," the red-robed man's voice began to tremble, and Sandru's hands shook even more violently. Bishop Ronis still did not move, staring blankly at the corpses and the dragon's illusion.

"Master, I can barely maintain control," the red-robed man's body began to shake. The dragon's illusion slowly lifted its head, inhaling. A violent wind rushed through the valley, and the air began to converge towards the dragon. Maintaining such a spell was an unimaginable burden for any spellcaster, exhausting both body and mind.

Sandru's body began to tremble violently, blood starting to seep from the corners of his mouth, flowing down his beard and being swept away by the gale towards the dragon. The red-robed man's body swayed in the fierce wind like a leaf that could be torn apart at any moment, and the sound of bones clattering within his shaky body could be heard. He shouted with a voice that was barely audible, "master, if you don't act now, we're all going to die!"

The dragon's head was now lifted high, and the wind fell silent.

"O great mother of life, please touch these lifeless beings yearning for life with your hands that bestow existence, and let the lost souls return," Bishop Ronis finally extended his hand. A pure white cross-shaped light descended from the heavens, showering down upon the dragon.

The dragon's movements halted, and the hundreds of corpses began to glow white under the illumination, writhing like a mass of enormous worms, gradually merging together until they finally completely fused with the dragon's illusion.

Both Sandru and the red-robed man collapsed to the ground, feeling as if all the energy had been completely drained from their bodies. Bishop Ronis stepped forward and placed his hand on Sandru to cast a restoration spell, allowing Sandru to slowly rise.

A roar erupted, one that no living creature could possibly produce, echoing across the sky. The giant dragon, formed from the gathered corpses, moved of its own accord. One could see the clothes, armor, and weapons of the corpses scattered like scales across its body, with blood and viscera dripping from it.

The red-robed man lay weakly on the ground, his hollow eyes shining with the last remnants of vitality as he gazed at the colossal entity formed from the corpses and murmured, "So beautiful…"

The corpse dragon shook its body slightly, confirming its existence, and raised its head high in celebration of its birth.

Sandru hurriedly dragged the red-robed man to his side, and together with Bishop Ronis, they struggled to maintain a spherical magical barrier.

The corpse dragon lowered its head and unleashed a dark green flame that filled every corner of the valley. When the flames dissipated, everything had vanished; even the rocky walls on both sides had been significantly eroded. The corpse dragon began to move, its massive body stepping out of the now completely transformed valley.

Lying on the ground, the red-robed man weakly yet excitedly shouted, "Did you see? This is the true dark dragon. Not an illusion created by magic, but something real, a miracle that even the Creator cannot replicate. This is the masterpiece of magic, the highest manifestation of wisdom, the proof of humanity triumphing over the divine."

Sandru stared in horror at the corpse dragon, slowly shaking his head, "This is indeed a masterpiece of magical wisdom, but now I have some regrets. It doesn't seem like something we can control."