Awesome Shut-In Necromancer

---

“…Master. Then I’ll go.”

At Astrid’s words, adopting a battle stance in front of me, my eyes instinctively squinted shut.

Just a moment ago, I had resolutely declared my intentions, but even with countless battlefronts behind me, the thought of risking everything in this gamble made my heart race.

‘…The odds are sufficient, but I never wanted to take this risk.’

I forcibly destroyed the sealing chains with Astrid’s power.

It sounded straightforward in theory, but to achieve that, I had to gamble my life as well.

Having made my decision, I hesitantly met Astrid’s gaze and issued my command.

“P-please be gentle…”

Nodding solemnly, Astrid ignited pure magical power throughout her body, concentrating it at the tip of her sword to generate a white sword aura.

With her aim set, Astrid stared intently at something beyond my physical form and, without hesitation, plunged the sword.

Swoooosh─!

Boom!

A strong shockwave reverberated through the dungeon with an intense explosion, yet my body remained completely unscathed.

And in that moment, I could distinctly feel it.

Swoooosh─!

The chains binding my soul, which had gradually weakened through my necromancy, were completely shattered by that strike.

“…Master, are you okay?”

“Ugh. I’m fine, but…”

Strangely enough, I didn’t feel any significant change.

‘T-this can’t be right?’

The chains that had bound my soul were certainly gone, yet I couldn’t draw on any power.

Something was wrong.

Seeing my expression, my companions tensed up, sensing the grave atmosphere.

At that moment, an intense pain surged through my body, forcing me to kneel involuntarily.

Griiiind─!

“Ugh?”

It was a sensation I had never felt even during times of extreme exertion.

The pain was incomparable to anything I’d endured before, growing stronger by the second.

‘W-what’s happening?’

As I desperately tried to endure it and assessed the situation, I realized it was not just simple pain.

It was more like something within my body and mind was continuously straining and misaligning.

I struggled to maintain consciousness, trying to control the situation, but it was futile in my weakened state.

Finally, close to my limit, I collapsed and lost consciousness.

Feeling a handful of death energy rising from the deepest parts of my soul.

#

“What on earth happened?”

“…It seems the sudden breaking of the seal has caused the Master’s body to be unable to endure it.”

Henesia calmly examined Baek Eun Ha’s condition, while the rest of us, including Seo Ha, watched with worried expressions.

“What’s the situation?”

“Given the current state, it would be impossible to participate in battle for a while. If she were a normal person, she would already be in a worse predicament.”

However, Baek Eun Ha was a transcendent being, having reached a unique level where her soul and body were already rejecting death.

Thus, there was a high chance she would try to find a way out of this situation.

“For now, we must trust the Master and do everything we can.”

In essence, aside from Baek Eun Ha, we had to stall Gideon as best as we could.

“…There’s nowhere to retreat, after all.”

“Ah, man. Well, let’s give it a shot! If he’s that strong, does it even matter?”

Xavier shook his head in resignation, and even Song Ha Yeon, considered the weakest among us, gathered her resolve.

And amidst that situation, unexpected reinforcements arrived.

“Oh? Someone just…”

“Entered the dungeon. Quite strong.”

Clack. Clack.

Finally, stepping into view was a young woman with long hair, exuding an air of nobility reminiscent of medieval royalty—Helena, Baek Eun Ha’s second disciple.

“Whoa? I thought you entered the United Kingdom’s dungeon…”

“I cleared it all. I felt something was off.”

Then, she shifted her gaze toward the direction of the Boss Room, beyond our group.

“…It seems I’m a bit late.”

Despite being in an entirely desolate place, the overwhelming aura of death was palpable.

Having been taught by Baek Eun Ha, Helena was able to gauge the opponent’s strength in an instant upon witnessing the scene.

“That’s a monster. It’s not something we can defeat head-on.”

“Yet, we’ll have no choice but to confront that monster head-on starting now. We’re out of options.”

With a sigh, Xavier spoke, and Helena, keenly observing Baek Eun Ha, replied with a faint smile.

“We’ll do it too.”

“…What do you mean?”

“The Resurrection Ceremony.”

Right now, Baek Eun Ha was in a sort of catatonic state.

The massive dam that was restraining her soul had burst, leaving her unable to manage the flow with no energy to control it.

Thus, the solution was simple. We needed to pass the power to control it to Baek Eun Ha through a new ceremony.

“…Are you saying you can do that?”

“I learned quite a bit from the Master. Since it’s her method, there shouldn’t be any issues.”

That sounded reasonable, so Lee Ji Cheol, standing by Baek Eun Ha’s side, quietly nodded in agreement.

Helena already possessed overwhelming power even before cooperating with Hades.

Now that she had learned from Baek Eun Ha, it wouldn’t be impossible for her.

“Then we’ll need to buy that time.”

Ultimately, leaving Helena by Baek Eun Ha, our group moved to confront Gideon.

And one more person, Seo Min Ah, stayed behind, guarding her side.

Helena tilted her head at Seo Min Ah.

“So, what do you mean by offering assistance?”

With an enigmatic tone, Helena spoke, and Seo Min Ah replied with a somewhat bittersweet smile.

“I don’t know much about necromancer’s summoning arts, but I do know one thing.”

“…….”

“You’re planning to sacrifice yourself to awaken her, aren’t you?”

It wasn’t too difficult for Seo Min Ah to surmise that.

Because she had seen related details in the previous oracle.

And when the cards pointed to Baek Eun Ha sitting on her throne, beneath that was the image of Seo Min Ah offering her heart.

“I’ll do that instead.”

After predicting the future back then, Seo Min Ah had completely lost related abilities.

What that indicated was quite simple.

“…That means that was my last oracle.”

Thus, Seo Min Ah had come to this place today.

That would be her last role left to fulfill.

Hearing those words, Helena fell silent for a moment before responding.

“There’s no need for you to die. You will definitely regret it.”

“I know you’re great, Helena, but can you really complete the ceremony while using yourself as a sacrifice? If the ritual doesn’t proceed as planned, who will deal with it?”

Clearly, having Helena be the one to sacrifice herself is far less likely than using Seo Min Ah’s life.

Thus, the previous oracle must have pointed towards Seo Min Ah for that sacrifice.

And surely, it would lead to the success of the ceremony.

“…If you’re that determined, there’s no point in trying to dissuade you. Do you have anything you want to say before you leave?”

“Please perform a good funeral for my family that no longer exists.”

“I’ll remember that.”

There was no time to hesitate.

Helena hurriedly completed the ritual array she was drawing and immediately began the ceremony.

Boom.

Bang!

Amidst that time, a powerful presence emerged at the entrance of the Boss Room, and a thunderous boom resonated.

Finally, Gideon had opened the door to the Boss Room and stepped into the dungeon.

“…As much as I would like to buy some more time, it seems that cannot be helped.”

“I’m ready. Please proceed.”

Hooooh.

Helena’s hand wove through the air, enveloping the entire space in immense power and death energy.

And slowly, the gaze of the sacrifice, Seo Min Ah, began to lose its light and clarity.

“……”

When the purest death energy is produced.

That is when a living being meets death for any reason.

Moreover, since someone like Seo Min Ah, strong-willed, sacrificed herself, the emanating aura of death was incredibly pure and intense.

“…With this much, it should suffice.”

Helena, with a serene smile, delivered it into Baek Eun Ha’s embrace through the designated process.

Hooooh.

Swooosh.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

The sound of a heartbeat and the pulsation of a soul filled the room.

The ceremony was successfully completed. Now, all that remained was in the hands of her Master, Baek Eun Ha.

“……”

Slowly gathering the energy of death, Helena summoned the undead she had prepared for this day one by one, stepping toward the entrance of the Boss Room.

“Please, awaken in time.”

And thus, in the finally empty room, only a faint heartbeat echoed irregularly.