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Lupmeron, the mercenary leader, let out a troubled laugh as he stepped back.

He never imagined the purple barrier, which he believed would be impossible to penetrate, would tear like paper, not even by the Red Spear Knight.

Moreover, in the blink of an eye, six of his mercenaries had been slaughtered.

Even though they were fairly skilled, they couldn’t react at all to the sudden assault.

‘Did I make a mistake messing with them?’

Lupmeron—just as Ian suspected—was a Dark Mage.

He had heard rumors that a group of Red Spear Knights had recently formed in the nearby area and were hunting monsters while setting up a base deeper in the forest. Curious to see if this was true, he decided to check it out for himself.

As someone who specialized in necromancy, a branch of dark magic, the bodies of magic users—especially knights—were considered premium materials.

He had established a mercenary band, gathering ruthless criminals and murderers, roaming from village to village, collecting the necessary “materials” for his necromancy. This, to him, was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Concealing his identity as a Dark Mage, Lupmeron led his mercenaries, confident after having captured a wandering knight alive just a few days prior. Surely, a Red Spear Knight could be hunted as well, he thought.

The moment he confronted the Red Spear Knights, that idea solidified into certainty.

The knights who revealed their faces looked young, and due to their inexperience, they didn’t seem too wary as he approached them, bowing low.

‘Offering them drinks wasn’t an issue.’

It went smoothly. But to his shock, they knew about the fruit of ruin.

Caught off guard by an unexpected ambush and overwhelmed by their unforeseen strength, the mercenaries he had painstakingly nurtured were being slain one after another.

As expected of the Red Spear Knights. Even though they were novices, they were not ones that could be easily taken down with mediocre preparation.

‘No, it’s because they managed to surprise us first that we’re falling apart like this. If we had successfully ambushed them…!’

Lupmeron let out a bitter smile.

They had already figured out the poison in the drink, hadn’t they? In retrospect, they must have been on guard since then.

‘How on earth did they know about the fruit?’

His mind was in turmoil. The fruit of ruin was something even Dark Mages barely knew about.

It made sense. After all, it had only recently been developed in secret by the Necromancy School of the Black Magic Tower and was newly distributed to the frontlines.

For the Red Spear Knights to know about it didn’t add up; they weren’t supposed to know.

‘Is there a traitor or spy among us?’

The possibility was high. But this wasn’t the time to dwell on such thoughts.

“……!”

One of the Red Spear Knights who had charged in first was closing the distance straight ahead.

One of his mercenaries tried to block the knight but was quickly sliced down without putting up any real resistance.

Seeing the blood spray out, Lupmeron felt his heart sink.

It wasn’t out of sadness or fear but sheer frustration.

It was as if the tower he had painstakingly built over the past few weeks was crumbling.

The thought of having to gather such vile mercenaries again made him feel a deep sense of dread.

But what choice did he have? It was too late to turn back, too late for regret.

The only option left was to capture the Red Spear Knight. Anything less, and the effort wouldn’t be worth it.

Shoving a mercenary aside, Lupmeron extended his hand toward the approaching Red Spear Knight, unleashing his magic.

Boom!

A shockwave smashed through the air, forcing the Red Spear Knight to lower their center of gravity and brace themselves.

“Huh?”

Ordinarily, someone hit by that would lose balance and roll helplessly, but the knight’s response was impressive. Their reaction speed was on another level.

Seeing the glowing red eyes beneath the visor sent chills down Lupmeron’s spine.

But Lupmeron, with a smug grin, summoned even more magic.

There was no need for any incantations or drawing magic circles. With a simple hand gesture, the distinct aura of dark magic shimmered in the air beneath Lupmeron’s hand.

“…!”

However, he was forced to shift the magic he had been preparing for offense into a defensive spell. A streak of fire had arced through the air from behind the Red Spear Knight.

Maybe it was because it was the dead of night, but the fire was glaringly obvious. He hastily conjured a barrier, and just as he did, the flames crashed into it.

Boom!

A blazing red flame erupted from the spear lodged into the barrier. The darkness retreated as the bright light illuminated the surroundings, and the heat filled the air, making it swelter.

Lupmeron couldn’t suppress his laughter as he watched his barrier melt away.

“Yes. If you want to obtain something valuable, you must be willing to take risks and suffer losses.”

Having already lost his mercenary band, there was nothing left to hold him back. Grasping the pendant hanging from his neck, Lupmeron began chanting.

Shhh!

The Red Spear Knight, who had just charged through the melting barrier, swung their sword, clearly intending not to give Lupmeron the chance to cast any magic.

Lupmeron dodged the blade, barely escaping. He could feel cold sweat trickling down his back.

Reaching out towards the pursuing knight, the knight instinctively lowered their stance, hesitating. It was a reflex from the earlier blow they had suffered, but no shockwave followed this time.

‘That was just a trick!’

Using that moment of hesitation, Lupmeron finished his incantation and grinned as he uttered the activation word.

“Arise, O dead!”

As soon as the words left his mouth, the magic swirling around him surged, and the ground darkened. From that darkness, skeletons with pitch-black bones began to rise one by one.

They were not clad in armor and wielded crude weapons like swords and spears. However, the purple aura surrounding them made it clear they were far from ordinary skeletons.

Lupmeron watched them rise with satisfaction and gave a single command.

“Go.”

There was no need for further instructions. To the dead, the living were objects of hatred. The skeletons, like unleashed hounds, charged forward.

As many skeletons as had run ahead rose again from the ground.

Mari, the Red Spear Knight at the front, snorted in disgust at the sight of the charging skeletons. Despite feeling a slight embarrassment for having fallen for the trick, she scoffed.

“Hmph.”

Gripping her sword tightly, flames flared along the blade, surging upward as if fueled by oil. She stepped forward and swung her sword.

The charging spears were easily deflected, and her blade drove straight into the forehead of one of the skeletons, its jaws wide open.

Fwoosh!

Even normal fire would be devastating to the undead, but this was magic-infused fire. The flames on her sword instantly engulfed the skeleton, burning it to ashes.

Mari paused briefly to observe her work, then raised her head. Before she knew it, dozens more skeletons had gathered before her, showing clear hostility.

It was a chilling sight, but there was no need for concern. She wasn’t alone.

“Charge!”

The booming voice of Mael echoed. Moments later, Red Spear Knights carrying shields surged past her and crashed into the horde of skeletons.

Crash!

It wasn’t as powerful as a cavalry charge, but the impact was still significant. The bones of the skeletons shattered upon contact with the shields, scattering in all directions.

“…Oh.”

Ian, who had just cut down a mercenary, observed the Red Spear Knights as the battle turned into chaos. He couldn’t help but be impressed.

‘What the… Not bad at all.’

They fight well. Of course, it might still be too early to make such a judgment—the battle had only just begun.

However, this was the first time the knights were facing the undead.

Given that more skeletons were rising from the black swamp than they could cut down, it wouldn’t be surprising if their morale faltered. Yet, there was no sign of that happening.

In fact, they remained calm and composed as they continued to fight.

‘Still, at this rate, things won’t go well.’

It was clear that the Dark Mage’s goal was to buy time.

Roar!

The distant howl of monsters echoed.

The exact distance was hard to gauge, but they’d arrive in five minutes, ten at the most.

Judging by the faint tremors vibrating through the ground, it seemed like a significant number of them were approaching.

Mael, Mari, and the other Red Spear Knights were well aware of this too, as they struggled to push forward while maintaining their formation. However, their progress was slow.

Being at only Level 3, they hadn’t yet learned techniques to deal with large groups, so they had no choice but to defeat the skeletons one by one.

If the Dark Mage stayed in place, they would eventually reach him, but he would likely flee long before that. There was no time to waste.

Sigh.

Ian sighed, taking a step forward before launching himself into the air. As his body lifted, his field of view widened.

Beyond the knights. Beyond the skeletons. He could see Lupmeron standing over the black swamp.

“…”

Their eyes met. Lupmeron quickly began chanting, retreating as he faded into the air.

But.

‘I can still see you.’

Though not perfectly clear, the Dark Mage’s presence, cloaked in a dark purple aura, remained visible as he moved.

After encountering that foreign being by chance, Ian’s eyes had gained the ability to trace the remnants of magical energy like this.

‘I won’t lose you.’

[Bane of Evil: Second Form, Comet.]

Ian’s body shot forward at breakneck speed in the direction he was facing, leaving a red streak in the air. He landed with a crash, his feet sinking into the ground.

Boom!

As soon as he stopped, he immediately unleashed another attack.

“Hah!”

Lupmeron gasped in shock, seeing Ian close the distance so quickly.

With impressive speed, the Dark Mage conjured a three-layered barrier, but it wasn’t enough to stop the piercing blade.

Clang!

One by one, the sharp tip of Ian’s sword shattered the barriers, inching closer to Lupmeron’s body—until suddenly, Lupmeron vanished from sight.

‘Blink?’

A teleportation spell that all mages of a certain level must master. There was no doubt about it.

Ian wasn’t fazed. After all, Blink only allowed for movement within the caster’s line of sight.

Moreover, just as Ian had tracked the Dark Mage earlier with his eyes, he wasn’t about to be disappointed this time either.

He quickly turned his head, spotting Lupmeron once again as he reappeared in the distance. His face was pale, likely realizing how close to death he had just come.

Lupmeron began chanting once more, raising his hand toward Ian. From beneath Ian’s feet, tendrils of purple magic surged up like tentacles, wrapping around his limbs and pulling him downward.

“!”

Ian swiftly broke free, but the brief delay was enough. For a mage, even a moment of stillness could be a precious opportunity.

Whoosh!

Two violet spears shot toward him. Ian deflected one with his sword, and for the other, he summoned the Flame of Bane in his left hand, condensing it into a gauntlet to block the attack.

When the spear struck the flame, the impact was intense, sending it flying back. The force left Ian’s arm numb, pain shooting through him. Gritting his teeth, he endured the pain, pushing off the ground to close the distance between himself and Lupmeron, slashing his sword.

Thwack!

‘Shallow.’

Ian’s expression hardened. He quickly reached for a dagger to throw, but just then, a streak of fire came from the side, piercing into Lupmeron’s body.

“What?”

Lupmeron froze in shock. The fire burst into flames, engulfing him completely.

Fwooom!

There was no scream. With no defensive magic to protect him, Lupmeron was consumed by the light that drove away the surrounding darkness. When the flames subsided, all that remained was a charred black figure, collapsed on the ground.

Ian turned his head. He saw a Red Spear Knight leaping high into the air. Judging by the armor, it was Mari. She was descending, having just thrown her spear.

“Hah.”

Ian let out a dry laugh. He hadn’t expected help.

“Ugh!”

Lupmeron coughed and sputtered, somehow still alive. Ian reversed his grip on his sword and drove it into Lupmeron’s heart, ending his stubborn life for good.

As Ian withdrew his sword, he noticed a small bag tied to Lupmeron’s waist. All of his other belongings had been charred by the intense flames, but the small bag remained relatively unscathed, only slightly scorched.

Deciding to check its contents later, Ian returned to his group.

“Gather your things. We need to leave.”

———-