Reborn with a Necromancer System - Chapter 53

Chapter 53: Adventurers – Part 1 Chapter 53: Adventurers – Part 1 Kai hurried through the ruined streets, keeping an eye out for any oddities in the city.

He started his search with the western side of the city, the ancient housing district, and moved towards the ruined market in the north.

The steady pulse of mana beneath his skin sustained his Concealment spell, allowing him to deftly manoeuvre through the long-abandoned buildings.

As he rounded the corner of a building, the sound of voices drew his attention, and he pressed himself against the wall of a half-collapsed structure, peering around the corner.

Three figures stood in the open square.

Their presence was wrong.

Out of place.

Outsiders.

A towering warrior shifted his weight, a massive single-edged blade resting on his broad shoulder.

He grinned at the others, the metal of his armour gleaming even in the dim light.

“Ain’t nothing like a quiet ruin to stretch your legs in.

You know, I almost missed the sound of nothing but the wind.” A red-haired rogue-like character draped in animal furs and blue feathers, flicked one of his twin knives between his fingers.

His stance was loose, almost lazy, but his eyes darted across the square, taking in every detail.

“Quiet’s overrated Joathan,” he muttered, running a finger along the edge of his blade.

“Could’ve been hunting bandits by now.

Or something that actually moves.” Joathan chuckled, a deep rumble.

“You don’t want to deal with bandits after the last time, Kaelred.

What happened to ‘let’s avoid the mess’?” Kaelred rolled his eyes.

“You and your clean-up habits.

But seriously, how boring?

Someone should liven this place up.” A young woman with brown hair slightly concealing a sigil carved into her forehead stood a little apart from the others.

She clutched her black book tighter against her blue robes, her gaze flitting nervously between the ruined buildings.

‘Is she with the church?

Does the church even use something like a bible for their gospel?’ Her fingers brushed over the sigil on her forehead, as if seeking reassurance.

“It’s…

it’s not right,” she said, her voice quieter than usual.

“I don’t like it here.

The air feels wrong.” Kaelred’s lips curled into a half-smirk, but there was no amusement in his eyes.

“What, are you getting cold feet, Raltia?” Joathan slapped him on the back, grinning.

“Don’t mind her.

She’s just attuned to the mystical stuff.

But you’re right, Kaelred.

Not a single thing moving makes it feel like we’re the last ones on Imeria.” Raltia frowned but said nothing, continuing to glance around, her anxiety palpable.

“I know, Kael.

We’re in the same party.” Joathan laughed heartily.

Raltia raised her sceptre, the ornate golden patterns glinting as she whispered an incantation.

The centrepiece of the sceptre, something akin to the eye of Horus, gleamed brightly.

A ripple of mana pulsed outward like a shockwave, washing over the city like a tide.

Kai felt a rush of fear along with the wave of mana.

His Concealment snapped away.

He held his breath, his body tensing as the adventurers immediately locked eyes on him and moved into action.

Kaelred moved first, his twin knives flashing as they caught the glint of the sun while he darted towards Kai.

Moving with precise intent, the rogue’s intense focus matched the sharpness of his blades as he looked for an opening.

“Gotcha,” he muttered, a grin appearing like a predator about to take a bite out of some prey.

He slashed his dagger at Kai, who barely dodged the strike.

The ground cracked and dust puffed up around Jonathan’s feet as he surged forward, right behind Kaelred.

His massive blade whistled through the air, a blur of steel aimed like a hammer at a nail.

“Let’s get this over with!” Raltia’s eyes flicked to her companions.

With a soft motion of her fingers, she muttered another spell, and both Joathan and Kaelred’s movements suddenly grew faster, sharper, more precise.

The air shimmered around them as her magic enhanced their strength.

Joathan let out a hearty laugh, swinging his sword with unbridled force.

“Now this is more like it!” Kai had barely enough time to raise a skeletal limb from his shadow space to intercept Kaelred’s knives.

The first knife shattered the bone like glass, the second slipping through the gaps, grazing his arm.

He twisted away, feeling the burn of the strike, just as Joathan’s blade cut through the air, the wind pressure almost sending him crashing into the ruins.

Kai jumped back and raised several more skeletons to overwhelm his opponents.

Raltia took a step back, gripping her sceptre tighter.

She barely glanced at her allies, eyes focused ahead.

“Focus, both of you.

Don’t let up.” Kaelred flicked his knives with a frustrated grunt.

“Would you stop trying to micromanage, Raltia?

I’ve got this!” His voice dropped lower as he danced around the skeletons that Kai summoned, each slash cleaner than the last.

“This is what I came for.” ‘I couldn’t even start a dialogue.

Is this what adventurers are like?

Shoot first and ask questions later?’ Kaelred continued to slash Kai’s army apart.

Joathan, with his blade high, swept through several skeletons with a grunt, sending bone shards flying.

“I can see that, Kaelred.

You never miss a fight.” Raltia stepped forward, raising her sceptre high.

With a flick of her wrist, a golden pulse of light radiated from the tip, disintegrating the remains of the skeletons that Kaelred and Joathan had incapacitated.

She muttered a prayer under her breath.

“We can’t let them overwhelm us.

Stay sharp, everyone.” Kai clenched his fist and exhaled.

“Fine.

Have it your way.” Dark mana swirled around him as he called upon his reserves.

Kai’s shadow stretched out before him and covered the ground beneath himself, the skeletons, and the three adventurers.

Fifty more skeletons from Kai’s reserves emerged from the darkness, surrounding his enemies perfectly.

Their rusted weapons glinted, and the empty sockets of their skulls burned with necrotic light.

Kaelred grinned, eyes lighting up with excitement.

“Finally, a fight worth having!” He surged forward, his body glowing with the magic Raltia had granted him, moving through the skeletons with deadly grace.

Each strike cut down an enemy before it could even react.

Joathan barreled in with his sword held high, carving through the undead like they were nothing more than twigs.

“Bring it on!” His voice was a roar of laughter, the joy of battle evident in his every movement.

Raltia stepped back, muttering to herself.

“Don’t get careless…

We’re not invincible…” Her eyes darted from one adventurer to the next, ensuring their safety while they decimated the skeletons.

Kai, watching them, realised just how synchronised they were.

‘If I can get my undead to work this efficiently together.

Nothing will stand in my way.’ Each of their strengths made up for the others’ weaknesses and they worked like a well-oiled machine.

But as the true battle began to unfold, Kai clenched his fists, summoning something far darker from the depths of his domain.

The ground trembled.

‘Let’s see how you fare against this.’ CREATORS’ THOUGHTS Jhaydun We’ve got a couple of characters from some other author’s works making cameos in this chapter!

I wonder if any of you know or remember them from other novels!

(I had the blessings from the authors to do so, in case you were wondering.) What’s going to happen to Kai’s minions next?