The Genesis Of A Necromancer - Chapter 105

Chapter 105: the canyon
Thanks to his little helper-Drakorath. Jack was able to discover the large troupe in search of them, not only that, but they were being led by Naon!

“Let’s move down then,” Alisha declared, taking a confident step toward the mouth of the canyon. Her eyes gleamed with determination, though her steps betrayed a hint of caution.

Jack stood a few paces behind, his gaze flickering between her and the vast chasm. “The distance is pretty significant. How exactly do you plan on getting down there?” he asked, arching a skeptical eyebrow.

Alisha spun around, a sly grin tugging at her lips. “A question from the mighty S-rank mage? I’m surprised you got this far without knowing the basics of magic,” she quipped, clearly savoring the opportunity to jab at him.

Jack crossed his arms, his expression unreadable. “I was just asking a question,” he replied, his tone flat but with an edge of annoyance.

“Well then, Mr. S-rank, you should at least know how to summon natural forces,” she continued, her tone tinged with mockery.

“It’s a fundamental skill every mage should master. Surely, even you have a faint idea of what I mean?”

Jack frowned, her words sparking a flicker of recognition.

‘Natural forces… Is she talking about manipulating mana in the environment?’ His thoughts drifted to the time he had subtly tampered with the wheels of a carriage back in Alogra.

That wasn’t a spell but rather a crude form of controlling external mana. He realized that technique could have wider applications than he initially assumed.

“Alright, I see your point. But I still don’t see how this connects to getting down a canyon,” he admitted, though a part of him felt irritated by her smugness.

Alisha sighed, rolling her eyes. “Watch and learn,” she said, stepping closer to him. Without warning, she grabbed his hand.

Jack tensed, caught off guard by her sudden gesture. He instinctively pulled back slightly, but her grip was firm. “What are you doing?” he asked, his voice tinged with suspicion.

“Just trust me,” she said, a hint of impatience in her voice. She then called out, “Missy, come here!”

Missy’s feline ears perked up, and she bounded over with an enthusiastic grin. “Big sister!” she chirped, quickly taking Alisha’s other hand.

Jack glanced down at their intertwined hands, his expression a mix of discomfort and confusion. ‘Her hands are… soft,’ he thought briefly, before shaking off the intrusive thought. ‘Why is she touching me without asking?’

“Focus” Alisha snapped, noticing his distracted gaze. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Jack watched her intently, his irritation momentarily forgotten. There was a certain grace in the way she stood, her focus unwavering as if the world around her had faded away.

‘What is she planning to do?’ he wondered.

“Alright, here we go,” Alisha said, her eyes snapping open. Suddenly, the ground beneath Jack’s feet seemed to dissolve as an invisible force lifted him into the air.

“H-huh?!” Jack stammered, his voice tinged with alarm as he floated several feet above the canyon floor. The wind whipped around him, and his stomach lurched at the sudden ascent.

“Since you’re so confident you can handle yourself, you should have no problem staying afloat,” Alisha said, her grin widening mischievously. Before Jack could respond, the force holding him vanished.

Jack plummeted like a stone.

“What the—?!” he shouted, his voice lost in the howling wind.

“Big sister! What if something happens to big brother?” Missy cried, her ruby green eyes wide with worry.

“He’ll be fine,” Alisha said, though her confident tone wavered slightly. Her gaze followed Jack’s rapidly disappearing figure. “Probably.”

The canyon walls blurred past Jack as he fell, the dark mist swallowing him. His mind raced.

‘Damn that woman! If I die here, I’ll haunt her for eternity!’ His heart pounded, but amidst the chaos, a thought struck him.

‘Natural forces. Manipulate the mana around you…’

He focused, closing his eyes despite the rush of wind and panic. He reached out with his senses, feeling the ambient mana in the air.

It was faint, slippery, but it was there. With a determined grit, he willed the mana to respond, shaping it to his needs.

Slowly, the wind around him began to shift. His descent slowed, the air beneath him solidifying into an invisible cushion. Jack opened his eyes, his body hovering just inches above the canyon floor.

He let out a shaky breath, his feet finally touching solid ground. ‘That was too close,’ he thought, his pulse still racing.

Alisha descended gracefully moments later, holding Missy in her arms. Nephris flitted beside them, its small wings stirring the oppressive mist.

“Oh, so you figured it out,” Alisha remarked, her voice laced with mock surprise. “I suppose being an S-rank mage has its perks. You managed to learn in moments what took me months.”

Jack shot her a withering look, resisting the urge to strangle her. “I’ll let that one slide,” he muttered, brushing dust from his cloak. “We don’t have time for your games. The chapters are what matter.”

Alisha smirked but said nothing. Missy, meanwhile, clung to Jack’s side, her wide eyes full of admiration.

“Big brother is amazing!” she exclaimed.

Jack’s irritation softened slightly at her words, but the oppressive darkness around them quickly brought him back to focus. The mist swirled thickly, obscuring everything beyond a few feet.

Jack extended his hand experimentally, and the dark mist seemed to respond, parting before him like a curtain.

[-5 MP]

The system notification pinged in his mind, confirming his suspicion.

‘So, this is the power of an S-rank mage,’ he thought, marveling at the ease with which he manipulated the darkness.

It wasn’t a spell—it was something far more innate, a connection to the very element itself.

“Let’s move,” Jack said, his voice steady despite the foreboding atmosphere.

Alisha and Missy followed closely, their steps cautious as they ventured deeper into the canyon. The darkness pressed against them, alive and watchful. Jack’s sharp eyes scanned their surroundings, every sense heightened.

‘Something’s here,’ he thought, his hand instinctively reaching for his weapon. A faint sound echoed in the distance, like a low growl reverberating through the mist.

“Stay close,” he warned, his voice low.

The air grew colder, and an unsettling energy prickled at the edges of his awareness. Whatever lay ahead, Jack knew they were walking straight into danger.

‘The map is useless at this point,’ Jack thought, biting his lower lip as they trudged deeper into the canyon. The parchment in his hand was worn and faintly glowing, but the marking hadn’t shifted for hours.

It stubbornly pointed to their general location in the canyon without offering any further guidance.

‘It’ll keep marking the canyon as the spot where the item is, but it won’t lead us to the exact place.’

Jack’s thoughts were interrupted by a low growl echoing through the oppressive darkness.

It was faint but persistent, like a beast lurking just out of sight, and it seemed to grow louder as they advanced.

“This way,” Jack said, his voice low but firm as he gestured toward what appeared to be a tunnel opening at the canyon’s edge. Its jagged entrance yawned like a mouth waiting to swallow them whole.

“This is where the sound is coming from,” Jack added, his tone heavy with caution. “It could be a beast, so be prepared to fight at any moment.”

Alisha tightened her grip on her staff, her sharp gaze scanning the tunnel’s dim entrance. Missy clung closer to Jack, her ears twitching nervously.

Even Nephris, usually carefree and curious, hovered in the air with uncharacteristic wariness.

The group stepped into the tunnel, their footsteps echoing softly against the smooth rock walls.

Jack led the way, his senses attuned to every sound and shift in the air. The growl continued, a low vibration that reverberated through the stone, growing louder as they delved deeper.

The passageway twisted and turned, the narrow space forcing them into single file. The air grew cooler, tinged with the faint metallic scent of mana. The faint glow of light ahead gave Jack pause.

It was subtle at first, barely noticeable, but with each step, the illumination grew stronger until the source became undeniable.

Bright blue crystals jutted out from the walls, their radiant light bathing the tunnel in an ethereal glow. They shimmered like frozen flames, casting intricate patterns of light and shadow across the walls.

“Mana crystals,” Alisha whispered, her voice tinged with awe. Her earlier confidence gave way to a rare display of wonder as her gaze swept over the brilliant formations.

[Mana Crystal!]

[A popular power source, used by alchemists to power arrays and activate their weapon puppets.]

The system prompt appeared in Jack’s vision, though he paid it little mind. He was already well aware of the crystals’ importance in the world of magic.

They were highly coveted, their uses ranging from powering advanced magical arrays to serving as a key component in alchemical creations. However, his focus wasn’t on the crystals—they were merely a distraction from the true threat ahead.

Jack’s eyes narrowed as the tunnel opened into a wider chamber. The growl that had followed them now rumbled with a visceral intensity, echoing through the space like a warning. It emanated from a hulking shadow at the far end of the cavern.

“Stay alert,” Jack said, his voice a low murmur. His gaze locked on the creature before them.