The city of the dead, Necropolis.
— For example, you can think of it as a space similar to the Netherworld (幽界), from which your Phantom Steed emerged.
It was clearly a dimension belonging to this world, yet a space that could not be found within this world.
Like the Netherworld, the Spirit Realm, or the space where divine beasts were said to dwell, Necropolis was connected to this world while also existing independently.
— I know there are many kinds of Necropolises. A mysterious city of death, whose power and might are determined by who rules it.
“You mean there isn’t just one Necropolis?”
— Countless. Perhaps it may be far larger than the world we live in.
“You’re saying one of those Necropolises was tainted by the Abyss and ended up like this……”
He had been startled by the unexpected mass of death energy, but upon closer inspection, it was not pure death energy. It was mixed together with Abyssal energy.
The walls towered all the way to the end of the sky.
Though it had now sunk into the abyss and become one of the countless layers of the Abyss, it meant that a castle like this, too, had once existed somewhere in the world.
“To think such a secret was hidden in the Layer of Conquest.”
It rose so high it seemed to touch the sky, yet within, it had now sunken and rotted away.
Taking in the sight of the walls that must once have been part of a Necropolis, Hio walked toward the tent where the Empire’s flag fluttered.
* * *
Hio’s arrival came at a rather opportune moment.
For at the very moment he arrived, news came that the entrance had finally been found.
The vast outer perimeter of the wall.
It had taken quite some time to find the entrance, but the Layer of Conquest was not a labyrinth-like layer where they were pressed for time, so it was fine.
Instead, once they entered through the castle gate, they would most likely be unable to turn back.
Night or day, they would have to continue fighting without rest.
Until they climbed to the top of the infinitely vast castle and annihilated the conqueror of the layer, the master of Necropolis.
“Prepare to move!”
The knights, who had been resting, observing the space of the Abyss, and adapting to its unpleasant aura, began moving in perfect order the moment they heard the entrance had been found.
It was a space into which they could not bring horses, so they had to travel on foot, but those gathered here were the chosen elite among the Empire’s finest.
Even without warhorses, they would be able to maintain speed while moving.
“The Apostle has arrived!”
“O Apostle of the holy goddess. This way……”
After receiving the grand fussing of the high priests and hearing a rough account of the situation.
Once he had confirmed the location of the entrance, he immediately used his skill.
He had decided to head straight for the entrance without needing to wait.
「Skill — ‘Summon Phantom Steed’ has been activated.」
「Trait — ‘Spirit Form’ has been activated.」
The gate to the Netherworld opened, and through it, the Phantom Steed made a splendid appearance bathed in bright light.
Needless to say, the priests of Lifue followed it with cheers.
“Kihya!”
“It has been a long time, divine beast!”
“The beloved steed of the goddess’s Apostle!”
“Ooh! As expected, divine and sacred!”
Receiving those cheers, Hio immediately mounted the back of the ghostly horse standing in majestic dignity.
Vitalianus and Airights spoke to him with regretful expressions.
“You’re going ahead again? Let’s go together, Hio.”
“Indeed, let us travel together and talk for a while. I have heard several times that you visited the imperial palace, but you have been so busy that it has been quite a long time since we met, has it not?”
Hio shook his head.
“There’s something I need to check. I’ll go on ahead.”
From Hio’s perspective, it could not be helped.
It was not as if he had some grand reason…… If he traveled together with these guys, his legs would surely be torn apart trying to keep up.
That was why he intended to travel on the Phantom Steed.
His stamina, agility, and strength stats had not even surpassed 100 yet.
There was a reason Hio favored the Phantom Steed so much.
Those fellows would laugh heartily and move while leisurely chatting, but Hio, whose physical stats were low, would not be able to match their speed even if he sprinted with all his might.
The other knights were also elites of the Imperial House, so if he did not want to embarrass himself, it was better to pretend there was something important and simply go on ahead.
“Very well. If that is your will.”
“……We’ll catch up soon. Don’t try to solve it alone, all right?”
Vitalianus, Airights.
Receiving the two people’s regret.
“The Saint is moving! Clear the way!”
“It is the Apostle’s procession!”
“Make! Waaay!”
And the intense send-off of the high priests, he flew swiftly toward the entrance in the wall.
Even when the busy figures of the knights began to look as small as his palm, the wall still loomed endlessly high.
The Phantom Steed’s speed grew faster and faster, and the wind rushing past became fierce, so he deployed a shield spell before his eyes and looked straight ahead.
In truth, one reason he was going ahead first was to avoid embarrassment, but it was also because there really was something he needed to check.
Had he not reached the realm of an archmage?
He had not yet learned 5th Circle magic, but quite a lot had changed.
His mana had grown far more profound, and his sensitivity to energy had sharpened.
The trait he originally possessed, ‘Genius of Mana Sensitivity,’ had combined with the trait ‘Everything Is Doubled,’ turning him into something beyond a genius.
On top of that, his experience and ability as an archmage had been added.
So he could confidently say that when it came to sensing and responding not only to mana but to any kind of energy, he surpassed anyone in this world.
And as someone who had reached such a realm, he had a hunch.
“This…… might be easier than I thought.”
Wouldn’t this 52nd floor, the Layer of Conquest, be possible to clear quickly and easily?
He was not talking about using the supreme skill ‘Celestial.’
As could be seen from the height of the walls, Necropolis was vast and enormous.
In a place this wide, with an endless number of enemies to face, using Celestial to advance one step at a time would be a waste of both time and strength.
So Hio put away his existing staff and took out a new one.
A staff red as blood, filled with ominousness.
One of the Three Divine Relics that symbolized Kreutzwald.
「Staff of the Authority of Darkness (???)」
「A staff crafted for the great dark mage Kreutzwald, the pioneer and founder of dark magic. Its power varies greatly depending on the user’s ability.」
「Stat ‘Mana’ +15」
「Magic Casting Speed +15%」
「Abilities are unlocked sequentially according to the user’s mana circle.」
Among the options contained in the staff, there was a special option stating that abilities would be unlocked according to the user’s realm.
And Hio, though he had not yet learned the spells, was unmistakably a 5th Circle archmage with five rings.
Meaning that in addition to ‘Insight of Darkness,’ which he had used to great effect in the labyrinth, he had unlocked another ability.
「3rd Circle: Skill — ‘Insight of Darkness’ available」
「5th Circle: Skill — ‘Domination’ available」
「7th Circle: Locked」
The name of the newly unlocked staff skill was Domination.
「Domination」
「The magic of a mage who was an authority on necromancy and dark magic has been engraved into the staff as is.」
「Strengthens control over all undead within range.」
「Death energy. Dominate it itself.」
「Accordingly, gain control over all undead affected by death energy.」
「The level of control is determined by the user’s mana and mental power.」
In short, it was a skill that allowed him to place any undead under his control.
Whether it was an undead created by someone else, or an undead born naturally. If it was undead, was it not a being born on the foundation of death energy?
And it meant he could dominate that energy itself within a certain range.
Thus, any undead within the domain of Domination would obey the commands of such a ruler.
Moreover, it was not a skill with a numerical limit but one that functioned by range, so as long as Hio’s mana and mental power could support it, it was a skill he could continue activating.
— It seems to be a method that grants control over the malice within range—that is, over death energy itself—and uses it to command them…… I can only say that it is remarkable.
“It definitely is.”
Even to Hio, who did not know the workings of a necromancer all that well, it was an outrageous skill.
If one possessed magic like this, at least against other necromancers, one would have no choice but to hold an unconditional advantage.
After all, how hollow would it feel to work so hard creating undead, only to have control snatched away?
Even if it was only temporary.
“I guess he wasn’t called the progenitor of dark magic and necromancy for nothing.”
So now, what he had to confirm was the staff’s ability, Domination, which had only been unlocked upon reaching the 5th Circle.
Would this work on the countless undead that must be inside those walls?
— Undead are different from spirit summoning. You have made a Death Knight yourself, so you know this, but their bodies themselves are composed of death energy. Well, the lowest and lower-grade undead have no souls, and their bodies are made of actual rotten corpses, but there should not be such low-grade undead in Necropolis, so let us leave them out.
“Even so, their souls have been tainted by the abyss and turned into completely different beings. Can they still be called undead?”
— Well…… even if their souls have been corrupted in that way, the fact that the force composing and moving their forms is death energy likely remains unchanged. In my view, it should be more than effective.
If it worked, would he be able to conquer this enormous castle as easily as he thought?
How wide would the range be, and how long would it last?
“Well, I’ll know once I try.”
The massive gate had begun to come into view, so he would know soon enough.
* * *
“Block them! Behind!”
The expedition made up of rankers led by Antiphus had already entered inside the walls long ago.
Since entering, the expedition had not rested for even a single moment, moving straight ahead and only ahead.
Even so, the main castle was still nowhere in sight.
If there was a reason, it was these tenacious monsters.
There were so many of them that it felt as if a black wave was surging in.
It was a sight that would make even a fairly bold person feel the terror of death.
On top of that, with no sun, the dark field of vision made that fear all the more vivid.
“Do not stop moving! There is no road back anyway!”
Even so, the reason they could keep advancing was thanks to the strength of the three highest-ranked awakened.
The rankers among rankers, who had held 2nd, 4th, and 5th place respectively.
Silbert spread a telekinetic barrier to defend the rear of the formation.
Each time the legendary armament symbolizing Daphne, Rafflesia, emitted light, a long, straight path of ice was created.
And the martial prowess of Antiphus, who stood at the very front…… was enough to make those watching from behind think of the word invincible.
“The moment your steps stop, you will be isolated! Never stop!”
The fact that even fifty rankers, including those three, had gathered together and were still struggling this much meant that the enemy they faced was that troublesome.
A dim field of vision that could not be properly secured.
The monsters charged in with red eyes flashing, and they moved even when their arms were cut off, even when their ankles were severed, even when their heads were cut off.
A den where they were hard to kill even if one wanted to kill them, and ignoring them put one’s life in danger.
They had walked of their own accord into the inside of walls packed densely with such things.
But there was no other method of clearing it.
No other lucky trick would work.
“Conserve your mana!”
“Move by pushing them back as much as possible! We absolutely cannot kill all of them!”
So they simply had to advance.
Now that they had entered, only forward—only that was the way.
Taking a little stability from the reassuring back of Antiphus as he swung his sword at the very front.
Through the endless sea surging with death, toward the enormous castle that would someday appear.
Risking their lives.
They screamed with all their strength, wrapped themselves in skills, and moved without rest.
* * *
Before long, Hio arrived before the gate in the wall.
“The outer wall is this big, so of course the gate is ridiculously huge too.”
He sent the Phantom Steed back, descended to the ground, and looked inside the gate.
Beyond the enormous gate that stood wide open, death energy did not merely overflow—it had taken form as darkness and was flowing.
And within that darkness, inside the gate, hundreds, thousands of undead flashed red eyes.
As though they could not come outside the gate, they stood still and watched Hio while exuding a dense killing intent. From them, he felt a strong will to kill him by any means the moment he entered.
Their appearances seemed to have been transformed from ordinary undead, becoming even more hideous and dangerous-looking.
Not only their appearances, but their strength as well must have grown several times stronger than before.
That was the power of the cursed Abyssal energy, after all.
“My, how frightening you look.”
A viscous growl came toward Hio as he approached.
— Grrrrrrr……
It was growling at the boundary between the gate and the outside as if it would leap out at any moment, and perhaps because it served as the gatekeeper around here, its oppressive presence was quite considerable.
Its appearance resembled a hell hound.
What made it different from an ordinary hell hound was that it was several times larger than Hio, and its fangs protruded all the way up to the top of its head.
This, too, was likely the influence of having been tainted by the Abyss.
Toward that hell hound, he extended the staff red as blood.
And immediately activated the skill.
「Staff of the Authority of Darkness Skill — ‘Domination’ has been activated.」
An intangible domain spread widely from the tip of the staff.
This was the domain of Domination.
It was the domain of the Authority of Darkness, which no being that moved under the influence of death energy could ever refuse.
He felt as though he could freely control all death energy within the domain.
Feeling such omnipotence, Hio held out his hand toward the enormous, ferocious hell hound.
“Paw!”
Compared to the hell hound, which was several times larger, it was an exceedingly small hand.
And soon.
— Kyiiing……
The hell hound’s huge, rugged paw was shyly placed atop it.
“Good boy!”
At Hio’s praise, it lowered its body close to the ground and even wagged its tail gently, and with that wagging, dozens of undead collapsed in a heap.
“You really are cute.”
Domination was a success.