Chapter 42 - 41: The Necromancer Who Asked to Be Saved

Chapter 42: Chapter 41: The Necromancer Who Asked to Be Saved

For three seconds, Arin stared at the quest.

«SANCTUARY CONDITION:

SAVE ELENA VOLKOV BEFORE PLAYER NETWORK EXTRACTION.

TIME LIMIT:

6 HOURS.»

Then he closed it.

Victor looked at him.

"You’re really going?"

"Yes."

"You don’t even know where she is."

"EVE."

"Tracking signal."

A map unfolded above Arin’s wrist.

The marker appeared far to the northeast.

Beyond two mountain ranges.

Past the old frontier.

Then farther.

Victor swore.

"That’s Black Cathedral territory."

Arin looked toward him.

"You know it?"

"Everyone in Hollow Crown knows it."

"Distance?"

"By normal travel? Three days."

Arin looked toward the fighter.

Victor immediately understood.

"No."

Arin raised an eyebrow.

Victor pointed at himself.

"I am still partially being eaten by a System."

"Sanctuary stabilized you."

"Temporarily."

"Good enough."

Victor stared.

"That phrase is doing too much work."

Arin ignored him.

"Can your aircraft reach her?"

"Yes."

"Time?"

Victor thought.

"Maybe two hours."

"Then we have four left."

Victor looked at the quest interface hovering near Arin.

"You’re assuming rescuing Elena is simple."

"No."

"She controls thousands of undead."

"I noticed."

"She has killed entire Hunter teams."

"Useful."

Victor’s expression flattened.

"Useful?"

"Means I know she can survive until we arrive."

Victor opened his mouth.

Stopped.

Then laughed.

"You’re difficult to argue with."

Arin turned toward EVE.

"Marcus and Edwin remain separated."

"Confirmed."

"Elara?"

"Stable."

"Ark population?"

"Transfer continuing."

"Lyra?"

"Currently assisting Nemi with food distribution."

Arin paused.

"She’s what?"

EVE’s voice became almost defensive.

"Young Lady Lyra insisted that carrying bread is not dangerous."

Arin closed his eyes.

"Fine."

Victor watched him.

"Little sister?"

"Yes."

"Protective?"

Arin looked at him.

Victor raised both hands.

"Understood."

Lucan entered the station.

"What did I miss?"

Arin pointed toward the projection of Elena.

Lucan studied the woman surrounded by undead.

"That looks unpleasant."

"She’s a Player."

"Hollow Crown?"

"Yes."

"And we’re rescuing her."

"Yes."

Lucan stared.

Arin waited.

Finally Lucan sighed.

"Of course we are."

Victor looked between them.

"What did he say?"

"He has accepted his fate."

"Smart man."

Lucan frowned.

"I don’t like his tone."

Arin turned toward A-01.

"You’re staying."

The Officer tilted its head.

"Reason?"

"Elena’s System may interact with yours."

"Unknown."

"Exactly."

Then toward Lucan.

"You stay too."

Lucan’s expression hardened.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

Arin looked at him.

"You have repaired Family Authority but unstable Founder corruption."

"So?"

"So I’m not taking unknown Player network exposure near you."

Lucan stepped closer.

"You took me into a collapsing Root Gate."

"Different problem."

"You took me onto a flying metal death trap."

"Transport."

"You made me fight Archivist operators."

"You volunteered."

Lucan stared.

Arin stared back.

Victor whispered:

"Family?"

Arin answered:

"Unfortunately."

Lucan heard the tone.

"I understood that."

Eventually he sighed.

"Fine."

Arin nodded.

"You monitor Marcus."

Lucan’s face changed.

"That actually sounds interesting."

"Do not provoke him."

"No promises."

"Then EVE monitors you."

Lucan looked toward the ceiling.

"Traitor."

EVE replied:

"Recorded."

Victor laughed.

Arin was beginning to regret putting everyone in one city.

He started toward the exit.

Victor followed.

"Arin."

He stopped.

Victor’s expression had changed.

More serious now.

"There’s something you should know about Elena."

"What?"

"She doesn’t ask for help."

"She just did."

"Exactly."

That mattered.

Arin waited.

Victor continued.

"She joined Hollow Crown because she believed cooperation made people weak."

"Charming."

"She would rather lose a limb than admit she needs someone."

"Then why contact me?"

Victor looked toward the quest.

"Maybe she didn’t."

Arin’s expression hardened.

The Player Network could be using her.

Again.

"Meaning the request could be fabricated."

"Yes."

Arin nodded once.

"Then we verify when we arrive."

Victor stared.

"That’s it?"

"What else?"

"You aren’t reconsidering?"

"No."

"Why?"

Arin looked toward the black chains tightening around Elena’s projection.

"Because whether she asked or not, she’s still being extracted."

Victor’s expression changed.

Arin continued walking.

"Her personality doesn’t decide whether she deserves protection."

Victor was silent for a moment.

Then followed.

---

The fighter launched nine minutes later.

This time Victor sat in the pilot seat.

Arin allowed it.

Not because he had accepted the other man’s superior experience.

Because EVE had sent a very clear message.

«PHANTOM-01 REPAIR PRIORITY MAY BE DELAYED IF FOUNDER DAMAGES ADDITIONAL VEHICLES.»

Arin had chosen to interpret that as concern.

Victor called it blackmail.

The aircraft climbed through the concealed mountain opening and accelerated northeast.

Arin sat in the second seat.

No Lucan.

No complaints.

It was strangely peaceful.

Victor looked back through the cockpit mirror.

"You miss him."

"No."

"That was fast."

"Because the answer is no."

Victor smiled.

The jet crossed the first mountain range.

Arin opened the projection again.

Elena remained conscious.

Barely.

«PLAYER NETWORK EXTRACTION:

17%.»

"Why hasn’t it progressed faster?"

Victor looked at the display.

"Necromancer System."

"Meaning?"

"Elena has ridiculous resistance to anything involving souls or consciousness."

Useful.

"Can she fight the extraction?"

"Probably."

"Why isn’t she?"

Victor’s expression hardened.

"Maybe she is."

The ruins beneath them changed.

Forests disappeared.

Blackened ground spread across the landscape.

Old roads became cracked stone.

Collapsed villages dotted the horizon.

Then graves.

Thousands.

Victor looked down.

"Black Cathedral territory."

Arin saw movement.

At first he thought it was wildlife.

Then bodies began emerging from the forest.

Skeletons.

Armored corpses.

Monster remains.

Thousands.

All moving toward one point.

Elena.

The undead were not protecting her.

They were surrounding her.

Arin frowned.

"Are those hers?"

Victor’s face changed.

"They should be."

"Should."

"Yes."

"Meaning?"

"Her summons never attack her."

Arin’s eyes narrowed.

So the Player Network had taken control.

The jet began receiving warnings.

«UNKNOWN AERIAL HOSTILES.»

Winged undead rose from the forest.

Dozens.

Then hundreds.

Victor swore.

"They’re intercepting."

Arin looked at the radar.

"Can we go above?"

"Yes."

"Do it."

Victor pulled upward.

The jet climbed.

The undead followed.

Too high.

Too fast.

Not normal.

Arin watched.

"Network enhancement."

"Probably."

One creature slammed into the aircraft.

The entire jet shook.

Another hit the wing.

Warning alarms screamed.

Victor’s expression became furious.

"My paint."

Arin looked at him.

"Seriously?"

"It survived Hollow Crown missions."

Another impact.

Victor swore harder.

Arin opened his inventory.

No combat suit.

Still damaged.

Energy sidearm.

Multi-tool.

Portable shield emitter.

Enough.

"Bring us over the cathedral."

Victor stared.

"You’re not jumping."

Arin looked at him.

Victor’s face changed.

"No."

"Yes."

"That is a terrible idea."

"Can the aircraft hover?"

"Briefly."

"Then hover."

Victor stared.

"You have a motorcycle that appears from nowhere. Use that."

"Phantom is under repair."

Victor closed his eyes.

"I miss Marcus."

"Why?"

"He usually says ridiculous things instead of doing them."

The cathedral appeared ahead.

Black stone.

Broken towers.

Half the roof missing.

Thousands of undead filled the grounds.

At the center, Elena stood alone.

Black chains extended from her body into the sky.

Not physical.

System constructs.

Her own undead knelt around her.

Not obeying.

Feeding.

Arin’s eyes narrowed.

Each corpse was losing something.

Mana?

Soul energy?

The chains strengthened.

Victor saw it.

"It’s using her army as fuel."

"Then she isn’t the donor."

Victor looked at him.

Arin continued.

"She’s the collection point."

That was worse.

The Network wanted everything attached to her System.

Thousands of undead.

Abilities.

Soul resources.

Then Elena herself.

Arin’s interface updated.

«EXTRACTION:

31%.»

Victor pulled the fighter over the ruined cathedral.

"Hovering!"

Arin opened the canopy.

Wind exploded inward.

Victor shouted:

"You have ten seconds before every corpse with wings reaches us!"

Arin stood.

Looked down.

Nearly a hundred meters.

Fine.

Victor stared.

"You don’t have armor!"

Arin took out the portable shield emitter.

"Good thing I have this."

Then jumped.

Victor screamed something behind him.

The wind swallowed it.

Arin fell.

Fast.

The shield emitter activated before impact.

A transparent sphere formed around him.

He hit the cathedral roof.

Stone shattered.

The shield collapsed to nineteen percent.

Arin rolled.

Pain shot through one knee.

Alive.

Acceptable.

The System displayed:

«LANDING QUALITY:

POOR.»

Arin stared at it.

"EVE."

No response at this distance.

He muttered:

"Not now."

Then the undead arrived.

Three skeleton soldiers charged across the roof.

Arin drew the sidearm.

Three shots.

Three skulls exploded.

The bodies collapsed.

Then immediately began rebuilding.

Network control.

Arin stopped wasting ammunition.

He ran.

The roof gave way beneath him.

He dropped into the cathedral.

Landed badly again.

«LANDING QUALITY:

WORSE.»

Arin closed the notification.

"Whoever added that feature is getting removed."

A laugh echoed from the nave.

Female.

Weak.

"Good."

Arin turned.

Elena stood twenty meters away.

The projection had not shown how bad she looked.

Black hair hanging loose.

Blood running from her nose.

One eye glowing violet.

The other completely black.

Chains passed through her body and disappeared into the floor.

Her hands were wrapped around one chain.

Holding it.

Literally preventing it from pulling deeper.

She looked at Arin.

"So."

Her accent was heavy, but the translation worked.

"Player Two."

"Elena."

"You actually came."

"You sound disappointed."

"I expected Marcus."

"Why?"

"He’s stupid."

Arin considered.

"Sometimes."

A faint smile appeared.

Then pain twisted her face.

The chains tightened.

«EXTRACTION:

39%.»

Arin approached.

"Did you request Sanctuary?"

"No."

Victor had been right.

"Did your System contact me?"

"No."

"Then the Network did."

"Obviously."

She stared at him.

"You’re slower than rumors."

Arin stopped.

"You know about me."

"Hollow Crown talks."

"About Player Two?"

"About a classless noble with impossible machines."

That was spreading faster than he’d wanted.

Problem for later.

"Can you stop the extraction?"

Elena laughed weakly.

"If I could, would I be decorating church with black chains?"

Fair.

Arin looked around.

Her undead were gathering outside.

Not entering.

Why?

He studied the floor.

A circle of violet symbols surrounded Elena.

Her magic.

A ward.

"You kept them outside."

"For now."

"How long?"

"Maybe ten minutes."

Good.

"Then we have ten."

Elena stared.

"You always talk like this?"

"Apparently."

She looked toward the open roof.

"Victor?"

"Above."

"Hollow Crown traitor."

"You’re also Hollow Crown."

"Former."

"Convenient."

Arin almost smiled.

"Everyone says that too."

The Network interface appeared.

«SANCTUARY TARGET AVAILABLE.

CONDITION:

REMOVE EXTRACTION CHAINS.»

Arin frowned.

Not just touch her.

Different from Victor.

The System was adapting.

Of course.

"How do I remove them?"

Elena laughed.

"Very carefully."

"Useful."

"You see the seven?"

Arin counted.

Seven black chains.

"Yes."

"Each is attached to a System function."

"Which?"

"Army. soul storage. resurrection. command. mana conversion. class progression."

She paused.

Arin counted.

"That’s six."

Elena’s expression darkened.

"The seventh is me."

There it was.

"Can we cut the first six?"

"Maybe."

"Consequence?"

"I lose the abilities."

"Can they return?"

"No idea."

"Do you care?"

Her eyes hardened.

"Yes."

At least she was honest.

Arin looked at the extraction percentage.

«44%.»

"Do you care more than dying?"

She smiled.

"Currently debating."

Arin stepped closer.

"No."

Her smile faded.

"What?"

"You’re not debating."

"I am."

"You’re afraid."

The cathedral went silent.

Elena’s expression became murderous.

Arin continued.

"Not of dying."

Her hand tightened around the chain.

"Of becoming weak."

Violet mana flared.

"Careful."

Arin ignored it.

"You built your entire identity around being the strongest thing in the room."

Her eyes narrowed.

"And now survival may cost power."

"Shut up."

"That’s why you’re still standing here."

One chain tightened.

Blood ran from Elena’s mouth.

Arin’s voice hardened.

"Pick."

She stared at him.

"You don’t command me."

"Correct."

He pointed toward the chains.

"But the Network does."

Silence.

"And I’m offering something it isn’t."

"What?"

"A choice."

That hit.

Elena looked down.

At the chains.

At her undead beyond the broken walls.

At the power she had accumulated for years.

Thousands of summons.

Abilities.

Security.

Identity.

Then at Arin.

"If I let you cut them..."

"You may lose everything."

"You say that very calmly."

"It’s yours to lose."

Her expression changed.

Not trust.

Something close.

"Will Sanctuary work?"

"I don’t know."

She laughed once.

"Terrible rescuer."

"Still here."

The extraction reached fifty percent.

Elena closed her eyes.

Then opened them.

"Cut Army first."

Arin raised the sidearm.

"Certain?"

"No."

"Good enough?"

She grimaced.

"I hate you."

"Get in line."

He fired.

The energy shot struck the first chain.

It screamed.

The sound echoed through every undead body outside.

Then the chain shattered.

Thousands of corpses collapsed simultaneously.

The ground shook.

Elena screamed and dropped to one knee.

Her System flashed.

«NECROMANTIC ARMY FUNCTION:

LOST.»

She stared at the dead army.

For one second, grief crossed her face.

Then she looked back.

"Next."

Arin aimed.

Soul Storage.

Shot.

Chain shattered.

Black light exploded from the cathedral.

Thousands of trapped souls rose.

Not screaming.

Leaving.

Elena watched them go.

Her face changed.

Arin noticed.

No time.

"Next."

Resurrection.

Gone.

Command.

Gone.

Mana Conversion.

Gone.

Class Progression.

The final ability chain.

Elena looked at it.

"Wait."

Arin lowered the weapon.

She stared at the chain.

"If this goes, I may never grow stronger."

"Maybe."

"You really don’t care about power."

"I care."

Arin’s expression hardened.

"I just don’t worship it."

Silence.

Elena looked at him.

Then slowly nodded.

"Do it."

Arin fired.

The sixth chain shattered.

The entire cathedral became quiet.

Elena collapsed.

No violet aura.

No undead.

No overwhelming necromantic pressure.

Just a woman.

Breathing.

Barely.

Only one chain remained.

Attached directly to her chest.

The seventh.

The Network appeared.

«SYSTEM HOST EXTRACTION:

71%.

FINAL CHAIN PROTECTED.

ELIMINATION REQUIRED TO SEVER.»

Arin stared.

There it was again.

The same rule.

Kill to solve.

No.

Elena saw the message.

She laughed weakly.

"Of course."

Arin stepped forward.

"Sanctuary."

«CONDITION NOT MET.»

"Protect her."

«TARGET SYSTEM REMAINS HOSTILELY BOUND.»

"Then protect the person."

«SYSTEM AND HOST CANNOT BE SEPARATED WITHOUT ELIMINATION.»

Arin’s eyes became cold.

Elena looked at him.

"Do it."

He turned.

"What?"

"Kill me."

"No."

"Then it takes me."

"No."

"Arin."

"No."

She laughed bitterly.

"You are very annoying."

"So I’ve heard."

The final chain tightened.

«78%.»

Arin grabbed it.

Pain exploded through his arm.

Black symbols crawled across his skin.

The Network interface opened.

«SYSTEM TRANSFER AVAILABLE.

ELIMINATE TARGET TO CLAIM NECROMANCER CORE.»

Arin smiled.

Elena stared.

"Why are you smiling?"

"Because it made the same mistake again."

"What mistake?"

"It offered me ownership."

White light erupted from Arin’s Authority Band.

Sanctuary.

Not family.

Not citizenship.

Not possession.

Protection without ownership.

He tightened his grip.

"She doesn’t belong to me."

The Network flickered.

"She doesn’t belong to Hollow Crown."

The chain cracked.

"She doesn’t belong to you."

The System screamed.

Arin’s voice hardened.

"She belongs to herself."

The white light exploded.

«DISTRIBUTED CIVILIZATION PRINCIPLE CONFIRMED.

SANCTUARY AUTHORITY EVOLVING.»

The final chain shattered.

Elena fell forward.

Arin caught her.

The cathedral shook.

The Network interface fragmented.

«SANCTUARY TARGET THREE REGISTERED.

CONDITION COMPLETE.

BLUEPRINT UNLOCKED:

SANCTUARY FACILITY.»

Arin exhaled.

Done.

Then Elena’s eyes opened.

Not violet.

Normal gray.

She stared up at him.

"My System."

Arin looked at the empty space where her interface had been.

Gone.

Completely.

She whispered:

"It’s gone."

He said nothing.

She had lost everything.

Her army.

Class.

Progression.

System.

Years of power.

Her expression went blank.

Arin waited for rage.

For grief.

For blame.

Instead Elena started laughing.

Quietly.

Then harder.

Arin frowned.

"Are you unstable?"

"Probably."

She looked at her empty hands.

Then at him.

"For the first time in nine years..."

Her laugh turned into something close to a sob.

"...there is no voice in my head."

Arin went still.

Nine years.

Same as Edwin.

Another first-generation arrival.

Before he could ask, the fighter screamed overhead.

Victor’s voice came through a dropped communication module.

"ARIN!"

He looked upward.

The sky had turned black.

Not clouds.

An interface.

Enormous.

Stretching across the horizon.

Elena saw it.

Her laughter stopped.

Words appeared across the sky.

«SANCTUARY THRESHOLD COMPLETED.

THREE PLAYERS REMOVED FROM FORCED EXTRACTION.»

Then:

«NETWORK RESISTANCE DETECTED.

GAME MASTER RESPONSE AUTHORIZED.»

Arin’s expression hardened.

Elena whispered:

"Game Master?"

The cathedral trembled.

A final line appeared.

«PLAYER TWO HAS BECOME A SYSTEMIC THREAT.

NEXT PHASE:

EXTERMINATE THE FOUNDER.»

And all across the world, every remaining active Player received the same quest.

«KILL ARIN ELYSIUM.

REWARD:

FULL SYSTEM ASCENSION.»