Chapter 1178: Synergy
Chapter 1178: Synergy
Necromancy was not meant to be done like this. It was supposed to be deliberate, requiring careful planning. Harvest, store, use, rest.
But with cultivation techniques reinforcing his regeneration, the process turned continuous.
The lines of the Codex glowed brighter. The blob began to clear, shedding its darkness layer by layer. Where once the unstable echoes had twisted and writhed, souls as he knew them began to take shape.
Quinlan soon opened his eyes. The last of the corrupted haze broke apart, leaving behind a cluster of purified soul motes that hovered quietly over his palm before returning to the Soul Reaper where they were stored until he wished to use them.
Below, the battlefield was silent for half a second, then the remaining echoes of steel and screams caught up to his awareness. His second wave had already been wiped out.
“How scary~” he mused playfully.
A single word, and the air stirred. Twelve elite souls materialized before him, taking formation as the disciplined captains that they were, awaiting orders.
Then came the next wave. Five hundred lesser souls rose once more, flooding toward the Fujimori ranks.
He didn’t even bother watching them all form; his focus had already moved on.
“[Eternal Damnation].”
The souls of the slain drifted toward him, as if caught by a magnetic pull.
“[Soul Requiem].”
The ones he had already used twisted back from the sky, screaming as they were reclaimed.
And the process began again.
Death, collection, resurrection.
The loop continued without pause, a steady rhythm that turned the battlefield into his workshop.
The Fujimori fought hard, but every step forward was eaten by the tide. Their blades dulled, their formations broke, their shouts turned hoarse.
One by one, they started realizing the truth.
The soldiers before them, those they had just killed, were returning. Their own comrades’ faces stared back at them with empty eyes over and over again.
It was pure psychological terror, forcing many to despair.
They were professional soldiers, used to the worst horrors of the world.
But this… This was something else entirely.
No amount of preparation could make one go through this unscathed.
And just like that, fear crept through their lines.
More and more heads turned upward, toward the ramparts.
There, behind the shimmering barrier, floated the man controlling it all.
Calm. Still. Watching.
“That… thing,” one of them whispered before breaking into a strained cry, “That thing is no human!”
They were right. No mortal could command death so casually.
This was a power that only one entity could claim as his own in the entire universe.
And he was no mortal.
Behind him, Black Fang stood motionless with her gaze locked strictly on Quinlan.
Her dark purple eyes were alive, with the color shifting like ink under water, swirling in a manic spiral. The aura spilling from her body was heavy enough to make many onlookers gasp for air.
She had known he was unique and that he was far more versatile than any human could dream, but this… this was something else entirely.
[Ding!]
[You’ve reached level 44!]
…
Lilith dropped down from the sky. Her descent was tethered by the thin, trembling line of Void’s magic.
The landing was controlled despite the mage’s exhaustion. Void was truly professional.
The smell of blood and burnt oil hung in the air, carried by the wind from the frontlines.
Bronnya lay nearby. Her armor was ruined, but her body beneath was even worse. The woman had taken the full force of Black Fang’s ultimate.
Her breathing was shallow, nearly nonexistent.
Lilith crouched beside her for a second and placed her fingers next to her neck, looking for a pulse. Then she looked up.
Jallen met her eyes immediately. The healer’s hands were already glowing with soft light, working desperately to dispel Black Fang’s anti-healing poison.
They didn’t need to exchange words. Lilith’s gaze said enough: Stay with her.
Jallen gave a small nod and pressed her palms harder against the bleeding wound.
Lilith turned to the other side, where Void was sitting on a rock. The mage’s skin was pale, even by her usual standards. Sweat trickled down her forehead. Her eyes were closed now, far too tired to keep them open.
She had spent every drop of mana chasing Quinlan through the skies earlier.
“Go…” Void’s voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper.
The frustration burned behind Lilith’s ribs. She wanted to argue, to insist on staying, but she knew better. They were professionals.
Jallen would keep Bronnya alive. Void needed not even a whole minute of rest before she could fly them all away if something attacked.
Lilith clenched her jaw, then nodded once.
She broke into a sprint toward the battlefield.
The world narrowed around her as she ran. The noise grew clearer with each step; steel grinding against bone, arrows whistling, people screaming. Her heart hammered in her chest, but it wasn’t fear. It was something sharper.
Scar.
Her throat tightened. Four centuries ago, she had pulled that girl out of a horrible nightmare. She could still remember the stench of that room, the way Scar had clung to her arm, refusing to let go. That same girl had followed her ever since. Loyal, fierce, innocent in her own way.
And now, she was gone, forced into a new cage by a different man.
Lilith’s breath hitched.
Her vision blurred.
The battlefield came into view through the haze of tears that burned her eyes.
Hundreds of pale blue soldiers clashed with the Fujimori forces.
The sight was unreal.
The Fujimori outnumbered them heavily, but their lines were faltering. Faces were drained of color. Fear rippled through their ranks stronger than any wound could cause.
Some were shouting to retreat. Others had already dropped their weapons and were backing away, trembling.
Lilith’s pulse quickened. Then, from the corner of her eye, something moved. Swift and light, a flash of blue cutting through the chaos.
Her head snapped toward it.
A shadow darted behind a siege engine, stabbing the engineer through the back in a single, precise strike before vanishing again. Then it appeared behind a fire mage, blade slicing through his throat before he could even turn.
The movement was too fast, too familiar.
“Scar!”
Her voice broke as she screamed the name. Her feet were already moving, kicking up dirt, racing toward the blur that shouldn’t exist.
Novel Full