Awakening: I Ascend As A Legendary Ranked Necromancer

Chapter 120: I hate cockroaches

Kaelith looked at him with amusement. "Then what if I just kill you here and now?" His tone was mild, as if he were merely considering it.

Thayer laughed. "But you can’t. Not in front of all these witnesses. You’ll be torn to shreds by those who want to curry favor with the Argent, and the Cult’s enemies will use my father’s anger and influence to attack your Cult. You might escape tonight, but you’ll be found eventually. My death won’t benefit you tonight, Kaelith—unless you truly have no card left to play."

The Blood Necromancer smiled tightly behind his mask. "Ahahaha. You have really cornered me. But do you really think your people will be able to save her and get out of there alive? You aren’t that naive, are you?"

He narrowed his eyes. "What did you do?"

"Let’s say I left a surprise behind."

Just then, Kaelith flinched. "I see. So Kaidos is dead. Then it won’t be long now. Enjoy this sense of victory while you can, because it won’t last long."

I watched him break the shield and turn away, leaving Thayer confused. Thayer frowned deeply. "You’ll be able to counter any trap, won’t you guys?"

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With Litha leaning against me, I supported her as Temur and I reached the door right before we felt it. An aura brushed against my senses, making my skin crawl.

"What is it again?" I growled.

We turned and saw Kaidos’s body twitching, his stomach swelling as his skin squirmed like something was moving beneath it.

"You killed him, right?" Litha asked.

"Yes, he’s dead for sure," Temur replied flatly. There was no doubt about that. But then—what was happening?

"Don’t tell me he can come back to life!" I shouted. There was nothing worse than an opponent with powerful regeneration—let alone coming back from death.

Kaidos’s stomach burst open. Blood erupted upward, followed by the largest worm I had ever seen. It turned toward us, hissed, then burrowed back into Kaidos’s flesh, slurping liquefied meat.

A wave of disgust washed over me. I grimaced. "That looks like one of the blood worms Kaelith uses, but what’s it doing in that guy’s stomach?"

Litha grimaced. "I think Kaidos might just be a source of food right now. If this is something Kaelith left behind, then we have to exterminate it before it does whatever it’s planning."

"I’ll do it," Temur said.

"No," I said immediately.

I helped Litha to the ground and stepped toward the body. "Let’s see, Onus."

Power flowed into me as I spread my hand over the corpse and pressed down hard.

The air above the body shuddered—but just before my force could slam down, something shot out and jerked back. I recoiled instinctively.

A hand—black and shell-like, with long claws and jutting black spines at the joints.

I stepped back further as the entire body exploded, chunks of flesh splattering through the air. "This is different from what I was expecting."

A monster crouched before me. The first thing that crossed my mind was that it looked like a cockroach shaped into a man—black, shining shell, flat head, and even two wings.

It shook its wings.

The sound was like metal scraping against metal.

"Let’s see if killing insects still works the same way," I shouted, "by stomping them hard!"

I brought my hand down.

My force crashed with the weight of a charging bull.

The monster was crushed instantly. A sharp crack rang out.

"Ahaha!" I laughed. "I was worried for a moment, but it seems you’re not that strong! Come on, let’s get out of here."

I turned back toward Temur and Litha and froze.

A sound behind me made my spine tighten.

I turned slowly.

Two worms writhed on the corpse of the creature I had just killed.

In the next instant, two monsters stood up identical to the first.

"Shit," I muttered. "Did they just multiply? What kind of magic is this?"

I shuddered. They didn’t look strong, but multiplication... Was this Kaelith’s trap?

"I’ve said it countless times," I growled, "but I really hate cockroaches!"

I thrust my right hand forward.

Bang!

My force erupted outward, sending both monsters flying. They slammed into the wall and burst apart with a wet pop.

Thayer smiled, his eyes shining. "I will gain favor from three Awakeners who will be one of the strongest here in this Tower."

Kaelith blinked. That wasn’t what he was expecting. I could almost tell what he had assumed that Thayer would talk about guilds, loyalty, or some other nonsense. So this was the mindset of those who climbed the Tower’s power without relying on their own strength.

He hated it. I could feel it. Some people were considered powerful just because they were rich. But the boy before him had both money and power. He was going to be dangerous. Should I just kill him? Kaelith must have wondered. But his father... he’d turn the whole Tower against me, and not even the Cult would help.

Kaelith laughed. "So that’s how it is. You are investing in their potential. The same thing you want me to do turn them into my sacrifices."

Thayer smiled. "Seems we are on the same page. We both have eyes to see those who shine, but your sight is still limited. If you could see farther, you wouldn’t be here at this party while leaving your hostage behind."

Kaelith accepted that. "It was foolish of me. I know you were helping them, but not to this extent. But don’t you think you have underestimated me?"

"How? You will be in this shield until I let you go, and they will be long gone by then."

Kaelith looked at him with amusement. "Then what if I just kill you here and now?" His tone was mild, as if he were merely considering it.

Thayer laughed. "But you can’t. Not in front of all these witnesses. You’ll be torn to shreds by those who want to curry favor with the Argent, and the Cult’s enemies will use my father’s anger and influence to attack your Cult. You might escape tonight, but you’ll be found eventually. My death won’t benefit you tonight, Kaelith, unless you truly have no card left to play."