The Genesis Of A Necromancer-Chapter 166: Blood mummies

The demon panicked.

A deep, primal fear clawed at his mind as he desperately tapped his staff, about to erect a barrier. His instincts screamed at him to protect himself, to block the incoming strike. But then, a chill ran down his spine—a presence far more terrifying than the enemy before him. From the corner of his eye, he met the gaze of his master.

His sunken eyes widened, trembling with sheer terror.

"Master warned… No shield." His voice came out in a ragged whisper, barely audible over the tension-laden silence of the stadium.

Jack frowned.

'Why didn't he use a barrier?'

But he didn't let the thought distract him. Hesitation was death. That was a lesson Alogra had drilled into him, burned into his very being. Every strike had to carry the intent to kill. If an enemy faltered, if they showed even a sliver of weakness—

You finish them.

Jack's grip on his dagger tightened as his eyes darkened, their usual clarity replaced by the cold, merciless sheen of a predator. With a swift, fluid motion, he plunged the blade deep into the demon's throat.

The crowd gasped. A collective breath held in suspense.

Jack seemed to have won.

The demon staggered back, his body jerking violently. Blood poured freely from his neck, thick and slow, soaking his tattered robes. His knees buckled, his spine twisted—but he did not fall.

Jack's brow furrowed as he took a cautious step back.

Something was wrong.

The demon's head remained bowed, his shoulders shaking slightly, but not from weakness—no, there was something else, something unnatural.

Then, with a sickening wet sound, the demon raised his head.

Gasps rippled through the crowd. Some recoiled. Others clutched at their seats as a cold chill swept through the air.

The demon's face was a twisted mess of agony and unwavering resolve. Blood dribbled down his lips, yet his mouth curled into something that resembled a deranged smile. His vacant eyes, dark and endless, bore into Jack.

"Master said win…" His voice was hoarse, gurgling with the blood pooling in his throat. "Win… Master said… No shield…"

Jack's grip tightened around his weapon.

'What the hell is going on?'

It wasn't just him. Every spectator felt the eerie shift in the air. A pressure, unseen but tangible, settled over them like a suffocating blanket.

In the royal box, Queen Naya turned sharply to Layla, her golden gaze sharp as a blade.

"Why didn't you let him use his barrier?"

Layla sighed inwardly. The queen was growing impatient with her vague responses. And while Layla relished watching the fight unfold in silence, she knew she couldn't keep dodging questions forever.

With a forced smile, she finally spoke. "My student is a hybrid. His panic and fear unlock his true abilities. Without fear, he wouldn't be able to fight at his full potential."

The queen's lips parted slightly, intrigued, but she said nothing further. Instead, her attention shifted back to the battlefield, her interest in the match intensifying.

'A human hybrid and a demon hybrid…'

She had already suspected Jack wasn't ordinary. Unlike the others who were confused by his strange aura and the overwhelming death energy surrounding him, she had a fair idea of what lurked within him. After all, she was the greatest soul expert aside from the Demon Monarch himself.

She settled back into her seat, crossing her long, pale legs elegantly. The show had taken an interesting turn. More than anything, she wanted to see just how far this battle would go.

Daemon, watching from beside his mother, smirked. He knew that look all too well. His mother had taken an interest in Jack. Whatever secret the boy held, she had seen something in him.

Back on the battlefield, Jack took a measured step back. The air had grown thick, heavy with a rising, malevolent energy. The demon's aura was changing, growing more oppressive with each passing second.

A chill crept down Alisha's spine. Missy's face had gone pale, her small hands gripping Alisha's arm tightly.

"Big sis…" Missy's voice was small, trembling. "Big brother's opponent… he's scary."

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Alisha forced a reassuring smile. "Big brother can handle it."

Her words were firm, confident, but deep inside, unease gnawed at her. The demon's aura was different—thicker, darker—almost reminiscent of Zamazo's, but not quite. This was something else. Something worse.

Jack remained still, unfazed by the aura. In fact, something about it felt… familiar.

Then the demon's eyes changed.

A deep crimson glow replaced the hollow black pits. And then—

A sharp ripple cut through the air. A rift tore open behind the demon, jagged and unnatural. From its depths, tormented souls poured forth, their agonized wails slicing through the stadium like razor wire.

Jack's muscles tensed. The cries were brief but bone-chilling.

One by one, the souls rushed toward the demon—only to be swallowed whole, consumed in an instant. Their shrieks were cut off abruptly, as though vanishing into a void.

The blood pooling beneath the demon began to ripple. It slithered upward, defying gravity, twisting and shifting until it took form.

Four figures emerged, molded entirely from the thick crimson liquid. Their bodies pulsated like a living mass, their faces void of features save for pitch-black eyes and mouths lined with unnervingly long strands of blood.

Naya's lips parted slightly in shock.

'Don't tell me… his second bloodline is that?'

She slowly rose from her seat, her fingers tightening against the armrest.

The blood figures stood motionless for a moment before the demon raised a trembling hand. With a single gesture, they surged forward, their movements unnaturally fluid, like the shifting tide of an endless ocean.

Jack's system screen flickered before his eyes.

[Blood Mummies]

[Soul Essence +30]

Erebus' voice echoed in Jack's mind, an uncharacteristic trace of concern lacing his tone.

'Blood mummies… very useful puppets in the past.'

Jack knew why. Erebus' memories were his memories, and he recalled all too well the devastation these creatures had wrought. Entire nations had crumbled under their relentless assault.

And now…

Jack's jaw tightened.

'This… this isn't just a normal demon.'

The realization settled heavily in his gut. Blood demons. The terrifying rulers of the abyss. The most ruthless creation of Erebus himself—

And the key to a long-buried nightmare.

A name flickered in Jack's mind, whispered like a curse in the depths of his soul.

Tyme.

The battlefield had transformed into something far more sinister.

And Jack knew—this fight was far from over.

The skill allowed one to create an army—an undead army—far stronger than the useless pile of bones Erebus had once used to wipe out insignificant nations. But the blood army? That was his true masterpiece. A force that did not simply persist but evolved, adapting with each kill, growing stronger by consuming the blood of its enemies. A single cut was all it took to turn them into something far worse.

Jack clenched his fists, feeling the weight of Erebus's warning.

'He doesn't have enough power to create a blood general yet. But don't let any of those things scratch you. If even a drop of your blood touches them, it'll be disastrous,' Erebus cautioned, his tone darker than usual.

Jack's body tensed. For the first time in a while, he felt a drop of sweat roll down his temple. He had faced countless enemies, fought in battles that should have broken him, and yet this… this was different. It wasn't just about winning; it was about surviving without even the slightest mistake.

'How the hell am I supposed to do that?' Jack asked, his grip tightening on his weapon. His current condition was far from optimal, and now he was forced to dance on the edge of a blade with no room for error.

'I don't know how you want to do it,' Erebus admitted, his voice grim. 'But if even a single drop of your blood falls into their hands, they will become blood generals. And you do not want to see what a blood general is capable of.'

Jack's mind flashed to the memories he had inherited—horrors only Erebus had truly witnessed. He had seen it through Erebus's eyes, yes, but seeing was different from experiencing. The blood army was one of the most terrifying creations in existence, an abomination Erebus himself had restricted. The thought of those monsters returning to the battlefield sent a chill down his spine.

The atmosphere grew heavier. The fight had taken a drastic turn, and the air buzzed with an unspoken tension.