I Became The Academy Necromancer
Chapter 312: Inevitable Figure

Eternity.

Surprisingly, many people didn’t consider the weight of this word seriously.

There were probably many reasons for that, but if I had to choose the biggest one, it would be because it lacked a sense of reality.

Eternal suffering.

Just imagining it for even a brief moment was enough to send fear coursing through your entire body—a fear far greater than the pain of being struck, having your arm severed, your eyes pierced, or your tongue torn out.

An overwhelming terror that those horrors would never end–A span so vast that even a lifetime could be considered as a fleeting moment.

Endless time.

That was the choice Luaneth made.

“Ah.”

As Pelestan seemed to have grasped the terror embedded in the word “eternity” as well, despair began to fill his eyes.

What made it worse was that his friend had inflicted this suffering on himself. And in the end, this meant even if he wanted to, Pelestan couldn’t do anything to help Luaneth.

He couldn’t offer encouragement, comfort, or aid.

Because after more than 200 years of a long life, the final destination Luaneth Luden Griffin chose was here.

“Luaneth, this isn’t right.”

Yet, his ever-closest friend, who had sworn to help him forever, didn’t give up.

His tears mixed with the surrounding blood, staining them red.

Pelestan let out a roar filled with resentment.

“This isn’t right! In the end, this is all for your self-satisfaction! Nothing is redeemed. This is just an act of deception!”

“…”

“There has to be a better way than this! No one will ever know of the suffering you’re enduring to atone for souls that are already at rest!”

It was a truly pitiful wail because all he received in return was emptiness.

“He knows that.”

I didn’t wish to see Pelestan’s disgraceful actions anymore.

No matter how loud he shouted, Luaneth’s resolve did not waver.

200 years.

For a full 200 years, Luaneth Luden Griffin had struggled and pondered over this.

And because he, too, believed this was the best choice, so he acted on it. But he probably never thought this would hold any true meaning.

It was something purely for his self-satisfaction.

The Dark Mage, whose massacre brought the Griffin Kingdom to ruin, was unable to find peace, even in death.

It was like the ending of a fairy tale, where the righteous were rewarded, and the wicked were punished.

“I understand your sadness. But he too only made the choice he thought was best after much agony and deliberation.”

“B-but…”

“I cannot say that it is right. Nor can I say it has any meaning. I do not want to say that with empty words.”

Slowly, I looked up at Luaneth, who was still being tortured by some evil spirit, impaled on a skewer, with a bitter expression.

“But it was a choice made by his beliefs. Respect it.”

“…”

Slowly, I extended my hand.

The dark red mana spreading out around us was sucked back into the staff, and Luaneth’s form disappeared.

The hellish landscape returned to its original, empty state.

“You fool! Idiot!”

Kneeling and crying, Pelestan was in pain while I sealed the cracked staff with mana and grabbed it again.

The ominous mana Luaneth possessed continued to affect the Dark Spiritualist.

I worried that this could be his attempt to steal or absorb the Dark Spiritualist. However…

In this state, he doesn’t seem like he can be a major issue.

Luaneth was pitiful, but it didn’t look like he would cause any harm to the Dark Spiritualist.

And if he had the strength, he would probably continue to inflict pain on himself under the guise of atonement.

I glanced at the Dark Spiritualist.

Once everything calmed down, she gave me a faint smile.

But…

There was still something I was unsure about.

Why wasn’t the Dark Spiritualist pulled into the Land of Eternal Rest?

If it was because she had become a haunting spirit, I could argue that the other souls in the staff all came to me.

Just the Dark Spiritualist.

Only one person remained.

It couldn’t have been because she didn’t want it—after all, the Dark Spiritualist had been defeated by Luaneth and was unconscious at the time.

So, it would have been natural for her to join the others, but why did she remain?

While I was pondering about that…

[Deus!]

I heard Stella’s urgent voice come from the sky.

Something was descending from above.

It had the force of a hurtling meteor, but Stella blocked it, hampering the expected impact.

KABOOOM!

Nevertheless, the impact shook the mountain, and animals fled the forest in a panic.

Bronzed skin and blonde hair. His physique was sturdy, and the aura he exuded was the same as the god of thunder and clouds, Raizel, whom I had faced before.

A being cloaked in divinity.

Stella, who hastily descended next to me, was clearly tense.

He wore a necklace adorned with jewels around his neck, luxurious earrings in his ears, and rings stacked on his fingers.

Though Stella was unable to recognize the gods’ true forms, she seemed to know who he was the moment she saw him.

[It’s God Velas.]

“So, the god of festivals and joy, huh?”

Ironically, all his followers lived lives devoted to their desires.

And his teachings were far more relaxed than those of other gods, with the boisterous doctrine that pleasure was truth.

They were promised that they would join Velas in his palace to indulge in luxurious feasts and pleasures after death.

He was one of the most favored gods, with many followers, though their faith was shallow.

He grinned broadly, his white teeth and gums hinting at his carefree personality.

“Deus Verdi. Or rather, Kim Shinwoo. It’s truly a pleasure to meet you!”

“…”

“And now, with the new goddess of fire and hearth! Haha, I would love to share a close bond with you in front of a hearth on a dark night, when even the stars and the moon are hidden!”

[…]

Stella immediately scowled and moved closer to me.

“Ah? Lovers? Hahaha! How wonderful! The most tempting fruits are always from another person’s garden. And the thrill of secretly plucking them—”

“Enough.”

My expression didn’t change.

I could feel an impulse to make it clear to this deranged libertine that those who spoke carelessly often ended up having their tongues ripped out.

“If you die here, will another god come down? In that case, it might be better to call the next one.”

“Hahaha.”

Velas scratched the back of his head on noticing my annoyance. It seemed that he had realized that life was more important than pride.

“My apologies. I often find myself in serious trouble with the goddesses for letting my tongue run wild recklessly.”

“It would be better if you stop talking like that in front of me.”

Taking the warning to heart, Velas’ smile froze. He swallowed nervously, his lips seeming to dry up.

“Why have you come here?”

When I got straight to the point, Velas took a deep breath to relax and started delivering his prepared lines.

“Today, I, the god of festivals and joy, have come down to the continent to inform you of the severity of the current situation.”

Velas spoke dramatically, almost as if he were in a play. And whether he had been pushed into coming or volunteered, I couldn’t tell.

However, in the end, the gods’ decision had been a mistake because every word he uttered made me feel more and more uncomfortable.

“I’m sure you’re aware that the gods went along with the fate appointed to the continent?”

“Yeah, I can still vividly remember tearing apart the god who spoke of that destiny and giving him the freedom he dearly wanted.”

“Keuh, ahem.”

Having defeated Raizel, the god of thunder and clouds, I could approach this matter with even more confidence.

This so-called “fate” the gods spoke of was the main storyline of the game [Retry].

However, everything had already gone awry.

The protagonist, Aria Rias, had escaped from her destined role as a hero.

And even the most crucial part of the main story—the boundary between life and death—had been destroyed by me.

In other words, despite being called “fate” with such grand terms, not a single thing they had referred to as fate had come to fruition.

All because of me, an outsider on the continent.

“Fate has already been twisted. You thought so, didn’t you?”

Velas’ eyes turned sharp for a moment as he glared at me.

It crashed through and stabbed straight into the result I had been thinking about all this time without any regard.

“No, you’re wrong. Fate is much more persistent than you or we believed.”

“What do you mean?”

I asked, but I had the feeling that I already knew the answer.

Indeed, his following words were just as I had expected.

“Aria Rias is no longer a hero. She has long cast aside her role, and with the circumstances all tangled, she is no longer bound by fate.”

That was the situation I had hoped for.

And as Velas continued speaking, he pointed his finger at me.

“Now, you have taken up that role, Kim Shinwoo.”

“…”

“And Luaneth Luden Griffin.”

Pointing at him, who was still suffering inside my staff, Velas gave a bitter smile.

“He, too, has escaped his role. Aria Rias and Luaneth are inevitable figures in the continent’s fate, but others have replaced them.”

Velas moved his finger once again and pointed behind me, at the Dark Spiritualist, who had barely managed to regain her composure.

“She is now the inevitable figure for the continent, replacing Luaneth.”

I felt a sudden tightness in my chest. With a strong impulse, I quickly spoke out.

“Luaneth is no longer needed on this continent. His role has already come to an end.”

Once again, the “fate” they speak of was the main storyline of the game.

Luaneth left the stage after the episode in which Dante and the boundary between life and death were torn down.

That meant he would not appear any longer.

“If ‘inevitable figures’ refer to those who are at the center of the story, then now—”

My words faltered.

As I spoke, I realized the answer myself.

“There is still one left.”

With a bitter smile, Velas gestured towards my heart.

“According to fate, the souls on the continent must either perish or the boundary between life and death must be shattered, leading to the continent’s destruction.”

I, who carried souls, was still standing on the continent.

“It means the story hasn’t ended yet.”

The reason behind my sudden gain of extraordinary strength recently.

The reason the Dark Spiritualist wasn’t swept away into the Land of Eternal Rest but remained in the staff.

The reason souls still remained on the continent, yet the boundary between life and death hadn’t broken.

Everything started to align naturally.

“Congratulations, outsider. Now, you are now the inevitable figure recognized by the continent.”

***

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