154 Part 1

Return of the 8th Class Mage

Chapter 154 The Prelude to Counterattack (5)

“There’s a lot.”

Ian had finished cleaning up, and he looked around the bookshelves soaring high everywhere he could see. There was an astounding number of books on the shelves, and most of them would be ‘black magic books’ so sophisticated that people could not get hold of any even by trafficking.

“Uhh…”

“Why we suddenly?”

The few necromancers Ian had kept alive wore luxurious robes and adorned jewelry and seemed to be high-class magicians.

“Do you have any other black magic books not in here? I’ll let you guys live if you tell me the truth.”

While the offer was blatant, the high-class necromancers had no choice but to accept the sweet proposal. While no one said they would let their prey live kept their words, people would always follow this suggestion.

“There aren’t any other books, and those are the essence of black magic we had protected for all our lives! Trust me!”

“All right, I confirm.”

The number of necromancers decreased until only two remained. They were a sort of ‘reserve forces,’ and Ian planned to keep them alive for a few days so he could achieve perfect black magic in a short period.

“That’s that.”

Ian clapped once to read the black magic books. While there was a large number, Ian had a more convenient way of reading them as he was an expert on the power of language.

(Metamorphosis, reader.)

Blue light spread like one’s breath in cold winter from Ian’s eyes. If ‘metamorphosis, mana’ changed one’s body to accommodate mana more easily, ‘metamorphosis, reader’ meant that Ian became one with the ‘reader,’ who could read all thigs written, memorize them, and understand them within the lasting period.

‘Under three days.’

Ian raised an arm, and the black magic books on the shelves jumped out each time he waved. Not only that, but they opened soaked in mana and burst out blue letters in the air.

‘I’ll read them all.’

Ian stood amidst the bright blue letters and quickly read them with eyes of the same shade.

‘I must.’

Ian’s first earnest step against Fran Page started with him reading black magic books.

***

“Ian Page, you have become the greatest necromancer from today! We congratulate you on becoming the Emperor of Night and death…”

“Flattery.”

Ian pressed down on black aura, red-black aura, and a deep violet aura one by one, and he gathered those destructive auras spread everywhere before sharply speaking.

“Do you want to live that much? My magic will kill you, painlessly.”

“We’re not prepared to die yet…”

“Have you killed those you sacrificed because they were ready to die?”

“That’s…”

About two and a half days had passed since Ian just felt the third sunrise.

“You didn’t, right?”

“I just followed orders…”

“You’re the one who had been in charge.”

“I’m just old…”

“You lie as you breathe.”

The old necromancer out of the two survivors lowered his body and glanced at Ian. He was trying his best to survive, and Ian might have just taken everything and let them live.

“Choose between becoming a mute by having your mana heart crushed or a simple death.”

“……”

“I recommend the latter since it’s much neater.”

“No, that’s not it!”

The necromancers started banging their heads on the floor, but it was nearly impossible for them to make Ian change his mind.

“Then, I’ll let only one of you live. You guys can choose who will die.”

Ian irresponsibly made a suggestion and even turned his back. He opened a black magic book as if to say the matter was done.

“Tell me when you decide.”

While the offer of killing one person out of the two and having them decide who will die was a cruel suggestion, Ian did not care a whit. Now the two necromancers began to plan what to do frantically.

“……”

“……”

Many minutes passed in heavy silence, and the younger necromancer spoke in a rough voice.

“That one! That one should die! While he has denied your accusations, this old man was the one who started to sacrifice the innocent for magic!”

The younger necromancer started to speak, and his speech told that he did not have any affection for the older man and only thought that he could live only when the other died.

“Why, you…”

“This old man was our leader and the one behind all evil acts! You should kill him as an example rather than a minor player like me…!”