Emperor of Necro

Many were bewildered when they witnessed a dark blur speed past them at extreme speeds, and understandably so. They watched with interest as the blur sped past the battlefield, the ground cracking beneath him as if on cue.

Alex threw Durendal, parrying an attack from a wolf that was about to land on a youthful person before grabbing the silver sword and decapitating the canine.

"Fuck conserving energy," Alex muttered as he summoned a considerable amount of mana, swinging his sword in an arc. He, of course, made sure to not strike any humans, before initiating his assault on the monsters restlessly.

His eyes turned cyan as if representing his emotions inversely, and that's when the hell began for the monsters.

*

Eric's hair grew longer as his appearance rapidly changed, now revealing a handsome young man capable of swaying anyone's heart. He seemed akin to an emperor as he carried an expression of slight disinterest.

Thick, dark mana floated beside him, filling the atmosphere with his power.

"What the fuck?" Sarah asked rhetorically as she stared at the striking figure of a previously homeless-looking man. "What the fuck is that? Is that what Alex meant when he said 'his replacement?'"

"Remember when Alex referred to Eric as a necromancer?" Maxwell asked smugly, to which Sarah nodded. "That's the necromancer he was talking about."

As if on cue, Eric raised his palm. Darkness crept from within his palm and towards the corpses of the canines. Due to the sheer abundance of corpses, Eric decided to absorb the flesh as nutrients in order to maintain the undead army for longer.

The darkness encompassed the canines as their flesh was absorbed. What remained was their skeleton, which in a very awkward manner began attacking its own species, which Eric utilized to create more undead.

"Necromancy truly works best during a large-scale battle," Maxwell admitted as he pierced a wolf's body. The darkness crept up to it, instantly turning it into an undead bound to its owner and master, Eric Cartman.

It was as if the King of Death had descended. Along with Alex's assistance, Eric had adjusted to the form and learned to control his mana to the point where using it once was not a problem. However, he would fall unconscious after the second use.

Now, if that were the case, Eric would be able to utilize the properties of necromancy without entering a transformation where he was blinded by rage or sorrow. Maxwell revealed a subtle smile as he observed the ever-growing army of undead as they contested the canine monsters.

If the undead could block the never-ending horde of monsters, and Alex could clean up the rear, they would be in the best position they had ever been.

*

"A hundred and four more to go," Alex whispered under his breath, piercing the snout of one of the monsters that snuck up to him. Unlike the monsters in the city, these canines possessed basic intelligence, which Alex had experienced during his dive into the Chimera Dungeon.

If that were the case, the battle would become much more difficult when it came to more powerful waves. Moreover, Alex did not have any information about the trial, since it had been altered.

"Duck," Alex whispered into the ear of a certain woman, and just as the woman followed his command and bent down, Alex sliced the throat of the wolf behind her. He then threw Durendal to parry a claw from scratching another person.

Sweat piled up on Alex's forehead as he continued his barrage of strikes, killing several monsters in the process. His breaths became heavier, and his chest heaved with every breath.

This wasn't like when he fought a thousand people. No, these monsters were drastically stronger and faster. Moreover, his goal was to rescue the survivors and prevent any unnecessary casualties, not solely killing.

That's what made it difficult.

Alex turned his head as he viewed Eric's figure in the distance. The thick, dark mana and the undead raged at their own kin, devouring them without hesitation. Alex revealed a content smile before returning to slaughter.

In a few hours, the first wave was complete.

The canines stopped pouring in endlessly, and the battlefield came to an unexpected standstill. Many were bewildered by the unexpected end, but were equally as relieved. Many mourned the deaths of their comrades, while others began tending to their wounds.

Several tombstones were prepared for the dead. Unlike when they were in the dungeon or when they had to decrease their numbers, the people who had died during a large-scale battle were considered "heroic," which is why many believed they deserved tombstones.

Alex headed towards the front, having exhausted a considerable amount of his mana. The cyan glint in his eyes grew dim, suggesting his exhaustion.

Eric returned to his original transformation, abandoning the undead who then became regular skeletons. The necromancer's body threatened to give out, but he held on using sheer willpower, as the battle hadn't ended.

"It still takes a considerable toll on my body," Eric commented as he inspected his somewhat wounded body.

"No shit," said Sarah. "You were literally controlling corpses! I mean, how cool is that!? You looked like a movie character!"

Eric revealed a subtle smile, acknowledging Sarah's compliments as he sat on a nearby boulder. As he saw Alex arrive, he waved slightly, to which Alex nodded.

"I'm guessing we haven't won this battle?" Eugene asked, wiping the blood on his knife, which seemed tiny compared to his size.

"Not even close," Alex responded. "The purpose of the trials is to test us. Even if this was the end of the battle, that bastard up there or the djinn would tweak the trial, making it more difficult."

Eugene stared at the ground beneath, a thoughtful expression on his face. "So, what's next?"

"Stronger monsters," said Alex. "Maybe orcs, ogres, or goblins."

"If they the numbers are the same as that of the canines, we're done," Sarah noted. "We struggled this much against mere dogs and wolves."

"Not necessarily," Alex responded. "We didn't enter the battle unprepared. Of course, most of us would die, but there would still be a way to win."

"What did you prepare that would help us win against such a monstrosity of a force?" Maxwell asked. "Eric can only control corpses once more before fainting. I can control miasma once, too. But, isn't that it?"

"You'll find out when we need it," Alex said with a grin. "That's 'if' we need it."

As the humans conversed, an enormous force of monsters drastically more powerful than before approached the city.