I Became The Academy Necromancer
Chapter 311: Eternity

Standing guard outside the cabin like this somehow made me feel like I was on a cigarette break.

And naturally, it brought to mind the foul-mouthed maid with white hair and crimson eyes.

She is probably on her way back by now.

I felt a slight longing as I imagined her making her return after burning down all the Yellow Flower plantations in the Clark Republic.

I am even missing her noisy prattling when it’s gone.

A bitter smile spread across my lips as I recalled her constant jokes and strange sense of humor.

Creeaak.

“Come inside.”

Just then, Pelestan opened the cabin door. His face looked quite grim, suggesting the conversation hadn’t gone well.

The staff was upright, wedged between the gaps in the cabin floor. And behind it, the Dark Spiritualist shook her head while looking at me.

Since she had revealed herself through magic, Pelestan was also able to see her.

“So, is Luaneth really inside this staff?”

Letting out a sigh, Pelestan crossed his arms.

“If he were, there’s no way he wouldn’t respond to me. And how did his soul even end up here in the first place?”

[That’s a fair point.]

The Dark Spiritualist also agreed with Pelestan’s perspective.

[Back then, I lost to Luaneth. Swept up in his magic, I was nearly annihilated and ended up being absorbed into the staff.]

Even though the Dark Spiritualist was a powerful necromancer, she couldn’t defeat Luaneth, who had transformed into Heralhazard because he was literally the bearer of karma.

[But when I woke up, I found I had become a haunting spirit trapped in the staff.]

Luaneth Luden Griffin had vanished without warning. He had disappeared despite emerging victorious.

Yet, the more I listened to the story, the more convinced I became.

“Luaneth is definitely inside this staff.”

“But he’s unresponsive. There’s no way Luaneth would ignore me!”

[Who knows? Maybe he’s hiding because he’s afraid of Deus.]

“What kind of person do you think Luaneth is?!”

[Do you even know how amazing my Deus is?! Deus could justbam bamsomeone like Luaneth! Like this! Like this!]

Suddenly, Pelestan and the Dark Spiritualist began arguing among themselves. The Dark Spiritualist, in particular, started punching the air as if shadowboxing.

[He could totally pummel him!]

“Is she really your teacher?”

Pelestan turned to me with disbelief in his eyes. Pretending not to notice it, I said nothing and silently grabbed the staff.

[Deus, answer him.]

“Let’s go outside.”

[I said, answer him.]

“…”

[Hey.]

Voicing her discontent, the Dark Spiritualist kept grumbling beside me, but I simply ignored her.

“Is there an open clearing around here?”

Understanding my intent immediately, Pelestan furrowed his brows.

It seemed that he was still skeptical about Luaneth being inside the staff.

“Are you planning to force him out?”

“Yes, I cannot leave her like this.”

There was no telling when or if the Dark Spiritualist might be swept away by something from within the staff and just disappear.

Especially since this staff wasn’t something Luaneth used normally; it was a relic he only wielded during his time as Heralhazard.

Who knows how much blood had been spilled through this staff 200 years ago?

Being a cursed object, it was necessary to examine it thoroughly and confirm if it was indeed a safe place for the Dark Spiritualist to reside.

“There’s a clearing I use for training over there.”

Following Pelestan’s words, we headed to the clearing he used. It was a spacious area on a mountainside, seemingly created by himself.

[He doesn’t even call his teacher “teacher.” What an idiot.]

[Deus.]

Ignoring the still grumbling Dark Spiritualist behind me, Stella quietly approached my side.

Her expression earlier had been tinged with worry because of my question, but now her gaze was directed upward.

“What is it?”

Stella continued gazing up at the sky.

Then, gently placing a hand on my shoulder, she responded.

[The gods are watching.]

“…”

I raised my head instinctively. However, all I could see were the drifting clouds in the blue sky.

However, if Stella with her divinity said so, then it must be true.

[Their heavy gazes are fixed on this place. It seems they’re interested in what you’re about to do.]

“Will they intervene?”

Since the situation involved the Dark Spiritualist, I wanted to avoid any interruptions.

Still looking at the sky, Stella slowly shook her head.

[For now, it doesn’t seem like they intend to. But just in case, if something were to happen, I’ll handle it.]

“…Are you sure?”

As someone who once held the title of Saintess, it would have been uncomfortable for her to go against the gods.

Yet Stella gave a faint smile and carefully embraced me.

[I don’t serve the gods for their sake.]

“…”

[I serve them for the sake of humans.]

I also believed that religion, whether the god existed or not, was inevitable by its very nature.

And Stella was the most ideal cleric I could think of.

She served the gods wholeheartedly but didn’t rely on them.

She read their scriptures and followed their doctrines just because they were right.

“I am counting on you then, Goddess.”

[Understood.]

Smiling softly, Stella floated into the air.

[I have heard your prayer.]

As Stella departed to keep the gods in check, I placed the staff in the center of the clearing and took a step back.

“Hmph.”

Pelestan, standing next to me, still looked skeptical as he gazed at the staff.

At least his unwavering faith in Luaneth was commendable.

“Dark Spiritualist, come here.”

[Tch, you still won’t call me teacher.]

Still grumbling, the Dark Spiritualist approached me and I wrapped an arm firmly around her waist and pulled her in.

[Eek?!]

“Hold on tight.”

[H-He’s watching! Do this when we’re alone!]

“Ahem.”

Pelestan averted his gaze awkwardly, pretending to have not seen anything, but I ignored their needless reactions and replied.

“I need to keep hold of you in case something happens.”

I intended to extract whatever was inside the staff by force.

However, I decided to hold onto the Dark Spiritualist in case something strange were to happen due to her being bound to the staff.

[…You’re holding on a bit too tightly, though.]

The Dark Spiritualist whispered, seemingly feeling slight pain from my mana-filled arm.

“Endure it.”

Having no intention of letting her go, I ignored her. She, too, wrapped her arms around my neck and whispered in my ear.

[I never said that I don’t like it.]

“…”

[Though, it would be nice if you were always this rough.]

Pretending not to hear her last words, I channeled my mana into the staff.

My mana began stirring the staff fiercely to pull out whatever was inside.

[Heeeuut!]

In apparent agony, the Dark Spiritualist hastily pulled me into a rough embrace, letting out pained groans.

“Just a little longer. Endure it.”

[I-I’m okay…heutt! No, I’m not okay!]

She clung to my head tightly, holding on with all her might. I, too, held onto her firmly to keep her from being dragged away by the staff, refusing to let go.

[D-De….us! S-something’s pulling me!]

“No need to worry.”

I put even more strength into my hand, which released mana. Veins began to bulge out as my body screamed in protest, claiming it had already reached its limit from just this brief exertion.

However, my grip on the Dark Spiritualist only grew stronger.

“Nothing will take you away from me.”

Gritting my teeth, I poured out my mana.

And finally,

Crack!

The staff that resembled the roots of an ancient tree, fractured and a dark red energy poured forth from the cracks.

It had the same color as the mana Luaneth used when he was Heralhazard.

“Luaneth?”

Startled, even Pelestan stepped forward, but the mana erupting from the staff started altering the surroundings.

A new world was being created.

A dark, gloomy place that reeked of thick, metallic blood.

The once-blue sky was tainted by a dark crimson hue, and rising in the clearing were not trees but human corpses impaled on stakes.

The haunting screams that were echoing around were laced with resentment.

The heavy, sweltering air was starting to reek of the nauseating stench of blood, so overpowering it was almost unbearable.

And the pool of blood spread across the ground like a lake, its color already darkened and close to black.

[Huh, ugh.]

The Dark Spiritualist leaning on me as if exhausted looked pained but seemed unharmed in general.

And then—

Swoosh!

A massive demonic monster emerged from the pool of blood.

It bore the same appearance as Luaneth’s soul, which the Dark Spiritualist and I had faced before.

However, this time, it was filled with color.

A mountain goat’s horns rose above its dog head and thick fur surrounded the blood-red skin.

In its hand was a massive spear.

And—

Impaled on that spear was a white-haired man.

“Lua…neth?”

Luaneth Luden Griffin.

Boom!

The monster thrust the spear into the pool of blood, and Luaneth let out a bitter gasp of pain.

His once-brilliant eyes had turned cloudy, devoid of any resistance or will.

I died because of you! It’s because of you!

Screeech!

Dieeeee!

You! You! You!

Then, evil spirits erupted from the pool of blood. Each one rushed at Luaneth, impaled on the spear, beating, stabbing, and torturing him relentlessly.

Luaneth continued to cry out in pain, yet making no effort to defend himself at the same time.

He simply accepted their actions.

“Luaneth! Luanethhhhh!”

Out of desperation, Pelestan tried to manipulate the blood around him, but the liquid didn’t respond to the blood mage.

Of course.

After all, it wasn’t real blood but an illusion created by mana.

It was merely a scene projected by the mana from within the staff.

“Damn it!”

Feeling frustrated that he couldn’t help the suffering Luaneth, Pelestan let out a fierce scream and tried to charge at the demonic monster.

“Stop it.”

After carefully laying the Dark Spiritualist down, I stopped Pelestan.

“Stop? You said stop?! Can’t you see what’s happening? Can’t you see what those insane bastards who have trapped Luaneth in the staff are doing to him?!”

“Pelestan.”

Observing the cruel scene conjured by mana, I continued speaking.

“I’ve personally led every soul on this continent to the Land of Eternal Rest.”

Perhaps my words felt out of place.

Pelestan’s gaze twisted with anger, but I had to say it.

“Even the souls who held grudges against Luaneth—every single one of them is inside me. Without exception.”

“…What are you saying? Then what are those things over there?”

By now, countless evil spirits had emerged from the lake and were torturing Luaneth to the point that he was barely visible.

Severed arms and legs reattached themselves, gouged-out eyes and teeth regenerated.

Hell.

Yes. The torment was endless.

This place was hell.

However…

“There is only one soul in this place. It is Luaneth Luden Griffin.”

“What the hell does that even mean…!”

Just one person.

“To put it simply.”

This was a hell created solely by and for Luaneth Luden Griffin.

“He is the one who is creating all of this.”

Why, you ask?

In other words, it was to judge himself, Heralhazard.

Burdened by the sins of having taken countless lives 200 years ago, he couldn’t just rest in peace.

Therefore, he concealed himself deep within the staff and created a personal hell where he would endure eternal torment.

“So that’s why he didn’t emerge.”

The Land of Eternal Rest I created didn’t judge anyone.

It was simply a place where all could rest equally.

But Luaneth hadn’t responded to our summons.

“He cannot forgive himself.”

If there was no place to judge sinners, Luaneth would create one himself.

“…For how long? Just how long does Luaneth intend to endure such torment?”

How long?

Considering the blood on his hands, the answer was simple.

“Eternity.”

***

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