Necromancer Of The Black Bible (62)

“Both of you, stop.”

Equinox looked at me and added,

“Honored Master. You must not fight her now.”

Before I could respond, Equinox turned his back to me.

He looked at Lactea and said,

“It’s me. You shouldn’t touch this person either.”

Lactea gazed at Equinox with her golden eyes.

After staring at him intensely for a moment, she spoke.

“You are…”

Lactea withdrew her power and stepped back, and I did the same.

‘What’s this?’

Equinox and Lactea.

They seemed to know each other.

I decided to observe them for a moment.

“How could this happen…”

Lactea’s eyes wavered.

She was looking at Equinox with an expression of disbelief.

Equinox faced her and spoke calmly.

“Don’t misunderstand. I am merely his shadow.”

“…Ah.”

It was a cryptic remark to me, but with that single sentence, Lactea’s expression showed she understood everything.

She gave a hollow laugh and spoke.

“Shadow Equinox… Yes, I remember. You were there too.”

Equinox remained silent.

Lactea looked at him and continued.

“I thought you were trapped in the Ethereal Realm… How did you escape from there?”

Equinox met her gaze and replied.

“It’s a long story. And the answer to your question can be guessed by seeing me with this person.”

Now Lactea’s gaze turned to me.

Her shimmering golden eyes still evoked an inexplicable sense of unease.

A demonic aura overlaid with light.

Honestly, I too have many questions about this woman.

What is her true identity?

How does she know Equinox?

And why is she ruling this Theocracy?

I looked into Lactea’s eyes, trying to glean the information I wanted.

But I couldn’t read anything. This was another way she differed from the humans I’d encountered before.

‘It feels like I’m blocked by a solid barrier.’

At that moment, Lactea spoke.

“Who are you?”

I didn’t answer.

Then Lactea asked again.

“Who are you to impersonate Raiernov? Did you kill him?”

“Raiernov…”

It was Equinox who responded to her.

Equinox revealed the truth to her on my behalf.

“He was killed by the Demon King. And this person… is the one you’ve been waiting for.”

It was a conversation I couldn’t fully grasp.

There definitely seemed to be something between them that I didn’t know.

Lactea’s eyes gleamed.

She seemed shaken by Equinox’s earlier response.

I was just as confused.

That I’m the one Lactea has been waiting for?

It’s unbelievable.

She too slowly shook her head and spoke.

“That can’t be. I don’t feel his aura from this person.”

“Of course not. This is a different person.”

“Different?”

Lactea raised her eyes sharply and asked, and Equinox replied calmly.

“He is already dead. As you know, a dead person can return, but a dead god cannot.”

“I know that without you saying it. Tell me! Who is this person?”

“This person is the one to take his place anew.”

“…!!!”

Lactea’s eyes trembled.

Hearing this, it seemed the ‘he’ they were talking about referred to the dead god Kallios.

Then, is Lactea an angel who follows Kallios?

‘If she’s an angel, why do I sense a demonic aura?’

There are still many unresolved contradictions.

Their meeting and conversation remain incomprehensible to me.

The longer the silence, the more Lactea’s expression contorted.

She looked at Equinox again and spoke.

“What are you scheming by showing up here? Are you planning to kill me and take over the Theocracy?”

“Well…”

Equinox’s voice was relaxed.

He seemed to have fully taken control of the conversation.

He also seemed to know exactly what Lactea wanted.

After a brief pause, Equinox glanced at me and spoke.

“If this person wishes to take the Theocracy, so be it.”

“Are you threatening me, Equinox?”

“You’ve become impatient, Eliastra. If you had judged and acted this quickly back then, he wouldn’t have died.”

“Shut up!”

It was an intriguing conversation.

Equinox called Lactea ‘Eliastra.’

Is that Lactea’s true name?

And Lactea seemed deeply connected to the death of the god Kallios.

Lactea began to show great agitation.

A bright light began to emanate from both her hands.

“How dare… how dare you…”

Something appeared in her hands.

A brilliantly shining silver sword.

The moment the sword appeared, Nocturne whispered to me.

Be careful. It’s the Power of the Silver Blade.

The Power of the Silver Blade.

I’ve heard of it.

Sanchez and Mobin once said they defeated two Sand Dragons with the Power of the Silver Blade.

At the time, I wondered what kind of power could convince them, but now I understand.

That sword is no ordinary thing.

Even the Great Demon Kings Illinas or Dikrea wouldn’t take it lightly.

‘But…’

I gripped Nocturne again, and at that moment, Nocturne summoned the Soul Harvester.

The newly summoned Soul Harvester began to radiate a power far different from before.

[Honored Master.]

Equinox’s voice reached me, but I didn’t stop.

Then Equinox spoke to me again.

[Honored Master, you must not kill her.]

[Why not?]

[Because she holds the key to the Ethereal Gate.]

The Ethereal Gate.

Is it really that important?

Honestly, I don’t know.

Even without the Ethereal Gate, if I become strong enough, I can achieve everything I want.

I didn’t hesitate and unleashed my power.

Whooong-

Drawing on Equinox’s power as well, a fierce energy surged and enveloped the Soul Harvester.

Crackle, crackle!

Flame of Resentment, Cold of Resentment, Chaos, and Gluttony.

These four orbs resonated with each other, emitting amplified energy.

At first, the energies seemed to repel each other, but as Equinox’s black aura enveloped them, they merged into a single force.

The four energies intertwined like threads, becoming one and surrounding me.

And they began to expand their domain.

“You possess a strange power!”

Lactea gritted her teeth, gripped the silver sword, and unleashed her power again.

But that was all.

Her power couldn’t reach me. Nor could she even think of swinging her sword.

On the other hand, my power began to approach her, delivering clear blows.

Crack! Crackle!

The wall of light surrounding Lactea and me began to erode.

At the same time, cracks began to appear on Lactea’s face.

“What in the world…”

She couldn’t continue.

Because the Soul Harvester, imbued with the energy of Gluttony, began to absorb her aura.

Seeing this, I finally realized the extent of my power.

With the Soul Harvester embedded with four orbs and Equinox’s power unleashed, I could easily overpower even the Pope.

I looked at Lactea and spoke.

“You’re weaker than I thought.”

“Tch!”

Lactea tried harder, but it was futile.

The Soul Harvester’s energy now completely enveloped Lactea, slowly absorbing her aura.

As a result, the Orb of Gluttony gradually filled with life force, and soon after, Lactea fell to her knees.

Thud.

I slowly approached her.

Lactea glared at me as if she wanted to kill me, but it wasn’t a threat at all.

I stood right in front of her, holding the blade of the Soul Harvester to her throat, and asked,

“Give me a reason not to kill you now.”

“……”

Lactea closed her eyes tightly.

Seeing her remain silent, it seemed she was thinking about something.

Meanwhile, her energy continued to be absorbed by the Soul Harvester.

At the same time, her appearance grew increasingly haggard.

Her smooth face kept cracking, like shattered glass, and her hands, imbued with golden energy, became deeply wrinkled like those of an old woman.

As I watched her, I tried to peer into her past life at this point in time.

But for some reason, her past life was invisible.

[Eliastra… That is, Lactea’s soul cannot be read by anyone. This is because Kallios’s Three Sacred Artifacts prevent it.]

[Three Sacred Artifacts? You mean she possesses three divine artifacts?]

[That’s how much she was favored by Kallios.]

[Then, if I take her down here, can I take the Three Sacred Artifacts?]

[You cannot. The Three Sacred Artifacts recognize their master’s soul. If Lactea dies, they will simply vanish, and you cannot obtain them.]

That’s tricky.

A child favored by a dead god.

But she’s too old to be called a child, and too haggard to be favored by a god.

I don’t know what end Lactea met in my previous life, but I remember one thing.

‘The next Pope to take the throne will dominate the Empire.’

The Pope marries the Emperor and converts him. Afterward, the Valkyr Empire’s name changes to the Lumina Empire.

From there begins the Holy War of Light.

My master and I get caught up in that holy war and are ultimately captured and killed by them.

What would happen if I killed Lactea here?

If I place someone I want as the next Pope, could I completely change the future?

[The future may change, but you will lose something you absolutely need to obtain.]

[You mean the key to the Ethereal Gate?]

[Yes. Opening the Ethereal Gate is no small matter. It means gaining control over this world.]

The phrase “control over the world” is strangely sweet and alluring.

Controlling living beings is never simple.

You must either know what the target desires or possess greater power.

And yet, to control the entire world?

Just how much power would that entail?

For someone like me, who spent a lifetime fleeing due to lack of power, the word “control” held an irresistible allure.

That’s why I had to ask Equinox again.

[So, if I kill this woman, I’ll never obtain the key?]

[Yes.]

[And if I let her live, is there a way to obtain it?]

[Leave it to me. I will definitely obtain it.]

The moment my conversation with Equinox ended, Lactea opened her eyes.

Her light was nearly extinguished, and she had become a complete old woman.

Lactea spoke in a cracked voice.

“If you truly wish to become the new master of the world, you must grant my request.”

I withdrew the Soul Harvester.

Then light enveloped Lactea again, and her healing began.

She slowly regained her youth and stood up.

Then, hesitantly stepping back, she said,

“Come to the Grand Temple tomorrow. I’ll tell you my purpose then.”

Having spoken, Lactea vanished with the light.