Witch Hunter Rhapsody

Raphael's academic achievements were undoubtedly high.

When he returned to the area he had prepared in advance, there were already thousands of undead that had been summoned beforehand.

A key difference between the Necromancer school and other schools is their highly technical nature. Before acquiring their own students and assistants, and learning the spells to resurrect the dead on a large scale, necromancers created all the corpses themselves.

Raphael was no exception; beneath his tower, thousands of miles away, lay thousands of corpses he had prepared beforehand.

Some of the corpses released into the city last time were teleported over, but most of them were created by Raphael himself.

Raphael arrived at the center of the magic circle, at the few empty spaces where the materials were placed.

Alistair's body is placed in the center of the magic circle, and Raphael can resurrect him if he is ready.

By making some arrangements during the resurrection process, one can turn the resurrected figure into one's own puppet, and then gain access to their knowledge. The knowledge imparted by a great figure is enough to become a new advantage for one's own school of thought.

Raphael licked his tongue, the meaning of which was almost self-evident.

However, amidst his joy, Raphael's scouting spell detected the approach of a fellow traveler.

"You guys are crazier than I imagined."

"And who are you?"

Declan looked at the person in front of him with a helpless expression.

"I am a passing wizard, a necromancer. I'm sorry to have troubled you to come all this way just to obtain some trivial information."

"If you call this knowledge irrelevant information, then I can only assume that your teacher is not very competent."

Declan was somewhat annoyed.

"My teacher isn't very good, why don't you give it a try!"

As soon as they finished speaking, the two began chanting simultaneously. From the first syllable to the last, they completed the spell almost at the same time.

"Zarastir Mage Shield!"

"Nexus Flame Bombardment!"

Around Raphael appeared mage shield units, while around Declan appeared more than twenty huge fireballs.

At that moment, Raphael clearly realized the gap between himself and Declan.

The Mage Shield is a high-level basic spell. Due to its defensive properties, almost every wizard undergoes special training in casting it, with the aim of completing the spell in the shortest possible time in dangerous situations.

At the same time, the spell's incantation and posture have been compressed to the limit, so the chanting speed should not be nearly as difficult.

In terms of difficulty and complexity, the spells of this guy in front of me are far more difficult and powerful than my own.

Even so, the fact that they finished chanting at the same time as me shows that their basic chanting skills are definitely superior to mine.

This guy is a problem.

My own shield has absolutely no way of withstanding such an attack!

Raphael immediately made a decision: the most important thing now was to preserve the entire magic circle.

Fortunately, he was a meticulous wizard, and considering the possibility of unforeseen circumstances, he had previously set up protective spells within the magic circle.

These large-scale magic array spells don't have special names; they can only be described by their effects.

In short, this effect directly protects the entire magic circle from attacks such as high temperatures, cold temperatures, spatial distortions, and energy bursts. The underlying principle is a giant teleportation magic circle.

The flames were absorbed by the defensive magic circle embedded within the resurrection magic circle. Declan only needed to use his knowledge to make a slight judgment to figure out how this was achieved.

If you prepare in advance, you really don't have a particularly good way to solve the problem in a short time.

"I think I can see that you are indeed a formidable opponent. However, can you defeat me when I am fully prepared?"

"The magic circle you're about to use has an extraordinary capacity for mana. If I were to cast another bombardment spell, how long could your magic circle last? Let me tell you a secret: I have thirty-two spell slots per day, and I've only used five today."

This technique also applies to combat and other scenarios: telling others your spell slots, whether real or fake, will at least distract your opponent.

Raphael was not affected; he was seeking help from his teacher.

"Teacher, please help me!"

Noctis, the Land of the Dead.

The council chamber of the various branches of the Necronomicon.

A routine meeting is being held at this time. Contrary to what many people imagine, although wizards usually have a rather unconventional style of doing things, and people from different schools and research directions have their own pursuits, they are all researchers.

They remained scholars throughout their lives, and at formal wizarding conferences, the discussions always revolved around academic matters.

The woman on stage spoke in a melodious and rhythmic tone about her latest discovery of techniques for modifying the bodies of undead, which could make the created undead more closely resemble their original appearance.

The wizards in the audience showed little interest.

Necromancers, more so than wizards of any other school, understand the difficulty of true resurrection. They believe that resurrection in the secular sense is impossible, and therefore research in this area is largely ignored.

It was at this moment that an elderly man, dressed in a black robe and extremely thin, raised his head. He was not drawn to the speech on stage; he had received a message from one of his students.

That disappointing student is in trouble again.

However, it's probably not his problem.

The old man knew some rumors, and now that Drak's reaction was so strong, it was very likely that the legend was true. If that was the case, then there were now two mages, Drak and Nexus, in the city where Raphael was.

Perhaps I should send some more reliable people over there.

However, there is some trouble. Recently, the frost giants in the northwestern mountains have started another wizard hunt, and the Kingdom of Noctis needs to find a way to deal with it.

The Cavaliers in the Major Leagues have also started claiming to be acting out of a sense of justice against them, saying they need more manpower in other areas.

Shouldn't the balance between research and production be adjusted within the entire academic society?

His modified brain was simultaneously considering the future arrangements for the Academy and what kind of reinforcements should be sent to Raphael.

The academy has a permanently active, ultra-long-range teleportation array. To send someone there...

"Send over that failed lich's body."

The old man made the final decision.

The student in charge of the portal was shocked when he received the news.

"That lich body you prepared before?"

"Although it's a defective product, it's still enough to deal with the situation. If it's not Draco and Nexus who personally take action, Raphael and the Lich clone will suffice. I'm still very much looking forward to seeing what little secrets Draco's guide knows."

Having given these instructions, the old man turned his attention back to the wizard who was giving a speech.

The person who was there earlier has already gone down.

The newly arrived young people are figuring out how to determine the time of decomposition of corpses by analyzing the fluctuations in the magic network.

The old man sighed.

Is there really any hope left for our academic pursuits?

In those few minutes, Raphael's condition went from barely holding on to being almost unbearable.

Battles between wizards are sometimes not so scheming and intrigue-filled; they simply unleash a variety of powerful spells, exchanging blows in a way that is difficult for ordinary people to understand and can only inspire fear.

Raphael is now the one struggling to keep going.

Fire and lightning are known as the two sharpest swords in wizarding combat. They are the two most cost-effective and convenient attack methods, enabling wizards to deal with the vast majority of situations.

For wizards who are not good at fighting, all they need to do is unleash as many spells as possible in battle, and then they will be able to win.

Declan isn't actually a particularly skilled mage in combat; he's currently focusing on a strategy of using sheer numbers to create maximum advantage.

As for Raphael, he is working on building defensive spells.

"It looks like you're already falling behind; I'm just getting started!"

The land outside the protective area of ​​the magic array was riddled with holes, and the scorched earth looked as if it had just experienced a major battle.

Raphael watched as his magic circle deteriorated further. He needed to prepare the most basic magic to perform its most basic function: resurrecting Alistair.

Damn it, if all else fails, we should abandon this plan, gather all the materials, retreat, and wait for a better opportunity to proceed.

However, Alistair's body was not well preserved. He still needed to write some time-transfer spells into the magic circle to ensure enough memories to construct Alistair's personality.

Just as Raphael was debating whether to retreat, a huge magic circle appeared in the sky.

Declan immediately changed the direction of his spell, pointing his staff at the sky, and five glowing fire dragons spun and charged straight at it.

Then, Declan drew another staff, and faced with the unexpected and unknown magic circle, it was best to cover it with the fullest firepower.

A spear etched with strange patterns shot out from the staff. This spear, constructed with magical specialization, sped away under its enhancement.

However, neither the fire dragon nor the spear ultimately interfered with the magic circle.

Declan's expression became quite interesting.

"This is an ultra-long-distance teleportation spell! Damn it, your Noctis Kingdom is way further away than a thousand or two miles from here!"

The sky darkened, and Declan immediately became cautious.

A being with a human appearance, but which is clearly not human, appears.

He floated in the air, with wings made of countless black, withered leaves behind him.

This is a type of flight technique, but a more difficult one.

"Is this a lich?"

From the enemy's withered body and red eyes, to his hollowed-out chest and empty interior.

Declan made this judgment.

A lich is a special state, and basically only necromancers use special spells to transform themselves into liches to gain greater power and a longer lifespan.

Those who can transform into liches are invariably powerful great wizards.

"Are the Necromancers so idle? Such important figures are actually meddling in this kind of thing."

Declan noticed that he was sweating.

Suddenly, he noticed that the lich's eyes were lifeless.

Words like "spirit" don't sound like they should come from a wizard's mouth, but wizards sometimes use intuitions that are similar to feelings.

Moreover, the magical fluctuations emanating from this lich were not that obvious.

It could be a wizard who was not fully transformed, or a lich body prepared by another great wizard, which was then modified to be used as a battle puppet after the wizard was dissatisfied with it.

If that's the case, then this lich's combat awareness and ability aren't that strong; he could indeed barely handle it on his own...

He saw the lich begin to chant, accompanied by strangely compressed syllables, and then purplish-black thorns appeared on his body, completely enveloping him.

"Oni's Thorn Armor".

Then, two horns appeared on the top of his head.

Declan was terrified.

Double chanting?

This special chanting technique allows one to cast two spells simultaneously by squeezing one's vocal cords and rewriting the incantation.

He also recognized the second spell.

"Orl's Devil Horns"

Thorn Armor provides greater defense than a mage's shield, while Demon Horns can focus the caster's attention and reaction speed.

"Oh no!"

"I don't know where you, wizard, came from, but now you can begin to seek a quick death!"

Raphael took advantage of this opportunity to quickly repair the magic circle and prepare for the resurrection.

If we can revive and control Alistair as soon as possible, we can gain a greater advantage.

The spare body that the teacher in front of him had originally prepared was already a last resort. If that guy had any means of counterattack, then Raphael would have to admit that he had no other choice.

Then he saw Declan pull out a unique staff from behind his back.

The staff is pure black, with a carved water droplet at the top. The droplet floats on the top of the staff, making it look like a work of art rather than a staff.

"Damn it, they actually brought out something like this. I have to resort to my last resort too."

Battles between wizards are essentially a contest of trump cards. Now that the necromancer in front of him has used all his strength, Declan must also use the life-saving item his teacher gave him.

Unlike Draco, who had so many students that he couldn't even remember all of them by name, Nectus only had seven students; the rest could only be called assistants.

Nectus gained nothing from his assistants, as he meticulously planned everything. As for his students, however, he devoted his precious energy to teaching them according to their individual talents, hoping to help them become great wizards.

Among them was Declan's brother, Raymond.

Upon receiving news of Raymond's disappearance, Nectus unusually showed his grief and, while dispatching Declan, gave him a special staff.

"I don't want you to disappear like your brother. You are a student I value, just like you are."

Now is the time to use this staff!

Declan infused it with magic.

Behind him, a huge door opened.

"ha?"

Nectus did not have a clearly defined school of thought, and even his students were unaware of his experiences before they met him.

However, from his daily research sessions and magic teaching, anyone could see that Nectus had a solid foundation in necromancy and the characteristics of the summoning and teleportation school.

When Nectus handed the staff to Declan, his teacher instructed him that it was a summoning staff, but he had no idea what it summoned.

A massive gate made of white bones slowly opened, and a huge black arm emerged from it.

Next, there was the upper body, a demonic monster made of black, gray, and purple.

This world is home to all sorts of strange creatures, and beyond this world exist dimensions that are inaccessible to the human body. These dimensions are at the forefront of wizarding research.

Declan sensed chaotic magical fluctuations emanating from the enormous monster.

He held a staff in his hand.

At the same time, thousands upon thousands of white light bullets, like meteors, were already attacking.

Then, a monster nearly thirty meters tall, which had only half its body sticking out of the door, reached out to protect Declan. The light bullets that hit the monster did not cause any damage.

Magic resistance?

Declan really didn't expect that his teacher would give him such a powerful summon.

Raphael, who was on the ground, was also dumbfounded. What was this thing? He had never seen it before and had never heard of it.

Could they be chaotic creatures from another dimension, or beings living in the cracks of the magic network?

Damn it, this has touched on my blind spot.

We must speed things up!

The lich avatar spoke again, its body began to lengthen, and then magical runes appeared on its body.

The half-monster reached out to grab the lich, but just as it was about to grasp him, it passed right through him.

Is it an illusion or a phantom spell? There are too many spells that can achieve this effect; even the greatest wizard could not possibly remember all the mages in the world.

Declan used his staff to command the half-bodied monster to continue attacking the lich's clone, while his attention turned to Raphael on the ground.

Raphael noticed Declan's gaze.

Damn it, damn it, damn it! Who is this guy? How can he summon such a monster?

Raphael was already losing control, but he had already activated the magic circle, and even Alistair's corpse had been pulled out and placed in the center of the magic circle.

All the materials have been linked together in the flow of magic, and the bile of the Nether Salamander seeps into the corpse's flesh, providing regenerative abilities to the dead body.

Then, the built-in time magic will reverse the process of corruption, restoring Alistair's brain as much as possible.

Then, spells that could analyze the brain and retrieve memories were used to obtain Alistair's memories after his brain was reconstructed.

Finally, these memories are placed within the body and reawakened.

Whether the person who wakes up after going through such a process is still the same person is a very complicated matter, but for Raphael, who only needs memories, that is enough.

If it weren't for the fact that memories need to be placed back into a human body after being acquired in order to be understood, Raphael wouldn't have even let Alistair wake up again.

"I haven't asked your name yet, could you explain?"

"No need, I'll just kill you."

Raphael racked his brains trying to buy time, when suddenly he remembered something Maximus had once said.

Maximus tells Raphael that his friend has betrayed him, that the knight named Vitas has actually been in secret contact with Nectus's students.

Could this guy in front of me be Nexus's student?

If it were a monstrous wizard like Nectus, it wouldn't be surprising if he could summon such a monster.

"Wait, wait, wait! We don't actually need to argue. You're Nexus's student, right? That means you're also Draco's enemy. We can cooperate! This guy's memories will definitely be useful to you. Let's work together!"

Declan scoffed, "What a joke! My teacher and I don't consider this so-called Drak an enemy. They're just a bunch of foolish wizards. What good could they possibly be to me?"

Such arrogance. Raphael should have been angry, but considering that he was Nectus's student, he simply let it go.

He drew his staff, and at that moment, the battle between the lich husk and the half-bodied monster took a turn.

The lich's thorn armor had been shattered, and white blood was flowing from the half-bodied monster's body.

The battle then intensified until the lich's hull reached into its own chest and pulled out a shriveled heart.

The lich's heart is its greatest weakness, and liches often craft their own hearts into caskets, placing them in an absolutely safe location.

These hearts can also be transformed into powerful magical items.

The lich's body has no main consciousness; it is merely a more precious puppet. Therefore, it is perfectly normal for it to use its own life casket directly.

After its heart was removed, its chanting speed also began to increase.

Then, a black line appeared, followed by two, four, eight, and twelve.

These sixteen black lines extended, dispersed, and formed a cube around the two, enveloping both the lich's hull and the half-bodied monster.

Finally, with the activation of the spell, both the half-monster and the lich's husk vanished into the world.

Declan frowned. Although he hadn't expected the half-monster to kill the lich's body, he was still dissatisfied with the result.

It seems that in the end, I still have to rely on myself.

Can you make it?

Declan looked at the magic circle on the ground.

As a well-trained wizard, Declan already had the answer in his heart.

That's too late.

He took a deep breath and then immediately stepped back.

Raphael was overjoyed. The entire magic circle was functioning normally, the magic was circulating, and Alistair's body was recovering. In a few seconds, he would be able to open his eyes!

"Damn it, where's Vitas? Vitas, come here quickly! It's so uncomfortable without a front row!"

For some reason, even though he knew that a warrior like Vitas wouldn't be of much help in this situation, Declan still hoped that he would appear.

In the sky, the lich's hull had found a way to repel the half-bodied monster.

Close the door that brought it here!