Holy Necromancer: Rebirth of the Strongest Mage
chapter-1024

As her attack struck Karyk, the image of him flickered and vanished.

"Illusion?" the fairy mumbled as the world started turning darker around her. She didn't understand. How could that person make illusions that could even fool her? Was she attacking a fake all this time?

The real Karyk stood behind her, his expression serene and unbothered.

"How...?" she gasped, her voice barely a whisper as life drained from her eyes.

Karyk watched dispassionately as the light in her eyes dimmed.

"Illusions can be quite useful, don't you think?" he murmured, almost to himself. He walked over to her fallen body, bending down to close her eyes with a gentle motion.

"Rest now, your time in this world is over."

As he closed her eyes, his shadow started devouring her, sending her remains into the realm of Abyss where a million strong undead army was waiting for further instructions.

With the fairy's death, the enchantments around the house started to fade. The luxurious surroundings began to wither and decay, revealing the true nature of the place-a hollow, lifeless shell of a tree.

Karyk stood up, surveying the room one last time before turning to leave. He thought he was going to rest here for a little while after dealing with that fairy, but he didn't expect the house to be ruined with her death as well.

He stepped out of the place and started waiting for more fairies to arrive. He wasn't sure if the fairies could sense the death of one of their own as he hadn't finished consuming the memories of one yet.

While the memories assimilated, he sat in the lifeless forest where not a single drop of flood could be seen anywhere. All that could be seen were empty houses created inside the trees.

In a short time, he had gained a lot of memories, mostly belonging to the elves. He saw how they lived their lives within nature and how they used the power of nature to gather divine energy which they used to attack him.

There were also a few memories that made him uncomfortable. It was the memories that made him remember his own humanity, tugging at his emotions.

Whenever he gazed at those memories, realizing that most of the people he devoured were also good people, there was a small thought at the back of his mind.

"You should stop."

"No I can't..."

"How many innocent people need to die for your revenge?"

"It doesn't matter. Even if the entire realm has to die, I will make it happen. I will remove all potential threats for Gabriel and Zena."

"Are you really doing all this for them? Or is it all for your quest to become a perfect being?"

"Both goals end up at the same destination. They end with the death of the entire angel species."

"If they are your target, go for them. Why do you involve people who had nothing to do with you or the Angels?"

"Because they will make me strong. I can't face the Angels yet!"

"Did you even try? Are you sure you can't defeat them? Or is it just an excuse to justify your insatiable hunger?'

"Even if it's an excuse, then so be it."

"Are you really going to become a being like that? What is the difference between you and those people? Aren't you becoming the same as them?"

"If I need to become one of them to kill them, then I will. If I need to sell my soul to this insatiable hunger, then I will."

"You know you don't want that either."

"So what if I know? So what if I don't? The world has never been just, and I don't claim to make it just. Yes I am selfish, and yes I am greedy. And maybe I am using this all as an excuse to give up on my humanity, but it's too late to stop now."

"It is never too late. You can still stop. There are other ways. Instead of fighting against the innocent, take their help against the Angels."

"Hahaha... Take their help?" Karyk burst into laughter.

No one was here to see him talk to himself. Only he was inside the entire forest, talking to his conscience.

"I tried taking the help in Elzeira. I took the help of the suppressed Empress. What happened? She stabbed me in the back when I needed it the most. She tried to turn me into a slave and killed the innocent citizens that had given their loyalty to me!"

"But she is just one person. I can't judge the entire world based on her!"

"I can judge this entire universe based on her! I have tried... Again and again, I have tried! And all I recieved was betrayal! Instead of taking her help, I should have devoured her! Yes, the only beings that don't betray are those who are dead!"

"Is that what you also think of Gabriel? Do you also want to turn him into an undead? Will he also be an obstruction on your part to perfection? Will you also use potential betrayal as an excuse to kill him?'

"He is my family... He is my brother. He will not betray me!"

"What if he does? Do you think he will support the kind of monster that you are becoming?"

"I don't need his support! I don't need to come across me! If I can make their lives safe, then it's fine even if I spend all my life in this darkness!"

"You will go crazy. Please don't lose yourself."

"It is too late. I have already lost myself long ago. Don't you know, I'm a bad person. It's too late to step back."

"It is not late. You can still change."

"I don't want to change. I have started it and now I will finish it, even if I'm seen as the worst monster in the history of this universe!"

Karyk sat with his back resting against a tree, talking to himself, his fist being clenched so tightly that they had started bleeding. His entire body was surrounded by his darkness and the marks spread over his entire body.