The necromancer, draped in tattered robes, floated above the ground, swiftly drifting deeper into the castle, with EeDeChi hot on his heels.

The necromancer occasionally turned to cast spells in an attempt to hinder EeDeChi, but it was all in vain.

The fierce necromantic magic only scattered a few clouds of gray mist around EeDeChi, and his attempts to cast spells only bought him a little time, bringing EeDeChi even closer.

Soon, the adventurer captain, moving with incredible speed, leaped and closed in on the fleeing mage at a pace unimaginable to ordinary people. Her giant sword swung with a force that smacked the floating necromancer, producing the clear, sharp sound of bones snapping.

The necromancer, hit with such a lethal blow, was sent crashing into the ceiling, creating a large dent, and then fell to the ground like a rag, motionless.

It wasn't long before Barrett, Sean, and Stella, out of breath, arrived at the scene.

"Did you take care of him?" Barrett glanced at the necromancer's corpse on the ground, unsurprised by the outcome.

Bending over, he rested his hands on his knees, gasping for air. Carrying a large steel shield, he had strained himself to barely keep up with EeDeChi. If he had been any slower, the three of them would have been left behind in this eerie castle.

image [https://t3.ftcdn.net/jpg/06/38/48/16/360_F_638481664_OD0NBvRD5HllFYsp5ep7VnJgzfQqB25x.jpg]

This physically impressive orichalcum-level adventurer moved at such a pace that she completely ignored her three struggling teammates trailing behind.

The necromancer was now nothing more than a dead corpse. As rumored, perhaps due to studying magic not meant for the living, his limbs and hands were shriveled, lacking any flesh color, and his head was just skin stretched over bones, completely bald.

He lay face down on the cold floor, his dirty mage robes wrapped around his body, with his palms and ankles exposed, creating a rather tragic sight.

Barrett examined the necromancer on the ground carefully. To his surprise, the necromancer's robes, though tattered and stained with blood, were not the dark, dreary kind but rather a richly decorated and elegant robe.

Barrett decided that once he had a moment, he would search the mage's body to see if he could find anything valuable.

Nearby, Stella stood up and cast a restorative Divine Magic spell to recover Barrett and Sean's stamina.

During the last stretch of the chase after EeDeChi, Sean had carried Stella on his back to ensure she kept up with the group, which meant her stamina was the least depleted of the three.

After Stella finished her spell, she carefully approached the necromancer's body, crouched down, and gently turned the mage's head with the tip of her staff.

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

Seeing someone else getting to the loot first, Barrett frowned slightly. It seemed this beautiful cleric girl had also learned to look for treasure on dead bodies, indicating she was making progress on the adventurer's path.

Stella, with a look of panic, knelt down and examined the necromancer's face closely. Suddenly, she leaned on her staff, dropped to her knees, and tears welled up in her eyes. "Master Simon! How is it you?"

Breathing heavily, Sean quickly moved over, and EeDeChi also approached. They realized that the necromancer's gaunt face bore a striking resemblance to James Simon.

The magical emblem Stella found in his robe lining confirmed beyond a doubt that the necromancer EeDeChi had just killed with a single blow was indeed the old mage James Simon, whom they had briefly met at the inn earlier.

"No, this can't be! Master wouldn't practice necromancy!" Stella clutched the gold emblem of her mentor, kneeling on the ground with James's head resting on her lap, tears streaming down her face.

Master James had been immensely helpful when he taught her magic and had always been very kind. Although she had to leave the path of magic due to family issues, Stella had always remembered her teacher's kindness.

Moreover, they had seen each other just a few days ago. The kind old man she had met then now lay before her as a withered corpse, leaving her heartbroken and in deep sorrow.

"Ahem," EeDeChi cleared her throat, her expression indifferent. "If he chose the path of darkness himself, I can't be blamed for being merciless."

Barrett was also surprised. He had seen many hypocrites in his time, but with his knowledge of magic, it was hard to believe that a kind old man who had looked robust just days ago could have transformed into a gaunt necromancer in such a short time.

But regardless, with the castle's master dead, everything in the castle was now up for grabs, waiting for someone to claim it.

Thinking this, Barrett rubbed his hands and looked around. As they chased after the suddenly changed Master James, they had unknowingly entered what seemed to be a living room within the castle.

The living room was lined with extremely tall mahogany bookshelves against the walls, stacked high with books. From a distance, most of them appeared to be beautifully bound magical tomes.

To Barrett, who was unfamiliar with magic, these books were of little value. Even if he tried to sell them, there was a risk that a mage might recognize the original owner of the books, which could lead to trouble.

"How could this happen?" Suddenly, Stella, kneeling on the ground, gasped in shock. Her staff shimmered with magical light, and amidst the shifting shadows, a black soul mark on James's remains flickered ominously.

Seeing the skull-like magical mark, Barrett's expression darkened. This black magic soul mark indicated that the necromancer was not acting with its own will but was a High-tier undead controlled by someone. While it could cast spells and had some intelligence, it was essentially no different from the Low-level undead they had previously fought.

This meant someone had killed James and then used dark magic to turn him into an undead.

Barrett felt a chill run down his spine, and his heart raced in his chest. He wasn't angry about James's death but terrified of the person who had killed him.

He remembered that James was a High-tier mage, possessing dual talents in Arcane Magic and Divine Magic, and capable of casting 4th Tier spells.

To kill such a powerful mage and then convert him into an obedient undead servant, the killer's magical power must be immense. Was it 5th Tier magic? Or 6th, or even 7th Tier?

Humanity's entry into the legendary "hero" realm requires mastering 5th Tier magic! And the guardian of the Baharuth Empire, Fluder Paradyne, the empire's most powerful mage who had lived for over two hundred years, only commanded 6th Tier magic!

Could such a fearsome and ruthless mage be lurking in this very mansion, watching them?

Sean also grasped the gravity of the situation. He stood up straight next to Stella, gripping his short sword tightly, and scanned the surroundings with a serious expression. Stella, still kneeling, gently held James's head and sobbed quietly.

At least we have EeDeChi. I wonder if she can handle this, Barrett thought, casting a glance at the only person in the room who seemed to be calm and collected.