Khajiit's shrill cry of disbelief echoed across the desecrated cemetery.His face contorted in horror as six brilliant beings descended like meteors into the darkness.
Far in the distance—the dazzling radiance of six Fire Archangels illuminated the death-soaked field.
That sacred light stood in stark contrast to the cemetery's gloom, casting long, distorted shadows over the broken gravestones.
A crushing pressure filled the air.Khajiit swallowed hard, sweat breaking across his bald scalp.
If the sight weren't before his very eyes, he would have thought it a hallucination.Someone had summoned six Fire Archangels—at once.
—
"Attack."Minori's voice was low and rasped—utterly calm.
There was no need for bravado.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
All six archangels moved at once.Four targeted the skeletal warriors arrayed across the cemetery.The remaining two flew straight at Khajiit, cutting through the sky like divine retribution.
—
Panic distorted Khajiit's face.
The distance between them—almost a hundred meters—was usually safe for a necromancer like himself.A sea of lesser undead separated him from the enemy caster.
But—Archangels could fly.
The low-level undead provided no obstruction whatsoever.Blinding holy light cut directly through the fog of death.
"Damn it!"
Khajiit's first reflex was to recall his skeletal warriors—but he quickly realized that the four Fire Archangels had already locked them in combat.
Even summoning new undead would require him to dismiss the existing ones—which took too much time.
—
Shing!
A blazing sword cut downward.The first Fire Archangel reached him and attacked without hesitation.
"Bone Wall!" Khajiit screamed.
Boom!
A wall of interlocking bone erupted from the ground, barely catching the flaming blade.
But he was facing two.
The second archangel came from the flank—its burning wings sweeping wide as it slashed.
"Shield Wall!"
A translucent magical barrier shimmered into existence. The blow struck—and though blocked, cracks formed instantly.
"Negative Ray!"
In desperation, Khajiit pointed his staff and fired a beam of corrosive energy.
But—
The Fire Archangel only staggered for a moment.
Khajiit's blood ran cold.
His assumptions had been completely off.
He had sent all of his skeletal warriors to overwhelm the enemy early, fearing hidden allies—and now he was left undefended.
A fatal mistake.
In that instant of looming death—his mind cleared.
He realized it.
This wasn't a mistake or trick. The enemy—Minori—had planned this.
He had probably used summoned Guardian Angels earlier to draw Khajiit's attention away.Khajiit had assumed he could only summon two at a time.
But Minori had six Fire Archangels on the field.
He never had backup.He never needed any.
—
Boom!
A second spell fired.A dark, coiling beam of negative magic slammed into one of the archangels—but only made it falter.
Shing!
The flaming sword stabbed forward again.
Magical wards shimmered around Khajiit's robe, trying to deflect the attack.They held—for a heartbeat.
Then—
The blade pierced through.
"Gah—koff!"
Blood gushed from Khajiit's mouth as fire licked through his chest.
—
He stumbled back, eyes wide with despair.
His gaze found the Orb of Death still clenched in his right hand.Desperation turned to grim resolve.
The orb began to glow—a deep, black-iron luster pulsing ominously.
"Terror of the Abyss... absorb my soul—"
Shing!
Another Fire Archangel arrived.
Its sword swept down and severed Khajiit's arm at the wrist.
"AAAARGH!"
Khajiit screamed.The orb slipped from his hand and tumbled down the stone steps of the crumbling temple.
Its light faded.
Shing!
A final slash—clean and decisive.
Blood sprayed.
Khajiit's world turned red as his vision left his body.He felt himself falling, not physically—but spiritually.
All his hate, his resentment—vanished.
"I was... so close...Resurrection… magic…"
Darkness claimed him.
[EXP Gained: 3251][Current EXP: 3462 / 10000]
Minori lowered his hand from his monocle lens, watching Khajiit's headless corpse collapse.
"You chose the wrong opponent."
His voice was quiet, not mocking—just resolute.
"And I have no intention of letting anyone use their final trump card."
Khajiit had withstood two archangel attacks and countered with advanced necromantic spells.Clearly, his strength far surpassed that of a mere lieutenant in Zuranon.
That was troubling.
Click… clack…
With their master gone, the skeletal warriors faltered.One by one, they collapsed into piles of bone and ash.
—
All six Fire Archangels descended, forming a loose ring around Minori.
He glanced at them and nodded.
"The worst-case scenario didn't happen. I still have four Flame Archangel scrolls in reserve."
He allowed himself the faintest of smirks.
"Who says a support-type build can't fight?"
If it had been him in Khajiit's place—faced with six high-tier summons, summoned instantly—
Even he might have panicked.
This was the power of preparedness.The power of a player armed with YGGDRASIL artifacts, scrolls, and tactics.
Minori's MP hadn't dropped by even a fraction.He had used nothing but scrolls.
He was still ready for a second battle, or even immediate escape if necessary.
No wonder Ainz, when first transported to the New World, had immediately checked his inventory.The sheer number of tools at a player's disposal…was overwhelming.
—
Minori walked forward.
The corpse lay still beneath the crumbling stone, blood soaking into the broken earth.
His eyes were drawn to the black orb lying nearby, half-submerged in dust.
The Orb of Death.
It looked like nothing more than black stone—but Minori knew better.
He didn't touch it.
Instead, he gestured.A Fire Archangel picked it up and hovered before him, hands outstretched.
"Illusion magic, possession, mind-altering curses…This thing was designed to control human will."
But summoned creatures, lacking souls, were immune.
"Appraisal: Magic Item."
A soft blue glow enveloped the orb.
Item: Orb of DeathType: Magic Tool / Special CraftGrade: High (Level 30–40)Energy Slot: 75 / 300
Passive Effects:
Negative Energy Absorption: Restores energy when exposed to negative energy.
Negative Energy Corrosion: Long-term exposure corrupts the user, risking undeath or death.
Innate Sentience: The orb possesses independent awareness.
Influence of Will: Slowly corrodes human will. Particularly strong against mortals.
Active Effects:
Enhanced Undead Creation I: Allows one extra undead summon of equal level.
Enhanced Undead Summoning I: Grants a second summoning slot.
Undead Control (Low-Level Boost I): Expands the number of low-level undead that can be controlled.
Summon Bone Dragon: Costs 100 energy.
—
Minori's eye twitched.
"Eight abilities… four of them passive…All of them dangerous."
Even if half were malicious, this was a terrifying artifact.
Clearly crafted for necromancers of elite rank.