Above the mage

Chapter 281 The Fifth Ring Necromancer

Inside the council chamber of the Icefield Temple, a solemn and dignified atmosphere prevailed.

The ice walls, made of solid ice, are thick and smooth, isolating the outside world from noise and cold.

The ice wall is also carved with intricate religious symbols, shimmering with a mysterious light.

Several magic lamps hung high, emitting a soft yet bright light that illuminated the entire hall as if it were daytime, yet without being glaring.

Because it is a council chamber, people come here to discuss and decide on important matters within the sect, so confidentiality is of utmost importance. It is a completely enclosed room with no windows and only one door leading to the outside world.

In the very center of the hall was a long ice table.

Two rows of chairs were neatly arranged next to the ice table, waiting for each mage to take their seat.

The main seat has three positions, each representing one of the three leaders of the Snowfield Guardians: the Archbishop, the Inquisitor, and the Chief Guardian.

At this moment, the high-ring mages of the Snowfield Guardians, who were in the headquarters, had all gathered here and sat down on the chairs by the ice table, each with a different expression.

"Lord Ryan, what important matter has prompted you to summon us to the council chamber in such a hurry?"

Of the three main seats, two are now occupied.

The one who spoke was one of the two men seated at the head of the table, Archbishop Rune.

In fact, the power structure of the Snowfield Guardians was originally with the Archbishop as the leader, and the Holy Inquisitor who was in charge of the hunters and the Chief Guardian as his deputies.

However, this framework was broken when the previous archbishop, Lucy Hernandez, failed to ascend to the next level and died soon after, due to the backlash that damaged her physical vitality.

Although Rune, who succeeded him, was also a fourth-ringed, he was clearly not as powerful as Archbishop Lucy and was not enough to convince Inquisitor Ryan and Chief Quentin.

Therefore, the Snowfield Guardians have now formed a three-way power struggle within the council.

Upon hearing Rune's question, the hunter commander, Inquisitor Ryan, seated in another main seat, slowly swept his gaze across Archbishop Rune's face and the equally curious crowd, before speaking in a low voice:

"We have gathered everyone here today because there is a matter of life and death that we need to discuss."

"You may not know this, but the War Mother Sunafa of the Zhenbing Tribe is currently leading five thousand ice-blooded mages on a march toward our Icefield Temple."

As soon as Judge Ryan finished speaking, the council hall, which had been immersed in a solemn atmosphere, instantly erupted as if a boulder had been thrown into it.

"ah?!"

"Really? How is that possible?"

"Is she crazy? What is she trying to do?"

"We've always kept to ourselves and the Zhenbing tribe, why would she do this?!"

"."

A cacophony of shocked, bewildered, and angry voices filled the completely sealed council chamber, as if an invisible storm was raging within it.

Judge Ryan sat there quietly, letting everyone discuss and vent, his face showing no emotion whatsoever.

It wasn't until a moment later, when someone noticed that something was wrong with his expression, that things quieted down.

"Holy Inquisitor, what exactly is going on? We, the Snowfield Guardians, have no enmity with the Zhenbing Tribe. Why did Sunefa lead her people to attack us for no reason? And where did you get this information?" Archbishop Rune asked the question on behalf of everyone present.

All eyes in the council chamber were now focused on Judge Ryan, awaiting his answer.

The Holy Judge of Ruian is over four hundred years old this year. Even for a Four-Ring Mage with a lifespan of 600 years, this age is considered to be in his middle or late years.

He was very well-maintained; his face didn't have many wrinkles, and his hair wasn't gray at all, giving him an air of authority.

"Of course it wasn't without reason," Ryan said slowly after seemingly thinking for a moment.

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone in the room was stunned. So what was the reason?

Ryan glanced around at everyone, then spoke again in a low voice, "It's all because of me."

"Because of you?"

Ryan slowly said, "The Zhenbing tribe has found the person who will bring them hope for revival according to the prophecy left by the War Mother Oretia, and they have supported him as the new king of the Zhenbing tribe."

Archbishop Rune, surprised, subconsciously said, "In Oretia's time, the Iceborn bloodline had only just begun to decline. Oretia was a seventh-circle Iceborn mage, and the rituals and spells she performed were quite grand. Therefore, the Zhenbing tribe has always been very faithful to the prophecy she left behind."

"Even in the northern frontier, there are some tribes that believe in this prophecy and look forward to the appearance of the person foretold."

"Therefore, it is not surprising that the Zhenbing tribe put this prophesied person on the throne as the new king, after all, they have lived by this prophecy for so many years."

Judging from his tone, Archbishop Rune clearly did not have much faith in this prophecy.

"And this new king of the Zhenbing tribe has some grudges with me," Ryan glanced at Archbishop Rune, chuckled, and then changed his words, "maybe more than just some."

"A gap? What gap would allow this new king to lead a large army to attack our Icefield Temple?" Archbishop Rune asked incredulously, while also expressing his dissatisfaction with Ryan's nonchalant attitude.

For the northern tribes, the resources required for a long-distance raid by a large army are actually very difficult to afford.

Even if the Zhenbing tribe has such resources, it can only do this once or twice at most, otherwise it will collapse internally first.

So what kind of gap would cause the Zhenbing tribe to make such a big fuss?

And that Ryan was taking such a big fuss and still acting so evasively was something he couldn't accept.

Not only Archbishop Rune, but also the high-ranking members of the sect present were puzzled.

But Ryan didn't answer Rune's question. Instead, he changed the subject, "The first thing the new king did after being supported by the Zhenbing tribe to ascend the throne was to behead the tribe's elder, Donald, who had always harbored dissent, thus completely silencing any dissenting voices within the tribe."

He said this was what he thought unity meant.

"Because the only choice is the best choice."

At this point, Judge Ryan's face revealed his appreciation. "This was indeed done beautifully, and it was even a great inspiration to me."

"Why are you bringing this up?" Rune frowned.

"So, the reason I've been in such a hurry to call you all here for this meeting is to learn from the actions of this new king of the Zhenbing tribe," Ryan said with a smile, still not answering Rune's question.

But Ryan was clearly smiling, yet everyone in the room felt a strange chill, a coldness creeping down their spines.

"Learn from this new king's actions? Ryan, what do you mean by that?" Archbishop Rune also sensed something was wrong and almost slammed his fist on the table.

"Archbishop, you're still as impatient as ever."

Faced with Archbishop Rune's furious outburst, Inquisitor Ryan maintained his unfathomable calm and indifference, as if no sound could touch his heart in the slightest.

However, at this moment, a violent surge of magical power suddenly rose from Ryan's body, completely opposite to his calm expression.

An unprecedented sense of deathly silence suddenly arose in the closed council chamber.

Immediately afterwards, a chilling and strange phenomenon suddenly appeared before everyone's eyes.

Behind the Inquisitor Ryan, dark tentacles, like those of a giant octopus in the deep sea, extended out!

These tentacles twisted and coiled, baring their fangs and claws, carrying an ancient and evil aura. They moved nimbly in the air like living creatures, directly entangling Archbishop Rune beside Ryan!

The power of the tentacles was too great. Although Archbishop Rune was a fourth-circle mage, he was insignificant in the face of the tentacles' power and was directly restrained in place, unable to move.

As the tentacles tightly bound, wisps of blood mist emanated from Archbishop Rune's body.

As soon as the blood mist surged out of Rune's body, it was absorbed into his tentacles, and then flowed into Ryan's body through the veins of the tentacles, like a conduit for life.

Visibly, as the blood mist energy surged into his body, Ryan's complexion became rosy, even radiating a sickly glow.

In contrast, Rune's face had turned deathly pale, and his eyes were also a deathly white. He looked like an old man whose life force had been drained, on the verge of death.

"Forbidden necromancy, energy drain!" A terrified shout rang out.

Some people in the audience recognized the meaning behind this horrifying phenomenon.

These tentacles are the manifestation of the fifth-circle necromancy spell "Energy Drain," an evil spell that can directly extract the target's life force to heal and replenish its own.

Being able to cast fifth-circle necromancy spells means that Ryan has quietly advanced to the rank of fifth-circle mage!

The moment they recognized the spell, everyone present realized its meaning and looked at Ryan with disbelief.

The fact that the Inquisitor Ryan was already a fifth-circle mage was far more shocking than the fact that he could cast necromancy spells.

In the North, since the Iceborn bloodline has been declining, no fifth-ring mage has emerged for many years.

"This is what I mean." As Rune's face grew paler and paler, his life force fading, Ryan's calm and cold voice rang out in the council chamber.

"Spare me." Rune's eyes were filled with fear and despair. He struggled, using his last bit of strength to squeeze out broken pleas for mercy from his parched throat.

He is still young, and his mage level is only at the early fourth ring.

As for mages, the higher their level, the greater the difference in strength. Therefore, Rune couldn't even withstand a single spell from Ryan, who was already at the fifth ring.

Ryan remained unmoved by Rune's pleas for mercy.

Faced with absolute power, Archbishop Rune could only watch in despair as his life force slowly faded away.

Finally, his life force was completely extinguished, leaving only an empty shell. He slid helplessly from his seat and lay on the floor of the council chamber.

However, even so, Judge Ryan was still not prepared to let Rune go.

He stretched out his right hand, and a black line, as deep and sinister as ink, extended from his fingertip, carrying endless chill and the aura of death, directly piercing the lifeless corpse of Archbishop Rune.

Amidst the horrified gazes of the crowd, Archbishop Rune's body, which should have been devoid of all life force, began to tremble slightly, and then, in an unbelievable way, he shakily rose from the ground.

His movements were stiff and eerie, his eyes empty and lifeless, like a puppet controlled by some evil force. He mechanically stood up and then silently stood behind the Inquisitor Ryan.

Although he stood up, he was no longer the noble archbishop who once possessed the power of a fourth-circle mage, but a walking corpse controlled by necromancy.

Rune's face was expressionless, his eyes filled with only deathly stillness.

It is still forbidden necromancy.

After brutally killing Rune, Ryan intends to manipulate his body, turning him into his pawn and puppet.

That's what makes necromancy so terrifying.

This scene sent chills down everyone's spine.

"As you can see, I became enemies with that new king because I practiced forbidden necromancy."

Ryan clapped his hands lightly, and then the doors to the council chamber were suddenly pushed open. Loich, who had been released by God, was rudely dragged in by two hunters.

He looked up at the Inquisitor Ryan sitting in the main seat and the Archbishop of Rune, who had become a puppet behind him, his face filled with terror.

"archbishop"

Ryan didn't even glance at Loych, and continued, "The new king instructed Loych to deliver a message: either hand me over, or they will withdraw their troops and cease their disturbances to the peace of our Icefield Temple."

"Or they will lead their army to raze this place to the ground and come to capture me themselves."

Ryan sneered as he glanced around the council chamber and said, "I know that after hearing this news, many of you will be inclined to hand me over to prevent the Snowfield Guardians from going to war, especially Archbishop Rune, who is devoted to his sect and certainly does not want to fight the Zhenbing Tribe."

"But I certainly can't just surrender like this, and my men won't agree to it either."

"This is not good. Such a disagreement will plunge our sect into an atmosphere of disunity."

"So," Ryan smiled slightly, "I have made the choice for you. Archbishop Rune now unconditionally supports me, and I believe you will have no other objections."

These words sent a chill down the spines of everyone present—rune had become a zombie controlled by Ryan, how could they not unconditionally support him?

But what can they do?

Even the Archbishop of Rune, a fourth-ring mage, was unable to resist Ryan and became a zombie. How could these third-ring mages possibly contend with Ryan?

"We shall respect the orders of the Holy Inquisitor." A hoarse voice rang out in the council chamber, followed by a chorus of voices.

Although their hearts were filled with resentment and helplessness, in the face of absolute power, submission became their only choice.

Ryan nodded in satisfaction, his gaze sharp as a hawk's as he surveyed everyone present.

"Don't worry," he said slowly, his voice filled with unwavering determination, "Although the Zhenbing Tribe is powerful, it's really nothing in front of a fifth-ring necromancer."

"I will personally handle this matter. Those members of the Zhenbing tribe who attempt to invade our Icefield Temple will absolutely not be allowed to set foot in the Icefield Temple."

His tone was full of confidence and domineering, as if everything was under his control: "As for the sect, under my leadership, it will surely embark on a glorious path once again."

"Hope for recovery, haha."

(End of this chapter)