Slash!
The iron sword swung down again, slicing through flesh.
Blood splattered.
The gray-robed mage fell lifeless once more.
[Experience Gained: 10,003]
[Experience Gauge: 75,980 / 120,000]
"Resurrection of the Dead!"
Sakeer's gaze remained locked on the mage's soul, which had once again drifted free from its body. His eyes narrowed.
A surge of brilliant blue light erupted from the magic array, bathing the surroundings in an eerie glow.
The weight of fifth-tier magic pressed down on the air, making it feel thick and heavy.
"Ahh...!"
Panic gripped the mage's heart.
For so long, he had relied on the Zurrernorn Leader's power and his own mastery of resurrection magic.
Even if he died, he could always be revived, albeit at the cost of some lost strength. Given time, he could always recover.
But now—
If the enemy also wielded resurrection magic…
Then for the gray-robed mage—
No.
For anyone facing Sakeer, this was a nightmare beyond comprehension!
With each resurrection, his life force drained further.
A deep, unfamiliar weakness crept into his body, weighing him down.
The once proud and powerful consul—a figure that nobles across nations would have bowed and scraped before—was now reduced to a desperate, crawling wretch.
And soon… he would lose even that.
If he died again, he might not even have the strength to resist anymore.
Damn it!
His mind raced for an escape.
"I—I have money!" the mage sputtered, his voice sharp with desperation.
"I have rare magical items! You're a magic user yourself, so you must understand how difficult it is to obtain powerful spells!"
His words came in a hurried rush.
Of course, he didn't expect Sakeer to accept his offer.
But—
If he could stall for even a moment, just one second of hesitation, it would be enough to prepare a spell.
Bang!
A heavy impact.
His vision went black.
The next thing he knew, he was sprawled on the ground, his body limp.
"A magic user, but quite slippery," Sakeer murmured, glancing down at the unconscious mage at his feet.
He reached into his coat and retrieved a pocket watch.
Glancing at the time, he did a quick mental calculation.
Then—
Slash!
The iron sword descended again, cutting through flesh.
Beads of blood slid down the blade's edge.
This time, however, Sakeer didn't rely on [Mad Mage]'s ability.
Instead, he deliberately expended his own mana, conserving his "Crazy Mage" skill for later.
[Experience Gained: 4,251]
[MP: 188 → 138]
"Resurrection of the Dead."
Sakeer's sharp gaze flickered.
The experience gained had dropped significantly.
From 10,000 just moments ago—down to barely 4,000.
Something was changing.
He focused on the soul of the gray-robed mage, observing its state through his [Shamanic Adept] passive ability.
"The soul..." he muttered.
"It's... not as clear as before. More... faded."
He had been watching closely after each death and resurrection.
Beyond just the life level drop, the soul itself was also showing signs of damage.
"So, a powerful being doesn't just have a high life level," Sakeer mused.
"The soul itself must also strengthen as they grow."
"And if levels drop, then both the body and soul decline together..."
It made sense.
Powerful figures were not just stronger in body—they had souls that could endure greater forces.
But as levels fell, that resilience crumbled along with it.
Slash!
[Experience Gained: 676]
[MP: 138 → 88]
"Resurrection of the Dead."
Slash!
The blade fell once more.
This time, however—
Sakeer did not resurrect him again.
Instead, he stared at the gray-robed mage's corpse, his mind calculating.
"The experience gain has dropped to the three-digit range..."
"He should have fallen below Level 20."
The Realm of Heroes ranged between Level 29 and 35.
By Sakeer's count—
This was the fifth time the mage had died.
At this rate—if resurrected again—the mage's level would fall somewhere between 9 and 15.
Click!
Sakeer flipped open his pocket watch once more, checking the time.
His gaze sharpened.
"It's time for the second preparation."
A moment later—
From his inventory, he withdrew a large vat filled with troll blood.
With calm precision, he began inscribing the magic array for "Over Magic" on the ground.
If the gray-robed mage was truly connected to Zurrernorn, then the Zurrernorn Leader would soon sense his death.
Sakeer had no way of knowing when the Zurrernorn Leader would initiate the magic ritual for the gray-robed mage's resurrection from afar.
However, based on his past battle with Khajiit, he could make a rough estimate of the timeframe.
The reason Sakeer had not resurrected the gray-robed mage again was simple:
It was an experiment.
If both he and the Zurrernorn Zurrernorn Leader cast resurrection magic simultaneously—
Where would the mage revive?
This was critical.
Because it directly influenced how Sakeer would deal with Quaiesse next.
Sakeer always considered the worst possible outcome.
If the Zurrernorn Leader's resurrection magic—performed through a ritual—was stronger than normal resurrection magic, there was a chance that the gray-robed mage would revive at the Zurrernorn Leader's location instead of in front of him.
Although this scenario seemed unlikely—after all, the mage's corpse was still here—Sakeer wasn't one to take chances.
Even in this world, where arcane and divine magic had their own separate paths, some mages had found ways to wield faith-based magic.
Who knew what other strange techniques these people might have?
So—he had to prepare a contingency plan.
"The modified version of 'Resurrection of the Dead' consumes too much mana..."
"Unfortunately, my current proficiency in faith-based magic is still lacking."
Sakeer leaned forward, carefully inscribing the magic array on the ground with meticulous precision.
One hour later—
The ritual was finally complete.
Glancing once more at the gray-robed mage's corpse, Sakeer confirmed that there was still no movement before stepping into the center of the magic formation.
Bzzzt—!
As Sakeer channeled his magic, the ritual circle reacted instantly.
The intricate star-and-tree motif lit up, glowing beneath his feet.
A sudden gust of invisible energy surged outward, causing his priest robes to ripple in the wind.
"Over Magic—Seventh-Tier Magic!"
His eyes sharpened.
In the midst of the dark wetland forest, a dazzling white light burst forth—banishing the surrounding shadows.
Whoosh!
Above his head, a five-meter-wide magic array materialized—its radiant white glow exuding an undeniable divine presence.
Then—
A second, smaller magic array (three meters in diameter) formed above the first, the two merging in a synchronized weave of powerful, sacred energy.
The sheer concentration of magic was overwhelming.
Tiny orbs of light danced in the air, illuminating the surroundings with an almost holy radiance.
The thick scent of blood that once lingered in the air was instantly purged, and even the heavy mist that had blanketed the wetland's dense forest began to dissipate.
Sakeer stared up at the double-layered magic array, momentarily stunned.
"...Isn't this a little excessive?"
As a seasoned Magic Caster, he could clearly feel the vast difference between seventh-tier magic and the fifth-tier spells he had used before.
After a brief moment of awe, he sensed his mana reserves being rapidly drained.
Crazy Mage!
With a silent command, Sakeer activated his class ability, stabilizing his mana flow before it could be completely depleted.
This ensured that the seventh-tier spell could be fully cast.
"RESURRECTION!"
Seventh-Tier Resurrection Magic.
By mastering fifth-tier resurrection magic and using the "Over Magic" ability, he had successfully enhanced it.
As the resurrection spell began to take shape, Sakeer immediately activated another of his [Mad Mage] passive abilities—
"Pre—Magic!"
Suddenly—
The blazing magical light in the sky vanished in an instant.
As if it had never existed.
Darkness once again enveloped the wetland forest.
But—
The seventh-tier resurrection magic had been successfully stored in his passive ability!
"It's done."
Sakeer let out a slow breath, a slight smirk forming on his lips.
Now, everything was set.
If the Zurrernorn Leader's resurrection method truly overpowered a normal resurrection spell, he would immediately release the prepared resurrection magic.
Hum—!
A system notification suddenly appeared in his status panel:
Ding!
[Seventh-Tier Magic: Resurrection] detected. Requires Faith Caster level 43–49. Current conditions not met.]
Sakeer's smile faded slightly.
"Tsk."
His Faith Caster level was currently only 4.
Even adding his [Mad Mage] level, his overall level was only 40—just shy of the requirements.
"Well, nothing I can do about that."
All that was left—
Was to wait.
Sakeer cast his gaze over to the gray-robed mage's corpse and murmured softly—
"Don't disappoint me."
Meanwhile, in the Azerlisia Mountains—
Mount Rabasra.
One of the most towering, perilous peaks in the Angelician Mountain Range—a vast chain that divided empires from kingdoms.
Normally, at such high altitudes, the landscape would be blanketed in ice and snow.
However—
At the mountain's center, there existed a place that defied all logic.
Here, the air burned like an invisible fire, the temperature scorching enough to set the very atmosphere ablaze.
For any ordinary person, merely breathing in this infernal environment would incinerate them from the inside out.
A realm of searing heat—beyond mortal comprehension.