The Genesis Of A Necromancer

While the gods continued their heated discussion within the celestial castle, the mortal caught in their schemes remained oblivious, standing steadfast atop the punishing formation.

Jack's body trembled, his breath coming in shallow, ragged gasps. Sweat poured down his face in rivulets, soaking his tattered clothes as he fought to endure the unrelenting force pressing against him. Every fiber of his being screamed for relief, but he refused to give in. The formation beneath him glowed with a menacing crimson hue, its pulsating energy radiating an oppressive aura that seemed intent on crushing him.

Fifteen minutes had passed since Jack first stepped onto the formation, but to him, it felt like an eternity. The challenge was simple in concept yet brutal in execution: endure the suffocating pressure for as long as possible, with each increment of time rewarding him with heightened stats. However, what no one had warned him about was the excruciating toll it would take on his body and mind.

The formation wasn't just a physical challenge. As Jack ascended to the third stage, he noticed an ominous shift in the air around him. The weight pressing down on him intensified exponentially, and an insidious darkness began to creep into his thoughts, threatening to shatter his resolve. Yet, amidst this torment, he felt an inexplicable barrier shielding his mind, a foreign power that wasn't his own.

'What is this force?' he wondered, his teeth gritted against the pain. The strange energy was unfamiliar yet oddly comforting, like a protective veil standing between him and the crushing despair the formation sought to impose. It allowed him to focus, sharpening his willpower as he pushed past the agony.

From the shadows at the edge of the hall, Zamazo observed Jack with a mix of intrigue and skepticism. The demon overlord, clad in his flowing black robes, leaned casually against a pillar, his crimson eyes flickering with curiosity. Jack's persistence was nothing short of astonishing.

'How is he still standing? The third stage should have broken him by now,' Zamazo thought, his gaze narrowing. 'Even the strongest of demon sentinels faltered at this point. Their mental fortitude was crushed like paper under the weight of the dark energy. Yet this human... he endures.'

Jack's body shook violently, his muscles spasming from the strain, but his face remained a mask of grim determination.

'Is it sheer willpower driving him? Or something else entirely?' Zamazo mused. He couldn't deny his growing respect for the human, even if it was tinged with suspicion.

His moment of reflection was interrupted by a sharp cry.

"You're fighting me! Stop looking elsewhere!" Alisha shouted, her voice filled with frustration as she hurled a blazing spear of light at Zamazo.

The demon overlord turned his attention to her, effortlessly conjuring a barrier of pure shadow with a lazy flick of his wrist. The spear collided with the barrier, light and darkness clashing violently. For a moment, cracks of brilliance spread across the dark shield, but they quickly reversed, the darkness consuming the light entirely.

"You've grown stronger," Zamazo remarked with a calm smile, though his tone carried a hint of mockery. "Impressive, for a human mage."

Alisha clenched her fists, her face flushed with anger. "Don't patronize me!" she snapped, her voice trembling with equal parts rage and desperation.

She was at her limit. Sweat dripped from her forehead as she struggled to maintain her composure. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't land a decisive blow on Zamazo. The demon overlord hadn't even deigned to fight her directly, instead summoning countless shadowy clones to keep her occupied. Each clone was formidable, their attacks precise and relentless, and she had no idea how many more he could summon.

'I'm so weak,' she thought bitterly, tears of frustration welling in her eyes. 'How am I supposed to lead the Church to victory when I can't even defeat a single demon overlord?'
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What Alisha failed to realize, however, was just how much she had already accomplished. Her spells, fueled by her unyielding determination, burned with a radiance far beyond what anyone of her rank should be capable of.

Zamazo noticed, even if she didn't.

'Her power... It's almost unnatural,' he thought, a faint frown crossing his face. 'She's only a B-rank mage, yet she fights with the strength of an S-rank. And it's not the crown amplifying her abilities—it's her own innate talent.'

He glanced briefly at Jack, then back to Alisha and finally to Missy, who watched the scene unfold with wide, curious eyes.

'Each one of them... They're not ordinary humans,' Zamazo realized. 'The reincarnation of my master, an incarnate of light, and a child unafraid of monsters. Together, they're shaping up to be something truly dangerous.'

For the first time in centuries, the demon overlord felt a spark of genuine excitement.

"Enough games," he said, his voice carrying a dangerous edge. The shadows around him coalesced into a scythe, its blade gleaming with a sinister, otherworldly light. "It's time to show you just how far you still have to go."

He strode toward Alisha, his movements unhurried yet purposeful, the scythe trailing dark wisps of energy with each step.

Meanwhile, Jack found himself lost in a void-like state, his consciousness slipping deeper and deeper into an unknown realm. The pressure from the formation had vanished entirely, leaving him weightless and disoriented.

"Where... am I?" he muttered, his voice echoing in the emptiness.

All around him was an expanse of swirling black and gold mist, an ethereal landscape that seemed to stretch infinitely in every direction. He felt an eerie calm wash over him, as if he were being cradled by the universe itself.

Then, a voice rang out—a voice that was both soothing and commanding, resonating deep within his soul.

"You have endured well, mortal."

Jack spun around, searching for the source, but saw no one.

"Who's there? Show yourself!"

The mist began to coalesce, forming the faint outline of a figure. Slowly, the shape solidified, revealing a towering being cloaked in golden light, their face obscured by a radiant helm.

"It's you?!"