At the main entrance to the demonic cult's base, located on the southwestern slope of the mountain, Lusian, Emily, Adela, Charles, one hundred and nineteen knights, and twenty mages prepared to launch the assault.

  To the north stood Leonidas with forty-nine knights and ten mages. To the east, Keitaro and Iris, alongside twenty-two adventurers and Jaiden Jenkins, led twenty-nine knights and five mages. Finally, on the western flank, Albert commanded thirty-nine knights and ten mages.

  The force had been strategically divided to encircle the cult's base and strike from multiple directions. Each commander led a substantial contingent of soldiers and mages—more than enough to carry out the assault.

  Lusian ordered forty knights to advance while the mages prepared a wide-area wind spell. Drawing on his knowledge of the game—the very world Erwin had once completed—he knew that when facing undead, black mages often cast a field spell that produced a toxic mist, one that strengthened the undead and poisoned any who entered its radius.

  Moments later, as the knights approached the cavern entrance, a dense fog began to pour from its mouth. From the earth itself, rotting corpses clawed their way upward. Cultists emerged from the cave, and among them stood a Lich wielding a halberd.

  A chill ran down Lusian's spine.

  Following his orders, the mages unleashed their wind spell, dispersing the poisonous mist. The clash between knights and undead erupted with brutal intensity. Yet the creatures rose faster than they could be cut down.

  Lusian quickly adjusted his strategy, ordering twenty additional knights forward while leaving sixty in reserve to rotate with the wounded and the exhausted. The mages alternated their spellcasting to conserve mana.

  Only one mage possessed light affinity—the element most effective against undead—but the fire mages compensated by casting Inferno spells. With the support of four wind mages amplifying the flames, they incinerated waves of enemies pressing dangerously close to the knights, who were already straining under the sheer numbers.

  "Where are they all coming from?" Emily asked.

  "The cult must have desecrated every grave in the surrounding villages," Lusian replied. "Undead require corpses. They don't appear out of nothing. That's why some are rotting while others are little more than bone."

  "Then… how many more could rise?"

  "Thousands. Perhaps more. Individually they aren't strong—but their numbers are the real threat. If we're careless, our knights will exhaust their mana."

  "I thought this would be simpler," Emily murmured, lowering her gaze. "I can support the mages too."

  She cast an area Purification spell, but its effect proved weaker than expected. Disappointment flickered across her face as the light faded.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  "Isn't it strange?" Lusian observed quietly. "Light and darkness cannot truly touch—so how do they take physical form through mana?"

  "What are you talking about?" Emily asked, intrigued despite the chaos.

  "You," he replied calmly. "You've been researching how to create a stronger light spell, haven't you?"

  Her eyes widened. "How do you know that?"

  Lusian smiled and drew a scroll from his pocket, unfurling it to reveal a detailed light spell diagram.

  "Because I've been experimenting as well. I'm trying to enhance my dark magic."

  He recited an incantation for nearly twenty seconds. A beam of darkness struck an advancing undead. It staggered—but kept coming.

  "As expected, dark magic isn't very effective against the undead," Lusian remarked.

  Emily watched in awe and asked him to teach her.

  "It isn't complicated," Lusian said. "Don't try to give the light a physical form. Focus solely on its intensity—compress it."

  "You expect me to just understand that?" she asked doubtfully.

  "It's hard to explain in words. But try. You have the talent to discover it yourself."

  His confidence steadied her. Emily nodded and began channeling her mana differently, determined to refine her light magic.

  Meanwhile, the squad's light mage was running low on mana despite having eliminated dozens of undead with Light Arrow spells that tore through the enemy ranks. Barely ten minutes had passed since the battle began, yet several knights were already wounded, and a few had fallen to the cult mages' attacks.

  Disaster would have been inevitable if not for the knights' legendary-grade armor and swords. Each also carried a superior artifact that enhanced their magical affinity.

  Gradually, the tide shifted. The undead no longer rose in overwhelming waves.

  Then the Lich stepped forward.

  Ten corpses clad in the armor of Erkhan knights rose at his side.

  "Damn it—they have high-level undead!" Lusian shouted.

  "They must have found fallen knights' bodies… this complicates things," Charles muttered before addressing Lusian. "My lord, I request permission to engage. The knights won't withstand the Lich and those undead for long."

  Lusian nodded gravely. "Go, Charles. Take Umber with you."

  But Umber did not move.

  "He will not leave your side while you are in danger, my lord," Adela stated firmly. "I will send Aureus instead."

  Understanding the importance of utilizing every advantage, Lusian ordered the water-affinity mages to cast spells along Aureus's path. The mages repositioned behind the knights and unleashed powerful torrents of water.

  Seizing the moment, Aureus activated his ability—Frozen Mantle.

  As the water spells drenched the undead, frost spread rapidly through their ranks. Though the damage was modest, the freezing effect slowed them enough for the knights to close in and shatter them.

  The combination proved devastating.

  Yet the Lich and his armored undead knights charged into Douglas's formation, cutting several knights down. The situation grew dire until Charles intercepted the Lich directly, engaging him in fierce combat while the remaining knights battled the armored undead.

  Fire spells roared across the battlefield. Charles harnessed gusts of wind from his own magic, amplifying the flames' force and precision.

  Still, it was clear that without swift reinforcement, he would fall.

  Recognizing the difference in power between Charles and the Lich, Lusian moved to support him personally. Before stepping forward, he shouted for Emily to remain with the mages—for her safety—and avoid close combat.

  The Lich struck Charles with a brutal sweep of its halberd, sending him crashing to the ground. The undead raised its weapon for the killing blow—

  A concentrated beam of light slammed into its right arm.

  Emily.

  Her newly refined light spell struck with far greater force than before, searing the Lich's limb.

  Seizing the opening, Lusian unleashed a barrage of dark spells. Though they caused little direct harm, they diverted the Lich's focus and forced it away from Charles.

  In that instant, Umber lunged.

  With a savage bite, he clamped onto the Lich's halberd arm. The force was so tremendous it nearly tore the limb free.