Scylla's Recon Unit didn't have members as strong as the Nine Heads of Destruction—except maybe Jawl—but they were still elite.
They matched the Mercenary Gang's Elite in ability, though they were sorely lacking in numbers.
What made them even more scary was their cloaking speciality and stealthy maneuvers.
In that regard, they were definitely superior to the Mercenary Gang's Elite.
If it came to an enclosed space, especially in the dark, if they had their numbers… there was hardly any enemy they couldn't beat.
Yet…
'W-what is this…?!'
Claudius' jaws trembled as he watched the bodies of all the members of Scylla's Recon Unit descend from above and plop to the ground.
Blood sullied the stained clothes of everyone present, further bathing them in the crimson liquids that once flowed through people.
"This one seemed to be the leader, so I gave him special treatment." A voice came from the man in the black suit, forcing Claudius to raise his head.
Once he did, he saw one body appearing out of nowhere, as he was held from the head by the dark-suited man.
'I-Is that… Jawl …?' Claudius' confusion was understandable, considering how the man looked like now.
All the skin had been peeled off the body, and it also seemed like the hair had been yanked out very violently.
The two eye sockets were empty, with thin strands of flesh protruding out to hold the dangling eyeballs that hung beyond their hollow sockets.
No teeth. The body was a vile representation of a human, but the worst part was…
'He's still alive…?'
Compared to the mangled corpses that filled their sight, the one whom Claudius suspected to be Jawl still seemed to be breathing—albeit barely.
"It would be a waste to just leave him be, so I'll do this instead."
The ebony man flung the skinless body forward, causing it to land on the pile of flesh and blood that stood a distance from him.
"It's a shame that I can no longer use my previous abilities. Most of them were abandoned upon the reset, but that's fine." He began to draw both of his hands to each other.
"I just have to remake it…"
A dark gleam appeared in his eyes as Claudius heard words he didn't fully comprehend.
Purple sparks of energy began to surround him, and the crimson glow in his eyes took on the same hue. It radiated, pulsating forth until the litter of corpses began to exhibit the same color.
Then—
"Hollow Technique #7…"
The world held its breath as it waited for the man to complete his words.
Claudius wondered why he and his allies were still. Normally, they would have rushed the ebony man and gutted him.
Yet…
'It almost feels like an impenetrable wall is in front of me.'
Perhaps it was shock that paralyzed them, but Claudius thought it was something else entirely.
Something akin to instinct.
"… Compound Corpse."
The moment he uttered those words, the meaty flesh and bloodied entrails of the corpses began to jerk to life.
All the blood around them swiftly started to converge, all of them seeping into the distorted forms of men. It happened so quickly that only a few could process the occurrence.
Once the blood vanished, all of the plump flesh began to seep into just one target—the skinless form of the one who was yet to die.
Soon, his body was covered in the flesh of everyone.
"Fshuu…" It gave heavy breaths as it rose to its new, towering form.
It was at least five meters tall, with a plump body that showed the combination of several life forms being merged into one.
One could still see toes or some heads sticking out of the robust abomination that stood tall and mighty.
This thing could no longer be called a human.
It was… a being of horror.
"I thought, as an appetizer, you could enjoy your first battle of the night with this." The Ebony man stretched his hand towards the flesh monster.
He had a tone that oozed pride. It almost seemed like the man thought his actions warranted thanks and reverence from the audience.
More than that, however, Claudius was specifically stunned.
He could see the eyes of his comrades on him as the Undead Monster stood before them, still stationary—thankfully.
'He did something of this level with merely a few words and no prior preparations? What Level is he in?!'
Worst of all, it didn't seem like the man had put any effort at all in the Undead's creation
He could clearly perceive the corrupted Mana—in essence, Miasma—that was slowly rising from the massive entity before them.
It was immensely dense.
Claudius gulped and his mind went to work.
'That is undoubtedly an Undead creature, which means this one is a Necromancer…' Claudius narrowed his eyes as he stared ahead.
Necromancers belonged to a special category of individuals—
obscure beings who could bend the laws of the world even more than normal.
This stemmed from their power over even life itself.
'The fact that he can bring forth Miasma and create an Undead from sacrifices proves my point.'
The man before him fulfilled all the qualifications of being a Necromancer.
"Claudius…" Feyu muttered as she looked at him with concern.
The older man instantly nodded his head the moment he heard his name being uttered.
There was a reason why he knew so much about Necromancers, and why this particular occurrence bothered him the most.
It was because he was also a Necromancer!
"Yeah, I know. This is a tough one, even for me." Claudius said, his eyes narrowed on the man who stood behind the Undead.
The Undead itself wasn't too much of a threat.
It was strong, sure, but not to the point where an experienced Necromancer like Claudius would be so nervous.
The problem was the man who summoned it.
'He must have greater skill than I do. Even more Energy too.'
However, Claudius wasn't blind to his own advantages in the current conflict.
'I have numbers on my side.'
"Shuri, begin your Familiar Summoning Process. Feyu, protect her. As for me… " As Claudius said this, he took a few steps forward, away from his teammates.
"… I'll take care of this one!"