Chapter 62: Necromantic Magic Schools

“Do you believe what Quasimodo said?” Lucas asked.

“York thought he was a kind-hearted man,” Old York said. “At that time, York truly believed he could use necromantic magic for good, that he would use it to heal patients.”

“He painted a grand vision that captivated York. He claimed the world’s understanding of necromantic magic was wrong, that we shouldn’t treat it as something extreme. Quasimodo said one day he would rehabilitate necromantic magic’s reputation, eliminate people’s prejudices against it and necromancers.”

“Sounds nice when you say it like that.”

“That devilish young man bewitched York with his words. York genuinely believed him and started following his ideas, helping him obtain forbidden materials that were difficult to acquire through normal means.”

“York lent him the alchemy workshop. Almost every night, he would sneak away from Oak Tavern without his mentor’s knowledge, come to York’s workshop, and leave before dawn.”

“During his three months in Alvado, he increasingly asked York to accompany him treating patients. Some were healed, but others died.”

“York didn’t pay special attention then, but later realized the deceased were all homeless drifters without relatives. Quasimodo must have done something to kill them on the operating table. No one would notice if such people died on the streets, so he specifically selected them.”

“Normally, York wouldn’t dissect corpses even if patients died during treatment. But Quasimodo said progress required sacrifice and persuaded York to assist him in dissecting the dead.”

“So you stepped into the abyss?” Lucas said.

“That was the first step into the abyss,” the gnome said gloomily. “York naively thought York could actually accomplish something.”

“But when spring came, Quasimodo left Alvado. Before departing, he gave York his address, saying he’d communicate via his domesticated snow geese or owls.”

“We established code words – no real names or sensitive terms like ‘corpse’ or ‘dissection’ in letters.”

“What did you do for him during those three years?” Lucas asked.

“Many things,” Old York said. “Quasimodo sent money requesting York purchase materials and ship them to certain locations.”

“There were also necromantic and dissection studies. Since Quasimodo lived in his mentor’s mage tower with daily lessons and spell practice, he couldn’t easily access corpses. So he had York continue their Alvado research, like completing detailed anatomical drawings of organs and skeletons. York drafted many sketches for him then.”

“When did you realize his malicious intentions?”

“Around the second year, his demands grew increasingly excessive,” Old York said. “He wanted York to obtain things related to infants and pregnant women. The requests were too horrifying – York refused.”

“He wrote long letters persuading York, but York finally recognized the disparity between his actions and words, becoming suspicious. He then moderated his demands to what York could accept.”

“In the third year, when York finally learned the first necromantic spell, York went to the attic where Little Bean Sprout was kept. York had learned an entry-level communication spell from the soul school, thinking York could finally talk to Little Bean Sprout.”

“But… all York heard were piercing, knife-like shrieks as if Little Bean Sprout’s flesh was being cut. Only then did York understand its soul had been forcibly bound to its skeleton by Quasimodo. York dissected Little Bean Sprout – beneath the dried fur were only various mud and stones soaked in preservatives, even the organs were hollow cavities.”

“Little Bean Sprout wasn’t interacting with York by its own will. Quasimodo had commanded it to meow and rub against York’s legs like when alive, while its soul was actually twisted and tormented.”

“Only then did York realize the terrifying nature beneath Quasimodo’s gentle facade. He merely saw York as a useful tool. York even suspected he killed Little Bean Sprout – it had lived safely in Alvado for seven years, why did it die precisely five days after Quasimodo arrived?”

“That is quite coincidental,” Lucas nodded.

“So York personally liberated Little Bean Sprout’s soul, letting it return to the earth,” Old York said. “Afterwards, York hesitated about reporting Quasimodo to the church. But before York could, Quasimodo’s necromantic studies were exposed.”

“Perhaps because York refused his requests, he acted himself. His mentor discovered traces he left, so he killed his mentor with necromancy. Having prepared in advance, he infected all of Thorn Bay with corpse poison and escaped. After that, York heard nothing from him for years.”

“But if so, twelve years ago you should have abandoned necromantic research. Why transform this cavern?” Lucas asked puzzled.

“York intended to quit,” Old York sighed again. “But those patients – the incurable, poor, pitiful, suffering people – they begged York for help.”

“So York continued research secretly while hiding his identity to treat patients. Though Quasimodo lied, York believes one thing he said was true: necromantic magic itself isn’t terrifying – only how it’s used.”

“York thought since York lacked talent to become a mage anyway, how could someone who can’t become a necromancer succumb to greed and desire?”

“So York continued therapeutic research. Understanding organs, bones and their functions makes many illnesses easier to treat.”

Lucas was silent for a moment. “I apologize for losing my temper earlier, York.”

“It’s alright, Porter,” Old York said. “Old York was just foolish and cowardly to be deceived by Quasimodo. But York doesn’t regret the research – it truly helped people.”

“Hearing your story changed my perspective on necromancy somewhat.”

“But York said all this just so you understand Quasimodo’s cruelty and cunning. Remember – he was only in his teens when York knew him, yet already so terrifying. You must be extremely careful facing him.”

“I understand completely,” Lucas said gravely.

“Having covered Quasimodo’s past, let York explain his school now.”

“Porter, you likely know little about necromancers, so York will start with basics.”

“Go ahead.”

“Necromantic magic has three schools: Construct, Blood, and Soul.”

“The Construct school lives up to its name – its most representative spells are necromantic flesh stitching. Creating skeletons, zombies, even corpse explosions belong here.”

“I know – we saw Quasimodo’s sewn beasts and death hounds in Bronte Village.”

“Construct school is Quasimodo’s specialty, but he surely knows the other two. York will finish explaining basics before detailing Quasimodo’s known spells.”

“Understood. Next is the Blood school?”

“The Blood school differs greatly from Construct – it affects not corpses but the necromancer or their undead minions. Its hallmark is manipulating life force – comparable to healing magic but fundamentally different.”

“Such as?”

“Blood spells can directly attack, draining victims’ blood and flesh to replenish the necromancer. Some blood spells also strengthen undead servants.”

“I see. And the Soul school?”

“The Soul school is most mysterious and hardest to master. Usually only natural undead like banshees and wraiths wield advanced soul magic – unstoppable, nearly indefensible, capable of killing unseen.”

“But don’t worry – soul school research and spells are extremely rare among humans. At most they might give you a headache.”