Chapter 54
When Tyler and his knight rushed at me, I cast a spell with a guttural word. The two death cores exploded into a mist of death magic. Innately, I felt something I hadnt noticed beforeI instinctually funneled my own death energy into it.
This was another spell Id recently regained access to that I had continued to use, even at higher levels: Undead Knight.
There were better spells for creating more powerful undead, like the one I used for the Cerberus, but this one was quick and easy to use. The death energy I channeled allowed me to modify it some. Although, since it was the first time, I wasnt sure how it worked, so I focused on enhancing the durability of my creation.
I yanked Mathiss body free of Mercy. To my surprise, he still wasnt quite dead, a spark of hatred hovered behind his eyes. You are one tough son of a bitch, I said as the spell took hold. Now die knowing your body will be what I use to win this fight.
The wave of death magic snuffed out what little life was left in him as he became the focus of my spell. The bodies of the nearby fallen clerics were eviscerated as their flesh and bones were used to build the Undead Knight. Even though the spell used up all my mana, it was worth it.
Before Tyler made it to me, the Undead Knight leapt to attention and blocked him with a massive shield made of still dripping bones.
The Undead Knight roared as it swung a bone ax at Tyler. He leapt back just in time to avoid being cleaved in two. For the moment, I was safe, and used the opportunity to examine my creation.
Undead Knight
Level: 51
Created by Ezekiel Verniac
Undead Knights are a staple undead minion for any necromancer of any appreciable power. They are durable and can command hordes of lesser undead, if created with a recently slain foe.
The Undead Knight has been further enhanced with death energy from a Lich and has an increased health and resilience stat.
I was surprised by the level. Normally, nonspecialized undead creatures were only three-quarters the level of the caster who created them. Vito had told me a long time ago that one of the benefits of becoming a Lich was the ability to raise more powerful creatures. I realized now he meant their level would be higher.
Undead Knights did have an upper-level cap they could reach before they stopped getting stronger, but I was nowhere near a high enough level myself for that to be an issue. This particular knight was incredibly gruesome, because Id made it with recently killed corpses. The necrotic magic caused the flesh to rot and blood to putrefy, which ran out of the monster like festering boils.
Tyler faced off against the monster as his other knight moved to pursue me. I gave a mental order to the Undead Knight and it did its best to occupy both of the knights attention. I turned mine to the clerics who were cut off from retreat by my undead creature. Maxwells song shifted from the Imperial March to a heavy metal beat.
I didnt bother offering the clerics the chance to surrender. There was no time. The Undead Knight wouldnt last long, and soon I would be fighting Tyler and his well-trained knights. Before that happened, I needed as many undead as I could get and no enemies to flank me.
The clerics, though clearly terrified, were more organized now. The clerics power however, came from their numbers not their individual level. Father Mathis, by far, had been the strongest. Despite the fact they outnumbered the knights two to one, the clerics were less than half the fighting power brought here.
Knowing Id left Maxwell vulnerable by himself, I began to fight my way back to him. Killing Father Mathis had been a high priority, pulling me in further than I should have gone.
The push back was easier thanks to the wake of destruction Id first wrought. I bulldozed my way through, dodging or blocking attacks when I sensed them coming. I broke through the lines and saw why Maxwells song had changed. A couple of clerics had caught on that his music was harming them and attacked. Hed managed to incapacitate them with a short-range sonic attack he created with the heavy metal music.
Maxwell spotted me and cut the song off. I spun Mercy and sliced the back of the two discombobulated clerics necks. The spell on my blade consumed them and turned them into zombies that climbed to their feet.
Well, that was exciting, Maxwell chuckled. I guess were bad guys now?
Maybe? I shrugged. Not really clear on that. Now that Im creating zombies again, you should focus your music on buffing them. Even a small boost will make a massive difference if we get enough minions.
Will do! Maxwell produced a guitar and started to play an upbeat country song.
Id just lifted my leg to head back in and promptly spun back around. Can you do something besides country music? I hate country music, I pleaded.
You heathen, Maxwell mock-gasped before he changed to Nirvanas Smells Like Teen Spirit.
There you go! I laughed, reapplying the spell to Mercy,rushing towards the line of clerics.
My mana had recovered some since creating the Undead Knight, and I drank another mana potion. The clerics were forming up on the path. Behind them was the towering Undead Knight under heavy attack. I rushed across the distance between Maxwell and the clerics to get within melee rangetheir power was in ranged attacks. As it was, Id given them too much time. A beam of golden light tore through the two undead I just raised and hammered into me.
The attack came too quickly for me to dodge, and I was just barely able to interpose the shaft of Mercy to partially block the attack. The holy magic tore at me with an alarming viciousness, and my health plummeted.
Just as I was starting to get really worried, the beam cut off. A group of clerics collapsed in exhaustion. The beam had stopped me dead in my tracks and left me ragged. Much of the dark flesh that covered my skeletal form had been burned away.
I felt something new. Following an unfamiliar instinct, I activated an effect I didnt know I had.
A large portion of my available death energy exploded out of me, completely restoring the damage Id taken. The creating of the Undead Knight and this rapid regeneration had used up over two-thirds of my available death energy, but at least I knew what to do with the energy now.
A groan of despair rose from the clerics and I smiled. No doubt I was a terrifying visage to behold. When I dashed for the clerics, they recoiled. The first fell and within moments rose to fight alongside me. My strategy was different this time. I defended the weak zombie as I continued to take down the clerics. A lone low-level zombie wasnt that great, but a group of them was much better.
Soon, the number of zombies I was protecting had grown, and just in time. Maxwells song began to take effect. The zombies moved faster and hit harder. As Maxwell layered in more buffs, the zombies began pulling their own weight.
Before long, I started to run out of clerics to raise. Suddenly, I was bashed to the ground. Though Id seen the attack coming, Id not had the time to dodge. Tyler had slain the Undead Knight and turned his strength on me, pinning me to the sodden earth. A group of his knights rushed straight at me and laid into my zombies.
How could you work with such a creature? Tyler yelled at Maxwell. You know this world is more than you realize! You are killing actual people.
You know, I have a name. I shoved Tyler off of me, my massive strength fueled by all the death cores Id absorbed. Do I not count as alive?
You are a monster! Tyler fell into a defensive posture. You should be exterminated.
Ouch. I chuckled, using up all my mana to cast a spell. You should tell that to all my new friends.
Oh no you dont! Tyler lunged, trying to disrupt my casting.
I saw the attack coming, side stepped, and slammed Mercy into the ground, releasing a dark wave of magic.
The spell had no effect on the living, but the zombies became much faster and stronger, and dozens more fallen clerics began to rise. The ledge we were fighting on now had more zombies than living.
You know the first rule of fighting necromancers? I spun Mercy and stabbed at Tyler. Especially Lichsnever give them time to create minions. Did you never play D&D?
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