Chapter 87
My sudden attack caught the priests in black robes by surprise. Mercy left my hand like a bolt from a ballista and slammed into the priest whod been talking. I had shaped its tip into a broad, barbed spear that punched through the soft fabric of his robes with ease.
I rushed after Mercy, hand already out to summon the weapon back to me. There was a shout of surprise from Tyler and Rhea behind me, Maxwells music strumming to life. Mercy was stuck, the barbs of the spear holding it in place. I pulled harder with my will and the blade ripped free, widening the wound and spreading its festering power.
As Mercy returned to my hand I got a sense of it that I hadnt before. Instead of having it come directly back, I tried to flip it around in the air through my will. It spun, and the blade slammed into the back of the head of another priest, then twirled and flew back to my hand.
I didnt have time to consider what was going on with the weapon, but I suspected it might be a new ability that I should play with some. Mercy was an evolving weapon, and had lost all of its power when I lost mine. Now as I grew in strength, Mercy would grow as well. There appeared to be a new ability taking shape, but with a skirmish like this underway, experimenting would have to come later.
Outnumbered as we were, I kept Mercys blade short and thick to better serve in a defensive fight. I channeled magic into the blade for my favorite spell. This time I further enhanced the spell with death energy.
Tyler barreled into a priest wielding a shield and sword. There was a crash of metal as armor was revealed underneath the priests cloak, and all at once we were both engaged by multiple combatants, doing our best to keep them off of Rhea and Maxwell. Maxwells music enhanced both Tylers and my speed, and as he layered in different aspects of the song, it also debuffed our foes.
Normally my fights were out of sight of Maxwell, but we were in close enough confines trapped near the door that I was able to see his effects. Hed grown a lot over the time I had known him. Whenever I caught a glimpse of him, another musical note floated around him emitting a layer to the music he was creating.
Rhea was not idle either. Magic swirled around her as she built her own spell. At first, I was worried it would be some kind of healing spell, which would cause quite a bit of damage to me. Thankfully, she knew better. Barriers formed in the air above us, and none too soon. Range attacks of arrows and bolts fell down, peppering the barriers with a barrage of magical projectiles.
A blur of motion in my minds eye warned me, and I tilted my chest to the side. A blow glanced off my armor, and the man overextended in his attempt to land a decisive blow. I bashed his helmeted head as hard as I could with Mercy. The strike was awkward with how close he was, but my massive strength was enough to stun him and send him sprawling.
At the same time, Tyler slammed his shield into a woman and sent her careening back. The stunned combatants collided with each other and fell to the ground in a tangle. I struck with Mercy like a viper. The thick heavy blade punched through the joint in the armor underneath the armpit.
As I yanked the blade free, I spun it, eviscerating the wound and making it even larger. The man gasped and his eyes clouded over in death. Almost as soon as the light left his eyes, his body stirred in undeath. It took a moment for the woman hed fallen on to realize what happened. Her scream tore through the underground temple as the zombie attacked her with savage abandon.
With the death energy enhancing my spells, the zombie retained some knowledge about how to use its equipment. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw it draw a dagger and plunge it over and over again until the woman lay still.
The zombie snarled and got to his feet, wielding the dagger in one hand and picking up a short sword. It charged like a crazed berserker at another priest wielding a mace. Tyler, seeing the effectiveness of my attack, grimaced and nodded. We began to work in tandem from there. He shifted his fighting goal and began setting up his combatants for me to land critical blows.
I was still having to fight off several of the armored priests, but my skills with Mercy and precognition kept me ahead of them. Tyler was doing far worse, taking repeated damage. But now that we were jointly eviscerating the enemy, the melee began to change.
My first zombie had been torn apart, but as a second, then a third, and finally a fourth were raised to undeath, the fight changed momentum. The priests having both lost the edge and numbers, and the best combatants have been taken down. That was when the tall black-and-white creatures moved into the fight.
They struck from above, using their wings to leap over the priests. At first, I thought they were the same, but these ones appeared to be larger and more powerful. However, they made one critical mistake: they struck with their black fists. Maybe it was to prevent the power from harming their allies, since I had no doubt their allies had massive resistances to dark magic, or maybe it was just luck. Either way it was the wrong attack to use against me.
As the two creatures came down, my precognition warned me, and I spun Mercy, reshaping it into a large boar spear with a wide cross bar right beneath the blade. My force barrier was already weakened and shattered under the assault of dark magic, but even though the magic was uncomfortable, it did no harm to me. The falling black-and-white creature impaled itself on Mercy, its weight slamming into the crossbar as Mercys butt was jammed into the ground.
Unfortunately for Tyler, he didnt have the resistances I did, and he cried out in pain as the laced strike hammered into him. The wash of magic spread out from both Tyler and I, and Rhea screamed from elsewhere as she was caught in the edge of the explosion. Max would be fine with his force barrier. When I looked at the priests, the magic had little effect on them.
The black-and-white creature suspended on the end of Mercy struggled and I poured pure death magic into it. I didnt care that it was from another universe, death was death no matter where you went. The creature didnt last long, but as it died, I did not let the spell from Mercy raise it. Instead, I dropped it to the ground and stepped back casting a spell as quickly as I could.
That left Tyler exposed, but I already saw magic from Rhea swelling around him, healing as much as she could. I pointed my hand at the fallen monster and unleashed my most powerful, single target raise undead spell I could cast in a short amount of time. Like the one I used on the first black-and-white creature, this one did not focus on retaining its former strength, this would create the most powerful death creature I could.
I poured nearly half my available death energy into the spell. The black magic swirled as the creature reanimated. It struck out with an explosion of death magic from its fist. That horrific mouth split open and it threw itself into the remaining priests.
The fallen priest zombies lasted just long enough for me to rejoin the front line. Tyler was trading blows with the other black-and-white creature. I didnt miss my opening as I reshaped Mercy into a needle and let it fly. Mercy slammed into the side of it, penetrating nearly clear through.
I summoned Mercy back to me, leaving behind a gaping wound. The creature clutched at the wound with its white hand, and magic poured from it into the wound, but the festering nature made it incredibly hard to heal.
The wound was lethal, spreading rapidly. Maybe if there had been a powerful cleric like Friar Brown to assist the creature, or if we hadnt been in a fight, it might have survived. But even as it tried to focus on healing, Tyler struck, severing the elbow of the white arm.
The creature tumbled, and the corrupted power consumed it. Before long it stirred and engaged the few remaining priests. It wasnt nearly as powerful as the other one, which was now amongst the acolytes armed with ranged weapons, ripping and biting. Interestingly enough, the bite on the stricken priest festered with malignant magic, and I took a moment to study it.
That moment of study stretched, as the fight was winding down. The priests were being overwhelmed, the zombies I created were all enhanced by Maxwell, and there was little left for me to do.
But the wound, it was something akin to a festering effect of Mercy, death magic, and the animation magic I used in my zombie spells. I looked at my creation and brought up a quick description.
Greater Zombie
Level: 53
This zombie had the twin elemental effects of dark and light, and has retained those abilities in death.
Added effect: Zombified bite. This creature has a bite that will cause an infection that if left uncontrolled will kill the infected and raise them as an uncontrolled zombie.
I couldnt help but chuckle at the irony. Effects like that were common in zombie movies from Earth, but they were relatively hard to create in this world. When Id asked about them upon first stepping on the path of a necromancer the man teaching me had just shaken his head. He said they were rare to see, and that there was no spell he knew of that caused them to form. But if I ever did see one, that I should pay very close attention, for I might be able to replicate the effect.
The priest was sprawled on the ground, clutching at the wound on his shoulder. I stared at the wound before I reshaped Mercy, and with a powerful bash, I caved in the mans skull. The blow was lethal, but before the body fully died, I grabbed it with one hand and used my massive strength to cram him into my bag of holding. He didnt go in easy, but after breaking a few more bones I got him in.
What the fuck? Tyler said behind me.
I shrugged. I saw something interesting and want to study it later.
Tyler just looked at me in confusion, then in contemplation. Maybe you are from Earth Only people who are players think like that.
I didnt necessarily agree with his statement, but I saw no point in correcting him. Rhea hadnt seen anything, so I just moved on. I hope the suspended animation of my bag would allow me to study the wound. The body wasnt quite dead at the time, and also wasnt quite alive, and the bag was powered by death magic. The combination of those facts might preserve the sample quite nicely.
When the fight was done, I ordered my zombies to gather near the bridge leading to the next section, where more of the white creatures were waiting. Before they could charge us, the tunnels on either side of that section vomited out my undead horde and Rheas troops. It had been good timing. We wouldve been overwhelmed if all those creatures had passed over the bridge.
Across the field, I watched as a few of the priests stirred and zombies got to their feet. I had no control over them, and they turned hungry eyes on Maxwell, Tyler, and Rhea. Before the uncontrolled zombies could act, I cast a simple spell, one honestly not used very often, but one all necromancers knew. Controlling tendrils of death magic spread from me to the handful of uncontrolled zombies. There was no resistance since they werent controlled by anything other than instinct and they were not nearly as powerful as I was. Once I claimed control, I sent them to join the rest.
I was curious to investigate further, but stopped myself. The other warning the necromancer had given me about the infectious bites was that creatures created by them always retained the ability. It was a dangerously powerful ability that had caused zombie plagues to wipe out entire kingdoms.
Those who knew better, normally priests and necromancers, understood that such an occurrence was a very rare thing to see, but if Rhea suspected I might have created something like that, there would be no hope of me ever getting away. A necromancer with knowledge on how to create such a deadly plague would be hunted no matter where they went.
I still tried to surreptitiously study my zombies. I was very careful not to make my interest too obvious. The zombies staggering to their feet after the fight hadnt drawn attention. They had seen me creating zombies as I fought, so likely assumed that was just an effectthey lacked the knowledge to see the difference.
We need to go and assist in the fight, Rhea said.
Give me a moment. I looked around at the dead priests. I need to make sure Im using all of the available resources. After all, waste not want not.
Rhea snorted, but I caught her out of the corner of my eye watching me with interest as I cast my spell. Dont get me wrong, I dont think she wanted to become a necromancer or leave her religion, but she clearly wasnt seeing what I was doing as the absolute evilness she claimed it to be.
***
My zombies led the charge over the bridge and Tyler followed closely behind them. The large group of acolytes on the other side of the bridge were not caught by surprise, theyd seen us coming. What did catch them by surprise was when my zombies slammed through the concave formation they were in at the foot of the bridge.
With careful control, I had got all of the zombies packed in as tight together as I could, and got them all moving in unison. Zombies didnt run fast, but they did move fast enough to build up momentum. So when nearly three thousand pounds of zombie flesh crashed into a wall of soldiers, they punched through. The ones in front were eviscerated, but as soon as the line was broken, they spread out from the tight formation.
The concentration it took for me to control them in that tight of a group meant that I had hung back. That done, I rushed to catch up with Tyler. The more powerful black-and-white zombie I created I kept back to support Tyler. And soon the three of us defended the foot of the bridge.
Rhea and Maxwell stayed on the bridge to support us. The fight was chaotic and I continued to create zombies as it wore on.
I prioritized landing killing blows, while Tyler and my zombie set up targets for me to attack. My magical reserves were nearly full, which was a good thing. I was pretty certain I would soon need them. I had to refresh the spell on Mercy several times, and even with the zombies I kept creating we were being overwhelmed.
The acolytes in the next section were definitely stronger than what we faced before. There were none of the black-and-white creatures on this section however which was a good thing. When the powerful black-and-white zombie I had created fell to a series of magically enchanted arrows, I began to get worried.
My defense was good, but I couldnt stop the number of attacks coming at me. Tyler was in a rough situation as well. The only thing we had going for us was the bridge, which limited the number of people that could attack us. However, that also exposed us to ranged attacks. Barriers from Rhea kept the worst of it at bay, but still we were taking a battering. Maxwells music was likely the only thing that kept both of us moving. The number of times I skated through dangerous attacks by barely interposing Mercy in time was disconcerting.
Help came in the form of a magical barrage of gold and white bolts hammering into the rear of the formation pinning us in. Some of those explosions of holy magic tore at my body, but the devastation wrought in the ranks of the black robed acolytes was worth it.
My attention snapped to where Rheas troops had won their fight, and even now the melee fighters were forming up as the priests and clerics built another spell. With the addition of Rheas forces, the fight swung in our favor. I was cycling death energy through my body to repair damage and restore my armor. I had taken dozens of blows, but the armor protected me from the worst of it and I shot a kind thought in Biths direction.
With the section under control, we advanced to the final one. No one had objected to me raising as many zombies as I could. Though I did hear several of the priests and clerics grumbling something to Rhea, but she shushed them and let me cast my spell.
I didnt take the time to raise zombies back into service that had already served me once. It wasnt worth the resources. As I finish the spell I walked over to where Rhea, Tyler, Maxwell, and a cluster of other priests were looking across the final chasm.
The bridge leading there was narrow, no more than two people could get across at a time. And what waited for us on the other side gave me pause.
Three men stood around an altar casting some kind of spell. Above them floated a portal that emitted a light that was somehow both like staring at the sun and into the void at the same time. It was disconcerting, to say the least. Arrayed across the bridge were over two dozen of the black-and-white creatures. In amongst them were forms of pure white and black moving around. I could only guess, but I was pretty certain those would be much more powerful.
Let me use my zombies as cannon fodder, I said. I can pack them tightly together and rush the entire horde across the bridge. If a few of them fall to the chasm, its no loss.
Cant the ones with wings just fly over? a priest I didnt know asked. Several of the original horde Id created hadnt been fully destroyed, and Id been able to restore several of them by adding a little bit of death magic to help them heal.
No, I shook my head. The zombies arent that intricate. If I had taken the time to create proper zombies, maybe. As is, these are not capable of even attempting that.
We deliberated for a few more minutes before we had a plan. I knelt to the side of the bridge with Mercy across my legs and focused on organizing the zombies. I packed them together in a long column two zombies wide and twenty long. The larger black-and-white zombies made up the front section. My hope was they would cover the zombies behind them with their bodies as much as possible.
Then, straining my abilities beyond what I had before, I rushed them at the bridge, ensuring their feet were coordinated so they wouldnt trip each other. Rheas troops began to fire across the chasm into the creatures waiting on the other side.
When the zombies were about halfway across, half a dozen of the creatures from the other side leapt into the air and soared over the chasm, attacking my column. The explosions of magic disrupted the formation, but I pushed onward.
About half the zombies made it to the other side and were set upon by the waiting monsters. Though my zombies werent powerful combatants, they were hard to kill, and even before I stood up, Rheas troops were already charging across the bridge after my zombies.
Maxwell had changed his song to one that would boost agility and balance, not something he normally did, but it kept the soldiers and clerics moving fast and stable. This did not mean there werent problems. The flying creatures that hadnt been shot down harried the onrushing humans.
And the three priests at the top of the altar on the other side took note and turned their attention away from the unnerving portal.
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