With the cover of darkness as his ally, Damien executed a masterful vanishing act right under the noses of the churchgoers.
His speech had hit them like a horror movie marathon, leaving them wide-eyed and jittery, as they suddenly grasped that the necromancer's lair was essentially just a stone's throw away from their cozy church haven.
Even if they weren't convinced, he was fully ready to leave them frozen there.
With all his affairs settled, Damien retrieved his belongings from the priest's office, feeling a sense of satisfaction as his "Monke" was safely back in his possession. He also indulged in a hearty meal, replenishing his energy for the impending challenges.
The Dwarf, although still wearing a grumpy expression, managed to muster up a half-hearted apology, his pride clearly wrestling with his begrudging acknowledgement of the situation.
He gazed at the starry sky. Even though the ground was on a shit show, the sky was as beautiful as ever.
Contemplating his next move, he realized he could attempt to stealthily navigate his way to the cemetery walls, though it would require expending some of his mana for a well-aimed jump. However, the uncertainty of what awaited him inside the cemetery was a cause for concern.
Summoning his mana, Damien ignited the inner power within him, a surge of energy propelling him into a graceful leap that landed him with cat-like precision on the top of the wall.
Bathed in the gentle glow of the stars, the undead below seemed to be living out their eerie existence aimlessly, trapped in a never-ending dance of darkness.
Their lack of vision in the dim light of the night worked in Damien's favor, rendering him practically invisible in the shadows.
He moved with a cautious grace, his steps silent and deliberate. Each movement felt like a delicate dance, avoiding the areas where the undead gathered and brushing past the scattered remnants of life that had once been part of life.
As he observed their stumbling and swaying motions, the grotesque beauty of their decay was both fascinating and horrifying.
It was a grim reminder of the inevitable fate that awaited all living beings. Their hollow eyes stared into nothingness, their existence a haunting echo of what once was.
Glancing toward the guards stationed at the cemetery gates, his heart raced. Even though the distance between them and him was considerable, he could almost feel the weight of their unseen eyes on him.
The hairs on his arms stood on end as if trying to warn him of the imminent danger. The air was thick with tension, every moment pregnant with the possibility of discovery.
Damien's heart pounded in his chest as he stood in the middle of the road, his gaze locked onto the five undead figures before him. Their blazing blue eyes felt like they were boring into his very soul, each flame flickering with an eerie intensity that sent shivers down his spine.
The moonlight bathed the scene in an ethereal glow, casting elongated shadows from the gravestones and amplifying the ominous atmosphere. The undead figures stood in a formation, almost like sentinels guarding the entrance to the cemetery. Their presence was unnerving, and Damien could sense that there was more to them than met the eye.
As he observed them, he couldn't ignore the distinct aura of power that emanated from each of them. It was an aura that seemed to defy their undead state, hinting at the remnants of some past strength or knowledge that they retained. These were not the mindless zombies he had encountered earlier; these were different, more dangerous.
All five of them were elves. Their once-graceful forms were now contorted by the ravages of undeath, their once-lustrous skin now marred with blisters and decay.
The elves' lithe and agile frames had not been spared by their transformation. In fact, their new undead state seemed to have amplified their inherent strength and agility, making them even more formidable opponents.
Their blighted armours clung to their bodies, a macabre fusion of elegance and decay. The contrast between their past and present was stark and unsettling.
A feeling of bad vibes crept over Damien, giving him a weird sensation. The air felt heavy, like it was holding its breath, and he felt it in his bones that something was wrong. It wasn't just the quietness of the night – it was like the night itself was whispering a caution to him.
Everything around him was still and quiet, but in a strange way, like the world was holding its breath. The moon's light gave everything an odd glow, making shadows that felt alive. It was like a scene from a spooky story, where the characters know something bad is about to happen.
Damien's gut told him to run, to get away from whatever was causing this weird feeling. But he knew he had to face it, whatever it was. He took a deep breath, preparing himself. The mystery of what was happening was waiting for him, and he couldn't ignore it.
His heart thudded louder, and something really odd happened. One of the undead elves, a woman, lifted her long sword right at him. But the weirdest part? She was actually smiling at him. Her teeth glowed in a bright blue hue, creating an eerie contrast against the dark surroundings.
All at once, an eerie sensation enveloped him, as if a multitude of unseen eyes had suddenly turned their gaze upon him. The previously silent undead figures now felt acutely present, their collective attention focused solely on him.
The obsidian darkness of the night was punctuated by the vivid blue glow of their eyes, creating an otherworldly scene that sent shivers down his spine.
"Shit!" He cursed, his frustration boiling over. "How in the world did this even happen?"
Gripping his sword tightly, he channelled his mana into it, causing the blade to emit a brilliant blue glow that cut through the darkness. His heart pounded as he steeled himself for the impending onslaught that was about to be unleashed upon him.
A horde of undead creatures came rushing towards him, their unsettling presence making his skin crawl. Acting on pure instinct, he swung his sword in a smooth motion, conjuring a shining arc of mana imbued with frosty energy.
The icy arc cleaved through the approaching horde like a scythe through grass. In no more than a few heartbeats, over fifty of the undead adversaries crumbled, their dark existence vanquished by the sheer power of his strike.
With unyielding determination, Damien leapt into a frenzied dance of combat, his every movement a symphony of deadly precision. He vaulted over a pile of dead bodies, his body a blur as he closed the gap between himself and the unrelenting horde.
With a swift and practised motion, his blade cut through the air like a vengeful gust, finding its mark in the heart of each undead creature that dared cross his path.
The real challenge, he soon discovered, lay in the creatures that were more than just mindless shells.
The animals, infused with an unholy vitality, darted and weaved through the chaos with an agility that belied their undead nature. Their movements were a testament to the necromancer's twisted craftsmanship, each one a deadly adversary in its own right.
Among them, the dog that had haunted Damien's earlier encounter lunged at him, its jaws clamping down on his arm with a bone-chilling grip.
A surge of pain shot through him, but he refused to relent. Ignoring the searing agony, he channelled his energy into a swift and decisive counterattack.
With a primal howl, he lifted his sword high above his head, its blade glinting menacingly in the moonlight.
In one fluid motion, he brought it crashing down, the force of his strike driving the sword deep into the creature's skull. The dog's grip loosened, and it fell to the ground lifeless, its threat extinguished.
As the relentless horde pressed closer, Damien's instincts kicked in, his body moving in a seamless choreography of lethal manoeuvres.
With a decisive twirl, his sword became a deadly extension of his will, slicing through the approaching undead like a scythe through wheat.
The 360-degree arc he carved out became a storm of steel, reducing his assailants to mere fragments of their former existence.
But Damien knew that brute force alone wouldn't be enough to stave off this relentless tide.
In the blink of an eye, he channeled his magic, a surge of power coursing through his veins.
With a sweeping gesture, he called forth the element of ice, weaving it into a chilling symphony of danger. Frost bloomed beneath his feet, crystals of ice forming a treacherous terrain.
The horde pressed on, heedless of the impending danger. Yet, as their rotting feet met the icy ground, their fate was sealed.
The frozen surface became a trap, an inescapable snare that sent them slipping and stumbling. Their momentum betrayed them, turning their advance into a descent toward a cruel demise.
The small spikes Damien conjured transformed the once-unyielding ground into a deathtrap.
Like pawns on a malevolent board, the unfortunate undead found themselves impaled by the very ice they had overlooked.
The air was filled with their agonized moans, a chorus of suffering that resonated in the night.
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