by Han Yang
Asha arrived with his small group, slicing the calf of the ogre.
Quon roared before whimpering. The large ogre atop of the bear pounded his skull in with powerful blows. The bear went limp, dying from the raining punches.
Tarla screamed in rage, unleashing a massive fireball. The swirling inferno of magic crashed down into the ogre’s face, melting skin and causing the ogre to rip sections of burning flesh from the tormenting magic.
When the ogre rolled over, it crushed a line of stabbing goblins and the naga I had assigned to the unit. The fated moment of mana exhaustion hit like a brick wall, and I collapsed.
I vomited while laying on my back, the excess draining down my cheeks as I lost all power to my limbs. I hated this part with a passion.
I rolled onto my side, letting the next bout of fatigue wash over me. The notifications kept coming, and I couldn’t select to restore my mana because I still lost minions.
The fifth retreating ogre had changed her mind. She hit our lines as the third and fourth fought from their knees. A large ice spell shot up and into the ogre who had killed Quon.
I was shocked the trolls and goblins didn’t break. They fought with spirit and a determination to win.
A tall water golem walked over to the ogre who had been riddled with crossbow bolts. The golem hugged the ogre just as electric charges surged into the creation. The hair on the ogre’s head burnt, and the large strivian quaked from the energy that coursed through its body.
Additional bolts snapped, adding to the damage. With a tremor still shaking the body, the mighty ogre collapsed, crushing another of my cerberus minions.
I didn’t see the third ogre die, but I did see Asha kiting the final female ogre. Every time I felt I could recover, another damn cerberus ducked under a foot. I watched them trying to tear out a heel, only to end up getting crushed.
A naga dug a blade into the calf of the ogre, ripping down her hamstring. The naga skeleton succeeded in getting crushed by the falling monster.
That was it, though. The rest of my army pounced on the shield mage who foolishly returned to the fight. She killed a few more goblins, fighting to the end as she died from a thousand stabs, cuts, and bites.
“For Caitlyn! For Caitlyn!” Bell shouted and the tribe joined her cheer.
The prompt dominating my vision stopped scrolling, allowing me to breathe a sigh of relief. We had done it.
Your minions Cerberus 1, Cerberus 2, Cerberus 3, Cerberus 4, Naga Hessi, Naga Alpha, Goblin 3, and Azee Trollkin have died beyond repair. Claim your Zorta from the dead. Penalty eight hundred mana. You have hit 0 mana. Mana exhaustion initiated for three days and one hour.
Your minions Cerberus 5 and Cerberus 6 have died. Penalty two hundred mana. You have hit 0 mana. You have one hour to rebuild your minions. You may use Zorta to restore your mana.
Consume 5.80 Zorta to recover 965 mana + 50 to full recovery. (YES) - (NO)
I hated selecting yes due to the cost, but I did it. The recovery wasn’t instant like normal. A transition time of a few seconds had me slowly feeling better.
Tarla arrived at my side, hurrying to clean my face and help me up. A second later, she rushed off, Bell calling her over to start claiming an ogre’s loot.
The heavy armor had proved needless this fight, and when I stood, I deflated at the sight.
A pool of blood filled the divots in the road. The remnants of the battle spread out into the forests. One troll survived on the top of a tree, crying for help. Our tribe collected the wounded in one spot and the dead in another.
The dead numbered in the dozens, and I grew sad. The efficient trolls and goblins lined up the dead happily, constantly glancing at me with joy.
“Why are they excited?” I asked, only to realize I was alone.
Nee managed the workers, helping get us ready to move again. Yermica’s corpse was carried by Asha from the trees, being added to the rows of dead. I grabbed a random goblin and asked. “Why is the tribe not somber?”
The goblin twisted his head in confusion.
“Why are they not sad?” I repeated.
“You can bring us back from the dead. That is why we do not fear death. You will rescue us,” the goblin said.
“Some bodies are beyond saving,” I said.
The goblin shrugged, as if that was not a big deal. Bell walked over from a dead ogre to the carriage and handed me a rucksack filled to the brim with orbs.
“Time to get to work. I’ll start with the ogres. Claiming them will be tough,” Bell said. Her hazel eyes spoke of worry. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to. I already failed a dozen times on this one.”
“I can help,” Asha said, standing over Yermica’s body. “She was with child. I recommend reviving those with babies first.”
Damn, this was brutal.
Yermica’s back had snapped to the point she folded. I saw her colorful orb hovering over her body and knew two for the price of one was a great deal.
I sat down, accepting the bag of orbs from Bell, understanding she wanted me to level up my necromancy. After I picked up Yermica, though. Getting revivals out quickly always meant that if we had a second fight, I might be able to save someone later.
When I concentrated to find my aura, my body fought me, the massive losses from my minions rocking my core like an ocean on a violent sea.
I swooned, fighting the vertigo.
Not really having a choice, I laid down, letting a calm wash over me and giving myself a moment to regroup.
“Hey, Boss,” a female goblin asked hesitantly.
I pried an eye open, seeing the beastmaster who had changed Lumpy.
“Who do you want revived?” she asked.
“How many revivals are available?” I asked, and she turned, hollering out to the goblins who were cleaning up the battlefield. She continued to try to find the information, leaving me alone.
I closed my eyes again, propping myself up. Each second that passed allowed me to feel better. This time, I found my center, humming to focus my aura. I reached out to touch Yermica’s orb.
Resurrect Yermica of tribe Moonguard (YES) or (NO) - Selecting (NO) will incur Nordan points. Yermica is pregnant, the odds of saving her baby are 75%. This can be improved by leveling your healing.
I smiled, selecting yes. A golden light washed the exterior of my eyelids, crashing down into Yermica’s body. I felt the power of the magic radiating through her body as I controlled the spell. Her back corrected with a pop, and she gasped in air hungrily.
“Yermica, welcome back,” I said.
She walked over, hands running down her face in shock. “I hate dying, and thank you for saving me and my child, Boss Damien.”
“Tribe Moonguard?” I said.
“Yes, that is our name. What do you want Hessonia?” Yermica asked the returning goblin beastmaster.
She arrived with three goblins.
“Two beast revivals and one healer revival,” Hessonia answered me, not Yermica.
“Revive an expecting mother, Quon, and… the largest ram. Wait,” I said, changing my mind. “That cerberus right there.” I pointed to one of the salvageable cerberus. I shifted my focus to Yermica. “Ready the army to raid the ogre village and send scouts out to see what defenses they have.”
“As the Boss commands,” Yermica said, leaving my side.
One of the goblins neared, fidgeting.
“Out with it,” I said. The goblin shook with fright, and I sighed. “Whatever you need to tell me will not result in you being harmed.”
“The bear is beyond saving, Boss,” he whispered.
“The other cerberus then,” I said, pointing to my other minion that could be saved.
Without a doubt, we had lost too much. Quon was a huge asset that would be sorely missed, and I couldn’t even revive him.
I closed my eyes, found my aura, and reached out to the bear. I consumed his 26.731 Zorta with a grumble at how life wasn’t fair.
Returning to focus on th
e bag, I shifted my attention. I started the half hour long process of claiming a thousand plus marble sized orbs. The bag happened to be loaded with a ton of orbs from fish, squirrels, rabbits, and other small animals that were hardly worth much. A few larger orbs helped balance out the small numbers.
When I finished, I only had 812.13 Zorta. I huffed, knowing this wasn’t enough to level up and claim all the dead as minion. Even if I wanted to, I’d still need the extra Zorta to afford their revivals.
I walked over to a chanting Asha, the elva fighting an ogre orb. This was good and bad. Not a single orb had been claimed from the five yet.
I went through to my old minions who gave their all to help us win. After I consumed the last of their power, I only came up to 842.009 Zorta.
Biting my lip and trying to avoid the awful stench, I walked the line of the dead. My minions watched me surveying the damage. Seven trolls and twenty-two goblins laid neatly on the ground. A half dozen puppies had died needlessly, their bodies beyond saving. Two of the female hounds rested with them.
I paused, seeing if the momma hounds could be revived and sighed. They hadn’t needed to die. I collected the puppy orbs, earning not even half a Z. I went to a second line of dead, noting none of these had orbs or bodies that could be salvaged.
The bones of my minions rested with those who had died a final death, and I hung my head at our losses; eight minions, six goblins, three rams, and two trolls forever taken from this world.
A loud clomp from a ram stirred my sorrow. I glanced up to see Yermica grinning. She carried a few sacks, and a long trail of goblins hesitantly walked down the road.
“Interesting,” I said, surprised by what she brought with her.
“I saw curious goblins sniffing the air. Fifty six to be exact. They showed me all the stash spots the ogres used. Here’s a sack of gold that the goblins panned out of the river, and this is orbs that are mostly from cheap animals. This final sack is strivian coins,” Yermica said, her eyes lighting up as she remembered something. “I left behind the big war drum with a swinging tree pounder thingy. We can claim it on our way to the mine if you want.”
I frowned, glancing around her and the ram she rode in on. “They have ducks?” I asked, seeing a second column of the animals heading for our army. She nodded, not answering the obvious question. “Sorry, I'm still processing. Is there a stamp for the city these coins belong to?”
“The troll city down below,” Yermica said with a smile. She clearly was ecstatic to be alive. “We trolls also have currencies. If I had to guess, they raided and traded with their neighbors to the south. No luck with the others?”
I glanced up and saw Jark, Asha, Bell, Tarla, and a random troll chanting besides the ogre bodies.
“I think that troll earned the kill mark, but nope, no claim yet. My guess is the ogres are valuable,” I said.
Apparently, I spoke too soon.
“Got it,” Asha said, walking over to a body to grab an orb. “78.992. Not bad for this lady.”
“Yes,” Tarla cried out, raising to her feet to claim the troll with the melted face. “91.337!”
I gulped, waving them both over. I sat down, crossing my legs with palms open. I felt two orbs being gently set into my outstretched hand and closed my palms.
My aura instantly connected, and I consumed both orbs, reaching 1012.338 Zorta.
Necromancer Level 3 -} Necromancer Level 4 = 1,000 Zorta. (YES) or (NO)
I immediately selected yes. Same as before, a slight shiver ran down my spine and nothing profound occurred.
Maybe at five I would change or some demon would pour power into my soul.
Eh, that thought left me with a shudder.
Name: Damien Moonguard
Race: Human
Affiliation: Neutral
Zorta: 1.922
Magic Type 2: Necromancer
Necromancy Level: 4
Necromancer Minions: 5/150
Mana: 150/150
Fighting Level: Weak
“Whoa! I got a hundred mana boost!” I exclaimed.
I knew it wouldn’t save me from a battle like we had just fought, but it certainly meant I could start upgrading my minions without having to pay high Zorta for over mana cap costs.
“Leveling matters,” Bell said, setting an orb into my lap. “May I keep the other two for Tarla?”
“Yes, and this sack. How much was this ogre?” I asked.
“Eighty something. I earned seven levels in cultivation,” Bell said happily.
Distant war horns blared and drums from across the valley thrummed. Our enemies weren’t going to give us rest. I quickly consumed the Zorta, adding to my reserves.
Instead of reaching out with my cultivation on a single basis, I swapped tactics. I concentrated on projecting my aura onto the dead in a radiating wave, much like how a pebble drops into a calm pond.
The rippling effect faltered. I calmed my mind, focusing with a relaxed concentration. I might have relaxed too much and failed again. I could feel the right way, though, and on the third attempt, my ability to cultivate reached out like a growing wave around my body.
The two ogres immediately rejected my widening attempt.
However, every last one of the tribe’s dead goblins, hounds, and trolls that were able to be revived instantly connected to me. I used the same method as I had with healing my minions in a group and selected claim all.
You have connected to a variation of dead beings and creatures. Seven trolls, twenty two goblins, and two hounds. Would you like claim (ALL) (GROUP) (SINGLE)
Interesting. I selected all.
Claiming all the selected dead as a minion will result in you earning Ostriva and Nordan points. Do you wish to proceed? (YES) - (NO)
I continued.
You selected to claim 29 minions. Consume 21.332 Zorta to summon these creatures as minions of the undead. Confirm (YES) - (NO)
I grew confused at first. I had selected yes and not expected to feel a rage roiled inside me.
A darker part of my soul howled out in delight.
I opened my eyes, and a brewing cloud of magic darkened the whole valley.
The unexpected happened. The storm… it coalesced, and a series of reapers fell from the skies, crashing down onto the dead minions. They picked up the corpses, one at a time, and hurled them against the hard road.
The meaty thwacks were joined by millions of ghoulish hands devouring flesh. The magic rippled through the area, cleaning bones in a whole new manner. Those around me stood fixated in terror.
I oddly cackled at the smiling reapers who enjoyed their task. One of the hooded skeletons even saluted me before falling into the depths, vanishing from the surface.
A silence ensued, and my new minions stood ready for orders. I smirked, reveling in my newfound power.
I maintained a hold on my minions, selecting them all for a simple upgrade.
Upgrade minions from Level 1 -} Level 2 for 6 Zorta and 83 Mana (YES) - (NO)
The departing clouds returned with their haunting darkness. My minions collapsed, their bones entering a vortex of power.
I watched their density and size improve as the black magic danced between them, causing each section to vibrate.
A level two cerberus had still died to an ogre with a simple stomp, but I felt the upgrades worth the cost.
The magic assembled them back together, and a second later, the darkness retreated.
“Well, that stopped the ogre drums but the war horns from below are bellowing twice as loud now,” Asha said.
“The troll got his ogre. Just Jark is failing now,” Tarla said.
I knew we needed to get moving, and even if we rushed, we might not make it.
“Swap with Jark, Asha. Take Charlie and have Yermica watch over you. Meet us at the mine, and let’s pray no horrors keep us from entering,” I said.
Tarla shouted, “We jog for the mine.”
The road trembled, and I knew a horde of centaurs were stamp
eding for this valley. I had no idea when they’d arrive, and I could only hope we’d find sanctuary in time.
CHAPTER 35
Seqa Mine
“Well, this is ominous,” I said, staring at a massive spider web that connected two immense dwarven doors.
The entryway was luckily open, the web empty, and our arrival ahead of the coming tide of centaurs. I had a choice now.
Did I dive into the mine, not knowing the dangers?
Or did I turn and fight the great herd of centaurs and their allies?
Better to fight the unknown and hope for the best.
“Into the mine!” I shouted to the caravan.
The trolls grouped up, shoving the doors open. Goblins added their weight, and the massive doors creaked angrily.
I turned back, seeing a dozen arrows come whistling up and over the canopy to soar for our ranks. Shouting taunts from the vanguard of the enemy drifted toward us along with their arrows.
The centaur scouts were relentless in their pursuit. Over the last six hours, they had wounded and killed some of our group with their harassment.
Tarla chanted, her hands swirling during her buildup. She unleashed a fireball back into the forest; both sides had been hurling ranged spells at each other. A blue shield absorbed her spell.
Every second that ticked by, more of our small army entered the dark tunnel, passing into safety.
A wyvern’s cry from up high pulled my attention. I saw the mighty tanned raptor circling the valley, and I had to wonder if it held a rider. I sighed, knowing the dangers of being in the open were almost over.
The back wagons rolled into the cavernous entryway, all but guaranteeing our escape.
I adjusted to study the doors that would have to hold back an army. The metal framing was thick, at least a foot wide. The internal hinges creaked, protesting their use from old age, but I didn’t see rust or ruin.
