The battled paused for a moment, like a painting captured in time I readied myself for the battle. The mana empowered forest was still battering down the other undead that tried to reach their boss.
Hilmar, that was the name of my opponent, he served the Jarl Draugur, and apparently he had gone berserker. Which from the swollen muscles apparently made the guy fricken massive.
His eyes scanned me for a moment before he charged me. In his right hand a spark was generated, a burst of black flame appeared covering his hand and up to his elbow. The torch nearby went out as he did so and the dead flesh that the flame touch seemed to darken and burn.
Ducking to the side at the right moment evading his attempt at a grapple I sliced at his side. His armor held though it was becoming more and more damaged. Sliding away I began to creep towards my Club. Hilmar turned towards me his hand and forearm still coated in the Necrotic Fire. He picked up his chase towards me, turning around I sprinted towards my club as the undead warrior crashed Forward closer. I really wished I hadn't used up all my Mana cause I could really use the power right about now. Baseball sliding towards the club I grasped it and pivoted around blocking7 just in time as the Draugur's flame clad fist crashed into my club. The Divine blessed wooden club blocked the fire punch and was thankfully impervious to the grasp of the Black Flame.
Pushing back the attack I pressed the offensive, now that I possessed a weapon capable of negating his armor. Using my club to block his flame fist while simply evading the other one. Slowly a plan was being forged, as I strikes at his ribcage I plotted.
Clutching my side I backed away wincing as I saw a sicking smile spread across the massive undeads face. Now that I thought about it, his head was the same size which gave him a awkward build. Never the matter I waited as his flame covered fist now even more dry, cracked, and lifeless grew darker to the point where even looking at it hurt. He lowered his fist down at me, and then I activated [Force Field]. Typically I used Mana for the ability but that was because Mana could regenerate. Divinity though was not so easily obtained, though for good reason as it was far more powerful. Dorthinoxin had tried to explain the basics of what was but I couldn't grasp it, but a gun man didn't need to know physics inorder to pull a trigger. The shimmering golden shield that appeared blocking the Draugur's attack caused it back a step. Reabsorbing the [Force Field] I pushed as a spark of inspiration hit me. Creating a [Force Field] behind the Undead I slammed him with my club as he was lifted out of the air and Into my [Force Field] right behind him.
There I played pong with the giant animated corpse. By the time the Divine power in the shield was used up my enemy was even worse for wear, his armor was either broken or in scraps and I could only image the undead gut smoothie that I had made the guys inside.
...
in the Ringfort of the Blood laurels
...
"My Jarl, Hilmar is going to lose his engagement" a tall shrouded figure in long pale robes spoke to a wiry man with gray skin and decrepit features yet in the old man's skull bore eyes full of ill begotten and unnatural life.
"I know" the simple response was trademark of the old Jarl a man of many thoughts and ambitions yet few words. His thin knobbly figures stroked his white wispy beard. He overlooked his main hall a long table stretched before him. Each of his rivals, each of the men sat at the table where dead. Not Undead, just dead and each one was propped up as if they where at lively feast.
The Jarl, had made a dark deal, but he did not care the price nor the consequences all he cared about was the fact he possessed complete control. Control that was threatened by this Challenger, their the Undead Jarl overlooking a sick and macabre feast answered his advisor and Seer.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
"Prepare the Ritual, you know which one, oh and raise a replacement for Hilmar's place"
"Hmm, of course Milord, I shall depart to make the preparations, how many should I raise?" The Seer responded as she waited for her orders.
"All of them" he responded. His eyes turned to his seer peering at the cloth covering her face.
"Are sure sir?" She asked him for clarification.
"Yes" he responded before returning to his contemplation. The Seer nodded before departing.
...
Back to Kien
...
The Draugur smashed his fists together and the fire leaped from one hand to the next. Let's rumble and Tussle, charging forward I maneuvered to the left to his weakend side and slammed his shins with my club. Slipping on his feet he fell down, taking advantage of his weakened position I walloped him in his lower back as his head was still heavily armoured.
With a continued beat down when he had finally managed to crawl away I had a faint feeling that his back was jello. Walking towards him to finish off the kill and make this guy's death permanent before he could pull a third stage of this fight out of his ass.
He raised his right hand still clad in black flames he sent a small breath of the unnatural fire at me in one last attempt.
Moving out of the way of his last attack, moved closer to him and with a final mighty strike of my club to his head he was done, delt with a dead, again.
...
[Level Gained]
You have a level after killing a level 30 [Draugur Raider] a Rank Two Elite Undead. You are now level 25 and have ten stat points to allocate.
...
Oh, boy I really must stop throwing myself into these near death situations people may think I have a problem or something. Unfortunately the undead meat sack didn't even have any good gear on him! All his stuff was broken, courtesy of me, or was terrible quality. I had hoped that his torch had some magical properties but a inspection revealed that the the thing was just a frickin stick!
No loot goblin for me.
'Anastasia, I think we may have to retreat for a day or so, can you have your puppets get as much armor and weapons as you can salvage?' I sent the mental communication to Anastasia. As I stumbled through the now unmagcial forest that had once again returned to normal. My adrenaline was fading fast and in its wake my bodies protests became more and more pronounced. Picking up my discarded weapons and storing them when Anastasia responded to me.
'Yeah, sure Boss I only have fifteen left, but let's go, where do you want to go?' She asked me, and I sent a mental image to a cave way up high that I could see from my position, high enough to be out the way and should be easily defensible.
'Alright Boss I while find you when I'm ready, you go get some rest.' she stated mentally nodding I moved towards the cave In had indicated. Climbing rapidly as my body protested against the physical activity. I made it about half way before my Mana recovered just enough for me to get me the rest of the way up.
Collapsing as soon as I could confirm the entrance was safe I felt the comfortable embrace of my bear cloak. I slept to the point where I missed a very important system notification.
...
[Tutorial Alert!]
The Tutorial Faction [The Jarldom of the Blood Laurels] has commenced a powerful ritual [The Rite of Unslumbering Dead]. All corpses well be risen into undead the species and rank depend on the living individuals or creatures the beings came from. Corpses who have already been risen may not come back and their corpses shall remain.
The Tutorial Bonus Quest has been increased in difficulty. As their are now 52,345 Undead Now present in this tutorial level.
The reward has been increased!
Bonus Reward: +20 Achievement Points, Upgraded Tutorial Title [Completionist], and a directed item upgrade token [Rare]
...
I awoke some time later to Anastasia wrestling me awake, her mind tinged with worry. Snapping awake I looked at the area around me just to see a virtual army of silk puppets some better equipped then others.
'Anastasia what's up?' I asked her as I tried to dispel the early morning fog that laid over my thoughts.
'Kien, You're awake!, please look at your system notification!!!' doing as she said I looked at the screen with confusion. I felt like a caveman as my brain tried to put together what it stated.
"Oh, Fuckkkk" I said aloud slapping my hand to face as I felt tired just thinking about killing fifty thousand fuckers.
'Ugh, alright let's take stock, Anastasia how many Silk Puppets do you have?" I asked her and her fore legs skittered for a second before she responded.
'Five hundred with less then half actually having equipment' she replied, she had made more than I thought but less then we needed hopefully not all of the new undead where at the same level as the draugures.
First I needed to eat and next I needed to figure out a game plan. If I could easily beat the elites than I would be fine, however with them being on par or even slightly weaker than me we would have problem but I suspected they might be more powerful than me when It came to single combat. Especially if they could boss the refallen Hilmar.
