“Ahhhhhh!!! I’ll kill you all!!!”
“Of course, you will,” the Death Herald said calmly. “In another life.”
The demon’s fist flew out and crashed into the head of the dead swordsman. The helmet did not help the undead, and his skull exploded like a ball of fire, his brain splattering all over the demon and the dead around him.
The second blow missed, and the ill-fated shield stopped the new attack of Kargor the Ferocious, receiving just another dent. The magicians struck a powerful blow again and threw the demon aside, who crushed a couple of stones with his huge body.
The surviving leader of the squadron, seeing that the demon began to be crowded, rushed help him, but it was useless. The necromancer did not forget him, so he ordered the magicians to switch to this ripper.
“Damn! Damn! Damn!” the knight swore, dodging the rain of fire arrows and spears.
“Get the ripper,” said the necromancer, and the girl carried out the order. The knight began spitting out such obscenities that would shock even a longshoreman.
The priestess did not answer and executed the order, and the knight stubbornly defended and covered the demon from his dead comrade. The necromancer pointed out the target to the magicians and said:
“Burn him!”
Chapter 39
The abilities of the necromancer. There is somebody running there. The drawbacks.
Mercenaries squad
The magicians simultaneously threw four fire spears, which hit the knight and took a fairly large amount of his health. The knight hissed, holding his wound, and reached for the healing potion, but did not have time to drink it. A claw suddenly emerged from his mouth, breaking his neck. Drops of blood slowly dripped from the beetle’s claw.
“Thank you, Mulf,” the necromancer nodded.
“Glad you liked it,” said the warrior quietly, making Skal shiver.
“Now you can concentrate on the demon,” the Death Herald said, stretching his arms, and then he curved his jaws in anticipation. “Then I will raise him up as an undead. He will make a good addition to my collection.”
With a few strokes of his hand, the necromancer sent the zombie knight into a suicide attack on the demon, forcing the enemy to turn slightly toward him. With a roar, the demon grabbed the knight’s shield and violently pulled it out with his hand and crushed half his dead body stomping it with his hoof.
The magicians used the rest of their mana and struck the servant of the Infernal Abyss with powerful fireballs. Everything was spinning before Kargor’s eyes from the strong energy impulse, but he knew where his target was, so he rushed toward the Death Herald.
He was staggering but still managed to cut in two the couple of magicians who rushed at him to block the way. Another one lifted a firewall to protect himself, using a scroll, but even this could not hold back Kargor the Ferocious.
“Attack,” the necromancer said calmly to the girl, and she raised her staff.
A brightly beaming sign appeared over the demon’s head. This light burned the demon and he began howling from the unbearable pain.
A bright, shining bundle of light flew to the demon after another wave of the staff. This spell gently touched the skin of the monster and sank into his body. The servant of the underworld let out an inhuman cry and, throwing away the last dead magician, ran toward the necromancer.
The roar of hooves and his rage-filled eyes did not frighten the Death Herald. He calmly grabbed his staff and, waiting for the demon to run up closer, sent a sharp pommel under the horned creature’s chin. The “Power Burst” was activated and half of the demon’s body flew off to the side, painting the surrounding walls with blood.
“The enemy was strong, he spent almost all his strength on him,” the necromancer complained.
“I will destroy you!” growled the upper half of the demon’s body.
“Not in this life,” came the quiet voice of Mulf, who nailed the horned creature to the ground and stomped on his skull.
“Guys, drag the body of the red one over here,” said Mohr. “I’ll make a puppet out of him later.”
“Why don’t you raise your puppets?” asked Derergon, who approached the necromancer.
“I have my restrictions Der, and you know them very well,” Mohr said. “I will leave this two-legged for the collection, she has interesting abilities. I’m even surprised that I managed to lift this body. However, keeping the undead moving takes a lot of energy, and right now I’m exhausted.”
“It’s alright,” the Garadarok warrior waved his hand. “Guys, did you manage to get swords or any other weapons?”
“Yes!!!” shouted one beetle eagerly as he brought a battered shield.
“Oh, this is the first time you managed to collect a shield,” the squad leader nodded approvingly. “Anything else?”
“No,” Gard sighed as he approached. “The rest is in their spatial pockets. Too bad we can’t get into them.”
“Hmm... what is it?” pointed the necromancer at a cloud of dust from the northwest side.
“Someone is running,” said Tirliora, and looked closely.
***
Sel Er
No sooner had I run a sufficient distance from the group of rippers I had another problem. I cursed, apparently in the language of the rippers.
The ability “The Language of the inhabitants of Reynea” up! Current Level: 2!
I was talking so much that even my skill level increased, but this ability is useless for the problem ahead. A team of spikers already noticed me. How could this have happened?
I couldn’t imagine what they were looking for here, but another thing was clear. To fight them would be suicide, at least without tricks, but I still had to overcome a couple of them, especially the level 13 one.
I had no choice but to run to the city of mercenaries. Along the way, I looked at the map to choose a better place to show new tricks to these guys.
The map did not show the terrain at all, which was very frustrating, it looked I was going to have to invest experience points in the map soon, to make things a little easier.
After a while, when the spikers were already close and when I began gasping for air again, I noticed a very good place. Climbing over the stones, I turned around and looked at the approaching spiker squad.
That was great, that the first ones to run up were exactly those that I wanted to kill. I wondered how they were able to overtake their higher-level comrades. Too bad I couldn’t ask them.
Although it can be assumed that they used their claws and lungs. Moving away from a little further, I let out the energy cords and waited for the most agile bugs to climb up.
Had I been able to drink, it would have restored my health, but my pursuers appeared, and I immediately snapped the cords at their heads. Two dazzling flashes and a roar whipped up a lot of dust, but I could not hope that this was enough for them and threw an explosive ball.
The shock wave threw me a couple of feet away, and I painfully landed on a rocky ledge. Everything was spinning before my eyes, but I clearly saw two messages.
300 points of experience gained!
400 points of experience gained!
Curving my jaws and staggering, I continued on my way. Too bad I did not have time to absorb their blood but did not want to risk it, since I was already running along the edge of the gorge with my eyes closed.
Not literally, of course, but very close to it. I picked up speed again. After some time, I began to choke from this endless running, and then everything went dark for a couple of moments, I tripped on a pebble, after which I fell painfully hurt myself and rolled over several times.
So what was that? I didn’t think a lot, and I pumped up my lungs too. What was it this time? Surprisingly, the message that jumped out answered my question.
Chapter 40
The development. The dead healer. Only jokers around.
Your heart cannot sustain the workload imposed upon it!
Be careful, this can lead
to your death!
What kind of bug am I? There’s not a single body part that doesn’t have something wrong with it. Nothing works as it should. How am I still alive? Looking carefully at the tables, I realized that I had neglected my heart and my circulatory system. So now my heart reminded me of that fact.
Fortunately, I now had a lot of points, though I would rather spend them on something else. I did not want to die, so I immediately threw a hundred points into my heart and a hundred more into the circulatory system.
Your heart is evolving. Now you have an average heart!
Stats: Life +2, Health +50
20 points of experience gained!
Your circulatory system is evolving!
Stats: Strength +1, Mobility +1.
20 points of experience gained!
I closed my eyes for a couple of minutes and felt much better. My muscles began getting more oxygen and life-giving warmth that the blood carried spread through my body.
I was definitely right to spend the experience in my heart and circulatory system. However, while I was sitting still, the spikers didn’t stand idle and already caught up with me.
I had to run again, but then I caught a glimpse of a spear landing next to me and plunging into the ground. Wow, they are going to throw spears at me. And where did they get their spears from?!
There was no time to think, I had to run in a zigzag so they would not get me. After another close miss, I threw an explosive ball at them, stunning myself with a roar and lifting a cloud of dust in the air.
Squinting to look ahead, I noticed that there was someone standing there. Apparently, I need to invest points in my eyes, maybe then I would also notice that I did not improve my sense of smell, digestive system, or even the shell. Ehh, I still have to keep developing.
The next moment, I felt a strong blow and incredible pain. One of the spikers apparently possessed some ability and was able to cross the distance between us and strike me with a claw at the shell.
The level 35 spiker pierced through my shell and damaged something inside. Damn it! Those ahead were already clearly visible: they were mercenaries, and Skal was with them.
I ate a rubitus but immediately received another blow. Grrr!!! I was in pain, I twisted and held the energy cord straight to the spiker’s forehead and sent him the two remaining lightning bolts.
I was shaken several times, and the spiker flew off to the side, but he did not die, it seemed those discharges were not enough. Apparently, he was too tough. I had very little health and not enough time to do anything.
The spiker lunged at me, and but to his great surprise a strange beetle, merging with the environment, blocked his attack.
Mulf, ???? Level 65
Not bad, and again an unknown species, but I was very lucky that this beetle saved me. Looks like he’s one of the Derergon’s squad.
“Good to see you again,” came the warrior’s quiet voice, which sent a chill down my shell.
“I don’t remember where we met before,” I frowned, and this beetle just curved his jaws and, throwing away the spiker, dissolved in the air.
“Hey! Little boy!” Derergon waved his ripper claw at me. “Don’t run so fast, leave at least a couple of spikers for us.”
"Oh," I sighed and sank onto the cold ground. These spikers almost splattered me all over the stones, and this mercenary is making jokes.
Hmm... a very mixed company stood around me, I noticed a couple of wounded soldiers in the distance, with a very unusual beetle carrying a staff and... a two-legged.
I was about to shout and warn the beetle about him, but he only gently pushed the two-legged, after which he pointed her back to the wounded man. It was surprising, but the ripper pointed the staff to one of the mercenaries and he was suddenly enveloped by a dim glow, which quickly dissipated. Even from here, I noticed that the beetle was disappointed.
“Gard, you, Goronar and Tererok go ahead and attack everyone who’s in the way,” I heard Derergon’s orders. “Tirliora, find their leader and eliminate him. Mulf, you look after everyone as usual. Go ahead!”
Powerful bugs thrashed half a dozen spikers and divided the enemy squad into two parts. The one called Tirliora quietly snuck up to a tall spiker and jumped on him from the back, hitting his thin legs, after which Mulf appeared next to her and helped her complete the job.
The rest of the mercenaries, meanwhile, were using ripper claws and striking the spikers, but they were not weak and put up a strong resistance. But the leader’s death had an effect, and soon the spikers began retreating, picking up the wounded and the dead.
“Wait! Do not go after them!” Derergon ordered.
“Der, look, another addition to today’s spoils,” the same mercenary who found the shield earlier was now holding up a spear.
“Oh, we had a good day today,” said the Garadarok warrior, and then added, looking at me. “I would even say great.”
“And we already missed you,” Garadan bent his massive jaws.
“I missed you too,” I sighed, and again sank to the ground, feeling just awful.
“Looks like you are worn out,” I heard an unfamiliar voice, after which I saw the Death Herald, and a two-legged standing next to him.
Dead Healer (Almyona the Wanderer), level 48
“Let’s try something,” said the bug. “No hard feelings if you die, right?” he curved his jaws, and I just gave him a look. “I thought so.”
Apparently, this one is a comedian as well. What a day! Jokers all around and the endless running from one end of the cave to the other.
Skal, Gravedigger, level 12
“Hi Skal, you grew stronger,” I said to my friend. “Keep it up.”
“You too,” the beetle nodded. “But how did you grow so strong?”
“You’ll swap stories later,” Mohr interrupted, his eyes lit up with a bright green flame. “Now, as for the experiment...”
The girl approached me. I noticed dried blood stains on her clothes, and I felt bad, and then everything disappeared in a bright flash of light.
Chapter 41
The Deadman. The status. Rippers’ stuff.
Sel Er
After a while, I finally opened my eyes and saw the agitated mercenaries and Skal. Why were they looking at me like that?
“What’s with the looks, I’m not a ripper," I said.
“Yes, you came out weirder,” the Herald of Death grinned.
“What happened to him, Mohr?” asked Derergon.
“How should I know?” said the necromancer cheerfully. “This is the first time I have seen something like this. This is great.”
“You were right Der, these guys are very strange,” said Tirliora.
“Yes, will anyone explain to me what’s going on?” I asked the bugs.
“Sel Er, are you feeling well?” Skal asked me.
“Wonderful.”
“Then look at yourself,” said the gravedigger.
“Here, use this,” the mercenary from the Derergon’s squad handed me a shining shield.
“F**king...” I was lost for words. A strange creature was looking at me from the other side of the mirror, with a wrinkled shield. I understood that it was me, but I could not accept it. My whole body was grayish, my jaws were sharper, my claws thinner, and a green light burned in my eyes. So, what happened to me? I noticed a blinking window and opened it mentally.
The spell "Minor Healing" did not work properly due to the impact of necro energy, which led to your death!
You have been cast the “Undead” spell!
Received a new status! Current Status: Living Dead!
Attention! In this mode, you cannot evolve!
Thanks to the ability “Accumulation” the maximum possible amount of energy is collected!
Use the collected energy to empty the reserve or increase the available reserves!
Accumulated Energy: Death
Number of available charges: 7
The effect of Accumulation is trans
ferred to the ability section!
The ability “Accumulation” up! Current Level: 2!
So, now it was clear what happened to me. They wanted to heal me with a two-legged spell, and now they turned me into a living dead. But how did it happen? Why didn’t I wake up in the house of Sel Nurs?
“Now you look even better than before,” said the Death Herald happily.
“To you maybe. I feel like eating an explosive ball,” I growled.
Apparently, all my abilities were still available, but now it was useless to throw points into anything other than abilities and maps. It is interesting how this status influenced me, apart from my appearance and inability to evolve. I opened the window with the character’s data.
Character name: Tes Sel Er
Race: Monster
Class: -
Level: 16
Experience: 890 (Total: 2300)
Health: 350/350 (+60)
Energy: 284/284 (+60)
Basic stats:
Mind: 14
Evolution: 8
Structure: 12
Complexity: 13
Secondary stats:
Mobility: 13
Knowledge: 2
Strength: 11
Life: 10
Status: Living Dead
Vulnerability to fire: 10%
Vulnerability to light: 20%
Death Resistance: 20%
Darkness: 10%
Physical Resistance: 20%
Health +60
Energy +60
Some other stats that weren’t there before showed up. The vulnerability... understandably, it means that the dead do not like fire or light, but I can resist darkness and death.
What about lightning and explosions? There were no answers. I felt like there would be many more questions, well, I’ll figure it out somehow. But the main thing was that I was alive.
Well, almost. In general, if we assume that I was not reborn in the village of Sel Nurs, it means that I did not die completely, therefore, my life was saved. I wanted to take a deep breath, but I couldn’t.
“Looks like you finally noticed,” Mohr sneered. “Breathe like before, only you will have to control the process now because your body is now somewhat...
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