Undone- Resurrection of Murdock
Page 9
“Weren’t you the one who volunteered back then? Keep your silence and proceed,” the bishop replied coldly. “I can't maintain this light sphere forever, so get going,” she added. David could do nothing but waive his futile protest.
“It’s strange that we haven’t encountered a beast yet. We’ve been traveling for half an hour already. Are we not deep enough yet?” the altar boy shifted. “Wait, is it possible that we’re lost?” he queried, halting in his tracks and looking at the bishop for an answer. “Please tell me we’re not lost.”
“No, we’re not lost. The squires and hired workers have cleared this route for us. That’s the reason we have encountered nothing yet. If we come upon a beast now, then that’s when we’re lost,” Kalen responded calmly.
“Tsh! Cleared my ass. Then why are there a ton of weeds still on our way? Don’t tell me that not one squire thought of cutting all this shit beforehand? If ever a strong beast corners them deep in the forest, how will they escape with all this shit blocking their way out? What a bunch of idiots.” David shook his head.
Kalen snorted after hearing the absurd presumptions, “If you’re that “clairvoyant,” then you should have noticed the abnormal flora in this forest,” she said. Kalen scraped the bark of a tree with her slender, mana-infused, fingers. The dry tree bark peeled off with little resistance. The fair bishop then fed her right hand with more mana. Her fingers lit up with a bright, soothing glow. The tree bark hissed, and a dark smoke flew off it, but the chip of wood did not catch fire.
“Everything in this forest is necrotic,” Kalen explained after her brief demonstration. “If you so wish to cull all the weeds here permanently, then you have to use some form of holy magic to get rid of them for good. The squires probably had rid of necrotic beasts and didn't waste more mana into clearing the path. It is understandable,” she added nonchalantly.
“If you have nothing else to ask, then proceed... What are you doing?”
“Shh... I hear something.” David whispered as he unsheathed his other blade. “Someone’s following us,” he added.
Kalen infused the light sphere with more mana to intensify its brightness. Besides the rattled small critters struck by the blinding light and the floras writhing from the bombardment of light magic, the two couldn’t see anything suspicious in front or behind them. “They’re gone?” David wondered. He was certain that there was a killing intent directed towards them just a few moments ago. 'How can they disappear almost instantaneously?'
Just then, a series of footsteps resounded.
“Could that be it?” Kalen pointed at the direction of the sound.
There, a dozen squires were converging towards their direction.
“Albeit you’re too uptight. I’ll commend your sharp senses,” Kalen said.
David snickered at the flattery. However, he still couldn't shake the feeling off that there was something more to what he sensed earlier. He was certain that there was a killing intent directed at the bishop. 'I must keep my guard up. Someone or something here wants the bishop dead,' he pondered. If someone had a grudge against the Divine City that they would even dare kill a bishop, then what could an altar boy with a budding hero system do?
'Protecting the bishop now is akin to protecting myself.'
Chapter XVII
Under The Ravine
“That was a close call,” Adam whispered as he and Terrence laid flat on the dry forest ground.
“My apologies…” Terrence responded, his boney hand clutching his chest tight.
“I’m assuming you know that bishop just now?”
“Not personally, but she’s one of the higher-ups that spearheaded the Pentagon Project.”
Adam paused. “She looked like such a fair maiden though? Judging a tome by its skin really is a bitch.”
Terrence nodded slightly. “I failed to question the methods they would use to attain their goals. The assuring words of the upper echelon blinded me back then... I didn’t know any better... and I deeply regret my decisions to this day. The commands they gave me were vague, and the vision they had for the Chosen One was ambiguous to where I should have been suspicious about it!” the priest spat.
“Well, there’s no point beating and blaming yourself about it now,” Adam pointed. “It’s better to redirect that frustration of yours into something fruitful. It’s never too late to put a stop to the unnecessary killings. There are still two churches we could stop. Let’s not ponder on events that have already happened and let's focus on things we can still change...”
…
The necrotic woodland appeared submissive in the presence of Adam, a true undead.
The clump of trees unfurled like curtains on a windy day.
The lofty, vivid green weeds split a clear path and the forest aura masked their presence well.
Adam and Terrence kept a safe distance away from the bishop and her companion after almost getting caught. What was once a straightforward plan to track down random adventurers and steal their kill had devolved into something else entirely. Perhaps it was to be expected when they were this close to the location of the Fourth Corner; The presence of this many people from the Divine City shouldn’t be that “surprising”. the two stalked the group to their encampment.
“Well, this is unexpected. Isn’t this... a bit too much?” Terrence muttered. The absurd number of tents at the site troubled the priest. Not only were there a ton of squires, but the number of adventurers was many as well. “What kind of monster are they hunting that requires this many people?” Terrence wondered.
“Whatever it is, we’ll find out soon enough,” Adam figured as he pointed at the commotion.
...
“I guess we’ll take this request more seriously now,” Bartimore jested as he bowed crudely at Kalen. “The name’s Bartimore Stod, and I’ll be leading the recruits,” he introduced. “I can’t vouch for everyone here,” said the old man as he gestured at the adventurers with a wide grin. “But I can at least guarantee you we’ll get the job done a lot faster than your shield-bearers.”
The squires had their faces turn sour listening to the blatant mockery. Unfortunately, they could only click their tongue in defeat. Shameful as it was to admit, the fifty recruited adventurers were more efficient at clearing the forest than they were with superior numbers.
Their only contribution back then was to put down the defeated corrupted beasts permanently using divine magic. Their actions didn’t amount too much when all the other beasts were afraid of confronting the humongous party; there was no point in purifying an undead that had already lost the will to fight.
To put, the necrotic beasts were no match against the seasoned adventurers.
“That's pleasant news. Then I’ll be in your care,” Kalen said with a rather straight face.
After a short briefing, the unlikely co-operation of squires and adventurers went on their way. They then left the campsite for the cursed forest to swallow gradually. It didn’t matter though, the Divine City had a clear goal to finish the “errand” in a single day. The main quest - Subjugate the growing population of a species of mana beasts that had been breeding in a secluded ravine east of the forest.
The ferocious felines, Jade Lynxes, had poked and prodded the village of Greenstone for over a month now, endangering the lives of the citizens and threatening the plan of the church for the upcoming winter solstice.
It took three hours to reach the ravine. Adam and Terrence followed the group closely.
The squires promptly surrounded the entire length of the gorge to prevent any stragglers from escaping. The notion of over a hundred men preparing for a bloody fight against cats would have sounded laughable to a degree if only the felines were something ordinary. Unfortunately, it was not the case. These certain mana beasts were no laughing matter.
Sharp hisses resounded as a pack of lynxes emerged from the gaps under the ravine walls. The strange felines had a peculiar look that made them stand out even amongst the most u
nique of mana beasts; Instead of the usual soft fur, a craggy rock-like coat covered their skin. Embedded on their narrow forehead, a lustrous green crystal.
The adventurers trod the crag carefully. The lynxes were cautious as well.
“Careful. Their bites can drain your mana,” Bartimore warned the recruits.
Unlike common beasts, mana beasts needed not to consume meat to sustain themselves. Instead, they hunger for mana cores from other living creatures; humans being the easiest prey. And unlike other beasts in the Garuda Forest, the Jade Lynxes were impervious to the necrotic curse; The consistent consumption of mana cores cycle and cleanse their life-force, creating this pseudo-immunity. The impending winter—the only time of the year when humans rarely go out of their settlements—had perhaps pushed the lynxes to take the initiative and hoard cores for their own sake.
“Forward!” Bartimore commanded as soon as their feet landed flat on the ravine floor.
The pack of lynxes growled as they sensed the surging bloodlust.
The adventurers surrounded the lynxes as planned, albeit in an odd beak-shaped formation.
“Steady!” Bartimore led the charge. The old veteran had taken into consideration the instinctive ability of beasts to pick the weakest link and integrated an unorthodox formation to counter such a disadvantage. This simple formation change eliminated the dangers attached to encircling the pack loosely. Instead of a buddy system where only one person could help the other, the linear form would allow an entire row of adventurers to assist one another in a precarious situation.
Those with melee weapons like Bartimore stayed at the “wings” of the formation, while those that would deal damage from afar, archers and the like, were placed at the narrow center. The magic casters—healers and augmenters—were positioned at the midsection so the other two “ends” could protect them during the fight in case things get out of hand.
The seasoned veteran struck the first strike with his polearm, a silver halberd, and began the slaughter.
Chapter XVIII
Prowling From Beneath
Adam spectated the onslaught from afar.
‘That makes no sense…’ he thought as he saw the pack of lynxes getting pushed back.
Adam checked the status of the opposing parties.
---
Bartimore Stod
Class - Lancer
Value - 21
[Health - 134/140]
[Mana - 18/30]
---
…
---
Adult Jade Lynx
Class - Feline
Level - 25
[Health - 120/600]
[Mana - 110]
…
Adult Jade Lynx
Class - Feline
Level - 28
[Health - 50/640]
[Mana - 130]
…
Adult Jade Lynx
Class - Feline
Level - 21
[Health - 210/550]
[Mana - 95]
---
‘What are those beasts doing? Why are they not using their mana?’ Adam wondered. The only reason the adventurers were winning was that the beasts were obscurely conserving their mana. The lynxes, besides occasionally landing a bite at an adventurer and draining their mana, weren't using enough offensive spells that could easily push back the opposition. Terrence, despite not having the same ‘analyze’ skill as Adam, had noticed the unusual “disparity” as well. Not one lynx threw a counterspell against the many unabated rushes.
“Something's not right here...” the priest muttered.
Adam turned his attention to the group of squires resting at the dry meadow, the lip of the ravine. He was debating whether they were the ones responsible for the odd behavior of the beasts. It turned out that none of them were doing anything at all. No one was casting a spell of sorts that prevented the lynxes from using their mana.
‘What is it then?’ Adam couldn’t help but inspect the bishop next. Perhaps she was the only one powerful enough to have done something this absurd.
Adam hesitated for a bit, knowing that some people could detect his skill, but soon dismissed the possibility. Adam figured the bishop wasn’t sensitive to such things. If she was, then she would have found them back in the forest when they were “stalking” her. If that alone wasn’t a good enough reason; the ensuing chaotic battle was a good distraction. The bishop wouldn’t pay any heed if ever she felt someone was prowling at the distance. Her focus would be on something else entirely.
---
Kalen Corvin
Class - White Mage
Title - Grand Bishop. The First Female Acolyte.
Level - 48
[Health - 360]
[Mana - 920]
---
The bishop was no ordinary person, as expected. Looking at her status sheet, however, gave no answer to the mysterious behavior of the mana beasts. Could a white mage cast an interference spell of such caliber? Could such a spell even exist in the first place? Adam had no clue. However, the intact mana pool meant the bishop had done nothing yet. Adam heaved a sigh of relief. ‘She seems unaware,’ he thought. Kalen had kept a close watch at the raging battle.
On a whim, Adam shifted his attention to the bishop's young companion.
---
David Dorian
Class - Spell Thief
Level - 9
[Health - 180]
[Mana - 90]
---
“Huh, another one with a leveling system. Is he the bishop’s apprentice?” Adam queried, pointing at the youthful man standing beside the bishop. Terrence, who was quite immersed at watching the ongoing clash between beast and men, snapped out of his empty mulling. “Ah! Hmmm, perhaps? I don’t really know who he is though,” the priest answered. “He seems like a proud man. I’ll say, maybe a bit too full of himself?” he added, looking at the puffed-chest youth.
‘Spell Thief, huh? That doesn’t sound like something a "bishop’s apprentice" would pick up,’ Adam figured.
* * *
“Hah! These beasts are nothing! I'd probably sweat more against a training dummy!” an adventurer chortled as he swung his battleax at one of the adult Jade Lynxes. The ax bit sunk deep at the jagged skin of the beast. The feline merely hissed but didn’t counter nor pursue the ax-wielding adventurer. It fell back in a hurry and licked its bloodied wound instead. “See? What a pathetic mess!” he added in a disappointed tone.
“I hate to admit it, but this is just way too easy!” a magic caster behind him agreed and let out a chuckle.
“You sure, kiddos? Hah! There’s yet a single beast to fall. Less talk and more fighting, alright? Oh, how about making this a bit more fun, eh? Whoever gets a kill first will have a bigger cut of the pay, sounds good?” Bartimore challenged as he hopped in the childish banter. His voice blared loudly that most of the recruits heard him crystal clear. The battle soon turned into an unruly mess because of the silly little bet.
Just then, the ground shook heavily. The shallow waters at the steep side of the meadow splashed and dampened the ravine walls. The wide crevasses along the ridges suddenly blew a strong cold gale, freezing the wet walls. In what was seconds, the entire ravine turned into a frigid tundra. The pack of injured lynxes hissed louder... but their growling wasn't directed at the group of adventurers. A litter of kittens and a few adolescent lynxes emerged from the small holes under the ravine.
“There’s more of them? Then I guess the bet just became harder,” Bartimore jested amidst the strange situation.
The ax-wielding man let out a laugh. “Are you kidding? Things just got easier! Those are just cubs. They count, right?”
“Oi! That’s cheating. The small ones don’t count!” Bartimore retorted, a smile still painted on his wrinkled face.
* * *
Adam forcibly used 'analyze' through the darkest crevasse of the ravine.
He was curious to know what caused the strange phenomenon that turned the ravine
into a frosty plain.
‘Th—That’s…’ — “Terrence, let’s fall back for now. Something’s coming…” Adam said in a grave tone.
---
Corrupted Frost Wyrm
Class - Elder Dragon. Dracolich(?)
Level - ?
Health - ?
Mana - ?
---
“... Something really terrible is coming.”
* * *
The pack of Jade Lynxes hurriedly ran away from the tundra. The healthy adults carried the juveniles with their mouths while the adolescents took care of the injured. The organized retreat and the show of camaraderie proved the felines were of high intelligence. There was no way the adventurers could have pushed back the Jade Lynxes if they were to just use their wits and strengths fully. They held back... and it was perhaps for a good reason.
The rim of the crevasse—the ridge closest to the wet meadow—cracked open as the entire dormant beast emerged. It was a monstrous yet majestic creature worthy of resounding gasps and screams. Azure-colored scales lined with icicle-like spines covered the entire length of the limbless dragon. Despite its colossal size, the terrifying creature exuded rare grace and elegance unique to intelligent monsters.
“The noise... The smell of weak magic... I hate it!” The earth trembled as the beast let out an ear-piercing roar.
Chapter XIX
The Frost Wyrm