by Han Yang
“Once we’re ready to level, we have to get Zorta from somewhere besides the soil. So, we war through portals or fight terranean creatures. More often than not, those battles and adventures result in not enough Zorta,” the prisoner said.
I nodded in understanding, believing him because that is what I experienced myself.
“No chance they come surging out of the ground to come save you?” I asked.
“My education dictates I answer that there’s always a possibility,” the lidka said, having almost no hiss or trailing s to his speech. “I’m almost certain Simbo will not come to the surface for a low tier team. We’re not his magus team, not even close. Captain Minotaur, super hero there, listened to none of my warnings.
“Plus, Simbo forgot about the bernox until Lord Danta prodded him, and we got sent up high to do a retrieval. Part of why Captain Estracon was so confident was because Dragon Lord Simbo said there was no threat, and he just accepted that as a fact.”
“Ah, he believed in what they told him without a second thought,” I said, and the prisoner nodded. “Thanks for your honesty. What kind of mage are you?”
He hesitated, then said, “Lightning mage.”
“You almost turned the tide of battle. I don’t fault you for trying to survive, but I’ll admit I’m not sure what to do with you,” I said.
“You should kill him and make him a battle trainer,” Asha said. “Guaranteed not to betray you, and you’ll be able to free him later if your heart so desires.”
“Damn Asha,” I said, pulling out my blade. “No, we’ll use him for our next trade portal. He’s a perfect cover. After that, he’ll fight in the arena or be some rich lady’s guard. Maybe we trade him to a strivian minotaur lord. Either way, he’s worth a lot alive and is behaving, for now. What’s your name?”
“Karo, and thank you, Necro Lord. They’ll smell humans at the battle and seal off the tunnels,” Karo said.
“As long as you remain helpful, there is hope. Life before death,” I said.
“I’m impressed, I didn’t think about using a strivian to get into a Nordan city. It’ll probably work,” Tarla countered. “However, all I could think about is him biding his time until he betrayed us. All I ask is to not let him stay around for long unless he becomes a minion.”
I hung my head, giving it a simple shake.
“I get it,” I said with a grumble. “Executing my enemies when they are cordial is… unbecoming and yet, becoming more necessary. I’ll pass on this occasion. Karo may prove exceedingly useful.”
Letting the lidka sigh in relief, I headed over to the troll with the stab wound in the heart. I grimaced at half the face being charred from flame.
I sat down, fixating on the troll’s orb as I chanted my incantation.
“Death means life, Zorta brings power. Death means life, Zorta brings power. Death means life, Zorta brings power.”
When I felt a hum against my aura, I reached out, feeling a slight resistance before the troll succumbed to my cultivation power. After he folded and accepted my domination, I felt the tingle of a leveling unlock.
Claim or Consume.
Claiming Horto Trollkin as a minion will result in occupying a necromancer slot and earn you Nordan Points. Do you wish to proceed? (YES) - (NO)
You selected to claim Horto Trollkin. Consume 8.329 Zorta to summon this creature as a minion of the undead. Confirm (YES) - (NO)
I selected no then went over to the minotaur.
“What’s the plan, Boss?” Jark asked.
“I need to see my cost basis. I only have seventy Zorta saved up. While this trip has been profitable, I’m still in debt. The rest has been tossed into the portal,” I said with a sigh.
“I’m still nearly four hundred until fire mage eleven,” Tarla said, reminding me she was next on our big upgrade list.
“Which I haven’t forgotten about. Just the portal became the priority, and then the debt to avoid interest,” I said in a soft, disappointed tone.
“If we’re going to Earth, without magic, I don’t care. If you want to make this your new home, then yes, I do. But my fire spells are plenty powerful, and Jark needs to be freed,” Tarla said.
I glanced up at her with a smile, nodding in agreement. Sometimes, we were on the same page, and I was getting that vibe we could finish each other's sentences.
“I actually have too many minions, even if I wanted bigger ones.” I glanced over my shoulder at the twenty goblins I used as skeleton minions. Mostly killed from the ogre fight. “If we revive them, they’re inferior. I’d…” I paused, coming to a decision mid-thought. “Goblins line up. The next generation is already being born, and you’re in surplus. Your sacrifice will guarantee the survival of the next generation.”
I walked the line of skeletal goblins, releasing them one by one, and only earning a measly ten Zorta. Their big cost was the portal travel, and now that had vanished.
“Twenty eight minions now. Going forward it will be less of a burden on our one hundred maximum portal movements,” I said.
“I’d say they died in battle,” Asha said with a frown. “Nee holds sway with the goblins, and a lot of those died willingly for you.”
“I know, I know. Being the leader and having limits isn’t easy,” I admitted. “I’ve been doubting myself. But... I disagree regarding lying. These goblins sacrificed themselves to allow us to gain a minotaur skeleton. They lived longer than any normal goblin would have and helped their tribe. Now, they will increase its might with a final goodbye,” I said proudly, and the three live goblin minions went from frowning to smiling. “A noble purpose for a noble set of tribe members.”
“Assuming you can claim the minotaur,” Tarla mentioned.
“I aimed for the neck, so that is hopefully my bolt. What is one of the lidka worth?” I asked. “I don’t need additional mages at half power, but those tall lidkas in heavy armor would make a great skeleton front line.”
“Give me a second,” Asha said, sitting down beside the body.
I rotated to the minotaur. My minions had stripped him nude already. Sorting through his gear, I found a purse laden with gold cubes.
Bonus. Funny how they’re cubes, probably for storage. Yeah...
I knelt beside him, repeating my chant differently, “Death means life, Zorta commands power. Death means life, Zorta commands power. Death means life, Zorta commands power.”
When I reached out for his orb, it didn’t fight me immediately. A resistance did fight me, but it was far less than I expected. Without a doubt, I had slain Captain Estracron.
We played a game of tug of war, the two of us battling for power. Just when I thought I’d win, he would regain power.
I lost the first round, only capable of consuming his 83 Zorta.
Yeah… He was worth a fortune, and if I couldn’t just turn him to bone later, I might have simply had his orb fall out.
A hand shook my shoulder. I opened my eyes, seeing it was dark. A chilly breeze cooled my armor.
“I broke the rest of the orbs, but we should return to camp,” Asha said.
I glanced over my shoulder to the cavern’s entrance.
“Fine. I was close. What are the others worth?” I asked.
“The three trolls are worth seven to ten. The lidka around fifteen each. This was a great victory,” Asha said.
“The minotaur is eighty three. While I want a massive army, a few big units to subsidize my smaller force seems prudent,” I said, scanning my forces.
“The lidka can hold a formation better than a dwarf. I wouldn’t downcast their usefulness,” Asha said.
Jark neared, rubbing the back of his neck. “Hey, Boss. I apologize that the plan did work out great. I wanted to say that Lumpy and Foxy have earned more Zorta than this entire lot is worth. They did that just in the time we were waiting to kill them.”
“The blood from the bernox was that good of a trap?” I asked.
“Yeah, apparently birds thought the duo were dead a
nd never realized how the skeletons were killing their friends. My point is -”
Tarla cleared her throat, handing me a big bag of orbs. “We live and die through your power, not ours. Here’s a hundred Zorta. The rest has gone into the portal. Thank Lumpy and Foxy when you can. Raise the dead, my Lord.”
“Boss,” I said.
Tarla shook her head. “You're my everything and to all of us, our future. Even with my fascination of you wearing off from staying alive, you’re still a good man worthy of calling my Lord.”
“I’d prefer Boss, but I appreciate your belief in me. And Jark is right. Maybe massive fights aren’t needed with proper planning for traps,” I said.
“Take the Zorta, Damien. Grow in power,” Tarla said proudly.
I closed my eyes, using my aura to reach into the bag she propped open. I latched onto all the colorful orbs, enveloping them.
Would you like to consume 103.114 Zorta (YES) - (NO) - (DROP)
I selected yes, causing the orbs to transfer into my being, and the bag emptied.
I closed my eyes, chanting for a third time. As the words came out, I felt different. I… I changed when I demanded a group obedience. The hidden skill of subvert oozed out of me.
The evening sky blanketed into a thunderous cloud of darkness that crackled with power.
I exuded might. The very air around me condensed as my aura built into a cultivated power. Feeling my hairs raise and my body surge with power, I released my will unto the dead.
While I expected my spell to rotate over a short distance, it instead exploded with an untempered lust for everything it could find.
You have connected to a variation of dead beings and creatures. Three trolls, nine lidka, a minotaur, thirty three sparrows, two foxes, and a bernox. Would you like claim (ALL) (GROUP) (SINGLE)
When I selected (GROUP), my vision changed into highlighting the dead with red and green. I left all my nearby orbs as green. When I glanced toward the portal, a glowing outline in the distance told me where the undead rested. I removed the thirty sparrows but kept the foxes.
I continued to turn, until I saw a green icon to the north. This was about half way into the map that Asha had drawn.
I pointed and said, “After I bring up these new minions, run with all haste, and take the skeleton army with you. Someone killed a bernox and the orb is up for grabs. Maybe from age or a rival fight or something. The fact it isn’t claimed means it's an opportunity. Claim the Zorta and kill anyone who stands in your way.”
“As you command, Boss,” Asha said, waiting for me.
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 14 minions. Consume 203.192 Zorta to summon these creatures as minions of the undead. Confirm (YES) - (NO)
I grumbled and said, “I’m thirty five short. Going to consume the three trolls and one of the lidka. Apparently, I can’t grow in power too quickly.”
I shifted my selection then confirmed. The dark cloud I had created earlier came roaring back. The crack of lightning caused a thunderous cacophony, and I saw an awe cross many faces.
“I love this part,” Tarla said with glee.
“Collect the orbs of the others, and then ready their bodies for the portal,” I told Jark and the other living minions.
The power of magic condensed, billowing with anger. A dozen reapers fell from the sky, and the friendly one from before dropped to within inches of me.
The skeletal feet cratered the forest floor from the impact. The reaper's ghoulish eyes blazed with a blue fire, a smirk spreading on its faceless head.
“Hello,” I said nervously.
I rarely found myself scared or nervous to talk, but this was one of those times.
The reaper dipped its head in acknowledgement.
“Tips are helpful,” he said a terrifyingly hollow voice.
The face turned flat, expressionless. The plain gray skin held no contours or definitions.
“Take a few sparrows,” I replied, not sure what would happen.
He grew confused, and I pointed.
Around us, reapers picked up and hurled bodies into the forest floor. Eager hands reached up as the ghouls consumed flesh with an insatiable hunger. Bones were stripped clean, and the reaper in front of me reached out for the pile of sparrows in the far distance.
“Thank you. This grows our power and yours too. A stronger reaper means a stronger necromancer. Your next upgrade just became… 4.3 Zorta cheaper. For us, we will come quicker next time,” the reaper said as his maskless face grinned.
A second later, he slithered into the soil as if falling into water. The new minions rose, heading to the weapons pile to hastily grab gear. They never slowed. As soon as they were ready, they sped off with Asha for his next target.
I stared in wonderment at my forces sprinting away. The minotaur outpaced the others, eager to add to our dead.
Personally, I hungered for a nice soup, a warm blanket, and a private night with my lovely Tarla.
CHAPTER 43
Town of Seqa
I sat on my balcony, basking in the warm sunlight. I gazed out, letting the sight of the bustling town soak in. A steamy tea wafted a rich scent of honey. I slid a stool over to prop my feet up.
Tarla shared the oversized chair with me, glued to my hip. The crudely constructed creation fit us both wonderfully, and my wonderful freckled faced beauty shined with a radiance.
“Well that was one hell of a trip,” Bell said, arriving from behind me. Her extra stompy footsteps warned me of her mood, and I winced in anticipation… “Where’s Lumpy’s fur?”
“Awe, come on now, Bell. You know he needs to stay a skeleton for a wee bit longer. Oh, which reminds me, did you ask Caitlyn if there is a revival discount for pets or goblins or group orders?” I hoped my attempt to return Lumpy to a jenix cat would placate her.
“She’s not a damn vendor,” Bell said, plopping into a chair beside us. “Okay, maybe she is a little. I did ask.”
Bell tossed a neatly folded piece of paper onto my lap. Tarla plucked the parchment daintily, unfolding it for me.
All beings, excluding animals, cost 10,000 Zorta to return to the living. The issue is they’re tied to you. When you release them, which you would have to do, they go into the pit of souls.
Each soul extraction requires a fee. That fee fluctuates based on extractions performed. If a major war breaks out, the costs could go up, and a long stretch of peace means they go down.
Earth is relatively cheap compared to the pits on Nordan. We can discuss terms further when you turn Bell into a divine mage and actually have enough Zorta to pay for such an endeavor.
Side note - lidka interests me. Keep him alive, safe, and increasing in knowledge. It may be worth your while.
That was the good news.
The bad news is: Lumpy is well and truly dead. Don’t shoot the messenger.
Your Goddess,
Caitlyn
“Awe…” I said in disappointment.
“Yeah, I love that stupid cat, but he’s tied to you forever, meaning he will always have to follow you into a portal. If you go to Earth, he dies,” Bell said, a hint of accusation in her tone.
“Ouch, and so do a lot of others who died. I love Lumpy, but the cat attacked a centaur skeleton. Anyway, I really miss my parents and Earth. There’s normally two sides to a story,” I admitted.
Bell eyed me with skepticism. I think she guessed I would stay, and I very well might.
“The new portal?” Tarla asked, changing the subject.
Bell sighed and said, “Nessio picked something close to a mountainous lake, high in altitude. There’s no cities or people nearby. Should be a boring place to gather additional supplies, a bit of hunting, and they’ll even try mining.”
“I was surprised she wanted to rent the portal for herself,” I said.
Bell scoffed.
“Fifty Z was cheap. Even with Lumpy and Foxy stealing all the little kills, her dwarves still nabbed over thirty goblins, a bunch of trap prey, and sold fresh soil to Selma at a big profit.”
“I would have assumed Selma has her own portals,” I said, knowing I needed to likely learn more about our spider queen neighbor.
“She probably does, but you’re not fathoming how vast her territory is. Having extra Z, and then needing soil in a distant room probably means it’s just easier to buy it nearby,” Tarla said.
I mulled over what she said, realizing I would need to travel the labyrinth for days to get a true feel of the depths.
A lull in the conversation allowed me to check my stats.
Name: Damien Moonguard
Race: Human
Affiliation: Neutral
Zorta: 7.550
Nordan Score: 395,500
Ostriva Score: 371,100
Location: Town of Seqa
Magic Type: Healer
Healer Level: 8
Magic Type 2: Necromancer
Necromancy Level: 4
Necromancer Minions: 42/150
Fighting Level: Mediocre
Mana: 155/155
Mana Recharge: 6
Strength: 9
Stamina: 8
Dexterity: 7
Constitution: 10
Willpower: 9
Cultivation: 17
Intelligence: 30
Wisdom: 30
Charisma: 28
Tracking: 7
Endurance: 10
Perception: 13
Burst: 8
Reflex: 8
Healing: 7
Melee Combat: 7
Aim: 5
Hunger: 1
Thirst: 1
Aging: 59 years until death.
I sighed, knowing I could keep upgrading my core stats, but… the costs were starting to add up. I glanced down, seeing my minions working to beautify my estate.
I sipped on my tea, reflecting on the last few days while my gaze zoned out on the creation of a yard.