A Rattling Monster - Chapter 136：Sneak Attack?

Apparently, everyone was relatively calmed when I arrived. By that, I mean that when I suddenly left the ground with my wraiths, no one was shouting at me or really surprised. Funny how all the dwarves are looking at this spectacle like it is normal. It is normal for a ghost, but can you at least be slightly surprised? Best effect I managed to produce was cut the speech of the archbishop. He just stopped talking and look at me with his eyes full of hate. I got it, I killed the holy kingdom. And a lot of humans living in it. But the first to talk is not the one I expected.

-I am general Jasper Earur Borin, knight of the Holy Kingdom of Aria. I will just ask one single question. Is it you that destroyed the capital, the white city Atria?

It is the visibly barely conscious knight. The one that probably participated in all the battles, always in the front line. And the reports were not giving him all the credit he deserves. His armor is truly destroyed, it is even shaped as his body. Chest plate smashed, gauntlets with missing fingers, helmet torn apart. I can see his right ear, even when he still has the helmet closed. If someone is telling me that he faced a rat ogre and won, I wouldn’t even be surprised. Well, the truth is already out, what can go wrong by saying it once again.

-Yes, I destroyed Atria, I destroyed Lucia and everyone on my way to Ronta. If my zombies and lich killed more, then I am unaware. I just let them do as they pleased after destroying the capital. Retribution for what you did to me.

Of course, I won’t tell that what they have done to me is essentially the bad deeds of their goddess. Better let them think that since it wouldn’t really make sense in my false story. At which point, should a ghost shaped as a ratman interact with a goddess and what did she do to him? Even I don’t have the slightest idea to say something like that. Too strange of a story. But after hearing me, the knight visibly loses his mind. He begins to laugh louder and louder, a hysterical laugh. Maybe he should take a rest or some…

CLONK

JESUS CHRIST! I see the sword of the knight at barely two centimeters from my face. Two scythes are blocking it, right before it touches me. I didn’t even activate my [Veil of Darkness], the thing that I am doing right now. But it’s a good thing that my wraiths are more reactive than me, otherwise, I would have been a dead ghost. Of course, the fact that I didn’t even react and with my face that can’t be really analyzed, it looks like I planned it. Like a dark lord letting his minions deal with his enemy. The truth is far from it, but I can see the fear in the eyes of the humans. One of their strongest warriors can’t even sneak attack and kill me at such a short range.

Of course, even if time slows down for a second, to allow everyone to realize what happened, time can’t stay like that forever. Thongril grabs his axe and slash at the sword of the general Borin. Destroying it in the process. Looks like dwarf steel is better than the human one. Or whatever they used to create those weapons. After that, the Iron Beard punch in the face the human, knocking him out. The archbishops run to heal the fallen general. While the noble dwarves are looking at their allies with disappointed eyes.

-My apologizes noble dwarves, King of the Mountain, and … the thing floating in front of us. No one really said what you are called or truly what you are. But in the behalf of the humans coming from the Holy Kingdom of Aria, we sincerely regret the actions that led us to this situation. As for the general, he is in a state of intense exhaustion, he needs rest. The stress of the battles has obstructed his mind; I hope that you will forgive him. I am the Great Magus Aesseryn, I hope that we will destroy the ratmen, together.

Nice job, truly a good job. The previous disappointment turns into comprehension and forgiveness. The human general truly looks pitiful in this armor, and maybe he wouldn’t have done that if he weren’t that tired. But the thing that I will always do, cast my shield when humans are close. And I thought that they will respect the authority of the King of the Mountain. As for the woman, she is the magician that is truly important these days. Still capable of using her full power, dealing with the enemy sorcerers and spells. And the most important, the only person capable of annihilating me or my wraiths.

-King of the Mountain, master dwarves, Great Magus. I was called here because we already retreated from the East and the West will fall in a day at best. And I suppose that you couldn’t keep the secret any longer, especially with the previous knight seeing me. As for my contribution, I suppose that the Iron Beard that was communicating with me already told you everything. So what do you need?

-Ghost Sleek, I, Meldun, King of the Mountain thank you for all the undead that you have provided. But now, we still need more. Especially those wraiths, I need you to post them at key points and make them kill all the assassins incoming. They are the most reliable threat to their existence. As for the rest, your lich need to keep producing more and more zombies. But until the war is over, you will not leave this room. Your death will destroy all your undead, so in no circumstances, you will be allowed to be at the mercy of the Green Claws. Your spirits and undead are too important.

Great, I exchange a remote and dark room hidden in a corner of the mountain to a golden prison. What he is saying is true, but seriously, not leaving? How am I supposed to collect the blood of everyone and create more undead? However, the king of the dwarves was not finished.

-But, I heard from commandant Bori Longbeard and Thongril that you are using blood to create more undead. Is it true?

Tricky question, should I say yes or no? Yes, I mean, nothing can be worst than being a ghost shaped as a ratman. I nod at his question, and he makes a gesture with his hand. Soon, I can see a cart filled with bottles of blood. Seriously? This is heaven? And I thought that they will curse me for doing this.

-This is the blood of the dwarves from this kingdom. Not the warriors, but those that were injured in the Portal War. They can no longer fight for their people, but after hearing what you are doing, they openly started to give their blood. I hope that this will be sufficient.

-Sufficient, of course. The quantity is important, but the quality is even better. I never absorbed a blood from a dwarf, but I suppose that it is immensely better than the one from a slave ratmen. Don’t worry, about that, just bring whatever blood you can gather. Now, what are your exact demands, because right now, I can create nearly anything.

The king of the dwarves smiles at my last remark, and soon Thongril approaches with a list. On it, is marked what I should create. 10 additional spirits, not necessarily talking, more lich, of course, 5 more wraiths, and some strange demand. Like, create a stone worm or some weird creatures. Of course, after giving me the list, he gives me a bag filled with hundreds of drawing. On each, I can see the drawing of one creature that they asked me to create.

They look at me with expecting eyes, wait, are they wanting me to do that right now? Well, I am a little low in mana, but I start opening a bottle of blood. And yes, it is good quality. A bottle of 1 liter, and double the amount that is given by a complete human corpse. After filling my mana at 80%, I begin to look at one drawing.

It is the stone worm; the particularity is the skeleton of this monster. It is like the insects; the skin is the skeleton. So I look at the different drawings and all the different representation. This monster looks very sturdy, even if it is a worm. Besides using it as a shield, I have no idea why they need it. Maybe dig something? Anyway, I will just create a small one. Not something with 10 meters in size, especially in this room. So I begin to concentrate, and for the price of a normal skeleton warrior, in front of me appears the stone worm.

I can see some deception in the eyes of some dwarves, but Thongril doesn’t care. He takes a weird axe, not the one he is using or one from the Iron Beards. Probably something not to sharp, otherwise my little worm will be destroyed. He strikes at the barely smaller than me worm, and instead of dying, the little thing breaks the axe. Thongril raises his head toward me, and I can already hear his question.

-Five times this size at best. But I will need a lot of those blood bottles. And I can only create skeletons, not flesh.