A Rattling Monster - Chapter 91：Four Undead Left

So in the end, after a few hours, even if I had enough mana to create a new skeleton, I decided to train my other skills first. So, a lot of [Nightfall], some manipulation with my aura, some reinforcement of my shield. Of course, it was very painful but in the end, I managed to reach level 4 on my [Veil of Darkness]. I stopped at that moment since the damage that I was receiving before was too important. I mean, my [Self-Healing] is level 3. Do you have any idea about how many points of damage did I suffer before achieving that? A lot, really, a lot. And since even the biggest stones can’t pierce my shield with the strength of a skeleton magician, and I don’t want an axe to be thrown at me, I decided to stop for now.

Now that I have 497/497, I can create my new form of undead. I have for now create 4 things with [Raise Undead]. First, my loyal skeleton warrior, strong, big and exceptionally smart. Then, I created a very small spider, that was quite useless if you ask my opinion. Later, the incomplete and complete skeleton magician, capable of creating new spells, but only on my command. And I have to visualize the spell that would be created, they can’t think by themselves. So for now, they still only have the fireball and the magic shield, nothing else. The blood spells don’t work at all, maybe the fact that they don’t have blood or they are undead are causing it. And finally, my little spirit, near invisible, capable of traversing everything and granting an additional pair of eyes to Oslo.

That’s all my creations, but this time, I will try to improve the skeleton warrior. Or maybe just create something totally new. First of all, since I have a lot of mana, let’s see the different type of undead. We have the zombies, the ghouls, the spirits, the skeletons, the vampires, the … end? I can’t think of anything else, I mean, a lich is basically a stronger skeleton, so no, nothing else. So zombies first, they are slow, most of the time stupid but I have read some strange things about zombie mutant. So I guess they are not that useless. I try to think of a zombie and create it.

AAAAARGH

OK, it is done. A little less than 200 MP, so it was less costly than even a skeleton warrior. I try to talk to him. Number two?

-Yes, master?

Ah great, the level of intelligence is still more or less the same as the skeleton. I order both number one and number two to run for half a kilometer. That way, I will see the relative speed of the zombie. As I watched both of my undead give their best, I quickly notice that number one is really quicker than number two. And he is just a skeleton magician, not even a warrior. Not even waiting for them to end the race, I call them back to see other things. I find two trees looking similar and ask the two to destroy it with anything in their possession besides magic.

This time I am pleased by the sight. Of course, number one is having a real hard time, and his hands are not suitable to do such things. He can only scratch painfully the bark of the tree. In the same time, number two is in a rampage. He uses his hard nails, his powerful mouth, and his robust teeth to tear it apart. In a few seconds, a previously healthy and robust tree is completely destroyed, the savagery of number two is really a sight.

So as expected, very strong but slow, too slow. Now, about the resistance of number two. I create number three, a standard skeleton warrior. I have barely any mana left after this, but I have to do it. I put the two ten meters apart, and ask number one to blast them off. I begin with number three since he is the most recent creation. It took nine fireballs to destroy it. And without any equipment to protect him, they have truly become resistant. Well, the fact that it is a magical fire that can’t really hurt some bones play a part.

After that, the same thing with number two, my zombie. The first fireball comes crashing on him, but instead of burning him completely, it quickly extinguishes itself. Completely took me by surprise. I mean, at level 5, the [Raise Undead] allows my skeletons to feel the mana and become a magician. I can also create some spirit, I think that in the previous level, I wouldn’t have the possibility. So, there is a chance that this very level grants a small magic resistance to my zombie, that won’t be impossible.

The second fireball touch number two and once again, burn him a little before vanishing. In the end, I have to stop because number one tells me that he won’t be able to destroy number two. If it takes more than twenty fireballs like he fears, it would be useless. He advises me to wait for another skeleton magician. I acknowledge his concern and do as he says. For another five hours, we waited until number three appears.

But during all that wait, a strange thing can be seen. The previously burned area on the body of number two was healing. By the end of the five hours, only a small stain on his shoulder could tell me that he was hit by a fireball. Now that I think of it, maybe all my undead have this property? I broke a rib of number three, to see what will happen. But now, I will test the resistance of number two.

Twenty-one fireballs, that’s what it took. A grand total of twenty-three. And only at the 16th spell did he burned. I really think that he has a small magic resistance or at least something that prevents him from burning. But besides his importantly slow speed, the zombie is a killing machine quite cheap. In term of blood contribution, four adults mean a zombie. That’s acceptable for a cheap defense, in case my vanguard of skeleton warriors falls.

And it was the most basic zombie, so if I manage to think of a mutant like in some movies, the one that can jump from the buildings, create a pyramid to reach helicopters, that would be good. Or even some mutations, I mean, besides four survivors armed to the teeth with one old Vietnam veteran, I can’t see anything killing them. God bless the imagination of the Earth, so many possibilities, created just for me to use. Of course, it will take a lot of mana just to create the simplest, and even with everything that I have, I don’t think I will be able to create them before the next evolution.

So I have only tested the first undead type, next would be the ghoul. I have deactivated my shield, since nothing can upgrade it for now, except maybe a fireball, but I have not a single thought to try that. After waiting for my complete mana pool, I try to think of a ghoul. Some could consider the ghoul or the zombie to be the same, well, for me it’s not true. The zombie is most of the time a human that has been reanimated to serve the dark deeds of his master. The ghoul is a true monster, like a vampire, and respect a hierarchy and can think. If the first is a brainless bodyguard, the second is an efficient soldier, with just a huge thirst for blood.

I try to think of something that I remember reading. They are attacking more in a pack, like some wolves, with a clear strategy and sometimes a swarm tactic. But their bodies are similar to one from a zombie, just with less putrid and rotten flesh. I keep thinking of it, but either I don’t have enough mana or my image is not clear enough. I failed, I can’t really invoke such monsters. I am clearly upset about myself because they could have been an auxiliary force capable of rampaging the countryside and escape the hunters engaged by the Church. And even in a middle of the battle, they could have come in a nimble way attack the back of the enemy army.

If a zombie is a bait, then a ghoul is the hunter in the bushes, waiting for a prey to come. No, I can’t lose like that. I have to keep trying, I once again remember anything that I have thought about them. I forget all the useless backstories of every universe where they are present, just the virtual image, how they look, how they move. I keep doing that, and I finally see in front of me something appearing. But either I used too much mana, or my concentration wavered, but the last thing I remembered was a huge explosion in front of me.

“-179HP”