A Rattling Monster - Chapter 97：The First Gate
I return to the base of the green hooded bandits. Since I have no idea if they men of Shadow have been rallied or where is located the last gang. But what I know, is the fact that whatever is inside that base, it’s going to be good. At least, a huge number of clothes, since I don’t really need weapons at the moment. As for all the potential traps and vials that will be thrown at me, well, it doesn’t matter anymore. Since I have my wonderful shield.
Instead of my multiple doppelgangers, I only maintain two of them. That way, it is still three targets to choose and at the same time, not too much, that will not make the guards overreact. Because if I arrive with my army of ten potential shadows, even if they are just baits and non-existent, for the humans they are all real. And if ten people with a strength similar to mine were to enter the capital, it will provoke a huge uproar that will force the Church to make a move.
The proof was provided by the previous number one. He told me before dying that the Church was involved with the killing of all my undead servants. That means, they know that they are all skeletons under their armors and my arrival, and potential slaughter will trigger an answer. What they probably don’t know, is the fact that I have seen their armies far away. Well, no actually, they will suppose that I know that information. Otherwise, why would I return only after the departure of the strongest knights?
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TULUTULUUUUUUUUU TULU TULUTULU
Once again, the horn of the guards is resonating across the entire slums. And this time, it is not only once, but every horn that is used. It a full retreat organized just by my arrival. Well, since the mask has fallen, why should I keep mine? I order all my skeleton magicians to come near our position since we will need all our forces.
Even if I didn’t really underestimate them, they are still surprising me. Not a single soul can be seen in the streets and houses. This time, the rats have fled instantly, without even waiting for the ship to sink. And I was hoping for one or two that were too slow to escape. Now that I think about it, they have probably been killed by my skeleton warriors before. Now, only those that can run quickly are alive. Fat chance for my [Blood Touch], and I still can’t create new undead without it.
After some time where we walked inside the deserted streets, we finally reach the same building that was empty last time. There is nobody else around us, and this time, we have not come for their lives. Well, yes we were here for that, but since everyone is gone, we are here specifically for something else. Even without the need to hide my skeletons for what they are, the defense provided by those leather armors are still useful. At least, they can stop some damages on my magicians, not a lot yes, but still some. And that is all I want, and just for the style too. I mean, it is a real army that I have, why should my magicians run around naked? That wouldn’t be as scary as a silent armored army standing in front of you.
I ask number two to destroy the door and he executes my order. Just one swing of his axe, and not just the door, but the nearby walls are all destroyed. I should have asked him to just destroy the door only, and not everything else. But it is too late. Even after entering, there is no trap or surprise for us, I guess that all the mechanisms to deploy them were destroyed by the axe. Shortly after, all my undead servants are looking for clothes. They were found quickly, since it is not a dangerous thing, and finally I have a proper army.
Leaving the ruins of the gang base, I approach the closest gate, to be more precise, the South Gate. I have already deal with them, and they were particularly slow to react and not really pressed to join the fight. I mean, I block the way to the city, and they had done nothing to stop me. Not even one crossbow was fired if I remember correctly. Yes, I have cast [Nightfall], but they could have come closer, and walk through. But they haven’t, and that was perfect for me.
Unfortunately, this time, it is them that I will target, not just some citizens of the slums. I wonder if I will see that officer that was trying to discreetly use his power to loot the base of Shadow. Because all of his men were the best type of people I want to face. Coward, weak-minded, fearful of me. And against my [Cause Fear] which is level 5… 8? Level 8? When did it get upgraded that much? Maybe it was that that provoked the scream from Daryl. Because even if he was dying, to scream after seeing me was weird.
But the thing is, how did that happen? I check my attributes, nothing, my skills, nothing, my abilities, nothing more, and my title just… oh, here you go, my little friend. [Nemesis of Krieg], hehe, I forget to check my titles previously. That’s kind of dumb, but since I had a lot of things to deal and they are in a separate window. But that’s probably what improved my passive ability, I mean, I am now considered as a deadly foe by Krieg. And he is the god of blood, death and strange mutations.
Well, it doesn’t matter where I get that, the good thing is my newly increased capacity to terrify my enemy. Because before, I was already capable of scaring the bandits and nearly all the guards, now, they will personally wet themselves during the battle. I mean, if they are not dead yet before they reach me. Because a rain of fire will be unleashed inside this very city, and not even the help of a stupid goddess will prevent that.
And here we are, facing a huge wooden door with an iron grid. There is no drawbridge to prevent us from entering, just two things that are highly weak to my acid. On the ramparts, I can see the guards preparing their crossbows and beginning to aim at us. They are shaking, fearing for their lives, their useless and short lives. Not a single of them is in front of those doors. They have at least acknowledged the fact that I am a lot stronger than they are. Otherwise, some men would have been facing me directly.
(Even before you ask because I was following your train of thought. No, nobody is coming to help them. The Church is still not acting, and the other garrisons are not sending any reinforcements to the gate. Even after I saw three or four guards running away in direction of the closest gates. I guess, they are fearing more attacks than just you, so they will not help their fellow guards for the moment. As for the composition of the defenders, they all have crossbows and behind the door, there are already pikemen and a wall is formed. Expect heavy resistance, it will not be easy. There are at least hundreds of soldiers right in front of you, and thousand in less than 500 meters around us.)
For the first assault, I will not be suicidal and rush things. I still have time, until the Church reacts. I just have to capture this gate before they begin to charge at me. As for that, I will, first of all, grant them a small gift. I throw five orbs filled with my plague at five locations on the ramparts. My spell has a higher range than their crossbows, so I can do it without risking anything. And now, I will wait for a few minutes, I don’t believe that something that was capable of killing the followers of Krieg can’t handle some small guards.
(They shouldn’t survive, but you are talking about the capital of the kingdom of Aria, the holy kingdom to be precise. Don’t expect your spells to work the same way they were inside the slums or even inside the desert. You will have a hard time killing those believers with just some plague, even if neither you or your skeleton army will be affected by the environment. If you were not the Hero of Aria, you would have faced so many restrictions and curses the moment you step inside the slums. But while you are not weakened, they are still strengthened by the local blessings. Even without … well never mind, you can’t see it, but there are some priests already praying.)
Damn those priests. So I guess I can cancel my idea to let my plague do its job. It is time to set the world on fire!