Trope World - Volume 1 Chapter 35 The Siege Begins

I hadn’t realized the scale of this battle. Logically, I knew the concept of a hundred million soldiers. They were grouped together and moving without stop. They were like colonies of ants impossibly numerous. From a distance they seemed like snow covering the valley floor. We could unleash every arrow, spell, and treasure we had but never slay a quarter of the army marching towards Low Port. I knew the city was gone anyone who saw this force would know victory was impossible. The army was mind boggling vast.

How could could I fight such a vast army? An army that can use undead dragons as bombs isn’t afraid to sacrifice resources for an advantage. Battles were often won or lost by what a side was willing to sacrifice. I knew the opposing side could sacrifice his entire army and simply resurrect the dead of Low Port afterwards. A thought occurred to me. How was the monster lord sealed originally? If he had such a vast force, what was it that brought him down?

Dual roars shocked me out of my thoughts. Dragons just as large and powerful as the first one plowed into the barrier. Their bodies alight ready to explode and rip the barrier open larger than before.

To my preternatural senses the undead army increased in power after the first explosion. The earth qi from the destroyed dragon had dispersed itself among the undead. Did that mean we couldn’t kill them? Was decreasing their numbers worth making them stronger as a whole? Worse the more I looked at the situation, the more I realized the problem. This wasn’t a mere undead invasion. This was a Dao of some kind. It was an earth Dao by a powerful individual. What was the Dao’s purpose?

Dao are a path; they have a beginning and an end. Some Dao go in circles or cycles, but they have recognizable points to them. That’s what I’ve learned by studying my own Dao. Wyrmling was part of a great Dao. The more I used it the more I learned how far I still had to go.

This Dao of undeath was just like Wyrmling in a way. It was a path that lead in a direction.

In moments the dragons would hit the barrier and crack it like an egg. Och and Tayu gasped as the dragons crashed towards the barrier with inevitable finality. It was my in my nature to collect things right! Od, Hertha, Och, and Tayu they were mine I wouldn’t let some uppity necromancer take them.

Wyrmling lv10.5k; +1050INT/WIS

Abstract Skill Discovered: Greed lv1; passive; +40CHA

Atomic blast lv5; active MP cost 75m; +125INT/WIS

Mana Manipulation lv300; +150INT/PER

I turned on analyze, focus, detect, and earth scales. I pulled a spirit bow from my bag. I knew it would be destroyed after this. My hands moved in a blur pulling out my pipe and lighting it. I took a deep drag and felt my mana recover at a constant pace. This would be for all the marbles. I stretched my senses and locked on to the closest dragon. Dominate!

The dragon’s body was in flux it had been set to explode and whoever controlled it had released the reins. Even so, the dragon’s undead mind was beyond powerful. It locked onto mine and bombarded me with overwhelming hunger and want for life. The dragon wanted revenge on the one who killed it and would do it by any means necessary. I directed it to knock its fellow out of the way. The dragon allowed me to turn its wings slightly and the dragons crashed into each other. The second that happened my mind was flung out by the dragon as the owner of the monster took control. Before the dragons’ courses could be corrected my arrow flew along with black spears from high above. The spears were launched after my attack but struck first. The dragons were already dying when my own arrow hit and blew and released an explosion of concentrated fire qi. The dragons were blown away along with the undeath energy sustaining them. Still their bodies remained intact.

I wanted them, if I could reduce them to ash and absorb them it would increase my wyrmling Dao further. I looked down at the bow in my hand. It remained intact for another second before flaking into ash. The shear amount of energy eruption arrow contained was too much for the object.

Dominate lv100; +1000INT

Eruption Arrow lv5; +125INT/WIS

Blood fell from my nose like rain. This was just the opening act of the siege. How much worse would things get?

More dragons flew from the castle. These dragons were different from the first three. They were five times larger and their wounds had been stitched together. Massive horns topped their heads and their wings held no holes. Some had a second mouth above their first one and others had the bodies of eastern dragons with large misshapen heads. Each dragon was a mix of parts not a single dragon was complete.

Why? Weren’t the dragons stronger while whole? Or was that the point. Was there a weakness in the Dao or in the practitioner?

Black spears continued to rain down from above. Dragons fell by the score only to be replaced with new dragons from the castle in the distance. This was a war of endurance. Who could endure better than the undead?

The more I thought about it the worse this situation became. Analyze, focus, and detect worked. They worked in ways I hadn’t imagined. Maybe that’s why I hadn’t used them. I realized it but it was too late. If I had been smart, I would have left this fight. I wasn’t ready. I should have made my way north until I reached a human territory and joined a human sect.

I looked back at Och, Tayu, and the two centaur girls I didn’t really know. They were beautiful, I liked the way their bodies moved. “This is the end isn’t it?” Och said. Her blonde hair swayed in a ponytail as she stared forward at the battle between the dragons and the inner sect. I wasn’t certain this was the end.

“They were beaten before. Our walls are well over one hundred meters tall. Every inch of them are covered with defensive talismans. Our position isn’t favorable, but we weren’t destroyed immediately.” I said.

“We weren’t destroyed immediately; do you consider that a win?” Tayu muttered.

“Maybe.” I said. I handn’t realized how under power I was. There was a power greater than anything I’ve ever felt. It felt like wings. It felt like a pair of wings bound to the earth. Pain wracked my head and I coughed up a pint of blood. It felt like my organs were being pulped and my brain was pouring out of my ears. Then the pain grew worse. I fell to my knees and felt my health fall and my blood boil. My skin was melting away at an uncontrollable pace. Even as I recovered my health with spirit energy it drained away. I turned my gaze away and the pain slowly stopped.

I awoke out of my stupor held Och’s arms. She was dirty. My rotted flesh covered her arms and it smelled like death. My robe rotted away, and my body was barely functional. That was just from looking at an angel. I couldn’t wait to fight one.