Chapter 4

“Oooooookay. Jack, it is important to remain calm.” He said to himself while staring at the vault door. “Right, let’s look at the facts. I’m a skeleton or lich. I’m a magic user now. I have lost all of my muscle which sucks big time. I can use spells now and not just arcane and transmutation circles. Big plus there. I have been up a few hours and have had a nap for over nine hundred years. Chances are more than good that everyone involved in this is WAY dead. Don’t care how healthy of a living they have or life span. No way they can live close to a thousand years. From what I saw of what’s left of the town, no one moved in and anything useful here is probably gone. Not to mention my vault is stuck.” Jack thought aloud, giving the vault door a kick.

“Alright, now my current problems. I got no physical strength. I have very little resources and tools available. As far as I know humans, elves and dwarves are at war with one another. Or had a war? Eh semantics. That means I need to find a way to get more information on current events in the world and figure out where I stand on things. I am undead so most people are probably going to try and kill me. I have no specific shelter yet and I guess I need to make a dungeon.” Jack thought aloud while holding his chin to ponder. “Then there is figuring out how to set up a dungeon… Actually, why do I also get those illusionary planes of glass with information while we’re at it? Never seen anything like that before… a new form of measuring strength maybe?”

Jack looked to the piles of bones for a moment as he considered his options. He saw there was plenty of bone for sure. They had calcium, salt and phosphorus. Calcium and phosphorus were good for making fertilizers for growing crops. Salt made for a good preservative and flavoring for food but the idea of bone salt for food just didn’t sit right with him. The fact that he didn’t need to eat didn’t help either. Thinking more about it, Jack remembered the other thing that made bones so tough. Carbon, iron, coper, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium. The amounts were small but something was better then nothing.

“Yeah… I can work with that… going to need more though.” Jack muttered before extending a hand to the nearest pile of bones.

Jack focuses as he cast the spell Reanimate on them. Testing to see if the spell would do as he thought it might.

Arcane energies extended from his palm and finger tips to the elven skeleton. Connecting with the tendrils violet energy as Jack watched the tendrils seep into the bones before weaving between them. Forming a complex lattice that drew the separated bones together. The entire process only took seconds before the violet energies vanished just moments before the skeleton shuddered.

The skeleton started to rise up like a puppet being lifted up by strings, bent backwards before landing on its feet to support its weight where it stood upright by its own power. The whole scene made Jack take a step back as he was a bit startled by the theatrics of the whole process. The skeleton stood taller than him which was typical since elves stood a fair deal taller than the average human. Jack had been at an average height for a human so it wasn’t surprising.

“Alright tall man. I got a job for you.” Jack said, gaining the attention of the risen skeleton. “I want you to look for more skeletons and bring then to the upstairs warehouse. I’m going to raise another to help you search around. Got it?”

The skeleton didn’t do anything at first. It just stared at him blankly the same way a statue would stare out at nothing. Before Jack could say anything else to see if the skeleton understood, it steadily turned and began to make its way up the stairs.

Okay, not fast to react and moves at a steady pace. Might need more back up than I thought to speed things up. Jack thought before turning to the dwarf.

Starting the process again, Jack reanimates another skeleton along with two others before going to his old workshop with them. With his reclaimed hammer and the new dagger in his pocket and strapped to his pants, Jack went to recline on a partially rotted work bench. Using it as a lounge chair while he waited for the skeletons to do their work.

While he waited, Jack drifted off to daydream. His thoughts drifted and lingered on what he should do next and what he could do. He wondered if there were any humans left. There weren’t that many humans to begin with on the continent. Maybe two cities, a handful of towns and maybe a dozen small villages. A lot of things can happen in over nine hundred years…

Nine hundred years… Jack thought while staring at the ceiling and his hands clasped behind his head. That would make me the oldest sort of living human on record…

Jack dwelled on these thoughts as he heard his ‘assistants’ continued to gather bones for his first project in a very long time. Jack needed strength and if he couldn’t find it, then he’d just make it. Granted he’d have preferred metal but bone would be tough enough for now.

While going over the design in his head, deciding on going with a standard humanoid form, Jack heard a scream in the distance. Startling him as he tried to lurch upright only for the improved lounge chair to break under him.

“Fuck!” Jack cursed as he sat up and saw that his skeletons didn’t seem to care about the scream.

Getting up as fast as he could, Jack ran from the out of the old workshop and listened as best he could. Hoping that the scream was not the last sound of whoever made it. If there was a chance, he could maybe not be alone in theses ruins then he was going to take it.

After listening intently, Jack heard distant voices from up the old street closer to the old market district. He couldn’t hear what was being said but that didn’t matter. what mattered was that he recognized that kind of scream. It brought up memories of the town being attacked. People laying in the street dead while others tried to run before being killed by blades, spells, or arrows as buildings burned or collapsed from being attacked.

Not this time fuckers. Jack thought to himself as he ran as hard as he could. Not. This. Time.

Jack found his way to the large courtyard where the stalls used to be. Tall damaged buildings surrounded the circular courtyard where piles of rubble could be seen. The voices had become far louder but still not clear enough to hear. When Jack rounded the corner, he found the source.

There were two elves standing side by side. One was clearly a ranger judging by the bow across their back along with a saber in hand. The other was likely a mage from what he could see of the staff in their hand. The ranger, a male elf, was stalking closer to a huddled figure who was backed into a corner. The small form had light blue skin, large bat like ears on the sides of their head. A shaggy mop of white hair on their head and a long tail that ended with a tuff of white fur. It was dressed in ragged cloths and currently terrified. Jack immediately recognized it as a gremlin but he never knew gremlins to wear clothing before.

What Jack knew of Gremlins was that they were not a clothes wearing species. Hells, last he checked they weren’t sapient and little more than feral creatures. Jack remembered many times when he had to chase them away from stealing his stuff or tools. Like bipedal packrats. But as he thought before, a lot can change in nine hundred years.

The gremlin was small and cowering as the elf stood over it. The Gremlin was missing its right arm and had a string tied tightly around what remained of its limb.

“WHY?!” The gremlin yelled as it struggled to push back despite the rubble keeping it from escaping further. “I was scavenging! Why can’t you leave me alone!?”

From the sound of its voice, the gremlin sounded like a female. More surprisingly it was using the universal common tongue.

“Give us what you found and you’ll live, or should I hack off your leg next?” The elf sneered while the mage just waited patiently.

Nope! You’re not doing that.

Without saying anything, Jack marched out from his cover and started to make his way to the two elves.

The mage noticed him first and took a ready stance with their staff in hand and their spell book in the other. The ranger was still too focused on the small gremlin, waving his saber in a manner that said he was itching to hack at her again. The gremlin though noticed him and looked even more frightened.

“Tuvis, stop playing with the rat. We have a boney.” The mage said.

“Then blast it. I’m busy.” Tuvis said with clear annoyance.

Wasting no time, Jack pointed his index and middle finger at the mage with his thumb extended. Silently casting Stone Needles at the mage since he wanted to see what the spell would do.

With the thought and the hand gesture, four sharp stone needles the size of his finger formed before they launched themselves with a surprising amount of force. The elf’s eyes nearly popped out of his head from panic while trying to case a ward to stop the attack. The needles flew as fast as an arrow with two of the four needles stopped by the ward while the others struck the mage in his shoulder and upper arm. The mage yelled in pain while the ward cracked into a spiderweb pattern from the Stone Needles that hit it. Fortunately for the mage the ward held.

Stolen novel; please report.

“Caster!” The mage yelled in pain.

The ranger spun and Jack could see Tuvis’ face was a mask of pure annoyance as he drew a bow in a flowing motion and fired an arrow right at Jack’s chest.

The Arrow flew true as it pierced his chest and through his only shirt. The arrow sank half way through before he felt it hit his shoulder blade. Jack looked down at the arrow that would have pierced his lung had he still had one.

Thank the gods I’m already dead.

Jack looked up from the arrow to both the elves and even the gremlin was staring at him expectantly. The ranger for his part steadily reaching for another arrow. Jack of course saw the ranger getting ready to take another and the looks on everyone’s faces nearly made Jack burst out laughing. They looked so confused as by him just standing there with an arrow in his chest. Unable to help himself, he decided to have a little fun at their expense. He didn’t really want to fight, if anything he would have been happy to just scare them away. But since he was here…

Crossing his arms over his chest and making the arrow shift, Jack tilted his head as he looked at them all.

“If the first arrow didn’t work, what makes you think the second is going to do anything?” Jack said aloud. “I’m fucking dead, genius.”

Now Jack couldn’t help it now. The faces everyone made was so utterly priceless that he practically hollowed with laughter. The two elves grew deathly pale as their eyes were as wide as can be with their jaws practically touching the floor. The gremlin was no better as she looked as if she just saw someone become inside out, do a song and dance, the went back to normal before asking about the weather.

“T.That’s not possible…” The mage stammered while taking a step back.

It didn’t take much for Jack to regain his breath since… he didn’t have to breath. Though it did take a moment for him to get his giggle out of his system.

“Not possible, eh?” Jack asked as he grabbed the arrow and pulled it out of his chest. “Welp, guess you are having a hallucination than.” Jack said as he leaned against the nearby wood beam that had once been a part of a stall.

“Anyway, I don’t like the idea of murder in my neighborhood. Enough of that has already happened.” Jack said and he looked at the elves. “Now with all due respect, please fuck off.”

“W.Wha…” The mage asked dumbly. Still looking horrified but now that surprise and horror had a slight bit of cautious curiosity.

NOPE! Nope nope nope. Nooooo. I know that look, you are not taking me apart. Jack thought to himself.

“I said, fuck off. The only reason that I didn’t kill you both while tormenting little blue over there is because I ain’t a monster.” Jack growled, doing nothing to hide his contempt.

“Not a monster?” The mage asked now shaken from their fear and surprise while the ranger still looked like a frozen idiot. “You shot me with stone darts!”

Jack for the most part ignored the mage’s whining as he watched the gremlin with his peripheral vision.

For fuck’s sake! Jack cursed internally. You literally have an out right now! Why won’t you run damnit!?

Jack sighed when he saw the gremlin still didn’t run while the elf bitched and moaned about the new piercings. Jack looked over the mage for a good target. Not seeing any great choices, he decided to target the staff. It seemed a good a target as any.

“I am really over all this whining.” Jack said before snapping his fingers to use the spell Minor Detonate.

The affect was immediate as the staff just above the mage’s hand exploded. Wood splinters flew in all direction accompanied by a loud BANG. The elf’s hand became a pin cushion as some even of the splinters flew and pierced his cheek. With the sudden chaos, Jack snapped his fingers again as it was now the bow’s turn to explode in the Ranger’s hand. The upper limb slipped and struck the ranger in the fore head. There was a deep gash now and both elves were now gasping and yelling in pain.

With both stunned or distracted, Jack ran in close as he drew his dagger and activated the enchantment making the edge glow to life. He stabbed the dagger into the mage’s stomach making them scream and properly distracting them so they couldn’t focus on casting a spell.

Out to the two the mage had been the biggest threat. He’d seen what a spell can do compared to an arrow and he was not going to go against a caster without some kind of advantage.

With the mage stabbed, Jack let go of the blade to turn to the ranger to cast a spell. The ranger though acted fast despite being dazed. The ranger lashed out with a sword that took off three of his fingers on his left hand. Jack jumped away while casting Electric Bolt right into the ranger’s chest. The bolt of electricity arched from his fingers with a loud crack and bright light that left spots in everyone’s vision while Jack dived for cover behind a stone sale stall. The ranger was knocked back with a sizable scorch mark burnt through his leather chest piece. The mage only just gaining enough sense though the pain to pull the dagger out of his stomach.

“Fȳrflōd!” The mage yelled while clutching his wound in one hand and used the other to cast the spell.

A massive gout of fire blasted out from the mage’s outstretched hand as the fan of flamed engulfed the area. Jack watched at the flames surrounded him and stream around the stone stall he dived behind. Checking his left hand to see that his pointer, middle, and ring finger were missing.

Thank the gods this didn’t hurt nearly as much as it should. Jack thought while looking over his hand. Jack took a quick peak over the edge of the stall counter to see the elf was still blasting the relentless fire. That’s it, keep wasting your mana.

Jack remained still as he waited for the flames to stop, yet with each passing second the area around him grew hotter and hotter. The elf’s flames didn’t stop as he kept feeding mana into them. Three seconds become ten then twenty of continues merciless heat.

Getting a little warm here! Jack thought as he saw some of the bricks nearby start to glow along with stone stall. For fuck’s sake, how much mana does this guy have?

Jack waited for almost a minute before the roaring flames died away. The surrounding ground was a glow from so much heat for so long. The only parts not glowing was the area Jack sat that wasn’t directly hit thanks to stone stall acting as break point. Jack’s cloths were almost all burnt and singed away while the stall itself was partially melted. Jack couldn’t help but be impressed by the what the mage did since was not an easy task to melt rock and stone.

Taking the chance, Jack popped up from the cover to find the elf was still standing. He was panting hard with no small amount of sweat, plastering his hair and some of his cloths to his skin that now grew a few shades paler. Still clutching his wound, he stood hunched over with a hand resting on his knee for support.

“Ha! Missed me!” Jack called out with his right hand aimed at the mage.

The mage looked up in fear before four Stone Needles shot out to pierce him in the chest. The mage looked down dumbly at the needles that pierced his lungs and heart. Unable to comprehend the fact he was dying until a second later he collapsed.

“Now where is that-“Jack started to say while looking around until he suddenly couldn’t feel his legs anymore before falling to the ground.

From Jack’s perspective, the world was flipping over and over until he felt his back hit the ground. Laying face up, Jack was stunned while trying to understand what happened to him. Turning his head, Jack found the ranger now standing over him with the saber in hand. Glaring down at him with hate and satisfaction while Jack’s legs laid not too far away.

“Not so tough now, are you?” The ranger crowed as he stood closer to gloat over Jack. “What’s the matter boney? Cat got your tongue? Oh, wait you never had a tongue.”

Wow… I actually feel embarrassed. Does this guy think he’s clever? Dear gods the second-hand embarrassment is painful.

“You don’t seem all that torn up about your friend over there.” Jack said as he looked at the ranger. “I mean, I didn’t think you two were dating or anything… Don’t’ get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with two guys wanting to date but if that was the case, he could have done bett-”

“SHUT UP!” The ranger, who’s name Jack already forgot, screamed while stabbing Jack through chest as Jack grunted in pain. “JUST SHUT UP ALREADY!”

Jack groaned in pain as he was now staked to the ground by the saber through his ribs. Some of them were even broken yet the majority held up while he grabbed the blade with what remained of his left hand.

“That’s it boney. Feel the pain.” The ranger said as he twisted the saber. Making it grind and scrap against his ribs. A twisted smile curled the ranger’s lips as he heard Jack in pain. “I’m going to enjoy watching you die~.”

Jack mumbled something as he then made a sound as if trying to suppress an involuntary sounds of pain. His left hand holding on as tight as he could.

The ranger leaned in closer turning his head to offer a pointed ear. “What was that? I didn’t quite hear you.~”

Waaaaaait… wait wait wait… is he getting off on this? Jack thought feeling really uncomfortable with that bit of information. So much ew!

“I… I said….” Jack groaned than he switched his tone entirely. “You got too close dumbass!” Jack laughed, unable to keep up the act as he gripped the ranger’s wrist with his right hand.

With the ranger’s wrist gripped, Jack used his Life Siphoning ability to start literally sucking the life out of the elf. Immediately Jack felt the life essence flowing into him and it felt amazing. Already he felt utterly rejuvenated as the removed fingers from his left hand started to regenerate rather quickly. With the hand now fully regained its fingers, he gripped the now screaming and panicking elf’s arm with both hands and stared to suck the life out of him faster.

“Wooo baby! You might be a murdering lunatic but by the gods you have some tasty life energy!” Jack laughed as the elf’s arm started to wither while desperately trying to pull away. “Thank the gods you’re stupid or I’d have a problem trying fix myself.”

The ranger’s confidence was gone as his struggle to pull away become ever more desperate. Jack’s grip didn’t loosen in ranger’s attempt at freedom. With the flowing of life energy now passing into Jack, his grip became stronger and with the limb weakening there as no escape. More and more of the ranger’s form started to wither and atrophy as his screams became weaker until they became whimpering pleas to live. Jack however didn’t care. The elf is a sick bastard and likes killing and inflicting pain. Jack could see it in the ranger’s eyes so he needed to die.

As more the ranger shriveled and wasted away more of Jack’s lower spine and legs started to regenerate. By the time the deed was done, all that was left of the ranger was a shriveled husk and jack had a new lower half complete with toes.

With a contented sigh, Jack shoved the remains of the ranger aside to collapse in a heap next to him. With no small amount of effort, Jack grabbed the handle and handguard of the saber for better leverage. The blade eventually came out of him and fell on the floor with a clatter. Afterwards he checked the ribs to find that the bones were now pretty much as good as new.

Thank the gods you’re a dumb monster. He thought unable to spit on what remained. At least I saved the gremlin… probably off saying how she was saved by a-

Jack’s thoughts were cut short when he saw the gremlin was still sitting in place while clutching her tail with her remaining hand. Her eyes as big as dinner plates.

“WHY DIDN’T YOU RUN?!” Jack yelled in frustration.