The Lich sat in his tent, drowning in endless memories that continued to flood his consciousness. He focused on something specific when he could, like the idea for a siege. In the past, the Lich would gather his forces and then attack, either all at once or in groups.
Attacking in groups represented the most tactical battle plan he had ever put into place. However, with these new memories, advanced strategy such as siege tactics, now occupied his thoughts.
The fact that his avatar was merely a sergeant and lacked planning experience went unnoticed by the undead leader. All he knew was that whatever he had done in the past was not as effective as his current strategies.
In his former vessel, he learned that attacking during the rain with undead troops was a disaster. Clumsy zombies and straight-legged skeletons struggled in the mud. His plan now consisted of waiting for the rain to stop and the ground to dry a bit before launching the first phase of his attack.
Considering building siege weapons like catapults or towers, the Lich realized seeing something and knowing how to build it were two different things. Torturing human prisoners proved futile, and his attempts to extract information failed. One human suggested ladders, but the Lich dismissed it, thinking they were trying to deceive him. Then the idea of a multi-phase attack which must have been something his current vessel had knowledge of occurred to him, and he ordered his smartest lackey, Grognar, to build ladders.
Grognar, a smart goblin, understood the concept, and the Lich tasked him with gathering prisoners who could build things. The goblins, now obedient after the Lich eliminated their former leader, were to execute the plan.
---
Travis observed the rain stop outside the 5th-floor window, anticipating the undead attack the next day after the ground dried. Despite an unproductive meeting in the conference room about the distribution of forces, the one in the Mage Academy was more fruitful. Travis wasn't pleased with the Commander's hoarding of power, but Clyde assured him that everyone was doing their best.
During the second meeting, Clyde collaborated with mages at the academy, gaining insights into magic. He completed a long-pending mission and was finally able to have the type of philosophical discussion that any good mage should have. He also went up a level which seemed a long time coming, when they made it back to base he could choose a class. Cass tried to recruit him, but Clyde made it clear that his future was with Travis, his leader and friend.
Clive Sanderson - PC
Race - Human
Tier 3/Level 7
Class - NA (not available)
Subclass - NA
Faction - Joint Task Force - 2nd in Command - Head Mage
Alignment - Good
Base Attributes
Strength: 6
Intelligence: 16
Reflexes: 8
Endurance: 10
Charisma: 6.5
Secondary Attributes - Luck: 9 Willpower: 10 Perception: 11
Main Mission (growth) - ‘The Path to Greatness’ - As a practicing mage, you know that you do not know much. Even at higher tier levels, there is always more to learn for a master magician. It's time to start remedying your low level and lack of magical understanding. - *Mission Complete* (receive rewards back at your faction HQ)
Find and seek to understand a magical item (either through the use of scrolls or outside authority). Use your magical senses to discover a mundane natural occurrence out in the world. Finally, meet a fellow magical practitioner and swap important magic-related information with them. (The AI will deduce whether or not you meet these criteria.)
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Reward: Choose one of three magical tomes. Unlock the ability to create an artifice or alchemy table at your base. You will also receive your first mage robes with built-in infinite bag space.
He chose his upgrades the moment he had a chance and decided to up his endurance by one so he could be a bit less of a glass cannon. He also raised intelligence up to 16, making it one of the highest among humans. If they could win this battle and move on to the next stage of this 'game' then he had a real chance to become the powerful wizard he always aimed for in DnD and video games. It was surreal to say the least.
Fire Starter - Level 4 evolves to Magma Cannon - Level 1 (high power usage)
Thermal Vision - Level 3
Manipulate Wood - Level 2
Summon Skeleton - Level 3
Time Dilation - Level 1
He was positively giddy over his new spell. It allowed him to essentially slow everyone within a certain vicinity down, while he remained moving at normal speed. For all intents and purposes, it sped him up, and the possibilities were endless. It only lasted for a few seconds at level 1, but he would be using it plenty in the coming fight. Travis had quite the plan in mind for how they would best affect the battle. It was too bad he didn't have his new spells and robes for this fight, but he would make do.
It was nearly dinnertime, and both Travis and Clyde hadn't eaten much in the last few days. Omar and the other two had been taken care of on a lower floor. Clyde had learned from Pavel how to magically bind two people together, connecting Travis with Omar. They could always sense Omar's well-being unless a certain distance was reached, or a counter spell was cast now. He did not trust enough people within this place to leave the boy unattended without some insurance.
The two men had dinner with the mages and then rested. Tomorrow was expected to be a significant day for both of them.
***
Torak spent another day engrossed in study and meditation. He was on the verge of comprehending the meaning and cause of his creation, aiming to eventually understand the root of everything. However, he struggled to grasp the breakthroughs he was experiencing, especially when trying to use his three foundational magics together to understand the fundamentals of reality. The power or spirit, death and the mind made him a power beyond any mortal on this world, but all he wanted was to learn of his creation. For now at least, once he learned if there was hell to be paid towards someone or something, he would pay it tenfold.
---
Travis had become accustomed to the recurring dream where he led a large human host, discovering profound magical items and mentions of prophecies. The dreams felt like a script for a trope-filled Netflix fantasy series, vivid and in high definition. He put such things aside and got up, preparing for the upcoming fight, and noted attempts to scale the building using ladders the previous night.
*
During the night, one of the Lich King's lackeys suggested capturing humans from outlying settlements to force them to build siege weapons. The Lich King found it a good idea and swiftly implemented it, exploiting the predictability of humans by threatening their women and children. Of course, he did away with the lackey so he could take full credit.
-
Around 1 pm, the action began. Despite the push the previous day for Travis to have a larger role leading troops, he found himself limited. He sat with Master Pavel, argued for sorties to slow down the enemy attacks. The people were scared, and the decision was made to defend behind walls. With that he decided to carry the fight outside the walls in his own way. Travis secured the promise that his teleport zone would be defended, leaving Felix and Anthony behind for protection.
The enemy attack was straightforward, with the zombies attempting to break through the two main doors on the ground floor. The bottleneck at the doors allowed defenders to fight just a few undead at a time. As zombies died in front of the door, it created a barrier, making it harder for others to get through.
The situation with the ladders wasn't much better. Placed against windows that ran up the length of the building, defenders opened the windows and pushed the ladders over. Although a few skeletons managed to break some windows, one even got inside a room with no defenders, the doors were locked though and they were the thick doors ones sees in an elementary school. The skeleton was quickly killed after being released from the trapped room.
The undead did have two advantages: time and numbers. Although only a few humans were stabbed, and one died in the first few hours, it didn't seem like a significant issue initially. However, if such incidents continued, it would eventually become a problem. Travis emphasized the importance of going outside to start thinning their numbers.
Attempting to discuss shifts with the commander proved challenging; the commander didn't grasp the concept that the dead wouldn't attack in shifts and didn't tire. They would come on nonstop until they reached their goal. The men should be rotated every couple hours to ensure they were fresh, but because the attack seemed so haphazard the commander did not see the necessity.
Undeterred, Travis decided to take matters into his own hands. He and Clyde reached the roof and surveyed the situation. His partner questioned the sanity of their actions, and Travis acknowledged the craziness of everything happening in the past months. Why should this be any different, even though Clyde thought this a bit more extreme he did not press. He trusted in the man and would fight with him until the bitter end.
They chose a spot to jump down and a fallback location for casting the teleport spell. Pavel had given them each a light fall potion to ensure they made it to the ground securely. Each man surprised at how fast he accepted that the potion would work.
"You ready?" Clyde asked.
"I never thought I would honestly be ready for something like this, but you know what, Major? I am ready. Let's go kill some bad guys."
"Let's do it, my friend."
They drank the potions and jumped.