With his newly growing army of undead at his command, Ren sensed an opportunity to expand his influence further. His minions scoured the nearby lands through his watchful eyes, searching for potential targets and resources. During one of these reconnaissance missions, his rats discovered a small settlement separate from the town where the adventurer's guild was.
A village in a valley, with only a handful of guards patrolling its perimeter. This is perfect, Ren thought. It seems an ideal target, ripe for plundering and devoid of the heavy defenses that protect larger towns.
His mind whirred with possibilities as he planned his next move. A full-scale assault on the village would bolster his undead army significantly. He needed to return the villagers' bodies to his dungeon to raise the dead.
As the night wore on, Ren gathered his forces. His 33 undead soldiers, rats, and spiders stood ready to march. Cloaked in the shadows, they moved with eerie silence towards the unsuspecting village. The moon cast a pale glow over the scene, highlighting the determination in Ren's eyes. His resolve was unyielding; he would not stop until he had achieved his goals.
The attack began with startling swiftness. The undead easily breached the village's defenses, their relentless advance overwhelming the guards, who barely had time to raise an alarm. The villagers, caught in the chaos, scrambled to escape. Panic spread like wildfire as the undead soldiers, armed with scavenged weapons, cut down anyone who resisted.
"Nooo! Please, spare us!" one villager shouted, only to be cut down moments later.
"Help! They're everywhere!" another screamed in terror as the undead closed in.
Out of the 50 villagers, 20 have fallen to our forces, Ren noted, satisfaction evident in his thoughts. Quickly, gather their bodies and transport them back to the dungeon.
His minions obeyed, and soon, the remaining villagers fled into the night, their screams echoing through the valley.
"You've leveled up, level 6 dungeon."
"You've leveled up, level 7 dungeon."
Back at the dungeon, Ren wasted no time raising the dead from the fallen villagers. His necromantic rituals breathed new, twisted life into their corpses, adding 20 more soldiers to his ranks.
My army now numbers 53, and I feel a surge of power coursing through me, Ren thought, his ambitions soaring. But more than merely fortifications will be needed to secure my dominion. I must expand my influence beyond the dungeon to control the lands before me.
Ren's next move was to secure the newly acquired village. He commanded his undead to build a perimeter wall around the settlement, using whatever materials they could find. The construction was crude but effective, creating a defensive barrier that would serve as a deterrent to any who might think of reclaiming the village.
Ren ordered a command post to be set up within the walls, using the village as a base to monitor and control the surrounding area. His rats and spiders continued reconnaissance, scouting nearby locations for additional resources and potential threats.
Meanwhile, news of the village attack reached the adventurer's guild. Now equipped with a prosthetic leg, Alden felt renewed purpose.
Seeing the village's devastation and knowing Ren's growing power spurred me into action, Alden thought.
He convinced the guild master to send a team to investigate the village and prepare for a potential confrontation with the dungeon. Alden led the scouting party, determined to gather as much information as possible.
As Alden and his team approached the village, they were struck by the grim scene before them. The once-peaceful settlement was now a fortified base for Ren's undead army. The bodies of the fallen villagers had been raised, their hollow eyes staring blankly as they patrolled the perimeter. Alden's heart sank at the sight, but his resolve hardened. He knew they had to stop Ren before he could cause more destruction.
Unbeknownst to Alden, Ren's rats trailed the scouting party, gathering crucial information about their movements and intentions. The rats followed the adventurers back to the main town where the guild was located, relaying their findings to Ren. With this new intelligence, Ren launched an assault on the city.
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Striking at the heart of the guild will significantly weaken my enemies and disrupt their plans, Ren thought.
Ren mobilized his now 53-strong undead army, preparing them for the assault. He planned to strike at night, using the element of surprise to his advantage. His rats and spiders led the way, scouting for entry points and potential obstacles. The town was more heavily defended than the village, but Ren was confident in his strategy.
He mused that my undead soldiers, armed with scavenged weapons and bolstered by my necromantic power, would be more than a match for the townspeople.
Under the cover of darkness, Ren's forces marched towards the town. The initial attack was swift and brutal, catching the town's defenders off guard. The undead breached the defenses, sowing chaos and confusion among the people. Many fled to the adventurer's guild for safety, seeking refuge within its sturdy walls. The guild building became a stronghold, with Alden and the guild master leading the defense.
Alden had anticipated a possible retaliation and had prepared accordingly but had never thought it would come to this. Despite being overwhelmed, the adventurers put up a fierce resistance. They fought bravely, determined to protect their home from the undead onslaught. The battle was intense, with heavy casualties.
Ren, however, was not interested in holding the town. He aimed to weaken his enemies and retrieve as many bodies as possible to raise the dead. Using hit-and-run tactics, Ren's undead soldiers struck quickly. They retreated just as fast, taking down defenders and capturing their bodies. The sight of the fallen being taken by the undead filled the defenders with dread, but they fought on. Alden, despite his injury, proved to be a formidable leader. His resolve and strategic thinking kept the guild's defenses intact, repelling the undead attacks repeatedly.
The battle raged through the night. Ren managed to capture 36 bodies during the assault and returned to the dungeon to raise the dead. Leaving him with an army of 89 strong undead.
"You've leveled up, level 8 dungeon."
Ability Selection
Ren noticed that every four levels, he got a new ability. He thought about what to choose. He considered his options:
* Corpse Explosion: Turn a fallen enemy into a powerful explosive, damaging nearby foes.
* Bone Armor: Summon bones from the ground to create a protective shield around Ren or his minions.
* Vocal Dread: A terrifying ability that allows Ren to project his voice through his minions, creating an intimidating, haunting presence that can communicate directly with enemies and allies alike.
* Dark Summoning: Summon shadowy creatures from the abyss to assist in battle.
* Wraith Form: Transform into an ethereal wraith, allowing Ren to temporarily pass through walls and avoid physical damage.
It didn't take much deliberation, Ren made his choice.
New Ability Gained: Vocal Dread
Satisfied with his new power, Ren decided to test it. He chose a particularly large and menacing one of his rats to be his voice.
The rat scurried into the guild building, where the townspeople were holed up, hiding in the shadows. Suddenly, Ren's voice boomed through the tiny creature, echoing ominously in the confined space.
"Your resistance is futile! Surrender now, and your deaths will be swift. Defy me, and you will suffer unimaginable horrors!"
The rat's eyes glowed with an eerie light, and Ren's voice resonated through the halls, shaking the very core of the townspeople.
The terror was so overwhelming that several lost control of their bladders, adding to the chaos and fear gripping the room.
The adventurers and townspeople, shaken by the assault, barely held on to their sanity. They no longer cared about their homes; all they had room for was Ren's reign of terror. The night's events had left them forever scarred, foaming at the mouths.
As dawn broke, Ren retreated to his dungeon, satisfied with the attack's results. His army had grown more substantial, and he had successfully sown chaos among his enemies.
But the fight is far from over, Ren thought. The kingdom will undoubtedly plan to watch, and I must be prepared.
Meanwhile, the cult known as the Shadow Circle continued, but a few never returned. They were watching from the shadows. They saw the escalating conflict as an opportunity to further their plans.
As Ren prepared for the next phase of his plan, he knew that the stakes had never been higher. The Skeletal Rebellion was in full swing, and the kingdom's fate hung in the balance.