Hugo made the introductions, unveiling the general's name as Dethren, the guardian of the royal palace in the Skeleton King's absence. "As to why we are here," Hugo explained, "there are a couple of reasons. First, I wanted you to see the residence of, as you put it, 'the legend.' The second reason is, I want your two golems to fight Dethren while we do our business elsewhere."
Bones, looking around at the imposing palace, remarked, "So it is the royal palace? It's quite imposing. I have to say even more so than the library… did you say fight against THAT?" He pointed at Dethren after processing Hugo's statement about wanting his golems to spar with the death knight.
Hugo reassured him, "You don’t have to worry about them - we’ll be gone for an hour, maybe two. Dethren is a skilled general, different from the undead you have encountered so far and a commander of a small legion of death knights. It would be beneficial for your golems to experience fighting against someone this experienced. They might even be able to learn something from their exchange."
After agreeing to let his golems stay and spar, Bones inquired about their other business. Hugo slyly smiled and mentioned a crypt, an underground tomb of the royal family below the palace, where they had business to attend to. Without further inquiry, Bones wished his golems good luck and followed Hugo, leaving Dethren with simple instructions on which areas of expertise he wanted his golems to improve.
Passing through the throne hall, Bones halted and stared at the skeletons of various races, sizes, and shapes. An array of weapons and armor, along with massive amounts of gold, cluttered the floor, creating a barricade on the path leading to the throne.
"Is everything here what the Skeleton King collected over the years?" Bones inquired, and Hugo nodded without sparing a glance. "He is hoarding a lot of stuff..." he remarked but refrained from commenting on the Skeleton King’s hoarding tendencies and motioned for Bones to hurry up.
Hugo led Bones through numerous halls and corridors, and into the courtyard in the back of the palace where the archway entrance to the crypt was. The two approached the entrance, and before venturing into the depths beneath the royal palace, Hugo grabbed the torch out of the torch holder on the wall, and lit it up. He then led the way down the spiraling stone staircase into the passage, navigating through cobwebs and dust. As they proceeded, the air shifted, revealing a burial chamber untouched by the cold and desolation of the outside world. The entrance to the chamber was adorned with protective runes, warding off the merciless passage of time. Inside, everything remained as it was thousands of years ago.
Bones stood in awe, marveling at the intricate murals that adorned the chamber walls. Golden artifacts cast a warm light, illuminating the space with a timeless glow. The chamber housed four sarcophagi, each adorned with symbols of unknown origin, their meanings lost with the fall of civilization. Positioned vertically in the middle was the sarcophagus of the queen, while the other three were laid horizontally in front of it, forming a mysterious arrangement.
“The Queen Vestele,” Hugo pointed at the sarcophagus in the middle, “and her three daughters, Omylia on the left, Eliyen and Avril on your right.”
Hugo shared the history of Vestele, a powerful Rune Elf ascendant, and her magically gifted daughters. Omylia was on the verge of ascending, Eliyen had stepped into the third tier, and Avril, the youngest and most talented but also laziest of the three, remained trouble-prone. Unfortunately, their fate was far from favorable.
“You are free to choose one of the daughters, infuse the mana core with Soul Spark, and create your third golem to serve you. Consider it a gift, the first of many to come, I hope.” Hugo revealed the purpose of their visit, leaving Bones momentarily speechless. However, he soon regained his composure and examined the chamber, his gaze briefly lingering on the queen’s sarcophagus.
“Master Vyrus has plans with the queen’s body, I’m afraid,” Hugo stated playfully, discerning Bones' thoughts. Bones smiled meekly and then inquired about the three daughters once more. As Hugo narrated their stories, Bones strolled around the sarcophagi, absorbing information and contemplating his choice. When Hugo finished, Bones declared his decision, surprising Hugo by choosing Avril, the third daughter.
“How surprising,” Hugo commented.
“Is it though? You thought I would pick the second daughter, Eliyen?” Bones questioned.
“Honestly, yes. Omylia would be the strongest asset, but it would be impossible and too early to make her your minion. Why Avril over Eliyen?” Hugo wondered.
Bones explained that he didn’t believe he could make the second daughter his minion due to the difficulty of making engravings and improvements on higher-level skeletal frames. He opted for the youngest daughter he could use immediately, considering her affinity and the potential Hugo spoke of.
“A lightning mage,” Hugo uttered, nodding in understanding. He asked Bones to help him remove the lid of the casket. When they pushed it off, a petite, well-preserved body of a young woman emerged. Bones stored the body and glanced at the remaining caskets before following Hugo out of the crypt. When they returned to Dethren and Bones' two golems, Hugo requested Bones to wait while he fetched an alchemy set.
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Hugo returned within twenty minutes riding an undead horse. Bones marveled at the mount, contemplating whether it would be appropriate to ask for one. Hugo, once again reading Bones’ thoughts, mentioned it wouldn’t be impossible to gift him one, but riding an undead mount in the living realm would surely attract attention.
Bones, eager to create a new golem, restrained himself, knowing that the infusion process would leave him weakened, impacting his ability to craft mana potions. He moved to another hall to ensure he wouldn’t be disturbed, leaving Hugo to observe his two golems and ponder their next steps. The outcome of the potion-making process held significant weight in their plans.
After an hour, Bones returned with nine mana potions, and Hugo exclaimed, “Marvelous!” He then revealed his intention to embark on a seven-day journey. Excitement surged through Bones at the prospect of venturing beyond the confines of the undead city. He inquired about their destination and whether it would be just the two of them.
“No, I’ll request the master to arrange an escort for us, just in case. Regarding our destination, it’s at the end of the world!” Hugo declared, leaving the mystery behind his words hanging in the air. Bones exhaled, somewhat anticipating that Hugo would say something like that, and asked when they would leave. Hugo considered the time Bones needed to prepare the body for the golem and infuse it with Soul Spark, along with the time his master required to organize their escort, and stated they would depart in two days’ time.
Bones was on the verge of instructing his golems to cease their training, but Hugo halted him, inquiring about the status of his golems and if he could leave them there for further training. Bones established a link with his golems, assessed their status, and reported that the core’s mana had decreased by a thousand out of ten thousand. He inquired whether golems could utilize mana potions as well. Hugo clarified that mana cores operated differently. They filtered the chaos mana and converted it to pure mana. Simply storing the golems when their mana pool was depleted would be enough to restore mana, but it might take a longer time for the mana pool to replenish fully.
The revelation about the mana core's filtering function surprised Bones, and he expressed his willingness to leave the golems behind. However, he was uncertain if they would function properly when separated by a considerable distance. Hugo acknowledged this concern, assuring Bones to leave the golems be. He then directed Bones to follow him back to the citadel, explaining that the master possessed the necessary facilities to cleanse the body of its flesh and prepare it for the infusion.
Returning to the tower, silence enveloped the grand structure, creating an eerie ambiance as Bones and Hugo traversed the empty halls. Bones, breaking the quietude, inquired about their next course of action. "Do we wait for Vyrus?" Hugo, surveying the surroundings, dismissed the need to wait, asserting his familiarity with the citadel's layout. With a subtle suggestion, he advised Bones to address Vyrus as "master" in the future, emphasizing the master’s affinity for the title.
Their journey led them to a laboratory adorned with giant vats, each poised for experiments. Hugo initiated the process by operating one of the empty vats, instructing Bones to place the preserved body inside. The vat, now housing the lifeless form, was slated for an alchemical transformation. Hugo elucidated that a robust acidic chemical mixture would be introduced, a solution designed to dissolve flesh efficiently. This alchemical metamorphosis, promised completion within the span of an hour. With Bones' compliance, the vat was sealed, and a smoky, abstract misty yellow liquid filled the chamber.
"You don’t have to stay here. Feel free to look around," Hugo suggested. Bones, seizing the chance, nonchalantly shrugged and embarked on a leisurely stroll. The omnipotent aura of the master had previously hindered his exploration of the tower, making this the perfect moment to acquaint himself with its mysteries. In particular, Bones was eager to scrutinize the enigmatic Well of Souls.
Approaching, Bones gazed into the bottomless well, its ethereal glow captivating his attention. His presence beckoned nearby souls, and dozens of soul wisps swirled around him, their whispers intangible and hollow. In an attempt to connect, Bones reached out to touch one of the wisps, but the ethereal entity effortlessly passed through his hand. Despite being a Soul Weaver, capable of sensing souls, he found himself unable to exert control over them, much like his experiences with his golems. Stepping away from the well, he settled onto the nearest chair, simply reveling in the mesmerizing sight before him.
As Bones remained confined in the tower, his golems persisted in their skirmish against Dethren. The death knight, a paragon of martial skill, effortlessly countered their ceaseless assaults. Wondering if the prolonged battle against such a formidable opponent would yield any improvements, Bones established a Soul Link to closely observe the fight in first person.
Engrossed in monitoring the progress, he failed to notice Hugo sneaking up on him, startling him out of his focus. "It’s done!" Hugo announced, then inquired about the progress of Bones' golems.
"I suppose they're making progress. It’s rather hard to tell without seeing them, but experiencing such a fast-paced, skilled combat is quite the experience," Bones replied.
"I bet it is. Now come, the body is ready for the taking."
Following Hugo back to the laboratory, Bones unsealed the vat. Inside lay the pristine ivory skeleton of Princess Avril. "It’s perfect," Bones remarked, carefully inspecting the distinctions between elven and human features. Hugo didn't want to interrupt but needed to know if Bones planned to work on the body here in the tower or somewhere else. After a brief moment of thought, Bones expressed a preference for privacy and asked if it would be acceptable to return to his room in the library. Hugo didn’t mind, mentioning he would wait for Bones in the royal palace while keeping an eye on his golems.
Thanking Hugo, Bones headed back toward the library, where he invested hours and considerable effort into enhancing the skeletal frame of his soon-to-be new golem. With the advancement of Bone Shaping to Bone Solidification, Bones gained the ability to not only strengthen bones but also to make more significant changes. Realizing that he no longer needed to adhere strictly to anatomical accuracy, Bones decided to experiment.
Employing his shaping skills, he filled the gaps in the skull, leaving only openings for the eyes. The result was a smooth, curvaceous surface resembling a mask rather than a traditional face. Since his golems couldn't talk or breathe, Bones reasoned that there was no need for unnecessary openings and cavities on the skull. The new mask-like facial features would also make it easier to conceal his undead minions. Satisfied with this modification, Bones shifted his focus to the next, more challenging step – infusing the last remaining mana core with Soul Spark.