Chapter 43: War for the South Region (Seventh Goblin War End)
We made sure that there were no enemy forces left aside from their main base. After checking the scout's area for hours, they haven't found anyone—not even a trace.
So, we called all the forces in our region to this location. We would storm them with all of our might.
My army numbered 1500. Most of them have already evolved from past battles. You could consider 300 of them to be elite, and the rest are veteran soldiers.
There's also the Dread Heroes and my commanders too.
The Dwarves got their armies together this time. They numbered 5,000. They were heavily armored men, and they also brought a lot of siege weapons.
I looked at the main base of the Blind Ones. It was a castle hidden inside a cave. You would even think that they made the cave on top of the castle to avoid attention. It just felt unnatural.
Hmm.
Idmon: "(t) Isn't this the South Region Castle? The Skeleton King's original home?"
Wargh: "So you recognize it, huh? It would make sense that they would hole up here since this was the place the humans spent most of their time."
It was a perfect hideout, too. No one would barge into a castle that belonged to a rampaging Skeleton King back then.
Well then.
Wargh: "Shall we get started?
Idmon: "(t) Please do."
King Wargh gave the signal to start the attack.
Wargh: "Would it be okay to damage the castle, Lord Idmon?"
Idmon: "(t) Of course. I have no attachment to it whatsoever."
Wargh: "Good. OPEN FIRE!"
The siege weapons suddenly came to life and fired at the walls of the castles.
Part of the walls was breaking down every minute, and hundreds of goblin, ogre, and troll bodies were flying around.
Wargh: "Let's smoke them out first. There's no point in charging recklessly."
Master Urah said to King Wargh.
We stood there, watching the siege weapons destroy the castle. Our advisors and commanders were also with us.
Wargh: "There's no movement."
But after a few minutes,.
An arrow flew into King Wargh's position. You can't miss it.
It was slicing through the air because of its strength. The sound it made caught our attention.
Granpa: "Look out!"
Granpa blocked the arrow by raising his shield to cover the king. The arrow pierced it and blew Granpa's hand off.
Granpa: "Tsk. This body is too weak."
Urah: "Hmmph... you would've died if you didn't have the piercing resistance of a skeleton."
Granpa and Urah argue with each other again.
Idmon: "(t) Lina, stop those arrows."
Lina: "Yes, boss."
Lina produced an
Lina: "I could certainly keep this wall up, but someone has to take care of that archer."
Ran stepped forward.
Ran: "Send me, Lord Idmon."
It was Ran. It was the logical choice.
Sending a melee soldier to fight a sniper is foolish.
Idmon: "(t) Go, take care since the arrows are strong enough to destroy our bones even with the piercing resistance."
Ran: "Yes, Milord."
Ran took five Skeleton Marksmen with her and went to the area where the arrows were coming. It didn't come from the walls, so it must be somewhere near us. I ordered Mel and Mag to follow her secretly.
When the walls were damaged enough to let an army go through, we charged in.
Wargh: "Quickly, men! Before they get into their positions!"
Idmon: "(t) Let's go!"
Lina made another wall to stop the arrows while we charged inside.
We led our soldiers to the hole in the walls of the fort. Even the siege weapon operators left their positions to join this battle.
Once we got in, we arrived at the field in front of the castle. A surprise was waiting for us.
Forty thousand goblins, trolls, and ogres were standing by. They intentionally stayed inside the walls to prevent the siege weapons from decimating their numbers.
Wargh: "Let's finish this quickly, shall we?"
Idmon: "(t) Agreed."
Dolf: "RAHHH!!!"
Dolf took off his armor again. It seems like he has been ready to go for a while now.
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(Ran POV)
I went to the place where the enemy archer was firing his arrows from. He didn't let up, even when we returned fire.
We found the sniper on a hill outside the castle.
I lost two of my marksmen already. The enemy was quick and dodged arrows while firing back.
Once we got close, he jumped above us and fired five arrows in quick succession. I dodged two, but my remaining men fell.
Mysterious Archer: "You're good."
Ran: "Hmmph."
Death Arrow: "Even though it's only for a short while, it's nice to meet you. They call me Death Arrow."
He was wearing black leather armor and a full helm to cover his face.
Ran: "You won't need my name anymore."
Death Arrow: "Why?"
Ran: "Because right now, you die."
Death Arrow: "What? I can't hear you."
I quickly fire my
A fitting end to him. Or it would have been.
The arrow exploded, and the dark energies inside spread to the ground where it hit.
Death Arrow: "That's a dangerous little skill you have there, lady."
Ran: "..."
I fire arrows again and again at him. I only put small amounts of negative energy in them to conserve my skills.
Still, he was dodging like it was nothing.
Death Arrow: "Well, well. My turn."
When he dodged my last arrow, he drew his bow and fired a
This attack would kill me, for sure! I can't dodge this!
I was in the middle of drawing an arrow, and there was no way to dodge.
Mel: "Hiyah!"
Mel suddenly arrives to block the arrow. He used his skills to reduce the damage of the attack. Good thing he has good armor now.
Death Arrow: "My... There's more to the fun. Axe, why don't you come out and help me out here?"
Axe guy: "Heh. I thought you'd never ask."
A massive guy in black armor carrying large axes comes out from behind a rock.
Mel: "Huh! A perfect match for me!"
Mel shouted. He really is embarrassing.
Ran: "Anyways, why are you here?"
Mel: "Sorry, Ran. Lord's orders."
Ran: "Oh..."
Lord Idmon does not trust me yet.
Mag: "Don't worry about it, darling. I believe Lord Idmon cares for you, and that's why he sent us. How sweet of him."
Mag came too.
Mel: "Lord Idmon knew that this enemy was strong. He ordered us to follow you just in case you get into trouble."
Still-
Mel: "Come on! I'll take the huge black guy. You two take on the archer, the death archer, or whatever his name is."
Ran: "Okay."
Mel shouted at the black warrior.
Mel: "You! Let's move over there so that our fight won't get disturbed."
Axe guy: "Gladly."
They went far from us.
Mag: "Now that we got those two out of the way, shall we continue?"
Ran: "Yeah."
I quickly fired my arrows, and Mag shot out lightning bolts to keep him from dodging.
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(Mel POV)
Here we go.
I take out my greatsword from its sheath.
Mel: "Let's finish this quickly so I can help out my friends there."
Axe guy: "Okay, if that's what you want. I can give you an easy death."
Mel: "Good thing; we understand each other."
He also has his weapon out, a black axe with a sinister aura. It's not negative energy, though. What's with the dark atmosphere?
I charge at him and attack him again and again without letting up.
Axe guy: "Is this supposed to hurt me?"
He was blocking with his gauntlet. How can he do that? He deflected all of my full-force attacks one after another.
Mel: "How about this?"
He took the hit with two gauntlets and was pushed back.
Mel: "That's not so bad, huh!? I can dish out a hundred more of that!"
Well, basically, around 15 or 20 times?
He was attacking now. He's going to ram me with his head!?
I put up my shield and cast my skill.
These skills increase my defense exponentially when standing still.
It was a mistake, though.
BUGGGGHHHH!!!!
He was able to push me away from my position. He sent me flying. I took massive damage since I was forced to stand still by my skills. It would work if my defense was higher, but his crazy strength beat me.
Mel: "Oh..."
His attack broke my ribs. My chest armor had dents here and there.
Axe guy: "Hehehe. Let's finish it now."
Sigh. Just when I thought it was an easy win.
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(Ran POV)
He was taking the shots from the lightning just to avoid my arrows.
Ran: "Hmm..."
He's not doing too much damage. He must be resistant to lightning.
Ran: "Mag, how about trying to use other spells?"
Mag: "Right-o! Let's see..."
We made a plan while we kept firing to keep him from counterattacking.
Ran: "Let's go."
I used a skill to make him dodge by jumping into the air.
Ran: "Now!"
Again, Ran shouted with all his might. This time, it qualified as an average voice.
Mag targeted him with a negative energy spear while he was mid-air.
Mag: "He can't dodge that one now!"
Death Arrow: "Silly me. How could I let you do this?"
As the spear was about to hit him, he said that and fired an enhanced arrow into his side.
It forced him out of the way to dodge the spear!
Mag: "Shit!"
As he was falling,
Death Arrow: "Come on now... Old ladies like you should just rest in peace."
Ran: "..."
I prepared an Death Arrow: "Nononono, you can't do that." He was going to fire an arrow at me, but Mag stopped him. "Hey. I'm still here, you know." When Death Arrow landed on the ground, his legs were frozen. Mag had put up an Death Arrow: "Hahaha. So this is how it ends? An illusion shouldn't stay too long in this realm anyway." He said something gibberish while I was preparing my arrow. Ran: "DIE!!!" I fired away. The ground beneath the arrow died and turned into the sand while the arrow traveled. Souls were screaming out, And when it hit, a black dome of energy swallowed Death Arrow, and that was the end of him. Ran: "Phew. Calling a lady old isn't getting you anywhere!" I was out of character and acted like Lina. Sometimes, I think I'm spending too much time with her. Mag went to help me up since I couldn't stand up after that. . . . (Mel POV) Mel: "You see, Mr. Axe." He was coming closer now to end it with his axe. Mel: "You should give up now." Axe guy: "Why?" Mel: "Your friend is already gone." Axe guy: "Hmpf That suicidal guy? Don't misunderstand. He always wanted to die. He could've killed all of you if he wanted." Mel: "No, no, no. You're the one misunderstanding." Axe guy: "What?" Mel: "When I said that your friend was gone, what I meant was... You're next." A pillar of flame blasted him. Mel: "Dread Knights have this weird skill, you know? I never used magic, but with this one, I don't need to aim." Head Wizard Bon taught me this. It's my Trump card. Axe guy: "You little!" He was still alive, but his armor was smoking from the heat. This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Axe guy: "I won't be taken out by a spell like this!" Mel: "Easy." I fired it again. It's kind of like a cheat. I have a lot of HP, meaning I have vast amounts of negative energy that I could use to cast this spell. Even with the hit I took from him earlier, I still have a lot of negative energies left. He was covering himself with skills and standing still. But he was covered in flames now. I walked to him. From his vision, I came out of the flames that were burning him. Axe guy: "Hahhh!!!" He was scared to death. I push my hand inside the space of the helm, where he was supposed to see. Mel: "I wanted to finish this the proper way, but you went ahead and made me angry. Goodbye!" I cast BOOMMMMM!!! Smoke was coming out of the spaces in his armor. The smell of burnt flesh wafted in the air. But, of course, I can't tell if that's true. I just imagine it. Sigh. Now we can't fight any biggies that might come out later. My armor was destroyed, and I used a lot of N.E. Mag and Ran came to me after a few minutes. . . . (Idmon POV) There are a lot of them. There were also four colossal trolls with them, but. We're not as weak as we were before. A lot of the dwarves leveled up too because of our victories. King Wargh was looking quite eager to fight, too. Idmon: "Lina, thin out the herd." Lina: "Right away, Boss!" Lina floated high above her enemies. Arrows and spells were targeting her, but she blocked them with ease. She made a wave of Skeleton Soldiers: "Yeah!" Dwarven Soldiers: "Go Ice Queen!" She had a lot of fans among our soldiers. Dwarves and skeletons alike are fond of her. But why are they calling her the Ice Queen? Isn't that person a legend or something? I knew that the Ice Queen was strong enough to destroy countries, so that's not it. There might be a different reason. As I was thinking about this, I saw some dwarves smiling at me. The Skeletons were trying to do the same, but they couldn't. Wargh: "Okay, enough fooling around! Charge!" King Wargh gave the order, and we went to battle. While Lina was about to send another Idmon: "(t) What!?" I was about to go there to help, but Bon stopped me. "She's fine, Milord. We should proceed to our main objective." Idmon: "(t) Ehem. You're right." Yeah, someone just caught her off-guard. Idmon: "(t) What was that anyway?" The Searcher: "That was the Troll King, Milord." The searcher flew close to me to relay the information. The Searcher: "He is the quickest creature in the south region. This information was from the records way back then." Idmon: "(t) Is he the strongest of the trolls?" The Searcher: "Strong? No. He's smart, though, and his speed made him the king. He would beat contenders for the position by outwitting them and utilizing his speed." Idmon: "(t) I see. Nothing Lina couldn't handle." Well, we've wasted enough time here. King Wargh and his army were already wiping out enemies and were on their way towards two of the colossal trolls. I need to clear a path into the castle since we already decided that I would take out their king. They were using negative energies, too, and the Dwarves are not resistant to that. So I took out my Void Lance from my It's a fantastic skill. I already have a bunch of things in there. Just remember not to put anything alive in there. I aim my void lance at guards positioned at the gates. The trolls that were guarding the gate were blown away and turned into skeletons. Some of them turned into my minions and were currently fighting the other guards. Rahhh!!!! I push my way towards the gate. I was brushing off the little goblins and ogres that would get in my way. My lance was sweeping anyone in front of me, and once I was in range, My skill, Idmon: "(t) Bon! Take care of our men here. I'll finish this one quickly!" Bon: "Yes, Milord!" Bon was following me earlier while I made my way here, but he went back to assist the soldiers. Now is the time to meet their king. . . . I entered the castle. There was no one inside. I expected there would be some attendants running around or some residents. It was a ghost town. I didn't waste any more time and went to the throne room already. The Blind One king was there. He was talking to no one. Blind King: "Have you evacuated the people?" Blind King: "Yes... yes... Rona, get out of here quickly. Their King is here now." Whether or not this individual is insane, he appeared to be issuing commands to invisible individuals. Do they have that ability? Idmon: "(t) Who were you speaking with?" Blind King: "Even though you have eyes, you can't see them? I see their energies with my There was no one there. I knew I could feel energy. Especially from humans with the use of my Idmon: "(t) Okay, now. I won't beat around the bush. You have to die." Blind King: "Hoo, so you like to fight!" He took out a long sword. It was shining. Idmon: "That sword..." Suddenly, a short collection of memories came back to me. Argh. That belonged to the Skeleton King when he was human. He left it here because it had holy enchantments. It was called Death's End. It can bring life to people and put the undead back to death. It's an ancient treasure. The legends even say that it was used to kill the Lord of the Reapers, whose name was Death. He charged at me. Suddenly, all the lights coming from the candles around were gone. This darkness wasn't the void. It was just dark. All I could see was the shining blade. I dodge it again and again. It's a good thing I have an evasion skill high enough for this. One hit might kill me, so I need to make this flawless. Blind King: "Yearghh!!!" He shouted. I knew where he was coming from now. I also have I turned around and dodged a sideward slash by going under it and turning the dodge into an My void lance met resistance, so I must've hit him. Blind King: "How? Rona, Lisa, and Ronald. Where are you guys?" Idmon: "(t) There is no one here." Voices: "Uncle!" Now I could hear voices. Mind Master: "Yes." Someone came out of a hidden door. The candles lit up again, and I could see the bloodstained King. Blind King: "Where... is everyone?" Mind Master: "I'm sorry, King. There was no one here all this time. I was going to use you as my front in conquering this continent, but alas, we cannot make it happen." Blind King: "What?? Are you saying...?" Mind Master: "You've been hypnotized, my liege." Blind King: "Urghh. So I was saving imaginary people? But you said my crown protected me." Mind Master: "Yes. They were imaginary. Even the power of your crown was fake." He coughs up blood a few more times and finally drops the sword. I looked at it closer; the sword didn't have a lot of holy energy. It was just a shining sword—a replica of the real one. The king died there. Idmon: "(t) Do you mind introducing yourself?" He must be the real leader of the goblin army. Mind Master: "I am the Mind Master. And you'll be my next pet." What!? Suddenly, I felt weak, and my energy did not respond to my commands. Something was forcing me to follow the Mind Master's orders. Mind Master: "Come here..." Idmon: "(t) Yes..." . . . (Lina POV) Grr. Who did this to me!? Someone quickly grabbed me and threw me away. I was also casting a spell at that time, and that would prevent me from attacking it. The place where I landed was far from the fighting. I was now outside the walls. I looked around and found the culprit. Lina: "Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing? How did you even grab me?" Hmmm. That was certainly peculiar, but it could have been an enchanted monster that was capable of causing me discomfort. Still, that was fast. Troll King: "Hehehehe..." It simply ran around, laughed uncontrollably, and uttered random words in a language I was unable to decipher. Let's not make this longer than it should be. I tried to impale it by summoning an Troll King: "Huweeee!" It jumped high to avoid it. Its reflex was so fast that it was already dodging the attack when it hadn't even materialized yet. Irritating. For sure, Lord Idmon saw how stupid I am. I need to go back there quickly! Lina: "Grrr!!! Why don't you die already?" Troll King: "Hehehehe!" After it dodged one of the Lina: "As if I'd let you!" It faked its attack by making a swing motion when it intended to make a downward strike. Lina: "Too obvious!" I anticipated that and froze the area above my head to catch the attack. Unfortunately, its real attack was a kick. It pulled back its arm and went for a kick to my stomach. It sent me flying all over the place. It would kick me whenever I slowed down, and it would kick me again. My icy dress that Lord Idmon liked now had cracks. Lina: "You!!!!" A large number of But none of those hit it. It was even skating around the frozen ground and kept mocking me. Sigh. I don't want to do this thing anymore. I calmed down and focused on the fight. I used an area of effect spell that would hit him when he's in range. The blizzard covered the area around me. Lina: "Now... what will you do?" Troll King: "Hiyah!" It went in the But you won't get away unscathed! Countless ice shards pierced its skin as it made its way out of the Lina: "Hehehe... It looks like... What!?" It was regenerating! The wounds close only after a few seconds. Ohhh!!! I had enough of this! I channeled all the ice energies around us to trap us in a dome. The Lina: "Now, you can't escape anymore." Troll King: "Heheheheh! Isn't it the same for you? Stupid girl." Lina: "Hah, so you could talk. That's an interesting thought, but it's of no interest to me. Bye now." I go through the dome since I'm a ghost. Troll King: "What!? Let me out of here! Let me out, let me out!" It was running around, panicking. It tried to smash the I entered for a quick moment just to cast another Lina: "Try regenerating under this!" The Troll King: "AHHHHH!!!!" You could see his body trying to regenerate, but that will only make the suffering longer. It looked like it wanted to die quickly, but it stayed there for a while, screaming from pain. . . . (Bon POV) Everything was about to be wrapped up around here. You could see the dwarfs and the skeleton sweeping the army of weak goblins. The trolls and ogres were a challenge before, but right now, even an average Dwarven soldier could take one on his own. The increase in the quality of our equipment and having one goal made the dwarves a lot stronger than before. King Wargh and his group targeted the Colossal Trolls. If they can handle even that, I believe they don't need me here anymore. I was about to go inside the castle to help out Lord Idmon when Huge Ogre: "You, the bone magician. You, fight me." Bon: "Who're you?" Suddenly, a colossal ogre who was heavily armored appeared behind me. Ogre, Lord: "Me, Ogre, Lord." Bon: "I'm Bon, the Head Wizard. If you want a fight, I can give it to you. Shall we start right now?" Ogre Lord: "YEAH!!!" He quickly tried to smash me with his club. Typically, no sane mage would start a fight in front of a melee enemy, but this time I had a plan. I produced a shield made from lightning, which caught his attack and started discharging lightning sparks at him. Ogre Lord: "Oww...Ow...!" I threw It would hit him directly, but you can't see any damage to it. Its skin was burned, but other than that, I think it's overreacting to the pain. Hmm. Is it magic-resistant skin? Or maybe those fats? I tried a different approach. It was rushing towards me, and I stopped him with an Ogre Lord: "Huhhh!" The spike didn't pierce its body! The Ogre Lord just ran over it, and it looked like it slid off its body. There's no choice now. I had to dive and roll to avoid its attack, which was embarrassing. The searcher was flying near the area and laughed at me. The searcher: "Hahaha! Need help?" Bon: "Do you really need to ask before helping?" The searcher: "Sorry, sorry! Hmmm. Go, Sina!" Bon: "Who?" Suddenly, a pale white girl comes out of his Sina tried to slash the Ogre Lord with her enchanted blades, but it slid off the skin. Bon: "Oh, that's sad news." The ogre Lord sent her flying with a punch. She didn't dodge. She's lucky to be even more intact after that. The Searcher: "Don't underestimate her. She blocked the attack." What??? The Searcher: "She just jumped backwards to reduce the force of the attack." Really now? The Searcher: "Go, use your specialty, Sina!" Suddenly, its eyes opened. It was closed all this time, which was weird. Sina's eyes were purple and glowing. Her daggers, too, were glowing purple now. She blinked behind the Ogre Lord and slashed its neck. Ogre Lord: "Giyahhhh!!! What. Is That!?" The Searcher: "Amazing!!! Hahahaha!" The searcher was flying around, enjoying the fight. There was no wound, but I could sense that the Ogre Lord was damaged. It quickly tried to run away from Sina, but it was a lot slower than her. Sina would slash its back again and again. The Ogre Lord was getting paler and slower with each slash. The Searcher: "It's still in its early stages, but I call it Bon: "Souls? Meaning?" The Searcher: "Their mana, health, and whatever energies they have that sustain them are their soul." Huh. The searcher must have nothing else to do. The Searcher: "I modeled the weapon after the Reaper Scythe." That makes sense. Bon: "This girl... is she a blind one?" The Searcher: "Yeah. She's the one I got from Gargan. Quiet gal. I don't even know if she retained her memories." Bon: "You heartless bastard, but... that's the same for all of us. I don't care as long as it doesn't harm Lord Idmon." The searcher: "Good thinking! Now, let's go inside and watch their fight." Bon: "Okay." I went inside the castle with the searcher. The ogre lord just fell without a fight. Sina drained all of its soul. . . . (Idmon POV) Huh...? Where am I? Did the candles die out again? What was I doing before this? Everywhere I look, there is darkness. A few moments later, thrones appeared around me. Sitting on them were kings. Skeleton Kings. There were eight thrones, but only three Skeleton Kings were present. The one in the middle has a great sword. The one in his right hand wielded a morningstar. The one on the left wielded a hammer. Mysterious Skeleton King: "Oh! How do you do?" What? I can't think properly. Why am I even here? Skeleton King 1: "Ah. This scene all looks weird, doesn't it? I told you, Nor, that we should've removed the thrones and just put some chairs." Skeleton King 2: "What? That's ridiculous." Arit: "Anyways, I'm Arit. The third skeleton is King. On my left is the fifth Skeleton King wielding a war hammer: Nor. The one on my right is the seventh Skeleton King; he uses a morningstar." Skeleton Kings? Am I dead? Is this judgment day? Seventh Skeleton King: "Oiiii! Is this guy for real? Maybe you got the wrong one." The seventh said that while scratching his skull. Nor: "He is. Idmon! Oi!" Idmon: "(t) Um, yes. Sorry about that. I am not able to speak since there is an irregularity in the energies when I try to produce a voice." Arit: "It's okay. We had mute Skeleton Kings before. Anyways, let's get down to business, shall we?" What is the meaning of this? Arit: "(t) Are you passing judgment on me? Did my body get destroyed in the real world?" Arit: "No, that's not it." What? Arit: "You see, this place is the void. We found you floating around and brought you here." I look outside of what looks like a window, and the only thing I see is pure darkness. This place was like a room in the void. Arit told me something outrageous. Arit: "Would you like to try at being a skeleton king?" Idmon: "(t) What!? But, King Arit, I haven't even evolved to that class yet!" Arit: "You know, I've been watching you for a while now. Of course, we can't forcefully turn you into a Skeleton King, but we can give you the title." He explained to me that once I receive the title, that's the only time I will be allowed to evolve into a Skeleton King in my future evolutions. Arit: "Let's see; I think you need two more evolutions? But rest assured that this title is yours." There was nothing to be lost then, but what're the risks? If I lose control of myself, I won't take it. Idmon: "What do I have to give in return?" Arit: "Return? No, no, no. You do what you want!" Idmon: "(t) What!? Isn't the late Skeleton King that I used to serve consumed by hatred?" Arit: "That person had a hatred that consumed him long before he became a Skeleton King. He's currently trying to find ways to come back, even now. That's why he isn't here." Idmon: "(t) Is that true? I won't have to pay any amount in souls or sacrifices." Arit: "No, idiot. That's an ancient legend. I think the Second Skeleton King used to do that." The fifth skeleton spoke up. Nor: "Now, now... That's not all the advantages. Once you take the title, you'll get a powerful skill, which is He suddenly went quiet and pretended to cough. Nor: "Eherm... I mean most of the skeletons. There are some whose loyalty lies elsewhere. But don't worry, if you want to take them back, just kill their leader!" Well, for the time being, let's put that in the backup plans. I wouldn't want to fight another undead lord. Idmon: "(t) It doesn't feel real to me, but I need the power to protect our race; I'll take the title!" At first, all I wanted was to find a safe place for my people. However, I realized that if I did not have the power to protect them, they would never feel safe, no matter where we hid. Arit: "Good! But remember, you only have power over skeletons. Ghosts and zombies have their kings and matriarchs. It would be unwise to think that you're the leader of all the undead, okay? You wouldn't want to mess with the matriarch. Scarey old woman." Idmon: "(t) Noted. But how would I get out of here? I have a blurry memory that I was mind-controlled in the real world. How do I even fight that?" Arit: "Eh? That guy? I thought you already knew! Those energies are yours, stupid. You have more control than him, so it's easy." Idmon: "(t) Ah, I see. I'll be off then." Arit: "Okay, take care!" He stood up from his throne and started waving at me. The fifth skeleton king was thinking, and the seventh didn't even bother to say anything. . . . (Still Idmon POV) Argh. I was now back in the real world. I could see the Mind Master getting closer to me. I was the one walking towards him. My control isn't back yet, but I know what to do now. Mind Master: "Come! Hahaha! Bow down before me, fool King! You will be my new puppet in my master plan!" He tried to force me to kneel, but I didn't. Mind Master: "What??? I said, "Kneel!" A more potent force was now pushing me to kneel, but I wouldn't budge. Instead, I got back in control and gave him a piece of my mind. It was easy, breaking free. He was attaching mana threads to my energies to control them, and all I did was cut them off. Good thing I am better at controlling my energies now. Idmon: "(t) YOU HAVE NO POWER OVER ME, HUMAN!" I intentionally made my voice deep and scary inside his mind. Mind Master: "What!???? HAhh-hahhh!" He was trying to run now. Idmon: "(t) DID YOU WANT MY ENERGIES? YOU CAN HAVE IT!" I conjured a Mind Master: "Gyahh!!!!" The I had him completely disappear into the void. Idmon: "Now, it is done." That was easy. I looked around some more, but there was nothing here worth taking. The replica of Death's End bothered me; where could it be now? I went out to check on the situation. I bumped into Bon and The Searcher on my way out. It looked like they wanted to watch, but they accompanied me outside instead because it was already over. . . . (Idmon POV) I could see that they almost wiped out the goblins. Lina was also back flying around, freezing some enemies. King Wargh was battling a colossal troll along with Master Urah and Granpa. Wargh: "Graaaaahhhh!!!" Master Urah and Granpa both dodge an attack from the Colossal Troll. They sprang at it, and they landed a hit on both knees, making the Colossal Troll kneel. Wargh: "For the finishing blow!" King Wargh leaped high and smashed the head of the Colossal Troll with a diamond. Wargh: "Hahahaha! Easy!" And not far from them, Dolf was taking on a colossal troll on his own. He climbed on top of the Colossal Troll and gouged its eyes. Dolf: "HRAAAA!!!" Classic Dolf. The Colossal Troll screamed from the pain, but Dolf did not let up and was trying to break into its skull by consistently hitting its head with his axes. The troll made a last attempt to fight back, but it fell when Dolf hit its head with a club. But Dolf dodged it, and the colossal troll took the hit directly. It fell, blood spurting out of its head. With this, we won the war. Dwarven Soldiers: "HURRAH!!!" Undead Soldiers: "WE'VE WON!" Shouts and cheers could be heard everywhere. Victory cries filled the cave. Bon: "We did it, Lord Idmon! And it looks like you did a fantastic job taking out the blind king." I brought the body of the Blind One King and his crown. Soldiers: "YEAHHH!!!" Mel: "VICTORY!!!" The cheers were even louder now. Wargh: "Finally, we're free from the goblins! This region is ours!" Dwarven Soldiers: "Yeah!!!" Urah: "Gather everyone! The King and Lord Idmon will give a victory speech." Everyone went into formation, and my advisors went to my side. The Dread Heroes took their positions behind me. King Wargh was the first one to give a speech. Wargh: "We've fought for decades against these terrible goblins! But now! We have won!" Everyone: "YEAHHH!!!" Everyone: "YAHHHH!!!" Wargh: "Thanks to our alliance with Lord Idmon, we have defeated our hidden enemies, which were controlling the goblins. Now that we are free of the goblin menace, we can continue mining without any worries." Soldiers: "YEEAHHHH!!!" It's obvious that dwarfs loved mining. They were always short of materials for their structures, but now they have mountains filled with them. Wargh: "Lastly, let me also thank all the soldiers that fought and died for us. They were not in vain. Lord Idmon, it is your turn now." Mel would shout out my speech to the soldiers because I can't use telepathy to address a whole army. Idmon: "First of all, let me thank the Dwarves and King Wargh for giving me a chance. Most won't ally with an undead leader because of our bad reputation, but the King was wise enough to understand us." And for matters about land and territory, I'll speak to King Wargh about that later. Idmon: "Of course, I want to thank my advisors, soldiers, and everyone who followed me up until now. It was a long journey, but now, finally, we have found a home." Everyone: "YARRHHHHHGGHHH!!!" Everyone: "HURAHHHH!!!" Everyone: "LORD IDMON!!" The cheers were loud enough to reach outside of the cave. Everyone was happy about the victory, and they would have a feast at Gargan to celebrate the victory. I don't know why, but the advisors suddenly showed up here and took the army, saying that they had already prepared the celebration. My army stayed behind because I would talk to them personally about "what happened" in the void. King Wargh, Master Urah, and Granpa were still here because we would discuss the aftermath of the war. Dolf passed out from all the battles. It looks like he was still tired from his previous fight. "Ah, Lord Idmon. Is it fine if you take only this castle and Un Deth as the only rewards? We could give you half of the region!" Granpa: "King Wargh!" Granpa was opposed. Idmon: "(t) It's okay, King Wargh. We aren't that many anyway. There is also a lot of empty land around here. We would create new forts for ourselves." Wargh: "Hmm. That would be fine. Sure, you don't even want to take Horgen?" Idmon: "(t) Yes, this is fine. Dolf was the one who saved Horgen. My men only aided him." The Bone Behemoths were still in Horgen. They were left there because they wouldn't fit in here anyway. After a few more trivial matters were discussed, I signed a document that would finalize this agreement. King Wargh offered his hand to me. I shook it. Wargh: "Your hands are cold as always." Idmon: "It's a sad thing that I can't feel if yours are warm or cold." Wargh: "Oh, they're sweaty, alright." King Wargh wore a big smile and laughed heartily. Wargh: "Hahahaha!" Idmon: "(t) Hahahaha!" We were leaving the cave to join the celebration, but something happened. I did not expect it. Not here. I felt it again: fear. Lights were coming down from heaven. They were like lightning bolts, but these were different. It was the Paladins dropping down from heaven. Idmon: "(t) What in the world is this? How could they be here!?" I didn't realize it, but I was panicking. There were around 100. A Paladin captain was leading them. He looked familiar. Paladin Captain: "It's been a long time, coward!" Ah! It's the guy that I froze before! His legs were okay now, but I didn't expect him to come this far for revenge. Paladin Captain: "YOU THINK I WOULD FORGET WHAT YOU DID! YOU AND YOUR LITTLE ARMY WILL DIE HERE!" Shit. My men aren't strong enough for this. We could see King Wargh's advisors among the newly arrived enemies. Wargh: "I knew it! Those crappy advisors were up to something! They took my army for this!" It seemed like the advisors had made a deal with the Paladins. . . . (Dwarven Advisor POV) The celebration was going well. Dolf was still fast asleep because the sleeping potion that we gave him was a strong one. Advisor 1: "With this, the future is assured." Advisor 2: "Yes, with Dolf as King and the undead army reported destroyed by the Paladins, we would have absolute control over the southern region." Advisor 3: "Brilliant!" Everyone: "AHAHAHAH!" They were laughing hard at this moment, even when their king was about to die. . . . (Idmon POV) I need to minimize the damage. We can't get wiped out here. Idmon: "(t) You, captain!" Gerald: "It's Gerald, you moron!" Idmon: "(t) Well then, Captain Gerald. "Since no one would bother us, why don't we have a duel inside the cave if you wish to exact vengeance on me?" Gerald: "Agreed!" He suddenly leaped at me. He was pushing me into the cave with force. Bon and Lina: "Lord Idmon!" My advisors shouted out and were about to come too, but a group of paladins blocked the entrance. Ninety-nine paladins now surrounded the army. The army was around 1500, but I don't think they would even put up a fight against the Paladins. The last thing I saw before I disappeared into the cave was Lina and Bon releasing spells at the enemies and The Searcher taking out his scythe. I wish they wouldn't get wiped out. . . . Boooooogushhh!!! I hit a wall and finally rolled to the ground. My armor was still okay, but I felt like I lost some health from that attack. Gerald: "Now, show me what you got!" I can't waste any more time. I summoned my Gerald: "Ohhh! Is that your weapon?" Idmon: "(t) Have a taste!" I charged it up until it was discharging negative energy explosions around me. I also removed the restrictions on my armor, so the energies inside it were raging. Gerald: "Hehehe, weak!" He shielded the blast. It exploded in all directions, but there was not even a scratch on his pure white shield. Now an invisible force was coming at me. It was the returned damage! I tried to get out of the way quickly, but it hit the arm that was holding the void lance. It destroyed my arm and turned it to ash. The armor was also destroyed. Gerald: "Hahaha! That spell packed a lot of damage, but my Shit, it also destroyed the Void Lance. I focus my energies on my left hand. I covered it with my Gerald: "What's that? Hahaha, another one of your tricks!?" He was the one charging at me now. He did not leap like the last time, but he ran towards me. I conjured a Gerald: "Huh?" Then a lot of storage crystals containing various offensive spells fell on him. I stored them in my void inventory for moments like this. Gerald: "Arghhh!" Fire, ice, and lightning spells were exploding around him. Gerald: "Enough of your tricks!" But as he did all that, I was rushing at him. He was still able to swing his war hammer, but I anticipated that. Idmon: "(t) I got you now!" I dodged the attack to set up an improvised But he did not even budge. The dark energies in my hand died out after a few seconds. His armor took it out. The only thing it did was knock off his helmet. Gerald: "Hahaha, was that a punch!? I'll show you a punch!" He tried doing the same thing I did. He focused his energies on his left hand. He used his right arm to hold down my left arm to keep me from running. Gerald: "Now die!" He punched me in the stomach. I quickly conjured a thick But it broke quickly, and his punch went through my armor. It was cutting me in half. The force of the punch detached my upper body from my lower body. He crushed my lower body with his feet and was now holding me up by my neck. I tried to produce a spell from my other hand, but he took that one too. He crushed it with his hands. There was nothing left for me. The spells I used took most of my energies, and I can't conjure anything anymore. My torso and my head were the things left in my body. Gerald: "So, this is it? After all these months? I came here for revenge, and it would end like this? What a waste of time." He laughed out loud while he lifted me. Gerald: "Do you have any last words?" Idmon: "I'm... G-glad... you... asked... Come closer..." I forcefully produced a voice. Gerald: "Hahaha, what is it!?" He was so cocky that he actually went closer. Idmon: "EXPLODE, YOU IDIOT!" I blasted him with all the energy left in me. It was a Nothing was left but a skull. First, his hand dropped my body, and then his body fell backwards from the force of the blast. The Void Blast should not have been able to kill him if he hadn't let his guard down. His N.E. resistance buffs were down. To think, I was able to kill him! Hahahaha. Everything was now turning black. There aren't enough negative energies to sustain me. Idmon: "Goodbye, everyone. I hope you survive." Everything went black after that. I could feel myself fading away, my consciousness slipping into the void. It was a bittersweet victory, knowing that my time in this world was coming to an end.