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March of The Dead (MotD)
Chapter 77- Guardians

Chapter 77- Guardians

Evros sat down in his chair and leaned back, pleasantly groaning as his back cracked in several places. Sighing deeply, he closed his eyes and clasped his hands together over his stomach. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been able to lay back like this, and he remembered the last century in perfect order.

However, his rest was disturbed by a wisp of smoke. Sighing in annoyance, he opened his eyes and leaned up.

“Sedall.” Before him stood the man trapped in an eternal prison. His slightly transparent and smokey appearance, a sign that the man was only there in spirit, not in person.

“Evros, what the hell type of boy is this?”

The old man raised an eyebrow, “What do you mean? What happened?”

“The boy is some brand new type of Necrotic Mana User. The Pure Class of Necrotic Magic. I understand that. But he is raising Undead even Necromancers his level struggle to raise, and they are much stronger than the Necromancers are capable of making them. Its always been a fact that the Undead raised as Minions are weaker than when they were alive. But this boy just raised a small army of Undead Goblins, and each one was stronger than when it lived. Sure, those Goblins are temporary, but even his standard Undead aren’t normal.

It is actually quite fascinating to watch him create his Undead, as he is able to customize them to suit his needs. The boy is smart and cunning, but also knows how to fight and doesn’t leave it up to his Minions.

The boy just soloed a Dungeon that was higher level than he was. A Dungeon that was designed to challenge a full party of experienced Adventurers.

I know there is a range of power appropriate for levels. Someone can be much stronger than others their own level, but it has its limits. This boy, not only is he much stronger than others, even five levels higher than him, but with each level he acquires, I only see his potential grow.

But Evros. You knew the God of Death before he became a God. Was he this powerful then?”

Evros scratched his short beard, “I don’t know, when I knew him he was already beginning to outgrow the System. But I do know that he hadn’t achieved the Pure Class. He was a Necromancer, though I don’t know the actual name of his Expert Class. His specialty was swarming over his enemies with numbers that were highly resistant to magic.

You said that this boy’s Undead are powerful?”

“Old Man, I kid you not, this boy isn’t even level thirty-five, and his Undead were fully capable of killing fifty armored Goblins in addition to the Ogre in the Dungeon.” Sedall’s eyes briefly turned distant, “He just beat the Dungeon! Why is he going right back in?”

It was common for the Monsters in Dungeons to be slightly stronger than their real life counterparts, it was due to the high concentrations of purer mana. Goblins were simple, but armored Goblins were different. A group of Low Adepts would struggle with a small party of them. The boy had killed fifty at once, in addition to an Ogre, who requires a full party of Mid-Adepts.

“How were his losses?” The Old man asked.

“He lost only a few Undead throughout the Dungeon. In the Boss Room, he lost most of his temporary Undead and several of his standard Undead. He was left with a force still capable of defeating a full party of Adepts of his level. Evros, you said you had a feeling this boy was capable of changing things, not necessarily for the better. The more I watch him, the more I am certain of it.

Many Classes have been given the title of One Man Armies. Most of them are highly situational. Necromancers were given the title because they can quite literally spawn an army. But that army was weak and fragile. But this boy, if he is allowed to grow in strength, will not have that same weakness. He will be capable of raising an army capable of destroying everything. I worry that if we do not take care of the potential threat, he will very quickly grow into too big of a threat, even for us.”

Evros leaned back, “You would kill a child on the small chance that he would become too strong for you to do so later?”

Sedall sighed, despite having no lungs at the moment, “Evros, he has the potential to destroy the world.”

“So do I. So do you. So does all of our kind.”

“But we are regulated by each other. I was one of the strongest of our kind, but not to such a degree that I could be careless. This boy? At the rate he is going, I suspect he will be so powerful as to wipe out all of our kind without a care, within three decades.”

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“Sedall, he is still young. He hasn’t even breached the second barrier. Surely not enough years have passed to make you forget how quickly you advanced through the lower levels? His pace will slow. He is progressing very quickly, even through the lower levels, but he will slow.”

“His levels are only part of my concern. He is advancing quickly. So quickly, that he isn’t even making full use of the Abilities he currently has. When his leveling slows, he will naturally move onto improving what he already has. That is when his power will truly shine.”

“In what ways?”

“Currently, he is only capable of raising fourteen standard Undead. But when the Spell breached the first barrier, it changed. It is now going to add another Undead each level, and he has an Evolution to double each increase. Granted, that double only applies to Skeleton Undead. But all of his Undead are Skeletons.

You and I both know that the stronger Undead aren’t Skeletons. And he will be able to raise an additional one every level the Spell reaches.

Evros, I have fought Demons and Abyss Monsters. Horrors of existence that the average mortal’s mind would shatter upon glancing at. Yet I was rarely frightened, but this boy? He scares me.

When he breaks through the third barrier, he will be comparable to a dozen of his peers. He will once more focus on the levels of his Abilities. When they similarly break through the third barrier, I worry that he might well be capable of killing one of us.”

“You think a mortal will be able to kill one of us?”

“Crazier things had happened. I admit, if steered in the right direction, the boy could make this world a much safer and stable place. But as Tualla said, the boy is fragile. He is broken. And I truly worry about what he will do for his Sister.”

“Speaking of. Tualla found the girl.”

“Took her long enough.”

“Well, she only looked in between her duties. Only a few minutes at a time.”

“So what of the girl?”

“She is currently sponsored by the Duke Redmond of the Lissurian Kingdom. She is being treated very well and might as well be the adopted daughter.”

“The Duke ordered her family killed so he could adopt her?”

“Apparently, it has something to do with her special body constitution.”

“What is it?”

“No idea. Tualla is looking, but she is unable to devote much time to it. It does not help that the Duke has systematically eliminated any potential knowledge of it. At this point, the only people who know she has a Special Body is her village, yet they don’t know what it is.”

“Whatever it is, I hope it's worth dying horribly over. The boy is careful and plans. When he grows strong enough, he will begin hunting for the people who took his sister. The Duke might have killed all possible links to him. But the boy is a Necrotic Magic user. If there is anyone who can glean the truth from the dead, it's him. The Duke made an enemy he will regret.”

“The boy is not the only one searching.”

Sedall tilted his head, “Who?”

“The boy’s childhood friends. They have not forgotten him, and they apparently know him well enough to know just as you said. They have been pushing themselves to also grow quickly. Not only that, but they are about to breach the first barrier themselves. Quite capable for their levels as well. And, they have decided to call Hasal their base for their leveling activities, as it's their only clue as to what happened to their friend’s family.”

“So he isn’t alone?” Sedall nodded to himself, “That’s good. That should help steer him correctly.”

“I don’t want him meeting them until he breaches the second barrier.”

Sedall turned sharply to face his elder, “What? Why?”

“He needs to believe himself alone in his hunt. His powers must develop in a way that does not require others.”

“Everyone needs other people! He is just a boy! He will be much more inclined to destroy entire civilizations if he isn’t a part of any.”

“That's not what I mean. As you said, the boy is careful. Tualla has also said he is distrusting of others. From now on, I want you to begin steering him to meet certain people. People who can teach him, guide him. Directly or not.”

“Who?”

“I’ll provide you with a list later, as well as their locations. For now, let him do what he wants. When he moves to a new area, which I believe will be when he advances past level forty, subtly guide him. But don’t allow him to know you are there. Remain hidden. He must continue to believe himself alone.”

“And what is the first stop for the lad?”

“The Manaless.”

Sedall’s face would have drained of color if he was physical, “Why him?”

“I can sense it, the boy’s Class is not purely magical. Who better to train the boy in the physical, than a man who can’t do anything but?”

“What makes you think he won’t just kill the boy?”

“Call it intuition. Trust me. He will teach the boy. Just get the lad to him.”

Sedall shook his head in defeat, “Fine. I don’t know when the boy will leave his current area. At the last Dungeon, he ran through it numerous times until he felt satisfied. This Dungeon is much more complicated and difficult.”

“Just continue watching. If the boy dies, it's a shame, but we have other routes to take. But do your best to guide him away from impossible battles, without being spotted.”

“Will do.” Sedall waved as he vanished from Evros’ room.

The old man sighed, ‘To think that Sedall, the butcher of Xedora, would be scared. Huh, this boy is special.’