Skeletal Hand Lv.1 has been slain!
The Master growled in frustration as she received the second notification. Her skeletal hands were the ones being hunted. Calling the remaining few back to her dungeon, she sent orders to her paragons to prepare for an assault. It seemed that the chaka were on the move. If she could just hold the area long enough to summon a gargoyle, she felt confident that her soldiers would be able to hold the line. The few zombies that had spawned took up the frontline alongside The Defender, ready to hold the line. The ghosts would harass the enemy backline and the bone recluse was perched on the wall of her church, where it could easily dodge projectiles while firing them back. If they lost the graveyard, it was likely that they would lose the rest of the church. If worst came to worst, The Master was prepared to seal herself within her hidden sanctum and cut her losses... to build a 'normal' dungeon. but she'd do anything she could to avoid a setback like that. Her source of information and link to potentially more human worshippers would most likely starve or catch who knows what kind of diseases her zombies' flesh might carry, unless he could get enough nutrients from a diet made entirely of spiders. And she hadn't missed the fearful look he had given her when they first met face to face. She knew that a fellow human would have much higher chances of convincing others that she wasn't here to kill them.
Thankfully, from her vantage point, she could see that the war party that had been sent her way was far from the full force of the chaka encampment. Even accounting for non-combatants and children, she could safely say that they had underestimated the dangers of her dungeon while she had prepared a choke-point to deal with their numbers advantage. Intelligent as these creatures were, they didn't seem to be as tactically-minded as her. Were she in control of their forces, she would have her dungeon bear the full brunt of her army... but she'd happily take advantage of their misplay. As the smaller party drew closer, preparing for battle, she reached for her ability - a still-unfamiliar, yet prepared, limb. Bringing it to the forefront of her mind, she rose her arm and hummed thoughtfully. She would strike first.
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Ajax stood, a constant stream of commands flowing from him to the undead under his wing. The chaka edged forwards slowly, their presumed leader at the front. The leader opened his mouth to bark an order, a bone flying past from above and slamming into the head of a spearman who stood behind him, punching through their skull with a harsh crunch. They crumpled instantly, the group pausing in shock for half a second, before charging ahead with a chorus of inarticulate screams. They crashed against the immovable wall of undead, funnelled into a choke-point as his master had theorised... although, he'd kept a few of his number back including himself. They may be surrounded by walls, but walls were not unassailable. Flashes of battles past fought played in his mind as he sent small adjustments to his 'men.' Their enemy may be higher level, but none among them were as experienced as he. Even with his memories so clouded, some things had stuck with him. His training, chiefly among them, was ingrained in him. He might be rusty, and far weaker than he once was, but he knew combat. The zombies held, deflecting or otherwise withstanding blows with their fleshy bodies, aided by minor adjustments from Ajax. Even as one fell from the chaka leader's [Power Strike], another rushed to take its place. The spider from above fired small bony shards , sharper but much smaller than The Master's bolts. Tiny, bony shrapnel became lodged in their enemy's flesh as The Guardian seemed to easily defend against the chaka's assault, focusing heavily on defence. Behind the wall, two skeletons armed with spears stabbed into the mass of bodies with purpose. Ajax continued to command them, correcting their movements, until he saw the telltale shape of the top of a ladder. As he suspected, they'd found a way to assail their 'fort'. His reserve forces prepared to move before he sent them a command. Stay on guard - he would personally deal with this one.
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As the first to climb the wall, Gasnik felt a mixture of apprehension and excitement. These not-dead mans were far stronger and more disciplined than the guard mans had been, harder to kill and vicious fighters. She expected that the town guards had been weaker than normal, having turned soft from a life lacking in danger, but then how were their dead so much smarter? It didn't bear thinking about. All she had to do was focus on her levels. If these were stronger, then perhaps she could finally clear her first class during the battle. As her clawed feet hit the grassy ground of the graveyard, she steeled herself... only to see the largest man, dead or not, that she'd ever seen. With a single swing of its maul, it sent her catapulting across the floor to crash into a headstone. The air was forcefully ripped from her lungs by the impact, her sword - little more than a rusted chunk of sharp metal - fell from her hand, and as it strode towards her, hammer lifted, she rolled out of its path. The hammer slammed into the dirt where she had been and she frantically grasped at the hilt of her blade. Swiftly, she moved from a kneeling position to standing and lunged forwards to take advantage of the bone man's missed strike only to hit air. His elbow slammed into her cheek, dazing her, and as she recovered the last thing that she saw was the maul flying towards her face.
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Once her [Osteobolt] had exhausted itself, pleasantly taking longer to do so this time, The Master attempted to claim the gargoyle spawner. Only the first attack had been a kill-shot, as now the chaka were aware of her heightened firing position, but the anima had rushed into her with every death dealt by her army. Though she wished to reap experience from her foes and grow stronger, she needed to be in a position where she could test one of her hypotheses - and she found that it was correct. As the chaka were not currently invading this sub-area of her dungeon, she was still able to make changes in it. She looked on in awe as the pedestal spawner began to glow with a faint silvery energy. The swirling colors coalesced into monstrous, stony talons, powerful chiselled legs that grew upwards, slowly building the gargoyle's form. It took longer than the skeletons, who simply appeared, but it was still remarkably fast. In the span of seconds, a truly imposing creature stood before her proudly. It stood on two stout, yet strong, legs. Two fearsome clawed hands extended from its detailed, muscular arms. It was undoubtedly a work of art, yet it exuded a deadly aura. While roughly the size of a mere chaka, it was on an entirely different level. The Master was grateful for it to be on her side. Before she could even think to examine it further, it beat its enormous stone wings and took flight. Something that heavy, she thought, couldn't be able to propel itself in the air... and yet she watched as it swooped down like a bird of prey, murderous yet graceful, and simply decapitated an unlucky archer before flying back into the sky and letting the stunned face of its victim plummet back to the ground. On its next flyby, it landed with a powerful and deafening crash and engaged the unprepared archers in melee.
This was definitely the right call, The Master thought, her skill recharging enough to fire an additional bolt into the chaos.
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The Guardian fell to one knee as a particularly powerful blow struck her shield, steeling herself to block the next attack. There were so many attackers that she couldn't afford to strike back, reduced to another link in the shield wall that the zombies beside her had formed. Thankfully, her [Dense Bones] provided her all of the durability she needed to withstand their onslaught and every level enhanced its effectiveness. A red chaka stepped forwards, his club beginning to glow the same color as his skin as he prepared a skill... only for a lightning-fast spear to shoot past her head and pierce his skull. Even as he fell, a skeletal hand nimbly dodging his falling body, another rushed forwards to meet him. But then, as a deafening crash sounded behind the chaka, the ghosts launched their offensive. Melting out of the ground underfoot, their spectral, wispy hands reached out to grasp at their foes' essence, draining them of their lives and panicking the remaining soldiers. The chaka, while outnumbering their forces, had entirely lost their morale. As the call for retreat sounded, The Guardian saw her chance and leapt forwards with a wild swing of her club, cutting one of the fleeing soldiers down. It was then that The Master's voice pushed out all other thoughts.
Ensure that a live specimen is captured.
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She hadn't even paid the gargoyle paragon any attention, summoning it before rushing down the wooden stairs of the tower to enter the graveyard. Those who had attempted to climb into her domain had either been slain or abandoned and one among them would be spared... for now. A heap of notifications awaited her, but she would only pay them any mind once the battle was truly over. As she stepped out into what had become the final stand of those trapped on her side of the wall, one ambitious chaka charged her. Her [Osteobolt] had grown stronger during the battle, however, and a strong blow to the knee had stopped him in his tracks. She aimed a swift kick at his head, her bony foot colliding with his chin and knocking him to his back, before she sent another command to her minions.
Never mind. I've located one myself.
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Stomping down on his hand until it was too mangled to hold a weapon, she ordered two skeletons to drag him inside and restrain him. And then, she began to scan the battlefield for those who were injured yet still alive. If their experience could be funnelled into her, then she'd take it. While her soldiers needed to grow stronger, so did she. And so, she began to stalk the battlefield. When only silence was left, she ordered her minions to resume normal behavior and drag all of the corpses into a pile inside of the walls. There was no sense leaving them out there, after all. Of course... some of the bodies weren't entirely intact, but they would be taken regardless. Stopping briefly to spawn a zombie paragon and direct her scouts to continue their work, she turned on her heels and entered the church again. The prisoner could wait - she had a system to catch up on.
You have defeated a large-scale Incursion.
Chaka pattern unlocked.
A large amount of anima was absorbed. Excess Anima has dispersed. Your current Anima is 20/25.
A large amount of experience has been acquired.
[Osteobolt] has levelled up!
You have reached [Skeleton] Level 4.
Skill selection is now available! [1]
You have reached [Skeleton] Level 5.
Core has reached level 5.
Core Trait selection is now available! [1]
Perhaps I should instruct my minions to leave as many chaka alive, but incapacitated, as possible in the next battle. I want to be able to make use of their anima.
The selections, she felt, would be the most pertinent to go through before seeing how her minions had fared - and, of course, taking in her new paragons. She had been rather hasty after summoning them.
Level 4 achieved in the Skeleton {Rank 1} Class!
You may select one skill.
Dense Bones - {Skeleton} Your bones have grown denser, passively providing durability and a lower risk of breakage. You also have an increased weight and your unarmed attacks are slightly more forceful.
Osteoblast - {Bone Magic} - Your usage of bone magic as a weapon has paved the way to stronger, deadlier spells. Osteoblast is a spell that allows you to fire a bone projectile at a target that will explode, scattering bone shrapnel in a 5ft radius.
Osseous Reconstruction - {Bone Magic} - Your attempts to heal through the use of bone magic have opened a new path to you. Osseous Reconstruction is a spell that works on creatures made of, or who possess, bones. It will regrow broken or missing bones and, at higher levels, can cure bone-related status effects. However, it cannot restore flesh unless it is naturally ossified.
Hypermobility - {Skeleton} - Your joints are incredibly mobile, as are the rest of your bones, due to your lack of flesh and muscle to consider. As such, you are able to manipulate your bones in a variety of manners that are unthinkable to the living.
Interesting. I can choose from four skills this time. I wonder if there's any limit to the amount I can be offered, then. This was a decision that she wouldn't be making on a whim, so for now she would settle with a quick once-over. Her lesser minions could be used to experiment with skill choices, she'd choose her own when she had time to think. Next were the core traits.
Your core has achieved Level 5 in the Nascent Core {Core} Class!
You may select one core trait.
Lands of Death - {Death} - Your dungeon possesses mostly undead monsters. This trait will suffuse them with an affinity for Death, as well as yourself. Undead creatures and those with the Death affinity will grow stronger within your domain, but other life will find their life slowly sapped by the Lands of Death. This will only affect those who are lower level than the dungeon's total level, the difference between levels determining how strong the effect is.
Subjugator - {Control} - At least one sapient being has pledged their self to your core. This trait allows you to make further use of them. You will be able to issue commands directly to all subjugated beings within your territory and gain control over their class and skill progression.
Haven - {Benevolence} - At least one sapient being has pledged their self to your core without coercion. This trait will assist you in managing and caring for your dungeon's residents as well as providing a calmer, less threatening aura to unaligned sapients.
Bastion - {Fortress} - Your dungeon has repelled an attack that far exceeds the parameters of an adventuring party. All structures receive a significant boost to durability.
Incursion - {Conquest} - Your dungeon is skewed heavily towards claiming territory belonging to civilization. This trait provides a small discount towards claiming territory owned by sapient beings.
[Haven] was immediately thrown out. What use is that? It's a simple manner to feed my acolyte without assistance. It is, by far, the most useless of the bunch. The others, however... [Lands of Death] was out as well. Her undead creatures were the majority of her forces but she didn't wish to commit to a single path, especially considering her most brutal minion by far had been the gargoyle - a creature that was most definitely not undead. Alongside the fact that anything that was not undead would slowly die in her dungeon... it would frustrate her to no end, attempting to keep Memna or any live specimens to stay that way. Which left the other three. [Subjugator] was only useful for controlling Memna, somebody who wasn't actively fighting for her. It may be useful in the future, but it wasn't currently and that made her discount it. [Bastion]... was perhaps a decent pick. If she was besieged, it would come in handy. However, the stand-out was [Incursion]. The ability to claim land faster was just too good to forfeit and had no downsides, nor was it situationally useful. Well, technically it is situational, but it's extremely useful for my current situation.
And so, she selected [Incursion]. Next up, her minions. All minions, besides those restraining my prisoner, who have levelled up: I wish to speak with you. Also, my two new paragons, I would like to examine you as well. Within a minute, she found herself stood at the altar of her church with a large line of monsters to address. Something about this feels almost familiar, she mused before taking in the first - her paragon, Ajax. He'd reached level 6, giving him two skills to pick. His Level 2 skill had been, predictably, [Dense Bones]. But this gave her a chance to look at the generic abilities for her skeletons... or anything that Ajax had gained which replaced them. This might take a lot longer than I had anticipated, she sighed. "Alright, Ajax. Are you able to show me your ability screen?" She asked, and the skeleton complied.
Level 4 achieved in the Skeleton {Rank 1} Class!
You may select one skill. You have one more skill selection remaining.
Fearsome Stature - {Champion} - You are larger than most of your kind. By successfully intimidating others with your size , you may learn to leverage your hulking form to strike fear into the hearts of your enemies. This is not an aura, therefore anti-magic effects will not affect this passive skill.
Rapid Reconstitution - {Skeleton} - Your ability to slowly recover from dismemberment is unusually powerful. When severely damaged, you may trigger this skill to rapidly reconstruct your body to the point where you are able to continue fighting. This skill has a long cooldown.
Hypermobility - {Skeleton} - Your joints are incredibly mobile, as are the rest of your bones, due to your lack of flesh and muscle to consider. As such, you are able to manipulate your bones in a variety of manners that are unthinkable to the living.
Power Strike - {Martial} - Your usage of melee weapons in combat has been rewarded. You imbue your next strike with unaligned energy, striking harder and faster than normal.
"I see. Thank you, Ajax. I am not much of a melee combatant, so choose what you feel will be the most useful." Once he had chosen - [Power Strike], it seemed - she moved onto the second skill selection.
Level 6 achieved in the Skeleton {Rank 1} Class!
You may select one skill.
Hypermobility - {Skeleton} - Your joints are incredibly mobile, as are the rest of your bones, due to your lack of flesh and muscle to consider. As such, you are able to manipulate your bones in a variety of manners that are unthinkable to the living.
False Death - {Undead} - An ambush tactic of many undead. You may position yourself and use this skill to temporarily appear dead, your anima signature significantly reducing in strength and any signs of life appearing to cease. This is unlikely to fool a sensing skill of a higher level.
Rallying Cry - {Leadership} - You have experience as the leader of a group of soldiers. You may use this skill to let loose a battle cry, temporarily increasing the defensive and offensive capabilities of your allies by a small amount.
Spare Parts - {Undead} - As a skeleton, you are one of the select group of undead creatures that has a tenuous relationship with their limbs. You may replace and attach compatible parts of other bodies to your own and integrate them into your body plan. At low levels, this skill is limited in its use.
"Hm... some repeats, but I can see the use of them. I feel that you should pick [Rallying Cry] here since you are my most experienced commander." Once Ajax had selected the skill, she dismissed him. The rest of her skeletons had averaged around level 4 from the combat and, bar forcing a skeleton to take [False Death] out of curiosity, she allowed them to take the skills they would instinctively choose. Notably, The Slayer had taken [Hypermobility], a skill that held great promise when compared with the [Light Bones] that he had seemingly picked up at level 2, which seemed to do the opposite of [Dense Bones] and traded durability for mobility and lower weight. Presumably, that was what had been replaced by [Osteobolt]. The Guardian, on the other hand, had obtained a skill called [Bolster Guard] that increased the defensive properties of her shield for a short time. Once the skeletons had been dealt with, Carpal hopped up onto the altar. "Ah... you levelled up? I don't recall telling you to fight, now that I think about it. Your kind is more suited towards ambushes, not matched combat. Good job, though." Its options were similar to those of a level 1 skeleton with the exception of [Skitter], a skill that gave the crawling hand an at-will burst of speed. This is what Carpal selected, naturally, though The Master was curious as to what a hand with [Dense Bones] may look like. Eyeing the rest of the queued creatures, she sighed gently. "Next."
She cringed internally as the Bone Recluse crawled before her. "Alright, let's see what you have..."