Chapter 26 – Death comes to all
Bel didn’t wait for anything or anyone to take the initiative. He pushed off with all his considerable might and shoot forward like an arrow. The familiar weight of his armor comforted him. The old bloodlust didn’t appear as well and Bel almost felt naked without it, that he had lost something important and he was unsure of his abilities to fight without it.
Those fears soon vanished as he collided with Skoli the alpha Ulv. The giant wolf-like creature had made to intercept him as soon as Bel started moving. Their clash sent a shockwave rippling through the mob around them, rippling clothes and furs alike but not affecting anyone much.
Gorban had moved back, taking shelter behind his Leshen Matriarch as she grew a wall made out of thorns around him. It blocked him just in time as a rain of arrows landed, shoot by the fox-kin. Bel noticed the beast men charging into the fray, their weapons slicing the monsters with ease. The big one, Blurg, shoved and kicked as much as he thrust his sword. The man seemed to have immense strength as Wendigos and Ulvs were sent flying like twigs.
A snarl and push brought him back to his own fight. Skoli pushed with his shoulder and no matter how hard he tried to resist, Bel was flung back almost toppling over. The Ulv snapped its jaws at his exposed arm as his shield arm went wide.
Bel didn’t let him though, instead he rolled backward with the force, clearing the lunge and when he got back to his feet, he immediately thrust his sword forward. He hit the creature in the shoulder and his blade sank a few centimeters in. The wound was a trifle to the large creature though and he only growled in anger before resuming his attack.
Suddenly all Bel could do was backpedal and defend himself as best he could. The creature was cunning and used faints or tricks as well as its raw strength.
A lesser Ulv tried to hamstring Bel but he sensed it coming, sidestepping its teeth. With casual ease, he beheaded the monster before he was forced once again to defend himself.
You have slain an Ulv.
Bel felt his annoyance growing and a sense of helplessness. If he couldn’t even defeat this creature how could he stand up to the other three and their master. He didn’t even have time to look for his allies either as the fight took all his focus. Bel wondered how the rest were faring, he could hear the occasional human scream but mostly it was bestial screams and growls that came to him.
After another near dodge, he imbued his blade with a Death Strike, and lashing out he caught Skoli in the shoulder. The wound fizzled and the flesh decayed for a moment before it started healing. The damn thing was healing faster than he could kill it.
It was then he sensed the mana shift. Not from around him but inside the monster. Bel focused on the sensation for a moment following it. He realized the mana was coming from a source farther back, behind the enemy lines. Gorban was imbuing his minions.
Bel felt like an idiot, if he could do it, why couldn’t this class do it as well. He didn’t know exactly what a Wildcaller was or how the class worked but it was obvious to him that it was a summoner's path like his.
Bel threw two quick Necrotic Bolts as he dodged yet again. The blasts seared the monster but it didn’t even flinch, instead, it growled and charged him again. It was growing quicker as well. Bel barely managed to dodge the last attack, the fangs of Skoli graced his bracers as he deflected the attack with his sword.
Focusing on the mana he sensed he tried to see something or feel what it was doing. He needed more information to know what was happening. Something told him that the creature wouldn’t burn up or self-destruct from the skill as his skill did. The creature didn’t seem to get as big of a boost as his Imbue skill gave either.
The mana was strange to him, it felt wild and hungry. Death mana felt cold and content to his senses. A strange sensation was blocking him. It felt like a wall in his mind that wouldn’t let him do what he wanted. It didn’t help that he was trying to do something with his mind at the same time he was avoiding getting disemboweled by a huge car-sized monster.
“Damn it!” He screamed in frustration as he strained his mind and forced his will upon the wall in his mind.
Error.
System law challenged. Correcting.
Error.
Trait in effect.
You have learned a new skill - Mana Sense (Passive/Active) - Iron Rank
You have learned a new skill - Mana Sight level 1
Error, Skill incompatible with Class.
Alteration in progress.
Mana Sight has evolved into Death Sight.
Error.
Deathless Gaze and Death Sight to similar.
Fusion detected.
Fusing Skills Deathless Gaze, Death Sight, Eyes of the Dead, Identify.
Like a flood, he received several notifications and a rush of energy washed over him. It was so great he felt overwhelmed for a moment, and he failed to dodge a swipe from Skoli. It sent him flying, crashing through the cart he had been hiding in earlier. The thing splintered and sprayed wood on any combatants nearby. Screams and growls sounded around him.
“Ow...” He whispered in a daze. His mind was assaulted by the system's messages and the energies of new skills. He struggled to get up as he felt himself almost splitting in two from the effort of holding his mind together and moving his body in combat. This was a stupid thing he had done he managed to think as Skoli once again appeared in front of him in the blink of an eye. The thing was faster again.
Bel managed to get his shield up this time and he was only pushed back a few meters, digging a furrow in the loose ground as he slid on the packed earth.
Error.
Fusion complete.
You have learned a new skill - Mortis Oculi level 1
Mortus Oculi has leveled up x36
Something was happening Bel thought groggily. Other than the obvious things scrolling before his eyes. His face grew warm and then cold in the blink of an eye. A sense of peace and cold warmth spread across his face, and he saw Skoli blink in confusion for a moment as the creature hesitated a second before resuming its attack.
You have learned a new skill - Intimidation (Passive/Active) Iron Rank
Error.
Subject breaking parameter of Rank. Expect consequences.
“Stop it! You’re going to get me killed.” Bel screamed in frustration at the system and at no one. He clenched his teeth in anger, and they clacked louder than usual within his helmet. He didn’t reflect more on that as his new skill settled and he noticed it was active. He looked at Skoli and a slew of information crossed his vision before a hard swipe sent him flying again. This time he heard an audible snap at something within him broke.
Screaming and windmilling he didn’t have much time to notice the text.
Skoli – Father Ulv (Elite) - Level 54
Health: Healthy
Stamina: Winded
Effects: Master’s Call- increased physical attributes – Nature Mana
Notes: An Ulv is a strong and cunning hunter. Skoli is an Ulv captured and tamed by a strong Wildcaller.
Before he hit the side of a large building, crashing through the wall and ending up in a pile of broken debris.
“Ow... again...” he managed to whisper as he tried to catch his breath. He managed to lift his head and peer out the hole he made. What he saw sent both a sense of relief and guilt through him. Skoli was occupied by a group of priests and townspeople trying to bring him down. They weren't doing much except stalling him, but it didn’t look like Skoli was going all out on them either, he was trying to get to Bel.
Sighing from the moment of respite. Bel took a deep breath to steady himself again.
“Okay. First thing first.” He closed his eyes and turned inward. He stood in his core space again. The large black ball that was his new core hovered before him. This time the darkness was accompanied by flashes of blue lightning striking his core. An aesthetic he didn’t understand at the moment.
Instead, he focused on his core which had grown yet again. He could feel the pool of mana within almost full again. The green flames had dimmed and formed strange patterns all across his core. It took him a moment but then it came to him. The patterns were his skills. He could feel how the patterns matched with how he used and activated his skills, and how the mana flowed through his channels.
The largest pattern was taking up almost a third of the core. His new skill. He focused on the pattern and he both saw and knew what it did. A strange sensation from before when he had to figure everything out by himself.
Mortis Oculi – Death sees all.
A unique infused skill created by Bel–Bringer of the Apocalypse.
The wielder of this skill can see traces of mana as well identify its purpose (if any) as well as pierce the veil of darkness that is the world. The eyes of death reveal everything both from the living and the dead. The passive effects pierce the veil of darkness and show traces of mana. The active effect reveals deeper truths around the wielder.
The information was a shock to Bel. He had created a new skill somehow. He wondered if anyone else could learn it now. He wanted to see if he could learn more from his other skills. He focused on Necrotic Bolt next.
Necrotic Bolt
The standard offensive spell of any Necromancer. Creates a ball of Death mana that causes rapid necrosis of anything hit. Evolvable.
Nothing new there he thought but the information was welcomed nonetheless. Bel wondered why this information wasn’t given to everyone and their skills from the start. Bel was trying to remember if he had asked Ignatius about this before but some much had happened since then.
That thought sent his eyes searching for something else. He found it at the top of his core. Two smaller intricate patterns showed his connection to Ignatius and Solomon. Both were pulsing and moving as if in motion and Bel knew it was because they were both in combat. He was unsure what Ignatius could do, but Solomon was happily smashing monster after monster.
Bel noticed an empty space near the other two patterns and he knew that was for his next permanent summon.
He was unsure how that would work since he didn’t know what he was doing when he summoned Ignatius, a ploy by Death at the time. Solomon's bond he managed to take over after killing Crow.
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Bel brought his attention outward again, standing before his core watching it as a whole. He could see several spots where new skills could integrate with his core and the pattern of most of his skills seemed... simplistic. His new skill looked both more advanced and more complete.
Looking at Bone Storm and Bone Shaping he saw that the pattern of the two seemed oddly symmetric to each other, like if he laid the two above each other like his Mortis Oculi they would similarly match as that skill pattern did. He didn’t have time to experiment right now, but he filed it away for later.
Satisfied that he knew at least a little more now he opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed was that time did seem to pass slower when he was delving within. The second thing was that Skoli had broken free of the annoying gnats around him and was barreling toward him.
Bel made to stand when he noticed the mana around him. He was in a place of great death and pain. Looking around he understood why. The house he had crashed into was a sort of poor house, with several rooms housing entire families and such. He knew that by the corpses surrounding him. He was lying in a pile of broken furniture in what would be called the common room perhaps and there were dozen of corpses around. He could sense the pools of death mana and corpses in the adjoining rooms as well.
Flaring his new skill, the room became clearer and the mana visible to his eyes. He almost fainted as he saw a man standing next to him looking down at him with angry and tearful eyes. The man was missing his arm and half his torso as well. That didn’t help calm Bel down.
Bel sensed no danger from the ghost though, instead, he felt a connection. The ghost wanted something from him. A glance showed him that Skoli was almost upon him. Looking around the room he saw several other ghosts of the recently dead looking at him. He could even see the mana and the apparitions through the walls. A thought came to him then, a plan.
“Do you want revenge?” He asked the ghost before him, the question caring to every other ghastly being here.
They nodded as one, their faces inhuman and frightening in their anger.
“Then I will use you as my weapon.” He whispered the words, but he knew they heard him. They only stared at him.
Bel got to his feet, bracing himself for what was to come. He started to channel a skill and as he had tried so many times before, he started to channel another skill forcing the two to combine.
The pain was immense as his channels were seared time and time again from the unnatural amount of mana coursing through them. The pain was nothing to his will though. This time it would work, he knew it because he wanted it, he needed it to work.
Pain, fear, and anger warred within him, and a scream of rage and bloodlust escaped his mouth. It was answered by a howl and snarl from the charging monster whose eyes grew red from rage and its body swelled from the influx of mana. Bel could see through his skill how Gorban was pumping more and more nature mana into his minion. He knew the Wildcaller was watching through the eyes of the giant Ulv as well.
When the creature lunged over the broken wall, flying straight for Bel, he released his two skills at the same time. The corpses around him twitched and shifted before they seemed to melt for a second. Then out of the dozens of corpses in the room and the many corpses in the rooms around him a sea of thick bone spears shoot forward.
Bel would never have enough mana to form this much bone without such a large natural source. With a new scream, he braced his shield as the gigantic creature impacted him. Had it just been him then he would have been barreled over like a car hitting a cow. Instead, the Ulv was pierced by countless spears of bone, growing out of the floor and ceiling. The sound of them punching through wood and stone echoed through the area.
The creature had time to widen its eyes in surprise before hitting Bel and the spears. The beast was stopped dead in its track. A scream of pain hit Bel in the face. The second skill took effect then as well as each spear was coated in Death Strikes. The combined skills pierced the large Ulv and its flesh sizzled and decayed before Bel's eyes.
Bel held his shield up, feeling the stinking breath of the creature before him. He looked the creature and its master in the eyes.
“You’re next.” He said with a growl.
He raised the Necro-Blade and with a quick cast coated it in a Death Strike before he thrust it deep inside the gullet of the Ulv until it reached its chest and still beating heart. He could feel the thrumming along the blade, the sensation weakening with each beat of the heart until it finally stopped.
Everything was silent and still for a second, then a wave of system energy swept into him. The Necro-Blade reacted as well like it was alive, a craving or urge coming over Bel. His armor reacted similarly, and he felt it pull him toward the dead monster.
Error.
Skill combination is not possible due to class limitations.
Error.
Trait in effect.
You have learned a new skill - Dual Casting
Dual Casting has evolved into Dual Combination
Dual Combination has leveled up x5
Mana Mastery has leveled up x6
Bone Shaping has leveled up x5
Death Strike has leveled up x8
You have slain Skoli – Father Ulv
You have leveled up x7
You have learned a new skill – Death Grip level 1
You have learned a new skill – Necrotic Aura level 1
Worthy foe slain; sufficient materials detected.
Do you wish to evolve The Necro-Blade and Armor of the Necro-Lord?
Y/N?
The familiar euphoria of gaining a massive amount of experience and levels combined with his attributes increases made Bel’s head swim for a moment. The sensation soon faded, and he breathed out a held breath.
A grin spread across his face. He selected yes and he felt that sensation from his weapon and armor again, a hunger he never noticed before. The blade drank deeply from the monster's blood and the corpse shriveled and shrank before his eyes. The weapon slid free of the thing with ease.
The sword had changed, not by much but enough to give it a new threatening look. Not that a normal sword as tall as a man wasn’t threatening to begin with.
The edge of the blade of the sword had changed into a deep red, almost black, and a rune had formed just above the hilt on both sides of the blade. The rune glowed a crimson red and Bel knew it meant blood.
The Necro-Blade is now Bronze Rank
The Necro-Blade – Authority of the Living and Dead – Life Leech
His weapon description had changed, but he still wasn’t sure what he had authority over and why it now included the living. But Life Leech was a godsend (perhaps literally) now that he couldn’t use his Life Transference anymore.
While his blade was changing so did his armor. Bel felt as if it was pulling off his body and crunching down with a giant maw against the desiccated corpse. Visually the armor didn’t move and instead the remains started to shift and the flesh and organic parts melted. It pooled underneath the bone spikes and dried in seconds, leaving behind black flakes of organic residue.
The bones didn’t fall, they shifted and floated over to his armor. Merging with his armor, slithering like snakes across his breastplate and down his greaves. Soon they set and formed an external carapace around the dark steel or whatever the armor was made out of.
That change was much more visual than the blades. The bones had a darker white look that highlighted the black and dark green of his armor. The breastplate had formed a sort of ribcage around it and his helmet slid off his face and then back again. It told him that he was able to equip and remove it with a thought now.
His arms and legs armor had plates of bone covering the joints and intermixed with the black steel.
“I can get used to this.” Bel felt a surge as the effect of the upgrade took effect.
The Necro-Lord Set is now Bronze-Rank
The Necro-Lord Set - +18 Willpower +10 Strength +10 Dexterity
Bone Sphere 1/day - Form an impenetrable sphere of bone around the user. Last ten seconds.
Its bonuses had doubled since before and the armor set had an ability now. He used his new eyes to get the short description. It seemed it was some sort of last resort ability, a daily Hail Mary of sorts.
A scream reached Bel's ears and he quickly tore his eyes from the notifications. He needed to get back into the fight. Bringing up his status he allocated his points to his physical stats. He put three points into strength, thirteen points into dexterity, and the last five points into constitution. It was time to kick some ass.
When he was done, he summarized his status and shortened it to the most relevant information right now.
Name: Bel - Bringer of the Apocalypse
Class: Necro-lord (Path of the Summoning Warrior – Death Specialization)
Tempering: Bronze (Bones, Flesh, Blood)
Level: 42
Items:
The Necro-Lord Set - +18 Willpower +10 Strength +10 Dexterity
Bone Sphere 1/day
The Necro Blade – Authority of the Living and Dead – Life Leech
Garments of the Necro-Lord – Self-Cleaning and Self-Repairing
Attributes:
Strength: 80 + 10
Dexterity: 80 + 10
Constitution: 76
Intelligence: 55
Willpower: 116 + 18
Skills:
Class:
Necrotic Aura level 1
Death Grip level 1
Mortis Oculi level 36 (Passive/Active)
Death Strike level 18
Bone Storm level 22
Summon Undead level 29
Bone Shaping level 23
Life transference level 16
Necrotic Bolt Level 12
Imbue Undead Level 11
Summon Servant level 1
Hordes of The Necro-Lord (Passive) + 50 Summon Pool. Summoned minions are 5 levels higher than the summoning skill and you can equip any minion with tier-appropriate equipment.
Neutral:
Dual Combination level 5
Mana Mastery level 33
Meditation (Active) - Tin Rank
Battle Meditation (Passive) - Bronze Rank
Intimidation (Passive/Active) Iron Rank
Mana Sense (Passive/Active) - Iron Rank
Blades – Basic (Passive)
Shields – Basic (Passive)
Pugilist – Basic (Passive)
His attributes had all taken a large leap forward and he could feel it. He knew it was the high of leveling so much but he reveled in the sensation. It made him feel unbeatable. A dangerous notion but one he was going to capitalize on right now.
With a wave of his hand, the spears covering the room turned to bone fragments, then dust and then they disappeared entirely. His mana was low, so he drank from the surrounding mana as much as possible with Battle Meditation. As he regenerated as much mana as possible, he flared his eyes and a green glow seemed to originate from his head. He saw the ghostly apparitions around him again. This time their faces were calm, and their eyes expressed a silent thank you.
As one, they turned their heads upwards as if listening to something only they could hear. The ghosts started to fade like smoke and a strong incorporeal wind caught them and brought them along. The sensation of death and anger disappeared with the ghosts of the dead. Bel knew this place would not be haunted in the future; these people had gotten some sort of release from the death of one of their killers. They were at peace now.
Bel felt that he had finally done something right since he arrived in this world. Perhaps this was his purpose he thought. To bring peace to the restless dead. He was sure that this world held many specters of the dead and suffering. Suffering was part of this world and its rules.
Bel raised his shield, now with an actual skull in the middle of it rather than the carving of one, and then rested the blade of his sword on his shoulder. He made his way toward the hole in the wall to take in the fighting outside and as he walked, he willed the helmet back on.
The allied groups had been pushed back and taken losses, he could see the corpses of priests and townspeople mixed amongst the dead monsters. The monsters had taken the most casualties though. Dozens perhaps even hundreds of their dead lay across the battlefield but more were spilling over the broken palisade or coming from deeper inside the town.
Bel wondered how one person of Bronze Rank could control so many, he was nowhere near that with his pool.
The two groups of strangers, the beast men and the adventurers as Bel called them in his head had joined up with the residents of Linchester and so had Liara and Francis. Bel was alone on this side of the field now.
So far, no monster seemed to have noticed him or was approaching him. Bel looked for Gorban and saw him at the back of the horde cradling his head as if in great pain. Bel smirked and felt a deep sense of satisfaction from that sight.
A shockwave and shout brought his eyes back to the front line where a warrior clad in black thick armor wearing two shields was flinging back Ulvs, Gnolls, and Wendigos as if they were children's toys. Next to the strange man was a woman dancing with a halberd, green eyes glowing and a grin on her face.
It took Bel a moment to recognize Bull and Sarah.
“How the hell did that happen?” He wondered out loud.
It didn’t matter. Not right now at least he thought.
Pulling on his mana he sent half his pool out with his Summon Undead and as he stomped his foot several dozen dead monsters near him twitched and stood up, green eyes glowing. Bel didn’t want to waste all his mana this early in the fight, but he needed to use what he had to help the others before they were overrun.
With a roar, he raised his sword high and his minions surged forward. Their charge was brought against the monster hordes' flank within seconds and the enemy was taken by surprise.
Bel charged forward, his new body bringing him to the fight with just a step it felt like. A horizontal slash later and three wendigos fell to the ground in pieces.
You have slain a Wendigo x3.
His arrival made the closest priest freeze for a second and his head was nearly torn off by a gnoll's axe. Bel managed to block the attack at the last second before cutting off the gnoll's arm at the elbow. The thing squealed and retreated before he could finish it off.
He turned toward the shocked priest and his helmet melted back. He smiled at the priest, hoping to put him at ease while flaring his eyes to get some information.
“Close one James. Get back and inform Gillroy that I’m going for the Wildcaller. Would you? Im going to end this.” He smiled again to soften the harshness of his tone.
The priest, James, stared at him for a second before he screamed and ran toward his friends.
“What the hell was that about?” Bel wondered.
Target Intimidated.