Back to the tarnished aegis of trojan town
"When did you get here!" she shouted.
Zero released Alana's spirit, his eyes following as skull lord's reconstructed body hit the ground.
Thud
"Hey did you hear me!"
Zero ignored her and crouched down scanning the corpse carefully.
Alana now had a small shadowy horn sticking out of the top of her head.
Though none of them noticed….
Zero grabbed his book of deluxe which sat within his cloak on his back, the sapphire on the book shone, as three small souls left Alana form,
Her horn disappeared and she went back to her normal whisp form.
Alana blinked and screamed "Why did you do that, I finally had a stable mana flow ZERO!"
Zero put the book back, "How was his performance?"
"HUH?"
He placed his hand over the skeletal body, brushing away dust and debris.
"Answer Alana"
"Alright. He did good, it wasn't pretty watching him fight. He killed the majority.That reminds me.."
Still listening, Zero stood and began making a large magic circle around skull lord's body.
"Void spirits can learn and get better but they are limited to the capacity of their vessel. Which normally means there are mindless idiots in battle or too driven by their chaotic instincts."
Zero had already finished up the circle, and took his staff from his back. As Alana continued to rant.
"I will admit I was impressed with the things you did with skull lord, three souls within one vessel. I never thought that void spirits would be so compatible. Though I do think that when the two souls weirdly burrowed into the main head which gave skull lord a clear boost in general intelligence. I don't think that was intended by skull lord as a whole at all, it just went in his favour, along with the physical enhancements which made a giant bonewalker that was not supposed to be that physically tough, and dominant be able to output immense raw power, especially in that wraith form which favoured raw speed over strength but it lost no physical strength as the enhancement was made for raw power of its original large form…" As alana chatted away,
Zero raised his staff high sending a wave of necrotic mana across the battlefield. The command washed over every undead with the tide: "bring all the corpses to this spot"
Finishing up he said "So are you admitting my enhancements were effective?"
"Yes, regrettably so. Also about the crown rune. When and where did you learn that?" she said quickly changing the subject.
"Well I got a good look at the one on drognas belly."
Wow and he's able to make runes like that, that's actually quite terrifying. What would he be able to create—no, what would happen to him if actually learned runism. Alana shook her head at all the possibilities.
Doubt that would happen, as he doesn't seem that motivated to learn more. He's almost too comfortable.. And maybe that's a good thing. She said, still lost in thought.
Zero walked up to her. "You finished rambling?"
Alana's eye analysed him, for a moment. His clothes were torn and battered but he looked completely fine. Not sure how many towns he has been through already but he came out completely unscathed ? Interesting.
The way Zero spoke and carried himself now, gave off more than what he would ever allow to be let on. There's certainly a new sharpness to him. I can tell. She thought
The longer she looked the more she understood something.
"Alana!"
She snapped out her train of thought, right on cusp of a realisation.
"Yes yes. Were did i—"
"Skull lord."
"Oh yes, I wanted to finish off by saying. Regardless of everything you knew he wouldn't last long, that's why you prepared the contingency for me so we could win. right."
Zero's eyes lingered on her for moment then turned around, "Partially, yes"
"Partially?" She asked
Zero, approached Rolland's staked form, before she could press further Zero diverted the conversation.
"Never expected you to do something—this is evil Alana" He said, standing hands on hips facing the grotesque display.
"I got a little bit carried away, that's all~HOHOHO you should have seen my awesome power Zero!" Alana said flattered.
"You think—you got carried away?" Zero jabbed verbally.
He said while drawing a small magic circle under himself.
"What do you mean "you think" let's not talk about the calamity you most definitely unleashed on those unfortunate towns. I cannot even begin to imagine the extent of terror you inflicted on them. For chaos's sake!"
I certainly could imagine that, she thought to herself.
"Ha. your right," Zero smiled knowingly
"Back to what you asked earlier, I did see some of it..but I wasn't all that impressed." he said, folding his arms.
"Thats all?..how long were you there for?"
"As soon as you entered the battle in skull lord's body"
Did he just clear his raids that fast or was he just in a rush to get here. For my fight… Alana thought until his voice cut through.
"I honestly expected more." Zero continued.
"You know, if you just gave me access to your mana—" Alana tried again.
"Nope," Zero flatly denied.
The magic circle glowed beneath him, "Anyway i have to go now, I will be back shortly to resurrect those bodies keep everything moving until then"
He vanished in the magic circle
The conversation she had with Zero bubbled in her mind as she stared at the empty magic circle.
Then it dawned on her,
That's it! The contingency you planned Zero wasn't me at all… it was you. Because there was a large chance we could have all failed, you didn't actually have trust in us no. You were the contingency Zero, if we failed you would clean it up. That means that whatever was for me it was for another reason.
Alana's spirit buzzed.
"To see my power. To measure your own against mine. Wise choice. Explains a lot. Keep fascinating and if I get the chance I won't try you.
Alana remarked while looking off into the distance.
"How much farther will you go, Zero"
Zero appeared in the next town to find Augustus gently petting Arcaeus, both battered and broken.
He smirked, cheerfully skipping up behind Augustus before knocking playfully on the back of his skull.
"HEY THERE, KNUCKLEHEAD!"
Augustus startled, but relaxed as Zero came into view, still skipping as he moved in front of him.
"Sir?"
Zero walked closer, cradling Arcaeus's head and running his fingers over the deep cracks in the skull.
"Aw—You guys are really banged up, huh!" he grinned.
Mana began exuding from Zero's body in visible waves. This caused numerous long necrotic strands to emerge from his aura, flowing toward Arcaeus. They covered the damaged areas, stabbing into the cracks and sealing them shut—repairing missing fragments and weaving new bone seamlessly into place.
Augustus watched in fascination before his legs gave out, his body no longer able to support him as his mana reserves hit empty.
After Zero finished mending Arcaeus, he turned his attention to Augustus. "Your mana must be completely depleted. Let me replenish you."
Augustus lowered his head in submission.
Until the time comes, I must submit, he thought grimly.
Zero placed his hand on Augustus, channelling restorative necrotic mana through him as well.
After restoring both their mana and physical condition back to normal, Zero immediately turned and using his staff sent a powerful wave of necromancy across the entire town.
Augustus stood up, Arcaeus came up beside him. He remained silent, watching Zero intently work with calm observation.
Zero began creating a massive resurrection circle, extending his staff as he channelled power into the formation.
"I'll be back when all the bodies are piled up. " he said, disappearing in the magic circle.
He teleported to each town
Alana's town and resurrected the corpse recovered which were 4,000
Then came back to Augustus town for 2750 recovered corpses.
Left then went back to the two smart void-spirits towns with 1,200 recovered corpses.
Then the second raid, Zero, had recovered a corpse count of 4,500.
And the first one he raided had a recovered corpse count of 2,000.
All resurrected, with the number of pre existing undead, was 3,607
His total tally of dead now is...
18,057