NOVEL NEXT Chapter 62 - Aftermath of the Undead
Chapter 62: Aftermath of the Undead
Everything seemed to be a repeat of the Rotten Moon Undead Tide from more than a thousand years ago, including its outcome. The main body of the Eternal Gift ritual was destroyed, and the infinite undead mana directed from the Astral World to Currere was severed.
However, it ended too quickly. The crisis was resolved by unexpected factors when it was still in its infancy.
Most of the corpses deep in the graveyard hadn’t even been awakened. Some of them might only have trembled slightly before returning to their eternal solitude.
But that doesn’t mean the crisis is over.
The undead who had been awakened and their Soul Fires ignited wouldn’t remain in solitude. They would continue wandering aimlessly on this land until the lingering mana in their bodies was completely exhausted.
Without the influence of external forces, this process could take at least a year and a half to at most ten years.
As for the unrestrained dead, they would instinctively attack the living. Therefore, it could be expected that Thorn City’s graveyard would become a dangerous forbidden land for a long time to come.
Of course, that was assuming this matter was handed over to the Rose Palace for handling.
The influence of the Holy Spirits Church in the Blackwater Province had fallen to rock bottom under Duke Simon’s rule. Only two churches in Thorn City remained open.
As for the Seventh Holy Spirit, the Funeral Church of the Dead, it had been closed under the duke’s pressure more than ten years ago because it didn’t conform to the Blackwater Province’s ancestral worship traditions.
It was difficult to gather 20 baptized Requiem Masters in Thorn City.
It was useless to rely on them to comfort the awakened undead.
Moreover, an even more pressing crisis was imminent.
Although the graveyard’s wall was sufficiently sturdy and the spells—Placating the Undead and Life Barrier—inscribed on it were worthy of the huge amount of Elementium Silver resources they had consumed, preventing the awakened undead from destroying the graveyard’s walls, when a certain number of undead piled up above the high walls, it allowed them to crawl out of the graveyard.
This “certain number” was relative to the tens of millions of corpses in the graveyard.
Therefore, to be precise, about 50,000 undead broke through the obstacles of the graveyard and instinctively headed for Thorn City, which had plenty of vitality not far away.
Fifty thousand undead—they didn’t know fatigue, ignored life and death, and yearned for the flesh and blood of the living.
“Get the scouts to leave the city and inform all the villages near Thorn City to pay attention to the scattered undead hordes. Then, get the Bramble Guards to increase the security of those villages.”
“Evacuate all the citizens in the mills, horse stables, and caravans outside the city along the way. Get them to retreat to Thorn City to avoid danger and get the Spellblade troops to ensure safe passage of the routes.”
“Have you contacted the Gravekeepers? No? Then, continue contacting them. They’re equipped with Demon Sealing runes that can ward off the undead; they won’t be wiped out so quickly. Once you’ve contacted them, get them to place a spatial beacon.”
“Inform all Battle Mages in the Mage Hall to gather at the north gate in ten minutes. Yes, it’s just informing them. There’s no need for orders.”
The clerk—who was constantly in charge of taking down the orders—interrupted Vincent, who was constantly issuing orders, with sweat all over his forehead.
“Master Vincent, shouldn’t we wait for Duke Simon to return and discuss this with him? Especially regarding the mobilization of the Spellblade troops and the Bramble Guards, the duke has always been…”
As Simon’s chief consultant and the leader of the Mage Hall, Vincent could indeed temporarily exercise authority on Duke Simon’s behalf in his absence. However, one couldn’t help but feel that he was… overstepping his boundaries by giving mobilization orders to the guards, the scouts, the Bramble Guards, the Spellblades, the Gravekeepers, and the Mage Hall at the same time.
Although it was indeed an emergency, Thorn City’s city defense facilities were very complete. There were only tens of thousands of brainless undead. As long as the suspension bridge was raised and the city gates were closed, it was enough to keep them out. And in a situation where there was no hope of entry despite a prolonged encirclement, they would naturally scatter to search for other living beings.
In contrast, if he issued the orders according to Vincent’s orders, he wouldn’t be able to explain himself when Duke Simon returned.
However, Vincent only glanced at him and said indifferently, “You only need to take my orders. You will not be faulted because of this.”
The lightning in the famous Sage of Scorching Scars’s eyes made the clerk break out in cold sweat. He could only brace himself and nod.
No one will fault me? Is that possible? Even if these orders are legitimate and the duke will agree to them later, how can the duke’s orders be the same as the orders his subordinate is giving by bypassing him?
This is bad… When the duke returns, I’ll probably be fired and sent to the mine to be a supervisor.
But then again, where is Duke Simon? It’s hell that he’s nowhere to be found in Rose Palace at this juncture…
“In addition, help me contact the bishop of St. Dewey Church and get him to…”
Ignoring the conflicted expression on the other party’s face, Vincent continued, “There’s no need to inform me. I’m already here.”
A mellow voice sounded from outside the door.
A middle-aged man walked in from outside the hall. He wore a gray burlap robe with a golden heptagram symbol on his chest. When he saw Vincent, he nodded slightly in greeting, and Vincent returned the greeting.
“Do you have any idea what’s going on? The news I received said that the Undead Tide has broken out of the graveyard. This is akin to…”
Without any pleasantries, the bishop went straight to the point.
Vincent didn’t say a word. Instead, he waved his hand to signal the clerk to leave. After he walked away, he said, “Yes, you’re right. Rotten Moon Tide of the Undead.”
“So, where’s Duke Simon?”
The bishop’s words were more like a confirmation than a question.
“He’s already under the Holy Sepulchre, right?”
A cold female voice sounded from the side. The bishop turned his head and saw a tall woman with golden hair walk out of the servant’s room.
She wore the clothes of a Rose Palace maid and had Kane’s silver figurine hanging on her chest. Her expression was extremely cold.
“Nizemar? But how is this possible? Shouldn’t you be… What’s with your outfit?” the bishop asked in surprise.
“That’s not me. I was locked up in the Nightmare Swamp a month ago. I’ve been living in sticky nightmares recently. Urgh… It was disgusting.”
As Nizemar spoke, she gripped the Kane silver figurine on her chest. This seemed to be a habit of hers.
The bishop’s gaze turned to Vincent again.
“Someone saved her from the Nightmare Swamp. The one you were in contact with previously was a Lunar Monster in disguise,” Vincent replied.
“Who is it? Who can save people from the Moon Realm?” the bishop asked in confusion.
After asking this question, Nizemar gripped the Kane figurine in her hand even harder. As for Vincent, he said in awe, “A name you wouldn’t believe.”