Chapter 223: Luck
As we marched out into the cold outskirts of the city with our feet buried in snow we found that the cultists had been using the carcasses of the Dead soldiers men women Traders merchants tailors of the city as stock for the minions.
The sight frighten me. The site of the cultists using the correct uses of these people some that I even recognised because I had a hand in killing them it frightened me so much because it looked like necromancy it had the feel and vibe of necromancy.
But that cannot be so it didn't take long for my fright and fear to leave me the thought of there being an other necromancer is a frightening one how advanced would they be what would be their purpose but I put all that aside when I realise that what I was observing you was no different from what the cultists had always done they have always manipulated people's bodies and Souls to their benefits to be used as vessels for their minions their Gamma Warriors, their beta Warriors.
The manipulation of bodies and Souls is just one of the many powers gods and beings of extreme power and might possess. Once I realise this once I realised that this is no more than what the quarters have ever done I understand why it makes me feel nervous why it looking like necromancy put a bit of Fright in me. It was because they were using an idea that I had never thought of until now they were implementing the best form of necromancy the best way to resurrect the Dead.
Until now I had always gone ahead to resurrect people only when I had killed them but watching these snow-covered minions mil their perimeter guarding and protecting liver gamma warrior I realise that it looks like the Ghana warrior had exhumed the bodies of these people preserved in deep deep ice and snow underneath our feet and all around us and use them to its purposes.
Seeing this it comes like a snap in my head a light bulb of an idea a brilliant idea. I wear a bright white grin and stare at Matthias beside me, "This is brilliant!" I exclaim.
It truly is brilliant. He smiled sheepishly back at me not really understanding what I see when I look at the desolate white terrifying scene of the carcasses of his comrades his servants his people protect the gamma warrior.
I smile back and choose not to tell him right now after all it would be quite some hassle absorbing that from now on his people's dead will have to be exhumed from their graves and stored in the snow of the goddess of winter and ice preserved for a day to come where I resurrect them as on Dead soldiers in my army. Rather than tell him all that and have him prepared to enact it as law I step forward with Anselm by my side an order them to watch but not participate in the destruction of the gamma warrior.
The gamma Warriors first line of defence system as it should be there aren't enough court cases to protect it's for much longer.
" I think you can handle them. " I tell Anselm, "Don't you think?"
He looks to me nervously and back at the gamma warrior, "Maybe?"
I shrug, I'm good with maybe. "Great, I'll leave it to you then!"
" what are you going to do? " he asks.
I let in a smile and sit in the snow, "Monitor Shaco."
A look of realization dawns on his face and then he nods, flying off to face the Gamma ll by his lonesome.
Once we stepped out of the city, I had Shaco travel to one of the other Gamma warriors encircling the city.
I wanted to test the power and might of my newest Undead and the usefulness of my slithering familiar.
This is just one way to do it.
Sitting down in the snow I connect to my familiar who has long since alerted me to their arrival at the Gamma warrior.
Seeing through the eyes of Shaco I stare into a scene similar to the one I am currently in. White covers everything, but the few it doesn't cover are our targets, the ones loitering about aimlessly.
There is no totem here for them to worship, I wonder just how weak they are.
"Alright Shaco, let's get started."
"Yes Master."
Shaco orders Panda to attack and the large WereBear does so with vigor and rage untold. The beast sprints forth, dashing into the fray of scanty minions that are sparsely a threat to it.
The first to come across it is bodied to oblivion, thrown away into the snow by the impact. But that is just the starting, the roaring signal to the other that a battle has begun.
The minions jerk from their aimless motions and start their own offensive. The Gamma Warrior, where ever it is is now aware of the attack and proceeds to empower the minions with its magic.
They come after Panda with swords made of searing flames and burning fists. Immediately I recognize what thy are trying to counter.
Leona. They have adapted to her magic and found fire to be the most effective against her.
Unfortunately for them...
"Rrragghhh!" Panda doesn't really care.
My beast swipe and shreds, snaps and devours, swipes and shreds some more.
The minions of the cultists are but playthings to my beast, my creature of undeath is unfazed by their attacks, many of them faking to even reach the intended target.
While all this chaos beautifully occurs around Panda, Shaco has taken the privilege of the deep snow to burrow its way to the one we suspect to be the Gamma warrior, the one standing at the back doing nothing but shimmer with mana.
Deftly and unnoticed, shaco makes his way behind the Gammas guard and together we pronounce a spell.
"Death Grip." mana flows through the connection between master and familiar, arm and sword and shaco bursts with necrotic mana, tendrils of open palm shoot out of the snake and latch onto the unsuspecting Gamma warrior.
And then we pronounce another spell. One I've been meaning to try on a live Gamma.
Before the Gamma warrior can react to the first spell the second has already be put into place, "Soul Invasion."
To hold the soul of a gamma warrior may be key to putting an end to them instantly, to putting an end to Phien's Cult.
I figure they must communicate and adapt to their opponents in some way. And if it's anything, it must be the soul. Every deity is obsessed about souls after all.
A splitting headache suddenly falls upon me the moment the spell is activated. My eyes suddenly feel like they are being burned by a thousand sun as my eyes are shut tight.
"Argggh!" I yell, unable to break free as I want to. A dinging sound echoes through out my head and I instinctively know what that is, it's the system, fighting something.
Shit. What have I gotten myself into now.
Just as I begin to hope the pain couldn't get any worse, it gets worse.
I feel a sensation similar to that when I use the Astral Projection spell, I begin to feel. My soul leave my body. Except it's not going willingly, it's being forced out, yanked out of my body like one would pull on hair but even worse, the scalp, my body is pulling back on me.
I cannot even manage a scream of pain because as it stands I have no body to voice out my agony.
Just as I'm being torn apart and pulled into the light of a thousand suns, my forehead begins to burn, it begins to seethe and boil. Even more pain.
But I know it's a good pain. The burning spreads all over me. My soul being pulled out and my body pulling back on it.
Eventually, my soul snaps back into my body like a stretched out rubber band suddenly let free.
I breathe in deep, heavy breaths and utter a spell as I catch myself, "Soul Drain."
My familiar, although going through the same pain complies and drains the life-force out of the still, vulnerable Gamma warrior that almost unwittingly killed me.
"Asher!" I hear Anselm call out desperately, "Asher! Are you alright!"
I don't answer. I lay in the snow, tasting air in my lungs like it's the first time. And marking down what spell never to use on a Cultist.
At the moment, I'm very fortunate Lotar marked me with whatever that thing was. It's saved my life. It hurt like hell but it saved my life.
Huh. I'm starting to appreciate these Deities more and more.
First Frozia gives me snow to store my to be exhumed corpses for later resurrection and now Lotar saves me from my curiosity.
What a lucky day.