A Rattling Monster

So we had to retreat. Since I forgot one teensy-weensy, but-ever-so-crucial, little, tiny detail. MANA. I truly thought with an incomparable innocence that it wouldn't be that much of a problem. Besides the utter stupidity of this, Oslo complained for three entire days. Three entire days, where at every second, he reminded me that his planet is his great peril and stuff like that. And while, yes, I acknowledge his misery, but no, he doesn't have to make me share that burden. Because he has no one else to talk about that since I am his Hero. It was a nightmare.

Anyway, three days later and with a total of 22 skeleton magicians, I reach once again the base of the Order of Krieg. And the spirit was constantly scouting for us the surrounding. So, the walls were fixed, and nearly everyone is scouting for my arrival. So the surprise attack, hehe, not a single chance. But the good thing is their lack of information about me. And the fact that they still think that they can hide away from me. Like those two tree-men, that are currently dead in front of me. I have a god watching you, you can't escape me.

The same method, I shroud the building with shadows and darkness but this time, I eliminate every remaining force outside. So goodbye to the mole, the two birds, and the rock. Quite frankly, they were really well hidden, I would not have thought that they were human in the first place. But no matter what they choose, they will be discovered, hunted and killed. After cleaning a bit around the dark building, we can finally enter once again.

But this time, have to be careful about the spells used. And if it has to be precise, I have to do it, since my MP pool is filled in less than six hours. Between three days and six hours, the choice is quickly made. Once again, I blast away the wall in front of me, hard to miss a shot like that. This time, however, no one died because of this. They learned about their past mistakes.

(Actually, it is empty, everyone is reassembled under the ground.)

Ah, ok. So let's reach the stairs. Are they waiting at the bottom?

(No, no the first floor, only at the second floor. But, this time, they have not a single crossbow, when you will reach this point, it will be a fight, a close quarter fight. And I can see already some mutate into gruesome monsters.)

Very reassuring, but what are they expecting with that, I mean, I have the higher ground, I will burn them if they come too close. I am not underestimating their powers, but what can they do, jump to us?

(Well, some are made of stone, some of iron, I see even two air elementals. So, your fireballs will be useless against this bunch, and only your acid will be able to kill them.)

Oh, WAIT? We are stupid, are we?

(You are stupid until you have proven me otherwise, but why are you including me in your plan?)

Because I am stupid. And I acknowledge that fact. I will strive to improve myself.

(Very good, but what did you think about?)

We don't need to fight them; we can just plague them.

(Ok, you can say that I am stupid. I totally forget about that part, it's true that with the level of your skeletons, it is no longer necessary to kill everyone with them. Barely 500 men are not enough to change anything, so we can finally use your real powers.)

Exactly. This time, we will play dirty, as I did previously. I order all my undead servants to spread around the hall located on the first floor. That way, if the followers of Krieg dare to make an assault, it will be easy to crush them. And they won't be able to reach any of the skeleton magicians without facing the firepower of the rest. I order them to clear that floor from any obstacles where the enemy could seek shelter or that could prevent their fireballs to hit. After waiting a bit and see that it was now impossible to hide, I slowly descend the stairs.

In the middle of it, I stop. Then, I throw twenty orbs filled with my deadly plague against the door that was blocking my way. And while it would have been useful to prevent us from attacking them, it is useless against something that will contaminate the air. After watching my orb all get destroyed in contact with the door, I regain my troop, waiting for the result.

(They are a little perplexed by the sounds that you made. But since your plague is invisible and your orb is disintegrated in contact, they have not a clue about what is happening. One brave enough has come close to the door and looked through the keyhole, but he returns to his position, shaking his head. It is the first time that your obsession with melting people is useful.)

Hey, it is not an obsession, just that it is more efficient. Between killing someone in seconds, and killing someone after fifteen minutes, one is quicker. And it can destroy the environment too, so it's better. For example, now, we just wait. Without doing anything.

(You want to hear a story, it's about the sand dancers, did I talked about them? Well, they are like the djinns but…)

Shut up, please. Would you kindly shut up, and let me wait in silence? Or at least, tell me what is happening.

(Ok, fine. No one is feeling bad, they are all healthy. No cough, no eyes in tear. Nothing.)

After five long minutes of wait, finally, Oslo say something useful.

(Ok, one is coming near the door. Apparently, he has the key and is unlocking it. They can't know if you have left, but apparently, they think that. Like you did last time, they still haven't figure out why you did that. So, the possibility for you to do the same attack twice is high.)

Ok, so you are saying that he is climbing the stairs? And that no one is sick and everything is fine on the second floor?

(Pretty much, yes. So try to aim at the stairs, and when I say fire, you throw an orb of acid. Three, two, two, two…)

Not that again.

(FIRE!)

It almost takes me by surprise but I still obey Oslo. Shortly after, I can see my orb directly hit the head of the hunter, melting him completely. Except for the fact that Oslo has a real hard time visualizing the speed of an object, he is accurate with my power. I can hear a clamor coming from the stairs, I guess some were watching the progression of the human. And saw his tragic fate. That will probably prevent anyone from doing the same thing. Earning me some precious minutes.

(YES! Finally, someone has his eyes that are hurting.)

That's what you call a victory? Why do you scream that loud just for this?

(To be fair, I didn't even believe that your plague will do anything, so making some a little sick is very good. Not that I want to reduce your efforts, but they are hybrid, so trying to make them sick is really hard. You have to use something that will make even the creature they have fused with dying. And multiple humans can be turned into elementals that quite frankly, doesn't care about anything related to blood, like diseases or poisons. That's why I was very doubtful.)

Anything else besides that poor soul that choose the wrong creature?

(Yes, come are now coughing, but a minority still show no signs of anything. Especially the Chosen, with a name like that, a small plague is just a tickle for them. But for the rest, it is working, I can see someone with blood leaking from his eyes. More and more are falling, screaming for help. You can hear that.)

Yes, I can hear the sweet sound of a working plan. At first, it was still intelligible sentences, like a call, but then it turns into just gruesome sounds, the rale of a dying man. By now, the previous strong and powerful army is reduced to a small troop, but they are all the most resistant. The Chosen, those that have fused with something that can't be hurt by anything in my possession except my acid. Probably the fireballs of my skeletons will burn them, but I doubt. There is only one way to find that.

(They are coming, but they are careful. After that little gift from you, they won't charge, they will expect a trap. That's something you should have done, but since your orbs break on contact with something, it will be hard to set up an acid trap. And they have no information on the number of skeleton magicians you have at your disposal. So I would suggest a few walls of [Nightfall].)

Brilliant idea, I was thinking the same. What can blind men do against us?