Chapter 147: The Elf’s Warning
Felicia’s eyes widened in shock.
“You!” She readied her staff as she took her fighting pose. “H-how did you get here?”
“With my magic, of course. It really wasn’t that hard to sneak all the way here without you noticing, especially when you’re preoccupied.”
The elf walked forward, not a smile seen on her lips.
“S-stand back! I warn you! I’m not afraid of killing you on the spot if you get closer!”
The necromancer was, understandably, in a state of panic. How could someone just waltz in without her noticing?
“I see it now.” The elf stopped in her tracks, glancing towards where Rowana had left. “Why that boy believes you’re a good person. That zombie you created… you infused her with your own soul, I assume?”
The necromancer didn’t answer. Instead, she sent a swarm of shadow tendrils towards the elf.
None landed, of course, as she was protected by her beehive barrier.
“Relax. I’m not here to kill you. I disagree with you being a necromancer, but my days of going around playing the hero are long gone.”
“Then why are you here?!”
“I’m here as an inspector.”
“A-an inspector?”
“Correct. I’m here to determine just how much of a threat you and your necromancy pose to the world.”
Silence. Felicia had no idea how to respond to her words.
“And I have to say, I am not impressed. That Gate of yours… it is incomplete.”
“Incomplete? What do you—”
“It means it will not work the way you want it to work. All you would achieve if you activate it is to flood this region with the dark mana you have gathered.”
This, of course, took Felicia by surprise.
“N-nonsense!” She yelled back. “What do you know about the Gate? You’re not a necromancer! You’re just some high elf who—”
“I am indeed not a necromancer.” She impatiently interrupted her. “But I’ve seen a Gate before. And I know yours are faulty compared to it.”
Another silence. Felicia was sweating profusely, her entire body shaking. Her work for these past years wouldn’t work? Inconceivable! She had gone through the calculations so many times there was no chance whatsoever she was wrong!
“Where did you learn it? A book? A mentor?”
“S-silence! I am not wrong! I deciphered the method myself from a book written by the Necromancer King himself!”
“Oh? Show me that book then.”
“Do I look like a fool to you?!”
“Yes. Yes, you are. You are just a foolish, scared little girl who’s way over her head.”
The elf walked closer, and, once again, Felicia backed away.
“Do you think you’re the first? To selfishly believe that she could overcome death through the dark arts? Nay. You’re merely a failure in a long line of failures. Just like the Necromancer King. Just like her.”
Hearing that, Felicia exploded in a ball of fury.
“I will not fail!” The necromancer yelled. “I have sacrificed everything for this! I have given my body and soul for it! This is all I have! And I will not let you make a mockery out of it!”
Before she realized it, tears trickled down her reddened cheeks.
Ilymhyrra paused her steps, staring at the glossy eyes of the necromancer.
“What a shame. I can see that you have some good in you. That zombie, created by a part of your soul, she’s a good woman. A loving, loyal wife. One cannot create a zombie with that perfect of a personality without sharing the same traits as the creation. So you are just like her, or rather, you want to be her. You want to be a loving wife to a husband that loves you back. You want a family.”
Felicia was taken aback by the sudden switch of subject.
“H-huh?”
“You don’t really want this. And you’re too blind to see that.”
“S-shut up! You have no idea what I really want! I want a world of immortality! I want a world where no one will suffer from death or illness!”
The elf didn’t respond right away. Instead, she locked her unblinking gaze at the necromancer’s wavering eyes.
“...Then I shall leave you to your fate.”
With those words, the elf turned around before she started to walk away.
“T-that’s it? You’re just going to give me your sanctimonious speech? Just who are you anyway? You’re a powerful mage, aren’t you? Some high-ranking mage from the Forbidden Land?”
Her feet stopped in place.
“I am Ilymhyrra, just a simple wandering elf.”
Felicia could only watch as she disappeared into the dark corridor at the other end of the room.
The necromancer quickly used the Dungeon Core to track her movement, only to find that the Core could not detect her presence.
She had left exactly in the manner she had arrived.
Damn it damn it DAMN IT! She bit her thumb until it bled. Just who is she? And how dare she insult my work?!
...Wait, if she had sabotaged my Gate—
She hurriedly made her way downstairs, to where she had built the yet-to-be-finished Gate.
It was a large cavern, with thousands of stalactites and stalagmites at its edges. The place was not part of the mausoleum itself. It was simply a natural cave that she had linked with the mausoleum, so she could use the spacious room for her Gate.
On the ground, one could see an awfully complex runic circle, around 500 meters in radius or even more. It took her months to draw it according to the instructions of her book, and she had followed it to the letter. Crystals made of pure darkness were placed in specific places inside the circle, to act as fuel for the ritual. And in the middle…
There was nothing. Only a small circle inside the large one where every inch of the rune converged into.
It was where the Gate would open.
Felicia began frantically examining the place, making sure that nothing was amiss.
Nothing. Everything was exactly the same as she had left it.
She took a deep, relieved breath.
She didn’t tamper with any of it. So she really was here just to speak to me.
Just in case, however, she stabbed her staff at a certain spot in the circle, allowing it to act as its control rod.
99.99% of the necessary mana. Just a sliver more and then I can activate it.
She could sense the circle slowly absorbing and crystallizing the ambient Mana coming from the dungeon above. This was how she had created all those crystals all these years. That function was still going as she expected it would.
Just a little more… just a little more until I can activate it…
There’s no way it’s faulty… I’m no clumsy fool… I’ve rechecked again and again and again…
She bit her thumb until it bled once again.
-------
As the necromancer was troubled by the sudden visit from the elf, the army, along with the Inquisitors, was encroaching closer and closer. They had made significant progress in traversing the maze, thanks to the hard work and sacrifices of the soldiers and adventurers who they had sent ahead of them. With their path clear, they were free to make it to the center of the dungeon where their enemy awaited.
The general was traversing the corridors with the vice head Inquisitor and her aide. They stayed in the middle, protected by around a hundred soldiers to their front and back. The sound of their marching footsteps could be heard from a mile away. They had found a sizable enough path that could bring them to the heart of the dungeon, thus they could afford to deploy such a force.
“Your Holiness? If I may...” The aide suddenly spoke.
“Speak. Eldan.” His superior responded.
“If I might ask, why are you holding back? With that spell, there’s no need for us to trudge through this place like this, right?”
“I do not wish to,” she replied swiftly. “I want this necromancer alive, so I can have her burned at the stake. That is the proper way to deal with a heretic. Not a painless death, but a slow and torturous one.”
Her aide went silent for a bit before replying, “Is it worth it? Sacrificing all these men for that?”
“Sacrifice? They should be glad they could give their lives to the cause of the Church. They’re martyrs that shall enter Valhalla. What better outcome there is for them?”
“...Of course, Your Holiness.”
Unlike his superior, Eldan Firmshield was more of a practical man. He didn’t share the same religious fervor that the Vice Head Inquisitor had. He believed in the teachings of the Church, of course, just not to the extent as she did. Thus, to condemn so many men to their deaths, just to capture a heretic alive, he couldn’t agree with it.
But, it wasn’t his place to disagree. She was his superior, which meant that he was duty-bound to serve her without question. That is how a knight of the Church should be.
The main army soon reached a large intersection. They were given a choice—left, right, or forward. And since they were in entirely new territory, they didn’t know immediately which path to take.
“General, split your forces.” The vice head inquisitor ordered. “Tell them to scout ahead, as usual. And tell your men to set up my tent. I tire and in need of rest.”
Her order was something the general was all too familiar with. The vice head inquisitor had kept a barrier around her proximity throughout the entire dungeon, making her require frequent rests in order to charge her mana. Whenever they stumbled upon a spacious enough place like this intersection, she would order them to set up camp so she could rest in it.
The general couldn’t help but think she was acting too spoiled for a supposed member of the Inquisition. Not that he would dare saying that to her face, of course.
And so, as the general’s men scouted ahead, the main force took another break, delaying it from reaching Felicia’s place yet again.
Lucky her.
---------
As the vice head inquisitor had her nap, the rest of her associates—those that didn’t accompany her—were still trudging inside the dungeon. They were actually heading right where the main force set up their camp. Not that they would know it, of course.
“M-Milady! We can’t possibly—”
“Shut your trap and charge on. I’ve said it before, haven’t I? I’ll heal you over and over, until the enemy’s dead.”
One of the groups was facing an entire tribe of goblins, numbering around a hundred, or even more. The group had walked into an ambush, and now the goblins had them surrounded. And yet, the two Inquisitors, who were the de facto leaders of the group, showed no signs of distress. They simply raised a barrier around themselves, letting the soldiers outside do all the fighting for them.
“Hmph, not going to waste my strength fighting against small fries like them.” The cocky-looking blonde youth proudly declared. “My barrier is enough. Let small fries fight against small fries, I say.”
Her partner, the redhead, could only roll her eyes.
“What’s that look for? If you had known Turn Undead, we could finish this nuisance faster.”
“Says someone who doesn’t know the spell either.”
The blonde youth had in his possession what you would call a holy sword. It allowed him to cast Holy magic, as if he was holding a staff in his hand. Instead of using it to wreak havoc on the goblins, however, he felt it was beneath him, and so he stayed his blade.
The redheaded girl, on the other hand, was what you would call a pure support cleric. Her specialty was that of healing and succor, not fighting. So even if she wanted to, she couldn’t fight back against the goblins effectively.
“Uaarghh!”
“Aarghh!”
A group of soldiers were burned alive by the goblin shamans’ fire spells. Another group received a rain of arrows from the goblin archers.
“Don’t stand in the line of fire, you idiots!” The redhead yelled. “Urgh, I can’t believe this. Amateurs, all of them…”
She began chanting, and then—
“Mass Heal!”
A warm light enveloped her surrounding, closing the wounds of any soldiers that happened to bathe in its embrace.
“Fight! Don’t you dare let up!”
And so, the soldiers, some with arrows still sticking out their bodies, pushed on against the goblins. It wasn’t an easy task, for the goblins were also regenerating like them. They were zombified goblins, much more durable than normal ones.
The redhead continued to cast Mass Heal over and over. The soldiers were, in a sense, another undying army thanks to her.
The only difference was—of course—the soldiers could feel pain.
-----
Hugo
“Felicia? Felicia? Are you there? I want to speak to you.”
...No response yet again.
I sighed. Great. Do I have to do this the hard way?
It had been an hour or so since I entered the dungeon. And so far, it has been a miserable experience.
Damn it! Have I ever been to this corridor before? I feel I’ve been to this corridor before.
I knew I should’ve just followed the map they gave to me.
I, like any other adventurer that decided to participate in the venture, was given a map that described the route they had taken and cleared so far. I was supposed to follow said map, but I opted not to, as I wanted to speak with Felicia directly, away from the ears of the soldiers and other adventurers. They said that she could watch and communicate with them even when she wasn’t there in person, so I figured it was worth a shot. As for why I decided to take the detour, I couldn’t have them suspect that I was consorting with her after all.
Unfortunately for me, she wasn’t responding at all.
Oh God, this is so boring.
There weren’t any monsters or traps to be wary about. None. The soldiers must have cleaned all the side routes as well.
I was tempted to try to make a hole downwards with my spell, but I was afraid it might end up causing a cave-in or something. Not to mention that it might make Felicia think I was here for her head like the rest of the adventurers.
I sighed. Guess I’ll just retrace my steps and return to the designated path.
“You! Why are you here?!”
Just when I was about to turn around, I heard a voice coming from behind me. Quickly, I turned with my wand drawn.
Only to find the necromancer standing in front of me.
“Are you here for my head as well?!”
“Wait, don’t get the wrong idea! I’m just here to—”
“To what? Are you saying that you want to help me?!”
“No, not exactly. I’m here to—”
“Then leave,” she spoke with a bitter tone as her eyes narrowed. “I might admire your pure desire for heroism but I shall not hesitate to strike you down if you interfere with my work.”
Her figure then scattered into the four winds, revealing that it was merely a shadow clone, most likely made from her magic.
“Wait! Oh goddamn it!”
My words fell to deaf ears.
If I had to guess, she was busy repelling the soldiers so she had no time to speak with me. That’s why she seemed so uncharacteristically irate.
Mmm, should I have lied to her? Probably not. It would only cause more problems down the line. I feel she’s the type that doesn’t take kindly at being deceived.
Fine then. Guess I’ll have to follow the main route like everybody else.
And I better hurry.
--------
Felicia
“Damn it, why is he here?” The necromancer bit her thumb yet again. “Is he a friend? A foe?”
“Milady?”
“Shut your mouth, Berault! I’m thinking here!”
“Apologies, Milady, but the main force is approaching fast. And the side forces are going to rejoin them soon. We should strike now before they could do so. Thin out their numbers.”
The necromancer didn’t seem to listen to her knight’s plea. She wandered back and forth with a distraught expression, all thanks to Hugo’s sudden appearance.
Should I beg him to join my cause? No. After all I’ve done, there’s no way someone like him would be willing. Should I kill him then? No! I don’t want to! Not him!
“Please, Lady Flameu! Listen to Lord Berault!”
Rowana was there too. Somehow, she could sense her husband returning and so she left her room to greet him.
“Milady, we have to move soon.”
Felicia continued to walk in a circle, ignoring the pleas from them both.
“... You’re right.” She abruptly stopped. “We have to cull their numbers.” She turned to face the knight. “Let us depart. We’ll start from the group with the nun.”
“Of course, Milady.” He returned with a bow.
“Oh, please do be careful!” Rowana clasped her hands together.
The knight halted his steps. He turned around and lifted his helmet from his head, revealing his dark hair and handsome face. With a smile that would melt any woman, he told her, “Do not worry, my love,” the knight returned. “I shall protect you from those men and women.”
He knew that if he and Felicia failed, his lovely wife would die once again. And he had no plans on suffering the same grief twice.
He put his helmet back on, once again returning to his stern and stoic persona. His smile was reserved only for his dear wife. He never even gave it to Felicia, the woman he had sworn to serve.
Watching this, the necromancer felt a pang of jealousy in her heart.
She wanted it. She wanted to be loved, just like Rowana was.
Alas, no one would love a person as horrible as she was, would they? One that had desecrated a mountain of corpses and sacrificed her own dignity to further her own goals. Good men loved pure women like Rowana, not a filthy and corrupt whore like her.
“The only happiness I will get is when the entire world becomes undead”. It was a fact she had accepted in the deepest folds of her heart.