Baron Brenzell’s manor was much more deserted after the owner was changed several times. Wild grasses grew on the hills behind the manor. Under the morning sunlight, dews were rolling on them.
A dew dropped on a pile of coiled bones, leaving vague wet marks.
The bones of the serpent shivered, but it was back to peace again. Around the creature, there were a winged tiger with rotten furs and flesh and yellowish pus flowing everywhere, tremendous ghouls that spread out their hideousness and stench, and countless ghosts wandering in the sky that were in absolutely no fear of the sunlight… The hills seemed to have become the nether world that was full of undead creatures.
In the middle of the undead creatures, a man, who was nothing more than a skeleton, touched the rocks with his pale, dim left hand and looked at the city with his thoughtful eyes.
At the city gate, a middle-aged man in a bishop’s robe was walking to the church solemnly.
“Good morning, Mr. Bishop.” Everybody who passed him bowed and greeted him. He was Arroyo, a bishop of the cathedral of the city and a rigorous cleric.
Drawing a cross on his chest, Arroyo blessed habitually. “The Lord protects us all.”
Just like that, he slowly reached the entrance of the church. Under the homage of a few knight squires, he stepped on the stairs and entered the gate.
Vague holy light surrounded the gate, making everything solemn and pure.
Arroyo stopped at the center of the hall and prayed devoutly, “Only Truth lives forever!”
Then, he left from a side door, reporting to the red robe the status of faith in the towns, villages, and manors nearby.
After the report was done, he began to inspect the entire church to check if there was any negligence or disrespect. After the inspection, it would be the time of prayer, repentance, and learning.
It was his monotonous life in the past thirty years, except that he had grown from an intern reverent behind the bishop into the most notable bishop in this church of this city. He had witnessed the rise and decline of many families in the city.
“We must thank the Lord’s blessing.” He prayed sincerely in his heart.
Then, he realized that he reached the room where the transmission circles were deployed. So, he confirmed the intactness of the place with greater wariness, making sure that nobody except the designated personnel came in.
“Very good. Nothing is wrong.” His grim face put on a smile as he looked at the shimmering transmission circle.
Suddenly, he frowned, feeling that the transmission circle was so evil that it was like a gate to hell or abyss.
An idea automatically popped up in his head. Some cleric has betrayed, and the Lord of Hell is invading this place!
“No, it must be destroyed!” The moment he made up his mind, he suddenly had the understanding that he could not destroy the transmission circles quickly enough with his divine power. The only solution was to concentrate his power and detonate himself!
With a strong sense of sacrifice, he stepped forward and announced, “Only Truth lives forever!”
The few reverends who followed him were stunned at the holy light that was emanating from Arroyo. Then, the whole world was reduced into darkness after an explosion.
BOOM!
The transmission circles were blown apart, and the room simply collapsed.
The red robe who supervised the most important church sensed it in utmost shock. He could not believe that a bishop would betray the Lord and destroy the Lord’s transmission circles voluntarily.
Then, two ninth-circle spells popped up in his head. Brain Scourge and Memory Meddling!
However, even a legendary sorcerer couldn’t have played the two spells so marvelously that the victims would help him achieve his purpose voluntarily without any resistance!
Such sorcerers were most difficult to resist, and they were most dreadful!
BOOM!
In another place of the city, the core that controlled the divine power circles was drowned by the brilliance of self-detonation too.
BOOM! BOOM!
After hearing the two consecutive explosions, the slender man at the center of the hills outside of the city stood up. His eyes were both gentle and cruel.
Hooooooo!
The undead creatures on the hills, in simultaneous howls of death, rose from the ground overwhelmingly.
The slender man floated toward the city. Behind and below him were the undead creatures who had returned from the abyss of revenge!
The guards at the city gate were checking the people who were entering the city when they suddenly sensed that the sky was dark. They raised their heads subconsciously, only to tremble in fear and paleness.
In the sky, the monsters who had nothing but bones and rotten meat left obscured the sun and brought death. Amid them was an evil necromancer who did not wear a hood.
Their legs trembled, and they collapsed on the ground. The people in lines ran about in fright, only to fall too as the army of undead creatures drew near.
The undead creatures did not let out any noise or go on a rampage. Ignoring those people, they flooded to the gate, entering the city through the gate, over the wall, or from the sky.
“Enemy incoming!”
Clerics and knights stood up from different places of the city, confronting the necromancer in the sky.
The necromancer seemed to be in a trance. He mumbled to himself, “I am Vicente. I am back…”
“Kill him!” Holy light and long spears were tossed at Vicente.
With immense hatred on his dry face, Vicente raised his head and let out a devastating howl.
As the sound waves spread out, many fuzzy banshees were dancing. All the flying clerics and knights hit the ground like raindrops. Those who could not fly trembled in fear as they watched it.
Vicente’s face became cold. Looking at the red robe who was struggling to resist Banshee Wailing, he raised his left hand and pointed at the red robe.
Countless streaks of black hair immediately burst out of the red robe’s body. He became as withered as a corpse. Then, he fell from midair helplessly, splitting into multiple pieces, but there was not a drop of blood.
Vicente looked down at the city and suddenly descended, landing before a middle-aged knight who was holding a longsword.
“Don’t… Don’t… Don’t kill me…” The middle-aged knight waved his eyes in panic and moved backward. The knights around him were too frightened to help him.
Vicente said coarsely and earsplittingly, “Andrew.”
“You… You know me. You… You are Vicente!” Andrew’s eyes widened as he recognized the terrifying necromancer before him. The man looked exactly the same as twenty years ago except that his face did not have the slightest flesh anymore!
Vicente walked to Andrew slowly. “It was you who reported me and killed Shirley.”
“It… It was none of my business. ‘Crazy Hound’ did it. I never thought that Shirley would get killed.” Andrew was almost in tears.
“Crazy Hound? Where is he?” Vicente asked coldly, ready to invade his brain if he did not get an answer.
Andrew was willing to confess anything to save himself. “‘Crazy Hound’ is appreciated by the grand cardinal of the duchy for killing a lot of sorcerers and promoted to Cocus.”
“Cocus? I will find you…” Vicente looked toward the north. His eyes were full of coldness and irresolvable hate.
Then, he stared at Andrew again. “Who else was involved?”
“There… There’s also Lotell, Goon, the Tamer, and the Bone Digger. They are in the Inquisition here.” Andrew revealed the names of all the people who were involved in the case.
“Very good, to thank you for your honesty, I will not kill you in person.” Vicente put on a cruel smile. The army of the undead creatures behind him raged forward and drowned Andrew.
“NOOOOOOOO!”
Miserable and painful screams echoed nonstop while the undead creatures ripped and swallowed Andrew’s flesh until there was nothing but bones left.
Vicente looked at the nobles who were gathered in the place. After they pushed Lotell and Goon out, he waved his hands, rotting the two nobles and turning them into zombies.
“Vicente, we had nothing to do with what happened. We are very sorry about the death of the Brenzells too. We will not stop you from seeking your revenge, but please do not kill the innocents.” The knight in the lead tried to calm down and begged sincerely.
Vicente said coldly, “You could’ve saved her, but you didn’t do anything.”
Then, the army of the undead creatures surged forward, consuming all the nobles.
After several minutes, Vicente reached the gate of the Inquisition on piles of bones. Most of the night watchers here, including the Tamer, had been killed in the battle just now.
“The Lord will not spare you!” The remaining interrogators in the Inquisition glared at Vicente.
Without saying a word, Vicente simply let the army of the undead creatures devour them, leaving only screams and the Bone Digger whose hair had been grayed.
“I only regret that I did not find out your whereabouts!” The Bone Digger seemed zealous and devoted.
“You’ll have plenty of time for regrets,” Vicente said coarsely and softly, not intending to argue with him.
Pale fire emerged from the soul of the Bone Digger, burning him and making him cry in pain.
“The Lord will… Ahhh! … will punish you!
“NOOOOOOOO!
“Ahh! Damn it. Have mercy! Have mercy!
“Have mercy!”
Vicente walked to the cemetery without looking back, leaving the begging man behind. Gradually, the screams died down. Since the ordinary people were too scared to breathe, the whole city was as quiet as if it were dead.
In such silence, Vicente entered the cemetery and reached the tomb that he had seen too many times in his dreams.
The tomb opened without a sound, and the coffin rose straightly.
Vicente walked to one side of the coffin, fell on one of his knees, and opened the coffin gently.
“Shirley, I’m here to pick you up.” As the gap grew larger and larger, his cold eyes were more and more tender, filled with love and guilt.
Inside the coffin, a skeleton was lying quietly.
Vicente leaned down and kissed the mouth of the skeleton softly. As if he were in a dream, he said, “Shirley, it will be fine. Everything will be fine. We will be together forever.”
A tear dropped from his eye onto Shirley’s face.
Corrupt the soul and pursue death, not for an eternal life, but for your return!
