Not that it wasn't child's play for Michael already. With a single well-placed destruction spell, he could destroy the outer walls of the Holy City and allow the undead horde to feast on the inhabitants within, but it would not further his own goal or agenda in any significant way.
At least not as much as Michael had liked for the effort spent.
He gained nothing from those who were killed by wild undead. Only his undead creations allowed him to acquire souls but only souls. Michael would need to use his power to obtain the physical appearance of the victims, and that was too much of a hassle.
Michael currently enjoyed being a strategist, staying out of immediate dangers. While that did prevent him from getting in on the action and acquiring models for his asset library, it was much safer.
Gaining the souls of those who were killed was enough for now, as there was always a need for souls.
As for destroying the outer walls of the Holy City, Michael felt that there was no point in doing so. He could just teleport himself or any undead of his choosing regardless whether they were of his creations or not into the city now that the protective barrier was gone.
Honestly, a couple of Death Knights here and there would overwhelm any defenders within the city.
Death Knights were very powerful individuals, and they were considered to be living dead rather than undead. Living dead were more powerful than undead, relatively speaking. They had all the strengths of an undead and little to none of the weaknesses. They could wander in broad daylight without being burned or reduced to cinder. They could touch sacred and blessed artefacts without taking damages.
And more important, holy attribute was not their bane.
In the same class type and combat comparison, only the Paladin class or higher would be a match for a Death Knight, but it took years of trainings, hard works and dedications for a Swordsman to become a Paladin. It only took Michael a few minutes to create a Death Knight from a Swordsman.
Or in this case, Swordswoman.
In any case, Michael pondered how having a bunch of Death Knights causing havocs would allow him to reach the Sage Tower and confront Dalton. Even if the outer rim of the Holy City fell to him and his undead legion, the mages at the Sage Tower would not even budge a little.
Their concern was the Sage Tower itself, not the city nor the people living within its walls. Their family were most likely evacuated into the safety of the tower and not have to deal with the undead horde.
In addition, from the amount of magic radiating from the Sage Tower, it was clear to Michael that the tower had enough power to unleash a devastating spell that could potentially wipe out a good chunk of the undead within a hundred miles.
Not just undead but anyone and anything that considered to be an enemy.
Michael wondered whether this was the reason to why the demons were not present. There was also no undead powerful enough to breech the city, allowing the invasion to proceed. Perhaps the Demon King was in no hurry to take the city, considering it was the last beacon of the human race.
Then Michael remembered there were other races on this continent, and they were also in the same dire situation as the human race when dealing with the undead.
Perhaps the demons and their Demon King were assaulting those other races instead, for the demons were enemy of the world.
Whichever the case, his goal remained the same. Reach the Sage Tower and confront Dalton. Anyone who got in his way shall be destroyed and recycled.
"What are you thinking, my liege?"
A voice to the side surprised Michael for a second. He was too immersed within his own thoughts that he had failed to notice someone sneaking up on him. Well, it was not entire his fault.
"How long have you been standing there?" Michael questioned without paying the woman an eye. He knew her position anywhere at any given time because she was his creation. He was keeping track of all of his creations.
"Just now, my liege," Sonia responded with a cold complexion. There was great hatred burning within her for what Michael had turned here into, but sadly, she could not raise her weapon against him since he was her creator and ruler.
Michael was rather impressed at her speed. She was much faster than he had expected, but from her auras, she had helps from all the buffs and enchantments that she had casted upon herself. The danger of facing a Death Knight wasn't their physical prowess. It was their ability to cast magic.
Magic allowed even the lowliest undead to become an unstoppable titan. It certainly did for Michael, as he was supposed to be just a skeleton in rags. Skeletons were amongst the weakest undead.
In all respects, Michael was considered as a Lich from his ability to use magic. A Lich Lord, ruler of the undead, was a more precise class due to the amount of magic at his disposal.
"I am impressed that you could locate me when I am suppressing my own aura, Sonia Drake," Michael complimented, and the Death Knight bowed courteously. "This is my order to you. Go and hunt down those you believe to be of great use to me. For anyone else, kill them, but do not turn them into mince meat like you did to those people. They cannot reanimate if they were just a pile of bloods and guts."
Sonia frowned, expressing her displease at the command, but she could not refuse it as she was bound to his will. "Yes, my liege."
In an instant, Sonia was gone, leaving behind a strong gust of wind. Despite her speed, Michael could still track her, and within the next few moments, the amount of souls within his stockpile had jumped repeatedly.
Without even looking through her eyes, seeing what she could see, Michael knew that Sonia was doing his will, slaughtering everyone in her ways regardless of who. Those who were considered to be friends and comrades in arms to her were reduced to mere targets.
They all died in utter shock and despair. Many of them weren't even able to drawl their weapon before they were killed with a stab through the heart and throat.
Due to Michael's command, Sonia did not behead or dismember any of her victims, so that they would be reanimated into an undead, spreading more chaos outside the city. While she detested helping the undead in laying waste of her beloved city, she had no choice but to do as she was commanded.
Her will was no longer her own, and just like Sonia had claimed herself moments ago, she was merely a blade to be wielded and used by Michael at his leisure. She was his creation after all.
Therefore, Sonia killed and killed and kept on killing. When the first person managed to block her fatal blow, Sonia knew that she had found someone who could be of use to Michael. Perhaps not just one, but a whole group.
"S…Sonia? Why are you doing this!?" the defending woman uttered as she tried to steady her weapon with both hands. Thanked to her instinct, she managed to defend herself, as Sonia was too fast for her eyes to follow properly.
Sonia looked at her childhood friend and raised her cursed blade. "Eris Horning. It is nice to meet your blade again. Please show my liege that you are worthy of his benevolent, for he is always watching."
Eris did not have time to response as she defended herself against Sonia. Barely. The third strike sent her back against the ground. The fourth strike would have taken her life if it wasn't for her comrades.
"That is not our friend, Sonia. She is an undead! Feel her aura. It is foul and vile!" Harold called out as he prepared another spell, but before he could complete his incantation, his throat was pieced. "!?"
"Do not interfere," Sonia stated as she withdrew her blade from Harold.
"Harold!" the scout of the party fired half a dozen arrows in one volley, but they all missed Sonia by a wide margin, and Sonia would have retaliated if it wasn't for Eris.
"Sonia! How could you!? How could you!? How could you kill Harold!?" Eris was enraged, and it clearly showed in her swordsmanship. "How could you!"
"I will kill anyone who gets in my way, as my liege has commanded," Sonia responded and in an instant, Eris was sent stumbling backwards. "You will be useful to him."
Sonia batted the arrows that attempted to harm her away, and she would have retaliated against the scout of the party if it wasn't for Eris.
"Who. Who are you talking about, Sonia? What has that person done to you?" Eris questioned as her aura intensified, causing the air to vibrate. "He had turned you – turn my friend – into a monster! I will kill him. I will. I will put you to rest."
Eris pointed her weapon at Sonia and used all of her strengths and speeds to put Sonia to rest, but to her surprise, Sonia blocked the devastating strike with little effort.
"Thank you, Eris. You have been and always will be my rival," Sonia stated before using her free hand to punch Eris right through her armor and flesh. She proceeded to rip out the heart within and crushed it without hesitation.
Eris could not believe what had just happened. It was unthinkable to penetrate her enchanted armor with brute force alone. Then again, Sonia was toying with her from the very start. "Was the difference between our ability that great… Sonia?"
As Eris collapsed onto the ground, bleeding out, Sonia paid attention to the rest of the people nearby and rushed at them with all the intention of ending their lives.
"Shit! Shit! How is this possible? I don't remember her being this strong!? Someone calls for –
Sonia proceeded to deliver the killing blow to each and everyone within sight before returning to Eris, who was gasping her last breaths. Despite her heart ripped out and crushed, she was still alive but just barely.
"Sonia… I… I… I…" Eris reached out her gauntlet hand to Sonia, who towered over her without a slither of movement. "I have always… always admired… you… and I… think… I think… I… lo…."
Sonia reached out her hand as her eyes glowed menacingly. "Accept me and you and Sonia will forever be together. It is what you wanted, isn't it, Eris Horning, second daughter of house Horning, defender of the realm?"
There was no choice to be made, as Eris Horning screamed in pain, and just like Sonia before her, she was reborn.
And with that, Michael now had two Death Knights. Within the next hours or so, the amount of Death Knights at his command was in the dozens. Each one was strong in their own way, and together, they were a force to be reckoned with.
That asides, the amount of greater mortal souls he had in his possession stood silently at 1391. Since there was no one left alive outside the city wall, it was time to move his assault into the city itself.
Michael would methodically raze section after section of the Holy City until he reached the Sage Tower itself. Not only he would gain quite a number of souls, but he would grow his undead legion to assault the tower.
Of course, unlike the battle outside the city wall, the battle inside would be more difficult due to mages and other combatants. Some Death Knights might be killed or destroyed or purified or worst. And any of that would set him back.
That was why Michael would be leading the battle himself.