The forests surrounding Tonberg were renowned for their enchanting allure. While not quite as picturesque as the choking overgrowth of Akzhem, their rolling hilltop vistas and secluded ponds exemplified mankind's often-surprising beauty. In recent years, however, monsters shunted north from the Order's corruption of the southern lands had transformed a mere evening walk through the countryside into a difficult prospect.
But it wasn't all so bad. For mercenaries and sellswords, monsters were always a welcome addition to any locale. The guild of Tonberg had seen an unexpected surge in members looking to seek their fortunes taking on high-grade requests. It was common for such firebrands to seek out groups to carry out tasks, leading to the creation of many renowned bands of heroes responsible for saving many innocent lives. One such group; a ragtag trio composed of a warrior, a priest, and a thief, had only just emerged from its most recent conquest--the slaying of a silver-tongued Koorin.
The creature's gargantuan shell was covered in moss, bearing the marks of countless deflected weapons. A single axe was embedded between its eyes, and from the wound leaped torrents of blood which dirtied the shaded grass. Laying on the ground next to the beast was the weapon's owner--a top-heavy fellow whose olive gambeson poked through the broken links in his mail. He was not dead, but his wounds were severe.
"Friedrick!" A feminine voice exclaimed, "Don't worry! I'll tend to your wounds!"
"Adelaine…" He coughed out, "Did… did we win?"
"We did!" She replied, "Ed! Come over here and help Friedrick!"
"What am I to do? You're the one with the healing spells…" Examining the Koorin's corpse was a thin, hooded fellow who reacted to her request with cynicism, "I'll be helping myself to the beast's tongue in the meantime. I hear alchemists will pay a small fortune for it."
"Ooh! You're always like this!" The girl named Adelaine, dressed head-to-toe in a nun's habit, responded, "Don't worry, Friedrick. Just stay still for now…"
The three of them were comrades, though a month ago they would have struggled to call one-another acquaintances. It was the rabid camaraderie which festered in the heat of battle which had transformed them into irreplaceable friends. As Adelaine closed her eyes, she communed with the ancient Spring of Immortality--inanimate deity of healing evocations, and allowed its restorative powers to flow through her hands towards Friedrick's wounds. Almost immediately, the stout man could feel the crushing pain in his chest disappearing.
"Ah… where would I be without you, Adelaine?" He smirked.
"You really need to stop throwing yourself into harm's way!" She scolded, "If something happened to you, I… w-well, there are people who would miss you, is what I'm trying to say!"
"It's a warrior's duty to face his enemies head-on." He replied, "And--as long as you're at my side, Adelaine, I know the two of us can face any foe."
"Friedrick…" The nun's face deepened with a blush.
"If the two of you are quite done…" Ed muttered from afar, "There's a fine pouch of Wurms waiting for us back at the guild. We'll use this tongue as proof of our kill."
"Right. Of course." Standing to his feed, Friedrick began pulling blades of grass from his short red hair, "With that kind of money, we could afford some new equipment. We'll be taking on C-grade requests before we know it!"
"Personally, I'm just looking forward to a warm bath…" Ed complained, "If we split the gold between us, that would be- hm?"
The thief's heightened senses enlightened him to a strange sound thumping along the forest floor. As he turned his head, so too did his comrades focus their hearing, understanding full-well the reliability of Ed's perception. As the racket grew louder, a silhouette began to emerge from the undergrowth, trampling bushes beneath its incredible weight.
"Wha-" Friedrick stammered, "What in the Gildwyrm's name is that!?"
His surprise was warranted. Unlike the Koorin, whatever had just entered the clearing was no mere monster. Indeed, it didn't seem much like a 'creature' at all. With far too many limbs wiggling like parasites from its pallid flank and tumorous, pus-filled growths coating its body like scales, it was something straight out of a nightmare. A thick scent of decay blew downwind from the monster's rotting flesh, causing Adelaine's eyes to widen in horror.
"A… an undead!?" She realised, "I thought they were all destroyed by the Gildwyrm!"
"It's only natural that a few would have survived. It isn't like the Order was completely defeated during the battle." Ed commented, "But even so, this is bad… we're not exactly at our best right now."
"Don't let its size intimidate you! Remember--we have a priest on our side! With her holy magic, this should be a breeze! Isn't that right, Adelaine?" Friedrick rallied, blinking as a few seconds of silence passed, "...Adelaine?"
Something was wrong. Friedrick felt a sudden urge to pull his attention away from the undead abomination. When he heard whimpering from behind him, the warrior didn't hesitate to turn his back to the creature, eyes widening as he spotted Adelaine firmly in the grasp of a robed woman holding a dagger to her throat.
"Adelaine!" His eyes were filled with rage, "You! Who are you!?"
"I'm going to ask you politely not to try anything heroic." The girl replied. Her short, alabaster hair and pale skin gave her the appearance of a spirit, "One step out of line, and I won't hesitate to kill this girl."
"Were you the one who created this monster!?" Friedrick demanded, "Ed! Your dagger-"
"Excuse me. I believe I just told you not to try anything." The assailant scolded, watching Ed's hand freeze as he reached for the dagger on his belt, "And yes, that creature belongs to me. You speak of it like some sort of monstrosity. Isn't it one of the most beautiful things you've ever seen?"
"Friedrick…" Ed muttered, "I recognise that girl… isn't she a guild member?"
"What!?" His comrade exclaimed, "...Ah, now that you mention it!"
"How cruel of you to forget. The two of us even exchanged words on one occasion." She frowned, "If you've forgotten, my name is Lieze."
"Lieze, then… why are you doing this!?"
"She's a bloody necromancer, you fool!" Ed interrupted, "I knew there had to be at least one of them still inside the city! Don't you remember Noma Lawain? This girl was the one who went along with her when she disappeared!"
"You cur…" Friedrick took a heavy step forward, "What's your plan!?"
"I'll allow you that single step for free. But take another, and Adelaine will be dead in half the time it takes for you to close the distance between us." Lieze warned, "-And don't forget, you're neglecting the visitor behind you."
Responding to the thunderous stomps of the undead creature, Ed was able to sidestep just in time to dodge its ceaseless charge. In a matter of seconds, it had placed itself next to the Koorin's corpse, where Friedrick's axe continued to drip greedily with blood.
"Damn it…" Realising they'd been put at a disadvantage, Friedrick cursed, "That thing doesn't look half as dangerous as the Koorin… but without my axe…"
Lieze frowned at the young warrior's observation. The nameplate above her creation left much to be desired.
Horror
Level 7 Undead
HP - 114/114 MP - 0/0
Using the Gravewalker and a number of Kobolds from the cave, she had assembled an essential footsoldier of any undead army--the Horror. While not quite as resilient as she would have liked, the creature's size and bursting weight maximised its intimidation factor. With two members of their party functionally neutralised, Ed was the only one capable of doing any real damage--and he was a measly [Level 6 Thief]. On the other hand, Friedrick was a [Level 11 Berserker], and Adelaine a [Level 10 Priestess]. If Lieze allowed either of the latter an opportunity to attack, she would be suffering a rather embarrassing defeat.
"What do you want, necromancer!?" Friedrick screamed, "I'm not going to let you harm Adelaine!"
"Don't act like you're the one with the bargaining power here." Lieze countered, "I'm just doing what I do best--furthering the ideals of the Order. The gold from slaying this Koorin will aid in that regard, if you wouldn't mind allowing me to steal your glory."
"Gold!? You would sacrifice the lives of the innocent for coin!?"
"Well, I can't very well fund my crusade without gold, can I?" She frowned, "I wouldn't mind having a few extra corpses, either. That is, assuming you're willing to throw this poor girl's life away."
"Calm down, Friedrick." Ed's attention was solely on the Horror defending the warrior's axe, "We need to approach this situation carefully."
"Hah…" The man forced himself to sigh, "...Adelaine, are you okay?"
"I- ghh!" Struggling against the arm rounding her neck, the nun could barely speak, "I'm okay… but please--don't submit to any of her demands… I would gladly give my life… to guarantee that the two of you survive…"
"That- I won't let that happen!" Friedrick refused, "There has to be a way…"
"Oh, there's certainly a way." Lieze interrupted, "If you're set on ensuring this girl's survival, then you need only do one thing for me."
"...And what would that be?"
"Your comrade. Ed, was it?" She continued, "Kill him."
"Kill me!?" Ed exclaimed, "Why would he do that?"
"-Because if he doesn't, then poor Adelaine will die." As to prove her point, Lieze sank the tip of her dagger into the girl's neck, eliciting cries of pain while blood trickled freely from the puncture.
"Adelaine!" Friedrick shouted.
"I'm going to give you a minute." Lieze warned, "Waste any more time than that, and I won't hesitate to end her life. Kill your comrade, however, and I'll stay my dagger. I don't care how you do it, so long as he winds up dead."
Something flashed in Friedrick's eyes. Perhaps he wasn't aware of it, but Lieze was perceptive enough to spot the change in his demeanour. A single instant of pure terror, replaced tenfold by a righteous defiance.
"I would never attack an ally!" He declared.
"Alright, then." Lieze replied simply, "You've made your choice."
Bracing the length of her dagger against the girl's neck, Lieze showed no hesitation as she began to slide the blade along her nape. As a shriek erupted from Adelaine's, however, the deed was interrupted by a trembling voice.
"S-Stop…"
Lieze grinned. Following Friedrick's demand, she stopped just shy of cutting deep enough to bleed the girl out. Contrary to his confidence a moment prior, the man could barely manage to keep eye contact anymore.
"Still feeling like a hero?" Lieze taunted, "I have to admit that I'm not a fan of this back-and-forth. If you're going to do as I ask, then say so right now. The next time I make a move, Adelaine will be dead before you know it."
"You-" He paused, "Do you give me your word?"
"Friedrick!" Ed called, "What in the Gildwyrm's name are you saying, man!? Snap out of it!"
"Absolutely." Lieze reassured, "Why, I could even be convinced to allow you and the girl to walk freely out of this forest. I've been planning to leave Tonberg for a while now, so don't worry about keeping this incident to yourselves, either."
"You'll leave?" Friedrick pleaded, "You'll leave the city and never come back?"
"Well… I can't promise that. But for as long as the Order takes to attempt another siege--certainly."
"Oi, oi, oi! Friedrick!" Ed protested, "You can't seriously believe that!? You know a necromancer never keeps their word! She's trying to get us all killed! We're in a stalemate! All we have to do is wait this out!"
"Wait out for what!?" The warrior demanded, "We're in the middle of a forest, Ed! Who's coming to rescue us!? The moment we try to stall, she's going to kill Adelaine!"
"Then we can kill her afterwards! She's using Adelaine against you, man!"
"You-" Friedrick clenched his teeth, "You know I can't let her die!"
"So what--you'd happily die with her!? What's gotten into you!?"
"Right. I've heard enough of this!" Lieze interjected, "Talk is cheap, and frankly, I'm running out of patience. Friedrick--if it's my word you desire, then you have it. Now get to work right this instant if you want Adelaine to live."
"Ed…" The barbarian could only manage a shrug of his shoulders, "I'm sorry…"
"Oi… I thought we were mates?" The thief's expression became conflicted, "Come on, now… you know neither of us wants this…"
"Get to it!" Lieze demanded.
At her request, Friedrick charged his spindly comrade. Perhaps he wanted to get it over with quickly. Or, given his hidden cowardly nature, perhaps he wanted the element of surprise. Either way, Ed's agility couldn't quite match the tenacity of a man several levels higher than him. Unsheathing his dagger, the thief stabbed with hesitant movements while backstepping, only succeeding in getting his weapon lodged between the ribs of his former ally as he was quickly pinned to the ground by the much larger man.
"Friedrick!" He called out, "You can be ser- agh!"
The barbarian's gargantuan hands were around his throat before he could finish his sentence. Pointlessly, he dug his nails into the man's forearms, only drawing a measly amount of blood as he felt his larynx being crushed in Friedrick's vice grip. As he slowly came to terms with his fate, an expression of pure terror manifested on his face in a final attempt to wake his dear friend from his desperate stupor.
Adelaine's face quickly became slick with tears as the tragedy unfolded before her eyes. The man she'd come to harbour feelings for after so many months of travelling together was being manipulated into murdering his closest friend. She didn't feel at all flattered by Friedrick's devotion to her survival. Rather, she was disgusted that he was willing to sink so low for her sake. Realising that her own incompetence was what led to the situation in the first place was almost too much for her to bear.
By the time Ed had ceased his pointless struggling, Friedrick was openly sobbing. As the life seeped out from the thief's eyes, he couldn't even bring himself to stand despite the Horror idling just a few feet away. The expression on his face was one of incomparable regret.
"Hah…" Still kneeling over Ed's corpse, he raised his hands, "What have I done…?"
"Fine work." Lieze complimented, "I'm surprised. You would make for an excellent necromancer with morals like those."
"...Do you think this is some kind of joke?" He spoke through gritted teeth, "I've upheld my end of the bargain, witch! Now it's time to uphold yours!"
Lieze smiled, "I don't think so."
"No!"
With a single, fluid movement, Lieze's dagger slashed Adelaine's throat, causing the girl's eyes to widen in horror as she struggled to free herself.
"You monster!" Friedrick screamed, "I'll kill you!"
The barbarian's speed was unbelievable. Lieze could have never hoped to face him in a one-on-one battle, even unarmed. Thankfully, she had taken the exact precaution to deal with such an issue. Unable to direct his attention elsewhere, Friedrick groaned as his body was suddenly tackled by the weight of an enormous beast.
"Wha-" He exclaimed, "H-How did that thing move so fast!?"
A Horror's main weakness was its terrible slowness. Warriors and spellcasters of any discipline could easily keep their distance while pelting one with long-range weapons and spells. But what if such a beast was granted additional speed? With the power of her [Necromantic Alchemy], Lieze had no trouble accomplishing exactly that. By infusing the Horror with a [Speed Upgrade], she had eliminated the creature's main drawback.
As the Horror set about messily ending Friedrick's life to a chorus of defiant screams, Lieze was careful not to loosen her grip on Adelaine until she was certain the girl had passed away, knowing full-well of her ability to heal herself if given the opportunity.
[Adelaine Varla Defeated]
35xp Rewarded
As soon as she discarded the corpse, Friedrick was quick to follow--his body reduced to a bloody pulp by the tireless assault of her Horror.
[Friedrick Vega Defeated]
40xp Rewarded
Level Up!
You are now level [6]
HP+15 MP+35
Her power grew yet again. She had completed a number of requests relating to her newly-acquired alchemy abilities the day before, and her victory over the trio had sent her beyond the threshold. Without wasting a moment, she quickly went to work raising the three as new Gravewalkers.
!Mana Burnout!
Your [Spellcasting] feature has been disabled for 24 hours.
Was she ever going to get rid of that? Then again, it was a far cry from when she had struggled to raise a single thrall. As Ed's blue-faced corpse rose from the ground, Lieze snatched the silvery Koorin's tongue dangling from his pouch.
"This should be enough to convince the guild…" She muttered, "This request was worth 500 gold pieces, if I remember rightly…"
She had tracked the group when they set out from Tonberg to slay the beast, but dealing with them had been more of a hassle than she would have liked, even with the element of surprise and one of them completely unarmed. She was going to need more than a simple Horror in the future to ensure her victories.
As the former priestess shambled over, Lieze admired the black-and-gold habit covering her body, and a new plan began to sprout in her head.
"Looks about my size…" She muttered, tugging at the baggy sleeves, "I do wonder…"
As if canny to her line of thinking, the golden scale interrupted her thoughts with a notification.
New Quest Received!
'A Change of Faith' - Infiltrate the Church of the Golden Dragon
Reward - 300xp