"What the fuck are you!?" an inquisitor screamed, eyes wide with horror.
Kai took a breath, steadying himself, his gaze flicking between his three opponents. The hunter stood silent, knives spinning idly in the air around him, while the two inquisitors radiated divine energy, their weapons humming with holy magic.
His heart pounded, his muscles screamed, the wounds covering his entire body wept tears of blood.
But he ignored it all.
'The hunter is the biggest problem. I won't be able to take him on until the others are dealt with.'
Kai's fingers twitched as he reached his consciousness out.
Not for Shade, but for the children who had already perished. With a silent command, the reanimated bodies of the slum kids surged forward. They were fast. Desperate. An unrelenting tide of bodies, teeth bared, nails clawing, fueled by the last fragments of their stolen childhoods.
One of the inquisitors screamed as they swarmed him, tearing at his armour, biting into his flesh. He swung wildly, his sword cleaving through the undead children, but for every one he struck down, another replaced them.
The second inquisitor reacted faster, his holy magic flaring to life. With furious chants, he unleashed divine fire. The air filled with the smell of burning flesh as the children were incinerated, their small bodies reduced to blackened husks.
Kai's stomach twisted at the sight, but he didn't have the luxury of regret. He had already accepted the weight of his actions.
The hunter's knives suddenly lurched forward, spinning toward him like a blur of silver. Kai barely managed to grab Joran's corpse and use it as a shield. The blades embedded themselves into the lifeless flesh with sickening precision.
"Not bad, kid." The hunter's voice was eerily calm, almost amused. "You might actually be a challenge. More than your friends, at least."
The hunter appeared from within the swirling smoke, stepping forward as if emerging from a nightmare.
Kai shuddered.
'He killed everyone so easily...'
With unnatural grace, he kicked Joran's corpse aside, sending it skidding across the dirt. The two knives fell to the ground, but before they could touch it, the hunter snatched them mid-air and assumed a fighting stance.
Kai clenched his teeth. 'He'll kill me in close quarters.'
'Shade!'
From the darkness, Shade lunged. A hidden ambush.
Its form shifted like liquid shadow, but before it could strike, a searing blade of divine magic tore through its body.
Kai whimpered.
'Pain that Shade feels, I feel? That's not fair...'
The air crackled with the force of the spell as Shade let out a shriek and collapsed, pinned to the ground by the glowing projectile.
"I won't fall for that." The hunter twirled a knife in his fingers. "Your little pet is dangerous. It's just you and me, little man."
Shit.
'Strengthening Magic!'
Kai's muscles surged with power as he propelled himself backward, barely dodging an oncoming slash. The hunter chased after him, his movements impossibly fast, his arms and legs pulsing with raw mana.
Kai gritted his teeth. He had dealt with the inquisitors, but this man was no amateur. Every attack was calculated, every movement a death sentence.
'Think!'
He led the hunter through the ruins of the slums, ducking and weaving through debris. The hunter barely slowed, his presence relentless, like a shadow clinging to Kai's heels.
A sudden sting across his arm made him gasp. Blood dripped down from where a knife had grazed him.
"No more tricks?" the hunter taunted.
Kai's mind raced. He reviewed all of the skills and spells he had accrued so far.
'I need an opening.' Kai pivoted sharply, eyes scanning his surroundings, waiting for the perfect moment.
The hunter launched into the air for a moment.
'Gravebound!'
The spell struck like a phantom's grasp. The hunter's movements midair stuttered for a fraction of a second.
Just enough time for Kai to step forward, launch himself into the air, and drive his fist into the hunter's chest.
At the moment of impact, he funneled every ounce of strengthening magic into his arms. He felt the hunter's ribs snap beneath his knuckles as the man smashed into the ground, coughing up blood.
For the first time, the hunter smiled.
"I knew it," he rasped, eyes gleaming with something close to admiration. "If only you had a few more years on you… Fighting you would've been even more thrilling. Too bad I have to kill you."
Blood seeped from his jacket's left arm. He looked confusedly at his new wound and grabbed something invisible to his awareness.
Kai exhaled.
'Now!'
Kai looked at his friends, veiled by his ability.
'Cancel Concealment.'
In an instant, the ambush was revealed.
Joran, Rhea, Merri, and Finn emerged from the darkness, their dead eyes fixed on the hunter. Rhea's teeth already sinking into his arm with unnatural strength. He snarled and stabbed her through the stomach the moment she appeared, but she didn't let go.
Joran followed, gripping the hunter's knife—still embedded in Rhea's gut—and shoved it deeper into the hunter's side.
Kai smirked. 'I'm lucky I can transfer my skills to my friends. Otherwise, that might have been tough. I'll have to try that with other spells and skills soon.'
The hunter collapsed to his knees, his breath ragged, his body unable to fight off the swarm. For the first time, Kai saw real fear flickered in his eyes.
A knife flicked through the air and pierced Kai's leg. A last desperate attempt at defying him.
"What are you?" he screamed, his voice barely audible through the pile of undead.
Kai stepped forward, his expression unreadable. Then, slowly, he smiled.
"Your friend asked the same thing. It seems none of you know what you're dealing with, and that will be your downfall. Just so you know, I'm a necromancer. And until the end of time, for all the harm you've caused, I will make sure you never fucking know peace."
Kai extended his hand and grasped at the hunter's soul.
Instead of absorbing it, he held onto it, feeling its desperate struggle against him. A notification from the system appeared in his mind, but he barely paid attention to the words.
[Awakening has Progressed.]
[Life Essence Pool Size has Increased to 3,500.]
[You may now use the spell: Tether the Fallen - imprison a soul inside a vessel until the vessel is destroyed or the spell is canceled. Imprisoned souls must obey the spellcaster.]
Kai's grip tightened. 'I felt that coming. Even if I didn't have the spell, I'd still use it. This man deserves everlasting unrest.'
'Tether the Fallen.'
The hunter's soul was yanked back into his broken body, forced into existence by Kai's will alone. The man shuddered, his once-defiant eyes now blank and hollow.
Kai watched as his new minion's wounds healed enough to stop bleeding.
"Your name will be Hunter from now on. Whatever you were before doesn't matter."
Hunter nodded, vacant and obedient.
"Good. Hunter. Sit."
The former assassin pushed himself up and sat down.
"Like a dog!"
Hunter dropped onto all fours, his hands resting on the ground in front of him.
Kai reached out and patted his head mockingly. "Good doggie."
Kai walked over to the other two mutilated corpses and absorbed their souls. Another flood of memories hit him, but nothing important stuck to him.
He turned back to his reanimated friends, his chest tightening as he looked at Rhea.
"Sorry, Rhea," he murmured. "I couldn't protect you all… But I promise to try and achieve all of your dreams. I will find Merri's sister, fly a skyship for Finn, and become the best fighter in the world for Joran. I will do everything that none of you could, and you'll be with me for all of it."
A faint vision of Rhea appeared before him, distant yet warm. Though he couldn't hear her words, he felt her presence, and in that moment, he knew she forgave him.
The tears finally came, spilling down his face as he let himself grieve.
[Name: Kai Tensen | Age: 5 Years | Specialisation: Necromancer | Rank: 10 | Awakening Requirements: Unknown | Life Essence Stored: 1,474/3,500 | Mortality Deviance: Minimal | Souls Bound: 8 (Winfried Drummond, Angelica Trunsdale, Troy Saren, Nameless Guards (2), Nameless Inquisitors (3)) | Undead Army: 21 (Joran, Rhea, Finn, Merri, Child (19) | Tethered Souls: 1 (Hunter) | Languages Translated: Imerian | Skills: Mana Manipulation, Mana Tempering, Mana Sense, Advanced Shadow Manipulation, Minor Strengthening Magic, Minor Elemental Magic, Intermediate Combat Arts, Shadowmeld, Precision Targeting (Magic), Death Sense, Murmurs of the Departed | Spellcasting: Novice | Spells: Raise Undead (Lesser), Thrall Control, Shadow Conjuring, Bull's Strength, Frozen Touch (Contact), Frozen Zone (Area), Icicle Javelins (Ranged), Searing Touch (Contact), Wall of Flame (Moderate), Wither, Gravebound, Wall of Ice (Moderate), Eagle's Sight, Mass Raise Undead (Lesser), Tether the Fallen]
Kai wiped his eyes.
His path was clear now. There was no turning back or staying in the city. It was time to head home.