Chapter 176: Trouble at Merkley

With the last of the skeletons sent, Dyne began to focus on his powers with Jedo.

“Jedo. Create that barrier thing on our way to the other side. It’s simple, but the hard defense of your force field should have increased by now. Using it should also be cheaper.”

“It has. With the amount of Mist I gathered, I can create more spells. If there are any more spells that you can remember from your games, then let’s test it out.”

“We can try Haste and Slow. It wasn’t in Legend of Legaia as you didn’t seem to have the time power. But those buffs are rather useful in real life.”

“The problem with Haste is that it will strain a person's physical body. So I think if we try to cast it on a person, it will put a physical and mental strain on that person, especially if this person will constantly go over the physical and mental limits. So in worst-case scenarios, it could kill the person.”

“True. But if we cast it on someone with a stronger physique, it would be helpful. Slow but powerful people like Gala would have the chance to move faster. His high vitality should be able to resist the strains of the fast speed for a longer time. This fast turnout could be to his advantage. Anyway, let’s go.”

Dyne and Jedo channeled great powerful magic and warped towards the other side. The various side-quest that Dyne and his team had in Martsirt had finally ended.

Dyne walked out of the hall and found the ranks of undead nearby.

Landed was shivering in fear. The sight of the many powerful skeletons made his fear grow more and more.

“Relax, Landen. They are on our side.” Dyne laughed as he moved out of the teleportation pad and went to the open air.

“Hrm?” Dyne suddenly frowned.

“What’s wrong?”

“Too little death. Give me a moment.” Dyne suddenly sat down in a crossed-legged position and began to harness Jedo’s power.

Dyne expanded his senses and confirmed that there had been too few deaths since he left.

“No deaths! Lazarus and the Afarit didn’t sacrifice their Kong Apes! But why?” Dyne began to thin.

“Master Dyne… I sense a presence deep inside the location of the cave. It wasn’t clear before since I was weak, and the death circles masked it. But I sense a strange dark creature inside that cave. It’s similar to the Skullgreymon that I took possession of."

Dyne then stood up.

“I was careless! Of course! The Afarit must have chosen that location because there was a suitable food source for it! So it must have used that to recover a small portion of strength!”

“What happened?” Leoric asked.

“Something’s come up. The Kong Apes were not sacrificed. It seems that the Afarit already had something prepared to make it regain its powers. The Afarit is economical now. But why? What’s the best course of action left?” Dyne began to think.

“Yesterday, I scouted the nearby locations when Lazarus had not sent for any messengers. I planned to use the excuse of giving reports if I got caught. Anyway, I confirmed that the Kong Apes have been moving towards Merkley.” Landen reported.

Dyne realized the plan.

“Emera, how is Lachdagonan’s progress?”

Dyne had noticed that Lachdagonan had been rather silent. When the darkness of the Mist came and engulfed the Jedo, Lachdagonan had moved out and began to devour more souls.

Unlike the other skeletons, Lachdagonan was not driven mad and did not consume the flesh of men on their attacks. But with Emera’s help, he was able to devour the souls of the men who were wicked and lived foul lives. After which, Lachdagonan’s soul was enveloped in some ectoplasmic cocoon.

“He has consumed quite a bit of the ghost but has fallen into meditation. He will slowly become a Revenant like me.” Emera reported.

“Do you still need to watch over him?”

“At this point, it all depends on his will, Lord Dyne.”

“His will, eh? His will ought to be strong enough. Good. Go on a scouting mission for me. I think I know what's happening. We have to change our plans yet again.” Dyne frowned.

“What is our new task?” Leoric asked.

“My tasks remain. It still is the most important thing to consider. I have to meet with my friends, Rena, and the group. I need her powers for the next stage of my journey. They created a small base near the edge of this forest. But now, since we have Leoric, I think we must focus on another mission. Originally, I thought the Afarit would ignore Merkley in its panic to restore its strength after I halved it. But it seemed to have another energy source that I didn’t anticipate. So since he could afford it, the Afarit plans to attack Merkley and devour everyone.”

“We are going to save that town?” Leoric frowned.

“Yes.” Dyne confirmed.

“Master Dyne. A mission to save that village will cost me more than I can bargain for.” Leoric frowned.

“My skeletons must feed on the living. But they are in a constant state of entropy. Their souls will be consumed soon. If I want to win Tristram, I need them recharged. I cannot afford some minor skirmishes. If an army of Kong Apes is headed to Merkley, we can attack the Afarit now!”

“There is a reason why we can afford to do that. The people of Merkley may die now, and Lazarus will take their souls through whatever magic to offer to the Afarit.”

“You planned to recruit them?”

“Yes. Dead or alive. But this won’t be possible if Lazarus gets there first.”

“I have read that Merkley is a Desolate Level Town. A skirmish like this with that reward is not enough to make up for my losses.”

“King Leoric, there is a place that we can soon go where that Mist that you experienced is being created in vast amounts. There is a castle full of skeletons and undead that have come alive because of that Mist. So I need you guys to buy me time while I prepare a transfer array to that place. And that’s why we need to stop the Afarit from getting stronger.”

“Unlimited amount of Mist? And you say there is a castle full of undead?” Leoric was amazed.

“Yes. We can recharge our forces and even control some minor skeletons. This team you command now will be your elite. There are more places in the place I am teleporting to that will have even stronger skeleton warriors!” Dyne smiled. He knew that Drake Castle would have an army of Skeletons that would soon be wasted. When the Genesis Tree is awakened, all these skeletons and undead will all die. There would be more monsters and skeletons of great power in the future locations of Legaia. And with Leoric, it would be his!

“I see. So a momentary sacrifice for future gain. How certain are you that we can acquire them?”

“With my awakened Ra-Seru, I should be capable of creating a means to go to that place. As for controlling them, it really depends on your power, Leoric.”

“Hmp. The undead will beckon to my call.” Leoric replied with a smug expression.

“Good. Then are we agreed? We have to save the village!”

“Yes.” Leoric nodded.

Dyne then turned to the rest.

“We don’t know if the Afarit will also move and search the mountain. So I recommend that a strike team will deal with the Kong Ape scouting around the mountain. If we manage to clear the scouts and kill the flow of communication or whatever possible logistics these Kong Apes need, it will make their march slow. Remember, these Kong Apes have human intelligence. Before, they kept harassing Merkley. But now, I expect siege weapons to be used on that small town. I’ve only been gone a few nights, but since the Afarit is desperate, it would have commanded an immediate skirmish to get more and more humans as sacrifices. And that Desolate Level town would be a perfect target.”

“Then we need to warn Markley.” Ardnula thought.

“What are the forces of Merkley?”

“Merkley has around three thousand people with cultivators that should be up to the level six martial novice stage. But most of their mature cultivators should be around level two or three. They are armed and might have been prepared for the attack. So even if the battle began, it would probably last a few days. Hopefully, they did not rush and attack Merkley.”

“No. I doubt they will. With the threat of another Afarit, they will make great preparations for this attack. They have more wars to fight and will do everything in an economical manner.” Ardnula confirmed.

“Let’s hope that’s true. Gather everyone. We have to make plans.” Dyne ordered.

Meanwhile…

Lazarus was deep in a strange room full of strange seals.

Before him, a large ancient black dragon was dead with a huge hole in its heart.

The young man emerged out of the dragon and turned to Lazarus.

“Lord Diablo. Our forces should reach Merkley tonight.”

“Hurry. We can’t afford any more delays. The teleportation pad has fallen. Our enemies are near.” The young man answered as he gazed in the direction where Dyne was.

“It seems I will have to ask for an alliance…” The man called Diablo thought.

“Prepare a communication array. I will be contacting my brother, Mephisto.”