As I approached the church my skin tingled. I could feel the positive energy emanating from this place, it was antithetical to me. Yet as I went around the side of the building I was embraced by a much more comforting energy.

 

The graveyard looked spooky in the late evening light. It was a bastion of death in a holy place. I had left my zombies behind, they had orders to protect and obey Tiss and Jackal.

 

Finding a graveyard had been fairly easy, I figured it was a good starting point if I needed bodies. Plus the walk was good to clear my head. Despite my conclusion that I had made a mistake in caring for Tiss and Jackal I still wanted to help them, a remnant of a younger me from another world.

 

I had never liked Zach but he had seemed fine the few times I had interacted with him. When Anne had pulled away I had let her go, she was my older sister, after all, she could do as she liked. I had continued with my life figuring she would reach out when she wanted to reconnect.

 

That goddamn phone call. I had been snappy and annoyed with her after so many ignored texts and calls. I hadn’t recognized a goodbye for what it was until it was too late.

 

“I love you, Morgan, please don’t hate me,” she had said. And I had hung up on her. I had just needed some time to cool off and planned to call her the next day but by then it was too late.

 

As soon as I got the call from Zach I knew something was wrong. My sister's death had been soul crushing but Zach’s behavior had made me angry. He just seemed indifferent, like he didn’t really care. 

 

I had been a mess for three days before I got the scheduled email from Anne’s address. It was a proper letter, unlike the messy call which haunted me day and night.

 

It however had not been closure. All the lies she believed, how little she thought of herself, the way she wrote about Zach, it all spoke to something far more insidious. That’s why I had to kill him because he had taken my sister away from me. I hadn't been able to save her so all I could do was avenge her. 

 

The cold numb anger settled over me quickly after that, it became a familiar comforting feeling rather than my guilt. Zach was a monster but he was also an idiot. Stalking him had been easy and I had let myself become overconfident. I saw the way he treated others when he thought no one was around. I knew my hunch was correct.

 

When I snuck into his house that night I headed for the kitchen to get a knife. Tracing the path I imagined my sister had only for a very different reason. As I stabbed the blade into his sleeping form it was like I could finally breathe again. I was lost in the way the blood gushed from his abdomen, I felt almost vindicated. The closest to heaven I would ever be.

 

Of course, Zach wasn’t dead. In movies, a single stab or bullet and they simply dropped. No, in real life it took what felt like an eternity. And since I hadn’t hit anything vital I was caught off guard when Zach screamed and flailed. Grabbing a gun from the bedside table and shooting me several times at point-blank range. With my remaining strength, I stabbed him again and again and again, even as the life bled from my body I had to ensure Zach was coming with me. As I collapsed on top of his gushing corpse, our blood soaking the bed, I was more than willing to be done, I was so tired and I had nothing left to live for.

 

Waking up here had been enough of a distraction to keep my mind busy. But in my mind, it had only been a few days ago that I had died. I had tried to move past it and start again, deciding to continue the path I had chosen on Earth. And then I met Tiss and I started to care again only to fail her. I had tried to do something other than destroy but I was no good at it, all I could do was punish those who deserved my ire.

 

A voice in the back of my mind reminded me that I was very much not finding balance. I shook it away, I didn't need immortality, in fact, I would have been perfectly happy staying dead. I wasn't going to be controlled by some divine being and I had a kingdom to ruin. If this path would be the end of me then so be it.

 

I stopped in the middle of the graveyard and raised my hands. Channelling my magic and bubbling grief into bringing any soul embers to me. Something lurched within me at the exertion but I held strong. At once the graveyard seemed to burst into light as orange embers emerged from the earth and fullened towards me. My entire body felt hot as I absorbed so much. Despite most of the bodies being long dead at least some soul embers remained. In total, it was almost an overwhelming amount.

 

Then the light was gone, plunging the graveyard back into darkness as I stumbled back, the cold suddenly overwhelming as the heat left me.

 

[Level Up!]

 

Checking my character sheet I frowned, at level five I had just gotten a mastery skill.

 

[Mad Science]

Your Book of the Dead improves allowing you to modify and repair undead creatures using available resources and soul embers. You may even do this to yourself granting changes and even possibly skills depending on what you do. This process of magically sowing and welding undead requires the use of soul embers. Additionally, when animating a corpse you may do so using unholy magic and without using soul embers however undead created this way last for only a short amount of time before being destroyed as your magic burns through them. The more powerful the corpse being raised the greater the magical cost.

 

I laughed into the evening air, now that was useful. If I fixed up my zombies they might be able to pass as humans, at the very least sealing up the gaping bloody wounds they all had would be aesthetically reliving. The possibilities of what I could create with the ability to alter myself and my undead began to flash through my mind. This was how I could build an army.

 

The third point would be useful in a pinch, soul embers were a finite resource, unlike my magic. While it would be useless if I was silenced again unlike my soul embers it would be more useful in a fight. However, I would have to be careful not to animate any corpses this way if I wanted to keep them once the fight was done.

 

Why I had gotten a mastery skill at level five I couldn't be sure but if I really was as dangerous as Calvin claimed perhaps I was an exception to the rule. I summoned the Book of the Dead, I was a little disappointed to find that it didn't look any different. Flipping through I found a few pages which seemed like explanations on anatomy and modifying undead creatures. It was grisly but fascinating, the concept of magically sowing and welding was somewhat horrific.

 

I turned my attention to the nearby church. The Order of Musado. A group of cruel, disgusting and abusive people, just like Zach Smith. Tonight was a night to let go and destroy.

 

I reached out my magic sending into the earth to find whatever corpses were available. I needed a temporary army and the dead buried here seemed like perfect choices. I used every drop of magical energy, reaching as far as I could and animating a horde of skeletons. There wasn't enough flesh of most of these bodies for anything else and I wanted numbers.

 

I let out a deep breath to try and calm my lightheadedness. I couldn't be physically tired but I was magically.

 

Rise!

 

The graveyard erupted in sound as dozens of skeletons began to dig their way out. Scratching, digging, clawing, my horde approached. Skeletal hands began to emerge from the ground followed by bodies in tattered clothes, some had weapons, some jewelry, some armour most with nothing at all.

 

The magic around them felt unstable, like a fire running out of fuel. They would not last long but with these numbers, I didn't need them to.

 

Rend!

 

The horde charged forward the church at my command. The only warning was the occasional clack of bone or crack of twig. There was a brief movement of resistance as they reached the edge of the graveyard, the energy from the church attempting to repel the skeletons. But my minions had their orders and they were at the doors in moments tearing them open and flooding inside.

 

I followed, taking up the rear and actively commanding the horde using [Call of the Mistress] with the small amount of magic I had. They tore through the nave of the church, smashing pews and tearing down tapestries. 

 

Someone screamed before a bolt of white energy tore through a few of my skeletons, only managing to destroy one. I didn't have a good view but could make out several skeletons dog piling on someone on the floor as they desperately tried to free themselves with bolts of magic. As soon as a skeleton was destroyed it seemed to crumble to dust unlike those animated by soul embers. It didn't matter that some were destroyed as others threw themselves at the priest. After a moment one tore an arm free and it was quickly over after that.

 

This wasn't a large church but I had still expected more. I sent the skeletons forth to explore the rest of the church in large groups. There would be no survivors. I looked around the nave, seeing the pristine church now in shambles. This was just the beginning but it was good to test my limits. I followed after the skeletons into a hallway. A shout was heard from down the hall and I hurried towards it, interested in what I would find.

 

“You shall not disturb her tomb,” a voice yelled as light blazed and my link to several skeletons was cut. Turning the corner I saw a man blocking the hallway and facing down the group of undead. He was better armed than the Order guards, he wore a breastplate though no helmet and was wielding holy magic. However, he wasn't quite as terrifying as that Holy Knight had been in the sewers.

 

“You, necromancer, how dare you enter this place!” he yelled, raising his sword to point it at me.

 

“Who, me?” I asked. “Sorry, I was just passing through,” I chuckled which immediately turned into a yelp and I ducked out of the way of the spear of light which had been flying right at me. No sooner had I recovered than the man had followed up with his sword swinging it directly at me as it blazed white.

 

I activated [Imbue Nightmare] sending him stumbling back. However, the overuse of magic made my head throb and it took me a moment to recover. “Kill him!” I yelled at my skeletons who were just standing there watching us fight.

 

The man panted heavily, his back eyes searching around him frantically. He lowered his head and suddenly glowed with a bright light before his clear eyes focused on me. “Your fowl magic is nothing compared to Oysus’ li–arrrg,” he was abruptly cut short as one of my skeletons with a sword slashed him across the leg.

 

I ran forward, needing to help my skeletons before the fight became one-on-one. Clutching at his leg he swung his sword slicing into another skeleton. I made a mental note that I needed to get armour and a shield as soon as possible. While I just had a sword I was very vulnerable.

 

“Fall back!” I ordered and my skeletons parted as I lunged forward.

 

He easily knocked my sword away and I jumped back having little confidence in my ability to go toe to toe with him.

 

Attack

 

I kept backing away, issuing a silent command as he advanced. One of my skeletons bashed him across the head with a hunk of wood causing him to crumple to the ground. They crowded around him, holding him down as they tore his armour away to get to the fleshy bits beneath. It was a bit much even for me. Letting out a breath of relief I collected the man’s soul embers and continued past to go see this tomb he had been guarding.

 

I descended the stone stairs which led underground. It led to a thick wooden door which was locked. “Bash this door down,” I ordered my skeletons and climbed back up the stairs as their dumb little skulls tried to figure it out. Watching skeletons they seemed almost like badly programmed robots, I definitely preferred the zombies. A loud crack and splintering of wood announced that they had succeeded and I returned. The room was small and lit by a candle. In the middle of the room was a stone platform with a body resting on it.

 

The woman looked to be sleeping but the lingering soul embers I absorbed said otherwise. She was wearing Order-decorated plate armour with a shield resting on her chest and a sheathed short sword. Her long blond hair was braided revealing pointy elven ears. It was all very ceremonious and there was something magical about her body. Beside the candle, I noticed an old book. I picked it up and flipped through. It was a list of names and dates.

 

The body belonged to Knight Nimue Inapeiros and according to the book, her resurrection was scheduled for a few days from now.

 

“Not if I have any say in this,” I snorted and drew my sword. I paused at my body, she looked powerful. My mind returned to [Mad Science] and I wondered if I could somehow make an improved zombie. While the zombies could use skills they were still too stupid to not be actively managed. I wondered if I could somehow make a smarter zombie. I placed my hand on the corpse and let the soul embers flow trying to channel as much into it as possible and hoping that this didn't backfire. There was a pop of energy as pain tore through me yet I found I couldn't stop, the soul embers just kept flowing into the body. Darkness swirled behind my eyelids as I swayed, still unable to stop whatever was happening.

 

As I slipped into unconsciousness the corpse began to convulse. As my head hit the floor I saw a notification.

 

[Undead Discovered Wight]