At last Walter Tye emerged from the dungeons of Hel with the statue of Asclepius and nothing else in his hand. She disappeared with her servants, probably waiting for Metro to strike first.
The Necromancer's followers spoke not a word throughout the journey, pondering what they had learned. Tai had no reserves, considering the dire situation; truth be told, the Necromancer was desperate to find a solution. The more people thinking about this issue, the better.
Because the darkest secrets of the nine realms have been revealed, you are in [Lo
emaste
] obtained four levels. You gain the [Rune Lord] and [Craft Yellow Mark] career perks.
+30 hp, +80 sp, +8 i
t, +4 cha, +4 lack.
Runelord: You can understand, speak, read, and write all languages. Additionally, you can craft [Rune] instantly, without needing a surface; if you do this, the symbol will fly in the air for ten seconds and then disappear.
[Create Yellow Mark]: You learn to create heretical runes known as Yellow Marks. Anyone other than you who sees it must succeed on a Charisma check or suffer the permanent [Madness] and [Bewilderment] illnesses. Whether or not the target resists the effect, you can use [Psychic] magic on them, regardless of distance, as long as they remember the symbol.
"Yes..." Anne murmured as they left the depths of the dungeon and came to the open sky. "Can it be done?"
"What?"
"Destroy a soul?"
This is a problem Tai hopes to avoid because while he has a theory, he can't prove or disprove it. "The laws of conservation of matter and energy postulate that neither creation nor destruction can occur, only transformation," the Necromancer said. "If we apply the same principle to souls, then they cannot be destroyed, only transformed."
Their souls are trapped in an endless cycle of death and rebirth, by Yggd
The will of the asil system will tend to confirm this. If Hel is really the gardener of the World Tree, feeding it the souls of the dead as she claims, then truly destroying souls would go against her plans.
However, she has also recently begun to act very irrationally. Her intentions towards him made Ty shiver with disgust.
"So, when someone is killed by an Earthling, where does the soul go?" Annie kept asking.
"The water of Yggdrasil," Lady Thrall said grimly.
"Most likely." Tai nodded, glancing at the sky where his undead servants were carrying souls back to Nastrom's portal. He immediately noticed that their numbers seemed to decrease. "Holy weapons may return the victim's soul to the water, transforming them into raw energy. The soul loses its personality and memory and is absorbed into Yggd
asil system, reborn in the next cycle. "
"This way we can extract a soul from the water." Anne said firmly.
"It's like extracting a drop of water from the ocean," Tai replied seriously.
"Neither Medelot nor Hel will give us time to prepare." Hagen told the cruel truth.
The god's necromancer nodded, then raised a hand. A gargoyle in his service came to the portal with the lost soul. "Where are the others?" Tai asked him.
"My lord, demons and dark elves," the gargoyle answered. "Loki's servants gather in large groups. They attack us wherever we go, but never pursue. It's as if they are waiting for a signal."
Tai considered returning to the dungeon alone and killing Loki himself, but decided against it, at least in the short term. Yes, the Trickster God is a cruel being dedicated to hastening Ragnarok's arrival, but he is Ethir's enemy first and foremost. While a Team Disaster victory would be a worst-case scenario, Tai would rather distract the gods than have all the attention focused on him. Better to let these little gods fight each other and take advantage of the chaos.
This worked in his previous incarnations.
The thought pained Ty. He really began to hate this constant feeling of depression, the feeling of walking on the same road without even realizing it.
"Tell the others to make the noise for a full retreat," Tai ordered the gargoyles. "We can't afford any more losses, we already got what we wanted."
"You no longer want to free these poor souls?" Mrs. Ser asked with a frown, which surprised him.
"Have you changed your mind, miss?" Hagen replied, amused.
"I admit that what I saw today... broadened my horizons." Mrs. Salter glanced at Tai. "What happened to the princess, to Prince Arthur, and to so many people... although I once defended it, it is now clear to me that this place was built on injustice." I will not forgive you for your lies, but I understand your motivation, Walter. Helheim must go. "
Tai is too modest to brag about his righteousness, even though he really wants to. "I'm going to clear this place," the Necromancer promised. "But I expect there are dangers ahead, and the more we spread, the easier it will be for her or her allies to tear us apart."
"What did he do to Taklu..." Annie shook her head. "She has to pay for it."
She will.
As they reach the portal on foot, a white vampire rat walks through it, holding a letter in its mouth. Ty opened it telepathically, reading the report signed by the robin. He fell into a deep, worried silence as he analyzed the contents.
"Walter?" Mrs. Searle asked, sensing his uneasiness.
"Camelot was sacked."
Anne gasped and Mrs. Salter frowned; only Hagen sounded not at all surprised. Ty handed them the letter and let them read the horrors for themselves.
Medlaut advanced on the capital and razed it to the ground. Two weeks after the royal devastation, the capital was already in chaos. The surviving royal knights dispersed, the skulls of leaders and civilians were piled into pillars higher than the city walls, and 20,000 prisoners were fed to giant wolves and snakes.
According to Mockingbird, ten undead warriors fought beside Medelot, each a match for the most powerful royal knight. Their victims are raised into immortal slaves, slaughtering the very citizens they protected in life.
The message is clear. The Legion of Scourge has risen, ready to unleash a war of destruction under the banner of their chosen champion. They neither expect nor give. Robin also noticed that temperatures were dropping around Midgard, with winter arriving three months earlier.
Ragnarok is coming, centuries ahead of schedule.
"What to do with the remnants of the college?" asked Anne in alarm, for Mrs. Searle had been reading. "army?"
"They retreated," the priestess answered, pale. "The church asked them to ensure the security of the northern region and not to fight the invaders for the time being."
"Won't they stop Medrote?" Hagen seemed confused. "Why?"
"Esil and Vanier believed his victory was inevitable," Tye guessed. "They believed he would destroy the roots and cause Ragnarok, so they kept their soldiers in preparation for their final battle."
The silence lasted until Anne broke it. "Ty," she said, "we need Gwen."
"Annie,"
"She's the only one who can convince the Royal Army to help," his apprentice pointed out. "Not you, not me. Her."
"Boss," Hagen shouted, "she's right. A princess can be an asset, even if it's just a bargaining chip."
"A few hours ago you were calling her more trouble than she's worth," Tai responded, surprised by his sudden change of tone.
"She's trouble," Hagen agreed. "But at least she will fight for survival. Even if she can only convince five hundred knights to join, that means we can send five hundred people to attack Metro. If he brings the royal knights back to life, then his power and There are more people than us.”
"She's caused us so much trouble—"
"Plans must adapt to changing circumstances," Dullahan interrupted.
"You said the apprentice should explore paths the master had not considered," Anne insisted. "This is a."
"If you don't think rationally and hold on to past resentments, you will be dominated by them," she added. "Isn't this why the Death Knights marched on us today? Do you want to follow the same path?"
Ty winced, but his argument hit home. He had been letting his resentment of the royal family cloud his judgment. The princess is now against both Esir and Hel, who enslaved her brother.
Hmm... maybe after he purges her of her divinity, she can actually stand up to his enemies.
"She's only seen the ugly side of you," Anne continued to argue. "I'm sorry to say this, but you have an ugly side. If you could sit around the table and talk—"
"I tried negotiating," Tye reminded them. "You all drove me away."
"You first killed young Lamore and Sir Sigurd in front of the princess, and then you tried to kill her." "You are not innocent in this conflict, Walter."
The Necromancer paused briefly. "I'll think about it," he said, "after we investigate Nastrom's situation."
Anne grimaced, but it was the best she could get and she wisely didn't force it. "Walter," Mrs. Soult cleared her throat, "I would like to help defend this city."
Tai immediately understood what she meant. "are you sure?"
"I don't believe in my God anymore," Mrs. Soult replied, then smiled sadly, "but... I have faith in you, Walter." I believe your intentions are good, although I cannot forgive you. Chaos to get to where you are now, but you fight to survive. I won’t worship you, but—”
"I don't ask for adoration," Tai responded. "Just to be forgiven."
The priestess's smile grew wider and she nodded slowly.
Lady Zeph's [Bald Priest] class is transformed into [Nihog's Priest].
The pale snakes may have fallen, and like the hydra, they grew new heads.
Twenty miles.
This is the Pe of Tai (Dark Lord of Nastrom)
K's range, centered on his cathedral; it allowed him to perceive almost everything in and around Lyonesse.
As he sat in the center of his power, Yggdrasil's roots now as black as charcoal and its waters murky and purple, Tai closed his eyes and concentrated. The soul of his old mentor Asclepius dances beside the cathedral frescoes, slowly transforming the Lich's body.
Immediately after closing the portal to Helheim, Tai ordered martial law and mobilized all of his forces. He put Hagen in charge of the city's defense, gathering all available soldiers and organizing them into small groups. Most were undead awakened by his master's power, and were joined by a few immortals, including Robin, Percy, and several others.
But there are too few of them. Most civilians and refugees fled to the north, joining the remnants of the kingdom. They don't understand the threat before them, or they still believe that Esir will provide greater protection than Nastrang's army.
Meanwhile, Metro had established a large camp in the west, but had not yet advanced toward Lyon; stopping not far from the twenty-mile frontier. Every day, he is joined by pagans from Midgard, barbarians from the west, monsters and other horrors. Many in Nastrom wondered when Medrut would take action, but the necromancer already knew the answer.
Arthur and Gwen Sifal were originally to aid Lyons against the Maspelheim Rendezvous, and when the Rendezvous would begin in a month, the Fire Giants would join the army and march toward the Roots. Tai's prophecy told him that Suter, the most powerful god of disaster, would tear the rift open.
The stakes are clear.
If Metro reaches the source, he will destroy it, causing Ragnarok.
With Avalon descending into chaos, this is the Catastrophe's best chance to win their freedom. They will throw all their armies into battle to ensure Medillo's victory. As for Hel, she'll clear out the undead in battle, then use her pets to take out the survivors, then start the cycle all over again.
Tai only had a month to prepare, and every second mattered.
Hagen devised an unusual strategy intended to minimize enemy loss of life and delay, regardless of supply lines. Mages rebuilt the walls, gargoyles built new moats around the city, placed bombs everywhere, and unleashed ambushes of goo across the countryside. All the infrastructure is dedicated to producing weapons or golems, the elixir of life is distributed to every warrior, every corpse. Mrs. Salter built a magical barrier that would repel enemy demons, while Anne hid in her workshop producing magic items.
In short, Lyon and its countryside will become one giant dungeon.
As long as Metro cannot reach the roots of the tree, corpses will pile up on both sides. Only under Tai's own [Power of Disaster (Age of the Dead)] Pe
He can only be resurrected under K. Although they are superior in numbers and level, if the Scourge cannot capture the cathedral quickly enough, their own dead will rise in rebellion; and Tai's own abilities will prevent them from teleporting into the city.
While he leaves the tactical details to his lieutenants, Tai focuses on internal security; he can read the minds of everyone within his sphere of influence, even Loki's priests. So far, 200 infiltrators and cultists have been captured, their souls extracted, bound and enslaved, and their bodies lifted to join the undead army.
Is this enough?
"my God."
Tai's wandering thoughts returned to the cathedral. He opened his eyes and glanced at the reborn lich.
Asclepius is identical to his apprentice's old memories, though he denies possession of powerful artifacts and magical items; magic, now free from Hel's clutches, has reconstructed the Lich's skeleton, but not his clothes. With a snap, the necromancer summoned a hooded cloak of shadow to protect himself.
"Long time no see." The Lich said, looking at the undead disaster in front of him with respect, pride and awe. "When I left you, you were still an apprentice. Now you have become the master."
"One can never truly master anything." Tai closed his hand; in disaster form, he was much taller than his old teacher, and their previous relationship was turned upside down. "There's always more to learn. I understand now."
"The only limit to the accumulation of knowledge is time," Asclepius nodded, observing his former apprentice carefully. Decades have passed since they last saw each other, and Ty hopes for something warmer and more familiar.
Instead, a rift of suspicion emerged between them. Tai decided to eliminate it immediately.
"Have you ever worked with Loki, Grandmaster?"
The answer came immediately, without hesitation.
"Yes."
Ty's fingers tensed.
Asclepius bowed slightly and said: "But no matter what, I have always been your loyal servant." "I will prove it to you now."
Every time an undead began to pay him tribute, Tai felt an invisible connection forming between them. But this time, Asclepius made no new connections; he awakened an ancient bond, older than Ty's own birth, that had lain dormant for so long that he had forgotten it existed.
Asclepius (Father Loki [class transformed into [Priest of Nihogg]].
"You were once the priest of Nihog, right here, in Nastrom." Tai muttered to himself, and his old master nodded. "It turns out it's true..."
"The Trickster and I used each other," the Lich said. "That fool wished to avoid the fate he deserved, and I needed a patronus to enhance my magic. I made the same deal to Odin, knowledge in exchange for safety; I kept them together and bided my time until you were glorious 's rebirth. In working for opposing forces, the two are always more alike than different.”
"So this is all for a great job?" Tai asked, eager to find a rational explanation for his mentor's actions. "You're not going to help create Ragnarok, are you?"
"Twilight of the Gods..." The Lich shook his head. "My goal is to transcend this meaningless cycle of life and death, just like my master. As for the great cause, it stands before me, ready to rule the Nine Kingdoms."
Walter then paused briefly. "Grandmaster?"
The Lich raised his eyes to look at the Catastrophe, his empty eyes glowing with an intensity that Tai found almost terrifying.
"Lord Nyhog...you...you are the supreme being beyond this meaninglessness. You are the first of the undead, a creature older than time, defeated but never destroyed. A child cannot rule the Nine A great kingdom. There can only be one ruler in the world... who can be more suitable for this ruler than someone older than it?"
Tae had seen the same intensity in Mrs. Thrall's eyes once when she spoke of Balder. But Acclepius's loyalty never wavered, even in the depths of hell. "I don't want to rule," the Necromancer protested. "I desire eternal life, just like you taught me."
"Our research is just a step. Sir, don't you understand yet?" The Lich was stunned for a while and suddenly realized. "Your memory hasn't returned yet."
"No, but I have completed a great work." Tai replied proudly, showing his old master the production system of [Necromancer's Stone] and elixir, and was extracting Yggd
asil water. "I created the elixir of life and the perfect resurrection spell. If we can defeat Medelot, immortality for all will be just around the corner."
He expected congratulations, but his old teacher was strangely silent.
"The potions and spells you have made are wonderful inventions," Asclepius said at last, sounding a little disappointed. "But they pale in comparison to the glorious era your presence brought to this world."
His sluggishness bothers Tay, even though he hates to admit it. "I do not quite understand you."
Asclepius replied: "The human condition is only a stepping stone towards something greater." Immortality, and the immortality it represents, is the pinnacle of evolution, the state of perfection to which all life naturally aspires. As the gods sought to bring him down, Lord Nihogg foretold the coming of the Age of the Dead. An eternity without death and without gods; the wheel of fortune is broken. A time when you come naturally just by existing. "
"(Disaster Force)Pe
k?" Tai frowned under his hood.
"Your presence hastens the destruction of the world, like a rotten apple," said Asclepius. "But when the tree finally dies, it will grow again; not as a sapling, but as immortality. You are the work of greatness, Walter."
A world of the undead and the immortal rebuilt on the ashes of the old?
This, this is what McDrout strives for, with the end of the cycle. He said he was fighting for something, to obey the wishes of Asclepius. "Will you let the Nine Kingdoms be destroyed?" Tai asked in surprise.
"My lord, if we allow Ragnarok to happen, we can reshape the next universe into the undead world you envision." The Lich said. "Get rid of these false gods fighting for scraps"
Walter's shoulders dropped as he realized that the [Death Knight] was telling the truth. His old master had plotted to destroy the world and then raise it back to life like a human corpse.
"I don't want to bring about Ragnarok," Tai said, disappointed by his old teacher's secret ambitions. "I will bring eternal life to all people, but I don't want to see the universe set on fire as a stepping stone."
"It doesn't matter whether Ragnarok happens or not," the Lich replied grimly. "As long as you exist, the Age of the Dead will begin. I just think it's the easiest option."
Was he always like this? However, Tai himself accepted that initiating Ragnarok was a potential consequence of his plan. But now that he's achieved his ambition and found a viable path to immortality for all humanity, he sees it as a waste of resources and, most importantly, a huge risk to the universe.
Walter Tye may have been Nyhog, but not anymore.
"I will not start Ragnarok," the necromancer insisted. "Even if Medelot doesn't think so."
"Your wish is my wish," said the Lich. As for Metro, I foresee his madness. I'm worried he won't take a knee. "
"He won't relent," Tye agreed. "He raised an army in your name and joined in the disaster. Destroy the roots."
Asclepius said: "Medro is deceiving himself." He no longer cares about the great cause, but wants to take revenge on the world that has been unfair to him. I can convince him for you, but reason cannot move a heart dominated by passion. "
Yeah...if Ty had Severo, she could convince her husband. "I still hope you give it a try."
The lich obeyed, ever loyal to his grand purpose.
However, instead of breathing a sigh of relief, Walter Tay felt more lonely than ever.
