Chapter 15, Encounter

After we left Galan in a burning ruin, we immediately depart to The Holy City Falna in a train of 7 carriages painted black as void pulled by horses.

Although I could use my Anti-Light potion to neglect the shine of sunlight, I rather save them for more important matters than travel.

It also saves me from the process of making more of them which are long and tedious.

Out of all the cities the Assassins Guild could have chosen for their bloody nest, I am honestly bewildered by this discovery.

Despite its name suggest, the city is an utter nightmare! Everyone and everything there are all under the thumb of the pope, not even the noble house that owns the city could even dream of controlling them.

Although corruption and discrimination there are non-existent, the fact that everyone must donate to the church once a week for the excuse of "For the poor" is ludicrous!

They do not use that money for the goodness of the poor, they use that money to make riots made out of the poor to scare the noble that owns the city.

Not only have they chosen the worst city in the kingdom, but they also chose the one which is littered with zealots who would kindly smite me back to the afterlife! How infuriating!

"But... It is odd..." I muttered, I ticking my skull.

Why haven't they been found out?

Rather, why haven't there been any rumors regarding the assassins living within such holy a city?

Surely the pope would never tolerate cutthroats living in their holy city, unless.. that pope has somehow become corrupt!

"Hmm... But he would have already been hanged if that were to happen hmm... Or maybe even burned to a crisp by his own god no less..."

"Kaa! KAA!"

Hearing the familiar squawking, I cover my skeletal hands with leather gloves and slightly open the carriage's curtains on the back just enough to let Vilna my Blood Raven scout in.

"You've return, have you spotted any adventurers or merchant caravans moving towards us?"

"Kaa.."

"None? Odd..."

I ordered Vilna to scout the grassy plains around us for any potential threats yet there seems to be none... How odd indeed...

I'm quite sure that the inactiveness of Galan would cause nearby villages or even escorts from neighboring cities to check the city's situation.

Especially since the nobles of Galan are now part of the piles of barely alive test subjects in the 3rd carriage behind mine.

Perhaps the other cities are still not fully aware yet of Galan's dormant state?

"Hmm..." I ponder.

Bah! I'll just assume that they are too occupied with the war, there's no use pondering more about it.

"What I should ponder about is..."

I take out a syringe filled with green fluid, Joseph's fluid to be exact.

After burning the amalgamation to a crisp and feeding them to Roberto and his family, I manage to extract some of Joseph's soul back into the syringe... Some of his soul that is...

And the rest were a mish-mash of what seems to be the souls that once inhabit the amalgamation, a soul made of many souls.

Perhaps the addition of Joseph's soul into a vessel that had already housed a soul caused a sort of awakening?

No, some undead could possess a living being and still be... Wait... Perhaps that is it!!!

Perhaps due to the nature of the soul being a cluster of other souls, it was strong enough to repel the invading soul which is Joseph!

Which means... By having a cluster of souls, a being no matter how weak it may be, could resist possession by Undead, Shroud, or even Spirit!

"Hmm... A strange phenomenon yet it is in a way understandable... Perhaps this is how a necromancer resists possession from high-ranking undead.

But then again this is still just mere speculation, the latter part as to why amalgamation growing bigger despite its body having no working organs is still a mystery to me.

Blast, perhaps keeping a sample of its flesh and bones would help me understand its odd mutation.

"!!!"

"Wait... Why don't I try to make another one near Falna! In doing so I wouldn't have to deal with the amalgamation and I will get to see it in action! HAHAHA!!! HOW SPLENDID MY MIND IS!" I praise myself.

"Ah but I do hope it doesn't die all too quickly by the spears of the city guards, it would be a shame not to see how large it could get"

°°°

The 5th sun has finally set and the 1st sun has finally risen, and carriages have finally stumbled upon their first obstacle... Trees.

"Blast these trees! Why can't a forest be empty and easy to navigate!" I yelled as I kick one of the trees.

To reach our destination faster I decided that  it is best to travel through the Elven Forest that bordered Galan from the western parts of the kingdom.

But never have I thought that trees would hinder us!

"Perhaps going around the forest and following the road would have been faster..."

Due to an accident involving holes and roots of a tree, 4 of the carriages housing Roberto and his family have their wheels stuck into holes in the ground.

And those were only minimal damage!

The wheels of my carriage is broken beyond repair! The wheel shattered I say!

Well it is still in the realm of repair but I simply don't know how to repair it.

"If only we have an undead craftsman..."

Oh well! This might just be fate telling me a sign that our journey to Falna must wait!

Perhaps I'll take a stroll around the forestand see what sort of ingredients I could find, One that will help in at the very least... halting the mutated abomination from regenerating excessively.

*Rustle rustle*

As soon as I hear the unnatural rustling of leaves from one if the trees... Williams pounce out of the carriage with his sinisterly long nails ready and aimed at one of the trees beside me.

He slashed the abundant of leaves that covered the tree's branches... Screams of Pain and shock intensifies the atmosphere around us because now I- No we... Are not alone.

The entity that watched us from the leaves fell violently to the ground all red and bloody. Apparently Williams did not manage kill him with his surprise attack... Rather, he killed him by giving the man a heart attack when he pounced out from the carriage.

But this wasn't just a man... He was an Elf!

"An Elf!? Never in my life or perhaps death have I ever seen such race! I have only heard of them through books and stories given to me by my lecturers!"

Drenched in the Anti-Light Potion I'd given him back at Galan's gate, Williams runs off on his own chasing something or perhaps someone into the forest, well I did heard 2 different screams.

Having an elf for a test subject would be better than that of a human! Having 2 elves would not be better...

"IT WOULD BE SPECTACULAR I SAY!!!" I shouted in excitement.

Although Elves are weak in physical strength, they compansate their weakness by being one of the most agile and gifted race in Magic, despite that they still became slaves before the Sin War.

Their very own blood and brain contains something in particular that is useful to be extract, modify, and implant on my subordinates however.

"Perhaps with these Elves... I may finally achieve mastery in Magic with little to no effort in practice and studying!"

But I may be wrong however, I heard a Sage can have all the magic power he has but will still be useless without knowing a single magic incantation.

Nevertheless I will still take their corpses even if they are useless to me, they might prove to be useful if I keep them lomg enough.

A black silhouette then appeared from the shadows of the forest carrying what seems to be a head.

"Williams! Where is the rest of th-"

Suddenly I feel an odd amount of momentum hitting my rib cage, shattering them appart whilst leaving my suit untattered. The object having lost it's force and momentum falls down whilst making a gushy sound as it hits the ground.

"Hm??" I look down unfazed.

Is that not... Williams head??

I pick up his head confused as to what was Williams thinking by throwing his head to me. But then I realized... Who's head was Williams wearing then!?

"Oi!"

A shout then called out to me back from deep within the forest.

Can this be!? Has Williams finally discovered something that I have not!? Using a fresh new head taken from the living to talk normally!?

The black silhouette reveals itself from the shadows, He was an elf wearing a green cloth with what looks to be scimitar on his right hand and a dagger on his left.

"Who the hell are you?"