CRYPTMAKER

At their core sorcerers are scholars. True sorcerers, not that the second-rate battle-junkies who can only advance using the accomplishments of others. A true sorcerer studies magic to decipher the laws of the world and then, with the acquired knowledge, propel themselves forward. The end goal is to unravel the secrets of the Gods. Perhaps if they do that they can become Gods themselves.

Unfortunately, as far as the research from renowned scholars had taken them, the divine remained a distant domain. Still, a true scholar would not be deterred no matter how great the odds.

Kezan was a true sorcerer, a scholar through and through. He would do what he must to acquire the proper knowledge to break from his shackles and achieve Ultra Order. It did not matter that the majority of his peers disagreed with his methods; those gutless cowards. They always moaned about the methods used by true visionaries, yet never raised a complaint when they benefited from those methods. Alchemists, enchanters, even healers; many among the magical community had benefited in one way or another from research done by necromancers. Yet they continued to attack his kind.

They are no better than the battlemages, he thought. False sorcerers. Pretenders!

He was different. Unlike those morons who tried to destroy everything they did not understand or agree with, he sought to understand it; to learn how to use it to his advantage. His lips curled upwards as he watched the strange undead's futile attempt to beat off his spell. He had cast [Dominate Dead VIII]. An undead of the 7th Order had no chance against it.

As he continued to watch, he could not help but thank Belgarath- whoever that was- for sending the undead to him with the summoning notes; two unknowns he would enjoy dissecting until he understood them.

Did this Belgarath really think a display of his expertise would scare him away from laying his hands on his pet? Even if the mage behind the undead turned out to be a Transcendent, so what? In his decades of operating he had run afoul of many individuals. One of those individuals had been an Arcana, one of the twenty-one strongest beings on the continent. If he could escape someone like that then he had the confidence to escape from a no-name sorcerer, even if it was one who had achieved Ultra Order.

Still, I will never forget your contribution, he thought as he showed his teeth.

A second later his toothy grin morphed into a gaping stare.

Impossible, he thought, eyes widening.

The undead had resisted [Dominate Dead VIII]. No, that was not exactly it. From the way the spell settled on the strange undead there was no indication that it had failed. And yet, there was no feedback. There was no newly established connection between the two of them, which meant the undead had somehow avoided falling under his control.

How? He wondered.

His eyes focused on the undead. With [Night Vision] he was able to make out its scarred features which held a deep frown and a piercing glare.

"I see," it said quietly with a measured simmering tone. "So this is how you treat sincerity?"

The creature's question brought him out of his stupor, allowing him to reply.

"This is how I respond when something I want is within reach; I take it!"

Immediately after saying this he cast [Space Lock], an 8th Order spell meant to prevent escape vial spatial means. So what if the undead resisted his spell? He could just capture it and try it again- continuously if he had to- until it finally fell under his control. As long as he cut off its escape routes he had a lot of chances to do this.

Assured that it could not get away, he point a finger in its direction. "Get it!" he barked to his minions.

Ever the obedient servant, White, his Bone Knight, unsheathed his bone sword and charged the undead. The distance between them was erased instantly as the tall skeletal figure made to pin down the undead, only for his sword to completely pass through it as the undead's body turned ethereal.

What! Kezan exclaimed nonverbally, taken aback.

He watched the creature cast a spell and take to the skies where it was intercepted by Cream the Skeleton Mage's [Wind Prison]. But the undead got out of the imprisonment spell as easily as it had avoided White's blow.

So it's like a ghost? Kezan concluded, sneaking a glance at the spectral silhouette by his side. In that case…

He extended his hand and cast 7th Order spell [Corporeal]. Obviously, since ghosts were apparitions it was impossible to harm them unless one was a spectre themself or capable of Light Magic. This trait held unfortunately true to all spectral undead. Luckily someone had long come up with a solution to deal with such creatures.

Now we shall see what tricks you have up your sleeves.

Without its ability to turn into a ghost, the unidentified undead was unable to avoid White's {Bone Prison}, which caused dozens of giant bones to sprout from of the ground and form a cage around it. The moment the Bone Knight set up his ability, the Skeleton Mage prepared a spell to follow up. [Hold Person] struck the undead almost as soon as the cage was completed.

Only it was not the undead.

Before the cage had fully formed the undead cast a spell, causing a double to appear about ten metres from it. Seeing this display, Kezan immediately recognised the spell [True Image] and quickly ordered his Death Knight, Black, after the apparition. Just as he suspected, the moment the illusion spell was completed the creature had immediately switched places with its image. This was made obvious when the undead in the {Bone Prison} disappeared a moment later. Fortunately, he was prepared for it.

Or so he had thought.

Black had not made it within two steps of the creature before it stomped the ground hard and fired off [Tremor], causing him to lose his balance. As he tried to regain his balance the undead cast [Slow}] on him before casting [Haste] on itself. Then it turned around and rushed in the opposite direction.

Kezan watched it with a sneer. As if I'd let you!

Working in conjunction with Cream, they both cast [Dispel]. Their target's varied though. While his spell landed on Black, Cream's hit the undead; speeding up the former and slowing the latter. With this, Black was able to catch up immediately and reached for the creature's throat; only to be met with a [Stone Wall].

Because of his physique, the barrier was unable to stop him; however, it slowed him enough that when his hand broke through the undead was no longer there. It had put space between them.

Before Black could close the distance again the undead cast another spell, a summoning one this time. A humongous giant made of what looked like a dozen corpses appeared beside the undead just as it erected another [Stone Wall]. This Wall Black cut through cleanly with his sword, only to be [Slow]ed again. Then the undead pointed at the Death Knight, sending the Corpse Giant in his direction with clumsy stomps.

Stupid undead, Kezan thought when he witnessed this scene.

Raising his hand at the Corpse Giant, he cast [Dominate Dead VIII]. Unlike the weird undead, his spell was successful on this conventional undead. After the spell hit the Corpse Giant its temporary bond shifted from the undead to him. Using this link, he forced it to turn back and run towards its summoner.

Seeing this, the undead panicked and hurriedly erected yet another [Stone Wall]; just in time to meet the Corpse Giant as it inflated and exploded. The wall was smashed to smithereens as steaming bits of rancid flesh scattered everywhere, some of which would have landed on Kezan more than fifty metres away if not for him casting [Force Wall].

Although the undead had reacted in time, its actions had not been enough to completely offset the undead giant's {Self-Detonation}. It shrieked as the force of the explosion sent it tumbling several metres back. Seeing that the creature was injured, his three minions rushed after it, but he held up his hand to stay them. If they continued they might damage the undead more than it already was. A broken prize was not something he was interested in studying.

Let's put an end to this, he decided, snapping his fingers.

Where the undead fell hands burst out of the ground and grabbed it. The strange undead tried to struggle but more hands popped out from the earth and reached for it. After getting a firm grasp of their target the zombies attached to the hands pulled themselves out of the ground, four humongous Dread Zombies. Although they were mindless like most of his minions these were among the best with their Grade 3 bodies. His target was unable to escape their grip.

The method he had just employed was the reason why he was referred to by many as the Cryptmaker. Being one of the rare humans born with two dominant attributes- Earth and Darkness- Kezan was superior in every way when compared to those common flukes. Even though he had ventured into necromancy, the Familiar he summoned was an Earth Elemental. Using its {Earth Manipulation} ability he was able to shift his undead around underground silently until the moment they burst out of the ground like Revenants out their tombs on an unsuspecting victim. Those who knew him knew to expect this, but in the heat of things they never saw it coming.

"I finally caught you," he said gleefully, making his way over to the undead.

As he did so his sentient combat undead fell in line beside him along with Crystal, his ghost lookout. The ground ahead of him separated and Grey, his mole Familiar, stuck its head out. The rest of its body soon followed. Grey was a fairly large creature that stood as high as its summoner's knees. Kezan sidestepped past it while White quickly bend over and scooped the rodent into his arms.

Then the five of them set off, closing the distance between the strange undead and them.