Caravan

There were 900 villagers in front of Derrick, of which 100 were soldiers.

After killing the last two chieftains in duels that also lasted only a few seconds, he hadn't met any other resistance.

The soldiers had quickly rounded up their respective villages and were now gathered at the necromancer's indicated location.

Derrick was happy with his harvest, even if he had only added three more soldiers to his undead army, bringing it to 36.

Everyone in front of him was terrified, as if meeting the devil itself. Derrick couldn't blame them, as they had been told since birth that necromancers were the root of all evil.

He'd just have to change their perceptions over time. For now, it was time to make his plans known.

"If you become my subjects, I'll treat you well. If you oppose me, you'll die. There isn't any room for debate. I challenged your chieftains to send a message, but I'll not lay a hand on you if you follow me"

There were sighs of relief in the crowd, but some were clearly doubtful.

What type of invader would let the conquered have a free life? At best, they'd end up as slave labor and at worst, as slaves who were sold and abused till death.

Derrick understood their reactions, since it had been this way since the beginning of time.

The strong conquered the weak, with the victors having the rights to do whatever with the spoils.

"You'll see for yourselves. We're heading to the Okko village up north, where they'll be waiting for us. I'll tell you the rest when we arrive"

And without hesitation, everybody started marching with haste. It was time to see what kind of life awaited them.

***

After a few hours, they arrived at Okko. The outskirts were like a ghost town, causing everyone to start worrying. Had the village been massacred? Had he lied to them?

As they progressed towards the center, their worries finally settled.

There was a group of villagers waiting for them, just like Derrick had said.

The necromancer arrived next to Atta, who bowed to him.

"I hope all the preparations are over?"

Derrick didn't waste any time, since he wanted to leave for Akata right away. It was already midday and if they hurried, they would be able to set camp in a relatively safe area of the forest.

"Everything's ready, we're awaiting your directives"

"We're setting off right away"

And with no delay, they began marching towards Akata.

Before arriving to the villages, Derrick had done some recon over the forest with Io.

He knew there would be a lot of noncombatants in the group, which was why he had taken the time to ensure safe passage.

With that worry out of the way, Derrick had then found a camp site, which was a small hill that hovered above the vegetation. It was perfect for their group now boasting 1300 heads, including 140 soldiers.

As for Atta, he was exhausted. He had worked tirelessly to meet the deadline and had barely slept as a result. The logistics involved in the relocation of an entire village overnight were truly a nightmare.

He had also grimaced when hearing that they were departing right away. He was at wits end and wanted to rest, but still, he wouldn't dare complain.

A few minutes after their departure, Derrick finally turned to the crowd, which instantly stopped. They had waited long enough, and it was time to explain his plans.

"I'm sure you have questions, but they'll have to wait. For now, know that you'll be relocating to Akata. You don't have to worry about housing and food, as I've already made plans to that effect. To those who don't know me, I'm Derrick Tarlin, and I'm the person who'll lead you all to a better future and a better life! If you pledge yourself to my cause, you'll be rewarded tenfold, and that's a promise!"

Young and old, men and women... All wondered if this individual could truly deliver on such an absurd promise. After all, he was only known as the man who had brutally killed their chieftains.

However, they knew one thing for certain: if what he said was true, then he was their best shot. Even if they had to leave everything behind, it couldn't be worse than death.

"The road ahead should be pretty straight forward, with our arrival set to tomorrow barring any encounters"

The group collectively shivered. They were well aware of the forest's dangers, and they could only hope that Derrick was strong enough to face them...

***

The group finally arrived at their resting site while the sun was setting, causing Derrick to order everyone to set camp.

The small hill they occupied was surrounded by trees, but it had the best vantage point. It was also the easiest emplacement to defend should they be attacked.

The route had been surprisingly easier than expected, considering the size of their caravan.

However, they had barely met any wildlife, which gave Derrick an eerie feeling.

Something was definitely amiss.

To alleviate his worries, he decided that he'd explore the remaining part of their journey alone.

Due to his experience in the cave, he had grown accustomed to the cover of the night, to the point of even preferring it to daytime.

When everyone became fast asleep, Derrick proceeded inside the depths of the forest.

He could tell that this part had much thicker vegetation, and that the carriages would have a hard time going through it. This would extend their arrival time to at least tomorrow evening.

Suddenly, Derrick felt his entire body shiver.

"WATCH OUT!!!"

Drako suddenly hurled in Derrick's mind, causing his instincts to take over.

He dove forward in a split second, allowing him to barely see the creature that had just attacked him.

Its sight made his blood go cold.

It was a gigantic half-bear, half-deer monster that was standing on its two back legs, which made it at least 15 meters tall. It had shining green eyes and gigantic claws, as well as an exposed rib cage that gave it a nightmarish vibe.

It had somehow managed to sneak behind Derrick, an incredible feat considering its size.

The area where Derrick previously stood was barely recognizable, as the claws of the beast had torn everything in their wake.

"System, use <Superior Appraisal> on that bastard"

[Leshi (Forest Spirit)]

[Strength : 23]

[Agility : 15]

[Endurance : 14]

[Vitality : 15]

[Magic Power : 14]

[Trait : Bear Strike (The claws of this beast allows it to lacerate everything in its path), Deer Charge (Charges with its razor-sharp antlers. Unstoppable)]

[Weakness : Darkness]

"So you're the reason it has been this quiet so far... Drako, you've been hiding for a while, want to stretch out for a bit?"

"Kekeke I never thought you'd ask, Human... Let me show you my newly found strength"