Его не звали, но он приперся / They never called, yet he is here: Глава 8

Chapter 8

Camrad_RIP 11.12.21 в 20:17

The undead was... interesting, I'll put it that way. It couldn't have been scary, simply because I've seen far worse. And the dead from levels seven to twelve couldn't be particularly dangerous, either. Even without shadows, I could take them down in packs, if I had room to maneuver.

Camrad_RIP 11.12.21 в 21:02

The only problem was their number and the lack of room to maneuver. Which made the boring meat grinder a very strenuous activity, aimed more at keeping myself and my companions safe and sound than at dull slicing of meat. Not that it was that difficult, but it did require some attention and effort, that's for sure. I had to think about saving my reserve, too, because it was a long shot that I would be given time to recover.

Camrad_RIP 11.12.21 в 21:03

The undead themselves didn't even stink. After so many years of existence, the dead had dried to a parchment-like state. They were still not the textbook bones that moved solely on the power of magic, but the full-fledged living dead. Skin, muscles, claws, and all the other signs I remembered from the fantasy I'd read on Earth. I could also note the fact that the dead were light - all the liquid had long since evaporated with time, so their weight was quite ridiculous.

Camrad_RIP 11.12.21 в 21:05

But the most important observation was that they were quite fast. Like a running man, even if he wasn't trying hard to run. There was no waddling gait with arms outstretched, and the movements were surprisingly crisp and sharp. It was like a deadly beast of prey that knew no pity, no fatigue, no sense of self-preservation. In short, I understood why the undead was so disliked by my companions: they were a very unpleasant foe, unafraid of injury and capable of delivering a lethal blow even when cut to pieces.

Camrad_RIP 11.12.21 в 21:06

My daggers were a very unsuitable weapon for fighting the undead. The blade was too short, and I couldn't do the chopping and slashing. A sword, or even a truncheon, would have been much better, but that wasn't the case. The shadows helped, which doesn't surprise me at all. In shadow perception, I could easily sense the power of death filling the dead, allowing them to ignore the laws of biology, physics, and, in some places, logic, at the expense of their resources. If I used my Gaze, I could see the blue-black intertwining of veins and veins penetrating every inch of dead flesh. The center of the intersection was, incidentally, not in the head (though there were many there, too), but in the center of the chest, under the protection of the ribcage, which seemed to morph into a full-fledged box, leaving not a single gap.

Camrad_RIP 11.12.21 в 21:11

An average warrior of equal level could be torn apart even by a single dead man, simply by the monstrous survivability. Even fighters with class would have trouble with such an opponent, unless, of course, they were specialized classes for fighting the undead. Hans would be torn apart like a rag, for Pathfinders have no proper attacking skills, and the ones they do have are for the living. Losij would have lasted a little longer because it's hard to find a more inconvenient foe for a deft duelist who specializes in critical strikes to the throat, heart, and joints.

Camrad_RIP 11.12.21 в 21:43

The crowd pounding on us would have crushed us in a dozen seconds if it hadn't been for the presence of one novice Shadowlord among our company. The first thing I did was to start closing in on the enemy, preventing him from leaving the narrow corridor. In the case of the undead, that's a pretty smart decision, not allowing them to use advantage of the numbers, especially if you have a set of quality armor and a sturdy shield. Both were replaced by shadows that prevented the dead from even touching my flesh.

Camrad_RIP 11.12.21 в 21:46

Hans and Losij follow me, with silent and difficult to discern foul language, as they believe, to their certain death. All this in complete silence, for the dead men - another divergence from fantasy - do not growl or howl, but kill in silence. Before we face each other, I let the shadows in my daggers, literally cleaving the front ranks exactly in the center of my chest.

Camrad_RIP 11.12.21 в 21:47

A Shadow is not the best weapon against Death, but it works. The otherworldly energy corrodes the enchantments that power the dead, thinning them, slowing them down, and dispersing them. The Gaze shows how enemies cut in half are transformed into mere lumps of old and desiccated meat and bone as the vein-wrappers that braid them unravel into a tangle of rotting threads.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 05:35

The cutting begins shortly thereafter. I control the situation with relative ease. Although the enemies are deadly and not slow at all, with my 100 dexterity they are like flies in honey, and my perfect coordination allows me to unmistakably strike exactly where I wanted.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 05:38

Shadow perception works well, tracking both the nearest corridors of the necropolis, checking for incoming reinforcements, and the back ranks of the advancing undead, which are far more saturated with death than the dead ahead of them. But the main job of the shadows is to cover my comrades-in-arms, unobtrusive but reliable.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 06:44

Here Losij habitually strikes the dead man's throat, and his sword shines with an activated skill. The magic-soaked blade easily overcomes the resistance of magic and the dead man's flesh, cutting off his lifelessness, but on the return move, it pierces the heart of another dead man. This one, though permanently rested from the effects of the skill, has managed to get himself on the steel blade up to the hilt, restricting the duelist's movements. The shadows flickered, and in two movements, cast away both the body hanging from the blade and the few hands that reached for the exposed flesh.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 06:46

Hans cleaves the head of one of the dead but does not have time to react to the second, which already delivers a fatal blow straight to the throat. The dead man's shadow jerks his host sharply to his feet, not only knocking him down but also exposing his skull to the pathfinder's finishing attack. And the pathfinder himself, without hesitation, plunges a silver-plated dagger into the heart of the third, forcing him to block the path of the fourth with his body.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 06:49

And there are many such situations.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 06:49

I don't kill their opponents, I don't help them, I just keep the enemy from taking advantage of human error and weakness by restraining and slowing down the irrepressible undead.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 06:50

The corridor, from which more and more enemies arrive, is wide enough, but not so wide as not to be blocked by endless enemy corpses. Strangely enough, this plays into the hands of the dead, not us at all. They just push the dead bodies forward, literally squeezing us out like a cork out of a champagne bottle. I can use the shadows, get them to stab the enemy in the back, or even overwhelm the crowd in two or three attacks. But I'd have to spend most of my reserves, so I don't do that.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 06:52

My foresight skill is low, but it's enough to understand what's going on. Whoever sent the undead here is watching the situation carefully through their eyes, which makes me keep my trump cards safe until the right moment comes. The important thing is that the moment comes when I'm ready for it.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 06:59

I pull my comrades out of the fight by the scruff of the neck, letting the undead get out into the open. No doubt it was a mistake, but without using a huge number of shadowstrikes, I still could not change the situation. And so we left on our own terms-fresh and not fatigued, not wasting energy fighting for the corridor. The dead weren't tired, either, but at least something.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 07:01

Round two is on.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 07:01

Now I had to jump and leap like an amphetamine-addled frog to strike from different directions, while at the same time not letting myself get caught and distracting most of the opponents to myself. As soon as I see that the guys are ready to be mobbed and torn apart, I immediately run past and deal out kicks, distracting them to myself. A hundred dexterity and perfect coordination allow me to run between enemy rows, or even over their heads. In the latter case, you wish you had spiked boots.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 07:12

By the way!

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 07:21

I willfully form spikes on the soles of my feet and short stilettos on my toes. It was harder to run, but now the shadow pricks were damaging. The Shadow's alien power was corroding the magic embedded in their bodies.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 07:34

It's getting harder and harder to cover the warriors who are desperately fighting back and praying to all the gods combined, and they're getting tired themselves. On the other hand, they were already quite good at resisting the undead and cooperating with my help. Things began to even out as the wave of enemies ended, with fewer enemies and more time to react. On the other hand, we were pushed almost to the very edge of the hall, forcing our backs into the slammed passage.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 07:44

But it was too soon to celebrate, and I knew that for certain, as the last of the foes burst into the hall. In the right way, they should have attacked under the cover of a crowd of weak undead, but maybe they know what they're doing. Or maybe they just didn't come in time for the fun. Or maybe they have no brains, which makes the tactics unacceptable to them and incomprehensible at the conceptual level.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 07:46

Three wights in rusted-through and death-fueled armor, armed respectively with a sword, mace, and polearm with heavy turret shields. In my perception, they remain just as vicious, but unlike the undead, they have not only the lust to kill but also some vestiges of... No, not intelligence. Reflexes and skills, that's how. At the very least, their movements betray a confident command of the weapons issued to them. Levels nineteen through twenty-three.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 08:06

Next to them were two ghouls that looked more like human-like beasts than humans. Bone plates and spikes covering their bodies, claws on their hands and feet as long as full-fledged daggers, and no intelligence in their eyes. These guys are even dumber than the lowest dead, but level twenty-four in both of them and their savage anger counterbalance that. The only thing still holding them back from attacking is the last member of their party.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 08:32

This is really a classic skeleton in a decayed robe, with weightless gray ash and green sparks in it splashing between his bones. Also, this particular man is clearly sane. And, as you can easily guess, he's a magician. He showed us the latter easily by shooting a gray-green beam at Hans, who was leaning tiredly against the wall.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 08:33

The shadow in front of the pathfinder took the hit and shattered into pieces, but I didn't hesitate to step toward both of the ghouls that had lunged at me. The first was put to rest with a dagger extended by the shadow along his whole body (don't jump on me!), the second lost first his paw and then his head, and I had to block with my crossed daggers the blow of a heavy rusty blade.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 08:37

I barely had time to roll away when the damn dead warrior almost smeared me with his shield, and then I rolled again because another arrow of ash was already splattered where I'd been a second ago. And, of course, I was right under the impact of the mace.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 08:38

Sphere notes indifferently that Losij and a slightly recovered Hans are trying to hold back the third warrior, who mercilessly pushes them, while the mage is preparing something large-scale.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 08:39

Nah, I don't play like that.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 08:39

After missing the death-emitting mace by a millimeter, I wrap my palm around my own shadow and, throwing the dagger to the ground, grasp the base of the mace. I jerk sharply, and the dead man, before he can hit me with his shield, falls forward, allowing me to leap onto the edge of the steel plate he'd been using as a shield, and grow shadowy claws on my hand to crush his skull.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 08:44

My hand ached and tingled, and the energy of death was not doing me any good. I pushed away from the collapsing corpse (a corpse now, for sure) before the blow of the blade cut me in two. The armor-clad body of the destroyed foe was not shattered by the blade, but it did penetrate, and then it stuck.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 09:04

Hovering in the air during combat is cool and badass, but too dangerous for my health, so the shadows pull me closer to the ground, and I throw the clump of shadows that had previously enveloped my palm in the direction of the scheming mage.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 09:05

In time.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 09:05

The out-of-control spell erupts in green ash, then falls to the ground, while the skeleton mage (or is it still a lich?) tries to shake off the shadows that envelop him. I add a bit more energy to keep the scum occupied longer, if not kill them. I evade the blade strike of the too stubborn dead man.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 16:10

I warm up again with my blade and come in from the left side, uncovered by my shield, whipping the creature in the head with my shadow lash. The shield and several plates of armor erupt in the gray color of death, and slide to the side, covering their owner. The shadow lash does not cleave the warrior, but only leaves a rapidly crumbling gash in the armor and a dent in the shield.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 16:12

My gut screamed, and I slid to my opponent's feet, rolling away from his move as he applied the jerk and literally slammed into the wall. I could only imagine what would have happened to me if I had been in his way. I tried to find a way to finish off my somewhat battered foe, but my instincts flared up again, causing me to avoid two arrows of ash at once. The second had to be taken on a shadow barrier because the dead mage was ahead of me.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 16:14

Smart, bastard.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 16:14

It's time to finish this game.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 16:14

A volitional effort and the shadowy blade clips the wielder's legs, giving the nearly cornered Losij time to attack. The flaming blade of the sword went straight into the eye socket of a dead man who'd lost his helmet somewhere. I dodged two more arrows, managing this time to slip past the second, and clinched with the remaining dead man. He can't use his sword or shield me in this position. I'm too fast. Several attacks at once with a shadow-wrapped dagger, but by some miracle he manages to reinforce the right parts of his armor, partially repelling each blow. The only one hundred percent hit was in a section of armor that had already been pierced earlier.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 16:17

The wound caused my opponent to wobble and fall to one knee, but I didn't have time to finish him off either, forcing him to cover Losij from the attack with another pair of arrows. A really smart one.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 16:33

While I take on the shadow barriers (not very strong, but enough to destabilize the enemy's spells) the lich's attacks, it strikes the... The half-dead dead man with a lightning bolt of green-shimmering ash. After taking such a hit, not only does the warrior regenerate himself, but his armor gets repaired as well! He's also pretty quick - his current dash is a lot faster than his first one.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 16:34

I rolled back and forth with the same sword that pierced the floor - my life reminded me more and more of Dark Souls - and noticed that the gray-green mist that filled the bones of the lich had faded and shrunk in volume. And there were fewer sparks.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 16:35

I can sense some mass spells from the Lich again, but I have to parry a heavy blade strike with one dagger, wrapped in shadow. I dodge the thrust of the shield, and then this guy, quite unexpectedly, I confess, demonstrates his undead kung fu, almost smearing my skull with a kick.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 16:42

A pleasant surprise, though, because I hit the leg twice, though not cutting it off, but reducing its mobility considerably. In the meantime, my instincts insist on paying attention to the Lich, which I do, leaving the wounded foe to the conscience of Hans and Losij. They're not kids, they'll hold out.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 16:46

Thank Cthulhu that I was smart enough not to limit myself to just the sphere, but to activate the Gaze as well. It's much harder to fight in this mode, but the main thing I can see is the prepared scourge: the gray-black veins of the spell, stretching to the relatively intact resting bodies. He's going to raise them all now.

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 16:48

I throw in an attack, but throw another clump of shadows that jab into his defense, gradually squeezing through it, but too fucking slow! I can't make it in time, shit! Do I have to destroy every body now?

Camrad_RIP 12.12.21 в 16:48

Body.

Camrad_RIP 13.12.21 в 09:57