###
The tremors. It happened again.
“Whoa…” Sarah almost stumbled on her steps, “What the fuck?”
The same quakes he felt before he got here. Except… nobody missed it this time.
“What’s going on?” Agil rose from his bed, grasping his bow, “Another event?” His half-asleep eyes pried open.
“I don’t see any messages.” Sarah leaned on her knees. “I guess we’re safe?”
Damon shut his eyes ignored the commotion. Their recent fight took quite a toll on them, him especially. His wrist still burned. Numerous things ran in his mind—too many at this point.
A chorus of whispers and murmurs permeated Haven. Long gone were the carefree steps and jovial expressions; now, a weighty sense of dread anchored their necks toward the floor.
Thank goodness the skeletons are there. It’d be tremendous if the skeletons stood by their side and weathered the invasion with them… but they had nothing else to give, no rewards to bestow, and they couldn’t coerce them into helping either.
He briefly considered fleeing—a sentiment often shared through whispers and half-hearted jests. Running wouldn’t solve his problems, and he wasn’t about to leave his new friends to fend for themselves. Neither Sarah nor Agil wanted that either. As much as his mind denied the reasoning of his stay… Damon refused to leave nonetheless.
He spotted Adrian and the others on their way back from beyond the palisade walls. Arthur’s friends never ran out of gas; always progressing, always trying. The haven’s folks would be wise to learn a thing or two from them… himself included.
The man of the hour, Arthur, sat amidst his close allies. He needed not ogle to see the trepidation etched on their pallid faces. They dreaded the might of a full goblin assault and the further surprises they might bring alongside them—who wouldn’t? This morning came the nightblades. A few hours later, the shamans and their necrotic magics.
What next? A gargantuan titan the size of their walls?
Damon pulled himself up and approached Arthur’s camp. The other two followed.
“I’ve urged everyone to reach the tenth level.” Judas’ gruff voice coughed, “Two more days. This time… everyone must be involved.”
“Spare some credits for the detection scrolls and necrotic potions.” Justine added, “The walls won’t last against the fireballs. I can alleviate their pressure if we have high-standing towers. We can place a few rangers and archers up there.”
Arthur gave each of them a slight nod. “Makes sense. We receive enough credits from the treasure to solve our currency issues. I’ll let you handle the purchases, Desmond.” He then met Damon’s eyes. “You’re awake… How are you holding up?”
“Good enough-“ Damon merely nodded. “-Should we head out and check the source of the tremors?”
Arthur crossed his arms and shook his head. “Our hands are full at this moment.” He nodded at the darkening skies, “It’s getting dark, too.”
“Then… the skeletons?”
“…we haven’t come to a decision yet… I don’t have leverage against them.” Arthur replied, sighing, “It’d be amazing if they helped…”
The rest of the band nodded along.
No leverage. He recalled the strange orb Arthur gave to the skeleton; it was the one they found fighting that dreaded lizard—the scarred venom. Its corpse still lingered in there, hidden after the rows and rows of deceased basilisks.
Sarah and Agil tapped his back. “Damon. It’s time.”
At night, the beast elites prowled the forest; a perfect moment to raise their levels.
### The Entity ###
It took minutes before Frail wrestled control of himself.
The first thing he noted was the difference in his cognizance. He felt better in many indescribable ways. He feels things now, as opposed to the complete apathy and coldness before.
In a way, he felt more… humanly. Harkon alluded to this change when they first exchanged words; that time would help him adjust to his new self. While it would be nice to feel things properly, Frail prioritized his other needs before such luxuries.
[Entity core upgrade complete!]
[You gained:]
[+10 upgrade slots.]
[+10 construct slots.]
[+2 elite construct slots.]
[New construct schemas unlocked.]
[New entity upgrades unlocked.]
[You can upgrade constructs to tier-2.]
A bunch of messages drowned his vision.
Construct slots… Upgrade slots… Elite constructs?
<table style="border-style: solid" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
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Entity upgrade menu | Entity tier: 2
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- Internal upgrades -
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<td style="vertical-align: top">
Entity core upgrade | Tier 3
Upgrades the tier of your entity core.
- Grants + 15 upgrade slots, +20 construct slots. +3 elite construct slots.
- Opens new upgrade paths and unlocks new construct schema.
-Grants access to tier-3 constructs, if upgraded to level 30.
- You can create another Domain lord. One domain lord must be present within the domain at all times.
Costs 200,000 essences.
</td>
</tr>
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<td style="vertical-align: top">
Elite construct fabricator
-Grants the ability to create and unlock elite-tier constructs.
-Grants the ability to upgrade elite tier constrcuts.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
Costs 15,000 essences. 5 upgrade slots.
</td>
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<td style="vertical-align: top">
Corpse Extractor upgrade
-Allows you to extract boss/alpha level corpses
Costs 2000 essences.
</td>
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<td style="vertical-align: top">
Construct Fabricator upgrade
-Allows you to construct tier 2 units.
Costs 5000 essences.
</td>
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<td style="vertical-align: top">
Skill upgrade - Raise construct
-Grants the ability to raise tier-1 undead constructs.
Costs 6000 essences. 3 upgrade slots.
</td>
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<td style="vertical-align: top">
Mastery - Bone construction - 2.
-Grants access to new, more advanced construct types.
-Improves attributes for all of your base construct by 5.
Costs 20 000 essences. 5 upgrade slots. 1x Undead Upgrade Orb.
</td>
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<td style="vertical-align: top">
Trait upgrade - Undead legion
-Now affects elite-tier constructs.
Costs 15,000 essences. 5 upgrade slots.
</td>
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<td style="vertical-align: top">
Construct slot upgrade - 2
Increases your maximum construct slot limit.
- Grants +8 construct slots.
Costs 5000 essences. 2 Upgrade slot.
</td>
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<td style="vertical-align: top">
Elite construct slot upgrade
Increases maximum elite construct limit.
-Grants +1 elite construct slot
Costs 10 000 essences. 2 upgrade slot.
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
200,000 essences for a tier 3? Frail grew weary at the inflation of essence costs. The tier 3 upgrade hinted at the major expansion of his capabilities; the line about creating another domain lord… It suggested his ability to send his best soldier outside. While it’d be nice…
It came at a premium price—a price he couldn’t pay.
The lengthy screen listed many things Frail wished he had: The corpse extractor’s upgrade was nice—boss/alpha type creatures also took the previous alpha he encountered. The various additional upgrades and construct slots, Elite construct fabricator drew his immediate interest, too.
Raise construct ranked the lowest—Frail never found use for it since he found the domain pedestal.
Next, the bone construction upgrade. Even if he possessed the required essences, he still lacked the upgrade orb. It was a choice he could only make once he found its per-requisites.
He dismissed the menu. All of a sudden… he felt poor again.
More dangers would butt their heads in after his unearthed ascension. It would take tremendous effort to miss spotting his domain. The goblins shouldn’t pose too big a threat come the next day… at least, not unless they grew significantly in size and variety.
Beyond the drab walls of his crypt, the ruddying skies heralded the coming of night.
Essences. I need it.
His recently evolved mind swayed toward the pack of beasts. The beasts. He chose to let them go before, but he’d grown since. Frail could afford to release more constructs now.
Thirty possible constructs ensured his next plan a near-guaranteed success. Would he suffer losses? It would be foolish to dismiss that possibility. Frail learned to accept the inevitability of losses, especially if he came head-to-head against a worthy adversary.
Once he solidified his plans… Frail sprung to action.
New constructs. The beasts would give his warriors trouble. Their speed and the darkness diminished his archer’s effectiveness. Frail chose to centralize his strategy on the warriors and rogues.
He opened his constructs menu:
[You have 4970 essences remaining.]
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CONSTRUCT MENU - Used slots | 13
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6x Skeleton warriors - lvl 4
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<td style="vertical-align: top" width="50%">
5x Skeleton archers - lvl 4
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2x Skeleton Rogues - lvl 4
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top"> </td>
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<td style="vertical-align: top">
4x (D)Skeleton warriors - Domain locked
1x in recovery.
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
3x (D)Skeleton archers - Domain locked
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Two warriors for every beast, so… maybe one more for the boss? He counted four surrounding the alpha…
Fifteen’s a good number. Let’s make sure they can handle the load.
[You spent 2,700 essences.]
[You have 2,270 essences remaining.]
Six more skeleton warriors entered his domain.
Archers… then rogues. Frail added five more archers into the midst; then replenished his recently deceased rogues.
[You spent 2,100 essences.]
[You have 170 essences remaining.]
<table style="border-style: solid" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<tbody>
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<td style="vertical-align: top" colspan="2">
CONSTRUCT MENU - Used slots | 29
</td>
</tr>
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<td style="vertical-align: top" width="50%">
15x Skeleton warriors - lvl 4
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top" width="50%">
10x Skeleton archers - lvl 4
</td>
</tr>
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<td style="vertical-align: top">
4x Skeleton Rogues - lvl 4
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top"> </td>
</tr>
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<td style="vertical-align: top">
4x (D)Skeleton warriors - Domain locked
1x in recovery.
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
3x (D)Skeleton archers - Domain locked
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
One slot left. He would love to see the number 30, but his wallet denied him that wish.
His numbers grew again. More than thirty constructs wandered about in the room before his pedestal chamber, their figures shambling about. He noted the possibility of overcrowding; the spacing between his constructs shrank by a large margin, meaning he’d risk losing multiple constructs when a mage opted to send a few fireballs his way.
Perhaps the time had come for him to split his units into two… No, he’d figure that out later.
A thin veil of moonlight streaked through the entrance. The time had come. Frail’s constructs sprang to motion. The creaks and rasps of their bones clattered and echoed as they navigated the straight passages.
Twenty-nine skeletons exited through the steel gate. He got a good look at his crypt from outside. Gray… drab, and… pyramid-like, those few words best described his new home.
While he’d love to sit and inspect his new domain… he had better things to do.
His constructs waded through the woods under the blanket of night. Wet steps treaded through the dense trees and undergrowths. Rogues led the way, using their invisibility to scout the proximity around the party; the archers kept their eyes vigilant, the warriors… stout and reliable as always.
One of his rogues caught a glimpse of the cloistered den. Frail urged the party to halt.
The beast’s numbers remained unchanged. Frail’s rogues circled the vicinity, their movements blurred under the canopy of trees. Once they reached their desired positions, the warriors and archers maintained their formation and marched forward.
Rustle. Frail’s ponderous constructs called for their attention.
One of the beasts reared its head toward the source of the rattling noise. Its red eyes searched the darkness… and recoiled when the light brushed past the line of armored skeletons. Near a dozen shields shrouded their invaders'' identity, and the rasp of bowstrings stretched.
The Alpha stood alert. Shadows of arrows drew lines on the soil and struck their hides. It glowered and roared. The beasts charged, their sable cloaks dotting the landscape, with the alpha at the center-back. Clangors of fangs against iron rang.
Sizzle.
Out from the darkness, four rogues blitzed into their flanks. Focus on the big one. Frail commanded his archers and warriors to activate their abilities. Green embers clashed with the dim moonlight. Shields and projectiles halted the beasts’ advance and kept them at a disadvantageous position.
The rogues dashed past the fallen stumps. Their sunken, empty eyes latched onto the giant quadruped. It didn’t realize the impending danger until their daggers clung to its back and midriff. Splatters of warm blood drizzled the forest floor. It curled backward, gaining some distance away from its veiled assailants.
Dark rush. The rogues’ figures melded with their surroundings. Their near-instantaneous speed distorted their vision. Another barrage of daggers crushed the alpha’s windpipes and exposed abdomen. Its brethren wallowed when they heard their alpha’s whimpers, a distraction one second too long, one flick of their eyes too much. Blades met their bodies and bathed under their warmth. Arrows felled their limbs and their throats. The rogues piled onto their victim until it drew its final breath… and joined arms with the rest of his constructs.
With their alpha down, Frail had nothing else to fear. His upgrades and numbers had far superseded their threat.
Frail’s skeletons returned with the spoils of war.
<table style="border-style: solid" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
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ENTITY STATUS - FRAIL | Class : Undead |Tier - 2
</td>
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<td style="vertical-align: top" width="33.3333%">
Core Integrity: 100%
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top" width="33.3333%">
Essence: 170
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top" width="33.3333%">
Upgrade slots 12/15
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top" colspan="3">
Entity construct slots | 1/30 | Elite construct slots | 2/2
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top" colspan="3"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Masteries
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Traits
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Skills
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Bone construction - 1
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Undeath legion
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Raise construct - Undead
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top"> </td>
<td style="vertical-align: top"> </td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Essence Drain
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>