Frail scanned his domain lord’s standard upgrade.


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    Domain Skill upgrade - Spellblade’s standard - 3 - Changes spawn from Warriors to Guards. Increase wight’s count by 2. They are leashed to the floor the domain lord is assigned. Costs: 5000 essences. Raises level by 3.


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    Out of all possible upgrades in his price range—and considering his possible immediate needs—he deemed this one the best.


    [You spent 5000 essences.]


    [You now have 170 essences.]


    Five warriors shuddered and tumbled into ashes upon Frail’s purchase. Five staunch-looking skeleton guards took their places seconds afters, their cuirass and armor pieces adorned and embellished with silver trims. They didn’t carry blades this time; each swung around a lengthy one-handed steel-tipped mace. Their shields barricaded their entire bodies.


    Two more wights entered his domain after.


    “What the-“


    The humans froze upon the sight of Frail’s army—lines of skeletons bathed in smoky trails of azure smog from the domain lord’s aura.


    Their unknown invaders caught up before they could utter a word. Heavy footsteps rang louder as they neared the entrance to the penultimate room leading to his domain pedestal.


    “Sarah,” Damon whispered. “Buffs. Now.”


    “Got it. [Lightning weapons],” Lighting sparked in her hands, then shot toward the human’s weapons. A thin veil of lighting coated their bows and their blades, colored them the hue of sapphire. He hadn’t seen her cast this spell before.


    “Agil, stay with me.” Justine relayed her orders. “We should-“


    Six gaunt silhouettes breached the darkness. Lit by the dangling chandeliers, their pale visages shifted as their shadows marked the floor. Frail’s opponents had mostly been another army; this time, he only faced six.


    Just six humanoids. Yet, the intimidation these six brought with them triumphed over the goblins. He looked at the well-armored, pallid-skinned warrior again.


    His gait… It was as if he faced another Arthur.


    “What the hell are those?” Sarah whispered. “I’ve never seen them before.”


    “They’re not monsters,” Justine added. “No names. No tiers. No details.”


    “So, they’re… like us?” Damon chimed in.


    Justine wiped off the sweat on her furrowed forehead. “How the fuck should I know?”


    The six stopped when they saw Frail’s skeleton army. For a flash of an instance, he sensed hesitation in their steps.


    Should I attack? His rogues hid behind the veil of shadows, waiting.


    Seconds ticked. None made a move.


    The one with the giant blade unsheathed his armament.


    “Shit-“


    Just when Frail thought it would launch an attack…


    …He rested his weapon on the floor.


    A gesture of… surrendering?


    “What’s going on?” Agil whispered. “Are we fighting?” He shifted aside, away from Damon’s broad shoulder, spying on the unexpected turn of events.


    “Entity.”


    Frail froze.


    He heard it. Tangible speech. From him.


    The six then knelt, their faces turned away from his domain lord.


    “We are here to request your aid. A man named Harkon… sent us to you, and gave us your language. Our beacon has fallen. Goblins… The chieftain… they took everything. Our friends were dismembered and eaten. Our leader… slain. We failed to stop their invasion.”


    Harkon. So they were the guests he told of.


    “The invasion?” Justine interrupted. “But it’s supposed to come tomorrow.”


    No reply came from the ones kneeling.


    “Hey!” She raised her voice. Her rancor went unheard.


    Frail struggled to form a reply. Unlike Harkon, who could somehow read his thoughts, the pale-skinned humanoids lacked that capability. Frail noted the small scabs and scars peppering their bodies upon a closer look. They seemed old and untreated, yet they didn’t fester or decay. They weren’t human, sure, but then, what race would they fall under?Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Don’t tell me… they’re… undead?


    His domain lord took a step forward. The humans flinched when its shadow crossed their heads.


    “Let us take shelter in your domain.” He continued, treating the humans as if they never existed. “We will do our part to assist you in return.”


    What is Harkon’s end goal here? Why did he send them to me?


    “They’re coming for us, too,” Justine spoke again. She didn’t care if her voice went ignored. “Why not work together?”


    “Because we are undead. You are not.” He finally replied. “We are called Draugrs in your tongue. My name is Grimright. These are my companions…”


    Draugrs. I see now. Frail’s assumptions ended up right. He did not know why or how, but he felt compelled to lend an ear and listen to their plight. Perhaps their similar race beckoned him to heed their words… a sense of camaraderie? Even still, Frail wasn’t just an undead; he was also an entity… and at some point, human.


    Grimright began introducing them—one by one. Aside from the obvious gender difference, Frail couldn’t distinguish them from one another. “We’ve come across a few of your friends, human. Our experience has not been pleasant.”


    Frail noted Justine’s intense frown. “The hell you say? I-”


    “Justine. Stop it.” She halted her speech when Damon pulled her shoulder.


    “We can work together,” Damon spoke calmly. “At least… until the whole Goblin threat is taken care of. If we unite our forces, we stand a better chance. You may not like us… but that hardly matters. Please, think about it again.”


    He spoke that to every party involved. To Frail, and Grimright.


    “Harkon said this is the safest place on this island,” Grimright answered. “Your strongest soldier is leashed to this place.” Grimright pointed toward Frail’s domain lord.


    The old draugr lowered his arm. “Even with a chosen, one with God’s blessing, we still failed to defend against the horde. They were simply too many… And their generals…” His beady eyes sank, “The chieftain’s staunch soldiers killed our best warriors in seconds. Flanking him was a mistake. But here…” He swung his hands at the domain walls, “Here, however… we can funnel them. Limit their biggest advantage. The wall of this domain cannot be broken. Try it—touch the walls. You’ll understand what I mean.”


    Damon followed Grimright’s instructions. His eyes widened. “What…”


    “What is it?” Sarah and Justine asked.


    “Indestructible?”


    “Domain walls are system-protected.” Grimright resumed. “Unbreakable unless the system deems it so. The beacon’s pitiful walls crumbled against the full might of their magic and power. We tried it when we found you; the system confirmed Harkon’s deductions.”


    They knocked on the walls before entering. He saw that. Harkon told them all this. It made sense if he wished to protect his kind, but Frail loathed how he dumped all the responsibility on him.


    “If we gather here. Fight from within…” Damon turned to his friends, “Look at the rooms. They are huge. It can house all of us inside.”


    “But that means we’ll lose the beacon. And once we do… it will be gone forever.” Justine stopped him. “I don’t think Arthur’s willing to lose that. But…” She paused and closed her eyes, “We must go back. Discuss. Think.”


    She faced Frail’s domain lord. “I… pray you have an answer when we return.”


    Frail couldn’t ignore the draugrs’ negative disposition toward the living. On the other hand, their strength would most certainly help. To unite meant they stood a clearer chance at surviving the invasion… and he’d reap all the rewards bountiful from the fallen corpses… From both humans and the goblins and the draugrs.


    Frankly, Frail had little to lose.


    His priority was survival, whether he liked the humans or the draugrs mattered naught. If banding up gave him the best odds of survival…


    “We’ll come back once we talk things through. I… hope we can work together.” She placed her gaze at the draugrs, then Frail.


    The humans gathered and stepped past the draugrs.


    “I did not come empty-handed,” Grimright spoke after the humans left. “Here. We found an object we cannot use. Harkon said you might like it.”


    He retrieved another object. Another glistening orb, pallid as the skin of the draugrs. “-A gift, shall you accept our request for refuge. Please, I implore you…”


    [Tier 1 essence Orb.]


    [Drain to obtain 15.000 essences.]


    15,000? That’s… a decent amount.


    Grimright sensed Frail’s elation.


    Even without the orb, housing them wouldn’t cost him anything. The empty spaces within his domain served no purpose anyway. Food might be an issue… but did they need food in the first place?


    Of course, he did not forget about the possibility of lies and betrayals. Ultimately, taking anyone in, the humans and the draugrs carried the same risk. Frail could only decide on the things he witnessed and observed. So far, none of these draugrs appeared shifty. Desperate, maybe, but they didn’t come with hostile intent.


    I’ll tread carefully.


    His skeleton lancer zipped through the distance between them and landed a step before Grimright. A cold breeze blew past as it nodded. He smiled, relieved. “I have another news to share. We encountered another dungeon hidden inside a cave. That orb—and a few other treasures—came from it.”


    Beyond the river… it’s a good distance away. To leave his domain posed too much risk at this moment.


    The draugrs stood. “Let us show you that we can be of use. With your help, we stand a good chance of weathering their invasion.”


    As his speech trailed into silence, Frail noted the rapid footsteps beyond his domain.


    The second goblin patrol… Frail looked at their numbers with glee.


    Grimright and his allies faced the entrance. “…or we can show you now.”


    ### Damon ###


    They avoided another goblin patrol on their way back. Luckily, the crypt was there, all grand and mighty, drawing their attention before they came face to face. Damon briefly considered turning back and helping. Justine shot that down. She was right, as it stood… The skeletons never needed their help.


    After all, they’d seen the true power behind the stone slab walls. An army of skeletons numbered north of forty, clad with otherworldly magic, and the staunch armored skeleton in the center.


    Yeah… they don’t need help.


    The five sneaked about with their heads craned downward, each deep in thought, thinking, brooding.


    “I should’ve been expecting it, but I’m still shocked when they came. Another… sapient race… I can only imagine what else is out there.” Sarah spoke in whispers, brushing the foliage aside.


    “Don’t think it’s that weird.” Justine answered, “After all the monsters and the magic, I can’t be shocked anymore. Although I find it interesting that the system pits us against other races—always assumed it’ll only be us here. Since this is… well, you know, Earth.”


    Damon also thought the same.


    “I don’t know if we should be thankful or scared shitless. I’m firmly in the middle.” Agil said.


    The haven’s walls peered through the dense forest.


    Damon glanced at the tall structure. The beacon imparted them massive benefits: the ability to purchase potions and skills, to call a place his home after a day’s work of hunting and gaining levels. Losing it would hurt.


    Wooden gates creaked open—the scent of unwashed men and campfire dispersed outside.


    “Let’s find Arthur. We’ll see what happens after.” Justine stowed her bow and breathed relief.


    “We… look like shit,” Sarah commented. The threat of the invasion occupied their heads, reflected through their weary eyes and pale complexion. Their steps only got heavier as their strength grew. How was that even possible?


    “No patrols?” Arthur asked when they approached. Even their leader exhibited signs of lethargy.


    The five shook their heads.


    “But there’s… more? They can’t be missing.” The young man added, standing up, “Where are-“


    “They are headed somewhere else,” Justine interrupted. “They won’t be a problem. Trust me.”


    “What?” Damon saw Arthur’s eyes widening.


    “That… is what we want to talk about.” She continued. “This is going to sound crazy, but we met him. The skeletons… and more.”


    Arthur’s eyes widened. For a brief second, he smiled. “Please… do tell.”