Chapter 21 – Death

After laying waste to the stone-walled city. I return to my human form. Being a giant dragon require some getting used to. I do not want to deal with it at the moment. The pain from taking on a second authority still persisted. I start to walk back to where I left the NPCs. I think back to how horrible that battle went. The bitch goddess treated us like babies and easily suppressed us.

A part of me underestimated this world. Thought nothing could touch us and did not take anything seriously. The appearance of the bitch goddess overturned that view. For the first time since coming to this world. I actually felt pain. I learn this is reality. It is no game or dream.

As I approach the NPCs. Seeing the two bodies on the ground. My heart starts pounding. I try to deny what happened. Assassin and Saber are standing next to the bodies with sad expressions on their faces. I fear for the worst.

I finally got close and saw the bodies. I start feeling emotional. My eyes start to get wet. I notice Caster’s hand is on top of Archer’s abdomen. The wound is healed. Where a hole should have been. The evidence of the attack still showed as the armor is damaged and ripped. A large hole showing where the attack hit.

Looks like Archer is only unconscious. She was healed by Caster in time. I see her stomach is going up and down as she is still breathing. However, the same can not be said for Caster. She has the gaping wound on her lower abdomen. The entrails are spilling out onto the ground.

Caster used her last breath to cast healing magic on Archer before dying. A noble deed. In the game Arlenia. The companion NPCs with healing magic always heal themselves first. When they take damage before healing others. The fact Caster used Healing magic on Archer first. Proves she was truly alive with a free will. Not dictated by game AI.

I feel bad for treating my NPCs in wariness. Thinking they are psychopathic monsters. When they are people with actual feelings. I decide from now on. To treat and think of them as people. Hopefully find ways to make them happy. Sadly, it took the death of Caster. To teach me this.

“Apologies master. I have failed as a knight and as a tank. To allow a death in our party.” –Saber

“No Saber. The failure is all on me. I looked down on this world. Due to my conceit. We paid with blood. The blood of my servant Caster is spilled as a result.” –Dasas

A myriad of emotions overwhelm me as I feel self-hatred. Realizing I can not revive Caster as this is not Arlenia. When companion NPCs in the game die. They can only be revived if the creator visits the quest NPC in the starter town. Pay a fee of 5,000 Arlenian gold coins. Unlike players that can revive at their last save point. They also can use revival items, or have a high level white mage to cast [Arise] on them.

This is why most players would not level most of their companion NPCs to max level. When NPCs die. Then players got to make a trip to town every time to pay a fee for revival. I am one of the few players. Who actually bothered to level all five of my companion NPCs to level one hundred.

Archer start to awaken. Slowly opening her eyes and then sits up. She glances around with confusion. Then she look down and saw the dead body of Caster next to her. She yells out in shock.

“Wah!! Caster is injured badly!! Medic!!” –Archer

“Caster is dead. She sacrificed her life. To heal your wounds Archer. Honor her.” –Saber

“What? Sorry my memory is fuzzy. After the attack. I didn’t realize. I’m sorry Caster…sniff…sniff.” –Archer

The usual happy-go-lucky smile on Archer’s face is replaced with a frown. She starts to cry.

“I will not have your death be in vain Caster. I shall take from the bitch goddess as she took from me!! I vow this here and now!!” –Dasas

“That vow! I hereby. Share it with you master!” –Saber

“Sniff…sniff…I take that vow too. I won’t rest. Until my arrow pierces the heart of that lady in white. It’s the least I can do for Caster.” -Archer

I see Assassin nodding repeatedly in agreement to the vow. I look down to see Caster’s lifeless eyes are still opened. I crouched down on one knee to the ground. I attempt to close her eyes. As I touched her face. A message window pops up.

Congratulations administrator Dasas. By having the death authority and control over all aspects of death in this world of Anahita. You have the option to revive this corpse into an undead creature of your choice.

You can choose from transforming the corpse into a lich, a ghoul, or a vampire. As the corpse is designated as your apostle it will be able to retain its previous soul. Do you wish to revive this corpse?YesNo

Holy hell. I did not expect this outcome. Excitement starts to fill me. I try to process what I am seeing. Praying it is for real. I look over the message window again. Confirmed it is real. A smile forms on my face. I think how being a god definitely has it perks.

Thinking over my options on the undead species. A lich will definitely be cool, but then I decide against it. I feel sorry for Caster if she has to live out her life as a skeleton. Same goes for the option of being a ghoul. I do not want to see her decaying body. Her guts sticking out of her stomach.

This means the only option is vampire. Caster will be able to retain her beauty and also gain immortality. I am hesitant to have a bloodsucker around. I despise parasites and such. I am no longer human, so it should not matter. I have Assassin hanging around after all and she eat souls. I press the [Yes] option. Another message window appear.

Administrater Dasas which undead species do you want for this corpse?LichGhoulVampire

If it happen to be Rider that died. I would have chosen the [Lich] option. Having a girl live as a skeleton is too cruel, but I do not care if it happens to a man. I chose the [Vampire] option. A light start emitting from the corpse of Caster. Her wounds start to heal.

Once the light fades. Caster looks good as new, but I am unsure if it worked. I do not see her breathing. I do not think undead breath so I can not tell. She already had pale skin before, so there goes another indicator. The other NPCs are shocked. They saw how Caster’s wounds healed. When she is suppose to be dead. Then a message window appears.

Congratulations administrator Dasas. You have created the undead creature vampire. Since it is the first vampire on Anahita the race will be set to first ancestor. A new species have arrived on Anahita.

Caster’s eyes start to twitch and move. Her eyelids start to slowly open and she stares at me. I have my face near her.

“Whoa leader!! Too close!! Have the darkness taken you? Now you wish to violate me?” –Caster

“Down girl and no…in this case. You could say the darkness have taken you instead. So how do you feel?” –Dasas

Caster starts to sit up. Rubbing her stomach and looks around.

“Uh I feel a weird sensation on my stomach. For some reason I’m really thirsty.” –Caster

I did not notice any obvious changes in Caster. She has normal eyes. Even her teeth are the same as before. Looks like sunlight is not turning her into dust either. I only know of vampires from media and myth after all. Who can say what real vampires are like.

“Well Caster. You had a huge hole in your stomach, but it healed. Also, it seems you are no longer human, but a vampire. The thirst is probably due to you needing to drink blood.” –Dasas

“What’s a vampire?!” –Caster

A look of confusion is on Caster’s face. She is trying to make out what I just said. Makes sense. She won’t know what a vampire is. They do not exist in the game Arlenia Fantasy Online. Then Archer launches herself at Caster. Hugging her.

“Sniff…sniff…Caster!!! You alive!! I thought you died!! Thank goodness!!” –Archer

I start to look around and notice the body of the village chief. He fainted earlier a little distance away. Covered in dirt with his body positioned oddly. Probably the result of being blown away from the wind generated. When I flapped my wings in my dragon form. I get up and walk towards the village chief. I get to him. I start to drag back his body by his collar. I approach Caster. Flinging the body of the unconscious village chief to her.

“Drink.” –Dasas

“Huh? Drink? What do you mean leader?” –Caster

When Caster is looking at the village chief’s neck. She start to tremble. Her eyes turn red in both eyes with slits in them. Long vampire fangs start to appear on her teeth.

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What Caster’s vampire eyes look like:

http://orig05.deviantart.net/712c/f/2009/157/f/4/vampire_eye_by_cho_oka.jpg

Picture I found online so it is not mine.

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Caster’s vampire instincts kick in. She proceed to bite into the village chief’s neck and start to drink his blood. The other NPCs become wide-eyed and gasp in shock at the scene. I then recall back to the noble on that city wall. Who called me an evil god. I can only sigh in sadness, since it is probably true now. Having a bloodsucker and a demon that eat souls as subordinates. Mean the master can not be anyone good after all.

The village chief wake up and screams in pain as Caster is drinking his blood. Then he faints again. Now I am curious. If this guy will turn into a vampire servant to Caster, since she bit him. I should find out soon. I will have him brought along with us. I am in dire need of more bodies.

The bitch goddess said something about wanting to play a war game with me. I doubt I can back out of it. This means I need to start to create my very own army. Creating my own army will be difficult. It seems the bitch goddess have a large influence among the human population.

I could try freeing the slaves from oppression. Have them join my army like a certain woman did in a TV series. I watched long ago. It was a TV series with a medieval setting. Where everyone was fighting for the king’s throne. The woman created an army by freeing slaves .Then became queen. People called her “Mother of Dragons.” Being a dragon myself now. I feel a little skittish about it, but then the woman had white hair too. Which reminds me of the bitch goddess sadly.

I do not know how to make such a plan possible. I decide to put it aside for now. I am just an average person from earth. I am not a tactician or a charismatic leader. What I can do is steal ideas from media and stories I have seen. It might help a bit. I decide to leave the matter for later. I want to check up on Lancer and Rider.

I told them to head to that swamp jungle southward from here, but neglected to check if there are any dangers there. Who knows what kind of monsters infest such a place. If it is like the Brazilian amazon with all its nasty parasites and predators. It is probably many times worse in a world with magic.

“Since everyone is okay now. Let us head to that forest swamp. Check on Lancer and Rider.” –Dasas

“As you command my master” –Saber

“It seems the darkness turned me into a monster…boohoo…well I still will follow leader.” –Caster

“Hehehehe. I can’t wait to see little Lancer again.” –Archer

“…….(nods)” –Assassin

That is when I notice Assassin is staring at me with a feverish gaze? Hope it is not because she thinks my soul is delicious and wants to eat it.

“Errr what are you looking at Assassin?” –Dasas

Assassin shifts her gaze and looks down.

“Meh whatever.” –Dasas

We start to walk towards the direction of the jungle swamp to meet up with Lancer and Rider. Our horses fled before the battle with the bitch goddess. We have to get there on foot. At least we still have the wagon with the two horses that pull it. Rider took it along with Lancer.

As we got close to the jungle swamp. A tense situation is before us. I notice Lancer and Rider near the wagon with their weapons drawn in battle stances. What I see near them are a group of people wearing hooded cloaks. Damn it is one thing after another. Can this world give me a break for once? Sigh.