Raderius

As soon as I met that blithering old fool, I knew that the royal family was incompetent. To even allow this pathetic excuse of a man an opportunity to sit on the throne of our nation. Disgusting. I slew the idiot and his entourage on the spot.

My new blade, 'Will Breaker'. Forged by the most talented blacksmith and further enhanced by my own magic is a work of wonder. Successful strikes from it apply both my curse of years and curse of fatigue spell without me needing to focus on casting the spells. A newer spell of mine 'drain life' will also invigorate me while weakening my opponent, sparing me some effort and the aura tax of maintaining my regeneration spell. A fear spell is also embedded into the blade, whether the enemy blocks the strike or has their blade connect with mine their mind will be filled with despair. Lastly, any enemy slain will be resurrected as if I casted a perfect animate dead spell. Its disappointing that the first enemies to fall to it are men completely unworthy of it. However, I had an overwhelming desire to see how far my swordsmanship had advanced. The effortless grace with which I slew his grade 5 magic knight bodyguards showed me just how far I've come since my initial humiliating training.

Still, this action amounts to a declaration of war. A bit premature, but still I intend to win.

Only those who volunteer for conflict with Milos will be among the living who fight for me. I understand that a rebellion from a Lord they have only recently served under is not an ideal condition for building trust in my people. Therefore, I am focused on damage control. Assurances that they won't be conscripted. Freedom to flee sites of conflict. Combined with the fact that my reign has been prosperous and no small amount of fear, the people seem to have been cowed and wont rebel against me. Of course, if I start losing the war I won't be met with any mercy. Nobody would risk their skin for a loser lord.

Fewer than five hundred living men and women, almost entirely from the County of Neiros including the countess herself volunteered to face the Kingdom. Count Katz and Count Rivichuck have also arrived, each with a battalion of 50 soldiers. They understand that if i were to fall, willingly serving under me means that they to will be met with no mercy.

The undead however, now that I no longer feel the urge to hold back number in the millions. Generations upon generations of dead, dead from before the kingdoms birth emerged to answer my call. Among them are powerful undead of all stripes.

Colossal skeletons with weapons to match them in size, immense strength that would be unexpected from the departed.

Skeletal champions adorned in ancient armor, and weapons, capable of the most minor of sentient thoughts and able to organize any skeletal soldiers under their command.

Wraiths, undead with strong physical ability comparable to a 4th grade magic knight, as well as several weakening auras of 5th grade. Their most powerful asset is a aura of unquantifiable grade that robs enemies of the will to fight, similar to a fear spell from me.

Specters. Top grade assassins with a powerful attack targeting their enemies heart every time they move through an enemy. Furthermore, non magical attacks cannot harm them.

Abominations, meaty piles of flesh and gore shaped into a vaguely humanoid form. Their magic is self sustaining and seeks to regrow what was lost making for a powerful wall of flesh to absorb the enemies blows.

Wights, armor that is as sturdy as it was when they live but with deathly enchanted swords that sap the soul of those they strike.

Banshees whose cry forces a constant toll of aura using Rert to prevent the rupture of ear drums, the stopping of ones heart or the explosion of their head. Not to mention the audible distraction.

Ghouls a peculiar type of zombie with paralyzing claws.

Revenants, a top end undead, the warrior version of specters. They will never be satisfied doomed to fight endless battles and struggle in my name.

Hundreds of undead mages from throughout history, a force that is honestly lacking when compared to the mages of the kingdom. However, they will at least make sure the bulk of my forces do not suffer to much damage while I turn the tide of battle.

Combine this with millions of skeletons, skeletal cavalry and zombies to serve as bulk chaff able to dragon down stronger foes with sheer numbers and waste enemy mage mana and I feel my military strength is comparable, if not stronger than the Kingdoms. Even if you subtract the balance breaker that is my existence.

Now as for strategy, Milos will desire conventional open warfare where they can bring use all of their mages in one location against my armies. I will dictate the battle instead. A force shall be garrisoned at each city within my county, each force will be led by one of the three Counts with the capital being led by me. This will force the enemy to break their army into four chunks. The consequences of not sieging each city and letting one army go free could result in one of two potential consequences.

The first is that the forces they neglect could flank them and catch the enemy army in a pincer attack.

While a significant deterrent, their command could be willing to gamble on it to have an overwhelming advantage at one battle site, however the other potential consequence has to great of a cost.

The enemy could believe that my forces will see this as an opportunity to move on, crush their rearguard and capture their territory. The thought of an army of the dead in their lands is enough to terrify them, even if I have no intention of slaying their citizenry. Of course, the fresh reinforcements I could create within their lands would be a enjoyable benefit. Truthfully though, the threat of undead in their lands would be a sufficient reason for the enemy to refuse to allow even one force to escape the borders of Avantine.

The only part of this tactic that is unfortunate is that the King will have offensive initiative and be able to dictate how he splits his forces, there are restrictions placed upon him of course, he can't send a force to weak or the defender will break the siege and the two potential consequences could happen. However, he will be given a tactical initiative to allow him to play his hand in the best possible way he can.

To me the victory objectives are simple. Slay the King, every member of the royal family and any Duke who doesn't surrender. A leaderless army will be easily put to rout. On the other hand, their victory condition is my eradication and unbinding of my army.

Good luck, i'm behind ten million undead.

Or so i'd like to say. Truthfully though, the war will hinge on me and what I can do to break the tide and grasp victory.

I've become stronger, not just physically and not just because of the addition of a couple new spells. The potency of my magic, its increased. There was a time that any Rert would severely disrupt if not entirely nullify curse of years. Now, however its effects can only be reduced not nullified and if you're to weak you will be slain. My regeneration, its faster than ever and is supported by a spell I used to modify my body.

Pain receptors, I killed all my pain receptors. For a existence such as myself that only needs to worry about my heart stopping or my head being severed from my body pain is unnecessary and only added a weakness in my regeneration, that overwhelming pain could cause me to black out. On the other hand, my enemy if I were to destroy their pain receptors they would become reckless and put themselves into positions they can be slain. With my overwhelming potency it will be difficult to resist.

Fatigue curse can now be used to sap all the stamina of my foes, it no longer requires subtlety except against the most powerful of mages and magic knights.

This power i've unlocked, my growth. My increased status. My rulership. I can feel myself becoming drunk on it. As if I was the most powerful man on the planet. Everyone's life and death in the palm of my hands and I as their benevolent master. There can only be one description for it.

I feel like a God.