“Raise Minions!” the Liche commands.

Eldritch power yields to the words of power as the city square is blanketed by the necromantic command. The skeleton warriors, Doug and Greg, spent an hour finding and dragging dead Kapa soldiers and civilians to the spot designated by their Liche and Lord.

Matt’s eyes brim with power as the spell takes on a different tone than when he was a human. It also helps he is now a Level 7 Necromancer and used the 9 skill points to Level Up the following-

Minion Master 3 - 6

Raise Range Minion 0 - 2

Raise Minion 2 - 3

Unholy Caster 0 - 1

Unholy Circle 0 - 1

Unholy Light 0 - 1

And the new power coursing through his skeletal frame feels very good, like a bump of dragon spice but more intense, more surreal, giving Matt the feeling of being alive, but instead of the sensation of fast pumping blood and an accelerated heart rate, it is the sheer “thrumm” of his own magic echoing inside and out of his body. The visualization of the spell weaving and dancing inside Matt’s vision, inside his mind.

Matt checks the description of Unholy Caster as Raise Minion seems to freeze his perception of time-

Unholy Caster Level 1 :: Magic born from straddling the line between life and death, only usable by the undead with above-average magic talent! Spells Cast that deal with the undead gain +(1) effectiveness. Current Level (1). Next Level (2)

Then his mind turns to the description of Unholy Circle-

Unholy Circle Creatures raised inside this circle gain +(1) Level. Do not abuse.

And then the spell is pulled from the void, boiling away flesh and burning the bones, until 19 minions stand before him.

For a moment, Matt forgets that his normal life is effectively over, and all the wealth and glory he strove for has been for naught. The fact that he may never again feel a woman’s touch or walk into a town and enjoy a night’s rest or a beer…

Matt started today only able to Raise 1 Minion. Now he has control of twenty.

19x Skeleton Warrior

Level 5

Strength : D+

Magic Power : F

Speed : D-

Defense : C

Difficulty Rating : D

Status : Undead (Should be hard to kill, unless you crush their head.)

Most of which are Level 5.

Despite everything, or maybe because of everything, Matt lifts his face to the sky. And laughs. Loudly, manically, and with an evil that belongs to the liches of old.

*********************

NecroBoys Party:

Matt the Minor Liche

Status : Undead and Not Sure if that’s a good thing.

Greg the Skeleton Warrior

Status: Wants to leave this dungeon after committing a host of atrocities.

Doug the Skeleton Warrior

Status: Wants to commit more atrocities.

19x Skeleton Warriors.

Status: Undead and happy to be here.

Greg, in his wisdom, insists on making shields from the Kapa corpses scattered haphazardly due to the sudden onset of their deaths. Along with sawing shells from decaying bodies riddled with fire and acid, there is the matter of looting any savable equipment that could replace the basic sword… in total, the 19 Skeleton Warriors, not including Greg and Doug, arm themselves with shields, long spears and the steel swords of carried by the Kapa Commanders. The army looked formidable, if not mismatched and totally naked, so against Matt’s wishes and waning patience, Greg insists on scavenging for anything that could be used as a cloak. Which seems to take hours as the fire that has swept through the city left only charred ruins.

While Matt watches his skeletal warriors gather supplies, he orders three to “scout ahead” and find the exit to this part of the dungeon. And while skeletal warriors aren’t necessarily good scouts or good at finding anything, it makes Matt feel like he’s doing something beyond waiting for Greg to finish picking through the garbage.

Despite himself, Matt appreciates Greg’s willingness to improve his “troops.” The only thing left to do is name them, something Matt wouldn’t be convinced mattered if he didn’t see the System message proclaiming “Doug” Leveled Up.

It is only when Greg starts to discuss the construction of siege engines with the gathered skeletal warriors, whose naked forms are covered with burnt bed sheets and tapestries, that Matt finally decides to put a stop to this madness-

“GREG!” Matt storms.

Greg looks up from his gathering of skeletons, their heads bobbing in unison to greet the young Liche as they crouche over a dirt outline of a crude tower.

“Matt?”

“We need to go!”

Greg’s blue spark narrows. “We’re surrounded by supplies! We gotta make use of everything.”

Matt rubs the ridge of his skull. “I’ve just spent an hour of my life watching you order my minions to pick through garbage!”

“Technically—”

“Technically nothing. We are leaving, the scouts—”

Skeletal warrior has suffered Critical Blunt Damage

Skeletal warrior has suffered Critical Blunt Damage

Skeletal warrior has suffered Critical Blunt Damage

3x Skeletal Warriors have returned to the void.

“Are dead.”

Matt looks up slowly as the darkness of the dungeon night sky almost hides the presence of the approaching mountain of muscle and leather skin.

That’s what the Kapa Boss looks like. A walking mountain that seems to swallow the pale light of the false night sky with its not quite moon and stars with its black shape that seems to move carefully and deceptively slowly through the swamp.

But Matt’s mind does the calculation. He knows that the monster turtle is only a few steps from being on top of them. Especially after he sees the glint of deep yellow eyes turning their attention from likely discovered skeletal scouts to the Kapa Capital City. His city.

And Matt wants to run.

But Greg walks up next to him, a wiry smile on his skull. “We needed the tower for that, by the way.”

“Fuck.” Matt turns his head slowly to Greg’s grinning face. “You.”