Chapter 513 An Undead Walked Into a Bar...
Chapter 513: An Undead Walked Into a Bar...
Dave managed to leave the area of the Fu Temple Spatial Inclusion, he was back to the wilds and it was a bright day once again. He tore a teleportation scroll to Urburg, he needed to have a chat with Nick.
Once Dave was at the newly renovated town of Urburg, he noticed a great deal of change.
The town borders had a massive extension of agricultural land. Corn and wheat grew covering the fields in the golden and green colors of life. Undead helped man the fields along with the cattle. They were strong enough to pull the plowing devices and were not as cumbersome to use, they didn't need food, water, or rest and they could do the job of ten men each.
The city buildings looked newer, all the people in Urburg enjoyed a great deal of prosperity, the town was blossoming in natural riches, peace, and a good sense of calm and security thanks to the undead roaming the place.
Dave walked up to Urburg and saw two familiar figures with the company of Nick.
Death was sitting in one of the bar chairs, giggling at Nick's jokes while she took sips from her drink.
While the second was Singund, Dave's orc chieftain, gobbling up what seemed to be his twelfth mug of ale.
"Welcome Kid," Nick greeted.
Dave nodded and the orc turned once he saw Dave, he snorted in discontent and went back to his mug.
"Seems that someone is pretty pissed about your discission."
"What's going on?" Dave asked.
"Lord, I don't want to seem ungrateful, but you were unfair. Cruelly so."
Dave frowned, what was going on?
"What the heck are you talking about?" Dave asked and sat next to the orc. Nick served him a beer in a wooden mug.
"The battle with the Ash King. Dog's been gloating about all the heads he bashed in, all the people he slew and killed, even Bud, he wasn't much of a talker, but the battle against the Ash King got even that voiceless ghoul grinning with pride. While I was stuck keeping guard on towns and cities that didn't need protection." The orc struck the mug against the bar "More!"
Dave wasn't sure that the orc had realized that the guy serving his drink was a god. But he was too pissed to even care.
If Nick was bothered by his behavior, he didn't show it.
"I'm not going to apologize Singund, we each have our roles. You're wrong to think that I would not have included you among my men in the Ash King's battle because I didn't think you were fit for it."
"Then WHY?! I wanted to fight for his majesty! And for you! Why not include me?!" the orc exclaimed.
"Simply put, Remove Dog's legacy power, you're the strongest undead I have under my command."
"That doesn't make any sense! If I'm your strongest, why not bring me in?"
"You're missing the point Singund. Think about it, how many enemies do I have?"
"A lot as I presume, almost all of the adventurers want your head."
"Exactly, then when all of them know that I have a great battle in the underworld, didn't you think that one of them would want to take the opportunity while I'm away to try and take what is mine?"
"You mean raid, Qin? But I wasn't stationed at Qin, I was here! Stuck in this dammed forest, fighting stupid beasts to safe keep villagers, even my orcish troops grew tired of those damnable dumb creatures that see death in the vicinity and don't pay her any respect!"
"How ironic," Nick grinned, and Death giggled at his quip.
Dave smirked it was obvious that the orc didn't know the identity of the two deities right next to him.
The orc didn't understand what was going on, but he still shouted.
"Listen up, what's the only way for those adventurers to get to Qin?" Dave asked.
"Right. Now that I think about it, the wilds. But the Wilds are huge, they could have gone from another side and I wouldn't have known."
"I purposefully sent you to the area that had the least concentration of Area Bosses. And if any dumb adventurer wanted to get to Qin, they would have had to go through you. Which would be impossible, because you're my strongest."
"Second Strongest!"
"I told you, it's only because Dog has a legacy."
"A legacy is power to oneself, he is strong, I will not lie to myself about it. But right, I can see your reasoning, but at least you should have told us, Lord. We felt that we have wronged you and you punished us that way."
"I have an idea," Nick said as he clapped his hands.
"To make things easier for both of you, I have a task for you."
Singund, obviously drunk pointed his shaky mug at the undead wiping the glass. "Who might you be to task us and the lord?"
Dave immediately bonked him on the head, "You don't know trouble when you see it? Open your eyes, that's Nicholas, the Undeath God, your creator, and the reason you're able to battle long after your death."
The Orc's eyes widened, before he could even utter another word Dave interjected "Not to make you embarrass yourself, even more, that's Death, right next to you. And you didn't pay her any respects when she's in your vicinity either."
Singund's mouth began opening and closing, not sure if the ale was the cause of his loss of words or the fact that he was sitting with gods and didn't even notice.
"So, what you got for me?"
"Well, seeing that the Calamities are coming soon, I thought why not give my beloved children another of their Aces back."
Dave frowned, "Are you talking about Deadra?"
"Oh, now that would be a wonderful idea. But no, Deadra…Well, it is not difficult to bring him back if you put in the effort." Nick said as he scratched his head.
"But I don't think the Undead King will like that."
"It doesn't matter, in times of need every strength is needed. But if you bring Deadra, that means that Drahma has a chance."
Nick's expression turned solemn.
"No. Drahma is gone. Death by the Gae Bolg is true death. Ask her yourself."
Death turned to Dave and said, "Nicholas is right. I blessed the god slaying weapons with a power that rends their bodies and destroyed their souls completely. If one were to die by a god slaying object, that means that they cannot be brought back, because there is nothing to bring them back from."
Dave sighed, he really wanted to bring Drahma back, but if death herself said it was not possible, then there was nothing he could do, no matter how vexing the situation was, he couldn't change that fact.
"So about my task."
"Deadra revival, yeah how do we do it?" Dave asked.
"I told you it was not Deadra, although it's someone of his caliber," Nick said.
"Really, someone as strong as the mightiest Knight of the Undead King?"
"Technically speaking," Nick said. "He is at least three times as strong as Deadra. Actually, by now he should be as powerful as the Undead King. He only has one single tiny teeny problem."
"Damn, that strong? Wouldn't that put a lot of friction between the Undead King and this "ally"?
"Emm, that's another problem too. I wouldn't specifically be calling him an ally."
"You're being annoying you know that Nick."
"I'm doing it on purpose," Nick grinned in a childish smile.
"So who is this guy?"
"Well, it's someone you already met, you and Dagla. Remember the Tomb of that Qin Knight you saw last time, in that cavern where you found an old teleportation gate?"
"Yeah, I remember that, I didn't dare wake that thing up."
"Good thing you didn't, he would have turned you to minced meat then. Anyway, now my mission to you is simple, wake him up." Nick said.
"I might fail," Dave said, "My necromancy isn't strong enough to awaken something that powerful. Even Dagla will need a lot of time to prepare, especially with all that energy he wasted waking up the Black Dragon."
"Nah, don't worry," Nick said and tapped Dave on the back of his palm.
A black swirl of energy penetrated through Dave's hand and a burning sensation caught him off guard, it was as if his hand was on fire.
***
Absolut Revival!
Nicholas the Undead God has blessed you with a one time use of [Rise Undead] that will not fail.
***
"That's handy."
"Yep, don't waste it, I can't give you more, that will be breaking the rules."
"Giving him just this one is breaking the Rules Nickolas," Death said.
"Hey, it's just bending them, he could still revive him with a bit of time and more magic even without this. I'm just accelerating the process."
Death shook her head; the punk-head was incorrigible.
"What about Deadra, you said you had a way;"
"Yep, but not now."
"Why not?" Dave asked.
"How awkward will it be for me to bring him back. While you're holding his prized shield and sword?"
Dave thought about it for a moment and said, "Emm, I think you're right. Until I get better gear. That will be awkward."
"Better gear? You're mad to think that there is anything better than Ajax and Durandal." Nick said.
"There are Arch-God weapons," Dave said in a matter-of-factly.
Nick and Death both burst out laughing at the same time.
"If you said something funny, I didn't understand it," Singund said joining the conversation after a long time of listening.
Dave was of the same opinion; he had no idea what these two were talking about.
"Arch-God weapons are made by men and blessed by gods. Durandal and Ajax are cursed weapons, Made By A god, and blessed by a god. Do you see the difference?"
"Well, the lore says Vulkan made it."
"Yes, Vulkan has been gloating about the creation of the best weapon and the best shield to ever exist, he was a snobbish, arrogant, and prideful fool, but. He was the best at what he did."
"You're talking about him in the past tense. I guess."
"Yes, by that very sword and shield," Nick said. "That's the reason for the curse. The blade and shield were in agony after having to kill their owner, so they cursed themselves to never be able to show their real might. You saw a fraction of it when you were in the chaos area in the wilds."
"Who killed him?" Dave asked.
"Now you're asking the good questions. But we're not allowed to answer that."
"I suppose taking revenge upon who killed Vulkan will make these two a lot less Cursed and a lot more badass?"
"As I said, you're asking the right questions. Now go and do what I asked, you'll find it challenging, but helpful if you succeed."
"Right, I'm on it."
"You, go with him, you'll have a lot of fun too," Nick said addressing the orc.
Dave shrugged and turned to Singund, "You're gonna regret it now he said that.���
Singund looked awfully suspicious of Nicholas but if he said there was going to be a fight, Singund was gonna be there.
Dave and Singund left the bar and headed to the teleportation gate in Urburg.
***
"You didn't tell him about the problem with that person?" Death asked.
"Ah, yes, I forgot. Well, he's gonna have to go and find out."
"You think he'll be happy to know? I mean, Once he is back, and especially with Kis'Shtiengrabh's current position of power. A misunderstanding is bound to happen."2
"Well, wouldn't that make it fun?"
"You're gonna cause a civil war between your undead."
"Hopefully, it won't escalate to that level."
"You're really acting like a child sometimes."
"Most of the time lad, but it's the best way to have some fun. We're immortals, we could use a bit of excitement in our endless lives from eon to eon."