Chapter 18: A Warm Welcome
"Now where should I spend my XP..."
"The fight against the zombie goblin´s had given me 2000 XP. Counting what I have in my XP storage I should have 2100 XP in total. Quite a lot for just some brain-damaged undead."
Although The XP that I gained was quite plenty full, that didn't mean that I could just spend it carefree.
No.
It was actually the opposite!
"Even though those undead were quite weak, their purpose properly wasn´t to kill me but to gain information. Killing those guys should even alert the one controlling those undead..."
That means I shouldn´t have much time to prepare. At worst the enemy is right outside of the cave...
Without much time to waste, I quickly decided where I would use my storage XP.
If I were to follow the goal of reaching level 10 as fast as possible I could increase my current level twice with the XP that I got. That choice would even be given me 2 Strenght, 2 Agility, 2 Endurance, and 2 Attribute points which would go on intelligence.
But I didn´t choose to do that.
Instead of increasing my own level, I decided to increase my class level. Although it goes against my original plan that didn´t matter currently.
What mattered the most was increasing my combat capabilities to the absolute maximum at the time!
Currently, I haven´t met anything that can threaten my current life. The most dangerous moment during the whole four days was my fight versus the hobgoblin and my current strength has already surpassed the hobgoblin!
Even if I fight against two. No, maybe even against three hobgoblins I might able to win against them!
The question now is, Why should I go against my plan if there is nothing to threaten my life?
The answer is obviously...
You Fool!
Even I ain´t that naive to believe that!
It hasn´t even been a whole day and I was almost killed by the helmet goblin already. Even if we don´t count that I wouldn´t be so naive as to think that there isn´t a stronger existence compared to me!
The dude who sent those zombie goblins obviously isn´t a small fry!
The report from the zombies mentions that he used some kind of necromancy to make those zombie goblins. And by translating what necromancy means with the help of the status the one creating the zombie goblins wouldn´t be as simple!
[Necromancy: One of the branches of Magic. It focused on creation and control of death.]
Although a sort description, the content that it provides is very important.
The important information isn´t about how necromancy allows you to control death and such.
No.
The most important information in this description is just one word.
Magic.
That dude knows how to use Magic!
What is magic you ask?
The hell I know!
I never faced an enemy that was capable of using magic. Only enemy´s that used the skill [Sprint] and the [Heavy Strike], which both are considered martial arts by the status.
Through this reasoning, I decided to increase my combat capabilities to the maximum! And to do that I would have to increase my class [Undead Warrior] level instead of my original level!
"The first level cost 600 XP. With the second costing 700 XP and the third costing 800 XP...That should in total be 2100 XP points!"
Without much hesitation, I tapped at the level-up option in the status window.
[Undead Warrior Level has Increase from Lv. 2 to Lv. 5]
[Strenght Increased by 6, Agility Increased by 3 and Endurance Increased by 3]
[You Received 3 Attribute Points]
"My strength increased by so much..."
[Status]
Name: ----
Race: Skeleton (Undead)
Level: 6
Class: [Undead Warrior Lv.5]
Sub-Class: ----
Health: 723/750
Mana: 66/80
Attribute Points: 3
Attributes: Strength: 23 Agility: 16 Intelligence: 8 Endurance: 17
[Talents] [Undead] [Sin of Wrath]
[Skills] [Lower Weapon Mastery Lv.1] [Miasma Corruption Lv.1] [Sprint Lv.1] [Shield Bash Lv. 1] [Piercing Lv. 1]
[Remark: A abnormal Skeleton that awakened this death aura. Although current you are pathetically weak, your potential just started to sprout.]
"Hmm? The remark changed from skeleton to abnormal skeleton huh?
Maybe though the increased of my stats?" After glancing at the remark for a second I quickly moved to put my attribute points to my Intelligence.
[Inteligence increased by 3]
"Now with this done, I will have to check the outside first!" After cleaning the spear and the sword from the rotten blood I dashed towards the exit of the cave.
After reaching the outside I sighed out of relief.
"The magic caster still isn´t here, that means I still got time." After staying silenced for a few seconds I could hear some quiet echoes through the distance.
"If my guess is right the magic caster should be coming from the lake to here, that means a few hours before they come here..."
After realizing that I still got some time left I unconsciously put a vicious smile on my face.
"What gentleman would I be if I weren´t able to prepare a welcome for those guest of my?"
Hehe...
****
Three hours later at the entrance of the captured cave, the shaman's group had arrived.
"Kghwa!?"
"Kgwha!?"
"Quite! Place the luggage to the ground and prepare to go in..." The shaman currently had a weird look on this face.
The current sight bewilders him. Instead of before where there were nothing special sights or decorations aside from some rocks, the cave entrance looked quite boring. But now if he had to describe this current sight he would say that it was quite...gory!
In front of the cave now were more than ten stakes which impaled the five goblin zombies that he had sent not long before and five different goblins which looked decayed to the point you could see the bones through the skin!
But what scared the goblins the most was that in the middle of those stakes was the head of their warrior chieftain.
The hobgoblin's face had a look of fear, which further enchanted the fear from the goblins.
If someone were to watch this sight it would remind them of the decorations of Dracula's front door castle [1].
"Those things weren´t there before..." Did the skeleton make this knowing that we will come? Indeed, this skeleton is way smarter than even though...
"But this skeleton is obviously underestimating us, to welcome us like that..." Seeing this brother's head placed to the ground like that he somehow felt a sense of sadness in him.
"My little brother...who would even though that to see you like this..." The shaman's face grew gentler and sadder for each second that he looked at this brother's remaining head.
Seeing their elder getting so sad cause of the death of the warrior chieftain they saw their elder in a new light!
The goblins wanted to go to the elder and ensure him that their warrior chieftain is now in a better place.
But before they could even do that, the face of their elder turned vicious and this eye was madness to see.
"You useless pig! Even to the death, you became useless! If your body weren´t torn to pieces I could already have succeded with my research!"
Goblins: "...."
Shaman: "What are you guys looking at? Get to work! This undead isn´t going to kill itself!"
Seeing that their elder has returned to this original self they could only sight internally and move towards the cave entrance.
Walking between the impaled goblin´s they couldn´t help but show signs of fear and disgust.
No matter which race you were, seeing one of your own race impaled and decayed at a stake. It wouldn´t be a nice sight to see.
Seeing the expression of this goblin, the shaman scoffed loudly.
"Tch, they are just corpses! Nothing new to see! The same meat you guys eat comes from your fellow colleague's corpses! Get over it and move on!"
Hearing what their elder has said most of the goblins got a sudden sense to puke out of disgust. But every goblin held these feelings down, afraid to displease their elder by puking in front of him.
"No matter how strong of a skeleton you are, against our number and my magic you will wish that you haven´t underestimated us!" Saying that the goblin shaman took the lead of the group and headed Inside the cave.
But as they moved inside the cave they failed to notice a small detail outside.
If you were to observe carefully you could even see the earth of the right-most corner move.
Or rather vibrate.
And with the group moving inside the cave the earth vibration suddenly grew stronger until a skeleton arm came out of the earth!
And after the hand appeared, a skeleton with some cloth armor through these ribs and a spear with a shield in this hand appeared from under the ground!
"Hehe.."
[1] In a series of Netflix.. Called Castlevania there is a character called Vlad Dracula Tepes which he decorations the path towards this castle with corpses that are impaled by stakes.