Chapter 88: The Great Upheaval #2

Chapter 88: The Great Upheaval #2

The aftertaste of defeat is always bitter.

This is especially true for vampires, who enjoy life for several times, or even tens of times longer than ordinary humans.

Carmilla, the Vampire Queen and ruler of the North, still vividly remembered her past bitter defeat.

The one who first defeated Carmilla was the ‘Immortal Lich’ Estel.

Estel and Carmilla were destined to settle their score someday. The title of the strongest necromancer on the continent was only allowed to one person under the sky.

And Carmilla lost spectacularly.

Estel was stronger than expected. Her combat power, as well as her skill as a necromancer commanding her subordinates, was on a different level than Carmilla’s.

In the end, Carmilla, vowing revenge, lost all the power she had built in the central continent and was forced to retreat to the polar regions of the north, where blizzards raged.

However, Carmilla did not despair. As mentioned, vampires have long lives. It’s not appropriate to think like humans who can barely live for a hundred years.

Winning or losing once or twice was merely a fleeting incident in her long life.

Carmilla did not rush.

She took a broad view of the future, drawing up a grand plan, and intended to gather strength in the remote polar regions that others paid no attention to, and challenge Estel again.

And time flew by like an arrow.

Carmilla had since taken control of the Snow Orcs and various other local forces scattered throughout the north, and had newly raised an undead army from scratch.

When she heard that Estel had been defeated by Michael and her whereabouts were unknown, Carmilla was a little surprised.

She felt a mixed emotion, unsure whether to be happy or feel a sense of futility-but Carmilla soon reached a conclusion.

Estel, like Carmilla, was an immortal being.

Even though she had been defeated by a human hero, she would return someday. So, she decided to continue gathering strength as she had been, waiting for that time.

And so, her plan was proceeding smoothly…

***

“It’s good that something interesting has come up.”

An undead army, devoid of any warmth of the living.

Carmilla sat arrogantly on a throne supported by decaying undead, her small body buried deep within it.

Carmilla held her chin high and glared at the rocky valley visible in the distance.

The enemy was lurking in the rocky valley.

Like Carmilla’s army, it was an army of rotten corpses. Reconnaissance revealed that its leader was ‘The Monster in the Laboratory,’ Alice.

“Hmph. The ghosts of the past are still running wild.”

Carmilla let out a cold sneer.

Alice was certainly a formidable opponent. Or rather, she had been a formidable opponent. Of course, that was a matter of more than ten years ago.

Carmilla and her army had changed incomparably since then.

Now, she wouldn’t struggle against a mere Bone Dragon. Carmilla firmly believed this.

“What are you doing, you fools? Go. Advance.”

Carmilla said irritably, giving orders to her army.

The undead army advanced step by step as their young master commanded, without any complaint.

Fwoosh-!

As they approached the valley entrance, Alice’s skeleton soldiers poked their heads out from the crevices of the cliff and fired arrows.

Though each individual’s archery skills were mediocre, some of Carmilla’s soldiers were struck by stray arrows and fell one after another.

However, no one screamed or trembled in fear.

The undead soldiers, long dead, walked forward silently, unconcerned about their comrades falling beside them.

Neither the archers nor the targets of the arrows had their pupils in focus. Their eyes were dull and hazy, devoid of life.

A bizarre atmosphere permeated the battlefield, rarely seen in the battles of the living.

Thump-

Carmilla’s soldiers at the very front fell, but the soldiers in the rear, without hesitation, stepped over their comrades’ corpses and entered the valley.

“Geez, is this all?”

Carmilla sighed with a disappointed expression.

She had expected it to be a bit more entertaining, but this was hardly a diversion.

The enemy’s forces consisted of only a thousand or two skeleton soldiers.

With this number, there was no need to mobilize her own soldiers. Carmilla alone could have wiped them out in an instant.

“Butler, you made such a fuss. I won’t let you off when we get back.”

Carmilla vowed to punish the butler left at the main castle and drew her giant scythe.

“Life Reaper,” the ultimate artifact weapon of necromancy.

The Life Reaper was not originally Carmilla’s.

It was the prized possession of the Immortal Lich Estel, but after her defeat by Michael, the Life Reaper fell into Michael’s hands.

Of course, a necromantic artifact was useless to Michael, a paladin, so the Life Reaper was later put up for sale on the black market, which Carmilla bought at a high price to acquire it.

Goooo-

Dark clouds billowed from the giant scythe in Carmilla’s hand. The clouds enveloped Carmilla’s body, forming a pitch-black figure as if shrouded in shadow.

“Heh heh.”

Only the glowing eyes shone blue from the pitch-black body.

This was the hidden ability of the Life Reaper, “Reaper Form,” which only those who had reached the pinnacle of necromancy could use properly.

The shadow armor that enveloped her entire body absorbed enemy attacks, while Carmilla’s scythe strikes ignored any defense.

In the face of the ultimate necromantic art that had reached the pinnacle of offense and defense, there was no enemy that could resist.

“How dare you underestimate me. Alice, watch carefully. I’m much stronger than your former master now.”

Carmilla raised her giant scythe with both hands.

Whoosh-

With a single, casual swing of the scythe, Alice’s soldiers lurking in the valley were cut in two.

The distance to Carmilla was meaningless. The slashes cut through space, even without direct contact.

It was useless to dodge or block.

The moment they were caught in Carmilla’s gaze, the targeting was complete. Alice’s army was simply reaped like wheat stalks in harvest season.

Another swing of the scythe followed. The remaining soldiers, who had barely survived, had their necks and waists cut in half helplessly.

“Well, it’s kind of fun to exert myself after so long. For fighting scarecrows, anyway.”

Carmilla, enveloped in dark shadows, let out an eerie laugh.

Crack-!

From deep within the valley, the Bone Dragon revealed itself. The monster in the laboratory, Alice.

Alice opened her mouth wide, inhaled, and then repeatedly fired her Unholy Breath.

“It’s no use, I tell you.”

Carmilla extended her palm. The consecutive breaths were blocked by Carmilla’s hand and scattered uselessly.

The current Carmilla was like death itself, a grim reaper.

No matter how much Alice fired her weakening breath, she couldn’t age the embodiment of death.

Realizing that she was outnumbered, Alice spread her wings and flew far into the sky.

Carmilla burst into laughter watching the Bone Dragon flee with its tail between its legs.

“Where do you think you’re going? Hey, everyone, chase her! Run, I said run! We need to teach that bony dragon a lesson this time.”

Carmilla’s army went into pursuit. Carmilla’s soldiers pursued Alice, crossing the completely collapsed enemy lines in a straight line.

Carmilla, riding a skeletal horse, was in high spirits.

The enemy was a disorganized mob. They had underestimated Carmilla too much. To think they would dare to attack without knowing their place and then run away.

“Catch Alice at all costs! If you get a little closer, I’ll cut her down.”

Carmilla shouted in a sharp voice.

The distance to Alice was maintained at a precarious gap, as if it could be closed but not quite. It seemed like it could be caught up easily, but it was also not easy, which annoyed Carmilla.

As Carmilla’s army pursued Alice, their formation became disorganized, and they stretched out in a long line.

If the butler had been by Carmilla’s side, he would have told her to stop the pursuit for a moment and reorganize the formation.

But the butler was currently at the main castle, and the only commander on the battlefield was Carmilla, who was greatly excited.

Moreover, Carmilla, whose mental age had regressed to that of a child due to the secret art of youth.

Carmilla did not realize.

That Alice, who was being chased, occasionally looked back to check if Carmilla was following properly.

The game of tag did not end easily.

***

Well, the preparations are complete.

Eight hundred well-trained orc warriors. And three thousand undead troops, painstakingly raised.

Before me, the orc and undead armies, gathered under the banner of subjugating Carmilla, are arrayed.

“Estel. A messenger has arrived.”

Jonathan approached me with a raven perched on his wrist.

I untied the note tied to the raven’s ankle and examined it. It was a note from Alice.

The message was short and clear.

-To my Master.

Carmilla has been lured away. The plan is proceeding smoothly.

“Good.”

It’s time for us to move our troops as well.

Carmilla is currently preoccupied with chasing Alice.

By throwing a handful of expendable skeleton soldiers, she has become intoxicated with that small victory and lost her ability to make rational judgments.

Meanwhile, my main force will directly attack Carmilla’s castle.

It’s a strategy of “giving flesh to take bone,” so to speak.

“Well then, let’s go.”

From now on, it’s a race against time. If I succeed in capturing it before Carmilla returns to the main castle, it’ll be my victory.

The source of magic that controls Carmilla’s undead army is strictly kept within the castle. The moment that source is seized, thousands of Carmilla’s troops will be instantly neutralized.

Of course, Carmilla is strong. She was excellent as a necromancer, and with a precious artifact weapon, she would be terrifying.

That weapon, which was originally mine.

“Carmilla, you’ve been using my artifact well, haven’t you? Now I need to get it back with interest.”

I looked at the distant sky from the rear of the advancing army.

Carmilla’s castle was now in sight.